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Why does the Galaxy Note still exist?
Watching the Galaxy Note 10 keynote, it became clear that the whole Note series has run out of runway. When it first launched, it was a wacky experiment to see if there was a market for an over-sized phone. But times have changed, and what was once transgressive is now the norm, only existing to wring cash out of the faithful.
The Galaxy Note 8's dual camera rivals the iPhone 7 Plus
Samsung may be late to the dual-camera game, but it seems to have put that extra time to good use. The Note 8 is the first major Galaxy handset to sport two rear cameras, with a setup that includes twin 12-megapixel sensors, one with wide-angle lens and one with telephoto. This is arguably the most useful of all the Note 8's new features, which include a refined S Pen, updated software, improved display and a smaller footprint. From my brief time with the phone during a recent demo ahead of today's launch, it's clear that Samsung has a camera setup excellent enough to make iPhone owners consider switching.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 livestream at 11AM ET
If you've been eagerly awaiting the return of the Galaxy Note after the drama surrounding last year's model, today is the day. At 11AM ET, Samsung will reveal the Note 8 and perhaps a few other things during the festivities. We'll be there to cover all the news as it happens, including our analysis and witty commentary via a liveblog. If you want to livestream the event, Samsung is hosting one of those right here. We've also embedded the stream down below for easy access. When the time comes, keep it locked here for all the action and reaction as the company seeks to rebound from its stumble(s) with the Note 7. Follow all the latest news from Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 event here!
Samsung's latest app could help curb your kid's screen addiction
Samsung has an idea for how to encourage kids to use their devices responsibly. With its Marshmallow app (not the outdated version of Android), kids earn points by following their self-set usage plan. With the application installed and running, kids are limited to using eight apps, parents can filter which apps are and aren't appropriate and they can set a bed time for the phone as well.
Meet the Galaxy Note 5: Samsung's most elegant phablet yet
In case the news hasn't already been spoiled for you, Samsung just officially revealed two new phablets, and the updated Galaxy Note 5 is easily the more fascinating of the pair. It's the sleekest, most powerful Note yet (obviously), but -- more importantly -- it's also the most elegant. In fact, after spending a little time with the Note 5, it began to feel like the sort of device that might change a Note naysayer's mind about the "giant screen-writing phone" formula entirely.
Evernote's Plus tier gives you a bit more notetaking for $25 a year
Until now, Evernote's service options have been something of an all-or-nothing proposition: either you stick to the free, very limited tier for your notetaking or shell out $50 a year for the full Premium package. You won't have to pay quite so much after today, though. The company has introduced an in-between plan, Evernote Plus, that unlocks a few key features at a more reasonable $25 per year, or $3 per month. You can only upload 1GB per month, but you get access to offline notes on mobile devices, automatic email-to-note conversion and a passcode lock. It's enough to help you with some serious life organization or your schoolwork, and not much more. If you do need more, though, you'll be glad to hear that Premium now has unlimited uploads and larger note sizes. All told, you're more likely to pay only for the features you'll actually use.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: Innovation, experiment or gimmick?
Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies can make, let alone bring to the public outside of a fuzzy proof of concept. And so, following the Galaxy Round, here's the Galaxy Edge. If you take the basic shape and concept, it's the spitting image of the curved-screen Youm prototype spied at CES a little less than two years ago. Now, though, it's a for-real smartphone you can buy. I've been testing it out in Japan, where it launched instead of the Note 4, although both the Note 4 and the Note Edge will eventually be available in the US. Fortunately, despite the unusual, (addictively stroke-able) curved screen, it still packs all of the good things that made the Note 4 such a strong choice. But bragging rights aside, is there enough of an argument for a curved screen? Should you just get the Note 4 anyway?
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 leak suggests huge QHD display and improved camera
If there's one thing that you're guaranteed to see at IFA, it's Samsung showing off the fourth version of the Galaxy Note. Unfortunately, any surprise factor the company might have been relying on has been lost if this credible-looking spec list is true. Indonesian retailer Erafone is claiming that the new flagship will arrive with a 5.7-inch 1,440 x 2,560 (515 ppi) Super AMOLED display and a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Like other Samsung units, the device will come in two variants, one packing a quad-core Snapdragon 805 (SM-N910S) and an octa-core version running an Exynos 5433 (SM-N910C) that we assume will remain in Korea. Rounding out the notable specs are 4GB RAM, up to 128GB of microSD card storage and Android KitKat 4.4.3. According to the retailer, the device is priced at IDR 9,499,000, which roughly converts to $812, but either way, September 3rd simply cannot come fast enough.
Note-taking platform Springpad shutting down on June 25th
Springpad, the online and app-based platform for saving and sharing web content, managing notes and collaborating on projects with others, has announced that it'll be shutting up shop come June 25th. Despite ongoing development of the service, it's evidently struggled to compete with the likes of Evernote and others, despite attracting over 5 million users during its six-year lifespan. Come the tail end of June, you'll need to find a new home for anything that lives on Springpad, and the company's said it's working on an export tool that'll allow you to save your data and/or move it elsewhere, although we don't currently know which similar services the tool will support. Little consolation to Springpad loyalists, no doubt, but at least moving over to a more successful alternative means it'll probably be the last time you have to.
SwiftKey's new iOS note-taking app syncs with Evernote
Will Apple ever open up its mobile platform to allow the use of third-party keyboards? Y'know, customizable boards that have features like clever word-prediction algorithms and finger-swiping gestures? Despite CEO Tim Cook's suggestion last May that we might see iOS open up more in the future, we've seen no strong indication that alternative keyboards are even on the drawing board at present time. Fortunately, some developers are finding small workarounds to this dilemma: Even though they aren't allowed to change the keyboard on the platform level, it's possible to do so within third-party applications. Fleksy is a prime example of a company that's thinking outside the box, opening up a developer kit allowing third parties to incorporate the Fleksy keyboard into their own app. SwiftKey is also making the jump to iOS, but it's taking a different approach: The keyboard maker just announced SwiftKey Note, a note-taking app that's integrated with your Evernote account. This is great news for current Evernote users, and it may even be enough of an incentive for newbies to try it out. Using the new Note app, you'll be able to create notes that sync up with the account on your desktop or other mobile app. But what's more important is that you'll have the help of SwiftKey's trusty and faithful word-prediction engine combined with the look of the default iOS 7 keyboard. We've got a gallery, video and additional impressions after the break.
Microsoft's OneNote Android app updated with native sharing and widgets
Since its major overhaul back in July, Microsoft's OneNote Android app has languished while the company built out the Windows version of its note-taking tool. That changed today after Microsoft pushed live a new update to the Play Store, which includes new sharing and widget features that Microsoft believes will help you get "more things done in less time." The updated app now integrates with Android's built-in sharing intents, allowing you to pull up a native sharing menu inside apps and immediately add new content to your OneNote account. Microsoft's also added a new OneNote widget, embedding options to let you view your most recent photos, recordings and notes, add new content and pin homescreen shortcuts to your favorite pages or notebooks. With its revamped UI, the Android app is almost at feature parity with OneNote for Windows 8.1, giving us a real reason to consider it over rival note-taking apps like Evernote.
Weekly Roundup: Galaxy Note 3 and Gear reviews, Twitter's $1 billion IPO, Silk Road shutdown and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review (2014 edition)
If you want your product to sound like it belongs in the future, why not name it after the future itself? Taking a page from the auto industry, Samsung named its new Galaxy Note 10.1 for the coming year, dubbing it the 2014 edition. And, judging from what we've seen of the new Note so far, it's clear Samsung has greatly improved upon many of the original's shortcomings; it even added more storage space! Unfortunately, though, Samsung also boosted the base price by $50 as a result. So how does it hold up? Does the new Note 10.1 trick us into believing it came from the future, or is it too easy to look through Sammy's "futuristic" marketing campaign? Gaze into the Magic 8 Ball with us to find out.
Daily Roundup: Galaxy Note 3 review, Kindle Paperwhite review, McAfee's NSA-proofing Decentral device and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review (global edition)
More Info Samsung Galaxy Note 3 preview Samsung Galaxy Gear hands-on Samsung details new S Pen Three is the magic number. Three is lucky. Three's a crowd. Okay, ignore that last one, but the number 3 does also apply to the latest Galaxy Note, and we're curious to know which of those maxims might apply. What are the marquee features this time around? Well, there's the usual bevy of specification improvements (a 5.7-inch display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM), Android 4.3, some new S Pen features and the small matter of the Gear, that optional, polarizing companion watch. Samsung makes a great many products, even if you just consider the mobile ones. However, since it burst into existence in 2011, the Note has been up there with the Galaxy S series on the flagship pedestal. So, it'd be fair to say that we're expecting big things from this big phone, but with a SIM-free price in the UK of £620, it requires even deeper pockets than its predecessor did at launch (that one cost around £530). That said, if you want one, you'll need big pockets anyway. While you check their size, we've scribbled, doodled and gestured the Note 3 with abandon to see if it's worth the bounty. Read on to find out if it is.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition) hands-on
With all the hubbub about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear, any hype surrounding a new Galaxy Note tablet prior to IFA 2013 was severely downplayed -- but worry not, because you'll be able to get your S-Pen fix with a fresh Note 10.1 regardless. The new version of the tablet device, aptly dubbed the 2014 Edition, reflects the leather-clad design language of its smartphone companion in a much larger package. We had the opportunity to briefly play with the latest and greatest Note tablet, which will be rolling out globally this quarter in jet black and classic white, though pricing and specific availability is still unknown at this point. We've compiled a full gallery of images for you to enjoy below, and then continue past the break to get more of our first impressions. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Daily Roundup: HTC 8XT for Sprint, Windows 8.1 heads to manufacturers, Galaxy Gear, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung 'Unpacked Episode 2' scheduled for September 4th in Berlin
The second installment of Samsung's 2013 "Unpacked" event series is scheduled for the first Wednesday in September, just before the annual IFA consumer electronics show kicks off in Berlin. As the sketched invite above confirms, the Galaxy Note III will undoubtedly be the star of this show, which is set to begin at 7PM local time (1PM ET) on September 4th. We'll of course be there to cover the festivities live from the German capital, and Samsung's promised to provide a YouTube livestream feed that you can follow along with as well.
The Daily Roundup for 04.09.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 review
Overseas, it doubles as a phone. Here in the US, it's just a tablet with an S Pen onboard. For its stateside debut, Samsung's stripped the Galaxy Note 8.0 of the very HSPA+ radios that made it an 8-inch curiosity at this year's Mobile World Congress. Now, as it's primed to go on sale, the Note 8.0 has sobered up, combining a host of compelling TouchWiz software tricks lifted from its high-profile Galaxy mates into a more serious, along with a more pocketable, size. Its 8-inch form factor may be new, but the bits used within should be plenty familiar: Samsung's borrowed elements from previous products, including the Note 10.1's 1,280 x 800 TFT display (albeit with a higher pixel density of 189 ppi). Meanwhile, the Note 8.0 draws inspiration from some Samsung phones, too, with chrome accents, a bulging rear camera module and a build that manages to be reminiscent of both the Galaxy S III and Note II. What's more, it packs a 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad inside -- yep, just like its predecessor. It'd be easy to pass the Note 8.0 off as a comfortable retread; a Best of edition for the Note line. In a way, it is. But, Samsung's not so daft -- there's a cushy market for tablets as a second screen and the company knows this all too well. So, can it best the iPad mini as the go-to, do-everything couch companion? Or is this $399 tablet more of a supernova for the Galaxy line? Follow along to find out.%Gallery-184913%
