Galaxy J1 now official, listed on Samsung Malaysia website

29 January, 2015 | Comments (4) | Post your comment

Tags: Samsung, Android

Just a few hours after we gave you an exclusive sneak peek at the device’s photo and specs, the Samsung Galaxy J1 has been made official - it is now listed on the company’s Malaysia website.

Pretty much in-line with what we’ve already noted, it’s an entry-level smartphone powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. The device sports a 4.3-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display, and comes with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory (expandable up to 128 GB via a MicroSD card).

The smartphone features a 5 MP camera with LED flash on the back, a 2 MP front snapper, and also packs in a 1850 mAh removable battery that the company claims provides up to 10 hours of talk time. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS + GLONASS.

On the software side, the device boasts a Palm Selfie function that the company claims can detect the movement of your hand, so you can easily snap a photo with a simple hand gesture. There’s also a Tap to Take Pics feature that lets you take photos by simply tapping anywhere on the screen. The smartphone also features Ultra Power Saving mode.

Weighing in at 122 grams and measuring 129 x 68.2 x 8.9 mm, the J1 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat on board, and is available in blue, black, and white.

Galaxy A3 and A5 to be available in UK starting February 12

Two representatives of Samsung's new metal A-series - the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 are apparently making their way to the UK market. The devices will be available starting February 12 from Samsung UK, as well as a number of retailers, like Carphone Warehouse, O2 and EE.

Preorders should start today for both the Pearl White and Midnight Black color options, but pricing is still unclear. The two smartphones themselves are mid-range offerings, despite their flashy metal finish.

They come equipped with a Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 SoC and an Adreno 306 GPU. The main difference being the displays - a 4.5-inch 540 x 960 pixel unit on the Galaxy A3 and 5-inch 720 x 1280 pixel on the Galaxy A5 and RAM which is 1 GB and 2 GB, respectively.

We will be keeping a close eye on availability and if you are in the market for a mid-range Samsung device you could look into the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 in our reviews. Hopefully The Korean tech giant is planning to push along the Galaxy A7 as soon as possible and offer a broader range of hardware choices with the new metal design.

Samsung’s latest earnings report reveals declining profits

Samsung released its earnings report for Q4 of the fiscal 2014. The Korean giant posted operating profit of 5.29 trillion won ( about $4.87 billion) from revenue of 52.73 trillion won ($48.6 billion.

The results show a decline from the same period a year ago by over a third. Samsung posted operating profit of 8.3 trillion won last year from 59.28 billion won of revenue. The company’s net income has now declined on an annual basis for four straight quarters.

Samsung’s mobile division posted 26.29 trillion won of revenue and 1.96 trillion won of profit for the quarter thanks to strong sales of Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The profit is down by more than 60% from 5.47 trillion won ($5.09 billion) a year ago.

The company expects its mobile business to grow throughout 2015 in emerging markets such as India and China. Expansion of 4G LTE services globally will also help its cause.

Samsung will also focus on “new materials, innovative design and differentiated features” in order to make its future devices stand out from the crowd. The newly launched Galaxy A series of smartphones will drive the company’s performance over the next quarter until the launch of Samsung Galaxy S6.

On the tablet side of the business, Samsung will focus on both premium and affordable devices. The company will continue to push forward in the market for wearables as well.

The manufacturer’s processor and RAM businesses unsurprisingly did well during the quarter. Considering Samsung’s plans to utilize its own silicon in future products, expectations point at a strong year ahead for the units.

Samsung tests new 7-inch tablet, bigger ones could be 4:3

Last week we told you about a few purported new tablets that Samsung was rumored to be working on. Their model numbers leaked, but today we have another yet unheard of slate making its way to India for testing purposes.

The Samsung SM-T239 has a 7-inch 1,280x800 touchscreen, and mobile data connectivity (since it sports a SIM card slot). Judging by the model number at play this could be the 7-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 5. That fact is seemingly backed up by a user agent profile for the device, which tells us it sports a 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU. This could be part of the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, seen in many recent lower-end offerings right and left.

If this is the Galaxy Tab 5 7.0, then it may be joined in Samsung's lineup by bigger models which will have 4:3 aspect ratio displays. The 4:3 aspect ratio has been used by every iPad ever released, though for quite a while the Android world seemed more focused on 16:10. That's starting to change after the release of the 4:3 Nexus 9, and Samsung may want to follow Google's lead on this.

So a new rumor claims that the company's next slates will employ the same aspect ratio as the Nexus 9. The previously leaked SM-T35x and SM-P35x could be 8-inch devices in this situation, while the SM-T55x and SM-P55x might be 9.7-inch offerings.

Either way, all of these tablets are apparently going to be powered by the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC. The SM-Tx5x models may get branded as Galaxy Tab 5, while the SM-Px5x might be new entry-level Note-branded tablets. Don't expect them too soon, though - they're only due to see the light of day in Q2 or Q3. On the plus side, this means they'll launch running Android 5.0 Lollipop, so there's that.

As for the SM-T239, this looks set to stay with the 16:10 form factor, for whatever reason.

Heart 401AB is an oddly-shaped, Japan-only feature phone

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s Infobar A03, we encountered yet another Japan-only mobile phone with odd design. Meet the Heart 401AB - a feature phone whose shape matches the name it sports.

As impossible as it might sound these days, the handset you see above can only handle phone calls - there’s no SMS functionality or internet connectivity on board. Heart 401AB will be available in March on the Japanese carrier Ymobile. The latter utilizes PHS network, which is mostly for voice calls.

The specs of the phone are headed by a 128×36 dot display, phonebook with 100 entries, and support for hands-free handset. Heart 401AB will ship with heart-shaped charger that’s as gaudy as the phone itself. In case you still find the device a tad too subtle, a Sailor Moon edition will offer even more visual flare.

HP announces three new Android tablets, including a 12" beast

HP has just pulled the curtains on a trio of Android, coming in three different sizes. 
HP Pro Slate 12

The centerpiece of the announcement is the Android duo, the Pro Slate 12 and Pro Slate 8, slates in the truest of senses. The larger 12.3-inch model actually has a lower resolution at 1600x1200 pixels, resulting in a rather mediocre by today's standards 163ppi.

The Pro Slate 8 offers a much better 324ppi on its 7.9-inch 1536x2048 pixel screen.

  
Pro Slate 12 • Pro Slate 8 • Duet Pen

Both tablets boot Android KitKat and are be powered by the Snapdragon 800 chipset, accompanied by 2GB of RAM. What's more intriguing is HP's Duet Pen which will be a part of the Slates package. The innovative stylus implementation allows the user to draw on any surface, with the result automatically transferred to the tablet.

A more traditional stylus experience is offered by the Pro Slate 10 EE. It isequipped with tan Intel Atom 1.33GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 10.1-inch 1280x800 pixel screen.

Samsung dominated smartphone shipments in 2014

In the year 2014 the world saw an increased number of smartphones shipped but overall little change in the top three vendors. Samsung has been the leader for some time now but is seeing its market share slowly reduced by the likes of tough competition.

Year over year Samsung's market share has shrunk by 4.5 percentage points and TrendForce's prediction is that the top smartphone maker will lose another 1.4 percentage points by this time next year.

The second place is again reserved for Apple, which sits more firmly with just 0.2% lost year over year. Lenovo is once again in third but it's only able to claim that position thanks to the acquisition of Motorola, which added a 3% share of its own.

Huawei and LG have fought over fourth place for awhile now but LG managed to come out on top in TrendForce's yearly numbers and reclaim the spot with just 0.1%.

Overall shipments in 2014 are 1.2 billion units - up from 2013's 927.2 million.

In the projection for next year Samsung, Apple and Lenovo are expected to hold onto their positions but Chinese makers like Xiaomi and Huawei will surpass LG and move closer to Lenovo.

HTC One (M9) photos leak, reveal new camera

The upcoming flagship device by HTC, dubbed presumably HTC One (M9) or more recognizably HTC Hima, has seen the light of day. Visually very similar to the predecessor, the device is only distinguishable by a different main camera on the back.

The square cutout is to house the new 20.7MP sensor which is set to replace HTC's rather unsuccessful attempts at camera innovation. The UltraPixel concept gathered a lot of criticizm for its uninspiring good light performance and lack of 4K video recording and was replaced in the company's upper-midrange, with the flagship to follow.

The HTC Hima is reported to keep the predecessor's screen size and resolution at 5 inches and 1920x1080 pixels, contrary to most of this year's flagships, which are keen to jump on the QHD bandwagon. The Snapdragon 810 will power the device, coupled with 3GB of RAM.

Purple Sony Xperia Z3 confirmed by live images

To keep the Xperia Z3 in the news while working on the next generation, Sony is about to release a Purple version of the current flagship. Live images have surfaced of the lighter of two purple shades,leaked a week ago.

 
Sony Xperia Z3 Purple

The color has been a customary option of the Z-series, until Sony decided to drop it with the Xperia Z3. The more formal Black and White versions were instead complemented by Copper and Silver green. Traditions, apparently, still are what they used to be and Purple has seen a comeback, perhaps in hopes of triggering Valentine's day purchases for the significant others.

We are, however, more focused on the upcoming Xperia Z4, which is expected to be announced at the MWC in the beginning of March. The launch is eagerly anticipated as previous generations have mostly brought incremental upgrades to the flagship, and this one is set to be more significant.

Infobar A03 is a Japan-only designer smartphone

The Japanese carrier au by KDDI launched Infobar A03 - a smartphone created by the prominent industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. The Kyocera-made handset with aluminum body will be available to order in four different colors - Pool, Mocha Brown, Sakura Iro, and Nishikigoi.

Infobar A03 is not all about looks. The eye-catching body of the handset packs high-end specs, which include Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable memory.

The handset’s display is a 4.5” 1080p unit. A 13MP main camera, 2MP front-facing unit, and full connectivity suite are also on board. Like most Japanese market smartphones, the Infobar A03 offers IPX5/IPX8 rating, thus meaning that it can be submersed in water.

The OS on board of the smartphone is Android 4.4. The custom UI has been created by the award-winning web designer Yugo Nakamura.

There will be a number of design-centric accessories available for the device. They range from bright-colored cases, all the way to a cool-looking wooden dock.

Infobar A03 will hit the shelves in Japan in February. Don’t count on a release outside its motherland.

Windows Phone 10 to be called just Windows 10

Microsoft's naming convention for its next generation of mobile OS is a long standing and surprisingly polarizing question. Fans all around have been showing particular interest in the name, turning the issue of the title into a full-blown debate on various message boards, including our own.

The situation was pretty much identical before the official announcement of Windows 10 a few months ago, which also had everybody playing the guessing game. A new interesting clue might just shed some light on the conundrum and it seems to point towards a unified Windows 10 name for both desktop and mobile OS, dropping any additional monikers, like "phone" or "mobile".

The clue in question is a small bit of text on the Microsoft website, stating that Microsoft Lumia 532 andMicrosoft Lumia 532 Dual SIM are "Windows 10 ready". While this does point to a unified naming scheme across the Microsoft OS lineup, there is a catch.

Some other products like the Lumia 435, which is almost definitely going to be eligible for the update is not listed as being "ready" for it, but this might be due to an ongoing update process. To further perplex and instill curiosity Microsoft has removed the text in question at the time of writing this article, but luckily we were able to catch a glimpse before it disappeared.

The shorter "Windows 10" name does fit perfectly with Microsoft's new "One Windows" strategy. Indeed if most of the software layers, as well as app-ecosystem and distribution mechanism are truly shared between a wide array of devices it is only logical to compliment the fluent cross-hardware user experience with a single all-encompassing name.

While this new information is interesting in terms of piecing the whole puzzle together, still nothing is set in stone and no official statement has been given on the next mobile OS name. And with speculations of Microsoft skipping the Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 update, already debunked it seems that all we can do now is wait for the Silicon Valley giant to make another move. Luckily that should come tomorrow at its dedicated event.

Samsung Galaxy S6 with dual-edge display allegedly confirmed

A new report allegedly all but confirms that Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a version with curved edge-like display on both sides. The upcoming handset’s screen will mark a step forward from the currently available Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.

The dual-edge Samsung Galaxy S6 is tipped to sport the model number SM-G925. When announced, the previously rumored smartphone will likely be known as Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will utilize similar interface for its side panels as the Note Edge. Users will be able to quickly glance at Yahoo! news and financial information, S Health data, notifications, and night clock among others.

The device’s unique display setup will offer new features as well. They include Glance Lighting and color-coded favorite contacts. Additional apps will also be available to download from the Samsung app store.

A dual Edge display means that this particular Samsung Galaxy S6 variant will appeal to both left and right-hand users. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is better suited for use with the right hand.

Nokia N1's impressive run continues, new batch sold out

Last week, when the Nokia N1 tablet went on sale in China, the first batch of 20,000 units sold out in only 4 minutes. The second batch went on sale today and it too sold out in minutes.

Although there’s no word on the number of units that were up for grabs, the flash sale lasted longer this time around, the report notes. As clear from the snapshot above, the third batch is set to arrive on January 22, with registration opening tomorrow.

The Nokia N1 sports a 7.9-inch 2,048x1,536 touchscreen display and is powered by Intel's Atom Z3580 SoC, which comes with a 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU. It features an 8 MP main camera, a 5 MP secondary snapper, and packs in a 5,300 mAh battery. The tablet comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Samsung is reportedly in discussions to buy BlackBerry

Samsung is in talks to purchase BlackBerry. Reuters reports that executives from both companies have met last week to discuss the transaction.

Update: Samsung also denied the report in a separate statement. The company clasified the rumor as "groundless."

The Korean manufacturer has allegedly offered a price in the range of $13.35 to $15.49 per BlackBerry share - well above today’s opening price. This brings the total of the transaction to as much as $7.5 billion.

An acquisition of BlackBerry will give Samsung access to the company’s immensely rich portfolio of patents. It will also instantly transform the Korean company in to a major player on the highly-lucrative enterprise market.

BlackBerry has denied any discussions about such talks with Samsung in a short statement. However, it is more than likely that the representatives from both companies have met informally to discuss the matter. After all, this is not the first time there has been talk about a sale of the Waterloo-based company.

Unsurprisingly, BlackBerry’s stock price surged right after news about the acquisition got out. The stock price jumped almost 30% to $12.60. BlackBerry’s statement brought the after hours price to $10.65 - still more than a dollar above this morning’s price.

EE adds 5.7M LTE users last year, becomes largest LTE carrier in EU

British carrier EE had a good year, adding 5.7 million 4G LTE users to its flock, bringing the total to 7.7 million - enough to makes it the biggest LTE carrier in Europe. EE now covers 80% of the country's population, aiming to bring that up to 98% by the end of this year.

Coverage includes 510 cities that number 10,000 people or more 200 of which were added in Q4. EE isn’t leaving rural areas behind either, over the last few months it expanded its coverage to 1,000 new villages bringing the total to 3,894.

Curiously, the smallest village to get 4G LTE is Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, population 52. Yep, 52. Think about that the next time you can't get a decent 4G signal in a populous area.

Speaking of, London and UK's busiest areas are getting "4G+" this year.

The three areas with the most 4G traffic were Silicon Roundabout, Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. 4G data transfer increasing six-fold from 2013 to 2014. Selfies and videos uploaded to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, plus streaming video from the likes of BBC's iPlayer, YouTube and Sky Go account for most of the traffic.

Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 finally coming to Europe

Following the official launch in India of the Galaxy A3 and A5 two days ago, it appears the European market will not be left out. Firmware versions have been made available by Samsung for both smartphones for an extensive list of countries, indicating that initial production issues have been resolved and a European launch is imminent.

Specs of the devices shouldn't be different from the rest of world, meaning the Galaxy A3 gets you a 4.5-inch qHD Super AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 410 with a CPU ticking at 1.2GHz, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage with the option of microSD expansion, and a non-removable 1900mAh battery.

The Galaxy A5 ups the RAM to 2GB and the battery to 2300mAh, while packing a 5-inch screen of 720p resolution. A better 13MP main camera also comes in the Galaxy A5 over the A3's 8MP shooter.

The two phones follow the design language of the Galaxy Alpha, offering the premium feel of an aluminum frame in a more reasonably-priced package. A month is a long time, but earlier reports could give you an idea of the pricing ballpark.

Samsung shows its thinnest phone yet - the Galaxy A7

Samsung has hit somewhat of a stride as of late, releasing the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 in India andofficially announcing the Galaxy E7 and Galaxy E5 alongside them.

And now at an official Samsung Galaxy A launch in Malaysia, Samsung also showed for the first time the new Galaxy A7 - it's thinnest smartphone yet.

     
Samsung Galaxy A7

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is a metal unibody smartphone with a 5.5" 1080p Super AMOLED display with a waistline of 6.3mm - 0.4mm thinner than the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy Alpha.

Packed inside is a 2,600mAh battery (although CPU-Z claims it's 2,000mAh), a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset with octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM, LTE support and 16GB of built-in storage.

     
Samsung Galaxy A7

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is expected to arrive in Malaysian stores in February costing RM 1,499 ($420/€354).

HTC Desire 320 brings quad-core CPU, 1080p video to the low end

HTC announced that its CES presence will be focused on the Desire line and the first product is already out of the gate – meet the HTC Desire 320, the Desire 310's younger twin. The 310 was announced almost exactly a year ago and now the 320 comes with essentially the same specs.

The phone is basically the same size and keeps the 4.5" FWVGA screen (that's 480 x 854px). It's powered by a quad-core 1.3GHz processor again (no info whether it's a Cortex-A7 or not). It will come with 512MB RAM or 1GB depending on the region, the internal storage is similarly 4GB or 8GB.

At least the Desire 320 will launch with Android 4.4 KitKat. Regardless of which storage version you get, you'll want to insert a microSD card. The 4GB version leaves barely you 1.5GB left over.

The rest is pretty similar though, a 5MP camera with 1080p video capture (impressive for an entry-level device). On the front is the same VGA camera as before.

For connectivity there's quad-band 2G and 3G with HSPA going up to 21Mbps. The phone uses microSIM cards. Anyway, there's Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS as can be expected. The 2,100mAh Li-Po battery is good for 12 hours of talking on a 3G network and 690 hours on standby.

Microsoft unveils Nokia 215 and 215 Dual SIM

Microsoft still hasn’t given up on feature phones, the new phone even bears the Nokia name. The Nokia 215 comes in single and dual-SIM version and offers essential Internet connectivity plus amazing battery life for just $30 (with no contract, but before taxes and subsidies).

The Nokia 215 has Opera Mini for general web browsing and handles social networking with the Facebook app and Facebook Messenger, Twitter too. Bing Search and MSN Weather are also on board.

All this web access happens over 2G and EDGE (dual band) on a 2.4" QVGA screen (240 x 320px). This is a Series 30+ device so it's a throwback to a bygone era. Additional connectivity includes Bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM (for easy file sharing).

There's also FM radio connectivity and the Nokia 215 will last 45 hours. 50 hours if you're playing MP3 audio, there's a microSD card slot supporting 32GB. The 1,100mAh battery is good for 20 hours of talking and 29 days of standby for the single-SIM model. The dual-SIM lasts 21 days.