Business

Release of Wireless Charger for Samsung Galaxy S3 Delayed

May 12, 2012 By Mike

Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3, the South Korean company also revealed that it is planning to release a number of accessories for its upcoming smartphone offering. Among the accessories that will be released by the company is a wireless charger that is supposed to be released when the Samsung Galaxy SIII will become available in the market.

Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to enter the European market by May 29 but it appears that the wireless charger for the device may not enter the market until September. According to reports, the wireless charger for the Samsung Galaxy S3 will likely enter the market after around four months following the availability of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S3

The delay was supposedly confirmed by a retailer in the UK although no statements were released by Samsung on the reason behind the delay in its release into the market.

The wireless charger and the other accessories for Samsung Galaxy S3 were originally scheduled to be released within the month. Aside from the wireless charger, Samsung is set to release a battery-charging stand, flip cover, spare battery, metal docking stand, car dock, and an HDMI AllShare adapter for the cloud software of Samsung.

The AllShare wireless service of Samsung will allow users to send their music into external devices using the AllShare Cast Dongle. An MP3 player will also be released by the company that can be used together with the Samsung Galaxy S3.

The wireless charger of Samsung would have allowed users of the Samsung Galaxy S3 to charge their device using a conductive coil that is integrated into the casing of the accessory. The back cover will have to be replaced with the charging back in order to utilize the wireless charger of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

The much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S3 was finally introduced by Samsung during the recent Mobile Unpacked event of the company that was held in London recently.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Samsung Galaxy SIII

May 18 Release of HTC EVO 4G LTE Through Sprint

May 11, 2012 By Mike

An announcement by HTC (TPE:2498) during the CTIA recently perked up the event a bit. The company has reportedly announced that the HTC EVO 4G LTE will be available in the market by May 18 through Sprint (NYSE:S).

The EVO 4G LTE will reportedly have a price tag of around $199 and will come with a Super LCD screen measuring 4.7 inches, and an 8MP camera featuring the ImageSense camera interface of HTC. The device will use the Android 4.0 operating system with the HTC Sense custom user interface.

Even as the EVO 4G LTE is similar to the HTC One X of AT&T although it has a number of features that makes it distinct. The device will also become the first smartphone offered in the US to feature the HD Voice.

May 18 Release of HTC EVO 4G LTE Through Sprint

HTC

The HD Voice of the EVO 4G LTE was initially unveiled during the launch of the device in New York and it showed a significant reduction in background noise. The dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor of the EVO 4G LTE made this reduction possible due to the earpiece active noise cancellation and dual-microphone noise suppression feature on the processor.

It will be necessary for Sprint to upgrade its 3G network to allow the feature to work properly. It is also important for the two persons to use a device that features the HD Voice system like the EVO 4G LTE while using it on a system that supports HD Voice.

Aside from announcing the upcoming release of the EVO 4G LTE, Sprint also revealed the Network Vision plan of the company during the CTIA event that was held in New Orleans. According to the company it will be releasing fifteen LTE-enabled devices within the year.

The HTC EVO 4G LTE is considered by Sprint as a real successor to the first HTC EVO device, to which some industry watchers have agreed to following the announcement of its upcoming release into the market by Sprint.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: EVO 4G LTE

Motorola Droid Razr HD to Face Competition from Samsung Galaxy S3

May 11, 2012 By Mike

Earlier reports have leaked supposed images of the Motorola Droid Razr HD, one of which was supposed to have come from an employee of Motorola (NYSE:MMI) itself. However with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S3, some industry watchers have speculated on the possibility that the Motorola Droid Razr HD will be facing a strong competitor even before it is officially released into the market.

According to the reports, the device may be an upgrade over to its predecessor, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. This would mean that it may be able to compete well with the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X. The design of the Motorola Droid Razr HD will reportedly be similar to that of the Droid Razr Maxx along with its battery that has made it among the more popular devices in the lineup of Verizon (NYSE:VZ).

motorola

Reports have also indicated that the Motorola Droid Razr HD will feature a 13MP camera at the back, a fact that was confirmed by the EXIF data that was leaked by an employee of Motorola. Aside from this, the upcoming device will also feature a 4.7-inch 720p display which will be among the features that consumers may look forward to once the Motorola Droid Razr HD enters the market.

The Motorola Droid Razr HD is also expected to use the on-screen keys of the Android 4.0 operating system unlike the Samsung Galaxy S3, which still has its physical home button. This will allow the Motorola Droid Razr HD to save up on space around the bezel which would allow the device to maintain its tight dimensions.

Industry watchers are also expecting the Motorola Droid Razr HD to maintain the slim design of the Razr brand of Motorola. For the moment no reports have emerged on the possible release schedule of the Motorola Droid Razr although it is expected to be released into the market sometime in the summer.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Motorola Droid Razr HD, Samsung Galaxy S3

Android Phones Reaches 51 Percent of the Overall OS Shares

May 10, 2012 By Delaon

Android phones have finally broken the 50% market share to reach 51% beginning the first quarter of the present year. The reason behind the increase is due to the new trend in the market. More smartphone fanatics prefer Android phones over other types of mobile devices.

According to the report of ComScore, the rating of the operating system has increased by 3.7% since December of 2011 and the end of the first quarter in March this 2012. The arch rival of the OS, the iOS of Apple, has only gained a 1 percent increase in that period. This is still good news for Apple though, gaining shares is really better than losing shares. The increase is still remarkable since the iOS is only used by gadgets manufactured by Apple.

Apple's market share is currently 30% of the total shares in the U.S. Research in Motion's shares are dropping increasingly. The Microsoft Windows Phone OS is also not having any development on the market as it stays with a rating of less than 1%. These two platforms, however, are planning to make new innovations in their OS to make a better score in the market, but the gestures will still be insufficient to bring them on top.

The success of the Android OS may also be due to the fact that most of the gadgets that are available in the market are equipped with the software. Motorola and Samsung, the top Android phone manufacturers have been bringing into the market the best phones consumers have ever known. As long as Android phone manufacturers stay on top of the market, it is a guarantee that the OS will rank higher as well.

It also helps that most of the US mobile carriers are adapting the Android phones as their top priority. Furthermore, Google is doing a splendid job in creating features, applications and programs that come with the OS.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Android Phones

HTC One X Features and Release Date into the US Market

May 10, 2012 By Mike

The HTC One X is set to be released into the US market soon and it appears that some observers are speculating on the release of a dual-core edition of the HTC (TPE:2498) device in the United States instead of the quad-core version that is available in other markets. The upcoming HTC One X of AT&T (NYSE:T) features screen display measuring a 4.7inches, 4G LTE support and the latest Android 4.0 OS.

However the HTC One X for the US market has attracted some speculations among industry watchers since it will use of a dual-core chip from Qualcomm(NASDAQ:QCOM) for the device instead of the quad-core chip from Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). The quad-core version of the HTC One X is available in markets outside of the United States.

HTC One X

Although consumers may initially view the US version of the HTC One X as a downgrade from the international version of the device, some observers do not share the same view. The HTC One X that will be released in the US will use the Snapdragon S4 processor from Qualcomm. This processor will be used for both the AT&T and Sprint (NYSE:S) models although the Sprint version will be carrying a different name.

A device with four cores does not automatically mean that it is faster than a dual-core device since there are other factors to consider aside from the core count. These factors include the design of the processor and the software used for the device. Due to this the dual-core processor of the US version of the HTC One X may not be automatically slower than the quad-core version of the international version of the device.

The international version of the HTC One X has also attracted the attention of industry watchers since the device uses a processor produced by Nvidia.

The earlier smartphone offerings of HTC have used a Qualcomm chip and this recent change has been beneficial for Nvidia even as the HTC One X version offered in the US market only uses the Qualcomm chip.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: HTC One X

Summer Release of HTC One V in the US

May 9, 2012 By Mike

A recent announcement by HTC (TPE:2498) confirmed the release of the HTC One V into the US market by summer. The upcoming HTC One V follows the earlier introduction of the HTC One S of T-Mobile and One X of AT&T (NYSE:T). The HTC One V was initially unveiled last February with US Cellular, Virgin (NASDAQ:VMED) and MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) as among the service providers that will be carrying the device in their lineup.

Other regional carriers that were mentioned in a press release from HTC showed Open Mobile, Cellcom (NYSE:CEL), C-Spire and Bluegrass Cellular as possible mobile service providers that will carry the HTC One series devices.

HTC One V

The soon-to-be released HTC One V is considered as a reasonably-priced smartphone on the HTC One lineup and is aimed at mobile service providers that do not give much subsidy to the devices compared to major carriers. The design of the upcoming HTC One V is also not as stylish compared to the HTC One S and One X since it features an slight overhang at the bottom that is supposed to enhance voice quality.

The soon-to-be released HTC One V features a display measuring 3.7 inches and a resolution of 800 x 480. The device also comes with a single core 1GHz processor and a five-megapixel camera. In comparison, the HTC One S and One X feature a dual-core processor and an 8MP camera.

However, the upcoming HTC One V uses the latest Android operating system of Google or the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS. The device also comes with support for Beats Audio technology and the Image Sense technology of HTC that enhances images. The HTC One S and One X have received good reviews from industry watchers even as the HTC One V has yet to go through a similar evaluation.

The release date and the possible price tag of the upcoming HTC One V has yet to be announced by HTC although some industry watcher expect it to range from $100 up to $300 depending on the subsidy given by the mobile service providers.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: HTC One V

Reports Point to Cheaper MacBook Air Launch This Year

May 8, 2012 By Mike

It may be possible for a MacBook Air with a lower price tag to be released by Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) into the market by the third quarter according to a recent report from DigiTimes. The reported cheaper MacBook Air may be the response of Apple to the upcoming release of cheaper ultrabooks by PC manufacturers. The report indicated that the cheaper model of the MacBook Air may have a price tag of around $799. The report cited sources within the supply chain of the company.

The cheaper MacBook Air will likely affect sales of the ultrabooks if the average price of the device will not be brought down to the $699 goal. With the $799 price tag on a MacBook Air, it will not be easy to make the ultrabooks to become a standard in the market.

A huge investment was made by Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) in the development of the latest technology for its devices. The company has infused a good amount to software and hardware companies to improve its slim laptop devices. Around $100 million was spent by the company for software developers for the ultrabook.

MacBook Air

However the launch of the ultrabook will likely take place after the Windows 8 OS is unveiled by Microsoft within the year although it appears that sales of Dell devices have been encouraging recently. Dell recently announced that the sales of the XPS 13 ultrabook, which has a price tag of around $999, was better than what the company expected.

The eleven-inch 64GB model of the MacBook Air has a price tag of $999 while the 128GB model is priced at $1,199. On the other hand the thirteen-inch 128GB model of the MacBook Air is priced at $1,299 and the 256GB model has a price tag of $1,599.

Earlier reports have also indicated that Apple may be planning to unveil a laptop hybrid that will offer the mobility of the MacBook Air along with the power of the MacBook Pro.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: MacBook Air

Samsung Galaxy S3 Unveiled in London Event

May 8, 2012 By Mike

The Samsung Galaxy S3 was finally unveiled by the South Korean company during a London press event following weeks of anticipation by both industry watchers and potential buyers. The latest product offering from Samsung will be available in Europe within the month although the LTE model of the smartphone will not reach the US market until around summer.

The European version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 will feature 3G connectivity. The other international markets will also see the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3 within the year. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is the most advanced Android-powered smartphone offering of Samsung with its hardware features similar to other high-end Android-powered smartphones that are currently available in the market.

Samsung Galaxy SIII

The recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy S3 will be going up against the iPhone of Apple as well as the HTC One X smartphone. A number of reports that showed the possible features of the Samsung Galaxy S3 were quite accurate. The smartphone will feature a HD AMOLED screen measuring 4.8 inches with a 1280 x 720 resolution, the quad-core Exynos processor of Samsung and an 8MP camera.

Some of the features were customized by Samsung including in its customized interface, the TouchWiz UI as well as some of the camera applications and voice commands of the Android 4.0 OS.

The Android Beam NFC-sharing system, which is integrated into the Samsung Galaxy S2, was enhanced by the company and was dubbed as the S Beam. The feature will allow the transfer of files, apps, maps and browser URLs. The Samsung Galaxy S3 will be available in two color options, blue and white. The recently-released quad-core Samsung smartphone is the successor to the widely popular Samsung Galaxy S2, which saw sales reaching twenty million units in ten months time that largely contributed to the huge quarterly profit of the company.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Samsung Galaxy SIII

A View on HTC After Samsung Galaxy S3 Launch

May 7, 2012 By Delaon

Morgan Stanley, a brokerage in the United States, has kept a careful view on HTC Corp after Samsung launched its flagship smartphone which is the Galaxy S3.
Its latest research note showed how Morgan Stanley maintained an underweight rating on HTC and anticipated the Taiwanese firm's shipments to increase by 55% beginning quarter one to reach total units of 10 million in the period of April to June.

The note also cited the strong sell-in distributors' strength on HTC's One Series. Jasmine Lu, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said that even if they think that HTC One X outperform the Samsung Galaxy S3 in several cases, limited differentiation in its hardware shows a shorter gap in technology among the two names.

But, Lu said that it will be hard for HTC to battle with Samsung when it comes to marketing dollar, operator and distribution coverage particularly in emerging markets such as the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Nevertheless, it's the aggressive marketing campaign of Samsung as well as additions to its software and user interface that improve the experience of the user and wider distribution must strengthen its rank in the segment of high end smartphones, Lu added.

Samsung recently unveiled its Galaxy S3 smartphone in London. The handset consists of a screen display of 4.8 inches, a camera of 8 megapixels, a four core processor and the Android ICS OS. According to Samsung, the Galaxy S3 will be on sale beginning the 29th of May in 145 nations via 296 operators.

Its 3G versions will be first available in Europe. Other countries such as Japan, North America and South Korea can expect the Galaxy S3's LTE version by the summer season. Robert Cheng, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's head, said that several investors have high expectations of Samsung's recent launch.

But, it is a relief to HTC that the Galaxy S3's specifications closely resemble that of the HTC One Series, he added. Nevertheless, Merrill Lynch still has a neutral view of HTC despite of strong competition and launch of the new iPhone in the second part of the year which may possibly affect the Taiwanese company the most versus the products of other brands said Cheng.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: HTC, Samsung Galaxy S3

Verizon to Offer Samsung Galaxy Proclaim Service Plan

May 7, 2012 By Delaon

As a follow up to the initial details on the first Android-based phone of Samsung for Straight Talk, the offer was finally unveiled and a confirmation was given that the handset will rely on the 3G non roaming prepaid coverage of Verizon for its service through the carrier's unlimited service plans for one month that amounts to $45 and $60.

In the previous week, Verizon also released Samsung Illusion which comes with a prepaid plan of $80 and 1 GB of data. Samsung Illusion is actually the first smartphone released that costs $169.99. Based on Samsung's information in their site and Facebook page, the Galaxy Proclaim is priced at $179.99 and will be released within the following couple of weeks.

A few of the features of the upcoming Galaxy Proclaim include 1 GHz processor for the hardware, Android Gingerbread for the operating system, 5 Home screens, touch screen display with a 3.5-inch HVGA resolution, 3-megapixel camera, microSD slot which comes with a 2 GB memory card, and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/A-GPS compatibilities.

Many have been asking questions concerning the data allocation for the Galaxy Proclaim on the corresponding unlimited plan. There are rumors stating StraightTalk representatives have been announcing that the Galaxy Proclaim will have a 4 GB data allotment per month in relation to the 1 GB plan by Verizon.
The overage rate for the plan offered by Verizon will be $0.05/MB. On the other hand, StraightTalk's plan will not have an overage rate.

Moreover, StraightTalk's maximum data limits per month are expected to be 2 GB for a certain month together with a 100 MB limit for one day.
Apparently, Android smartphones by Sprint do not have such limits because of the virtual operator's service agreement.

Considering these improvements, it is important to wonder on the time of the release of Galaxy Proclaim. While Sprint is planning to release 4G WiMax service by means of its Prepaid Group, StraightTalk consumers have asked for a smartphone on Verizon's network even in the past. For now, it is still unknown whether or not consumers will be satisfied with the Galaxy Proclaim.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Samsung Galaxy, verizon