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.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Anticipation, thy name is Galaxy S II. Or is it Galaxy S 2 Attain? Perhaps it’s Galaxy S 2 Function or Within, it all depends on what carrier you prefer, really. You see, the sleuths at Pocketnow have unearthed a silicone case for sale that lists those three names as the particular branding Samsung’s new flagship smartphone will enjoy with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, respectively. That, combined with earlier trademark filings by Sammy asking for Galaxy Attain, Function and Within registrations, would lead us to believe that we are indeed looking at the final product monikers. T-Mobile is notably missing from the list, but we suspect that may be because its variant of the Galaxy S II is materially different in design to the original GSII. The good news for everyone else is that the same silicone case will be interchangeable among AT&T, Verizon and Sprint devices, leaving very little room for those guys to screw things up.

Samsung Galaxy S II US carrier names revealed: AT&T Attain, Verizon Function, and Sprint Within originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocketnow (1), (2)  |  Wireless Xcessories Group  | Email this | Comments

The biggest problem facing mankind? No, not really. But when the alien robot sentinels do eventually descend upon our puny green planet, you’ll be happy to know that your Galaxy S II smartphone will be able to get a GPS lock reliably and accurately. Samsung’s brand new flagship phone has unsurprisingly fixed whatever ailed the original Galaxy S in the satellite communications department and we’ve got the evidence for you just after the break. So click your clicking device on the clickable bit to see it.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II GPS — it works, it really works! (video)

Samsung Galaxy S II GPS — it works, it really works! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone: in the latest chapter of the Apple-Samsung dispute over their smartphones’ resemblance, the latter company has just retaliated by filing lawsuits against Apple in three countries. Sammy’s load of ammo includes five patent infringements in South Korea, two in Japan, and three in Germany, though we’ve yet to hear more details about these claims. Now we just sit back and enjoy the show — popcorn, anyone?

[Thanks, Jake L.]

Update: Reuters has shed some light on the actual patents Samsung is alleging are being infringed. The news organization reports they relate to “power reduction during data transmission, 3G technology for reducing errors during data transmission, and wireless data communication technology.”

Samsung strikes back at Apple with ten patent infringement claims originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Samsung  | Email this | Comments