Hasta La Gadget!

So, Samsung missed that mid-May target date for the Galaxy S Gingerbread update… after already aborting an earlier push to Google’s latest and greatest in mid-April. But, time for some cautious optimism — it appears that Android 2.3 is finally here for Sammy’s carrier-agnostic former flagship. A reader from the UK wrote in to let us know that he fired up Kies today and voilà — firmware version 2.3.3. He was even kind enough to send us the photo above. We’re not sure when to expect this as an OTA update here in the States, but we’d venture to guess it’ll be soon.

[Thanks, Lee]

Update: Sammy actually started the Galaxy S Gingerbread update on time earlier this month, but it seems our tipster simply wasn’t among the first to get in on the Android updating action.

Galaxy S Gingerbread update lands in the UK, better late than never (updated: it wasn’t late) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, sure — Samsung’s Galaxy S II should be hitting American airwaves quicker than you can say “Where’d my weekend go?,” but we’re living in the here and now, aren’t we? Now that you’ve survived whatever scare was scheduled for today, it’s time to get back to what matters most: answering fictional questions. This week’s episode of HWYC involves the T-Mobile variant of Samsung’s heralded Galaxy S. Yeah, this one’s been around the block on other carriers before, but that makes our prodding all the more pertinent. If you had the power to overhaul T-Mob’s Galaxy S 4G, would you? And if so, how? Upgrade the battery? Change the construction material? Toss a fresher copy of Android on there? Feel free to let us know in comments below — you’ve managed to live another day. Won’t you do something worthwhile?

How would you change Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 May 2011 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's iPad (left) next to Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Apple and Samsung this week won awards for display technologies on their mobile devices.

Apple’s iPhone and iPad earned gold Display of the Year and Display Application of the Year awards from the Society for Information Display. Both devices received praise for their usage of in-plane switching technology, in which crystal molecules are oriented so their motion is parallel to the panel, instead of perpendicular to it. The result is a very wide viewing angle — up to 180 degrees — with brilliant color.

Apple’s iPhone 4 high pixel-density “Retina Display” is reportedly manufactured by LG Displays, which is also the main supplier for the iPad’s display.

Meanwhile, Samsung earned silver awards for displays on its Galaxy S smartphones, as well as its on-cell touch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display technology. Samsung’s displays gained applause for using Super AMOLED technology, in which pixels emit their own light so the display does not require backlighting, to “deliver very high performance and exceptional display quality,” according to the society.

Also, Samsung’s on-cell touch technology integrates the touch sensor into the display itself, rather than putting the sensor on a separate piece of glass and laminating it on the display, which allows the display to be thinner and more responsive, the society said.

“[The award winners] demonstrate the remarkable contributions made by the display industry to broaden and enhance the lives of people,” said Bob Melcher, chairman of the SID Display of the Year Awards committee, in a press statement.

Display technologies take on an increasingly important role in the gadget industry as the newest mobile devices continue to shed physical keyboards and buttons in favor of touchscreens. Today, a smartphone’s display is as important as the software that runs beneath it.

Many display experts agree that Apple’s gadgets lead the game in the display industry thanks to their usage of in-plane switching, but Samsung’s AMOLED displays are not far from catching up.

“While OLED is still a relatively young display technology that has not yet been perfected to the performance levels of the very best mature LCDs [such as those on the iPhone and iPad], the Galaxy S is already an impressive display for an upcoming and rapidly evolving technology,” said Raymond Soneira, a display expert at DisplayMate, who has done independent testing on various displays.

See Also:

• Apple’s 27-inch LED Display Now on Sale
• Apple iPad’s Display Is More Like a TV Than a Laptop
• Samsung Demos Retina-Resolution Tablet Display

After encountering a little hitch with its mid-April Gingerbread delivery, Samsung is now ready to boot up Kies for another try. The company has this morning released word that it intends to update its entire Galaxy S family line, starting with models in the UK and Nordic countries from the middle of this month. The rest of the globe, including North America, will follow suit “according to the regional plan.” Also benefiting from a Gingerbread upgrade will be the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which already got a taste of Android 2.3 in Italy, and the company’s bevy of budget Galaxy devices, the Ace, Gio, Fit and mini. Read the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May

Official: Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab getting Gingerbread update in mid-May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you don’t already know all about the Samsung Galaxy S II, where have you been the past two months? The successor to one of the most popular Android handsets to date carries a burden of expectation almost as sizable as its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen. It promises to be thinner, lighter, and faster than the Galaxy S that preceded it, while garnishing Android 2.3.3 with a set of TouchWiz customizations that might actually enhance, rather than hinder, the user experience. As such, the Galaxy S II earns Samsung full marks for ambition, but does this slinky new smartphone live up to its interstellar hype? The answer, as always, can be found after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II review

Samsung Galaxy S II review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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