Toshiba unveiled the new 13.3-inch-display AT330 tablet in Germany, and it has one very unique feature: a TV tuner.
Techfokus said the Japanese electronics manufacturer showcased its latest device at Toshiba World 2012 in Bonn. The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich slate employs a Tegra 3 quad-core CPU, but its most interesting highlight is a TV tuner and an antennae that extends from body…
Coming on the heels of Samsung’s Galaxy Note, LG today is pushing its foray into the new Phablet market: The VU—a 5-inch 4:3 display device. The Vu will be shorter and wider than the Note due to the display ratio, and it seems to resemble the Nokia Lumia/older iPod Nano design.
LG today unveiled one of the most anticipated LTE devices, the Optimus Vu:. Equipped with LG’s advanced LTE and IPS display technology, the Optimus Vu: offers a unique combination of tablet-like viewing with smartphone portability. Running on a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GM internal memory and a large 2,080 mAh battery, the Optimus Vu: is a multimedia lover’s dream device.
“The Optimus Vu: was designed to maximize what customers could do with a smart-phone,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “By offering an optimal 4:3 ratio viewing experience, 5-inch display combined with superfast LTE technology, Optimus Vu: is just one example of what we can achieve when we combine our best technology with customer needs.”
Interestingly, this device is exactly one-quarter the size of Apple’s iPad with the same resolution. That means the screen resolution is likely the same as the likely upcoming iPad 3 with Retina Display.
One of the few downsides to the Galaxy Note was that it was hard to use in one hand. LG, making a wider version, will make it even harder.
The full-sized pictures and press release are below:
A new device called the “HTC Edge” leaked. It was the world’s first rumored quad-core handset. Fast forward to last month, and PocketNow reported that HTC renamed the HTC Edge to the “HTC Endeavor.”
A new report from MoDaCo, said HTC is announcing the HTC Endeavor at Mobile World Conference in Barcelona in less than three weeks. If you are not familiar, MWC is the CES for phones and tablets.
MoDaCo’s sources confirmed that the HTC Endeavor will ship with a 1.5GHz Tegra 3 based Quad-Core processor, 4.7-inch 720P HD screen, 8-megapixel camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. The handset will also feature Beats audio experience onboard, as well as Sense 4.0…
There are two new reports today regarding the upcoming availability of the sleek Droid 4. Droid-Life, who is usually on-par, reported that Verizon Wireless’s latest QWERTY offering will launch for $199 on two-year contract and $549 full price, which has been confirmed in Verizon’s system (seen in the screenshot below). This certainly makes for one of the cheapest LTE offerings out there. Droid-Life also posted a second screenshot of Verizon’s internal system that reveals the Droid 4 will launch on Feb. 10 in all markets. Why Feb. 10, you may ask? It is the same day Star Wars in 3D hits theaters. As a reminder, the Droid 4 boasts a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 4-inch qHD display, 1GB of RAM, and dual-cameras. We will keep you updated as Verizon goes official with its launch date.
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is underway in Las Vegas, and Acer wrapped up the first press event of the week. Acer showed off its new Acer Aspire S5 laptop at the event, and —better yet— the Taiwan-based company teased its new Android tablet – the Iconia Tab A700. The new Acer tablet is a complete beast with its Tegra 3 quad-core processor, Android 4.0, and 1080p display. As of now, there is no more information besides those two specifications, but we will work on finding out the rest as the week rolls on.
AllThingsD’s review columnist Walt Mossberg has graced us with his Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime review this evening, giving the device a pretty high score. Mossberg, a renowned reviewer, calls the Prime the best Android tablet he has tested. Mossberg compliments the Prime on its fast quad-core Tegra 3 processor and keyboard dock which can be purchased separately.
Just as Joanna Stern from The Vergesaid, Mossberg isn’t too happy with the software on the Prime. He calls it sluggish and not as complete as the iPad. For his final words, Mossberg says the iPad is still the best tablet out there, but if you’re interested in Android and a physical keyboard this tablet is for you. Be sure to read his full review.
I still believe the iPad 2 is the best overall tablet available. However, if you’re looking for a model using Google’s Android interface and are yearning for a well-designed, easily integrated keyboard solution, or want to play more power-hungry games, the Transformer Prime is a good choice, as long as you can tolerate its software limitations.
The Prime launches in the United States on December 15th. The 32GB model will be available for $499, and the optional keyboard dock will be available for $149. We look forward to getting our hands on this!
Engadgethas leaked the specs of a new handset from HTC called the Zeta (rendered above). The HTC Zeta is rumored to pack a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 720p 4.5-inch display, 8-megapixel rear camera (1080p HD), and 1.3-megapixel front camera. With specifications optimized for power, the HTC Zeta makes itself favorable over its previously leakedbrethren the HTC Edge.
The 2.5 GHz S4 processor will be manufactured by Qualcomm, a competitor to Nvidia’s Tegra 3 that is finding its way into devices by next year. This device is sure to be a speed demon.
Engadget doesn’t say which version of Android the Zeta will run, but with the Ice Cream Sandwich source code released yesterday, we’re hoping the device will see ICS on launch day if not shortly after. HTC’s custom Sense UI will also most likely earn a spot on the Zeta. There is no word on pricing or availability, but Q1 or early Q2 of 2012 sounds about right.
Buy.com via eBay Daily Deal has the Samsung Galaxy SII unlocked phone for $489.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest price we could find by about $100. This 4.3″ screen, dual core Android 2.3.5 smartphone will work on just about any GSM network in the worldwith a SIM card. Expand Expanding Close
ASUS just released a teaser for their next generation tablet (Honeycomb? ICS?) which should be released in the coming days. What’s inside? Perhaps a Tegra 3 Kal-El chip, which also got its own video below: Expand Expanding Close
AT&T has announced five new Android phones to add to their portfolio bringing their total Android count for the year to 19. This round includes the anticipated Atrix 2, Samsung Captivate Glide, Samsung Double Time, Pantech Pocket, and AT&T Avail. These five new devices exceed AT&T’s expectations of 12 new Android devices this year by a healthy margin.
The big boy of these five devices is the Motorola Atrix 2, the successor to the Atrix announced at CES this year. The Atrix 2 features a pretty nice spec list: 4.3-inch qHD screen (960 x 540), 1 GHz dual-core processor, 4G, 8-megapixel rear-shooter (1080P HD), unspecified front-facing camera, and Android 2.3. The Atrix 2 features the same connectivity as the original Atrix: Motorola’s webtop application, HD station, and the Lapdock 100.
Also having a nice set of specs, AT&T has announced the Samsung Captivate Glide. Specs for the Glide include: 4-inch 480×800 display, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Android 2.3, 4G, HDMI playback, 8-megapixel rear-shooter (1080p HD), and 1.3 mega-pixel front-facing camera. Yeah, it is another Samsung Epic 4G type of device (not that there is anything wrong with that).
Trying to get in before the October 4th flood perhaps, today AT&T announced their Galaxy S II varient would hit shelves on October 2nd. We’ve talked extensively about the Galaxy SII here (read). As a refresher, AT&T’s is closest to the international version with the same 4.3 inch display – contrasted with the 4.5 variety that T-Mobile and Sprint are carrying. Interestingly, it will also have NFC, which Sprint’s surprisingly doesn’t. Sprint is a partner in Google’s NFC-based Wallet initiative.
This is an amazing phone but it is interesting that AT&T is squeaking it in before the iPhone announcement. On the other hand, it says something that AT&T is going with the Galaxy SII moniker rather than something like “Captivate 2”. It seems like Samsung’s Galalxy S line can stand on its own. T-Mobile called its 4G Vibrant model the Galaxy S earlier this year so it appears to be a trend. Expand Expanding Close
Samsung has just unveiled the webpage for the Galaxy Tab 8.9, which reveals pricing and more specs for the unreleased tablet. The 16GB Wi-Fi only tablet will be going for $469, and the 32GB Wi-Fi only going for $569. Specs for the device are a 8.9” WXGA (1280×800) display, Android 3.1, 3-megapixel rear-facing shooter, 2-megapixel front-facing shooter, Wi-Fi, and a 6100mAh battery. Currently, the Tab comes in a Metallic Gray.
Interestingly, the 8.9’s price is $30 less than the 10.1’s. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 will be hitting Best Buy stores Thursday, so make plans to hop in line. Check out a few more shots after the break:
LG has teased their unannounced LU6200 this evening, which features spectacular specs close to the rumored HTC Incredible HD. The LU6200 (we’d prefer a nicer naming scheme) is rumored to be packing a 4.5-inch 720P HD display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Gingerbread, LTE, 8-megapixel back-facing shooter, 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter, and NFC. Pre-orders are rumored to start September 26th. (via Engadget)
The Droid Incredible HD (known as the Vigor) by HTC is set to land on Verizon October 13th, according to a leaked document published by PhanDroid. Besides the launch date, the leak outlines some very impressive specs for the Incredible HD: 4G LTE, 720p HD screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, 8-megapixel back-facing camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and Beats by Dr. Dre earbuds. Sleek!
At the Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul, Qualcomm outlined their new line of “S4” mobile processors (following their new naming scheme). The new single, dual, and quad-core processors will be able to pack up to 2.5 GHz’s in speed, almost doubling what’s available on the current market. Spec wise, the new processors will bring the ability for Adreno Graphics, 3D, 1080p HD, and 3G and LTE connectivity as a standard.
Qualcomm’s quad-core processor will compete directly with Nvidia’s “Kal-el” quad-core processor due out around the same time. CES and Mobile World Conference should be about the time we see phones announced with these processors underneath.Expect these phones to be fast! (via Pocket-lint)
Nvidia’s quad-core test tablet code named “Kal-El” is set to launch in s tablet this coming fall. Kal-El’s speed, named after Superman, is said to be 5x the speed of the Tegra 2, Nvidia’s current dual-core CPU on the market.Nvidia tellsAndroidCentral:
“Project Kal-El-powered tablets are coming this Fall, and phones around the CES 2012 timeframe.”
That translates to phones in Spring or summer. Originally, Nvidia said at CES 2011 we were going to see the tablet in August, but we’ve learned to never go off a company’s timeframe. Will the Kal-El be dubbed Tegra 3?
Check out AndroidCentral’s video of the Kal-El below:
This is my next has unveiled an Android device heading to Sprint, which is said to be a beefed up Motorola XPRT with a dual-core processor. The device is code named the Motorola Pax, and is looking very Blackberry esque with its portrait keyboard. Besides the dual-core processor, the Pax is also believed to include Sprint’s new CDMA 1X Advanced push-to-talk system. There is no word on pricing or availability. Check out another shot after the break.
Android Central has gotten their hands on a table showing the Droid 3, Droid 2, and Droid X2 side-by-side. The Droid 2 and Droid X2 are already out on Verizon, but the image above sheds light on what the Droid 3 will be. There isn’t a release date quite yet; we know it’s coming to Verizon at the very least.
The Droid 3 will be sporting Honeycomb, a 4-inch touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear-facing camera, and front facing-camera. The image above also reveals this will be a world phone. We’ll keep you updated about when this phone will drop. Expand Expanding Close
As far as AT&T is concerned, the Atrix is about the best Android Smartphone you’ll find (no disrespect to the monsters Infuse and Inspire). In my February Fortune Review I called it the new”King of the Androids” for its qHD display and dual core processor while still being smaller than a Galaxy S. A lot has happened since then
With activation of a new 2-year contract, Amazon Wireless offers the Motorola Atrix 4G Smartphone for AT&T Wireless for 1 cent with free shipping. That’s $50 under our April mention and the lowest total price we’ve seen for this phone. (It’s also a current price low by $100.) Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include a 4″ 960×540 color touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel camera, 720p video capture, microSD card slot, 16GB internal memory, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, Adobe Flash 10, USB 2.0 connectivity, and Android 2.2 OS (FroYo). A $36 activation fee applies.
We got a chance to take a look at the new MyTouch Slide last week and came away both impressed and yet slightly let down.
On one hand this is a rocket fast phone with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor that is in both the Sensation and the EVO 3D but in a much smaller package. The screen size and resolution have also been pared down to more traditional standards (3.7-inch and 480×800 pixels) but it is still a great display with great angles. Being a ‘Slide’, it has a slide-out keyboard which is very nice to the touch – but only 4 rows. The phone is awfully thin for a slider and perhaps the thinnest slide keyboard device out there.
The show stopper however is the shooter. The Slide has the “most advanced” 8-Megapixel camera on the market with its hard (0 lag) shutter, f/2.2 lens, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor which can record 1080P video. It also has three new technologies:
• SweepShot™: for capturing panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single
motion
• ClearShot™ HDR: for capturing objects in bright settings so your photos are not affected by
high-contrast lighting
• BurstShot™: for capturing multiple photos in a quick burst so you don’t miss the perfect
photo
This phone is on par with a mid-range point and shoot camera, yet it has all of the GPS/social/internet features fo a smartphone. Both video and still were as good as any phone I’ve seen. While pictures and movies look amazing on the little 3.7-inch screen, it will be interesting to see how those pictures translate to the bigger screen (TVs) and paper.
If your smartphone wishlist starts with best camera out there, this is your phone.
MacMall via eBay Daily Deal offers the 1.69-lb. Acer Iconia A500-10S16u NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz 10.1″ Widescreen Android Table PC, model no. XE.H60PN.002, for $379.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest total price we could find by $61. Features include an NVIDIA Tegra 2 250 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1″ 1280×800 widescreen touchscreen LCD, 1GB RAM, built-in 16GB flash storage, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, microSD card slot, 5-megapixel rear facing camera, 2-megapixel front facing camera, miniHDMI output, 2-cell battery, and Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb.
A few months back, we unveiled Project Kal-El – our next-gen Tegra super chip – as the world’s first mobile quad-core processor. Kal-El combines a battery-friendly, powerhouse of a quad-core processor with a 12-core NVIDIA GPU that supports 3D stereo.
The first thing that strikes me is that the US is running out of names for Smartphones quicker than even IP addresses.
‘Within’?
Whatever.
The short of it is that the Samsung Galaxy S2, pretty much the most bad ass phone available today, is coming to Sprint, one of the most Android -friendly carriers and will be called the ‘Within’. They could call it the ‘Edsel’ and this would still be a sweet phone.
Top shelf specs include: 32GB internal storage with SD option. Dual Core processor, 4.27-inch display, 1GB RAM, Gingerbread and of course NFC which should make Google and its Wallet efforts pretty happy. Engadgetsaid of this device:
It’s the best Android smartphone yet, but more importantly, it might well be the best smartphone, period.
No timetable for launch exists but we know S2s are already running around Europe and Sprint users want to get their hands on this thing. It would surprise me if this wasn’t out by the end of Summer.
