Pathik Shah

How to Install Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab

The Samsung Galaxy Tab was the first major Android tablet. It has great specifications, but came with Android 2.2 Froyo, which made it just a larger Galaxy S. Android 3.0 Honeycomb was announced way back, and the new generation of Android tablets will run it, but the Galaxy Tab will officially get an upgrade to just Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

If you are one of the 2 million who bought one, here’s some good news. Android 3.0 Honeycomb has been ported to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The guys over at XDA have already compiled a version of Android 3.0 Honeycomb for the Galaxy Tab and will be making it available for download soon.

There are still many bugs to be worked on, but the Galaxy Tab now boots Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

How to Install Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab – Instructions

The developers haven’t released a ROM yet, but they have posted a video and images of the Galaxy Tab running Android 3.0 Honeycomb. It’s just a matter of time before you can install Honeycomb on your Galaxy Tab too. Stay tuned for download details and installation instructions.

Here’s the original XDA thread for Android 3.0 Honeycomb on Samsung Galaxy Tab

Buy Samsung Galaxy S LCD I9003 in India – Best Android Phone Under Rs 20000

Buy Samsung Galaxy S LCD I9003 at Flipkart

The Samsung Galaxy S has clearly been the best Android phone of 2010. But it was a bit too expensive for many Android fans, and still is, at Rs 27,000. It is in such high demand that Samsung hasn’t had to lower the prices at all.

However, with new phones like the Samsung Infuse 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S 2 coming soon, the Galaxy S is no longer a viable option, at its current price.

Samsung has launched another new phone in February, which is exactly identical to the Galaxy S, but sports a Super Clear LCD display instead of the Super AMOLED display in the Galaxy S.

It is called the Samsung Galaxy S LCD, or the Galaxy SL i9003. Samsung has priced it at Rs. 19,499 which makes it an excellent option for anyone who wants to buy an Android phone under Rs. 20000.

The only difference between the Galaxy S (27000) and the Galaxy S LCD (19500) is that the Galaxy S comes with a SuperAMOLED display while the Galaxy S LCD comes with a Super Clear LCD display.

I guess Samsung wants to get all the fence sitters who couldn’t get the Galaxy S to buy it before it launches the Galaxy S 2.

Buy Samsung Galaxy S LCD in India

It is available online at Flipkart, for Rs 19,499 which is probably the cheapest in India.

Check it out here –

Samsung Galaxy S LCD I9003 at Flipkart

EDIT: It’s not exactly the same as the Galaxy S in terms of hardware. It has an inferior TI OMAP processor and an SGX530 GPU instead of a Hummingbird + SGX 540. Also, slightly less RAM.

Samsung Galaxy Ace – The New King of Budget Android Phones

EDIT: If you can spend Rs 20,000, get the Samsung Galaxy S LCD instead.

Until recently, the LG Optimus One P500 was undoubtedly the best budget Android phone in India. It offered everything you would expect in a smartphone, but at a much lower price than its competitors.

Well, that was history. Samsung then unveiled a series of budget Android phones like the Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Gio, Galaxy Mini and the Galaxy Fit.

Of them, the Galaxy Ace offers the best value for money proposition. It comes with a bigger display – 3.5 inches, a 5 MP camera, an 800 MHz processor and 384 MB RAM. It runs Android 2.2 Froyo, and is powerful enough to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, should Samsung decide to give it an upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Ace Specifications

Dimensions: 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5 mm
Weight: 113 gms
Display: 3.5 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, 320 x 480 pixels
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo
Processor: 800 MHz processor
Graphics: Adreno 200 GPU
RAM: 384 MB RAM
Memory: 158 MB internal, 32 GB external
Camera: 5 MP camera, autofocus, LED flash
Connectivity: GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
Battery: 1350 mAh Li-ion battery

Samsung Galaxy Ace – Rs. 15000

The Samsung Galaxy Ace easily beats the LG Optimus One in every aspect. It has a better display, better camera, better hardware and a better user interface. It is priced at just Rs 14999, which makes it a great budget buy.

You can buy it online at Flipkart for Rs 14999. – Samsung Galaxy Ace at Flipkart

Samsung Galaxy S 2 Review: First Look

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 will be the successor to the best Android phone of 2010 – the Samsung Galaxy S. It is supposed to launch today at MWC 2011. In this preview, I will give you a quick run-around of what you can expect with the Samsung Galaxy S 2.

Samsung Galaxy S 2 Specifications

Display: 4.3 inch SuperAMOLED Plus display, 800 x 480 pixels
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1 GHz dual core processor (Exynos)
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Memory: 32 GB internal memory
Camera: 8 MP camera with autofocus and flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, HSPA+

EDIT: Here’s a great review by Electric Pig – Samsung Galaxy S 2 Review

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 is a bit bigger than the Galaxy S, thanks to the larger 4.3 inch display, but is both lighter (116 gms) and slimmer (8.49 mm) than its predecessor.

It is quite stylish and looks great. It also has a much better 4.3 inch SuperAMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. The display is brighter, offers more contrast and is more power efficient than SuperAMOLED displays. Watching movies and reading ebooks should be a pleasure on the Galaxy S 2.

OS and Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the TouchWiz UI and Swype. It will have a 1 GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM with 16 GB / 32 GB internal storage. It is as powerful as some Android tablets which will be launched soon.

Multimedia

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 will come with an 8 MP camera with AF and flash and will also offer full HD video recording and playback. It will be one of the best mobile cameras ever.

Connectivity:

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 should offer all the standard connectivity options – Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, HSPA+ etc. Browsing the web will be a great experience on this powerful device with a huge display.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 could very well be the Android smartphone of 2011. It has the design, hardware, OS, camera and all the features that might be needed to take the pole position again. If I had loads of cash, this is the phone I would be going for.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Review: First Look

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is the successor to the most popular Android tablet yet – the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It will be unveiled today at the Mobile World Congress 2011. Just ahead of the official launch, some images and details of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 have already leaked out. It will be powered by Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the latest version of the Android OS.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Specifications

Display: 10.1 inch SuperAMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display, 1280 x 800 pixels
OS: Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Processor: 1 GHz dual core processor
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP camera with HD video recording
Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G HSDPA

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is much bigger than the Galaxy Tab and has a bigger display than the Apple iPad. But it will be much lighter and slimmer than both. It might be a bit bulky compared to 7 inch Android tablets, but should be slimmer than the Motorola Xoom. On the back, there is a rounded Samsung logo and the camera with flash.

OS and Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, like all other major Android tablets launching in 2011. It will be powered bv a 1 GHz (or 1.2 GHz) dual core processor and will have 1 GB RAM. It will be one of the most powerful Android tablets at launch. It also has 32 GB / 64 GB internal storage.

Multimedia

The Galaxy Tab 2 will come with an 8 MP camera with flash and will also have a secondary camera (likely 2 MP) for video calls. It supports full HD video recording and playback and also comes with dual stereo speakers.

Connectivity

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will have all the standard connectivity options – GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. It is also expected to offer 4G connectivity (HSPA+ or LTE).

The Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will be one of the best Android tablets in 2010. It seems capable enough to beat the Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom and even the Apple iPad 2 when it comes out (taking in account the rumored specs). It is likely to be priced at around $700-$800 with a Wi-Fi only version priced lower.

Images via SamsungHub