Samsung out with a Dual-Core Netbook and Laptop

Samsung out with two new portable computers for India. The Samsung NF210 is a 10.1-inch screened Netbook housing a dual-core Atom processor; the N550 with each core running at 1.5 GHz. That coupled with the 2GB RAM should keep the pre-installed Windows 7 (not mentioned which one, but we assume it to be the 'Starter Edition') running without an annoying lag. For people wanting to know more about the processor, it supports 1MB L2 cache memory, hyper-threading (that'll show four cores in the Windows task manager) and the GMA 3150 graphics chip on the CPU die itself. It weighs a fairly light 1.34 kilos and has better connectivity options as compared to other netbooks in the form of Wi-fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 support. There's also fairly ample 320GB hard disk space to store all your content on (especially since nowadays companies like Google aren't very affectionate with that idea). Samsung's banking on the 6-cell battery to deliver 10.5 hours of up-time; with netbooks doing 7-8 hours on an average, this is not entirely unbelievable. Lastly, they've also integrated an "Fast Start" feature that helps boot the netbook faster. The Samsung NF210 sells for Rs. 22,990.

Think Netbooks are too puny for an Hombre like you huh? Maybe the Samsung SF510 will be big enough for ya. Powered by either a Core i3 or i5 processor, the SF510 is a 15.6 incher desktop replacement. It weighs a fare 2.4 kilos, and has a similar curvy shape to the one above. 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and a DVD writer sound well-spec'ed enough. Graphics are powered either by the entry-level NVIDIA GeForce 310M or the mid-range GeForce GT420M. They mention the touch-pad to be "button less" and gesture friendly - let's see how good (or bad) that is once we use it. The Samsung SF510 is priced at Rs. 55,490. 

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Samsung Wave S8500 Now a Collector's Trophy?

At the end of September this year, it was reported that Samsung is running out of those ultra-cheerful Super AMOLED displays they had dazzled us with in the Samsung Wave. The Wave was Sammy's first phone to sport their Bada Operating System, and with the kind of features and performance it gave, it was surprising how the phone was sold at a reasonable Rs. 17,500. So, the buzz was that Samsung was running short of Super AMOLED displays - and we wouldn't really be skeptical of that. The variety of Samsung Galaxy S branded phones which have that type of displays have already sold over 3 million in the US itself. Second, all the Windows Phone 7 based offerings from Samsung will also have Super AMOLEDs on them. Lastly, and take this with a pinch of salt, Apple is purchasing Super AMOLED displays to put in their devices next year. 

Whatever the reason maybe, the effects are definitely showing. The Samsung Wave is nowhere to be seen on retail in India. We have been hearing from many people that they're not able to find one offline. While, a quick online search at popular resellers also suggests the same - it'll all out of stock. No wonder Samsung announced the Wave II just three months after the first one started selling. This one has the exact same feature set to the original, except for one change. The 3.3 inch Super AMOLED is now replaced with a Super-LCD panel. As a consolation, the screen size is bumped up to 3.7 inches. 

Now this is where the plot thickens. Mobile-review.com got hold of a Wave II and they compared it with a Super AMOLED-laden Galaxy S as well as a regular AMOLED based Nokia N8. I don't know about you, but to me the S-LCD display seems to be more vivid and bright than the latter two. Let's hope they have been entirely unbiased while they clicked those images. This makes me wonder, is the S-LCD on the Wave II not going to make you regret Samsung's inability to deliver on the Super AMOLED displays?

What ever the case, one thing seems to be sure - the original Wave S8500 headed for its grave too early. Converting the announced European price tag of the Wave II, it came up to Rs. 26,160. That's heck more expensive than the first one. I'll end with this - Samsung had given us a multi-media powerhouse that no other phone under Rs. 20,000 could match, and it makes me sad that it doesn't exist anymore. 

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Samsung Nexus Two details surface

Crude details of heavily anticipated Samsung Nexus Two (rumored name) have surfaced online. Gizmodo reported about a source who claimed to have got hands on to the next major smartphone Nexus Two smartphone. Nexus Two isn't going to be the official name of Samsung's Android device due on Nov 8. That name is being used just because the phone is believed to be a successor of Nexus One. On Nov 8, all eyes would be set on this smartphone build Samsung and will run Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. 

As per Gizmodo s Nexus Two will have a full touchscreen form factor with black, shiny glossy plastic with a curved back. It comes with front facing camera and the stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread might bring video chat feature built-in. Google engineers have been working to get video chat activated on Android. 

Taylor Kimberly, blogger at AndroidandMe blog has compiled a set of specifications that possibly would constitute as the Nexus Two s internal features. Checkout the list of specifications compiled for Nexus Two smartphone.

- Stock Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)- 1.2 GHz processor (mostly overclocked Hummingbird or may be different model)
- 4 inch AMOLED display (Could be Super-AMOLED version)
- 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and HD video capture, front-facing camera 
- 512 MB RAM, 16 GB internal storage
- Support for multiple carriers     
- All the usuals like WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm headset jack, etc.
- Outer casing is a mix of metal and plastic materials

Based on the above specifications, it seems like Google and Samsung have been working on one of the best Android phone available today. Why Google chose Samsung? Simple, Samsung makes the CPU and GPU chips used in majority of smartphones available today. Also the Galaxy S smartphone has proven to be one of the best high-end Android-based smartphones available today. But there's no information on whether Nexus Two will carry flash or will it be dropped just like in Galaxy S. Nexus Two would be offered by several mobile operators and won't be exclusive to just one like Sprint had bagged Evo 4G.

Purported Nexus Two is a better and powerful iteration of Nexus One smartphone with 4-inch screen and 1.2GHz microprocessor. Though both the sources state that the details are confirmed, we d still term them as speculations until we see actual listing or specification details. That s because at times, the actual unit carries different specifications.

We ve got to hold our procrastinating speculative horses just for a week. 

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