The Samsung-focused blog is reporting on new information from “insiders” that the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will sport a 5.7-inch display, not unlike the Note 4, and run Android 5.1.1 out of the box. Initial rumors pointed to a 5.5-inch display, but that information has seemingly since changed. Expand Expanding Close
Image via <a href="https://twitter.com/DarthMowl/status/555617448138137600" target="_blank">@DarthMowl</a>
After teasing a super-thin new smartphone earlier this week, smartphone maker Xiaomi revealed its 2015 flagship model, the Note. Just to be clear, this is an entirely new device, and doesn’t seem to be related to the company’s existing “Redmi Note” smartphone. It’s also not related to Samsung’s similarly named devices, though it hardly seems unreasonable to think that Samsung’s execs aren’t exactly pleased with the name.
The 5.7-inch phone is positioned as an iPhone 6 Plus competitor. It features a 1080p display, a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization—a far cry from Apple’s 8 MP shooter—and a 4 MP front-facing camera.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen pre-release versions of Android 5.0 running on a Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. Today, however, we’ll be taking a look at Google’s new mobile operating system on a Galaxy Note 3. Described as a rough draft of the Android 5.0, this alleged internal build of Lollipop for Samsung’s king-size smartphone should help give an idea what’s in store for owners of this popular handset. Expand Expanding Close
Yesterday we reported that Samsung’s earlier-than-planned September 26th launch of its new Galaxy Note 4 had been met with complaints from customers regarding a ‘screen gap’ manufacturing issue. Today, a reference discovered in Samsung’s Note 4 manual confirms that the gap is actually a feature, not a flaw (via AndroidCentral). Expand Expanding Close
The new Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2, or DK2 for short, started shipping this week; and as the first units begin arriving to eager gamers and developers alike, iFixIt has posted the first teardown of the device. If you don’t know much about the new DK2, its most prominent upgrade over the first edition Rift is its new, 1080P display. Speculation grew as to exactly what panel Oculus would use for the new DK2, but the teardown from iFixIt reveals in fact that the display has been provided by Samsung.
During its earnings call with investors where Samsung announced a 31 percent drop for its profits in its mobile division, the company also slipped in a small announcement about upcoming smartphones to reassure investors going into the next quarter. As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Samsung executive Kim Hyun-Joon told investors that the company would launch a new model with a large screen and another that will be made with “new materials.” Expand Expanding Close
Five months after Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, Galaxy Note 3 users on Verizon are beginning to see the update being pushed out over the air. Various people are reporting that they have received the the update on their devices. The update includes various changes and small tweaks to the user interface, as well as enhancements to the software stack to make the device more stable and perform better.
If you’d like to grab the update, start pressing that “check for updates” button, or connect your device to the nearest computer with Kies installed on it, and get downloading.
The Evernote team has released an update for its Android app today that adds a few very useful features. Most notably, the updated has added support for handwriting. Evernote touts that this is more than just a handwriting add-on and that the feature is throughly integrated throughout the app. You can easily switch between typing and handwriting, which is very useful if for instance, you are taking notes during a lecture and want to draw a chart or graph. The handwriting is also searchable, assuming it’s readable, so that you can search both text and writing when needed.
The editor has also received several enhancements, including a new text highlighter, better support for notes in other formats, and the ability to edit content in tables created on other platforms. The update also adds the ability to create a note link, allowing you to quickly jump between notes, as well as the ability to duplicate a note. Finally, the camera has also received some enhancements and is easier and faster to use.
Check out the full change log below and download the update on the Play Store.
Handwriting
Write and sketch inside your notes!
Keep handwriting, text, photos, and files in the same note
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Samsung plans to take the curved display technology it used to make its recently launched Galaxy Round smartphone one step further with a new Galaxy device next year. The device will apparently feature a curved display that “wraps around the edges” forming a three-sided screen: Expand Expanding Close
Rumors have swirled recently about the Galaxy Note III launching soon and that it will boast a screen anywhere between 5.9-inches all the way up to 6.3-inches. A new report from SamMobileseems to add a little unofficial confirmation to its release date. According to an “insider,” the Galaxy Note III, along with an updated Galaxy Tab, is scheduled for release at IFA in Berlin. The report also suggested that Samsung would push out one final update to the current Galaxy Tab II, Android 4.2.2. If it is true that Samsung will no longer update the Galaxy Tab II after Android 4.2.2, the likelihood of a new tablet seems apparent.
The move wouldn’t be a surprise, because the original Galaxy Note was released at IFA in Berlin.
SanMobile claimed its source gave them no word about device specifications, so at the moment it’s unclear if these new devices will adopt the Octa-core processor found in the recently announced Galaxy S IV.
Samsung wrapped up their Galaxy event in London last night (above) where they made a November 3rd UK launch date official for the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note and also gave us a closer look into the S-Pen SDK and “S Choice” apps designed specifically for the Note’s built-in Wacom digitizer stylus tech.
Among the “S Choice” apps that will be available upon launch include OmniSketch, Zen Brush, ComicBook!, iAnnotate PDF, ZigZag virtual whiteboard, and Soonr Workplace. The majority of these apps are art-focused sketching, animation, and annotation apps, but Soonr Workplace is a productivity suite of sorts that includes document collaboration among other features.
Samsung will be making the S-Pen SDK available to devs starting in December so they can start developing apps specifically for the stylus. If you haven’t yet got a chance to check out the S-Pen in action, the video of yesterday’s event above has some live demos of artists creating some pretty incredible creations using the apps we just told you about.
The Galaxy Note packs in a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.4 GHz dual core processor, 5100 mAmp battery, supports native 720p video, and has a 7 1/2 mm thin design. Samsung will continue to roll out the Note to the rest of major European markets by the end of November. You can check out the latest Samsung Galaxy advert here. Expand Expanding Close
