In last nights earnings call a Samsung Exec said the "launch of the Galaxy S III is still under review", but what appears to be the SGSIII may have just made an appearance on Samsung's website. This is all speculation at this point, but with the Galaxy Nexus bearing the i9250 designation, and already out the door, it stands to reason they would go with the i9300 as the follow up to the GSII's i9100.

We're sure more rumor and speculation will surround this device as time goes on, but in the meantime, you know the drill--sit back and enjoy the rumor and speculation mill until the handset releases.

Source: Pocketnow

There is a rumor floating around that Samsung may be debuting a new next-gen tablet at Mobile World Congress in February. Samsung has made it clear that they will not be showing off the SGS3 at MWC yet, but they promised "interesting stuff". This new "stuff" could be a tablet with a dual-core 2GHz Exynos 5250 processor, a larger than 10-inch display with WXQGA (2560 x 1600 pixels) resolution and Ice Cream Sandwich.

The rumor was spawned because supposedly, someone spotted a prototype of the tablet at CES. Supposedly, this new Exynos 5250 "chip should produce twice the computing power, increased memory bandwidth, and five times the graphics horsepower as the current generation of CPUs, as well as all-day battery life". If this is not vaporware, and if Sammy can sell it at a competitive price point, then then we could be in for a treat next month.

Source: AndroidTablets.net via BGR
Image Source: FoneHome.co.uk

The Sony Xperia S (coming to Europe in March), which will go by the name Xperia Ion when it comes state-side in the second quarter, just had a couple of interesting features revealed that were not shared before at the CES demonstration. Along with the regular gamut of high-end features like a 720p display, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, and a 12-megapixel Exmor R camera, the phone will also boast a "dirt-repellent - UV-active nano-coating" and a newly advanced fast-charging system for the battery. Here's a quote from the AndroidCentral article with more details on this new fast-charging system,

The product manager also reportedly spilled a few details on the new battery tech employed by the Xperia S. The phone is said to use improved lithium-polymer technology that's capable of recharging in half the time taken by earlier models, with ten minutes of charging time apparently being enough to power the device for a whole hour.

More and more, these new Sony phones are beginning to look pretty impressive. They are packing in a ton of powerful features, they have a slim and elegant design, and Sony has, so far, held to its commitment to update their phones to the newest version of Android far more quickly than in the past, and even faster than several of their competitors sometimes. Is Sony worth a new look in 2012?

Source: AndroidCentral

If you have ever been in a situation where you needed to share your Android smartphone with a friend, relative or coworker, but wished you could set up a "guest account" because you didn't want them getting access to some of your sensitive/personal data on the phone, then the SwitchMe app could be a decent and workable solution for you. This app only works for users who are rooted, and it will not let you switch between ROMS, but it still could be a valuable tool for some users.

The app doesn't actually create guest accounts per se, but it does allow you to switch between two different installations of Android operating systems on the same phone, and easily move between them. This brings up another potentially good use for this. The app would basically give devs a separate "sandbox" to test with. The free version of the app allows two installations, but to unlock the ability to install more it's only $1.98. This seems like an intriguing "niche" app. What do you guys think?

Source: Engadget and Android Market

Several users of the Motorola Atrix 4G received "confidential" emails from the company indicating they could participate in a new soak test. The email didn't specify whether this was a minor update or a major one, but it is possible that they could be testing Ice Cream Sandwich on the former flagship phone. Here is the email below:

“Hi ATRIX 4G user!

You’re receiving this email because you’ve filled out a Motorola Feedback Network survey in the past stating your interest in ATRIX 4G feedback opportunities. As a Motorola Feedback Network member you get advanced notice, like this, of such activities.

We’re getting ready to have a pre-release update on your AT&T ATRIX 4G. Please fill out the following survey( https://________ ) to confirm your interest in this soak opportunity. The first 1,000 applicants will be picked on a first come, first serve basis, provided information is correctly filled out. I know there are some questions that are a repeat, sorry, but there is a reason for that. Please fill it out carefully, honestly and accurately as misinformation can cause this exercise to be unsuccessful. You can edit your survey from the same computer until the survey period closes, though it is advisable to fill it out the first time correctly. Duplicates will be excluded with the newer one used.. Secondly, once the survey period closes we’ll not be able to update your IMEI. Consider carefully before exchanging your device.

This survey period will end at 8pm 01/30/12 Central time or when 1000 valid responses are received. If you don’t intend to actively participate please do not sign up for this opportunity.

Do not forward this communication to other parties(websites, individuals, etc), as you will lose your spot. As part of your original MFN survey you agreed to keep all MFN activities and notifications confidential. If we find that you have breached this agreement we may elect to remove you. You can always encourage users to sign up for the Motorola Feedback Network so they can be considered for feedback opportunities in the future.

If accepted, you will receive additional notifications via this email when the soak test activities will begin. Users not selected will not be notified. Do not email or PM me asking if you are accepted or when it will start as we may elect to remove you from the opportunity.

In the mean time, please log in to the new community. If you haven’t logged in since the move you’ll need to do a password reset in order regain access using the email account “______” as username is only used as a Forums Display Name on the new site. If you have trouble accessing your account you can email us at ____.

Thanks again for your interest.

Mark & Matt
Support Forums Managers
Motorola Feedback Network“

We will keep you informed as we find out more details!

Source:via TalkAndroid

Here's one of those rare mysterious stories that are always fun to share with you guys. Apparently, there was a user in the UK that purposefully bought an HTC Rezound over the holidays to try and get it to work on T-Mobile. He put a SIM card in the phone and set the network to “WCDMA Only” and actually had a working connection including data. This obviously means the phone has global radios that work without an unlock code. Interestingly, both Verizon and HTC deny that the phone has the global radios, yet there is a several week old thread on XDA indicating that several users have experienced exactly what the UK user did.

It makes for an interesting mystery as to why VZW and HTC would lie about the phones being global or not. Could it be they plan on bringing out a refreshed version of the phone later on that will have "official" global capabilities among other things? Or could these users just be yanking our chain? What do you guys think?

Source: TalkAndroid

CEO Thorsten Heins has just taken over the reigns at RIM and he has not wasted any time insulting the competition. When asked about the incessant articles that suggest RIM should build on Android, Heins recoiled and said "Just take a look where the Android OEMs are. I leave this to you. Take a look at their recent announcements and what you will immediately see is there is just no room for differentiation because they are all the same." Those are some fighting words, and it could be argued that the Waterloo based company should be careful throwing stones while living in their glass house.

Is this a fair assessment or should Thorsten clean up his own backyard first before calling out others?

Source: Crackberry

It seems Google is really putting a lot of work behind creating a more unified user experience with Android because their latest post on the developer blog wasn't expected. Today Google posted a public service announcement to developers letting them know that the menu button is in fact the thing of the past and they see a different future for those actions. The future, according to the post, is Google's new action bar, which effectively replaces the menu button and make all buttons easily accessible.

Millions of people have made their voices heard about the fragmented experience you get when you use different apps in the Market, it seems Google is cracking down on that.

Via: Developer Blog