Samsung is opening a VR studio in New York City

The library of things you can play and watch on a Gear VR headset is growing, but Samsung doesn’t think it’s growing quickly enough — it wants to help make some of that content, too. The company has revealed to Sundance Film Festival guests that it’s opening a New York City studio that will create virtual reality experiences. Samsung isn’t saying much about the content in question, but the studio will be located inside an existing Samsung office rather than a wholly separate space. Don’t expect a sprawling movie set, then.

The tech giant also did more at Sundance than showcase VR material. It struck up a one-year partnership with the Sundance Institute to foster movie makers and other creatives. Ideally, VR will play an even bigger role at the 2017 festival — it’ll be more of a central attraction and less of a sideshow to conventional movies.

Source: CNET

Leak points to March 11th U.S. release for Samsung Galaxy S7

As Samsung inches closer to releasing the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, and perhaps a third variant, details about Samsung’s plans continue to surface. Just this past week we saw an Exynos powered Galaxy S7 pass through AnTuTu and a Zauba listing revealed screen sizes. A new leak points to the U.S. release date for the Samsung’s new flagship devices as being on March 11th.

Sources have previously indicated that Samsung plans to unveil the new devices on February 21st, which is the day before MWC 2016 opens. This latest leak starts to connect the dots between the time that Samsung announces the new devices and when consumers will actually be able to buy one.

Samsung followed a similar pattern last year with the Galaxy S6, revealing the device at MWC 2015 and then following up later with availability to consumers. In 2015, there was about a two month gap in the timeline, so a March release date would cut that in about half.

Starting to look like a Friday, March 11th Galaxy release in the U.S.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 22, 2016

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

source: Evan Blass (Twitter)

Come comment on this article: Leak points to March 11th U.S. release for Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung Galaxy S7 could be launching sooner than expected

Having seen the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge details continue to surface over the last few weeks, the build up to the inevitable release continues to build momentum. We’ve seen benchmarks for the new Exynos processor for the Galaxy S7 leaked out, as well as a website detailing the screen sizes for the devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was first released on April 10th, 2015, and it was widely expected to be around the same date that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge would make an appearance. However, new details have emerged stating that even though Samsung will continue to announce the Galaxy S7 devices at MWC 2016, just as it did with the Galaxy S6, the delay to actual release won’t be as soon In fact, @evleaks states that Friday March 11th, 2016, will be the chosen date for Samsung to unveil the new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

Starting to look like a Friday, March 11th Galaxy release in the U.S.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 22, 2016

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Proposed Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs

• Adreno 530 Graphics
• 4GB LP-DDR4 RAM
• Exynos chipset or Snapdragon 820
• 32GB or 64GB storage
• Micro-SD card slot
• Galaxy S7 – 5.1-inch UHD screen
• Galaxy S7 Edge – 5.5-inch UHD screen
• IMX300 camera f/1.7 20MP sensor
• Android 6.0.1

Samsung always set the benchmark when it comes to specs it can pack into a device, so there’s no doubt that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be powerhouses. What will be interesting is how Samsung implement their TouchWiz software on the new devices. The skin overlay has continued to be stripped back as the years go on, so it’ll be interesting to see the direction Samsung take with their next version.

Drop us a comment below if you’re looking forward to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and what you would like to see in the new devices.

The post Samsung Galaxy S7 could be launching sooner than expected appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Galaxy A9 Pro may be in the works

Samsung hasn’t released a Galaxy A9 Pro in the past so take this rumor with a grain of salt. You may recall Samsung’s Galaxy A-series, which is made up of the A3, A5, A7 and A9. Each year Samsung updates the series with new models. However, this year Samsung may include a new member, the Galaxy A9 Pro. This may be a backup plan in case the other models don’t sell well.

The Galaxy A9 Pro (SM-A9100) could be a new Galaxy A model with a boost in specifications. Considering the Galaxy A9’s Full HD display and Snapdragon 652 processor, there’s a good chance the Galaxy A9 Pro will include a QHD resolution screen with perhaps an even faster processor. As for the screen size and battery capacity, the Galaxy A9 sports a 6-inch size with a 4,000mAh battery, so we can’t be too sure as to if Samsung can take this up another notch.

Unlike the Galaxy A9 that runs Android Lollipop, the Galaxy A9 Pro may have Marshmallow right out of the box. The Galaxy A9 is only available to purchase in China right now and is priced around $500 USD. The A9 Pro will probably hit China as well, but include a slightly higher price tag somewhere around $650 USD. Hopefully the A9 Pro is real and we’ll see it expand to other parts of the world. More news on this should be coming soon.

What would you want to see Samsung put inside the Galaxy A9 Pro?

Source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Galaxy A9 Pro may be in the works

First impressions: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) falls just short of perfection

Once upon a time (i.e. pre 2015) Samsung was infamously known for its liberal use of plastics in crafting its products. Despite the fact that said material is often more durable and damage-resistant than more modest metals or glorious glass, the media was always quick to pounce. As competition stepped up from rival companies in China however, Samsung suddenly found itself having to finally make the plunge to produce “premium” products. After testing out the waters with 2014’s Galaxy Alpha – the first Samsung smartphone to feature a metal frame – the Galaxy A series was formally introduced.

The Galaxy A3, A5, A7, and later A8, were all-metal phones that, while hardly flagship products, were still something special. As 2015 came to a close, however, rumors and leaks began to emerge about the next generation of “A” products. Featuring a glass front and back, the Galaxy A (2016) series look remarkably similar to the design language Samsung employed in last year’s Galaxy S6. Having spent some time with the 5.5-inch Galaxy A7 (2016), it is now time to share some initial impressions of the newest – and perhaps most noteworthy – mid-range offering from Korea’s largest OEM.

Please note that as I spent time with both the A5 (2016) and A7 (2016), I mentioned the smaller version in some sections of this piece. Image pictures used however, are specifically of the A7 variant.

Don’t miss:

• Best Android phones (January 2016)

Visually speaking? A splendid surprise

Upon opening the unassuming white box for the Galaxy A7 (2016) – packaging color may vary depending on place of purchase – the phone is the first thing one lays eyes on, and it is quite impressive to say the least. In terms of design, the Galaxy A7 (2016) looks like a Galaxy S6, but with the added benefit of being not only larger, but having somewhat sculpted sides as well. While this does very little in terms of handling due to the larger size of the phone, it does make the product seem that much more special, given that the frame is not a standard, solid ring but instead has some small indentations.

The glass is gorgeous, and regardless of if one has held the S6 or not. While last year’s metal body was nice to be sure, it came across as somewhat cheap due to the extremely thin back panel and light weight of the phone. The A7 feels significantly heavier – perhaps too much so – which goes a long way to making it feel substantive. Both the front and back make use of 2.5D glass, and the curve is quite nice looking.

At the same time however, the almost cumbersome weight of the A7 means that should it drop, the impact will be that much more significant due to the extra mass. It is hard to convey just how unexpectedly heavy the phone is. While not alarmingly so or heavy to the extent it would affect usability, it never ceased to surprise not only myself, but those who asked to see the A7, how heavy it was.

Superb screen

Another big surprise? The display was absolutely incredible. Unlike the Nexus 6P and the BlackBerry Priv – both of which I have spent substantial time with – Samsung’s use of an SAMOLED display brings with it amazingly crisp, clear whites. The color reproduction in general is fantastic, and of course vibrant as OLED displays are known to be. Again the idea that this was a mid-range pair of products with such a stunning screen really impressed.

Performance power and the blazing battery life

Performance-wise the A7 was quite smooth, at least after the initial set up process is finished. Unlike the A8 which had an astounding amount of lag, the A7 – especially with 3GB of RAM – almost never stuttered. Typing was smooth, multitasking was fast and fluid, even scrolling through the settings menu was fast, something that curiously can not be said of the Note 5. Perhaps even more impressive, the A5 – with only 2GB of RAM – was also extremely snappy and actually served to allay the belief that mid-range phones running mid-range SoCs will eternally be hampered by slow silicon.

The phone also has support for microSD, which makes it the first glass backed Samsung device to do so. Those who lamented the lack of such a feature in last year’s Galaxy S6 will be pleased to see its presence, though it’s worth pointing out that this is arguably a result of the eMMC storage modules used in the device as opposed to the faster NFS standard in the S6.

Battery life is excellent for a phone of this size, if not outright impressive. Having temporarily come from a Galaxy Alpha running Lollipop (read: atrocious battery life) the A7 is incredible. It would easily last the entire day and, with more moderate usage, even half of the next one as well. In fact, not once during the time spent with the device did the battery life ever fall below 25% before it was charged, and that was quite impressive to say the least. The A5, while having a smaller battery, was also quite impressive.

Note that as this is not a full review, benchmark scores, game performance, and battery life tests will not be provided. Stay tuned for our full written review coming soon to find out the full monty.

A performance – and pricing – problem

The other main problem here is that the Galaxy A (2016) series – the A5 in particular – comes across as less relevant and sensible due to the sheer fact that, as the Galaxy S6 is nearing its one year anniversary, said handset is available at significantly discounted prices and in some cases, might actually be more affordable than either the A5 or A7. Given that the S6 has an LED indicator, has haptic feedback on the capacative keys, has wireless charging, has a biometric sensor, has a dual-LED flash, as well as has a significantly higher resolution display, a faster SoC, and more features in general, one might be forgiven if they fail to see the logic in going for a lower-end product that has such a high-end price tag.

The missing pieces

With all these positives pointed out about this particular product, one might be confused in their consideration of what exactly is “mid-range”. The problem of course, is Samsung’s need to substantiate the existence of its Galaxy S line. All the more so given that this year, it looks as if the Galaxy S7 will bear a strong resemblance to last year’s offering.

This “need” presents itself in several ways:

1. There is no notification LED. Why it’s missing is a mystery, but just as how Samsung tried to cut every possible corner possible with the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy Tab S2, so too does it attempt here.

This is extremely irritating when charging the device, as you can’t readily check on the status and thus need to constantly turn on the screen.

2. The capacitive keys lack haptic feedback. This comes across as being an almost pathetic costs savings element. Whereas countless low end models feature painted on capacitive keys (as well as the Galaxy Tab S2), the A7 (2006) features back-lit variants. Thus money was spent.

Yet apparently Samsung is not willing to spend the few cents it would require to provide vibration upon touching said buttons. It makes the experience almost bizarre, given that the device itself does support haptic feedback.

3. The deliberate dumbing down also extends to the phone’s features as well. Despite the device having a very powerful SoC for a mid range device, other unfortunately mishaps have occurred. For example, the motion sensitive background image feature is unavailable. The multiple background images for the lock screen is unavailable (the Galaxy S6 allows for up to 30 different image to be set for rotation throughout the day).

#gallery-1
margin: auto;

#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;

#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;

#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;

/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

The camera…

Unfortunately one of the major letdowns with the phone comes from the camera, which has at times atrocious levels of inability to capture a scene. For example, the following pictures were taken at a concert in Yokohama, Japan. Notice how it is almost impossible to see anything whatsoever despite the presence of light in…

Even images captured in broad daylight often fail to impress. The whole experience would be perfectly reasonable if it were included on a lower end product, however given the use of metal and glass, and the overall refined and “luxury” experience offered by the A7, it just comes across as poor.

It’s decisions like these that may have been passable last year when the A series was a new line and therefore there was nothing to expect. But it’s quite another story with this “new” Samsung and its clear decision to focus on making even mid-range devices more premium.

And therein lies the major problem. For all intents and purposes, there is almost nothing that would make one think the Galaxy A (2016) series is not a new Galaxy S device. It’s rather striking how much a difference the presence of metal and glass can make, and it truly elevates the product to an almost top tier level.

The question then, is why Samsung has made a determined effort to stymie the performance and usability of an otherwise fantastic device. In a very real sense, the Galaxy A7 (2016) could have been the large screen Galaxy S6 of people’s dreams.

Wrap up

The Galaxy A7 is actually a wonderful phone to use after getting past the minor shortcomings. Battery life is indeed fantastic, at least based in preliminary usage, the screen is bright and brilliant and would feel right at home on a Galaxy S phone, the device is responsive and generally quite fast with little to none of the lag that served to diminish the overall experience of last summer’s Galaxy A8.

In many ways, the Galaxy A7 may be the real take away from the first half of 2016. The Galaxy S7 looks to look just like its predecessor, at least based on leaks. This means that from a design perspective, the phone will instantly feel both familiar and stale to who bought in last year. Samsung may seek to include premium components, however their tangible benefits will undoubtedly be lost on a great number of customers.

Instead it’s the rise of the miraculous mid-ranger that has the pure power to impress. Last year’s Galaxy A7 was a rather bland device, though it did represent a major move to metal for Samsung’s smartphones. The Galaxy A7 (2016) on the other hand, represents a rare opportunity for the power of premium production to seep into other product lines.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features39

It makes perfect sense that Samsung has deliberately hobbled parts of the phone. Were the A7 to have a better camera, an LED flash, capacitive buttons with haptic feedback, customers might actually turn to it instead of going for a Galaxy S7+ or Galaxy S7 Edge+.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge screen sizes confirmed in new leak

There’s been a lot of speculation on what versions of the Galaxy S7 Samsung will release and what their screen sizes will be. Now, we have some more firm information on what sizes we’re looking at, thanks to import website Zauba.

Zauba lists the Galaxy S7 as coming with a 5.1-inch display, keeping it with the same size as last year’s Galaxy S6. The big difference is the Galaxy S7 Edge, which Zauba says will sport a larger 5.5-inch OLED display.

Zauba had no listing for the highly speculated Galaxy S7 Edge Plus; however, it’s rumored to sort a massive 6-inch display. That’s far larger than even Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5.

There have been many reports saying that Samsung won’t launch three variants of the Galaxy S7, but a new report coming from renowned leakster Evan Blass contests that idea, confirming that there will indeed be at least three models available in 2016.

Samsung is expected to fully unveil the Galaxy S7 on February 21, just a day before the MWC 2016 convention begins.

As far as specifications go, rumors say that the new Galaxy S7 variants will all have Quad HD OLED displays in tow, Samsung’s new Exynos processor, and better cameras, despite a rumored drop in megapixel count. The devices are also rumored to have a pressure sensitive display, similar to that of Apple’s 3D Touch.

Anyone looking forward to Samsung’s upcoming flagship?

source: Zauba (1), (2)
via: TechnoBuffalo

Come comment on this article: Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge screen sizes confirmed in new leak