Samsung Galaxy Active Neo With Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Launched

Samsung has launched a new budget smartphone in Japan, the Galaxy Active Neo. The rugged handset would be hitting the shelves through local carrier NTT DoCoMo in early November priced at JPY 20,000 (roughly Rs. 10,800). The smartphone for now is limited to Japan and there's no word on its availability outside the country.
The Samsung Galaxy Active Neo is an Android 5.1 Lollipop smartphone featuring a 4.5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) resolution display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, clubbed with Adreno 306 GPU and 2GB of RAM.
Samsung Galaxy Active Neo houses an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera on board. Also included is a 16GB inbuilt storage, which can by further expanded via a microSD card slot (up to 128GB). Users would also be receiving 100GB of OneDrive cloud storage for 2 years as well. The Galaxy Active Neo features regular set of wireless connectivity options including 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, and NFC.

Since the smartphone falls under Samsung's 'Active' line up, it is IP68 certified, which makes it dust and water-resistant. The budget device is also MIL-STD-810G certified, making it humidity, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistant. It would be able to take 2 tons of weight and withstand a drop from 1.5metres as well. The smartphone will be available in Camo White and Solid Black colour variants.
Measuring 133x70x10.1mm, the Samsung Galaxy Active Neo weighs 154 grams. A 2200mAh battery backs the handset. In addition, a 'Battery-conserving Mode' can be activated using a dedicated button on the left side bezel of the smartphone. Samsung last month also launched its low-powered Galaxy J1 Ace in India priced at Rs. 6,300.

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New Galaxy O7 benchmark also reveals mid-range specs

Nearly a month after a leaked AnTuTu benchmark result revealed its specs, the rumoured Samsung Galaxy O7 smartphone has been spotted on GFXBench, revealing almost similar, mid-range specs.

The benchmark reveals that the handset will be powered by a Snapdragon 410 SoC, and sport a 5.8-inch 720p display - a 5-inch display was also reported (see image above), but that could be the Galaxy O5. Other specs that were revealed were: 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front shooter, and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

See Also: (Top Ten Fan Favorite Phones In September)

For the uninitiated, it was late last month when rumour broke out that Samsung is working on a new O series of devices, the first of which will be the Galaxy O5 and Galaxy O7.
However, it was later said that those names have been dropped, with the company opting for Galaxy Grand On and Galaxy Mega On instead, although it isn't yet exactly clear that the new names correspond to which previous ones.

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Samsung Galaxy Core Prime VE With 4.5-Inch Display Launched at Rs. 8,600

Samsung has launched a new value-edition variant of its Galaxy Core Prime smartphone in India. Priced at Rs. 8,600, the new Samsung Galaxy Core Prime VE is now listed on the company's India e-store.
The smartphone was listed as 'out of stock', at the time of writing, and the company is now offering a Notify Me option for interested consumers. Much like the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime smartphone launched last year, the new Core Prime VE variant runs Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box.
The smartphone features dual-SIM support, a 4.5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) PLS (plane-to-line switching) TFT display, and a 1.2GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, and supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Galaxy Core Prime supports expandable storage via microSD card up to 64GB only.
Samsung has launched a new value-edition variant of its Galaxy Core Prime smartphone in India. Priced at Rs. 8,600, the new Samsung Galaxy Core Prime VE is now listed on the company's India e-store.
The smartphone was listed as 'out of stock', at the time of writing, and the company is now offering a Notify Me option for interested consumers. Much like the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime smartphone launched last year, the new Core Prime VE variant runs Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box.
The smartphone features dual-SIM support, a 4.5-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) PLS (plane-to-line switching) TFT display, and a 1.2GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, and supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Galaxy Core Prime supports expandable storage via microSD card up to 64GB only.

The Galaxy Core Prime VE sports a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front camera. There is a 2000mAh battery onboard. The connectivity options on the handset include Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and 3G.
The Galaxy Core Prime includes an accelerometer and proximity sensor, apart from measuring 130.8x67.9x8.8mm and sporting a matte body finish with metal sides. The official listing notes that the handset features Ultra Power Saving Mode that can offer up to 1.2 days of standby time with just 10 percent battery.
Earlier this month, Samsung India launched its new Galaxy J2 smartphone, priced at Rs. 8,490. The new entry-level 4G smartphone will be going on sale in India on Monday. The Samsung Galaxy J2 is the successor to the Galaxy J1 that was launched earlier this year. The company had announced that the new Galaxy J2 was developed at its India R&D facility.

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Samsung Galaxy J2 With 4.7-Inch Display, 4G LTE Launched at Rs. 8,490

Samsung has launched its new Galaxy J2 smartphone, priced at Rs. 8,490. The new entry-level 4G smartphone will go on sale in India on September 21 and will be available via all retail channels.
The Samsung Galaxy J2, is the successor to the Galaxy J1, which was launched earlier this year. It will be available in Black, White, and Gold colours.
The company stresses that the new Galaxy J2 has been developed in the company's India R&D facility. One of the highlights of the new Galaxy J2 is the Ultra Data Saving mode powered by Opera Max which lets users allow or block individual apps from using mobile data and save data by enabling data optimization at the same time. The company claims that the Ultra Data Saving mode can provide up to 50 percent savings in data and can free up to 11 percent RAM.
For specifications, the Galaxy J2 features a 4.7-inch qHD (540x960 pixels) Super Amoled display. The handset is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Exynos 3475 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It packs 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB).
The Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Galaxy J2 features the TouchWiz UI on top, and sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. There is a 2-megapixel front-facing camera also on board. The smartphone supports dual-SIM and measures 136.5x69x8.4mm.
Much like the Samsung Galaxy J1, the new Galaxy J2 also supports 4G and supports LTE bands in India. Apart from 4G, other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Micro-USB. The handset is backed by a 2000mAh battery.
Commenting on the launch, Asim Warsi, Vice President, Marketing, IT and Mobile, Samsung India said, "Samsung Galaxy J2, our entry level smartphone, has been specially made keeping in mind the Indian customer's sensibilities to make 4G accessible and relevant for all. The Galaxy S2 reinforces our commitment to 'Make in India'. Ultra Data Saving Mode, which is the key feature in the device, has been developed at our Indian R&D facilities to deliver the most cost efficient 4G device."

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 With 5.7-Inch QHD Display Launched at Rs. 53,900

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 5 in India, following the firm's launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the country last month. The Galaxy Note 5 has been priced at Rs. 53,900 for the 32GB variant, and Rs. 59,900 for the 64GB variant. The Galaxy Note 5 will go on sale on September 20, and pre-orders open from Monday.

The Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Samsung Galaxy Note 5 features a 5.7-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) Super-Amoled display with a pixel density of 515ppi, and is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 SoC with four Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2.1GHz, and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5GHz, apart from 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

The Galaxy Note 5 features a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, apart from a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The camera app can be opened with a double press on the home button, which also bears the fingerprint sensor. A Live Broadcast feature is also being touted.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has no microSD card slot, and features a 3000mAh non-removable battery. Samsung said with its Fast Charging technology, wired charging will deliver a full charge in roughly 90 minutes, and wireless charging a full charge in roughly 120 minutes.


The Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 4G LTE Cat. 6 modem and support for India's 4G LTE bands. It features NFC and MST technology to power the Samsung Pay mobile payment service, but for now, no details of when the service will be launched in India has been revealed. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ A-GPS, and Micro-USB 2.0.

The latest Note phablet features dimensions of 153.2x76.1x7.6mm, and a weight of 171 grams. It will be available in Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, and Silver Titanium colour variants. Samsung will also be providing 100GB of OneDrive cloud storage for free. Those consumers that pre-book the smartphone will also get a free wireless charger, and a one-time screen replacement.

As for the S Pen, Samsung said the stylus now features a one-click mechanism to eject it from the main smartphone body. New and improved features include the ability to take notes without unlocking the phone, and an updated Air Command feature that shows a hovering icon for quick access to stylus tools. Scroll Capture offers annotation and screen/ text capturing abilities.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 detailed specifications
General
Release date	August 2015
Form factor	Touchscreen
Dimensions (mm)	153.20 x 76.10 x 7.60
Weight (g)	171.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	3000
Removable battery	No
Colours	White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium
SAR value	NA
Display
Screen size (inches)	5.70
Touchscreen	Yes
Resolution	1440x2560 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI)	518
Hardware
Processor	1.5GHz octa-core
Processor make	Exynos 7420
RAM	4GB
Internal storage	32GB
Camera
Rear camera	16-megapixel
Flash	Yes
Front camera	5-megapixel
Software
Operating System	Android 5.1
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes, v 4.20
NFC	Yes
Infrared	No
Wi-Fi Direct	Yes
MHL Out	No
HDMI	No
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	No
SIM Type	Nano-SIM
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes
4G/ LTE	Yes
Supports 4G in India (Band 40)	Yes
Sensors
Compass/ Magnetometer	Yes
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Ambient light sensor	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes
Barometer	Yes
Temperature sensor	No

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Samsung Announces 16TB SSD, 'World's Largest' Storage Device for Data Centres

Samsung has announced a new solid-state drive powered by its new 3D vertical-NAND flash memory chips, which it says is the world's highest capacity computer storage device. The PM1663a drive, which has an actual formatted capacity of 15.36TB, will be targeted exclusively at data centres and other enterprise-grade markets with massive speed and capacity requirements.
The drive has a standard 2.5-inch enclosure but is twice as thick as the 2.5-inch drives commonly used in consumer products such as laptops. Samsung has employed 480 of its recently unveiled 256Gb third-generation V-NAND flash chips, each of which has 48 layers of NAND cells, to achieve this data capacity.
The announcement was made at the annual Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, California. No price or availability was announced, though Ars Technica estimates that it will not cost less than GBP 5,000 (approximately Rs. 5,08,346).
Samsung claims to be the leader in terms of storage density and the number of layers possible on a V-NAND chip. Its third-generation chips are stated to be up to 2.2x faster and up to 63 percent more power efficient than their second-generation predecessors.
Up to 48 such 2.5-inch drives can fit into a standard 2U server chassis, for up to 768TB of storage. Enterprise-grade magnetic hard drives, by comparison, have reached capacities of up to 10TB but still have an advantage in terms of cost per unit of storage.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 With Android 5.0 Lollipop, S Pen Launched

Samsung has launched a new mid-range Galaxy tablet, the Galaxy Tab A 9.7, which is now listed on the company's Samsung France website. The new Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 is now available to buy via various online and offline retailers at EUR 339 (approximately Rs. 23,750).
The official website lists some bundled offers available with the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 such as free 12-week subscription to the New York Times, a free ebook on Kindle, and up to 100GB of free storage on OneDrive for two years. The tablet comes bundled with S Pen and supports calligraphy among other features.
For specifications, the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 features almost identical specifications as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A, which was launched last month. The biggest difference however is the screen size - the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 features a 9.7-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels. The Galaxy Tab A, on the other hand, features an 8-inch TFT display with a screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels.
Another notable difference is that the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 supports Wi-Fi only while the Galaxy Tab A supported 4G LTE.
Rest of the specifications of the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 tablet include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB of built-in storage, which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). It packs a 6000mAh battery with no word on battery life. Notably, the Galaxy Tab A was backed by a 4200mAh battery.
The Galaxy Tab A 9.7 tablet sports a 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera and 2-megapixel front camera. Apart from Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, the tablet supports Bluetooth, NFC, and Micro-USB. The Galaxy Tab A 9.7 measures 242.5x166.8x7.5mm and weighs 487 grams.
Samsung, earlier this month, launched two new Galaxy S2 tablets featuring 8-inch and 9.7-inch displays. Both the Galaxy Tab S2 tablets were touted as the company's "thinnest and lightest" tablet of the size. At just 5.6mm thickness, both the Galaxy Tab S2 tablets were slimmer than Apple's iPad Air 2, which measures at 6.1mm. Another notable feature of the new Galaxy Tab S2 tablets is it comes with built-in touch-enabled fingerprint scanner.

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Samsung India May Have Discontinued 128GB Variants of Galaxy S6, S6 Edge

It appears as if Samsung has halted the sales of its 128GB variant of Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in India. The firm notably launched its two flagship devices in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB inbuilt storage variants in April.
The news comes from the Samsung India website itself, which now shows only 32GB and 64GB storage versions listed on the page. For now, it is not clear as to why Samsung has discontinued the sales of the particular variant. However, it has been speculated that the possible reason for the 128GB variant's discontinuation are the poor sales due to the price. Furthermore, the 'Tech Specs' section of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge also only show 32GB and 64GB versions.
It is worth noting that the 128GB variants of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were priced at Rs. 61,900 and Rs, 70,900 respectively. The firm last month had also announced the Green Emerald colour variant of the Galaxy S6 Edge in India. The new colour variant is also available in its 32GB variant.
Earlier this month, Samsung launched its Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 in India, priced at Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 14,999 respectively. The selfie-focused smartphones will be available to purchase from Friday exclusively via Flipkart.
The Android 5.1-based smartphones are dual-SIM dual standby handsets that will be available in Black, White, and Gold colours. Both smartphones feature front-facing LED flash, the first handsets from the company to do so. The South Korean giant has also partnered with Airtel to provide an introductory offer for 4G users, and with Gameloft to provide an offer that gives buyers free in-game credits of up to Rs. 3,200 for select titles.

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Samsung Launches Galaxy Tab S2 Tablets That Are Thinner Than the iPad Air 2

Samsung has launched two new Galaxy S2 tablets featuring 8-inch and 9.7-inch displays. Both the tablets will be available in global markets starting August, according to Samsung. The company, as of now, has not revealed pricing of the tablets.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8 (see above) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 will come in variants based on connectivity and storage options. Both the Galaxy Tab S2 tablets (9.7-inch and 8.0-inch versions) with Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi and LTE, will come in 32GB or 64GB storage variants with microSD card support (up to 128GB).

Samsung touts that the Galaxy Tab S2 is its "thinnest and lightest" tablet of the size. Both the Galaxy Tab S2 8 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 (see below) tablets measure just 5.6mm thin, which is a highlight of the tablets. At just 5.6mm thickness, both the Galaxy Tab S2 tablets are slimmer than Apple's iPad Air 2, which measures at 6.1mm. Another notable feature of the new Galaxy Tab S2 tablets is it comes with built-in touch-enabled fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy Tab S2 tablets come preloaded with Microsoft Office Solutions creating and editing documents. The tablets also get free storage of up to 100GB on the cloud via Microsoft's OneDrive for two years.

Both the tablets sport Super AMOLED displays; the Galaxy Tab S2 8 features an 8-inch display with a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels while the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 features a 9.7-inch with the same resolution. In terms of other specifications, both the Android 5.0 Lollipop-based Galaxy Tab S2 tablets feature an octa-core processor (quad-core 1.9GHz plus quad-core 1.3GHz); 3GB of RAM; 8-megapixel rear camera; 2.1-megapixel front camera, and support connectivity options Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, GLONASS, and Bluetooth 4.1 BLE.

The Galaxy Tab S2 8 measures 134.8x198.6x5.6mm and weighs 265 grams for Wi-Fi and 272 grams for the LTE model. It packs a 4000mAh battery. The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, on the other hand, measures 169x237.3x5.6mm and weighs 389 grams for Wi-Fi model and 392 grams for the LTE. It packs a 5870mAh battery.

Commenting on the launch, JK Shin, CEO and President of IT and Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics said, "The Galaxy Tab S2 is not only our thinnest and lightest tablet of its size ever, it also gives users quick, easy access to a wealth of superior viewing and productivity features. We believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the most complete personal visual device designed for consumers to carry and use anywhere."

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Samsung Galaxy J5, Galaxy J7 Selfie-Focused Smartphones Launched in India

Samsung has launched the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 in India, priced at Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 14,999 respectively. The selfie-focused smartphones will be available to purchase from July 24 exclusively via Flipkart. Pre-booking opens at 4pm on Thursday, and will last till July 23.

The Samsung Galaxy J5 and Samsung Galaxy J7 were launched first in China last month. Notably the company has launched slightly different models from those launched in China, with differences including display type, processor, and inbuilt storage. 

Samsung says consumers can also opt for Samsung flip covers worth Rs. 999 at Rs. 199 for a limited time period. The South Korean giant has also partnered with Airtel to provide an introductory offer for 4G users which will include double data offer. Customers will also get unlimited music download worth Rs. 594 through Wynk Music app for a period of 6 months. 

The Android 5.1-based smartphones are dual-SIM dual standby handsets that will be available in Black, White, and Gold colours. Both smartphones feature front-facing LED flash, the first handsets from the company to do so, making them selfie-focus smartphones.

The Samsung Galaxy J5 features a 5-inch Super Amoled display (instead of the TFT LCD display launched in China) with a HD screen resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The smartphone is backed by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC coupled with 1.5GB of RAM. The Indian model features 8GB of built-in storage instead of the Chinese model's 16GB, and it is further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB).

It packs a 2600mAh battery, which is rated to deliver a standby time of 342 hours. It sports a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with f/1.9 aperture and 5-megapixel front camera. Apart from 4G, the handset supports 3G, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, Glonass and Micro-USB. The Galaxy J5 measures 142x73x8.5mm and weighs 149 grams.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 features similar specifications to the Galaxy J5. The only differences in the Galaxy J7 are the larger 5.5-inch Super Amoled display (once again, instead of the TFT LCD display launched in China) with the same resolution, 16GB of inbuilt storage, and a 3000mAh battery rated to deliver 354 hours of standby time. The smartphone measures 152.2x79.1x7.9mm and weighs 168 grams. Notably, Samsung has launched a variant of the Galaxy J7 in India that sports an 1.5GHz octa-core Exynos 7580 processor instead of the octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC that was launched with the China model.

The company has also partnered with Gameloft to provide an offer buyers of the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 handsets, providing free in-game credits of up to Rs. 3,200 for prominent titles like Asphalt 8 and Modern Combat 5, among others. 

Asim Warsi, Vice President, Marketing, IT & Mobile at Samsung India, said, "Samsung is committed to lead the 4G revolution by providing new user experiences and latest technology. With consumers embracing the 4G revolution, we are looking at expanding our product offerings. The launch of Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 aims to give consumers options in the mid-range price segment. With optimal features and great value proposition for our consumers, the new devices will offer an uncompromised smartphone experience, at very competitive prices."

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+ to Launch on August 12: Reports

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note phablet is said to launch in mid-August, alongside its rumoured dual-edge variant.
Digitimes reports citing sources at Taiwanese telecom carriers that Samsung will reveal the Galaxy Note 5 on August 12 at an event in New York and will kick off sales of the smartphone in major markets on August 14. Notably, the new report is in line with an earlier report that claimed Samsung would bring forward the launch of its Galaxy Note 5 ahead of Apple's next iPhones, expected to launch in September.
The report notes, "The mid-August launch will likely put the new Note smartphone model on the market ahead of arch-rival Apple Inc's next iPhones."
Considering that Samsung usually launches its new Galaxy Note-series smartphone in September every year, an advanced launch for the new handset clearly will be an attempt to take on the sales of new iPhones, which is not likely to begin before September-end or early October.
Separately, a report by Sammobile corroborates the August 12 launch date for the Galaxy Note 5, and adds the much-rumoured Galaxy S6 Plus with dual-edge display will launch alongside as the Galaxy S6 Edge+. Sammobile also says the smartphones will be released in markets on August 21 and not August 14, which is more in line with the company's usual gap between launches and market availability. Samsung Pay is also tipped to launch alongside in the US.
Previous versions of the Galaxy Note-series, the Galaxy Note 3and Galaxy Note 4 were launched in September.
Some of the preliminary leaked specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 claim that it will sport a 5.7-inch to 5.89-inch display; measure just 7.9mm thick (compared to Galaxy Note 4's 8.5mm); Exynos 7422, and a 4100mAh battery.
An earlier report even claimed that the Galaxy Note 5 would feature a USB 3.1 Type-C port. If the report about Samsung's inclusion of a USB 3.1 Type-C port in its next Note phablet comes out to be true, the smartphone will be able to transfer files with up to 10Gbps speeds while also featuring updated Power Delivery spec which will allow the device to negotiate for up to 100W of power.

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Samsung Galaxy J5, Galaxy J7 India Launch Expected at Thursday Event

Samsung has sent invites for an event in New Delhi on Thursday, where the South Korean consumer electronics giant is expected to launch its newly unveiled Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 selfie-focused smartphones.

The company's invite for the event on Thursday features an image of a smartphone, along with the caption, "Unveiling of the latest stars in the Galaxy series." With a front-facing flash module clearly visible in the image, Samsung appears to be pointing to the launch of its only smartphones with front-facing LED flash - the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 - though the module is placed differently.
The Samsung Galaxy J5 and Samsung Galaxy J7 were launched first in China last month, priced at CNY 1,398 (roughly Rs. 14,300) and CNY 1,798 (roughly Rs. 18,400) respectively. The Android 5.1-based smartphones are dual-SIM dual standby handsets that will be available in Black, White, and Gold colours.

The Samsung Galaxy J5 features a 5-inch TFT display with a HD screen resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The smartphone is backed by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC coupled with 1.5GB of RAM. There is 16GB of built-in storage, which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB).

It packs a 2600mAh battery, which is rated to deliver standby time of 342 hours. It sports a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with f/1.9 aperture and 5-megapixel front camera. Apart from 4G, the handset supports 3G, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, Glonass and Micro-USB. The Galaxy J5 measures 142x73x8.5mm and weighs 149 grams.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 features similar specifications to the Galaxy J5. The only differences in the Galaxy J7 are the larger 5.5-inch TFT display with the same resolution, an octa-core Snapdragon 615 (four 1.4GHz cores + four 1GHz cores), and a 3000mAh battery rated to deliver 354 hours of standby time. The smartphone measures 152.2x79.1x7.9mm and weighs 168 grams.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 With 5.9mm Thickness, Octa-Core SoC Launched

After several leaks and rumours, Samsung has finally launched its slimmest smartphone, the Galaxy A8 in China. The Samsung Galaxy A7 successor is just 5.9mm thick but is not the slimmest in the market. Handsets like Gionee Elife S7, Oppo R5 and Vivo X5Max feature 5.5mm, 4.85mm and 4.75mm thickness respectively. The Samsung smartphone is available in Black, White, and Gold colour variants, and is up for preorders only in China.

The Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based Samsung Galaxy A8 runs TouchWiz UI on top and features two SIM slots, of which one also acts as a microSD card slot. This means that users would either get a dual-SIM support without a microSD card storage expansion or a single-SIM support with microSD card expansion. The smartphone boasts metal side bezels, near bezel-less screen and appears similar to the flagship Galaxy S6 from the front. However, besides its slim profile, the company has managed to squeeze in a fingerprint sensor, which also doubles as the home button.

As for the specifications, the Samsung Galaxy A8 houses a larger display, better camera, and a bigger battery over its successor, the Galaxy A7. The device equips a 5.7-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) resolution Super AMOLED display and runs on the same 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor (four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.5GHz + four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.0GHz). Also included is the Adreno 405 GPU for handling graphics, and 2GB of RAM. The smartphone is available in two storage variants - 16GB and 32GB inbuilt storage. Support for microSD card (up to 128GB) is also present.
The Galaxy A8's camera setup features a 16-megapixel autofocus rear camera with optical image stabilisation, f/1.9 aperture, a wide-angle lens (120 degrees) and LED flash. Like seen in Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the Galaxy A8's camera can also be activated quickly by pressing the home button twice. A front-facing 5-megapixel camera is also included. The connectivity options include 4G FDD LTE, TDD LTE with Band 40 (2300MHz) support available in India, Bluetooth 4.1, dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, NFC, and USB 2.0.
The latest offering by Samsung is backed by a 3050mAh battery, which as per the company gives a standby time (4G TDD LTE + 2G GSM) of up to 304 hours. The Galaxy A8 measures 158x76.8x5.9mm and weighs 10 grams more than its successor - 151 grams.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Launch Reportedly Advanced to Take on New iPhones

Samsung Electronics Co is bringing forward the launch of a key premium smartphone model, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday, as the South Korean tech giant seeks to revive sales after a sluggish second quarter.
The world's top smartphone maker will launch a new version of its Galaxy Note phablet in mid-August, the person said, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Previous versions, such as the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 4 , typically launched in September.
A Samsung spokeswoman declined to comment.
The mid-August launch will likely put the new Note smartphone model on the market ahead of arch-rival Apple Inc's next iPhones. The U.S. company is preparing for its largest initial production run for new phones so far by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week.
Samsung is seeking to rebound from a disappointing 2014, when its annual profit hit a three-year low as smartphone earnings slumped. Though Samsung's earnings are recovering, its second-quarter guidance of a KRW 6.9 trillion (roughly Rs. 38,725 crores) operating profit fell short of market expectations following a supply shortage for the curved-screen version of its flagship Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone.
"I don't know how much the earlier launch will help boost the company's average selling price for smartphones, but this suggests that Samsung will work hard to maintain its market share for the high-end market," said HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 V With 3G Support Launched at Rs. 10,600

Samsung India, after launching the Galaxy Tab A and Galaxy Tab E voice-calling tablets last month, has now introduced the Galaxy Tab 3 V. The new tablet from Samsung is now listed on the company's India e-store priced at Rs. 10,600. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 V is listed as not available at the time of writing but can be expected to go on sale soon.
Initially launched in Malaysia, the Galaxy Tab 3 V (T116) runs Android 4.4 KitKat with the company's TouchWiz skin on top. It features a 7-inch WSVGA (1024x600 pixels) LCD display with a 16:9 screen ratio.
The highlight of the tablet is it supports 3G connectivity via SIM card; though it does not support voice calling. The tablet is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The built-in storage on the tablet is 8GB, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 32GB). The Galaxy Tab 3 V sports a 5-megapixel rear camera while there is no front facing camera on the tablet. It measures 193.4x116.4x9.7mm and weighs 322 grams. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 V packs a 3600mAh battery.
Connectivity options on the tablet, apart from 3G, include Wi-Fi, GPS, Glonass, Bluetooth 4.0, and Micro-USB.
Last month, the company launched the Galaxy Tab A and Galaxy Tab E, priced at Rs. 20,500 and Rs. 16,900 respectively. Samsung's Galaxy Tab A came with 4G LTE connectivity (with support for both FDD LTE Band 3 and TDD LTE Band 40) while the Galaxy Tab E supported 3G.
The Android 5.0 Lollipop-based Galaxy Tab A tablet came with an 8-inch TFT display with a 1024x768 pixels resolution; a 1.2GHz quad-core processor; 2GB of RAM; 16GB of built-in storage that's further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB); a 4200mAh battery; a 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera, and a 2-megapixel front camera.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab E 3G, on the other hand, featured a 9.6-inch WXGA (1280x800 pixels) TFT display; a 1.3GHz quad-core processor; 1.5GB of RAM; Android 4.4 KitKat; a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera; 2-megapixel front-facing camera; 8GB of built-in storage that's expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB), and a 5000mAh battery.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 Price and Specifications Tipped

Samsung Galaxy A8, the successor to Galaxy A7, has appeared in some hands-on images coming from China. The smartphone is said to be the thinnest handset made by the company till date, with a thickness of 5.94mm. Samsung hasn't yet confirmed the existence of the Galaxy A8 yet. The device's release date has also been tipped by an e-commerce site, while the price has been tipped separately.
The images (via Phonearena) posted by Chinese website PC Online show the smartphone from almost all the possible angles. The site also claims to have done a hands-on with the Galaxy A8, confirming the specifications of the smartphone. The Android 5.1.1 Android Lollipop-based Galaxy A8 is said to boast metal side bezels and appears similar to the flagship Galaxy S6 from the front. The unannounced phablet sports a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display and a fingerprint sensor doubling as the home button.
The Galaxy A8 is said to be powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC clocked at 1.5GHz, clubbed with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 405 GPU. The smartphone also features a 16-megapixel ISOCELL rear camera with LED flash alongside a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It bears 16GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card (unspecified limit). In the connectivity section, the Samsung Galaxy A8 will reportedly house 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and USB connectivity. The phablet measures 157.7x76.7x5.94mm and is backed by a 3050mAh battery.
The Samsung phablet has surfaced on the Web multiple times in the past few weeks. The device got certified on Tenaa last month, was shown in a hand-on video recently, and also got revealed in a brochure. The brochure, over the above-mentioned specifications, added that the Galaxy A8's rear camera features an f/1.9 aperture while the smartphone is said to be powered an octa-core Exynos 5430 SoC. However, it has been speculated that the single-SIM version might run on Exynos SoC and the dual-SIM version on Snapdragon 615. The smartphone is expected to be made available in Gold, White, and Black colours.
Also, the Samsung Galaxy A8's release date has been tipped by Chinese e-commerce site Suning Tesco, which has also started taking pre-orders for the smartphone. As per the website, the Galaxy A8 for now would be a China-only affair and will reach the markets starting July 17. NowhereElse, a French website, states the smartphone will be priced at roughly EUR 439 (roughly Rs. 30,800).
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy J2 has also showed-up on the Web detailing full specifications. As per Sammobile, the Galaxy J1 successor codenamed SM-J200F will sport a 4.5-inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) resolution TFT LCD display and would be powered by Samsung's own quad-core 1.2GHz Exynos 3475 SoC, clubbed with 1.5GB RAM. The Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based handset is said to house a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera alongside an 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card (unspecified limit). The device will measure 136x69x8.3mm and would sport 2000mAh battery. There is no word on the launch date of the handset.
Furthermore, Samsung SM-G9198, which was spotted under GFX benchmarks in May, is now being said to be a brand new flip phone by Samsung and not a Galaxy Mini device as previously speculated. The handset has passed the China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (Tenaa), (via Phonearena), revealing a bunch of specifications.
As per the listing, the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based smartphone features two 3.91-inch AMOLED HD displays and is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, clubbed with 2GB RAM and Adreno 418 GPU. Also included is a 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB inbuilt storage, which can be expanded via a mciroSD card (up to 128GB), and 4G LTE connectivity. The device measures 119.7x66.6x16.7mm and weighs 191 grams. Samsung SM-G9198 might be the successor to SM-9098, the flip phone that was launched in China last year

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Samsung Launches 2TB Solid-State Drives

 If you are in the market looking for a fast SSD with a sizeable storage space (beyond 1TB in this case), Samsung has options for you. The Korean tech giant on Sunday launched the 850 Evo and the 850 Pro solid-state drives (SSDs) in 2TB capacities, for a price of $800 (approximately Rs. 51,000) and $1,000 (approximately Rs. 64,000) respectively. They will be available in the second half of August. The 850 Evo comes with a warranty of 5 years or 150 terabytes written, whereas the 850 Pro has an even higher endurance rating of 10 years or 300 terabytes written.

The new 2TB drives will use a SATA 3.0 interface and will be enclosed in a 2.5-inch aluminium enclosure - all of which is the same as the 1TB siblings. Although, Samsung also promises that it is working on V-NAND SSDs with M.2 (PCIe) interfaces, as well as mSATA.

As the name suggests, the 850 Pro is designed for power users. It has a higher performance of 550MB/s sequential read and 520MB/s sequential write rates. The 850 Evo, on the other hand, has a lower performance of 540MB/s and 520MB/s read and write speeds respectively. The SSDs are made up of 128 individual 32-layer 16GB 3D V-NAND flash chips. They also include a high-performance MHX controller and four 20nm size process 4Gb LPDDR3 DRAM chips.
These drives should be great for anyone who wishes to shoot and edit a lot of 4K videos

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Samsung Galaxy A8 spotted in brochure in South Korea

The Samsung Galaxy A8 still hasn’t graduated to official status, but it's not far now. One of our readers spotted the unofficial phone in a brochure and sent us a snap (thanks!). The specs confirm the slender 5.9mm thickness and the 16MP camera with a Galaxy S6-like f/1.9 aperture (no word on video resolution).

The still unofficial Samsung Galaxy A8 in a brochure in South Korea

The screen is listed at 143.9mm, that's 5.66", of Super AMOLED with 1080p resolution (so pixel density will be 389ppi). The Galaxy A8 will launch with Android 5.1 Lollipop running on an octa-core processor (4x 1.8GHz + 4x 1.3GHz). The actual chipset is not clear, but it will come with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage expandable with up to 128GB on a microSD card.
Additional specs include LTE Cat. 6 with VoLTE, DMB (common in Korea, less so otherwise) and a 3,050mAh battery. What's not visible in the brochure is the price and launch date. The Samsung Galaxy A8 has leaked before, on video and hands-on photos if you're curious for more info.

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Samsung Level U wireless headset goes official

Samsung added another member to its Level family of audio products. The Level U is a wireless in-ear headset with ergonomic around-the-neck design and beefy 12mm audio drivers.

The Korean giant has integrated two microphones into the Level U – one handles voice, while the other one blocks ambient noise. The adjustable joints of the headset are made from urethane, while wing ear gels ensure that its stay comfortable all the time.
The headset can be paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.1. Support for apt-X will allow users to enjoy high-quality audio without wires. Battery life is listed at up to 10 hours of music playback and 11 hours of talk time.
Samsung LEVEL U is already available to order for $70. The headset will be offered in blue black, white, gold, and blue color options.

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Samsung Unveils Tech That Can Double Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity

Battery life has been one of the biggest concerns for smartphone owners; though if a new study published in a journal last week is to be believed, then lithium-ion batteries might soon offer twice their capacity soon.
Published by researchers at Samsung, the study claims the new technology can enable batteries to offer up to 1.5 and 1.8 times higher capacity than those of current commercial lithium-ion batteries. Samsung has come up with new coating technique for battery cathodes that promises to overcome limitations of current lithium ion batteries.
As per the study, published in Nature Communications, the new battery technology that employs use of graphene on the silicon surface offers volume expansion that can give extended battery life.
The journal explains, "Here we report direct graphene growth over silicon nanoparticles without silicon carbide formation. The graphene layers anchored onto the silicon surface accommodate the volume expansion of silicon via a sliding process between adjacent graphene layers. When paired with a commercial lithium cobalt oxide cathode, the silicon carbide-free graphene coating allows the full cell to reach volumetric energy densities of 972 and 700 Wh l-1 at first and 200th cycle, respectively, 1.8 and 1.5 times higher than those of current commercial lithium-ion batteries."

Samsung appears certain the new lithium-ion battery technology will deliver extended battery life and will be a commercially viable option. "This observation suggests that two-dimensional layered structure of graphene and its silicon carbide-free integration with silicon can serve as a prototype in advancing silicon anodes to commercially viable technology," writes journal.
The South Korean consumer electronics giant acknowledges that the new technology weakens batteries competitiveness in the volumetric energy density and cycle life due to additional discharge cycles. The company said it is working to improve the effectiveness of the battery.
Last year, US scientists developed a 'smart' lithium-ion battery that alerted users of potential overheating and fire. The technology was designed for conventional lithium-ion batteries now used in billions of cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices as well as a growing number of cars and airplanes.

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