All posts from Boy Genius Report

Warning: the information we are about to provide you is unconfirmed; please consume with a hefty dose of NaCl. European news and retail outlets are reporting that Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet will retail for €699 ($897) and €799 ($1,025) for the 16 GB and 32 GB models respectively.  Those prices are high enough to cause nose bleeds! For comparisons sake: in Germany, Apple’s 9-inch iPad 3G retails for €599 and €699 for the 16 GB and 32 GB models respectively. Hopefully these prices are just speculative and the tablet is closer to the $500 price range when it makes its appearance stateside. What do you think the appropriate price tag is for the the Gally Tab?
[Via Engadget]
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Any Apple fans out there waiting to grab the brand new iPod touch hotness? If so, you’re going to be pleased to learn that Apple’s newest iToy has hit the FCC for certification and has been mercilessly torn down. You’ll find that Apple A4 CPU, an internal antenna, 802.11 b/g/n, and a 3.44 watt-hour battery. Not to mention the Retina Display, front-facing camera for FaceTime, and rear-facing HD-capable shooter. Delicious.
[Via iClarified]
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During yesterday’s music-event keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs informed the crowd that his company was activating around 230,000 iOS devices every day. The figure 230,000 is of particular significance because just last month, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that the search giant was activating around 200,000 Android devices per diem. Jobs continued, and quipped, “we think some of our friends are counting upgrades in their numbers.” The implication being made here — albeit not a very subtle one — is that Google was including users upgrading from one Android device to another in their activation figures. In light of the semi-explicit innuendo, Google released a statement that reads: “The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services.” Just another twig added to the Google versus Apple fire. Speaking of fire, try to keep the flaming comments to a minimum if you would.
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Way back in September of 2005 — one year before the launch of the iPhone — Apple and Motorola were jointly pimping a handset called the ROKR E1 (pronounced “rocker”). The ROKR was a candy-bar-style device that had the dubious honor of being the first cell phone with the ability to natively integrate with Apple’s iTunes music software. What did the ROKR’s stat sheet look like? Glad you asked… the phone had a 176 x 220 pixel display, VGA camera with flash, Bluetooth, stereo headset jack, 22 KHz stereo speakers, micro-SD card slot (support for up to 512 MB), iTunes compatibility, and a fancy feature called “rhythm lights.” Unfortunately, the phone’s music player was throttled (with software) and only 100 songs were allowed to be stored on the device. Just five years ago this sweet little package would have set you back $249.99 when signing a 2-year contract with mobile provider Cingular. It’s amazing what half of a decade does to prices and expectations, no? We can’t say we ever bought into the ROKR; although we did own the very sexy SLVR L7 (image after the jump) which also sported iTunes integration. How about you? Take a stroll down cell phone memory lane… what was the last device you owned before you bought a smartphone and what ridiculous monetary sum did it cost you?

BGR Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

Today, at IFA, Samsung executives confirmed previous rumors and outed Google’s next, next mobile OS’ namesake: Honeycomb (also known as Android 3.5). No features or specific details were given about Android 3.5 other than its code name and the fact that it will focus on tablets with larger screens. Samsung also said that there would be multiple Galaxy Tab models with different screen sizes, features, and price points. Though not specifically stated, it would appear as though those models are not due in the near-future; Sammy’s executives reiterated they are laser-focused on the Galaxy Tab’s immanent release (which will get Android 3.0 when it is released, in case you were wondering).
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We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when. Today, Verizon Wireless announced that it would be “expanding its portfolio of prepaid offerings to include a new 3G Prepaid data package that lets customers access unlimited data on select 3G Smartphones and Multimedia phones.” Here is the official list of prepaid multimedia and smartphone devices Verizon Wireless will offer: BlackBerry Curve 8330, BlackBerry Curve 8530, BlackBerry Storm 9530, BlackBerry Storm2 9550, BlackBerry Tour 9630, BlackBerry Bold 9650, Palm Pre Plus, Palm Pixi Plus, DROID by Motorola, Motorola DEVOUR, DROID X by Motorola, DROID 2 by Motorola, DROID Eris by HTC, DROID Incredible by HTC, LG Ally, LG enV TOUCH, LG enV3, LG Chocolate TOUCH, LG VX8360, Samsung Alias 2, Samsung Renown, Nokia Twist, and Casio EXILIM. The new prepaid offerings will be available in stores and online beginning on September 28th.
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The unreleased Samsung Fascinate continues to make appearances in the wild. This time, it can be seen posing for several cameos with its Verizon friend — and fellow member of the Android No-Keyboard Club – the DROID X. We’re still hearing that the Fascinate is due for release in the September 8 – 10 timeframe and the the device will also be available for Verizon’s prepaid, pay-as-you-go plans. We’ve got several more images after the break.

We’ve just been sent in some visual confirmation on what we already knew: Wind Mobile will be adding the BlackBerry Pearl 3G to its pre-paid handset lineup. What we didn’t know, and our source was kind enough to tip us off on, is that the handset will be officially announced today. No details on price were provided, but we’re confident the handset will retail for right around $300. There you have it.

T-Mobile’s own website has confirmed that the company’s first HSPA+ device — the HTC G2 – will be rocking Android 2.2 and will be powered by an 800 MHz Scorpion processor. T-Mobile is billing the device as the “fastest smartphone experience in America” thanks to the company’s HSPA+ network with “4G” speeds. The device will come with Adobe Flash 10.1 and the G2 will be exclusive to T-Mobile. Anyone previously considering the G2 turned off by the 800 MHz processor?
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It looks like our friends over at Samsung have officially outed their much hyped Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet device. The Galaxy Tab will pack a 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps / HSDPA 7.2 Mbps radio (900, 1900, 2100 MHz), quad-band GSM, 7-inch WSVGA screen with multitouch, Android 2.2, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, DLNA, Flash 10.1, 4,000 mAh battery, 3 megapixel rear-facing camera with flash, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, full HD video playback at 1080p, microSD card slot with support for up to a 32 GB card, and the unit will weigh 380 grams (13.4 ounces). Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is quite a spec sheet (although the  3 megapixel camera seems a bit sheepish compared to the rest of the device). The closing line of the press release states that, “The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be launched in Europe in mid September, and in other markets including Korea, the US and Asia in coming months;” no word yet on pricing. Let us know your thoughts on the official Galaxy Tab in the comments.

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Following this mornings announcement by Rogers, Telus has announced that they too will be carrying the BlackBerry Torch 9800 on September 24th. Telus’ VP of Mobility and Solutions, Brent Jonston, had this to say: “Both business and consumer customers will get an incredible mobile experience from the new BlackBerry Torch smartphone. Telus is pleased to bring the BlackBerry Torch to Canadians, which will allow them to easily stay connected, entertained and informed wherever they are while running on our blazing fast 3G+ network.” No pricing was given in the press release, but $199 on a 3-year contract is a pretty safe bet.
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The gang over at Talk Android have gotten the scoop from Rovio — makers of Angry Birds – about their immediate plans for Google’s mobile OS. In an email to TA, Rovio writes:
This week, we were planning to run a closed beta test of Angry Birds Lite for Android. Due to the massive response and demand from the Android community, we have decided to make Angry Birds Lite Beta available for everybody through the Android Market this Friday.
Please note that this will be the beta version of the application which is still undergoing final testing before official release. Angry Birds Lite Beta is presented on an “as is” basis, and we cannot guarantee its functionality on every Android device.

Excellent news for all those Android fanatics who just can’t get enough of the addicting, bird-slinging, green pig-slaying game (present company included). Android user productivity begins its steep decline on Friday; who’s excited?
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