Samsung rolls out Gingerbread upgrade

Galaxy Tab and Galaxy smartphone users can now upgrade to Android 2.3 as Samsung announces Android Gingerbread upgrade for various devices.

Samsung Electronics has officially announced that its Galaxy Tab and other Galaxy smartphones will soon start getting Android Gingerbread upgrades. The devices chosen for the upgrade are not few and include Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit and mini smartphones.

The upgrade, from Android Froyo (Frozen Yoghurt) 2.2 to Android Gingerbread 2.3, will offer users faster performance with a low CPU consumption rate, while supporting powerful 3D Graphics for enhanced mobile gaming.

The user interface has also been improved, enabling faster access and control. Along with that, the new update is expected to bring better battery power utilisation and all round enhancements over the current Android 2.2 Froyo.

Samsung will roll out the updates in different stages starting with the Galaxy S in the UK and Nordic countries from mid May, which is an indication that the updates might start rolling out from tomorrow onward.

It will be followed by the updates for both smartphones and tablets in European markets, North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, Africa and the rest of the world in that order.

Indian users, hence, may get the update around the end of June or early in July this year.

Fly launches two touchscreen phones

While the Fly E-140 has notable feature like web camera, the E146 has a 3-inch WQVGA display among other notable features. Both the phones support various social networks.

Fly Mobile, the handset brand of UK based Meridian Group, has launched two touch screen mobile handsets, E-140 and E146. Both the devices are full-touch and has support for a wide range of social networks.

"We recognise the importance of social networks in the modern mobile industry," said Prem Kumar, chief executive officer of FLY India.

"The design and functionality of the our touch phones meet the needs of a highly digitally connected and style conscious youth audience. This offering is specially targeted to Indian youth which likes to carry a phone to complement and enhance their lifestyle," he added.

The E140 comes with vintage black coloured form-factor with red elements in design. Phone dimensions are very compact and weighs only 97g.

Fly E140 is equipped with a built-in digital zoom camera with video recording and Web-camera among other features. Content can be stored in phone memory or MicroSDHC card up to 8GB.

"Embedded audio player and FM-receiver can play music during nine hours continuously. Phone battery holds charge within nine hours in online mode and up to 300 hours in standby mode," the company claimed in a press release.

For virtual communication, Fly E140 uses WAP and GPRS modem, the phone supports Java and embedded E-mail client. Fly E140 has embedded organiser with reminder and tasks features, currency converter, calendar, alarm clock, calculator, along with a 500-cell memory phone book with additional memory of two SIM cards.

The E146 is a sturdy handheld gadget where best social networking services are combined with enhanced multimedia capabilities in a compact form. FLY E146 is pre-installed with Opera Mini browser.

A 3-inch WQVGA display occupies most of the phone's front panel. A silver bezel around the phone is a distinctive design feature which gives a futuristic touch to the model. The novelty enables mobile Internet, JAVA, GPRS and WAP. Pre-installed features include E-mail client and Opera Mini, a popular browser.

Fly E146 is a reliable assistant in daily tasks fitted with an organizer, reminder, memo manager, currency converter, calendar, alarm clock and calculator. Phone memory offers 500 cells with additional memory of two SIM cards.

Android update will be better: Nvidia CEO

Honeycomb tablets have struggled against iPad since their launch. The chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility, Sanjay Jha, had said that users are not buying Android tablets as there are not enough applications for it in the market.

The lacklustre sales of Android tablet PCs are due to retail and marketing problems, according to chief executive officer of Nvidia, Jen-Hsun Huang. Nvidia supplies processors for Android Honeycomb tablet.

Huang said in an interview that the next round of Android tablets "are expected to be better because the concerns are being addressed". The new tablets will be more advanced, thinner and lighter, added Huang.

Honeycomb tablets have struggled against iPad since their launch. The chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility, Sanjay Jha, had said that users are not buying Android tablets as there are not enough applications for it in the market.

Apple, on the other hand, is doing everything right. It has dedicated retail stores and partners. It also has billboards plastered everywhere so that users are constantly bombarded with messages about the things they could do if they had an iPad handy.

Poor sales of the first crop of Android tablets across the world have raised serious questions about the device. Prices of Android tablets have also dropped significantly since its launch.

Retailers are now afraid that this may set a dangerous precedent that may lead users to wait some time before they buy in the hope that prices will drop further still.

The specific problem was perhaps the price at which the entry level tablets are being sold. Apple sells the Wifi iPad at about $500 (Rs 22,400); whereas even low end Android tablets are 3G enabled, which makes them more expensive.