Samsung Electronics Forecasts Q1 Profit Decline, But May Be Poised For Recovery

Weilos, The YC-Backed Weight Loss Startup, Has Been Acquired By Weight Watchers
Samsung Electronics just issued its earnings guidance for the first quarter, and once again the company, which has seen its smartphone sales eroded by increasing competition, said it expects another drop in operating profit.
Samsung Electronics said it expects 1Q2015 operating profit of 5.9 trillion won (about $5.4 billion), or a 30 percent year-over-year decline. This doesn’t reverse the slide in the company’s earnings over the last 18 months, but at least it is better than the 30 percent decline expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones
Not a bad sign from Samsung preliminary earnings numbers. Although, I doubt it gets back near its peak again. pic.twitter.com/zFPTUF33Cv
— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) April 7, 2015
Samsung Electronics also said that it expects revenue of 47 trillion won (about $43.3 billion), or a 12.4 percent drop from the previous year.
As companies like Xiaomi ascend, sales of Samsung Electronics’ smartphones have suffered. In its 4Q2014 earnings report, the company disclosed that mobile sales accounted for just 58 percent of Samsung’s total operating profit last year, a noteworthy decline from 70 percent in 2013. It also said that it expected smartphone sales to continue to drop in the latest quarter.
Samsung Electronics has been busy trying to climb back on top of the smartphone market (or at least recover somewhat) with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, the first time that the company has released two versions of its flagship phone at the same time.
The two smartphones are made with glass and metal, which Samsung decided to use materials after previous versions of the smartphone, which were produced in plastic, got a barrage of criticism for being unattractive and feeling cheap.
There are signs that the company will go on the defensive this quarter as it tries to shore up its smartphone business. For example, Samsung took the unusual step yesterday of responding to a YouTube video by extended-warranty provider SquareTrade criticizing the durability of its phones by issuing its own video, as well as a detailed defense.
Furthermore, Samsung Electronics also held a press briefing about its 1Q2015 earnings guidance last week, which was notable because the company very rarely comments on its quarterly forecasts.
During the briefing, Samsung Future Strategy office chief communications officer Lee Joon told reporters “there have been a lot of reports about earnings forecasts for Samsung Electronics. It’s fair to say that we will report improved profits during the January-March period.”

By: Unknown On 01:14

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The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Is The New Hotness

Why Jay-Z’s Music App Tidal Sounds DoomedThe smartphone to beat this season is the Galaxy S6 Edge. It’s slim, stylish, and powerful, a mashup between the previous Galaxy S series with the original iPod Touch. It’s well-made and unique, a combination rarely found in cellphones these days and it is as far from the Galaxy S5 as the T-1000 was from the original Terminator. In short, it’s pretty cool and probably the only S6 – the other being the non-curved standard model – I’d buy.

The Edge Case
This review is primarily about the S6 Edge. Out of the two phones released by Samsung at MWC the Edge most deserves to be called a flagship – a device that shows the best of what the company has to offer. While the “standard” S6 is solid, usable, and handsome, I think the Edge is the real winner here. Why? First off the design is unique and unique to Samsung. It is the one that you will notice and it feels great in the hand. The standard S6 is another solid slab and although the size difference is minuscule you can truly feel the difference. The Edge disappears in the pocket while the S6 is just another smartphone.
Everything in the S6 is available in the Edge. Both run a Exynos 14nm 64-bit Octa Core processor and both come in 64 and 128GB variants (you can get the S6 in 32GB.) Both have a built-in IR blaster for changing channels on your television, a usable heart rate monitor that doubles as a flash, acceptable front and back cameras, and a beautiful 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel Super AMOLED display that Samsung uses to excellent effect. Everything about the phone is smooth – from the pixel-free screen to the lush colors to the animations and transitions. This is Samsung kicking out the stops.
FacebookLinkedInSamsung Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge Hands OnThe Good
Those familiar with modern Android won’t be surprised by everything the S6 has to offer. It’s more of the same but better. NFC payments are on the table, where available, as is fingerprint recognition. The processor and 3G of RAM make things snappy and Samsung’s Milk services are built in to supply music and video. SHealth, Samsung’s health offering, can measure your steps and take your pulse. They pre-bundled Hancom Office on board in case you wanted to check out some spreadsheets on your flight.
The S6 Edge is just good. It has great battery life – it’s run for about 1 day on a charge with heavy use and lasted about two days on standby. This time will degrade with use, however, so expect about 18 hours of firm usage, less if you’re watching video or browsing a lot. Samsung has truly streamlined Android notifications and made them pleasing to swipe through and read. The lock screen is eminently useful thanks to a little list of icons under the notifications that show you what you have in your queue. A button on the right side wakes the phone up from sleep and there are volume buttons on the left side. That’s it. The rest of the phone is nearly featureless except for a little slot for the SIM card and the iPhone-like bottom face.

By: Unknown On 13:06

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Hands On With The Samsung Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge

Samsung has two brand new smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. It’s a first for the company, in terms of revealing two different versions of its primary flagship on stage at the same time, and we got a chance to try both of them out to see how they perform.
 The resulting experience was impressive in both cases, and while the biggest changes were on the design front, Samsung’s software shifts also came out as very promising overall.Hands On VideoFacebookLinkedInSamsung Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge Hands OnDesign
Galaxy S6

The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge both eschew the usual plastic Samsung has favored for flagships in the past for glass and metal, but the S6 has a more traditional flat front face, as well as a design that can’t help but be compared to iPhone devices, resembling something of a cross between the iPhone 5/5S and the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. It has a 5.1-inch display with glass both front and back, and with a metal edge running all the way along the outer edge of the phone.
While the Galaxy S6 certainly has iPhone-style cues, it would be overly reductive to say it’s at all a clone or copy. Both the S6 and the S6 edge feature a new special treatment that pairs a reflective coating of metallic paint applied in an ultra-thin layer to the underside of the protective glass surface. The machined metal edge, which is part of a solid frame that extends throughout the body of the S6, actually extends at every point slightly above the glass, which Samsung says is designed to help make sure any impact from a drop is absorbed by the part of the phone which is shatter-resistant, instead of the glass surfaces.
galaxy-s6-volume-buttons galaxy-s6-camera galaxy-s6-charger galaxy-s6-colors galaxy-s6-gold-blue galaxy-s6-black galaxy-s6-blue galaxy-s6-vs-galaxy-s5 galaxy-s6-side galaxy-s6-bottom galaxy-s6-back galaxy-s6-s6-edge-tops galaxy-s6-camera-module galaxy-s6-color-cases galaxy-s6-clear-cases galaxy-s6-folio-cases galaxy-s6-edge-cases  View Slideshow Previous Next Exit
The S6’s design is already a huge departure from Samsung’s frankly boring past industrial design, injecting some fresh life in a brand that definitely needs to inspire new passion. In the hand, it feels much more premium than the Galaxy S5, and though some die-hard fans of accessible batteries might feel saddened that the S6’s is locked away (and that the SD card slot is also gone), the trade-offs in terms of Samsung finally having made a flagship that doesn’t feel somewhat like a child’s toy are well worth it.
Galaxy S6 Edge

If the Galaxy S6 marks Samsung’s graduation in terms of smartphone industrial design, the S6 edge is a post-doc. While the Note Edge seemed more like an experiment, reserved for users who might be seeking something especially untested and novel, the S6 edge’s sloped sides feel instead like a mostly aesthetic design decision. The two curved edges still house the same single display that occupies almost the entire S6 edge’s front face, rather than covering a discrete screen like on the Note Edge, and it ends up resulting in fewer acrobatics to try to add extraneous features that users don’t need on the software side.
galaxy-s6-edge-green s6-case s6-edge-case s6-edge-camera galaxy-s6-edge-corner galaxy-s6-edge-colors galaxy-s6-edge-black galaxy-s6-edge-gold galaxy-s6-edge-green-front galaxy-s6-edge-green-2 galaxy-s6-edge-front galaxy-s6-edge-vs-galaxy-s5 galaxy-s6-edge-back galaxy-s6-edge-top galaxy-s6-edge-side galaxy-s6-edge-bottom galaxy-s6-edge galaxy-s6-folio-cases galaxy-s6-cases galaxy-s6-camera-module galaxy-s6-s6-edge-tops  View Slideshow Previous Next Exit
The S6 edge doubles down on the premium feel of the S6, somehow convincing the brain that it’s a sleeker and slimmer machine than the more traditional Samsung flagship even though it actually isn’t that different in this regard. And combined with the new color effects, and taper of the metal frame where it encounters the curved glass, this is a device that both looks very good and feels nice to hold.
Hardware and Software Features
The new Galaxy S6 offers a number of features that improve the overall experience vs. past devices, but the two most practical might be the use of a single touch fingerprint reader in the home button, which works like Apple’s Touch ID instead of with swipe-based reading like the the GS5, and a double-tap home button shortcut to instantly trigger the camera wherever you happen to be in the OS on your phone.

A redesigned, much lighter user interface with a lot more in common with stock Android 5.0 Lollipop, combined with the new camera shortcut and the actually useful fingerprint sensor (the previous one worked, but was a pain to operate, especially one-handed) all combine to make this one of Samsung’s best-ever efforts out of the box, based on the time we got to spend with the device.
In very limited testing, both the new front and back cameras proved able to take good pictures in lighting that was fairly challenging in terms of mixed brightness and weird color balance. I did manage to take some blurry photos by basically doing my best to foil it, but based on very early experience it seems like it could be a strong contender in terms of Android smartphone camera excellence.
Bottom Line
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is some ways a less whiz-bang update than others, at least in terms of flashy software features and questionable hardware additions made just with the seeming intent of pushing the envelope. Instead, what they’ve presented is a device that feels in almost every way like a more mature product than anything they’ve shipped previously, with a few smart new features that either 100% improve broken ones from earlier generations, or that genuinely add convenience features people will actually use.
One of Samsung’s best-ever efforts out of the box.
Despite Samsung’s tremendous global success in terms of device sales and market share, it has never offered my personal favorite Android hardware. The S6 and S6 edge actually stand a good chance of earning that distinction this time around, thanks in large part to a design that finally screams ‘premium’ when touched or held.

By: Unknown On 11:54

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Meet The New Samsung Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge, Arriving April 10

Samsung has indeed revealed its new flagship smartphone today, but there are actually two: The Galaxy S6, and the Galaxy S6 edge. The company’s latest premier smartphones are mostly similar on the inside, but with different external body designs, both of which push the envelope in terms of what Samsung has done with its Galaxy lineup in the past.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge combine metal and glass, eschewing almost entirely the standard plastic setup that Samsung has show a preference before in previous smartphone designs. A metal frame runs throughout, sandwiched between two panes of durable Gorilla Glass 4, which has also been treated on the inside with a special reflective material coating, giving them a jeweled-metal look that explains why some early leaks made it seem like Samsung had opted for metallic rear casing surfaces.
While both are marked departures for Samsung, the Galaxy S6 edge may be its most ambitious design to date, with a screen that curves away on either side of the front of the device, and a subtler, matching curve on the back surface, too. The effect is both visually stunning and pleasant to hold, as you can read in our first hands on impressions of both devices.
Of course, the S6 lineup also boasts improved specs, including a slimmer and lighter design, compared to the S5 and older Galaxy hardware. Here’s a breakdown of the primary improvements:
5.1-inch 2560×1440 Super AMOLED display with 577 ppiExynos Octacore processor, 3GB LPDDR4 RAM32/64/128GB UFS 2.0 internal storageAndroid 5.0F/1.9 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization and live HDRF/1.9 5MP front camera with live HDRCategory 6 LTE with 300 Mbps down/50 Mbps up max theoretical speedsWi-Fi 802.11 AC with HT80 MIMO, Bluetooth LE, NFC, IR blaster2,550mAh (GS6) and 2,600mAh (GS6 edge) batteries
Specs never tell the full story, and Samsung has done plenty more to try to make this a significant flagship reboot inside and out. The f/1.9 aperture on those front and back cameras should translate to improved low-light function on each, and the auto HDR and image stabilization options also help contribute to the goal of making it much easier for device owners to snap great pics. Samsung has also added a feature whereby double pressing the home button launches the camera instantly, in what it claims is just 0.7 seconds, no matter where you happen to be or from device lock. A subject lock borrowed from the NX-1 dedicated Samsung camera lets you continually autofocus on a specific subject, too.

As rumored, the phone also has embedded wireless charging tech, which includes support for both WPC and PMA standards, meaning you can use it with Starbucks, as well as with the more prevalent Qi-enabled home chargers. Samsung is also going to sell its own charging pucks, of course, and on the power front they’ve also upped wired charging by a factor of 1.5x, meaning you should get around 4 hours-worth of battery out of 10 minutes of plugged-in charging.
There’s no swappable memory card support, but the new UFS 2.0 tech Samsung used for its internal flash memory is much faster than any external card or previous internal storage, the company says, and it now offers that 128GB option for those who need ore space, as well as cloud services for remote storage.
Samsung has also redone the fingerprint scanner in the home button so that you no longer have to swipe, and they’re going to use that with the launch of their Samsung Pay tech coming later this year. Finally, they’ve lightened up their approach to skinning Android (UI add-ons removed by 40 percent, in fact, according to Samsung), and don’t even mention the word ‘TouchWiz’ anywhere, which is great news.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge go on sale starting April 10  in markets around the world, with White Pearl, Black Sapphire, and Gold Platinum color options for both, plus a special Blue Topaz for the Galaxy S6, and Green Emerald reserved for the Galaxy S6 edge. In the U.S., they’ll be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon, as well as Samsung’s micro-stores within Best Buy locations, Amazon.com, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart.

By: Unknown On 11:39

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Samsung Pay Takes On Apple Pay This Summer With LoopPay’s MST Tech

Samsung has a new mobile payment solution it announced today, though it will require a few more months before it arrives on the new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge smartphones this summer. It’s called Samsung Pay, and it uses the magnetic secure transmission (MST) tech that Samsung acquired via its purchase of LoopPay last month, which means the vast majority of U.S. retailers should be able to accept it without any change to their existing hardware or infrastructure.
The Samsung Pay service will also use NFC, meaning it should work with the kinds of terminals required by retailers to offer Apple Pay, but the MST tech means that it can talk even to old-school credit card swipe readers, via tech developed by the Kickstarted Boston-based startup LoopPay, which Samsung acquired in total after a partnership begun near the debut of their crowdfunding campaign.
Samsung also has deals in place with MasterCard and Visa on the payment provider side, and is working on arrangements with American Express, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank and others. Based on its ability to work with existing magstripe terminals, Samsung estimates that it could reach up to 30 million merchants worldwide, so long as the payment providers all come on board.
In practice, it’ll work by being integrated into Samsung devices at the system level, letting users add their own existing cards, and then working via a swipe up from the bezel, which launches the Samsung Pay app and lets them choose their payment card option. Then they use the new finger print sensor to authenticate the transaction (which, thanks to the new touch-based fingerprint reader on the GS6, seems clearly borrowed from Apple Pay) and then tap the merchant terminal to complete. It requires a few more steps than Apple Pay, which automatically launches payment and chooses your default card when you’re in proximity of an active terminal, meaning the fingerprint authentication is the only step required by a user.
Samsung Pay’s ability to work with legacy infrastructure should help it maximize its potential reach, however, which means it could have an easier time convincing merchants, leaving it to focus its attention on educating and motivating users about adopting the behavior.
On the security side, Samsung is using KNOX and ARM’s TrustZone data isolation tech for processors to keep payment card information safe, and Samsung Pay uses tokenization to add an additional layer of security on top of standard magnetic card swipes. It’s aiming for a summer launch, with U.S. and Korea pegged as the launch countries, with expansion to Europe and China planned after that.

By: Unknown On 11:24

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Samsung To Offer An Oculus-Powered Gear VR For Galaxy S6 And S6 Edge

Mozilla’s CTO On Cars, Facebook And Why It Doesn’t Matter You Can’t Use Uber On Firefox OSSamsung continues investing in the future of mobile virtual reality, with a brand new version of Gear VR designed specifically to work with the new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge smartphones. The Gear VR still carries the ‘Innovator Edition’ tag that means it’s aimed primarily at bleeding edge tech enthusiasts and developers than the general public, and it continues to use Oculus technology to power the software and VR mechanics, but it’s designed to work specifically with the Galaxy S6’s new ultra-high resolution 577 ppi 5.1-inch Quad HD display.
The denser display means users will get reduced pixelation on this iteration of Gear VR, Samsung says, and longer usage time thanks to battery improvements. It’s also much smaller than the Gear VR set designed for the Note 4, with an overall 15 percent reduction (196mm x 107.9 mm x 82.9 mm to be exact) for the newest headset. Samsung’s new 14nm Exynos Octacore also offers better computing capabilities for powering VR experiences, and it now supports power in via its USB port ofor longer use sessions.
Prior to this launch, we speculated about whether Samsung would do something to make the existing Gear VR compatible with its new flagship, or whether they’d do something dedicated, and it looks like we have our answer. It’s still not a genuine, general use consumer VR headset, but it’s another step along that path, and one that should power a lot more interesting feedback, given the larger likely user pool of Galaxy S6 buyers, vs. Note 4 purchasers.

By: Unknown On 11:09

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Samsung Filed The Most Patents In Europe In 2014, U.S. Led The Field By Country

While IBM is number-one when it comes to the number of patents filed in the U.S., in Europe, Samsung is leading the pack. Today, the European Patent Office released 2014 figures for patents filed in the region, which showed that the Korean company, and currently the world’s largest smartphone maker, filed 2,541 for the full year. In terms of countries, the U.S. dominated the list, with 71,700, or 26% of all patents, filed.
Overall, the number of patents filed in Europe grew by 3.1% in 2014, with more than 274,000 filings, a record number according to the EPO. In other words: in keeping with the expensive, lengthy, and high-profile legal fights that have arisen out of intellectual property disputes — and despite the many flaws in the system that need to be fixed (patent trolls being one of the biggest) — patents continue to be a power lever for companies trying to protect their businesses from competitors.
And yet patents are not the whole story. Apple, currently the world’s biggest company by profits, filed only 294 patents in Europe — like IBM, putting more of its emphasis on filing in the U.S. market.
The bigger picture for Europe is that it’s continuing to hold parity with the U.S. when it comes to patent creation (and potential enforcement), with patent filings at the EPO covering 38 member states.
“Demand for patent protection in Europe has been growing steadily, and is up for the fifth year in a row,” said EPO president Benoȋt Battistelli in a statement. “Europe continues to strengthen its key role as a global hub of technology and innovation for a growing number of companies from around the world. The rise in patent filings originating from Europe underlines the importance of patent-intensive industries as a solid base for the European knowledge economy: They foster Europe’s competitiveness, economic strength and employment.”
For the record, the U.S. saw just over 300,000 patent filings last year.
Here is a break-down of some of the top-line numbers in the report:
U.S. companies: Qualcomm on top
Breaking out U.S. only companies from the bigger list, it’s not IBM but Qualcomm that leads with the most patents, with 1,459 filed. The semiconductor giant is followed by Intel and United Technologies, the industrial conglomerate that makes everything from Black Hawk helicopters to fuel cells. Microsoft, Google and Apple rank respectively at 4th, 9th and 17th among U.S. companies filing in Europe.

Hardware leads the pack
In the EPO, it looks like the companies focusing on hardware are filing more patents in the region, with Samsung’s top position followed by European companies Philips and Siemens. LG and Huawei round out the top five. Interestingly, since Nokia has sold off the biggest part of its business — handsets — to Microsoft, the company has been focusing more on its intellectual property position, and that is being played out in the EPO, too. The company filed just over 1,000 patents last year.

As the center of the tech world, it’s unsurprising that the U.S. vastly outweighs every other country when it comes to overall patent filings. The second-largest country, the EPO says, is Japan with 48,400 patents, followed by Germany and China. Interestingly, China is currently rising the fastest of all of these, up 18.2% over a year ago.

Medical tech leads ahead of tech
Medical technology was the biggest single category for patents filed at the EPO in 2014, with 11,000 patents. However, if you combine digital communication with computer technology — two distinct categories but both falling under IT in a more general sense — these well exceed medical, with almost 20,000 patents filed between them.

By: Unknown On 09:19

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This Week On The TC Gadgets Podcast: Smartwatches, Samsung LoopPay, And Bluetooth Toothbrushes

With the Apple Watch looming on the horizon, we simply can’t help ourselves from talking about smartwatches. This week, we focus on the Garmin Fenix 3, the LG Urbane, and of course, the upcoming Apple Watch. Meanwhile, Samsung is trying to compete in the payments space with the acquisition of LoopPay, and Oral B thinks you might want a Bluetooth-equipped toothbrush.

We discuss all this and more on this week’s episode of the TC Gadgets Podcast featuring Matt Burns, Greg Kumparak, Darrell Etherington and Jordan Crook.

Have a good Friday, everybody!

We invite you to enjoy our weekly podcasts every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern and noon Pacific. And feel free to check out the TechCrunch Gadgets Flipboard magazine right here.

Click here to download an MP3 of this show.
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Intro Music by Mendhoan.

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By: Unknown On 02:52

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Samsung Acquires LoopPay, Maker Of An Apple Pay Competitor

Samsung has acquired LoopPay, the companies announced today. The acquisition confirms earlier rumors that suggested the two were working closely together on an upcoming project, and suggests Samsung could make use of LoopPay’s technology to offer is own Apple Pay competitor on future devices.
FacebookLinkedInLooppay On Stage CES 2015
LoopPay even advertises its solution as an alternative to Apple Pay for non-Apple device makers, and advocates its compatibility with systems already in place at retailers throughout the U.S. Its tech currently works using a standalone fob or a CardCase, which incorporates the payment tech into a protective case designed for use with some of the top smartphones currently available. A LoopPay app allows you to input and store payment card information, and the case communicates wirelessly with existing tap-to-pay terminals available at merchants and retailers. It works by mimicking mag stripe technology, meaning it shouldn’t even require updated hardware in most stores.
LoopPay founders Will Grayling and George Wallner will join Samsung’s Mobile Division as part of the acquisition arrangement, and both the company’s talent and the tech will help the smartphone maker further its mobile wallet ambitions, according to a statement by Mobile Division President and Head of IT JK Shin. Samsung is making very clear that the acquisition will help it produce its own mobile wallet solution, likely a direct competitor to Apple Pay.

By: Unknown On 04:10

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Samsung Wants To Build LoopPay Into Devices, And To Build A Holistic Mobile Wallet

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Samsung will acquire LoopPay, the companies announced today, and TechCrunch spoke with LoopPay CEO Will Graylin, Samsung Innovation Center EVP David Eun and Dr. Injong Rhee, EVP and  head of Samsung Mobile about the smartphone maker’s plans for its new asset, as well as LoopPay’s tech and approach to mobile payments.
Samsung said it would be working toward building LoopPay’s technology into future devices, and stressed that this isn’t just about mobile payments: It’s about building a mobile wallet that is more comprehensive in scope, without requiring either merchants or consumers to change their behavior at a faster pace than they’re necessarily willing to accept.

By: Unknown On 02:30

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Xiaomi Edged Out Samsung As China’s Top Smartphone Vendor In 2014, Says IDC

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By: Unknown On 00:55

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Samsung Teases Galaxy S6 Camera As Reports Of Two All-Metal Models Emerge

Samsung’s next flagship device is going to be revealed in just a few short weeks ahead of this year’s Mobile World Congress, and the head of the company’s camera division is already teasing us about its photo capabilities. In an official blog post, Samsung SVP DongHoon Jang provided a survey of the company’s smartphone camera progress over the years, complete with a chart breaking things down in terms of megapixel count on both front and back cameras from the Galaxy S, to last year’s Galaxy S5.

Jang talked a lot about some of the specific advances made to smartphone cameras in recent years, including technical tricks like High Dynamic Range (HDR) and phase detection auto focus. Thanks to these and other features, the Galaxy S5 has earned a reputation as among the best rear cameras currently available on a smartphone, according to Jang.

In a section hinting at what’s to come, Jang highlighted the recent work Samsung has done to improve the front-facing camera on their devices, including the 5 megapixel shooter on Galaxy A7, A5 and A3 devices. That’s likely an indication that the upcoming flagship Galaxy S6 (or whatever Samsung chooses to call it) will have at least a 5 megapixel sensor up front, if not something even more-improved to serve our growing vanity.

Jang also notes that each new generation of camera goes through over 10,000 photo-captures of testing, in all types of lighting, and this is linked to how they’re thinking about the next generation of mobile cameras for their devices. He says the cameras on this year’s flagship will be

By: Unknown On 14:42

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Samsung Edits Orwellian Clause Out Of TV Privacy Policy

Following a storm of criticism relating to a creepy-sounding privacy policy covering its smart TVs, Samsung has today published a rebuttal and a more detailed explanation of the workings of its under-fire voice recognition feature. It has also edited the wording of its privacy policy to avoid sounding quite so eerily similar to George Orwell’s 1984 dystopia.
The original policy, which has been in place for some months, warned users of Samsung’s Internet-connected TVs:
Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.
Which sounded very much as if Samsung were asking its customers to self-censor their conversations when sitting in front of their own TVs in their own homes. An impression that was compounded by the lack of clarity about how exactly Samsung’s voice-recognition feature worked

By: Unknown On 07:50

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Google’s Maps App For iOS And Android Gets Material Design And Uber Estimates

Google has updated Maps to keep with the visual theme introduced with Android 5.0 Lollipop, which it calls material design. The new mobile apps now feature bold headers of solid flat colors and animations that evoke pieces of paper sliding over one another. The apps also offer new features, including reservations you can make at restaurants through the app via OpenTable, and both time and price estimates for the Uber transport method introduced in May.

The update will roll out over the next few days, so don’t be disappointed if you aren’t seeing it right away. Based on the previews supplied by the company, the visual overhaul here is as pleasant and well-executed as is the rest of Android 5.0, which I’m particularly smitten with. The additional features are also very helpful, with reservation integration eliminating the additional step of having to open a separate app or web page in order to book a table once you’ve used Google to see what’s available around you.
The deepening of the Uber partnership is particularly interesting – it will admittedly help anyone who uses the transport service to get around, but it also means Google is getting even cosier with a company that is also a portfolio member in its investment arm, Google Ventures. Building Uber time and price right into the Maps app gives it a considerable advantage over other means of private transit, including standard taxi services.

We’ll keep you updated on Google’s progress as it continues to put material design on everything within its considerable realm of software and apps – and of course we’ll be watching the Uber connection closely, as the next stage would presumably be offering Uber booking direct, without requiring a user to even leave the app.

By: Unknown On 12:41

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Galaxy Note 4

Galaxy Note 4 All Possibilities & Rumors

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was released in September 2013, which is one of the most powerful Android device that Samsung ever launched and along with it, the Samsung Galaxy Gear wearable smart device was introduced to the world. The sales of Note 3 are going really impressive and they have already set the new records. And now here comes the shadow of big brother of the Galaxy Note family, the Galaxy Note 4 phablet.

The next Samsung Note would be released in 2014 August or September. The famous Galaxy Note Series started in 2011 and that time, there was no competitor in the market for this range of the device but other manufacturers like LG joined the war quickly. And now, in the phablet market Sony, HTC and Nokia are gaining interest. However, the king is Samsung only. Galaxy Note 3 is the star phablet of the 2013 market but on other hand, HTC One Max and Sony Xperia Z Ultra are not far in the race, there are also powered with similar hardware but Note 3 is better among these all and performed better in benchmark tests as well. But the present sales results shows, no one can compete the Note 3 phablet and history will repeat with Galaxy Note 4 is still a question?

No doubt, the journey of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 would carry few speed breakers and it implies with every device of the market. But the future Samsung Galaxy phablet seems to be promising. The imagination for the next Galaxy Note is already started and with the intervals of time, Samsung keep on revealing the hardware and specifications that would be powering next generation Samsung android devices and on the top of the list, Samsung Note 4 and Galaxy S5 would be the star devices of 2014.

Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note IV would take the generation of smartphones to the next level but how it would happen? The answer is hidden in the research and development unit of Samsung. Since 2012 Jan, Samsung has revealed few of the power parts for the smartphone that includes, true octa-core processor chipset, flexible display, curved YOUM displays, 128GB on-board storage memory and 2K resolution display panels. But our concern is, when we will see all of these specifications in a smartphone?

You are thinking right, in 2014 Samsung will welcome its new Galaxy S family memory, the Galaxy S5 with true Octa-core processor and the performance level would be massive if there would be 64-bit architecture. After the launch of iPhone 5S with 64-bit processor chipset, other manufacturers are running to achieve this standard in their respective smartphones and Samsung has commented similar for its future upcoming Android devices included Galaxy Note 2014 phablet and Galaxy S5.

To be specific about next Galaxy phablet, lots of things are already known and the true shape could be imagined with the possibilities of 2014 and past exposure of Samsung. And here we have collected and listed the important things that you can find interesting.

Galaxy Note 4 release date possibilities

A month is just completed since the launch of Galaxy Note 3 and here we are talking about Note 4 release date, we know it doesn’t make sense to talk about it, presently. But the previous records shows, Samsung launch one Galaxy Note phablet / smartphone once in a year.

• N7000 Galaxy Note release date – 2011, September
• N7100 Galaxy Note 2 release date – 2012, August
• Galaxy Note 3 release date – 2013, September
• Galaxy Note 4 release date – 2014, August / September?

If we just observe the records then simply the month of August and September comein front as Galaxy Note 4 release date. But the present records of Samsung are flexible enough to think one more time, guessing the release month of Note 4. Samsung is launching one Galaxy S smartphone every year. In 2013 March, Samsung releasedGalaxy S4 and accordingly, it should launch Galaxy S5 smartphone in 2014, March. Earlier, the rumor release date was 2014 March only, but recently Samsung commented that they are launching Galaxy S5 in January and the reason behind it of course, competition pressure and sharp decline in the growing sales of S4. So, you can’t simply guess, August or Sep 2014, Samsung would launch Note 3. As discussed above, few competitors HTC One Max and Xperia Z Ultra are not behind in the race to Galaxy Note 3.

Galaxy Note 4 price range

Presently, Galaxy Note 3 price is around $730 in most of the countries and if smartphone or phablet reached to the $750 barrier price then it is consider pretty costly device and same thing is happening with Note 3. No doubt, within couple of months a good drop will come to the Note 3 price but our concern is what would be Galaxy Note 4 price? The answer is simple, at the time of Note 4 launch, there would be no device of Samsung which would belong to $750 price range, and accordingly, Note 4 will come in action with its price range of $750 max. And if Samsung will give more price tag then everyone has to think, what the special things of the device are and is it really worth.

Yes, price is still one of the main concerns while buying high end smart device. According to the past study of Samsung price range for Android devices, The Samsung Note 4 price would not cross $800 barrier.

Galaxy Note 4 Specs and Features

• True Octa-core processor on Exynos 64-bit chipset or big.LITTLE 16-core Exynos 64-bit chipset
• 5.7 inches, true 2K resolution (2160p) display, (wouldn’t be 3D or flexible), don’tconsider the rumors of flexible display and 3D display. However, curved edges display could be the part of this device but Samsung will avoid this in Note series because Samsung will launch separate series Galaxy F for such devices as per the rumors.
• 4GB RAM – Confirmed. Yes, for sure in 2014 mid, the RAM standard in smartphone would reach to 4GB level. Already, Note 3 took this standard to 3GB RAM.
• 128GB on board storage memory is not so far. Samsung has already shown such prototypes of memory modules in 2012 and now the time has come to show the real spark to the world. Next Samsung Note phablet could debut with 128GB on board storage version.
• 21MP ISOCELL rear facing sensor
• 3600 to 3800 mAh battery
• 4G and Dual channel Wi-Fi capabilities

Update: 12/03/2013 – OIS Camera 20.7 MP

As per the recent rumors, our next generation Note would have 20.7MP camera sensor. We have also reported in the past there would be 21MP OIS sensor in Note 4 but other sources on web also confirming presence of such sensor.

Update: 12/12/2013 – Note 4 will have PLS LCD display?

Samsung internal news has confirmed that they are going to opt PLS LCD display. At present, similar type of display is used in Note 10.1 and Nexus 10. And now, Samsung is turning to these display to cut the cost by 20%. Yes, younger brother Galaxy S5 would also be launched with similar display. Another interesting rumors states that, Samsung has started testing the fingerprint sensor with its smartphone and S5, Note 4 would be first to have. Let’s see…

Update 01/08/14 – 3 Sided display a myth?

In the past few weeks, we came to know many rumors. Specifically, the internal news of Samsung confirms the manufacturing of 3-sided display, which would be all new concept in the field of smartphones. Already, Samsung has shown such display in past but now they can come in existence & practice. Regarding the display, earlier there were rumors, LCD display instead of Super AMOLED display, because Samsung wants to cut the cost. The new concept of 3-sided display is really interesting but as per the few analysts’ view, Samsung will not experiment such display with top selling series, they might launch separate series.

You must know, at the time of Galaxy Note 3 launch the rumors were saying, we will see curved display smartphone but we only have traditional display Note 3, however in terms of technology the display of Note 3 is advanced. 2K Ultra HD display for Samsung Note 4 makes sense, if Samsung wants to experiment 3-sided display then we will see another series or region specific smartphone. And similar happen in the case of Note 3, the curved display version of Note 3 is Galaxy Round which region specific smartphone, no global version exists. When it is about profits, Samsung will take the minimal risk.

Update 01/10/14 

Recently, a rumor regarding the Galaxy Note 4 is spreading like fire that Samsung may use diamond-dipped alloy for manufacturing the Galaxy Note 4 body and it will provide the maximum strength to the phone as well. But it doesn’t make sense to use diamond alloy “Dymalloy” to use in a smartphone, it will directly affect the cost. On one hand, Samsung looks to reduce the cost of the device by using LCD display instead AMOLED then why they will opt such costlier alloy. But simple metal alloy could be used to make the built of Samsung Note 4. The myths would only be myths, imagine your phone with the possible and sensible specifications. Cheers!

Update 01/18/14 – new touch wiz, more scope for S-Pen

The excitement of next Galaxy Note 4 is increasing with every new leak. Here comes a new leak stating that the touch wiz of next Galaxy Note 2014 would be completely different, will bring new shortcuts, new gestures, new s-pen functions, in short the interface and its design would be all new. You would not only see a different smart machine in your hand but also it would be virtually different from inside.

The next Galaxy Note release date is still in dilemma but few sources are confirming Note 4 would be released in IFA 2014 as Note 3 released in IFA 2013, but it would be too late for the fans. Early rumor regarding the Note 4 release date in later second quarter makes sense, if we are expecting device to appear earlier. And younger brother of original Note 3 i.e. Galaxy Note 3 Neo would appear in Feb 2014, which is actually the cheaper and lite specs Note 3 but still looks promising and 8-core processor sounds massive for it.

Update 01/30/2014 – The all new 4K resolution SUPER AMOLED, ready to shine…

Hold your heart, this rumor is one of the most interesting leaks over the time. Yes, Samsung might go with 4K-resolution display in Galaxy Note 4 and it will set the world record in terms of pixel density. Next Galaxy Note may debut with 4K-resolution display.

Earlier there were rumors, we will see 2K-resolution display and now rumor set it to 4K. At present, we can’t confirm what would be exact resolution of display but as earlier said, next Note would carry LCD display but the 4K display would be Super AMOLED, so it’s a good news for those criticizing LCD display in next Galaxy Note flagship. Cheers!

Update  02/06/2014 – Auto adjustable resolution 4K display and 2K resolution native Touch-Wiz next version!

Here comes an interesting rumor, that the 4K resolution display of Samsung Galaxy Note 4 would be programmed such that it could adjust it’s resolution automatically ranging upto 4K resolution. It will directly impact the battery life. Earlier, after the news of 4K display, people were criticizing because of battery issues but here comes the solution. Auto Adjustable resolution as per the content feed. Also, its worth noticing that touch-wiz next version will support the native resolution of 2K.

Update 02/22/2014 – Galaxy Note 4 with waterproof and dustproof characteristics (sources confirming)

Again we have an interesting news regarding our flagship of 2014, that Samsung will not launch a separate version of Note 4 with waterproof and dustproof characteristics. The good news states that, Samsung will launch one global version of Galaxy Note 4 with waterproof and dustproof characteristics. And if we talk about the other rumors regarding the display of 4K resolution or flexible display then we have no confirmation, all these leaks are still in dilemma.

Update 03/04/2014 – Galaxy Note with Handwriting recognition

As per a latest patent filing with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, one of the most hyped Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will feature advanced handwriting recognition feature. According to this filing, you can use your handwriting to unlock device, rather than iris or fingerprint scan. For doing that, it will feature S Pen stylus! Unlike ordinary stylus, it will unlock more new capabilities for your Note 4 device. Though Galaxy Note 2 and Note 3 already have this feature, it is going to expand to let the users to provide commands by writing on the lock screen. However, you will have to get your handwriting registered for doing that.

Update 03/06/2014 – Galaxy Note 4 likely to have OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)

Although the recently released Galaxy S5 has no optical image stabilization by default like in Google Nexus 5, how ever it has picture stabilization and video stabilization modes. Because of having some issues with components in order to design camera with OIS, Samsung has postponed the module to be done when they have to launchGalaxy Note 4. Now you can get the device which features both Video Stabilization and Optical Image alike.

Update 03/18/2014 - 20nm 4GB DDR3 DRAM will bring blazing fast speed to Galaxy Note 4

Recently, Samsung has unveiled the 20nm DDR3 DRAM and announced that it is ready for production in mass scale. This hardware’s design is based on a cutting-edge technology which ensures operations to be steered at a blazing fast speed and thus guaranteeing the gadgets, in which it will be integrated, to respond with almost lightning speed. Galaxy Note 4 being the high end flagship smartphone of Samsung queued up for 2014, we are sure that the advanced 20nm DDR3 DRAM will be integrated in it as presence of such advanced features will give this gadget an edge over its competitors.

Update 04/06/2014 - Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Might Be Powered by Android 4.5 Lollipop

All the flagship smartphones of 2014 are expected to be run on Android 4.4 KitKat, the newest member in the Android family. However, there are chances that Galaxy Note 4, the flagship phablet style phone is going to be powered by the next version of Android platform i.e. Android 4.5 Lollipop. Since Note 4 will be released in the last quarter of 2014, we cannot rule out this possibility altogether.

Update 04/14/2014 QHD AMOLED Display?

Rumours about Samsung’s next generation flagship smartphones and phablets featuring QHD display is in the air for quite a long time, thus suggesting that Samsung developers were working hard to develop this technology.

However, a Taiwanese concern named AU Optronics has nailed down the technology for developing QHD display before Samsung. AUO has come up with a 5.7 inch display screen with 2560 x 1440 screen resolution, the most advanced display in terms of screen resolution. And wait there is more to it: this display is only 0.57mm thick and has pixel density of 571ppi.

Therefore, AOU has set a benchmark with the release of this display and now it is surely going to attract global client i.e. mobile manufacturers including Samsung.

Most importantly, now we can definitely expect Galaxy Note 4 to have a QHD display as the technology is all set to roll out and there is still time left for the release of Note 4 which is due for release in IFA 2014 in Berlin.

Update 04/22/2014 Youm Display rumours 

Rumour has it that Galaxy Note 4, Samsung’s next phablet promises to provide you with the ultimate screen experience with its Youm display. It will be the first smartphone to be packed with flexible OLED Youm display i.e. the display will be extended on the two sides of the phone and thus it will be possible to check notifications from the side of the phone like email alerts, messages, Facebook or whatsapp messages without activating the phone. In 2013 we have already seen Samsung showcasing the concept of Youm display and now it’s time to actual see it getting implemented in its next generation gadget. What do you guys say?

Update 04/28/2014 New Form Factor for Galaxy Note 4

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is surely going to sport a new form factor as Yoon Han-kil, Senior VP of Samsung’s Product Strategy team has stated this fact in a meeting with Reuters. He stated that studies reveal that Chinese smartphone manufacturers have created a niche for themselves in the global market and they are constantly increasing their stronghold. He also stated that they are worried about the declining high end market and thus will bring about innovative changes in its product line to be in the limelight. Thereafter, he revealed that Galaxy Note 4 is going to come with a new form factor, in keeping with the above mentioned promise. However, he didn’t mention whether it will sport a flexible or curved form factor. Samsung already has patent over plenty of cutting edge form factors, let’s wait and watch which one of these Galaxy Note 4 is going to sport.

Update: 25-05-2014 Range of Cool Software Updates in Galaxy Note 4

Samsung’s Galaxy Note series phone have always boasted about its cool software features and the next flagship i.e. Galaxy Note 4 is no exception to that. Lately, a tipster has revealed that there are chances of four awesome software updates in Note 4, namely:
‘Aqua Capture’ for capturing underwater pictures and thereby assuring Note 4 will come with water resistant capacity than its contemporaries;
‘Smart Fingerprint’ which is expected to add on to the functions of fingerprint recognition feature;
‘Motion Launcher’ whereby the phablet can be activated by swiping fingers on the screen even when the display is off;
‘Multi Network for Booster’ whereby both WiFi and data connection can be used simultaneously to download large files swiftly.

Rumour has it that these software updates are presently been tested in Galaxy S5 and once the R&D is complete it will be integrated in Note 4. Nonetheless, since Note 4 is not expected to arrive before three months from now, there might be some alterations in the software updates.

Update: 01-07-2014 By July 2014, Galaxy Note 4 Will Be Ready for Mass Production

Many speculations have been made about the features of Note 4 for almost a year now and presently the focus of discussion has shifted on its release date. The latest update on the release date of this phablet is that Samsung has perfected the technology of Note 4 and it will initiate mass production of this gadget from the month of July. We are expecting Note 4 to launch in pre IFA 2014 event. IFA 2014 is scheduled from 5th to 10th September, therefore if Samsung organizes a pre IFA event it should be ideally on 3rd or 4th September. Therefore, mass production of the gadget should start by July, 2014 so that 3 to 4 million gadgets are ready for circulation in the market by September. September, 2014 will also witness the release of iPhone 6 another flagship gadgets from Apple. So Samsung will try to release Note 4 at the earliest so that it can lure more clients towards it.

Update: 05-07-2014 12 MP OIS Camera Might Be a Feature of Galaxy Note 4

OIS or Optical Image Stabilization is a one of the most demanding features of smartphones. However, there are only a few smartphone brands that could integrate this technology in their flagship phones. Though there are always rumours about Samsung incorporating this feature in their next flagship phones, but it have never turned out to be a reality. There have some issues because of which Samsung had to postpone its plan. But recent reports suggest that Galaxy Note 4 which is about to hit the market in a few more months will have a 12 MP OIS camera and 3.7 MP front facing camera. This news report was published in the Korean media and they went on to suggest that Samsung has already set up the factory where this 12MP OIS camera unit will be produced and the sensors will be manufactured in the Samsung’s Tianjin factory.

At present, Samsung is offering 13MP utmost sensor in Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4. We might see, 16MP sensor in S5 and later on, Samsung Note 4 with 20MP sensor would be roaring in the market. Already, Sony Xperia Z1 has such sensor rated at 20.7 MP and if we will expect something better than Sony’s sensor after few months from now, then we are not wrong to expect something better. Also, recently internal news of Samsung has confirmed that this new ISOCELL sensor has entered in the manufacturing phase. Let’s wait and watch for more action that would be brought by Samsung in 2014.

The story regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 release date, specs, features, price and prototypes will not end here, there is long road to walk, and this was just our early view regarding the future Samsung devices. You are most welcome to share your views by commenting below this post, also you can subscribe to us for receiving all future & latest updates of Galaxy Note 4. 

By: Unknown On 00:33

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