Category: Samsung

New Moto X Force Teasers Take On Samsung Note 5 and HTC One M9

Motorola clearly cannot stop teasing us about the ‘shatterproof’ tech of its new Moto X Force. In yet another series of teasers, the company now mocks Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and HTC One M9; both fairly decent devices if you ask us. But Motorola is quite bent on making you think otherwise.

So this is what happens when HTC One M9 is dropped from a height.

It was a little painful to have One M9’s little particles flying around in all directions. But Motorola is truly having fun mocking the device in this video. And it obviously is not done yet. Because a jab a day is not enough, Motorola came out with yet another teaser. This time the device in question was Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

https://youtu.be/Mcj-ITG44d0

Motorola is asserting the uniqueness of its device at the expense of other flagship devices. A lot of feathers have been ruffled all over in the promotion of Moto X Force. Let’s see if it eventually turns out to be worth all the hype when the phone finally arrives in India in the first week of February. Would you be willing to place your stakes on Motorola or do you think the device is going to be bit of a downer? Let us know in the comments below.

January 21, 2016

Samsung Gear VR Headset Launches in India

The Samsung Gear VR Headset, alongside the Gear S2, and Gear S2 Classic Smartwatch launches for a price of Rs 8,200 today to eager Indian customers. The product will be available through the company’s retail stores, as well as through Flipkart.

The focus on virtual reality is growing with every passing day. As more and more important names from the tech industry are coming forward with their products, Samsung too has decided to jump into the fray with its new VR offering for its millions of fans around the globe.

The Gear VR Headset features a wide interface, ergonomic design and a large touchpad. Gear VR promises convenient and accurate control to enjoy games and videos. At the launch the company stressed that Gear VR Headset works seamlessly with Galaxy smartphones. As of now, the Gear VR supports the latest high-end Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung also added the recently unveiled Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM to the compatible devices list.

Samsung stresses that the new Samsung Gear VR Headset is 19 percent lighter compared to the previous model. The new VR Headset features a large touchpad for control. It will weigh 318 grams and measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm. The Gear VR comes with an impressive field of view of 96 degrees. It also houses back, volume, and focus adjustment wheel button for controls.

Samsung’s new offering packs sensors such as gyro, accelerometer, and proximity, and the device will support Micro-USB charging. The Gear VR comes with soft, flexible cushioning material, and also features adjustable straps for ease use of use.The Gear VR Headset will also support 360-degree videos.

Announcing the product Manu Sharma, Director, Marketing said, “Gear VR presents the unique opportunity for consumers to get an immersive virtual reality experience. Samsung will be at the forefront of this exciting revolution to create further ‘wow’ moments in our consumer lives.”

Specs	Samsung Gear VR Headset
Dimension/ Weight	201.9×116.4×92.6mm/ 318 grams
Sensor	Accelerometor, Gyrometer, Proximity ( Mount/Unmount detection)
Field of View	96 degrees
IPD Coverage	54-70mm (Fixed Lenses)
Color	Frost White
Compatibility	Micro-USB Connection to Galaxy Note 5, Note 5 Dual Sim, S6,S6 edge+, S6 edge

January 21, 2016

Samsung Launches Gear S2 in India

Samsung unveiled the Gear S2 at IFA Berlin last year. The smartwatch has been launched slowly in select countries for the past few months and has now launched the smartwatch in India along with the Gear VR headset.

The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch screen with a 360x360resolution (302ppi). To power the device, Samsung has used 1GHz dual-core processor and provided the option of 3G Connectivity. The Gear S2 runs on the company’s very own Tizen OS and uses a rotating bezel, along with the Home and Back buttons, for navigation. Samsung has also added NFC for mobile payments.

One of the exciting announcements is that the smartwatch has been announced in two variants – Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. Other than the design, the only major difference between the two is their size. The Classic has been built smaller and lighter than the Gear S2.Titanium and Rose Gold version for S2 Classic will be available later on. For its timeless design, we’re leaning towards the Classic which comes with a black dial and a leather band.

Furthermore, The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.

Specs	Samsung Gear S2
Display	1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor	Dual-core 1.0 GHz
OS	Tizen-based wearable platform
Storage Memory	4GB Internal Memory
RAM	512MB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.1, NFC
Battery	250mAh Li-ion
Misc	IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant, Wireless Charging
Price	Rs. 24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic

The pricing is Rs.24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic, and they are available on Flipkart as well as in offline retail stores like those of Chroma and Reliance.

January 21, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 Antutu Leak Confirms Hardware

Samsung is being tipped to launch the Galaxy S7 during the Mobile World Congress next month, and as expected the internet has gone into overdrive with rumours and leaks of this upcoming phone. Latest set of leaks about the phone confirm to us the underhood specs of the Galaxy S7.

As it had been reported for some time now, the S7 would come in two variants, the S7 Edge, and the flat screen S7. The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor with a 5.1-inch QHD screen along with 4 GB of RAM. The other model, the Galaxy S7 will come equipped with a Exynos processor.

All this news comes from Antutu’s Weibo page. The Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F), apart from sporting the new Exynos 8890, will also come with a 5.1″ 1440 x 2560 pixels screen, 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.

As it is visible, the only difference between the S7 and the S7 Edge is the choice of the SoC. Sporting two different processor is not a new strategy for Samsung. The Galaxy flagships have done so in the past, except for last year’s lineup which dropped Snapdragon altogether from the show.

January 21, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J7 Revealed in Benchmark Test

Samsung has been really keeping busy updating its J-series lineup. We’ve already seen the J1 go on sale in Dubai and the J5’s specs listed on GFXBench. Now the Galaxy J7 has been spotted on GFXBench benchmark listing revealing key specs of the upcoming mid-range device.

The 5.5-inch device comes with a Full HD display this time around with 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Samsung has updated its RAM from 1.5GB RAM to 3GB while the processor and GPU remain the same at Snapdragon 615 and Adreno 405, respectively.

The camera is the same, at least on paper. The primary shooter is at 13MP while the front is at 5MP. The J7 successor will run on Android 5.1 Lollipop and is likely to be launched in February along with the J5 at the Samsung Forum that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the 4th.

As is the case with the J5, pricing will be key here. We know that Samsung wants to push out devices that fill each and every price range, especially the budget to mid-range categories. Samsung will have to price the updated J series around the same price tag as its predecessors, which means the Galaxy J7 is likely to cost around Rs 15,000 when it hits the Indian market.

January 21, 2016
New Moto X Force Teaser Takes a Dig at Samsung This Time

Motorola has come out with yet another teaser for its latest device, the ‘shatter-proof’ Moto X Force. Following suit with the previous teaser which mocked iPhone 6s for its delicate body, the new one takes a dig at Samsung Galaxy S6.

https://youtu.be/BDRGaGvFekI

Though the new teaser isn’t as witty as its predecessor, the message is just as clear. Moving away from Cupertino, Motorola has now taken the challenge to the Korean tech-giant.

The highlight of the device is its super-hardy screen. Motorola claims to have integrated a ‘Moto Shattershield’ technology in the display of Moto Force which, it says, is the first shatterproof screen in a phone ever. The company feels confident enough to affirm the screen would stay intact for up to four years, owing to the multiple layers of different materials used in making it capable of absorbing shock and providing protection against cracking. The phone also boasts of two touchscreen layers, which make sure that the smartphone can be used even if one of the layers is cracked.

Needless to say, Motorola cannot stop talking about its first ever shatter-proof phone in the world. Let’s see if Moto X Force manages to live up to all the expectations. Watch this space for all the updates

January 20, 2016
Apple Wins Lawsuit Against Samsung, 9 Samsung Devices Banned from Sale

Say hello to yet another courtroom drama between Samsung and Apple. As always, the bone of contention was patent infringement where Apple accused Samsung of having stolen features like word recommendations and unlock gestures.

Judge Lucy Koh of the Northern California District San Jose court agreed with Apple leading to banning of Samsung’s flagship devices from 2012. The list of devices now banned from sale in the US includes Samsung Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S III and Samsung Stratosphere.

The lawsuit had been stretched over a period of three years before the final verdict was passed. This means there has been three new generations of smartphones since the first violation of patents. Other than many sellers making some extra dough by selling these banned Samsung devices for a higher-than-normal price on eBay, one wonders what else this verdict could lead to. While Samsung may not feel too amused at this point, this is a blow it will definitely recover from without much effort.

Besides, it wouldn’t be too long before Samsung’s gets a chance to even out the two scores once the two companies find themselves pitted against each other again in another courtroom scenario. Hold your breath until then.

January 20, 2016
Samsung Forum 2016: What to Expect

Samsung is all set to host its annual two-day SEA Forum starting from the 4th of February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Forum will see the Korean giant launch some new products across various categories from smartphones to televisions to home appliances. The products showcased at the Forum are India-bound, which means that their arrival in India will be shortly expected after.

Last year at the Forum which was held in Bankok, Thailand, Samsung had unveiled a number of 4G-enabed smartphones like the Galaxy J1 along with Galaxy A7 smartphone and Galaxy Tab Active.

Although the products have been kept under wraps, we expect to see the new Galaxy J5 and A8 smartphones to be launched for the Indian market. The new J5 successor that was spotted on GFXBench just today is likely to sport a 5.2-inch screen with 720p resolution, a 12 or 13 MP (most likely 13MP) rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset, which comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and will run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Meanwhile, the massive new Galaxy A9 that was launched in China last month is also likely to be launched for the Indian market at the Samsung Forum. The 6-inch device sports a Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 652 (earlier named 620) chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device features a 13 MP primary camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, and an 8 MP front. The Galaxy A9 also packs a massive 4,000mAh battery with QuickCharge support.

While these are the likely phone launches expected at the Forum, Samsung may also give an early sneak peek at the upcoming S7 flagship smartphone. Furthermore, the Forum will also see some products that were unveiled at CES 2016 such as the KS9500 series SUHD TV – available in 65-,77-, and 88-inch sizes – that come with the thinnest bezels you’ve ever seen and a smart fridge that comes with a giant 21-inch touchscreen display. The smart fridge is part of Samsung’s ‘Family Hub’ lineup of home appliances.

iGyaan will be on the ground at the Samsung Forum and will bring you all the latest launches that are set to take place.

January 19, 2016

Samsung to Launch Gear S2 in India on January 21

Samsung unveiled the Gear S2 at IFA Berlin last year. The smartwatch has been launched slowly in select countries for the past few months, and will now come to India this week. Samsung India has sent out media invites for the launch event on the 21st of January.

The Samsung Gear S2 Reflects Samsung’s Most Progressive Innovation. It Is The Perfect Complement For Any Occasion, Easily Taking You From Day To Night, From Work To Workout

Perhaps, the highlight of the device would be the fact that the company claims it lasts upto 2-3 days on a single charge. Since a wearable is an extra ‘smart’ device that you need to carry around, a long-lasting battery is a necessity. One of the exciting announcements is that the smartwatch has been announced in two variants – Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. Other than the design, the only major difference between the two is their size. The Classic has been built smaller and lighter than the Gear S2. For its timeless design, we’re leaning towards the Classic which comes with a black dial and a leather band.

Furthermore, The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.

The event will also see the launch of the Gear VR headset. The Oculus-powered virtual reality headset is compatible with a number of Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5.

Specs	Samsung Gear S2
Display	1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor	Dual-core 1.0 GHz
OS	Tizen-based wearable platform
Storage Memory	4GB Internal Memory
RAM	512MB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.1, NFC
Battery	250mAh Li-ion
Misc	IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant, Wireless Charging

January 19, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 May be Edge-Only

Sources close to iGyaan have suggested that the much-anticipated Galaxy S7 flagship smartphones will only come in ‘edge’ form. This means that you might not see a flat S7 device at all.

This latest rumour brings in line with what past renders of the S7 have revealed. The 5.1 Galaxy S7 will likely come in the form of last year’s Galaxy Note 5 where the sides curve at the back. Meanwhile, the 5.5-inch S7 Edge will have curved edges at the front and so will the 5.7-inch S7 Edge+. The video of the render shows the front design of the S7 having narrower side bezels, 2.5D glass covering the display and the Home Button.

The move to curved-only smartphones makes sense as Samsung won widespread praise for its design language last year. The Galaxy S7 Edge, Edge+ and Note 5 were among Samsung’s best-looking devices in 2015.

Meanwhile, the specs of the device remain unchanged from past rumors. It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other likely specs include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow (no surprises there).

On the camera front, Samsung is looking to downgrade to 12 MP camera and focus more on improving low-light imaging and wider dynamic range for the upcoming flagship. To do this, Samsung is taking help of the new BRITECELL setup. AnTuTu listing also confirms that the device will sport a 12 MP rear sensor and a 5 MP front. Looks like Samsung is sticking to quality rather than quantity here.

January 19, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J5 Specs Revealed in Benchmark Test

Looks like Samsung is really keen on its budget to mid-range devices, as has been the case for a while now. The Korean giant has been heavily pushing out its ‘J’ and ‘A’ series in the past few weeks with the J1 recently being outed. Now it seems the new Galaxy J5 mid-range smartphone will be out soon too, if the latest benchmarks have anything to say about it.

A benchmark listing posted by GFXBench has been discovered that suggests some key specs of the alleged J5 smartphone.

The device is shown to sport a 5.2-inch screen 720p resolution, a 12 or 13 MP (most likely 13MP) rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset, which comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

According to the listing, the new J5 will come with a slightly bigger screen and memory compared to the previous J5. Nothing has been revealed on the battery front, but its likely to be the same the its predecessor.

Now, pricing will be key to the success of the J5 and since Samsung is launching a slew of devices in the budget to mid-range category, it is important that the J5 be competitively priced. One would expect Samsung to price this slightly updated J5 successor around the same as the previous version, which is Rs. 12,000. We’ll know more when we get closer to the launch of the Galaxy J5.

January 19, 2016

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Dual-SIM Variant Launches in India

The dual-SIM variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has arrived in India today. The phone is priced at Rs. 51,400 and is available on the official Samsung India’s e-store.

Additionally, the previous single-SIM versions have undergone a price-cut. Though the devices were originally priced at Rs. 53,900 for the 32 GB variant and Rs. 59,990 for the 64 GB variant, they are now priced at Rs. 47,900 and Rs. 53,900 respectively. For a better look at Note 5, check out our hands-on video below.

The Note 5 runs on the Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop) with an Exynos 7420 chipset, a Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 CPU and a Mali-T760MP8 GPU. As far as storage capacity is concerned, this handset comes in two variants – 32 and 64 GB along with 4GB of RAM. However, it does not have an expandable microSD card slot.

Find below the complete specs of the device.

Specification	Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Display	5.7 inches, Gorilla Glass 4 Super Amoled
Resolution	1440 x 2560 pixels , 518 ppi
Chipset	Samsung Exynos 7420
Processor	Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm process
GPU	Mali-T760MP8
RAM	4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	32/64 GB
Expandability	N/A
Rear Camera	16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus
Rear Camera Video	2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps,
Front Camera	5 MP
Front Camera Video	1080p at 30fps
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
Operating System	Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Connectivity	SIM: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, NFC Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor, S- PEN stylus, Dual-SIM
Price	Rs.47,900 for the 32GB variant; Rs 53,900 for the 64GB variant, Rs. 51,400 for the 32GB dual-SIM variant

January 18, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 to Have Apple’s ‘Live Photos’-Like Feature

One of the coolest, and most loved things about the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus when it launched was the inclusion of Live Photos. A really fun feature to use, it helps you click photos with short video clips just, and after the photo so that you can immerse yourself in the emotion of the photograph whenever you look at it.

It’s a fun feature, but not something ground-breaking that we expected Android to bring to their devices, but such is the lack of ingenuity in the smartphone market these days that we have Samsung’s already porting the idea on to their next flagship.

According to reports, Samsung is planning to bring a Live Photos-like feature to the Galaxy S7 under the name of Vivid Photos. But, Samsung’s version will be a bit different than Apple’s offering. Vivid Photos will not capture sound, but only the image. These images will be saved as GIFs, and will be particularly of interest to users who’ve struggled to upload Live Photos on Facebook. Let’s see if Vivid Photos works as well for Samsung as Live Photos did for Apple.

January 15, 2016
Samsung to be Apple’s Primary OLED Display Supplier

Rumors of Apple finally shifting to OLED displays for its iPhones aren’t going away. It looks like Samsung is set to be the primary OLED supplier for the new iPhones as the Korean giant gets ready to invest up to $7.27 billion depending on order levels.

Now, while the shift to OLED panels is imminent, the move will only happen in 2018, which means that the upcoming iPhone 7 will continue to sport LCD displays. Currently, the Apple Watch is the only device by the Cupertino giant that sports an OLED display.

Earlier, it was rumored that both Samsung and LG will be the suppliers for the OLED panels, but it looks like Apple’s love-hate relationship with Samsung trumps all. Though this doesn’t completely rule out LG as a supplier.

No official statement has been released by either companies yet, but insiders have claimed that the contract has been signed. Furthermore, it is rumored that Samsung is planning to invest up to $7.47 billion in its display business. This would go towards equipment, plant improvements and staff to increase production loads.

The investment will be broken down to into an initial $2.49 billion to $3.32 billion this year, so that the company can begin production of 30 000 to 45 000 OLED sheets per month. Another set of recent rumors also suggest that Apple has a secret lab in Taiwan where where former Qualcomm and AUO employees are working on developing micro-LED screen tech for thinner, lighter, and brighter displays for the iPhone, though we’ll know how much of the latter is true once the next set of iPhones come out.

January 15, 2016
Samsung to Manufacture Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 Chipset

Qualcomm has struck a deal with Samsung which will see the latter manufacturing the former’s newest Snapdragon 820 chipsets. In a news that is surely going to make the tech world take notice, Qualcomm’s deal could see the two companies handle the chip manufacturing for a majority of flagship devices for the first half of 2016.

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors and speculations regarding Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship devices. The general word going around is that at least one variant will be featuring the Snapdragon 820 chip while the others will sport Samsung’s Exynos chipset.

Samsung today announced that it has begin mass production of chips using 2nd generation of its 14-nanometer LPP (Low-Power Plus) process – a technology that will power both Samsung’s Exynos 8 octa processor and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor.

Here’s why the Qualcomm-Samsung deal is likely to be a win-win for both companies. Using Samsung’s 14nm process will not only help produce cheaper chipsets that consume less power, but will also help Qualcomm emerge once again as a leader in performance processors, especially after the pubic’s anger over the Snapdragon 810’s heating issues and power consumption. Since the new SD820 is supported by 14nm chips (down from 20nm for the S810), it’s only fitting for Qualcomm to seek Samsung’s technology.

Secondly, the move will benefit Samsung as well because the 820 offers better performance than the Exynos. “I do believe Samsung must use the 820 to be more competitive with Apple. 820 hits performance per watt levels Exynos just can’t hit,” said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Together, Samsung and Qualcomm are likely to produce the bulk of processors for major flagship devices this year. Samsung has claimed that the new 14nm LPP process delivers up to 15 percent higher speed and 15 percent less power consumption over the previous 14nm LPE (Low-Power Early) process.

This news, however, still doesn’t confirm whether Samsung will use the Snapdragon chip for its own S7 flagship devices, and the Korean giant has yet comment on the same. Looks like the two companies are ready to renew their friendship, and we’ll just have to wait and see how the Qualcomm’s new chip in the hands of Samsung will turn out.

January 14, 2016

Category: Samsung

Specs

Samsung Gear VR Headset

Specs

Samsung Gear S2

Specs

Samsung Gear S2