Samsung’s Next Big Thing is codenamed Project Zero

Samsung has released all of its flagship devices for the year 2014, and now people are directing their attention towards the company’s Next Big Thing, the Galaxy S6. Yes, it’s that time of the year, when we start talking about the next-generation Galaxy S device and, it’s going to be epic, that’s for sure!

According to our sources, the Galaxy S6 is in its early stages of development, so they weren’t able to confirm new specifications or features at the moment. However, what they did tell us was its codename; Project Zero. And, that right there is one interesting bit of information. This is the first time Samsung has decided to go with such a unique codename. In the past, Samsung has always used letters as codenames for its flagship devices, for example: Project J (Galaxy S4), Project H (Galaxy Note 3), Project K (Galaxy S5) and Project T (Galaxy Note 4). So what is the real reason behind Samsung opting Project Zero as the Galaxy S6’s codename? Our sources report that Samsung is probably developing its next-generation flagship device from scratch, with an entirely new vision, hence the codename.

Project Zero is an indication that Samsung is trying to achieve something unique and different with the Galaxy S6, which is exactly what we wanted from the Korean giant. Samsung wasn’t able to impress the world with the Galaxy S5, which clearly reflected in the company’s recent quarterly earnings report. The Korean giant is taking it very seriously this time, and is trying to do whatever it can, to make its Next Big Thing a major success.

First Galaxy Lifestyle Store opened in China

Samsung is pushing into the retail space with a completely new vision. It has opened up the first Galaxy Lifestyle Store, an exclusive brick and mortar store, in Beijing. The company says it aims to provide a “uniquely valuable experience” to those who walk in, whether or not they end up buying a Samsung product.

This is different from the Samsung Experience Stores that are already up and running in many parts of the world. The aim here is not to just give people a destination where they can try out the latest Samsung devices. Samsung’s executive vice president of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division, Younghee Lee, says that the Galaxy Lifestyle Store isn’t just a retail storefront, instead it is a “place to hang out, meet new friends and access exclusive content, together.”

The Samsung Galaxy Lifestyle Store in Beijing, China is divided into five areas which include the Galaxy Lab, Galaxy Music, Product Experience Zone, Galaxy Accessories and Concierge. Products that can be experienced include Samsung’s Level headsets, Galaxy tablets and smartphones. Customers who purchase a device will also get a free coffee.

Samsung hasn’t said if the Galaxy Lifestyle Store will be opened up in other locations around the world.

  
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Learn How to Make Your Own Theme?

You don’t need graduate degrees in the arts and computer science to create your own theme. Sometimes, all you need is a little bit of the talent and a decent graphics editing program. When you are beginning your journey in theming, you can choose one of two paths: modify an existing theme using APK Tool or write one from scratch using one of available IDEs like Android Studio or Eclipse.

For most, the first option seems to be the easier one. If you want to learn how to make your own theme, probably a wise choice is to follow a guide written by XDA Senior Member DanielFlorin. By reading this guide, you will learn what it takes to create your own theme using the eXperia L Orange as a base. You need a good APKTool client, as well as some time and creativity to create your desired theme.

This method described in the guide is pretty good for beginners. You will get some experience that can be used in your future projects. Themeing can be quite difficult sometimes, so you need to understand it better before you start to make your own, more professional projects. Take into account that only select ROMs support theme engine, so be sure to run a compatible one before making your own theme.

The thread has been written to show the theming process on Sony Xperia phones, but this method can be used with other devices as well. You can learn more by visiting the Make Your Own Theme thread.

Cross-Platform Android Beam?

Google and Apple have been battling it out with each other for quite a while. While both companies paying for this both in and out of the courtroom, users of both platforms are still happily buying iPhones and iPads, as well as Android devices. In fact, it’s not that uncommon to see a single user owning devices with different, competing operating systems.

Devices with the same OS can easily share content like messages, contacts, and photos without hassle. But sharing files between Apple and Google products is a bit of a challenge. Google wants to put an end of this situation, and has reportedly been working on a solution named Copresence. If rumors are to be believed, Google Copresence is a technology that allows Android devices to communicate with nearby iOS devices in multiple ways in order to exchange the photos, contacts, messages, and so on. Copresence might be considered a cross-platform version of Android Beam.

An early glimpse indicates that devices might be communicating with each other without the use of cloud services, but rather though WiFi of WiFi direct. It’s uncertain when the technology shall become available to the public, but Google seems to be doing everything to get it out as fast as possible.

There are some instances in the Google Play Services APK that show devices using different OS (e.g. the iPhone-like circular home button) exchange media files. Images are not all, since there are some API changes in Chrome and registered patents related to the Copresence functionality. The ability to easily exchange files between Apple and Google products is a good thing, and we should be cheering for Google for being mature enough to make this happen.

[via Android Police]

Samsung’s second-class smartphone blues

How to make steady money-making smartphones, when you are not Apple? It is a puzzler. It looked as if Samsung had it figured out. However, in its third quarter, mobile sales fell 15 per cent and profitability collapsed. It could be cyclical – or, like Motorola, Nokia and BlackBerry before it, Samsung may have lost its grip on a slippery market.

It should not be tricky: hardware, operating system, brand. Hardware is easiest, but not enough. The HTC One was loaded with cutting-edge design. It did not sell, and HTC fell off the manufacturers’ league table. The OS is harder. Before smartphones, Nokia ruled. But its Symbian OS was unsuited to rich media. BlackBerry melted down after losing its lead in secure email systems. Microsoft’s mobile operating system, by contrast, is well-regarded. It integrates with the most common PC software. It has all of 2.5 per cent of the market, according to IDC. The lesson is that for everyone but Apple, Android is the obvious choice, given all the apps and media available for it. According to Kantar Worldwide, a consultancy, Android dominates the nine countries they track, with market share from 58 per cent in Australia to 80 per cent in Spain. Even Samsung, market leader since 2011, adopted Android. But proprietary operating systems offer the chance to lock in users. Samsung launched its first phone using home-grown Tizen in June this year. And so to the trickiest bit: brand. This is tied closely to price. Samsung’s market share peaked at 35 per cent in 2013, and is now 25 per cent, Strategy Analytics says. So this week, the company promised to move down-market, to take on low-end Chinese competition, such as Xiaomi. This could hurt the brand, and chasing the low end is a play that has never worked for more than a few years.