Tag: Samsung

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
Counterpoint : Samsung Stays Steady on Top in India; Micromax Faces a Steep Decline

According to the Q1 2015 reports by Counterpoint Technology Market Research, Samsung remained the the lead as India’s champion in terms of growth and market share. The company has recently faced absurd challenges, in Asia particularly, but its condition improved enough to win over the Indian market from Apple and Micromax.

Reports of the Q1 2015 showed Samsung India grew 2.1% over the last year. Samsung led the overall mobile phone market and the smartphone segment during the quarter with market shares of 18.2% and 27.8% respectively. This figure is still below the 33% growth from the previous year. But, with a sale of 82.4 million handsets within the first three months of the quarter, Samsung captured 24.5% of the market share.

According to the report, Samsung has used its distribution prowess to sell-in during the quarter as it executed aggressive smartphone launches during the quarter including the Tizen-based Z1.

One of the reasons why Samsung boomed is that the Korean company launched its flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge at the end of the quarter in April.

Micromax ended their quarter with 15.3% market share that served as a decline on the yearly basis as well as on sequential basis. Although, it still managed to secure the second place, the report commented that Micromax’s new brand Yureka with the launch of its first Cyanogen powered LTE smartphone Yu started off well, but will need more models across different price brackets to match the scale of Xiaomi and Motorola.

May 1, 2015
Samsung Reports Major Drop in First-Quarter Profits

The latest flagships by Samsung Electronics, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, were supposed to bring the company back on track. The company has been rapidly losing ground to other smartphone manufacturers like Apple, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. The escalating demand for its flagships speaks of Samsung’s decent performance this time around, but the latest announcement says otherwise.

Samsung, who has been relying on the buoyant sales of the high-end devices, recorded significant slide in profit for the sixth consecutive time. It is the sixth consecutive quarter-on-quarter (QOQ) drop reported by Samsung. The company today declared that Q1 2015 net profit was 4.63 trillion won ($4.35 billion). This was lower than the 7.49 trillion won gained the previous year. The company also mentioned that the quarterly revenue tripped by 11 percent to 47.12 trillion won, while the operating profit increased to 5.98 trillion won.

The latest statistics is higher than the previous quarter and less than half of what was reported in Q1 2014.

Samsung is banking on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to help boost its numbers.

Samsung’s latest S series was outdone by Apple’s iPhone 6 and its bigger sibling. According to numbers, people preferred the bigger iPhones over the curvy Galaxy S6 Edge. Alongside, Samsung has been unable to cope up with the supply demands of Samsung S6 Edge, which is likely to have an adverse effect on its business.

Apple has again become the world’s most valuable company and disclosed the iPhones sales of the first quarter. According to Apple, a total of 61 million iPhones were retailed in Q1 this year and the maximum numbers were sold in China.

Samsung expects a better sales figure in the second quarter, and said that the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will boost the numbers up in the next couple of months. OLED and LCD panel sales are further anticipated to lift the overall sales. The Consumer Electronics (CE) Division also sees an improved sale of air conditioners and the flagship SUHD TV.

With many premium products in its kitty, Samsung expects to recover its revenue figures in the next quarter. However, it wouldn’t be that easy as many tech start-ups, as well as established companies, have secured a niche in almost every segment. Xiaomi has become a customer favourite and Apple fans are rapidly multiplying all over the world. It would be interesting to see what tactics Samsung adopts to catch up with these present titans.

April 29, 2015
Samsung Teases Round Display of its Next Gear Smartwatch

The next Gear smartwatch is the most-awaited product to come out of the Samsung factory. Till date, quite a few details were known about the next wearable device, but now we have significant information about its form factor. The Korean electronics giant today gave a slight glimpse of its next Gear smartwatch that confirms of it boasting a circular display. The revelation was made in a press release that speaks of developers getting an early access to the Software Development Kit (SDK) for the company’s next-generation smartwatch.

A round smartwatch is the first for Samsung, who has previously released rectangular and curved screen watches. It would look like Moto 360 that has gained critical acclaim.

An image (provided above) was affixed to the official statement that let slip a brief sight of its watch face. Below are five more round watch faces that appear to be freshly designed. The company seems to have partnered with CNN, Baidu, Yelp, Apposter, and FidMe and is looking for more businesses for a tie-up.

The Suwon-based electronics firm announced that it is building up an ecosystem for the seventh generation Gear smartwatch. It sent an open invitation to members of the global developer community saying that they can get early access to SDK of next Gear device. CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, JK Shin commented –

Samsung has actively adapted its approach to wearable device development as the leader of the rapidly developing category. Through meaningful and progressive innovation, Samsung welcomes to developers and industry leaders to join this open collaboration effort to enrich and create unique user experiences for a new smart mobile life.

The company was expected to unveil the smartwatch at Mobile World Congress 2015 alongside Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but instead, Samsung showcased virtual-reality headsets. It is expected that 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.

April 24, 2015
Japanese Market to Receive Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Without the Samsung Branding

In a strange turn of events, we’re hearing that Japan will be receiving Samsung’s newest flagship – the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge without the company logo. These handsets will instead be dubbed as Docomo Galaxy and au Galaxy, with respect to the associated Japanese telecom service provider. The company has also renamed its Japanese Facebook page to Galaxy Mobile Japan.

One reason being cited is that even though Samsung might triumphant globally, its grip in Japan is not up to the mark. The second reason is that this may be due to communal tensions between Korea and Japan. These are all speculations based on its market evaluations, since Samsung has chosen to remain silent on the subject.

Apple products sell the most in Japan, followed by Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu. When Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge in November 2014, Samsung chose Japan to be the first country for the release. Sadly, the company received less than 5% market share, selling only ten thousand units four months after its launch. Apple, on the other hand, captured over more than half of the market, attributing mainly to the popularity of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung already withdrew its TV television business in 2007 when the product sold only 0.1% in the Japanese market. Though not having a good start in Japan, Samsung hopes the name change reverses their fortune in Japan.

To read about Samsung S6 and S6 Edge, click here. Here’s are quick hands on with the devices:

April 20, 2015

Unboxing and Hands On | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gold

Samsung recently brought out their gold-plated smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S6 Gold, starting at a price of Rs 58,900 for the 32GB variant. Here, we unbox the device – iGyaan style!

As you can see, the phone sports a 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen with a QuadHD resolution with a total of 577 ppi. Powered 2600 mAh battery, the handset is available only with fixed storage of either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, which are all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). With 16MP primary camera, it is capable of shooting 4K video as well.

Connectivity options included in the phone are LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands. The most eye-catching feature of this handset is its gold plate. It is also notable that the phone features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 glass panels on both the front and back. The metallic frame that holds the two panels gets a gold treatment too.

The curvy S6 Edge is priced at Rs. 58,900 for the 32 GB variant, Rs, 64,900 for the 64 GB and Rs. 70,900 for the 128 GB variant.

You can know more about the specs and features of the phone in the table below:

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gold Edition
Operating System	Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop)
Display	5.1 inches Super AMOLED QuadHD resolution
RAM	3 GB
Battery	2600 mAh
Processor	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz Quad Exynos 64-bit
Internal Storage	32/64/128 GB
Expandable Up to	—
Primary Camera	16 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Price	Rs 58,900 (32GB); Rs, 64,900 (64GB); Rs. 70,900 (128GB)

To know more about Samsung’s latest handsets, click here.

April 13, 2015

Tag: Samsung

How LG and Samsung’s Participation will Make a Difference