Samsung Galaxy Y receives a minor software update

The compact but highly popular member of the Samsung Android lineup, Galaxy Y has received a minor software update. Available over-the-air, the update doesn't bring many substantial changes to the device, but rather improves the system stability.

Additionally, according to our tipster, who has received the update, the screen responsiveness is also improved. The update changes the baseband version to S536ODDLF1 and the firmware version to S536ODDLF1.

So, Galaxy Y users, go to the Settings menu and check for a Software update. Unfortunately, there's no official word from Samsung on which regions should expect the update and when.

Thanks for the tip, Akash!

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_y_receives_a_minor_software_update-news-4960.php

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4.9-inch Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-02E droid headed to NTT DoCoMo

NTT DoCoMo announced its winter lineup, which consists of 16 new (for the carrier, at least) models, including the Samsung Galaxy S III, Note II and the Sony Xperia AX. The real attention grabber is the Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-02E, which promises to give the LG Optimus G a run for its money.

The Aquos Zeta has a 4.9" 720p IGZO TFT display (a world's first, IGZO is supposed to be more power-efficient) and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 chipset with quad-core Krait CPU at 1.5GHz and Adreno 320 graphics. The Sharp SH-02 will launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-02E

The main camera on the phone is a 16MP shooter with LED flash and there's a 1.2MP front-facing camera.

On the connectivity side there's LTE (100Mbps/37.5Mbps up/down) and NFC with mobile payment support. The Sharp Aquos Zeta will also support both 1seg and NOTTV broadcasting.

The phone will have a large capacity battery (2000+mAh or more, the specs sheet didn’t give the exact number) and will be both dust and waterproof (IP57, IP5X).

The Sharp Aquos Zeta SH-02E is expected to launch in November or December.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/49inch_sharp_aquos_zeta_sh02e_droid_headed_to_ntt_docomo_-news-4930.php

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Texas Instruments withdraws from smartphones, goodbye OMAP

Texas Instruments is dropping from the system-on-chip for smartphones and tablets manufacturing and will give up on its OMAP lineup.

The company’s OMAP boards are less and less popular among mobile manufacturers – most of them bet on Qualcomm, while Samsung and Apple are developing their own solutions (Exynos, A6). The major disadvantage of the OMAP chipset is the lack of on-board 3G/4G modem.

That forces manufacturers who rely on OMAP chipsets to use additional radio chips, which increases battery consumption and production costs. Now you understand why smartphone manufacturers prefer Qualcomm’s complete solutions, rather than this expensive process.

TI says its focus will shift on “to a broader market including industrial clients like carmakers”, though it did not announce specifics and the investors were left wondering.

Anyway, TI will continue to support its current clients, but will significantly reduce efforts on developing new OMAP chipsets.

The news might come shocking for some, as the TI OMAP 5 was expected to be the first chipset with dual Cortex-A15 CPU, and now it's fate is uncertain. Nonetheless, TI OMAP's presence was barely felt on the market, so the company's exit won't create too much of a disturbance.

Source • Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/texas_instruments_backtracks_from_smartphones_goodbye_omap-news-4861.php

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LG Escape Android smartphone for AT&T gets announced

AT&T added another appealing mid-ranger to its 4G LTE smartphone lineup with the LG Escape. The previously leaked handset will hit the retail shelves on September 16, priced at $49.99 with a two-year contract.

The LG escape features a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. There's 4GB of built-in memory on board, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot. The display is a 4.3” qHD true-color IPS unit with qHD resolution, covered by Corning Gorilla Glass. There a 5MP snapper on the smartphone's back and a 1.3MP front-facing unit for video calls. Full connectivity suite including NFC is present. The handset is powered by a beefy 2150mAh battery.

Software wise, the LG Escape features Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, dressed in LG's latest UI. The handset will come with a number of software enhancements for its camera, as well as a Browser Bar extension for accessing social media pages.

Like every new AT&T smartphone offering, the LG Escape comes with the usual Mobile Minute promo video. Check it out below.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_escape_android_smartphone_for_at_t_gets_announced_-news-4783.php

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