Author: Abhinav Mishra

If blue happens to be your favorite color, now might be a good time to head over to Best Buy as they are exclusive offering the Electric Blue variant of the Galaxy S5. Currently, they are the only online retailer that’ll offer this new variant of the flagship in the US, starting August 17.

BestBuy is offering the Electric Blue Galaxy S5 at $99 for those on a two-year contract with AT&T and Verizon. If you’re interested in a monthly installment plan, you get the option to pay at $0 down in 20-24 months. Besides, you also get the option to change your handset after 12 months. The offer will also apply to other color variants of the Galaxy S5.

Meanwhile, regular pricing of the Galaxy S5 will depend on your carrier. AT&T and Verizon are offering it at $199.99 with a 2-year contract. If you don’t want a contract, MetroPCS is offering at either $649.99 or $599.99, depending on the color.

Apart from the color, the rest of the handset remains the same as the original Galaxy S5. It packs the same 5.1-inch 1080p display. The device features a 16MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing shooter. It runs Android KitKat 4.4 out-of-the-box and gets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM 8974AC processor. It also features a fingerprint scanner under the home button. As for connectivity, the device works with Wi-Fi as well as 4G/LTE. But if you’re in the mood for some electric blues, just head over to BestBuy.

More and more children today are getting tech-savvy or using their parents’ smartphone to play games or watch content. Therefore, both the Galaxy S5 and the new Tab S range of Android tablets from Samsung has a feature called ‘Kids Mode’. Besides, the company has added a brand new update to the Kid Store, designed to make these devices more kid-friendly.

Samsung wants to deliver a better user experience or kids, as finding apps or games for children on the PlayStore can be overwhelming.

“Kids Store now offers 900 specially selected applications for children. Comprised of two tabs with a choice of content grouped by age and subject, Kids Store allows users to easily navigate through the available content. The content classification is as follows: 0-4 years old for preschool children, 5-6 years old for kindergarteners and 7 years old or more in primary school children. The content is also categorized by subject: learning, play, and story,” Samsung explained in a press release.

Samsung also added that the Kids Store brand zone offers premium content for children from the likes of PBS Kids, Budge Studio, Cupcake Digital, and Intellijoy. The Kids Store offers over 900 apps or games, along with highly popular and well-known titles from PBS Kids, LEGO, Pocoyo, Tipitap, as well as English educational content.

To recall, Kids Mode made its debut late last year on the limited edition ‘Galaxy Tab 7 Kids’. It has now expanded to the Galaxy S5 and the new Tab S lineup of Android Tablets. Therefore, we can expect Kids Mode to be included in future updates as well as in the forthcoming Galaxy Note 4 expected to launch later this fall.

Samsung has now started rolling out the new Tizen OS update for Galaxy Gear owners in the US. The update is available through Kies 3.0 software and brings several new features and enhancements to the company’s first smartwatch.

Galaxy Gear owners who update to Tizen OS get access to over 140 apps. It also brings enhancements found on the Galaxy Gear 2. Users will be store music on Galaxy Gear and play it directly from the smartwatch using Bluetooth headphones, without having to carry their Galaxy smartphone.

Elsewhere, the Tizen OS update also brings an improved user interface with added customization options for home screen icons, wallpapers, and font. It also gets the ability to track workouts in real-time, such as walking, running, cycling, and hiking.

Readers, however, are reminded that this is an optional update for the Galaxy Gear owners. Those who wish to update to Tizen OS can get so, while those who want to stick with Android can choose not to update. However, once you update your Galaxy Gear to Tizen OS you cannot revert to Android, so give it a thought before going ahead with the update.

Samsung has just announced its new range of premium audio products for audiophiles. The Korean manufacturer has unveiled two new pair of headphones, a pair of earbuds, as well as a Bluetooth speaker. All these new audio products are set to launch tomorrow at Git.com, with wider availability to follow later this month.

The new line of audio products from Samsung include the ‘Level Over’ over-the-ear headphones, the ‘Level On’ on-ear headphones, the ‘Level In’ earbuds, along with a Bluetooth speaker called ‘Level Box’.

The Level Over headphones come with Bluetooth connectivity and Active Noise cancellation, while the Level On are wired headphones that are more compact and lightweight.
Meanwhile, Samsung says the Level In earbuds will give music lovers a ‘three-way speaker system, that ultimately delivers ‘natural sound quality’.

Apart from the headphones, there’s the Level Box Bluetooth speaker which boats 15 hours of playback time on a full charge. It also gets NFC capabilities, an integrated HD microphone, as well as control buttons.

As already mentioned, the lineup is all set to release tomorrow at Gilt.com. Besides, all these devices will be available on Amazon on July 20. They’ll also be available for purchase via Samsung’s official website on July 21, and in Samsung Experience Shops on July 27.

In terms of pricing, the Level Over headphones are priced at $349.99, the Level On at $179.99, the Level In earbuds at $149.99, while the Level Box Bluetooth speaker is priced at $169.99.

Many of us always do a lot of research before spending money on a new device, but what if you could use that device for a few days before arriving at a buying decision. Well, Samsung might just have come up with a solution for the same, as the company has announced a new consumer trial program.

Interested buyers can walk into one of five Galaxy Studio retail locations in the US, provide a refundable debit or credit card deposit, and walk away with a device and try it for 21 days. That said, only a select few devices are eligible. These include the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, along with the Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches. Besides, you also get the option to rent a phone or smartwatch separately or as a bundle.

That said, it’ll be great if Samsung can bring the program to more locations in the country, as currently, the new trial program is valid at only five locations across the United States. More details about the new trial program can be found on Samsung’s official website.

Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch are now officially available for purchase on the Google Play Store. They join the list of a handful of smartwatches that run Google’s latest wearable device operating system called Android Wear.

Pr-orders for both smartwatches are now open. The LG G Watch priced at $299, starts shipping first beginning July 3. According to the Play Store listing: it’ll available in India, France, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Key specs on the LG G watch include a 1.65-inch always-on display with a 280 x 280 resolution and a 400mAh battery. Under the hood, it gets powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor paired with 512 MB of RAM. It comes with 4GB of built-in storage, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 9-axis sensor.

The smartwatch also gets IP67 certification, making it dust and water-resistant for up to 30 minutes in one meter of water. The LG G Watch will be offered in Black Titan and White Gold color options and can be personalized with multiple standard 22m straps available in the market.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Gear Live is priced slightly lower at $199. The Gear Live starts shipping on July 8 and will be available in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Key specs on the Gear Live include a 300mAh battery and a 1.63-inch AMOLED display with a 320 x 320 resolution. It also features a heart rate monitor for enhanced fitness. Under the hood, it gets powered by a 1.2GHz processor paired with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. Other features of the Gear Live include IP67 rating for dust and water-resistance, Bluetooth 4.0, and onboard sensors such as gyroscope, compass, and accelerometer.

Samsung just announced its latest Android Wear smartwatch, called the Gear Live at Google I/O Developers Conference. The smartwatch gets a price tag of $199 and will be available for pre-order on the Play Store today. Besides, it’ll also be available on Amazon and BestBuy starting July 7th.

The Gear Live is the company’s first Android Wear device and features the same display found on Samsung’s Tizen-powered Gear 2 smartwatch.

The Gear Live comes with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED (320 X320) display. Under the hood, it gets powered by a 1.2 GHz processor paired with 512MB of RAM. It offers 4GB of built-in storage. The smartwatch measures in at 37.9 mm x 56.4 mm x 8.9 mm and weighs 2 ounces. It’ll be offered in a choice of black and red wine color variants.

The Samsung Gear Live comes with a built-in heart rate monitor and accelerometer that are integrated with several fitness apps, as well as Google Fit. The smartwatch can be paired with any Android device running Android 4.3 or higher.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport is coming to the market on July 25. Its essentially the same as Active, apart from the name. The Galaxy S5 Sport will be offered in a choice of Electric Blue and Cherry Red color variants this summer.

The handset is a Sprint exclusive, just like the Galaxy S5 Active is an AT&T exclusive. However, the Sports variant happens to be just slightly bulkier to offer protection from rough usage. The handset comes with a textured rear which Samsung claims make it ‘easy to hold onto when you’re on the run’.

The Galaxy S5 Sport comes with IP67 water and dust resistance. According to Samsung, the new Sport is designed for fitness and sports enthusiasts.

Some of the highlights that set the Galaxy S5 Sport apart include Activity Zone – preloaded app that offers barometer, compass, flashlight, and stopwatch from a single screen. Besides, it comes with S Heath2, which is an integrated mobile platform to access health info, map out workouts, and make healthier eating choices.

Also, it comes with Sprint Fit Live, a preloaded app offering access to fitness applications and activities, along with delivering relevant health information.

Samsung has officially confirmed that both 8.4-inch and 105-inch variations of Galaxy Tab S will be available for purchase in the US starting next week, on June 27 to be exact. The tablet will be sold initially directly via Samsung.com along with retailers such as BestBuy, Amazon, Sears, many more.

The WiFi-only variant of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 will cost you nearly $399, while the 105-inch model will carry a price tag of $499.99. If you’re planning to buy the tablet through a wireless carrier, you’ll have to wait a little longer as Samsung says the tablet will be available only later this year. The Korean company also notes that only the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 variant will be available with most carriers, except for Verizon which will carry both models.

In terms of specs, the Galaxy Tab S comes with a Super AMOLED display. Under the hood, it gets powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. And you get all this in a thin and lightweight body measuring 6.6mm and 465 grams respectively.

The tablet runs the latest Android KitKat operating system. In the photography department, it comes with an 8MP primary camera capable of recording full HD videos, along with a 2MP front-facing shooter. As for the battery, the 8.4-inch model gets juiced by a 4900mAh battery, while the 10.5-inch variant comes with a 7900mAH battery.

Samsung unveiled a slew of wearables devices earlier this year. These include the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches alongside a new fitness tracker called the Gear Fit. Now, the Korean company has finally released fitness-focussed updates for all three devices in the US based on customer feedback.

Some of the enhancements in the update include a much-improved pedometer that automatically starts counting steps and higher pedometer goals. Besides, the enhanced transfer process makes it easier for users to transfer data from the pedometer.

Elsewhere, the update also enhances the heart rate monitoring process. The sleep mode also gets updated which now disables the screen wake up feature, to allow users to wear the device while sleeping without being disturbed.

Finally, the update gives users more options for messages sent to rejected calls along with the ability to create messages of their own.

The new update has already begun rolling out for users in the US. Users will receive a notification on their paired Galaxy smartphone or tablet when the update becomes available in a region.