Monday, December 24, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Xaomi going international: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore launch expected soon

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 07:10 PM PST

Xiaomi-Mi-Two

Xiaomi sure did have a hit in the Chinese market with its MiOne and Mi-Two series phones, which were said to be China’s “iPhone” when it came to hype, but without the high cost. The company’s limited production line has kept Xiaomi from being too popular in the market, but it’s this very same limitation that has generated a sense of exclusivity that has catapulted the brand into fame in the country.

Next on Xiaomi’s radar is Europe, where it has planned to launch its smartphone line. But even ahead of the company’s planned launch in the west, it is reportedly looking somewhere closer to home. As per latest updates from Xiaomi’s new Facebook page called “Xiaomi Asia,” the Xiaomi Phone 2 will launch in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore “in the near future.”

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun actually mentioned some time before that the company was planning to launch in these countries before the year ends. But since there are only a few days left before the new year, it’s likely that the Chinese company would be able to successfully launch outside of the country, that’s not likely going to happen. Supply was said to have encountered difficulty, due to extreme demand for Qualcomm’s 28-nm chips, given the Android smartphone sales boom.

As for carriers that will support the Mi-Two, Engadget says Chunghwa Telecom is likely to carry it in Taiwan. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, Xiaomi is likely to follow the same direct online sale model, similar to how it sells the phone in its Chinese domestic market.

Is anyone from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan excited for the Xiaomi phone? How about Europe, the U.S. and the rest of the world?

HTC Droid DNA review [video]

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST

htc-droid-dna-review-1

Earlier this year the HTC J Butterfly made a flash as one of the first in a crop of 1080p phones. When we later heard that it was coming to the U.S. via Verizon as the HTC Droid DNA, we were understandably excited.

While we were there when Verizon and HTC officially announced the Droid DNA at an event in New York City, we weren't able to get our hands on one until very recently. Is the HTC Droid DNA one of the best phones on the market, or is a mediocre phone hiding behind a high resolution screen? To find out, read on.

In a hurry? Jump straight to the conclusion, or check out our video review.

Specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with 1.5 GHz quad-core Krait processor
  • 5-inch 1080p display with 441ppi pixel density
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 GB internal storage
  • 2,020 mAh battery
  • 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p video
  • 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera with 1080p video
  • NFC

First Impressions

I first saw the HTC Droid DNA when we covered the official announcement of the phone back in November. Until I had seen the phone in person, I wasn't convinced that the higher resolution and pixel density would matter. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2's screen looked great, and that was "only" 720p as well as a half-inch larger. I was wrong.

htc-droid-dna-review-3

As soon as I saw the Droid DNA in action, I was impressed not only by the display, but by how fast it was and how great music played on the phone sounded through a pair of good quality headphones. I knew immediately that I wanted to get some serious hands-on time with the DNA.

Build Quality

For a phone built out of plastic, the HTC Droid DNA feels very solidly built. While its fairly light, it isn't so light that it feels like it's going to fly out of your hands. While other large phones made of plastic flex and squeak under pressure, I haven't noticed any of that in my time with the DNA.

htc-droid-dna-review-2

Both HTC and Verizon have made a point of insisting that the Droid DNA is a phone, not a phablet, and they're right. The DNA is narrower and shorter than the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It's not by a lot, but it really makes the difference. This could be a plus or a minus, depending on what you use your device for, but you certainly won't feel as silly talking on the DNA as you would on some other, phablet-sized devices.

Screen

As you might expect, the display on the HTC Droid DNA is simply one of the very best I've ever seen. Obviously the 1080p resolution and 441 ppi pixel density help here, but it's also bright without looking washed out. Colors are rich, and black levels are very good.

htc-droid-dna-review-7

Now understand that you won't always see the benefit of the 1080p display. A 720p video is going to look the same on a 720p device as it would on the Droid DNA. Where the higher pixel density really excels is in rendering of anything computer generated like text and icons. Obviously, 1080p sources are going to look gorgeous on the Droid DNA and the screen does a great job of displaying high resolution photos.

Performance

As the specs might have hinted at, the HTC Droid DNA is a beast when it comes to performance. While I've been using it, there hasn't been one single situation where I've found it lagging. Apps open very quickly, scrolling through the home screens and apps menu is quick and painless, and the few games I've tried have all run very smoothly.

htc-droid-dna-review-4

The results of benchmark apps can often be dubious, so I don't put much stock in them, but I did try a few just to see where the Droid DNA landed. As I expected, the DNA either beat or kept pace with all of the top phones currently on the market. I wouldn't base a purchase on benchmarks alone, but the performance displayed here is definitely impressive.

Software

The HTC Droid DNA runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. So far there has been little word of an upgrade to Android 4.2, but it's fairly easy to assume that we'll see an update sometime in early 2013. If the Droid DNA was running stock Android, we'd probably see it sooner, but like most manufacturers, Android is skinned on the Droid DNA.

htc-droid-dna-review-5

The skin in question is HTC Sense 4+. While previous versions of Sense have understandably had their share of detractors, Sense 4+ has been met with relatively positive reviews. Many users understandably would prefer stock Android, but personally I find HTC Sense 4+ to be one of the more usable overlays I've seen.

When it comes to app the usual suite of Google apps is preinstalled, as well as the same Verizon apps found on nearly every phone sold by the carrier, and a handful of Amazon apps. Slacker Radio, Facebook, and demo of the game Reign of Amira are among the other apps that come preinstalled. Given the phone's limited internal storage, users certainly would have been happier to see some of these left out, as they can not be removed.

Camera

This is usually the part in a review where I mention that smartphone cameras are generally the same, and that this device is no different, but with the HTC Droid DNA, this isn't the case. I've found that the DNA's camera actually does a great job, capturing crisp photos with vivid yet natural colors.

htc-droid-dna-camera-sample

The 1080p video capture, available for both the front and rear cameras, is very well done as well. Motion is smooth with a solid framerate, and while the rear-facing camera's video stabilization won't help you out if you're running down the street, it does a good job of covering up the shakiness that comes from capturing video with such a light device.

Battery

The weakest aspect of the HTC Droid DNA is, without a doubt, the battery. With only 2,020 mAh powering a 1080p display, let alone all the other components, you're simply not going to get as much battery life with the DNA as you will with a lot of other phones. It is worth noting, however, that while its still on the low side, the Droid DNA's battery life is better than we initially feared it would be.

htc-droid-dna-review-6

To make matters worse, though, not only is the battery low in capacity, but it's non-removable. This obviously means you can't replace the battery with a higher capacity unit, but it also means that the battery-pull method of resetting your phone can't be done. This isn't usually necessary, but it can be handy if an app locks up and tries to take the rest of the OS with it.

Video Review


Conclusion

Before we wrap up, there are two things that haven't yet been addressed; one good, and one bad. We'll start with the bad: unlike its very close cousin the HTC J Butterfly, the Droid DNA doesn't have a microSD slot, which means you're stuck with the 11 GB of usable internal memory. Why HTC and Verizon left out the microSD slot is a mystery, but its likely that Verizon may want users to opt for cloud-based solutions and therefore require a heftier data plan.

Now for the good: unlike most phones on the market, the HTC Droid DNA features two internal amplifiers. One drives the device's speakers, while the other only drives the headphone jack. This may not sound like much, but for audiophiles, this is a very cool inclusion.

In the end, while it may have a small battery and lack an option to expand its storage, there is whole lot of good about the HTC Droid DNA that is enough to outweigh the bad. If you are considering either the Droid DNA or possibly a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, we actually pitted the two devices against each other back in November, so hopefully this can help you make your decision.

What do you think about the HTC Droid DNA? Let us know in the comments below.

htc-droid-dna-review-7 htc-droid-dna-review-6 htc-droid-dna-review-5 htc-droid-dna-review-4 htc-droid-dna-review-3 htc-droid-dna-review-2 htc-droid-dna-review-1

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Galaxy Note 7 (GT-N5100) tablet spotted in GLBenchmark tests

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 12:10 PM PST

galaxy-note-2

After having been spotted in NenaMark2 in early December, the GT-N5100 has now showed up in GLBenchmark. If that product number doesn't tell you anything, then you should know the GT-N5100 is what Samsung calls its unannounced 7-inch Galaxy Note.

The benchmarks seem to confirm that the Galaxy Note 7 will sport a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 processor, a 1280 x 800 display resolution and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box.

We have no idea when the Galaxy Note 7 will be unveiled, but considering that CES 2013 and MWC 2013 are just around the corner, we wouldn't be surprised to see the new Note family member get announced in the coming months, especially considering the increased popularity of competing 7-inch devices such as the Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7 or the iPad mini.

Not to mention that Acer and Asus are already rumored to launch new, affordable 7-inch Android devices in the coming months, while the Nexus 7 is said to get its own price drop in the future. What better time for a Note 7 to also drop by?

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Motorola to cost Google just $1.5 billion, Forbes suggests

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:47 AM PST

Motorola-Mobility-and-google-logo

Google's crazy expensive $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola has been finalized earlier this year, but the Search giant is yet to really take advantage of it.

A Google exec revealed a few weeks ago that the purchase was mostly about the patents rather than building Motorola Nexus devices – although recent reports do suggest that Google and Motorola are working on both a new tablet and smartphone – but those patents failed to help Google deliver any decisive blows to its main rivals in courts, Apple and Microsoft.

But now Forbes says that the $12.5 billion purchase may not be as expensive as it sounds, suggesting that the deal will only cost Google $1.5 billion on the long run. But is that really so?

The publication argues that Google got some of its cash back by selling the Motorola set-top box to Arris, but that the real win for the company is Motorola's unprofitable business – yes, no joke. Apparently Motorola's "accumulated tax losses" can be used by Google in its tax reports:

"The tax benefits of the deal make what was a good deal into a great deal," said Robert Willens, a New York accounting and tax expert. He estimated that through the acquisition, Google can expect to reap $700m a year in tax deductions from future profits each year through 2019. Google also will be able to immediately reduce its taxes by $1bn due to Motorola Mobility's US net operating loss, and by a further $700m due to its foreign operating loss, he said.

Do we want Motorola to keep bleeding money through to 2019 so that Google can write the losses off its tax bill? We'd rather have Google turn Motorola around to make it a profitable subsidiary and a worthy rival to other Android OEMs. We’re no tax experts, but wouldn't that be the proper way to recover the $12.5 billion investment?

Meanwhile, it's late 2012, and the fact remains that Google paid a lot of money for a business that's yet to be lucrative for the company. Anyone looking forward to a Motorola Nexus device?

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Galaxy S3, iPhone and iPad are the most discussed Christmas gifts, app data shows

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST

galaxy-s3-iphone-ipad-1

A few weeks ago we told you that the Galaxy S3, the iPhone and the iPad were this year's most discussed tech topics, so we're not really surprised to hear that these particular devices also happen to be the most discussed Christmas gifts, according to a new study.

Mobile app Thumb found that the three devices (in no particular order) were the most talked about potential Christmas gifts. And Thumb looked at 250,000 opinions, of which over 21% were Christmas-related.

This particular study doesn't suggest that the Galaxy S3, iPhone and iPad will be the most purchased tech items of the season – although such a conclusion would make plenty of sense – as Thumb is looking at what people talked about when unsing the app.

According to The Next Web, the app is quite popular with users looking for answers to certain questions:

With Thumb, users can pose any question in the app and receive quick responses. The company says that any question could receive between 50-100 total responses with a dozen coming within the first two minutes. It believes that the average user spends more than five hours a month using the app to answer questions. To date, it has over 1.2 million registered users since it launched in June 2012.

We'll be able to tell you more about Christmas shopping habits in the near future, once the main players in the mobile business – which is what we're mainly interested in – release financial details for the last quarter of the year.

galaxy-s3-iphone-ipad-2

What gadgets are you talking about these days? What are you buying for Christmas?

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Android holiday wallpapers available from Google

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST

Nexus Skating 600

If you like Android and being festive, then this story is for you. Via its Nexus Google+ page, Google released this year’s holiday wallpapers. Our favorite mascot is seen enjoying a campfire with his friends, playing with his Nexus 7 by the hearth, ice skating, and even DJ-ing a house party in an Igloo. Is there anything he can’t do?

An abominable snowman playing guitar, a polar bear using a tablet, and break-dancing penguins. What’s not to like? Google always surprises us with its sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek use of our favorite little green guy, and this year is no different. The images are fun, perfect for your device wallpaper or sending some cards to friends and family. Find them below, or download the full-size images on the Nexus Google+ page.

Nexus Igloo 600 Nexus Fireplace 600 Nexus Christmas 600 Nexus Skating 600

 

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Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP hits the Play Store

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 09:50 AM PST

Superbrothers

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP is now available in the Play Store for download. As its name suggests, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP is a sword based action game that features an emphasis on audiovisual style. This arcade-style game is really unique and gets you into the groove even before you start playing it.

The game is based in a mythical little realm where users have to use a sword in order to battle and evoke sworcery to solve musical mysteries. Apart from its gameplay, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP features great graphics which help make it worthy of your money.

The game features beautiful pixel art graphics and a sound track from Jim Guthrie. This is the second time that the game has been released for Android, as a beta version of the game was previously released as a part of Humble Android Bundle last month. The game was already available for other platforms including iOS, PC, and Mac, and has finally been released for Android users.

The gameplay is same as it is on other platforms giving Android users the full game experience. It is currently available on sale at a price of $1.99 in the Play Store. To check it out for yourself, see the link in the sources section below.

Have you downloaded the game yet? Let us know your gaming experience.

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Huawei Ascend Mate phone with 6.1-inch 1080p display revealed

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 09:41 AM PST

huawei-Ascend

Huawei is all set to introduce its monster-sized 6.1-inch Android-powered Ascend Mate smartphone at CES 2013. The device, whose details have already been announced unofficially by company’s impatient executives, features a 1080p display and is ready to take on the likes of Galaxy Note 2.

Two weeks before the official announcement event, Huawei’s Richard Yu revealed the upcoming device in front of fans at a Huawei Store in Guangzhou. The scene was captured on video and is embedded below for your viewing pleasure. The 6.1-inch device is the Huawei Ascent Mate, which we’ve talked about before. Rumors suggest that it features a 1.8GHz HiSilicon K3V3 quad-core processor, a 1080p display with 361 ppi, 9.9mm thickness, and more. These specs were revealed by Yu at Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo, where he noted that the teased specs might differ from the actual device. The device is rumored to be priced at ¥3,000 which is almost equal to $480.

Huawei’s Ascend Mate is seen as a worthy competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 and other large screen devices. The fact that it features a 6.1-inch display that is even larger than Samsung's 'Phablet' might be unacceptable for some, but will be loved by many, as is the Galaxy Note 2.

Huawei is scheduled to announce the Huawei Ascend Mate at an event its is hosting at CES 2013 after two weeks.

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ZTE Grand S info leaked, official debut at CES 2013

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 07:52 AM PST

ZTE

Phones with 5-inch, 1080p screens are increasingly popular these days. The HTC J Butterfly and HTC DROID DNA have already debuted in the market. Now ZTE’s upcoming Android powered smartphone, the ZTE Grand S, which is scheduled to be announced at CES 2013, has been leaked on the web. ZTE’s Grand S’s event is listed on the official CES 2013 website, which is going to kick off in the coming weeks.

The ZTE Grand S is scheduled to get an official announcement on January 8. The CES event listing not only mentions the official name of the device, but also reveals some interesting facts about it. According to the listing, the Grand S is ZTE’s flagship high-end device that will be the thinnest 5-inch full HD smartphone. The listing also reveals that the phone will be made of ceramic and feature traditional Chinese styling.

ZTE has already published the sketches of Grand S on Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo. The sketches suggest that the device will feature a unibody design with a camera hump on the back.

zte sketch grand s

With a number of devices with high quality displays hitting the market, including the two mentioned above and Sony Yuga and Oppo’s Find 5, 2013 is going to be quite a year when it comes to larger sized smartphones. Apart from the info already mentioned in this post, no other details about the ZTE Grand S, like specs, pricing etc are known at this point. Still, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as the phone will definitely get its official announcement on January 8.

What do you think of the recent trend of full HD displays on Android devices?

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Dropbox adds new image related features to its Android beta

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST

Dropbox

The new beta version of Dropbox has been released for Android users. The app, which is called an 'experimental forum build', has received some big improvements in this latest update. The update also adds some image related features that enable the users to interact with their images in bulk.

This particular beta version of the Dropbox app is not meant for everyone, but it does provides curious users with features that are not available on the main app yet. To use the app, users need to set their device’s settings to allow for the sideloading of apps, which should not be a problem for majority of users.

The new features included in this update are mostly image related. Users can now share multiple photos at once using Dropbox. The app now enables users to organize their photos into albums and share all the photos in an album at once. Dropbox now also allows users to delete multiple photos at once, which makes the deletion process quite fast.

The update also brings some UI improvements. It fixes some bugs and brings tweaks to the already quite stable beta build of Dropbox. If you want to download and try the new beta version of Dropbox on your Android device then you can download it from here. The QR code for the download can be found here.

As this is a beta version, Dropbox is looking for feedback from those who decide to use this version on their Android devices. In the update, Dropbox has added a new feature that will allow users to opt in for future early releases directly through the beta app. The feature is enabled by default but can be turned off from the settings.

What do you think of the latest Dropbox beta?

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Android and Me

Android and Me


Day 23: Win a Toshiba Excite 10SE + Jawbone JAMBOX

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 09:30 AM PST

Back on Day 23 for another stop on our prize spree. We’ve paired up with @NVIDIATegra to give away a new prize daily til Christmas, as part of our 25 Days of Tegra. To enter today, all you’ve gotta do is leave a comment below! The Prize: Toshiba Excite 10SE + Jawbone JAMBOX [...]

Visit our site to read the full article.

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums


6.1-inch Ascend Mate gets unveiled a little early thanks to Huawei executive

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 12:07 PM PST

Huawei’s Chairman of Devices, Richard Yu, couldn’t wait any longer and whipped out the upcoming Ascend Mate. The highlight of this beast is the 6.1-inch display that might make the Galaxy Note II look rather small. It also sports a 1.8GHz HiSilicon K3V3 quad-core CPU and a 4.000mAh battery. At 9.9mm of thickness and a price of ¥3,000 (about $480), could this push Huawei over the top? Stay tuned because we will be there live to see this one along with the Ascend D2 and Ascend W1.

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: weibo
via: engadget


Android themed Holiday Cards now available for sharing or using as a wallpaper

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:45 AM PST

The Nexus Google+ account posted four “Happy Holiday Cards” for you to share or dowload. You can share the post with your friends or download the full high-resolution files as wallpapers for your phone, tablet, or desktop. Hit the source link for the original post and to grab the full size images.

source: Google+ Nexus

 


Acer V350 smartphone shows up in GLBenchmark

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 06:22 PM PST

Hardware manufacturer Acer is likely familiar to Android fans thanks to their tablet devices. Recently a new device appeared on GLBenchmark indicating Acer is planning to get into the smartphone market. Dubbed the V350, the device is powered by a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor running at 1.5GHz and has a 720p screen, although there is no indication what the screen size will be. Other details like the amount of memory is still unknown, but the unit submitted to GLBenchmark was running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Acer submitted another model earlier this week, the V360, but the V350 appears to be the higher end unit, projected to end up somewhere in the mid to upper-tier of the market.

source: GLBenchmark
via: PhoneArena


TransPhone Gets The Pro Treatment, Looks To Give ASUS PadFone A Run For Its Money

Posted: 22 Dec 2012 02:31 PM PST

 

Moveover ASUS PadFone 2, it appears that you have a new competitor in the smartphone/tablet hybrid market. A device called the TransPhone has recently been announced and brings a modest smartphone and tablet dock into an affordable package. The new TransPhone is a “Pro” model that features a 3.5-inch 960 x 540 display, a dual-core 1GHz MediaTek dual-core processor and Android 4.0 among the noteworthy features— while the tablet dock features a display of 1024 x 600 7-inch display. Not the prettiest or glamourous  features, but hey— at least the device comes with a not too shabby $240 price tag when you pre-order.

We know you’re all itching for more details, so you’ll be able to find them when you hit past the break.

 

 

TRANSPHONE GOES PRO

Frank Zhou, inventor of the USB memory key and creator of the TransPhone – see www.TransPhoneInternational.com – goes from strength to strength. After selling out stocks of his proof-of-concept, entry-level TransPhone 1, Frank is now launching his company’s TransPhone 1 Pro with March/ April availability.

For those new to the hybrid scene, the 3G GSM unlocked TransPhone is the same kind of device as the Asus PadFone – but at less than half the cost. (In fact, TransPhone International owns the US patents – dating back to 2002 – for this new kind of device). In both cases, sliding the phone into what TransPhone International calls a “TransPad” converts the phone into a tablet.

“The whole point of this configuration,” Frank told us, “is that most people rarely need to use a tablet and a smartphone at the same time and that means they are spending quite a lot of money on duplicated processing, connectivity and storage electronics as well causing themselves additional hassle with two devices to manage and synch, and – if you want the tablet to have 3G – two SIM cards and extra contract hassles. When you add up all the unnecessary costs TransPhone eliminates, it wins Total Cost of Ownership wrestling matched by a wide margin.”

From the outside the TransPhone 1 Pro model looks identical to the original TransPhone but inside the case pretty well everything which matters has had a major upgraded.

TRANSPHONE ON STEROIDS
Android 4.0 ICS has replaced Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread used by the original version and with it, TransPhone becomes hot-pluggable. In the original TransPhone, docking or undocking the phone from the TransPad killed whatever work you were doing and you had to start again from scratch after the docking or undocking process was complete. Of course, you could continue a phone call during and after the docking or undocking process, but that was about all. With Android 4, those days are over and whatever you were doing before docking or undocking the phone just carries on from where you were when you started the docking or undocking process – much the same way at is does on the Asus PadFone.

The original 3.5″ TransPhone was using a 800 x 480 TFT screen and that now goes to 960 x 540 3.5″ TFT while the 7″ TransPad was running at 800 x 480 TFT and it too has had a resolution upgrade to 1024 x 600 TFT for the same 7″ screen size.

Better still, the 800 MHz Snapdragon processor has gone and in its place is a dual core MTK processor running at 1 GHz. RAM has gone from 512 MB to 1 GB and the processor upgrade has made it possible to increase on-board memory from 512MB (in the models tested by the press) to 4GB on board, while still keeping the 32 GB SD card support for a maximum of 36 GB at any one time.

“With this configuration, Frank told us, “TransPhone Pro can hold its own against mid-range products and even against some of those at the high end. But when it comes to screen area, TransPhone 1 Pro offers three to four times as much screen area as the most expensive smartphones on the market. TransPhone Pro can’t be beaten on price for its spec either when you add up the cost of a similar spec smartphone with the kind of phone screen resolution we offer and a similar spec 3G tablet.

TRANSPHONE PRO – $239.99 ON PRE-ORDER
“My philosophy always has been to give the user MORE for LESS. When I invented the USB memory key the objective was to give the user a lot more portable storage for a lot less money and that plan succeeded very well. More expensive floppy storage (which was the standard way of doing things when I invented the USB memory key) is in the museum today and the USB key is the new portable storage standard.

“TransPhone is on the way to doing the same thing with connected tablets. My philosophy is that a TransPhone is always going to cost you less to buy than the comparable quality of smartphone plus the comparable quality of connected tablet. It is also going to cost you a lot less to run and give you a lot less hassle. You’ll find out just how much less when you use one – as I do for most of my work.

“Generally speaking, smartphones are more powerful and have more bells and whistles than comparable tablets. Compare the specs of Google’s Nexus 4 phone and their Nexus 7 tablet for example, and you will see what I am talking about and it is the same for Samsung’s products too. Starting with TransPhone 1 Pro, you can be confident that TransPhones are going to give you more for less.”

“TransPhone Pro will retail at $299 – the same price as the much less powerful proof-of-concept TransPhone 1. But to give everyone a taste of what we can do, we are accepting pre-orders on our website www.TransphoneInternational.com at $239.99 (including shipping direct to your door from the factory by DHL) – essentially we are handing the retailer margin over to the user to say “thank you” for pre-ordering. We expect to be shipping in late March or early April. I think $239.99 for this spec of smartphone and 3G connected tablet is going to be hard to beat. “

“At the same time we have also launched a 2.75G (Edge) TransPhone 1 model with all the same upgrades except that it has a 1 GHz single core MTK processor. This Edge model has been designed to keep the price at rock bottom for developing countries where the smartphone is often the only computer many people have. Transphone 1 Edge provides them with a pretty good smartphone and a pretty good connected tablet – a handheld connected computer in effect – at a retail price of around $190 for the pair. When the quantities get into the millions, we can probably shave that down further. Again, that is going to be hard to beat.

“I am certain that the TransPad concept is the way of the future – just as the USB key has turned out to be. TransPhone 1 Pro is the first of a several pleasant surprises our team is working on for the world’s smartphone users and the first quarter of next year is going to exciting for all of us.”