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Samsung's new Galaxy Phone gets official teaser (video)
The countdown is over and Samsung's not offering much to whet our appetite. A medley of opaque angles of galactic travel are meant to represent next week's big news story, alongside some brief claims of technology that fits easily in your hand. It finishes all too soon on those glossy enamel puddles shown above. The second trailer reveals more of the same, with Samsung promising the device will become "a natural side of life", throwing in a quick jibe at those rival smartphone-carrying "sheep". While we reckon we broadly know what to expect when it comes to internal hardware, we're still itching see how Samsung's looking to reinvigorate its phone design following HTC's stylish smartphone salvo. Well, at least it's just over a week left to wait.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012
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 countdown teases next Galaxy phone with anagram
Sammy's latest marketing ploy kicked off with a string of nonsense that could just as easily have come from the Sunday morning jumble: "Destination: tgeltaayehxnx," declared the Samsung Mobile Twitter account. Anagram wizards will read that as, "the next Galaxy," and wouldn't you know it, it's also the URL for an auspicious countdown clock. Sammy promises to let visitors take "the next step" in about 17 hours and counting. Bonafide internet sleuths can find an extra carrot strung up in the site's source, reading, "discover how Samsung is about to challenge the way you view the Galaxy once more." Is Samsung about to break its own May 3rd unveiling? We'll let you know in 16 hours and change. Update: It seems like that ticker just might be counting down to some sort of anagram guessing game, according to an Engadget tipster who partook in some directory diving. Among a series of assets of different colored lettered tiles he found images with instructions warnings, reading "Click on the letters in the correct order to reveal your real destination," and "Following technology blindly often gets you nowhere." Ominous. Update 2: And there it is. Samsung's revealed two (well, one and a half) teaser videos -- but they don't reveal much. [Thanks, Naor]
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now hitting unlocked Galaxy S II in America
See that? That's the sign that awoke yours truly this morning. And that just happens to be confirmation that the long-awaited Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update is finally coming to unlocked (read: global, non-carrier branded) Galaxy S II smartphones situated in the United States. If you'll recall, said update started flowing to units in South Korea (among other locales) eons ago, but owners located in the US of A haven't been treated equally... until today. Head on into Settings and check for an update -- seeing anything intriguing?
Samsung will unveil the next Galaxy phone May 3rd in London
After months of rumors Samsung has officially announced the world will meet the next Galaxy phone in London on May 3rd with this invite, first received by Dutch site Tweakers.net. While most speculation will immediately focus around something we're expecting to arrive as the Galaxy S III, the BlackBerry World-spoiling invite we received is conspicuously devoid of details like name or specifications. While we'll keep the address of the Samsung Unpacked event to ourselves, the only other information included is the date / time (2PM ET) and the address for a live stream on Facebook. The original Galaxy S and GS2 are already million unit sellers many times over since first launching two years ago and have led the Android pack for most of this time, so what will Samsung do to top itself this time? (Answer: not 3D, and it's probably a little too late for another Continuum-like gimmicky split display.) There are just 17 days left until we find out for sure.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012
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 April 2nd, 2012
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 stalls UK Ice Cream Sandwich roll out for unlocked Galaxy S II
So you paid attention to pundits and bought that Galaxy S II outright in the hopes that future software updates would arrive on your device first. And then reality came crashing in. It appears SIM-free is not the way Samsung wants consumers to be, as carrier-agnostic handsets in the UK will be the last to receive Ice Cream Sandwich. The move, though frustrating for many, is not as arbitrary and unfair as it might initially appear to be. Speaking to CNET UK, a company rep confirmed that this upgrade delay has everything to do with cross-carrier testing, compatibility and approval, owing to the "variety of networks" unlocked GS II's can access. Once it does get an unanimous greenlight, however, expect to see the final leg of that TouchWizzed Android 4.0 roll out commence.
Watch out, Apple -- that Samsung in your mirror may be closer than you think
The iPhone 4S is currently the king of the hill when it comes to smartphone sales in the U.S., but Samsung is coming on strong as the second place manufacturer for U.S. mobile carriers according to Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley. AppleInsider posted the analyst's report that showed that the Samsung Galaxy S II has been the second most popular smartphone at AT&T and Sprint for the past four months, trailing the extremely popular iPhone 4S. The Galaxy S II is also the most popular smartphone at T-Mobile, which does not carry the iPhone. At Verizon, the iPhone 4S tops sales, with the Motorola RAZR/RAZR Maxx coming in as the second-best seller. AppleInsider quoted Walkley as saying that Apple and Samsung "continued to consolidate with sales rebounding after a slow start to 2012." Apple shouldn't have too much to worry about: Walkley stated that "In fact, we believe iPhones are outselling all other smartphones combined at Sprint and AT&T and selling at roughly equal volume to all Android smartphones at Verizon." All of Walkley's information is based on sales estimates, and we should get a much better view of actual numbers -- especially for Apple -- later this month.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: spring 2012 edition
Springtime is here. It's a season of renewal, and similarly, an ideal time to replace your aging phone with one that you'll adore. With this in mind, we give you Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide -- your one-stop resource for selecting the best handset that fits your desires and budget. This time around, we're doing things a bit differently. In addition to naming the top phones for each provider, you'll now find more comparisons across carriers. This should help you find the best possible handset -- regardless of network -- if you're willing to make the switch. Also, you'll no longer see limited-time offers as our budget picks -- they'll still get a mention, but now, only phones that commonly retail below $80 will qualify for this coveted spot. Naturally, new smartphones are always coming onto the market, so before you make your final selection, be sure to consult our reviews hub for the very latest recommendations. With that in mind, read on as we round up the best smartphones of the season.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 26th, 2012
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!
Apple has Apple Stores, Samsung has... this!
You know those heady dreams of a new Samsung product launch today? Well consider them punctured. There's no new gadget to announce, but instead a teaming-up with UK retailer Phones 4u, offering a dedicated space for Samsung to dip its toes into retail waters. Located on London's Oxford Street -- and just around the corner from an Apple Store -- the shop-within-a-shop displays all of the Korean makers' big hitters, with several tables housing Galaxy Tab 10.1s, Galaxy Notes and Galaxy S IIs. The rest of that expansive galactic family dot the periphery of the room, but then you'd probably come here primarily to test-drive the aforementioned flagships. The tables themselves are dressed down; no pricing or carrier information clogging up the surfaces, just the devices and some Galaxy branding. Samsung's claimed the whole top floor and the shop is already training up dedicated Samsung staff to answer pressing questions like what's the point of the Galaxy Ace Plus whether that phone has Gorilla glass and when we can expect to see a Galaxy S III in the flesh.
Apple, Samsung, HTC and Sony sued over graphics rendering patents
Sometimes, you have to go all-in. Why not sue all the leading smartphone makers at once? That's what Graphics Properties Holdings is doing, channeling the ghost (and intellectual back-catalogue) of Silicon Graphics. Filing six cases against Apple, Samsung, RIM, HTC, Sony and LG, the lawsuits reference floating point calculations for rendering graphics, something that the company received patent approval for only yesterday. GPH claims that several phones, including the iPhone, Galaxy S II and BlackBerry Torch, infringe on its intellectual property. Layman legal types can sniff around the patent in question at the source below.
ICS upgrade leaks for AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
We bet that when you decided to skip AT&T's regular Galaxy S II in favor of the 4.5-inch LTE Skyrocket variant, you hadn't counted on being left to twiddle your thumbs while the ICS wave gets started. But that's what's happening, despite the fact that an official ICS build for the handset has apparently been in existence since March 14th. How do we know that? Because RootzWiki reckons it has the leaked release along with full installation instructions and download mirrors at the source below. It doesn't get along with those larger GS II variants from T-Mobile or Rogers, but on AT&T handsets it brings the full works, including NFC and Google Wallet functionality. Go ahead -- patience may be virtuous, but then so is Android 4.0.
Mobile Miscellany: week of March 19th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we've spotted the Lumia 610 in two new colors, and the open source community received new goodies from the likes of HTC, Qualcomm and Samsung. 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 March 19th, 2012.
Samsung heralds European arrival of Ice Cream Sandwich for Galaxy S II (updated)
After that March 10th mishap, Samsung reaffirmed to us that it'd deliver Android 4.0 for its GT-I9100 Galaxy S II when it was darn good and ready -- well folks, the company appears ready. It's just announced both via Facebook and Twitter that the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade that so many have lusted after is now available and will begin its rollout to users in Poland, Hungary, Sweden and Korea today, and will move onto other markets from there -- subject to carrier requirements, of course. Better yet, Samsung has affirmed that its Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 will follow shortly. So, if you're one of the lucky ones to receive the upgrade, let us know how it fares for you in the comments below. Otherwise, feel free to keep clicking that update button.Update: Pocket-lint reports that the UK can expect the update to arrive on March 19th. Don't forget your Kies.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 5th, 2012
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 Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) to get ICS on March 10th (update: recalled)
Two days. That's the amount of time remaining for you, dear Samsung Galaxy S II owner, before the long-awaited upgrade to Android 4.0 -- the dessert known as Ice Cream Sandwich -- becomes readily available for your device through Kies. Naturally, this is going to be adorned with Sammy's TouchWiz UI, and it's only going to be ready on the GT-I9100 (global version) for now. According to the notes, we can expect to see Face Unlock, Android Beam and data usage included, and multitasking and some apps will be improved. We're sure this is just the tip of the feature iceberg, however. Curiously, the site specifies that because of "ICS OS feature," Flash and Bluetooth 3.0 HS won't be supported. The update will come to individual carriers and their own GSII variants eventually, after a hefty amount of testing on their end, but at least this -- combined with HTC's rollout of Sense 3.6 to the Nordic countries today -- means the ICS ball is officially rolling for custom skins. Let's just hope it's going down a steep hill. If you happen to be packing a GT-I9100, be sure to check the links below for the full set of instructions, and let us know what you find. [Thanks, Argel and Roger] Update: Samsung's just tweeted that March 10th date is (sadly) wrong. It added that once the upgrade schedule is concrete, it'll confirm through its dedicated Twitter account.
Samsung Galaxy S II getting ICS upgrade March 15th, says Israeli Facebook page
It may come slightly too late for Caesar, but a post has appeared on Samsung Mobile IL's Facebook page saying that the long-awaited Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update will reach GSII owners on March 15th. We're not fluent in Hebrew, and apparently neither is Google Translate, but it does suggest that the update will land on "tens of thousands of Galaxy SII devices" purchased in that country, either from "cellular companies in the country or directly from [Samsung]." Mazel tov and mabrouk. Let's just hope it signals the start of the global roll-out.Update: Amir, one of our readers from Tel Aviv has offered us a direct translation of the post: "We promised that we are working about that. You have waited patiently. And it's coming in March 15th: Android version 4, ICS, for tens of thousands of the Galaxy S2 owners that purchased it from the cellular company in Israel or directly from us. We are very excited in here towards the launch, hope that you too :)"[Thanks, Amir]
Galaxy S II does work and personal phone duties at once with Telefonica's Dual Persona service
It wasn't so long ago that the corporate world was ruled by RIM, but with the rise of Android and iOS, more folks are wanting to use their personal handsets both for work and play. Enter Telefonica's Dual Persona service that's making its debut on the Galaxy S II. It's powered by VMWare's Horizon Mobile technology that lets you jump between home and work profiles with the tap of an app, and provides notifications for both profiles no matter which one you're currently using. Basically, the work profile is an instance of virtualized Android based in the cloud, meaning your company's IT folks can manage corporate information on your phone without compromising your personal privacy. Samsung plans to give more of its mobile phones Dual Persona in the coming months, so if you don't own a GSII, there's still a chance your phone could get a split-personality, too. PR's after the break.
