A new Exynos 5 Octa unveiled will come in Galaxy Note III
Samsung has just announced an enhanced version of its Exynos 5 Octa chipset. Currently the Octa chipset is available only on the I9500 Galaxy S4 flagship.The second generation Exynos 5 Octa might be called Exynos Evolved and will be officially presented next week. So far the teaser just says it’s "a more powerful, enhanced Exynos 5 Octa".
It seems Samsung is launching the new chipset just in time for the Galaxy Note III that's supposed to be unveiled in September and launch this Fall. The smartphone has been in the rumorlands for quite a while and it should be available in a couple of versions - one with Snapdragon 800 and another one powered by this improved Octa chipset.
Samsung promises to bring detailed specifications and more details on the new Exynos next week. Then we'll learn more about its GPU and the exact clock speed of its eight cores.
Samsung announces Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8 phablets
Samsung lifted the covers of
the Galaxy Mega dup – the 6.3" and 5.8" Android phablets. The
smartphones borrow some of the features from the Galaxy S4 flagships but
offer much larger screens and aim for the mid-range segment as a more
affordable alternative to the high-end Note phablet.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 packs a 6.3" LCD of 720p resolution and is powered by a an Exynos 5250 chipset with a dual-core Cortex-A15 CPU clocked at 1.7GHz and 1.5GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2 with Sasmung’s TouchWiz modifications like Multi-window (split-screen multitasking) and Air View (detecting your finger an inch from the screen). There's no S Pen though.
The main camera is an 8MP shooter and there’s a 1.9MP front-facing camera. On the connectivity side the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 enjoys LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, NFC and packs an IR emitter so it can work as a remote control. It can also connect to Galaxy S4s and Grands with Group Play.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 next to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note II
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is not a small device, but it's fairly thin measuring 167.6 x 88 x 8.0 mm and weighing 199g. The battery has 3,200mAh capacity. Internal storage is 8GB/16GB and there’s a microSD card slot if you need more.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 sized up against the Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a smaller Mega phablet and packs a more modest specs sheet. The LCD screen resolution is jsut qHD and the CPU clock speed has been reduced to 1.4GHz. The high-speed connectivity (LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac) is also gone as well as the NFC and an IR emitter.
Other things that have changed are the size (obviously) - the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 measures 162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0 mm, weighs 182g and has a 2,600 mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy Mega duo will be available worldwide with the rollout starting from Europe and Russia in May. We still have no info on the price.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 packs a 6.3" LCD of 720p resolution and is powered by a an Exynos 5250 chipset with a dual-core Cortex-A15 CPU clocked at 1.7GHz and 1.5GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2 with Sasmung’s TouchWiz modifications like Multi-window (split-screen multitasking) and Air View (detecting your finger an inch from the screen). There's no S Pen though.
The main camera is an 8MP shooter and there’s a 1.9MP front-facing camera. On the connectivity side the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 enjoys LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, NFC and packs an IR emitter so it can work as a remote control. It can also connect to Galaxy S4s and Grands with Group Play.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 next to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note II
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is not a small device, but it's fairly thin measuring 167.6 x 88 x 8.0 mm and weighing 199g. The battery has 3,200mAh capacity. Internal storage is 8GB/16GB and there’s a microSD card slot if you need more.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 sized up against the Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8
The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is a smaller Mega phablet and packs a more modest specs sheet. The LCD screen resolution is jsut qHD and the CPU clock speed has been reduced to 1.4GHz. The high-speed connectivity (LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac) is also gone as well as the NFC and an IR emitter.
Other things that have changed are the size (obviously) - the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 measures 162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0 mm, weighs 182g and has a 2,600 mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy Mega duo will be available worldwide with the rollout starting from Europe and Russia in May. We still have no info on the price.
Samsung Unveils Galaxy Win and Trend II droids for China
China woke up to two new Android phones from Samsung. One is the Galaxy Win that leaked yesterday – a quad-core droid with a 4.7” WVGA screen. It’s a single-SIM phone, unlike the one that leaked. The Samsung Galaxy Trend II, the second new device, does have a dual-SIM version, though.Samsung Galaxy Win
The Samsung Galaxy Win runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, packs a 4.7” TFT screen of WVGA resolution (199ppi pixel density). It has a 5MP camera that shoots D1 video, a 3MP front-facing camera and a microSD card slot. The battery has 2,000mAh capacity.
On the connectivity side, the Galaxy Win offers Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. The phone is 9.7mm thick and weighs 143.9g. It’s preloaded with Samsung’s ChatON but also popular Chinese services Sina Weibo and QQ.
The phone is launching in Asia first and later moving to Europe. The dual-SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy Win is nowhere to be seen right now.
Samsung Galaxy Trend II and Trend II Duos
The Samsung Galaxy Trend II is an Android 4.1 phone with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 4” WVGA screen (233ppi pixel density). It has a 3MP camera that shoots D1 video, a microSD card and 1,500mAh battery. The connectivity covers Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 but no GPS.
The dual-SIM version, the Galaxy Trend II Duos is a hair thicker (11.3mm vs. 11.1mm) and a gram heavier than the single-SIM version (127.6g). Both come with ChatON and China Telecom value-added services.
Samsung Galaxy Big handsets with 5.8" and 6.3" screens to come
Source
Samsung is preparing to introduce a new series of Galaxy devices carrying the Mega moniker, a report by SamMobile suggests.
The information comes from an inside source, who confirmed that two Galaxy Mega smartphones are in the works. The first is codenamed Galaxy Mega 5.8 with a model number GT-I9152. Obviously, we are talking about a handset with 5.8-inch display and the model number pointing to its dual-SIM nature.
More interestingly, the second one is carrying the codename Galaxy Mega 6.3, which hints at a 6.3-inch display - the same as the Galaxy Note III is rumored to pack. However, the model number GT-I9200 doesn't correspond with Samsung Galaxy Note naming convention Nxxxx (Galaxy Note II N7100, Galaxy Note N7000), so it will most likely lack S Pen functionality.
Everything should be revealed once those two phones get out of Samsung's factories. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 should do so around the end of May, start of June (week 22, as per SamMobile), while the Galaxy Mega 6.3 around mid-June (week 25).
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini(rumored) vs Samsung Galaxy S3
With devices like the brand new and cutting-edge
Galaxy S4 and the big, bold and beautiful Galaxy Note 2, Samsung has
the market fairly sewn up. The latest addition to the stable is the Galaxy S4 Mini,
a device which has yet to be officially acknowledged by Samsung, but
whose specification leaked in a major way earlier in the week.
What we want if the Galaxy S4 Mini is a worthwhile investment over 2012's flagship Galaxy S3? The Galaxy S4 Mini – once launched – will be newer but it's not a flagship. The Galaxy S3 was and still is a top tier device and that should, technically, make it a wiser investment.
Perhaps. Lets find out.
Display
The Galaxy S3 sports a fantastic 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen which operates at a resolution of 72x1280 and weighs-in with a pixel density of 306PPI.
The Galaxy S4 Mini has a Super AMOLED screen too, one that only measures 4.3-inches and operates at a resolution of 540x960 and has a pixel density of 256PPI.
It’s plain to see that the Galaxy S3 takes the win in this round with its larger, sharper screen.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, touch-focus and face detection.
We aren’t sure whether the S4 Mini will capture 1080P video, but it’s a safe assumption, and we’re also in the dark about the device’s secondary, front-facing camera, though we know for sure it will have one.
The Galaxy S3 also features an 8-megapixel camera, which has geo-tagging, touch-focus, face & smile detection, image stabilization, simultaneous HD video and still capture and LED flash.
The device also captures 1080P and has a 1.9-megapixel secondary camera, capable of 720P video capture.
We predict that the Galaxy S4 Mini will mirror the S3 for its camera prowess, so we’re calling this one a draw…for now.
Winner – Draw
Power
The Galaxy S3 is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 4412 Quad, which consists of a 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and a Mali-400MP GPU. The device has 1GB RAM and comes with 16, 32 or 64GB storage options, all of which support micro SD cards up to 64GB in capacity.
The Galaxy S4 Mini is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz CPU which could be the new Exynos 5210 chipset based on ARM's big.LITTLE technology. The device will ship with 1GB RAM but its storage options will begin at a lower mark, with 8, 16 and 32GB versions available. It's also said to support micro SD cards, though only up to 32GB capacity.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
Form
The Samsung Galaxy S3 feels well balanced in the hand and comfortable to hold and use, even for extended periods. While not feeling as heavy or premium as other rival devices it's still relatively robust.
The Galaxy S4 Mini will feature the same plastic construction as the Galaxy S3 and the device even looks distinctly similar, with the same curved edges. We expect the S4 Mini to be lightweight and durable, just like every other Samsung Galaxy we’ve seen in the last 3 years.
Move along people, there’s nothing to see here…
Winner – Draw
Value
At the time of writing you can pick up a Samsung Galaxy S3 for around £350 SIM-free, making the device a fair option for anyone looking to grab a premium Android handset without dropping over £500.
The Galaxy S4 Mini will likely be priced at around £299 like its predecessor the S3 Mini, making it a good handset for under £300.
Would we advise you choose the S4 Mini over the S3? At this stage, no. The S3 offers a fair few premium features that you won’t get with the S4 ‘lite’, and we’d expect the RRP for the S3 to drop further once the S4 goes on sale in the next couple of weeks, so you could end up snagging yourself a bargain.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
And the winner is…
Samsung Galaxy S3
The Galaxy S4 Mini is shaping up to be a solid device and if you’re bound fast to a budget you ought to consider it, but if you can stretch to it the Galaxy S3 should still be your go-to device if you’re adamant you don’t want or can’t afford the full-size Galaxy S4.
What we want if the Galaxy S4 Mini is a worthwhile investment over 2012's flagship Galaxy S3? The Galaxy S4 Mini – once launched – will be newer but it's not a flagship. The Galaxy S3 was and still is a top tier device and that should, technically, make it a wiser investment.
Perhaps. Lets find out.
Display
The Galaxy S3 sports a fantastic 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen which operates at a resolution of 72x1280 and weighs-in with a pixel density of 306PPI.The Galaxy S4 Mini has a Super AMOLED screen too, one that only measures 4.3-inches and operates at a resolution of 540x960 and has a pixel density of 256PPI.
It’s plain to see that the Galaxy S3 takes the win in this round with its larger, sharper screen.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini features an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, touch-focus and face detection.
We aren’t sure whether the S4 Mini will capture 1080P video, but it’s a safe assumption, and we’re also in the dark about the device’s secondary, front-facing camera, though we know for sure it will have one.
The Galaxy S3 also features an 8-megapixel camera, which has geo-tagging, touch-focus, face & smile detection, image stabilization, simultaneous HD video and still capture and LED flash.
The device also captures 1080P and has a 1.9-megapixel secondary camera, capable of 720P video capture.
We predict that the Galaxy S4 Mini will mirror the S3 for its camera prowess, so we’re calling this one a draw…for now.
Winner – Draw
Power
The Galaxy S3 is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 4412 Quad, which consists of a 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and a Mali-400MP GPU. The device has 1GB RAM and comes with 16, 32 or 64GB storage options, all of which support micro SD cards up to 64GB in capacity.
The Galaxy S4 Mini is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz CPU which could be the new Exynos 5210 chipset based on ARM's big.LITTLE technology. The device will ship with 1GB RAM but its storage options will begin at a lower mark, with 8, 16 and 32GB versions available. It's also said to support micro SD cards, though only up to 32GB capacity.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
Form
The Samsung Galaxy S3 feels well balanced in the hand and comfortable to hold and use, even for extended periods. While not feeling as heavy or premium as other rival devices it's still relatively robust.
The Galaxy S4 Mini will feature the same plastic construction as the Galaxy S3 and the device even looks distinctly similar, with the same curved edges. We expect the S4 Mini to be lightweight and durable, just like every other Samsung Galaxy we’ve seen in the last 3 years.
Move along people, there’s nothing to see here…
Winner – Draw
Value
At the time of writing you can pick up a Samsung Galaxy S3 for around £350 SIM-free, making the device a fair option for anyone looking to grab a premium Android handset without dropping over £500.
The Galaxy S4 Mini will likely be priced at around £299 like its predecessor the S3 Mini, making it a good handset for under £300.
Would we advise you choose the S4 Mini over the S3? At this stage, no. The S3 offers a fair few premium features that you won’t get with the S4 ‘lite’, and we’d expect the RRP for the S3 to drop further once the S4 goes on sale in the next couple of weeks, so you could end up snagging yourself a bargain.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3
And the winner is…
Samsung Galaxy S3
The Galaxy S4 Mini is shaping up to be a solid device and if you’re bound fast to a budget you ought to consider it, but if you can stretch to it the Galaxy S3 should still be your go-to device if you’re adamant you don’t want or can’t afford the full-size Galaxy S4.
Samsung Galaxy S III global sales reach upto 50 million
Samsung's golden run at the top, started with the Galaxy S smartphone and ever since then, the company hasn't looked back. Samsung's Galaxy S series have been the most popular Android devices in market and the South Korean company has reached another milestone with its third-generation Galaxy S smartphone.
According to JK Shin, Samsung has managed to sell 50 million Galaxy S III units worldwide. Surprisingly, the smartphone is still selling like hot cakes, even though the device it is almost a year old now.
The Samsung chief has also revealed that the company is in the process of merging Bada into Tizen and the first smartphone with the newest operating system will be available in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Samsung's latest flagship smartphone has its work cut out and the fourth-generation of Galaxy S smartphone has a mountain to climb in terms of the sales numbers to beat its predecessor. However, analysts predict the sales of the Galaxy S4 to reach whopping 100 million, so it might just succeed.
Galaxy S IV Reportedly Leaks, Remains Visually Similar To Galaxy S III
The
Samsung Galaxy S IV is being announced later this week at a special
event, but we’ve already seen plenty of leaks regarding the flagship
phone’s hardware, but now there’s a new one (via SammyHub) that claims
to depict the phone in the flesh, giving us an idea of what it could
look like. If these leaks are accurate, the GSIV changes little from the
previous generation and Galaxy Note II designs.
Posted to a Chinese forum, it’s still very possible that these are
images of another yet-to-be released Samsung device, or simply elaborate
fakes, but if that’s what they are, then they’re very well done. The
images show a Samsung-branded phone with a 5-inch display, a metal-look
band surrounding the phone, and what looks like slightly textured front
and back surfaces. The rear is a glossy white, the slab has rounded
rectangular edges, and the screen looks to extend closer to the bezel
than in any previous Samsung handset, meaning it could manage not to
have grown that much in terms of physical size despite the larger
display.The leak fits with reports that the Galaxy S IV will retain its plastic outer case, and agrees with other recent rumors about software and internal specs, since it’s shown to be running Android 4.2.1, has a 1080p displays, runs 2GB of RAM and offers a 13-megapixel camera. The CPU numbering also suggests that it has a Samsung Exynos Octa chip on board as previously reported.
Samsung has been known to epically troll its fans, as it did last year with a disguised version of the Galaxy S III which was covered in an outer case that hid its true design. We could be seeing that sort of thing again, but this leak looks much more convincingly like a shipping device, not encased in any disguise. Regardless of whether it’s the real thing or not, we’ll find out for sure what Samsung’s latest flagship looks like on Thursday.
Get Ready for Galaxy S IV to premiere at Times Square on March 14
It seems though its plans for the announcement are much bigger.
Today Samsung invites all of its social network followers to join the Galaxy S IV premiere in New York. Everyone is invited on March 14, 7PM at Times Square.
The people there will be able the follow the UNPACKED announcement event via a livestream, which, we guess, will be hooked on to some of the big screens, lining the square.
They should also be able to “experience Samsung’s new flagship smartphone at Times Square”, whatever that means.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 announced: it can place calls, launching in Q2
S Pen included
Samsung has packed the 8-inch tablet with a 1,280 x 800 TFT display (189PPI) matching the Note 10.1's resolution, 1.6GHz A9 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 5-megapixel rear-camera, 1.3-megapixel front-camera, HPSA+21, 32GB of internal storage, and 4,600mAh battery. It sits at 210.8mm x 135.9mm, and as you can tell from the press shots, there seems to be a lot of bezel.
Like most of its Galaxy line-up, Samsung has included its S Pen stylus. Samsung says removing the S Pen from the holster on the side of the tablet will launch adapted menus to make browsing easier. Furthermore, a new feature called Air View allows users to hover over the screen to preview videos, emails, and photos without opening the file or application in full.
The S Pen for the Note 8.0 can control the physical menu/back buttons on the device with WACOM technology. Basically, you can use the S Pen to touch the capacitive buttons, which once only responded to a finger's touch.
Taking HTC's approach, there is also an IR Blaster on-board the 8-inch tablet, allowing users to launch Samsung's Smart Remote app and control their TV. A TV Discovery application is also provided for show listings.
Lastly, Samsung has announced a new “reading mode” technology specifically for the Note 8.0 that optimizes eBooks at a resolution so users eyes aren't strained. News/social media app Flipboard will also come preloaded.
The Galaxy Note 8.0 was almost inevitable as Samsung looks to take on the iPad mini, Kindle Fire, and other Android tablets on the market. It's a bit of a cross between the company's Galaxy S III, Note II, and Note 10.1.
Samsung says the Note 8.0 will ship internationally in Q2 with Android 4.2.1, and of course, TouchWiz.
Pocket-lint will be live at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona to bring you the latest from the trade-show floor. We expect to go hands-on with the new Note 8.0 very soon.
Kernel source code for the Jelly Bean update of the Samsung Galaxy S II released
Samsung recently started rolling out the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II to give it the same Nature UX experience as its successor. Now, the Koreans have open sourced the kernel used for the update, which will help developers of custom ROMs.
Samsung has steadily been releasing source codes for the kernels used on its phones (the Galaxy S II ICS kernel was released in March), trying to play nice with the developer community.
Regular users can update their phones though the usual channels – use the Check for updates on the phone or Kies.
ROM devs can head over to opensource.samsung.com to grab the I9100 Galaxy S II kernel for Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (I9100XXLSD firmware).
Samsung I9082 Galaxy Grand preview: First look
Introduction
In a time when 5 inch screens are all the rage, the Galaxy Grand is Samsung's attempt to cater to every possible taste (and budget) when it comes to smartphones. While the Grand doesn't feature the 1080p screen that recent 5" flagships come with, nor the raw horsepower of the Galaxy Note II, it still has sheer size running for it. If you want a big screen at a low price, the Grand is the one to consider.
Samsung I9082 Galaxy Grand official images
Apart from the big display, the Grand does not have much which sets it apart from other midrange Samsung smartphones running the new SoC provided by Broadcom. Like the just-released Galaxy S II Plus, it features 8GB onboard storage and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor of the Cortex-A9 variety. RAM is also the same at 1 GB and the 8MP camera capable of fullHD recording probably uses the very same module. Even the screen resolution is on par with those two, so you can simply think of the Galaxy Grand as an enlarged Galaxy S II Plus.
Samsung Galaxy Grand at a glance
- General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz (SIM 1 only), HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
- Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
- Dimensions: 143.5 x 76.9 x 9.6 mm, 162 g
- Display: 5" 16M-color WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) capacitive touchscreen
- CPU: Dual-core ARM Cortex A9 1.2 GHz processor
- GPU: Broadcomm VideoCore IV
- RAM: 1GB
- OS: Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
- Memory: 8GB storage, microSD card slot
- Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with face detection, touch focus and image stabilization; Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash, front facing camera, video-calls
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0+HS, MHL-enabled standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, USB-on-the-go
- Misc: TouchWiz 5.0 Nature UX, DivX/XviD codec support, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor
The Grand is the only lower-midrange smartphone from a top-tier brand to offer a 5" screen alongside Samsung's very rich software package on Android Jelly Bean. It is, after all, a software experience that has been refined extensively over the past several years by the Koreans, and has played a big part in their current dominance of the smartphone market.
Samsung Galaxy Grand studio shots
Up next, we'll take a look at what sets the Grand apart hardware-wise, and how well the 5" screen handles the limited resolution.
New Nexus 4 ad shows off the Google Now feature
Google has been releasing some great ads for its products in the past couple of years. The ads for the Nexus devices in particular have been very good.
The latest in these series of great ads is this new one for the Nexus 4 that was aired during the Grammys. Although the ad is for the phone, it focuses solely on the Google Now functionality on the device. You basically see people around the world using the feature for things such as checking the weather, train timings, restaurant recommendations, text translation, flight timings, etc.