Samsung Galaxy S2 review by t3.com

Samsung Galaxy S2 Review: The S2 offers an exciting batch of features, from a super repsonsive 4.3-inch touchscreen to a generous 8-megapixel camera
Samsung Galaxy S2 review

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Love

Glorious screen, thin body
Decent battery performance
Good camera/video mode

Hate

Feels plasticky
Can't play some Tegra games

Update: We've now got a round up of the latest Samsung Galaxy S3 rumours, in preperation for the launch of Samsung's next-gen Android smartphone. Want to know more? Our Samsung Galaxy S3 news video says it all.

We first saw the Android Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-I9100) mobile phone at MWC earlier this year and it was love at first sight. The successor to the Samsung Galaxy S includes a gorgeous next-gen 4.2inch AMOLED screen in a slimmer body.

Well, the handset finally landed on T3’s doorstep a few days ago, and we can confirm this is more than a fleeting attraction. Samsung is seriously challenging HTC for the Android crown.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Build

Pick up the phone and the first thing you notice is how light it is – it’s just 116g. Measuring 8.49mm, it’s incredibly slim in comparison to 9.9mm for the original Galaxy S; 9.3mm for the Apple iPhone 4 and 8.7mm for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.

While the Galaxy S2 will certainly fit into the tightest jeans pocket, the compromise is build quality - the body just feels cheap and uninspiring. Things don't improve when you remove the wafer thin back to insert a sim - we’d be seriously worried about snapping it.

Controls are limited to volume on one side, power on the other, MHL port, which serves a dual purpose of charging via USB and outputting to HDMI, and a 3.5mm jack on the top, Samsung includes a range of streaming options including DLNA.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Screen

The highlight of S2 is the 4.3-inch 800x480 screen, which incorporates Super AMOLED Plus technology. Colours are eye popping and blues and greens literally jump out of the screen at you. Off-angle viewing is excellent too - the first phone we’ve seen to match the iPhone 4.

A larger screen sizes means that the phone is bulky, but it’s a joy for movies. When playing back our test HD movie clips, detail is sharp and action smooth. We found that whites aren’t as pure or bright as those on the Apple iPhone 4, although blacks seem darker and colours are bolder and warmer. It handles action smoothly too.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Android
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Running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, you get seven homescreens customisable with widgets and shortcuts. Swipe down to quickly activate WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and Auto Rotation settings. Phone, Contact, Messaging and Application settings along the bottom are static when you are browsing the homescreens. Like other Android phones, press down to customise with Shortcuts, Folders, Wallpaper and numerous Samsung widgets.

Samsung’s overlayed Android with its TouchWiz UI which is functional and adds some neat features, including four hubs: Music (see below), Games, Readers and Social Hub, which acts as a portal to Kobo bookstore and Magazines via Zinio.

Social Hub syncs social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, to IM accounts including Google Talk; and MySpace and Linked-in. It’s functional, syncing your contacts, but we prefer HTC Sense. In addition Sony Ericsson’s Xperia skin is slightly easier to use, for example here you can only organize the Applications via grid or list and to create App Folders you make the folder first before dragging items onto it.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Processor

The Galaxy S2 has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. In use the phone feels incredibly quick – one of the fastest smartphones we’ve used, whether you’re browsing a web page or swapping between applications it never feels slow. During our tests it loads web pages over WiFi quicker than the iPhone 4 - loading a content-rich website like T3.com in just 15 seconds.

This isn’t a Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, so we couldn't download games designed specifically for this (such as Samurai II: Vengence THD), but there are a decent selection of games to play. We defy anyone to not enjoy Shrek Karting with the 3-axis gyroscope, and it ably handles speedy gameplay.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Camera

Samsung has boosted the camera resolution from 5-megapixels to 8-megapixels, instead of a dedicated shutter; you tap the virtual shutter, which is fairly quick if not quite as nippy as the offering on the iPhone 4.

There are plenty of manual controls. Adjust the ISO from 100-800, choose from five white balance settings and choose between three metering settings. Samsung has also included Smile Shot, Beauty, Action, Cartoon and Panorama scene modes. Alongside auto focus, Macro mode captures sharp shots to around 10cm and there’s an effective Face Detection mode.

Still results are pleasing, the S2 is pretty good at controlling noise, and we’d like them to be a little sharper, colours are very natural. The S2 shoots HD video at 720p and 1080p at 30fps and results are pleasing; it’s smooth, with natural colours, perhaps lacking a little definition.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Music

Music Hub lets you browse and buy tracks from 7Digital, downloading directly to your phone, expect to pay around 99p. It’s very well laid out with Featured, Genres, My Music and My page icons along the top.

Confusingly there’s also a Music Player, the interface is very similar, although can create playlists here. We’ve no complaints about the sound quality, when you plug some headphones into the 3.5mm jack, and here you can access nine Equalizer modes and some Sound Effects, including the useful Bass enhancement and Wide.

Samsung Galaxy S2: Other features,

Samsung’s included motion controls. Hold an app down then move the phone left or right to scroll through the homescreens and reposition it. Elsewhere hold two fingers on the screen and move towards you and away from you to zoom in and out. We're not sure how useful these are - to us they felt awkward, but maybe with more time with the phone you will become more familiar with them.

Polaris Office lets you create and edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. In portrait mode we did find the keyboard a bit cramped and frequently tapped the wrong keys and the predictive text isn’t as impressive as the iPhone 4. Alternatively the Swipe keyboard detects words as you drag your fingers over the keys, it works pretty well, although frequently didn’t recognize our choices, although this probably has more to do with us hitting the wrong keys. In landscape mode typing is far easier.

Elsewher you get Exchange Activesync, and Kies Air for accessing phone content over WiFi from a PC

Samsung Galaxy S2: Battery

With WiFi on, maximum brightness, moderate browsing, some video and photos we got into our second day. One of the most useful features is Task Manager, where you can view and kill active applications and clear the RAM, and you can enable Power Saving Mode to cut in when the power gets to 50%

Samsung Galaxy S2: Verdict

Our main complaint about the S2 is the build. It’s doesn’t feel premium and considering it will set you back close to £500 on pre-order, this isn’t good enough.

From the HTC Incredible S to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, there have been some great Android handsets this year; however none have been fantastic, until now. Combining top-notch connectivity with one of the best screens available on a smartphone, backed by a powerful dual-core and good camera, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is quite simply a fantastic phone, we just wish the Korean giant had produced a handset with build closer to the feel of a top-end HTC or Apple handset.

New Samsung Galaxy device US trademarks applied for

New Samsung Galaxy device US trademarks applied for
Under: Mobile Phones, Samsung
Date: March 8th, 2012

Well now it appears that old Samsung might have at least three new devices to add to their Galaxy range at some point in the future, as word is Sammy has been applying for trademarks on three devices in the United States, and all will be new smartphones.

According to the guys over at The Next Web by way of Fusible, back on the 2nd of this month, Samsung submitted trademark applications for the Samsung Galaxy Emerge with a serial number of 85558647 along with the Samsung Galaxy Halo with serial number 85558619, and the Samsung Galaxy Stellar with serial number 85558639.

These three new Sammy devices are obviously Galaxy class smartphones because each of the trio have been categorised as “Mobile Phone: Smartphones,” in the filing that was made with the USPTO.

Obviously there is no word on just what these three Galaxy class smartphones may offer or even if they actually exist at this time, as apparently old Sammy is in the habit of filing handset trademarks with previous trademarks including the Galaxy Awaken, Galaxy Axiom, Galaxy Rite and Galaxy Heir smartphone just before Mobile World Congress.

However, gaining the trademarks does mean that Samsung can use those names for a smartphone at some point in the future if they desire to do so, so perhaps we will see the Emerge, Stellar and Halo surface at some point in the future.

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Samsung Galaxy S2 Ice Cream Sandwich Update Dated

Samsung Galaxy S2 Ice Cream Sandwich Update Dated

By Andrew Williams
06 March 2012

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The Samsung Galaxy S2, a phone that has sold over 20 million units, will get an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on 15 March. This info comes from Samsung direct, so hopefully it won't evaporate into hot air.

We don't have full faith in its rock-solid-ness, though. Samsung's official Israeli Facebook page told the world that the ICS update would arrive on 15 March, but the post has since been deleted. As the best-selling Android phone there is, plenty of owners must be pining for the update by now.
Samsung Galaxy S2
Ice Cream Sandwich made its smartphone debut in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, released in December 2011. Why the delay, when they are both Samsung phones? The Samsung Galaxy S2 uses the custom TouchWiz user interface, which needs a thorough re-tweaking and test any time the underlying Android software changes.

This delay has been the bane of Android enthusiasts ever since the first Android updates of 2008 and 2009. If anything, a 3-month delay isn't actually that bad compared with some past performances from HTC and others.

The main improvements of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandiwich are its new user interface - which incorporates virtual nav buttons - improved multi-tasking, better data usage tools and a much improved camera app. ICS also sees the smartphone and tablet sides of the Android kingdom get together once more - previously mobiles have used 2.x Gingerbread and (most decent) tablets 3.x Honeycomb.

Samsung's sequel to the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy S3, is expected to launch later this year. A rumoured April release was quashed by Samsung recently, but we expect it will do its best to beat the iPhone 5 to the punch.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab Review by http://samsunggalaxytabreview.net/

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Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy Tab Review Site. We like to review Samsung Products and tell you which ones are the best to use. Many times people don’t know which product to buy since they’re hesitant. How many times have you read reviews from friends only to be swayed into thinking that your opinions were wrong? At our site we have unbiased reviews showing you the best Samsung Galaxy Tab products to buy and where to buy them. Sometimes Amazon and Walmart is out of stock, but that’s okay, our site will always contain the latest up to date products. If you have been looking for a place to find good reviews on Samsung Galaxy Prices we will help you find good deals. A lot of times it can be confusing with all the information out there. Sometimes the review you read on Amazon are not real and written by Samsung Staff themselves! We will help you find the real ones! The Galaxy tab reviews we have on our site will blow you away. Enjoy them while you are here, and read through all of them. Please pass this site on to your friends so they can learn about the Galaxy Tab.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Price
Samsung Galaxy Tab Price

Many times, people will hestitate when deciding which Samsung Galaxy Tab Price is affordable to them. Usually they will compare the size and see which price point makes it the most effective to purchase. Usually when they compare the price they want to see it against the iPad and other similar tablets to see if it’s worth it to them. We did a comparison of the samsung galaxy tab price and here is the verdict.


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Posted by Team - March 5, 2012 at 11:31 am

Categories: Tab Price Tags:
Samsung Galaxy S Review
samsung galaxy s review

Our Samsung Galaxy S Review will tell you what’s so good and bad about the Samsung Galaxy S! At first we had no idea that Samsung created another version of the Galaxy Tab. Basically they made it phone form, and they brought it down to size so that people can use it as a cellular device. But hey, the big screen is great for viewing many things as well! Even CNET Asia gave the Galaxy S a score of 8.4 out of 10. This means that everybody is RAVING about it!



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Posted by Team - March 5, 2012 at 11:16 am

Categories: Galaxy S Review Tags:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Price
samsung galaxy tab 10.1 price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 price is one of the first considerations that people make when deciding whether to buy it or not. Sometimes the price is the most important factor in choosing a product is not just the quality, but the price. There are many factors people consider in addition to the price. What makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 price better than the old one? The new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has so many more features that makes it better than the old one.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review

Samsung's new Galaxy Note is a unique device in the smartphone market. Straddling the line between a smartphone and a tablet, the Note features a massive 5.3-inch display, which is considerably larger than the screen on any other smartphone available today (just see the image below sitting alongside an iPhone). Because of this, the Note is rather unwieldy in the hand, and nearly impossible to use one handed.

Trying to make the most of the smartphone's larger footprint, Samsung has attempted to add functionality to the Note with its "don't-call-it-a-stylus" S Pen input device. But once again the Note's dominant feature is its 5.3-inch, Super AMOLED display that packs a dense 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. The form factor alone will place many potential buyers at odds, while others might appreciate the hybrid nature of the device. Read on to learn our findings.

Samsung Galaxy Note
Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Note borrows heavily from the designs Samsung has used for its Galaxy S II line of smartphones. In fact, one would not be faulted for thinking that the Galaxy Note was just a Galaxy S II on steroids. The big display looks fantastic, with great, punchy colors, tremendous viewing angles, and good outdoor visibility. The pixel layout is the much-derided PenTile format, but since there are so many pixels packed onto the screen, you have to really hunt to see any PenTile patterns in images. It really is a great display.

Because of the massive screen, the Note has equally large dimensions - and therein lie the difficulties I had with using it as a phone. The Note measures 147mm (5.78in) tall and 83mm (3.27in) across, which means that it feels absolutely massive when held in the hand. Even compared to the already large Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket with its 4.5-inch display, the Note is a enormous beast (and it makes the 3.5-inch iPhone 4S look positively diminutive). I am unable to reach the corners of the screen with my thumb without having to significantly move the Note around in my hand and stretch to my hand's fullest extent, which gives me concern that the Note will slip out of my hand and fall to the ground.

Thus, using the Galaxy Note is a two-handed affair, and there really isn't a way to get around it -- unless you are a pro basketball player, I suppose. However, despite its large dimensions, the Note remains very thin at only 9.7mm (0.38in) thick. As with many thin Samsung smartphones, the thin profile of the Note certainly makes it feel even larger than it actually is.

The rear cover of the Note is made of the familiar, thin plastic material that Samsung has used on many of its prior models, but the Note's back features a classier texture than the others that makes it feel as if it is of higher quality. The textured back helps in handling the device, though I am not sure it will prevent users from eventually dropping it.

Samsung Galaxy Note

Tucked in the lower right corner of the Note's frame is the S Pen input device. The S Pen uses Wacom technology and works with the digitizer in the Note's display to allow users to draw and activate things on the screen with the pen-like tip. The tip has 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, so apps that support the S Pen's capabilities can allow the user to draw thick or thin lines depending on how much pressure they put on the screen.

The S Pen also has a function button on the side of it to perform various tasks like screen capture. Unlike the Scrybe pen for HTC's Flyer tablet, the S Pen does not require a battery. The housing that the S Pen fits into is snug, and the pen won't fall out unintentionally. Still, the S Pen is very thin and small, and many users will likely lose it at some point during their Galaxy Note ownership (AT&T and Samsung are offering replacement S Pens for $29 a pop).

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How USB Ports Work by Marshall Brain

Just about any computer that you buy today comes with one or more Universal Serial Bus connectors. These USB connectors let you attach mice, printers and other accessories to your computer quickly and easily. The operating system supports USB as well, so the installation of the device drivers is quick and easy, too. Compared to other ways of connecting devices to your computer (including parallel ports, serial ports and special cards that you install inside the computer's case), USB devices are incredibly simple.

­In this article, we'll look at USB ports from both a user and a technical standpoint. You'll learn why the USB system is so flexible and how it's able to support so many devices so easily -- it's truly an amazing system.

Anyone who has been around computers for a while knows the problem that the Universal Serial Bus is trying to solve -- in the past, connecting devices to computers has been a real headache.

Printers connected to parallel printer ports, and most computers only came with one. Things like external storage media, which need a high-speed connection into the computer, would use the parallel port as well, often with limited success and not much speed.
Modems used the serial port, but so did some printers and a variety of odd things like personal digital assistants (PDAs) and digital cameras. Most computers had at most two serial ports, and they were very slow in most cases.
Devices that needed faster connections came with their own cards, which had to fit in a card slot inside the computer's case. Unfortunately, the number of card slots is limited and some of the cards are difficult to install.

The goal of USB is to end all of these headaches. The Universal Serial Bus gives you a single, standardized, easy-to-use way to connect up to 127 devices to a computer.

Just about every peripheral made now comes in a USB version. A sample list of USB devices that you can buy today includes:

Printers
Scanners
Mice
Joysticks
Flight yokes
Digital cameras
Webcams
Scientific data acquisition devices
Modems
Speakers
Telephones
Video phones
Storage devices
Network connections

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Samsung Galaxy S2 vs. iPhone 4S: Worthy winner is?

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Samsung Galaxy S2 vs. iPhone 4S: Worthy winner is?

Under: Apple iPhone, Samsung by phonesreview.co.uk
Date: November 16th, 2011

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For several months the Samsung Galaxy S2 has been known as the best smartphone leading most of the lists of top smartphones. Many other manufacturers tried to create devices able to compete with it, but none succeeded – even Apples iPhone 4, according to most geeks I know, yielded to it in many aspects. Perhaps Samsung thought its Galaxy S2 was unreachable, but not so long ago Apple released the new iPhone 4S with a number of updated specs and features… and we all understood that the Galaxy S2’s position is now shaken.

So which phone is cooler – the Samsung Galaxy S2 or the Apple iPhone 4S? Which has better features? Which is worthy of your money? I’ll try to find this out in my comparison of these two smartphones.

Design
I think we all understand that design is a matter of taste. Some like huge, heavy and rugged devices; others prefer light and tiny ones. So in this case we can’t say which phone is better – the Samsung Galaxy S2 or the new iPhone 4S – we can only note the obvious: you can’t say the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a tiny phone (it has a 4.3-inch display, after all), but it’s slim (only 8.49mm – much less than all the phones I can think of) and light – it’s plastic body together with the battery weighs only 116g. The iPhone 4S, on the other hand, isn’t much different from its predecessor in term of size and design (same cases can go for both); it’s smaller than the Galaxy S2, since its display is smaller (3.5 inches), but it’s not as thin as it.

Display
There was a time when many people believed that the Samsung Galaxy S2 had the best screen ever, but now its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution doesn’t sound that cool any longer… The resolution of the iPhone 4S’s screen is higher – 960 x 640. Of course, it doesn’t mean the Galaxy S2 is outdated now or not that good any more – its screen is very bright, all the colors are eye-popping and very beautiful, and they don’t darkle or fade when you look at the screen at an angle. It’s great for watching movies and even for playing HD games (there are plenty of them in Android Market).

However, the display of the iPhone 4S due to its higher resolution is even brighter and isn’t afraid of sunlight, too (though it actually fades a bit under direct sunlight). The only bad thing is – old icons and apps look grainy on such a clear display, so unless the developers update them and adjust for high-res screens, you won’t enjoy using them on the iPhone 4S… at all.

So… here the winner is the iPhone 4S with its super screen, though I personally like the display of the Samsung Galaxy S2, too.

Processor
The Samsung Galaxy S2 boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor that provides really fast performance without any delay. Web browsing is very quick even via Wi-Fi networks, and you won’t face any problem with loading and playing even the most “heavy” games on Samsung’s flagship.

The iPhone 4S has a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, which is also very fast (much faster than the single-core processor of the original iPhone 4 at least), but, though it provides great graphical acceleration, it yields to the CPU of the Galaxy S2 in terms of performance, so here the winner is Samsung’s smartphone.

Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a cool 8MP camera with auto-focus and LED flash that takes 3264 x 2448 photos and 1080p videos at 30fps. If you remember, the original iPhone 4S had a 5MP sensor, and many geeks thought it was a big shortcoming, even though the number of megapixels doesn’t really matter. Anyway, now those geeks have received what they wanted – the new iPhone 4S has an 8MP camera able to take 3264 x 2448 pictures just like the Galaxy S2 and many other modern smartphones. Plus it has a CMOS illuminated sensor, which is 73 percent more effective and about 30 percent faster than before. And of course, it shoots 1080p HD videos, too.

However, the secondary 2MP camera of the Samsung Galaxy S2 is better than the VGA camera of the new iPhone 4S. But anyway, secondary cameras don’t play a big role here, and as for the rear-facing ones, they’re both equally good, so we have a draw here.

Platform
Just like in case of design, I don’t think it’s a good idea to compare two operating systems, especially if they’re both good – each in its own way. Android the Samsung Galaxy S2 runs is the most popular platform at the moment, famous for being easy to customize and for having a huge number of apps in Android Market, too. However, the Gingerbread it runs isn’t the newest version of Google’s OS any longer, since the Ice Cream Sandwich update is already on its way, so we can’t say the Galaxy S2 runs the best software ever.

On the other hand, Apple’s iOS is really easy to use (even if the iPhone is your first smartphone ever, you won’t face any problem dealing with it – the user interface of iOS is intuitively understandable for everybody), but of course it’s not what makes the new iPhone 4S special. You’ve probably already heard about Siri – the special program designed to help the user give commands to the phone, ask questions and even send text messages. Siri is new, smart and funny, too (it came out that the developers had hidden many interesting Easter eggs, funny jokes and witty responses to strange questions in it), and I guess many people will buy the iPhone 4S especially for Siri.

Since you can’t surprise anyone with Android now, especially with its Gingerbread version, so in this case I think the prize should go to the iPhone 4S and its Siri.

Price
The unlocked version of the Samsung Galaxy S2 costs £397.99 on Amazon, while the 16GB iPhone 4S is more expensive – £593.15. However, we shouldn’t forget that the Galaxy S2 was released several months ago, and the 4S is only about a month old, so it will most likely be discounted after a while. Anyway, you can find much better deals at RightMobilePhone offering both smartphones for free with contracts, so perhaps it’s better to choose one of them instead of paying much more for a SIM-free device.

Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Apple iPhone 4S are both very good smartphones, no doubt, and both have their stronger and weaker sides. The Galaxy S2 is a bit faster thanks to its processor, while the iPhone 4S has a better display and Siri that has caught so much attention.

I think the Galaxy S2 has been the best smartphone for too long, and now a new device should come to replace it. Apple’s latest “child” can be this new device, so… the iPhone 4S is my choice.

The comparison article above has been written by a guest author, thank you.

Samsung Galaxy gets the Best Compatible USB OTG Transfer Device.

With the launch of Beyond USB’s new product, Samsung Galaxy Phones can use this device to Transfer, Movies, Videos, Documents and More. The ease of use and storage devices ranging from 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB, which will add much more storage for the Samsung Galaxy Phones. When viewing movies on the Samsung Galaxy, they can be viewed directly from the Beyond USB and this will allow you to save your battery life and allow for more clarity. You can also view Photos and documents right on your smartphone instantly as well. You can also move files from your Smart phone onto your Beyond USB and free up storage space on your phone. Movies, Photos, documents and more, can also be stored in separate files for easy viewing and navigation.
There is no point in carrying around cables and other adapters, when this can all be done on one device which has the micro B and USB plugs on each side. Transfer speed is extremely fast and it is a simple copy and paste or drag and drop functionality. The pricing is extremely inexpensive for this product and it is a must see and must use for all Samsung Galaxy Phones.

Visit www.BeyondUSB.com for more details and to watch the instructional video.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 pricing set for disaster

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 pricing set for disaster
Chris Burns, Feb 13th 2012



We’re now reviewing some pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 announced earlier today, and if these number stick to release day, we’ve got not doubt that Samsung has a rather larger blunder on their hands. The Galaxy Tab 2 was announced as a low-cost update to the original Galaxy Tab, otherwise known as the first real effort on earth to create an Android tablet. This new tablet has a 7-inch 1024 x 600 PLS LCD display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, and a 3-megapixel camera – perfect for a $240 price point – thats about half the cost we’re seeing here in an apparent Euro price schedule.

What’s being confirmed here by Samsung to Sammy Hub is a set of prices that sit in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark, along with assurance that the Galaxy Tab 2 will release in the UK first. This tablet is shaping up to be rather similar to the ASUS MeMO tablet we saw at CES 2012, but at half the core power and twice the price. Will the high-powered display be enough to convince customers that this is the winning 7-incher?

Here is the official pricing and availability for the Scandinavian countries. Expected in March, the tablet will sell in both Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + 3G versions.

Sweden:
Wi-Fi: 2,995SEK (450USD)
3G: 3,695 SEK (556USD)

Finland:
Wi-Fi: 349EUR (463USD)
3G: 429EUR (568USD)

Norway:
Wi-Fi: 2,400NOK (420USD)
3G: 2,990NOK (523USD)

Denmark:
Wi-Fi: 2,350DKK (419USD)
3G: 3,995DKK (512USD)

Take a trip down Chris Davies way to get a better understanding of this situation and head back to our last review of a Galaxy Tab to see what Samsung is about to offer. This is the billionth tablet shown off by Samsung in the last year it seems, and there’s no sign of them stopping in 2012. Tablets galore for all!

Transfer Your Photos, Videos, Music, Documents and more in a flash, by simply plugging in your Beyond USB into your Tablet or Computer. Very simple and easy for all to use. Get Yours Today! Visit http://www.BeyondUSB.com for Details!

Samsung Galaxy and Beyond USB OTG make a perfect pair.

Samsung Galaxy and Beyond USB OTG make a perfect pair. by Beyond USB

Beyond USB - OTG USB is changing the way that your Smart Phones and Computers Interact. We understand the frustration of not being able to save and store your Videos, Photos, Documents, Music and more. You can now transfer directly from your computer onto your Beyond USB and also from your Smart Phone onto the Beyond USB, for easy data transfer. You can also store and share data with anyone, however all licensing of software used is still in effect. We offer 8GB, 16GB and 32GB Beyond USB Storage Devices, to fit your personal and business needs. We want to make sure that the frustration of being able to store your data on the run, Beyond USB has devised a system and interface to make things simple. Simple grab your Beyond USB and take it on vacations, business trips, family functions and more, to insure you can save all your memories or documents securely. You will find it easy to transfer data from your Smartphone to USB, Computer to USB, USB to your SmartPhone and USB to your Computer. We are pleased to bring you Beyond USB and hope you enjoy all the benefits that come with the greatest storage device, linking your Smartphone to your computer and more. This will be your number one Smartphone and Computer OTG USB.


Samsung Galaxy and Beyond USB OTG make a perfect pair. by www.BeyondUSB.com

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and HTC Vivid: AT&T's First LTE Phones Launch Nov. 6

Transfer Your Photos, Videos, Music, Documents and more in a flash, by simply plugging in your Beyond USB into your Smartphone or Computer. Very simple and easy for all to use. Get Yours Today! Visit http://www.BeyondUSB.com for details


by Jason Inofuentes on 10/31/2011 10:02:00 AM
Posted in AT&T , LTE , Samsung Galaxy S II , HTC , HTC Vivid , Mobile , smartphones

As if we didn't have enough phones to review, AT&T, HTC and Samsung announced today the first LTE phones to launch on AT&T's newly rolled out network. The five initial markets (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio) will be joined by four new markets (Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Athens, Georgia) on November 6th and these phones will join the 4G modems that are already available. Launching these phones alongside an already packed list of Android phones you'd expect these LTE devices to sport premium prices, much like Verizon's LTE offerings; that doesn't seem to be the case though, with HTC's offering coming in at just $199. So what do AT&T's first LTE handsets look like? Let's dig in.

The HTC Vivid takes the Evo 3D recipe, swaps the WiMax baseband for LTE (likely the MDM9600 we've seen before), deletes the 3D camera and stretches the whole thing out to 4.5" while retaining the qHD display. The 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 provides HSPA+ connectivity and APQ8060 provides plenty of power for this Gingerbread phone, and the 8MP/1080p camera round out the announced features. We're still waiting for more details, particularly the screen type, and some press shots but being introduced at just $199 makes this a competitive phone, perfect for the holidays.

If you sprung for AT&T's first Galaxy S II variant, you might be kicking yourself right now. For just a $50 premium over the non-LTE variant, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket brings the LTE baseband and 1.5 GHz dual-core SoC of the international SGSII LTE, along with a larger 4.5" display, though retaining the WVGA resolution. As with the other SGSII variants, Super AMOLED Plus is on tap, bringing its delightful RGB stripe along with the rich blacks, saturated colors and excellent viewing angles from Samsung's other AMOLED displays. The look of the phone is similar to AT&T's other SGSII variant, just stretched out and without the textured back. On-board storage is 16 GB with microSD expansion up to 32 GB and you'll be able to fill it up with shots from that 8MP/1080p shooter we've seen before. We're waiting for confirmation on the SoC and the baseband, but at just $249 this could be a tough phone to pass up.

The fall release schedule gets more and more crowded, and we're working as hard as we can to cull the field for you all. With any luck, these manufacturers will take a break, so we can get ahead. But we're not holding our breath. Stay tuned.

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Best Buy Uses the Big Game Stage to Focus on Mobile Technology

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Best Buy Uses the Big Game Stage to Focus on Mobile Technology
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Sun Feb 5, 2012 7:01pm EST

Retailer pairs ad that features ground-breaking tech pioneers with a unique mobile phone offer to tout its influence in the mobile technology space

MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 5, 2012) - Tonight Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) is using the world's biggest stage to celebrate mobile technology by using true tech pioneers to assert its growing influence in the mobile phone business. The campaign kicks off with Best Buy's second appearance in the Big Game as well as a special week-long offer for anyone looking to upgrade to a new phone at Best Buy in 2012

Best Buy's commercial reveals 10 technology innovators who have changed the way we use our phones and culminates with Best Buy's own contribution to the process. From iconic apps like Words With Friends, to innovations we can't live without like SMS messaging, Best Buy is putting a name and face to these unsung, yet amazing rock stars of mobile technology whose inventions impact billions of people around the world every day. Each of these innovators also is featured in longer-form videos that premiere online tonight and are available for viewing at (http://www.youtube.com/bestbuy).

"Consumers give us credit for being a technology brand that helps people get the most out of their devices," said Drew Panayiotou, senior vice president of U.S. marketing at Best Buy. "Showcasing innovators like Philippe Kahn, who created the camera phone, and Jim McKelvey, who introduced the notion of mobile payments, first in our ad and then in longer-form media made sense. It allows these inventors to move from tonight's spot to a format where they can share more about technology and how it might impact all of us in the future."

To coincide with the mobile-centric ad, any customer who registers and then upgrades to a new mobile phone at Best Buy by Dec. 31, 2012 will receive a $50 Best Buy gift card.

The offer is simple:

Step One: Consumers register their phone number at www.bestbuy.com/phonefreedom by Feb. 12, 2012
Step Two: Consumers activate the registered phone number with the purchase of a new mobile phone with a two-year agreement at Best Buy or BestBuy.com any time before Dec. 31, 2012
Step Three: Upon purchase and activation, customers will receive their $50 Best Buy gift card

There is no obligation once a phone number is registered. Customers must register their phone number online between Sunday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 12 to qualify.

"We are thrilled to have a stage as significant as the Big Game to showcase all that Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile have to offer," said Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile. "We have spent the last five years building and improving the mobile phone buying experience in our stores, and we are confident in our ability to deliver a world-class experience that features any carrier, any phone, any plan combined with unbiased advice."

The $50 gift card offer is valid on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile phones activated with a new two-year agreement at Best Buy or online at BestBuy.com (excluding T-Mobile activations requiring a deposit). Once signed up, consumers will have until the end of the 2012 calendar year to purchase a new mobile phone at Best Buy and receive their gift card. If they don't activate a phone within that time period, the gift card offer simply goes away. For full terms and conditions, visit www.bestbuy.com/phonefreedom. Not valid in Puerto Rico.

Best Buy's Big Game spot was created by agency CP+B and directed by Wayne McClammy. It was shot in 6 locations in 3 countries. The innovators featured in the spot include:

Philippe Kahn - created the camera phone and MotionX

Philippe Kahn is a technology innovator and entrepreneur who has founded four successful technology companies. Kahn is married to Sonia Lee, who he co-founded Fullpower/MotionX LightSurf and Starfish Software with. They have a daughter Sophie whose memorable camera-phone first pictures dates her birth to June 11th, 1997. Together, Lee and Kahn run an environmental charity, the Lee-Kahn Foundation.

While at LightSurf Technologies, Kahn developed one of the first camera phones. His team at LightSurf built the first end-to end solution for picture messaging, and was the first to share pictures instantly on public networks. LightSurf's core technology, the LightSurf 6 Open Standards MMS Platform, allows users to capture, view, annotate and share multimedia messages with any handset or e-mail address. It was the first commercially deployed inter-carrier MMS solution in North America, with over 400 million media messages shared on Sprint's network. In 2005, LightSurf was acquired by VeriSign.

Ray Kurzweil - invented text-to-speech

Kurzweil was the principal developer of the first CCD flatbed scanner, the first omni-font optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of re-creating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition. Ray has written four nationally best-selling books. His latest book, The Singularity Is Near, was a New York Times bestseller, and has been the #1 book on Amazon in both science and philosophy. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology, has received 19 honorary doctorates, and received awards from three U.S. presidents. KurzweilAI.net, his website on future technology, had more than 2.3 million unique visitors in 2011.

Text-to-speech is utilized on mobile devices by enabling the reading of information for a visually challenged person, or it may be used to augment the reading of a text message or email. It is often used with voice recognition to answer questions.

Neil Papworth - sent the first SMS message

Papworth is currently a software architect at Tekelec in Montreal. A graduate of Thames Valley University, he has been involved in product architecture and software engineering at technology companies for over 20 years.

Papworth is credited with sending the first SMS text message. While working with Sema Group in Newbury, England at age 22, Papworth sent his historic greeting to Richard Jarvis of Vodafone, during a Christmas party. Since cell phones were not yet designed to type out and send individual letters of the alphabet, Papworth sent "Merry Christmas" from a computer keyboard. It took some time for cellphones to evolve into send/receive capability.

Paul & David Bettner - created Words With Friends

Paul and David Bettner are the brothers behind Words With Friends, the word building game that has taken the world by storm by challenging players to create the highest-scoring words on a game board while playing against another opponent - friend or random. They first launched Chess With Friends in November, 2008 followed by Words With Friends in July, 2009. Paul is now Vice President and General Manager of Zynga With Friends based in McKinney, Texas, where David is Studio Director.

Words With Friends is a part of the 'With Friends' franchise, which has grown to four games and continues to connect players with their friends, family and even random opponents through its in-game chat and triple letter words. Available on Facebook, Android devices, iPad, iPhone and iPodtouch, Words With Friends continues to hover at the top of the App Store charts and is currently the number three game on Facebook by DAU according to Appdata.com.

Kevin Systrom - creator of Instagram

After graduating from Stanford in 2006, Systrom spent two years at Google where he worked on Gmail and Google Reader. In 2010, he launched Instagram.

Instagram is a free photo sharing application that allows users to take photos, apply a filter, and share it on the service or variety of other social networking services. It was launched in Apple's App store in October 2010, and by December it had one million registered users.

Jim McKelvey - created Square Mobile Pay

Jim McKelvey is co-founder of Square, a mobile payment platform. A renowned glass blower, he was trying to sell one of his pieces over the phone to a woman in Panama, and lost his sale because he could not accept American Express. He founded Square in 2009 as a way to prevent small business from not being able to accept certain payment cards.

Square was the first mobile payment system for smartphones. The miniature, square shaped, thumb-sized slot plugs into any Android or iPhone/iPad device and allows users to securely swipe credit cards and process instant payment. Instead of charging up to 5 percent of the gross sale like most machines, Square charges a fixed 2.75 percent. McKelvey built the prototype card-readers as Dorsey worked on the software. By the end of 2009, Square had over 100,000 customers, today it has over a million.

Chris Barton and Avery Wang - helped create Shazam

Chris Barton and Avery Wang were two of Shazam's four founders (Philip Inghelbrecht and Dhiraj Mukherjee being the other two). Chris Barton had the original idea for Shazam and sought out "the smartest guy he could find" to build his vision. Avery Wang was that guy. He became the principal inventor of Shazam's recognition algorithms and is still Chief Scientist at Shazam. Barton is currently employed at Dropbox and serves as a Shazam Board observer.

Shazam's roots are in music, enabling people to identify, buy and share music discoveries through an acoustic fingerprint algorithm. This amazing service began even before there were smartphones by delivering a text result to UK fans that dialed 2580 and held their phone towards the music. Today, Shazam connects more than 175 million people, in over 200 countries and 30 languages to the music, TV and brands they love. Shazam works with music labels, TV program producers and broadcasters, as well as every major mobile platform and carrier, making it the world's leading media discovery company - and one of the most popular apps in the market (106)

Shazam is the world's leading media discovery company with more than 175 million people in 200 countries and adding another 1.5 million new users each week. Shazam is the best way for people to discover, explore, buy, and share, music, TV shows and branded content.

For further information about Shazam Entertainment visit www.shazam.com and @ShazamNews or follow us on Facebook. For daily music updates follow the Shazam Blog and @Shazam.

Additional information on all of the innovators featured can be found at http://www.youtube.com/bestbuy.

Best Buy Mobile brings consumers the choice of any carrier, any phone, any plan with lots of unbiased advice at the more than 1,100 Best Buy stores and 279 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores. In addition, it offers an array of services aimed at improving customers' experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy 24 and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their device.

About Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy Mobile was founded in 2006 with a goal of changing the way consumers shop for and purchase mobile phones in America. Today, Best Buy Mobile is in every Best Buy store and also has 279 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores around the country. Best Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends to help customers get the most of their mobile phones. For more information about Best Buy Mobile visit www.bestbuy.com/mobile or www.bestbuymobile.com.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services. Every day our employees - 180,000 strong - are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that enable easy access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun. We are keenly aware of our role and impact on the world, and we are committed to developing and implementing business strategies that bring sustainable technology solutions to our consumers and communities. For information about Best Buy, visit www.bby.com and to shop at Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

Media Contact: Paula Baldwin

Director, Best Buy Public Relations

(612) 291-6126 or Paula.Baldwin@bestbuy.com

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Smartphone statistics and market share

By Mark Brownlow, November 2011

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Smartphone stats

• Gartner estimate worldwide Q3 2011 sales of smartphones at some 115 million: 26% of mobile communication device sales.
• The same company expects US sales of smartphones to grow from 67 million in 2010 to 95 million in 2011, and become the highest-selling consumer electronic device category.
• IDC expect total smartphone sales in 2011 to reach 472 million across the globe, rising to 982 million in 2015. They say 118 million smartphones sold worldwide in Q3 2011.
• Nielsen report that 43% of US mobile phone owners have a smartphone as of October 2011, and expect smartphones to become the majority by the end of 2011.
• comScore estimate US smartphone ownership at just over 37% of mobile subscribers or 87.4 million people as of September, 2011. They put the equivalent figures for France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK combined at 38.9% or 91.4 million people.
• IMS Research expects 420 million smartphones to sell in 2011 or 28% of the mobile handset market. They predict this figure will rise to over 1 billion in 2016 (half the market).
• A Pew Internet Project survey from May 2011 found 35% of US adults owned a smartphone.
• According to figures for 2010 released by Gartner, smartphones accounted for 297 million (19%) of the 1.6 billion mobile phones sold that year. That's 72.1% more smartphone sales than in 2009.
• Morgan Stanley Research estimates sales of smartphones will exceed those of PCs in 2012.

Smartphone operating systems

Gartner's analysis of global Q3 2011 smartphone sales shows the Android operating system dominating market share (rounded to nearest percentage point):

Source: Gartner (November 2011)
A comScore survey from September 2011 for the US gives the following figures:

Huawei Ascend II Written Review by Sydney

Huawei's U.S. offerings have never been particularly impressive. The original Ascend was a severely underpowered, cheap smartphone that barely offered enough performance to scrap by as a modest low-end phone in the market that existed a year ago, when it was released. Back then, a single-core 528 MHz processor and a 3-megapixel camera, though considered weak, were still enough to garner a decent amount of attention in the budget smartphone market. A year later, a 600 MHz processor, 5-megapixel fixed focus camera, and a smaller battery than the original only makes me wonder who Huawei was planning on trying to trick into buying this phone when they created it.
Hey, I appreciate budget phones as much as the next person who lives paycheck to paycheck or someone who doesn't put too much emphasis on technology and just 'wants something that works'. I respect that niche. If you're in that position, there are some excellent options out there. The Huawei Ascend II is not one of them.

Design & Features

Coming in at 4.6-inches tall, 2.4-inches wide, and weighing 4.8 ounces, the Ascend II is a small, lightweight device. It's relatively thin, only .5-inches in depth, and the curved edges and rounded back give it a sleek, comfortable feel. The phone is made entirely out of plastic. The back battery cover has a soft-touch coating. The phone's design is not a sore spot by any means. It's attractive enough for a device in this price range.

The front panel includes the 3.5-inch HVGA (320x480) touchscreen display and four capacitive touch buttons for Home, Menu, Back, and Search, in that order. There's not much to say about the display. It's bright and the touchscreen is responsive. The low resolution means that text is pixelated and graphics appear rough.
The left side of the phone is where you'll find the volume rocker buttons and the right side contains no buttons or ports. The microUSB port is on the bottom spine and the 3.5mm headphone jack and Power/Screen lock button are all on the top spine.
The battery cover easily pops off, though there is no notch for quick removal. Underneath the battery cover is the microSD card slot. The phone ships with a 2GB card and supports up to 32GB of additional memory to supplement its 512MB of internal memory. The phone comes with several apps pre-installed out of the box. These apps cannot be uninstalled.

Usability & Performance

The Ascend II's Qualcomm processor is clocked at 600 MHz, a negligible improvement over the original Ascend's 528MHz processor. The processor scored an 836 on the Quadrant Standard test and a 1,025 on the AnTuTu Benchmark test. Smartbench 2012 kept giving an 'Invalid' error message.
Due to the low amount of RAM, 256MB, multi-tasking generally caused the device to slow down and performance became sluggish. (During testing, I had two active widgets running and updating in the background, along with at least three other programs pulling updates.) On occasion, even the keyboard had a hard time keeping up with my typing and would stall for a few seconds before displaying the text I had already typed. Simple tasks were completed with ease and general everyday performance was smooth, but once I used the phone for more than five minutes or began performing more processor-intense tasks such as web browsing, watching videos, playing games, or viewing the Gallery, the slowness began to frustrate me.

The phone ships with Android 2.3.5 along with a custom skin by Huawei. The skin actually acts more like a launcher in that it allows you to download custom themes and icon packs as well as change the animation when sliding through the home screens. The phone comes with an "Android Theme" that offers a more vanilla Android experience than the default Huawei theme, but Huawei's custom notification panel and widgets are still present no matter what theme you're using. Outside of these options, the home screen features a dock with three customizable shortcuts and two unchangeable shortcuts - one for the app drawer and one that allows you to see all of your home screens. Apps like Messaging, Phone, and Contacts have also received a makeover. Huawei's widgets are large and somewhat cartoonish, as is the UI as a whole. Huawei has not included a custom virtual keyboard. Instead, the phone ships with the Android Gingerbread keyboard and the Swype keyboard.
As expected, the 5-megapixel, fixed focus camera delivered poor picture quality. Without autofocus and a flash, virtually all photos were grainy and looked like they were taken in terrible lighting conditions despite some being taken with two bright lights shining on the objects. Outside shots looked much better but still lacked detail. The Ascend II offers VGA video recording but the audio and video quality were terrible.

The Ascend II is a 3G device and uses U.S. Cellular's EV-DO Revision A network for data. While testing the phone in the Dallas area, I pulled about 300-500kbps for downloads with lows of 24kbps and highs of 667kbps. These speeds are on par with other 3G devices I've tested. Web browsing is subject to data speeds as well as processor performance. Given the phone's slow processor, don't expect much from the web browser. Scrolling is somewhat smooth but the phone lacks multi-touch for pinch-to-zoom so you're relegated to the ancient Plus/Minus buttons. It's no big deal, but the process is definitely much slower, like everything else with this phone.
Huawei went with a 1400 mAh battery for the Ascend II. Considering the phone's small, low-resolution display and low-powered processor, I assumed that the battery, though small, would offer decent longevity. However, the results have been disappointing. With light use, I can get through a full day before it dies, but with normal to heavy use, the battery generally only lasts about half of a day. Keep in mind that battery life depends on your usage habits and your results may be different from the results I got.

Conclusion

All in all, the Ascend II is not a phone I would recommend buying. The price is attractive but U.S. Cellular has better options, even for budget-conscious consumers. Check out the HTC Merge or the Samsung Mesmerize. Both will offer much better performance than the Ascend II. With its slow processor, unimpressive display, and terrible camera, the Ascend II is a phone you should definitely pass on.

Wrap-Up

What's Good: Price; nice customization options with Huawei's UI/launcher; good 3G speeds.
What's Bad: Sluggish processor performance; doesn't handle multi-tasking well; terrible camera quality; no multi-touch; poor battery life.
The Verdict: All things being considered, the Ascend II is not worth your time. I understand it may seem hard to berate a free phone, but the fact is that U.S. Cellular has better options in this price range.

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RIM Co-CEOs Balisillie and Lazaridis to Step Down

Sunday, 7:41 PM   by Eric M. Zeman
updated Sunday, 8:09 PM

Research In Motion's co-CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, will vacate their leadership positions at the BlackBerry maker on Monday. Both men will be replaced by the company's COO, Thorsten Heins. In addition to leaving their roles as CEOs, Balsillie and Lazaridis will also leave the chairman of the board positions. Lazaridis will remain vice chairman of the board, and Balsillie will remain a member of the board. Current board member Barbara Stymiest will become the chairperson of the board overseeing RIM. The company denies that the the leadership change has anything to do with RIM's performance over the past year, during which its stock has lost 75% of its value. Shareholders have voiced frustration with Lazaridis and Balsillie since mid-2011. The new CEO said that the company will continue on its current path, with plans to released its Blackberry 10 platform and associated new smartphones toward the end of the year. Heins said he believes BlackBerry 10 will be a hit with consumers, business users, and developers. Heins also said that if BlackBerry 10 is successful enough, the company might consider licensing it to other hardware vendors. Mike Lazaridis founded RIM in 1984 and was joined later by Balsillie.
more info at Wall Street Journal »
Research In Motion
The Board of Directors of BlackBerry(R) maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM's Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM's Board and Chair of the Board's new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide.

Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, "Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration."

On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, "There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins."

Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. "I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," he said. "I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public's focus to what is most important: "the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees."

Mr. Lazaridis added, "Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward. We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens. I am so confident in RIM's future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company's shares, as permitted, in the open market."

Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential. He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011.

"Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade," Mr. Heins said. "We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim's continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company's future."

Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. "We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt. We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million."

Mr. Heins said, "BlackBerry 7 has been well received. We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10. The reception of our products at this year's Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging."

He continued, "RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry's leadership position."

Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. "As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains," he said. "We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result.

"Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services."

Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada's Group Executive and has been a member of RIM's Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board. Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said: "We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim. He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions. As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company."

Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board's respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future.

"They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry," she said. "It is Canada's largest tech company and one of the largest in the world."

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OTG Protocols By Jane Cohen, eHow Contributor

USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) is part of the USB 2.0 specification, and allows a slave USB device (such as a mobile phone) to become the host of another USB device. You can use OTG to enable certain mobile phones to copy files from a USB mass storage device, or other devices such as cameras. USB On-The-Go includes three protocols--Session Request Protocol (SRP), Attach Detection Protocol (ADP) and Host Negotiation Protocol (HNP).

Session Request Protocol (SRP)

• Session Request Protocol (SRP) allows the USB link to remain unpowered until a device requests power. Controlling the power activity is important for devices such as a mobile phone that use a battery, because it prolongs battery life.

Attach Detection Protocol (ADP)

• Attach Detection Protocol (ADP) allows a device to check and display attachment status. When a device is detected, an A-device will look for connection and give power to the USB bus. A B-device will use Session Request Protocol (SRP).

Host Negotiation Protocol (HNP)

• Host Negotiation Protocol (HNP) allows switching of host/peripheral roles between two OTG dual-role devices. This lets a USB OTG device control data transfer scheduling, so any OTG device is able to initiate data transfer. With HNP, it doesn't matter if you connect two devices incorrectly--the proper device will switch to the slave role.

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Our test for the best cell phone service provider at CES 2012

January 17, 2012 | James Pikover

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At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, everybody wanted to talk. And when they talked on their mobile phones, they put a great deal of stress on the mobile phone carriers. We tried to figure out who handled the load the best.
CES is the biggest technology convention in the US. This year it once again broke attendance records with 153,000 analysts, exhibitors, and journalists. Regardless of your place in the industry, having mobile service in Sin City during the week-long extravaganza is the single-most important thing everyone must have.
To do the testing, I brought along four phones (plus my personal phone), one on each carrier. Here are the phones I used for testing:

• Verizon: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• AT&T: HTC Vivid
• Sprint: Samsung Epic 4G Touch
• T-Mobile: T-Mobile myTouch
• Additional phone: iPhone 4S

All four tested devices work on 4G networks, and both the Galaxy Nexus and Vivid have access to LTE networks. Because I, along with Venturebeat staffers, also covered the show, testing on which cell provider worked best during CES was not purely scientific. It was all real-world testing using data and telephony when there was a need to use the phones. Of course, at CES, that was constantly.
The best overall coverage came from, in a word, Verizon.
Nearly every carrier provided similar call coverage and quality, but data speed and coverage varied wildly. Verizon was the only provider that consistently had solid performance, both over LTE and 3G. All three other cell carriers were in a constant state of flux, but for one specific reason: there was no upstream bandwidth. Sprint had waves of data coverage, where data speeds would fluctuate between 0-300kbps. AT&T and T-Mobile almost consistently had little to no upstream bandwidth.
Testing data speeds with Ookla’s Speedtest.net app, both on and off the show floor, AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks struggled to find any bandwidth. Download speeds ranged from 100-12,000kbps, but it almost never mattered because there was no upstream bandwidth. Suffice it to say, both GSM carriers’ tubes were clogged.
Verizon was the only carrier who almost never dropped a data signal and always had enough bandwidth to download new emails, upload photos and documents, and do so consistently. Sprint regularly received emails and push data faster than Verizon. For hotspot use Verizon had the most stable network, though transfer speeds even over LTE were fairly slow because of the high volume of users. It was enough for mobile and even minimal laptop use.
On the strip, my findings were the same. AT&T, which recently began providing LTE in Las Vegas, was mostly unusable because of so little upstream bandwidth. In tall hotels data speeds were significantly slower, and LTE and even 3G networks were completely dropped the higher up I went. This is an unfortunate problem, especially since most hotels do not have free Wi-Fi. Further off the strip data speeds increased, but not during the main show days.
While Sprint proved to be second best for data, because data fluctuated so much using GPS navigation was surprisingly difficult. Strangely AT&T and T-Mobile didn’t have this problem, and the tested Epic 4G Touch has no problems with the GPS in Los Angeles. Verizon proved to be the best for navigation.
Call quality, as mentioned earlier, was similar across all networks, likely because most communication was done over data during the show. I made calls across all carriers and dropped or could not connect only in poor connection areas, such as hotel parking lots or underground.
In short, here is how each cell provider fared:

• Verizon: the best overall quality. Data was consistently fast enough for work, and was at times better than available Wi-Fi networks. Best hotspot functionality.
• Sprint: poor GPS quality. Regularly had the fastest push notification. Data download and upload speeds were sporadic, but usable.
• AT&T: Fastest potential data transfer, but no upstream bandwidth available the majority of the time. Push notifications work, but use as a hotspot during the show was impossible.
• T-Mobile: Weakest overall quality. Regularly poor data both down and up. Hotspot was consistently too slow for use.

Because most of us enjoy, or attempt to take advantage of the best local cell provider, my recommendation for future attendees or at other conventions is to use a company Mi-Fi card from Verizon.

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Android could grab 50 percent of smartphone market this year

by Lance Whitney January 6, 2012 6:10 AM PST

Android could own half of the global smartphone market this year.
As shipments of Android phones reached 206 million in 2011, Google's mobile OS captured 46 percent of the global market, easily making it the largest smartphone platform, according to Taiwan's Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC).
Such growth paves the way for Android to carve out a 50 percent slice of the market in 2012, says MIC, in a story by Taiwan Economic News. Though Android will retain its firm lead, MIC also predicts that the market will be dominated this year by Apple's iOS with a 19 percent share and Microsoft's Windows Phone with a 13 percent share.
Looking at the major smartphone makers, MIC sees Samsung in the lead with a 21.7 percent share, followed by Apple with 18.7 percent. HTC share's will rise to 10.9 percent. But Nokia and RIM will face a rough climate with their shares dropping to 15.6 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.
Overall, smartphone shipments could hit 614 million this year, a 36 percent jump from the 452 million shipped last year, estimates MIC. For now, smartphone owners account for only around 14 percent of all mobile subscribers around the globe. But as lower-priced smartphones reach consumers, especially in emerging markets, that percentage will grow to 17 percent this year and 40 percent in 2016.
Also eyeing a bright 2012 for smartphones is ABI Research, which expects 3G and 4G phones to account for more than half of all mobile phones shipped for the first time ever. If ABI's shipment estimate of 1.67 billion handsets is on the money, that points to at least 835 million smartphones due to ship this year.

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Looking to eke out more global business, the major smartphone vendors focused on emerging markets last year, notes ABI.
With a varied lineup of smartphones, Samsung has gained strong traction among emerging nations. Apple expanded its sales channels in more emerging countries, capturing healthy sales in China but also targeting South American markets such as Brazil.
Though HTC's core consumer is in North America and Europe, the company had also grabbed more business in China. RIM has been doing well in areas such as Indonesia, which rely heavily on text messaging. And Nokia is hoping for success with Windows Phone launches in India and China during the first quarter of the year.
Still, North America remains the most lucrative market.
"North America may only represent 15 percent of feature and smartphone units shipped globally, but due to the high proportion of high-end smartphone sales, it constitutes 40 percent of total smartphones sold by value," Kevin Burden, ABI's vice president and practice director for mobile devices, said in a statement. "It underscores what is at stake in the patent battles between Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Google, HTC, Microsoft, and even British Telecom."

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2012 Best Cell Phone Provider Comparisons and Reviews

Cell Phone Providers Review by toptenreviews.com

Cell Phone Providers: Keeping in Touch

Cell phones keep you connected, always, to best friends and the latest news. Cell phone providers vary as much as your cell phones, offering everything from unlimited minutes to video calls to internet access plans.

Why Cell Phones?

2012 Best Cell Phone Provider Comparisons and Reviews

TopTenREVIEWS  |  Web Services  |  Home / Lifestyles  |  Cell Phone Providers Review

Rank	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	#7	#8	#9	#10
Excellent    Very Good    Good    Fair    Poor	Verizon Wireless	AT&T	Sprint	T-Mobile	Boost Mobile	Cricket	Virgin Mobile	U.S. Cellular	MetroPCS	TracFone
Reviewer
Overall Rating
Ratings
Plans
Phones & Features
Additional Benefits
Fees
Help & Support
View Specifications	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!	Go!
View Screenshots
Type of Carrier
Contract-based
Prepaid
Plans
Individual Plans
International Plans
Family Plans
Data Plans
Business Plans
Pre-Paid Plans
Unlimited Voice & Text	$89.99	$89.99		$69.99		$40.00	$45.00***	$89.94
Unlimited Voice	$69.99	$69.99		$59.99		$30.00	$35.00***	$69.99
Unlimited Everything			$99.99	$99.99	$50.00	$60.00	$55.00	$114.89	$40.00
Phones & Features
Free Phones Available
Free Mobile-to-Mobile Minutes
Free Nights and Weekend Minutes					**
Free Domestic Long Distance
Walkie-Talkie (PTT)
Refurbished Phones
Night Start Time	9:00 PM	9:00 PM	7:00 PM	9:00 PM				9:00 PM
Rollover Minutes
Additional Benefits
Voice Mail
Caller ID
Call Waiting
Call Forwarding
3-Way Calling
Conference Calling
Roadside Assistance
No Credit Checks
Fees
Roaming Charges						$.25		$.69	$.19
Activation Fee	$35.00	$36.00	$36.00	$35.00		$15.00		$30.00
Contract Length	2 Years	2 Years	2 Years	2 Years				2 Years
Early Termination Fee	$175.00*	$150.00	$200.00	$200.00				$150.00
Days to Return Phone & Cancel Service	30	30	30	30				30
Help/Support
Live Chat
Phone Support
Email
FAQs
Reviewer Comments

*Verizon Wireless charges a $175.00 Early Termination Fees for most phones. However, for phones that it refers to as Advanced Devices, which generally refers to smarthphones, the ETF is $350.00. **With select plans.***These plans include unlimited web, data, messaging and email service. The $35/month plan provides 300 anytime talk minutes while the $45/month plan provides 1200 anytime talk minutes.

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Why Cell Phones?

Let's face it: cell phones are just about a necessity in today's busy world. Whether you use your cell phone to ask your spouse what to get at the grocery store or to conduct international business, these handy devices have become an integral part of mainstream society.
While there's no doubt that cell phones are useful, figuring out the best service provider and plan can be a nightmare. Cell phone providers compete for your business using jargon, and it's sometimes difficult to compare rates. They offer different phones and services, so figuring out which will best suit your needs can be a hassle, especially since most providers want you to sign a one- or two-year contract, which often eliminates the ability to test out the service.
In this site, we cut through the jargon and give you simple-to-understand reviews of top cell phone providers like Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint. You'll also find articles like "Need-To-Know Mobile Acronyms" about choosing a cell phone and how to deal with authorized resellers and recent new stories to help you make an informed decision on which cell phone provider is right for you. You can also get some of the latest cell phone tech information by reading our article “What Does 4G Mean to Me?”
At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

Cell Phone Providers: What to Look For

You need a cell phone provider who offers the widest selection of features and avoids hidden charges and costs. Excellent customer service is also necessary.
Even though each cell phone provider offers many different plans—ranging in price and plan availability—we‘ve made a point of highlighting the various unlimited voice, messaging and data plans that have become prominent recently. In addition to these, most cell phone providers offer more restrictive plans for those who don’t need quite so much, and premium features that only add a few dollars to your monthly bill.
Below are the criteria that TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate cell phone providers.

Plans
Cell phone providers package features such as the number of voice minutes available, text messaging and data access in ways that they hope will be appealing to customers. Their goal is to create feature combinations that will maximize revenue. As consumers, the critical measure is that the plan meets individual needs without paying for features that won’t be used. Our reviews will help you sort out which plan is best for you.

Phones & Features
The variety of cell phones available from carriers is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. Most of the talk these days centers around smartphones and other advanced devices that take advantage the mobile internet. Carriers love to promote these phones because data plans are more profitable than voice alone. Even today’s most basic cell phones offer standard features that would have made them cutting-edge products a very short time ago.

Additional Benefits
Providers offer a lot more than just convenient ways to make phone calls. Some carriers are particularly good about providing apps that help make the most of your device, while others may offer particularly attractive streaming entertainment options. The key is finding the one that offers the features that you want, need and can afford.

Fees
Everybody hates hidden fees and cell phone bills are notorious for being more than expected. Among the most potentially dangerous fees are those for roaming. Activation or early termination fees may also be charged. Almost inevitably, though there are a couple of exceptions, there are governmental taxes, fees and pass-throughs to be paid. We’ll help you make sense of it all.

Help & Support
Cell phone providers should offer extensive support, including phone support, an online FAQs page, live chat and an email contact address. We’re very critical of companies that fall short in this area.

Whether your needs are purely personal or business-related, the right phone and plan from the right service provider will make a world of difference, so you can stay in touch!

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