Samsung Galaxy S III Rado-style ceramic design finalized tips insider

Samsung has reportedly finalized its design for the hotly-anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone, insiders claim, with the handset now headed to production ahead of its launch later in the first half of 2012. Preorders for the device are the highest in the Galaxy range’s history, notorious tipster Eldar Murtazin claims, also lending weight to the rumors that the new Android device will use a ceramic casing rather than the plastic of its predecessors.


In fact, he says, the new Galaxy S III casing is more akin to Rado watches than anything we’ve seen before. The watch company is known for its hardened ceramic designs, which are both visually distinctive and scratch-proof.
The new casing material choice is only one of the advances Samsung is believed to have made with the new handset. The Galaxy S III is tipped to be just 7mm thick, aside from a bulge for an 8-megapixel, 1080p-capable camera, and be fronted by a 4.8-inch HD-resolution display. There’s also HSPA+ connectivity, along with WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC connectivity expected, the latter believed to be integral to a promotional push alongside the 2012 Olympics at launch.
We’ll presumably know more within the next three months, assuming Samsung sticks to its 1H2012 launch promise. With the Galaxy S II setting sales records for the firm, and spawning numerous variants across the North American markets and beyond, a whole lot is riding on this new Android flagship.

Apple to spend $11bn on Samsung parts in 2012 claims exec

Apple may be attempting to reduce its reliance on Samsung components, but its bill from the Korean firm is likely to be the largest to-date according to one exec: up from $7.8bn in 2011 to as much as $11bn by the end of 2012. “The amount of the current contract is around $9.7 billion” a Samsung executive told The Korea Times on understanding of confidentiality, but “is expected to rise to $11 billion by the end of this year as Apple is planning to release a smaller iPad, probably with a 7.85-inch screen, and to sell more of its MacBook Air PCs using Samsung’s faster solid state drive storage.”


Legal teams from Apple and Samsung have been locked in patent-related litigation for months now, but that courtroom sparring has gone on alongside a close supplier/customer relationship that goes to the heart of many of Apple’s coveted products. Samsung provides NAND flash memory, mobile processors, displays and more already, and is supposedly ramping up investment into new screen technologies as part of a $41.1bn scheme to become even more dominant.
According to the insider, Apple isn’t just looking to Super High Aperture LCD panels for its hardware either; OLED is potentially on the cards. “Samsung is putting huge resources into becoming the world’s first OLED panel supplier to Apple for use in i-branded devices” the executive source claims. “Apple has the intent to use Samsung’s OLED technology, however, Apple doubts the output commitment for OLED screens by Samsung.”
Meanwhile, the total spend figure is expected to increase again in 2013 and 2014, the latter being the final year covered in Apple’s current supplier agreement with Samsung. Apple’s rising star is a mixed blessing for Samsung: as a key source of components it’s a welcome income stream, but it’s also a reminder that the company’s own products have yet to achieve anywhere near as much success

Next wave of Galaxy S II ICS updates begins March 19

If you weren't lucky enough to be part of the initial roll-out of Ice Cream Sandwich updates for the Samsung Galaxy S II, then you shouldn't have too long to wait. The long-awaited update started pushing out to Galaxy S II owners in Poland, Hungary, Sweden, and Korea this morning, and more European countries should start to see it from next Monday, March 19.
The news comes from Samsung by way of British tech site Pocket-Lint​ , and the good news for anyone in the UK is that it'll apparently be a part of this second wave of countries. Of course, if you're not afraid to tinker with your device, you could always just change your CSC code and update through ODIN. (If you don't know what any of that means, it's probably just best to wait for the OTA.)

Radio transplant brings AT&T Galaxy Note to life on T-Mobile's '4G' HSPA+

Since it emerged that the AT&T Galaxy Note's hardware supported T-Mobile's HSPA frequencies, there's been a cash bounty out for anyone able to bring Tmo 3G and '4G' connectivity to the device. Now it may be time for someone to collect that reward, as a method involving copying over parts of radio firmware from other devices has resulted in success.

The method, discovered by hacker 'Tomin.FHL,' requires users with rooted, SIM-unlocked AT&T Notes to download and flash specific parts of a radio file from another phone through ClockworkMod recovery. And that's pretty much it. Though obviously you'll well and truly void your warranty in the process, which means you'll be on your own if something goes wrong (like, say, bricking your phone because you flashed a hacked radio onto it).

Over on XDA​, various forum members have tried the hack with varying levels of success. The general consensus seems to be that it works, though you can expect slower HSPA data rates than you'd get on an officially-sanctioned Tmo device. If you're understand the risks, you'll find more info over at the source link.

Official Samsung Galaxy S II ICS update begins in Europe and South Korea

Looks like those previous rumors of an official Ice Cream Sandwich update were right in general, if not altogether precise. Reports from both European and South Korean owners of the ubiquitous Samsung Galaxy S II indicate that stock versions of the smartphone are receiving over-the-air updates to Ice Cream Sandwich right now. This fulfills Samsung’s promise to upgrade the flagship phone to the latest version of Android in the first quarter of 2012, if only just. If you live in either territory and haven’t seen an update yet, you can initiate a manual update in the Settings menu.

The update is currently going out to the international version of the Galaxy S II, known by the model number i9100  in most territories. In a press release, Samsung said that updates for the Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 (WiFi), and the Galaxy Note would follow shortly. Expect a more wide rollout of the GSII’s upgrade, with the other smartphone and tablet models coming in the next few weeks. At the same time, Samsung verified that the Galaxy S, Galaxy S Plus, and Galaxy Tab 7 would be receiving incremental updates to their Gingerbread software (something like the rumored “value pack”) but not Ice Cream Sandwich. All updates will keep Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, though new features may be added.
Note that the Americas are not mentioned in Samsung’s statement or our breakdown above. That’s because in the US and often in Canada as well, wireless carriers add considerable apps and other software tweaks to their subsidized phones, and must modify and approve almost all updates before they’re sent out over the air. Depending upon the proclivities of the handful of national and regional carriers that offer the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, it could be a few weeks to several months before American customers see their devices updated. In some cases, they may not be.

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 Tab 10.1, 8.9, and Note also getting Android 4.0 ICS “soon”

Last week Samsung announced, then quickly denied that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich would begin rolling out to Galaxy S II owners internationally. While they might have jumped the gun today on Facebook they have confirmed the update is rolling out and available now — but that isn’t all. They also briefly mentioned some of those important tablets of theirs too.


While talking about the Galaxy S II update today over on the Samsung Facebook page they also dropped hints for many upcoming devices and thought you’d like to hear the news. Samsung specifically mentioned the new Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 will get updated to Android 4.0 ICS and that it will “follow soon”.
Like we mentioned earlier today Samsung briefly talked about the original Galaxy S and how they wont be updating it to Ice Cream Sandwich. Instead it will indeed get the “value pack” they backtracked on a few times. Stating the Android 2.3 update for the Galaxy S and original Galaxy Tab will keep them on Android 2.3 Gingerbread but bring many features from ICS like face unlock, screenshots, photo editor, and a few others. Samsung didn’t mention the new Tab 7.7 LTE, or the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus but they should hopefully receive the same treatment.
So for anyone that had their doubts. Yes the Note, Tab line, Galaxy S II LTE and a few others will all get Android 4.0 ICS soon, while older devices are now confirmed to be staying on Gingerbread — as far as Samsung is concerned at least. For those with older devices look to CyanogenMod and others for Android 4.0 ICS ROM’s.

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S III enters production

It’s been days since someone stoked the flames of rumor for the Galaxy S III, so Russian gossipmeister Eldar Murtazin – of this fabulous fake and other often-wrong rumors – took it upon himself to get cooking. The insider claims that the Galaxy S III has entered production already, essentially ending the development period for the much-anticipated phone. Murtazin previously claimed that the phone was due for a release in April, though that seems increasingly unlikely. Samsung has still not committed to any date for an announcement or release for the successor to the Galaxy S II.

We still know next to nothing about the Galaxy S III, if indeed that’s what it’ll go by, and that’s a testament to Samsung’s impressive secrecy surrounding the project. A big 720p Super AMOLED screen, faster processor and Ice Cream Sandwich seem like obvious additions to the Galaxy S line, but even those are speculations at this point. Given that the nearly year-old Galaxy S II is finally seeing an official Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, Samsung shouldn’t have any problem delivering ICS on launch day. Murtazin says the phone will have a 4.8-inch screen, quad-core Exynos processor and the much-touted ceramic case design. Take that for what it’s worth.
Previous rumors (which we’re inclined to believe) stated that Samsung delayed a Mobile World Congress reveal for the GSIII in order to time its release closer to the iPhone 5. Or possibly the iPhone 4Gs – gotta give those Apple fans something to buy next year. Given that Samsung seems to be resembling its biggest rival more and more as time goes by, for example in holding their own event for the phone’s launch. At the moment we’ll just have to wait and see.

AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy Note LTE modded for T-Mobile 4G

Ah, here’s a familiar tune. Cross-network phone mods in the United States have declined somewhat since the various carriers’ data bands have become so different, it’s still a popular pastime – though mostly among iPhone users who want a little T-Mobile freedom. That practice has now spread to the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note, which recently had an LTE-flavored release on AT&T. Naturally this comes from XDA developers, via a user calling himself  tomin.fhl.

The LTE phone includes HSPA+ bands that will work on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ “4G” network, but of course they’re locked down (both on the radio and the SIM card) in the AT&T retail version. You don’t even need a custom ROM for the tweak to work – just load up a hacked T-Mobile radio in a custom bootloader and you’re ready to go. It’s not the simplest of hacks, but it should be bread and butter for any experienced Android modder. And of course, this trick ought to work for any custom ROMs that pop up as well.
Early reports indicate that signal is considerably weaker than both an unmodified Note and a standard T-Mobile Android phone, but voice, text and data are all possible. The only thing holding users back is the considerable price tag: a whopping $650 for a contract-free AT&T phone, or a $350 cancellation fee from Ma Bell. But for a certain user, that’s surely a small price to pay to get the biggest, baddest Android phone around on their preferred network.

Galaxy Nexus gets modded tablet UI for custom ROMs

Say, this looks familiar. Just days after the Verizon Galaxy Nexus launched, Android Community tried an experiment to force it to go into Android 4.0′s tablet interface. We were only partially successful (hey, we’re bloggers, not developers) but it looks like someone has taken a similar idea all the way to its conclusion. A RootzWiki user named CurrentWeb has developed a ZIP package that makes your Samsung Galaxy Nexus use the full Ice Cream Sandwich tablet user interface, bottom action bar and all.

It’s a pretty sweet mod, we’ve got to admit: the Galaxy Nexus’ 720p screen is only a little smaller than most Honeycomb tablets as far as resolution goes, and larger than most first generation Gingerbread tablets. The interface fits just fine on the phone’s 4.65-inch screen, though you may have to do some serious squinting to see the text and menu items. Even more importantly, tablet apps default to their more complex full-sized interface, as with YouTube above. If there’s a tablet app that you just can’t live without on the go (like Craigslist HD) you might want to give this mod a try.
Currently the most popular custom Galaxy Nexus ROMs are supported, including AOKP, Axiom, Liquid, Gummy, and the leaked stock 4.0.4 software. (You’ll need to flash a ROM-specific file – check the source for downloads.) The only major problem found so far is that they’re incompatible with the settings menu in Chrome for Android. Currently there’s no easy way back to the standard phone interface after flashing, so make sure and do a Nandroid backup – as always. We can’t wait to see a similar mod for the Galaxy

Device Specifications and Information

Device Info

Device Name : GALAXY Nexus

Manufactuer : Samsung

Carrier : Verizon

Announced Date : October 18, 2011

Release Date : December 15, 2011

Also Known As : Nexus Prime

Display

• Screen Size : 4.65 Inch
• Resolution : 1280x720
• Screen Type : Super AMOLED

Dimension & Weight

• Height : 5.33 Inch
• Width : 2.67 Inch
• Depth : 0.35 Inch
• Weight : 135 Grams

Battery & Power

Battery Type:
• Lithium Ion

• Battery Capacity : 1750 mAh
• Talk Time : NA
• Stand By Time : NA

Software

Android OS:
• 4.0.x

Audio Playback:
• AAC
• AAC+
• AMR
• MID
• MP3
• WAV
• WMA

Video Playback:
• h.263
• h.264 / AVC
• MPEG-4 (MP4)

Messaging:
• SMS
• MMS

Hardware

CPU : OMAP 4460

CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz

Core : 2

Ram : 1000 MB

Internal Storage : 32 GB

Front Facing Camera :

Samsung Galaxy S III Design Is Official And Ready According To Source

Looks like we’re getting more juicy details for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. While we previously reported the device would feature a ceramic body instead of the usual plastic we’ve become accustomed to on the GSI and GSII phones, there are new reports the device will not only highlight a ceramic body— but the final design of the GSIII smartphone is complete, which indicates the phone is all set for production. This is already on top of the mouth-watering specs we previously reported which includes a rumored 4.8-inch screen with HD resolution, 8MP camera and quad-core processor for starters. Looks like the phone may very well be on its way folks.
Oh and for anyone interested: there are added reports the phone should be out by June of this year. That’s only 3 months away folks. Are any of you planning on breaking open the wallet or purse for the fancy new smartphone from Sammy?

Galaxy Nexus 3,800mAh Extended Battery Available For Only $13.99

Listen up if you’re a Galaxy Nexus owner folks because we’ve got a doozy for you. We all know the standard 1800 mAh battery is average by most standards and the 2100mAh extended battery is only slightly better, so many of you may have been longing for something you can feel confident in when it comes to battery life. Sure we’ve highlighted some hefty alternatives, but they may come at a premium price. Well friends I come bearing great news: CellularFactory is listing a sweet 3,800mAh extended battery for wait for it… wait for it— a whopping $13.99. That’s right folks, a 3,800mAh extended battery is available for under $14. There’s more too: if you use code GOFF5SW during your purchase, you get an extra 5% off. There were earlier reports indicating the extended battery was available for $7.99, but we wanted to double-check and confirm this for you all, but found the battery is in fact available for $13.99 only.
Keep in mind this extended battery does not feature NFC capabilities, so you’re out of luck if you’re looking for some Beam action. It might be a negative for some, but I think the vast majority of those interested in this battery will gladly give that up for an improved battery life at that steal of a price.

7-Inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Visits the FCC

It’s only been a couple weeks since Samsung announced their mediocre-ly spec’d Galaxy Tab 2, both in 10 and 7-inch flavors. Reports have suggested that the 7-inch version will see a UK launch sometime in March and a recent visit to the FCC would mean it’s right on track. Looking over the FCC documents, Engadget spotted some AT&T 3G radios but other than that there isn’t much additional info to be gained. We are still unsure whether or not Ma Bell plans on scooping up the tablet or if it will end up with another carrier. Either way you can expect both tablets to be offered on one of the carriers 3G network in the near future.
The new Galaxy Tab sports a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, ships running ICS, will be available in both 16 and 32GB variations, and will come with or without 3G radios. We should be hearing something more official in the coming weeks.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note now working on T-Mobile thanks to modem hack

While the Samsung Galaxy Note finally made it to the U.S. a few weeks ago, unfortunately it was an exclusive to AT&T and left T-Mobile customers in the dark. There has been some development to get the AT&T version up and running on Magenta, but constant freezing didn’t get anyone excited. Well XDA user tomin.fhl found a solution that only flashes the modem file (mdm.bin) and excludes the modem software (amss,bin) and lib files.
So far he’s been able to replicate T-Mobile 4G with three modems: T-mobile SGH-T989 KID, T-mobile SGH-T989 VKL1, and Telus KJ3. Don’t expect great speeds on a regular basis, but tomin.fhl was able to achieve 9 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up in certain areas. You should expect 5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up on a regular basis though, which is not awesome, but better than Edge. If you’re loyal to Magenta and you really want a Galaxy Note, this isn’t a bad alternative. Hit the source link below to get in on the action.