Xperia Play finally lands at O2 UK, available in black or white

Tweet

It took a while, but that O2-exclusive white Xperia Play is finally with us. Earlier this month, the UK carrier had promised to deliver the Play in June, but evidently things have gone better than expected, as we now see "in stock" signage next to both the black and white models of Sony Ericsson's gaming phone. Pricing is identical for both color variants, starting at "free" when attached to expensive (£34 per month) two-year contracts and peaking at £430 ($702) on pre-pay deals. O2 also throws in a matching multimedia dock plus three bonus games to sweeten the deal. We're guessing that Android 2.3.3 update that Sony Ericsson just rolled out for the Xperia Play might finally have allayed O2's software concerns, which has allowed it to now start selling the device in earnest.  

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S II Tops iPhone 4 This Month in UK

Tweet

The Samsung Galaxy S II was released earlier this month and it has already  passed up the iPhone 4 in the UK. Yay! That much is according to uSwitch.com, anyway, who monitors sales and mobile searches. Is this really a victory for Samsung, though? The iPhone 4 was released last summer to all regions and still sits in the top three list next to Samsung and HTC. To keep such a spot for so long is a victory in and of itself. I’m obviously playing devil’s advocate for Apple here (I know, how blasphemous) but facts are facts. Here’s hoping Samsung (or any other Android manufacturer) can stay on top for the long haul. [IntoMobile] 

Read More

BeBook Live 7-inch Android tablet coming June 21 in UK

Tweet

We have already talked quite a bit about the BeBook Live tablet that runs Android. We mentioned earlier this month that the launch date was tipped for this summer. What we didn’t have then was the actual launch date to mark in our calendars. That official launch date has now been revealed by BeBook as June 21. That date comes from an email BeBook sent out in the UK.

That email also had the RRP for the BeBook Live at £229. The price in the States has been pegged at $280. That will make it a very reasonably priced Android device that may prove to be quite popular. The device has Android 2.2 onboard. The machine has a 1GHz Samsung Cortex processor under the hood as well. In all the hardware is very nice considering the price the tablet will sell for. The tablet has a 7-inch multitouch screen, and the resolution is 800×600.
Other hardware specs include 512MB of SDRAM, 4GB of internal flash storage and a microSD card slot. As is typical, that microSD card slot will support up to 32GB cards. The front camera on the device will allow for video conferencing and chat, and it has HDMI output. The BeBook Live should prove to be just as hackable as the Nook Color and I think it will end up being popular with people looking for an entry-level tablet with decent hardware.

Read More

LG Optimus Pad arrives in UK today

Tweet

The HTC Flyer isn’t the only tablet arriving in the UK today. Carphone Warehouse has confirmed that the LG Optimus Pad – aka the T-Mobile G-Slate in the US – is now on sale, offering Android 3.0 Honeycomb and a 3D camera array for stills and video.

Your money gets you a 10.1-inch display – which can show 3D footage, as long as you wear the bundled red/cyan glasses – along with twin cameras, WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth. Inside is NVIDIA’s dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset.
The Optimus Pad will be available from £299.99 on a £25 per month (24 month) contract, which includes 5GB of data, or for £749.99 stand alone. 

Read More

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 getting Android 2.3.3 update in Italy

Tweet
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a nice little tablet by most standards. The device has a nice screen even if that screen might be too small for some users that are more apt to want the larger 10-inch screen that are on tablets like the iPad and others. One of the biggest complaints of some users about the Tab is the older version of the Android OS that the machine uses. The Tab shipped with Android 2.2 onboard. I am sure that a lot of users were hoping that the Android 3.0 update make it to the Galaxy Tab soon. Before the 3.0 update comes, Samsung has upped the OS to Gingerbread.

As of now in Italy, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is getting the Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update rolled out. Apparently, users in Italy can download the update via KIES for their Tab and then walk away running 2.3.3. Any readers from Italy be sure and let us know how the update went if you have done it. The ROM landed yesterday for download.
The new firmware version is P1000XXJPZ. The firmware should bring some new features that fans of the Tab will enjoy. There isn’t any word on the update landing in other countries, but if it has hit Italy already, it should be coming elsewhere before you know it.

Read More

Samsung confirms Galaxy S II NFC version for UK in June

Tweet
Samsung is apparently preparing to bring the NFC-enabled version of the Galaxy S II to the UK next month, having initially launched the Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone in its non-NFC form. The decision was apparently confirmed by two Samsung support staff, who told one would-be GSII customer that “the NFC [model] would be launched in the UK by June.”

However, they also confirmed that Samsung has no plans to launch the 32GB version of the GSII in the UK, despite the higher-capacity model being available in other regions. Instead, the UK will be stuck with the 16GB model only, though of course that can be expanded using up to 32GB microSD cards.
It’s unclear if the NFC decision means that there will be two versions of the Galaxy S II co-existing in the UK market – some NFC-enabled, others not – or if the updated model will replace the original. That could frustrate early-adopters, however, who will see those coming later to the GSII game picking up a handset eventually capable of wireless payments and other talents.

Read More

LG Optimus Black Debuts In Europe This Month

Tweet

GoAndroid first leaked the LG B on in December and a month later it was officially announced as the the LG Optimus Black at CES in Las Vegas, following up with an appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It has yet to find its way to store shelves, but LG just published a press release announcing it’s in-transit to Europe and will be available later this month, having already received pre-orders in 50 different countries.

The LG Optimus Black is ridiculously thin, measuring only .36-inches thick, and rocking a super bright screen, 1GHz processor, and 5MP camera. Full press release follows:

SEOUL, May 8, 2011 - The LG Optimus Black, the stylishly slim and lightweight Android smartphone featuring the unique NOVA display, will make its international debut in Europe later this month.
Following successful unveilings at the Consumer Electronics Show and the Mobile World Congress, the LG Optimus Black has attracted pre-orders from 56 network carriers in 50 different countries. The phone will be available globally across six continents beginning in Europe before heading to North America and Asia.
"For smartphone users who appreciate both style and substance, the LG Optimus Black offers beauty, performance and mobility in one smart package," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "LG Optimus Black is a significant addition to our global Optimus portfolio and we think it’ll prove to be one of our most popular phones."
Introducing LG’s new NOVA display technology, the LG Optimus Black provides optimal brightness and clarity that allows for enhanced readability. With higher levels of brightness and true blacks and whites for ideal handset viewing, the NOVA screen provides a more natural experience for web browsing while reducing power consumption by 50 percent during general indoor use compared to conventional LCDs.
The sleek design of the phone is accentuated by the flush finish of the seamless 4-inch display to offer a smooth, undisrupted surface. This is complemented by the slim 9.2mm body and its unparalleled weight of only 109g.
The black version of LG Optimus Black will be available first followed by white and pink versions which will be introduced next month.
For more information and product images, please visit www.lgnewsroom.com.
Key Specifications:
* 4-inch NOVA Display (700 nits brightness)
* Dimensions:122 x 64 x 9.2mm
* Weight: 109g
* 1GHz processor (Texas Instruments OMAP3)
* Wi-Fi Direct
* 5MP Rear Camera / 2MP Front Facing Camera
* Gesture UI powered by Gyro-sensor
* 2GB Internal Memory and Micro SD up to 32GB
* 1,500 mAh Battery

Read More

Acer Iconia Tab A100 and A101 Headed for Store Shelves May 14th in the UK

Tweet

Acer’s just about ready to sell their 7 inch Honeycomb tablet come May 14th if Amazon’s listings hold true. The A10 and A101 are both the same save for one difference – one has WiFi only while the other has WiFi + 3G. Android 3.0, a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 8GB of internal storage and more make up the specs. We’ve also gotten pricing information, too – 400 quid for the A101 and just 300 for the A100.
The Iconia Tab A100′s bezel is a lot more profound since we last saw it in Barcelona. The left and right (when looking at it in portrait mode) sides are so big that they could probably be used as handles. The right side features a home button – a bit redundant considering they’ll be keeping the software controls that are optional in Honeycomb. The left side features nothing but Acer’s logo and the front-facing camera
We feel like there was just a ton of wasted space here and wish they could have chopped down that bezel a bit. Unless there are game controls on both sides of the device, a bezel – tablet, phone, or otherwise – has no business being that big. Head over to Amazon (A101, A100) and place your order if you’re interested.

Read More

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Hands-On in Germany

Tweet

It appears that our Android pals in Deutschland have gotten their hands on the yet to be release Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, one of two new tablets announced back at CTIA 2011 (we where there!) but without working units (we got to see the dummies!) We also got to see a working version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb with TouchWiz overlay on a different test-unit tablet that same faithful day – what NewGadgetsDE has for the world now is no less than those two elements combined – and in a white-backed unit!

Have a look at the images of this ultra-sleek 9.09 x 6.21 x 0.34-inch (230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6-mm) tablet, noting that it’s hella light at 16.58 oz (470 g) and holds in its guts a dual-core 1GHz chipset and an 8.9-inch 1280 x 800 pixel display. It’s completely lovely, and even though I’ve not personally seen this fully working unit, I can tell you that the UI is tight and the physical device is utterly excellent to behold and be held. Take a look here at a video of the unit working in DE:

 

Read More