FriendCaller Blog

No matter how you plan to celebrate this New Year’s Eve, if you have a smartphone, chances are it will be by your side.

Mobile advertising company Mojiva recently conducted a survey of smartphone users in the US and UK to find out how they planned on using their smartphone to celebrate the new year, as well as what their plans were for their digital companion over 2013.

We’re still fickle when it comes to smartphones. The majority of respondents thought their phone or tablet would help them better manage their daily life in 2013, but they also planned on replacing that phone or tablet in the coming year.

Check out the full results of the survey below, and let us know what you think about the findings in the comments.

With the final days of 2012 upon us, many companies are looking forward to “great success” in 2013. This year has been a big year for Samsung, and if all goes as planned by the tech giant, the good times will continue well into 2013.

According to The Korea Times, the phone manufacturer expects itself to ship over half a billion handsets — 510 million to be exact — next year.

In 2012 alone, Samsung shipped an estimated 420 million devices. If we go by next year’s projections, it’s aiming for a 20 percent jump in devices shipped.

Of the 510 million devices forecast, 390 million units are expected to be smartphones, while the remaining 120 million will be feature phones according to an executive from one of Samsung’s key suppliers.

Also in Samsung’s plans are more Microsoft Windows 8 handsets, and an executive at Samsung’s telecommunications department noted the high user demand for LTE devices.

Despite its ongoing patent battle with Apple, Samsung has managed to be a huge success both in the U.S. and overseas, thanks to its successful Galaxy line of phones, tablets, and even ‘phablets.’ Do you guys think Samsung has what it takes to fulfill its big projections for next year? As for us, FriendCaller gives all its best wishes to Samsung !!!

Hey! Samsung’s got yet another new Phone, the new 5-inch smartphone called the Galaxy Grand. Despite the name, it’s a mid-range device, with a slightly disappointing 800 x 480 screen resolution, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera. Other features of note include 8GB of internal memory (further expandable to 64GB via a microSD memory card) and a 2,100mAh battery (same as the Samsung Galaxy S III).

GALAXY Grand with an impressive 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor supports seamless multitasking, faster web browsing, lightning-fast screen transitions and superior graphics for some of the most demanding apps and games.

On the software side, it will come with Android 4.1.2 and support for Samsung’s Multi Window mode of operation, meaning users will be able to run two apps on the screen simultaneously. The Galaxy Grand will be available both as a dual-sim and a single-sim device. Samsung GALAXY Grand also includes intuitive features that make the phone easy to use.

For example, Direct Call enables users to automatically dial a call by raising the device up to the ear; while users can also shake the phone to trigger status updates, or pan it to zoom into a screen. Smart Alert shows missed events such as missed calls and new messages just by picking up the phone. Popup Video, for example, lets users watch video in a pop-up window anywhere on the screen while running other tasks; S Voice lets you control the phone using your voice; and AllShare Play lets you share content across Samsung devices using a single account.

What holds back the Galaxy Grand is its screen. The display is 5 inches, which places it between the S III’s 4.8-inch screen and the 5.5-inch display on the Note II. However, at a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels, the display of the Galaxy Grand is inferior to both the S III and Note II, which sport 1280 by 720 pixel screens, with a higher pixel density.

Nevertheless, its a treat for all Samsung Fans, Isn’t it?

Imagine this: You’re opening a holiday present with anticipation, expecting to receive your favorite Smartphone. But with all the choices out there, which one do you most want to see under the wrapping?

The smartphone is a keystone of 21st century. Doesn’t matter how old you are, you have probably enviously eyed the latest model of your favorite phone sometime over the past few months. Maybe you were holding out on upgrading your device until the 2012 holiday season, hoping that a loved one would purchase a newer, faster, sleeker phone for you. Isn’t that so?

If you are lucky enough to receive a brand new smartphone during the holidays, which one do you want?

Let us know which is your top pick for the season by voting in our poll! Think closely before you make your pick!

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Android now accounts for 72.4% of the market for smartphone operating systems, up from 52.5% in the period a year earlier. A big chunk of that gain was attributed to Samsung, which sold 55 million smartphones. The bulk of Samsung’s smartphones run on Android. Meanwhile, Apple, whose devices run on iOS operating system, sold more than 23.5 million phones during the same period, up from 17.3 million a year ago. Apple’s operating system market share slipped from 15% in 2011 down to 13.9%.

Gartner Inc. says that could be because users around the world may have held off on buying a new phone as they waited for the iPhone 5 to arrive in their countries

It seems the perceived iPhone 5 excitement continues to lives up to it’s hype: those planning to buy an iPhone 5 are twice as likely to declare they “can hardly wait” compared to those planning on buying an Android smartphone.

An overview of  research findings was put together by aytm in the infographic below:

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