Search Results for: samsung

The Apple and Samsung battle continues to rumble, and less than a week after a proposed ban on the sale of iPhones and iPads was overturned, another ruling has -- at least for the time being -- gone Apple's way. The US ITC has upheld a previous ruling dating back to 2011 that found Samsung has infringed various Apple patents, potentially leading to a US ban on various devices from the South Korean company.

The ruling found that Samsung had violated two patents relating to Apple's iPhone. The first patent (often referred to as the "Steve Jobs patent") relates to the use of a touchscreen interface as means of interacting with a device using one or more fingers. The second patent relates to the design of an audio socket that can determine the type of microphone or headset that has been plugged into it.

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On Tuesday AnandTech published a report that suggested some sort of "trickery" was being used by Samsung to boost device performance when benchmarks are run. The Korean electronics manufacturer responded to the claims today, and while it does not deny that performance is adjusted when benchmarking tools are running, it refutes the suggestion that changes to the frequency of the Galaxy S4's GPU during benchmarking are "intended to improve [these] results".

Investigations started after a post on the Beyond3D forum claimed that the GPU speed was usually limited to 480MHz but increased to 532MHz when certain whitelisted apps were running. Benchmarks using older testing apps gave worse performance results than newer ones for user frogblast.

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There is a very good reason as to why some people easily dismiss any report on the state of the smartphone, tablet or phone market. Research companies often get their forecasts wrong, and just as often adjust the numbers to reflect any significant change in shipments or sales. Credibility is gained over a long period of time, through spot-on analysis and research, but is easily lost after a questionable report.

Truth be told, predicting the future is a fool's errand. Those who rely on forecasts in order to make their case are just as likely to withdraw their bold remarks once the quarterly or yearly reports arrive. The credibility issue grows bigger when two research companies, namely IDC and Strategy Analytics, cannot agree on counting smartphone shipments, in a single quarter.

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Last month, I sold my Nexus 7 and declared that I didn’t miss it. At first, the declaration was true. However, as time marched on, I began to long for a tablet. When lying in bed, I tried using my Chromebook but it just wasn’t comfortable. And so, I began to search for a new tablet.

I considered the iPad (full size and mini), Android tablets, and even the Surface RT; I was open to anything. However, as my research continued, I decided to stick with Android. I like iOS and Windows RT but I have too much money invested in the Android ecosystem. I really liked the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 but was turned off to the high price tag ($399.99). Luckily, Samsung has released a tablet that is similar to the Note 8.0 but for $100 less -- The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0.

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With an increasing focus towards beefier hardware -- faster processors, more RAM, larger and higher-resolution screens -- it's easy to lose sight of an important part in having an enjoyable smartphone experience -- battery life. The sheer performance has significantly increased over time due to a drastic technological advancement in chip making, but batteries are mostly the same now as they were a couple of years ago (only bigger).

It's no surprise then that smartphones quickly run out of puff after a mere couple of hours of intense use. So what if you want a top-of-the-line handset that is also an excellent battery life performer? Well, according to Which.co.uk, you should get a Samsung Galaxy S4 and look past the Apple iPhone 5 or Nokia Lumia 920.

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In 2008, Boxee started out with just an app. In those early days it could be used on computers and Apple TV, but soon the company launched its own set-top box. That endeavor was lost in the noise of competitors like Roku and Google TV, but now the little media-oriented Boxee may have found a new road and its savior from oblivion.

News breaks that Samsung, the electronics maker behind the Galaxy lineup of Android devices and many popular smart TV's and other devices, snapped up Boxee. Since there is no official announcement made by either party, I reached out to Samsung for a statement.

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On Wednesday, US mobile operator Sprint announced that the new HTC 8XT and Samsung ATIV S Neo will be the first Windows Phone 8 devices to join its portfolio. The two handsets arrive this summer in Sprint's online and brick and mortar stores.

"We know our customers are anxious to get their hands on these Windows Phone 8 smartphones, HTC 8XT and ATIV S Neo", says Sprint's Fared Adib. "Without a doubt, they will rival any smartphone on the market today". On a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the 8XT and the ATIV S Neo will be available for $99.99 and $149.99, respectively.

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The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is the flagship Samsung should have launched instead of the Galaxy S4. The handset, which was unveiled earlier today, is the least compromising and most powerful entry in the maker's high-end Android lineup.

Samsung touts the Galaxy S4 LTE-A as "the world’s first commercially available LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) smartphone". That's a rather bold claim, considering the pretty vague release date -- "this summer". The South Korean maker does not provide exact numbers, but says that the cellular technology offers "double today's LTE speeds" (which, on the Galaxy S4, are 100 Mbps for download and 50 Mbps for upload).

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Despite the fact that both operating systems support Near Field Communication (also known as NFC), users cannot transfer files between Android and Windows Phone devices. The implementation is different on the two platforms, with manufacturers complicating things further by employing branded software to handle any interaction. I've learned this the hard way after trying to move files between the Google Galaxy Nexus and the HTC Windows Phone 8X.

Android and Windows Phone device maker Samsung wants to bridge the NFC gap between the two platforms with ATIV Beam, a new app launched on the tiled smartphone operating system. The software allows ATIV Odyssey and ATIV S users to share files with Android-based Galaxy devices.

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Owning a tablet is a given nowadays; it seems like almost everyone either has one or wants one. However, deciding which tablet to buy is problematic -- how can a consumer choose which tablet operating system is best? Between iOS, Android and Windows 8 you really can’t go wrong -- all three tablet-friendly operating systems are mature and stable. However, Samsung is aiming to make your decision much easier. The electronics giant announces the ATIV Q which combines Android and true Windows 8 (not RT) on the same device. To quote R. Kelly and Jay-Z, "welcome to the best of both worlds".

According to Samsung, it is "addressing consumers' desire to access Android apps on a Windows-based PC, the ATIV Q allows users to experience both Windows 8 and Android (Jelly Bean 4.2.2) on the same device. Users will not only get access to Android apps via Google Play but also be able to transfer files, to share folders and files from Windows 8 to Android, truly marrying the mobile and PC experiences".

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Android continues to slowly insinuate itself into the camera market, from whence it began -- it is a slow process, but the phones started that way as well, so look out. The latest announcement is a new Galaxy NX camera that pushes this to the next level from the past version of this experiment.

The Galaxy NX sports a 3G/4G LTE connection along with WiFi, as well as an array of interchangeable lenses. The 20.3MP APS-C Sensor produces images which Samsung claims are bright and detailed, even in low light conditions, while the DRIMe IV Image Signal Processer delivers the speed and accuracy which today's photographers are looking for. In addition, Samsung touts an Advanced Hybrid Auto Focus (AF) System which ensures accurate phase and contrast detection for your shots and a 1/6000 sec shutter speed and 8.6fps shooting that lets you capture the action as it’s happening.

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Samsung is set to launch some new products at its Samsung Premiere 2013 event at London’s Earl's Court tonight.

While we’re not sure exactly what to expect, we do know the South Korean tech giant will be unveiling new Galaxy and ATIV devices, and is promising a "glimpse into the future", whatever that cryptic hint may mean.

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Almost four months after Samsung unveiled the 8-inch device, late-yesterday, AT&T announced that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will finally be available this Friday through its online and brick and mortar stores. At the US mobile operator, the tablet runs for $399.99 on a two-year agreement.

On a two-year contract, for the same $399.99, AT&T subscribers can also get an ASUS VivoTab RT (which runs Windows RT) or a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Similarly, the 16 GB Apple iPad Mini with cellular connectivity runs for $359.99, which is $40 less than what the carrier charges for the Galaxy Note 8.0.

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If you thought the Galaxy S4 lineup could not grow any bigger you would be wrong. South Korean manufacturer Samsung announced, on Wednesday, the fourth member in its upscale smartphone family -- the Galaxy S4 zoom. The handset differentiates itself from the pack by offering a whopping 16 MP back-facing camera with 10x optical zoom. Yes, it's rather large and heavy because of it.

"As communication continues to become increasingly visual in nature, people wish to capture and share their moments in the highest quality possible, but often do not have the space or inclination to carry a dedicated camera for this purpose", says Samsung CEO JK Shin. "The Galaxy S4 zoom changes this forever, combining the industry leading functionality and connectivity of the Galaxy S4 with the high quality photographic experience you’d expect from a compact camera. The result is truly the best of both worlds, without compromise". Surely, the "without compromise" part sounds too good to be true.

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Today, cross-promotion network AdDuplex sent me its latest Windows Phone report for June 2013 which, once again, places the Nokia Lumia 920 as the most popular device running Microsoft's tiled mobile operating system. The handset accounts for 12 percent of all Windows Phones, followed by the Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800 with 11.6 percent and 10.6 percent share, respectively.

According to the report, the Finnish maker is behind nine of the 10 most popular Windows Phones. The only non-Lumia entry in the top is HTC's Windows Phone 8X which takes the ninth place. The most noteworthy changes in the rankings comes from the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 620, which have managed to surpass older Nokia-branded Windows Phone to take the fourth and the fifth place, respectively.

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