The Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 3.6 introduced at last year's IFA will be making a debut in the US sometime this year, Engadget has learned on a recent trip to Samsung's Korean offices. The device would once more compete with the likes of Apple's iPod touch. The design is relatively low-cost and carries a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 3.65-inch, 480x320-pixel LCD, and Android 2.3.
(Update: dated below) Verizon has officially indicated that an update to Android 2.3 will soon be available for its Samsung Droid Charge users. The carrier has posted details on the benefits of upgrading and instructions on how to do it. The actual update is "coming soon."
One of the worst-kept secrets in Verizon's history, the Samsung Illusion, has now been made official. The handset uses a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, a three-megapixel camera, and a 3.5-inch display. It runs on Android 2.3 and carries Swype to help typing.
Verizon appears to be preparing employees for the imminent launch of Samsung's Illusion handset, which has reportedly appeared on the carrier's Infocenter. The page provides a closer look at hardware specs, pointing to entry-level features such as a 480x320 touchscreen measuring 3.5 inches and a single-core 1GHz Hummingbird processor.
Suspicions that Samsung's 4G phone for Verizon would be called the Droid Charge were validated on Tuesday after an intercepted PR shot gave away Verizon's plans. The full-touch design has its own unique take on Verizon's signature red eye from the Droid line. PocketNow's image would mark the first instance of a non-Motorola phone getting the label and possible confidence that Samsung could make a top-tier Android device.
Although not strictly on the official docket, Samsung's Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 was on the show floor at Mobile World Congress, giving us an opportunity to try it out before details settled in. The device is similar to the Galaxy S phone on the inside but is targeted at an audience that might think the iPod touch is too modest, centering on a very large five-inch screen. We gave it a try at the Barcelona show and already had a sense for how it stacked up to its Apple counterpart.
MetroPCS on Wednesday managed to preempt Verizon with the first LTE-capable Android phone in the US. The Samsung Galaxy Indulge (also known as the Forte) is a close cousin of Sprint's Epic 4G but makes use of a smaller 3.5-inch, 480x320 LCD and a three-megapixel camera to keep the price and size down, even as the LTE gives it much faster 4G. It shares the same 1GHz Hummingbird chip and ships with Android 2.2 from the start.
The Samsung Captivate may soon get the long-awaited software upgrade to Android 2.2 from its current 2.1, if an AT&T support page is any indication. The page explains how to check the phone for the latest firmware version, and the About Phone screen capture on the page shows Android 2.2 preloaded. The handset on the page is also running Samsung's TouchWiz skin for the OS.
Apple could be asking for four times as many processors from Samsung this year, reported sources claimed Friday. The iPhone designer may have stepped up its orders from 5,000 chip sheets last year to 20,000 in 2011. Multiple executives reportedly told the Korea Times that demand would be so high that Apple would be taking up half of Samsung's total 45 nanometer processor production for the year, outpacing even what Samsung needs for its smartphones and tablets.
The Nexus S handset officially revealed just Monday for the US and UK will arrive in other markets next year but may have a key display technology change, according to Samsung Russia. Instead of the Super AMOLED display of the US and UK versions, it will ship with the Super Clear LCD shared with newer Wave phones. While the 4-inch Super Clear LCD isn't said to sacrifice much in terms of display quality, it does use up more energy than its AMOLED counterpart.
Google today at last confirmed the Nexus S, the first phone to run Android 2.3. The Samsung device is the first to run Android 2.3 and is a showcase for some of its most important features: it now has a front-facing camera for video chat and other functions, NFC for short-range payments, and a full gyroscope for better motion control. It also has a unique variant of the four-inch Super AMOLED in the Galaxy S, the Contour Display, which reportedly has a more natural view than a flat screen.
The T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S will get a rebadge of its own as well as a unique app lineup, based on a telling slip today. Just as AT&T's version was renamed the Captivate, the T-Mobile Galaxy S will be named the Vibrant. The leak to CellPhoneSignal also reveals that a series of clues dropped by T-Mobile are in many cases referring to the software bundle: the Vibrant will have Amazon's Kindle for Android and EA's The Sims 3 pre-installed, with a GoGo in-flight Wi-Fi deal and built-in 720p video recording also teased in recent days.
Apple today was confirmed to have bought out Intrinsity. The deal rumored in progress earlier is now said to have been finalized and may be made public soon. Apple representative Steve Dowling didn't either confirm or deny the buyout and said the company doesn't declare its ultimate aims when it does acquire other companies.
Several clues have surfaced that suggest processor design house Intrinsity may have been acquired by Apple. At least 13 engineers at the company, such as Mark Nodine, have either changed their LinkedIn profiles to reflect work at Apple as of April or have said they were starting work as of Thursday. Jim Blomgren is known to have posted the status only to retract it later as a possible hint that Apple may not approve of some of the early status changes.
