Samsung’s wearable blitz may not be over: here comes the ‘S-Circle’

Compared to the glitz surrounding its latest Gear smartwatches, Samsung’s more basic fitness bands have so far failed to garner much attention. The electronics giant doesn’t seem to be giving up on this cheaper sort of wearable, however, because an unannounced model called the “S-Circle” has just cropped up at the FCC, having already appeared at the Bluetooth SIG a while back. The FCC paperwork confirms the device’s model number (EI-AN900A) and description as an “activity tracker,” as well as its inclusion of Bluetooth Low-Energy, and all of this points to it being a member of the same family as the S Band (shown above) and Heart Rate Monitor Band that launched with the Galaxy S4 last year. There’s at least some chance that the S-Circle will combine these functions into a single low-cost device, transmitting both movement and heart rate data to Samsung’s S-Health app, but that’s just optimistic speculation on our part. Either way, it looks like Galaxy S5 owners who care more about muscle tone than Moschino may have the option of another accessory pretty soon.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: Samsung Updates

Source: FCC

SEIDIO Surface case for Galaxy Note 3 review

Today we’ll be taking a look at the SEIDO Surface series of cases for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. We’ve been fortunate enough to spend a few weeks testing this guy out and have come to really appreciate the device.

Offered in a variety of color options, we received the gold edition for our testing purposes. At first glance we found the case to have a premium look and design language; the color and finish had “class” written all over it. Suffice to say, we imagine the other colors provide the same effect.

The case itself comes in two parts, splitting in the middle around the 60/40 mark. Installation is a breeze as you merely slide the opposite ends down over the phone and snap them into place. We’ve run into problems with other cases where getting them off proved to be difficult. This was not the case for the SEIDIO Surface – thanks to the handy indentation right at the seam.

Given that the Galaxy Note 3 is a large device which lends to viewing movies and media, we love that the case comes with a built-in kickstand. Indeed, it’s one of those features you don’t use often, but certainly love having around. The kickstand itself is more of a polished aluminum feel that has a bit of a contrast to the case. It, like the gold color, gives off a certain air of quality. The magnetic pull ensures it doesn’t come flopping out in a pocket or purse.

There’s not much thickness or weight to the SEIDIO Surface case and it hardly adds anything to feel of your phone. It might be just enough to squeeze it out of your card dock, however, but the all-in-one’s still tend to work okay.

As is to be expected, there are cutouts for volume, power, microphone, headphones, stylus, etc. If there’s one quibble in the design it’s that we had to keep checking for the volume buttons. Something didn’t feel totally natural in the experience and we weren’t always able to turn up volume levels or down without looking. On the other side, though, power was just fine.

The SEIDIO Surface cases come in six colors and retail for $34.95. We guessed the price range would been somewhere in this area, maybe shading higher. With that in mind, this is one we can definitely recommend. Check Amazon and you’ll likely find it even cheaper, some are coming in below $30 each.

Bonus points are awarded here for the ability to snap into a Surface holster (sold separately) for even more protection.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 will ship March 9th for $650

Samsung already gave us a heads-up that the largest of its new tablets, the Galaxy Pro 12.2, wouldn’t arrive until March. Well, here it is, right on schedule. The company just announced that the 12-inch Android slate will go on sale March 9th, priced at $650 with 32GB of built-in storage. As a refresher, the tablet has a 2,560 x 1,600 screen but then again, all of the new Galaxy Pro tablets do. What you will get in exchange for that bigger display is a larger battery and more RAM (3GB instead of 2GB). As for the design, it has the same fake-leather look as the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and other recent Samsung devices. Do with that part what you will.

Filed under: Tablets, Samsung

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Gorilla Gadgets extended life battery (6500mAh) for Galaxy Note 3 review

Up for review today is Gorilla Gadget’s 6500mAh extended life battery for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Packing more than twice the capacity of the normal battery experience, we found it delivered accordingly.

The first few times we used this battery we noticed that it was slowly sipping away, even better than we expected. After a few depletion and charge cycles, however, things seem to right themselves. In essence, the battery drains at roughly half the speed of a standard Galaxy Note 3 unit.

The battery, for all practical purposes, weighs twice as much as the original model, too. And, while we’re on the subject, it’s about twice as thick when you’re all done.

The Gorilla Gadget 6500mAh battery came with a matte black case to cover the back of your Galaxy Note 3. We found the case picked up smudges, oils, smears, and other markings much quicker than normal. It didn’t make it slippery, mind you, but it was not the prettiest of sites. We’re not sure about how the white looks but suspect it might be the same.

As one of the biggest drawbacks for any extended life battery, you’ll not be able to use your typical accessories. Car docks were out, for the most part, as were carrying cases, protective shells, and others.

We also appreciate that we were able to keep our NFC functionality as that does come inside of the battery. While it’s not something we use every day, we do miss it when it’s not around.

At only $24.99 we find the Gorilla Gadgets battery to be well worth the money. We’d like to see other color options for the rear shell but it’s not a deal breaker.

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