Samsung hasn't had the best luck with GPS in their Android-powered phones. Some have blamed poor drivers, others have cited the wrong aGPS configuration. Other individuals have claimed poor GPS reception in Samsung's Galaxy S series of devices (specifically the Vibrant) is due in large part to poor workmanship inside the phone itself. We're not taking sides, making accusations, or laying blame. We do, however, think that Vibrant owners may like to know about this potentially warranty-voiding hardware hack that may resolve some of the problems with Vibrant's built before a certain date. The ...

Samsung Galaxy S is one of the most popular Android devices ever launched and most definitely one of the most successful Samsung models ever. The model was a best seller in both its original shape as well as carrier variants worldwide (and in the U.S. as T-Mobile Vibrant, AT&T Captivate, Verizon Fascinate, Sprint Epic 4G). One of the Galaxy S' biggest flaws was that it was launched with Android 2.1 Éclair back in June 29, 2010, a time when Android 2.2 Froyo was already one month out (being launched on May 22, 2010). The lack of a software refresh, till recently, made the Samsung Galaxy S ...

The Bell Vibrant variant of the Samsung Galaxy S saw an Android 2.2 Froyo update roll-out at the beginning of December just to be frozen a couple of days later due to several feedbacks reporting bricked devices. After rolling out the Telus Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate Froyo update last week, Samsung looks to have another Bell Vibrant update ready and available via the KIES software with warm recommendations to update. And, as the initial Samsung Froyo roadmap indicated, the Rogers Captivate Android 2.2 Froyo update is currently being tested (and we hope it will be soon released, putting an ...

If you own a Galaxy S device and have been waiting for the Froyo update to hit, you're not alone. Galaxy S owners in the US, and around the world, have had to deal with repeated unfulfilled promises from Samsung as to when the Android 2.2 update would be available. While Epic 4G owners came close with a leak, Samsung made it clear that the leaked update wasn't final. Over on XDA, the 2.2.1 update for the international Galaxy S has been leaked, and owners are reporting that it's "very fast". The leak won't work on other variants of the Galaxy S, but it shouldn't be too long until the ...

SRS Labs Dolby Labs has been working with smartphone makers for years to improve audio quality by including virtual sound processing. Turning on the sound processing can mean the difference between flat music and lively audio with bright highs and boomy lows (assuming you're using good headphones). The upcoming Desire HD is one such device that will benefit from the advanced audio processing. Also including the 5.1 virtual surround is the line of Galaxy S devices, including the US-facing Captivate, Fascinate, Vibrant and Epic 4G. To turn on the processing, hit the "5.1" button when in the ...

If you've tried fixing the GPS reception on your Samsung phone, following one of the many how-to guides for tweaking your phone's settings, there's a chance you ended up making things even worse than when they started. Samsung has now released a restore app that will undo any problems you've introduced to your phone's GPS settings. Galaxy S users may have noticed a litany of GPS issues creeping up, including slow lock times and inaccurate position data. We've posted guides that fellow users have come up with, requiring you to manually adjust phone settings. Since those early work-arounds ...

Canadian carrier subscribers owning a Samsung Galaxy S variant will not have to wait long until the Android 2.2 Froyo update for their devices is released as we now have an official road-map for the roll-out. According to Samsung Mobile Canada, the update will be available for the Samsung Vibrant from Bell and Samsung Captivate from Rogers in mid-December while those of you that are on Telus will have to wait for the Froyo update for their Samsung Fascinate until early 2011. While Samsung is "working diligently to provide a tested and secure upgrade experience", you have to understand that ...

Samsung made their Q3 2010 results public on Friday and the Company has recorded a 19% increase in units shipped to bump the number to 71.4 million phones, a number reached, according to the press release, thanks to its flagship smartphones, Galaxy S and Wave which "were the primary drivers of continued sales growth amid a global demand recovery". Samsung declared sales of 7 million Galaxy S models, devices which are available in 90 countries running on 210 carriers worldwide. In a bold but target oriented thinking, the world's second largest mobile manufacturer is aiming to sell another 3 ...

Samsung Vibrant customers were apparently briefly able to download the anticipated JI5 patch directly from the Samsung Kies update system -- the one that promises a fix for poor GPS performance -- only T-Mobile is warning customers that this particular version of the patch does not actually contain the GPS fix. Confused? You should be, although Samsung has reportedly since pulled the file from the Kies database. So if you've already gone ahead and updated and aren't noticing better GPS functionality, now you know that you're not crazy. Unfortunately there's still no word on when the ...

Are you confused about all the Galaxy S models from Samsung? If so you're not alone. The Galaxy S goes by many names. - On Sprint it's the Epic 4G - On T-Mobile US it's the Vibrant - On AT&T it's the Captivate - On Verizon it's the Fascinate - In other places it's called the Samsung I9000 Galaxy S The phone is basically the same across the various carriers. There are, however, some differences. Some have features the others do not and they each have radios specific to their carrier. One of the similarities is that they're all currently all running Android 2.1. Recent updates have come to ...

A recent analysis was done by BillShrink that details the cost of ownership of a Samsung Galaxy S model made for each of the four major U.S. carriers. The analysis takes into consideration the carrier-subsidized cost of the AT&T Captivate, the Sprint Epic 4G, the T-Mobile Vibrant, and the Verizon Wireless, along with plans for voice and data, and finds that T-Mobile leads the pack due to its low plan pricing options, followed by Sprint. The two largest carriers, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, trail the pricing survey as the total cost of ownership of the Galaxy S models that they offer are the ...

Update: Apology... I sincerely apologize for erroneously portraying what happens when you don't wait for a phone to boot up as a problem with multitasking, and please allow me to clarify the intentions behind the article in question. Many suggested that I wait for the media scanner to finish before attempting to use the device since clearly that process was not finished and that's what was slowing the operating system down. In other words: do not attempt to multitask by interacting with the device or by launching programs until the currently active process is finished (specifically the ...

If you're looking for a new phone in the U.S., and the Android/T-Mobile match-up sounds good to you, here's an offer you have to see! Amazon has been offering some crazy deals with this phone, which resells for around US$600 off-contract. First we saw the phone for $99, then $49 (both when purchased with a new contract). Today they've blown both those out of the water. For the time being, Amazon is offering the Samsung Vibrant for ONE CENT when you sign up for a new 2-year contract. See Amazon for details. (affiliate links) The Vibrant isn't some bottom-of-the-barrel phone, either. It's ...