World Of SAMSUNG: 21 Feb 2012

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Samsung 2012 HDTV pricing leaks

Samsung didn’t hold back with new HDTVs at CES last month, and now pricing details for the bulk of the range – though not the coveted 55-inch OLED set - have emerged. The company is pushing voice and gesture control across a number of its smart TVs, and there are some premium prices to match as HDGuru‘s sources have illustrated. Figure on paying from $2,699 for the 46-inch 8000 Series with the interactive remote, 0.2-inch thick bezel and 3D support.

That climbs all the way up to $7,299 for the largest 75-incher in the 8000 Series. Alternatively, you can get the 7500 Series from $2,399, the 7100 Series from $2,199, and the 6500 Series from under $1,579. In addition to LCD screens, Samsung has new plasmas for 2012: the top-spec PNE8000 kicks off at $2,249 for the 51-inch model, while the cheapest 51-inch Samsung plasma is the 3D, smart TV enabled PN51E6500 at $1,619.
Some of the sets get Samsung’s “interactive remote” which, we’re assuming, is the touchpad and microphone-enabled Samsung Smart Touch Control the company revealed earlier this month. That will allow you to navigate through smart TV menus by gesture or voice command.

We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out exactly how much Samsung’s OLED set will cost – figure on something comfortably in excess of the top-tier LCD and plasma models, however – and bear in mind these figures are the company’s “minimum advertised prices” for dealers. You may see some mark-ups in-store, so don’t be afraid to haggle.

Angry Birds Space teased, may land with Galaxy S III

The next generation of Angry Birds is right around the corner – a phrase we could say basically any day of the month. But this time it’s true insofar as they’ve announced a brand new concept: Angry Birds Space. This will be an entirely separate game just like Angry Birds Seasons is separate from Angry Birds Rio, and not one whole heck of a lot of information has been revealed thus far. There’s a very short teaser out already, and the logo has dropped, but other than that, we’re expecting lots of gravity modifications.

Samsung fans will also note that the 22nd of March is also the day that the Samsung Galaxy S III has been tipped (though denied in kind) to come out – so a possible cross-release may well be in order. Can you imagine Angry Birds in outer space on a Galaxy from Samsung? It’s certainly not the first time they’ve worked together on a release. Have a peek at the teaser video they’ve released already, straight from Rovio:
You can also head to space.angrybirds.com to see the slingshot on the moon that you see above, and note the gigantic lens flare that shows up if you highlight it. Source code on the site reveals an imminent change back to a non-teaser state for the site in which sharing links and page links to Rovio are once again in place ala AngryBirds.com. We’ll expect this game to be release on Android, iOS, and desktop for Mac at the end of March. For now – think of the possibilities!

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note LTE on sale now

Samsung’s Galaxy Note has gone up for sale on AT&T in LTE form today, offering stylus-loving Android fans an oversized phablet to play with. Priced at $299.99 with a new, two-year agreement, the AT&T Galaxy Note is available in ceramic white or carbon blue, each having a 5.3-inch 1280 x 800 capacitive touchscreen and a Wacom-based digital pen.

Samsung has customized Android 2.3 Gingerbread not only with its own TouchWiz UI, but some stylus-specific apps and features. Tapping the display with the pen’s button pressed triggers a screenshot that can be annotated, while there’s a new Memo app for handwritten notes, drawings and clippings from webpages. A preloaded photo and video editing app allows for sketching directly onto images and clips.
Otherwise, there’s a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, LTE connectivity as well as HSPA+ for when you’re out of true 4G coverage, WiFi, Bluetooth, an 8-megapixel 1080p HD capable camera and a sizable 2,500 mAh battery that we found capable of lasting more than a full day. AT&T is also offering the S-Pen Holder Kit, a $29 accessory that makes the standard stylus thicker and more easily held, and the $20 USB Host adapter.
With the Galaxy Note going on sale in the US today, LG’s timing revealing the Optimus Vu earlier feels all the more deliberate. Like the Galaxy Note, the Vu has a stylus and a large display – 5-inches on the LG, though 4:3 aspect – and targets those who want to use their phone as a memo device too. LG, though, is yet to announce US availability for the Optimus Vu.

Galaxy Note for AT&T Review

The Galaxy Note is no stranger to SlashGear: we reviewed the international version back in November 2011, finding it a curious – and in certain ways compelling – anomaly on the mobile landscape. Since then we’ve had plenty of experience with the oversized smartphone, most recently the arrival of AT&T’s LTE version. Differences between the two are slight, so a full re-review isn’t in order. However, read on for our latest thinking on this smartphone/tablet hybrid, where it stands up, and where – despite what Samsung insists – it falls flat on its 5.3-inch face.

I’ve been carrying both the original international and the new AT&T versions of the Galaxy Note for some time now, and they’re certainly relatively unique in the mobile space. Samsung believes that we’re moving towards a two-handed society, though my own experience is that we’re not there yet. As Samsung sees it, most BlackBerry users are two-handed typers, though I’d argue that the difference there is that RIM’s phones are small enough to still type with one hand, or at least securely grip it without fear of dropping a very expensive device.

Differences between the two models are small. The AT&T Note drops the physical home key and uses the space to accommodate four capacitive buttons, which I’m assuming will be still in play even after the phone gets its Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. Cosmetic differences include the lock screen: you no longer slide to unlock, but instead touch anywhere on the display and slide it in any direction.

A useful improvement is the ability to set a timer delay on PIN/pattern security being enabled. When you press the power button to turn off the display, you can have a grace period – say, five minutes – within which time you won’t need to re-enter the PIN/pattern. AT&T isn’t supplying a memory card with its version of the Note, though it does come with 16GB of integrated storage.
Inside, there are some minor changes. The AT&T Galaxy Note has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, while the international version is clocked at 1.4GHz instead. Nonetheless, the bump in speed is negligible: about 400 points delta according to the new version of benchmarking tool Quadrant (which takes into account the dualcore chipset). What’s more interesting is the memory Samsung and AT&T use on the US LTE version, versus the international version. Quadrant shows a delta of around 1000-1200 points, with the international Note scoring nearly 6000 points versus the AT&T’s 4800. Memory throughput is key to saving files and faster recall of data, so the higher the better. Still, the AT&T Note does feel a little faster in rotating from portrait to landscape orientation and vice-versa.
As for LTE, it’s very much dependent on what network you’re connected to. While I was in San Francisco, despite using AT&T’s LTE, I saw generally the same data speeds between the HSPA+ and LTE versions. Nonetheless there were pockets within San Francisco and Phoenix where LTE spiked to 6 or 7Mbps. Your experiences of 4G speeds are always going to vary based on how AT&T’s roll-out is progressing.
The first generation of LTE Android phones have earned a reputation for poor battery life, though there’s little to write home about in-between the AT&T Note and the HSPA+ model. Over a six hour period, the LTE version dropped to 84-percent while the HSPA+ international version remained at 90-percent. Bear in mind that’s with little usage; when I started actively using the AT&T model the battery gage dropped more readily. The LTE Note did seem more capable of keeping hold of a signal, however, reporting 0-percent of time without service while the international version had 4-percent of time without service.

The big story with the Note, beyond the stylus, is the screen real-estate. It’s certainly amazing: the combination of Samsung’s excellent Super AMOLED HD panel and the 1280 x 800 resolution add up to a tablet-style browsing experience but on a device that will fit into many pockets. Sites frustratingly default to their mobile versions initially, more often than not, and we wish Google had released its Chrome for Android browser for more than just Ice Cream Sandwich devices. The main downside is that, when using it as a phone, you simply look silly; still, you also look pretty foolish when using a bluetooth headset, and in the end it doesn’t really matter as long as the call quality is good. Thankfully, the Galaxy Note delivered on really good quality calls.
Once the novelty of the stylus wore off, shortly after getting the Note, I haven’t even pulled it out. I just don’t feel the need for it. As for the size, while Samsung believes that we’re migrating towards a two-handed typing society, the bottom line is that it’s not just about typing: it’s about using the Note in a way that doesn’t risk dropping it.
Samsung wants people to buy this as a primary all-day, everyday devices. I fear that’s not going to happen. It’s too big and the risk of dropping it is way higher than with a regularly-sized phone. Samsung also thinks that once we use the Note long enough we’ll get use to it. I’m afraid the jury is still out on this, though I’ll keep carrying it to see if my experience changes. As a parent, I constantly have a child in one hand or, if my wife has her, I’m carrying something for her. Or, when I’m traveling, I’m either pushing a stroller, holding a cup of coffee or a bag. It’s possible to use the 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus one-handed, and it’s doable with the 5.3-inch Note, but you run a high risk of dropping it.
Galaxy Note for AT&T (LTE) Hands-on

Bottom line: the Galaxy Note is either a very large “super” phone or a pocketable tablet that happens to make phone calls. That’s great, but if you buy the Note you need to know that there will be roughly 20-percent of the time when you won’t be able to use it. The scale of the device demands a two-handed grip or, if you attempt to go one-handed while walking, driving or otherwise distracted, it will slip through your fingers, I guarantee it. The AT&T Galaxy Note LTE does what it does very well, but those who can handle it are likely few and far between

Is a Google Phablet Next?

Samsung has done it with the Galaxy Note, LG jumped on board today with the Optimus Vu: will Google and Motorola phollow in their phablet phootsteps? We won’t know how the Vu holds up until Mobile World Congress in a week’s time, but already the phone/tablet hybrid segment is getting interesting. The lingering question is whether phablets are the standout form-factor of 2012 or merely a fad, and it could be Google and imminently-acquired Motorola Mobility that swing the decision one way or another.

Google has been quiet on pen control for Android devices, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been thinking about it. Android 4.0 already includes support for stylus input, natively recognizing multi-button pens, taps, tilt/distance, pressure and more. Everything, in fact, you’d need to create an art- and handwriting-capable Android phone or tablet.

“Android 4.0 includes full support for stylus input events, including tilt and distance axes, pressure, and related motion event properties. To help applications distinguish motion events from different sources, the platform adds distinct tool types for stylus, finger, mouse, and eraser. For improved input from multi-button pointing devices, the platform now provides distinct primary, secondary, and tertiary buttons, as well as back and forward buttons. Hover-enter and hover-exit events are also added, for improved navigation and accessibility. Developers can build on these new input features to add powerful interactions to their apps, such as precise drawing and gesturing, handwriting and shape recognition, improved mouse input, and others” Google Android 4.0 Highlights

Samsung and LG – both with devices currently running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with custom pen support – are yet to confirm whether they’ll be switching over to ICS’ native stylus input system when the Galaxy Note and Optimus Vu make the leap to 4.0. But Google and its new hardware team at Motorola could easily put a Note/Vu rival together using native ICS code.
"It’s possible that pens are a passing trend" It’s possible that pens are a passing trend rather than something which will stick. Samsung and LG are known for being fiercely competitive with each other; where one goes, the other usually follows, even if that’s in a direction the rest of the industry is less convinced by. The Galaxy Note is certainly a niche device, but LG obviously decided it was a niche worthy enough to wade into itself.
Still, the Optimus Vu presents a slightly different proposition: its display is squatter, wider than that of the Note, using a 4:3 aspect panel – like Apple’s iPad – rather than the taller, narrower Samsung screen. In effect that means wider notepaper to write on, though it’s also worth remembering that Samsung still squeezes in more horizontal pixels: the LG screen is 768 pixels wide, versus the Galaxy Note’s 800. That’ll have a – small – impact on how fine your handwritten text can be.
As for who else might follow the Korean companies, the phablet market is still very much uncertain. HTC has experimented with pen input itself, though on its tablets rather than smartphones. The HTC Flyer beat the Galaxy Note to market, but struggled thanks to less precise digital inking. Its meatier stylus also lacked a place to dock into the Flyer itself, too, something even Palm many years ago could’ve told you was essential. After all, if the pen is even slightly tricky to carry, you’re unlikely to bother taking it with you. The HTC Jetstream, meanwhile, was priced out of contention, though there’s talk of a Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet from Samsung next week.
Motorola has been arguably the least experimentative of all the major Android players – it has all-touch phones, QWERTY phones, and a couple of sizes of tablets – so far, a side-effect perhaps of its tightened focus after years of spreading its ambitions (and resources) too thin. With Google taking the reins, and access to the core Android engineering staff, that period of reticence could be over. A Google Nexus phablet might be too much out of left field for the company’s traditional own-brand purposes, but – like the original XOOM, arguably positioned as a Nexus device in all but name – a Motorola phablet could well be used to showcase Android 4.x’s native stylus skills and highlight its abilities over and above iOS.

Samsung prioritizes OLED as LCD spun off

Samsung has confirmed plans to divorce its LCD business, spinning off the slumping screen division as Samsung Display Company Ltd on April 1 after which point it will operate as a new corporation. Word of the plans broke earlier this month, with Samsung confirming rumors that it was considering a spin-off within the next few months; however, that decision came earlier than predicted, the BBC reports, leaving Samsung free to focus on OLED technology.

“The spin-off will allow us to make quicker business decisions and respond to our clients’ needs more swiftly,” Donggun Park, executive vice president and head of Samsung’s LCD business said. ”Through enhancements in business competitiveness, we will continue to provide superior products and services for the market.”
However, while Samsung Display Company may be competitive and swift, the real interest in the screen segment looks to be centering on OLED. Samsung has been tipped to tackle the Japanese market – which it abandoned some years ago – with a new line-up of high end LCD and OLED sets; the company demonstrated a 55-inch OLED HDTV at CES in January.
Samsung bought out Sony’s share in the S-LCD joint-venture in a $940m deal last December, and Sony subsequently slashed its own OLED development budget; the Japanese company has cited its poorly performing LCD and TV arms as a key cause of struggling profits.

Blockbuster On Demand coming to Samsung gadgets

Samsung has inked a deal with Blockbuster to deliver on-demand streaming movie and TV shows to Samsung smart TVs, ultrabooks, smartphones and tablets later in 2012. The service will hit Samsung hardware in the US, UK and across Europe in the first half of this year, according to Smarthouse, while other regions, including Australia, will have to wait until the second half of 2012 before they see it. Samsung is apparently cooking up a global billing system for easy content purchase no matter which device they’re using.

Pricing for Samsung’s Blockbuster On Demand deal hasn’t been confirmed, but it will presumably fall into line with current purchase and rental offerings. Rentals are priced from $1.99 for a 24 hour period of access, while purchases also start at $1.99 but are continuously accessible from Blockbuster’s servers.
Also unclear is how the system will handle multiple devices. Purchased content will presumably be accessible no matter which Samsung hardware you’re using – as long as they’re all registered to the same account – so that you can start a film on your TV and then pick up playback on your smartphone instead. We’re guessing the same will be true for rented content.
The news follows word that Blockbuster On Demand has been yanked from TiVo, with the streaming content company claiming that it is “updating” its technology platform into a form that is incompatible with TiVo DVRs.

Samsung Display Company mulled as LCDs give way to OLED

As Samsung’s own money-losing business in flat-screen TVs heads from LCDs to the OLED market quicker than a jackrabbit, Samsung is thinking about spinning off it’s LCD unit to act of its own accord. This move will create a new entity by the name of Samsung Display Company and will, Samsung hopes, make it much more competitive in the smashingly popular world of HDTVs. This move has not yet been approved by shareholders, but given that the 2011 operating loss for the company’s LCD business was nearly $900 million, we can’t imagine why they wouldn’t consider such a thing.

This spinoff would take place on the first of April, which assuming is not an April Fools Joke would both change the way Samsung goes about working with the industry, but would come before a full switch over of focus in development. This move also may come as a bit of a shock when you consider that last month a $940 million dollar deal with Sony was completed by Samsung which picked up their share of the LCD panel business. Despite this, Samsung announced the following:

“Currently, the display market is undergoing rapid changes with OLED panels expected to fast replace LCD panels to become the mainstream. Amid this structural change of the display industry, adopting measures for change and innovation, including business restructuring, are essential to improve our competitiveness for our display business.” – Samsung

We’ll certainly be seeing more Smart TV action out of Samsung this year, now the question is whether this will be done on mainly LCD or OLED displays. Also if Samsung spins off its display business, how does that affect the rest of their products which include displays as a matter of fact? Samsung is sure to see some large display changes across 2012!

Samsung S-Cloud cloud-based storage service delayed tips source

It seems like everyone is going to cloud storage today, and companies are rushing to get their own cloud storage solutions on the market. Microsoft is working on a cloud storage solution. Apple has a cloud storage solution coming, and several others are already available on the market. Samsung has been busy trying to roll out a cloud storage competitor to Apple’s iCloud called S-Cloud. Sources are now claiming that Samsung’s offering has been delayed.

Engadget cites sources claiming that Samsung had fingered its SDS IT infrastructure division to build out the cloud storage network. The source claims that the work SDS carried out on the cloud-based storage platform was deemed unacceptable by Samsung. The source goes on to claim that Samsung turned to KT to fix the S-Cloud issues so the service can move forward.
KT operates cloud services for several companies, including Amazon. It’s not entirely clear what was allegedly deemed unsuitable by Samsung. There are some indications that an issue could have been ensuring that all Samsung devices were compatible with the cloud service. Every time I read about a new cloud service the only thing I wonder is, do we really need so many? Cloud storage services are springing up like crazy.

Galaxy S II i9100 Sees Another Official ICS 4.0.3 ROM Leaked

It appears that the Galaxy S II i9100 is seeing yet another official Android 4.0.3 ROM leak. This time we are seeing the I9100XXLPH build from February 9th. It still has Android 4.0.3 with TouchWiz intact but builds improvements upon the previously leaked build we told you about on February 3rd. While the XXLPB improved upon the battery life from another previous build before that, this new build is said to improve battery life even further. It also brings the following to the table in regards to the previous LPB build:

Interface: Kind of 3D effect when scrolling.
Battery: Lot better than early ones.
Faster: Feels the same as LPB
Touch: Not so good as LPB.
Overall: Better score in our eyes than LPB .
Facelock: Same as LPB working fine.
Task: Same as version LPB.

According to the forums it’s rumored that this is the build that is the precursor to the official update coming forth. If this is true then the rumored timeline that the S II would be seeing ICS on March 1st is shaping up to be true. While there still may be some hiccups in this test build it’s being reported that this is good enough to be used as a daily driver. If you test this hit us up in the comments below to let us know how well it runs.

Samsung Continuum Getting Android 2.2.2 Froyo Update

Samsung Continuum owners are getting some update love today in the form of two updates. The first update upgrades Android to Froyo itself (software version EB01) and the second update includes some improvements, one of which is the ability to run Flash Player 10.1. The phone arrived late 2010, and if you own one of these interesting phones I’m sure you thought all hope for an update was lost. But finally you can be excited! Even if it is only Froyo. And 2012. Official update notes after the break.

Software Update 2 – Enhancements in i400.EC09 Software:

Web Browsing and Data Access

Receive calls with limited interruption.
Device now supports Adobe® Flash® 10.1.
Enhanced browser performance for faster loading of web pages that include JavaScript.
Receive GPS updates when connected over a Wi-Fi network.

Call Features, Email and Messaging

Improved delivery of text messages.
When a text message reaches the 160 character limit, the device will convert the message to a multimedia message and alert you with a notification.
Support for animated GIF files in a multimedia message.

Additional Device Features

Improvements in Over the Air (OTA) functionality to ensure your device can be successfully updated.
Ability to allow automatic application updates in Android Market.™
When using V CAST Apps to download applications, the device will remain active to ensure transfer completion.
Media Hub now comes preloaded.
Improved GPS accuracy when using the VZ Navigator® application.
Enable the auto-refresh setting within the Weatherbug® App to ensure constant updates.
Accurately display the time when using the Weatherbug App.
Easily toggle audio between a connected headset and the phone during Visual Voice Mail playback.
Selecting Voice Mail from within the Buddies Now widget will properly open the message in the Visual Voice Mail application.
Visual Voice Mail displays correct call back number.
Successfully open the Navigation Link from within the car dock screen.
Enhanced stability while playing streamed music using the Google Music application.
Launcher application will no longer experience forced closures when the device is placed in desk mount.

Samsung’s New Stylish SD Cards More Than Just Looks

You know it’s happened to you. You’re at a party, and the cute girl across the room is pointing at you and laughing. Yup. She saw your ugly SD card. How embarrasing. If only someone would make a hip, stylish SD card you could be proud of.
Well, your wait is over, my friends. Samsung has just announced a new line of fancy brushed-metal SD and microSD cards. Yes! And you know what else? They’re actually more than just beauty. This new series contains seven models ranging from 2GB to 32GB in capacity, and with up to 24MB/sec read speeds. They are part of Samsung’s High Speed Series and Plus Extreme Speed Series.
They are also waterproof, shockproof, and magnet proof. Wait, what? Yes, these are virtually indestructible, and when they are carrying some of your most important information around, that’s a good, safe feeling (sorry, non-SD card carrying Galaxy Nexus owners). Get all the sexy details in the press release, after the break.

Samsung Introduces Stylish Branded Memory Cards

Complete Line of SD and MicroSD Cards Available up to Class 10, 32 GB Models

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, announced today that it is now shipping a new line of advanced SD and microSD cards that are ideal for digital imaging and mobile devices. The seven new models of SD and microSD cards are now available as part of either the High Speed Series or the Plus Extreme Speed Series, both of which deliver up to 24MB/sec read speeds on cards with a capacity of 4GB or higher.
“It is our goal at Samsung to deliver superior performance, reliability and a stylish design across all of our product lines, including our memory line”
Styled with a brushed metal design, Samsung’s beautiful new line of SD and microSD cards are built with “Best-in-Class” performance. Able to meet the growing demand for high speed and high capacity memory in modern devices, the new cards are ideal for today’s digital cameras, camcorders, smartphones and tablets. With (up to) 24MB/sec OR (max) read speeds, users can transfer 1GB of images in as little as 42 seconds. In order to ensure their reliability, Samsung has designed both lines of memory products to be waterproof, shockproof, and magnet proof, allowing them to withstand some of the harshest conditions. All models are guaranteed to survive up to 24 hours in water, withstand the force of a 1.6 ton vehicle (3,200 lbs), and resist up to 10,000 gauss (slightly less than the power of a medical imaging magnet).
“It is our goal at Samsung to deliver superior performance, reliability and a stylish design across all of our product lines, including our memory line,” explained Reid Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Samsung Electronics America. “Utilizing our 19 years of experience in memory manufacturing, we’ve built both lines of SD and microSD cards for performance. With read speeds of up to 24 MB/sec and max write speeds of 13 MB/sec (High Speed Line) and 21 MB/sec (Plus Extreme Speed Line), as well as meeting our ‘3-proof’ reliability standard, these cards represent the ultimate in digital imaging and mobile computing storage. As the #1 memory supplier in the world and manufacturer of so many high performance portable devices, we are committed to ensuring consumers realize the best possible experience with those devices.”
High Speed Series – Specifications

SD Card

MODEL NAME

CAPACITY*

SPEED CLASS

READ SPEED

WRITE SPEED

MSRP

MB-SS2GA

2 GB

–

Max 15MB/s

Max 7MB/s

$9.99

MB-SS4GA

4 GB

Class 4

Max 24MB/s

Max 7MB/s

$14.99

MB-SS8GA

8 GB

Class 6

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$24.99

MB-SSAGA

16 GB

Class 6

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$44.99

MB-SSBGA

32 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$89.99

microSD Card

MODEL NAME

CAPACITY*

SPEED CLASS

READ SPEED

WRITE SPEED

MSRP

MB-MS2GA

2 GB

–

Max 15MB/s

Max 7MB/s

$9.99

MB-MS4GA

4 GB

Class 4

Max 24MB/s

Max 7MB/s

$14.99

MB-MS8GA

8 GB

Class 6

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$24.99

MB-MSAGA

16 GB

Class 6

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$44.99

MB-MSBGA

32 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 13MB/s

$89.99

Plus Extreme Speed Series – Specifications

SD Card

MODEL NAME

CAPACITY*

SPEED CLASS

READ SPEED

WRITE SPEED

MSRP

MB-SP8GA

8 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 21MB/s

$29.99

MB-SPAGA

16 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 21MB/s

$54.99

microSD Card

MODEL NAME

CAPACITY*

SPEED CLASS

READ SPEED

WRITE SPEED

MSRP

MB-MP8GA

8 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 21MB/s

$29.99

MB-MPAGA

16 GB

Class 10

Max 24MB/s

Max 21MB/s

$54.99

*Accessible capacity varies; MB = 1 million bytes, GB = 1 billion bytes.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.
Samsung and the stylized Samsung design are trademarks and service marks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Skype updates for video calling on Samsung GSII Epic 4G Touch

Better late than never, right? the latest update to the Skype app was posted to the Android Market yesterday, bringing a slightly updated calling UI and some basic bug fixes. And one more thing: video calling finally works on the Samsung Epic 4G Touch, one of the many Galaxy S II variants for the US market. The update comes out more than five months after the original launch of the phone back in September. The addition of the (deep breath) Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch to the list of supported devices for video calling is the only major addition in this version of Skype.

In order for a phone to use Skype’s video chat feature, it has to have a front-facing camera, and that hasn’t been a standard feature for all that long. But in addition, the camera needs to support the same basic APIs that Skype uses – and sometimes custom manufacturer software can interfere with this. Second-generation HTC and Samsung phones were especially bad about Bluetooth compatibility, apparently due to the software used in their custom user interfaces.
You can download the Skype update from the Android Market now. Stock users of the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch may be in for a nice surprise soon – some official literature posted on the carrier’s forum indicates that they’re planning an upgrade to Android 4.0.3. If it comes as soon as it seems to be, the SGSIIE4GT may be the first US version of the Galaxy S II to get Ice Cream Sandwich. Sadly, a software update can’t do anything about that name.

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name

Manufactuer

Carrier

Announced Date

Release Date

Also Known As

Display

Screen Size : 4.5 Inch
Resolution : 480x800
Screen Type : Super AMOLED Plus

Dimension & Weight

Height : 5.1 Inch
Width : 2.70 Inch
Depth : 0.38 Inch
Weight : 129 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type

Lithium Ion

Battery Capacity : 1800 mAh
Talk Time : NA
Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS

2.3.x

Audio Playback

AAC
AAC+
MP3

Video Playback

h.263
h.264 / AVC
MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging

Hardware

CPU

CPU Clock Speed

Core

Ram

Internal Storage

Front Facing Camera

Samsung GT-i9300 appears in UAProf, not the Galaxy S III

Now that Samsung has basically confirmed the Galaxy S III will not be revealed at this years Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Spain we can’t help but wonder when we’ll see more. With a few random leaks and the GT-9300 appearing on Samsung’s download center we now have another leak suggesting something totally different — or that the Galaxy S III could be a disappointment.

Now here is where things get interesting about this UAProf (User Agent Profile) that was pulled right from Samsung’s mobile site. They have the GT-i9300 listed with a 1024 x 600 resolution display. Something more in line with a lower resolution 7″ tablet — not a smartphone. The GT-i9200 was the Galaxy S II, the i9250 was the Galaxy Nexus. You’d only expect the GT-i9300 to be the Galaxy S III.
I have a feeling this is only a placeholder and not the real deal. If the Galaxy S III came with that low of a resolution there would be more than a few angry people. Considering the Galaxy Nexus has a huge 1280 x 720 HD resolution, and the Galaxy Note being 1280 x 800. We are expecting the same or more from the SGSIII. Another possibility is this will be some other smartphone and not the Galaxy S III. We’ve also seen leaked pictures of the suspected SGSIII listed as the GT-i9500.
We still expect some details and announcements to come any day now regarding the Galaxy S III. Probably right before or after MWC 2012 to get everyone interested. We’ll update when we find more details.

Verizon updates the Samsung Continuum – to Froyo

Here’s something we weren’t expecting to see. Ever. Verizon has started rolling out an update to the Samsung Continuum, the OG Galaxy S variant with a small secondary screen below the navigation area. Curb your enthusiasm: it’s not Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s not even Gingerbread. It’s Android 2.2 Froyo, a version of Android that is now a full one year and nine months out of date. Continuum owners, if there are any of you left, please try to contain your boundless joy.

The Samsung Continuum was released on November 11th, 2010, and hadn’t received a major update until now. That’s 463 days of “support” running an operating system that was out of date when the phone launched. We’re not ones to pass around the “F” word lightly, but this sort of thing is what gives Android its fragmented reputation. Heck, six weeks after the Continuum showed up on store shelves, the Nexus S and Gingerbread appeared as well.
The Continuum uses a unique “ticker” design, with a 480×96 screen beneath the main 3.4-inch screen. The form factor didn’t catch on, despite Samsung supporting it with a handful of custom-made apps and an SDK. For other phones with wacky form factors that didn’t catch on, check out the Kyocera Echo and the LG DoublePlay. To update your Continuum, just go to Settings, About Phone, System Updates, Check New. There’s two different packages that you’ll need to download and allow your phone to flash.

Features you will instantly miss from a Galaxy Nexus once trying out the iPhone 4S

As many would agree, it’s best to have an unbiased opinion to help the public see the truth in your word. And taking that to heart, I went out and purchased an iPhone 4S to get a better feel for its differences and similarities to Android. Sure, we’ve all messed around with an iPhone at a retail store – and after taking the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for a spin it’s instantly hard to reason with its pricetag. But the iPhone does so well, and people love it. This is why I needed to test it out for myself.

First off, iOS 5 is smooth and doesn’t skip a beat. But then again – it’s completely absent of widgets; this alone was the hardest to cope with. Customization of the homescreen is one of Android’s finest perks, and is currently an area Apple’s iOS 5 can even touch. Next up is the absence of an app drawer. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been sold on ADW EX since its initial release. When maneuvering throughout iOS 5, out of habit I often swiped upwards thinking my apps would appear. From my personal experience, I do not like a crowded homescreen – and prefer having my most used applications taking up specific screen real estate. It helps avoid accidentally openings.

Next up, you guessed it: You’re going to miss the large, beautiful, Super AMOLED displays that we’ve grown to love in so many new devices. Don’t get me wrong, the Retina display used on the 4S is spectacular – but I have huge thumbs. What’s a guy to do? Siri can only help so much when trying to carry on a conversation or surf the net. However, the iPhone’s smaller display helps you retain solid battery life throughout the day. That was my only gripe about the Galaxy Nexus, without loading a custom ROM and kernel – it wouldn’t last me more than four hours.
The dismal battery life on the Galaxy Nexus could also be attributed to having a 4G LTE connection, but after using the iPhone 4S and being limited to 3G alone, poor battery life is much easier to swallow. Once you’ve experienced Verizon’s 4G LTE, nothing seems to fill its shoes. Again, this is a personal opinion; I have access to my computer’s USB port most of the day, and an outlet is usually close by. Thus charging up the Nexus was never an issue.

Build quality in the 4S easily surpasses that of the Galaxy Nexus, hands down. It feels extremely solid, and ditching the plastic chassis should be a future implementation for Android to work towards. Another area the iPhone wins over is camera quality. I’ve never been much of a photographer, but after using the iPhone 4S – taking pictures is a much better experience. Each device has its pros and cons, but after this iOS 5 test drive I’ve come to the realization Android suits my lifestyle better. I enjoy Google services way too much, particularly Google Navigation, and an OS that isn’t so locked down. I’ve yet to tweak my 4S via jailbreak, but that probably deserves a comparison towards custom Android ROMs and kernels anyways.

Three new Samsung phones show up in Wifi certification

The Samsung Galaxy S III may still be a long way off, but you can satiate you gadget lust with a trio of new phones revealed by the Wi-Fi certification website. Ameblo (1, 2, 3) spotted all three and grabbed them off the web – good on ya, guys. The phones have model numbers SGH-T999, SGH-I535 and SPH-L710. There’s not much information on the phones as far as release goes, but there is a little info to be gleaned from the specifications in the certification listings.

The T999 has a 720p screen, which indicates that it might be the Galaxy S Blaze 4G that T-Mobile announced at CES. That phone will easily be Samsung’s flagship on the carrier with a Super AMOLED screen and 1.5Ghz dual-core processor. There’s still no concrete price or release date for this one, but expect it soon. The I535 is a mystery, though the presence of a CDMA/LTE radio indicates a Verizon release, and the listing mentions Ice Cream Sandwich. The L710 will probably headed for the Now Network.
All three phones could be shown off at Mobile World Congress in a couple of weeks – or not, since MWC attendees don’t usually cater to US carriers at the Barcelona show. The phones’ appearance on the WiFi certification site certainly indicate that they’re coming soon, though, and the I535 is particularly promising – we can hope that it’s the Galaxy Journal (AKA Verizon’s Galaxy Note) but don’t really have any solid evidence for it. Hey, a nerd can dream.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review [AT&T]

Many questions come to mind with the Galaxy Note. Is it too big? Is the stylus S-Pen necessary? Is the screen real estate worth the loss of portability and more. I’ve been using it for about a week and have some thoughts regarding these questions. With a huge and vibrant 5.3″ Super AMOLED HD display and a dual-core processor this thing should be amazing — and it is. The biggest concern for many is probably the screen size so we’ll dive into that and more with our full review below.

You could call this a big phone, or a small tablet but really this is truly a hybrid that many are calling a phoneblet. When I first put my hands on the Galaxy Nexus I was worried the screen would be too large for me, but I quickly learned to love it and use it as my daily driver today. Will the Galaxy Note have the same fate? Being 5.7″ long and 3.27″ wide it’s more than a handful, but being extra thin really helps out.

Hardware
With the Galaxy Note there are a few important aspects regarding the software and the pre-installed applications but the main point that separates this from the rest of the market is the hardware. Everyone will love and make at least some usage of the apps, but it’s the hardware that makes or breaks this phone. I’ll start with my hands-on and unboxing right here.
As you know, the Note features a massive 5.3″ Super AMOLED HD display with a 1280 x 800 HD resolution. It is a sight to see no matter what phone you’ve used in the past. The Nexus and even the iPhone retina displays are nice, but this is an entirely new level. Everything is vibrant, colorful, crisp and just gorgeous. The blacks are extremely dark and the colors just pop.

Everything else regarding the actual hardware is in-line with many from the Galaxy S II that everyone should be familiar with. It comes equipped with an 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 2 megapixel front for video chat. A 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (Qualcomm) and 1GB of RAM with 16GB of built-in storage. Samsung’s provided a micro-SD slot under the batter door for expanded storage. The AT&T model comes with a Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core instead of Samsung’s own 1.4 GHz Exynos like the international Note, but in regular and average consumer usage scenarios this shouldn’t matter much. More on that below but Quadrant benchmarks were almost neck and neck.

The only other difference from the international model is obviously the AT&T 4G LTE, but like you see in the image above is the four capacitive buttons instead of two and a hardware home button. Pairing the hardware next to the Galaxy Nexus you can really get an idea of the size, as the Nexus is quite large on its own. For more on the size check out the unboxing video from the link above.

Software
With the Note we currently have Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and expect Ice Cream Sandwich to arrive shortly. Official Android 4.0 ICS builds have recently leaked, but that update is probably another month or more away. Other than a few specific changes to the reactions of landscape mode with the Note, and custom S-Pen applications everything is as you’d expect from a Samsung device with TouchWiz UX on board. We do have tons of the usual AT&T bloatware but other than their specific apps there isn’t anything worth noting.
S-Pen
Android 2.3 Gingerbread is stable, fast, smooth, and runs as it always has so we’ll really touch back on this when 4.0 lands. Instead we wanted to focus on the S-Pen stylus included. Obviously that is the other selling point here with the Galaxy Note. While I honestly cant see myself using the S-Pen on a day to day basis and while out and about — for those business professionals, artists, writers and more it would be extremely useful. I have noticed in the evenings on the couch the S-Pen has become my friend and I’ve used it everyday. It is starting to grow on me but with the ecosystem going away from buttons and going entirely touch controlled the stylus seems like a dying breed, if it wasn’t already.

The S-Pen does have some awesome and impressive features not to mention the accuracy of the WACOM digitizer on board. Samsung’s added a button on the side for quick controls. While it can be hard to locate and click, once you get comfortable it will make browsing the web extremely quick, easy, and effortless. The hands-on video below will give you a great idea of this phone as a whole. The awesome screen, the amazingly thin chassis, and most importantly the S-Pen additional functions.
Galaxy Note overview and S-Pen apps
My favorite feature has to be the extremely simple way to take screenshots of anything and everything. Like ICS the Note has it built-in. You can hold power+home and release to take screenshots on the Note, but with the stylus you just hold the button and long press the display. From there you’ll enter edit mode where you can crop, edit, and do as you’d like and then share or email it to any of the various apps installed. Being able to screenshot and edit a website, or circle a payment on a billing statement and easily email the crop is extremely useful. I did draw some funny faces on friends pictures just to be rude, we need to have fun here too guys.
Samsung isn’t the first to offer a fully digital stylus with Android. The HTC Flyer had a similar implementation that worked great too but the Samsung Galaxy Note has it mastered. The Flyer only certain aspects of the OS could use the stylus, here you can use the S-Pen in any area you’d like, or switch to hand operation. If a stylus is something you’re considering the Note will be perfect for you.
Samsung has also opened up the S-Pen API for developers to create amazing applications to make it useful. The pre-installed Samsung Apps store has multiple artist and sketch type apps available, and we can expect to see plenty more in the coming months. The limited amount of usable apps for now is a a downer, but soon we expect developers to dive into the S-Pen API’s and bring some unique apps to the table so stay tuned.

Benchmarks and 4G LTE
The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor keeps things speeding right along, as does the AT&T 4G LTE. As we mentioned above the processor change here shouldn’t concern most users, although the I/O scores on the Samsung Exynos and international version were quite a bit higher. Overall performance and daily usage the difference was negligible.
In Quadrant the Note scores around 3200 out of the box. Comparable or better than many other devices while still pushing all those pixels and that huge 5.3″ display. 4G LTE was also equally impressive and the lowest speeds I’ve seen in my strong LTE market here in Las Vegas was 7-8 MB/s down and I’ve averaged 15+ on day to day with peaks over 22 MB/s. Upload speeds are also right around 6-8 MB/s on average. (speedtest results in gallery below) While AT&T LTE isn’t as saturated as Verizon’s they seem to be keeping up quite well so far.

Camera
Another strong point for Samsung as usual is the camera. The 8 megapixel lens is one of the best we’ve used on Android. The shutter speed was slower for me than the Galaxy S II but the overall quality and editing options were excellent. With 1080p video capture you’ll never miss that perfect moment either. Here’s a photo sample with more in the full gallery below. Samsung has added video and photo editing software that works great, and using the S-Pen for fine tuning is another aspect that makes the Note stand out.

Phone & Battery
Now the phone is fast, the screen is bright and the S-Pen is unique. What about the phone you are probably asking. How are phone calls and “phone” use? Odd to say the least. Tossing this huge slate up against your ear will get a few looks in public, and not like the Samsung commercial from the Super Bowl. I found myself constantly fiddling with the size, my grip, and where to place it for optimal hearing based on the earpiece location with such a long phone. Once you get that down the sound quality on in-call and speakerphone is excellent and it’s one of the louder phones I’ve used as of late.
Battery life is another concern. We have a massive and bright screen, and 4G LTE. Two things that should kill battery. The Note has a huge 2,500 mAh battery under the hood. Once Motorola released the 3,300 mAh RAZR MAXX Samsung was probably upset. While battery life is actually extremely good on the Note you have a feeling they could have seriously made use of the extra space and crammed a 3,500 or bigger inside without adding much to the overall size. I’d be happy with the 2,500 mAh battery but the RAZR MAXX ruined that for me and increased my expectations. Pulling off the battery door (that is hard to get back on) you’ll quickly see they’ve wasted tons of space.

With light usage I was able to get well over 2 days of battery life. Yes two days without a single charge. For heavy all day screen and data usage I managed around 13 hours before it was completely dead. Obviously this will vary by user but I think the battery increase makes it on par or better than many available today.

Wrap-Up
Bigger isn’t always better, and with smartphone continuing to increase their size I’m beginning to worry. The Note will automatically be passed up for another phone by many simply because of the size, but many will also love it for the same reason. One rather odd part of the Note is the fact the screen being so large I was extremely worried about dropping it. You could very easily lose your grip (especially with one handed use) and drop the phone shattering that awesome screen. At the same time smaller phones can easily slide from your hand or grip because of their size. I almost feel the added size makes you less likely to drop it because it is so noticeable in your hands. You can’t miss it.

Is this a phone for you? Sure! The added size makes it hardly portable, but the large 5.3″ HD screen makes movies and pictures a joy to consume and browsing the web rocks. I could see the Note replacing my tablet but I’m still unsure as to if I’d replace my Galaxy Nexus with it. They are both awesome but at times while in public I did get a few odd looks with it up to my ear.
The Galaxy Note is big, obvious, and in your face. Nothing is discrete about it. Samsung wants to believe that everyone will use the note with two-handed operation but that simply isn’t the case. Texting or writing an email while walking or with your hands full is simply impossible. Most wont have long enough thumbs to reach both sides. Requiring more attention and two free hands.
In the end is this a phone that you could use? Absolutely. Some with smaller hands might find the phone unwieldy at times, but for the most part I’ve managed to get over the sheer size of the phone and enjoy it for what it truly is. And that is an impressive multimedia, consumption, and creation device. At first I was thinking this was more of a Niche device but in reality I could see it becoming much more than that. Add in the huge coverage from Super Bowl and I’m sure many are extremely interested in this smartphone — and with good reason. The Galaxy Note is extremely impressive in every aspect and once it has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich it will be pretty hard to beat.
The Galaxy Note is obviously the biggest, and one of the best phones available on the Market and it can be yours starting tomorrow for only $299 from AT&T.