Samsung Galaxy S hits 5 million sales

Samsung's high-end, Android-powered line of smartphones has now reached total sales of over 5 million, just a little over a month after announcing the 1 million sales milestone.

It's a blistering rate of sales that's almost unheard of in the mobile phone industry, which for the first time is beginning to focus on individual devices rather than service providers.

n fact, Galaxy S removes the provider from the equation entirely. Samsung has made the platform available on every carrier, though in varied formats.

Galaxy S phones include the Captivate on AT&T, the Vibrant on T-Mobile, the Fascinate on Verizon, and the Epic 4G on Sprint. The latter is the second phone to make use of Sprint's 4G network.

Galaxy S phones have gained appeal for their high-end specs, Super AMOLED screens, and customized Samsung/Android interface
. Samsung is the most prolific manufacturer of Android handsets though it has yet to create one single device that can take on the Droid.

Samsung's Galaxy S phones are all poised to receive the new version of Android, known as Froyo, but so far neither Samsung nor any of the phones' mobile providers has commented on when that will happen. Every other high-profile Android device has already received the upgrade, king of leaving Galaxy S in the dark.

Samsung remains the world's second most popular cell phone maker but until now it sat in that position because of its sheer volume of different devices available. Now it's finally taking a different approach as it focuses on creating a brand presence for specific phones. The company hopes to sell 25 million smartphones in total for the entire year of 2010.

Via : tgdaily

Samsung Galaxy Tab Launching on Sprint November 14 for $399?

Though Samsung hosted a recent coming-out event for the Samsung Galaxy Tab in New York City, carrier release dates and pricing have yet to be revealed. Enter a new report from BGR citing a Sprint source that claims the Tab should be landing on that network around November 14th at a price of $399 on a two-year contract. Off contract? $599. Not an abhorrent price by any means, but we were almost expecting the on-contract price to be a bit lower.

For that price would you be swayed to get the Galaxy Tab? Or would you prefer to hold off for something better?

Via : phandroid

Tech Review: Samsung Galaxy Tablet

While out gallivanting around the city, I happened upon the Samsung Store in the Columbus Circle Shopping center. I figured I’d test my luck to see if they had a Galaxy Tablet Review Unit that I could get my nubs on to try out. Sure enough, the little guy was on the first table as you enter the store. As I played around with it I noticed a few major things.

First, it really is quite light. According to specs it’s supposed to be around 1.5 lbs and it feels it. It was well put together and definitely felt like a grown person’s toy. The size is controversial but I suppose it all depends on what one would use it for. At 7″, it does what it does quite well. The screen is crisp and clear and it wouldn’t take up much space in a briefcase or small bag. However, rumors of the ability to lug this thing around without a case of some sort is a gross exaggeration. I doubt anyone would carry this thing in their back pocket or the inside of a jacket. 1.5lbs is light, but not that light!

Next, I noticed an older app that I used to have on my G1 called Bubble Blast. I figured I’d open it up to see what it looks like on a 7″ screen. The answer is… terrible. Functionality-wise, it works as you would expect, but you can also tell not much work was done to optimize the game for the tablet space. The reason I point this out is because I am quite sure there will be a lot of apps in this same boat so there will be some wait until Android 3.o comes out and developers are able to get their android apps to a tablet friendly place.

Lastly, flash is working – not magnificently, but working. Checked some flash heavy-sites and the browser chugged its way through. I was impressed, but thought that it could be done better. I only expect the mobile flash experience to get better, especially after Steve Jobs’ public lambasting of adobe. Hopefully those who decide to spend the 600 bucks or so for this bad-boy when it comes to US Carriers will be able to wait for the software updates that will make the Galaxy Tablet browsing experience a bit better.

Below are the Galaxy Tablet Specs:

• 3G/Wifi/Bluetooth 3.0 Version
• Android 2.2
• 7hrs of Movie Viewing (4,000 mAh battery)
• 1.0GHz processor
• 7.0″ Capacitive Display
• Front facing Camera with 3.0 MP rear facing camera for video conferencing
• Plays HD Video
• Access to Samsung “Media Hub”
• Coming to ATT,Tmobile,Sprint, and Verizon

More @ newsone

Hands On: Skype for Android

A decent Skype client is finally available for Android devices, but there's work to be done.

Skype has had a love/hate relationship with mobile devices over the last few years, such as the rise of crippled Skype Lite clients and restrictions on 3G functionality. Things seemed particularly grim when Skype ditched its Windows Mobile client which, at the time, was the only Skype Mobile client that offered access to all of Skype’s features over wifi and mobile broadband.

Skype’s efforts for Nokia devices saw things start to turn around, yet the early Skype for iPhone client was pretty disappointing. Of course most of the issues were due to Apple’s limitations on the device. As Apple relaxed restrictions on multi-tasking and mobile broadband functionality, Skype responded with a respectable app for iOS4.0 which scores ticks in plenty of boxes.

With the iPhone sorted, Skype’s developers have turned their attention back to Android - releasing a promising Skype app for devices running Android 2.1 or higher (a limitation which unfortunately leaves a lot of Android owners in the lurch because telcos are so slow to release official Android updates for their devices). Even then it’s only officially supported for the HTC Desire, HTC Legend, Google Nexus One, Motorola Milestone XT720 and Motorola Milestone - with issues reported with the Samsung Galaxy S. The app requires a 480x320 resolution display and reportedly doesn’t work on small screen Android devices such as the HTC Wildfire. I haven’t had a chance to test this first hand, but it doesn’t surprise me - it’s exactly the reason why I’d be very reluctant to buy one of the growing number of tiny Android phones with a lowly 240x320 display.

More @ smh

Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 starts shipping its outdated self around the world

We're not going to make any apologies. So long as Sony Ericsson continues to pretend like Android 2.x doesn't exist and keeps kicking out new devices running Android 1.6, we'll keep docking it points like the meanest of Russian judges. The 3-inch X8 is set to be Sony Ericsson's most affordable Android handset -- we were told it'll cost south of $300 unlocked -- to date, but then you get your money's worth with a 600MHz processing core and a 3.2 megapixel fixed focus camera. Oh, even better news is that the X8 will get updated to Android 2.1 "a little later" than SE's X10 line. If you want to avoid all this Android upgrade drama (and save a few more pennies), Sony Ericsson is also starting to ship out its no-frills Cedar candybar as well -- perfect if you just want your phone to act like a phone and little more.

Via : engadget, Sony Ericsson Product Blog

Nintendo 3DS will have shorter battery life than DS

Who'd have thought that adding extra grunt under the hood, a glasses-free 3D display up top, a wireless "tag mode," and automatic wireless updates to the 3DS would serve to degrade battery life? Certainly not our naive souls.

The same Q&A that informed us about Nintendo's Spot Pass plans for the 3DS has been found to also contain some commentary on battery endurance from Satoru Iwata himself. The company chief says "it is inevitable that Nintendo 3DS will be a device which requires more frequent recharging than Nintendo DS" and notes that as a major reason why a charging cradle will be bundled into the new console's retail package.

With tongue firmly wedged in cheek, Iwata suggests that perhaps Nintendo ought to advise users to deposit the 3DS into its cradle as soon as they get home, but the overall point is as clear as it is obvious: your more powerful handheld will require more power.

Via : engadget, Joystiq, Nintendo

MeeGo smartphones wont ship until 2011

Intel has said that there will be no MeeGo powered smartphone in 2011 despite earlier statements that the dual Nokia and Intel developed OS was on track.

Earlier this week yet another Nokia management departure was announced, this time Ari Jaaksi who is understood to have responsibility for the firm's upcoming MeeGo powered smartphones.

Nokia had initially planned MeeGo devices to appear before the end of the year but they were conspicuously abscent from the firm's Nokia World show held in September in London.

Intel is hoping that the OS based on Linux will entice handset manufacturers to turn back to Intel chips rather than follow the persistent trend towards system-on-chips based on ARM processors cores.

Intel told Forbes that the company is pleased with the progress and had been "hitting our dates." Intel said that the firm's application developer program had resulted in more than 1,000 MeeGo applications and the company is hard at work getting tools to developers to port their apps quickly from other platforms.

Via : pcr-online

Cowon X7 debuts in home market of Korea with 4.3-inch screen

What was merely an indistinct outline in August is today a bona fide retail product. Cowon has made its X7 PMP official over in South Korea, letting us take a gander at the spec sheet if not necessarily buy one just yet.

A 4.3-inch touchscreen takes center stage, backed by up to 160GB of hard drive storage and a battery rated to last for 103 hours of music or 10 hours of video playback. An FM radio tuner, built-in speaker, and Bluetooth chip fill out the "retro modern" body, while the software front reveals DivX-encoded video compatibility and a smattering of your usual note-taking and utility apps.

The standard 160GB model is going on sale for 339,000 KRW ($304), or if you're a globetrotter and need a set of preinstalled dictionaries, it'll set you back 379,000 KRW ($340). There's no word on US availability just yet, but this thing didn't go through the chore of getting certified with the FCC for nothing.

Via : engadget, Cowon, Akihabara News