The Galaxy Tab S2 “touch cover” stresses Samsung’s new direction for Android tablets

Along with the official announcement of the Galaxy Tab S2 for South Korea, yesterday’s news also brought with it a mysterious “keyboard bundle” for the larger, 9.7-inch tablet variant. With the OEM’s domestic website now having an official page for the product, the keyboard cover can be seen in all its glory, along with the presence of a very interesting development: a track pad.

Early last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab PRO line of products, consisting of the Tab PRO 8.4, 10.1, and 12.2. In addition, a Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 was released. These devices were heavily promoted by Samsung as being designed for productivity given the presence of pre-installed applications such as WebEx and Remote PC, as well as a full-fledged productivity mobile suite called Hancom Office. Praised by many reviewers, Hancom Office was often described as being the first “true” Microsoft Office rival on Android, if only for the fact that so many features and so much of the functionality was retained. Still, the keyboard cover for the Tab/Note PRO 12.2 was a very standard affair:

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In the year since the release of the PRO series of tablets, Samsung and Microsoft came to an agreement to bundle Microsoft Office apps onto Samsung products in exchange for resolving a problem that had surfaced in the Korean manufacturer’s failure to pay royalties. This, in and of itself, has furthered the idea that Samsung is interested in focusing on business productivity, a sentiment further bolstered by partnerships with IBM and Blackberry.

The inclusion of a track pad on the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7-inch’s official keyboard cover will not only help customers better use make use of the product in terms of their business-doings, but it could very well be seen as a way to both preempt the expected business-friendly Apple iPad Pro that is rumored to be launching this Fall, and have some basic rivalry with Microsoft’s very own Surface line of tablet PCs, especially given the diagram seen below, which suggests multi-angle positioning is possible:

Given the relatively high specs of the Galaxy Tab S2, as well as the clear absence of the Galaxy Tab PRO from this year’s product line refreshes, it looks like Samsung is intent on adding extra functionality to the Tab S2 for those who need it. Beyond that, the presence of a touch pad itself will likely reappear in future products, and may be a clear indication of the Korean company’s strategy in trying to solve the rather concerning condition that tablets now find themselves in.

The Galaxy Tab S2 comes in an 8-inch, and 9.7-inch variant, both of which employ a 4:3 aspect ratio 2048×1536 SAMOLED display, and will be available in LTE and Wi-Fi-only configurations. It features an Exynos 5433 Octa-core SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32 or 64GB of on-board storage, and an 8-megapixel rear, 2.1-megapixel front camera set-up (no flash, sorry). It will ship with Android 5.0.2 and features the same “touch-based” fingerprint sensor used in the Galaxy S6 and has support for microSD. The 9.7-inch variant will include a 5,870mAh battery, and the 8-inch variant a 4,000mAh power-cell.

While no pricing has yet been announced for the keyboard case combo, even as a stand alone product it would not be unsurprising to see an amount hovering around $150+.

Despite the presumed high price point, is anyone interested in the potential productivity this new product accessory might offer? Leave us a comment below!

Samsung reminds us to “Note the Date” ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 announcement

It’s no secret that Samsung is holding an Unpacked event on August 13th, and we’re pretty sure of the line-up that they’ll be announcing at that event: the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Gear A smartwatch. As part of their marketing campaign, however, Samsung has reiterated that the August 13th event will serve as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 announcement event with a post on their Samsung Tomorrow blog, telling us to “Note the Date” – 5 generations on and still milking that line.

As our previous leaks would suggest, the curved silhoutte depicted in the teaser is actually the back of the Galaxy Note 5, and we can clearly see the indent at the bottom of the device, signifying the location of the S-Pen. Samsung also confirms that the event will start at 11:00am EDT on August 13th, and that they will be streaming the event on their Samsung Mobile YouTube account.

Are you excited for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 announcement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow via Phone Arena

The post Samsung reminds us to “Note the Date” ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 announcement appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

Samsung begins teasing its upcoming Galaxy Note 5

With less than two weeks to go until the company’s Unpacked event on August 13^th, Samsung has begun building up a little hype for its next generation of supersized smartphones.

Samsung has posted up another teaser image (above), showing off the dual edge display design which first featured with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. The larger version of this design is expected to be called the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. We can also spot what is presumably a place for a slightly protruding stylus attachment.

Along with the image, Samsung has listed seven reasons why bigger is bigger, which reels off a few of the benefits available to larger smartphones. Samsung lists a clear display to lining up pictures and editing videos, more space for reading e-books and messaging, S-Pen for taking memos, watching movies, and playing games, as the major advantages. Perhaps Samsung also has some new software in the works to improve these features further.

As before, Samsung is positioning its Note sized smartphones as bridging devices between regular phones and small productivity PCs.

Other unofficial rumors suggest a familiar 5.66-inch 2560×1440 display, Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 SoC, 4GB of RAM and a 16 megapixel rear camera inside the Galaxy Note 5. However, the phone apparently won’t feature a microSD card slot for the first time in the series, which may be disappointing news to a number of potential customers.

Samsung is also expected to unveil a circular Gear A smartwatch this month. The launch event will be live streamed via YouTube at this link. Unpacked kicks off at 11:00 EDT in New York on August 13^th.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumor roundup (updated 7/23)7735082

Galaxy Grand Prime 4G launches in India for Rs 11,100

Samsung has today launched its Galaxy Grand Prime 4G in India with a price tag of Rs. 11,100, which equates to around $175. The Galaxy Grand Prime 4G is Samsung’s latest 4G smartphone in the rapidly growing market and brings the total number of LTE-enabled Galaxy devices in India to 14.

The handset was announced alongside the Galaxy Core Prime 4G and Galaxy J1 4G back in February this year but Samsung missed its expected release date; the handsets were meant to go on sale in March but the Core Prime 4G was only released in June and the J1 4G is yet to make its debut.

The Galaxy Grand Prime 4G is a dual-SIM smartphone with almost identical specs to the non-LTE variant aside from the addition of Band 3 and 20 LTE and Android 5.1 Lollipop. The specs also include a 5.0-inch qHD display with 540 x 960 pixels resolution (and a lowly density of 220 pixels per inch), a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and a microSD slot.

On the back, the Galaxy Grand Prime 4G has an 8MP rear camera with single LED flash that is capable of Full HD video while the front facing 5MP snapper is also able to capture in 1080p. The handset has a comparatively large 2600 mAh battery which is removable, NFC, an FM Radio, the usual array of connectivity options and will be available in White, Grey and Gold.

Samsung ready to spend 100 billion won to compensate cancer-affected employees

It’s no secret conditions at factories are not always optimal, often even bringing health risks to the workers that make our beloved devices. Even the biggest Android manufacturer has been involved in issues like this one. You may have not heard of it much, as it was a 12-year old dispute that was only resolved last year, when Samsung issued an official apology to affected employees and families.

As you can expect, though, these long lawsuits are not resolved simply by saying “sorry”. Money is absolutely in between – Samsung is creating a 100 billion won fund to compensate cancer-stricken workers and their families, as well as improving working conditions in their chip and display factories. This amount equates to above $85 million USD.

But just how big was this ordeal? According to Sharps (South Korean activist group), there’s around 200 victims acquired illnesses such as lymphoma and leukemia, thanks to prolonged exposure to radiation and other chemicals Samsung factories had in use. Around 70 of them have been deceased.

By the way, Samsung factory issues are not only a thing of the past. Like with many other factories across the world, Samsung has been under significant fire for their working conditions. They have been recently accused for child labor and poor working conditions. Not the best thing to be recognized for, but this is an issue that expands far beyond a single company. It’s something that needs to be tackled industry-wide, and across the globe.

Gunjack puts Samsung Gear VR gamers in charge of a turret

Surely, Samsung Gear VR owners are not putting their $200 investment to waste. There is more than enough fun to be had with this VR headset, but today’s new addition to the list of upcoming games will have you blasting through space. CCP Games has announced a new title called Gunjack, a VR arcade shooter that puts you in charge of a gun turret.

The user will be flying around the nullsec region of Outer Ring, trying to protect the rig from any attackers. As expected, you will be fully immersed in the experience, thanks to the Samsung Gear VR and all it has to offer. The turret reacts to your head movements, so getting the hang of controls will probably take some getting used to, but oh so worth it.

“Our goal was nothing less than creating the best game yet for the Gear VR headset. Our team has focused on delivering the most action-packed, graphically-stunning game possible on this new virtual reality platform.” -Jean-Charles Gaudechon, studio manager at CCP Shanghai

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By the way, CCP Games is no rookie. The developer has created games like EVE Online, EVE: Valkyrie and DUST 514. Gunjack happens to be a side addition to the EVE series, based on the same universe and featuring a similar background.

Want in on this game? Sadly, you will have to wait a bit before the title is released to the public. Gunjack is launching alongside the Samsung Gear VR platform, once the headset loses its “Innovator Edition” moniker and goes full steam ahead. This should happen this Fall, so you don’t have much longer to wait.

How many of you will be blasting enemies through space? I really can’t wait.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Impressions: a new design can’t hide what lies beneath

Samsung’s new Galaxy A8 had been rumored for some time now, but it was only last month that leaks started making their way onto the Internet. The device itself is somewhat of a hybrid of sorts given that it is essentially a mid-year refresh for the Galaxy A7 which released back in January, yet it has a new body and some of the positive changes that were introduced in the Galaxy S6.

After spending roughly a week with the phone, I wanted to present to you my initial impressions of the device, with a full review to follow in coming weeks. Please be aware that while the phone has been announced for both China and India, this piece (and the specs themselves) all pertain to the Korean model.

Of specs and such

The Galaxy A8 looks like it should be a top tier phone, given the aluminum unibody design and large display which borders on bezel-less-ness. Assuming the tacky packaging isn’t a give away however, the specs themselves serve as a minor reminder of the parts inside, in an effort perhaps, to temper the expectations one might have.

The Galaxy A8 features a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor backed by 2GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 128GB. It also has a 16MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing shooter, and a 3050mAh battery. It runs the most recent version of Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay atop Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and also comes with the same fingerprint sensor as seen in the S6. The device measures just 5.9mm thin and weighs only 151g, making this the thinnest smartphone Samsung has released to-date. It also retails, in Korea at least, for 714,000 won (about $610), though current pricing on sites like eBay has it going for around $800+

Hardware

On paper, the phone seems like a fairly solid mid-ranger, even if still considerably less impressive than a flagship-level product. Unfortunately, after using the phone for even just a few minutes, its limitations become quite obvious. Between the Snapdragon 615, the 2GB of RAM, and TouchWiz, the phone is constantly lagging and stuttering. At times it takes seemingly ages for Swiftkey to load up or to open an application and, coming from the Galaxy S6, this is egregiously problematic. Even something as simplistic as opening the Settings menu has lag with the background loading up a pure white screen, followed by the actual listing. After many of these apps are running in the background, reloading them doesn’t take quite as long, but suffice to say from the software side of things, the A8 is probably not going to make any top-10 lists this year.

Running a benchmark test on AnTuTu, the device scored 45233 placing it on-par with some 2014 flagships. Curiously the app reported the SoC as a 32-bit variant, and didn’t prompt for side-loading of the 64-bit version.

Battery

Battery life is relatively good, with the A8 easily lasting throughout the day with moderate use including liberal web surfing, texting on several applications including Line and Slack, and a few phone calls. Tethering seemed to drain it quickly however, and I have opted to wait for the full review before evaluating it with respect to games and heavy-handed tasks. All-in-all, the battery performed better than that of the S6 and at no point during the day did I actively worry the phone would power down before getting home.

Sold in South Korea but aimed at Asia

In an almost comical way, the A8 doesn’t seem to be made for South Korea. Despite featuring the same “Dual SIM” set-up that is found in the Chinese model, the second slot is strictly relegated to microSD even though you can actually put a nanoSIM inside it. The primary tray is even labeled as “SIM 1″, clearly indicating Samsung didn’t bother to create an original part for this model. Likewise the software is puzzling given that the dialer has not a shred of Korean-language text on it, something that I had yet to ever notice on a Samsung device. In standard Korean models, the “ABC” markings are all replaced with Hangul characters, regardless of the device’s language setting.

This, coupled with the lack of LTE band support compared to the Galaxy S6 Korean model truly serve to emphasize the notion that this phone is literally an “Asian market” product. Through tinkering with a hidden menu, I was able to enable LTE support, but at the expense of any voice. Altering the band settings again, voice was possible but no data. Given that this impression piece was carried out in Japan there is somewhat of a caveat, but in testing the Korean Galaxy S6 this problem didn’t occur at all.

An Exceptable Display

The display, while a Full HD SAMOLED panel, fails to have the same ultra-sharp, vibrant in-your-face colors and crispness that the Galaxy S6 has. The phone does support multiple screen modes, thus allowing for those who hate over-saturated colors to dial-back the concentration. It also has the fantastic auto-brightness “outdoor” automatic setting Samsung has championed as of late, where using the device in extremely bright conditions results in a high contrast color enhancement making it easy to see. This feature is definitely worth having and makes switching back to a standard phone all the more difficult afterwords.

Serviceable Sounds

The sound quality of the Galaxy A8 is not much different than that of the previous A-models, including the grating high pitched clicking sounds that accompany input -they can be turned off however. This is largely due to the fact that once again, the product’s sole, tiny speaker is located on the rear of the device, next to the protruding camera module. We question Samsung’s design given that the bottom side of the phone clearly could have supported the inclusion of a downwards-firing speaker a la the Galaxy S6. Just take a look:

Notice the empty space to the left of the USB-port? Compare it to that of the Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge as seen below:

The speaker placement smacks of cost-cutting to say the least, something that is further emphasized by the software.

Troubled TouchWiz

It’s amazing that for all the positive or interesting changes Samsung brought to the table with the Galaxy S6, it has gone right back to the traditional comfort zone with the A8. Gone is the motion-sensitive background effect seen in the S6, and gone is the ability to select multiple lock screen backgrounds. Hybrid Download, a feature which allows users to download files over 30MB using both Wi-Fi and LTE, is missing. There is no setting menu for “Accessories” allowing for features like an “S-Window” type cover. There is no high-sensitivity mode for those who want to use the device with gloves.

This, in addition to the lag mentioned earlier, basically relegates the Galaxy A8 to the same type of user experience found in the original A-models. The only real exception is the presence of a full Theme Store.

The build is paradoxical

As mentioned earlier, the build of the Galaxy A8 is fantastic, especially at first glance. The sides in particular have a modified version of the “pointed oval” design motif seen on the Galaxy S6, but instead of being flat, curve along with the contour of the device. It is extremely thin as well, though for a device this large the lack of girth actually makes it a bit more difficult to hold than were it to be a bit thicker.

The lack of a notification LED is a major sore point, however. Samsung has been including this on phones even back when they were made of plastic, yet seems to arbitrarily distribute it. Why the Galaxy A8 lacks the LED, yet paradoxically has capacitive buttons that vanish from sight when not lit, seems to hint at a very haphazard design aesthetic. The front camera has also been moved from the right-hand side of the device, to the left, and vice-versa for the sensors.

While arguably no one will find the Galaxy A8 to be an ugly looking phone by any means, after using it for a bit, it’s more probable that the faults will become more apparent than any semblance of appreciation for the new frame, especially given how the large size makes the barren bumper all the more mundane.

On a final note, given the size of the device, it is going to be immediately compared with the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ when they launch next week. Perhaps Samsung’s timing was done to get the A8 out beforehand, allowing those with more meager budgets to “get in” on the big-screen action.

Wrap Up

The Galaxy A8 is somewhat of a puzzling phone, to say the least. From all the press renders and pictures that had been leaked and later officially released, the device looked like it would be a truly stunning piece of kit. The new design flourishes for example: the way the side curves ever so slightly. Indeed the material itself looked to be of somewhat “better” quality, a belief perhaps fostered by use of the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge for the past few months.

The camera protrudes slightly less than the previous Galaxy A models.

Ultimately the only real problem with the Galaxy A8 is the price, as charging $610 for a device that can’t even hold a candle to last year’s OnePlus One is a bit hard to swallow. Truth be told the experience with the A8 is quite similar to that of the previous installments in the A-series, and not unlike what we had with the HTC Desire 626 earlier this year. Unfortunately while HTC had enough Sense to price its product to better compete with rival offerings, Samsung has opted to charge above and beyond what some flagships retail for.

The Galaxy A7 certainly looks different than the A8, yet at this point is going to cost much less money despite having similar features.

It is highly unlikely that the Galaxy A8 will ever see release in North America, though given the release of the A3 in the UK, there is a possibility Europe might get it. While we suggest waiting for the full review, based on our initial time with the device, there are seemingly far better, cheaper products that can be purchased that offer similar (or better) specs at much more competitive prices, including Samsung’s own Galaxy Alpha -if you can still find it.