Penny Mobiles – Mobile phone news, reviews & information

With WWDC 2011 in full swing, many who were hoping for an iPhone 5 were disappointed. That said, many pundits had long said that Apple would skip a summer launch and instead leave the launch for its September music event which was traditionally used to launch new iPod’s and Apple TV but thanks to the cannibalizing of iPod sales thanks to the iPhone Apple is expected to use the event to launch not only new iPod’s but a new iPhone as well.

That said, there have been many rumors concerning the phones design. At one time it was said that Steve Jobs was playing with three different prototypes, one that included a 4-inch screen and another with a QWERTY keyboard. So needless to say, everyone is wondering how much different will it look from the current iPhone 4. With Samsung, currently Apple’s main competitor experiencing record sales of its Galaxy S device, ibetimes.com is claiming that the Cupertino based company could be taking design cues from Sammy’s hottest new device.

If this tumor is true, it would be ironic seeing that Apple has just finished dragging Samsung into a legal battle claiming the South Korean company not only copied design cues from them but infringed on their patents. Samsung responded with a humorous request asking the court to require Apple to allow it to see the final design of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 so it would be able to stay clear of possibly copying the devices design. It should be noted that many of Apple’s iPad and iPhone parts are manufactured by Samsung.

What is clear is that if Apple is to successfully compete against Samsung, they will need to come forward with a redesigned product. Granted Apple has the media on its side and there is no doubt that whatever Apple dubs as the iPhone 5 or 4.5 will sell millions of units. But for it to live up to the hype that is being created Apple will need to include some well needed features such as support for NFC, a slimmer design, bigger screen, better camera as well as a dual-core processor.

Many industry pundits and analysts have rumored that the iPhone will indeed include a larger screen, albeit one not as big as the Samsung Galaxy S II and a slimmer design along with the same processor currently running the iPad 2.

But one thing is clear, with Apple filing lawsuits against Samsung, it is clear that Samsung has hit a nerve with the company, and whatever device the company releases next as the next iPhone, it will be aimed squarely at Samsung’s galaxy S II.

Source: Online Social Media

It was just a matter of time. With the growing sophistication of the Android OS now in its v2.2 Froyo iteration, the world’s 2nd largest mobile phone maker Samsung just stepped into the tablet war zone to challenge Apple’s iPad now looming as the undisputed leader in a pack of one. Welcome the challenger – the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Samsung seems to be playing its cards right with a product that straddles the line between the mobile phone and a full tablet device in terms of size. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a hefty 190 x 120.5 x 12 mm and weighing 380g but is just half the size of the iPad. It’s certainly larger than the largest smartphone in the market and you know it is with its 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display with multitouch, Swype, accelerometer and 3-axis sensor. Is it any good? We’ll let you be the judge, read on:

Trumping the iPad

The Samsung Galaxy Tab wins points over the iPad for having a 3.2 megapixel shooter with autofocus, LED flash including a video recording feature with D1 (720 x 480) resolution at 30fps. 3G video calls are also supported with its front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

There’s also Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and MicroUSB v2.0 local data connectivity support. External memory expandability of up to 32GB adds to its internal memory capacity which comes in two flavors of 16GB and 32GB. Lastly, you have a true multitasking OS in the Android v2.2 Froyo as well as Adobe Flash 10.1 support you won’t find in the iPad.

So what other features does it have that is at par with the iPad? It’s a Tri band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA on 3G and a Quad band GSM on 2G with class 10 GPRS/EDGE. It also has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for hotspot surfing and a GPS receiver with A-GPS support.

The 4000 mAh Li-ion battery powers up to 7 hours of movie playback and really makes this a superb feature set.

Samsung may not be dominating the Smartphone scene but it is definitely one the manufacturers that offers quality and reliable mobiles. Testament to this is the success of their previous releases such as the Samsung Wave 2 and Samsung Wave 2 Pro which definitely showed Samsung’s capability to take on other more popular brands.

The Samsung Wave 723 is another remarkable Smartphone offering from Samsung that is worth discussing about.

Looking Good!

The overall look of the Samsung Wave 723 is pretty simple and elegant. The design is pretty typical and is similar to other touch screens available in the market today. However, the main difference is the built-in leather flip which is designed to protect the 3.2 inch touch display.

This mobile is compatible with 256k colours which will surely bring anyone’s viewing experience a notch higher.
It measures 109.5 x 53.9 x 11.8 mm which makes it the perfect mobile to carry anywhere as it fits easily in the pocket or any type of bag.

The back of the Samsung Wave 723 reveals a 5MP snapper. It is ideal to use to capture still images or any other time that may require a quick snap. It also has an LED flash to enhance photo quality. Smile detection and auto-focus are some of the available features as well.

Bunch of Features

Aside from the interesting Bada OS, which is designed by Samsung, there are a lot of features present in the Samsung Wave 723 that will surely make this device the apple of the eye for Smartphone enthusiast.

Connectivity wise it is safe to say that the Wave 723 has everything you’d want from a mobile device. It offers HSDPA, EDGE and GPRS. It is definitely what you need to access the internet at a faster speed. It is WiFI ready also and the internal memory is 90MB and can still be expanded up to 16GB with a MicroSD card.

There are plenty of reasons why Samsung and Sony Ericsson should be happy. After all, the past few months has seen the companies release a whole new line of Android devices and of course, the continued growth of market demand for the Google made platform.

Sony Ericsson has been in financial turmoil last year and has taken most of 2010 getting back in the game. But with both feet now planted firmly back on the ground with a strong line up of new devices selling plenty in the past couple of quarters, it is not surprising that the Swedish Japanese joint venture is enjoying it newfound success. Of course, the icing on the cake would have to be the award from EISA which celebrates the XPERIA X10 Mini smart phone.

Obviously, the X10 Mini is not as powerful as the XPERIA X10. In fact, compared to that powerhouse, the device seems very much like a toy. But looking closer at the specs, one realizes that the Mini is far more practical –especially when price is concerned. The phone is much cheaper than the X10 and it is almost as functional. Sure, the processor is slower and the screen is much smaller. But given that the device is far cheaper –then it is a better choice.

Samsung also got a little award as well. While Sony Ericsson got off with the best mobile phone award, Samsung was still able to nab the best smart phone award. The recipient is none other than the Galaxy S with its’ impressive high end specifications. Naturally, the phone’s impressive touch screen display technology which makes use of super AMOLED technology surpasses most screens available –including the retina display on the iPhone 4.

Expect to hear more about these two devices as the EISA awards are certain to bring the spotlight back on them.

Despite the fact that most of us are already waiting for the release of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform, the fact is that Windows Mobile 6.5 is far from dead. In fact, Microsoft has already stated several months ago that even after the WP7 handsets are released, they will still continue to support and develop for WinMo 6.5.

While it is not confirmed if they will push through with the supposed name change from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone Classic, they are certainly going to keep the OS alive. Despite the announcement that Microsoft Office Mobile 2010 will indeed be available for the new OS, people are still looking to the older WinMo OS for business needs. Simply put, the new WP7 is not simply cutting it for business users –this is actually a very important market for Microsoft (they hold the second largest share of the business market next to BlackBerry, and that is how they managed to survive despite WinMo’s lack of support in the general market).

A recent announcement from Samsung further proves that WinMo 6.5 will still be around for a while, the new Samsung Omnia Pro 4 and Omnia Pro 5 smart phones will be making use of the older Microsoft mobile platform with updated versions of Office Mobile and Communicator Mobile.

As to be expected, the two handsets are very business-like in design, with the BlackBerry form factor (candy bar handsets with portrait physical QWERTY keyboards). The design logic for the keyboards is simple, but they work quite effectively, anyone who has been using a Palm or BlackBerry will feel at ease with these handsets.

It is to be noted that the Omnia Pro 4 actually has better specs than the Omnia Pro 5. The biggest advantage of getting the Pro 5 is the fact that the device is a lot lighter and slimmer than the Pro 4.

When Samsung announced the Bada operating system, many believed that the Korean phone manufacturer would be so focused on their proprietary operating system that they would slow down in the production of smart phones for other mobile platforms. However, it seems that the general assumption was quite wrong and Samsung is making plenty of mobile handsets for the Google Android operating system.

With the launch of the i7500 Galaxy last year, Samsung has begun its series of high end devices that would be making use of the open source mobile platform. The device would later be followed up by the Galaxy Lite (also known as the Galaxy Spica) and now, the series is expanding with many new handsets added to the list.

First to join the ranks is the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S which is basically the Korean manufacturer’s answer to the Nexus One and the HTC Desire This smart phone not only matches the 1GHz CPU and 5 mega pixel camera, but they also bring in their new super AMOLED capacitive touch screen display. According to recent reports, there will be a Samsung Galaxy S Pro smart phone that will be released soon and that the phone will come with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Speaking of super AMOLED capacitive touch screen displays, the Galaxy Tape is set to have the largest one around at 7 inches. The Galaxy Tape is considered to be a tablet despite having phone call capabilities. With the Android 2.2 Froyo, a front facing camera and a better resolution display, this is perfect answer to the Apple iPad.

Aside from high end devices, the Galaxy series is also offering more common midrange phones like the Galaxy Apollo which was recently put in a teaser by Orange Mobile UK. The device is the same as the Samsung Galaxy 3 though the two have different number designations. Last on the list is a Corby Galaxy smart phone, the i5500 Galaxy 5.

According to recent reports, there are two new additions to Samsung’s Galaxy series of mobile phones. The first is a mid range handset that is a lot like a super upgraded Corby handset, while the other is a massive tablet device that still keeps mobile phone features.

First off, the i5801 Galaxy Apollo; this new handset has been shown off at the Orange Mobile UK website, though the full details have yet to be confirmed. So far, it has been revealed that the smart phone will come with the new Android 2.1 Éclair open source mobile platform, a 3.15 mega pixel snapper and a decent sized 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display. Overall, it is very HTC Legend like, though it could use a better 5 mega pixel camera and the super AMOLED touch screen which will be used in the i9000 Galaxy S.

While a release date and CPU details have yet to be revealed, expect to see Orange get a semi exclusive version of this smart phone (or possibly even full exclusivity of the device itself).

Last week, Samsung also showed the tech industry that it has been busy planning for the upcoming tablet wars. With the successful launch of the Apple iPad last May, it is no longer a surprise that other companies want a share of the tablet market, and being armed with Google’s Android OS is certainly a great plan.

The new Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch touch screen display. While it is slightly smaller than the iPad (which has a 9.7 inch screen), the Galaxy Tab has a feature that the iPad can never match, the ability to make calls. This is why the Samsung Galaxy Tab is still considered as a smart phone despite its very tablet-like features.

Korean manufacturer Samsung has yet to confirm when the device would be in production, but many tablet fans are hoping to try out the device very soon.

In February 2010, Samsung launched the campaign Unpacked 2010 featuring new mobile phone Samsung Wave. Known for its high technological standards and customer driven strategy, Samsung is once again one step ahead as a leading new wave innovative company. Its latest mobile phone includes 3 exciting new features set to revolutionize the way we interact with each other. The Super AMOLED display gets a more realistic and vivid world at the tips of your fingers letting you experience superior visual enhancement.

As a proud member of the smart phones family, Samsung Wave has a truly unique touch screen responding quickly to user’s actions and providing information searched within seconds. The Social Hub will be an instant hit between social networking fans as it allows quick access and interaction with users across many popular social networks. Updating your profile by adding media or text is one touch away.

The TouchWiz 3.0 UI interface is a powerful and improved tool on Samsung Wave mobile phone guiding the user through the customization process. Main mobile page can be set up to match user’s major interests. For example, for a music fan the TouchWiz 3.0 UI interface will feature an intuitive music interface which will provide instant access to music applications. The Quick Panel is yet another great option which makes possible for users to make a page of their most frequent applications for very fast response time.

The new BADA platform to which Samsung Wave adheres is an exciting and refreshing tool which enables very fast downloading time for your Samsung Applications, providing at the same time a fantastic opportunity to application developers to enhance the mobile phone’s features and to unleash the potential of amazing new features to be added.

Amazing Samsung Wave deals are now available at major UK networks such as O2, Vodafone UK, Orange UK and many others.

The recent MWC in Barcelona saw the unveiling of any number of interesting and impressive smartphones and devices from the top players in the industry, and Samsung were no exception, revealing a wide-range of fascinating devices – some of which that may have gone more unnoticed that others. This was, to many, what happened to one of Samsung’s newest creations – the E2370, a new entry-level phone that the Korean giant introduced at the Barcelona expo.

The E2370 comes without all of the shining lights and jangling bells of many of the smartphones seen at the conference and opts instead for a more basic and rustic appearance, with none of the dual on-screen touch-pad and slide-out QWERTY keyboards seen in many of the high-end devices. Despite many users’ preferences for high-end impressive specs it is highly likely that this new device will richly appeal perhaps to older users looking for a decent performer, unencumbered by the other features that they simply wouldn’t ever use.

The E2370’s standout point is its appearance: it comes complete with a striking rubber body that makes it largely shock-resistant – excellent news for those that require an incredibly durable phone. This means that there will be no problem if you drop it on a reasonably hard surface, unlike the other high-end devices that would be left scattered in pieces all over the place in many cases. It more that lives up to its durable image, and also not looking like a high-end device may even help not attract the unwanted attention of those looking to unlawfully deprive you of its services.

The device itself has been promoted by Samsung as a more rustic and straightforward version of the B2100 Explorer. Many in the industry have predicted that despite the fact that no end selling price has yet been announced for the E2370 it is unlikely to carry too weighty a tag, again in keeping with its appeal to more entry-level users. The device is fully IO54 certified and features a non-imposing 1.77-inch display as well as a microSD card slot that affords users the luxury of being able to ramp up the device’s memory storage capacity should they so desire.

Interestingly there is even a VGA camera on the device, which is something of a surprise in an entry-level device. This will doubtless further enhance its appeal at this end of the market, although the captured picture quality is not that great. Many feel that Samsung instead might have been better served users by opting for a lower resolution megapixel camera instead. Still, it is a good addition for a lower-end device, and entry-level users are sure to like having the facility.

AS far as connectivity is concerned the Samsung E2370 supports the GSM Dual-Band network, which allows it to be fully operational in the Asian and European markets. There is, however, no 3G support, although GSM 900/1800 is supported to allow overall connectivity to be decent – especially given the overall specs. There is also no capacity for Wi-Fi, although users can transfer data to and from the device wirelessly through the integral Bluetooth capability.

To look at it the E2370 appears to be a tough and rugged device, yet it somehow retains an air of charm with its eye-catching combinations. One nice feature is the orange keypad which affords it a feel of some exclusivity, a good touch on an entry-level phone as well.

The phone is also quite easy to hold and carry, with its dimensions of 112×49x19mm. Its internal memory is also pretty well in keeping with its entry-level status, and is capable of holding a maximum of 1,000 contacts in the device’s phone book. This capacity can, however, be upgraded via the integral MicroSD TransFlash slot. The music player is also functionally decent, with an ability to play MP3, WMA eAAC and MP4 files.

Time to rejoice Android smart phone fans; the Samsung Galaxy Portal i5700 is being subsidized by T-Mobile in the UK.

With an exclusivity deal for a whole month, T-Mobile will be bringing out this impressive little budget Android in its many deals and offerings. Grab the device from pay as you go or get it for free under some of T-Mobile’s various plans. One good deal makes the device available for free (18 months, £23 per month).

Originally named Galaxy Spica outside of the UK, the Portal seemed like it would never hit UK shores until a news update from Samsung popped out about a week ago. The Galaxy and the Galaxy Spica would be receiving Android updates from the original version 1.5 Cupcake to the much newer 2.0 Éclair.

With the news came the excitement that the Spica might just get a UK release after all. Looks like Android phones seeking a UK release need a name change first. The same thing happened with the Motorola DROID when it was ported over; the device was renamed as the Motorola Milestone.

The Portal will be exactly the same as the Spica in terms of specs (it is the same phone after all). First off, the device will come with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT touch screen –a great upgrade over the usual 2 inch touch screen on other budget devices. The resolution is 320 x 480 pixels, and the display capacity is 16 million colors so expect to get a lot of depth and detail when viewing images you shoot with the phone’s 3 mega pixel camera. The camera comes with auto focus and supports geo-tagging, but it lacks LED flash so be careful of lighting when shooting photos.

Head over to Softpedia and get all the details.