Android Authority |
- Sony reschedules Xperia V launch for next year, offers Jelly Bean to compensate
- European Commission wants operators to use their 3G spectrum for 4G networks
- Jelly Bean source codes for AT&T’s Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 are out
- Twitter working on Instagram-like photo filters
- iPad mini, Nexus 7 and Fire HD displays pitted against each other. Who will win? Hint: not the iPad
- Japan Display demos new low power 5 inch 1080p panel and 7 inch 431 PPI panel
- Virgin Mobile Canada readying hot new holiday plans
- Kobo Arc finally gets FCC approval, 16GB model still goes for $199.99
- Sony Yuga spotted in another benchmark, rumored spec sheet is now (almost) complete
- Kindle Fire HD, Microsoft Surface teardowns reveal production costs for Amazon, Microsoft
| Sony reschedules Xperia V launch for next year, offers Jelly Bean to compensate Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:28 AM PST
We're all waiting with bated breath for Sony to unveil the high-end Odin/Yuga duo, but before anything there are still some old scores to be settled. The Xperia line of smartphones has been strengthened and refreshed with a large number of new names these past few months, but at least one of them is yet to see the light of day. The V, unveiled at the same time as the J and T, was supposed to be released next to its "cousins", but for some reason it has been pushed back to December. Now we're hearing that Sony won't be able to stick to that ETA either, but don't be too furious, because it might all be to the best. According to a tweet from the company's official French account, the Xperia V will be available in late January 2013 with JB for €529. The rescheduling of the release is definitely not good news, but the other two announcements are, considering that the V was initially supposed to sell for €549 with Android 4.0 ICS on board. Sony France also doesn't mention what version of Jelly Bean the 4.3-incher will come with after all, so we can even hope to see 4.2 upon launch.
Another detail that Sony is mum about is V's release outside France, although we doubt that anyone will get it sooner than next year with a lower version of Android than 4.1. As for pricing, the €529 should be the new MRSP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) across Europe, while Americans can hope to get it for around $530. Besides the software bump, we're guessing not many features will be tweaked, so we should still expect a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720 pix res display, a dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of on-board storage, microSD support, a 13 MP rear-facing shooter, a 1,750 mAh battery, as well as dust and water resistance. Does the Xperia V sound more or less exciting than before? Will January 2013 be too late for it to make an impression, even with Jelly Bean on board? Related Posts |
| European Commission wants operators to use their 3G spectrum for 4G networks Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:17 AM PST
The European Commission has issued a statement today that can best be summed up like this: All that spectrum that’s currently being used for UMTS (3G) networks in the 2 GHz band, let’s let everyone use it for 4G networks by June 30, 2014. We know what you’re thinking, doesn’t Europe use the 2.1 GHz band for 3G? Yes and no. European networks use paired spectrum, meaning they have a chunk of spectrum that’s solely used for downloading data, and another chunk that’s exclusively used for uploading data. Back in December 1998, the European Parliament said all countries should use ‘the terrestrial 2 GHz band’ to roll out 3G networks. That’s why a 3G phone that works in Italy will also work in France, the UK, Finland, you get the idea. This ‘terrestrial 2 GHz band’ is made up of three blocks of spectrum: 1900-1980 MHz, 2010-2025 MHz, and 2110-2170 MHz. Today’s decision, like we said earlier, is opening up the 1920-1980 MHz and 2110-2170 MHz blocks to use newer technology. But what’s going to happen to 3G? Great question. Back in July 2009, the EU told operators that the 900 MHz spectrum they own, which was meant to be exclusively used for 2G networks, could be refarmed to deploy 3G networks. These days most major European cities actually have more 900 MHz 3G than 2100 MHz 3G because of the favorable properties of such a low frequency. So what does all of this mean at the end of the day if you’re a European? The people sitting in Brussels want to show America that they know what they’re doing. Here’s the exact quote:
Translation: Our 4G is going to make your 4G look like our 3G. Not today, but soon. Related Posts |
| Jelly Bean source codes for AT&T’s Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 are out Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:26 AM PST
When it comes to giving power users the software ammo needed to tinker with their devices, Samsung has set a pretty good example for other manufacturers — though admittedly there are a few things that still need to be worked on. At this point, it's no longer a surprise to see Samsung releasing more source codes for its devices, the latest of which belong to the AT&T variant of Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Just as it has done in the past, the source code is often released prior to the device's availability in the market. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for AT&T, for example, won't be out for a few more days. Nevertheless, those who like to take a peek into the Jelly Bean goodness inside the phablet can already do so. As for the duo Galaxy Tab 2.0 tablets, the released firmwares contain some sweet jellies as well. Although the official Android 4.1 update for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 hasn't been pushed out yet by Samsung, we've seen Jelly Bean leaks for the former. The source codes may not mean much for casual users, but it's a telling sign that Samsung is preparing to roll out the Jelly Bean software update for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 real soon. That's your cue to jump for joy. Related Posts |
| Twitter working on Instagram-like photo filters Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:22 AM PST
The battle for social network domination just became a little more intense today. After Instagram introduced their webs client, Twitter seems almost ready, according to, The New York Times, to introduce their new photo filters options for their mobile app users. In an attempt to take away some of the usefulness of Instagram, Twitter is getting ready to shake things up a bit by offering photo filters. If you do not remember, Instagram became popular mainly because of its really cool vintage photo editing filters and fast uploading time. These two features have helped push the photo-sharing social network of 100+ million users to the top. Now, what Twitter is hoping will happen is that they can cut the middle man and have users rely their application for everything. It is worth noting that Twitter is also rumored to be working on a video hosting service, as well as this new filter camera option. What does Instagram’s CEO think about this move? He does not seem too afraid as he was quoted as saying the following on GigaOm’s RoadMap conference: “I don’t think that in anyway threatens Instagram because Instagram is a community and not a filter app.” Twitter seems to be going after all the major players in the social network landscape. Do you guys think they will make a dent with their new features? Related Posts |
| iPad mini, Nexus 7 and Fire HD displays pitted against each other. Who will win? Hint: not the iPad Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:10 AM PST
With the iPad mini finally out and about, it's time to see how Apple's first ever "affordable" (but non-compromised) tablet behaves in reality and how it shapes up against the competition. Is Apple's 7.9-incher better than Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire HD? Is it even competing in the same league as the two? Frankly and objectively, we don't know yet. And we aren't that keen in finding answers either, because whatever those might be, we will always be accused of having an angle or let our personal opinions cloud our verdicts. So, what we are going to do today instead is rely on DisplayMate's science to tell us which of the three tablets' displays is more competitive. Dr. Raymond M.Soneira has taken each of the three tabs through extensive lab testing and evaluations, and here are the strong and weak points found for each panel. iPad mini displayThough we weren't really expecting Apple to introduce a smaller iPad with both a low price point and a capable screen, it seems that Cupertino has missed both marks with one hit. The pricing is definitely not as competitive as with the Nexus 7 and the Fire HD, while the 7.9-inch IPS LCD non-Retina display with 1024 x 768 pix res looks mediocre at a first glance. But does the panel look as mediocre when put under DisplayMate's microscope? In short, it does, being basically unable to come out with a single clear win in the tens of battles of this extensive comparison.
The pixel density is low, the small text readability is "somewhat fuzzy", the average screen reflections make the panel harder to read in high ambient light levels, the maximum brightness and contrast are significantly lower than on the Fire HD, while the running time on battery at maximum brightness is decent, but far off Nexus 7's record. Those are only a few of the weak points noticed by DisplayMate, while the strong points are far less numerous. The display calibration is probably one of the major iPad mini strengths, while other areas where the panel manages to (barely) be on top are the viewing angles, color temperature and color depth. Nexus 7Google's panel has a major ace up its sleeve compared with the iPad mini in the resolution and pixel density departments. However, it doesn't undercut the Fire HD there, and, while you'd think the two panels would go hand in hand across the comparison, it's actually Amazon's display that regularly comes out on top.
That's not to say the Nexus 7 doesn't have its strong points, including small text readability, viewing angles, a larger color gamut, reflections of light, contrast ratio and especially power consumption. That last area is where Google blows away its competition, managing to get over 9 hours of "juice" at maximum brightness, which will definitely make a difference for the regular user. Unfortunately, some of Nexus 7's display weaknesses are even more serious as on the iPad mini, overshadowing in most part the strong points. The color depth, calibration, maximum brightness and intensity scale provide only a few of the issues that will plague the user experience on Nexus 7's panel. Kindle Fire HDWhat's there to say about a display that manages to score an overall A- grade in a DisplayMate test? Almost perfect? That's probably it. Fire HD's panel has almost no major weaknesses, being always number one or, at the worst, number two. Very good ppi, accurate color and contrast, very good calibration, large color gamut, very good reflections, excellent dynamic contrast, very smooth intensity scale and so on and so forth. We don't have enough time to list all of the great things about Amazon's screen, but trust us – there are a lot!
VerdictWhile the Fire HD comes pretty clearly on top, the battle for number two is very tight and will probably stir some controversy. The iPad mini has numerous flaws and faults, but scores an average B, which puts it right in front of the Nexus 7's B-. In pure statistical terms, those scores don't really check out, although Dr. Raymond Soneira's opinion seems to be that Nexus 7's fewer flaws are more serious than those of Apple's tab. Darn, and we really thought this comparison would not allow personal opinions and subjectivity to mess with the results. Anyhoo, try not to be too influenced by this test in your decision to go for one of the three tablets, because after all science has little to do with real life use of technology devices. Also, the displays are not the only details that can make or break a gadget. That said, don’t buy the iPad mini! Just don’t! It’s overpriced, underpowered and all-around evil. Just kidding with that last part. Or am I? Jokes aside, be sure to check out the full DisplayMate shoot-out between the three screens here and come back to us with your own conclusions. Is Fire HD’s display that much ahead of the competition? How about iPad Mini’s panel, is it better or worse than Nexus 7′s? Related Posts |
| Japan Display demos new low power 5 inch 1080p panel and 7 inch 431 PPI panel Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:08 AM PST
HTC announced a new phone in Japan last month called the “J Butterfly”. It’s most interesting feature is easily the display: 5 inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. According to Engadget, two companies will be supplying HTC with said ultra sharp panel: Sharp and JDI. JDI, which is short for Japan Display Incorporated, recently showed off two displays that are even better! The first is a 5 inch panel that also does 1920 x 1080, but it comes with two new technologies called WhiteMagic and Pixel Eyes. WhiteMagic is something that was first shown off in the Sony Xperia P back in February. Whereas a regular display has three subpixels (red, green, blue), a panel with WhiteMagic has an additional white subpixel. What does that give you? A brighter screen and better outdoor visibility. The second technology, Pixel Eyes, is just a fancy marketing phrase to describe a display that has the touch panel built-in instead of being a separate layer. The iPhone 5 has this. Moving on up to 7 inches, JDI also showed off a display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1600. That’s the same resolution as the recently announced Nexus 10. Because it’s smaller, it’s obviously sharper. How sharp? We’re talking 431 pixels per inch. Like the new 5 inch panel mentioned earlier, this 7 inch panel also has Pixel Eyes and White Magic. So when will these two displays find their way into retail products? Sadly there isn’t a definitive answer. JDI made these prototypes to show customers with the hope that they’ll place a large number of orders. If all goes to plan, mass production can begin next year, but we don’t know if that means January, December, or somewhere in between. Some of you are probably scratching your heads wondering why we even need such high resolution displays? There’s no easy way to say this, so we’ll be blunt: There’s no such thing as “enough” when it comes to specs. Things can always be faster, brighter, sharper, thinner, and so on and so forth. Related Posts |
| Virgin Mobile Canada readying hot new holiday plans Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:36 AM PST
The holiday season is probable the best time of the year to be a phone customer, and this year Virgin Mobile Canada seems set on offering customers the best deal in cell phone plans. Their latest leaked internal docs show what could be some of the best priced plan options we have seen so far. Starting November 7, Virgin Mobile will start offering these holiday specials. In the memo picture shown below courtesy of Mobile Syrup, Virgin Mobile’s team said "hold on to your candy canes, cause Virgin Mobile is about to jingle your bells." This is an unusual line for a phone provider to utter, but that just goes to show how good they are feeling about their Holiday offerings.
Here are what they are ready to offer you:
Now these deals will expire late New Year's Eve, so if a new phone line is in your mind do not hesitate to get in line. Related Posts |
| Kobo Arc finally gets FCC approval, 16GB model still goes for $199.99 Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:15 AM PST
The Kobo Arc may not be as popular as other tablet heavyweights like the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD, but given the fine sheet of specs, its arrival is still worth waiting for. If you're getting anxious about Kobo sticking to its November release date, you can rest easier knowing that the 7-incher has finally hit FCC. What does this tell us? This means you'll have a slightly harder time deciding on which Android slate to get this holiday season, as the Kobo Arc is set to join other tablets this month demanding shoppers to take a good look at its inviting price point and specs. Thanks to a recent price cut, the $199 Kobo Arc now boasts a 16GB internal storage. The 32GB model is offered for $249.99, while the 64GB version can be had for $299.99. As for the specs, the Kobo Arc is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470 processor, and comes with a 7-inch IPS HD display, 1GB of RAM, 1.3MP front-facing camera, WiFi b/g/n, front speakers, and a customized version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Unlike Amazon's offerings, the Arc will have access to Google Play. Planning to get the Kobo Arc? What do you think of the specs and price? Related Posts |
| Sony Yuga spotted in another benchmark, rumored spec sheet is now (almost) complete Posted: 06 Nov 2012 12:39 AM PST
Although it is still hard to believe that Sony will unveil the rumored Odin and Yuga super-phones earlier than next year's CES, the duo continues to be in the spotlight with an endless string of leaks. For some reason, the smaller Odin seemed to garner more attention these past few weeks, so the 6-inch Yuga is now back with a vengeance, having an almost full spec sheet confirmed following a bunch of benchmark results. And what a spec sheet it is, with a full HD 1794 x 1080 pix res display, a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, an Adreno 320 GPU, 32 GB of on-board storage, and a microSD slot. As expected, there are a number of controversies involving Yuga's features too, starting with the on-board OS. One of the first benchmarks leaked showed the beast running Android 4.2, while this latest one lists the Yuga with Android 4.1. It's difficult to say which of the two variants is more likely, although it's obvious what we'd prefer. Then again, if the Yuga is to be released three or four months from now, it is very possible that not even Sony knows for sure what version of Android the handheld will be equipped with, so let's just wait it out. The camera and battery are a couple of other uncertain details. The rear-facing shooter was initially leaked with a 13 MP sensor, but is now thought to come with 16 MP, while the battery's capacity could range anywhere from 2,500 mAh to 2,800. As for the actual Nenamark 2 test result leaked (59.90), we can only say that it is pretty impressive, but not surprising. After all, we already knew that S4 Pro + 2 gigs of RAM + Adreno 320 = a whole lot of speed. Can we already call the Sony Yuga one of next year’s most exciting new phones? Or should we take the more prudent approach and just wait and see? Related Posts |
| Kindle Fire HD, Microsoft Surface teardowns reveal production costs for Amazon, Microsoft Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:54 PM PST
Last year, IHS found that the original Kindle Fire cost Amazon around $187 to make and now they have taken on the new Kindle Fire HD to see exactly how much it Amazon pays to build one. The company redesigned the new Kindle Fire HD and IHS tore down the device to see exactly what’s inside. The results are quite interesting. While it’s selling for only $199, IHS revealed that the components used to build this new device cost somewhere around $165. Unlike last year, LG Displays produced the new high resolution 720p display; Texas Instruments helped out with the power supply, video chips, and the new blazing fast dual-core processing chip; while Samsung, after Apple essentially stopped using them for many of their iPad/iPhone components, was able to get a deal with Amazon to supply the memory chip in the new Kindle Fire.
The end result of all these components coming together is a great tablet that many reviewers have recommended for parents and students alike. In today's competitive market, Google and Amazon are going head to head with their tablets and, while the Nexus 7 seemingly has cheaper components, it seems safe to say that Google's baby is outselling Amazon's. The same AllThingsD article mentions the Microsoft Surface’s component estimated value, as submitted by the same IHS. Unlike Google and Amazon, Microsoft is apparently not interested in creating a budget-friendly tablet, but rather, the company priced the Surface unnecessarily high to compete directly with Apple's iPad. IHS’ check of the Surface shows that the components that are being used to build the new tablet, when all put together, cost around $271. Now Microsoft could have easily priced their tablet at $300 or even $400 and still have had pretty good profit margins from it while, simultaneously, boosting the user base of the newly released Windows 8 OS — obviously that is not the goal. The research firm also found that the new Microsoft Touch Cover, priced separately at $120, costs Microsoft around $16 to produce, and so they will undoubtedly enjoy the extra profit. This goes to show how much more customer-oriented the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD are in comparison to the Microsoft Surface that seems mostly profit-oriented. Now the question comes in, which of these tablets are you going to purchase this holiday season? Related Posts |
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