Samsung Galaxy S8 now rumored to be 90 percent screen, fully borderless phones coming in a few years

A tech giant of Samsung’s stature obviously has more than one way to rebound after its worst mobile quarter in nearly eight years, but even if it were to secure all of Apple’s orders for 2017 iPhone OLED screen deliveries, the Galaxy S8 is still its highest stakes bet in the short term.

There’s clearly a lot riding on the “next big thing”, and not just because it’ll follow an unprecedented quality control fiasco. You also have to consider the enduring popularity and excellence of the GS7 and S7 Edge, with Samsung needing to tread carefully in seeking to strike the right balance between legacy honoring and an eye-catching major redesign.

Said redesign could see the Galaxy S8 almost entirely give up screen bezels, although according to a Samsung Display researcher and engineer, phones with over 99 percent display area ratio remain a few years away.

Park Won-sang claims “Samsung Display would roll out a full-screen display whose display area ratio reaches more than 90 percent next year”, avoiding however to confirm whether the S8 will indeed go after the Xiaomi Mi MIX on a much larger scale in the spring, or if “almost all sensors, such as the fingerprint sensor” shall only be built “under the screen” of the Galaxy Note 8 next fall.

Another great breakthrough tipped by a different Samsung Display employee would apparently yield a bendable VR device with a flexible OLED panel that “can be bent to cover a user’s eyes completely.” Sounds very tricky to mass-manufacture anytime soon, but VR hardware competition is rapidly heating up, so R&D acceleration might feel imperative.

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from Pocketnow http://pocketnow.com/2016/11/01/samsung-galaxy-s8-90-percent-screen-rumors

The iPhone 8 may have wireless charging

Rumors for the iPhone 8 have already begun, suggesting your next iOS phone may come with the ability to charge your phone without plugging it in.

Wireless charging is rumored for the iPhone 8 as Foxconn – the company that produces the iPhone for Apple – is currently experimenting with the tech, according to an industry source speaking with Nikkei.

The source conceded that, "whether the feature can eventually make it into Apple's updated devices will depend on whether Foxconn can boost the yield rate to a satisfactory level later on.”

Like an Apple Watch

Apple has veered away from wireless charging in the past as other Android manufacturers have embraced the tech. 

The Apple Watch does use wireless charging though, so Apple is no stranger to the tech.

Wireless charging pads are appearing more and more in public places and if Apple decides to include the tech in its next iPhone we may see a surge of even more simple to use and well located wireless charging pads.

Previous patents have shown Apple is working on inductive charging for the iPhone – that's where the phone has two coils to transfer power via magnetic fields – which is also used on the Samsung Galaxy S7. 

• Why it's still worth investing in wireless charging for your phone

from TechRadar: Phone and communications news http://www.techradar.com/news/the-iphone-8-may-have-wireless-charging

The best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 deals in November 2016

With the Note 7 being taken off the market already due to it setting on fire a bit too much, we imagine you may be in the market for a different type of hot deal. Well, it's November and Black Friday is just around the corner, so now's a great time to grab a discounted Galaxy Note 4.

With no UK release for the Note 5 and the aforementioned fire-starting Note 7 being pulled from shelves, the Galaxy Note 4 is a very tempting deal indeed.

It's hard not to love Samsung's amazing Note 4. This is, after all, a device that no-one thought would ever work but now four generations in the phone is selling brilliantly and it has invented a new category of mobile phones. We'd hoped the Galaxy Note 5 would come to the UK, but the specs on this phone are just as good and it proves quite a bit cheaper than Samsung's newer Galaxy S6 Edge+ phablet.

Contract options have been phased out now, but you can buy the handset on its own then grab one of our cheap 30-day or 12-month SIM only deals.

More options: Samsung  Galaxy S7 Edge deals | Samsung  Galaxy S7 deals |  Samsung Galaxy S6 deals | Samsung Galaxy S5 deals | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge deals

The Galaxy Note 4 adds bundles of amazing features that makes this handset a legitimate flagship. There's a removable battery and a microSD card, both of which have now vanished from the Galaxy S range.

Even more important though is the stunning camera on the Note 4. If you're using your phone for photography then you won't be disappointed by what you get out of the Note. The S-Pen enables you to write notes and translate them from handwriting to text and while it's a niche feature, it can be very handy.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review highlights

We liked

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is fantastic. The QHD resolution ensures absolutely everything is pin sharp and the Super AMOLED tech makes colours really pop.

Your eyes alone will thank you for picking up the Galaxy Note 4, and those of you who love gaming and watching movies on your phone it's perfect.

We must also mention the camera, as the Galaxy Note 4 is capable of taking some really excellent snaps.

There's plenty of power packed in too, giving you a slick, fluid interface and the improved design with the metal frame makes the Galaxy Note 4 feel like the premium phone its price tag suggests.

It isn't as stunning to look at or hold as the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple still wins the style war, but at least the Note 4 has a decent level of grip.

We disliked

Get over the size and the price (which has reduced now) of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and there's little to dislike about this dominating phablet.

There will be a large number of people who won't be able to get past the size and price of the Galaxy Note 4 - it is big, and it is expensive (although it has dropped slightly in price) - but that's not a huge issue for this handset.

It knows its market, and Samsung provides devices in a number of tiers to satisfy almost anyone.

Want the metal design in a smaller package? Get the Galaxy Alpha. Want the latest tech Samsung has to offer? Then there's the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

The S Pen has come on leaps and bounds since its introduction with the original Galaxy Note, and while the precision has increased substantially on the Galaxy Note 4 it still feels a little, well, pointless.

We found ourselves using it very rarely. Unless you like sketching on your smartphone, or for some reason think it's quicker to hand write notes than tap them out (it's not, btw), then it provides little attraction.

Samsung still has a way to go with its fingerprint scanner as it's nowhere near as good as Apple's Touch ID or even Huawei's offering, and you'll likely find yourself turning it off after a while.

Verdict

Samsung has packed in more power, an even better display and a great camera making the Galaxy Note 4 an excellent smartphone. It may no longer be the best phablet around, but if your budget won't stretch to the Note 5 then this won't let you down.

If you're already rocking the Galaxy Note 3 there's not a huge point in upgrading, unless you really want the screen and chassis bump, but if you're rocking an older phablet or considering picking one up the Galaxy Note 4 should on your list.

It'll be too big for some, while the true usefulness of the S Pen is still questionable, but overlook these things and you'll be more than happy with the now-cheaper Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

First reviewed: October 2014

from TechRadar: Phone and communications news http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/note-4-deals-1297457

The best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals November 2016

November is a fantastic time to get a great Samsung Galaxy S5 deal, especially with Black Friday being just around the corner.

Samsung's Galaxy S5 isn't the newest smartphone on the market, there has been the Galaxy S6, S7 and S7 Edge as well as two Note phablets since this flagship. But don't let that put you off considering it, this is still one of the best phones you can get at a cheap price. This phone was a superstar when it launched, and it remains a brilliant little phone now. It has a few little annoyances that were addressed with the Galaxy S6 but in the long run those aren't particularly worth the extra money it'll cost you. It's an older phone so there are some great deals to make the most of.

More options: Samsung  Galaxy S7 Edge deals | Samsung  Galaxy S7 deals | Samsung Galaxy S6 deals | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 deals | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge deals

Samsung Galaxy S5: review excerpt

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great phone - the problem is we're now in a world where stunning smartphones are becoming the norm.

Samsung seems to be banking on the fact it knows there will be some people out there who will buy its devices no matter what, else it would have jumped to a more premium design.

Some might think I'm overstating my disappointment in how the S5 looks, but this is a critical part of the buying cycle. You can't rely on brand recognition and loyalty for long if competitors are making something that can cause design envy.

And there's the divide in terms of how to deliver a verdict on the best Samsung phone ever: if you're excited about what Samsung does, you'll love this phone. The brand has definitely done a lot to make it more useable and deliver things you'll actually use, such as a better, faster camera and health info.

But if you're on the fence, or in the iPhone camp, it would be easy to decry this as a mere update to what came before, offering uninspiring design and a feature set that doesn't mark it out well enough from the competition, and the iPhone 6 is again a big jump forward.

Samsung has done enough with the Galaxy S5 for it to still be a decent smartphone of 2014, and I would still recommend it as a solid, if unspectacular, smartphone that ticks the boxes it needs to and very little more.

It initially squeaked in as a 4.5-star phone, largely due to the fact that it's got an excellent screen, great battery and high-end specs combined with a strong camera - but now there are plenty of other options ahead of it from Sony, HTC, LG and Apple.

If you're a Samsung fan, this is the phone you should check out thanks to the slightly lower price tag (although not by much), but also see whether you'd prefer the design elegance of the Galaxy Alpha or the amazing power of the Galaxy Note 4 instead.

from TechRadar: Phone and communications news http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s5-deals-1291305

Xiaomi wants to do the US smartphone expansion right, carrier tests already underway

Although Xiaomi didn’t make the top five global smartphone vendor list for Q3 2016, also dropping out of the domestic podium, as OPPO and Vivo invested heavily in offline sales, marketing and promotions, the so-called “Apple of China” remains a force to be reckoned with.

A creative force, mainly, based on the recent announcement of a conceptual but ready-for-primetime edgeless Mi MIX. Xiaomi will try to compete in the increasingly crowded low-cost VR headset landscape too, at least on Chinese shores, while continuing to expand in markets like Russia, Mexico and even the US, as far as the ultra-affordable 4K-enabled Mi Box is concerned.

Sooner or later however, this six year-old company needs to take a page from compatriot and arch-rival Huawei’s playbook, getting serious about North American phones or die trying. As it turns out, Xiaomi doesn’t just want to sell products like the Mi 5 or Mi Note 2 directly to US consumers in unlocked variants that may or may not properly function on the nation’s largest wireless networks.

“Small-field trials” have apparently begun earlier this year for Xiaomi to “sharpen” its chops, and eventually be able to launch “full-on products there.” Full-on, as in compatible with as many major carriers as possible, and perhaps even subsidized by one or two. It’s quite an ambitious goal, but it’s still going to take up to a couple of years for it to be fully achieved.

The post Xiaomi wants to do the US smartphone expansion right, carrier tests already underway appeared first on Pocketnow.

from Pocketnow http://pocketnow.com/2016/11/01/xiaomi-us-smartphone-expansion-carrier-tests

Blue Coral Galaxy S7 Edge officially headed for ‘selected markets around the globe’, US included

While the Galaxy Note 7’s productive S Pen and ingenious iris scanner aren’t exactly features you can just enable on the S7 or S7 Edge via a software update, that Always on Display trick Motorola flat-out accused Samsung of stealing not long ago has indeed been ported from the ill-fated phablet to its little brothers.

And now, finally, the aggrieved world’s number one smartphone manufacturer can confirm the snazzy Blue Coral paint job of the Note 7 is coming to the S7 Edge “around the globe.” Starting today, November 1, in “selected markets” only, but fret not, as they apparently include the US in addition to Taiwan and Singapore.

We’re guessing the “calming and sophisticated” new Galaxy S7 Edge edition will go on sale across the old continent sometime soon as well, since on American shores, all four major carriers should release it over the next few weeks.

No under-the-hood changes, no screen size or resolution upgrades, this is the same old dual-curved 5.5-incher we’ve known and loved since spring, following “this year’s color trends, which are less vivid and more tranquil”, with a nature-inspired hue shimmering as if it is “illuminated from the inside of the phone’s glass surface.”

The post Blue Coral Galaxy S7 Edge officially headed for ‘selected markets around the globe’, US included appeared first on Pocketnow.

from Pocketnow http://pocketnow.com/2016/11/01/blue-coral-galaxy-s7-edge-official-global-launch

Verizon offering discount codes for either 20 percent or $100 off phones

If you’re interested in nearly purloining Verizon for a device upgrade, here’s a tip: the longer you wait, the less likely you’ll be able to grab these codes.Once again, we turn to Reddit and the Verizon subsection to check out a 20 percent discount code (simply “SAVE20”) on any 4G smartphone — most every smartphone on Big Red these days. That includes the Pixel ...

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from Pocketnow http://pocketnow.com/2016/10/31/verizon-offering-discount-codes