Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Note 4 in Spain

Samsung has now started pushing out the much-anticipated, eagerly-awaited Lollipop update to all unlocked models of the Note 4 located in Spain. This upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, together with a handful of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.

Hit the break for the full changelog.

• Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
• Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the most timely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
  • notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
  • you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
  • you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
  • very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
  • when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
  • you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
• New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions.  You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify.  The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify.  e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
• Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications.  For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards.  This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
• Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
• Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
• Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging.  You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
• Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
• Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance.  After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process.  Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
• Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data.  Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop.  Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key.  You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.

To start the update, make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Then, from the home screen, press the Menu key, followed by Settings. Scroll to the bottom and tap ‘About Device’, followed by ‘Software Update and ‘Update Now’.

Come comment on this article: Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Note 4 in Spain

Verizon opens Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge pre-orders on April 1st, hopefully not a joke

Verizon has announced that they’ll be opening up pre-orders for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge on April 1st in all storage sizes and both black and white colors.

Pricing for the devices is about where you’d expect them to be. The cheapest, 32 GB Galaxy S6 will run $199 (after a $50 mail-in rebate, standard for all of these phones), and you can expect to shell out an extra $100 for the 64 GB or an extra $200 for the 128 GB. The S6 Edge runs $100 more, so the devices cap out at $499 for a 128 GB Galaxy S6 Edge. That’s pretty pricey for a device that you’re buying with a two-year contract, but I doubt anyone will be surprised by these price tags.

Full retail on these devices start at $599 and cap out at $899, which actually isn’t too bad for a brand new phone on Verizon’s network. You can always finance the device through Verizon Edge, too.

Will you be pre-ordering the S6 on the 1st?

source: Verizon Wireless

Come comment on this article: Verizon opens Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge pre-orders on April 1st, hopefully not a joke

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge pre-orders start tomorrow, on sale nationwide on April 10

Samsung sent out a presser this morning that finally reveals when you will be able to get your hands on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. As expected, both phones will be available nationwide starting April 10. This includes AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.

You will be able to pre-order either phone starting tomorrow and live demo units will be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular stores as well as Samsung Experience Shops at select Best Buy stores.

Unfortunately no pricing was specified in the presser because each carrier will have their own deals. I guess we can expect a healthy dose of pressers sent out from all the carriers today….sigh.

Full Press Release:

Samsung Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge U.S. Pre-Orders Begin March 27; Available Nationwide April 10

Reimagined from the ground up, the next big thing is almost here, delivering Samsung’s most powerful smartphone experience

RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ — March 26, 2015 — Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung), the No. 1 global smartphone manufacturer¹,  today announced the Galaxy S^® 6 and Galaxy S^® 6 edge will be available in the U.S. beginning April 10, with pre-orders starting March 27. Blending elegant, sophisticated design and high-power performance, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge deliver to consumers and businesses an unmatched mobile experience.

“We have completely reimagined the Galaxy experience from the ground up by listening to what matters most to our customers,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “The Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge are more than just beautiful – they’re better. We’ve improved the smartphone essentials – camera, battery, display – and redesigned the phone experience so our consumer and business users are empowered to do more.”

In the U.S., the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge will be available in Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum — in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB² memory options. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless will carry both the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge, while Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS will carry the Galaxy S 6. Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy, as well as Amazon.com, Costco Wholesale, Inc., Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart will also carry the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge. Carriers and retailers will confirm specific pricing and availability.

The Samsung Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge embody the best of form and function – packing incredible performance and features consumers and business users care most about into a beautifully sleek frame.

• Premium Materials: A unibody design blends beauty and durability, featuring Corning^® Gorilla Glass^® 4 and an aluminum frame so it’s durable enough to withstand everyday life.
• Advanced Camera: Intuitive front- and rear-facing cameras allow consumers to snap high-quality photos, no matter the lighting situation, and quickly capture any moment, anywhere.
• Battery Management: Power management essentials create peace of mind for users so there is no need to worry about battery life. With built-in wireless charging, users can quickly and conveniently charge their phone on almost any wireless charging platform (charging pad sold separately). Fast Charging gives users up to four hours of battery life with a 10 minute charge and a 50 percent charge in about half an hour. Ultra Power Saving Mode affords users up to 24 hours of talk and text time when the battery is at 10 percent³.
• Advanced Technology: Equipped with an advanced processor and display, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge elevate productivity and deliver an exceptional entertainment experience.
• Business-Ready: With Samsung KNOX, the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge are secure and protected right out of the box.  With wide support for MDM partners and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch, IT administrators can simplify deployment and device management.
• Dual Edge: The Galaxy S 6 edge breaks the traditional conventions of smartphone design to deliver the world’s first dual-edge smartphone. The edge display adds features unique to the curved design, including People Edge and information tickers so users can easily and discreetly view news updates and messaging notifications.
• Samsung’s Milk Services: Both the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge will come preloaded on select carriers^* with Samsung’s streaming entertainment apps, Milk Music™, powered by Slacker, and Milk Video™.

Consumers can get an exclusive first look at the Galaxy S 6 and Galaxy S 6 edge beginning March 27 at participating

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular stores in addition to Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy. A list of participating locations is available at http://www.samsung.com/galaxys6preview.

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge pre-orders start tomorrow, on sale nationwide on April 10

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will debut in the US on April 10

Yes, you can lay claim to an HTC One M9 of your very own at the stroke of midnight on March 27, but what if your fondness for flagships leads you in another direction? No problem – Samsung has just announced that you’ll be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge also starting on the 27th, with a full nationwide debut to follow on April 10. Frankly, between these two bitter smartphone rivals and their near-identical announcement times this morning, it’s hard to say whose actually managing to steal the other’s thunder. It’s the thought that counts, right?

We just got both devices in for a bit of frenzied testing, and we’ll have a full review ready for you as soon as we can. In the meantime, feel free to check out our hands-on and video chronicling those first heady moments with Samsung’s latest devices, and keep the following details in mind. You’ll be able to lay claim to black, white and gold versions of the S6 and S6 edge, with either 32, 64 or 128GB of internal storage. Our advice? Go as high as you’re comfortable – there’s no expandable memory slot to fall back on. And as usual, all five major wireless carriers in the US will carry both S6 variants, but smaller players and MVNOs like Boost, Cricket and MetroPCS will sell the plain ol’ S6 exclusively. Speaking of carriers, they’re probably going to announce full pricing and availability for the devices any second now, and we’ll update this post with all the details as they drop.

Filed under: Mobile

Comments