Category Archives: Computers

tablets

Samsung’s 10.1-Inch Alex Chrome OS Netbook Details Leaked

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Google’s Chrome OS isn’t quite ready yet, but should be here in a few months time. Meanwhile, a few juicy details about Samsung’s first official Chrome OS netbook have slipped onto the Internet and they are showing off what Sammy’s upcoming 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) netbook device, dubbed “Alex”, is going to include. First and foremost, there’s a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor inside, paired with a SanDisk solid-state drive with unknown capacities, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G connectivity and a VGA webcam, located up front. Naturally, there’s a Synaptics TouchPad down the chassis and that Google Chrome OS platform running on board. Still no word about price or availability, but we’re expecting to hear more about it at Google’s I/O developer conference, in a few weeks or so.

 

[via Samsung Hub]

 

tablets

iPad 2 To Be Released In Twelve More Countries

The iPad 2 is reported to be selling quite good throughout the States and beyond, but as time goes by and the popularity rise steadily, more and more countries are looking to be part of the overwhelming sales growth. As for that matter, Apple has additionally confirmed a WiFi iPad 2 release in Japan today, April 28, and in 11 more countries tomorrow, including Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE, then in China on May 6. And while local prices are yet to be determined, suggested retail pricing is on par with the US market, at $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model. As for the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G connectivity, prices are matching US MSRPs and said to be at $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model. Full PR after the break.

 

Continue reading iPad 2 To Be Released In Twelve More Countries →

tablets

Sony S1 and S2 Dual-Screen Honeycomb Tablets Officially Introduced

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We’ve already heard a bunch of rumors regarding a possible launch of a Sony tablet, and yesterday morning the move has been made. Sony has officially announced a pair of Android 3.0 tablets – The S1 and the S2 – with a very unique focus on its Qriocity media suite that integrates video, music, ebooks and more. The first in that batch, the S1, features a beautiful 9.4-inch touchscreen (probably at 1280×800 pixels) and is offering dual cameras along with a Tegra 2 SoC, an integrated infrared solution for universal remote use, WiFi, 3G/4G radio connectivity, “rich media” optimization, DLNA capabilities and Google’s Honeycomb OS running on top.

The second version, the S2 (which is also the smaller model of the two), is shaped like a book-style layout and boasts a pair of 5.5-inch 1,024 x 480 displays, together with that powerful Tegra 2 SoC, and a camera. Now, you may ask yourself, “Do I really need a dual-screen device?” Frankly speaking, we’re not quite sure, but Sony says it “can be used together as one large screen to browse websites and more. They can also be used for different functions as users can watch a video on one screen and input commands on the other, or check email on one screen and use the other as a soft keyboard.” Another optional use is given, that it can be operated as two screens for “playing video on one screen while showing control buttons on the other” which is pretty neat if you have a well designed UI for that.

Unfortunately, the price or the availability date haven’t been announced but we guess that it will show up in retail pretty soon (This summer?), while prices are rumored to be at $599 and $699, respectively. Full PR and a couple of videos, right after the break.

 

 

Continue reading Sony S1 and S2 Dual-Screen Honeycomb Tablets Officially Introduced →

tablets

Lenovo 10.1-inch Thinkpad Tablet To Be Released This Summer With Honeycomb On Board

Nothing is still certain, but according to a leaked slide which was recently discovered by the blogsphere, Lenovo is currently working around the clock to bring us a 10.1-inch Android 3.0 tablet with either 16, 32, or 64GB of storage and a Tegra 2 chipset on board. The 1.6 pounds rumored device, now being dubbed Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet, seems to be almost over as details on the product launch begin to surface, suggesting up to 8 hours of battery pack, tucked with dual cameras, an SD card slot, mini-HDMI output and a 1280 x 800 IPS capacitive touchscreen panel on top. As for price, well… I guess it comes down to what the iPad devices cost – from $499, starting this coming July across major US retail stores.

[via thisismynext]

tablets

Dell’s 10-inch Tablets Lineup Gets Detailed

We’ve already seen the Dell tablets roadmap for 2011 – 2012, but the guys over at AndroidCentral seem to have a whole new slide, with more specs and release dates. Apparently, there are three new tablets on stake, one, Latitude ST, running Windows 7 on board, along with Intel’s brand new Oak Trail processor, 1366 x 768 screen resolution, 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD, dual cameras, an accelerometer, HDMI-out and a removable battery pack which is capable to switch on for up to 8 hours of continuous work. While the other two, Streak Pro and Latitude XT-3, boast a 10-inch and a 13-inch displays, respectively, paired with dual cameras, and Android Honeycomb on top. Regretfully, there is no word on price, but the latest slide indicates the Latitude ST will go live this October, while the Android-powered tablets are claimed to start rolling a bit earlier – The Streak Pro in June and the Latitude XT3, one month later.

 

tablets

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Gets April 26th US Release

The new ASUS Eee Pad Transformer has already kicked off in Europe one month ago, and is now proceeding in North America. The 10.1-inch Transformer which has an IPS display panel under the lid alongside a 1280 by 800 HD screen resolution on top of it, comes in a variety of flavors and is said to be available for retail purchasing on Tuesday, April 26th, with prices starting at $399 for the 16GB model, while the 32GB version will cost you $499 – exactly like a WiFi only iPad 16GB model. As for the docking station – Well…I guess it will set you back roughly an extra $150 above base price, which seems quite attractive, isn’t it?

Update: And looks like the Asus Transformer US release day has been an overwhelming success so far. The $400 10.1-inch Honeycomb device is now officially “sold out” online both in Amazon and Best Buy. Well, that makes a lot of sense considering the overflowing amount of excitement that we keep hearing from many tech fans.

tablets

RIM’s PlayBook is Getting Its Very Own Email Client

Rim’s 7-inch capacitive Playbook tablet is already available for a pre-order, but the single fact that it doesn’t come with a native email client has already made the blogsphere whine and grumble about it quite a lot. But not anymore. According to a Bloomberg report, RIM’s Co-CEO, Jim Balsillie, has been updating that the company’s forthcoming slate will be getting the full-fledged business environment support and provided hints for a possible “over the air email client to announce very very soon…” – Hit the jump to watch the interview.

tablets

Cowon Takes the Wraps Off Its New 2.6-inch C2 PMP

We haven’t heard too much from Cowon in the past few months, but the South Korean corp. still has a lot to offer. And when you say Cowon, you mainly talk about media players (that seems to want to stick around despite the rise of portable tablets). On that note, the company has recently announced the release of yet another PMP device, known as the Cowon C2. Designed to capture the spirit of its predecessor, the cowon D2, the 2.6-inch C2 player is said to arrive with either 4, 8, or 16GB of internal storage at your choice, alongside a USB 2.0 hub, microSD slot, a composite video output, up to 55 hours of audio playback from a single battery charge, and wide range of formats support. There is still no word about price but the release date would early in the May. Stay tuned.

[via Korea Newswire]

tablets

Archos 7c Android Tablet Gets a Video Intro (Update: Now Shipping)

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Oh! What’s this? Looks like Archos is about to roll out yet another 7-inch Android device. At least that’s what the guys over at ARMdevices are saying, after taking a tour of the company’s Chinese compound and tackling with the forthcoming multi-touchscreen 7c tablet for a few hours. And while the 7-inch Active matrix Capacitive display that Archos has added on top of the slate is pure joy, the screen resolution (800 x 480), on the other hand,  isn’t exactly the type we were looking for. Other than that, there’s a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor under the hood, paired with a RK2918 chipset, a built-in Speaker, microSD card slot, WiFi, one USB hub, a recharchable battery pack and Android 2.3 (Gingerbreard) running on board. Prices are said to be at affordable range – under $200 – while the official release date (in Europe and the US) will be somewhere in June, we guess. Hit the jump to watch the action.

Update: And looks like the Archos 7c Home Tablet is now ready for shipping across the US, packing that 7-inch capacitive display, alongside a Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of flash storage, built-in speakers, wireless N connectivity, a microSD card slot and Android 2.1 (Eclair) platform – with a possible upgrade path for Honecomb – running on board. There’s also a direct access to Google’s Android Market, which is definitely a positive thing, and all in all the complete package will run you for $220 and not a single penny more.

 

[via ARMdevices.net]

Continue reading Archos 7c Android Tablet Gets a Video Intro (Update: Now Shipping) →

tablets

Apple Officially Rolls Out iOS 4.3.2 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Devices (Update: Jailbreaked)

Apple has just released iOS 4.3.2 for all iOS devices (e.g iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 1 & 2, iPod touch), while at the same time Verizon models are getting the v4.2.7 upgrade. The new iOS version is now available through your iTunes software and claimed to fix a few pesky bugs, several security issues, iPad 3G connectivity problems and repeated frozen Facetime video calls – A minor update, but very essential. Happy downloads everyone! (666.2MB).

Update: And a few hours later… A tethered jailbreak has just been launched into the pond. Mind you, it will not unlock the new baseband on iOS 4.3.2 yet, so make sure you follow the link and read the step-by-step guide much more carefully.

tablets

Hannspree Tablet Roadmap Unveiled

Hannspree wasn’t getting a lot of attention lately, but things could start changing this season with a whole new line of dazzling Android tablets, ready to roll out across Europe. First in that group is the SN10T1 model that recently gone on sale in Italy for €399 with a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor on board, while the other two, the SN10T2 which boasts 8GB of storage and runs for €299, and the Honeycomb-powered SN10T3 that is claimed to have higher resolution and 16GB of storage, will probably go live sometime between the second and third quarters of this year. Any buyers on the horizon?

Update: Hit the jump for a quick Hannspree Hannspad Android 3.0 video.

 

[via Notebook Italia]

Continue reading Hannspree Tablet Roadmap Unveiled →

tablets

HP Touchpad Tablet Gets The Hands-on Video Treatment

At this point, it looks like HP is really geared up towards their long-awaited debut of the WebOS Touchpad device, which has been recently made into a quick hands-on video that shows a little about the capabilities of the company’s upcoming 10-inch tablet. In that same period, the Touchpad seems to be able handling very smoothly powerful enterprise apps such as Citrix and eDrawings Viewer, while at the same time, running day-to-day tasks like sending emails or surfing the net are far easier than expected. Need some more steps to prove this? Hit the jump and see for yourselves.

[via PreCentral]

Continue reading HP Touchpad Tablet Gets The Hands-on Video Treatment →

tablets

Packard Bell’s 10-Inch Liberty Tab Honeycomb Tablet Introduced

Packard Bell, the company that was one of the major computer manufacturing players back in the 90’s, is trying to make a big comeback. Yes, PB is here again! and it’s adding yet another Android device to the overcrowded tablets market. But I don’t think you should have too high an expectation, after all we’re only talking about one of those re-badged slates, so nothing new besides this Liberty Tab name – it maintains look and specs that one can get for $450 when buying Acer’s Iconia A500 tablet. That having been said, if you’re still into the 10-incher slob, you can get yours for an undetermined price, somewhere around June. Meanwhile, you can hit the jump and catch up with the hands-on video, courtesy of Notebook Italia.

 

[via Notebook Italia]

Continue reading Packard Bell’s 10-Inch Liberty Tab Honeycomb Tablet Introduced →

tablets

Acer Aspire ICONIA TAB A100 Goes Up For Pre-Order, Ships on April 20

We’ve already heard a few interesting anecdotes about Acer’s 7-inch Iconia Tab tablet device, back in January of 2011, but only now (three months later) has it decided to finally unleash the Honeycomb slate, namely Iconia A100, into the wild and overcrowded market. As far as hardware goes, there are 5MP and 2MP megapixel cameras on board, along with a Tegra 2 processor, 512MB of RAM, WiFi (3G optional), Bluetooth connectivity and 8GB of internal storage capacity which are fairly reasonable but not enough for huge video files to load. In terms of price, the A100 may be considerably cheaper when compared to other devices in the category – only £299.99 (about $485) as it appears on Amazon.co.uk, with April 20th release date in the UK itself and later on all over the world. Good job, Acer.

Update1: And looks like the 7-inch ICONIA A100 tablet is now available for pre-order on Amazon UK with 3G WWAN capabilities attached and Android 3.0 running on board. Prices are at the £400 ($660)  range while shipping is due to May 14.

Update2: We’ve just added a quick hands-on video of Acer’s forthcoming Iconia TAB A100, courtesy of Steve Chippy. Check it out after the break.

 

 

[via Netbook News]

Continue reading Acer Aspire ICONIA TAB A100 Goes Up For Pre-Order, Ships on April 20 →

tablets

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Slate EP121 Officially Out in The UK

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Asus officially rolls out their latest and greatest Eee Slate EP121 and Eee Pad Transformer for the European market. The two, which are scheduled to start selling before the end of April 2011, are part of a fascinating high-end tablets lineup, and the first to incorporate the new Android Honeycomb / Windows 7 platforms into their budget priced models. And while the Transformer version (the one with the sliding keyboard) is said to go for £379 (16GB) and £429 (32GB), the powerful Core i5-compatible EeePad slate will set you back for a whopping £999 with a 12.1-inch IPS capacitive display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI output, a  2 megapixel front facing camera and a SD/SDHC card reader slot. Still no word on a US  release for these two mobs.

Update1: Oh! What do you want to know? US prices? Looks like we’ve unofficially managed to get ’em for you, as US retailer Best Buy just posted them online for couple of seconds and then pulled them off. And while details aren’t confirmed yet, we’re looking at a $400 price for the 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet (the Transformer) and another $149 if you really must have the dock. Sounds very attractive, isn’t it?

Update2: And looks like we finally have an official product page for the upcoming Asus Eee Pad Transformer slate, complete with the full software details and a list of hardware specs which apparently include a 10.1-inch IPS 1280 x 800 capacitive touchscreen display (178-degree viewing angles), alongside 1GB of RAM, a Tegra 2 processor, WiFi, GPS, dual camera on front and at the back, surround stereo speakers, SD card reader and a battery pack that is capable of delivering up to 16 hours of continuous work. Software wise, there’s an Honeycomb platform running on board, together with Polaris Office suite application (for spreadsheets, presentations and documents editing), Asus own Waveshare app, a launcher UI and Adobe’s Flash 10.2 support.

Update3 The good guys over at Slashgear have finally managed to put their hands on a brand new Eee Pad Transformer slate and leaked it to the web in a nice and short walkthrough video which can be found after the break.

[via Slashgear]

Continue reading ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Slate EP121 Officially Out in The UK →

tablets

Ainol Honeycomb Tablet Sprouts Out In The Wild

We haven’t seen a whole lot of Ainol stuff lately, but luckily the guys over at MP4 Nation did manage to spot this brand new Honeycomb tablet which is believed to be launching sometime next month. As far as hardware goes, the whitish device which packs an ARM Cortex A9 processor on board, is basically a low-end started slate with a very thick chassis and a 1,280 x 800 IPS display with an unknown size on the top. Other then that, for an undetermined price tag, we’re also likely to find WiFi and 3G connectivity, HDMI out, a set of hard buttons on the right side of the screen bezel and a microSD card slot, to read your media files wherever you go. Who’s up for it?

 

[via Android Community]

tablets

HTC’s EVO View 4G Tablet Officially Breaks Cover

We must welcome the rain of tablets that falls down on us so that the seed will grow. And the way it looks right now I think it’ll really take off. For instance, take a look at HTC’s latest and greatest 4G Evo View tablet, which has finally turned official with a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 multi-touchscreen display, WiMAX radio,  a 1.5GHz processor, and a microSD card slot. Has any of you ever thought of it this way? probably not. But it’s here, live and kicking’, and will be offered housing 32GB of storage and duo cameras on the back (5MP) and up front (1.3MP). At this point, we’re still waiting to hear details of pricing and availability, and it remains to become accessible somewhere, hopefully, this summer via Sprint’s 4G network. And it’s Honeycomb by the way. Hit the jump for the full specs, along with PR blurbs.

 

Continue reading HTC’s EVO View 4G Tablet Officially Breaks Cover →

tablets

Blackberry Playbook Now Available for Pre-Order at $499, Launches April 19th (Update: Now On Sale)

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It was Apple that set the price of the iPad at a standard $499 for a 16GB WiFi only version, and now it seems to work fine for all major players in this overcrowded market. RIM was the latest manufacturer to adopt this new pricing model. The Canadian company, originally known for their Blackberry smartphones, has just announced an April 19th release date for their BlackBerry PlayBook line of tablets, both in Canada and the US. And as you might be able to understand from the above, RIM’s average sales price followed the same pattern that Cupertino had already begun to offer: $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB flavor. Canadian retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop are also expect to sell the Playbook for around the same price, only in local currency. Full PR after the break.

Update1: And the rumor was right on spot, RIM just announced that its upcoming Playbook tablet will support both BlackBerry Java and Android apps. Great news, considering the fact this would actually include native C/C++ development support, HTML5, Flash and AIR support. Clearly a move that significantly impact the Playbook apps market. More about it after the break.

Update2: And looks like RIM’s latest and greatest dual-core Playbook device is finally up for a purchase, both in Canada and the US, while prices on Uncle Sam’s biggest electronic retailer, Best Buy, start at $500 for the 16GB model, and climb up to $600 for the 32GB model and $700 for the 64GB flavor. Tablet wars are definitely on the rise, now!

Update3: According to analysts, the Playbook sold an estimated 25,000 tablets in pre-order stage and another 20,000 in retail stores. “If correct, 45K+ sell through on the first day would be a success,” Misek wrote in his research note (Analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries & Co).

 

Continue reading Blackberry Playbook Now Available for Pre-Order at $499, Launches April 19th (Update: Now On Sale) →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official

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As promised earlier this month, Samsung has officially announced their two new Galaxy Tabs, with the expected 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch models in line. The new Honeycomb Tabs which herald Samsung’s entry into ultra-thin and ultra-light tablets market – both measure only .33-inches thick- will be available starting June 8 of this year, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, alongside WXGA 1280×800 HD displays, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and another at 3 megapixel on the back, 3.5mm headphone jacks, SIM card compartments, 802.11 b/g/n wifi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 and microSD card reader slots. Further more, both Sammy’s new devices are said to include gyroscope, accelerometer, a digital compass and an ambient light sensor, whereas the smaller version houses a 6000mAH battery pack and the bigger one boasts a 6860mAH cell under the hood. Remember, these are WiFi only flavors, though Samsung does plan to release 4G-enabled models later in the year to go. On the cost department, Samsung’s prices seem to finally be getting competitive and more affordable for the average consumer, as the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab is claimed to be offered at launch at $469 (16GB) and $569 (32GB), while the 10-incher Tab will set you back for $499 (16GB) and $599 (32GB) and not a single dime more. So there you go ladies and gentlemen, two revamped Galaxy Tabs on the stake and one PR announcement half past the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a few introduction videos of the Galaxy Tabs, courtesy of the Android Community fellows who recently had a chance to play with the new tablets.

Update2: And just in case you wanna get into the full spirit of the event, we’ve also added Samsung’s CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official →

tablets

Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO Tablet To Finally Receive Android 2.2 Froyo Update

It looks like Creative is about to push out a firmware update for the latest Ziio tablet that launched in the last couple of months, with Google’s Android 2.1 OS already preloaded on board. And while we highly recommend getting a new Android tablet with Honeycomb platform installed, the 7-incher on the other hand will have an Android Froyo upgrade, coming this Friday, and another one for the 10-inch model in the next few weeks or, so. The new update looks like it will be bringing greater language compatibility, as well as new passcode options, a text-to-speech engine and external storage app installation support. And if you don’t have any plans to switch to the current Android 3.0 operating system anytime soon, you can get this update either from Creative’s website or the ZiiO Space portal, once it’s finally released.

 

[Creative]

Continue reading Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO Tablet To Finally Receive Android 2.2 Froyo Update →

tablets

ASUS Eee Slate Gets a Whole Bunch of Interactive Ads

Whether you’re an artist, a blogger, a mom or just a business owner, looking to be productive and efficient, the Asus team seems to have a brand new Windows 7 slate to offer. That’s right folks, there is a new player on the field and it plays for all the marbles. With a 12.1-inch display and a Core i5 processor on board the new high-end Eee Slate combines Microsoft’s Windows 7 platform along with Wacom’s digitizer technology and a special dedicated whitish stylus pen to design and execute your very own storyline through drawing and rendering shapes, figures and models. Too bad it’s more than twice the cost of Apple’s iPad 2 wonder. Hit the jump to watch the action.

 

[via Electronista]

 

Continue reading ASUS Eee Slate Gets a Whole Bunch of Interactive Ads →

tablets

Dell Streak 7 Finally Gets a $379 WiFi-Only Version

We’re not so sure how many of you would actually be quite happy to pay $450 for a brand new Dell Streak 7 off-contract, given the fact that iPad 2 will cost as much as $50 more. That being said, a WiFi only version of this Android Froyo tablet had been certified, earlier this week, and been listed on Amazon for a $379.99 pre-order – Which are $70 less than the 3G-enabled flavor, or $120 under apple’s latest and greatest second-gen tablet. Is that good enough? I’m thinking this price now will make it worth the purchase. Hit the jump to read the specs.

Update: Now officially shipping throughout the States.

 

 

[via AndroidOS.in]

Continue reading Dell Streak 7 Finally Gets a $379 WiFi-Only Version →

tablets

Motorola Xoom $599 WiFi Only Version Goes Up For Pre-Order on B&H

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If you’re thinking of looking more into this Motorola Xoom Android Honeycomb tablet, but paying $800 isn’t exactly your kind of thing, then you’ve just come to the right place because New York-based retailer B&H has just listed the much anticipated wifi-only Motorola XOOM version online, and it allows people pre-order theirs today for only $599. And while shipping dates are yet to be determined, the number of units offered for sale is said to be very limited. We’re guessing that a “1st week of April” time frame was just made for the fools, eh?

Update1: It looks like B&H isn’t the only one to sell the Motorola Xoom sans 3G connectivity for the bargain price of $599. As a matter of fact a few other giant retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club, Staples, and even Walmart are said to be offering the Honeycomb tablet, starting March 27th of this year, and not a single day before. Full PR after the break.

Update2: And the WiFi-only Motorola Xoom is finally up for preorder from both Best Buy and Future Shop in Canada, and set to ship on April 8th, with the same US price tag ($599.99).

Update3: Word on the street is that the 10.1-inch WiFi-only Xoom tablet should be getting Google’s latest and greatest Android 3.1 update “within the next several weeks.” In that regard, we’re guessing that the upcoming upgrade will not skip the 3G-enabled devices, which are more expensive, to say the least. More details at the official Motorola support forum.

[B&H]

Continue reading Motorola Xoom $599 WiFi Only Version Goes Up For Pre-Order on B&H →

software, tablets

Motorola XOOM Update Brings Adobe Flash 10.2 Support

Motorola-Xoom-Android-tablet

We were so fed up with the fact that we couldn’t have a descent flash player running on the Motorola Xoom, out of the box. Thankfully, the company (in partnership with Adobe) now has announced a new release update that will fix this well known issue, once and for all. Starting on March 18th, Adobe/Motorola will officially begin rolling out their latest OTA software upgrade, which supposedly includes required enhancements to support the upcoming Adobe Flash 10.2 player and many other things more. Huzzah!

Update1: Apparently, the OTA will hit XOOM tablets earlier than expected, and is likely to support Android’s most recent platforms, such as Android 2.2 Froyo, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a beta version for Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb, which will soon enjoy the benefits of a smooth Android browser rendering engine that significantly improves the efficiency of data between images, H.264 playback, HTML coding, and GIF animation control.

Update2: There seems to be a manual OTA upgrade for the Motorola XOOM which can be downloaded directly from Verizon’s system update platform. The update is classed as version 3.0.1. An unofficial leaked update is now available for download here.

Update3: Meanwhile, before you rush and get your updates installed, feel free to hit the jump and take a look at the videos below. Full PR is also there for a read.

 

[Adobe]

Continue reading Motorola XOOM Update Brings Adobe Flash 10.2 Support →

Hardware, tablets

Apple iPad 2 Gets Dissected by iFixit

Well, looks like it didn’t take the good fellows over at iFixit a long time to get their hands on a brand new iPad 2, and then tear it apart into several small bite-sized pieces. To put things in a nutshell, their findings suggest (at least when it comes to the WiFi-only version) that Apple’s second-gen iPad device (model number A1395) includes pretty much the same size battery as the iPad 1 – a 3.8V, 25 watt-hour unit, alongside a 1GHz A5 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of Toshiba TH58NVG7D2FLA89 NAND Flash, and a Broadcom: BCM43291HKUBC WiFi controller. Furthermore, there’s also a clear evidence for the existence of a S6T2MLC N33C50V Power Management IC, tucked with a tiny biny gyroscope (AGD8 2103), and a small pair of integrated speakers. And if you’re seriously interested in this fascinating topic, head on past the break to watch iFixit’s full-fledged explanatory coverage.

 

[iFixit]

Continue reading Apple iPad 2 Gets Dissected by iFixit →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab’s WiFi-only Version Confirmed

It certainly took Samsung long enough to come up with the idea of a WiFi only Galaxy Tab. However, if  the following flyer may be trusted, then we should very quickly be seeing a 7-inch Tab sans 3G connectivity, going live in the near/distant future. When exactly, you’re asking? In the first week of April. How much? Only 399 US Dollars – A Benjamin cheaper than Apple’s 16GB iPad 2 flavor. Will it work for Samsung this time? Probably, and that’s because most manufacturers are motivated by the increasing competition on the tablet market to come up with more affordable high-end tablets. And let’s say it loud and clear: $399 is a much more attractive price for the average tablet user. Let the competition begin!

Update: And looks like Sammy has just confirmed a wifi-only Galaxy Tab version, priced at $349.99 in exchange for a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, 32GB of internal storage, SD slot, dual cameras, Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 support – due out April 10 and not a single day before. Hit the jump to read the  details.

[via Droid-Life]

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab’s WiFi-only Version Confirmed →

tablets

iPad 2 Lines are Popping Up all Over The US

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Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET
Credit: Marguerite Reardon/CNET

OK, so It’s Apple’s iPad 2 first day of sales over there, in famous Uncle Sam’s land, with downtown stores opening their doors somewhere at sunset, roughly 5:00 PM, as brave people start gathering around, while average (solid) queues length varies from small town to big city. Although, this definitely isn’t the crazy scenes we’ve seen in iPad’s first-gen / iPhone 4 debuts, back in 2010, there’s still quite a bit of potential there, assuming those queues are only going to grow bigger and longer. We’ve been busy gathering for you a few examples of images, taken by random Twitter users. More pictures after he break.

Reminder: Appe’s iPad 2 will launch in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25.

Update 1: We’ve just added a couple of videos from The Cube in New York, Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, WA, and another one from the Walden Galleria . Check ’em out after the break.

Update 2: We’ve also added a few unboxing videos after the break.

Continue reading iPad 2 Lines are Popping Up all Over The US →

tablets

iPad 2 Now Available For Online Purchase

So It’s iPad 2 launch day in the US of A, fellow readers, and that means long waiting queues outside Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, Target, Verizon Wireless, and Walmart retail stores, which are all expected to start selling Cupertino’s latest and greatest 9.7-inch wonder at about 5:00 p.m local time, and not a moment earlier. But for those looking to skip the hassle of lining up in front of crowded places, you can actually do it without leaving your couch – simply login at Apple.com at 1am PST/4am EST, pickup your favorite second-gen iPad 2.0 tablet (whether in Black or White flavors), browse through the optional accessories around, and play your online orders before the sun rises. In addition to that, you’re also getting the option to put a two line personalised engraved message on the back of the iPad, and dedicate it to your beautiful girlfriend or your most beloved mother. Full PR is half past the corner.

Update1: Well, it looks like the demand for iPad 2 is on the rise, ladies and gentlemen, and If you missed the first wave of online purchasing, you don’t want to miss the second one (assuming you do have plans to get yourself a brand new iPad device), which isn’t expected to ship for the next 3-4 months! Yes, it’s out of stock for online homies, at least for the time being. In store sales are still going as usual, with analysts predicting over 600,000 iPad 2 record sales over launch weekend only. Still want one and don’t have a retail store around? I guess you can try your luck over at eBay, though we hear that prices have already reached a whopping $2600 in there.

Update2: According to a Reuters citing industry analysts, Apple sold close to 1 million iPad 2s over the launch weekend alone. The profile of iPad 2 buyer is said to be composed of approximately 60% existing iPad owners and 40% of first time iPad customers. 100% percent of them claim to own at least one Apple product somewhere in their homes.

Continue reading iPad 2 Now Available For Online Purchase →

tablets

Apple iOS 4.3 Officially Out

Apple officially rolls out its most anticipated iOS 4.3 firmware update for iPhone 3GS/4,  iPod touch 3rd and 4th generations, iPad 1, iPad 2 and Apple TV devices. The new version, which has just gone live ( two days before time) and available for download via iTunes or Apple’s website, features several improvements such as mobile hotspot capabilities for iPhones, Airplay updates, a few Javscript Safari improvements, minor security fixes and the option to determine whether the side switch will act as a rotation lock or mute button, in case you are an avid iPad user. So there you go. Happy update!

[Apple]

tablets

Samsung Unveils an 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab Teaser

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We’ve already heard a few tales about Samsung’s supposed 7-inch Galaxy Tab successor, that will likely arrive with an 8.9-inch touchpanel display, and the folks over at the South Korean corp have just turned up another interesting teaser. That includes a mysterious and dark image that seemingly confirms that Sammy’s slim and curvy forthcoming Tab will be announced on March 22nd, challenging the Apple  iPad 2 outstanding design and its 8.8mm thickness. Stay tuned! We’re only three weeks away.

Update: The guys over at PocketNow have managed to nab a few more details about the 8.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. The first thing you’d notice is that it looks very thin compared to Samsung’s previous models (only .33-inches thick and weighs 1.03 pounds). Second, the 8.9-inch display boasts a 1280×800-resolution, and likely to run Android Honeycomb platform on board. There was a sign with the caption “Live Panel” on top of it and another that said “Mini App” tray, or so. What could it be? stay tuned for plenty stuff more.

tablets

ViewSonic’s Dual Boot ViewPad 10 Tablet Officially Live

It’s been couple of month since Taiwanese corp Viewsonic has officially announced their latest Android 1.6 / Windows 7 dual-booting ViewPad 10 in America, and today it’s finally available and ready for shipping. Of course, as ever, you’ll need to pay for the 10.1 inch, 1.66GHz Atom CPU tablet with hard cash before it actually departs your way, but frankly speaking, the prices aren’t dirt-cheap enough to justify an immediate acquisition. As a matter of fact, they have some pretty high pricing rates, despite the mediocre line of innards specs (e.g 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera). In terms of numbers we are looking at $599 for the 16GB SSD version which comes preloaded with Windows Home 7 Premium OS, or $679 for the 32GB drive, which packs inside the Windows 7 Professional flavor. Is it worth getting one over an iPad 2?  Overall I would get one, but it needs to come down in price dramatically. Demo video and full PR after the break.

Update: If by chance you happen to be a proud owner of the 10-inch dual-boot ViewPad device, there is a new update, coming up to the Android 1.6 tablet – Yes, you’ve heard that right boys and girls, the tablet’s getting an Android 2.2 (Froyo) upgrade. However, if you’re still on the hunt for one, you can either choose between the $599 Windows 7 Home Premium and 16GB slate or the $679 Win 7 Professional flavor (32GB) instead.

 

[Viewsonic]

Continue reading ViewSonic’s Dual Boot ViewPad 10 Tablet Officially Live →

tablets

HP TouchPad Sprouts Out in Vietnam With a SIM Card Slot Expansion

Yes, we all have watched the HP Touchpad announcement. We’ve seen the 9.7-incher in action, and carefully learned in great detail everything about the specs. But for those who wanted to hear about it from some other unofficial sources, without going under the scrutiny of PR companions, the guys over at Tinhte managed to get hold of the device they think is HP’s forthcoming WebOS 3.0 tablet. And while we have some uncertainty regarding their findings; the slate boasts a side slot for a SIM card, there is always a glimmer of hope that somehow this will pass into Palo Alto’s end-user model – Which admittedly does look awesome. Video after the break.

 

[via Tinhte.vn]

 

Continue reading HP TouchPad Sprouts Out in Vietnam With a SIM Card Slot Expansion →

tablets

Samsung to Reconsider Parts and Pricing of the Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung’s second-gen Galaxy Tab has already had its first appearance in public, at the MWC 2011 event in Barcelona, Spain, but the last word on that Honeycomb tablet still hasn’t been said. A lot has happened since then; Apple has officially announced the iPad 2, for one – A viable threat, that the South Korean giant couldn’t just ignore. On the contrary, in a recent chat with Yonhap News Agency, executive VP Lee Don-Joo admitted that Samsung needs to do some re-thinking as far as the Tab II inner parts are concerned, and made the pledge to “improve the parts that are inadequate” but didn’t specify what, where or when. In addition to that, Sammy’s top executive has also mentioned that his company will reconsider the new Tab pricing model, and may lower the Galaxy Tab 10.1 -inch price range, in response to the iPad 2 most attractive retail selling prices. A good step towards success.

Update: Looks like Sammy’s Honeycomb tablet will be released on schedule after all. According to Yonhap News Agency that have recently been in contact with Samsung, there are no plans to upgrade or redevelop the company’s next-gen Galaxy Tab in the foreseeable future. Perhaps in some other models.

tablets

LG Optimus Pad Gets a $699 Price Tag Stateside (Update: $529.99 on Contract)

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The 8.9-inch Optimus Pad has already gone official, but its final price was yet to be determined. Now, a New York based online store called MobileCity, has finally listed it for a $699.99 early pre-order, with availability details still missing from the board. And even though we’re not sure of the price, it would probably be very expensive and not worth the buy compared to Apple’s $499 iPad 2 for example. The truth is that LG has actually managed to come up with something fairly fresh, and stuffed inside some really cool specs, including NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 32GB of storage, a dual-camera array on the back with 3D video playback capabilities, and Google’s latest Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform preloaded on board. That been said, we’re still looking for that “prince charming” package, this durable and attractive device that will have us believe we can truly make the most out of it without spending so much dough.

Update: And if $700 is far too expensive for you to buy a Honeycomb tablet, fellow readers, there’s a new payment method that will set you back for $529.99 on a two-year contract (after a $100 mail-in-rebate). Wait a minute, is anyone convinced? A 2-year contract plus one time $530 fee? Ok, so it lets you record 3D videos, so what?  Maybe a wifi only version priced comparable to Ipad can do something – You hear that LG?

[via Android Community]

Accessories, tablets

Did Apple Just ‘Borrow’ The Smart Cover Idea From Incase?

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Apple has really blown our minds away with their latest and greatest Smart Cover revelation, yesterday morning. Designed specifically for iPad 2 devices, the fabulous and colorful covers – soon to be offered in polyurethane or leather flavors – Are made of durable materials and feature a clean design, elegant simplicity, and convenient use. Just snap-on the magnetic attachment, fold it to a triangle stand or get a full iPad protection cover in the most efficient way. So far so good, right? well, not exactly. To put things in the proper context, it looks like Apple didn’t really come up with the Smart Cover idea first. So who did? It was technology protection accessories leader, Incase, that brought it up with its wonderful iPad Convertible Magazine Jacket. Shocking! This isn’t Apple’s original idea, and all that’s left is to figure out whether the Cupertino designing division got permission to use Incase design, got inspired from it, or just “borrowed” the idea without even asking. A few pictures of Incase’s Convertible Magazine Jacket after the break. What do you think?

Update: Incase has finally gotten in contact with us and said the following:

“we will not be commenting on Apple’s case offering for the iPad 2.”

Is anyone surprised?

Continue reading Did Apple Just ‘Borrow’ The Smart Cover Idea From Incase? →

tablets

Apple iPad 2 Officially Announced, Claimed To Be Thinner, Lighter and Faster

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Apple has ended months of speculation by officially unveiling the iPad 2, company’s most anticipated second-gen tablet that will start shipping Stateside on March 11th and March 25th in other countries, with prices as follows: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), add $130 for 3G. The formal announcement which took place this morning at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California was super exciting, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs surprisingly taking the stage himself.

The iPad2 is only 8.8mm thick, 33% thinner than the original one (and thinner than iPhone 4), weighs 1.35 pounds, and has that same 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display (Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating) that offers a full capacitive touch screen, supported by 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch. Apple promising a “nine times faster on graphics” 1GHz custom built A5 (dual-core) chip (twice faster on cpu), while tablet capacities are claimed to be the same traditional ones, at 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage.

The iPad2 comes either in black or White hues, with 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR technology, as well as a large speaker on its back, microphone, 512MB or RAM, and a 30-pin dock connector, downstairs. The new iPad will also be available in a 3G flavor with speeds up to 7.2Mbps, while battery life is estimated at 10 hours or so. In addition, the industry giant and innovator says “…that 2011 will be the year of iPad 2” with 65,000 apps compared to 100 only on Google’s Honeycomb.

So, what else is new in iPad 2, you ask? Well, there are two built-in cameras inside, one on rear, capable recording a 720p video at 30fps, and a front-facing one, supporting 5x digital zoom. Some cool accessories that Apple is tossing, such as the HDMI video out which will run for $39, and a stunning smart cover case, made of materials like micro-fiber and “magnet” elements – that’s $39 for the plastic version or $69 for the leather.

Software wise, iOS 4.3 being announced (available for download on March 11, free of charge) with new iTunes Home Sharing features, Airplay updates, and Nitro Javscript Safari improvements, delivering much faster surfing results. Other than that, we’re looking at the new ability to “share your 3G connection via wifi” which is best known as Mifi personal hotspot, a lovely revamped Photo Booth edition, supporting nine live video streams at once, Apple’s FaceTime feature for video conferencing purposes , a whole new version of iMovie, that takes advantage of the iPad’s big screen (about $4.99) and the most famous “touch instruments” OS X app, GarageBand  that will join the lineup with 8track recording, 250+ loops, effects, amps and plenty stuff more for a very small price tag ($4.99).

So there you go ladies and gentlemen. Who’s buying the new iPad and who’s not?

Hit the jump for the video introductions along some few more pics and full PR notes.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple iPad 2 Officially Announced, Claimed To Be Thinner, Lighter and Faster →

tablets

Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 Windows 7 Tablet Now Official

Though we’ve already had a chance to see what Fujitsu’s  Stylistic Q550 Windows 7 tablet might look like, an official announcement from the Japanese corp suggests that the 10.1-inch Oak Trail-powered device will go live tomorrow morning, running Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional edition under the hood, alongside a four-finger multitouch WXGA display, 2GB of RAM, Wireless WAN, optional HSPA module, USB 2.0 hub and 30/64GB of SSD storage at your choice. As mentioned earlier, it is supposed to be available across Europe, starting tomorrow, for a whopping €699 (about $965). Pretty expensive, but that just might be changing in the next few months or so. Full PR after the b break.

Continue reading Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 Windows 7 Tablet Now Official →

tablets

Archos Rolls Out Arnova 8 and 10 Android 2.1 Tablets

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A known fact is that high-end tablets such as the Apple iPad or the Motorola Xoom are by far the most popular technology headline figures nowadays, but keep in mind there are also some lower cost devices that still make it out into this overcrowded sphere, and frankly speaking, they’re getting better and better every day. Such new arrivals, like the Archos Arnova 8 and Arnova 10 are enjoying the benefit of a market that is growing stable and somewhat predictable, in terms of who’s dominant and who’s the average player. That being said, you can still get affordable and quality in the same sentence, and that’s exactly what these companies (like Archos) are aiming for, aren’t they? In general, the two cheap Archos slates, which had already received approval from FCC to operate within the States, boast a 600MHz Rockchip RK2818 processor, paired with a USB 2.0 hub, MicroSD slot expansion, WiFi, inbuilt accelerometer, integrated speakers, resistive touchscreen displays, sized 8-inch and 10-inch respectively, and last but not least, a preloaded Android 2.1 platform, also known as Eclair. Storage capacities are at 4GB and 8GB only, but that’s what you basically get for paying 150 and 199 US dollars, or just under $350 for the pair. In addition to the above, the French corp is planning to release a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 Rockchip RK 2918 version with a more convenient capacitive touchscreen, sometime this April, for roughly the same amount of dough. And till then you can definitely dig in the two hands-on videos after the break.

[ARMdevices via Engadget]

Continue reading Archos Rolls Out Arnova 8 and 10 Android 2.1 Tablets →

tablets

Motorola Xoom Officially Live On Verizon (Update: Also in Germany and The UK)

For the last few months we have been talking and writing a lot about the Motorola Xoom, and now it’s all official at Verizon, available for grabbing for $799.99 off-contract sans Adobe flash support, or $599.99 with a two-year commitment package. The 1GHz dual-core-powered device which packs Google’s latest and greatest Android Honeycomb platform will be available on Best Buy’s shelves later today, but the 4G LTE feature, which many of you are probably waiting for, will show up for an update in 3 months or so, free of charge. The bad news is that we’re still required to pay considerable amount of money for an off contract slate, but the good ones are that Motorola has changed its WiFi lockdown policy, and customers who are willing to pay 800 bucks for the tablet, will now no longer need to register for a one month Verizon data plan (additional $20). Thank god!

Update: UK retailer PC World has just listed the 10.1-inch Honeycomb-powered Motorola Xoom for online pre-order, with 10% off at checkout compared to the $800 price we’ve already seen Stateside. That means the Brits will have to shell out only £580, which are roughly about $980, in order to get the Tegra 2 Xoom device, with 32GB of storage, sans 3G connectivity, or £480 (about $785) for the WiFi only version. Meanwhile, German’s biggest telecom company T-Mobile, has published its own 3G-enabled Xoom pricing, which stands at €699.95 – starting mid-late April. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom Officially Live On Verizon (Update: Also in Germany and The UK) →

netbooks

NEC is Taking The Wraps Off a New Android Netbook, The LifeTouch Note

NEC has officially unveiled LifeTouch Note, a new 7-inch netbook device, based on Google’s android 2.2 platform on board. The Note, which boasts a 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen with a 2 megapixels webcam on front, offers a powerful Tegra 2 chipset, along with up to 8GB of memory, optional 3G connectivity, WiFi, GPS navigation feature, SD card reader and an SDHC slot. We still don’t know when exactly this new NEC Froyo netbook will be out in Japan. However, we do know that it would go for ¥45,000 (about $540) or somewhere around. Hit the jump to watch the video demo.

[via Akihabara News]

Continue reading NEC is Taking The Wraps Off a New Android Netbook, The LifeTouch Note →

tablets

Dell’s 2011 Tablets Slide Unveiled

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Considering the fact that we’ve already seen a couple of leaked Dell roadmap slides in 2010, doesn’t mean we’re not interested to see a few slides more; on the contrary, we’d love to get ’em if you have any, in particular those planned for 2013, 2014, and on and on. As for 2011/2012, the Androidcentral guys have somehow managed to obtain Dell’s tablets forecast, and it’s here presented to you with much enthusiasm and galore. According to the roadmap we’re seeing, Dell’s Streak 10 is only few days away from launching, as far as the Q1 “storyline” goes, while in Q2 we should expect the Dell Gallo tablet, with a Honeycomb flavor attached, and a Streak 7 update somewhere in the late July. Staying in that Q2 framework for a moment, we’re also looking at Dell’s 10-inch Windows 7 slate, planned under the codename Rosemount and scheduled for June, with a 1366 x 768 pixels resolution display that supports HD 720p video transmission. Jumping forward to Q4 and Q1 of 2012, there’s a number of entries worthy of a mention, including the Honeycomb-powered Dell Sterling device (due out in late October), the Dell Opus One and Dell Silver Oak, both are due to go on sale in 2012 running Android Honeycomb platform within, and last but not least, the Dell Peju that makes a grand entrance with Windows 8 on board.

So there you have it, fellow readers; It’s definitely going to be an interesting year for the tablets form factor, at least as far as Dell is concerned.

tablets

Rumor: Sony is Prepping An Android PlayStation Tablet

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It’s a bit odd that we still haven’t heard anything from Sony about a possible launch of a tablet device, but somehow you always get the feeling there’s something cool they are working on at the moment. And if Engadget’s latest report should be taken into consideration, and it should, then the Japanese corp is currently working on some sort of a Playstation tablet, running Google’s android Honeycomb on board. Sounds almost unbelievable, right? And yet, it might be true. The name of the presumable device is “S1” and according to various sources, there’s a good chance it would boast a 9.4-inch screen with 1280 X 800 resolution, front and rear-facing cameras, USB hub, a Tegra 2 processor, volume on / off buttons and an IR emitter for the use of Sony TVs control. Rumor has it that the S1 will go for a $599 price tag with a planned September ship, or maybe even before. Stay tuned for a whole lot more.

tablets

HTC Flyer 7-inch Android 2.4 Tablet With 1.5GHz CPU Debuts

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Today at MWC in Barcelona, HTC officially announced the Flyer, an Android-based tablet with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen display and a 1.5GHz single-core processor on board. Titles aside, the Flyer will reportedly ship in Q2 2011 with an Android 2.4 platform (AKA: Gingerbread), alongside a 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and another one, at 5 megapixels, attached to the back. Moreover, the good looking aluminum unibody tablet offers inbuilt Wifi connectivity, paired with a 4000mAh battery pack, Bluetooth 3.0, a microSD card reader, HDMI out, a micro USB hub and DLNA support. No prices available at the moment, but the Full PR is somewhere down the road.

Update1: Also, make sure to stop by and check out the two “first-look” Flyer tablet videos we’ve just added after the break.

Update2: Not sure I like this all “pressure sensitive” thing, It feels a bit dubious. That said, the Flyer does seem to include a stylus pen for taking onscreen notes, or playing back audio recordings from the time a note was written.

Update3: What’s this? Looks like Amazon.de has just listed HTC’s latest and greatest Flyer tablet at €669, which means a little more than 700 US Dollars. Expensive, isn’t it?

Update4: And just in case you were wondering, HTC’s WiFi-only Flyer tablet is set to be released Stateside somewhere “this spring”. And while prices remain vague at the moment, the 7-incher is said to run exclusively via Best Buy’s nationwide retail stores, while others may join the selling later on.

Update5: HTC has just posted a Flyer demo video that seems to demonstrate the level of qualities the tablet has to offer. Check it out after the break (3rd video).

Update6: HTC confirms Flyer tablet will get Honeycomb sometime this year or so. Hopefully. According to the company’s Twitter account it “will be offering a Honeycomb upgrade when it’s made available.” A bit vague, especially when it comes to launching dates, but still good enough to give us all a ray of hope.

Update7: And looks like the HTC Flyer has finally made it into the UK market with pre-order prices starting at a whopping £600 (about $985) at Carphone Warehouse. This amount will grant you a 7-inch tablet device, powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm CPU, 32GB of storage, 3G connectivity and Android Gingerbread running on top. Did someone say expensive?

Update8: And if you’re looking for more reasonable prices, US retailer Best Buy is said to begin selling the Flyer on April 24th with a $499 starting price and all the good things we’ve already talked about, running on board. Regretfully, It’ll ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but we’re told an Honeycomb upgrade is something we should all look for.

Continue reading HTC Flyer 7-inch Android 2.4 Tablet With 1.5GHz CPU Debuts →

tablets

LG Optimus Pad Becomes Official

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Looks like it didn’t take LG that long to make its newly born 8.9-inch Android 3.0 tablet, AKA: Optimus Pad (or T-Mobile’s G-Slate) official – and it all happened today, at the MWC 2011 event in Barcelona, Spain. The Optimus Pad, which boasts a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor along with a 1280 x 768 screen resolution and a special 3D camera array on the back, is LG’s first real foray into the tablet market place and frankly, dear fellows, it’s doing quite a nice job, isn’t it? Availability wise, the South Korean giant says that the Honeycomb-powered slate will go live worldwide somewhere around March, while prices are yet to be determined.

Update: Engadget has the hands-on video, from Spain, which can be found right after the break.

Continue reading LG Optimus Pad Becomes Official →

General, tablets

Motorola Xoom Confirmed for Europe in Q2

Motorola Xoom has already gone official Stateside (WiFi only version), back at CES 2011 in early January, and moments ago the company has officially confirmed a Q2 European release of its 10.1-inch Honeycomb wonder – both in WiFi and WiFi plus 3G flavors. Prices still remain undisclosed to the public, despite those early whispers from Best Buy and co. Full PR after the break.

Update: Nope, you still can’t buy the new Motorola Xoom on Best Buy (or other retailers) yet, but you can download the company’s Honecomb tablet manual guide – all parts of it -64 pages that will teach you how to handle the upcoming device, and how to navigate through the Android 3.0 platform. The guys at Droid Live have somehow managed to obtain it, and you can have it right away from the following link below.

Download: XOOM_Manual.pdf

Continue reading Motorola Xoom Confirmed for Europe in Q2 →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab II Breaks Cover at The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Update: Now Official)

2 Comments

It wasn’t so long ago that Samsung launched its new 7-inch iPad killer, also known as the Galaxy Tab. And although we haven’t had much time to play with it, as much as we wanted, the Android-powered device has definitely won us over. But as you all probably know, good things with technological advances move forward at light speed, and so does Samsung, that seems ready and set to roll out a Galaxy Tab successor at the MWC 2011 event, which kicks out today. Well, that’s what the rumor says, and so does the following picture that features Sammy’s second-gen tablet (Galaxy Tab II), running an Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform, along with a 10.1-inch display, at 1280 x 800 resolution, 16/32GB of internal storage, and a 1GHz processor attached on board. Word on the street has it that it’d also include an 8 megapixel camera with HD video capabilities, but there’s no official confirmation yet either way. Please stay tune as we gather more information about Samsung’s upcoming tablet.

Update1: It looks like the rumors that were flying around about a new Galaxy Tab II device have finally been confirmed, as multiple media outlets are reporting that Samsung has officially unveiled its latest and greatest 10.1-inch Android Honeycomb tablet, namely Galaxy Tab 10.1 (and not Galaxy Tab II as we first thought), with a 3.5mm jack, a SIM card slot, an inbuilt gyro plus accelerometer, 16GB or 32GB of storage, a front-facing 2 megapixel webcam alongside a rear 8 megapixel camera, boasting a LED flash and 1080p capturing capabilities, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a pair of stereo speakers and a powerful dual-core Tegra 2 processor on board. Pricing details are to be released closer to the market launch, which according to Samsung, is set to take place in Asia and Europe somewhere this March.  Full PR and specs chart are right after the jump.

Update2: We’ve just added a quick hands on video of Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1, courtesy of the phonedog YouTube page. Check it out after the break.

Update3: If any of you have been waiting for Samsung’s second-gen Galaxy Tab pricing or availability details to show up, it seems like Vodafone has just got the news for you and the Tab II will be hitting Vodafone Portugal sometime this March for €699, while the Spanish branch will offer the new Samsung tablet for €349 on-contract sometime this spring.

Update4: We’ve just added a great and thorough Galaxy Tab walk-through video. Check it out after the break.

[via Samsung Hub]

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab II Breaks Cover at The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Update: Now Official) →

tablets

HP’s 9.7-inch Palm TouchPad Announced: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, Beats Audio engine and webOS 3.0 Platform

4 Comments

We’ve already seen a glimpse of what HP’s 9.7-inch Touchpad device looks like, and today it finally sees an official announcement. And while the tablet itself doesn’t break any design ground, the new webOS 3.0 platform is simply mind blowing. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds and measuring only 13.7mm thick, the Palm TouchPad, which used to be called Topaz, also includes a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, along with a very sharp  9.7-inch 1024 x 768 touchscreen display, an integrated gyroscope, accelerometer, your choice of 16/32GB of internal storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A-GPS capabilities, and a 1.3MP front-facing camera, for audio/video conferencing support. Also, as far as music entertainment at this new Hewlett-Packard tablet goes, you get yourself a set of inbuilt stereo speakers, powered by HP’s own Beats audio engine that produces a  ‘Jump Smokers Sound’ that will make you dance, shake and rock.

Software wise, HP/Palm’s webOS 3.0 is beating everything easily so far. Generally speaking, it does kick Apple’s ass in some of the places, and certainly a lot nicer to use than any Android-powered devices we’ve ever had a chance to experience. Not only is the UI slick and geared toward public consumption, it is probably the only one out there to feature a true multitasking, to date (you hear that Apple?). Besides that, there’s a very cool email app preloaded inside, as well as a virtual keyboard, VPN capabilities, touch to share integration, wireless printing, and well established QuickOffice, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net support.

Regretfully, price wasn’t announced yet (someone’s probably waiting for Apple to announce iPad 2 first) and the ship is set for this undetermined “coming this summer,” date…but that doesn’t mean we are any less excited, right?

While waiting, make sure you hit the jump to watch the video.

Update: We’ve just added another quick hands-on video, courtesy of TechnoBuffalo.

Continue reading HP’s 9.7-inch Palm TouchPad Announced: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, Beats Audio engine and webOS 3.0 Platform →

tablets

Motorola Xoom Hits Best Buy on February 24th For $800, Says New Ad

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Oh! What’s this? Looks like Best Buy is done trying to hide the one secret (actually two) that Motorola’s been keeping from us for quite a while. And when we say ‘secret’ we’re actually referring to price and availability, the two missing parts in the Motorola Xoom Android Honeycomb tablet, which were recently detailed in Best Buy’s new ad – black on yellow. So, $799 for a 10-inch android 3.0 tablet, that’s pretty expensive, isn’t it? Not to mention there’s a WiFi “lock-down” which binds to a 1 month of 3G mobile broadband data at Verizon ($20 per month for a 1GB package or $80 for the 10GB flavor). That’s one major flaw! and someone from the big M needs to intervene. As a matter of fact, there’s plenty of time to fix that crap – We are now less than two weeks, away from the official roll out, which takes place on Thursday, February 24th. C’mon guys, let’s have a little tablets competition around, shall we?

Update1: Motorola just launched the Xoom portal. Let the game begin!

Update2: Reuters is citing Motorola’s CEO, Sanjay Jha, who has just confirmed a $799 price tag  for the 32GB Honeycomb tablet, also known as the Xoom (WiFi+3G). While a WiFi-only version will run for merely $600, which is roughly equal to 32GB iPad. Is anyone surprised?

Update3: The Motorola Xoom is finally up for pre order at Best Buy, titled as “the world’s first tablet to run Android 3.0” platform on board. And the Feb. 24th release date and integrated front-facing camera for video calling makes this a perfect Valentine’s gift, don’t you think? Well, depends if you’re willing to spend $800 on your partners in exchange for a 3G-enabled 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet and some LOVE.

Update4: According to Verizon‘s web page, the Motorola Xoom that we’ are all expecting to see out on Feb 24th, won;t have flash support on launch. What? Yes, that’s exactly what the small caption down left says: “Adobe Flash expected Spring 2011.” BUMMER!!!

Update5: Motorola has just confirmed the release of its 10.1-inch Xoom sans Adobe Flash support:

“Motorola XOOM will include full support for Adobe® Flash® Player® for accessing the rich video and animations of the web, to be available after launch.”

[via Engadget]

Applications, tablets

Dell Streak 7 Has a Secret Phone Feature

Is Dell hiding secrets from us? Well, one can pretty much assume that if the 5-inch Streak comes with integrated 3G phone capabilities, its bigger sibling, the Streak 7, most definitely has them too – but regretfully it doesn’t. Not exactly. According to the good guys at Streak Smart, Dell’s new 7-inch Android Froyo tablet does seem to have this hidden phone application transplanted under the lid, only that no one has been willing to share it with us, at least until now. True, it doesn’t really work the other direction. In other words, there’s not much to do with it right now, and calls just won’t go through or get connected. Still, it’s really something to hope for, right? Well, can’t wait till it finally happens (and be sure it would). Until then, make sure you hit the jump and watch the video.

 

[via Streak Smart]

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tablets

Google’s Android Honeycomb OS and Android Market Website Officially Announced

Looking back on early January 2011, we catch a glimpse of an awesome experience of the Android 3.0 video teasers. Looking forward to what’s ahead of this year let us capture a vision of the great Honeycomb OS which will inevitably make Android the dominant Smartphone and Tablet platform of the future. The rapid ascent of Android has prompted Google to go ahead and announce the official release of its latest creation, made by Palm’s former UI designer, Matias Duarte, and best known as the Android Honeycomb – Google’s answer to many of tablet -based OS out there. And while there wasn’t much news about it, it is still worth watching – especially for those that widgets, finger gestures, or 3D rendering matters spark their interest. The one thing however, that caught most people’s eyes was Google’s Android Market which has finally turned official, as a web client, and gone live couple of hours ago with a very neat and simple Market catalog to browse (more than 50,000 apps inside) with both free and paid Android applications preloaded on board. Move forward after the break to catch up with Google’s full event.

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