Samsung Galaxy S6 to use Aluminum and will have a Curved Screen?

As we get closer to the new year, a lot of rumors are starting to pop up regarding the next top of the line handset from Samsung, which will probably be called Galaxy S6. We’ve already had quite a few mumblings about this device, though, and it’s impossible to tell which of these are real, do keep that in mind.

The latest information says the Galaxy S6 will be entirely made from aluminum. So we’re not talking just a metal frame here, like the Galaxy Note 4, but a full metal construction akin to that employed for the Galaxy A series.

Additionally, the phone will apparently ship with a display that curves on both sides – so like the one in the Galaxy Note Edge, but with two of those ‘edges’ instead of one (unless a different solution will be chosen, with the curved sides being positioned in some other way).

Previously we have heard that there would be an “Edge” version of the S6 too, so this may be it. Or perhaps we won’t see a curved special edition, and the ‘normal’ one will feature that bent screen. We are going to see two S6 models, the rumor goes on to claim, one sporting a Samsung-made Exynos 7 chipset, and the other coming with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810.

Finally, the supposedly reliable sources who put all of this out also say we shouldn’t expect a Galaxy S6 announcement at CES in January, like some past speculations had it. Instead, it may become official at the beginning of the second quarter of next year, so in April.

Source

Galaxy S5 takes Ice Bucket Challenge, nominates iPhone 5s, HTC One M8 and Nokia Lumia 930!

Samsung’s marketing department has cleverly piggy-backed on the popularity of Ice Bucket Challenge, a phenomenon which has taken the world by storm.

For those who’ve been sleeping under the rock lately, the initiative saw such celebrities and Silicon Valley execs as Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and marketing honcho Phil Schiller, along with former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates and many others, getting ice baths in the name of helping fund ALS research and benefitting the Motor Disease Association.

The official YouTube channel for Samsung Mobile UK this morning posted a video depicting its Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone taking the challenge.

Needless to say, the waterproof handset (IP67-certified) passes the test.

The best part is when Samsung nominates three handsets from its rivals: Apple’s iPhone 5s, HTC’s One M8 and Nokia’s Lumia 930.

Here’s the ad.

Samsung sends invites for ‘Kapture the Moment’ event!

It hasn’t been long since we saw the first leaked image of the Samsung K Zoom camera phone, the successor to the Galaxy S4 Zoom launched last year. Now, Samsung has started sending out invites for the launch event, which will be held in Singapore on April 29.

Although Samsung hasn’t explicitly stated the occasion for the event (when do they ever?) the tag ‘Kapture the Moment’ makes it quite clear what it’s going to be about.

As we have already seen, the K Zoom will have a 20.2 megapixel sensor with 10x optical zoom, 4.8-inch, 1280×720 Super AMOLED display, Exynos 5 Hexa processor with 2GB of RAM and Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

We will find out more in a couple of weeks from now.

Samsung Galaxy S5, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit launches in 125 countries today!

Samsung the world’s largest  phone maker released today its latest Galaxy S5 smartphone and wearables in 125 countries around the world as it battles squeezed profits and challenges to its top market position.

Such simultaneous launch is the biggest of its kind for any of its previous product. The previous generation S4, the best selling android phone ever, started selling in 60 countries, and its Note 3 was first released in 58 at the outset.

The Galaxy S5 goes on sale, fittingly, with Samsung’s new line of Gear wearables – the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit – which were introduced alongside the flagship at MWC back in February.

The Galaxy S5 flagship has been one of the most anticipated products of the season, with a 5.1-inch fullHD Super AMOLED display, quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB of expandable storage, a 2,800mAh battery, running on Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung’s custom TouchWiz overlay.

Also introduced are a boatload of new features, including fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor and S Health 3.0, and IP67 dust and water resistance.
Look for the Galaxy S5 alongside the new Gear wearables at local and online retailers starting today.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Problems Starts Showing Ahead of Launch Date

The government ban on smartphone sales in South Korea  could pressure Samsung into launching the Galaxy S5 earlier than planned. The three major South Korean carriers are being punished for illegal subsidizing with a ban on smartphone sales, including the Samsung Galaxy S5. Due to this, the device won’t go on sale until about two weeks after its planned April 11 launch date.

Although Sammy will debut its flagship phone in about 150 countries simultaneously, postponing the premiere in its home country appears to be undesirable. A source inside South Korea Telecom, the nation’s largest carrier, stated that if the S5 launches after April 5, which is when the government ban will hit the telecom, the smartphone will “have a smaller impact on the market” according to a SK Telecom spokesman. If the S5 debuts on April 11, only LG U+, South Korea’s smallest carrier, will have the opportunity to sell it for a short period between April 11 and 27.

Obviously, this is unacceptable for Samsung. “Although Samsung is a global company, it is based in Korea. It cannot underestimate the impact of the No. 1 carrier SK Telecom.” – an inside source told the Korean Herald, and added – “Samsung is considering rescheduling the release date before April 5 when SK Telecom‘s business suspension starts.”

Another source suggested that an early South Korean launch might affect the global release date as well. Reportedly, the new date is March 27, which is this Thursday. If that’s true, then Samsung and the three carriers will have to hastily put together and promote a launch event. In addition, we doubt that the company has produced enough Galaxy S5 units to meet demand.

Pouring fuel into the fire, a Korean report suggests that Samsung is facing issues with the coating process for the S5’s lens module. Although they are making good progress in fixing these errors, the Korean tech-giant has definitely taken a hit as a result.. Due to these difficulties, the company expects to have between 4 to 5 million units ready at launch, while it originally aimed towards 7 million units. Furthermore, pulling the launch event to March 27 means that the phone will sell for about week and a half until April 5 in South Korea, before sales there are suspended. This sounds like an awkward plan, considering the huge initial demand for the phone.

 

 

Ultimately, we advice against holding your breath for a sudden Thursday launch. But who knows, maybe Samsung and the telecoms will figure out a way to circumvent the government ban and bring the Galaxy S5 earlier than expected.