Vietnamese blog Tinhte.vn managed to snag a new iPad ahead of the tablet’s March 16th release, and after posting an unboxing video, the website ran a Geekbench benchmark to test the device’s hardware. The test confirmed that Apple’s new tablet has 1GB of RAM and an ARMv7 dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz, the same speed as the iPad 2. The new iPad earned an overall Geekbench score of 756, similar to its predecessor, with its strongest results coming from the “Floating Point” and “Memory” tests, which were 915 and 815 respectfully. It should be noted, however, that the Geekbench test merely tests the CPU and does not examine the device’s graphics capabilities. Apple’s A5X chip features a quad-core GPU, which Apple claims is four times more powerful than NVIDIA’s Tegra 3. Read on for the Geekbench results.

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The crew over at XDA-Developers recently spotted the HTC Holiday (with a cracked screen) for sale on Craigslist. We first saw renders of the Holiday in May and the leaked images supposedly confirm a number of the phone’s specs. Bound for AT&T, the Holiday appears to be equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.5-inch 960 x 540-pixel display, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread). It is unclear when AT&T plans to launch the Holiday but its spec sheet certainly has enough muscle to compete with Samsung’s inbound U.S. Galaxy S II handset, which will be announced during a press event on August 29th. Unfortunately, the XDA-Developers thread outing the device has already been pulled but you can hit the read link for another picture of the Holiday.

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Japanese blog Macotakara.jp is reporting from parts makers in Asia that Apple’s upcoming MacBook Air refresh, expected in the next two weeks, will use super-speedy 400Mbps NAND flash storage chips. In addition to being incredibly fast — even faster that the current MacBook Air solution, which uses an mSATA connector to connect the SSD to the motherboard — these new NAND flash storage chips would be soldered directly to the motherboard, bypassing any connector. If true, this new change would result in 100-times performance increase over the current solution, and coupled with a rumored bump to i5 / i7 processors, the new MacBook Airs should absolutely fly.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

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Images of a new HTC phone that’s currently being dubbed “Eternity” have apparently been leaked online. Reportedly it will land as one of the first Windows Phone Mango devices, which are set to begin launching this fall. Reportedly, the Eternity will be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor and will come equipped with a 4.7-inch AMOLED display — a monster of a screen. Rumor has it there’s also an 8-megapixel camera, HDMI-out, 16GB of onboard storage, a 1.3-megapixel camera for video chats, 512MB of RAM, and a 1,650 mAh battery. The form factor reminds us of the HTC EVO 4G, the Inspire 4G, and the HD7, which are starting to feel a bit stale. There’s no word on when the Eternity will make its debut, but as we said earlier, we have a hunch it could be sometime this fall.

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Sprint announced on Tuesday that it will offer the Wi-Fi version of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet for $499 beginning June 24th. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and sports a 10.1-inch display, a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 3-megapixel camera, and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats. We recently reviewed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 developer edition, loaded with Android 3.0, and while it had some faults we still noted that it’s the “thinnest, sexiest Android tablet available today.” Read on for the full press release.

Sprint Expands Mobile Tablet Portfolio With Launch of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on June 24 for $499.99

Ultra-Thin and Lightweight Tab Boasts a 10.1-inch HD Touchscreen, Android 3.1 and a Dual-Core Processor; Power Galaxy Tab 10.1 with an Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless or MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Novatel Wireless for access to blazing-fast Sprint 4G speeds

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 21, 2011 – Sprint customers will be able to enjoy the convenience of Samsung Galaxy Tab^TM 10.1 16GB Wi-Fi version beginning June 24 through direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Sprint Business Sales for $499.99 (excludes taxes). It will be available for purchase in Sprint retail stores on July 24.

This powerful tablet boasts a brilliant 10.1-inch HD touchscreen (1,280×800) display delivering sharper movies, better game graphics, and crystal clear video chats. At just 0.34-inches, it is the world’s thinnest mobile tablet. It comes with Android^TM 3.1 Honeycomb with Android Market^TM providing access to more than 60,000 apps for Galaxy Tab 10.1¹ and an immersive, lightning-fast Web browsing experience.

“Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 expands Sprint’s tablet innovation, growing our lineup to five options,” said David Owens, Sprint vice president of product development. “This gives Sprint customers a one-stop-shop for all of their tablet needs. Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a dynamic tablet, but it is even more amazing when paired with the Sprint 4G network through our Overdrive^TM Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless or MiFi^® 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Novatel.”

Galaxy Tab 10.1 is designed with a brilliant 10.1-inch HD touchscreen display with WXGA 1,280×800 resolution, delivering vibrant colors and crisp clarity. The aspect ratio of the display is ideal for widescreen viewing of movies, TV shows and photos. It features two cameras – a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera with camcorder, flash and zoom, and a front-facing, 2-megapixel camera – enabling video chat.

Additional key features include:

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb offering faster and smoother transitions between different applications, more intuitive navigation to and from home screens, and broader support of USB accessories, external keyboards, joysticks and gamepads
• Android Market for access to more than 60,000 applications for Galaxy Tab 10.1
• Mobile Email–IMAP and POP, Gmail^TM, MSN Hotmail^® and Yahoo!^®
• Google Mobile Services, including YouTube, Gmail^TM, Google Talk^TM and Google Maps^TM
• HD camcorder with 720p video capture
• Full HTML Web browser with Google Search and Adobe^® Flash^® Player (10.3)
• 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor
• 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Stereo Bluetooth Technology 2.1

Galaxy Tab 10.1 customers can expect a software update planned for this summer that will enable more favorite features and services including:

• Customized User Experience “Samsung TouchWiz UX”
  Samsung’s TouchWiz user experience is designed with a Live Panel menu for customizing the home screen of Galaxy Tab 10.1 with digital pictures, favorite websites and social network feeds. In addition, the TouchWiz UX includes a “Mini Apps” tray of commonly used features, such as task manager, calendar and music player, which can be launched while other major applications are already in use.

• Samsung Media Hub
  The software upgrade will introduce the evolution of Samsung’s popular movie and TV content service, known as Media Hub. Media Hub has been redesigned with a new user interface for even easier downloads of rented or purchased content. The new version of Media Hub also includes an HD Extender, which allows the user to play back Media Hub content on TV through an HDMI cable from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 dock or adapter.

• Readers Hub & Social Hub
  It will also gain access to Samsung’s Readers Hub service, which is a robust library filled with more than 2.2 million books, 2,000 newspapers and 2,300 magazines. Also, the software upgrade will install Samsung’s Social Hub service, which aggregates email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface.

• Versatile Content Sharing
  Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also receive Samsung’s Allshare service, for seamless content transfer between the tablet and other DLNA-enabled devices, such as HDTVs, monitors and digital cameras. The software upgrade will also transform Galaxy Tab 10.1 into a device capable of accepting streaming content from a TV to the tablet itself.

Sprint was unbeaten among major wireless carriers for customer satisfaction according to results from the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index. In addition to tying for first place among wireless carriers, Sprint was also the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, during the last three years, according to the survey.

We had heard early rumors, but now it’s official — the 16GB Wi-Fi edition of RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook is now available from Sprint for $499.99. If you’re unfamiliar with the specs, here’s a quick rundown of what the tablet has to offer: the PlayBook sports a 7-inch 1024 x 600 WSVGA display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, support for 1080p HDMI-out, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat, 1GB of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support. If you’re looking for 4G speeds on the go, Sprint has also said that it expects to launch a WiMAX version of the tablet sometime this summer. Hit the jump for the full press release.

BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi Available from Sprint on June 5

The much anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet with Wi-Fi® connectivity and 16 GB of storage will go on sale in all Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Business Sales, www.sprint.com and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) on Sunday, June 5, for $499.99 (plus tax).

BlackBerry PlayBook delivers a professional-grade, consumer-friendly experience that redefines the possibilities of mobile computing. This ultra-portable tablet, measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, looks and feels great. It features a vivid 7-inch high-resolution display that is highly-responsive with a fluid touch screen experience. It also offers industry-leading performance, uncompromised web browsing with full Adobe Flash support, true multitasking, HD multimedia, advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support.

Customers that have a BlackBerry smartphone can also benefit from BlackBerry® Bridge™, a unique feature that allows the user to wirelessly and securely connect their BlackBerry smartphone, running OS 5.0 or higher, to the BlackBerry PlayBook over Bluetooth®. The secure connection allows the user to access their BlackBerry smartphone’s email, address book, calendar, memo pad, task list, BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger™) and browsing functionality using the large display on the tablet.

BlackBerry Bridge is available as a free download on BlackBerry App World™ and will be supported on BlackBerry smartphone data plans from Sprint for no additional charge.

BlackBerry PlayBook features include:

7-inch 1024×600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1″ x 7.6″ x 0.4″ (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
1GHz dual-core processor
BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
1080p HDMI output
Two 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture – 3 megapixel front-facing and 5 megapixel rear-facing
1 GB RAM memory
16 GB internal storage
GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support
In addition to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with Wi-Fi, Sprint and RIM are working together on the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablet.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

The crew over at iFixit — torx screw drivers in hand – just stripped down one of Apple’s brand new 21.5 inch Sandy Bridge iMacs to give us a look at its guts. There aren’t too many surprises in store: the computer uses the same LG display found in the last generation of iMacs, and iFixit was pleased to find that Apple used an appropriate amount of thermal paste on the CPU and GPU — a “happy departure from the gobs” Cupertino put on the new MacBook Pro. The RAM, hard drive, and optical drive can be swapped out easily, too; you’ll just have to remove the LCD in order to do so. iFixit gave the new iMac a 7 out of 10 “repairability score,” as most of the hardware was easy to access. The team’s biggest complaint was with the need to remove the logic board in order to clean the LCD after reassembling the computer. Hit the jump for a few more images of the teardown.

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As reported, Apple has updated its all-in-one desktop computer line, the iMac, with Intel’s latest processor family and improved specifications. Available in both 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, the new iMac can be configured with quad-core Sandy Bridge processors starting at 2.5 GHz and will come standard with AMD Radeon HD graphics cards, 4GB of RAM, and a 500MB or 1TB hard drive. The computers will also include Apple’s new Thunderbolt I/O port for high-speed data transfers. “Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation,” reads the press release. “The iMac continues to feature its signature aluminum and glass design, gorgeous IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, SD card slot and comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.” The press release is after the break.

Apple Announces New iMac With Next Generation Quad-Core Processors, Graphics & Thunderbolt I/O Technology

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today updated its signature all-in-one iMac® with next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, groundbreaking high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime® HD camera. Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation.*

“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better.”

The new iMac features quad-core Intel Core i5 processors with an option for customers to choose Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz. These next generation processors feature an integrated memory controller for an amazingly responsive experience and a powerful new media engine for high-performance video encoding and decoding. With new AMD Radeon HD graphics processors, the new iMac has the most powerful graphics ever in an all-in-one desktop.

iMac is the first desktop computer on the market to include groundbreaking Thunderbolt I/O technology. The 21.5-inch iMac has a single Thunderbolt port while the 27-inch model features two ports for even greater expansion. Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt enables expandability never before possible on an all-in-one computer. Featuring two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to an amazing 10Gbps each, Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire® and USB consumer devices, and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays. Freely available for implementation on systems, cables and devices, Thunderbolt technology is expected to be widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O.

iMac includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera and Apple’s innovative FaceTime software for crisp, widescreen video calling the whole family can enjoy. The new camera supports high definition video calls between all FaceTime HD-enabled Macs and standard resolution calls with iPad® 2, iPhone® 4, the current generation iPod touch® and other Intel-based Macs. The iMac continues to feature its signature aluminum and glass design, gorgeous IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, SD card slot and comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop line is a leader in green design. The iMac meets stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold rating.** iMac features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, uses highly recyclable materials and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for creating and sharing great photos, movies and music. Snow Leopard builds on more than a decade of innovation and includes the Mac App Store℠ for finding great new apps for your Mac. iLife ’11 features iPhoto® with stunning full screen views for browsing, editing and sharing photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use tools to transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand® with new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.

Pricing & Availability

The new iMac is available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 21.5-inch iMac is available in two configurations: one with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US); and one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The new 27-inch iMac is available in two models: one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US); and one with a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US).

Configure-to-order options include faster Intel Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz, additional hard drive capacity up to 2TB, a 256GB solid state drive, additional DDR3 memory and AppleCare® Protection Plan. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at www.apple.com/imac.

*Testing conducted by Apple in April 2011 using preproduction iMac configurations. For more information visit www.apple.com/imac/features.html.

**Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR 5.2 energy database as of April 2011. EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

Stop. Collaborate and listen… Apple’s online web store is down. Blog 9to5 Mac, is reporting that new, Sandy Bridge quad-core iMacs are due later this morning. Furthermore, the site states that the new all-in-one desktop will come in four standard configurations: 21.5-inch, 2.7 GHz quad-core; 27-inch, 2.7 GHz quad-core; 27-inch, 3.1 GHz quad-core; and 27-inch, 3.4 GHz quad-core. The two 27-inch units will ship with the AMD 6770M graphics card while the two 3+ GHz models will ship with a AMD 6970M card; all units will come standard with 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. We should find out later this morning if Apple has anything else up its sleeve.

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Details of Samsung’s first official Chrome OS netbook, dubbed Alex, have surfaced in Google’s code repository. According to the Chrome OS development site, the Alex netbook will be powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor and sport 2GB of RAM. A SanDisk solid-state harddrive of an unknown capacity, a 1280 x 800 pixel display resolution, Wi-Fi, Ethernet port, front-facing webcam, and Bluetooth along with support for 3G cellular connectivity and a Synaptics TouchPad will also be included. Google’s I/O developer conference is in just a few short weeks… perhaps Sir Alex will make an appearance.

[Via Samsung Hub]

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Our friendly FedEx man was kind enough to deliver us the soon-to-be-released Casio G’zOne Commando from Verizon Wireless. Unlike most full-touchscreen smartphones, this Android 2.2.1 device is designed to be abused. The Commando meets military standards 810G for immersion, rain, and shock, dust resistance, vibration, salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, altitude, along with low and high temperature storage.  The handset, which is not the lightest full-touchscreen we’ve handled — but certainly not the heaviest at 5.4-ounces— sports a ruggedized composite case which protects a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, 1460mAh battery, 512MB RAM, 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, and a host of other assets. Want to know what our first impressions are? Good. Have a look at the gallery below and hit the jump to read on.

The first thing we noticed about the device is how crisp the screen is. With ruggedized anythings, function is oft sacrificed for the sake of form. But with the Commando’s screen this does not appear to be the case. The 3.6-inch window has a 480 x 800 pixel resolution and, from what we can tell so far, doesn’t disappoint. Blacks are very black and the touch sensitivity seems to be on-par with most other Android devices — we fired off several emails and text messages without issue.

The exterior of the Commando is well accented with red composite inlays that compliment the phone’s drop-me-I-dare-you physique quite nicely. The phone has no fewer than five physical buttons on its left and right sides and we’re not sure how we feel about that — we seem to always hit a button when picking up the phone. We’ll wait to levy judgement on this design choice in our full review.

The Commando is running a slightly modded version of Android 2.2.1, but we don’t think even the most devout Android purists will mind. The modifications, for the most part, add a more ruggedized look to things — like the dialer and homescreen — and, thus far, have stayed out of the way.

We’ve ripped off a few test pictures with the device’s 5 megapixel shooter and so far the results have been favorable. The handful of close range and landscape shots we’ve taken appear to be very clean and there doesn’t seem to be anything glaringly wrong with the Commando’s camera.

The handset also support Wi-Fi hotspot creation, which, again, provides those needing a phone that can survive the elements with a nice blend or form and function.

Those are most of our initial musings.  We plan to take this handset out on the mean streets of Boston and drive it like it’s stolen — it is a rental after all — and we’ll be sure to bring you are full writeup ASAP.

Looking for the newest Android 2.1 device? Neither are we. That’s why it’s no surprise Sony Ericsson quietly launched the Walkman W8. It’s the first Android device to sport the firm’s “Walkman” moniker, which should imply it has more music-centric services, but we’re not seeing anything extraordinary in its spec sheet. It’s loaded with the Walkman music player software, although that’s nothing to call home about. The phone sports a 3-inch touchscreen display with a low 480 x 320 resolution and it also has a 3.2-megapixel camera, an FM radio, and 128MB of RAM. The Walkman W8 will make its debut in Asia in three colors, blue, red, and orange. Our jaws will hit the floor if this ever hit the U.S. marketing running its current OS.

[Via Gizmee]

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Apple just lifted the curtain on Final Cut Pro X during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas. The latest version of the hugely popular video editing software adds support for 64-bit processors and can now take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM. There are a number of enhancements including new smart collections for grouping similar types of media together – like multiple photos of one person, in the same vain as iPhoto – clip connection for keeping audio and video in sync, and a magnetic timeline feature that prevents trim collision. Apple also says there’s a new user interface design, and users will be able to start editing video before the ingest stage is completed. Final Cut Pro X is also capable of background rendering and can take advantage of 8-core editing rigs in addition to handling 4K video clips. Apple says Final Cut Pro X will be available in June for $299.

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According to the Wall Street Journal‘s sources, Apple’s next iPad is already in production. People “familiar with the matter” have chimed in and claimed that the new iPad will be much thinner and lighter than the existing model. That’s not all as it looks like a front-facing video camera will make its way to the device, if you didn’t believe it already. Topping the list? More memory (1GB of RAM, we’d wager) and a more powerful graphics processor. Unfortunately it seems the display won’t be changing much as far as the resolution is concerned as it’s being reported to be the same 1024×768 resolution. Last but not least, it’s claimed that the new iPad will be available on AT&T and Verizon Wireless, though T-Mobile and Sprint won’t have the honor of retailing the tablet.

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We just grabbed some hands on time with Samsung’s latest device to debut on Verizon Wireless, and here are some of our initial thoughts. First off, the build quality on the Continuum seems solid — definitely a notch better than the Samsung Captivate and Samsung Vibrant. The device still feels a bit plasticky and a tad light, but again, it’s better than what Samsung has put out in the recent past. The screen is fantastic. It’s a Super AMOLED display with separate “ticker” display below, though there aren’t actually two displays on there. The four menu buttons are basically silkscreened over the display, which breaks it up into two separate sections. Software then controls the main section and the ticker section, and they can work independently of each other. Pretty cool, huh? Lastly, the grip sensor. There’s a capacitive layer on the edge of the handset and as soon as you pick it up (or even just touch it), the ticker display lights up and is fully functional while the main display stays dormant.

The raw specs of the Samsung Continuum are as follows: 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 384MB RAM, 512MB ROM, 3.4-inch (480 x 800) Super AMOLED main display, 1.8-inch (96 x 480) Super AMOLED “ticker” display, 3G EV-DO Rev. A, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + ERD, 2GB internal storage, 8GB micro-SD card included (expandable up to 32GB), 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, 3G hotspot capable, DLNA capable, Android 2.1, and the SWYPE keyboard is pre-installed. We have our hands on gallery with the Continuum below followed by the press release.

VERIZON WIRELESS AND SAMSUNG MOBILE DEBUT WORLD’S FIRST DEDICATED MOBILE PHONE TICKER DISPLAY ON THE SAMSUNG CONTINUUM™, A GALAXY S™ SMARTPHONE

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and DALLAS – Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile phone provider in the United States(1), today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Continuum™, a Galaxy S™ smartphone. The Continuum is the world’s first smartphone designed with a dedicated ticker display, which provides users with up-to-the-minute news, sports, finance and social networking updates for maximized multitasking.

The Continuum features two separate but integrated displays: a 3.4-inch touch screen Super AMOLED™ main display and a customizable 1.8-inch Super AMOLED dedicated ticker display that streams customized information in real time. Additionally, the Continuum is powered by Android™ 2.1, with support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Android Market™ and more. The Continuum also includes a 1GHz Hummingbird Application Processor, 5-megapixel camera, and multiple entertainment and social networking features.

Color: Mirror Black

Key features and specifications:

• 3.4-inch Super AMOLED Main Touch Screen Display – Main display provides user-customizable homescreens and widgets in a brilliant screen display

• 1.8-inch Interactive Super AMOLED Ticker Display – Dedicated ticker display enables zero-click access to news, social networking, sports and entertainment feeds; users can select what content they want on the ticker by selecting from menu on display

• Grip Sensor – By touching the bottom sides of the device, the ticker display lights up to give users real-time weather, social networking services (SNS), message, IM and e-mail notification updates

• Super AMOLED Screen Technology – Brilliant screen makes watching movies, viewing videos and playing games come to life like never before, even in bright light and outdoor environments

• Android 2.1 platform – With support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and Android Market

• Preloaded with Bing Maps and Bing Search

• Full HTML Web browsing capabilities

• 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to transform their phone into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi-enabled devices

• Advanced touchscreen gestures capabilities, including multi-touch pinch to zoom, double tap to zoom and horizontal swiping, which provides easier and quicker access to many applications, including location-based services, Web browsing and digital photos or videos

• Multiple file formats supported, including DivX and Xvid support

• Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor – Produces amazing graphics, faster upload and download times, and HD-like multimedia content

• Six-axis sensor that works with the smartphone’s accelerometer to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right

• Virtual QWERTY Keyboard Featuring Swype Technology – Input text faster and in a more intuitive way with one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard

• Full suite of messaging options – Text, picture, video and voice messaging; corporate and personal e-mail accounts supported

• 5.0-megapixel camera/camcorder – Auto-focus and LED flash with HD video recording and playback capabilities to capture photos and videos for playback on your HD television; playback (720p) on the screen display

• Wi-Fi Connectivity (802.11 b/g/n)

• Stereo Bluetooth® Technology – Support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, and object push for vCard and vCalendar

• Corporate Email – Supports Android Éclair Exchange ActiveSync e-mail to synchronize corporate e-mail, contacts and calendars from office e-mail accounts

• Music player features lock screen, ticker display and quick side panel controls and 3.5-millimeter headphone jack

• 8 GB microSD™ card preinstalled expandable up to 32 GB

Lifestyle features:

• V CAST Music with Rhapsody®, V CAST Video on Demand, V CAST Song ID, Visual Voice Mail, V CAST Tones, VZ Navigator®, Mobile IM, City ID, Bing Search and Maps, and Blockbuster Application

• Dedicated ticker displays up-to-the minute news, weather and SNS updates, as well as music player controls and incoming e-mail, IM, and text messages without interrupting the activity on the main display

• Samsung’s Social Hub – Built around messaging, contacts and calendar sync, which allows users to send and receive information, whether it is e-mail, social network updates or SMS messages

o Integrated Calendar information from portal calendars, on Exchange, Google Calendar™ and SNS, including Facebook®

o Integrated Contacts syncs with Exchange, Google, Twitter and Facebook – Facebook contacts display in four categories, including Info, History (previous calls and messages), Activities (status updates and notifications on social networking sites), and Media (Facebook profile photos and photo gallery)

• AllShare™ – Enables inter-device connectivity through Digital Living Network Alliance® (DLNA®), so users can send multimedia content wirelessly to other DLNA Certified®-enabled devices such as TVs and laptops

• Daily Briefing – Instant access to weather, news, stocks and schedules

• Write and Go – Quickly jot down an idea and later decide on a format, such as SMS/ MMS, e-mail, calendar or memo, to send or post to popular SNS sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace

• Smart Alarm – Natural alarm sound and display automatically illuminates

• Weather Clock – Displays current time and weather of the selected city (ability to add and select other cities)

Pricing and availability:

The Samsung Continuum will be available for order starting Nov. 11 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement and data package. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. The device will be available for purchase in stores beginning Nov. 18.

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.