HTC One X Coming To Sprint As HTC Evo One

Posted on March 30, 2012 by shailpik

HTC One X Factory Unlocked Grey on Amazon

Rumor has it that Sprint is going to launch a new smartphone from HTC that is actually just a version of the recently launched HTC One X. in previous reports, this was called the HTC Jet. However, a recent report from AndroidCentral suggests that it would be called the HTC EVO One. Following in the footsteps of the Evo 4G that was released two years back, this would then become part of the Evo series.

There’s no concurrence with the dates but it seems to be within the first half of June. Previous reports had pegged it at 10 June but the newest report says that it will be released on 6 June in the US.

The Evo One would be coming with 4.7inch AMOLED display with a 720p resolution. It is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 processor. This is the same SoC that is being used in the HTC One X version that AT&T will be release soon. Other major features include a powerful but non-removable 2650mAh battery and 16GB of internal storage with microSD card support.

It has two cameras — a primary 8megapixel one in the back and one on the front with 2megapixels behind it. It has LTE connectivity support, Beats Audio, Sense 4.0 and on top of everything else — Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The report even talks about the color of the Evo One, which is apparently Black & Red. There’s even a kickstand that was found on the Evo as well.

The mystery will be solved soon as HTC and Sprint and jointly holding a press meet on 4th April. Whatever releases are supposed to come as a result of their collaboration, it should all be announced during that day itself.

It makes sense for Sprint to customize the name and smaller details of the phone from HTC without changing the main parts of the phone. Sprint has a lot of catching up to do with AT&T and Verizon, so needs everything it possible get its hands on. Having a line of unique sets will definitely make it easier to convince consumers.

HTC has been gradually but surely solidifying its US market share and slowly looking out for new ones to grab from other market leaders like Apple and Samsung. Android has gone a long way in ensuring HTC becoming a worthwhile brand. They have upped their own ante when it comes to industrial design and the product of the two have been a line of really great phones like the Evo 4G of the yester years and the HTC One X AKA Evo One right now.

The Taiwan based company is also looking make an entry in to the tablet market. However, since Android success stories in tablets are few and far in between, HTC is probably going to wait for Microsoft to release Windows 8.

Samsung Nexus S To Get New Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Posted on March 24, 2012 by shailpik

Samsung Nexus S Unlocked Phone--U.S. Warranty (Black) on Amazon

Seems like Google is working on another update for the latest version of Android (version 4.0 AKA Ice Cream Sandwich) and the dessert themed OS will likely receive and upgrade soon enough. Nexus S, the flagship Android 4.0 phone from Samsung will also get this update as soon as it is ready. Usually, the updates are delayed by manufacturers themselves but since the Nexus S uses the stock OS, it will definitely be the first to be updated.

There are some issues that need attention in the first update, such as high battery drain due to heavy processor loads. Google had issued this upgrade in December but then had to back away from it and freeze it when the complaints and the reports began to pour in. This fault update could have been the reasons behind the delay in upgrading other phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S2.

This new update will enhance the preserve battery life better than the last one. It is will also apparently change the Android Market in to the Google Play store. But there are still no dates for the release as of yet for the Nexus S. The update for the Galaxy S2 that will upgrade the devices to Ice Cream Sandwich, will begin to be rolled out this week in parts of Europe. There are still dates for the same update in other parts of the world.

There have been news of the software being released in India way ahead of the US, which leads to speculations that US will be the last to receive the update. By that time it should be quite stable and secure for use.

Ice Cream Sandwich first came out in November last year with the release of the flagship model the Samsung Nexus. Other devices that were deemed fit for the upgrade slowly started receiving them earlier this year. For example, the Motorola Xoom WiFi version has already received the update and it seems to be working quite smoothly.

One of the main problems plaguing the update are the presence of custom UI’s on top of the stock OS on most Android phones. ICS is already a demanding OS for older models and in some cases, adding the demands of an extra UI on top makes it impossible for the older phones to function smoothly. This has in fact been a constant complaint amongst android supporters, who believe that the platform is going to unnecessary fragmentation this way and Google should put a stop to this.

This extra UI also makes it difficult for developers to make standardized apps that will work smoothly across all compatible Android devices. Sometimes the UI would break some part of the app and cause it malfunction or otherwise not work as it was designed to do.

Rumors of the next major Android version — 5.0 AKA Jellybean — have already started circulating. Whilst initial rumors were for a late 2012 release, it is now believed to be slated for early 2013.

LG Optimus L7 To Go Head On With Samsung Galaxy S II

Posted on March 17, 2012 by shailpik

LG P990 Optimus 2X on Amazon

Looks like LG is very serious about getting some market share for its smartphone business and the company has no apparent qualms about severely undercutting the competition to get it.

LG is bringing out the Optimus L7 Android soon and it has already been set for a direct collision course with the Galaxy S II. The company has made a large sacrifice on the profits and is offering it at a price that is almost half that of the Galaxy S II.

In the UK, the price of the Optimus L7 would be £225 (about 323 USD) and yet it will be specced about the same as the Samsung Galaxy S II.

The phone is currently available for pre-order at one of the online stores in the UK and it has an expected delivery date of May 1st at the moment. This means the Optimus L7 must be en route for a late April on sale date. That would be a good time to release something new because by then all the buzz about the recently released phones (especially after this year’s World Mobile Congress) will die out and let LG shine in the limelight of our undivided attention.

The Optimus L7 has enough power to be a proper follow up to its predecessor the Optimus 2X and it main competitor the Samsung Galaxy S2. This little device would be packing a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz with one full GB of system memory. It will also feature a 4.3inch 800×480 capacitive touchscreen display. Of course you cannot be asking for higher resolution at this price range, so the performance parts are pretty nice I must say.

The camera has been downsized (presumably to save on cost) from 8MP to 5MP but it comes with auto-focus and LED flash. The phone will also have WiFi and will be running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It has a microSD card slot for expansion and there’s Bluetooth and a microUSB too. It will carry a two year warranty.

To fair about the competition, it actually goes head on with more than just the Galaxy S 2. There’s the Motorola Atrix, The Samsung Galaxy Ace, its own predecessor the Optimus 2X (which will not be on clearance sale) and even the HTC Evo 4G (that’s because the Asda is selling it for £207 right now).

If LG can pull this off, it will definitely be sending the phone across the Atlantic to the US. There’s no word of the Optimus L7 coming here any time soon but then there’s still the Optimus 2X, which is just as good and similarly priced too. So if you are looking for a great Android phone, you could actually pick that up instead of waiting for the L7. This is especially true if you don’t care about Ice Cream Sandwich. Besides, there’s already talk of Google upgrading to Andorid 5.0 Key Lime Pie by end of this year itself.

Apple iPhone 4S Upgraded To 4G Through Software Update

Posted on March 13, 2012 by shailpik

Apple iPhone 4S 16GB - AT&T - Black on Amazon

A software update that was pushed out on Tuesday last week took a lot of users by surprise when they noticed that their iPhone 4S was now in fact a 4G device. The most common way this was noticed was when the 3G icon on the 4S turned in to 4G for those who had 4G coverage.

The software update did this little miracle along with upgrading the iOS version to 5.1 on these devices. The users who noticed the change to 4G first were using the iPhone 4S on AT&T’s network.

Of course, at first it might seem like Apple has somehow magically upgrade the hardware of the device over air or at least unlocked a hidden radio. But the truth is related to AT&T’s definition of a network and how it specifies 3G and 4G.

As per the carriers definition, the HSPA+ network that is basically a speedier version of the HSPA based 3G network, is in fact the 4G network. Of course, a lot of experts don’t agree on AT&T’s use of the term ‘4G’ for something that is essentially based on 3G technology. Most people see it as a marketing ploy. However, there’s nothing stopping AT&T from branding their faster-than-3G network with the same branding used for LTE networks. And its not just AT&T either.

When the 4G standard was first announced, it mainly included WiMAX and the LTE-Advanced technologies in the US. The speed requirements for these were 100Mbps whilst moving and 1Gbps when stationary. All HSPA+ and LTE networks were still considered 3G at that point.

This standardization was introduced by the International Telecommunications Union or ITU. However, the carriers in the US were not really going to stand for this. So they simply started using ‘4G’ in their branding the way they wanted to, calling anything that is somewhat faster than 3G ‘4G’. This was also the case in other parts of the world where carriers simply wanted to draw attention to themselves for being able to provide a 4G network. Eventually, even the ITU had to amend their original definition of ‘4G’ and water it down a little to include these slower networks. So now it can be legitimately used for naming a HSPA+ and LTE network.

That is why the iPhone 4S now says 4G. It did not have to go through any hardware changes but simply moved on to the carrier’s HSPA+ network which is considered to be 4G. And to makes things clearer, you should know that this is not AT&T’s 4G LTE network. That requires separate hardware that the iPhone 4S does not have.

With all this confusion over the possible speeds, Apple itself has been very careful with its marketing material for the new iPad. They are still using the term 3G for it, saying that it has support for the all the common 3G networks and the fastest one as well — DC-HSDPA.

Galaxy Note 10.1 And Galaxy Tab 2 10.1: A Quick Comparison

Posted on March 6, 2012 by shailpik

Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Phone--International Version (Blue)

Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Unlocked Phone On Amazon

Here’s quick run down of everything you need to know to compare the recently released pair of tablets from Samsung — the Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

Design

Both tablets are 10inch in size (10.1 to be precise) and look almost identical when turned off. The Galaxy Note is slightly thinner than the Galaxy Tab 2 (8.9mm to 9.7mm). The Note is also lighter than the Tab 2 at 583gms vs 588gms.

Display
The displays are almost identical too — both feature 10.1inch PLS TFT screens with capacitive touchscreen layers and the same native resolution of 800×1280 (that’s about 149ppi or pixels per inch). However, the Tab 2 features a Gorilla Glass covering from Corning, which makes it’s a tougher choice. However, the Galaxy Note comes with the Wacomm-based S-Pen digitize technology that allows you to take notes and make drawings.

Performance

The Note 10.1 comes with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, which is more powerful than the 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor that is fitted inside the Galaxy Tab 2. Both have 1GB of memory. Nobody knows what make the Note CPU will be but the clock speed is still higher with the number of cores being the same.

Storage

Both tablets have a similar number of storage varieties. The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes in the three most common iterations — 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The Galaxy Tab 2 does not hit the 64GB mark for some reason and comes with only the first two options. However, since both tablets have microSD slots for expanding storage, you can add up to 32GB of extra storage space.

Both Tablets are going to be coming with the laterst in Android technology — Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. In fact, Samsung was the first to release an ICS device — the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android phone. The Tab 2 will have the TouchWiz interface developed by Samsung for Android devices.

Camera

Both tablets will have an 8MP camera on the rear with both device being capable of shooting 1080p HD video at 30fps, which is quite decent. The front camera on the Galaxy Note 10.1 is 2MP and is far superior to the VGA camera on the Galaxy Tab 2. The original Galaxy Tab had a 1.3MP front-facing camera but that has been downgraded in the current model.

Connectivity

Both tablets have almost identical connectivity options. Each will have support for — GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (21Mbps), HSUPA (5.76Mbps), WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n) along with Bluetooth 3.2 A2DP. Additionally, they will have support for WiFi direct, dual-band, portable WiFi hotspots and even USB 2.0 ports.

Battery Life

A 700mAh Lithium Ion battery powers both devices. Samsung has not stated or claimed anything about battery life for either devices but they should be in the general range of usage time.

Availability

According to the company, both the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be available in stores within a short period of time. Pricing is unavailable for either devices but it is possible that the Galaxy Tab 2 will be cheaper.

ASUS PadFone Is A Docking Wonder Of A Gadget

Posted on February 27, 2012 by shailpik

ASUS Transformer Prime TF201-B1-GR Eee Pad 10.1-Inch 32GB Tablet (Amethyst Gray) on Amazon

The Asus PadFone is a simple Android phone that offers good and powerful features. But those simple looks are deceiving. It is actually the brain that can also power a 10inch tablet, which in turn can become a netbook. Confused? Don’t be, Asus has found out an easy to do way of doing all of that without leaving out loopholes.

The PadFone is a 4.3inch phone that has a dock port which is basically the shell of a tablet. This tablet docking station has the display, some chips and a battery with a port tucked away at the back for the phone. Once the phone is docked in to the tablet, the display will dynamically switch to the new 10.1inch display without the user skipping a beat. The end-result will be a tablet with the core system running from the phone. And then comes the final stage of transformation.

The PadFone also comes with an optional keyboard dock. The tablet-dock for the PadFone can dock in to this dock much like how the Transformer Prime tablet docks in to its own keyboard dock. Once this is done, the 10.1inch tablet suddenly becomes your average sized netbook with a full hardware keyboard.

If you have all 3 pieces, you can get away with just owning the PadFone with its two docks and not have to invest in a tablet and a netbook. Plus, all your content remains on the same device, allowing you to forget the trouble of syncing back and forth. It all sounds good on paper at least.

The Asus PadFone has powerful innards for a phone — a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU from Qualcomm (hello SnapDragon), 1GB memory and a 4.3inch display boasting a 960×540 resolution and Gorilla Glass protection. It even has a 8MP rear camera, which surprisingly continues to function even when docked inside the tablet.

However, there was one problem left to solve — how to receive or make a call when the phone itself is docked inside the tablet which docked on a keyboard? For that, Asus has the optional Stylus Headset. This is yet another transforming accessory which is stylus for the tablet but actually a Bluetooth headset for receiving calls.

The tablet docking station has a resolution of 1280×800 and has a battery backup that will increase the phone’s own battery back up by 500 times, claims Asus. But then without the need to stuff in other components, it must’ve been easy to stuff in a lot of battery.

The only foreseeable problem is having a netbook that doesn’t really do all that much because it is running on a 1.5GHz mobile CPU. Other than that, it should offer decent performance as tablet and very good performance as just a phone. Asus has not disclosed the pricing of the docks and the PadFone itself but expect it to be on the premium side.

iPad 3 Innards Leak, Shows Apple ‘A5X’ Chip Inside

Posted on February 20, 2012 by shailpik

Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, WiFi, Black)

Signs that iPad 3 is already headed for the production line is the image of an (alleged) iPad 3 logic board that shows off a new design and a new SoC called A5X. It looks like Apple has improved on the A5 chip and used that instead of building a whole new strain called the A6. This also means that Apple is siding with majority of the mobile device makers in not using quad-core mobile processors.

The A5 is the dual-core chip that runs both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S and it was widely expected to progress to A6 this year. It was seen as a logical progression after the A4 chip, introduced in 2010, gave way to the A5 chip in 2011 models. However, Apple clearly thinks otherwise. Rest of the identifying numbers on this new chip also check out as logically progressing from the now older A5 chip.

Also visible on the logic board are two solid state memory chips from Hynix and another Apple branded chip that seems to be for power management similar to what is seen current iPads. This chip too carries a number that shows an upgrade from the ones found in current models. This means better processing along with better power management. Sounds like a good upgrade so far.

Credit:Orignal poster on Weiphone Forum (Chinese) - Click to enlarge

Other rumors have suggested a new industrial design for the iPad, which will see a case design that adopts a tapered tear drop shape that thins out at the bottom. This would make the already slim tablet look even slimmer. Additionally, there have been some rumors about an 8megapixel camera replacing the current rear camera. The rest of the changes are quite obvious, like the CPU upgrade mentioned above. The retina display is almost a certainty at this point because that is something Apple can laude over the competition for quite some time to come.

Word on the streets is that Apple has out muscled other manufacturers when it comes to securing supply of the high-resolution display that is branded as the ‘retina display’ in the iPhone. This is possible because of Apples insanely high quantities that leaves the rest of the market dry of the parts used by Apple products. It was about a year back when Apple actually caused an acute shortage of solid state memory chips thanks to huge orders that were required to meet the demands of iPhone and iPad users.

The iPad 3 has a tentative launch date of March 7 but it is not for certain yet. Apple might use that even to do something else entirely, no matter how unlikely it might look at this point. With Steve Jobs gone, the industry is waiting with baited breath for Apple’s next big move, which in many ways will define how the world looks at the company in the absence of its iconic and almost cult figure of a founder and former helmsman.

LG X3 May Be Revealed This Month As The First Quad-Core Smartphone At MWC 2012

Posted on February 12, 2012 by shailpik

LG P990 Optimus 2X GSM Unlocked 3G Phone with 8 MP Camera, Android OS, Wi-Fi, GPS and HD Video Recording - Dark Brown - US Warranty

LG P990 Optimus 2X GSM Unlocked 3G Phone On Amazon

Rumor has it that LG has prepared a superphone that runs on a mammoth quad-core CPU with the same NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset that is used by the Asus Transformer Prime netbook model. It will be called the LG X3 and will have a 4.7” HD touchscreen display along with 1GB RAM. It will be capable of achieving speeds of 21Mbps and over on HSPA+ and will be 9mm thin. Now that’s a phone that can turn all heads during the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2012 (MWC 2012) where it is rumored to be slated for release.

The LG X3 has great specs when it comes to the other areas as well. It has an 8MP camera, 16GB onboard storage, Android 4.0 OS (with some kind of skin from LG most likely) and a 2000mAh battery. If that does not satisfy your gadget craving soul, there’s also WiFi, Bluetooth and an NFC chip. With this NFC, you are going to be able to make mobile payments at NFC-equipped kiosks and basically using your phone as a credit/banking card. Japan already pays for train home to daily grocery with the phone and it is time for the US to the same thing. The early movers include Microsoft and Android, both of whom are planning mobile payment services to go with their mobile platform.

If the LG X3 s a reality, then it will definitely be one of the highlights of the MWC event. For LG, it will be yet another big ticket launch at the annual mobile themed event where they had launched the Optimus 3D phone last year. As mentioned earlier, this will be the first phone to be running on a quad-core CPU. There’s in fact only one quad-core chipset in the market and that is the main reason why most of the other manufacturers are not stepping in to the niche. NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 is the only one of its kind at the moment with Texas Instruments and Qualcomm both clearly saying that they are not going to enter the quad-core area anytime soon. TI has made it clear that it will not go up to quad-core even in 2013.

The reason behind this LG phone being a quad-core is based on the same logic that previous high-end phones from the company followed — put the best possible technology in to a phone and make it look good. LG’s high-end is not filled with star phones such as the Optimus series with its super bright screen and dual-core performance. LG’s strategy for the past few years in the phone category seems to be based on being the first mover in the industry when there’s a new technology emerging in the market. So it won’t very surprising if this rumor actually does prove itself to be true.

Apple iPhone 5 Rumors Redux

Posted on February 6, 2012 by shailpik

Apple iPhone 4S 16Gb White Factory unlocked MD237LL/A

There are a lot of rumors going around about what the next iPhone (possibly called the iPhone 5) is going to bring to the tablet. As is usual with most things Apple, there’s a large demographic out there that is gunning for almost impossible things. There’s a confusion with the date, there are a lot of leaks originating from China or thereabouts and there’s heavy talk of a redesign. So far it has been a normal rumormongering session for the industry. So let’s take a look at the more believable ones that have cropped up so far.

In terms of design, there’s a general consensus about Apple going back to the tapered design with the slightest tapering off towards the bottom — giving it a teardrop shape. There’s also talk of the home button no longer being an actual button but a capacitive soft button instead. People have also said that the display will change from a 3.5inch one to a 4inch one. The display has remained more or less the same since the iPhone was first launched except for the addition of the high resolution Retina Display. Hardly anything has changed except for the increased resolution. Given that the iPhone has always boasted one of the best displays in the industry, we can hardly think of an improvement in this area.

Since the 4S is widely believed to be a stand in before the iPhone5 arrives, a wide number of internal hardware changes are expected to come about as well. The current iPhone 4S has the Apple modified ARM chip called the A5. It is a dual-core chip that runs not only the iPhone but also all other iOS devices including the iPad and the iPod Touch. If this trend continues, then will get to see the chip much before the next generation iPhone because iPad release schedule puts the iPad 3 ahead of the iPhone 5.

This new processor is said to be quad-core with a clock speed possibility of 1 to 1.4GHz. Of course, Apple usually makes the chip run on the lower end of clock speed capabilities to run things more smoothly using less battery power. The memory is said to be increasing from 512MB to 1GB. However, there’s not much of a confirmation there. It is highly desirable but it also means greater battery drain.

Carriers have already had their share of the iPhone thanks to the unlocked iPhone 4S that has been selling from Apple stores since launch. The only carrier that is unsupported is Sprint and local carriers using similar technology. According to statements made by the carrier’s CEO, there are high chances of the new iPhone being truly carrier agnostic.

There are no release dates available and all we have are speculations based on past events. Nothing has changed in that department. Many are guessing a WWDC launch for the iPhone 5 following tradition set in place by the first iPhones, broken by the untimely October launch of the iPhone 5. Some say that the October launch was done deliberately to break the cycle and create a new one.

Just remember, most of these are rumors and you need to take them with a healthy dose of salt.

Asus Tablet Running Tegra 3 At Kindle Fire Prices

Posted on January 16, 2012 by shailpik

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1-Inch Tablet

Asus has a 7inch tablet coming soon to the market. It is powered by the Tegra 3 SoC with its Quad-core goodness and it will apparently be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. One of the main advantages of the Tegra 3 experience is that there’s a secret 5^th processor on this SoC that is dedicated to processing touch inputs and only that. This will translate in to a touch experience that is a class apart, according to what NVIDIA has to say on the matter. The experience is going to be “buttery smooth” apparently and it is going to be a whole lot more responsive than traditional touchscreen and their reliance on traditional processor setups.

The Tegra 3 chip is going to be making all the differences when it comes to comparing performances and responsiveness. It is going to do completely justice to the Android 4.0 OS that a lot of older devices, phones and tablets alike, are simply not able to handle. A lot of previous generation Android devices will never in fact be seeing an upgrade to 4.0. But Tegra 3 is definitely going to cut through the whole thing and give out very good and fast performance.

Other than the SoC it is running on, this Asus tablet is not all that special. It has nothing special to talk on about the display or the build. It is just somewhat better equipped than competing models. But there is the thing about the price.

This Tegra 3 tablet from Asus is going to come for $250, which is just fifty bucks more than what you are going to be paying for the Kindle Fire tablet. And if you were only going for the Kindle Fire because it is an affordably Android tablet, you should definitely be waiting for this product to hit the shelves. Because at just fifty dollars more, you are getting an amazing performance upgrade and the full use of the gorgeous Android 4.0 OS. The two tablets are even sized similarly and you will definitely be working much better on the Asus device if you are planning to use the tablet to do more than just buy content from Amazon and stream your movies and TV shows, surf the net and read some books. As you might already know, you cannot use your favorite Android apps on the Fire unless you have the same ones available on the Amazon store.

NVIDIA’s Direct Touch technology and just the heightened amount of processing power that Tegra 3 comes with, makes for a really good price to performance ratio. If everything goes according to what NVIDIA is saying, there’s a lot that can be done with the SoC. And playing great games is just one of them. Running the Android 4.0 system on it would also be a really good experience. So that way, it is going to deliver all the processing power that the Android 4.0 demands.

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