Android Community |
- Samsung’s infringement of Apple patents declared not willful
- BlackBerry Z10 vs Nexus 4: pricing is everything
- Samsung’s 2013 La Fleur smartphone collection unveiled
- Motorola RAZR i Jelly Bean roll-out begins
- Rovio begins teasing upcoming Bad Piggies update
- Nexus 4 availability returning on a global basis
- US Cellular tempting family switchers with a $300 pre-paid MasterCard
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 profiles spotted in UAProf
- ZTE Grand Memo with 5.7-inch display revealed ahead of MWC
- White Nexus 4 images leak showing the complete picture
- T-Mobile 4G LTE speeds spotted in Kansas City
- WhatsApp hit with allegations of privacy law violations
- Why the Nexus 4 is selling like mad
- Galaxy Note 8.0 pricing leaked at staggering 391 Euro
- Nexus 4 pictured in white complete with sparkly backing
- Acer tips quad-core low-cost tablets for 2013
| Samsung’s infringement of Apple patents declared not willful Posted: 30 Jan 2013 10:49 AM PST In its high-profile patent case against Apple, Samsung has taken quite a few hits. This week, however, Samsung is catching a rather large break, as Judge Lucy Koh has decided to accept the company’s claims that it wasn’t infringing willfully. This means the amount Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple probably won’t increase much moving forward, which is likely something making Samsung’s attorneys exhale a sigh of a relief today.
Good thing too, because last year the jury awarded Apple with $1.049 billion in damages. That’s already a ton of money, but Koh could have tripled the amount if she had determined Samsung’s infringement to be willful. Just in case you’re wondering, that would have sent Samsung’s pay out up to $3.147 billion, assuming Koh would have imposed the maximum penalty for willful infringement. Samsung’s argument here was that it thought Apple’s patents were invalid, and thus couldn’t have been willfully infringing. Koh is apparently satisfied with that argument, so Samsung has dodged a pretty big bullet with this ruling. Be that as it may, there are still things about this case that need to be settled. After all, even though Samsung’s penalty isn’t likely to increase much after this ruling, it could still go down. Koh has agreed with most of the jury’s verdict thus far, so it probably won’t go down by a significant amount, but you can bet that Samsung will try to shave as much off as it can in future meetings. If you’re interested it reading Koh’s full ruling, it can be found by clicking here. Stay tuned. [via The Verge] |
| BlackBerry Z10 vs Nexus 4: pricing is everything Posted: 30 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST We have already touched on why we love the Nexus 4 so much. If you remember, one of those reasons was pricing, which we think will often play an important role. Stepping outside of the world of Android for a moment and today was a rather big day for BlackBerry. The company announced a pair of smartphones, one of which is the Z10, a full-touchscreen device that will arrive running BlackBerry 10.
The BlackBerry event covered a good deal about the phones, including the specs as well as other important aspects such as apps, and availability. We have yet to learn everything about pricing for the Z10, however based on what we have seen thus far — it is looking like it will be competitive. Take the US for example, we know the handset is heading to a variety of carriers but so far only Verizon Wireless has specified the price. Verizon will be selling the BlackBerry Z10 for $199 on a two-year agreement. We suspect the other carriers (namely T-Mobile and AT&T) will have the Z10 similarly priced. Speculation of carrier pricing aside, the interesting part here is the Z10 seems to have fallen at that magical price point for smartphones. The point where if it was any higher, some may rule it out based on price alone. While this will not matter quite as much for Verizon (given they do not have a Nexus 4 available), this does bring some question for T-Mobile — will smartphone shoppers be tempted to go with the BlackBerry Z10? Granted, we suspect those looking for an Android smartphone will stick with Android. On the flip side though, the price of the Z10 could attract some previous BlackBerry users back now that they have a modern, full touchscreen device available. We are fairly certain that Android fans are familiar with the specs of the Nexus 4, so lets take a look at what the Z10 offers in terms of hardware. The handset has a 4.2-inch (1280 x 756 and 356ppi) display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 1800 mAh removable battery, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash. Simply put, a decent set of specs. Then again, as we have seen with other mobile operating systems — specs and pricing are just a few of the overall factors that will be considered. We also have the apps. But while the app situation may have hurt Windows Phone, it may not be as big of an issue for BlackBerry mainly because we suspect there are still some loyal users who are waiting to upgrade an aging device or to be convinced to come back. |
| Samsung’s 2013 La Fleur smartphone collection unveiled Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:49 AM PST Samsung has officially unveiled the 2013 edition La Fleur smartphone collection. The collection will include the Galaxy S III Mini, Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy S DUOS and the Galaxy Ace DUOS as well as the Galaxy S III in both white and red. Samsung has yet to comment in terms of a global release schedule, however we do know they will be arriving in Russia.
In fact, those in Russia will have the La Fleur edition handsets available beginning on February 1. The pricing hasn’t been specified for each model, however the Galaxy S III will be 22 990 rubles (about $765 US), which is said to be close to what the regular models are selling for in Russia. As you can see from the included image, the La Fleur edition handsets are sporting floral print designs. The internals are the same as the regular models. If nothing else, these La Fleur editions are a nice change from the typical variants we see. Simply put, it is somewhat refreshing to see these with floral patterns as opposed to simply changing the color to pink. Basically, if Samsung plans to offer these outside of Russia — given the close proximity to Valentine’s Day, now seems like as good a time as any to make that happen. After all, we suspect a few people will be giving their loved one a smartphone so why not make it something a bit prettier to try and spice things up a bit. [via Hi-Tech mail.ru] |
| Motorola RAZR i Jelly Bean roll-out begins Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:28 AM PST Motorola has begun the Jelly Bean roll-out for the RAZR i. Though, that being said, at this point in time it looks like Jelly Bean has only arrived for those in France. Of course, this should give some excitement for those in other locations where the RAZR i is available, such as the UK.
According to details coming from the xda-developers forums, this update measures in at roughly 300MB in size and has arrived as Android 4.1.2. Given the size of the update, we suspect it will be best served over a Wi-Fi connection. RAZR i users in France should be on the lookout for an update notification. Well, that or begin taking the proactive approach and checking manually by navigating to Menu -> Settings -> About phone. The update will bring the expected goodies including the smoothness of Project Butter and Google Now. Some reports coming from the thread on xda are talking about improved performance. One user has said that it is “very fast compared to ICS.” Also, for those outside France and unwilling to wait, it appears as if a leaked ROM is available. Needless to say, we suggest waiting for the update notification to arrive and going the official route. Bottom line here, while it looks like Motorola has managed to get another handset upgraded to Jelly Bean, given the release arrived first for those in France — we suspect those in the UK are feeling a bit jealous at the moment given they actually had the RAZR i available first. Device Info
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 [via xda-developers] |
| Rovio begins teasing upcoming Bad Piggies update Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:37 AM PST Rovio released the Angry Birds spinoff Bad Piggies back in last September and while it seemed to make a decent splash at launch, we cannot help but notice that it has been some time since it last saw any attention in the form of an update. That said, it looks like that will soon be changing.
We have yet to see a specific release date from the folks at Rovio, however they have begun teasing about what the update will contain. Coming by way of a recent tweet, Bad Piggies will soon get Road Hogs. The catch here, Rovio has yet to say just what that means in terms of characters and game play. The current version of Bad Piggies has the user building “the ultimate flying machine” in an effort to have the pigs secure the eggs they are after. Based on the teaser picture that was released, it looks like the piggies may soon be riding on some carts. Of course, the checkered flag does give the impression that this will somehow include racing. Speculation aside, as Bag Piggies has been a fun game up until this point, we are anxiously waiting for this update to arrive. If nothing else, maybe this update will bring us back to the game. Finally, for those who have yet to play Bad Piggies, Rovio has it available in a regular and HD version — both of which are free. |
| Nexus 4 availability returning on a global basis Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:08 AM PST We haven’t seen an official statement from Google or LG, however it does appear as if they have gotten the inventory situation under control. That of course, comes from the recent Nexus 4 availability in the US market as well as news of availability on a more global scale. In short, the Nexus 4 appears to coming available around the world.
Some of the countries include the UK, France, Spain and Germany as well as Canada. Similar to what we saw with the US availability, these additional countries all appear to have notes of the device being able to ship “soon.” Or more specifically, as being able to ship in 1 to 2 weeks. Otherwise, the pricing does remain the same which means those in the UK can expect to pay £239 for the 8GB model and £279 for the 16GB model. Those in Canada will see price similar to the US, which is to say $299 for the 8GB model and $349 for the 16GB model. That all being said, aside from returning to an available status in several markets, the specs and features remain the same as many have come to love. In other words, assuming you make the purchase, your Nexus 4 will arrive with features to include a 4.7-inch (1280 x 768) display, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 2100 mAh battery, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Device Info
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| US Cellular tempting family switchers with a $300 pre-paid MasterCard Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST US Cellular has begun tempting family plan switchers with a pre-paid $300 MasterCard. The offer seems simple enough, switch your family from your current carrier to US Cellular and get the money. Of course, as we often find with special offers — this one does come with some fine print that you will likely want to know about upfront.
According to US Cellular, the family switching needs to have a minimum of two lines (and they have to be existing and active on another carrier). The carrier has a decent selection of available smartphones, many of which are running Android. Some of the current US Cellular lineup includes the Galaxy Note II for $349.99 and the 16GB Galaxy S III for $149.99. Some of the less expensive options include the Galaxy S II (which recently received Jelly Bean), Galaxy Axiom and the HTC One V — all of which are selling for $99.99 on a two-year agreement. And of course, there are still some even lower priced such as the LG Splendor and Huawei Ascend Y, both of which are one penny on a two-year agreement. Specific phones aside, lets get into the fine print. Those switching will need to have at least one of the two lines be a smartphone with data plan, customers must register for My Account within 14 days of activation, the online redemption form must be submitted prior to May 1, 2013 and the offer expires on April 1, 2013. Finally, the $300 MasterCard can take up to 10-12 weeks to arrive and your account must be in good standing to get it. With that, if you had been considering a switch to US Cellular, now seems like as good a time as any to give that some further thought. [via US Cellular] |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 profiles spotted in UAProf Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:09 AM PST Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 details have been slowly leaking. Earlier in the month we saw details suggesting that Samsung was planning to release a 7-inch and 10.1-inch model. And then more recently, we saw the image leak which was showing the Galaxy Tab 3 box along with a look at the front of the tablet. Those bits aside, it looks like some new details have surfaced by way of the UAProf.
These latest details include model numbers for three Samsung tablets — one of which is expected to have a display resolution of 2560 x 1600. This particular model is the GT-P8200 and is said to be a 10.1-inch display. Coincidentally, the resolution of this Galaxy Tab 3 will match that of the Nexus 10. The other model numbers include the GT-P3200 and GT-P5200 with the former believed to be a 7-inch display and the latter believed to be an 8-inch display. The P3200 is showing a display resolution of 1024 x 600 and the P5200 is showing a resolution of 1280 x 800. Previous Galaxy Tab 3 details have shown the tablet to be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and powered by a dual-core 1.7GHz Exynos 5 processor. All that being said, things appear to be lining up nicely for a big reveal during Mobile World Congress. Of course, that said, the Galaxy Tab 3 details seems to be going back and forth at this point in time. We have heard details on a 10.1-inch and 7-inch and then heard that Samsung may not unveil a 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3. And now, now we are hearing about the 7-inch once again with an added 8-inch model. Basically, we need to remain skeptical until we get something a bit more official. [via TechKiddy] |
| ZTE Grand Memo with 5.7-inch display revealed ahead of MWC Posted: 30 Jan 2013 06:39 AM PST While many were expecting the ZTE Grand Memo to get an official unveiling during Mobile World Congress, it looks like the company has revealed the phablet a bit ahead of schedule. The Grand Memo was recently shown off during a ZTE event in Hong Kong. Along with showing off the handset, some of the specs have also been confirmed.
The Grand Memo falls in between the 6.1-inch Ascend Mate and the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II in terms of size. The Grand Memo is sporting a 5.7-inch 720p display. Given we have been seeing more and more 1080p displays, that would have been nice to see included on the Grand Memo, however 1280 x 720 shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Aside from the display, the Grand Memo will also arrive with goodies to include a quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, microSD card slot, 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and a body that measures in at just 8mm thick. ZTE will have the device running Android 4.1.2 at launch. Another interesting bit here comes in with the keyboard. ZTE has taken some consideration into one-handed use and included a T9 keyboard that can be placed on either the left hand, or right hand side of the device. Of course, while we have been given an early look at the handset and some of the specs, ZTE is still expected to bring the Grand Memo to Mobile World Congress for a slightly more official unveiling. [via Engadget] |
| White Nexus 4 images leak showing the complete picture Posted: 30 Jan 2013 06:19 AM PST A single image of a white Nexus 4 arrived yesterday serving a a bit of a teaser. And well, that single image has since been followed up by additional images. This time though, the images offer a complete look at the handset including the front, back and sides. The pics have arrived by way of the Vietnamese language Tinhte website and even show off the sparkly back.
The interesting part about the white Nexus 4, if one were to look straight at the display — it would appear to be the regular black colored Nexus 4. While the previous white Nexus example was courtesy of Samsung, the white Nexus 4 seems to have taken some styling from the white Galaxy Nexus. Aside from being able to get a better look at the white Nexus 4, we are still unsure as to when (or if) LG and Google plan to make it available for sale. Assuming the device does arrive for sale, we may even see a case of it landing only in select markets. In other words, if you are planning on a Nexus 4 purchase, we wouldn’t suggest that anyone waits in hopes of getting the white model. That being said, aside from seeing this white model and maybe dreaming a bit, now is actually a really good time to buy a Nexus 4 — especially for those in the US market. We have recently seen the handset come available with T-Mobile and Best Buy as well as with the Google Play Store. Of course, given the pricing, we would suggest going the Google Play route and avoiding the two-year commitment.    Device Info
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[via SlashGear] |
| T-Mobile 4G LTE speeds spotted in Kansas City Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:52 PM PST We’ve been hearing that T-Mobile is dangerously close to launching its 4G LTE network, and today, some users in Kansas City are reporting that the company has at least partially flipped the switch. One T-Mobile user is claiming on the XDA Developers Forum that he now has access to the company’s 4G LTE network, putting it through Speed Test and showing the outcome to the world. The results will probably be underwhelming to those who are used to blazing fast 4G LTE, but there’s a pretty good reason for that.
The Speed Test results show a download speed of 10Mbps and an upload speed of 5Mbps, which are lower speeds than what we usually see from 4G LTE. The possible reason for this is that T-Mobile might only be testing its LTE network at the moment as it gears up for launch. Remember, Las Vegas is the first area scheduled to get T-Mobile’s LTE, with Kansas City following shortly afterward. Since T-Mobile still hasn’t launched 4G LTE in Las Vegas, it seems unlikely that the carrier would have silently launched in Kansas City. If this is only a test, then we can probably expect T-Mobile’s speeds to improve after a full blown launch. In other words, don’t let these Speed Test results trick you into thinking that T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network is slow. We’re still waiting on official word of the launch in Las Vegas. It could be happening at any time, so there’s plenty of reason to be an excited T-Mobile subscriber at the moment. We’ll be keeping an eye on things as we wait for more details from T-Mobile, so stay tuned! [via TmoNews] |
| WhatsApp hit with allegations of privacy law violations Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:08 PM PST It isn’t a good day for the makers of the highly popular WhatsApp, as the Canadian and Dutch governments have accused the app of violating privacy laws. WhatsApp allows users to send text messages to others for free over the Internet, and with that kind of functionality on offer, it’s become of the most popular apps in the world. Therefore, these alleged violations may just put a lot of users on alert.
In a joint report, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Dutch Data Protection Authority took issue with the fact that WhatsApp asks for permission to view a user’s phonebook. Of course, granting that permission is required to use the app, and Dutch Data Protection Authority chairman Jacob Kohnstamm says that’s no good. According to him, WhatsApp needs to let users decide precisely what kind of personal data they share with it. The worries of these Dutch and Canadian privacy authorities doesn’t end there, though. They claim that WhatsApp is storing the phone numbers of non-users, which would again be a violation of privacy laws. For the moment, it seems that WhatsApp is staying quiet on these most recent privacy allegations, as it hasn’t issued a statement on them yet. WhatsApp is available on a number of different platforms including Android, which means that many different users could be affected by these privacy concerns. The Duth Data Protection Authority doesn’t appear to be ready to take any action, as it says it will monitor WhatsApp moving forward, handing out penalties if these perceived violations continue. Stay tuned. [via Reuters] |
| Why the Nexus 4 is selling like mad Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:55 PM PST The Nexus 4 has been slowly coming back to an available status. Here in the US we saw inventory arrive with T-Mobile earlier in the month and that was followed with Best Buy last evening and Google Play earlier today. There is still some question as to whether the inventory issues are because LG is not making enough or because Google is selling them in mass quantities. That said, given the reaction and excitement about the handset being available — it is clear that the Nexus 4 is a device that people want.
While opinions will vary, we see quite a few perks with the Nexus 4. These include a nice display, a good looking exterior, fair contract-free pricing and perhaps key for some, the speedy Android updates. Along with the contract-free pricing comes another perk — the ability to choose your carrier. Here in the US you can take your Nexus 4 to AT&T or T-Mobile as well as StraightTalk. And yes, we realize that StraightTalk uses those same networks, however they do offer some compelling plans including an unlimited option for $45 per month and an unlimited with international option for $60 per month. Lets put the talk of carrier and plans aside though, because truly, that is just one reason why the Nexus 4 is an interesting device. In the case of the display, just looking at the numbers and we know that it is 4.7-inches with a resolution of 1280 x 768 and the protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The display also extends to the side edges and is curved in a way that has is sloping slightly down. This seems to make it a bit nicer in the hand and good for those times when a side-to-side gesture is needed. The exterior of the phone seems to be the one point that people either love or hate. Speaking personally, the sparkle design is rather nice looking. Certainly not nice enough to convince me to buy a Nexus 4 on that point alone, but a perk that plays in nicely with the other strengths. As you can see in the images included in this post, that sparkle extends over to the sides as well. Touching on the price. You cannot really beat $299 (8GB) or $349 (16GB). In fact, these prices as so attractive that we would argue the $199 on a two-year agreement price point seems high. After all, take the Galaxy S III for comparison, the 16GB sells for $199 on a two-year agreement and would cost several hundred more off-contract. It almost seems T-Mobile should be offering the Nexus 4 for $99, or lower for those willing to make a two-year commitment. Of course, if you are going to make a two-year commitment to an Android device — the Nexus 4 is about a good an option as any considering it is more likely to get updates. Which brings us to the next point — those speedy updates. In the case of the Nexus 4 (and other Nexus devices), you will get those updates first. And fast. The one drawback to that is sometimes there may be a bug, but again, Google seems quick to fix even those issues. To sum this up, with the Nexus 4 you get a solid display, low purchase price, the ability to choose a carrier and regular updates. Sure, you can sometimes choose a carrier with other phones. Bringing back the Galaxy S III example, that handset is available with a wide variety, but it also comes with a contract which means switching between carriers would be an issue. Not that we suspect many go this route, but you could get a Nexus 4 and jump between carriers on a monthly basis. All the good does however come some drawbacks. For one, the phone is on the fragile side and some care is required. There is also the lack of 4G LTE, which for some is a turn off. As for me, I would argue that at this point in time, it can easily be lived without. Sure, the faster speeds are nice, however when bouncing between areas where you have, and do not have LTE, that can mean a hit on battery life. Plus, for regular use such as web surfing, email, messaging and social networking — 3G speeds are generally more than enough. Heck, even when it comes to streaming music, 3G speeds are generally more than acceptable. The only catch with not having 4G LTE, one could argue that a two-year agreement on a 3G phone would not be the smartest move at this point. But then again, that is one of the main perks of the Nexus 4 — the ability to buy it for a relatively low contract-free price. We have shared a few of the reasons why we think the Nexus 4 is such an attractive option, but we would like to hear from you. Go ahead, fire off in the comments and let us know why you think the Nexus 4 is a good smartphone. Or if you feel otherwise, feel free to share those comments as well. Device Info
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| Galaxy Note 8.0 pricing leaked at staggering 391 Euro Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST This isn’t the first time we’ve talked Galaxy Note 8.0 pricing today, but now we’re hearing that Samsung’s rumored tablet might be priced at €391.99. That’s according to a listing spotted on Germany’s Staples Direct site. To give you an idea of how costly this tablet could be, €391.99 is right around $530, so the Galaxy Note 8.0 might be pretty expensive when it finally arrives.
That’s not even the most alarming part – earlier today, rumored prices for the Galaxy Note 8.0 ranged from €450 to €550 ($606-$742). That’s a lot of money to spend on a tablet, so hopefully some of these are just placeholders retailers have put in place of the actual price. Still, assuming the Galaxy Note 8.0 launches at the low end of this spectrum with a €391.99 price tag, that would put it a couple hundred dollars above the cheapest iPad mini, which comes in at $329. It’s almost even with the Wi-Fi only 64GB iPad mini, which costs $529, while a pair of the mobile data iPad minis are more expensive than this rumored price for the Galaxy Note 8.0. Of course, at that price, the Galaxy Note 8.0 would be much more expensive than any Nexus 7 model, with the most expensive Nexus 7 only costing $299.99. We can’t imagine Samsung making many sales with that high price point, so hopefully the company doesn’t charge that much for its new slate. Keep in mind that the Galaxy Note 8.0 hasn’t even been confirmed yet, so getting riled up over pricing at this point would be a little silly. Samsung is rumored to be debuting the Galaxy Note 8.0 at MWC 2013 next month in Barcelona. We’ll be there, so if the Galaxy Note 8.0 is announced, you’ll definitely hear about it. Stay tuned. [via SamMobile] |
| Nexus 4 pictured in white complete with sparkly backing Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:40 PM PST Today seems to be quite the day for Nexus 4 fans. The handset returned to an available status with Google Play and it looks like the first image of a white Nexus 4 has been spotted. Of course, many will remember that the talk of a white Nexus 4 goes all the way back to November of 2012 when we saw it come available for pre-order with TalkTalk in the UK.
That pre-order listing had the Nexus 4 bundled with a Nexus 7 tablet. Perhaps key on that, the device was never released and talk of the white Nexus 4 quickly went away. That is, until today. It seems an image has surfaced and it looks to be a Nexus 4. The pic doesn’t reveal the entire phone, but it does show enough to allow you to see the sparkly back. It appears to be the same style backing on the regular black Nexus 4. The image was passed to the folks at phoneArena and reportedly comes from an anonymous source. Details from the EXIF data say the image was captured with an LG Optimus G smartphone. It was also said to have been run through FotoForensics and “doesn’t seem to be photoshopped.” That all being said, while this image appears to confirm the existing of the white Nexus 4 — it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be released anytime soon. Or at all for that matter. Basically, while we understand some prefer to have their smartphone in white as opposed to black (or whatever other color is available), we wouldn’t suggest not buying a black Nexus 4 in hopes of getting a white Nexus 4 any time soon. Device Info
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| Acer tips quad-core low-cost tablets for 2013 Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:13 PM PST Acer has already received some positive attention for its Iconia B1 tablet, which is a 7-incher that’s aimed at the budget crowd. Looking to take a slice of Google’s Nexus 7 pie isn’t easy, but it seems that Acer wants to push forward by offering new budget-friendly tablets in 2013. Specifically, it appears that Acer CEO Linxian Lang told the China Times that it will have low-cost 8 and 10-inch tablets coming up later this year.
These tablets are said to have a price point ranging from 150 to 175 Euros, which puts them at about $202 to $236. That certainly isn’t bad considering how expensive some tablets can get, but of course, pricing hasn’t been set in stone yet, so that could change. These tablets will also come packed with quad-core processors, which will make them all the more attractive to those looking for a deal. So, in 2013, we may see Acer try to corner the entry-level market. That isn’t a bad idea, because while others like Apple and Samsung duke it out over the high-end tablet crowd, Acer can make its tablets appeal to more mainstream users. That could potentially result in quite a few sales, so provided Acer can offer these quad-core tablets on the cheap, it might just have a winning strategy on its hands. Lang discussed the tablet market when talking to the China Times, saying that the company expects 200 million tablets to be sold this year. Of those 200 million, 80 million will be expensive high-end devices, leaving 120 million sales to the mainsteam crowd. If those projections are accurate, then there should be plenty of market share to capture when it comes to entry-level and mid-range tablets. We’ll have to wait and see if Acer makes any formal announcements for these tablets, so stay tuned. [via Notebook Italia] |
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