It’s said that Samsung will host an event on that day to unveil the new smartphone, with a release window sometime during the second week in April. As for invitations, it’s rumored that they should be arriving in inboxes shortly after Mobile World Congress later this month, which seems quite logical at this point.

The Galaxy S IV will make its way to European countries first, starting in April as previously mentioned, and then it will hit the States beginning sometime in either May or June. The Galaxy S III launched in Europe before it hit the US, this release schedule for the S IV certainly makes sense. Even the Galaxy S II had the same fate.

However, Galaxy S IV rumors and speculation have been all over the place lately, so we’re definitely keeping the salt by our sides until we hear something from Samsung. However, many of the rumors point to an announcement date and a release window of sometime during the spring, so it’s safe to say that we’ll be hearing more about the new phone at some point shortly.

[via SamMobile]

The rumored April launch goes right along with a couple of other rumors that we’ve heard in the past, but the March 22 announcement date is new. According to the Asia Economic News, Samsung will host its own press event in the US to unveil the Galaxy S IV on March 22. Some previous rumors pointed to a possible announcement at Mobile World Congress in February, but a lone press event seems more the company’s speed.

According to SamMobile, the company has changed the project codename of the Galaxy S IV from Project J to Project Altius, and the Korean-based company plans to start shipping the new phone starting on April 15. The Galaxy S IV also looks to be taking a page from Apple’s book and is said to arrive in two colors: black or white.

SamMobile also says that the Galaxy S IV will, indeed, have wireless charging capabilities. Samsung will sell a separate dock and back cover for the device, and will make the wireless charging kit available a couple of weeks after the phone’s launch. The battery inside of the Galaxy S IV is said to be packing 2600mAh of juice. To compare, the Galaxy S III uses a 2100mAh battery.

[via SamMobile]

Multiple Korean sources are saying that the new phone will land in April, and the accompanying S Pen feature hints that Samsung is allegedly looking to bring some of the best features of their Note series to the flagship Galaxy S IV, which wouldn’t be too terribly surprising, even considering how different the two devices are just from the screen size alone.

The alleged April 2013 release windows is right on the money with a previous rumor that we heard at the beginning of the month, saying that Samsung was working on “Project J” that is set for an April 2013 announcement. However, an announcement and an actual release are completely different, so we’re not really sure what to believe at this point.

It’s rumored that the Galaxy S IV will come with a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a quad-core Exynos 5440 chip, a 13-megapixel rear auto-focus camera, and will feature a slightly thicker 9.2mm body, a change that would make the S IV very Note-like this time around, and would explain the S Pen functionality.

[via PhoneArena]

SamMobile reports that their sources have said a new device known internally as “Project J” will be announced in April of next year, and they say it’s the Galaxy S IV, which is currently rumored to come with a 5-inch 1080p display, and quad-core processor, a couple gigabytes of RAM, and a 13MP camera.

The same sources also point to a cheaper Galaxy Note II to launch in Europe and will have lower specs than the current Note II. It’s said that the device won’t come with a stylus and no AMOLED display technology either. Furthermore, a competitor to ASUS’ Transformer tablet series is also rumored to be on the way from Samsung. It’s said that the company wants to bring a 13.3-inch tablet to the market with QWERTY keyboard dock accessory. However, no other details were given about the possible tablet.

Frankly, we’re not too surprised by the Galaxy S IV rumor. It’s already made its way through the rumor mill several times, and now it seems like we’re merely just waiting for it to release, with the rumors almost annoyingly getting in our way. However, the Note II and new tablets rumors are fresh, and we’re interested to see where Samsung might go with this if the rumors turn out to be true.

[via SamMobile]

A 13MP camera wouldn’t be crazy, but we also shouldn’t get our hopes up too soon. Samsung’s Galaxy Note II was supposed to have a 13MP sensor, but the company went with the old 8MP sensor instead because Sony couldn’t make enough due to other phones that they had deals with. However, it might be different this time around, and Samsung could be going all-in for 2013.

On top of the camera and chipset rumors, we heard a few days ago that Samsung would be unveiling their own 5-inch 1080p smartphone display at CES 2013, in order to take on HTC who launched the first device in the US to have a 5-inch 1080p screen. Some are saying that Samsung’s rumored 5-incher will be used in their Galaxy S IV.

While we should expect a powerhouse of a device with the Galaxy S IV, we’ll be taking these rumors with a grain of salt until we hear more info about it, hopefully at CES come January. It’s rumored that the Galaxy S IV will be officially revealed at Mobile World Congress, though, which happens in late February. However, Samsung has said that the February launch date for the GSIV are “not true,” so we’re not really sure when to expect the new phone.

[via GSMArena]

The full list includes the Galaxy S 4G, each of the Galaxy S II devices that’ve been released in the USA over the past year, and the Droid Charge, Galaxy Prevail, and Galaxy S Showcase. These devices were each found “guilty” so to speak of patent infringement in one way or another in the 3-week court case that had its verdict read at the end of last week. This Apple vs Samsung trial has been what many have labeled the most important technology-related legal trial of the year as both sides of the battle are major players in the ever-growing mobile gadget market.

• Galaxy S 4G
• AT&T Galaxy S II (AT&T)
• Galaxy S2 Skyrocket
• T-Mobile Galaxy S II
• Galaxy S2 II Epic 4G
• Galaxy S Showcase
• Droid Charge
• Galaxy Prevail

We’ve had hands-on looks and reviews done of many of the devices you see above, each of their linked names leading to a post containing said material. These devices appeared in the full Amended verdict that was released over the weekend as well. The Samsung Galaxy S II line has been on the market for over a year with the international version of the original device not appearing here as it’s not sold inside the states. Similar trials are happening currently in several countries around the world.

A similar case in Korea recently results in not only Samsung smartphone bans, but the banning of Apple products as well. This South Korean case banned the iPhone, the iPad, and the Samsung Galaxy S II from being sold inside the country until further notice. Back in the USA, only one device is currently banned from Samsung’s sales lineup, and it’s about to be on appeal since it was not found to infringe on Apple’s patents in the case at hand: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Have a peek at our timeline below to see other key points in this trial and stay tuned to the main news feed to see if Apple does indeed get a court order on Samsung to stop the sales of their best-selling smartphones. Note also that the Galaxy S II lineup is still in stores as the Galaxy S III is now Samsung’s hero lineup – also available in stores across the USA right this minute.

Some of the un-changed rulings sit in this document as well, including the ruling that said Apple was unable to keep their “trade dress” for the iPhone and iPad, but that the iPhone 3GS trade dress would stand. This ruling allows Apple to continue to seek damages against manufacturers that create smartphones with a look that’s significantly similar to the shape of the iPhone 3GS. It also sets a prescient for Apple’s next devices in the iPhone 5 and possible iPad mini / iPad Air of the future. As for damages changed in this ruling, they are as follows (in $ USD):

Captivate . . . . . . . . . .80,840,162

Continuum . . . . . . . . . .16,399,117

Droid Charge. . . . . . . . .50,672,869

Epic 4G. . . . . . . . . . .130,180,894

Exhibit 4G . . . . . . . . . .1,081,820

Fascinate. . . . . . . . . .143,539,179

Galaxy Ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Galaxy Prevail. . . . . . . .57,867,383

Galaxy S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Galaxy S 4G . . . . . . . . .73,344,668

Galaxy S II (AT&T). . . . . .40,494,356

Galaxy S II (i9000). . . . . . . . . .0

Galaxy S II (T-Mobile). . . .83,791,708

Galaxy S II (Epic 4G Touch).100,326,988

Galaxy S II (Skyrocket) . . .32,273,558

Galaxy S (Showcase) . . . . .22,002,146

Galaxy Tab . . . . . . . . . .1,966,691

Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi . . . . . .833,076

Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE . . . . . . . .0

Gem. . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,075,585

Indulge . . . . . . . . . . .16,011,184

Infuse 4G . . . . . . . . . .44,792,974

Intercept. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Mesmerize . . . . . . . . . .53,123,612

Nexus S 4G . . . . . . . . . .1,828,297

Replenish. . . . . . . . . . .3,350,256

Transform. . . . . . . . . . . .953,060

Vibrant . . . . . . . . . . .89,673,957

Several of these devices were originally costing Samsung quite a bit more than zero – not a mistake that Samsung is taking lightly. Check out the full first amended verdict form here in PDF format. Per Groklaw, there’ve been some comments from the jury that the following was true once the first ruling was found to be incorrect:

The jury appears to have awarded damages for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE infringing — $219,694 worth — but didn’t find that it had actually infringed anything….A similar inconsistency exists for the Intercept, for which they’d awarded Apple over $2 million.

Intercept: “The jury found no direct infringement but did find inducement” for the ’915 and ’163 utility patents. If a device didn’t infringe, it would be rather hard for a company to induce said non-existant infringement.

These quotes are also listed on live coverage of the reading of the events from The Verge who sat in on the trial. Stay tuned to our coverage of the trial as it continues on well past the reading of the verdict. Expect Samsung and Apple to stay at war for months to come, and for the results of this trial to be quite long-lasting as well!

Not only that, but the Galaxy Note continues to see strong sales, up from 5 million units in March to 7 million today. In total, 24 million Galaxy S phones have entered sales channels since the June 2010 launch, while 28 million Galaxy S IIs have been shifted in just a year.

The latest figures join news that the Galaxy S III is the fastest pre-ordered smartphone in the UK, with the phone already amassing 9 million pre-orders from retailers and carriers worldwide. The phone has suffered some delays, however: the Pebble Blue version of the device is said to have a manufacturing defect with the back cover of the phone, leading to a milky white appearance after prolonged use. Samsung has said it’s trying to fix the problem and Pebble Blue phones should be hitting retailers shortly, but if you want to pick up a phone today you’ll have to make do with Marble White.

[via The Next Web]

The Galaxy S Advance has a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 800×480 resolution, which we’re assuming is the same PenTile matrix used on the original Galaxy S. Specs otherwise include a 1Ghz dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 8/16GB of storage, five megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, and a 1,500mAh battery. There’s also a microSD slot for cards up to 32GB, HSPA connectivity will jack you in at up to 14.4Mbit/s, and it all comes in a relatively slim package at 9.69mm thick.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy S Advance is running Gingerbread, and Samsung hasn’t indicated whether or not the phone will be seeing an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s certainly not lacking in the power department, and we have to wonder why it simply didn’t come with ICS out of the box.

Samsung say that Phones4u and Vodafone will both be offering the handset, and Clove has the handset in stock right now for £322.80 (~$522.75).

Samsung say that anyone still using Eclair and Froyo should update to Gingerbread before installing the new pack. When they do so, they’ll be privy to the following features:

• Face Unlock
• Photo capture during video recordings
• The ability to adjust font size in certain applications
• Additions and improvements to the Launcher as well as folders

Users will need Kies 2.0 in order to upgrade their device, as well as the necessary free space to install the update. Samsung also provided updates for the Galaxy K and Galaxy U phones. There’s no word yet on when the Value Pack will be coming to other countries.

While customers may have been disappointed to find that they wouldn’t be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich on their Galaxy S, the ICS update for the Galaxy S II showed that Samsung are determined to keep the TouchWiz aesthetic. Part of the draw of Ice Cream Sandwich was a completely retooled UI, which is completely hidden under TouchWiz on the ICS Galaxy S II update.

It’s not all bad news: if you enjoy rooting your device and installing custom ROMs, there are fully functional Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs available for the Galaxy S on xda-developers. As always, proceed with caution before installing anything, as you could potentially brick your device.

[via Samsung Tomorrow]

Hardware

This device is fantastic for your everyday average Android user. We’ve reached a point where a dual-core processor like this one has is normal yet the camera isn’t quite as powerful as its siblings. Samsung has done this because with a slightly less powerful camera, a few down-grades from the Samsung Galaxy S II, this device is able to be offered at a relatively low price. That said, you’ll see below that the camera does wonders regardless of its less than the best rating.

Next notice that this device looks quite a bit different from other Samsung devices on the back – actually looking more like a touchscreen BlackBerry than anything else. The back casing is a little bit slippery if you’re used to Samsung’s otherwise textured line of Galaxy S II devices which fit in the hand fantastically and slip-free. That’s the only downfall of this entire device’s physical build.

Software

The user interface you’re seeing here you should remember quite well from each of the different iterations of the Galaxy S II we’ve seen, especially the T-Mobile versions. This is the most recent version of TouchWiz from Samsung over Android 2.3 Gingerbread – a great vision for Android if I do say so myself, complete with many customizable features and nice additions by the big S. Have a peek at the device’s software (and a bit of the hardware) here:

The network speed here is 42Mbps HSPA+ via T-Mobile and it certainly appears to be doing better than ever. It’s certainly not the fastest and most complete network we’ve seen, even here in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, but it’s certainly pretty good. This example is a good average for what we’ve been seeing with the device thus far:

This device also runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 dual-core processor at 1.5Ghz, this allowing the device to perform at a much higher level than any Galaxy S original series device. It’s keeping up with the rest of the top-tier devices without trying too hard, getting you ready for the quad-core world of later this year – prepare yourself!

Camera / Battery

This device has a lovely 5-megapixel camera backing it up, which in some cases would be a big draw-back for a device as otherwise powerful as this. Instead though, specifically because you’re working with a Samsung device, they’ve put enough work into the camera that it works great despite it not having the full 8-megapixels we’d expect out of a top-tier device these days. Have a peek at some examples here:

The battery life on this device has been fairly standard, working at a full day (or 14 hours) without needing a charge after relatively heavy use. This device also has the ability to stream videos over its 4G connection for about 4 to 5 hours, and light use will yield something like a day and a half if you’re extremely careful about what you tap on.

Wrap-Up

Here in the Galaxy S Blaze 4G you’ve got a step between the Galaxy S II line and the original Galaxy S line. If you’re looking to spend just a bit less than you’d otherwise be dropping on the hero Galaxy S II line here on T-Mobile, this is your winner. You can grab this phone from T-Mobile today and you’ll not regret your decision to do so – unless of course you’re waiting for the Galaxy S III, a device which will trump this one in both the power and price departments. That’s your cross to bear!

You can grab the new Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G from T-Mobile right this second on their [online store for $150] after a $50 mail-in rebate and a 2-year agreement.

Samsung normally holds its big exclusive mobile product announcements in New York City, but it has sent out an invite to media in France for the event. As a result, it is perhaps not a slam dunk that this is a Galaxy S III event. But knowing that’s the only Samsung thing that anyone has on his or her mind right now, it certainly is a popular assumption. The device is expected to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, contain a Super AMOLED HD display, and include a massive quad-core processor, 12-megapixel camera, and more.

When it confirmed that Galaxy S III would be a no-show at MWC, Samsung provided only a vague detail that the unveiling would happen before June. Earlier today, there were rumors that surfaced, pegging the smartphone with a May release date. So in order to build the right amount of hype, a March 22 event unveiling sounds just about right. Hopefully we won’t be disappointed. Let’s hope it isn’t just some European phone that no one cares about.

[via Unwired View]

This device will be released very soon as the Lumia 710 has been launched today (today being the 11th of January, 2012,) and will be taking on the mid-tier of devices currently dominating those users new to the smartphone game. Android being versatile enough to work on essentially any quality device, we’re glad to see that such lovely beast as this to take on the market with one of the least expensive dual-core chips on the market.

That said, pricing has not yet been made available, and no details on if this device will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich have been given. Samsung has dedicated itself to bringing one whole heck of a lot of their devices to the newest version of Android, this certainly not one to miss out on the party come early this spring or summer.

While devices like the Galaxy S II and the newer Galaxy Tab models like the 10.1 and 8.9 will certainly get the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich within the first half of 2012 (or so we’ve been told,) we can expect less than that from the previous generation now. Samsung is now saying they’re considering what they’re calling a “Value Pack” which will be a software update bringing features like “improved web browsing” and “multi-tasking” as well as new widgets to bring the user experience still on Gingerbread as close as possible to Ice Cream Sandwich without actually updating to the new software. We’ve yet to see exactly what this means in real life.

Samsung offered a similar situation up to the masses working with Wave 525 and 533 devices earlier this month. Where what users might have wanted ideally was an update to those device’s next generation software, bada 2.0, they instead offered up a Value Pack upgrade with the “same bada 2.0 user experience and service as much as possible despite the hardware limitations.” You must please all, Samsung, all of them at once!

[via Sammy Hub]

The explanation, however, seems inconsistent since the Android 4.0 update is already being rolled out to Samsung’s Nexus S, which features similar internal hardware. The Galaxy S packs the same 1GHz Hummingbird processor and enough memory for ICS.

Hence, what’s really preventing the ICS update is Samsung’s custom TouchWiz interface and a host of other “experience enhancing” software that already take up a lot of resources. Although the hardware is the same, the Nexus S, unlike the Galaxy S, does not need to deliver TouchWiz, carrier services, video calling software, and mobile TV.

[via The Verge]

While you might feel like the device in the upper right-hand corner of the presentation slide above looks awfully like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (aka Nexus Prime) we saw in a video last week, you’d be totally wrong! Or it could be that they’re one in the same device, OR it could be that Samsung will produce one, modify it, and release it again with a different name. We’re sure as heck still in the dark on that one. Meanwhile what we’ve got here is one amazing device, it seems, complete with specifications that blow away the current generation of devices by a long shot.

This Galaxy S III is set to have a dual-core Samsung Exynos 4212 1.8GHz dual-core processor, a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Plus HD display, 2GB or RAM, and a 12 megapixel camera on the back. The source who provided this image to Phandroid has reported that the numbers aren’t quite solid yet, and that this screen is certainly just a jumping off point for the future device, especially the mystical PenTile-less Super AMOLED Plus HD display. The camera will have a W750 BSI CMOS sensor, the phone will run on LTE, and of course the whole thing will be able to work with Google Wallet via built-in NFC.

Also note that the same source says that although it seems that this device will be running on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it will retain its four physical buttons below the display. This seems strange, and indeed there is at least one more indicator that this screen might be fake: the original Galaxy S appears here to have shipped with another Exynos processor when we know that it most certainly did not. Turn you away? It’s still fun to dream.

[via Android Community]

According to FOSS Patents, the preliminary injunction only applies in member countries of the European Patent Organization where a specific Apple software patent is valid. There are several countries in which the patent was not made valid because Apple did not complete the filing and pay the costs. Those countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Spain.

Also, Samsung’s Korean parent company is not bound by the ruling, but the company’s primary European distribution hub is believed to be in the Netherlands. Samsung will have to reorganize its logistics chain in Europe before the ruling takes effect in about 7 weeks. The deadline for the decision was originally set for September 15 with any injunctions to take effect after October 13, but the Dutch courts delivered their decision early, which will also give Samsung more time to regroup.

This more extensive filing against Samsung in the Netherlands comes after Apple’s filing in Germany, which initially issued an Europe-wide preliminary injunction on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but was later reversed to be effective in Germany only. Apple had also successfully hindered Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Australia.

[via FOSS Patents]

This device is not yet available, but once it is, you’ll have the ability to connect it to a no contract unlimited $45 30-day plan which includes talk, text, web, and calls to 411. Of course this plan is subject to quite a few limitations, as a truly unlimited plan for $45 a month would otherwise be the best deal in the USA without question. Instead there are a few limitations as outlined in the Terms and Conditions at the StraightTalkAndroid website, Straight Talk being the group you’ll be working with to get voice and data on the device:

The Straight Talk Unlimited Plans MAY NOT be used for any other purpose.  Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous mobile to mobile or mobile to landline voice calls; (ii) automated text or picture messaging to another mobile device or e-mail address; (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games; (iv) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or (v) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections.  This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services and/or redirecting television signals for viewing on laptops is prohibited. A person engaged in prohibited uses may have his/her service terminated without notice or a refund.

This device has Android 2.2 FroYo installed on it out of the box, has an unnamed 800mhz processor inside, a 3.2-inch touchscreen display at 320 x 480 pixels, a 2 megapixel camera on the back, 384MB of RAM, microSD card slot capable of holding up to a 32GB microSD card, and Bluetooth. You’ll be working with Straight Talk as a carrier and you will indeed have the Android Market installed out of the box as well. A little monster for those without the bigtime cash to have a 2-year plan.

According to recent NPD report, Samsung takes the lead in the U.S. smartphone market with a 23 percent market share, followed by LG and then Apple. Samsung’s semiconductor division that supplies tablet components and other devices is also doing well with a 70 percent increase. However, despite the success in smartphones and tablet components, Samsung gives a cautious forecast:

We forecast that the challenging business conditions will persist in the second quarter, effected by lingering worries over the global economy and tight competition in consumer electronics and mobile businesses

Samsung is also in the midst of a legal battle with Apple. Despite being Apple’s major components supplier, Samsung has been slapped with a patent suit from Apple saying that their Galaxy series smartphones and tablets intentionally copy the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung has fought back with its own patent suit, and adding one more just recently.

With Samsung’s other divisions, such as its LCD panels, TVs, and PC components, failing to perform, it will be important that they protect their smartphone and tablet division with the onslaught of rivals while battling Apple over patents.

[via MobileDia]

Apple filed the lawsuit on April 15 in the Northern District of California stating that specific Samsung products—as listed above—violated Apple’s intellectual property infringing on a number of the company’s patents. The filing document claims that Samsung not only copied the hardware shape, but copied core technology to even the screen icons. A glance at Apple’s 2009 and 2010 patents juxtaposed with Samsung’s Galaxy devices does show an astounding resemblance.

“Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,” the lawsuit said.

Apple is seeking injunctions, actual damages, punitive damages, and a finding of willful infringement.

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” said an Apple representative. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

This will surely complicate the relationship between the two companies, as Samsung currently supplies various components for Apple’s iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod—touch, nano, and shuffle— as well as the flash components in Apple’s latest MacBook Air. Not only this, but Samsung manufactures Apple’s A4 and A5 processors, RAM modules, and display technologies.

Samsung has yet to comment, but we’ll keep you posted on further developments.

[via All Things Digital]

Android Community’s not only got some lovely photos of this unit, they’ve continued our insertion of the cool Android toy series man, this one from the second series that’s not even out for sale yet! We picked up a few whilst out in Barcelona. This phone has HSPA+ support on T-Mobile’s USA network, has a very similar row of your usual touch-sensitive keys under the display, and comes with the ability to download Inception from a hub out of the box. So weird!

Galaxy S 4G comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, though we’re apt to switch to something like ADW Launcher asap as TouchWiz really isn’t our favorite. Have a look over at Android Community for a fuller look at the phone, and stay tuned there for a full review — we should be getting our unit for review any day now!

[via Android Community]

Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S phones in 2010, and they are probably on track to sell at least that many Galaxy S II phones once they are available. And Exynos is a brand new SoC, with a brand new GPU for Samsung that Samsung has never shipped. This may be risky, considering the demand that Samsung is facing in markets around the world.

NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 is nearly equivalent in CPU performance, and better in GPU and Flash performance (see the benchmarks posted by AnandTech yesterday), so it is a pretty good alternative to the Exynos SoC.

Samsung listed its own dual-core Application Processor in the Galaxy S II as not being used in all regions, which may mean that Samsung could choose to use Tegra 2 or Exynos depending on the region.

[via AnandTech]

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Sony PlayStation Suite & PS Store for Android gaming
Sony NGP is “next generation portable” PSP2
Notion Ink Battles Insinuations of Unevenly Bright Screens, Broken Cameras, Customer Service Stalls
Samsung will ship half of its processors to Apple in 2011
Speck Debuts new Covers and Sleeves for the MacBook Air 11” and 13”
Official IRS App for iOS and Android
“Touch the Magic” as Disney launches its own Android phone
State of the Internet 2010
iPhone 4 Class Action Lawsuit after “Glass Gate”
George Lucas Mines Star Wars Movies for Last Scrap of Un-merchandised Content in “Frames”
Coconut fiber concept iPad case straight out of Gilligan’s Island
AT&T grabs #1 spot from Verizon as nation’s largest carrier
Verizon iPhone – New pre-order details available
Lenovo and NEC team up for PCs and smartphones
More Action And Fewer Cutscenes In Video Games, Please
Double USB – It goes both ways
Netbook shipments expected 18% decline
Sony NGP to come in 3G and WiFi-only versions
Verizon HTC Thunderbolt to do simultaneous voice & 3G data?
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play caught in wild [FEATURED]

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

The Galaxy S 4G will feature a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, just as we’ve seen on all the other Galaxy S-branded Android-powered handsets from Samsung over the last few months. And yes, the Galaxy S 4G will run Android 2.2 under the hood, better known as Froyo. It will be able to take advantage of T-Mobile’s (theoretical) speeds up to 21 Mbps.

Further details about the handset, like how fast the processor will be, or how much RAM and memory will be thrown in to the package, remain to be seen. Pricing and a release date are missing, too. However, T-Mobile says they are coming in a few weeks, so stay tuned. Full press release below.

Press Release

T-Mobile to Deliver Fastest Smartphone Running on America’s Largest 4G Network

Galaxy S 4G Offers Rich Entertainment Experience at Lightning-Fast Speeds

BELLEVUE, Wash., and DALLAS — Jan. 20, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today revealed the Galaxy S™ 4G, exclusively from T-Mobile.

According to T-Mobile, the Galaxy S 4G will be the fastest smartphone running on America’s Largest 4G Network™. Powered by Android™ 2.2 (Froyo), the Galaxy S 4G is T-Mobile’s first smartphone capable of delivering theoretical peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps, delivering rich entertainment experiences at even faster speeds through its brilliant Super AMOLED touch screen display.

T-Mobile’s 4G network, America’s largest 4G network, is currently available in 100 major metropolitan areas, reaching approximately 200 million people nationwide. With aggressive plans to expand and double the speed of its 4G network in 2011, T-Mobile expects that 140 million Americans in 25 major metropolitan areas will have access to these increased 4G speeds by midyear.

“With Galaxy S 4G, T-Mobile will deliver its fastest smartphone yet on America’s largest 4G network, providing rich entertainment virtually whenever and wherever consumers want,” said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “And with 4G data plans from $10 per month, we’re making blazing-fast 4G speeds and super smartphone experiences easily accessible to the millions who crave them.”

More information on the Galaxy S 4G from T-Mobile will be available in the coming weeks.

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere. See coverage details at T-Mobile.com. 4G used in connection with the Galaxy S™ 4G product name refers to the fact that the Galaxy S™ 4G is designed with HSPA+ technology.

# # #

About T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the third quarter of 2010, approximately 130 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.8 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world’s most widely-used digital wireless standards. Today, T-Mobile operates America’s largest 4G network, and is delivering a compelling 4G experience across a broad lineup of leading devices in more places than competing 4G services. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of Deutsche Telekom management with respect to future events. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project” and “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates, and projections, and therefore you should not place too much reliance on them. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Deutsche Telekom’s control, including, without limitation, those factors set forth in “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” contained in Deutsche Telekom’s annual report on Form 20-F filed on February 28, 2010. If these or other risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of these statements prove incorrect, Deutsche Telekom’s actual results may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Deutsche Telekom does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 174,000 people in 193 offices across 66 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

According to a leak that was tipped over to Android Central, it looks like the Fascinate may be seeing Android 2.2, and Adobe’s Flash Player, by the end of 2010. The photo, which shows a comparison chart of devices available on Verizon, compares the Fascinate to the recently released Droid 2, and Droid X — both manufactured by Motorola, and brandishing the Droid trademark. However, it’s curious to note that the Droid X is listed as having Android 2.1 under the hood, and not 2.2, which is telling us that this comparison chart isn’t exactly new.

So while we’re still hoping that the Fascinate for Verizon does indeed get updated to 2.3 before the start of 2011, especially with rumors that Sprint’s variation, the Epic 4G, is getting updated in just a couple of days, we’ll have to hold our breath a bit longer, we imagine. Hopefully Samsung’s and Verizon’s plans for the upgrade haven’t changed since this chart was released.

[via Android Community]

The announcement was made just a bit ago so the traffic and waiting queues to download the update should still be decent. The Samsung support site also has the full Froyo version of the user manual for download as well.

Samsung made the update official via a Tweet that read, “We have some good news for the festive season; 2.2 is now available for the Galaxy S on all networks. For more info – http://bit.ly/fELjjK”

Via Android Community

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
Google Hotpot NFC stickers will work with Nexus S [NFC SUPER COOLNESS]
Notion Ink prompting concerns with lack of hardware demo, sky-high return fees [Updated] [ZIP UP YOUR WALLETS AND WAIT]
Google smash, freeze & burn 25 Cr-48 Chrome OS notebooks in praise of the cloud [Video] [KILL EM ALL! BUT KEEP ONE FOR ME]
Speakal outs Cool iPig iPhone dock system [SO CUTE PIGGY PIGGY]

SlashPhone
HTC Legend Gets Android 2.2 Update Across Europe
Android 2.3 Update To Hit Samsung Galaxy S Smartphone
Costco to Stop Selling Apple Devices

Android Community
Epic has no immediate plans to bring Infinity Blade to Android gamers
Dell confirms AT&T-locked Streak Froyo update in Jan 2011
Google NFC Hotpot stickers will pull Places into your Gingerbread phone [NFC]
Howard Stern content coming to XM Radio app
Notion Ink doubts surface: questions first, pre-orders later [Updated]
LG Optimus One Series Will Receive Android 2.3

SlashGear
Novatel sue ZTE and Franklin Wireless over alleged MiFi patent infringement
US military force removable media lock-down to prevent WikiLeaks sequel
DZdock was created by an 11-year-old
Microsoft add Windows Phone 7 download reports to App Hub; pull forward royalty payouts
Gran Turismo 5 sells like donuts at a police convention
Apple iTunes Rewind 2010 highlights hot trends in iOS apps
Anonymous to stop DDoS attacks and start spamming Wikileaks content?
Patriot Memory launches Supersonic USB 3.0 drive
GelaSkins launches skins for new MacBook Air models
iKit unveils cool FM transmitter for iPod/iPhone with touchscreen
UMID is no more according to Dynamism
Engineer builds working reproduction of Greek Antikythera Mechanism from Lego
HTV Evo gets Ballistic HD case protection
Speakal outs Cool iPig iPhone dock system
RJI survey looks into how people use their iPad
Orbotix Sphero remote-control game ball due at CES 2011
Amazon WikiLeaks ebook back on sale as retailer denies hypocrisy
First “Operation Payback” DDoS arrest made; WikiLeaks denies involvement
iPad 2 dual-camera rumors refuse to die: “slimmer, lighter & better resolution”
Google smash, freeze & burn 25 Cr-48 Chrome OS notebooks in praise of the cloud [Video]
Mathmos Smart Astro lava lamp adds LEDs to 60s classic
Mac App Store will lack in-app payments & Game Center at launch
Sprint 4G tablet plans confirmed: PlayBook, HTC EVO Shift 4G or something else?
Notion Ink prompting concerns with lack of hardware demo, sky-high return fees [Updated]
Second Windows Phone 7 update due at MWC 2011 tip developers
Rock Paper Robot “Float” table is tactile bundle of magnetic cubes [Video]

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

Nexus S

This is the newest Android-based phone on the market and the first to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This is the fastest version of Android currently on the market, and this phone is announced to be carried exclusively on T-Mobile and you can only buy it from Best Buy (at least at first.) This phone runs Android 2.3 and is developed with input from the Android crew, thusly it of course runs Android UI. Radio connectivity is Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700 HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps), battery is Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) with a possible 6 hours of talk time and 428 hours of stand-by. There’s no removable storage, 512MB of RAM, and 16384MB of internal storage. Connect with 802.11 b/g/n Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS tracking. This phone is 63.0mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm (w x h x d) and weights in at 129.0 grams. It has a 4 inch screen with WVGA 800 x 480 resolution. Inside you’ll find a 1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor, around the edges you’ll see USB 2.0 and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and this device has an accelerometer. Nexus S has a 5.0 megapixel camera and Flash Video and additional features are thus: Contour Display, Near Field Communications (NFC), Three-axis gyroscope, Anti-fingerprint display coating, and Internet Calling support (VoIP/SIP).

Have a look at all the Nexus S news we’ve reported [here]

Nexus One

This is the predecessor to Nexus S. Inside you’ll find a very similar situation with the exception of, of course, Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Nexus One is carried by several operators: T-Mobile (United States), Vodafone (United Kingdom, Italy, Spain), KT (Korea), and Videotron (Canada), and is sold by Vodafone (United Kingdom, Spain, Italy), Korea Telecom (Korea), and Videotron (Canada.) Nexus One has the same situation going on as far as development, having been overseen by official Android developers on its way to the shop. It runs Android 2.2 Froyo and again has an Android UI. Connectivity is through 3 UMTS bands (either 900/AWS/2100 MHz or 850/1900/2100 MHz) HSDPA 7.2 Mbps HSUPA 2 Mbps GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). Battery is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1400 mAH) which will give you 10 hours of talk time or approximately 290 hours of standby. Nexus One DOES have removable storage in a microSD card (4GB included, max 32GB), includes 512MB RAM and 512MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g (AND n, as of Froyo, thank you AndyH_STi!), Bluetooth is 2.0, and Nexus One does have GPS. The device is 59.8mm x 119.0mm x 11.5mm (w x h x d) and weighs in at 130 grams. It’s screen is a slightly smaller 3.7 inches (the smallest of these first three phones compared) and is WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) Inside you’ll find a 1 GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250 Snapdragon CPU, USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, and an accelerometer. Camera is 5.0 megapixels, Flash Video included, and additional features include a second microphone for dynamic noise suppression.

Check out our Nexus One hands-on mini-review [here]

Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S)

Samsung Vibrant is its own beast, being carried and sold by only T-Mobile (United States) and Bell (Canada – note, this version is actually the Galaxy S international, whose stats will end up being slightly different. Thanks xZeDgEx!) Inside you’ll find Android 2.1 with a TouchWiz UI, connectivity being GSM : 850/900/1800/1900 3G : 1700/1900/2100/. The battery on the Vibrant is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH), putting it right in between the first two phones on this list for talk time (7 hours) and right on top for standby (510 hours.) You are able to insert a microSD card for removable storage, and Vibrant is exactly the same for RAM (512MB) and up high compared to Nexus One, right up near Nexus S with 16000MB. Wifi is the same as the Nexus S 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth is the most advanced of the three with 3.0. Size of the Vibrant is 64.5mm x 122.5mm x 9.99mm (w x h x d), it weighs the least at 118 grams, and the screen is the same size as Nexus S at 4 inches and WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) Vibrant has a 1 GHz CPU, USB 2.0 (all three phones have 2.0,) and a 3.5mm headphone jack, along with an accelerometer like the others as well. The only difference on the camera (5.0 megapixels) is the video, which isn’t the same Flash Video the others have. Other features include Swype and Video Messaging.

Check out more news from us on the Samsung Vibrant [here], then while we’re at it, why don’t we continue with a couple more Galaxy S phones? Yes lets do such a thing.

Samsung Epic 4G (Galaxy S)

This is a rather different phone from the rest, featuring not only a physical landscape QWERTY keyboard, but a front-facing camera as well. This phone is carried by and sold by Sprint in the US. Inside you’ll find Android 2.1 and a TouchWiz UI, connectivity is CDMA 800/1900 MHz EVDO Rev. A WiMAX 2.5 to 2.7 GHz, 802.16e, and the Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) battery will give you 6 hours talk time and 780 hours standby. There’s removable storage with a microSD card (16GB included, max 32GB), 512MB RAM, and 1000MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, there’s Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS. The size of this phone is 64.6mm x 124.8mm x 14.2mm (w x h x d), it weighs 155 grams, and the screen is 4 inches (notice a trend?) and WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Also inside is a 1GHz CPU, USB 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Accelerometer, 5.0 megapixel camera, and Flash Video. Additional features include SWYPE text entry, Tactile QWERTY keyboard (I’d mention it again, but how many times is too many?), arrow keys, dedicated number keys, camera button, and TalkBack screen reader.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Epic 4G [here]

Samsung Captivate

This phone is sold and distributed through AT&T (United States) and Rogers (Canada.) Inside is Android 2.1 and TouchWiz UI, connectivity is provided by GSM : 850/900/1800/1900, 3G : 850/1900/2100. Captivate’s Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) battery provides 10 hours of talk time or 710 hours on standby, and it’s got a microSD card slot for removable storage. Also inside is 512MB RAM as well as 16000MB of internal storage. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth is 3.0, and GPS is inside. This handset is 64.0mm x 123.0mm x 9.9mm (w x h x d), 130 grams, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution.) The CPU on this device is 1GHz, USB is 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, and it’s got an accelerometer. It’s got a 5.0 megapixel camera and no Flash Video. Additionally, it features SWYPE.

See our hands-on post of Samsung Captivate [here]

Samsung Fascinate

This handset is sold and distributed through Verizon in the USA and Telus in Canada (thanks xZeDgEx!) It features Android 2.1 and TouchWiz, connectivity on CDMA 800/1900 and EV-DO, Rev A 3G. The battery is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH) with around 10 hours of talk time and 730 hours of standby. Removable microSD, microSDHC, and inside is 2GB of internal storage, 384 MB RAM, and 2048 MB internal storage. Wifi is 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS is inside. This handset is 64 x 125 x 10 mm (w x h x d), weighs 118 g, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Also inside you’ll find a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and Accelerometer. 5 megapixels camera (with smile detection!), and no Flash Video.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Fascinate [here]

Samsung Galaxy S

You didn’t think we’d make a guide without the original, right? This phone has massive distribution, being sold on 26 carriers in over 10 countries. If you can’t find this phone at your local mall, you’re not looking hard enough. Samsung Galaxy S features Android 2.1 and a TouchWiz UI and connectivity is through EDGE (850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900) HSDPA 7.2Mbps HSUPA 5.76Mbps (900/ 1900/ 2100) CDMA (for Korea). The battery, a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) (1500 mAH), gives you a massive talk time of 13 hours with a max standby time of 750 hours. Removable storage is microSD card (32GB included, max 32GB), there’s 512MB of RAM, and it ties for second on internal storage at 16000MB. Wifi is 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth is 3.0, and GPS is inside for all your mapping needs. Galaxy S is 64.2mm x 122.4mm x 9.99mm (w x h x d) in size, 119 grams, and has a 4 inch screen with WVGA (800 x 480 resolution). Inside also you’ll find that lovely 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird S5PC110, USB 2.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio (this is the first phone on this list to have this), and an accelerometer. There’s a 5.0 megapixel camera, no Flash Video, and additional features are thus: Social Hub, TouchWiz 3.0, Swype, DNLA (connectivity with Samsung TV & Laptop), and ThinkFree Office.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S [here]

So which one comes out on top? You’ve got some deciding to do. Stick with your Galaxy S? Or move to a phone that Google helped produce? Work with a phone that’s got software additions you might not like, or work with the closest thing to a base clean Android system you’re going to get? But wait, do you want a physical keyboard? Behold the epic choice between Androids! Do you pick one of these Android titans, or pick a different robot, one not even close to this heavy list? You’ve GOT TO CHOOSE!

All this and MORE on The Daily Slash!

SlashLEAKAGE
As this Wikileaks popularity surge unfolds, I for one would like to see at least everyone aware of how awesome certain elements of this story are. Of course, ideally it would be neat if everyone read all billion and a half pages of the leaked documents WikiLeaks has released so far, but you know good and well most of that stuff will end up being saved on people’s computers and never peeked at again. On the other hand, these meme-worthy details of the situations that are unfolding as WikiLeaks falls under scrutiny WILL be read. What’s neat today? The fact that now two of WikiLeaks servers are hosted by a group called Bahnhof. This Swedish internet carrier runs no less than a data center housed in an undeground, granite surrounded World War 2 era bunker in the downtown area of Stockholm. Bahnhof’s chief executive Jon Karlung aims to keep these servers open and up, no matter the international pressure to shut them down: “Swedish laws apply in Sweden. Only the proper authorities can shut this down. There have been no such claims, … We’re confident that we can continue to operate the servers.”

[Via Forbes]

R3 Media Network

Android Community
SPB TV v2.0 released: Free mobile TV with VoD
Samsung grabs US Android sales top-spot in Q3 2010
Dell Streak gets battery meter tweak
Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter for Android goes free for one day only
Samsung hit 1m Galaxy Tab sales early; predict 1.5m by end of year
Android Market gets new Similar tab for some users
GameString brings Warcraft to Android [WOW]
Best Buy offers free Android phones for Christmas
T-Mobile UK Responds to delayed Galaxy S 2.2 Update
Android Flash Player Updated 10.1.105.7
Logitech Revue Booted to Recovery Mode [HACKS!]
Motorola Droid 2 Reportedly Explodes, Injures Man [BLOOD]

SlashGear
Sony BRAVIA KDL22PX300 integrates PS2 and 720p HDTV
UFOs mentioned in WikiLeaks cables confirms Julian Assange
Txtr ereader reportedly erased
CLEAR Modem with WiFi wants to replace your DSL
Sony Ericsson LiveView [REVIEW]
Uranium soap glows radioactively
Japanese battery makes power from vibrations
GSLO applies to Apple MFi program for Peel 520
Professor in NYC installs camera in head
Orange offers cheap subsidized iPad
Speck offers new PixelSkin HD case for HTC HD7 smartphone [SUPER CUTE]
Prosecution in Xbox 360 modder case drops charges
Best Buy offers free Android phones just in time for Christmas
FTC testifies before Congress on Do Not Track list
Kaleidescape debuts Cinema One movie server
Google +1 social network now involving Sergey Brin?
Vonage offers users free calls to Santa for Christmas
Inventec HP webOS tablet & Oak Trail slates in Q1 2011; ASUS Core i5 tablet by end of year tipped
Google pays $1 compensation in Street View privacy case
WikiLeaks: Amazon denies government pressure; DNS yanked & servers moved to Switzerland
Parrot AR.Drone gets grounded in new teardown
mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 4 packs biggest battery so far
ONA Union Street Camera and Messenger Bag hands-on [FEATURED]
MS. ‘Splosion Man Set for Fall 2011
Chrome Event Announced by Google Team for Publishers [FOLLOW US LIVE DAY OF]
simplehuman sensor can [REVIEW]
KISS Coffin Re-Introduced via Eternal Image Inc [ROCK AND ROLL]
XM-25 Airburst Smart Gun Fielded on US Troops in Afghanistan
Rearview Cameras Required in All Cars by 2014, So Says USA Transportation Department
Rock Band Reloaded Announced by EA Games for iPhone and iPad
Pocket God App Available Now on Android, Soon for Windows Phone 7
NOOKcolor SDK for Developers Now Available [GO GO DEVELOPER MAGIC]
Twitter Power and the Hobby Lobby [COLUMN]
iFan Charges your iPhone Thanks to the Wind
DARPA’s Transformer Project Should be Finished by 2015
Apple Confirms no Trial Software or Demos in Mac App Store
Congress Passes the CALM Act, TV Advertisement Sound Soon to be Regulated
RedEye universal remote update adds universal browser support, new iPad app

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

SlashSECURITY
Homeland Security Investigations unit ICE has been busy this week, launching a major crackdown on what appears to be two categories of webpages: copyrighted music download sites (such as torrent listing sites) and sites selling knockoffs of trademarked goods (such as designer handbags). The owner of one of these sites, Torrent-Finder, had the following to say to the site that’s reporting on the situation, TorrentFreak: “My domain has been seized without any previous complaint or notice from any court! … I firstly had DNS downtime. While I was contacting GoDaddy I noticed the DNS had changed. Godaddy had no idea what was going on and until now they do not understand the situation and they say it was totally from ICANN.” Be on your guard, but we’re not sure what that could entail, as no details on how to appeal HSI’s seizings seem to be available.

[Via TorrentFreak]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
GSMA Launches Embedded SIM Initiative to Support the Connected Future
Button Remapper for Rooted Android Smartphone
Rumor: Motorola Olympus Tegra 2 Multimedia Smartphone

Android Community
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone details leak: BRAVIA screen, MWC 2011 debut
TeamViewer Beta now available for Android devices
Darth Vader is Android spokesman in Japan…umm..k
Leak hints at Galaxy S 2 hardware
Woow Digital Android tablet coming soon
NEC Smartia tablet is consumer version of Cloud Communicator [Video]
Samsung Stealth V SCH-i510 outed by DLNA
Android-Themed Bar Opens in Japan
Notion Ink starts mystery countdown ending December 9th, its meaning is unknown
Sharp IS03 sees 450,000 Japanese pre-orders
Open your garage with your Android device
Verizon Releases DROID Essential Packs for the Holidays
Angry Birds Christmas edition confirmed by Rovio
Marcus Hansson Explains What the Sony Ericsson LiveView is and How Developers Can Develop For It
Toshiba TG01 May Now Run Android

SlashGear
3,000 Windows Phone 7 apps and 15k developers boasts Microsoft
Google TVs from Toshiba and Vizio at CES 2011?
Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Nexus S Photos Revealed
NoMute iPad app restores orientation lock switch in iOS 4.2
Pirate Bay appeal sees jail time cut but fine boosted to $6.5m
Nokia X7-00 leaks: S^3, quad-speakers and 8MP camera [Video]
Russia to spend $2B to clean up orbiting space junk
ThinkGeek ships TK-421 iPhone keyboard case
Evolyte offers $100 off 32GB iPad WiFi
ISS Astronauts come home aboard Soyuz capping a decade of ISS operation
Microsoft offers up festive Christmas Windows 7 themes
Google “Mario” and “Andretti” Chrome OS netbooks in internal speed testing?
Verizon wireless offers Jawbone Icon free with select phones today
Sony Reader relaunch in Japan due December 10
NEC Smartia gives Cloud Communicator tablet an expensive consumer focus
Boxee Box gets first firmware update
Apple Black Friday deals kick off: $101 off iMac, MacBook Pro & Air
T-Mobile Galaxy Tab loses unlimited messaging extra
Logitech Revue [REVIEW]
Fujitsu 2011 tablet gets second outing [Video]
Nokia C6-01 [REVIEW]
ChevronWP7 Windows Phone 7 unlocker allows unofficial app sideloading
Advent’s Tegra 2 Vega tablet gets unofficial Market access
4.3-inch Samsung Stealth V SCH-i510 Froyo smartphone clears DLNA testing
Nokia Z500 tablet facing failure as carriers reject pricing?
Sony SNAP connected-device app framework frozen
Sony going President shopping as Howard Stringer scales down responsibilities?
PlayStation Move shortages until Feb 2011 warns Sony
Libratone Beat wireless speakers arrive at Apple December 2010
Acer Windows 7 tablet to use AMD Bobcat APU confirm insiders
Moshi Moshi MM03i Bluetooth handset packs iPhone dock
Richard Branson Virgin “Project” iPad magazine in works
TUAW Hacks Apple TV – Now iOS Devices Can Play 3rd Party Video Over AirPlay
L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector Revealed by AAXA
Angry Birds headed to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii
Concept Desktop Computer Prints and Scans from Inside Monitor
Airless Metal Mesh Tires Awarded R&D 100 Award
AirPlay Hack Now Enables All iDevice Apps to Send Video
BlackBerry Storm2 to get OS 5.0.0.1015 on Verizon
Panasonic’s EVOLTA Robot Uses 12-AA Batteries to Travel 317 Miles [Video]
iPad Heading to 3 in the UK in the Coming Months
Land Crawler exTreme Uses 12 Legs to Carry 175 Pounds
4th Amendment Wear for your TSA Protesting Family [LOLS]
Sony slash Google TV prices; NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray deck under $300
Angry Birds headed to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii
Concept Desktop Computer Prints and Scans from Inside Monitor
Airless Metal Mesh Tires Awarded R&D 100 Award
AirPlay Hack Now Enables All iDevice Apps to Send Video
BlackBerry Storm2 to get OS 5.0.0.1015 on Verizon
Panasonic’s EVOLTA Robot Uses 12-AA Batteries to Travel 317 Miles [Video]
iPad Heading to 3 in the UK in the Coming Months
Land Crawler exTreme Uses 12 Legs to Carry 175 Pounds
4th Amendment Wear for your TSA Protesting Family [LOLS]
Sony slash Google TV prices; NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray deck under $300

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
GSMA Launches Embedded SIM Initiative to Support the Connected Future
Button Remapper for Rooted Android Smartphone
Rumor: Motorola Olympus Tegra 2 Multimedia Smartphone

Android Community
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone details leak: BRAVIA screen, MWC 2011 debut
TeamViewer Beta now available for Android devices
Darth Vader is Android spokesman in Japan…umm..k
Leak hints at Galaxy S 2 hardware
Woow Digital Android tablet coming soon
NEC Smartia tablet is consumer version of Cloud Communicator [Video]
Samsung Stealth V SCH-i510 outed by DLNA
Android-Themed Bar Opens in Japan
Notion Ink starts mystery countdown ending December 9th, its meaning is unknown
Sharp IS03 sees 450,000 Japanese pre-orders
Open your garage with your Android device
Verizon Releases DROID Essential Packs for the Holidays

SlashGear
3,000 Windows Phone 7 apps and 15k developers boasts Microsoft
Google TVs from Toshiba and Vizio at CES 2011?
Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Nexus S Photos Revealed
NoMute iPad app restores orientation lock switch in iOS 4.2
Pirate Bay appeal sees jail time cut but fine boosted to $6.5m
Nokia X7-00 leaks: S^3, quad-speakers and 8MP camera [Video]
Russia to spend $2B to clean up orbiting space junk
ThinkGeek ships TK-421 iPhone keyboard case
Evolyte offers $100 off 32GB iPad WiFi
ISS Astronauts come home aboard Soyuz capping a decade of ISS operation
Microsoft offers up festive Christmas Windows 7 themes
Google “Mario” and “Andretti” Chrome OS netbooks in internal speed testing?
Verizon wireless offers Jawbone Icon free with select phones today
Sony Reader relaunch in Japan due December 10
NEC Smartia gives Cloud Communicator tablet an expensive consumer focus
Boxee Box gets first firmware update
Apple Black Friday deals kick off: $101 off iMac, MacBook Pro & Air
T-Mobile Galaxy Tab loses unlimited messaging extra
Logitech Revue [REVIEW]
Fujitsu 2011 tablet gets second outing [Video]
Nokia C6-01 [REVIEW]
ChevronWP7 Windows Phone 7 unlocker allows unofficial app sideloading
Advent’s Tegra 2 Vega tablet gets unofficial Market access
4.3-inch Samsung Stealth V SCH-i510 Froyo smartphone clears DLNA testing
Nokia Z500 tablet facing failure as carriers reject pricing?
Sony SNAP connected-device app framework frozen
Sony going President shopping as Howard Stringer scales down responsibilities?
PlayStation Move shortages until Feb 2011 warns Sony
Libratone Beat wireless speakers arrive at Apple December 2010
Acer Windows 7 tablet to use AMD Bobcat APU confirm insiders
Moshi Moshi MM03i Bluetooth handset packs iPhone dock
Richard Branson Virgin “Project” iPad magazine in works
TUAW Hacks Apple TV – Now iOS Devices Can Play 3rd Party Video Over AirPlay
L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector Revealed by AAXA
Angry Birds headed to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

SlashWOZ
Ruh Roh! Remember this morning when the news was that Steve Wozniak said Android would win the smartphone wars. Turns out he was totally misquoted! He spoke with our pals over at Engadget today and gave them a quick interview clarifying, saying the he gave the De Telegraaf and they sort of misconstrued what he said. Instead, he did “lightly prognosticate” that Android might become more popular “based on what [he's] read” but that he believes Android “to be a lot like Windows… I’m not trying to put Android down, but I’m not suggesting it’s better than iOS by any stretch of the imagination. But it can get greater marketshare and still be crappy.”

[Via Engadget]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
LG Apex Heading to U.S Celluar on Friday Followed By Optimus U in December
China Unicom to Sell Its Own Smartphone
BoxWave’s Keyboard Buddy Available For iPhone 4

Android Community
Android ties iOS in mobile ad impressions
Steve Wozniak reckons Android will win smartphone wars
Android 2.2 Update Coming to Canadian Galaxy S devices this December
DROID Pro Available From Verizon Tomorrow
LG Targeting High-End Phone Market, LG Star coming in 2011
Pontiflex CEO says “Android is More Important” than the iPhone for Mobile Advertising
Changing LCD Density on a Rooted Samsung Galaxy Tab (Make More Room!)
Hikari iFame Android Tablet for NTT Launches in Japan
Motorola Milestone 2 Now Available in the UK
HTC Merge appears on Verizon website
Samsung Continuum [REVIEW]

SlashGear
FT iPad/tablet subsidy offers employees $480 to get slate-started
HTC 7 Trophy [REVIEW]
Stop light concept combines hourglass with normal lights
GE offers up green LED Christmas lights for the Griswold in you
Android packing casino gamblers get a new app with slot machine maps
Jabra outs new Microsoft Lync compatible devices
Woz: Android will eventually beat the iPhone [ALSO POSTED ON AC, BUT A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION UNFOLDING HERE]
Samsung eyes enterprise for Galaxy Tab sales success
Palm Pre 2 hits US for $450 unlocked
Apple iAd European debut in December; adverts from LG, Nespresso & more [APPLE ADS]
Dell shutter independent mobile division; Ron Garriques out
Verizon CEO: Our LTE caught Apple’s eye; speed-based data pricing possible
Kingston 32GB MicroSDHC Class 4 [REVIEW]
Want a Job? Google Plans on Hiring 2,000 Employees Around the World
Google Offered to Buy Twitter for FOUR BILLION DOLLARS [MUHAHAHA]
iOS 4.2.1 GM Seed Released for Developers
Apple Looking at Carbon Fiber for the Next iPad
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game Landing in Stores May 2011
Grippity Handheld Back-Typing Keyboard Up for Pre-Order [Video]
Call of Duty: Black Ops Hits $650 Million in 5 Days
A Modest Travel Safety Proposal [COLUMN]
Nokia C7 [REVIEW]
Gowalla Disney deal announced as the Magic Kingdom checks-in

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

That display, for instance. While there’s plenty of speculation that Samsung would continue using the same display size, and display type, as they’ve issued with previous Galaxy S devices, what if Google asked them to push the envelope a bit? Just as the company did with the Nexus One, everyone is expecting to see the Nexus S feature plenty of hardware improvements, as well as software additions, that makes the device stand out. One way to make sure that it stands out, even well into 2011, would be for Samsung to include their brand new 4.5-inch flexible AMOLED display. We showed it to you only two days ago, and it certainly would make for an interesting design choice for the Nexus S. At 4.5-inches, it would be the biggest smartphone on T-Mobile’s network, and with the flexibility and color offered by the flexible AMOLED display, it would easily be one of the best selling points of the device.

If you’ve been following the developments of the Nexus S over the last few weeks, then you know that there was also a rumor going around that the device was being delayed due to hardware manufacturing issues. We can probably safely say at this point that Samsung has manufacturing of their Galaxy S devices down pat, even with shortages in the Super AMOLED stockpile. This could strengthen the idea that Samsung is using a new display type in the Nexus S, or it may just mean that Samsung ran into a roadblock. We’d like to keep our fingers crossed that we’ll find a brand new, entirely way too attractive display waiting for us on the Nexus S.

Not surprising, though, is the time frame we’ve found ourselves in. If you’ll recall, when the Nexus One was about to be announced, it was around this time that we started hearing more and more about that particular device. Leak after leak, rumor after rumor, that by the time the superphone was officially launched in January, it felt like everyone knew everything about it. Of course, Google had plenty of secrets up their sleeve, so that the device still felt new and fresh when it reached official channels.

We can’t forget that the device is (apparently) launching on T-Mobile. While that would have been a good guess, it wasn’t until Best Buy leaked the Nexus S name, and which carrier they’d be selling it for, that we got as much confirmation to that fact as we can expect at this point. With that being said, here’s what we can already expect from the device: HSPA+. With T-Mobile rocking the 4G label on their network, with two devices already available on the network which can access the faster speeds, there’d be no shock whatsoever if the Nexus S was able to tap into it as well.

All in all, the Nexus S is growing in stature, well before the device has been officially announced. And, if we can expect the same treatment from Google that we received with the Nexus One, then it may be several more weeks before we get anything official to look at, or talk about. Until then, though, we should still receive plenty of more leaks, rumors, and speculation to keep us entertained, and the rumor mill going strong.

If you’re interested in the Nexus S, and you have a few ideas for what you might like to see on the device, whether it be hardware or software related, head on over to AndroidCommunity, and join in the discussion. Let us know what you’d like to see in Android 2.3, or what stand-out hardware features you think the Nexus S should have.

The core specifications of the Galaxy S are pretty well known. Up front is a WVGA 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, while there’s a 5-megapixel camera on the back (which, on the Fascinate, is paired with an LED flash). Inside is Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor running Android 2.1 Eclair with the TouchWiz 3.0 UI (also subject to some Verizon modifications); there’s also Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi b/g/n, EVDO Rev.A and 2GB of internal storage.

Design-wise, the Fascinate resembles the T-Mobile Galaxy S, with touch-sensitive menu, home, search and back keys on the front panel, volume rocker on the left, and an annoyingly-placed power button on the right. On top is the microUSB port – covered with a sliding door – and a 3.5mm headphone socket. The plastic back panel clips off to reveal a 1,500mAh battery, while the whole thing is slightly thicker to accommodate the flash (a compromise we’re happy with).

Samsung Fascinate unboxing:

We’re fans of the whole Galaxy S range, but the Verizon Fascinate could well be our favorite so far. The carrier has obviously worked with Samsung on modifying the core OS build, and there are several points at which this edges the Fascinate ahead. The three homescreen icons can now be changed, for instance, while they’re locked on the AT&T Captivate, and we didn’t observe any of the GPS issues we’d experienced on other variants. That’s not to say Samsung has no room for improvement. The email app can only handle a single Exchange account at a time, Samsung’s TouchWiz widgets take up too much screen space, and we still observed a few of the periodic stalls that mar the overall user experience.

Still, they seem less frequent than on other versions, and even Verizon’s own VCAST apps work well on the Fascinate. The Verizon VZ Navigator app is a strong alternative to Google Maps Navigation, and of course there’s also Microsoft’s Bing on board. Verizon has made a deal with Microsoft for exclusive access to the Bing Android toolbar, which replaces the standard Google bar on the Fascinate.

The Bing experience itself is actually reasonably strong. The UI is good, with the default results view mixing in search, images and news content into a single display. However you can also dig down into various categories – images, movies, maps, local, news and directions – together with performing voice searches and showing directions and navigation. There’s more detail in this demo video:

Samsung Fascinate Bing demo:

Unfortunately, while the Bing experience is strong, it’s frustrating that there’s no way to switch back to Google’s own search bar. We can see plenty of people being satisfied with Bing, yes, but one of Android’s strengths is its customization potential. Just as when AT&T blocked app sideloading on the HTC Aria, we’re not happy with anything that reduces that flexibility.

Samsung are known for their strong multimedia performance, and the Fascinate is no different. The 5-megapixel camera produces excellent stills and 720p video, with touch-to-focus and sensible automatic use of the LED flash. The results outclass what we produced with the 8-megapixel DROID X, which once again goes to show that it’s not the number of pixels you have but how you use them. The flash can also be used during video recording, and unlike on rival devices, when you’re shooting in low-light situations it comes on as you frame the shot rather than just when the picture is taken.

Sample still shot taken with Samsung Fascinate:

Samsung Fascinate indoor daylight 720p video sample:

Samsung Fascinate indoor night 720p video sample:

Multimedia consumption, meanwhile, includes support for DivX and Xvid video content, rather than simply Android’s standard provisioning for MPEG4, H.264 and AVI. Coupled with the amazing Super AMOLED display – which lacks the sheer pixel density of the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, but goes a long way to making up for that with bright, saturated colors and rich, inky blacks – with its 4-inch compromise between pocketability and scale, and the Fascinate is one of the best handsets around for watching video on. Audio performance too is good (there’s an FM radio as well) with support for Bluetooth A2DP streaming. Interestingly, while AT&T and T-Mobile’s versions of the Galaxy S proved sluggish to index a memory card full of media files, the Fascinate whipped through a 16GB microSD with barely a pause. Unfortunately Verizon don’t bundle the HDMI adapter cable in the box with the Fascinate, which seems a missed opportunity.

Verizon has a strong reputation for superlative call and data performance, and the Samsung Fascinate is certainly a best-of-breed when it comes to taking advantage of that. Voice calls were crisp and clear, while the speakerphone manages to be both loud and precise. Of course, since the Fascinate lacks the front-facing camera of the original Galaxy S, you can’t make good use of video calling apps like Qik, Fring or the Verizon-exclusive Skype. While native 3G mobile hotspot functionality isn’t integrated into Android until Froyo, Samsung has preinstalled its own hotspot app to share the Fascinate’s EVDO Rev.A connection with up to five WiFi clients – such as netbooks, iPads and PSPs – and that works well. Unfortunately this isn’t a so-called World Phone, so there’s no GSM or UMTS for voice or data use outside of North America.

Samsung Fascinate vs Captivate, Epic 4G, Evo 4G, DROID X and Incredible:

Battery life has proved one of the Fascinate’s main strengths. We’ve been putting it through its paces, and found we could manage around 14 hours and 25 minutes of mixed usage: that includes web browsing, Exchange push-email turned on, periodic checking of three Gmail accounts and some multimedia. Considering the number of smartphones which – if used to their full potential – require a top-up partway through the day, that’s a big plus in the Fascinate’s favor.

If your runtime needs are even more demanding, Verizon are offering a small range of Fascinate accessories that includes a backup battery kit. $39.99 gets you a second 1,500mAh Li-Ion battery together with a charger. There’s also a desk cradle ($29.99) and a car dock ($39.99); slot the Fascinate into the desk cradle and it automatically loads up a clock mode app called “Desk Home” with access to alarms, weather, calendar and other shortcuts. Like Motorola’s desk dock for the DROID 2, there are day and night color schemes.

The Motorola DROID range – currently led by the DROID X and DROID 2 – is perhaps the Fascinate’s biggest competition, not only in terms of consumers but for the amount of attention Verizon itself is paying. The Fascinate is undoubtedly the best phone Samsung has made on the best network in the US right now, but the carrier’s DROID focus means the Samsung is perhaps not receiving as much love as it deserves. We’d pick the Fascinate over the DROID X, and while we’d miss the Motorola’s physical buttons, the Samsung’s stronger camera performance and better display would be ample compensation.

With Android 2.2 – which Samsung claims is due later in 2010 – the Verizon Fascinate will get even faster, but we don’t feel the need to hold off until the new ROM is released. This is one of the best Android smartphones we’ve tested, and certainly the best of the US Galaxy S family (assuming you don’t want to use your phone outside of North America). Samsung and Verizon have saved the best until last, then, and in doing so created a strong alternative to Apple’s iPhone 4.

The Verizon Samsung Fascinate will go on sale online on September 8th, and in Verizon stores on September 9th. It will be priced at $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a new, two-year agreement complete with data plan.

Physically and aesthetically the DROID 2 is very much an evolution of its predecessor, itself a particularly distinctive device. Motorola has toned down some of the more dramatic hard lines and eye-catching detailing – gone, for instance, is the gold grill-work, replaced by more traditional silver – and the result is an altogether smoother, slicker device. The most noticeable physical change is to the keyboard, and welcome it is too. The original DROID’s QWERTY was frustratingly flat and even more annoyingly offset, with Motorola choosing to put a large D-pad on the right hand side and forcing users to stretch their thumb across.

On the DROID 2, however, the D-pad has been relegated to a small, far more usable arrow key cluster integrated with the keyboard itself, and the buttons are now all slightly domed. The layout itself is improved, with no blank placeholder keys left wasted, and the typing experience on the whole is significantly improved. Not as good as, say, the Samsung Epic 4G (review) – which benefits from being a bigger handset and thus having more room for its keyboard – but certainly enough to put the original DROID to shame.

Other changes between the two handsets are more subtle, certainly when viewed from the outside. The same 3.7-inch 854 x 480 capacitive LCD touchscreen is used, and it remains a strong panel (though pales these days in comparison to the Galaxy S’ Super AMOLED screen or the iPhone 4′s Retina Display). Motorola has changed the order of the touch-sensitive buttons under the screen – search is still on the far right, but menu, home and back have all been shifted, meaning DROID 2 upgraders will have to do a little muscle-memory retraining – but the overall shape of the new phone is generally the same. That means you can use the same accessories, the Desk Dock and Car Dock, as for the original DROID, rather than spending on new ones.

Inside, Motorola has used a 1GHz OMAP 36×0 series processor, almost twice as fast as the original, and that – coupled with Android 2.2 Froyo being loaded as standard – makes for a generally swift moving software experience. It’s the same CPU as in the Motorola DROID X (as well as 512MB of RAM) but of course the touchscreen-only phone ships with Android 2.1 Eclair. We’ve seen the improvement Google’s more recent Android release makes to day-to-day performance on other devices, and indeed the DROID 2 felt a little snappier completing regular task than the DROID X did.

It’s worth remembering, however, that the original DROID is getting an Android 2.2 update right now, potentially smartening up the existing phone to the point where current owners might not choose to upgrade to the DROID 2. Also in their favor is the original handset’s unmodified OS; in contrast, like the DROID X, Motorola has customized Android 2.2. The latest, relatively pared down version of MOTOBLUR makes an appearance, together with dynamically resizable widgets, for pulling in social networking updates from Facebook, Twitter and others. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen before (from Motorola and other device manufacturers), when the OS is modified from stock it usually takes longer for handsets to get newer Android versions. As we felt with the DROID X, the customizations Motorola have chosen simply don’t deliver enough extra usability, for us, to warrant the likelihood of later delays.

The DROID X’s camera UI is carried over to the DROID 2, but unfortunately the hardware hasn’t come with it; instead there’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, just as you’d get on the first DROID. It pales in comparison to modern rivals, too. Indoor stills, despite the dual-LED flash, are fuzzy and prone to blurring, while outdoor shots have decent color balance but still lack fine detail when blown up. It’s not a terrible camera, no, but rivals like Samsung are definitely doing better. As for the camcorder, it falls short of the 720p HD video commonly found on high-end alternatives, instead maxing out at 720 x 480. Clips tend toward the blurry, though the exposure and color-balance is reasonable.

Motorola’s other main changes to the software are to preload Swype, the gesture-based onscreen keyboard gaining momentum on Android phones, and a Mobile Hotspot app, which allows you to share your 3G connections among up to five WiFi clients. However we wish the company had spent some more time finessing their Microsoft Exchange integration; the problems with sync we experienced on the original DROID are still apparent on the second-gen model, despite an update to ActiveSync 12.0. There’s now Flash 10.1 support in the Android browser, which worked reasonably well, though certain games are obviously written for keyboard and mouse control and don’t lend themselves so well to touchscreens. We were able to stream in-page video, but higher bitrates content did tend to choke the DROID 2.

More worrying, though, were the persistent signal and call issues. We praised the original DROID for its strong audio quality and tenacious grip on Verizon’s network, but the same really can’t be said for the DROID 2. Without physically moving the handset we saw it flick between various levels of Internet connection speed, and minor changes in position were enough to prematurely end conversations. It’s a shame, because when we had a solid connection the in-call audio was strong and clear. Hopefully Motorola will release a firmware update to address reception, since we’re not the only people to have complaints about the DROID 2′s abilities in this area. Finally, we’d like to have seen Motorola make this a world-phone, rather than CDMA-only; as with its predecessor, take the DROID 2 outside of North America and you won’t be able to roam onto the more common GSM networks.

With the DROID 2′s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR turned on, we managed to get through a regular workday on a single charge of the 1,400mAh battery. Still, as with most other recent smartphones, you’ll be charging nightly: Motorola’s Desk Stand – which automatically puts the DROID 2 into a clock/media player mode – makes this more palatable, at least.

When we started, we asked whether Motorola had done enough with the DROID 2 to maintain their momentum, or whether they’d perhaps been too conservative in their changes. The outcome is certainly less clear-cut than back when we reviewed the DROID. In the new handset’s favor are the improved keyboard, faster CPU and boosted RAM; however the mediocre camera and customized Android 2.2 OS count against it. That’s before you get to aberrations of the cellular wireless, which we’re hoping will be addressed soon. For original Verizon DROID owners, we don’t see any great push to upgrade; the keyboard is improved, yes, but if physical QWERTY is your priority then there are better ‘boards out there, and the Android 2.2 update for the first phone closes the gap when it comes to functionality.

In the context of the rest of the market, meanwhile, the DROID 2′s 3.7-inch display is beginning to feel a little small. The DROID X’s 4.3-inch panel is huge in comparison, and even 4-inch phones leave the DROID 2 feeling cramped. Still, there are plenty of people who prefer physically smaller devices. We’re glad to see the Android smartphone segment continue to grow – we’re all for more choice, after all – but Motorola will likely find the Verizon DROID 2 makes less of a splash than its illustrious predecessor managed.

If you find the battery on your Galaxy S doesn’t last as long as you want it too, the new Galaxy S Power Pack EBB-U10 might be just the thing for you. The device is a carry case to protect your phone that also has a battery inside for more run time.

Supposedly, the case adds an additional 8.5 hours of talk time and 500 more hours of standby time. I don’t read German, but it appears the thing weighs 70 grams and has a LED capacity indicator. There is no word on pricing or when/if the power pack will come to the US.