For starters, we do know that the Samsung 55-inch OLED TV will boast of a contrast ratio of 150,000:1 and a 124% color gamut on NTSC standards, sporting a brightness level of 150cd/m2 alongside an all-white signal, not to mention having a peak brightness of 600cd/m2. It also comes with a response speed that is 0.001 second or faster, while the entire OLED TV measures just 1.6mm thick (or should we say thin?), tipping the scales at a featherweight 3.5kg. Dang, this means the entire TV might weigh less than some of the heavy duty desktop replacement notebooks out there!
Needless to say, all of this engineering marvel was made possible thanks to the clever implementation of low-temperature polysilicon TFTs as driver elements, while the panel’s structure is a bottom-emission type that will extract light from the TFT board. No idea on pricing, but it definitely is going to cost quite a handsome amount of money when released.
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Seen at: techon.nikkeibp.co.jp 
Samsung and LG go head-to-head with online game streaming for their TVs - Pocket-lint.com
Samsung and LG have revealed their own online gaming-streaming services that require no console, just one of the manufacturers’ high-end televisions.
Samsung has joined forces with cloud gaming service Gaikai for what it’s calling Samsung Cloud Gaming, while LG’s OnLive Cloud Gaming service has been demoed at E3 on LG Smart TV with Google TV (G2 Series).
Both services promise instantaneous gaming as a range of titles are pulled from the cloud and streamed direct to your internet-enabled TV.
To access the games from a Samsung TV, gamers will need to navigate their way through the Samsung Smart Hub, arguably a clever ploy by the manufacturer because it leads the consumer through other things on offer beside video games.
LG, in the meantime, is adding a range of 3D titles to its catalogue, which can be played with the aid of LG’s Cinema 3D glasses.
To play a game via Samsung Cloud Gaming, controllers will need to be plugged into the TV, whereas LG’s offering uses wireless controllers and 30 minutes' free gaming before you decide if you want to buy the title. However, both versions mean there’s no need for a console or additional wiring.
We’ll reserve judgement until we have an extensive play with both, but on paper LG’s OnLive Cloud gaming service just shades it - largely because you can play a multiplayer mode against your friends over the internet which splits the screen into four, allowing you to see what they’re seeing.
Samsung Cloud Gaming will initially be available on Samsung 7000 series and higher-end 2012 LED Smart TVs, while LG OnLive Cloud Gaming will be available to LG G2 TV users.
What do you think to streaming video games to your television? Let us know what you think.
Nokia New Touchscreen Asha Phones to Start at 63 Euros - Bloomberg
Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) added three touchscreen handsets to its Asha line of phones, as it revamps its lower- priced handsets to meet demand for smartphone features.
The Asha 305, shipping this month, is priced at 63 euros ($79), and will be the company’s cheapest full-length touchscreen phone, Juha-Pekka Sipponen, vice president and head of portfolio and product management, said in a telephone interview. The Asha 306 model, priced at 68 euros, and the 92- euro Asha 311, featuring a faster touchscreen and a 1-gigahertz processor, will be added in July, he said.
Nokia is trying to reinvigorate its low-end phone business where shipments fell 16 percent in the first quarter as customers upgraded to cheap smartphones running Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android or deferred replacing their handsets. Espoo, Finland- based Nokia shifted last year to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s Windows Phone as its main smartphone platform. Its cheapest Windows Phone- based model, the Lumia 610, is priced at 189 euros.
“The main reason Nokia has been struggling in feature phones lately is that it lacked touch products,” said Sami Sarkamies, a Helsinki-based analyst at Nordea Bank. “This announcement won’t help much in the second quarter but I think there will be a notable impact in the third quarter.”
Nokia advanced 3.4 percent to 2.21 euros as of 12:32 p.m. in Helsinki trading.
Brand Building
Nokia sold 18 million dual-SIM devices in the third quarter of 2011 after adding the feature which lets users swap easily between operators to save money. It could see a similar bounce from the new Ashas and ship “tens of millions” of them in the second half, Sarkamies said.
Nokia is trying to build the value of the Asha brand and blur the difference between smartphones and midrange phones, Sipponen said. The handsets run Nokia’s Series 40 operating system, introduced in 1999, with the Asha touch user interface on top of it.
The new Asha touchscreens will give customers a better experience with existing services such as map databases and mobile applications, Sipponen said. Rival Samsung Electronics Co., which passed Nokia this year as the world’s largest maker of mobile phones, sells touchscreen feature phones under the names Star and Champ.
‘Blurred Market’
“This blurred market will continue to exist,” Sipponen said. “There is quite a lot of runway ahead -- 3.2 billion people still don’t have a mobile phone.”
Nokia is including 40 free games from Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) with the new phones, as well as Rovio Entertainment Oy’s Angry Birds on the higher-priced Asha 311.
“There’s still a gap in Nokia’s portfolio at the moment between its most affordable smartphones and the top of the Asha range,” said Tim Shepherd, an analyst with Canalys in Reading, U.K. “Nokia has a very good opportunity here if the marketing is pitched correctly and focuses on the experience offered.”
Previous Asha handsets had phone keypads or Qwerty keyboards, in some cases combined with touchscreens in models Nokia calls “Touch and Type.”
The dual-SIM Asha 305 and single-SIM Asha 306 will use 3- inch resistive touchscreens, while the dual-SIM Asha 311 will have a capacitive touchscreen, the faster type used on most smartphones, Sipponen said.
The decline in shipments of Nokia low-end phones in the first quarter came amid a slide in worldwide low-end phone sales to end customers in the period, according to Gartner Inc. data.
Nokia Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop has said the company will drive prices of Windows Phones down as well as continuing to revamp products aimed at lower-income users in emerging markets. The new devices are part of Nokia’s plan to connect the “next billion” users to the Internet, Executive Vice President Mary McDowell said in a statement today announcing the new products.
The list prices of Nokia phones don’t include taxes and subsidies.
To contact the reporter on this story: Diana ben-Aaron in Helsinki at dbenaaron1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
Samsung Galaxy S3: Verizon Bound Next Galaxy to Support Global Roaming? - ibtimes.co.uk
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Meanwhile, an internal document suggests customers who pre-ordered the S3 (pre-orders start 6 June) will receive it on 9 July, meaning they could have to wait for more than two weeks after T-Mobile and Sprint customers receive theirs. Both T-Mobile and Sprint have announced 21 June as their launch dates.
In any case, Verizon will offer both colour variants - Marble White and Pebble Blue. The 16GB Galaxy S3 will cost $199.99 and the 32GB model $249.99 on contract.
An earlier IBTimes UK report noted that Android Police reported finding leaked images of the Verizon Galaxy S3. The photos suggest the device will have a physical "Home" button and the Verizon logo (with 4G LTE) inscribed on the battery cover.
o an IBTimes report, few leaked photos of Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S3 has been obtained and published by Android Police. The photos reveals that the Verizon's Galaxy S3 will have a physical home button
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Nokia Seeks to Build on AT&T Deal in North America Comeback Plan - Bloomberg
Nokia Oyj (NOK1V), attempting a turnaround in North America after losing most of its smartphone market share, plans to expand on its initial deals with carriers AT&T Inc. (T) and T-Mobile USA Inc., the company’s regional executive said.
Nokia, which decided to abandon its Symbian software last year in favor of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s Windows Phone operating system, is selling its new Lumia lineup in the U.S. through AT&T and T-Mobile. “But that’s just a start,” Chris Weber, president of Nokia’s North America unit, said in an interview.
“We’re back in the U.S., we’re back in Canada -- it’s exciting, but there’s more work to do,” he said, without elaborating on what is planned. “We’ve had a great start with T-Mobile and AT&T.”
Nokia is counting on Windows phones to rebuild its cachet in the region, where it’s lost ground to Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone and devices running Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android. The company’s old operating system, Symbian, had fallen from 26 percent a year ago to just 6.8 percent last quarter, according to IDC. To promote the Windows-based comeback, Nokia and Microsoft have ramped up marketing, and the Lumia 900 is selling for $99.99 on AT&T’s network -- half the cost of the iPhone 4S.
North America was the only region where Espoo, Finland- based Nokia saw handset shipments grow sequentially in the first quarter, helped by the release of the Lumia 710 on T-Mobile in January. Still, the 600,000 units shipped marked a decline from the previous year. Sales of the Lumia 900 on AT&T started in April, after the quarter ended.
‘Unique Proposition’
The key to getting more Lumia phones into consumers’ hands is giving each carrier a “unique proposition,” so they can show how the devices stand out from the iPhone or Android models, Weber said. While only AT&T and T-Mobile offer the Lumia phones now, Verizon Wireless has said it’s preparing to add a new Nokia model to its lineup.
Most AT&T buyers opted for the iPhone last quarter, with the Apple device making up 78 percent of its smartphone sales. At Verizon, which added the iPhone to its network more recently, the product accounted for 51 percent of smartphone sales. That company relies more on models running Android.
Still, Windows Phone shipments are projected to swell in the next four years, giving a boost to Nokia. IDC predicts that the operating system will overtake Apple’s iOS as the No. 2 smartphone software by 2016.
Samsung, Apple
In the short term, the Lumia phones may struggle to compete with new Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple releases this year.
“It looks like they are ramping up the volumes quite well, but the question is how they are going to address the Samsung Galaxy III launch and the next iPhone launch,” said Mikko Ervasti, an analyst with Evli Bank in Helsinki. “They need to keep the Lumia 900 selling well and have new products in the pipeline.”
In Canada, the homeland of Nokia Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop, Nokia sells the Lumia 710 and Lumia 900 with Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI/B) and the Lumia 800 with Telus Corp. (T)
Global smartphone shipments will grow 39 percent this year, with 5.2 percent of models running Microsoft software, IDC said yesterday in a report. The Framingham, Massachusetts-based research firm predicts that Windows Phone will account for 19.2 percent of smartphone shipments in 2016.
Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry, also scrapped its old operating system and is banking on a new platform to revive slumping sales. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said last week that it has hired bankers to help it find a partner or license its operating system. RIM expects to report its first quarterly operating loss since 2004.
Ecosystem Advantage?
The difference between RIM and Nokia is that RIM doesn’t have a partner the size of Microsoft to build an ecosystem that can compete with Apple and Google, Weber said. In addition to creating the operating system and encouraging software developers to use it, the company prods phone retailers and other partners to offer incentives and in-store promotions.
“There are only a few companies in the world who can build an ecosystem that scales to what consumers demand,” Weber said. “Right now my view is that it’s Apple, Google and Microsoft because it takes deep pockets, lots of engineering talent, and the scale and scope globally to build that ecosystem.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Hugo Miller in Toronto at hugomiller@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net
Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 hits the shelves - Techradar.com
Samsung has shipped off its compact Galaxy Mini 2 Android smartphone for sale in the UK from today.
We first saw the phone at MWC back in February where we were impressed by the new model which brings a bigger battery and better screen into the mix.
Samsung's Simon Stanford said that the Galaxy Mini 2 is designed to "meet the growing demand for more affordable devices for customers on the lookout for their first smartphone".
A little slice of Gingerbread
Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread on an 800MHz processor with 512MB of RAM, our hands-on test at MWC showed the Galaxy Mini 2 to be surprisingly nippy for a budget handset.
On the outside it's not quite as tiny as its name would suggest, with a not-unreasonably-small 3.27-inch (320 x 480) touchscreen and a middling 11.9mm thickness.
There's 4GB of storage inside and a 1300mAh battery, and it carries the same 3MP camera on the back as the original Galaxy Mini.
If you're looking for a compact, budget phone you can get yours for free on a £15.50/month 24-month contract from T-Mobile now.
Nokia unveils Asha 311, 305 and 306 touch phones - thinkdigit.com
Nokia has announced three new Asha phones – Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 – with large touchscreens. Nokia says its new Asha phones, based on S40 operating system, will provide smartphone-like experience to consumers, who want to reduce data costs and larger battery life. The Nokia Asha 305 is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2012, while the Asha 306 and Asha 311 will arrive in the third quarter of 2012.
"By introducing the Asha Touch phones to the market, we're accelerating our commitment to connect the next billion consumers," said Mary T. McDowell, Nokia's executive vice president for Mobile Phones. "These phones deliver on what young, urban people value most -- a great-looking device; and an intuitive and affordable experience for connecting to the internet, to their friends, and to a world of entertainment, web apps and content."
The Nokia Asha 311 has a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen. It has a 1GHz processor, which makes the device pretty fast for a basic feature phone. The device, Nokia says, takes full advantage of the Nokia Browser 2.0, which uses Nokia's cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90 percent. The device also features a 3.2 MP camera and pre-installed Nokia Maps.
The device comes pre-bundled with 15-level version of Angry Birds. The phone comes pre-loaded with global social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. It also has WhatsApp.
The device has built-in storage of 256MB, with support up to 32GB via microSD card. For connectivity, the device supports HSPA, Bluetooth 2.1 and USB 2.0. The device is available in multiple colours - Dark Grey, Rose Red, Blue, Brown and Sand White. Check out full specifications of the Nokia Asha 311 here.
The device is priced at EUR 92, which is roughly Rs. 6,367.
The Nokia Asha 305 is a dual-SIM phone and features a 3-inch WQVGA resistive touch screen. It has a 2MP camera. The device comes with a BL-4U 1,110 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 14 hours of talk time and 528 hours on standby mode. The device comes with Nokia Maps and the Nokia Browser 2.0. Check out full specifications of Nokia Asha 305 here.
The device is priced at EUR 63, which is about Rs. 4,360
Nokia says the Asha 306 is the sister device to the Asha 305. The device also features a 3-inch WQVGA resistive touch screen. The Nokia Asha 306 also provides WLAN, enabling users to stay connected while on the move. It also supports video streaming through both GPRS and WLAN. The device sports a 2MP camera. The device comes with a BL-4U 1,110 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 14 hours of talk time 600 hours on standby mode. Check out full specifications of Nokia Asha 306 here.
The device is priced at EUR 68, which is nearly Rs. 4,706.
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