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Samsung sells 9.3 million Galaxy S devices, within reaching distance of its lofty goal
10 million freaking smartphones. Who thought, when Samsung put that number forward as its 2010 Galaxy S sales goal two months ago, that it was actually going to happen? Well, with just over a week left in the calendar year, the Korean giant has racked up 9.3 million sales of its Android superphone globally and actually expects to sneak past the mythical 10 million mark just before the champagne glasses start clinking. The Galaxy S has also scored a win in its home market of South Korea, where its two million units sold so far leads the 1.8 million iPhones sold since the series debuted in November 2009. Hearty congratulations are due to the crew in Seoul, such success doesn't happen by chance, but let's keep working on those Froyo (and Gingerbread!) software updates as well, eh chaps? Update: This article has been updated to reflect Chosunibo's claim that 1.8 million iPhone series devices were sold -- not just iPhone 4 handsets.
Samsung pulls Froyo update for Bell's Vibrant after reports of fried internal storage
We have no idea why Samsung's having such a hard time delivering its overdue promised Froyo upgrades worldwide for the Galaxy S series, but it's not looking any easier for them this weekend: the only Canadian Galaxy S to get upgraded so far, Bell's Vibrant, has just had its update pulled. Seems a healthy number of users attempting the upgrade using Sammy's Kies desktop software ended up with inaccessible internal storage, which sucks for a variety of obvious reasons -- and that would be the apparent reason for the removal of the update. Here's the official statement: "There have been intermittent issues reported during the firmware upgrade process with Kies for the Samsung Galaxy S i9000M series of phones. Samsung's development team is currently aware of this issue and working towards a solution. Accordingly, The firmware update feature, which affects the ability to upgrade to Android 2.2, is temporarily disabled until a solution is released. We apologize for the inconvenience." Maybe we can just go straight to Gingerbread or Honeycomb at this point? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung Galaxy S receives Gingerbread port right from the Nexus S source (video)
Hold on to your hats, people, there's a wind of awesomeness coming through. The Nexus S is no longer the only Gingerbread game in town, courtesy of supercurio over on the xda-developers forum, who has ported the hot new phone's Android 2.3 install over to its Samsung forefather, the Galaxy S. The port is described as being unmodified from the Nexus S original, although quite a few basic functions like voice, WiFi, and GPS (insert joke about Galaxy S GPS woes) aren't yet operational. All the same, we agree with supercurio that it's looking "super smooth" and look forward to seeing him and the rest of the xda crew polish this stock Android baby off in short order. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Android Skype update brings ability to run to SD, Galaxy S compatibility, but with a big catch
Sick of seeing that little hard disk with an exclamation point popping up on your Android handset? Yeah, us too. Thankfully we can now count Skype among the apps that can be moved to external storage. This new release also adds compatibility with the Samsung Galaxy S -- but there's a catch. Android 2.2 is required, which many Galaxy S owners may or may not actually have yet and, while some are said to be getting a dollop of FroYo this very month, we've certainly heard that before.
Android Dreamcast emulator nullDCe gets early video preview, still a work in progress
Never underestimate the power of Dreamcast to live on long past its intended expiration date (which, if you ask Sega, would have been around September 2007). The final flagship console from the Haus of Sonic is survived by a multitude of emulators propagating across a multitude of platforms... and well, here's another. Drk||Raziel has posted some videos showcasing the work in progress of nullDCe for Android (on what we make out to be a AT&T Samsung Captivate). The footage ranges from buggy (Soul Calibur) to pretty smooth (Crazy Taxi), but again, no one's calling this a finished product. See it for yourself after the break.
Samsung undecided about Gingerbread on Galaxy S, Google says hardware needs 'similar' to Froyo
If the Nexus S is basically a Galaxy S in Gingerbread disguise, you'd think Samsung would be bursting at the seams to offer a software upgrade for all the phones it's already sold from that family. Okay, you really wouldn't, but you'd hope that would be the case, right? Well, Pocket-lint prodded Samsung on just that point and managed to finagle the following response from a local UK contact presumably speaking on behalf of the mothership: "In case a new version of Android operating system is publicly announced and released, Samsung will review the possibility of implementation of such new version to the existing Samsung products with Android operating system ("Update"). Such a review will be based on various factors including, without limitation, the overall effect of such Update to Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations, and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the software licensors". Right, so the Gingerbread launch and that whole new handset that's coming in a week's time, not public enough? And what's "the overall effect" of a Gingerbread update beyond a group of very happy users? Samsung seems to be matching its country-mate LG in taking an evaluative approach to Gingerbread, though Google's own Android lead developer is pretty definitive about the software, saying that "Gingerbread hardware needs are similar to Froyo." So if your handset can run version F, it should have no trouble handling version G... no trouble other than its own maker. Update: And now, in typical Samsung fashion, we're getting mixed messages as its Indian mobile arm has come out and confirmed that "Gingerbread will be available to Galaxy S users." Thanks, Shrinikketh!
Canada's Galaxy S Froyo updates start rolling out this month
Samsung's probably wishing it could just forget its claim that it'd have Froyo rolled out to all carriers last month, but at least it's providing a little bit of updated guidance to its Canadian users. Turns out Bell's Vibrant and Rogers' Captivate are on track for the middle of this month, while owners of Telus' Fascinate will need to wait a little longer: "early 2011," to be exact, which really isn't exact at all since it could easily mean anywhere between January and, say, April or so. Of course, Gingerbread will be all over the place by then -- and we might even be seeing our first glimpses of Honeycomb -- so be prepared for your version envy to continue unabated. [Thanks, Seb]
Official Android 2.2 (Froyo) update emerges for Sprint's Epic 4G
Samsung may have missed its promised September (and November) ship dates for Froyo on the Galaxy S range, but at this point, we're just pleased to see any progress at all. Sprint's Epic 4G has just become the first US Galaxy S phone to nab an official Android 2.2 (v2.2.1, in fact) build, with the requisite files populating Google's servers this evening. If you'll recall, a near-final build actually leaked out around three weeks ago, but the DK28 version making the rounds at xda-developers looks to be the real deal. Head on over to get your update going, and be sure to let us know how everything turns out in comments below. Update: Looks like Sprint's not so fond of this here version, and is currently recommending that users avoid it. We're sure the "last minute tweaks' the carrier has in mind will actually only take "a minute." Right. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Samsung ships 3M Galaxy S devices in the US, becomes top Android supplier in the country
You know what happens when you manage to launch essentially the same high-end smartphone on every national carrier in the US plus the top regional? Well, this happens: Samsung has just proudly announced that it's pushed some three million Galaxy S models in the US -- sold as the Fascinate, Captivate, Epic 4G, Vibrant, and Mesmerize on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, respectively -- which gave it 32.1 percent of the US Android market in the third quarter according to Gartner, enough to vault it to the number one position. When your competitors are HTC and Motorola -- both of whom have knocked some Android phones out of the park this year -- that's pretty impressive. Follow the break for the full press release.
Keepin' it real fake: Mini Galaxy S gazes meaningfully skyward next to a mini grand piano
If you were going to make a "mini" version of something else you'd probably want it to be significantly smaller. However, this "i9000 Mini" smartphone, cheekily adorned with both Samsung and Galaxy S branding, isn't any more svelte than the phone it is most certainly trying to be. If our eyes don't deceive us it's even fatter, though the capacitive touchscreen is indeed a half-inch smaller, down to 3.5-inches, and rather than being wide VGA it is instead half VGA -- doing with a measly 320 x 480 pixels. And no, it sure isn't AMOLED. Other specs include a five megapixel camera, 512MB of ROM and RAM, and dual SIM support. Roll with this 1,480 yuan (about $200) phone and you'll be rolling with Android 2.1, but the manufacturers promise it'll be updated to 2.2 in just a few weeks. If you can't trust a company that steals another company's design, logo, and trademarks, who can you trust?
Samsung releases 'GPS Restore' app for Captivate and other Galaxy S models
Seems Samsung still hasn't solved the GPS woes on many of its Galaxy S models to the satisfaction of every user -- complaints of inordinately long (or impossible) lock times continue to trickle into our inbox to this very day. To that end, folks might be interested in the news that Samsung Mobile is tweeting about a "GPS Restore Application" that it's thrown together for wiping the GPS subsystem and making it factory-fresh. Now, we'll be the first to admit -- we don't quite understand how "restoring" a screwed-up GPS to its original screwed-up state is doing any good, but we'll leave it to Sammy's confusing verbiage: "During online surveillance, there is an abundance of GPS tweaks that impair GPS performance. Often times, no backup is performed to restore values prior to modifications. Samsung has released an application that restores GPS settings to recommended factory defaults for optinum [sic] performance." Right, then. It's only compatible with the Captivate and Vibrant at the moment -- no word on others like the Epic 4G, Mesmerize, or Fascinate, but folks on AT&T and T-Mobile should be able to nab it from the Market.
Luke, I am your smartphone (video)
NTT DoCoMo recently launched the Samsung Galaxy S in the Japanese market and now we've come to discover that it's chosen a very forceful personality to represent the product to its discerning audience. Darth "roundabound" Vader has been starring in the carrier's latest round of "always with you" ads, wherein he serves as a (sort of) human representation of the phone, thus lending some anthropomorphic qualities to the cold slab of technology awaiting you in the shops. This whole outlandish idea really shouldn't work, but somehow it does -- we want a little Vader in our lives too now. Video after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S hits Cellular South for $200
Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular all decided to give their respective versions of the Galaxy S fancy trademarks, but not lil' Cellular South: the regional is just sticking with Sammy's original name for a change of pace. This would also seem to be the closest North American Galaxy S to its European cousin, featuring the standard industrial design and what appears to be a fairly stock TouchWiz load (if you can really call TouchWiz "stock") atop Android 2.1. Oh, there is one nice bonus, though: this version's got an LED flash for the 5 megapixel camera, a feature many variants left out. It includes a 16GB microSD card pre-installed to complement the 2GB of internal storage, and it's available right now for $199.99 on contract after a $50 rebate. Follow the break for the full press release.
Giorgio Armani wants to captivate Galaxy S buyers with new Samsung handset (video)
Shock of all horrors, Samsung and Giorgio Armani have teamed up yet again to produce a specially endorsed handset for the fashion-conscious public. The fun thing about this oh-so-exclusive piece of Armani luxury is that it looks remarkably (read: exactly) like the AT&T Captivate that Americans have had the pleasure of using for a good few of months now. We're hearing there's some extra multimedia bundled in along with the GA brand name, so we're absolutely positive your €700 will be well spent. If you're not yet convinced, how's about an unboxing video after the break? [Thanks, Gianluca]
Is this the Nexus S?
Woah, what do we have here? A new "In Store" web-based flier from Best Buy Mobile has this little nugget on its front page: a previously unseen Galaxy S, running stock Android (possibly 2.3, based on the green icons and black notifications bar) and harboring what looks to be a front facing camera. Sounds like a Nexus S to us! Paired with this morning's little Nexus S slip-of-the-tongue from Best Buy, we're starting to get our hopes up. Don't let us down, Google / T-Mobile / Samsung / Best Buy / planet earth! [Thanks, Ryan C.]
How would you change Sprint's Epic 4G?
It's the only Galaxy S variant to offer 4G connectivity, but it's also the only one that requires a $10/month data surcharge to use. That boost in cost will undoubtedly bring higher expectations, and we're eager to hear from early adopters on how their Epic 4G experience has been. For those who skipped over the EVO 4G in order to get this, we're keenly interested to find out if you've been satisfied with the decision. How's that slide-out QWERTY keyboard treating you? Would you have changed up the UI any? Would you have added any of the quirks from those other Galaxy S versions to this guy? Speak loudly in comments below. But not too loudly. More like a stern whisper.
Samsung expects to sell a million Galaxy Tabs this year, 40 million smartphones next year
We've already heard Samsung boast that it expects to ship 10 million Galaxy Tabs by next year, and the company's now back at the prediction game yet again, with mobile biz president J.K. Shin saying he expects the company to sell a million of them this year alone -- given that the end of the year is fast approaching, that translates to a million sold in just under 60 days. As if that wasn't enough, Shin also told Nikkei that Samsung expects to sell 40 million smartphones in 2011, which is more than double its projection for this year -- of those, it obviously expects the majority to be Galaxy S phones, but it has quite a way to go from ten million it expects to sell this year. Incidentally, Shin also dropped another hint that Samsung would "soon" be releasing a 10-inch Galaxy Tab, but he doesn't seem to have provided any more details than we've heard before.
Samsung Galaxy S first smartphone to be Wi-Fi Direct certified
Samsung has generally been on the cutting edge when it comes to giving its smartphones the latest and greatest in terms of compatibility, with the Omnia being the first DivX certified handset in America this month two years ago. Now, it's looking to wrangle yet another first, with this one having the potential to be far more important. The outfit's hot-selling Galaxy S smartphone (GT-I9000) is now listed on the Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi Direct certification docket, and while we knew that a handful of Wi-Fi modules and chipsets were about to get green-lit, this marks the first actual device to join that crowd. As we mentioned before, any modern-era WiFi device is capable of becoming Direct certified (via a firmware update given that there's no hardware change in the protocol), but it seems as if Sammy is being Johnny-on-the-spot. We'll keep an ear to the ground regarding an actual update that brings this functionality to life, but for now, let's all cross our fingers and hope those other phone makers get their handsets in line, too.
Full Samsung Continuum specs leak out in Verizon comparison charts?
How does the as-yet-unannounced Samsung Continuum stack up against Verizon's pack of Droids, not to mention its Galaxy S brethren? That's what we're finding out for the very first time in a set of allegedly leaked charts. Performance-wise we're looking at a fairly familiar beast with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 384MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, plus 2GB of on-board flash storage and a preloaded 8GB microSD card. Where it gets interesting is that secondary display, which measures 1.8 inches with a 96 x 480 resolution, which will indeed act as a status update, RSS feed and weather report stock ticker that you activate (even when the handset is asleep!) by gripping the bottom of the phone. You're also getting a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and 3G mobile hotspot for up to five devices, but it's not all peaches and cream -- the whole shebang uses Bing for search, and runs on Android 2.1. Here's hoping Samsung intends to provide us a Froyo rollout date when it finally announces this phone. Find the full spec sheets at our source links.
Samsung Continuum turns up on Verizon's holiday site
Verizon still hasn't officially announced that it will be carrying the Samsung Continuum Galaxy S phone, but that doesn't seem to have stopped it from including the phone on it's new holiday website -- 'tis the season for being generous, after all. Unfortunately, any word on pricing or a release date will apparently still have to wait for that formal announcement, which we assume will be coming any day now -- previous leaks have pointed to a November 11th release for the dual-display phone.
