Samsung reportedly gearing up to announce a Galaxy Note 7 recall
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 debuted to almost surprising critical acclaim earlier this month, but since launch we’ve seen occasional reports of devices exploding while being charged. The company said yesterday that it delayed Note 7 shipments while it looked into the situation, but a report from Korea’s Yonhap News Agency suggests Samsung knows what’s going on and is prepared to announce a widespread recall.
Yonhap spoke to an anonymous Samsung official, who claimed the cause of the explosions stemmed from the Galaxy Note 7’s battery. While the exact cause of these battery explosions has yet to be disclosed, Yonhap’s source went on to say “less than 0.1 percent” of devices sold are affected. When asked for comment, a Samsung spokesperson provided the following statement:
“In response to questions on Galaxy Note7, we are conducting a thorough inspection. We will share the findings as soon as possible. Samsung is fully committed to providing the highest quality products to our consumers.”
If the report holds true, the company doesn’t plan to announce the results of its investigation until either this weekend or early next week. That delay is said to be a result of discussions Samsung is having with its global carrier partners — Verizon is said to be one such company Samsung is discussing the matter with, which suggests that the upcoming recall could be a global one. The cynics in us also can’t help but note that if Samsung waits to announce the results of its investigation until next week, it might be able to dodge a certain degree of press scrutiny at the IFA tradeshow currently running in Berlin.
To date, the Note 7 has been launched in ten countries, and Samsung has said demand has exceeded its own expectations. The sales situation has grown so strained, in fact, that Samsung told CNBC it had to adjust the device’s launch in some markets. That people want Galaxy Note 7s isn’t a surprise; reviewers (myself included) seemed to love the device. More importantly, after the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge helped the company rebound from a rough financial start to 2016, Samsung looked to the Note 7 as one of its financial pillars for the latter half of this year. If a recall — global or otherwise — is in the works, Samsung’s near future won’t be as rosy as it hoped.
Source: Yonhap
Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $50 on a Verilux sunshine simulator
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read their continuously updated list of deals atTheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends atThe Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
Verilux HappyLight Deluxe 10,000 LUX sunshine simulator
Street price: $130; MSRP: $190; Deal price: $80
Only the second time we’ve posted a deal on this lamp, and it’s a huge drop below the last price we posted, which was $108. This blows past that, dropping all the way down to $80, though you’ve got to be a Prime member to get this discount.
The Verilux HappyLight Deluxe is our runner-up pick for the best light therapy lamp. Kit Dillon said, “It has many of the same features as the Day-Light Classic Plus, including UV-free, 10,000-lux light and a large 200-square-inch face. Unlike the Day-Light Classic Plus, the HappyLight is not adjustable by height and angle, though that makes it a less cumbersome light overall. In fact, upright designs like this one will project light further than adjustable units; the HappyLight promises a 10,000-lux intensity up to 14 inches away from its surface—that’s two inches further than our top pick provides.”
Samsung SmartThings Hub
Street price: $100; MSRP: $100; Deal price: $79
We’ve only posted this price once in the past, though it did drop this low one other time that we missed. This is part of a larger Samsung SmartThings sale that’s available until the 10th, so if you’re considering upgrading multiple devices, it’s a great time to buy.
The Samsung SmartThings Hub is our pick for the best smart hub. Jon Chase wrote, “The Samsung SmartThings Hub is a polished, powerful option for tech-savvy DIYers who have a desire for an integrated smart home but lack the budget for or interest in a professionally installed system. It’s easy to set up on your home network, and pairing it with other smart devices is largely seamless.”
He went on to say, “We did extensive research on hubs in general and the SmartThings hub in particular, and believe our experience is consistent with the reviews and findings of most other outlets: Namely, of all the hubs on the market, the Samsung SmartThings Hub is the most powerful and promising, but is best suited to devout tinkerers and those willing to spend a fair amount of time tweaking and refining their smart-home system.”
Philips Hue white and color Ambiance A19 bulbs
Street price: $60; MSRP: $60; Deal price: $50
This is a nice $10 drop from the usual $60 price on this LED bulb. It rarely drops in price at all, and if you’re planning to buy multiple bulbs for your house, the savings add up.
The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 is our pick from the LED smart bulb starter kit we recommend in the best smart LED light bulbs guide. Grant Clauser wrote, “The Philips Hue A19 color-changing smart LEDs are the all-around best smart bulbs you can buy. The Hue does everything its competitors do, but a wider product and app ecosystem allows for more flexibility and creativity than any other smart bulb. It costs a bit more than the average smart bulb, but wide compatibility with other products and systems, such as Apple’s HomeKit, Samsung’s SmartThings hub, and Amazon’s Alexa, mean you’ll be able to do more with them than other bulbs; this makes them a more practical long-term investment.”
Refurbished Motorola SB6183 SURFboard cable modem
Street price: $84 (new); MSRP: $100 (new); Deal price: $55
We haven’t posted too many deals on the SB6183 since the SB6141 is usually a much better value, but at $55 for a refurbished model, we think this is worth it That puts it only $15 above the best price we’ve ever seen on refurbished models of the SB6141, and for those of you with faster internet plans, that’s likely worth the upgrade. This comes with a 90 day warranty.
The Motorola SB6183 SURFboard is the upgrade pick in our guide on the best cable modem. David Murphy said, “It supports double the download speeds of the SB6141, but few Internet plans offer that much speed. You’ll need it only if you subscribe to a plan like Time Warner’s 300Mbps Ultimate tier, found in locations like Los Angeles, New York City, and Austin.”
He added, “If you’re not paying a ton of money for these super-fast plans, our upgrade pick is overkill. Our primary pick, an 8×4 cable modem, gives you plenty of overhead for your service.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
IFA 2016 warm-up: Pet treats, smartwatches and more
The IFA 2016 show floor doesn’t officially open until tomorrow, but companies didn’t wait to show off their new products in Berlin. Yesterday, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo and Samsung announced a myriad of devices, including phones, smartwatches and hybrid laptops. There will be a lot more to see in the coming days, we’re sure of that. For now, here are some highlights from the event’s kick-off keynotes — and yes, of course we talked about the “Pawbo” pet accessories. Because why wouldn’t we?
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
We’re live from IFA 2016 in Berlin!
Like every year, we are back in Berlin for Europe’s biggest tech trade show, IFA. This year, as we previewed recently, expect to see many new devices from some of the usual suspects: Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, Sony and more. We’ve already checked out a number of fresh laptops, smartphones and wearables at the event, but that’s only the beginning since the show floor doesn’t open until Friday. Stay tuned, because there will be plenty of announcements to digest over the next few days. And you never know what kind of weird gadget we might find.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Samsung brings quantum dots to its curved gaming monitors
Samsung has announced a trio of high-end curved gaming monitors that brings its quantum dot technology to the masses. There are two devices, the CFG70, which is available in 24-and-27-inch sizes, as well as a super premium CF791 that packs a 34-inch, 3,440 x 1,400 display. The devices promise to create more immersive gaming experiences that look as good as they possibly could, although we couldn’t tell that from the demo. Unfortunately, a leisurely game of FIFA Soccer is the worst way to show off a monitor that’s really designed for fast-paced games like first-person shooters
Still, while we couldn’t get a great impression of how the monitors will act in the real world, the spec list is certainly pretty tasty. Both the smaller CFG models pack a 1,920 x 1,080 panel that curves across 1800R, has a 144Hz refresh rate and just 1ms of response time. The larger of the set, meanwhile, has that 34-inch, 3,440 x 1,400 screen, curves with a radius of 1500R and has a 100Hz refresh rate with a 4ms response time.
All three models come with a DisplayPort uh, port, that sits alongside two HDMI inputs and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Only the CF comes with a pair of built-in 7W speakers and two additional USB ports. If you have an AMD graphics card, these screens are doubly worth consideration since they’re compatible with FreeSync, the company’s dynamic refresh system.
The monitors will all be available at some time before the holidays with the 24-inch model retailing for $399, the 27-incher going for $499 and the monster that is the 34-inch unit priced at $999. We noticed, as well, that Samsung mentioned how superior quantum dot displays were to OLED panels — which is a surprise, given that the company is one of the world’s largest producers of such technology.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Source: Samsung
Live from Samsung’s IFA 2016 press conference!
Samsung’s already announced the Note 7, so there’s clearly nothing else for the company to reveal, right? Nope, since the Korean conglomerate is here at IFA with a glitzy pre-show press conference that’s got something to do with time. Given that it was around this period last year that the firm unveiled the Gear S2, it’s reasonable to assume a follow-up is coming. If you’re curious for what’s ahead, join us here live at 12:00pm ET and we’ll take you by the hand and lead you through the quagmire.
Samsung’s Gear S3 watches are more elegant (and rugged) than ever
Samsung’s Gear S2 was far from perfect, but it was still a big step forward for the company’s smartwatch ambitions. At last: a Tizen-powered wearable with a decent selection of apps and a control scheme focused on a rotating bezel that bordered on brilliant. Samsung couldn’t just let that progress go untouched, so it just pulled back the curtain on two new neat-looking wearables: the Gear S3 Classic and the Gear S3 Frontier.
As you might have guessed by their names, the Classic and the Frontier are two nearly identical watches separated mostly by their styles. The former sports a clean, unmarked rotating bezel — there’s just a little texture around the bezel’s edge to help you hang on while you’re spinning it. Beyond that, it’s all clean, elegant lines swirling around a 316L stainless steel body. The Frontier, meanwhile, has hour and minute marks etched into its bezel, and its Back and Home buttons are nicely knurled for both utility and look. It’s definitely the more masculine of the two, the sort of smartwatch you could imagine on the wrist of a technologically obsessed lumberjack.
You’d think the Frontier would be dramatically more resilient, but it’s not really. Both versions of the S3 are IP68 rated for water resistance and their 1.3-inch screens are covered with panes of super scratch resistant Gorilla Glass SR+. The list of similarities just go on from there: they share the same dual-core Exynos chipsets, 786MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, standalone GPS radios and 380mAh batteries. Speaking of batteries, Samsung claims both S3 versions should last between three and four days on a single charge, but we’ll see about that.
Not every similarity will be celebrated, though. Here’s the rub: both S3s have bodies that are 46mm wide (like the big 2015 Moto 360), meaning they’ll just be too big for some people’s wrists. In fairness, neither was heavy enough to strain my wimpy arms and neither felt too big either, but that won’t fly for everyone. Motorola got around this by offering a smaller version of the Moto 360 — not to mention one specifically for women. Not so with Samsung. You’ll be able to attach a standard 22mm band to the Frontier or Classic but there aren’t any (publicly acknowledged) plans to make a smaller S3. As a result, Samsung won’t discontinue the existing S2 and S2 Classic. In fact, it plans to issue a software update that will bring them up to date in terms of features shortly.
Design aside, there’s only one area where the Classic and Frontier differ: connectivity. The Frontier has a built-in LTE radio to accompany its Bluetooth and WiFi transmitters; the Classic only has Bluetooth and WiFi. The move makes sense and all — a mobile SOS sent from a Frontier watch in the wilderness could save lives — but it’s a little odd to see the Classic model get skipped like this. The Frontier also has a microphone and speaker to make HD voice calls over whatever LTE network they’re connected to. Lumberjacks get all the cool stuff.
This time around, Samsung paid more attention to building stronger software partnerships. Team-ups with Spotify (for streaming over LTE or WiFi), Nest (to control thermostats via the watch), Western Union (for payments) and BMW (for… well, it’s a secret) could be game-changers for some, and at least the first two examples worked pretty well. The biggest addition, though, has to be Samsung Pay. Once it’s all set up, the Classic and the Frontier can use that MST tech Samsung acquired to pay for coffees and corned beef sandwiches just about anywhere.
Meanwhile, the S3s have picked up a few tricks from the Gear Fit 2 like automatically tracking workouts, and Samsung has tuned the watches to use that sweet, sweet rotating bezel more intelligently. Turning it can now pick up a phone call or silence an alarm, for example — you had to paw at the S2’s screen if you wanted to do the same.
The Classic and the Frontier won’t launch until later this year, so there’s plenty that could change between now and then. Still, the two Gear S3s come off as handsome timepieces that fix some of the issues that made their predecessor feel a little lacking. Who knows? This might be the year Samsung make a must-have smartwatch (or two). I’m still pretty skeptical, but with any luck, these things could exceed expectations just like the S2 did.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Samsung delays Galaxy Note 7 shipments over quality tests
If you were planning to buy a Galaxy Note 7, you might not want to count on getting it quickly. Samsung tells Reuters that it’s delaying shipments of its latest smartphone as it conducts “additional tests” to verify “product quality.” It’s not saying what it’s worried about, but there have been reports of the phone’s battery exploding while it charges. Samsung might be checking to see whether or not the battery fires are the result of systemic flaws, or just a handful of isolated incidents.
The company hasn’t said how long the delay will last. However, it could hurt Samsung’s bottom line if it’s substantial. The Galaxy Note 7 was already hard to find on store shelves due to demand, according to Samsung. Delays would only make those shortages worse, and increase the chances that frustrated customers will take their business elsewhere.
Source: Reuters
Samsung launches first Exynos chip with all radios built in
Samsung has revealed a new chip that could have a ripple effect on its high-end smartphones, and will make IoT devices and smartphones for developing markets faster, slimmer and cheaper. The quad-core 7570 is the first Exynos chip to have all wireless tech, including Cat.4 LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM and GNSS (GPS), built in to a single chip. It has 70 percent more performance and uses 30 percent less battery power than its predecessor, with everything squeezed into a 20 percent smaller package.
The chip can also handle signal processing for up to 8-megapixel front and 13-megapixel back cameras, Full HD video, and a WXGA screen (1,366 x 768 resolution). Samsung was able to pack all that in by using 14-nanometer manufacturing for the first time on a budget chip. So far, that’s been reserved for its higher-end processors, including the top-of-the-line Exynos 8890.
Though the latest chip isn’t that interesting, performance-wise, it may have a ripple effect on the high-end market. While Exynos chips like the 8890 have similar performance to rival Snapdragon models, they have limited LTE and CDMA (3G) options. That’s mainly why it still uses Qualcomm chips in US versions of its flagship Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 7 models. If it can squeeze more radio options into next-gen flagship processors, though, it may be able to wean itself off of its rival’s tech.
In addition, Google wants $50 Android One smartphones for the developing world, but as we found out, there are a lot of compromises to building one at that price. Samsung’s Exynos 7570 might not go into devices that cheap, but it shows that packing in more functionality via smaller transistors is likely the best way to build cheap phones that are still decent.
Source: Samsung
What to expect at this year’s IFA
IFA, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade shows, starts this week in Berlin. It’s not quite as big as CES, but it can be a good insight into what lies ahead in the holiday shopping season. IFA is often the place where companies announce washing machines and kitchen appliances, but there’s usually plenty of phones, wearables, PCs and TVs too. Here’s what we expect to see at IFA this year:
Smartphones and tablets
Samsung used to make IFA the home for its annual Note announcements, but that changed last year. 2016 marks the second year in a row the company opted to launch the newest Note, as well as the latest Gear VR, at their own Unpacked event. That doesn’t mean Samsung won’t have anything to show at IFA, but it likely won’t have any phones on the docket.
Still, IFA won’t be completely bereft of mobile news. Sony has made a habit of revising its Xperia lineup at IFA and we expect to see more of that this time around. We’ve heard tales of an Xperia X Compact, which appears to be a smaller version of the Xperia X Performance. Leaked specs have pointed to a 13-megapixel rear camera, 4GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor as well as 32GB of internal storage. Seeing as it’s a “Compact” model, we also expect a 4.7 inch display with full HD resolution.
Moving on to other mobile events, Huawei’s September 1st event invitation entices us to “Defy Expectations” with what looks like the curved edge of either a phone or a tablet. Though ASUS announced the ZenFone 3 series at Computex, it could unveil a mid-tier offering at IFA. ZTE, which already showed off the Axon 7 and the Zmax Pro earlier this year, could have more to say about Project CSX, its unique crowdsourced handset. Nubia, a ZTE sub-brand, is also holding an event of its very own, which likely means we’ll see one or two new phones there as well.
Plus, just because Samsung has already shown its hand as far as phones go, doesn’t mean that we won’t spy any new tablets. Rumors point to a possible Galaxy Tab S3, the successor to last year’s Galaxy Tab S2. There could also be a new tablet from Lenovo with a “new kind of intuitive keyboard,” if this brief peek at Lenovo’s IFA 2016 event is to be believed.
Wearables and other accessories
Much more than just phones and tablets, IFA is becoming a bit of a wearables show. Samsung already made a not-too-subtle hint that its first event in Berlin will focus on the Gear S3. The invitation has a watch face design on it as well as the words “Talk About 3” and “Gear.” There are also rumors that there’ll be three versions of the S3: The Classic, the Explorer and the Frontier. The latter two will supposedly focus on fitness, with various sensors like an altimeter and a barometer.
We could see other companies refresh their Android Wear offerings too. Huawei hasn’t updated its premium Watch wearable since last year and ASUS’ ZenWatch 2 could use a refresh as well. On the simpler side of the wearable spectrum, Fitbit has already announced the sequels to the Flex and the Charge, which we’ll see at IFA this week. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nokia-owned Withings will have anything to show — an update to the Activite is a long-time coming after all.
We could see other companies update their Android Wear offerings too. Huawei hasn’t updated its premium Watch wearable since last year and ASUS’ ZenWatch 2 could use a refresh as well. On the simpler side of the wearable spectrum, Fitbit has already announced the sequels to the Flex and the Charge, which we’ll see at IFA this week. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nokia-owned Withings will have anything to show — an update to the Activite is a long-time coming.
Aside from the Xperia phone, Sony will probably also give us a closer look at the Xperia Eye, a lifelogging camera you wear around your neck, plus the Xperia Ear, a Bluetooth headset that looks a lot like Moto’s Hint.
Everything else
Aside from the usual phones and wearables, we’ll also likely see a bevy of new 4K and 8K televisions from the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG. New laptops are also on the horizon; Acer’s press conference invitation shows what looks like a profile of an extremely thin notebook and Lenovo might surprise us with yet another Yoga laptop or two. As with so many trade shows this year, we also expect to see the odd robot or drone on the show floor.
Last but not least, we have to mention virtual reality. 2016 is said to be the year VR goes mainstream, and we could see more evidence of that at IFA. We’ve already seen a sneak peek at what looks like an ASUS VR headset and Huawei has promised that it would be making a Gear VR competitor too.
As always, there will probably be products at IFA that we don’t expect as well. We’ll be liveblogging the Samsung mobile event on August 31st at 12pm ET so stay tuned for that and keep your eyes glued to the site for more news out of Berlin.
AIVAnet 