Galaxy Note Too Big?

A 5.3-inch screen with a high-resolution display would look beautiful, but how nice would it be to use with one hand or trying to get it out of your pocket while wearing jeans that fit properly. Some people prefer a phone this big, especially people with large hands. For me, with average size hands, I wouldn’t be able to get my thumb to the top-left side of the screen when holding it in my right hand. I can barely make it on the Galaxy S2 which has a 4.5-inch screen. I’ve always felt the iPhone feels great in hand, and it’s probably because I can easily reach any part of the screen while holding it with one hand. It just depends on personal preference, but I wonder if Samsung realizes that the majority of people will find the Galaxy Note too big.

Samsung Galaxy Note specifications

Network: HSPA＋ 21Mbps  850/900/1900/2100, EDGE/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900.

Processor: 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor

Display: 5.3” WXGA(1280×800) HD Super AMOLED

OS: Android 2.3, upgradable to ICS soon.

Camera: Main(Rear) : 8 MP with LED Flash; Front : 2 MP. Single shot, Smile shot, Share shot, Action shot, Beauty, Cartoon, Panorama

Video: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, WMV, DivX, Xvid, VC-1; Recording 1080p@24~30fps, Playing 1080p@30fps

Audio: Codec – MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG, Music Player with SoundAlive, 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Connectivity: Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 ＋ HS, USB 2.0 HOST, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

Sensor: Accelerometer, Light, Digital compass, Proximity, Barometer

Memory: 16/32GB Internal Memory ＋ microSD (up to 32GB)

Size: 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm

Battery: Standard battery, Li-ion 2,500 mAh

Colors: The Galaxy Note will be available in white and black.

Will you be picking up the Samsung Galaxy Note when it lands on AT&T?

Big price for a big phone: Samsung Galaxy Note available on Feb. 19th for $299.99; AT&T taking preorders is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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Today, Samsung Electronics unleashed the Galaxy S Advance smartphone. It ships with Android Gingerbread and features the TouchWiz UI created be Samsung. I’d consider this a middle to high-end Android phone with a 4-inch Super AMOLED curved display, a 5-megapixel camera, powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor.

Initially the Samsung Galaxy S Advance will be available in Russia this February, eventually reaching Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Latin American, and China. No word on North American availability, and that’s a good thing considering how saturated the Android market is here.

Samsung also hopes this device will help boost popularity of their ChatON service, which allows people to send instant messages using only their phone number, no need for usernames and email registration. Samsung says this about their ChatON service:

Samsung’s cross platform communication service, ChatON connects all phone users into a single community using phone numbers instead of usernames and passwords, provides aneasy instant messaging, group chatting and sharing of content in multiple formats—images, video, voice, contacts, calendar—to make messaging simpler and more intuitive than ever.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance detailed specifications

Network: HSPA  14.4Mbps  850/900/1900/2100; EDGE/GPRS  850/900/1800/1900

Process: 1 GHz Dual-Core Processor

Display: 4.0” WVGA(480×800) Super AMOLED display

OS: Android 2.3(Gingerbread)

Camera: Main(Rear) : 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash; Sub(Front) : 1.3 Megapixel Camera

Video: Codec – MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, VC-1; Recording/ Playback : 720@30fps

Audio: Codec – MP3, AAC, AAC＋, eAAC＋, WMA, AC3; Music Player with SoundAlive, 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Connectivity: Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 High Speed, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n

Sensor: Proximity, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Light, Gyroscope

Memory: 8/16GB User memory ＋ 768MB(RAM), microSD (up to 32GB)

Size: 123.2 x 63.0 x 9.69 mm, 120g

Battery: Standard battery, Li-ion 1,500mAh

It’s not known if the Galaxy S Advance will get Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

Samsung announces the Galaxy S Advance for world markets is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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I just finished telling you guys about Symbian Belle firmware and how it will be rolling out to Nokia/Symbian devices in the coming weeks. If you’ve been meaning to pick up the best cameraphone in the world, there isn’t a better time than now. Amazon.com has the dark grey Nokia N8 for $336.13 right now. It comes unlocked for AT&T and T-Mobile 3G networks, has world bands (pentaband), and of course features a 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a xenon flash.

Nokia N8 Unlocked GSM Touchscreen Phone Featuring GPS with Voice Navigation and 12 MP Camera–U.S. Version with Warranty (Gray)

All the other N8 colors are available as well, although prices vary at Amazon.com.

Over 1 year after its release, the Nokia N8 still takes the best photos of any cameraphone. Take a look at this one I captured yesterday right outside my father’s house.

Check out this video demonstration of Belle on the Nokia N8 by my buddy @camb078

Be sure to follow our “Best Mobile Deals” category where we post new deals as we see them!

Best Deal: Price of Nokia N8 drops to $336 unlocked with US warranty is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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The news about Nokia phones now shipping with Belle was also confirmed by a Nokia twitter account.

Kevin Everett from Nokia Innovation spotted an article posted by GSM Arena highlighting the tweet by @nokia:

I’m not sure if that includes the Nokia N8 sold by Amazon, but right now they have the dark grey going for $336 bucks. The Nokia Belle update is supposed to be landing on current models within a few weeks, which makes that price even more appealing.

Nokia N8 Unlocked GSM Touchscreen Phone Featuring GPS with Voice Navigation and 12 MP Camera–U.S. Version with Warranty (Gray) – $336.13 (at the time this article was published).

Current Symbian users prepare for Nokia Belle

If you own the Nokia E7, N8, C7, E6, and other Nokia/Symbian phones released in the past year, you should be running Belle within a few weeks. The Nokia Connects team published an article today showing some Belle walk-through videos, and mentioned the rollout is “coming soon”. You might remember an article published by the official Nokia blog back in December. Here was their quote:

For those already owning a Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia E6, Nokia X7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7, and Nokia Oro, the wait for Nokia Belle is almost over. Starting in February 2012, Nokia will release the all new Nokia Belle software update to existing customers and you’ll be able to download it right on to your phone, bringing a whole heap of improved features.

We’ll let you know when the updates are started for these devices! Follow me on Twitter @mikemacias to get the fastest news!

Nokia E7 and N8 now shipping with Belle firmware, current owners get ready to update is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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$299 original price
SHOP NOW

Here’s a quick deal alert for those shopping for a new phone right now. Amazon Wireless has the white Galaxy S2 for Sprint priced at $99.99 with a new 2-year contract or eligible upgrade. This is a solid deal for the highly popular white version of the Samsung Galaxy series, especially considering Sprint has some of the cheapest rates available.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone, White (Sprint)

You can also find the best deal on the black Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch for $20 cheaper at Amazon Wireless.

We currently have the Samsung Galaxy S2 for Sprint in our hands and will be posting a full review, scheduled to go up next week. Let us know if you have any questions about this device!

Best Price: White Samsung Galaxy S II for Sprint drops below $100 bucks is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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According to the tech blog Boy Genius Report, a leaked AT&T roadmap shows the Nokia Lumia 900 arriving on AT&T in March for $99.99 with a 2-year contract. The specs of the Lumia 900 place it in the high-end of the Windows Phone lineup, and the speed and performance is comparable to top Android phones, depending on who you ask. While this information hasn’t been confirmed by AT&T, this is something I was hoping for. It’s all too often that a high-end phone debuts at $199.99, which in my opinion, is way too much for any phone if you’re signing 2 years of your life away with an unbreakable contract. This will be a huge win for Nokia if it turns out you can get this device for a hundred bucks. Let’s quickly recap the specs and features of the Nokia Lumia 900…

Nokia Lumia 900 specifications

Let’s start with details about the Lumia 900 camera.

• 8 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics
• F2.2 large apeture
• Wide angle focal length (28mm)
• Front facing camera (also features a large aperture and wide angle lens

And now for the rest of the details:

• 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack Display (equivalent to Super AMOLED)
• Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) smartphone operating system
• WiFi Hotspot option with proper data plan
• 4G LTE data speeds compatible for the AT&T network
• 1830 mAH battery
• Uni-body design, poly-carbonate materials
• Turn by turn directions with Nokia Drive
• Exlusive ESPN sports hub pre-loaded onto preloaded

Who will buy the Nokia Lumia 900?

As the market stands right now, Windows Phone has a very small share and hasn’t been around more than a few years. So you can’t rely on a bunch of longtime WP users to upgrade to the Lumia 900. Will more Android users or iPhone users be more interested in switching to Windows Phone. My thoughts are longtime iPhone users who are looking for something different might give the Lumia 900 a shot. But a lot of it has to do with marketing and in-store product placement and demonstrations. From what I was told, AT&T (and T-Mobile for the Lumia 710) will be educated on these devices and have incentives to sell them. Nokia also hopes for the few, but dedicated, fans in the US to drop their Symbian phones and go for the Lumia 900. Only time will tell.

Will you be picking up the Lumia 900?

Source: Boy Genius Report via Forbes

Priced to sell: The Nokia Lumia 900 will debut on AT&T in March for $99.99, according to BGR is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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The folks over at WPCentral.com received a reader tip that Carphone Warehouse, a top phone retailer in the UK, briefly published a pre-register page for the Lumia 900. The page has since been removed, but the image below verifies the claim.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/news/coming-soon/nokia-lumia-900

The Lumia 900 should drop this March on AT&T in the US, and according to Carphone Warehouse we can expect it to land on UK shores in June. A three month difference is significant, and I wonder how reluctant savvy European phone shoppers will be to consider this device when the next round of Windows Phone (Tango) devices are right around the corner.

From our Nokia Lumia 900 vs 800 photo gallery

This development also makes things interesting for Nokia Lumia 800 sales. Carphone Warehouse already sells the Lumia 800 for free with a contract, so it really comes down to personal preference of size and necessity of a front camera.

Enjoy these links related to the Nokia Lumia 900…

Photos: Nokia Lumia 900 vs 800 side by side
Photos: Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Nokia Lumia 900
WiFi Hotspot exclusive on the Nokia Lumia 900 

Report: Nokia Lumia 900 coming to the UK, not so exclusive to US is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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Amazon always has a way to get my money. If your phone or tablet has a MicroSDHC slot and expandable memory capabilities then you can’t pass up this deal. Today Amazon.com has a class 10 (high speed) MicroSDHC 32 GB (high capacity) memory card on sale for $39.99. It’s their Gold Box ‘deal of the day’ so if you come back tomorrow it will be back up to the regular price $59.99.

Lexar High Speed MicroSDHC 32 GB Class 10 Flash Memory Card with Reader

Why Class 10?

Benchmark on Samsung Galaxy S II

If you run apps off the memory card then you want class 10. This is the highest speed you can get right now and it will help your apps and games run at top speed. I’ve seen some Android users complain their apps don’t open quickly enough when using a class 2 or 4. If you capture video and have it stored to the memory card you might see some stuttering or skipping with a lower class memory card. I’ve noticed that with a class 2, but my class 6 seems to be doing just fine on my Nokia N8. Video playback and the loading of photos in your gallery is also affected. My Acer Iconia A500 tablet only has 8 GB internal storage, so I bought a class 10 MicroSDHC card and the device is running great.

Which leads me to the question…

Do you run apps or games off your memory card?

Deal of the Day: Lexar High Speed MicroSDHC 32 GB Class 10 Memory Card for $39.99 is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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Reports are coming in that Microsoft is pushing out an update for the Nokia Lumia 800 to address the keyboard bug and a few other fixes. Rafe Blanford from All About Windows Phone reports:

The roll out of the 8107 software update for Windows Phone has now begun for Nokia Lumia devices. SIM-free devices should be the first to get the update, with operator branded devices following in due course. This update fixes a number of bugs, including the one that occasionally caused the on screen keyboard to disappear when entering text.

T-Mobile Lumia 710 users probably won’t see the update for a few weeks. As Rafe mentioned, carrier-branded phones will take longer than unlocked.

Windows Phone update 8107 changelog:

On-screen keyboard. Fixes an issue to prevent the keyboard from disappearing during typing.

Email. Fixes a Google mail syncing issue.

Location. Fixes a location access issue. With this fix, the Me feature in the People Hub sends anonymous information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers to Microsoft only if you agree to allow the Check In function to access and use location information.

Security. Revokes digital certificates from DigiCert Sdn Bhd to address an encryption issue.

Email threads. Fixes an email issue related to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. With this fix, when you reply to or forward a message, the original message is now included in your response.

Voicemail. Fixes a voicemail notification display issue that occurs on some European and Asian networks under certain conditions.

Let us know if you get the update and if you noticed any differences not mentioned here.

Source: Microsoft, Via: All About Windows Phone

Windows Phone update 8107 rolling out for Nokia Lumia 800 and 710; fixes disappearing keyboard bug is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch

If you’ve been searching for a new phone and carrier now might be the time to look at Sprint. From now until January 23rd you can have the activation fee waived on new lines with a 2-year contract at Amazon Wireless. That will save you $36 bucks. Amazon is an authorized dealer of Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and have prices that usually beat everyone else.

According to Amazon (link):

Receive an activation-fee credit of $36 for each qualifying new line of service from Sprint activated with a 2-year agreement purchased from AmazonWireless.com between midnight PDT January 16, 2012, through 11:59 p.m. PDT January 23, 2012. This offer is sponsored by Sprint and is valid in the United States.

So you have about a week to make a decision on which phone to get. Take a look at some of these great deals on Android phones…

Top 5 Sprint phone deals

1. Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint) – $79.99

2. Motorola Photon 4G Android Phone (Sprint) – $49.99

3. Samsung Nexus S 4G Android Phone (Sprint) – $0.01 (free)

4. HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone (Sprint) – $49.99

5. HTC EVO Design 4G Android Phone (Sprint) – $39.99

Deal: Activation fee ($36) waived on new Sprint lines is a post from: The Mobile Fanatics

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