G1 News

The Samsung Galaxy might have seen a low-key release on O2, but the new ‘Lite’ model has disappeared off our radar all together.

We now have heard a rumour that the i5700 Galaxy Lite (not to be confused with the i7500 Galaxy) might not make Xmas…or 2009 at all for that matter!

The dimuitive handset runs 1.5 “Cupcake” like his bigger brother, and is available in two colourways of white/green and black/red. With a 3″ touch display, 3.2 megapixel camera and full copnnectivity over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the only thing that is small about the Galaxy Lite is the form factor!

If it does indeed slip to 2010, entry-level rivals like the HTC Tattoo and T-Mobile Pulse might find green lights on the Android highway in that lucrative Christmas rush for a prepay stocking filler…

The Samsung’s Galaxy i7500, the manufacturer’s first Android handset, is due to make a debut on UK network O2 as early as next week.

According to Reg Hardware, and contrary to reports that the handset had failed network accreditation, the Samsung Galaxy i7500 is currently hiding in the accessories section of O2’s website, lending credence to the fact that it will soon be available.

The i7500 is already available in various territories around the globe, including O2 in Germany and Israel under the Cellcom network.

O2 – the exclusive retailer for the Samsung Galaxy – apparently already has the handset in the stock management system in retail stores, so a release in all but certain for the week beginning 17th August.

No details or pricing of Samsung Galaxy i7500 deals have been released at this time.

Earth shattering news in the mobile world as Nokia seems to be embracing Google’s Android operating system as the backbone for a new handset!

With the Nokia World annual conference looming in September, rumours are rife that the device will be unveiled at some point during the event. With the current Symbian interface being structurally sound but looking slightly archaic in the face of slick mobiles like the iPhone and Samsung Jet, Android is the perfect platform to launch both a visually arresting interface as well as a one which will offer a smooth online experience for browsing and sending mail.

The smartphone market has been heavily competitive in recent months, with many manufacturers targeting this lucrative sector as mid-range sales dwindle. With Nokia losing ground to the current generation of ‘casual’ smartphones from Samsung and Apple, a device combining the brand strength of the Finnish phone maker with a great user experience could reverse current fortunes.

The Nokia N97 has been a success, yet many feel it wasn’t a big enough step forward. This open source experiment seems set to show exactly what Nokia can do!

UPDATE: Nokia is pretty adamant that this is not true.

“There is no truth to this story whatsoever. It is a well known fact that Symbian is our platform of choice for smartphones.”

We can but dream…but the fact that Android is a direct competitor to the open source Symbian platform should really have started alarm bells ringing!

Source: Daily Telegraph

The Samsung i7500 is speedily making its way to retail, stopping off for a little rebranding exercise in the case of French network Bouygues Telecom (me neither). Here’s the press release…

Bouygues Telecom and Samsung launch Samsung Galaxy, the first Samsung mobile phone in Android
Launched in early July the first by Bouygues Telecom, Samsung Galaxy led by the Android operating system prompts the user for a new experience of mobile Internet from multiple applications of Google.

Bouygues Telecom will be the first operator to accommodate in its range of terminals Samsung Galaxy in July in the 580 Bouygues Telecom, in the online store www.bouyguestelecom.fr and resellers in all Bouygues Telecom.

Ultracommunicant (WiFi, 3G +, GPS), ergonomic (AMOLED touch screen 3.2”) and multimedia (web browsing and fast flowing, camera 5 million pixels, music player / video, 8GB internal memory) will be the Samsung Galaxy available with all offers Bouygues Telecom, including the neo.2 package which includes unlimited access to mobile internet, 7j / 7 and 24/24.

Samsung Galaxy, the whole universe of mobile internet

Samsung Galaxy is at the heart of new lifestyles. More than a phone, it represents the future mobile terminals, real epicenters of your digital environment. His design in black brushed metal, while fine, is the brand Samsung, the essence of pure elegance. His AMOLED screen of 3.2 inches restores rich colors and intense while consuming less energy (17% savings compared to a TFT screen). This new generation of ultra-bright screen display ensures high quality for all multimedia content, and a tactile experience out of the ordinary. Even in direct sunlight readability optimal regardless of the angle of vision.

Beautiful on the outside, clever on the inside, Samsung Galaxy has a fluid interface for surfing the Internet with ease and stay connected at all times. Search information, find his way, manage their calendar, check your mails, reply from the virtual QWERTY keyboard, watch videos, share photo albums … all online services of Google are instantly accessible.

* A Web search quickly and efficiently

News, images, videos, weather, phone numbers, addresses, maps …. the information displayed in one click: the power of Google at your fingertips thanks to the search bar, which saves time by facilitating the entry of queries. The most visited sites appear as thumbnails and allows the lens to zoom into the selected page.

* Finding your way

The onboard GPS receiver to fully exploit applications of Google MapsTM such LocationTM My Google LattitudeTM or ViewTM Street, to move or get a detailed itinerary with ease. The geolocation system determines the position of the mobile and determined as the route.
It is also possible to use satellite imagery and the Street View feature to explore the neighborhoods. An integrated digital compass can change angles depending on the position of the mobile.

* Stay connected during his travel through Gmail

All the messages displayed in the box e-mail upon receipt and, if the user wants, an alert in the system tray reports the arrival of a new mail. With the AutoComplete, Gmail allows you to quickly enter long email addresses. It is also easy to open the attachments of messages (pictures, Word documents, PDF and MP3 files). Gmail also has the anti-spam filtering and search features, labels and follow-up, without forgetting the important storage space.

* Chat with friends

Galaxy allows Samsung to chat with friends in real time, update its message and verify the availability of their contacts. You can enjoy the same features as on his computer. Google Talk on Android can switch easily from one discussion to another, or even start a group chat with multiple friends at once.

* Millions of videos in your pocket

Samsung Galaxy provides access to an impressive catalog of You Tube videos: millions of videos to browse, view, search by keyword, classified under custom lists or share with friends by sending e-mails containing links to these videos. Connected and multimedia, Samsung Galaxy allows you to shoot their own videos and post them directly on You Tube. With its high-speed HSDPA, 40s only needed to download a 40MB video.

* Stay up to date with Google Calendar

Google Calendar allows you to view its agenda for the day, week, month, or its planning and to synchronize with your computer. You can create events or reminders displayed directly on the home screen smartphone Samsung Galaxy.

* Android Market

Several thousands of free and commercial applications are also downloadable from the Android Market platform, such WikitudeTM, travel guide online to access tourist information published on Wikipedia. For GSE and simple visual recognition of the landscape or monument photographed by the mobile, the historical, geographical and cultural instantly appear superimposed on the screen.

* An office three times larger

Smartphone to the edge, Samsung Galaxy has a home screen extended into three parts for ease of navigation, personalization and visualization applications and widgets of their choice. Samsung Galaxy offers a display area of the broken desk. An extension to the left and right very fluid. An icon at the bottom of the office allows instant access to the library of applications.

* Fully Multimedia

His camera of 5 megapixels, numerous formats codecs, a long battery life of 1 500 mAh, and a capacity for generous internal memory of 8 GB (expandable to 40GB) can fully appreciate all applications and multimedia content.

Samsung Galaxy Fact Sheet

Network HSDPA / HSUPA (900 / 1700 / 2100 MHz)
EDGE / GPRS (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900)
Android Operating System
HVGA screen 3.2 inches (320 x 480) AMOLED
Camera Camera 5 MB (Auto Focus), LED Flash
Video / Audio Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC +, e-AAC +, WMA, RA
Additional Features
Internet Browsing and applications Google: Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Android Market – virtual QWERTY keyboard
Connectivity Bluetooth ® 2.0, USB 2.0, WiFi, MicroUSB, 3.5 mm jack
Memory Internal memory: 8GB
External Memory: Micro SD (up to 32 GB)
Battery 1500 mAh
Dimensions 115 x 56 x 11.9 mm

So, Galaxy or i7500? I’m going to stick with the original i7500, has such a cold, robotic feel to it…like the name Android.

Either way, it’s a great device and one of the ones to watch as far as taking Android mainstream in other countries. The G1 was great, but didn’t quite grab the world the way it did me!

Source: Phandroid

The first Samsung Android handset gets seen up close, and is lovingly handled by Tech65.org. What it lacks in G1-style QWERTY love, it gains a 3.5 mm headphone jack, 8GB of hard storage capacity and some AMOLED goodness.

Lemme know what you think!

T-Mobile are big on the Android platform, but has the HTC Magic moving to Vodafone forced their hand in looking for other manufacturers to cosy up with? A T-Mobile spokesperson has come up with the following loaded statement:

“We are looking to launch multiple Android-based devices in the second half of this year with three partners…[and we will] see Android find its way down into feature phones on the low end.”

Open source means that the price of an operating system is no longer a barrier to entry, hence Android for everyone! But who are the three hookups? HTC and Samsung are obvious, but the third? Huawei? Motorola?

Gadget Stylist has a very interesting article on that very matter, with Motorola’s full-on adoption of the platform revealing their long term gameplan…or should we say life line?

Samsung handset running Google Android? Not in the first half of 2009! The Korean mobile phone maker is reported to have hit some snags in development, and the announcement will no longer be made at next week’s MWC.

The mystery handset has now been earmarked for launch in the second half of the year.

With Samsung planning to focus more on the touchscreen area of the market in 2009, they are certainly hedging their bets on this sector between this and the forthcoming Samsung Tocco Ultra.

Low or high-end, people want iPhone-y phones, and Samsung are only too happy to accommodate. Just not yet.

Source: Softpedia

In an official statement, Korean handset manufacturer has decided to throw their Android-shaped hat into the ring by announcing a handset due for release in 2oo9, powered by Google’s open-source platform.

“We are accelerating the development process for Google phone in order to meet the specific need of local carriers,” according to an official Samsung spokesperson in a report from NewsOXY.

Samsung’s new handset will be released on the Sprint and T-Mobile networks in their respective territories, and is rumoured to feature a full touch screen interface, as is currently the style of the time!

Wait, T-Mobile? I thought they already had a love-in with HTC making the G1 and all? Does this mean that T-Mobile will be stocking rival Android-powered handsets?

It seems very likely. Despite having a good 4 or 5 months of daylight as the only Google-powered phone, competition to the T-Mobile G1 will be very real and very fierce very soon! Why risk losing so many potential sales by not stocking rival Android handsets?

Exciting times!

Having been to India myself lately, one thing they are not playing around with is mobile phones. With movie megastar Aamit Khan plugging the Samsung Omnia and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 being plastered all over Mumbai International Airport, their mobile phone industry has expanded far beyond clockwork Nokias with monochrome screens in the East…for the rich.

With smartphones priced way out of reach of many in India, industry commentators were looking to see a version of the Android-powered HTC Dream phone being released in this territory late in 2008 as an entry level alternative.  Well, we are now into 2009, and still no nearer to seeing the G1 having a concrete release date over there.

Reports say HTC are in advanced talks with a leading service provider and would prefer to introduce the HTC G1 Android phone in India through a close association with a single network, as they have done with T-Mobile in the US and Europe.

The HTC G1 Android phone is rumoured to be released at a cost of over 20,000 Rupees, far higher than the launch price overseas, but lower than astronomical 31,000 Rupees (£420!) they are charging for an 8GB Apple iPhone.

Perhaps there will be a cheap and cheerful resolution to the Android smartphone stalemate in India in the form of the Kogan Pro…we’ll wait and see.

Oh, the picture? That’s me (on the left) touching an elephant in Kerala. Any other questions? Didn’t think so.