Done. In the books. No more Samsung Galaxy S III rumors or leaks to worry about ever again.

Though Android fans in the United States still have to guess about a release date, at least we know what Samsung has been working for the past few months. So was it all worth it? At first blush, I say the answer is a resounding yes.

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the Unpacked press conference yet, I encourage you to do so. What you’ll find is roughly an hour of what makes the Galaxy S III so special and how it might change Android. If this product unveiling is any indication, Samsung understands that the future of the operating system isn’t just about specifications.

You can’t beat the experience
It’s the experience, rather, that ultimately will impress users the most. In an era of dual-core this and quad-core that, average users are hard-pressed to notice the difference in hardware performance. The specs are incredible, yes, but it’s the way in which the phone works that will help it stand out.

Indeed, we’re already seeing a taste of that with AT&T’s One X. Though some users gripe that the One X lacks the quad-core chip of theglobal version, that hasn’t stopped the speedy, powerful device from taking CNET’s Editors’ Choice Award.

It’s the little things
Purists and early adopters might prefer a stripped-down, stock Android experience, but the general population will love the stuff that Samsung added here. Whether it’s the handset staying awake while you’re reading a book or Web site or the way it captures photos, the Galaxy S III has plenty of “wow” factor to go around. I see a number of things that have me wondering why today’s phones aren’t already handling or doing them.

For example, I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been typing a text message only to fumble around quickly when I received a call out. It makes a lot of sense to be able to switch to calling mode by raising the handset to my ear as the Galaxy S III will allow. Granted, the Direct Call feature in the Galaxy S III might sound trivial to some, but this is the sort of thing that people show off in the beauty salon.

The same for snoozing the alarm clock, sharing video and content, or the “Pop up Play” multifunction for watching video. While none of these features alone would be enough to go buy a Galaxy S III, I suspect that, combined, they are the reason you would return to Samsung down the road.

Similarly, I’m reminded of the little things in Android 4.0 that I miss when using a 2.3 handset. Though Gingerbread isn’t enough to completely dissuade me from using a device, I love the total package that Ice Cream Sandwich brings. So chalk up another point for the Galaxy S III.

A bit late, but worth the wait
So, yes, even after the delay from a Mobile World Congress announcement and months of rumors, I’d have to say that the Galaxy S III was worth the wait. The hardware specifications fell in line with the steady stream of gossip, even somewhat surpassing them. On paper, the handset is as good as anything else on the market, and should be for the foreseeable future.

With new rumors that Samsung and Google will once again collaborate on the next Nexus handset, I’m anxious to see what happens this fall. Why? The last two “Pure Google” smartphones closely mirrored the current edition of the Galaxy S series. What’s more, coupling this level of hardware with a new version of Android is fantastic.

In the meanwhile, I’ll be waiting to hear when U.S. consumers can get their hands on the Galaxy S III. And on that note, it appears that Samsung may have tipped its hand as to who might be offering the new flagship device. With seven carriers already on the horizon, I’d be surprised if your wireless provider does not support the Galaxy S III.

source from cnet

When The Verge reached out to HTC regarding the bootloader on the One X, which, as noticed byMoDaCo, is locked, the company responded by saying that due to some restrictions, the bootloader on the One X will not be unlockable.

As you may know, an unlocked bootloader is necessary for anyone wishing to experiment with custom ROMs on their Android devices. HTC, by default, sells their phones with locked bootloader, however, they they do offer the option for users to unlock the bootloader if they wish to. It is believed that the reason for the locked bootloader on the US version of One X is AT&T, who would understandably not want people to replace their version of the One X ROM with custom ROMs. This, however, goes against the open spirit of Android and is likely to be frowned upon by the developer community.

source from: gsmarena

HTC quickly released a statement shedding more light on the matter:

“HTC is committed to listening to users and delivering customer satisfaction. Since announcing our commitment to unlockable bootloaders, HTC has worked to enable our customers to unlock the bootloader on more than 45 devices over the past six months. In some cases, however, restrictions prevent certain devices from participating in our bootloader unlocking program. Rest assured, HTC is committed to assisting developers in unlocking bootloaders for HTC devices and we’ll continue to unlock additional devices in the future.”

HTC is clearly saying that it’s not the problem here, unambiguously pointing the finger at AT&T. The carrier is famous for its often ridiculously restrictions (or worse) on popular smartphones. And since AT&T is involved here you should probably forget about official unlock of the One X bootloader ever.

Yes, it sucks.

source from: gsmarena

This will be achieved using the company’s new hard macrocell implementations of the Cortex A-series of processors. Those versions will boast four cores clocked at 2GHz based on a 28nm design that have fixed specifications. This means that companies using those “hard macro” implementations will not be able to heavily customize ARM’s design to their liking.

As a result, manufacturers will get the same power usage as earlier Cortex-A9 chips and faster turnaround times for their SoCs, since they won’t be able to fiddle with them. ARM says this will bring “balance of performance and power”, which could eventually be used even in notebooks or fast network devices such as smart routers.

ARM is expected to reveal more details on their new work at tomorrow’s IEEE symposium in Yokohama. Chips are expected to start shipping as early as the end of 2012.

It’s not yet clear how this would reflect on various manufacturers, but it’s certainly going to give them the option to quickly utilize the Cortex-A15 processor, without spending too much time on its development to suite their own needs.

source from: gsmarena

An anonymous source talking to CNET claims that the S III will be to the S II what the iPhone 4S was to the iPhone 4 – a boost in processing power and a cool-sounding (though not necessarily useful) interaction feature.

The source pointed towards the HTC One X as what to expect from the Galaxy S III’s specs – so a quad-core CPU (likely an Exynos rather than Tegra), 1GB of RAM and a 4.7″ screen.

The bigger screen is supported by the leaked images of the S III that show a five column UI, rather than four columns on the S II and its 4.3″ screen.

The new interaction feature is reportedly dubbed Human Interaction by Samsung and will use the front-facing camera to keep track of where your eyes are pointed – and it will lock the screen when you look away.

Samsung has an event scheduled for May 3 and the most likely phone to be announced at it is the Galaxy S III, so that’s when we’ll see if the source is right or not.

source from: gsmarena

Lava’s Xolo smartphone uses Intel’s Atom processor for smartphones.

(Credit: Lava)

Intel CEO Paul Otellini couldn’t have made it any clearer: The first smartphone to use an Intel processor is due “later this week.”

“Expect to see another important milestone for our business later this week. The launch of the first Intel architecture-based smartphone,” Otellini said during his opening remarks in today’s first-quarter earnings conference call.

Xolo specifications.

(Credit: Lava)

That phone will likely be from Lava, according to a source familiar with the India-based smartphone maker’s plans.

Specifications include an Intel Z2460 Atom chip, a 4.03-inch screen (1024×600), 8MP camera, HSPA+, and 16GB flash memory (see chart).

Smartphones running on Intel processors from Lenovo, Orange, Motorola, and ZTE are also due soon. While the launch of Lenovo’s K800 is imminent — and probably the next Intel-based phone to become available — all of the others are slated for later this summer or in the second half of the year.

Intel, the world’s largest chipmaker, is trying to refocus its chip design and manufacturing efforts on smaller devices like smartphones and tablets, markets where it has been virtually absent.

source from: cnet

Among the highlights emanating from U.S. District Court in San Francisco courtroom 8 today was Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s response to a question regarding the status of the Java programming language, which his company acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems in 2010.

Asked by Google’s lead attorney, Robert Van Nest, if the Java language is free, Ellison was slow to respond. Judge William Alsup pushed Ellison to answer with a yes or no. As ZDNet reporterRachel King observed in the courtroom, Ellison resisted and huffed, “I don’t know.”

In other words, it’s complicated.

Java is free, but it also has a set of licenses that are required for specific use cases. Google’s defense is that the 15 million lines of code in its Android smartphone software contains only the parts of Java that are freely available and not restricted by licensing or copyright. Google’s strategy, in part, was to fork from the standard Java implementation to ensure that Android provided a differentiated platform for app developers.

The Java programming language is in the public domain and free, but some aspects of Java require a specific license from Oracle. The complexities, such as different licensing schemes and their applications, will make it difficult for the jury to get a black-and-white view of this central issue.

Sun, acquired by Oracle in a deal valued at more than $7 billion, developed Java and the Java Community Process, which allowed Sun to maintain standards for the programming language to ensure the “write once, run anywhere” compatibility across operating systems.

A license to Java is required when class libraries based on Java API designs are used and when Java software components are download. Oracle disputes Google’s claim that Android doesn’t use any Java code, and it asserts that the company also used documentation and developer tools that would legally require a license from Oracle (see the slideshow below with Oracle’s case against Google).

Google asserts that Android doesn’t use any Java code or documentation not in the public domain, and it says the 37 APIs in Android that Oracle has identified as infringing on its intellectual property are not subject to copyright. Therefore, Google says, it doesn’t need to pay Oracle licensing fees.

There is also the smoking-gun e-mail from Google software engineer Tim Lindholm, a former Sun distinguished engineer, to Android chief Andy Rubin in 2010:

What we’ve actually been asked to do (by Larry and Sergei) is to investigate what technical alternatives exist to Java for Android and Chrome. We’ve been over a bunch of these, and think they all suck. We conclude that we need to negotiate a license for Java under the terms we need.

Google contends that the e-mail was written in the context that Oracle was threatening to sue Google and potentially put Android in jeopardy.

In 2006, Lindholm copied Rubin on an e-mail regarding negotiating with Sun for a Java license:

As you might vaguely be aware, I have been helping Andy Rubin with some issues associated with his Android platform. This has mostly taken the form of helping negotiate with my old team at Sun for a critical license.

Google’s lawyers will have a tough time convincing a jury that a Java license wasn’t a major consideration during the development of Android. But the ultimate question will be whether Google’s use of Java software in any way infringed on code or related material that was not in the public domain, and whether APIs that describe how a task is performed can be copyrighted.

source from: cnet

Based on Android 2.3.6, the Value pack update aims to bring ICS-like features to smartphones that won’t be getting an Android 4.0 update. The most prominent new feature is the popular Face Unlock, which Samsung tweaked for improved security.

The highlights list continues with a new Camera icon visible while shooting videos, which allows you to take photos without interrupting your recordings. The Value pack also brings some new Accessibility updates allowing you to end a phone call with the Power key and changing the text size in the Contacts, Calendar, Messaging and Memo applications.

If you are too impatient and you know your way around flashing a custom ROM, you may follow the Via link below to get the firmware before it has hit your country.

source from: gsmarena

Even though Locations was not initially meant to compete with Nokia Drive, it will now allow you to download maps for offline use and navigate you through them. Turn-by-turn voice guidance for both walking and driving is supported as well, so all the basics are covered.

The HTC Locations maps are created by TomTom, so the coverage is pretty good and since all WP smartphones have GPS receivers they can now easily replace dedicated SatNav units.

So get your updates and start downloading those maps. Now you’ll be able to show that smug Lumia-touting friend of yours what a real WP smartphone is!

source from: gsmarena

The Cupertino company is trying to skew the results by having company representatives change their company affiliation when they cast their proxy votes, according to a letter RIM sent to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the standards group deciding the issue.

The letter (see below), filed yesterday, alleges that three Apple employees had registered as representatives for Bell Mobility, KT Corp., and SK Telekom. RIM also claims they should not be allowed to participate in the proceedings since proxy voting is not allowed.

SIM cards store the device user’s phone number and their mobile identity on the network. A smaller version of the micro-SIM, which contains the nano-SIM new technology features additional storage for increased functionality.

Apple, which reportedly brought the technology to the standards group last year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The iPhone maker is locked in a fierce battle with RIM, Motorola Mobility, and Nokia, all of which are hoping to have their respective technologies become the new nano-SIM standard.

The company has moved to ”significantly” increase its voting power by registering six European subsidiaries with ETSI, according to a recent Financial Times report. Subsidiaries with 8 billion euros or more in revenue have up to 45 votes. With the amount of cash Apple generates, it could go a long way in overshadowing Nokia’s current lead with 92 total votes.

Apple has reportedly offered to provide the technology’s patents to fellow mobile device makers at no cost. However, in exchange, those firms would have to adopt Apple’s technology as an industry standard and offer the “same terms in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.”

The vote on which technology becomes the new standard is expected to be held this week.

source from: cnet