Ice Cream Sandwich ROM Running on the Samsung Galaxy S II

Hello there, Mr. Galaxy S II. What’s that you have for us mere days before the official unveiling of Google’s next Android update? A sneak peek at Ice Cream Sandwich running on a Samsung flagship that doesn’t have the word ‘Nexus’ in its name? It sure looks like it. While we have no way of confirming if this is, in fact, the real deal, we have no reason to believe it isn’t. The build of Android running here looks just like everything we have seen of ICS so far (and looks amazing), and if it is merely a copy it’s a darn good one. Either way, the ROM is promised to be coming soon. We can’t say how long it will take for Samsung to officially release ICS for the GSII, but it might just get an unofficial release concurrent with Google’s big announcement.

[via GSMArena]

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Samsung Electronics moves 30 million Galaxy S and S II smartphones globally

We all know that the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone has been popular in every region that device has been launched in. It may surprise you just how popular the S II has been though. Try this little factoid on for size, the Galaxy S and S II have racked up total combined sales of 30 million units globally. The S II is the flagship smartphone from Samsung and sales continue to grow.

According to Samsung, the previous Galaxy S smartphone moved 20 million units since it launched last June. Clearly, the S II is selling even faster than the predecessor did. In 16 months of availability, the original Galaxy S sold 20 million units. It has taken the S II only a short while to move 10 million units globally.
Samsung attributes the success of both smartphones to the Super AMOLED screen, fast APU, and the optimized nature of the smartphone. The S and S II smartphones are among the most popular devices available in many countries.

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LG DoublePlay packs QWERTY keyboard and touchscreens

I know that there are lots of smartphone users out there that would like to have their cake and eat it too. These folks are looking for a smartphone with a touchscreen and a nice QWERTY physical keyboard for typing. T-Mobile has landed a new LG smartphone called the DoublePlay that is an Android Gingerbread 2.3 smartphone with some nice features for those wanting real buttons.



The smartphone has a 5MP rear camera and should hit T-Mobile USA stores in time for holiday gift giving. Details on this smartphone leaked last week, but the official word from T-Mo brings almost all the details that you want to know. The front main screen is a 3.5-inch unit and the smaller screen between the keyboards is a 2-inch unit. That 5MP rear camera has 720p HD video recording capability.
The processor is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon and the software for the phone has been customized to allow the secondary screen to show different elements of the same app or to allow you to run two apps at once. Now you can play Angry Birds while feeding Om Nom with some rope cutting. The smartphone also has WiFi, Bluetooth, and HSPA+ 4G connectivity. Pricing is still unknown as is the official launch, but we should hear more around the National Texting Championship kicking off October 26.
[via SlashGear]

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Android App Tablet Review: Amazon MP3

Amazon MP3 gives tablet users instant access to the online retailer’s music store, as well as full Amazon Cloud Player functionality.
You can browse best sellers and daily deals or search for specific music and purchase it immediately with an Amazon account.
Once you make a purchase, you can choose to download the MP3 or save it to the Amazon Cloud Drive attached to your account. You can listen to songs immediately from the cloud, streaming them over a Wi-Fi or 3G Internet connection wherever you are, on whatever device you’re using. You can also upload your tracks to Amazon’s Cloud Drive and access all your playlists and tracks.
Amazon MP3 is one of those apps that includes all the features you expect. It’s not made specifically for tablets, but it’s functional and very useful for Amazon fans.

• PRICE: Free
• TASTY: Buy music, download it, or stream it from Amazon’s cloud music service.
• BUMMER: Requires an Amazon account and Amazon’s Cloud Player service for full access, which can cost (eventually).
• COOL: Stream music to your tablet without taking up space on your device’s hard drive.

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Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is “out nationwide,” no ETA for repair

Some of our readers alerted us of a current outage on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. We’ve checked Big Red’s Twitter account and Facebook page, only to find out that a lot of you out there are “bombarding” them for an answer about when it will be restored. Not only 4G is down but 3G users are also suffering from network disconnection problems. Another confirmation comes to us from Reddit and its famous user Vzw_insider, who made the following statement:

Hey /r Android just want to let you all know VZ 4g mode is out nationwide. We’re working on it, calling Vz customer service will do no good as this is a network issue. Looking at at no ETA for repair just yet. I’ll keep this thread updated as the night goes on.

Sit tight and arm yourself with patience, as Verizon is working to fix this issue. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as we hear something.
via Reddit
Thanks to Pete45

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HTC moving towards new content deals

HTC has stated that it will try to distance itself from other Android manufacturers through looking for new content related deals, in a step which could potentially help it in its fight with Apple’s iPhone. Peter Chou, the CEO of the Taiwan based company, has said that the demand from consumers for a wholesome experience which incorporates the software, hardware and content has led to the company’s attempts to seek more deals with content providers, stating that HTC is going to use media integration in order to differentiate itself from its rivals and also increase its popularity as a smartphone brand.
According to an interview Chow gave the media, he said that the company remains open minded about buyouts in the future, even as he assured that HTC will continue with the Android platform from Google and the Windows Phone OS from Microsoft which are already profitable, rather than acquiring another platform altogether.
HTC is already reported to have started on its strategy towards content acquisition, as it talks about connections with Onlive’s mobile gaming, the video streaming service provider Saffron and also a reported deal with KKBox, the online music company. HTC had earlier signed a deal with the Canada based eBook company Kobo and also paid $13 million last year for a France based mobile application developer named Abaxia.
Analysts believe that all these acquisitions point towards an effort to build awareness towards its brand and also differentiate itself from its rivals in the market, in a move which is an attempt to provide aggressive competition to Android manufacturers such as Samsung and also Apple’s iPhone.
It might further help HTC to differentiate itself from the rival manufacturers who use the Android platform by using different options for content as it can make the company stand out in the huge market of Android based devices; building brand awareness to give HTC a new identity to connect with the consumers.
The company from Taiwan has also increased its efforts to compete more effectively with Apple lately as it released as many as eight new smartphone handsets this August for competing against the new iPhone 4S. This year also saw HTC take up Windows Phone OS for manufacturing devices, including the Titan and Radar, which have gone to make up as much as a third of the manufacturer’s total sales.

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Count down page for Motorola’s Droid RAZR now live

If you like suspense, Motorola has put up a countdown page on their site with a “coming soon, Faster. Thinner. Smarter. Stronger” teaser phrase. As you all probably know, the Motorola/Verizon event is scheduled for October 18 in New York. This timer is certainly pointing at the event. They’ve also included a promo video, the one we’ve showed you guys not too long ago. Also scheduled for October 18 is the Google, Samsung event which is supposed to reveal the ICS and also the Nexus Prime.
With only 53 hours left, October 18 is definitely going to be a date to remember for all Android fans. Which device are you more excited about?
via Motorola

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Claystone Launcher Updated Bringing More 3D (video)

XDA member claystoneinc has been working on a project called Claystone Launcher. If you’ve never seen it before, this is a panel UI where you can place your running apps and content into panels to swipe through. A new upgrade brings in a 3D preview of your panels (think 3D preview in Windows 7) and looks really good. The best part is it’s free, and while it may not be your cup of tea, it can’t hurt to check it out and see if it works for you. Make sure to share your feedback with the dev as well if you like it. You can grab it right after the break and catch a video as well.

Market Link

[via xda]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S and Live with Walkman now on Three UK

Two of Sony Ericsson's more interesting devices have just made their way onto Three UK at subsidized prices. The Xperia Arc S and SE Live with Walkman are now available for free on any of Three's standard 24-month contracts.
The Arc S, SE's new flagship device, can be yours for £28 per month, while the Live with Walkman is offered for a more frugal £18 per month. With its shiny new 1.4 GHz CPU, the Arc S gives a modest boost from the original Arc's 1 GHz chip, and boasts new functionality like 3D panoramic recording. The SE Live with Walkman, which represents the manufacturer's current budget offering, is offered free on contracts of £18 or more per month.
We'll have a review of the Arc S appearing in the next week or so, so keep wathcing. In the meantime you can check out our first impressions of the Arc S and Live with Walkman from last month's Xperia Party.

Source: Three UK

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