Hasta La Gadget!

While white seems to have been the color of choice for most official demos of the HTC Magic, there’s also a black version headed to Vodafone (and other carriers, eventually), and the folks at Netbooknews.de got their hands on one of those once mythical handsets for a video unboxing. As you can see above (and in the video after the break), the packaging is a pretty sparse affair, as are the bundled accessories, which includes only a USB cable, a power adapter, a basic wired headset, and a case that apparently “feels a little cheap.” And, if by some chance you still haven’t seen the Magic in action, you can get a glimpse of that in the video as well.

[Via Android Community]

Continue reading Vodafone’s HTC Magic gets unboxed on video

Filed under: Cellphones

Vodafone’s HTC Magic gets unboxed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Released into the developer wilds yesterday, Cupcake (Android 1.5) is already making its video debut on an Android Dev Phone. Arsen goes through some of the main new features including the camcorder (with YouTube sharing feature), new on-screen keyboard required for Android devices like the HTC Magic and Samsung I7500, and enhanced Web browser. 3GP videos captured by the G1 were a bit choppy with dropped frames and weak audio but on par with what we’d expect. The on-sceen keyboard and enhanced browser fared far better with Google providing real-time suggestions during URL lookups and the browser itself feeling a bit snappier when zooming and scrolling. All-in-all the latest build seems more stable than previous iterations and leaves us itching for the May release. See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Video: Android 1.5 ‘Cupcake’ on-screen keyboard and camcorder action

Filed under: Cellphones

Video: Android 1.5 ‘Cupcake’ on-screen keyboard and camcorder action originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The I7500 is Samsung's first Android phone

Nearly six months after the first Google Android mobile operating system powered device made its debut, a second Android phone has been announced.

Samsung showed off an Android-based mobile device, the I7500.  The I7500, Samsung’s first Android phone, features a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen (ctive matrix organic light emitting diode screen known for its luminosity and lower power consumption), 7.2Mbps HSDPA and WiFi connectivity.  The device will also have a 5-megapixel camera, full keyboard and 8 GB of internal memory.

“Samsung seems to have put everything it could have into that phone,” says Brad Akyuz, senior analyst for mobile devices at research firm Current Analysis. “From Android’s perspective it is a major win to get a vendor like that behind it.”

Despite its big launch last year, Android has been in danger of losing its momentum. In the last few months several major handset makers have claimed they have Android devices in the works, but phones running the OS have been largely missing at wireless industry conferences.  Now Samung and HTC are the only two to have an Android phone in the market though analysts expect to see three more models in the market. The majority of  Android phones are expected to be available in 2010.

Meanwhile, with the I7500 release Samsung could help shine the spotlight again on Android. “Despite all the hype around Android so far we just have the G1, which is not as revolutionary as the Apple iPhone,” says Akyuz. “Samsung’s commitment with a high end device is a major step forward for the platform.”

Similar to the HTC T-Mobile G1 Android phone, the Samsung I7500 will include easy access to Google’s services such as search, maps, YouTube and email.

The Samsung I7500 is scheduled to be available in some European countries starting June.  For the U.S. market, Samsung will have to find a U.S. telecom carrier–T-Mobile or Sprint– to back the device, which it is yet to do.

As for success among consumers who do buy the I7500, much will depend on how well Samsung has been able to customize Android, says Akyuz. “It is going to all come down to usability,” he says.

See also:
Smartphone War Heats Up, Google Phones Still MIA

Photo: Samsung

Frankly, if we were forced to choose between smudgy and blurry, we’d take the former each day of the week. Russia’s own Mobile-Review has somehow already managed to wrap its paws around one of the newly released Android-based I7500s, and while it’s not really a drastic departure from Sammy’s other smartphones of late, it’s still worth a peek if you’re suddenly in the market for one. Check the read link for the goods.

[Via ForoAndroid]

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung’s Android-powered I7500 caught in smudgy Russian wilds originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anticipated for months, Samsung’s first Android phone is finally a (paper) reality after being flushed through the rumor mill just hours ago. Launching “in major European countries from June,” the 11.9-mm slim quad-band GSM, tri-band 7.2Mbps HSDPA (900/1700/2100MHz) candybar packs a 3.2-inch, 320 x 480 pixel AMOLED touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, 5 megapixel camera with Power LED, 1,500mAh battery, 8GB of storage (plus MicroSD expansion for up to 32GB more), and a standard 3.5mm heasdset jack. Step aside HTC, you had your chance, let’s all welcome Samsung to the Android party. Another picture and full press release after the break.

P.S. Although no US announcements have been made, that 1700MHz HSPA frequency could make T-Mobile USA customers very happy.

Continue reading Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android, dreams

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android, dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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