Samsung Gear VR to be available Best Buy stores starting February 8

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BY Unknown 03:37 0

Samsung Gear VR to be available Best Buy stores starting February 8

Samsung will be selling the Galaxy VR headset through 100 Best Buy outlets across America. This will be the first time the Gear VR is sold offline, which was until now only sold through Samsung, AT&T, and Best Buy online stores.

Best Buy stores will also be getting demo units so people can try out the device before purchasing them. Other than that, it also lets the company get feedback on the product, and if it gets enough positive response it will expand it to more Best Buy stores, and vice-versa.

The 3-minute demos include being able to watch a movie or video clip, a game, and 360 photos in virtual reality. Powering the Gear VR will be the Galaxy Note 4 as usual, since the device does not have a display of its own.

The Gear VR will be available for $199 but as mentioned, you will also need the Galaxy Note 4 to make use of it.

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update will be delayed due to compatibility with Gear VR

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BY Unknown 23:04 0

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update will be delayed due to compatibility with Gear VR

With the Lollipop craze in full steam and the Galaxy Note 3 already up for a soak test in Russia it is only natural to expect that Samsung will give an equal share of attention to the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

We already saw a leaked manual for Android 5 with the device model on it so the OTA is getting closer, but no official news is available as of yet. Faryaab Sheikh, Editor-in-Chief of SamMobile might have just shed some light on the issue with a recent Twitter post. According to him the Galaxy Note 4 ROM is still in the hands of Oculus VR who are "tweaking the kernel" to ensure compatibility with the Samsung Gear VR.

For anyone unfamiliar with the device it is Samsung's current take on virtual reality headset based on the popular Oculus Rift. Gear VR however takes the experience one step beyond by using a wireless setup. This is achieved with the help of a mobile display, in particular the 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED panel of the Galaxy Note 4.

While compatibility issues might explain the delay the question still stands why this can't be achieved in a later update. This is supposedly what occurred on the Verizon version of the phone last month.

Delivering Gear VR compatibility is most definitely a huge deal in terms of marketing strategy, but the fact of the matter is that a very miniscule percentage of all Samsung Galaxy Note 4 devices will ever be put inside a VR headset. So why make everybody wait for what is essentially a niche feature?

Samsung's Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge to support the Gear VR

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BY Unknown 16:27 0

Samsung's Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge to support the Gear VR

Samsung has been focused on promoting is Gear VR headset, bringing it to Sundance Film Festivaland climbing on-board commercial flights. Aside from limited content, the widespread use of the Gear VR is hampered by the simple fact that it can only function with a Galaxy Note 4 smartphone.

Well, what better way to address the latter issue, than to make the upcoming Galaxy S6 and rumored Galaxy S Edge compatible as well? Unnamed sources claim that's exactly the case, but here's where the information ends and speculation begins.

At present the Gear VR works with the Galaxy Note 4 only, which packs a large 5.7-inch display. So far the rumors on the Galaxy S6 have settled around a 5.2-in screen, making it too small to be implemented as is.

There are at least two ways around this issue, the source suggests, one being a brand new headset to support multiple screen sizes. Such a solution can accommodate the future flagship while maintaining compatibility with the Galaxy Note 4.

Another workaround would be to make the Galaxy S6 larger, but it seems illogical to design a mainstream device around a niche one.

A more cumbersome third option, keeping the current Gear VR and freeing the Galaxy S6 from such compatibility considerations, would be to employ some sort of lens adapter within the existing headset.

Bear in mind that all of the above is speculation, based on rumors, so it may be far detached from reality. Until we see a working Galaxy S6 inside a VR headset, all is subject to change.