The New Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

I have a long time fan of Samsung phones but they have been quite disappointing the past few years. In fact, it has been 2 years since I last had a Samsung phone. 

Following the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle, I was looking forward to see what the company would come up with. And they have not disappointed..

There are so many reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S8 out there so I will just focus on the highlights of the new phones,

The first one would have to be the new edge-to-edge bezel-less "Infinity Display". It simply looks amazing. And even though the new S8 is almost the same size as the S7, the new phones have much bigger screens.

Regarding the camera, the only difference to the S7 seems to be a software upgrade which automatically combines multiple shots to create a great looking picture. The front camera (8MP) now comes with autofocus.

The phones also have a IP68 rating, meaning that being caught in a heady downpour or sand storm will not kill the phone.

However, the unique innovation has to be the iris scanning tech. That and the fingerprint sensor makes the S8 quite secure - the stuff we used to see in sci-fi movies are a reality now.

Other extras include 4GB RAM, 64GB storage plus expandable SD card slot.

Samsung Galaxy S6: Is this the Samsung phone we have been waiting for

When it comes to mobile phones, I have been a loyal Samsung fan. I was converted after I bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 several years back. It was an impressive mobile phone and I am still using it. Since then, I have owned the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 1. However, my loyalty has kind of slowly faded. Even my wife who used to be a loyal Samung fan has moved on to Lenovo. Samsung keeps on bringing out unimpressive mobile phone models, one after the one,  which are not attractive nor innovative and yet, not cheap either. I can understand why hundreds (if not thousands) of people can wait in queue whenever a new Apple iPhone comes out.

I was seriously tempted to jump ship and get myself a new iPhone after trying out my sister's iPhone 6. However, the ridiculous price of the phone kept me check. The phone I was seriously considering was the Sony Xperia Z3. Two factors convinced me - the picture quality and the fact that it is waterproof.

A few days back I learnt that Samsung was launching their new phone which has been covered by a few tech blogs. There was none of the anticipation or excitement that accompanies an iPhone launch. However, Samsung may have finally done something right.

They unveiled the Galaxy S6 at MWC 2015 at Barcelona. Learnt that there are infact two models - the Galaxy 6 and the Galaxy 6 edge.

I guess Samsung has finally listed and there is no trace of plastic (at least not on the surface) on the phones. They are aluminium and Gorilla glass wrapped. The only difference between the two models is that the S6 Edge's screen extens along the edges on both sides which can be turned into informations strips similar to last year’s Galaxy Note Edge. The phones have 5.1 inch, 2560x1440 displays and is powered by Samsung Exynos processor (2.5GHz quad + 2.1GHz quad) with 3GB of RAM. The phone runs on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS.

It has a 16-megapixel camera with the lens protuding from the back which somewhat spoils the design but I guess it is one of the technical issues you face when you want to place a high pixel camera in a thin phone (just 6.8mm thick). It also has a 5MP front camera with real-time high definition recording.

On the negative side, some features have been lost. This includes lack of a MicroSD card slot and the 2550mAh batteries which can't be replaced.

Not sure I am convinced though. Have to try it out hands on and look at the prices. Then I can finally decide.

View their launch here.

Samsung Note 4 is here

Samsung recently unveiled the new Galaxy Note 4 phablet.

So what's new?

Well it has a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD) resolution and a 16-megapixel camera with image stabiliser. It also features as 3.7 mp wide-angle front camera, perfect for people who love to take "selfies". The design looks much better and sophisticated with a high-quality metal frame and a textured back cover (still plastic). The Note 4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip and 3GB RAM. It can accommodate external MicroSD cards (Up to 128GB).

Dimensions: 78.6mm (W) x 153.5mm (H) x 8.5mm (D)

According to Samsung, their new S Pen has also been improved and feels like an actual pen.

Customers in the UK can preorder it now on the Samsung site for £629.00 with the first orders scheduled to ship on Oct 17, 2014. It is available in 3 colours.
It is being launched in Malaysia on the 17th and will cost RM 2,499 here with free Gear circle for the first 100 customers at participating outlets.

Nokia N900 Cracked

I have been looking forward to upgrading my mobile phone for a while but have been putting it off for the simple reason that my old Nokia N900 was still doing a great job. It has survived several falls and tumbles and even an dip in the bath. However, soon after we moved back to Malaysia, it slipped off my hands and fell flat on it's face. The result:

This is my second phone with a cracked screen. I still have a Samsung Galaxy Note with a cracked screen. This proves that these phones with super tough screens will still break (Check out the various new iPhone 6 drop tests on YouTube) when they fall face down and phone cover designers need to somehow keep this in mind. They should somehow incorporate designs which prevent the phones from falling flat on their screens. Ayyway, I have learnt my lesson and will invest on thick covers with screen protectors next time though it will be a pain to answer and make calls every time.

Fortunately, in the meantime I still have my old trusty Samsung Galaxy S2. It still works perfectly but I need to get a new micro SD card so I can load up all the apps I use regularly.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in brief

So what's new about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3?

This phablet has definitely come a long way from the original Galaxy Note which was launched in 2011.

1. Simpler S Pen - allows for more precise control.   
2. Air Command - short cut system for easy access to new functions, including Action Memo and Scrapbook.         
3. Large screen - 5.7" Full HD Super AMOLED screen. 16M Colour Depth with 1920 x 1080 Resolution
4. CPU - 2.3GHz Quad GHz
5. My Magazine - personalise news, social media and entertainment content in a magazine style layout
6. Improved Find My Mobile - allows users to disable the phone when it is stolen or lost. Enhanced user authentication makes it difficult for stolen mobile phones from being reset to factory settings, and allows users to remotely track or erase the data from their lost or stolen mobile phones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 1 charging problems and repair

My wife's Samsung Galaxy Note 1 ( (N7000) recently started having problems recharging. She asked me to have a look at it and exchanged it with my Samsung Galaxy SII.

Apparently there was something wrong with the USB port and for a while, the only way I could recharge it was via the USB cord connected to the PC. However, that stopped working after sometime as well.

While researching on the net, it became clear that this was a common problem with the Samsung Galaxy Note. According to one "expert", it often happens as a result of shock when dropped on a hard surface (has happened a couple of times) or due to water damage (had been caught in a shower once).

I was really excited when I found out that it could be fixed quite easily by changing one component. However, I found out that the repairs charged about £70 just to fix it.

When it looked like I was going end up with a bricked phone, I came across a YouTube video tutorial on how to repair the Galaxy note. Went through the video a couple of time and I realised it was quite straightforward (scroll down to the bottom of this post for the video).

To find the replacement part, I went to Amaxon.co.uk and found a few sellers selling the "BisLinks® USB Charging Dock Port Flex Cable with Mic". I bought one for just £5.99 from one seller who had the highest ranking. I received the part after a few days.

Replacing the component was quite easy and took me around 15 minutes.

I put everything together and eagerly tried out recharging and it worked. I was so happy with my DIY skills and the fact that I had saved a few quid in the process.

However, that is not the end of the story. 

When the phone was fully charged, I realised that there was no network reception. I am on Orange which is now on EE. The reception in our area has not been that excellent anyway but now I had none at all. The funny thing was that I could see both O2 and Vodafone networks. I know what network to change to next time. 

Now I had ended up with a very expensive mini tablet. I could still access all the features and call out using Skype using our wifi but could not use the phone. 

Anyway, this week I decided to have another look around but it looks like Samsung does not sell internal components. I found another seller, this time on eBay and decided to give it another go - slightly more expensive at £7.79 with free delivery. 

The component was delivered quite fast but when I opened it the package, found out that it was identical to the one I had bought from Amazon. 

I went ahead and fitted it in and with a bit of trepidation, put it on.

Yes! It automatically recognised the EE network. My phone has come back to life.

Epilogue

The phone works but the network reception is not as good as before. I often have poor or no service inside buildings and I am still looking for the original component. 

From my online research, I discovered that I am not the only one facing this issue and I hope Samsung has solved this issue in their newer versions of the Galaxy Note. 

If anyone knows where I can find the original USB Charging Dock Port Flex Cable with Mic for Samsung Galaxy Note 1, please drop me a line: ahoklah@gmail.com

Note: All pics here taken using my Nokia Lumia 900.

Warning: 

1. Attempting to carry out this repair will definitely invalidate your warranty.
2. If you are not into DIY, would like original components, have servicing carried out by qualified personal and money is not an issue, you would be better off sending your gadgets to the authorised dealer for servicing.
3. Be careful. I dropped one of the tiny screws and I cannot find it anywhere. However, it does not affect the proper functioning of the phone.

Anyway here is the video I was referring to earlier:

Samsung "unpacks" their next generation gadgets

Samsung unveiled 3 new products at Samsung UNPACKED 2013 at the Tempodrom in Berlin: The GALAXY Note 3 GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) and the GALAXY Gear. The GALAXY Gear is a wearable device that allows for full hands free calls and notifications.

Some pics from the event just 4 hours ago (pics from their Facebook and Twitter pages):

If you are in the UK, you can now preorder here: http://www.samsungnote3andgear.co.uk/

Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched with much funfare at Times Square NYC on the 14th of March.

Watch the launch video:


The phone runs on a 1.6GHz processor and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS. It has a slightly larger touchscreen display (5") as compared to the S3 (4.9"). As for memory, the S4 has 2GB Ram and 16GB internal storage.

I was really curious about the camera and I was not disappointed - it has a huge 13 megapixel camera. However, as I have learnt in the past, higher mega pixels does not necessarily mean better images.

Iguess, the feature which makes the Galaxy S4 stand out from it's competitors is its eye tracking technology. The Smart Pause feature will stop videos when you look away and you can actully scroll pages up or down by using their Smart Scroll feature.

Another first for this phone (if I am not mistaken) is its ability to take videos from both the front and rear facing cameras AT THE SAME TIME.

Looking forward to getting my hands on one.

The Galaxy S III mini

The Specs:

1GHz Dual-Core processor
4.0-inch Super AMOLED display screen
5MP camera with LED Flash
Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
The dimensions: 121.55 x 63 x 9.9mm and weighs 120g

Two of the interesting features are Direct call and S Voice.

Direct Call: When you are messaging someone and decide to call instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and the Galaxy S III mini will dial the number automatically.

S Voice: Samsung's language recognition software lets you control your phone including unlocking the phone, or play your favourite songs, turn the volume up or down, etc.

Check out the Galaxy SIII Mini site.

An artist and the GALAXY Note 10.1

See what happened when Samsung gave artist Tristan Eaton a Galaxy Note 10.1.



Simply amazing.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Today a friend wanted some advice on choosing a tablet. The main purpose would just be surfing the net. Her budget was around £200 which puts the iPad out of the equation. So I suggested an Android powered tablet would be ideal as there are a few in that price range. Of course the first tablet to come to my mind was the Google Nexus 7. Another option was the Galaxy Tab2 7.0 Wifi 8GB (£199.99).

While doing some research, I realised that I had not blogged about the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. This tablet which runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, features a 10.1" crystal clear screen (compared to 9.7" on the iPad) and is powered by a 1.4GHz Exynos Quad-Core Processor. However, what makes this tablet unique is it's S Pen stylus with intuitive input. You can take notes or draw in S Note, or use Adobe® Photoshop Touch (which comes pre-installed) to touch up your images. If you a mathematician you will love the Galaxy Note 10.1. Hand written formulas will be cleaned up in an instant via Formula Match.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with 2 cameras: in the rear is a 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with flash and a 1.9 Megapixel camera in the front.

Another great feature is the ability to split the screen into two, so you can multitask. Browse a site on one page and take notes on the other side.

With the Easy Phone Sync you can still use iTunes to manage music, videos and podcasts, then sync to your Galaxy Note 10.1. They are also offering WIRED magazine's Note Edition allows for FREE until January 2013. For those who like playing games on their tablet, there a few games you can play with the S pen. Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is available for FREE for a limited time exclusively for all customers of this new tablet, (download from Samsung Apps).

Other specs: 2GB RAM; 16MB Flash memory. It weighs 597g (compared to the iPad which weighs 652 g/662 g).

The Galaxy Note 10.1 WiFi 16GB costs £ 399 (with free delivery) from the Samsung UK online store.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Last week Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Note II at IFA 2012 in Berlin.

So what is different from the previous Galaxy Note? The Galaxy Note II has a slightly bigger screen (5.5” as compared to 5.3) HD Super AMOLED touchscreen.

It is powered by a 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor (the previous Note has a 1.4GHz dual core processor). Best of all the new Note runs on Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean OS. Moreover, it comes in three memory options of 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB with an expandable micro SD memory slot.

Samsung Galaxy SII

A couple of weeks back I blogged about looking for a new mobile phone and being spolit for choice.

I was really keen on the Samsung SIII but I did not like the idea of paying more than £30 per month for 24 months.

Then for a while I seriously thought of getting myself a Samsung Note. It's a fantastic gadget and my wife loves it. However, as a phone I find it a bit too big. It's really uncomfortable to talk to someone unless you have earphones.

So, in the end I finally decided to go for a proven phone - the Samsung Galaxy SII.

I bought it online from the Phones4u site and signed up for a 24 months contract with Orange. I am on the Orange Panther £20.50 tariff (100 minutes, 3000 text and 500MB data allowance) and no payment for the phone either. Best of all, as I went through the Quidco site, I will get £70 cash back as well.

Here are the unboxing pics:

Zenus Cover for the Samsung Galaxy Note

My wife absolutely loves her new Samsung Galaxy Note and she's using it for everything from reading emails to selling stuff on eBay. Before this, she had always gone for Nokia but after failing to get a good deal for the Nokia 900, finally went for the Note and now's she's suddenly a Samsung (and Android) fan. 


Anyway, she asked me to buy her a good cover for the note and I decided to get her a classy looking cover from my favourite mobile accessories site - Mobile Fun. They carry a huge range of phone covers for possibly almost every mobile phone in the market and even for those models no longer available in the shops.

It was quite hard to come to a decision as there were so many great choices but I finally decided on the Zenus Masstige Stripe Print Diary Series brown cover.







It's made of really high quality artificial leather with an embossed striped surface and really detailed stitching. The cover fits the Note perfectly with easy access to all the buttons.

It has some pockets inside for keeping your cards but it kind of ruins the slim look and feel when you do so. It also has a handy strap for holding the phone.

It's a bit on the pricey side at £34.95 but you can feel the quality of the product even without holding it in your palms and it really looks elegant as well.

My wife is really happy with the cover and when my wife is happy, I am happy as well.

Check out the video I found on the site:

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Note

My wife's mobile phone contract with 3 ended a couple of weeks back and we had been scanning the net for good deals. She initially had her eye on the Apple iPhone but one of our friends helped change her mind an she decided to go for the Samsung Galaxy Note.

Anyway to cut a long story short, we finally found some great deals on Phones4u.co.uk . She signed up for a 24 months contract with Orange for only £20.50 per month. She had to go for slightly lower network minutes and 500MB data allowance. Initially we thought that the data allowance would be enough but looking at the way she is using it right now, it looks like she might have to upgrade.

The phone is simply fantastic with a big 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreeen display. The Note is one of those, "either you hate it or love it" products. It's something between a mobile phone and a tablet and can't seem to make up it's mind.

Opening and using the various applications are really fast, thanks to the 1.4GHz dual core processor. Best of all is the 8 MP auto focus camera with 1080p HD video recording. She loves the fact that she can now Skype with video (using the front facing camera).

The phone initially came with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) but we have upgraded it to Android 4.0 (Ice cream Sandwich) and even though I cannot explain it, there was a clear difference - a definite improvement in the feel of the interface.

We are still playing around with the note and hope to have another full review later.

Top Smart Phones - spoilt for choice

My 24 month long contract with 3 is now finally up and I am looking for a replacement for my old Samsung Galaxy Portal.

I a really spoilt for choice because there is an amazing range of smart phones to choose from. After going through the various reviews on the net I have finally narrowed it down to four phones based on four main criteria:

1. The processor speed. Anything more than 800MHz processor.
2. Camera. At least 5MP.
3. Battery life.
4. Price. I guess this might be the deciding factor in the end and depends on whether I can get a good deal.

The phones are as listed below:

1. Samsung Galaxy SIII Just tried it out a couple of days ago - this phone is amazing.

1.4 GHz quad-core processor
Camera: 8MP rear and 1.9MP front
Battery life: Standby: 790 hours and Talk Time: 700 minutes

2. Nokia Lumia 800
Was a bit worried about some problems reported in a few reviews however, an expert friend informs me that Nokia has solved most of them via software updates. Though I am still a bit pissed that the guys from Nokia failed to send me one to review after promising to do so. (Update: I later received the Nokia Lumia 900 instead.Wooo Hooo!)

1.4GHz single core processor
Camera: 8 megapixel
Battery life: Standby: 380 hours Talk Time: 300 minutes

3. Apple iPhone 4S
No one who owns one seems to have a bad thing to say about the Apple iPhone 4S and I am definitely tempted to buy one. Trying to find a cheap monthly contract is proving to be quite tough and the iPhone 5 is on the way. Should I wait?

1.5 GHz Qualcomm dual-core A5 processor
Camera: 8 MP rear
Battery life.: Standby: 200 hours and Talk Time: 480 minutes

4. Samsung Galaxy S II
Yes, though the oldest of the lot, the specs are still impressive. Best of all the prices are falling (but not fast enough unfortunately).

1.2GHz Dual Core Application Processor
camera: 8 MP rear and 1.3 MP front
Battery life: Standby: 400 hours and Talk Time: 700 minutes

Watch this space.

Samsung SIII now available in the UK

In case you haven't heard, the Samsung SIII is available in the UK. You can get the phone without any upfront charges for £34 per month (no upfront charges) on the 3 network (2K UK minutes, 5K texts and unlimited data). The best tariff on O2 was £46 per month (unlimited UK minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB data usage ). It is slightly cheaper at £41 per month on Vodaphone (900 UK minutes, unlimited texts and 2 GB data). On the later two networks, you would have to pay some amount up front if you want lower monthly charges.

It is being called the iPhone killer - Where have we heard that before?

Apparently this has got Apple worried and they have moved to ban the Samsung III, in the US claiming that it infringes certain patents which they own.

I do not think it is going to kill the iPhone but it is an AMAZING phone. Features includes:

• A large 4.8" HD Super AMOLED display 
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Operating System running on a super-fast 1.4 GHz quad-core processor 
• Long lasting 2100mAh battery 
• 1.9 MP front camera with BSI 
• 8 MP low light camera with auto-focus and LED flash 
• Full HD video recording and playback 
• Up to 16GB internal memory 
• The phone just weights 133gms

Just watch this awesome video showing what you can do with the phone:

Google launches Chromebox

Google working together with Samsung has launched an upgraded laptop, called the Series 5 550 and the Chromebox, their vision of a desktop computer.
It is available for $329 on the Google website.

Samung Galaxy SIII launched

One of the most eagerly awaited mobile phones is finally out and No! it's not an iPhone. It's the Samsung Galaxy SIII.
It will be available later in stores this month. No info about price though.
I haven't had the chance to get my hands on one as yet, so here are some reviews:

Minority Report tech becomes reality?

Check out the video of Samsung's Smart Window. Maybe a while before the tech from Minority Report becomes a reality but we are getting there. Several sci-fi teach has become a reality in our lifetime.