Samsung Galaxy Note II gets early benchmark treatment at IFA

Here at IFA, the Galaxy Note II's glossy plastic build is practically fading under the ambush of cameras snapping away at Samsung's booth, but clearly this phone is more than just a (super sized) pretty face, and it's time to take a look at what's under the hood. As mentioned in our hands-on, Samsung upgraded the original Note's dual-core 1.4GHz chipset to a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor. We put the device to the test today to see how those amped-up insides reflect in the Note II's benchmark scores. As you'll see below, Sammy's latest handset fares significantly better than the original Note and the Galaxy S III.

[Source: Read the full story on Engadget]

Eyes on with the new Samsung Galaxy Camera accessories

With every camera comes camera accessories, and Samsung's new Galaxy Camera is no different. On show at the Samsung booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin is a selection of cases and other interesting items for future Galaxy Camera owners. 

Camera cases are to be expected, and there are the usual array of generic looking carrying cases as well as carry cases that look a little more tailored to the device. Additionally, there are a pretty decent choice of protective shells shaped to the Galaxy Camera that look to be available in a whole variety of colors, some more daring than others. 

There is also some pretty interesting stuff on the horizon for the Galaxy Camera, including wireless charging. We're told this isn't something that will be ready at launch, and that what we see on show today is more of a design concept of something they're planning in the future. The other concept accessories shows off some professional looking add-ons, so it goes to show that Samsung is very serious about this device.

[Source: Android Central]

Eyes on with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 accessories

So, we've seen the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, we've played with it, what's next? How about a look at the accessories that Samsung has shown off in it's giant booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin to go with the device? Sound good?   As you would expect from Samsung, there are cases. A lot of cases. First up is the protective case, which partners a hard shell rear with a kind of rubberized bumper that will cover the sides and top of the Note 2. These look to be available in the same colors as the device itself, along with a kind of baby pink if you should so desire.  Next we have a selection of pouches which may or may not be leather -- hard to tell from behind glass -- available in a few colors, including brown.  

Then comes the huge selection of flip covers. These look pretty much like the Galaxy S 3 flip covers, and pair a hard shell rear with a front cover that flips over and completely encases the device. Purple. pink, orange, white, green, blue, there's a pretty broad spectrum of color choices available.   Additionally, there will be a vehicle dock available, additional S-Pen's and desktop docks and battery chargers to cater for every occasion.  They're some pretty nice looking accessories, and of course we have pictures for you which you'll find after the break.

[Source: Android Central]

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets priced on Vodafone Germany

Poking around the Vodafone booth at IFA 2012 in Berlin, some new information appeared regarding the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 2. A price. What we see here is the pricing for the 16GB LTE version, but the non-LTE Note 2 seems to be carrying the same price.   It's the off contract price that's of particular interest here. That €639.90 price tag translates to £508 or $804 in UK and U.S. pricing respectively. While not necessarily an accurate representation of what the cost may be when the Note 2 makes it to the U.S. it isn't too far off the price we would expect for such a device in the UK. 

[Source: Android Central]

Japanese judge rules Samsung didn't infringe on Apple music/video sync patent

A Japanese judge has ruled that Samsung did not violate an Apple patent on "synchronizing music and video data in devices to servers," Bloomberg reported this morning.  While that victory is sure to be heralded by most (if not all) who are reading this story on this site, it's important to remember that this case is separate from the one Samsung recently split in Korea, as well as the $1.049 billion verdict against it in U.S. federal court a week ago.  This synchronization lawsuit was initiated by Apple in Japan, and claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy SII (S2) and Galaxy Tab infringed on its patent, noted above. Apple was seeking 100 million yen ($1,273,400 USD) in the case, which eventually ruled in favor of Samsung, who did not have to pay any damages.

The damages seem quite low in comparison to what Apple was just awarded in its U.S. lawsuit victory, but it should be noted that only 5.7 percent of Apple's sales came from Japan last quarter, which is far less than the sales numbers each company posts in the U.S. market. Regardless of the size of the possible damages, it's still a victory for Samsung over a rival's patent holdings.  We hope, but seriously doubt, that this'll be the last we hear about Samsung and Apple fighting in the courts.

[Source: Android Central]

Samsung Galaxy Camera and Galaxy Note II getting 50GB free Dropbox space for two years

Android devices getting free Dropbox space is nothing new: we've seen it on the HTC One series and Samsung Galaxy S III already. The news that Samsung's IFA stars, the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera, will come with a 50GB Dropbox storage expansion for two years shouldn't come as a surprise, then. It's also unclear whether US carriers will even allow it. But having said all that, think of the possibilities for the latter device.

A 4G-connected compact camera could be the perfect match for Dropbox's Android automatic photo upload on Android — you'd have access to far more storage than most people carry in SD cards, and all your pictures would be almost instantly available on your other devices regardless of platform. We'll have to wait for the Galaxy Camera's launch to see if the reality matches the dream; hopefully we see this kind of thinking make its way to other cameras sooner rather than later.

[Source: The Verge]

Galaxy Camera accessory prototypes shown off

Samsung's Galaxy Camera appears to be a fairly humble point-and-shoot, but the high-end Android smartphone strapped to its back means we'd expect it to be pretty expensive. The company is showing off some prototype accessories at IFA that it says will likely weigh in at the high end of the pricing scale, too, and will only have the possibility of making it to market if the camera itself sells well. Almost no information was available on these products, unfortunately, and they were all firmly behind glass, but they looked interesting enough to share nonetheless.

[Source: To read the full article visit The Verge]

New Features for Samsung ChatON

Mobile Instant Messaging has come a long way since it first swept the globe with Blackberry Messenger. iPhone offerings advanced the communication options, but Android, the fastest growing operating system today, is leading the way with the ChatON app from Samsung.

Leading the future of IM interaction, the ChatON app takes IM to the next level with animated messages for more creative freedom, calendar interaction to manage your busy schedule, group chat and chat rooms, and an interactive profile page. The “Trunk” feature allows you to store contents in a sharing box, and post comments to other sites including Facebook. 

Samsung ChatON app features:

Enhanced Group Chat, where broadcast messages can be sent to several buddies at once

“Trunk” - a ChatON Contents Sharing Box, where users can leave comments and share contents to other sites including Facebook

Animation Message, users can create their own animated messages with original drawings, texts, audio content and changing background images

Anicon (Animated Emoticon), users can download various animated emoticons from chaton.com

Buddies say, users can post comments directly to buddies’ profile at any time

Interaction Rank, users can check how often then chat with their buddies on the progress bar

Micro SNS Community (Social Network Service)

Now available in 120 countries in 66 languages, Samsung’s ChatON is usable across iOS, BlackBerry and Android devices. Download ChatON for free at https://web.samsungchaton.com

Samsung’s aftermath: appeals, emergency executive meetings, stock down 7%, jury comments

Following Samsung’s major loss to Apple in U.S. court, we saw follow-up official statements from Apple PR, Samsung PR, and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Now, new details from the aftermath are coming through.

The first piece of news comes from the Korea Times. The site reports that Samsung executives held an emergency meeting regarding the loss in trial. Even worse is a comment from a Samsung senior executive as he walked into Samsung’s HQ: “It’s absolutely the worst scenario for us.”

Inside the building, Choi Gee-sung, former Samsung Electronics CEO and now the head of Samsung Group’s corporate strategy division, was holding an emergency meeting attended by Shin Jong-kyun, the company’s mobile devices chief, and Lee Dong-joo, lead marketing official.

The Korea Times also reports that Samsung executives are set to formally respond to media requests and offer a more official response in the coming days.

The loss not only created havoc for Samsung executives, but Samsung shareholders as well. CNET reports that Samsung shares are down approximately 7% in the South Korean market:

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Samsung reveals the design story highlights for the Galaxy S III

Samsung was very keen to let us know that its latest flagship phone was designed for humans. Now, the latest in the revealing series from the firm gives a little more insight into how the team went about that. For example, product designer Hangil Song explains how the rounded edges were inspired by pebbles in a stream, while sound engineer Joongsam Yun describes how they wanted to make the phone sound like a stroll in the forest. So, next time you're barging your way down Mainstreet with four ounces of synthetic material blaring out Carly Rae Jepsen, remember, you're doing it wrong.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy S Duos goes official: launches in Europe next month

Aside from that minor labeling at the top, the Galaxy S Duos appears to be trading heavily on the looks of Samsung's latest flagship. That said, it does have its own trick; space for two SIMs. The phone will be able to keep both SIMs running concurrently, with the ability to chat on Carrier A while still fielding incoming calls on Carrier B. The rest of the hardware is less likely to wow, with a now pretty humble 1GHz processor, 1,500mAh battery, 4GB of built-in storage and a five-megapixel camera on the back. The screen seems big enough, with a 4-inch 480 x 800 TFT housed within the 120g frame, happily running Android 4.0. A European launch is pitched for September, with an unspecified roll-out "across other territories" following soon after.

[Source: Engadget]

Potential Samsung Galaxy Note 2 bezel gets snapped, measured at 5.5 inches

Here's an image purporting to be of the Galaxy Note 2's bezel, and if it's a fake, it's a very good one. Taken by a (sharper-than-usual) blurrycam snapper wearing factory-style dust booties, the hardware suggests a chunky, squared-off design for the second-generation phablet that rejects the Galaxy S III'smore curvaceous body. The ruler draped from corner-to-corner jibes with earlier rumors that it would have a slightly expanded 5.5-inch canvas for your S-Pen fun. We just have one question: does that photo make it look curved along the horizontal axis, or is the loose component just bendy?

[Source: Engadget]