Samsung Captivate on AT&T gets Android 2.2, all that Froyo hasn’t melted yet (update: it’s gone!)

Samsung Captivate on AT&T gets Android 2.2, all that Froyo hasn't melted yetIt took about two months for Samsung to roll out the much-needed GPS fix for the Captivate, and now, a mere seven months after Google pulled a handle on the machine and twirled up a big cone of Froyo, that phone is finally getting a spoonful. Samsung has released an Android 2.2 update and the full instructions plus the download are on the other end of the source link below. Hopefully it isn’t too frostbitten after all this time.

Update: Well now, we’ve just received a flurry of tips indicating that it’s been pulled and, indeed, the page on the other end of the source link is now gone. We’ll try to figure out what went wrong here.

[Thanks, Andy]

Samsung Captivate on AT&T gets Android 2.2, all that Froyo hasn’t melted yet (update: it’s gone!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung  | Email this | Comments

LG Optimus 3D’s OMAP 4 benchmarked, pulls ahead of Exynos and Tegra 2

Which dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 system-on-a-chip rules the roost? It’s probably too early to tell, but if you’re looking for a preliminary verdict, AnandTech has benchmarked all three of them now. Texas Instruments’ OMAP 4430, NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 and Samsung’s Exynos 4210 went head to head in a gauntlet of browser and graphical benchmarks, and it looks like the LG Optimus 3D’s OMAP 4 came out on top, boasting minor but significant improvements practically across the board. Good news for the BlackBerry PlayBook, no? Oh, and if you’re wondering why the iPhone 4 and Atrix 4G fall behind their older brethren in the image above, remember that they both have to render images at a higher screen resolution. More graphs at our source link below.

LG Optimus 3D’s OMAP 4 benchmarked, pulls ahead of Exynos and Tegra 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments

Samsung 9 Series laptops to include 11.6-inch model?

Samsung managed to impress us back at CES with its ultrathin 9 Series laptop but, as far as we knew at the time, the company was only planning to produce a 13.3-inch version of it. If a listing from online retailer Provantange is any indication though, it looks like there could also be a 11.6-inch model in the pipeline. While there’s no indication of a release date, the specs do seem to suggest that this is something more than a typo, as they include in a Core i3 processor instead of the i5 on the 13-incher, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, and the same 1,366 x 768 resolution as its larger counterpart but a lower 340 nits brightness. As you can see above, it also lists a price of just under $1,200, which would place it about $400 less than the 13.3-inch model.

[Thanks, Vikram]

Samsung 9 Series laptops to include 11.6-inch model? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceProvantage  | Email this | Comments

Nexus S suffering from random data loss, reboots? (updated: fixes coming!)

Nexus S suffering from random data loss, reboots?

Lots of people have lots of problems with lots of things, but to say that we’ve been getting lots of complaints about Nexus S issues would be an understatement. Hundreds have chimed in on the Google Mobile Help forum indicating that their handsets are frequently losing data signal and, once lost, a reboot is required to reconnect. It’s been said this could be related to an issue that’s been around since 2009 (issue 2845), but a new issue in the Android bug tracker has been created, 14672, which specifically deals with the Nexus S. You might want to star ’em both if you’re affected — or feeling charitable. Finally, and perhaps even more troubling, is the phone rebooting. By itself. In the middle of a call. You can imagine how this might be a little annoying. That issue is number 13674 and it’s linked down there too.

Update: Huzzah! Just got a note from Google saying: “All of the issues described in the post are resolved and will be fixed with an OTA that will go out soon.” Feel free to start mashing that “system updates” menu item.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nexus S suffering from random data loss, reboots? (updated: fixes coming!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIssue 14672, Issue 13674, Issue 2845  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit, and mini gather for a mega hands-on

You didn’t think Samsung just brought its new high-end Galaxy S II to Barcelona, did you? Nope, it also packed a few of those new budget Android 2.2 smartphones — the Galaxy Gio, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Ace, and Galaxy mini — in its luggage. We’re aware that’s a lot of Galaxy, but there are, of course, a couple of key features that differentiate the low-end phones. Hit the break for our short impressions of the four and a brief video of our favorite.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit, and mini gather for a mega hands-on

Samsung Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit, and mini gather for a mega hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Vodafone UK lands Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 exclusive launch

We reported yesterday that Vodafone customers would be the first to get their hands on the lightweight 10.1-inch tablet, and now we’re getting word via Twitter that Vodafone UK will carry the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 exclusively in Britain, at least to start. Thus far, that’s all she wrote — Vodafone’s tweet ends with “More info Coming soon!” but they’ve yet to follow up. So there’s still no confirmation of a solid release date — we’ve heard March for Asia and Europe — or pricing, and Americans eagerly awaiting the tablet’s Stateside debut have been left out in the cold, but at least our British friends will know where to go when the slim slate makes it to market.

[Thanks, Chris W.]

Vodafone UK lands Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 exclusive launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVodafone UK  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy S 4G pegged for February 23rd launch at $150

Liked that Galaxy S 4G we just showed you chowing down on tapas out in Barcelona? Well, take heart, T-Mobile subscribers: your Vibrant replacement with HSPA+ support and video calling capability has just been assigned a February 23rd release date for $149.99 on contract. We’ve known for some time that it’d be released in February, granted, but look at it this way: they’re pushing it out a full five days before they’d absolutely have to in order to stay true to their word. If you’re feeling tempted, given Sammy’s track record, just be sure you’re comfortable with the idea that you might be on Froyo for a while.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S 4G pegged for February 23rd launch at $150

Samsung Galaxy S 4G pegged for February 23rd launch at $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceT-Mobile  | Email this | Comments

LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon

We’ve just swooped our way through the Fulton Innovation stand here at MWC and found, sat next to the familiar light-up cereal box, a peculiar version of the Verizon LTE network-riding LG Revolution. Thicker than its CES-announced counterpart (by only 1.5mm, if the Fulton reps are to be believed), this Revolution features a Qi wireless charging-compatible back, which happens to go very nicely with a Verizon-branded inductive charging station. You can scope those out in the gallery below. We’re told the back cover that makes this possible will be available as an accessory in the next 30 to 60 days, but the excitement for us was in hearing that Samsung also has an unannounced handset that will feature a similar add-on, which will be landing in the same timespan. While at the stand, we were also shown the back cover of an HTC Thunderbolt — we weren’t told the Thunderbolt will be making like the Revolution and getting its own chunky wireless charging adapter, but don’t be surprised if it does.

Continue reading LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon

LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Apple said to be in talks with Samsung to buy $7.8 billion worth of components

It’s not clear if it’s related to that mysterious $3.9 billion “strategic investment” or not, but it looks like Apple could be about to throw some serious cash in Samsung’s direction. According to a report published in the Korea Economic Daily, Apple is expected to purchase some $7.8 billion worth of components from Samsung this year, including displays, applications processors, and NAND flash chips — all intended for use in iPhones and iPads. As the paper notes, Apple would become Samsung’s single biggest customer if the deal goes through, although the two obviously aren’t strangers to massive deals — Apple has already famously run Samsung’s flash memory supplies dry a few times.

Apple said to be in talks with Samsung to buy $7.8 billion worth of components originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G hands-on

What do you get when you gently massage HSPA+ support and a front-facing camera for video calling into a Vibrant’s backside using technology, science, and a selection of essential oils? Well, you get a Galaxy S 4G — and in the case of Samsung’s US-focused event this evening here at MWC, you get a Galaxy S 4G on orange crushed velvet. The phone feels exactly like a Vibrant — thin, but still almost ridiculously light for its size — and looks exactly the same from the front. Like a mullet, though, it’s the back where the Galaxy S 4G starts to party: T-Mobile’s switched up the cheap-looking gloss black plastic on the Vibrant for a trick gray optical effect battery cover that seems to shimmer as you move it around. Definitely a step up, and it’ll let the T-Mobile enthusiasts around you know that you mean business. Follow the break for our quick hands-on video!

Continue reading T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G hands-on

T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments