DISCOVER THE NEW WORLD OF HANDHELDS: 5/1/11

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660: Average Gio

Introduction

It’s devices like the Samsung Galaxy Gio that helped Android gain so much ground in so little time. They are a better bargain than the uber-smartphone and find their way into people’s pockets a lot easier. With that goal in mind, the Galaxy Gio must be an all-round pleaser of a phone.

First mention of a 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook just this week has been quickly followed up by a sighting mentioned Friday. A reportedly credible traveller on a flight from Dallas to Toronto saw a device he said looked virtually identical to the seven-inch version but with a visibly better display. It was described to CrackBerry as unmistakable since it was using the same BlackBerry Tablet OS and was running Need For Speed, one of the bundled PlayBook games.

A leak Friday night confirmed that T-Mobile is lining up a more direct replacement for the Samsung Vibrant. The Exhibit 4G would be a close relative of the Galaxy S Plus and use its 1.4GHz processor, five-megapixel camera, and Android 2.3, but with some conspicuous upgrades and downgrades. TmoNews saw that it would have a slightly smaller 3.7-inch (though still 480x800) screen, but it would pack a front VGA resolution camera and its namesake HSPA+ data, though whether it would be 14.4Mbps or 21Mbps couldn't be identified.

Apple was rumored on Friday to be making a rare exception and customizing the iPhone for a particular country. Chinese video site YouKu's head Victor Koo was purportedly talking with Apple chief Steve Jobs about having a YouKu app preloaded in the default configuration for phones sold in China. Since the YouTube app is banned by the Chinese government, YouKu would effectively be filling in, TechNode was told by a "trusted resource."

LG Display blamed for iPad 2 shortage, Chimei due in May

A large part of the iPad 2's shortage issues were put at LG Display's feet on Thursday night through claims from supply sources. LG Display reportedly had light leakage problems for screens made at its sixth-generation LCD plant and could only ship 3.2 million iPad LCDs between January and March. Samsung, already helping out, ended up producing more at seven million, Digitimes understood.

Dell has finally released its Venue Pro smartphone for customers using AT&T's network, following an earlier release through T-Mobile and other carriers in international markets. AT&T subscribers can choose from 8GB, 16GB or 32GB storage capacities, with prices starting at $100 when paired with a two-year contract.

Samsung shows seven-inch navigator, tablet hybrid in Korea

Samsung introduced a new hybrid tablet in Korea recently, the SENS-240. It syncs with an Android-powered Samsung handset or tablet using Bluetooth to allow for voice calls, data, and video. The seven-inch tablet also works like a portable navigation device with dedicated GPS software.

Motorola pushed hard on the pro side of Android phones Thursday with two new models for Sprint. The XPRT [link up soon] is a Sprint adaptation of the Droid Pro and shares the mix of a 3.1-inch, 320x480 touchscreen with a fixed QWERTY keyboard for a BlackBerry-like design. Sprint's version shares Android 2.2, CDMA/GSM world roaming, five-megapixel camera, 1GHz processor, and 3G hotspot support with its Verizon parallel.

The first PlayStation-certified smartphone, Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, is finally going to make its debut on the O2 network in UK next month. The carrier was initially expected to launch the handset in April, but reportedly software bugs found at the eleventh hour pushed its release back.

A sighting at a T-Mobile event has helped confirm that the HTC Wildfire S should come to the US through the carrier. While devoid of T-Mobile badging, the phone codenamed as the Marvel was put side-by-side with the Sensation. A guest relaying the info to TmoNews didn't get the shipping schedule or the price.The Wildfire S is an upgrade to HTC's entry-level Android phone and still has a 3.2-inch screen, but it upgrades to a 320x480 screen resolution, a more recent 600MHz processor, and a five-megapixel camera with flash.Along with the rumor, talk at the show supported rumors that the HTC Doubleshot would be called the myTouch 4G Slide. Another Windows Phone 7 device was coming from HTC besides the HD7, but what that would be wasn't said.

Skype rumored making deals with Facebook, Google

Skype could face one of two major deals based on talk from a pair of sources. Facebook has supposedly considered either a joint venture with the VoIP pioneer or buying it outright, getting serious enough that its founder Mark Zuckerberg has been directly involved. Google has also been considering a joint venture, Reuters said, but wasn't to the point of buying it out.

The HP Veer 4G will be launched, exclusively in the US, on the AT&T network and it will set back users $99.9 on a two year contract. It will be available in-stores and online from 15 May.
The Veer 4G will be offered in either black or white color and is the smallest of the WebOS-yielding pack from HP.

Introduction

A few weeks back we asked some questions to find out how you, our readers, are using your mobile phones. Now we are back with the answers and they have some interesting stories to tell.

Introduction

With video gaming a sport in its own right, smartphones have no other choice but raise their game too. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play has strong ties to Sony’s gaming rigs, both portable and not, and Sony’s a big name in gaming.

Introduction

There’s a new kid on the mobile display block, LG’s NOVA LCD display. It promises to be the dream screen – it’s super bright, energy efficient, with great colors, viewing angles and outdoor visibility. We’ll be running our usual battery of tests on the new guy to see if it can deliver those promises.

Samsung's Galaxy S II handset has reportedly reached sales numbers exceeding 120,000 in just three days of availability, industry sources have told Yonhap News Agency. Although the numbers appear to be easily eclipsed by initial sales from other high-end smartphones, such such as the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S II report is limited to three carriers in South Korea.

HP Veer 4G official for AT&T, ships May 15

AT&T on Wednesday became the first US carrier to pick up the HP Veer. Badged as the Veer 4G, the extra-small webOS 2.1 phone can use its full 14.4Mbps HSPA access on the network and will support both hotspot creation and AT&T Navigator for those who like subscription GPS directions. The Veer 4G should ship on May 15 for $100 on a contract in black and white colors, though the hotspot will need the $45 monthly 4GB data plan.

The next iPhone will indeed miss the standard June-July release schedule, an AT&T customer representative claims. The statementwas made after one customer noticed that his eligibility for a subsidized upgrade had been delayed by over five months, and contacted AT&T for an explanation. "Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future," part of the representative's response reads.

SwitchEasy has launched a new iPad 2 case, the CoverBuddy, for use with Apple's Smart Cover. The CoverBuddy offers protection for the iPad's rear casing, which the Smart Cover lacks. It is made of shock-proof polycarbonate and comes with rubber-coated colors or a clear finish with a UV-coating. It provides access to all ports in use, including the rear speaker grill. It ships in ultraclear, black, grey, blue and pink and costs $25.

Apple on Tuesday night began running its second TV ad for the iPad 2 (below). "If You Asked" jumps from person to person saying what owners would think if you asked them. A parent would find it "intuitive," Apple said, while a musician would find it "inspiring;" it would be "powerful" for a CEO, Apple said, in a nod to the iPad's deep reach into enterprise.
The 30-second spot wraps up by looping back to the slogan used for the very post-launch TV ad. "If you ask us," Apple said, "it's just getting started."

Samsung Galaxy S II scores twice the iPhone 4 pre-orders in Korea

Samsung has just published some numbers reflecting the interest its latest Galaxy S II flagship is enjoying at the start of its sales and things are looking pretty good. The 4.3” Super AMOLED Plus-packing smartphone took over 200,000 pre-orders in the manufacturer’s homeland, beating the achievement of the iPhone 4 nearly twice (the Apple smartphone got about 110,000 pre-orders when in launched in Korean last August).

The new BlackBerry OS 7 listed browser improvements as one of its major selling points. Some benchmarks from RIM show impressive results – the browser bests Mobile Safari and the Android Browser at JavaScript and page loading times.
Tests were run on the new BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900, which went head to head with the iPhone 4, Google Nexus One and Nexus S. An old BlackBerry running the BB OS6 with the old web browser was used as well.

The Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update is already available over-the-air for the Google Nexus One users. Unfortunately it does not bring the updated Google Talk app with video and voice chats, just some bug fixes.
The recently announced which Android 2.3.4 update, is supposed to bring video and voice chats via Gtalk for the droid gang is already available as an OTA update for the Nexus One. The lack of video calls is understandable - the smartphone lacks a video-call camera, but what about those voice chats?
That's the reality though. The Nexus One users get only bug fixes, which is not bad at all, just not what they might have expected.
The update should become available for Nexus S soon and later more droids will follow. If you have a Nexus S and you cannot wait to try those Google Talk video chats you can follow this link for instructions on how to install it manually.

Otterbox Commuter Case for HTC Google Nexus One

Three LCD Screen Guards / Protectors for HTC Google Nexus One

Review: AirCurve Play for iPhone 4

The Griffin AirCurve Play simply amplifies the sound of your iPhone. This simple clear polycarbonate case fits your iPhone perfectly and does one job well at a reasonable price.

Sometimes you see a product that looks useless, but once you use it, you discover perfect simplicity. That’s my first and last impression of the Griffin AirCurve Play. When I first received it, I couldn’t imagine why I might want to use it, but after a few minutes, I realized it served my undiscovered needs perfectly. This cradle, for lack of a better term, simply amplifies the sound of your iPhone.

Today RIM announced two new BlackBerry QWERTY bars to join the Bold lineup - the Touch 9900 and Touch 9930. Both smartphones feature 2.8-inch VGA touchscreens and run on the newly announced BlackBerry OS 7
The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 (previously known as Dakota/Magnum) is a GSM device with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSPA+ support (up to 14.4Mbps HSDPA). The Bold Touch 9930 (previously known as Montana) is a dual-band CDMA phone with support for quad-band GSM and dual-band HSPA+ global roaming.

The rumored Amazon tablet is being made by contract manufacturer Quanta and should be available by the end of the year, part suppliers said Monday night. It would make as many as 700,000 to 800,000 of the tablets a month and could ship them as soon as the second half of the year. Digitimes was told Amazon would have a unique tie-in with its usual e-paper supplier: although E Ink would supply some display components, it would be giving just the fringe field switching technology used in LCDs and a touchscreen layer.

Dell Streak

Streak. It needs no introduction, as this slate's been gaining a lot of attention amongst gadget lovers around the world. Thanks to the UK launch last Friday, we were one of the first on this planet to procure Dell's finalized Android 1.6 phone from O2. Yep, you heard right -- Engadget's now in possession of two Streaks, with the older one still in its original and somewhat unstable prototype state. Our new toy sports a matte "carbon" finish instead of chrome (no word on future availability; the red version's coming in two weeks' time), and now 399MB of RAM instead of 405MB (according to Android System Info app; it's actually a 512MB chip). Anyhow, now that we have the real deal, there's plenty to go through, so join us after the break to see if the Streak's really going to start a new trend.
Dell Streak review

Top 10 Best Upcoming Cell Phones 2011

The first three weeks of the year have seen more than a dozen announcements from top U.S. carriers, and we’re sure to see more at the Mobile World Congress trade show in mid-February. Whether you’re with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless, there’s something exciting on the horizon.

2010 is almost about to end. While there have been significant developments in the mobile market, one of the glaring development was the rise of Android phones. Android smartphones have flooded markets all across the globe and has challenged Symbian powered phones which at one point used to be the undisputed market leader in high-end smartphones.

Introduction
Having earned its place in the Android hall of fame, the original Galaxy S can start thinking about retirement. And these won’t be thoughts of fear and worry. With a replacement on its way, the veteran can look forward to getting the respects it deserves.
And what a replacement it is. Samsung’s Galaxy lineup is home of some of the world’s finest droids. But the I9100 Galaxy S II is special. The forerunner was in contention for the Best Droid title and more than once got a hand on it. But it was only a matter of time for the competition to eventually catch up and even get ahead. The Galaxy S II aims to put Samsung back in the lead.

Introduction

Powerful hardware, large high-res screen and the latest Android version in a single piece of solid metal – the recipe did wonders for the original Desire so no wonder HTC are in no mood to experiment with the sequel. Take the best and make it better pretty much sums up the game plan. Oh well, we’ll take quietly brilliant even if emphasis is sometimes on quiet. In other words, the Desire S is a phone we’re ready to like. But make no mistake – it’s not meant to be the flagship its predecessor was.

T-Mobile G2X Android 2.3 upgrade gets early preview [video]

T-Mobile's promised Android 2.3 upgrade for the G2Xwas given an unofficial preview on Sunday showing what to expect. Along with the expected new keyboard, copy-paste text, and other 2.3.3 features, the dual-core phone gets visibly improved scrolling and touch responsiveness. This is my next also spotted working Wi-Fi calling and all the other preloaded T-Mobile apps carrying over, such as the Tegra Zone game browser.

Time was said on Sunday night to have brokered a crucial deal with Apple to allow free downloads of iPad magazines for existing print subscribers. The plan, effective May 2, would let those subscribing to Sports Illustrated and others avoid having to buy digital versions from iTunes. Executives told the Wall Street Journal that Apple's Internet services VP Eddy Cue had been talking for "some time" to hash out a concession.
It's unknown if other publishers will get the same deal. Apple declined to comment.

HP TouchPad review: Hands on with the iPad killer

If you've been hankering for a credible alternative to Apple's iPad, hanker no more. We've sat down with the HP TouchPad, a new contender to the tablet throne -- and it is, for desperate want of a better word, amazeballs. It promises a host of advantages over the all-conquering iPad, including a dual-core CPU, no-nonsense media handling and, joy of all joys, Adobe Flash playback.
Our first impressions of the device were very positive. It lacks the snazzy aluminium rear and outer bezel of the iPad, so it doesn't feel quite as solid, and its edges are noticeably fatter than its Apple counterpart's, but it's definitely a looker. Around its chubby edges, you'll find volume buttons, a micro-USB port, a pair of stereo speakers and a single, user-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam.

Best Buy in a mobile promo roundup has given out a clue as to early adoption rate for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The big-box retail chain said it had already had "very high" hopes based on its BlackBerry phone experience and "far exceeded" its expectations in the more than a week of initial sales. Actual sales of the tablet weren't given out.

HP Veer 4G shows in white for AT&T press shots

The HP Veer has made an appearance in AT&T press shots dressed in white ahead of its rumored launch on May 2. This will mark the first time that a webOS device has been available in a color other than black, and it joins the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S as two other high-profile handsets in adopting the popular color.

The HTC Wildfire S has made an appearance at the FCC. Listed in the FCC documentation as the PG76110, the device has been approved for use on the GSM 850 and 1900 bands and WCDMA bands II and IV. At this stage, it is possible that the phone could make to AT&T’s network, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Google facing a lawsuit over Android location tracking

It appears that Google are to suffer the same troublesome press as Apple have of late, thanks to the discovery of an Android based tracking system, not too dissimilar to the one recently brought to light on the iPhone 4.

Samsung reported its Q1 results - though the company as a whole saw its operating profit decline by a third, the mobile division posted a modest improvement. In fact, the mobile division was the only one that saw an increase in operating profit despite sales increasing for almost all Samsung divisions (except displays).

IDC releases Q1 2011 shipments data, Apple doubles marketshare

According to the analysts from IDC, the global mobile phone market grew by almost 20% compared to Q1 of last year. This is mostly due to the skyrocketing in smartphone sales, especially in emerging markets all over the world.
The 20 percent difference in units shipped amount to some good 61.3 million handsets. It's a record number and a huge leap, proving that the mobile phone business is out of the financially challenging woods.

Global mobile handset market to reach $341.4 billion by 2015

According to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets the total global mobile handset market is expected to reach $341.4 billion by 2015. Smartphone sales are expected to account for 76 percent of the overall mobile handset revenue at $258.9 billion in the same year. Apple is expected to lead the growth till 2015 commanding largest share of the overall mobile handset revenue with 26 percent market share while Nokia will trail in second place with 21 percent market share.

The global mobile handset market grew strongly in 2010 with 12 percent growth in terms of revenue coupled with a 12 percent shipment growth. In total, there were 1,278 million mobile handsets shipped with a value of $172.2 billion in 2010.

According to the report, the growth in mobile handset market was driven by increased consumer interest in high end smartphones, lower smartphone prices, improved network coverage along with the expansion of key technologies including 3G and expected 4G roll outs in emerging markets and aggressive expansion plans on the part of key suppliers.

Acer beTouch E140 Review

Introduction:

The affordable Acer beTouch Exxx line of phones has a new member - the beTouch E140. Similar to the E110 and the E120, it's an inexpensive handset that packs a 2.8-inch resistive screen with a resolution of 240x320. Unlike the E110, however, this phone offers a few goodies like Wi-Fi and the Android Market, as well as Froyo (the E110 is running Android 1.5 out of the box), which makes it much more attractive than its predecessor. But is the Acer beTouch E140 better than its low-end Android rivals? Read on to find out.
Design:
The design of the Acer beTouch E140 and its dimensions (4.11 x 2.20 x 0.50) are similar to what we have already experienced with other low-end Android handsets like the T-Mobile Comet and the Samsung Galaxy 5. When you hold this handset, it feels quite compact, hence it's easy to use it with one hand, and it is also extremely lightweight (only 3.35 oz).