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What we know so far: Samsung Galaxy Note8 edition

Alexandra Arici
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Despite the Galaxy Note7 debacle last year, Samsung remains on schedule to release the Galaxy Note8 sometimes later this year.

Whether the Korean tech giant will launch in late August or September, as various rumors have claimed, one thing is sure – soon the Galaxy Note8 will make a debut on the market.

But what will it bring when it arrives? In what follows we list what we know so far about Samsung’s second flagship for 2017.

Design and Display

We expect the Galaxy Note8’s design to be pretty much in league with the Galaxy Note 7’s.  Although the phone will most likely feature the same skinny bezels as the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The phone – codenamed “Gr3at” internally by Samsung – will most likely include an Infinity Display and the atypical 18:5:9 ratio. Like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Note8 will carry a dual curved display which will wrap around the phone’s sides giving it the edge-to-edge look.

A few leaked pictures showing a screen protector for the Note8 revealed slightly adjusted corners – a detail which suggests a few more pixel might be squeezed in.

The Galaxy Note8 is going to feature a large 6.3-inch display with 18:5:9 ratio, making it larger than the Galaxy S8+’s 6.2-inch panel.

We’re not sure whether the Note8 will offer QHD resolution like the Galaxy S8 or whether it’s going to be the first phone to come with a 4K panel. While in daily use this upgrade should make little difference, combined with a VR headset it will certainly make a difference.

The Note8 has been long rumored to come with a fingerprint sensor embedded under the display. Unfortunately, recent information indicates this will not be the case. According to the latest info, the Samsung will stick to the same fingerprint sensor placement we’ve seen in the Galaxy S8.

However, this time around the cameras and the sensor will be separated by the LED and heart rate sensors, which hopefully will prevent users from smudging the shooter’s lenses with their fingers.

07/01/2017 Update: Case maker Olixar leaked the Galaxy Note8 in all its glory via these case renders.

07/04/2017 Update: MobileFun has already started accepting pre-orders for Olixar’s lineup of cases designed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The renders highlight the phablet’s larger Infinity Display and confirm the fingerprint scanner will once again be placed on the back of the device, like in the case of the Galaxy S8.

We’ve also learned the phone will be available in Orchid Gray, Deep Blue, Black, Silver and Gold. Also the Pop Cover and wireless charging Backpack case made a comeback. Missing from the lineup of cases is the Lens Cover. Place your pre-orders here.

07/24/2017 Update: New renders give us another look at the Galaxy Note 8. As anticipated, the phone boasts an Infinity Display, a dual-camera on the back and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

08/01/2017 Update: The Galaxy Note8 leaked in all of its glory complete with S Pen thanks to the reliable @evleaks.

08/16/2017 Update: Evan Blass shared an image which reveals the upcoming Galaxy Note8 in a new Deep Sea Blue color. We can only see the front of the device alongside a blue S Pen, but hopefully, a picture of the phablet’s blue back will appear soon.

Computing power

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 will take advantage of either a Snapdragon 835 or an Exynos 8895 processor – depending on the market. The phablet is expected to be the second Samsung phone after the Galaxy C9 Pro to feature 6GB of RAM.

As for storage options, we hope Samsung will offer more variants. The Galaxy S8 only sold with a 64GB configuration. Although the presence of the microSD card slot allowed users who needed more storage to easily expand. The Galaxy Note7 featured a microSD card, so we expect the Note8 to carry one as well.

07/27/2017 Update: A rumor coming out of China seems to indicate that Samsung will offer a Galaxy Note8 Emperor Edition with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Since the company sells a Galaxy S8+ version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in some markets, the leak is pretty believable.

He subsequently revised his prediction saying the phone will arrive with 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB or 256GB of storage.

07/31/2017 Update: The Samsung Galaxy Note8 was just spotted making an appearance at the FCC. While most of the juicy info in the filing is hidden, a detail of relative interest has nevertheless surfaced.

The phone will have four variants: a global one with the Exynos 8895 chipset onboard, two US versions, both with Snapdragon 835 on board (one for carriers and another factory unlocked model) and a display-only model with wireless capabilities.

08/14/2017 Update: According to a listing on Samsung’s Austrian website, the Galaxy Note8 (listed as SM-N950F/DS) will most certainly come in a dual SIM variant. This can be inferred from the “curious” DS ending.

However, US customers shouldn’t get too excited, as historically Samsung has bestowed dual SIM capabilities only to Exynos variants that were sold outside of America.

Cameras

The upgrade in the camera department is probably going to be one of the main selling points of this year’s Note8.

The phone is expected to take advantage of a 12-megapixel sensor, as well as an independent optical image stabilization for the lens.

Samsung is finally jumping on the dual-camera bandwagon, after competitors like Apple, LG, Huawei, OnePlus or Xiaomi.

A recent report by popular leakster Evan Blass revealed the camera lenses will be placed horizontally and not vertically.

31/07/2017 Update: Samsung Electro-Mechanics (or the subsidiary in charge of developing mobile camera modules) just shared a bunch of sample images taken with a dual camera module. Given that the Galaxy Note8 will arrive with a dual camera setup on board we can assume, the phablet will be able to take images on par with what we see here.

The camera should be able to support merging (Samsung calls it Dual Fusion), refocusing (Depth Application) and advanced zooming abilities (Smart Zoo,), as well as low light prowess (Super Night Shot).

The Smart Zoom features will supposedly bring 3x “optical zoom” capabilities to the table.

08/16/2017 Update: According to a new report coming out from ET News, the Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera will consist of a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel RGB sensor paired with a 13-megapixel sensor and telephoto lens.

We’re also told the primary camera will also feature OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), as well as 2x optical zoom.

Other features

The phone will probably launch with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, but will, of course, be updated to Android O afterward.

Samsung will certainly include some new software tricks (like improved ease-of-use of split-screen multitasking), as well as an improved S Pen experience. New functionalities for the stylus include full-sentence language translation and currency conversion.

Bixby is also going to be onboard, but whether the Note8 will ship with Bixby Voice enabled remains to be seen. On top of that, the phablet will be compatible with the DeX dock which will allow users to use the phablet in desktop mode.

A 3,300 mAh battery (the same powering the Galaxy S8+) will breathe life into the Note8. The Note7 relied on a larger 3,500 mAh battery, so as you can see Samsung is playing it safe this year.

27/07/2017 Update: Roland Quandt of WinFuture claims the Samsung Galaxy Note8 will debut a new coloring option called Deep Blue.

When will it launch and for how much?

The rumor mill can’t seem to agree when the Galaxy Note8 will go official. A few weeks ago we heard the phone will go live during an event in New York scheduled for August 26, but most recently @evleaks revealed the phone will be unveiled in the second half of September.

Given Evan Blass’ positive track record with leaks, we believe the latter report is more likely to be true.

The same @evleaks warns the Galaxy Note8 will probably be Samsung’s most expensive phone to date. According to him, the device might end up selling with a $900+ price tag in the US, while in Europe it will be offered for €999.

07/24/2017 Update: Samsung has started sending out invites for an event set for 23 August 2017 in New York during which we’ll most likely see the Galaxy Note 8 make a debut. While the invitation doesn’t specifically mention the Note 8, we can clearly see an S Pen in the short video.

08/14/2017 Update: With only 9 days to go before the Galaxy Note8’s launch, Samsung has released a new video teaser for the device. Watch it below:

08/22/2017 Update: With only one day to go before the Galaxy Note8 launch, check out these two videos teasing the phablet’s camera and S Pen:

Samsung unveils new Galaxy S8+ version in Rose Pink

Alexandra Arici
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Remember how a while ago we told you to expect some new color variants for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Well, Samsung has just pulled off the wraps a flashy “Rose Pink” version of the Galaxy S8+. But there’s a catch.

The phone, most likely aimed at the female population, will be sold in Taiwan. The phone will reportedly be available for purchase only for a limited period of time.

Samsung has taken a special interest in the Taiwanese market, as it decided to re-brand some of the Galaxy S8’s standard colors – Coral Blue, Maple Gold, and Orchid Grey – into Ice Lake Blue, Smoked Purple Grey and Quicksand Gold.

 

Unfortunately, the new Rose Pink version is only available for the Galaxy S8+ and not the Galaxy S8. But who knows, if the pink phone sees enough interest, the Korean tech giant might decide in favor of releasing a pink Galaxy S8 model too.

For the time being, we don’t know whether the new model will arrive in other markets including the US, but we certainly hope so. LG recently unveiled the G6+ model which brought a splash of new colors to its current flagship lineup. So it might not be a bad idea for Samsung to do the same.

What do you think of the new Rose Pink Galaxy S8+? Would you buy it?

Moto E4 Plus with 5,000 mAh battery landing in the US on June 30?

Alexandra Arici
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Motorola unveiled the Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus not so long and while the former is already available for purchase at Verizon, we don’t have any official details about when the Moto E4 Plus will land in the US.

The big battery handset recently landed with UK retailer Argos in the UK, so it might not be long until the phone becomes available across the pond. Actually according to industry insider Andri Yatim the Moto E4 Plus could start selling as soon as June 30.

On the same date, Motorola was expected to roll out the Moto X4 – the successor of 2015’s Moto X – but apparently, the phone has been delayed due to Snapdragon 660 shortages.

So instead of the Moto X4, we’ll see the Moto E4 Plus make an appearence in the US. Motorola will also “mention” the elusive Moto Z2 – which is apparently still in the cards – on the same date.

When it finally arrives, the Moto X4 should bring along a 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and a Snapdragon 660, which is expected to power most of the mid-rangers coming out in the second part of 2017. The handset will also feature IP68 rating and include a 3,800 mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0 and USB Type-C port.

On June 30 customers will finally be able to purchase the affordable Moto E4 Plus with a big 5,000 mAh battery. The product carries a 5.5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution, a Snapdragon 427 chipset, 2GB of RAM and either 16GB/32GB of internal storage.

It also boasts a 13-megapixel primary camera, as well as a 5-megapixel selfie shooter with LED flash. Customers should be able to purchase the Moto E4 Plus for $179.99.

OnePlus 5 is now available at Amazon, but with a huge price tag

Alexandra Arici
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Introduced last week, the OnePlus 5 has already made an appearance on Amazon US. But before you get all excited, we’ll have to warn you – it comes with an abnormally large price tag.

The OnePlus 5 with US warranty included can be purchased from Amazon from $779 (for the 64GB model) or from $899 (for the 128GB model). The versions without a warranty are a bit more affordable, available for $559 (64GB) or $649 (128GB) but still pricier than the OnePlus’ official rates.

In case you don’t remember, OnePlus announced the 64GB version will be sold for $479, while the 128GB model will feature a $539 price tag. Why the discrepancy between pricing schemes? We’re not really sure, but it might have to do with the phone being available earlier.

OnePlus announced the new flagship will become available on its official website starting June 27 (which is tomorrow). A few early adopters were given the chance to get the phone before everyone else after the OnePlus 5 announcement ended.

The company also hosted a few so-called “Pop-up” events around various major cities from across the world, allowing fans in the area to purchase the device ahead of everyone else.

But if you’re still waiting to get your OnePlus 5, we recommend you wait until the phone goes official tomorrow.

OnePlus 5 was unveiled just last week and arrives with a 5.5-inch FullHD display (1920 x 1080) and a new Snapdragon 835 processor on the inside.The product boasts a new dual-camera setup system comprised of a main 16-megapixel sensor and a secondary 20-megapixel telephoto lens. It ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Oxygen OS laid on top and also includes a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Are you getting the OnePlus 5?

Google will soon stop sending targeted ads to your Gmail account

Alexandra Arici
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Good news Gmail users! Google will stop reading your emails with the purpose of delivering target ads.

The practice has been employed ever since 2014, when Google first launched its popular email client. But after receiving numerous criticism on the matter, Google finally announced it will soon stop scanning users’ correspondence.

The decision – made by Google’s cloud and business software unit – hopes to attract more corporate customers to its G Suite set of services, in a bid to better compete with Microsoft’s Office.

The move will align Google’s free Gmail service with the paid business version which does not deliver any ads. Despite offering a corporate version, Google has had troubles retaining business users who often find themselves apprehensive about trusting the search giant’s business tactics.

Once the practice is retired later this year, Gmail ads will be in line with how Google personalizes ads for its other products. Meaning, it will show ads based on the user’s settings which can be changed at any time, including disabling personalized ads altogether.

Despite being harshly criticized for its ad policy in Gmail, the service has continued to rise in popularity with standard users across the world. With targeted ads being taken out of the picture, the service is bound to become, especially to those who so far had concerns and did not want their emails to be scanned.

Samsung now only trails Apple in wearable market share, but it’s not close

AG Deals Team
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Samsung has slowly but steadily been working towards gaining more market share in the wearable market. A new report suggests that Samsung has taken over the place of “best of the rest” as it has moved into the #2 position in global wearable market share.

In Q1 2017, Samsung’s wearables, including the newly-launched Gear S3 smartwatch, helped the company gain 12.8% of the market share. This move marked the first time that Fitbit has been displaced in quite some time, but Fitbit has been struggling as of late.

As you would expect, if you pay attention to this sector of tech, Apple leads all wearable manufacturers by a ridiculous margin – 53%. It’s highly doubtful that Samsung makes a huge dent in Apple’s market share anytime soon, but this market seems to be one focused on the “long run”.

There have been some that have suggested that the wearable market is becoming a bit stagnant, at least when it comes to non-Apple devices. However, we’re barely halfway through the year, so it will be interesting to see if Samsung, or anyone else, makes a run to take some of the pie from Apple.

Let us know what you think about this latest report and what you would like to see in a new wearable or smartwatch.

HTC shows off some new Edge features for the HTC U11

Dan Bartram
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One of the standout features of the HTC U11 are the ‘squeezable’ edges as part of the company’s Edge Sense skin and it showed off some interesting features in a new video.

The new Edge Sense feature is where the sides of the HTC U11 are pressure sensitive and can therefore be linked to various gestures such as launching apps or triggering various shortcuts.

HTC is showing off some new features in the video, one of which is where users can squeeze their device to zoom inside of Google Maps and Google Photos, change the views in Google Calendar, as well as answer and hang up calls.

While the changes aren’t all available immediately, HTC assures that they are ‘coming soon’.

Are you using Edge Sense? How do these new features resonate with you?

Action Launcher gets a new look and a slew of new features in its latest update

AG Deals Team
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Everyone loves Nova Launcher and tends to forget that there are other, viable, options available on the Play Store. One such option is Action Launcher 3 from the well-known developer, Chris Lacy.

On Friday, Lacy pushed a HUGE update to Action Launcher, which provided a rather long list of changes and feature additions. In addition to these changes Lacy has also removed the “3” from the name while bringing an all-new icon for Action Launcher.

Other than the design changes that have been made to the launcher itself, Lacy has added a new Clock widget. The reason that this new clock widget is so special is that the clock now features an animated second hand. The seconds ticker will move around the clock, regardless of whether you use a Clock widget or have the application on your homescreen.

Official Changes:

  • NEW: Action Launcher 3 has been renamed to Action Launcher, and has a shiny new icon to prove it!
  • NEW: Use an animating, Android O-style clock icon for the Google Clock app (requires Lollipop or later). This animating clock is also available as a standalone widget.
  • NEW: By default, all new installs of Action Launcher will use Pixel Launcher style All Apps, folders and everything in between.
  • NEW: Many Pixel Launcher features that previously required Plus are now free for all users. Furthermore, the app is now far less aggressive in prompting users to upgrade to Plus.
  • NEW: Full integration of Pixel Launcher’s UI styling for displaying App Shortcuts (previously known as Quickcuts). App Shortcuts display when long pressing an icon from either the desktop or All Apps list.
  • NEW: App Shortcuts can be used in combination with Shutters and Covers.
  • NEW: App Shortcuts can be dragged and placed as shortcuts on a home screen.
  • NEW: Revamped appearance of the icon indicators for Covers, Shutters and App Shortcuts..
  • NEW: Smartsize icon resizing is no longer a beta feature, and is enabled by default for all Plus users.
  • NEW: Add animated caret indicator when opening/close Pixel style All Apps.
  • NEW: Custom system fonts are correctly applied to labels on the desktop.
  • NEW: The horizontal screen margin can be adjusted (via Desktop settings, phones only).

In addition to the various new changes being made to Action Launcher, Lacy has also provided a slew of “improvements” to the launcher. These range from optimizations to the launcher itself, to showing new animations after Action Launcher is used for the first time.

If you’re interested in learning more about this latest update, hit the links below and give the new update a chance to take over your homescreen. If you’re already using the new Action Launcher, let us know what you think about the changes in the comments below.

Tip: Improve Iris scanning results on the Galaxy S8

Dan Bartram
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One of the standout features of the Samsung Galaxy S8 was the ability to authenticate your identity and unlock the device using the Iris scanner. The ability to have the phone scan your Iris via infrared to authenticate you added another level of security.

However, the results were mixed. Those with glasses were left with no alternative but to remove them to use the technology and everyone else found the technology to be very slow and often failed entirely. Iris scanning on the Galaxy S8 isn’t a complete failure as some of my friends who have the device swear by the feature but I’ve found it to be too slow when compared to something like the fingerprint sensor.

There is a small tweak that you can make to your Galaxy S8 in the settings that seems to yield faster results for the Iris scanning.

Step 1: On your device, go into Settings » Lock screen and security » Iris Scanner. You will be required to enter your pattern or PIN. Follow the on-screen instructions if you’ve not saved your iris data.

faster-iris-scanning-galaxy-s8-tip-1

Step 2: Tap Iris unlock when screen turns on to toggle this feature on. The feature enables the phone to unlock itself with your iris as soon as the screen turns on, without requiring you to swipe first.

faster-iris-scanning-galaxy-s8-tip-2

I’m not sure why this wasn’t enabled by default but it certainly does make a difference. Drop us a comment and let us know if this improved the Iris scanner speed for you.

The Pixel 2 lineup could see a slight design change

AG Deals Team
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As we hit the full swing of Summer, we are likely to continue hearing more and more information regarding Google’s next flagship lineup. The Pixel 2 ‘walleye’ and ‘taimen’ will replace the current Pixel lineup, but it seems that things may be a bit different this time around.

According to Mario from XDA, a source has confirmed a few key specs for both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Starting with the smaller of the two, it seems that ‘walleye’ will feature a 4.97-inch display with a Full HD display. Powering the device will be the Snapdragon 835 SoC along with 4GB of RAM and at least 64GB of storage.

Pixel 2 ‘walleye’ Specs:

  • 4.97-inch FHD Display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB Storage
  • Identical Build to Pixel

Things don’t stop there, as the source also confirmed that the 3.5mm headphone jack would be removed from the Pixel 2 lineup. This move was to accommodate those asking for stereo speakers, so you’ll have to make the move to Bluetooth with the Pixel 2. Finally, it seems that the Pixel 2 ‘walleye’ will feature a design that is “almost identical” to its predecessor.

Moving onto the larger Pixel 2 XL ‘taimen’, the device will feature a 5.99-inch OLED display. In fact, this OLED display is being provided by LG, which makes sense due to Google’s recent investment in LG’s display division. While there won’t be any fancy “infinity display” gimmick here, it does seem that the larger Pixel 2 will feature slimmer bezels.

Pixel 2 XL ‘taimen’ Specs:

  • 5.99-inch OLED Display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
  • 4GB RAM
  • 128GB Storage
  • Slimmer Bezels
  • New Design
  • Single Camera

As you would expect, the Pixel 2 XL will also be powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB variant. However, there are some key design changes that are coming to the larger of the two devices. 

According to the source, while the ‘taimen’ will feature a similar glass and aluminum design, however, the glass window on the back will be smaller. Instead of surrounding the camera sensor and fingerprint scanner, it seems that we’ll be looking at a window similar to what was found on the Nexus 6P.

Neither the Pixel 2 ‘walleye’ or Pixel 2 XL ‘taimen’ will make the move to a dual camera system. Google is opting to stick with what works with the single camera sensor and a dual-LED flash.

Speaking of the Nexus 6P, it seems that the source speaking to XDA found mention of ‘Nexus Imprint’ when using the software of the larger ‘taimen’ device. This is by no means confirmation of the resurgence of the Nexus lineup, but instead, is likely something that will be fixed in the future to properly represent ‘Pixel Imprint’ for the fingerprint software.

Let us know what you think about this latest set of rumors and if you’re getting excited to see what Google has in store for the Fall of 2017.

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