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ITC rules that Samsung violates four Apple patents covering design, touch

Jon Fingas — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:50:00 -0400

The back and forth continues. US International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender has made an initial ruling that some Samsung's devices violate four Apple patents, including one iPhone design patent (the one you see above) and three software patents. Apple didn't manage a clean sweep, as Samsung was cleared of treading on two more patents, but the verdict still carries the all-too-familiar potential for a trade ban if the ITC maintains the findings in its final review. It's bleak news for the Korean company, which faced an initial loss to Apple at the ITC just last month -- even though large swaths of the mostly Android-based Galaxy phones and tablets in the dispute have long since left the market, an upheld verdict gives Samsung one less bargaining chip in a protracted legal war.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple, Samsung

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Via: Bloomberg News

Source: ITC (PDF)

Sprint bringing Samsung Transform Ultra, Kyocera DuraCore to life November 13th?

Brad Molen — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:27:00 -0400

Here are a couple more devices that will probably add another page to your Black Friday ads: the Samsung Transform Ultra and the Kyocera DuraCore. The leaked images above and below don't show any super-secret phones that we didn't already know about, but we do learn that November 13th is a likely launch date for both of them. The Transform Ultra, a QWERTY-packing Android 2.3 slider which already made its debut on Boost Mobile, looks destined to start off at $80, while the Direct Connect-capable DuraCore will go for $70. Anyone getting up early the day after Thanksgiving for either one?

[Thanks, Mike]

Filed under: Mobile

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Sprint updating the Samsung Galaxy Tab with Gingerbread on July 5

Dana Wollman — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:45:00 -0400

It's hard out there for a Samsung Galaxy Tab owner, watching Honeycomb slates hit the market by the bushel, with a lucky few stepping up to Android 3.1 and its resizeable widgets. Sprint, at least, is still giving the 'ol Tab some love -- according to an anonymous tipster, the Now Network will push out an update to Gingerbread, something Tab owners overseas have already been enjoying. The upgrade's expected to roll out starting July 5th, and will include not just Android 2.3, but a step up to HID Bluetooth as well. Oh, and while it's at it, Sprint will also release a fix for a bug in the Samsung Transform that has interfered with PRL and data profile updates. Sounds like as fine a way as any to beat the post-holiday weekend blues.

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Samsung Epic 4G, Galaxy Tab and Transform software updates coming March 21st: Froyo and / or Sprint ID in tow

Donald Melanson — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:47:00 -0400

This one isn't quite completely official just yet, but a helpful tipster has passed along the screenshot above which quite clearly suggests that some software updates are coming to a trio of Sprint's Samsung devices on March 21st. That includes a new and hopefully improved over-the-air upgrade to Android 2.2.1 for the Epic 4G, as well as an Android 2.2 update for the Transform, both of which also include a number of other additions like Flash 10.1 on the Epic and Swype on the Transform. Also not left out of the fun is Sprint's version of the Galaxy Tab, which is getting the Sprint ID update we saw first hand at CES back in January -- it's headed to the Epic and Transform as well.

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Samsung Transform review

Sean Hollister — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:18:00 -0400

With Epic 4G styling, a front-facing camera and a $150 post-rebate price, it's easy to mistake the Samsung Transform for a high-end phone. Don't. The reality is that it's a evolution of Samsung's mid-range Moment and Intercept more than anything else -- you're paying an additional $50 here to get a front-facing camera, an LED flash and a few welcome tweaks, but the same ho-hum performance plus a few new annoyances to boot. Where does it improve and where does it fail? Find out in our full review.

Gallery: Samsung Transform unboxing and hands-on

Gallery: Samsung Transform and Epic 4G, sized up

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Samsung Transform, first hands-on!

Sean Hollister — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:24:00 -0400

Worried that the Samsung Transform would be a slatephone? Don't be -- it's more of a miniature Epic 4G. The Android 2.1 device's got a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, 800MHz processor and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, plus front- and rear-facing cameras for video chat -- though they're pretty low resolution and there's no 4G to pump their streaming video data. We just got hands-on with the phone, and came away mildly impressed -- though it's a little sluggish compared to the Epic, it's got much the same build quality, and the exact same hinge and buzzy vibrator if you want to get specific. There aren't a lot of fancy functions on the keyboard, but it's arguably got an even better layout that caters to landscape touch-typists like us -- the keys are plasticy little numbers like those on the Samsung Intercept, but they've got a nice click and this time, a logical arrangement. The screen's bright and clear enough, but unless our eyes deceive us it's no AMOLED. Expect it to drop on October 10th for $150 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and be sure to watch a Sprint rep show off the phone's Sprint ID functions after the break.

Update: Video hands-on after the break!

Gallery: Samsung Transform and Sprint ID, first hands-on!

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Sprint guns for mid-range Android: $149 Samsung Transform, $99 Sanyo Zio, and $49 LG Optimus S include 'Sprint ID'

Sean Hollister — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:15:00 -0400

The rumors were dead-on -- the Samsung Transform and Sanyo Zio are headed to Sprint this week, and by the end of the month the carrier will play host to an LG Optimus smartphone as well. Priced at $150, $100 and $50 (after $100 mail-in rebates) respectively, they're definitely not high-end phones, but if you're looking for a capable QWERTY messenger (with video chat!) the Samsung Transform just might fill the bill. In many ways it's a scaled down Epic 4G, with the same look and feel, though a somewhat slower 800MHz processor, a 3.5-inch screen, and no 4G support, obviously. We weren't terribly impressed with the Sanyo Zio the last time we saw it, but we're happy to hear it's now sporting Android 2.1 and hopefully some bugfixes, and we're eager to try the LG Optimus S simply because it's got Froyo at the $50 price point.

Hardware's only half the story here, however, because these three phones will ship with something completely new -- a settings / apps / widgets / themes packaging solution the company's calling Sprint ID. Rather than fill the device with bloatware apps or overlay a custom UI, Sprint's installed a software button that takes you to a store exclusively designed for Sprint's new Android devices. You pick a package -- say, Business Pro -- and it downloads a specific set of apps, widgets and a custom wallpaper targeted at business owners, though if you'd rather decline you can use a package that's pretty much stock Android. The carrier's launching Sprint ID today with 17 partners and 13 free content packs, with more on the way. There's a Sprint exec waiting to walk you through Sprint ID in a video after the break!

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Samsung Transform pictured in Sprint document, alongside Kyocera... err, Sanyo Zio?

Sean Hollister — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:24:00 -0400

Well, dear reader, we've got a pair of minor revelations for you, assuming this picture is real. First, that mid-range Android slatephone the Kyocera Zio is headed to Sprint, with the familiar Sanyo branding. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the elusive Samsung Transform has finally shown its face. Since that mug looks just like the Epic 4G, however, you can color us a bit confused -- Sprint's the only carrier without a keyboard-less Galaxy S, so that might make sense, but then why would they call it the Transform? As far as we can tell, it hasn't been tested for WiMAX, so perhaps it's an Epic without the 4G, plus a new form factor of some sort? Odds are we'll find out soon, given the company it's keeping: that BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 got shipped off to Sprint just this last week.

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