Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for Google Nexus 5IBTimes India
Samsung has launched Android 6.0 Marshmallow beta to its devices, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, giving a clear hint that the firmware OTA (over-the-air) update could be pushed out to the devices any time now.
The South Korean technology giant is expected to release Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge devices around the world after testing the beta version of the firmware for a while. So, it won't come as a surprise if the devices get the firmware update in the next few days.
It may be mentioned here that several reports had claimed Samsung devices like the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 4 Duos, Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Duos, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S5 Neo, and Galaxy S5 LTE-A, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Tab A, Galaxy Tab S2 8.0, and Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 would get the software update.
There were also reports that devices like the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, Galaxy Tab S2 8, Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Galaxy Tab A 9.7, Galaxy Tab A 8, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3, Galaxy A8, Galaxy A7, Galaxy E7, Galaxy E5, Galaxy J7, Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J2 would receive the new firmware.
LG is also expected to roll out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update to Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T variants of the V10 soon, as the unlocked models of the device have already received it. LG's flagship devices like the G3, G4 and G Stylo have also got the new firmware.
At least 10 analysts reaffirmed their “buy” recommendations on Samsung Electronics Co. after its fourth-quarter earnings miss, estimating that the world’s largest smartphone maker could climb more than 40 percent in the coming year.
After three consecutive years of declines, shares of the South Korean company could rise during the coming 12 months to 1.62 million won -- the average target price of 38 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. That’s partly contingent on Samsung’s abilities to tap its twin cash-cows of memory chips and displays, and avoid the temptation to claw back market share in a globally depressed smartphone market.
The consumer-electronics giant, which is steadily losing ground to Apple Inc. and mid-market Chinese brands Huawei Technologies Co. and Xiaomi Corp., last week posted fourth-quarter profit that missed analysts’ estimates as smartphone demand waned. Yet the profit was the company’s second straight, prompting analysts at brokerages including Daishin Securities and Hyundai Securities to reiterate buy ratings.
“Samsung’s smartphone market share loss may slow down as they restructured their lineup with more competitive low- to mid-end models,” said Dohoon Lee, an analyst with CIMB Securities Korea. “The valuation of the stock is still cheap, so it’s unlikely to fall much further from the current level.”
Trailing Peers
To be sure, Korean analysts have traditionally been bullish on the country’s biggest corporation. While Samsung is valued at about 8 times last year’s earnings, lagging Apple’s 10.5, it surpasses the 6.7 average of industry peers, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
And the company remains heavily exposed to the smartphone market, its largest source of revenue, as a vendor and supplier of components. Samsung’s phone shipments were headed for their second straight annual decline as markets mature and China’s economy slows. Apple, which garners most of the industry’s profits, ended Thursday below $100 for the first time in over a year after investment brokerages from UBS AG to Morgan Stanley lowered forecasts on iPhone shipments.
Samsung didn’t break out the performance of individual divisions when it reported earnings on Jan. 8. That will come during fully audited earnings later this month. However, semiconductors were again expected to have contributed the most to profit, while smartphones lagged in terms of growth.
The results came days after Co-Chief Executive Officer Kwon Oh Hyun warned of escalating competition and urged employees to find ways to safeguard the company’s leads in smartphones, TVs and memory chips now that software and platforms are eclipsing hardware. Samsung lost more than $8 billion in market value last year.
“If they know what reality is, they would not focus on the mobile-phone business,” said Yoo Eui Hyung, an analyst at Dongbu Securities. “Memory chips or displays could show better performance than market estimates.”
A Commodity
Longer term, the company has signaled a potential shift in its smartphone strategy. Vice Chairman Lee Jae Yong, heir-apparent to South Korea’s biggest conglomerate, last year replaced the head of the mobile-device business as part of an annual management overhaul, suggesting a renewed focus on software innovations. The new leader, Koh Dong Jin, worked on Samsung’s new payments service and its Knox security software.
The company is slowing its market-share losses through popular mid-priced phones such as the “A” series, CIMB’s Lee said. Yet apart from beefing up services such as payments, Samsung will need to wow consumers with revolutionary advancements to revive its brand, analysts said.
“They should take a different direction in the mobile-phone business, such as reducing costs or developing a brand-new, state-of-the-art technology,” said Greg Roh, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities. “One example is releasing a foldable smartphone. They should show that kind of innovative technology.”
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is the first tablet from the South Korean tech giant to arrive with Windows 10 OS preinstalled. Since it is a laptop-tablet hybrid device, it dubbed as one of the strongest rivals for the popular Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
On the specs front, the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S variants may not be quite powerful device when compared to the highest chipset variants of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 that are powered with Core i5 and Core i7 chipset. However, 128 GB Galaxy TabPro S models are very competitive when compared to Core M3 variant of Surface Pro 4. Here is a comparison between the two hybrid devices on the basis of specifications, features, availability and price:
Dimensions and Display
According to Gizmag, the Galaxy TabPro with a thickness of 6.3 mm is 26 percent slimmer than Surface Pro 4. It is also 35 percent lighter than the Microsoft tablet. The Surface Pro 4 is an entirely metal-clad device whereas the Galaxy TabPro features a metallic frame along with a plastic rear shell.
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is fitted with a 12-inch Super AMOLED display. It delivers a screen resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels. The PixelSense technology display of Surface Pro 4 is of 12.3-inch and it supports a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels.
Microsoft reveals the Surface Pro 4 on stage, Oct. 6, 2015. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Chipset and RAM
The Galaxy TabPro S is available in two storage editions of 128 GB and 256 GB. Both variants feature Intel Core M3 (sixth generation) processor that works at 2.2 GHz and 4 GB of RAM.
The Surface Pro 4 comes in Intel Core M chipset (sixth generation) variants of M3, i5 and i7. The 128 GB model is the only variant that is packed with Intel Core M3. It features 4 GB of RAM.
Camera and Other Features
Both the rival laptop-tablet hybrid device come with 5-meagpixel rear cameras. There is a frontal camera of 5-megapixel on Galaxy TabPro S whereas the Surface Pro 4 has a frontal camera of 8-megapixel.
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S comes with a keyboard that can be detached and attached as required to use it as a tablet or laptop. There is no stylus available for the Galaxy TabPro S. The Surface Pro 4 is available with a free Surface Pen stylus. It also features stand. To use a keyboard with the Surface Pro 4, users will have to spend extra money.
The 5200 mAh battery of Galaxy TabPro S can be used for around 10 hours with a single charge. The correct size of Surface Pro 4’s battery is currently undisclosed, but with general use, it can last for about 9 hours.
Availability and Price
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S was announced recently at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2016 tech show. It is expected to hit the shelves in February 2016. Its price for the U.S. markets is not known yet.
However, in the U.K., the Wi-Fi only edition and LTE variant 128 GB model are priced at 999 Euros ($1089) and 1,199 Euros ($1,307). The pricing of 256 GB model may start at 1,299 Euros ($1,417), GSM Arena reported. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 was announced in October 2015. The 128 GB variant is priced at $899 whereas the highest configuration model is priced at $1,799.
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