Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Unveiled

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has just been announced at IFA in Berlin and for those who are interested with it, here's the complete specs of the phone:-

• Processor: 1.6 GHz quad-core processor 
• Display: 5.5” HD Super AMOLED (1,280 x 720)
• OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Camera: Main (Rear): 8 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, BSI; Sub (Front): 1.9 Megapixel VT Camera, BSI; Best Photo, Best Faces, Low light shot
• Video: Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP8, Format: 3GP (MP4), WMV (ASF), AVI, FLV, MKV, WebM; Full HD (1080p) Playback & Recording
• Audio: Codec: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, ACC+, eAAC+, AMR (NB,WB), MIDI, WAV, AC-3, Flac; Music Player with SoundAlive; 3.5mm Ear Jack
• S Pen Optimized Features: S Pen Experience; S Note, S Planner, Email with hand-writing integration; S Pen Keeper; Quick Command, Easy Clip, Photo Note, Paper Artist; Air View; Popup Note, Popup Play; Shape Match, Formula Match, Idea Visualizer
• Sharing Features: Samsung AllShare Play & Control; Samsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display) – Mirroring & Extension; Samsung AllShare Framework; S Beam
• Content Features & Services: Samsung Apps; Samsung Kies /Samsung Kies Air; Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel; Samsung Hub; Game Hub; Learning Hub* / Music Hub* / Video Hub* / Media Hub* (US only); Samsung ChatOn mobile communication service; Samsung S Suggest; Smart Stay, Direct Call, Screen Recorder, Quick Glance; Page Buddy/ Tag Buddy/ Word Buddy
• GPS: A-GPS; Glonass
• Connectivity: Bluetooth® v 4.0 (Apt-X Codec support) LE; USB 2.0 Host; WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi HT40; Wi-Fi Direct; mHL; NFC
• Sensors: Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer
• Memory: 16/32/64GB User memory + 2GB (RAM); microSD (up to 64GB)
• Dimensions: 80.5 x 151.1 x 9.4 mm, 180 g 
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-ion 3,100mAh

And here's the hands-on video to make you drool even more for the device. Enjoy :)

HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S II problems

Two of the long awaited Android smartphone namely the HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S II has been made available to buyers for a not-very-long period but many proud owners of these devices has been reporting problems with their devices.

I've searched some popular forums and has compiled a list of some of the problems reported by these owners:-

HTC Sensation
- Death Grip issue where wi-fi signals will drop from full bar to 1 bar or sometimes even loses the signal altogether when you grip/squeeze the right top side of the phone.

- Multiple Screen Issues.

• First, the screen sometimes misses the first press which means that you may need to press several times before it register your touch.
• Second, when you scroll through your screen such as scrolling through your app drawer, it sometimes register the brushing as press thus opening app accidentally.
• Third, the lock screen sometimes display only in the upper part of the screen leaving a black screen on the lower part of the screen. And sometimes, the phone is difficult to unlock when you swipe the ring.
• Lastly, some of the third party widget will display multiple lines on the widget. The lines will move with the widget and will not disappear unless you remove the widget and add it back again. However, the lines will come back once a while and you will need to repeat these steps again.

Samsung Galaxy S II
- Pink/Red spot in camera

- Yellow tint on the left side of the screen. Mostly visible if the background is grey or black color

- Weak wi-fi signal compared to other device with the same distance. It only shows 1 or 2 bars when other device is showing full bar.
- Device gathers too much heat after playing games for a while (some reported as fast as 15 minute). It can goes up to around 60 celcius and sometimes might even shut itself off/freezes because of the overheat.

Well, I guess nothing is perfect but hope all this issues will be fixed soon with a software update if possible. If I miss any other problems, please let me know. I'll update the list.

Maxis Offers HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S II

Maxis is offering both of the most anticipated dual-core android phone which is the HTC Sensation and the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Below is the package offered:-
HTC Sensation
RRP: RM 2,299
12 Months Contract: RM 1,799 (500MB) and RM 1,599 (1.5GB and 3GB)
18 Months Contract: RM 1,699 (500MB) and RM 1,499 (1.5GB and 3GB)
24 Months Contract: RM 1,599 (500MB) and RM 1,399 (1.5GB and 3GB)

Samsung Galaxy S II
RRP: RM 2,099
12 Months Contract: RM 1,799 (500MB) and RM 1,599 (1.5GB and 3GB)
18 Months Contract: RM 1,649 (500MB) and RM 1,499 (1.5GB and 3GB)
24 Months Contract: RM 1,599 (500MB) and RM 1,399 (1.5GB and 3GB)
From 22 June to 22 July 2011, you can save RM 200 when you contract the Samsung Galaxy S II for 24 months for both the 500MB and (1.5GB and 3GB) package.

Here's the link to the full specification of the HTC Sensation and the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Do read up on the review of each device before deciding on which one suits you more.

Samsung Galaxy S II coming soon to Malaysia

The long awaited Samsung Galaxy S II is coming to Malaysia soon. Maxis has posted in its website that they will be bringing in this smartphone soon and you can register your interest here.

Pricing is still unknown yet but should be revealed pretty soon. I'll update again once it is officially available.