Samsung’s TouchWiz is going on a diet
Samsung may have an announcement at the 2015 Mobile World Conference (MWC) regarding TouchWiz, the proprietary user interface prominently featured in the Galaxy line of Android devices. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is rumored to feature a slimmed down version of TouchWiz that showcases a look and feel closer to stock Android. This comes from a statemt made by a source close to BusinessKorea.co: “We are aiming to get rid of unnecessary functions and simply our UI at the level of the Nexus 6.” The release of the Nexus 6 and Android 5.0 lollipop shows Google’s attempt to unify and beautify its mobile device OS on devices with flagship specs. Along with expanding vendor relationships, the crew in Mountain View is getting closer to giving companies like Samsung little reason to install a bloated software stack on top of Android.
In the past vendor supplied UIs like TouchWiz were meant to differentiate brands in the emerging mobile device space. Custom software takes up valuable storage real estate and could cause a device to become slow and unresponsive. In other words, bloat is bad. A recent sampling of users at phonearnea.com showed that close to 45% of those polled felt that TouchWiz made their devices slower. Samsung seems to be moving in the right direction by addressing some issues in one of the most popular lines of Android based devices.
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XG Virtual Reality Headset Has a Kickstarter, Samsung Gear Quakes in Fear
Hong Kong-based XinGear has ramped up a Kickstarter campaign for the follow-up to its I Am Cardboard VR headset, the aptly-named XG Virtual Reality Headset. In case the name doesn’t give it away, the VR Headset is similar to many of the smartphone-based VR sets that are coming to market in the near future.
While there is little differentiate the VR Headset from others, XG has developed a separate Bluetooth clicker that they say solves the common pairing problems other VR headsets have. XG says:
“We find the google cardboard magnet clicker limiting. It only supports limited phone models. Our bluetooth clicker would work like the magnet clicker. It support google [sic] cardboard apps that support the screen touch events.”
While XR states the headset is designed to fit any phone from an iPhone 5S to a Nexus 6, it mentions that the Bluetooth clicker is Android-only.
Kickstarter backers are privy to certain perks. For example, if you pledge $250 or more, you can have the VR Headset painted in “your choice of pantone color,” as well as having a logo or name printed on the headset. (Standard models come in either black or white.)
The highest pledge level – $10,000 – will have the honor of flying to Hong Kong, receiving two nights of first class accommodation, meeting the development team, and receiving a VIP tour of the city. Oddly, this level makes no mention of receiving an actual VR Headset. This is definitely for true believers, as one can easily find airfare to Hong Kong for under $1000, and two nights in a swanky hotel isn’t going to set you back the leftover $9000. But hey, it’s about backing a company without actually owning part of it, right?
Smaller pledges will receive a free I Am Cardboard headset or the Bluetooth clicker.
Considering the similar Samsung Gear will cost a cool $199, perhaps your money is better spent pledging $49 to XR and receiving what is more or less the same product. Hit the link below to learn more.
Source: Kickstarter
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Samsung launches sub $95 Tizen phone for India
Samsung has launched its first Tizen powered smartphone for India, the Samsung Z1. The 4 inch device is very low-end, presumably to hit the target price point. At its heart is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, it has 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. There is also a 1500mAh battery, which although it sounds small, is probably reasonable for a device with a 800×480 resolution display. In terms of cameras the Z1 comes with a 3.1 megapixel rear camera, and a VGA front camera with an auto face detect feature.
Besides the underwhelming specs, the big thing here is that the phone runs Tizen 2.3 and not Android. To make a Tizen based phone more attractive Samsung has gone to great lengths to bring some value-add to the Z1.
Users of the Z1 will get access to “a wide range of free entertainment content spanning across categories such as music, movies, videos, mobile TV and radio.” Samsung will also launch a free entertainment package called ‘Joy Box’, that gives Z1 users access to music, TV and movies. Samsung has also partnered with Hungama.com to deliver a wide selection of music available for streaming and downloading.
The Z1 also includes a SOS alert feature. If you press the power button four times, the handset will send out a ‘Help’ message to the user’s primary contacts and track the device’s location to provide necessary assistance.
As Mr. Hyun Chil Hong, President and CEO, Samsung India Electronics put it, “We have customized the Samsung Z1 to meet these unique, entertainment-focused needs of local Indian consumers for a personal and reliable mobile experience.”
The Z1 is a 3G device and works with India’s Reliance Communications and Aircel networks. The Samsung Z1 costs INR 5,700/- (just under $95) and will be available in India from January 14th in White, Black and Wine Red.
Since Samsung has similarly priced Android phones, what do you think is Samsung’s strategy with Tizen?
Samsung Galaxy S6 could have a toned down TouchWiz UI, almost “Nexus-like”
One of the biggest criticisms about Samsung devices is its TouchWiz user interface (UI). That’s not to say that there aren’t people that like it, but on a scale from stock Nexus to heavily controlled and themed, the TouchWiz UI is next to almost nothing else. Having seen TouchWiz on almost every Samsung device for […]
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Samsung’s Galaxy A7 announced for Russian markets with pricing information
Samsung’s Galaxy A7 was officially announced a few days ago, but Samsung left out some details about pricing and availability for specific markets. Today, the company has unveiled the A7′s release info for Russian markets, including a price tag of RUB 31,990. This equates to about $530 in American currency, which is a bit higher than we were expecting.
The specs for this variant of the device are unchanged, including a 5.5-inch 720p screen, Qualcomm 615 CPU, and 16 GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. Nothing flagship-caliber, but still a decent mid-range handset with a great design.
Unfortunately, we still don’t know the exact date of when you’ll be able to order the premium phone, but if Samsung is making announcements about specific markets, it shouldn’t be much farther off.
source: GSM Arena
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Samsung Galaxy E7 and Galaxy A7 wallpapers available
Samsung is in the process of bringing a couple metal body mid-range devices to market, the Samsung Galaxy E7 and the Galaxy A7. As they get ready to release them Samsung has started putting pieces in place to support the devices once they land in the hands of consumers. Part of that process includes release of the stock firmware that comes on the devices in case someone needed to restore their device.
Within that firmware, users can find the wallpaper files for the new devices. Fortunately, the wallpaper files have already been extracted from the firmware files and can be downloaded to install on your device if you are interested in a fresh background for your Android device.
The files can be accessed through the gallery below. Click on an image that you are interested in to open it one a new page. From there, use your browser’s equivalent of a right-click and then save the full-size image.
source: SamMobile
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Samsung Tizen-powered Z1 smartphone will have access to many Android apps
If you ask Microsoft, they can tell you that smartphone applications can make or break a new entry into the smart device ecosystem. With the imminent launch of Samsung’s Z1—a Tizen-powered smartphone—in India possibly as early as today, Samsung will instantly feel the pressure of consumers needing apps for their device.
Samsung has promised that many of our favorite Android apps will appear in the Tizen store in a native Tizen OS format, but if the Samsung Galaxy Apps Store is any indication of what one might expect from the Korean tech behemoth, the Tizen store could have quite a rocky start. Enter Open Mobile’s emulator app: Application Compatibility Layer (ACL), which harbors a sizable database of thousands of Android apps.
Open Mobile’s ACL app functions very similar to Linux operating systems’ emulators, so if you’re familiar with running programs of that sort, then you may have an idea of how this app functions. The ACL emulator will create an Android-like environment for Open Mobile’s featured Android apps to run in, all layered on top of the Tizen OS.
As you can see in a video provided by Tizen Experts, there does not appear to be a significant source of lag when running an app inside of ACL. The cost to battery life, on the other hand, is not seen.
Click here to view the embedded video.
ACL will be available on the Tizen store from day 1, but no word has been given as to whether or not the app is supported or endorsed by Samsung.
If you’re curious about what we might see in the Samsung Z1 spec-wise once it’s released, you can click here to read an article by Talk Android’s Valerie Richardson, which ran last month.
Source: Tizen Experts
Come comment on this article: Samsung Tizen-powered Z1 smartphone will have access to many Android apps
Android apps will run on Tizen-powered Samsung Z1, via OpenMobile ACL
What do you do if you are trying to establish an ecosystem of apps for your mobile operating system, or are simply trying to bolster the numbers a bit in order to look more attractive to consumers? If you’re Jolla or Blackberry, the answer is adding Android app compatibility. It’s something we are seeing more of as of late when it comes to smaller players in the mobile OS market, and it seems that Samsung is now getting on this train too — well, sort of.
According to SamMobile, the Tizen-powered Samsung Z1 is expected to be formally launched in India tomorrow at a price point of around $91 (Rs. 5,700). Tizen is far from established in the mobile world and so folks who purchase the Z1 handset should expect a limited number of apps to be available at launch. For those that want to jumpstart their app experience? SamMobile reports that OpenMobile’s Application Compatibility Layer (ACL) can be downloaded from the Tizen app store from day one.
Tizen doesn’t officially support Android apps out of the box, but ACL makes it possible to run a number of Android apps at speeds that would be comparable to similar spec’d Android devices. As an example of what to expect, the video below shows off WhatsApp running on Tizen thanks to ACL:
Initally ACL will offer more than a thousand Android apps, which isn’t a whole lot when you think of how many apps are in Google Play, but it’s certainly a start. Now it is worth noting that it is currently unclear if Samsung is officially supporting OpenMobile’s efforts in order to enhance the Tizen experience, or simply allowing the app to exist in its store for those that want the option. We’ll know more tomorrow, if the news of the Z1’s launch proves accurate.
What do you think, if enough Android apps are made compatible with Tizen, could this help make Tizen more appealing for Samsung fans looking for an alternative to Android? Let us know what you think in the comments.
TouchWiz to Become Less … Wizzy, More Nexus-Like?
Perhaps bowing to immense pressure and boatloads of frustrated user reviews, Samsung appears to be stripping down its TouchWiz overlay of Android for the upcoming Galaxy S6, bringing it closer in line with stock Android. As one industry source stated, “We are aiming to get rid of unnecessary functions and simplify our UI at the level of Google’s Nexus 6.”
TouchWiz has its adherents, and few can argue that Samsung doesn’t load their phones with features unseen in competitors’ devices. Indeed, Samsung phones are among the most robust, feature-rich devices on the market. But TouchWiz is also big and sucks up system resources, resulting in some of that now-trademark Samsung sluggishness. Slow UIs have no place on phones in 2015.
Bringing TouchWiz in line with the Nexus 6 hints at a greatly stripped-down user experience, and we can safely assume that in the S6′s case, this means ditching superfluous features and focusing on the core ones that Samsung’s market research has identified as vital to the user experience. Coupled with improved memory optimization and smaller software files, hopefully the S6 stays nimble and functional well into the end of its life cycle.
The Galaxy S6 is rumored to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March. MWC is held every year in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Visca Catalunya.
Source: Business Korea
Come comment on this article: TouchWiz to Become Less … Wizzy, More Nexus-Like?
Report: Samsung aiming to optimize TouchWiz to “Nexus 6 level”
Under pressure to improve its flagging smartphone business, Samsung needs the Galaxy S6 to be a hit. Expected to launch at MWC in early March, the Galaxy S6 will likely feature a metallic design, a first for the series, but major changes could be coming on the software side as well.
According to Business Korea, Samsung aims to par down and simplify the software features of the Galaxy S6, after customers and analysts have criticized the clunky TouchWiz for years.
Business Korea cites “industry sources” claiming Samsung is working to “optimize” TouchWiz for the release of Galaxy S6.
We are aiming to get rid of unnecessary functions and simplify our UI at the level of Google’s Nexus 6 – source
“We are aiming to get rid of unnecessary functions and simplify our UI at the level of Google’s Nexus 6,” one source said, suggesting a drastic change is coming to user experience. Reportedly, the aim is to reduce the weight the OS puts on the system, so the Galaxy S6 feels and runs smoother.
This sort of software optimization could infuse some much needed nimbleness into TouchWiz, after years of gaining weight. There’s no denying that Samsung devices are among the most feature-rich on the market, but even with top hardware, the Samsung user experience is widely perceived as slower and clunkier than the competition.
In spite of the alleged insider’s statement about Nexus-level optimization, it’s hard to believe that Samsung would ever tone down TouchWiz to be so close to stock Android. Software was a big focus for the company in 2012-2014, and massive resources were invested in developing in-house apps and services.
Samsung is painfully aware that it needs to change something radically in order to invert its sliding market share
With that said, the company has already decided to cut down on its product range by up to a third, so a similarly dramatic shift in the software department cannot be ruled out.
Over the past month, Samsung has moved some of its mobile software engineers to other units, though we don’t really know the effects of the shuffle. We do know, however, that Samsung is closing down some of its services, like ChatOn and WatchOn.
Almost a year ago to the date, Re/code reported that Google successfully coaxed Samsung to scale down its software customization in what one source called “a huge change, a sea change.” We haven’t seen that massive change in 2014, but any such agreement would probably require many months of planning and product development. Is the new TouchWiz the result of that “sea change” agreement?
A word of caution – this isn’t the first time we’re hearing that Samsung is working on an extreme makeover for TouchWiz. There were rumors of a revamped design coming to the Galaxy S5, but the phone did not match those expectations.
All things considered, Samsung is clearly, painfully aware that it needs to change something radically in order to invert its sliding market share. A big software shakeup, coupled with the adoption of a metallic build, could make the Galaxy S6 the growth engine that Samsung needs right now.
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