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Pantech Vega S5 does Android 4.0 on a 5-inch LCD, facemask not included
The 4.5-inch Vega LTE is not eight months old and the 4.8-inch Vega Racer 2 is still properly wet behind the years. But, the flow of progress abides by no calendars, so welcome the Pantech Vega S5 to the world. It steps up to a full 5-inch IPS LCD with a 720p resolution in a phone that, thanks to a "zero bezel" design, actually has a smaller footprint than the Samsung Galaxy S III. There's a whopping 13 megapixel shooter in there with zero lag, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 16GB of internal storage and a 2,100 mAh battery that's said to deliver 11 hours of talk time. If that sounds like a good combination indeed it could be, but don't spend too much pining -- this handset is destined only for Korean shores.
Samsung pegs LTE Galaxy S III for South Korea in July, quad-core quite possibly intact (update: yes!)
Remember that dream version of the Galaxy S III that melded the Exynos 4 Quad, LTE-based 4G and 2GB of RAM all in one ultimate device? It now looks much closer to reality. Just as the 3G version is landing on the country's shores through SK Telecom, Samsung is sending word that the Korean LTE version is due in early July -- and Chosun claims it should have the best of all worlds in terms of performance. There should even be DMB TV tuning and a 500-title Video Hub for local movie lovers. We're anxious about just what that combination could do to battery life and the price, neither of which were mentioned up front. There may be good reasons why the US versions run on the dual-core Snapdragon S4, after all. Still, if the Korean LTE version doesn't have to make any sacrifices and is just a few weeks away from stores, it'll be hard not to turn a deep shade of green watching our friends in Seoul get what could easily be the better deal. Update: The company has since piped up and confirmed to The Verge that the Korean LTE version is, in fact, quad-core. The LTE sits on a discrete modem chip where it's normally more tightly integrated on the Snapdragon, however -- and that means a potential knock against the runtime given that the 2,100mAh battery hasn't been beefed up.
Sony suspends PlayStation Store for PS3 in Korea, blames new law about selling to minors
Sony has been caught unawares by a legal change in South Korea, which prevents under-18s from being asked for their names or ages for the purpose of account authentication. No sooner had the company announced a half-price sale at its PS Store and then it was forced to pull the whole thing down in order re-work the interface and make it compliant. It's expecting to reopen it sometime "this year," but in the meantime the Store is strangely still accessible to PSP and Vita users of any age, while multiplayer and other PSN functions will continue to run on PS3. There must be a lawyer somewhere for whom this all makes complete sense, and hopefully they work for Facebook.
LG backing off tablets for now, would rather circle smartphone wagons
LG has decided not to chip in any more tablets to the huge pile that's already out there, and will focus on smartphones instead. It hasn't exactly stormed the market anyway -- with recent tab offerings like the Optimus Pad LTE falling flat -- and has said that the move would free it up to improve its No. 4 spot on the world's cellphone charts. It insists the decision has nothing to do with Microsoft's recent Surface announcement, and says it doesn't compete in that particular sphere anyway. So that's that.
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.
LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 / 14-inch Z450 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD
Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Update: Looks like a 14-inch Z450 is also on tap, but outside of the diagonal screen space, mum's the word on specifications.
Samsung unveils South Korea-bound Galaxy R Style: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, LTE and ICS on board
Not satisfied with the launch of its newest creation, the Galaxy S III, Sammy's taken the wraps off of yet another member of the famed galactic family: welcome the Galaxy R Style. While Samsung isn't coming out and saying it, the device is essentially a follow-up to last year's 4.2-inch Galaxy R -- and although the handset keeps a similar form factor, it's changed quite a bit on the inside. For example, the 4.3-inch (960 x 540), 9.79mm thin R Style now houses an LTE chip, 16GB of onboard storage and a TouchWiz flavor of Ice Cream Sandwich. As if that wasn't enough, the slab also packs a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU and a 5-megapixel camera to take care of those filtered Instagram shots -- all while being powered by a 2000 mAh battery. Samsung's R Style will be priced at 700,000 won (around $590) when it goes on sale in South Korea later this year. If we were there, we'd take two. %Gallery-156535%
South Korea's FTC reportedly raids Google again over lack of cooperation
Google might be in trouble for how it handled an earlier raid by South Korean officials over antitrust concerns. Insiders claimed to AllThingsD that the country's Fair Trade Commission stormed Google's Seoul offices again on May 28th after the company allegedly stonewalled the investigation in suspicious ways. Among the accusations, Google supposedly deleted files and asked staff to work from home rather than face inquiries. The FTC's goal was still to answer complaints from local search firms Daum and NHN that Google was unfairly making it difficult to use a non-Google search engine in Android. Google still says it's cooperating with regulators, but the assertions if they're accurate would paint a different picture. They certainly don't alleviate pressure in the US over similar subjects.
Diablo III becomes fastest-selling PC game ever, deluge of broken PC mice likely to follow
Chalk one up for an at least temporary resurgence in PC gaming. Blizzard can vouch that Diablo III has set a new record for the fastest-selling PC game to date: at 3.5 million copies trading hands through Battle.net downloads or retailers in the first 24 hours, and 6.3 million after a week, that's a whole lot of people battling the biggest of Prime Evils in a very short time. Naturally, a Blizzard-obsessed South Korea is accounting for even more activity, where over 39 percent of play at local gaming houses can be pinned on the action RPG, and the tally doesn't even include the 1.2 million bonus copies coming through a World of Warcraft annual pass promo. Before console gamers start packing up their PlayStations and Xboxes in symbolic resignation, D3 isn't the record-setter for the most copies of any game sold in one day -- that distinction goes to Modern Warfare 3's 6.5 million copies spread across multiple platforms. That's still enough to spur on some furious clicking and possibly a glut of dead mouse buttons, but you'll be glad to know there are suitably-themed replacement mice waiting in the wings.
Samsung's SHV-E170K has dual-core Snapdragon, LTE and an inferiority complex
We're sure Samsung isn't playing favorites... but after that rather extravagant product launch just the other week, it seems it's released another phone to market with barely a streamer nor slice of cake in sight. The phone in question is the SHV-E170K, and will be coming to South Korea's KT network. The handset was announced with minimal details, other than having a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD (960×540) display, LTE, 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel shooter up front. However, with a little bit of internet cunning (i.e. some discovered benchmark tests) SammyHub has determined that we're dealing with a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 on top of Android 4 (TouchWiz'd by the looks of things). It should be out later this month, again, alas, potentially in its sister's shadow.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 30th, 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 saw the first rollout of Verizon LTE from one of its rural partners, and both the Optimus L7 and Xperia U were spotted for Fido. 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 April 30th, 2012.
South Korea opens up cellphone sales, networks wary of the 'free market'
South Korea's Communications Commission is wresting control of the domestic cellphone market away from operators. From May 1st, it is opening the handset business open to any vendor, who will sell phones unlocked so consumers can decide their choice of network. The plan is aimed at lowering prices by introducing competition between the retailers -- although some voices in the industry have expressed concerns that the operators will withdraw discounted offers in retaliation. Naturally, the KCC is determined to ensure a better deal for consumers, and is already strong-arming wayward networks into ensuring that doesn't happen.
LG's 5-inch Optimus Vu shipping soon in white (in Korea, at least)
Just under two months after LG's Optimus Vu got priced for the hometown market, in flies news that another hue will soon be on those very same shelves. The 5-inch, 4:3 ratio'd Android smartphone will soon hit South Korea in white, purportedly targeting the "younger" market -- you know, folks who like "cool" things (a translation for "refreshing," we're told). Folks can look for the device -- which should remain unchanged outside of the external color -- to hit SK Telecom as early as next week, but there's no word on when (or if) it'll spread to other markets.
Report: HP's South Korean offices raided over alleged price fixing
Korea Times is a publication that isn't shy of the odd bold statement and today it's claiming that HP's South Korean offices were raided on suspicion of price-fixing deals made with IBM and Oracle. The country's Fair Trade Commission seized documents, computer records and questioned employees over alleged price-rigging on public-sector contracts. A company spokesperson said that the visit was routine, while FTC officers refused to comment about ongoing matters, but what is clear is that if any wrong-doing is found, the case will be turned over to prosecutors with the aim of commencing criminal proceedings for those responsible.
'New' iPad landing in South Korea, Israel and 19 other countries, officially ceases to be new in US
Are you not in one of the 35 countries that already has the "new" iPad? Well, this week may finally mean you can get your hands on the tablet that's already become old hat here in the US. The "resolutionary" slate is landing in South Korea, Venezuela and ten other nations this Friday, while Israel, India and seven more will be granted membership to the cool club on April 27th. Outside of some region-specific language tweaks the devices will be exactly the same as those that have been on sale here in the US for whole month now. (Isn't it amazing how time flies!) If you want to see if you're home is joining the list of places you can pick up a Retina display-equipped tablet head on after the break.
Robo-guard the South Korean correction service robot says 'stay out of trouble' (video)
It sounds like the sequel that didn't even make it to DVD: RoboCop's jaded, rotund, less attractive younger brother, who never made the police force -- and tired of living in his sibling's shadow -- took a job as the next best thing: a prison guard. Well, that might not make the silver screen, but it's certainly reality TV. Meet Robo-guard, the world's first robotic correctional officer. Developed in South Korea, Robo-guard is equipped with 3D cameras that let it observe inmates, while special software looks out for changes in behavior. Should anything suspicious be detected, he'll raise the alarm. A lone wolf, he works his beat autonomously, but can also be controlled manually via an iPad, if human colleagues want to check what's going down. Initial field trials are under way right now, and if all goes well, he'll earn a place in more prisons. Who knows, he may even make deputy one day.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 9th, 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 seen clues to suggest the Galaxy Nexus will arrive at Sprint in a matter of days, and leaked materials suggest Rogers will have the HTC One X in stock by April 20th. 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 April 9th, 2012.
Samsung considering Android-based digital camera
Android on a mainstream digital camera? Yes, you could live to see the day. We're at Samsung's Korean headquarters this week, where we had an opportunity to sit down with the company's research and development team to talk about the past, present and future of digital imaging. One interesting bit of discussion: Samsung is considering an "open" camera operating system. It's still early days and nothing is confirmed but, given the company's support for Android on other platforms, that OS would be a logical choice. What we know is that Samsung R&D has been researching bringing Android to its digital cameras -- a move that would be far from shocking, considering that development teams do tend to collaborate, and the company clearly has experience with the Google OS. And while there are likely to be such open OS prototypes buried deep within Sammy HQ, they're mere experiments at this point -- at least from a production perspective.What exactly would an OS like Android mean for digital camera users? It could be a major breakthrough from a usability standpoint, opening up the in-camera ecosystem to third-party developers. We could see Twitter and Facebook apps that let you not only publish your photos directly with a familiar interface, but also see photos shared by your friends. A capacitive touchscreen would let you type in comments directly as well. You could publish to web-based services, utilize apps that enable post-capture creativity or receive firmware updates directly over WiFi. That hotshoe or USB port could accommodate a variety of different accessories, like a microphone or 4G modem that could be used with several models, including those from other manufacturers. While there's nothing making Android integration impossible from a technical standpoint, there are obvious disadvantages as well -- especially for camera makers. Stability would become an issue -- your camera could need a reboot just as often as your smartphone -- and such a powerful imaging device could theoretically cannibalize tablets and smartphones, though on a limited scale. Sadly this is merely educated speculation at this point, pending a product announcement from Samsung, though we wouldn't be surprised to see it come to fruition -- perhaps even before the next CES.Update: Samsung reached out to us asking to clarify that this is simply something under consideration; nothing is confirmed yet. We've updated the post above to match.
Samsung Galaxy Player 70 Dual Core hands-on (video)
Everything Samsung seems to be just a touch better in Seoul, and the South Korean giant's Galaxy Player 70 is no exception. For starters, it ships with a dual-core 1GHz processor -- a first for the WiFi-only Galaxy Player series. The 5-inch capacitive-touch LCD offers 800 x 480-pixel resolution, and can display whatever the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS throws its way, but it also packs a unique Korea-only punch: a DMB TV tuner, for pulling in terrestrial programming only available in Samsung's home country. There's also a requisite 8-inch retractable antenna, in addition to the standard micro-USB port, microSD card slot, headphone jack, built-in mic and stereo speakers around back. Like most Samsung portables, it's also photo friendly, with a 5-megapixel camera with flash on the rear and a VGA cam up front. The 2500mAh battery isn't easily swappable, unfortunately, since the PMP's backplate is screwed to the housing.Considering that the Player is only going to be available for purchase in Korea, the only opportunity to go hands-on at this point is at Samsung HQ, which we just happen to be visiting this week. We spent some time with the device today, and while there's no chance of this iteration ever making an appearance on U.S. shores, we certainly wouldn't mind if it did. The plastic housing has the same look and feel as most other Galaxy devices, so there were no surprises there. It does bear a striking resemblance to the Galaxy S II, though the LCD here doesn't offer contrast or color reproduction that's anywhere close to the Super AMOLED Plus display on that record-breaking smartphone. Navigating the TouchWiz interface felt snappy, as it should given the processing duo on board, and the DMB television viewer worked flawlessly -- at least once we had a chance to take it away from the rumored-frequency-jamming R&D facility. Join us past the break for a closer look at the Galaxy Player 70 -- for those of you living outside of Korea, this may very well be your only chance.
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.
