Hasta La Gadget!

Of the seemingly countless variants of the Galaxy S that Samsung’s in the process of deploying around the globe, one stands out in a couple very unique (and important) ways: Sprint’s Epic 4G. The Epic hangs on to a couple of the Galaxy line’s most important characteristics — namely the 1GHz Hummingbird processor and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display — but adds in a sliding landscape QWERTY keyboard, support for the wickedly fast WiMAX network that Sprint shares with partner Clearwire, and a handful of other notable one-off customizations.

We’ve already taken a look at two of the other US-bound Galaxy S models — AT&T’s Captivate and T-Mobile’s Vibrant — but it shouldn’t take more than a quick glance at the Epic to tell you that this is a very, very different beast. Becoming just the second WiMAX phone released in the States (and the first with a physical keyboard), this is a pretty critical release for Sprint at a time when its subscriber count is just starting to pick up after several quarters of decline — and making things even more interesting is the fact that Sprint’s first WiMAX handset — HTC’s EVO 4G — is simply one of the best phones we’ve ever reviewed. In other words, yeah, you could say that the Epic’s got a lot to live up to. Is it up to the task? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Epic 4G review

Epic 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AGPS capability on various versions of the Galaxy S — including the Captivate and Vibrant released here in the US — has been deeply hosed since launch, the apparent result of a bunk positioning server being used to associate towers to geographical locations. In practical terms, that’s made apps like Google Maps nearly useless indoors and in urban canyons where line of sight to the birds up in orbit is dicey or impossible, and for European users where the phone’s been out even longer, the wait’s been an especially excruciating one. Fortunately, Samsung’s finally come out with some concrete details on Twitter today, saying that updates are expected next month with “details and download to follow.” No word for Euros specifically, but we imagine (er, make that “hope”) they’ll all be fixed around the same time.

Samsung commits to September updates for Galaxy S GPS woes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Features are important, but accessories are uber-important when smartphone shopping. Samsung Galaxy X owners: the accessories are here.

The desktop and vehicle dock (shown above) mounts the phone for easy viewing and access. With the phone in the desktop dock, you can watch videos, listen to music, and use it as a speakerphone for conference calls. The vehicle dock mounts to either the windshield or the dashboard to display GPS instructions, latest traffic alerts, and location-based information. Internet search is available using Google Search by voice. The dock also contains a microUSB connection to keep the Galaxy X charged.

There is also a DNLA compliant TV adapter that will allow the smartphone to stream directly to your HDTV. Supporting a wide range of video, music and image formats, the adapter supports resolutions up to 1280×720 and a frame rate of 30fps. It also has a microSDHC slot and WiFi (b/g/n) with WEP encryption,

All this is nice, but what smartphone owners love are their bumpers and protective products. Samsung will offer protective cases in a variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics. Screen protectors include anti-scratch, mirror, and privacy screens.

An extended battery, a carrying case, and extra charger (for your office or keep in your bag) are also available.

The desk dock is priced at $39.99 and the battery charger is $49.99.The screens and gel cases are $29.99. Everything is available through Samsung online.

Most high-profile smartphones launch exclusively on one of the major carriers in the U.S. The Samsung Galaxy S, though, will come to market via all of them under different names, different industrial designs, and, in one case, with different input options. And yet, its screen’s quality and size – big but not too big – will certainly make it a contender at all of them.

But the handset will encounter anything but a level playing field in its respective portfolios. The Galaxy S will provide a good lab in which to study how much motivation to push a high-end portfolio device counts versus the muscle of having the largest subscriber bases but stronger handset competition. With the Galaxy S’s lack of exclusivity already dampening some carrier enthusiasm for promoting it heavily, it appears as though the handset’s impact goes down as the number of carrier subscribers goes up. Let’s look at the universe of Galaxy S distribution.

Continue reading Switched On: The Galaxy S paradox

Switched On: The Galaxy S paradox originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On August 20th, at 4:30PM Eastern Standard Time, Samsung will show off the Epic 4G smartphone on their television support website. Why is this of interest to you? Simply because the last two times the company did such a thing — for the Vibrant and Captivate, respectively — these infomercials all but coincided with the phones’ planned release date. We wouldn’t go around making any wagers if we were you, but if someone asks you when we might see a Galaxy S with a physical keyboard, you’ll be able to make a ballpark estimate instead of pulling numbers out of your hat. Don’t know what we’re on about? Read our full preview of the Hummingbird-laden device.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Samsung TV schedule points to Epic 4G in August? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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