Apple is reportedly working on peer-to-peer payments
Apple is reportedly in negotiations with US banks to create a mobile personal payment platform that would compete with PayPal’s popular Venmo app. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources close to the talks, states that discussions are currently ongoing though there’s no confirmation that any banks have actually signed on yet. Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo and Bank have all been named as potential partners.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Samsung announces new $99 Gear VR, now available for pre-order
Samsung today announced the consumer edition of the Gear VR, which is available for pre-order starting today. Buyers will be able to pre-register their interest in the virtual reality headset for a meager $99.
Keep in mind that pre-orders seem to be exclusively available in the U.S., at least for now.
The consumer edition of the Gear VR headset will be compatible with all four of Samsung’s latest line of flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, and Galaxy Note 5.
This latest edition of the Gear VR is 19% lighter than the Gear VR Innovator Edition and includes better foam cushioning for wear and an improved touchpad for easier control and navigation.
Those interested will be able to pre-order the new virtual reality headset from Samsung’s own online store, Amazon, and Best Buy’s online storefront. Units will begin shipping as early as November 20, the day this new consumer edition of the Gear VR officially launches.
As far as carrier availability goes, T-Mobile will offer the Gear VR online and in-store starting on November 27. AT&T also confirmed that it would be carrying the virtual reality headset, but has yet to confirm any official dates.
source: Samsung Tomorrow
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The Galaxy Note 5 is now available from T-Mobile in Gold-Platinum
Moving on from yesterday’s CarrierX event where T-Mobile unveiled its Binge On unlimited video streaming service, if you’ve thought about ordering a Galaxy Note 5, but you didn’t fancy the plain white or black options, you can now order the gold-platinum variant from T-Mobile in either 32GB or 64GB form.Regardless of which color variant you go for, the price is the same, depending on whether you buy the 32GB or 64GB version. We have the details below.
Note 5 32GB
- $699.99 off-contract
- $0 upfront charge and 24 monthly payments of $29.17 on EIP
- $0 upfront charge and 18 monthly payments of $15 on JUMP! On Demand
Note 5 64GB
- $779.99 off-contract
- $99 upfront and 24 monthly payments of $28.34 on EIP
- $99 upfront and 18 monthly payments of $14.50 on JUMP! On Demand
You can also save $50 on the price of the Note 5 by using this promo code – NOTE5DEAL, regardless of whether you are placing the order through T-Mobile’s website or on the phone. And if the Note 5 isn’t to your liking, don’t forget about T-Mobile’s ‘Why wait for Cyber Monday‘ promotion where you can save up to $100 off a 1015 flagship device.
Source: T-Mobile
Via: Tmo News
Come comment on this article: The Galaxy Note 5 is now available from T-Mobile in Gold-Platinum
Samsung has begun developing firmware for the Galaxy S7
As we head deeper into November, it’s customary for rumours and leaks about Samsung’s next big thing to start making the rounds. This year, it is the Galaxy S7, which some believe will launch earlier than usual, possibly in February or even January. Today’s news that Samsung has begun firmware development for the next edition in the Galaxy S series may lend some credence to the belief.
According to SamMobile, Samsung has begun developing two firmware variants, G930FXXU0AOK6 and G935FXXU0AOK6, which lends weight to the rumour that there will be two Galaxy S7 variants, one with a flat display and one with a curved display ala the Galaxy S6 edge. Regardless of when the Galaxy S7 is eventually launched, you can be sure that the onslaught of leaks and rumours will only intensify in the weeks ahead.
Source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung has begun developing firmware for the Galaxy S7
More signs point to early arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S7
One of the first rumors we heard about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 was that it may be heading to market a little earlier than expected and the latest mutterings add some more weight to this expectation. According to an anonymous industry insider, Samsung has already begun developing its firmware for the Galaxy S7, a whole month earlier than the company started work for the Galaxy S6. If we expect a similar development time, this would put the Galaxy S7 on course for a February 2016 release.
Given that Samsung released its Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ outside and ahead of a major industry event, IFA in Berlin this September, the company may be planning to make its announcement ahead of the Mobile World Congress in March.
It is also possible that Samsung may be starting this process early in order to accommodate for the additional hardware variants this time around. There are rumored to be two SoC versions of Samsung’s next flagship handset, one with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 and one with Samsung’s own Exynos chip.
See also: Contradictory Samsung Galaxy S7 camera rumors surface
Speaking of the custom Samsung chip, separate sources from Korea state that Samsung has now begun mass production of its custom processor, which again suggests that we could be closer to a product release than previously expected.
We don’t know a whole lot about Samsung’s new chip, which is rumored to be called the Exynos 8890, but it is said to feature an in house ARMV8 based CPU core design from Samsung called the M1, a first for the company. This custom core has apparently been in development for the past two years and will stack together to form an octa-core SoC. The processor will also be manufactured on Samsung’s 14nm FinFET process and will be the company’s first chip to feature an integrated modem, which is rumored to match the Catgegory 12 LTE modem announced to be inside the Snapdragon 820.
See also: Qualcomm officially unveils the Snapdragon 820
With mobile revenue in a tough spot and an increasingly competitive release schedule from its rivals, perhaps Samsung has good cause to step up the release of the Galaxy S7? What do you think about the early S7 rumors?
Small is not for all: Derek Zoolander embraces the Samsung Galaxy (S6)
For anyone who has seen the 2001 movie Zoolander, there is one particular part that rang true to the hearts of phone-ees: Derek Zoolander, portrayed by Ben Stiller, had an impossibly small mobile. Resembling a miniature Motorola Star-Tac, the fabulous flip phone was just one of the plethora of gags and jokes that littered the movie. Times, however, have changed, and so too have Derek Zoolander’s tastes:
“We’re holding…the GALAXY???? It looks like me!”
The above poster, teasing the United Kingdom release of the movie, has both Derek and his rival/friend Hansel (portrayed by Owen Wilson) staring into their souls, as mirrored back at them via selfies. Of course the bigger surprise is what they are holding: the Samsung Galaxy S6.
A sign of the times
Yes, this was the original phone Derek once had to deal with. How could you see anything on that?
Indeed if one thinks back to 2001, concepts of selfies and even smartphones were non-existent. In those days, people who took pictures of themselves were typically labeled as vain (I’d like to say I took selfies before they caught on), all the more so given that basically all phones – save for those sold in Japan – only had rear cameras, if that. Selfies have since gone on to become such a craze that not only are there accessories to facilitate taking them, but also an entire spin-off, referred to as belfies.
Likewise, at the turn of the century, everything mobile was about miniaturization. Zoolander itself was making an almost meta statement about how en vogue the trend was. Ironically, these days phones under 5-inches are now labeled as “Mini”, something that would be unthinkable even a few years ago, when the average display was around 3.5 or 4-inches.
Oh, and just for reference, while the Zoolander phone was never actually manufactured, there is at least one micro-mobile that did come to market:
The Frisk Phone is perhaps the smallest mobile EVAR.
Samsung Showcase
Perhaps the larger issue here is just how eager Samsung is to plant produce placement in movies. The Verge points out that the Samsung logo in the promo picture isn’t prominently visible, something that could be a result of the camera angle, or perhaps the fact that no licensing agreement is in place at the moment. Were the latter true however, it would seemingly be prudent for Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the film, to remove the logo entirely, or just use a generic product so as to avoid potential legal problems.
Either way, Samsung spends a lot of money on movie marketing, with this year’s Jurassic World having prominent placement. The company has also made it a point to sponsor the Olympic Games. It will remain to be seen as to how aggressive this kind of marketing continues given the company’s new decisions to take radical action and change things up to stay competitive.
Big Money and Marketing
The movie poster also reminds us of the recent stories about 007’s latest outing, Spectre. Leaked e-mails from Sony indicated that James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, didn’t want to use an Xperia because it wasn’t “the best”. Perhaps even more interesting however, Samsung allegedly offered up $50 million to have its Galaxy products sponsored in the new film.
Given that Sony is indeed producing a special James Bond-edition Xperia Z5, it goes to show just how these product placements and sponsorships can be used to the advantage of their creators. Also consider that Verizon had an NFL-colored back for the Moto X, and even ZTE is making an NBA-branded Axon Phone.
One need not even go into the madness that exists in Japan, where each major carrier actually has phones branded as “Disney Mobile.” In fact, the LG G4 didn’t release here at all, but it did release a lower powered, re-branded and remodeled variant which is marching proud with Mickey Mouse:
This is in addition to other marketing tie-ups, including one from Sharp featuring Neon Genesis Evangelion, and others with Sony and Hatsune Mikku.
Wrap Up
Everyone loves to see the models looking beautiful and thin.
Suffice to say, Derek and Hansel’s latest vie for vanity is certainly a fair talking point. In just one self-centered selfie, the moralistic models have spoken volumes about not only the changes in the mobile industry over the years, but also the marketing money that makes movies. It’s brilliant really, as one of the main points of modeling is to let the photographs speak for themselves.
One might even get a bit more meta and say that mobiles themselves have become models as companies like Samsung have finally made the bold decision to focus on looks over functionality, at least by some critics’ standards. This year’s flagships in particular have come under great scrutiny given their forgoing a removable battery and support for microSD.
Still, now that we known Zoolander isn’t afraid to get a Galaxy, can we expect a special edition next year from Samsung? Or, perhaps even more relevant: will the male model have a new pose to promote it?
Pre-order the Samsung Gear VR for $99
As of today you can now pre-order the Samsung Gear VR if you live in the U.S. If you remember, Samsung’s Gear VR powered by Oculus, was first released last year for owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and sold for $199.99. Available media for virtual reality last year was slim and it is picking up traction now with devices like Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Cardboard.
This year the Samsung Gear VR is 19% lighter than last year’s edition, features a new touchpad for easier navigation and more importantly it is $100 cheaper. If you have a Samsung Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge you can now pre-order the device at Bestbuy.com, Amazon.com and Samsung.com. Orders are expected to arrive as early as November 20.
The package contents will include the Gear VR Innovator Edition headset, pouch, replacement face foams, lens cleaning cloth, user manual and warranty information. Samsung has its own dedicated Milk VR store to download videos and games specifically designed for virtual reality. Other content you can enjoy on Gear VR are movies from Netflix, Vimeo, 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate and you can even stream live broadcasts from twitch.
“Samsung is leveraging its leadership in mobile, by giving millions of Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners’ access to amazing virtual reality
experiences including immersive games, the ability to explore beautiful photographs and exciting videos in 360 degrees, and much more,” said Nick
DiCarlo, vice president, Immersive Products and Virtual Reality at Samsung Electronics America.
Let us know in the comments section below if you’ll be making the jump to VR.
The post Pre-order the Samsung Gear VR for $99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AT&T starts rolling out Android 5.1.1 OTA for the Galaxy S5 Active
AT&T is currently rolling out a new update for its carrier-branded variant of the Galaxy S5 Active. In terms of added functionality, the upgrade brings the latest build of Lollipop (5.1.1) to the handset, along with a multitude of security fixes and a much-needed patch to enable Ultra Power Saving Mode on handsets using On Device Encryption.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Upgrade to Android 5.1.1
- Android for Work
- Security updates
- Fix to Ultra Power Saver mode for devices using On Device Encryption
To see if the update is ready for your device head into Settings, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive a push notification prompting you to install the upgrade.
Source: AT&T
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iPhone Unlikely to Adopt AMOLED Display in Foreseeable Future
Apple is unlikely to adopt AMOLED displays for next-generation iPhones in the foreseeable future, according to often-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst believes Apple will continue using TFT-LCD display technology for at least the next three years — and likely beyond.
Kuo claims that Apple supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, is preparing to invest in advanced TFT-LCD production lines in China for mass production in 2018, and coupled with recent comments made by iPhone backlight supplier Minebea, the analyst believes iPhones will continue using TFT-LCD displays in the future.
Based on recent comments by Minebea, one of the main iPhone backlight unit suppliers, we believe AMOLED will not penetrate iPhone for the next three years. Moreover, Hon Hai is preparing to invest in Gen-6 LTPS TFT-LCD production lines in Zhengzhou, China for mass production in 2018, suggesting the iPhone line will likely stick with TFT-LCD technology in 2018 and thereafter. […]
Minebea, major BLU supplier of iPhone, stated to investors on November 5 that it does not foresee risk of TFT-LCD share loss to AMOLED in high-end smartphone market in next three years & guides growth in TFT-LCD going forward. As Apple and Samsung are the only two brands that currently offer premium smartphones, we think Minebea’s statements imply it does not expect iPhone to adopt AMOLED in the coming three years, given that Samsung’s models are already being equipped with it.
Taiwanese website DigiTimes, citing a report in the Korea-based ET News, said in late October that Samsung may supply Apple with OLED panels for upcoming iPhone models, and past rumors have suggested an AMOLED-based iPhone could arrive in 2017 or later, but Kuo believes there is “sufficient evidence indicating otherwise.”
Samsung’s popular Galaxy-branded smartphones are equipped with AMOLED displays, as is the Apple Watch, but Apple has always used various LCD display technologies since the original iPhone launched over eight years ago. Geek provides a good comparison of AMOLED vs. LCD display technologies.
Tags: Samsung, KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, AMOLED
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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Samsung has officially begun mass production of its Exynos 8890 processor
We’ve been hearing about Samsung’s newest chipset for quite some time now. Today, Samsung’s new high-end Exynos 8890 chipset has officially entered the mass production stage.
It’s rumored that Samsung’s newest Exynos 8890 may indeed be what runs the next generation Galaxy S7, or at least in some regions it will. While stepping upon today’s news, we were surprised that production has begun this early despite previous rumors that indicated production would start in December. This could ultimately mean an earlier launch date for the Galaxy S7.
The Exynos 8890 is a beast in terms of power, stability and speed. It packs 64-bit processing into eight cores clocked at 2.4GHz. As done with the Exynos 7740, the 8890 chipset also features a 14nm FinFET manufacturing process, which is currently the best way possible. We may even see a boost to 10nm for the production of the Galaxy Note 6, which will likely launch near the end of 2016.
Come comment on this article: Samsung has officially begun mass production of its Exynos 8890 processor
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