August 31, 2012

IFA 2012: The Samsung Galaxy Note II - Samsung's most powerful device to date and its first Android Jelly Bean device


After all the rumors and leaks, finally the Samsung Galaxy Note II is official. Well, what can I say? I have never really liked the Note (except for the Galaxy Note 10.1). Like the Windows Phone 8 powered ATIV S, the Note II also follows the SGS III deign aesthetics. No word yet on pricing but Samsung is preparing to launch the device starting in October in major markets in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This is an apparent upgrade or the official successor to the Galaxy Note and expect its specs to more beefier. For the record, this is Samsung's most powerful device to date since it sports Sammy's most powerful chipset ever, the Exynos 4412 Quad. To top all the goodies up, this is Samsung's first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device.

IFA 2012: HTC announces the HTC Desire X


HTC is not letting Samsung or even Sony get all the spotlight in Berlin. The Taiwan-based phone maker has announced the HTC Desire X at IFA 2012. The Desire line of smartphones from HTC was once their flagship Android smartphones but now, it ain't. The Desire X is said to be a mid-end smartphone. Probably this comes after the HTC One X. HTC will be launching the smartphone in September at selected markets for a price that will apparently vary in every market. 

IFA 2012: HP announces the Envy X2 hybrid Windows 8 tablet


Can I say that HP is back? I am a bit surprised with this announcement, honestly, but I will and I know everybody will take this. HP, at IFA 2012 in Berlin. This is the HP Envy X2, a Windows 8 running device that is a hybrid between a laptop and a tablet. HP is scheduled to launch the Envy X2 in the US for the Holidays and says that "pricing will be available at a later date".  I don't have the full list of the device's specs. HP did not disclose them. I suggest you head over to Endgadget and check out the specs of this device. Below are some photos of the Envy X2. Head over here to read on HP's full presser.

August 30, 2012

IFA 2012: Samsung ATIV S Windows Phone 8


Aside from announcing Samsung's first Windows 8 tablet, the Korean company also announced their first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Samsung ATIV S. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is probably the world's first announced Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Apparently, this will be Samsung's flagship Windows Phone device which, I should say follows the design aesthetics of the Galaxy S III. Anyway, like the ATIV Tab, there is now word yet on when the device make it through to store shelves and how much it is priced. Just savor the specs after the break. 

IFA 2012: Samsung unveils their first Windows 8 tablet the Samsung ATIV Tab


At IFA 2012, Samsung joined the ranks of other phone makers like Sony Mobile Communications in unveiling a slew of devices. Let's first stop by their Windows 8 offering. Dubbed as the Samsung ATIV Tab, this is Samsung's first Windows 8 tablet and is probably the world's first (correct me if I am wrong). Anyway, Samsung in their official press release made effort in explaining where the naming "ATIV" comes from. Well, according to Samsung, ATIV is the reverse of the Latin word VITA which means "Life". Well, they can't use Vita can they? That name is probably already owned by Sony with their PSP Vita. Anyway, Samsung did not mention anything about when the device will become available nor the price, so we will just have to wait for that information. For now, go after the break to check the device's specs.


IFA 2012: Sony announces the Sony Xperia Tablet S


Aside from announcing three new Xperia smartphones at IFA 2012 in Berlin, Sony also announced one tablet device at the show. The name is not new for those who loves to follow tech news its the Sony Xperia Tablet S but its not entirely a re-announcement, that'd be stupid. This is more of an upgrade and a bit of polishing the design here and there. Apparently, it follows, as far as design goes, the aesthetics of the first Xperia Tablet S. The device runs on Android 4.0 ICS and sports an nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Sony is marketing the tablet as a perfect companion for the Xperia T that they also announced, together with the Xperia V and Xperia J. With regards to when the tablet is scheduled to be launched in September starting at $399.

Opera 12.02 released


Opera has released a new version of their browser. Opera 12.02 is a stability and security release and Opera recommends that all of you out there, including me, who has Opera to upgrade to the latest version. According to Opera, the focus on this update is on stability and crash fixes and some bug fixes here and there. To update your Operas simply click through the Opera button > Help > Check for updates. You can also download Opera 12.02 via the official download page.


Archos announces a gaming tablet dubbed as the GamePad


Archos the company that almost always spits out the most affordable Android devices for the market has officially unveiled a game-centered Android tablet called the Archos GamePad. The photo of the device speaks for itself right? It has dedicated gaming buttons here and there to really put your games in the center of it all without taking the tablet feature of it all. The device runs on Android 4.0 ICS and packs a 7" touchscreen display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with a matching quad-core Mali 400 GPU, and an 8GB of internal storage. According to UV, the device is scheduled to be available in the UK by October for €149.

IFA 2012: Sony Xperia T


The last and definitely not the least of the three, Sony has unveiled which is probably their next flagship Android device, the Sony Xperia T. By the way, before I continue on savoring the beauty and power of this smartphone, let me just point it out that all of the latest Xperias to come out, the Xperia J, Xperia V, and this kind of looks the same and follows the design aesthetics of one of the most beautiful smartphone ever created, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Arc S.

IFA 2012: Sony Xperia J


I should have posted about this first rather than the Xperia V but anyway, the second smarphone from Sony is the Sony Xperia J. The Xperia J is the smallest of the three Xperia devices that the Japan-based company have announced in Berlin. It might be the smallest but don't be fooled by the size, this device still packs a punch. Like the Xperia V, the J runs on Android 4.0 ICS and is scheduled to be launched in the 4th quarter of 2012. Well, since this smartphone is the smallest and I believe will be priced as the cheapest of these three, the specs of this device, albeit packs a punch, still goes with it's size and it's price (assuming that this will be the cheapest). Anyway, head after the break to check out the Xperia J's specs.


IFA 2012: Sony Xperia V


So, IFA 2012 has started and Sony is the first company, I believe, to have made first blood in the smartphone world. First on the list of devices they have altogether announced in Berlin is the Sony Xperia V. Its an Android smartphone with LTE 4G connectivity plus add in the water resistant feature to it, and it's a bomb. The Xperia V will be launched globally in the 4th quarter of 2012. As for pricing though, I think we need to wait for the official launching of the device, that time when it will be sold to customers. Anyway, for the specs, head after the break.


August 29, 2012

LG announces the LG Optimus L9


LG, after announcing to the world the LG Optimus G, announces another pretty and sexy Android device. Dubbed as the LG Optimus 9, this Android running smartphone is not only sexy in terms of design but also with it's UI overlay. Well, I based that on the photo above. Anyway, LG in its presser did not mention anything about the price nor its launching date. Anyway, head after the break to check out the device's specs.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi getting Android 4.0 ICS update


Another Samsung Android tablet gets a treat as the Galaxy Tab 8.9 have already started getting its fair share of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update today. According to Android Community's report, the update seems to be available both via OTA and via Kies. If you want to pull the update by not connecting your tablet to a computer then simply tap through Settings > About device > Software update. 

Samsung unveils new colors of the Galaxy S III


After a successful launching of Samsung's third flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III officially gets 4 new colors you can choose from aside from the two existing white and blue. The new colors are said to be colors found in nature, apparently, continuing their campaign for the device that it is inspired by nature. Anyway, the first color you see up there is the Sapphire Black.

Samsung unveils the crystal-studded Galaxy S II


Samsung has unveiled a limited edition Swarovski crystal-studded Galaxy S II. The SGS II gets exactly 129 of these pretty little shiny things at its rear plus a poshed up battery cover to match everything up. According to SammyHub, Samsung will be showcasing the said edition of the SGS II at IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany. No word yet on how much and how many of these SGS IIs Samsung will produce. No word too on which markets will get the device. Anyway, we just have to wait for those details as soon as Samsung reveals them.

Firefox 15 released! Promises lesser RAM usage & Firefox for Android Tablets updated


Mozilla, maker of Firefox, has officially released Firefox 15 for Windows, Mac, and the Linux platforms. The browser is released to bring in a major tweak on how it uses RAM. As Firefox said, the 15th major version of the browser is here to lessen RAM usage from the previous version. This improvement ultimately results in a much smoother and a more responsive browser. Firefox for Android Tablets also got an update today. The update is brought to Android tablets so that the Firefox browser will be at par with Firefox for Android smartphones.

August 28, 2012

LG Optimus G announced


LG has officially unveiled a new Optimus device. Dubbed as the Optimus G, this smartphone is high-end. You can tell that by simply checking its specs. The Optimus G runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and features an HD display, a quad-core processor and a 2GB RAM. Now that's what you call specs. The device is launched first in South Korea and will subsequently be launched in other markets after that. Anyway, head after the break to check the specs of this device.


IND: The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 available in India for 39,900 Rs.


In the Indian market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or called there as the Note 800 was made available for 39,900 Rs. The price, according to some reports are a bit high but Samsung probably is trying to put value into that price with features that we all know the Galaxy Note 10.1 has. For those who are in India, you should already have seen the device in stores around the country. You can check out the Galaxy Note 10.1's specs here.

August 25, 2012

HTC One S starts getting the Android 4.0 ICS update in Europe


Owners of the HTC One S in Germany and in The Netherlands have reported that they were already getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on their smartphones. The update is said to be administered over the air so your devices should notify you of any updates and if you get it download it and install. Other customers in other markets should be getting it anytime soon.

Sony announces the Android 4.0 ICS update to 2011 Xperia devices

These 2011 Xperia smartphones are basically those smartphone that was made and launched when the company was still named Sony Ericsson, hence the logo. Anyway, this is good news for those of you who own a 2011 Xperia device because the company that took over the previous mobile phone maker brand, Sony, has announced that they will be pushing the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to those devices. Some of the 2011 Xperias have already started receiving the said version of Android. Sony probably wanted to just reassure their customers that all of their 2011 Xperias will be getting the update.

August 22, 2012

USA: Verizon Droid 4's Android 4.0 ICS update rolls out


Verizon's Droid 4 has already started receiving its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Like any other Verizon update, the Droid 4's update is administered via OTA. For those who still does not have the update you might want to check it manually by tapping through Settings > About Phone > System Updates. Well, this was reported by owners getting the update. It probably is now available. Cheers!

USA: Android 4.0 ICS update for the Motorola Xyboard starts rolling out


In the US, the Motorola XyBoard 8.2 and 10.1 have already started getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update and that is via OTA. The update was said to have been released back in August 20th so this post is a bit late but I am assuming not all of you knew about it. Anyway, your XyBoards should be notifying you about it. For more information about the update and what to expect from it, head over at Motorola's Support Site.

UK: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 now available for £399.99


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is now available in the UK! CarPhone Warehouse was selling the device back in August 21st, a day earlier than what Clove UK first announced. Today, though the device can be bought both at Clove UK and at CarPhone Warehouse. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is available at CarPhone Warehouse retail stores and also, online. Clove UK, too who is pricing the device at £402.00 (VAT inclusive) for the 16GB WiFI-only variant. 

August 20, 2012

Samsung announces the Galaxy S Duos - dual SIM Android smartphone

Samsung added a new Galaxy device into their every growing Android smartphone portfolio. The Korean-giant announced the Samsung Galaxy S Duos, an Android device that can support two SIM cards. The design and the phone itself looks like an enlarged version of the Galaxy Ace 2, isn't it? Anyway, the device is scheduled to be launched in Europe starting in September and should be rolled out in other territories.

LG announces global launching of the Optimus Vu with nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core CPU


LG has already launched and sold their Galaxy Note counterpart in South Korea and in Japan. According to their press release, the device will be launched globally following a successful launching of the device in the said markets. The international (global) version of the device is a bit different than what the Korean phone maker released in their home turf and in Japan. This version will be sporting an nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, all other things constant. The phoneblet is scheduled to be launched in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and in Latin America starting in September. Check out the updated specs of the Optimus Vu and the press release after the break

USA: Asus rolls out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to the Asus Transformer Pad TF300


Asus North America has announced via their Facebook Page, that they have already started rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the Transformer Pad TF300 (Pad 300). Asus is still the company to beat when it comes to updates and bringing the latest version of Android into their devices. This tablet, is probably the first tablet to get Jelly Bean. Of course, aside from the Nexus Tablet. 

Sony Mobile silently announces the Sony Xperia SL successor of the Xperia S


Sony has, undoubtedly, announced, silently, the successor to the Xperia S. The device is up in the phone maker's website with a sign that says coming soon. Well, that could mean that Sony Mobile could officially unveil this smartphone to the public once it becomes available. Design-wise, I think there is no difference between the SL and the S. Specs-wise, you can do the comparison by clicking on that link above (Xperia S) and by heading after the break to check out the Xperia SL's specs. One thing is sure though, the SL runs on Android 4.0 ICS straight from the box.

UK: Huawei Ascend P1 now available for £370.80


The Huawei Ascend P1 is now available in the UK courtesy of Clove. The popular retailer is pricing the device at £370.80 (VAT inclusive). If you remember, the Ascend P1 was first unveiled back at CES 2012 and took the crown for being the thinnest smartphone from the Motorola RAZR. Anyway, the device is now available over at Clove UK for the said price. Of course, that's unlocked. The Ascend P1 was available for pre-order for quite a time now and finally it arrives in the UK. For those of you who has been waiting for this news to come, head over to Clove UK and get yourself an Ascend P1.

August 17, 2012

UK: The Acer Liquid Glow now available in the UK for £147.99


The Acer Liquid Glow Android smartphone is now available in the UK for £147.99. This is thanks to Expansys UK who is selling the device for that price and in white or black. The Liquid Glow, to remind you, was announced during MWC 2012 and from then on, we never heard about it until now. I still do not have any idea what the smartphone packs, aside from those few specs I got from Acer so if you go ahead over the break, the specs are there. 

USA: Verizon announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with 4G LTE for $349.99


It is not only the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that is getting all the limelight in the US these days because Verizon has officially launched the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with 4G LTE connectivity. According to the carrier's press release, it will be available in August 17th in the US for $349.99 and that comes with 8GB of internal storage and up to 64GB of external storage via a microSD card. The device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU. Head over the break to check out the full press release from Verizon.

USA: Samsung officially announces the Galaxy Note 10.1 in the US and is now available starting at $499




Samsung has officially announced during their August 15th event the Galaxy Note 10.1 in the US market. The tablet is available starting August 16th with an SRP starting at $499 for the 16GB variant. The device is launched  in the US via official retail stores nationwide. These retailers are Best Buy, Amazon, Tiger Direct, HH Gregg, CDW, BrandSmart, Conn's and Fry's. It will be available in either in its white or dark grey livery. I will be listing the device's specs after the break, like what I have said in a previous post, the Galaxy Note 10.1 had some adjustments in its innards.

August 14, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (WiFi Only) Android 4.0 ICS update starts rolling out


Samsung's first 10.1-incher tablet, has, according to reports from owners, receiving its fair share of some Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates. Apparently, this update is being pushed to the WiFi Only variant of the device. With that said, the update will be administered not via OTA but via Samsung Kies. For those who owns the Galaxy Tab 10.1 all over the world, it is a good time to check out if you already have the update.

USA: Sprint to launch the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE in August 19 for $199.99 now available for pre-order


This is quick! The recently announced, Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE smartphone will be launched in August 19th. Sprint has also started getting pre-orders of the device. For those who wants to pre-order Sprint's first 4G LTE device with a QWERTY keyboard then head over here to pre-order it online. Sprint is offfering it for $199.99 with a 2-year contract. Sounds a pretty good deal, for me, considering that this Android 4.0 ICS running smartphone packs a punch.

August 9, 2012

Samsung officially announces that the Galaxy Note 10.1 will start shipping globally in August


Announced back at MWC 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is an extension of the Note category of devices from Samsung and another one is, I believe, coming soon. Anyway, it is only today that Samsung has officially said that the device is coming. Well, for those who waited for it to become available, should not be angry why it did not launch ASAP because Samsung has added tons of new things into the device! You can check out some of its cool features from a video I will be embedding after the break. But before that, there is one thing that Samsung changed with the hardware of the device. Instead of putting 1GB RAM, the Galaxy Note 10.1 will now come with 2GB of it. Probably to compensate for the new things and stuff (via software) they have added into it. Anyway, the device will come with a WiFi-only and a 3G version this August. The WiFi + 4G LTE version will come later this year. According to Samsung too, the device is available in Korea, the UK, Germany, and the USA while it is gradually being rolled out in other markets.

Android 4.0 ICS update for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Android Community has reported that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has started getting the Android 4.0 ICS update in the UK and in Italy. The same techblog also reported and confirmed that the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus joins in the bandwagon and also gets the said update. The 10.1 and the 7.0 Plus WiFi only versions are the ones that are getting the update, so far. For those who owns the tablet, you may want to check if you already have the update. You can do that by connecting your devices into a computer with Samsung Kies running. Cheers!


USA: Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G Touch Android 4.0 ICS update rolls out


Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G Touch's (the carrier's SGS II) Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update has started rolling out. The update is being administered OTA so notifications should be out, if you still do not have the update. I am not sure about this but I think this is the first SGS II in the US that gets the said version of Android, right? Anyway, cheers to those who owns an Epic 4G Touch! The update will push your devices to Android 4.0.4, to be very specific. 

USA: Verizon started rolling out the HTC Rezound's Android 4.0 ICS update


HTC Rezound finally gets its fair share of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich fun. Verizon, has started rolling out the OTA update to the smartphones and it comes at 299MB. So, for those who owns a Verizon HTC Rezound, you should probably get notifications about the update. This is a late post, so most if not all should have the update already! For more information about this, you can head over to Verizon's Support Site for instructions and the stuff that this update has.

Google releases Chrome 21 - brings more security and bug fixes than UI changes and features


Google has officially released Chrome 21, to be more exact that's Chrome version 21.0.1180.75. Apparently, this is a major update, from Chrome 20 to 21. But the latest version does not really give us that usual UI changes and new features like major updates do bring. This version brings in more security and bug fixes which, I think, is worth the update. For more information about the version, head over here. To update your Chromes, click through Settings > About Google Chrome > and wait for it to download and install the update. You do not need to do this if you have Google Chrome to update automatically. You can also download this version of Chrome from its official download page.

The BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE officially announced - Finally!


After like a year, the BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE is finally officially announced! This is probably the latest that a tablet device got a 4G LTE version after it's WiFi-only version was announced. Anyway, in August 9th, the tablet should be available in Canada over at some carriers there. For other markets outside Canada, RIM is saying that it should be available "in the coming months". For pricing, RIM went silent over it or did I miss it? Head after the break to check out the device's specs.


August 3, 2012

Samsung in August 29 will unveil the next Galaxy device - Galaxy Note 2?


In Berlin, Germany, during the IFA 2012, Samsung will be unveiling their next Galaxy device in their Unpacked event. The date is set for August 29th and we know that when its a Samsung Unpacked event there is something huge coming. So which huge device will be unveiled? The successor to the Galaxy Note, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, has been doing the rounds at the rumor-mill for quite a time now and this device is what I think Sammy will showcase during this event.

USA: Sprint rolls out HTC Evo 3D Android 4.0 ICS update


Sprint has officially started rolling out the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update to its HTC Evo 3D devices. Ownsers of the device should be able to get notifications about a new software update available for their smartphones. Apparently, the update is administered OTA so you don't need to hook your HTCs into a computer. For more information about the update of the HTC Evo 3D head over to Sprint's Support Site.

USA: Motorola and US Cellular announced the Electrify 2 and Defy XT


Motorola and US Cellular have announced two Android smartphones apparently heading to the regional carrier. The Motorola Electyrify 2, the one in the photo above, is the successor of US Cellular's original Electrify. If you remember, the Electrify was US Cellular's rebranded version of Sprint's Photon 4G. The Electrify 2 on the other hand looks like a Motorola RAZR Maxx, I could be wrong you know. Anyway, the device is scheduled to be available in August 2, that's today. As for pricing, Motorola's press release simply said that you check out UScellular.com for the pricing details.

August 2, 2012

PHIL: Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in the Philippines for Php 12,990



Samsung Philippines have launched the successor apparent of the world's first Android tablet, The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. This tablet was announced back in February along side it's bigger brother, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The launched tablet in the country, the 7-incher, is given an SRP of Php 12,990 for the WiFi-only version. A very good price considering that it's a dual-core and runs on Android 4.0 ICS. Apparently, it's only the 7-incher that is launched in the Philippine market, I do not have any word regarding the its bigger brother and when it is coming or if it is ever gonna come.