Samsung White ATIV Smart PC in South Korea

Samsung launched their ATIV Smart PC, which runs Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS last year, and now they have launched a new version of the device in South Korea, although the only changes are the color scheme as this new version comes in white and keeps the same hardware specifications as the existing model.

The Samsung Ativ Smart PC features an 11 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768, and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Intel Atom Z2760 Clover Trail processor, it also comes with 2GB of RAM.

Other specifications on the ATIV Smart PC include support for Samsung’s S-Pen, 64GB of built in storage, and it comes with the keyboard dock which also features Ethernet and USB built in.

There are no details as yet on whether Samsung intends to launch the white version of their ATIV Smart PC outside of Korea, as soon as we get some more informati0n we will let you guys know.

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Samsung Galaxy Note Snap Review

It is time for our Samsung Galaxy Note review, the Samsung Galaxy Note was first launched near the end of last year, unfortunately we didn’t manage to review the device when it was released, so I thought it was about time to try one out.

The first thing you notice about the Samsung Galaxy Note is the size of the device compared to other handsets, the device is designed to be a combination device between a smartphone and a tablet, and it features a 5.3inch Super AMOLED display.

Samsung Galaxy Note Hardware Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Note’s 5.3 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, the device comes with Samsung’s S-Pen and processing is provided by a dual core 1.4GHz processor.

The Galaxy Note features an 8 megapixel camera on the back which can record full HD video in 1080 at 30 frames per second, the camera also features an LED flash, up front there is a 2 megapixel camera for video chat.

Other specifications on the Samsung Galaxy Note include Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi plus WiFi direct, it comes with 16GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot which takes up to 32GB microSD cards.

Samsung Galaxy Note Design, Display And UI

The first thing you notice about the Samsung Galaxy Note is the size of the device, especially when compared to other handsets, the photo below illustrates just how large the Samsung Galaxy note is when compared to other devices, as you can see in the photo which shows the Galaxy Note next to the iPhone 4S.

Considering the Galaxy Notes large 5.3 inch display we would have expected it to be thicker and heavier , but the handset measures just 9.65mm thick and weighs in at just 178 grams.

The Galaxy Notes 5.3 inch display is a Super AMOLED display which has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, and as with previous Samsung devices with an AMOLED display that we have reviewed it certainly is an impressive display.

The 5.3 inch Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Note in excellent, and great for watching videos and movies, also browsing the web, reading emails and playing games is also very good on the display.

The Galaxy Note we tested in this review had Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread and Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface which is great to use, although Samsung has started rolling out their Android 4.0 ICS update to the device.

Samsung Galaxy Note Processor, Camera And S-Pen

As we mentioned the Samsung Galaxy Note features a dual core 1.4GHz processor, the processor feels pretty fast on the device, opening apps and running games on the handset feels fast and responsive.

The Galaxy note features a rear facing 8 megapixel camera which does it great job of taking photos, it also has an LED flash and comes with some cool feature like Panorama, the photo below gives you an idea of how camera on the Galaxy note is, the image has been resized but not edited.

The Galaxy Note’s camera can also record full high definition video in 1080p at 30 frames per second, and it does a good job with video, there is also a front facing 2 megapixel camera for video chat.

One of the more interesting features on the Galaxy Note is the S-Pen, which is a stylus designed to be used with the 5.3 inch Super AMOLED display, i have never been a fan of the stylus with touchscreen devices, but the Samsung S-Pen works very well.

The Galaxy Note features a number of built in apps that are designed specifically for the S-Pen, which include S-Memo, and more plus there are a bunch of third party apps available which are designed for the S-Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note Battery Life And Call Quality

The Samsung Galaxy Note features a 2,500 mAh Li-on battery which does a reasonable job, and I would say it is better than average considering the handsets large 5.3 inch display.

Moderate users should get at least a full day of usage out of the handset, although if you are a heavy user then you can expect to charge the handset once a day, don’t expect to go for days without charging the device.

The call quality is excellent on the Samsung Galaxy Note, we tested the GSM version on UK mobile carrier three and didn’t have any issues making or receiving calls.

Conclusion

When I first heard about the Samsung Galaxy Note and saw the specifications, and the size of the device, I didn’t think this would be the sort of device I would like to use on a daily basis.

I used the Samsung Galaxy Note as my handset for about two weeks and was pleasantly surprised with the experience, whilst it is one of the largest smartphones I have used it certainly was a fun handset to use.

It has it plus and minus points, as the device is so large I am not sure if I could use this as my regular handset, although if I wanted one device to replace my smartphone and tablet then this would definitely be a contender.

Samsung have done a great job with the Galaxy Note, the design the handset as a cross between a smartphone and a tablet, which some people call a ‘Phablet’, and if you are looking for a device to cover these two areas than the Samsung Galaxy Note fits the bill.

I would definitely recommend that you test out the Samsung Galaxy Note to see what you think of it, it may not be for everyone due to its large size, but it is a great device for those who want one device rather than two.

The model tested in this review was the GSM Galaxy Note running Android 2.3.5 and it was on UK mobile carrier Three, the handset is available for free on a number of different contracts and you can find out more details over at Three, the device is also available from other mobile carriers here in the UK, have a look at the photo gallery bellow. - source

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Disruptive Windows8 Phone Lumia, Ativ S, HTC 8X

In a world being ruled by iOS and Android, Microsoft hopes to bring in a whiff of fresh air with Windows Phone 8 operating system. For the ones, who haven't been paying attention to what Microsoft has been up to, Windows Phone 8 is expected to be the next major version of its mobile phone OS.

Talking about this new operating system, Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for NPD's Consumer Technology Market Research says, "I think Windows 8 phones definitely represent a new, strong and different competitor in the smartphone market. Not only does Microsoft take a different approach to the usage model with their tile based architecture but the ability to leverage the huge installed base of Windows PCs and Xbox game consoles should help them, over time, create a viable third path for smartphone users."

Most smartphone makers have already announced their front runners for the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The first major announcement was made by Samsung, when it unveiled its ATIV S. This smartphone has a 4.8-inch display coated with Corning "Gorilla" glass, an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Nokia soon followed to take the wraps off its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 windows Phone devices. Nokia Lumia 920 comes with 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, Wireless charging support and 2000 mAH battery. While the Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range smartphone that sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Clearblack display and 8GB of internal storage.

Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC too expressed its love for Windows Phone by announcing the HTC 8X and 8S The HTC 8X comes with 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display, while the HTC 8S is a mid-segment smartphone, which has 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory.

Though these were the major announcements from the big league, even Huawei has come out in support of Windows Phone 8 and is expected to launch the Ascend W1 on September 25 according to reports. The Chinese telecom company also plans to launch more devices running on Microsoft's latest OS by the end of this year.

We have already done a head-to-head comparison of these flagship smartphones from HTC, Nokia and Samsung to understand where each stands. Now we quiz the analysts in this business to understand which amongst these three has the most disruptive Windows Phone 8 line-up.

Robert Enderle, Principal Analyst at Enderle Group opines that, "Samsung currently looks the most disruptive as they have a full set of phones, tablets and PCs so they cover all use cases for the platform which is operating on a 'better together" meme". He also adds that, "They are also the most motivated to go after Apple at the moment thanks to that $1 billion judgment".

In 2007, Samsung was one of the first to get on the Android wave and its strategy on that front seems to have paid off well. Now it's trying to replicate the same with Windows Phone 8. However, the major difference now is that Samsung seems to be juggling three hats at the moment with - Windows, Android and its own Bada operating system. So, the biggest challenge confronting Samsung right now is to come out with a prefect balancing act if it plans to score in the Windows Phone 8.

John Strand, CEO of Strand Consult feels that Nokia currently has an upper hand with its Windows Phone 8 line-up. "I will say that Nokia's Windows phones are cool. Some of the specs that they are advertising are ahead of the new iPhone. Also, Nokia is 100 percent dedicated to WP8, while Samsung and HTC's focus it primarily on the Android platform." He further goes on to elaborate that, the fact that Samsung and HTC are offering Windows Phone 8 will only help Nokia. This is because Nokia and Microsoft will now have a better bargaining power with operators because if the operator does not want to stock Windows Phone devices, it will have to say no to three separate vendors.

Having said that he still feels that being a new operating system, Microsoft and Nokia have a long way to go. "From my point of view it is up hill and I think that it will be difficult for both the companies. On the brighter side, Microsoft and Nokia have the necessary resources to emerge as winners."

Baker too agrees that though Microsoft is trying to bring in a lot of differentiation in the market, it may not be smooth sailing for them. "The real issue is how aggressively they market their unified philosophy and how tightly they tie the different aspects together, and finally, of course, while the analysts and the industry likes their approach it remains to be seen if the consumer will also find the integration a valuable differentiators."

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Exynos 5 Octa Upcoming Galaxy S4

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S4 handset could be powered by the company's new Exynos 5 Octa system-on-chip processor, if new leaked details are correct.

The processor, which is also believed to power the soon-to-be-released Galaxy Note 3 phablet device, isn't an eight-core chip in the traditional sense: as well as four high-performance processing cores based on ARM's Cortex-A15 design, it apparently includes a further four Cortex-A7 cores processing cores that offer less power but require less energy to operate. When the smartphone is running a processor-intensive application, such as a 3D game, the high-performance cores activate; when the phone is being used for less intensive work, such as making a call or listening to music, the high-performance cores are deactivated and the low-power cores used instead. However, only one set of four cores can be active at once.

The design is part of a system ARM calls big.LITTLE, similar to the 'companion core' concept found in Nvidia's Tegra 3 and 4 processors, but Samsung is the first company to attempt to launch an eight-core device into smartphones and tablets.

According to details posted to the AnTuTu Benchmark site, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature the model number GT-I9500. No other details were made public by the benchmark results, but previous rumours claim that the handset may feature a new 4.99in display with a Full HD 1080p resolution, 2GB of RAM and a high-resolution 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. The handset is expected to launch with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as its operating system, becoming one of the first non-Nexus devices to feature the latest build of Google's popular mobile platform.

Thus far, Samsung has not commented on the rumours surrounding its Galaxy S4 handset plans. - source

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Samsung Galaxy S3 Vs Apple iPhone5 Vs LG Optimus G

The iPhone 5 has failed to make as big a mark as its predecessors, and there’s possibly worse news in store for Apple. 2013 has seen a host of brand new smartphones being launched, even though the year has barely begun. The LG Optimus G, LG’s latest flagship phone, is one such device that could also steal away some of the iPhone 5’s spotlight. So we decided to pit the Optimus G against the iPhone 5 and the current favorite flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S3, to see if it stood a chance in the market.

From the outside: The iPhone 5’s design might get a tad boring, considering it’s been the same since iPhone 4. At first glance, you might not even notice anything different – with its familiar brushed aluminum casing. But, we have to agree, it does give the iPhone a classy and expensive look. We love the Galaxy S3’s rounded pebble-like exterior – it gives it a different look. On the other hand, the Optimus G manages to make its mark even though it doesn’t look as classy as the iPhone – we especially love its Crystal Reflection rear panel.

The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch Retina LCD display with a resolution of 1136X640 pixels. We’ve obviously found the screen size far too small, especially in the age of 5-inch phablets. The Optimus G has a larger 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 768X1280 pixels. The Galaxy S3 has the largest 4.8-inch display among these three, but it has the least resolution of just 306 ppi, which negates the beauty of the large screen. LG seems to have struck a good balance between screen size and resolution on the Optimus G.

On the inside: The iPhone 5 is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core Apple A6 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S3 has a slightly more powerful 1.4 GHz processor but only 1 GB of RAM. The Optimus G’s got more power, with its 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 2 GB of RAM. Both the Galaxy S3 and Optimus G have 32 GB of internal storage as well as a microSD card slot for those who need more storage space – a big disappointment in the iPhone 5.

The OS: We can’t say anything bad about the iOS 6 that’s running the iPhone 5, which has the largest number of apps to choose from. Samsung’s Galaxy S3 runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is a massive improvement over the previous ICS version. A major disappointment with the Optimus G is that it runs on Android 4.0. We wonder why LG couldn’t put in the Jelly Bean version instead.

Camera: In terms of front-facing cameras, there isn’t much difference between the iPhone 5 and the Optimus G – the iPhone 5 has a 1.2 MP camera while the Optimus G has a 1.3 MP camera. But the Galaxy S3 has a 1.9 MP front-facing camera, the best among these three. When it comes to the main camera, we love the Optimus G’s13 MP camera over the iPhone 5’s and the Galaxy S3’s 8 MP offering.

Battery: The iPhone 5 has a 1440 mAh camera which gives it a talktime of about 8 hours. The Optimus G and the Galaxy S3 are the winners in this category with their 2100 mAh battery and 15 hours of talktime.

Connectivity: All these phones offering LTE as well as 3G connectivity. The Optimus G and the Galaxy S3, in addition to WiFi and Bluetooth, also have NFC capabilities – an important feature missing in the iPhone 5. - source

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