Android Community |
- Motorola DROID X2 and DROID 3 receiving software updates
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hardware finalized, up for pre-order
- HBO GO and MAX GO updated with ICS support – still not for tablets
- Android malware spreads through infected websites
- AirDroid updates with easier browser access
- Yahoo! Japan launches its own Android browser
- Samsung Galaxy S III priced and headed for five UK carriers
- HTC One S kickstand case coming soon
- Samsung puts entire Galaxy S III launch event video online
- LG Optimus LTE2 detailed with 2GB of RAM and wireless charging
- Samsung Galaxy S III Accessories Hands-on
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code posted
- N.O.V.A. 3 Gameplay trailer reminds us of Halo
- Two more Aakash Tablet models headed for India
- SwiftKey 3 beta update improves features based on user feedback
- Samsung Galaxy S III Wrap-Up
- Samsung Galaxy S III hits the UK on May 30th
- Samsung’s first Galaxy S III commercial: watch it here
- Galaxy S III quad-core benchmarks blow us away [Video]
- Galaxy S III release date: May 29th in Europe
| Motorola DROID X2 and DROID 3 receiving software updates Posted: 04 May 2012 10:56 AM PDT We have good news today for those of you still rocking the DROID X2, or even the QWERTY slider Motorola DROID 3. Well this is sort of good news. The phones aren’t getting Ice Cream Sandwich, but updates are starting to roll out for both of the popular DROID handsets today.
According to the folks at Droid-Life Motorola has sent invites for software testing, better known as “soak tests” for both phones and those signing up have already started to see the updates appear on their phones. The DROID X2 saw an OTA update earlier this year so most likely the changes will be quite small for that phone. The DROID 3 on the other hand should be getting a sizable update that should address any outstanding bugs or issues. Currently these are going out to testers only, and aren’t ready for the masses yet. Usually once the public starts seeing the tests the actual updates from Verizon and Motorola aren’t too far away, so expect some updates here soon. Once Verizon officially details the updates on their support pages we’ll be sure and confirm any and all changes and improvements.
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hardware finalized, up for pre-order Posted: 04 May 2012 10:26 AM PDT There’s good news and bad news, Samsung tablet fans. The good news is that the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hardware is good to go, and you can pre-order one at Office Depot right now. The bad news is that rumor of a delay to implement a quad-core processor has fallen by the wayside: the listing shows the same dual-core hardware that we saw at Mobile World Congress. Bummer.
Office Depot did confirm the rumor that the newer Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be getting a lower price: the 16GB model starts at $399, a full hundred dollars cheaper than the original and well-placed to compete with the iPad 2. The tablets will start shipping out on May 11th, at least according to this retailer. The WiFi version is the only one being offered at the moment, though we fully expect at least one carrier to sell the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 somewhere down the line. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is strikingly similar to the original – which is why that rumored upgrade was so compelling. The hardware has changed only slightly, with side-mounted speakers and a MicroSD card slot being the primary differences. Though it isn’t confirmed, the 10.1-inch model almost certainly has the same dual-core TI OMAP processor as the Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch version. The new 10-inch tablet comes with Ice Cream Sandwich installed at launch.
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| HBO GO and MAX GO updated with ICS support – still not for tablets Posted: 04 May 2012 10:03 AM PDT Watch your favorite shows from HBO anywhere with HBO GO. The streaming service provided for subscribers to HBO and MAX has been something I’ve always used to watch the latest Game of Thrones or catch up on True Blood episodes, but along came my Galaxy Nexus and it wasn’t supported. Today HBO has updated both of their GO movie streaming apps so almost everyone can enjoy them.
Yup, HBO and MAX GO have both been updated with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich support, including the Galaxy Nexus. Sadly my only other complaint is still present, and that is the lack of tablet support. The iPad has been able to enjoy HBO GO for a long, long time, but sadly Android is still left in the dust here. Updating their app to work with Android 4.0 ICS gave me hope that they’d possibly enhanced the user interface too and it would now work with tablets, since that is what 4.0 ICS is for – joining the tablet and smartphone interface into one. Instead they’ve only made HBO GO compatible with ICS phones and my Transformer Prime is still unsupported. Hopefully HBO has a tablet app in the works, or will straighten up and allow tablets to install their application. In the meantime enjoy HBO and MAX GO on your smartphones with the apps linked to below.
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| Android malware spreads through infected websites Posted: 04 May 2012 09:48 AM PDT It’s interesting to watch the security landscape unfold on a new platform like Android, in a macabre sort of way. On the one hand we have newfangled attacks that use relatively modern ways of stealing money or information, like phony text message trojans. On the other we’ve got old-school malware that spreads through modified versions of popular software. Now there’s a new trick up malicious programmers’ sleeves, though it’s only new to Android: spreading malware through infected websites.
Lookout Mobile has identified the “NotCompatible” trojan, which hides in the iFrame architecture of some websites and waits for an Android browser to visit the site. It then downloads an innocuous APK file and installs it. At this point the malware doesn’t seem to do anything - apparently whoever’s installing the malicious code is at the testing stage right now. The number of affected sites is small at the moment. The problem with this particular approach is that it exploits a weakness in Android’s browser itself – no amount of vigilance or care will help if you can just stumble into the wrong website. And since the flaw is a part of Android, phones and tablets will need to be updated to patch the vulnerability. Issues like this illustrate the need for quick, regular update channels for all devices – and why advanced Android users are so frustrated that they often aren’t put in place. [via SlashGear]
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| AirDroid updates with easier browser access Posted: 04 May 2012 09:12 AM PDT We’ve mentioned AirDriod before: it’s a great way to access and manage your Android phone or tablet from your computer when there isn’t a USB cable handy. The free app’s latest update adds a host of new features, most of which are designed to make accessing your phone from your desktop browser even easier. In addition to a permanent shortlink to web.airdroid.com, you can now scan a QR code displayed on your computer monitor instead of entering a random password.
If you haven’t tried AirDroid yet, go get it right now. It’s an app that hosts your Android phone’s storage on a local wireless network and presents it to a PC web browser, complete with a gorgeous interface and a ton of management features. In addition to viewing, downloading and uploading files, AirDroid can access your contacts, call logs, email, and many, many other functions right from your computer. Other new features include installing apps from your browser, whether they’re on the Google Play Store or stored locally on your computer. You can also send a URL straight from AirDroid to your phone (handy if you don’t have Chrome to Phone installed on a computer you’re borrowing) and remote screenshots. We can’t stress this enough: AirDroid is a fantastic, beautiful app, and it belongs in the toolkit of any power user.
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| Yahoo! Japan launches its own Android browser Posted: 04 May 2012 08:05 AM PDT For a company that ostensibly competes directly with Google, Yahoo! is curiously invested in Android – in Japan, at any rate. After launching their own pseudo-app store last year, the web search company has created a custom browser app for the Japanese market. The company hopes to keep on top of the search game in Japan, where unlike most other territories it’s actually beating its search rival Google.
The browser itself seems solid, if a little uninspired. The interface takes a lot of cues from Opera Mini/Opera Mobile and, strangely, the iOS browser. Naturally Yahoo’s search and various web tools like Mail and Maps are integrated, as is a “speed dial” home page. Yahoo hasn’t failed to integrate some of Android’s most useful features: voice search and mobile/desktop views are present as well. ICS-style quick buttons and a read it later feature are included. The lower bar seems a little busy and the whole interface covers more of the web viewing area than is comfortable for yours truly. Currently the browser is only formatted for smartphones (and notably doesn’t incorporate much of Ice Cream Sandwich’s UI design), but it should at least function with Android tablets. Yahoo hasn’t published the app outside of Japan, and given the fact that their app store hasn’t spread either, they’re unlikely to do so in the future. Japanese readers can download the Yahoo! Browser at this link. [via 9to5Google]
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| Samsung Galaxy S III priced and headed for five UK carriers Posted: 04 May 2012 07:30 AM PDT While those of us in the US patiently wait for Samsung to tell us which carriers will get their new Galaxy S III, those in the UK have a date – and generally don’t have to worry about carriers, thanks to an inter-operable HSPA+ cellular infrastructure. (Not that we’re bitter or anything.) But for those Brits that still want to get a nice juicy subsidy with their Galaxy S III, we’ve got good news: according to UK retailer Carphone Warehouse, no less than five of the UK’s biggest carriers will be offering the phone with various incentives and monthly deals.
Americans will have to make do with a vague “summer” release date for now – no carriers have officially confirmed that they’re getting the phone, though Samsung says it’s coming to at least two. Verizon is almost certainly one of them, as this user agent string confirms along with a Snapdragon S4 processor (as opposed to the quad-core Exynos on the international model). The Galaxy S III will be available in Europe on May 29th and in the UK the day after. Device Info
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 [via UnwiredView]
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| HTC One S kickstand case coming soon Posted: 04 May 2012 06:33 AM PDT As has previously been indicated on this site (often and with enthusiasm), kickstands are officially awesome. If I could add one to every device with a screen bigger than three inches across I would, and if you’ve got a shiny new HTC One S, you’ll soon be able to. And the best part is that this isn’t a cheap case from some no-name Chinese OEM – these are some quality cases, right from HTC themselves.
For those of you who aren’t quite as rabidly emphatic about kickstands as I am, there will be a standard version of the molded plastic case as well. Both models will come in four colors: black, grey, blue and red (shading to magenta). The cases have a pretty standard design, but leave the top and bottom of the phone exposed. The kickstand version also obscures the MicroUSB charging port when closed. Since the international version of the One S and T-Mobile’s US variant are identical in size and shape, the new HTC cases should work with all models. Suggested retail price for the standard case will be $24.99, with the kickstand version jumping up a bit to $39.99. HTC didn’t say when the cases would become available, just that they’d reach retailers “soon”. Device Info
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[via Engadget]
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| Samsung puts entire Galaxy S III launch event video online Posted: 04 May 2012 04:50 AM PDT The biggest news in the smartphone world for the last several weeks has been the Samsung Galaxy S III. The phone has gone official and is stacking up to be one of the biggest smartphone launches of the year. Samsung officially launched the S III in London, and if you wish you could be there for the whole event but didn’t get the invite; we have the next best thing for you.
Samsung has now placed the entire one hour and 18 minute long launch event video for the S III online. We went one better and embedded the video at the bottom of the story so you don’t even have to go to Samsung’s website to view it. We learned a lot about the new smartphone we were at the launch event. If you somehow missed the coverage of the smartphone, let me run down the basic specs for you. The smartphone has a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display supporting 720p resolution and is 8.6 mm thick. It uses the Samsung 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos 4 processor. It also has a 1.9-megapixel camera, 1 GB RAM, and comes in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB storage versions. The phone also has a 2100 mAh battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and all the sensors you expect from a high-end smartphone.
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| LG Optimus LTE2 detailed with 2GB of RAM and wireless charging Posted: 03 May 2012 05:15 PM PDT Hey look, a phone announcement today from someone other than Samsung. It looks like LG is trying to spoil the Sammy party (and failing) by announcing their own impressive smartphone today in the all new Optimus LTE2 — complete with a “True HD” IPS display and a massive 2GB of RAM. The phone might not have the same beautiful curves as the Galaxy S III but it does have a couple of things going for it. More details after the break.
According to the official announcement by LG this phone will be coming mid-May to Korea, and elsewhere shortly after. While we don’t have all the details and specs it looks like the LTE2 will be powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, have a True HD IPS display of unknown size, but appears to be 4.3 or 4.5-inches in size.
The biggest mind blowing feature here is the inclusion of 2GB of RAM inside this beast — a first for any smartphone. Then it will also come equipped with a 2,150 mAh battery, 4G LTE, and be available on at least 5 carriers throughout Korea by the end of the month. LG briefly mentions some wireless charging features as well as an enhanced “Renal smart camera” according to translation. Check out the few pictures in the gallery below and we will be looking for more details shortly on the new Optimus LTE2 from LG. We don’t expect this to be available anytime soon in the US, if ever, but it was worth a look for the 2GB of RAM alone.   
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| Samsung Galaxy S III Accessories Hands-on Posted: 03 May 2012 04:53 PM PDT One more Galaxy S III post today folks. It looks like we were able to snatch a few minutes with the official accessories from Samsung for the Galaxy S III superphone and figured you’d like to take a look. Along with all the accessories detailed earlier today we also have a short clip of the AllShare Cast feature after the break.
Earlier today we detailed all the new accessories as Samsung showed them live, and now we have some hands-on pictures. First is the Wireless Charging Kit that was rumored a while back. Obviously you’ll need the special battery door backplate and the dock to wirelessly charge the phone, but that will be a great option for those looking to cut down on cords. Original reports suggested this would be a standard feature on all SGSIII’s but according to Samsung will be optional and an extra purchase.
Then we have the less exciting flip cover case, and the stand up “vertical charging dock” where users can sit the phone upright for viewing or charging — and again — no wires here either. Then we have AllCast Share and the HDMI adapter. Samsung will provide an adapter that works via the microUSB MHL port for streaming media and sharing homescreens, pictures, and video all to the big screen. Samsung also lightly detailed a new upcoming MP3 player to compete with the iPod Nano called the S Pebble that will be shaped like a small pebble, run Android, and play MP3′s and such in a small portable package but we’ll have to wait for more details on that front although we were able to snap a few photos. It looks like a pebble huh? Apparently you can upload music to it, and share them directly from the Galaxy S III too. Whether the Pebble will be a standalone device or need a phone companion remains to be seen. Overall Samsung had a strong showing today, and their accessories look quite decent too. Hopefully they all make it to market because we’re still waiting for some of those neat Galaxy Nexus accessories to this day. If you missed anything you can get every bit of Samsung GSIII news and more from today at our official Galaxy S III Portal.                                  Device Info
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code posted Posted: 03 May 2012 03:59 PM PDT If you got your hands on a sweet $250 Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, it’s time to start diving into that code. Samsung has just posted the open source code not only for the 7-inch model of the Galaxy Tab 2, but the delayed 10-inch version as well. Of course having the source code will help modders to alter the existing software, but it will also allow them to easily get custom ROMs running on the Android tablets. And we love us some custom ROMs. You can download the source code files here.
Both the Galaxy Tab 2 7 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 run Ice Cream Sandwich, meaning it should be easy to get popular Android 4.0 ROMs like CyanogenMod 9 and AOKP up and running. But perhaps even more exciting is the fact that the code for the new tablets might be useful for Samsung’s second-generation Honeycomb devices. None of the American models of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, 8.9, 7.0 Plus or 7.7 have gotten an Android 4.0 update yet, despite promises. The code for the very similar ICS tablets may enable ROM devs to get the last few kinks worked out of today’s custom ICS ROMs. Most disturbingly, major custom Ice Cream Sandwich releases for the current Galaxy Tabs universally lack support for both front and rear cameras, as well as the full range of motion for ICS’ animations. Samsung tablets aren’t the only ones with this problem, but it seems to be a tough nut to crack. Since the hardware on the 7.0 Plus and the 10.1 are so similar to the new tablets, perhaps those craft ROM devs can finally find a solution. [via Android Police]
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| N.O.V.A. 3 Gameplay trailer reminds us of Halo Posted: 03 May 2012 03:56 PM PDT Gameloft yesterday released yet another teaser trailer for the highly anticipated follow up to one of their best games, and that would be N.O.V.A 3. The multiplayer gameplay trailer looks pretty awesome, but I almost thought I was watching an Xbox and Halo trailer for a minute. The game is stacking up to be pretty epic but check out the Warthog from the video below.
Don’t get me wrong, this comes as no surprise as the original always had a “halo feel” to it if you know what I mean — and that was a good thing. The original trailer released earlier this week (linked to below) had a striking resemblance to EA’s Crysis, and now this multiplayer video shows even more of their “inspirations”. This game is shaping up to be one awesome shooter for mobile gamers, that is for sure. Check out that Warthog with its top-mounted gun and all. You may or may not like the similarities to Crysis, Halo, and other shooter games but there’s only so much you can do with this style of game. Right? Obviously I wish they’d be a bit more creative but I’ll be buying the game on release day that is for sure. As long as it’s compatible with Android 4.0 and the Galaxy Nexus of course. Something that isn’t ever guaranteed with Gameloft. I’m still more excited for Crysis 3 but this will probably be one of the best mobile games of the year from what we’ve seen thus far. Oh and look at that, capture the flag shown nicely in the video too. Will you be buying or playing N.O.V.A. 3 when it’s released later this month?   
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| Two more Aakash Tablet models headed for India Posted: 03 May 2012 03:34 PM PDT The new crop of ultra-cheap reader tablets have nothing on the Ubislate/Aakash, Datawind’s dirt-cheap tablet for the Indian educational market. In addition to the slightly updated Ubislate 7+, the Ubislate 7C will soon grace shelves and schoolrooms on the subcontinent. The only difference between the two is that the 7+ uses a resistive touchscreen while the 7C uses a more modern capacitive model – the same kind that’s installed on pretty much every smartphone and tablet out there.
Both tablets get a 7-inch, 800×480 screen, an 800mhz single-core processor, 256MB of RAM and Android 2.2 Froyo. The retail versions of the tablet bring the price up to the Indian equivalent of about $75 – still a pretty good deal if all you want is a slate device for some (very) basic web surfing and media. The Ubislate comes standard with a 2.5G wireless connection on top of WiFi, but users can add 3G with a dongle accessory. The Ubislate/Aakash has garnered a lot of international attention, though admittedly nearly all of it is from the price. With government subsidies, Indian students can purchase one of the small tablets for just $35, and the popularity has exploded. Future models will reportedly even get Android 4.0 – which is more than we can say for a lot of smartphones and tablets around these parts. [via TheMobileIndian]
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| SwiftKey 3 beta update improves features based on user feedback Posted: 03 May 2012 02:55 PM PDT Now that all the Samsung news has calmed down this morning lets talk about keyboards. The popular SwiftKey keyboard has just received another update today for those who take part in their VIP beta. After we announced the new SwiftKey 3 last month, today they’ve added tons of user-requested features and once again improved on their ever so popular layout.
While Swiftkey X is still the version in the Google Play Store, you can get the new SwiftKey 3 from their VIP forums by signing up here. Then you’ll be able to enjoy the all new design, improved prediction, and great user interface that comes with SwiftKey 3. It looks like things are moving along great in the VIP Beta because the update today brings a handful of fixes and user-requested changes. Here’s the full change-log from SwiftKey.
They’ve moved the 123 button to the bottom left and replaced it with a dedicated comma button — which makes sense. They also improved the smart punctuation pop-up as many weren’t too pleased with the previous implementation although it doesn’t feel too different if you ask me. My main problem was some lag, and the punctuation popup sticking on-screen and both of those have been improved. Things are fast, fluid, stable, and makes typing a breeze. Things are looking pretty good right about now and I’m expecting this to be released to the public here soon. I particularly like the new .com/.net/.tv shortcut on the keyboard. Very handy. For VIP members get the latest beta version of SwiftKey 3 by clicking here.            
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| Posted: 03 May 2012 02:10 PM PDT Samsung hit the ground running this afternoon with the announcement and revealing of their new Galaxy S III flagship smartphone. Surely you’ve been following along here at Android Community and saw all of our news coverage and hands-on video, right? In case you didn’t here’s a wrap-up of all the details, pictures, and video from the new Galaxy S III.
For those that missed it here is a rundown of the specs. The Galaxy S III will come complete with an amazing 4.8-inch 720×1280 Super AMOLED HD display, a powerful 1.4 GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor (in the UK at least), 1GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of storage options, an 8 megapixel camera on the rear with zero shutter lag and a 1.9 front camera for video chat. The device is super thin coming in at 8.6mm, weighing less than most phones of this size (133g) and runs on the absolute latest Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung’s Touch Wiz interface changes. While the design might not be the revolutionary step many had hoped for, Samsung has brought an impressive device to market and focused on improving their already award winning and top selling design, while enhancing many of the features and things we use day to day. They’ve beefed up the camera and introduced a 20 shot burst-mode, and the SGSIII automatically picks the best photo of the bunch, has face detection so you can easily tag and link photos to contacts, and they added camera mode while recording 1080p video. All of that and more was detailed in the video above, and we have more below. Then, since we know everyone wants to see it we’ve compared the size, shape, and performance to the other king of the mobile world — the HTC One X and its 4.7-inch display and quad-core Tegra 3 processor in the video provided below. Along with a great camera comes easy and simple functionality and that is exactly what you’ll get with the Galaxy S III and Samsung’s new S-Voice controls. A new competitor to Apple’s Siri, S-Voice takes the Google voice actions one step further and allows you to set alarms, check the weather, make calls and more — but best of all it can open apps. Siri can’t do that. You can open Google Maps, place a call, start music and more all with your voice using Samsung’s S-Voice integration. Since rumors are a moot discussion at this point. Here are a few key links regarding the new Samsung Galaxy S III announced earlier today. Another neat little feature or two you might not have read elsewhere is the SGSIII has Flipboard for Android, an exclusive to the device while they prepare to launch globally for Android. Then there’s this neat facial recognition feature. Not like the facial unlock from the Galaxy Nexus, but where the phone will actually recognize your face while you’re viewing a page, reading an email, or watching a movie and will not dim the screen. If you look away the screen dims to save battery, and stays on when needed so you don’t get interrupted. Neat right? Now when can you get your own you ask? Well, Samsung has announced the phone will be available globally soon, but it will start off on May 29th in Europe, and May 30th in the UK. What about the US you ask? Samsung made a short statement that both an LTE and a HSPA+ model will be available for the various carriers in the US. That means most likely Verizon and the other two LTE carriers will get an LTE model (probably dual-core sadly) and HSPA+ models for folks on T-Mobile and possibly even a non-LTE model for AT&T. We can expect these phones in the US sometime in June if we are lucky but Samsung only mentioned “summer” for a release window. See everything and more from our Galaxy S III Portal. Thoughts on the all new Samsung Galaxy S III quad-core superphone?                Device Info
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| Samsung Galaxy S III hits the UK on May 30th Posted: 03 May 2012 01:08 PM PDT Here’s the bad news, Brits: you won’t be able to buy the Samsung Galaxy S III on May 29th, like most of mainland Europe. But the good news is you won’t have to wait much longer: a Samsung UK representative tells us that the phone is coming to the UK on May 30th. There’s no word on pricing or which carriers will offer a subsidy, but the UK version will certainly be the HSPA+ phone with the Samsung Exynos 4 Quad processor shown on stage earlier today.
Those of us across the pond will have to wait a little longer – as usual. While Samsung has confirmed that both HSPA+and LTE versions will be coming to America, it hasn’t said which carriers will be joining in the fun. There’s also no date or price beyond a vague “summer”. We’re fairly certain that Verizon is getting its own version thanks to a leaked mobile ID, and this “SCH-I535″ does indeed run a Snapdragon S4 processor as rumored. The most distressing thing about these availability dates is that there’s no price to be found anywhere. If Samsung follows the pricing models they’ve been using for the last two or three years, the Galaxy S III will be somewhere in the $600-equivalent range (slightly more in UK pounds, thanks to value added tax). But with so many new hardware and software features, who knows how much Samsung thinks it’s worth. Keep an eye on our Galaxy S III portal for more breaking news. Device Info
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| Samsung’s first Galaxy S III commercial: watch it here Posted: 03 May 2012 12:30 PM PDT The official presentation is over, and soon thousands of tech bloggers will flee London in the wake of Samsung’s Galaxy S III event. But this is just the beginning of Samsung’s marketing campaign for their next flagship – and the next step is to let all the non-nerds know how great their baby is. To that end, they’ve already prepared a TV spot. Samsung debuted the commercial on stage, but you can watch it yourself below.
See for yourself: Personally, I’m not a fan. The commercial is overly vague, barely showing the phone at all – which I guess was Samsung’s intention. But if I wanted to see the wonderful interactions of humanity and nature, I’d rewatch the beach scene from The Notebook. Here’s hoping that when Samsung brings the Galaxy S III to America, it’s got something a little more compelling. Be sure and follow our Galaxy S III portal for the latest breaking news. [devide id=2435]
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| Galaxy S III quad-core benchmarks blow us away [Video] Posted: 03 May 2012 12:28 PM PDT Oh yeah! We couldn’t forget benchmarks for the newest superphone flagship from Samsung could we? Now that Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S III with its quad-core Exynos 1.4 GHz processor we decided to run a quick benchmark just for comparison sakes. Once we get our paws on it longer we’ll have some in depth results but for now check out the results below.
Running a quick Quadrant Advanced, since it’s the most popular app, we saw an impressive average score of 5642 thanks to that quad-core processor, and once topping 5700 – WOW! The most impressive number is that input/output as that is one of the more important results, coming in at 7606. Just as comparison the dual-core AT&T HTC One X scored around 4900 from these results and occasionally over 5000, while the Tegra 3 quad-core version managed around 4800 on average. Obviously benchmarks aren’t everything, and the HTC One series, particularly the X is extremely impressive but it appears that Samsung has a real winner here. Once again taking the top spot for the benchmark crown. We can’t say for sure obviously until we get more time to run AnTuTu, and the many other popular benchmark suites for Android. When it all comes down to it though, it’s all about daily performance and both of these phones deliver. Check out the Galaxy S III from our hands-on coverage linked to below.   Device Info
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| Galaxy S III release date: May 29th in Europe Posted: 03 May 2012 12:02 PM PDT Samsung has spent the last hour telling us how great the Galaxy S III is, but they saved the real treat for last. The Galaxy S III will launch in Europe on May 29th, with a worldwide tour and release following. Samsung did not mention what the device would cost, or in which specific European countries it would be available.
As far as the rest of the world goes, Samsung has only confirmed that the Galaxy S III will be coming to the United States in both LTE and HSPA+ versions. IT’s a safe assumption that the flagship device will be headed to Asia as well, specifically South Korea, not long after the European release. The American versions are set for a vague summer release, so that’s probably when it’ll expand to the rest of the world as well. The Galaxy S III is the phone to beat right now: the specs are big and the hype is even bigger. The screen is a gigantic 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720p panel, the international version has a quad-core Exynos processor, and Samsung has packed more software features into its Android 4.0-Touchwiz build than can be recited here. For more breaking news, follow our Galaxy S III portal. Device Info
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The five initial companies are O2, Orange, Three UK, Vodafone and the UK branch of T-Mobile. Given the pricing for other high-profile phones, you can expect pricing to start in the £36 per month range on contract. Pricing for the unlocked version seems to be somewhat flexible – while Carphone Warehouse lists the phone for £499.99 with a free 32GB microSD card and charger, 
The one-minute commercial is low on specs and other hardware talk, instead 
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