Samsung’s S Health app now supports all Android phones
With an endless stream of fitness wearables hitting the market, it’s easy to forget that your smartphone comes packed with sensors that can do exactly the same job. Samsung makes smartphones and smartwatches, so building a dedicated wellbeing app, known as S Health, to collate everything made complete sense. While the app hit the Play Store back in April, the company only made it available to select Galaxy handsets. Luckily, that changes today, meaning anyone with an Android device to see what it’s all about.
S Health primarily serves as an activity tracker that will monitor your steps, offer tips to reach goals and help set programs to get you off the couch and pounding the streets. It supports heart-rate monitors and blood oxygen measurement too, but you will need a phone capable of recording them. Much like Apple’s Health app, it supports partner apps, allowing you to connect a third-party wearable and siphon all of its data into the S Health dashboard — useful if you’re wanting to pair the Gear S2 with your non-Samsung branded phone.
Via: Android Central
Source: S Health (Google Play)
Samsung opens up S Health fitness app to all devices with Android 4.4+
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Samsung has never been particularly well known for playing nicely with devices that don’t start with the name “Samsung”, so this year has been a real surprise for all Android fans. After announcing that their new smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S2, would be compatible with all devices with Android 4.4+ and 1.5GB RAM, the Korean manufacturer has just opened up its S Health fitness app for all devices with Android 4.4+ also. It’s an interesting move, and likely comes on the tail of disappointing sales for its flagship devices – no doubt the idea is to try and get people to jump on the Samsung bandwagon somehow which will hopefully get them to consider a Samsung device when they upgrade.
If you’re wondering how good the S Health app is, it’s got all your fitness tracking tools which record steps, your intake of calories and even how much sunlight you’ve gotten. Some of the more useful features that other fitness apps lack are graphs that plot out your recent performance and tips that help you keep progressing towards a better lifestyle. And, it’s free – so if your fitness app isn’t quite what you want it to be, perhaps try S Health; Play Store link is below:
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.jsWhat do you think about the S Health fitness app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Phandroid
The post Samsung opens up S Health fitness app to all devices with Android 4.4+ appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung S Health app now available to all
Samsung’s S Health app is packed full of features for the fitness enthusiasts out there, but it has unfortunately been locked away and limited to just a select few Samsung handsets. Even when the app hit the Play Store back in April, older Galaxy handsets remained locked out, but today Samsung has updated the app so that it works with a much wider range of Android smartphones. What a nice surprise.
S Health will now work with any Samsung Galaxy smartphone, even the older generation models. The app can also be installed on any Android handset running version 4.4 or newer, regardless of the manufacturer.
As for features, S Health comes with the usual selection of stat tracking and target setting options. You can keep track of your steps, weight, daily food or caffeine intake, and can even monitor your sleep patterns if you so desire. Of course, you won’t be able to use the heart rate monitoring features without a compatible handset, but all of the other options seem to carry over to non-Samsung smartphones.
If you want to try it out for yourself, you can download S Health from the Play Store completely free.
Apple wins another patent victory against Samsung over lock screens and autocorrect
Samsung and Apple have been clashing heads in the courtroom for years, and while Apple tends to monetary damages from most of these cases, we’ve never actually seen any other manufacturers barred from using technical features that Apple is ruled to hold a valid patent on. That might change with this latest ruling, however.
This ruling states that Apple has grounds to force Samsung to stop using some of their features in their products. This includes the infamous slide-to-unlock patent, keyboard autocorrect, and quicklinks in text messages. These were things that Samsung only had to pay Apple for infringing on, but if this ruling holds up we might actually see devices kept out of market because of these features. Considering how many smartphones available today use autocorrect in their keyboards and have swiping gestures to unlock them, this would affect more than just Samsung.
Like all of these rulings and court battles, this decision will likely get appealed, probably multiple times, before we actually see anything come of this. It might get overturned, it might get changed, or it might hold up. At this point, we’ll just have to wait and see.
source: Bloomberg
via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Apple wins another patent victory against Samsung over lock screens and autocorrect
Apple patent victory puts Samsung devices in jeopardy
Apple has won another small victory in its never-ending patent row with Samsung. The war that nobody asked for (and like most wars will have no winners, only losers) rages on with another appeals court decision. This one went in favor of Apple (as all but a few have), ruling that the company could force Samsung to stop using particular features on its cellphones and tablets. The ruling, while relatively narrow in scope, could still have significant consequences for Samsung and other device manufacturers.
The opinion from the court stated that “the right to exclude competitors from using one’s property rights is important.” What makes this particularly notable is that in this case we’re talking about specific, individual features and technologies in a complex device. If the ruling stands that means that future devices from any company could be delayed or even removed from the market temporarily over seemingly minor features. For example, the ability to slide to unlock your phone.
Apple won an initial trial saying that Samsung had violated its patents on slide-to-unlock, autocorrect and quicklinks. But the judge at the time declined to force Samsung to change its designs and instead only awarded Cupertino monetary damages. That wasn’t enough for Apple which has continued to chase a full victory in the court system.
Of course, this is hardly the end of the fight. Samsung is appealing the decision, as well as the original decision finding that it had violated Apple’s patents. And right now the case is being sent back to a lower court to reconsider an injunction. However, the court systems appear to be tiring of these constant skirmishes as much as the public.
While in general the patent skirmishes between these two companies and its proxies have have died down, they haven’t ended completely. We can all hope that one day there will be an Apple / Samsung peace accord, but for now it seems the best case scenario is that the collateral damage doesn’t extend to consumer choice.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Apple, Samsung
Source:
Bloomberg
Tags: apple, breaking news, court, lawsuit, patent, PatentInfringement, samsung
OnePlus 2 vs Samsung Galaxy S6
There was a lot of fanfare surrounding the launch of OnePlus 2, with OnePlus following the same pattern of planned leaks and teasers it used with the original. The OnePlus 2 does get a lot right, but it’s not without its flaws, which raises the question: does it stand up to its moniker of “flagship killer?” To find out, there’s no better device to pit the OnePlus 2 against than the latest Samsung S series flagship, which has a seen a major overhaul in design, build quality, processing power, and software. How does the latest OnePlus fare against one of Samsung’s finest phones to date? Here is a comprehensive look at the OnePlus 2 vs Samsung Galaxy S6!
Design
Design is certainly a big button topic for both of these devices, as Samsung and OnePlus instituted some real changes to their existing formulas. Of course, the change is especially dramatic on the Galaxy S6, the latest in a line of high profile devices.
Despite changes in build materials, the Galaxy S6 is still a Samsung device in shape and layout, which includes the fingerprint reader embedded in the physical home button. There are no real surprises to be found here, until the choice of build material comes into play. The metal frame and dual glass panel construction made this this first Galaxy S device to move from plastic. On the downside, as a result, the Galaxy S6 no longer sports a removable back cover. Many users considered this a step backwards, as features like a removable battery and expandable storage have been removed as a result, but the Galaxy S6 is definitely the most premium and the sleekest Galaxy S flagships we’ve seen.
The 5.1-inch screen keeps the phone from feeling too small or too big, which is a boon for those who demand a good handling experience. The glass construction does make this device extremely prone to fingerprints, but nevertheless, the Galaxy S6 was the beginning of what turned out to be Samsung’s year of good design.
The OnePlus 2 has also seen some changes when compared to the original, mainly in the addition of a metallic frame of its own. The metal does a good job of making this phone feel quite premium, and the stock sandstone black material of the back cover helps differentiate this phone from basically every other device that is currently available in the market. Despite retaining a 5.5-inch display from its predecessor, the OnePlus 2 has a slightly smaller footprint, which does help in the handling experience, even if the device still continues to toe the line of comfort.
The buttons and design elements around the device deserve a mention here, especially the new Alert Slider found on the left side, which works as a notification toggle, and basically offers a very easy way to silence your phone. The home button is recessed now and flanked by back and recent apps keys, though the real story is in the fingerprint reader incorporated in the home button. The touch based sensor makes it super simple to unlock the device, even when the screen is off.
Finally, on the bottom is where you will see the adoption of the new USB Type-C standard for the charging port, and it’s a change that might take some getting used to. The new port means that all the microUSB cables you may have lying around are no longer useful, and more importantly, having the the new cable on hand is something that you will always have to keep in mind.
As always, making a choice between two designs is purely a matter of opinion, but both of these phones have been changed for the better, compared to the previous generations, thanks to the usage of premium materials. The Galaxy S6, despite feeling very different in the hand, is quintessentially still a Samsung flagship. The metal and glass unibody design may have caused the removal of a couple of key features, but the result is one of the most attractive (albeit a little delicate) Android devices currently available. The OnePlus 2 also lacks expandable storage and a replaceable battery, but its back cover can be swapped with alternative covers of different materials and designs.
What was once mostly plastic in both of these companies’ pedigrees has now been upgraded. The larger screen of the OnePlus 2 does make it a little harder to handle, but that is a small factor in what might be a pretty tough decision, because both of these phones look pretty great.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S6 sports a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display, with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 577 ppi. The Super AMOLED technology allows for incredible colors, and makes everything from text to videos to games look great. The Quad HD resolution and impressive pixel density on this medium-sized screen result in performance and quality that are on par or above every other device out there.
It’s true that the Galaxy S6 Edge brings curved sides to the phone, but aside from being aesthetically pleasing, and somewhat helping with the handling experience, their addition don’t add a whole lot to what is already a fantastic display experience.
On the other hand is the 5.5-inch LTPS LCD display of the OnePlus 2, which retains the 1080p resolution of the original, likely in an effort to keep the price of the device at a reasonable point. People may not have been pleased with this choice made by OnePlus, but that doesn’t mean that this display isn’t a great performer though. A bit more color and brightness has been added in for an even more enjoyable experience. Typical users will not be able to tell the difference with Full HD and Quad HD, so there is little reason to believe that the OnePlus 2 is really far behind the Galaxy S6 in the display department.
Unless you are really spec-hungry, the Galaxy S6 only trumps the OnePlus 2 in color saturation. For many users, higher saturation is more enjoyable, and Samsung definitely has that aspect locked down. We give the OnePlus 2 marks for offering a really good display experience, but Quad HD is the flagship-worthy box this device can’t tick off.
Performance
Performance is really of no issue with either of these smartphones, with the current best of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series going up against a very powerful Samsung-made SoC.
The octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor powers the OnePlus 2, clocked at 1.8 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 430 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. There is no doubt that sheer power is available with this processing package, and the Oxygen OS is what is mostly to blame for any of the little bugs and stutters that we’ve seen thus far. Games don’t have any trouble running, and the same is true for pretty much any other task as well. Moving between the various apps using the Recent Apps screen is as much of a breeze as expected.
On the other hand, Samsung is putting their faith in its in-house processing package to bring the level of performance that users demand, and the octa-core Exynos 7420 undeniably gets the job done. With 4 GB of RAM on-board, multi-tasking is not hard at all, even with features like S Window and Multi-Window requiring more than what is necessary when just moving in and out of the Recent Apps screen. Also helping with performance is a toned down TouchWiz software suite, and it isn’t hard to see just how fast this phone can go when all of the questionable Samsung features are removed or, at least, well hidden.
Performance is one aspect in which the OnePlus 2 manages to stand toe to toe with other flagships, and the device manages to keep up with the powerful Galaxy S6 as well. Oxygen OS still needs a few bug fixes here and there, however, but once optimized, we have no doubt that the day-to-day experience of the OnePlus 2 will be as a sublime as it is with the Samsung Galaxy S6 now.
Hardware
When you call your device a “flagship killer,” you must provide the same overall features as the competition, and the OnePlus 2 has a lot of extras to offer when it comes to the hardware side of things. It starts with the fingerprint reader that is embedded underneath the recessed home button, which works quite well. We did have some troubles with pressing the home button and getting the fingerprint to register properly, but these issues occurred only occasionally.
The second big addition is the Alert Slider, which basically does what it sets out to, making it very easy to switch between the different notification modes introduced with Android Lollipop, including All, Priority, and None. If you aren’t already the kind of person that keeps their phone on silent all the time, the Alert Slider will prove extremely useful. It’s just so easy to locate the switch and toggle it without looking at it, so you won’t even have to take it out of the pocket if you don’t want to.
The OnePlus 2 also supports two SIMs; this feature may not be considered a necessary addition by users in the West, but even they could make use of the OnePlus 2’s dual SIM support when travelling abroad.
The USB Type-C port on the OnePlus 2 is nice, but due to the adoption of this new standard, the phone doesn’t have any fast-charging capabilities. That’s despite the fact that Snapdragon 810 typically supports Quick Charging 2.0. The OnePlus 2 also lacks wireless charging support, so you better keep that nice red charging cable in a safe place. That said, the 3,300 mAh battery does allow for some fantastic battery life, providing as much as 5 hours of screen-on time in a typical day, which somewhat alleviates concerns related to the lack of fast charging.
The Galaxy S6 brings its own suite of extra hardware features, and while some of them are returning from previous generations, albeit in better implementations, there are some new add-ons as well, starting with the built-in wireless charging. The Galaxy S6 supports wireless charging out of the box, as well as fast charging, allowing for a full recharge in just about an hour. That is a capability you may unfortunately have to rely on however, as the 2,550 mAh capacity of the battery doesn’t let you power through a full day of full usage.
NFC isn’t usually a feature that we talk about, but it’s important to note in the case of the Galaxy S6, with the imminent arrival of Samsung Pay. It’s even more important to mention in connection with the OnePlus 2, which surprisingly lacks NFC. OnePlus claims OnePlus One users simply don’t care about NFC, but the decision to not include the connectivity method on the OnePlus 2 remains hugely controversial. As a result of the lack of NFC, OnePlus 2 will not be able to run Android Pay (and other payment systems), so anyone that is looking to adopt the future of payments will probably choose the Galaxy S6 here.
Samsung’s own fingerprint reader is embedded in the tactile home button up front and it seems to be just as fast as the OnePlus implementation. The Galaxy S6 posed its own infrequent issues with registering a fingerprint, so these devices tied in our testing. Of course, Samsung tries to make their phones do everything, and returning with the Galaxy S6 is a heart rate sensor on the back of the phone, to be used with an updated version of S Heath. It is nice to be able to check your heart rate or even stress levels from time to time, though we certainly wouldn’t call this a complete health tool for anyone that is really serious about fitness.
Bottom line, it’s heart rate monitoring vs silent-mode switch, fast charging vs larger battery capacity, and Dual SIM vs NFC. In hardware we have a toss up between these two devices, but we have to give OnePlus credit for closing the gap in this particular aspect.
Camera
Given the current landscape in this category, the OnePlus 2 had one place to truly excel in order to be considered a real flagship killer, and that is the camera.
At first glance, it isn’t off to a great start with the camera application, which is a modified version of the Google Camera, and misses a number of modes and manual controls that have become commonplace with this year’s high-end releases. Manual controls, and perhaps RAW capture mode, would be needed to make this a true companion for anyone serious about photography. Even then, the camera app isn’t the fastest we’ve seen, despite the addition of OIS and a laser auto focus system.
Auto focus does see an improvement though, despite the OIS getting stifled by the camera app typically opting for slower shutter speeds, which negatively impacts the stabilization. We have been told that an update to the camera software will include manual controls and further optimizations, and honestly, those can’t come soon enough.
When comparing the two camera applications, the Samsung Galaxy S6 benefits from a long pedigree of fully featured camera offerings. With optical image stabilization, this 16 MP shooter boasts not only manual controls, but plenty of other modes that can take advantage of a very good sensor. The manual mode adds a lot of control, even if it isn’t as granular as on other apps we’ve seen in the market. But by far, the best part of the Galaxy S6 camera is the speed of opening the app with a simple double tap of the home button.
OnePlus 2 camera samples
Picture quality is of course, what matters the most, and unfortunately, the OnePlus 2 delivers some good photos without really going beyond. For most pictures, when zoomed out, the pictures look great for a myriad of uses, like social media, but zoom in even a little bit, and the lack of detail can be observed. The Galaxy S6 manages to get a little more detail out of its pictures, though its coloration can be excessive for photography purists. The oversaturation is often met positively by anyone looking for extra punch in their photos, though.
Samsung Galaxy S6 camera samples
HDR is often up to interpretation by all companies, and in the OnePlus 2, we do see quite a bit more dynamic range, as dark areas are brightened, and vice versa. Though things aren’t as drastic in HDR mode with the Galaxy S6, it’s still more detailed than the OnePlus 2. In low light situations, the main issue is that the OnePlus 2 chooses really slow shutter speeds, over anything else, resulting in OIS being unable to do its job if the hands have to remain steady for longer than a fraction of a second. The already very grainy low light shots are not only blurred out, but more importantly, harder to capture. On the other hand, the Galaxy S6 can suffer from sub-par low light shots as well, but capturing these photos is definitely not as difficult as it is with the OnePlus 2.
Though we would like to see someone surpass even Samsung in the smartphone camera department, the Galaxy S6 will definitely not be “killed” by the camera of the OnePlus 2.
Software
Finally, on the software side of things, we see a stripping down of user interfaces.
Starting with Samsung, there was a renaissance of sorts, when much of what we called bloat in TouchWiz simply disappeared. Gone are a large amount of tutorials that would get in the way, and quite a few of the built-in extras can actually be disabled, such as the Briefing news homescreen. The end result is probably the most accessible version of Samsung’s software to date, and with Lollipop at the backend, what is on the surface can actually be themed and customized.
The most useful features pertain to multitasking, like the Multiwindow feature, which brings the same abilities as before for anyone who is looking to do two things at once. The S Window is available by dragging down from the top corner, but TouchWiz certainly isn’t as pushy with forcing you to use it this time.
Since the release of its first phone, OnePlus had a very public falling out with Cyanogen, leaving it to create its own software, called Oxygen OS. For most intents and purposes, Oxygen OS is a modified stock Android interface, with a few additions, which include the gestures for the turned off screen, and the ability to change up the capacitive keys for on-screen navigation keys. App permissions do come with this OS ahead of the Marshmallow release, and though they might not be used all the time, anyone interested in security will appreciate its availability. Finally, there is Shelf, which is Oxygen’s version of an extra homescreen, that houses a number of user defined widgets including frequently used apps and contacts.
We love stock Android, and OnePlus has done a good job of leveraging it to Oxygen’s advantage, but TouchWiz has seen its own shift that brings tons of functionality in a toned down package. Oxygen OS does have some issues with certain bugs and hiccups, but they should be fixed with updates.
Specs comparison
| Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge | OnePlus 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display 577 ppi |
5.5-inch LTPS LCD display Full HD, 401 ppi |
| Processor | 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 processor Mali-T760 |
1.8 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor Adreno 430 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB | 3/4 GB (4 GB for the 64 GB storage) |
| Storage | 32/64/128 GB not expandable |
16/64 GB |
| Network | 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21/42 Mbps | GSM/HSPA/LTE |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, A-GPS / Glonass, USB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS / Glonass, USB 2.0 |
| Camera | Rear 16 MP with OIS. Front 5 MP wide angle lens |
13 MP rear camera with OIS and laser auto focus 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Software | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop | Oxygen OS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh – S6 Edge 2,550 mAh – S6 |
3,300 mAh |
| Dimensions | 142.1 x 70.1 x 7 mm 132 grams – S6 Edge 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm 138 grams – S6 |
151.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm 175 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
Price can be a real trump card, and one that OnePlus has been able to leverage before. This year, the price of the OnePlus 2 is a little higher at $329, which is still significantly cheaper than many other high-end devices, including the Galaxy S6, which can go as high as $579, with the Galaxy S6 Edge requiring an additional $100 or more. Though there are great mid-range smartphones out there that are priced the same as the OnePlus 2, it certainly destroys most of them in comparison.
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the OnePlus 2 vs Samsung Galaxy S6! As far as being a flagship killer, the OnePlus 2 unfortunately does not live up to that name this year. While it is able to match the performance, and even the hardware packages, of many current flagship smartphones, it doesn’t do enough to surpass phones like the Galaxy S6. The lack of Quad HD is a small difference in hindsight, but the poor camera simply puts the OnePlus 2 behind, not to mention a few other features that the Samsung smartphone boasts, including fast charging, wireless charging, and the ability to take advantage of mobile payment services.
Despite some forward thinking with the implementation of the new USB port standard and the inclusion of the Alert Slider, neither are killer features that really put the OnePlus 2 higher than the rest of the competition. In this comparison, the Galaxy S6 is simply better, as long as you can afford it. The price of the OnePlus 2 makes it a compelling choice, if the extras the Galaxy S6 offers aren’t necessary for you. That said, you get what you pay for, even if the OnePlus 2 offers a little more bang for your buck.
Samsung Pay may be heading to less expensive Galaxy phones
Samsung Pay is apparently off to a strong start in South Korea and will be arriving on the shores of the US in just over one weeks’ time. However, the new mobile payment system is currently limited to Samsung’s latest Galaxy S6 range and Note 5 handsets, limiting this useful feature to the premium tier. That may not be the case going forward though, as Samsung has hinted that the payment system will gradually be expanded to lower cost handsets.
When asked if the company was planning to bring Samsung Pay to cheaper handsets, Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung’s mobile division simply responded “it will gradually expand”. While this doesn’t give us a time frame or a suggestion about which devices could be supported in the future, it seems likely that Samsung will roll out its payment system to new, cheaper devices at some point.
“The Samsung Pay service is going well, and I think more users will be able to use it,” – Shin Jong-kyun
Samsung Pay relies on the company’s own magnetic secure transmission technology. Therefore, new hardware is required to fully implement the payment system, although a NFC only variant may also be on the cards. The Gear S2 will be bringing Samsung Pay to wearables via NFC.
This unique hardware is also what gives Samsung Pay a competitive advantage over the likes of Android Pay and Apple Pay, as it can be used with a wide range of existing card readers that are based on magnetic technology. The technology doesn’t come cheap, especially as it is first generation, but Samsung may be able to lower the cost of production over time, allowing it to be rolled out to a wider variety of devices.
Samsung Pay is to gradually launch in a number of countries over the coming months and the tech giant is also looking to introduce an online payment solution that runs alongside its current system. Samsung is betting big on mobile payments, so supporting a wide range of devices is surely on the to-do list.
Samsung Pay surpasses 500,000 registrations as US launch nears on Sept 28
The beta program for Samsung Pay began rolling out in the US last month, but how is Samsung’s mobile payments system faring in its home territory, South Korea? Pretty well, it seems, averaging over 25,000 registrations per day since its official launch on August 20th and going past the 500,000 milestone in less than a month.
Samsung Pay will launch in the US on September 28th, partnering up with the Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Visa, and MasterCard. Samsung has also partnered up with MasterCard to bring Samsung Pay to Europe while it’s thought that Samsung is in talks to connect UnionPay’s QuickPass card service to Samsung Pay in China. UnionPay services around 5 billion credit and check cards in China, so this would be quite the boost for Samsung Pay when it launches in China before the end of 2015.
Source: BusinessKorea
Via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Pay surpasses 500,000 registrations as US launch nears on Sept 28
Samsung commences production of 12Gb DRAM
In case you thought someone might think to themselves, “4GB of memory is all a smartphone needs,” Samsung has come along with some new chips to make sure the specs for memory continue to be pushed to higher levels. Samsung has announced they have launched mass production of 12Gb LPDDR4 (low power, double date rate 4) DRAM chips for mobile devices using their 20nm technology. These chips will be the largest capacity and highest speed chips available on the market for mobile device memory according to Samsung.
The company says the new 12Gb DRAM is 30% faster than the preceding generation of 8Gb memory, able to process at a whopping 4,266Mbps, while at the same time consuming 20% less energy. Samsung says they have improved their manufacturing processes to be able to produce 50% more memory compared to their 8Gb production, meaning they can better meet demand for these high-capacity chips.
For smartphone manufacturers, and consumers by extension, this means smartphones with 6GB of memory can fit in the same space as current 3GB solutions.
source: DigiTimes
Come comment on this article: Samsung commences production of 12Gb DRAM
A History of the Galaxy Note Smartphone Series
Samsung’s Galaxy Note series is still a mystery to some. “Who would want a device so massive?” is a common statement among onlookers. Many of us prefer the 5-inch form factor, which is why past Nexus devices, Moto X’s, and others have been so popular. Despite a market saturated with devices having a 5-inch form factor, the Galaxy Note series has managed to firmly corner a market wanting much larger options.
That isn’t a bad thing. After all, that’s what Android is all about–a variety of devices to fit different personalities, likes, and dislikes. However, the Galaxy Note series has an interesting history with the original Note launching in October of 2011.
Original Galaxy Note
The original Galaxy Note was, at first, a strange device, not knowing what it really was. It featured specifications that are foreign to flagship devices today. It has a 5.3-inch 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED display, an Exynos chipset, a dual-core 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, a Mali-400 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16/32GB storage options, microSD support up to 64GB, an 8MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, a, 2500mAh battery, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The element that made this device unique was the inclusion of the S Pen, giving users more options and control with their smartphone.
Samsung created the Galaxy Note to be a user’s primary device for on-the-go activities. It would do whatever you needed it do–take notes by recreating the ease of traditional pencil and paper, take good photos for family vacations, be a great multimedia device, and so on. In essence, Samsung wanted to get rid of all the extra devices and accessories you take with you–pen, notepads, point-and-shoot cameras, and replace it with a single device: the Galaxy Note.
The most interesting aspect of the device is that the media wasn’t sure just how well the original Galaxy Note would fit in with its 5.3-inch display. At the time, that was a massive display and was considered extremely large for a phone, and almost unnecessary. However, it was still met with success, selling over 10 million units in a year.
This isn’t where the Note’s success stopped, though.
Galaxy Note II
Samsung’s Galaxy Note II was a big upgrade from the original Galaxy Note on the hardware and software side of things. It has a bigger, 5.5-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED display, an Exynos 4412 chipset, a quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, a Mali-400MP4 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB storage options, microSD support up to 64GB, 8MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, a 3100mAh battery, and it’s running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to KitKat.
Another modification was a revised S Pen, along with many added S Pen features. Added to the Galaxy Note II was pen gestures, split-screen multitasking, and Air View, a feature that lets users preview content by hovering the pen over the screen. There were some other new TouchWiz features included that was introduced with the Galaxy S III.
The original Galaxy Note’s success pales in comparison to what the Note II saw, selling well over 30 million units worldwide. Samsung certainly saw their was a market for large devices like this, and has seen a lot of success as result. However, after the Galaxy Note II, many other manufacturers began developing devices of a similar size to take advantage of this popularity.
Many still thought 5.5 inches was massive for a display at the time, but it would quickly become the norm in future editions.
Galaxy Note 3
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched in September 2013, succeeding the Galaxy Note II. It was an extreme upgrade in hardware and offered more productivity options than the Galaxy Note series had seen in the past. The Galaxy Note 3 also ushered in a less blocky design, focusing on a much more premium offering.
It has a massive 5.7-inch 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 800/Exynos 5 Octa 5420 chipset (varies by market), a quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400/quad-core 1.9GHz Cortex-A15 and quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 CPU (varies by market), 3GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB storage options, microSD support up to 64GB, a 13MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, a 3200mAh battery, and the device is running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is upgradeable to Android 5.0 Lollipop.
What was unique about the Galaxy Note 3 is that it introduced a plastic leather back as opposed to the silicone seen in the past. The faux leather gave the device a premium feel, though some didn’t like the new design at all. This new Galaxy Note 3 brought with it expanded S Pen functionality, such as Air Command, Action Memos, handwriting recognition, and much more.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The Galaxy Note 3 was met with yet more wild success, selling 10 million units in its first two months. Interestingly just a few months later, Samsung decided to offer a downgraded version of the device, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo.
Galaxy Note 3 Neo
The Galaxy Note 3, announced by Samsung Poland in January 2014, was intended to be a less pricier version of the Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Note 3 Neo’s specs were all downgraded, but nothing too bad. The only major change was that the display was reverted to a 5.5-inch 720p panel and the camera was reduced down from 13MP to 8MP.
Software and S Pen functionality remained the same. However, it turned out to be a big disappointment in that it was essentially a Galaxy Note 2 with an artificial leather back. Its biggest complaint was the extremely drop in screen resolution. After this, Samsung never made a “budget” Galaxy Note again.
Galaxy Note 4
Samsung later in 2014 at IFA in Berlin announced the Galaxy Note 4, which was essentially a Galaxy Note 3 with a few minor changes, although there was a major improvement in resolution with the display.
It has a 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 805/Exynos 5433 chipset (varies by market), a quad-core 2.7GHz Krait 450/a quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 1.9GHz Cortex-A59 CPU (varies by market), 3GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of internal storage, microSD support up to 128GB, a 16MP rear camera, a 3.7MP front camera, a 3220mAh battery, and it’s running Android 4.4 KitKat, which is upgradeable to Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The Galaxy Note 4 didn’t see as much success as previous entries in the Note series, only garnering 4.5 million units in its first month. This would also be the last Note device to see the faux leather back.
As with every release, more software features was brought to the device for added S Pen and TouchWiz UI functionality. While many of these aren’t necessary to the goals of the Note series, it reiterates Samsung’s effort to make the Galaxy Note an all-in-one device so that you won’t ever need to bring anything else with you, whether that be a notepad, camera, and so on.
Galaxy Note Edge
The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge can be pictured as Samsung’s “Frankenstein,” an experimental device. We’ve seen many devices with an edge-to-edge display, but nothing like the Galaxy Note Edge where it’s actually a curved display.
The device features a 5.6-inch 2560 x 1600 Super AMOLED display, it has Snapdragon 805 chipset, a quad-core 2.7GHz Krait 450 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32/64GB of internal storage, microSD support up to 128GB, a 16MP rear camera, a 3.7MP front camera, a 3000mAh battery, and it’s running Android 4.4, which is upgradable to Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Aside from a small bump in resolution and a downgrade in battery, the Galaxy Note Edge’s specifications largely resemble that of the Galaxy Note 4. However, what makes it unique is that it has a curved display of 160px, running into the right side of the smartphone.
There was some additional functionality that worked with the curved display, but besides that, the device remains identical to the Galaxy Note 4. There’s been differing opinions regarding the Note Edge, but overall it seemed to do well, however, we haven’t heard news or rumors of another one in the works.
Galaxy Note 5
And here we arrive to this year’s refresh of the Galaxy Note. The device received a small bump in specifications, but nothing major. After all, Samsung’s focus this year wasn’t hardware, but offering a more premium device than it has in the past through a new design and better software features.
The phone totes a 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display, a Exynos 7420 chipset, a quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 and a quad-core 2.1GHz Cortex-A57 CPU, 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB storage options, no microSD support, a 16MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, and a 3000mAh battery, which isn’t field removable. It’s also on the latest version of Lollipop.
There’s been a lot of controversy regarding this device, largely because of closing off microSD access and sealing up the smartphone’s battery. There isn’t much reasoning behind getting rid of microSD support, however, we’re sure Samsung felt like they could seal up the battery by offering fast wireless charging features.
More controversy surrounds this device due to the S Pen. If you put it in its tray backwards, it gets stuck and generally cannot be removed without wrecking the device, though there have been some methods posted online to “unstick” the S Pen.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Overall, it’s a very nice looking device with a gorgeous glass back. There’s been a bevy of improved software features, and this is truly one of Samsung’s best, despite the controversy around it. Personally, the most upsetting aspect of this device is that European users won’t be able to get their hands on it, as Samsung, thus far, hasn’t revealed any plans to bring the device to European markets.
Wrap Up
And that’s quick primer on Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. It truly is an interesting device, and its history is quite intriguing, especially considering that many thought anything above 5-inches was way too large for a smartphone. It still did very well, despite those thoughts, which were largely portrayed by the media.
Do you own a Galaxy Note device? Have you owned one in the past? If so, what do you like or even dislike about the Note series? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Come comment on this article: A History of the Galaxy Note Smartphone Series
AIVAnet 