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Refresh Roundup: week of September 2nd, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of August 5th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of July 29th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of July 15th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Samsung ATIV S review: the Galaxy S III, repackaged for Windows Phone 8
Samsung was one of the first to join the Windows Phone parade with the Focus, and was quick to follow up with devices like the Focus S. It's been unusually conservative with Windows Phone 8, however: the ATIV S ($100 on contract through Bell Canada) is the last of the big three flagships to arrive in 2012, following weeks after the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Nokia Lumia 920 went on sale. Some would argue that Samsung has been especially conservative with the ATIV S, given that it shares the same 4.8-inch screen, Snapdragon S4 processor, cameras and overarching design traits with Sammy's other flagship phone, the Galaxy S III. There's a real worry that someone visiting the carrier store will see both devices and pick the Galaxy simply through name recognition alone. And yet, they're not entirely cut from the same cloth: there's a design twist or two, a larger battery and, of course, a switch to an entirely different ecosystem. Some will want the phone to try Windows Phone's simpler, at-a-glance interface concept; others are shopping solely inside of Microsoft's universe and want to know if expandable storage and Samsung's custom app suite fend off rivals. We already have lots to like, but there are a few punctures in the ATIV S' faux-metal armor that will keep it from being the handset for everyone, even if they do prefer Windows Phone. Read on and you'll see why.
Samsung ATIV S goes on sale at the big three Canadian carriers
Samsung's ATIV S has only just started trickling out into the marketplace, but Canadians will be happy to know they're some of the first to get their feet wet: Bell, Rogers and Telus have all made the Windows Phone 8 headliner available from today. We're seeing a wild variety in pricing that doesn't often happen with smartphones, however. Bell is offering the phone for $100 on a lengthy 3-year contract, but the amount drops to a momentary $80 at Rogers and just $30 at Telus' discounted price. Landing the ATIV S off-contract either costs $600 (at Bell and Rogers) or $650 on Telus. Locals shouldn't count on a walk-in purchase when there's talk at MobileSyrup of tight supply; they'll likely still be glad when they at least have the chance a week or more before their British counterparts.
Leak suggests Samsung ATIV S to launch in Canada with Bell on December 14th
The S III-esque ATIV S didn't materialize on Canadian carriers in November as we'd expected, but a supposed leak from Bell's internal system shows it might well be launching before the holidays. Samsung's first (but not only) handset running Windows Phone 8 is arriving December 14th at Bell, according to MobileSyrup's source, which also reports SIM-free pricing of $599.95 (Canadian dollars), or $79.95 on a three-year contract. We can't confirm the numbers, but it should only be a few days before you can find out how much of that Christmas budget you'll need to repurpose for your own treat. And, with a new phone to play with, you won't even notice the thinly-veiled disappointment caused by your bargain bin gifts.
Rogers puts all Windows Phone 8 devices on sale, keeps them well under $100
Rogers is currently in a full-court press to get us using Microsoft-branded devices, and it just made that clear through steep, across-the-board sales on everything Windows Phone 8. Nokia's Lumia 920 has dropped from $100 to $50; the yet-to-ship Samsung ATIV S has already dropped from $150 to a more tempting $80 for early adopters. The sweetest of deals may be for the HTC Windows Phone 8X, which has dipped to $30 for a 16GB model and a solitary penny for the 8GB version. For all the cuts, Rogers is careful to warn that they're part of a "limited time offer" and might not last beyond the weekend. We're delving deeper for an official statement on the drops, although the ATIV S cut may be to counter a leaked (and as yet unconfirmed) Bell deal at the same price. Whatever the cause, we'll gladly take steep discounts on cutting-edge hardware.
Samsung ATIV S for Vodafone UK goes up for pre-order at Phones4U with a December launch
Brits looking to score Samsung's ATIV S flagship on Vodafone can start forming an orderly queue. UK reseller Phones4U is offering pre-orders for the Windows Phone 8 darling to those willing to sign a two-year contract, giving it away for free on a £33 ($52) plan with 600 minutes, unlimited text, 500MB of cellular data and 2GB on WiFi. Pay a pound more per month ($54) as well as £30 for the device ($48) and the subscription jumps to both unlimited minutes as well as 2GB of cellular use. Unfortunately, the wait for this biggest-screened Windows Phone may be a long one -- while Samsung has only confirmed a December launch for the ATIV S in the UK, Phones4U has the smartphone reaching customers on December 21st. If that's accurate, we'd make sure there's some leftover wrapping paper in case the ATIV S becomes a gift, even if it's to yourself.
Samsung ATIV S: Hands-on with Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device (video)
It's taken its sweet time showing itself but we've finally got to handle Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S (not to be confused with the similarly-named Windows RT tablet). At Microsoft's launch event for its new mobile OS, the phone's 4.8-inch AMOLED display certainly helps to make the most of those colorful tiles -- this time around a higher resolution (1,280 x 720) screen kept everything looking sharp. Aside from the screen, the hardware doesn't pack a unibody build, but it does offer the power user both a 2,300 mAh battery and the microSD slot -- a combination that's looking pretty rare among debut Windows Phone 8 devices. On the other hand, Samsung's brought its (admittedly divisive) glossy plastic shell of its Android Galaxy phones, although there is some cosmetic differences. We take a tour of the hardware -- and that freshly minted OS -- after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 22nd, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, T-Mobile announced the price and release date for the Optimus L9, carriers were announced in Canada for the ATIV S Windows Phone and ZTE released a low-priced Android smartphone for Virgin Mobile in the UK. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 22nd, 2012.
Samsung ATIV S Windows Phone shows off acres and acres of live tiles in video (update: pulled)
Why does the ATIV S feel so elusive? It's not that we don't know its basic specs -- it's a 4.8-inch phone that brings some much-needed GS III technical glory to Microsoft's OS -- but it's just never cropped up at the events where we've expected to see it. Fortunately, GSMArena was able to get hold of a handset and give it some early hands-on video treatment. At first glance it's probably just what you'd predict: a familiar plastic and Gorilla Glass 2 build with a faux aluminum rear cover that peels off to reveal some micro SD joyousness and a big 2,300mAh battery. But it's the software that really stands out -- those re-sizable live tiles look incredible at this screen size and on such a bold Super AMOLED display, as does the whole aesthetic of the operating system. Check it out for yourself after the break -- it's like that first Titan buzz all over again. Update: It seems GSMArena published too early, since they have now pulled the video. If you didn't catch it in time -- apologies! Elusive was right.
Samsung announces ATIV S, a 4.8-inch Windows Phone 8 device
Samsung took to the stage in Berlin to showcase its new product lineup, and one of the featured devices is the first confirmed Windows Phone 8 device. Dubbed the ATIV S, the new Microsoft-sanctioned smartphone offers a 4.8-inch screen with an HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPU, 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing cam. Additionally, it's got a beefy 2,300mAh battery, 1GB RAM, Gorilla Glass 2 and will come in both 16 and 32GB flavors. At 8.7mm, it's also reasonably thin. Its body is made of brushed aluminum and comes with a WP8-friendly MicroSD slot. We've got another pic of the ATIV S below, and we'll have a hands-on to you as soon as possible. Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub!
Samsung ATIV Tab and ATIV S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo
Remember those ATIV Tab and ATIV S trademarks we saw just a couple of days ago? They may well be more than just Samsung's daydreams. As long as details at The Verge prove true, the devices attached to those names represent a two-pronged revival of Samsung's Windows-based mobile strategy. We're most interested in the ATIV S: thanks in part to Windows Phone 8's multi-core support, it's effectively a Galaxy S III for the Microsoft crowd with a similar 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front shooter. Swinging attention to the ATIV Tab shows what's likely to be a commonplace list of features for a Windows RT slate. Outside of the 10.1-inch screen, it's sporting its own 1.5GHz dual-core chip and 1.9-megapixel front camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear sensor, HDMI video out and USB. We're still missing a slew of details, such as storage and launch dates, although we might not have to wait long at all to know -- if the claims are correct, one or both of the ATIV models may show their faces at Samsung's IFA 2012 events.
Samsung trademarks Ativ Tab and Ativ S names, may give a peek into its Windows (Phone) 8 world
Everyone knows that Samsung is making a big Windows 8 push at IFA, but there's new signs emerging that it might shake up its naming scheme in the process. We now know through SamMobile that Samsung has quietly snapped up a pair of trademarks with the Ativ badge that would let its branding venture beyond the Galaxy. Ativ Tab is the most conspicuous: unless Samsung is planning a shakeup of its Android slates, there's a distinct chance we're looking at the future name for one or more Windows 8 tablets. Ativ S is slightly more nebulous, although that very familiar oversized S raises the possibility of a high-end Windows Phone 8 smartphone like the Odyssey. Whether or not Samsung wields these trademarks later this week, or at all in the near future, is still up in the air -- it may be holding on to names as a precaution rather than previewing a course of action. If the Ativ label makes its way into stores, though, it may give Samsung a much catchier (if not entirely intuitive) name for its Windows devices than Series 5 Hybrid PC.
