Samsung kills of Music Hub and ebook service
Samsung on Friday confirmed that its Music Hub and ebook service will be closed effective July 1. Designed as a place to sell music, videos, games, books, and other media, the apps were pre-loaded on a number of Samsung devices. If it sounds like a replication of the Google Play Store experience you’d be correct. In fact, that’s likely a reason for today’s news. Samsung, for its part was tight-lipped, adding only that it is “striving for service differentiation and customer value enhancement.” Looking ahead, Samsung plans to keep the services alive as individual apps instead of one, single bundled storefront.
The post Samsung kills of Music Hub and ebook service appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sign me up: Samsung is working on a VR headset for its smartphones and Tablets
Probably the first name that comes to mind when “Virtual Reality” is brought up these days is Oculus Rift, the Kickstarter product which has basically made the VR movement mainstream in the gaming industry. Well, they might not be the biggest name there for long as it’s rumoured that Samsung is working on a VR headset that will be compatible with its devices which will include the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3 and all Samsung devices that succeed them.
The rumour goes on to say that the headset will be gaming focused and is aimed at being a cheaper VR option than Oculus or Sony’s offerings. It’s unclear what exactly the VR headset will be running, but it is said not to be running Tizen, which Samsung has been pushing incessantly on its other peripherals this year. It’s also unclear how the device is going to be connected to mobile devices, especially considering that wired connections have been shown to be an absolute requirement of the VR experience; any lag in the visuals (which are to be delivered by OLED displays) can cause disorientation and discomfort. Still, it’s an extremely exciting idea to consider that mobile will have a dedicated VR system for games, no less.
What do you think about the possibility of Samsung making their own VR headset? Would you consider one if it were cheaper than the alternatives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: engadget via SamMobile
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Insider claims Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release date will be September 3rd
We’ve heard recently that Samsung wants to go in a new direction with their next Galaxy Note device. Whether it ends up being mind-blowingly innovative remains to be seen, however we’re definitely expecting to know sometime at the end of this year. Sure enough, an insider with knowledge of Samsung’s plans has let slip that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release date is going to be on September 3rd, right in the ballpark of when we were expecting it.
This announcement would come right before IFA 2014 in Berlin, and sounds a lot more like Samsung’s announcements of old; just before large mobile conventions and extremely flashy, quite unlike the comparatively sterile affair that was the Galaxy S5‘s announcement. The insider says that invites for the Samsung Unpacked event to announce the new phablet device would start going out in August.
We’re expecting some exciting things from the Note 4 especially after Samsung has claimed to be looking at a new “form-factor” for the device, and so far the device is rumoured to have a 5.7-inch Quad HD display. Are you excited to see the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Android Geeks via Phone Arena
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Engadget Daily: Samsung’s VR headset, the new Leica T and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung is making a VR headset for its phones and tablets
According to sources within Samsung, not only is the company working on a virtual reality headset, it expects to announce it this year. Between Samsung’s future headset, Sony’s Project Morpheus and Facebook’s Oculus Rift, this is shaping up to be an exiting year for VR hopefuls.
A week with Leica’s T, the most beautiful mirrorless camera money can buy
What’s it like shooting with the latest camera from Leica? It’s pure bliss! Machined from a solid block of aluminum, this camera is a work of art. However, if you want to join the club, you’ll need to fork over nearly $2,000. Is it worth it? Find out.
Apple to fix iMessage bug that causes ex-iPhone users to lose their texts
Those of you stuck in text message purgatory thanks to a bug with iMessage will soon have a happy resolution. Apple is reportedly working on a fix that will unlink phone numbers from inactive and abandoned accounts. For those who switched from iOS to another platform, this is welcoming news.
‘Gutted’ NSA reform bill passes the House, but sheds supporters
An updated version of the USA Freedom Act passed through the House of Representatives, but lost a number of important provisions that would have strengthened the bill. Both the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Google have dropped support for the newly amended bill.
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FreedomPop calls up trio of LTE-equipped Samsung smartphones
FreedomPop on Thursday announced that it has added three new Samsung smartphones with 4G LTE capabilities. Available today, customers can now also choose from the Samsung Galaxy Victory, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S III to pull down LTE speeds.
Pricing breaks down as so:
- Samsung Galaxy Victory – $119
- Samsung Galaxy S4 – $349
- Samsung Galaxy S III – $189
FreedomPop, an MVNO which piggybacks off of Sprint’s network, is also kicking off a new $20 rate plan. For your money you’ll get unlimited text and voice as well as 1GB of 4G LTE data (throttled to 3G after).
Lastly, FreedomPop has debuted a FreedomPop Free Voice and Text app for Android-powered devices.
The app allows any android user to take advantage of FreedomPop’s free voice and text services, while providing a new phone number, voice calls and texts – free. It is also the first OTT app that will allow users to port an existing number.
The post FreedomPop calls up trio of LTE-equipped Samsung smartphones appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung is making a VR headset for its phones and tablets
Samsung is known for its ubiquitous Galaxy smartphones and tablets, popular smart televisions and, most recently, smartwatches. The Korean consumer electronics giant is about to enter another major new category: virtual reality headsets. We’re told by sources close to Samsung that a virtual reality headset is not only in the works at the company’s mobile division, but it’s set to be announced this year. The urgency is said to be a measure of beating Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus to market. Some developers already have early versions of the headset, which — at least in the development stages — is powered by flagship Galaxy devices (think: Note 3, Galaxy S5). The consumer model, however, is said to require the power of next-gen, unannounced Galaxy phones and tablets.
First things first, what are we talking about here specifically? A peripheral. We’re talking about a virtual reality headset — along the lines of Oculus Rift, but more akin to the Android-powered GameFace Labs prototype (seen below) — created by Samsung, powered by Samsung products. This is not the rumored “Galaxy Glass” project.
We’re told it has an OLED screen, as good or better than in the second Rift dev kit; it’s not clear how the headset connects to your phone/tablet, but we’re guessing it’s a wired connection rather than wireless. Given VR’s reliance on immediacy, a wired setup is a requirement (any lag introduced breaks the immersion, and often makes people sick). It’s also not clear how, or if, Samsung’s VR headset tracks head movement depth-wise. In the case of both Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift, separate cameras face the player and track depth by reading sensors on the respective headsets.
Beyond beating the competition to market, Samsung’s said to be targeting a lower price tier with its headset. Don’t expect anything too low — we’re still talking about a VR headset — but the idea again is to undercut Oculus and Sony. Unlike Galaxy Gear smartwatches, we’re told that Samsung’s in-house OS, Tizen, doesn’t play a part in the VR headset.
This is a device meant for use with games. What type of games? Android games! Sure, but which ones? That’s certainly the question. Great games make the platform, and VR games are especially tough to crack given the newness of the medium. One thing’s for sure: most major games won’t work on VR as direct ports. Something like Minecraft VR makes sense on paper, but does it actually play well?
That question, and many more surrounding Samsung’s VR headset, remain a mystery. For now! Perhaps you know more? We’d love for you to get in touch! We’ll have more on Samsung’s virtual reality plans as we hear more; for now, the official line from Korea is, “Samsung doesn’t comment on rumor and speculation.”
Filed under: Displays, Gaming, Peripherals, Wearables, Samsung
Samsung: good vs bad and what I’d change [EDITORIAL]
No matter whether you love or hate Samsung, you have to admit they’re one of the strongest brands in smartphone industry. When it comes to Android they have consistently been perceived as the strongest one, particularly when we look at the market share.
According to Localytics Samsung owns 63.3% of Android market, followed by HTC with 6.5% and LG with 5.9% share. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I used the phrase „undisputed king of Android (share)“. Said data is dating back to November 2013, but not much has changed in half a year.
NOTE THAT THIS ARTICLE IS SPREAD OVER TWO PAGES
I personally don’t like Samsung’s take on Android… at all. I consider their TouchWiz skin to be extremely buggy, cartoonish and quite frankly crappy. There, I said it. All that considered, Samsung has one big thing going for them, an established brand. They quickly and steadily managed to put two words on the tongues of smartphone users around the world. The words? “Samsung Galaxy“.
As soon as people hear those words they know what you’re talking about – even if their knowledge of smartphone industry is almost non-existent. Heck, even the word “Galaxy“ on its own now makes people think about Samsung and their smartphone business.
A quick trip down memory lane reminds us that the “Galaxy“ brand came to life in 2009 when Samsung released their first Samsung Galaxy device running Android. Since then every Samsung’s phone running Google’s Android operating system was dubbed Galaxy. That first device, the Samsung Galaxy i7500, was released in April and came with Android 1.5 Cupcake out of the box. I had the pleasure of handling that very same device. At the time I was rather impressed by it; it was a nice piece of technology.
I don’t think Samsung realized that what they created back then would go on to be as big as it is today. Jump to today and we see that Samsung has released over 200 models carrying the “Galaxy” name. That’s a lot of stars.
We can separate Samsung’s Galaxy devices in a few categories:
- Smartphones (Ace, S, etc.)
- Phablets (Note and Mega lines)
- Tablets (Tab and Note lines)
- Other (Camera line, Gear line)
I did allow myself some freedom categorizing devices considering there are so many. What’s more, some really don’t belong anywhere, like the Galaxy Camera.
Samsung’s flagship “S” line is the iconic flagship line, having moved more than 210 million units since 2010. In the 1st quarter of 2014 alone Samsung shipped 85 million smartphones, with at least 80% of those being Galaxy devices. In comparison, Apple shipped 43.7 million smartphones, while Lenovo, Huawei and LG all shipped between 12 and 14 million units each. I believe these numbers speak for themselves.
Taking all of this into consideration it is obvious that Samsung is the king of Android and nobody seems poised to wrestle away the crown any time soon. But, as you know quantity does not equate to quality. And, even though the Galaxy S5 is already selling like crazy, it doesn’t mean they’re doing things 100% right.
I am sure that I am not the only one to think that Samsung has stopped pushing us forward. They’ve slowed down on innovation and most of what they do are gimmicks to appeal to people who are amused by them. Unfortunately, that is a vast majority of market today.
Some of you may disagree with me, that is just fine. Maybe you find Samsung’s gimmicks useful. I am not saying that some of their features are not useful but a lot of what I see is stuff that typical consumers don’t use on a daily basis. For all of the marketing done and the hype around the announcements, it feels like stuff that’s only there because Samsung could do it – not because users ask for it or need it.
It may seem like I’m hating on Samsung, but I’m not. I’m just disappointed in how things seem to evolve. There’s less “revolution” in today’s models and the last few cycles are more “evolution”. Maybe I demand a bit too much but it has been a while since I saw something that made me say, “WOW!”
Personally, and if nothing else, I would appreciate if they’d at least pay more attention to finer details and stop pushing buggy versions of TouchWiz.
Let me elaborate on the Good, Bad and the Bottom Line on the next page.
The post Samsung: good vs bad and what I’d change [EDITORIAL] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung gives up on its homegrown Music and Book Hub services
Just like HTC with its doomed movie service, Samsung is apparently starting to realize that its in-house efforts can’t compete with specialist alternatives. While Spotify has been busily publicizing its rapid growth, the Korean manufacturer has been quietly warning Galaxy phone and tablet owners about the impending closure of its similar, own-brand Music Hub. Users can no longer sign up for the premium monthly subscription option, and a message inside the app says they’ll need to re-download any purchased tracks and use up any vouchers before the entire service shuts down on July 1st. This at least suggests that any stored tracks will continue to work after that date, perhaps via 7Digital, whose platform underpinned the Music Hub in the first place.
The warning message promises to advise customers on how they can continue their “music experience with Samsung,” which could well include asking them to switch to its premium Milk radio-style service instead (although this isn’t really an equivalent offering). Meanwhile, there’s also a short note about changes to Samsung’s ebook service: The company say it’s closing the Books section of its Hub and merging it into a new “Kindle for Samsung” app that relies solely on Amazon. And that’s not the end of it — pretty soon the whole Hub may evaporate, as a Samsung exec recently tweeted that “Samsung Hub is going away.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active posing on pictures and videos
There’s hasn’t been much info regarding the Galaxy S5 Active, all we had so far were the apps leak. This leak is going to make up for all that though, we’ve got pictures, videos, the whole shebang, courtesy of TK Tech News. So, let’s get started.
This leaked material definitely reminds us of the Galaxy S4 Active, it’s not that hard to believe this is the Galaxy S5 turned Active. It’s definitely beefed up, it look quite resilient. I guess there’s less point in releasing the S5 Active considering the S5 is water-resistant, but S5 Active should be water proof and quite less prone to damage if dropped or something to that effect. There are still people out there who will appreciate the ruggedness of the S5 Active, especially if they’re extremely clumsy or the S5 Active suits their lifestyle, job or something to that effect.
Do you plan on getting the S5 Active? Pictures and videos look quite legit, you can check all that out below.
VIA: Pocketnow
SOURCE: TK Tech News (Twitter 1, 2)
The post Samsung Galaxy S5 Active posing on pictures and videos appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active finally spotted in the flesh, gets two video Rundowns
Somebody at Samsung must be exercising their super spy skills because TK Tech News is rolling in the Samsung leaks these days. The latest device to get a rundown by TK is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, specifically the AT&T version; we suspected that a previous device might have been the S5 Active, but this time the device is very clearly the real deal. Sporting a much beefier, waterproof exterior compared to the regular Galaxy S5, the S5 Active bears the same hallmarks of its predecessor including physical multitasking and back buttons and additional shielding on the case. Check it out in the video below:
If that’s not enough to satiate your leak cravings, TK went on to perform some benchmarks in a later video. You will see that the S5 Active has very similar specs to the regular Galaxy S5, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM, a 1080p display, a 15.9 MP camera and Android 4.4.2.
As you can see in the videos, the S5 Active is every bit as fast and powerful as the Galaxy S5 with the added benefit of more protection and waterproofing (though we hope Samsung has revised their warranty terms this time around). We haven’t heard when Samsung is going to announce and release the device officially, but it’s looking as ready as ever and we should be seeing it in the very near future. Let us know what you think about the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active in the comments below.
Source: YouTube (1), (2) via TalkAndroid
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