Samsung plans to get into the self-driving car industry

Samsung might soon be getting into the self-driving car business, but maybe not the way you’d think. The South Korean technology giant has just released its plans to create a team that will develop car parts for other companies. This new automotive division will be separate from Samsung’s other three business units, and will focus on producing components to be used in self-driving cars. The press release states that the division will begin focusing on in-car infotainment systems, satellite navigation, and the manufacturing of autonomous vehicle components.

This is the company’s first public acknowledgment of its interest in the self-driving car market. Of course, mobile technology will play a huge roll in the way we live in the future, and Samsung wants to be at the forefront of that movement. Samsung has been producing smartphone components for other OEMs throughout the years. Displays, processors, batteries and more are all businesses Samsung is a part of, so it should come as no surprise that the company wants to try its hand at the smart car business. As Engadget notes, Samsung moving into the self-driving car business in this way allows for a more cautious move into the new field, rather than diving head-first into making its own car from scratch.

See also: ‘Google Auto’ is the official name for Google’s self-driving car company3

According to The Wall Street Journal, this big announcement comes at a time where Samsung’s smartphone business is struggling. Just last week Samsung Electronics announced it will be replacing its mobile chief, J.K. Shin, with D.J. Koh, an executive who has a strong background in mobile research and development.

Samsung Pay transport card service launches in South Korea

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If, like me, you spend a fair amount of time zipping around on public transport, then you might be interested to hear that Samsung Pay has just launched its dedicated transport payment service in South Korea.

The Samsung Pay Transportation Card Service brings both Korea’s T-Money and Cashbee pre-registered cards into a single service, which allows commuters to pay for bus travel, underground access and taxis using their mobile phone.

“Samsung Pay’s Transportation Card Service provides our customers with a much more convenient and diverse mobile payment experience. We plan to extend our partnerships so that we can move even closer to a world where we can easily and safely make payments without having to carry around a wallet.” – Samsung

Furthermore, the transport cards can be topped up with credit or debit cards that are also registered with Samsung Pay, keeping everything under one single convenient system. T-Money cards can be recharged with both Samsung and KB Kookmin cards, while mobile Cashbee transportation cards can be recharged with Lotte cards. Samsung is looking to partner up with additional credit card companies in the future.

We don’t have any official word about expansion plans yet, but hopefully Samsung will be looking to roll out a similar transport payment system to other countries and cities too. China, Spain and the UK are set to receive Samsung Pay in 2016, and I could certainly see myself using a smartphone to tap in and out of the London Underground.

Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is the most anticipated smartphone of early 2016. The Galaxy S7’s specs, price, and release date will be the subject of heavy speculation over the next weeks, especially if the rumors of an early launch turn out to be accurate.

If you’re excited about Samsung’s next flagship release, we’re here to bring you all the credible info on the Galaxy S7 in one neat package.

Keep it tuned, as this post will be updated often in the weeks leading up to the Galaxy S7 release.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review
• Samsung Galaxy S6 review: the change we’ve been waiting for

Before we start

Every bit of Galaxy S7 info is hot commodity, and it’s easy to see why. While Samsung’s days of massive growth may be over, the Galaxy S series remains the best selling and most representative Android smartphone. Millions of people see Android through Samsung’s lens, making the Galaxy S7 a hugely influential device.

The massive interest in the Galaxy S7 means that every last detail of the Galaxy S7 release date or specs will be sought out, extracted, analyzed, interpreted, hashed, and rehashed by dozens of publications, some more credible than others. Almost inevitably, some false information will make its way to the public.

While we do our best to avoid the questionable stuff, please keep in mind that, lacking confirmation from Samsung, we’re dealing with rumors and speculation.

Background

Samsung’s rise to the top of the mobile industry has followed closely the ascent of the Galaxy S series. From the original Galaxy S, to the road opening S2, to the breakout S3 and the record-setting S4, the series turned Samsung into a behemoth. But, with clout and profits, came arrogance, and the weak performance of Galaxy S5 was proof that the market punishes companies that think they’re too big to fail.

Samsung tried hard to make up the lost ground with the Galaxy S6, a phone that finally brought “premium” materials to the series, coupled with top features and a toned-down software experience. But it was the Galaxy S6 Edge that really caught our eye. The dual curves of the phone gave Samsung a way to set itself apart from the dozens of nimble, aggressive competitors.

Popular as the Edge turned out to be, the market has moved on, and Samsung had to hurry the Galaxy Note 5 out to shore up another mediocre sales year. It’s telling that Samsung din not trumpet any sales milestone for its flagships this year.

And that brings us to the Galaxy S7. The stakes are even bigger for Samsung this time around, because the Galaxy S7 probably won’t have the benefit of a brand new design. More worrying for Samsung, a formidable opponent rose to prominence this year. Huawei is dominating China and making itself known in the West, making Samsung’s situation even more complicated.

Of course, Samsung isn’t just giving up without a fight. The conglomerate recently changed the head of its Mobile division. Outgoing JK Shin was replaced by Dong-jin Ko, who didn’t mince words in his first statement: “next year will be tough.”

Galaxy S7 release date

Let’s play the “guess the release date” game. Looking at the past generations of the Galaxy S series, the S4, S5, and S6 were announced between late February and mid-March. The Galaxy S4 had its standalone launch event in New York, while the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6 were revealed on the sidelines of MWC Barcelona.

Judging on history alone, one could bet that Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S7 right before MWC, which in 2016 will be held on February 22 to 25. In that case, Sunday, February 21 looks like a good guess for the Galaxy S7 launch.

However, Samsung’s situation is a little different in 2016. The company may choose to release the Galaxy S7 earlier than usual, just like it did with the Galaxy Note 5, which arrived three weeks ahead its regular schedule. At the time, reports suggested Samsung released the Note 5 early because it wanted to avoid the fierce fall competition and to make up for the less than stellar sales of the Galaxy S6. Will that happen again with the S7?

One source that claims the Galaxy S7 will arrive early is Korea’s ETNEws, an outlet that has a relatively good track record when it comes to news from its home country. According to ETNews, the Galaxy S7 will be released in January (January 19 is mentioned as a specific date), with in-store availability to follow in February.

Adding credence to the theory, Samsung had reportedly started mass manufacturing of the Exynos processor expected to power the S7, as well as developing the firmware for the device.

Then again, Twitter “leaker” @ricciolo1 claims that “nothing has changed” and that MWC Barcelona remain the time and place where Samsung will reveal the Galaxy S7.

In our opinion, there’s a very good chance that Samsung will indeed release the Galaxy S7 earlier than usual. Samsung skipped IFA with the Note 5, and it has some solid reasons to skip MWC with the Galaxy S7.

Galaxy S7 price and availability

According to rumors out of China, the Galaxy S7 may be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6 at launch. The caveat is we’ve heard similar rumors in the past, and at the end of the day Samsung’s flagships remained as expensive as always.

Unless Samsung decides to sacrifice profits for market share, we expect the Galaxy S7 to be priced in the typical $600-$700 (unlocked) price range.

As for availability, there’s a small possibility that Samsung will withhold the Galaxy S7 from some markets, like it did with the Note 5 in Europe. But that’s just speculation and unlikely to happen.

We expect the Galaxy S7 to become available in stores with 3-4 weeks from its official announcement.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ review79

Samsung Galaxy S7 specs

With the Galaxy S6, Samsung made some divisive decisions: most controversially, the microSD and removable battery were sacrificed on the altar of design. Will Samsung do an about face with the S7? Should we expect other controversial choices?

Display

Prediction: ~5.2-inch SAMOLED Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels), Gorilla Glass 4

Very likely, Samsung will stick with its tried and tested formula for the display of the Galaxy S7. That means keeping the 5.1-inch Quad HD display panel utilized on the Galaxy S6, though it’s possible (and likely) that Samsung will improve the efficiency and overall quality of the display. We can’t rule out the possibility of seeing a slightly larger display (5.2-5.3 inches), given the market trends.

We don’t think Samsung will come up with a 4K display, like Sony – sort of – did with the Xperia Z5. It’s simply too soon, and the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, at least for now.

Processor & RAM

Prediction: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (USA, China); Samsung Exynos 8890 (Europe, Asia); 4GB RAM.

This section is also fairly predictable. Several reports suggest that Samsung will once again use a mix of Qualcomm and Exynos chips. According to Electronic Times, Samsung plans to use the Snapdragon 820 in the US and China, and the in-house Exynos 8890 in other markets. Either choice should provide great performance, despite alarmist rumors about overheating issues.

Given that the Note 5 has 4GB of RAM, Samsung will probably use the same amount on the Galaxy S6, though it’s possible it will stick with 3GB, which is still very good.

Storage

Prediction: 32/64GB, microSD.

The Galaxy S6 came with a pricey 128GB version, but Samsung dropped the option for the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+. It’s possible that the 128GB model was a sales failure, and Samsung considered that not enough people want that much storage. If that’s the case, it’s likely that the Galaxy S7 will be offered in 32GB and 64GB  models only.

There’s a rumor from a Chinese leaker (with a few good reports under their belt) that Samsung has “listened to the customers’ voice” and decided to bring back the microSD card slot to the Galaxy S7. There’s no technical reason why Samsung couldn’t do that, and indeed that seems like a good way to win (back) some customers. But would Samsung change its mind so easily?

Cameras

Prediction: 20MP Sony IMX300

Two distinct rumors about the main camera on the Galaxy S7 surfaced in early November. The first one claims that Samsung is going to source the sensor from Sony, the undisputed leader of the sensor industry. Samsung is reportedly interested in the Sony IMX300, the 25MP sensor used in the Xperia Z5. According to the second rumor, Samsung is going to use an in-house ISOCELL sensor of just 12MP, but with larger pixels, for improved low-light sensitivity.

Samsung has combined Sony and in-house sensors before, but the technical differences here are just too big to allow for a similar experience across all devices.

So, which rumor is correct? We tend towards the one pegging the Sony IMX300 sensor, but we’ll definitely need more supporting evidence in this area. One Korean source said the camera experience is where we should look for real improvements in the Galaxy S7, so signs are promising.

Battery

Prediction: ???

The Galaxy S6 has a decent, but not great 2,550-mAh battery, and in real life, screen on time is typically unimpressive. Is Samsung going to be doing something about it? We sure hope so, but for now, we have no real clue about the Korean giant’s plans in this direction.

Fast charging and wireless charging will definitely be making a comeback.

See also: Wireless charging technology: what you need to know21

Connectivity

Prediction: LTE Cat. 12

All versions of the Galaxy S7 are expected to support LTE Cat 12 download speeds, which means that, in ideal conditions, download speeds can reach 600Mbps. In real life, you probably won’t be able to get anywhere near these theoretical high speeds.

Galaxy S7 features

Samsung Pay and the fingerprint sensor will make a return, probably in improved forms. In terms of new stuff, one Chinese source claims that Samsung will integrate Synaptics’ ClearForce technology, a force-sensing solution. If that’s accurate, Samsung may be taking another page from Apple’s book – 3D Touch. Synaptics announced that ClearForce will be arriving in smartphones in early 2016, but for now, we are taking this report with a big grain of salt. Incidentally or not, Samsung has a patent on a force sensing implementation.

Another ace in Samsung’s sleeve may be the use of a “super-high performance, 32-Bit Stereo DAC targeted at audiophile-grade mobile applications” from ESS Technology. This chip should provide extended sound range with minimal distortion.

Finally, Samsung will adopt a USB Type C connector for the S7, part of the industry’s general trend towards the new standard.

Galaxy S7 design

After years of criticism, Samsung finally abandoned plastic in favor of metal and glass for the Galaxy S6, to generally enthusiastic response. There’s no doubt that the S6 is the nicest Galaxy S yet, but how will Samsung top that?

We don’t expect any major changes in terms of appearance. Samsung will probably tweak what is already a refined and minimalist design, without departing too much from the Galaxy S6 template. Our hunch is supported by a recent report from the Korea Times, citing a source with knowledge of the matter that had this to say about the Galaxy S7:

“As the S6 and S6 Edge represented progress, the S7 will have improvements both in picture quality, performance and some other new features. But because smartphones have already been commoditized, you don’t need to spend more on a surface overhaul…The key point is can consumers enjoy content with enhanced viewing quality and boosted processing speed.”

Assuming there will be any visual changes to speak of, Samsung will probably just redraw accents like the camera and the home button, and perhaps offer some new finishes.

One questionable leak shows a design that is largely similar to the S6, with the biggest apparent change being an oddly-shaped power button/fingerprint sensor.

Galaxy S7 Edge

2015 has been the year of the Edge. After an experimental phase with the Note Edge, Samsung went all in with the Galaxy S6 Edge, and people loved it. The company underestimated demand for the curved smartphone, which reportedly made up half of the total Galaxy S6 sales, compared to the 20% that Samsung had predicted internally. Samsung eventually ramped up production and took the concept further with the 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+.

There’s no doubt that Samsung will release an Edge variant of the Galaxy S7. The question is, will there even be a flat-screened version at all? According to a Vietnamese site, Samsung will drop the regular, flat version altogether and launch the Galaxy S7 in two sizes, 5.2-inch and 5.8-inch, both with dual curved displays. That would be a very bold move, that could give Samsung the unique selling point it needs in order to stand out in the crowd, at the risk of losing customers who dislike Edge screens. Many pundits have argued that Samsung should have taken this step with the Galaxy S6. Perhaps, Samsung will take the plunge in 2016?

Bits and pieces

• Rumored code numbers:
  • Verizon (SM-G930V, SM-G935V)
  • Sprint (SM-G930P, SM-G935P)
  • US Cellular (SM-G930R4, SM-G935R4)
  • AT&T (SM-G930A, SM-G935A)
  • T-Mobile (SM-G930T, SM-G935T)
  • International unlocked (SM-G930F, SM-G935F)
  • China (SM-G9300, SM-G9350)
  • Canada (SM-G930W8, SM-G935W8)
  • Korea (SM-G930 S/K/L, SM-G935 S/K/L)
• Code name: Project Lucky
• Rumored accessories: Glitter Cover, S View Cover, Clear Cover, Keyboard Cover

Wrap up

There you have it – our best guesses of the release date, specs, and features of the Galaxy S7. Nothing is official just yet, and as always, conflicting reports and rumors will surface between now and Samsung’s big launch event next year.

One thing is clear. The Galaxy S7 will be a turning point for Samsung and for the mobile industry.

• Best Android phones (December 2015)
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – December 4, 2015

Sound off

What do you hope to see on the Galaxy S7? And what do you think about our predictions?

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Samsung Pay not arriving on Gear S2 until 2016

If you’re a Samsung fan who shelled out for the Gear S2 earlier this fall with the understanding that the ability to pay from your smartwatch via Samsung Pay would be just around the corner, we’ve got some bad news for you. It might not be a very big delay, seeing as it’s almost 2016 as it is, but Samsung has announced that they would be pushing back the Gear S2’s Pay capability to next year.

Samsung Pay was originally promised to arrive on the Gear S2 by November at the latest, but Thanksgiving came and went with no word from Samsung, and no sign of Pay for Gear S2 users to speak of. In a customer service tweet, Samsung revealed that we should push back our expectations to beyond New Year’s, but the company offered no further information.

See also: 10 best Android Wear apps42

For those not in the know, Samsung Pay is a mobile payment service that’s currently available on all major US carriers. It was initially released in October of this year after a brief beta run, and the app can be found in the Google Play Store. It’s effectively Samsung’s response to Apple Pay, and it requires a compatible smartphone like the Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, and is unfortunately not available for older devices.

Do you have any experience with Samsung Pay? How has it been working for you? Are you eager to see it arrive on the Gear S2? Let us know in the comments!

Next: Best Android Wear smartwatches