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ARM's Mali-T604 makes official debut, we get a first look at the next-gen GPU (hands-on video) (update: it's the Exynos 5)
Think those are some pretty slick graphics in your Galaxy S III? Samsung's latest smartphone packs some mighty graphics prowess of its own, thanks to the Mali-400 MP GPU, but once you spend a few minutes with the Mali-T604, the company's next-generation chipset, the improvements become quite clear. After seeing the Mali-T604 in action, as we did at SIGGRAPH today, the capabilities leave us hopeful for the future, and perhaps feeling a bit self-conscious about the silicon currently in our pockets. The reference device on hand was operating in sync with a variety of unnamed hardware, protected from view in a relatively large sealed box. We weren't able to squeeze many details out of ARM reps, who remained mum about the demo components, including clock speed, manufacturer and even fabrication size. What we do know is that we were looking at a quad-core Mali-T604 and dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor, with a fabrication size in the range of "28 to 40 nanometers" (confirming the exact size would reveal the manufacturer). Clock speed is also TBD, and the early silicon on demo at the show wasn't operating anywhere close to its top end. In order to experience the T604, we took a look at three demos, including Timbuktu 2, which demonstrates elements like self shadowing and depth of field with OpenGL ES 3.0, Hauntheim, which gives us an early look at physics simulation and HDR lighting with OpenCL, and Enlighten, which rendered silky smooth real-time illumination. You can see all of the demos in action after the break, and you can expect T604-equipped devices to make their debut beginning later this year -- ARM says its working with eight manufacturers to get the licensed tech to market as early as Q3. Update: ARM has just confirmed to us that this reference device is running off an Exynos 5 Dual chip (up to 1.7GHz), which means the following video is also a heads-up on what Sammy has in store for us in its forthcoming devices.%Gallery-161934%
Meizu MX 4-core review
More Info Meizu MX review Meizu MX 4-core announced Meizu MX 4-core hands-on If it feels like yesterday you read our in-depth review of the dual-core Meizu MX, you're not too far from the truth. In reality, it's been just over seven months and we've already moved onto the smartphone's quad-core sequel, aptly named the Meizu MX 4-core. Not only is it easy to confuse the two phones by name, but good luck trying to tell which one is which. Indeed, the two handsets are quite similar both inside and out, with the exception of some improvements in a couple rows on the 'ol spec sheet. The biggest surprise isn't necessarily the speed with which the company cranked out a second MX, and it's not even the reasonable price (HK$3,099, or US$400, or the 32GB version, and HK$4,099 / US$530 for the 64GB). Nope, it's seeing Meizu, a manufacturer known for its copycat products, evolving into a relevant player beyond its native China. So how does this latest effort stack up? Read on to find out.
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE with quad-core Exynos comes to three Korean carriers July 9th
While in the US, our LTE-equipped Galaxy S IIIs are packing dual-core Snapdragon S4 processors, the (so far) Korean-only Galaxy S III LTE that combines the quad-core Exynos processor of the international model with high speed data finally has a release date -- July 9th. Samsung's post indicates three carriers (SK Telecom, KT and LG U+) are lined up for the launch and confirms that the battery will remain at 2,100 mAh along with 2GB of RAM and DMB TV tuning. Having everything will likely come at a price of battery life since the quad-core CPUs are not as well integrated with LTE so far, but those willing to compromise for more cores (despite the dual-core Krait's not-at-all shabby performance) will likely look on with envy.
Lenovo LePhone K860 surfaces with quad-core Exynos processor, 5-inch screen, and Android 4.0
This one isn't fully official just yet, but Blog of Mobile has turned up some pictures and specs for a new Lenovo LePhone K860 that would appear to one-up the company's existing offerings. Perhaps most notably, this one is said to pack a quad-core, 1.4GHz Exynos 4412 processor (the same found in some variants of the Galaxy S III), along with a 5-inch screen boasting a 1280 x 720 resolution. Otherwise, you'll apparently get a 2 megapixel camera up front and 8 megapixels 'round back, 1GB of RAM, and Android 4.0 for an OS (no mention of a 4.1 upgrade). No indication of a price, but it looks like it will be hitting China in August. [Thanks, FT]
Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th
Forget that "MX Quad-core" moniker, because Meizu's just formally introduced its first quad-core Android phone as the "MX 4-core" in Hong Kong. For those who care, this is the first time ever for Meizu to collaborate with a carrier -- that being Hong Kong's PCCW, who's offering the HK$3,099 (US$400) 32GB model for free on various tariffs, while details are light on the HK$4,099 (US$530) 64GB version. Once the stage cleared we had a chance to take a closer look at the international variant of the MX 4-core. Aside from the disappearance of the Chinese logo above the screen plus the duller logo on the back (but accompanied by an extra capacity label), the 4-inch HSPA+ phone looks identical to its dual-core sibling. Additionally, Hong Kong and mainland China customers who pre-order between now and the launch on June 30th will get to pick a colored back crystal shell for free, including ivory white, milky lime, lilac purple and misty pink to replace the original white. Software-wise Flyme -- Meizu's heavily customized Ice Cream Sandwich -- is also very similar to its Gingerbread predecessor, except for its slicker responsiveness (especially the camera app) and the odd interface tweaks here and there. There are also a few new features that are worth a mention: on top of the new native stopwatch, countdown timer and multi-segmented timed task lists, there's Flyme Voicemail which is essentially a native recorder for incoming calls that you reject (think of it as a neat alternative to conventional visual voicemail), and there's Flyme Message which is Meizu's take on SIP services like Whatsapp and Line. We shall dig deeper in our full review, but for now, you can check out a quick hands-on video after the break. And for those who still possess Meizu's older Android phones, we were told to expect Flyme to be delivered over the air in early July (as opposed to the original June date), so keep an eye out for that little update icon. Update: We mentioned in our video that the China version of the MX 4-core doesn't come with the Play Store, but it turns out that we were mistaken. Hooray! Update 2: By the way, it's pronounced "fly-me." %Gallery-159018%
Samsung Galaxy S III review shootout: AT&T vs. Sprint
More Info Samsung Galaxy S III review AT&T announces Samsung Galaxy S III plans Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 Each summer the world celebrates a time of warmth, fun and relaxation. For the tech community, however, it's traditionally the season in which Samsung unleashes the latest version of its Galaxy S flagship. But the now time-honored tradition is actually more of a one-two punch: first the unlocked international model is revealed, and later it's followed up by a litany of worldwide variants. US carriers intent on offering the "value" of differentiation to their customers have been the worst offenders in modifying Sammy's magic formula, ranging from motley form factors to egregious bloatware to clumsy naming schemes (Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch quickly comes to mind). But Samsung's brand cachet has grown year over year, so much so that the company is starting to wield more power over carriers. No weird names, no exclusive agreements and no changes to the form factor. That's right, six carriers have signed up to carry the Galaxy S III so far, and every single one of these devices looks exactly the way Samsung intended, with the only major exceptions being the processor and memory allotment. So far we've had the opportunity to play with two of the six: AT&T's and Sprint's. How close to the original GS III (also known as the GT-I9300) do these devices come? What advantages and disadvantages does each bring to the table? Can you expect comparable performance? Stay with us as we break it all down. %Gallery-158527%
Samsung Galaxy S III on SK Telecom mixes 2GB of RAM and quad-core, importers break out credit cards
There's a Galaxy S III with a quad-core chip, and there's a Galaxy S III with 2GB of RAM. Never the twain shall meet? They reportedly will at SK Telecom: a comparison sheet leaked to Phone Arena has the South Korean carrier's SHV-E210S variant combining the 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad with the 2GB of RAM that the dual-core versions receive as a consolation prize. It's even supposed to keep LTE, which could suggest that Samsung isn't wedded to Qualcomm for 4G in South Korea like it is for North America. The phone's 4G support loses steam outside of its native country, and it gains an ever so slight amount of bulk, but we're looking at what could be the best of both worlds for Samsung's flagship. We have a hunch that a few foreigners might be eager for an import, or a surprise vacation to Seoul, when the E210S arrives in July.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 caught on camera with S-pen slot, quad-core CPU (video)
Last time the winds of hearsay rustled our tech feathers, word was Samsung had pegged its Tab 2 10.1 for a quad-core CPU transplant. While the company went on the record to shoot down that pesky rumor, it remained suspiciously mum where the Galaxy Note 10.1 was concerned. Now, thanks to a brief video demo over on German site All About Samsung, it appears the formerly dual-core slate refresh we had a chance to preview back in March could, indeed, be set for a processor swap. Though it's still far from official, the new Note 10.1 shown above looks to be sharing not only some of the Galaxy S III's specs -- quad-core Exynos processor with Mali 400 MP GPU and a TouchWizzed Android 4.0.4-- but also that formerly problematic Pebble Blue finish. And much to our delight, it also appears as if the company's revised the tablet's design slightly, adding in a convenient slot on the lower left hand side for S-Pen stowage. Not convinced by mere words alone? The head past the break for video evidence of this purported hardware upgrade.
Chipworks, iFixit tear down the Galaxy S III for all to see, spot iPhone 4S' camera sensor hanging around
You've picked up the Galaxy S III. You've grabbed the source code. But you probably like the quad-core monster too much to tear it down, which is why Chipworks and iFixit have taken to disassembling the phone for themselves to look for any surprises. We certainly knew to expect the Exynos 4 Quad and 2,100mAh battery, but we now know how Samsung is claiming a boost to speed and image quality for the 8-megapixel camera: it's using the same Sony-made, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that we've seen since the Xperia Arc and which made its biggest splash in the iPhone 4S. Just don't anticipate replacing many components yourself. That 4.8-inch touchscreen is not only permanently attached to the glass but to the phone frame, leaving any face-first accidents a dicey fix. We're expecting a few more discoveries once iFixit gives the Galaxy S III a second scan, but the source will give you everything there is to know right now.
Samsung rumored to tweak Galaxy Note 10.1 inside and out
It certainly looks like Samsung has redesigned the 10.1-inch version of its Galaxy Note, which it promised back at MWC. At a German event this week, a slimmer version of the tablet was snapped sporting a built in S-Pen slot that had also been sweating off some extra pounds. So much so, that the company will retail a dedicated pen holder to make your electronic doodling more comfortable. We've also heard unconfirmed rumors that the biggest change to the tablet was internal -- with the Galaxy S III's quad-core Exynos chip replacing the original dual-core innards we'd seen previously. We reached out to the company on that point to see if it could shed any light, but its people weren't able to make any comment ahead of its official debut. [Image Credit: Eraser112]
Amazon puts Samsung Galaxy S III up for US pre-orders, offers a slice of quad-core, unlocked utopia
Sufficiently enamored with Samsung's Galaxy S III that you've got to have one in the US before anyone else, and you don't want it sullied by carrier customizations in the trip across the Pacific? Amazon has your back with pre-orders for 16GB versions in both Marble White and Pebble Blue. Either will keep the speedy Exynos 4 Quad and will stay unlocked, so you can hop networks to your heart's content. Do expect to pay a steep premium for being the first kid on your block: at $800, you're spending a lot to get an HSPA+ model on June 1st when the LTE-toting, cheaper (if carrier-locked and possibly part-swapped) editions should reach the US days later.
Mystery Samsung phone with Snapdragon S4 pops up in benchmarks, may or may not be Verizon's Galaxy S III
While pre-release benchmarks have a very hit or miss record for clues as to what future devices will bring, they almost always raise eyebrows. Nowhere is that more true than in a round of NenaMark2 testing uncovered this weekend: a previously unknown Samsung SCH-i535 for Verizon has tipped up sporting a 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon S4 instead of one of Samsung's own chips, like the Exynos 4 Quad. Given that the SCH-i515 is the model badge for Verizon's Galaxy Nexus, it's not a great leap in logic to speculate that this is a custom version of the Galaxy S III. It's entirely possible that something else might fit the bill, but knowing that Samsung has used Snapdragons itself to include 4G before and that HTC just recently switched up the One X with an S4 to give it LTE on North American networks, we may be looking at the compromise Samsung needs to make to get its 4.8-inch gigantophone on Big Red.
Samsung Galaxy S III battery tested by GSMArena, lasts as long as your tablet
Samsung made much ado over the Galaxy S III's 2,100mAh battery, but we've been wondering whether or not that power pack was a major perk or just a necessity to offset that hefty Exynos 4 Quad. One of what looks to be a growing number of escaped pre-release devices was put through the ringer in battery tests and came out looking spic-and-span: it lasted for just over 10 hours for video and voice, or long enough to make even a tablet like the new iPad or Transformer Prime break a sweat. Web browsing wasn't quite so hot, though, which at a bit over five hours was well behind the seven hours of an iPhone 4S. Don't expect the seemingly infinite battery of the Droid RAZR Maxx, and don't be surprised if final devices handle differently, but those with the international Galaxy S III should make it through at least a few interminable meetings watching their favorite reruns... not that we'd condone such a thing.
Editorial: Engadget on the Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy S III preview Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display Samsung Galaxy S III wrap-up Was it everything you imagined? The Galaxy S III didn't really slap us silly with hardware spectacle or a particularly brave design and instead plowed into software additions and contextual features. There was plenty to chew over and plenty of discussion followed its big reveal, spilling out over the last few days -- this was a big launch for not only Samsung but Android itself. We've got the six editors who spent time with the device to offer up their own thoughts on this new Android Olympian.
Samsung's Galaxy S III now has a commercial to call its own (video)
Sure, Samsung gave us all the hard sell during today's Mobile Unpacked event, but how do you really know if you want the new Ice Cream Sandwich handset until you cast your eyes on a real live commercial for the thing? Fear not, we've got one after the break, so you can finally know once and for all just how life-changey this phone is.
Samsung unveils Galaxy S III accessories: wireless charger, S-pebble MP3, AllCast wireless dongle in tow
While the star of today's Unpacked event is certainly Samsung's Galaxy S III, every hero can benefit from a few good sidekicks -- or in the case of this Android superphone, accessories. Up for offer will be a variety of goods including a flip cover, battery-charging stand, spare battery, car dock, "metallic docking stand" and HDMI adapter. Perhaps most interesting pieces, however, are the AllCast wireless dongle (which appears to be direct competition to HTC's Media Link HD video-mirroring device), a Wireless Charging Kit and an S-pebble MP3 player that plays nice with the scan and match feature in the Music Hub app. We're gathering all the details we can, so in the meantime grab a look at the gallery below.
Samsung Galaxy S III preview: hands-on with the next Android superphone (video)
You remember that Galaxy S II? A phone so good they launched it, well, a whole load of times. But after seeing phablet cousins and LTE variants, the true handset sequel is finally here. The Galaxy S III is moments away from being outed in front of journalists and Sammy's business partners in London, but in advance of the big reveal we were given a few hours to acquaint ourselves with the new star away from the crush of the show floor. And what did we make of it? In short, Samsung's tried to bring its Galaxy S series in line with (and in some ways, further ahead of) what its team-up with Google accomplished. It's added some new quad-core Exynos processing juice, a 4.8-inch, HD Super AMOLED screen and a handful of Galaxy S III-only features in an earnest bid to maintain its place at the top of the Android pile. You'll find our detailed impressions and a hands-on video just after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S III is official: 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, quad-core Exynos processor and gesture functions
The Galaxy S III is Samsung's new flagship smartphone and it's finally broken cover at the company's stand-alone Mobile Unpacked event here in London. With a steady stream of fakes, outright leaks and even event rescheduling, Samsung's claimed almost crazy levels of interest for its new smartphone. Weighing in at 133g (4.7 ounces) and whittled to 8.6mm at its thickest, the rounded-off design has more than a little bit in common with its Galaxy Nexus cousin. Of course, it's Samsung's new 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor doing the legwork, and there's 1GB of RAM to help it out. The display has been bumped up in size to a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED affair, sporting a 1280 x 720 pixel count. Happy snappers will have an 8-megapixel rear shooter to play with, and a 1.9-megapixel eye on the front will take care of those video calls. If you were wondering about radios, it's launching with HSPA+, but there's an LTE version in the cards. As for the interface, it's TouchWiz on top of Android 4.0 again, and there's new gesture functions to help you get around. So, there it is, the phone we've all been waiting for (until the next one) but that's not all, be sure to check our hands-on coverage and additional features for the in-depth breakdown.
Samsung announces 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad as basis for Galaxy S3
Looking for something a bit more solid than a third-party benchmark? We can do that. "Already in production the Exynos 4 Quad is scheduled to be adopted first into Samsung's next Galaxy smartphone that will officially be announced in May," the horse's mouth reveals. Samsung boasts that the new 32nm 1.4GHz quad-core processor flaunts twice the processing power over its predecessor, thanks to its High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) low-power technology. The net energy savings? About 20-percent. "The application processor is a crucial element in providing our customers with a PC-like experience on mobile devices," explains Hankil Yoon, Senior VP of Product Strategy Team at Samsung, "Samsung's next Galaxy device, which will be officially announced soon, offers uncompromised performance and ground breaking multitasking features, thanks to Exynos 4 Quad's powerful performance and efficient energy management technology." Sammy says it's shopping the new processor around to other handset manufacturers (like Meizu), noting that the Exynos 4 Quad is pin-to-pin compatible with the Exynos 4 Dual (the brains behind the Galaxy S II and Note), which gives designers the ability to update product designs with minimal costs. Check out Samsung's full press release after the break.
Samsung reportedly axes Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 production to add quad-core CPU (update: not true)
This is, well, a little strange. The fine folks over at Netbooknews are reporting that Samsung has ended production on the GT P5100 -- better known as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The story comes courtesy of an unnamed "Korean Samsung insider" who claims the device is getting upgraded to a quad-core CPU. Whether the chip in question is the much lauded 32nm Exynos 4412, which packs not only four Cortex A9 cores, but four Mali 604 GPU cores as well, is unknown. It's also not clear how this is going to affect US launch plans. Rumors are the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be getting a similar brain transplant before hitting the market. Sadly, all we can do right now hold our breath and wish real hard that both will hit shelves sooner rather than later and with an extra pair of cores in tow. Sammy better get a move on too if it's gonna have to give Uncle Sam another crack at this slate. Update: Samsung reached out to us to confirm that the above report is not true. The US version of this tablet will still have a dual-core CPU and it's still shipping on May 13th, with pre-orders starting on May 4th.
