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- Sprint’s ZTE Flash made official by Best Buy and Wirefly, to start shipping soon
- Apple to start manufacturing the iPhone 5S early so they can iron out the kinks
- Nexus 7 tops holiday shopping lists over iPad and iPad Mini
- Aakash 2 tablet officially unveiled, to cost only $21 for Indian students
- Microsoft CEO calls Surface tablet sales “modest”
- Samsung bumps up the price of Apple’s processors by 20%, Apple can’t say no
- Judge tells Apple that they won’t be throwing out patent troll case
- iPhone 4s vs Droid RAZR Maxx HD ad posted, Motorola ignores the iPhone 5
- Sony Xperia Yuga specs and features leaked, Xperia Odin also mentioned
- Control Panel for Android brings 4.2-style quick settings to Android 2.2 and up
| Sprint’s ZTE Flash made official by Best Buy and Wirefly, to start shipping soon Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:45 AM PST
After it's been the subject of quite a few leaks and rumors lately, Sprint's ZTE Flash is now official. The 4.5-incher is however still not up for grabs per se, being listed as "coming soon" by Best Buy and Wirefly. As usual, Wirefly offers the best possible deal for the phone, undercutting both Best Buy's offer and the rumored prices from the past weeks. If you choose to get the Flash from the retailer therefore, you'll only be asked to pay $99.99 with a two-year contract on Sprint. The offer is valid for new carrier agreements, but also for existing customers wanting to upgrade or add an extra line to an account. As for the handheld's price off contract, this is $479.99, which is 30 bucks more than what Best Buy is asking on similar terms. If you're going to go to BB and get the Flash on contract, you'll be asked to pay $149.99, so take all that into consideration before making your choice. That is once the phone will start shipping, because right now Best Buy has it "sold out", while Wirefly says it will ship "when available".
As for the big guy's spec sheet, BB and Wirefly's listings don't come with any shockers, but just as a little reminder here are the highlights:
Are you getting a ZTE Flash from either Best Buy or Wirefly? Or would you rather wait and see what will Sprint be asking for the phone? Related Posts |
| Apple to start manufacturing the iPhone 5S early so they can iron out the kinks Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:55 AM PST
Apple’s iPhone 5 is, without question, one of the most lusted after smartphones currently on the market. It’s the iPhone that finally shipped with a screen that’s larger than 3.5 inches diagonal, and it’s also the first iPhone with 4G LTE. One thing Apple didn’t count on was just how hard it would be to make their latest Jesus Phone. That “chamfered edge” has become a well documented nightmare. It’s so hard to make Foxconn’s CEO, Terry Gou, gave the media this statement a few days ago:
In order to make sure that the iPhone 5S doesn’t face the same problems as the iPhone 5, DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is going to make between 50,000 and 100,000 iPhone 5S units at some point in December in order to iron out all the manufacturing kinks. Volume production will start at some point in the first quarter of next year. What does this have to do with Android? History shows that every other iPhone gets a new design, which means the iPhone 5S will look exactly like the iPhone 5. What can Apple possibly add to the iPhone 5S to make it “better” than the iPhone 5? An improved camera, a faster processor, but not much more. Samsung meanwhile, they move on a much faster release cycle. Each year we see a completely new Galaxy S. That means that the Galaxy S4, assuming it’s going to be called that, has a very high probability of blowing every 2013 smartphone out of the water. Think about it, if HTC and Sony can make 1080p smartphones, don’t you think Samsung has something up their sleeves? And don’t even get us started about the ARM Cortex A15 in the Nexus 10 and the new Chromebook. Imagine that beast inside a device that slips into your pocket! Related Posts |
| Nexus 7 tops holiday shopping lists over iPad and iPad Mini Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:35 AM PST
What if we told you that there's a pretty good chance that you'll be getting a tablet from Santa for Christmas this year? According to a study done by TechBargains, a website that aggregates online deals on electronics, tablets are the must-have items to get this holiday season. From over 1,200 customers that were surveyed, more than half said that they're planning to purchase a tablet as part of their holiday shopping. What's the most desired tablet then? The survey reveals that over one-third tablet shoppers plan to buy the Nexus 7, with close to 30% choosing to purchase the iPad and 24% opting for the iPad Mini. The least desired tablets on the list were the Surface, Kindle Fire, and the Nook tablet. So tablets are hot, great. But what are the odds that one will mysteriously appear under your Christmas tree? According to the same survey, nearly half of tablet purchasers said they plan to buy the tablet as a gift for others, while only 34% plan to get one for themselves. Meanwhile, one in five plan to buy more than one tablets so they can make others and themselves happy. We just have to ask now: Which tablet is on your holiday wish list? Related Posts |
| Aakash 2 tablet officially unveiled, to cost only $21 for Indian students Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:26 AM PST
If there's one thing we've always known about technology in general and Android devices in particular, that was their potential for greatness and ability of breaking boundaries and pushing education forward. Unfortunately, while we've seen numerous noble endeavors planned and scheduled in the last few years to make mobile technology available to the masses and especially towards educational purposes, these have all had one thing in common – they've been bound for failure. We all remember the initial excitement surrounding the Aakash, an Android tablet that the Indian government promised was going to be available to millions of students across the country for the equivalent of $35. And we also remember that nothing went as planned… It was thus only natural to be skeptical when we heard that an Aakash 2 tab was in the works, with our suspicions growing while plans were being changed and deadlines moved back and forth. Still, it seems that the second gen slate will become reality after all and it will actually be everything the first gadget was supposed to and more.
Not only will the Aakash 2 price be extremely competitive for Indian students – just INR 1,132, or $21 – but it will also come with a significantly upgraded spec sheet. Now don't be expecting any quad-core power or a "Retina" display out of this baby! Instead, what students will be getting is a single-core 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 7-inch capacitive display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution, 4 GB of on-board storage, microSD support, USB 2.0, a 3,000 mAh battery, Wi-Fi, and a VGA front-facing camera. On top of it all, there'll be Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though we don't really know if this will be customized or forked in any way. Let me stop you right there and tell you that I know what you're thinking. That spec sheet has 2010 written all over it. And anyway you look at that CPU, or the display, or the battery, they're all definitely lower end than low end. But at $21 they're pure gold! Not to mention that the Aakash 2 will be an educational device, meaning users won't or shouldn't be worried about how smooth will Need for Speed: Most Wanted run on the tab.
Unlike the first Aakash, this second tablet is not planned to reach "millions" of students right away. However, there are already 244 Indian engineering colleges that should receive a limited number of slates over the next weeks and that will work as the first remote centers for the "Aakash in Education" program. Much less ambitious, but it's definitely a start, right? As for outsiders, these can already purchase their own dirt-cheap tablets, though non-students will have to cough up some extra dough. The UbiSlate, as the Aakash 2 is known outside colleges, goes for Rs. 4,499 ($82), with the exact same spec sheet as the educational tab, or for Rs. 3,499 ($64), with a resistive screen replacing the capacitive panel. Another two models, the UbiSlate 7R+ and 7C+ should go on sale soon, being at this time only available for pre-order, at Rs. 3,999 and Rs. 4,799. None of the four tabs can be purchased from outside India. So, what do you guys think of the Indian government’s insistence with this bold and noble Aakash project? Will they do it this time around? How about the commercial versions of the tab, do you want them to make it outside India? Related Posts |
| Microsoft CEO calls Surface tablet sales “modest” Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:25 AM PST
It's been a little less than a month since Microsoft launched its Surface tablet, widely regarded as the flagship product for Windows 8. In a recent interview with a French magazine, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has revealed that Surface sales have been "modest". With no firm sales numbers to go by, it's safe to assume that Microsoft Surface didn't exactly explode onto the scene, but cannot be labeled a failure. In that respect, the Surface launch is reminiscent of early Android Honeycomb tablet launches, such as the Motorola Xoom. The Surface tablet has received generally favorable reviews from everyday users, and this is certainly a success for Microsoft. So why exactly have sales been "modest" rather than fantastic? For starters, the Surface tablet launched within days of major announcements from Apple and Google. It's hard to get consumers excited about a relatively unknown tablet priced near $600, especially when Apple announces a new iPad for $330. Throw in the $200 Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire, and you realize that Microsoft's largest obstacle comes in the pricing department. Take a look at Android tablet sales and you'll notice a trend. Honeycomb tablets like the Xoom, and the original Galaxy Tab 10 sold modestly, but it wasn't until the launch of cheaper 7-inch tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 that things really started taking off for Android tablets. However, Microsoft may already have a solution to this problem in the form of a rumored cheaper 7-inch tablet branded as the Xbox Surface. If Microsoft decides to use the Xbox brand for a cheaper device, the name alone will bring out droves of gamers and boost sales. Related Posts |
| Samsung bumps up the price of Apple’s processors by 20%, Apple can’t say no Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:00 AM PST
Every iPhone or iPad or iPod touch that you see in the wild, they all have processors inside that were manufactured by Samsung. Samsung, knowing that Apple simply can’t call another company and ask them to make their chips, raised the prices of said chips by 20% according to MarketWatch. There’s not much Apple can do, and the report confirms that, saying Apple accepted the price bump. It also goes on to say that Samsung made roughly 130 million processors for Apple in 2011. This year that number is expected to surpass 200 million. And the contract that Apple and Samsung have, it doesn’t expire until 2014. So let’s break this news item down. Why did Samsung bump up the prices of their chips? To screw Apple, obviously, but more importantly to make sure that Samsung can keep a greater share of what their factories spit out. The fewer processors Samsung makes for Apple, the more they can make for themselves. What’s Apple going to do? There have been rumores floating around the internet for months that Apple is going to transition to using another fab, TSMC, for their chips. We fully believe the rumor to be true, now it’s just a question of when. The MarketWatch says the contract between Apple and Samsung expires in 2014, so there’s a strong chance you’re going to see some Apple devices with TSMC chips inside hit the market within 24 months. What impact, if any, does this have on the Android ecosystem? Like we said earlier, the fewer components Samsung supplies to Apple, the more they get to keep for themselves. Samsung is now the number one handset maker in terms of volume. They’d like to keep that title, and that means throwing one of their biggest customers under the bus. Do we feel any sympathy towards Apple? Not in the slightest. Related Posts |
| Judge tells Apple that they won’t be throwing out patent troll case Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST
For those who don’t know, patent trolls are companies that hold a patent but don’t produce a product that uses it. In this case, it’s Mobile Media Ideas. According to CNet, the patent involved is essentially a screen rotation patent as described below:
Apple tried to have the case thrown out. However, a judge in Delaware has determined that there is enough there for the case to be decided for a jury. Thus, Apple and Mobile Media Ideas will be squaring off in court soon. What’s supremely interesting about this case is that Mobile Media Ideas is a company that is jointly owned by Nokia and Sony. It has over 300 of its own patents. However, most of those patents came from Nokia and Sony. As CNet so eloquently put it, the company acts as a patent buffer for the electronic giants. Does Mobile Media Ideas have a chance against Apple?Given the generally vague wording of pretty much everything in law, yes they do. Apple does have some tricks up their sleeve though. Apple is trying to get the patent invalidated due to prior art. Patent No 6,563,535 is another vaguely worded patent which deals with an image showing up correctly on a device no matter its orientation. Apple has had a really bad time in court recently. In fact, they’ve been losing more than winning over the last few months. Those who saw the Samsung v Apple case as highway robbery may be getting a little chuckle out of Apple’s current misfortune. However, in the patent wars, everyone is a loser. Give us your take on the Delaware ruling. Related Posts |
| iPhone 4s vs Droid RAZR Maxx HD ad posted, Motorola ignores the iPhone 5 Posted: 11 Nov 2012 01:02 PM PST
For some reason, Motorola thought it's better to compare in an ad posted on its Facebook page on Saturday the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, a phone that was recently released on Verizon, with the iPhone 4S, a handset that hit stores about a year earlier. The ad, hilarious by the way, reminds potential buyers about one of the main characteristics of this Android LTE device, its gigantic 3300mAh battery. The Droid RAZR Maxx HD has enough battery life to jump start an iPhone 4S that's about to die, the clever ad says. But why isn't Motorola comparing one of its new devices with the newest iPhone out there, the iPhone 5? Just like the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, the iPhone 5 offers 4G LTE support, and has a much smaller battery, at 1440mAh, so a comparison between the two seems more logical. As for the iPhone 4S, the device has a 1432mAh battery and doesn't offer 4G LTE support. Even though the ad isn't showing any scientific data, it's more than obvious that the Droid RAZR Maxx HD has a battery ready to offer longer life to users than the old and new iPhone models. In fact, it has a bigger battery than most of its rivals.
As for more thorough tests, this isn't the first time we see battery life compared, with the more recently performed tests looking at Google's and Apple's 2012 flagship devices, the Nexus 4 and the iPhone 5, respectively. Droid RAZR Maxx HD owners, let us know how your battery fares? Does it meet your needs? Related Posts |
| Sony Xperia Yuga specs and features leaked, Xperia Odin also mentioned Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:36 PM PST
According to a variety of leaks and rumors, Sony is working on a couple of new Xperia flagship devices of its own, the Yuga and the Odin, although they're yet to get official. While waiting for the company to reveal more details about these devices, we have been pointed to a Sony-related conversation taking place on the xda-developers Forum, where senior member Spectre 51 had more details to share about the two devices. Apparently the Sony Xperia Yuga is a 5-inch smartphone that will feature a 1080p display, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM Exmor Camera sensor and 1080p HDR video recording and 2400mAh battery. The device is also going to be water and dust resistant. Curiously though, the Sony Xperia Odin will share some of the Yuga's characteristics. According to the same thread, the device will have the same design, and same CPU as the Yuga, while its battery will be slightly smaller at 2300mAh:
Both devices will apparently be made of glass, "front and back (shatter proof film both sides)" and they should be released at some point in March/April 2013, although it's not known which model will come to the States. We'll be back with more details about the Yuga and the Odin the minute we have them. In the mean time, let's hear it from phablet fans out there, are you looking forward for Sony's 5-inch devices? Thanks, tipster! Related Posts |
| Control Panel for Android brings 4.2-style quick settings to Android 2.2 and up Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:10 PM PST
While no devices are shipping running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean yet, one of the coolest features of the update is the quick settings control in the notification pane. While custom ROMs have had similar features for a long time now, Control Panel for Android brings this feature to all Android devices. The app provides access to 16 controls including WiFi, Bluetooth, Sound, Vibrate, Auto-Brightness, Auto Rotation, Auto-Time, Screen Stay On, Sound Effect, Haptic Feedback, Dial Tone, Screen Timeout, Ringtone, Volume, Ring Mode, and Brightness Level. Most of these options simply toggle a setting on or off, though obviously controls like volume and brightness level are going to provide more control. The ringtone, brightness and volume can be easily accessed directly from the notification pane. The other options are accessed by tapping on the app in the notification pane. When an option is toggled, it is shown with a blue outline, while options that aren’t outlined mean that they aren’t currently toggled on. Tapping a non-toggle control brings up a menu to adjust that control’s settings. Control Panel for Android is available in the Google Play Store, as well as in APK format in the XDA forum post announcing the app’s availability. It runs on Android versions 2.2 and up, and doesn’t seem to have any other requirements. Have you had a chance to try this app yet? What do you think of it so far? Related Posts |
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