Tag Archives: Galaxy

SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S8 EXCELS BUT WILL HAVE UPHILL CLIMB DESPITE ITS HI-TECH FEATURES  

Today Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S8 smart phone, in New York and London.

The S8 and S8+, bare little resemblance to Samsung’s original candybar 320×480 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen Galaxy Phone GT-I7500, launched on April 27, 2009. That’s some 169 successive Galaxy devices ago!

Continue reading SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S8 EXCELS BUT WILL HAVE UPHILL CLIMB DESPITE ITS HI-TECH FEATURES  

12 TECH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…DAY 6

Follow my daily 12 tech days of Christmas. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

“On the sixth day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, six shiny laptops, five top-tier smartphones, four odd collections, three streaming players, two instant photos and a java in a pear tree.

Just a few years ago, laptops were doomed to extinction along with desktops as iPads and multi-tasking smartphones got more attention. Not anymore. Laptops are back, as gaming devices and more importantly, consumer targeted as innovative, thinner, lighter and portable computers with sharper multi-swing screens, especially for Windows 10.

Continue reading 12 TECH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…DAY 6

Samsung Galaxy S7 sets new standard for camera phones

Samsung Galaxy 5.5 -inch dual curved S7 edge left and 5.1-inch S7 right

Samsung Galaxy 5.5 -inch dual curved S7 edge left and 5.1-inch S7 right

Today Samsung’s new flagship  5.1-inch Galaxy S7, $400 with two-year term and 5.5-inch S7 edge featuring dual curves, $500 with two-year term are available in Canadian stores.

Both have longer battery life, always on display, are waterproof/dustproof, microSD expansion, 4 GB RAM and more.

Its totally redesigned smaller 12 megapixel rear camera with f1.7 lens is now the de facto standard for mobile camera phones. The faster lens and larger pixel sensor let more light in and cleaner noise free imaging.

I posted the following portfolio of an early version of the Galaxy S7 edge on my Facebook page   shortly after its launch in Barcelona on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2016.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S7 sets new standard for camera phones

Off to CES armed with the curved Note Edge and Gear S

Hi folks, here we go again. The annual International Consumer Electronic Technology Show in Las Vegas  is upon us once again next week in Las Vegas. Like many of us tech writers, I go early, arriving Sunday morning, landing with my feet running to the afternoon CES Unveiled event at the Mandalay Bay.

What can we expect? New wearables, tablets, palm-size drones, TVs and more. I will be reporting on what I see, lot’s of it, so keep in touch!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ON THE SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE EDGE

I am CES-bound, armed with new “cutting edge” technology from Samsung Canada who seeded me with the yet-to-be launched in Canada, Galaxy Note Edge.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge with stylus S Pen and dual screen mode is a veritable multi-tasking phablet
The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge with stylus S Pen and dual screen mode is a veritable multi-tasking phablet

The phone, with all the features of the current Note 4 with S Pen stylus is more that evolutionary, featuring a curved screen edge with a dedicated vertical panel along the right side of the main screen.

You can read the armed-to-the-teeth specs on this gorgeous phablet at EDGE but this newly designed Samsung interface running on Android 4.4 Kitkat, must be seen, held and used to be fully appreciated.

The Edge is slightly wider and shorter than the current Note 4 with with a removable slightly smaller battery and access to a micro-SD slot for up to 128 GB cards.

The side panel ( it also works for lefties with a few clicks and holding the phone upside-down)  appears and disappears with helpful information like favourite apps. You can run up to 10 panels from about 20 free downloadable themes and functions like games, streaming one line news sites, favourite contacts and more.
Click on those and you get to the original Web site.

The Edge can accommodate 10 panels with diffrent themes and functionality
The Edge can accommodate 10 panels with diffrent themes and functionality

There is a slight overlap between the right vertical main screen edge and the Edge panel. When it disappears the main screen becomes slightly wider and part of it starts curving slightly. Unnoticeable  after you use it for a few hours.

I like the dedicated function menu options on the side panel when running camera, calendar and S Note apps. You can even design or use your own photos to show on the panel while in locked mode…even with some handwriting messages.

Samsung smartly thought out this panel function through with many surprises including a night mode which kicks in when the screen times out. The Edge becomes a horizontal dim night table screen showing weather, time and alarm, viewable when the phone is on its back…right next to your pillow. Nice!

The Edge is immaculately made with attention to detailed curves and a clean metal edge carefully countered around the curved screen, just enough to protect the pricey piece of glass from flat surface falls.

Exquisitely designed and assembled with clean curved metal edge
Exquisitely designed and assembled with clean curved metal edge

Samsung’s dedicated folio case turns the main screen off, when closed, leaving the side viewable curve panel on, which changes modes by a finger swoosh across its narrow screen.

As for looks, the Edge is a winner and a showpiece for Samsung. Most folks can’t get their heads around a perfectly curved ultra sharp colour screen. Currently available in the US, for $945 USD or $500 with a two year plan, it is not for the average consumer’s wallet.

But it is what it is, showstopping technology in Canadian stores and cellcos this quarter, from the Korean tech giant who unquestionably walks the walk on glass making.

“From an innovation and revolutionary perspective for a mobile device we hit the nail on the head,” said Samsung Canada’s Steven Cull.  “When your’e looking at the cost justification from a Samsung perspective, its delivering that fast multitasking device in the market.”

Indeed it does.

SHOULD YOU GET IT?

If money is no problem, yes! This is a version 1.0 that works right off the bat.  When matched with the also curved head-turning Gear S smart watch (with its own sim card for anywhere “mother-ship” phone and data synchronization) the Edge is the next step in smartphone innovation.

If your’e not a tech enthusiast, I would wait. You can certainly ne functional without it. After showing the Edge to several Canadian cellco stores, I got the same reaction from store managers:  Samsung should put curved screens in more of its next gen affordable phones if they want to aggressively keep their market share.
Are you listening Samsung?

ONE MORE THOUGHT ON THE GEAR S

Speaking of next generation,  Samsung’s market leading tech Gear S is so close to becoming its own stand-alone hotspot, phone and smartphone on a wrist.

The Samsung Gear S has its own sim card for 3G data and voice...yes, make and receive calls, even forwarded from your synched Samsung smartphone
The Samsung Gear S has its own sim card for 3G data and voice…yes, make and receive calls, even forwarded from your synched Samsung smartphone

When will you cut the digital cord on your next Gear S Samsung? Who needs a hand-held phone when you can wear it on your wrist and take along a tablet instead?

Tune in to my Edmonton Global TV Sunday Morning NewsTech Talk segment where I will be showing the Edge and talk about more CES.
Www.globalews.ca/techuntangled