Samsung Galaxy S III Spotted at FCC En-Route to T- Mobile USA - MobilEgypt

With only two weeks left until Galaxy S III is expected to hit shelves in Europe, the smartphone has been spotted at Bluetooth SIG and FCC (Federal Communication Commission), which indicates that a North American launch is closer than we might think. We reported yesterday on two Galaxy S III variants that popped up at Bluetooth SIG, possibly heading to AT&T and T-Mobile. They are known as Samsung SGH-I747 and SGH-T999, respectively. Today, T-Mobile's variant has been spotted at FCC with the 1700 MHz AWS band, along with HSPA+ support for 850 MHz and 1900 MHz WCDMA bands. It has also been confirmed that the smartphone will be launched in Canada as SGH-T999V, though we're not yet sure which carriers will pick up this model. Although Samsung failed to unveil details on the Galaxy S III exact availability in North America, it did mention the smarpthone will be available through multiple carriers “this summer.” There's a high chance that T-Mobile's Galaxy S III will be the closest to the international version in terms of hardware configuration. Even if the European variant will be shipped with Samsung's Exynos 4212 Quad SoC, we expect AT&T's model to come with LTE support. That means Samsung will have to replace its own chipset with Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 solution, which embeds LTE support. However, Samsung's Exynos chipset sports a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, the S4 packs “only” a 1.5 GHz dual core CPU. Anyway, these details have yet to be confirmed by Samsung within the next few weeks, along with the smartphone's release date. Samsung Galaxy S III will be available for purchase in two color options: Marble White and Pebble Blue. Three models will be launched this year, each with a different amount of storage: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter. Via

Résuméabuiyad

RIM Debuts BlackBerry Bold 9900 in Russia - MobilEgypt

Research In Motion (RIM) has just announced the immediate availability of BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone in Russia. Customers can now purchase the handset through RIM authorised carrier partners Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) and Vimpelcom. Although the Bold 9900 has been launched on the market for quite some time, for whatever reasons RIM decided to delay the release of the smartphone in Russia until today. The Bold 9900 will be shipped with BlackBerry 7 operating system out of the box, but it will probably receive an OS 7.1 update in the following months. BlackBerry 7 platform offers users an improved Internet browsing experience thanks to the new BlackBerry browser, which combines enhanced performance of the WebKit browser engine, along with powerful hardware improvements of the Bold 9900. According to RIM, the Bold 9900 is the first BlackBerry smartphone to be shipped with support for NFC (Near Field Communications) capability, allowing users to make mobile payments, pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags. Hardware-wise, BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the most powerful smartphone released by RIM. The smartphone is equipped with a 1.2 GHz single core QC 8655 processor, 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. In addition, the handset sports a decent 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 640 x 480 pixels resolution. There's also a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and HD (720p) video recording. “We’re excited to launch the BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone in Russia together with our partners MTS and Vimpelcom. The Bold 9900 features the new BlackBerry 7 operating system and provides users with an outstanding communications, web browsing and multimedia experience. IT managers will also benefit from the renowned enterprise-grade features of the BlackBerry solution,” said Paul Lucier, Managing Director for Russia at Research In Motion.

Résuméabuiyad

Motorola Updates Android 4.0 ICS Roadmap, Rollout Begins in Q2 - MobilEgypt

Motorola Mobility has just refreshed its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich plans with new information that might suggest the company is still struggling to release the long awaited update. Although it's not the only handset maker that has yet yet to update even a single smartphone to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the fact that Motorola continues to delay the release of upgrade doesn't look good. This is not the first time that Motorola promises to deploy the Android 4.0 ICS for some its devices, but the company failed to deliver and pushed back the the update again and again. Today, Motorola posted new details on the upcoming ICS update for all its devices, smartphones and tablets, and the things are looking bad. For example, the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX which were scheduled for an “early Q2” Android 4.0 ICS upgrade, are now expected to receive the update in the second quarter of the year. Initially slated for an Android 4.0 ICS upgrade in Q3 2012, Motorola PHOTON 4G's update has been pushed back to Q4. The same goes for Motorola XOOM Family Edition, which was originally scheduled for a Q2 ICS rollout, but now it has been postponed for the third quarter of the year. Owners of Motorola DROID 3 will be disappointed to learn that the company decided to keep the smartphone to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which means it will never get an official ICS upgrade unless Motorola changes its mind. Both Xyboard tablets have been confirmed for an Ice Cream Sandwich update in Q3 2012, while the international XOOM Wi-Fi and the US 4G version should get their updates this quarter. There are some good news as well. Motorola confirms for the first time that DROID BIONIC will receive the ICS update in “early Q3 2012.” Lots of new and old phones have also been confirmed to remain on Gingerbread, such a Motorola DEFY MINI, DEFY+, MOTOLUXE and others. For the full list of changes check out Motorola's original threa

Résuméabuiyad

RIM, Motorola try compromise in Apple nano-SIM battle - MobilEgypt

Some of the most prominent mobile companies in the world are currently working on a new standard for SIM cards. The only issue is, they can't come to an agreement. But three of those firms yesterday tried to get one step closer to an accord. According to The Verge, citing sources, RIM, Nokia, and Motorola yesterday unveiled a new concept design for the nano-SIM standard . The card itself looks similar to its elders, featuring a rectangular design with a notched corner. However, like other nano-SIM design concepts, the latest from RIM, Nokia, and Motorola is extremely small, potentially paving the way for new design concepts, and the opportunity for more storage, despite less real estate on the card's face. The new design is an important one. Apple, which has its own nano-SIM concept, couldn't come to terms with the mobile companies over the design of the standard. At a meeting back in March at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Apple brought one design concept to the table, while its competitors brought another. The original concept from Nokia, Motorola, and RIM, feature a dramatically different design that Apple took issue with. The other companies, meanwhile, didn't want to give Apple the standard straight away, potentially creating a scenario where both concepts could be used in the mobile space -- an unacceptable issue for many. So, rather than vote on the standards, ETSI announced that it had delayed the vote to decide which concept would be the new standard , pending "broad industry consensus." According to The Verge, which obtained the new design concept plans from Motorola, Nokia, and RIM, the companies have tried to compromise with Apple by bringing to its design "80 percent" of what Apple wanted. The remaining 20 percent is made up of those features the mobile companies were after. Whether Apple will accept the proposal remains to be seen. However, the companies will be meeting with each other between May 31 and June 1 in Japan to once again discuss the nano-SIM standard. Although a vote could be held that day to determine what will become the standard, it's not a definite.

Résuméabuiyad

Sprint aggressively promotes iPhone 4S unlimited plan - MobilEgypt

Sprint today is shouting its unlimited iPhone 4S data plan from the rooftops, hoping to attract Verizon customers who are hopping mad at losing their unlimited data . Starting today, you can trade in your current non-Sprint iPhone for the carrier's own model, and get at least $100 off when you sign a contract. Of course, the limited-time offer also gets you Sprint's promise of capless data access for the device, and that's what Sprint hopes will be the real draw for fed-up Verizon subscribers. Plan rates and conditions change all the time, but throughout the turmoil, carriers typically protect grandfathered plans until the customer voluntarily upgrades to a new phone or rate. Now Verizon is reportedly planning to force a move to tiered pricing plans.

Résuméabuiyad

Motorola DEFY MINI Goes Live in Australia via Optus - MobilEgypt

The smallest smartphone in the DEFY family has just landed in Australia. Motorola DEFY MINI is now available for purchase for $199 AUD on pre-paid via Dick Smith and Optus retailers. Customers who prefer to make their purchases from Kmart or Target will be able to grab the DEFY MINI beginning May 22 for the same no- term price. Although it has been tagged as a rugged Android phone, the DEFY MINI is aimed at the entry level market, which is why it’s available for such a low price. However, for a budget-friendly, Motorola DEFY MINI is quite alright, especially that it is shipped with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board. According to Motorola, the smartphone is dust- and water- resistant, so “whether it's a downpour or a spilt drink, a sandy beach or a pocket full of coins, MOTOROLA DEFY MINI is ready for whatever life throws your way.” To make things even more interesting for Android fans, the phone’s 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display (320 x 480 pixels) features Corning Gorilla Glass coating. In addition, it provides access to more than 450,000 Google Play apps and games. The handset comes packed with re-sizeable widgets and other innovative features, such as Social Graph and Activity Graph. Another strong point of the smartphone is the high-capacity 1650 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 500 hours of standby time or up to 10 hours of talk time. Motorola DEFY MINI is equipped with a low-performance 600 MHz single-core processor, which is complemented by 512MB and 512MB of ROM. The internal memory can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. On the back, the handset sports a 3- megapixel photo snapper with LED flash and video recording, while in the front, there’s a secondary VGA camera for video calls.

Résuméabuiyad

Samsung Debuts Galaxy S III Pre- Booking in India - MobilEgypt

Samsung’s Galaxy S III is getting ready to make an official appearance on shelves in India, though specific info on the handset’s arrival is still a mystery. However, it appears that users can already pre-book the smartphone to receive it as soon as it is made officially available in the country. Samsung has posted on its website a page that enables users to do so, without unveiling the necessary details on the handset’s release date or on the price tag it will feature when launched. To reserve one Galaxy S III unit, have to pay Rs. 2,000 (around $37/ 29 Euro). They will receive a coupon that can be redeemed when purchasing the device. Users who would like to take advantage of this opportunity should head over to this page on Samsung’s website to pre-book one unit. Galaxy S III has created a lot of hype event before being officially announced, and it managed to stir waters after its official unveiling as well. Samsung and its partners have already started the pre-order period for the mobile phone, and quite successfully, we might add. A recent report suggests that over 9 million Galaxy S III units have been already reserved all around the world, already making the device Samsung’s fastest selling smartphone. Running under Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, Samsung’s Galaxy S III sports a large 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen display, while being powered by a quad-core application processor. The handset arrives on shelves with 1GB of RAM and with three options of internal memory, namely 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Moreover, it can accommodate microSD memory cards of up to 64GB. The smartphone also comes with an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with LED flash and HD video recording capabilities, as well as with a 1.9MP camera on the front, for making video calls.

Résuméabuiyad