A visit to the Verizon Smart Store to checkout new tech from Samsung

** A Geek Daddy was compensated for attending this event. Opinions are my own**

I had the opportunity to stop by the Verizon Smart Store that recently opened in my neighborhood for a hands-on demonstration of some great new tech from Samsung.  Staff from Samsung and Verizon Wireless provided me with a nice overview of three items they are particularly proud to show off: a Galaxy S7 smartphone along with a VR Gear mobile virtual reality headset and a Galaxy View super-sized tablet.  After getting a run down on the specs and details on each of these gadgets, I got the chance to play around with and try out each of these cool new products from Samsung.

Have you seen the television commercials from Samsung promoting their Galaxy S7 smart phones are water resistant?  Whether it is a couple of average everyday citizens accidentally dropping a phone in a fountain during a vacation photo op or celebrity hip hop artist Lil Wayne going crazy pouring champagne all over his phone this is a feature that really catches people's attention because frankly we all are worried about ruining our expensive phones by getting them accidentally wet.





The question for most consumers is are Samsung's water resistant claims overstated marketing hype or a practical reality people can depend on?  Well I had the chance to put the Samsung Galaxy S7 to the test during my visit to the Verizon Smart Store by dropping one in a bin of water.



Wow! I poured water over a Galaxy S7 and also submerged it.  Getting it wet had absolutely no impact on the phone.  It was incredible!  According to the product rep from Samsung the Galaxy S7 can be submerged in up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes without hindering its operations or damaging it.  They've engineered it so in addition to water not breaching the smartphone's outer shell it won't seep in through the earphone plug input or recharging port either.  From witnessing first hand this phone being exposed to water in a variety of ways, I believe that the Galaxy S7 being water resistant is the real thing.  I wouldn't recommend carrying it with you while swimming in the deep end of a pool but for the most part everyday fear of exposing your phone to water is a thing of the past with the Galaxy S7 smartphone.  The S7 is IP68 certified for being water resistant.

A few other nice features about the Galaxy S7 is that despite it being incredibly water resistant the phone is incredibly slim and lightweight.  If you find that your phone is normally lacking in memory or you don't want to use cloud storage features, the S7 allows users to expand its memory to 200GB with a microSD card option.  Samsung has also upgraded the camera making the S7 the first smartphone to use duel-pixel technology allowing it to better take photos in low-light environments and focus your photographic view faster than the blink of an eye.  Another feature that really stood out for me is the wireless charging capability.  Who hates plugging and unplugging cables, that often get tangled up, when it comes to charging a phone?  The wireless charging feature allows the Galaxy S7 to quickly be powered up while simply setting the phone down on a Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charging Pad. I have to say I really like that!

While playing around with the Galaxy S7, I had a lot of fun trying out a neat accessory to it, the VR Gear, which allows the phone to be inserted into a headset to create a mobile, virtual reality device.  The VR Gear provides 3D imagery combined with a 360 degree perspective to create an impressive virtual reality experience.  Utilizing the VR Gear a user can walk through a historical site, museum or zoo for example and be able to look up, down and all around them and see everything as if they were actually at the location.  I've always wanted to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium but because it is located on the far other side of the country from me that is not particularly likely to happy.  As a practical example of the value of this technology, the aquarium could potentially create an app to sell for the Galaxy S7 that through the VR Gear would allow people like myself to take a virtual tour of the facility providing an experience similar to being there without actually ever stepping foot in the place.

The VR Gear also does a wonderful job of simulating motion.  Better be prepared if an app incorporates motion within it or your feet might just fly out from underneath you.  I didn't realize an app was going to start racing me through a video game maze and lost my balance having to quickly pull off the headset to keep from falling over.  That experience highlights just how amazing the experience can be when it comes to enveloping you within a virtual environment that not only presents stunning environments but can mimic the feeling of motion without you actually moving.



Once I got the hang of using the VR Gear though racing through apps became no big deal.  I became a champ at one game where you steered around obstacles by moving your head in sync with the VR Gear once I became accustomed to using the device.  While the VR Gear may look heavy and bulky it doesn't feel that way when using it.  I was surprised just how comfortable the device was to wear.



What is really nice about the VR Gear is that while it has lot of entertaining options to play around with there are also a variety of business, educational, medical, technological and scientific uses that this device can be beneficial for as well.  Often times the success of technology like this is dependent on mass consumer appeal and demand for it.  Since Samsung is marketing the VR Gear as an affordable accessory to its popular line of Galaxy phones, I believe it has a great shot at making virtual reality a more common aspect that people begin to regularly utilize not just for fun but also as a productive tool.

Finally, I took a look at the Galaxy View which is a mobile tablet that has a screen big enough to double as a television set.  It comes with a built on curved stand which makes it as easy to prop up and display someplace as to hold in your hand.  With an 18.4" screen, 8 hour battery life and a handle to carry it by the Galaxy View allows you to easily go from working with it on your lap to taking it outside to enjoy some music on the deck or upstairs for some bedtime television viewing.  I personally thought this would make a great addition to our kitchen where while making a meal we could utilize its wireless connectivity to look up a recipe or watch some TV.

Congratulations to Katia from Culver City, California who won our Verizon Gift Card Giveaway

Are you interested in any of this tech?  If so, A GEEK DADDY has a Verizon Gift Card to giveaway to help one lucky blog reader or social media follower to help get some for themselves.  To be eligible for this giveaway must follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded below before April 10, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.  Must be a US  resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per person and we'll randomly select someone from all eligible entries to receive a $25 Verizon gift card that can be used for buying a new phone, an accessory like a new pair of headphones or even towards paying your monthly wireless bill courtesy of Samsung and A Geek Daddy Blog.

Follow @GeekDad248 & RT by 4/10/16 for chance to win $25 @Verizon gift card (US Only) #VerizonMI #BetterMatters #Ad pic.twitter.com/EakrgWOWcE

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) April 3, 2016

 Which of these new Samsung products would you most like to try out and why?


FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest and providing for delivery of the prize by the U.S. Postal Service.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner must be following the twitter account @Geekdad248 at the time winner is randomly drawn to be eligible and so he or she can be notified.  Must reply to DM within 48 hours of notification or a new winner will be selected. Must be a US  resident over 18 years old. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. A Geek Daddy Blog was financially compensated for this blog post and hosting the contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.

#VerizonMI

Who Would Love TMobile FREE Data for Life? A Geek Daddy Tests out the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.

Sick of draining your mobile phone plan's data package or always searching for free Wi-Fi when you are on the go?!  I recently took the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet that promises TMobile FREE data online connectivity for the life of the device for a test run through the Detroit Zoo for #CollectiveBias.  The #TabletTrio can keep you connected even when Wi-Fi isn't available by providing access to T-Mobile's advanced 4G/LTE network - when purchasing this tablet you are provided the FREE DATA FOR LIFE plan which consists of 200MB of data usage each month for as long as you own the device.  How often have you found yourself out and about wanting to connect to the Internet but don't want to use up your phone or tablet's data plan, don't have a device that is connected to a data plan (hate to admit it but we didn't have Internet accessibility on our phones until this year), or don't have access to Wi-Fi?  I know for our family that we lose convenient connectivity when we visit grandma and grandpa's house, are at soccer practice, or take a trip to the zoo, among other places.   

The Detroit Zoo doesn't provide free Wi-Fi so we accessed the Internet via T-Mobile's 4G network during our test of the tablet.  I had registered the tablet before our visit and the T-Mobile network instantly recognized, authenticated, and connected the device when I opened up its browser just as if I had been using my smart phone.  The Trio AXS provided a fast and reliable connection throughout our visit both within the indoor exhibits and around the outdoor ones.  We utilized the connectivity to look up some additional information on some of the animals we were viewing, access a tour app hosted by the zoo, upload some pictures we took to the cloud, do some tweeting, double check the closing time, and to look up a restaurant menu in deciding what meal we were going to pick up on the way home for dinner. All of this barely put a dent in our allocated 200 MB of data for the month.

In addition to the great connectivity feature, the Trio Tablet has great features and functionality.  It utilizes the Android operating system which allows for the use of Flash Player applications, includes the Kingsoft Office word processing suite of programs, Movie Studio video editing, and other handy apps.  The tablet is very light weight and portable yet it has a screen size twice the size of most smart phones.  My kids were able to really appreciate viewing images and information on its screen.  The device also has a camera that is easy to use and takes some nice photographs.  The only downside of the device was, that like most smart phone and tablet screens that I'm familiar with, it reflects sunlight and can be difficult to view content on its screen outdoors without being in some shade.

The best feature of the tablet hands down though is its free data package through T-Mobile's 4G nationwide network.  4G is the term used to describe the fourth-generation of wireless service.  When you are utilizing 4G technology wireless service it is supposed to be anywhere from four to ten times faster than currently existing 3G networks.  You don't have to sign-up for a billable T-Mobile plan with this tablet, simply register your device through the device's ConnectMe portal, for free,  to active the service and you get 200MB of data usage each month.  This is a capped program which means that once you reach 200MB for the month you are shut off until the next month.  After you've reached your cap a screen will appear that will offer to sell you an upgraded T-Mobile data plan but there is no obligation to purchase it. There are no worries about billed for going over your data limit and no contracts or service plans you are committed to. There are is no data roaming or tethering with this program either.  Once you purchase the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet just register it to activate it and enjoy using the free 200MBs every month for as long as you own it. Simple as that!

The T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet costs $179.00 and is sold exclusively at Walmart.  Think about that...for under $200 you are purchasing a tablet with guaranteed monthly connectivity for accessing the Internet pretty much anywhere you need to go through a dependable wireless service provider that has a state-of-the-art network for as long as you own device without paying another cent.  That's a great deal!

It's back-to-school time and with that comes a lot of extracurricular activities too.  For our family that means evening dance classes for our daughter and soccer practices for my son plus swimming lessons for them both on the weekends.  Her dance studio doesn't have Wi-Fi, neither does the pool or the soccer fields.  I don't want to drain my data plan on my phone and my other tablet only connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi so if I want to read e-mails, check weather or traffic reports, surf the web, update my blog, or interact via social media I'm out of luck while chauffeuring my kids to their activities and school functions.   This T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet provides parents dependable access to the Internet without breaking the bank.  If you are a parent who knows they are going to be on the go this fall you really should check this device out!

The Trio would also be a good tablet for children.  My 5 year old twins were very capable of using it and it was sturdy enough I wasn't worried they would break it but also light enough that it wasn't to heavy or bulky for them to be uncomfortable carrying it.  Based upon the data limits you also know that your kids won't be using it for video games and watching movies but rather for more productive uses of their time.  Plus the data cap seems like a nice tool to teach them responsibility of managing their time online because they will get cut off if they reach that 200MB limit so they have to weigh that into determining what they want to do online.  So this is a great buy for parents or kids!

In addition to taking the Trio AXS to the zoo, I also took it the park with my kids the other day.  The weather forecasts had been for rain but it had been a sunny day outside.  There's no Wi-Fi access at the park but I was able to keep an eye on the local radar weather maps through the tablet's T-Mobile service.  While it didn't look cloudy I could see rain coming into the radar picture after we'd been there for about an hour so I packed up the kids and headed home.  It down poured a few minutes after we arrived home.  You have to appreciate the convenience of knowing you can take this device with you where ever you go with the assurance you can always be connected when you need to be.

You can do a lot of things with the monthly 200MB though if you want to be playing online games or streaming/downloading movies you most likely will need to upgrade and purchase a T-Mobile data plan.  For parents that are just looking to stay connected and have the convenience of accessing the Internet while out and about you should be just fine with the included free monthly data.

CLICK HERE for more information about the  T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet.