Samsung unveils limited edition Team GB Galaxy S3 phones, to start selling on August 1

Right as we fervently waited for the official kick off of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Samsung made our day even brighter by unveiling two special edition Galaxy S3 phones. These will be available for sale in the UK soon and target British tech users who want to show their support for their Olympian heroes.
The Games’ grand opening ceremony might start in just a few hours, but the Olympic fever won’t be easily quenchable across England for the next 17 days. That’s why, even if the two limited edition Galaxy S3 models won’t actually start selling until August 1, they should still prove fairly successful all around Great Britain.
The two special S3 versions look very similar to the Olympics-branded Notes released some time ago – they have the same hardware and software as the “normal” phones, but come with a different casing. You can go for either the Pebble Blue model with UK’s flag slapped on the back, or the Marble White version with the beautiful Team GB lion on it.

Either way, you’ll be offered both the special Team GB cover and a regular S3 one, so as to choose when or for how long to show your passion for sports and support for your nation’s athletes. The best thing about Sammy’s special phone is that you have the liberty to bundle it with your carrier of choice (Vodafone, Orange – T-Mobile, O2, Talk Mobile, or Three), and you can get the handheld for free by signing up for new two-year contracts starting at £28 a month.
More details about specific plans and network offers will be made available on August 1, when the special S3 should start selling from Carphone Warehouse, both online and in retail stores across the UK. Look for the phone then, or get back to our website to find out more.
In the meantime, tell us your bets for the Games. How many medals will Team GB bring home? How about Team USA? And who will be the biggest star of them all? Could it be GB’s Andy Murray? Michael Phelps? Usain Bolt?

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Apple says Google told Samsung that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looked too much like the iPad

The Apple vs Samsung patent-based U.S. case is set to start on July 30, but until then we already have various tidbits to show you from the cases each company will try to prove in court in this legal clash of the titans – and they surely have a complex relationship.
The two companies are fighting for market share and profits in the smartphone and tablet business, but they are also bound by a multi-billion dollar component supply partnership. Also important is the fact that they are facing each other off in more than 50 cases spread across 10 countries, and they’re all mobile-related.
Apple argues that Samsung Galaxy-branded smartphones and tablets are violating its iPhone and iPad patents and designs, while Samsung says that Apple is infringing with various iOS products its own 3G patents – which happen to be FRAND, or standard essential patents.
Apple has scored a few victories against Samsung in pre-trial rulings including a couple injunctions in the U.S. against the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 – albeit the Galaxy Nexus is still selling in the region after a second Samsung appeal succeeded to stay the initial decision, but also an adverse inference jury instruction. The company also won a few days ago a EU-wide injunction against Galaxy Tab 7.7 sales but also lost an injunction in the UK against the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
What’s worth remembering is that while all these verdicts came out in the last few weeks, Google decided to officially help Samsung in its fight against Apple, especially after the Galaxy Nexus sales ban was obtained in the U.S. by the iPhone maker.

But it turns out that Apple lawyers may also use Google against Samsung, at least according to Apple’s brief which mentions some Samsung interesting documents:

“Samsung’s documents show the similarity of Samsung’s products is no accident or, as Samsung would have it, a ‘natural evolution,’” Apple argues in its brief. “Rather, it results from Samsung’s deliberate plan to free-ride on the iPhone’s and iPad’s extraordinary success by copying their iconic designs and intuitive user interface. Apple will rely on Samsung’s own documents, which tell an unambiguous story.”

Apparently these documents reveal that the Search giant warned Samsung in the past that some of its Android products are too similar to the iPhone and iPad:

 In February 2010, Google told Samsung that Samsung’s “P1” and “P3” tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were “too similar” to the iPad and demanded “distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.” In 2011, Samsung’s own Product Design Group noted that it is “regrettable” that the Galaxy S “looks similar” to older iPhone models. As part of a formal, Samsung-sponsored evaluation, famous designers warned Samsung that the Galaxy S “looked like it copied the iPhone too much,” and that “innovation is needed.” The designers explained that the appearance of the Galaxy S “[c]losely resembles the iPhone shape so as to have no distinguishable elements,” and “[a]ll you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it’s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone.”

These are all points that Apple will make in court, and we’re certainly interested what the jury will think.
This sort of evidence is all the more intriguing in this case as Judge Lucy Koh, who presides the U.S. case, famously asked Samsung counsel in one of the early U.S. face offs to recognize the Galaxy Tab from two tablets she was holding, one being an iPad. The lawyers were not able to identify the tablet of their client “from that distance” – or about 10 feet away – although they finally managed to provide the right answer.
We’ll be back with more news from this battle of giants in the near future.

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MetroPCS-bound Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G leaks, to be released in August

Dominating the high-end part of the smartphone world doesn’t seem to be enough for Samsung, which is constantly looking to strengthen its presence in the low-end and mid-range niches as well. One phone that could place itself right between these sectors is the Galaxy S Lightray 4G, supposedly headed to MetroPCS in August.
The information comes via a Howard Forums leak and is not yet confirmed, but the fistful of high-quality “spilled” photos and the almost complete spec sheet guarantee that we’re not dealing with a bogus rumor.
That said, the Galaxy S Lightray 4G seems like a pretty bizarre device, starting with its name. I’m sure that most of you tuned in to this article because of the “S” branding in the phone’s title, which made you hope the phone might have something to do with the Galaxy S2 or S3. Well, it doesn’t, as far as we can tell, neither in terms of design, nor in hardware.

The exterior is actually very similar to that of Verizon’s Samsung Droid Charge, a 2011 LTE-enabled phone which hasn’t exactly been a winner. As far as specs go, we don’t know all of them just yet, but the ones we do know place the Lightray ages behind the Galaxy S3 and quite significantly behind the S2, too.
Sporting a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with an unknown resolution, the Galaxy S Lightray 4G is set to come with an 8 MP rear-facing camera with flash, an 1.3 MP front-facing webcam and 4G LTE connectivity, which ain’t too shabby. However, the phone is rumored to be only packing a 1.3 GHz single-core processor and that’s clearly below par even for mid-rangers these days.

Furthermore, based on the leaked photos, the 4.3-incher might only run Android 2.3 Gingebread upon its release, which would be terribly disappointing. An included 16GB microSD card, HDMI port, TV antenna for “Mobile TV”, and mobile hotspot capability complete the rumored spec sheet of the Lightray, making it one tough nut to crack. Will it be a low-end device? A mid-range one? Something in between?
We should find that out pretty soon, considering that MetroPCS has supposedly scheduled the new Samsung handheld for a mid-August release. If that’s true, an official unveiling is quite imminent. Is anyone excited about the Lightray?

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Rumors: AT&T to cut HTC One X price by half, red Galaxy S3 to start selling

Although it was hailed as HTC’s comeback and it supposedly started off more than decently, the One X couldn’t stand the Galaxy S3 charge and saw its sales rapidly drop. No, that’s not an official story, but earlier rumors, combined with a new one, certainly make the scenario trustworthy.
The new rumor comes from an XDA-Developers forum user, who supposedly got his hands on an AT&T e-mail announcing the upcoming price slashing of the One X. “Surflamj”, a junior member of the forum, has stated that he works “for AT&T as a sales rep”, and says that the One X’s discount won’t be part of a temporary “special or deal”.
That means that, starting this Sunday, July 29, anyone with a passion for high-end Android technology will be able to get a spanking new HTC One X for just $99.99 with a two-year contract, and no (other) strings attached.
AT&T’s discount, if it proves to be real, will reduce One X’s price by half (from the current $199.99 price tag), which would be one of the most generous offers made by the carrier in… probably ever. Sure, it wouldn’t be the first time to see a high-end phone discounted this way, but HTC’s flagship is not even three months old.

The rumor should be taken with one large grain of salt, as it’s almost impossible to check if Surflamj is in fact an AT&T employee, but fortunately we will learn about its accuracy fairly soon. One thing is certain, nevertheless, and that is if you’re considering getting a One X from AT&T, you should wait for a few more days.
The supposed internal e-mail makes some light on the red Galaxy S3’s coming, too, which will be scheduled on the exact same day as the One X’s price slashing. The “beast” will be available for some sort of “special order” on Sunday, which is not exactly news and has been confirmed by AT&T officials a while back. However, it remains to be seen what will that “special order” mean. Could it possibly be another discount?
Which one of these two deals sounds more tempting to you? Would you rather go for a $99 HTC One X or a likely $199 snazzy red Samsung Galaxy S3?

SOURCES: View the original article here

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Samsung gets another hit – Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction remains in place

While some laughed at Apple’s patent attacks against Samsung, which seemed like losing battles from the get-go, the joke is starting to be on Sammy. After some relatively insignificant wins in Europe and Australia some time ago, Tim Cook’s giant knocked it off the park in the past month or so, with a couple of US injunctions against two popular Samsung devices.
The Galaxy Nexus sales ban might have been lifted for the time being, but Sammy still has some splitting headaches with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. The 10-incher has been banned for sale in the US last month, and, after the denial of Samsung’s first appeal on the decision, the Koreans have been hit hard again by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The Federal Circuit denied Samsung’s motion to stay Judge Koh’s preliminary injunction for the duration of the appellate proceedings and also refused to grant a motion to expedite the appeal. That means Sammy is now officially out of tricks up its sleeve. The Koreans will have to confront Apple in court starting on July 30 regarding a design patent allegedly infringed by the Korean mammoth.

Furthermore, Samsung’s chances for a win in court are not too good, considering that the temporary lifting of the Tab 10.1 sales ban has been denied exactly because the “movant hasn’t established a strong likelihood of success on the merits or demonstrated that it has a substantial case on the merits and that the harm factors militate in its favor.” In other words, the Federal Circuit thought Sammy’s chances for a victory in court were slim, as they didn’t provide enough evidence to contradict Apple’s accusations.
For the time being, Samsung doesn’t have much to lose due to the preliminary injunction against the Tab 10.1, as the 10-incher is not very popular in the US. Then again, in a few short weeks the ban might be made definitive, which would allow Apple to ask for consistent financial compensation, but also to go against other more popular Samsung devices (including the Galaxy S3).
The future looks pretty bleak for Samsung in this exhausting patent war with Apple, but things might still change in Sammy’s favor. Stay tuned on our website to find out if that’ll happen!


Source: View the original article here

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5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet coming on August 15, release date not available yet

A few days ago, we told you that Samsung sent out press invites to members of the media for a special event scheduled to take place on August 15. At the time, we wondered whether the company would announce the Galaxy Note 2, its second-generation smartphone/tablet during the presser, especially since Samsung was said a few weeks ago to unveil the new phablet on August 30 in Berlin, a day ahead of the start of the German IFA 2012 tech show.
However, an even more distant report suggested that Samsung is interested in launching the Galaxy Note 2 as fast as possible, in order to beat the sixth-generation iPhone to market.
BGR now says that Galaxy Note 2 is going to be unveiled on August 15, according to a “source close to Samsung.” The same source seems to have confirmed that the device will come with a thinner and taller 5.5-inch display, which sounds familiar since it’s a spec we’ve seen in various reports so far.
However, the source did not reveal an actual release date for the device just yet. We’re also curious about Jelly Bean-friendliness for the Galaxy Note 2, not to mention the rest of its specs and features, but we’ll just have to wait and see whether the South Korean company does indeed announce its next-gen phablet in mid-August.
We have already showed you all we think we know about the Galaxy Note 2, and we used that info to offer you a preview comparison between the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 well ahead of the actual launch of the phablet.
Are you buying a high-end Samsung smartphone this year? Is it the Galaxy S3 or the Note 2?

Source: View the original article here

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Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update brings unexpected, but fixable, GPS bug

In addition to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that runs Android 4.1 out of the box, other Nexus devices including the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones have also received their taste of Jelly Bean, at least in certain markets. But it looks like it’s not a flaw-free roll out for Google’s latest mobile operating system.
A few days ago we heard that Vodafone had to postpone the Nexus S Jelly Bean upgrade in Australia, as the ROM did not mean certain local regulations and now new reports suggest that the Galaxy Nexus Android 4.1 build comes with an unexpected GPS bug.
Apparently Galaxy Nexus users are unable to get a “precise GPS fix” after installing Jelly Bean, and this leads to the inability of the phone to track their location. Talk Android says the bug doesn’t affect all users, but that those that suffer from such GPS issues can easily fix it.
To check whether the problem affects your Galaxy Nexus device you should open an app that uses GPS to track you, preferably Google Maps, and then see whether you get a flashing icon with your “Searching for GPS…” notification. In case the icon is absent then your GPS is not functioning properly and needs to be manually fixed.
To do that, you’ll have to go to Settings > Location services and then “uncheck and re-check ‘Google’s location service.’” It should be as simple as that, but let us know in the comments section whether you have any GPS problem on your Galaxy Nexus freshly adorned with Jelly Bean.


Sources: View the original article here

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Galaxy Note 2 Might Run Fastest Exynos 4 Quad Yet

For all the rumors we’ve heard about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, there’s been very little in the way of convincing claims made about its hardware. The idea of moving to a slightly-larger 5.5-inch screen sounds plausible, but the rest of it seemed more like guesswork than anything we could really count on. As we continue to look for more info on the phone’s specs, some new benchmark data has arrived that may give us our best glimpse at the Note 2's hardware to date.

Before we get into things, GLBenchmark has apparently removed the relevant data from its site since news of this story first broke. For now, it’s unclear what’s going on, but we have to at least consider the possibility that this info was taken down due to questions regarding its legitimacy.
While it lasted, the site was showing results for an unknown Samsung model, the GT-N7100. Since the first Note is the N7000, it’s not big a leap to think this model might be the Note 2. According to the data, the phone would run an Exynos 4 Quad, like the GS3, but clocked all the way up to 1.6GHz. This info also suggests that the phone would feature a 720p resolution, rather than the 1280 x 800 employed by the first Note.

Without feeling too confident about this new data, and still lacking plenty of info on the Note 2's hardware design, we’re anxious to get a much closer look at the handset; hopefully we’ll get a chance before its rumored late-August announcement.

Source: View the original article here

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Special Galaxy S3 2012 Summer Olympic Games edition available in Taiwan

We’re just a few days away from the official kick off of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, and sports enthusiasts will be happy to hear that they’ll be able to pick up certain Android devices dedicated to this major sporting event – at least in certain markets.
Such is the case with the Galaxy S3, which is available in a special Olympic Games edition to Taiwanese Android fans. While we’re looking at the same Galaxy S3 device – nothing inside the phone will change – you’ll appreciate the UK-based Galaxy S3 cases and the accessories you’ll find in the box.
Moreover, if you don’t like that much the available Galaxy S3 colors – Marble White, Pebble Blue and Garnet Red (in certain markets) – then you’ll certainly favor these special case skins designed for the Olympic games. There are two versions available, one showing the Union Jack while the other features the royal guard soldier.

As for the accessories available in the box, you’ll find a miniature royal guard soldier that can be plugged into the 3.5mm headset jack – although it has no actual purpose – and three figurines sporting the same UK flag and depicting three sports: cyclism, weightlifting and Tae Kwon Do.
In addition to all that, you’ll also get to download that British royal guard wallpaper on the device in the following days, for a complete Galaxy S3 Olympic Games experience.
Check out the gallery above to see all the perks available in this special Galaxy S3 package, and let us know whether you’d buy it too. At this time it’s not clear whether the special edition smartphone will be available in other markets too.


Source: View the original article here

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Reports Of The 64GB Galaxy S III’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

Last night, we heard a rumor that, following the release of 16GB and 32GB Galaxy S III models, Samsung was shelving plans for the phone’s 64GB option. Since that story came out, the manufacturer has had time to respond to the claims, and says that things are still very much a “go” for the 64GB GS3.


According to Samsung, “the 64GB model of the GALAXY S III will be available during the second half of this year.” Unfortunately, it’s not willing to go into any greater detail than that at the moment, so we still don’t know if we’re talking about early fall or sometime closer to the holiday season.
Even with that uncertainty still in play, this is great news for users who aren’t sold on cloud storage just yet, and want to carry around some massive media libraries with them; don’t forget, the GS3 supports microSD expansion, and 64GB SDXC cards are now a reality, opening the door for an aggregate 128GB of local storage capacity.

What about the rumor, though? Ultimately, it looks like this one fell apart when retail workers supplied some bad info concerning canceled pre-orders; really, we shouldn’t be too surprised.
Now that the 64GB GS3 has been reaffirmed, is anyone holding-off on buying a GS3 until this model becomes available?

Source: View the original article here

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Sony Walkman F800 and new Samsung Galaxy Player – Android PMPs running Ice Cream Sandwich

While Android smartphone sales top iPhone sales, the roles are reversed when it comes to the music business. The iPod touch doesn’t really have a worthy Android competitor out there, although one could also argue that any smartphone also offer music and video playing support.

However, those people interested in a device that would only play music and video files, but also run apps from time to time, should know that Sony and Samsung are preparing new Android-based portable media players (PMPs) for their customers.
Sony has already announced its Walkman F800 Series, but availability dates have not been unveiled yet. The device will feature a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, 8/16/32GB memory, a battery capable of 4.5 hours of video playback and 20 hours of music playback, and, most importantly, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood.

Samsung has not announced its next Android PMP, but new benchmark tests have revealed that the company is indeed working on a new YP-GP1 Galaxy Player. Just like the new Walkman F800, Samsung’s PMP will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Other specs include a touchscreen display with 960 x 540 qHD resolution, a 1GHz processor and a PowerVR 540 GPU from Imagination Technologies. The device may be unveiled at some point in the following months, quite possible at IFA 2012, the German trade show that takes in Berlin in early September.
Anyone interested in new Android ICS-running PMPs?

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Two Galaxy Nexus units and other gadgets you can find inside Steve Wozniak’s backpack

Self-professed gadget addict Steve Wozniak certainly likes to travel with an entourage of devices in his backpack. He recently shared the content of his travel gear with Gizmodo, which provides a rare glimpse to the multitude of gadgets of varying platforms and sizes that Woz apparently carries at all time when he hits the road.
Let’s start with the meat of the finding. In case you’re wondering what this particular Apple co-founder’s choice of Android device is – he actually has a pair of Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphones, both unlocked from AT&T, with one being the spare phone. He also carries with him a Motorola Droid RAZR. That’s as far as the Android love affair goes.
Meanwhile, the usual suspects include 3 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 iPod Nanos (complete with wristbands), MacBook Pro, an iPad case/keyboard, an AirPort Express, and a MacBook Pro 85W magsafe adapter. Each of the pair of iOS devices includes one device that belongs to his wife Janet — except for the iPhones, where she has two of them.
The list goes on with a bunch of USB peripherals, two Verizon 3G MiFis, Bluetooth mouse, and projector connectors.  Here’s the rest of the electronic device-related stuff:
Multiple Gameboy Lights (a special edition Gameboy sold in Japan)Gameboy link cablesA pair of MutewatchTwo Garmin GPS devicesJawbone Jambox wireless speakerCountless foreign AC adaptersGameboy link cableLaser pointers with varying colorsiPhone lens adapterFlash keys and flash media adaptersCigarette lighter dual USB adapterAudio doubler cableiPad USB/SD Card adaptersAA, AAA, CR2, CR12 batteries
On top of those, the Woz also carries lots of pens, paint pens and pencils for his pencil puzzles. Oh, and a binocular as well. According to him, his backpack usually weighs 50 pounds (roughly 22 Kilograms), yikes! Odd and abnormal as it may seem, he admits it’s actually customary to him to carry all of the above when he’s on the road. We’ve all been guilty of carrying too much electronic devices during a trip, but he certainly takes the cake.
Any item you find interesting from the list? Do you shove in as many gadgets as possible to your backpack when traveling?


Sources: View the original article here

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