Three UK Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 Update Released

South Korean, Polish, Swedish, and Hungarian Galaxy S II's have already been updated to Android 4.0, and the unlocked version of the phone has been upgraded in the UK, too. The key word there is "unlocked" — if you've got a UK carrier-locked variant, you might notice your phone is stubbornly stuck in heap of Gingerbread, awaiting carrier approval before getting the update. Thankfully, we've got a few details on when you can expect Ice Cream Sandwich: Three UK has confirmed that its users are receiving the update now (connect to the Kies software to do so), and O2 UK says it'll upgrade the phones in the beginning of April. Orange and Vodafone haven't given an ETA, but they have both confirmed that they're working on it, and T-Mobile UK, meanwhile, hasn't even said that it's making progress on the update. If you can't wait, you can of course (unofficially) load the ROM onto the phone yourself, or you can take a look at our hands-on with the update to see what you're missing.

samsung galaxy nexus (android 4.0.3 UPDATE UK):

New Samsung Galaxy S III Image Leaked

With so many interested parties digging for early information about the Samsung Galaxy S III, the successor to its immensely popular Galaxy S II Android handset, it's no surprise that multiple sources are claiming to strike gold with leaked images and specs. Netherlands-based mobile blog GSM Helpdesk (in Dutch) is the latest to post an image that it claims is none other than the anticipated smartphone, and an official press shot at that. There's a fair chance this could be the real thing, at least design-wise--the phone's shape in the image is almost identical to one that posted on Reddit earlier this week.

There are a few differences, though. First, this image depicts an interface that looks like it could be Android 2.3 Gingerbread and not the expected Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS (although it isn't clear what that will look like with Samsung's typical TouchWiz skin.) Second, the navigation array may differ in these two photos--a central hardware button on one and three touch-sensitive buttons on the other--but that's also in keeping with various global models of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Samsung Galaxy Note, for instance.

When can we expect Samsung's official proclamation of the Galaxy S III? Internet chatter points to a May 22 press conference in London. Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S III will pack in a 1.5GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 4.8-inch HD AMOLED screen, and support for LTE. It's also expected to have a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and playback, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera capable of shooting 720p HD video, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC support.

More Photos of Samsung Galaxy S III Leaked (Plus Jailbreak for The New iPad):

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 II Running Android 4.0 Official ROM

We’ve seen Android Ice Cream Sandwich getting ported or leaked for many devices, including the unlikely Samsung Galaxy S, Amazon Kindle Fire and HP TouchPad. Well, those were all unofficial release, but this time we have something truly official: the leaked ICS ROM for Samsung Galaxy S II, that has just been tried on by the guys of Pocketnow.com.

They also made a video showing their experience, that you can check out below. The Galaxy S II runs Android 4.0.3, apparently with an improved TouchWiz, that to me looks exactly the same. Also, the handset is now more stable, it’s really fast, smooth and even the battery life improved. Android 4.0 has arrived on this phone before, via custom ROMs, so we know what to expect here. The Robot font looks nice on the crisp Super AMOLED Plus display and the Exynos dual core 1.2 GHz CPU seems to fit the experience like a glove.


Well, Gingerbread may have become sluggish if you had a ton of updating widgets enabled, but that’s in the past now, courtesy of ICS. The performance upgrades are also pretty clear, as shown by everyday use (Video below) and a couple of benchmarks, generating 6257 points in AnTuTu, 4225 in Quadrant and 2517 in SmartBench. I guess that it’s only a matter of time till all the Galaxy S II (tens of millions) units get the update to the latest Android, which Samsung promised for Q1 by the way.

Samsung Galaxy S II Running the Official Ice Cream Sandwich ROM XXLPQ:

Samsung Rugby Smart Gets Official, Lands On AT&T March 4th

It was only a matter of time, we suppose. After having seen the Samsung Rugby Smart poke its head out from time to time, Samsung's new rugged smartphone is officially hitting AT&T stores on March 4th. Much like the Pantech Element, the Rugby Smart will be "waterproof," meaning it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in one meter of water. The phone itself is built to mil-spec 810F standards, so it's going to handle most extreme conditions pretty well. So let's list off the specs we've heard so far: it will launch with Android 2.3 -- shocker, we know -- as well as a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED panel, 4GB of internal storage, 1,650mAh battery and a 1.3MP front-facing shooter for video chat along with a 5MP rear facing autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p video capture. The Smart will also be 12.19mm thick (also not a surprise, given its rugged nature) and weigh 4.2 ounces. We don't know what CPU's inside yet, but we'll update as soon as we find out. To check out all the extreme details, head to the videos and press release under the break.

New Samsung Rugby Smart Mobile Minute:

Samsung Rugby Smart Durability Test:

Samsung’s Featurephones To Come With Opera Mini Browser

Very soon Opera Software will receive a significant usage boost of its Opera Mini browser after it announced that it has partnered with Korean smartphone giant Samsung to preload the software on a number of its feature phone devices. Opera Mini will be available on Star3, Star 3 Duos, Champ Deluxe and Champ Deluxe Duos range, with scope to add more devices throughout the year, providing owners with faster browsing using it’s server side webpage compression technology.

The slimline browser cuts down page-load times to a tenth of their original size, consuming upto 90% less data in the process. This makes it a fantastic tool for featurephone users on lower value mobile tariffs or in emerging countries where data access is at a premium. It doesn’t stop there though, Opera Mini provides tab support, a password manager, Opera Link (to connect accounts) and Speed Dial, to allow instant access to a user’s favourite websites. In December, the browser-maker signed an agreement with Taiwanese semiconductor company MediaTek that saw Opera Mini bundled with MediaTek’s Runtime Environment (MRE) platform.

MediaTek, one of the leading chipset manufacturers servicing regions like the Asia-Pacific, sees more than 40 percent of all phones in the Indian mobile market running on its chips. The MRE platform is a layer that allows third-party software companies to develop integrated apps for MediaTek’s affordable smart feature phones. The Samsung deal looks set to solidify Opera Mini’s position as the most popular mobile browser in the world – it’s already seeing 160 million monthly unique users.

Opera Mini Browser on Samsung Wave/Wave II (Demo on s8530):

Samsung Exhilarate announced for AT&T; LTE-powered, eco-friendly smartphone for under $50

Here is a smartphone that is built with the environment in mind – the Samsung Exhilarate. Constructed from 80 percent recycled post-consumer materials, the device successfully meets a number of sustainability standards. That is why it has been given a Platinum certification by UL Environment – a group of folks that determine how “green” a certain product is.

At the same time, the Samsung Exhilarate should deliver a decent Android experience, and while we are not expecting to see any spectacular hardware under its hood, its front is occupied by a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. Both a front-facing and a rear camera are on board, along with an LTE radio for speedy access to the internet. The Samsung Exhilarate is planned to launch on AT&T in the forthcoming months, and getting your hands on one will not cost you more than $50.

Pantech Burst, Pantech Element & Samsung Exhilarate Affordable LTE Phones Announced at CES 2012:

Samsung Star 3 and Star 3 Duos unveiled: smarter feature phones

Samsung has just announced the newest edition of its feature phone superstar - the Samsung Star 3 and Samsung Star 3 Duos promise to make feature phones smarter with better social networking, Samsung’s ChatON and an extremely affordable price tag.

The Samsung Star 3 comes with a 3-inch capacitive QVGA LCD display, a 3.2-megapixel camera which can record QCIF videos, the TouchWiz Lite user interface and 20MB of internal memory extendible via a microSD card slot accepting cards of up to 16GB. In terms of connectivity, you get EDGE speeds, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. The battery is 1,000mAh. So overall, in terms of hardware features, the Star 3 looks almost identical to the second-gen Samsung Star.

When speaking about the features, the most notable addition is ChatON - Samsung’s free messaging platform, which a welcome addition on a feature phone. You also have stereo FM radio with RDS and a music player with SoundAlive.

Designwise, the Samsung Star 3 is not a revolutionary change - the screen sizes are the same, the looks and weight nearly identical, but the devices has become slightly wider and thinner. Save for the support for two SIM cards, the Samsung Star 3 Duo is virtually identical to its single SIM sibling. The two devices are ready for an almost immediate release in late January in Russia, and they are also gearing up to arrive in CIS, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Star 3 Duos will also make an appearance in Southwest Asia.

Samsung Star 3 and Star 3 DUO:

Samsung Ships 700,000 Galaxy Notes In South Korea

Samsung will be making a big push on the new Galaxy Note in the US this weekend, as the company is showing off a special Galaxy Note advert during this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Samsung recently announced that they had sold over 1 million Galaxy Note devices around the world, and now the company has announced that they have sold over 1 million Galaxy Note smartphones in their home country of South Korea.

Samsung are obviously hoping that the US launch of the Galaxy note will increase their number significantly, and we suspect that this hybrid smartphone and tablet device will be popular in the US. As a reminder the Samsung Galaxy Note comes with a a 5.3 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, processing is provided by a dual core 1.4GHz processor and it comes with Android Gingerbread 2.3, plus dual cameras, on the back there is an 8 megapixel camera with an LED flash, on the front there is a 2 megapixel camera for video chat.

NEW White Samsung Galaxy Note - Korea ONLY:

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G For T-Mobile Announced

T-Mobile has just announced another smartphone that will be made available to the masses – the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. This is another handset that will fall under T-Mobile’s range of 4G devices, the third actually, where the Galaxy S Blaze 4G will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor that runs on dual-cores at 1.5GHz. Not only that, your eyes will also appreciate the brilliant Super AMOLED touch screen display alongside a host of pre-loaded entertainment to help you get started right out of the box. No idea on pricing, but we do know that the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is being prepared for a release slightly down the road. Patience, my friend, is the key to unlocking its promise. It runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, although whether an Ice Cream Sandwich update is coming down the road or not remains to be seen.

Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA, has this to say, “Consumers want the accessibility and entertainment capabilities that smartphones offer, and we’re committed to providing a range of 4G device options. The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is the latest smartphone that enables consumers to unlock the full potential of T-Mobile’s faster 4G network. With a compelling set of entertainment features, paired with our Unlimited Value and Monthly4G plans, we’re continuing to make it easy and affordable for consumers to experience the benefits of 4G.”

T-Mobile announces the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G available 'later this year':

White Samsung Galaxy SII Lands On T-Mobile December 14th

We heard a while back that the white Samsung Galaxy S II would be headed to US mobile carrier T-Mobile, and now T-Mobile has confirmed that the device will be available on their network from the 14th of December 2011.

T-Mobile haven’t released any pricing about the white version, although the standard version retails for $229 when you sign up to a new 24 month contract, and we suspect it will be priced the same.

The Galaxy S II on T-Mobile features a 4.52 inch WVGA Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display, there is also Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread and it features a dual core 1.5GHz processor. Other specifications include an 8 megapixel camera which can record HD video in 1080p and it also features a front facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video chat.

More information's:
http://www.netbooknews.com/41063/white-samsung-galaxy-sii-arriving-on-t-mobile/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+netbooknews%2Fnbn+%28Netbook+News%29

Samsung Galaxy S II White - Hands On:

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket brings fireworks inside a man's pocket

Recently we published some news on a pair of Apple iPhone 4S units that suffered from spontaneous combustion. And with Apple's legal team alleging that the Korean based manufacturer has been copying Apple's designs for its own products, it is an amazing coincidence that a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket literally exploded in a man's pocket. The man felt a burning sensation down his leg and when he reached to pullout his phone he smelled something burning. And in his hand was one literally hot handset.

Yes, Samsung was hoping that the model would explode in the U.S. and become a hot product, but not exactly like this. And perhaps the Korean based manufacturer had an idea that something like this could happen when it tacked on "Skyrocket" to the name of the phone. The charred model was a variant of the hugely successful Samsung Galaxy S II that is enabled for AT&T's fledging LTE network.

More information's:
http://www.bgr.com/2011/12/01/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-skyrocket-explodes-in-mans-pocket/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBoyGeniusReport+%28BGR+%7C+Boy+Genius+Report%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Unboxing:

Concept Samsung ISD Phone.

Concept smartphone – Samsung device with a 720p display. The handset is bigger than the iPhone, a bit wider and comes with an 8 megapixel camera at the back and front, strange as that may seem. The Samsung ISD supports fingerprint authentication, sliding on the screen for navigation purposes and more. Inside there’s a Hummingbird CPU and the phone is supposed to run the latest version of Windows Phone OS. ISD is a device with an edge to edge display, something that we’ve been waiting to become reality for a while now. Interestingly the front camera is integrated into the top left side here and will probably give a great videocall experience if this model has LTE connectivity.

iPhone 5 Concept Features Details and features of iPhone 5: