Report says Samsung is currently the top smartwatch vendor in the world
Samsung has been in the wearables game since 2013 as we all know. This was a time when the concept hadn’t matured as it has today. The Galaxy Gear as it was known, turned out to be a failure for the company.
But after that, the company launched a series of wearables running the Tizen operating system. All these factors have collectively made Samsung the top smartwatch vendor in the world with 17.65% of the overall wearables marketshare. The data was gathered by Statista.
The Korean manufacturer has reportedly sold 1.2 million smartwatches until the end of 2014. At second place is Pebble, which is believed to have sold 700,000 wearables by the end of 2014. The third, fourth and fifth spot were taken by Fitbit, Sony and Lenovo respectively.
Samsung’s last known wearable, the Gear S was announced back in September and packed cellular connectivity, letting users operate the device independently. The company also has an Android Wear smartwatch called the Gear Live which was unveiled in June, but it hasn’t quite seen the success that the company had hoped for.
Source: Seeking Alpha
Via: GSM Arena
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Samsung will sell 46 million Galaxy S6 phones this year, up 20% from earlier estimates
Things continue to look very good for Samsung. They already upped their initial production of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to meet demand and now CitiBank analyst Henry H Kim is giving us even better news.
Initial targets had the Galaxy S6 pegged at 38 million for 2015, but Kim is now saying it’s likely to be more like 46 million. That’s a 20 percent increase. Interestingly enough, he didn’t even specify the Galaxy S6 Edge so those sales will be frosting on the cake.
Kim also said that Samsung will have about a 1 percent quarterly decline in operating profit for the 1st quarter. Obviously the GS6 and Edge won’t be available during the 1st quarter and there is an expected seasonal dip. However, Kim is expecting a 39 percent increase in quarterly profit during the second quarter.
Come comment on this article: Samsung will sell 46 million Galaxy S6 phones this year, up 20% from earlier estimates
Samsung and Lamborghini team up to bring Gear VR experience to the Huracan
At the Geneva Motor Show 2015, Lamborghini is present and showing off their new Huracan automobile. To help give potential customers a feel for what the car is like, the automaker partnered with Samsung to create a virtual reality experience using Samsung Gear VR devices. Paired with Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phones, Lamborghini is giving attendees the chance to strap on Gear VR, some headphones, and plunk down in a Huracan that is on display to experience how it feels to drive the supercar.
The experiences made available through the Gear VR include driving along a cliff edge on the coast of Italy, through the town of Amalfi, or taking in a lap or two on the Imola race track. In the video below, Samsung and Lamborghini capture the impressions of the experience by participants. They seem to be quite impressed with the ability of Gear VR to put them in the middle of the action and when combined with the sounds, they truly felt immersed in the experience.
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: SamMobile
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Tests show the Samsung Galaxy S6 screen is a class above the rest
Ignoring the recent discovery of the touch input issues that plague the Galaxy S6 (or at least the units on display at MWC 2015), DisplayMate has conducted their own analysis of the screen technology and are suitably impressed.
After looking at a number of factors of the Galaxy S6 screen, DisplayMate concluded that the device has the best display they have ever seen on a smartphone.
Here’s the full summary:
Display resolution:
The Galaxy S5 had a Full HD 1920×1080 pixel display with 2.1 Mega Pixels – state-of-the-art at that time. The Galaxy S6 provides a major resolution enhancement with a Quad HD 2560×1440 pixel display, the same as the 5.7 inch Galaxy Note 4 but now on a much smaller 5.1 inch screen size. That’s currently the highest resolution for Smartphones, with 3.7 Mega Pixels, almost double the number of pixels on an HDTV (and over 4 times the number of pixels on the iPhone 6). This provides lots of image detail – it can display four complete HD 1280×720 images at once. The display has Diamond Pixels (see below) and Sub-Pixel Rendering with 577 pixels per inch (ppi), the highest on any consumer display, providing significantly higher image sharpness than can be resolved with normal 20/20 Vision at the typical viewing distances of 10 inches or more for Smartphones, so the display appears perfectly sharp.
Screen brightness:
More importantly, on the Galaxy S6 the Maximum Brightness can go much higher when Automatic Brightness is turned On, so that users can’t permanently park the Manual Brightness slider to very high values, which would run down the battery quickly. High screen Brightness is only needed for High Ambient Light, so turning Automatic Brightness On will not only provide better high ambient light screen visibility but also longer battery running time.
Galaxy S6 Edge:
What is especially important and news worthy is that the performance of the OLED display on a flexible plastic substrate for the Galaxy S6 Edge (and Galaxy Note Edge) is now essentially the same as on a traditional flat and hard substrate for the Galaxy S6, even at 500+ pixels per inch and 2560×1440 resolution. The most significant point is that curved and flexible displays are definitely the wave of the future because they offer many important visual and functional advantages for both mobile displays and TVs
For a full breakdown, check out the source link.
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New tests show that the Samsung Galaxy S6 has the best display of any phone
When the Galaxy S6 was announced, eyes widened as Samsung stated the 5.1-inch display has 2560×1440 resolution. That same resolution can be found on the Galaxy Note 4; however, this flagship device has a display that is more than 0.5in smaller. It is what allows the Galaxy S6 to have 577 pixels per inch. DisplayMate, who often conducts tests on mobile device displays, feels that the Galaxy S6 has the best display they have ever seen on a smartphone.
Everything from display resolution and screen brightness to dimming and power efficiency was applauded.
Display resolution:
The Galaxy S5 had a Full HD 1920×1080 pixel display with 2.1 Mega Pixels – state-of-the-art at that time. The Galaxy S6 provides a major resolution enhancement with a Quad HD 2560×1440 pixel display, the same as the 5.7 inch Galaxy Note 4 but now on a much smaller 5.1 inch screen size. That’s currently the highest resolution for Smartphones, with 3.7 Mega Pixels, almost double the number of pixels on an HDTV (and over 4 times the number of pixels on the iPhone 6). This provides lots of image detail – it can display four complete HD 1280×720 images at once. The display has Diamond Pixels (see below) and Sub-Pixel Rendering with 577 pixels per inch (ppi), the highest on any consumer display, providing significantly higher image sharpness than can be resolved with normal 20/20 Vision at the typical viewing distances of 10 inches or more for Smartphones, so the display appears perfectly sharp.
Screen brightness:
More importantly, on the Galaxy S6 the Maximum Brightness can go much higher when Automatic Brightness is turned On, so that users can’t permanently park the Manual Brightness slider to very high values, which would run down the battery quickly. High screen Brightness is only needed for High Ambient Light, so turning Automatic Brightness On will not only provide better high ambient light screen visibility but also longer battery running time.
Galaxy S6 Edge:
What is especially important and news worthy is that the performance of the OLED display on a flexible plastic substrate for the Galaxy S6 Edge (and Galaxy Note Edge) is now essentially the same as on a traditional flat and hard substrate for the Galaxy S6, even at 500+ pixels per inch and 2560×1440 resolution. The most significant point is that curved and flexible displays are definitely the wave of the future because they offer many important visual and functional advantages for both mobile displays and TVs
DisplayMate provides a great amount of detail with their tests, so we highly recommend taking a look at the source link below.
Source: DisplayMate
Come comment on this article: New tests show that the Samsung Galaxy S6 has the best display of any phone
Contest: Win a Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged case for the Samsung Galaxy S6 from Talk Android!
The Samsung Galaxy S6 will be one of the hottest devices on the market when it launches around the world next month. Millions of consumers will rush to purchase the device that takes Samsung in a new direction. The Galaxy S6 features a metal and glass body, two materials that just scream high-end. With that high-end look, however, comes concerns with how durable the device is. That is why protecting the Galaxy S6 will be important for many consumers.
Among the various cases that are capable of protecting the Galaxy S6 is the Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged. The accessory maker, which is known for its stylish and quality products, designed the Capsule Ultra Rugged case with a few different materials. It has glossy accents and carbon fiber textures. The entire case is a flexible TPU and covers the power and volume buttons. There is also a slightly raised lip so the display will not sit on a surface and risk scratching. In all, this case feels and looks great.
We want to make sure that your Galaxy S6 is protected, too, and that is why we are giving away the Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged case. The exact case we are giving away comes in black (pictured above) and usually retails for $14.99.
Here’s how the contest works:
- Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Android device of all-time is. Make sure your account is using a valid email address since that is how we will contact you.
- Comments can be posted until Sunday, March 15, at 11:59PM EST
- On Monday, March 16, we will select a winner at random and contact them
- Another winner will be selected if we do not hear from the initial winner within the first day or two
We will update this post once a winner has been selected, so check here often on March 16. Good luck!
[Capsule Ultra Rugged for Galaxy S6 – Spigen]
Come comment on this article: Contest: Win a Spigen Capsule Ultra Rugged case for the Samsung Galaxy S6 from Talk Android!
Samsung’s latest Edge UX added to the Look SDK
Samsung has opened new opportunities for the developers with the new Look SDK. The company has now added the Edge UX to this SDK, which essentially deals with the functionality on the curved edges of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge as well as the recently announced Galaxy S6 Edge.
This new UX for the Galaxy S6 Edge gives developers the ability to add a new Feeds Panel, which can offer data like notifications, sports scores, stocks etc. To enable this feature, users will have to perform a swipe gesture (upwards and downwards) on the edge of the display.
Samsung recommends developers to use a black background since only the edges of the display are supposed to show the notification while the rest of the display panel will be off. This will also ensure that the battery life of the device doesn’t take a hit when notifications arrive.
It’s good to see that Samsung has some neat plans for displaying notifications on the uniquely shaped ‘Edge’ smartphones.
Source: Samsung
Via: Sam Mobile
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HTC Exec: Samsung is only interested in money, Xiaomi won’t last long
MWC 2015 arguably saw a complete role reversal from Samsung and HTC, with HTC doing little new in terms of design, while Samsung brought its A-game, melding glass and metal into a unibody design that is undeniably more attractive (to most) than previous Galaxy S iterations.
Understandably, opinions have varied greatly when it comes to the One M9 vs the Galaxy S6 (and/or Edge), with some absolutely applauding Samsung’s efforts and shunning HTC’s, while others feel that HTC still has the superior product. But what does HTC think about all this? While far from a corporate statement, HTC Chief Marketing Officer Idris Mootee recently expressed his opinion in an interview, stating that Samsung is essentially in the game only for money.
HTC Chief Marketing Officer Idris Mootee recently expressed his opinion in an interview, stating that Samsung is essentially in the game only for money.
In the interview, Mootee was asked about HTC’s position in the premium market, a space that Apple and Samsung dominate. Mootee said it is important to create a connection between products and the individual, something HTC strives for. As for the competition? The exec praised Apple, saying the company has been very successfuly in connecting people to “something that’s bigger than just an electronic company.” Further, the exec says that Apple stands for something, bigger than just a brand. On the other hand, Samsung, “a massive brand and enterprise, doesn’t stand for anything except for profit”.
Wait… Samsung, a company, is interested in profit? I’m shocked. Shameless snark aside, the root point that the executive is probably trying to make is that HTC and Apple have a certain consumer in mind, and a certain philosophy that drives them. For Apple, this philosophy and customer base has helped push them to the top, for HTC, they have a loyal fanbase, even if their marketshare is minuscule. Does this same approach hold true for Samsung? While the company certainly has made changes to improve its “mass appeal” with the Galaxy S6 that may have alienated some of their original fanbase (no microSD, no-removable battery), personally I feel it’s a little harsh to suggest Samsung doesn’t hope to connect with their customers on any level.
Xiaomi’s latest high-end offering, the Mi Note.
On a related note, in the same interview, the HTC exec also went after Xiaomi:
lot of people talk about Xiaomi. It’s not really our competitor. I don’t think they’ll ever make it to the U.S., for a million reasons we all know. And I think their business model has a very short lifespan.
Going after one of the fastest growing companies in the world, and throwing some shots in at Samsung as well — does the HTC exec make good points about Samsung and Xiaomi? Or is this just sour grapes from a company that has been heavily pushing the premium materials angle for years now, with only modest success?
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Samsung invested nearly $14 billion in R&D last year
An audit report of Samsung’s accounts conducted on March 8th has revealed that the technology giant spent a colossal $13.8 billion (15.3trillion won) on research and development in 2014. That’s a little more than the amount estimated at the end of last year and a new record for the company.
This total accounts for 7.4 percent of Samsung’s sales income and the budget saw an increase of 3.7 percent compared with 2013 figures. Importantly, Samsung’s R&D budget has increased despite the fact that 2014 saw poor smartphone sales and lower revenue than in previous years.
Instead, Samsung has seen it fit to cut back on marketing and sales promotions, dropping the two by 9.4 percent and 3.2 percent respectively, when compared with 2013. Samsung seems to have straightened out its priorities in order to try and turn around its fortunes. It is better to build superior devices rather than try to market mediocre ones.
Of course, being the broad consumer electronic company that it is, Samsung hasn’t spent the majority of this money on its latest Galaxy S6 smartphones. Even so, based on our own hands-on time, it’s clear that this additional expenditure has paid off with the latest entries in the Galaxy S range. All of that impressive technology can’t be cheap.
With one of the largest R&D budgets in the world at its disposal, 2015 will hopefully continue to be an exciting year for Samsung products.
Samsung Norway halts buggy Lollipop update for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5 handsets
When you have an Android smartphone, receiving a notification saying that there is an OS update available is a great feeling, even more so when it means your handset will soon be running Android 5.0 Lollipop. That feeling quickly turns sour though when the much-anticipated update ends up breaking things, as Galaxy S4 and S5 owners have experienced in Norway to such an extent that the Norwegian arm of Samsung has decided to halt the Lollipop rollout. Samsung Norway halts buggy Lollipop update for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5
Some of the bugs include the com.android.phone process freezing at times, the Contacts app giving errors and poor battery life. In response, Samsung Norway have admitted on its Facebook page that the complaints have been taken into consideration and that a new update with the requisite bug fixes is being worked on full-time. You can see the full response below. I own a Galaxy S5 that is running the UK version of the Lollipop update, and ca confirm the Contacts app error is not limited to the Norwegian firmware. If you have a Galaxy S4 or S5 running the Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware, have you noticed any quirks or bugs? Let us know in the comments below or at our forum.
Source: Samsung Facebook
Via: Sammobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Norway halts buggy Lollipop update for Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5 handsets
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