After much rumour, Samsung has officially confirmed the forthcoming release of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance, a mid range dual core Android smartphone.

The Samsung I9070 Galaxy S Advance includes a large, 4.0 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, supporting up to 16 million colours and with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The display uses Gorilla Glass for extra protection, and there is support for multi-touch input.

There will be two variants of the device, offering internal storage of either 8 GB or 16 GB, with memory expansion available via Micro SD memory cards, up to 32 GB in size.

Powered by a dual core 1 GHz processor, the Galaxy S Advance will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board, and also includes a 5.0 Megapixel camera with autofocus, geotagging, face and smile detection and an LED Flash. The camera is capable of recording 720p HD video at 30 fps, and there is a secondary front-facing 1.3 Megapixel camera for video calls.

Onboard the device includes a GPS receiver, and includes TV Out support, as well as offering a full media player with DivX and complete social networking integration.

Data is covered with inclusion of HSDPA up to 14.4 Mbps and HSUPA up to 5.76 Mbps, as well as WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, with DLNA and WiFi Hotspot included.

Initially available in Black or White, the Galaxy S Advance from Samsung is expected to be available for free on most mid range price plans across various networks, and should be available to market within the next 6 – 8 weeks.

Samsung has announced the launch of the 'Best of Britain' app, in partnership with VisitBritain, the national tourism agency.

The app is the fruit of an agreement made between the two organisations back in 2010, aiming to celebrate the wide range of social, cultural, fun and enriching experiences found in the UK, focussing on the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It is predicted that over 30 million visitors will come to Britain in 2012; the Best of Britain app aims to present those visitors with the ultimate tool to enhance their stay. Users of the app will be able to plan their trip with things-to-do, taking advantage of maps and images all available for free within the app.

Marketing Director of VisitBritain, Laurence Bresh, said: “The launch of the Best of Britain app brings a unique insight into Britain in 2012 to Samsung device owners across the world. We expect the events of London 2012, from the Olympics and Paralympic Games to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, will inspire many to come to Britain, and we know that those already planning their visits will find the Best of Britain app to be invaluable both before they travel and when they arrive.”

The rise in popularity of smartphones is expected to continue to rise during 2012, so a mobile app provides a simple solution for showcasing the wide range of different activities available to visitors. The UK has a range of attractions, from museums, restaurants, bars, arts, entertainment and a vibrant nightlife. The Best of Britain app will include content about the Olympic Torch Relay and Olympic venue destinations, with rich compelling content delivered straight to the handset.

Vice President and Head of Worldwide Sports Marketing at Samsung, Sunny Hwang, said: “This is a perfect example of an Olympic Worldwide Partner and the host country tourism board working together to create a more fulfilling Games experience for the millions of people who will be touched by the London 2012 Olympic Games this year. Samsung and VisitBritain are enabling visitors to feel closer to the Olympic and Paralympic Games embracing a shared ambition to create a lasting legacy. Samsung will continue to develop its relationships with other Olympic partners to progress its goal for London 2012 to be 'Everyone's Olympic Games' where everyone can enjoy, take part in and share the Olympic Games experience, using smart technologies.”

It seems that Google has not forgotten about owners of the previous Android flagship phone, the Nexus S, with many Google employees commenting via various social media platforms that they are testing Ice Cream Sandwich on the device.

Ice Cream Sandwich, the codename for Android OS 4.0, was first seen on the newest Google Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. At the time of launch Google had suggested that ICS would become available for the Nexus S, and now it seems that the release is imminent, subject to successful testing.

The lack of a coherent upgrading system for newer versions of Android has often been cited as a source of frustration for many owners of Android devices, with multiple versions of the operating system in use at any one time. This can also cause issues for developers, who need to ensure apps they release through the Android Market are compatible with a wide range of OS versions.

Many manufacturers have already stated their intention to bring Ice Cream Sandwich to their handsets, including LG, Sony Ericsson, HTC and Samsung. One way in which owners of the Nexus S will benefit is a lack of operator modifications in terms of UI layers, which should mean once the update is ready to rollout it should hit all Nexus S handsets within a few days of release.

The Galaxy Nexus S is available on various networks, with contract deals starting from just £25.53 a month. For the latest offers, see our Nexus S deals page. If you want to try Android 4.0 now, the only device currently on market with that OS version is the Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus is available from £24.38; for the latest offers, see the Samsung Galaxy Nexus deals page.

The software bug on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that caused some users to experience complete loss of volume has been well documented, and now Google has confirmed that the software fixed is currently being rolled out.

In a statement, Google said: “We are currently rolling out a fix for the volume issue which will reach everyone in the coming week.” The update will be sent out Over The Air, and users will be notified on their handset when it is available to download. However, you can perform a manual check by going to the settings menu on your phone, selecting About Phone > System Updates > Check Now.

The problem was experienced by some users when transferring data on a 2G connection, and it would result in the volume of the phone being lowered completely, affecting all outgoing audio. That meant no volume for music, incoming call, text and email alerts, and incoming audio on phone calls.

The update is fairly small in size, so should download fairly quickly, and it is advisable for all users to download the update, even if their phone hasn't suffered the volume problem.

To check the latest offers for Galaxy Nexus, head on over to our Samsung Galaxy Nexus deals page

Google has responded to reports of a volume bug being found on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and has announced that a fix will be issued shortly to affected users.

The volume bug has been reported by many users on forums and social networks, effects all audio on the handset. The volume on the phone will decrease for no apparent reason, meaning incoming call alerts, text and email alerts and incoming voice calls cannot be heard on the phone.

Once the volume has gone to zero, it cannot be raised up again with the volume rocker key, rendering the phone almost useless for anything other than a spot of web browsing. The issue is supposed to be caused by an issue with the 2G network, although this isn't confirmed.

Owners of the Galaxy Nexus should be receiving an alert in the next few days, prompting them to download and update the software on the phone. It is advisable for all owners of the Galaxy Nexus to download the update when prompted, even if the volume bug has not occurred on a particular device.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first Android device to be launched running the latest version of the Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. Despite the volume bug, which has affected only a small number of users to date, the handset has been receiving favourable reviews since its release.

For the latest offers on this device, head on over to our Galaxy Nexus Deals page.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is creating headlines following its release, unfortunately not all of them positive. It seems there is a bug on some devices that causes all audio volume to drop, meaning users miss calls, incoming text and can not hear callers when on call.

The problem happens of its own accord, and appears to be related to the device connecting to 2G networks. The volume on the handset will drop, no matter what process is being used on the phone at the time, even if on a call.

After the volume has gone down to zero, the volume button becomes unresponsive, so it is not possible to raise the volume back up to normal levels. The problem will effect all audio output on the device, effectively placing the handset into permanent silent mode.

Many forums have users who have purchased the device complaining about the problem. It is thought Samsung and Google are working on a fix, which will be rolled out as soon as possible.

If you have picked up a Galaxy Nexus in the last few days, and you have experienced the bug with the volume, let us know via the comments.

The Galaxy Nexus is the latest device in the Google Nexus range, manufactured by Samsung, as was the previous device, the Nexus S. Offering some nice hardware upgrades, the Galaxy Nexus is also the first device to ship with the latest Android OS version, Android 4.0, also popularly known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Galaxy Nexus has a minimalistic look, with few buttons and ports around the casing. In fact, the handset has no hardware buttons at all at the bottom of the display for controlling navigation, instead the device makes use of software buttons that appear at the bottom of the display when needed.

The display on the Galaxy Nexus is stunning, probably one of the best displays on a smartphone to date. Measuring a large, 4.65 inches, the Nexus uses a Super AMOLED HD capacitive touchscreen, supporting up to 16 million colours and with a pixel resolution of 720 x 1280. The display is covered with an oleophobic surface, which leaves less trace of fingerprints on the screen, which can be a real problem when using a touchscreen phone in the sunlight.

Weighing in at a manageable 135g, the Galaxy Nexus measures in at 135.5 x 67.9 x 8.9mm, with the thinness of the phone helping to make it feel comfortable to hold, despite the large size. Around the phone there are very few hardware buttons and ports. Down one side of the phone is a connecting point for a docking station, as well as a lock screen button, and on the other is a volume rocker key. There are no ports across the top of the device, which means the 3.5mm audio jack is rather annoyingly located on the bottom of the phone, along with the Micro USB port and microphone.

Across the bottom of the phone, underneath the screen is an LED notification area. This will glow when you have a missed call, or when you receive a text, or when the battery is starting to run low. The battery is a lithium ion 1750 mAh, which is fairly large for an Android phone, but unlikely to supply more than a day with average usage, which is becoming the norm for a modern day smartphone.

There are two choices of internal memory capacity on the Galaxy Nexus, you can choose a device with either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal memory. Unfortunately, that is all you get, as disappointingly Samsung have neglected to include a Micro SD card slot on the handset.

The camera on the phone is 5.0 Megapixel, which seems pretty basic when compared with other top smartphone devices these days, however the speed at which the camera operates is pretty impressive, with Samsung claiming there is no lag between press and capture of the image. The camera supports autofocus and touch focus, as well as face detection and geotagging, and is capable of recording 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. On the front of the phone, located next to the speaker, is a 1.3 Megapixel camera, which can be used for video calls and self portrait shots.

The Galaxy Nexus is a quad band GSM device, offering global support for roaming, and also supports LTE 4G networks where available. HSDPA on the device is possible up to 21 Mbps where the network supports it, and also includes HSUPA at up to 5.76 Mbps. WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/ support is included, as is DLNA for easy WLAN integration, and also WiFi hotspot, which makes it easy to turn the handset into an impromptu wireless hotspot, allowing WiFi enabled devices to connect to the web via the phone.

Powering the Galaxy Nexus is a dual core 1.2 GHz processor, which should ensure that the handset is capable of handling even the most demanding of tasks quickly and easily, removing any noticeable lag when using the phone. The handset includes a GPS receiver with A-GPS support, and has support for NFC Near Field Communication.

The hardware is just half the story with the Galaxy Nexus, of course, as there is much to enjoy on the phone thanks to the inclusion of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The new Android OS is more than just a slight upgrade, in fact there are so many new features it is a pretty major overhaul.

The lockscreen on the phone allows simple, quick access to the camera, making it even easier to ensure you don't miss those special moments. Sliding the unlock circle to the right unlocks the phone, otherwise sliding it to the left towards the camera icon immediately launches the camera. The Galaxy Nexus also includes a rather cool way of unlocking the phone, by using face recognition. It is also possible now to access the drop down menu notification bar even from the lockscreen, so you can view incoming alerts without having to unlock the device.

There are multiple homescreens available on the Nexus, which are easily accessed by swiping across the screen, where you can store application shortcuts and widgets as with other Android phones. One new feature lets you resize certain widgets, making it even easier to customise the display as you want it to be. Android 4.0 makes use of an entirely new font, known as Roboto. The font is very clear and easy to read, and the phone even converts text on websites when browsing with the phone to the new font, too.

A welcome addition to the features of Android with ICS is the inclusion of a screenshot option. Til now taking a screenshot of an Android device generally meant connecting to a PC, but now a screenshot can be taken straight on the phone. It may be of little significance to some, but for many people a screenshot feature is very handy, and a welcome addition.

There are many other updates with Ice Cream Sandwich, such as a new style contacts list. The phonebook is now known as People, and has a lighter background than with previous Android versions. It is much easier to gain access to your favourite contacts, and contact images are a larger size than the thumbnails used before.

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The web browser on the phone has been updated, making web browsing faster than before, plus there is an offline mode for reading content later on, and there is a desktop option, which allows you to view the desktop version of a website you are browsing as opposed to the mobile version. The calendar is also updated, as is the mail client. Instead of having an option for Gmail, and an alternative for everything else, you can now access all email via one inbox.

The updates throughout Android 4.0 are numerous, these are just few of the more noticeable ones. Combined with the hardware capabilities of the Galaxy Nexus, you are presented with a very desirable smartphone. From the amazing display, dual core 1.2 GHz processor, 1080p HD video and high speed data support, combined with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, it would seem that the Galaxy Nexus is set to be a very popular product.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is set to launch in the UK during November, and will be available across a range of networks.

Latest sales figures for the third quarter of 2011 show that sales of Samsung smartphones have leap-frogged Apple to become the number one global supplier of smartphone devices.

In the period between July and September this year, Samsung devices sold totalled an impressive 27.8 million, over 10 million more than Apple who sold 17.1 million. The total number of smartphones sold worldwide leapt up by 44% on figures for the same period last year, reaching 117 million.

Nokia came just behind Apple, with 16.8 million devices sold, and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact the release of the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 Windows Phone devices will have on those figures going forward.

The figures give Samsung a 23.8% share of the smartphone market, with Apple at 14.6% and Nokia at 14.4%. The figures change significantly when feature phone sales are included, an area that Apple are not active in, with Samsung sitting at 22.6% compared to Nokia with 27.3%.

Apple's numbers were said to have been hit by people waiting for the release of the new iPhone, which saw record sales of over 4 million in the first weekend of its release. The competition from Samsung is particularly strong to the iPhone, with the Galaxy range of Android devices performing well. The latest handset from the Galaxy stable, the Galaxy Nexus, is set to be released in the UK from November 17th, just after the Nokia Lumia 800 which is scheduled for a November 16th launch.

With the announcement of the Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 update last week, along with the Galaxy Nexus, many current Android handset owners are eagerly awaiting news of when the update will be coming to their handset.

We have already heard that HTC, Sony Ericsson and Motorola plan to deliver Android 4.0 to some devices in their range, and now confirmation has come that Ice Cream Sandwich will be rolled out to the Nexus S handset 'in a matter of weeks.'

Whilst the news is welcome, there is an element of bad news for owners of the original Google Nexus handset, the Nexus One. The device has received its last official update with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and will not be getting any official Ice Cream Sandwich treatment. For owners of the Nexus One, the only way forward from now on will be via unofficial updates available to rooted devices.

The reason the handset will no longer get updates is simply because the hardware is not powerful enough to handle certain aspects of Android 4.0. The Google Nexus One, which was manufactured in partnership with HTC, was released back in January 2010.

The Galaxy Nexus , the first device that will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-loaded, is set to release in the first week of November. To view the latest deals and offers for the Galaxy Nexus, head on to our Galaxy Nexus Deals page.

With the launch in the early hours of this morning of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, we also saw the launch of the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 4.0, which carries the ludicrous codename, Ice Cream Sandwich.

According to Google, the main idea behind Android 4.0 was to create a mobile operating system that would work on both phones and tablet devices. Ice Cream Sandwich comes with a new font which has been optimised to display better on HD displays, like the one the Galaxy Nexus comes with, and the OS is designed to use adaptable software control buttons, removing the need for hardware buttons on the handset.

Ice Cream Sandwich delivers to end users an improved notification system, making notifications more interactive, allows for resizeable widgets, and offers an improved native keyboard over previous Android versions. Of course, one of the benefits of Android is the option to install an alternative keyboard should you wish, such as the offering from Swype, or Swiftkey. It is this level of customisability that gives Android a real competitive edge over the competition.

The web browser on handsets running Android 4.0 has been given a makeover, bringing swifter delivery of web pages, and an improved tab manager. For users of Google Chrome, it is possible to synchronise your desktop bookmarks with the handset, so if you add a bookmark to your home PC or on the phone, it will appear on the other device.

Gmail has been given a facelift, offering a new design that allows quick swiping through the inbox, and delivers an offline search facility, too.

The contacts section of the OS is improved, with better connectivity to social networking contacts, and you can now store HD photos for contacts. Photos and videos captured on the Galaxy Nexus can be instantly uploaded to Google+, Twitter or Facebook, after they have been tweaked with the onboard imaging editor. The camera on the Galaxy Nexus offers zero shutter lag, making it easier to capture that special moment, whilst a panoramic picture application makes it easy to capture amazing panoramic photos. Simply scan the camera to capture the images, and the software on the phone automatically stitches them together for you.

With Ice Cream Sandwich comes Android Beam, which takes advantage of the NFC capabilities on the phone to share content with other NFC enabled devices. It is possible to share web pages, Maps, YouTube videos and apps by simply tapping two compatible phones together. A new feature to be included on the OS is facial recognition technology, which can be used to unlock the phone, simply by looking into the camera.

It is three years since Google launched the G1, the very first Android device. The Android platform has come a long way since then, and with improving hardware, Android handsets have become amongst the most popular smartphones in the world, with over 550,000 Android handsets activated on a daily basis.

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The first device to launch with Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich installed will be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is scheduled to launch in November 2011. The handset is already confirmed for Vodafone, Three and O2. To sign up for details on the phone, head on over to our Samsung Galaxy Nexus deals page.