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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Android 2.2 for Samsung Galaxy S - T-Mobile UK

T-Mobile UK has announced that they are working to get an over the air (OTA) update out for Samsung Galaxy S users to update up to Android 2.2. This announcement was made on their official support board:

"Hi folks

Thanks a lot for all your patience regarding the Galaxy S froyo update.


Our handset team have been working closely with Samsung regarding this update and future updates and would like to share their news with you.


Our goal is to make the update process smoother and we are working to become the only mobile operator offering FOTA (Firmware over the Air) updates for the Samsung product range. The aim was and still is to have the FOTA update available at some point today. If for reasons outwith our control we are unable to have a FOTA update process fully functioning by close of play today, then we will make the update available for download via Samsung KIES tomorrow (Dec 1st)


Thanks again for all the feedback you've given us through our forums.



Cheers


Barry

T-Mobile forum team
"

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Darth Vader Supports the Samsung Galaxy S

Over across the Pacific Ocean, Japan has a tendency to create some oddball commercials.  In this ad for the Samsung Galaxy S being offered on Docomo's network, Darth Vader of all characters walks around with Samsung Galaxy S users.  It's reassuring to know that when you're walking around with a Samsung Galaxy that the Dark Lord of the Sith is right there with you.

Video after the break.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Samsung Continuum Review

The Samsung Continuum is the latest offering from the Samsung Galaxy S series from Verizon and Samsung.  Priced currently at $199.99 on a two year contract after a $100 mail in rebate, the Continuum is a fantastic addition to Verizon's already heavy hitting line up.  The Samsung Continuum is the first smartphone with 2 Super AMOLED screens, one is the 3.4 inch main display, the other a 1.8 inch ticker screen for giving you updates.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Wi-Fi Only Samsung Galaxy Tab Delayed

Reports are coming in that the Wi-Fi only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab has been delayed.  A version of the Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab appeared on online Best Buy ads but it has since been pulled due to manufacturing delays.  It seems the Wi-Fi Only version of the Galaxy Tab will go for sale for $100 cheaper than the 3G version, landing it at around $500.  Still a bit on the pricey side but well worth it.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Samsung Galaxy Tab Hits 600,000 Sales!

That's right, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has reached 600,000 sales!  This is a fairly staggering number for a tablet that hasn't had as much advertising as the Apple iPad.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab has shown that the Apple iPad does have some competition headed its way thanks to Android and the demand for Android powered tablets.  This has been in the span of one month and there doesn't seem to be any signs of slowing down.  The Samsung Galaxy Tab has an advantage over the Apple iPad, it's being sold worldwide.

Samsung Galaxy Tab at AT&T

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is now available at AT&T, completing the release to all four major U.S. carriers.  Like the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the AT&T version will also have 16 GB of built in storage.  However, the price of the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Tab is $50 more than the T-Mobile version, placing it at $649.  There is no package deal with contracts to subsidize the pricing of the Tab.  That extra $50 goes towards a $50 credit to buy or rent movies or television programs.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Samsung Galaxy S - Android 2.2 in 2011 for North America?

According to a Facebook post for Samsung Canada, it seems the certain variations of the Samsung Galaxy S will not get Android 2.2 until early next year, 2011.  While the Samsung Vibrant and Captivate are set to be updated by late 2010, the Samsung Fascinate and Epic 4G are rumored to be updated in early 2011.  The Vibrant is currently on T-Mobile's network in the U.S., and the Captivate is on AT&T's network, while the Fascinate resides on Verizon and the Epic 4G resides on Sprint.

 
Samsung made a mistake previously with the Behold 2 and not updating as promised, hopefully they don't continue the trend with the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones.  The backlash from the Android community can be extremely powerful, as seen with the Sony Xperia series.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Samsung Galaxy 550 Available on Virgin Mobile

The Samsung Galaxy 550 has been released on Virgin Mobile.  It is their 3rd Android powered device in their line up, following the HTC Legend and the Samsung Galaxy S.  The Samsung Galaxy 550 is more of an entry level smartphone running Android 2.1.  It features a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen display, 600 MHz processor, an expandable microSD card (up to 16 GB), and a 2 megapixel camera.

The Samsung Galaxy 550 is exclusive to Virgin Mobile for free on contract or $199.99 without a contract.  Quite a cheap price for a fairly average smartphone.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Samsung Galaxy S2 is the Nexus S?

The recent rumor flying around the Samsung Galaxy S2, or the Samsung Galaxy 2, is that it's actually the Nexus S with TouchWiz UI overlayed on top. Similar to the Nexus One and the HTC Desire, it could be a play to not only reach out through Google but also through carriers as well. The specs would remain the same, or just slightly different, and the main difference would be TouchWiz UI.

This method did work out well for HTC.  After releasing the Nexus One, they then put SenseUI on top and rebranded the phone as the HTC Desire.  Samsung following close with the same method may work out just as well, and from a business standpoint, it makes sense.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Samsung Continuum for $199.99

After some "unfortunate" leaks, the official Samsung Continuum has finally been released as of November 11, 2010 on Verizon.  The Samsung Continuum is another new addition to the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones.  The new Samsung Continuum differs from the Samsung Fascinate by offering 2 Super AMOLED screens.  One a 3.4 inch touchscreen and the other a 1.8 inch dedicated ticker that streams updates.

The Samsung Continuum is definitely a beautiful and unique smartphone from Samsung and at $199.99, it's definitely a sweet deal.  One thing to note is that the $199.99 price is for new customers to Verizon on a 2-year contract after a $100 mail in rebate, so don't forget to mail in your rebate! 


Click on read more to see the video release of the Samsung Continuum...

A Conversation with Eric Schmidt

The CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt spoke about an "unannounced device", basically the Nexus S, at the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit.  The 44 minute video of the conversation is now available to watch and it kicks off with the Nexus S.  Interestingly enough, Eric Schmidt does say that there will never be a Nexus Two, but he doesn't mention anything about there never being a successor at all.

Click read more to see the video.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Comparison Chart

PCWorld has kindly put a comparison chart across all four U.S. carriers for folks looking to get the best deal from their Samsung Galaxy Tab.  It looks like Sprint and T-Mobile are the choice carriers to go with if you're planning on getting the Galaxy Tab on contract.  T-Mobile is also currently offering a $50 mail in rebate.  Verizon and AT&T do not currently have contract pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

You'll need to get a data plan as the Samsung Galaxy Tab does not have a WiFi only version and it looks like AT&T has the lowest plans for $15 for 250 MB.  The best deal being Verizon's $20 plan that includes 1 GB.

Going with higher end data plans, T-Mobile and Verizon have the cheapest price per GB at $8, but note that T-Mobile does have HSPA+ which allows speeds up to 14 MBps.

Overall, T-Mobile may be the choice to take for the Galaxy Tab.  It's cheaper on contract, it currently has faster speeds (in select cities), and recently the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy tab has recently been hacked to enable voice calls.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Google CEO and the Nexus S

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt was seen carrying and using the Samsung Nexus S, pictured above, at the 2010 Web 2.0 Summit.  Though he didn't explicitly state that the phone pictured above was the Samsung Nexus S, he did mention that the device he was using was an "unannounced phone" by an "unannounced manufacturer", which was more of a company line than anything.

Giorgio Armani and Samsung Captivate Audiences Again

Giorgio Armani and Samsung have teamed up, yet again, for a rebranded, luxury phone, aimed at targeting the upper tier market.  It's essentially a Samsung Captivate with a slight change in appearance, and of course, the Giorgio Armani logo across the top of the display.  There is news stating that the Giorgio Armani Samsung Galaxy S will have some multimedia features exclusive to the phone.  Hopefully it's enough to justify getting the €700 version of the Samsung Galaxy S.

Samsung Galaxy S Gets Android 2.2!

It looks like Christmas has come early for Samsung Galaxy S users in Europe on Vodafone.  Samsung promised that the Samsung Galaxy S would be receiving the 2.2 (Froyo) update by the "end of November" and they have delivered... at least internationally.

Vodafone users now are receiving the Android 2.2 update.  If you are a Vodafone user, be sure to ensure that you have the latest Samsung KIES software to receive the update.

No news yet on when the U.S. counterparts will be receiving the update.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Samsung Galaxy S 2 - The Samsung Elite?


There seems to be multiple leaks when it comes to news around the Samsung Nexus S, but recently a Powerpoint presentation deck introducing the 2011 flagship phone from Samsung was leaked.  From the looks of the presentation, this new flagship phone will be set to have:
  • 4.3 or 4.5-inch Super-AMOLED (described as Super-AMOLED 2)
  • 8 MP with Auto-focus and LED flash
  • 1.2 GHz processor
  • Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
  • 1080p video capture and playback
  • Described as a ‘universal e-book reader’

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab Can Voice Call

Do you have the Samsung Galaxy Tab from T-Mobile?  Apparently the experts over at XDA Developers have hacked the Galaxy Tab to pull in functionality that exists on the non-U.S. Tabs.  That's right, the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab has been hacked to use voice call functionality.  It's not as easy as rooting a Samsung Vibrant and requires quite a bit of flashing but the functionality is there.

This feature is only currently available on the T-Mobile version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and is apparently not possible on the Verizon or Sprint versions.  It has yet to be seen if the AT&T version will also be hackable to bring back voice call functionality.

Head on over to the XDA Developers post that explains the process if you'd like to give it a shot.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab Available For Preorder!

The Apple iPad competitor from Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, currently available through T-mobile and Verizon, is now set to debut on Sprint.

The Sprint version of the Galaxy Tab will be available for preorder for Premier customers starting on November 14th.  It will be available for $399.99 on a 2 year contract.  If you're a Sprint Premier customer who's looking for a small tablet, be sure to grab one quick!  The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a fantastic device to add onto your collection for hi-tech gadgets!

Friday, November 12, 2010

More Nexus S Leaks!

It looks like there's some more leaks about the Nexus S tumbling out of the secret bin.  This snapshot from a Best Buy internal system shows some interesting tidbits about the Samsung Nexus S.  Like the original Nexus One, the Nexus S will be available on T-Mobile's network.  It seems to be packing some similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones but one thing to note is that it is not capable of using T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, their "4G" network.  This must mean that T-Mobile will not be selling the Samsung Nexus S directly, and will most likely use a different channel like that did with the Nexus One.

Credit: Phandroid

Samsung Galaxy S Beats the iPhone

In the latest Consumer Reports smartphone rankings, the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones actually beat the iPhone.  The two in particular were the AT&T Samsung Captivate (which is currently available for a penny!) and the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant.  They both scored 76 points and edged out the iPhone 3GS by 2 points.  What's interesting to note is that the iPhone 4 wasn't even recommended due to the issues it had with the internal antenna cutting off connections if the phone was used a certain way.

This is a huge boost not only to the Android community but also to the Samsung Galaxy phone sets.  To be honored as the highest scored smartphones by Consumer Reports is a huge testament to how well Samsung has made the Samsung Galaxy S phones.  Consumers Reports ranked the phones by scoring based on call quality, ease of use, battery capacity, camera quality and some other criteria.

Coming in right behind the Samsung Captivate and Vibrant were the Motorola Droid X and the Motorola Droid 2 from Verizon.  It looks like Android is streamrolling ahead with no signs of stopping and Samsung is riding along with the wave.

Samsung Captivate For a Penny!


Over on Amazon Wireless, the Samsung Captivate on AT&T's network is currently being sold for a penny!  This is a great deal, especially for such a nice phone.  This is for new customers only and if you're an existing customer, an individual upgrade to the Samsung Captivate is $19.99 and $149.99 if you're on a family plan.

If you're wondering if the Samsung Captivate is the phone for you or not, you can read up on this Samsung Captivate Review to get a better feel for the phone.

Nexus S

The Nexus S is the successor to the wildly popular Nexus One. It's all but confirmed that the Nexus S will be manufactured by Samsung and not HTC. It was briefly spotted in an ad, most likely a blunder, by Best Buy.

Is the picture to the left an early leaked photo of the Nexus S? It's highly likely, considering it's packaged with the other Samsung gadgets and it's a never before seen Samsung smartphone. Though it looks very similar to the currently released Samsung Galaxy S, it does have a slightly different appearance.

The latest rumor is that the Nexus S was originally set to debut on November 8th and go on sale on November 11th but the plans were all pulled back when initial test results showed the hardware specs as being rather unfavorable. Apparently the Nexus S has now switched from having a single core processor to a dual core processor. An interesting turn of events.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Samsung Galaxy News!

Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy News blog! Samsung has released a powerful set of smartphones under the Galaxy heading, the first big hit in the United States being the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones. The Samsung Galaxy S phones hit all four carriers with their own unique versions. The Verizon Fascinate, the Sprint Epic 4G, the AT&T Samsung Captivate and the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant.

In Europe, the Samsung Galaxy Apollo has been released for the lower tier market. Samsung is also planning on releasing the Samsung Gem on Verizon, which is a target towards the lower tier market in the U.S. It's not yet known if it will be branded with the Galaxy brand.

Last but not least is the Galaxy Tab, the iPad competitor.

Expect to see news around all aspects of the Galaxy series from Samsung, from the smartphones to the tablets to the MP3 players. Your one stop source for Samsung Galaxy information.