Hasta La Gadget!

This week the folks at Samsung have revealed that they’ll be delivering their newest Galaxy smartphone in the USA with a vanilla (read: untouched) Android experience straight from Google. The device you’re seeing here is the Samsung Galaxy Discover and, though it’s not 100% stock Android as a real Google Nexus smartphone would be, it’s pretty darn close. This device works with a single-core 800Mhz Qualcomm processor, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

This device will not be delivered with the newest version of Android, nor will it be winning any “best of 2013″ awards – not a chance. What it will do is deliver to two networks a unique Android experience otherwise reserved for much higher-end devices. Both Net10 and Straight Talk will be getting the Galaxy Discover this year for their own limited mobile networks.

This device will be working with a tiny 2.7GB internal memory and a microSD card slot that’ll support up to 32GB cards – time to expand. Inside you’ll find a removable 1300mAh battery that, with a display this small, will without a doubt be giving you at least a full day’s charge. This smartphone also comes with a 3 megapixel camera on its back, wi-fi connectivity, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Also interesting is the styling this machine is working with – rather Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note-like. With the Galaxy Discover you certainly will be getting a tiny relative of the higher-end lineup. This device does not yet have a final release date or a price, but you can bet it’ll be soon – and for cheap!

[via Samsung; via Sammy Hub]

Samsung Galaxy Discover revealed with vanilla Android is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It would appear that the Samsung brand push of the name “Galaxy” associated with their Android-toting smartphones and tablets is working so extremely well that this week the hardware name has become more popular than the software. Having a peek at the findings analyst Benedict Evans has found with a few search term trends in Google’s own search engine, it’s made clear that as the Android search term has risen, so has the term Galaxy. In November of 2012 it’s shown that Galaxy was searched more than Android for the first time either term was relevant in search terms across Google’s history.

It’s important to note that the term “galaxy” does benefit in some way from the fact that it’s a non-brand word as well as a brand, but so too is the word “android.” It’s also clear that the term “galaxy” has risen along essentially the same path as “Samsung Galaxy” and right along with “android”, making non-brand searches essentially irrelevant. The eclipse (however small it may be) shows that Samsung is making a massive impact on the way people see the smartphone universe.

Below we’ve gone ahead and added the term “Droid” to the mix here instead of Evans’ chart’s term search with “iPhone”. What you’re going to see is that Verizon and Motorola’s push to turn the Android universe into a DROID brand association has been far, far less successful in the long run. Back Before 2011 rolled around, the term “DROID” was just as popular and at several points more popular than Galaxy. After July of 2010, DROID was never again as popular a search term as Galaxy.

View this information set in Google Trends now!

This sort of analysis is far from perfect, of course, and really only measures how often the average citizen looks up a term they’re interested in. That does translate quite well to the power of the brand when it comes down to it, of course, this shown in recent earnings reports from Samsung, Motorola, and Google. The big G recently purchased Motorola outright and is being tipped at the moment as working to create a new “X Phone” device to pump up the Android brand as well as the perceived power of the Motorola manufacturing process.

Now we’ve only to see how well Google is at branding Motorola and bringing Android along for the ride – soon and very soon!

Watch out Google: Samsung’s Galaxy brand has eclipsed Android is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Back on November 8, Samsung announced that its Galaxy Express handset was heading for AT&T, and now a couple months later, the handset is officially available. Except for a minor hardware tweak, it looks like the same device that was announced last year, complete with nice specs and what has become Samsung‘s signature smartphone style. You can check out its pictures and specs after the jump.

The 4G LTE Galaxy Express offers a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with WVGA resolution. There’s a 5-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash and auto focus as well as a 1.3-megapixel front camera. The dual-core processor is slightly less powerful than what was originally announced at 1.2GHz. There’s 1GB of RAM, as well as 8GB of internal storage space.

For those who need more storage space, there’s also a microSD expansion slot that supports up to 32GB. The battery is mid-range at 2,000mAh, offering decent battery life. There’s the typical accelerometer and gyro, as well as a digital compass. GPS includes both Glonass and A-GPS, while connectivity encompasses Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, MHL, and NFC. Likewise, there’s a USB 2.0 port.

As far as software goes, the Galaxy Express runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and offers Samsung TouchWiz, Kies, Hub, ChatOn, and AllShare Play. There’s S Beam, as well as several pre-loaded Google apps, including Talk, Navigation, Places, Gmail, and Maps, among others. Overall, the specs point towards a solid mid-range handset added to Samsung’s growing catalog of smartphones.

[via Samsung Mobile Press]

Samsung releases the 4.5-inch Galaxy Express smartphone is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Just last week we saw a leak of Samsung’s newest rugged smartphone, the Galaxy Xcover 2. Aside from a blurry photo and a few details, we didn’t really know much about the new device. However, Samsung has made it official today. The Galaxy Xcover 2 is the company’s latest phone meant for adventurers and outdoorsmen/women of all kinds.

Samsung says the new device is dust and sand proof, and you can even dunk it in water for up to thirty minutes, thanks to its IP67 certification. There’s even a dedicated camera button and a wrist strap so that you can take photos underwater. The phone has a tight seal all around, including a battery cover lock to give the device add protection.

The Xcover 2 has a 4-inch WVGA 800×480 display, which may not seem like a fantastic option, but we’re guessing that those who pick up this phone for their hiking trips may not care too much about the quality of the display. Speaking of hiking, the new device has enhanced GPS ＋ GLONASS capability that enhances satellite detection by up to 20% to make sure you never get lost in the middle of nowhere.

The phone has a 5MP rear camera and VGA-quality front-facing camera. Of course, if you’re out hiking and want to capture some beautiful shots of the scenery, you may be better off with a dedicated shooter, but the Xcover 2 will certainly work in a pinch. Other than that, the phone has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage (with microSD slot), Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean running the show. No word on pricing or availability just yet

[via Android Community]

Samsung announces Galaxy Xcover 2 for the outdoorsy types is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rumors are swirling about Samsung‘s upcoming flagship device, and while it will no doubt come with improved specs with a possible launch date sometime this spring, exact details are still scarce. However, it’s said that Samsung will hold a press event on March 22 to show off the Galaxy S IV, and will release the new phone to the public sometime in April.

The rumored April launch goes right along with a couple of other rumors that we’ve heard in the past, but the March 22 announcement date is new. According to the Asia Economic News, Samsung will host its own press event in the US to unveil the Galaxy S IV on March 22. Some previous rumors pointed to a possible announcement at Mobile World Congress in February, but a lone press event seems more the company’s speed.

According to SamMobile, the company has changed the project codename of the Galaxy S IV from Project J to Project Altius, and the Korean-based company plans to start shipping the new phone starting on April 15. The Galaxy S IV also looks to be taking a page from Apple’s book and is said to arrive in two colors: black or white.

SamMobile also says that the Galaxy S IV will, indeed, have wireless charging capabilities. Samsung will sell a separate dock and back cover for the device, and will make the wireless charging kit available a couple of weeks after the phone’s launch. The battery inside of the Galaxy S IV is said to be packing 2600mAh of juice. To compare, the Galaxy S III uses a 2100mAh battery.

[via SamMobile]

Samsung Galaxy S IV announcement rumored for March 22 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.