A few days back, we reported that Samsung had started pushing a new software update for the Galaxy S8 series. The same update is now available for two more old smartphones, namely Galaxy S5 Neo, Galaxy S7 series, and Galaxy Note 8. Let’s check out what is it all about.

Galaxy S5 Neo, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy Note 8 are not eligible for software support, just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. Despite this, all of these old flagship series handsets are being treated with a new software update.

The latest firmware for these phones neither brings new features nor bumps up the security patch level. Instead, it arrives with a fix related to GPS. As per GalaxyClub, Samsung is preparing to release this update for multiple older devices. 

Looks like the issue is critical as even the 7-year-old Galaxy J7 received the same update recently. Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S9 Plus are expected to be the next in line to get this GPS fix update.

If you are still using any of the aforementioned smartphones, then head over to Settings to download and install the update. If you don’t see the update yet, then try later as it may take some time to reach all regional variants.

It’s good to see Samsung issuing software updates for out-of-support handsets. Currently, the company is also ahead of the competition by promising 4 Android updates and 5 years of security updates for select devices.

What are your thoughts on Samsung’s software update policy for its phones? Do let us know in the comment section below.

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Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 series consisting of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in March 2016. These devices are no longer eligible for security updates. However, despite being almost 5 years old, the South Korean tech giant is now rolling out September 2020 security patch to these two phones.

Previously, Samsung used to provide two Android updates and up to 4 years of security updates to its flagship handsets. Hence, the company provided security patches for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge up until March 2020.

But now, after 7 months, Samsung is seeding another update in the form of September 2020 security patch. There’s no need for the company to provide this update as the duo has received security patches for 4 years as promised.

As SamMobile suggests, this update may include certain critical patches and therefore, the world’s largest smartphone maker might have released it. Currently, the update is live in the US and Europe. It should be available in other regions in the coming days.

In August, HUAWEI Mate 8, a smartphone from 2015 also received a system update after the end of its support period. It not only brought July 2020 security patch but also a useful feature called “Smart Charge” for the battery.

Anyway, these handsets still pale in comparison with Apple’s track record of releasing iOS updates.

UP NEXT: Here’s the official list of Samsung Galaxy devices eligible for three generations of Android updates

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Samsung is currently working hard to roll out Android Oreo software version to all of its compatible units by the middle of May. In line with that, the South Korean giant is expected to roll out the new Android Oreo operating system update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

In the Samsung Members portal, the company posted an update recently, where the company said that it was “doing its best” to have the update rolled out by the middle of next month. While the schedule on the forum is designed for the South Korean users, though the updates are likely to be pushed all across the globe soon after its debut in the South Korean region.

The US carrier versions of the Galaxy S7-series, as well as the unlocked variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, have recently received Android Oreo certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance.  Samsung Canada previously suggested that the S7 Oreo update would land in the summer.

Alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung is all set to bring the Android Oreo update to the Galaxy A5 (2017), Galaxy A7 (2017), and Galaxy Tab S3 LTE and Wi-Fi models in the first half of the year. Update rollouts for these devices are also subject to the development process and prior approval.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) have already started getting updated to Android Oreo in some regions. The Android Oreo update from Samsung is also expected to include Samsung Experience 9.0 along with several interface-level tweaks.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018) And A6 Plus (2018) Prices Outed in a New Leak

Earlier this year, the South Korean giant rolled out Android Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The update included features such as new launcher shortcuts, colored media notifications, dual messenger, and a revamped About Menu in Settings, among several other changes. It also came with several Android Oreo core features, including Notification dots, Smart Autofill, Picture-in-Picture mode, and faster boot time.

(Source)

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Last year, the Galaxy Note 7 had to be discontinued within few months of its official in launch in August. Today, a report from South Korea has revealed that a Galaxy S7 exploded when it kept for charging.

Samsung had launched the Galaxy S7 in the first half of 2016 and it was provided in exchange for the recalled units of the Galaxy Note 7. On Aug. 14, a 20-year-old Galaxy S7 user had left it for charging and at around 3 AM it exploded. The sparks resulting from the fire not only damaged the flooring and furniture of her bedroom, but also resulted in severe burns on her hands.

The user claimed that she has been using the official charger from Samsung to charge her Galaxy S7. She said that she had been using the smartphone since July 2016 and she did not face any problems since with it before. After her Galaxy S7 exploded, she gave the phone to the service center which returned it to her in two days. For further investigation, she gave the handset to the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS).

Read More: Galaxy Note 8 Awarded with A+ Grade for the Most Innovative & High-Performance Smartphone Display

An official from KATS said it would take some time to complete the investigation as the previous probe on the Note 7 lasted for around six months. A representative from Samsung Electronics said that none of the Galaxy S7 devices that have been sold so far had met such a consequence. He added that are waiting for the examination reports from KATS.

The Galaxy Note 7 that came with a slim chassis boasted a large battery of 3,500mAh. The batteries were sourced from Samsung SDI and Amperex Technology Limited for the Galaxy Note 7. The overheating was caused by the batteries from both suppliers. Batteries from Samsung SDI short circuited because of insufficient space between protective pouch around the battery and the internals. Some of the batteries from Amperex Technology did not have insulation tape and others had sharp protrusions that damaged the separator between cathode and anode.

Samsung is quite confident that the recently launched Galaxy Note 8 will not explode as it features a smaller battery. Moreover, the Snapdragon 835 chipset is quite power efficient which will make the Note 8 to last longer even though it features a smaller battery. However, a battery life comparison between Note 7 and Note 8 has revealed that the former will deliver better battery performance.

(source)

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When the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were launched, initial reports had revealed that these flagship that come with full-screen design have met with overwhelming response all over the world. However, recent reports have claimed that the sales of Galaxy S8 duo are lagging behind the Galaxy S7 even though South Korean company did not reveal the official numbers. During a recent press meeting in Taipei, Samsung CEO DJ Koh debunked these reports by giving out some information on the sales of Galaxy S8 and S8+.

According to Koh, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ sales are 15 percent than the sales of their predecessors when compared to the same period in 2016. He added that the company is of the view that the sales of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will grow even more in the upcoming third and fourth quarters of this year. Koh has not given out any particular details on how many units of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were sold.

In the recent weeks, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have been spotted with big discounts. Such price cuts could also help the sales number of the Galaxy S8 duo to increased significantly.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Renders & Details Surface

It was during this meeting that Koh gave out new information on Galaxy Note 8’s arrival. He revealed that the Note 8 would be launching at the end of the next month. The South Korean media have revealed in the past week that the Note 8 would be launching on Aug. 23.

Koh stated that Samsung would be using two-phase release strategy for the Galaxy Note 8. In the first phase that will start in early September, the Note 8 would be hitting markets like the South Korea, the U.S. and the U.K. The second phase would begin October during which the Note 8 will be released in other markets.

Samsung has recently released the Galaxy Note Fan Edition and it has too met with an overwhelming reception. Before the release of Note FE, the daily device activations in South Korea was 15,000. However, after the release of Note 8, the daily device activations have increased to 24,000 in the country. Samsung has planned to sell the Galaxy Note FE only in South Korea. However, an insider has revealed that the Note FE would be also releasing in some other regions in this month.

(source|via)

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Recent reports about the Galaxy S8’s sales shows Samsung has gotten past its Galaxy Note 7 woes. Latest sales figure were shared by a Samsung official to Korean media, The Investor.

As at Sunday, May 28, Samsung says it has sold 1 million Galaxy S8 units in its home country since it went on sale on April 21. That’s about thirty-seven days, which is a huge improvement over the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7. It took the S6 and the S7 seventy-five and seventy-four days respectively to hit the 1 million mark. That means the S8 is selling twice as fast as its predecessors.

Samsung isn’t usually open about its sales this early. However an industry source says it may be using it as a marketing strategy. It had started with pre-order sales, announcing that pre-orders had crossed half a million within two days. A little over a week later, it confirmed that pre-orders had reached the one million mark.

When its Bixby assistant became available on May 1, Samsung again revealed that the number of adopters on the first day was 160,000. It also stressed that shipments of the phone were over 10 million units when global sales was announced to have reached 5 million.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017), Galaxy J5 (2017) Reviews Appear Before Official Launch

The Galaxy S8 is a fantastic device and it is good to see Samsung recover from the Note 7 mess. Samsung’s targets for the S8 is 60 million units by year’s end. Let’s see if it achieves it.

(Source, via)

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Samsung has been rewarded with the SID Display of the Year Award for Galaxy S7 Edge’s quad-edge flexible display technology by the Society of Information Display (SID). Since the launch of Galaxy Note Edge, the South Korean company has been providing its customers with marvelous smartphones with curved-edge screens. Samsung has also inspired other companies to launch dual-edge curved screen smartphones.

The innovative flexible display products manufactured by Samsung Display have been used in its smartphones since 2013. The South Korean company had was awarded with SID Display of the Year award for a curved AMOLED and a bended AMOLED respectively in 2013 and 2015.

On Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung debuted the first ever quad-edge flexible technology used in the industry that curves at top and bottom apart from the sides. The radius of the curvature at the left and right edges of the AMOLED screen can be varied by using the special curved technology that makes it possible to have a curved screen with natural curve appeal and better grip. The circuit plan of the screen has cut down the dead space around the edges of the screen to 1.09 mm.

Read More: Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 to Arrive as Galaxy Note FE in June End, Claims Report

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagship smartphones of 2017 feature larger quad-edge display with reduced bezels at the top and bottom. The display technology introduced on Galaxy S8 duo is known as Infinity Display.

The 2016 flagship phones, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge respectively feature 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch quad HD AMOLED screens. However, the Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch S-AMOLED screen whereas the Galaxy S8+ has a 6.2-inch S-AMOLED display. The screens on Galaxy S8 duo offer a higher screen-to-body ratio and supports a screen resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Both the Galaxy S8 duo have received overwhelming response from the audience and critics.

The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is also expected to feature Infinity Display. Rumors have it that the Note 8 would be coming with a 6.3-inch UHD screen that will support 4K resolution. It seems that Samsung has a very good chance of winning the SID Display of the Year again in the next year. The Galaxy Note 8 is speculated to get announced in August or September this year.

(source)

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At present, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are hogging all the limelight. However, its predecessors, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge from 2016 are also immensely popular flagship smartphones. A new report from Strategy Analytics reveal that Samsung has sold more than 55 million units of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge until the end of the first quarter of this year starting from March 12, 2016. It further states that 7.2 million units of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were sold in the first quarter of the year.

The higher sales of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge could have probably happened because of the discontinuation of Samsung’s other flagship of 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 and the late arrival of Galaxy S8 duo in April this year. According to the report, Samsung had a market share of 23 percent in the first quarter as it sold 80 million smartphones out of the 92.8 million units its sold.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Renders: Infinity Display, Thinner Bezels & Quad Cameras

Since the reputation of the smartphone business was marred by the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung aims to make a full-fledged recovery by the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. Hence, both the phones are available with unmatched features like larger dual-edge curved screens, iris scanner, facial recognition, Bixby AI assistant and more.

The sales of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to surpass last year’s models. There were 550,000 reservations made for Galaxy S8 and S8+ in just two days of pre-orders in South Korea. It was 150,000 than the Galaxy Note 7 and 5.5 times more than the Galaxy S7 pre-orders for initial two days in the previous year. To meet such a high demand, the South Korean company has reportedly produced twice the number of S8 and S8+ units for 2017 in comparison to S7 and S7 Edge units in 2016.

According to KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have received phenomenal market response since their launch. The analyst had previously forecasted that Samsung would ship 40 to 45 million units this year. However, the market feedback has significantly increased for the full-screen design of the Galaxy S8 duo after their launch because of which the analyst has revised his forecast by stating that Samsung may ship 50 to 55 million units of Galaxy S8 models.

(source|via)

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Once upon a time, there was the duo of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that went on to make a monumental record for the Korean company. Now Samsung has launched the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus which are the successors to the S7 and S7 Edge. Both the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus came with a stunning design, boasting of an infinity display as well as the latest Snapdragon 835 chipset.

The level of innovation on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, coupled with the powerful hardware they pack may have spurred Samsung to project that the combined lifetime sales of its new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus to be more than the combined lifetime sales of its previous-generation Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Differ Not Only in Size and Battery But Also in Performance

As at today, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge combined is Samsung’s all-time highest grossing smartphones having grossed up to 50,000 units in sales. Even though they are still being sold in markets around the world, Samsung expects the feat achieved by the duo to be surpassed by the new beautiful twin bride in town. Earlier rumours from South Korea had hinted that Samsung hopes to ship up to 60 million units of both the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. That might not be a baseless rumour after all.

(source)

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Samsung has already started rolling out the Android Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in some regions. The time of update according to Samsung will vary from country to country.

The official Samsung account on Weibo has however said the Nougat update for residents in Mainland China will begin in mid-February. So if you own any of the devices listed below, you should prepare for the update next month:

• S7 and S7 Edge
• S6 and S6 Edge
• Galaxy Note 5
• Galaxy S6 Edge+
• Galaxy Tab A with S-Pen (2016)
• Galaxy Tab S2 (LTE unlocked version)
• Galaxy A3 (2016)
• Galaxy A8 (2016)

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy C5 Pro with 4GB RAM and Snapdragon 625 Appears on Geekbench

Samsung says the Nougat update will bring a new system UX, faster speeds for downloading apps, and a faster system operation speed. You will also get new android features like split-screen multitasking, threaded notifications, and an always-on Doze mode.

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The rumor mill has been talking about the Samsung Galaxy S8 since several months. As its release date is nearing, newer information are surfacing. The Guardian has revealed in-depth information on some of the specifications and features that will arrive on Galaxy S8. It has reported that the information on the next-generation flagship phones from Samsung have come from a reliable source.

According to the publication, Samsung will be coming in two models. The Galaxy S8 is expected to feature a 5-inch display and its larger sibling is speculated to house a 6-inch screen. Both the smartphones will be featuring dual-edge curved screen like the one present on Galaxy S7 Edge. These phones are codenamed as Dream and Dream 2. Other sources have suggested that these models will launch as Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.

In terms of size, the Galaxy S8 will be similar to Galaxy S7, but it will include such a large screen that there will not be any space left on the front side of the screen to add company’s logo. This kind of screen is dubbed as “infinity display” by Samsung. In other words, it will be sporting slimmer on bezels on top and bottom. Moreover, it will be arriving with a bezel-less design.

Related: LG G6 to Feature Snapdragon 821 as the Galaxy S8 Requires Entire Snapdragon 835 Initial Supply

Previous rumors have claimed that the fingerprint scanner will be embedded under the screen of Galaxy S8. However, fresh information suggest that it will be placed on the rear side of the phone. For robust security, the Galaxy S8 will be also featuring an iris scanner. It is the same iris reader that was included in Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung Galaxy S8 will not be coming with a dual-camera setup. It is expected to sport an improved version of the same “duo pixel” camera that is available on Galaxy S7. Hence, it would be featuring a faster camera that would be able to snap better images and take stunning shots in dim-light conditions.  It is also expected to come with an object recognition feature that will function like Google Goggles.

As expected, the Snapdragon 835 SoC will be powering the Galaxy S8 models. Its native storage will be 64 GB and it would be support a microSD card of up to 256 GB. Even though some rumors have stated that the 3.5 mm audio jack will be axed on Galaxy S8, the publication has reported that the feature will remain intact. The S8 will be also equipped with a USB Type-C port. It will sport a new version of Gear VR and Gear 360 camera.

The Galaxy S8 will also feature its own digital personal assistant. The rumor mill has claimed that the AI assistant will be called Bixby, but the publication could not confirm its name. The AI assistant will be to carry different kinds of tasks such as identifying object through the camera of the phone. The South Korean company has entered contracts with several third-party companies to provide data sources for the digital personal assistant.

Samsung Galaxy S8 will also come with new accessories. One of them is a dock that will allow users to connect the Galaxy S8 to an external screen, a keyboard and other peripherals to use it as an Android desktop. This function is similar to Continuum feature of Windows 10. This feature will be called DeX.

The publication has added the exact release date of Galaxy S8 has not been confirmed yet. However, Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S8 in late March and begin its sales on or around April 21.

(Source)

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Several smartphone manufacturers have started rolling out Nougat update. Apart from Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, none of the Samsung smartphones have receive Android Nougat. Sam Mobile has compiled a list of Samsung smartphones that would be getting the latest Android software.

Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S7 Active

Users of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in the U.S., the U.K and China are now able to update to Android 7.0. The update is gradually reaching other users of the world. Samsung is also expected to release Android N update for Galaxy S7 Active.

Samsung Galaxy A (2017)

The South Korean company announced new Galaxy A series smartphones at the start of this year. The Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) have arrived with Marshmallow OS pre-installed. However, these devices will be soon getting the Android N upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note 5, S6 Edge+, S6 Active

The Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy Note 5 were all found being tested with Android Nougat in the last quarter of 2016. Speculations suggest all the five devices will get Android N by the end of Q1 or in Q2 after the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus in April.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus Dimensions and Model Numbers Leaked

Samsung Galaxy A (2016)

In December 2016, rumors had started swirling that the 2016 versions of Galaxy A smartphones would be getting the Android 7.0 Nougat update.  Hence, smartphones like Galaxy A3 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A8 (2016), Galaxy A9 (2016) and Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) are eligible to get Android N upgrade. These devices are expected the latest Android version after 2017 Galaxy A smartphones receives it.

Samsung Galaxy J (2016)

The Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) are the only two Galaxy J series smartphones to get Android N. It seems that the update for these smartphones would be arriving after all the above-mentioned devices get Android N.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Tab A

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and Galaxy Tab A are the only tablets that are rumored to receive Android Nougat update.

(Source)

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Once we think of smartphones these days, we think of some big and bulky devices with huge displays. Some of those phones can’t even fit into the pocket. Meet the Vphone S8, the smallest smartphone in the world. Is this $28 little device worth your attention? Stay tuned to find out.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Xm8HkfAa4[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The device ships with the USB cable, a strap and some paperwork.

DESIGN AND FEATURES

Honestly, this thing doesn’t even look like a smartphone and it reminds me of a smartwatch… without a strap.

We have a 1.54” display, which does not sport the highest resolution but it is pretty good for a $28 device.

The phone takes 1 SIM card and 1 microSD card for storage expansion as the internal storage is just 128MB.

We have just a power button and non-backlit capacitive keys to control the device.

On the back, there is a heart rate monitor, which measures your heart rate pretty accurately. Not sure why I thought I needed to put it on my wrist as it works with the fingertip too.

USER INTERFACE

As for user interface, you have your basic phone features. You can call someone, write messages and so on.

The call quality is not very impressive but you can definitely make a clear conversation.

There are also some basic apps like calculator, calendar, stopwatch etc. Besides the heart rate monitor, you can track your fitness routines using the built-in pedometer, which is pretty accurate or use sedentary reminder to reminds you to move a little.

You can also connect the Vphone S8 to your phone using the FundoWear app to track your fitness routines in detail, receive most of the notifications, use this little device as a remote dialer or as a remote controller for your main phone’s camera.

BATTERY LIFE

As for battery life, the Vphone S8 will get you through the day if you use it quite intensively. You may get a few days out of it if you are a light user.

CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have it, the smallest smartphone in the world, that costs just $28.

It’s definitely not the smartest smartphone out there but it’s definitely fun to use it. Also, it comes with all the basic phone and fitness tracker features, and a simple user interface that does not lag.

The phone may come handy if you just need to use another SIM card for calls.

At the end of the day, the Vphone S8 is not something I  really need for everyday use but it’s definitely a fun little device that works quite well and it is actually very cheap for what it has to offer.

USE THE COUPON Code: VPHS8 FOR Vphone S8 !

Phones at GearBest 13% OFF Coupon: GBMBP

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We know that Chinese smartphones are doing very well in the past couple of years, especially in 2016. While the growth and success of companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO have been the focus of our attention in the past few months, this doesn’t change the fact that the South Korean giant, Samsung is also having one of the best years in recent times. The new Galaxy S7 phones have been a success, which we already know thanks to the data available for the first half, but today, Strategy Analytics just published a new report which revealed that the top three best selling Android smartphones in the world were all from Samsung!

In the first half of 2016, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge turned out to be the best selling phone for the period. Well, it’s not really surprising given that it was very well received by fans and critics alike. However, considering that the S7 Edge is quite expensive, it clearly shows that consumers trust and value the Samsung brand name. What’s surprising though is that the second and third most sold smartphones during this period were also from Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy J2 and Galaxy S7 took the second and the third place respectively in terms of global Android shipments for the first half of 2016. Samsung’s global presence has definitely helped it sell so many units within this period. We can see that the company sold over 13.3 million units of the Galaxy S7 Edge, which is a tremendous achievement for a single model in such a short time period. Similarly, 13 million units of the J2 were sold and 11.8 million units of the Galaxy S7 were sold during the same period.

This is exactly why Samsung is the top in terms of shipments and market share. Apple lies way below the company, taking the second place in terms of market share after Q2 2016, while Huawei, OPPO and Xiaomi take the third, fourth and fifth place respectively.

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Samsung Mobile Korea has released the first Galaxy Note 7 TV ad. The advert which is just 30 seconds long confirms a couple of features like multiple phone lock options such as fingerprint and the regular pattern lock. The advert teases other features such as multiple old rotary dial telephones submerged in water which indicates the Note 7 will be waterproof (a first for the Note series), allowing the phone to be immersed in up to 5-feet of water for a duration of 30 minutes.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWyapuLNdI[/embedyt]

There is also a lady holding a blurred out phone in one hand (which is probably the Note 7) trying to take a selfie while holding a light bulb to her face with the other hand. This translates into the Note 7 featuring a LED flash in front.

Another teaser is the presence of multiple highlighter pens used on different texts. We interpret this to mean that you will be able to copy multiple texts with the Note’s S-pen and choose which you want to paste when you want. So that eliminates the issue of a new copied text overwriting the previous one.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Wallpapers Leaked

We also see a bunch of neon numerical lights from 0 to 5 and a question mark, with a text above it that translates to ”5, then 6?”.

This isn’t difficult to decipher. It’s no news that Samsung is skipping the 6 and moving on to 7 in the naming. The reasons for this is to have a uniform name with the S-Line of the same year (S7 and S7 Edge) and stop the assumption that the Note series offers older technology because it has a lower number. (The latter reason is weird though).

Samsung ends the Note 7 TV ad by confirming the release date is in August. Next Tuesday to be precise.

The note series has been very successful since the first generation and every version is always keenly looked forward to. The Note 7 is going to be better by featuring the new Snapdragon 821 SoC, a bigger battery, an iris scanner, and a dual-edge curved display.

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Every quarter, AnTuTu reveals the top smartphones in the market, and iPhones and Samsung Galaxy flagships have pretty much been on top of the rankings. However, this year, with more and more Chinese smartphone manufacturers releasing powerful handsets, there has been a slight reshuffle in the list. The new AnTuTu top 10 performance smartphone list for Q1 2016 contains 5 Chinese flagships. Not surprising since we have seen some powerhouses from Chinese handset makers in the past few months.

Last year, since AnTuTu went cross platform, iPhone 6S Plus pretty much dominated with the Apple A9 underneath. But now, things have reshuffled, with Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship on top with a score of 136,875. In case you are wondering, AnTuTu has taken the average score of a device, taking into consideration at least 500 different data samples. This statistic is for the first quarter of 2016, starting from Jan 1 to March 31.

After the Xiaomi Mi 5, there’s the Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge. One thing to note here is that Galaxy S7 could have beaten Mi 5, if it was not using 2K display which does take a toll on the scores. Next up was iPhone 6S, with a score very close to the S7. After these three phones, comes the Huawei Mate 8. But there’s a difference of 42K points between the third and the fourth place. Still, seeing Kirin 950 in the list is pretty impressive and shows how much the Kirin family has evolved in the past few years.

Rest of the places are taken by last year’s models, except for Vivo XPlay 5 Standard edition with Snapdragon 652. Now, you must be wondering why the XPlay 5 Elite version didn’t make it to this list, especially considering it comes with Snapdragon 820 and a whopping 6GB of RAM. AnTuTu has given an explanation for this as it says that only 18 data items were available for the device, which was too low. So, although the phone’s average comes out close to 130298, it wasn’t included in the list. Maybe in the Q2 results, we will see this powerhouse included.

So, do you think this list will change in Q2 2016? Which upcoming phone are you most excited about?

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Once again, this year, Samsung is expected to release two different variants of the Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone, one with the quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset and the other with the octa-core Exynos 8890 chipset. Both the versions are going to be powerful, according to the benchmark scores posted previously. A few days back, we saw the Snapdragon 820 powered Galaxy S7 on AnTuTu and now, the Exynos 8890 powered variant has just been spotted on Geekbench. Given that we have also seen the SD820 variant on the same benchmarking app, we can compare both the scores directly.

The Exynos 8890 powered Galaxy S7 managed to score 1873 in the single-core test, and 5946 in the multi-core test. In comparison, the Snapdragon 820 powered variant scores 2282 in the single-core test and 4979 in the multi-core test. These results are actually not surprising given that both the chipsets have posted similar scores in these tests earlier.

As for the specs, they are identical except for the CPU. So, for now, it looks like the Exynos 8890 variant will be slightly more powerful than the former. Unfortunately, the chip is yet to hit AnTuTu, so we can’t compare the results there directly. The SD820 Galaxy S7 managed to score an impressive 125K in the AnTuTu test, even surpassing Apple A9 to become the best chipset. We have a feeling that the Exynos 8890 may be a tad faster in the test. But let’s see.

As for the other specs, the Galaxy S7 is expected to feature 4GB RAM, 5.2-inch QHD Super AMOLED display 2560 x 1440p, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and 64GB of storage.

The company will launch the flagship on February 21 at its Unpacked 2016 event.

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We all know that Samsung will officially release the Galaxy S7 flagship on February 21 at the Unpacked 2016 event. One of the versions of the device will be powered by the powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset.

A few week back, we saw the first AnTuTu performance of the custom Kryo powered chip, which was pretty impressive as it crossed the 131K mark. But that was just a development prototype, hence, we didn’t know whether the chip would be this powerful in commercial smartphones.

Now, we can be almost sure of this, as the upcoming Galaxy S7 model with the powerful quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset has just been spotted on AnTuTu. Even now, the chip managed to blow away the competition by scoring an impressive 125,288 points. This makes it the best smartphone chip in the market, even above Apple’s A9 chipset which held the top position till now with 123,567 points.

In comparison, the rival chipsets such as Kirin 950 and Exynos 7420 manage to score only about 92,746 points and 86,652 points respectively. So, clearly, Snapdragon 820 is in a totally different performance segment. However, we still have to see the performance of Exynos 8890 which hasn’t been benchmarked on AnTuTu yet. At least one S7 model is expected to feature the new Exynos chip and it should also score pretty high in the test.

Thanks to today’s AnTuTu listing, we also know the specifications of the Galaxy S7. The phone is said to come with a 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution display with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. At the back, there will be a 12MP camera sensor, while up front, a 5MP shooter. For software, the S7 will run on the latest Android 6.0.1 OS.

Looks like the Snapdragon 820 will be one of the most powerful chipsets of 2016.

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Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S7 launch is scheduled for February 21. While rumors have given us a fair idea about the device, earlier today we spotted three new variants of the Galaxy S7 flagship on the Chinese 3C certification website. While 3C certification tells us very little about the phone’s specifications, it confirms different variants of the device as well as the potential launch in China. Once a model passes 3C and TENAA certifications, it’s only a matter of time until the phone goes on sale in the country.

The three models namely Galaxy S7 model SM-G9308, SM-G9300, and Galaxy S7 edge model SM-G9350 are confirmed for now. All the three phones support fast charging at 9V 1.67A and 5V 2A. Unfortunately, nothing more can be confirmed about the S7 models from this certification. But hopefully, a TENAA listing will reveal most of the specs of these devices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g3O94WALV8

The company has also released a teaser video for the Galaxy UNPACKED 2016 event to be held on February 21. Even the video is uninformative to a large extent, with the only feature that we can take from it is VR. So, it looks like the upcoming Galaxy S7 models could have some special VR-centric feature.

Anyways, since the models have passed 3C certification, we hope to see more details in the coming days. So, stay tuned.

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Ever since the overheating mess created by the Snapdragon 810, Qualcomm has been under everyone’s scanner. 810 which was supposed to power major flagships this year was ignored by companies like LG due to its overheating issue and the only way for Qualcomm to improve its image was with the upcoming Snapdragon 820.

The chip is supposed to come with great specs, powered by Custom Kryo CPU making it fast as well as efficient. However, recently there have been new rumors about the chip overheating like its previous generation which is when Qualcomm decided to get some things cleared about its Snapdragon 820 chipset.

Earlier today, the company revealed via its official Weibo page that the Snapdragon 820 will be manufactured using the efficient 14nm process, similar to the one used by the Exynos 7420. Its isn’t usual for a company like Qualcomm to comment on the rumors, but given the reputation of the 810, its not surprising that it decided to dismiss them officially.

Qualcomm is rumored to supply the new generation Snapdragon 820 v2.0 to Samsung for its upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship. If Samsung is considering going back to Qualcomm, the chip must be performing well. However, even if the S7 comes with 820 on board, expect it to be limited to a certain regions only, as the new Exynos 8890 will most likely power the other variants.

Anyways, with Cortex A72 cores and 14nm process, Snapdragon 820 shouldn’t technically overheat. Plus the company has assured that it will work closely with manufacturers to avoid such an issue.

The first batch of Snapdragon 820 powered phones should be out by Q1 2016, so there’s still time for them to hit the markets. Both the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the next generation LeTV Le 2 models are expected to come with this chip.

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