Rejoice, Samsung Galaxy S users: your Value Pack is on its way

- Martin James  Dec. 28, 2011 at 19:30

Mobile news can move pretty fast, but there's enough of it out there that we seldom write two stories updating developments on the same subject on the same day.

But such has been the PR fiasco surrounding Samsung's very public debate over whether to produce an Android Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Samsung Galaxy S that we're happy to break our normal practice.

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Quad-core Android 4.0-toting Meizu MX confirmed for May 2012

- Martin James  Dec. 28, 2011 at 18:00

The Meizu MX name has been linked with some quad-core mobile goodness for a few months now, but now the company's CEO has confirmed some concrete details surrounding the elusive handset.

The first-gen Meizu MX may have launched recently as only a dual-core device, but the quad-core edition is coming, and it'll be bringing Android Ice Cream Sandwich underpinnings with it when it arrives in May 2012.

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Record number of iOS and Android activations on Christmas Day

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 28, 2011 at 16:00

We do enjoy a spot of stat-based action here at Mobot, and Flurry Analytics has served up a special Christmas report on activations and app downloads.

Traditionally, Christmas Day is the busiest day of the year for both, and this year didn’t disappoint. In fact, Christmas 2011 kicked all previous Christmases in the nuts.

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“Completely redesigned” iPhone destined for autumn 2012

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 28, 2011 at 14:00

Two things are almost certain this year. Firstly, the iPad 3 will arrive around March/April (if history is anything to go by), and since the previous two iPads have the same resolution, this new guy will melt your eyes with a near-Retina display. Probably.

Secondly, given that the iPhone 4 and 4S are pretty much twins, the iPhone 5 will be significantly different. And that’s exactly the hymn BGR is singing, brother.

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Ice Cream Sandwich for Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab after all?

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 28, 2011 at 12:00

South Korea’s favourite son, Samsung, recently announced the Sammo devices that are confirmed for Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) action, but there were two notable omissions – namely the original Samsung Galaxy S and 7in Samsung Galaxy Tab.

As one might’ve expected, in the days following the announcement, Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab owners wept openly before Samsung’s feet, and resultantly the manufacturer is said to be considering a cheeky u-turn on its previous statement.

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GSM phones open to premium-rate hijacking

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 28, 2011 at 11:13

Security chap Karsten Nohl, of Berlin’s Security Research Labs, reckons the billions of mobile phones that use GSM technology are vulnerable to premium-rate hijacking.

Essentially, GSM peeps, which of course includes us in the UK, could find their phones forced to send premium-rate texts and make ultra-expensive calls. Eek.

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Nokia Lumia 900 appears in Nokia promo material?

- Martin James  Dec. 28, 2011 at 10:00

Times change for Nokia, and operating systems definitely do, but there always seems to be a mythical new Nokia handset just around the corner worth getting really excited about.

A year ago it was the Nokia N9, only for its grand arrival to be spoiled by the decision to jump ship to Windows Phone. Confusingly, the N9 did in fact then arrive after all, but only in non-Windows Phone territories. So here we are, again, talking about the Nokia N9 – or to go by its newly Mango-ed moniker, the Nokia Lumia 900.

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Acer planning to up its mobile game says Shih

- Martin James  Dec. 27, 2011 at 18:59

Right, quick question: what do you know off the top of the head about Acer's mobile line? Not much, we'd be prepared to guess – if you're like us things get a bit vague not long after you manage to extract the word 'Iconia' from the lesser-used recesses of your memory.

But while Acer's Android-powered smartphones and tablets haven't exactly been a stellar success, the eternally optimistic Stan Shih has dismissed rumours that Acer is thinking of chucking in the towel on its mobile ambitions.

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Android OEMs not impressed by talk of a Nexus tablet

- Martin James  Dec. 27, 2011 at 18:15

Earlier this month we covered comments from Google's Eric Schmidt suggesting that a Nexus-branded Android tablet could be on its way to join the three Nexus smartphones we've seen so far.

But industry sources don't seem overly impressed by the idea, suggesting that such a device would only take sales away from other Android tablets already fighting desperately for some kind of meaningful market share.

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LG smartphones to get Ice Cream Sandwich in Q2/Q3 2012

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 27, 2011 at 16:00

Lucky Goldstar is the latest manufacturer to detail its plans for Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), by way of the appropriately titled Facebook post: Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS Upgrade Schedule.

In a nutty nutshell, the lucky handsets will be served Ice Cream Sandwich throughout the second and third quarters of 2012. Sweet.

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iOS users shop and spend more

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 27, 2011 at 14:00

Research type guys RichRelevance have published the results of a new study on shopping via mobile phones, and the results are, well, entirely unsurprising, to be honest.

Essentially, RichRelevance (that might be one of my most hated names of all time, incidentally) found that iOS users shop and spend more than their Android counterparts.

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LG Fantasy Windows Phone leaked

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 27, 2011 at 12:00

The arrival of Mango – Windows Phone 7.5 – didn’t bring anything like the influx of new handsets we were expecting. I guess all the existing Windows Phones got Mango anyways, but still… where’s the new stuff, man?

LG quietly released the Jil Sander a few months back, another one of its silly designer phones, but the South Koreans are set to follow up with a proper new Windows Phone effort – the LG Fantasy. Huzzah!

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Get free stuff with Apple’s 12 Days of Christmas app

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 27, 2011 at 11:09

Apple isn’t exactly renowned for being wallet friendly, but once a year the Californians reluctantly succumb to the spirit of Christmas and give away lots of free stuff.

Yes, it’s time once again for Apple’s 12 Days of Christmas app, which brings free junk from iTunes from December 26 to January 6.

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Sony Tablet S and Tablet P confirmed for Android Ice Cream Sandwich update

- Martin James  Dec. 27, 2011 at 09:30

They don't quite qualify as 'iPad-killers', but Sony's debut tablet offerings – the Tablet S and Tablet P – are certainly among the more interesting Android slates that have touched down in 2011.

So it's welcome news – though hardly surprising – that Sony has confirmed its tablet twins are being lined up for some Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich action.

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Analyst on 2012 iPads: “Don’t expect a 7-incher”

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 26, 2011 at 16:00

Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair has been speaking about his predictions for the (presumably) imminent iPad 3, suggesting that its arrival mightn’t necessarily spell death for the humble iPad 2.

He also comments on the recent speculation that we might see a smaller iPad in 2012, but uttered those five words every girl dreads hearing: “Don’t expect a 7-incher”.

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Quad-core Samsung Galaxy S III rocking Android and bada? Nah

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 26, 2011 at 14:00

You know that saying: if something seems too good - or far freakin' fetched - to be true, it probably is? We’ll that’s exactly the story with the latest round of Samsung Galaxy S III rumours.

A purported press image leaked alongside a full serving of outrageous specs, but it’s all been confirmed as pure fantasy.

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BlackBerry PlayBook available on the cheap

- Martin James  Dec. 26, 2011 at 11:00

Now that the pesky traditional bit of Christmas has been dealt with, we can now get down to what Crimbo is really about for the vast majority: spending money in the festive sales.

We'd imagine anyone hoping for a bit of BlackBerry PlayBook action no doubt fancied their chances of a bargain coming into December 26, and you're in luck: the unfancied slab has been spotted going for as little as £169.

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Merry Christmas, Mobotniks!

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 25, 2011 at 11:30

Wow, it's our first Christmas here at Mobot, and almost our one-year anniversary... But today isn't about us; it's about celebrating Santa's birthday. Or something.

I've been nominated to yell "Merry Christmas!" from all at Mobot. Heck, even the big boss (they say he never sleeps) sends his best.

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Symbian's last rites: Nokia explains, sort of

- Martin James  Dec. 24, 2011 at 18:00

We were a bit surprised at the rather unceremonious way Nokia announced the end of its long relationship with the Symbian name the other day, and we certainly weren't alone.

In fact, such has been the outcry at the burying of the news as a three-word aside in a press release that Nokia has chosen to respond and deal with the issue directly.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets some OnLive loving

- Lewis Curdie  Dec. 24, 2011 at 15:30

OnLive brought its app to the Android Market a couple of weeks ago, and they’ve reportedly been inundated with requests from Sony Ericsson Xperia Play owners demanding support for their beloved slide-out controls.

Well, you don’t ask, you don’t get; ask and ye shall receive; etc etc. OnLive has introduced support for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play’s specialness.

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