Apple

Galaxy S8 biometrics can be tricked by a headshot

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 31, 2017

Samsung's newly introduced Galaxy S8 features iris scanning and facial recognition via the front-facing camera. Both these features can be used to unlock the phone for those times when you don't feel like reaching your finger around the back and feeling for its built-in fingerprint reader alongside the rear camera. iDeviceHelp posted a hands-on video with Galaxy S8's biometrics.

They concluded that eyeballs and faces are not as secure as fingerprints because the phone could be tricked into unlocking by scanning a user's headshot.

Here’s everything Samsung unveiled today

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Wednesday, Samsung fired the first salvo against Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 with the official introduction of its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones at media events in New York's Lincoln Center and London's Olympic Park.

But the South Korean conglomerate didn't stop there: they announced a 4K-capable 360-degree camera and other accessories, including a docking station that lets you connect your new Galaxy to an external display and wireless or wired keyboard and/or mouse to use it as an Android-driven computer with a desktop-like interface.

Without further ado, here's a quick recap of everything Samsung announced today.

Samsung confirms it will recycle Note 7, sell it refurbished

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2017

Samsung today confirmed plans to salvage components from its discontinued Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and reuse some of the parts in the refurbished Note 7 devices “where applicable.”

Prior reports claimed modified versions of the troublesome Galaxy Note 7 would be sold in emerging markets, including India and Vietnam.

Galaxy S8 may capture slow motion video at 1,000 FPS & cost less than iPhone 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 20, 2017

According to prolific smartphone leakster Evan Blass, Samsung's regular Galaxy S8 and the rumored Galaxy S8 Plus models will occupy prices between Apple's iterative iPhone 7s and a new premium iPhone 8 model that will likely cost more than $1,000 unlocked. Blass also shared genuine-looking press renderings of the next Galaxy smartphone.

Meanwhile, SamMobile is reporting that Galaxy S8's slow motion video capture mode could blow iPhone 7 out of the water with the ability to capture a thousand frames per second. Apple's camera partner Sony recently announced a new 19-megapixel CMOS sensor (IMX400), built it into the new Xperia XZ Premium, that can capture slo-mo video at 960 frames per second.

Samsung announces Siri rival Bixby

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 20, 2017

Samsung on Monday officially announced Bixby, its new personal digital assistant based on AI technologies from Viv Labs, a startup by Siri co-founders Dag Kittalus and Adam Cheyer that the South Korean company acquired last year. According to InJong Rhee, Executive Vice President and head of R&D, Software and Services at Samsung, Bixby is about completeness, context awareness and cognitive tolerance, aside from other features.

The personal assistant should launch alongside Galaxy S8 and will be “fundamentally different” than Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant and more.

Leaked render depicts nearly full-screen Galaxy S8 design with utterly minimal bezels

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 1, 2017

Revered smartphone leakster Evan Blass yesterday leaked out what appears to be a genuine press shot depicting Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship.

Not only does the image give us a better look at the device's extra button, said to summon Samsung's new Bixby digital assistant, it's a preview of sorts of the kind of form factor we're expecting from Apple's iPhone 8 when it launches in September.

Samsung to take on iPhone 8 with 6.2″ Galaxy S8+ with eye scanner, Quad HD+ screen & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2017

Samsung is looking to pre-empt Apple's expected monster upgrade cycle stemming from pent-up demand for a cutting-edge iPhone with a new Plus-branded Galaxy smartphone, as was previously rumored. Likely named Galaxy S8+, it should have an iris scanner and a 6.2-inch AMOLED screen with a Quad HD+ 3,200-by-1,800 pixel resolution.

That's according to prolific leakster Evan Blass.

Among other features, iPhone 8 may support AR and 3D image capture/modeling via an improved FaceTime camera and use two-step biometric authentication combining either an iris scanner or 3D facial recognition and a Touch ID fingerprint reader embedded into the display. It's been inferred from a recent KGI report that iPhone 8's 5.8-inch 521 PPI AMOLED display should feature an active display area of about 5.1 inches with a native resolution of 2,800-by-1,242 pixels and the content area of 2,436-by-1,125 pixels.

Apple reportedly orders 160 million OLED panels for iPhone 8 from Samsung Display

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 23, 2017

Apple has apparently signed a deal with Samsung Display, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, to build an additional 60 million organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for iPhone 8, The Korea Herald newspaper reported Monday. The deal is worth five trillion Korean won, or about a $4.3 billion.

The deal is in addition to an agreement that Apple and Samsung signed last year to supply 100 million OLED display panels for iPhone 8.

Fire breaks out at Samsung’s battery plant, caused by faulty batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 8, 2017

You can't make this stuff up: Reuters is reporting that a minor fire broke out at a Samsung SDI factory in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on Wednesday. What makes this story newsworthy is the fact that the fire was reportedly caused by waste products, including faulty batteries, inside the facility.

Apple v. Samsung case sent back to lower courts to determine if damages retrial is neccessary

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 8, 2017

The seemingly never-ending legal battle between Apple and Samsung went back to its roots as a federal appeals court said Tuesday that it was up to a district court to decide if there should be a damages retrial. According to CNET, the case will return to the San Jose, California court where the trials in the long-running patent dispute originally took place.

Despite Note 7 fiasco & bribery scandal, Samsung just had the most profitable quarter in 3 years

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 24, 2017

Despite seeing its brand tarnished and anywhere between $2 billion and $5 billion wiped off its operating profit in the aftermath of Note 7 fiasco, Samsung of South Korea has managed to boost its fourth quarter earnings on the back of its semiconductor division and strong sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagship devices.

Operating profits rose to $7.2 billion over the last three months of 2016 on sales of about $45.8 billion. Samsung's mobile division captured $2.1 billion in operating income, a four percent year-over-year profit increase.

Samsung Mobile expects sales of its low-cost phones in the Galaxy A and J series to grow in the coming months. All in all, this was Samsung's most profitable quarter in three years as the company has clearly bounced back from the global Note 7 recall.

Samsung shares results of Note 7 investigation, finds two separate flaws with the batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

Samsung on Monday held a press conference to share results of its investigation into Note 7 fires that forced the South Korean firm to temporarily recall and eventually permanently discontinue its supposed iPhone killer.

For starters, the original battery made by Samsung SDI was irregularly sized and had a flaw in the upper right corner that could cause a short circuit.

A third-party battery made by Amperex Technology was used in replacement Note 7 units, but it suffered from a manufacturing issue that could cause the battery to catch fire because of a welding defect. The company announced new and enhanced quality assurance measures to improve product safety.