Samsung Releases Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade List

Congratulation! Those who are Samsung phone and tablet users can now enjoy the new update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a couple of notable exceptions. The users can see which devices are on the list to receive the latest flavor of Android.

As Daniel Ionescu (PCW) reported that the latest series of Samsung Android phones will be graced with Android 4.0, if you have a Galaxy S, an original 7-inch Galaxy Tab or if you are a T-Mobile customer, you may be out of luck.

Samsung posted on its support pages a comprehensive list of specifics for the Ice Cream Sandwich update in the U.S., saying it is in close communication with both Google and carriers to upgrade devices to Android 4.0 “as quickly and as smoothly as possible.”

On AT&T, Android Ice Cream Sandwich is coming for the Galaxy S II, S II Skyrocket, the Galaxy Note, Glide, Nexus S and the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab. For Sprint, the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch is set to get the update, while Ice Cream Sandwich for the Nexus S 4G is already available.

For AT&T subscribers, the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Captivate Glide, and Nexus S smartphones are listed, as is the Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet. The half-phone/half-tablet Galaxy Note is on the list as well.

Verizon customers who own the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet are also destined for Ice Cream Sandwich.

The ICS update is already available for Sprint subscribers who own the Nexus S 4G, while those with the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch are still on the waiting list.

Users of the Wi-Fi-only versions of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and Galaxy Tab 10.1 are due for the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

But T-Mobile customers are in limbo, with no specific devices listed as of yet. Samsung reports that it's been in touch with T-Mobile to make sure eligible devices receive Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming months and will provide more details when available.

Gadget Your Life

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Sony Xperia™ Sola: The Price, Features and Specs of Magic Smarthphone 2012

Sony one of the best brand of gadget in the world seems to have been revitalized after their riven from the Sony Ericsson partnership, and during the recently decided Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, they introduce a trio of new Xperia smartphones that run off the Android operating system. Sony Mobile Communications announced Xperia™ sola as the latest addition to its portfolio of Android powered Xperia smartphones.  It is completed with Sony technology, premium entertainment and innovative floating touch™ navigation, the NFC enabled Xperia sola comes equipped with Xperia SmartTags, allowing consumers to change their smartphone's settings and applications to fit their lifestyle in an instant. Xperia sola will be available to consumers globally in black, white and red in the second quarter.  

The advance screen allows the starters’ finger can just hover above the display, allowing it to function like a moving cursor without having to actually touch the display itself. Once it finds the desired link, it can be highlighted using a simple tap, where the page will load afterwards. This will definitely pave the way for new user functionality as well as applications via software updates and engagement with developers. All you need to do is touch an NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, and a pre-configured profile in the smartphone will launch. The two SmartTags that come with the Xperia sola can be personalized with up to 10 commands.

The 3.7″ Reality Display is powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine, xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology, a 1GHz dual-core processor, a fast capture camera, and access to Sony Entertainment Network. I am rather surprised to hear that the Xperia sola will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, although it is comforting to hear that an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is coming your way when summer 2012 rolls around.

A floating touch of magic

Making its smartphone debut exclusively on Xperia sola, Sony's unique floating touch lets consumers navigate the web by hovering their finger above the screen so it acts like a moving curser, without actually having to touch the screen. Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page. Floating touch will evolve with new user functionality and applications through software updates and engagement with developers.

The Head of Xperia Marketing for Sony Mobile Communications, Calum MacDougall, said "Xperia sola comes with the power of Sony and a sense of magic with floating touch, giving consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off. With Xperia SmartTags out of the box and access to the latest content through Sony Entertainment Network, Xperia sola is perfect for consumers looking for ease of use and the best in entertainment in a smart and innovative smartphone."

Simplify the everyday with SmartTags

Xperia sola is NFC enabled and comes with two NFC Xperia SmartTags in the box as standard to simplify consumers' everyday smartphone experiences. By touching an NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, a pre-configured profile in the smartphone will launch. The two SmartTags included with Xperia sola can be personalized with up to 10 commands. Out of the box one is ready for the living room to turn on Wi-Fi™ and launch Google™ news and weather apps, and the other one for the bedroom, which turns on the alarm and switches to silent mode. Xperia sola supports NFC pairing, allowing consumers to enjoy great connectivity with other NFC smartphones, applications and services by tapping their smartphones together.  

Powerful entertainment anytime, anywhere

Xperia sola boasts razor sharp clarity with Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, xLOUD™ and 3D surround sound audio technology delivering crisp and loud sound, and a 1GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance.  Xperia sola also comes with fast capture to take the camera from sleep to snap in a little over a second with a single key press.  

Sony users can also access premium entertainment experiences with Sony Entertainment Network, where they can watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters on Video Unlimited or listen to millions of songs through Music Unlimited.  

·       Launches on Android platform 2.3, upgrade to Android 4.0 during summer 2012

Sony Xperia™ sola Specification

The specification here may not be different from other sites, so please compare with the others.

    Colours            Black

                            White

                            Red

    Facts               Size: 116 x 59 x 9.9 mm

                            Weight: 107 grams

                            1 GHz STE U8500 dual-core processor

                            Google Android(TM) 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable

                            to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

    Camera            2D and 3D Sweep Panorama(TM)

                            5 megapixel camera

                            16x digital zoom

                            Auto focus

                            Face detection

                            Flash/Photo flash

                            Geotagging

                            HD video recording (720p)

                            Red-eye reduction

                            Self-timer

                            Send to web

                            Smile detection

                            Video light

                            Video recording

    Music               3D surround sound

                            Album art

                            Bluetooth(TM) stereo (A2DP)

                            Clear bass

                            Clear stereo

                            Music Player

                            PlayNow(TM) service

                            SensMe(TM)

                            TrackID(TM) music recognition

                            xLoud(TM) Experience

    Internet           Google play(TM)

                            Bookmarks

                            floating touch(TM)

                            Google(TM) search

                            Google Voice(TM) Search

                            Google Maps(TM) for Mobile with

                            Street view and Latitude(TM)

                            NeoReader(TM) barcode scanner

                            Pan & zoom

                            Web browser (WebKit(TM))

  Communication 2 speakerphones

                            Call list

                            Conference calls

                            Facebook(TM) application

                            Facebook inside Xperia(TM)

                            Google Talk(TM) application

                            Noise suppression

                            Twitter(TM) (with Timescape(TM) integration)

                            Xperia(TM) Timescape(TM)

    Messaging       Conversations

                            Email

                            Google Mail(TM)

                            Instant messaging

                            Multimedia messaging (MMS)

                            Predictive text input

                            Sound recorder

                            Text messaging (SMS)

    Design             Auto rotation

                            Gesture input

                            Keyboard (on-screen, QWERTY)

                            Live Wallpaper

                            Picture wallpaper

                            Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA(R) Engine

                            Screenshot capturing

                            Touch screen

    Entertainment 3D Album

                            Accelerated Adobe Flash Video

                            Media browser

                            Motion gaming

                            Radio (FM radio with RDS)

                            Sony Entertainment Network

                            Video streaming

                            YouTube(TM)

    Organiser        Airplane mode

                            Alarm clock

                            Calculator

                            Calendar

                            Contacts

                            Document readers

                            Notes

                            Setup guide

                            Stopwatch

                            Tasks

                            Timer

    Connectivity    3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA)

                            aGPS

                            Bluetooth(TM) wireless technology

                            DLNA Certified(R)

                            Micro USB support

                            Media Go(TM)

                            Media Transfer Protocol support

                            Modem

                            Native USB tethering

                            NFC

                            PC Companion

                            Synchronisation via Microsoft(R) Exchange

                            ActiveSync(R)

                            USB High speed 2.0 support

                            USB Host

                            Wi-Fi(R)

                            Wi-Fi(R) Hotspot functionality

                            Wisepilot(TM) turn-by-turn navigation

                            All services mentioned in this leaflet may not be

                            available in every market.

                            3.7" Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA(R) Engine

    Display            854 x 480 pixels

                            16,000,000 colour TFT

                            Scratch-resistant glass

    Memory           8 GB internal storage (up to 5 GB user-accessible

                            memory)

                            microSD(TM) memory card slot (supporting up to

                            32GB)

    Networks         Quad EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850, 900, 1800

                            W-CDMA Band I, II, V and VIII

    Battery life      Talk time GSM: Up to 6 hrs*

                            Standby time GSM: Up to 470 hrs*

                            Talk time UMTS: Up to 5 hrs*

                            Standby time UMTS: Up to 475 hrs*

                            Music listening time: Up to 40 hrs

                            Video playback time: Up to 6 hrs

                            Battery: 1320 mAh (built-in) typical, 1265 mAh

                            minimum

                            *Values are according to GSM Association Battery

                            Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance

                            may vary depending on network conditions and

                            configurations, and phone usage.

    In the kit         Xperia(TM) sola, embedded battery, 2 SmartTags,

                            stereo headset, charger, micro USB cable for

                            charging, synchronisation and file transfer, and

                            user documentation.

    Price                The price has not been announced formally yet.          

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