In a burst of announcements Asus has announced the Fonepad Note 6, a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone line, with some great specs.
The Fonepad Note 6 features a 6-inch Full HD Super IPS+ display, a stylus which can be docked in the actual device like the Galaxy Note range, and dual front facing speakers with ASUS SonicMaster audio technology...
Read the full story here... Source: Android Authority
KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung has sent out its IFA invitations, and they all but confirm that the Galaxy Note 3 will appear at this year's German technology show.
Samsung's IFA invitation pictured above arrived in our inbox on Monday afternoon, telling us to "Note the date" of Samsung's 4 September press conference alongside a trio of Samsung Unpacked images. This is our biggest clue yet that Samsung will announce its next generation Galaxy Note smartphone, the Galaxy Note 3 at the Berlin technology show, just as speculation had suggested...
To read the full story... Source: The Inquirer
According to the iOS 7 beta, Apple is testing a new iPad mini model that includes an A6 chip -- the same as the current iPhone 5 -- and a non-retina display, reports 9to5Mac.
The information was sent to the site by developer Nick Frey, who found the details inside a file that lists all the iOS devices that support iOS 7. The A6 processor would be a logical upgrade for the iPad mini, advancing its main processing chip to the next generation.
According to the provided information, Apple is considering three new iPad mini models: iPad “2,8,” iPad “2,9,” and iPad “2,10.” The respective code names for the devices are J75, J76, and J77. This points to one WiFi-only model and two cellular-compatible models (just like the current iPad minis).
As for what these new iPad minis will feature, the references state that the devices include the “s5l8950x” processor. This is the same A6 system-on-a-chip inside of Apple’s iPhone 5, and this would offer significant speed improvements for the iPad mini compared to the current A5-based model.
Current iPad mini models are nicknamed '2,5'; '2,6'; and '2,7'. 9to5Mac also notes that the models don't include references to '@2x' code that relates to Retina-display supported artwork -- that code is included in the iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation iPad, leading the site to conclude that the new mini will not include a Retina display.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has vacillated in recent months over Apple's plans for the iPad mini, most recently saying that a Retina-equipped device would launch sometime in March or April of 2014, with Apple not planning to upgrade the device at all until that time.
It's possible that this non-retina iPad mini is merely a device in testing, but while Kuo has a strong track record, it's always possible that Apple could change product release plans at the last minute.
Source: Mac Rumours
Most people would agree that behind battery life and performance, the display is the most important component in a mobile device. Even more so in a tablet, where the display is especially crucial. A screen resolution which looks great on a 4.5-inch smartphone won’t pull off the same effect on a 10-inch tablet. The main reason for that is something called pixels per-inch (PPI).
The iPad 3’s Retina Display set a bar for other tablets to reach with a pixel density of 264 PPI, but then the Nexus 10 surpassed it with its 300 PPI display. On Thursday, the new Nexus 7 beat them all into a submission with its 323 PPI screen, so we are left a little perplexed by the lack of a high-resolution tablet from Samsung, the biggest Android OEM.
Sure the Nexus 10 is technically made by Samsung, but Samsung has yet to grace its Galaxy Tab range or even its Galaxy Note 10.1 with the same high-resolution display...
Read the full story here. Source: Android Authority
Marketing research firm Harris Interactive has awarded Apple the title of “Brand of the Year” in the categories of smartphones, tablets, and computers, as first reported byVentureBeat. The distinction comes after a poll asking 38,500+ Americans about the perceptions of their favorite brands, in which Apple was placed above other competitors such as Hewlett-Packard, Amazon, Samsung, and HTC.
"Americans continue to give Apple brands strong ratings," says Manny Flores, Senior Vice President at Harris Interactive. "And while their Consumer Connection scores are strong within their respective categories, what really stands out is that in all three of the categories Apple brands are measured - Computer, Tablet and Mobile Phone - its Brand Momentum scores are in the top 30 of all 1,500 brands evaluated in the study, showing that consumers see this as a brand of the future.
These awards come after BBC reported about a survey done by marketing group Added Value (AV), who claimed that Apple’s brand has become “less inspiring” among consumers.
Source: Mac Rumours
A new report says that Samsung is already working on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its top devices, with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 said to make the jump directly to Android 4.3 and skip Android 4.2.2.
We will remind you that this is just a rumor at this point, so don’t get too excited about it at this time, as we can’t confirm the news just yet. Temefy has it from sources close to Samsung India that the company is working on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, but also on the Android 4.3 update for the same devices.
Android 4.2.2 was already leaked for the Galaxy S3, but so was an Android 4.3 build for the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition.
Since Google is expected to launch Android 4.3 in the near future, it would make sense to see some devices skip a Jelly Bean version in order to run the latest Android OS available. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung will necessarily choose this route.
The report also says that an Android 4.2.2 for the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 would arrive in November instead of July, as initially expected. If true, that would be another reason to have the handsets move directly to Android 4.3 instead.
Finally, the publication says that the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 2 will all be further upgradeable to the next major Android version – supposedly Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie – but not all of them will receive it at the same time.
We’ll be back with more details about software updates for these particular handsets once we have them.
Source: Android Authority
The ASUS Transformer can be seen as the most flexible of the tablets and offers a great alternative to the Windows or OS X laptop operating system. Using the Android system, it can now function with the use of office documents and removable USB drives just as well as the Windows system does, perhaps offering a welcome alternative to some. The biggest boast for this tablet is the stunning high-resolution screen and the battery life, which is better than most tablets. Although a downside may be the price tag, which reaches close to most laptops, the benefit of this tablet is the keyboard which can make it more user friendly than most other tablets, great for those who do all their work on a tablet.
If the price range seems a bit steep, Cash Window can offer quick cash loans to help you get to that gadget quicker than most. As long as you know you can afford to pay it back, a cash loan can be a way to ensure that you can afford the lump sum for that gadget, rather than saving your pocket money for months and months. Cash Window offer cash loans available to collect over the counter or money loans straight into your bank account and a variety of financial options to suit your needs and periods to pay it back. So whether you’re looking for the new ASUS Transformer tablet, or another fancy high-tech new tablet on the market, Cash Window can help.
Acer brought a whole bunch of folks out to NYC for a global press conference and made sure the attending press got their money's worth. In addition to outing the unique convertible R7, the company unveiled the Aspire P3 -- its first convertible Windows 8 Ultrabook. The screen can be angled forward to use as a traditional (ish) laptop or completely folded down in slate mode. As you can see in the image, there's even a place to clip on a stylus. Acer wasn't too forthcoming with specs during the presentation, but we'll be sure to dig up those specifics when we get our hands-on (which should be coming shortly)...
Read the full story here. Source: Engadget
Microsoft's proper Windows 8 tablet, the Surface Pro, is coming to the UK "before the end of May", according to a company blog post. The software behemoth has yet to announce prices.
The last we heard about the delayed Pro was several weeks ago, when Microsoft said it was due "in the coming months". It'll arrive in other countries next month too, covering much of Europe -- Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland -- and further afield in Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
The Surface Pro runs full Windows 8, rather than the cut-down Windows RT on the Surface. That means you can run any Windows-compatible software, whereas the Surface is stuck with whatever's available on the Marketplace app store. Manufacturers including Samsung have criticised RT for being hard to understand, but it's due to get Outlook at some point this year.
While a British price for the Pro is yet to materialise, it sells for $899 (£560) in the US. The £399 Surface is cheaper in the States than in the UK, thanks to our swingeing 20 per cent VAT. Plucking a number out of thin air, I reckon the Surface Pro will be £700 here.
But that's just for the basic 64GB model, which doesn't have much free storage, and no keyboard cover. Upgrading to the 128GB model, which our CNET.com colleague Scott Stein calls "essential", and adding the cool keyboard will set you back $1,200 -- nearly £800, plus VAT. Cripes.
If you can't wait for a Windows 8 tablet, we can recommend the £600 Acer Iconia W700 and £400 Asus VivoTab Smart, both four-star machines.
[Source: CNET]
Microsoft CFO Peter Klein on Thursday confirmed the company is looking into smaller touch devices, further fueling speculation we’ll see a 7-inch Surface later this year. During an investor call, Klein said Microsoft is working closely with OEMs to create small touch-based Windows devices, which are expected to land with competitive pricing. Klein’s comments add more weight to a previous report from Intel CEO Paul Otellini about cheaper Windows 8 devices.
The Redmond-based company has been quietly inching its way toward smaller tablets, backed up by Microsoft changing its minimum tablet hardware requirements down to a resolution of 1024 x 768. Smaller tablets such as the Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD 7 and iPad mini have all proved enormously popular over the traditional 9-inch and above size. They’re not only cheaper, but offer greater portability, making them easier and more pleasing to use in most cases.
Klein also noted during Microsoft’s earnings call on Thursday that he is departing the company at the end of the fiscal year.
Microsoft’s own Surface tablets haven’t exactly lit the market on fire, and OEMs have found it difficult to hock devices running Windows 8 and RT, so a change is definitely in order. While Klein’s comments don’t specifically call out tablets as a point of interest, it’s certainly a logical next step for the company to take. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company doesn’t have anything more to share right now, so perhaps we’ll see an announcement over the busy summer months.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]
While the PC market continues to flounder, Microsoft needs to find new footing if it wants to keep pace with the competition. Samsung, Apple and others have found great mobile success over the past several years—with both tablet and smartphones—and it’s a sweet spot Microsoft will desperately need to muscle its way into. So far, the company’s Surface lineup hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm, though a brand new focus could help to change that later this year.
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the company is readying a completely fresh lineup of Surface tablets, including a more attractive 7-inch version. If Microsoft manages to produce the same excellent form factor in a smaller package and include a higher resolution screen, it could very well be the push Surface (and Windows RT) needs to become a viable competitor. Slap that with an aggressive price and Microsoft could grab a lot of consumer attention.
Last year, IDC research suggested half of Q4 tablets sales were smaller than 8-inches, with the iPad mini and Nexus 7 easily the most popular available. Microsoft initially didn’t have plans to go down the smaller tablet road, WSJ sources claim, but numbers don’t lie and, like Apple, it sounds as though the company doesn’t want to just stay out of the race entirely.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]