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Samsung Galaxy S10+ review: Another predictably great flagship
With all the foldable fever burning through MWC 2019, it's hard not to feel a little disappointed that the phone I'm reviewing is the S10+ and not the Galaxy Fold. But that doesn't mean the S10+ is a bad phone, even if the flagship line, and smartphones in general, are growing a little stale. The S10 and S10+ are the result of years of fine-tuning a formula, so much so that it feels like there's little room left to grow. For its tenth flagship, Samsung decided to focus on the display, camera and software, bringing the S10+ closer to perfection than ever. Despite some quirks and a $1,000 starting price, this is an excellent handset that still manages to pack a few surprises.
Our favorite smartphones from Mobile World Congress 2019
The last week has been a whirlwind of jamón-flavored chips, 5G talk and things that fold, so naturally, we're still reeling a bit. As we begin pulling ourselves out of this trade show-induced stupor, though, we've taken stock of everything we've seen in Barcelona and compiled this list of our favorite smartphones from the show floor. Not everything that made the cut will be a massive success, or go on sale around the world -- still, because of the ambition and ingenuity that went into each of these devices, each is worth celebrating in its own way.
Samsung will let you remap the Bixby button on older phones too
If the Bixby button on your Samsung Galaxy phone doesn't get much use, you might prefer to make it open another app. Samsung noted the remapping option when it revealed the S10 lineup this week, but if you have a slightly older Galaxy phone (namely, Note 9, S9, Note 8 or S8), you can customize the button too if your device is running Android Pie.
Samsung Galaxy S10e hands-on: High-end, but not too high
Right around this time every year, Samsung releases a pair of glamorous, high-end Galaxy devices, meant in part to set the smartphone standard for months to come. For four years now, this has been about as concrete a smartphone tradition as you'd find. Of course, some traditions don't last forever. There's the whole change-of-scenery thing going on for this announcement, but this year, Samsung's Galaxy has grown a little bigger and a little smaller. Meet the Galaxy S10e.
Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+ hands-on
Like so many high-profile devices of the past few months, the Galaxy S10 and S10+ have been leaked to death, but there's still something exciting about the official unveiling. Maybe it's because that edge-to-edge hole-punch display looks much better in person -- not to mention what that three-camera setup is capable of, oh, and the in-screen fingerprint scanner. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We’re live at Samsung’s Galaxy S10 event!
Mobile World Congress is just around the corner, but wouldn't you know it — Samsung wanted all the attention it could get. Because of that, we're coming to you this morning from beautiful, foggy San Francisco, where the company plans to finally reveal its 2019 flagship phones: the S10, the S10+ and, uh, whatever that cheaper model is actually called.
Tune in to our Galaxy S10 liveblog tomorrow at 2PM ET!
It's hard to believe sometimes, but Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones have been around for nearly a decade -- no wonder the company's trying something a little different for the launch of its new Galaxy S10s. Rather than compete for attention with everyone else at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung is taking over the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco to celebrate ten generations of flagship phones. (Oh, and lots of other things too, we're sure.) How could we not liveblog that?
Samsung's new cable can charge your watch using your phone
Battery life is one of the most important elements of any mobile device -- it can make or break it, in some cases. And while the majority of Samsung products aren't known to be terrible at that, a little help never hurts. As such, the South Korean outfit recently introduced its Power Sharing Cable, which, as the name suggests, allows you to use it to transmit energy from one Galaxy device to another, like a Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch, respectively. Better yet though, Samsung's peripheral isn't limited to its own handsets, slates or wearables, with the company claiming that the Power Sharing Cable is friendly with "any device" that can be charged by way of micro-USB. Meanwhile, the companion app lets you select just how much power you're willing to share from the main source, making the process simple to monitor. The Power Sharing Cable is available now for $20, which seems like a small price to pay for something that could be very handy in times of need.
How do launch numbers for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy S phones compare?
Some rivalries will never die -- chocolate vs peanut butter, Yankees vs Red Sox, and iPhone vs Android, just to name a few. With the announcement of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, many Android users took to the Internet to loudly exclaim how underwhelmed they were by the devices. Its new features were things they'd already had for years, except for all the ones that weren't, of course. Rivalries are fun, but the musings of voices on the Internet aren't nearly as important as the voices of the buying public. And when you compare the launch numbers of various Samsung Galaxy S phones to the iPhone 6 and earlier iPhones, there's absolutely no competition. This morning, Horace Dediu of Asymco Tweeted out a detailed chart documenting the launch performance of various iOS and Samsung Galaxy S phones. The numbers speak for themselves. For perspective, the iPhone 6 preorder beat every noted model of the Galaxy S by millions of units, even though the Galaxy S numbers take into account the first month or more of sales while the iPhone numbers are usually after just a handful of days. Here's that chart:
gdgt's best deals for September 11: Samsung Galaxy S 4, Belkin Surge Protector
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals are the highly-praised Samsung Galaxy S 4 at the lowest price we've seen, as well as a Belkin Surge Protector available for a song. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
gdgt's best deals for August 14: Samsung Galaxy S 4 and iPhone 5
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include a pair of prime smartphones for sale at Target, with the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the soon-to-be-supplanted iPhone 5 available with hefty price cuts on contract. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 review: one giant smartphone for mankind
The Samsung Galaxy Mega is a 6.3-inch woolly mammoth of a handset, and it reigns as the largest of its kind, even if only for a brief period of time.
gdgt's best deals for July 1: Free LG Blu-ray player with LG 3D HDTV purchase
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include an Amazon promotion that hands out a free LG Blu-ray player with the purchase of an LG 3D HDTV. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
FreedomPop expands service to include free voice -- but not for iOS yet
Bargain hunters in the iOS world probably already know about FreedomPop. It's the company that provides 500 MB of free data every month to customers using mobile hotspots, USB dongles or a sleeve that fits the iPod touch. Now the company is going a bit further by adding 200 free voice minutes and unlimited texting to the mix, although there won't be a way for iOS users to take advantage of Freedom Pop's generosity -- yet. FreedomPop is taking pre-orders on its website now, but won't actually go live with the service until August or September. For those who love to talk on the phone, the company will offer a $10 monthly unlimited voice calling plan. All calls on the devices will be internet calls, except for 911 calls that are made using traditional cellular networks. To go ultracheap, FreedomPop will be offering the service only on high-quality refurbished WiMax-capable devices like the Android-based Galaxy SII and Evo 4G. Those devices will be available for less than $200 without a contract. Customers with phones that operate on the Sprint network (such as Samsung's Galaxy S4) will find that their phones will work with FreedomPop's service. The way the company is able to route calls through its data network is by tweaking the Android dialer. We can only hope that FreedomPop is able to provide the same ability to iOS devices through an app soon, even if it's only on jailbroken devices. Oh, and by the way -- if you're wondering how FreedomPop makes money by giving away free service, it's through the sales of data devices and through add-on services.
Samsung to pay for Galaxy-specific apps
In its continuing quest for domination in the Android market place, Samsung has announced a global contest for developers to make Samsung-exclusive apps. In particular, they're looking for apps that highlight the Group Play function showcased in the new Galaxy S 4. Group Play allows users to interact and share content like music, photos, and games with other users. In all, 10 winning developers will split $800,000 in prize money as the company looks for the killer app to help it stand out in the pack of Android handset providers. The contest requires developers to use Samsung's Chord SDK media-streaming service to be eligible for the prize money. $200,000 goes to the first prize winner, three second-place winners get $100,000 each, and the remaining six third-place winners pocketing $50,000 apiece. Entries will be judged based on originality, design, functionality, and commercial appeal. Interestingly all entries must be submitted as free apps, though they are allowed to feature in-app purchases. One of the disadvantages facing Android phone producers as they search for market dominance over other hardware companies is the lack of exclusive software. Due to the incredibly wide range of Android devices offering basically the same foundation, Samsung needs a way to narrow down consumer choices to their products. Galaxy-specific apps, or at least apps specific to Galaxy features that will soon be rolled out in other phone models, would provide leverage to help Samsung stand out in the crowded Android market place.
Samsung mobile head confirms 4-inch Galaxy S III mini announcement tomorrow
It looks like the rumored Samsung Galaxy S III mini is real, and it will make its debut at an event in Frankfurt, Germany tomorrow. Mobile chief JK Shin said that the company believed there was demand "in Europe" for a cut down 4-inch version of the popular smartphone, which would otherwise carry the same specs of the original. That would give the company a high-end smartphone with an iPhone 5-esque form factor for folks who don't want to wedge the original 4.8-inch model into their pockets. Pricing and stateside availability wasn't mentioned, but Shin did say that launching the product in Korea was also "under consideration." Naturally, we'll have a lot more to report about it on October 11th, so stay tuned. Update: We've reached out to Samsung's PR folks and they've doubly confirmed the story: "we'll unveil the 4 inch Galaxy S III Mini in Germany on October 11th."
Samsung teasing Galaxy S III Mini for October 11?
Samsung has issued an invitation for a press event to launch something, and it's hard not to connect the dots with the tantalizing clues it's given -- though skepticism always reigns in the absence of fact. The large 'S' logo in the middle of the page is the first hint that it's likely to be some kind Galaxy S-class smartphone. The tagline offers the next clue: "Prepare for something small to make a big entrance," and elsewhere, "Ready for a little sensation?" Considering that the rumor mill has already churned out the idea of a Galaxy S III Mini -- as some don't cotton to the pocket-unfriendly 4.8-inch screen of the current model -- it's tempting to conclude a smaller version will be launched. However, we could also be looking at the Galaxy Ace 3, so don't forget to keep your expectations in check. [Image credit: Mobi Flip]
Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G review: T-Mobile's QWERTY slider falls flat
More Info Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G bringing keyboard, longwinded name to T-Mobile September 19th Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G We first heard rumblings about the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q slider back in August, and what stood out most -- apart from the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and HSPA+42 connectivity -- was that long-winded moniker. Interesting, then, that Sammy should re-brand the T-Mobile device with a name that does nothing to clarify this handset's identity: the Galaxy S Relay 4G. That jumble of words aside, this phone offers a five-row QWERTY layout, a dual-core S4 chip and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, all for the moderate price of $150 (with a $50 mail-in rebate). Is this slider the best T-Mobile has to offer? Join us past the break as we give the Relay the full run-through.
From the lab: Lumia 920 low-light shootout with Nokia 808, iPhone 5, HTC One X and Galaxy S III
It looks like Nokia's controversial marketing move, which involved using pro DSLRs to "simulate" low-light shooting, was even less necessary than the smartphone maker may have thought. During our visit to the company's Tampere, Finland research and development complex, we were given access to a comprehensive testing suite, enabling us to shoot with a Lumia 920 prototype and a handful of competing products in a controlled lighting environment. Technicians dimmed the lights and let us snap a static scene with each handset at just 5 lux -- a level on par with what you may expect on a dimly lit city street in the middle of the night. The 920 took the cake, without question, but the iPhone didn't fare too poorly itself, snatching up nearly as much light as the Nokia device. The 808 PureView also performed quite well, but the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III yielded unusable results. It's one thing to snag proper exposure, though -- capturing sharp details with little noise and superior color balance is an entirely different beast, and the Lumia managed to do just that, as you'll see in our 100-percent-view shots further on. Later in the evening we hit the streets of Helsinki for a real-world shootout. The 920 did present some issues with exaggerated shake and other rapid movements, but it offered up excellent results overall, even in scenes that were too dark for us to make out any details with our own eyes. Our nighttime shoot can be found in the gallery below, followed by plenty of comparison photos after the break.%Gallery-166626%
Samsung Galaxy Victory hands-on: a $100 handset on Sprint with LTE and Android 4.0
Okay, it's not the nicest phone we've handled this week (heck, it's not even the best mid-range phone), but you wouldn't be reading this site if you didn't enjoy gawking at new devices, right? Right. So, with that in mind, we offer you the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE. It went on sale at Sprint last weekend, priced at $100 after a $50 mail-in rebate, but we only just got some hands-on time at a press event happening tonight. On paper and in person, it's a forgettable sort of handset: it has a 4-inch (800 x 480) display, 5- and 1.3-megapixel cameras, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage and a middling dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 Lite processor, clocked at 1.2GHz. And, at 12.7mm thick, it's one of the chunkiest phones we've handled in some time. Still, it redeems itself somewhat with the promise of LTE service -- once Sprint gets some momentum behind its new 4G network, that is. It also comes with Google Wallet, as well as some features found on the Galaxy S III -- things like S Beam and AllShare Play. Curious enough to peek but not compelled enough to buy? You've come to the right place. Check out our hands-on photos below and meet us after the break for some quickie impressions.%Gallery-166195%
