Category: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge: 7 Best Features

Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in India yesterday. The devices are priced at Rs 48, 900 and 56, 900, respectively. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge successors come packed with top-of-the-line specifications and next-gen technology, along with a beautifully crafted design that is carried forward from the S6. We take a look at some of the best new features the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have to offer and whether the devices are worth your money.

Powerful Hardware

The new flagship devices have improved on specifications wherever it could. The pair is powered by newly powerful Exynos 8890 Octa, Mali-T880 MP12 and 4GB of RAM. Check out the detailed spec table below.

Specs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display	5.5-inch curved AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor In India : Exynos 8890 Octa	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor In India : Exynos 8890 Octa
GPU	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Expandability	via MicroSD	via MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Dual Pixel Camera Technology

Among the bumped up specs inside the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, one new technology that grabbed everyone’s attention at the MWC last month was the new Dual Pixel technology employed in the rear camera.

The Dual Pixel, essentially, is an improvement or a natural evolution from the Phase-Detection Auto-Focus technology used by many other smartphones. Firstly, Samsung downgraded from 16MP found in the S6 to 12MP in the S7. The decision to do this was to focus more on quality rather than quantity. The 12MP sensor brings 56% bigger individual pixels with1.4um pixels as compared to the S6.

The S7 comes with a wider f/1.7 aperture (the S6 had a f/1.9 aperture) that allows for a lot more light to come in, 25% more to be more accurate. This results in great low-light captures that are sharp and colourful. Much like the human eye, the Dual Pixel technology sends light from the lens to two image sensors separately to adjust the focus.

Water Cooled Systems to Rival Desktop Machines

Phones running high-end multi-core CPUs are notorious for running a bit too hot under stress, and as we know, heat is the ultimate enemy of any gaming machine. No matter the exalted processing capabilities of a phone, or beefy battery packs that they come with, if it runs hot, you game not.

Samsung in its bid to fight this menace has come up with a system that’s not new to bigger desktop machines but is groundbreaking for mobile devices. The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are equipped with a very thin sealed copper liquid based cooling system, enabling these phones to run cool and fast without facing any CPU or GPU throttling. The system keeping the internals of the phone cool will also result in better battery life.

Vulkan API

Mobile phones benefiting from the great advancements in silicon technology over the years have become smaller, thinner and at the same time grown more powerful. The latest generation of mobile phones bring with them specs which boast of computing power at times even surpassing that of the last generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PS3.

MicroSD is Back

Samsung heard the cries of thousands of fans who were disappointed that the Galaxy S6 did not come with a MicroSD card slot. The Galaxy S7 series brings the slot back that allows up to 200GB of expandable storage. With read and write speeds having improved over the years, Samsung felt it was the right time to bring back the option.

It’s Dust and Waterproof

The Galaxy S7 series come with IP68 rating which means the devices are dust proof and can handle a rainy day as well. The devices can be submerged underwater up to 3 meters. With premium devices such as these, an IP68 rating is what consumers would love to hear.

Design

We keep design at the end as it is the one thing that isn’t all that new with the new Galaxy S7 devices. And that is not a bad thing at all. Last year’s Galaxy S6 series were praised for its brilliant design language that brought together glass and metal to form a beautiful piece of machinery.

It’s not surprising, then, that Samsung decided to stick to the same design language with the successor, Galaxy S7. The new flagship retains the looks, adds a MicroSD card slot, and packs next-gen specifications. But what the S7 also adds is a curved edge at the back that exquisitely blends into the metal frame and gives a great looking shape as well as improves the grip.

Meanwhile, The S7 Edge features the same dual edge design as its S6 counterpart but on a bigger 5.5-inch form factor and comes with a QHD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 534 ppi compared to the 5.1-inch QHD 577 ppi screen that we saw on the S6 Edge.

March 9, 2016

Samsung’s Concierge Service for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Explained

Samsung’s Indian arm announced the flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones for Indian markets today. Samsung’s new flagships for 2016 come bearing a similar design scheme and slightly bumped up specs when compared to the Galaxy S6 range of devices from last year.

The S7 and S7 edge which have been priced at Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900 in India are being positioned as devices for an audience that values premium features and services over increased cost. Samsung in a bid to increase its profit margins has over the past couple of years tried to position its Galaxy S series range as devices which are more than just phones but are in fact status symbols.

In a continuation of this strategy, Samsung India has decided to launch the Galaxy S7 range of devices with the “Samsung Concierge Service.” It is essentially a platform that provides the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners a set of exclusive and premium services which are deeply integrated into the My Galaxy app.

Samsung’s Concierge service which has been rolled out for the premium S7 and S7 edge owners is Samsung’s way of raising customer service to another level and brings with it four unique benefits.

My assistant

This feature of the Samsung Concierge service works as a personal assistant, helping you with daily tasks such as booking tickets for movies, web check-ins, and amongst other things arrange for pick up and drop services.

Fast track service

Samsung has revealed that under the Samsung Concierge service platform, owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will get preference at thousands of Samsung service centers over other Samsung devices, thereby putting an end to waiting for your turn at service centers if you’ve spent money on Samsung’s flagship devices.
Pick up and drop Service

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners can avail benefits of pick and drop service in case their phone needs servicing. The particular service, for now, is available across 19 cities in India, and the service also includes providing a replacement handset at your door in case one is needed.

Live chat

It is an intuitive chat based service where owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge can have access to Samsung representatives 24×7 for any queries they might have regarding their phones.

March 8, 2016

Samsung Launches Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in India Starting Rs 48,900

Amidst much fanfare, Samsung has launched its top of the line, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices in India today. The flagship phones on which Samsung is resting a lot of hope will hit Indian markets from 17th of March, 2016 for a price of Rs 48,900 for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge will start retail for Rs 56,900. Pre-bookings for the phones begins from today. Samsung has also announced that it’s throwing in a free Gear VR headset on all pre-bookings. The phones will be available in three color options, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium.

Samsung’s latest S series phones come with a promise of great performance and best in market specs all draped in a beautiful metal frame covered by Gorilla Glass 4 at the front and back. Both these phones are an extension of a growing effort by Samsung to bring phones with more than just great internals to the market, as it wants the consumers to “rethink what phones can do”.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 4

The Galaxy S7 comes equipped with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display(1440 x 2560), while the more premium S7 edge brings to the users a beautiful 5.5-inch curved Quad HD display(1440 x 2560) which effortlessly melts into the phone’s metal frame to create an elegant looking device. Samsung has decided to bump up the battery on the phones, with the S7 getting a 3000mAh battery pack while the S7 edge getting an upgraded 3600mAh battery.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 15

Both the phones share the rest of the specs including the on board Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage. Both the S7 and S7 Edge feature ‘Dual Pixel’ cameras with 12MP f/1.7 aperture rear camera for better low-light photography and a 5MP front which might just see Samsung dominating the camera department this year.

Both the devices also come with an Always-On display which consumes less than 1% power per hour. The phones come with IP68 rating and are dust and water-proof. The phones also come with a liquid cooling setup to keep the S7 and S7 edge cool during those long gaming sessions. The S7 series also brings with it the Vulkan API and a dedicated “Game Launcher” for an unparalleled gaming experience on a mobile device.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 31

Moving over to the design, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge follow the same design language as their S6 counterparts. The S6 devices of last year were beautifully crafted phones and Samsung made a smart move not to change that. Only the standard 5.1-inch S7 will have a curved edge at the back rather than a flat one seen on in the S6. Samsung hasn’t changed the exteriors too much but has simply refined it. It has added a MicroSD tray, and also reduced the camera bump at the back by 1.25mm in a bid to maintain a sleek profile.

Specs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD display	5.5-inch curved AMOLED QHD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Exynos 8890	Exynos 8890
GPU	Mali T880	Mali T880
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Expandability	via MicroSD	via MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	RS 48,900	Rs 56,900

March 8, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Who Wins?

Samsung and LG both unveiled their flagship Galaxy S7 and G5 devices at the MWC last month. Samsung today launched the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in India at a price of Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900, respectively. Meanwhile, LG is reportedly going to launch the G5 by the end of July.

Samsung wanted to keep the design language of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge similar to its S6 counterparts from last year, only adding a MicrosSD card slot, a curved edge at the back on the Galaxy S7, and next-gen specifications. LG went with a radical new modular design with the G5 and packs some serious under the hood specifications.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 arrived with pretty much the same design language as the S6 only adds a curved edge at the back and a MicroSD and slot. It’s an evolution on its predecessor, adding only what was missing in the S6 and nothing more. That being said, the S7 still doesn’t come with a USB Type-C port, which was highly expected this time around. The metal is made of a stronger alloy than the S6 and the rounded edges give a smoother feel. The S7 comes with slimmer bezels and narrower body.

The 5.1-inch S7 Super AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and a bigger 3000mAh battery as compared to its predecessor. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button and the phone also features an Always On display and is IP68 certified which means it is dust-proof and water resistant up to 1.5 meters. The S7 does not, however, offer a USB Type-C port but rather sticks with the traditional Micro USB port.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus had incredible cameras that won last year. Both the S7 and S7 Edge employs a ‘Dual Pixel’ image sensor with a 12MP and a large f/1.7 aperture rear camera and a 5MP front. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices, and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year.

The new sensor allows the device to capture images quickly while ensuring exceptional image quality, regardless of lighting conditions. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices, and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year. Other camera features include Motion Panorama and Selfie Flash.

The LG G5, on the other hand, comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also comes with an Always On feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by up to 200GB with microSD cards. The device offers a USB Type-C port that allows for faster charging.

When it comes to photography, the phone is equipped with dual cameras at the back. A standard 16-megapixel 78-degree lens and another 8-megapixel 135-degree wide angle lens. The LG G5 features a front-facing 8-megapixel camera too for clicking selfies.

LG has worked hard on the modular design language of the phone. The G5 has a full metal body and comes with impressive specifications but the what sets the phone apart from its competition is the fact that it comes with modular attachments which can be utilised to enhance the camera and battery of the phone. Over to the back, you can see the dual camera module and a rounded fingerprint sensor below it.

Some early AnTuTu benchmark tests show the G5 shattering all records, scoring over the Galaxy S7 by quite a margin. The G5 scores above 130,000 whereas the Galaxy S7 hovers around 110,000 mark.

Check out the spec table for both the devices below to have a better look. Let us know which device is your winner in the comments below.

Specs	Galaxy S7	LG G5
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5	5.3-inch screen Quad HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels / 577ppi	2560 x 1440 / 554ppi
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
GPU	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Standard 16MP, Wide 135 degrees 8MP
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP with f/1.7 aperture	8MP
Expandability	Up to 200GB via MicroSD	Up to 200GB via MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	2800mAh battery Quick Charge 3.0
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	Rs 48,900	–

March 8, 2016

Watch the Launch of The Galaxy S7 And S7 Edge in India Live

Samsung is all set to launch its much-awaited Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge phones for markets in India at a press event in Delhi which will start at 12 in the afternoon on 8th of March,2016. Going into 2016, India remains an important market for the South Korean tech giant, and as such a lot is riding on the duo of flagship phones whose pricing for India will be announced tomorrow.

The Galaxy S series devices which are the best that Samsung has to offer brings to its fans this year the S7 and S7 edge smartphones that are high on specs and look beautiful when it comes to design. Both the phones share under-the-hood specs such as the on board Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage but differ when it comes to the display size which goes up from 5.1-inch QHD present on the S7 to 5.5-inch QHD found on the S7 edge. The latter also comes packing a 3600mAh battery, while the former is equipped with a 3000mAh pack.

Watch the live stream of the launch event for India here.

Specs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display	5.5-inch Curved AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
GPU	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Storage Expandability	MicroSD	MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	TBA	TBA

March 8, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Launches Tomorrow: Here’s What you Need to Know

We’re only a day away from the launch of Samsung’s newest flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in India. The devices were unveiled at the MWC last month and will finally make its way to Indian markets tomorrow. As we gear up for the launch and keep our wallets ready, here are some things that you need to know about the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

Galaxy S6 vs S7: What’s Changed?

2015 was a spectacular year for Samsung. The Korean giant launched the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones that redefined what a premium smartphone should look and feel like. The Galaxy S6 was praised for its brilliant design language that brought together glass and metal to form a beautiful piece of machinery. Add to this, the S6 came with top-of-the-line specifications including a brilliant camera sensor.

With so much that was done right with the Galaxy S6, it’s not surprising that Samsung decided to stick to the same design language with the successor, Galaxy S7. The new flagship retains the looks, adds a MicroSD card slot, and packs next-gen specifications. But what the S7 also adds is a curved edge at the back that exquisitely blends into the metal frame and gives a great looking shape as well as improves the grip.

Specs	GalaxyS6	Galaxy S7
Display	5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED (577ppi)	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	1440 x 2560 pixels	1440 x 2560 pixels
Processor	Exynos 7420 Octa	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 ProcessorExynos 8890 Octa Exynos 8890 Octa
GPU	Mali-T760MP8	Adreno 530 Mali-T880 MP12
RAM	3GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/64GB/128GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	16MP + OIS	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture
Front Camera	5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Expandability	N/A	via MicroSD
Battery	2550mAh battery	3000mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop	Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Galaxy S6 Edge and S7 Edge: What’s Changed?

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 Edge took things to the next level with a curved dual edge display along with a 5.1-inch screen that brought a brand new aesthetics. The S7 Edge features the same dual edge design but on a bigger 5.5-inch form factor and comes with a QHD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 534 ppi compared to the 5.1-inch QHD 577 ppi screen that we saw on the S6 Edge.

The phone also comes with more rounded edges which combined with the rounded edges at the back provides for a far better grip to the user. Samsung claims it has made the camera nearly level in the S7 Edge which carries forward the premium glass and metal design scheme of the S6 Edge while incorporating IP68 waterproofing and dust resistance capabilities.

Specs	Galaxy S6 Edge	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED (577ppi)	5.5-inch curved AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Exynos 7420 Octa	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 ProcessorExynos 8890 Octa Exynos 8890 Octa
GPU	Mali-T760MP8	Adreno 530 Mali-T880 MP12
RAM	3GB	4GB
Storage	32GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	16MP with f/1.9	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7
Front Camera	5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Expandability	N/A	via MicroSD
Battery	2600mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 5.2 Lollipop	Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Improved Battery

Seeing as how the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the new flagship devices, it was expected to come with improved specifications. Samsung did well to listen to its fans, improving in areas where it failed with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. One of the biggest concerns regarding last year’s flagships, especially the Galaxy S6 Edge, was the battery. The Galaxy S6 packed a 2550mAh battery while the S6 Edge had a measly 2600mAh battery pack.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, on the other hand, come with larger batteries which are a sigh of relief for Samsung fans all over. The Galaxy S7 packs a 3000mAh battery while the ‘edge’ version features a huge 3600mAh battery which is a 1000mAh bump compared to the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Galaxy S6 – 2550mAh
Galaxy S7 – 3000mAh
Galaxy S6 Edge – 2600mAh
Galaxy S7 Edge – 3600mAh

Improved Camera with Dual Pixel Technology

Among the bumped up specs inside the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, one new technology that grabbed everyone’s attention at the MWC was the new Dual Pixel technology employed in the rear camera.

Price

Sources close to iGyaan have revealed the pricing details of the upcoming set of phones which will start retailing in the country at Rs 55,000 for the regular Galaxy S7, while the more premium Galaxy S7 Edge with a curved display and bigger battery will hit stores with a price tag of Rs 64,000 in Indian markets. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were launched in April last year priced at Rs 49,900 and Rs 58,900, respectively. Availability of the devices will be known at the launch tomorrow.

March 7, 2016

Samsung Confirms Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge India Launch for 8th March

Just as the day unfolds, Samsung India has confirmed the launch of its two new flagships the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in the country on 8th of March. Rumors that pointed us to a launch prior to 10th of March were clearly on track.

The Korean giant rests its year-long launches on the powerful flagships it launches each year beginning. The Samsung Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus paved the way for Samsung in 2015, and the company wants to start quickly with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

Price wise it seems that the corporation may have to deal with many a grunt when the phones, which now offer expandable storage, may be launched close to the Rs. 60k price bracket. (let the kidney jokes begin).

It is also expected that Samsung India may launch both the Exynos and Snapdragon variants in India, in an attempt to woo customers that have in the past complained that the Korean Electronics manufacturer launches crippled handsets in the country.

In the meanwhile, you can watch our hands-on video.

pecs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display	5.5-inch curved AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
GPU	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Storage Expandability	MicroSD	MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	TBA	TBA

[poll id=”42″]

March 5, 2016

Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge to Launch in India as soon as 10th March

In latest news, sources who have been accurate in the past, have revealed to iGyaan that the long wait for Indian customers for the recently launched Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge may finally be coming to an end as the South Korean tech giant’s premium offerings might be available in India as soon as 10th March, 2016.

This information falls in line with the previous information provided to us about the S7 series launching before 15th of March in the country. According to the previous reports, the Galaxy S7 will start retailing in the country at Rs 55,000, while the more premium Galaxy S7 edge with a curved display and bigger battery will hit stores with a price tag of Rs 64,000 in Indian markets.

Coming to the specs, The S7 is equipped with a Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered here– one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and upto 64GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is bumped upto 3000mAh. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button.

The S7 Edge comes with a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution. The same SoC configuration as in the Galaxy S7 powers the device along with 4GB RAM and a maximum of 64GB storage. Importantly, the battery on the S7 edge has also been bumped upto a respectable 3600mAh battery pack.

On the camera front, Samsung this year has tried to take its camera up a notch which is why it’s using a new Britecell technology for the Galaxy S7 for better low-light photography. Both the S7 and S7 Edge feature ‘Dual Pixel’ cameras with a 12MP with f/1.7 aperture rear camera and a 5MP front. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year.

March 5, 2016
Samsung Launches T3 SSD in India, Offers up to 2TB Storage

Samsung Electronics India today launched the successor to the T1 ultra portable SSD with the T3. The T1 was a light, thin and fast SSD that was launched last year. The T3 is bigger and offers a lot more storage than its predecessor.

The T3 is available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options priced at Rs 10,999, Rs 18,999, Rs 37,999 and Rs 74,999, respectively. The T1 sports an all-metal body and will be available for purchase starting March 21 across offline and online stores including Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal. The T1 also comes with a 3-year warranty.

Like the T1, the T3 has a credit-card shape and is light and compact, weighing around 51 gms, designed for easy portability. Samsung claims that the SSD can survive a 6 feet drop. The T3 is capable of read/write speeds up to 450 MB/s. With a full AES 256-bit hardware encryption, the T3 guarantees safe and secure data.

The T3 supports both USB 3.1 Type C as well as USB 2.0 and is compatible with laptops, desktops, SmartTVs, tablets and Android devices. The T3 was first unveiled at CES 2016 and Samsung will gradually phase out the T1 after the launch of the successor on the 21st.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=GsVHSykXB0Y

March 4, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J7 and J5 (2016) Photos are Out

Late last month, we got some specifications of the new, updated Galaxy J7 handset. Samsung had launched the Galaxy J7 and J5 in summer last year, which were the first handsets to feature front-facing LED lights. 2016 has been all about updating the Galaxy series. Today, we have some photos of the Galaxy J7 and J5, released by China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center.

The J7 and J5 look very similar to their predecessors, expect the 2016 models will have some bumped up specs and will come with a tad bigger screen size. The Galaxy J7 (2016) will have a 5.5-inch 1080p display while the J5 (2016) will have a smaller 5.2-inch 720p display.

Under the hood, the Galaxy J7 will pack a Snapdragon 650 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. The 2016 model of the J7 will come with a 13MP camera on the back, with a 5 MP shooter at the front. The kernel code also lists the J7 to come packing a fingerprint sensor and lists a 4300mAh rated battery to power the device.

The Galaxy J5 (2016), on the other hand, will have lower specs, being the smaller and cheaper of the two. While the cameras on both the devices remain the same, the J5 will be powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor, with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage.

Samsung has yet to make the devices official, and what we know so far are only based off of the Chinese certification listings. Since the Galaxy J7 has already been certified, the launch of the devices can be expected within this month.

March 3, 2016
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Revealed in Images

With all the leaks and rumors coming thick and fast about Samsung’s Galaxy A9 Pro, it looks like the time for its official announcement is very near. We know that the A9 Pro is a beefed up version of the Galaxy A9. This means the phone will come with specifications that are a notch higher than what you would find on the Galaxy A9. Today, the Chinese certification website TENAA, has revealed what the device looks like, and unsurprisingly, it looks exactly like the Galaxy A9.

The original Galaxy A9 looked beautiful, with a Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back. Indeed, the A9 looked and felt the part of the most premium model in the A series. Looking at the images from TENAA, the A9 Pro will go with the exact same look as well. The Galaxy A9 also came with a massive 6-inch Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame, and the A9 Pro is likely to follow suit.

On the specification front, the A9 Pro will bump up some specs from what you find in the A9. The A9 Pro will be powered by Snapdragon 652 chipset and feature 32GB of internal storage. The RAM will get a bump from 3GB to 4GB.

The phone’s camera gets an upgrade and moves up from a 13MP primary camera to 16MP. This will also mean the A9 Pro won’t have the same sensor as the rest of the A (2016) lineup. The A9 Pro comes with an 8-Megapixel camera at the front. Finally, the handset will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

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March 3, 2016
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Benchmarked on Antutu; Specs Revealed

WIth all the leaks and rumors coming thick and fast about the Galaxy A9 Pro, it looks like the time for its official announcement is very near. Earlier this month this bigger sibling of the Galaxy A9 was spotted on GFXBench, and now this upgraded variant of Galaxy A9 has found its way to AnTuTu, confirming to the world the upgrades it will bring over the Galaxy A9.

The Galaxy A9 Pro is revealed to be equipped with a Snapdragon 652 chipset and 32GB of internal storage. Though Antutu doesn’t mention the display size, but an earlier GFXBench listing pegs the phone to come sporting a 5.5-inch display, but rumours peg the phone to come with a 6 display. The A9 pro will also get a bump in RAM, moving to 4GB from the 3GB chip found on the Galaxy A9.

The phone’s camera gets an upgrade and moves up from a 13MP primary camera to 16MP. This will also mean the A9 Pro won’t have the same sensor as the rest of the A (2016) lineup. The A9 Pro comes with an 8-Megapixel camera at the front. The benchmark also confirms the phone to run Android 6.0.1

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February 29, 2016
Samsung To Break Records By Making 17.2 million S7 series Devices before April

The recently unveiled Galaxy S7, and S7 edge are all but ready to break records for Samsung upon launch. First of them being the number of units manufactured in the first three months following its announcement.

According to reports from a Korean media outlet, Samsung is reportedly preparing to manufacturer a total of 17.2 million Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge units by end of April this year. This will break its previous record set by the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge which sold roughly 15.8 million units in its first three months after launch followed by the Galaxy S4 which sold just over 15.2 million units in its initial months.

In what will also come as welcome news for consumers who found it hard to get their hands on the S6 edge in the initial months, the company has reportedly changed its ratio of S7 and S7 edge manufacturing to use a more balanced 6:4 ratio which it predicts will help it meet the demand of the S7 edge devices when they finally hit the markets. Good move Samsung!

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February 27, 2016
Samsung’s Appeal Destroys Apple’s $120M Win in Patent Dispute

In what will come as bitter defeat for Apple, by the hands of the South Korean tech giant, Samsung, which earlier today saw the US Court of Appeals overturn the 2014 verdict of a California federal court that held Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple’s smartphone patents and directed the former to pay $120 million in damages.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., said Samsung Electronics Co Ltd did not infringe Apple’s “quick links” patent, and that two other patents covering the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock and auto-correct features were also invalid. Adding insult to the misery the court also said Apple was liable for infringing one of Samsung’s patents.

Samsung reacted to the statement with a spokeswoman stating: “Today’s decision is a win for consumer choice and puts competition back where it belongs – in the marketplace, not in the courtroom.” Apple spokesperson unsurprisingly declined to comment.

The particular verdict comes just days after Apple in a separate case asked the US Supreme Court not to take up the South Korean company’s appeal. That case has so far seen Samsung agreeing to pay Apple $548 million to settle it.

February 27, 2016
MWC 2016: Best New Phones with New Technology

The Mobile World Congress 2016 is at an end now and the 4-day event has seen some incredible new technology with groundbreaking advancements. On the smartphone front, some spectacular flagship devices and other phones were on display with next-gen specifications and technology. Here’s looking at the best new phones with new technology that were unveiled at the MWC this year.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

It was at MWC’s Unpacked event on the 21st of February that saw some of the biggest technological unveilings. The unpacked event saw Samsung unveil its flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The next Galaxy devices come promising spectacular design language and next-gen performance and specifications.

The 5.1-inch S7 Super AMOLED display with quad HD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is 3000mAh. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button.

The S7 Edge comes with a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with quad HD resolution. A Snapdragon 820 processor powers the device along with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and 3600mAh battery pack.

New Technology – The Galaxy S7 brought with it a brand new Dual Pixel technology for its rear camera. The Dual Pixel, essentially, is an improvement or a natural evolution from the Phase-Detection Auto-Focus technology used by many other smartphones. Firstly, Samsung downgraded from 16MP found in the S6 to 12MP in the S7. The decision to do this was to focus more on quality rather than quantity. The 12MP sensor brings 56% bigger individual pixels with1.4um pixels as compared to the S6.

To understand Dual Pixels one needs to first wrap their heads around PDAF. PDAF traditionally uses less than 10% the total number of pixels equipped with focusing photodiodes and uses it strategically in the sensor area to focus on a subject. This requires more time for focusing. Dual Pixel, on the other hand, uses a 100% of the pixels for extremely precise and fast focusing. Using the whole of the pixels also allows more light in.

LG G5

LG G5

Undoubtedly, the award for the most innovative new smartphone has to go to LG for its modular G5 handset. LG went ahead of Samsung at the Unpacked event and quite surely ‘dropped the mike’ on stage with its spectacular G5 flagship. The G5 has a full metal body and comes with impressive specifications but the what sets the phone apart from its competition is the fact that it comes with modular attachments which for now can be utilised to enhance the camera and battery of the phone.

On the specifications front, the LG G5 comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also has a cool Always-on feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by upto 2TB with microSD cards.

New Technology – Next-gen specifications aside, the G5 is and will be about its modular design. The modular nature of the phone exists for what LG calls ‘G5 and Friends’, that are modular attachments to enhance the camera and battery of the phone.

Most interesting of the lot was the LG Cam Plus module which can be attached to the G5 through the battery slot giving the user “comfortable grip and convenient control of a DSLR” for better imaging and also adds to the battery of the phone taking the capacity up to 4000mAh.

Next is the Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play module. This is a Hi-Fi DAC audio player which is perfect for audiophiles. It can also play high-definition audio files encoded in 32-bit at 384KHz.

Xiaomi Mi 5

Xiaomi yesterday unveiled its own flagship Mi 5 following Samsung and LG and still managed to impress all. The Mi 5 comes packed with top-of-the-line specifications and a pretty attractive design language with a 3D glass or ceramic back option, all at an impressively low price of RMB 1,999 (approx. Rs 21,000) for the base model.

The device sports a 5.15-inch Full HD IPS display, a 1080p resolution, ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting with 2.5D curved glass on the front and Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and Adreno 530 GPU. No surprises there. It packs 3GB of RAM and up to 32GB of flash storage, while the Pro variant features a 4GB RAM and 128GB flash, however, there is no MicroSD card slot to be seen. Both variants feature a fast LPDDR4 RAM for a snappy user experience.

New Technology – The Mi 5 comes with a 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor with PDAF, DTI image enhancement and a new 4-axis OIS technology. It is in the 4-axis OIS that Xiaomi really delights itself. The rear camera promises to capture great images and videos with superior focus. This holds true thanks to its new OIS technology that uses 4-axis rather than the traditional 2-axis that most other smartphones currently use.

The 4-axis OIS basically gives you more stability under shaky conditions. While traditional 2-axis OIS can work around rotational movements, the 4-axis can handle transversal as well, because shakiness comes in all directions.

The 4-axis OIS technology corrects shake in close shots and can capture accurate movement in distant shots as well. All of this translates into smoother, sharper and blur-free images and videos even in low light. Check out some of these camera shots to know just how well the Mi 5 camera works under various settings.

Cat S60

As big name brands set themselves to launch their latest and greatest phones at the Mobile World Congress 2016, a brand which makes relatively niche products, Cat, stole the limelight with an offering that might not give any of the flagships a run for their money in terms of specs, but lacks behind none in terms of innovation.

The Cat S60 is a 4.7-inch 720p display device powered by Snapdragon 617 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and offers 4G LTE connectivity. It also comes with a 13MP main camera, 5MP front camera. A massive 3,800mAh battery powers the device.

New Technology – The Cat S60 comes with two very unique features – a FLIR thermal imaging camera and the first waterproof rating to a depth of 5 meters for up to an hour on this rugged phone.

The handset features a military-grade thermal imaging C2 camera module from FLIR. This is the same technology used in the Intel-powered Daqri smart helmet, enabling the Cat S60 to show temperature changes.

The sensor is the smallest of its kind, and can measure surface temperatures from a distance of up to 100ft. It can see through obscurants such as smoke, and is aimed at building professionals, utility workers, and outdoor sport enthusiasts.

February 25, 2016