The Samsung Focus S is the top dog in the Korean company’s Windows Phone lineup. It is the bigger brother of the Samsung Focus Flash in AT&T’s smartphone lineup.

The term “bigger” is almost entirely related to size here. Due to Microsoft’s tight hardware restrictions for their Windows Phone platform, the line between a flagship and a budget device is quite thin. Thus, the Focus S and Focus Flash share chipsets and CPUs. The differences between the two are in the screen size, built-in memory, and the camera units – here the Focus S is better equipped.

The Samsung Focus S, despite being a new release, should look quite familiar to you. In a rather clever fashion, Samsung’s designers have decided to shape the device as a twin to the highly successful I9100 Galaxy S II – not a bad idea given the fact that the Android powered handset is still selling like hotcakes.
As always, we’ll kick the review off with the key features of the Samsung Focus S, followed by its main disadvantages.

Key Features
4.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus screen with WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA (14.4 Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
Windows Phone 7.5 operating system
Ability to uninstall wireless provider’s proprietary apps out of the box
1.4 GHz Scorpion CPU, 512MB RAM, Snapdragon chipset
8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and geo-tagging; 1.3MP front unit
720p video recording (the OS does not allow higher resolution yet)
A number of Samsung proprietary apps, including a capable photo editor
Bing Maps with free navigation
16GB of built-in storage
Standard 3.5mm audio jack
Standard microUSB port (charging)
Wi-Fi b/g/n; DLNA support; Wi-Fi hotspot capable
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
FM radio with RDS
Office document editor
Built-in A-GPS receiver
Voice-to-text functionality

Main disadvantages
No system-wide file manager
Non-expandable memory
No Bluetooth file transfers
No USB mass storage mode
Limited third-party apps availability
No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
Too dependent on Zune software for file management and syncing
No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software, but lowers quality)

We’ve already encountered Windows Phone 7.5 Mango on several occasions. The OS has significantly matured with the latest update – it is now a viable alternative for those, who don’t want to go down the iOS or Android road.

Sadly however, Microsoft’s creation leaves no room for customization. You get the same experience, regarding of the device you’re using it on. This means that it is up to the hardware of the respective devices to win the potential consumer over – a welcome news for the Samsung Focus S, given its Galaxy S II pedigree.


source: gsmarena.com

READ MORE - Samsung Focus S review: Different kind of flagship

Samsung has introduced a new Android smartphones in China namely the Samsung SCH-W999. In contrast to most other Android smartphone Samsung W999 comes with a flip design.

Samsung SCH-W999 comes with dual-core processor 1.2 GHz from Qualcomm as well as having two identical 3.5-inch Super AMOLED screen with WVGA resolution, the phone also comes with Dual SIM card slots that can be connected with GSM and CDMA networks.

Samsung SCH-W999 is present using Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the beautifull TouchWiz user interface created by the Korean vendors.

This phone will be officially launched next year for China market, but the price has not been confirmed by the Samsung.


source: samsung-sch-w999-clamsell-android-dual-screen-dual-sim-dual-core

READ MORE - Samsung SCH-W999: Clamsell Android Dual Screen, Dual SIM, and Dual-Core

We've known for a while now that the Nokia Lumia 800 isn't the real WP flagship by the Finns - the elusive Nokia Lumia 900 will probably take on that role and it just left another clue of its existence. And it brought a friend.

A Windows Phone app, Times of India, was downloaded and used by a Nokia Lumia 900 and a Nokia Champagne, both of which running Windows Phone. But they're running a newer build of WP - 7.10.8725 (7.1 is the internal version for 7.5 Mango).

Could this be the Tango version of Windows Phone that we've heard of? Our earlier encounter with the Champagne suggests that it is.

As for the Lumia 900, we've seen it a couple of times before and heard about some its specs - namely, a 4.3" ClearBlack AMOLED and 1GB RAM. That's what the leaked brochure claimed, anyway.


source :  wmpoweruser.com

READ MORE - New clues of Nokia Champagne and Lumia 900 WP phones appear

The Nokia Lumia 800 was released just couple of weeks ago and the Finnish company already rushes a software update for its first Windows Phone 7 smartphone.

The software update should roll out completely over the next two weeks in the countries blessed with Lumia 800's availability. As with any update this one brings some notable performance and usability goodies such as:

• Improved charging
• Voicemail notification improvement
• Replying to mail improved for Microsoft Exchange 2003 users
• Improved display switching in bright light
• Improved audio quality

The software will be made available through Microsoft Zune and will roll-out on stages, because of simultaneous download limitations. Another update is expected to hit the Lumia 800 in the first months of 2012 with another batch of improvements and fixes.


source : conversations.nokia.com

READ MORE - Software update for Nokia Lumia 800 now up online and ready

Sony Ericsson is really having a hard time keeping their Xperia Arc HD smartphone under wraps. Their upcoming flagship droid broke loose again and appeared on a couple of live shots, confirming some of its specs in the process.

The smartphone codenamed Nozomi, will sport a dual-core CPU, clocked at 1.5 GHz, a 12 megapixel camera and a 4.3" 720p screen. It will offer 1GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, but there will be no microSD card slot, so you won't be able to expand that. A nicely sounding 1750 mAh battery will power the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD live photos
According to the source of one of the two leaked images, the Arc HD should make its official debut at CES 2012, which takes place from January 10 to January 13 next year.

With such a sleek design and a specs sheet like that, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD will certainly be one of the hottest devices of 2012. The only problem might be that the flagship will bring a dual-core CPU to a quad-core party, but we are yet to see about that.


source: concept-phones.com and techorz.com

READ MORE - Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD live shots leak again

Motorola has launched their latest gadgets, Motorola RAZR XT910 as part of a long list of Motorola phones. And of course, the Motorola RAZR XT910 is a smart phone with many advantages and is designed to meet all your daily activities.

The Motorola RAZR XT910 has a The 4.3″ SuperAMOLED screen that boasts higher resolution than Samsung Galaxy S II. The 4.3-inch QHD AMOLED Super Advanced touch screen that is made by special Gorilla Glass technology for guaranteed durance. Colors, sharpness and viewing angles of this device are perfect

Different from the ZTE Tania that runs on OS Mango, The RAZR XT910 runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradable to Android 4.0 ICS in early 2012). The RAZR XT910 is also powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP 4430 chipset. it’s got enough processing power to challenge the other dual-cores.

The RAZR XT910 also equipped an 8 megapixel rear camera with a resolution of 3264 × 2448 pixels and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. The rear camera supports high pixel quality with LED flash and autofocus.

motorola razr xt910 Motorola RAZR XT910 review: Through Thick and Thin

Motorola RAZR XT910 Main Specifications Feature
Stunningly thin 7.1mm body, splash resistant
Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA
4.3″ 16M-color capacitive SuperAMOLED touchscreen of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels, 256ppi), scratch-resistant Gorilla glass
Dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP 4430 chipset; 1GB of RAM
Android OS v2.3.5 with customized UI
Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 support
8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; face detection, geotagging; 1.3MP front-mounted secondary camera
1080p video recording @ 30fps; Slo-mo VGA@120 fps
Dual-band Wi-Fi ab/g/n; Wi-Fi hotspot functionality; DLNA
GPS with A-GPS; Digital compass
16GB storage; expandable via a microSD slot
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v4.0 with LE and A2DP
standard microHDMI port; Web Top compatible (docks sold separately)
Smart dial, voice dialing
Office document editor; MOTOPRINT app to print Office docs
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary mic
DivX/XviD/X264 video support
Web browser with Adobe Flash 10.2 support



Main disadvantages
The phone is thicker at the top
Bigger than other phones with the same screen size
Screen uses PenTile matrix (offset by high ppi); a little dim too
No FM radio
No dedicated shutter key
MicroSIM card support only
Non-user-replaceable battery

This 3G phone has Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, dual-band, DLNA and Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity options for Internet surf. Motorola RAZR XT910 is offered at a price of $ 759. if you want a high-end phones, the XT910 can be an attractive option to try.


source : http://www.hotmobilenews.com/motorola-razr-xt910-review-through-thick-and-thin

READ MORE - Motorola RAZR XT910 review: Through Thick and Thin

The hit smartphone Galaxy S II has surpassed the 10 million landmark in global sales. It managed to achieve this in just five months of going on sale.


The previous record holder in Samsung's fleet was the Samsung Star S5230, which managed to cross the 10 million mark in six months. The hot selling Galaxy S managed to achieve the same in about seven months. Being significantly more expensive than both, the fact that the Galaxy S II managed to reach the sales figure in a shorter period of time is quite an achievement.

Then again, this is not surprising. The Galaxy S II has struck a chord with the smartphone buyers thanks to its awesome features and performance and people are shoveling their money at Samsung just to get their hands on the best smartphone on the market right now. Now that the phone has started selling in the US as well, the next landmark will probably take even less time.


Source : http://sammyhub.com/2011/09/25/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-global-sales-surpasses-10m-units/

READ MORE - Galaxy S II global sales pass the 10 million mark

Samsung Galaxy SL – 4-inch Super Clear LCD Display Android SmartPhone

The Samsung I9003 Galaxy SL has similiar specifications with Galaxy S i9000, the difference is Samsung Galaxy i9003 runs on Android 2.2 with TouchWiz UI. Samsung Galaxy SL i9003 smartphone comes with a large 4 inch Super Clear LCD display with Gorilla Glass. It is the Super Clear LCD display version of the popular Samsung Galaxy S mobile phone. This Samsung phone includes 1 GHz processor and 5 megpixel camera with autofocus and HD (720p) video recording.

Samsung Galaxy SL features TouchWiz 3.0 UI, 480 x 800 pixels resolution and it is 16 million coloured WVGA touch screen, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, and more.

Other features incude a 3.5 mm headset jack, DLNA connectivity, 478 MB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, 32 GB expandable memory, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, microUSB 2.0, GPS, Android Market, FM Radio with RDS, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, up to 15 hours talktime, up to 610 hours stand-by time and a 1650 mAh Li-Ion battery.


Samsung Galaxy SL comes with a price tag of Rs.19,499.

Samsung Galaxy SL Specifications
Network
• GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• HSDPA 900, 1900, 2100
Screen
• SC-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16 million colors
• 240 x 400 pixels, 3.2 inches
• 480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches
• Gorilla Glass display
• TouchWiz 3.0 UI
• Multi-touch input method
• Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
• Touch-sensitive controls
• Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
• Swype text input
Weight & Dimension
• 131 g (including battery)
• (123.7 x 64.2 x 10.6 ) mm
Memory & Processor
• Unlimited entries: with multiple contact storage entries
• Internal memory: 16 GB
• RAM: 478 MB
• Expansion slot: microSD up to 32 GB
• 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU, PowerVR SGX530 GPU, TI OMAP 3630 chipset
Data Service & Connectivity
• GPRS Class 12
• EDGE Class 12
• HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
• WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• microUSB v2.0
Ringtones
• MP3, Polyphonic
• Vibration
Camera
• 5 megapixel, 2592 x 1944 pixels
• Auto-focus, LED flash
• Geo-tagging, Face & motion detection
• Video recording: 720p@30fps
• Second camera: VGA for video call
Battery
• Standard battery: Li-Ion 1650 mAh
• Stand by time up to: 610 h (GSM), 550 h (HSDPA)
• Talk time up to: 15 h (GSM), 7 h 30 min (HSDPA)
Others
• Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo)
• SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
• HTML
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Google Maps
• Google app
• Social networks integration
• Organizer
• Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
• Voice command/dial
• Predictive text input
• Digital compass
• Adobe Flash 10.1 support
• Image/video editor
• TV-out
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Music player: MP4, DivX, WMV, H.264, H.263, MP3, WAV, eAAC+

source : http://www.hotmobilenews.com/samsung-galaxy-sl-4-inch-super-clear-lcd-display-android-smartphone

READ MORE - Samsung Galaxy SL – 4-inch Super Clear LCD Display Android SmartPhone

HTC showcased the EVO 3D back in March, which was their first phone capable of recording images and videos in 3D. That phone, however, was intended for Sprint’s CDMA network. But HTC may just have a GSM version of the EVO 3D up its sleeve.

Pocketnow.com came across these images on HTC’s website. The one on the extreme left is the one that they initially announced, the one in the middle that was put up on HTC’s website but later pulled and the last one that appeared on HTC’s developer website and the one that we are going to talk about.

Notable differences between this and the others include a lack of circles around the keys below the display, which were exclusive to the HTC phones on Sprint's network. Along the side, the volume control button, camera shutter button and the 2D/3D mode switch have been redesigned. On the back the camera lenses don’t have the red surround and the window for the LED flash has a different design.

It’s also running an older version of Sense but if you look carefully at the icons you can see that it’s because the screen does not belong to the phone but it’s just pasted there from some other HTC phone. The EVO 3D has a qHD display which makes the icons look smaller with more gaps between them as is evident from the other two phones but this one looks more like the one on phones running WVGA screens.

All this point toward the fact that this slightly redesigned handset might just be the GSM version of the EVO 3D. If this is true it won’t be the first time HTC has done this. They created GSM versions of existing CDMA phones before, for example, the Desire HD is virtually a clone of the EVO 4G. Perhaps this could be the Desire 3D?


source : pocketnow.com

READ MORE - Could this be the GSM version of HTC EVO 3D?

Ever wondered why your Andriod smartphone isn't working as well as it should be? Well, Motorola's CEO, Dr. Sanjay Jha, thinks it's because of the open Android Market.

He says that because the Android Market is open, anyone can upload almost any type of applications. Users then download these applications that may have the potential of bringing down the performance or battery life of their devices. He also said that 70% of the phones that are returned are because of issues caused by applications.

Jha claims that the solution lies in MOTOBLUR, Motorola's proprietary software layer that runs on top of their Android phones. Motorola is using BLUR to collect data on the applications that people use on their phones and the way they affect the performance of their devices. Thanks to this information, they will soon be able to issue warnings if an applications, say, is going to have a dramatic effect on the phone's battery life.

Now all that is fine but we must say we aren't particularly big fans of MOTOBLUR. And for all we know BLUR itself could be one of the reason for many of the performance issues. Perhaps Motorola should fine tune their own application before passing the blame around.


source : pcworld.com

READ MORE - Motorola CEO blames Android Market for performance issues

According to the latest report by the analysts from Nielsen, Android enjoys the highest usage among smartphone platforms in the United States, followed by iOS and BlackBerry OS.

Some 36 percent of US smartphone users have an Android smartphone. In comparison, 26% are using the Apple iOS while 23% are using RIM's BlackBerry OS.
The remaining 15% of the smartphone pie is taken by Windows Mobile, which still has a decent 9% user base, and by WebOS, Symbian, Windows Phone 7 and PalmOS with. It's a little disappointing to see Symbian despite being the oldest platforms here and still very much alive unlike the now defunct Windows Mobile having no more than 2% market share. Same goes for HP's WebOS, which deserved a lot more success than it received.

Android's overall domination comes as no surprise really, considering the huge number of Android devices out there and new ones coming out almost every other week now. Apple's iOS, on the other hand, has so far been restricted to a handful of devices, ten to be precise, with four versions of the iPhone and iPod touch each and two versions of the iPad, launched over a period of four years. RIM too has a fair number of handsets under its belt and has been around much longer than the other two. We are sure if this chart showed smartphone users across the world, however, the difference between Android and iOS would be even higher as Android phones are available in lot more areas compared to iOS.

Nielsen also has some more statistics for us, including the data usage of all these platforms and once again Android is leading the race with 582MB of monthly data usage compared to 492MB of iOS and 448 MB of WebOS, which has raced past others for the number 3 spot.

Another chart shows us that app downloads consist of a major portion of the data that is downloaded on these phones, with audio streaming coming second and video streaming at third position.


Source : blog.nielsen.com

READ MORE - Android is top smartphone OS in the US, iOS is a close second

The Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II is having a magnificent debut on the smartphone scene, winning plenty of users for the Android and Samsung causes. Well it appears that not all is rosy with the Korean flagship as a watchful user has noticed an issue with that gorgeous 4.3” Super AMOLED Plus display.

The problem reported by numerous forum users concerns the leftmost quarter of the lower half of the screen and is most visible at the lowest brightness settings.

Some even say, it's not that those units are faulty, it's like that on all Galaxy SII phones. Well, we rolled out our sleeves and went to check ours and report back.

And indeed, upon a really, really close inspection, we noticed that the part of the display in question is slightly darker than the rest of the screen and has a slight yellow tint to it.
To make the effect more prominent in the photo on the left we have flipped the lower half of the screen so the darker and lighter parts are closer by. It's really the best we can do to demonstrate an effect that is pretty hard to see otherwise.

Now uneven backlighting is something that we are used to seeing on LCD screens, but we can’t quite explain how it appeared on the Galaxy S II. Granted the effect is pretty subtle and we didn’t notice it until told what to look for, but it’s there and it seems probable that all early units of the smartphone have it.

Last time we saw a similar problem it was with the iPhone 4 and it turned out to be a temporary effect caused by the glue used in assembly that disappeared by itself with time. We guess, it won't be the case here as quite a lot of time passed since those phones came out of the factory.
We’d be glad if Samsung stepped up and cleared this out for everyone and we are sure their customers agree with us.

Anyway we wouldn’t call the display issue a deal-breaker and we don’t even think most people will notice it, but still – knowing that there’s a problem with that gorgeous screen of your smartphone can leave somewhat of a bad taste in your mouth.

You can check out if your handset has the display issue by looking at a neutral gray background (you can open this page, helpfully prepared by Erethnor of XDA-developers, in the browser). You might want to choose darker environment and reduce the brightness of the display to make it easier to see.

Source : forum.xda-developers.com

READ MORE - Galaxy S II display reportedly has yellow spots, we test

The much awaited Samsung Galaxy S II has finally got a launch date in India. According to Samsung India, the phone will be on sale starting June 9. However, thanks to a special deal with Vodafone India, their customers will be able to get their hands on the Galaxy S II from June 3.

Now for the big question and that is what will be the cost of this monster of a device. The Galaxy S II will set you back by Rs. 32,890 (US$723), which shouldn't come as a big surprise considering the spec sheet of this phone.

Vodafone customers will be able to pre-book the device from tomorrow by paying Rs. 1,000.


Source : samsunghub.com

READ MORE - Samsung Galaxy S II announced in India, will hit shelves by June 9

T-Mobile might be coming a bit late to the Galaxy S II party, but it seems that it will make a remarkable entrance. We just got word of the upcoming Samsung Hercules, which looks like the most powerful droid the company has ever built, combing the best of both the Infuse 4G and the international Galaxy S II worlds.

We are talking a 4.5” Super AMOLED Plus display and a dual-core CPU clocked at 1.2 GHz. However the chipset will be built by Qualcomm, which means that the processor will be using the Scorpion, rather than the Cortex-A9 architecture. We are yet to see if that’s a change for the better or for the worse.

Samsung Hercules is said to support the 1700 MHz AWS 3G band and if the T-Mobile and AT&T merger goes through it will also come with 850 and 1900 MHz 3G. The great news is that the smartphone will sport HSPA for up to 42Mbps on the downlink and up to 5.76 Mbps on the uplink. The LTE-packing HTC Thunderbolt aside, this is the fastest network data transfers rates we have seen so far.

The impressive specs sheet of the Samsung Hercules continues with 1GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and NFC support. The 8 megapixel camera should be able to capture 1080p videos, which hopefully will be as good as those of the I9100 Galaxy S II (or in the best case scenario, even better).

The USB port will still come with MHL support, which means you are one adapter away from plugging in your regular HDMI cable and using it for TV-out. All this goodness is squeezed in a package with a profile of just 9.4mm.

The rumored price tag of over $350 will hardly surprise anyone given the feature set. Unfortunately it will take at least until August for the handset to materialize in T-Mobile stores.


source : thisismynext.com

READ MORE - Samsung Hercules for T-Mobile is the stuff from your dreams

The LG Optimus Black starts to finally roll out to stores around the world. Following yesterday's news that the phone will hit UK in the upcoming week, the Optimus Black has made it to the Philippines.

The price of the LG Optimus Black there is 19,990 Philippine Pesos, or around €319 / $464, which is pretty decent for the 4-inch-screen smartphone. Let's hope the phone will keep this pricing in Europe and specifically the UK, where it's expected to launch next week.

The LG Optimus Black packs a TI OMAP 3630 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 5MP camera capable of shooting 720p HD video and the 4-inch NOVA display. Speaking of which, you should definitely check the display shootout we did recently.

Also, as the review is in the works, in our blog we posted user interface and Gestures demo videos of the LG Optimus Black. Don't forget to check them out as well.


source : yugatech.com

READ MORE - LG Optimus Black gets a price tag of 319 euro

I don’t mean to sound condescending toward the folks at Nordic Hardware with my title. First, the story: the Samsung Galaxy S II’s GPU doesn’t allow users to run anything at refresh rates greater than 60 frames per second. Boohoo. Since when was 60 frames per second a bad thing? Any graphically demanding game running at 60 frames per second is great, and the overall feel of the OS benefits from it too. But do folks really want or need more?

The argument against 30 frames per second was justified. I experienced the limitation first hand on several HTC devices of yesteryear, including the HTC EVO 4G Developers eventually got around that and delivered 60 frames of goodness per second to all. I was very pleased, impressed, and satisfied with how much snappier it made devices feel (even if actual device performance wasn’t getting a boost). To this day, I remain satisfied. Many others do, too.

What is the point of going further? In 2D and 3D graphics – especially for phone UIs – there is no real world advantage to pushing out as much as you can at the highest framerate. Overall performance can suffer the higher you try to go because your GPU and CPU have to work harder to display a moving image just a bit smoother than what is recognized as the industry standard. Yes, folks, the Mali 400 has a locked frame rate, but you’re likely still going to buy this phone the moment you get a chance.


source : phandroid.com

READ MORE - Samsung Galaxy S II Graphics Performance Locked at 60FPS, But Who Cares?

Seven new Android smartphones are now humbly waiting on the T-Mobile UK coming soon page for their release dates to arrive. The LG Optimus Black, Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, Samsung Galaxy S II, LG Optimus 3D, HTC ChaCha, Motorola ATRIX and HTC Sensation are all due to hit the UK in the upcoming months.

The super sexy dual-core Samsung Galaxy S II is due to launch in June, but if you don't think its worth the wait, you can the get the LG Optimus Black as soon as next month. Also for June are planned the LG Optimus 3D, Facebook-oriented HTC ChaCha, and the Motorola ATRIX.

Understandably, pricing and plan details are not yet available, but be sure we'll update you as soon as those hit T-Mobile UK's site.


source : unwiredview.com

READ MORE - Optimus 3D, XPERIA Neo, Galaxy S II and more to hit T-Mobile UK

Ah, the power of dual-core processors – it lets you do cool stuff like buttery-smooth multitasking, exciting 3D portable gaming or Full HD videos. The latest Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II packs the new Exynos chipset, which pairs a couple of Cortex-A9 cores with a Mali-400MP GPU. Sounds like a potent mix – at least on paper, so we’re eager to pit it against one of the first phones to offer Nvidia’s Tegra 2 platform - the LG Optimus 2X.

What we have in our hands is a pre-release test unit of the Galaxy S II, successor to one of the best selling Android phones. Ours runs its two CPU cores at 1GHz but Samsung announced that the speed will be bumped up to 1.2GHz.

Once that’s done, the I9100 Galaxy S II would be the most powerful droid – until the competition catches up, which won’t take long judging by our rumor mill. Anyway, we’re going to use the chance to put Samsung’s Exynos chipset head to head with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2. We’ll be using the LG Optimus 2X for the benchmarks, which runs at the same clock speed as our Galaxy S II – 1GHz.

We’re already working on our Galaxy S II preview but until that’s done, we just couldn’t resist testing some of the most interesting new features of Samsung’s latest flagship. Here’s what this comparison will be about.

First off, this is our first encounter with the Super AMOLED Plus technology, which improves on an already excellent screen. We’ll run the new display through several tests to determine how it stacks up against the old one and other leading displays on the market.

Next, we’ll get to the camera department – the Galaxy S II comes with an 8MP still shooter that can capture 1080p FullHD videos. That’s our second encounter with such a beast and we’ll be pitting it against the LG Optimus 2X camera, that’s for sure. A surprising guest star in the camera test is the Sony Ericsson Arc, which we recently reviewed as well.

After that comes the test of what makes the Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II tick – the new dual-core Exynos chipset. Just keep in mind the Galaxy S II retail version will have 20% more clock speed for each of the two CPU cores.

Finally, we’ll wrap things up with a real-life performance test – how does the Galaxy S II stack up in real world tasks (we’ll be testing the user interface, web browser and games) against a phone with a Tegra 2 chipset (which is quite popular among new smartphones and even tablets).


source : gsmarena.com

READ MORE - Samsung Galaxy S II vs LG Optimus 2X: Head to head

Say hello to a new business model from Nokia and a new music-minded one too – the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7 just went official. Also, the much awaited Symbian^3 update has arrived and it’s called Anna.

First, let’s talk new models. Both the E6 and the X7 are touch-enabled Symbian^3 handsets, but the X7 is a slate with a 4” touchscreen, while the E6 is a bar with a portrait QWERTY and 2.46” VGA touchscreen. Here's what the Nokia E6 product manager had to say about the new phone.

Nokia E6

The Nokia E6 combines glass and stainless steel in a sleek 115.5 x 59 10.5 mm body and has a taste for BlackBerry blood. It packs quad-band 2G and five-band 3G – a true globe trotter. 3G is enhanced with 10.2Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA.

Nokia E6 combines touchscreen and portrait QWERTY

The E6 also packs Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 with JoikuSpot Premium preinstalled (app that turns the phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot). Nokia have also added enhanced encryption.

The Nokia E6 has an 8MP fixed-focus camera with dual-LED flash capable of 720p HD video recording. Unfortunately, the cameras on both phones lack auto focus.

The Nokia E6 has 8GB of memory built into the phone, expandable by microSD cards up to 32GB.

The Nokia E6 also boasts impressive battery live – up to 28 days of standby and nearly 15 hours of talk time (2G numbers).

Nokia X7

The Nokia X7 packs a 4” nHD AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass (doesn’t say its ClearBlack though) and has a stainless steel body. It comes with an 8GB microSD card pre-installed and a battery that’s good for up to 50 hours of music or 6 hours of video playback.


Nokia E7 is a big-screened music phone

It’s no slouch when it comes to connectivity though – quad-band 2G and tri-band 3G (including a T-Mobile USA compatible version), Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.

The Nokia X7 packs the same 8MP camera as the E6 - complete with a dual-LED flash and 720p video recording.

The X7 comes with Nokia WH-701 headset in the box – nothing fancy like the X6 had.
Symbian Anna

Both Nokias run the new Symbian Anna – that’s the Symbian^3 update we’ve been waiting for so long. It packs a split-screen keyboard allowing easier text input, an improved browser and enhanced security features too. The redesigned icons are also part of the new UI. Searching has been simplified in Ovi Maps and the app has grown a new public transportation route feature.

The older Symbian^3 models (N8, E7, C7 and C6-01) will be getting getting the Symbian Anna "in the coming months" as an over the air update. For more information on the update, check our extensive blog post.

Pricing and availability

The Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7 are both expected to launch in Q2. The E6 price is estimated at €345 ($500) and the X7 price at €370 ($550)



source : Nokia.com

READ MORE - Nokia uncovers the E6 and X7, Symbian Anna update

Yesterday we got indications that the Samsung Galaxy S II launch will be delayed by as much as a month. But now Samsung stepped up and announced (via Twitter) that the Samsung Galaxy S II flagship will still arrive on time in April to scheduled markets.

Unfortunately, there's no concrete information about which markets will be getting the Galaxy S II first.

The company also said that the device will be "gradually rolled out in each market according to the local launch timetable". It sounds laconic enough. It may mean that the Galaxy S II will hit everywhere, just gradually, not in huge numbers. Or that key European markets will be getting it first. We can only guess.

We're yet to see what's what with the Galaxy S II. As you know it already came in for a preview and we're currently working with it.


source : gsmarena.com

READ MORE - Samsung: The Galaxy S II is still set for April launch