Showing posts with label samsung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label samsung. Show all posts
Friday, 25 October 2013
Samsung posts record profits in its latest earnings report
Samsung released its Q3 2013 earnings report. As expected, the Korean giant posted record-shattering profits which slightly exceeded the guidance from earlier this month.
Samsung posted consolidated operating profit of 10.16 trillion won (approximately $9.56 billion) from a 59.08 trillion won (roughly $55.59 billion) of revenue. Samsung’s profits came in 7% higher than the previous quarter and an impressive 26% more than the same period last year.
Unsurprisingly, the mobile division chipped in significantly to the profits. Its growth was driven by increased sales of mass-market, lower-cost models. High-end devices’ shipments have remained at similar level with the previous quarter.
Samsung tablets have done well over the past quarter as well. Their shipments have increased sharply thanks to expanded product lineups.
Samsung’s next quarter outlook for its mobile division is upbeat. The company expects steady growth for both smartphones and tablets thanks to increased demand during the holiday season.
You can see the full breakdown of Samsung’s financial performance by hitting the source link below.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Phonebloks is the modular phone concept you need but will probably never get
Most electronic devices are abandoned due to a fault that is usually the result of one component going bad. This results in a lot of electronic waste full of devices that are otherwise fully functional save for one or two failed components. So what if you had a phone where you could just replace one component if it goes bad? Or build a phone with just the components you want?
This is what the Phonebloks concept is all about. Conceptualized by Dave Hakkens, Phonebloks is a completely modular mobile phone, where every part such as the display, speaker, camera, battery, etc. are modules that plug into a board and you can remove and replace them as you desire.
This not just lets you replace one component easily if it goes bad but you can also customize it to your liking. So for example, you can build a phone with a bigger battery if you want, or if you’re into photography, you can choose a better camera module, or a bigger speaker module if you like playing your music loud.
To bring this concept to reality, Hakkens needs people to show interest in the concept by sharing it online to a point where companies take notice and would want to build this. This is where my ‘but will probably never get’ cynicism for the post title comes in.
Currently, phone manufacturers make a fortune selling you a new phone every year. Most of the devices we use today are designed to become obsolete in a year or two, sometimes sooner than that. Even if the hardware is fine, the software makes the experience unbearable after a while for seemingly no reason. This is called planned obsolescence and everyone does it these days. To expect these companies to give up this strategy, so that you can replace or upgrade individual parts instead of the entire phone and keep using the same phone forever, and make less money from you in the process is hilarious.
So while the concept is great and I’d love to see it become a reality, it’s obvious that’s never going to happen.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Galaxy Note 3 hits Verizon on October 10, pre-orders start now
Verizon has announced the pricing and availability of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on its network. The phablet will become available to Verizon subscribers on October 10.
The 32GB Galaxy Note 3 is going to cost $299.99 with a two year contract on Verizon. Also, you can pay another $299.99 and get the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch to accompany your Galaxy Note 3.
The pre-orders kicked off today. The Galaxy Note 3 phablet is available in black and white colors, while the Galaxy Gear smartwatch comes in black, orange or gray.
In case you've missed the news, AT&T will be shipping the Galaxy Note 3 on October 1, while T-Mobile availability starts the day after that. You can learn more about the carrier deals on the Note 3 right here.
US Cellular has also made an announcement that it will be offering the Galaxy Note 3 in October, though the pricing and exact availability are yet to be disclosed.
Friday, 30 August 2013
Android VP Hugo Barra leaves Google for Xiaomi
In a surprising twist of events, Vice President of Android - Hugo Barra - has decided to move on from Google and join Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi.
The news was first broken by AllThingsD and was later confirmed by Barra in a post on Google+. He would be joining Xiaomi Global in China as their Vice President and "help them expand their incredible product portfolio and business globally".
Barra joined Google back in 2008 and for the past few years has been the face of Android, appearing in all recent Google keynotes for product announcements. While leaving, Barra praised the Android team, calling them "the most amazing group of people I've ever worked with in my life" and especially calling out Andy Rubin (who left the Android team recently), Hiroshi Lockheimer, Sundar Pichai and Vic Gundotra.
Google is yet to announce who will be taking on the role of Barra in his absence.
LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom launches across Europe
Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 Zoom back in June and unleashed its 3G version worldwide in July. It's just now though Samsung is releasing the LTE-capable version of the S4 Zoom.
The LTE Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is completely identical with the already available version but as you probably guessed adds support for 4G networks. The gadget will be available on various EU markets and carriers very soon, though there is no official pricing just yet.
We already spend some quality time with the SM-C101 non-LTE model and you can read all about our encounter right here.
In case you need a refresh, the Galaxy S4 Zoom is basically a hybrid between Galaxy S4 mini and a digicam with its 4.3" qHD screen and 16MP OIS camera with 10x optical zoom at the back.
Cheaper Galaxy Note III with LCD and 8MP cam is in the works
The latest rumors coming from Korea suggest Samsung is trying to lower the cost of the Galaxy Note III phablet for the emerging markets by replacing some internals with cheaper components.
To achieve a price cut, the Galaxy Note III will lose the Super AMOLED screen in favor of a regular LCD unit plus the camera will be downgraded to an 8MP one. Thanks to those sacrifices, Samsung will be able to launch the Galaxy Note III phablet at a cheaper price point in the emerging markets.
According to the etnews report, those new LCD/8MP Galaxy Note III phablets are 30% of the entire first batch of Notes III that is currently manufacturing in Samsung's factories.
We admire Samsung putting efforts to make the Note III available to more customers, though we hope if indeed true, Samsung would still launch the top-shelf model in those countries too so people have a choice.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note III on September 4 in Berlin and we'll be there to cover the event as it unfolds.
Spigen posts a Samsung Galaxy Note III render on its website
A Samsung Galaxy Note III teaser with a rendered image of the device has been posted on Spigen's website. Spigen, in case you haven't heard the name, is a company that manufactures cases for a huge variety of smartphones.
So, out of the blue Spigen has published a teaser image of the upcoming Galaxy Note III phablet that is going to be unveiled on September 4. The render definitely looks plausible and while there's no way to know if it's the real deal, it probably bears quite a lot of resemblance to the final product.
The Galaxy Note III is rumored to pack a 5.7" 1080p Super AMOLED display and run on Snapdragon 800 or Exynos 5420 chipset depending on your region. It will offer 3GB of RAM, a 13MP sharpshooter, expandable 16/32/64GB storage and LTE connectivity. A huge 3200 mAh battery will power the monster and, naturally, you can expect an integrated S-Pen.
The third generation Samsung Galaxy Note will go official next month, on September 4 in Berlin. We will be live at the unveiling, so be sure to tune in for the full scoop on the phablet.
Friday, 9 August 2013
Samsung Galaxy Grand gets Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update
Samsung had announced that the upgrade cycle for its Galaxy Grand smartphone would officially end with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The last major update for the device is now seeding in Russia and the South Korean manufacturer is expected to roll out the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ROM globally in the coming days.
The latest update for the Samsung Galaxy Grand brings cool features such the lock screen widgets, advanced toggles menu, daydream screensaver, improved task switching and a few minor tweaks to enhance the overall user experience.
As one can expect, the update also brings a few software goodies from the Galaxy S4, the company's flagship smartphone.
If you are in hurry and planning to jump the gun with the official update, then the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware for your Galaxy Grand is available in the source link below. Just a friendly reminder: the flashing process involves some risk and may void your warranty. So, please continue with the instructions only if you are sure about what you are doing.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Samsung Galaxy S4 mini battery life test is over, check out the scores
We’ve already finished our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and it’s live on our homepage. And since we got to spend enough time with the Galaxy S4 mini, we also made it jump through the hoops of our traditional battery test routine.
The Galaxy S4 mini is powered by a 1900 mAh battery that should provide enough juice for the dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset and the Super AMOLED qHD screen.
The Galaxy S4 mini showed excellent endurance for 3G calls. The smartphone lasted 13 hours and 10 minutes, which is quite impressive considering the relatively modest battery – all the flagships around it have more than 2,000 mAh juice packs. And since screen is off in this test and the chipset has nothing to do, we’d attribute the great performance to the very efficient modem that Qualcomm has designed.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
SIM-free Samsung Galaxy S4 Active hits the UK, costs £486
The SIM-free version of the water and dust proof Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has just gone on sale in the United Kingdom. The tough smartphone has been available through a few carriers for a few weeks now, but it's only now that you can get it without signing a contract.
The lowest price for the SIM-free and unlocked Galaxy S4 Active we were able to find is £486 via Clove. Other retailers are offering it at about £500, Carphone Warehouse is seeking £530 while Amazon UK is currently taking pre-orders at £676.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a water and dust proof version of the Galaxy S4 flagship with a few downgraded features - an 8MP camera instead of 13MP and a standard LCD screen instead of a Super AMOLED unit.
We already met with the Galaxy S4 Active and you can find our in-depth review right here.
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Samsung ATIV Q and its Intel Core i5-4200U flex muscles on the AnTuTu benchmark
Samsung announced its ATIV Q convertible notebook capable of dual-booting Windows 8 and Android thanks to its 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U CPU. The new generation Intel Haswell CPUs are impressive on paper, but how would ATIV Q’s processor fare on the Android AnTuTu benchmark?
Thankfully, ePrice have asked the same question and have put the Intel Core i5 chip through the AnTuTu hoops to find out. Moreover, this is the first time ever that a Haswell chip has been benchmarked on the Android mobile operating system.
The results are simply breathtaking – the Intel Core i5-4200U running at 1.6GHz scored 54861 points. To give you some perspective the leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 with LTE and its 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 under the hood scored just 24179.
Nevertheless, the result of the Core i5-4200U is impressive whichever way you look at it. Even more so, when you consider the 3200 x 1800 pixels that the display of the ATIV Q is pushing.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active rebuffs our attempts to put it in the sink, goes in front of our camera instead
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is one of the several Galaxy S4 variations but is the one (so far) that stays the closest to the original specs of the S4 flagship. And just like other S4 variations it brings something new to the table, an IP67 certification in this case.
What that means is that the Sony Xperia Z is no longer the only 5″ 1080p flagship that is waterproof. Who would have thought there would be competition among phones that can play the latest 3D games in full glory and then shoot video under water?
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is based on the I9505, meaning it uses a Snapdragon 600 chipset with the Krait cores clocked at 1.9GHz. It also runs Android 4.2.2 with TouchWiz 5 and all the software goodies Samsung developed for the S4.
This includes the WatchON remote control app, Group Play and even Multi-window – a big 5″ screen and a powerful chipset are used to their full potential when you run two apps simultaneously.
Two things did get downgraded – the screen and the camera. You still get a 5″ 1080p screen, but it’s a TFT LCD rather than Super AMOLED (bad for contrast, good for OLED haters) and the camera is an 8MP shooter instead of 13MP.
One thing that has changed since the preview is the plastic on the back. Now it’s glossy, but it used to be matte with a grooved pattern that gave it good grip. This is a phone that’s supposed to be usable wet and the glossy plastic feels a little too slippery for our taste.
That’s only the beginning of the story – we still have to run benchmarks, do battery tests, examine the screen more closely and do everything else we skipped over in the preview.
We take the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 ROM for a spin, here’s the video
When Google’s Hugo Barra announced at the Google I/O 2013 that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be offered directly from the Play Store as a “Google Play Edition” device running stock Android, many people got really excited. Later on, HTC also jumped on the bandwagon with the HTC One, giving you a choice between two excellently spec’d smartphones that offer the Nexus experience.
As planned, the devices went on sale on June 26 and almost immediately, an alleged Galaxy S4 I9505G unit was discovered that runs on the yet unannounced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean instead of the official Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Shortly after, a ROM that any regular Galaxy S4 owner with a Snapdragon 600 (yes, including the regular TouchWiz version) can flash popped up.
And here we are today, presenting you a Samsung Galaxy S4 (I9505) turned into a Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition (I9505G) running the leaked ROM 4.3. So, how does it feel and what’s new?
Right after you power on the stock Android-loving Galaxy S4, you notice the new Android boot animation with the Google logo prominently flashing. Then, you’re greeted with a special-made live wallpaper for the Google Play Edition duo dubbed Sun Beam. It’s essentially the same as the Phase Beam, but is done in fire red. Welcome to stock Android 4.3 territory.
Depending on where you come from (TouchWiz 4.2 or vanilla Android 4.2) the user interface can feel either completely different or virtually unchanged. There are five homescreen panes that can’t be deleted nor moved like on the rest of the Nexus family. The notification drawer still has a shortcut for the quick settings and the bottom dock holds four customizable app shortcuts and the app drawer icon. In a word – stock Android user interface.
However, there are a few changes here and there. Google Keep for example now comes preloaded, as does Google Hangouts (replacing Google Talk). Google Now is now at version 2.6.7.721924 and as now comes with support for two new types of cards – TV and Offers.
The other notable change is the new camera interface, which is much more usable. When you tap on the screen to change the settings, there’s a new arch above your finger that shows the quick settings – HDR, Exposure, Flash and jump to the front-facing camera. There’s a settings button, too, which shows more options in a similarly visual fashion.
We’ve made a hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Check it out below.
It’s not known at this point if this leaked Android 4.3 that’s running on our Galaxy S4 is even real – it might be an elaborate prank by a skillful developer who fused the leaked camera and gallery apps to the regular 4.2 ROM of the Galaxy S4 Nexus edition and modded the about screen to say 4.3. Or it might be targeted at OEMs to give them time to prepare their custom Android builds with the latest APIs.
We’ll know soon enough, as Google and people more familiar with the inner workings of Android speak out. Either way, the ROM is performing nicely, so at the very least it will give you a chance to make turn your regular Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 into a Google Edition one in a few easy steps.
Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A runs circles around regular S4 with LTE in video download test
The newly announced Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A packs a fast Snapdragon 800 chipset (earlybenchmarks look great) and an LTE-Advanced modem, allowing downloads of up to 150Mbps. That’s faster than the regular S4, but by how much? Samsung posted a video putting the two head to head to demonstrate the difference.
The tests were run in different locations and times of day. The two smartphones had to download different files – install an app from the Play Store or download a large video file.
The video is in Korean, but after the 30 second intro things should be clear enough. The video shows the download progress bars of the two phones magnified and the size of the download.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A beats the S4 with LTE quite easily – more that you would expect from the numbers – LTE-Advanced is Cat. 4 (150Mbps down, 50Mbps up), while LTE is Cat. 3 (100Mbps down and 50Mbps up).
I’m not sure how this video is supposed to quell the complaints of people who already bought the S4, but now want the newer, faster model. Still, here’s hoping the phone gets an international launch soon.
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Samsung SHV-E330S, supposedly a Galaxy S4 with LTE Advanced and Snapdragon 800, shows up in AnTuTu scores
The Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship phone is split into two versions – with Snapdragon 600 chipset and withExynos 5 SoC. Could there be a third one with Snapdragon 800? Quite possibly, according to an AnTuTu benchmark result for the SHV-E330S, which showed up with a 2.3GHz CPU.
That is supposedly the Galaxy S4 LTE Advanced model for Samsung’s home country of South Korea (which is where the benchmark was run too). The SHV-E330S received a Bluetooth certification for Asia a while back.
The device ran Android 4.2.2, which is what Samsung’s latest have, though the score is on the low side for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset. This could be an early prototype though, there are no other mobile chipsets at the moment that clock this high.
South Korea is expecting the launch of an LTE Advanced network in September and the 800 chipset has built-in support for the new tech. That allows theoretical download speeds of 150Mpbs.
By the way, recently we saw rumors that the Samsung Galaxy Note III will pack the Snapdragon 800, so this could be the next Note instead of Galaxy S.
Nokia Lumia 928 vs Galaxy S4 impromptu flash shootout: xenon vs. LED
While preparing the full review of the Nokia Lumia 928, we were quite curious what its Xenon flash is capable of. We had a Samsung Galaxy S4 around so we decided to do an impromptu shootout in low light conditions. We’ve prepared a set of samples from both devices for you to see, both with and without flash under the same conditions.
The entire marketing blitz surrounding the Nokia Lumia 928 has been built around its camera’s low light prowess. The samples we are about to show you now are not about that (or at least, not entirely).
With OIS built-in, the device surely commands plenty of attention, but now we are concentrating on the flash performance of the two models. Hit the break to see how they fared.
We are not going to pass a final verdict on the flash performance of the Nokia Lumia 928 just yet – we are still conducting tests of its performance. We are yet to take lots of camera samples to be able to discern how good of a job the Xenon flash does. Please consider this a work in progress.
And no, we don’t intend to turn this into a cameraphone shootout, it’s just what it is – a set of comparative flash camera samples, which we though you’d be interested in.
We will have the full review of the Nokia Lumia 928 up very soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)