11/06, 1:45pm
ARM Eagle to be multi-core, 28nm
ARM president Tudor Brown at a presentation on Friday provided early details of his company's next-generation architecture for smartphones and other handhelds. Nicknamed Eagle, the processor design will focus on speed and come with a multi-core main processor, "high-end" graphics and better security against hardware-related attacks. Power use will be kept down by using GlobalFoundries' new 28 nanometer process and should get more efficient still when the assembly process shrinks to 22 nanometers.
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11/06, 12:45pm
IDC Q3 2009 phone share results live
Apple gained market share in the summer but slipped in the face of tougher competition, according to new IDC data. The iPhone's share of smartphones grew from 16.6 percent to 17.1 percent during the quarter but was overtaken by Research in Motion's record BlackBerry sales, which pushed it above Apple from 14.6 percent to 19 percent. The reversal is credited to the BlackBerry's wider distribution and the launch of a pair of key phones, the Tour and the Curve 8520.
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11/05, 10:50am
Verizon offering LG Chocolate now, Convoy later
Verizon on Thursday introduced two new handsets, including its first touchscreen Chocolate handset from LG, the Chocolate Touch, along with the rugged Push-To-Talk Samsung Convoy flip phone. While not as advanced as the Chocolate BL40, the Chocolate Touch is being billed as a capable music phone, sporting Dolby Mobile sound processing, an integrated FM radio with 12 presets and song ID, as well as a dedicated key on the side of the device for quick access to music.
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11/05, 10:00am
Samsung Mythic, Flight coming to AT&T Nov. 8th
Samsung Mobile began shipping two promised touchscreen handsets on AT&T's network. The Samsung Mythic has a 3.3-inch touchscreen only interface and is the latest phone to work with AT&T's Mobile TV service. It runs on Samsung's own widget-based TouchWiz interface and brings top-level access both to the Mobile TV service as well as Facebook and MySpace.
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11/04, 6:55pm
One Voice initiative aims for interoperability
A long list of cellular providers and manufacturers, including players such as AT&T, Verizon, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Siemens, Ericsson and Samsung, have all agreed on standards for voice calls and SMS messages distributed across LTE networks. The companies have collaborated on a technical profile, the One Voice initiative, that aims to ensure widespread compatibility between different products.
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11/04, 10:45am
ABI says netbooks still on track
Netbooks are still set to top nearly 35 million units by the end of the year, ABI said today. The prediction is similar to that from the start of the year and asserts that the mini portables will form a significant portion of the entire PC business. ABI doesn't predict market share but says that Acer, ASUS and Samsung produced 74 percent of all netbooks last year.
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11/04, 7:55am
Bell iPhone plans cost just $45 a month
Bell today launched its HSPA+ network and its first devices, including the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. The network supports up to 21Mbps downstream on the Novatel Wireless U998 ($75) and future modems that support HSPA+ and should also supply as much as 7.2Mbps for the iPhone 3GS and other current smartphones.
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11/03, 10:30pm
Samsung 30nm flash just 0.6mm thick
Samsung tonight unveiled a breakthrough for its NAND flash memory that could lead to much more storage in handhelds. The new approach manages to fit 32 gigabytes of memory into a single chip that measures just 0.6mm (0.02in) thick through the use of extra-thin, "bare" packages that are half as thick as before but are just as sturdy. Combined with a 30 nanometer assembly process, the chips are both 40 percent thinner and lighter and should lead to thinner smartphones and media players.
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10/30, 12:10pm
HSPA Samsung Omnia II due at Bell
Bell on Friday said it will soon add the Samsung Omnia II to its lineup in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The announcement is significant as the first HSPA version of the handset for North America and for its use of Bell's upcoming HSPA network, scheduled for a November 5th launch. Reflecting Samsung's sponsorship of the event, Bell Omnia II owners will have access to a free Olympics app to keep track of events and a decal for the phone back.
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10/30, 9:55am
Sprint talks about future smartphones, changes
A Sprint executive revealed the carrier's plans to release software updates for its smartphones and other news via a web chat on Thursday. David Owens revealed the Android-powered HTC Hero and Samsung Moment will get an update to the OS, though hasn't specified whether it will be version 1.6 or 2.0. Android phones are expected to also go down in price thanks to higher volumes, and Sprint is considering adding an Android handset with an integrated MiFi-style router.
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10/30, 9:45am
Phone sales to bounce back in fall
Apple in two years has pushed the iPhone up to 2.5 percent of the entire cellphone market, Strategy Analytics estimates. The company has roughly doubled its share from a year ago and now has half the share of established firms Motorola and Sony Ericsson, which have remained flat at five percent. Some of the gain is likely to have come at Nokia's expense, as it shrank to 37 percent share, its lowest since the start of 2007.
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10/29, 6:00pm
Apps on Win 7 PCs still slow vs Apple
A series of tests have revealed that even newer Windows 7 PCs are being bogged down by unnecessary software that makes them run much more slowly than Macs. Comparing factory versions of several notebooks versus clean models, PC Pro finds that Acer and Sony systems take about two whole minutes more to boot because of the "crapware," or third-party utilities and trial apps, preloaded out of the box. They also consume roughly 1GB more extra active RAM and also rob the system of as much as 2.4GB of space in Acer's case.
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10/29, 4:35pm
Samsung 10.1-inch e-paper display just 0.7mm thin
Samsung is demonstrating a color 10.1-inch e-paper device at the currently ongoing FPD International show in Japan. The display is also ultra-thin, thanks to integrated circuits in the TFT glass substrate, which is glass. This makes the display rigid, while a plastic color filter and e-paper from E Ink are flexible.
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10/29, 8:30am
Sprint loses $478m cash, 135K customers
Sprint today reportedsignificant losses for its summer quarter. The carrier's net losses widened from $326 million a year ago to $478 million but were softened by losing a relatively modest 135,000 cellphone customers; the number is Sprint's smallest loss in customers in the past two years. It now has a total of 48.3 million subscribers and remains the third-largest provider, above T-Mobile but well below AT&T's 81.6 million.
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10/28, 1:40pm
LG, Samsung show see-through OLED displays
At the currently ongoing FPD International 2009 in Japan, LG Display and Samsung Mobile Display have shown off two see-through OLED prototype displays. Either display replaces the backing with transparent material, allowing viewers to see what's behind the display with black backgrounds. This is achieved thanks to translucent materials used for the positive and negative electrodes. Both displays are also sandwiched between plates of transparent material.
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10/27, 4:45pm
Samsung debuts 933HD Plus and 2333HD
Samsung in a late afternoon update added two crossover computer LCDs to its mix. The 23-inch 2333HD and 19-inch 933HD+ both have built-in HDTV tuners and remotes to double as TVs in tight spaces. Appropriately, they both share 16:9 aspect ratios that avoid black bars for native HD video at either a 720p-friendly 1360x768 (for the 933HD+) or 1080p (for the 2333HD).
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10/27, 4:20pm
Hitachi, Toshiba join Sony in anti-trust query
Hitachi and Toshiba's optical drive divisions have also been implicated in a US Department of Justice investigation regarding possible antitrust abuse, according to another Monday WSJ report. As with Sony, not many other details were revealed, and executives at both Hitachi and Toshiba say they will fully cooperate with the investigations. Hitachi's optical drive business is a joint venture with LG, with Hitachi owning 51 percent of the operation, while Toshiba has the same split with Samsung.
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10/26, 10:50am
Samsung Needle Slim HDTV is just 3mm thick
Samsung has recently shown off its Needle Slim LED-backlit HDTV, which manages to be just over a tenth of an inch (3mm) thick thin while offering a 40-inch screen size. The set otherwise has 1080p resolution and a 120Hz panel. Its contrast ratio is its only sacrifice and reaches a 5,000:1 static ratio.
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10/26, 9:05am
Telus HSPA and iPhone due same day
Telus on Monday revealed that both its HSPA+ network and its iPhone launch will kick off on November 5th and has provided device pricing for its version of the Apple handset. Its pricing will match the Rogers version and see 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units cost $200 and $300 respectively on three-year contracts. Contract-free versions will sell for $700 and $800. The 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $100 on contract or $600 contract-free.
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10/25, 12:05pm
Even More Plus plans beat AT&T by $30
T-Mobile on Sunday quietly launched its Even More Plus plans in a bid to undermine rival US carriers. The plans provide a simpler and potentially less costly approach to phone service and scale linearly in voice minutes and data features: users pick from 500, 1,000 or unlimited US voice minutes and can add either unlimited messaging alone or messaging plus data. Prices as a result range from as little as $30 for voice only to $80 for an all-unlimited plan.
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10/23, 4:45pm
UN approves UCS universal cellphone charger
A new Universal Charging Solution (UCS) has been approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a division in the United Nations, according to a Thursday report. The energy efficient charger will be compatible with all cellphones regardless of make and model, with certain unnamed manufacturers already incorporating the standard into their products, the ITU says. Other than the energy savings, the new charger will also help eliminate waste as the charger can be retained as new phones are upgraded and older ones are thrown out.
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10/23, 2:00pm
Samsung shows first LTE 4G USB modem
As part of a just-announced partnership between Ericsson and Samsung, the latter has released the first USB modem fully compatible with the new Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G standard. The Samsung GT-B3710 modem will be sold commercially through provider TeliaSonera in 2010 in Norway and Sweden. It promises to bring peak speeds of 150Mbps downstream as well as 50Mbps uploads.
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10/22, 5:30pm
Samsung Galaxy i5700 official in Russia
The Samsung Galaxy i5700 handset, which is nearly identical to the previously spotted Android handset of the same name, has been officially unveiled for sale in Russia. The handset will be known as the Galaxy Spica and sport an 800MHz CPU, 128MB of RAM, and a 3.2-inch touchscreen display. There is also a 3.2-megapixel camera, along with support for microSDHC memory cards up to 32GB in capacity.
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10/21, 1:00pm
Cortex-A5 nearly ready for phones, PMPs
ARM used its presence at TechCon3 today to unveil a new processor architecture built to speed up lower-cost handhelds. The Cortex-A5 is about twice as power-efficient as older budget designs but shares many of the same foundations as fast processors like the Cortex-A8 found in the iPhone 3GS, including the NEON vector instructions that boost media and some other tasks. It can work either as a very low-power single-core design or scale up to quad-core for more demanding devices.
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10/21, 12:20pm
AT&T sues AU Optronics, more
AT&T has filed a lawsuit in a federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday against Samsung, LG Display, AU Optronics and other LCD makers for allegedly colluding on fixing the price of display panels in the US. According to a Wednesday Bloomberg report, AT&T claimed Samsung and six others have formed an illegal international cartel meant to "restrict competition in the United States in the market for LCD panels." In its complaint, AT&T claims this conspiracy has included communications and meetings during which defendants agreed to eliminate competition and fix the prices of LCD panels that were coming to the US.
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10/21, 10:20am
HTC's main Android phone in tight supply
HTC's Android-based Hero is selling well enough that it's causing supply issues, the company's Asia Pacific VP Jack Tong revealed on Wednesday. Sales in the phone's initial Asia and European launch areas are described as "brisk" enough that demand has put a strain on HTC's production lines and won't see manufacturing catch up until November. The pace is expected to continue at least until early 2010.
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10/20, 3:30pm
Google may build own smartphone
Intending to take control of its phone experience, Google may be readying its own Android phone and a computer to go with it, multiple sources said on Tuesday. Analyst Ashok Kumar of Northeast Securities claims in a research note that it's expected Google will launch a self-branded phone before the end of the year and could follow that up with a netbook in early 2010. Both would use Android 2.0, but the smartphone would use a regular Qualcomm cellular chipset while the netbook would use Qualcomm's high-speed Snapdragon processor.
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10/20, 10:50am
Samsung and Fusion-io team on SSDs
Samsung today invested an unspecified amount of money into relatively young storage maker Fusion-io as part of a larger partnership. The deal gives Fusion-io a safer position to develop its lineup but will also see it and Samsung co-develop new solid-state drive technology. The smaller of the two will also get better access to Samsung's flash memory.
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10/19, 4:35pm
Samsung Code comes to MetroPCS
Pre-paid wireless provider MetroPCS on Monday announced it has added the Samsung Code to its lineup. The handset is the carrier's first with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. With the OS, users can access contacts, a calendar, tasks, notes, a voice recorder and Windows Live. The WizPro interface is optional and lets users customize home screens by making shortcuts to the most frequently accessed features.
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10/19, 3:00pm
First Samsung Android phone for T-Mobile dated
The Samsung Behold II and T-Mobile Tap have been dated for a release at T-Mobile on Monday thanks to leaved images from the carrier's brochures. The former, and the first with Google's Android operating system at T-Mobile and from Samsung, is due for a November 18th debut, while the Tap will be out a week earlier, on the 11th of November.
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10/18, 12:50pm
Samsung's entry messaging phone reviewed
The Intensity is one of Samsung's truly entry-level offerings for Verizon but is designed to make messaging a real option for everyone. With an effective price tag as low as $30, it may be one of the best deals at the carrier. We hope to learn in our Intensity review whether that's true or else if the device still carries the stigma of low-cost cellphones.
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10/17, 1:20pm
Samsung's AMOLED Verizon phone reviewed
The Samsung Rogue is evidence of the lines blurring between smartphones and conventional ("feature") phones, with an OLED touchscreen, ample hardware and a focus on messaging. But with a price tag very much in the ballpark of true smartphones like the iPhone and higher-end BlackBerries, is the Rogue a viable contender or the product of overengineering? Our full Rogue review addresses this in detail.
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10/17, 12:30am
ITC finds Nokia not violating 3G patents
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) tonight exonerated Nokia by ending an investigation into claims by InterDigital that Nokia had violated its patents. The government agency has confirmed an initial decision by an Administrative Law Judge that said Nokia's use of UMTS-based 3G doesn't violate four InterDigital technology patents. Additionally, the ITC has rejected the portion of the judge's ruling that had originally found the patents valid and has denied InterDigital a chance to claim further patent violations.
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10/16, 4:35pm
Omnia II smartphone gets rumored release date
The Samsung Omnia II demonstrated at CTIA will apparently be released by Verizon on November 1st, according to PhoneArena. While this is a rumor thus far, the source is said to be a reliable one. The handset will sport a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen, along with a 5-megapixel camera that can record video at 720x480 pixels.
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10/16, 4:20pm
Samsung intros SD, microSD, CF memory cards
Samsung has recently introduced its first self-branded memory cards with a release in Taiwan. The cards are meant for use in smartphones, digital cameras and other portable consumer electronics. Samsung claims it's entering the market as the market for mobile storage space is expected to grow exponentially in the near future, according to research.
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10/16, 11:00am
Samsung LD monitors extend notebook displays
Samsung has finally brought its two LD-series notebook monitors to the US. Introduced in February for a release in Korea, the LD220 and LD190N are companion monitors and are meant to act as secondary displays for notebook PCs. The 22-inch LD220G sends its video signal over a USB port and sports a 1080p resolution. It otherwise acts as a USB hub, adding extra ports for adding more USB devices.
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10/16, 10:00am
ATSC Mobile DTV gets matching chip
The TV standards group ATSC today said its members have approved Mobile DTV, its over-the-air format made just for portable devices in North America. The gesture should let notebooks, smartphones and in-car units tune into free, live broadcasts of H.264 video even while moving at high speed. Although not HD, the format can run on existing digital TV networks without significant complications and is built to consume little power on the viewer's end.
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10/15, 7:50pm
Subsidized and off-contract prices detailed
Adding to details leaked in an earlier report, documents from the Canadian carrier Bell appear to show launch plans for the iPhone, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Samsung Omnia 2, according to the Boy Genius Report. The latest source claims the iPhone 3G will be available for $150 with a three-year contract after rebates, while off-contract pricing is set at $600.
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10/15, 5:10pm
Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 now available
UK wireless carrier Vodafone is now offering the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 smartphone on sale through its website. The device is the first to ship with the carrier's 360 social media platform preloaded. The H1 was especially developed for Vodafone, and sports a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen.
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10/15, 4:10pm
KT to bring WiBro-compatible Samsung handset
Korean wireless provider KT is planning on releasing a smartphone that supports the country's WiBro mobile broadband network, which is the equivalent of WiMAX in Korea. The smartphone will be made by Samsung and go by the SPH-M8400 model name. Other than WiBro, it will also have WCDMA (3G) network support and a Wi-Fi connection, which earns it the 3W designation from KT. The photo of the M8400 also reveals it will run on a Windows Mobile operating system.
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10/15, 1:40pm
Samsung STORY drives get more power efficient
Samsung late Wednesday announced that its 3.5-inch STORY Station external hard drives will be upgraded with a more energy efficient power source that will consume less than 1W in standby mode. This is the industry's lowest power consumption level and should lead to the drives drawing just 0.09W when parked compared to the usual 2.5W. The power reduction comes through a new circuit structure that renders the drive non-operational when when it is connected to a power plug but not the USB port.
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10/15, 9:25am
Amazon brings VoD service to Samsung HDTVs
Samsung and Amazon recently announced that Amazon's Video on Demand online video delivery service will soon be offered directly through certain Samsung HDTVs. The Internet-connected TVs will require a free widget download to access the service. This will allow users to access more than 50,000 titles, including over 2,000 HD movies, without needing a separate box.
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10/14, 9:30pm
Partnership brings new content to Blu-ray systems
Samsung and Blockbuster have announced a collaborative effort to bring additional content to Samsung's HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and Blu-ray home theater systems. Owners of select devices will be able to access Blockbuster's range of on-demand content available for rent or purchase.
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10/14, 5:00pm
Samsung demos 55-inch 240Hz 3D HDTV
Samsung recently showed off a prototype 3D HDTV sized at 55 inches. The set uses a 240Hz speed panel for reproducing traditional two-dimensional images at up to 1080p resolution, and sends out 120Hz images to each eye when in 3D mode. Samsung claims there is no ghosting during fast scenes in 3D mode, while no loss of resolution is endured when watching traditional content.
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10/14, 3:30pm
Samsung Blue Earth phone with solar panel now out
Samsung on Wednesday launched the Blue Earth handset after unveiling it early this year. The environmentally-friendly phone sports a full touchscreen, unlike other "green" handsets, and has multimedia playback capabilities. To earn its credentials, it has a built-in solar panel for charging its battery using the sun. The handset is made of Post Consumer Material (PCM) plastic from used water bottles and, along with its charger, is made without harmful substances such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or phthalates.
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10/14, 8:50am
Acer Liquid carries Android 1.6
Acer on Wednesday made a new claim to the fastest smartphone available with the Liquid. The company's first Android phone, it's one of the first to ship with Android 1.6 but is also the first Android phone to ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Using the 1GHz chip makes it faster than the 800MHz Samsung Moment and helps drive the 800x480 touchscreen as well as speed up 3D and Android's already accurate web browser.
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10/09, 4:00pm
Project Black involves new phones, HSPA+
(Updated with talk of $50 unlimited plan) T-Mobile's mysterious Project Black may be a combination of the company's phones and a rapid expansion of its fastest 3G service, a quick follow-up source said Friday. Rather than center on a specific device or a plan, Black would on pushing T-Mobile's upcoming high-end phones, including the Behold II, Bold 2 and Cliq, and matching them with the quick deployment of its 21Mbps HSPA+ network throughout the US. The timetable and the specific plans are still unknown by BGR and others.
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10/09, 11:25am
Samsung's Armani touch runs Windows Mobile
Samsung on Friday revealed that its flagship Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone will be part of its Armani-themed fashion line. The device has a bronze-trimmed theme meant to appeal both to executives and other more style conscious users, but it's also one of the company's more functionally advanced devices. It centers on a 3.5-inch AMOLED display more vibrant than LCDs and has a sliding QWERTY design that, like the HTC Touch Pro2 or Nokia N97, tilts the screen at an angle for a more natural viewpoint when typing.
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10/08, 8:40pm
Handset offers a slightly different case finish
Samsung previewed several upcoming handsets at CTIA in San Diego, including the Omnia II headed for Verizon later this month. Although the company representatives cautioned that the software is not yet finalized, the demo devices ran Windows Mobile 6.1 paired with the custom TouchWiz interface.
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10/08, 4:55pm
Motorola leaves LiMo Foundation board
Motorola has quit the LiMo Foundation, the mobile Linux group of which it was a founding member, according to a Thursday report. Christy Wyatt, the VP of software applications and ecosystems at Motorola, said on Tuesday she has given up the board of the foundation. The company will instead remain as an associate member and retain an active role as a contributing member.
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