Samsung looking for partners to design themes
One of the more recent additions to Samsung’s Touchwiz interface is the ability to load themes. Themes go beyond changing the wallpaper as related assets like buttons, some interface colors, fonts and icons are also updated. In addition to adding this new feature to their UI, Samsung is also working on opening a “theme store” where users can grab new themes to match a mood or look that they may be interested in loading. To help populate that store with content, Samsung is reaching out to designers and inviting them to partner with Samsung.
A new splash page on the web site for the forthcoming Galaxy theme store is asking designers to submit references and a portfolio of work, along with a brief introduction, for review by the tech giant. Once reviewed, and if approved, Samsung indicates the designers, which could include characters, brands, and others, may see their content made available through the theme store.
This new store will be another option for users to theme their device as Samsung has previously indicated they have plans to release an app for anyone to create their own theme.
source: Galaxy Theme Store
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Samsung adds more themes to the Galaxy S6 and is now taking submissions
The Theme Manager is just one of the new features packed into Samsung’s Galaxy S6 flagship, but only a modest selection of options were available when we got our hands on the phone. As expected, Samsung has updated the Theme Manager with an array of new choices, coinciding with the handset’s global roll-out.
Inside the theme store you’ll find plenty of new entries, such as Deer Dream, Retro and Pixel Art, to name just a small selection. Samsung has also teamed up with well-known brands to release a LEGO inspired look and a healthy selection of Avengers character themes to choose from. We’ll be taking a more detailed look at just how powerful Samsung’s Theme Engine is a little later.
While we’re on the subject, Samsung is also inviting designers to pitch their own themes for the Galaxy Theme store. Authoring tools for the Galaxy S6 had been rumored just a few weeks ago.
Designers can send their portfolio off to Samsung and successful applicants will be invited to have their themes posted in the store. There do not appear to be any limits on what you can enter with regards to content, as any characters or brands are apparently welcome. You can check out this link for more details.
Samsung’s Theme Manager originally appeared in the Galaxy A series and now looks to be a staple feature in Samsung’s mid and high-end smartphones. Given the divided opinions about Touchwiz within the Android community, perhaps the extra choice will address some people’s complaints.
Let us know what you think about Samsung’s themes and if there are any custom submissions that you would really like to see.
G Flex outranks Galaxy S5, iPhone 5s in battery longevity survey
Phone manufacturers have to make a clear choice when they design devices. They can add a little more capacity to the battery, or they can shave off an extra millimeter or two from the phone’s thickness. Sadly, millimeters trump milliampere-hours in most cases. Coupled with the rise of power-thirsty high-definition displays, that has made battery life an area of the user experience that has stagnated or even regressed over the years.
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More than that, battery life actually worsens over time, due to the inherent decay of the cathode inside. But how bad is this decay? Consumer Council, a consumer watchdog based in Hong Kong, teamed up with the International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) to find out.
The research group tried to replicate the effect that two years of typical charge-discharge cycles would have on the battery life of eight smartphones. To do so, researchers assumed an average of 365 charges (once every two days) and ran standardized benchmarks on the devices until battery life hit 20 percent. After that, the devices were recharged and the cycle repeated.
Image via SCMP
The researchers then compared the battery life achieved when the battery was new to the battery life after a simulated two years of use.
ICRT found that there are substantial differences between the best (smallest drop) and the worst (largest drop) performing batteries. LG’s G Flex ranked first, with a drop of just 3% – from 8h:40m to 8h:23m. Nokia‘s Lumia 1020 fared worst, with a massive 20% drop, from 8h:10m to 6h:32m.
Consumer Council revealed the results for two other high-profile devices: the Galaxy S5 went from 9h:31m to 8h:22m (about 12% drop) and the iPhone 5s went from 5h:50m to 5h:03m (13.5% drop). Unfortunately, the results for the other four phones that were tested have not been revealed, though Consumer Council said that only the Lumia 1020 was worse than 15%.
It’s important to note that the actual decay of battery performance in time may be influenced by factors such as operating temperature or the user’s habits (e.g.: short charging sessions vs all-night charging).
With most phone makers now opting for non-user replaceable batteries, the longevity of batteries is increasingly important. The good news is a well-functioning device should not lose more than 15% of its capacity over a two-year period.
If the battery decays faster than that, you may be entitled to a replacement, depending on the warranty policy of your manufacturer. Just today, we reported that Samsung will replace the battery inside the Galaxy S6 for free if the battery loses more than 20% of its capacity within a year. After that, replacing the battery will cost you $45+shipping. Other manufacturers offer six months of warranty for their batteries, though the warranty of the device may be longer.
What’s your experience with battery decay over time?
Screen auto-rotate issues affecting some Galaxy S6 Edge owners
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones have finally started rolling off the shelves, but it seems that some consumers are having issues with the Edge’s display. A selection of customers from Sprint and Verizon, and possibly others, are complaining that the screen’s auto-rotate feature becomes stuck after just a few hours of using the phone.
Frustratingly, altering the rotate settings, rebooting the phone or performing a factory reset doesn’t fix the problem, leaving some users stuck in portrait mode permanently.
What isn’t clear is if this is a hardware problem with the accelerometer or a software issue where the system fails to register the value properly, or perhaps a bit of both. You can check if the phone is stuck by going into the dialler, typing *#0*# and clicking Sensor, and you’ll see that the X axis co-ordinate is stuck at -32768.
Something is definitely wrong with Verizon forum member Giummo’s S6 Edge. Source.
There hasn’t been any reply from Samsung as to if or when the problem will be addressed. Fortunately, many affected customers have been able to exchange their phone for a new one, although some have ended up stuck with the same problem.
It is also not clear exactly how many customers this has affected or how widespread the problem is. If you’ve experience any problems with your S6 Edge, let us know in the comments below.
Here’s how much it costs to replace the battery or screen on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Let’s reflect on the battery issue… how much will it cost?
Samsung’s pair of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones have a lot of things going for them: a new design, premium build, a QHD SAMOLED display, brand new flash storage, great cameras… the list goes on and on. One thing that long time Galaxy fans will be quick to point out, however, is the non-removable battery. In the effort to make the phones as thin as possible, and keep design aesthetics in tow, a unibody make was selected. With all reports indicating the flagship is mighty hard to disassemble, it leaves some hardcore users wincing at the thought of the device not lasting them past the evening.
Thanks to a spokesperson at Samsung, we now have a better idea of just what kind of situation the daunting “battery replacement” crisis will in-tow: for the first year, the battery is covered under warranty and a free replacement will be offered should the capacity fall under 80% of the initial starting point. Shipping is not included, although Samsung neglected to specify just how much said courier fee would cost. After the warranty period ends, a new battery will cost $45 plus shipping.
Suffice to say this isn’t for the faint at heart, or short of patience.
It is not currently known just how Samsung would deal with the battery issue: in the past there have been reports of OEMs opting to provide refurbished devices with new batteries when the swap method isn’t so simple. Given how difficult it is to open the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, perhaps this method would be used. On the other hand, perhaps Samsung will indeed just replace the battery on your unit. Regardless, it’s essential to back up the data and all contents within prior to sending the phone away for servicing.
It was also revealed that it will cost $199 to get a screen replacement for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, with a one-day turnaround.
For those living in either Los Angeles, California or Plano, Texas (like one intrepid tech-compatriot does), you can actually take your device to a repair center there for same-day fixing. Samsung has plans to open more facilities in additional cities in the US as time progresses. This plan might also indicate that upcoming devices could use the same sealed-in battery element as opening additional facilities just for the pair of S6 phones would be quite costly even if they are very popular.
AT&T Samsung Galaxies Alpha and S5 Active get Lollipop
Samsung has been trying its best to get updates out to all of its devices this update cycle, and the next on the sweet software upgrade list is the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy S5 Active. If you recall, the Galaxy Alpha was the metal-based answer from Samsung to its metal-composed rivals released last year, and the Galaxy S5 Active is the rougher, tougher version of Samsung’s 2014 flagship. Both devices will be receiving Lollipop over the next few days, along with all of the aesthetic and efficiency features that come with Android 5.0.
For all of the specific details about the builds, follow the link below named after your device.
Alpha: Upgrade Details
Active: Upgrade Details
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Android Lollipop now rolling out to Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on Verizon
Verizon has been busy recently with rollouts of the Android Lollipop operating system to many devices in their portfolio. The latest device to join the list is the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The update for the Galaxy Note 3 brings all of the expected Lollipop improvements like Material Design for apps and some under the hood optimizations to help with battery life. Verizon indicates they have incorporated Samsung’s tweaks to the Touchwiz interface as well.
The update should be rolling out to users via an over-the-air process and users will be notified when the update is ready to be installed. Users can also check for the update and initiate the download by going into their settings and checking for an update.
Verizon notes that with the update to the operating system, users should expect to see battery life decline for 2-3 days before returning to normal. Likewise, the new system takes a couple days to optimize application memory which can cause some sluggishness.
source: Verizon
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Galaxy S6 Edge sales exceed expectations
According to industry sources, the Galaxy S6 Edge is selling exceptionally well. So well in fact that the current supply is unlikely to meet the demand at the moment. With the device up for pre-order for a few weeks and going on-sale officially in over 20 countries, over a week ago, sources are saying the S6 Edge accounts for 50 percent of shipments worldwide, about 20-30 percent higher than predicted. An industry insider had this to say:
“While we cannot reveal the exact sales figure, the domestic sales volume over past three days is an all-time high (among previous Galaxy models),” they said.
In South Korea alone, the S6 and S6 Edge had 300,000 pre-orders, blowing away any sales of previous Galaxy flagships.
Insiders say the S6 Edge will be tough to stock at least for the next month, and market waters attribute the device’s popularity to its design and features.
Both the S6 and S6 Edge have received rave reviews so far and the built-in wireless charging is something consumers are excited for.
Coming off of last year’s low sales, this is certainly good news for Samsung, especially considering that Apple is edging in on the Korean company’s dominance.
source: Yonhap News Agency
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Cricket Wireless to carry Galaxy S6 on April 24
Cricket Wireless has announced that the Samsung Galaxy S6 is coming to its stores and its website cricketwireless.com on April 24.
The phone retails for $649.99, but Cricket’s customers can get the phone for a $19.99 initial phone payment with approved credit and a smartphone plane. They can also use the provider’s 90 days same-as-cash payment option after a $49.99 initial payment and no credit check.
Until April 30, customers switching from other providers (not including AT&T or Cricket CMDA customers) to Cricket’s $50 per month or $60 per month plans will get one month of free service.
The post Cricket Wireless to carry Galaxy S6 on April 24 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung teams up with Refinery29 to launch new VR series
Samsung has teamed up with online fashion blog Refinery29 to create a new virtual reality series, called Fashionably Bound, which is expected to make its way to the South Korean company’s Milk VR application later this week.
Fashionably Bound will immerse its viewers in a complete 36o-degree surround sound-enabled experience which showcases the street style of cities, such as New Orleans, Berlin and Tulum.
Users will be able to enjoy virtual tours of nightlife, boutiques, dining and fashionably dressed people in each location.
Through its new partnership with Refinery29, Samsung hopes to “open up the world of virtual reality to the tech-savvy female consumer, one style destination at a time.”
Hit the source link below to find out more.
Source: Refinery29
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