android

Amazon to ship 10-inch Kindle Fire before June, places order with Foxconn

Digitaltrends reports that Amazon placed an ODM order with Foxconn for a 10-inch tablet, which will sell before summer. ODM stands for Original Design Manufacturer, and refers to a strategy where the manufacturer handles both the design process and production, then hands the final product over to partners for branding.

Amazon did fairly well with the 7-inch Kindle Fire, selling roughly 3.9 million units since November last year. By moving such an unprecedented volume, Amazon managed to spring second only to the iPad completely smashing sales figures of other Android devices.

Success didn’t come for free, the Kindle Fire sells at $199, which iSuppli estimates to be a couple dollars under production costs. The company chose to make healthy profits on the back-end instead, by essentially giving Kindle owners a hot-line to Amazon content services, such as the Kindle bookstore, Amazon MP3 and Instant Video.

With a 10-inch Amazon tablet priced in a similar fashion, the company stands every chance to give a hard time to Apple’s current tablet lineup, but definitely not among the more demanding, savvy consumers. Apple’s rumored iPad 3 release might dampen some of the damage the new Amazon tablet will do to its market share figures, but with its more competitive cost structure Amazon can scoop up cost-sensitive buyers and turn them into long-term customers.

As far as other Android tablets go, Samsung and Asus will have to re-think their tablet strategy or settle with manufacturing for the premium segment, where the initial unit price hardly sways decisions. Asus has already taken steps so that it doesn’t happen. We’ll see if a cheaper Transformer cuts Kindle Fire’s rampage in the value segment short.

A 10-inch tablet from Amazon is bound to reshape the cheap tablet landscape completely, and have a profound effect on other Android tablet makers as well. Apple seems to be safe for now, especially if retina-display rumors and the early-March release date are to be believed about the iPad 3.

via Digitaltrends
sources digitimes and androidauthority

Next Generation Asus Transformer technical specifications spotted on a fuzzy screenshot – Seems legit

Asus doesn’t have to go to the neighbor for some innovation. They single handedly kicked-off the netbook revolution (Anyone remembers the 701?), spearheaded the Ultrabook movement and now, they’re pushing hard with their hybrid tablet/netbook.

Just a couple months after releasing the TF201 (also known as the Transformer Prime), there is a sidegrade (as it hardly is an up or a downgrade) cooking: TF300T.

Since there isn’t much in the ways of a stronger processor they can build a tablet around, the TF300T will be equipped with the same Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU as the TF201, albeit clocked 100 MHz lower at 1.2GHz instead of 1.3GHz.

TF201 contained either 32GB or 64GB internal storage, TF300T allegedly comes with ‘only’ 16GB. I wouldn’t start flailing my arms in shocked disbelief just yet, there is a MicroSD card reader slot for those who walk around with their entire music collection on their tablets.

Asus put the same amount of operating memory in the tablet — 1GB — as they put in the Transformer Prime. This time, however, it apparently follows the DDR3L standard rather being LPDDR2. According to Engadget, there are multiple benefits to utilizing Low-power DDR3 vs. its DDR2 counterpart:

[...]debuting its LPDDR3 chip, brushing aside LPDDR2 with twice the data rates at 6.4GB/s a slice, and a 25 percent smaller power-drain in tow[...]

If that doesn’t offset the performance loss stemming from the lower CPU clock-frequency, I’m not sure what does.

The new Transformer seems to have put up some weight since the TF201 days, being exactly as wide and long as the predecessor but 1.6mm (~1/16th inch) thicker. It weighs 60 grams (2.2 oz) or almost 11% more than the previous model.

Despite having the same resolution –1280×800– screen (though it isn’t rated as Super-IPS, just IPS), more efficient operating RAM, lower internal capacity and CPU clock-speed, thicker chassis and heavier body, the TF300T runs 8.5 hours on one charge versus the 9.5 hours its predecessor pulls. When connected to the keyboard-dock the battery-life gap widens to 5.5 hours between 12.5 hours and 18 hours.

Making sense

The TF300T seems like a facelift on the TF201 if anything. Its specs come really close to that of the older model, while in some respects it’s worse than that. There is one logical explanation I can come up with. If these specs aren’t completely bogus, the new model will arrive at a lower price point, essentially catering for a different target audience.

I hope the new, 4.0 Android OS by default coupled with a lower price-tag isn’t all that ASUS has up its sleeves, but plans to put a definitive end to the weird software and firmware issues, too.

via BGR, tabletowo.pl

Renders of Motorola’s first Intel-based Android phone surfaces, seems viable

Pocketnow‘s Evan Blass brings the news on some new pictures and bits of information about Motorola’s first attempt at putting together an Android smartphone that isn’t based on an ARM CPU.

Of course it doesn’t mean much to those of you, who can’t care less about the kind of processor your touch-screen enabled device runs on. For everyone else, this is kind of big news.

Intel has been trying to put its foot in the door of the mobile market for a while, hurling dead doves at the window, mostly. This time, however, it seems to be alive. Not because it hasn’t failed yet, but because this time it’s almost as good as the competition. Almost might just be enough for the chip-maker giant. Once near the performance and consumption figures of ARM cpus, the company can use its vast human and monetary resources to gradually sand out a product that beats others’.

Unfortunately no exact details have surfaced yet, but the pictures and that it’s going to bear an Intel Medfield CPU mean it isn’t going to be just another Android Ice Cream Sandwich phone. If you’ve seen a netbook before, you’ve seen the granddaddy of the Medfield CPU in action. Having that kind of computing power in a phone isn’t ground-breaking, but there’s more where it comes from.

The 32nm litography used to manufacture these chips allows the final product to draw less than 3.5 watts of power while decoding HD video, 2.5 while idling. Intel works towards an iteration that pulls 2.6 and 2 watts respectively, according to the information available to engadget.com.

The alleged new Motorola smartphone will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Motorola’s own User Interface, MotoBlur, on top of it.

According to Evan, the camera of the phone is expected to do the lion’s share of the work when it comes to selling the phone. Instant on and 15 frame/second burst capture are just two of the features expected to describe the rear-facing shooter.

I’d wait until the Mobile World Congress with my guess on the price.

Story and Picture from Pocketnow.com. Thank you!

Samsung announces a 7-inch tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich for the value segment

Samsung announces a 7-inch tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich for the value segment

Samsung seems to have launched an all-out maneuver to take over as many target audiences with its Android-based tablets as it can. It was only a week ago when the Galaxy Tab 7.7 stirred the still-water with a hefty $600 tag and top-of-the-line features.

Not many people I know would pay $600 for a 7.7″ tablet. Those still looking for a tablet built by Samsung now have another Android-based option to go for. And this one hits a considerably smaller hole in their wallets. Samsung has not released exact figures yet, but the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is expected to come under price range the iPad defines, which is the higher of the two categories manufacturers aim for today. The other one — $200 — is the territory of the Amazon tablet. I’m fairly certain hardware components used in the Galaxy Tab 2 won’t let Samsung go for it.

Speaking of which.

Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) comes fitted with a 7-inch 1024×600 PLS TFT screen. PLS is a TFT technology Samsung developed to achieve wider viewing angles than TN, while still on the budget. The operating system is Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 — Samsung’s first tablet to ever have it –, running on a 1.0 GHz dual-core CPU. There are three flash storage options known : 8/16/32 GB, but a microSDHC card reader slot lets you extend it with a maximum of another 32GB.

If I had to find the feature that suffers the most from the low price, I’d say it’s the 3 Megapixel back-facing camera. Although megapixels still aren’t everything, 3MP is probably less than you should expect from any mobile device making its appearance in 2012. Maybe it won’t break the deal, as very few people actually use their tablets to take photos on a regular basis.

Samsung will sell Wi-Fi only and 3G enabled devices, of which the latter supports up to 21Mbps on HSPA+ where the provider offers it.

via intomobile.com
photo from androidcommunity.com

I hereby declare bamboo the only acceptable smartphone chassis material

I hereby declare bamboo the only acceptable smartphone chassis material

There’s only so much brushed aluminum or painted plastic your eyes can take before you become easily mesmerized by anything else.

AdZero will be a cell phone carved entirely of bamboo. Since it’s a fast growing tree that is sustainably cultivated, AdZero can be a truly green product.

It is great not only because of the fuzzy-touchy warm feeling it gives you for being more environmentally conscious, but it looks absolutely stunning too.

Photo gallery over here.

I so want one.

Feature photo from droid-life.com.

Archos 101 G9 Turbo Android tablet with friendly price tag arrives to the U.S.

Archos 101 G9 Turbo Android tablet with friendly price tag arrives to the U.S.

Liliputing doesn’t disappoint to report that Archos began moving batches of the Archos 101 G9 Turbo to the US for sale. Right now they’re only selling the 1.0 GHz and 1.2 GHz models through their official site, expect it to change as soon as the 1.5 GHz Dual-core setup arrives.

Those of you who can’t wait, can pick up yours at woot.com for a friendly $279.99 + shipping. As it is always with woot, the deal is on for one day only. Once it’s up, you better wait for Archos to get its act together.

Processor and Other Guts

The new model that’s going on sale sports the 1.5 GHz Dual-core OMAP CPU to make things buttery smooth. Well, reasonably smooth. 512 MB of operating RAM may not sound like a lot, and it isn’t. On the other hand, it’s only fair to look at the price tag every time you say ‘not much’ and point at the Archos tablet.

Of course it’s not much. It’s a value product. It is enough for Honeycomb 3.2. If one intends to believe tall-tales about future Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades then it’ll be enough for that too. I for one see the possibility of Android 4.0 running on this tablet, since Archos promises to roll the new version out shortly. ‘Later this month’ shortly.

Ports and slots

8GB flash storage backs the bare minimum model, adequate for starting out. Unlike the the iPad, Archos’ 101 G9 eats memory cards of the microSDHC kind. In my opinion it makes bigger internal storage models somewhat redundant. Especially if you look at how inexpensive memory cards are these days.

Oh, and it’s got a full-size USB slot, which happens to be extremely rare on tablets. And an HDMI output.
This tablet comes with many slots and ports other tablets don’t support, and that just may be the thing to put it above other models.

101 G9 Turbo may not be the crown jewel of Android tablets, but it sure is lighter on the wallet than a great many of the other contestants.

edit: Jason Bradbury and his take on the g8 is gone as per graeme’s superb difference spotting skills. Thanks!

This one should show the Archos 101 G9 Turbo 1.5 GHz.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 – One of the Two Android Tablets I’d Actually Use

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 – One of the Two Android Tablets I’d Actually Use

The other one is Asus’ Transformer Prime with a question mark put next to its name as a reminder. If Asus manages to fix Wi-Fi issues — and I have high hopes that it does –, then it will be the 10 inch Android tablet I’d have.

Reading the Engadget review I’ve got the impression that Galaxy Tab 7.7 is as good as 7 inch tablets come. Which is why it’s the second Android tablet I’d use.

It doesn’t have a clean-cut surface where iPad could hit it, as the two cover completely different target audiences. Three inches in screen size make all the difference, so does the gap between the prices of the two devices.

The thing I really like about this device — and it’s obvious from just looking at it — is that it’s put together the way it’s supposed to. Gives off the impression that it’s well thought out and designed to be the premium model. Not just the top model of sub-10 inch Samsung tablets, but all sub-10 inch tablets anyone makes.

It looks like it’s made to be the one device you can shove into the faces of your iPad flinging friends. And one of the very few tablets they don’t mind being shoved into their faces.

I’ll give you the quick run-down of key features before I’d point you to the extensive review.

- It’s simple, clean looking and has nothing flashy about it.
- Battery life is phenomenal, exceeding that of the iPad
- 1280 x 800 AMOLED 7.7″ display. Looks great.
- 1.4 GHz Dual-Core CPU, 1GB RAM
- Weighs 0.74 lbs (335g)
- Runs Honeycomb 3.2

For the review, please pay a visit to engadget.com.

Photo belongs to digitaltrends.com. Thank you!

Toshiba Excite X10 Lands in the U.S. in Early 2012, Changes Name to AT200 and Goes to the U.K. in February

Toshiba Excite X10 Lands in the U.S. in Early 2012, Changes Name to AT200 and Goes to the U.K. in February

Toshiba is on the roll today. Satellite U840 arrived without much fanfare earlier, now the manufacturer announces they’re taking over the tablet market in the UK with Excite X10 renamed to AT200. Android tablet market, that is.

Hardware-wise the device looks decent, if not promising. A 1.2 GHz Texas Instrument ARM chip keeps up with the tasks at hand. Screen resolution remains 1280 x 800 stretched over 10.1″. Toshiba included 1GB of operating RAM for smooth running.

Flash storage capacity starts at 16GB and goes all the way up to twice that in all of one step.

Photographers won’t pick it up just for the back-facing camera, everyone else will do fine with the 5MP sensor. 1.3MP looks forward to when you want to video chat.

There is nothing to really hate about the hardware setup and the chassis isn’t likely to ruin the chances of the tablet either. Brushed metal all around, with a flat bottom. I like it quite a lot, regardless the fact that the whole thing is just 7.7mm thick. Thin or not, I like the way it looks.

Only if Toshiba didn’t settle with Honeycomb for the operating system. Ice Cream Sandwich has been available for months and should have been used accordingly. Toshiba expects to roll out an ICS update shortly. With the track record of certain manufacturers that actively endorse and make use of Android, I wouldn’t bet a significant amount on it coming as if it was a top priority.

Pricing roughly follows that of the iPad 2, getting your mind off of £399 for the 16GB version, helping you out by putting £449 to good use for the 32GB model.

That said, the tablet still looks fun to use with enough horsepower to get you through the day. Or Breaking Bad episode.

Whichever comes first.

Interested? Good.

via the ever so super The Verge.
Photo courtesy of tweakers.net. Thank You!

Lenovo to Ship Intel Based Smartphone in China by Q2 2012

Intel have been busy trying to break in to the ultra-portable market, which nowadays include the market of handhelds. So far there has been very little success to crown their efforts. Now with the new chips that were introduced at CES, the tide seems to be turning around.

Lenovo — not really known for their presence in the smartphone niche either — teamed up with Intel and will be shipping handhelds based on the chip giant’s solution.

Let’s take a quick look at what we’re getting once the device hits shelves in the second quarter:

It’s going to be called Lenovo K800. It will run Android, come with a 4.5″ 1280×720 screen (which is exactly the same as the 13″ Macbook Pro’s resolution). Suffices to say it will most probably give a decent browsing experience.

Intel’s Medfield is to be clocked at 1.6GHz, which according to phonearena is enough for most tasks, but does not live up to the potential of top-notch Snapdragon solutions. From a first attempt it’s not too shabby.

This smartphone is going to bring some fresh-blood. Fresh blood is nice, especially in a smartphone segment where brute-force rules, and memory size decides which phone you buy.

The introduction of Intel to the scene will further fragment the Android segment, but it definitely gives Snapdragon CPUs and ARM a run for their money. Competition is a good thing for us consumers, and for that reason I welcome a second player to the field.

via chinadaily, phonearena

Good Guy Microsoft Gives Windows Phones Away

Good Guy Microsoft Gives Windows Phones Away

You don’t just ask them to give you one, you have to be a victim of an Android malware attack. Then you have to share the story and write about it. Straight-forward social marketing from Microsoft and pretty good at that if I’m honest.

A Microsoft employee tweeted asking for stories of Android phone owners who were hit by Malware attacks, prompting them to use the hashtag #windowsphone.

Google has been hard at work removing these kinds of applications from the marketplace, hitting some one-hundred of them on the wrist so far. It may give off the sense that Android deals with these problems more often than other systems but Windows phones get their fair share of disruptive attacks, too.

Thanks for the story to BGR.

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