| MacUpdate Weekend Sale | :This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. Painter 12 retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. Painter Lite has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013. |
Samsung Fascinate owners are reporting that Android 2.3 is starting to reach their phones through an over-the-air update. Those who received and installed the update are reporting much improved performance and a very fast GPS lock-on, even when indoors. One user posted that his Quadrant benchmark scores jumped from the 650s to 1150 just from the update.
Verizon has quietly pulled the Samsung Fascinate from its online store in what should be its complete exit. The Galaxy S phone also isn't available at retail. Only its close relative, the Continuum, is currently available and is free on a contract.
Verizon in a low-profile move said (PDF) it would update the Samsung Fascinate to Android 2.2 tomorrow, April 21. Its version would add the expected benefits, such as automatic app updating, faster web browsing, and Bluetooth voice dialing, but also bring carrier-specifc improvements. Voice search would now work in Bing, and the phone would now come preloaded with Samsung's Media Hub and Verizon's V Cast Apps as a matter of course.
Google's attempts to tighten control of Android got significantly more detail Monday with leaks from executives at its partners. The company has reportedly been putting tougher conditions on the "non-fragmentation clauses" it has to limit what OEMs can do to change the OS. Facebook, which is reportedly still working on its own version of Android despite denials, was reportedly upset that its arch-rival Google had to oversee its code, Bloomberg said.
AT&T has quietly posted a sign-up page confirming that it was hoping to get its Android users access to the Amazon Appstore. Subscribers are asked to name the model and provide an e-mail address for a notice of when access is opened up. The statement doesn't give an indication of how AT&T will solve the issue and isn't definite on timing beyond the "near future."
Samsung Canada, via its Facebook page, has announced that the Samsung Vibrant from Bell and the Samsung Captivate from Rogers will get a firmware update to Android 2.2 in mid-December. The Fascinate from Telus will receive the same upgrade early on in 2011, Samsung adds. The Galaxy S-series phones will be upgraded due to "tremendous interest," Samsung says.
Canadian wireless provider Telus announced it has added the Samsung Fascinate smartphone to its lineup and released Android 2.1 software update to the already available HTC Hero. The former sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 1GHz CPU and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot sharing feature for up to five devices. Its version should run on GSM and HSPA, however, where Verizon needs CDMA and EVDO.
Best Buy Mobile announced this week it will be the exclusive retailer of four smartphones this holiday season, confirming an earlier leak. They include a white Xperia X10, Dell Streak, HTC Surround and white Samsung Fascinate. The four are now available for pre-order in stores and online, though the Fascinate is now a store-only offering.
Consumers desperate for a white smartphone -- or a first look at Dell's Streak 5-inch mini-tablet -- have new options at Best Buy, a report on Engadget has found. Starting October 24th, customers will be able to reserve white Sony Ericsson Xperia X10s, white Samsung Fascinates or the not-white Streaks with a $50 deposit, all powered by various versions of the Android OS. The smartphones require service by AT&T (for the Xperia) or Verizon (the Fascinate); cellular service is optional with the Streak but is provided by AT&T.
Best Buy Mobile on Tuesday announced it will start a Free Phone Fridays promotion on every Friday in October, starting October 1. There will be four phones available to represent AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. They will cost nothing but will require signing a two-year contract.
In a surprise move by Verizon it has given adopters of Samsung’s new Galaxy S variant, the Fascinate the early option of a Buy One, Get One (BOGO) deal. In choosing this option, buyers are automatically signing up for a two-year contract on both handsets with a minimum monthly data plan of $30 but get the second phone for free after factoring in two rebates. No set expiry date exists for the deal.
The latest Galaxy S variation from Samsung, the Fascinate, should be available for purchase soon as it is now shipping to Verizon warehouses, according to a leak revealed by Phandroid. Other variations, including the Vibrant and Captivate, are already shipping at T-Mobile and AT&T, respectively, while the Epic 4G is due to arrive soon at Sprint.
