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.

On Wednesday, 2nd May 2012, Sony Mobile launched their new brand and series of phones since they split up with Ericsson. The day was promised to be an Imaginative Xperience (sic) and it was!

We arrived at Arts on Main, a small district in town which has been turned into an art lover centre with inspiring coffee shops and markets on weekends, a sort of “rebranded” part of town versus what us younger generation folk are used to. This seems to be the perfect place to personify the rebranding of the old Sony Ericsson as we know it into Sony Mobile.

The day was all about the launch of the 3 new Sony Mobile NXT phones, and stunning phones they were.

We kickstarted the day with talks from Rüdiger Odenbach, Vice President at Sony Mobile Communications Middle East and Africa, who said: “Now, as part of the Sony group, we are in an even stronger position to bring connected entertainment experiences to consumers around the world, and to bring these experiences to market even faster. The NXT Series are the first batch of devices to be launched by Sony Mobile Communications, and we are confident that they will be well received.”

Christian Lonne, Head of Sales at Sony Mobile Communications Middle East and Africa, proceeded to take us through the various Sony Mobile Xperia NXT devices, which did not fail to impress. Even the entry level products looked great!

First on the Agenda was the Sony Mobile Xperia S:

The Xperia S is the first smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation of Sony smartphones. The Xperia S is an Android smartphone that delivers a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, full Bravia HD, powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance and a 12MP camera with Exmor R sensor  that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby. Available locally from May 2012.

“We are very excited for the launch of the Xperia S in South Africa. We have had a great global response  and we are confident that the local consumers will be just as enthusiastic and positive  about this device. We at Sony Mobile Communications believe that the Xperia NXT series speaks to the desired target market and will meet the demands of our consumers” said  Christian Lonne, Head of Sales at Sony Mobile Communications Middle East and Africa

Next on the Agenda was the Sony Mobile Xperia P and Xperia U:

Xperia P:

Xperia U:

Xperia P and Xperia U boast Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for razor-sharp clarity, along with fast capture to take the camera from sleep to snap in little over a second with a single key press.  Both smartphones come with powerful 1 GHz dual-core processors for super-fast performance.

The new SmartDock, exclusively for Xperia P, offers simple connectivity to multiple screens, turning the smartphone into an entertainment hub for the living room.  Using a TV remote control consumers can easily navigate their smartphone’s media content to watch their HD videos, the latest movies or favourite TV shows on the big screen.  With USB support in the SmartDock, they can also use a wireless keyboard and mouse to write emails, browse and post on Facebook or watch videos from YouTube on their TV.

With Xperia U the transparent element illuminates to match the colour of photos viewed in the gallery or the album art of music tracks currently playing. Xperia U can also be personalised with exchangeable caps and themes to reflect consumers’ personality and mood.

These devices will be available locally from June 2012 .

The main features of the Xperia NXT Range can be highlighted as follows:

• Unmatched Entertainment Experience
• Incorporating the best of Sony technology
• Instantly recognisable design
• Powerful dual-core processors for faster performance

The day ended in a cultivation of imagination, colour and every childs dream where we got to fill up bags of delectable sweets from a huge assortment layed out in beautiful colour co-ordingation … we all definiately felt like kids again. We also got to xperiance (sic) the future plans of the four screen ideal from Sony with devices being hooked up to each other including TV’s, PSP Vita, Sony Tablets and Sony Mobile Phones. A very interesting day indeed!

See the Gallery after the break for images of the devices.

AndroidZA was invited to officially attend the launch of Africa’s newest mobile messaging platform with a twist, Zing by blazingchilli.

Zing is designed as a multi-platform system that allows users to chat to one another. So what makes Zing different to other chat systems popular in Africa such as Mxit? We anser that and more below:

Blazingchilli, the company behind Zing was started by founder, Jason Perthel … a man with a vision … to be the hotest player in a hot exciting environment, and there coins the name, blazingchilli. Perthel is not a man who sits around waiting for answers, he is focused and driven, and admits to working his staff to the bone. Of course they all enjoy having him as a boss, so he must be doing something right. Perthel admitted to driving his employees with an interesting set of foundations for his software:

• He told them he wanted the best chat app in the world
• He wanted the app to work on all platforms and form factors
• The app should be easy to use, fast, reliable and ultra low cost.
• Very little time was given, increasing pressure, leading to a concept where people work better and faster under pressure.
• Very little budget, once again, the same concept for increasing pressure.

Thanks to these requirements and the pressures given, a Beta of the app was built in 2 months, and was brought to market in 5 months, launching in February 2012.

Jason Perthel:

Blazingchilli’s Technical Director is none other then Ken Jarvis, acclaimed ex CIO of the South African Revenue Services, responsible for the turn around of SARS from 2002 – 2006. Jarvis comes across as extreme tech futurist who thinks out the box. Just one of his viewpoints are that in the future, banks as we know them will be no more, a 10 year old today is more used to internet purchasing than cash, and most likely does not know what a cheque is. Clearly, Jarvis is a forward thinker and definitely out the box.

Ken Jarvis:

Thus it can be seen that Zing is headed up by an excellent team, with forward thinking abilities and whom want to bring something new to the table. And so they have created Zing, with an initial focus on the African market and targeting the  low LSM market.

The name Zing is coined from “Zen” and boils down to focusing in Community within Communication and as Perthel put it, “Being in a state of Zing”. The focus on community is a major driver behind Zing, and one which parts it from it’s biggest rival, What’s App. Zing is all about easy communication with one, or many people and includes various features to facilitate this.

Brett Loubser, head of Mobile Strategy, has admitted to receiving a lot of feedback from members of the press and technical community, asking what is the point of another messaging app. His answer is simple, “There is always space for a better product”.

Brett Loubser:

Four key areas of focus of Zing:

1. Reach

- The ability to talk to everyone, and not create a Niche market.
- The ability to reach an infinite audience, one who is not limited to Smart Phones only (i.e. Working on feature phones).
- Ensuring that software for Smartphones is not neglected, but neither is software for feature phones.
- A consistent user experience across all platforms, whether it be Java, Android, Apple or Blackberry.

2. Cost
- The primary market is Africa, thus a very price sensitive audience.
- Due to price sensitivity, the software needs to be extremely data efficient.
- A reward system is in place to reward users for clicking on adverts (more on this below).
- Ability to redeem points for airtime (Only in South Africa for now) and media.
- Advertising relevence is key to the picture. The phone sends the requests for advert types to the server, rather then the server checking the users keywords.

3. Zones
- Zones are information channels available to users.
- For now, there are only basic zones available, but as the user base increases, so will the zone content.
- The flexibility of what the zones are capable of is astounding, especially as zones can be either 1 way broadcasts, or bidirectional communication allowing for surveys, portals, polls and the ability to chat to a client base.
- There will be an API developed for the future allowing companies to interact with Zones.
- The ability for closed (ring-fenced) zones for enterprises to communicate to employees only. Or many other purposes, such as clubs and their members, etc.
- Zones may even be created for bloggers and content creators who request their own Zones to get their message out, and even for the possibility of revenue sharing.
- The design of the Zones area is undergoing a complete revamp from its current website feel, to a proper in-app portal.

4. Mobile Group Messaging

- The ability to create custom groups in order to chat to groups of friends, or other groups as necessary.
- Designed to make communication to multiple people as easy as possible.

Zing, and its Advertising Twist:

Perthel was very insistent on the idea that Zing is centred around it’s User Base, as without them, there is no one to delivery content to, and with this in mind, the advert system is designed to be as minimally intrusive as possible. This also includes not allowing exclusitivity to any one advertiser in a particular industry.

As many may already know, Zing offers a rewards system to it’s users to view adverts. Incentivised advertising systems have been tried before, with dismal results … so what makes Zing different?

Well, for one, not every advert is incentivised. Advertisers can choose the frequency of the rewards they offer, as well as a range of variables around when and how the rewards are displayed.

Secondly, the biggest aim of the advertising system will be to ensure the advertisers message is heard, thus it is looked at from a Branding perspective instead of a click through perspective. If you don’t think this is ideal, then think TV and Print media, where advertisers pay countless fortunes just in the hopes some people will look at their message.To ensure the message is received, a user first has to click on the mini banner, then on confirmation to read the advertisers message and finally has to wait for the full message to load before receiving the reward. A 3 step process.

Thirdly, the system is more targeted, as advertising is relevent to the users content experience and the user reads the message before they get their reward. Imagine Steers advertising with a reward at 11:30am on a Wednesday that today is Wacky Wednesday, and suddenly you see the message sinking into more peoples’ heads and they head over to Steers for lunch time.

Other minor points:

Some other point’s worth mentioning are firstly, that Zing offers 3 states for messages. A flashing orange dot for sent, a solid orange dot for delivered, and a solid green dot for Read … something What’s App does not offer.

Secondly, although Push Messaging is on the cards to be delivered in the short term to Android devices supporting Google Push and Apple devices. And for a company that believes the long term in the mobile environment is only 3 months, and not needing 1 year to evaluate their position such as other companies (Reference is to Alan Knot Craig Junior and Mxit for those that do not know), then one can imagine that a short term outlook is not far away at all.

In the longer term, once a larger user base is built up, Zing will offer the ability to use encryption on corporate accounts, which is especially useful for closed (ring-fenced) zones. This will however, not be an option for consumers, at least not for now, as encryption requires more data and processing speeds.

With this in mind, it can be seen that Zing is launching with a bang, and even a buck, and it is one to keep your eyes on. Zing is initially launching in 15 English speaking African countries and Australia, with a further 21 countries in Africa and Europe being added into the pool by March 31 as the software is translated into French and Portuguese.

Every year, many new drivers-to-be take a necessary rite of passage – Writing their learners. A much looked forward to achievement since a very early age, it is an important milestone in growing up.

However, the K53 system isn’t that easy It’s not meant to be. With the unfortunate carnage on our roads today, it’s necessary to employ stringent measures in the issuing of drivers licenses to help ensure that our roads are kept safe everyday.

Like many other services in Government, writing isn’t free, and so repeated failures can get quite costly.

However, thanks to today’s day and age of modern mobile devices, an  app called Easy K53 is now available for budding drivers to download to their phones. Once installed, it can be a great way to pass time while waiting for mom to finish shopping.  Just whip out your ‘droid, load up the app, and while away the time productively by testing yourself  and answering over 340 questions, all based on your impending exam.

Go ahead and try it out now, available on the Vodacom App Store!

For more information, hit this link, and check out the video below:

It’s holiday time, and what better way to spend your spare time than to learn a new scripting language or dabble with some Android development. In anticipation of my long overseas flight, I decided to gear up for some scripting and Android hacking while on the plane. I decided to see what sort of options were available, keeping the following goals in mind:

- I would like to learn Python
- I would like to be able to hack together an Android app using scripting (Python, Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, etc.)
- I would like to be able to mess around with OpenGL and maybe even write a simple game uililising graphics (e.g. a simple Labyrinth type game)
- It must be quick and easy and work offline

Obviously, developing on a phone is not practical for various reasons: they make you put phones off, even if in airplane mode, the screen is too small, and you really need a physical keyboard. Battery life might also be a concern. Luckily, I have an Asus Eee Pad Transformer, for which I bought the keyboard dock. So, the idea is to be able to hack scripts and apps on the Android tablet itself.

The contenders:

After some digging around, these are the options I found:

- Terminal IDE – a full-on Android development environment for Android. Too clunky and complex.
- Java IDE (Android) – also full-on Android development environment for Android. Seems easier and neater than Terminal IDE, but still too clunky and complex for airplane hacking.
- SL4A (Scripting layer 4 Android) – exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Python, Lua, PHP, Ruby, HTML, and JavaScript are all available as languages.
- Ruboto IRB – JRuby scripting environment that provides direct access to the Android API. Very powerful environment
- Touchqode – One of several syntax-highlighting text editors for coding on your Android device
- Learn Python – book in the form of an app that teaches Python programming.

From the above, it should be clear that SL4A and Ruboto IRB are the two worth installing. So let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of each:

SL4A (with Touchqode):

Pros:
- Very easy to use and beginner friendly
- API documented on one easy-to-save page
- Samples provided
- Several languages and methods supported. You can even create a UI in HTML, with JavaScript used to hook into Android and/or any one of the scripting languages. Thus, you can launch an HTML UI from Python, then have the JavaScript call back to the Python or vice versa.
- Ability to compile your scripts into an installable, standalone APK (afterwards, on a PC utilising the Android SDK)
- Basic access to sensors, wifi, network, notifications, Intents, Dialog and Toasts
- Integrates perfectly with Touchqode for editing your scripts

Cons:
- No support for OpenGL. Can’t easily create games (perhaps only by using HTML5 in a WebView).
- Support for Activities (full screen user interface) is experimental. Not easy to create standard-looking apps utilising Activies and ListViews, or even just 2D surfaces.
- UI will mostly be dialog based (which is not necessarily a bad thing)

Ruboto IRB:

Pros:
- Quick and easy to use, also beginner-friendly
- Many samples provided that can be used to hack together your app
- Ruby code is concise and elegant
- Powerful access to full Android API. You can create Activities, use ListViews, etc. Infact, one of the samples is actually a re-implementation of some parts of the Android API Demos app, including OpenGL and 2D drawing!
- Your code uses standard Android API, meaning you learn the Android SDK as you code
- IRB console allows you to code interactively and use explorative programming

Cons:
- Only Ruby is supported
- Not integrated with external editors, so you can’t easily use Touchqode for code editing
- You will need the Android SDK documentation handy (offline)

Setting up:

Here’s how to set up before going on your holiday. Go to the Android Market and install these:
- Ruboto IRB
- Touchode
- Learning Python (if you would like to)
- Install the latest unofficial SL4A from: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/wiki/Unofficial. Don’t worry about the Honeycomb remix at the bottom, as it doesn’t support Fullscreen UI yet.
- Go to http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/ and install the scripting languages you would like (e.g. Python)
- Save the API reference page for offline reference (using Opera Mobile Saved Pages, for example): http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/wiki/ApiReference
- You may also want to save some of the Android API documentation for offline use. Or work through a book with example code, etc.

That’s it! Now let’s see how we use these.

Quick start:

Ruboto IRB:
- Simply start the app and it will start with the Irb tab. Here you can experiment interactively, for example, try this:
android.widget.Toast::makeText($activity, “test”, 1).show
- Click the Scripts tab, select demo-android-api.rb. The code will load in the Editor.
- Click the menu drop down, and select Execute. You will see a subset of the Api Demos app implemented using Ruboto.
- Peruse the sample code to see how simple it is, then start hacking away.

SL4A with Touchqode:
- Start the SL4A app
- You should see samples of scripts for the languages you installed, e.g. Python. Click any script and click the edit icon (pencil).
- Use Touchqode to open the file (make it default if you like).
- In Touchqode, press menu > Save & Execute
- Select to run it in Scripting Layer (you can make it default) and your script will execute. You can also execute HTML files this way (or directly from SL4A by clicking the cogs icon).
- Copy and paste the example at the bottom of this page into a file, e.g. fullscreen_ui.py: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/wiki/FullScreenUI
- Execute this to see how you can create Android UI using Python.
- Peruse the sample code and the API reference, then hack away.

That should get you started on some scripting and Android hacking. Feel free to chat and post your scripts on our forum (see link above). Happy hacking, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus is now available in South Africa!

Samsung is clearly determined to become the market leader in South Africa when it comes to tablets. They’re definitely set to achieve this by offering many different form factors, thus appealing to a much larger audience, as well as having tablets on just about every price range available. The 7.0 Plus joins the 10.1, 8.9, possibly the 7.7 as well as the hybrid GALAXY Note, devices that are already making a huge impact on the market. I’m sure these petite gizmos will definitely find their way into some Christmas stockings this year!

Get the Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus on an MTN Anytime 100 Package with a 75 MB data package (x24 months) for only R239 per month.

Offer available from 9^th December 2011

Press Release and specs below!

Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus Product Specifications

* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

More possibilities on the go with GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus and MTN

Advanced 7-inch tablet experience on the go within a premium design

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – December 13^th, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile device provider, today announced the launch of the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus – a portable, rich multimedia experience on a 7-inch display, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus tablet packs power and productivity into a chic lightweight design.

“Samsung pioneered the seven-inch tablet market with the launch of the original GALAXY Tab 7”, marking an innovation milestone in the mobile industry,” said Paulo Ferreira, Head of Mobile Product and Business Solutions at Samsung SA. “Building on the success of the GALAXY Tab 7”, we’re now delighted to introduce the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus reloaded with enhanced portability, productivity and a richer multimedia experience.

The GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus runs the latest version of Google Android Honeycomb (3.2), enabling an easy and intuitive experience allowing users to do anything, anywhere – and do it all faster thanks to the 1.2GHz dual core processor and in an exclusive package deal on MTN’s blazing high speed network.

Get the Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus on an MTN Anytime 100 Package with a 75 MB data package (x24 months) for only R239 per month.

Offer available from 9^th December 2011

“The GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus is for those who want to stay productive and in touch with work, friends and content anytime, anywhere,” says Eleanor Mitrovich, General Manager for Branded Retail Channel at MTN. “We are excited to be able to offer this exclusive package to our customers and expand our Samsung portfolio.”

Enhanced Portability

With 7-inch display, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus provides enhanced portability, weighing just 345g and measuring in at just 9.96mm thin. Enhanced portability ensures that it fits easily into an inside-jacket pocket or a handbag, making it an ideal device for those who need to stay productive and entertained while on-the-move.

Advanced Productivity

GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus delivers a smooth and intuitive user experience with powerful performance powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor. “Mini Apps” allows seamless multitasking by consolidating 7 applications easily accessed from a bottom-side tray on main screen. Users can launch favourite features such as music player or calendar as pop-ups over full screen applications. Not only that, users can design an individualised up-to-the-minute interface through the Live Panel feature.

Web browsing is also enhanced by Adobe Flash and super-fast HSPA+ (21Mbps) connectivity, providing download speeds up to three times faster than a conventional HSPA connection. On top of that Wi-Fi Channel Bonding bonds two channels into one for improved network connection and data transfer at up to twice the speed. What’s more, regarding the storage space, the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus comes locally in 16GB with the re-introduced expansion feature to expand up to 32GB via a micro SD card slot.

Furthermore, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus offers voice and video call support, with no need for a headset. Users can see friends and family from anywhere in the world in high quality thanks to the device’s larger screen.

Rich Multimedia on-the-move

Full HD videos can be enjoyed on the 7-inch WSVGA PLS display, with DivX & multi codec support ensuring the device is capable of supporting a variety of different formats.

Additionally, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus features Social Hub with aggregates the user’s contacts, calendar and email along with instant messaging and social networking connections all within one easy-to-use interface.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Android, Google, Android Market, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Search are trademarks of Google Inc.

It’s official guys! The Galaxy Nexus will touching down on home soil early Quarter 1 2012 – Not exactly in time for Christmas, but my birthday happens to fall on January 25…close enough to that! I dunno about you, but this is on my ‘To Buy’ list for 2012.

The Galaxy Nexus should also be the first with Ice Cream Sandwich on board in SA, unless the Transformer Prime beats it out the door.

Interestingly, they also mention that Google Earth will be on board….this means local availability of the app as well. Google Earth has been unavailable in SA since its Android launch some time ago.

With NFC on board, Samsung and Google also state that they will be working with local developers to stimulate adoption and understanding of NFC technology in South Africa.

GALAXY Nexus will be available in South Africa from early Q1 2012 at a RRP between R 6 999 – R7 299.

For more on the Galaxy Nexus, check out my write up here. Press release below the videos!

Samsung and Google introduce the GALAXY Nexus

World’s First Smartphone to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a HD Super AMOLED display

South Africa, 07 December 2011; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, the world’s leading smartphone provider, and Google, have announced the GALAXY Nexus, the world’s first smartphone running Android  4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the latest release of the Android smartphone platform. GALAXY Nexus features a 4.65” HD Super AMOLED display technology at 1280×720 HD resolution and a 1.2GHz dual core processor.

“Samsung and Google have closely collaborated to push the mobile experience forward. We are pleased to deliver the best and latest Android smartphone experience for customers with GALAXY Nexus. We will continue to move forward with the Android platform to provide the most compelling consumer experience in the mobile world,” says Paulo Ferreira, Head of Mobile Product and Business Solutions at Samsung.

“Ice Cream Sandwich demonstrates the Android platform’s continued innovation with this release which works on phones and tablets seamlessly (and everything in between). Features like Android Beam and Face Unlock show the innovative work our team is doing, and GALAXY Nexus showcases the power behind Ice Cream Sandwich,” said Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile for Google.

The first smartphone to feature Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. It has a redesigned user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full web browsing experience. GALAXY Nexus features software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones. The lock screen, home screen, phone app, and everything in between has been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful, and useful.

Ice Cream Sandwich also features a new People app, which lets you, browse friends, family, and co-workers, see their photos in high-resolution, and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks. GALAXY Nexus features a redesigned camera which introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag, and effects like silly faces and background replacement.

GALAXY Nexus is also connected to the cloud, keeping your email, contacts, and all other data synced across your devices. You have access to more than 350,000 apps and games from Android Market.

Ice Cream Sandwich introduces innovations such as Face Unlock which uses facial recognition to unlock your phone. Additionally, using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, Android Beam allows you to quickly share web pages, apps, and YouTube videos with your friends by simply tapping your phones together. Samsung and Google will work with local developers and solution providers to further enhance the application ecosystem locally to leverage the NFC functionality. You can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk.

Google Experience

GALAXY Nexus is designed to provide a “pure Google,” experience, and with it, you will be the first to receive software upgrades and new applications as they become available.

It also features a number of Google Mobile services, including: Android Market, Gmail, Google Maps 5.0 with 3D maps and turn-by-turn navigation, Google Earth, Movie Studio, YouTube, syncing with Google Calendar, and a redesigned Google+ app.

Best-in-class hardware meets the most advanced software

GALAXY Nexus is the first smartphone to feature a 4.65’’ display with a market-leading resolution of 1280×720, ensuring you can enjoy GALAXY Nexus’ immersive entertainment capabilities and fast web browsing in superior clarity.

Succeeding the original Contour Display of Nexus S, GALAXY Nexus comes with a rounded shape that fits perfectly within your palm or to your face for phone calling. Hyper-skin backing on the battery cover improves the ergonomic feel of the device and makes the phone slip-resistant. At just 8.94mm thick, with a minimal 4.29mm bezel, GALAXY Nexus provides superb portability alongside an expansive screen.

GALAXY Nexus also features an ultra-fast 1.2GHz dual core processor, providing superior power and speed, ensuring you can take full advantage of GALAXY Nexus’ enhanced multitasking capabilities with ease, or enjoy the large, vivid display to its full capacity with high-definition gaming or video streaming. LTE or HSPA+ connectivity combined with a dual core processor delivers high-speed web browsing which ensures you always have the web at your fingertips, wherever you are.

GALAXY Nexus will be available in South Africa from early Q1 2012 at a RRP between R 6 999 – R7 299.

For multimedia content and more detailed information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/.

Note to Editors:

GALAXY Nexus Product Specifications

* Specifications above may differ on the LTE version.

* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visitwww.samsung.com.

Google, Nexus, Android, Android Market, YouTube, Google Talk, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Calendar are trademarks of Google, Inc.

Last year this time, the only Android tablet available was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Inch model. Even the iPad was still fairly scarce…turn the clock forward a year and we have quite a variety to choose from, from all sorts of different OEMs. One of the better known ones, thanks to a hugely successful and dominant marketing drive, is yours truly – The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

So let’s get acquainted shall we!

Hardware

• 10.1″ WXGA 1280×800 Display
• 256.6 x 172.9 x 8.6 mm (1mm thinner than the iPad 2), 595 grams

One of the first things I noticed when I lifted the Tab from its box, was that it was so incredibly light. My Transformer felt like an elephant compared to it. Next, you realise that it really is very thin – very thin! My mind boggles at the way we fit all the necessary components into these devices these days, and yet, keep them so thin…

At 8.6mm thin, this tablet won’t be stopping any door anytime soon. It really does feel great in your hands.

Rounded on all corners, it is also very pretty to look at. The display fits nicely into the average sized bezel on the front.

Looking at the front, you’ll notice that there are no hardware buttons – obviously thanks to Honeycomb and the buttons being a part of the display. There is also a 2 MP forward facing camera and a light sensor that works very well at adjusting to environmental light conditions.

There aren’t many ports or SD card slots on the Tab…in fact, there’s really just the proprietary port at the bottom for USB connections and charging. That’s it. This to me is still a disappointment – the ability to use native cables ie. HDMI cables, or to insert an SD card to transfer files to (Or for expanded memory) is something I enjoy having on other devices, including the Transformer. However, that being said, with cloud computing and DLNA and WiFi direct becoming big players in the coming months, this will be less of a problem over time with devices in the future. Anyhow, I digress…

Joining the proprietary port is a pinhole microphone, for use when not using a headset.

On top of the Tab, (when looking at the screen) one finds the power button on the far left, the volume rocker, 3.5 inch audio jack and a sim card slot for mobile data use – though the Tab is unable to make calls, unlike its smaller and older 7 inch cousin.

Just to touch on data via the sim briefly – I have heard a fair amount of complaints that the Tab is unable to maintain it’s connection to the data network, though these all tend to come from Vodacom users. On Cell C, I had no issues. Data performed as expected (Which is really quick on Cell C at times).

The back sports a 3 MP camera and a LED flash – which is quite powerful I might add!

There are 2 speakers, found on either side of the Tab, that to put it simply – blew me away. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear the quality and fullness of the sound that emanated from the Tab’s speakers. Definitely top notch.

The display is brilliantly bright and rich in colour. The light sensor previously mentioned adjusts well to the light conditions around it, helping to save battery life, and saving you the trouble of adjusting the brightness yourself. The responsiveness is also stellar, though this is hardly surprising, considering it is capacitive. As expected, Samsung does not disappoint in the screen department, as display is one of their products, and something they’ve always done well.

My favourite hardware feature? Vibration and haptic feedback – this worked really well on the Tab, something I wish I had on my Transformer.

All in all, the hardware quality on the Tab is superb. It is solidly built, with nary a creak to be found.

Performance and Software

• 1GHz Dual Core application processor
• 6800mAh battery
• Approx 1GB RAM
• Android 3.1 (Honeycomb)
• Main(Rear) Camera : 3.0-Mega Pixel AF with LED Flash
• Front Camera: 2.0-Mega Pixel 

With the now slightly outdated Android 3.1 running on it, as well as the Touchwiz UI, the first thing I just couldn’t escape noticing, was a slight jerkiness and lag when swapping from screen to screen, opening apps or the app drawer and rotain from landscape to portrait. While I don’t think this will be a problem for an everyday user, power users like myself would definitely find it increasing annoying. The Tab should be receiving the 3.2 update soon though, which should more than likely sort this issue out. Once 4.0 is available, it will definitely perform well…

Touchwiz itself adds a fresh, bright appearance to Honeycomb, while still keeping Honeycomb’s Tronish look. I personally prefer the way the status bar settings tab looks with Touchwiz’s influence. The greens and rounded fonts are much more pleasant to look at.

Samsung also includes the Mini Apps tray, a handy quick app access launcher, as well as Readers, Social and Music Hub. Social Hub quickly became a favourite of mine, as it amalgamated both my twitter and Facebook into one, with a nice little widget to go along with it.

The mini apps tray provides quick access to apps like the calendar. A nice touch was that they opned up in a small window that you can move around.

Battery life was awesome – standby time was around 3 – 4 days, and normal use got around 9 hours. Heavier use will obviously get less…go figure I still think that this is superb, given the Tab’s size.

Besides the lag when switching between screens etc. the general performance was very good, with pinch to zoom and tilt to zoom working pretty much flawlessly.

720p playback wasn’t an issue either, with videos playing well complimented by awesome quality sound.

The cameras perform pretty much way below par. The 3 MP camera takes ok pictures for the ‘before I miss it shot’ and 720p recording is really just the pixel size. Quality wise – its not worth writing home about. The idea of taking a device the size of your average exam pad and using it as a camera is pretty much absurd. The features are nice for the quick snap or two, but don’t count on them being masterpieces – and you shouldn’t really look at this as a deal breaker. In my opinion, they should keep the front facing cam, improve it’s quality, and ditch the back….I mean, how many netbooks have you seen with a back facing camera???

All the usual other features, such as the GPS, motion sensors perform as they should without any issues.

Competition

• iPad 2 (2012 – iPad 3)
• ASUS Transformer (2012 – Transformer Prime)
• Acer Iconia A500
• Motorola Xoom / (2012 – Xoom 2) 

This is where the Tab falls short. It retails for around R7500.00 (the 32 GB). As far as competitive pricing goes, it’s pretty much on the same level as the iPad 3G 64 GB, and unfortunately Apples name counts a lot more in this case. Samsung has an excellent advertising campaign, but they really need to price their products more competitively in the SA market.

Other Android tablets out there that are as good quality wise are much more competitively priced ie. The Transformer retails with the keyboard accessory for between R6000 and R6500 – and that’s for the 32 GB. It may be WiFi only, but chances are you already have an Android phone with hotspot capability, or even an iPhone with the same feature. 3G on board is an expensive feature, especially when it is so simple to tether. Wifi is becoming more common as well, so devices without 3G are no longer a problem.

Another factor is the fact that other tablets have SD card slots, USB ports and HDMI ports without the need for a proprietary adapter. The Iconia has USB on board, the Transformer has 2 on the keyboard attachment, a micro SD card slot on board and a full one on the keyboard…and they retail for far less.

You’ll see I mentioned future devices…why? Because they’re already announced and will be coming to SA shores very soon. We’re talking next gen hardware here. The Transformer Prime should be here by February at the latest, and it will have 4.0 onboard, a quad core processor and beats the Tab in thinness at 8.3 mm – and 12 hour battery life.

Why do I say this – Samsung hasn’t announced a new 10.1 inch competitor yet…and probably only will at CES in January. They may announce a killer device, and I hope they do…but for now, they’re a little behind.

Samsung does have variety going for them though, and this is one thing that should keep the brand going strong. They cater for everyone, with form factors coming in at 10.1 inches, 8.9 inches, 7.7 inches, 7 inches and the Galaxy Note. This is a clever move, as they have excellent quality tablets available at plenty different price points, or pretty much capable of the same thing.

Wrap Up

So is this tablet for you? Would I buy it? Is it worth the price? I say yes to the first two…and a tentative yes to the third. The Tab is well built and offers a rich experience. I still believe that Android tablets offer a much greater value for money compared to their fruity competitor and thus will still say that the money is well spent on the Tab. But Samsung needs to bring their pricing down. It’s a great device and worthy of your money. Go buy it!

＊ All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Wise Tablets, a South African based company, aims to deliver budget friendly tablets to the South African market, aiding in and delivering education, communication and entertainment to the masses.

Let’s face it – high end tablets such as the Galaxy and the iPad ain’t exactly cheap. You have to earn a fairly decent salary to buy one of those guys and not live on shoestrings for the next month or more. Wise Tablets wants to change this.

Offering 3 devices, (Two 7 inch models (WiFi and WiFi & 3G)  and a 9 inch model (3G & WiFi), Wise is hoping to make Android technology available to a broader spectrum of users in SA. This in turn would deliver the internet to more first time users and possibly aid in research for school projects in rural areas. Communication would also become a lot easier, as will social media usage  and news of current events etc. Thanks to Android being so flexible, yet so able and full of features, these budget friendly devices will help the rest of SA catch up to and join the internet age. Another good use may be as a first time tablet for young users such as tweens and young teenagers.

These tablets will be coming out with 2.3, and hardware that is a good couple of months old, although very decent for no-name brands. However, this certainly helps with keeping costs low, and I can pretty much guarantee that the market that these are intended for will more than likely not care about specs in the slightest. They will care about pricing though…roughly R3500 for the 9.7 inch, R2500 for the 3G & Wifi enabled 7 inch, and possibly less than R1500 for the WiFi only 7 inch. Not bad at all!

Wise has said that as soon as they receive latest builds of Android OS’s, such as Ice Cream Sandwich, they will endeavour to support the tablets as best they can. The Android Marketplace will also be available on the devices.

Check out the spec sheets below, and catch the press release thereafter.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

PRESS RELEASE

WISE TOUCH TABLET from WISE TABLETS

SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST LOCALISED, LOW COST TABLET PC

The general South African consumer will soon have access to an incredible usable, low cost tablet.

Wise Tablets, a South African based company with more than 8 years telecoms experience and 20+ years in IT, marketing and sales, have developed over the previous 12 months a local SA tablet, specific for our SA market. The tablet is called the WISE TOUCH 1 and has been developed in SA for SA. The tablet will be available in a 7” and 9” (capacitive multi touch) screen format, the entire range runs on Android 2.3 but apart from the hardware, it is more what is on the device that is a major benefit for the user.

“The problem with tablets available today is that all of them offer exactly the same thing, software markets!” This offers no true uniqueness between them; frankly the public opinion is that a tablet is a hybrid phone/laptop combination seen as just another gimmick or techno toy. Well, not anymore, the Wise Touch brings a new edge to the game. This edge is not a special camera or a killer app. No, what makes the Wise Touch South Africa’s first South African tablet is what’s on the inside,” explains Gian Shipton, MD of WISE Tablets.

With the WISE TOUCH tablet you get all the regular Android content but also preloaded are extra South African applications. The majority of the content has been developed on behalf of South African brands and pre-loaded on the tablet. This localized content is presented in the form of a WISE Shopping Mall, WISE Business Park and a WISE Education Centre. The Wise Shopping Mall contains applications that include local retailers, travel shops, banking, food courts, videos, TV, movies, toys and many more. The WISE Shopping Mall features more than 15 departments with 115+ applications developed for SA.

“The Wise Shopping Mall was developed especially for the Wise Touch to offer the user an easy, unique, interactive shopping experience as an alternative to the e-commerce options available today. Combining the touch functionality from a tablet with the Wise Shopping Mall’s unique user interface, the user is offered easy access to all of South Africa’s most popular shops, media & content, all through only a touch of a finger. “Within the Wise Shopping Mall you have a variety of shopping options available, just as you would have in a physical mall. Read a Magazine or today’s newspaper in the Magazine Store, order Take Away from your favourite restaurant in the Food Court or do all your shopping through the various Retail Stores, all of this from the comfort of your own home,” says Shipton.

We found that most of the average SA consumers have a problem with the current high prices of the brand named tablets, but apart from the pricing issue, it also relates to the fact that none of the tablets in the market, including the Apple iPad presents any form of local content. Our main aim is to provide a localized tablet with practical application and well known local brands already loaded on the tablet. We found many new uses for a tablet and we believe they are the way of the future. We have had incredible contribution from our ‘tenants’ on the tablets and have found development uses for tablets in almost all industries, from end-users, education, retail, travel etc. We have developed a tablet platform for South African companies to use in their industries as well as further the normal functionality for end-users.

On the tablet the consumer still has all the normal Android access to the android market with thousands of applications. Our biggest concern with these markets were that they only present software solutions, where as our tablets also include local branded content that relates to real life e-commerce and education. All these Android and WISE features come standard with all our tablets.

WISE TOUCH is aimed at the general volume consumer in South Africa with a device for the general user. Now everyone can have a tablet.

A big addition to our WISE TOUCH project is our focus on the education market. Bundled with the WISE TOUCH will be the ability to get access to various educational content and will include a public school syllabus. We also have universities, private schools and colleges that we have been working with that are developing their own educational content more specific for their students, but will use the more affordable WISE TOUCH as the tablet of choice.

We invite educational institutions to join this education drive.

“We have found that there is not a lot of assistance available when it comes to tablet support. This is unfortunate as most of the South African population might not be proficient in the operation of Android & so would be denied the functionality of having one. We have gone out of our way to fill this gap & will offer support & training on every level possible. From Online Support to an always available Call Centre or even through one of the national Wise Repair Centers, it doesn’t matter what race & age you are or even where you live, if you have a Wise Touch tablet or Android device you can be confident that a Wise guy will be ready & willing to assist you when & wherever it becomes necessary,” Shipton explains.

Finally a major addition to our product is our support infrastructure. WISE probably has one of the largest Android FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) databases in the country and now has nationwide walk-in support centers. We believe there is not enough support infrastructures currently for all the Android devices and we will support not only our own Android tablets, but will assist any consumer with an Android device if they choose. Most of our feasibility studies show that Android devices are still not used to their full potential and consumers are left to ‘play’ with them to figure out what Android can do. We will change this and always work to expand our local support. We aim to educate the SA consumer on the true functionality of a tablet & the pleasure of online shopping available from a WISE tablet.

We thus supply a locally developed, locally branded, locally loaded tablet with nationwide localized support.

Many of our customers ask how we compete with the larger and better known brands such as Apple and SAMSUNG. In reality, we don’t compete. Those brands represent the top end of tablets and the customers that have those, all potentially are still customers of ours. Primarily because we believe that we represent the tablet for home use and applications, which is why we present content that relates more to local branding, e-commerce, local media and education. We focus on a completely different market segment. The 9” WISE TOUCH tablet will retail for less than R3500, the most popular version, the 7” 3G tablet will retail for less than R2500 & the entry level 7” Wi-Fi for less than R1500. A very competitive offering considering that all the localized apps are pre-loaded for free, including education access.

Where are they available? We are constantly signing up wholesalers and retailers and ANYONE that wants to sell tablets or develop on them can contact us. Our channels include retailers, educational institutions, wholesalers and many more. The SA public will thus be able to buy their WISE tablets countrywide. We expect the first tablet batch to arrive in SA in the middle of December but we will probably not have devices available for our consumers during the December month. The official launch date with stock in SA however is planned for the first quarter of 2012 but we are already building an order book with existing reviewers, resellers and educators.

Because we are in the pre-launch phase of tablet supply to the public, we invite people to register with us to review our tablets before launch, as well as make contact for distribution into their various markets.

A tablet is supposed to offer easy access to information, education, each other and the world. The Wise Touch will now make this possible by offering South Africans access to relevant education, communication & commerce with the rest of SA. It is clear that the Wise Touch will change the way consumers think of, interact with & utilizes technology. How will it change you?

“TAKE A TABLET…”

Please contact us for any further questions, reviews or other at: info@wisetablets.co.za

After entering Android space fairly early in the game with the Xperia X10, eager anticipation and enjoyment of the X10 soon turned to frustration. The phone, brilliant and capable for its time, experienced many delays, both in delivery and software  (it was on 1.6 for many, many moons, and was eventually updated to 2.1). A great phone, it failed to leave an impression, as HTC and Samsung surged ahead, leaving the X10 behind very quickly. Sony had a lot of ground to make up and had learned a few lessons in the process.

Fortunately, they seem to have turned themselves around with their latest batch of devices – in this case, the Xperia Arc.

Hardware

• Size: 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm
• Weight: 117 grams
• Processor: 1 GHz Qualcomm
• Phone memory: Up to 512 MB
• Screen: TFT 4.2 inches, 854 x 480 pixels, Shatterproof and scratch resistant glass

Boasting a sleek, slim and incredibly thin design, with a concave curve on the back, it is definitely very easy to look at. Thanks to this design, it isn’t a heavyweight either, feeling light in the hand and comfortable to hold. The screen itself, when off, is almost invisible, with the face of the phone appearing entirely black. When on, one notices just how tightly the screen fits into the body, leaving little real estate for gripping on either side.

This is where I quickly discovered the first minor disadvantage to this feature. The bezel surrounding the screen is incredibly thin, and I often found that I was selecting random things on screen and not what I wanted, as my palm would come into contact with it elsewhere while I was holding the phone. To add to this, the screen is very sensitive (Not really a bad thing). I did however grow used to this fairly quickly, though a slightly thicker bezel area would have been great.

The screen itself is bright and vivid, making it easy to read in the sun. Videos play and show up nicely, thanks in part to the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine inside. It’s also incredibly responsive to touch. A small letdown was that I noticed scratches on my review units phone when it was delivered, obviously from previous reviews etc. While every device is inevitably going to get scratched, this was a bit of a disappointment, seeing as they do mention that it is scratch resistant. Let’s hope that Sony uses Gorilla Glass in their next range of devices!

At the bottom of the phone, you’ll find three physical buttons – Back, Home and Menu. This was a bit of a let down, as capacitive buttons, at least with the current batch of devices, is pretty much the standard now.

On the top edge of the phone, one finds an HDMI port and the power button – a little too small for my liking, but again, fairly minor.

The right edge features a micro USB port, the volume rocker, a dedicated camera button (A nice rare feature) , and an LED notification tucked away in the top corner. A few gripes here: Having the charger on the top edge of a phone makes no sense – especially if one wants to charge it in a car dock. Another – the LED notification on the side, basically unnoticeable because it’s not on the front…kinda pointless don’t you think? The camera button, as mentioned, is a nice feature, but proved a little too tight to use. The auto focus worked well, but to take the photo, you have to press a little to hard, basically moving the phone down as you press it….also a little pointless.  Fortunately touch capture via the screen is available.

The left side features the 3.5mm jack. Again, a little inconvenient, but still by no means a deal breaker. At the end of the day, the HDMI port would have made a little more sense on the side, with the jack going in its place, and the power button being made a little bigger.

The back features the 8.1 MP camera, and a single, but pretty powerful LED flash.

User Interface

• Android 2.3.4 / TimeScape

I’m not going to spend to much time here, as we all pretty much know the basics of Android by now (I hope )

During my time with the Arc, I was pleasantly surprised to find that its single 1GHz core was almost flawless – From a quick boot time to little or lag when moving about the phone. A very smooth experience over all.

Timescape and the SE User Interface are not my favourite. While they didn’t seem to hamper the speed of the Arc, I found that it was too busy for my tastes, and installed a third party launcher after a few days. TimeScape itself also seemed a little lost on this phone, and while it does sync well with Facebook, twitter etc, I found that it just didn’t handle the feeds well at all. Where it was useful was how it integrates with your contacts, providing their basic contact info (if available), as well as a tab showing their latest photos – ones they’ve been tagged in, as well as their own. I don’t use twitter, but I’d imagine that it would sync up with your contacts as well.

Besides TimeScape, SE includes a few useful apps, including a data monitor (Essential in SA), links to downloadable games, and popular apps such as Glympse and OfficeSuite are found on board as well.

Camera and Media

• 8.1 megapixel camera
• Up to 2.46x smart zoom
• Aperture f/2.4
• Auto focus
• Face detection
• Flash/LED
• Geo tagging
• Image stabilizer
• 720p HD Recording

The camera on the Arc is definitely top notch. There was little lag when taking photos, and the end result is actually very good for a cell phone.

An average everyday picture of Winston, our happy Lab

Photos came out with exceptionally good detail and colour – not quite perfect, but nowhere near terrible. The average user would definitely be more than happy. The LED flash is quite powerful, does not drown out a photo in a filler flash scenario, and is more than adequate for dark situations as well – when used in close quarters.

Lit conditions with flash

I still don’t believe cellphones are at the point where they’ll be replacing point and shooters, and the Arc falls into that category, but the photos are definitely worth keeping and more than good enough when the situation demands it.

Taken in the dark

Video on the other hand, while not bad by a long shot, is still far from true 7r0p High Definition. The picture is very good for a cellphone, but when blown up beyond the size of the Arc’s screen comes out a little fuzzy, with obvious compression going on as well. Sound isn’t terrible, but it does pick environment noise fairly easily.

Music and video playback was definitely stellar though, with many people complimenting me on the crispness of videos played in HQ on YouTube. YouTube was definitely a good viewing experience. Sound out of the external speaker was clear and well defined, with a slight hint of tinniness….but again, this is negligible.

Other notable mentions

* Call Quality

Yes, it’s taken a back seat in this section….funny how we always forget that this is at the end of the day – a phone! Anyhow, call quality was superb, in fact very clear. No problems there! 3G worked very well on the phone, making itself most evident when HQ videos on YouTube downloaded and buffered in seconds. This is all very network and location dependent obviously!

* Memory

The phone comes with around 350 MB of usable onboard memory, a little on the lean side, but SE makes up for it by including an 8 GB memory card.

* Battery Life: (1500mAh)

The bane of most smartphone users these days is definitely battery life….will it get me through a day?  Crazy to think that a few years ago, Nokias were lasting days on end….

Needless to say, the Arc didn’t last quite that long, but the phone easily got me through a day without a problem. I usually ended up charging at work the second day, but I never really worried about making sure it was on charge every night. With moderate to heavy use, I think that this will definitely drop to about 8 to 10 hours, but for an average user, this phone will definitely please you

* Navigation

The Arc was the phone that ushered in Google Maps Navigation in South Africa…a joyous day indeed. I’m happy to say that the Arc performed flawlessly in the navigation department, picking up a GPS signal quickly and running Navigation smoothly. Not that this was unexpected.

* Competition

The Arc faces a tough line up – namely the HTC Sensation, the Samsung Galaxy S II and more recently, the Motorola RAZR. These phones are without a doubt very strong competitors, capable of far more.

However, don’t always be fooled by the glitz and glamour of specs. The Arc retails a lot less, and is also available on slightly lower tiered packages. The Arc is more than ample for one looking for a smartphone that is capable, does just what, and nothing more – in short – it still very good value for money for what you get.

Wrap Up

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc was a pleasant phone to use. It handled my everyday life well, rarely letting me down, In fact…it didn’t let me down at all. While not a powerhouse of tech like its competitors, it will still serve you well. Definitely recommended!

Features: 4/5
Speed: 4/5
Reliability: 4/5
Ease of use: 4/5

Overall: 8/10