galaxys6
Latest
Samsung offers in-person service for Galaxy phones in the US
Ask iPhone owners why they remain loyal and they'll likely cite convenient support as one reason: they can walk into an Apple Store and get a prompt fix that's rarely available for other devices. Samsung is taking steps to level the playing field, however. From March 15th onward, you can visit one of 300-plus uBreakiFix service locations in the US and get officially sanctioned in-person repairs on recent high-end Galaxy phones, ranging from the S6 and Note 5 through to the S9 and Note 8. The two companies are promising same-day repairs, often in less than 2 hours for "most" problems.
Unlock your PC with your Samsung phone's fingerprint reader
Have a recent Samsung phone and a Windows 10 PC? Life's about to get a bit easier. Samsung has updated its Flow app to let you use the fingerprint reader on Galaxy devices running Android Marshmallow or newer (such as the S6, S7 and S8) to log into any Windows 10 PC using Hello, not just Samsung's own Galaxy TabPro S. If you regularly keep your phone on-hand, you won't have to enter your password every time you sit down at your computer.
Samsung brings back its free Gear VR promo
Miss out on your chance to get a free Gear VR headset by pre-ordering a Galaxy S7? You can rest easy. Samsung is launching a US Father's Day promo that gives you a gratis Gear VR when you buy one of the company's higher-end phones from the past year, including most Galaxy S6 and S7 variants (sorry, no S6 Active) and the Galaxy Note 5. The deal also gives you an Oculus bundle with "hit games and experiences." You'll have to buy the phone between now and June 19th to qualify, but that's no big deal if you were already thinking about an upgrade and just needed a nudge to get moving.
Republic Wireless gets serious about its phone selection
Republic Wireless' promise of extra-affordable cellular service has usually come with a big catch: the phone selection. Outside of the occasional gem, you've had to settle for browsing a tiny collection of so-so budget devices. That won't be a problem after this summer, though. Republic has announced that it's adding seven more phones to its roster this July, and most of them are reasonably up to date, high-end models you'd likely be happy to have. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are in the mix, as is Google's current Nexus line and the Moto X Pure Edition -- you can even get last year's Galaxy S6 if you're striking a balance between cost and cutting-edge. The prices are generally on par with what you find elsewhere, such as $699 for the Galaxy S7.
Apple and Samsung are feeling the mobile sales pinch
So Apple had a pretty good financial day yesterday. The broad strokes: it reported $75.9 billion in revenue and a whopping $18.4 billion in pure profit, the biggest of any public company ever. And yet, not all was well among the company's investors and shareholders. Apple's first quarter results are always pretty insane because they encompass the holidays and the launch of its newest model iPhones. And every year, iPhone sales surge pretty dramatically come Q1. Every year, that is, except this one.
Vodafone brings WiFi calling to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Vodafone launched its seamless WiFi calling service in early autumn, opting for a native experience over the kind of apps O2 and Three use. For several months, only iPhone 6s and 6s Plus owners have actually been able to use the feature, but today the carrier announced it's added Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to the list of compatible handsets (as long as you got yours from Vodafone directly). While it's good news for a subset of customers, it also highlights the sluggish rate at which native WiFi calling is being made available across the network. In the three-plus months since switching on the service, Vodafone has managed to enable the feature on a grand total of four handsets.
Verizon's WiFi calling is available December 8th on two phones
Verizon didn't take too long to get the ball rolling on WiFi calling. The carrier has announced that it'll make the feature available to customers with Advanced Calling (read: voice over LTE) starting December 8th. Unfortunately, you'll have to be picky about your choice of phone at first -- it's only available on Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to start with, and Big Red won't have updates for more phones (including iPhones) until early next year. Still, it's hard to knock this too much -- between this and AT&T's recent addition of WiFi calling, you can now go to any major US carrier and expect to make online calls when your cellular signal has gone down the tubes.
Samsung replaces its smartphone chief
Samsung Mobile's top execs held on for a while during the company's troubled time with smartphones, but it's apparently been long enough. JK Shin, in addition to another co-CEO, (Samsung's exec lineup is a... multi-layered one), will withdraw from daily operations, replaced by DJ Koh, a mobile exec who previously oversaw Samsung's barely-nascent Tizen mobile OS and Samsung Pay -- neither of which are international success stories (yet?). At the same time, Samsung's head of TVs and home appliances, BK Yoon, is being moved on to focus on "long-term strategy".
Marriott wants you to take a VR vacation in its hotel rooms
You've just checked into your hotel after an all-day marathon of running across airports to avoid missing connections; eaten a ton of crappy, overpriced airport food because you missed a connection; are dead tired and just want to go to sleep. But maybe after your travel nap you want to see something new without putting pants on and leaving your room. Well, if you've checked into certain Marriott Hotel locations you can summon a Samsung Gear VR for 24 hours of your stay and do just that with a new pilot program. It's called VRoom Service (get it?) and is a joint deal between the Korean tech juggernaut and the hotelier. The draw here is what the pair are calling "VR Postcards" which is a fancy way of describing video experiences wherein people talk about their feelings regarding travel, according to Fortune.
The iPhone 6s vs. the competition: Is it enough?
The iPhone 6s is here, featuring the same basic body as last year's edition but with a new rose gold aluminum finish, a stronger glass display and pressure-sensitive 3D Touch. There are quite a few improvements under the hood as well, including a faster processor and an improved OS. But, with rival companies coming out with phones that are lean, fast and affordable, is the 6s still the must-have handset this fall? We've been impressed with offerings from Samsung and LG this year, but how do they fare against Apple's latest?
ASUS and Samsung make the fastest-charging smartphones
Your smartphone's battery life is no doubt very important to you, but its charging time matters, too -- just ask anyone who's had mere minutes to top up a phone before heading out. So who offers the best recharge rates, then? Tom's Guide might have an answer. It recently conducted a charging speed test to determine which phones will deliver the most energy when you're in a rush. In short, you'll probably want to make a beeline toward either ASUS' Zenfone 2 or Samsung's Galaxy S6. The Zenfone 2 is the fastest in short bursts, giving you 32 percent power in just 15 minutes. The Galaxy S6 is faster overall, however, hitting 100 percent after 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge+ now up for pre-order in the UK
Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 may never come to the UK, but if you're a phablet fan that doesn't mean you're out of options. The company is also pushing its monstrous 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is available to pre-order today ahead of its full debut on September 4th. You can buy the 32GB model from Samsung's site for £749, or splash an extra £80 for double the storage. For comparison, the company is selling the Galaxy S6 for £499 at the moment and the regular S6 Edge from £669. If buying the device off-contract sounds absurdly expensive -- you can buy four new Moto Gs for the same price, after all -- you can always pick up a subsidised device with your preferred mobile network. Vodafone, O2 and Three, among others, have a wide array of plans for you to mull over.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge+ is a super-sized sequel that plays it safe
It's been less than six months since Samsung pulled back the curtain on the eye-catching Galaxy S6 Edge, and now it's getting a very familiar-looking sibling. Say hello to the Galaxy S6 Edge+, a super-sized sequel that powers up the original formula with a larger screen, more RAM to help its multitasking prowess and... well, not a whole lot else. Oh, and before we go any further, you'll be able to pick one up from all five major US carriers starting on August 21st (update: we have pricing, see the end of the post). Right, shall we continue?
Samsung will discount Galaxy S6 phones after launch sales disappoint
Samsung's earlier prediction for the second quarter of 2015 was spot on: the company has failed to hit its goals when it comes to the sales of its flagship devices. Its operating profits fell four percent to 6.9 trillion won ($5.9 billion), and the mobile division's, in particular, slid to 2.76 trillion won ($2.4 billion) from 4.42 trillion won ($3.8 billion) from the same quarter last year. While those profit numbers are still three percent higher than the last, it's going to be tough to play catch up this second half of 2015, as Apple's slated to reveal its new iPhones -- its main rival in the world of high-end smartphones. In order to combat the expected sales drop, Samsung is "adjusting" (read: dropping) the prices of both the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge. It's already planning to introduce new premium smartphones: the company has already teased an event for August 13th, where it's likely to introduce a new Galaxy Note and a larger S6 Edge.
Samsung's profits down again as it misreads demand for newest phones
Samsung predicts that its earnings from April-June of this year will likely be down four percent from last year, suggesting that sales of its newest flagship smartphones have failed to hit the mark. However, it will still be the company's highest quarterly profit since Q2 2015. The company's forecast is thin on details -- revenue is also down 8.4 percent from the same period last year-- but many analysts think supply shortages have stymied sales of Samsung's S6 Edge. The WSJ's sources say that the company struggled to match production to the demand of customers, who wanted the curved Galaxy S6 Edge over the original S6, initially predicting to sell four Galaxy S6 smartphones for each S6 Edge. At the same time, the company's lucrative component business, which puts parts in rival phones as well as PCs, will likely have another strong quarter, putting an equally strong spotlight on the mobile arm's struggles.
Living with the Galaxy S6 Edge: Is that curve worth the cost?
Samsung launched two Galaxy S6 models this spring, but let's face it: The spotlight was really on the curvy, attention-grabbing S6 Edge. I know I was dead-set on trying that one-of-a-kind smartphone as soon as I could. However, I couldn't help but wonder if it was really, truly worth the $100 premium to turn heads and score a couple of clever features. Moreover, would that design actually hold up in the real world? There was only one way for me to find out. I spent several weeks with the Edge to see whether its curved display would grow on me, or if I'd be desperately wishing I had made the safer choice and snagged the regular S6. As it turns out, the answer was a bit of both.
Looking at the future of mobile gaming with Samsung's new Gear VR
If you just got yourself a Samsung Galaxy S6 (or its curvier sibling, the S6 Edge) and you happen to be a fan of VR, well good news: the latest Gear VR for the Galaxy S6 is now officially on sale. It's still in limited rollout but it should be in your local Best Buy starting today for around $199, with availability expanding quickly to even more places. Introduced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the new headset is not only designed for Samsung's new phones, but also features a number of improvements over the original Gear VR for the Note 4. We had a chance to take a brief spin with the new hardware a few days ago, tried out a few new made-for-VR games and also talked to Max Cohen, VP of mobile at Oculus, for more on Gear VR's future.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 uses 'several' different camera sensors
When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S6, you might have noticed that the company stopped touting its in-house ISOCELL camera tech. Was it relying on someone else's sensor instead? As it turns out, the answer is yes... sort of. The Korean firm has confirmed owners' discoveries that the rear sensor is alternately made by Samsung or Sony. There are "several different vendors" making S6 cameras, a spokesperson says, although there's no mention of how Samsung distributes those components. Not that you'll need to be worried, apparently. The company insists that they all meet "strict global quality and performance standards," and SamMobile has conducted tests showing that the practical differences are slight. In short, you'll likely get quality photos regardless of whose imaging hardware is under the hood.
Samsung's profits are down, but it believes the S6 will change that
Samsung's latest earnings numbers reveal that the company did better in the first quarter of 2015 than at the end of 2014, but its overall profits are still down while the competition's are rising. The company earned an operating profit* of 6 trillion won ($5.6 billion) for January to March 2015, eclipsing the 5.3 trillion ($5 billion) won it earned last quarter. However, that's not enough to match its performance from the same period last year, when it boasted an $8 billion operating profit. Samsung's mobile division, for one, has shifted dramatically this past year. The company recaptured the top spot from Apple in the list of manufacturers with the biggest smartphone shipments for the first quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. Unfortunately, tablet and feature phone sales decreased, resulting in an overall loss in revenue.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make
It's no secret that Samsung's curvy Galaxy S6 Edge costs a pretty penny, but there's now a good explanation as to why. IHS estimates that the raw price of assembly for a 64GB Verizon model is $290. That's more expensive to make than not just the Galaxy S5 ($256 when new), but also the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus ($263) -- if true, Samsung is giving up a lot of profit to make this exotic hardware affordable. The bendy AMOLED screen is unsurprisingly the costliest element here with an estimated $85 price, although the Exynos 7 processor ($30), 3GB of DDR4 memory ($27) and flash storage ($25) certainly aren't cheap.
