Tag Archives: samsung

News

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Is Here, and It’s Worth the Wait

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We’ve waited months, and after a particularly anxious morning waiting for 11am to roll around, the wait is over. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is official, and it’s everything we were expecting. Well, it helped that we had a hefty dose of leaks. What we get is a huge redesign of the smartphone and a departure from the design language of previous models.

Let’s talk about bezels. They’ve been slimmed down dramatically, practically scrapping the typical smartphone design in favor of maximizing the on-screen real estate. The physical front navigation buttons are gone, replaced with on-screen buttons that disappear when not in use. The fingerprint reader is confirmed to have been moved to the back, in an awkward position next to the camera lens. There’s no logo or other identifying features on the front, other than the usual cluster of sensors at the top including the front camera, earpiece, iris scanner, and proximity sensor.

There are two sizes of the S8: the “regular” Galaxy S8 will feature a 5.8-inch display, and the Galaxy S8+ will have a bump to a 6.2-inch screen. This is, quite literally, a huge change. The latest in the phablet Note series were 5.7”; the regular-size S8 will be a bit larger than that, and the S8+ will be absolutely massive. Combine that with the minimal bezels and curved edge, and that’s a lot of screen. Oh yeah, the “Edge” display is no longer optional; the screens of both models will curve along the long edge. Both displays are certified as HDR (high dynamic range) by The UHD Alliance.

The specs under the hood are impressive as well. The S8 will be powered by four 2.3GHz cores and four 1.7GHz cores, and the S8+ gets a little boost: four 2.35GHz cores and four 1.9GHz cores. As usual, the US will get a Qualcomm chip (the new 835) while the rest of the world will have to make do with Samsung’s own Exynos 8895. Both devices will have 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage (expandable with a MicroSD slot), a USB-C port, and IP68 water and dust resistance. The S8 has a 3000mAh battery similar to the S7, but the Galaxy S8+ packs a 3500mAh battery, which is a 100mAh downgrade from the Galaxy S7 Edge. Is Samsung being a little conservative due to the catastrophic battery failures in the Note 7? We expect the execs to make an announcement regarding that question at some point.

In the camera department, a 12MP rear camera (seems the industry has hit the ceiling in this department; see iPhone 7 and Google Pixel) with optical image stabilization, and the front shooter gets an upgrade to 8MP. Samsung is boasting the S8 will have two connection-based firsts: the first phone with “gigabit-class” LTE connection and the first to carry Bluetooth 5, both of which are pretty cool but not entirely clear at this point.

All year long, Samsung has been pushing their new voice assistant, Bixby. To this end, they added a dedicated hardware button to the device, along the labs. Bixby has a lot of promise; it’s the brainchild of Viv Labs, founded by personnel who were part of the original team behind Apple’s Siri and later acquired by Samsung. Bixby is all about context; it can search for images, translate languages, and give you information about landmarks and icons. Aim the camera at a product, and Bixby will try to help you buy it online. Such a massive leap forward in this kind of technology will undoubtedly have glitches, so we’ll wait until we get some hands-on time before we pass judgement. Samsung also promises to release an SDK for Bixby, allowing third party apps to utilize it.

As we’ve mentioned before, Samsung needs the S8 to be the best phone it’s ever made. The lack of a phablet has left a big hole in the company’s product lineup, and they’re counting on the S8 and S8+ to fill that hole while making us forget about the nightmare PR the Samsung faced in 2016.

Both devices will be available for preorder on March 30th and we’ve been promised shipping in the US on April 21st. It will be launched in five colors: black, gray, silver, gold, and coral blue, and early speculation sees the phone starting at $720 for the S8 and $840 for the S8+. There’s all sort of deals from every major carrier (even Best Buy is offering the device unlocked at launch) so be sure to check with your provider.

News, Tablets

Samsung Gets Big with the Tab S3

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Samsung, defender of all that isn’t Apple in the tech world, has set their sights on the iPad Pro. As by far the most popular “professional” tablet, the Pro sets the standard: large screen, dedicated stylus, powerful performance. But Samsung is hoping their Tab S3 will put a dent in Apple’s dominance.

 

The Tab S3 boasts a huge 9.7-inch, Super AMOLED display capable of HDR video. Under the hood there’s a heady Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and 4GB of RAM. There’s only a paltry 32GB of storage but a MicroSD card slot supports memory expansion up to 256GB. The tablet now has four speakers and is just 6mm thick. All this for $599 and is bundled with a new, larger S Pen, Samsung’s proprietary (and highly rated) stylus. It’s everything you like in a Samsung tablet, but bigger, faster, better.

 

$600 will seem pricey for an Android tablet, but it’s priced to meet the year-old iPad Pro of the same size and similar specs. It’s actually a better deal, since the Apple Pencil stylus will cost you another $99. Even the keyboard cases are similarly priced; Samsung’s for $129 versus Apple’s $149. With very little news as to a new iPad Pro model being released this year, Samsung is taking the opportunity to wedge themselves into this new sector of the market.

 

Hopefully, Samsung will support developers in making Android apps optimized for larger screens, something that’s plagued Android tablets since their inception. iOS applications and games have always transitioned very well to the iPad, even the gargantuan 12.6” model. The lack of similar quality has hurt the attempts by Samsung and other Android tablet manufacturers to pose anything resembling a serious threat to the iPad. Microsoft made an attempt, pretending that the Surface Pro 4 wasn’t just a high-powered touchscreen laptop without a keyboard, but consumers quickly saw through the ruse (the high price point didn’t help).

 

With a big screen comes the big possibility for damage, however. If you purchase a Tab S3 and end up with a crack or any other sort of damage, bring it to iFixYouri. It doesn’t matter how new a product is; if it has a screen, our team of technicians can replace it. Come to any iFixYouri walk-in location or send it in to our dedicated repair center with our international mail-in service.

News

Samsung Galaxy S8: Looking Good So Far

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Excited for the next Samsung Galaxy phone? It’ll be a long, hard fight to get back into the positive spotlight for the South Korean company after a tough 2016. The Note 7 fiasco…well, we don’t have to get into that. But Samsung is looking to focus on its flagship smartphone and remind everyone why they’re on top of the game worldwide.

Samsung was planning to launch the Galaxy S8 on March 29th, but that seems to have been pushed back a month. Thanks to some leaky sources (mostly manufacturers of accessories who received test devices) we’ve been seeing photos, videos, and even press images leak ahead of its debut. A fresh batch of images have leaked today by a case maker, and they give us a slightly better look than most. Looks like Samsung is making some big design changes to its flagship smartphone.

It’s nice to see a close-up the new on-screen home button we’ve been hearing so much about. And just look at how just how small the front bezels are! The new all-screen look has clearly been aided by removing the physical home button from the front of the display, akin to the LG V20.On the back of the device, you can see the fingerprint reader in a rather odd place: right next to the camera bump. This confusing design choice appeared in early leaked photos and many hoped that this wouldn’t be the final spot by the time it got released. Oh well. It’s also interesting to know that the S8 will reportedly be sold with curved edges only, and not as options like with the S6 Edge and S7 Edge.

Samsung plans on releasing the S8 in two sizes: the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+. Besides the sizes, both devices are identical from a hardware standpoint. You get an extremely bright and clear QHD+ SuperAMOLED display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The phones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. And Samsung’s digital assistant, Bixby, makes its debut, presumably triggered by a dedicated hardware button (maybe the fingerprint sensor doubles as a home button/Bixby button?). The official unveiling is set for March 29, when Samsung will hold an event titled “UNPACKED” in New York City.

As usual, our technicians’ mouths are watering, waiting to get their hands on the S8. No word yet on whether it’ll be as difficult to repair as previous models, but they’ve yet to meet a phone they couldn’t fix. Pre-order your S8 as soon as possible, safe in the confidence that you’ll be able to bring it to iFixYouri if you accidentally smash that beautiful curved screen.

News

What Decade Is It? Nokia and Samsung Go Retro at MWC

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The past is present, masquerading as the future. As we recently mentioned, HMD Global is reviving the Nokia line, rolling out new smartphones under the brand but also bringing back its famed 3310 “dumbphone.” As revealed at Mobile World Congress (MWC), the question was finally answered as to whether or not the 3310 would be updated or be a true copy of the original. The answer is…a little bit of both. While the new 3310 has a similar front fascia as the old one, it appears have a more modern (Scandinavian?) look. The body is slimmer, trimmer, and lighter, and available in a rainbow of pretty colors. Under the hood, you get a 2.4” QVGA display (colors!), dual-SIM (a necessity for the outside-the-US market), a 2-megapixel camera, and even a microSD slot. The legendary battery life is present, but given a huge boost. You’ll get an entire month of standby time and 22+ hours of talk time (the old 3310 had a week and four hours, respectively). Priced at just $52, expect this phone to be a huge seller for industries that need to give employees a cheap, reliable to stay in touch with the home office (think construction and warehouses), as well as emerging markets, like Nigeria, where the old 3310 became a global bestseller. It might have some popularity in the US as an emergency for children, the elderly, and campers, as well as fans of Snake. Yes, you can still play Snake, albeit an updated version with modern graphics.

The phoenix-like return of the 3310 wasn’t the only piece of regressive-futurism at MWC. While Samsung talked about the Galaxy S8 and also debuted a few new tablets, the big talk was about their newest collaboration with…a pencil company. Staedtler, a renowned manufacturer of writing instruments, is famous among architects and engineers for their high-quality Noris wooden drafting pencils. The German company is lending the iconic Noris style, creating a Staedtler-branded S-Pen stylus for Samsung devices. Samsung has needed a larger S-Pen for some time now, especially as the stylus starting to appear even in the company’s laptops. Holding a small, thin stick in your hand and using it to do anything on a screen is evocative of old-school PDAs: annoying. The Apple Pencil was successful in this regard, giving creative types (and really anyone with big hands) a more comfortable form factor with which to use their products in more innovative ways. Teaming up with Staedtler, a brand and image adored by a large portion of these creatives, is a huge one-up over Apple in this regard.

And speaking of old-school PDAs, the original designers of the Psion pocket computer have returned, and wish to act like nothing’s happened in the past 17 years since their last product. Their Indiegogo campaign was recently launched, raising funds to put “Gemini” into production. The microcomputer is essentially a phablet with a full keyboard, and sports 64GB of memory, a 5.7” touchscreen, and, yes, again, a full keyboard. Gemini, if it goes into production, will likely be just as much of a niche product as the original. However, those of us who still desire to feel like John Connor hacking the ATM in Terminator 2 probably number in the hundreds of thousands, so maybe pocket computers could finally carve out a section of the market.

Uncategorized

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Needs to Be the Best Phone Ever, for Everyone’s Sake

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2016 was a rough year for Samsung, with their Note 7 fiasco being an absolute PR nightmare. No one could imagine a phone starting fires and causing injury and property damage…much less the same issue occurring after a recall, with the “fixed” devices. After an even bigger recall, a ban on bringing the Note 7 onto airplanes, and ultimately their forced deactivation, Samsung desperately needs a boost, and they’re putting all their chips on the Galaxy S8 due to be released this spring. Following the popular S7, the S8 will be similarly styled with an emphasis on curved edges. The screen will be even larger while the phone itself remains the same size as its predecessor. The South Korean tech giant plans to move the fingerprint-sensing home button to the back of the phone instead of on the bottom chin, bringing it in-line with other Android devices like the Google Pixel and LG G5. This allows the display to take up virtually the entire front of the device, the 5.8-inch QHD AMOLED display being even larger than the Galaxy Note’s 5.7-inch display. Not just a pretty face, the S8 should be even faster as well. While the phone may include different systems-on-chip depending on sales region, manufactured by either Qualcomm or Samsung (this is nothing new for these devices) they’ll all have processors created using 10-nanometer fabrication methods. Reports say this will make the phone 11 percent faster than the Galaxy S7 overall, with 23 percent faster graphics processing while being 20 percent more energy-efficient. Energy efficiency is important, as battery life for the S8 is reported to be nothing impressive.

New to the Galaxy family will be a USB-C connector (instead of micro-USB) and Samsung’s new AI assistant Bixby. Refreshingly not-new are the standard 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a microSD removable storage slot to boost internal capacity by up to 256GB. 4GB of RAM is another S7 holdout, but that seems to be the current upper benchmark for smartphones. The 12-megapixel rear camera seems to be from the S7, as well, but the front-facing “selfie” camera is now 8MP. There will be two sizes of the S8, 5.8” and 6.2”, and both will feature the same rounded corners of the Samsung S7 Edge.

We mentioned Bixby, the AI assistant earlier, and Samsung plans to make it an integral feature to the S8 user experience, claiming it will be able to handle more complex commands (such as multi-part instructions). Another new feature is the ability to connect the S8 to a computer monitor and control it with a keyboard and mouse. It’s called Samsung DeX, and although it will require a separate HDMI-enabled dock, it’ll prove to be an important feature for those who wish to use their smartphone as part of their workstation.

Overall, we’re excited to see what the Samsung S8 can do in the hands of its users and hopeful that we get one in our hands soon. It should be a huge success, as most Samsung phones are, and should help the brand hold its place at #1 in terms of worldwide smartphone market share. Samsung desperately needs the phone to be a hit, and you can be sure that they’re going to go the extra mile to make this the best Galaxy smartphone they’ve ever made. The company lost about $17 billion in the wake of the Note 7 debacle and took a major publicity blow when news of the malfunctioning phones went viral. The S8 needs to deliver…and then some.

Accessories

Three Wireless Earbud Alternatives to Apple AirPods, plus One to Avoid

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airpods

With the Apple AirPods dropping sometime this month (no firm release date yet), we can begin to anticipate a few things. The jokes that started at their first announcement will be reheated, yes. But Apple has rarely erred when it comes to audio devices, so we expect positive reviews and several jokesters to be won over by the truly wireless earbuds. Apple has been promising improved functionality thanks to what they call “proprietary technology” but has been shown to be a W1 chip, a form of low-power Bluetooth that allows for a strong, fast connection with long battery life. Just hold the buds near any compatible device (iOS 10, Watch OS 3, MacOS Sierra) and they automatically sync. Cool and all, but what other options are out there? We looked at other corded wireless earbuds and focused on sound and battery life, durability being secondary when the Apple alternative is at risk of falling out of your ear and down a storm drain.

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Beats Electronic’s new BeatsX headphones are arguably the best bet for iPhone 7 owners. Thanks to Apple’s $3 billion buyout of the company, the in-ear style buds feature the same mysterious W1 chip. Unlike the AirPods, however, the BeatsX feature a lightweight cord connecting each ear bud, preferred by many who worry about losing one or both. Sound quality is great; the company seems to have rid themselves of the overbearing bass levels of previous models and embraced the fact that people buy sports-style earbuds to listen to a wide range of music outside of hip-hop. 8 hours of battery life place these in the upper-mid range overall (the best are the bulky neckband-style family) and the integrated Lightning port allows for fast-charging: 2 hours of life in 5 minutes. At $150, BeatsX are $10 cheaper than the AirPods and, thanks to the cord, 50% harder to lose.

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For those who don’t need fancy proprietary technology, either due to not owning an iPhone 7 or simply never really having issues with regular Bluetooth connections, this year’s Bose SoundSport Wireless earbuds are a great option for the same price as BeatsX. Utilizing near-field connectivity (NFC), the SoundSport line connects just as quickly and easily to featured devices (most smartphones, including iPhones) as W1-enabled devices. Sound quality is excellent with clear bass even at higher volumes, and although the battery life of 6 hours isn’t great, it’s not terrible, either. A free app, Bose Connect, allows users to manage pairing lists, download future firmware updates, and fuss with settings (such as auto-off times). The cord features a small clip for attaching to the back of a t-shirt, great for runners. There was an issue at first release regarding sound quality suffering due to excessive moisture, but Bose handled it like champs, providing free replacements with the flaw fixed plus a wired set to use in the meantime. With the BeatsX and AirPods being released next month, these are easily the best wireless earbuds on the market right now.

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Well, best at that price range. For $100 more, you can pick up Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay H5 earbuds. The Danish company, beloved by audiophiles and designophiles alike, carries on its luxury vision with a sleek, shiny-on-black appearance for this range. The connecting cord is a high-quality soft textile braid. The tech underneath is a little underwhelming compared to the others; just Bluetooth 4.2 and some basic codecs, but the 6.2mm drivers sound surprisingly clear. The Beoplay app is simple and effective: drag a dot between four zones to get the right balance for what you’re jamming out to (an equalizer is only a tap away for more precise tuning).beoplay-app

Seven sets of ear tips, four silicone and three of a memory-foam material, allow users to find the exact fit. But for $250, you’d hope the Beoplay H5’s fit you perfectly. Really, for that price, everything needs to be perfect. The battery life is dismal, advertised at 5 hours but realistically closer to 4, and although the charger is gorgeous (a small box with recesses to fit each bud; the magnetic dots also act as contact points) there is no other way to charge the earbuds, requiring you to carry it with you. Having a small port for micro-USB would make owning these a lot more convenient.

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There are, of course, other companies marketing truly-wireless earbuds, but no one has seemed to take the time to perfect the tech. Samsung released the $190 Gear IconX this week and, honestly, we were excited. The buds have touch-sensitive controls on the outside, an optical heart-rate monitor, a carrying case that doubles as a battery pack, 1,000-song MP3 storage, and more. In execution, it’s awful. The battery life is absolutely dismal, averaging about an hour, and the charging case doesn’t exactly help much when you’re in the middle of a workout. Sound quality is terrible, the lack of an AptX Bluetooth codec resulting in a very compressed sound. It’s a little bit better with stored music, as is battery life, but it is 2016; we don’t download MP3s anymore. This iteration of the Gear IconX might be just a bit too ambitious for Samsung, but hopefully they fix these issues. For now: stay away.

News

Samsung Ending Production of Note 7; Replacement Phones Also Combusting

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note-7-fire-crushader-reddit

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics is officially stopping the manufacture of its troubled Note 7 phone. The news comes days after major networks, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, announced they would stop issuing replacement devices to customers. Reportedly, five Note 7’s that were received by customers as replacements for the faulty, flammable phones have caught fire…in one week. It seems to be a more complicated issue than initially thought, and swapping out the battery is not the definite fix. A Samsung rep told the BBC that they’re putting the manufacturing on hold to “[adjust] the production schedule to ensure quality and safety matters.” This has been an ongoing nightmare for Samsung, with over 100 reports of catastrophic battery failure in the devices in the US alone since its release in mid-August and at least a dozen people receiving burns or other injuries.

 

UPDATE 10/11: Samsung has decided to permanently cease production of the Note 7 and is warning all users to power down the devices and bring them in to a retailer immediately for an exchange.

 

If you currently own a Galaxy Note 7, we recommend contacting your mobile provider to see what your replacement options are. AT&T and T-Mobile are offering other devices in exchange (including the Galaxy S7) with credit to make up the cash difference. Of course, iFixYouri is here to fix any problems that your new phone might give you…and hopefully those problems are a little less severe than an outright explosion.

Tablets

Which Windows 8 Tablet is Right for You?

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For years, the iPad has dominated the tablet market. However, some are hoping that could change with the introduction of several new tablets running the Windows 8 operating system. A number of these new tablets running the latest Windows OS have been receiving positive reviews, making it a good time to buy a Windows 8 tablet for anyone who has waited for the release of a quality competitor for the iPad.

Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro

Samsung ATIV

Like many of the new tablets arriving on the market, this tablet can function just like a laptop with the addition of peripherals like an external keyboard and a stand. The Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro runs on a Core i5 processor, and is known for high performance but criticized for its short battery life when compared with tablets running with Atom processors. The Ativ tablet also runs with 4 GB of RAM and comes equipped with 256 GB hard drive storage.

 

  • High-performance Core i5 processor
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 256 GB hard drive

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

Lenovo is well-known for making cutting edge equipment that is fun for those who love technology. The IdeaPad Yoga is Lenovo’s latest release, and critics have billed it an “ultrabook” tablet. Users can employ the IdeaPad Yoga as a standard thin notebook or fold it up like a tablet, and they can also stand it up or angle it like a tent. This convertible tablet runs on a respectable 8 GB ram and offers a 256 GB hard drive for internal storage.

  • Called an ultrabook tablet because it converts from one to the other
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB hard drive

Asus Vivo

Asus Vivo

The Asus Vivo also acts as both a tablet or laptop, depending on what the user prefers. The Vivo can be set on a docking station that contains a keyboard and touchpad, effectively making it like a laptop.

The Vivo has earned commendations for its battery life, mainly because it comes with an extra battery in the keyboard section. One downside, however, is that the keyboard must be attached for it to work, thereby making the Vivo less portable and tablet-like. The Asus Vivo runs on a Atom processor and 2 GB RAM.

  • Keyboard docking with extra battery
  • 2 GB RAM
  • Atom processor

Windows 8 Tablet Repair

Just as with many other mobile technological devices that have arrived on the market in recent years, the new Windows 8 tablets can become damaged if they are dropped, stepped on or otherwise meet with an accident. Should that happen, the tablet should be well-packaged and sent to a professional repair facility like iFixYouri that has experience in all kinds of tablet repair.