9 million Samsung Galaxy S III smartphones already pre-ordered

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 172012
 

Samsung Galaxy S IIIThe Samsung Galaxy S III has yet to hit the street but it may already be a major hit for Samsung. Citing an unidentified Samsung official, the Korea Economic Daily reports that Samsung has already received some 9 million pre-orders for its latest Galaxy S flagship.

The report adds that Samsung’s factory is running at full capacity and will make 5 million units per month.

The Samsung Galaxy S III will launch first in Germany on May 29th. It is expected to hit Canada and the U.S. later this summer.

Read more: Reuters

SaskTel to offer HTC One S Roughriders Edition

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 172012
 

We already knew that the HTC One S was headed to SaskTel. Today the carrier announced that it will carry a special edition version, the HTC One S Roughriders Edition. While the specifications will be unchanged, it will add a few extras.

“SaskTel is pleased to offer Saskatchewan Roughrider fans with a tailored HTC One S,” said Stacey Sandison, SaskTel Chief Marketing Officer. “The HTC One S is a high-end smartphone with an amazing camera, stunning design and authentic Universal Beats Audio Sound that will allow Rider fans to snap a picture of their favourite Rider player while shooting HD video at the same time.”

HTC One S Roughriders Edition

The HTC One S Roughrider Edition will include:

  • A free Riders case
  • The official Roughriders mobile app. Featuring a complete league schedule, past game results, statistics, team roster, player info, news, video interviews, game day forecasts and more!
  • A Rider Widget, which shows live scoreboard updates, next game info, and quick access to the Rider app right on your home screen
  • Free Rider ringtones and wallpaper
  • A specially wrapped box with a Riderized graphic and the full Rider schedule

The HTC One S Roughriders Edition will be available starting on May 26th.

Read more: SaskTel (Source: Twitter)

HTC One S now available in Canada

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 172012
 

HTC One SA number of Canadian carriers today launched the HTC One S.

HTC One S specifications:

  • Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core
  • Operating system: Google Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4
  • Cellular connectivity: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band HSPA
  • Other connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA
  • Display: 4.3-inch qHD (540×960)
  • Input: Capacitive touchscreen
  • Memory: 1GB RAM
  • Storage: 16Gb onboard
  • Rear-facing camera: 8MP with LED flash, BSI, f/2.0 lens and 1080p video capture
  • Front-facing camera: 1.3MP (720p for video chat)
  • Connectors: 3.5mm headphone jack, micro-USB 2.0, HDMI
  • Battery: 1,650mAh
  • Dimensions / weight: 130.9 x 65 x 7.8 / 119.5 grams
  • Other: Beats Audio

Pricing by carrier is as follows:

  • Bell: CA$99.95 with a three-year contract or CA$599.95 with no contract
  • Fido: CA$150 with a three-year contract
  • TELUS: CA$99.99 with a three-year contract, CA$469.99 with a two-year contract, CA$519.99 with a one-year contract or CA$569.99 with no contract
  • Virgin Mobile Canada: CA$99.99 with a three-year contract or SuperTab or CA$599.99 with no contract

Read more: Bell, Fido, TELUS and Virgin Mobile Canada

Worldwide mobile phone sales declined in Q1 2012

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 162012
 

Worldwide mobile phone sales topped 419 million in Q1 2012. After 10 consecutive quarters of growth, sales fell 2% from the first quarter of 2011, according to Gartner, Inc. The decline was attributed to lower demand in Asian markets:

“Global sales of mobile devices declined more than expected due to a slowdown in demand from the Asia/Pacific region,” said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. “The first quarter, traditionally the strongest quarter for Asia – which is driven by Chinese New Year, saw a lack of new product launches from leading manufacturers, and users delayed upgrades in the hope of better smartphone deals arriving later in the year.”

Gartner also reduced its overall 2012 market forecast by some 20 million devices. “The lower results in the first quarter of 2012 have led us to be cautious about sales for the remainder of the year,” said Annette Zimmermann, principal research analyst at Gartner.

Echoing earlier findings, Gartner named Samsung the world’s top mobile handset vendor for the quarter and the world’s largest smartphone vendor. Samsung is particularly dominant in Android-based smartphone sales where it took a greater than 40% market share. No other vendor reached more than a 10% share!

Behind Samsung in worldwide mobile device sales are Nokia, Apple, ZTE, and LG. The top ten is completed by Huawei, Research In Motion, Motorola, Sony Mobile Communications, and HTC.

On the operating system front, Android and iOS dominate, accounting for 79% of the market (56.1% for Android and 22.9% for iOS). Holding down third is Symbian with BlackBerry, Bada, and Windows Phone following.

Read more: Gartner

Rumour: Next Apple iPhone to sport 4-inch display

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 162012
 

AppleTwo independent reports are today suggesting that Apple’s next iPhone will sport a display measuring “at least 4 inches diagonally.” Both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters indicate that Apple has placed orders for the larger displays with Asian suppliers. Korea’s LG Display Co Ltd, Sharp Corp and Japan Display Inc. will all reportedly begin production in June so that the new iPhone can begin production in August.

The move is seen as Apple’s response to customers’ increasing demand for larger displays. Apple has only used 3.5-inch displays for its iPhone models while its competitors have move to increasingly larger displays (such as the 4.8-inch one on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III and the 5.3-inch one on the Samsung Galaxy Note).

Rumours of a larger display for the next iPhone have swirled for some time (even suggesting a 4.6-inch display). There have also been contradictory rumours suggesting that Apple would once again go with a 3.5-inch display. Perhaps the rumoured smaller iPhone will use the 3.5-inch display while the iPhone gets the larger display.

It remains to be seen if Apple will unveil its latest iPhone at next month’s WWDC or if it will stick to a fall schedule like last year.

Read more: The Wall Street Journal and Reuters

Nokia Lumia 710 now available from Mobilicity

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 162012
 

Nokia Lumia 710The ‘coming soon’ label today came off the Nokia Lumia 710 at Mobilicity. It is the carrier’s first Windows Phone 7.5 device and promises Windows Phone users the chance to “lower their wireless costs through Mobilicity’s unlimited talk, text and data service.”

Mobilicity is offering the Nokia Lumia 710 for CA$249.99 with no contract.

Mobilicity today also launched a 4-day promotion (May 17th to 20th) offering 50% off all their regular rate plans for new activations. The offer is good for 12 months “while on preauthorized credit.”

Read more: Mobilicity and Mobilicity 4-day promotion

HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE imports delayed by U.S. Customs

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 162012
 

HTCThe launch of the HTC EVO 4G LTE will likely occur later than HTC and Sprint had planned as the smartphone is facing import delays imposed by U.S. Customs. The HTC One X is facing similar delays and will likely become difficult to find at AT&T stores. The holds are due to an unresolved patent infringement issue with Apple. HTC confirmed the delays in a short statement:

The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.

In December, the ITC ruled in favour of Apple for one patent infringement and imposed an importation ban on some of HTC’s devices. The ban took take effect on April 19th. At the time, HTC described the ’647 patent as “a small UI experience” and planned to remove it from all phones.

It is likely that HTC will try to stay the ban as part of an appeal. For now, it remains unclear if and when U.S. Customs will allow imports of these devices to resume.

Read more: The Verge

Rumour: Future Nexus devices to come from multiple manufacturers

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 152012
 

Google AndroidThere could be a lot more Nexus devices in Android’s future, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Whereas there was a single Nexus device per Android major release in the past (2009′s Nexus One, 2010′s Nexus S and 2011′s Galaxy Nexus), Google could allow multiple manufacturers to offer Nexus devices with the next major version (Jelly Bean). It could work with up to five manufacturers to create a portfolio of Nexus smartphones and tablets.

These manufacturers will gain early access to new releases of Android in preparation for the launch of these Nexus devices. Each would also be able to have up to a dozen employees work at Google’s headquarters work directly with Google’s own programmers.

The move would allow Google to give Motorola (which it is in the process of acquiring) the chance to develop its own Nexus devices without the risk of upsetting its Android partners. Motorola could not be seen as getting any special favour from Google with such an arrangement.

The report adds that Google is hoping to have its new portfolio of Nexus devices ready for sale by Thanksgiving. The plan is to sell them unlocked presumably at full retail price, much as Google recently started doing with the Galaxy Nexus. The hardware section of the Google Play store will also expand to cover not only in the U.S. but Europe and Asia as well. Canada was not mentioned unfortunately.

Selling its devices directly will also allow Google to circumvent carriers and the limitations that they can impose. For example, Verizon Wireless’s version of the Galaxy Nexus does not come with Google Wallet.

Past rumours have linked Samsung, HTC and LG to wanting to build the next Nexus device. Perhaps they will all get the chance to do so now.

Read more: The Wall Street Journal

HTC announces HTC Desire C

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 152012
 

HTC Desire CHTC formally announced the HTC Desire C today, a day after it was accidentally revealed by Vodafone Portugal. As expected, it is an entry-level smartphone running Android 4.0 and aimed at those getting their “first smartphone or for those upgrading from an existing one.”

HTC Desire C specifications:

  • Processor: 600MHz Qualcomm
  • Operating system: Google Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0
  • Cellular connectivity: GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSPA/WCDMA
  • Other connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (carrier-dependent)
  • Display: 3.5-inch HVGA (320×480)
  • Input: Capacitive touchscreen
  • Memory: 512MB RAM
  • Storage: 4GB onboard and microSD cards
  • Rear-facing camera: 5MP
  • Front-facing camera: None
  • Connectors: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, micro-USB 2.0 port
  • Battery: 1,230mAh
  • Dimensions / weight: 107.2 x 60.6 x 11.95 millimeters / 98 grams
  • Colours: Red, white and black
  • Other: Beats Audio, 25GB of DropBox storage

A variant which adds NFC will also be available. Carriers will choose which version they will offer.

The HTC Desire C will be available starting in June. Among the first countries to launch it will be the UK where it will sell for £169.99 with no contract. There is no word yet on Canadian or U.S. availability.

Read more: HTC UK

ASUS planning PadFone 2 with 4G LTE connectivity

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 152012
 

The ASUS PadFone has yet to be released (despite being announced not just once but twice) but that has not stopped ASUS from planning a follow-up. The PadFone, billed as a 3-in-1 device, allows you to dock a 4.3-inch smartphone into a PadFone Station to transform it into a 10.1-inch tablet. Mention of a PadFone 2 turned up on a slide during an ASUS employee strategy debriefing.

ASUS Padfone 2 coming soon?

Little is known about this second version but it should be quite similar but add 4G LTE connectivity.

There is no word yet on availability and pricing of the ASUS PadFone 2.

Read more: Android Tablet Blog (Source: Phandroid)

Vidéotron launches Samsung Galaxy Q

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 152012
 

Samsung Galaxy QVidéotron is the latest Canadian carrier to launch the Samsung Galaxy Q, an entry level smartphone with slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

With the Samsung Galaxy Q, users can stay connected with friends and family in the blink of an eye. The 3.2” touchscreen makes for user-friendly navigation and with the Social Hub you can see all your contacts from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace at a glance. Users in a rush can use the convenient sliding keyboard to respond to friends that much faster.

Samsung Galaxy Q specifications:

  • Operating system: Google Android 2.3
  • Cellular connectivity: GSM / UMTS AWS
  • Other connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
  • Display: 3.2-inch HVGA (320×480)
  • Input: Slide out QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen
  • Storage: 4GB onboard and microSD cards up to 32GB
  • Rear-facing camera: 3.2MP with LED flash
  • Front-facing camera: None
  • Battery: 1,500mAh
  • Dimensions / weight: 113.9 x 58.7 x 13.9 millimeters / 135 grams

The Samsung Galaxy Q will be available from Vidéotron as of May 16th for at CA$39.95 with “a 36-month economic inducement.”

Read more: Vidéotron

Vodafone accidentally reveals HTC Desire C

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 142012
 

Vodafone Portugal has accidentally revealed the upomcing HTC Desire C. The unannounced smartphone appears in its May catalog with press shots and specifications. Codenamed Golf during development, the leaked specifications indicate that it will be an entry-level Android 4.0 smartphone.

Rumoured HTC Desire C

The Vodafone catalog reveals the following specifications:

  • Processor: 600MHz single-core
  • Operating system: Google Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0
  • Cellular connectivity: Listed as 3.5G (HSPA?)
  • Other connectivity: A-GPS, Wi-Fi
  • Display: 3.5-inch HVGA
  • Input: Capacitive touchscreen
  • Storage: 4GB onboard
  • Rear-facing camera: 5MP
  • Front-facing camera: None
  • Other: Beats Audio

The HTC Desire C has been the topic of leaks a couple of times. A leaked press shot was followed earlier this month by some actual device pictures.

The HTC Desire C has yet to be formally announced but its inclusion in the May issue suggests that this will happen quite soon.

Read more: GSMArena

New Sony Xperia device drops liquid energy logo?

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 132012
 

Another Sony Xperia smartphone has apparently leaked. While there is little information about the device, it reveals one interesting fact. A picture of the back of it shows no Sony Ericsson liquid energy logo ball. If so, it could be the first Sony Xperia device not to have the logo associated with the former Sony-Ericsson partnership.

Sony Xperia smartphone with no liquid energy logo

The picture also reveals capacitive buttons below the display rather than the in-display ones of the just released Sony Xperia GX and Xperia SX.

I wondered during our Sony Xperia S unboxing how much longer Sony would keep the Sony Ericsson logo. It appears that its end could be near.

Read more: Xperia Blog

Apple’s Siri names Nokia Lumia 900 “best cell phone ever”

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 122012
 

Apple’s Siri has weighed into the best cell phone debate and its answer might surprise you. Asked “What’s the best cell phone ever?” Siri did not name the iPhone 4S or any of the previous models. Instead, it named the Nokia Lumia 900 in Cyan.

Apple Siri weighs in on best smartphone

Siri’s answer actually comes from the Wolfram Alpha analytical engine. It will return the same answer when prompted with the same question.

Definitely a fun trick to show your iPhone friends!

Read more: WMPowerUser

Samsung announces the Windows Phone Samsung Omnia M

 Posted by  No Responses »
May 122012
 

Samsung Omnia MOnly days after the launch of the LTE-enabled Samsung Focus 2 for AT&T, Samsung has announced the Samsung Omnia M (model: GT-I8350), another Windows Phone-powered smartphone. According to JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division:

“Mobile consumers increasingly carry and share a large part of their lives through their phones. They are looking for phones that combine individual style with the ability to consume and share all kinds of content across their ever-growing social networks. The Omnia M meets all these demands, with the enhanced performance and social options afforded by Windows Phone and Samsung services.”

Samsung Omnia M specifications:

  • Processor: 1GHz single-core
  • Operating system: Windows Phone 7.5
  • Cellular connectivity: GSM/HSPA
  • Other connectivity: A-GPS, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
  • Display: 4.0-inch Super AMOLED
  • Input: Capacitive touchscreen
  • Memory: 384MB RAM
  • Storage: 4GB onboard
  • Rear-facing camera: 5MP AF with flash
  • Front-facing camera: VGA
  • Connectors: micro-USB 2.0
  • Battery: 1,500mAh
  • Dimensions / weight: 121.6 x 64.1 x 10.5 millimeters / 119 grams

The Samsung Omnia M will initially launch in Europe. Other regions will follow later. More precise availability and pricing details are not yet available.

Read more: Samsung

Page 1 of 70 1 2 3 … 69 70