Samsung’s all-but-official Galaxy Note 3 Neo won’t be released in the US or UK
We’ve seen plenty of leaked information about the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, a purported entry-level version of Samsung’s popular handset. But while the South Korean giant has yet to make the device official, that hasn’t stopped the company from talking about it. Earlier today, Android Central reported it had received confirmation from Samsung that the Note 3 Neo wouldn’t be coming to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, a Samsung representative has now told Engadget the unannounced smartphone won’t be released in the US either, telling us it’s only expected to arrive in “select countries/regions” and that each will announce their availability in due time.
As a refresher, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo is said to feature a 5.55-inch, 720p screen alongside 2GB of RAM, a 3,100mAh battery and an all-new Exynos hexa-core chip. Now we just have to wait for Samsung to formally launch the thing — and fret not if you’re in the US or UK, as we’re sure there will be retailers on the internet willing to take your money in exchange for this Note 3 variant.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Android Central
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo press images leak ahead of debut
Guess what! The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo (or, Lite) looks an awful lot like the standard version of the plus-sized device. A source close to SamMobile has passed along the press renders of the upcoming device, advising it’s already set to launch on a Belgian retailer’s website. The photos, as you can see here, show the Note 3 Neo looking very much like its original counterpart.
Specifications were not shared with the photos but we already have a solid idea as what to expect. Powered by Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, it should feature a 5.5-inch 720p HD (Super AMOLED) display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (with microSD), and a 3100mAh battery. The Note 3 Neo should also boast the same suite of software and functions such as S Note, Multi Window, Air Command Action Memo, and Scrapbook.
We should look for Samsung to announce the Galaxy Note 3 Neo any day now; however, don’t expect it in the U.S. any time soon.
The post Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo press images leak ahead of debut appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Olympic Games Edition will help you feel the Olympic Spirit
The world is starting to feel Olympic fever as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia approach and even the Game’s sponsor is starting to feel it too. That sponsor of course is Samsung who has made the Galaxy Note 3 the official phone of the Winter Games. Taking it a step further than that, Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Olympic Games Edition, currently already available in the Netherlands via carrier KPN.
If you don’t happen to live in the Netherlands, you’re currently out of luck as Samsung has not yet announced any other regions to receive the phone, but logic would suggest at least a few other countries will also get the phone to kindle their country’s Olympic effort. In terms of what you get as extras, the version in the Netherlands will net you skating lessons at the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium, an exclusive version of the S-View cover as well as an entry into a competition to get you an all-expenses trip to the Winter Olympics later this year. Hardware-wise, however, there is absolutely nothing different about the Galaxy Note 3 Olympic Games Edition, but that still makes it one of the fastest phones in the current market. Interestingly though, despite the fact that Android 4.4.2 is currently rolling out for the Note 3 around the world, this Olympic Games Edition will still ship with Android 4.3.
What do you think about Samsung’s effort to cash in on Olympic spirit? Would you get a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Olympic Games Edition if it became available in your country? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: KPN via Cult of Android
South Korea preparing 5G network for launch in 2020
In the middle of last year, we heard that Samsung had uncovered the technology required to achieve 5G network speeds, alleged to be a hundred times faster than existing 4G LTE networks. While researching the technology is one thing, actually building a mobile network capable of 5G speeds is quite another thing. Naturally then, one of the first countries to attempt building such a network would inevitably be South Korea, home to one of the world’s first LTE-Advanced networks.
To do this, it’s going to require the teaming up of South Korea’s greatest telecommunications giants including Samsung, LG, Korea Telecom and SK Telecom to build the network which is planned to be one thousand times faster than 4G networks. Yes, you read that right: one thousand. This would allow the network to top out at 1Gbps and achieve downloading feats such as downloading a 800MB movie in just a second. It almost sounds too good to be true, or at least, cost a trillion dollars to develop and finish. Actually, it’s a little closer to 1.6 trillion. 1.6 trillion won to be exact, or around $1.4 billion USD, and the planned finish date of the network is in 2020, with a trial service to occur prior to that in 2017.
It’s noteworthy to mention that South Korea isn’t the only country working on a 5G network at the moment either; Huawei is using its network expertise to develop its network in China and NTT Docomo is doing the same in its native Japan. At this point, it looks like a race to the finish, but at the end of the day, when 5G is commonplace, we all win.
Can you wrap your head around how fast 5G mobile internet is going to be? Let us know what you think about 5G.
Source: Yonhap News via CNET Australia
Tizen release hits another snag according to Samsung Official
Tizen has been receiving a reasonable amount of attention lately thanks to several leaks that have given us a very nice look at how its developing. While it is technically being developed as an open-source project under the Linux Foundation, it’s commonly seen as Samsung‘s baby to bring to the smartphone market, one which has had several false starts in recent memory. The latest false start was reportedly confirmed by an anonymous official from Samsung’s Media Solution Center who let loose that Samsung had planned to release Tizen handsets in Korea and Russia in the first half of this year, but that has unfortunately been put on hold.
This is the latest delay that also saw Japan’s NTT DoCoMo can the Tizen launch that was scheduled in March due to lack of demand. Seeing how saturated the smartphone market is getting, particularly the Android market, it’s doubtful that there will be a ‘right’ time to launch Tizen. All the same, Tizen is reportedly going to be shown at MWC 2014 next month so it will be good to see what kind of progress has been made since we saw it last.
Do you think Tizen is going to come out this year? What are your thoughts on how it’s going to perform in today’s smartphone industry? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Tizen Indonesia via Mashable
Daily Roundup: Snapchat’s adorable captcha, T-Mo’s ‘Mobile Money’ 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.
Snapchat battles dummy accounts with a captcha
Snapchat’s been in some hot water lately, what, with that security vulnerability and all. Thankfully, the company put a captcha-like security measure in place to prevent dummy accounts. Click the link for more information.
T-Mo’s ‘Mobile Money’
T-Mobile’s latest endeavor is a personal finance product called “Mobile Money” that combines a smartphone app and branded prepaid Visa card. Best of all: you don’t even have to be a customer to sign up for it. Click on through for details. Click on through for details.
Judge voids two Samsung claims
Judge Lucy Koh shot down two Samsung patent claims today, one of which may affect the entire Android ecosystem. Click through for the story.
New SteamOS beta
Valve released a new SteamOS beta that features support for older PCs and dual-booting. Though, it’s still not ready for the masses. Follow the link for the deets.
Verizon calls dibs on Rose Gold version of Galaxy Note 3
Verizon will be the exclusive U.S. carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with the Rose Gold accents. A quiet and unassuming post on Samsung’s website yesterday reveals that the device will be made available but stopped short of mentioning pricing or timing. With that said, we might assume the same sticker as the standard models. As of today, both the Classic White and Jet Black versions are $299 with a two-year service agreement.
The post Verizon calls dibs on Rose Gold version of Galaxy Note 3 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Judge voids two Samsung claims before Apple patent trial even starts
A US judge has just awarded Apple two summary pre-trial judgements, significantly reducing Samsung’s chances of prevailing in the second patent clash between the two tech giants. Judge Lucy Koh invalidated a Samsung multimedia synchronization patent and determined that the Korean company breached an Apple autocorrect IP — meaning Koh thought the infringement was so clear that there’s no need for a jury to see it. As Foss Patents pointed out, Google could also be unhappy about the autocorrect decision, since it may affect the entire Android ecosystem. With each party bringing five claims to trial, Samsung’s chances have effectively dropped by 20 percent since it only has four of its own claims left and Apple has already prevailed on one. That could also impact Samsung’s leverage in upcoming negotiations between the company’s CEOs, since it hasn’t won a single non-FRAND (standards essential) patent dispute through any of the two proceedings. If those discussions don’t pan out, then the Apple v. Samsung, part deux trial will begin March 31, 2014.
Filed under: Cellphones, Apple, Samsung
Source: Foss Patents
Galaxy S5 to Have Fingerprint Scanner Embedded in Display?
Early rumors for the Galaxy S5 suggested that Samsung was going to look passed the Fingerprint scanner, and jump on the iris scanner instead. Seemed reasonable, given that Sammy loves to be ahead of the game when it comes to device features. A new report by the The Korea Herald is suggesting otherwise, saying that the Galaxy S5 will have a fingerprint scanner, simply because the iris scanner technology is still in its early stages.
Now don’t think the fingerprint scanner is going to be located on the only button on the phone, like the iPhone 5s. No, Sammy wants to embed the fingerprint scanner underneath the display, giving the user the ability to slide their fingerprint across the screen to register the print. Sounds a little bit better than the iPhone 5s’ scanner, but I am still not keen on having a fingerprint scanner on my device. Any more information about this and we will let you know.
Source: SamMobile
Samsung’s new smartphone TouchWiz UI leaks again
Expected to debut with the Galaxy S5, it looks like a combination of Google Now and Metro UI
A new tweet popping up yesterday from evleaks shows us a glimpse of what we might expect out of the Samsung Galaxy S5′s user interface. Looking like a cross between Google Now cards and Microsoft’s Metro UI cards, it’s unlike anything we’ve seen in Samsung’s smartphones. If Google is big on flat and clean, Samsung’s going glossy and full colored.
We can only imagine that these cards give priority to Samsung’s own apps and services, showing items such as weather, flight details, social media activity, events, and more.
Samsung recently introduced a new interface for tablets when they debuted the Pro family of devices; we would expect a smartphone refresh for 2014. Although these are only a few static images, we cannot help but appreciate the change in direction for Samsung. We’d like to see these in action, however, before we can give them a full pass. How intrusive is the experience? How does it work if you aren’t using Samsung’s apps? How user-defined can we set this up?
The post Samsung’s new smartphone TouchWiz UI leaks again appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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