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Samsung cleans up its Android skin with 'One UI'
In addition to unveiling its much-rumored folding phone at its developer conference today, Samsung also shared its plans for a cleaner Android skin. The new look will be called One UI, and feature not only a refreshed design with rounded corners in its icons, but also a minimalist aesthetic that the company said will draw users' eyes "to what matters."
Samsung wants you to beta test the next Galaxy phone's software
Are you champing at the bit waiting for a taste of what the next Galaxy phone will be like? You don't have to wait until 2018. Samsung is launching a public beta for Experience 9.0, its customized take on Android Oreo that will show up on the next Galaxy flagship. As of November 2nd, "select" Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus owners (more on that later) in South Korea, the UK and the US will get to peek at the next-gen interface in return for feedback on performance and usability.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 34: Intergalactic
On this special all Samsung edition of the Engadget Podcast host Terrence O'Brien is joined by executive editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Chris Velazco. First all three will debate some of the most burning questions surrounding South Korea's biggest phone manufacturer. Should Samsung be using resources to build yet another virtual assistant? Is there anyone who wants to use their phone as a desktop? And, most importantly, can the Galaxy S8 save Samsung from itself? Then Chris Velazco will paint a picture of the event on the ground, before the crew dives deep on the finer point of the S8's design, interface and audio pedigree. Then, on The Wind Down, we discover that Dana failed to do her homework and Chris is contemplating picking up Dungeons & Dragons.
Samsung brings Android Nougat to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
The Galaxy Note 7 might be no more, but Samsung is still supporting its other flagships in earnest. Today, the company is rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, coupling Google's latest software improvements with a dash of TouchWiz design. The biggest changes can be found in the notification tray -- swipe down and you'll notice that the Quick Panel interface looks cleaner than before, with titles removed from each icon. The "second depth," opened with a subsequent downward swipe, has been reworked too with grouped icons. Notifications have also been bundled for easier sorting, and now support direct replies.
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge review: Samsung's best phones in years
Samsung found itself in sort of a bind last year: Its flagship Galaxy S5 wasn't the blockbuster the company hoped it would be. That, coupled with the news that Samsung was going to focus on a smaller number of devices in 2015, signaled a pretty dramatic change for a brand that seemed like it was unstoppable. As if to silence the doubters, Samsung has not one, but two flagships on offer -- the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge -- and they're surrounded by questions. Can they restore Samsung to its former glory? Has the company figured out how to build a truly interesting smartphone again? It's too early to make a call on the former, but after a week of testing, the answer to the latter is a clear and definite "yes."
Samsung's take on Android L looks very familiar
You've probably seen plenty of Google's stock Android L interface by now, but custom interfaces are another story. What will the OS look like when device makers get hold of it? If SamMobile's experience with an early, leaked version of Samsung's TouchWiz software is any indication, it will be... remarkably familiar. At least on the Galaxy S5, it looks like the current front-end with splashes of Google's Material Design philosophy thrown in. Core apps and notifications are now full of card-like, colorful elements, but the home screen, app tray and many other elements resemble what you've seen on existing Samsung hardware.
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is smaller, lighter and more elegant than the GS5
Aluminum sides, chamfered edges, slim profile, solidly built back -- this is what Samsung's chosen as its brand-new design language, and it's why the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge (which was introduced this week) have a premium look and feel. But the new Note isn't the only device with the same type of setup: It has a smaller sibling called the Galaxy Alpha that was announced just three weeks prior. The Alpha, which should be making its way into select markets (such as the UK) this month, is a compromise for those who want a good-looking phone, but don't want one that's so large.
Samsung Galaxy S5 review: a solid improvement, but don't rush to upgrade
Now that I've been testing it for a few days, let's see if the Galaxy S5 lives up to all those promises.
Reported Google deal could see Samsung deliver cleaner Android, less bloat
Google and Samsung agreeing to a 10 year patent licensing deal was good news for Android. But that might only be the tip of the iceberg. According to a report from Re/code the two are working together on a broader initiative that will bring the Samsung version of Android more inline with Google's vision. The talks appear to have started at CES following the reveal of Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro lines, which featured a new skin called Magazine UX. The interface was not only a dramatic departure from the familiar TouchWiz, but from the very core of Android itself. In fact, the panel-based home screen looks a lot more like Windows 8 than Mountain View's mobile OS. But Re/code's sources say that future Samsung devices will either feature a drastically scaled back version of Magazine UX or lose the interface all together. Obviously, keeping the Android experience as consistent as possible across devices and brands is good for Google, but it could also help Samsung, which is now looking at maintaining three different Android-based tablet skins. Google has been pressuring companies to minimize the tweaks to the Android UI (with varying degrees of success) for sometime now. So it balking at Magazine UX should come as no surprise. The more interesting part of the deal reportedly involves Samsung's in-house apps. For years now the South Korean giant has been promoting its own (often lackluster) products that replicate functions of Google's core Play Services. For example, WatchON, ChatON and the mSpot-enhanced Media Hub. Sammy has apparently agreed to instead shift focus to the Play store, Newsstand, Hangouts and other Google-built apps. Again, this will bring additional consistency to the Android universe and, considering the size of Samsung's market share, will broaden the reach of Mountain View's services. What isn't clear, is what concessions Samsung wrangled out of Google to get this deal done. It could simply be that Sundar Pichai threatened to pull access to the Play store if the Galaxy line didn't, well, get in line. But that seems doubtful. Perhaps the company was promised the next Nexus device or even a seat at the brainstorming sessions for Lemon Meringue Pie (Lollipop? Lik-M-Aid?).
Is this the Samsung Galaxy S5's new tile-based home screen?
As Samsung's Galaxy S5 gets ready to launch, the rumor alert scale has already hit "yellow." The latest from @evleaks shows a possible TouchWiz home screen that would be a sharp U-turn from the current one, if real. It displays information and notifications like Google Now in a tiled format à la Microsoft's Modern/Metro UI -- not unlike the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2's Magazine UX. Naturally, there's no info about how the software would gather up such data, but in any event, the screenshot above could easily be a Samsung test or a fake -- we'll find out in a few short months.
Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is a gigantic tablet that promises extensive productivity (hands-on)
In much the same way that smartphones are trending towards larger screens, it appears that manufacturers like Samsung are experimenting with the same concept in the tablet realm. The company has just introduced its latest (and largest) Android-running Galaxy Note device called the Note Pro 12.2. Announced alongside the Tab Pro 12.2 at CES, the Note Pro offers the same S Pen functionality we've enjoyed on previous devices like the Note 3 and Note 10.1 2014 edition, and as usual, you're going to see some refinements in Samsung's firmware and user experience as well. The device will be available in LTE, 3G and WiFi flavors and is expected to launch sometime this quarter in various parts of the world. As soon as we tried out the new Note Pro, we immediately noticed the size and weight difference compared to Samsung's 10.1-inch offerings. Regardless of how much you trim its bezel, a 12.2-inch tablet simply isn't designed for optimal portability, which means we're more likely to use it as a coffee table device, special projects or conferences in the office. It's just a little too awkward to hold for long periods of time. Aside from that and a glaring weight difference -- 753g (1.66 lbs) on the 12.2, versus 547g (1.21 lbs) on the 10.1 -- we were hard-pressed to find any variation between the 12.2-incher and the Note 10.1 2014 edition; it features the same design, button layout, "leather-like" back and display resolution (2560x1600, for a pixel density of 247 ppi). Other than that, what stands out on the 12.2, which runs Android 4.4 KitKat, is a few key new firmware features like Remote PC and Magazine UX. Continue reading below the gallery and our hands-on video to get more of our impressions.
Physical buttons make a comeback in Samsung's low-end Galaxy Core Advance
The rugged Galaxy S 4 Active had them, and so did the lesser-known Xcover2. But all-physical navigation buttons are becoming rarer on Samsung phones nowadays, and that's why our eyes were drawn to the manufacturer's latest low-end offering, the Galaxy Core Advance. In addition to the obvious trio on the front, the handset also finds room for dedicated camera and voice recorder buttons on the side. Specs-wise, however, we're still in deeply unexciting Galaxy Core territory, with Android 4.2 and TouchWiz running on a 480 x 800 display (now slightly bigger at 4.7 inches), a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage (expandable via MicroSD) and Europe-friendly 3G data bands. The phone will be out early next year, although we're not sure exactly where it'll be sold or for how much. What we can say, though, is that Samsung will have to drastically undercut the superior Moto G (which has a 720p display and Android 4.3) if it plans to go up against Motorola in the same markets.
CyanogenMod founder leaves Samsung, praises the Galaxy S 4 on his way out
Less than two years after the CyanogenMod founder was scooped up by Samsung to improve Android's veneer, Steve Kondik has decided to depart for greener pastures. In a Google Plus posting, the software engineer shared his mostly positive impressions for Samsung's Galaxy S 4, casually mentioning that he'd departed the Korean behemoth's embrace. The one thing that came in for a bashing was TouchWiz's updated UI, that he says "feels like it has been sent back a few years in time to the Froyo days." Responding to a comment, Mr. Kondik said that nothing in particular had prompted his departure beyond a desire to "do something new," but given the man's pedigree, we can only assume it'll be somehow related to the little green droid that could. [Image credit: Erica Joy]
Samsung's Android phones affected by another lockscreen bypass, fix is in the works
Since lockscreen bypass methods are apparently what's hot in the streets, it's no surprise that yet another one has surfaced, this time targeting Samsung's Android phones. A variant of another, earlier uncovered method, this one does not fully unlock the phone by itself, but does provide access to apps and settings for a brief period. Given that, as demonstrated in the video by Terence Eden, it's possible to use Google Play to download an app to disable the locked screen and fully access the phone. According to Terence, this problem is confirmed on the Galaxy Note II, possibly the Galaxy S III and potentially on other TouchWiz UI Samsung Android phones. Disabling screen animations under developer options should reduce the vulnerability, but doesn't eliminate it without switching to another ROM. He also mentions Samsung is aware of the issue and is working on a fix, but that leaves phones accessible right now. We've certainly seen enough of these recently (Apple's latest version of iOS has also been victimized again in the last day) to know leaving our phones out, locked or unlocked, is foolish. At the same time, if a manufacturer insists on adding customized software to the existing platform, it could at least have the courtesy to do so without causing security leaks -- check after the break for a "bonus" vid sent in by another tipster that shows a way to activate voice commands on a locked Galaxy S II.
Samsung Galaxy S IV: the rumor roundup
Compared to the sheer deluge of rumors surrounding last year's Galaxy S III, talk about the Galaxy S IV has been relatively hushed. That's partly owing to the contracted launch schedule -- despite Samsung's initial denials, the company is unveiling its next Android flagship almost two months before the GS3's first birthday. There's still been a fair share of rumormongering, however, and a picture is emerging of just what Samsung could unveil for yet another encore. Will the smartphone giant make a sharp break from tradition? Read past the break for a roundup of what to expect when Samsung hits the stage at Radio City Music Hall.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 preview: an 8-inch S Pen tablet that's also a phone
An updated, larger Galaxy Note from Samsung was inevitable. Given the undeniable popularity of mid-size tablets (see: Apple iPad mini), it's no surprise the Korean electronics giant would want to strengthen its foothold in a category it helped create. It was just three short years ago that Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab and now, three Notes later, it's ready to perfect the one-handed experience. With this new Note, the company's culled the best of what's around its Galaxy into an 8-inch form factor, housing a 1,280 x 800 TFT display, Exynos 4 Quad with 2GB RAM (clocked at 1.6GHz), TouchWiz-skinned Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 OS, S Pen (and suite of associated apps), as well as radios for HSPA+ and WiFi into that familiar, lightweight plastic body. But that extra inch alone isn't the Galaxy Note 8.0's main attraction. Samsung's wisely made use of the additional screen real estate to bundle two extra features. Building upon market research that indicates over 80-percent of tablet use takes place within the living room, the company's partnered with Peel for its Smart Remote app, a visual programming guide with remote control functions baked in that comes pre-loaded on the tab. And, in keeping with its portrait oriented design, the Note 8.0 also incorporates what the company calls "reading mode," effectively optimizing the slate's display for comfortable e-book use.
Verizon pushing Android 4.1 update to Samsung Galaxy S III tomorrow
Verizon seems to be late to the update party, but Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be pushed out to its version of the Samsung Galaxy S III "in phases" as an OTA update beginning December 14th. We knew it was coming in the very near future, but it's nice to have a specific date to look forward to. Don't be alarmed if the update doesn't show up right away; as we've seen with plenty of other OTA rollouts, it may take a while for it to reach every GS3 user on the network. Along with Jelly Bean, you can also expect to see support for global data roaming, mobile payments through Isis, some extra preloaded applications and miscellaneous enhancements across the board. Here's the interesting tidbit: Verizon's support page claims that the new upgrade is only 62MB in total size. This seems to be quite hard to believe, given the fact that Jelly Bean on other Galaxy S III variants has ranged in size from 275MB (Sprint) to 740MB (AT&T), but perhaps Big Red cooked up a little extra magic to make the long wait even more worthwhile. Update: We just received word from Verizon that the support page is incorrect and that the update will be around 400MB. This makes it one of the larger updates, but still nowhere as hefty as AT&T's.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini review: a small Galaxy with few stars
Samsung made a bold move when it announced the Galaxy S III mini. Here was an Android phone with the potential to take the iPhone 5 head-on. While the original Galaxy S III is clearly the flagship, its 4.8-inch display means it's literally too much for some people to handle. By matching Apple's screen size inch for inch, it could have been pitched as a device aimed at winning over some iOS fence-sitters. However, when you look at the specifications: a dual-core 1GHz processor, WVGA (800 x 480) display and a 5-megapixel camera, it's clear that Samsung had other ideas, opting to fish for a more mid-range customer instead. Fast forward to the present, and it's no longer a matter of intellectual debate as to what the mini is all about: the phone is here, and on sale in much of Europe for £299 / €379. So hubris, brand appeal and pundit talk aside, is this the real-deal Galaxy S III, just for smaller hands? Or is it a budget phone simply wearing its elder sibling's tuxedo to the ball? We spent some time getting to know the phone in an attempt to find out.%Gallery-171894%
Samsung Galaxy Note II now available from Sprint for $300 on a two-year contract
Whether you're an existing or prospecting Sprint customer, the carrier's new big thing is now on sale. Priced at a whopping $300 with a two-year service agreement, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is the biggest smartphone to hit Sprint since the Hitachi G1000. As a reminder, the Now Network's Note II features an unbranded home button, a 5.5-inch 1,280 x 720 HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.9-megapixel front-facing shooter, Android 4.1 and international voice and data compatibility with GSM / UMTS / CDMA networks. If the aforementioned sounds pleasing to your mobile palate, then the only thing left to decide is marble white or titanium gray?
Samsung Galaxy Premier rumor gathers steam with leaked GLBenchmark results
When we first heard of a rumored Samsung Galaxy Premier handset that might be a Nexus device, we had our doubts, especially when we saw TouchWiz adorning the alleged leaked image from Mobile Geeks. Now, GLBenchmark is also giving the idea of a new model more credence, as it briefly showed a possible GT-I9260 model packing a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, dual 1.5GHz processor and 8-megapixel camera. The page has since been pulled, but a screen cap of the benchmark (after the break) shows PowerVR SGX 544 graphics on the device along with middle-of-the-road scores, though all that would be on a pre-production handset without final software, if it's accurate. Whether such a device would come along at a Google event or one of Samsung's shindigs remains to be seen, but its very existence should be taken with a boulder-sized chunk of salt.
