Apple on Monday filed litigation that narrows the number of patent infringement claims against Samsung by roughly half, and Samsung five hours later offered to drop five of its twelve asserted patents, FOSS Patents reported. The South Korean manufacturer has argued that Apple’s case is still far too big to go to trial later this summer, and wants the  the iPhone-maker to drop additional claims. The Cupertino-based company has accused Samsung of being uncooperative, claiming the company became the number one smartphone vendor in the world by copying and infringing on its technology, and is seeking billions of dollars in damages. Samsung responded, stating that its smartphones and tablets contain “innovative, independently developed technologies.” If a settlement is not reached, a trial between the two companies is scheduled to begin in July.

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Android has been good to Samsung. Very, very good. Samsung recently reported its second consecutive quarter of record earnings, thanks in no small part to its wildly popular line of Android-powered Galaxy smartphones. The South Korea-based vendor also just took the wraps off its next-generation flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III. While the device may have opened the door for rivals to make some moves if they can act quickly enough, Samsung is currently the No.1 smartphone vendor in the world by volume and the Galaxy S III should help it retain that title. As good as Android has been for Samsung, however, the vendor continues to make it clear that it does not want to put all its eggs in one basket.

Samsung sells smartphones running its in-house Bada platform in the Asian region, and channel sales approached the 10 million-mark in 2011. The consumer electronics giant also said it is interested in making some acquisitions in the mobile space, and while RIM may not be on the table, the numerous software customizations seen on the upcoming Galaxy S III smartphone suggest that Samsung is looking to gain more control over the experience offered by its smartphones.

This past January, Samsung announced that it will be folding its Bada efforts into a new project headed by Intel. Tizen, an off-shoot of MeeGo, is an open-source smartphone platform based on Linux. While Samsung’s long-term goals with Tizen may be unclear, the company is working closely with Intel and it debuted a developer reference handset at the 2012 Tizen Developer Conference on Monday, TizenTalk reported.

Pictured above, the reference hardware for the Tizen platform features a high-definition 720p display and a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM-based processor, suggesting that Tizen might not just be destined for entry-level Samsung smartphones as previously reported. What’s more, Samsung has been heavily involved with developing the Tizen user interface, as can be seen in The Handheld Blog’s video below.

While Android will be the fuel the powers the bulk of Samsung’s smartphones for some time, the vendor is clearly beginning to realize that it will have to take ownership of the end-to-end product if it wants to have more control over the user experience — interface layers like TouchWiz and custom software tweaks like the ones we saw when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S III are limited by nature when dealing with another company’s platform. While Tizen is open-source and is by no means controlled by Samsung, the company is deeply involved with its development, and it may at least give us a taste of things to come.

Samsung is hosting a press conference on Thursday during which it will unveil the next installment in one of the most successful smartphone franchises of all time. The Galaxy S III is expected to be a technological marvel, packing a gigantic high-definition Super AMOLED display, a quad-core Exynos processor, 4G LTE, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and more into an ultra-thin ceramic case. Samsung has gone to great lengths to keep its new flagship phone under wraps, but an inevitable series of leaks paints what is likely a complete picture of the Galaxy S III. The flow of rumors will finally come to an end on Thursday as Samsung takes the wraps off its next Galaxy phone in London, and the company is streaming its “Unpacked 2012″ press conference live for eager Android fans around the world. The event kicks off at 2:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, and the live stream can be found on the read link below.

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The NPD Group on Wednesday released the results of its monthly Mobile Phone Track service, and determined Apple was the top-selling smartphone vendor in the United States. The Cupertino-based company’s market share increased by 7% in the first quarter year-over-year and totaled 29% of all U.S. smartphones. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone and overall mobile phone vendor, followed closely on Apple’s heels and saw tremendous growth of 140% to grab a 24% share of the market. During the same period, LG, HTC, Motorola and RIM all saw their shares drop.

“Samsung is the only market leader from the feature phone era to transition to market leadership in the smartphone era in the U.S.,” said NPD analyst Ross Rubin. “Its broad carrier support and advertising – particularly in the ascendant pre-paid segment – have helped it achieve the highest market share among Android handset providers in the U.S.”

The research firm found Google’s Android operating system was the top-selling mobile platform and regained some of the ground it lost to Apple in previous quarters. Sales of new Android smartphones grew 24% over the prior quarter to reach 61% of the market. Apple iPhone sales slid from a high of 41% to 29%, representing a quarter-over-quarter decline of 29%. Despite the loss of market share, Apple’s devices — the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS — held onto the top three spots in NPD’s overall handset ranking for first quarter of 2012, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC EVO 3D.

“After some release of pent-up demand from customers adopting the iPhone 4S, coupled with the company’s strength in the holiday season, Apple’s share fell in the first quarter, as we’ve often see it do in the quarter following its introduction of a new handset,” Rubin said. “Now that the iPhone is available on Sprint, though, the increased carrier coverage has created a higher baseline for Apple’s share than we have seen in the past.”

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Despite the fact that Samsung surpassed Apple in terms of global smartphone market share, Apple’s iPhone generates more revenue than Samsung’s entire mobile division, according to data from Juniper Research. “Apple’s revenues from its ‘mobile division’ continues to remain significantly higher than Samsung’s, even when you take into account the latter’s feature phones,” Juniper research analyst Daniel Ashdown said. Apple’s iPhone revenue was $22.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012, $29.3 billion if you were to include the iPad, compared with Samsung’s $17 billion from its entire mobile division. Juniper forecasts that smartphone shipments will nearly double over the next five years from just under 600 million units in 2012 to 1.1 billion by 2017. Despite the current state of the market, however, the firm states there is still plenty of opportunities for other players to make strong gains, whether it be Nokia, Research in Motion, HTC or smaller vendors such as Huawei and ZTE. Juniper Research’s press release follows below.

Samsung No.1 Smartphone Brand Again in Q1, But Apple Still Making More Money

· Samsung defies logic with post-holiday q-o-q growth
· Apple’s shipments fall only marginally due to iPhone mix
· iPhone revenues continue to top the charts

HAMPSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM – 1st May 2012: Data from leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research shows Samsung and Apple trading places once again in the smartphone market, in what is increasingly becoming a two-horse race. In the first quarter of 2012, the company estimates that nearly 60% of the 139 million smartphones shipped worldwide carried either the Apple (35.1 million) or Samsung (46.9 million) brand – up from 46% in the last three months of 2011. While Apple and Samsung have taken it in turns to lead the smartphone market over the last four quarters, it seems as if Samsung may now have established a firm lead in this space – shipping 11.8 million more units that the Cupertino, California company in Q1.

Samsung Tops Sales, But Apple leads in Revenue

With the iPhone launch craze now past, the analyst firm believes Samsung may hold onto its lead next quarter, but as Daniel Ashdown, Research Analyst with Juniper Research notes: “Apple’s revenues from its ‘mobile division’ continues to remain significantly higher than Samsung’s, even when you take into account the latter’s featurephones”. Apple’s iPhone revenue was $22.7 billion in Q1 ($29.3 billion including the iPad), compared with Samsung’s KRW18.9 trillion (~$17.0 billion) from its entire mobile division. While flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note contribute substantial unit volumes, the company’s rise to top spot is evidence of the smartphone’s entry into mass market price points with products like the Galaxy Y.

Rich-Pickings Still to be had for HTC, Nokia and RIM

HTC – who have not released shipment volumes for the last two quarters – appears to be following Nokia and RIM in taking-stock of where it’s best strategy lies. Nokia’s Lumia launches do not appear to have kick-started a rival yet, with the Finnish company shipping just 11.9 million smart devices in the first quarter – less than half the number it shipped in the same period a year previous. RIM’s recent results – which run to a different financial schedule – nevertheless hint at continuing problems for the Canadian firm. However, with Juniper forecasting that smartphone shipments will nearly double over the next five years – from nearly 600 million in 2012 to 1.1 billion by 2017 – there are still plenty of opportunities for other players to make gains in this market.

Samsung managed to top its pre-announced earnings when it reported results for the first calendar quarter of 2012 on Friday morning. The company reported a record operating profit of 5.85 trillion Korean won, up 98%, and a consolidated net profit of $5.05 trillion won, up 82% over the same quarter last year. Revenue came in at 45.27 trillion won, beating expectations. TV and semiconductor sales were down in the quarter, but any potential impact was offset by strong sales of high-margin display panels and mobile phones. Samsung’s mobile sales grew 86% over the year-ago quarter to 18.9 trillion won, and the company’s combined operating profit margin climbed 1.7 points to 12.9%. Samsung’s full press release follows below.

Samsung Electronics Announces First Quarter 2012 Earnings Results

(SEOUL–Korea Newswire) April 27, 2012 — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced revenues of 45.27 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, a 22-percent increase year-on-year.

For the quarter, the company’s consolidated operating profit reached an all-time high of 5.85 trillion won representing a 98-percent increase year-on-year. Consolidated net profit for the January-March period was 5.05 trillion won.

Despite a decrease in sales of semiconductor chips and TVs due to seasonal factors, an increase in profitability in display panels and mobile phones pushed up quarterly operating profit margins by 1.7 percentage points to 12.9 percent.

In its earnings guidance disclosed on April 6, Samsung estimated first-quarter consolidated revenues would reach approximately 45 trillion won with consolidated operating profit of approximately 5.8 trillion won.

Samsung’s strong performance in the quarter was driven mainly by the IT & Mobile Communications (IM) segment, which is comprised of four businesses, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging. In particular, solid growth in the Mobile Communications business, with brisk sales of flagship GALAXY Note and GALAXY S II devices contributed to the company’s profitability.

The consolidated operating profit for IT & Mobile Communications businesses reached 4.27 trillion won on revenue of 23.22 trillion won. The Display Panel business rebounded in the first quarter with operating gains of 280 billion won, following an uptick in demand for high-margin panels used in tablets, 3D/ LED TVs and premium OLED panels.

“Despite difficult business environments including seasonal low demand for major products such as PCs and TVs amid a global economic slowdown, we achieved record quarterly results based on our differentiated products and technology leadership. We cautiously expect our earnings momentum to continue going forward, as competitiveness in our major businesses is enhanced,” said Robert Yi, Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations.

Looking into the second quarter, Samsung expects to improve profitability in the chip business with a recovery in PC DRAM price and by expanding its new product category with mobile application processors based on 32 nanometer-class process technology. Samsung plans to also bolster its competitive edge in mobile phones with the debut of new high-end smartphones, and by reinforcing the full lineup of products and its presence in emerging markets.

Capex 7.8 Trillion Won in Q1

Capital expenditure in the first quarter was 7.8 trillion won, with 5.8 trillion won invested in the Semiconductor Business and 1.3 trillion won in the Display Panel segment.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced plans to spend a total of 25 trillion won in capex for 2012.

Fifteen trillion won will be invested in the Semiconductor Business that consists of Memory and System LSI. For the Display Panel segment, 6.6 trillion won has been allocated for investment.

Organizational Change

Starting from the first quarter, the business segment financial disclosure will reflect the organizational changes, which took place in December, 2011. We will provide sales and earnings of Device Solutions, including Semiconductor and Display Panel businesses; and Digital Media & Communications, including IT & Mobile Communications and Consumer Electronics (CE) divisions.

IT & Mobile Communications includes Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging; and CE includes Visual Display and Digital Appliances.

Seasonal Factors Dampen Chip Demand

Samsung’s Semiconductor Business – including Memory and System LSI – posted an operating profit of 760 billion won in the first quarter. Revenue retreated to 7.98 trillion won on-year, a 13-percent decrease compared with the same period last year.

Weaker-than-expected off-peak season demand and a global supply crunch of HDDs coupled with low demand for PC DRAM chips and the oversupply of mobile DRAM impacted profit margins, in which the memory portion saw its revenue slip to 4.89 trillion won. For NAND, spot price remained weak due to sluggish demand compounded by early stage products from geometry migration flowing into the channel market.

Despite adverse market conditions, Samsung’s chip business was buoyed by strong demand for server DRAM and by expanding our value-added product mix such as products based on the 30-nanometer-class and 20-nanometer-class process technologies.Increased orders for Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Embedded Multimedia Cards (eMMC) also helped the chip business to cushion the market squeeze.

Looking ahead, the global HDD supply shortage is expected to be alleviated in the second quarter and demand for specialty DRAM products including mobile and server DRAMs will be strong. However, elevated competition among manufacturers of 30-nanometer-class chips will lead to a price decline.

In the second quarter, Samsung is poised to ramp up supply of high-capacity, power-efficient DRAM for servers based on our green memory solution. As for NAND, we will spur growth by expanding the 20-nanometer-class portion. Sales of CMOS image sensors will remain high in the April-June quarter, as demand for smartphones equipped with high-resolution cameras is expected to be strong.

Display Business Swings to Profit

Operating profit for the Display Panel Business turned around from the previous quarter to register 280 billion won on revenue of 8.54 trillion won in the first quarter.

Despite traditionally weak seasonality, continued economic stagnation in Europe, and the prolonged supply shortage in the PC industry, the Display Panel Business was able to improve profitability by expanding sales of high-end premium panels such as LED TV and 3D panels, which pushed TV panel sales up in the mid-20 percent range on-year. Increased sales of high-resolution panels for tablet PCs and OLED panels for smartphones also helped boost profit in the quarter.

Looking ahead, although the market for monitor panels will remain stagnant, demand for tablet and notebook panels is expected to increase on seasonal education-related demand while TV panels are expected to lift due to Chinese Labor Day sales and the London Olympics.

Moving forward with the establishment of Samsung Display Corporation, the company will continue to enhance profitability by expanding sales of premium panel products such 3D, large size and LED panels, while smartphone demand is expected to continue to fuel OLED panel sales.

Profits Propped Up by Strong Sales of Smart Devices

The IT & Mobile Communications division – including Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging – registered quarterly operating profits of 4.27 trillion won for the first period. Revenue reached 23.22 trillion won, and the mobile unit accounted for 18.90 trillion won, up 86 percent year-on-year.

Growth in shipments of Samsung’s flagship GALAXY Note and GALAXY S II and other premium mobile devices yielded high returns, with significant growth in China, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa.

Samsung is expected to continue its strong growth momentum in the second quarter, following the announcement of the next GALAXY device in London on May 3.

The Telecommunication Systems business saw growth both in revenue and operating gains due to an increase in LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband technology equipment. In the case of IT Solutions, a boost in sales of mid-to-high-end products, including PCs and printers improved quarter-on-quarter earnings.

We expect to further solidify our leading position in LTE business in the US market and make further inroads into countries newly adopting the service.

Premium TV Sales Lift Profitability

Samsung’s Consumer Electronics businesses, which encompass Visual Display and Digital Appliances, registered an operating profit of 530 billion won in the quarter, up 550 percent year-on-year, on revenues of 10.67 trillion won.

Although weak seasonality led to a quarter-on-quarter dip in revenue, strong sales of premium TVs in developed markets and LED TVs in emerging markets saw shipments outstrip market growth and drive a sharp increase in profitability. Highlights for the quarter included an increase in sales of more than 50 percent for Samsung’s flagship 7000/8000 TV series on-year, while the Digital Appliances Business improved profitability, both on-year and on-quarter, by increasing its portion of premium product sales.

In the second quarter, market growth for flat panel TVs in the mid-single digits is expected on rising demand in emerging markets and increased sales of LED TVs which are forecast to account for over 60 percent of the TV market in the quarter. In emerging markets, Samsung aims to expand its presence with region-specific LED TV models, while its range of Smart TV models with enhanced features will continue to maintain the company’s leadership in developed markets.

As for digital appliances, demand is expected to rise led by growth in emerging markets. Samsung will aim to improve profitability in the quarter by enhancing R&D efficiencies, expanding sales of premium products and sales in emerging markets, and capitalizing on strong seasonal demand for air conditioners.

Samsung never confirmed that the highly anticipated Galaxy S III would be unveiled at the company’s press conference in London on May 3rd, merely stating “come and meet the next Galaxy” in its invitation to the press. According to the South Korean vendor’s Unpacked Mobile 2012 app now available in the Google Play marketplace, however, we can expect Samsung to take the wraps off its “Galaxy S3″ flagship smartphone next week. The slip up confirms what everyone already assumed — that the Galaxy S3 will be unveiled in London next week, although the actual device name may still vary from the moniker mentioned in the Unpacked app. The next Galaxy phone from Samsung is expected to feature a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, an HD display, 4G LTE, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a ceramic case. A screen capture of the app description follows below.

[Via Engadget]

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Samsung recently launched a teaser website, “tgeltaayehxnx.com,” that contained a twenty-four hour countdown. When the clock hit zero Monday morning, the website redirected users to thenextgalaxy.com. Samsung teases its next-generation Galaxy device with an embedded video, and says a “whole new world will soon be unpacked.” In the final frame, the video promises that the new Galaxy device will allow users to “stand out from everyone else,” as hundreds of sheep stand in a field — a clear dig at iPhone users, who are sometimes referred to as “iSheep.” Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S III smartphone, possibly alongside a new Galaxy Tab tablet and cloud service, on May 3rd. The teaser video can be found after the break.

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Despite Samsung and Apple’s chief executives scheduled settlement talks, the Korean manufacturer has asserted eight additional patents against the Cupertino-based company. Two of the patents are part of the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licenses (FRAND) because they are essential to ETSI standards, according to FOSS Patents. Five of the patents, including the two FRAND patents, were originally applied for and granted to Samsung, while three others were acquired from different owners. The two battling companies have been in a bitter patent war since last April that includes dozens of complaints across 10 countries. A trial regarding the eight new Samsung patents is scheduled for July in the United States.

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Samsung and Apple’s CEOs have finally agreed to meet to discuss a possible settlement to the companies on-going legal battle, Reuters reported on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh referred the companies to a San Francisco-based magistrate judge who will mediate the talks, which have a 90-day deadline. The two battling companies have been in a bitter patent war since last April that includes more than 20 cases in 10 countries. A trial between the two is scheduled for July in the United States.

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Apple and Samsung have met in court dozens of times over designs, patents and more over the past few years. Among Apple’s numerous complaints was the repeated allegation that Samsung smartphones and tablets are copycat devices that stole numerous elements from the iPhone and iPad’s designs. While similarities between rival gadgets are sometimes bound to appear from time to time — Apple’s own iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S feature a design that is quite familiar — the Samsung executive responsible for the Galaxy S II design has finally spoken out in response to claims that the device is an iPhone clone.

“I’ve made thousands of sketches and hundreds of prototype products (for the Galaxy),” Samsung vice president of design Lee Minhyouk told Reuters in an interview. ”Does that mean I was putting on a mock show for so long, pretending to be designing?”

Lee takes Apple’s copycat accusations personally and is offended by the claims. “As a designer, there’s an issue of dignity,” he said. “(The Galaxy) is original from the beginning, and I’m the one who made it. It’s a totally different product with a different design language and different technology infused.”

The executive has great respect for Apple in some regards, however. He admires Apple design guru Jonathan Ive and strives to make devices as iconic as the ones Ive has masterminded. “I might not be at (Ive’s) level yet, but I believe Samsung will produce such iconic products one day,” Lee told Reuters. “It’s not just effort that makes it possible for a new product to be a massive hit. It also has to be timely, and technology should be ready to make a certain design a reality.”

Samsung’s next-generation flagship smartphone is expected to be a departure from its current models. The case on the Galaxy S III, which will be unveiled in April or May this year, will dump flimsy plastics in favor of ceramic according to an earlier report from BGR, and the handset is expected to feature a high-definition 1080p Super AMOLED display that will set a new standard for smartphones moving forward.

After numerous mobile lawsuits from Apple, Samsung CEO Choi Gee Sung explained that the company plans to be more aggressive in securing patents that can be used to defend itself, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. During the company’s annual shareholders meeting, Sung said that due to slow industry-wide growth and strong competition, the company was bracing for a tough year. “The electronics industry will enter a low-growth period,” he said. “Reorganization of the industry will gain speed and competition among global players will intensify.” Shareholders also approved the company’s plan to spin off its LCD division on April 1st. Samsung posted record revenue last year — thanks largely to its Galaxy smartphones — and looks to enhance its competitiveness in hardware, while strengthening new businesses including medical equipment in 2012. BGR exclusively reported last month that Samsung will launch its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone later this year with a 1080p high-definition display, a ceramic case and a quad-core 1.5GHz Exynos processor.

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Apple has accused Samsung of violating a court order to produce its source code in a recent patent infringement case. The Cupertino-based company claims that the vendor has “only partially complied with” a judge’s order that required Samsung to hand over the source code for its 4G smartphones and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, Bloomberg reported on Monday. According to a recent court filing, Apple claims that Samsung has only produced the source code for one version of each of the infringing devices and withheld all other versions. “At this point in the case, it is too late for Apple to make meaningful use of any late produced source code,” Apple said in the filing. The company claims that because of Samsung’s late submission, Apple has been left with “insufficient time for Apple’s experts to analyze any new code,” which are due in less than two weeks. Since April, Samsung and Apple have filed more than 30 lawsuits against one another in various countries around the world.

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Samsung confirmed earlier this week that the company has sold 2 million Galaxy Note handsets since the device launched last October, according to Forbes. The South Korean manufacturer has high hopes for its “phablet,” and plans to sell another 10 million units by the end of 2012. The Galaxy Note was introduced in the United States with a $10 million anti-iPhone ad campaign during the Super Bowl. BGR reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Note last month and while the vivid display absolutely blew us away, we found the device far too large overall to be used comfortably as a cell phone.

[Via 9To5Google]

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Samsung on Tuesday announced two new additions to the company’s Galaxy smartphone line; the Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy mini 2. The Ace 2 features an 800MHz dual-core processor with a 3.8-inch WVGA display. The handset is also equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera, VGA front facing one, Android 2.3, 4GB of internal storage and a microSD slot. The mini 2 comes with an 800MHz processor and a 3.27-inch HVGA display with a 3-megapixel rear camera, microSD slot and Android 2.3. Both devices also ship with Samsung’s ChatON, Social Hub and Music Hub services, allowing one-step access to social networks and over 17 million songs. The GALAXY Ace 2 will be available in the U.K. in April, and the GALAXY mini 2 will be available in France in March before being rolled out globally. Samsung has not announced any details with regard to a North American launch. Read on for Samsung’s press release.

Samsung introduces the new GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2

Welcome to Samsung’s AndroidTM experience with the two new members of GALAXY smartphones

SEOUL, Korea – February 21, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced two new additions to the GALAXY smartphone range: GALAXY Ace 2, which will be available in UK from April, and GALAXY mini 2, which will be available in France from March before being rolled out globally.

Building on the market success of GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini since their release last year, GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2 are ideal devices for users with active lifestyles who value individuality and style without compromising on performance or affordability.

“Launched in 2011, GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini have been a huge success in the global market. Today, we introduce GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2 with upgraded features and services,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “Our goal remains the same—to continue to create new and improved mobile experiences that deliver something suitable for everyone. This is the hallmark of Samsung’s GALAXY range and what has made the GALAXY brand such a runaway hit with consumers around the world.”

Double-Engine Power, GALAXY Ace 2

GALAXY Ace 2 delivers efficient multitasking, lightning-fast screen transitions and high-quality graphics for even the most demanding applications and games. HSPA 14.4 connectivity provides an enhanced browsing experience and fast content downloads with minimal lag-times. Additionally, 4GB of internal storage ensures that films, photos and a whole array of personal multimedia content can be easily stored and taken out and about; a 1,500mAh battery adds to GALAXY Ace 2’s on-the-go performance for active, demanding use.

Enhanced Samsung Hubs and ChatON services ensure that users are never far from the content or social connections they care about. Music Hub allows one-step access to over 17 million tracks at anytime; Game Hub offers users the very latest gaming titles; Social Hub allows users to view their instant messages, social network and email communications all in one single inbox. Samsung’s ChatON service connects users with other phone users – across any platform – into a single community, providing easy multi-format instant messaging and group chatting.

Compact and Trendy for more fun, GALAXY mini 2

GALAXY mini 2 packs a real performance punch into its slim and colorful 11.9mm-thick casing. The 3.27” HVGA touch-screen enables high-quality multimedia viewing while maintaining the device’s portability.

The compact GALAXY mini 2 ensures comfortable Web browsing and easily handles the demands of the most resource-intensive applications. An improved 1,300mAh battery capacity also guarantees extended multimedia usage and longer chat sessions. 4GB of storage allows users to comfortably store videos, music and images.

Like GALAXY Ace 2, GALAXY mini 2 keeps users connected through ChatON and Social Hub, while Music Hub allows one-step access to over 17 million tracks at any time.