Exclusive: Samsung Project Valley is a dual screen, possibly foldable, smartphone

The number of patents surrounding folding and dual screen smartphones that we have come across from Samsung would suggest that such devices would already be available in the market for consumers, but the reality is that such technologies take a long time in coming to the commercial arena from their prototype stages. But with theGalaxy S6 edge, Samsung has shown that it is ready to launch devices with unique form factors, and we now have exclusive information on what could be the company’s first dual-screen smartphone.

This smartphone is codenamed Project Valley (it’s also called Project V) and is in extremely early stages of development, and its ambitious nature means it might even be terminated at any time, something that happens with a lot of such projects. The device will support multiple gestures for switching between its two screens, and the fact that it is codenamed Project V/Valley suggest it could be a foldable device (the letter V is similar in shape to what a valley would look like, and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think the phone could feature two sides that fold together.)

Rumors earlier this year had hinted that Samsung could release foldable devices by 2016, and if our information is accurate, the Korean giant could indeed be hard at work on meeting that deadline. Again, there is no guarantee Project Valley will ever be showcased to the public, but it’s a clear indication that Samsung is making unique smartphone form factors an area of focus in order to keep its stronghold in the mobile industry.

Samsung completes Lollipop rollout for Galaxy A lineup with the Galaxy A5

This week is turning out to be a good one for owners of Samsung’s full metal Galaxy A devices. The Galaxy A7 recently started receiving the Lollipop update, and it is now hitting the Galaxy A5. The Galaxy A3 was the first A series device to get the update, and today marks the day when it is available for all three in at least one region around the world. The Galaxy A5 update is rolling out in Poland, and it comes with build number A500FUXXU1BOE6.

You can expect the same changelog as the OTA for the Galaxy A3 and A7 – a slightly refreshed user interface, increased performance, lockscreen notifications, and more. You can grab the update over the air, via Samsung Kies, or through our firmware database (this is similar to how Kies works, though the installation process is manual and explained fully in our firmware section.) If you don’t see a notification for the update on your device in the next day or two, you can force it to show up by heading into the Settings » About device » Software updates menu.

Firmware Details:

Model	SM-A500FU
Model name	GALAXY A5
Country	Poland
Version	Android 5.0.2
Changelist	4944491
Build date	Thu, 21 May 2015 07:53:55 +0000
Product code	XEO
PDA	A500FUXXU1BOE6
CSC	A500FUOXA1BOE6

Android M could introduce Multi Window to Android later this year

Google officially announced Android M, the next major version of the world-dominating mobile OS, at Google I/O yesterday. While not being as big an update as Android 5.0 Lollipop, Android M will bring a lot of new features, such as native support for fingerprint sensors, Android Pay, better volume control, a new battery saving feature called Doze, and an iOS-like permissions management system for apps. But what Google didn’t announce was that Android M might also bring support for a Multi Window-like feature, something that has been discovered in the preview build the internet giant released for Nexus devices.

Samsung introduced Multi Window to Android with the Galaxy Note II back in 2012, and many have clamored for the feature on stock Android ever since. Google was rumored to be working on an implementation of its own but there was never any proof until now. A Reddit user managed to enable a multi-window feature on Android M through a series of rather complicated steps (though those who flash custom ROMs shouldn’t find it too hard to follow the procedure) – it’s rather buggy and experimental for the moment, but it’s certainly a nice indication that multi-window support could make its way to vanilla Android later this year.

A lot of Samsung features have made their way into Android’s core over the years (like the notification toggles, KNOX, or the smart select-like copy feature that will be part of Android M), but this might just be the most useful functionality that Google is taking from the Korean manufacturer. It remains to be seen if Google’s implementation will be ready by the time Android M rolls out, but it’s looking more and more likely that it will be part of the OS at some point in the future.

Moreover, this also shows how stock Android is becoming better and better each year, and how manufacturers might not need to add too much bloat and could instead work on differentiating their software mostly through the user interface in the years to come.

If you have a Nexus device and are trying out the Android M developer preview, head to the source link to see how the multi-window feature can be enabled. Or you could simply use a fully stable and intuitive Multi Window mode if you have any of Samsung’s recent mid-range and high-end devices.

AT&T releases a new software update for the Galaxy S6

It appears that AT&T has released a new software update for the Galaxy S6 and theGalaxy S6 edge in the United States. This is an unexpected update since the carrier recently updated these handsets to Android 5.0.2. AT&T has not yet revealed precisely what’s new in this latest software update, there’s no changelog yet and the devices’ support pages have also not been updated. The update is around 237MB in size and is currently rolling out over-the-air.

AT&T is most certainly not releasing Android 5.1 for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge, which is certainly going to be the next major update for these handsets. We’ve already reported about the fact that Samsung is currently developing this update and earlier today it was reported that Android 5.1 for the Galaxy S6 is expected to arrive next month. As far as this latest update from AT&T is concerned, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more information and will let you know as soon as it comes in.

Are you a Galaxy S6 user on AT&T who has received this update? Is there something new that you’re seeing? Do let us know in the comments section below.

This Gear A concept image does little to excite

We have been hearing a lot about the Gear A, with our own insiders having offered us a lot of detail about Samsung’s first round smartwatch. But despite all the information that has been leaking recently, we are yet to see any hint of what the Gear A (codenamed Orbis) could look like, thanks to the lack of any leaks showing even a prototype. But according to the details we’ve exclusively published, the watch could be one of the most premium yet from the Korean manufacturer, and someone has put that information to creative use and come up with a concept image of the Gear A.

The concept image hasn’t been fully rendered yet, and even though it’s just a work-in-progress, the concept doesn’t exactly show anything worth getting excited about. Make no mistake – it certainly looks cool as a general concept, but it doesn’t really show anything that would make us go “Yes! This could be what Samsung’s watch will look like!” But then again, given how the Orbis’ design is being so closely guarded by Samsung, concept designs might be all we have to stay interested in the smartwatch until it gets officially announced.

What do you think about the concept image?

Samsung’s 4K video broadcasting technology adopted as a standard in North America

Samsung announced yesterday that its 4K UHD video broadcasting technology, which it developed in collaboration with One Media, will now be used as a method for digital broadcasting in North America. The South Korean consumer electronics giant believes that it has taken one step forward in its efforts to dominate the UHD broadcasting technology.

Samsung’s physical layer bootstrapping protocol for UHD broadcasting technology has been adopted as an ATSC 3.0 Candidate Standard, and it will be used as a method to transmit signals to digital television sets in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Samsung’s bootstrap standard includes ATSC 3.0 physical layer, transport layer, and things like codecs that are going to be approved by the end of this year. After putting together all of these, final standards will be created by early next year.

Android Lollipop comes to the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime

Samsung has been getting really serious about turning over a new leaf this year. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are unlike any of the flagship smartphones the company has released in recent years, and it has also been moving extremely quickly when it comes to updating various devices to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Today, Samsung is showing more of its dedication for the latter by updating the Galaxy Core Prime (SM-G360F) to the latest and greatest version of Android.

The Galaxy Tab 4 was the first budget Samsung device to receive Lollipop, and it’s impressive that the company is following that up with an update for yet another budget offering. The Core Prime is as humble a handset as they come in this day and age – we had already confirmed that the update was in the works, and it’s good to see that Samsung has already started rolling it out officially.

The rollout has commenced in Poland, a region that often gets software updates before any other. Based on Android 5.0.2, the update carries build number G360FXXU1BOD9 and should include all the improvements that come withLollipop – faster performance, a more pleasing user interface, better battery life, and more. The over-the-air update should be making its way to users’ handsets, and it is already available on Samsung Kies and also on our firmware database.

Received the update on your Galaxy Core Prime? Let us know down in the comments!

Firmware Details:

Model	SM-G360F
Model name
Country	Poland
Version	Android 5.0.2
Changelist	529393
Build date	Tue, 28 Apr 2015 00:43:41 +0000
Product code	XEO
PDA	G360FXXU1BOD9
CSC	G360FOXA1BOD9