Samsung confirms record Q4 results

The fourth quarter results are in from many of the mobile players with mixed results, but Samsung's numbers are not only record setting, but they are just about where the company expected them to be earlier this month. So far, we've seen Motorola, HTC and Verizon post numbers lower than expected, which Google, Apple, and AT&T posting strong numbers.

Samsung's numbers aren't just strong, but record-breaking and even better than the company expected when they announced the estimated results a few weeks ago. Samsung posted an operating profit of 5.3 trillion won ($4.72 billion USD) with sales of 47 trillion won ($42 billion USD). 5.3 trillion won in profit is a 76% increase over Q4 2010.

Samsung’s mobile business specifically posted an operating profit of 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 billion USD) in Q4 because of huge mobile phone shipments of a record 35 million units. Unfortunately, even with the record Q4, and a rise in full-year revenue, Samsung's full-year net profit of 13.7 trillion won was down 15% year-on-year.

Samsung Sells 5 Million Galaxy S II Smartphones In South Korea

Back in September Samsung announced that they had sold over 10 million Samsung Galaxy S II smartphones, and now the company has announced that they have now sold over 5 million Galaxy S II devices in their domestic market, South Korea.

It took Samsung just 9 months to reach the 5 million Galaxy S II devices sold in South Korea, and the Samsung Galaxy S II is probably one of the most popular Android smartphones available on the market today.

Samsung also announced last October that they had sold a total of 30 million Galaxy S smartphones to date, and we suspect this number will be boosted considerably when the company unveils the new Samsung Galaxy S III. We are expecting Samsung to announced the Galaxy S III at Mobile World Congress 2012, which takes place in Barcelona next month, and we suspect that the new device could end up being even more popular than the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Samsung Galaxy S II 1080p HD video sample:

Samsung Star 3 And Star 3 Duos Mobile Phones Announced

Samsung has added a couple of new mobile phones to its range with the launch of the Samsung Star 3 and the Star 3 Duos, which will launch in Russia at first and will then be available in Europe and other countries around the world.

The two handsets share the same specifications, except that the Star 3 Duos comes with a dual SIM card slot allowing you to use two seperate SIM cards on the handset. The Star 3 and Star 3 Duos feature a 3 inch QVGA TFT LCD touchscreen display and a 3.2 fixed focus megapixel camera, and it also runs Samsung’s TouchWiz Lite.

“We are pleased to launch the Star 3 and Star 3 DUOS, a further enhanced version of the bestselling Samsung Star series. With the new Star 3 touch phones, Samsung continues to offer the best social networking experiences and opportunities for our feature phone users,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. There are no details on pricing or availability as yet on the Samsung Star 3 and the Star 3 Duos, you can find out more information over at Samsung.

Samsung Star 3 and Star 3 DUOS:

Apple Injunction to Ban Samsung Smartphones in US Denied

Apple's Injunction in U.S court to ban two of Samsung Galaxy Smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is halted for the time. The judge Lucy Koh denied the appeal and stated, that “it is not clear that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed."

A United States judge has denied Apple’s formal request for an injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy family of smartphones and tablets. “It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung’s accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed,” San Jose U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said. Samsung was pleased with Koh’s decision. “This ruling confirms our long-held view that Apple’s arguments lack merit,” Samsung lawyer Jason Kim said. Apple has accused Samsung of “slavishly copying” its products and could still come out as the winner in the patent infringement lawsuit. The two companies have similar cases underway around the world. An Australian judge recently lifted a ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia after ruling the initial injunction was “not terribly fair” to Samsung. Samsung released a tweaked Galaxy Tab 10.1N after the original model was banned in Germany, though the new model is now the target of an Apple complaint as well, and lawsuits are going on inJapan and France, too

Samsung Officially Confirms Android ICS Update for Galaxy Devices in Q1-2012

Samsung has officially confirmed the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade schedule for its current line-up of smartphones and tablets, promising that the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note will see Android 4.0 in Q1 2012. Eight devices are listed as in line for upgrades, including the Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy R smartphones and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Specific timescales for each model – as well as carrier variants – will follow.

Now, Samsung took advantage in confirming the list of devices that are eligible for an upgrade along with a tentative period. According to Samsung, the devices that are eligible for an Android ICS upgrade are Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, Samsung Galaxy R, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Samsung clarifies that, the update availability will vary according to region and carrier requirements.

Samsung did not mention the highest sold Samsung Galaxy S in the list and the other models in the Galaxy range. This can be because of the minimum device hardware requirements for running Android ICS or the company might have parked them for the next slot.

Samsung Galaxy Note For AT&T Confirmed At CES

The Samsung Galaxy Note more than a few times in the recent weeks. With multiple leaks and even press images rocking the AT&T logo we’ve had a pretty good idea it was coming. Not to mention Anymode spilling the beans. Now that our team is all here at CES ready to rock, we’re seeing plenty of the AT&T branded Galaxy Note being advertised.

Samsung is ready to bring their 5.3″ Super AMOLED HD packing smartphone tablet hybrid to the states. Since first being unveiled at IFA late last year we’ve been patiently awaiting more details. As we our wandering the halls and streets here at CES we are seeing plenty of posters around. It looks to be headed to AT&T and soon, with the standard 4 Android capacitive touch buttons on board.

The images don’t reveal much and don’t mention anything about 4G or LTE but I’m sure we’ll hear all the details from Samsung and AT&T shortly — not to mention the SlashGear team will run and get hands-on as soon as possible. Samsung recently announced an LTE version of the exciting Galaxy Note so hopefully AT&T will add the Note to their ever expanding LTE lineup.

Samsung GALAXY Note (SGH 1717) 4G LTE AT&T Early 2012 CES Launch:

Sprint announces the Samsung M370 – simple and practical

Here comes a new offering from Sprint that is built with practicality in mind – the Samsung M370. It is a budget-friendly clam-shell handset that is suitable for those that use their phone primarily for calling.

As you might expect, it doesn't come loaded with anything fancy. The Samsung M370 offers a humble, 2.4-inch QVGA display, an external screen for notifications, and a basic, 1.3-megapixel camera. It weighs 3.7 ounces, and its 1000mAh battery should provide up to 5.4 hours of talk time. You also get a built-in speakerphone, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wired headset can be hooked up to it via the 3.5-millimeter jack. As far as color availability are concerned, you can have it in any color, as long as it is “Pewter Gray”.

The Samsung M370 will be available in Sprint retail stores starting January 8 and will cost $20, should you agree to sign a 2-year contract with the carrier. Subscribers are free to choose any of Sprint's current plans.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note To Feature NFC

The rest of the world has been enjoying its time with the Samsung Galaxy Note for a number of months now but we’re yet to see it on this side of the world – until now. Well, the device still isn’t in the country yet, but the folks over at Sammobile.com were recently tipped off with some information and a picture showing the phone-tablet wearing the AT&T badge. According to the tip, the phone will also arrive with a new feature not present on the European models: an NFC chip. Since NFC still hasn’t really taken off in the US yet, it’s no big deal, but I guess that’s one way to keep the phone future proofed.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is said to be released in the US sometime in Q1 or Q2 this year (which is a vague date – meaning it could arrive anytime from now until June, but let’s hope it’s not the latter).

Android:
Android is mobile operating system from Google. The software was originally built by a company called Android Inc, that was purchased by Google in 2005. From its modest debuts, Android has become a powerhouse that powers not only smartphones and tablet, but a host of other less high-profile devices and gadgets. Although Android is not a community-driven project, Google does release the source code as open-source under the Apache license.

NFC:
stands for Near Field Communication, which is a standard for low-speed wireless short range communications between electronic devices. Popular applications of NFC are public transportation passes and some form of electronic wallet, but many more applications remains to be tested and implemented. NFC is a cousin of RFID and uses some of the same communications protocols.

NFC - SAMSUNG GALAXY S 2 - MWC 2011:

Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 ICS Alpha Update Leaked

The official ROM of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung galaxy s2 leaked and available for download. The dual-core smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S2 was considered top of the list to get the Android 4.0 update along with the Install Latest Android 4.0 ICS.

So, here is instruction on how to install Android 4.0.3 XXKP8 on your Samsung Galaxy S2. Before you start, please note that this is version Android 4.0.3 for Samsung Galaxy S2 not is official releases by Samsung and lot of function still not fully work. This leaked Of Android 4.0 ROM For Galaxy S2 still in testing stage, please try at your own risk. The method to install Android 4.0.3 XXKP8 is almost similar to install Android 4.0 (1st leaked version of Android 4.0 for Galaxy S2), so you can refer to the tutorial (Link) and then flash each of the files below to Galaxy S2.

The downloaded file , I9100XXKP8_I9100OXAKP8.rar includes of 7 files:
GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKP8.tar.md5
I9100_CODE_I9100XXKP8_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5
I9100_EFS_I9100XXKP8_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5 [not to be used]
I9100_KERNEL_I9100XXKP8_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5 [not to be used]
MODEM_I9100XXKP8_REV_02_CL1092599.tar.md5

Then you need to select these files in Odin for tabs:
PDA Tab: I9100_CODE_I9100XXKP8_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md
Phone Tab: MODEM_I9100XXKP8_REV_02_CL1092599.tar.md5

CSC: GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKP8.tar.md5

PIT tab: u1_02_20110310_emmc_EXT4.pit

SGS2 I9100XXKP8 Android 4.0.3:

Samsung says 25 million of its phones have Carrier IQ

In response to statements made by Senator Al Franken (D-SNL) demanding more information relating to Carrier IQ, Korean manufacturer Samsung hand delivered a letter to the Senator on Wednesday that revealed that Carrier IQ was preloaded on 25 million of its handsets that have been sold since 2007. Most of the phones with Carrier IQ are not Android models and are featurephones, according to Samsung. And like HTC, Samsung is not a customer of the data collection company which means that it has never taken a glance at any data collected.

Samsung hand delivered a letter Wednesday to Senator Al Franken

Samsung hand delivered a letter Wednesday to Senator Al Franken
In addition to the 25 million handsets with Carrier IQ, Samsung says that some of its phones might contain components of Carrier IQ and could trigger some of the available CIQ detector apps. However, the software on these units is dormant and there is no word on whether or not this software will be removed from the phones. Samsung's official comment on this reads, "Because the CIQ agent and other required CIQ software components are not installed, however, these vestigial elements do not and will not function on these devices, and therefore, the devices do not transmit (and never have transmitted) any user data using any CIQ software functionality."

While there is no word on which phones have the dormant CIQ code, Samsung did release a list of its Android models that contain Carrier IQ. Those models include the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket for AT&T. Sprint models include the Samsung Moment, Samsung Epic 4G, Samsung Intercept, Samsung Transform, Samsung Galaxy Tab (original 7 inch model), Samsung Galaxy Prevail, Samsung Replenish, Samsung Conquer 4G, Samsung Transform Ultra (Boost Mobile) and the Samsung Epic 4G Touch. A pair of T-Mobile branded Android phones end the list, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Exhibit II 4G.