Nokia has already warned that such a slump is likely to continue through 2012, with interest in Symbian devices fading faster than previously expected. Meanwhile the company is pushing ahead with Windows Phone, though Microsoft’s platform only had 1.9-percent of the worldwide smartphone market share in Q4 2011.

Android held the Q4 smartphone OS top place, with 50.9-percent of the market worldwide, while iOS had less than half that amount at 23.8-percent. Both saw significant increases year-on-year however, unlike RIM whose share dropped from 14.6- to 8.8-percent.

Overall, Gartner says smartphone sales worldwide reached 149m units in Q4 2011 and 472m units for the full year, a rise of 47.3- and 58-percent year-on-year respectively. Smartphones made up almost a third of overall device sales, though 2012 growth is predicted to slow somewhat. Of course, market share and league tables doesn’t necessarily equal success for individual companies: iOS may be less popular than Android, but since only Apple uses it the Cupertino company keeps the spoils to itself. Meanwhile, Android’s dominance has to be shared between the many Android devices and multiple vendors using Google’s platform.

With softening demand, sales prices of screens have declined, hurting profits. The tough road in the LCD panel market is affecting more than Samsung; it’s also affecting Samsung rivals LG and Sony. Some analysts place some blame for the soft market and falling prices on the panel makers themselves for continuing to produce screens over and above market demand. By producing too many screens, panel makers have forced themselves to slash prices to sell the excess production.

Strangely, despite the LCD panel market as a whole being in an oversupply situation Chinese firms are entering into the market and building new production lines only adding to the oversupply in the industry and forcing prices even lower. Prospects for growth in the LCD industry overall are slowing, but the OLED segment is set to boom in the coming years so many of these companies are expected to refocus on OLED panels to spur profits and growth. Samsung has estimated that OLED revenues will increase by 600% from now until 2014. With the difficulty in the LCD market, a spinoff of the Samsung LCD unit would help streamline Samsung’s business.

[via BBC]

Meanwhile, the retailer’s pre-order page for the 32GB Nexus – which had initially been promising deliveries in early January, based on Samsung’s own timescales, but was then pushed back to February and subsequently into March – has been updated to show the phone as discontinued. The alternative suggestion is the existing 16GB model which went on sale last year.

The decision by Samsung is made all the more frustrating because the Galaxy Nexus’ storage options are more limited than most Android devices. While in many cases onboard capacity is less important, as there’s a microSD slot to augment it with affordable memory cards, the Galaxy Nexus lacks such expansion.

It’s been suggested that Google is trying to push reliance on its cloud storage options – Google Drive rumors resurfaced earlier this month, suggesting a full online storage product was imminent – but also that Samsung has been struggling to meet production demand of the cheaper 16GB model. Either way, GSM network users hoping to get 32GB for their media will have to struggle on without it.

[via Android Community]

Instead of giving you a specifications run-down, what I’m going to do here is give you my “total package” view of what each device has to offer to you, the everyday user. I’ll speak about the displays, the buttons, the keyboards, and the version of Android they hold, sure, but it’s that one phone you’ll be purchasing, so it’s that one phone on its own that we’ll have a chat about.

Motorola DROID 4

This is the fourth self-titled DROID that Motorola has put out, and it offers you essentially the same thing as you’ve gotten with each past DROID device – a push-out keyboard with real physical buttons, a lovely display, and almost the most recent version of the Android software. The keyboard on this device, if you’re in need of a full physical QWERTY that is, is the nicest one you’re going to find on the Verizon network. Aside from that, and especially if you have no need for a physical keyboard, there are much better choices for you, most of them costing you a whole lot less.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID 4

Motorola DROID RAZR/ RAZR MAXX

What you’ve got here is the fat version of the DROID RAZR, a device that was otherwise known as one of the thinnest smartphones on the planet. This thickness adds so much battery life that you’ll only have to charge up every two days instead of every night – and it costs at least $50 more than the DROID RAZR, and in one case $100 more – that depending on if you get a memory card inside the device. If you want the biggest battery on the market, go for the MAXX. If you want a purple smartphone, get the original DROID RAZR – and note that bot the DROID 4 and the DROID RAZR are a bit wider than most people’s hand palms, so be sure to hold it in the store to see if you’re comfortable with that.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID RAZR

HTC Rhyme

Actually there’s another purple smartphone here at Verizon, that being the HTC Rhyme. This little mouse of a phone has all the power and capabilities you might like from a larger top-tier smartphone with its only drawbacks being its unique aesthetics. This phone was made for the feminine crowd, having cuteness and fashionability to the core – and it’s free at the moment, too.

Check out our full review of the HTC Rhyme

HTC ThunderBolt / HTC Rezound

Though these two devices may appear to be similar, and indeed they are much more similar to one another than they are to the rest of the device on the network, the devil is in the details: if you want the uniqueness of the HTC experience and you’d like to avoid the fashion forward experience of the Rhyme, you’ll want one of these two – and I’d suggest the Rezound. The HTC ThunderBolt was a fantastic phone for me for quite a few months after it was released – indeed it is a classic HTC device – but the Rezound has as high definition a display as you could ever want, has excellent speakers and Beats-brand earbuds in the box, and isn’t reaching its “end of life” as the ThunderBolt is. Its kind of like when they stop selling a car at a dealership: they’ll still support you, but they’ll keep updating your Rezound for a whole lot longer.

Check out our full review of the HTC ThunderBolt and our full review of the HTC Rezound

LG Spectrum

This device is the only LG device you should be considering. There’s also the Revolution by LG you can purchase used, but don’t bother with it – the Spectrum is going to be much more reliable for you in the short and long run. It also has a really great camera and an ultra-bright and ultra-sharp display on it as well. The only drawback here is, again, that it’s a pretty gigantic device, and might be uncomfortable for you to hold in one hand.

Check out our full review of the LG Spectrum

Motorola DROID X2

This smartphone is the only one on Verizon you’re going to find with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor. There are other dual-core processor toting devices on the carrier, and in tablets there are even some more NVIDIA Tegra 2 chips inside, but this is the only smartphone to hold such a distinction. What this means, in short, is that you’ll be able to download games from the NVIDIA Tegra Zone, a store where only the sweetest monsters slumber.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID X2

Pantech Breakout

This device doesn’t get a whole lot of press because Pantech is really still only a small gunner of a manufacturer of Android devices here in the United States, but check it out: this device is certainly not the worst device on the carrier. It’s one of the last of its breed having a single-core processor inside, and the camera is only a 5-megapixel shooter on the back, but they’re both decent, and you can certainly play Angry Birds if that’s your winning combination.

Check out our full review of the Pantech Breakout

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Soon you’ll no longer see the name “Ericsson” on Sony-branded smartphones, this one being one of their most famous combinations before Sony bought out Ericsson’s half of the business. This is the fabled PlayStation Phone, and with it you’ll be able to access a set of games only available to this device specifically. This device was also one of the two choices Google made for Gingerbread hero phone — in short, this means it works very, very well with the software its got running. This device is made for gamers, make no mistake about it, and it’s certainly fun to own.

Check out our full review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

If you’re looking for the most advanced Android software, look no further than the Galaxy Nexus: Google’s hero phone for their newest mobile operating system Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This device has many futuristic characteristics such as a massively high definition display, a button-less front face, and a sleek exterior, and it’s running a vanilla version of Android. This means that there’s no user interface changes made by the manufacturer or the carrier – though it does have a couple of helpful Verizon-added apps. This device is both Google and Samsung’s current hero smartphone.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Editor’s Choice

If I had to choose just one device, I’d probably end up going with the Galaxy Nexus as I do love to mess with the software – and all Nexus devices are made to make that process easy. Other than that, I’d either choose the LG Spectrum for its camera or the HTC Rezound because its user interface and headphone branding makes it a nice full package. If I wanted a Motorola device, I’d pick the original DROID RAZR because its so incredibly thin and I’m constantly charging my devices anyway – look at that stack of coins in the lead image of this post – sharp!

Attempting to pacify critics of the impending deal, Android-chief Rubin pointed out that Google intends to operate Motorola as a separate company. When it comes to partnering on future Nexus devices, he maintained, Motorola “will be part of that bidding process” but not guaranteed to win.

Still, Rubin’s comments belie Google’s obvious interest in Motorola’s upcoming product range, something chairman Eric Schmidt conceded in September last year. “We actually believe that the Motorola team has some amazing products coming … We’re excited to have the product line, to use the Motorola brand, the product architecture, the engineers” Schmidt said, “[we like] having at least one area where we can do integrated hardware and software.”

Exactly how those two approaches will pan out remains to be seen. Motorola has already shown itself willing to take on Google at its own game, pushing out a developer version of the DROID RAZR to challenge the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus; even if other manufacturers secure future Nexus contracts, they’ll face the prospect of competing Motorola devices that have potentially just as much input from Google as their own do. As Rubin described the Nexus strategy, ”all the teams [from Google and the OEM] huddle together in one building, they jointly work and these development efforts go on for 9-12 months”, something that seems likely to also be the case for Google’s greater involvement in Motorola’s impending range.

For consumers, there’s still no guarantee that the devices they buy will run the latest version of Android or, indeed, get a timely update. Motorola’s track record on this has been patchy; the XOOM tablet launched in early 2011 with all but the name pointing to it being the “official” Google Android slate, but lagged behind rivals for OS refreshes. Meanwhile, Motorola persists with its UI modifications to its smartphone range, contributing to delays in updates there.

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!

At first glance, obsession is an easy explanation. “Throw a lot at the wall and see which stick” is certainly a workable strategy, if an inelegant and profligate one. You could, though, give Samsung the benefit of the doubt and highlight that it’s merely refreshing an existing product point, bringing a single-core slate running a smartphone iteration of Android up to date with dual-core and Google’s latest tablet-centric build. The existence of the 7.0 Plus does somewhat muddy that argument, however.

Will the scattergun approach to tablets work for Samsung? On the one hand, it’s exactly the strategy the company has taken with smartphones, and it’s been a successful one. Samsung broke the 300m device barrier in phones last year, with a roadmap about as different to, say, Apple’s as you could imagine. Not just two or three generally similar devices targeting entry-, mid- and flagship-range buyers, but almost a different handset for every possible sub-section of the potential audience.

So, if you want a roughly iPhone-scale smartphone, running Android, but cheaper and with a mid-range camera… oh, and you specifically want it in metallic blue, Samsung likely has the model for you. If you tick most of those boxes, but prefer something a little larger than an iPhone, but don’t care too much about photography, there’s a device in Samsung’s range that should satisfy you as well. In short, there’s everything from bargain-basement to Galaxy S II flagship (with the GSIII on the way).

In the end, though, the tablet proposition boils down to price. Tablets aren’t generally sold with a subsidy, unlike cellphones, and that means there’s a minimum tideline that all manufacturers have having to challenge. Some of Samsung’s phones are sold free-on-contract: in contrast, a “bargain” slate is a $199 Kindle Fire or a $249 NOOK Tablet. Apple’s iPad isn’t the target here, beyond an aspirational figurehead: something to make consumers aware of tablets’ existence and fuel a desire for them.

If Samsung can bring the Galaxy Tab 2 in at under $300 – pricing is yet to be officially confirmed, but that looks to be the way the tag is heading based on rumors so far today – with the lure of Ice Cream Sandwich and the content ecosystem the company has created, it could stand a chance. A street price closer to the NOOK Tablet would be even more convincing. That’s also roughly the price of a high-end multifunction remote control; if you’ve got a Samsung Smart TV, you could turn your Galaxy Tab 2 into a universal remote and an extra, streaming screen with the free apps Samsung offers in its download store.

That works today, but whether Samsung – or the market – can sustain what feels like a new tablet every other month remains to be seen. Viewed from outside, it looks like a ridiculous challenge. Arguably, Samsung doesn’t have to convince everyone with every iteration: it only has to persuade those people on the market for the latest tablet at any one time. For now, then, the model works; Samsung just needs to find its breakthrough device sooner rather than later.

There are several signs that this is a budget model, targeting the entry-level in Samsung’s expansive tablet line-up. For a start, the main camera is fixed-focus, and has no LED flash; the front-facing camera, meanwhile, is VGA resolution rather than the more typical 1.3-megapixel or above. It’s also 10.5mm thick, not vast in the grand scheme of things, but still chubbier than other recent slates Samsung has produced.

That comparative heft is used to accommodate WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and – likely optional – HSPA+ connectivity. There’s also either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot for augmenting that. A 4,000 mAh battery rounds things out, though Samsung isn’t saying how long that should last for.

Software, meanwhile, is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – the first Samsung slate to come preloaded with ICS, it seems – with TouchWiz modifications, the various content hubs, ChatON IM app, KIES Air and DLNA support. Pricing is unconfirmed, as is availability, though we’re assuming the Galaxy Tab 2 will be cheaper than the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

[via SammyHub - thanks Kote!]

TNW reports that Apple is the country’s top tablet maker with combined sales of original iPad and the new iPad 2 getting Apple 70% to 80% of the tablet market inside the country. According to reports, Apple has sold 700,000 iPad devices since the tablet launched in the country last April through the end of 2011. Sales of iPad devices this year put Apple over the 1 million mark.

One more interesting things from this report is that the number could actually be well over that 1 million tablets sold mark to South Korean consumers. This figure does not take into account the number of people who bought the iPad from other countries or through the gray market before the iPad was officially available in South Korea.

[via TheNextWeb]

The flip side of the argument, though, is that a 4:3 display gives the device a wider aesthetic when held in portrait mode, making it more amenable to reading books or looking at portrait-oriented photos. We’ve all become accustomed to widescreen displays so something like this just looks inherently weird. And as the above picture shows, compared to Samsung’s large Galaxy Note phone, it just looks outdated.

Nevertheless, the Vu will surely appeal to a select group of phone users. The market for a 5-inch phone is probably notably different than that of a 4-inch phone. This new category of “phablets” or “tabletphones,” whatever you want to call it, will no doubt have some growing pains. The idea of going back to a world of 4:3 aspect ratios just seems unlikely, but we probably would have said the same thing about 5-inch phones in the first place, just a couple years ago.

[via Android Community]

GSM Arena obtained the document, which reveals that the first samples for the Berry Pink Galaxy Note will arrive on the 8th week of this year, with public availability starting in the 9th week, or about three weeks from now. The device will also be available in its standard Carbon Blue and Ceramic White, with which we’ve recently spent some hands-on time.

The new color makes sense since Samsung has admitted to targeting the female demographic with the Galaxy Note. The device’s size is generally too big for comfort in pants pockets, but fine in purses and handbags. Unfortunately, the device just misses Valentines Day, but will likely make a showing at Mobile World Congress later this month.

[via Android Community]

In fact, the roll-out will be dependent on which carrier you’re with, and which country you live in. The Galaxy Note upgrade could drop anytime between March and May, Murtazin warns, while other Samsung models are also in line for an Android 4.0 refresh within that same period.

Meanwhile, Samsung is believed to be readying what could be the company’s first native Ice Cream Sandwich device, the Galaxy S III. Originally the new flagship was expected at MWC 2012 later this month, but Samsung recently warned that it would miss the show and instead debut at a standalone event sometime before the end of June.

Whenever the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note get ICS, the expectation is that it will come with the company’s own TouchWiz modifications rather than pure Android 4.0 as on the Galaxy Nexus. We’re waiting to hear back from Samsung as to whether these timescales are accurate, and will update when we know more.

Polaroid surprised camera followers back at CES with the reveal of the SC1630, a device which ostensibly resembled a cellphone but in actual fact was intended to be a digital camera first and foremost. The SC1630 is equipped with a healthy 16-megapixel sensor and leverages Android for its social networking integration and file uploading capabilities, features Samsung has already made good use of in its Galaxy series of smartphones.

That could mean that Samsung is looking to push out a photography-focused mobile device, joining Galaxy phones, tablets and media players. Presumably the Galaxy Camera would bear a higher resolution camera than existing Samsung smartphones – which generally top out at 8-megapixels – and perhaps even include an optical zoom.

Following that route would allow Samsung to chase digital imaging fans without making its core smartphone range any fatter; according to recent leaks, the Galaxy S III expected to debut within the next few months is targeting a 7mm-thick casing, with the 8-megapixel camera the only bump on the otherwise slimline build. Camera geeks might be more willing to accommodate a chubbier device if it delivers improved optics, however.

[via SammyHub]

Apparently, the Microsoft Surface device will be used to train developers at the college. After hearing about the second-generation Surface system for so long, it’s cool to see it in the wild and in the hands of developers and end-users. This machine runs Windows 7 Pro and it appears to operate pretty much like a normal computer.

Once assembled and booted, the people in the video playing with the device a bit and we see them using Bing for searches, touching the screen all around, and checking out maps. I will say it appears that the graphics are crystal clear and very smooth even when things are being twisted, turned, and shoved around on the desktop. I think if I had an extra $9000 burning a hole in my pocket, the second-generation Microsoft Surface might be in my game room. Check out the unboxing video below to see for yourself.

[via Istartedsomething.com]

Samsung launched its first line of what are now considered “smart TVs” in 2009. These sets included a proprietary Samsung operating system that allowed users to download apps and widgets so they could watch Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon videos without the need for an external set-top box or connectivity to a computer. In addition, the Samsung TV app store has become stocked with games, weather information, news tickers, and all manner of content that makes it look more like a smartphone than a boob tube.

In 2012, Samsung smart TVs are even more advanced, with top-of-the-line models offering voice recognition allowing users to control what they’re watching without even needing to pick up a remote. Spurred by rumors of a Siri-powered Apple-branded TV, voice commands are now becoming the next big thing. There are duds in the market, though, as Google TV has shown. Consumers are looking for a connected TV experience that makes living room content more accessible, not more cumbersome. Samsung believes it has captured that formula.

[via AFP]

The LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be given to each Suns player complete with the team’s playbook, video from team practices and games, and scouting reports on opponents. It will also be easier for the team to manage their master itinerary and other travel plans.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will also be used by the Suns throughout US Airways Center on game-nights such as for showing clients interactive views of game seating, presentations for season ticketholders, and other in-game promotions. The tablets will also be integrated into the Suns’ TV and radio broadcasts as a way to interact with digital fans via social media.

“Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012″ the company said last week, before dashing hopes that they would include the Galaxy S III. Instead, the third-gen Galaxy flagship will be launched at an event of its own sometime in the first half of this year, allowing Samsung to announce the smartphone closer to the point of commercial availability but also monopolize the limelight.

The strategy by Samsung to play MWC cool follows Microsoft’s decision to ditch its traditional CES keynote spot. Microsoft said that the early January show no longer fitted in to its own timescales for product launches, and that standalone events made more sense moving forward.

Samsung’s products are rumored to include a new tablet, based on the company’s quadcore Exynos 5250 chipset, and potentially including a 2560 x 1600 display. There’s also likely to be several new handsets, while the role the company sees Tizen playing in its line-up will probably be on the agenda as well.

[Image credit: Mondo3]

That leaves the actual Galaxy S III launch still shrouded in mystery. Samsung has said that the smartphone will make its official debut in the first half of 2012, as the centerpiece of a dedicated event rather than sharing the stage with the rest of the cellular industry – Apple aside – at Mobile World Congress.

From leaked specifications, it sounds like it’s well worth waiting for. Samsung apparently committed to making the Galaxy S III even thinner than its GSII predecessor, and has supposedly come up with a roughly 7mm thick smartphone with a Super AMOLED Plus display and a quadcore processor. An 8-megapixel camera – making a bump on the back – and Full HD video recording is tipped, together with LTE and an HDMI output.

Talk of LTE might suggest a US-based event for the Galaxy S III’s first reveal, though that would be at odds with the launches of the previous two phones. Alternatively, Samsung could follow the pattern of the Galaxy Nexus, and launch a European HSPA+ GSIII first, following up with LTE versions for the North American market.

Currently, Samsung Mobile Display is jointly owned by Samsung Electroncs, with 64.4-percent, and Samsung SDI, holding the minority 35.6-percent. The joint-venture is unlisted on the stock exchange, but operates semi-independently, supplying not only Samsung Electronics but other companies with AMOLED displays.

That could change, at least partly, if Samsung Electronics decides to bring the display business in-house. Such a move with give the company even more choice for the first-pick of new panel technologies, and allow it to better control the access of rivals to the screens.

As the smartphone and tablet markets heat up, that advantage could see Samsung extend its lead in the Android segment, as well as better challenge high-profile rivals like the iPhone. Apple has already shown how tight control over the supply-chain can work to a firm’s advantage; now Samsung looks to be following in those footsteps.

[via OLED-Info]

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]

The advertisement starts off with the same set of actors standing in a line waiting for whatever Apple product is set to be released next. They’ve already gone through all the winning points: that they hate standing there, that they’re bored of their devices, that they’re secretly wishing for something outside their religion. Then they see someone circling a photo they just took with their Galaxy Note.

At this point everything breaks down and the point is lost. As with all Superbowl commercials, the point is to make the audience remember your advertisement, even at the cost of them forgetting your product. As Twitter users galore this weekend spoke up on right after the Samsung commercial appeared, Samsung did indeed capture their attention, but may have done so in the worst way. Twitter users saw the stylus as Samsung’s trump card and told them exactly what they thought about it: this is Palm’s secret weapon.

Samsung had the opportunity to stay simple and powerful as they had been doing in their collection of advertisements leading up to this point, but they fell victim to the pressure that is the SuperBowl cost per ad spot and bought The Darkness and a song from several years ago that, though is still a good song, has nothing to do with Samsung or their products. You’ll also notice a couple other devices from Samsung running on AT&T throughout the commercial, this further confusing the point.

Touchpad Control

The first and most apparent feature you’re going to experience here is the touchpad, it taking up the top 2/5 of the device and allowing you to move forward with the touch controls you’ve gotten so used to in this forward-thinking mobile environment. You’ll be able to change channels and adjust the volume on your set with a simple swipe of the touchpad, and on-screen browsing will be much easier as the touchpad works as a mouse. Your finger is now the mouse pointer rather than the rather evil point to move we’ve seen from similar sets in the past.

Edge UI

Next is the Edge User Interface, this allowing you to access any of the four main control menus with your touchpad by swiping your finger out to the edge. These four menus are Color/playback, Tools, Hot Key, and History. Your Hot Key aka Short Cut will bring you a programmable action, while the rest should be pretty self-explanatory for you Smart TV users. No need to look at the remote any longer!

Voice Control

With the newest Samsung Smart TV units, you’ll be able to use the Smart Touch Control’s built-in microphone to tell your television what to do. You’ll be able to access your apps, switch channels, and navigate compatible services galore. This system should prove to be rather intuitive as voice recognition and control advances to new heights in our very voice-activated modern world.

Multi-device Control

Finally you’ll be able to cut down on the number of control units you’ll need – just so long as you’ve got all Samsung devices, that is. The Smart Touch Control can be programmed to run with your DVD player and a whole mess of other home entertainment appliances. Your device choosing widget can be found under your Hot Key on the remote, each of your devices then switched quickly and with great ease on-screen. One remote to rule them all.

Pricing and availability for this remote control have not been finalized, but don’t be surprised if we see it within a month around the world. Smart TV 2012 continues on with great fervor. Samsung is bringing the Smart heat in TV!

A 2-megapixel front facing camera for video calls is also promised, along with Full HD video recording. That will support playback via HDMI – presumably using an MHL-compliant microUSB port like many of Samsung’s existing phones – and LTE connectivity is tipped as well.

Samsung confirmed last week that the Galaxy S III won’t make its debut at MWC 2012 this month, though did say that the handset would be revealed sometime before then end of July. The company won’t talk specifications, though the leak suggests we’ll be seeing another Super AMOLED Plus display along with Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

We’d also expect to see HSPA+ on offer, along with NFC and the usual mixture of WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and other sensors. Whether Samsung will subsequently have to follow Motorola’s lead with the DROID RAZR MAXX and release a second version with a bigger battery remains to be seen.

[via OLED-Display]

The smartphone has a 1280 x 800 display and uses an active digitizer to work with the digital pen. That can capture and annotate screenshots, be used to write and draw on photos and even video clips, or simply to navigate the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with Samsung’s own TouchWiz interface. There’s also an 8-megapixel camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

Opinion is split as to whether the Galaxy Note counts as a phone or a mini-tablet, though you could argue it offers the best of both worlds. Samsung made it the centerpiece of its Apple-skewering advert for the Super Bowl this weekend.

More details on the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note LTE in our full hands-on with the smartphone, and you can find more on the tablet functionality in our review of the European version.

Pre-order listings for the Galaxy Nexus White were spotted early last month, with official images cropping up shortly after. Like previous white Samsung phones, the fascia itself is still black, with the edge and rear of the handset the new color.

“After much speculation, we are pleased to announce the availability of the Galaxy Nexus White which follows the great reception the phone has received since it was launched back in November” Samsung UK telecoms exec Simon Stanford said this morning. ”One of the things we at Samsung pride ourselves on is the choice we offer customers, and we’ve enjoyed huge success to date by introducing white variants of our most popular models to our product portfolio.”

Samsung has confirmed that both 16GB and 32GB versions of the white Galaxy Nexus will be offered; the smartphone will have the same 4.65-inch 720p Super AMOLED HD display, 5-megapixel 1080p-capable camera and HSPA+ connectivity as its black sibling. No word from the company on pricing, but online listing suggest around £500 ($789) unlocked for the 16GB model.

Samsung first started its overt anti-Apple strategy with a Galaxy S II advert back in November, portraying iPhone queuers realizing that the new handset they were waiting for had been bested by an Android smartphone already available. The company followed up with a second spot, highlighting the aesthetic similarities between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

For its Super Bowl ad, Samsung didn’t depart too much from its existing script. Set to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness, it features band lead Justin Hawkins in a candy-cane catsuit, Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, football star Brian Urlacher and pro skateboarder Paul Rodriguez.

What’s perhaps more interesting than the “celebrities” is the fact that Samsung actually used some of the 1080p Full HD video content shot by the Galaxy Note itself in with its pro-filmed footage. The whole thing was directed by Bobby Farrelly, best known for directing There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber and Kingpin.

So, successful campaign or more of the same? Let us know in the poll below.

The software on the two devices we’re looking at here is the most updated version from either software group, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich from Google, and iOS 5 from Apple. The devices we’re looking at are the iPhone 4S from Apple and the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung. The iPhone 4S is the same as each iPhone before it in that Apple uses it as a hero device for its software, while the Galaxy Nexus is a special case for Google because they do not currently produce their own hardware, this one produced with Samsung to be the hero for Google’s software. In this way these two devices are the best examples for Apple and Google’s Android for this feature story.

Applications

Both Android and iOS are built with a basic user interface which includes a grid of icons, each icon connected to an app. All Android devices you’re going to purchase from a carrier here in the United States and the iPhone are connected to app stores where apps can be purchased or download free. If you switch from Android to iOS or back the other way around, you will need to download a whole new set of applications. This is true of any switching between devices, but if you stick with one software, like switching from Android to Android, you wont have to re-purchase applications like you would when switching from iOS to Android and back again.

Multi-tasking

The question of multi-tasking is one we’ve been writing about and hearing about for years, ever since the birth of this mobile environment in smartphones. The newest versions of Android and iOS both have a very basic but fairly effective means of switching back and forth between apps. For the iPhone you’ll be double-tapping on your home button and a row of applications will appear at the bottom of your display – each of these are able to be opened or, if you hold down on one of them, closed entirely. A similar situation happens with Android 4.0 when you tap the “Recent Apps” icon, this being the double rectangle on the far right – the applications pop up here with a preview and an icon, each able to be opened, closed entirely, or have its App Info accessed.

Pull-down Menu

Both Android and iOS now have a pull-down menu that can be accessed by sliding your finger down from the top of the display. Both have status updates from applications and are organized a bit differently from on another, and Apple’s version has a couple of widget-like selections at the moment not unlike what Android has on its several home-screens. Both menus’s individual updates can be tapped to access and can also be closed with a simple action: an x-out or a push to the left.

Home Screens

Android has two layers to its containment of applications, while Apple’s iOS has one. Android has a set of home-screens where you can add apps as well as a wide variety of widgets, widgets being anything from a simple picture frame to a stock-ticker like you’re seeing in the pull-down menu on iOS. Android also has an App Drawer where applications are placed in a basic grid and can be pulled up and out to Android’s home screens. Apple’s iOS has home screens which are essentially the same as Android’s App Drawer. Both operating systems have the ability to pack several apps in one app’s grid spot in a “drawer” for a simplified way of organizing, both having this feature on home screens.

Taking Photos and Video

The photo-taking experience on Android and iOS is basically the same. You’ve got a viewfinder that’s nearly the whole display large, you’ve got one button that takes the photo or the video, and there’s are at least a few options on both interfaces. The camera on iOS 5 has options for your flash or lamp (for video), tap to focus, and have a single button to flip between front and back cameras.

Android has the same set of options but also has a selection of special effects here on the Galaxy Nexus, including a panoramic mode for long photos. As far as the devices we’re looking at here, the iPhone 4S has the better ability to take fabulous photos as its 8 megapixels strong over the Galaxy Nexus’ 5 megapixels. Both devices claim to have the fastest shutter speed in the west, but the iPhone 4S has a much better shot-to-keeper ratio from what you humble narrator has experienced.

Sharing Photos and Video

The iPhone is limited in its capability to share a photo or a video directly from the gallery – if you open a photo and want to share it, you can email it, tweet it, text message it, assign it to a contact, make it your wallpaper, or print it. With Android, you can do all of these things plus more – Android connects your gallery to any and all applications that are able to share images. For iOS you’ve got to go into each of those applications outside the gallery to share. This simple difference will drive you nuts when switching from Android to iOS if you’re a big sharing sort of person.

Settings

Bot operating systems have a basic Settings menu, both of them able to work with items like Wifi, screen brightness, and settings for your main account – or multiple accounts with Android. With the Android version here specifically on the Nexus device you’ve got a set of developer options you wont get with any other Android device. Both operating systems have access to individual app settings, but only iOS has the ability to access GPS settings for each individual app. When switching back and forth between operating systems, you’ll definitely have to do a bit of searching before you find each of the bits you’re used to working with, but it’s all there for the most part between the two.

Ecosystems

There are massive followings surrounding both the iPhone and Android devices, with the Android Community being both a developer and a hacker group and Apple’s being just one gigantic set of people of all types. When you need support for an iPhone, you’re going to want to head to an Apple store. When you want support for an Android device, you’ll be encouraged to go to your carrier. Both choices have a big online support community comprised of users from around the world that want to help out their fellow compatriots with problems big and small.

Wrap-Up

A few years ago I’d have said that the iPhone had a much more massive and impressive developer base for applications than Android, and you know I’d have been right. At this time both groups have an ever-expanding world-sized set of developers working for them. You absolutely cannot judge one device over the other based on this simple factor, nor should you choose one over the other trying to compare them based on one specification. The whole package is what you’re going to want to see here.

I’m going to continue using the iPhone 4S as one of two daily devices. I’m in a unique place here as a tech writer and reviewer of devices where I don’t have to drop hundreds of dollars down a month to have service and new devices, and as it’s my job to stay updated on the trends of the day, I’ll also need to keep an Android on hand. I’ll continue to watch and review the other operating systems as well, but at the moment it’s not quite as important for me to carry one along at all times. The app, case, skin, and service reviews and hands-on for the iPhone 4S will continue into the future right here on SlashGear courtesy of yours truly.

It’s assumed it refers to Apple’s sales and covers all Motorola Mobility patented technologies the Cupertino company uses. Even so, the figure appears excessive.

Apple has argued that it is covered by a cross-licensing agreement between Motorola and Qualcomm around 3G standards, since it uses Qualcomm radio chipsets in its more recent products. However, Motorola has made several attempts to block Apple’s request to bring that licensing agreement in front of the German courts, only eventually succeeding to have it discussed in a closed hearing.

One tidbit that was revealed in a late January 2012 Apple brief opposing a Motorola attempt to keep the agreement out of the courtroom is the FRAND licensing offer Motorola made. The figure is mentioned in a letter sent by the Bardehle Pagenberg firm representing Apple, to Dr. Marcus Grosch of Quinn Emanuel, Motorola’s German lead counsel.

Apple has argued that Motorola’s demands for licensing fees are excessive, and that the company has not adhered to FRAND rules that insist upon a reasonable rate.

To try to prove that, Apple is seeking information on how much other smartphone companies pay Motorola for the same patents, filing discovery motions in late January for details from Nokia, HTC, LG Electronics and Ericsson (though the latter was subsequently voluntarily dismissed). Motorola’s defense, it’s suggested, is likely to be that its deals with other manufacturers also include licensing agreements that work in the opposite direction, and that the royalty figures could be lower because of that.

Nonetheless, if Apple can prove Motorola has been unfair in its request then it could not only escape the injunction issued by the German courts last December, but land Motorola in hot water with the European Commission. The EC is already investigating Samsung over potential antitrust behavior in licensing FRAND patents, in part because of the Korean company’s suit against Apple.

When you plan on creating a revolution in the market, it essentially does not matter who you are, even Apple has to work with 3rd party companies to create their devices. LG and Samsung are set up quite nicely in this case to produce their own panels for the Smart TV revolution, both of them already well into the market with such things as HDTV and 3DTV. What Apple has been tipped to be waiting for then is Sharp’s IGZO panels specifically as the Japan-base group readies their production lines for a much greater production rate.

At the moment, Sharp’s 8G lines are able to produce all sorts of panels including 32-inch, 46-inch, and 55-inch sizes. On the other hand, IGZO panels are not ready to be produced at the rate Apple would need them. Apple’s iTV would build on the Apple TV market, but would become a whole new segment if analysts are correct. Will you be amongst the millions of already-ready television watchers to jump in o the next Apple market?

[via DigiTimes]

The image you’re seeing above (and below in the gallery if you’d like a closer look) comes from Eldar Murtazin, a fellow who is often quite vocal about the early looks he gets at devices in the field. He tweeted the image along with the words “Barcelona. Samsung. press photo leaked” and decidedly refrained from speaking any details about the device other than “I dont name this samsung product :-) heh. I think some of you know it…” and that’s it.

As Michael Crider explains, there are several ways that you can tell that the whole situation stinks. FIrst, there’s been some early builds of the Ice Cream Sandwich update for Galaxy S II devices leaked, each of them legitimate as they can be confirmed to be, and they work with TouchWiz, a version that looks not all that different from the original TouchWiz sitting on the Galaxy S II when it was released – in this case on the USA versions as it relies on the four capacitive button combination at the bottom of the setup. What the photo here shows is a blend of AOSP Android 4.0 and Samsung’s TouchWiz, basic Google-made Android 4.0 folders sitting next to Samsung’s own widgets and icons.

The device has quite a few graphic artifacts in its white area, this most likely because it was lifted directly from an original Galaxy S II white image, blown out, and cut down the middle so that a modded Ice Cream Sandwich screen could sit in the middle. It’s quite simple, folks: this one’s a falsehood.

On the other hand, Pocketnow found some Galaxy S II+ benchmark results on An3DBenchXL, so perhaps there IS a new device LIKE what we’re seeing here on the way – but this isn’t it.

[via Android Community]

That means a 4-inch Super AMOLED display running at WVGA resolution, along with a 1GHz dual-core processor paired with 768MB of RAM. There’s also 8GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot. The 5-megapixel camera is paired with a 1.3-megapixel front-facer, and there’s the usual bevy of sensors and wireless: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and an FM radio. OS is Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung’s own TouchWiz mods.

In case that all sounds reasonably familiar, you’re not going mad. Samsung revealed another iteration of the Galaxy S back in March 2011, the Galaxy S Plus, similar in many ways to this “Advance” model. The “Plus”, however, had a 1.4GHz single-core processor and only 512MB of RAM, though the battery is 150 mAh bigger.

If the Galaxy S Advance takes your fancy, shipments are expected in the week commencing February 27 2012. Of course, SlashGear will be at Mobile World Congress that week, bringing back all the juicy details as to what other phones Samsung and its rivals have to impress us with.

Lotus Glass is an interesting product from Corning that is a glass substrate that goes over the top of an OLED display and can be flexed without breaking. That allows it using curved handsets and should make it last longer in the real world by being able to deform when dropped or hit rather than breaking. The joint venture will supply the OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display along with the broader Korean market.

The OLED market is expected to grow rapidly with many smart phones moving to the screens for the superior color reproduction and image quality. At the same time, the screens tend to use less power than traditional LCDs making for longer battery life. Larger OLED screens are also being used in TVs, and we saw several sets of this sort during CES. It’s not clear exactly when Samsung Mobile Display and Corning screens will begin to hit the market.

[via Corning]

The benchmark data show the Galaxy S 2+ with Android 2.3.4 installed, a WVGA display and a 1.5 GHz processor. This would place it ahead of the Galaxy S II’s 1.2 GHz CPU. This naming convention is becoming increasingly commonplace. Samsung did it with the last generation of Galaxy S phones, and who can forget the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4S? After all, there are only so many numbers you can climb before it just looks ridiculous, and if you churn them out on an annual basis those numbers run up quickly.

As for Mobile World Congress, even though the S3 will be a no-show, we do know that a refreshed Galaxy Tab tablet will be on display as well as other “exciting new mobile products.” The S3 has been confirmed to be revealed some time before the end of June, at an exclusive Samsung event. Stay tuned.

[via Pocket Now]

Featured: Our featured story today is a review of PressReader for iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Check out what our Chris Burns thought of the newest way to read newspaper through a flat-fee or subscription-based model. Yes, newspapers do actually still exist, believe it or not.

Mobile: For mobile nerds like us, we’re anticipating the Super Bowl not because it’ll be a historic rematch between to big-market teams, but because it will feature a Samsung Galaxy Note commercial. And get this – Samsung has released a teaser of the commercial. Yeah, how often does that happen? Also making news from Samsung is the launch of US Cellular’s LTE network. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S Aviator are the regional carrier’s flagship LTE devices.

Portable Gadgets: Now this is pretty cool – iPad Nano 7G with camera leaked in photos. On another side of the portable spectrum, there’s some PlayStation Vita news and it’s good if you’re the kind of gamer that likes to download – PS Vita games will be cheaper downloaded.

Legal: In case you haven’t logged into a Google service in the last couple weeks (aka, in case you’ve been living under a rock), the search giant overhauled its privacy policies, sparking a large amount of outrage as expected. Now, Google has gone to the trouble of buying ads to defend its new policies. And speaking of defending, we’d like to hear Zynga defend this – Zynga CEO applauds ‘concept theft’ in leaked memo. That’s all for now. Check back tomorrow for Thursday’s evening wrap-up.

The patent in question covers scrolling display behaviors, namely the way in which a software list shows that the user has reached the bottom. Apple argued that its implementation, as patented, differs from any previous list systems. Samsung, however, argued that the patent hadn’t exceeded the nine month period during which it could be contested, and that no sales ban should be implemented until that had expired.

The court agreed, and Samsung free to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1N in the German market. The variant has a tweaked bezel, thicker at the shorter sides than at the longer edges, with forward-facing speakers, and was created to work around Apple’s design patents. Apple complained, but courts decided that the design of the 10.1N was sufficiently different.

However, earlier this week a German judge upheld Apple’s original sales injunction against the Tab 10.1, and Samsung has seen two 3G standards-related cases against its rivals thrown out. Now the Korean company faces EU antitrust investigations over whether it misused the patented wireless technologies.

Or heck, you could head to Germany or order one in and still have it this winter! This device has DSLR-like picture quality without a doubt, it having a 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, full HD video recording support, sensitivity up to 12,800 ISO, and that’s all inside the center. There’s also a 3-inch AMOLED VGA display on the back for your loving tapping, rings around the sides for straps, a sassy looking set of red and silver accents, and just for fun, i-Function lens support!

Have a peek at our hands-on with the original version of this camera and get a taste of what it means to roll with Samsung for your shooter. This device will be available in Germany from March for 849 Euros. There are currently no announcements made for this version hitting the United States or the UK.

[via SammyHub]

This advertisement is but one piece of the puzzle that’s been coming together over the past few weeks and months. The Samsung series of commercials here have each been cutting into the Apple fan culture by showing these fans standing in line for long periods of time complaining about their iPhones, especially on how terrible it is to wait in line for one out on the street. You and I know that the best Apple stores are indoors, of course, but who’s to say? Samsung has been knocking Apple with the idea that “The Next Big Thing is already here”, saying the Galaxy S II in each of its different iterations is superior to the iPhone in whatever form its taking next.

The newest tagline is “The Next Big Thing is already here… Again”, this prodding away at Apple once more by saying that no only has Samsung released a magical device in the Galaxy S II, it’s doing so once more with the Galaxy Note. We’ll see the full real deal come Superbowl Sunday. Also note that this is one of many companies teasing their future commercials via the internet, a sensation that’s taking the web by storm this season.

“Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012. The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product. Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world” Samsung statement

Samsung has been coy with reasons as to why the Galaxy S III won’t be revealed at the show this month, though there are several possibilities. Most obvious is some sort of manufacturing delay, with Samsung’s envelope-pushing flagship encountering production issues. Alternatively, however, the company could be hoping to avoid the mad rush of new devices launched at the Barcelona show, with a standalone event giving the Galaxy S III more of a chance to shine.

That could mean a launch shortly after MWC 2012 – Samsung’s stated window is anything between now and the end of June, after all – in which case the Galaxy S III could still reach the market before the second half of the year. Alternatively, with sales of the Galaxy S II breaking records, Samsung could be holding back on its new flagship until demand for the current model abates.

Of course, there’s also the expected iPhone 5 in June or July, which Samsung could be hoping to go head-to-head with. The company hasn’t been shy in targeting potential iPhone buyers in its advertising campaigns lately, with the Koreans coining the term “Samsunged” in their newest sniping short.

As for specs, we’re expecting a big Super AMOLED display, likely running at 1280 x 720 HD resolution, with Ice Cream Sandwich and some TouchWiz modifications.

Seriously, though, Samsung will air a Super Bowl ad for the first time in the company’s history. And the product that will mark this flagship occasion – the Galaxy Note. The Android-powered jumbo phone has gained a lot of attention for its 5.3-inch display and a stylus, making it look more like a tablet than a phone. The ad was directed by Bobby Farrelly, whose credits include Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary.

That’s all we know about the actual commercial, though given those referenced film titles we can probably assume it’ll be a very humorous ad. The spot was also reportedly filmed with the Galaxy Note’s 1080p HD camera. The phone, which has a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of memory, will be available through AT&T on February 19. Its after-contract price is $300.

[via Mobile Burn]

Featured: So there are quite a few mixed reactions to Facebook’s new Timeline feature, and if you’re one of those who aren’t particularly pleased with it, you need to check out this PSA: Facebook Timeline absolutely cannot be undone, don’t be fooled. On a lighter note, our Chris Burns examines one of the most exciting technological advancements in his column, 3D printing may explode at rate incomparable to its 2D predecessor.

Gaming: Well that was fast! Steam’s mobile app, which just recently launched in closed beta form, is now open to everyone. And if you’re more interested in console gaming, we have a fresh round of Xbox 720 rumors, this time with a closer look at the speculated dual-SKU strategy we first heard about last week.

Mobile: Attention all Samsung fans – Samsung Galaxy S Note S tipped, GSIII release date dropped. And on the carrier side of things, AT&T’s behind-the-scenes craziness continues. This time the carrier is in the news for a massive executive shake-up. Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, we’ve heard that China Telecom will offer the iPhone 4S next month.