AlwaysOn, a division of Internet Solutions, in partnership with Samsung announced on 13th March 2013 that they will be offering 1GB of Wi-Fi data per month for 12 months to users of Samsung devices.

For every Wi-Fi enabled Samsung mobile device you own which has been purchased within the previous 3 years, AlwaysOn will offer you 1GB of free Wi-Fi data per month for 12 months to use at any of it’s 1200+ Wi-Fi hotspot areas. In fact, we are currently writing this article from an AlwaysOn hotspot in a Protea Hotel.

This new partnership follows on Samsung’s strategy to improve and mobilise the technological landscape in Africa through technological innovation and strategic partnerships.

Samsung hopes to see this partnership drive change in South Africa, allowing for more users to be more connected more often.

On a ground level, this a breakthrough in South Africa where free Wi-Fi is a rare commodity or extremely limited.

Registration for the service will become active from 1 April 2013, with details on how to register your Samsug device expected towards the end of March 2013.

At it’s press launch today at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Samsung globally announced their Samsung Galaxy S4 device, confirming many of the rumours that have been circulating.

In their usual pizzazzy fashion, Samsung demonstrated the various different features of the new Galaxy S4; which makes sense considering the features will be the main differentiating factors of the powerhouse smartphones of today.

Firstly, for the geeks among us, the Galaxy S4 has the following confirmed specifications: a 5″ Super AMOLED Full HD Display, 2GB Ram, either 16GB / 32GB or 64GB of storage space upgradeable by MicroSD, the Exynos 5 Octa-core processor (Or the 1.9GHz Qualcomm Quad-core depending on region), a 13MP Camera and only weighing in at 130 Grams. We expect the South African market to receive the higher-spec Octa-core versions as has usually been the case with previous versions of the Samsung S Range.

For the average everyday consumer, the important bits are the features it packs in. We will give a brief overview of the important ones, and go into more detail once we review the device in the near future.

Firstly, let’s talk about the new features available for the camera … possibly the most used extra on a smartphone today.

The first new feature is the Dual View photo system, whereby you can take a photo out of both the front and back camera at the same time … ensuring you capture everyone in the shot. You can also choose which camera acts as the primary image, and which the secondary. Furthermore, you can use this feature while snapping video and interchange with an active recording happening.

The second new feature is a voice over recording, which records the sounds around you as you snap a photo and stores that information together with the photo to crease, as Samsung says, a more immersive experience. This may possibly redefine the next level of photo-sharing … giving a new layer of immersiveness beyond simply geo-tagging for example.

The third feature is the ability to snap up to 100 photographs in 4 seconds, a whopping 25 Frames per second, and then blend these into one photo demonstrating motion of the subject. An awesome feature which used to require some mastery in photoshop … until now.

There are also many nifty, creative features such as the ability to erase backgrounds, or even change backgrounds ensuring the subject of your photo can “go” where they please without ever leaving the living room.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 also gives you the ability to create story albums … a great feature which will organize your photos into memorable albums. Now the next time you go on holiday, your photo’s will no longer be a jumbled mess … provided you use a Samsung Galaxy S4 of course.

There are also a multitude of little features here and there which will be fun to use in your everyday life, even going as far as to ease your life in some scenarios:

A great feature for those of you tired of trying to transfer data from your non-android smartphone to a Galaxy, will welcome Samsung’s smart data transfer software which does as it is called … transfers your data from any smart OS to your Samsung Galaxy S4.

The screen incorporates the Air View feature as seen in the Galaxy Note II, as well as be usable while still wearing gloves.

The Samsung Homesync will allow you to sync your media files across multiple platforms at home. Furthermore, the group play system will allow up to 8 of you to simultaneiously play the same song in sync to enjoy your music, while you are annoying the patron’s at that restaurant you are in. A great feature indeed … no more holding up your phone to someone’s ear to listen to your music.

Samsung is also incorporating S Translate, a system which let’s you actively translate speech and photos of written words in up to 10 different languages … a tourist’s dream. What’s more, 1000′s of phrases are already built into the device, meaning an internet connection isn’t necessarily required.

Samsung is also including Enterprise level security, with their system called Knox. This will also allow you to dual-purpose your phone for both business and home, allowing you to separate your interfaces for each use. This is sure to be popular in the corporate world, and with enough support … may find itself filling the Blackberry space … although this is still to be seen.

With all that has been said, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks to be an excellent device and it remains to be seen how the usability compares to that of the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z, both of which are also highly specced … although not with 8 core processors!! I do imagine the Samsung will win hands down in a benchmarking contest.

Samsung mentioned that the device will begin launching worldwide from the end of April, and we can most likely expect to see a South African launch also towards the end of april, or early in May.

Discuss the Samsung Galaxy S4 on our forum: Click on this link

With all the air surrounding the launch of the Samsung Galaxy SIV, there have been many specification leaks  and rumours, as is usually the case surrounding such a launch. However, for the Galaxy SIV, the latest leak bring with it images of the device.

The images were leaked onto a Chinese Forum and picked up by Sammy Hub. They are supposedly of a Chinese variant of the Samsung Galaxy SIV. It must be noted that Samsung has used false body shapes and patterns in the past to prevent the true shape from being leaked, much the way car manufacturers hide their designs when the road test their vehicles.

However, the images appear to be the actual design of the SIV, which appears to have followed in the design footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy SIII. It is not impossible, though, that these leaked units simply used dummy casings for testing purposes.

Assuming this is indeed the Samsung Galaxy SIV, we see confirmation of some of the rumoured specifications that have been floating around the internet including: 2GB Ram, a 1080 x 1920 resolution display, a 13MP camera, the new PowerVR SGX 544MP Graphics Processor which clocks in at over 500MHz and supposedly a Quad-core 1.8GHz processor … not quite the 8 core processor we were all hoping for, but possibly just a lower-spec variant of the SIV. We also see the device running Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.

We are less than 4 days away from the official Launch of the Samsung Galaxy SIV, so it’s still to be seen whether this device is a dummy unit created by Samsung to throw the media off their trail, or if it truly is the new Galaxy SIV.

In the mean time, Samsung has launched part 2 of their teaser trailer … included below for your enjoyment, or anxiety … whichever you choose.

Next week AndroidZA will be attending the much anticipated Samsung Africa Forum, now in its 4th year running. The theme for the forum is “Journey of Wonder”, and with Samsung’s track record for wonderous events we are sure the forum will be set to impress.

The Samsung Africa Forum is where Samsung will announce their 2013 strategy for extending into Africa and what sort of footprint they have to date throughout Africa.

More excitingly for our readers, Samsung will be announcing their new smart product line-ups to be launched throughout Africa in 2013 including some expected announcements on the latest mobile platforms.

The one launch to look out for is the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S IV, which is surrounded by hype and leaked specs at the moment. There will be a co-inciding launch by Samsung in the States on the 14th March, which is round about the same time as the event in Africa, and so we are crossing our Android fingers for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S IV in South Africa at this time too. The only worry at this stage is that the launch in the States is pegged for 7PM on the 14th March 2013, which is the equivalent to some time in the early morning on the 15th March in South Africa … a full day after all the press have gone home.

Never-the-less, AndroidZA will be writing away with all things Samsung mobile come this time next week … so stay tuned.

And for now, to tickle your android taste buds, we have included Samsung’s latest Galaxy S IV Teaser Trailer below.

HTC Recently announced the latest rendition of it’s flagship series, the HTC One. The HTC One introduces some new key features to the HTC Sense experience, which they believe reinvents the mobile experience, including: HTC BlinkFeed™, HTC Zoe™ and HTC BoomSound™.

The HTC One looks to be a beast with highly competative specifications including: a 1.7GHz Quad Core processor and 2GB Ram ensuring the smoothest of the HTC Sense experience. The HTC One is built using a zero-gap aluminium unibody, meaning it is machined from a single block … making it an extremely sturdy device.

The HTC One’s screen looks to be a winner with a 4.7″ Full HD display. And that’s the true sense of Full HD with a display resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. That works out to be a whopping 468ppi pixel density. To be put that in context, the iPhone 5 can only muster 326ppi. In layman’s terms … that is an extremely crisp display.

HTC Blinkfeed

HTC is touting their new HTC Sense feature as the centre of the HTC Sense experience. HTC Blinkfeed incorporates a centralised experience of bringing all your personally relevant information to one place, such as social updates, entertainment and lifestyle updates, news and photos with immersive images so that people no longer need to go to separate applications to find out what’s happening.

HTC UltraPixel Camera with HTC Zoe™

The HTC One has taken on an interesting approach with the camera, reinforcing the age old question of how truly valuable is a MegaPixel to a camera. Professional photographers will tell you that the MegaPixel rating of a camera is not that important, but rather the detail and light that the sensor is able to capture. In fact, the Nikon D1, a 2.7MP D-SLR camera was able to easily produce photo’s that professionals around the world loved. Of course it was professional camera.

HTC bring in a seamingly low 4MP Camera into their HTC One offering. However, as stated above, one must not be deceived by the 4MP rating. The reason for this is that HTC is including a much larger sensor than used on traditional smartphone cameras. This means that each available pixel is able to receive more light and take in more detail which will ultimately result in a better photo with more detail and higher clarity than it’s 12MP counterparts with smaller sensors. Hence, HTC has coined the term UltraPixel.

In HTC’s words:
“To enable this innovative camera experience, HTC developed a custom camera that includes a best-in-class f/2.0 aperture lens and a breakthrough sensor with UltraPixels that gather 300 percent more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors.  This new approach also delivers astounding low-light performance and a variety of other improvements to photos and videos.”

Furthermore, HTC provides a front camera with a wide-angle lens and full HD capability which ensures that your latest skype video conversation will be met with unparalleled quality.

HTC has also included a new feature, named HTC Zoe, which makes photo’s taken with HTC Zoe enabled akin to something out of Harry Potter. Well almost. HTC Zoe gives people the ability to shoot high-res photos that come to life in three-second snippets.  These Zoes, photos and videos are then displayed in a unique way that brings the gallery to life and transforms the traditional photo gallery of still images into a motion gallery of memories. Furthermore, it also automatically creates integrated “films” from each event comprised of Zoes, photos and videos set to music with professionally designed cuts, transitions and effects that ensure your memories can be shared in a fun intuitive way.

HTC BoomSound™

Finally, cellphone manufacturers have listened to their consumers. For the first time on a smartphone, that I’m aware of, HTC has included frontfacing stereo speakers with a dedicated amplifier. What this means, is no longer will you need to cup your hand behind your speaker to bounce the sound towards you in a noisy environment. This has been a long-standing annoyance in today’s smartphones where the sound was projected away from you … away from the display and music-video you were so keenly trying to show your friends to no avail. And HTC has finally done something about it.

HTC has once again partnered with Beats Audio™ to ensure a rich and diverse range of audio will make its way out your device.

Furthermore, the HTC One features dual microphones and advanced audio processing to ensure your high-def video footage is paired with high quality audio.

Global Availability

The HTC One is set to launch globally across 80 regions from March 2013, with an expected launch in April for South Africa. The HTC one will be available in two colours, termed stunning silver and beautiful black.

For more information, you can speak directly to HTC’s local PR guys at the following link on our forum:
Official HTC One Thread

AndroidZA recently got the opportunity to review a SanDisk Ultra MicroSDHC card optimized by Android. That’s correct, you heard right (Or read in this case). The card has been optimized to ensure you achieve the best possible read / write speed for Android.

How would such a card help you, you may ask? Well the answer lies in the incredible transfer speeds the card is able to achieve.

You see, your average MicroSD card is a relatively slow Class 4 card with transfer speeds around 4MB/s mark. What this means for you, is when you are recording Full HD video or taking multiple photos, the phone may require more time to respond while it writes the files to the card. What may be even more noticeable, however, is when Apps are installed to the card and you are accessing that App. In essence a slower card may mean a slower phone in various instances.

SanDisk, however, is advertising that their card has transfer speeds of up to 30MB/s … that’s a whopping 7.5 times faster than your average MicroSD Card.

The SanDisk Ultra MicroSDHC comes in four different flavours locally: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The price range begins at R95 for the 8GB version, moving up to R185 for the 16GB, R345 for the 32GB and R745 for the 64GB version(Price taken from The Digital Experience leaflet in The Star Newspaper).

Another nice touch of the SanDisk, is the included SanDisk Memory Zone App which helps you keep track of the memory usage on your phone. You can get an overview of all the files saved on your phone together with the amount of storage space they are taking up. It’s not a jumbled mess though, the files are categorized by type and you have the ability to sort by Name or Size. Beyond that, however, you can also delete the files directly from the app and make files private with password protection so that only you can see what the file is.

The SanDisk Memory Zone App also has a backup and restore function to help you ensure your precious files are always backed up. You can even use it to sync your files up to various online storage platforms such as Google Drive and Dropbox. SanDisk has been kind enough to add the app to the Google Android Play Store for anyone to download, be sure to check it out.

Check out the screenshots of the SanDisk Memory Zone App in the Gallery below.

Enough rambling, let’s gone on to business … how does the SanDisk Ulltra MicroSDHC for Android compare? We used the base (8GB) model for our benchmark test.

In order to benchmark the card, I used a Samsung Galaxy S II as a “Test Bench”. I used the Samsung’s internal memory as a comparison to determine how the SanDisk fares. I used the Antutu Benchmark software to run the tests, opting for a custom test using only the SD Card IO option.

Firstly, let’s see how my Samsung’s internal memory fared:

Secondly, the one we’ve all been waiting, the SanDisk Ultra MicroSDHC:

The SanDisk achieved a whopping 44.6MB/s write speed, performing well beyond my expectations and clearly much faster than my Samsung’s internal memory.

The read speed of 9.1MB/S is not as impressive, but is still faster than both of the other storage mediums in the test.

SanDisk advertises a theoretical transfer speed of 30MB/s, thus I am guessing that this is a combined average of both the Read and Write speed. So with the use of a little maths, we can see how the SanDisk real world performance compares to the theoretical. The write speed achieved 44.6MB/s and the read speed 9.1MB/s. Thus the combined average speed (with no weighting being taken into account) is 26.85MB/s. That’s just shy of the 30MB/s mark by only 3.15MB/s.

Based on our benchmark above, we can see the SanDisk Ultra MicroSDHC lives up to its reputation and performs to our expectations.

If we have to give this card a rating, we would likely give it a 9/10. Why not a 10/10 you ask? Well that’s because our teachers in school always told us it was impossible to get 100%!

One of AndroidZA’s largest community members on our forum has come up with the following method to root your Samsung Galaxy Note 1. He spent countless hours researching, and has since uploaded his research for your benefit. All credit for the steps below goes to RaZeal from our AndroidZA community.

Please Note!! Neither AndroidZA, nor it’s members or affiliates can or will be held responsible for any damage caused to your devices based on the information obtained from this article or our website in general. You follow the steps below at your own risk. Please be aware that rooting your device voids the warranty on your device.

Very important step!!!

Do not and try use Odin!!!

Go to Settings -> About phone -> Kernel Version. Note the string present there:

2.6.35.7-N7000XXKJ4-CL641703

What matters most (KJ4) in this case, is in bold. Try to find the matching file under downloads:

CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEN_KJ4-v5.0-CWM4.zip

The XX and XEN identifiers are not that important. Usually a “KJ4″ kernel is a “KJ4″ kernel, and that is that. Sometimes (pretty rare) it happens there will be multiple different kernels with the same name in different firmwares, that are actually different. If this happens, they are usually only very minor changes and you should expect them to still be fully compatible. I include the “XX” and “XEN” identifiers so the very advanced users can deduce from which full firmware I have taken the kernel file.

Download the appropriate file for your device below:
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_XEN_KJ4-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_ZS_MUL_KJ6-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_ZS_MUL_KK1-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_DBT_KK9-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_AUT_KKA-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_ODD_KL3-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_DX_XSP_KL1-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_DBT_KL7-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_KL8-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LA1-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LA3-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LA4-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_SER_LA6-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LB1-v5.0-CWM5.zip
CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LC1-v5.3-CWM5.zip

Download and unzip the following file (you can choose where you want to zip to):
InitialCFRootFlasher.zip

The following is the annoying part. There are three different methods:

1.1. If you are already rooted

- Download the attached “InitialCFRootFlasher.zip” and extract it somewhere
- Download one of the CF-Root kernels, and extract it (repeat) until you end up with a zImage file
- Place the zImage file from the CF-Root kernel in the zImage folder from InitialRootFlasher
- Start “already-rooted.bat” and follow the instructions

For those needing to do this manually (Linux boxes and such), this is the important command. Place the zImage file on your phone (example: /data/local/zImage) and execute this command in a rooted shell:
dd if=/data/local/zImage of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p5 bs=4096

1.2. If you are not rooted yet: Use the zergRush exploit (This method no longer works on KL* and newer firmwares!)

(while it still works on our firmwares, this exploit will probably be fixed soon! Known to work on KJ1 and KJ4 firmwares)

- Download the attached “InitialRootFlasher.zip” and extract it somewhere
- Download one of the CF-Root kernels, and extract it (repeat) until you end up with a zImage file
- Place the zImage file from the CF-Root kernel in the zImage folder from InitialRootFlasher
- Start “not-rooted-yet.bat” and follow the instructions

1.3. If you are not rooted yet: Flash a modified FACTORYFS

I am providing this method just this once, for the KJ1 firmware. This is the /system part of the KJ1 firmware, modified so at first boot it will flash the KJ1 CF-Root and reboot, without getting you the yellow triangle or increasing the flash counter.

Using a newer firmware? Do this operation first, then flash the newer firmware back using CWM Manager. This is explained in Chapter 3 below.

Download: http://www.multiupload.com/YB9EL8D8O3

- Optional: flash the full KJ1 firmware first
- Unzip the file, you should get “SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1_FACTORYFS.tar”
- Make sure your SGN is NOT connected to your computer
- Reboot your SGN into “download mode” (see below)
- Start ODIN
- Click the PDA button, and select the “SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1_FACTORYFS.tar” file
- Connect the SGN to your computer
- Make sure “repartition” is NOT checked
- Click the START button
- Wait for the phone to reboot TWICE
- Done

If you do not know how to get into download mode:
- Turn off the device
- Count to 10
- Hold the “home” (the big physical button in the middle) and “volume down” buttons
- Press and release the power button (keep holding “home” and “volume down” !) to turn the device on
- You should get a download mode screen
- If it tells you to press a button to continue, do so

— Chapter 2: Getting rid of ODIN —

This is easy. Find ODIN, and delete it. In the future you should only need it to flash bootloaders, which probably will only really be needed one time: when upgrading from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

— Chapter 3: Upgrading your firmware —

My CWM Manager application has a full-fledged firmware flasher built in. Using the flasher from CWM Manager does NOT give you the yellow triangle or increase the flash counter.

3.1. Flashing a new kernel

This is easy. CWM Manager can flash zImage files (on any rooted kernel), zImage files inside a .tar file (only on a CF-Root kernel), and zImage files inside a .tar.zip (only on a CF-Root kernel). Note that zImage must be the ONLY file in an archive, if is is inside a tar or zipped tar.

- Put the zImage (or tar, or zip) file on your SD card
- Open the CWM Manager app
- Select “Flash kernel”
- Select the file you just put on your device
- CWM Manager will flash the kernel and reboot

If you flash a non-CF-Root kernel, you will lose a lot of functionality from CWM Manager. However, the app will (likely) still allow you to flash kernels.

3.2. Flashing a new firmware

Important: This works ONLY on a CF-Root kernel !

CWM Manager has the ability to flash firmware parts either from separate files (zImage, factoryfs.img, etc) or from .tar / .tar.md5 files that they usually come packaged in.

- Download the firmware you want to flash
- If you have a ZIP or RAR file, extract it until you have seperate files, or .tar / .tar.md5 files
- Create a folder named ‘firmware’ on your external SD card
- Copy the files you want to flash to this folder ( /sdcard/external_sd/firmware ). factoryfs (“system”) is mandatory part at the moment.
- TIP: If you are flashing a new firmware that already has a CF-Root kernel available, put it in the ‘firmware’ folder as well in zImage or .tar form (NOT .zip). Select it when asked which kernel to use, then use the “Flash normally” option later on.
- Open the CWM Manager app
- Select “Flash stock firmware”

- At this point, CWM Manager will tell you about the firmware parts it has found, and which ones it will flash. It will also give you warnings about bootloaders and PIT files if those were found. If some firmware parts are present multiple times, it will ask you which file to use as source.

- If what you are flashing includes both kernel and system parts, CWM Manager will warn you about this as you are about to lose root. It will provide you with three options:

1: Keep CF-Root kernel
Keeps the current CF-Root kernel, only flash the other parts. You will not lose root or CWM Recovery. You can flash a newer CF-Root kernel later (or maybe you have already done so), see 3.1 above.

2: Pre-root system
Flashes both kernel and system parts, but roots system during the flash. You will lose CWM Recovery, but you will keep root (if all goes well). The CWM Manager application will also remain, and allow you to flash the correct CF-Root kernel at a different time (if you have not done so before), see 3.1 above.

3: Flash normally
Doesn’t do anything specific. If the kernel you are flashing is not a CF-Root (or similar) kernel, you will lose root, and CWM Recovery.

- CWM Manager will reboot into CWM Recovery, and will flash the firmware, rebooting afterwards.

You can get the official Roms from HERE!!!

Should you require any assistance or further explanation of these steps, please post your questions in the following forum thread:
http://www.androidza.co.za/forum/showthread.php/1580-My-first-Note-Root

Tablet World’s Colpad 2 is nifty little 7” Tablet PC that is affordable and brings Tablet PC’s to the masses. The Colpad 2 is well kitted out for an entry level tablet, and has some great features.

Construction, Design, Size & Materials

The front of the Colpad 2 has a clean face with no buttons protruding from the clean design. There is a front facing camera installed on the device. The front has a glossy black face with smooth rounded edges.

The left hand side and bottom of the Colpad 2 are both button free.

The right hand side of the Colpad 2 contains a slot for a Micro-SD Card, a headphone jack, an AC Adapter port for the charger, Mini-USB to connect to a PC and a USB Host for either a 3G USB Dongle or a Flash Drive.

The top of the Colpad 2 features a Reset switch, a Menu Button and a “Back” key which doubles as a home button when held down. These buttons are complimentary to the onscreen buttons built into the OS itself.

The back of the Colpad 2 features an External Speaker for talking on Skype or for listening to Movies or Music. There are also some labels for the ports on the right hand side.

Display

The Colpad 2 features a 7” TFT LCD Screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. This is fairly a standard for entry level devices, and the screen performed to my expectations of an entry level device.

However, I loved the fact that it has a Capacitive touch screen that is capable of 5 point multi-touch. Not many entry level devices have a capacitive touch screen, let alone the ability to touch the screen at 5 different points at the same time. Not even my Motorola Defy can do this.

The colours on the screen are what is to be expected from an Entry Level tablet, so it’s not winning any awards here, but at least it meets the expectations we had for it.

User Interface & Included Software

The device we reviewed was preloaded with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but had a custom interface installed designed to look like Android 3.2 Honeycomb. So we got the Honeycomb Experience, even though it was only Android 2.3.

However, since receiving the review unit, I believe Tablet World has gotten stock of versions of the Colpad 2 which are preloaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This is definitely a nice upgrade from an entry level tablet’s perspective, where they aren’t usually loaded with the latest Android software.

The Colpad 2 comes preloaded with Skype which is great as you are able to walk about and chat on skype while connected to the wi-fi or 3G dongle. What’s really great is the fact that it allows video calling on skype with the front-facing camera … something which is not supported by all devices, even those with front facing cameras.

Camera – Image Quality

The Camera on the Colpad 2 isn’t winning any awards, as it is just a 1.3MP camera. However, it services its purpose well as a camera to be used in Video Calling. The camera is front facing, allowing you to have video conversations over various apps, including the preloaded Skype app.

Battery Life

I found the battery life on the Colpad 2 to be quite good, lasting over 2 days where I did not use it often, or around 1 day where I used it more often. I was expecting a rubbish battery life due to the large screen, but the Colpad 2 exceeded my expectations. However, I wasn’t a fan of the charge time, as it took hours to charge up to full battery … much longer than I expected it to.

Performance

The Colpad 2 features a Rockchips RK2918 Cortex A8 1.0 Ghz CPU. While not the best of processors, this is definitely amongst one of the better processors seen in entry level Android Tablets.

Furthermore, the Colpad 2 comes with 512MB of memory, which is more than enough to handle the tasks that you throw at it.

Tablet World’s Colpad 2 managed to score an Antutu Benchmark score of 2,343 which places it in the same league, performance wise, as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i.

This means the device is easily capable of doing your basic tasks expected of a Tablet PC such as watching movies, listening to music and play games. Angry Birds is super smooth as an example.

Conclusion

I was quite impressed with the Colpad 2, especially at a price of only R 1,299 each. These are definitely priced into a range affordable by the masses.

Of course the Colpad 2 doesn’t compare to your Samsung Galaxy 7” Tablets, but with the Galaxy Tablets at over 3 times the price, it shouldn’t have too. For someone looking to enter the Tablet market, it makes a good start.

What I really like about the Colpad 2 is the out of the box support for local 3G USB Dongles including the MTN E153, 8TA E173, Huawei E173 and Vodafone K3765. Pictured below, you can see the Colpad 2 getting 3G Reception from the Vodafone modem … all I did was plug it in and after a minute or so, there was 3G.

Two things that I would’ve liked on the Colpad 2 is Bluetooth, which I think is a fairly important item to have left out, and built-in GPS which, although not as important, would have been a nice differentiator to other entry level Tablets.

Overall though, I do think the Colpad 2 makes for an excellent Entry Level device, and at its low price tag, allows for almost anyone to enter the world of Tablet PC’s.

A Colpad 2 can be purchased over at the Tablet World website at the following link: http://www.tabletworld.co.za/2812/colpad-2

Features: 3/5
Speed: 3/5
Reliability: 4/5
Ease of use: 4/5
Overall: 7/10

07 June 2012 – Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.

Want the universe in the palm of your hands? Enter the Galaxy S III. And she’s a beauty!

Samsung officially unveiled their latest flagship device at a launch event in Johannesburg on 07 June 2012. Boasting an HD Super AMOLED 4.8 inch screen, a Quad Core 1.4 GHz processor , Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and design cues that will knock your socks off, this little number will definitely be the number one device to have.

Samsung States:

“The GALAXY S III represents the final stage in the evolution of mobile technology planning and design. Basic elements of a phone like weight and portability are now taken for granted by users. With every new smartphone model Samsung has increased the display size to the point now where users expect a smartphone to deliver an optimal experience for rich media content. The focus for the GALAXY S III, therefore, would not be on “features” or “components”. The design focus instead would be on usability and intuitiveness of use. At its core, the GALAXY S III had to be more than a smartphone – it had to become an extension of the user.”

If the preorders are anything to go by, number one device is likely to be the case – just less than 50000 preorders already in South Africa, and most retailers are already sold out after pre launch sales over the previous weekend, with reports of 300 moving into the hands of customers at one store in under 4 hours…
At the press briefing, Samsung SA’s Managing Director, Deon Liebenburg, was confident that Samsung will continue to dominate in the mobile world, saying: “In South Africa, and I’m going out on a limb here by quoting a number, before this phone was even shown to to people, the orders that we received were very close to 50000.”

Worldwide Samsung is expecting close to 9 million preorders.

With Samsung having shipped 44 million devices already in 2012, compared to 35 million devices shipped by Apple, Samsung looks to be comfortably settling into the no.1 smartphone ranking that Nokia was ousted from not too long ago.

The Galaxy S III will make any tech hungry person happy, with abilities such as Picture in Picture play back of videos – ie. Watch a movie while texting a friend.

Other features present are:

S-Beam, bringing the ability to share information via NFC and WiFi Direct with other phones with the same capability.
1080p recording via the 8MP camer sensor on the back and 720p via the 1.9MP front facing camera. The main camer can also take bursts of 20 pictures in one take, at 3.3 pictures per second. The phone will then choose the best picture out of the batch.

Smart Stay – The phone will not turn the screen off while you are looking directly at it, watching your face until you are done reading what may be on the screen.

20% improvement on battery performance over the Galaxy S III.

For those still looking to get a Galaxy S II, have no fear. The phone will still be sold for some time, helping to cement Samsung’s product range of devices at all price levels.

Samsung also mentioned that their lower priced phones such as the Ace, Gio and Y will be upgraded and innovated in time with same innovation that has brought the S III to being. Expect big things from Samsung!
According to Samsung, all networks in South Africa already have stock and should all be selling the phone by the 3rd quarter. Recommended retail price is R7999.00.

Samsung Galaxy S III – Made for humans.

For more on the Galaxy S 3, hit the press release below.

Samsung Introduces the GALAXY S III, the Smartphone Designed for Humans and Inspired by Nature
Effortlessly smart and intuitively simple, Samsung GALAXY S III reveals a new concept of smartphone

Johannesburg, South Africa – June 7, 2012—Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has announced today the local launch of the third generation GALAXY S, the GALAXY S III. Designed for humans and inspired by nature, the GALAXY S III is a smartphone that recognises your voice, understands your intention, and lets you share a moment instantly and easily.

This sleek and innovative smartphone has the enhanced intelligence to make everyday life easier. With Samsung GALAXY S III you can view the content like never before on the device’s 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display. An 8MP camera and a 1.9MP front camera offer users a variety of intelligent camera features and face recognition related options that ensure all moments are captured easily and instantly. Samsung GALAXY S III is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, with greatly enhanced usability and practicality to make life easier. Packed with intuitive technology, the GALAXY S III delivers a uniquely personalised mobile experience that refuses to be compromised.

“With the GALAXY S III, Samsung has maximised the consumer benefits by integrating superior hardware with enhanced smartphone usability,” said Craige Fleischer, Director of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa. “Designed to be both effortlessly smart and intuitively simple, the GALAXY S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind – enabling one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences.”

Introducing Natural Interaction
The GALAXY S III enhances the interaction experience between the device and user. Smart enough to detect your face, voice and motions, the GALAXY S III adapts to the individual user to provide a more convenient and natural experience. With the innovative ‘Smart stay’ feature, the GALAXY S III recognises how you are using your phone – reading an e-book or browsing the web for instance – by having the front camera identify your eyes; the phone maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

The GALAXY S III features ‘S Voice,’ the advanced natural language user interface, to listen and respond to your words. In addition to allowing information search and basic device-user communication, S Voice presents powerful functions in regards to device control and commands. When your phone alarm goes off but you need a little extra rest, just tell the GALAXY S III “snooze”. You can also use S Voice to play your favourite songs, turn the volume up or down, send text messages and emails, organise your schedules or automatically launch the camera and capture a photo.

In addition to recognising your face and voice, the GALAXY S III understands your motions to offer maximised usability. If you are messaging someone but decide to call them instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and ‘Direct call’ will dial their number. With ‘Smart alert,’ the GALAXY S III will also save you from trouble by catching any missed messages or calls; your phone will vibrate to notify missed statuses when picked up after being idle.

Easy and Instant Sharing
The Samsung GALAXY S III is more than a personal device that can be enjoyed by one user – it wants you to share and experience smartphone benefits with family and friends, regardless of where you are. With the new ‘S Beam,’ the GALAXY S III expands upon Android Beam, allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another GALAXY S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.

With ‘AllShare Cast’, users can wirelessly connect their GALAXY S III to their television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display. ‘AllShare Play’ can be also used to instantly share any forms of files between GALAXY S III and your tablet, PC and televisions regardless of the distance between the devices. Under ‘AllShare Play’ is also the ‘Group Cast’ feature that allows you to share your screen among multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network; you can make comments and draw changes at the same time with your co-workers, witnessing real-time sharing on your individual device.

Human-centric Design with Uncompromised Performance
The GALAXY S III not only presents features with enhanced usability, but also provides an ergonomic and comfortable experience through its human-centric design. Its comfortable grip, gentle curves and organic form deliver a rich human-centric feel and design. Inspired by nature, its design concept is the flow and movement of nature. The elements of wind, water and light are all evoked in the physical construct of the GALAXY S III. In its essence, the minimal organic design identity is reflected in the smooth and non-linear lines of the device. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White at launch, Samsung will introduce a variety of additional colour options.

With a 4.8” HD Super AMOLED display, the GALAXY S III offers a large and vivid viewing experience. Samsung Mobile’s heritage Super AMOLED display even enhances to HD and 16:9 wider viewing angles. To ensure faster content sharing and connectivity, the GALAXY S III offers Wi-Fi Channel Bonding which doubles the Wi-Fi bandwidth.

The GALAXY S III also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall user experience in entirely new ways. It introduces ‘Pop up play,’ a feature that allows you to play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. Its 8MP camera features a zero-lag shutter speed that lets you capture moving objects easily without delay – the image you see is the picture you take. With the ‘Burst shot’ function that instantly captures twenty continuous shots, and the ‘Best photo’ feature that selects the best of eight photographs for you, the GALAXY S III ensures users a more enhanced and memorable camera experience. HD video can be recorded even with the 1.9MP front-facing camera, which you can use to capture a video of yourself. Improved backside illumination further helps to eliminate blur in photos that result from shaking, even under low lights.

Mobile payment is also accessible with the device through advanced Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The gaming experience is enhanced through ‘Game Hub,’ providing access to numerous social games, while ‘Video Hub’ brings users high quality TV and movies. ‘Game Hub’ and ‘Video Hub’ will be introduced in select countries initially and soon rolled out to global markets.

The Samsung GALAXY S III will be available locally in June 2012 from an approximate RRP of R7,999 in South Africa.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung today released their Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4) update for the Samsung Galaxy S II.

The update is being executed in a rollout phase with the upgrade via the Kies software being available immediately from today for Vodacom and Open (No specific network) phone customers, and for MTN and Cell C customers tomorrow. Similarly, the Over The Air (OTA) Update available on the Software Update section on the Galaxy S II will be available for everyone by the end of tomorrow (18th May 2012).

“This upgrade has been highly anticipated locally and we expect that our South African customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade,” says Craige Fleischer, Head of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics SA.

It seems they slipped up a bit earlier, as we have a Cell C sim card in our Galaxy S2, and got this message this afternoon:

However, after clicking “Later” it says the phone is up to date, so we have no screenshots to show you thereafter.

Full press release:

South Africa, Johannesburg – 17 May 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the global leader in Android smartphones, today announced the local availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for the GALAXY S II, with other models to follow soon.

Samsung Electronics completed upgrading the GALAXY devices to Gingerbread last year by providing software upgrades to both Froyo and Gingerbread. With the ICS upgrade, Samsung Electronics continues to solidify its position as the leader of Android devices.

“This upgrade has been highly anticipated locally and we expect that our South African customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade,” says Craige Fleischer, Head of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics SA.

The software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 via KIES PC client (by downloading the firmware via the KIES application) is immediately available across; Open (XFA) and Vodacom (XFV) and will be available tomorrow on MTN (XFM) and Cell C (XFC). Similarly, the upgrade via FOTA (by downloading the firmware upgrade over the air directly from your mobile phone) is in the roll out process and will be available by the end of tomorrow (18 May 2012).

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.