Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon teased on Monday that black and brown models of Samsung’s Galaxy S III would be coming soon, but mum was the word on exactly how quickly that would be. Turns out, it was real fast. The pair of smartphones are now available at the carrier’s online storefront with a $199.99 price tag for those who don’t mind a two-year commitment with Big Red. If the new shades strike your fancy, hit the source link below to give one (or two) of the devices a new home.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon

Verizon Galaxy S III now available in black and brown originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 03:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When word first started trickling out that Samsung planned to make a mini version of the Galaxy S III, it had the air of plausibility — we’ve heard from many a person about the too-large size of that phone for their hands. Then, a press invitation confirmed that “something small” was in the works, and finally mobile chief JK Shin confirmed that a smartphone of that name would be announced today in Frankfurt, Germany.

Now Samsung’s spilled all the beans, and revealed the new Galaxy S III mini, a slightly paler version of its bigger brother in specs as well as screen size. Our own short time with the phone certainly revealed that its pushing all the same “inspired by nature” buttons of the original Galaxy S III (and the Galaxy Note II), with the same exact rounded pebble shape and layout. The German marketing rep we spoke to said his company’s research found that users wanted the same phone design as the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III, but in a smaller form factor — to more easily fit smaller hands and pockets. Samsung said those folks don’t necessarily need or want the most powerful phone they can get their hands on and are content to have mid-level specs — so the mini carries a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, a 4-inch, WVGA AMOLED screen and 32GB max of memory.

It remains to be seen if those specs will dilute the Galaxy S brand, but in any event, we found the phone certainly doesn’t cramp our regular-sized hands like its older brother can (let alone the Note II), and the comfortable shape of the original works even better in a mini size. The button placement is identical to the larger handset, and the phone will come out of the box with nearly identical Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean functionality — with the added Samsung TouchWiz twist, of course. That includes new niceties like the multi-screen option, and a brief play with the phone shows the same butter factor, even with the lesser dual-core processor. So might this mini-me Galaxy S III model sway you over to the Samsung Galaxy family if you disdain the giant screen of its predecessor? Check out the gallery below to see how the size compares with the rest of the family, and a hands-on video and interview with Samsung Germany rep Mario Winter, both after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III mini pops up, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S III mini pops up, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was pretty much inevitable, and true to its promise, Samsung has announced the availability of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III. Now before you get too excited, it appears that the upgrade applies only to the SHW-M440S variant, which is specific to Samsung’s home turf in South Korea. Nonetheless, if the translation is correct, the new Jelly Bean release is said to bring usability improvements to the home screen, along with the ability to pause movies during recording and a smart rotation feature to the camera. Samsung’s Kies software is specifically mentioned in the announcement post, although it looks as if an over-the-air install may be possible as well. Hopefully this news is a sign that certification for the global model and its domestic counterparts is just around the corner.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung announces Android 4.1 availability for Galaxy S III in South Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It looks like Samsung is making good on its promise to produce a 64GB Galaxy S III in the second half of the year, but it’s going to be a lottery on if you can get one. Rather than releasing the handset worldwide, it’s picking and choosing the regions which will get the benefit of the capaciously endowed smartphone. A listing has appeared on Italian retailer ePrice, with the 64GB unit setting users back €800 ($1,040). The company’s confirmed that the listing is legitimate, but also that its UK and US divisions haven’t announced plans to bring it to the UK or US — so perhaps it’s time to claim Italian citizenship if you’re desperate for that much storage.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

64GB Samsung Galaxy S III appears on Italian retailer’s website, marks the start of a selective rollout originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you didn’t get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, FCC Chairman Genachowski weighed in on what must be done to keep the spectrum crunch from becoming a crisis, pricing leaked for the Motorola RAZR HD LTE at Rogers and Japan got a version of the Xperia V to call its own. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of October 1st, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of October 1st, 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, Sony

Mobile Miscellany: week of October 1st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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