If you missed out on deals during Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, here’s your chance to grab the Galaxy S6 for cheap before Christmas. The factory unlocked 32GB variant of the Galaxy S6 is available through eBay for just $399, and that’s $200 off its usual price tag.

The device is available in Black Sapphire color, and since this is factory unlocked, you should be able to use it with a carrier of your choice (except Sprint and Verizon). The Galaxy S6 isn’t the latest from Samsung, but should fit your needs perfectly if you want a compact smartphone with good performance and a brilliant camera.

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Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung might take a long time to bring out major new versions of Android to its devices, but it also manages to offer long-lasting support to at least its flagship devices. The Galaxy S5 is still getting minor software updates, and it just got another one in India this week. Sadly, the update doesn’t bump up the build number, so the device remains on Android 5.0 after the update. We’re also unclear of what is included in the update, though regular improvements and fixes are likely to be a part of the package.

Samsung has said that it does include changes from newer iterations of Android even if it doesn’t bump up the build number, but it’s still disappointing to see the company isn’t making that clear and is keeping the S5 (and other devices) on 5.0. In any case, if you’re rocking a Galaxy S5 in India, expect to see the update hit your device over the course of the week. Some of you have probably already gotten a notification for the OTA, but if you haven’t, you can force it to show up from the Settings » About device » Software update menu or download the full firmware from our database and upgrade manually.

Firmware Details:

Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung has a plethora of phones and tablets in its lineup, and regularly releases firmware updates for various devices. These can include major updates, which bring a newer version of the OS to a particular device, or minor ones that improve performance and stability and fix bugs. Software updates for Samsung devices roll out in various regions every day, and you can find out which firmware updates were pushed out by the company over the last 24 hours through our firmware list.

As usual, you can download each of these firmware from our firmware section (simply enter your device’s model number to view all firmware for that device) in order to update to a new firmware manually, or as a means to return to your phone or tablet’s stock software.

Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
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Firmware version Z130HDDU0COL5 has now been released for the Samsung Z1, this is the second Tizen 2.4 beta firmware that has been released for this handset so far. Weighing in at 258.2MB the update is now being rolled out over-the-air, the handset needs to be on firmware Z130HDDU0BOK2 or later and registered at Samsung’s Tizen community forum in order to receive this latest release.

Those who have the Samsung Z1 running Tizen 2.4 beta firmware Z130HDDU0COI5 will first have to go back to Tizen 2.3.1 to receive this update, for this purpose they have to use Kies and not ODIN. The latest beta release brings improved messaging features, a Smart Manager, Voice Recorder and Image Editor app with improvements being made to the Music, Video, Memo, Contacts and Settings app. Bug fixes and stability improvements are onboard as well.

Via

Author: All credits for this post go to Adnan F. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung and Nvidia are in a running legal battle in a graphics-related patent, and Samsung has gained an upper hand in the case today. An ITC (International Trade Commission) administrative law judge has ruled in favor of Samsung saying that Nvidia has infringed upon two out of three patents by Samsung. This dispute started more than a year ago when Nvidia sued Samsung and Qualcomm stating that they are using its graphics chip related patents without paying any royalties.

The findings by the judge against Nvidia are now subject to a review by the full agency, which can then block Nvidia’s products from entering a country’s shores. “We are disappointed,” said Hector Marinez, an Nvidia spokesman in a statement. This ruling comes eight days after the full ITC commission upheld a judge’s ruling declaring that Samsung and Qualcomm didn’t infringe on two of Nvidia’s patents.

Samsung countersued Nvidia claiming that the California-based graphics chip designer has used three patents in its Shield tablets without paying for them. Samsung claims these patents cover some of the basic circuit designs, allowing them to be made smaller, faster in graphics and video performance, and saving the costs of manufacturing them. Nvidia tried to make Samsung pay royalties for these patents before talks failed.

One of these two patents by Samsung dates back to the 1990s and is set to expire next year, making it irrelevant by the time the ruling by the full commission comes out. Nvidia, which is a force to reckon with in the desktop and laptop graphics market, failed to make an impact in the smartphone and tablet market, which might be why it is trying to use its chip-related patents to earn some royalty from Qualcomm and Samsung.

Via Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung Pay is being marketed quite aggressively, and Samsung announced last week that its mobile payment solution will debut in China in early 2016. Now, it is being expected that Samsung Pay might acquire almost 50 percent of market share in Asia, thanks to its partnership with UnionPay.

According to ETNews, Hyundai Securities is predicting that Samsung Pay will quickly seize the global mobile payment market starting from the US and China, and that it’s market share will reach 49 percent in Asia. China’s Alibaba and UnionPay are helping Samsung in launching its mobile payments solution in the continent.

UnionPay controls 73 percent of the Asian markets, and all the debit and credit cards issued by the company can be used in 150 countries and at 26 million affiliated stores. Moreover, 52 percent of the cards issued worldwide last year were by UnionPay. Samsung chose to work with Alibaba in China as it controls around 75 percent of the countries e-commerce market.

Samsung has released four smartphones this year – the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy edge+, and the Galaxy Note 5 –that are compatible with Samsung Pay. The company has also announced new mid-range smartphones like the Galaxy A5 (2016) and the Galaxy A7 (2016) that support Samsung Pay, but they will be available starting next year.

Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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Earlier today, we reported about the Galaxy A9 being certified by Chinese regulatory authority TENAA. Now, we came to know that Samsung will announce the device later today in China. The company will also showcase the recently announced mid-range smartphones, the Galaxy A5 (2016) and the Galaxy A7 (2016).

The specifications of the Galaxy A9 were leaked multiple times in the past few weeks through benchmarks and certifications. The metal-clad smartphone will feature a large 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 620 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, LTE connectivity, and a 4,000 mAh battery. It also features a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS and an 8-megapixel secondary camera.

Similar to the Galaxy A5 (2016) and the Galaxy A7 (2016), the Galaxy A9 features a fingerprint scanner that’s placed under the home button, and it serves as an authentication layer for Samsung Pay. We will bring you more details once the company announces it at the Galaxy A Party 2016 later today.

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Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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We had reported yesterday that Samsung UK was looking beta testers for Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6. Now, we’ve noticed that the users, who registered to be the beta testers for the program, have started receiving the Android 6.0 beta firmware on their devices already.

The beta firmware is being rolled out in the UK to the Galaxy S6 as well as the Galaxy S6 edge, and you can see from the screenshots there are quite a few changes in the interface. If you are someone who opted in for the beta testing program for the Marshmallow update and have received the update on your device, you can send screenshots to dd@sammobile.com, and you can also send us any new features that you have stumbled upon.

Screenshots (thanks Jack!):

Developing…

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Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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In an almost landmark move, Samsung today started testing the next version of Android through a public beta program. Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge users in the UK are currently getting the chance to test out Android 6.0 Marshmallow on their device, with a beta build rolling out already.

If you’re in the UK and own any of the two devices, then you can get in on the action right away. If you are confused, just follow our guide below to find out how you can participate and start using Android Marshmallow on your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge today!

Disclaimer: Unless you’re using a locally bought Galaxy S6 or S6 edge in the UK, keep in mind that following the instructions below is something you do at your own risk. Don’t blame us (or Samsung) if anything goes wrong!

1. First, make sure your phone’s model number is SM-G920F or SM-G925F. Check this in the Settings » About device menu. Also make sure you’re using an unlocked version of the phone.
2. Then, check if your phone’s current firmware has the BTU product code. To do so, download the SamMobile Device Info app from the Play Store, open it, swipe to the Firmware tab, then check out the Product Code. The Product Code should have BTU mentioned after the phone’s model number.
3. If it’s BTU, download the Galaxy Care app from the Galaxy Apps store on your phone (or grab the APK from this post, transfer it to your phone and install it manually).
   If your phone is not on BTU/if you want to install Android 6.0 on a device outside the UK, find the necessary steps to gain the BTU firmware down below, then come back to this guide.
4. Open Galaxy Care, agree to the legal terms on the welcome screen, then press Next to head to the main screen of Galaxy Care.
5. Now, at the top of the app, swipe around till you get the screen where it says “Participate Galaxy Beta Program.” Here, click the Join button.
   
6. Then, press the REGISTRATION button at the bottom. Agree to the license terms after that, and voila, you will be given the option to download the Android 6.0 beta firmware!

For those not in the UK/with non-BTU Product Code:

You can get the firmware even outside the UK if you are so inclined, but there are a couple of prerequisites for that: You must have the SM-G920F/SM-G925F model of the Galaxy S6/S6 edge, and it must be unlocked. See that F at the end of the model number? That is very important – you cannot install the beta firmware on any other model of either device.

You must also install the BTU version of the UK firmware for your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge. Here’s a link for the Galaxy S6 BTU UK firmware, and a link for the Galaxy S6 edge BTU UK firmware. To install the downloaded firmware on your phone, just follow the instructions in this video. Flashing this firmware should not wipe your data, but do a backup just to be safe.

Once your device has booted into the newly flashed firmware, just follow the guide above from step 3 to get the Android 6.0 software.

That’s it. Let us know if you run into any issues by leaving a comment below!

Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
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It looks like Samsung is going to apply some very tough measures in 2016 as a new report from Korea Times claims that the tech company is due reduce its smartphone shipments by 12% next year, a very significant percentage. To put this in perspective it means that Samsung will be manufacturing somewhere around 420-430 million handsets next year but they will probably cut from key regions where they don’t have a very significant market share.

Samsung will have to adapt to a growing market next year if it wants to survive. Early forecasts show a potential drop in sales for Samsung’s semiconductor business, and the South Korean giant won’t be competing in Germany’s camera market either in 2016. This shows that they are basically trying to cut in key areas where they aren’t making enough profit, and perpetuate business in areas where they are selling significant amounts of units. One area where there’s a growing demand is the budget handset business on which Samsung will focus on next year. Another big event in Samsung’s business will be the release of its next flagship device, the Galaxy S7, which is due for a launch in March.

Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Octav G. @ sammobile.com
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As we reported earlier today, Samsung has announced the Galaxy A9 in China today during its Galaxy A Party 2016 event. The Galaxy A9 is the most high-end smartphone in the Galaxy A lineup from Samsung, and it was leaked a number of times in the past few weeks revealing its specifications as well as physical design.

The Galaxy A9 features a huge 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass, a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS and ƒ/1.9 aperture, and an 8-megapixel secondary camera. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and comes equipped with a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, which is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. There’s a microSD card slot as well and it supports cards of upto 128GB capacity.

Even though the device is just 7.4 mm thin, Samsung has managed to pack in a huge 4,000 mAh battery in it, but its non-removable. However, such a huge battery shouldn’t give anyone a chance to complain. The glass-and-metal design of the Galaxy A9 is similar to what Samsung brought to the table with the Galaxy A5 (2016) and the Galaxy A7 (2016). There’s a fingerprint sensor that’s embedded into the physical home button.

The Galaxy A9, similar to other recently launched high-end devices from Samsung, comes with Samsung Pay. The company also showcased the recently announced Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) during the event along with the Galaxy A9. The device will be available in China later this month with pricing being confirmed at a later date.

Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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We exclusively reported earlier this year that Samsung was working on a new Android-powered tablet with a massive 18.4-inch display, the company later launched that product as the Galaxy View, and branded it as a “movable display.” It does work like a normal tablet would since it runs Android and offers all of the features you would expect from a tablet but the entertainment is the main purpose of the Galaxy View. That’s what Samsung has been pushing in all marketing materials for the Galaxy View and that’s really what the new infographic from the company highlights.

Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Adnan F. @ sammobile.com
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One of the UK’s largest mobile operators has confirmed today that it has flipped the switch on its Wi-Fi calling service, those who own either the Galaxy S6 or the Galaxy S6 edge on its network can now take advantage of the Wi-Fi calling feature. The feature enables users to make calls over Wi-Fi which comes in handy when cellular reception isn’t that good or when they would just rather route the call over Wi-Fi instead.

Those who are on Vodafone in the United Kingdom and own any of the aforementioned devices need to first text CALLING to 97888 which opts them into Wi-Fi calling. Vodafone will then send a confirmation text to the user informing them that Wi-Fi calling will be enabled on their account in the next 24 hours, and that they will be notified when the feature has been all set up. There is no additional charge for using this service, all calls made over Wi-Fi will come out of the user’s bundle allowance of minutes as calls over cellular network would.

Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Adnan F. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung has a plethora of phones and tablets in its lineup, and regularly releases firmware updates for various devices. These can include major updates, which bring a newer version of the OS to a particular device, or minor ones that improve performance and stability and fix bugs. Software updates for Samsung devices roll out in various regions every day, and you can find out which firmware updates were pushed out by the company over the last 24 hours through our firmware list.

As usual, you can download each of these firmware from our firmware section (simply enter your device’s model number to view all firmware for that device) in order to update to a new firmware manually, or as a means to return to your phone or tablet’s stock software.

Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
Read the original article at www.sammobile.com

We’re not complaining. Samsung made an awesome move this week by releasing a beta version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in order to give users of the device a chance to test everything out. This will help the company make sure everything is prim and proper before globally rolling out the update sometime in the future.

But we can’t help but think: Why hasn’t the Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 edge+, which are the latest Samsung flagships available, gotten a beta test program as well? Furthermore, why are these devices not the first to receive a beta? They are newer, and are also priced higher than the S6 or S6 edge. The Note 5 might be available in limited markets, but the Galaxy S6 edge+ doesn’t have the same problem.

Also Read: Here’s how to install the Android 6.0 beta on your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge

Maybe Samsung is going on the fact that since all four devices carry similar hardware, testing the update on the S6 and S6 edge will make it quick and easier to bring the update to the Note 5 and S6 edge+ as well. Maybe, the Note 5 and S6 edge+ will join in on the fun in the coming days. We are not saying that it’s wrong for Samsung to focus on smartphones that are not the latest, however – after all, every consumer deserves equal support, no matter when he or she buys a device or for what price.

So here’s our question to you, SamMobile readers: Should Samsung have kicked off its software testing program with the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ instead of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, or at least included the two phablets in the initial phase? Let us know through the poll, and leave a comment with your thoughts!

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Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
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We exclusively reported pretty early on that Samsung is going to release two variants of its next flagship handset, the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, keeping with the standards that it set with the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge this year. It was later rumored that additional variants like the Galaxy S7 Plus may also be added to the lineup. It’s also believed that some variants of both handsets may be powered by Samsung’s new Exynos processor and some by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, varying by market.

Some purported pictures of cases for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Plus have leaked out of China, they merely give an impression of what the actual devices might look like, by no means do they confirm all design elements of Samsung’s next flagship handsets. Case leaks are good for just getting an idea of what an upcoming smartphone might look like, we saw quite a bit of these leaks back when the Galaxy S6 hadn’t been announced, and it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing more of these before Samsung unveils its new flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in February next year.

Source

Author: All credits for this post go to Adnan F. @ sammobile.com
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It’s Christmas, but not for everyone. Well we wish those who celebrate Christmas a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your holiday, gifts (Gear S2, Tab S2, or maybe a brand new Galaxy Note5) with friends and of course family.

PS. Don’t eat too much, oh and don’t forget to tell everyone about the greatest Samung fan community, SamMobile!

SamMobile team.

Author: All credits for this post go to Danny D. @ sammobile.com
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Samsung had announced that it was looking for beta testers for Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge in the UK, and then it released the beta firmware yesterday. A lot of users have installed Android 6.0 beta update on their devices already.

We’ve also listed some of the new features and changes that were introduced with the Marshmallow update on the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge. Now, we’ve noticed that the Gear VR doesn’t work with the beta firmware. It has been mentioned in the Galaxy Beta Program app that the Gear VR will resume working on the final release of Android 6.0 update for these devices.

If you plan to enjoy movies and games during Christmas holidays on your device, don’t install the beta update. You should wait for the final update, which might be released in the next few months. If you’ve installed it already, you can tell us about your experience with the beta firmware.

Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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Welcome back to Themes Thursday! If you don’t know it already, this is where we pick some of the best-looking themes that are released in the Theme Store each week. Samsung has released a whopping 95 themes this week, but only a few of them are worth mentioning.

Since it’s that time of the year, you can find and download a lot of Christmas and New Year themes on your compatible Galaxy device. Here are seven themes that might lighten up your mood this holiday season. Which themes did you like?

[WoSD_Design] Blue_Christmas

CountrySide

Facecat Christmas

Happy New Year Gingerman Adult

Silent Night Christmas

The Green – TGIF

Vertun

Author: All credits for this post go to Asif S. @ sammobile.com
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The Galaxy A8 didn’t get the attention it deserved. While a tad overpriced, the Galaxy A8 is an impressive mid-range smartphone. It has nice features like a fingerprint sensor, premium-feeling design, and software that works smooth and quick despite the mid-range chipset. But the best thing about it is the battery life.

The A8 has a Full HD screen resolution, and as a result, that 3,050 mAh battery under the hood doesn’t have to push too many pixels. Plus, with the software optimization that Samsung has done to control battery usage, the Galaxy A8 is the battery champion from the company this year and manages to last all day no matter what you throw at it (and lives through to the next day because of impressively low idle drain). But soon, the Galaxy A9 is likely to take the crown from the Galaxy A8.

Why? Because Samsung, in a surprising move, decided to throw in a 4,000 mAh battery inside the Galaxy A9. But the screen is still a Full HD unit. While real-life endurance remains to be seen, the numbers tell us the Galaxy A9 is capable of offering mind-boggling battery life. Okay, the 6-inch screen will put something of a damper on the endurance, but that’s not exactly much larger than the 5.7-inch display on the A8.

Battery life has been the Achilles heel of smartphones this year, and part of the blame has to be laid at Google’s feet, as Android 5.0 Lollipop seems much less optimized than previous iterations in terms of power usage. Then, Samsung, in all its wisdom and glory, decided to stick small batteries in its flagships (seriously, 2,550 mAh on the Galaxy S6 takes the crown for one of the stupidest decisions the company has ever made.)

But while flagship devices have had the advantage of fast charging, mid-range devices haven’t been so lucky, and Samsung is putting in some big batteries in its non-flagship phones (though the Galaxy A9 has fast charging as well). Even the low-cost Galaxy J and E lineup comes with batteries larger than their hardware requires, and the Galaxy A series have gotten the best treatment.

The 2016 iterations of the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 both have high battery capacities, but Samsung has gone a few steps further with the Galaxy A9. Anyone looking for a smartphone that can stay off the charger for long would do good to keep the Galaxy A9 on their list when they are out to buy a new phone, especially since the A9 comes with some impressive features in addition to the large battery.

Now, if only the phone didn’t have such a huge display.

Author: All credits for this post go to Abhijeet M. @ sammobile.com
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