Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G lit its way through our studio

In case you were wondering like me, the answer is no – Samsung are not done churning out versions of the two-year old Galaxy S. The latest one is a U.S. bound, T-Mobile exclusive version, which goes by the rather long name Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G.

The newcomer to the Galaxy S lineup is the second member to enter the dual-core realm, following the footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance I9070. The Galaxy S Blaze 4G features a Snapdragon S3 chipset with two Scorpion cores, clocked at 1.5GHz – not too shabby for a mid-range device. The Qualcomm made chipset also allows the handset to take advantage of T-Mobile’s speedy 42 Mbps HSDPA network. NFC is also added to the connectivity suite of the device. The rest of the specs are taken straight from the I9000, save for the built in memory. In the case of the Galaxy S Blaze 4G, it is around 3GB.
The 4″ screen of the smartphone is the main reason for its pocket friendly measures of 121.7 x 62.9 x 11.2 mm. The weight of the device is an acceptable 127 grams.

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G live photos
Software wise, the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G runs the painfully familiar Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread, dressed in TouchWiz 4 launcher. Check it out in action below.
A full review is in the works, so stick around for more!

Specs for Verizon-bound LG Lucid 4G droid leak

The leaked specs of the LG Lucid 4G mark the second LTE-enabled LG phone rumor for the day. The Lucid 4G (also known as Cayman) is a Gingerbread droid of the mid-range variety that is heading to Verizon.
It has a 4" NOVA IPS-LCD display with 480x800 and Gorilla glass protection. There's a 1.2GHz dual-core processor powering the LG Lucid 4G (the chipset isn't clear yet). There's also 8GB of built-in memory.


The connectivity side is well covered - LTE is present (obviously) and you can share that data connection with up to 10 other devices, EVDO Rev. A as fallback, then there's Wi-Fi b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct support, Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 2.0.
The LG Lucid 4G measures 119.1 x 62.2 x 11.4 mm and weighs 142 g. Its 1700mAh battery is good for up to 350 hours of standby and up to 8 hours of usage.


The Lucid 4G might launch next Thursday (March 29) in the sub $200 price range, but as usual with rumors this isn't set in stone.

Apple iPad 3 vs Asus Transformer Prime

At long last, it finally boils down to this! We know you’ve been waiting for this one eagerly, and so have we,  especially when the new iPad seemingly proved itself against its rivals in the Motorola DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 most recently. Naturally, there is only one Android based tablet that can give the new iPad a run for its money, and surely enough, the Asus Transformer Prime is bent on showing why it’s that other benchmark device. Honestly, it’s a clash of the titans with these two behemoths, but much like everything else, there can only be one that can reign supreme from the ashes of battle.


Design:

Even before looking over their specs sheets, we have to applaud these two titans for having killer industrial designs that are conceivably memorable in many ways. The more we hold and check out the two, the more we realize they share a lot of commonalities – such as streamlined constructions, metallic casings, and that perfect balance of weight. Technically though, the Asus Transformer Prime is skinnier and lighter, but it’s barely noticeable to the eye or hand. On the other end, we prefer the milled aluminum casing of the new iPad since it seems to repel dirt and debris much better than its rival, and on top of that, caressing and tapping it shows us that it’s the sturdier as well. Overall, there isn’t a definitive winner in which one boasts the better design, but more importantly, they embody all of the qualities of what it means to be a premium tablet.

The Apple iPad 3 (left) and the Asus Transformer Prime (right)

Adjusting volume and powering on isn’t a problem with either device, that’s because they exhibit springy responses with their physical buttons, but the iPad’s set are raised higher – thus, easier to feel out. Hardly a  shocker anymore, they feature proprietary docking ports for charging and data connectivity, but we like it that the Asus Transformer Prime carries a separate microHDMI port for video-out. To gain that function with the new iPad, it requires the purchase of an optional digital AV adapter. Yet another reason why these two are so similar to one another, micro dots in their casings shield their internal speakers.

The sides of the Apple iPad 3 (bottom) and the Asus Transformer Prime (top)
Volume controls	Power keys	Connection ports	Speakers

Normally, tablets don’t get that much love when it comes to cameras, but that’s not the case with these two as they sport some respectable ones. With the Asus Transformer Prime, it boasts the higher 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash – whereas, the iPad  carries a 5-megapixel one sans flash. To sweeten things, these two actually feature some other tasteful features such as an F2.4 aperture lens, sensor with backside illumination, and full 1080p video recording. As for their front-facing cameras, the Transformer Prime is outfitted with a 1.3-megapixel snapper, while the iPad simply packs a VGA one.

Rear cameras	Front-facing cameras
The Apple iPad 3 (left) and the Asus Transformer Prime (right)

Display:

Impressively, each tablet’s display is a sight to behold and again reaffirms why they’re regarded as premium. Just as a refresher, the new iPad thrills us with its 9.7” IPS LCD panel, dubbed as the Retina display, because of its reality warping resolution of 2048 x 1536. Meanwhile, the Transformer Prime is still an illustrious one with its 10.1” WXGA (1280 x 800) Super IPS+ LCD panel. On paper, the new iPad has the obvious edge with its 264 ppi pixel density, which is substantial over the 149 ppi figure attached to the Transformer Prime. Calculations aside, though, our eyes really tell us which one is superior. Now seriously people, it’s almost negligible from a far distance to distinguish which one is more detailed, but upon closer inspection, the iPad shows it absolute superiority. Simply, we’re enchanted by its immaculate details that make even the tiniest of text within the web browser more than visible.

Other than that, they share the same wide-viewing angles and vivid color tones to capture our attention from afar. However, we find that the Super IPS+ display of the Transformer Prime to be higher in contrast, which translates over to a brighter appearance – though, it exhibits a warmer tone. In any event, we’re captivated by the two since they’re usable in outdoor conditions with the sun present. No doubt that they’re both lovely in many aspects, but it’s ultimately the iPad’s stellar detail that jumps at us the most.

Both the Apple iPad 3 (left) and the Asus Transformer Prime (right) share the same wide-viewing angles and vivid color tones

Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 update to come with Premium Suite upgrade from Q2 2012

Samsung has announced that they will offer Premium Suite upgrade for GALAXY Note users. This update will include extra multimedia features and a range of new S Pen optimized applications in addition to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
The Premium Suite offers new features and applications exclusive to GALAXY Note and its innovative S Pen such as S Note app, which was introduced with GALAXY Note 10.1 in Mobile World Congress 2012 last month. The S Note is a unique and efficient tool that lets you combine notes or sketches together with web content, images and other digital media into your own personalized storyboards. S Note comes in various ready-to-use templates for a range of tasks including meeting minutes, diary and others.
S Note also includes the innovative Shape Match and Formula Match applications that help correct and digitize geometric shapes and even solve numeric formulas hand-drawn with S Pen, increasing your on-the-go efficiency and productivity.
The Premium Suite also includes My Story, another S Pen optimized application that allows you to create personalized digital cards for friends or family using any type of content including notes, video content, photos, text or voice.

Angry Birds Space now available for Download for Android, iPhone and iPad

Rovio has launched the Angry Birds Space, a new game in the Angry Birds franchise for Android, iPhone and iPad. Angry Birds Space features 60 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity. This has regular free updates and new in-app purchases.
Features of Angry Birds Space for Android, iPhone and iPad

• 60 interstellar levels
• Brand new birds
• Brand new superpowers
• Zero-gravity space adventures
• Trick shots using planets’ gravity
• Hidden bonus levels
• Beautifully detailed backgrounds

Danger Zone, a special package of 30 challenging levels is available for free for Samsung Galaxy Phones from Google Play Store and Samsung Apps Store as Samsung announced earlier. The Dangee Zone levels are available through in-app-purchase for iPhone, iPad and other Android phones.
Download Angry Birds Space for iPhone at $0.99, iPad at $2.99 from the Apple iTunes Store and for Android from the Google Play Store for free.

Sony Tablet S and Tablet P to get Android 4.0 update in April 2012

Sony has announced that the Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update would be available for Sony Tablet S and Tablet P in late April 2012.  This update will also include new features such as camera access from the lock screen, edit photos in the gallery application, taking panoramic pictures and Recopla app that allows users to stream recorded content from a Sony Blu-ray recorder.
The Small Apps feature would let you run apps such as small calculator, remote control or browser window on top of the current app. Sony unveiled these tablets in Japan last April and launched in India last December.
Sony has also announced Wi-Fi version of the Tablet P that would go on sale on April 21st in Japan for ¥50,000 (about $600) along with interchangeable front and back panels in gold, pink, and blue colors for ¥5,000 (about $60).

LG Optimus LTE P936 images and benchmarks surfaces

LG Optimus LTE P936 hands-on images has surfaced online along with benchmarks. This phone looks similar to the Optimus LTE SU640 that was launched in Korea last October. It also has similar specs including, 4.5–inch True HD IPS display, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera and runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
Since AT&T launched the Optimus LTE last November as LG Nitro HD and Verizon launched it as LG Spectrum in the US, it might not head to any other US carriers. Even Telus launched it in Canada. It was also launched in Japan on NTT Docomo as LG Optimus LTE L-01D with NFC support.