Business Info - issue 137

01732 759725 magazine 15 On August 9, Samsung unveiled a raft of new Galaxy devices at the Galaxy Unpacked event in New York City. Offering the slick design and premium features expected by high end consumers, these flagship devices will also appeal to business people looking to improve their productivity and organisation. Top billing went to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, a premium smartphone that doubles as a highly productive business device, thanks to features like a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display – the largest edge-to-edge display on a Note so far – an 'all-day' 4,000mAh battery and expandable memory up to a massive 1TB. The S Pen – the defining feature of the Note range – has been given an upgrade, with support for Bluetooth Low- Energy (BLE) connectivity. This enables it to be used as a wireless remote control, as well as an input device and digital pen for adding handwritten notes to images and messages. By clicking the S Pen, users can take selfies and group pictures, present slides, play and pause video and more. Samsung’s intelligent assistant, Bixby, offers business users additional productivity benefits, including Adobe Scan for Bixby Vision, a free app that uses the Galaxy Note 9 camera to capture documents, business cards, expenses receipts etc. for editing, annotating, saving and sharing. Bixby Vision automatically detects when a document is in the Galaxy Note 9’s field of view and suggests opening it in Adobe Scan.With built-in automatic text recognition, Adobe Scan turns captured documents into Adobe PDFs Do more, for longer that can be edited, saved, signed and shared. Using intelligent Adobe Sensei technology, the app can automatically extract relevant details from a business card and add them to the Galaxy Note 9’s contacts. For mobile workers, built-in Samsung DeX functionality enables a Galaxy Note 9 to connect to a PC monitor (via a small HDMI cable) and display a virtualised desktop. As well as giving users the option to use apps, including Microsoft Office, with a larger screen and keyboard in a home office or touch-down area, this capability enables a Galaxy Note 9 to be used as a fully functional second screen, e.g. for making notes with an S Pen while watching a video, or as a trackpad for cursor control. For security, the Galaxy Note 9 comes with Samsung’s defence-grade Knox security platform and biometric authentication options, including fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and facial recognition capabilities. Portable power Also unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked, the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with 10.5- inch Super AMOLED display combines the portability of a tablet and the functionality of a PC. When connected to the optional Book Cover Keyboard (or launched from the Quick Panel), the Galaxy Tab S4 starts up Samsung DeX, which gives users the option to switch from the device’s Android interface to a desktop experience. If more screen space is needed, users can extend Samsung DeX to an external monitor via HDMI, retaining the Galaxy Tab S4 as a fully functional Android tablet. In addition to a 10.5in display, the Galaxy Tab S4 features a 7,300mAh battery providing up to 16 hours of video playback; an enhanced S Pen for added productivity; the Samsung Knox security platform; and quad speakers and Dolby Atmos immersive sound technology for crisp, enveloping audio. Wellness monitoring Tapping into the wellbeing trend, the new Samsung GalaxyWatch features a stress management tracker that detects high levels of stress and offers breathing exercises to keep users relaxed and focused. For personal fitness, it includes 39 workouts, a calorie tracker and a sleep tracker that provides insight into the wearer’s sleep patterns. Morning and evening briefings help users keep on top of their workload. The GalaxyWatch features improved battery life of up to seven days and later this year will be available with 4G connectivity (initially through EE), enabling it to be used independently of a smartphone for calls, messaging, mapping and music. Smart speaker Of more interest to consumers, Samsung also revealed its first smart speaker, the Galaxy Home. Full details are yet to be announced, but what we do know is that the device has six speakers and a subwoofer; eight far-field microphones for voice input and Bixby activation; and an unusual, opinion- dividing three-legged design. www.samsung.com/uk/ Samsung’s new Galaxy devices come with useful productivity features for business users Protect and serve Urban Armor Gear (UAG) was quick to launch three cases for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, all combining military-grade protection with a lightweight design and compatibility with Samsung Pay and Samsung Fast Wireless Charging. The Plyo features an armour shell and impact-resistant soft core, with air- soft corners for cushioning on impact. The Plasma adds scratch-resistant skid pads, while the premium Monarch Series boasts a honeycomb traction grip, top grain leather and alloy metal hardware. www.urbanarmorgear.com Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ISSUE 137 PLYO PLASMA MONARCH MOBILE DEVICES