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- Google gets tough with Moto, sells off its set-top business to Arris Group for $2.35 billion
- Sources: Nexus 7 price drop coming in Q1 2013 with thinner, lower-cost screens
- Meizu MX2 goes on sale in China, Hong Kong and Russia starting at $387
- No surprise: Samsung doubled its Android market share this year
- Samsung to show off flexible displays at CES 2013
- Google touts Photo Sphere feature on Nexus 4 in new ad [video]
- Project “Azalea” could be Apple’s attempt to replace Samsung as its processor manufacturer
- Official Nexus 7 docking station can now be pre-ordered for $39.99
- HTC One XL in East Asia gets Jelly Bean, AT&T might follow soon
- Official CyanogenMod nightlies available for the International Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II
| Google gets tough with Moto, sells off its set-top business to Arris Group for $2.35 billion Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:15 AM PST
It's a well-known fact that Google acquired Motorola Mobility, which it did early in the year after taking $12.5 billion out the bank, to gain control of Moto's rich portfolio of patents. While some of the patents have been deemed invalid by ITC in the fight against Apple, Google has scored a win elsewhere, as it's getting ready to offload one of Motorola's profitable business units, Motorola Home, to Arris Group Inc. The set-top business unit, according to a Reuters report, will be sold to Arris for $2.35 billion in cash and stock, with Google stands to gain 15.7% ownership of the cable equipment maker. The deal is expected to be completed by Q2 2013. Analysts said that Google is eager to revamp Motorola by making the company focus more on its mobile phone business. Despite Motorola Home making $3.4 billion in revenues in its latest financial quarter, Google has no qualms about selling the broadband business unit. We have yet to see the full effect of the Google takeover on Motorola's hardware lineup, but customers sporting Moto's Android phones and tablets are seemingly getting faster software updates. What we're most interested to see is whether or not there will be a Nexus device from Moto in 2013. Related Posts |
| Sources: Nexus 7 price drop coming in Q1 2013 with thinner, lower-cost screens Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:10 AM PST Is a cheaper Nexus 7 on the way? Industry suppliers cited as sources in a recent DigiTimes report seem to think so. Apparently, Nexus 7 units that are currently in production make use of a new, lower-cost touchscreen technology that is expected to bring the price down all the way to $99 a piece. The new touchscreen technology, called glass-film-film or GFF, hails from a company called O-Film Tech which started shipping products for the Nexus 7 this month. This is according to a report on the Taiwanese DigiTimes, where it is also said that GFF will not only make the Nexus 7 cheaper, but thinner as well. A $99 Nexus 7 would be very appealing, for sure, but according to the same report mentioned above, some market observers already suspect it won’t be possible to price it that low; that the lowest possible price for the ex-flagship Google tablet, at least for now, lies somewhere in the $129-$149 range. This is because of supposed limits on “how far the companies can drive down costs in their supply chain.” In any case, a price drop on the Nexus 7 is probably inevitable once 2013 finally rolls around. But just how much of a price drop this is going to be exactly still remains to be seen. Related Posts |
| Meizu MX2 goes on sale in China, Hong Kong and Russia starting at $387 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:02 AM PST
Although it may not be as exciting as Oppo's Find 5 or ZTE's Nubia Z5, the Meizu MX2 is still one of the coolest Android smartphones to come out from someone other than the well-established names in the industry. We've seen the MX2 get its formal introduction about three weeks ago, and now, right on schedule, the "beast" is up for grabs. As expected, China gets a front-row seat at this big guy's launch party, but the largest country in the world is not alone, being joined by Hong Kong and… Russia. Wait, what? Russia gets the MX2 already? But that means the rest of Europe might get a piece of the pie too and maybe even the US. Well, it does and it doesn't, because it's not exactly unusual for Chinese phones to reach Russia, which is a part of Asia as much as Europe, but not other countries outside the world's largest continent. You may not be too happy to hear about MX2's Russian price either, which is a lot heftier than the one in China or Hong Kong. The 16 GB version goes in the "Federation" for no less than 17,997 rubles, or around $585. As for the 32 GB model, that's 2,000 rubles more, or $650 in total.
Meanwhile, Chinese tech enthusiasts can get the MX2 for as little as RMB 2,499, which translates into around $398 based on today's conversion rates. That's the 16 GB model's price, while the version with double the storage goes for RMB 2,999, or $477. Meizu's MX2 is even cheaper in Hong Kong, where it starts at HK$ 2,999 (US$ 387). The 32 GB variant is only HK$ 3,299, or US$ 425. No words on the 64 GB version's price in any of the three countries, but we should probably hear something on that soon enough. Now let's recap the spec sheet real fast, try to collect our thoughts and see what would be a fair price to ask in the West. We have a 4.4-inch "gapless" display with a 1,280 x 800 pixels resolution and 347 PPI, a quad-core 1.6 GHz "MX5S" CPU (based on ARM's Cortex A9 architecture), 2 GB of RAM, an 8 MP rear-facing snapper, a 2 MP front-facing cam, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, GPS, a 1,800 mAh built-in battery, and Android 4.1-based Flyme 2.0 OS. Enough to be worth $585? Don't think so. How about $400? Hells to the yeah, though we're still a bit worried about the non-removable battery, lack of microSD support and the tainting with the "pure Google experience" of our beloved Android. How about you, would you pay 400 bucks for this? 500? 585? Related Posts |
| No surprise: Samsung doubled its Android market share this year Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:56 AM PST
It's been a good year for Samsung, and there's more new good news for the world’s top smartphone manufacturer. According to research conducted by Millennial Media, a mobile advertising company, Samsung has doubled its share of the Android market in the last 12 months. Samsung held a 23% share of the market in Q3 2011, with HTC holding the top spot with 32%. However, over the past year HTC and Motorola saw their shares halve, and LG has also suffered a large drop as well. Samsung has seen itself leap to the front of the market, with its share doubling by the third quarter of 2012 to a total of 46% of the Android market. There was also a 125% increase in the market share of other manufacturers besides the big four, which is an interesting development.
With Android overtaking iOS as the most common smartphone platform and the news that Samsung are by far the largest manufacturer in the Android market, it's no wonder that the company is posting outstanding profits this year. This has no doubt been down to the success of their flagship devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 selling really well. In my opinion though, the other half of Samsung's success has been their direct approach when it comes to challenging the previous smartphone kingpin, Apple. The Galaxy series of smartphones were designed to directly compete with the quality, technical prowess and, probably most importantly of all, the public perception of Apple handsets. This is where Samsung’s success really lies, they've managed to persuade consumers that there are alternatives to iOS, and that there are handsets on the Android platform which are far more desirable as the iPhone. But what does the future hold for Samsung; can they continue this success into 2013? Well if the Galaxy S4 turns out to be as popular as the previous Galaxy phones, then other Android manufacturers are really going to have to pick up the pace if they want to keep up. Do you think Samsung can reach over 50% market share sometime next year? |
| Samsung to show off flexible displays at CES 2013 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:43 AM PST
Samsung could be adding a "twist" to the smartphone market at CES 2013. According to CNET, the Korean conglomerate will use the occasion to show off its long-awaited flexible displays. Samsung Display, a sister company of Samsung Electronics, will display its newly developed bendable screens that might replace the current hard substrate-based panels on phones, tablets and other consumer electronics. Visitors will have the chance to see a 5.5-inch flexible screen designed for smartphones, featuring a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution (HD) and a pixel density of 267ppi. Samsung will also present its latest TV sized 55-inch screen to the visitors. However, don’t expect to see any bendable devices at the Las Vegas show. So far, Samsung’s flexible screens only offer the freedom to design devices that feature new and interesting form factors — think curved screens or smart bezels. Samsung specified that the bendable displays cannot be rolled, so don’t expect anything crazy. Also, the manufacturer has to figure out how to integrate the flexible displays with other components, such as touch panels. It’s good to see that Samsung is working hard on improving the quality of its flexible screens, given that modern consumers expect nothing less than HD resolutions. Related Posts |
| Google touts Photo Sphere feature on Nexus 4 in new ad [video] Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:19 AM PST
Are you coming home for the holiday? Do you have a big family? If so, you're the perfect target audience for the latest Nexus 4 ad, which was released by Google in time for the holiday. If you're not familiar with Photo Sphere, it's basically a camera feature on devices running Android 4.2, the Nexus 4 included, that lets you take 360-degree and wide-angled shots. It's an awesome feature that Google thinks is great for taking family photo during the festive season. The Cheris, the real family featured on the commercial, are taking advantage of Photo Sphere. From the video, we can see how easy it is to take a group picture even when they're sitting or standing apart from each other. There's no need to cram everyone in one place to fit the shot. If you like the ad, be sure to check the other Nexus 4 ad that LG released yesterday. Related Posts |
| Project “Azalea” could be Apple’s attempt to replace Samsung as its processor manufacturer Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:11 AM PST
According to various rumors “Azalea” is none less than the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) which is the world’s largest independent semiconductor manufacturer. Moreover, TSMC plans to build the new plant so that it can take over ARM chip production for Apple. The battle between Apple and Samsung has been well documented and it is clear that Apple wants to cut as many links as it can with Samsung. Currently Apple’s processors like the A5 and the A6X are built by Samsung at a chip factory in Austin, Texas. If the rumors are true then Apple will get rid of Samsung and go with TSMC. The Taipei Times is reporting comments by Manish Nigam of Credit Suisse saying that Apple may make the switch from Samsung to TSMC as soon as the second quarter of 2013. The earlier than expected move would see Apple use TSMC’s 28-nanometer process. The A6X is currently made using Samsung’s High-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process. Previously, Credit Suisse said it expected Apple to move away from Samsung late next year or by early 2014 and jump straight to a 20nm process. Related Posts |
| Official Nexus 7 docking station can now be pre-ordered for $39.99 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:05 AM PST
Where are all the cool accessories for the Nexus 7? As one of the hottest Android tablets around, one would think that the market would be inundated by them, but that hasn't been the case at all. If it wasn't for the recent unboxing video of the official docking station for the N7, we'd have forgotten that it even existed. Fortunately, for those who have been watching the video over and over again, the Nexus 7 docking station can now be pre-ordered from the B&H website. The dock is selling for $39.99 there, but note the expected shipping date hasn’t been listed. It comes with a micro USB port, which lets you charge the slate while it's sitting on the dock looking pretty, as well as a 3.5mm audio output. No, the docking station doesn't come with video output. Close to six months after the tablet was launched by Google, we're finally seeing signs of the official audio dock being released. Are you planning to get one? Related Posts |
| HTC One XL in East Asia gets Jelly Bean, AT&T might follow soon Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:02 AM PST
Unlike its international counterpart that's powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, the HTC One X that's released in the U.S. (via AT&T) and select markets uses a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, which integrates LTE into the SoC. Also known as the One XL, we've seen HTC confirming back in July that it will be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Fast forward to December, it seems the update has now hit the phone in Singapore and Taiwan. As reported by The Android Soul, HTC is now rolling out the software update version 3.17.707.1 to the One XL. It's a pretty huge update, both size-wise (657.98 MB) and what it packs inside. Android 4.1 and all its buttery features are a given, but it will also bring HTC Sense 4+, better camera performance, new landing page and gallery, and power management improvement. If you've been waiting for the day for Jelly Bean to come, now it's a good time to check for the update on the Software Updates menu on your phone. As for AT&T's HTC One XL, we heard that the carrier is now still in the early phase of testing the new firmware. It might be released in the coming days or weeks. We'll keep you posted. Related Posts |
| Official CyanogenMod nightlies available for the International Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II Posted: 19 Dec 2012 09:15 PM PST
To clarify, we’re talking about the International versions of the Note and Note II. They are otherwise known as the N7000 and N7100 respectively. It’s important to note –see what we did there?– that the N7105, or the LTE-enabled Note II, is not included. For now, they are in the nightlies stage, which means there will likely be a new release every day or every few days. The first appeared on December 18th. For those who don’t know, nightlies are daily releases that have the latest patches and developments included. It could be a fix, it could break something else. Are there any major issues with these CyanogenMod nightlies?Well, that is the fun of flashing a nightlies build. Unless you read the change logs, you really can’t tell what will work and what won’t in the next release. However, if these are official, it’s safe to assume that most of the big things like calling, texts, data, etc should work pretty well. To get the ROMs, you can find the downloads for the International Galaxy Note N7000 here and the Galaxy Note 2 N7100 here. If you’re having trouble finding the right GAPPs, you can find them all here here. Who is going to be giving these ROMs a run? Let us know what you think of them. Related Posts |
A few weeks ago Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, told NBC that Apple is to begin manufacturing one of its Mac lines exclusively in US, he also added that the company had been working on “doing more and more” in the US. Details are now emerging that states like New York and Oregon have been courting a semi-conductor company which plans to build a 3.2-million-square-foot factory that could employ up to 1,000 people. This mysterious company is going by the codename “Azalea”.
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