Android may never have gained this much popularity as a smartphone and tablet operating system had it not been for a few certain reasons, one of them being the open source nature of the platform and the availability of custom firmware for various devices. You would be aware that Android, at its core, is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). There are now several ROMs out there for a variety of phones and tablets that are rooted directly into the AOSP itself. However, the trendsetter was, and will always be, CyanogenMod.

The Apple vs. Samsung saga doesn’t appear to be dying down any time soon, with both companies prepared, it would seem, to play the long game in a case which won’t be going on trial until 2014. Apple has said it would like to see both the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean added to the California lawsuit versus its bitter Korean rival, insisting both products infringe upon its own intellectual property.

One of the main issues with Samsung devices that run Android – or any device that is powered by that particular operating system in fact – is the huge fragmentation issue that accompanies it. More often than not, powerful and high-end devices are often running outdated versions of Android, meaning that consumers are often missing out on features that have been integrated into new builds. This issue is something that we will likely see in the future as we continue to move forward and won’t go away anytime soon.

If a new tablet is on your shopping list for the very near future and you have already ruled out joining the crowd in getting a 9.7-inch iPad or the highly rated Google Nexus 7, then Samsung may have exactly what you are looking for. Although legal representatives for the company are locked in a Californian court room attempting to settle various patent infringement disputes, it hasn’t stopped the Korean electronic giants from handling their business and having another attempt at ending Apple’s dominance with the insanely popular iPad.

Late last month, Samsung ensured the tech world’s attention wouldn’t be solely focused on the iPhone 5 or Nexus 7 by pinpointing August 15th as a date for a key announcement. The tactic worked, and fans of everything digital have been speculating what the Korean company may have up its sleeve.

When anyone mentions a touchscreen device, or to be more specific; a touchscreen tablet device, you instinctively think about Apple and the iPad. Ever since the creation of the ground breaking iPhone in 2007, and the subsequent release of the iPad in 2010, touchscreen devices seem to be synonymous with the company. Apple obviously weren’t the first technology company to come up with the idea of controlling a mobile device through a touch based interface, but when they entered that segment of the market, they managed to totally reinvent it and almost assume ownership.

With the expected announcement of the iPad 3 coming in the next few weeks, the bar looks likely to be raised once again by the Cupertino company, meaning we will look forward to seeing what competitors come up with in the coming months in an attempt to compete with the famous Apple tablet. In the meantime, Korean-based Samsung have taken the opportunity to announce a new tablet device to its Android line up.