Android Community |
- Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to the US “later in 2012″
- Samsung CEO: Lawsuits won’t hinder our ability to produce the best products
- Samsung Galaxy Camera: Hands-on with the 16MP Android snapper
- Samsung Galaxy Note II revealed: We go hands-on!
- Samsung Galaxy Note II leaked – 3,100 mAh battery and all
- Sony Xperia T, V, and J smartphones announced at IFA
- Sony Xperia Tablet S gets official with Tegra 3 and ICS for $400
- Archos GamePad 7-inch ICS tablet announced with physical buttons
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi getting Android 4.0 ICS
- Isis mobile payments coming in September
- LG Optimus G gets official with quad-core, 2GB RAM, and True HD IPS+ Display
- T-Mobile explains what it will do with Isis NFC capabilities
- We’re here live at IFA 2012: Here’s what to expect
| Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to the US “later in 2012″ Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:31 AM PDT If you’re one of the many excited about the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone phablet we have both good and bad news. The good news is Samsung announced it today and it’s awesome. The bad news is as we expected it won’t be arriving in the US right away. Samsung today has just shed some light on what we can expect in terms of a US launch.
Before we break your hearts with the bad news you’ll want to check out the tons of pictures and details in our full our Galaxy Note II hands-on. Samsung has detailed the parts of Europe, Korea, Asia and other international markets will all get the Galaxy Note II starting in Q3 — so any time now. Sadly for those in the US the wait will be a bit longer. Here’s what Samsung US had to say:
The details were rather thin as you can see above, but they specifically mention later in 2012. How much later we don’t exactly know but are hopeful for a late October release date. The Galaxy S III received great praises from everyone and Samsung managed to get all carriers on board in a friendly manor. While we don’t expect the Galaxy Note II to launch on all carriers like the S3, there is a good chance we’ll see more than one adopt the large 5.5-inch phablet into their lineup. Again this 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED smartphone packs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box and a quad-core 1.6 GHz processor — so surely many are excited to get their hands on it. We’ll be sure to follow along with all the details and will update the minute we know more. Stay tuned for more Samsung news live from IFA 2012.
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| Samsung CEO: Lawsuits won’t hinder our ability to produce the best products Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:11 AM PDT Samsung is rather busy this morning announcing a slew of new products and devices onto the world and Android scene. While speaking on stage here in Berlin, Germany for Samsung Unpacked during IFA 2012 Samsung’s CEO made it clear that the Apple lawsuit won’t cause any problems. And took the chance to take a shot at Apple — claiming Samsung makes the best products in the industry. We’d have to agree!
Essentially while speaking on stage Samsung’s CEO mentioned the word “hindrance” and would like to let the world know that broken patent laws won’t be stopping or slowing them down anytime soon. Just not in those words. Obviously with the Galaxy Note II in a league of its own and now the Galaxy Camera, Samsung will continue to innovate. Here’s what Samsung’s CEO said live on stage:
In a very subtle way he let it be known that Samsung produces the best products in the industry, and no one — including Apple — will stand in their way. I’m glad to see them standing up and having a strong showing today, and can’t wait to see the Galaxy S IV. Yup I just went there. We don’t want to focus on the negative things in the world of Android and technology — like these ridiculous lawsuits — but will continue to update you all as we hear more regarding fines and possible device bans nationwide. For now stay tuned for anything else from IFA as we are here live capturing all the details. Stay tuned or follow along at our IFA 2012 Hub!
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| Samsung Galaxy Camera: Hands-on with the 16MP Android snapper Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:30 AM PDT Samsung has thrown its Android and point-and-shoot digital camera teams together, and come up with the Galaxy Camera, an 16-megapixel Android-based snapper with a 21x optical zoom. At first glance more akin to a camera than a phone, the Galaxy Camera includes a 4.8-inch 1280 x 720 HD Super LCD and a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS, paired with a 23mm wide angle lens and an optical zoom unheard of on handsets.
The TouchWiz UI isn’t the only thing shared with devices like the Galaxy S III: the Galaxy Camera also has WiFi and 3G/4G (in HSPA+ flavor) though it can’t be used as a phone. Instead, Samsung expects users to edit shots on-camera – there’s a 35 tool editing suite built in – and then upload them to their favorite social networking site (or indeed email or a cloud backup service). Alternatively there’s WiFi Direct for device-to-device sharing.
Beginners get plenty of tools to eke the best out of the camera as part of the Smart Pro 10: it can shoot multiple frames and allow different faces from each frame to be combined, as well as streamlining awkward scenes like fast-moving water. Reviewing them is via the standard Android gallery, but updated with various intelligent tools: the Galaxy Camera can identify faces, sort shots into folders automatically, suggest which photos are subpar and prompt their deletion, and allows for searching by time, location or who is pictured.
Experts, meanwhile, get manual control over ISO, exposure, aperture and more, and the sizable touchscreen makes tweaking them – or, indeed, browsing the web, writing emails, or using third-party apps like Instagram – simple. You can shoot photos and video simultaneously, though we found the optical zoom was more sluggish while recording clips than when framing for stills. Samsung Galaxy Camera hands-on: Samsung is in talks with carriers regarding subsidy deals for the Galaxy Camera’s 3G/4G connectivity, and isn’t able to confirm which it will be partnering with when the snapper hits shelves sometime in Q4 2012. Pricing, too, is unconfirmed, though we’re told to expect a “premium” tag and we’re guessing upward of $500.                                                
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| Samsung Galaxy Note II revealed: We go hands-on! Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, the sequel to the Galaxy Note “phablet,” has been officially announced, a 5.5-inch update that makes the pen-equipped device even more useful to digital note-takers. Smoothing out the original Note’s blunt edges with a Galaxy S III-inspired curved casing, yet still managing to be just 9.4mm thick and 180g, the Note II boosts screen size by 0.2-inches as well, though notches down the resolution to 1280 x 720.
Inside, there’s a 1.6GHz quadcore processor, 2GB of RAM and 16/32/64GB of storage. The Note II runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, too, again with Samsung’s TouchWiz modifications and some pen-specific apps like S Note. The pen, too, has seen some changes: it still fits into a silo in the body of the phone, but is longer and fatter, and has a soft rubber tip for more comfortable writing and sketching.
The Note II’s battery has also been enlarged, now 3,100 mAh which Samsung says will both charge faster and run longer, and there’s NFC along with the usual WiFi and cellular connectivity. Samsung hasn’t confirmed exact 3G/4G bands and carriers, though our guess would be a similar range of operators and versions as for the original Note. Software wise, Samsung has focused on enhancing the pen experience across the device. Hover the S Pen nib over a text message, gallery album or calendar entry, for instance, and they’ll expand in a pop-up preview showing more details, which Samsung calls Air View. The same system can be used hovering over a video playback timeline, showing thumbnails to make skipping to specific points more straightforward. There’s the same Popup Play floating video window as on the Galaxy S III, too, which makes a little more sense on the larger screen of the Note II, and shows just how powerful Samsung’s processor is. We noticed no lag even when trying other apps simultaneously. Other enhancements include the ability to jot down notes and reminders on the “back” of photos taken with the Note II’s 8-megapixel camera, support for video annotations to documents (handy when you need to walk someone through changes needed to a presentation), and a new gallery which shows both folders and folder-contents on a single screen. There’s Facebook calendar integration into Samsung’s S Calendar app, too.
Pull the S Pen out of its silo and the Popup Note dialog loads automatically for fast reminders. Hold down the barrel button on the stylus and swipe up from the bottom of the display, meanwhile, and you get Quick Command: write “@ Jason” for instance, a brief message, and an email will automatically opened, with contacts called Jason pre-populated for your selection, and the message in the body of the mail. It works well, and you can set your own shortcuts – “W” to toggle WiFi on or off, for instnace – if Samsung’s presets aren’t sufficient, though you need to be using Samsung’s own email app, not Google’s Gmail app, which could be a deal-breaker for some.
In short, though, it’s everything we liked about the original Galaxy Note, with the slicker aesthetics of the Galaxy S III and the benefits of a bigger screen with no real compromise on physical bulk. No word on pricing or specific availability beyond Q1 2013, when it will arrive in marble white and titanium grey, but the Note II certainly confirms that the “phablet” isn’t going anywhere. [Samsung US gave us the following statement on Note II availability]
                                                                                
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| Samsung Galaxy Note II leaked – 3,100 mAh battery and all Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:54 AM PDT It looks like Samsung’s brand new and exciting flagship Galaxy Note II phablet smartphone has been leaked hours before their official announcement. Uh Oh! The new Galaxy Note II with its massive 5.5-inch display and quad-core processor (according to rumors) has now all been confirmed in some leaks thanks to those sneaky guys at PocketNow.
Apparently they have received a few official press photos and full details on Samsung’s upcoming announcement — which is just hours away mind you. The Galaxy Note II will be unveiled during Samsung Unpacked later today but we have the full details right now. This phone sure looks great, and they’ve managed to keep the overall size down too. Here’s the details. Just like recent rumors the Galaxy Note II will come complete with a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, only this time it won’t be 1280 x 800. Instead it will actually be lower than the original, coming in at 1280 x 720p with a true 16:9 aspect ratio. This means it will be a little larger and not quite as wide as before which should make most users happy. The Samsung Exynos quad-core processor isn’t completely confirmed, but the leak states it will rock a 1.6 GHz quad-core so Samsung’s own is the likely choice. Other specs include 2GB of RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera, 1.9 front camera for self portraits, and a massive 3,100 mAh battery. Yes even bigger than the original while having a more efficient screen, more efficient but powerful processor, and a larger screen. Yes please! We are hearing 16, 32, and 64GB storage options. Coming in Marble White or the newly announced Titanium Grey color options — but we have a feeling they’ll offer it in Pebble Blue too. The leakster confirms Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, and an early October launch in Europe with the quad-core, followed by 4G LTE models in the US shortly. Here’s to hoping it comes to Verizon Wireless. The official press event and Samsung Unpacked is coming up shortly to stay tuned as we’ll have PLENTY of video and hands-on of the all new Galaxy Note II ourselves. Stay tuned!  
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| Sony Xperia T, V, and J smartphones announced at IFA Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT Sony has just kicked off our week of IFA news with their new Xperia lineup. Announcing new devices in both their smartphone and tablet categories. In a quick and rather light on details event they announced their all new Xperia line to round out 2012 with the all new Xperia T, V, and J — and yes those are the official names.
Sony’s new flagship “global” smartphone will be the Xperia T which will offer the best experience of the above mentioned devices, but will also be the most expensive. They followed that with a quick announcement regarding their all new Xperia J that will be their budget oriented smartphone. I couldn’t help notice in their image of the J (below) it shows both capacitive and on-screen nav buttons. Oh oh! Then last but not least we have the middle-of-the-road Sony Xperia V that will offer a perfect balance of price/performance, and even 4G LTE capabilities. They were rather light on details in general, and didn’t give us much details to explain the difference between the devices but we are heading out for hands-on as we speak.
The Xperia T is the flagship model with a 4.6-inch 1280 x 720p HD Bravia Engine display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, NFC support (for new NFC enabled speakers and headphones) and it’s soo cool it will be rocking out with James Bond for that upcoming Sony Pictures film. We’ll be getting hands-on shortly so stay tuned.   
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| Sony Xperia Tablet S gets official with Tegra 3 and ICS for $400 Posted: 29 Aug 2012 07:53 AM PDT All those leaked pictures and slideshows we saw earlier this month turned out to be quite accurate. Kicking off IFA 2012 here in Berlin, Germany, Sony has just started the week with a slew of announcements. The first one comes in the form of their tablets. They’ll be rebranded into the “Xperia” line and it all starts with the sleek Sony Xperia Tablet S.
Sony is building off the success of their first Tablet S with its unique magazine style curved design. This time however they’re offering more power, better performance, a newer version of Android and a sleeker, thinner, and lighter device. Meet the brand new redesigned Sony Xperia Tablet S.
Sony just made the Xperia Tablet S official and the specs are rather decent. It will be rocking the same overall shape and design as the original, only this time they’ve replaced that cheap feeling plastic for a lightweight and durable aluminum. We have the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, up to 64GB storage options, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, and even an IR blaster to control those Sony TV’s throughout the house too. The Sony Xperia Tablet S will be available starting September 7th with the 16GB model hitting the streets at $399, 32GB for $500, and 64GB for $600. Sony has announced pre-orders will be available earlier today and we’ll update once we know more. Pricing is a bit steep if you ask us, especially given the recent budget aimed tablets that manage to still be awesome — like the Nexus 7. Sony also has a wide array of NFC capable speakers and headphones coming soon, as well as covers, stands, and docks as shown in the pictures below. We’ll surely be getting some hands-on time soon so stay tuned!       
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| Archos GamePad 7-inch ICS tablet announced with physical buttons Posted: 29 Aug 2012 05:35 AM PDT Archos has had a busy month here in August with their new lineup of Android tablets. One however that completely went under the radar has finally been unveiled this morning. Archos just announced their all new ultimate gaming tablet they are calling the Archos GamePad. This is a 7-inch dual-core tablet with built-in physical controls and analog sticks. Check it out below.
Archos is calling this “a new type of tablet experience” by bringing dedicated game controls to Android. You have dedicated buttons and even analog sticks for precision driving in games like Asphalt 7: Heat. As you can clearly see above this has the usual Archos look with a little added gaming presence. You can see the usual analog sticks, d-pad, and 4 button options but then there’s an addition two buttons we aren’t too sure about. The Archos GamePad will have full access to the Google Play Store, will be running on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and they’ve designed a dedicated mapping system to make every game run with ease. Under the hood the gaming tablet will rock an unknown 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and the Mali 400mp quad-core GPU for gaming graphics. Most likely this will be a Texas Instruments processor but we can’t be sure at this point. Archos also points out they’ve developed a mapping and game recognition tool that will automatically make almost all popular and recent Android games fully compatible with their GamePad, and users can customize it to their liking too. Archos claims over 1000 popular games already have full support and work great. We don’t have any additional details at this time but Archos promises their all new next-gen gaming tablet will be available starting at the end of October for less than 150 Euros. That equals out to be around $179 USD. Expect us to get one in for a full Android Community review so stay tuned.
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi getting Android 4.0 ICS Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:43 PM PDT Another Samsung Galaxy Tab is in for a tasty frozen treat today. For those that own the happy-medium sized Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi tablet you will be happy to know that Samsung has just started pushing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out to the slate this afternoon. This comes just after the 7.7 and 10.1-inch models received the same fate.
Yup, the Galaxy Tab 10′s smaller sibling that didn’t get too much attention is finally getting treated right today. Personally 8.9-inches was the perfect size tablet for me, but no one has ventured back into this size range since Samsung initially did. I’m still hopeful Google makes an 8.9″ Nexus tablet.
Now as you can see above the update is already rolling out for users as we speak. Sadly this is only for the WiFi model and the 10 few people who purchased the overpriced AT&T 4G HSPA+ model will have to wait a few more weeks — or months. The update will run you about 314MB in size and only take a few minutes to install. As usual we’ll have Android 4.0 ICS and Samsung’s own Touch Wiz UX interface changes. Samsung announced all their tablets would see updates to Ice Cream Sandwich in August, and for the most part they’ve been successful on that timeline other than the few with carrier interaction. Lucky for tablet owners this update isn’t only available on Kies and can be downloaded and installed completely over the air like previous updates. If you don’t want to wait head to a PC with Kies or jump into Settings > About device > Software update to check for updates. Let us know how the update goes and if you have any issues. Device Info
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| Isis mobile payments coming in September Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:21 PM PDT There’s been a lot of talk as of late regarding mobile payment systems. Google Wallet is probably the most widely known but the lack of carrier support has caused them some issues. That is where Isis comes is. Isis is a new mobile payment system we’ve been waiting for that is part of a joint effort from carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all tossing huge sums of money their way. New details claim it could launch in September.
Earlier today T-Mobile updated their Galaxy S II with Isis and NFC support, being the first device to openly announce and support Isis, but they aren’t the only ones. According to Bloomberg Isis will be launching nationwide starting in September, and supports multiple devices already so we should be hearing more very soon. According to Droid-Life there is already a list of approved for Isis mobile payments (wallet) support. Since the Now Network is the only Google Wallet supporter they aren’t included here. This is the initial device support list for Isis when (and if) it launches next month.
That is a pretty small list if you ask us, but at least it’s a good start. Sadly I don’t see the Galaxy Nexus listed — but I’ve been using Wallet on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus for months. Hopefully over the past few months Isis has received a major overhaul because if the image above is any indication, their user interface is terrible. Google Wallet has came a long ways and is quite awesome if you ask me. It supports all major credit cards too. Bloomberg reported that Austin, TX, and Salt Lake City, Utah, will be among the first locations to receive support with more soon to follow. I don’t know about you guys but we are big fans of Google Wallet here at Android Community, we just wish they’d take off and get carriers on board. Stay tuned as we’ll be learning more about Isis and their plans soon.
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| LG Optimus G gets official with quad-core, 2GB RAM, and True HD IPS+ Display Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT The device you’re about to hear about and see below has finally been made official by the folks from LG. The word out of South Korea has now confirmed the LG Optimus G will be a powerhouse smartphone. We’ve seen multiple rumors on this device over the last few weeks, and will finally see it in the flesh this week at IFA 2012.
Last night LG officially announced their new flagship quad-core device named the Optimus G. This Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core packing device also has 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera, and 4G LTE connectivity. Imagine the power behind the Galaxy S III or HTC One X except doubled, that is what Qualcomm’s new S4 Pro quad-core brings to the table.
One of the other important parts of this story that many aren’t mentioning is the display. LG’s new “in-cell” technology tossed into this devices new TrueHD IPS+ display is supposed to be highly impressive. The 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 display should be brighter than anything around, while having some of the best and most vivid colors yet. The screen technology brings the display and colors closer to the surface for better sensitivity and colors, as well as lets it get much closer to the thin 3mm bezel — making devices thinner and smaller. The same screen is rumored to be used on the next iPhone. LG posted a few teaser videos about this phone last week, and Qualcomm confirmed it was headed to market in September internationally, followed by a US launch in October. IFA 2012 is just getting started tomorrow in Berlin, Germany, and surely we’ll be getting a look at the all new Optimus G so stay tuned for our hands-on and first impressions. We also are still expecting this phone to hit AT&T as the LG Eclipse 4G LTE. [via SlashGear]
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| T-Mobile explains what it will do with Isis NFC capabilities Posted: 28 Aug 2012 03:05 PM PDT Today, T-Mobile announced that it was rolling out an Isis/NFC update to the Samsung Galaxy S II. Most of us already know that NFC is used for commerce, and while T-Mobile thinks that’s great, it has outlined its plan for NFC now that its showing up on its phones. To hear T-Mobile explain it, the roll out of NFC is more than just a joint venture with Isis to challenge Google Wallet.
T-Mobile instead wants its customers to use NFC for more than just mobile payments. On the T-Mobile Issues & Insights Blog, the company outlined three different ways it envisions customers using NFC. The first, obviously, is turning your phone into something of a mobile wallet. We saw that coming from a mile away thanks to the team up with Isis, but in the blog post, T-Mobile explains other potential uses, such as using your phone to store membership cards and IDs, and giving merchants the opportunity to offer special discounts through NFC. Another application T-Mobile envisions is using NFC as your “key for access and content.” Specifically, T-Mobile brings up the possibility of using NFC to replace your key and tickets, meaning that you’d be able to use NFC for easy access to your car and shows. Finally, T-Mobile suggests that customers may be able to automate simple tasks with NFC. The example the company gives discusses getting into your car after work and then opening up a traffic map and sending a text message to all of your family members to tell them that you’re on the way with a single tap. T-Mobile warns that all of this “won’t happen overnight” but says that its currently working to roll out these features as quickly as it can. The company says that it already has secure SIM cards meant for storing personal information that will be used with NFC, so it sounds like it won’t be long before these NFC capabilities T-Mobile is touting become a reality. Stay tuned, because we’ll have more information on T-Mobile’s NFC roll out soon. Device Info
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| We’re here live at IFA 2012: Here’s what to expect Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:07 PM PDT It’s that time of the year again. Saying hello from Berlin, Germany, we’re here at IFA 2012 to capture all the exciting Android news live as it happens. What is IFA you ask? It is essentially the European rival to CES and is an annual event bringing you the latest smartphones, tablets, Smart TV’s and other gadgets. Here’s what to expect this year.
Things will slowly get kicked off this evening, with all the good stuff getting truly under way Wednesday starting with Samsung. This is expected to be one of the biggest IFA events in history, but that won’t all be Android so we’ll just bring you details on what’s important to us. If you want to stay tuned on everything happening be sure and check out our sister site SlashGear. Lets recap shall we? Last year Samsung stole the show with the unveiling of a new handset segment that is now known as a “phablet” with their larger than usual 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note. They also teased everyone with an awesome sized 7.7-inch Android tablet, but that quickly disappeared from the IFA floor thanks to Apple, and was later released nationwide.
What can we expect this year? Lots of stuff! We’ll start with Samsung, well, because they’ll probably be stealing the show again this year with the Galaxy Note 2. The even larger phablet will come in with a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display — which is huge — a quad-core Samsung Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and be super thin too. Lets not forget that S-Pen stylus either. Then there is rumors of a Samsung smart camera powered by Android, and they’ll be showing off their recently announced Galaxy Player 5.8-inch media device. Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 in Berlin kicks off Wednesday at 10:00 PST, 1:00 EST — followed by an international press conference Thursday. Surely they’ll have much more than that to show, but we’re just focusing on Android here. Next up would have to be LG simply because they’ve been making the most noise. LG’s brand new Optimus G superphone should also rock the show. LG and Qualcomm have been talking up their next flagship phone, and with good reason. The LG Optimus G will be the first smartphone powered with Qualcomm’s new S4 Pro quad-core processor, as well as LG’s TrueHD IPS+ display. LG’s display tech should be more efficient, brighter than anything available, and has a new process that makes the screen appear closer for stunning graphics, colors, and visuals. We’re excited for that phone and hope they’ll make a big reveal so we can get our paws all over it.
HTC however, hasn’t had much of an exciting year in 2012 other than the HTC ONE series they debuted back in February. We haven’t heard much on their front but a few new budget devices like the HTC Desire X should make an appearance, and whatever else they’ve been hiding. I’m hoping they’ll show off the HTC phablet we’ve heard plenty of rumors about. Overall we are expecting a pretty great show this year, especially from Samsung. They might have their new Galaxy S III color options on display too. We can also expect some announcements and products from the folks at Sony, Toshiba, ViewSonic, and plenty other Android manufacturers. Remember that Android Community and our sister site SlashGear are here live to capture all the exciting news as it happens. For all the news direct from the showroom floor you’ll want to stay tuned to our IFA 2012 Hub.
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