Android, Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile

Baidu revealed their first phone

As some of you may have already heard, the company behind China’s biggest search engine – Biadu, has decided to develop their own Android-based smartphone. And not only have they said they would do so, but they have even already developed such a device – the Changhong H5018. The device is actually, to be exact, not running Google’s platform, but rather one developed by Baidu – Cloud Smart Terminal, which is based on Android.

The device is being manufactured by Foxconn and will be sold by the China Unicom network operator for about $160 – far cheaper than the iPhone, which costs $700 and up in China. The device has a nice design, though it has clearly been copied by Nokia, and the standard features of most budget Android smartphones – a 3.5″ screen, 3G capabilities, 3MP camera and a 1400 mAh battery. B. A.

Why Samsung is using PenTile AMOLED displays

The debut of the Samsung Galaxy S III brought quite a few surprises, one of which was the fact, that Samsung’s flagship device is once again using a PenTile display, despite the rumors, that it wouldn’t. From many this was received as bad news, but there is actually quite a good reason for the Korean company to have chosen this technology over RGB. This information is coming from an interview with a Samsung employee at the CTIA Wireless event. According to him, despite the many advantages of the AMOLED displays (such as the wider viewing-angles, high contrast and stunning saturation) , they also have one serious disadvantage – they lose their qualities over time.

According to Samsung, this happens faster with blue pixels than with red or green ones, which is also the reason why PenTile displays should last longer – they feature more green pixels and less red and blue ones. If you’re having trouble understanding why that is, here’s a more detailed explanation: the pixel layout in the display, used in the S3, is RGRB (red – green-red-blue) . When compared to the pixel layout in RGB displays (red-green-blue) one can clearly see, that the red pixels in the first case are exactly twice as much as those in the second one.

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Videos of the official Samsung Galaxy S3 accessories

After our announcement of the first images of the Official Samsung accessories for the Galaxy S3, we’ve now got some  hands-on videos of the accessories (via MobileFun).

Official Samsung Galaxy S3 C-Pen

Official Samsung Galaxy S3 Flip Cover in Chrome Blue

Official Samsung Galaxy S3 Desktop Dock

Official Samsung Galaxy S3 Wi-Fi Display Hub

Android becoming more popular, Windows Phone shares its success

In the first few months of 2012 Android has managed to increase its market share even more, according to the results from a research, which was quoted by Reuters. This growth has been achieved thanks to the new models of companies, such as Samsung and HTC, which keep on pressuring Nokia and Research in Motion. The results also show, that for the 12 weeks until the middle of March, Android has managed to gain impressive popularity in some of Europe’s largest markets, such as Spain, Italy and Germany. The percentage of devices, which use Google’s platform, sold in the first two countries is respectively 72% and 49% ,while in the latter it has managed to reach 62%. Apple, on the other hand, have also increased their market share in the US and UK (thanks to the 4S) , but the company is losing their positions in Europe.

Meanwhile Windows Phone is also increasing its market share, because of Nokia’s decision to use Microsoft’s OS instead of their own one. The platform’s market share in Germany has more than double – reaching 6%, and it has also increased in the US, UK, France and Italy, though, its share in those countries is currently around 3-4%. This means, that Windows Phone is finally ahead of BlackBerry OS in the States after RIM’s platform lost a huge part of its market share going down from 9% to just 3%. B. A.

HTC Desire C appeared in Vodafone’s catalog

We have already told you about the HTC Golf a couple of times – a device, which is expected to be released as a successor to the company’s budget smartphones, such as the Wildfire. As it turns out the phone is going to be released with another name – the Desire C, at least according to the unofficial source of GSM Arena. This has also been confirmed by the device catalog of the Portuguese division of Vodafone for May, which includes not only the name of the model, but also its technical specifications.

As most people had expected, they’re not very impressive, but than again we are talking about a budget device with an expected starting price of about  €200 for Europe. The display, which is 3.5″ in diagonal, has a resolution of 320×480 and the processor is just a single-core 600 mHz one. The camera is 5MP and there is even 4GB of in-build memory. Most important of all is perhaps the software it runs on – Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device also has quite a big battery – a 1230 mAh one. There is still no official release date for the HTC Desire C, but judging by its appearance in Vodafone’s catalog, it’s probably going to hit the market quite soon. B. A.

Official Samsung Galaxy S3 accessories images pop up at Mobile Fun

UK retailer Mobile Fun have released the images of a number of Official Samsung products for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Over on their blog they’ve shown images for six bound to be popular S3 Official accessories: the Desktop Dock, Holder and Battery Charger, two Flip cases, the C-Pen and Wi-Fi Display Hub.

Taking a closer look at the accessories: the C-Pen (which is thought to be the upgrade to the S-Pen) is a great solution for increasing accuracy when using the Galaxy S III. The soft tip helps to keep the display of the S3 clean and free from fingerprints, whilst helping you to become a pro at apps like Draw Something.

One of the nicest looking Samsung Galaxy S3 case styles to be released by Samsung, the Official Flip covers replace the original back cover of the S3 and offers protection to the screen as well as the back and sides. The flip cover is a great addition to the case as now the display remains looking newer for longer as well as the handset. As expected all the ports and features are accessible when using the case, so we think it’s a definite must have.

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Machinarium now available for Android

Machinarium is an interesting game, developed by the Czech studio Amanita Design, which was first released for computers and has recently found its way to the mobile platforms. The game owes its success largely to its both original and quite simply stunning graphics, the challenging puzzles and the music, which was done by Tomáš Dvořák (also known as Floex) .

The story behind Machinarium is quite interesting, as you’re a robot, who has to solve various types of challenges, which involve manipulating different objects, in order to advance thorough the levels. The game is now available on the Android Market (Google Play) for $4, though, sadly, it’s curently only available for devices with HD screens, which greatly limits the number of people, who can actually try it out. Still, this is necessary is order for these users to experience the game as it was meant to. You can check out the trailer below. B. A.

The Samsung Omnia M

Even though Samsung appear to be focusing mainly on their Android smartphones, the company isn’t lagging behind with their Windows Phone devices either. And as if to support this statement, Samsung are releasing the Omnia M. The device is somewhat similar to the Omnia W, but it has a different design and a larger – 4″ to be exact, screen. Among its other specifications are a 5MP camera with auto focus, a single-core processor, clocked at 1gHz, 7.2Mbps HSPA connection and the other standard features, such as WiFi, Bluetooth and so on.

Software-wise, the device is running Windows Phone 7.5 and users will have access to features, such as Family Story – a service for sharing stuff with your family members, the multiplatform communication service called ChatON, AllShare for watching clips and images from the phone on the TV and Smart DJ – an automatic playlist creator. Standard-issue Microsoft services have also not been forgotten, such as Xbox, SkyDrive and so on. The Omnia M (GT-I8350) is going to hit the European market first. B. A.

Rovio’s next game coming in 2 months

The Finnish company Rovio has made quite a name for itself with their hit-game Angry Birds, which has gotten so popular, it is now available not only for smartphones, but also as a browser-based game and even a stand-alone computer program. As beloved as it may be, though, its age has taken its effect on the game and even moving the action in outer space can’t bring back all of the initial enthusiasm of Angry Birds. The Finns however seem to be aware of that and that’s why they’re preparing to surprise us with a new game.

According to recently leaked information, Rovio has just bough the company, which made Casey’s Contraptions, and that’s actually going to be the next application of theirs. Rovio are currently improving the game and are getting ready to release it with a mass marketing strategy, which is going to make it well-known for a larger audience. According to the head of Rovio, the game, which is going to be called Amazing Alex, is going to have an educational character and will be released in the next couple of months. B. A.

Apple to stop using Google Maps in iOS 6

We have already seen the first sign of Apple trying to distance themselves as much as they can from Google’s services and it seems this tendency is going to continue in the next version of iOS. According to trusted sources of 9to5mac, Apple have decided to go with a map application of their own for iOS, instead of just using Google Maps as they have so far. According to the information, Apple’s application looks a lot like Google’s, but is even faster, simpler and more reliable. The company currently has everything it takes to make such an application (which is probably going to be called just Maps) after they bought Placebase, C3 Technologies and Poly9. Apple are even expected to release their own version of Google Street View, based on the know-how of C3 Technologies. One of the main aspects of this application is going to be the 3D mode, which is going to provide realistic graphics by using technologies developed for the military. iOS 6 is expected to make its debut at the World Wide Developers Conference this June. B. A.