[ROM] The Blu Kuban FI27 for Samsung Epic 4G Touch

Thanks to rujelus22, who have created this "The Blu Kuban FI27" Custom Rom of Samsung Epic 4G Touch Smartphone. About Rom Features: 

• Aroma Installer
• Stock FI27 Base
• The Kuban Kernel
• The Kuban Updater
• Odexed
• Transparent Lock Screen
• Extended Toggles (Thanks to sleshepic for pointing me in the right direction and to Wanam who made the GS2 Toggles Port!)
• Using Blue Havoc boot animation
• Tweaked JB animations
• Boot animation zips now supported
• ROM Updater for new updates of the ROM, Mods, Add-ons, and Fixes
• Tweaked ICS Lockscreen
• Beats Audio files (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...6DSP%20manager)
• New recent apps view
• Apex Launcher 5x5 default (Themed)
• All stock apps themed to match ICS style
• Removed Sprint Proxy
• Using Google DNS
• Removed ICS keyboard notification
• Added Extended reboot options
• dalvik-cache moved to /data/
• Automatic ZipAlign of /data/app/*.apk on boot
• Screen Rotation animations
• 180 degree rotation
• Landscape lockscreen
• 4G Hot Spot Hack (Fixed reboot issue in 1.0.4.0)
• Changed Sprint Hotspot to Hotspot and added settings
• All apps optimized and zipaligned
• Tons of speed tweaks
• All pre-installed widgets are themed the same
• GPS Tweaks
• Blocked ads
• build.prop tweaks
• All my apps except Facebook installed
• Silent Camera/Boot Sound/Screen Clicks
• RUJELUS22 Icon and Wallpaper Pack
• Disabled battery full notification
• Completely clear ADW default workspace
• Unkown sources is turned on by default
• location enabled
• Haptic feedback disabled by default
• CRT Off animation
• No SMS/MMS in phone log
• 1x/3G Mod (Thank to nivron for the guide)
• Added font size settings back in (Thanks to barnacles10 for the guide)
• Tons more I am sure I am forgetting

Stripped Very Bare ROM

• Almost all of Touchwiz removed
• Almost all stock widgets removed
• Tons of Stock apps removed
• Kies removed
• Most alarm/notification/ringer sounds removed
• Designed as an install your own apps ROM
• Stock=325MB Blu Kuban=239MB

Have a look on the Rom

List of apps installed by default

• The Kuban Updater
• ICS Stock Browser (Themed)
• TW Calculator (Themed)
• TW Calendar (Themed)
• Camera (Themed)
• TW Contacts (Themed ICS Style)
• Downloads UI (Themed)
• Google Drive (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Dropbox (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Stock ICS Email (Themed)
• Es File Explorer (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Gallery 3D (Themed)
• Gmail (Themed)
• Google+ (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Hotspot (Themed)
• Google Maps (Themed)
• Market (Themed)
• TW Mms (Themed ICS Style)
• ICS Keyboard (Themed)
• Google Music (Themed)
• Phone (Themed ICS Style)
• Google Reader (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Google Search (Themed)
• SuperSU (Themed)
• Google Talk (Themed)
• Task Manager (Themed)
• Google Translate (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Terminal (Themed)
• Twitter (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Video Player (Themed)
• Google Voice (Uninstallable)(Themed)
• Voice Search (Themed)
• You Tube (Uninstallable)(Themed)

Warning - Use my ROM at your own risk. I am not responsible if you break your phone. Always do a NAND backup or other backup, and READ. (unless you like losing your data).

Requiremetns Download

Wipe before installing over any previous builds
The Blu Kuban 1.0.5.3
The Blu Kuban 1.0.5.3 - Mirror
MD5: CB105D8881E5A91352845EB83A498180

1.0.5.2 to 1.0.5.3 Update (No wipe need - Flash over 1.0.5.2)
The Blu Kuban 1.0.5.3 Update
The Blu Kuban 1.0.5.3 Update - mirror
MD5: 5C3CD8C71737132B101DFD509263FD39

Format All X2
MD5: 5484ABAF72447260CAF7B6E9D9ECB33E

How to Install this Rom

• Boot to recovery
• Make an NAND Backup
• Wipe the phone (with the Format All X2 script)
• Flash Part 1 (The Blu Kuban 1.0.5.1)
• Boot the phone
• Go to the updater (Under the stock section) and install Part 2 (Two part install is to finish theming Talk)
• Reboot and Enjoy!!

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Heading to Mobile World Congress

Samsung seems to be readying an 8-inch model of its S-Pen sporting Note tablet. Set to be announced at next month’s Mobile World Congress, the pill will are available in two versions - GT-N5100 3G and GT-N5101 Wi-Fi only.

Sammobile reports that Galaxy Note  8.0 (seems like the final identify) will include a 8.0-inch 1280×800p Super Clear LCD, 5MP rear digital camera, 1.3MP entrance digital camera, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The Korean producer seems to be planning to take on the Apple’s upcoming (rumoured for March launch) and existing iPad Mini  with Note 8.0.

Other specs of Note 8.0 embody 4600 mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.zero, USB 2.zero and Wi-Fi, A-GPS and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There is no such thing as a word on the processor, however it is prone to be a quad-core one.

Whereas, these specs look decent, it will be fascinating to see how Samsung costs Word 8.0, as a result of that can decide if the pill sells.

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Samsung Galaxy S IV will come with Wireless charging feature

Korean edition DDaily reports that the brand new Samsung flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S IV will have the ability to wireless charging Qi (like WP8-smartphone Nokia).

Unfortunately, the system for wireless charging won't be shipped with the product. The again cowl for smartphone, which will be compatible with this exercise, is not going to bethe basic kit. 

It is reported that, Samsung originally deliberate to make use of more revolutionary and superior wireless charging method, often called a resonant magnetic coupling. In concept it might probably charge an object at a distance of two meters from the charger. For comparability, all sensible telephones with wireless charging, which are actually available on the market, shall be positioned no more than four cm from the z / y. However, in the end the Korean firm abandoned the thought as a result of in the meanwhile this realization can be too expensive for shoppers

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Samsung WB2100 Superzoom Bridge Camera Back

Samsung hits back with a new superzoom bridge camera, the WB2100. It sports a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, a 25mm huge-angle lens, a 35x optical zoom lens, a 3.zero-inch LCD display screen, an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot and 1920 x 1080 / 60i video capture. Pricing data is still unknown at the moment

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[Update] 10.1 Galaxy Tab 2 & 7.0 Jelly Bean 4.1.1 heading to US

The 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update has been rolling out since December to the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 2 in chosen regions and is now out there by way of Kies to users within the US. We have now now heard that house owners of the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2 within the US are additionally reporting that the replace is now available for their tablet, both by way of Kies or as an over-the-air (OTA) update. Though we anticipated the update round this time it’s at all times reassuring to see that units are literally receiving it at last.

It’s an enormous update at 300MB, as you may count on as it should deliver all of the a lot-awaited goodness of Jelly Bean to your system, corresponding to, Google Now, Venture Butter and a bunch of different adjustments, additions and improvements. When you’re within the US then and the proprietor of a Galaxy Tab 2 then verify for the replace by heading to Settings adopted by About Machine and then Software Replace to kick off the update. The benefits of this update are notable so don’t miss out on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1.

We will solely hope that it is a good signal for these with the Galaxy Tab 2 in other nations who haven’t but obtained the Jelly Bean update and of course we’ll carry further information as we hear it. Are you in the US and have you been waiting for Jelly Bean to your Galaxy Tab 2, both the 10-inch or 7-inch version? Possibly you’re one of the lucky customers who have just acquired the replace and could let us know so that we all know how the rollout is progressing? Tell us by sending your comments.

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LTE Galaxy S III heading to T-Mobiles

T-Mobile has some massive plans, and considered one of them occurs to be an LTE network. It’s set to go stay in Las Vegas in mere weeks, cowl 100 million folks by mid 12 months, and 200 million individuals by the end of the year. These are some pretty massive numbers, but now we have faith that T-Mobile can do it. With an HSPA+ community that can attain forty two mbps, we doubt T-Mobile clients have been sad with information speeds, however LTE is certainly an improvement everyone (who has a new phone) can appreciate.

Speaking of which, T-Mobile is planning to release a brand new Galaxy S III packing LTE radios. It’ll most likely be the Exynos version too, for the reason that Galaxy S III LTE is out in Europe. This may deliver up some patrons regret in some folks, as the device is simply about half a 12 months previous, but that’s how the tech world works. We don’t know when the machine might be released, however understanding that LTE is coming so quick, it must be very soon.

And if you happen to’re a Galaxy Be aware II owner, you'll not have to undergo the identical ordeal. As we reported earlier, the T-Mobile Galaxy Note II has dormant LTE radios. While the S III has a Qualcomm chipset that seems to only support HSPA+, the Exynos chipset within the Observe II, with the separate LTE radio, has help for both. And T-Mobile has said that these LTE radios will probably be enabled via a small update. That ought to make loads of Note II owners happy. So what do you guys think of this? Is T-Mobile’s LTE network a step in the suitable direction? As a Galaxy S III owner, are you upset? Tell us within the feedback

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Dropbox will come with Deeper Integration on Samsung Devices

As we know that Dropbox came pre-loaded on many Samsung Galaxy gadgets, however Dropbox and Samsung have greater plans. They plan to combine Dropbox not only into Samsung’s Android smartphones, however their smart cameras and even Good TV’s. Integration is already present in many gadgets, including auto upload to Dropbox, but there can even be a characteristic that displays thumbnails for pictures and movies uploaded to Dropbox on different units with Dropbox accounts. It received’t obtain the picture till you press on it, saving your treasured knowledge plan.

See more: Dropbox on Windows 8 & RT

The Sensible TV integration will rely on AllShare Play, which will enable these TV’s to view Dropbox content easily. Seeing cloud content material on linked TV’s is a good idea and removes the necessity for external storage.

Nonetheless, this integration won't be unique to Samsung. Any Android machine can use the Dropbox app. But having it out of the field, and working nicely with Samsung’s personal DLNA apps, will present a better customer experience for Samsung customers and will introduce Dropbox to more people. It’s a win-win state of affairs for everyone.

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Samsung Exynos5 octa-core chipset unviels

NVIDIA had its second to shine earlier within the week, and Qualcomm had its personal announcements to make for 2013. Now, Samsung’s trying to flip issues up a notch with its own Exynos series of chipsets. Samsung has introduced the Exynos5, an octa-core chipset that makes use of some pretty fascinating strategies to provide optimal battery life whereas delivering best-in-class performance.

The chipset features two quad-core SoCs, with one being an ARM Cortex-A15 based implementation clocked at 1.8GHz, whereas the opposite is an ARM Cortex-A7 implementation at 1.2GHz. The previous shall be used for the standard CPU-intensive duties corresponding to gaming, internet browsing, HD video playback and more. Should you aren’t doing this stuff then the telephone will favor the weaker (but nonetheless highly effective), more battery pleasant set of cores.

The preliminary product will come in a 28nm taste, but Samsung is constant to work to carry that down to twenty, 14, and then 10nm over time. With 70% battery financial savings over the Exynos 4 chipset this factor should scream while offering extremely lengthy battery life at the similar time. Imagine a Samsung Galaxy Notice 3 with a three,300-3,500mAh battery coupled with this chipset - I’m already watering on the mouth.

Of course, phones and tablets aren’t the only things Samsung will look to stuff these items into. Samsung is also beginning to use Exynos5 inside its line of netbooks, including the already-available ChromeBook. We’re not sure when or if Samsung will use this specific chipset in a netbook anytime soon, but it certainly is a possibility.

The know-how is known as “big.LITTLE,” a cute play on what you may use to name a Java bundle or method in an Android app. Massive, little, or something in between - we don’t care what it’s called, we just need to see it in phones at some point this year.

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COLD BLUE Theme for All Custom Rom of Galaxy Y

Hi Guys Introducing COLD BLUE Theme for All Custom Rom of Galaxy Y. Theme for All Custom Rom of Galaxy Y.And now this theme is also ported for USSR custom rom for galaxy y but it will also works on other roms.This Theme is Shared & developed by Xda Member YASH989 so, first Thanks to him.

Features:

• Themed popups 
• Dialer 
• Contacts 
• Statusbar 
• Lockscreen 
• Desckclock 
• Popular 
• And 

Warnings: This Theme is only meant for Samsung galaxy y model gt-s5360. Use it at your own Risk we will not be held responsible for what ever happens to your device. The information provided here is only for instructional and educational purpose.

Download links:

Note on download page un- check this box

Use our download manager and get recommended downloads

• CWM : CWM.zip Link
• Theme: Blue.zip Link
• Update : Blue 2.zip link
• Icon : Blue icon.zip Link 

Note:

I have tested this theme on USSR V9 JELLYNOID CUSTOM ROM FOR GALAXY Y GT-S5360. and it will also work on other Roms but delete systemui and settings before flashing.

Installation:

• Download Blue.zip & cwm file and place in the root directory of your phone's sd card and turn your phone off.
• Reboot in Recovery mode by pressing vol up+home+Power button together once you enter recovery mode touch screen become function-less so use volume up and down to move up and down, home button for selection and power as back button.
• Now in recovery mode select "apply update from sdcard" and navigate to the root directory of sd card and select cwm file "cwm-madteam-galaxy.zip" this will take you to clockworkMod Recovery
• As now you are in cwm mode select install update from sd card and Select the update file select "Blue.zip" and ok let the process to be completed.
• Now Reboot Device.
• Again follow same procedure and install update and icon pack 
• After flashing go to lidroid parts change transition 
• Animation and window to fast for better xperience.

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Samsung Galaxy S III Mini - Offical Colours Announced

Today Samsung France published the brand new Galaxy S III mini colours. 4 new colours with the next names: Titan Gray, Amber Brown, Garnet Pink and Onyx Black. The Galaxy S III mini is already available on the market with the colors Pebble Blue and Ceramic White.

Samsung announced the Galaxy S III mini last 12 months, the Galaxy S III mini makes use of a 4.zero” SAMOLED show and a 5 megapixel digicam and a dual core processor. Here are shots of  Galaxy S III mini colours: 

 

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Samsung Galaxy S II Jelly Bean update via Samsung Korea

Samsung has been keeping fairly busy these days with Jelly Bean updates for the Galaxy S III, however this weekend there's some excellent news for owners of that handset's predecessor, the Galaxy S II. Samsung Korea lately posted the primary official particulars of the S II's Android 4.1 replace on its web site, revealing precisely how owners will upgrade and what kinds of goodies they'll look forward to finding once they're done. The Android 4.1 replace for the S II would require Samsung's Kies software, so customers will need to discover a USB cable to hook their gadget up to their laptop to get a taste of this Jelly Bean.

Putting in the replace will cut back the amount of obtainable internal storage from 12GB to 11GB, with that additional gigabyte being put towards the system partition. On the upside, moving up to Android 4.1 can even bring with it performance improvements thanks to Mission Butter, as well as improved usability in some apps. There may also be some new Samsung-particular goodies like Sensible Stay, Pop-Up Play, Simple Mode, Block Mode and some digital camera improvements.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is not precisely the freshest Android handset on the block, and while the fact that the system is receiving an replace to Jelly Bean isn't a complete shock considering how well it is offered, it is good to see Samsung giving some love to an older phone. It's worth noting that these update particulars are for the Korean-particular flavor of the S II, and that the company has yet to say when this replace will begin flowing out to users. There isn't any phrase but on when or if the U.S. flavors of the S II might get their own Android 4.1 updates, but hey, at least now we've got an thought of what Samsung's planning to pack into the Jelly Bean treat for one in every of its hottest handsets. How many of you're presently rockin' a Galaxy S II or considered one of its U.S. variants?

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[Rom] XperiaTized Revolutionized V2 [ICS] Rom for Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830

Here is another custom Rom for Samsung galaxy Ace. lots of people made Xperia Roms Based on ICS and JB but none are really Good * my oppinion Y ? because all use the same theme.apk and none are really worked up on really hard like dev always do like adding tons of amazing stuff and options . 

This custom Rom is developed and shared on XDA by Senior Member SpaceCaker so don't forget to thanks him. XperiaTized Revolutionized V2 [ICS] Rom for Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830. So before proceeding to the installation instruction of XperiaTized Revolutionized V2 [ICS] Rom for Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830. lets have look on features and screenshot (by dev.) of this custom Rom running on galaxy Ace.

Screenshot:


Feautres

• Xperia Optimized Music 
• Prethemed so not like other Xperia Roms
• Xperia T keyboard * With Swype * 
• Xperia U Window Animations
• Xperia T launcher 
• Xperia S Clock 
• Xperia S Wallpapers
• Xperia T Statusbar * not done yet *
• Xperia S ULTIMATE Lockscreen
• Xperia T Walkman
• Xperia T phone
• Almost Fully Prethemed
• Navigation Bar Option ON/OFF
• Xperia T widgets 
• CM FileManager
• AOSP Smooth
• AOSP BAsed

Bugs:

• CM9/AOSP BUGS
• White Text on some of the White Pop-Ups
• also i am not done with theming all the apps but i will definetly do that laterV1.0 First Build 

Added Lots Of XperiaTized Unique Features and theming stuff etc.

V2.0

• Based on AOSP Beta 2 of maclawstudios 
• Further themed dialer Tabs fixed 
• Contacts Further Themed 
• Statbar WIP 
• navbar readded 
• Lockscreen better sized
• more fluid 
• more smoother

NOTE 1.0 :-

• If u want statusbar toggles + CM themes use V1 
• if u want smoothness and stock Xperia T UI withouth toggles use V2 
• toggles on V2 are WIP have small prob but will fix that 

Warning: Use at your own Risk! This Rom is meant for Samsung Galaxy Ace model GT-S5830 Do not use on other Device. We will not be held responsible for any damage to your device.

Requirement:

• CWM galaxy Ace: ClockWorkRec5830i.zip 
• Rom File v1 : XperiaTized Revolutionized V1.zip
• Rom File v2 :XperiaTized Revolutionized V2 AOSP.zip
• Gapps : gapps-jb-20120802-signed.zip

Installation Instruction:

• Download the ROM file which version suit you best and CWM file then place them in the root of your phones sdcard.
• Reboot to recovery mode using combination of 3 button (Home Key+Volume Up Key + Power Key) together.
• In recovery mode use volume up and down to move up and down, home as selection button and power as back.
• Now select "apply update from sdcard" and select the CWM file "ClockWorkRec5830i.zip" this will take you to clockworkmod recovery.
• Wipe Data/Factory Reset,
• Wipe Cache Partition,
• Advanced/ wipe dalvik cache
• Format system
• After that Select install zip from sd and then "choose zip from sdcard" and select Rom File "xxx.zip" and then ok
• Flashing should begin let the process complete successfully and reboot.
• Remember first boot may take longer then normal boot some times say 10 minutes in case If blue screen appears at boot close phone and reboot there is no problem.(You can close phone with pressing power and volume down button at the same time for 10-15 seconds)
• Install Gapps

Congratulation! you have learned how to successfully install XperiaTized Revolutionized V2 [ICS] Rom for Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830. In case you notice bug post on thread page so developer may fix on next update Source .

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Samsung Galaxy S IV Image Leaked

Review for you have received image of upcoming Samsung’s  galaxy S4  its a  leaked online ahead of the device’s official launch date

An image of what’s said to be a press shot of the Samsung Galaxy S4 has appeared online ahead of the device’s official launch, which is reportedly happening in May.

'We can’t 100 per cent confirm if this is indeed the Galaxy S4 but the picture he sent us looks really sharp and doesn’t look fake at all,' reports Sam Mobile, the site that first published the image.

The handset in the image does look a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Premier devices, which certainly works in the source’s favour. Having said that it’s always tricky to say either way when dealing with leaks, particularly of this magnitude.

The handset in the image is also missing a Home button as well, which could mean that Samsung has ditched its traditional Home button setup in favour of a complete gesture-based UI.

Failing that it could just use Android's non-physical navigation keys just like the Nexus 4 and HTC’s rumoured M7 device, which is also expected to launch very soon.

Latest reports suggest Samsung will launch the Galaxy S4 in May.

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Nokia Lumia 620 vs Samsung Galaxy Ace 2

It's a budget battle this time round with Nokia's Lumia 620 squaring up to the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2

We compare two low-cost handsets with the Windows Phone 8-based Nokia Lumia 620 taking on Samsung’s Android-powered Galaxy Ace 2.

Form

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 - 118.3x62.2x10.5mm, 122g

Nokia Lumia 620 - 115.4x61.1x11mm, 127g

In terms of looks the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 doesn’t exactly inspire. That’s because it’s barely changed from the original Galaxy Ace and is very much part of the ‘old guard’ of Samsung’s designs.

The Ace 2 is short but not exactly compact as it’s both thick and a little on the wide side. The bezel around the display is quite thick and the device is made from typical Samsung plastic, which isn’t exactly great, though it does have a textured back panel which helps somewhat.

All that said, it’s a budget model, so compromises have clearly been made to keep costs lower. Taking that into consideration it’s not a bad little phone really, it’s just not amazing either.

However, the Nokia Lumia 620 is proof that it’s possible to create a low-price smartphone with personality.

Like the rest of its Lumia cousins it has a brightly coloured plastic bodyshell, although in this case it’s closest to the Lumia 820 in that the back panel is removable and can be swapped out.

The shape is quite rounded and curvy but features-wise is fairly minimalist which works in its favour, together with the bright colour choices of green, orange, cyan, magenta and yellow. There’s also white and black if you’re after something a bit more conservative.

There isn’t a lot more to say about the Lumia 620’s design as the back panel pretty much wraps around everything except for the display and capacitive controls, although there is a slightly bulky black bezel either side of the touchscreen. The Lumia 620 is also the thicker of the two devices at 11mm.

We have to say that the Nokia Lumia 620 is far more appealing than Samsung’s Galaxy Ace 2.

Winner – Nokia Lumia 620

Display

Both handsets have pretty much the same display setup with 3.8-inch LCD touchscreens at a 800x480 pixel resolution and 246 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

For budget handsets that is reasonably sharp and should deliver decent visual quality.

However, the Lumia 620 does have a trick up its sleeve in the form of Nokia’s ClearBlack technology, meaning it’s a more viable choice for outdoor use and has richer colour, better contrast and generally superior picture quality overall.

Winner – Nokia Lumia 620

Storage

Samsung’s handset has 4GB of built-in storage and microSD capability for cards up to 32GB, but the Nokia Lumia 620 has a better setup with 8GB onboard and support for high-capacity cards up to 64GB.

Winner – Nokia Lumia 620

Processor

The Galaxy Ace 2 is equipped with an ST-Ericsson NovaThor U8500 dual-core processor clocked at 800MHz.

It’s based on ARM Cortex-A9 architecture, 45 nanometre (nm) semiconductor technology, 768MB of RAM and a powerful Mali-400MP graphics processing unit (GPU).

All of which means it’s a very capable setup for a lower-priced device and it should have little trouble running reasonably demanding apps and games, along with decent multitasking.

The Lumia 920’s setup is also better than you might expect for the price point.

It uses a Qualcomm S4 Snapdragon dual-core MSM8227 chip with a 1GHz clockspeed.

This is also an ARM Cortex-A9 number but with more efficient 28nm architecture, 512MB of RAM and an Adreno 305 GPU.

While there’s a slight loss of RAM compared to its opponent the rest of the processor spec is much better and generally performance should be noticeably quicker on the Lumia.

That said, the operating system is already efficient and well-optimised, while the Windows Phone app ecosystem currently doesn’t offer much in the way of demanding or intensive content. In short, you’re unlikely to see the Lumia 620 taxed to its limits.

Winner – Nokia Lumia 620

Operating System

Samsung’s Galaxy Ace 2 ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but fortunately it has been kept up-to-date with the introduction of a 4.1 Jelly Bean patch.

Version 4.2 is currently the latest build, but on 4.1 you’re not missing out on a huge amount of stuff and you still get some of the best Android features so far.

It’s a much faster and smoother platform than previous builds, as well as being more reliable. Plus there’s the advantage of over 700,000 apps to choose from, of course.

The interface has been refined into something very slick, intuitive and rewarding with sensible menu layouts, tasteful UI elements and useful gesture controls. Multitasking is now much more accessible with a quick-access app carousel and notifications have been expanded with more information at a glance.

Notifications have also been improved with the introduction of Google Now which provides you with search services, location services and some nifty tricks such as recording your daily commute and sending you traffic and weather reports relevant to you without you even needing to ask.

With the Lumia 620 you’re dealing with Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform, which has evolved considerably from Windows Phone 7.

It’s faster and features better multitasking, quicker app load speeds on the whole and many of the great features from the earlier build have returned, including the People Hub’s social networking and messaging aggregation.

One welcome change is a greater variety of customisation options to make the phone a bit more personal. You can resize Live Tile shortcuts, link apps to deliver content to the lock screen and there are more theme colours to choose from.

However, the main let-down is there’s still a distinct lack of apps in the Windows Phone Store compared with established platforms such as Android and Apple’s iOS.

The last count showed around 120,000 apps and although this number is likely to have increased by now it must still be miles off the 700,000 of Apple and Google.

But it’s not just the overall quantity, there are some truly awful apps on Windows Phone while crucial titles considered a necessity by many users on other platforms remain absent.

As things stand currently, Android is still a more cohesive option to go for, particularly as it has now shed many of the problems it used to be hampered by.

Winner – Samsung Galaxy Ace 2

Final Thoughts

For the most part the Lumia 620 comes across as a better option: it’s more attractive, has an enhanced display, more storage (both onboard and via cards) and a faster and more efficient processor.

The stumbling block is the Windows Phone 8 operating system which is limited by having so few apps available to it.

However, while this is a pitfall to an extent it shouldn’t be seen as a death sentence to the phone because there is still a lot to like about Windows Phone 8 and it’s still a perfectly usable platform for the majority of typical smartphone tasks.

Conversely, the Galaxy Ace 2 is a mixed bag: it’s not the best looking phone around and the onboard storage is relatively low, however, it’s got a decent display and processor and the updated Android 4.2 operating system provides a brilliant experience.

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Best Accessories for Samsung Galaxy S3 you Must Have!

Now you have a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S3, you're probably going to want to accessorise a little bit.

Why not check out our best accessories for the Galaxy S3 and make the most of the Android beast's capabilities?

Samsung Galaxy S3 flip case, £25

With such a stunning screen, you don't want the display all scratched up. The official Samsung Galaxy S3 flip case comes in a range of colours and attaches to your phone by replacing the battery cover.

It may be a little more expensive than cheap imitations, but it does the job perfectly, keeping the profile of the Galaxy S3 nice and slim, just as it should be.

HDMI adaptor, £30

Want to watch your video content on the big screen? Samsung's HDMI adaptor allows you to watch all the content from your phone on your TV, whether you want to view YouTube content, a video you made with the camera, photos, documents, games or anything else.

You will need to buy an HDMI cable too, but you can pick one up for a little over £1 on Amazon.

Globalgig international Wi-Fi hotspot, £79 upfront plus £15 per month

The Globalgig Wi-Fi hotspot allows you to data roam in the US, UK and Australia for just £15 a month. The device will cost £79 upfront, but can save you hundreds, or even thousands of pounds if you're a frequent traveller.

Although the device will only work in the US and Australia at the moment, it should be heading to Europe and other territories by the end of 2013. Just like a regular mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, it has its own data connection and connects to your phone as a Wi-Fi network.

Powerbank case, £29.95

Keep your Samsung Galaxy S3 juiced up at all times with this cover for it. Although it makes the S3 looks a little chunkier, it will give you an extra 2200mAh of battery power while on the move.

The case charges via your standard microUSB charger and when the battery on your phone gets low, just turn the case on and it'll start transferring power from the case to your phone.

A bonus addition is a hidden kickstand, putting your Galaxy S3 at the perfect angle for watching TV or a film on your journey to and from work.

Etymotic HF2 earphones, £120

We've been big fans of Etymotic earphones for a while and the HF2s double up as a handsfree kit too.

The in-ear ‘phones come with a range of different sized flanges to fit in any ear canal size, but if you really want to splash the cash, go for the custom fit solution, which costs an extra £100, but is well worth it for the most amazing sound experience you've ever felt. Etymotic EF2s come in a range of colours too. We prefer the red.

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Samsung shows off the Note 2 in your “typical” office scenario [VIDEO]

Samsung seems to be hitting homerun after homerun when it comes to ads for its Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The latest advertising attempt by the OEM puts the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 into an office environment. No, the device’s awesome multitasking capabilities aren’t tested by the world’s most efficient employee ala Lisa from Obsessed, but it shows how one can use the Note 2 to work smarter, not harder.

This one minute spot will likely be chopped up a bit to fit typical broadcast advertising formats, but the video uses a clever balance of humor, fun and work to appeal to most normal white-collared 9-to-5′ers. I personally could have done without the slight swerve at the end, but that’s just me.

Find out more: How to use Air View on Samsung Galaxy Note 2

The ad should be just as effective as any when it comes to capturing the attention and interest of the viewer, but more important is Samsung’s attempt to appeal to enterprise in the first place.

Sure, the approach wasn’t all that serious in tone — and the decision to go with a particular phone for office use largely depends on each individual’s workplace and situation — but there’s no better way to try and break into a sector of the market dominated by iOS and Blackberry than to show it thriving in that setting. Be sure to take a look at the quick video above.

Find out more: How to Enable Smart Stay on Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Source: http://phandroid.com/2012/12/27/samsung-galaxy-note-2-office-ad/

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