Category: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Adds Power, a MicroSD and Ruggedness

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 when launched earlier this year lacked a few features that people actually liked about the Galaxy S5. The S6 is not water resistant nor did it have a replaceable battery. Samsung had also left out a microSD card slot aiming for a more Apple-like approach towards storage.

The Galaxy S6 Active is a more rugged version of the Galaxy S6 from Samsung and it has been presently launched in the US exclusively for AT&T. The S6 Active is an IP-68 rated dustproof and water and shock resistant handset from Samsung.

AT&T confirms the phone has a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen, a 16-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera. It also packs a large 3,500mAh battery, an Exynos 7420 processor and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

Like many other handsets in the US the galaxy S6 Active will go on sale starting this Friday for a price of US $ 199 on a two year contract. The handset will be available in two colours : Black and Camouflage white.

June 9, 2015
Best Wireless Galaxy S6 Accessories Available Right Now

Rather than being just an incremental upgrade in terms of specs and features, Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy S6 is quite the looker. The tweaked design helps it stand out from the pack of former mundane iterations making it all the more enthralling. There are many cool accessories available in the market that adds substantial value to the handset.

Here’s a list of wireless accessories that helps you make the most of your handset:

QiStone+ Wireless Power Bank

No matter how powerful the battery equipped to the device may be, smartphones are always power hungry. But there is a solution that is effortless, powerful, and lightweight. QiStone+ is a compact, wireless power bank entailing Qi+ technology to top up the device with Qi Receivers. It stores 4000mAh of power, which means your Galaxy S6 can be charged more than once on one full charge.

The 135g power bank turns to Sleep Mode after 30 seconds of inactivity and wakes up through a capacitive touch sensitive switch. There is an option to charge two devices at a time, one phone can be placed on the QiStone+ and another can be connected to the USB socket via cable.

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WoodPuck Bamboo Edition Wireless Charger

The nature-inspired WoodPuck Bamboo edition is another stylish accessory that heavy users would definitely need. Weighing a mere 80g, the charger is extremely handy and sports a distinctive look and feel of natural bamboo. Just like the QiStone+, this wireless charger can fuel up Qi-compatible devices. Provided at one end is a micro-USB socket that connects to the power plug to charge the device.

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Duracell Powermat

Designed to keep two gadgets attached to the power point, Duracell Powermat charges phones without messy long wires. The sleek charging hub lets you drop and charge your favourite devices. The 24-hour power system also charges on the go through Duracell Powermat Wireless Charging Hot Spot. It is available in two colours – white and black.

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Samsung Wireless Charger

Next is Samsung’s own wireless charger that will cost you Rs. 2,999. The Samsung logo atop the round reflective glass surface looks amazing, and its light weight and considerably small size puts it on traveller’s essentials list. The changing pad allows you to drop the phone on it and refuels the device without any hassle of wires. The wireless charger is available on Samsung India’s online store.

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Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad

Albeit its plastic look, the Belkin wireless pad serves the purpose. The company claims that the charger can bring your phone’s battery from zero to 100 percent just as quickly as a conventional, 5-watt wired adapter. It has a simple design, with the curved charging base providing a safe cushion.

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June 6, 2015
Best Smartphones to Look Forward to in 2015

The smartphone train keeps on moving forward as time passes by. With almost half of this year gone by, we’ve seen many new devices like Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and HTC One M9. But the year is far from ending, and many companies have given out hints of their new unnamed devices. Let us check them out below:

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung raised the standards of the Samsung smartphones in March when they launched the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Now, fans of the devices have already started to speculate about the next Galaxy phone that is touted to be released by the end of 2015. If these rumours are to be believed, Samsung will feature a massive 30MP primary camera and a 10MP front camera with the device. The device is also rumoured to have a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 8K resolution. The device may also include an 8GB RAM, according to the rumours. The processor might be a 64-bit Exynos processor. Following the Galaxy S6 line, we might see Samsung to releasing a Galaxy S7 Edge too. Some other features include Retina Scanning, Advanced Touch ID and Fast Charge technology.

Huawei Honor 7

After Huawei launched the Honor 6 a year ago; the Honor series has been due for quite some time. A new teaser by Huawei indicates a launch of a new product on 8^th June, which we think is most likely the Honor 7. The teaser showed a nicely drawn banner with the date and a quote that read ’Imagination is Everything’. According to TENAA, there will be two variants of the 5-inch full HD Honor 7 and will be powered by an in-house Kirin 935 chipset. One of the variants will have 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, and the other will have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of memory. Not many details were revealed about the device for now.

OnePlus Two

OnePlus One was one of the most successful Chinese electronic startup stories of 2014. This handset captured an enormous chunk of the mid-segment smartphone market. OnePlus announced a new device on June, which is expected to be the next OnePlus handset. As per the details leaked by the company CEO Liu Zuohu, OnePlus Two will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4GB RAM. A 5.5-inch 2K display will enhance the viewing experience of the user. There is a high possibility of OnePlus Two running on Cyanogen OS, as the differences between Cyanogen and the Chinese smartphone firm have been sorted out. In the major disclosure yesterday, OnePlus’ Zuohu spilled the beans on the release time of OnePlus Two. The much-awaited device will make a debut in the third quarter of this year. India will be one of the first countries to see the launch of the next probable flagship killer.

Mi5 and Mi5 Plus

Reports from Gizmochina claim two more devices will be joining Xiaomi’s line-up later in June 2015. These devices are larger copies of the Mi 4, expected to be named Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus. The claimed specs of the devices were leaked on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. The Mi 5 is touted to have a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. It is believed to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and will be juiced by a 3,000mAh battery. Its camera specification includes a 16MP primary camera.The device will also be infused with fingerprint technology. Its larger cousin, named as Mi 5 Plus, will feature a 6-inch screen with 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and a 16MP primary camera. No details were revealed about its processor, display, etc. Xiaomi has yet to announce the date of release, but reports mention that the two handsets will be out in June.

LG G5

Rumours say that LG is now working on the successor of the G4, and will be bringing iris recognition system into play. Reports from Korean publications state that LG has teamed up with local biometrics specialist Irience to implement this feature in its next smartphone. Reports also indicate that the phone will be released in the last quarter of 2015. For now, this is the only information we have found out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

After a year of the release of Samsung Galaxy Note 4, rumours of its successor have started to flow in. Considering their launch pattern, the Galaxy Note 4 successor may launch sometime in September this year. The Note 5 will come with a model number SM-N920F. It is likely to feature 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. Let us remind you that the Note 4 was the first smartphone with which the curved edge display was included. Other rumours speak of a 5.9-inch screen with 4K resolution. The company has been preparing to venture into the 4K technology and the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 may be the first to embed it. Other buzz suggests of a 16MP rear camera, 8MP secondary shooter, 4GB RAM and 16GB internal storage.

Apple iPhone 6S

Hardly a few months after releasing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, rumours of the new iPhone models are already trickling in. According to Macrumors, Apple will be releasing two iPhones under the ‘S’ naming category, namely the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Apple will be concentrating more on internal performances rather than external looks. At most, Apple may add Pink colour iPhones to its lineup. According to rumours, the new devices will have a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, an additional microphone to enhance voice quality, and a new internal mechanical design to address some bending issues users experienced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus

It seems like Samsung is on the move to expand its range of Galaxy line-ups. The Korean company is reportedly working on a smaller version and a larger version of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, namely, Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus respectively. Both the rumours emerged this week.

According to GSMArena, the smaller version, Galaxy S6 Mini, or ‘SM-G9198’, the device will be an iPhone 6 competitor. It will have a 4.6-inch HD display and run on Snapdragon 808 chip with 2GB of RAM. It will be equipped with a 15MP primary camera and a 4.7MP front camera.

Meanwhile, Italy’s HDBlog revealed that the company is working on a bigger version, possibly a phablet, on the Galaxy S6 line. For now, the device has been codenamed as ‘Project Zero 2’. Interestingly, the S6 and S6 Edge were codenamed ‘Project Zero’. According to the rumours, the device will just be like the Galaxy S6, only bigger and with a more powerful battery.

Xolo Black

On Wednesday, Xolo announced that they are working on a new handset named Xolo Black. This device will come with a dual camera set up that will be able to capture images and their dimensions in an instant, thus creating 3D images. The phone will come along with HIVE 1.5 or above, along with Android Lollipop, and its price is expected to come in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment. Not many details were revealed about the phone and it is said to launch in the month of June.

Microsoft Lumia 940XL

Microsoft had launched the Lumia 930 almost a year ago, and now, the company is back with its newest smartphone, the Microsoft Lumia 940XL. According to NokiaPowerUser, the device is a larger version of the Lumia 940. The device is expected to have a bigger 5.7-inch display with a slim design and a metal frame. The processor will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 5MP front-facing camera, a 20MP main PureView camera for photos and videos, and will feature native pen support as well.Further, it will also support USB C-Type and an Iris Scanner too. The specs sound very exciting, but the company has not officially confirmed the existence of such a device.

Motorola Moto X (third-gen)

Motorola may launch the third generation of its flagship Moto X smartphones in the coming few months. According to STJS Gadgets, the third-generation Moto X is leaked by a Motorola insider, who claims to have a hold of details about the next Moto X. The upcoming smartphone on the Moto X series will sport a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED display, used on the Droid Turbo. Under the hood will be a Snapdragon 808 chipset bundled with a massive 4GB RAM. The device will come pre-installed with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.The front camera will be 5MP while the back will house a 16MP snapper with Clear Pixel Technology. The battery powering the device will also be mammoth at 3280mAh. The device will come in two storage variants – 32GB and 64GB.

Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates regarding these future devices!

June 4, 2015
This App Replicates Apple’s Continuity Features for Samsung Devices

Apple has an edge over other smartphone brands for its unique Continuity feature that lets iPhone partner with other iOS devices. Samsung is not falling behind to give its users the distinctive tool and has launched a Continuity clone for Samsung devices. Titled Flow, the application integrates all Samsung devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops, allowing applications to seamlessly transit your activities across devices. The application in Beta version is available for download on Play Store.

Just like Continuity, the tool allows transfer of any activity from one device to another. Flow uses Android’s built-in Share feature, which makes it easy for developers to lend support to third-party apps. Since users have to tap on the share button, the feature should work with most apps, according to the company.

According to the promotional video released by Samsung, Flow can send a link from say a mobile to a tablet, so that you can pick up on the tablet where you left. One can also move a call to any of the Samsung devices without any interruption. This includes video chat as well. Flow doesn’t offer transferring activities only, but also allows you to set reminders of a particular activity to resume it later. Just select the right device and tap Remind later for later viewing. You can resume editing of share images, Office files, and can share directions, movies and more.

Users have to set the Flow app on all of their Samsung gizmos once, and then they can continue transporting the activities. It can be activated by using the share button within the app, and some apps also come with a dedicated Flow button. The app compatibility is limited to a handful of devices running on Android 4.4 and above. These include Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Tab S.

The app is no doubt remarkable, and such efforts will give a push to Samsung’s market. A fraction of people who consider Apple the best for its unconventional features like Continuity, will definitely take a second to switch.

Here’s the video narrating its features:

May 20, 2015
Samsung’s Smartglass is What Google was Aiming to Build

Samsung enjoys a niche in almost every segment, be it gadgets, home appliances and kitchen appliances. The tech powerhouse is gearing to introduce a new product line in the wearable technology domain that will pit it against the world’s most reputed company in the search arena. The South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer has issued a patent application which discloses that Samsung has developed a smart glass, which is far ahead of Google Glass. The patent application is published by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).

This has given certification to leaked reports which reiterated that Samsung is looking forward to bringing its own smart glass. According to the patent application of Samsung, the future smart glasses will integrate with almost all devices like gaming consoles, cameras, smartphones, tablets, in-vehicle infotainment systems, medical machines and many others.

Tentatively named Gear Glass, the Glass will come with many exciting features like mirroring live TV or movies running on the connected device. The patent filing suggests another feature that would bring messages and emails right on the smart glass screen, just like Google Glass. Samsung’s upcoming product will be able to capture pictures and record video footage, and will incorporate voice assistant like Siri on iOS and Google Now on Android.

Another impressive highlight would be the support of subtitles while watching movies in foreign languages. Samsung illustrates how the smart glass would work both as a gadget and an accessory, when required. The smart glass will undergo colour change to camouflage as a regular sunglass in sunlight.

The features sound extraordinary. If Samsung succeeds to bring such a product for public use, it would definitely give an edge to Samsung over Google, who scraped its project in January this year. Furthermore, Samsung can get a larger share of the market with the new offering. One needs to take into account that Samsung’s Smart glass is not going to be a reality anytime soon. The patents for the smart glass are still to be granted and it can be delayed for a good 4-5 years. Lets watch how Samsung decides to go about it.

We will update you with more information on Gear Glass. Keep checking here.

May 18, 2015
Samsung Might Launch the Galaxy Note 5 this July

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release last September was a major overhaul of the previous iteration. It was showered with critical acclaims for its fine screen quality, excellent construction and versatile S pen stylus. However, the sheen was short-lived for Samsung and was soon seized by the latest iPhone 6 series. The Korean smartphone maker is planning to wind up the honeymoon period of the premium smartphone, with the early launch of its Galaxy Note 5. As per Whowired, the next flagship model by Samsung will be unveiled at the end of July, much before the expected time in September.

Galaxy Note 5’s early launch seems to be a strategic plan to eclipse the market of iPhone, who’s sales exceed 50 million per quarter. However, the source claims that it is due to the early development of the handset. Samsung enjoyed a monopoly in the phablet arena with the large screen of its Note series, but the Cupertino-based firm quashed the Note dominance with the iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung is now geared to reacquire the market share with the superior and even bigger Galaxy Note 5.

If we go by speculations, the next Samsung phablet will sport a 5.9-inch Super AMOLED 784ppi display. The battery capacity is speculated to be robust at 4100mAh. The device might come in two variants with 64GB and 128GB internal storage space, which can be extended as much as 256GB. A powerful Exynos chipset is reported to power the device, besides Qualcomm Snapdragon. The latest Android operating system will be preloaded in the device. Know more about the device here.

With Galaxy Note 5, Samsung will break the traditional practice of introducing the Note flagship before the IFA opening. The Korean firm hasn’t stated anything about the same, and things about the gadget will be clear with an official announcement soon. Stay tuned for more updates on Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

May 18, 2015
Here’s What You Can Expect From Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung has carved a niche in the smartphone segment with the unconventional, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The firm regained its name and market share because of the latest series and Samsung fans are now waiting for the next high-end product to hit the market. The Korean firm is now gearing up to launch its next flagship, the Note 5 phablet. Considering their launch pattern, the Galaxy Note 4 successor may launch sometime in September this year.

As a fresh round of rumours suggest, the Note 5 will come with a model number SM-N920F. It is likely to feature 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. Let us remind you that the Note 4 was the first smartphone with which the curved edge display was introduced. Other rumours speak of a 5.9-inch screen with 4K resolution. The company has been planning to venture into the 4K technology and the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 may be the first to embed it.

Needless to say, the bar of expectations has been raised higher for the next phablet. Users may see a powerful processor fitted for computing tasks and sufficient in-built memory to store content. An upgraded version of Samsung’s Exynos 7422 is speculated to govern the computing operations. If we go by reports, the Note 5 will feature 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB of eMMC (embedded multimedia card) along with a controller. Other buzz suggests of a 16MP rear camera, 8MP secondary shooter, 4GB RAM and 16GB internal storage.

Summing up all the speculations, the Galaxy Note 5 appears to be a major update from the Note 4. It will have improved features, higher specs and an upgraded S-pen for better user experience. While none of the configurations have been confirmed by the company, interested buyers have to wait for an official announcement.

May 16, 2015
Samsung to Confront Apple Watch’s Digital Crown with a Rotating Bezel on its Next Smartwatch

Apple’s first wearable Apple Watch was a unique wearable in certain aspects. The device houses the Force Touch feature and an innovative navigation-based Digital Crown that takes users through the watch interface. Samsung has a tough task ahead to bring out a competitive smartwatch in the wearable market, and seems like it is ready to knock out Apple Watch with its entirely distinct tool. Some details have surfaced in the latest release of an SDK for developers, which speaks that the stand-out feature of Samsung’s next Gear will be its display bezel.

According to a report by SamMobile, the next-gen smartwatch will have a circular display of 1.18-inch that will be paired with a rotating bezel. The bezel will be the key to interface navigation on the smartwatch, served by a Digital Crown on Apple Watch. The rotating mechanism will perform a variety of functions such as zooming, scrolling, adjusting volume and numerous other functions. Here are some of the images that show how will it work:

The image above shows how users can toggle between multiple apps like emails, messages, music player and more just by twisting the movable bezel on the Gear smartwatch.

Another picture shows the inclusion of the swipe feature that seems to perform a slew of additional functions.

Few other images reveal further uses of the rotating bezel like zoom in and zoom out photos, controlling volume and scrolling through the contacts list.

To embed rotating bezels on the next-gen Gear smartwatch is certainly an innovative approach by Samsung. It makes the wearable stand out of the pack and pits it directly against the Apple Watch.

Late last month, Korean electronics maker teased the round display of its future smartwatch while sending an open invitation to global developer community members. The pictures said about its partnership with CNN, Baidu, Yelp, Apposter, and FidMe. The next Gear device will run on Tizen OS with Exynos 7420 powering it. The smartwatch may launch in two variants. The company hasn’t come up with an official announcement till now, and we expect to hear it soon.

May 14, 2015
Leaked Photo of Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Suggests Robust Construction

Korean tech powerhouse Samsung carved a niche in the smartphone market with the unveiling of its new-fangled Galaxy S6 series. It is Samsung’s best product in terms of design and, of course, specifications; the design has been considered delicate. But the major flaw in the high-end device is that it’s not waterproof and weatherproof. The South Korean equipment maker is planning to remove that glitch by introducing another version of Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Active, and today a source has authenticated its existence. GSMArena has released a picture of the next iteration of Galaxy S6, which is yet not announced.

The image speaks of a rugged Galaxy S6 Active, immune to accidental drops. The front has three physical buttons, which means fingerprint scanner will be absent in this model. As per the source, the phone will sport the model number SM-G890A and a significantly larger battery of 3,500mAh. Being a variant of the expensive Galaxy S6, the S6 Active is sure to maintain its top-notch specifications.

We earlier reported that the smartphone will boast features like detachable battery and MicroSD card. Besides fingerprint scanner, a heart rate monitor will also be missing in the next S series device. The phone will be water and dust resistance and will launch sometime in mid-summer.

Stay tuned for more updates on the same.

May 13, 2015
PM Modi Calls on Samsung, LG to Help Give ‘Make in India’ Campaign a Push

The Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, shared his vision to make the country a technology hub. He hopes for an India where government services can be delivered through the creation of technological infrastructure. Giving a push to his Make in India campaign, Modi will sit down with top officials of the two leading tech powerhouses, LG and Samsung, to set up a manufacturing unit in India. The establishment of their manufacturing plants will stimulate the production of smartphones in India.

Minister of Communication and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, confirmed about the meeting with the South Korean companies, saying, “Earlier, I had personally met senior executives of these companies and we expect something concrete now.” Modi will have a talk with Samsung Electronics’ President and Head, JK Shin and LG’s Global CEO and Vice-Chairman, Bon-Joon Koo. LG India’s Managing Director stamped the ties to some extent stating Modi’s visit will enhance bilateral ties.

How LG and Samsung’s Participation will Make a Difference

LG and Samsung are the two front runners in the smartphone race whose products are appreciated worldwide. Not to forget, these firms have a strong foothold in the smartphones domain as well as the semi-conductors arena. Samsung manufactures Exynos chips equipped on the Galaxy S6 series, and if the company sets up a plant on the Indian soil, smartphones will become a lot cheaper than their current launch price.

For now, only 74% of the Indians own a mobile and considering the large size of the Indian population, there is still a massive number of people who are yet to own mobiles. Modi aims to reach that 26% residing in the rural area with cheaper phones produced on our homeland. He aims to connect India through its length and width by 2019. The Prime Minister has sanctioned Rs. 113,000 crore fund for the Digital India project.

Investment in technological infrastructure will lead to a speedy growth in the economy. It will also help in bringing better, technology-aided education to the children of India, thereby forging a promising future of the country.

May 13, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge Now Boast Their Own VR Headset

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge back in September 2014. As an icing on the cake, the Korean company in collaboration with Oculus revealed the Gear VR, a virtual reality headgear developed to work along with the Note 4. A year after, Samsung released its latest flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in April 2015. The company also announced that a similar VR set will accompany the handsets soon, but no such headset were up for purchase.

Today, Samsung made this device available for purchase. The device, named as Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, is a smaller and lighter version of the Note 4 Gear VR. It comes with a redesigned strap and a built-in fan to help in air-flow. According to Samsung, the Octa-Core Exynos 7420 chipset, which is the powerhouse of S6 and S6 Edge handsets, and the high PPI display will provide its users with better and smoother virtual reality experience. The other side of the coin would be the smaller screen of the S6 and S6 Edge devices, which may result in a narrow field of view.

This device is available at Samsung’s official website and BestBuy. This device can be purchased for $199.99 (Rs 12,741) and is available only for its US customers right now. No other details about its price and availability in India has been disclosed.

May 9, 2015
CyberMedia Research Confirms, Samsung Leads the Indian Mobile Smartphone Race

Once again, Samsung has become the top smartphone manufacturer, beating Micromax in its home ground. The Korean electronics firm has retained its position with an increase in market share from the last quarter. This shuffling is due of change in duty structure and restricted supply of mobile devices from Chinese brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus due to Chinese New Year festivities.

According to CyberMedia Research, Samsung’s share increased from 23.7% in fourth-quarter 2014 to 27.9% in Q1 2015 (January to March). The firm also saw a boast in market share in feature phone during this quarter that was lower in the previous one. The major factor to contribute to its growth in India is the availability of various models in different segments. Samsung has variety of smartphones from entry-level to high-range that led to its success this year.

Micromax remained at the second spot with a decline in market share in the smartphone segment. The India-based equipment firm registered a decline in share from 17.8% in the previous quarter to 16.2% in the first quarter of 2015. Microsoft rolled to the third spot with 9.6% share in overall mobile handsets.

Lead Analyst, Telecoms Research at CMR, Faisal Kawoosa commented, “With major announcements of new handsets and entry of some new brands happening in a big way in 4Q CY 2014, there wasn’t really something very exciting in the market for customers that could push up sales in 1Q CY 2015. At the same time, change in duty structure and the consequent impact on the supply chain due to the Chinese New Year festivities contributed to the market contraction.”

This quarter has seen contracted overall shipment from the Q4 2014. The mobile handset sale in the country declined by 15% to 53 million mobile handsets, out of which 37% were smartphones i.e. 19.5 million and 18% were feature phones.

May 6, 2015
First Images of Samsung Z2 Running on Tizen

Samsung’s next Tizen OS-powered smartphone is yet to get an official announcement from the Korean electronics giant. But thanks to an online leaks, we now have an idea what Samsung will offer with its upcoming Tizen-based smartphone. A set of pictures are circulating online which are said to be of the upcoming Samsung Z2.

The leaked images of the tentatively titled Samsung Z2 give a hint of its design. The Z2 seems much like Samsung Galaxy S3 mini with identical display size and body (plastic frame and metal texture). The Tizen Store is also shown in the picture, which displays some of the popular downloads like Opera Mini, WhatsApp and more.

Past rumours suggest that the next Samsung device running company’s Tizen OS will feature a 32-bit quad-core CPU with 1GB of RAM and Tizen 3.0 UI. The device will sport a qHD (540×960) TFT-LCD display and will pack a 2000mAh battery.

The phone will be another entry-level offering with basic features. The company aims to make room for itself in the Android-ruled market. The smartphone will launch in more countries than just Bangladesh and India, which first saw the release of Samsung Z1. Samsung is expected to bring out the Z2 in the first half of 2015.

May 5, 2015
Iron Man-Themed Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Handsets Arrive This Month

After their formal introduction at MWC 2015, Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge instantly became one of the most sought-after devices. They received a record of 20 million unit orders within a week of their launch. Over the years, Samsung has become a company that is known for experimenting with unique variants of its products. Carrying on the trend, Samsung affirmed that they will be releasing a limited set of Avengers-themed Galaxy S6 Edge, starting off with an Iron Man themed handset.

Samsung confirmed on Monday that Iron Man themed Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be launching by next month and will be based on Iron Man’s standard red and yellow suit colour. Though Samsung Mobile Exec, Young Hee, did not mention where and at what price.

Avengers: Age of Ultron one of the most-anticipated films of 2015 broke the world record by making over $40 million in IMAX theatres in just 12 days of release.

Meanwhile, Samsung and Marvel teamwork resulted in a free app called ‘Battle for Avengers Tower’ that uses Samsung Gear VR headset. You can check out the 360-degree video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdTm7Vpape0#action=share

To read more about Samsung’s Flagships, click here.

May 5, 2015
Samsung to Provide Chipset and Displays for Apple’s Upcoming Products

It looks like the world’s biggest rivals in the tech world will soon be announcing major collaborations. According to the grapevine, Samsung will be manufacturing Apple’s core chip for the next iPhone as well as displays for other Apple products. This unexpected alliance was formed when Apple Chief Executive agreed to tone down the battle of patent suits against Samsung, thereby leading to this association.

Samsung will be budgeting $14 billion dollars for setting up new plants and equipment for manufacturing Apple’s newest device parts. Samsung had used the latest SoC for their flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The chip uses 14nm technology whose standards are matched by Exynos 7420, Samsung’s home made processor. The 14Nm chip is more powerful than the 16Nm chips that are standardly used in the company’s handsets.

But from this partnership, Apple’s former partners like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Sandisk may get a significant blow. TSMC used to manufacture chips for all the previous models of the iPhone and SanDisk was given the responsibility of memory chips for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

There are no official confirmations from both the tech power houses, but if true, we may soon see something very different from this alliance. Although Samsung is manufacturing Apple’s new chipset, the Korean company will continue to make its own smartphones.

May 5, 2015