Samsung Galaxy S3 display 'will rival the iPhone'

Reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy S3 will come sporting a Super AMOLED HD plus display when it finally launches in the second or third quarter of 2012.

Digitimes spoke to sources in Samsung's supply chain, who revealed the Galaxy S3 is likely to ship with a 4.6-inch screen, boasting a pixel density of 319ppi – quality which will rival the retina display on the iPhone 4S.

In Depth
Samsung Galaxy S3 release date, news and rumours

AMOLED displays provide better power consumption, reaction time, weight and thickness compared to LCD displays, which has lead to predictions that a high number of handsets will use this technology in 2012.

Still no word on a release date

Samsung is the number one producer of AMOLED displays and is looking to introduce into a number of its new models.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is shaping up to be a stand-out mobile phone, with rumours suggesting it will sport a quad-core processor, large HD screen, 4G, NFC and beefed up camera.

We're yet to hear when the Galaxy S3 will be launched, although Samsung has said it will arrive in the first half of the year.

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8GB Nook Tablet to challenge Kindle Fire

Barnes & Noble may launch an 8GB version of its Nook Tablet at the same price point, or perhaps even cheaper than the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The as-yet-unannounced device will go on sale in Wal-Mart stores at midnight on Wednesday 22 February, according to documentation leaked to The Verge.

The current iteration of the well-reviewed Nook Tablet has 16GB of storage, just like the Kindle Fire, but the $50 price difference has pushed buyers towards Amazon's Android device.

Evening the playing field

The scaled-down slate is likely to match or maybe even undercut the phenomenally successful Kindle Fire and give Barnes & Noble a better shot at competing in the budget table.

The original Nook Tablet launched late last year arrived packing a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, along with a version of Android 2.3 skinned with B&N's own UI.

The 7-inch 1024 x 600 IPS display was a hit and played video at 1080p.

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Updated: Best Android phone- which should you buy?

There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS.

Samsung makes loads of them. Sony Ericsson makes a few. Then you've got Android-powered phones from Acer, LG, Huawei and many others, while HTC releases more in a month than all the rest added together manage in a year.

The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.

Do you physically and emotionally need a QWERTY keyboard? Are you the sort of oddball who prefers the rough pressing needed to make resistive touchscreens work? Are you struggling to work out which are the best Android Widgets? Or even stuck wondering: 'Actually, what IS Android?'

To help find the best Android phone for you, we've rounded up the ten best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues.

So here they are - the ten best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.

10. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini

It is indeed very mini, but Sony Ericsson has performed a tech miracle in squeezing a capable 1GHz processor into its tiny chassis. The Xperia Mini runs Android 2.3, enhanced significantly by the company's user interface, which adds lots of style and extra functionality to Google's on-fire mobile OS.

The email app with its resizing preview pane is as sexy as an email app is ever likely to get, the jiggling app drawer edit screen (with the ability to delete apps right from the listing) is very nice, plus you get themes, a cool power off animation and much, much more.

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The screen's responsive, text appears sharp, the camera capable of producing good stills and passable 720p video footage. It does it all in an impressively condensed package.

Quick verdict:

Small, and very nearly, perfectly formed. If you can live with seeing the world through a small-ish 3" screen, it's a great, highly usable smartphone.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini review
• Search for the best Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini deals

9. Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung took screen size to a ridiculous new level with the Galaxy Note, offering us a huge 5.3" display that's by far the largest of any smartphone out there today.

You also get a stylus, which is pressure sensitive and comes with great handwriting recognition tools, plus dual cameras (8MP and 2MP) along with an LED flash around the back and rather decent image results.

As with all of Samsung's newest Android models the Note is a solid performer, running Android 2.3 impeccably, with the same TouchWiz interface we've seen on the likes of the Galaxy S II.

With the show running at a super-high 1280x800 resolution, it's a sharp-looking, smooth-running phone for those who don't want their style cramping.

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Quick verdict:

A great mobile, as long as you're not easily embarrassed by whipping out something so comically huge in public.

• Samsung Galaxy Note review
• Search for the best Samsung Galaxy Note deals

8. Orange Monte Carlo

Orange stuck its logo on another ZTE-made phone in 2011, hoping to recreate the successes of the super-budget Orange San Francisco. And there are some reasons to upgrade to the £150 Monte Carlo, the most obvious being the larger screen.

ZTE's stuck a large 4.3" display in here, which runs at a decent 800x480 resolution. It's not as dazzling as the displays on similarly sized phones like the Xperia Arc, but it's still a big, solid screen considering the budget price.

Unfortunately the Android 2.3 OS has been modified by Orange, which has made it all... orange. But at least the network has added a nice gesture-based control system that works well, while the Monte Carlo also generally runs smoothly, powering web pages and apps well. Shame about the VGA video recording spec, though.

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Quick verdict:

It doesn't have quite the same transformational appeal as the San Fran, but it delivers a lot of phone and punch for the money.

• Orange Monte Carlo review
• Search for the best Orange Monte Carlo deals

7. Motorola Razr

Motorola's newest flagship is by far its best Android offering so far, fusing a unique hardware design with a less obtrusive user interface skin.

In fact, Motorola's UI is actually quite fun to play with nowadays, coming with resizable widgets and its extremely clever Smart Actions automation system, which lets you set all sorts of time and location-aware rules up and running.

The phone is solidly made, and although impressively skinny, the odd, bulbous camera unit and extra-wide bezel make it feel chunkier in the handy than the likes of the Xperia Arc S and the older Galaxy S II. Still, if you like them a bit different, the Razr certainly stands out from the pack.

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Quick verdict:

Impressively built, fast hardware with a great display, plus a well refined Motorola interface. Best current Moto mobile by miles.

• Motorola Razr review
• Search for the best Motorola Razr deals

6. HTC Desire S

Nearly two years ago the HTC Desire was the cutting-edge "superphone" of choice, now its enhanced sequel is an affordable mid-range option.

That's how fast things move in the Android world. But don't dismiss the Desire S because of its workmanlike approach. What you get here is a solid phone with a great 3.7" screen, powered by Android 2.3 and HTC's updated Sense 2.1 user interface. The result is a very slick and smooth experience.

The camera is sadly a weak point, though, offering the same blotchy 5 MP output as the original Desire. But apart from that, everything here's a little better than in last year's Desire. Which makes this a fantastic smartphone and a great entry to Android.

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Quick verdict

A superb update of the HTC Desire. Slightly smaller and a little faster, it's a perfect gradual evolution of 2010's smash. Available on some very cheap contracts, too.

• HTC Desire S review
• Search for the best HTC Desire S deals

Best Android phone: 5-1

5. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Google and Samsung's 2011 flagship is currently the only official way to get the all-new Android 4.0 experience on a mobile, and for that reason alone it's a must-have for any Android user.

As a smartphone itself, it's a good all-round performer, too, although the omission of an SD card slot is a slightly odd decision.

The large 4.65" screen is glassy, smooth and responsive, running at an immense 720 x 1280 HD resolution. It's bright, plus the 1.2GHz dual-core processor keeps everything running well, while the curved chassis is just about stylish enough to give the phone an edge over some of the more boring black slabs out there.

The 5megapixel camera appears a little weak on the tech spec list, but image results and HD videos emerge sharp and clear - plus it has a cool timelapse feature, too.

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Quick verdict:

Definitely the #1 choice for Android enthusiasts, but the lack of Flash Player support and some weird app inconsistencies mean it's probably not yet ideal for the mainstream buyer.

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus review
• Search for the best Samsung Galaxy Nexus deals

4. Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

Something for the more modest smartphone buyer, this one. Coming with a 3.3" display squeezed into a slim and angular case, the Ray's Reality Display screen is the star here.

The screen runs at 480x854 resolution, which, when packed into a relatively small space, means a super-sharp and clear display that's as clear and bright as the best of them.

The 8megapixel camera does a great job of capturing both stills and 720p video, while Sony Ericsson's latest Android 2.3 update includes some nice touches like a gesture-based, line-drawing keyboard, plus 2D and 3D panoramic photo capture. It's a very finely tuned and sweet little phone.

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Quick verdict:

Would we get in trouble for suggesting this is perfect for lady smartphone users looking for a small, stylish and generally less macho Android experience? Hope not.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review
• Search for the best Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray deals

3. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

Sony Ericsson's glamorous take on Android is an absolute pleasure to use, with its curved body feeling great in the hand and the 2.3 version of Google's OS now powered by an updated 1.4GHz processor.

It's not dual-core, but it all moves very well indeed, with Sony Ericsson's user interface additions giving the Arc a stylish feel in use, too. The 4.2" BRAVIA Engine "Reality Display" is bright and colourful, with text sharp and well defined thanks to the high 854x480 resolution.

The 8 MP camera produces great stills, with 720p video looking good despite the occasional glitch when recording. The Arc S is simply a lovely, well designed thing to have and enjoy, that shows both Android and Sony Ericsson's phone-making skills in a great light.

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Quick verdict:

Unbelievably thin and stylish, with internal bits that keep everything running fast and reliably. Good camera with HD video - it's a fantastic package.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review
• Search for the best Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S deals

2. HTC Sensation XE

The HTC Sensation XE is the Taiwanese brand's update of 2011's HTC Sensation, arriving with a slightly faster dual-processor clock speed and integrated Beats Audio features thanks to HTC's deals with the posh headphone manufacturer.

With a 4.3-inch qHD screen and the latest version of Sense coming on board makes it a really zippy and clear experience, and the addition of HTC Watch brings movie streaming and purchase to your handset.

It's a well-built and solid device, and the 8MP camera can record in sparkling 1080p too - it might not be the top Android handset, but it's very, very close.

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Quick verdict

We think the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a slightly better proposition overall, thanks to better screen technology and a slimmer chassis. But for the HTC fans out there, the Sensation XE is definitely the new alpha handset on the block.

• HTC Sensation XE review
• Search for the best HTC Sensation XE deals

1. Samsung Galaxy S2

You won't believe how thin and light it is. Then you won't believe how fast it is. The Galaxy S II offers a genuinely exciting experience, managing to eclipse all other Android phones in every field.

Apps install ridiculously quickly, while browsing web pages is so fast it's hard to believe you're looking at a telephone screen. The large display is robust and, despite the slim and lightweight case, build quality manages to impress.

You get the latest Android 2.3.3 onboard, while many of Samsung's Touchwiz widgets are resizable, making it a phone that's fun to customise and spend time playing with. This is Android made fast and thrilling.

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Quick verdict:

The first of 2011's dual-core Android phones to offer an experience that feels significantly ahead of the competition. Incredibly fast in all areas, with a super screen and very useful camera - it's Android taken to the next level.

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Sony Ericsson launches 'Live with Walkman' phone

Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of 'Live with Walkman' smartphone in India. The Android-based smartphone is priced at Rs 14,549 approximately. Already available online in Indian for quite some time, 'Live with Walkman' features 1GHz processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, 3.2 inch display, 5MP rear camera and front camera. The phone is also speculated to get Android 4.0 update in the future. 

Measuring 4.2 x 2.2 x 0.6 inch and weighing 115 grams, the phone has an internal phone memory of up to 320 MB with 512MB RAM and expandable memory of upto 32GB via microSD memory card slot. 

Some other features include 3G, Wi-Fi with DLNA support, Bluetooth with A2DP, aGPS, FM Radio with RDS, and 3.5mm audio jack. 'Live with Walkman' ships with a 1200 mAh battery and is available in two colours -- black and white.

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IITian launches Aakash rival Classpad

Rohit Pande, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta comes back to his alma mater to launch his latest innovation Classpad.

With his academic background Rohit, is plans to make education accessible to each student according to one's own merit and intellect. Classpad facilitates personalized and interactive learning in the classroom and makes education accessible to every student according to his/ her individual intelligence level and talent.

Using the Classpad, teachers can transfer class work to the students' tablet, share their own content instantly and conduct tests/ assessments. Students can also give undivided attention to class lessons, attempt assessments and get results to further enhance their learning.

Classpad has a touchscreen with a 7 hour battery life, 1.3 Ghz processing speed and a built-in memory of 4GB expandable upto 8GB. The tablet is available in three sizes - seven, eight and 10 inches - and costs between Rs 7,500 and 14,000.

Several schools across the country have tiedup for the device, including Fr Agnel School, Delhi; SSB Bangalore; and Centre Point School, Nagpur. However, the tablet is not available for retail sale yet, it is available only for schools.

Addressing the participants at the launch, Rohit Pande, CEO, Classteacher Learning Systems said, "Our education system does not differentiate students according to the learning capabilities and teach them at the same level, but the software installed in Classpad tests students' problem solving, creativity and application of language skills. It provides them with personalized teaching as per their learning capabilities. Equipped with artificial intelligence, Classpad can help to categorize students as fast learners, average learners and slow learners. Classpad can assist in reducing the monotony of repetitive sessions in the classroom. Teachers can now complete their syllabus within schedule and get considerable time to focus on slow learners."

Classpad is available for students in standard 3 to 12th.

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Sony to launch 3G tablets next month

Electronic consumer device maker Sony on Wednesday launched its first tablet PC in India and unveiled 3G tablets which will be launched in the mid of next month.

“Today we are launching tablets that support WiFi connectivity. In mid-January we will launch tablets that will have both 3G connectivity and WiFi. We expect 3G-enabled tablets to contribute 80% to our total tablet sales in this financial year,” Sony managing director (MD) Masaru Tamagawa told reporters here.

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Samsung to launch 11.6-inch tablet

Samsung seems quite upbeat on the tablet market. Close on the heels of the company winning against a sales ban on its Galaxy tablets, comes the news that the company is all set to launch a new 11.6-inch tablet.

According to a new report on BGR, the Korean giant will be unveiling the 11.6-inch tablet running on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system at Mobile World Congress scheduled for February 2012.

According to the report, the Samsung tablet will have a 16:10 aspect ratio and a whopping 2560 x 1600 resolution. Though the tablet will come with a bigger screen size, it is likely to be only slightly larger than its 10.1-inch predecessor, courtesy a thinner bezel.

Quoting reliable sources, the report says that the tablet will run on a 2GHz dual core Exynos 5250 processor

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Nokia bets big on Lumia smartphones

Finnish handset major Nokia said it is eyeing the leadership position in the smartphone segment with the launch of its Lumia series.

"We are positioning it (Lumia) as more than a smartphone. This will help us to achieve leadership position," Nokia India Director and Head (Smart devices) Vipul Mehrotra told reporters.

The two devices, Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, launched last month are the first devices from the handset major's partnership with software major Microsoft.

The newly launched Nokia phones are priced at around Rs 29,999 and Rs 19,999, respectively.

Asked about the company's target customers for their new smartphone series Lumia, Mehrotra said, "I cannot give you specific numbers, but (the figure) is significant."

Stating that there was "significant" number of youth, who prefer to buy such mobile phones, he said the new phones are being shipped to India from Europe and will be available in a few days.

"They are being shipped to India from Europe. We expect them to be out in the next few days," he said, adding the phones would be available across its 5,000 retailers.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is a high-end device that comes with a 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and has 16 GB internal user memory and 512 MB programme memory.

The Lumia 710, has a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 8 GB storage capacity with 512 MB RAM and comes with exchangeable back covers.

Both touchscreen devices run on Windows Phone 7.5 'Mango Operating System'

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Nokia reveals Windows 8 tablet plan

Nokia plans to release a tablet computer based on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system around the middle of next year, a senior company official said in an interview Tuesday with a French newspaper.

'In June 2012, we will have a tablet running Windows 8,' Nokia France head Paul Amsellem told the French daily Les Echos, in an interview. 

Given Nokia's close relationship with Microsoft, it's been widely assumed that the Finnish phone maker would ultimately produce a Windows 8 tablet, but Amsellem's comments provide the first public confirmation of the company's plans. 

What's not clear is whether June 2012 represents an on-sale timeframe for the device, or whether Amsellem was referring to a public unveiling, a preorder window, or some other milestone. Amsellem may also have inadvertently let slip when Windows 8 might be broadly available. Microsoft has yet to confirm a specific launch date.

A spokesperson for Nokia said he was unable to clarify Amsellem's comments. 'Despite this report, we haven't announced any plans anywhere in the world at this point regarding a potential tablet strategy,' the rep said in an e-mail to InformationWeek.

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Apple selling refurbished iPhone 4 for Rs 22,500 in India

With only a couple of weeks until the iPhone 4S launch in India, BGR.in claims to have gotten confirmed information about Apple starting to sell refurbished 16GB iPhone 4 units in India, for an amazing price Rs 22,500. 

The refurbished units are factory unlocked, and you will be able to use them on any carrier of your choice (on GSM networks). And as some of you might confuse refurbished devices as second hand or unreliable pieces, be releived to know that it is not so. 

Refurbished phones are the handsets sent back to Apple factories for repair work, with parts cleaned, or replaced as necessary, repacked, and sent back to the stores for sale. This whole process is completely official and legitimate, and the refurbished unit you get is just as good as a new one, except for the 'refurbished' tag. 

Afterall, you are getting a brand new iPhone 4 for exactly INR 10,000 below the price for a new one. Also, these refurbished units come with the standard service you get with the non-refurbished iPhone, a 1 year warranty. 

So, for anyone in the market for an iPhone 4 with the usual bill and warranty, the refurbished units are the right choice for you. 

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Google drops Gmail support for BlackBerry users

Google, maker of Android software for mobile phones, will stop supporting the application forGmail for rival Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerrysmartphones. 

"Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for BlackBerry (installed native app). Over this past year, we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area," Google said. 

This means that from November 22, Google will stop supporting Gmail application for BlackBerry devices and the Gmail applications currently running on the BlackBerry will no longer be maintained and enhanced by Google. 

However, users who have already downloaded the app may continue to use it, the company added.

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Apple's First Test of Wireless Update Comes with iOS 5.0.1, Fixes Security Bug

Apple has released iOS version 5.0.1 today to fix the first flaw found in the operating system, which caused a user backlash. The update fixes a battery issue that caused some users to experience less than optimal battery life.

There are a couple of other fixes added into 5.0.1. For our Aussie friends down under, there is improved voice recognition for those with Australian accents. The release also ads multitasking gestures to the original iPad and resolves bug issues with documents in the cloud. There will likely be another update coming soon to address security issues that have recently arisen.

This update comes eight days after Apple said it could take up to two weeks to fix the battery issue. That seems to be normal Apple operating procedure: over estimate and deliver early (same principle it has used for years in determining its market guidance, by the way).

Apple is going to need to address addressed the bug discovered by iOS researcher Charlie Miller that was revealed this week. To do that, Apple is going to have to figure out how to accelerate mobile Safari in a way that does not leave the signature exploit open for further potential harm. These types of things happen though, there have been minor bugs and potential security issues with most rounds of iOS and other mobile OSes that get patched fairly quickly.

Update: So, the Miller bug was fixed in this update. See this page under the bullet point 'kernel.'

In terms of battery issues, that is not a new problem to mobile devices either. For instance, the Nokia Lumia 800 test device sent to ReadWriteWeb has some battery issues that require a software update to fix. Sometimes OEMs do not know exactly what the bugs will be until products are launched in the wild and millions of people start going about their normal routines with their devices only to find it does not work as expected.

This is a relatively small update that means that it will be a perfect test run for the first over-the-air sync for iOS devices. When the update was announced this morning the OTA was not available. It is currently available and one ReadWriteWeb staffer had no problem updating with the wireless sync though did note that it is only supposed to work if you have a greater than 50% charge on your iOS device battery. The entire process should take 20 minutes or less start to finish.

Did you get the update? Did you use the wireless sync? How did it go? Let us know in the comments. 

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