Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Hits AT&T Nov. 7 for $199 on 2-Year Contract

samsung_gear_s_image_storypage.jpg.thumb.432.946The Gear S is blurring the lines between wearable and phone. Featuring a curved AMOLED display, 4GB of storage, and a 4G radio, it’s the most connected device we’ll see people strapping to their wrist.

It’s an interesting commentary, introducing products for specific use cases which can act independently of our phones when we need them to, especially targeting the growing fitness market.

AT&T has confirmed that the Gear S will be available November 7th for $199 on a two year contract, and the Gear S should be priced like a mid-range phone for those folks who want to buy one off contract. I’m expecting it to be under $400, but probably not by much. While that might seem “spendy” for a watch, it’s still in the Apple Watch ballpark, and this will be Samsung’s third iteration of the Gear, hopefully bringing continued refinement to the Tizen OS.

You can read AT&T’s press release below for the full scoop. Continue reading “Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Hits AT&T Nov. 7 for $199 on 2-Year Contract”

Samsung Donates $50,000 to LA Habitat for Humanity at #DITCHtheDSLR Event in Hollywood

I finally said goodbye to my old Canon Rebel. Samsung made the pain of giving it away easier by allowing me to trade it in for a new NX30 mirrorless camera. The event in Hollywood also featured a Guinness World Record selfie chain, and showcased Samsung’s charitable side with a $50,000 donation to the LA chapter of Habitat for Humanity!

Shop the Samsung NX30 on Amazon.
Shop the Samsung NX Mini on Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha MEGA Camera Review: Real World UHD Video Samples and Tests (4K)!

Samsung now builds their own camera sensors, but fitted the Alpha with a lower resolution sensor than the Galaxy S5. It’s down to 12MP instead of 16MP. Has that had any affect on video quality? Let’s take a look at some real world video tests from the second phone to use a Samsung designed ISOCELL camera sensor!

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Samsung Video Details Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen Features

If you’ve been wondering what new advanced features were coming to the S-Pen Stylus on the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung has produced this adorable little video to help whet your appetite for their upcoming super phablet. Enjoy!

Samsung Galaxy Alpha Exclusively Available at AT&T Sept. 26

samsung galaxy alpha att exclusiveThe Galaxy Alpha is an interesting statement of a phone from Samsung. The Alpha steps away from Sammy’s usual “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” manufacturing approach, and working on crafting a more refined experience. It seems tailor-made to combat the newly released iPhone 6.

Instead of continuing a specs war, the Alpha takes solid performing hardware and pairs it with the metal build quality we’ll soon see on the Galaxy Note 4.

AT&T has announced today they will be the exclusive carrier of the Alpha in the USA, and the phone will be available to buy starting September 26 for $200 on a two year contract. If you’ve been considering an Alpha, drop us a comment, and you can read AT&T’s full PR (with a video teaser) below.

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CTIA 2014 First Look: The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Finally getting a little quality time with the new Note 4 Edge and its asymmetrically curved display! Samsung has moved menus, controls, and shortcuts to the EDGE! Let’s take a look!

Samsung Partners With Oculus for Gear VR Headset

Samsung is betting on VR becoming a popular service. Thankfully, instead of reinventing the wheel and releasing a standalone proprietary headset, they’re partnering with Oculus to bring the Gear VR to market.

Utilizing the same AMOLED screen found on the Note 4, the Gear VR brings an even higher resolution than the most current Oculus Rift Developer Kit, effectively 1280 x 1440 per eye.

samsung gear vr headset front viewThe Gear VR will also feature a MicroUSB connector allowing to hook up to a Galaxy Note 4 to display content. Wearable headsets like this can be used to either create an immersive 3D world around the viewer, or provide for a more passive “I Got a Movie Theater All To Myself” effect. The headset will come with a MicroSD card which will include a handful of movies and demos from Marvel, IMAX, Dreamworks, and more.

While there’s no hard launch date or pricing info, Samsung says the Gear VR will be available this year. Oculus got a shot in the arm after Facebook acquired it, but Samsung has the resources to push new technologies into the mainstream.

You can read Samsung’s full PR below.

Continue reading “Samsung Partners With Oculus for Gear VR Headset”

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge Brings a Different Bend to the Curved Screen

galaxy note 4 edge front and backSamsung’s Unpacked event at IFA this year saw a couple of exciting announcements. Of course most were on tap to see the release of the newest member to the Galaxy Note series. Rumors were flying about a curved AMOLED display. We’d seen previous attempts from Samsung with the Galaxy Round, and LG released a banana curved G Flex, but toying with the popular Note could have been a risky proposition.

For the Note 4 Edge, Samsung has done something a bit asymmetrical. The right hand side of the screen tapers off giving the device a screen which wraps around that corner. It’s a dramatic effect, and Sammy is using it for a variety of functions. It can act like a dock for app shortcuts, it can display time and notifications. It handily houses settings for the camera app (keeping the viewfinder free). Scrolling widgets can be housed on the edge, and while the main screen area is off, the side can still display time allowing it to act like a bedside clock.

What’s a little curious is that Samsung hasn’t made both sides taper off. It could have been our first side bezel-less phone. Hopefully this doesn’t affect the usage for left handed folks. Otherwise, the Edge very much resembles the Note 3 in terms of general design, but thankfully the guts of this phone are getting an upgrade. Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge Brings a Different Bend to the Curved Screen”