Galaxy Note 5 probably won’t be equipped with a microSD card slot
Hopefully you weren’t holding out for Samsung to change course on their lack of a microSD card in flagship devices. The Galaxy S6 doesn’t have one, and it doesn’t look like the Note 5 will, either. According to a recent report from SamMobile, Samsung probably won’t be using expandable storage on the Note 5, in part due to the newer technology that they’re using for internal storage.
The Galaxy S6 uses UFS 2.0, which you might have heard about when the device was announced. UFS 2.0 is quite a bit faster than eMMC 5.0 storage that’s found in pretty much all other smartphones, even beating out some of the fastest SD cards on the market. One of the drawbacks to this faster tech, though, is that the memory controller that Samsung has to use can’t handle both internal storage and an SD card. It’s pretty clear that Samsung thinks that the faster speed of UFS 2.0 and better performance is a worthwhile trade-off.
As a side note, the 3D render of the Note 5 that we saw the other day lacked any type of slot for a microSD card, so this report just confirms those small details.
Anyone with a Galaxy S6 missing their expandable storage? I’m personally using a 64 GB GS6, and so far I’ve made the transition pretty painlessly. Some power users might have to adjust their usage habits to accommodate the change, but it’s not like Samsung is the only OEM doing this. Nexus devices no longer use SD cards, although HTC and LG have brought them back to their flagship devices.
source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Galaxy Note 5 probably won’t be equipped with a microSD card slot
Sprint to begin selling the budget-friendly Galaxy Grand Prime on July 10th
Sprint will soon add Samsung’s affordable Galaxy Grand Prime to their smartphone lineup on July 10th. The device will be available for $240, which you can purchase without a contract, with 24 $10 monthly payments with Sprint EasyPay, or for $29.99 on a two-year contract after a $50 rebate. Not bad pricing.
The Galaxy Grand Prime sports a 5-inch screen with a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor. It ships with Android 5.1 and several of Samsung’s more popular software additions, including Ultra Power Saving Mode and still has a microSD card.
It’s not flagship smartphone, but if you’re on a budget, the Grand Prime might be a good choice for you.
source: Sprint
Come comment on this article: Sprint to begin selling the budget-friendly Galaxy Grand Prime on July 10th
Samsung Galaxy J2 leaked specs hint at super affordable handset
Samsung launched the Galaxy J1 affordable handset only about half a year ago, but the way the industry moves we are sure they are well underway to releasing a successor. In fact, we know they are, as rumors of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy J2 have just started to surface. Unlike most other tech murmurs, the information obtained on this device is quite extensive!
SamMobile quotes some anonymous sources who claim the device will come with a 4.5-inch TFT LCD display with an 800x480p resolution. Internals are said to pack a 1.2 GHz Samsung Exynos 3475 quad-core processor (32-bit), 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. Other hardware includes a 5 MP rear camera, a 2 MP shooter in the front and a 2000 mAh battery, all smashed together in a 136 x 69 x 8.3 mm phone running Android 5.1.1.
This is quite an upgrade over the Samsung Galaxy J1, its direct predecessor. That phone only had a 4.3-inch display, 512 MB of RAM and a 1850 mAh battery. This leaves us wondering if the Galaxy J2 will be as affordable the J1. Direct successors usually are priced similarly to previous iterations, but the Galaxy J2 sure doesn’t seem like a $115-dollar phone, which happens to be the Galaxy J1’s price.
We also saw the Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 launching last month, but those are in a whole other realm. They sport much better specs and even feature front-facing flashes. We wouldn’t expect the same treatment for the Galaxy J2.
No details on pricing and availability are provided yet, so we can only assume. Sammy will probably announce this new phone relatively soon and for a very reasonable price, though. We assume the phone will launch mostly in emerging markets like India, other Asian countries and some parts of Latin America.
Are any of you interested in buying a mid-range phone like the Samsung Galaxy J2? It seems like a good little gadget for a very casual user, but I wouldn’t exactly recommend it to everyone.
Disappointing, but unsurprising: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t have a microSD slot
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Samsung abandoned many notable things in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge that they had previously held as important to consumers – removable batteries and microSD slots headline the list of omissions. It’s suspected that Samsung did most of this to help slim down the device and we had hoped that with all the extra internal space, the new Galaxy Note device would be able to accommodate at least some of these “luxuries”. Unfortunately, according to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t have a microSD slot, which is just as disappointing as it is unsurprising.
Before you polish your pitchforks however, the report also details the new storage technology that Samsung utilized in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Called UFS 2.0, the new technology reads and writes almost twice as fast as the old storage standard, eMMC 5.0. This includes scenarios where the fastest available microSD cards are used, which really paints a picture where microSD is a technology that will eventually be abandoned in favour of lightening fast internal storage. With that in mind, it’s no surprised that countless manufacturers are joining Samsung in abandoning physical expandable memory in their flagship devices – don’t be surprised if the LG G4 turns out to be the only flagship this year with the feature. The future, for now, appears to be cloud-based storage and super-quick onboard storage.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 not having a microSD slot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: SamMobile via Droid-life
The post Disappointing, but unsurprising: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 won’t have a microSD slot appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sprint to begin selling the budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime on July 10th
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, capable Android smartphone, you may want to check out what Sprint has to offer in the next few days. On Friday, July 10th, Sprint will begin selling the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime for just $240 without a contract. You can also pick up the device for only $29.99 with a two-year contract (after $50 mail-in rebate), and well-qualified buyers can get the device for $0 down and $10 per month for 24 months.
Although the Galaxy Grand Prime doesn’t offer up the best specs we’ve ever seen, it certainly could be much worse. The device comes with a 5-inch qHD display with 960×540 resolution, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of on-board storage and microSD card expansion up to 128GB. It also has an 8MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera and a 2600mAh battery. The device features 4G LTE connectivity and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. It should noted that the press release states that the device comes with just 8MB of storage, but we’re assuming Sprint meant 8GB in this case.
Don’t miss: Best Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime cases
If you’re interested, the Galaxy Grand Prime will be available both in-store and online when it launches on July 10th.
Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 slashed to $499 on eBay
The Samsung Galaxy S6, easily one of the best Android phones available, is on sale right now. At least through one eBay retailer, that is.
Techno Trading House is currently selling the 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 for just $499, much less than what carriers are charging for an unlocked version of S6.
Since this is a factory unlocked GSM model, it should only work with the GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. As of right now the phone is available in two color choices: Black and White. The Gold and Blue colors are currently out of stock.
Source: eBay
The post Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 slashed to $499 on eBay appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung starts rolling out the Android 5.1.1 update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in the UK
Samsung has finally started rolling out the long-awaited Android 5.1.1 update to all unlocked variants of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge located in the UK. As for as added functionality goes, this upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements.
The full changelog can be seen below:
- OS Upgrade – Lollipop 5.1.1
- Security Enhancements
- Improved User Interface
- Stability Improvements
- Further Improvements to Performance
- Enhanced Features
As usual, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you could always search for the update manually.
To do so simply open the Settings app, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Once done, the upgrade will start downloading from Samsung’s servers.
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts rolling out the Android 5.1.1 update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in the UK
[Deal] Samsung offering $200 rebate on Galaxy Note 4 through July 26th
The Galaxy Note 5 might be close to launching, but that doesn’t mean the Note 4 isn’t still a fantastic phone, especially if you can pick one up at a discounted price. Samsung is pushing a new promotion for July that will offer potential Note 4 buyers a $200 rebate for purchasing the phone through select retailers, which is a pretty substantial discount on a phone that’s still one of the best on the market.
The rules for the promo are pretty simple. Buy the phone from an approved retailer, fill out the required info on Samsung’s promotion site, and upload a photo of your receipt. Samsung should then send you a $200 rebate within 8 to 10 weeks. The only drawback is that waiting period, but hey, you’d end up with some cash back in your pocket right in time for the holidays.
This promo kicks off today and runs through the 26th of July, so you’ve got almost all month to think about it.
source: Samsung Promotions
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Samsung offering $200 rebate on Galaxy Note 4 through July 26th
Deal: Purchase a Galaxy Note 4 at full price and receive a $200 rebate through 7/26 (US only)
We may still be a few months off from getting our first look at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 5, but the company still wants you to purchase its 2014 phablet, the Note 4. If you happen to live in the United States and have been waiting for the price to drop on the Note 4, now may be your chance to score the device for cheap.
From today at 12pm ET until Sunday, July 26th, Samsung will give you a $200 rebate if you purchase a Galaxy Note 4 at full price from a participating carrier or national retailer. Sprint and U.S. Cellular purchases are not permitted for this offer, unfortunately. Once you purchase your device, head to this link to enter in your contact information, device details and a picture of your receipt to receive your $200 rebate.
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Just like most other rebate offers, the company says it will take anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks to mail your rebate. If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the offer, you may want to skim through the Terms & Conditions to make sure you know about all of the details.
Will you be taking advantage of the deal? Or are you holding off for the Note 5?
Samsung earnings miss target as Galaxy S6 sales fall off
Yesterday analysts were still expressing some limited optimism regarding Samsung’s financial performance for the year. Park Jung-hoon with HDC Asset Management noted that as long as the earnings number did not start with a “6” then there would not be any shock for investors. Today Samsung released their guidance for the second quarter and it turns the projections are a bit shocking as operating profit is projected to be 6.9 trillion won ($6.1 billion USD). This level represents a 4 percent annual decline and is the seventh consecutive quarter of declines for Samsung. Perhaps the worst part for Samsung is that the trouble is being attributed to their mobile business despite Samsung being the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world in terms of shipments.
Tom Kang with Counterpoint Research says,
“Samsung’s smartphone division is performing really poorly and its semiconductor business isn’t outperforming because weak overall demand for handsets is limiting semiconductor demand.”
Part of the smartphone division’s poor performance can be traced directly to the Galaxy S6 as “sales are falling off” according to Kang after an initial pop when the device was released. Samsung also missed an opportunity with the Galaxy S6 edge by not having sufficient manufacturing capacity ready for demand. Dohoon Lee with CIMB see the initial impact of the Galaxy S6 only continuing to fade over time. Kang goes even further to note that the Galaxy S6 is “not that popular among consumers at this point” and he thinks Samsung will have to lower the price to attract buyers. Despite these negatives, the Galaxy S6 is still expected to be Samsung’s best selling smartphone ever.
Analysts also noted the weakening demand for handsets, which is eroding Samsung’s semiconductor business. If there is any silver lining, it is that investors appear to have mostly priced these results into the stock price, so the price is not moving much and even experienced a small bump.
Come comment on this article: Samsung earnings miss target as Galaxy S6 sales fall off
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