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- Qualcomm calls out Apple, claims “willing licensee mask fell off”
- Yahoo! launches speedy new e-mail client for Android and other platforms
- Nexus 7 monthly shipment to pass 1 million units in December
- Russian operator announces YotaPhone, comes with an LCD and an e-ink display
- Android 4.0 update rolling out to AT&T’s Galaxy Tab 8.9 via Kies
- Innolux to join JDI and Sharp in mass producing 5 inch 1080p displays
- Official Oppo Find 5 image gallery
- Official Oppo Find 5 specs
- Samsung gets bashed in Motorola’s most recent advertisement
- MediaTek makes the quad core MT6589 official, turns out it’s barely faster than a dual core Snapdragon S4
| Qualcomm calls out Apple, claims “willing licensee mask fell off” Posted: 12 Dec 2012 02:49 AM PST The patent wars have been raging on for years now and it feels even longer. Apple has sued a variety of companies and in the Android sphere a major defensive strategy, for Samsung and Motorola in particular, has been to fight back with SEPs or standard-essential patents. These patents are, as the name suggests, essential standards, and as such they have to be licensed. This is where FRAND comes in, SEPs are supposed to be licensed under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. Samsung and Motorola claim to have offered fair terms to Apple over the use of several SEPs, unsurprisingly Apple claims the terms were unfair. Apple is now arguing that the failure to negotiate down is FRAND abuse and has successfully blocked injunction attempts based on SEPs in the U.S. at least. It seems Qualcomm is far from impressed with Apple's strategy as you can see from the answers given to questions posed by the investigating ITC Commission, reported on FOSS Patents,
It's a pretty damning indictment of Apple's strategy and somewhat surprising considering that Qualcomm is still a major Apple supplier. Florian Mueller suggests, quite convincingly, on FOSS Patents that what is really behind this vitriol is Qualcomm's own desires to monetize its large SEP portfolio. We'll keep you posted on what the ITC decides. Related Posts |
| Yahoo! launches speedy new e-mail client for Android and other platforms Posted: 12 Dec 2012 02:17 AM PST How important is e-mail in your daily life? Do you check to see if you’ve got new e-mail in the morning and make it a point to check again before you go to sleep at night? If so, then Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer might have been talking about you in her introduction to the latest version of the Yahoo! e-mail client, which has just been updated for multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Windows 8, and the Web. According to the official announcement posted by Mayer on Yahoo!’s corporate blog Yodel Anecdotal, the new Yahoo! e-mail client was redesigned with speed in mind. And if you try it out for yourself, you’ll find that it is indeed faster than the version that was available before the update. Also, there is now consistency in the look and feel of the e-mail client across all devices and platforms. So if you’ve already used it in the past but didn’t quite like the overall user experience, perhaps you will now. Right now, the newest form of Yahoo! Mail for Android can be downloaded directly–and without a fee–from Google Play. It’s also available for download from both the Apple App Store and Microsoft’s Windows Store for Windows 8. It’s better-looking and at the same time faster than ever before. This is all so that users can “quickly login, communicate, and get on with your day.” Web users can also access the new Yahoo! Mail simply by going to mail.yahoo.com. Related Posts |
| Nexus 7 monthly shipment to pass 1 million units in December Posted: 12 Dec 2012 02:09 AM PST The Google Nexus 7 is one of the hottest tablets that have been released this year. Since it was introduced in late June, the quad-core slate has captured the interest of tech geeks and mainstream customers alike due to its awesome specs and low price point. We learned a while back that Asus was shipping out close to 1 million units of the Nexus 7 per month. With the recent introduction of the Nexus 7 3G alongside the new 32GB variant, and buoyed by the holiday shopping season, DigiTimes reports that the monthly global sales are expected to break the million unit barrier in December. According to the publication, the figures were taken from supply chain makers across Taiwan. Quanta Computer, the ODM partner of Asus in the region, said that shipment of the Nexus 4 for Q4 alone will reach 2-3 million units. While these aren't exactly Apple-like numbers yet, it's comforting to know that a non-forked Android tablet can compete with the best of them in the highly competitive market. Let's see what other surprises Google has inside its Android bag come May of next year, when Google I/O 2013 event will be held. A refreshed Nexus 7 anyone? Related Posts |
| Russian operator announces YotaPhone, comes with an LCD and an e-ink display Posted: 12 Dec 2012 12:50 AM PST Yota is an operator in Russia with plenty of ambition. They bet on WiMAX technology more than half a decade ago, thinking it would be the next big thing. When they realized they picked the wrong technology, they quickly migrated their network over to LTE. Now the company is looking to enter the device market.  Today they announced a smartphone called the “YotaPhone”. Terrible name aside, it’s quite an interesting piece of kit. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, has a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, 4G LTE (of course), but what makes it interesting are the displays. Yes, displays. The YotaPhone features a 4.3 inch 720p LCD manufactured by JDI on the front of the device, and an electronic ink display on the back. Why put an e-ink display on the back of a smartphone? Vlad Martynov, the CEO of Yota Device, says it best:
To put it another way, they know that people look up a handful of things over and over again. Instead of wasting energy powering up a smartphone’s display just to check if someone liked the photo you just uploaded to Facebook, now you just have to check the back of your phone. Is this innovative? Absolutely, but we’re not convinced that developers are going to take advantage of this technology. Yota controls the e-ink display, so Yota dictates which services are integrated and how often they’re checked for new information. That means Yota has an incredibly responsibility to not mess this up, because if they do … forget about it. When will the phone come out and how much will it cost? The latter question we can’t answer. And as for the former, the company says the second half of 2013. Ouch. Related Posts |
| Android 4.0 update rolling out to AT&T’s Galaxy Tab 8.9 via Kies Posted: 12 Dec 2012 12:33 AM PST Two weeks ago, we saw the international 3G variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (GT-P7300) finally got their Android 4.0 package signed, sealed, and delivered. If you own the device on AT&T (SGH-i957), we're happy to report that the Ice Cream Sandwich update is now available for your tab. For now, the firmware upgrade "will not be made available over-the-air". Those who'd like to make the jump to ICS will have to get it via Samsung's PC companion software Kies. It's extra work for users, but one that should be worth the hassle. Ice Cream Sandwich is leaps and bounds better than Honeycomb in terms of performance, stability, and features. Plus, you can run apps that are only available for Android 4+ devices, such as Chrome and others. If you can't quite figure out how to get and install the I957UCLK4 upgrade through Kies, check the following website for detailed instructions. Let us know how the machine runs after the update in the comments below. Related Posts |
| Innolux to join JDI and Sharp in mass producing 5 inch 1080p displays Posted: 12 Dec 2012 12:03 AM PST Sharp, back in October, was the first company to announce that they’ve begun mass producing 5 inch 1080p LCD panels for smartphones. Japan Display Incorporated, better known as JDI, published their 5 inch 1080p press release less than a week after Sharp. According to DigiTimes, the Taiwanese company Innolux will begin mass producing their own 5 inch 1080p panels in Q1 2013. They’re going to use something called AAS (Azimuthal Anchoring Switch) technology. We’re not going to lie to you, we have absolutely no idea what that means. Who else is working on 5 inch 1080p technology? LG showed off a prototype of just such a display in May, but we haven’t heard anything about it since. And then there’s Samsung, who has been very quiet. Depending on which rumor sites you trust, Samsung is either having an incredibly hard time making a 5 inch 1080p screen that use AMOLED technology, or they’ve successfully figured out how to do it and we’re going to see said display show up in the next generation Galaxy S. So what does this all mean for consumers? It’s clear that any 2013 smartphones worthy of being called a “flagship device” needs to have a 1080p display. If it doesn’t, then it’s “midrange”. We find it incredibly difficult to classify 720p smartphones as “midrange” since they’ve barely been around for a year, but that’s how this industry works. You can’t control the product release cycle, you just have to brace yourself and ride the wave of innovation that leaves you and your wallet in a confused and depressing relationship. HTC may have been the first company out the door with a 1080p smartphone (DNA/Butterfly), but we expect everyone to catch up within the next two quarters. This writer spends an unhealthy amount of time starting at his pocket computer, so he’s looking forward to 443 PPI displays. Related Posts |
| Official Oppo Find 5 image gallery Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:44 PM PST The full HD Oppo Find 5 just launched at a Beijing event and we have the official image gallery. The phone looks sleek, and packs some equally impressive specifications. We have the full rundown on the Oppo Find 5 specs and availability here, and very soon we’ll pitch Oppo’s latest creation against some of its direct competitors. Check out the image gallery and let us know what you think.        Related Posts |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:33 PM PST Today in Beijing, Oppo, the makers of the ultra-thin Finder, revealed their newest flagship the 5-inch full HD Oppo Find 5. The Oppo Find 5 packs some of the best specifications currently available on any smartphone, starting with a powerful Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core chip (APQ 8064) clocked at 1.5GHz. Naturally, the Find 5's piece of resistance is its stunning full HD display, an AH-IPS LCD panel manufactured by LG. At 1920 x 1080, the panel packs 441 pixels on every square inch, which (in case you were wondering) is 35% better than the iPhone 5's much touted Retina display. The rear shooter of the Find 5 is fitted with a 13MP sensor, while the front camera packs 1.9MP. In the product press release, Oppo claims that the camera comes “with the most advanced 1/3.06-type 13-megapixel camera sensor available on the market”. The stacked CMOS sensor delivers ”f/2.2 aperture, 4-layer coating and blue glass filters”. Another impressive feature of the Find 5 is the ability to record videos and snap photos, in HDR, at the same time. Oppo’s device is the first phone in the world with this ability. Media capabilities are enhanced by the Dolby 3D surround and Dirac HD, a high-end audio system that has never been integrated on a mobile device before. The Oppo Find 5 only comes in a 16GB version with no option to expand the storage via an microSD card. The powerpack is a 2500mAh unit, which is adequate, but less impressive than the battery of the Note 2. Check out the Find 5 official press shot gallery. Here are the official specs of the Oppo Find 5: OPPO Find 5 SpecificationsNetwork:
Processor:
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Price and availabilityThe Oppo Find 5 will launch in “early 2013″ across select markets. Judging from the existence of an US site, we can speculate that the Oppo Find 5 will sell in the United States, but we have no official news on this. The US site says that the device will cost a reasonable $499 SIM-free. In China, the device is slated to go for ¥2,998 (about $480). We’ll keep you posted as soon as we find more. OPPO Find 5 Unveiled With 5" 1080P Screen, 13 Megapixel HDR Camera and More See – like you've been blind all along Despite its large screen, the OPPO Find 5 is easy to hold thanks to its super slim 3.25mm bezel. When the screen is off, the front becomes a borderless sheet of pure black, mysteriously calming yet satisfying to the eye. Touch – and your fingers won't stop The overall design of the Find 5 is minimalist, relying on straight lines and simple shapes that removes distractions, while at the same time being built using the best materials and techniques available, giving OPPO Find 5 a simple and understated, yet refined and premium look and feel. Cherish and share, the beauty from every journey OPPO Find 5 is the world's first smartphone with hardware supported HDR photography and video recording. It redefines smartphone video recording, with its capability of recording video in 120 FPS, five times the speed that the human eye can perceive. Apart from videos being silky smooth in normal playback, they will also be smooth during slow-motion playback and clear during freeze-frames. In addition, the camera on the Find 5 is capable of taking 100 photos at 5 per second with Burst Mode. OPPO Find 5 will bring you into a new era of wireless sharing. With NFC functionality, gently touching two phones will pair them in less than a tenth of a second, 50 times faster than Bluetooth pairing. OPPO's NFC SmartTags with preset actions will add simplicity and convenience to your life. Find 5 also supports Wi-Fi Display and DLNA, two technologies that allow you to wirelessly project screen contents onto your television in HD. Listen, and rhythm will touch your heart Love, for it is the Fifth Element OPPO Find 5 is set to launch in early 2013 across selected markets. Network: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA+/HSPA+42 (850, 1700, 1900, 2100MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) |
| Samsung gets bashed in Motorola’s most recent advertisement Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:06 PM PST
You can see the ad above. It was posted on Motorola’s Facebook page 6 hours ago at the time of this writing. As you can see, Motorola is showing that their devices get faster download speeds on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. They do this by showing that Rovio’s Angry Birds were already downloaded on the RAZR HD while the Galaxy S III is at 60%. Is that all Motorola has said about the Samsung Galaxy S III?Nope, that’s just the beginning. On Motorola’s official webpage, they compare the RAZR HD to the Galaxy S III in several other areas. Included is battery life, protection, and design. What they don’t provide information on is where Samsung can get some Aloe Vera to soothe the burn. Of course, Motorola phones have pitfalls they don’t talk about. Like no removable batteries, being available on only one carrier, and for the root users among us, locked bootloaders. Do these advertisements make the Motorola RAZR HD look better or is Moto just being petty? Related Posts |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:57 PM PST Earlier this month we published an article that said quad core smartphones using MediaTek’s newest chip are going to flood the market in Q1 2013. When we wrote that article, said chip wasn’t announced. Today that changes. Here’s everything we now know about the MT6589: It’s built using 28 nanometer technology. It has an integrated modem that can handle both HSPA+ and TD-SCDMA, China’s version of 3G. It uses four ARM Cortex A7 processors and an Imagination Technologies PowerVR Series5XT graphics processor. The chip supports 13 megapixel cameras, 1080p displays, 1080p 30 fps recording and playback, and it also has integrated 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. Myriam Joire, our good friend over at Engadget, had a chance to benchmark the first phones that use the MT6589. We’re not going to republish her data, but we will say that we’re not too surprised with the results. MediaTek’s new chip is essentially a slightly faster dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. Now we know what you’re thinking, how can this be? It’s because ARM’s Cortex A7 core isn’t as fast as Qualcomm’s Krait core. Despite lumping four of them together on a piece of silicon, they’re barely faster than the two cores we’ve seen inside devices since the beginning of the year. We’re thrilled that MediaTek was able to produce the MT6589, but we’re also realistic. Phones using MediaTek chips usually don’t leave Asia. Why? We’re going to assume patent issues. But don’t be disappointed. Last week Qualcomm announced two quad core A7 chips called the MSM8226 and the MSM8626. They have the exact same specs as the MT6589, except for the graphics processor. Qualcomm uses their own Adreno GPU instead of licensing a solution from Imagination. So what should you take away from today’s news? Progress is amazing. Three years ago, single core 1 GHz processors and 800 x 480 screens were considered bleeding edge. Now MediaTek is going to supply cheap quad core chips that can drive 1080p smartphone screens to the Chinese market. Related Posts |
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