Samsung at IFA 2012: Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Camera, Windows 8 tablets, and more
Samsung's IFA 2012 event didn't disappoint — in addition to the magicians and symphony, the company took the wraps off the Galaxy Note II, its first Galaxy Camera with Android 4.1 on board, a variety of new Ativ Windows 8 tablets, and more. We're getting an up-close look at all of Samsung's new products, so stay tuned here for the latest from IFA 2012.
Hype-emitting diodes: can anyone ship an OLED TV?
When it comes to OLED TVs, I start to feel like Roy Batty. The things I've seen on trade show floors are almost beyond articulation: TVs so thin that they make the latest superphone look fat, contrast ratios high enough to challenge Pioneer's legendary Kuro, and nearly 180-degree viewing angles. What amazes me to this day is that you can find all of these components of desire coexisting within just one display.
Whether produced by Samsung, LG, or Sony, OLED televisions have been the perennial...
Samsung's S Cloud service appears on Galaxy Note II
Samsung was widely expected to unveil a cloud service called S Cloud alongside the Galaxy S III in May, but it didn't materialize in the end. We've just seen the first solid evidence of its existence, however, courtesy of a hands-on video from German site BestBoyZ where S Cloud appears in the Galaxy Note II's settings menu.
There are options for syncing photos and videos, and beyond requiring a Samsung account it also hooks into Dropbox — potentially a good way to use that 50GB of free...
Samsung adds Google TV to its Smart TVs: Chrome, YouTube, and Google Play store (video)
Although, yes, this is technically Samsung's first Google TV device, a more accurate description for what we saw today at IFA would be that the company is adding Google TV-related apps to its already expansive SmartHub suite. But those three apps arguably make up the entire Google TV experience: Chrome (without Adobe Flash support), YouTube (updated from its previous version to be much snappier and support keyboards), and most importantly the Google Play store (with "most but not all of the...
Samsung OLED Multi View stacks two separate videos on one gorgeous 55-inch TV (video)
The "multi view" concept isn't new, even if it still lacks a quick-and-easy description. In essence, it's two videos signals stacked on one another — using special polarizing glasses not entirely unlike 3D specs to "isolate" a (two-dimensional) signal and thereby allowing two or more people to watch different videos on the same TV. LG has it with Dual Play and Sony with PlayStation 3D Display.
Samsung's demonstration at its IFA 2012 booth didn't play up the multiplayer gaming aspect like...
Samsung Galaxy S III running Android Jelly Bean: our first look
It's perfectly understandable that recent Galaxy S III purchasers are anxious to hear Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will make its way to Samsung's flagship, and now we've finally found the updated version on the device at IFA 2012 in Berlin. The Galaxy S III in question is Vodafone Germany's yet-to-be-released LTE variant (GT-i9305), and, completely as expected, it's no different than what we saw on the Galaxy Note II earlier this week. Many of Android 4.1's changes are obscured under Samsung's...
Samsung's ultra high-resolution 'dual display' laptop and other crazy prototypes
While Samsung's Ativ hardware is relatively tame — especially compared to some other Windows 8 tablets we've seen this week — the company did section off a part of its IFA booth to show off a few experiments in industrial design. Quarantined behind the glass were various Windows 8 laptop / tablet hybrids that range from familiar ("Slide" and "Swivel") to slightly less so ("Binder" with a slide-on keyboard and "Pop Up" with ports only visible on the hinge) and even an asymmetrical "Memo...
Galaxy Camera accessory prototypes shown off by Samsung
Samsung's Galaxy Camera appears to be a fairly humble point-and-shoot, but the high-end Android smartphone strapped to its back means we'd expect it to be pretty expensive. The company is showing off some prototype accessories at IFA that it says will likely weigh in at the high end of the pricing scale, too, and will only have the possibility of making it to market if the camera itself sells well. Almost no information was available on these products, unfortunately, and they were all firmly...
Samsung Galaxy Camera and Galaxy Note II getting 50GB free Dropbox space for two years
Android devices getting free Dropbox space is nothing new: we've seen it on the HTC One series and Samsung Galaxy S III already. The news that Samsung's IFA stars, the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera, will come with a 50GB Dropbox storage expansion for two years shouldn't come as a surprise, then. It's also unclear whether US carriers will even allow it. But having said all that, think of the possibilities for the latter device.
A 4G-connected compact camera could be the perfect match for...
Watch this: Samsung's Mobile Unpacked event at IFA 2012 in all its magical weirdness
Samsung usually puts on a strange show when it has an "Unpacked" event and the event it staged this year at IFA was no exception. With the Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Camera, a set of Windows 8 devices, and the first-ever Windows Phone 8 device, it was certainly full of new details and new gadgets. It was also emceed by a magician who oversaw the magical puns and a cameo by Wim Wenders. It's not Samsung at its most surreal, but that's an awfully high bar. Check it out in full, below, and then stop...
Samsung confirms Galaxy Note II for US release 'later in 2012'
Samsung's Galaxy Note II doesn't have a release date anywhere yet, but the company has let us know that the 5.5-inch behemoth will at least be making its way to American shores this year. That's an improvement on the original Note, which was similarly announced at IFA 2011 but didn't get a US release until well after this year's CES. There aren't any details on carriers yet, but considering the previous device's success we'd expect wider interest than before.
We've reproduced Samsung's...
Samsung and Sony try again at tablets, but Microsoft may have the last laugh
At large gadget conventions like IFA, the most-talked about company is often the one who isn’t there: Apple. This year, the elephant in the room is actually Microsoft and its two Surface tablets. The Surface is now the de facto competitor and the standard by which these Windows 8 OEMs will be judged. Sony and Samsung have revealed their latest tablet strategies at IFA 2012 as they prepare to enter the all-important holiday season. Both have shown off new tablets, hybrids, and phones — but...
Samsung outs Ativ Smart PC, Smart PC Pro Windows 8 tablets with Intel processors
Samsung has unveiled the new Ativ Smart PC and Ativ Smart PC Pro Windows 8 tablets, the global versions of its Series 5 and Series 7 tablets also recently announced. In fact, the two new tablets are identical to the Series 5 and Series 7, and feature Intel processors, have 11.6-inch displays, and are available with a keyboard dock.
The major difference between the two tablets lies in the processors inside: the Smart PC runs an Intel Atom chip, while the Smart PC Pro uses the more powerful...
Samsung Ativ Tab: hands-on pictures and video with the 9.9mm Windows RT slate
Samsung's Ativ Tab tablet has just surfaced here at IFA 2012. It features a Snapdragon S4 APQ8060A processor running at 1.5GHz, a 10.1-inch HD (1366 x 768) display, USB 2.0, uHDMI, and a microSD card slot. Samsung describes it as having "complete" Windows 8 functionality, fitting it within a very thin 9.9mm profile and a 762g weight.
The Ativ Tab also runs on Windows RT and includes Microsoft's Office 2013 Home and Student Edition. Check out the pictures below and we'll be back...
Samsung Ativ Tab official, 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet
As we predicted earlier, Samsung has announced a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet at IFA 2012 in Berlin — the product is officially named the Samsung Ativ Tab. In terms of specs, we've learned that the device will be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM, with a mid-size 8,200mAh battery keeping everything going. Its 10.1-inch display will offer a resolution of 1366 x 768, and users will have a choice of either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.
Alongside the standard Wi-Fi and...
Samsung Galaxy Camera announced: 16 megapixels, 21x optical zoom, and Android 4.1
What happens when you combine a pocket camera with an Android smartphone? Samsung's answer is the Galaxy Camera. Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on a massive 4.8-inch HD LCD display, the Galaxy Camera aims to take the best of Samsung's camera and phone departments and mix them up for something altogether unique. There's a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor within what is otherwise an unmistakably camera-shaped body, equipped with a retractable lens that provides 21x optical zoom.
On the...
Samsung Ativ S officially announced: Windows Phone 8 with a 4.8-inch 720p display
Samsung is the first manufacturer to officially announce a Windows Phone 8 device: the Ativ S. As we revealed just a short time ago, it has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and an 8-megapixel rear camera paired with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Microsoft announced the device on its Windows Phone blog just ahead of Samsung's unpacked event, noting that it's only 8.7mm thick, has 1GB of RAM, and comes in either 16GB or 32GB models, both of which come with...
Samsung Series 5 and 7 Slates: one part tablet, one part laptop, all Windows 8
We're still a couple of months away from Windows 8 being available, but we're starting to get a pretty good picture of what the first round of devices will look like running the new operating system. Samsung just showed off the upcoming Series 5 and Series 7 Slates — both are tablet and dock combinations that let each device act as a light, thin tablet, and a full-fledged laptop all at once. We'd seen an early build of the Slate 5 back at Computex, and not that much has changed since then.
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Samsung Galaxy Note II official with 5.5-inch screen and Android Jelly Bean (video preview)
After dominating IFA 2011 with its Galaxy Note introduction, Samsung is hoping to repeat the feat today with the Galaxy Note II. Now thinner and lighter, the new Note device comes with a redesigned S Pen stylus, a bevy of new software features layered atop Android 4.1, and an enlarged 5.5-inch display. Oh, and it now runs on a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor.
The display resolution is the same as very similar to the original Note, 1280 x 720 versus 1280 x 800 on the older model,...
