Samsung’s Theme Store is a hit, surpassing 6 million theme downloads

Over 6 million themes have been downloaded from the Samsung Theme Store since the Galaxy S6 launched, according to Samsung. More themes are added to the Theme Store each week, no doubt because of the popularity of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

A big part of this surge in downloads may have a lot to deal with the Samsung-Marvel partnership. They collaborated together to bring the Galaxy S6 Edge Iron Man Edition to a select few Asian markets, but they’ve also worked together to bring many Marvel-based themes to the Theme Store. And with advertising from both companies, there’s no doubt this had a big part to play in the millions of downloads.

Samsung has tried to launch a myriad of different software stores (e.g. the Samsung App Store) alongside device releases, and none of them have really taken off, in part because users prefer Google’s ecosystem over a Samsung ecosystem. However, Samsung seems to have gotten it right this time with the Theme Store, taking advantage of the many customizable aspects of Android.

After all, who wouldn’t want a Captain America-themed launcher? What is your favourite theme in Samsung’s Theme Store? Sound off in the comments below.

source: Samsung (Twitter)

Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Theme Store is a hit, surpassing 6 million theme downloads

What we know: Galaxy Note 5 leaks and rumors thus far

Rather than passing along every single rumor that comes across our plate we’ve opted to cover only those devices that we find most relevant. To that end, the “What We Know” column aims to highlight the flagship smartphone models that are looming on the horizon.

What you’ll find below is a list of all the noteworthy rumors, leaks, speculation, images, and other stuff that pertains to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. We’ve done our best to gather up the juiciest stuff floating around, even if it conflicts with other reports. Unless otherwise noted, this is all to be considered unofficial and unconfirmed.

Note: this post will be updated continually until such time that the device is announced by Samsung.

Specs

Display

There have been quite a few rumors and leaks concerning various possible screen sizes for the Galaxy Note 5. Initially, it was believed that it will sport 5.89-inch screen with a UHD display consisting of 2160 x 3840 resolution for an astonishing 748 ppi.

Now it appears that Samsung has calmed down a little and has decided to opt for a QHD (2560 x 1440) display according to a Korean news site. This lower spec but still top of the line display has been seconded by a Chinese site.

Processor

It is currently believed that the Note 5 will house Samsung’s Exynos 7422 SoC, but there has been test units rocking an Exynos 7430 according to SamMobile. It is believed that the 7430 is just an engineering sample with no real plans to release to the public.

“The Exynos 7422 is expected to be the company’s first ever all-in-one solution (ePoP) as it will combine the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and modem on a single chip.“

Battery

We reported on June 11th that the Note 5 will see a bump in battery size. Well it is more than a bump. Sources show that the Note 5 could carry a 4,100 mAh battery which is significantly bigger than the Note 4’s 3,220 mAh battery.

Unfortunately, this larger battery might not be removable. According to a leak picked up by Android Headlines, the non-removable battery of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is also going to be present in the Note 5. Android Headlines’ leak also affirmed the 4,100 mAh size of the battery.

Data Connection

The Note 5 will obviously sport LTE connectivity. There is no way to be a flagship without LTE! Our same leak from China has outed the obvious in this case. They also say that there will be an European model with dual sim capabilities and single sim models for almost everyone else.

OS

Test models are said to currently be running 5.1.1 with Touchwiz according to Android Headlines. We are still unsure if it will launch with 5.1.1 or if Samsung will be able to get Android M onto the Note 5. Who knows.

Quick little off the record plug about Touchwiz. As much flack as Touchwiz has gotten in the past, Samsung has really turned it into a nice UI. It has nice additional features that can be useful and it does look rather nice now. Playing around with it on the Note 4 and Galaxy S5 and S6, it isn’t that bad anymore. Call me crazy, but I personally feel that it is second best to HTC’s Sense. This is excluding Motorola because you can’t really call that a skin, which is a good thing.

Misc.

Here are some little tidbits that I couldn’t think of a category for.

The Note 5 is said to come with a USB Type C port. This will offer a reversible charging plug as well as double the data transfer speeds as a USB 3.0 standard with a 10 Gbps speed over the older 5 Gbps.

Edge Variant

Project Zen was reported on by SamMobile and is supposed to be the Edge version of the Note 5 with lower specs and a curved screen. Project Zen is to come with a 5.4-inch/5.5-inch Super AMOLED dual-edge curved display. It will also sport an hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 16GB storage, a 16-megapixel primary camera with OIS, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

A leak from China suggests that there will not be any “Edge” variant of the Note 5 despite common sense and previous rumors and leaks (shown above). If this is the case, then what exactly is Project Zen?

Launch Date

While there was talk of the Note 5 releasing in September with Samsung Pay, it appears that the release has been brought up to late August. According to a Chinese leak, this is in response to the expected release of the next iPhone from Apple.

The post What we know: Galaxy Note 5 leaks and rumors thus far appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Deal: Grab a Samsung Galaxy S3 with one year of service from FreedomPop for just $150 (85% off)

Before Samsung went and changed its entire design philosophy this year with the Galaxy S6, the company’s Galaxy S3 handset from 2012 featured an iconic design language of its own. It featured a rounded, comfortable aesthetic that many people grew to love. And at the time, the device featured some of the best specifications available on the market including a 4.8-inch 720 x 1280 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus processor and a powerful 8MP camera.

Today, if you purchase the phone on its own, it might cost you somewhere around $200. But in a new promotion that’s just made its way to the AA Deals Store, you can pick up a certified pre-owned Samsung Galaxy S3 in Pebble Blue with one full year of service from FreedomPop for just $149.99. The service includes unlimited talk and text, 500MB of 4G LTE data per month, visual voicemail, tethering, and usage alerts. FreedomPop also doesn’t have any contracts or early termination fees, so you can cancel the service at any time with no repercussions. If you’d like to save a massive 85% off on this promotion, head to the link below.

Not only can you save on the Galaxy S3 along with FreedomPop service, the AA Deals Store is also offering the Innori 15000mAh Battery Pack for just $29.99 (50% off)! If you need to charge your smartphone, tablet or other mobile device when you’re out and about, this external battery pack is right for you. With the ability to charge two USB-enabled devices at one time, this battery pack is super convenient, powerful and affordable.

If you’re interested in checking out any of the deals listed here today, head to the links below for more information. And as always, feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions.

• Buy the Samsung Galaxy S3 with one year of service from FreedomPop for just $149.99
• Buy the Innori 15000mAh Battery Pack for only $29.99

Rumour: Samsung to release the Galaxy S7 by the end of 2015?

Samsung is in the news again today with the rumour that the Korean tech company has plans to release the Galaxy S7 in the second half of 2015. This comes on top of the earlier rumour that Samsung will skip on releasing an Edge version of the Note 5.

According to the Korean-based news outlet, Newsis, Samsung is pushing its R&D department to develop the Galaxy S7 flagship faster so it can release the handset 2-3 months earlier than usual. This would mean that Samsung would be releasing two generations of its flagship Galaxy S range in 12 months, much like Sony does rather unsuccessfully with its Z series of handsets.

It’s difficult to determine just how plausible this rumour is. I would be very surprised if Samsung were to release two generations of its Galaxy S series of smartphones in one year, especially so soon after the traditional Galaxy Note release at IFA. But could it just be that Samsung is planning on releasing the Galaxy S7 a little earlier than usual? Sure, especially if the Note 5 is released a little earlier than is usual as well. If so, we still have at least a month and a half then until the Note 5 is announced, I’m sure we are going to see even wilder rumours in the meantime.

Let’s not forget that there’s also the rumour that Samsung is planning on releasing the Galaxy S6 Plus with a 5.4 or 5.5-inch display, possibly before the Note 5 makes its appearance.

Do you think that Samsung will release the Galaxy S7 later this year with the Note 5 making its appearance in August? And where exactly does the Galaxy S6 Plus fit in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Newsis & DigiTimes
Via: PhoneArena

Come comment on this article: Rumour: Samsung to release the Galaxy S7 by the end of 2015?

ICYMI: An accident impeding big rig, hoverbikes and more

Today on In Case You Missed It: The hoverbike of your Star Wars dreams is actually being built but sad faces all around, it’s being made for the U.S. Department of Defense before you suckers get to try it out; too many car accidents in Argentina inspired Samsung to make a digital display on the back of semi trucks to show other cars what’s happening on the roadway with front-facing cameras; and researchers built a boat that gives lower fuel consumption based on a design change that mimics a part of a whale’s tail.

Important side note we found while googling this story: Avoid ever getting this close to a real whale’s tail.

From the cutting room floor: We really wanted to bring you the story of this sneaky beer storage in the great outdoors, unfortunately we could not explain how it was done to our satisfaction. We’re also left annoyed for and with the guy that proudly shows it off, since now every out-law and crap neighbor he has knows where the spare beer is too. Dude. You blew it.

Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos that you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.

Filed under: Displays, Misc, Peripherals, Transportation, Science, Internet, Samsung

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