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Thursday 12 April 2012

Samsung Galaxy Nexus my way: Joshua Muñoz


Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Seeing as how we've got this new rootin', tootin', fancypants series showing off how us Android Central staffers set up our phones, I figured I'd volunteer myself, write this little doodad, and step up to the plate. I don't move from phone-to-phone as often as my gadget lust would like (hey, I'm on a student's budget, ya know?), but no matter what device I've got, I tend to set them up the exact same way. Steel yourselves, and when you're ready to have your minds blown, join me after the break.

My ROM!

Josh's Galaxy Nexus
I'm a tinkerer by trade, and while I think Google totally nailed it with Ice Cream Sandwich, I've been spoiled far too long by custom ROMs like CyanogenMod. Even if bone dry stock is awesome, knowing there are options where I can tweak even the smallest settings, I'll have to give them a try. After asking the Google+ community (thanks, guys!), I settled not​ on CM9, but Team Kang's AOKP ROM (Milestone 4 version, if you're curious).
Josh's Galaxy Nexus
What made Team Kang's ROM so compelling, especially in a world awash with custom ROMs for the developer phone? Two words: ROM Control.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Hop into the ROM Control menu and you're shown more options than you can shake a stick at. Want to mess with your UI? Done. Not digging the default lock screen? Mess with it. Looking for specific options to be on your power menu? You can do it.
When I first flashed Milestone 4, after getting my home screens set up, this was my next destination. I messed with my power menu options, signal text, and a whole host of other stuff.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus
And, because I'm a CyanogenMod veteran, I also changed the default settings options on the dropdown notification menu to get them more in line with what I'm used to. (I like me some quick access buttons.)

My home screens!

Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Despite being an app reviewing, ROM flashing, phone buying, power user, I have to keep my screens simple. When your phone is inundated with apps waiting to be reviewed, the thought of adding any of them to a home screen doesn't seem appealing at all, so I take the utilitarian approach and add only what I absolutely need.
One swipe to the left, you've got my calendar widget, courtesy of Business Calendar. It's a simple, nearly-transparent widget that scrolls like a champ, lets me add events as needed, and shows all of my upcoming stuff across every calendar I've created. In trying to balance writing here and student teaching at school, getting everything documented and organized has been absolutely pivotal in making sure there's no conflicts and everything gets done.
To the right of the main home screen is my quick access people widget, powered by Android Pro Widgets. Sure, it doesn't quite fit in with the whole ICS aesthetic (although themes can somewhat alleviate ​that​ issue), but it's functional, so I use it.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus
All that's left to talk about is the main screen, nestled safely in the middle. (Yeah, I'm a three screen man.) Up top is a widget by Beautiful Widgets using the Vanilla ICS clock theme and Oriental Weather HD for the weather. I've been a big supporter of Beautiful Widgets ever since they broke on the Android scene, and for good reason. If I can have a widget that looks ​that good​ on my main screen at all times, well, there's just no reason for the time to be in my notification bar. (And it's not.)
Moving south, you'll notice I just have five sets of folders. Yeah, that's it. They're all broken up into nice little categories, though, and because they're my most-used apps, opening my app drawer is almost a thing of the past. (I still do it to scroll around and watch the neat animations, though.)
Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
The farthest left folder holds my travel apps, Tripit, Fly Delta, and FlightTrack. I might not be gallivanting around the country as often as my superiors here, but I'm in the air often enough that having these these apps is really a lifesaver.
Moving on over, I've got all my finance stuff. I use American Express, Mint.com, ING Direct, and USAA. Between these four apps I can keep track of my bank account, credit card balance, savings accounts, and make sure I'm not going over on any budgets. Being in college and all, I'm especially aware of how I'm spending, and using this suite of apps, I can check at any time, anywhere.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Third in line is my Google folder. The Play Store, Navigation, Play Music, Offers, Schemer, and Authenticator all reside in here. I need the store to buy stuff, I'm terrible with directions, and I've got my whole music library in the cloud.
I've scored some sweet deals through Offers, and while Schemer still kind of eludes me, but I think it's neat (and has a ballin' icon). The Authenticator adds an extra level of security to my Google account, and really, let's be honest here: if my account got seriously compromised, that person (or group) would have access to just about everything.
Social apps are up, and I use Google+, Path, Plume, Facebook Messenger, and Google Talk. Google+ is just the bee's knees (seriously, Circle me), Path lets me update to Facebook and Twitter simultaneously (I know, there's more than one way to skin a cat), Plume is absolutely back on top after their ICS update, Messenger is for all my less enlightened friends (see: most of them), and Talk is Talk.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Finally, there's my fitness folder. I'll be real with you: I'm not in the shape I'd like to be. I also firmly believe that at the intersection of technology and fitness is the answer of how I'll get to where I want to be. The question really becomes, if I can keep being a huge tech nerd and shed some pounds along the way, why wouldn't I?
So I picked up a FitBit Ultra (and their accompanying app), use Endomondo to track my runs and such, and try to stay motivated and on track with C25K Pro. It's a simple setup for now, but as I (hopefully) get more intense, so will the apps I use. (Also, RunKeeper is only there because it ties in with Zombies, Run!, and I'm counting down the days until it's released on Android.)

​My apps! (the other​ ones)

I know, I just listed a ton of apps. So to save your sanity, this'll be like a quick shot rundown of other apps I have and love.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
I spend far too much on Amazon, Chrome to Phone is insanely useful to send things like maps straight to ol' Mr. Nexy, Dropbox keeps my files in the cloud, Foursquare makes revealing my location easy when I feel like it (maybe too​ easy...), and Light Flow seems mandatory for anyone with a phone that supports more than three notification colors.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus Josh's Galaxy Nexus
Mobile Metronome has been essential in all of my music studies, while ROM Manager is one of the old guard of root-only apps. Alongside ROM Manager stands Root Explorer, another of the root-only bastion, and Slice keeps all the stuff being shipped to me organized, even if I do have to grant it access to my Gmail inbox. Tapatalk 2 keeps my forum addiction at bay, and Titanium Backup is another staple of the root-only bunch.
Josh's Galaxy Nexus
And the last page of apps is kind of like the table of smelly kids in the cafeteria, except for Vlingo, Google Voice, Google Wallet, and WeatherBug Elite. So it's really not like the smelly kids table at all. Go figure.
So that's my setup. My Galaxy Nexus is the only phone to my name right now, but you can rest assured, whenever I pick up a new phone, this is just about how it'll look. (I'm a creature of habit.) Keep your eyes peeled for more articles like this in the series, and don't be afraid to share yours with us as well!
All you need to do is saunter on over to the Android Central lounge, write one of these up, and show it off to the Android world. Recommend any awesome setups folks have by hitting the News Tip button, and we'll check it out. Let's create the most epic repository of Android setups ever, because after all, this is the best Android blog on the 'net.

'Berry pink' Galaxy Note launches in Korea


Android Central
If the one thing standing in the way of your buying a Galaxy Note was the lack of a garish pink shell, then you'll be pleased to see that Samsung has addressed your concerns with today's launch of the Note in "berry pink" in South Korea. It's unclear whether Samsung plans to plans to bring this model to international markets, but for now it says it's targeting "the female consumer and the younger generation" with the new pink Note. Naturally, it includes a equally pink "S Pen" stylus and optional pink protective cover. The pink version will join the white and "carbon blue" versions which have been available since late October 2011.
Perhaps a little more interesting to smartphone nerds outside of Korea is the appearance of ICS-based software in today's promotional images for the pink Note -- that's unmistakably the ICS, not Gingerbread search widget in the image above. Then again, we've known for some time that the Note is due an update to Android 4.0, so it's not too surprising to see the updated software shown off in a promotional shot.
The "berry pink" Samsung Galaxy Note launches today in stores across South Korea.

Wind Mobile Nexus S getting its ICS update OTA (Edit: Videotron, too!)


Nexus S
Wind customers with a Samsung Nexus S should get ready for the big OTA to Ice Cream Sandwich, as it appears to be rolling out now. AC reader Vic Singh tweeted in to let us know that his Nexus S was updating, and we knew that you guys would want to know. You'll need to be stock, with the stock recovery to accept the update (unlocked boot loaders are OK), and make sure your battery is charged up -- it takes a lot of the precious juice.
We still aren't seeing OTA updates en masse for the AT&T or Sprint versions, but they are in the wild, so keep a look out. When you get it, be sure to holler out so we can pass the good news along!
Edit: jcaplette points out in the comments that Videotron has its OTA rolling out as well.  Appears that all AWS Nexus S phones in North America are getting the update. Sweet!

Ice Cream Sandwich factory images now available for the Sprint Nexus S 4G


Nexus S 4G
A few days back, Sprint announced the update to Ice Cream Sandwich was ready to go, and today Jean-Baptiste Queru (the AOSP guru at Google) has announced that the sojus factory images are available as well, bringing the Nexus S 4G up-to-date with the GSM versions.
These aren't files to update your phone. On the contrary, they are there to restore your phone back to stock if you've knocked it out of whack whilst fooling with it. As JBQ recommends, if you're running a stock version of Gingerbread on your NS4G, just wait for the OTA -- it's coming. But if you're the adventurous type, you could use these images to get your NS4G to the exact state it would be if all OTA updates were applied -- ICS IMM76D. It takes a bit of keyboard wizardry while in Fastboot, and it will wipe everything. Know this going in.
No matter which way you're going to roll with it, you'll find all the help a person could ever want in the Nexus S 4G forums. High-tail it in there and join in the frenzy.

How to manually update your Nexus S 4G to Ice Cream Sandwich


Nexus S ICS
So you've got the Sprint Nexus S 4G, and you're well aware that the official Ice Cream Sandwich update is coming. But what if you don't want to wait? The crazy cats in our Nexus S 4G forums have the manual download and install method, and it goes a little something like this:
  1. Download this file from here http://android.clients.google.com/pa...g/TAMkDR3z.zip (Thanks to LateNiteWithJme at Android Central!)
  2. Rename it to update.zip (Windows users careful not to get a double ".zip" extension) and place it on your sdcard.
  3. Shut down phone
  4. Boot into bootloader (Volume Up+Power) then from bootloader screen choose RECOVERY (Navigate Vol Up/Down and select with Power).
  5. From stock recovery choose to install update.zip
  6. Sit back and relax for a few and you should boot into official Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 !
And that's it. Enjoy, tell your friends, and hit the link below if you need some help.

Galaxy Tab 2 release dates and pricing emerge

Galaxy Tab 2
As you may remember, we got our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at MWC in late February. The slightly awkwardly-named tablets build on last year's Galaxy Tab designs with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a fresh design, in an attempt to steer clear of any legal shenanigans.
Today the first information on U.S. pricing and availability for both devices has become available. Pre-orders for the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 are due to begin later today, with the device itself going on sale next Sunday, April 22. At $250, the 7-incher's price is competitive, and for your money you'll get Android 4.0 with TouchWiz on a 1024x600 PLS TFT display (that's Samsung's version of IPS). Internally it's powered by a solid but unremarkable 1GHz dual-core CPU, with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage.
The 10.1-inch Tab 2 will appear three weeks later on May 13, with pre-orders starting May 4. Prices start at $450 for the 16GB version, and internals are the similar to the 7-inch variant, with the only differences being the aforementioned 16GB of storage and a bump in screen resolution, up to 1280x800.
While the Tab 2 10.1 is a relatively run-of-the-mill Android slate, the 7.0 version's low price point marks it as a potential competitor for the rumored Google-branded, ASUS-made tablet. This is said to be on track for a July release, but has yet to be officially confirmed by either company.

Vodafone UK Galaxy S II ICS update postponed, now expected tomorrow

Galaxy S II
Despite earlier reports that it'd be landing sometime today, there's been no sign of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for Vodafone UK-branded Galaxy S II phones. The update, which first hit unbranded phones in Korea in mid-March, is now expected to arrive through Samsung's Kies software tomorrow, and in an OTA next Tuesday, April 17.
Voda pointed the finger at Samsung in a statement released today to explain the latest delays --
Unfortunately Samsung have told us this morning that they are unable to make the update available to you as planned.
The new plan from Samsung is that the update will be available via KIES tomorrow, 13th April, and via Over The Air update on Tuesday 17th April. If this moves at all, we’ll of course let you know.
I know a lot of you, like us, will be disappointed at this last minute change of plan and we continue to challenge Samsung to make this available to you as quickly as possible.
The Ice Cream Sandwich roll-out for Galaxy S II phones in the UK has been anything but smooth. Three and O2 customers got the update pretty swiftly, but other networks have dragged their heals.
Surprisingly, owners of unlocked devices, usually first with updates, have been left to languish on Gingerbread while network-branded phones get the new software through Kies. Once the Vodafone update's out of the way, hopefully Samsung will be able to push out ICS to long-suffering unbranded customers.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE headed to AT&T claims rumors

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is Google’s current flagship device, not because of the hardware but because of the software. Being the first to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has made it incredibly popular. While many are using it on AT&T, T-Mobile and others unofficially with the unlocked version, new reports are claiming AT&T is in the final stages of releasing an LTE edition themselves.


According to reports from Andro Rev this isn’t a rumor, but actually been confirmed by sources very close to the matter. Only time will tell of course. Apparently AT&T is testing 4G LTE powered Galaxy Nexus phones with standard size LTE SIM cards, not micro-SIM like the iPhone 4S and recent Verizon devices. With phones and SIM’s in testing that means they are possibly in the final stages, and we could see them available from the carrier within the next month.
At the same time they could also be testing 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy S III phones, although that might be a bit of a stretch. We know they are coming this summer so you can’t rule that out. Andro Rev seems to know the SIM card SKU numbers and more, making this sound all but confirmed at the moment. Obviously until Samsung or AT&T make any announcements, we’ll be sure to keep this in the rumor bin.
Would you sell your unlocked HSPA+ capable international Galaxy Nexus for an AT&T 4G LTE model with more storage, or opt for something better like the HTC One X or the Galaxy S III?

Samsung names flexible AMOLED tech “YOUM”

Those who don’t keep a religious watch on the comings and goings in the supply side of the technology industry will be surprised to know that Samsung, in addition to selling tens of millions of phones every year, supplies components like processors and screens to their own competitors. Just for example, the processor and the screen in the iPad 3 come from Sammy. But when it comes to display tech, Samsung takes all comers, and one of the more interesting designs to come out of the South Korean company is their flexible Super AMOLED display. It seems they’re renamed the display tech to “YOUM”, for no discernible reason, as well as files trademarks for several more acronyms.

Flexible Super AMOLED, hereafter known as YOUM (as Samsung’s website seems to have confirmed the trademark name), consists of four layers of material: the AMOLED display cells are encased in two pieces of film, and a polariser (probably housing the multi-touch sensor) on top of it. There’s no glass in the design, which gives it a much greater flexibility than the barely curved screens seen on the later Nexus phones, though the concepts we’ve seen thus far are still in rigid cases for the most part.
Because of the lack of glass in the design, Samsung is referring to YOUM as “unbreakable”, though a more accurate term might be “uncrackable”. This is all still at the concept level as far as actual production goes – should Samsung or its manufacturing partners choose to implement YOUM in Android phones or any other consumer-grade electronics, it’ll still be at least a year before we see it in any devices. Still, this sort of flexibly display would allow for much more varied form factors – imagine a smartphone that can roll out its display to tablet size.

Ice Cream Sandwich tablet UI ported to Samsung Galaxy Note

We’ve seen the ubiquitous Galaxy Nexus get a mod that enables the user interface from the tablet flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich, but now it’s come to something a little more useful. A user from RootGalaxyNote.com posted a video of Samsung’s super-sized smartphone running in tablet mode. Obviously the 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note has a lot more reason to run a tablet modification than its smaller brothers. You can download the “imilka” custom tablet ROM here.

The modification allows the Note to run as a full tablet – there’s literally no difference between the software on the phone an a build of the Android Open Source Project code on an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, with the obvious exception of the virtual pixel density. he interface is a little cramped on the Galaxy Note, but not so much that the average user won’t be able to get around. Of course you can always pull out the S-Pen for some pen-based computing. The modified user interface allows for panels and multi-column views in the apps that support them, including most of Google’s essential apps.

Unfortunately the tablet mode is contained within its own ROM at the moment – there’s no way to apply this to a stock Ice Cream Sandwich build. It’s also limited to the i7000, the international GSM version of the Galaxy Note. But given that this little trick has already been performed on the Galaxy Nexus, it should come in a more generic form (and for more devices) sooner rather than later.
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 01, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 800x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.78 Inch
  • Width : 3.27 Inch
  • Depth : 0.38 Inch
  • Weight : 178 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 390 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32.768 GB
    Front Facing Camera :

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch priced at $309… on QVC

“Let me tell you something, home shoppers, we have got an amazing deal for you today. This here’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, that’s the second version of the Galaxy Tab, with a ginormous 7-inch screen. That’s like an iPad, ladies and gentlemen, but it fits in your purse. Now I’m not supposed to do this, but just for you, today, we’re gonna price this fantastic computer thingy at – what was that, Lucile? Really? Wow folks, you’ve got an amazing deal here. We’re going to price this 7-inch Samsung tablet at a fantastic three hundred and nine dollars. Call us right now – our operators are standing by, and these won’t last long. Pick one up for your grandkids!”

We’ll break from riffing on QVC’s entertaining and usually clueless sales pitch to say that yes, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7-inch version) was briefly listed on QVC’s website. The price was $309.98 for the base 8GB version, and it’s the first time we’ve seen any indication of the updated 7-inch tablet’s price. Last we heard, both the 7-inch and 10-inch Galaxy Tab 2 models were scheduled for sale later this month, delayed for a little extra work on Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz. The 10-inch version is getting a rumored retail price of $399 – $100 less than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, though that’s also for a less capacious 8GB model. The QVC listing has since disappeared.
The Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch was unveiled back in February… to a chorus of “meh”. It’s mild refresh of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, with Ice Cream Sandwich being its most appealing addition. Otherwise you get the same 7-inch 1024×600 LCD screen, 1.2Ghz processor, and a choice of 8, 16 or 32GB capacities, with an added MicroSD card slot. Given QVC’s list price we can expect the 8GB model to sell for $299 elsewhere. Despite what Auntie Grace says, they don’t always have the best prices out there.

Samsung Galaxy Note gets a Berry Pink edition in South Korea

Samsung loves their pink phones. If you’re anywhere in Asia you can probably pick up a pink Galaxy S II at your local Qi-Shiyi, but alas, that option has been sadly missing from the Galaxy Note. Not anymore: a new “Berry Pink” version on the extra-large smartphone was unveiled in Samsung’s home territory of South Korea yesterday. If you simply must have the right hue to match your lip gloss, toenails and/or Tazer, this is the one for you. Sammy says that the pink version will go on sale on April 17th, presumably for the same price as the more sedate colors. The pink version was previously spotted at CeBIT.

Aside from a hue that’s apparently a “sensuous expression of emotion”, the Galaxy Note retains its charming specs. Come for the 5.3-inch Super AMOLED 720p display and matching S-Pen stylus, stay for the 1.4Ghz dual-core processor and 16GB of storage space, and possibly get frustrated at the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS that the phone is still running. The pink theme extends to the capacitive navigation buttons and the S-Pen. For your won you also get a matching book-style cover.
The pink versions of Samsung phones are usually pretty well distributed around greater Asia, but unaccountably fail to make it to Europe or the Americas, much to the consternation of Susan G. Komen. We’ll have to settle for the standard Blue/Black/White options and commiserate on out lack of feminine-themed choices. If you’re waiting on an Ice Cream Sandwich update, keep waiting… but AT&T users can bid adieu to their warranties and flash a leaked ROM if they’re feeling brave.
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy Note
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : September 01, 2011
    Release Date : TBA
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 5.30 Inch
  • Resolution : 800x1280
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.78 Inch
  • Width : 3.27 Inch
  • Depth : 0.38 Inch
  • Weight : 178 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 390 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AMR
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU :
    CPU Clock Speed : 1400 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 32.768 GB
    Front Facing Camera :

Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 Unboxing and Hands-on

The new breed of Samsung’s line of wifi-only handheld smart devices is here with the Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6, a much thinner and moderately sized version of what we saw several months ago in the Galaxy Player 5.0. This device works with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has a single-core Cortex A8 1GHz processor, and has Bluetooth 3.0. This device is meant to work with you offline for the most part when you’re out and about, then via wifi for awesome media connectedness when you’re at home.


The screen on this device is a very basic 3.65 HVGA TFT display, that being 480 x 320 with some pretty obvious pixels to be seen right out of the box. This device does have 8GB of storage inside and has a microSD card slot so you can expand your memory by an additional 32GB if such a thing strikes your fancy. The single-core 1GHz processor isn’t going to light your fire for some of the highest-powered apps and games on the market, but it’ll get the job done for music and movies on the go.
There are two cameras on this device, one VGA on the front for low-res video chat, another 2 megapixel camera on the back for photos and video. You’ll be working with Samsung’s full summer explosion of media sharing and streaming apps including Samsung Smart View, AllShare, and SmartView to connect to your HD Samsung Smart TV. Basically expect this device to wow you as the media controller you’ve always wanted outside the smartphone world.

The device feels solid and hard enough that you wont have the same “this seems fragile” feeling as we did with the Galaxy Player 5.0. Play DivX, WMV, MPEG4, H.264, MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg, and FLAC. THis device will cost you $149.99 if you pick one up from your local electronics store or online this week – and that’s without a contract. For those of you so used to purchasing mobile phones that you forgot that you don’t have to pay for some gadgets month-by-month: it’s inexpensive as possible!
Stay tuned for our full review of this device this week!




Samsung shows off the ‘Berry Pink” Galaxy Note


I know that you’ve been secretly desiring the pink Galaxy Note ever since we told you about it last month. Well Samsung just officially unveiled it and it will be available in South Korea by next week. It will be called berry pink, and it will essentially be the same Galaxy Note that is available now. No pricing was mentioned, but it will most likely be priced the same as the other more mundane colors. Make sure you grab a berry pink case to go with that.

Samsung trademarks ‘Youm’ for their flexible AMOLED displays

Samsung has been teasing us with flexible displays for a few years now. We know they’re seeking a patent they and we should see the first devices by next year. Now this incredible technology has a name – Youm. Youm is going to be a game changer. It’s going to be thinner, lighter, and unbreakable. It will feature a TFT film, Organix Layer Encap, and a Polariser. If you’re not convinced at how awesome this is going to be, you need to hit the break to see some cool videos and hit the source link to see some of the amazing concepts that Youm will bring.

Will the 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 2 be Priced at $310? QVC Seems to Think So


For those of you who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), I imagine you are interested to know its retail price, too. Lucky for us, an eagle-eyed Phone Arena reader spotted a QVC ad for the device before it was quickly removed from their website. According to the attached QVC screenshot, the new 7-inch Galaxy Tab will run $309.96, at least through QVC as long as details don’t change before it officially goes on sale. This price was listed for the most basic 8GB version of the device with no cellular capabilities so expect that as the base price for the 7-inch tab.
Since this info was outed by mistake one could easily think the new Samsung slates are just around the corner, but lets not forget about the most recent news of a delayed launch due to software issues. In reality, we are probably not going to see the new Sammy tabs until late April if not early March and the UK is the first country said to receive the devices. Lets hope the issues get ironed out sooner rather than later and the $310 price tag actually becomes a reality.

Galaxy S II on Vodafone up next for Ice Cream Sandwich

Those with a Galaxy S II that are still patiently (or impatiently) awaiting the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich we have some good news. After a few reports that the Vodafone UK SGSII would be getting the update soon, Vodafone themselves have confirmed the update has been approved and all systems are a go, the update will be available this week.


Starting on April 12th the Vodafone Galaxy S II can update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as usual by accepting the over the air (OTA) update on their handsets. I’d be checking tomorrow at midnight if I were you. As usual the update will be pushed and available online using Samsung Kies for those opting to take that route.
Vodafone announced the update today, yet mentions this is a provisional date that could change at any time, but with the OTA set to start in just two days most likely everything will move forward as planned. The update to ICS brings all the new changes to Android but has the standard Samsung TouchWiz user interface overlay to keep things familiar, and simple for Samsung users. Enjoy the update and let us know if you have any issues come April 12th.
Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Galaxy S II
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : AT&T
    Announced Date : February 13, 2011
    Release Date : April 28, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.27 Inch
  • Resolution : 480x800
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 4.93 Inch
  • Width : 2.6 Inch
  • Depth : .33 Inch
  • Weight : 116 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1650 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 710 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : Exynos
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16 GB
    Front Facing Camera :

Samsung Galaxy S III in the wild – but under disguise

We’ve heard multiple reports and rumors about the supposed specs of the Samsung Galaxy S III for months on end now. With multiple “leaks” and images also hitting the web we’ve still never seen anything too convincing. It’s been said to have already reached some carriers for testing in Korea, but that is about all we know. What we do know though, is Samsung has done a great job keeping things a mystery with the Galaxy S III.


Earlier this week we were just talking about this here at AC. How nothing concrete had been leaked regarding actual specs, hardware, or any pictures yet. Obviously some of what we’ve seen (linked to below) could end up being the real deal but they’ve all looked pretty fake so far. Samsung has done a great job hiding everything regarding the Galaxy S III and some new reports from Redmond Pie mentions how and why. It looks like Samsung is taking another approach that Apple has, and is disguising their flagship device to mislead the average eye or leakster.
We’ve heard 4.65″ screens to 4.8″, dual-core 2.0 GHz processors and 1.5 GHz quad-cores and more, but nothing is actually known. According to what we are now hearing. The device is actually being tested by multiple carriers around the world, but has an excellent disguise. Coming with a huge and hideous case around it, being described as a “lunch box” like disguise.
Apparently the device has been in carriers possession for testing for around 8 weeks now. A full two months. If that is the case then we should be seeing or hearing more very soon — as long as things are going well of course. If rumors are to be believed this aluminum housed phone should rock an amazing 4.8″ Super AMOLED HD screen, be super thin, powered by a blazing fast quad-core processor, and have an awesome 8 or 12 megapixel camera around back. All sealed up with 4G LTE and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
I for one am extremely excited to see what Samsung has in store for us, and pretty sure I’m not alone either. With competition between Apple and now HTC starting to really heat up, this entire disguise idea makes total sense. Thoughts?

Android 4.0 Factory Images Officially Available For The Google Nexus S 4G Smartphone

 
Happy days continue for owners of the Google Nexus S 4G smartphone. The much-anticipated Android 4.0 update is officially on its way and now the “soju” factory images are officially available as well, which officially brings Sprint’s version of the Nexus S current with the GSM versions of the device. Android AOSP wunderkind Jean-Baptiste Queru takes some time to make some key distinctions of the newly available factory image:
“This is meant to be used by people who built and flashed their own custom version of AOSP and wish to return to the factory state. If you’re currently running an official retail build, I simply recommend that you wait for the OTA”.
In summary folks: the factory image is meant for those who well you know… fiddled or tinkered with their device by adding a custom ROM for example– and want to flash their device back to its stock state. If you’re on stock Android now, you’re probably better off waiting for the actual OTA update instead of flashing your device to the latest build. When attempting to flash the factory image to the Nexus S 4G, please be aware that there’s a known bug in the bootloader, you’ll have to boot into whatever version of Android is on your device, and then return to fastboot and restart the flashing sequence.

Latest Galaxy S III rumor: Home button and five columns for icons


It’s time for another round of Galaxy S III rumors. Sorry, I don’t have a fake picture or an official release date so settle down. The latest involves some design elements, which I don’t think will shock anyone out there. Apparently the Samsung team has been torn with keeping the hardware home button that’s been synonymous with the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II. It’s either that or no hardware buttons much like the Galaxy Nexus. It looks like the home hardware button has won so you can expect to see it on the final product. The other interesting tidbit is that they will go with a five column layout for icons, which is basically how the Galaxy Note is. Just about every other device has a 4 column layout. The Galaxy Note is a 5.3-inch screen so it made sense to go with five columns. We certainly don’t expect the Galaxy S III display to be that large, but it could be in the neighborhood of 4.8-inches to make it work.