New week, new rumors for the Samsung Galaxy S5
When it comes to rumors surrounding Samsung’s flagship devices, it’s starting to feel more like rumors surrounding Apple devices — starting months in advance of release.
For example, back in November we started hearing rumors the Samsung Galaxy S5 was expected to launch in Q1 of this year. This isn’t all that surprising as it lines up nicely with previous launches of flagship Galaxy devices.
Then as time has passed us by, the rumor mill is starting to heat up and turn out more and more rumors surrounding the device, seemingly one rumor a week (give or take).
As of right now the Galaxy S5 is supposed to come with new battery tech for faster charging, a QHD screen, an aluminum unibody, revamped TouchWiz UI, and now a 20-megapixel camera, complete with an iris scanner for added security, according to a report from PhoneArena.
It’s hard to sift through all of the rumors and separate fact from fiction, but with the Samsung’s history of pushing the envelope with new features (even features that many may deem unnecessary), many of these rumors may indeed be true.
As usual, only time will tell and you can be sure we will cover the device and it’s specs once its made officially available.
Until then, be sure to tune in next week. Same rumor time, same rumor channel.
The post New week, new rumors for the Samsung Galaxy S5 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Is this the Samsung Galaxy S5’s new tile-based home screen?
As Samsung’s Galaxy S5 gets ready to launch, the rumor alert scale has already hit “yellow.” The latest from @evleaks shows a possible TouchWiz home screen that would be a sharp U-turn from the current one, if real. It displays information and notifications like Google Now in a tiled format à la Microsoft’s Modern/Metro UI — not unlike the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2‘s Magazine UX. Naturally, there’s no info about how the software would gather up such data, but in any event, the screenshot above could easily be a Samsung test or a fake — we’ll find out in a few short months.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Engadget Spanish (translated)
Source: Evleaks (Twitter)
Samsung’s Revamped UI Shows Up in a Screenshot
Looks like Samsung wants to change the game up a little bit, by changing their UI to something “somewhat” fresh. The image above comes from our leak king, evleaks, and it shows a Windows/Google Now-like style UI.
Very similar to Google Now, these “cards” will show you information to get you through your day, but they have also added a somewhat social element to this UI. I guess they are trying to simplify the user experience, which almost resembles HTC’s stab at trying to simplify feeds with Blinkfeed. Let us know what you think about this new Samsung revamped UI. Something you find appealing?
Source: evleaks
[RUMOUR] Samsung Galaxy S5 may have a more compact, 2,900mAh Li-ion Battery
Seeing as the Samsung Galaxy S4 has sold well over 40 million handsets over the past year, it’s no surprise that its predicted successor, the Samsung Galaxy S5, is one of the most anticipated Android smartphones of the next few months. There have been precious few leaks regarding the devices, though we did get what appeared to be a sneak peek at some of the specifications just last week. One notable omission from that list of specifications was battery capacity, however, thanks to a tipster who spoke to Phone Arena, we might just have a better idea of what the S5′s battery will be like.
The tip says that the S5 will still have a Li-ion based battery with a capacity of 2,900mAh, a nice bump from the 2,600mAh battery in the S4. The interesting part about the tip isn’t the increase in battery size, which is expected seeing as the S5 is expected to have a 2K resolution display, but rather that the battery is able to store 20% more battery capacity than an older Li-ion battery of the same size. What this means is that while the capacity of the battery will have increased in the S5, the physical size of the battery may not have changed.
This can only be a good thing as the 5-inch screen of the S4 was already perilously close to phablet country, so if this new battery is able to help keep size down, then perhaps the device won’t be much bigger than the S4. What do you think about this news: are you satisfied with the battery capacity rumoured for the Samsung Galaxy S5? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Phone Arena
[RUMOUR] Is Samsung preparing a curved tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Round?
I think that most people can agree that the Samsung Galaxy Round was a confusing device at best. Essentially a more expensive, slightly melted Galaxy Note 3 without a stylus, it failed to capture as much attention as its curved smartphone competitor, the LG G Flex, and its fancy self-healing material. Further evidence of this is the fact the G Flex’s reach is now spreading around the globe including carrier support, whereas the Galaxy Round appears to only be available through specific retailers. But was Samsung looking at the wrong form factor? Korean news site MovePlayer seems to believe that Samsung is actually now working on a curved display tablet called the Samsung Galaxy Tab Round.
Part of MovePlayer’s argument for the existence of such a device is a patent filed by Samsung which includes the above diagram; the diagram depicts a tablet-sized device with a very slight curvature. It’s hard to guess which display size Samsung would try this design on seeing as they have Galaxy Tab devices with display sizes of 7, 8, 8.4, 10 and 12.2-inches, but we’ll have to see if this rumour holds any water first. Personally, I think the curved display design could work on a smaller tablet, like a 7 or 8-inch display, since this could still be held in one hand.
What do you think about this rumour of a Samsung Galaxy Tab Round? Is there any chance that Samsung is actually making one of these devices after the less-than-ideal launch of the Galaxy Round smartphone? Let us know what you think.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Source: MovePlayer via Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Android 4.4.2 Update For Galaxy Note 3 Rolls Out, Kernel Source Available Now
Late last year, an alleged Samsung internal document appeared to suggest that Android KitKat would become available for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 in January 2014, and sure enough, the Android 4.4.2 update for Galaxy Note 3 started rolling out last week. Reportedly starting its roll-out in Poland, the update will be rolling out to all Note 3s with model number SM-N9005 presumably in the near future; sorry Note 3 owners with carrier versions, you’ll have to hold your breath a little longer.
If you do have a SM-N9005 and you can’t wait for the OTA update, you can try your luck by downloading the update files over at SamMobile.
Accompanying the roll-out of the Android 4.4.2 update, Samsung has made the kernel source files available for all the excited developers out there. The files are available now on Samsung Open Source for download so hit the source link below if you’re interested in tinkering with the newest update.
Let us know if you get the Android 4.4.2 update on your Note 3 and how you find it.
Source: SamMobile, Samsung Open Source via Android Police (1), (2)
Recommended Reading: Spike Jonze predicts the future of UI, confronting tragedy through video games and more
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books dealing with the subject of technology that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
Why Her Will Dominate UI Design Even More Than Minority Report
(2,194 words)
by Kyle Vanhemert, WiredPocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,”pocket-btn-js”);
For the better part of the last decade, Minority Report has been the go-to reference for futuristic UI design. But, lets be serious, nobody is clamoring for more gadgets to control by waving their hands like a lunatic. More likely, the future will see technology seamlessly integrated into our lives, the way it is in Spike Jonze’s latest film, Her. In this “slight future” everything around the protagonist Theo Twombly is subtly smart, responding to his movements, words and even moods. And there in lies the true potential of artificial intelligence. As Vanhemert asserts in his article, “it [AI] doesn’t have one fixed personality. Instead, its ability to figure out what a person needs at a given moment emerges as the killer app.”
|
I, School Shooter Like many, Danny Ledonne remembers exactly where he was when news of the massacre at Columbine broke. Also like many, he struggled to come to terms with what had happened. But his avenue for coping, creating Super Columbine Massacre RPG, stirred up as much of a media firestorm when it was released six years later as Marilyn Manson and Doom did in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
A Missing Genetic Link in Human Evolution All across the genome of humans and our great ape cousins are large swaths of duplicate genetic code. Most studies have simply ignored these complex, repetitive stretches of DNA. But new research indicates these genes, which are seemingly randomly dispersed throughout our genome, may be the key to what makes us human. |
|
How Netflix Reverse Engineered Hollywood You’re far from alone if you’ve ever stared in confusion at a hyper-specific genre spit out by Netflix. Visually-striking dark cerebral dramas? Gritty foreign period pieces? All told, there are some 76,897 “micro-genres.” The Atlantic decide to find out how (and why) the streaming king created something so exact. Then set about recreating the peculiar genre creation tool on their own. Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
How Stars Like Jay Z and Martha Stewart End Up with Samsung Devices Samsung’s marketing strategy goes well beyond commercials that take jabs at Apple fanatics. In fact, one of its more important initiatives puts Galaxy devices in the hands of big name celebrities like Jay Z, Martha Stewart and Swizz Beats. Dubbed the White Glove program, it delivers free phones to taste makers via attentive,and charismatic brand ambassadors. Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(“script”);j.id=i;j.src=”https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1″;var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,”pocket-btn-js”); |
[LEAK] The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo Is Looking Ready For Release
We’ve heard rumblings of a smaller Note 3 device for some time now, but now it looks like the so-called Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is almost ready for release. While the device is yet to be announced, leaked photos of the device have been circulating thanks to SamMobile and today, the list of leaks now includes a FCC filing which typically precedes an imminent product launch.
Probably the most interesting hardware trait of the Note 3 Neo is the fact it will allegedly be the first of Samsung‘s devices to rock Samsung’s own hexacore processor which allows the simultaneous operation of all six cores at once. According to benchmarks, this new hexacore processor outpaces the Snapdragon 600 but comes up short when pitted against the Snapdragon 800. Other notable specifications of the Note 3 Neo include a 5.55-inch 720p display, 2GB RAM, 3,100mAh and Android 4.3.
While it is an obvious downgrade from the fully fledged Note 3, it looks a lot more like the Note 3 Neo is aimed at filling the spot currently occupied by the aging Note 2. Those specifications fit the bill to a T, but give enough of a performance boost to warrant attention. We have a little longer to wait before we actually see the device, but judging by the increasing number of leaks, it shouldn’t be too long before the Note 3 Neo is official.
Are you interested in getting a device like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo? Let us know what you think.
Source: FCC, SamMobile via Phandroid (1), (2)
The Engadget Show 49: CES 2014 wrapup
Grab a wearable, switch on the ‘ole curved TV and fire up your favorite 3D printer. We came, we saw, we conquered and now we’re ready to distill it all for you in the form of some high-quality video content. We’re not going to suggest that it’ll replace the seemingly endless stream of posts we’ve churned out over the past week or so, but if you’ve got a cocktail party full of guests you need to impress tonight, it’ll help you drop some serious CES 2014 tech news knowledge on their collective heads.
We’ve pulled together some top editors to offer up an abbreviated view of tech’s biggest show of the year, charting trends in old standby categories like HDTV, mobile, tablets and cars, to emerging spaces set to define the changing face of the show for years to come. Oh, and we’ve also tossed in some fun video of the show’s gadgets, because, well, it wouldn’t be much of an Engadget Show without that sort of thing, now would it? Toss in a bit of video of your long-time host getting a bit welled up the end, and you’ve got yourself a little thing we like to call The Engadget Show 49.
‘Til we meet again, Engadgeteers.
Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones, Desktops, Cameras, Displays, Misc, Gaming, GPS, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Household, Laptops, Meta, Peripherals, Podcasts, Portable Audio/Video, Robots, Tablets, Transportation, Wearables, Wireless, Storage, Networking, Science, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile, Alt, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia, ASUS, Google, Amazon, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, LG, AMD, Intel, Blackberry, T-Mobile, HP, Dell, Acer, NVIDIA, Nikon, Canon, Facebook, Nintendo
Japanese carrier says it’s ‘not the right time’ for Tizen OS smartphones, delays launch plans
Tizen is trying to make all the right moves when it comes to getting its Tizen mobile OS off the ground and into people’s hands. However, to the surprise of… not many people (probably even Samsung), it’s going to be a struggle. NTT Docomo has canceled its plans for launching a Tizen smartphone early this year, citing timing as the issue. A spokesperson, talking in a briefing yesterday, told Engadget Japanese that its smartphones sales hadn’t increased substantially since the year before (despite this being the first year the carrier has started selling iPhones) stating that there wasn’t space for three mobile OSes in Japan’s current smartphone climate. It’s not ruling out the eventual arrival of Tizen hardware, however. Maybe Docomo is waiting on those new handsets promised to appear in Barcelona. MWC is just a month away.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Engadget Japanese
AIVAnet 