Samsung's new Galaxy A5, A3 smartphones boast very thin metal designs

 

Samsung is slowly moving away from its oft-maligned, all-plastic smartphone designs of the past, in an attempt to convince consumers that it too can make premium-looking and feeling devices. The first smartphone to reveal what the future holds was Galaxy Alpha, announced just a few months ago. Then Galaxy Note 4 came along, stepping things up even further in the high-end segment.
 
And now we see how Samsung's vision will impact its less expensive Galaxy devices, as the company just took the wraps off Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 today, two mid-range to low-end smartphones featuring "refined full metal unibody designs" that happen to be very, very thin (for whatever reason): 6.7 and 6.9 mm, respectively.
 
"The Galaxy A5 and A3 offer a beautifully crafted full metal unibody, slim design, superior hardware and the best possible social media experience", says Samsung CEO JK Shin. "These devices make our advanced Galaxy experience even more accessible to young and trend conscious consumers". In fact, Samsung is calling Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 its "slimmest smartphones to date", thanks to those low profiles.
 
And when Shin says Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 are designed for "young and trend conscious consumers", he means it. Both smartphones have 5 MP front-facing cameras, which should take quality selfies. But they also support 4G LTE connectivity, which means that those selfies should be uploaded in no time to Facebook or Instagram. Here's what Samsung says: "Users are also able to quickly and easily share photos or videos on their favorite social media channels with the device’s fast network speed of LTE Category 4 standard".
 
Both smartphones ship with Super AMOLED displays, a feature that is rarely seen in below-premium Galaxy smartphones (like Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4). Galaxy A5 has the bigger panel, measuring 5.0 inches, with the higher resolution, of 720 by 1,280. Galaxy A3 makes due with a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 540 by 960. There's a similar thing going on inside. Here are the other noteworthy specs:
 
Galaxy A5: 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 13 MP main camera, 2 GB of RAM, 2,300 mAh battery; 16 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; Wi-Fi 802.11n; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; NFC (only in the 4G LTE model); Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes in at 139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7 mm and 123 grams.
 
Galaxy A3: 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 8 MP main camera, 1 GB of RAM, 1,900 mAh battery; 16 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; Wi-Fi 802.11n; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; NFC (only in the 4G LTE model); Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes in at 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm and 110.3 grams.
 
As you might have figured out after going through the specs, both will be sold in 4G LTE and HSPA+ versions. And, of course, they will feature Samsung's usual TouchWiz add-ons, like Ultra-Power Saving Mode and Adaptive Display.
 

 
Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 (pictured above) will be sold in Champagne Gold, Light Blue, Midnight Black, Pearl White and Platinum Silver, starting in November; the color names (trickling down from more expensive Galaxys) sound fitting for their upmarket designs.
 
I do have to wonder what Samsung means by "full metal unibody designs", as the backs of the two smartphones look like they are still made out of plastic (polycarbonate). That is not a problem in my eyes, as the design seems to work great for Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 where the back cover can be removed to switch the battery and insert a microSD card. But that description may lead people into thinking that it will feature as much metal as an iPhone, which does not appear to be accurate.
 
~ Mihaita Bamburic

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Google: Android L turns data encryption on by default

 

Turning on data encryption can make a huge difference in case your Android device is lost or stolen, as it will make it extremely difficult -- if not impossible -- for a third-party to access your files. It also gives you quite a bit of time to remotely wipe your device, which means that your photos, videos, texts and whatnot have a better chance of remaining private.

And if the local authorities want to take a peek, they are also out of luck -- it's good news for those involved in criminal enterprises, and others as well. All this sounds great from a privacy and security standpoint, except that encryption has never been enabled by default in Android. But that is soon about to change.
 
In a statement that was just given to The Washington Post, Google spokesperson Niki Christoff reveals that "As part of [Google's] next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on".
 
Google's next Android release is known as "Android L" at this stage, and will be ready for prime time later this year, if the launch date of past releases is of any indication. Android L has been made available to beta testers, and features a redesigned user interface, a new default runtime, extra security features, 64-bit support and more. You can read about it here.
 
The encryption key, which is needed to unlock the contents of the internal storage (and, presumably, the microSD card too), will continue to be only in your control, as it has been the case in the past three years, according to Christoff. This is very similar to how Apple's now doing things with iOS 8, which also only gives you the encryption key. To take advantage of this, a passcode must be set up.
 
That last bit is extremely important because encrypting an Android device without using any sort of passcode is practically impossible right now, and, frankly, pointless. For instance, Android 4.4 KitKat requires users to set up a PIN in order to encrypt the contents of the internal storage and microSD card.
 
How strong the PIN is will determine how easy it will be for a third-party to render your encryption efforts useless. Using a complex sequence is recommended, even though it may make the unlocking more difficult. That said, I am using an eight-digit PIN right now and I quickly got used to it.
 
Photo Credits: Slavoljub Pantelic/Shutterstock
 
~ Mihaita Bamburic

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Samsung’s supersized Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 tablet debuts at CES

Samsung’s supersized Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 tablet debuts at CES

 

Try to act surprised. Samsung on Monday announced a number of new tablets from its CES 2014 press conference that leaked earlier in the day, and the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 was among them. While the world waits to see what Apple has in store with its rumored gigantic 12- or 13-inch iPad that will supposedly debut later this year, Samsung has beaten its nemesis to the punch yet again with this huge 12.2-inch Galaxy Tab Pro. The high-end tablet features a beautiful 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display and a look and feel reminiscent of Samsung’s smaller tablets that are currently on the market.

 

In addition to the massive 12.2-inch screen, the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 features an 8-core Samsung Exynos processor or a quad-core Snapdragon processor on the 4G LTE model, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, microSDXC support, Bluetooth 4.0, an integrated infrared blaster, a 9,500 mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.

 

No release date or pricing information was announced.

 

~ Zach Epstein

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Samsung reveals yet another tablet at CES: The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1

Samsung reveals yet another tablet at CES: The Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1

Samsung is already getting off to an excellent start with gadget spamming in 2014. The company on Monday revealed its fourth — yes, fourth — new tablet of 2014 at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday, the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. The device features a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.4 KitKat. You can pick up either a Wi-Fi-only model that features a 1.9GHz Exynos Octa processor or an LTE model that features a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. In case you’re having trouble keeping track of all the different tablets, note that Samsung on Monday also unveiled the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 and the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2.

 

~ Brad Reed

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Samsung unveils Retina-busting Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

Samsung unveils Retina-busting Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

Samsung is going big with two new 12.2-inch tablets this year, but it also has no plans to leave the smaller tablet segments unchecked. During its big CES 2014 press conference on Monday, Samsung took the wraps off of its brand new Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, which features cutting-edge specs and an 8.4-inch screen that packs more pixels than Apple’s new iPad mini with Retina display — though its pixels are packed into a slate with a bigger panel than Apple’s tiny tablet. As such, there isn’t a big ppi advantage with Samsung’s new slate, not that it matters all that much at these pixel densities.
 
Key specs on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 aside from the HD display include a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, microSDXC support, a 4,800 mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.
 
As is the case with Samsung’s three other Pro-series tablets that were unveiled on Monday, no pricing or release date for the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 was announced.
 
Samsung’s full press release follows below.

Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series set a New Rule for the Tablet Experience at CES 2014

Extending the company’s innovation legacy with best-in-class media consumption and productivity capabilities 

Las Vegas, NV – January 6, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line of tablets, setting a new standard of mobile excellence, equipped with innovative and meaningful technology. Sporting four powerful devices in the lineup – the Galaxy NotePRO (12.2-inch), TabPRO (12.2, 10.1, 8.4-inch), Samsung’s Galaxy tablet portfolio redefines what a tablet can do.

“We created the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series to kick-off a year in which Samsung truly establishes its leadership in the tablet market,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “This new line offers the best-in-class content consumption and productivity, combining a stunning viewing experience with Samsung’s design legacy. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO truly demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with extraordinarily versatile product offerings, tailored to tablet users of every description.”

Providing users with an extraordinary display and a matching feature set, the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series bring premium style and powerful performance in a single device. Created to satisfy every possible type of user case scenario, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO combine a crystal-clear, WQXGA display for a world-class viewing experience, powerful productivity tools, and unique features with preloaded and free downloadable content, producing a superior mobile solution.

Introducing Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) – the Definitive Tablet Viewing Experience

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO present the world’s first 12.2-inch WQXGA Widescreen (16:10) display, offering crystal clear resolution (2560×1600) with more than 4 million pixels, making it an ideal platform for every type of content creation and consumption. With a larger viewing area, the defined screen allows users to enjoy stunning Full HD video play and view even more information at a glance. In addition to the industry-leading display, the devices have been designed with a sleek, light, slim frame that is both premium and highly portable.

A personalized Magazine UX, specifically optimized for a large screen, allows users to further tailor their Galaxy tablet experience for their own needs. The UX enables them to organize their favorite content in an easy-to-use dashboard with automatic feed or news updates and then quickly access the most frequently used apps for a more comfortable reading experience. By utilizing a screen size that is more comparable to traditional magazine-sized material, content is easier to view in its original format when reading digital magazines or e-books.

Powerful Partner for Productivity

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) come equipped with a variety of productivity tools to help users to manage both their personal and professional lives.

Multi Window enables users to split the screen up into four different windows and an innovative, Virtual Keyboard provides them with enough space to type comfortably, leveraging haptic feedback to produce a more realistic typing experience.

The Samsung S Pen included with the Galaxy NotePRO delivers a more responsive, productive and overall efficient tablet experience with access to features such as Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder. In addition, Pen Window enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or a calculator.

Users can easily access and control their home or office PC directly through their Galaxy NotePRO or TabPRO with Remote PC in order to seamlessly edit and save files remotely.

The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO also come pre-loaded with Cisco WebEx Meetings platform, the industry’s leading web conferencing solution that provides users with an easy way to meet with anyone, anywhere. And now for the first time on Android tablets, users can share anything on their screen as well as starting a WebEx meeting from contact list. Samsung e-Meeting provides collaboration capabilities by giving users the ability to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.

Ultimate User Content Gift Package*

For additional value and productivity right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) will feature up to approximately $700 worth of the premium pre-paid, long-term subscription offers from best-selling news, social media and cloud storage providers, including: Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Cisco WebEx Meetings, Dropbox, Easilydo Pro for Tablet, Evernote, Hancom Office for Android, LinkedIn, LIVESPORT.TV, NY Times, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, and Sketchbook Pro (content packages may vary by region).

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line will come in various connectivity options: WiFi Only, WiFi and 3G, or WiFi and LTE. Users can choose between the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO that comes with an included S Pen, and the 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPRO, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch without the S Pen.

Designed to extend productivity even further, the following optional accessories are also available for purchase with the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO: Various Book Covers, USB LAN HUB, Universal BT Keyboard and S Action Mouse (accessories may vary by product model).

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablet line will be offered globally and will be available starting from Q1, 2014.

~ Zach Epstein 

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