In the last chapter, we explored the Galaxy Tab interface and a few of the unusual quirks. In this chapter we’ll continue setting up our Samsung Galaxy Tab with all the free and discounted items that were included with the purchase. Some of these items are limited time offers, so they may not be available when you read this book. However, Samsung often makes new apps to make devices compatible with each other. Keep checking the Samsung store to find more. One of the advantages of buying a Samsung tablet over a cheaper generic Android tablet is that Samsung has provided a bunch of goodies for new owners.
Note Some of these promotions, such as the free Hunger Games movie, will expire after a certain number of downloads and are only available for a limited amount of time. Take all of the promotions that are available to you, and download all of the free apps. You can delete the apps you don’t want from your device and still have access to them later if you change your mind.
You’ll find some of your bonus content by tapping on the Galaxy Essentials/Galaxy Gifts widget, which appears by default on your Home Screen (Figure 3-1).
Figure 3-1. The Galaxy Essentials and Galaxy Gifts widget
You also had the chance to unlock a gift when you registered your Galaxy Tab (as shown in Chapter 1). Samsung offered a free Dropbox account with extra storage space, and (at least at the time of my registration) you had the chance to purchase a Galaxy Tab accessory at a discount.
Galaxy Essentials
The Galaxy Essentials apps are Samsung-exclusive apps that will only work on your Samsung device and are downloaded from the Samsung app store. Some of the apps are also only useful in conjunction with another Samsung device. Tap on the Galaxy Essentials widget on the Home screen to be taken to the store (see Figure 3-2).
Figure 3-2. The Samsung Essentials
The apps include:
Milk Music: This is a streaming “radio station” app powered by Slacker Radio.
Samsung Gear: This app is useful if you have Samsung gear, including Samsung smart watches. You can use the app to pair devices and install apps on them. If you have an Android Wear watch by someone other than Samsung, use the Android Wear app.
Samsung Level: This app is intended to support the sound system for connected Samsung Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
Samsung Smart Switch Mobile: This app helps you upgrade and migrate from a previous device, such as an iPhone or an older non-Samsung Android device.
Samsung Note: This is a note-taking app that you can either sync with Evernote or with your Samsung account. If you have a Galaxy Note phone, this should be very familiar.
Owner’s Hub: This app integrates with your Samsung account and is essentially an advertising vehicle for Samsung promotions. Provide your demographic information and preferences, and it offers promotions. It also offers a lot of coupons and freebies for tablet owners.
S Translator: This is a translation app that offers support for 11 languages, and it offers the ability to translate spoken words into another language.
Group Play: Group Play is a media sharing app that allows you to share videos or songs with other Samsung users in close proximity.
Samsung Link: This is another content sharing app, but it is intended to allow you to play and transfer files on other devices you own, not among friends. An earlier version of this app was called Allshare Play.
Samsung e-Meeting: This app is designed to eliminate paper handouts during business meetings by allowing you to share PowerPoint presentations with others. It can also be used for virtual meetings, although all participants have to have the e-Meeting app.
Video Editor: As the name implies, this app allows you to make and edit videos that you record using the camera on your tablet. The app includes multiple themes.
Scrapbook: This is a picture-collecting and annotation app, similar to Evernote. It should also be familiar for Galaxy Note users.
SideSync: SideSync is a screensharing app to share your screen on Galaxy phones or computers.
Story Album: Story Album is a virtual photo scrapbooking app. Photos you compile here can also be printed out as physical book, so it’s an option for vacation photos.
Smart Tutor: This is a remote support app for diagnosing problems and/or asking quick support questions.
Galaxy Gifts
Galaxy Gifts are apps that are available for other devices but are offered to Samsung users as promotional gifts. Not all apps may be available as you read this, as there is a limited time span on some of these offers.
Evernote: This is a fantastic note-taking and web-clipping app. Samsung is offering a year of Evernote Premium service for a limited time.
Cut the Rope 2: This is a puzzle game in which you figure out how and when to cut rope in order to feed a critter a piece of candy. It’s actually pretty fun. The offer is for $15 of in-app purchases.
Hancom Office Hcell 2014: This is a premium Excel equivalent spreadsheet program.
Hancom Office Hword 2014: This is a premium Microsoft Word compatible word processor for tablets.
Hancom Office Hshow 2014: This rounds out the Office-equivalent suite with slide presentations compatible with PowerPoint.
Stitcher Radio for Podcasts: This app allows you to assemble a series (stich) of podcasts.
Box: Box is a cloud-storage app similar to Dropbox, and the offer is for 50 GB of storage for six months.
Marvel Unlimited: This is a comic book app for Marvel fans, and the offer is for a three-month trial.
The Economist: This is a six-month virtual newspaper subscription.
The Wall Street Journal: This is a six-month trial subscription to the famous business newspaper.
Play Newsstand: This is a six-month subscription to a “Best of” app for various popular Conde Nast magazines. Samplers available include:
- Vanity Fair
- Self
- Vogue
- Wired
- Architectural Digest
- Glamour
- Lucky
- GQ
Workout Trainer: Workout Trainer is a virtual exercise training app that offers variable workouts with video tutorials. Samsung offers a six-month “pro” subscription.
Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff: Get $15 of in-app purchases for this game.
Bitcasa: Bitcasa is another cloud storage service. Samsung offers 1 TB of free storage for three months.
Colassatron: Samsung offers this game for free (normally $.99) and some bonus content.
Asphalt 8: Samsung offers unlocked bonus content.
Fruit Ninja Android: Download this app for free and get extra content.
EasyDo Tablet: This app offers public transit alerts, trending Instagram photos, birthday tracking, and other services. Samsung offers a six-month trial subscription to add support and flight tracking.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn offers a three-month Premium subscription.
PayPal: The Samsung PayPal app can use the fingerprint reader on the Galaxy Tab, but Samsung is also throwing in $50 in coupons to select merchants when you pay using PayPal.
NYTimes Breaking News: Get a 12-week trial subscription and stop hitting your 10-article limit every month.
M-Go Movies + TV: This is a movie and TV rental and purchasing app. Samsung is offering a $13 coupon for services.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab also comes with a limited promotion for a free download of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. You download these movies by first downloading the Hunger Games app from Google Play and then using it to download the movies. The app will detect that you have the proper device.
As of this writing, Samsung offered a bonus purchase of an accessory such as a case (including ones with a built-in keyboard) for half price. Before you go too crazy, here are a few things to keep in mind.
The keyboard cases are often out of stock or backordered, and they’re probably listed as double the price that Samsung wants to charge, anyway. Rather than anchoring yourself at a much higher price (currently $149 for a matching bronze keyboard case, so $75 with the discount), think of half price as the FULL price for that accessory and then do some comparison shopping from third-party vendors. A quick search on Amazon showed a number of $30 keyboard cases for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5. If you take your tablet with you to an electronics store such as Best Buy, you can probably find exactly what you need for less than Samsung’s full price.
To redeem your Samsung offer:
- Create a Samsung account (Chapter 1 goes over this).
- Register your Galaxy Tab S.
- Receive the offer by email.
Summary
In this chapter, we explored the main sources for free or discounted Samsung content, including sample magazines, movies, free apps, and discounts on accessories.
In the next chapter, we’ll dive deeper into apps and learn about three easy places to download apps for your device.