Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for Galaxy S4’s in France
Samsung is now pushing out the long-awaited Lollipop update to all unlocked models of the Galaxy S4 located in France. The 729.59MB, upgrade which carries version number 7.18.531.2, transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a handful of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.
For those in need of a refresh, the Lollipop upgrade brings support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, a smoother multitasking experience, Ambient Display, smarter internet connections and the recently-announced Material Design guidelines.
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 Galaxy S4’s in France
[Rumor] LG’s newest flagship series could be the G Note
LG hasn’t exactly been secretive in its wishes to make a phablet that rivals Samsung’s Note series or the Xperia Ultra, but we still have yet to see the rumored device. Well if the newest rumor out there is true, we may see it sometime this year coming in as the LG G4 Note or G Note.
The LG G4 Note will be a premium phablet and a trademark for the name has already been proposed in the Korean patent office last month. iI the G4 Note is real, it will be a part of a line of “upcoming premium phones” and a part of a push in achieving the company’s goal in becoming the third largest smartphone maker in the world. At least according to CEO Cho Juno when he dropped the hint about these devices at MWC this year.
Come comment on this article: [Rumor] LG’s newest flagship series could be the G Note
Will the Galaxy S6 be able to compete with the iPhone 6?
The iPhone 6 took the world by storm when it was launched late last year. Collectively, the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus took away a significant chunk of the Android device market share. And now with Samsung launching the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, industry sources have started to wonder whether the Korean manufacturer has done enough to stop the behemoth that is the iPhone 6.
The answer will not be clear until the 10th of April when the smartphone is expected to be available in 20 countries around the world including the U.S. Initial response for the smartphone has been very positive, so Samsung is certainly hopeful that this is the game changer it so desperately needs at this time. And we think Samsung is right in assuming that given the amount of changes we’ve seen on the Galaxy S6.
For the first time since the Galaxy S3, Samsung has taken bold decisions with the design of the handset. Taking this into account, it’s not really a surprise that the company spent more than ever on R&D. The Galaxy S6 packs an all metal design with a unibody enclosure, something we thought was limited to HTC and Apple devices.
The company has also made brave choices with regards to the processor, going with the home grown Exynos 7420 chip instead of the Snapdragon 810 which is expected to be used on all variants of the flagship. Of course, Samsung had its reasons to shy away from the Snapdragon 810, but it tells us that the company was not looking to sacrifice in terms of quality.
The list goes on and on really and Samsung has truly impressed everybody with the Galaxy S6, be it in terms of the camera or the cutting down of unnecessary TouchWiz bloatware. These factors tell us that the Galaxy S6 poses a serious threat to the Apple iPhone 6, although we feel the iPhone has already made significant damage to its Android rivals. The more important question that is upon Samsung is whether it will be able to continue on this path when the competition gets tougher later in the year with the likes of the LG G4 and the new breed of handsets break cover.
Do you think Samsung has done enough to make a comeback in the mobile industry? Sound off below.
Come comment on this article: Will the Galaxy S6 be able to compete with the iPhone 6?
Samsung could start offering Marvel themed Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge accessories
According to a new report, Samsung will offer some exclusive Marvel themed cases for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. Some renders of these cases give us an idea of how this arrangement might work, although it’s far from the real deal, at least at this point.
We know about Marvel’s partnership with Samsung which involves a bunch of handy accessories which are going to be displayed in the upcoming Avengers film. So it is possible that this is an extension of that and Marvel/Samsung can leverage the hype generated by the film and launch accessories themed as either one of the Avengers.
The renders are available for all the main characters including Black Widow, Nick Fury, Hawkeye etc. It does seem like a great idea to cash in on the popularity of the franchise. But whether Samsung will actually bring these accessories to the market is only for time to answer.
Source: Scweeny
Via: Sam Mobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung could start offering Marvel themed Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge accessories
Samsung UK has a new brown version of the Galaxy S6
Samsung announced the Galaxy S6 in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Blue Topaz color variants. However, Samsung UK has now disclosed details of a new brown color variant, which we haven’t seen before.
Since the revelation was made by Samsung officially, we’re bound to believe that the variant will be unveiled very soon. Of course, it’s always likely that the company has listed this color option accidentally, so one can’t be fully sure yet.
It’s always good to have extra color variants on offer as it gives users more liberty while purchasing the smartphone. That being said, we won’t be surprised if Samsung keeps this variant an exclusive to European markets, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.
Do you think the addition of a brown color variant will spice up the Galaxy S6 lineup? Let us know below.
Source: Samsung UK
Via: Sam Mobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung UK has a new brown version of the Galaxy S6
Galaxy S6 Active specs leak, include 3,500 mAh battery
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
For the Galaxy S6 (and the S6 Edge), Samsung sacrificed function for style. The compact and lightweight device features no waterproofing, a feature that has been present on the previous generation of the Galaxy S series. For fans of durable devices, a better choice may be the Galaxy S6 Active, whose specs have just been outed by SamMobile.
Citing trusted sources, the website claims the Galaxy S6 Active’s spec sheet will be very similar to the Galaxy S6’, including the same 5.1 Quad HD AMOLED display, 14-nm Exynos processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of (presumably non-expandable) storage. There are some predictable differences when it comes to the size of the device – the rugged S6 Active will supposedly be 73.6 x 146.9 x 8.8 mm, compared to the 70.5 x 143.4 x 6.8 mm of the Galaxy S6. Even so, these dimensions are nothing to scoff at, especially given the benefits they enable.
A pleasant surprise is the battery capacity, which will reportedly go up to 3,500 mAh, from just 2,550 mAh on the Galaxy S6. Presumably, the rugged body of the S6 Active gave Samsung’s designers more room for a bigger battery, but the 1,000 mAh is a massive jump nonetheless.
The phone’s code number suggests that AT&T will get first dibs on it, just like with the S5 Active last year. There’s no information on the design of the Galaxy S6 Active, and we’re curious to see if and how Samsung integrates the sleek metallic frame of the regular edition into the Active’s design. The Galaxy S5 Active is definitely a robust device, but its design is polarizing to say the least.
Last year, the Active version trailed the Galaxy S5 by three months, so there’s a solid chance the Galaxy S6 Active will come out sometime in April-May. The massive battery in particular could be a compelling reason to pick it up over the Galaxy S6, don’t you think?
Hey, Samsung, make this “Avengers Edition” Galaxy S6 concept real
Okay, stop throwing your money at the screen for a second: this is not a real product, as far as we can tell. But if this concept would ever become a real thing, Samsung would definitely have a summer blockbuster on its hands.
The “Avengers Edition” Galaxy S6 concept comes to us courtesy of Korean blogger Jang Yunseong, but the actual source seems to be Korean forum Seeko. While the blogger claims on Twitter than Samsung is “considering” making something like this, there’s absolutely zero guarantee that will ever happen. With that said, Samsung should totally make this a reality. It has the marketing budget to match Marvel’s profits off the Avengers franchise. And the phones would look totally awesome. So, Samsung, just do it. You know you want to.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Iron Man is, of course, present. But not Robert Downey Jr. Is it because he is involved with a competing Android flagship? Who knows…
Which one would you pick? It’s Black Widow for me.
Samsung launches Animal Edition Battery Packs to raise awareness of endangered animals
It isn’t often that you can accuse Samsung of being warm, fuzzy and that it’s products are cute, but perhaps this is as close as a giant tech company can be described as such. As part of the Samsung’s ‘Charge the Life’ campaign to raise awareness about endangered animals, a range of battery packs has been announced that each carries an illustration of an endangered animal on the front.
The smaller battery pack has a capacity of 8,400mAh and should be good to recharge the Galaxy S6 more than 3 times. The larger 11,300mAh battery is said to be able to charge the Galaxy Note 4 battery twice over, with power to spare. Each battery pack can charge two devices simultaneously, and there is a clear power level display as well. The 8,400mAh pack is available with either a lesser panda or fennec fox illustration while you have the choice of either the giant panda or golden monkey with the larger battery pack..
Samsung has also released an interactive app imaginatively called ‘Charge the Life’ that will react to the mobile device being charged with a selection of animations and cute sounds. The closer the mobile device gets to full capacity, the more cheerful the endangered animal becomes. There is a download link below.
In case you would like to find out more about the 4 endangered animals feature in this range of battery packs, I’ve included some details below:
- Lesser Pandas are around 42 inches long and weigh 10 pounds (4.5Kg), featuring a long, bushy tail. There are fewer than 10,000 adults and the species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Fennec Foxes are a small nocturnal fox hound found in the Sahara of North Africa. They are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- Giant Pandas are one of the most popular animals and a national treasure in China. There are fewer than 2,000 giant pandas alive in the wild and are listed as Endangered on the list.
- Golden Monkeys have a golden-orange patch on the upper flanks and back. They are also listed as Endangered on the ICUN List due to the gradual destruction of their habitat.
Source: Samsung Tomorrow
Come comment on this article: Samsung launches Animal Edition Battery Packs to raise awareness of endangered animals
The fight for your wallet: A look at the mobile payment scene’s new big three
Apple, Samsung and Google are major forces in the smartphone industry and these three companies are about to advance their fight to a new emerging space: mobile payments. Not exactly a new concept, but these three tech titans are now competing to replace your wallet with one of their respective platforms.
At a glance Android Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay might all look similar. They all use near field communication (NFC) tech in some shape or form and they each have the word “pay” in their name. However, when you really start to take a closer a look at what these three mobile payment platforms have to offer, you’ll notice that there are some noteworthy differences.
At a glance Android Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay might all look similar.
Here’s an overview highlighting some of the details that we currently know about the mobile payment industry’s new big three.
Compatibility
Android Pay is more of a developer tool, instead of a standalone application like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. Google’s follow up to Wallet is designed for OEMs and developers to mold as they see fit.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s and Apple’s solutions are proprietary and only work with in-house hardware. With support already announced for its upcoming Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones, the South Korean tech firm is set to launch its new mobile payment setup later this summer. As for Apple, the California-based company’s Apple Pay is already available to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users, with the outfit’s new smartwatch set to follow suit next month.
In addition to offering a flexible platform for developers and hardware producers, Google recently cozied up with three major wireless carriers. Out of the gate, this may help extend Android Pay’s reach further than its stifled predecessor.
Handling Transaction Data
Apple has been pretty straightforward about how Apple Pay works, clarifying that it will not store, share or track your purchase data. As for mobile payments newcomer Samsung, it’s still not completely clear how the company will manage transactions. So far the firm has revealed that Samsung Pay users will be able track transaction histories on their own devices. But that’s about it. Samsung will likely reveal more details as the company gets closer to the launch of its new service later this summer.
Android Pay will use temporary payment tokens for transactions opposed to transmitting a person’s permanent credit card details.
Like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay, Google’s platform will tokenize confidential user details such as credit and bank cards. Android Pay will use temporary payment tokens for transactions opposed to transmitting a person’s permanent credit card details. The idea here is to reduce the opportunities for would-be attackers looking to steal private financial information.
Additional Security Measures
One of the biggest concerns surrounding mobile payments (and standard credit card use) is security. The media is currently flooded with stories of merchant and creditor privacy breaches. This has caused quite an uproar among the very consumers that these three platforms are targeting. To help calm these concerns, measures such as tokenization have been taken, along with a few additional precautions.
Samsung Pay and Apple Pay require fingerprint scans in order to complete a transaction. This reduces the need for complicated passwords or PIN numbers that can potentially become compromised.
Samsung Pay and Apple Pay require fingerprint scans in order to complete a transaction. This reduces the need for complicated passwords or PIN numbers that can potentially become compromised.
Additionally, Apple’s payment setup leans on a dedicated chip unique to its hardware. Referred to as the “Secure Element,” this item is used to store a device’s identification number, user fingerprints and other secure data. This chip is believed to be somewhat comparable to an EMV card, and is completely segregated from its device’s iOS operating system.
Samsung Pay will tout a similar feature to Apple’s Secure Element, which will be provided by semiconductor manufacturer Infineon. Details about Samsung’s security silicon remain scarce, however the German-based chip maker says its hardware will offer device and transaction protection.
Unique Traits and Other Variables
Android Pay has the potential for deeper hardware integration by letting app developers and equipment manufacturers tinker with its API. Since it’s not tethered to a specific hardware platform, Mountain View’s emerging setup has a chance to be used across multiple hardware and software brands, depending on Google’s long-term strategy.
While Apple Pay has only been publicly available for a handful of months, it definitely shows a lot of promise. Dozens of financial institutions have already pledged support for the service and its online payment options are steadily increasing.
Although it’s the newest entrant in the great mobile payment race, Samsung Pay may have an ace up its sleeve. Thanks to its acquisition of LoopPay, the outfit has equipped its gear with tech capable of working with non-NFC magnetic card readers. This means the service will work with just about any legacy point-of-sale system.
This Guy’s Two Cents
It’s way too early to declare a winner here. Each of these mobile payment options have their pros and cons, but the biggest battle will be winning over casual consumers worried about security. Toss in factors like brand loyalty, third-party support and things become even more complicated. But I must say that I like Samsung’s inclusion of legacy payment terminals. This, along with the company’s history of releasing a high volume of devices might help put Samsung Pay in the hands of more consumers, once the service is up and running. However, it’s really hard to underestimate the folks in Cupertino and Mountain View.
Now that we’ve had a closer look at the mobile payment scene, we’d love to know your thoughts on the matter. Do you think mobile payments are the next big thing, or an impractical gimmick that will eventually fade away? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think.
// <![CDATA[
(function () ());
// ]]>
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active allegedly heading to AT&T first
The close relationship between Samsung and AT&T will continue with the upcoming Galaxy S6 Active. The device, according to SamMobile, will launch exclusively on AT&T’s network before making its way to any other carrier. Its model number will be SM-G890A and have similar specifications to the regular Galaxy S6; however, not everything is the same. The measurements and battery size will be altered to meet the rugged and longevity standards of the Active name.
Hit the break for more.
The following are key specifications:
- 5.1-inch, 2560×1440 (QHD) Super AMOLED display
- Samsung Exynos 7420 processor with 3GB of RAM
- 15MP rear camera / 5MP front camera
- 32GB of internal storage
- 73.6×146.9×8.8mm measurements
- 3500mAh battery
Source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S6 Active allegedly heading to AT&T first
AIVAnet 