Samsung confirms UK Galaxy Nexus launch date

A marketing sheet for Samsung surfaced this week that pointed to a launch date that was pushed back for the Galaxy Nexus smartphone until November 17. Samsung has now confirmed that launch date to be accurate, or at least reiterated what the leaked marketing sheet said. The launch will indeed be Thursday, November 17.

The smartphone will pack Android 4.0 ICS and sport a 4.65-inch HD super AMOLED screen. We already know the specs of the smartphone, but in case you live under a rock or just like to dream of holding the Galaxy Nexus in your hand I will run those specs down again. The smartphone will support 720p resolution and has a 5MP camera on the back. The smartphone is 8.94mm thick and has a 4.29mm thick screen bezel.
This will be the first smartphone on the market running Android 4.0 and it has a ton of features that smartphone users will like. The device will pack in WiFi, NFC, and a web browser. It also has Face Unlock and integrated Google+. The smartphone uses a 1.2GHz dual core processor and will work on HSPA+ networks. The front camera is a 1.3MP unit and the smartphone will support 1080p video output.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus Now Available And Shipping In The US

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus wasn’t supposed to be available until November 13th but it looks like the 7-inch tab has received the green light and is now shipping in the US. There are two models available — a 16GB version for $400 and a 32GB for $500. Both versions feature a 7-inch, 1024×600 resolution Super LCD display, dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear/2MP front facing cameras, Android 3.x Honeycomb, micro SD slot and IR blaster for television connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus will be going head-to-head with the Kindle Fire this holiday season. I think the Tab Plus would have a fighting chance if only Samsung would lower the price of each model by $100. What do you guys think? Instant buy, pass or wait until the price drops?

[Via Amazon]

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Swype OTA update coming soon, brings context prediction and more

The developers of Swype have been on a roll as of late and just last month announced the new Swype v3.26 BETA. Along with the update came tons of changes and even a new design layout for the keyboard. One of the biggest though, was automatic updates right to the device instead of all the fuss that we’ve had to deal with in the past with Swype. Today Swype has started the first OTA update for their BETA and users should see it soon.


Instead of having to uninstall Swype and use the tiresome installer we now wont have to deal with that and instead updates will be pushed over the air, right to your device. Over on the Swype Beta Forum they’ve just announced the very first OTA update is on the way and brings a few great new features users have been asking for. The new update brings context-based prediction that will learn from the user and be able to better and more accurately predict words and spelling. While we’ve seen this before (SwiftKey X) this is a first and something we’ve been waiting for on Swype.
We were hoping for that new black and orange color scheme we’ve been hearing about but sadly that isn’t coming just yet. For now this new context prediction is only available in a few supported languages but we can expect a few more OTA’s coming shortly that will add more to the list. Here is what to expect from the update 1:
Features:
-40% increase in prediction accuracy when a language profile is present
-Learns over time as you use it, building up a personal language profile for you.
-Enabled only for English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Other languages coming soon! *Note* French Canadian does not have a pre-loaded static language model, and so will only show improved accuracy after continual use.
-Japanese Language support
-Tons of bug fixes
It appears that Swype is about to get a lot smarter, but whether it will stand strong against other popular choices such as SwiftKey X remains to be seen. All the details are available from the source link below. This being their first OTA update we don’t know how fast it will roll out, but users should expect to see it between now and the next 3 days — Let us know how it goes.
[via Swype]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD in the works with 720p display

Sony Ericsson is planning what we are hearing will be called the Xperia Arc HD with a brilliant 1280 x 720p display using their BRAVIA engine. Now we should probably just call them SONY since they bought out Ericsson’s half recently. So, Sony is prepping a new 720p smartphone to add to their lineup. We’ve heard rumors of the Nozomi packing a 720p screen and possibly a 1.5 GHz dual-core, could this be the same phone?


This would actually make sense given the recent pump from the Arc to the Arc S. Sony could then launch the Arc HD with a faster dual-core processor and a bigger 4.3″ 720p HD display and it would make a perfect upgrade. We are still a little blurry on details and these could be two completely different devices but are still digging for further details on the Arc HD and Nozomi both.
With HTC just announcing the 720p HD Rezound and the Galaxy Nexus en route SONY would be wise to jump on the HD wagon as soon as possible. This would also be a good opportunity to come out with an HD smartphone running on the latest and greatest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but this early that is probably doubtful, although I’m sure we’ll be hearing about plenty ICS smartphones from most carriers very soon.
One awesome feature about the Arc HD is while recording full 1080p video users can tap the screen and take full HD quality pictures at the same time, so they have video and a picture of that perfect moment — sounds awesome right? I’ll be looking for more details and let you all know what we find.
[via GSMArena]

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HTC Rezound set to get Ice Cream Sandwich early 2012

Today HTC and Verizon have joined forces and made the HTC Rezound official during the event in NYC. Along with showing off the new 4G LTE smartphone and detailing all its specs, they also mentioned a few important things regarding Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. HTC specifically called the Rezound “ICS ready” and mentioned they have a strick update plan set for early 2012.

While they didn’t announce anything specific regarding a date for this new 4.3″ dual-core smartphone packing an impressive 1280 x 720p resolution, it does give those potential buyers the added security of knowing the latest and greatest should be coming, and soon. For a breakdown of the event and what all was detailed you can see our official announcement here. With a 720p display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Beats Audio this looks to be an impressive handset.

The brand new HTC Rezound can be yours come November 14th for just $299 (with a new 2 year agreement of course). While we don’t have any specifics on an off contract price we expect it to be priced above $600 just like the equally impressive DROID RAZR. With 720p, 4G LTE, Beats Audio, and a promise of ICS what more could you ask for? Other than maybe the Galaxy Nexus. We will have the HTC Rezound in for review very very soon so stay tuned right here at Android Community for all the pictures you can handle.

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DROID RAZR commercial confirms November 11 release at 11:11 AM

If you were hoping for some confirmation as to when you’ll be able to get your hands on the new DROID RAZR from Motorola, it has now been officially confirmed for November 11th. Yes 11-11 and at no time other than 11:11 AM — nifty Verizon, but can I just get the phone already?

It was originally confirmed for the 10th and now we are hearing those that pre-ordered will receive them on the 11th, as they’ll be shipped come the 10th. For more confirmation check out the official 11-11 announcement commercial below. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the DROID RAZR will be $649 off contract or $299 with a new 2-year agreement.
DROID RAZR 11-11

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First HTC Rezound press shots leak ahead of NYC announcement

There’s no doubt in our minds that the New York City HTC event set for later today will see the arrival of the jumbo-sized HTC Rezound, but if you just can’t wait that long, take a gander at the photo below. It’s the rift official look we’ve had at the Verizon phone, courtesy of PocketNow. The shots line up with the numerous leaks of the Rezound (codenamed “Vigor”) in all its glory.

You can see that the Rezound takes a lot of design cues from the original DROID Incredible – that red ring on the speaker grill and camera lens probably extends inside as well, according to a leaked hands-on video. Check out those snazzy red capacitive buttons, t0o. They’re reminiscent of some of the Envy laptop models that HP released with red-on-black Beats branding, which you can see mirrored on the back of the phone. Unfortunately, we don’t know if the Rezound includes its wireless charging back plate by default or if it’ll be an add-on accessory.
Leaked specs for the Rezound point towards a 4.5-inch 720p screen, a 1.5 GHz processor and a 4G LTE connection, the latter of which these photos confirm. That makes the Rezound a match for the upcoming DROID RAZR and Galaxy Nexus on one spec or another, though unfortunately it will probably launch with Gingerbread. The phone is HTC’s first US device to take advantage of its Beats acquisition, and may or may not include a free pair of Beats earbuds. Leaked internal documents form Verizon point towards either November 10th or November 14th as a launch date,  with a retail price of $299 on-contract.
The HTC event starts at 5PM EST. Keep it here for the latest news.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus shipping early from Amazon, get one today

It looks like Amazon might have pulled the trigger a little early for this round of Samsung tablets. The brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus was made official by Sammy in late October but with a shipping and availability date of November 13th. Amazon has been offering pre-orders since early October and look to be shipping now, with overnight delivery available too — get yours tomorrow.

The Tab 7 Plus is the replacement for the original 7″ Galaxy Tab although this time we get Android 3.2 Honeycomb rather than Gingerbread, along with a beefed up dual-core processor and more. All the specs are listed in our device database graph below. We have a 7″ 1024 x 600 resolution display (no 1280×800 here sadly), with a 3MP camera on the rear and 2 up from for video chatting. All powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and like mentioned, Android 3.2 Honeycomb.

The new Tab 7 Plus comes in both 16GB and 32GB flavors and according to the picture above, and Amazon, are available right now and started shipping yesterday. Users should be receiving their orders any time now and overnight delivery is available for those interested. Pricing starts at $399 for the 16GB model, and $499 for 32GB respectively. Pricing sounds a little high if you ask me, especially with the Transformer and Kindle Fire pricing.
Either way this is one portable and powerful little tablet, and if the price is ok with you then I’d hurry and buy one because Amazon seems to be ready to roll already. Get your own ordered today by clicking here. Feel free to send us some pictures if you get one delivered today at tomorrow by hitting the TIP US link.

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Apple CEO dismisses Kindle Fire as “more Android fragmentation”

Never let ‘em see you sweat, huh Apple? In a recent interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, a question was posed about the disruptive power of the Kindle Fire, which many see as the first tablet to pose a threat to the iPad due to its $199 price. Cook responded that the Fire simply represents more fragmentation, and that that will lead more consumers to Apple’s walled garden of hardware and software.

There’s a bit of an issue with Cook’s reasoning, however. One, Android software is thriving despite the fragmentation issue, largely because most apps released will work on Android hardware running 2.2 or later, now comprising more than 85% of the devices sold worldwide. And two, Amazon’s approach to the Kindle Fire is basically its own walled garden – a closed-off boutique of media and software that can only be purchased directly from the company. Sound familiar? Sure, it’s technically running Gingerbread, but how many of the hundreds of thousands of people who pre-ordered know that, and how many simply care that the Fire can get them movies, music, books and apps at less than half the price of the iPad?
Apple has already lost the battle in the smartphone market, and signs are appearing that their stranglehold on tablets might be slipping. Current estimates give Android 27% of worldwide tablet sales in Q3, to the iPad’s 67%. This isn’t the first time that Cook has been dismissive of Android on tablets either: back in January he called Android competitors “bizarre” and “vapor.” With Amazon expected to ship at least a quarter-million Kindle Fires on launch day, and a capability of delivering 5 million during the holidays, it’s easy to see why Cook might want to start engaging in a flame war with a soon-to-be rival.
Don’t worry, Apple – if you lose yet another mobile market to Android, you can always just sic the lawyers on Jeff Bezos.
[via SlashGear]

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