Official Samsung Unpacked Trailer

Here's the official Samsung "Unpacked" trailer for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
It doesn't seem to say anything but also shouts everything at once. 

Gather anything from this brief trailer? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y42eQJmGbxk

Galaxy S5's Overall Shape All But Confirmed!

 

Hello folks!

This picture was found courtesy of Amazon.com.  It is supposedly a Galaxy S5 case made by Spigen.  In case you are not aware, Spigen is one of the larger smart phone case manufacturers so this seems like a real confirmation of the overall shape of the soon to be released phone. 

There are several things that we can gather from this all new case release.

#1. There will be two variants of the Galaxy S5: Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S5 Prime
Perhaps the Galaxy S5 Prime will have the metal exterior of the phone or maybe it may just be the higher spec version of the phone. Or it may be both.

#2. The Camera will near the top center of the phone again.

#3. The Back Speaker placement will be at the lower left side of the phone again.

#4. The Power Button and the Volume Buttons placement didn't change much.

#5. The Overall Shape of the phone will be more rectangular than it has been in the past.

I must say that the shape of the phone is an improvement over the previous S3 and S4.  We will see a more full picture at in the unveiling in a couple days.  However, this is a pretty nice tease for now.  Stay tuned!

Samsung Icon Teaser?

Samsung has a new poster out advertising a new mystery product (or products) for an event called "Unpacked 5" at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona next week.  However, you may notice that the poster has some interesting artwork which includes the interesting icons.  Is this a sign of things to come for Samsung?  Will these be the icons for the new Tizen software from Samsung/Intel alliance or will these be the icons for Samsung's Touchwiz software on top of Android? 

Whatever the case is, it looks like the Galaxy S5 will get a complete overhaul on the aesthetics of the software and hardware.

The official unveiling can't come soon enough!

Galaxy S5: A Crucial Launch for Samsung

The world of smartphones is quite green still and two companies come to mind when it comes to smart phones.  As of now, they are Apple and Samsung.  They are overwhelmingly dominant when it comes to smart devices.  Apple has dominated the market with not only its devices (iphone, ipad, ipod) but also its own software (ios). 

Samsung was relatively late to the game.  However, it has quickly grab a hold of the smart phone market through its Galaxy series and utilizes the Android platform.  Android has been very quick to grow and has been the dominant OS for the majority of the world.

Samsung and Apple are the two companies that are largely successful in sales of their flagship products.  Samsung sold 63.5 million units of the S4 since its launch last April and Apple sold 51 million Iphones in the December quarter.  The bad news for Samsung is that they sold 65.6 million units of the predecessor, the Galaxy S3.  The Galaxy S series has been a huge hit for Samsung and many were expecting the a miraculous device because the S series version has been a rather significant upgrade from its predecessor. 

For example, I upgraded from my first smart phone.  It was the Galaxy Fascinate (Verizon's version of the original Galaxy S) and it was a decent device.  However, it was buggy and had major lag issues.  Still, as my first smart device, I was relatively satisfied with my dependable S device.  Then, it was time for an upgrade.  I was waiting on the Galaxy Note2 as it launched.  However, I didn't have the luxury of waiting two weeks as it was back ordered due to high demand.  Therefore, I purchased the Galaxy S3.  This was a major upgrade and part of the reason why I am such a big Samsung fan.  This device was an upgrade on every level. 

The screen quality was much better, screen size was much bigger, the OS was much more fluid, there were cool software tweaks that were very useful, the speed of the phone's computer chips were much more powerful, it was intuitive to use, and the speed of 4G LTE was blazing fast compared to my initial 3G phone.

Last year's launch of the Galaxy S4 started off as a success as Samsung had record sales.  The launching event was also very professionally executed, albeit cheesy.  The usefulness of the device was displayed throughout the event and it was done creatively in my opinion.

Still, the software upgrades and Samsung added apps were not enough for the consumers to continue raving over the phone.  It was as good as the S3 and even better.  However, the expectation of the consumers exceeded the upgrade that the S4 offered over the S3.  One can say that the hype for the S4 was what killed it.  I'm being overly dramatic here. 

So we are left with the S5 launching event in a couple days and there is, indeed, hype.  However, I believe people are more grounded now and expect a significant upgrade but not a miracle phone.

It will be very interesting to see how the Galaxy S5 shapes up.  What are your thoughts?  What interested you in regards to the Galaxy S series?

Galaxy s5 Predictions

Hello folks!

The s5 reveal is less than a week away and we have much speculation.  There are wild guesses and there are educated guesses on what the phone will come with.

Here are some educated guesses on how the phone will be unveiled.


Screen:  5.2" 2560 x 1440 display AMOLED

If the past Galaxy S series are any indication, the s5 will most definitely be upgraded from the s4's 441 ppi(pixels per inch) screen to a 560 ppi screen.  This is a much better screen than the iphone's "retina display" which is a fancy word for a lesser display.  Why Apple refuses to use measurements like everyone else is beyond me.


Construction:  Metal with Polycarbonate option.

One of the perks of owning a Samsung phone is that you can replace your battery when empty instead of taking around a charger and an electric outlet.  The SD card slot for expandable memory is also very useful for adding up to and additional 64 GB of memory.   The downside is that the phone itself had to come in a plastic (polycarbonate) cover that is detachable.  There is a rumor that Samsung will add an optional metal exterior s5 but it is yet to be seen.  The final option might be a faux leather back that comes with the Note3 might be another option.


Camera: 16 or 20 MP Camera

If history is any indication, the s5's camera will be an improvement from the 12 MP that came with the s4 and the 8 MP that came with the s3.  The camera will definitely be improved as well as the software.


CPU: Snapdragon 800 Chip or Exynos 6 Chip with 64 Bit support

I don't see Samsung losing out to Apple on the 64 Bits.  Whether Samsung goes with a greater 3 or 4 GB of RAM is yet to be seen.  It will definitely be an upgrade from the 2 GB or RAM that comes with the s4.  Either way, it will be a monster Processor (Octa-core Exynos or 2.5 GHz Quad-core)


Battery: 2900-3200 mAh

Samsung has also been in the habit of making their batteries stronger.  The s4's 2600 mAh battery will most definitely be upgraded and it will also most likely be removable for fresh battery replacement.


OS: Android KitKat v.4.4 (with Touchwiz)

The s5 will most definitely come with the latest version of KitKat as it is the flagship phone for Samsung.  The Touchwiz software on top of Android will most likely be toned down a bit for the purpose of making the device a little more simple. 

What are your predictions?  Is this list reasonable or is it a little too optimistic?  We will find out in a little less than a week. 

Cheers!

Galaxy S5 Questions

The Samsung Galaxy s5 is about to be revealed in a little less than a week and already the media is speculating about this device.  There are many different theories in regards to what the phone will look like. 

For example, will the Galaxy s5 be made out of a flexible display?  Will it have the Samsung trademark AMOLED or a regular LCD display?  Will it be bigger than the s4's 5 inch display or will it get larger than the previous generation again?  Will it come out with a 5" 1920 x 1080 display or will it be upgraded to a 5.2" 2560 x 1440 display?  Will it come with fingerprint scanner, a retina scanner, or nothing at all?  Will the s5's exterior change be more evolutionary like the s4 or will it be distinctive and revolutionary?  Will the s5 change to an all metal exterior, a faux leather like the Note3, or will it continue to come out in a polycarbonate shell with capability of a removable battery and added memory through SD card?

Will it get rid of some of its software features and become a more of a bare bones Google device (think Nexus series) as per the agreement between Samsung and Google?  Or will the s5 add more software features to enhance the experience of the device?

Will it come with 3 GB of ram or 4 GB of ram?   Will it come with a bigger battery?

Will the Galaxy s5 come with the same 12 MP camera from the s4 or will it be upgraded to 16 or 20 MP? 

What are some things you would like upgraded, added, or taken away?

These are some questions that will be answered on February 24 in Barcelona! Stay tuned for more information as it breaks!

Samsung: The Beginning

This page exists to update you about news regarding Samsung devices and give you advice on how to use your device.  I became a fan of Samsung since the first camera phone I purchased and continued to follow Samsung's first mass foray into the smart phone world, the Galaxy s ("Fascinate" for Verizon).  Since then, I've been enamored by the possibilities of such devices.

Whether you like it or not, it seems that people closely identify themselves with the mobile device that they carry.  Perhaps it's due to the two year contracts that one is forced to commit to or it may be the variety of tasks that the smart phone helps us with that causes one to be so loyal to a mere device.

Nevertheless, I have chosen my "allegiance" to Samsung and I have been so pleasantly surprised by the Galaxy s3 phone that I have officially become a fan of the Galaxy lineup.

I will try to update you on all things Samsung and even hopefully give friendly advice on various Samsung devices.

Hope you enjoy this blog!

Cheers,
-dan