Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 ICS Update Delayed?

When we met with Samsung General Manager Tim Wagner in Miami one of the things we talked about was the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Samsung Galaxy Note. With Ice Cream Sandwich being a hybrid update of sorts for both phones and tablets, and the Galaxy Note being both a phone and a tablet, we thought that Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, was a natural fit for the Galaxy Note. Samsung must have agreed with that logic at some point because they originally announced that the Galaxy Note, along with the Samsung Galaxy S II would see Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, before the end of Q1.

Today, Gottabemobile reported that Samsung Norway has told customers that they won’t see an Android 4.0 upgrade until sometime in the second quarter of 2012. Norway was presumed to be one of the first markets on tap for the upgrade for their customers with the Galaxy Note.

As we know all to well, the U.S. is usually last to see an Android OS update, and most definitely after their international counterparts. This could mean we won’t see the Ice Cream Sandwich man graze the beloved Galaxy Note until late in the second quarter or perhaps even Q3. The Galaxy Note is primed for the upgrade. After switching from a Galaxy Nexus to a Galaxy Note there were intuitive functions of Ice Cream Sandwich that would only feel natural on the 5.3″ phoneblet.

Galaxy Note Android 4.0 ICS :

Samsung Galaxy S III About To Go Into Production?

The Samsung’s Galaxy S III rumor mill has been gathering plenty of momentum lately, and it’s not hard to see why. The hotly-anticipated device is set to feature a 1080p full HD, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, and if the projected release frames ring true, will go head-to head with the iPhone 5.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is the most successful Android smartphone to date, and only recently won ‘Best Smartphone’ at the MWC 2012. As well as the award and popularity, the device also now supports the Big G’s latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3), after the mobile OS began rolling out to devices two days ago.

Reports on a release time have been somewhat conflicting, with some predicting April, while others a little later. The last coverage we gave of an ETA was earlier this month, when ZDNet Korea claimed to have confirmed the release date as indeed next month, in April.

According to Android Spin, the S III is rumored to be in production, which suggests the device will be releasing next month or, at latest, May. The Korean LCD will want to utilize the London Olympics as a marketing hub since it is a big sponsor, and although the Games don’t begin until July, the build-up and advertising is already gathering steam as we speak.

A Samsung spokesman declined to confirm the release bracket, which leaves us to play that familiar guessing game once again. With the iPhone 5 also set to drop in the coming months, though, Samsung will be keen to nab a few Apple loyalists with its next flagship device.

Samsung Galaxy S3: What to Expect:

Samsung Galaxy Nexus To Cost $289 On Verizon?

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google’s first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device will go on sale in the UK on the 17th of November, it is also expected to launch on Verizon Wireless in the US on or around that date, although Verizon has yet to confirm the exact launch date. Verizon also hasn’t revealed any details on how much the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus will cost when it lands on their network, but now it would appear that the Galaxy Nexus will retail for $289 when you sign up to a new two year contract.

According to the guys over at Android Central, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has appeared in the Costco inventory system for $289 with a two year contract, although this has not been confirmed by Verizon as yet. The Samsung Galaxy comes with some impressive specifications which include a 4.65 inch HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, plus a dual core 1.2GHz processor. The Galaxy Nexus also features an advanced 5 megapixel camera which can record full HD video, and it will be the first Android device to launch wioth Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

More information's:
http://www.androidcentral.com/costco-planning-sell-galaxy-nexus-289

Samsung Galaxy Note Gets Reviewed

We recently had a brief hands on with the new Samsung Galaxy Note, and now a video review of the new Samsung Galaxy Note has appeared online and we get a really good look at the Samsung Galaxy Note as well as all of its features.

The Samsung Galaxy Note will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but Samsung will be releasing the Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note later this year and it features a 5.3 inch Super AMOLED plus display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Other specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Note include a dual core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8 megapixel rear camera and a front facing 2 megapixel camera, it should be available in the UK from tomorrow, the 3rd of November.

More information's:
http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=7853

Samsung Galaxy Note review and unboxing:

Samsung wants Apple's Jonathan Ive to testify in court, and the iPhone 4S source code, too

Apple's chief product designer Jonathan Ive and others from his team have until December 1 to testify about Cupertino's claims that Samsung is infringing on its design patents with its Android phones and tablets. The deadline was November 1, but Samsung filed to extend it, since the designers would have been available after that date. From Samsung's motion:

"Mr. Satzger is a former Apple employee represented by separate counsel. He is unable to sit for deposition before November 1 because, during the month of October, his lawyer has a full deposition schedule in a separate class action matter.

Mr. Nishibori is unable to sit for deposition before November 1 because he currently is on a voluntary leave of absence from Apple.

Mr. Ive is unable to sit for deposition before November 1 for personal reasons.

Mr. Stringer is unable to sit for deposition before November 1 because of work and scheduling conflicts."

The Californian trial is actually scheduled to begin in the summer next year, and these testimonies will be used by the defense. Oh, if we could be a fly on the wall during Jony Ive's testimony a lot could be learned about the way Apple designs its products, but we are keeping the hope for some court leaks.

Meanwhile, Samsung is demanding to see the source firmware code of the Apple iPhone 4S in Australia, while its own Galaxy Tab 10.1 is still under sales ban there, and waiting for an expedited hearing. The company also wants to be shown the subsidy deals Apple has signed with different Australian carriers.

All these are a part of the counter-lawsuit Samsung launched in Australia against the new iPhone 4S, claiming it infringes on its patents for the 3G standard. The court will have to determine if these patents have been offered to Apple to license under the reasonable FRAND terms, while Samsung says these terms are not applicable to Australia.

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket unveiled: AT&T's take on 4G LTE

AT&T has just set the bar high for its 4G LTE smartphones - it has announced the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, an LTE-enabled handset with a spacious 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels.

The handset runs on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread and under the hood, a 1.5GHz dual-core processors makes it tick. An 8-megapixel rear camera allows capturing video in 1080p, while up front there’s a 2-megapixel snapper. The Galaxy S II Skyrocket features 16B of on-board memory, expandable via a microSD card by up to an additional 32 gigs.

The Galaxy S II Skyrocket release date is set for November 6th while the price will accordingly skyrocket to $249.99 when the phone is purchased with a two-year contract. The carrier has also said that it's expanding its LTE network to Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore and Athens GA, effective November 6th as well.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Turns Up On Amazon UK

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is expected to go on sale here in the UK next month, and we have already been told by one online retailer that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available in the UK from the 17th of November for £515.

Now the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has turned up on Amazon UK with a price of £549.99 and according to Amazon it will be available from the 10th of November. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus features a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixel, it will come with Android 4.o Ice Cream Sandwich, and features a dual core 1.2GHz processor. Other specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus include an advanced 5 megapixel camera which can record Full HD video in 1080p.

More information's:
http://phandroid.com/2011/10/25/samsung-galaxy-nexus-pops-up-on-amazon-540-sim-free-and-unlocked/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-Unlocked-Mobile/dp/B005XYU45E/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1319583637&sr=1-4

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Review):

Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE Lands In South Korea

Samsung recently announced their first HD smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE, which we are hoping will soon be available in the US and Europe, but it will first go on sale in South Korea from tomorrow. The Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE features a 4.65 HD Super AMOLED Display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, and it features a dual core 1.5GHz processor and will come with Android Gingerbread.

Other specifications on the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE include an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash for photos and video, plus a front facing 2 megapixel camera, an 1850 mAh battery and 16GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot, plus 802.11 b/g/n WiFi plus Bluetooth 3.0.
We are still waiting on confirmation from Samsung on when the S II HD LTE will be available in the US and Europe, although the device recently appeared at the FCC so lets hope we get an announcement from Samsung some time soon.

More information's:
http://sammyhub.com/2011/10/26/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-hd-lte-releasing-in-south-korea/

Samsung Galaxy Note Official Video Preview - (HD/HQ) Full Specification:

Samsung confirmed to use ARM's big.LITTLE chip architecture for frugal Exynos in 2012

At the ARM TechCon 2011 event we got the much desired confirmation by Samsung's VP John Kalkman, that the mobile device maker will use the new Cortex-A7 plus ARM's latest big.LITTLE architecture to build a new Exynos chip in 2012: “I’m extremely excited to announce that Samsung will deliver a new Exynos processor in 2012 that leverages both the Cortex-A7 and big.Little technology to meet the crucial demands of always-on and always-connected computing.”

The new chip paradigm does what some chipmakers like NVIDIA or TI have been doing with their multicores for a while, combining low-powered cores with high-performance ones to achieve unmatched battery vs performance ratio. ARM leverages that paradigm for its new frugal Cortex-A7 chip, which has the design of Cortex-A15, but with less oomph, and combines it with actual A15 cores for big.LITTLE, allowing racing performance when needed, and power-sipping operation during everyday tasks, making the whole system fast, but frugal and more affordable.

This news makes us jump from joy just imagining the future phones from Samsung - finally a design which is built from the ground up with the new requirements towards battery life on mobile devices. The big.LITTLE Exynos is supposed to come in the second half of 2012, although they most likely mean sampling at that time, since ARM hinted at phones with the platform not appearing until 2013. This means that the Samsung GALAXY S III will still feature the quad-core Exynos rumored, which, due to the die shrinkage should be more powerful than today's dual-core one, and at the same time more efficient. Texas Instruments has also licensed Cortex-A7 and big.LITTLE, so after TI OMAP5 we are expecting a similar chip from the Texans, not to mention they are a reference platform for Android ICS now.

In short, we can expect the performance wars to peak next year with the quad-core chippery, and the focus afterwards to shift on the power consumption/performance/affordability ratio. Not much software nowadays that can squeeze multicore processors for what they're worth anyway.

Good news! Your cell phone (might) not give you cancer!

Good news, everyone! A study in Denmark has shown that whether you use a cell phone or not, you're equally as likely to develop cancer. Wait a minute, let's brighten that up so as not to depress our readership. A study in Denmark has shown that using a cell phone won't give you cancer!

The study, by the Danish Center for Cancer and Epidemiology, was conducted over the course of 18 years, using a group of 358,403 mobile phone users. It found 356 gliomas (a type of brain cancer) and 846 cancers of the central nervous system, which lands in the same incidence rate as those who didn't use mobile phones. Even in the group of super users (those with a mobile for 13+ years) the rate was no higher for cancer.

Despite this and other studies which have come to similar conclusions, the World Health Organization has categorized cell phones along with coffee in the category of items with which a link to cancer could neither be proved or disproved. So, we can rest a little easier knowing that it's looking less likely that cell phones will give us cancer, though it's still probably best to use a hands-free device when driving.

source: BBC

Samsung GALAXY Nexus comes with a barometer, but why is that?

You already know about the main highlights of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus - bigger, with amazing HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels on a gigantic 4.65-inch display and featuring a fast qual-core processor and most importantly Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. But some of you might have noticed that the GALAXY Nexus comes with one more sensor - a barometer. Actually, it’s one of the very few devices we’ve seen (the Motorola XOOM also has it) that have a barometer, usually used for measuring atmospheric pressure.

So why is it there? Turns out, it’s not just for the sake of those measurements, but for... faster GPS lock-on. Here’s the full explanation, coming from Google’s own Dan Morril:

'' The primary purpose of the barometer is (at least, I’ve been told) to make GPS lockons faster. Locking on to a GPS involves numerically solving a 4-dimensional set of linear equations — 3 dimensions in space, and time. (Yes, you get accurate time for free if you lock on to GPS.) Because of the way GPS works, this can take a few minutes.This goes much faster if you already have an estimate of your location. This is why “aGPS” (assisted GPS) services are so popular: by starting with a rough city-level coordinate fix through something like cell-tower network location, you can reduce the amount of math you have to do to lock on. This is where the barometer comes in.The 3 dimensions in space are latitude, longitude… and altitude. The barometer gives you a reasonable first-cut estimate for altitude. This gives you a bit of a leg up on one of the dimensions — especially combined with “2D” aGPS — which can help speed up lock-on in general.Now of course, the barometer can also be used for things like, well, determining atmospheric pressure (although I’m not sure it’s really weather grade.) But the main reason it’s in your phone is to help with GPS. ''

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Headed To Three UK

We have already heard that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would go on sale in the UK next month, and it will be available with a range of mobile carriers here in the UK, we had previously heard it would be headed to Three, and they have now confirmed that it will land on their network next month.

The guys over at Three have put together a brief hands on video of the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which will come with Android Ice Cream Sandwich and features a HD display. Three haven’t given any details on how much the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will cost when it lands on Three.

More information's:
http://blog.three.co.uk/2011/10/19/galaxy-nexus-is-coming-to-three/

Sneak Peek of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Three:

Samsung Galaxy Nexus UK Price To Be £515

Samsung and Google announced their first Android Ice Cream Sandwich device, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus yesterday, we heard earlier that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would alnd in the UK in November.

Now we have some pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus here in the UK, according to the guy over at Clove, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will retail for £515 for the 16GB version SIM free, this price include taxes. Obviously the various mobile carriers will be selling the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for a subsidised price when you sign up to a new contract with the network, and we know that it is headed to Three, Vodafone and O2.

More information's:
http://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-nexus-16gb

Sneak Peak of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Three:

Samsung to supply A6 chip for iPhone 5, LG may supply screen

It seems that regardless of the contentious legal battles being waged between Apple and Samsung around the world, Apple still sees Samsung as a "critical business partner". A report from the Korean Times says that Samsung will indeed supply the quad-core A6 chip which is expected to power both the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5. The same report also says LG is still likely to be the supplier of the iPhone 5 display.

Apple had been looking at TSMC as a possible supplier of the A6 chip, but that job looks to have fallen to Samsung. The report says that TSMC will still produce customized chips designed by Apple, but that it will be limited quantities. The A6 will instead be made by Samsung using its 28-nanometer processing technology. This information is from an anonymous Korean parts supplier for Apple, who said that Samsung has been ramping up production of the A6 chip in a plant in Austin, Texas.

Neither Samsung nor Apple has officially commented, but it is interesting to note that Samsung Electronics Chief Executive Choi Gee-sung told reporters that the legal issues between the companies are being kept separate from the business relationship the companies share.

Plastic Samsung Galaxy S II fares better than glass Apple iPhone 4S in drop test

It seems such a waste of a perfectly good smartphone to perform a drop test. Fans of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Apple iPhone 4S will cringe when they view this video, but consider it a public service by those who performed the test. And while the results come out more or less as expected, it might be worth it to watch the video if it scares you into purchasing a case that might save your phone from damage next time it falls from your hand.

First up is the Apple iPhone 4S, and before the device was dropped, Siri was asked if it was afraid of falling. "I'm afraid I can't answer that." was the response. But perhaps Apple's new voice recognition system should have been afraid because the first waist high drop of the phone onto the pavement resulted in some cracked glass on the back of the phone. After the third drop, which was a face down fall from shoulder height, the Apple iPhone 4S front screen was shattered beyond use. The Samsung Galaxy S II was put through the same exact three tests an ended up with just a few scratches and no damage to the screen.

The result of the tests, performed by third party warranty company Squaretrade, really should not surprise anyone who knows that glass is easier to break than plastic. Regardless of which phone you use, if you have a propensity to drop the handset often, you should certainly invest in a case and possibly spend the extra dollars for insurance.

Samsung announces 30 million Galaxy S smartphones sold

Samsung announced that it has sold 30 million of its Galaxy S smartphones worldwide; 10 million of which were the Galaxy S II model. Samsung claims that a Galaxy S II has been sold for every second that has elapsed since its release earlier this year. Thirty million smartphones is nothing to scoff at, but we think Samsung might have some work to do to catch up to another popular competitor.

Samsung now wants to ban iPhone 4S sales in Australia and Japan

The ongoing legal battle between Apple and Samsung gets another turn as Samsung now has filed motion for an injunction on Apple iPhone 4S sales in Japan and Australia. Earlier, the Korean company said that it will try to ban sales of the iPhone 4S in France and Italy just a day after its launch as the handset allegedly infringes on its patents.

"In light of these violations, Samsung believes the sale of such Apple devices should be banned," Samsung said in a statement.

At the same time, Apple on its part says it owns a “thicket of patents,” but would only agree licensing “lower level patents.” This basically means that Apple is not there for the money like Microsoft which has reportedly signed deals with Samsung, HTC and other Android phone makers, which have to pay Redmond an undisclosed sum for every handset they make.

Apple’s goal seems to be radically different - it wants to keep some of its inventions unique to iOS.

Florian Mueller of FOSS patents went over Apple’s filings and summarized Cupertino’s strategy:

"Apple optimizes for product differentiation. Apple isn't Microsoft, which concluded a license deal with Samsung as well as eight other Android device makers. Those two companies have different business models in general and with respect to patents in particular."

So far, the legal battle between Apple and Samsung is won by the California-based company. Apple has secured injunctions against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia and Germany, while Samsung has been denied its claim for a ban on iPhone and iPad sales in the Netherlands.

Stateside, the legal battle continues. The latest hearing had US Judge Lucy Koh show the iPad and Galaxy Tab side to side and asking Samsung’s attorney which one was theirs. The attorney could not reply right away and had to resort to help from others from Samsung’s legal team.

Samsung B3410 GSM Quadband Phone

SAMSUNG Samsung B3410 GSM Quadband Phone (Unlocked) Green Model: B3410-GREEN Description: 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 Size Dimensions 102.3 x 52.4 x 15.9 mm Weight 113.7 g Display Type TFT touchscreen, 256K colors Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches - QWERTY keyboard Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3 ringtones Loudspeaker Yes 3.5mm jack Yes - DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) Memory Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall Call records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls Internal 30 MB Card slot microSD, up to 8GB Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps 3G No WLAN No Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP Infrared port No USB Yes, v2.0 Camera Primary 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels Video Yes, QVGA at 13fps Secondary No Features Messaging SMS (threaded view) Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording Games Yes GPS No Java Yes, MIDP 2.0 - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player - MP4/H.263/H.264 player - Organizer - Google Search, Widgets - Voice memo - Predictive text input Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 960 mAh Stand-by Up to 640 h Talk time Up to 10 h 40 min.

Samsung B3410:

Samsung Galaxy S 2 cell phone with nice TouchWiz 4.0 and cool zoom

The new Samsung Galaxy S 2 cell phone cell phone is cool. The zoom feature looks incredibly slick. They already use pinch to zoom. You have the choice to use gestures, double tap or pinch to zoom. I love that they’re doing some new and interesting things atop Android with TouchWiz 4.0. Kinda like the new version of TouchWiz. This will probably be my next Android, phone, The Galaxy S 2 will be available in Germany early in May. When is it coming to the states is what I want to know.

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 cell phone features include a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 800 x 480 display, an 8 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, a 1GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3, HSPA+, WiFi, 512MB RAM, and 16GB internal storage. This and the supposed HTC Evo 3D are looking like nice contenders. Gorgeous phone, major contender for best phone on the market, well, best phone not yet on the market.

More information's:
http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-galaxy-s2-touchwiz-4-0-special-features-demo-exclusive-20110325/

Samsung Galaxy S 2 Mobile Phone:

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II cell phone now on Sale

The AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II cell phone is so thin and lightweight you won’t even realize it’s in your pocket. Voice quality is superb. The dual core processor makes the phone perform at lightening fast speeds. The 8MP rear camera takes excellent photo. The 2MP front facing camera is also great, to be a front facing camera. It has the latest and best version of Android 2.3.4. This phone is excellent for browsing, playing music and watching videos. The 4.3-inch screen shows very clear texts and photo with the Super Amoled screen.

More information's:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/02/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-now-available-on-atandt-for-200/

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on: