As we enter a brand new month, Samsung Malaysia Electronics has recently updated their mySamsung app to further help their customers to manage their devices, providing easy and direct access to customer service representatives, as well as enjoy Samsung ownership privileges.

In our previous article regarding the new Samsung Galaxy A series (2016), we mentioned that a shop somewhere in Netherlands have already listed the price tag for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) and Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) unofficially; now another Dutch retailer, SmartPhoneShop.nl, has set up a pre-order for both devices on its online store and 8 January is the expected date listed in there.

So apparently, there's a leaked image of showing various Samsung Galaxy models to be updated with Android Marshmallow. Similarly to Marvel Studio Cinematic Phase plans, the image are showing 2 phase plans of which model will be updated first. There's also a third phase, but as of now there are no plans yet and it will only commence after initial testing (same goes to the n/a status below).

A tweet posted by @Ricciolo1 was spotted online claiming a Samsung Unpacked 2016 event next year on 21 February in Barcelona hinting a Samsung Galaxy S7 reveal, while a different Tweeter source released some pictures of the successors to the Samsung Galaxy A3 and Samsung Galaxy A5 online.

Samsung just can’t seem to catch a break, as previously reported that the Samsung Galaxy On5 and On7 are official. Now it seems there’s another rumour floating around in the Internet revealing the Samsung Galaxy A3 and Samsung Galaxy A7’s successors, coded SM-A310 (possibly the A3’s successor) and the SM-A710 (A7’s) is speculated to be in the works.

Digging through the information, here are the tech specs for the SM-A310 and SM-A710 respectively:-

• SM-A310
• Exynos 7580 SoC, quad-core 1.5GHz CPU and the Mali-T720 GPU
• 1.5GB RAM
• 16GB storage
• 4.7-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
• 13MP main camera and 5MP at the front
• Android 5.1.1

• SM-A710
• Snapdragon 615, octa-core 1.5GHz CPU and the Adreno 405 GPU
• 3GB of RAM 
• 16GB storage
• 5.5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution
• 13MP main camera and 5MP front camera
• Android 5.1.1

China's TENAA recently saw the certification of the Samsung Galaxy A8. Along with pictures of the upcoming smartphone it looks like it will be the phablet entry in the current range of Samsung Galaxy A smartphones consisting of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7. Featuring slim bezels and measuring in at 158 x 76.77 x 5.94mm thin, it could well be the thinnest smartphone from Samsung yet. Other tech specs include a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, a 5.7-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and support for up to 128GB microSD. TENAA has it also coming with a 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera but these features are usually saved for the flagships and not the midrange so we assume that this could be 13MP for the rear camera and 5MP for the front camera like all the other Galaxy A smartphones. The phone is also lightweight at just 142g but may also pack in the battery life with a 3050 mAh battery. No news yet on specific Malaysia release dates or pricing details but stay tuned for further developments.

Samsung Malaysia Electronics is currently holding their Samsung Hari Raya Festival promotion starting from today till 19 July 2015. All you have to do to enter is buy any Samsung Galaxy device within the contest period. Those who buy Samsung Galaxy devices wil also get instant freebies such as a free clear cover and battery pack worth RM405 for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a free 32GB dual-USB 3.0 drive and 500 music voucher worth up to RM569 for a Galaxy A device (A3, A5, A7) and a free book cover for a Galaxy Tab A worth up to RM179. There aren't even any forms to fill out, just retain the original recept and answer a simple question correctly, then submit this answer via SMS to 33310 with your details in this format - “SAMSUNGRAYA <SPACE> Answer <SPACE> CONSENT (Y/N) <SPACE> NRIC <SPACE> IMEI NUMBER <SPACE> FULL NAME”. Check out more details at www.samsung.com/my/raya2015 and what Samsung have to say about it below:

“Samsung is extremely proud of our Galaxy devices. Combining design, craftsmanship and performance, our Galaxy products seamlessly blend premium materials with the most advanced Samsung technology to offer consumers an unmatched mobile experience. Our flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are the top of its class. It is our privilege to reward our customers through this promotion. Not only can our customers enjoy the excellent performance of our Galaxy devices, but also stand a chance to enjoy the comfort of a brand new car this year!” Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT and Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics

In conjunction with the young and trendy Samsung Galaxy A range of devices, Samsung Malaysia and Media Prima Radio Networks (Fly FM, Hot FM and one FM) held the Bestnya Bersama "A" Music Festival recently. Various artists at the event included the Samsung Galaxy A team consisting of Internet sensation Najwa Latif, beatboxer Shawn Lee, pop princess Ke Qing, rock indie band Paperplane Pursuit, jazzy soul singer Liyana Fizi and dynamic rock band An Honest Mistake along with other popular artists like Juztin Lan, Forteen, Hyper Act, Izzue Islam, Venice Min and Faizal Tahir. The Samsung Galaxy A series of devices includes the Samsung Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5and Galaxy A7 with tech specs and features that are focused on the young and trendy such as a thin but premium metal body, 5MP front cameras for selfies and 4G LTE connectivity. Here's what the organizers had to say about it:

“Innovation means listening to our consumers’ needs and using these insights to provide the best technologies in the market. By anticipating the needs of the people, we introduced the Samsung GALAXY A smartphones in January and we are really excited to be here tonight at the Bestnya Bersama “A” Music Festival. The GALAXY A Team made history tonight by fusing their respective music genres together and performed a set of songs for the very first time. In addition to that, I believe that the massive Wide Selfie that was taken at the end of the night with all the music festival goers will be the most memorable Wide Selfie to date. It was a night that truly celebrated togetherness as thousands of people gathered here to enjoy the night of fantastic performances. We were glad to see so many people taking Wide Selfies together and we hope that this will continue to be a reason to for more memorable get-togethers in the future.” Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT and Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

With the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge just a week or so away, Samsung Malaysia have made the Galaxy A7 available for RM1499. The larger and more powerful smartphone of the Galaxy A series will be available from February 2015 at all Samsung Experience stores and other Samsung authorized dealers. It also looks like we'll be getting just the 64-bit processor based version with dual SIM support. The Samsung Galaxy A7 joins the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3. The Galaxy A series feature a slim metal design and 5MP front cameras for the new selfie generation. Check out the full list of tech specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy A7 below:

• 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + microSD slot
• 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolutions
• 13MP rear camera + 5MP front camera
• supports dual SIM, 4G LTE Cat4 connectivity
• features private mode, multi-screen mode, ultra wide shot
• 2600 mAh battery
• Android 4.4