Samsung Galaxy S III: Review

Samsung Galaxy S III: Review

The Samsung Galaxy S 3 is one of the biggest gadgets of 2012. With its predecessor topping the Android charts in the previous year and pretty much sweeping up all the best mobile phone awards it could find, it’s of little surprise that the world has its ears like a safe cracker to the web for news about the next member of this highly acclaimed super-smartphone dynasty.

Naturally, it’s our job here at Pocket-lint to sweep up any such tidbits of information and mould them in our experienced grip until we have a fully formed model of what we all expect the Samsung Galaxy S III to look like. Whether that turns out to reflect what the real phone shapes up to be remains to be seen, but read on to find out the shape of things right now according to the Samsung Galaxy S III rumours.

Samsung Galaxy S III quick facts based on rumours so far
If you take all the latest intel, fact or rumour, on the new Samsung Galaxy S3 or S III depending on how you write it, the phone will have a 4.8-inch screen, be powered by Samsung's own Exynos chip, feature slightly curved design like the Galaxy Nexus and come with an 8 megapixel camera.

It will be available on Vodafone and O2 in the UK in the coming weeks and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You'll also be able to get it at Phones 4u too in the UK. It won't feature LTE for the UK and it is unlike to me made from Unicorn horns.

Samsung Galaxy S III release date
It all began just one month after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S II when the president of Samsung’s mobile division, J.K. Shin, told the Dow Jones Newswires in an exclusive interview: “Samsung may launch a third version of its Galaxy S smartphone in the first half of next year after launching a second-generation version called Galaxy S II last month.”

Now that “may” might have sounded a shade wishy-washy at the time but we only had to wait until the 11 October 2011 for our next glimpse into the future when Phandroid.com received a leaked slide of the Samsund roadmap which featured none other than the Samsung Galaxy S III at the top of the tree. There were no dates along with the information but, with around six months to go, a Mobile World Congress 2012 launch wasn’t a big stretch.

But a big stretch it turned out to be by the end of January 2012 when Pocket-lint reported via Sammyhub and the Verge that what looked to be nailed on seemed to be suffering from delay. According to a well-trusted source group called “people familiar with the matter”, Samsung had been planning an MWC 2012 launch but there were issues which meant the timescale had been set back to a “before summer” release and that could have been about trying to reduce the long gap before users in the US got to buy them, as occured with the SGS2 arrival.

“We are still reviewing several options when to launch, so we'll let you know when it's decided,” was the official line at the time from Samsung’s head of Global Marketing, Younghee Lee, as he more or less made the handset official for the very first time.

All the same, it wasn’t until Samsung dropped a memo into Pocket-lint’s inbox a few days later on 1 February 2012 that we knew for sure that MWC 2012 was simply too soon.

"The successor to the Galaxy S II smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product." was the word and the current anticpated arrival time for the Samsung Galaxy S III is May 2012.

Following the leaked image of the phone by GSMHelpdesk.nl, it was then suggested that 22 May would be the date of the phone's launch and that it would happen in London. However, Samsung finally debunked at least part of that theory by sending out an invite for its next Samsung Mobile Unpacked event, which will be held on 3 May. The host city of London though, was spot on.

Samsung Galaxy S III screen
The Galaxy S II had a whopper of a display when it arrived and Samsung even inched it out a little further for the LTE version, so one might expect something similarly grand for the Samsung Galaxy S III screen.

According to the leaked information on Phandroid.com in October, that’s exactly what will be happening with 0.1” addition taking the total to 4.6” on the diagonal. The same rumour talks of a much expected upgrade in the actual technology of the screen too. First it was Super AMOLED, then the SGS2 made it a Super AMOLED Plus and then the Galaxy Nexus came out with a 720p Super AMOLED HD. Apparently the Samsung Galaxy S III will have a Super AMOLED Plus HD. What this means in real terms has not been said but, in practice, it’s either going to be a 720p or 1080p resolution.

The only other story so far on the matter came from Samsung itself. Just after CES 2012, the company produced a video with its new product launch triumphs fresh from the show and some bright spark with the pause button at the ready spotted a large, but not Galaxy Note style, mobile device seven minutes in. What we see is a broader mobile with virtually edge-to -dge screen across its width and even less black along the top and bottom than you currently get on the SGS2. It looks great. The chances are, however, that it’s some kind of mock up but one never quite knows.

The latest rumours suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will have a 4.8-inch screen based on a number of leaked images that show the supposed SGS3 next to a ruler, and more recently of a screen protector that shows it will be bigger than the HTC One X.

Samsung Galaxy S III camera
Again, it’s really, so far, only October’s leak that’s given us anything to go on in terms of the Samsung Galaxy S III camera. The word on the slide shot is that the 8MP rear-facer is going to be upgraded to a 12-megapixel backlit sensor which should improve performance under low light conditions as well as up the resolution. What’s more is that the sensor is apparently the same size as one you’d find in a compact at 1/2.3" and that might have some very interesting optical improvements so long as the lens put in front of it and circuitary behind it are up to scratch. That’s also if the leaked photo happens to be true, which looks a bit less likely when you notice a couple of typos.

The possible mock up in the post-CES promo video gives us another potential clue as far as the front-facing camera goes and that’s only to say that it’s in the same position as before. One would hope to get a little more resolution than the VGA version in the SGS2 but more on that when we hear about it.

Samsung Galaxy S III processor
The Phandroid.com roadmap listed a dual-core 1.8GHz Exynos 4212 chip backed up with 2GB of RAM as the engine room of choice for the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. On the one hand, the memory seems about right but, what with Tegra 3 and quad-core processors looking to rule the waves in 2012, the Exynos 4212 seems a touch short.

Indeed, according to a report in Androidandme.com in November 2011, it will, in fact, be an all-new Exynos 4412 system-on-a-chip instead. The Exynos 4412 is still based on an ARM Cortex A9 CPU architecture but comes with four cores running at a 1.5GHz clock. The GPU attached is said to be a Mali-T604 GPU with a 5x faster factor than previous Mali chips and up to, again, four cores to work with.

Samsung has since confirmed that the phone will feature its own Exynos chip, although rumours are now starting to surface that in the US the phone will come with Qualcomm's S4 processor instead.

Samsung Galaxy S III software
With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich the latest version of the Google Mobile software for the first part of 2012, it's pretty much a cert that that's what will be adorning the Samsung Galaxy S III. The variable is the UI on top and, although there's been no word either way, the obvious choice is whatever the latest version of Samsung's TouchWiz is. Currently, it's TouchWiz 4.0 as released on the SGS2, so either that or an all-new TouchWiz 5.0 would make the most sense.

Source : http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/44341/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-rumours

Motorola Droid Razr XT912: Rooting ICS and Gingerbread with CASUAL Root Tool

Motorola Droid Razr XT912: Rooting ICS and Gingerbread with CASUAL Root Tool

There’s no shortage of rooting processes on the Internet, but most methods can be daunting to Android newbies. With so many terms and no idea where to begin with understanding them, it doesn’t take a lot to discourage someone who’s just learning what rooting and its benefits are.

If you’ve just got your Motorola Droid Razr, and you’re running on either the recently leaked Ice Cream Sandwich firmware or Gingerbread then we have what you are looking for. With CASUAL Root Tool, you get a one-click root method that newbies should find simple to use. Read on to know how to use CASUAL Root Tool on your Motorola Droid Razr.

Overview:

Rooting your phone is very risky and can pose a higher chance of bricking your device if you’re not familiar with the terms and instructions in rooting. If you are a beginner, rooting really is a complicated procedure. Thanks to easy-rooting methods, newbies in rooting don’t have to feel nervous in manually rooting their devices with complicated instructions.

Cross-platform ADB Scripting Universal Android Loader, or CASUAL in short, is a one-click root method for the Motorola Droid Razr. The CASUAL Root Tool is dedicated to give its users a shortcut for rooting. This method was released by XDA Elite Recognized Developer and XDA TV Producer AdamOutler. It was made to be very user-friendly, perfect for newbies still learning about the world of customizing their devices. The best thing about the CASUAL Root Tool is that it’s JAVA-based, which means that it’s compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Caution:

• This method is still in beta testing stage right now and may still have a few bugs that need resolving, but it’s already effective in rooting your Motorola Droid Razr.
• Take note that this guide is only applicable to the Motorola Droid Razr with model number XT912.  To know the model of your device go to Settings > About phone.
• Use this guide at your own risk. We will NOT be held liable for any damage on your device as a result of using this guide.

Requirements:

• Motorola Droid Razr XT912
• Create a back up of all the important data (i.e. contacts, call logs, files, bookmarks, and internet settings) just in case something goes wrong.
• Download and install all the appropriate drivers for your device on your computer (MotoHelper_2.1.40_Driver_5.5.0.exe, size: 8.2MB)
• Download and install the latest version of JAVA in your computer.
• Download the latest version of CASUAL root tool. (CASUAL-PublicBeta4.jar, 4.58 MB)
• Enable USB Debugging on your phone. Go to Settings>Applications>Development.

Instructions:

1. Connect your Droid Razr to your computer via the USB Cable.
2. Double click on the CASUAL-PublicBeta4.jar file to run it.
3. To root your phone do the following:
   • For Gingerbread ROM: Choose the “Root with Motofail Exploit” option from the CASUAL tool window drop-down box, then hit “Do It”.
   • For Ice Cream Sandwich ROM: Choose “Root with RootICSRAZR” option from the drop-down box, then hit “Do It”.
4. Once rooting is done, disconnect your Droid from your computer.

Congratulations! You have successfully rooted your Motorola Droid Razr using the CASUAL root method.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Upgrading to Android 4.0.4 ICS via AOKP ROM build 32

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Upgrading to Android 4.0.4 ICS via AOKP ROM build 32

Since Ice Cream Sandwich was released last year, custom ROMs based on the software began sprouting like mushrooms. Everyone wants Ice Cream Sandwich on her or his devices, whether it’s official, a port, or a custom ROM developed by some of the dedicated developers in the Android community.

With some custom ROMs improving Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s no wonder that the ROMs are as well-loved as the original software itself. One of these custom ROMs is the Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) ROM. It’s quickly becoming one of the most well-known ROMs among users, thanks to its performance, customizable tweaks, and its famous ROM Control mod feature.

With AOKP Build 32 rolling out, one of the lucky devices to receive the update is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus . The build is packing some interesting features, such as:

• Camera: Pinch and Volume Zoom
• General UI: Customizable rotation delay is back!
• Bluetooth: AVRCP 1.3+ support
• Lockscreen/NavBar: Allow shortcuts to specify their own icons
• NavBar: Allow tablets to use “hide NavBar” feature
• NavBar: Custom NavBar is now available for tablets as well!
• NavBar: Customizable glow color
• Quiet Hours: Configure the hours your device should be quiet and/or still
• Statusbar: Added ability to WeatherPanel to start a custom app
• Statusbar: Added ability to hide signal bars
• Statusbar: Customizable font size
• Statusbar: Customizable icon transparency

In this tutorial, we are going to give you a step-by-step guide on how you can install AOKP Build 32 ROM on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Compatibility:

• This guide is compatible only with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus GSM or CDMA. Check out your device model number by heading to Settings > About Phone.
• Proceed at your own risk. We will not be held liable for whatever may happen to your phone.

Requirements:

• Rooted Samsung Galaxy Nexus CDMA or GSM.
• ClockworkMod Recovery installed on your Galaxy Nexus. Check out this guide here if you haven’t installed ClockworkMod Recovery installed yet.
• Enable USB Debugging on your device. You can do this by going to Settings > Developer options > USB Debugging. Make sure that there is a check mark beside that option.
• Fully charged battery or at least 70% battery left.
• Backup of your personal files and important data.

Instructions:

1. Download the appropriate AOKP build 32 ROM version for your phone model and save it to your PC.
   • AOKP Build 32 for Galaxy Nexus GSM (aokp_maguro_build-32.zip, md5sum: 0b9a58d35cfcf5bbcce266c3925d0620)
   • AOKP Build 32 for Galaxy Nexus CDMA (aokp_toro_build-32.zip, md5sum: 0b9a58d35cfcf5bbcce266c3925d0620)
2. Download the GApps package from here (gapps-ics-404-Kejar31-020512.zip, md5sum: 042f8395d32af4660f70ddd1764f416f) and save it to your PC.
3. Connect your Galaxy Nexus to your PC via a USB cable.
4. Copy the AOKP ROM and GApps package to your phone’s internal SD card.
5. Disconnect your phone from the PC.
6. Switch off your phone.
7. Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Volume Up and Down Keys then pressing the Power button. Keep pressing the button until Fastboot Mode shows-up on your screen. Select Recovery using the Power Key to confirm.
8. In Recovery Mode, create a Nandroid backup of your current ROM. Select Backup and Restore > Backup.
9. Go back to the main recovery menu.
10. Select Wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on the screen that follows to confirm data wipe.
11. Select Install zip from sdcard > Choose zip from sdcard.
12. Browse for the AOKP ROM package and select it. Select Yes on the screen that follows to confirm the installation.
13. Repeat the step 11, but this time, choose the GApps package.
14. Select Go back from the recovery menu.
15. Select Reboot system now to reboot your phone.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the AOKP ROM build 32 on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Sprint Galaxy Nexus Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) available April 22

Sprint Galaxy Nexus Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) available April 22 

Sprint officially announced the flagship Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Galaxy Nexus, smartphone available April 22nd for $199.99; while pre-orders start today. The Galaxy Nexus on Sprint will be capable of blazing the Internet with 4G LTE in select cities. Just like the Verizon version, this smartphone boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contour display and dual cameras enabling video chat. The $200 price, of course, is subsidized with a two year agreement and available at http://www.sprint.com/nexus

Easy Ways to Boost Performance Android Phone

Easy Ways to Boost Performance Android Phone

Have a cell phone or Android tablet is very nice. Various applications can be installed easily and quickly escape. Free too, but after using for a long time, many users who felt Android devices run slower.

As an intelligent device, phone or Android tablet armed by the processor is responsible for maintaining the performance and stability of the device during use, besides of course respond to the commands we give. Then there is also the role of memory (internal) needed to keep a 'cache' of the tasks we have given earlier, the device is easier if we repeat the same command at a later time. Well, usually when the performance of the device begins to seem slow, the second component is to blame.

So how do I fix this? I will give some solutions you can try.

1. Reset Device
For information, applications or games installed Android uses more memory if it is installed. That is, if you download a 10 MB application from the Android Market, then once installed unused memory capacity can be 20 MB or even more.
As a result, HP's performance to be slowed down or even cause HP to hang. When andamengalami full HP memory problems, then here are some tips to overcome them.

Or use the conventional way, ie go into the settings, select the application and management applications. There is usually some local groups such as the application is downloaded, contained in a memory card, which is running, etc.. depending on the device you use. Choose one of the applications currently running. There will be several options such as the Force Stop (Forced off), or Clear Data if your chosen application is a Browser. But remember, some features can not be turned off because it can lead to instability of the device.

Well, because Android phones capable of running multitasking, it is necessary to note also that scattered widgets on your homescreen. The more and animated, then the performance of your device will also be increasingly depleted. So is the use of Live Wallpapers. So, if your device does not have a high specification, consider using only the standard wallpaper.

2. Use Application
There are some applications that can be used to adjust automatically when the memory is on the verge of capacity limits. One is Optimus Root Artificial Memory Optimizer Soapbox Apps. This application aims to improve system performance and battery life by adjusting the internal memory setting Android.

a. Optimus Root Memory Optimizer
Optimus Root Memory Optimizer automatically kills applications running in the background when system memory falls below a certain threshold. That is, the application will free up memory more aggressively thereby increasing system performance. This application provides three different settings are Moderate, Balanced and Extreme.

b. Advanced Task Killer
This application can be quite simple because once you get into it, will be immediately visible applications that are running. Live where you want to mark off, select "KILL selected apps" and OK! This application can also be set to auto start.

c. App 2 SD
One reason the phone is running slow is too many applications installed on internal memory. If you have a large capacity memory card, while your tools can not automatically install on external memory, simply use the application is made ​​by Sam Lu. Transfer applications are installed on the device, but with a note that you use at least Android is Froyo (v2.2).

d. Dr saver + a Task Killer
Applications for performance management and mengkatkan battery on Android. Yes as the name suggests has a function as an application in order to save battery Android. This application has features such as: provide convenience to the user to terminate the application and reset the phone quickly and easily fast. Displays the battery status, including temperature, time to talk and various other battery information. Well, to improve battery performance applications the user must turn off the useless or not being used. There are several options at the end applications that can directly such as management of screen brightness, volume settings, indicator wifi, gps, bluetooth, Auto-sync.

e. ES File Explorer
ES File Explorer is a file manager application that has a proper function for the android phone you have. This application has many functions such as file manager: Copy, Paste, Cut / Move, Create, Delete and Rename, Share / Send. Just like on the computer, set the application as well as backup, compress and Decompress ZIP files, Unpack RAR files, display a variety of photo formats, documents and video, as a media viewer and text editor, search for media files and many others.

However, of those applications that have been described, there is a great way for your hobby person who tinkers their smart devices, namely by doing 'root'. But because it is quite risky, so now I only recommend ways are simple and safe to do. Hopefully useful.

How To Upgrade OS Android Samsung Galaxy Fit from Froyo to Gingerbread?

How To Upgrade OS Android Samsung Galaxy Fit from Froyo to Gingerbread?

Since you do not understand everything about how to upgrade the OS to Android, the post I will discuss on How to Upgrade OS Android Samsung Galaxy Fit from Froyo to Gingerbread?

What is OS? OS is an Operating System that is used on a device, such as Android we are discussing today. In addition to Android there are also Windows, Linux, etc. that I can not mention one by one. Well, but is it possible for us to upgrade it? What's own upgrade? Upgrade is a step in which we will enhance the ability of the OS we are using today to a newer operating sysytem, in this case I upgrade from OS Froyo to Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670.

Steps Upgrade OS Android Samsung Galaxy Fit from Froyo to Gingerbread:
1. Prepare in advance the tools we need. As ODIN Multidownloader, File .ops, and firmware that we use.
2. If you do not already have it, please download ODIN Multidownloader and file .Ops for Samsung Galaxy Fit here
(for file .opsnya different for each device's). For the firmware you can find yourself well. Here I only explain a few steps alone.
3. After you download all the equipment, first open your Multidownloader ODIN. Then insert the file .Ops in place, and check One Package (if you use the One Package, if not leave it alone).
4. Then Enter the firmware into place, (File firmware berkestensi. Tar, if still in the first extract rar please.)
5. Then once everything is ready, plug the phone.
Download your favorite Android in by pressing the Mode Down, Home, Power simultaneously. After appearing in yellow on the upper left Multidownloader ODIN and it was a sign already detect it, please click on START
6. Never unplug the cable from your computer, because it would thwart the upgrade process and the risks that occur on their own responsibility.
7. Wait until the process is complete. Highlighted in yellow on the upper left ODIN became blue. Completed.

How to Remove Default ROM applications on Android Phones?

How to Remove Default ROM applications on Android Phones

Are you wondering how to remove an application that has been bundling with congenital ROM that you install on an Android phone? Take it easy, because on this occasion I will discuss about it, How to Remove Default ROM applications on Android phones?

Perhaps you are tired of looking at applications that are not useful in our part of the Android menu, or you do not know the function of the menu? Surely you will remove the application, but do not know how to Delete Applications are? Or would you even let menu of the application remains on the menu your Android phone? That will make your Android phone to be wasteful of memory. We better remove the application by following the steps - the steps below:

1. Prepare rootex (Root Explorer) as a tool of our time fighting this. If you do not already have it, please download here and then install.
2. Then open the application rootex already was installed.
3. Go to the directory system / app / (this is the application). Do not remove all of it? Delete that you think are not necessary.
4. If you can not remove it and display a warning “….apk cannot be deleted because the file system is read-only”, do not panic. Navigate your views into the upper right corner and click the box that says Mount R / O to Mount R / W.
5. Then repeat the process of elimination.
6. Click Yes to remove it. Completed.
7. Reboot to see changes.

Easy is not it? Using only one application we can remove all the applications on our Android phones. But do not remove all, if cleared of all or any of the deletion could be your Android phone will be the error. So please be careful.

Note: Any damage caused is your own responsibility, and is not my responsibility. So please be - careful

Samsung Galaxy Note Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Samsung Galaxy Note Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Notes in Indonesia. The device was equipped with sail 5.3-inch Super AMOLED technology, touch screen, and S Pen that support creativity and productivity of users.

The Samsung called "Galaxy Note" as a new form of smartphones. The combination of three technologies that support creativity and productivity of users. Unlike the Galaxy Tab, Samsung put pen-input technology advanced S Pen on "Galaxy Note".

While showing how digital S Pen, HHP Director of PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia Budi Janto said the feature is functioning like a pen. Users simply write or illustrate ideas on the screen "Galaxy Note" by using a digital S Pen. Furthermore, the device works recognize the text or images. In order not easily lost, Samsung provides a special space in the "Galaxy Note" to save the S Pen. "Galaxy Note" will change and improve mobile communications by offering innovative features such as S Memo, S and S Choice Planner. I am sure that consumers who try to "Galaxy Note" will love the features, said President and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Asia Gregory Lee.

S Choice is a new category menu on the Samsung Apps specifically designed to feature S Pen. The new application includes Soonr Workplace, OmniSketch, Zen Brush, ComicBook! And iAnnotate PDF. Soonr Workplace enables team collaboration with annotations directly on a variety of file formats that are stored in Soonr Cloud.

iAnnotate PDF provides annotations directly to the S Pen when I read a PDF file. OmniSketch and Zen Brush is a useful tool for sketching and drawing. OmniSketch allows users to use S Pen as a brush. While the Zen Brush provides oriental brush simulation.

Screen "Galaxy Note" which ensures a high-resolution e-book, PowerPoint presentations, web pages and news application can be viewed comfortably via scrolling or zooming. Super AMOLED screen and high definition "Galaxy Note" is large enough to allow split-screen operation and true multitasking, ie the original application of the most frequently used and can be operated adjacent to reduce interruptions.

"Samsung Galaxy Note" has been reinforced with 1.4 GHz processor Dual-Core and supported by substantial memory that is 1 GB of RAM and runs the Android operating system 2.3 Gingerbread. In matters of the perpetuation of the image, "Samsung Galaxy Note" provided with a resolution of 8 megapixel camera and LED flash and a 2 Megapixel camera phones on the front for video chat. For business storage of photos, videos and other files, "Samsung Galaxy Note" has been providing memory storage for 16 or 32 GB. "Samsung Galaxy Note" has a thickness of 9.65 mm [0.37 inches] and has a weight of 178 grams.

Supported Internet access HSPA technology enables fast connection and browsing quickly and smoothly. The user can do video streaming in real-time or join their friends through an online gaming platform via Samsung's Game Hub. (RO/OL-14)

Specifications an Features:
- Li-on 2,500 mAh Battery
- Talk Time: upto 4.6 hours
- Standby Time: Up to 390 hours
- 1.4Ghz Dual-core processor
- 1GB RAM
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS
- Samsung Touchwiz/ Samsung Live Panel UX
- 5.3 inch HD Super AMOLED Touchscreen display
- 1280 x 800 pixels screen resolution
- 8 megapixel camera with LED flash at Rear
- 1080p Full HD video recording & playback
- 2 megapixel camera at Front
- Advanced pen input functionality for accurate sketching and artwork
- Expandable memory upto 32GB
- Social Hub -Integrated Messaging(Email, SNS), Contacts/ Calendar Sync
- Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth
- Android Market
- Social networking apps
- USB 2.0
- 3.5mm audio jack