Samsung’s price cuts for high-end phones worked, but hurt profits
First, the good news for Samsung: it made more money in the third quarter (as it predicted) than it did in the same period last year. In 2015 it racked up $6.46 billion in operating profit for Q3, which is far better than 2014’s $3.8 billion haul, but still not back to 2013’s peak of $9.6 billion. It made around $3.8 billion in Q3 last year, and this year it’s back up to $6.46 billion. In its detailed release today (PDF), Samsung confirmed brisk sales of new flagships like the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy 6 Edge+ but price reductions on the new S6 models and more sales of midrange phones.
Source: Samsung Q3 2015 Earnings (PDF), (2)
Samsung officially reveals 18-inch Galaxy View Tablet
In case you’ve missed past news about the Samsung Galaxy View, it is an upcoming tablet with an interesting aspect – a humongous screen. Now, Samsung isn’t a stranger to pushing the screen size limit, but that has traditionally been for phones. So how is it trying to sell you on carrying around a monitor?
The driving-force of the View is a new multimedia experience. Samsung is betting that you’ll use a tablet more for media consumption if the screen is large. And if this is true, then you’ll appreciate the fact that you can move the screen around. Samsung has even developed a dedicated home screen for quick access to content.
There is of course a built-in kickstand, which has an interesting design. It’s essentially an extra panel attached to the back cover of the tablet that bends outward from the bottom. This gives you two positions to set the tablet down – upright or propped up when laying down. There’s even a handle cutout towards the top of the panel, since handling this guy could use extra support.
The specs won’t blow you away, but that’s typical of Samsung with its experimental devices. It’s in line with a mid-range offering:
- Display: 18.4″ 1080P
- Chipset: 1.6Ghz octa-core processor
- Memory: 2GB of RAM
- Storage: 32/64GB on-board, microSD expansion
- Camera: 2.1MP front-facing camera
- Battery: 5,700mAh (rated at 8 hours of video playing)
- OS: Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
Since the View is media-centric, Samsung included “high quality” stereo speakers. Also, there will be a cellular model that will have LTE, if you’re brave enough to take it on the go.
Samsung didn’t provide any details yet about pricing or market availability, so stay tuned. Are you interested in this concept and think you would really benefit from it? Let us know!
Source: Samsung
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Samsung Galaxy View announced, we go hands on
Tablet displays are getting ever increasing in size and with the new Samsung Galaxy View, Samsung is aiming to take the biggest leap yet. Featuring an 18.4-inch display, the GalaxyView is the largest ever Android device made but did Samsung really need to push the boundaries?
At an exclusive preview at Samsung’s London Gear S2 Galaxy Studio, we checked out this larger-than-life tablet, which Samsung says is the perfect device to bridge the supposed gap between tablet and television.
The Korean OEM believes that the Galaxy View’s 18.4-inch display can successfully do this and is billing its tablet as your ‘portable’ media device. The suggestion that the Galaxy View is portable is only partly true as it is designed to be easy-to-carry but given its large size, it certainly isn’t portable in the sense that you’d carry it on public transport. That being said, Samsung has designed a carry case for it, in case you feel inclined to do so.
The display offers 1920 x 1080 pixels’ resolution and on paper, this equates to a measly 119 pixels per inch density. Despite this low density, the Galaxy View display is quite immersive and definitely better in person than the specs suggest. One thing that is certain however, is that the display is large and when Samsung says it’s the largest Android tablet ever (which isn’t technically correct), they certainly mean it.
Running on Android Lollipop, the Galaxy View comes with the standard Android interface coupled with a few new features designed for the large display. By far, the most interesting of these is the new visual video-centric UI, which brings content from third party service providers directly to your fingertips. There are a few preloaded providers with several more available to download and there really does seem to be something for everyone. Whether it’s watching the latest videos uploaded to YouTube or catching originally programming from Netflix, there’s a lot of video available at your fingertips.
The design of the Galaxy View is such that the integrated stand features two modes; one lets you prop the display up while the other puts the display at a comfortable angle. While this is useful, a particular downside is that the stand is fixed at either of the positions and can’t be stowed away when not needed. In particular, the design definitely doesn’t lend itself to stowing away the tablet when you’re not using it.
Under the hood, the Galaxy View has an interesting set of specs: Samsung has thrown in a 1.86GHz octa-core Exynos 7580 CPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage and microSD card expansion and optional LTE connectivity. One of the biggest concerns about such a large device is the battery life and Samsung says the battery will offer up to 8.5 hours’ video playback but as always, it’ll need further testing to find out how much battery it actually offers.
Samsung clearly believes that there’s a need for a large screen device between tablets and TVs and while 18.4-inches may seem unnecessarily large, it’s the ideal size for someone who needs a media device that can be carried but isn’t a small tablet display. There’s no doubt that the Galaxy View is a niche product but dependent on pricing – which hasn’t been revealed yet – it could yet make its way onto several Christmas shopping lists.
If you don’t have a TV or other large-screen media device, the Galaxy View may be perfect for you but even if you don’t have a need for one, the specs would suggest that this won’t be too expensive at launch. If Samsung prices it at around $200-$250, the Galaxy View would a great device to have in your home, for when you need a large device that can be otherwise stowed away. However, the company is yet to confirm actual pricing but we’ll update this with further information when we know.
After many leaks, the Galaxy View is finally official but do you think there’s a need for such a large tablet? In a similar way to the Galaxy Note, will we see the Galaxy View spawn an entirely new category that companies compete fiercely in? Do you plan to buy the Galaxy View? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Samsung finally makes the enormous Galaxy View official
Samsung has finally made the Galaxy View official, and it’s almost exactly what all of the initial rumors suggested it would be. There’s no groundbreaking hardware here, but if you’re the kind of person that just wants a big tablet to watch TV and movies on, this might just be the device for you.
The Samsung Galaxy View features an exceptionally large 18.4-inch 1080p display, making it the biggest Android device on the market, according to Samsung. The company opted for a standard 1080p resolution instead of the uber high resolutions we’ve seen on the Galaxy S flagships and the Galaxy Tab S line, but that was probably a move to keep costs down. Plus, most video content on the web is going to be 1080p, so that extra resolution would be wasted here.
Everything about this tablet is designed for watching video, including the long-lasting 5700 mAh battery, the software that puts content from different services front and center on your home screen, and the high quality stereo speakers. There’s also a kickstand built into the device so you can stand it up without having to buy any additional accessories. That’ll probably make buying a case down the line a bit of a pain, though.
Other hardware is pretty standard for a decent tablet, including 2 GB of RAM with 32 or 64 GB of storage. There’s a microSD card slot and all the standard radios you’d expect to find, including Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi connectivity, and the option to pick up an LTE-enabled version of the Galaxy View.
Overall, it looks like a pretty cool, but very niche, device that’ll appeal to a very specific set of users. Samsung hasn’t announced pricing yet, so we’ll see if that sinks the Galaxy View’s ship before it even makes it into the water.
source: Samsung Tomorrow
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Samsung’s absurdly large Galaxy View tablet is official
After being teased and leaked multiple times over the past few weeks, Samsung today officially revealed its supersized 18.4-inch tablet, the Galaxy View. As you might expect, the company’s pegging this as the perfect device for people who consume heavy amounts of media — you know, through Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and other streaming services. Aside from its absurdly large screen, which features a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, the Galaxy View comes with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, an undisclosed 1.6GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD). There’s also a nano-SIM slot for LTE connectivity, while the decent 5,700mAh battery promises up to 8 hours of video play. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet, but we’ll likely learn those details in the coming days.
Source: Samsung
Report: Samsung Exynos 8890 with custom CPU for the Galaxy S7
Rumors about Samsung designing its own CPU and GPU parts certainly aren’t new, but the latest report from Korea has once again brought the subject to the fore. According to anonymous industry sources, Samsung is preparing to mass produce its Exynos 8890 chip in time for the launch of the Galaxy S7. Interestingly, the SoC is said to feature a custom CPU core designed by Samsung itself.
Apparently, the custom core is known as the M1. We don’t have any specific details about the CPU, but it will surely be based on the ARMv8 architecture, just like custom processors designed by Apple and Qualcomm’s upcoming Kryo CPU. The Exynos 8890 will be mass produced at Samsung’s Giheung plant starting December, at the latest.
“Designing its own mobile core will allow Samsung, which produces both smartphones and semiconductors, to gain competitive edge over Apple and Qualcomm in reducing cost and optimizing chip products for smartphones.” – anonymous industry official
Mention of an Exynos 8890 SoC destined for the Galaxy S7 originally appeared back in September via benchmarks. This listing suggests that the processor will feature eight custom ARMv8 CPU cores and the latest reports mention a peak clock speed around 2.3GHz, although none of this has been confirmed. Samsung’s current high-end Exynos 7420 SoC makes use of four Cortex-A72 and four Cortex-A53 CPU designs that are licensed from ARM, along with an ARM Mali-T760 GPU.
Samsung’s semi-conductor business has become an increasingly important asset for the company, especially as revenues from smartphone sales have taken a hit in the past few quarters. Manufacturing an in-house CPU design could save Samsung money in the long run, but may also be a strategic move to raise the profile of its semiconductor business.
The Galaxy S6 range were all powered by Samsung chips, but the company may re-partner up with Qualcomm for the Galaxy S7, to prevent supply issues.
Samsung has seen success with its 14nm FinFET manufacturing process for mobile chips this year and designing its own core components would put the company in a very strong position against rivals Apple and Qualcomm, which both rely on factories from the likes of Samsung and TSMC to manufacture their chip designs. Not to mention, Samsung may be looking to optimize its future products with specially designed chips, bringing features and/or performance that cannot be found in competing SoCs.
The Galaxy S7 is also expected to ship with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 820 SoC in some regions, possibly to make sure that Samsung has enough chips to meet demand for its next flagship smartphone.
Samsung refused to comment on productions plans for its next-gen mobile processors.
Samsung Pay will work with more credit and gift cards in the US
Samsung Pay will be a lot more useful in the US these coming months. According to the South Korean electronics maker, the mobile payment service is doing quite well in the country, but it still has a limited reach because it only supports cards issued by a handful of major banks. In the coming months, though, the app will start accepting cards from Chase, PNC Bank, TD Bank, SunTrust, Fifth Third Bank, Key Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, Virginia Credit Union, Associated Bank, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union and People’s United Bank. Have a Discover card? You have to wait a bit longer, but the payment facility will begin supporting it sometime in 2016.
Source: Samsung Tomorrow
BlackBerry Priv edges will be more productive than the edges on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
If you love the looks of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but hated how little function they gave, the Blackberry Priv has a surprise for you. It also features dual curved edges, but new reports are showing that they will be much more functional.
Canadian carrier Telus has leaked some documents showing a feature called Productivity Edge. It has been taken down now, but we still obtained some pictures from it showing features of what the edges can do.
The edge features seem to be somewhat similar to the S6 Edge, but expand upon it. One neat feature is the edge turns into a battery bar when charging.
Other features are swiping from the edge and getting a notes app to quickly write something down. The edges, to me, seem almost like a Note 5 and S6 Edge combined. Instead of taking out the S pen and getting a new app menu, that app menu is now built into the edges through swipe gestures.
Another cool thing we learned from the leak is if you swipe up on an app it will launch the widget if it has one. Similar to Action Launcher’s Shutters feature.
The more leaks that we see about the Priv the more interested I am in it. Wether you like it or not, BlackBerry is at least trying new things that many other Android manufactures have not.
Source: Crackberry forum
Via: Slashgear
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Samsung’s Project Valley is a folding smartphone, set to see a limited January release
Samsung is working on a new experimental device that’s currently dubbed Project Valley. The device will supposedly sport a foldable design, which is something we’ve seen Samsung patent and toy with previously, and it’s expected to launch next January. That might crowd Samsung’s Q1 with reports of an accelerated Galaxy S7 release.
The device has a model number of SM-G929F, which is strikingly similar to the Galaxy S6 Edge+. That might mean that we’ll see a folding version of a Galaxy device with very similar hardware, which may or may not also have that curved screen. Tough to tell at this point.
The kicker for Project Valley is that we won’t see it launch globally, at least not at first. Samsung’s home country, South Korea, is slated to see a launch, as well as some other big markets (UK, Italy, Poland, Germany, and some other European countries) but there’s nothing regarding a US launch. With the US being one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world, that’s an interesting omission. We might see the device make its way to other countries later after a test run, or it might just be something experimental that Samsung doesn’t think will sell well in the US.
Either way, expect a busy first quarter from Samsung in 2016.
source: SamMobile
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Samsung gives us confirmation on what’s next for its mobile payment service
Later this year, Samsung will be adding new banks to its mobile payment service, Samsung Pay.
It wasn’t long ago that Samsung made its mobile payment service available for the public to use. It’s already surpassed 1 million users in its homeland and isn’t stopping there. What makes Samsung Pay so special is its ability to work at any MasterCard location because of its support for magnetic strip payments. There have been numerous rumors floating around that Samsung would add support for gift cards later in the year, and now we have confirmation that this is indeed the case. Samsung has also promised to bring support for more banks. These include D Bank, Chase, PNC Bank and more. Samsung is also working to bring Discover support to its contact-less payment service. For more information on what’s to come, check out the press release attached below.
Samsung Pay Advantage Significantly Expands Mobile Payment Merchant Acceptance and Drives Consumer Adoption
Gift Card Compatibility and New Issuers to Launch This Year
LAS VEGAS – October 27, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Inc., announced Samsung Pay U.S. consumer usage data, new features, and partnerships at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, adding more momentum to the most accepted mobile payment system.
Just four weeks after its launch in the U.S., Samsung Pay is proving its biggest advantage is broad acceptance enabled by Samsung’s MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) in combination with NFC. MST is the patented technology built into the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 that transmits tokenized card data to the magnetic card readers of EMV terminals and magnetic stripe terminals. Of U.S. consumers who have paid with Samsung Pay, there is strong indication of repeat usage with an average of eight transactions per user. Data also show that three out of four Samsung Pay transactions were made via MST, validating that combining MST and NFC makes Samsung Pay the most accepted mobile payment system.
“After one month, the numbers say it all: Consumers who have used Samsung Pay are using it repeatedly because it works almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card,” said Thomas Ko, global co-general manager of Samsung Pay. “We’re thrilled to introduce new partners that will build on our early success, and move us even closer to a world in which your mobile phone is a true mobile wallet.”
Samsung is expanding the partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay, announcing support in the coming months for cards issued by Chase, PNC Bank, TD Bank, SunTrust, Fifth Third Bank, First Hawaiian, Key Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, Virginia Credit Union, Associated Bank, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union and People’s United Bank. Starting next year, Samsung Pay will work with Discover.
Samsung Pay is also deepening relationships between consumers and retailers—enabling shoppers to use gift cards on their phones at their favorite stores, through a partnership with Blackhawk Network that includes dozens of top retailers in categories like grocery, fashion, entertainment and dining. By the end of this year, consumers will be able to load and use these gift cards.
Samsung is now working with the four payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, major banks including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, U.S. Bank, and key financial partners including Blackhawk Network, First Data, Synchrony Financial, TSYS, and Vantiv to extend Samsung Pay to the U.S.
The overwhelmingly positive initial response to Samsung Pay underscores its revolutionary appeal to consumers.
- SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
- SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged too.
- ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with most existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.
Come comment on this article: Samsung gives us confirmation on what’s next for its mobile payment service
AIVAnet 