SYNAPSE CIRCUIT SAMSUNG TALK 6 THE EDGE

  Above: Oooh, this is the cutting Edge of handset technology! The Galaxy Note Edge.

  Above: The Galaxy Note 4 out in the open!

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

SAMSUNG TALK 6:
UNPACKED EPISODE 2 2014:
BERLIN * BEIJING * NEW YORK 2014 THE BIG DAY

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you? I hope that all is well in your world! Today we got some awesome news in the form of the fantastic Galaxy Note 4!

Did the Galaxy Note 4 launch make your day?

I for one am very, very happy to know that the Galaxy Note 4 will be my upgrade later on this year! I hope to bring you a review before then!

Above: Samsung's D. J. Lee doing Kraftwerk

GALAXY NOTE 4 & EDGE!  
#Samsung #SamsungGalaxyNote4 #GalaxyNoteEdge #GalaxyAlpha # #SamsungUNPACKED2014Episode2 #Mega2 #GalaxyS6

DELIVER US FROM THE ORDINARY
Okay... Hmmmm... I have to get it out straightaway that the Galaxy Note 4 does not have a 64-bit processor. However, that’s not such as big deal as we Galaxy Note owners know what the device is capable of!

The Galaxy Note 4 design is a noticeable refinement of the Galaxy Note 3 but with a metal edge! I can’t say that I am disappointed with the design as my 2 year contract meant that I had to bypass the GN3! But we have the QHD screen as desired! YAY!!!! And thankfully the battery remains removable! But Samsung, predictably, didn’t stop there! Uh-uh! Samsung truly unloaded... ...BIG TIME!!!!

FULLY UNPACKED EPISODE 2
First let me say that the event was beautifully presented; it was an excellent balance of the showmanship and fact featured! Unpacked Episode 2 reminded me of the introduction to the Galaxy S3 (with Suzi Perry presenting) only this time around we have UK TV presenter and brainbox, Rachel Riley (who coincidentally co-presents a TV tech show that Perry used to present on) co-presenting alongside Rory O’Neil (Samsung Marketing Director Europe) and David Park (Senior Manager Samsung HQ). Together they had a presentation style that is similar to our favourite tech TV programmes and it worked! They concentrated on what the products can do and how they will enhance our lives. No hidden snide or blatant attacks towards the competition but a pure Samsung vision of our not too distant future – October to be more precise as to when these products will be available in the retail outlets! 

Above: UK TV presenter Rachel Riley

I was pretty much close when I speculated that we’d see two versions of the Galaxy Note 4. We now have the Galaxy Note Edge handset that makes use of a curved screen! It came as a pleasant surprise even though the Galaxy Note Edge has been an open secret... Will they? Won’t they? Samsung has finally made it a reality! Let’s look at the spec starting with the Galaxy Note 4:-

NETWORK
2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G (HSPA＋ 42Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
4G (LTE Cat 4 150/50Mbps) or 4G (LTE Cat 6 300/50Mbps)
* May differ by country and carrier

CPU
2.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor
1.9 GHz Octa-Core (1.9GHz Quad + 1.3GHz Quad-Core) Processor
*May differ by country and carrier

DISPLAY
5.7 inch (143.9mm) Quad HD Super AMOLED (2560 x 1440)

OS
Android 4.4 (KitKat)

CAMERA
Rear Facing: 16 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Smart OIS
Front Facing: 3.7 Mega pixel camera with f1.9
Rear Facing Camera : HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Rear-cam Selfie, Beauty face, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot & More, Dual Camera
Front Facing Camera: Selfie, Wide Selfie

VIDEO
Codec: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8
Recording & Playback: up to UHD

AUDIO
Codec: MP3, AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC(＊)
(＊) Ultra High Quality Audio (~192KHz, 24 bit) support

S PEN OPTIMIZED FEATURES
Air Command (Action Memo, Smart Select, Image Clip, Screen Write)
S Note, Snap Note, Direct Pen Input

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Multi Window
Ultra Power Saving Mode
Voice Recorder (Normal Mode, Interview Mode, Meeting Mode, Voice Memo)
Download Booster
S Health 3.5
Dynamic Lock Screen
Briefing
Google Mobile Services:
Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube

CONNECTIVITY
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe
GPS / GLONASS / Baidu
NFC, Bluetooth® v 4.1 (BLE,ANT+)
IR LED (Remote Control), USB2.0, MHL 3.0

SENSOR
Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, RGB, IR-LED
Proximity, Barometer, Hall Sensor, Finger Scanner, UV, Heart Rate Monitoring, SpO2 (Dependent on market)

MEMORY
32 GB Internal memory ＋ micro SD slot (up to 64GB)
3GB RAM

DIMENSION
153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm, 176g

BATTERY
Standard battery, Li-ion 3,220mAh, Fast Charging (Adaptive Fast Charging & QC2.0)

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE EDGE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

NETWORK
2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G (HSPA＋ 42Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
4G (LTE Cat 4 150/50Mbps) or 4G(LTE Cat 6 300/50Mbps)
*May differ by country and carrier.

CPU
2.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor

DISPLAY
5.6 inch (141.9mm) Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2560 x 1440 + 160)

OS
Android 4.4 (KitKat)

CAMERA
Rear Facing: 16 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Smart OIS
Front Facing: 3.7 Mega pixel camera with f1.9
Rear Facing Camera: HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Rear-cam Selfie, Beauty face, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot & More, Dual Camera
Front Facing Camera: Selfie, Wide Selfie

VIDEO
Codec: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8, Recording & Playback: up to UHD

AUDIO
Codec: MP3, AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC(＊)
(＊) Ultra High Quality Audio (~192KHz, 24 bit) support

S PEN OPTIMIZED FEATURES
Air Command: Action Memo, Screen Write, Image Clip, Smart Select,
S Note, Snap Note, Direct Pen Input

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Multi Window
Ultra Power Saving Mode
Voice Recorder (Normal Mode, Interview Mode, Meeting Mode, Voice Memo)
Download Booster
S Health 3.5
Dynamic Lock Screen
Briefing
Edge screen UX: Revolving Interaction, Immersive apps(Camera, Video, S Note),
Ticker board, Express me, Quick Tools, Night Clock, etc
Google Mobile Services:
Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube

CONNECTIVITY
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) MIMO PCIe
GPS / GLONASS / Beidou
NFC, Bluetooth® v 4.1 (BLE, ANT+)
IR LED (Remote Control), USB2.0, MHL 3.0

SENSOR
Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, RGB, IR-LED
Proximity, Barometer, Hall Sensor, Finger Scanner, UV, Heart Rate Monitoring, SpO2 (Dependent on market)

MEMORY
32/ 64 GB Internal memory ＋ microSD slot (up to 64GB)
3GB RAM

DIMENSION
151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3mm, 174g

BATTERY
Standard battery, Li-ion 3,000 mAh, Fast Charging (Adaptive Fast Charging & QC2.0)

Apart from the slightly smaller curved edge and processor options the Galaxy Note Edge is pretty much the same as the Galaxy Note 4. Both models are subject to availability in their respective international markets. Certainly the Galaxy Note Edge is a limited edition and I just hope that it is available in the UK!

I do love the functionality of both models! The Galaxy Note Edge has different edge screen displays for notifications, fast app selections and in camera mode we get a virtual shutter button! Yay! I love it! I do love the 16MP camera with the optical stabilization for clearer pictures on both models! And there is also the introduction of the Wide Selfie front-facing camera mode to take a picture of you with a substantial number of people beside or in the background from a wider angle than before! Cool!

WISH FULFILMENT
With regards to the hardware and design I really didn’t expect too much of a departure with the exception of the Galaxy Note Edge. I am quite happy with what was delivered! The leaks gave me an indication of what to expect and so I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, the Galaxy Note 4 comes in a selection of different colours:

"Charcoal Black," "Frost White," "Bronze Gold,” and “Blossom Pink”. Where's my "Electric Blue"?

This could mean that certain international markets may just get the Charcoal Black and Frost White only and / or have a choice of colour much further down the line. I can only hope that by the time I am due for my upgrade that the Blossom Pink choice will be available to me! I doubt it! Lol! But it doesn’t matter too much!

The event started off with a couple of musicians playing live with the aid of what appeared to be the Galaxy Note 3 i.e. synthesizers and drums were triggered from the GN3 devices to great effect! However, the presenters did not go into detail about the default apps. I’ll just have to see when the Galaxy Note 4 becomes available for review!

I can tell you that I want one more than ever and I will go for the Galaxy Note Edge! It could be that I may opt for the Galaxy Note 4 too when my contract on the Galaxy S4 is up! But who knows what the Galaxy S6 will bring to the table? The jury remains out on this one! To be continued!

TOUCHWIZ
We didn’t get to learn anything much about TouchWiz other than it was going to be less intrusive. But from what I have seen the UI overlay looks like a good improvement. I wonder how the pernickety (iPhone biased) reviewers will score it...

You probably won’t have to wait for my review as the Samsung quality speaks for itself. I can’t wait to get my hands on it to see for myself! My Galaxy Note 2 makes use of the Nova Prime launcher!

I noticed that Samsung refrained from going into great details about the TouchWiz UI functionality which I think is wise as it could detract from the main features!

GEAR S
I was very impressed with the Galaxy Gear S and according to the presenters there are over 1k apps available for it! I do love the design of the Gear S based on the gorgeous looking Super AMOLED curved screen! As you know it features its own SIM card on 3G and it also syncs with the Galaxy S and Note handsets! You can go jogging and leave your main handset at home for example!

Samsung has gone to great lengths in its smartwatch offensive and I think that Gear S has an immense potential to affect the mobile device market in a big way! I would imagine that Samsung has been doing its best to get the smartwatch right as Apple are gearing (hee hee) up to launch its smartwatch, iWatch(?) and the press is bound to make a bigger deal of it than with Samsung’s efforts unfortunately! It’s funny... ...whenever Apple does any sort of launch be it the iPhone, iPad, etc they usually get international news coverage on the TV but Samsung rarely gets the same attention. The Gear S should not be overlooked! I want one already! Lol!

GEAR VR
As predicted we saw the Gear VR making its debut too! Hmmmm... I think the Gear VR will go down well with gamers and those who like an immersive interactive experience. Me? I am not too sure at this moment in time as I have never been a gamer. But I can see potential for applications of an educational nature. The only catch I see with the Gear VR is that it you need the 5.7” Galaxy Note 4 in order to experience the virtual environment as it is the Gear VR screen! Bummer! This makes sense in terms of the Galaxy Note Edge being somewhat of a limited edition. I am sure that absolute tech fanatics will opt for both devices (GSN 4 and Edge) as I can envision the GN Edge as being something of a collector’s edition that nobody will part with!



So, I think that the Gear VR requirements have safeguarded the Galaxy Note 4 from cannibalization whereby it eats the Galaxy Note Edge sales and it leaves the Galaxy S market intact for those who want a premium handset without the delightful technical elaborations that make up the Galaxy Note. I do believe that the Galaxy S market has become smaller. Obviously, we do not yet know what Samsung will do for the Galaxy S6 to make it outstanding.

CONCLUSION
Yes, I reckon there will be some disappointment because there is no 64-bit processor! However, Android 5 could make a vast difference in terms of response on the hefty 2.7 GHz quad-core and 1.9 GHz Octa-Core (1.9GHz quad + 1.3GHz quad-core) processors. 64-bit isn’t that much of a big deal in my opinion as I can’t see on the iPhone 5S what it does to enhance the usability.

It will be interesting to see what Apple launches in 6 days time; will the iPhone 6L make its debut and if so will it detract from the Galaxy Note 4 and Edge? It’s hard to tell as I suspect that Apple may not be able to feature a QHD screen because it will make it a pain for the app developers to create apps in that high resolution. App resolution is what kept the iPhone screen so small for so long.

In my opinion Samsung has showcased great products today that should see them rise to the top where innovation and desirability is concerned. As someone who loves to be creative I can’t see any other choice than the Galaxy Note 4 or Edge as my next handset. Oh, I was hoping for a 7” Galaxy Tab S with 4G built in as it could have been my tablet purchase but I guess that such a device could be in danger of cannibalizing the Galaxy Note 4. However, you ought to note (pun unintentional) that there are apps specifically for the tablet starting at 7”! If you intend on picking up a Galaxy Note 4 or Edge expecting to access apps made for the tablet you had better think again!


  Above: You can't beat a Galaxy Note!

Above: Musical Notes!

But to leave you on a positive note (sorry, unintentional) there are great enhancements in the Galaxy Note 4 and Edge that makes it a MUST HAVE for the purpose of business, journalists – what with multiple microphones for conducting interviews, musicians, photographers and other creative endeavours. I am hoping that I will be able to upgrade a month or two early!

Things to think about...

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

STANDBY FOR REVIEWS AND COMPETITIONS!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT SAMSUNG TALK 5 UNPACKED 2

Above: A Samsung design patent that bears some resemblance to the silhouette that appears in a promotional video preview. Is this the new form? Not long to find out! 

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
SAMSUNG TALK 5:
UNPACKED EPISODE 2 2014:
BERLIN * BEIJING * NEW YORK 2014 PREVIEW

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you this early, early morning of the day of the biggest mobile device launch in history? I hope your day was great and productive!

Are you excited about the launch of the Galaxy Note 4? I sure am!

It is said that Samsung are going through a hard time at the moment and I take this with a pinch of salt! Sure, the Chinese manufacturers have been able to come in at the mid to... ...err... mid-high(?) end of the market at a low cost to the consumer. However, I have not seen anything yet that can hold a candle to the phenomenal Galaxy Note handset!

64-BIT GALAXY
NOTE 4?
#Samsung #SamsungGalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha # #SamsungUNPACKED2014Episode2 #Mega2 #GalaxyS6

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
I think this is the one that Samsun fans and those who love the larger handset that’s loaded with the fastest processor and features galore! I think the Galaxy S5 sales may have been a tad disappointing for Samsung because there is a great anticipation and expectation for the Galaxy Note 4! The reason why I am thinking this way is because of how quickly the Galaxy Note 3 became popular on the streets! It seemed to me like every other person was busting out their Galaxy Note 3 handsets – men and women from all walks of life! This uptake was more than the GN2 when it initially came out. The GN3’s form factor had a lot to do with it becoming popular! As I have said in a previous article, by increasing the screen and slimming down the bezels the GN3 became very easy to handle and it’s very thin too!

Another theory is that the hardcore Android fans were waiting for a 64-bit handset! Yes, last year there was some talk about Android going 64-bit and many of us though this could have been a possibility towards the end of 2013! Now we know that Android 5, Lemon Meringue Pie or Lollipop will be 64-bit compatible I believe that many folk decided to hold off from getting a new phone until the Galaxy Note 4 launch! Samsung has always been saying that they were just waiting on Google to add 64-bit compatibility to Android. So, this is what we’re expecting from the Galaxy Note 4! There is no point in speculating upon the hardware as we are hours away from knowing exactly what this baby entails!

WISHES
As far as the hardware goes I think we’ll get the QHD screen and by the looks of the silhouette from one of the promotional preview videos we will be getting a newer design. Oh, I do hope that we in the UK – if not internationally – the 64-bit processor just so that we can say we’ve got it! Ha ha!  But what I wish for are the following:-

1. A decent video editor: titles, audio tracks, fades / wipes, special visual effects, audio effects (noise removal and enhancing) etc. I think that the video editors on Android could do with a boost! C’mon, these beautiful Android babies are capable of 4K video recording and therefore it is about time we got a video editor that rocks! It is said that Samsung delivers a lot of “bloatware” and this is Samsung’s opportunity to clean up where the preloaded software applications are concerned!

2. I would love an eBook creator that not only puts out popular eBook formats but to wrap up HTML5 publications into an APK so that business / creatives can distribute publications in a variety of different ways: eBook, PDF (including audio and video) and APK! Cool! It probably will not happen but still...

3. I would like to see Samsung partner with a music composition app programmer to create a default app for recording the voice and making music with output to popular audio formats such as WAV and MIDI! If you look at Samsung’s recent Galaxy Note ads you can see a variety of users including a musician!

4. A professional photo / manipulation app that does away with Adobe Photoshop, etc! I think it’s about time we could perform high quality edits to compliment the awesome camera on the Galaxy Note!

Again, Samsung could partner with a developer or start their own division of dedicated app developers. There’s no doubt that Samsung can come up with the goods as far as hardware is concerned but I do think it is time for them to step up its game with applications!

5. Hey, with the S Pen I think it is time for a drawing app that is not too dissimilar to Adobe Illustrator! It can happen! I think such default applications on the Galaxy Note will make it sell by the millions!

So, here’s hoping that us creatives and business users will get something substantial in the default app department to compliment the glorious hardware!

I am so curious to know what 64-bits will bring to Android apps – that is if the Galaxy Note 4 will get the 64-bit CPU!

TOUCHWIZ
Personally, I do not mind TouchWiz – with the Galaxy S3 onwards it has been great! I do not notice any lag! I have seen odd reviews that takes away points from the Galaxy S and Note because they find TouchWiz heavy but we all should know by now that it is possible to replace TouchWiz with a host of great launchers out there in the form of:-

Nova (and it’s prime version)
GO Launcher
Buzz
Apex
& Google’s own Google Now Launcher

All the above can be found under ‘Personalization’ on the Google Play app store!

But I am very curious as to what Samsung will do to TouchWiz on this outing! I would imagine that Google will create a more functional launcher when Android 5 is ready! That way we have the option for a purer Android experience. I would imagine that the core features of TouchWiz can be accessed as apps / widgets!

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
What else could Samsung be showing off in a few hours time? They’ve revealed the Galaxy Gear S which is a fantastic looking smartwatch that makes and takes calls too! The Galaxy Gear S uses Samsung’s own Tizen operating system! So, how compatible will it be with Android? Hmmmm... I can see that Samsung are ushering in Tizen quite subtly as I think this is where they can get to express themselves technologically! Have you heard / read the rumour that Samsung are looking at acquiring Cyanogenmod? If this is true it could be good for Samsung to be independent of Google or they can still put out Android handsets and give users the possibility of loading a Samsung version of Cyanogenmod.



Perhaps we’ll see the virtual reality headset, Galaxy Head Gear? I am curious about the virtual reality headset and how it fits into the Samsung Galaxy scheme of things!

Now would it be feasible for Samsung to reveal two different versions of the Galaxy Note 4? I was thinking that it could be an advantage to go even larger for those, like me, who LOVE massive screens! I was thinking something along the lines of 6.5” or 7”! Can you imagine a 7” Galaxy Note that would be a hybrid of the Galaxy Tab S? I can! But, hey, that’s just pure fantasy on my part! What am I like, huh?

EXCITEMENT
I tell you, it is very exciting anticipating this great launch. I am predicting that Samsung will have a huge hit and will be a milestone moment them! The Galaxy Note 4 certainly appears to be a very desirable handset and it isn’t even announced! Soon! Very soon!

Things to think about...

THANKS FOR READING...
Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

STANDBY FOR REVIEWS AND COMPETITIONS!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com