Samsung Announces Ice Cream Sandwich Update for Android Devices

For those of you out there who currently own a Samsung smart phone or tablet device, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in 2012.

I know that a lot of you are using Samsung devices to help manager practices and your lives. You will be glad to know that Samsung is now planning to roll out android version 4.0 starting in the 1st quarter of 2012 to several of its flagship devices.

This means that owners of the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note should be the 1st ones to receive the update which should occur between January and March. After that update should trickle out for other handsets in the line of Galaxy Tab slate devices on the market. However, depending on what model of Galaxy Tab you own you may see an update in the 1st quarter as well.

Since different carriers usually have small differences between handsets of the same name, the update on your network may not coincide with the updates on other networks. Personally, I think patience is the key to this whole thing.

No word yet on where in line will be those of us with older Galaxy S models.

As with past updates these will probably be rolled out automatically by your carrier without any intervention needed on the part of the user. I'll provide more information as it becomes available.

How Important is the Keyboard... Answered

Over a month ago I posed this question in a previous post.

Since that time, I've had a chance to get fairly well acquainted with the Samsung Galaxy II... a device that uses only a soft keyboard as well as voice to text.

I've found the device incredibly easy to use, and I never thought I'd say that. One of the things that Samsung does over some other companies is the use of haptic feedback which means the phone uses a pulse of the vibration mode to shake the phone each time a character is typed. This provides a much more stable and reliable experience when using a keyboard with no "feel" since it is virtual only.

Combine that with the arrival of Siri on the new iPhone 4S. Siri, for those of you who don't know, is not only voice to text, but allows control of the iPhone OS to do all sorts of things such as telling the phone "wake me up at 7 in the morning" and it will set the alarm for 7:00 am. This completely removes the need for typing at all.

So the answer is... yes the keyboard will soon be a non-issue. I've always been a fan, but if I can give it up, you can too. I do think it requires you to find the right device, but trust me... they are out there. I think with our mobile devices, at some time we'll think back to keyboards like modems. We may get a bit nostalgic but we really won't miss them at all.

Samsung Galaxy II Trial Starts Today

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I would be getting a chance to test and experiment with the new Samsung Galaxy II. I'm happy to report the device is now in my hands... and my pocket.

While I currently only have limited experience with it, my initial impressions of it are strong. The device is amazingly thin at just 8.49mm yet has a nice sturdy feel. This slim design is because of the fact the device has no slide-out keyboard, relying on a soft keyboard only. Originally when I was thinking about leaving my Galaxy for this new Galaxy II, the no keyboard part had me concerned. However, I've got to admit (though my experience is extremely limited at this point) the soft keyboard is responsive & easy to use.

The screen is gorgeous using a decent amount of real estate at 4.3 inches and it is a Super AMOLED. This means it has great resolution and provides better battery life.

I'm also impressed with how fast the device is and I'm sure that is heavily related to the Dual Core Processor that is the heart of the device.

So, my initial impressions are good ones. I'll start really loading on the apps & seeing what it can do in the coming weeks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab is Trying a Different Market Approach...

With the iPad being the 800 pound gorilla of tablets and no one seeming to have the wherewithal to move them even a centimeter off their dominance, some companies are trying to come at things from a different angle and I can't say that I can blame them.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab (pictured above) is the latest to try something new and I say "good for them".

It seems that no matter what form factor a company comes out with, there are always detractors who say "they should've done X" and then insert whatever claim the writer feels the company missed. For instance, lately it seems that screen size is the big buzz. If a company creates a screen size similar to the iPad they are hammered because the iPad already owns that space and where is the feature set that sets it apart? If a device (like the Amazon Fire) has a smaller screen, they are hammered because "n o one wants a small screen", etc.

So... kudos to the minds at Samsung that came up with the idea of multiple screen sizes. This means that no matter what form factor the customer wants, chances are they can find a Samsung device that fits those specifications. Let's face it, the iPad is an amazing device and it truly does own the market, but there is definitely room for others, especially those who are making devices that can slide into the outside pocket of a laptop bag or messenger bag.

How Important is the Keyboard?

Did you ever think about how important the keyboard is? I don't mean "keyboards" in general, I mean the kind that have actual keys that you actually type on.

That thought occurred to me this week when I was at the Sprint store. My Passport hotspot had died and I was there getting a replacement. Since I'm a long term Sprint customer I get one upgrade per year. Last year it was the new Samsung Galaxy and I was contemplating replacing it with its new big brother... but I couldn't pull the trigger.

The sticking point? The new Galaxy doesn't have a slide-out hard keyboard. It's a soft keyboard only. Now I have used a phone before, the Samsung Instinct, that didn't have a hard keyboard, but for me the selling point of the original Galaxy was a keyboard I could feel and snuggle with.

Is that feature going the way of the modem? I'm not sure. However, the iPhone, the Evo, and others don't have them. Is it even really a deal breaker for me? I'm not sure. I mean the new Galaxy is incredibly thin due to no keyboard as are the others I just mentioned. Am I, gasp, longing for a technology that is now "old school"?

Let me know your opinions!

Oh, and should I be thinking Galaxy 2 or iPhone 4S now that it is on the Sprint network? Help me decide!

Samsung Brings the Galaxy S II to the U.S. Market

We keep hearing the people describe the next great mobile phone as "The iPhone Killer". I suppose that's what happens when, like Apple, everyone wants a slice of the pie that you have created. Jobs & company managed to create the 800 pound gorilla of the smartphone market and, really, no one has challenged them since they brought the original iPhone to the market.

Frequent readers of this blog know that I don't have in iPhone and the longer I go without one, the more I become convinced that I can survive without one.

First things first. I live in the Kansas City area which is the world headquarters of Sprint. Because of my location I have quite a few Sprint employees as patients. Since Sprint does not currently offer the iPhone, I feel that it is the right thing to do to support those who support me. That means, even though I am the iPhone target market, I continue to be a Sprint customer and I, more often than not, carry their top of the line smart phone.

Up until last year, I knew I was always carrying an also ran device. However, last October I decided to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy (for some reason, Sprint calls it the Epic, but even the splash screen says Galaxy). It was my first Android device and I went into the experience with no pre-conceived notions. I just wanted a reliable & intelligent smartphone. From day one I was very impressed. The OS was stable, the phone worked well, and the app store had most of the apps I needed to run my life. I wasn't quite the same as the iPhone, but it was close enough for me.

As I continued to use it, I became more and more impressed with it. A slide-out keyboard made it easier for me to type. A replaceable battery meant that on those occasions where I had used a lot of power, I could just throw in a new battery and continue instead of trying like heck to find an outlet.

Sure, it wasn't quite as slick or as elegant as the iPhone, but it did everything I wanted it to do and it let me keep my loyalty to Sprint. However, let me stress that I really love this device. Given the rumors swirling around the Internet that Sprint may soon get the iPhone... I'm just not convinced now that I'd make the jump. I'm that impressed with my Samsung.

Now, Samsung has released in the U.S. (or at least announced the release in the U.S.) of the next generation of the Galaxy, the Galaxy S II. This device has been selling like crazy all over the planet and is now poised to do the same here in the states. The specs are amazing, although it is hard to compare to the next generation of iPhone since Apple always does such a good job of keeping all their info from the public.

However, you can rest assured that this phone will be amazing. It's already sold over 5 million devices world wide. Oh, and it will be available from Sprint on September 16 for $199 with a 2 year contract!

For the complete story, take a look at this article on Foxnews.com

Samsung Shows LED Displays that Can be Folded!

Do you ever get tired of the thickness of your mobile phone? I would be willing to be that in most instances almost everyone on the planet would say yes. Now granted there are some of you who may not think it's that big of a deal, but I'd also be willing to bet that those same folks would still be happier if it was thinner... you just don't realize it!

Add to that, the idea that most of us would prefer more screen real estate. I mean, that's one of the reason tablets have really taken off. I remember one of the knocks on the iPad when it first came out was that it was "just a big iPhone... without the phone". It was indeed, but that huge & bright screen made it much easier to use some of the apps.

So what we currently have is a society that loves the portability, but also wants to decrease size & weight of said portable electronic devices.

With that in mind, I was intrigued when I read that Samsung, has announced an LED display that is thin enough to be folded/unfolded without damaging the display itself. Sound interesting? Imagine a phone or a tablet that could be folded to decrease its size, yet unfolded to give you the screen real estate you need.

This could have a huge impact on both the mobile phone as well as the tablet market. Imagine a tablet that is 5 inches wide (that will even fit into some pockets) but then unfolds to a 10 inch screen! Now this isn't commercially ready... yet. However, Samsung is stating they've folded these screens over 100,000 times in tests and only seen minimal effects. If this works as it is supposed to, it may really change the market in the foreseeable future. Definitely something to keep your eyes open for!

Samsung Mobile Named #1 Android Smartphone Provider Based on Retail Sales in U.S. & Galaxy S Portfolio Reaches Three Million Shipments Milestone

As I posted previously, I've dropped my Palm Pre and am now using the Samsung Epic on the Sprint network. It's Sprint's second 4G phone, following the release of the HTC EVO this past summer. I was a Samsung user a while back with the Instinct and I've got to say that I like the hardware that this company makes. So far it just flat works and feels good in my hands to boot.

Now comes news that Samsung is #1 in Android phones. Looks like I made the right choice. Here is the press release from businesswire.com:

Independent research from leading industry analyst firm shows Samsung captured top spot in U.S. Android smartphone market in third quarter of 2010

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile)¹, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., today announced that third party research firm Gartner reported Samsung as the top Android smartphone provider in terms of sell through to end users in the United States for the third quarter of 2010². According to Gartner, Samsung Mobile captured 32.1 percent of the U.S. Android smartphone market in Q3 2010 based on retail sales, an increase from 9.2 percent of the Android smartphone market in Q4 2009.

The Galaxy S portfolio has played a significant role in Samsungs success in 2010 and we are extremely excited to show you what products, services and innovations we have in store for the U.S. market in 2011.

Samsung Mobile attributes much of the success to its Galaxy S portfolio of premium smartphones, which recently passed the three million shipment milestone in the U.S. Galaxy S smartphones are currently available with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, along with U.S. Cellular and Cellular South.

I want to personally thank everyone who selected a Galaxy S smartphone as their mobile handset of choice. Neither of these wonderful accomplishments would have been possible without the loyalty and support of our customers, said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile. The Galaxy S portfolio has played a significant role in Samsung's success in 2010 and we are extremely excited to show you what products, services and innovations we have in store for the U.S. market in 2011.

The Samsung Galaxy S portfolio is packed with premium features and services, including a brilliant 4-inch Super AMOLED display screen, 1GHz Hummingbird Application Processor, Samsung's Media Hub premium movie and TV programming download service and a full array of entertainment, messaging and social networking capabilities. The Galaxy S portfolio will be upgraded to the Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system in the near future.

For additional information on the Samsung Galaxy S portfolio, please visit www.samsung.com/galaxys.

¹ Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q3 2010 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.

² Number one Android smartphone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported sales data according to Gartner Inc. Competitive Landscape: Mobile Devices, Worldwide, 3Q10 Report (published November 9, 2010 by authors Roberta Cozza, Carolina Milanesi, Anshul Gupta, Hugues J. De La Vergne, Annette Zimmermann, CK Lu, Atsuro Sato and Tuong Huy Nguyen)