Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 Spotted at FCC En-Route to AT&T and/or T-Mobile USA

Samsung Galaxy mini 2 (S6500) leaked several days ago, along with a few specs. Rumor has it that the budget-friendly smartphone will be officially introduced at the Mobile World Congress 2012, which is set to kick off on February 27.

Even though the phone will make its debut in Europe, it appears that Samsung plans to release this one in North America as well. 

The guys over at Engadget have just spotted the smartphone at FCC (Federal Communications Commission), which indicates that Samsung wants to release this one as fast as possible.

The phone has been approved with 850 and 1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE bands, which makes it perfectly suitable for both AT&T and T-Mobile USA carriers.

Other specs that have been revealed in the FCC documents include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, along with NFC (Near Field Communications) functionality, though this has yet to be confirmed by the manufacturer as well.

The first photo of the smartphone clearly shows that this is the Galaxy mini successor, though the improvements are not that impressive as expected.

Instead of the low-performance 600 Mhz processor that powers the original Galaxy mini, the upcoming Galaxy mini 2 is equipped with a slightly better 800 MHz, but that won’t make such a big difference.

As expected, the handset runs Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and probably an updated version of TouchWiz user interface. Another important improvement is the slightly larger 3.3-inch touchscreen display, which is apparently based on Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology.

Unlike the Galaxy mini which only offers 160MB of internal memory, the Galaxy mini 2 packs 3GB storage, as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion. The same 3-megapixel rear camera has been embedded as well, along with built-in GPS receiver.

Samsung Galaxy mini 2 will be available in two colors: Black and Orange. The smartphone is expected to be priced for under 200 USD (150 EUR) outright.

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Quad-Core HTC Endeavor Coming to MWC as One X

Rumors on the upcoming HTC Endeavor smartphone continue to surface, though nothing has been confirmed for the moment. Initially leaked as HTC Edge, the smartphone was renamed to Endeavor last week.

There was also a leaked RUU for the HTC Endeavor, which confirmed the phone would be delivered with Sense 4.0. Several specs have been spotted as well, but the device may be subject to last minute changes.

Today, the folks over at Pocketnow have come up with new details  regarding the HTC Endeavor. It 

appears that once again, HTC decided to change the name of the smartphone, which is now expected to be launched at MWC 2012 as HTC One X.

Moreover, the “X” letter will be placed as a superscript after the name “One” due to branding purposes. Pocketnow, also says that a Danish HTC subcontractor reserved the htc-one-x.dk domain, possibly in order to use it for the smartphone’s retail.

The information somewhat comes as a confirmation, as HTC already trademarked this One name last year, but no other details regarding this branding emerged afterwards.

For the time being, HTC One X aka HTC Endeavor aka HTC Edge will be the company’s first quad-core smartphone. Rumor has it that this one will be equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core chipset, as well as a large 4.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display with 720p resolution.

LTE-support is another strong point of the smartphone, along with its 8-megapixel rear camera, which features autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. There’s also a secondary 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for self-portraits and video calls.

Obviously, it will come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion and built-in GPS receiver.

In the same news, recent speculations point to a possible release in the UK via Orange and Vodafone carriers, but this has yet to be confirmed by HTC.

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Nokia Unveils MWC 2012 Agenda

Nokia is coming to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year, and is expected to bring along a wide range of new devices. 

The company has been long rumored to plan the launch of a new high-end Windows Phone device at the event, and also to aim at releasing a successor for the flagship N8 Symbian device. 

Nothing has been officially confirmed on the matter for the time being, but the Finnish handset vendor has already published on its website the agenda for the upcoming event. 

No hints at what devices the company might be set to bring at the event have been published there. There are only details on the meetings it invites people to participate at. 

The company will be present at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with info on the development of applications for its devices, among others. 

It will hold three meetings with the MWC attendees, including a Nokia Developer Day on February 27th, followed by two Mobile OS & Applications keynotes, one from Thom Brenner, VP Applications, Nokia, on February 28th, and another one from Stephen Elop, chief executive officer, Nokia, on February 29th. 

“The Nokia Developer Day at MWC 2012 will be bigger than ever! We'll be showing developers how to take the next steps with the Nokia Lumia and Asha device ranges; designing and developing apps for widest reach and monetizing the unique dual opportunity,” the company notes. 

The first of the two keynotes will be focused on social media. Users are increasingly active on social networking sites these days, and many of them use their handsets for that. 

Stephen Elop will keynote on the important role that applications have in today’s mobile world, as well as on the services that these apps are connected to. He and other CEOs from across the mobile ecosystem will discuss the way in which vendors are fighting to meet the changing needs of today’s mobile user base. 

You can have a look at the said web page to learn some more info on the matter. Don’t forget to keep an eye on this space for additional details on Nokia’s presence at the MWC.

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MSI Radeon Outs Custom Built HD 7770 and HD 7750 Graphics Cards

MSI has just announced that it added to its product portfolio two new graphics cards based on the recently announced Radeon HD 7770 and HD 7750 GPUs, both of these solutions featuring support for the company's own Afterburner overclocking software.

Compared to AMD’s reference design, MSI's R7700 graphics cards are equipped with an in-house developed cooling assembly which makes use of two fans to dissipate the heat produced by the card while running.

Spec wise, MSI's Radeon HD 7770 features the same 640 stream processors, 40 texture units, 16 ROPs, and 128-bit memory interface as the rest of the HD 7770 solution available out there, but its core is factory overclocked to reach 1020MHz.

The memory speed was however left unaltered, which means that the 1GB of GDDR5 video buffer installed works at 1,125MHz (4.5GHz data rate).

Moving to the Radeon HD 7750 graphics cards, this also follows AMD's specifications to the letter when it comes to the GDDR5 memory speed, but the Cape Verde Pro core was once again overclocked to reach 830MHz.

Compared to its older brother, this GPU packs 512 stream processors and 32 texture units, but the ROP count and the memory bus width have remained unchanged.

As far as the available video outputs are concerned, MSI’s creations sport dual-link DVI, a DisplayPort connector and an HDMI 1.4a output.

So far, MSI hasn’t made official any information regarding the price of its Radeon HD 7770 and HD 7750 graphics cards, but AMD’s MSRPs are set at $159 (about 121 EUR) and $109 (83 EUR), respectively. 

Both of the Cape Verde GPUs that stand at the heart of these two MSI solutions have been released by AMD earlier today and use the company’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture introduced with the Radeon HD 7900-series.

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iPad 3 Weeks Away, Apple Still Selling 1st-Gen Tablets

Less than one month to go until the third generation of iPads is unveiled, and Apple is still selling first-generation tablets on its Special Deals site.

Considering that the latest reports citing inside sources are accurate, Apple is weeks away from unveiling its next-generation of iPads. The third, to be precise, which reportedly features a Retina display, a blazing fast processor and GPU, new cameras, and more.

But that’s not keeping Apple from selling refurbished first-generation versions of the iPad through its Special Deals site.

Those interested in nabbing a $399 iPad with 3G wireless and 16 gigs of storage space can order it here via Apple’s online store.

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Gigabyte Debuts 1.1GHz Overclocked Radeon HD 7770 Graphics Card

Over the years, Gigabyte has accustomed us with its non-reference graphics cards and the company's recent Radeon HD 7770 based solution is no exception to this rule, as it comes with a beefier cooling solution and a slightly overclocked GPU.

The card is officially named the GV-R777OC-1GD and Gigabyte states that it improves the AMD reference design to deliver better cooling, higher overclocking headroom and a longer lifespan.

In order to do so, Gigabyte installed on top of the Cape Verde XT GPU a large aluminum heatsink topped by a 100mm diameter fan, specially designed to increase the airflow provided to the card, without increasing the noise generated while running.

In addition, this design also ensures that some of the resulting airflow is pushed towards the card's PCB where it should reach its VRMs and memory chips.

Speaking of memory, Gigabyte has decided to pair the GV-R777OC-1GD with 1GB of DDR5 video buffer, which operates at 1,125MHz (5,500MHz data rate). The GPU is run at 1100MHz, 100MHz higher than AMD's reference clock.

Going to the back of Gigabyte's creation, we get to see that the Taiwanese company has decided to go with its standard video output arrangement for midrange GPUS, which comprises a DVI, a D-Sub, and a gold-plated HDMI port.

The Gigabyte GV-R777OC-1GD should be available right as we speak, but so far the company hasn’t released any info detailing the price of this graphics card.

The Radeon HD 7770 is AMD's latest mainstream card and is based on the Cape Verde XT core, which includes 640 streaming units, 40 texturing units, 16 ROP units and a 128-bit memory bus. 

The load TDP is estimated at 80W, so it can be powered using a single PCI Express 6-pin connector.

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Samsung to Showcase Galaxy Note 10.1 at MWC 2012

Samsung might bring to the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a new device in the Galaxy Note family, one that could sport a much larger screen than the original.

The handset vendor is aiming at showcasing a multitude of devices to developers at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, including the Galaxy Note, a Galaxy Note 10.1, Wave 3 and Wave Y. 

This is the first time we learn of a Galaxy Note 10.1 device being prepared over at Samsung, and it remains to be seen whether this is a typo or not. 

Apparently, Samsung will pack the upcoming device with the same support for S-Pen stylus input as the original 5.3-inch Galaxy Note was made available with. 

Samsung will also bring its new bada SDK 2.0 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, hence the inclusion of Wave 3 and Wave Y in the demonstration.

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2013-Bound Intel Lynx Point Chipset Detailed

The Lynx Point chipset, the one that Intel intends to launch in 2013 alongside the Haswell central processing units, is a sort of technological paradox according to the latest leaks. 

Info has been pouring forth about a chipset that will follow another chipset that has yet to be launched, but this is only one reason for calling Lynx Point a paradox. 

Indeed, it is not unheard of for a company's mid to long-term plans to be exposed prematurely. 

What truly makes the Lynx Point qualify as odd is how it will actually be less advanced, in a way, than the one at the hearts of the upcoming 7-Series motherboards. 

Indeed, even though the manufacturing technologies and everything else have taken a leap forward, the chipset will have fewer features than Panther Point. 

This is owed to how the digital display outputs are going to be communicating straight with the CPU instead of being incorporated in the chipset proper. Out of all the display interfaces, only VGA will continue to be wired through the motherboard. 

That said, the Santa Clara, California-based company is not going to neglect the parts of the chipset that do get retained. 

According to some leaked roadmap slides, there is full SATA 6.0 Gbps support (SATA III) on all six SATA links. 

It was about time too, considering how AMD beat Intel in total SATA III support by about three years. 

Moving on, the CPU socket will be different from the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge one, but no name exists for it yet, beyond a speculative LGA 1150 nickname. 

Furthermore, Lynx Point supports six USB 3.0 ports in total, two more compared to 7-series, though the so-called I/O port flexibility feature may hint at the possibility of switching between USB 2.0 and 3.0 types. 

Finally, the slides reveal a new Rapid Storage driver, quad-read SPI flash memory for the UEFI BIOS and PCI Express 2.0 support (no native 3.0 here either, apparently). 

All the above, along with a faster DMI interface, come in a small package size of 22 x 23mm. June, 2013 is the currently scheduled time of arrival.

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PowerColor Radeon HD 7770 Graphics Card Now Official

PowerColor, one of AMD’s closest add-in board (AIB) partners, has announced recently the introduction of its own graphics card based on the Radeon HD 7770 design which works at AMD’s recommended 1GHz GPU clock rate.

PowerColor’s graphics card doesn’t seem to differ in any way from AMD’s reference design for the HD 7770, except for the usual company logo placed right on the fan hub. 

That being said, the reference cooler developed by AMD is quite capable, judging by the HD 7770 reviews that have popped up so far, as it manages to chill the card without producing too much noise.

Of course, the 28nm fabrication process used for the Cape Verde GPU also takes some of the credit for this feat, since it enabled AMD to build its core without having to increase the TDP over that of previous generation cards.

Speaking of the Cape Verde GPU, this is based on the same Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture as the much more powerful HD 7900-series graphics cards.

However, this mainstream GPU comes with just 10 Compute Units to deliver a total of 640 stream processors and 40 texture units.

These are packed together with 16 ROP units, one geometry engine/rasterizer and 512KB of L2 cache, as well as with a 128-bit wide memory bus connected to 1GB of GDDR5 video buffer.

In AMD’s reference design, the HD 7700 graphics core is clocked at 1GHz, while the memory runs at 1.125GHz (4.5GHz effective). These are also the frequencies that PowerColor has decided to use for its graphics card. 

PowerColor hasn’t provided us with any details regarding the price of this Cape Verde XT solution, but AMD’s recommended price for the Radeon HD 7770 is set at $159 (about 121 EUR).

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Belle Update Now Available for Nokia 500

The Finnish handset maker rolled out Nokia Belle update on February 8. However, the Nokia 500 has been left out due to its technical specifications. Although the company promised that the Belle update for Nokia 500 would be available within the next few weeks, there was no exact release date available at that time.

Fortunately, it took Nokia only one week to deliver the long-awaited Belle update for the Nokia 500 smartphone. Starting today Nokia 500 owners will, hopefully, be able to upgrade their devices to the latest version of Nokia Belle operating system.

According to Nokia, the update will be released in stages, country by country, which means that not everyone will get it today. It appears that Nokia Belle for the 500 device will be pushed in each country as soon as each relevant version of the latest Symbian software is available.

Obviously, this means that the release date will vary per country, so depending on the location or whether or not the smartphone is carrier-bounded, Nokia 500 owners will get the update sooner or later.

There’s a chance that this version of Belle for Nokia 500 might not feature all the enhancements included in the standard variant which was rolled out last week to Nokia N8, E7, C7, C6-01, X7, E6, and Nokia Oro.

Nokia states that “the majority of Belle enhancements will be available for the Nokia 500 including new features such as HD video recording at 30 frames per second and a visually improved browser enabling high-quality Web video viewing.”

This means that some of Belle’s features have been left out due to Nokia 500’s technical specifications, or it’s just an unfortunate choice of words

Furthermore, the Finnish company says that “this version of Belle has been specifically tailored to match Nokia 500’s hardware performance.” This is another indication that not all Belle features have been packed in this device.

Nokia 500 owners will get Nokia Maps version 3.06, but they are recommended to use Nokia Music, as the smartphone does not support FM transmitter or widget.

The new Belle update for Nokia 500 is available for download via Nokia Suite. To check for availability in a certain country head over to Nokia’s support site.

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