Samsung announced its worst-kept secret that has been floating around since June – a 7″ tablet running Froyo, called the Galaxy Tab. All the Google services are onboard, with a few of Samsung’s own improvements, taking advantage of the big screen. The same snappy Hummingbird chipset that powers the Galaxy S and its US carrier versions, is planted inside the Galaxy Tab, and TouchWiz 3.0 with Samsung’s Social Hub is layered on top of Android 2.2’s UI.

The tablet is destined to be compared with the iPad, but it is a different animal altogether, due to its smaller 7″ capacitive LCD display with 1024×600 pixels WSVGA resolution, and the fact that it is running Android 2.2. It feels more like the missing link between a smartphone and large tablets, like the 9.7″ iPad. When we add the cell phone capabilities, complete with front camera for video calling, the built-in memory, expandable up to 64GB (for the 32GB version), and the fact that it is both Adobe Flash and HTML5 capable, it becomes a very enticing offering, ready to give the iPad a run for its money. It is a much lighter and thinner device at 0.47″ (11.98mm) thickness and 13.4 ounces (380 grams) weight. Not to forget it also has a 3MP camera with LED flash on the back.

Samsung has tailored the Galaxy Tab experience to take advantage of the large screen. The default Froyo calendar, for example, has undergone optimization for the fact that more things at once can be shown on a 7″ screen, than on a typical smartphone display. Numerous such improvements have taken place, and Samsung has thrown onto the tablet a few multimedia Hubs to make sure your time with the tablet is well spent. The Readers Hub gives you access to millions of books and thousands of magazines for reading on the go, and the upcoming Media Hub and Music Hub will be giving you the option to buy or rent tunes, movies and TV shows. Of course, video can also be sideloaded, given Samsung’s devices traditionally rich codec support, and the full HD video playback capabilities of the Hummingbird chipset. The 4000mAh battery is rated for 7 hours of movie playback.

To cap it off, the full Google services suite is present on the Galaxy Tab, unlike some half-baked solutions on other Android tablets or smartphones we’ve encountered. Google Maps Navigation beta makes it a 7″ voice-guided navigational device (in countries where turn-by-turn is supported), and the tablet has full access to Android Market and Samsung Apps, where we are positive applications will soon be proliferating for that exact same resolution.

Recently we had the chance to play with a Galaxy Tab prototype, so head over to our preview at phoneArena.com, complete with pictures and video samples from the 3MP camera. The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be available in Europe in mid September, and in other markets, including Korea, the US, and Asia, in the coming months. In a Q&A session Samsung officials have confirmed that there will be a variety of tablets coming from the company next year, including one running Android 3.x (Honeycomb). A full list of the Galaxy Tab specs can be found below, there is no official confirmation on the price range yet.
source: Samsung

Just when we all thought we’ve seen enough regarding Samsung’s flagship set of Galaxy S smartphones, the Korean based manufacturer is holding a special event in New York to unveil some new things. First and foremost, it looks as though they will be showing off their long awaited Media Hub platform which is their centralized online store mobile store dedicated for movies and videos. Aside from that, the invitation sent out suggests that they will also be introducing their “latest Android-powered device.” It’s rather difficult to justify if it’s a smartphone or some other kind of device based on what’s said on the invitation, but the familiar “Samsung Galaxy S” words are plastered underneath – so it’s possible that it might be a smartphone. We’ll know for sure soon enough!
via Unwired View

The all-popular CyanogenMod 6 is out of relese candidate status now, and ready to bring Froyo to your rooted oldie-but-goodie Android device. The comprehensive list of supported devices includes the HTC-made Aria, G1, Google Nexus One, Desire, Hero, EVO 4G, Slide and Incredible, as well as the venerable Motorola DROID, and the flagship Samsung Galaxy S.

If you have already rooted your device, and want to try the Froyo experience, head over to the forums from the link below. Apart from improved speeds and battery life, the mod brings some additional features compared to the stock Android 2.2. A cool one is the browser color invert (saves battery life on AMOLED screens, such as the one on the Incredible), and there are also some music player enhancements, bringing along support for the lossless audio format FLAC. The mod is not without bugs, though, some users report installation problems, which might brick your device, as well as problems with Google services, so use at your own discretion.

In a battle of the operating system versions, the folks over at PocketNow have pitted a Samsung EPIC 4G, running a stock Android 2.1, against a Nexus One running the latest CyanogenMod 6 Froyo build. The authors ran the Quadrant full benchmark test and examined Wi-Fi and 3G download speeds, but we won’t spoil the fascinating battle for you.
source: CyanogenMod & PocketNow

Another day, another video of Samsung’s Froyo-running Galaxy Tab. This one goes through the interface, and is much clearer than the blurry leak yesterday. The Hummingbird chipset seems to enable buttery smooth interaction, and there is a size comparison between the Galaxy Tab, the iPad, and the Galaxy S smartphone.

All in all, not much is left unknown at this point about the 7″ Galaxy Tab, of which rumor has it Samsung has ordered to suppliers the modest 100 000 units per month for the initial launch to gauge the interest. The only thing for us now is to line up for the official unveiling next week at IFA 2010.
via GSMArena

A battery life test run by the folks from Laptopmag has produced some predetermined results. They wrote an Android app to run a web browsing test in controlled environment (60 websites changed every 60 seconds), and turned off all but the cellular data connectivity options. The web browsing was left plain and simple, with Flash and other plug-ins off, and the screens remained on all the time with 40% brightness.

The results are not very surprising if you look at the official manufacturer’s numbers for the tested handsets, however it’s good to have them confirmed by a 3rd party as well. The worst performer was the HTC Droid Incredible, but the authors admit that the type of testing chosen takes the most toll on AMOLED screens. Their power consumption when showing white backgrounds, as found in most websites, is triple the one of regular LCD displays. In other circumstances like shades of gray or colors, they consume way less power, but white is a killer. If the testers had chosen continuous video play, for instance, the results of the Incredible probably would have been better. Not to mention that it has a 1300mAh battery, while most of the others tested are with 1500mAh ones.

Nevertheless, on top of the smartphone pack climbed the two latest DROIDs from Motorola. The DROID 2 lasted 7:07 hours, and the DROID X the whopping 7:42 hours. Considering these two handsets are with the power-sipping TI OMAP 3630 produced with the 45nm technology, those hours are quite explicable. We wonder if the Super AMOLED screens don’t have the same power consumption disadvantage to the LCDs when a white background is continuously displayed that the AMOLED ones have. That might explain the fact that Samsung’s Vibrant, Captivate and EPIC 4G fared worse than the DROIDs, regardless of the fact that their Hummingbird chipsets are produced with the 45nm process as well.

Of note here was the top-notch performance of the Dell Streak, which fitted right smack in the middle between the DROIDs with 7:35 hours of battery life as tested. And this is despite the large 5″ screen, and the 65nm Snapdragon inside. Looks like the Streak was born to browse.

Have a look at the full endurance chart below to see how everybody fared.
source: LaptopMag

Just the other day we reported that Samsung had started passing along the word that the Korean manufacturer’s Android tablet, unlike other mythical things caught on camera like BigFoot and the Abominable Snowman, is actually for real. The Galaxy Tab and its 7 inch display were caught on  a blurry video thanks to a spy camera that appears to sneak up on someone using the device.

While being far from the clearest video, we can make out the Froyo app launcher and the photo gallery. At the beginning of the video is a telephone keypad which might be used to make video calls thanks to the front facing camera. We should learn a lot more about the tablet, which looks alot like a Galaxy S handset on steroids, during the IFA show in Berlin on September 2nd.

Sending out a tweet to direct interested parties to a teaser web site, Samsung has started spreading the word about the Galaxy Tab. The site for the device presents an endless video loop that shows off some of the features that will be found on the tablet. With a 7 inch display offering resolution of 600 x 1024 pixels, the unit will have a 3.2MP camera in the back and a camera in the front for video calls. Thanks to the tasty serving of Froyo on the tablet, the full web browsing offered by the unit includes the ability to run Flash Player 10.1 and will also allow for Augmented Reality to help you find landmarks, Gas stations and other places of interest wherever you are.

Trying to take a piece of the tablet market away from Apple’s iPad, Samsung plans on introducing the Galaxy Tab at the IFA show in Berlin Germany on September 2nd, as we reported. To take a look at the video clip on the Samsung Galaxy Tab site, you can head to the web page by clicking on the source link, or by watching the YouTube video below.
source: Samsung

If this weren’t any more of an indication to the speedy prowess of the Swype keyboard, it was actually used in breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest text message. Using a Samsung Galaxy S smartphone with good old Swype on board, a 27 year old UK woman was able to dish up a mean phrase in under 26 seconds using the swipe friendly gestures of the on-screen keyboard. She managed to swipe the phrase “the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human” – thus breaking the previous record by over 9 seconds. That’s a pretty astonishing feat when you think about it for a second, especially when the Swype keyboard was used in obtaining the record as opposed to a regular on-screen keyboard – or even a physical one to say the least. Considering everything else, this definitely would add some much needed publicity to the Swype keyboard as it attempts to sway over people with its alternative form of inputting text.
via BGR

As we near fall and ever closer to the all too important busy holiday season, there will naturally be a big push for tablets – and the Samsung Galaxy Tab plans on being part of the festivities. Packing similar hardware to its baby brother, the Samsung Galaxy S, the tablet is expected to compete head-on with the Apple iPad. Since the first wave of news regarding the Tab jumped onto the scene, we’ve rarely gotten the opportunity to see the handset in live form. However, the device in question was recently spotted being used by an employee of Australia’s Telco operator. From the captured video, it’s shaping up to be the device we all know about since it matches up to its description of being a 7” tablet. Additionally, you can quickly gather that it can be held with one hand and doesn’t appear to be large in size when compared to the iPad. When asked about the device, which was being tested live in Sydney, the employee said that it was “awesome” and clearly described it as “different” to the iPad. Since it’s being tested in the field right now, it could point to the reality that we could see the tablet very soon with a variety of network operators around the world speculated to offer it.
source: Electronista

One would imagine that installing an official firmware update from a manufacturer shouldn’t pose any risks, right? On the contrary, Vodafone believes the opposite seeing that they issued a statement saying that installing a recent firmware update for the Samsung Galaxy S could void your warranty. It’s rather difficult to fathom why a carrier would be so against installing an official update which has been approved by the manufacturer, but its seems that the case is so in this situation.

Although it’s no Android 2.2, Samsung recently released an update for the high powered Android smartphone that essentially packs bug fixes which improve the overall performance of the handset. Vodafone said in their official forum, “any firmware that hasn’t been released by us does invalidate the warranty directly with Vodafone.” It’s a bit strange to say the least, but thankfully, your warranty with Samsung will still be intact. Now the only reason why Vodafone is making such a rash statement is due partly to the reason that the update has not been approved yet by the carrier, but once the process is complete, we’d imagine that they’ll give the thumbs up for it – in the mean time, you’ll incur the consequences if you choose to install it.
source: Vodafone