Samsung Galaxy S II logs confirm NFC support for AT&T, none for Sprint

What's the point of investing $100 million in a mobile payment system if you don't have the goods to back it up? AT&T may be adopting this philosophy, beginning with the Galaxy S II. With the aid of eagle-eyed Android dev François Simond, we conducted an extended analysis of Ma Bell's latest gem and discovered it's rife with NFC. In addition to containing kernel drivers and a pre-installed APK, the system files also indicate the device is running in a mode named NDEF -- short for NFC Data Exchange Format. We haven't been able to determine if the handset will be capable of making payments, but the presence of Near-Field Communications in the Galaxy S II is definitely a good sign. T-Mobile is keeping a tight lid on its variant for the moment, preventing us from getting an in-depth look, but FCC filings confirm it will contain NFC as well.

As for the third handset announced last night, the Epic 4G Touch contains no mention of NFC. Upon further analysis, we uncovered something else potentially more disturbing: it's using the same WiMAX module (cmc732) as the Samsung Nexus S 4G, a handset that was plagued with performance issues when it was originally released (those concerns were eventually resolved in a later update). In this case, it's hard to tell if that means we'll relive the painful experience once again, or if it will come with improved firmware to ensure it doesn't take the same path as its 4G brother. We're starting to unravel the mysteries, folks, and will continue to fill you in as we learn more. If you're considering one of these three lovely models, will these discoveries sway your decision in a particular direction?

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S unveiled, release date set for October

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S just got unveiled at IFA and it’s nothing less than an SE Xperia Arc on steroids. The handset mimics the looks of the original Arc, but bumps up the processor clock speed to 1.4GHz on the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chip and adds panoramic image capture in both 2D and 3D. Similarly to the recently unveiled Sony Ericson Xperia neo V, the phone will use the new 3D Sweep Panorama feature, which basically uses a sweeping motion you make when capturing a picture to grab similar images from a slightly different angle. It then processes those 2D images into 3D panoramas, which you can later view on a compatible TV set. 

you can find unlocked Arc s on http://www.m2cmobile.com. See http://www.m2cmobile.com/products.php?Docomo_SC-02C&cPath=31&osCsid=91nqojolf6c91lpo3gh6cokia4

Except for that, the handset is expected to come with an 8.1-megapixel Exmor R sensor for with improved low-light sensitivity and a Mobile Bravia display, with the same size of 4.2 inches as its predecessor but a slightly higher resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, compared to the 800 x 480 on the original Xperia arc. 

It will be available in five color version: Pure White, Midnight Blue, Misty Silver, Gloss Black, and Sakura Pink. On the software side, it will run Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, with access to Sony services like "Music Unlimited" and "Video Unlimited". The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is expected to hit shelves in October.

Samsung Wave 3 stuffs 4" Super AMOLED display and 1.4GHz processor in an aluminum chassis

Samsung Wave 3 was unveiled today, two days before the Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin, which is a precursor to the company's IFA 2011 Expo appearance. 

The third high-end Wave boasts a 4" Super AMOLED display with 480x800 pixels, 1.4GHz single-core chipset, and a five megapixel camera with LED flash plus VGA front facing one. The camera records 720p video, and the Wave 3 supports DivX playback out of the box.

Nothing terribly exciting that might cannibalize sales from the Galaxy S II, but decent internals nonetheless, which are wrapped up entirely in an aluminum body. Despite the metal chassis, the Samsung Wave 3 is pretty light, at 4.3oz (122 grams), and measures just 0.39" (9.9mm) thin. The handset sports 3GB of ROM, plus a microSD slot for further expansion.

It sports a good set of connectivity options, such as 14.4Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi Direct and, what's interesting about the A-GPS chip used, is that it can also connect to the Russian satellite system Glonass, so you should be covered wherever you are. The 1500mAh battery is rated for 8.5 hours of talk time, which is pretty good. Naturally, the phone comes with Samsung's new ChatON cross-platform messaging service, as that little orange icon hints from the homescreen.

What do you say, is the Samsung Wave 3 that high-end device you were expecting to lead the new crop of Waves with the bada OS 2.0 update?

HTC EVO 3D is making the jump to 3D even easier at $49.99 on-contract

Since arriving back in the early portion of the summer, the HTC EVO 3D has ushered in a new era with smartphones as it became the first handset in the US to successfully showcase the laurels of 3D. Naturally, the handset has received its fair share of price jobs already, but now it’s moving yet to its lowest price point to date.

Over at Wirefly, the almighty HTC EVO 3D is selling for the tantalizing 2-year contract price of $49.99 to new customers – something that gets you one feature filled handset with plenty of dreamy specs. Meanwhile, upgrade customers can still pick up the handset for the respectable price of $99.99. Complementing its overall greatness is the fact that it boasts a glass-free 3D display and dual-cameras in the rear to capture photos and videos in 3D. Furthermore, standard FedEx shipping is included with the limited promotion as well. No contract HTC EVO 3D is available on http://www.m2cmobile.com on sale at $599.98 USD

Even though it’s unknown how long this pricing will last, we’re sure that it won’t be long before we see this one get down to that even more attractive price of free. With fall looming on the horizon and a slew of new devices expected to launch, that free pricing for the HTC EVO 3D might be imminent.

Apple manages to fast-track its California lawsuit against Samsung for July 2012

Apple is chasing Samsung across the globe with 12 lawsuits in 9 different countries, but on its home turf in California it is apparently getting some favorable treatment, as it just managed to schedule its lawsuit hearing for July 2012.

While this might not seem as much of a fast-tracking at first glance, bear in mind that the court's median scheduling time is 23 months, what Samsung was asking for, and Apple managed to reverse it to 15.5 months after the initial claim. Apple was asking for an even earlier date, February 2012, so the judges arrived at the wise decision to set July 30, 2012 as the date for the trial.

That still gives Samsung plenty of time to prepare, and it's not like it hasn't already mastered its defense at the hearings in Europe, where its Galaxy Tab 10.1 is banned in Germany until the September 9 hearing, and the Galaxy line of phones is banned in the Netherlands and possibly other EU countries starting October 13, unless Samsung updates its software to steer clear of the alleged infringement.

Samsung can also ask for an expedited hearing of its own counter-claims against Apple in the California court, although Apple is accusing it to have "artificially inflated the scope of this case by interposing 12 more utility patents". The lawyers have probably already renovated their second house in the Hamptons, and are now looking at bigger boats.

By 2016, only 3% of smartphones won't have a touchscreen

According to research firm ABI, by 2016 a mere 3% of smartphones will be without a touchscreen. Of course, that means that if correct, the study expects 97% of all smartphones to have a touchscreen of some type aboard. Part of the credit for the success of touchscreens on smartphones has to go to the Apple iPhone. In 2006, the year before the launch of Apple's iconic device, only 7% of smartphones had a touchscreen and that figure rose to 75% by 2010. ABI says that the touchscreen together with 3G connectivity are both responsible for the huge growth in smartphone users.

Today's touchscreen is a lot different than they were pre-Apple iPhone. Back then, the typical touchscreen display was resistive which meant that they responded to any pointy object that touched the screen. Even after the iPhone launched with its capacitive display, the next year or two saw many of the so-called "iPhone killers" come to market with un-responsive resistive screens like the one on the LG Voyager. Resistive screens are pretty much extinct now, replaced by the capacitive display which responds to electrical impulses on your fingertip and will not work with a stylus or a pen cap (which we recommended Voyager owners use to navigate around its external touchscreen).

Even BlackBerry phones are leaving the non-touchscreen smartphone design behind. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 took one of the most loved BlackBerry form factor, one with perhaps the best physical QWERTY keyboard ever placed on a smartphone, and added  touchscreen functionality to its 2.8 inch display. As we reported, RIM recently added two more touchscreen models to its lineup with the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860. Even the lower priced BlackBerry Curve line is getting a model with a touch screen display. And the early word from sources says to expect RIM's lineup of QNX powered Superphones, expected to launch during Q1 of 2012, to be touchscreen models without a trackpad in sight.

Samsung USA issues a second teaser video promoting the merits of the Samsung Galaxy S II

Despite that Irene made Samsung reschedule its grand unveiling of the US carrier Samsung Galaxy S II versions, it has been warming us up for a few days with videos showcasing the various groundbreaking features of its finest handset to date.

The first teaser vid was an opening remark, stressing the large Super AMOLED Plus display and the dual-core Exynos chipset, as well as the phone's record for Samsung sales and popularity across the world, promising that it will appear on US shores very soon.

Now the second teaser video takes a more pragmatic approach, and Samsung USA says it will be part of a series revealing the ins and outs of the phone for the future users. What is presented is the email client, which splits the screen in landscape mode like what you are usually used to on tablets. Have a look at the new video below while you wait for the August 30 unveiling event.