Kmart shoppers have the opportunity to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab for $99.99 with a signed 2 year contract with Sprint. The tablet with the 7 inch screen comes with Android 2.3 installed, despite what the ad claims, and offers both a rear and front-facing camera at 3MP and 1.3MP respectively. The tablet has 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and there is a 1GHz single-core Hummingbird processor under the hood.

There is no confusing the Samsung Galaxy Tab with its larger and certainly more high-end brother, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. On the other hand, Kmart isn’t exactly known as a place to find the most up-to-date technology. For those needing a small lightweight tablet for the upcoming school year, the discounter couldn’t have turned on its blue light at a better time.

source: SprintFeed via IntoMobile

Kmart is offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab for $99.99 with a signed 2-year pact

If you are one of those brave souls that are always poking around your phone despite that the warranty period just started, you might have gotten unlucky with the Motorola PHOTON 4G and hard-bricked the device, trying to go above and beyond what its creator and carrier intended.

Fortunately, if your Motorola PHOTON 4G had been lying at the bottom of your drawer after unsuccessful attempt to root or apply some other voodoo on it, now XDA-Devs have a solution.

A System Boot File (SBF) leaked on a thread in the forum, and the process to apply it to your comatose device is fairly straightforward, considering some others we’ve come across with. The Motorola PHOTON 4G (gently referred to as MoPho on XDA-Devs) will require activation again after the SBF is applied

Working through the SBF will restore your phone and, naturally, you will lose that root you’ve applied, but you can solve this problem afterwards.

source: XDA-Devs via BriefMobile

A forgotten name in Sprint’s lineup of 4G handsets is about to get an update to fix an pesky bug. The HTC EVO Shift 4G was launched in January of this year, which seems light years away when it comes to smartphones. A 3.6 inch WVGA screen and a 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7630 processor give away the difference that 7 months can make in the handset industry, although to be fair, this was never meant to be a high-end phone.

One thing that the HTC EVO Shift 4G has that its big brother doesn’t is the side sliding QWERTY keyboard, which helps promote the device as a 4G enabled handset for those who like to text. The problem, though, is that a bug is affecting the ability of MMS/SMS messages to be sent to the recipient. The good news is, next Monday users will be getting an update from Sprint that is like the proverbial can of Raid-it kills bugs dead. Although fairy tale endings don’t normally occur in real life, after the update to v2.76.651.5, HTC EVO Shift 4G users will live happily ever after.

source: Sprint via AndroidCentral

An update to v2.76.651.5 for HTC EVO Shift 4G owners is coming August 8th

Remember when we reported that more than 6 million units of the Samsung Galaxy S II could have been shipped over the past three months or so? Well, it turns out that the estimate was a bit exaggerated, yet that milestone is not that far from being reached. It was officially announced by Samsung just recently that sales of the Galaxy S II have already surpassed the 5 million mark.

Sales of the Samsung Galaxy S II compared to its predecessor - the Galaxy S

Bear in mind that this number reflects only the amount of Galaxy S II smartphones shipped to retailers and carriers, or in other words, units that have probably not all made their way to the pockets of end customers. Nevertheless, it is quite impressive that Samsung’s flagship is actually selling faster than its predecessor – the Galaxy S, which had sold “only” 3 million units over the same amount of time after its debut.

If the sales of the Samsung Galaxy S II keep on accelerating at today’s pace, and they most probably would as the smartphone is expected to launch in the US pretty soon, the ten millionth unit should fly off the shelf by the end of September. Should the latest rumors turn out to be correct, Verizon could be the first carrier to bring the smartphone to American soil, yet AT&T and Sprint will get their own versions soon after.

Thanks, Ron!

source: Samsung Tomorrow (translated) via OLED Info

It seems that without much fanfare, like the joint announcement last year when the Samsung Galaxy S was ready for US carriers, its successor, the Galaxy S II, is slowly approaching US release too.

We had an analyst the other day muse over the possibility that Verizon’s version will hit the market first, then we got the leaks about a keyboarded and standard version of the Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T, and now the Sprint version, codenamed Samsung Within, has seemingly passed the testing claws of the FCC.

The SPH-D710 code reveals a device that looks like the Infuse 4G on the back, and has WiMAX connectivity onboard. Moreover, a Galaxy S II page link appeared on the Samsung USA website, further proof that the carriers have finally worked it out with Samsung regarding the release of one of the best Android handsets out there on US soil.

source: FCC via Phandroid

A leaked screenshot of an internal Sprint document was obtained by SprintFeed, and shows which devices the carrier has branded as “EOL” (end of life, although end of the line is more appropriate) and when the handsets will be phased out. Some of the phones being removed from Sprint’s lineup are household names such as the HTC EVO 4G, the nation’s first 4G enabled device. Also being phased out is the carrier’s second 4G handset, the Samsung Epic 4G. Both devices have been replaced with newer models like the HTC EVO 3D and the Samsung built Nexus S 4G, offering the latest high-end specs to Sprint customers with the former adding 3D functionality.

The white version of the HTC EVO 4G will be removed from Sprint’s lineup in September with the black model leaving the month after along with the Samsung Epic 4G. Other models that will no longer be available include the rough and rugged Motorola i1, a PTT Android handset with walkie talkie functions. That model leaves Sprint later this month or early next month, about the same time that the gray model of the BlackBerry Style 9670 says goodbye.

This week, the Samsung Seek in pink will be EOL as will be the Sanyo Innuendo in blue, starting next week. In September, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 with a rear camera will be gone, followed a month later by the Samsung Transform.

If you have an interest in picking up any of the models going EOL, your best bet is to check with your local Sprint store soon because the inventory of  many of these units won’t be replenished once they are sold out.

source: SprintFeed via AndroidCentral

Certain Sprint models have reached the end of their life

Have you noticed that when you use the glasses-free 3D display on the HTC EVO 3D or the LG Optimus 3D/LG Thrill, that you get a headache after a while, or when viewing the screen from a certain angle? According to a report in the Journal of Vision, this is normal and more serious eye problems can develop from staring at these stereoscopic screens.

The report, written by an Optometrist named Professor Martin Banks, was based on a test of 24 adults using a 3D smartphone. The test revealed that close viewing of a 3D stereoscopic display caused discomfort when users focused on the images closer to the screen. Images that appeared to be in the background caused fewer problems.  When looking at 3D in a movie theater, things are reversed because of the distance of the screen from your eyes, and the discomfort there comes from background images.

Researchers are suggesting that a new study be set up that would include more participants including children, many of whom are using the same 3D technology found in smartphones with the Nintendo 3DS mobile game player. The latter device and the HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D/LG Thrill all have a control that allows the user to reduce the severity of a 3D image. Staring too long at a 3D display, or viewing the screen at a specific angle can cause discomfort, visual fatigue and headaches.

More 3D flavored smartphones and even some tablets with 3D functionality are bound to be launched in the next year. If this technology is to be more than just a fad, it would be important for manufacturers to continue to seek ways to offer 3D images with less potential damage to the eyes and with fewer headaches.

source: DaiilyMail via Pocket-Lint

Last month, we received news regarding the existence of the LG Optimus Slider, which is going by the codename of Gelato Q, thanks to a couple of internal screen shots showing a September 11 release date with Sprint.

Well, we’re now getting a look at the rumored handset now that a rendered image of the mid-range Android powered smartphone has been leaked – giving way to some resemblance to the original LG Optimus One’s design. However, it’s being reported that the LG Optimus Slider LS700 will be offering s physical keyboard of some sort, but its layout is still largely unknown even with the leaked rendered image.

Nevertheless, the final product should bear a strong resemblance to the image we’re seeing right now, and more importantly, it’s likely to land with the other major domestic carriers as well. In addition, its launch is believed to coincide with one of the other follow-ups to the LG Optimus One, which is going by the codename of Gelato and model number LS685 for Sprint.

So far, the only thing mentioned about both handsets is that they’ll be featuring an HVGA display, but besides that, there are relatively few details about their specs. Regardless, the LG Optimus Slider can still possibly end up taking the LG Q moniker, which we’ve seen leaked through Sprint’s ID pack for employees, but if not, it’ll more than likely retain its fitting name.

source: Pocketnow via Unwired View

HTC made a bit of a splash late Sunday night with an announcement on their official Facebook page that a few select devices will have their bootloaders unlocked via a two-part over-the-air update.

Owners of the global HTC Sensation, the HTC Evo 3D for Sprint and the HTC Sensation 4G for T-Mobile will be the first to get the two-part update starting in August. The first part of the update is considered a maintenance release which more or less will prepare each device for the major update.

Part two will be the actual unlocking tool which will finish sometime in September, making this update a little bit of a dragged out process. The biggest hurdle of course is what the carriers will do. Will Sprint and T-Mobile allow devices with unlocked bootloaders on their network? That remains to be seen.

HTC not only made it clear that other devices will receive this update sometime down the road, but we can all expect to see devices shipping with unlocked bootloaders in the near future. Tell us what you think in the comments below.

source: HTC Facebook page via Engadget

The rugged PTT-enabled Motorola Titanium is expected to launch via Sprint on July 24th

Need a phone that can survive the elements? The Motorola Titanium is an Android device that is built to withstand the weather and more. After all, Motorola is a very big communications supplier to the military and those devices are built to last through combat. You probably won’t be facing a situation like that, but you can relax knowing that your Titanium is built to Military Specifications for protection against dust, shock, low pressure, temperature, vibrations and solar radiation According to a leaked internal memo for Sprint reps, the Titanium is expected to launch on July 24th with Android 2.1 running the show. There is a physical QWERTY keyboard under the 3.1 inch display and a 5MP camera on the back that captures video. The handset supports Nextel Direct Connect which means that an important conversation could be as quick as a button push away.

The Motorola Titanium will have a price tag of $149.99 with a signed two year contract and Sprint is sweetening the deal by throwing in a 2GB microSD card (you can load up to a 32GB card on the device). Sprint’s own memo suggests that reps sell the Motorola Titanium to business types looking for a rugged phone with PTT support and a QWERTY keyboard, or to consumers looking for a Android phone that is rugged and has a QWERTY keyboard. With the phone built to military specs, we would also suggest that Sprint reps look for those with butterfingers who are constantly dropping their phone. Those who are looking for an Android device with the latest high-end specs should obviously be looking elsewhere.

source: SprintFeed via Engadget