Sony Ericsson Xperia phones getting NFC

Sony Ericsson has announced that they would bring NFC to the upcoming Xperia series of Android handsets. The NFC is chip is manufactured by NXP semiconductors, global leader in NFC solutions.

The Google Nexus S, that was launched at the end of last year, recently announced Blackberry Bold 9900 and the Samsung Galaxy S2 has NFC. The Google Wallet that turns your phone into a wallet, also uses NFC.
The upcoming Sony Ericsson phones plans to use NXP PN65 NFC chips. Near Field Communications (NFC) would allow the users to connect or purchase items from the point of sale (POS) terminal, carryout mobile transactions, get tickets from the ticketing terminal and read a location-based promotional tag.

This chip also uses advanced cryptography and high security while performing the contact-less banking transactions and in e-passports and e-ID cards. NXP semiconductors also expects that this move by Sony Ericsson would increase their revenue from 1% to 2 to 4% in the second half of 2011.

Even though the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc skipped NFC, the next NFC enabled Sony Ericsson Xperia phone might come within this year.

Android 2.3 hits Sprint HTC EVO Shift 4G

Android OS powered phones are available in wide range of variety, like you can get a high-end Android phone as well as a mid-range powered phone too, all depends on your budget. High-end comes with everything latest and they are always running on the latest OS version, and mid-range devices are sometimes missing it. Android 2.3 a.k.a Gingerbread is the latest version of Google Android OS and high-end devices are shipping with it, also some mid-range devices too. It’s also rolling it to devices running on old software version and now it’s HTC EVO Shift 4G turn. HTC EVO 4G recently received it and now Shift 4G will start receiving Android 2.3 from June 20th and it will be an over-the-air update. Shift 4G is a QWERTY slider phone, and it’s actually Sprint version of Desire Z.

If you are just like me and can’t wait to try Gingerbread then just go to Menu>Settings>System updates>HTC software Update and the manual update will start, you can do it right now. It will bring Gingerbread features to Shift 4G as well as Swype text capability.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II price in USA

amsung Galaxy S II is the Samsung’s new flagship device, we recently reviewed it and we told you that it’s an amazing device. Currently one of the best Android devices available in the market and this device is an arch rival of HTC Sensation. Samsung is planning to launch Galaxy S II in 120 countries and it will be available on 140 operators in the world. Samsung really have some big goals, and that also means that they will bring their amazing device to USA, via major carriers and maybe regional carriers too. We don’t know when it’s really happening, but I think it’s around the corner. Samsung Singapore has posted some shots of Galaxy S II desktop dock on their Facebook page and guess what? The Samsung Galaxy S II on the dock has AT&T branding on it, as you can see that in the image above.



The phone looks a lot like Infuse 4G or should I say it’s just like it. Infuse 4G feature a 4.5-Inch screen, and SGS2 has a 4.3-Inch one, so the one in the image looks a little smaller than Infuse 4G. Also look at the power button on the left side, the little power logo is on the left of the button, not on the top like Infuse 4G, so I think it’s AT&T Galaxy S II. A pyramid-like desktop dock featuring a 3.5 mm stereo-out and a micro-USB out, not HDMI-out.

There’s currently no information when this device will hit AT&T, but you can expect it later this summer. I hope this is AT&T’s Galaxy S II and not a Photoshop fail by Samsung Singapore

Motorola Photon 4G launch by Spring in USA

Motorola and Sprint recently announced a new Android powered smartphone, the Motorola Photon 4G at an event in the New York City. The Motorola Photon 4G is the company’s first Sprint 4G device with a 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System. This handset comes with a 4.3 inch qHD display, 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, 16 GB internal memory and a kickstand for hands-free viewing.

Motorola Photon 4G Specifications

• 4.3 inch touchscreen with qHD display
• 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
• Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System
• 3G/4G Connectivity
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• 8 megapixel camera
• Dual-LED flash
• VGA front-facing camera for video chat
• 3.5 mm headset jack
• 1GB of RAM
• MicroSD card slot
• 16 GB internal memory
• 32 GB expandable memory
• Android Market
• Sprint ID
• GPS navigation enabled
• International GSM capabilities
• 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability
• Up to 10.4 hours talk-time
• 1700 mAh Lithium-ion battery

Motorola Photon 4G also comes with the Motorola webtop application, which allows the users to access and create content from a larger screen while connected to a Motorola accessory dock. Motorola Photon 4G will be available this summer. The price and release date of this handset have not been announced yet.

Vodafone UK officially launches Vodafone Smart, only for £60 on Pay as you go

A few weeks ago, Vodafone UK officially announced Vodafone Smart, which is a low-end Android powered device designed for people who are not that much in the smartphone game, and it’s a Vodafone branded phone. It’s actually for people who are looking for a cheap device to use it as their main or secondary device. The phone is small like the Motorola Wilder, but Smart is running on Android. It features a 2.8-Inch capacitive touchscreen display, 528 MHz processor, 130 MB internal memory and there is also microSD card support, 2 MP camera, HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. If you are thinking that it’s an entry level device and it will be running on Android 1.5 then you are wrong because it’s running on Android 2.2 a.k.a Froyo.

Key Features

• 2 megapixel camera
• Capacitive Touchscreen
• Android 2.2 Froyo

Vodafone is offering a number of high-end Android and other devices, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care about people who can’t afford it. That’s why they are offering Smart and if you want this handset, then get it for just £60 on Pay as you go. It’s really cheap and price isn’t bad for a handset running on Android 2.2 with some decent entry level specs.

Spice MI 270 will launch soon in Indian

Spice mobiles are very popular in the Indian mobile market for the latest features and specifications that are present in the mobile. The company targets to launch new technological oriented mobiles in a very affordable price. The company has launched many mobile models recently and has received good response from them. The Spice MI 270 is the latest mobile from the company which has already been launched in the Indian mobile market. The Spice MI 270 price in India is Rs.6, 499/-. The Spice MI 270 features and specifications are simple and clear. The mobile is available in Black & White colors. The Dimension of the mobile is104x55x12.6mm . The slim design of the mobile makes it very handy to carry it.



The Spice MI 270 is a Dual SIM mobile which supports two GSM SIM. The mobile is a 3G oriented mobile phone and which supports various types of facilities that are provided by the 3G network. The mobile is well integrated with 2.8 inch QVGA Touch screen display and whose picture resolution capacity is 240x320 pixels WxH. The Spice MI 270 is also powered by v2.2 Android operating system. The external memory of the mobile can also be enhanced up to 16GB through Micro SD cards. The mobile is having 2 megapixels camera service with digital zoom, scene mode, White balance and color effect options.

Wi-Fi connectivity of the mobile can provide public access at Wi-Fi hotspot. The AGPS and GPS service can provide perform function, such as location tracking. Data transfer facilities such as USB and Bluetooth are also present in the mobile. Multimedia players are also present in the mobile for entertainment purpose. Spice MI 410 is also a latest mobile from the company and the Spice MI 410 price in India is around Rs. 15,000/-. This mobile has got good response from the Indian customers. Spice is expecting a lot from all its latest launched mobile models.

Google delays Android 3.1 until August. Halts Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 shipments till then

Bad news for Android fans waiting to get the latest Honeycomb tablet running 3.1 version of OS. Android 3.1 has problems and Google decided to delay it’s launch until August “for most countries”.

And it gets worse. The tablets that were supposed to ship with Android 3.1 – Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 – have been delayed until then too.

For now it’s still a rumor. But it comes from a pretty reliable source – Mobile-Review.com’s Eldar Murtazin – who usually gets things right, especially this close to the device launch. So I’m pretty sure we won’t be seeing Android 3.1 tablets here in Europe until August.



Poor Samsung. With Galaxy line they have been a key part of the Android success story from the second half of 2010. They made the first “official” Android tablet, they even partnered with big G to make the second official Google Phone – Nexus S, they gave 5000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets away at Google I/O event. They have jumped through every hoop Google asked them to and shipped more Android devices then anyone else. Heck – they are kicking iPhone’s arse with Android flagship in some major markets.

And then they get screwed by Google on a major product launch in big way. For the second time in less then a year!

Google first screwed Samsung with the launch Galaxy S smartphone last June. At the time the search giant was very worried that it’s major Android partners were replacing Google’s location technology with the solution provided by a small location service provider called Skyhook. Google first learned about it in April, when Motorola decided to ship it’s next Droid with Skyhook solution. Google then refused to certify Motorola’s Droid 2 as Android compatible device until Motorola removed Skyhook’s location technology. Motorola complied, delaying it’s Droid 2 launch and then shipping it with Google’s location solution which they perceived to be inferior to Skyhook’s. Only to learn that Google allowed Samsung to start shipping it’s Galaxy S handset with the same Skyhook technology that Google now said is not Android compatible.

When Motorola complained, Google ordered Samsung to halt all the shipments of Galaxy S with Skyhook’s tech. Even with tens of thousand’s of Galaxies already sold or on the way to carrier customers. And Samsung had no other choice but to comply, stop all Galaxy S shipments and hastily replace Skyhook with Google’s location provider. Remember all the GPS/location problems Galaxy S had last summer? Yep – most likely it was about that.

Here we go again. With the pre-order options and promised mid-June shipping dates popping up around the world, I’d say thousands of Samsung Galaxy Tabs are en route to the carriers and distributors. And now they will have to sit in the warehouses for a couple of months, until Google fixes whatever last minute bug they found in Android 3.1

In the meantime, potential customers will keep snapping HTC Flyers, Motorola Xooms and Asus transformers with even buggier Android 3.0 OS.

Vodafone releases Android 2.3.3 to Xperia Arc and Play customers

Vodafone has released Android 2.3.3 to its Xperia Arc and Xperia Play customers, equipping the handset’s with Facebook Inside Xperia integration.

Just one week after Sony Ericsson made the update available, Vodafone UK has confirmed that it’s now available for Arc and Play users. Once installed, users can look forward to getting to grips with Sony Ericsson’s all-new Facebook Inside Xperia application, which made its debut on the Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro. This’ll equip the devices with a Facebook-focussed media player, social integration inside the built-in gallery app, and a more connected phone book, enabling users to see Facebook updates and profile information.

The OS bump will also equip the handsets with a number of fixes and improvements. According to Voda, these include; improved voice quality, device stability improvements, enhancements to email setup and performance with exchange accounts, and a number of niggly bug fixes.

Rather than delivering the update over-the-air (OTA), Vodafone says that the OS bump will be available via USB. To download Android 2.3.3, simply hook your handset up to your PC, and connect to Sony Ericsson Update Service application. You will be prompted that an update is available and should follow the onscreen instructions.

Android 2.1 finally comes to Xperia X10 in U.S.

Sony Ericsson is launching the Android 2.1 "Eclair" upgrade to Xperia X10 devices running on the AT&T network in the U.S., the handset maker announced today.

Owners of the device, which boasts a 4-inch touch screen, a 1GHz processor, and an 8-megapixel camera, will be able to access the upgrade today. With the upgrade, the phone records video in 720p, offers multitouch support, gets facial detection in video capture, and increases the number of available home screens from three to five.

In order to update the Xperia X10, users will need to download a PC Companion application to get the process started. From there, they'll need to plug their devices into their computers and start the update. According to the company's Web site, the update will take about 30 minutes to complete.

The addition of Android 2.1 to the Xperia X10 comes rather late. Many other devices are already running the newer Android 2.2 (Froyo). There are even some runnings Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The issue of fragmentation in the Android ecosystem has been a hot-button issue ever since new updates started to emerge. Some devices get the new versions of the operating system quickly, while owners of other platforms, including the Xperia X10, are forced to wait and wait for vendors to offer updates.

According to a chart on the Android developers' page, Android 2.2 currently runs on nearly 66 percent of Android-based devices on the market. Android 2.1 is running on 24.5 percent of devices. Android 2.3 is available on 4 percent. There are still even some devices running Android 1.6 and Android 1.5.

On a related note, the update didn't take quite so long across the pond. In October, Sony Ericsson announced the Android 2.1 for update European customers.

At the time, the company promised that North American owners would get the update by the end of November.

The Xperia X10 on AT&T's network is selling for $49.99 with a two-year commitment and online discount.