T-Mobile set to launch the HTC Desire 626s, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, and Core Prime on July 22
When it comes to affordable, low-to-mid range phones, many OEMs tend to skip the more developed markets like North America, and instead focus on key Asian territories. Indeed countries like India and China have become the new battleground of sorts, with everyone trying to expand their sphere of influence. Still, devices such as the Moto E have proven that keen shopping need-not apply exclusively to any one region or territory: everyone appreciates a good deal, especially when it entails solid offerings from respected manufacturers. T-Mobile is aware of this, and has plans to introduce three new phones on July 22nd:
The Galaxy Grand Prime
The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, originally released in October of last year and currently available on Sprint, features a 5-inch qHD (540X960) screen, a Snapdragon 410 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel wide-angle front camera set-up. The device is currently running Android 4.4.4 however it is expected to receive Lollipop eventually, at least with respect to international models. The Grand Prime will retail for just $189.
The Galaxy Core Prime
Another Samsung product soon-to-be-released, the Galaxy Core Prime, was originally released last November and currently sold in the USA from both Verizon Wireless and Sprint, features a 4.5 inch (480X800) display, Snapdragon 410 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and 2-megapixel front-facing module. The international model has been updated to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop however it is currently unknown as to if -or when- it will be updated beyond its Android 4.4.4 build in the USA, or if T-Mobile itself will ship it with Lollipop. The device will retail for $139.
The Desire 626s
T-Mobile will also launch the HTC Desire 626s, which has just been announced globally. It features a 5-inch HD (720p) display, 1.1 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 210 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The 626s will also include HTC’s BoomSound speaker design, a 2,000 mAh battery, and ship with Android Lollipop 5.1. It will retail for $169.
As specified earlier, all three devices will launch on the 22nd of this month, and coincide nicely T-Mobile’s new Family Plan deal that offers 4 lines of service, each with 10GB of LTE data, for the price of $120. Given the cost-efficient nature of this trio of offerings, they would make great choices for small children or even parents or grandparents that aren’t interested in the spec-wars. Will you be purchasing one (or all) of these devices? Let us known which and for whom in the comments below!
T-mobile launching the HTC Desire 626s, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and Core Prime next week
T-mobile will launch three affordable devices on July 22nd for its customers. The smartphones include the brand new HTC Desire 626s and the existing Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and Core Prime. The HTC Desire 626s was officially announced today, and it will come equipped with Android 5.1 Lollipop with Sense 7 UI. The specs include:
- 5-inch display (720 x 1280 pixels)
- 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor
- Adreno 204 GPU
- 1 GB RAM
- 2 MP front-facing camera
- 8 MP rear camera
- 8 GB of internal storage (with Micro SD expansion up to 32GB)
The Desire 626s will be priced at $169.
Unlike the HTC Desire 626s, the other two Samsung smartphones aren’t new. They also have slightly lower specs than the Desire 626s, same for the price; The Samsung Grand Prime will cost $189 and the Core Prime at $139.
Via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: T-mobile launching the HTC Desire 626s, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and Core Prime next week
ZEISS VR ONE will soon support the Samsung Galaxy S6
The ZEISS VR ONE is a virtual reality headset aiming to give users a much improved VR experience thanks to their superior lenses. Just like the Google Cardboard it uses your phone to do everything. What makes this one different from a basic Cardboard is the overall build quality. One problem is it uses a tray system that you put your phone inside before sliding it into the device. That means unlike the Google Cardboard the list of phones it supports is unfortunately very small.
The good news is the phones it does support currently are all the biggest sellers and another will soon be added. ZEISS have announced they are soon to release a tray that fits the Samsung Galaxy S6.
If you would like to purchase the ZEISS VR ONE it cost $129.00 and you get a choice of one tray. If you would like any additional trays they cost $9.90.
Source: Slashgear
Via: Androidcommunity
Come comment on this article: ZEISS VR ONE will soon support the Samsung Galaxy S6
ZTE Axon vs Samsung Galaxy S6 quick look
We’ve already gone hands-on with the newly-announced ZTE Axon, which has proven to be quite the mystery up until now. Featuring an all-metal build, premium front-facing speakers, minimalistic software and an affordable price point, this handset seems set to prove itself as a worthwhile contender in the United States. Specs and build quality aren’t everything, though – the ZTE Axon will have to go up against the best of the best in order to make a name for itself.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at the ZTE Axon vs the Samsung Galaxy S6!
Read and watch: Hands on with the ZTE Axon
Design
It’s not too often that we see smaller OEMs go head-to-head on the design front with major smartphone makers like Samsung, but that’s exactly what we’re witnessing today. Placing form over functionality, Samsung really ramped up its design language with the Galaxy S6, making it one of the most attractive smartphones on the market. With that said, the brand new ZTE Axon may give it a run for its money when it comes to design.
Although these are both extremely premium feeling devices, it’s easy to spot the differences between the two right away. The Axon features an industrial design language thanks to its sleek metal body and unique front-facing speaker grills. This device does its best to offer up a heavy-duty aesthetic without sacrificing its classy look and feel, which will translate well for those in search of the best of both worlds. While it doesn’t feature too many design elements that help it stand out from the crowd, the Axon Phone is still a really great looking device that will probably catch the eyes of many consumers out there.
At first glance, you might think this new ZTE device features two front-facing speakers, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Only the bottom section houses the speaker. With that said, sound quality on the Axon is much clearer than what the Galaxy S6 can produce with its bottom-facing speaker.
The S6 is one of the best-designed smartphones Samsung has ever produced, thanks to its aluminum frame that surrounds two panels of Gorilla Glass 4. There’s no mistaking that this is a Samsung device through and through, largely due to the tactile home button up front, which is flanked by capacitive recent apps and back buttons. In contrast, the Axon comes with capacitive buttons below the display.
Much like comparing the latest from Samsung with, say, the all-metal HTC One M9, your decision to go with either phone will depend a lot on which material you like better – metal or glass.
Display
While both displays offer up an impressive Quad HD resolution, the Galaxy S6 may be for you if you’re looking for a more compact form factor. Featuring a 5.1-inch display with a pixel density of 577ppi, Samsung’s offering comes with a Super AMOLED panel that might entice more users with its vivid colors and great viewing angles.
But for those who are looking for a bigger display, the Axon Phone will do the trick with its 5.5-inch LCD panel. Even though this device’s 534ppi isn’t quite as high as the pixel density found on the S6, we’d still wager to say that the Axon Phone will be a great option for viewing videos and playing games.
On the other hand, one-handed usability is already proving to be a small issue with the Axon, so be sure to keep that in mind if you’re looking to purchase this handset.
Hardware
When it comes to under the hood specifications, Samsung’s S6 really impressed us thanks to its in-house Exynos 7420 processor backed by 3GB of RAM. Performance has been absolutely fantastic with this device, especially when it comes to switching between apps, gaming and web browsing. On the other hand, the Axon Phone feels really fast as well. It comes with a Snapdragon 810 processor backed by a massive 4GB of RAM, along with the popular Adreno 430 GPU. Performance seems great so far, and the stock-like software experience is definitely a contributing factor to this.
Both devices feature non-removable batteries, and in Samsung’s case, this has proven to be quite the downfall. The S6 only features a 2550mAh cell, which has failed to impress us in our time with the handset. Obviously we’ll need to spend some time with the Axon to test battery life in full, but the larger 3000mAh unit has us feeling hopeful. If you’re looking to store some photos or videos on a microSD card, unfortunately you won’t get that feature with either device. The Galaxy S6 comes in either 32/64/128GB flavors to combat this, though the Axon is only available in a 32GB option. This will likely turn many users away from both of these devices.
Because of the Axon Phone’s metal chassis, wireless charging isn’t supported. However, if you’re looking for that added convenience, the S6 supports both PMA and Qi standards. Both devices support quick charging technology as well, which is a nice addition.
Camera
The Galaxy S6 boasts one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, thanks to its 16MP rear-facing shooter with optical image stabilization. It consistently produces clear, well-balanced images both indoors and out. The camera app is quick, simple and offers up tons of controls for those who like to tinker with each shot.
Taking a page out of HTC’s book, the Axon features a 13MP main sensor and 2MP secondary sensor on the back, which will allow for a much faster auto focus and the ability to refocus the shot after the fact. The camera is also capable of video recording in 4K and comes with twin microphones, along with some of the best in noise suppression technology to help eliminate background and wind noise when recording concert videos and voice calls. The device also packs a wide angle 8MP front-facing camera, which is great news for all of you selfie lovers out there.
The Axon’s camera interface is pretty simple, with most extra modes found just a swipe away. One of the most interesting features in the camera app is the ability to manually adjust the f-stop on the fly, from 8 all the way down to 1. This is most likely done on the software side of things, though we’ll have to wait and see once we get more time with the device.
The Axon has some stiff competition in the camera department, and we can’t wait to see how it fairs against the best from Samsung.
Software
The Galaxy S6 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top, and it’s actually very pleasant to use. Samsung toned down its software experience with the S6, which not only helps with the device’s performance, but also gives the user an all around better experience with the device. There are still a boatload of Samsung’s software features built in that many users might not be too fond of, but this new version of TouchWiz is still the best Samsung has ever put out.
In contrast, the Axon really couldn’t be any more different from the Samsung handset. It runs a near-stock build of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with some light customizations from ZTE. It also has a handful of pre-installed applications, though nothing that will stray users away from the handset.
For those of you who are looking for a Google-like experience, you’ll definitely get that with the Axon. The software features a ton of Material Design enhancements, especially in the notification dropdown and the Overview screen. So far, the software experience has been speedy and easy to use, and will probably be a more attractive option for those looking for a simpler user interface.
Specs
| ZTE Axon | Samsung Galaxy S6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch LCD QHD (2560×1440) |
5.1-inch AMOLED QHD (2560×1440) |
| SoC | Snapdragon 810 | Exynos 7420 |
| CPU | 4x 2.0GHz Cortex-A57 4x 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 |
4x 2.1GHz Cortex-A57 4x 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Adreno 430 | Mali-T760 MP8 |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 32/64/128GB |
| microSD | No | No |
| Camera | dual rear (13MP, and 2MP) 8MP front |
16MP rear 5MP front |
| Battery | 3,000mAh | 2,550mAh |
| LTE | Category 6 | Category 6 |
| Wireless charging | No | PMA and Qi |
| Dimensions | 154 x 75 x 9.3mm | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 175g | 138g |
Gallery
Wrap up
So there you have it, a quick first look at the ZTE Axon vs the Samsung Galaxy S6! These devices are both similar and completely different in some notable ways, and we can’t wait to pit these two handsets up against one another in a more detailed versus post in the weeks to come. What are your thoughts? Just based on this comparison, which device do you think will make its way into your pocket? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
Don’t miss: ZTE Axon officially announced – here’s what you need to know
Samsung Gear A round smartwatch specs leak
While both Motorola and LG have dabbled in round-screen smartwatches, Samsung has so far stuck with the more traditional rectangular watch display. For most of this year, we’ve heard rumours of Samsung’s round-screen smartwatch project – which is codenamed Orbis and expected to launch as the Gear A – and today, Samsung has confirmed that its next Gear smartwatch will have a round-display.
The Korean manufacturer has launched an SDK (Software Development Kit) for round-screen smartwatches, which confirms that Samsung’s next smartwatch will be round. As previously heard, the company was “collaborating with its global partners provide a better Samsung Gear experience for users“.
As we wait for an official announcement from Samsung, a new leak has revealed the specs of the Gear A. If accurate, the smartwatch will sport a round AMOLED display (probably measuring between 38mm and 42mm in diameter) with 360×360 pixels resolution and it will be powered by Samsung’s own dual-core 1.2GHz Exynos 3472 processor. Also onboard will be 768MB RAM, 4GB internal storage and a 250mAh battery.
The Gear A will connect to phones and tablets using Bluetooth 4.1 and there will also be variants that support Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Wi-Fi Direct. The watch will also have an integrated GPS receiver, accelerometer, gyrometer, barometer and heart rate monitor but sadly, it won’t be the first Samsung device to have a body fat sensor.
Like most of its Gear range, Samsung has chosen to go with Tizen to power its smartwatch instead of Android Wear like many of its rivals. One of the key reasons behind this may be because the company has developed a brand new user interface designed especially to run on round screen smartwatches. Previous leaks have also revealed that Samsung will take inspiration from the design of other devices by including both a digital crown and a bezel ring to help with navigation of the smartwatch, while the company also plans to launch several partner watch bands from various artists and case makers.
Samsung Gear in video:
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The Gear A is expected to be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus but we won’t need to wait for IFA in September; as we heard yesterday, Samsung’s new phablets are set to be launched in under a month on August 12th before going on sale a few days later and its likely that the Gear A will be announced and released at the same time.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to be announced alongside each other in August
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Last week, we heard a rumour that said that Samsung would be announcing its Galaxy Note 5 phablet earlier than its IFA timeslot, moving it up around a month to try and trump the inevitably popularity of the new iPhones being announced in September. That’s not the only device that Samsung is rumoured to be announcing in the near future, and the latest rumour is saying that both the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, a larger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge, will be announced at an event sometime in mid August.
If this turns out to be true, it will be a sign of just how desperate Samsung is to gain not only market share, but to combat Apple on its own terms. Despite this, there are a lot of analysts that believe this would be a poor move on Samsung’s part as its possible the release of both these large form factor devices would cannibalize sales of both devices. All the same, we’re very interested to see whether this rumour turns out to be true as Samsung has obviously been reluctant to speak about this matter publicly.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus being announced at the same time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Korea Herald via SamMobile
The post Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to be announced alongside each other in August appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Insiders confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM
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There’s a lot we assume the next Galaxy note device from Samsung is going to have, but it’s always good to get some insider confirmation. According to SamMobile‘s insider connections, it’s been all but confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM – LP-DDR4 RAM to be specific. This makes the Galaxy Note 5 the latest in a long string of flagship level devices that will have the elusive amount of memory space. The report goes on to confirm that the Galaxy Note 5 will have the Exynos 7422 SoC (system-on-chip) which will be Samsung’s first all-in-one chip, including CPU, GPU, RAM, storage and modems altogether. Based on other rumours, we suspect that the Galaxy Note 5 will also have a 5.67-inch display, Super AMOLED Quad HD display.
Just earlier today we heard the rumours that the Galaxy Note 5 would be announced alongside the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus sometime in mid-August, as opposed to its traditional timeslot at IFA. We can’t speak much about Samsung’s strategy to compete with Apple, but we’re hardly complaining about the possibility of seeing one of 2015’s most definitive smartphones a little earlier than expected.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rocking 4GB RAM? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: SamMobile
The post Insiders confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will have 4GB RAM appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be announced on August 12th, go on sale August 21st
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus rumours are coming in thick and fast today. Yet another rumour has emerged today to say that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be announced on August 12th and corroborates today’s earlier report of the two devices being announced together and earlier than IFA. Not only do we know when the device is going to be announced, but the report goes on to say that the two phablet devices are going to be available for sale from August 21st, which would give it a few weeks of sales before the new iPhones are even announced.
The report also details specs and expected designs for the two devices. The Galaxy Note 5 is expected to look like a larger version of the Galaxy S6, and will not have a microSD card slot, as we expected. 4GB RAM is also mentioned again for the Galaxy Note 5, again confirming that it will be Samsung‘s first device with that much memory. The S-Pen will also allegedly look more like a pen, and the device will be available in black, white, silver and gold coloured variants.
As for the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, it is still expected to be a carbon copy of the Galaxy S6 Edge but bigger, though the rumour suggests the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will instead have a Exynos 7420 processor rather than the Snapdragon 808 that was rumoured. 3GB RAM and the same colours as the Galaxy Note 5 round out what we know about the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
We very much doubt that this is the last time we’re going to hear about these two huge Samsung devices, but we’re still missing official word from Samsung themselves. We’ll have to wait and see if invites are posted in the next few weeks – we’ll keep you posted.
Source: SamMobile
The post Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be announced on August 12th, go on sale August 21st appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5: how important are microSD and removable battery?
Life Support: Depending on how the public-at-large receives the potential changes the Note 5 may bring, Samsung may need to brace for the worse. Or best.
Disclaimer: This piece is based largely on speculation as to what the Galaxy Note 5 is, and isn’t. We are approaching this from a purely hardware perspective for the sake of argument, as nothing is yet known about the TouchWiz alterations that will inevitably be made from the Note 4 to this new flagship. Please remember that Samsung has neither confirmed nor denied any of these spec-related details and thus they should be approached with skepticism.
With all that out of the way, let’s jump in and discuss the Note 5, shall we?
There is a rising tension in the air and all those who have stayed with Samsung know it. This year has seen the departure of two signature features form the Galaxy product line, a removable battery and support for expandable storage via microSD. These features were arguably a large part of the reason Samsung initially found such a big market. The problem is seemingly going to get even worse if rumors hold true and the Galaxy Note 5 follows in the footsteps of its mainstream mentor.
Indeed there is a twinge of irony given that tech pundits the world over have harshly criticized the Korean conglomerate’s use of plastic, despite the fact that mobile devices have been using it for decades now. Suddenly it became de rigueur to shun it. Still, as the de-facto mainstream device, a product like the S6 can get away with trying mostly anything and people will still buy it. The Note series, on the other hand, has gradually graduated into the power user’s weapon of choice, and it is here that Samsung may face new trials and tribulations if it the larger flagship ends up following suit and drops the removable back and microSD card slot.
The Note 5: What we “know”
Let’s start by talking about what we know about the device. Samsung, as with most every other OEM, is tight-lipped on the details of its future products, and that means officially we know nothing about the Note 5. That said, there has been a steady stream of leaks that have given us a rather good idea of what to expect. While a full list of what to expect can be found in our Note 5 rumor roundup post, we’ll do our best to summarize a few of the important things we (think we) know about the device.
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The Galaxy Note 5 will be released as SM-N920 and will have a QHD SAMOLED flat display as with the models before if (i.e. not the Note Edge). It will have a glass back just like the Galaxy S6. It will use the 64-bit Octa-core Exynos 7422 all-in-one chipset which includes the GPU, RAM, storage, and LTE modem on-board. It will likely not have a 4K panel. It will have 4GB of RAM.
Other information, also unconfirmed, includes the same fingerprint scanning home button as found in the Galaxy S6, no removable battery, and no microSD card support. It will also, arguably, make use of an ejectable S-Pen, a design that Samsung patented last month.
Given that Samsung is clearly seeking to make 2015 all about “premium” flagships, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Note 5 is seemingly going to feature a glass back. It is a flagship after all, and it would actually be quite strange for Samsung to make such a case for the new design elements and then take a major step back and go with a plastic rear. While Forbes argued that it might be possible to make a glass back removable, the plausibility of such an idea seems quite spotty at best.
Battling the battery-bashers
Buyer beware: the Note 5 may not include a user-replaceable battery, unlike the Note 4 (see here).
Given that the Galaxy Note series has been the purveyor of the phablet form factor, we know it’s used for heavy gaming sessions, business productivity, and hardcore media consumption. Indeed it is the very existence of this type of product that has led to a decline in the tablet market, a market that almost never contains a user-replaceable battery. Samsung has always been about swappable batteries, and so too, in turn, has the Note series. Some more outspoken users are upset at the idea of this core feature possibly being removed, and rightly so.
With that said, even with a removable battery, the functionality isn’t a done deal by any means. The process has always involved the purchasing of an extra battery, and (possibly) a charging pod for it so as to make sure it’s full of juice when you need it. (Interestingly enough the Korean variants had, up until the Note 4, always included a spare battery and the battery charging cradle free of charge.) This of course translates to coughing up extra cash.
Now that Samsung has decided to make full use of wireless charging (two different standards supported no less) it’s easier than ever to simply pop the device onto a wireless charger and watch the magic happen. Some of these chargers can be had for around the same cost as the extra battery/cradle combo, and thus technically speaking it really shouldn’t matter if the end result is the same. Is pulling off the battery door that much more fun? Likewise, now that Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology is included, it’s easier than ever to top-up the device when around an AC outlet.
Ultimately the question revolving the battery becomes a very simple one: would you be willing to sacrifice a more premium, thinner design for the sole benefit of having a user-replaceable battery, especially when the alternatives suggested above basically cover the very same thing?
Morbid about the microSD
There is a certain twinge of irony in thinking that Samsung’s new products lack one of the main features they have always embraced.
Whereas the battery issue is, in theory more forgivable, for many the lack of expandable storage isn’t. Again this is something that doesn’t require too much analysis to understand: not everyone has unlimited data, and thus streaming everything is just not a viable option. Likewise, if you have 100GB of movies, it’s easy to simply pop them onto a few microSD cards and carry them with you be it on a long car ride, an airplane, or even at lunch. Samsung can be accused -and rightly so- of encouraging this behavior for the simple fact that its done so from the beginning. Make no mistake, this isn’t Apple (or Google) we’re talking about here, which has always relied on spending more to expand the always-finite amount of storage. No, Samsung has at times made a marketing USP out of the inclusion of microSD support.
Samsung can be accused -and rightly so- of encouraging this behavior for the simple fact that its done so from the beginning.
While it’s expected the Galaxy Note 5 will come in three size variants (32, 64, and 128GB), that still doesn’t solve the problem for everyone. For starters, some regions (like Japan for example) never got the 128GB Galaxy S6 to begin with, and thus the size might not be a possibility at all. For others, there is a cost-factor in that the extra internal storage comes at a higher initial purchase price whereas microSD can be had for almost nothing these days.
From a design perspective, there is technically no reason Samsung can’t include microSD, as it certainly has on the Galaxy A8, which is made entirely of metal, just as the other installments in the A-series smartphones. Heck, there was technically no reason the S6 and S6 Edge couldn’t have had support either, given that it would have just required adding an extra tray to the frame, or -as is the case with the Dual-SIM S6 variants- an extra wide one.
Salty about storage
Samsung’s new storage format breaks with that of the past.
SamMobile has raised the idea, stemming from a user comment, that the problem lies in the internal storage option Samsung has chosen for the phone. “SD cards and the eMMC 5.0 solution used on other flagships are able to use the same memory controller (the controller is what handles data transfer and communication with things like the processor), making it easier for them to exist in the same device. UFS 2.0, on the other hand, uses a new type of memory controller, and Samsung will have to find ways to interface the new controller with the one used on SD cards to be able to make them work together without affecting overall performance.”
What this means is that it’s seemingly impossible for the Note 5 to include microSD support from a technical standpoint. This could very well be the same reason the feature was dropped from the Galaxy S6 Active given that it was widely expected – based on leaks – that the device was going to include support prior to the official announcement. This also raises another issue however, namely how it is that rumors are claiming the upcoming Galaxy Tab S2 will include microSD support? Assuming Samsung includes UFS 2.0 with it then, based on the above explanation, it wouldn’t work. So will Samsung release the Tab S2 with standard eMMC storage? If so, then couldn’t it technically do the same with the Note 5? It’s also worth pointing out that there is little to stop Samsung from making a workaround for this purported problem, thus why isn’t it?
Double Dosage
Some of the more outspoken critics of Samsung’s new design ethos have suggested the panacea for this perceived malady is to simply produce two versions of flagship products: one that conforms to the premium standards, and one that adheres to the design language of old. In theory this is a solid, sound idea that would solve the problem entirely. At the same time, there are a few fundamental problems to consider in such a solution:
1. Demand: Look no further than Galaxy S6 sales performance to understand just what the danger is of making two similar models with slightly different hardware. Given the unsurprisingly average sales numbers for the Galaxy Note Edge, it would make sense to have tapered expectations about the performance of the S6 Edge, all the more so given it doesn’t have anywhere near the level of usability that its Note progenitor offered. Lo-and-behold the S6 Edge is a sweeping success despite costing about $100 more than the standard variant.
If Samsung makes both a “new type” and “old type” Note 5, who can really say which will be the winner? If all bets are on the unibody variant and it doesn’t sell, then that’s a lot of potential write-down and unsold inventory to deal with. On the other hand, if the old-type is projected as the winner and it doesn’t move major mountains, suddenly there is a major production shortage of the new-type. Whereas the demand used to wait for the supply to return, these days there are so many alternative products out there, one need not wait at all.
Confusion is one of the worst possible factors when it comes to making a purchase choice, and by making two products Samsung would thereby be actively promoting it.
2. Costs: Directly related to the demand issue, making two separate phones would entail making two totally separate devices. Costs are involved, and all the more so when you consider that the change in design might result in totally different circuit boards, components, and parts being needed to make both variants. This would be lesser of an issue were the plastic version a “Neo” of sorts, but if it must have the same exact specs as the premium glass variant, then costs will be higher.
3. Specs: If Samsung were to make a plastic variant of the Note 5, then it would quite feasibly be of a larger form factor than the unibody glass. As such, this would create a need to alter the specs. Perhaps give it a larger battery, perhaps remove a spring-loaded S-Pen, perhaps make it waterproof, etc. At the end of the day, this does nothing more than create more confusion for customers: hardcore users will be torn between sacrificing features for a more premium design and the mainstream customer will be totally lost as to what the differences are; why one is better (or “worse”) than the other. Confusion is one of the worst possible factors when it comes to making a purchase choice, and by making two products Samsung is thereby actively promoting it.
4. Common Sense: As harsh as it sounds, many of the more vocal critics of Samsung’s 2015 flagship choices need to confront the idea that their needs may not be indicative of those of the general public. Gone are the days when the Galaxy Note is competing in a barren playing field. Literally everyone has a phablet out these days, even Google and Apple, two companies one might never have expected would bring such a thing to market. Sure the Note series has its signature S-Pen, but how many people actually make extensive use of it? Samsung is now dealing with a very crowded ball park, and the only way to truly make the next home run is to produce the best possible player. Of course some will argue it’s more of a strikeout, but then again so too have critics been bashing the plastic usage for years: no one will ever be truly happy.
Preparing for the worst (or the best)
How realistic is this concept render of the Note 5? We will need to wait a bit longer to find out.
As we said in the beginning, nothing is certain about the Galaxy Note 5, at least not yet. We have a lot of theories about what it might be, some convictions about what it won’t, and some ideas about how the market will receive it. Until Samsung itself formally announces the product (or we at least get some hands-on leaks) the best thing to do is just sit back and relax. Remember why you like the product to begin with: the fantastic HD SAMOLED display, the large form factor, (perhaps) the inclusion of TouchWiz, the high specs…take all that in and ask yourself just how much a swappable battery and microSD really matter to you, if they really do at all.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 5: how important are microSD and removable battery?
Life Support: Depending on how the public-at-large receives the potential changes the Note 5 may bring, Samsung may need to brace for the worse. Or best.
Disclaimer: This piece is based largely on speculation as to what the Galaxy Note 5 is, and isn’t. We are approaching this from a purely hardware perspective for the sake of argument, as nothing is yet known about the TouchWiz alterations that will inevitably be made from the Note 4 to this new flagship. Please remember that Samsung has neither confirmed nor denied any of these spec-related details and thus they should be approached with skepticism.
With all that out of the way, let’s jump in and discuss the Note 5, shall we?
There is a rising tension in the air and all those who have stayed with Samsung know it. This year has seen the departure of two signature features form the Galaxy product line, a removable battery and support for expandable storage via microSD. These features were arguably a large part of the reason Samsung initially found such a big market. The problem is seemingly going to get even worse if rumors hold true and the Galaxy Note 5 follows in the footsteps of its mainstream mentor.
Indeed there is a twinge of irony given that tech pundits the world over have harshly criticized the Korean conglomerate’s use of plastic, despite the fact that mobile devices have been using it for decades now. Suddenly it became de rigueur to shun it. Still, as the de-facto mainstream device, a product like the S6 can get away with trying mostly anything and people will still buy it. The Note series, on the other hand, has gradually graduated into the power user’s weapon of choice, and it is here that Samsung may face new trials and tribulations if it the larger flagship ends up following suit and drops the removable back and microSD card slot.
The Note 5: What we “know”
Let’s start by talking about what we know about the device. Samsung, as with most every other OEM, is tight-lipped on the details of its future products, and that means officially we know nothing about the Note 5. That said, there has been a steady stream of leaks that have given us a rather good idea of what to expect. While a full list of what to expect can be found in our Note 5 rumor roundup post, we’ll do our best to summarize a few of the important things we (think we) know about the device.
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The Galaxy Note 5 will be released as SM-N920 and will have a QHD SAMOLED flat display as with the models before if (i.e. not the Note Edge). It will have a glass back just like the Galaxy S6. It will use the 64-bit Octa-core Exynos 7422 all-in-one chipset which includes the GPU, RAM, storage, and LTE modem on-board. It will likely not have a 4K panel. It will have 4GB of RAM.
Other information, also unconfirmed, includes the same fingerprint scanning home button as found in the Galaxy S6, no removable battery, and no microSD card support. It will also, arguably, make use of an ejectable S-Pen, a design that Samsung patented last month.
Given that Samsung is clearly seeking to make 2015 all about “premium” flagships, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Note 5 is seemingly going to feature a glass back. It is a flagship after all, and it would actually be quite strange for Samsung to make such a case for the new design elements and then take a major step back and go with a plastic rear. While Forbes argued that it might be possible to make a glass back removable, the plausibility of such an idea seems quite spotty at best.
Battling the battery-bashers
Buyer beware: the Note 5 may not include a user-replaceable battery, unlike the Note 4 (see here).
Given that the Galaxy Note series has been the purveyor of the phablet form factor, we know it’s used for heavy gaming sessions, business productivity, and hardcore media consumption. Indeed it is the very existence of this type of product that has led to a decline in the tablet market, a market that almost never contains a user-replaceable battery. Samsung has always been about swappable batteries, and so too, in turn, has the Note series. Some more outspoken users are upset at the idea of this core feature possibly being removed, and rightly so.
With that said, even with a removable battery, the functionality isn’t a done deal by any means. The process has always involved the purchasing of an extra battery, and (possibly) a charging pod for it so as to make sure it’s full of juice when you need it. (Interestingly enough the Korean variants had, up until the Note 4, always included a spare battery and the battery charging cradle free of charge.) This of course translates to coughing up extra cash.
Now that Samsung has decided to make full use of wireless charging (two different standards supported no less) it’s easier than ever to simply pop the device onto a wireless charger and watch the magic happen. Some of these chargers can be had for around the same cost as the extra battery/cradle combo, and thus technically speaking it really shouldn’t matter if the end result is the same. Is pulling off the battery door that much more fun? Likewise, now that Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology is included, it’s easier than ever to top-up the device when around an AC outlet.
Ultimately the question revolving the battery becomes a very simple one: would you be willing to sacrifice a more premium, thinner design for the sole benefit of having a user-replaceable battery, especially when the alternatives suggested above basically cover the very same thing?
Morbid about the microSD
There is a certain twinge of irony in thinking that Samsung’s new products lack one of the main features they have always embraced.
Whereas the battery issue is, in theory more forgivable, for many the lack of expandable storage isn’t. Again this is something that doesn’t require too much analysis to understand: not everyone has unlimited data, and thus streaming everything is just not a viable option. Likewise, if you have 100GB of movies, it’s easy to simply pop them onto a few microSD cards and carry them with you be it on a long car ride, an airplane, or even at lunch. Samsung can be accused -and rightly so- of encouraging this behavior for the simple fact that its done so from the beginning. Make no mistake, this isn’t Apple (or Google) we’re talking about here, which has always relied on spending more to expand the always-finite amount of storage. No, Samsung has at times made a marketing USP out of the inclusion of microSD support.
Samsung can be accused -and rightly so- of encouraging this behavior for the simple fact that its done so from the beginning.
While it’s expected the Galaxy Note 5 will come in three size variants (32, 64, and 128GB), that still doesn’t solve the problem for everyone. For starters, some regions (like Japan for example) never got the 128GB Galaxy S6 to begin with, and thus the size might not be a possibility at all. For others, there is a cost-factor in that the extra internal storage comes at a higher initial purchase price whereas microSD can be had for almost nothing these days.
From a design perspective, there is technically no reason Samsung can’t include microSD, as it certainly has on the Galaxy A8, which is made entirely of metal, just as the other installments in the A-series smartphones. Heck, there was technically no reason the S6 and S6 Edge couldn’t have had support either, given that it would have just required adding an extra tray to the frame, or -as is the case with the Dual-SIM S6 variants- an extra wide one.
Salty about storage
Samsung’s new storage format breaks with that of the past.
SamMobile has raised the idea, stemming from a user comment, that the problem lies in the internal storage option Samsung has chosen for the phone. “SD cards and the eMMC 5.0 solution used on other flagships are able to use the same memory controller (the controller is what handles data transfer and communication with things like the processor), making it easier for them to exist in the same device. UFS 2.0, on the other hand, uses a new type of memory controller, and Samsung will have to find ways to interface the new controller with the one used on SD cards to be able to make them work together without affecting overall performance.”
What this means is that it’s seemingly impossible for the Note 5 to include microSD support from a technical standpoint. This could very well be the same reason the feature was dropped from the Galaxy S6 Active given that it was widely expected – based on leaks – that the device was going to include support prior to the official announcement. This also raises another issue however, namely how it is that rumors are claiming the upcoming Galaxy Tab S2 will include microSD support? Assuming Samsung includes UFS 2.0 with it then, based on the above explanation, it wouldn’t work. So will Samsung release the Tab S2 with standard eMMC storage? If so, then couldn’t it technically do the same with the Note 5? It’s also worth pointing out that there is little to stop Samsung from making a workaround for this purported problem, thus why isn’t it?
Double Dosage
Some of the more outspoken critics of Samsung’s new design ethos have suggested the panacea for this perceived malady is to simply produce two versions of flagship products: one that conforms to the premium standards, and one that adheres to the design language of old. In theory this is a solid, sound idea that would solve the problem entirely. At the same time, there are a few fundamental problems to consider in such a solution:
1. Demand: Look no further than Galaxy S6 sales performance to understand just what the danger is of making two similar models with slightly different hardware. Given the unsurprisingly average sales numbers for the Galaxy Note Edge, it would make sense to have tapered expectations about the performance of the S6 Edge, all the more so given it doesn’t have anywhere near the level of usability that its Note progenitor offered. Lo-and-behold the S6 Edge is a sweeping success despite costing about $100 more than the standard variant.
If Samsung makes both a “new type” and “old type” Note 5, who can really say which will be the winner? If all bets are on the unibody variant and it doesn’t sell, then that’s a lot of potential write-down and unsold inventory to deal with. On the other hand, if the old-type is projected as the winner and it doesn’t move major mountains, suddenly there is a major production shortage of the new-type. Whereas the demand used to wait for the supply to return, these days there are so many alternative products out there, one need not wait at all.
Confusion is one of the worst possible factors when it comes to making a purchase choice, and by making two products Samsung would thereby be actively promoting it.
2. Costs: Directly related to the demand issue, making two separate phones would entail making two totally separate devices. Costs are involved, and all the more so when you consider that the change in design might result in totally different circuit boards, components, and parts being needed to make both variants. This would be lesser of an issue were the plastic version a “Neo” of sorts, but if it must have the same exact specs as the premium glass variant, then costs will be higher.
3. Specs: If Samsung were to make a plastic variant of the Note 5, then it would quite feasibly be of a larger form factor than the unibody glass. As such, this would create a need to alter the specs. Perhaps give it a larger battery, perhaps remove a spring-loaded S-Pen, perhaps make it waterproof, etc. At the end of the day, this does nothing more than create more confusion for customers: hardcore users will be torn between sacrificing features for a more premium design and the mainstream customer will be totally lost as to what the differences are; why one is better (or “worse”) than the other. Confusion is one of the worst possible factors when it comes to making a purchase choice, and by making two products Samsung is thereby actively promoting it.
4. Common Sense: As harsh as it sounds, many of the more vocal critics of Samsung’s 2015 flagship choices need to confront the idea that their needs may not be indicative of those of the general public. Gone are the days when the Galaxy Note is competing in a barren playing field. Literally everyone has a phablet out these days, even Google and Apple, two companies one might never have expected would bring such a thing to market. Sure the Note series has its signature S-Pen, but how many people actually make extensive use of it? Samsung is now dealing with a very crowded ball park, and the only way to truly make the next home run is to produce the best possible player. Of course some will argue it’s more of a strikeout, but then again so too have critics been bashing the plastic usage for years: no one will ever be truly happy.
Preparing for the worst (or the best)
How realistic is this concept render of the Note 5? We will need to wait a bit longer to find out.
As we said in the beginning, nothing is certain about the Galaxy Note 5, at least not yet. We have a lot of theories about what it might be, some convictions about what it won’t, and some ideas about how the market will receive it. Until Samsung itself formally announces the product (or we at least get some hands-on leaks) the best thing to do is just sit back and relax. Remember why you like the product to begin with: the fantastic HD SAMOLED display, the large form factor, (perhaps) the inclusion of TouchWiz, the high specs…take all that in and ask yourself just how much a swappable battery and microSD really matter to you, if they really do at all.
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