galaxysii
Latest
Samsung Galaxy S II and Note get late ICS Christmas presents, arriving Q1 2012
Samsung has cemented its plans for the roll-out of Ice Cream Sandwich, and it looks likely to land on most of its top drawer Android devices. This (unsurprisingly) includes the Galaxy S II, its LTE variant, the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy R and whole range of Samsung tabs, from the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus to the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The update is penned to arrive first on both the Galaxy S II and Note in Q1 2012, with other devices following, although the Korean giant says that separate announcements will be made on the finer points -- depending on the "market situation and carriers' requirements."
Refresh Roundup: week of December 12, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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!
Bell Mobility hints at Ice Cream Sandwich release dates for Galaxy S II, Raider and Sensation
We've come across an internal document from Bell Mobility that's bound to raise the hopes of a few good Canadians. Yes folks, we're talking Ice Cream Sandwich. The carrier to the north estimates that it'll have Android 4.0 ready for the Sensation in February, which is to be followed by the Raider's update in March -- this handset may be more familiar to AT&T customers as the Vivid. Pulling up the rear, users of the Galaxy S II are to expect the upgrade in April, and while the Optimus LTE is also mentioned, there's no specific time frame for that one. Certainly estimated release dates don't always come to fruition, but at least we know what Bell's aiming for, anyway.
TouchWizzed Ice Cream Sandwich leaks for Samsung Galaxy S II (video)
Like to dabble in the dark arts of smartphone ROM flashing? Got a Samsung Galaxy S II? Well, get ready to weigh up the pros and cons, because here's another tempting slice of Ice Cream Sandwich. A leaked version of Android 4.0.1 firmware has appeared, replete with TouchWiz, adding a hefty dose of credence to the release. Granted, this means it's not a vanilla filling in this Ice Cream Sandwich, and according to Sammobile's video run-through, Samsung's own UI skin looks to be present throughout the handset. As expected, the phone functions with the built-in capacitive buttons instead of the onscreen replacements seen on the Galaxy Nexus. Due to both this and the TouchWiz customizations, on the surface it's all looking pretty similar to the Gingerbread Galaxy S II, albeit with all the slick features of 4.0. The leak is tempered with a warning, though; Due to its non-stock nature, your phone will adjust its custom counter if you install, which will void your warranty. However, if you're still lusting for a lick of ICS, you can check the video after the break and pick up the file at the source.
Samsung claims record 300 million mobile sales this year
Add together ten million Galaxy S IIs, a dollop of Galaxy Nexii, a gargantuan gathering of Galaxy Notes and a healthy serving of Badas, and what do you get? 300 million handset sales so far in 2011, that's what. And Samsung claims that makes this the best year in its mobile-making history, surpassing 2010 by a whopping 20 million. Of course, more sales doesn't necessarily translate into greater revenue -- Nokia is still the world's largest manufacturer by volume and is a case in point. Nevertheless, we'll know more when Samsung reveals its Q4 earnings next month.
French court squashes Samsung's quest for iPhone 4S ban
Apparently it's time for the French to deliver Apple's tit for Samsung's tat won in US courts last week. Sammy's request for an injunction against the sale of the iPhone 4S was rejected by a court in France, which called the reaction out of proportion with its claims of intellectual property theft. And, as if to rub salt in the wound, the judge ordered Samsung to pay €100,000 (about $134,000) to cover Cupertino's legal fees. Of course, €100,000 is mere pocket change for these companies which probably spend more than that every day just to keep each other tied up in protracted legal battles.
Meizu MX hangs out with the M9, Xiaomi Phone, Nokia N9 and many more friends
What better way to welcome a new boy in town than just a quick hands-on with it? Well, how about throwing a mini phone party for the Meizu MX? We just so happened to have a stash of phones with us today: the M9, iPhone 4S, Nokia N9, Xiaomi Phone, Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note. Conveniently, the MX's four-inch display lets it sit bang in the middle of the group, and the phone also turns out to be a tad thinner, narrower and shorter than the Xiaomi Phone. Of course, we'll dig a little deeper in our review, so stay tuned and enjoy our party pics for now. %Gallery-141324%
T-Mobile confirms Samsung Galaxy S II in white will arrive December 14th
T-Mobile's going to have a rather important day on December 14th: earlier it announced a special event with Nokia scheduled for that evening, and it also tweeted out confirmation that the white Samsung Galaxy S II will be meandering into stores and online warehouses on the same day. If you've been hoping it would show up in time for the holidays, rest well tonight knowing you won't have to air any grievances this season -- at least, not for this reason.
Apple's request to block Samsung Galaxy tablet, phone sales in the US is denied
As the legal drama between Apple and Samsung drags on around the world, US District Court Judge has rejected Apple's request to block the sales of Galaxy devices. Reuters reports the ruling came out late Friday, with the judge deciding "It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed,". This isn't the first rejection for the folks from Cupertino either, after a request to speed up the trial was also denied back in July. The case itself will of course go on, but this means you'll still be able to get your hands on those Galaxy Tabs, Galaxy S IIs, and the like in the meantime.Update: While Apple has yet to comment on the ruling, Samsung has issued an official statement which you can check out after the break.Update 2: Feel like thumbing through the entire 65 page ruling? FOSS Patents has posted the entire document on Scribd, you'll find it embedded after the break. File has since been deleted by owner.
Samsung Galaxy S II LTE arrives in Japan, NTT DoCoMo offers up its first course of 4G phones
Japan has got its first taste of an LTE smartphone, and this one's Galaxy-flavored. Oh yes, Samsung's Galaxy S II LTE has made an appearance on NTT DoCoMo, running on the Japanese carrier's next-generation Xi network and promising top download speeds of around 37.5Mbps. The latest member to the carrier's top-drawer Next series will set you back around $260 (¥20,000) on a two-year contract. DoCoMo is aiming to reach the hands of 30 million customers by 2015, with another as-yet unnamed several more 4G devices already penned for release before the end of the year. Perhaps the pair of data-loving handsets will help to fill that iPhone-shaped hole in the carrier's phone catalog. Update: Contrary to the Asahi Shimbun report, it looks like both the Fujitsu Arrows X LTE F-05D and the LG Optimus LTE will cosy up on the new high-speed network before the end of the year.
T-Mobile to bleach Samsung Galaxy S II in white, arriving 'in time for the holidays'
What's that gorgeous device doing in a pearly white on this side of the pond? T-Mobile will be offering a second color option for its flagship TouchWiz device, the Samsung Galaxy S II, "in the coming weeks." Though its exact launch date is uncertain, the two companies assured us that it would land in time for the holidays. We're just hoping they're not referring to Valentine's Day. %Gallery-140072%
Ice Cream Sandwich ported to a Galaxy S II... and the people rejoice (update: LG Optimus 3D too!)
Man, these hackers work fast. It was just earlier this week when Google released the source code for Ice Cream Sandwich, and a mere four days later the new OS has made its way onto Samsung's Galaxy S II. While ICS is looking good on the GSII's gorgeous AMOLED display, the port is still an alpha -- the Bluetooth, WiFi and other radios aren't functioning just yet, but work is ongoing, and future releases are coming soon. Sound good? Well, wait'll you get a load of the port in action in the video after the break. Update: And the ports are coming fast and furious now -- somebody gave the ICS treatment to an LG Optimus 3D.
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Galaxy S II, Samsung UK confirms
Here's some exciting, if somewhat unsurprising news for Galaxy S II devotees: Samsung's UK outpost has just confirmed that the handset will indeed receive an upgrade to Android 4.0, delectably known as Ice Cream Sandwich. As of this moment, details are relatively scarce, and Sammy has yet to make similar declarations for markets outside of the UK -- but at least it's coming. "The Galaxy S II will be receiving ICS, but there are no dates confirmed as yet," the company wrote in a tweet this morning. "We will keep you posted." As will we.
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket review
Who knew AT&T's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II had a younger, larger brother on the way? Just a hair over a month after the carrier launched its flagship Android device, it's already set for another go-round. This one, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, offers a larger display and "true" 4G connectivity using LTE -- yes, it's a pioneer blazing a new trail to Ma Bell's wild and untamed frontier, right alongside the HTC Vivid. It's time to answer the burning questions: what kinds of speeds are possible on AT&T's LTE network? Is the series' legendary battery life up to snuff on the next-gen network? Join us below to find out. %Gallery-138892%
Samsung outs pink Galaxy S II and limited edition Galaxy Tab 10.1, plays up battle of the sexes
While some manufacturers play coy with their gender marketing plans (*cough* the Rhyme *cough*), others make no pretense about pandering straight to the sexes. Cue Samsung with two distinct South Korea-only Android offerings for both guys and dolls -- a Galaxy S II painted in pink and a Lions special edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 for baseball fans. Sammy's issuing a limited production run of the popular Honeycomb slate to commemorate its team's Korea Series Championship win, and will pack an autographed ball and jersey in the box. As for that GS II in pinkalicious clothing, well, that's all you ladies are getting -- same beefy specs, same beefy screen and absolutely no charm dongle. These changes may be only skin-deep, but for the swag and style-obsessed alike, it's still nice kit if you can get it.
NTT DoCoMo's Galaxy S II LTE makes way through FCC with swagger
Among the litany of smartphones that NTT DoCoMo announced last month, the SC-03D -- otherwise known as the Galaxy S II LTE -- was undeniably among the forefront of the bunch. The handset will begin shipping in the Land of the Rising Sun before year's end, but it seems that a lucky punk at the FCC got to review its dirty bits ahead of the glorious release. Like its Korea-bound siblings, the phone sports a Snapdragon S3 SoC with a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and an Adreno 220 GPU, but unlike the over-achieving HD variant, the SC-03D's 4.5-inch display is limited to WVGA resolution. Jet-lagged Japanese travelers will find GPRS and EDGE love with our 1900 and 850MHz domestic networks, although HSPA is restricted to the 2100 and 900MHz bands. As for that lusty 75Mbps theoretical speed for the Xi LTE network, you'll have to excuse us while we attempt to hide our jealousy.
Samsung loses attempt to ban iPhone 4S sales in Italy
Here's the latest news from the front in the battle between Samsung and Apple: Apple is victorious in a skirmish in Italy. Samsung was attempting to block the iPhone 4S release in Italy, which is scheduled for November 4, saying that the new phone infringed on two patents that the Korean manufacturer holds. In the courts in Milan, Italy, judges turned down Samsung's request, but agreed to requests by both manufacturers to submit more evidence to support their positions in the dispute. After yesterday's hearing, Apple is planning to release the iPhone 4S on schedule next Friday. This was the latest in a series of small, yet important, victories for Apple in the ongoing intellectual property war.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Galaxy S II, Nexus One and Nexus S (macro hands-on)
Guess who posed for a family gathering here in Hong Kong? From left to right, we've got the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S II, Nexus One and Nexus S. The panels on all of these guys are stunning, but we're finding it mighty difficult to choose a favorite between the Galaxy Nexus and the GSII. Have a look at some close-ups in the gallery below, and a typical home video just after the break. %Gallery-136939%
Engadget compares iPhone 4S,Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G cameras
Engadget spent the weekend comparing the cameras of the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G. The iPhone 4S camera is a marquee feature of the device with its 8 MP sensor and an f/2.4 aperture lens. The 4S also shoots in full 1080p HD video. With regards to the iPhone 4S, Engadget generally praised the quality of the photos and video the device took, saying, "The iPhone 4S is a pleasure to shoot with. The camera is ready to capture its first image within a second of launch, and tapping to focus after recomposing is painless and speedy...Its image quality rivals many point and shoot cameras in most conditions...Overall, we were most often pleased with photos we shot with the iPhone 4S." Of course, Engadget found reason to praise the other phones as well. The Amaze 4G took sharper photos in Engadget's testing, for example. Engadget also noted that Apple's competitors offer more advanced manual controls over exposure, white balance and ISO sensitivity. Of course, there are a number of iPhone apps that provide similar features. The iPhone 4S lost out big on battery life. Engadget noted that "After about two hours of wandering around town, shooting several dozen photos and about 10 minutes of HD video with each device, the iPhone 4S had just 30% of battery left." The iPhone 4, on the other hand, had 53% of its battery remaining, and that's with Engadget sending some emails and making some phone calls too. The worse battery life while using the camera can mainly be chalked up the fact that the iPhone 4S has to process much larger files due to its 8 MP sensor and 1080p video recording capabilities. It's a good comparison, and we encourage you to read the whole thing.
Samsung delivers kernel source for T-Mobile Galaxy S II, developers can now collect all three
Developers, start your engines. T-Mobile's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II was the slowest in the family to get the official kernel source. It's here now, though, arriving on Sammy's site a whole four days after the phone's release; this isn't an eternity by any means, but its counterparts had the source available no later than the actual launch date. No matter the reason, make your way to Samsung's official site to dive in and make some magic happen. [Thanks, Aubrey]
