Samsung starts sending invites for Berlin Unpacked event, hints at Galaxy Note 2 unveiling

CES, MWC, and IFA are the events that usually host the unveilings of some of the most important new Android devices. Almost all of the big names in mobile tech have made a habit of using major trade shows to show off their latest “thinnest phone ever” or “world’s snappiest tablet”.
Samsung, on the other hand, seems to have started its own tradition, which consists of holding special “Unpacked” events, outside the established trade shows, to unveil new products. That has been the case with the Galaxy S3, presented at a huge London event back in May, and it seems that the company’s upcoming devices will get the same treatment.
We’ve known for a while that Sammy is preparing a new “Unpacked” event for August 29 or 30, and now the first invites have started to go out, confirming the date, but also hinting at the device to be unveiled.
One of the first invitation was received by the guys over at Dutch website MobileCowboys, who have been kind enough to publish it online. The Berlin event will take place on August 29, at 19:00 (we’re guessing Germany time, so GMT+2), and it will most likely have the Galaxy Note 2 as the star.

 

Why are we saying that? Well, because there’s a stylus nicely placed on the Unpacked logo, hinting at the presentation of a gadget with support for such an accessory. Interestingly enough, Samsung is yet to send invitations for another event, which should take place on August 15. There’s a good chance that we will see the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet at that event, but we can’t exclude the possibility of Samsung showing both the Note 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 2 at the Unpacked event on August 29.

The invite for the pre-IFA event also includes a marketing slogan (“when magical moments come alive”), but that’s much too vague to reveal anything about the product(s) to debut in Berlin.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is one of the most anticipated gadgets to be released in the near future, with rumors and leaks flowing for the past couple of months. If you aren’t up to date with all these, you can check out our rumor roundup here, but also this “slipped” benchmark from a couple of weeks ago. Now tell us you’re not excited about it!

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Galaxy Note 10.1 specs and features apparently confirmed, release date not so much

Announced back in February at MWC 2012 in Barcelona, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is yet to be available in stores, and at this point we’re wondering when the device will finally ship to consumers.
We know that Samsung is tweaking the tablet to offer an even better performance and we now have a new list of specs and features for the device, if Sam Mobile’s latest post is to be believed.
According to the publication, which received the manual for the device from an anonymous source, the device will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich on board, and Samsung will upgrade it to Jelly Bean at a later date. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is also expected to sport a 1.4 quad-core processor similar to the one found on the Galaxy S3 handset.
Here’s what you can expect from the device, according to the above image:

• 10.1 WXGA TFT touchscreen display
• 1.4GHz quad-core processor (replacing the initial 1.4GHz dual-core processor)
• 5-megapixel camera with auto focus, LED flash and 720p video recording (replacing the initial 3.15-megapixel camera with auto focus, LED flash and 1080p video recording)
• Bluetooth 4.0 (replacing the initial Bluetooth 3.0 on board)
• USB 2.0
• 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• A-GPS
• Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Light sensor
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

 

At the same time, the image above could be a fake one – and we do notice the misspelling of “acceleration,” which seems to suggest that – so take everything with a grain of salt.
We’ll also remind you that Samsung has scheduled two special media events for August, one on August 15, and one on August 29, with the latter now hinted to feature a stylus-based device.
Since we expect the Galaxy Note 2 to be unveiled in less than two weeks, should we assume that the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be re-announced at IFA in Germany?
Anyone excited?

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Many rumors, very few confirmations. What devices will get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean?

Almost a month has passed after the formal introduction of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The new operating system’s source code has itself been released a couple of weeks back, so it’s only natural for users to expect official Jelly Bean updates to be flowing, right?
However, as recent history has sadly shown us, the road from an OS update becoming open source to it actually hitting the most popular devices around is a very bumpy one. So it’s no wonder that we still (officially) know very little about the Jelly Bean upgrade timeframes.
The only three devices that are already running Android 4.1 are the unlocked Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 7 tablet, and now the Nexus S. The list of gadgets officially getting JB “sometime soon” is rather flimsy itself. However, the rumors are piling up, confusing many users who might think they are entitled to get Jelly Bean just weeks after the OS’ release.
Confused? Angry? Frustrated? I’m sure that most of you feel at least one of those feelings, which is why we’ll try to throw a bit of light on the Jelly Bean update darkness below.

 

Devices officially confirmed to get Jelly Bean

• HTC One X, One S, One XL
• Motorola Xoom
• Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Asus Eee Pad Slider, Asus Transformer Pad, Asus Transformer Prime, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

If we were to take bets a month ago on what would be the first confirmed devices for Android 4.1 updates, I am absolutely certain that no one would have ever guessed this “formation”. It’s a bit crazy to see those “raggedy” Transformer, Slider and Xoom tablets next to the fresh high-end One X and XL smartphones on the list.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that the Transformer Pads will be updated to Jelly Bean, but Asus has taken the time to announce something on the matter (albeit not something very definitive). Acer and Samsung, on the other hand, have felt the need to go all secretive on us.
As far as HTC goes, we want to take the time and congratulate them once again for being the most straightforward with us. HTC are keeping mum on devices such as the EVO 4G LTE or the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, but they still have three officially confirmed smartphones, which is more than any other OEM around.

Devices that are likely to get Android 4.1

• Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 10.1
• HTC EVO 4G LTE, Droid Incredible 4G LTE
• Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx
• LG Optimus Vu, LG Optimus 4X HD
• Sony Xperia S, Sony Tablet S, Sony Tablet P
• Acer Iconia Tab A100, A200, A500, A700
• Toshiba AT200 Excite 10 LE and AT300 Excite 10

Before you jump at my throat for not including your favorite device on the above list, I should tell you that I only included some of the gadgets (the most likely ones) that I personally think will get Jelly Bean by the end of the year.
There’s a strong possibility that the list will be significantly widened, but at the same time it is even more likely that only a few of those phones and tablets will be getting Android 4.1 over the next months, while others, not included on the list, will take the JB software leap.

It’s almost impossible to try to guess the manufacturers’ exact plans, as they systematically refuse to communicate with the media. But, based on rumors and speculations, as well as on how well they have done with ICS updates in the past, I trust the above list to be a fairly exact one. Also, I only included already released devices on the list, with pretty much any gadget launching in the near future with ICS out of the box being guaranteed a JB leap soon after.
We’ve heard speculations that Samsung is very close to roll out JB for the Galaxy S2 and S3, we’ve also heard something from Toshiba, while Acer’s and Sony’s plans can be guessed by how fast they have come up with Android 4.0 updates.
There’s also another very important aspect to be taken into consideration, and that is the phones and tablets’ tech specs. We’ve seen ICS rolling out to several low-end devices over the last month or so, but it’s likely that Jelly Bean has higher technical “standards”. That said, we wouldn’t get our hopes very high for any gadget that falls into the low-end or mid-range category.
Whether our speculations will prove accurate or not, it remains to be seen over the next few months, so keep in touch to find out everything about the Jelly Bean upgradeable devices. Also, don’t be afraid to come with your own speculations in the comments section below.

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Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Samsung, the only Android device manufacturer that has reported a profit last year, basically holds every other Android OEM in check thanks to the insane commercial success of its Galaxy line of Android devices. In addition to the overall over-par quality of Samsung handsets, another reason why the South Korean manufacturer is so profitable is the fact that it was able to bring a lot of diversity among its smartphone offerings, from the entry-level Galaxy Mini series on to the almost mid-level Galaxy Ace series and topping it off with high-end devices such as the last two Google Nexus smartphones or the insanely popular Galaxy S family.
Sure, the tight grip Samsung has on global marketing channels, combined with its fruitful partnerships with worldwide carriers also contributed to its success – taking over the global Android smartphone market. But what probably mattered the most is the fact that the company has not limited its top-end smartphone offerings to what one might call “conventional Android smartphones”.

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2: The Context

Arguably one the most popular – and one the most profitable – smartphones Samsung has launched thus far is the newest member of the Galaxy S line, namely the Samsung Galaxy S3. Recent reports claim that Samsung expects to sell a bit under 20 million Galaxy S3 smartphones by fall 2012, an impressive number given that the S3 was released just a couple of months ago. Although the numbers are as big as they come, it’s exactly what you’d expect for the best Android smartphone currently on the market, given that the market for “conventional smartphones” is as large as it has ever been.

 

But what really impresses about Samsung’s tactics is the commercial success met by the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note, the smartphone with the largest display that Samsung ever built, one that totals in at over 7 million units sold this far. The market for such a device was pretty much non-existent at the time it was launched. Given that not many Android manufacturers have since ventured into the “smartphones with huge displays” market – with the exception of LG and its Optimus Vu phablet – the second incarnation of the Galaxy Note has every chance to sell much better than the original, now that the public has realized the utility of such devices.
While not officially announced (although almost confirmed by Samsung Arabia not that long ago), we have a pretty good image of what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Just like was the case with the Google Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 before it, I’m willing to bet that the Galaxy Note 2 rumor roundup we have recently published will turn out to be at least 80% spot on.
Now that I’ve hopefully managed to give context to this versus article, it is time to start the Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2 specs and features battle. The fight includes four equally important rounds: display, internal hardware, Android OS version and pricing and release dates. Let’s get it on!

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S3 features a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD PenTile display running at a native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, meaning the pixel per inch ratio (PPI) rests at 306. If rumors turn out to come true, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will feature a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display (most likely PenTile as well), although the resolution is pretty much a mystery at this point.
Given that the original Galaxy Note used a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution (5.3-inch display, 285 PPI), a bump in resolution should occur if Samsung wants to make full use of the main principle behind the original Galaxy Note, namely a big but crisp screen.
A 1600 x 900 pixel resolution is also possible (and roughly equally probable) and would obviously be a whole lot better as it would bring the PPI ratio to 333PPI, while dreams of a 1920 x 1080 display on the Galaxy Note should be postponed until the Galaxy Note 3 will be released, probably sometime in Q4 2013. It’s not that I believe Samsung is not able to come up with a 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED PenTile display, as the company is considerably ahead of everyone in the Super AMOLED field, but why would Samsung invest more money to come up with a smartphone sporting a 400.53 PPI display, when the current standard for top-end smartphones rests well under 350 PPI. As the price of a top-end smartphone is fairly consistent across all platforms and manufacturers, Samsung would only end up making less money, as a 5.5-inch 1080p display is surely a lot more expensive to make than a 5.5 incher running at a 1600 x 900 resolution. After all, Samsung is a business whose aim is to make as much money as possible.

In conclusion, you shouldn’t expect a difference in quality of the display (contrast, viewing angles, brightness and resolution) between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2. The only difference (and it’s by far the biggest one) is that the Galaxy S3 is more pocketable and comfortable to hold in one hand, while the Galaxy Note 2 will be much more suited for viewing media, thanks to the extra diagonal inch of display real estate, albeit not as easy to use with a single hand.

Hardware

From my perspective, the most credible rumor claims that the Galaxy Note 2 will feature the same Exynos 4 SoC (Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU and Mali-400MP GPU) that you can find in the international version of the Galaxy S3. While the Galaxy S3 features 1GB of RAM in its international version, chances are that the Galaxy Note 2 will come with 2GB of RAM, although we can’t be sure for now. Overall, I don’t expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to come with more processing power than the Galaxy S3, although there is a chance that I may turn out to be wrong once the Galaxy Note 2 is officially unveiled.

Pricing and Release Date

Judging on how prices usually evolve in the mobile world, I would expect the Galaxy Note 2 to be priced around the current levels of the Galaxy S3′s prices, which is roughly the price of the original Note at the time of its release. However, you should keep in mind that the Samsung Galaxy S3 price will most likely drop a bit by the time the Galaxy Note 2 is actually launched.
If the rumored September/October timeframe for the Galaxy Note 2 release date turns out to be real (which could very well be the case), the Galaxy S3 will already be a 4- or 5-month old device, as it was released back in late May. From my experience, the perfect timing to buy a top-end smartphone is about six months after its release date, when all sorts of deals and special offers start showing up.

Android OS

The Samsung Galaxy S3 runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and Samsung made no announcement regarding a future Jelly Bean update, although common sense dictates that it should arrive by the end of this autumn.

As Google has officially unveiled Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in late June, it would seem reasonable for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to be released with the latest Android version on board, although it is also possible for it to come out with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and then get an update to Jelly Bean. Hopefully, Samsung will decide to go for Jelly Bean from the start.

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2: A Pre-Emptive Conlcusion

As you can see, chances are that the actual differences between these two smartphones will turn out to be not that important. Personally, I think of the Galaxy Note 2 as a bigger version of the Galaxy S3. Reports claim the design will be similar, the specs are rumored to be similar – and these rumors are backed up by logic as well. If you have small hands or don’t usually watch a lot of media on your smartphone, the best decision would be to get the Samsung Galaxy S3. If working with a 5.5-inch display and carrying a device with a fairly larger footprint is not a daunting task for you, go for the Galaxy Note 2. If the Note 2 follows the path we can forecast, the decision will surprisingly be that simple to make.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-vs-samsung-galaxy-note-2-102045/

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Unlocking and enabling NFC capability on AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note SGH-I717

The future is creeping up on us and we really should keep up. If you’ve ever heard of NFC, you’ve probably wondered what it means. NFC stands for “Near Field Communication” and is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish communication with each other by either touching them together or bringing them into close proximity.
Through NFC, you can transfer data between two devices, such as contacts, photos, videos, or files. You can even engage other people in a multi-player game. One Swedish company is even testing the use of NFC-enabled smartphones to function as hotel keys. In fact, NFC was already put into effect in 2008 in Germany, where a certain train company launched an NFC-ticketing pilot program in which 200 travelers touched their phones to NFC tags when they got on the train and touched their phones to another tag when they got off. Their fare was then calculated and added to their monthly bill.
Some phones are already carrying NFC chips inside of them, and one of these devices is the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note SGH-I717. Unfortunately, unlike its Korean counterpart, the AT&T Galaxy Note’s NFC chip has been disabled. Thanks to XDA-Developers forum member fox689, however, it’s now possible to unlock the AT&T Galaxy Note’s NFC chip. This means you can not only use NFC functions but also have access to the NFC apps on the Google Play Store.
If you’re afraid that unlocking the NFC chip may involve a lot of tinkering with codes, worry no more. If you’ve had experience flashing ROMs, then this method is quite the same. You’ll merely need to boot into Recovery Mode and install the ZIP file. Unfortunately, it only works on stock ROMs.

Warning

• These instructions are intended for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note SGH-I717 only. You may check your model number through Settings > About Phone.  Do not use these instructions on a non-compatible device.
• Use these instructions at your own risk.  Do not hold us responsible for whatever happens to your phone.

Requirements

If you’d like to start unlocking your Galaxy Note’s NFC chip, you’ll need the following:

• AT&T Galaxy Note running on stock ROM with ClockworkMod Recovery installed.  (See our guide for help with installing ClockworkMod Recovery on the Galaxy Note.)
• Make sure to create a backup of all your important data on your Galaxy Note.
• Make sure that your Galaxy Note has a fully charged battery. This prevents the device from shutting off in the middle of the update process.
• NFC unlock file (g_note_nfc_on_fox689.zip, 352 kB)

Instructions

Once you’ve got everything, you can now proceed to enabling your Galaxy Note’s NFC chip:

1. Download the NFC unlock file to your computer.
2. Copy the NFC unlock file to your Galaxy Note’s internal SD Card.
3. Turn off your Galaxy Note.
4. Boot into Recovery Mode. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Volume Up and Home buttons as you press the Power button.
5. Make a Nandroid backup of your existing ROM in case something does not work out.  To do that, select Backup and restore > Backup from the recovery menu.
6. Select Install zip from sdcard > Choose zip from internal sdcard and select the NFC unlocking file.  Confirm that you want to install the file.
7. Once installation is complete, select Go Back.
8. Select Reboot System Now.

Once the Galaxy Note reboots, you can find NFC options under Wireless settings.  Congratulations!

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