Samsung Rumored To Have Galaxy S Pro

Samsung presented the Galaxy S - their new cell phone on day 1 of CTIA 2010 event, there is only one word to describe this device and that word is amazing. The Galaxy S is one heck of a smartphone. It’s 4-inch Super AMLOED display should turn heads, and with it’s superior graphic processing power, it has a lot going on for itself everything is bright, crisp, and text legible, the colors are marvelous. For some users, though, that might not be enough some might even want a keyboard with it.

There are rumors circling around of a Pro version of the Samsung's delectable Galaxy S. Eldar Murtazin, the editor of the legendary Russian mobile website Mobile-review, has confirmed on his twitter blog "HDblog.it" that there will be such a handset. Samsung will be adding a QWERTY keyboard onto the already potent Galaxy S hardware and increasing the pricing by an extra €50 (about $67) more. He also added that a June launch date, and pictures of this device has yet to become available.

CTIA 2010 - Event Roundup

Well the CTIA 2010 Wireless event is over but for those of you who missed out on any info, our round-up should provide you with what you may want to know. Several big industry-changing announcements were made during the event, including the introduction of 4G technology and the announcement of the HTC Evo, which is one of the most powerful smartphones announced to this date. The U.S wireless carriers all brought some news to the table as to what their future plans are and several companies released their new phones to try and build up some hype.

4G Technology and Where U.S Wireless Carriers Currently Stand

Sprint's announcement of 4G technology was definitely industry-changing and all of the U.S wireless carriers started to drop news and information on what direction they are headed in to provide consumers in the U.S up-t0-date speeds on wireless devices. Smartphones have been increasing traffic exponentially and the consumption of bandwidth on the current wireless technologies is heavily increasing. Check out more information on how each network is planning on providing a better experience to U.S consumers in our scoop.

AT&T To Begin Nationwide Rollout of 3G Microcell

AT&T announced that next month it will begin a nationwide rollout of its 3G MicroCell service. The 3G service will allow wireless subscribers to utilize their home Internet connection for enhanced voice and data coverage. The service will cost up to $19.99 per month for unlimited minutes. In addition to the monthly cost, the 3G MicroCell device will cost $150. Selecting a plan at purchase will get you a $100 mail-in rebate, dropping the long-term price of the unit to $50. Even though AT&T is the last of the big 4 U.S. carriers to offer such a device to its customers, user with poor services at home or business will greatly benefit from it.

HTC HD2 Released & Sells Out Quick

HTC released it's first Windows Phone 7 compatible hardware device on March 24th by T-Mobile. But, Walmart got first dibs at it,and folks were able to get their hands on it a few days early before the official release of March 24th. And, then Amazon jumped on the offer as well along with some other stores and defeated T-Mobile sales and sold the SmartPhone withing 4 hours of its release. The cell phone was discounted down to a mere $100.00. This was great, despite the fact that this cell phone was released yesterday. Amazon has out done itself by offering the HTC HD2 for $99.99 with a two years contract. HD2 initially shipped with Windows Mobile 6.5, but an upgrade is now possible, even though Microsoft originally announced that an upgrade from OS 6.5 to OS7 will not be possible. According to a tweet posted this morning on a Russian twitter account, it looks like HTC HD2 has been confirmed to get Windows Mobile 7 upgrade when it is released in Q3/Q4 of 2010. Though we are sure the OS will be leaked prior to it's official release.

Samsung's New Phone: Galaxy S

Samsung announced their new phone as well, known as the Galaxy S. The phone on a quick note can be described as astounding. Everything is bright and crisp, text legible, and the colors are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The touchscreen performance is a standout on this Android 2.1 device and coupled with Samsung’s 1GHz Application Processor, not only is the phone very responsive but the UI is smooth and fast. The Galaxy S can shoot HD video at 720p also, with its 5 megapixel cam and it plays back beautifully on its display. The spec sheet lists this as a triple-band HSPA device living in the 900 / 1800 / 1900 realm and while US availability was announced for this year, no word on the carrier has been made. For more info on the Galaxy S, head over to our overview article about the new phone.

Sprint's Groundbreaking New Device - HTC Evo & 4G Technology

Sprint released an announcement of unveiling a "groundbreaking new device" the day before the CTIA event and the company was spot on. On the first day of the event, they announced the HTC Evo and announced 4G technology incoming to their network. The company went from having a middle of the line phone line-up and average service to gaining a substantial lead in the industry. More news can be read about their announcements on our scoop of their announcements and more information on the HTC Evo can be found here.

T-Mobile's HSPA+ Network Announcement and Dell Mini Netbook

T-Mobile while not working towards 4G technology announced information of their acceptance and advancement on an HSPA+ network which they are planning on focusing on. Although they didn't give specific numbers, T-Mobile has mentioned that their HSPA+ network should work three to five times faster than their 3G network. Alongside with the announcement of their HSPA+ network, they also announced the release of a Dell Mini Netbook which will also have access to their HSPA+ network. For more information on netbook and the network, check our article here.

Some of the Other Announcements

Dell Announced It's First US Android Phone: Dell Aero

On March 22nd, AT&T announced that it will carry Dell's first Android smartphone in the U.S market, the Aero. The Aero offers a 5 megapixel camera, a 3.4-inch nHD display, GPS, WiFi support, and integrated access to social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. The phone also sports Dell's custom Android user interface. One thing that made this phone stand out was how the company boasted that is the lightest phone out but never released full weight specifications, which was a bit off. Full list of features can be found below:

2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 1900

Display Type : TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors

Size : 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches

- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

- Multi-touch input method

- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

Sound Alert types : Vibration; MP3 ringtones

Speakerphone : Yes

Memory Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall

Call records : Practically unlimited

Card slot : microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB

Data GPRS : Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 – 48 kbps

EDGE : Class 12

3G : HSDPA 3.6 Mbps

WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g

Bluetooth : Yes v2.1 with A2DP

Infrared port : No

USB : Yes, miniUSB v2.0

Camera : Primary 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus

Features : Geo-tagging

Video : Yes

Secondary : No

Features OS : Android OS

Messaging : SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM

Browser : HTML

Games : Yes

Colors : Black

GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support

Java : Via third party application

- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player

- MP3/e-AAC+/WMA player

- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,

- YouTube, Google Talk

- Document viewer

- Photo viewer/editor

- Organizer

- Voice memo

- T9

Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh

LG Unveiled Two New Eco-Friendly Phones: LG Cosmos for Verizon Wireless and LG Remarq for Sprint

At CTIA 2010, LG unveiled two slide-out QWERTY phones for the mass-market, the LG Cosmos for Verizon Wireless and the LG Remarq for Sprint.

The LG Cosmos will provide access to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and other social networking sites, and it's 1.3 megapixel camera can share pictures directly to online albums and Facebook. The phone also supports Bluetooth 2.1, and sports a price tag of $30 / $80 and was already released on March 25, 2010.

The LG Remarq is said to be the most eco-friendly of the two, and even comes with a pre-loaded Eco Calculator application that allows users to calculate the CO2 reduction savings by walking or cycling as opposed to driving their car. The phone will be joining Sprint's new line of Eco-QWERTY phones in May. LG promised that users will be able to stay stay connected to friends and post their latest pics with easy access to Facebook and Photobucket. In addition to having a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the LG Remarq features a 1.3 megapixel camera, and MP3 player with a microSD slot, Stereo Bluetooth, and instant messaging. The phone will come in two colors, dark silver or turquoise and sport a $20 / $70 price tag with a release dat of May 9, 2010.

Motorola Announces i1

The Motorola i1 is a business-oriented smartphone heading for Sprint and it will be the first Android OS smartphone to offer Push To Talk (PTT) service. It will be capable of getting email from a wide range of business and consumer sources, including Microsoft Exchange. The Motorola model even meets military specifications for protection against dust, shock, vibration, and blowing rain but despite all that it isn't going to be huge or be a heavy lump. The i1 will have a ruggedized tablet shape with a 3.1 inch HVGA touchscreen and a wide array of third-party software available from the Android Marketplace. Users will be able to browse the Web with the Opera Mini 5 browser over an iDEN or Wi-Fi connection, but the standard Android browser will work only over Wi-Fi. This is to compensate for iDEN's rather slow data transfer speed. Check out some of the pics below for the phone, which is set to be released this summer:

Engadget had an excellent video tour of the phone which you can check out below:

OpenPeak Partners Up With AT&T For New Tablet

OpenPeak devices have been heard of for years but the company is finally getting behind its recently announced OpenTablet 7 in a big way, recently announcing a partnership with AT&T for data plans in the US. Neither party will confirm exact plan pricing, but it will probably be similar to iPad data pricing. The device itself is surprisingly well built and the software is rather mature as well. OpenPeak claims to have "thousands of apps" for its platform that stretches across devices including phones, frames, and now a tablet, with a Linux-based platform with a Flash layer on top.

The tablet has a smooth UI and seems pretty far along, though we're promised even more polish as things near the market released. The touchscreen keyboard could use some work btu for home automation and/or video conferencing (the device packs a 1080p front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel shooter around back), it seems like the OpenPeak can carve a niche for itself on the market. The 1.9GHz Moorestown chip under the hood, which offers huge power savings over Atom is an excellent step in the right direction. It helps with UI elements and vide, and even runs cool to the touch. The tablet comes packed with a docking station offers charging and port replication, but theres also an HDMI plug built right into the bottom of the tablet, along with a removable microSD up top. There is no word on an exact release date or price but it'll be rebranded with AT&T.

Palm Pixi Plus and Pre Plus Headed to AT&T "in the coming months"

Palm who had recent misfortunes of almost going out of business announced that their two popular phones are headed towards the AT&T network. The Pre Plus and Pixi Plus will be available for $149.99 and a deep-discount of $49.99 (with a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract), respectively. Both phones will be equipped similarly to their Verizon counterparts except AT*T will be offering a variation with a blue back plate. Both UMTS / HSDPA devices will support AT&T's new Address Book service as a Synergy sync option, and will have free auto-connect access to the carrier's WiFi +20,000 hotspots. We don't know exactly when during the "coming months" the phone will be available, lets just hope its soon.

HTC Evo 4G, Nexus One, and Droid - Android Evolution

HTC Evo 4G

Google Nexus One

Motorola Droid

Android OS	2.1 with Sense UI	2.1	2.01
Carrier	Sprint	All2	Verizon Wireless
Network technology	1x / EV-DO Rev. A / WiMAX	Various (including 3G)	1x / EV-DO Rev. A
Processor	1GHz Snapdragon	1GHz Snapdragon	550MHz TI OMAP 3430
RAM	512MB	512MB	256MB
Screen size	4.3-inch	3.7-inch	3.7-inch
Resolution	800 x 480	800 x 480	854 x 480
Touch	Capacitive multitouch	Capacitive multitouch	Capacitive multitouch
Physical keyboard	--	--	Slide-out landscape QWERTY
Internal storage	1GB	512MB	512MB
Expandable storage	microSD	microSD	microSD
Rear camera	8MP w/ LED flash	5MP w/ LED flash	5MP w/ LED flash
Video recording	1280 x 720	720 x 480	720 x 480
Front camera	1.3MP	--	--
Battery	1500mAh	1400mAh	1400mAh
WiFi	802.11b/g	802.11b/g	802.11b/g
HDMI out	Yes	--	--
Kickstand	Yes	--	--

Android phones are making a name for themselves and are gaining popularity at a very quick pace. There are many Android based handsets in the market now but the frontrunners that have been the talk of the town are the Motorola Droid, Google Nexus One, and HTC Evo. Giving Apple a run for it's money, the Android OS seems like it'll be one of the main competitors to the revolutionizing iPhone OS. The Android Marketplace shows that apps are increasing much quicker then expected for the new mobile OS.

Nexus One

Google’s current “flagship” Android device received an enormous amount of attention in the time leading up to its release. It has a bright 3.7″ AMOLED capacitive 800×480 display, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 512MB of RAM, world-wide 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash among other things, into a tight and slim 11.5mm package. The Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, which has yet to be rolled out some of the other android powered phones. Recent news has it that the Nexus One is headed to Sprint and Verizon is already available to AT&T and T-Mobile users.

Motorola Droid

The Droid was one of the first Android OS using phones released in the market and at the time proved that Motorola could compete in the new age of smart phones. With a 3.7'' screen, 256MB Ram, a sleek slide-out QWERTY keyboard, it was easily one of Verizon's top phones but has recently been knocked down off its throne by the Nexus One which simply has more to offer.

HTC Evo 4G

The Evo 4G one-ups almost every other handset in the Android platform with a feature set that includes a 4.3 inch touchscreen, 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, dual 3G/4G WiMAX connectivity, forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, rear-facing 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus and 720p HD video recording, HDMI out, built-in mobile hotspot functionality, custom web browser with Flash support, YouTube HQ support, and Android 2.1 with Sense UI. It was announced officially by Sprint at CTIA 2010 and starting this summer, the HTC Evo 4G will be available from all Sprint channels and third party retailers including Walmart, Best Buy, and Radio Shack.

Final Thoughts

While the Droid started the Android OS and gave it the good name it started with, the Nexus One took it to the next level. Furthermore, Sprint's announcement at CTIA 2010 about the HTC Evo has had a very strong impact on the wireless industry and it turned Sprint from being a company with a middle of the line phone line-up and average ratings to having a substantial lead in the industry along with the 4G technology they plan on introducing in the coming months. While other networks have announced their plans for the future of wireless technology, Sprint is leading the way with HTC Evo as it's main product set to release in the summer. The phone has one of the best specs announced to this day for smart phones and is running the Android, which will cause the Android OS to gain even more popularity. Expect to see an even higher percentage of Android OS users and along with it, more Android apps in the Android Marketplace.

The Scoop on 4G Technology & US Wireless Carriers

As many of you may already know the CTIA 2010 show is currently going on and everybody from handset makers to network infrastructure makers to app developers to network testing companies are all discussing about how to better prepare or participate in the movement of the ecosystem of wireless companies toward fast 4G service.

4G technology differs from 3G service in that it handles all services such as voice, internet access, etc in the same way as packets of data. 4G also uses a different and better wireless spectrum than 3G service does, and is capable of providing far better speeds to far more people all at the same time.

The two competing flavors of 4G wireless technology are WiMAX and LTE (Long-Term Evolution) are actually very similar technology-wise, but they operate in two different kinds of wireless spectrum. Much of the buzz that has been going around at the event is a marketing bluster, especially in the LTE world. No 4G-capable smart phones exist as of today although that probably won’t be the case for much longer as Sprint has announced the release of it’s HTC Evo which should be in the market this upcoming summer. On the network side, despite some infrastructure suppliers (Samsung) touting ready-to-deploy LTE network gear, it may be several years before we see a fully deployed LTE network in the United States.

The rapid growth in consumer demand for smartphones and the data service they use has created a sense of urgency in wireless to move quickly towards 4G technology. Each wireless carrier seems to have their own approach toward moving towards 4G and it is evident that some are moving faster than others.

Sprint’s Big Lead in 4G

As of right now, Sprint has a substantial lead over the other large U.S carriers in the move to 4G. The company made good early moves in adopting the WiMAX flavor of 4G by purchasing a controlling interest in Clearwire, which owns impressive amounts of wireless spectrum and currently operates commercial grade WiMAX networks in 27 U.S cities. Sprint’s 4G mobile broadband service runs on Clearwire’s networs and they announced at CTIA on Tuesday that its 4G would soon be available in Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City as well.

Clearwire says its improving their existing networks by doubling the number of transmitters and receivers at each of tis cell sites. Performance tests run by PCWorld have shown that WiMAX networks can pump out speeds that are 10 times faster than 3G, but the reliability and consistency of that performance still lags behind that of the 3G networks that are currently available.

Sprint has already released a 3G/4G wireless hotspot device, the Overdrive, and just recently announced that it’s highly anticipated 3G/4G phone – the HTC Evo 0 will begin selling this summer.



Verizon’s Quick Move Towards 4G

Verizon is also trying to quickly move to 4G by sticking to is promise of lighting up LTE networks in 25 to 30 U.S cities by the end of 2010. The company isn’t saying which cities will be included amongst the list, but promises that the LTE network will reach 100 million people by the end of this year. They have also promised to double the size of the deployment in early 2012 and by 2013, the company states that LTE’s coverage map will look similar to its popular 3G coverage maps today. In fact their 4G network may reach further than the existing 3G network because Verizon owns 4G wireless spectrum (in the 700 MHz band) in more parts of the country than it does 3G spectrum.

The company is currently testing the 4G LTE technology in Boston and Seattle. Verizon CTO Tony Malone said that in the test markets, their 4G network is pumping out an average download speed of 5-12 megabits per second (mbps) and upload speeds of about 2-5 mbps. Verizon says it’s seeing peak download speeds of 40-50 mbps. Verizon believes that the new high-bandwidth apps like real time multiplayer gaming, video conferencing, and HD video streaming will increase in popularity, quickly pointing out the need for faster networks.

AT&T Relaxing

After all the buzz that’s been going on at CTIA about 4G technology, when you listen to AT&T’s executives talk, you might think that AT&T is falling behind in the race to 4G networks compared to its competitors. At a luncheon event with AT&T’s top wireless people the term “4G” wasn’t mentioned even once, until somebody asked about it in the Q&A session at the end.

AT&T just finished a broad software upgrade of its cell sties to the faster HSPA 7.2 technology and doesn’t seem to be in a big hurry to upgrade their network further in the near future. In recent 3G performance tests, AT&T’s network showed 60% faster speeds compared to competitors in the 13 cities that were tested. AT&T broadband speeds also improved more than 80% over the speeds delivered in the 13 testing cities when tested just 8 months prior. The dramatic improvement took place even as AT&T signed up more smart phone subscribers and the users used unprecedented amounts of wireless broadband services provided by the company.

At a luncheon on the second day of the CTIA event, CEO of AT&T Mobility, Ralph De La Vega said his company has enough wireless spectrum holdings nationwide to migrate them to LTE, even if an interim step to the faster HSPA+ is deemed necessary. While HSPA 7.2 maxes out at 7.2 mbps, HSPA+ can deliver speeds of more than 10 mbps on a consistent basis. HSPA+ is a software upgrade allowing the radios on the cell towers to pump out speeds of 10 mbps or more to individual subscribers, that is if the subscriber is even using a device capable of those speeds.

As for LTE, AT&T said that it will begin testing the new technologies in two cities by the end of 2010 but did not name which cities and will not detail its LTE plans beyond that, nor will it comment on its 4G wireless spectrum holdings relative to those of its competitors.

T-Mobile's Plans

New York City and Los Angeles will soon get the new faster service the company said.T-Mobile announced on the first day of the CTIA event that it will upgrade its 3G network to the faster HSPA+ cellular technology in 100 U.S cities by the end of 2010. The company mentioned how its upgrade will cost them between $200 and $300 million while Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T will spend between $8 million and $10 million on their move to the 4G networks.

T-Mobile didn’t get specific about the average speeds the network is puming out in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. but claims that its HSPA+ technology delivers seeds that are three to five times faster than 3G service. The company also claimed that it’s HSPA+ networks are faster than Clearwire G WiMAX networks but wouldn’t release much information or numbers to prove it.

How Does This Effect You?

So how does all this technical info effect you? Well it doesn’t just yet unless you happen to live in one of Sprint’s 27 WiMAX cities. One thing to note that there is a paradigm shift occurring here. Just as nowadays people feel they can’t leave the house without the ability to make a phone call at hand, one day people will feel the same way about accessing the internet. As this shift takes place, wireless networks will be increasingly taxed by more smart phone users using more and more bandwidth hungry mobile applications. The wireless companies are doing their best to stay ahead of the coming demand, lets see how things turn out.

If you like what you have read, register (it's free, don't worry), subscribe to our feeds, and stay tuned for more CTIA event coverage and more information on the nation’s advancement to 4G networks.

Supersonic Phone Dubbed HTC Evo; First 4G In US

 

Sprint dropped a bombshell on day 2 of CTIA event, by unveiling the most powerful Android powered smartphone, the WiMAX-powered EVO 4G. The HTC EVO 4G is extremely similar to the HTC HD2. Both share the same dazzling 4.3-inch touch screen and basic size. The EVO 4G is slightly thicker and has a rounder back. Less metal is used and more plastic is in its place. The HD2 feels of higher quality, but the EVO 4G is not that far off in that respect.

The phone features:

• Android 2.1 on a 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8650 chipset.
• 1GB of built-in memory and 512MB of RAM, which is assisted by a MicroSD slot supporting up to 32GB cards.
• It swaps between EVDO Rev. A, WiMAX and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g on demand.
• The phone is dominated by a 4.3-inch, 800-by-480 65,000-color TFT LCD capacitive touch screen.
• There's an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel unit on the front.
• The camera also records and streams 720p, high-def video, which it can play through an HDMI out port at the bottom. And it even has a kickstand for full enjoyment of the HD video.
• The Evo 4G weighs 170g and measures 120.5 mm by 67 mm by 13 mm.

The form factor of the phone is not what's most impressive on this device. The software really sets it apart. Because it is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, it absolutely flies. In fact, say it is the fastest Android handset ever. It has the newest version of HTC's Sense UI concept on board, which features a friend stream, improved widgets and other nifty features. Widgets provide easy access to social media content, bookmarks, and other phone resources. You can update your “status” on several social media sites using HTC’s social widget. The EVO is a “with Google” phone and supports Exchange, Gmail, POP, and IMAP email accounts — although you can only have one Exchange account configured to the phone. We prefer having support for multiple Exchange accounts, but for most users this won’t be the end of the world.

The announcement of the EVO, in combination with the recent addition of the Nexus One to their network, also puts Sprint in an unusual position of hardware leadership. In just a few weeks they've gone from a middling smartphone line-up to having arguably the two best Android phones on the market. EVO 4G is expected to hit the market this summer.

Overview of Samsung's Galaxy S

Samsung had their presentation on the first day of CTIA in which they announced the upcoming release of their new phone, the Galaxy S. The phone on a quick note can be described as astounding. Everything is bright and crisp, text legible, and the colors are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The touchscreen performance is a standout on this Android 2.1 device and coupled with Samsung's 1GHz Application Processor, not only is the phone very responsive but the UI is smooth and fast. The Galaxy S can shoot HD video at 720p also, with its 5 megapixel cam and it plays back beautifully on its display. The spec sheet lists this as a triple-band HSPA device living in the 900 / 1800 / 1900 realm and while US availability was announced for this year, no word on the carrier has been made. The specs that have been released include the following:

• Network: 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz and 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps) : 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
• OS: Android 2.1
• Display: 4.0” WVGA SUPER AMOLED (800x480) with mDNIe
• Camera: 5.0 mega-pixel Camera + VGA Video Telephony Camera, Auto Focus, Self shot, Action shot, Add me, Stop motion, Cartoon shot, Smile shot, Panorama shot
• Video: HD(720p@30fps) video playing & recording; Codec: mpeg4, H.264, H.263, H263Sorenson, DivX HD/ XviD, VC-1; Format: 3gp (mp4), WMV (asf), AVI (divx), MKV, FLV
• Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, OGG, AMR-NB, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, FLAC, XMF
• Value Added Features: Integrated Messaging ‘Social Hub’, Android Market for more applications and content, A-GPS, Augmented Reality with Layar Reality Browser, 1 GHz Application Processor, SMS/ MMS/ Email/ Video Messaging/ Exchange ActiveSync, Sensor: Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Light, Offline & No SIM Mode, Voice Command, RSS Reader, Mobile Widgets, Smart Security
• Connectivity: Bluetooth technology v 3.0, USB v2.0 (High-Speed), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Memory: 8GB / 16GB, external memory slot (upto 32GB)
• Size: 64.2 x 122.4 x 9.9mm, 118g
• Battery: 1500 mAh

The phone is said to be released in Q3 of 2010 and as mentioned earlier, the carrier and pricing of the phone is still a mystery. Earlier versions of the phone were seen to be using AT&T's service so it is likely that AT&T is to receive the phone as part of its line-up upon it's release.

 (Does the user interface look kind of familiar?)

Press Release Information:

Samsung Welcomes You to the "Smart Life" with the Global Launch of the Galaxy S


Powered by 4-Inch Super AMOLED and the Latest Version of Android™, Galaxy S Brings Rich Technology and Enhanced Mobile Experience
CTIA Wireless 2010


LAS VEGAS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today introduced the Galaxy S (Model: GT-I9000), a smart phone that makes users' lives more convenient, more exciting, and more integrated. JK Shin, president and head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Communications Business announced the global launch of the Galaxy S at his keynote speech at the International CTIA Wireless 2010. The Galaxy S will be available in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Asia soon.


The Android-powered Galaxy S incorporates a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and a 1 GHz application processor that enables vibrant HD videos, rich augmented reality content through Layar Reality Browser, and advanced LBS (Location Based Services). The ‘Social Hub' provides always-on social networks connectivity allowing users to enjoy communications with their friends, colleagues, and families whenever they want and wherever they are.


The Galaxy S is designed to provide immersive, intelligent and integrated experiences, with the power to enrich people's lives through best-in-class services and technologies. The Galaxy S will allow users around the world to experience the "Smart Life," which Samsung anticipates will shift the way that consumers view smart phones and how they interact with them in their daily lives.


The Galaxy S immerses users in a world of rich multimedia. The large 4-inch Super AMOLED display delivers unrivalled screen quality, with less reflection, free viewing angles and super-fast touch-response. The mDNIe (mobile Digital Natural Image engine) – a technology used in Samsung's best-selling LCD and LED TVs – boosts an even sharper and crisper viewing experience for photos, videos, and e-books. It creates a perfect environment to record, edit and play HD video, to browse the Internet, and to read your favorite e-books. A variety of applications from Android Market™ allows users to even more extend the benefits and excitement of smart phone experience. Plus, users have access to Google™ mobile services, such as Google Search™, Gmail™, and Google Maps™.


Living a "Smart Life" requires intelligence, and the Galaxy S delivers just that by utilizing personal preferences to gather information online that each user needs and wants. With a user-defined daily briefing, lightning-fast processing speeds and location-based search options like Layar Reality Browser – the Galaxy S gives users the information they need wherever and whenever needed. The Galaxy S represents the next level of intelligence in smart phones.


The Galaxy S integrates every aspect of life in a smart and sophisticated way. In addition to wireless integration with a variety of other devices, such as notebooks, TVs and cameras, the highly advanced Social Hub plugs users quickly and conveniently into their complete world of social networking and email.


"The Android-powered Galaxy S will set a new standard for smart phones," said JK Shin, president and head of Mobile Communications Business. "The Galaxy S is the perfect device for people in all corners of the world who want that extra edge; to be more effective, productive, better connected, and in tune with their smart life – both personal and professional – all in a very easy and simple way."


Other Key Features


* Daily Briefing: Offers instant access to weather, news, stocks, and the scheduler.
* All Share: Enables inter-device connectivity via DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology.
* Home Cradle: Enables use as a digital photo frame, table clock, calendar, and music station.
* Write and go: Jot down an idea first and later decide on a format such as SMS/ MMS, email, calendar or memo.
* Swype: Provides fast and easy way to input text on screen while on-the-move.
* ThinkFree: Apps to view and edit Microsoft Office 2007 documents.
* Smart Alarm: Wakes up with a natural alarm sound and automatically turned-on display light.

PhoneDog.com posted an awesome video of the phone, which you can catch below:

Seems like Android phones are making a big hit so far at the CTIA event, as the Galaxy S debuted with Sprint's HTC Evo, which was announced on opening day as well. The Android market won't be behind for too much longer given that so many companies are taking on the new OS. What are your thoughts and opinions on Samsung's new phone? the Android market? Share them below.

Stay tuned for more coverage on the CTIA 2010 event. You can follow the news specifically by checking out our CTIA 2010 page!

The Scoop on Sprint's Announcements

Sprint has made several announcements today at the CTIA event about what they are planning on releasing in the year of 2010 and everyone can safely agree that the company has been trying to advance in the field of wireless technology quite aggressively. Keep reading for some of the announcements made earlier today.

Moving ahead with the ambitious plan of bringing WiMax to 120 Americns by the end of the year, Sprint added seven new cities to their original list. The new list of cities along with the ones previously announced that Sprint has mentioned coverage for include:

• Boston
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Denver
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Minneapolis
• New York
• Pittsburgh
• Salt Lake City
• San Francisco
• St. Louis
• Washington D.C

Unlike the "concepts" and "lab tests" from other wireless companies, Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to actually test, launch, and market 4G technology for its customers. The strength of Sprint's 4G lies in its all-IP backbone, common architecture, and 4G spectrum depth, which gives the company considerable flexibility to ensure that customers have a top mobile experience and the most advanced 4G series available well into the future.

Following up with yesterday's alert that Sprint customers had received about a "groundbreaking new device," which was rumored to be the HTC Supersonic phone, everyone guessed right. Sprint announced the HTC Evo (which is the Supersonic's official name) today, the first ever WiMax / 4G phone. The Evo comes packed with the much-loved 4.3-inch screen (480x800 TFT LCD), a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a sleek Android 2.1 OS, and a stepped up camera which is now 8MP (as opposed to the rumored 5MP) as well as a front-facing 1.3MP camera capable of HD video recording. The emphasis on video is clear as the Evo comes packed with an HDMI out and a kickstand for full enjoyment of the 720p video of which it's capable. The phone also comes with 1GB of built-in storage, along with 512MB of RAM.

The demo that Sprint showed the audience was one which included video playback and Google Goggles, both of which showed impressive download speeds. The phone also seemed to run Flash seamlessly, a mandatory point these days to differentiate from the Apple mobile products which don't support Flash and won't be. The HTC Evo was also announced to work as a hotspot for up to eight devices. No word on the pricing for the hotspot feature, but it's pretty remarkable that you can run 4G speed internet from one phone that broadly. In another demo, the phone enabled the streaming of a scene from Transformers 2 through a Roku. Sprint was also happy to point out that it will work on an iPhone or Droid. The phone was mentioned to be released this upcoming summer, no word on pricing but we'd assume it'll set you back a hefty amount.

The announcements today were all historic moments for Sprint. First and foremost, the Evo will bet he first 4G phone in the United States (while still being capable of a 3G signal). While the WiMax feature only reaches 34 million people as of right now, Sprint's partner Clearwire, hopes to expand coverage to up to 120 million people by the end of the year (as mentioned earlier in this article) and those that are covered can expect download speeds far beyond the accustomed speeds of the 3G. The announcement of the Evo, in combination with the recent addition of the Nexus One to their network also puts Sprint in an unusual position of hardware leadership. In just a few weeks, they have gone from a middling smartphone line-up to arguably the two best Android phones on the market. Time for Android fans to rejoice along with the good news of Android app's gaining popularity.

SlashGear has an excellent hands-on video which you can find below:

Share your thought's and opinion's on Sprint's new announcements with us in the comments below.

Sprint Planning To Announce “groundbreaking new device”

Sprint customers are given a new alert tonight with a message that says: Visit us tomorrow for an exciting announcement about a groundbreaking new device." No other details or information was provided. If we were to make a guess, signs would point toward HTC's Supersonic, which is a long rumored, WiMAX smartphone that comes with a 4.3-inch screen and an Android 2.1 OS with a Sense UI. Other possibilities could be a 4G device, since one of those will definitely fit the "groundbreaking" category. The plans for revealing the phone were already made for the CTIA event, which officially kicks off tomorrow. A web chat transcript from the Sprint Community seems to agree, but no one can verify the validity of the image. If the announcement turns out to be the new large-screened WiMAX phone, we all know what Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is going to be talking about in his keynote on Wednesday. Check the web transcript image below:

For those of you who are unaware of the HTC Supersonic, it is one of the most hyped HTC phones set to release in the near future. Said to be rolling with the Android OS, it is amongst the most anticipated phones in the Android community as well. The Supersonic is said to have the following specifications:

• 4.3-inch touchscreen display
• 1 GHz snapdragon processor
• 480 x 800 pixels resolution
• Android 2.1 OS
• HTC Sense UI
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• 5 mega-pixel camera
• GPRS/EDGE
• WiMax connectivity
• Bluetooth 2.1
• A-GPS

So, do you think the announcement will be about HTC's Supersonic headed to the Sprint network? Share your thoughts and comments below.