Mobile Devices - Page 141

Lenovo has just announced its new Tab S8 tablet, a new slate that is powered by an Intel Atom processor and runs Android 4.4. This is Lenovo's first Intel-powered, Android-based tablet, with a 1.3GHz processor inside that will take care of the processing side of things, and if things get heavy, it'll go into burst mode to 1.86GHz.

The new Tab S8 features an 8-inch 1920x1200 display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal flash storage, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera backed up by a 1.6-megapixel front-facing shooter. The Intel processor found inside is an Atom Z3745 processor, which features Intel's Burst Performance Technology. The Tab S8 weighs 294g (or 0.65lbs), with it being just 0.78cm (or 0.31 inches) thick.

We also have optional 4G capabilities, and Wi-Fi for the communication side of things. Lenovo has also provided Bluetooth 4.0, and Dolby-enhanced dual front speakers to handle the audio side of things. Best of all, we will see the Lenovo Tab S8 priced at just $199, with the 4G model being more expensive, but the company hasn't unveiled the pricing or availability of the 4G-powered Tab S8 just yet.

After quite a few rumors and reports, Sony's new Xperia Z3 is totally official. The Xperia Z3 arrives with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera that is now able to reach 12,800 ISO sensitivity.

The lens on the Z3 now includes a 25mm-equivalent field of view, where it can capture more of the scene you're shooting. There's also improved image stabilization abilities for video, which should keep your video nice and still - 4K video recording included. The Z2 already feels like an amazingly well-built smartphone, but according to The Verge, the Z3 is a "little bit thinner, lighter, and easier to handle." The company has also cut down around 1mm of thickness from the Z3, without taking away any of the 3100mAh battery.

Sony says that the Z3 smartphone will last two days on a full charge, compared to the 1.4 days on the Z2 and 1.2 days on the Z1. The Z3 smartphone will launch later this year.

Samsung unveiled two new Galaxy Note smartphones at IFA 2014, with the Galaxy Note 4, but the surprise here was the Galaxy Note Edge. The Galaxy Note Edge features a sloping, curved OLED display.

The display itself is a QHD Super AMOLED display, the same panel that is found in the Galaxy Note 4, except that it is a 5.6-inch panel compared to the 5.7-inch panel found on the Note 4. Samsung uses specific software to join the two parts of the 5.6-inch display, which allow them to be simultaneously independent and connected.

What does the sloping screen on the Galaxy Note Edge offer? The default status has it sitting there as a kind of quick launcher, where it is home to your most-used apps. Samsung provides a bunch of widgets, and much more. The edge can also act as a toolbar, where it will provide quick access to various menus and camera modes, or in-app settings. For example, at night time, it can be used as an alarm clock, with the time being displayed on the edge of the panel.

Samsung has made its Galaxy Note 4 official at IFA 2014, something that we've known was coming for quite a while now. We don't know much about this smartphone, but we're going to fill you in on that very shortly.

The Galaxy Note 4 features a premium metal frame with a slight curve to its 2.5D glass, which is now stronger and more durable. The star of the Galaxy Note 4 show is the 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, meaning we have 2560x1440 panel here with 3.7 million pixels compared to the 2 million pixels of the Full HD display on the Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung will be offering two different models of the Galaxy Note 4: one model with a 1.9GHz octo-core processor, and another with a 2.7GHz quad-core processor. We have 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal flash storage and a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of expandable storage. Samsung cranks up the 4G speed with LTE Category 6, capable of 300/50Mbps. LTE Cat 4 is also here, as well as the usual 2.5G and 3G connectivity options. We have Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, MHL 3.0, and more.

Smartphone maker BlackBerry plans to host a media event on September 24 to launch Passport, its latest device the company hopes will compete with the Apple iPhone and Google Android smartphones. Events will be held in London, Toronto and Dubai - and consumers have known about the smartphone's launch for several months now.

The Passport features a 4.5-inch LCD square screen providing 1440 x 1440 resolution, and features a QWERTY keyboard. The phone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and an Adreno 330 GPU.

"In September, we will host an event to showcase our device portfolio for the [fiscal year 2015]," said John Chen, BlackBerry CEO, during a June earnings call. "We're launching a brand-new device called Passport in September in London. Most of the information has been leaked to websites, so you guys should go ahead and check that out. This will follow by the Classic coming out in November."

It has been over a month since Amazon launched its first smartphone, the Amazon Fire Phone, but how are sales going? Well, Amazon haven't released official sales figures, but Charles Arthur of The Guardian has smashed some numbers into a calculator, with some estimates on the sales of the Fire Phone.

Arthur's estimated sales number of the Fire Phone comes in at just 35,000 sold, where he used data from both Chitika and ComScore. Arthur found that the Fire Phone has barely made an appearance on US mobile traffic since it launched last month, with the 35,000 estimated Fire Phones sold being the best case scenario.

"Therefore even allowing for margins of error, it seems unlikely - based on Chitika's data and the ComScore data - that there were more than about 35,000 Fire Phones in use after those 20 days [of being available]," according to Arthur. He continues: "Amazon had not responded to a request for comment on the calculation by the time of publication."

We will meet the Galaxy Note 4 next week, where it should feature the same Synaptics Natural ID fingerprint technology that is found in Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. Not only that, but the Galaxy Note 4 should feature added functionality compared to the sensor featured in the S5.

SamMobile is reporting that the Galaxy Note 4 should feature two notable changes in its fingerprint sensor, with the first being the ability to control which application opens when you swipe your finger. This allows users to program a specific application to open up when they swipe their thumb, with the app opening up and displaying in front of you instantly - instead of your finger unlocking the phone, and then having to navigate to the app you were going to use anyway.

The second feature is that you will be able to save passwords and log into websites, with the new Web sign-in feature allowing you to visit sites like Amazon, Gmail and many others where your username and password have been remembered. Instead of typing in your password, you'll be able to swipe your finger on the sensor, where the browser will then enter in your credentials for you. These new features will be added to the what the Galaxy S5 is already capable of.

One of the big downsides of the iPhone is the complete lack of expandable storage, with the biggest iPhone to date still being the 64GB model. But according to GeekBar's Weibo account, we could see a 128GB iPhone 6 according to a schematic they posted showing off the iPhone 6 with 128GB of NAND flash storage.

We can see that the NAND flash being used in this iPhone 6 is from Toshiba, with Hynix and Sandisk providing storage for the other models ranging from 16GB to 64GB with 32GB missing - which should raise some red flags. The next question is: will Apple charge more for the 128GB model, or unveil the 128GB iPhone 6 for the price that the current 64GB iPhone 5S sells for, reducing the other models to better compete with the likes of Samsung, OnePlus, LG, Sony and others?

Microsoft and Opera Software have teamed up so Nokia's Xpress browser will be replaced by Opera Mini on Microsoft's struggling line of feature phones. The deal is focused on the Series 30+, Series 40 and Ashwa software platforms, and Opera Mini is currently used by about 250 million users - including 100 million Google Android users.

As more Internet users, especially in emerging markets, relying on phones to access the Internet, ensuring Opera Mini is on as many devices as possible makes sense. Meanwhile, Microsoft's feature phones and Windows Phone-powered smartphones struggle against Apple and Google - but this is still a strong partnership for Opera.

"This is a great opportunity to spread the benefits of Opera Mini to millions more consumers in our core markets," said Lars Boilesen, Opera Software CEO, in a press statement. "There are still massive numbers of people who have not moved to smartphones, but Opera Mini can provide them with an amazing browsing experience right now."

During an event in New York City overnight, Sharp unveiled its new Aquos Crystal smartphone, which will hit Sprint and its pre-paid Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile brands. It's a mid-range smartphone with some slightly redeeming features, such as its barely there bezel.

The Sharp Aquos Crystal has a 5-inch 1280x720 - or 720p - display, with barely any bezels at the top and sides. Inside, we have a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of flash storage, and a 2040mAh battery. On the back and front we have an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 1.2-megapixel camera up front. For the software side of things, we have Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Sharp has also provided Harman's LiveStage, which "adds dimension to the sound" according to Android Central, who went hands-on with the device in NYC. There's also Clari-Fi technology which "improves digital sound quality by restoring all types of compressed digital music". If you want to get your hands-on the Sharp Aquos Crystal, it'll cost you $0 down on a 24-month contract of $10 on Sprint Easy Pay. Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile will be offering the smartphone for $149.99 plus tax.

IBM in partnership with London's Science Museum is celebrating the world's first ever "smartphone" - the IBM Simon, which is now 20 years old.

Although it obviously doesn't hold a candle to the devices that are now available, the Simon was ahead of its time in many ways. For a product released in 1994. it was a piece of mobile technology that could take notes and even send emails, combined with a mobile phone. There was accompanying software and it could also operate with a fax machine. However, it weighed in at a chunky 1.1lb - a far cry from the portable kit around today.

At nearly 1,000 USD the Simon wasn't a market hit - and no mobile internet meant it wasn't particularly well connected. IBM's device had a battery life of just one hour, and it was taken off the shelves two years later. But museum curator Charlotte Connelly said that, nonetheless, it and the Information Age exhibition Simon will be shown at serve as a reminder of a more disconnected lifestyle. "It does remind us of that time," she told the BBC. "I definitely enjoy getting away from things and deliberately disconnecting myself. There's something quite nice about that."

Following a public investigation and pressure from activist groups, Apple has banned the use of two dangerous cleaning chemicals linked to leukemia and potential nerve damage. The use of benzene and n-hexane in its Chinese facilities drew anger from groups such as China Labor Watch and Green America - 18 of the company's factories weren't using the chemicals, while four were. However, the four factories were reportedly using the chemical solutions within safe limits, but decided to impose the ban anyway.

Apple was called out in the past when a factory used N-hexane, which evaporates faster than alcohol, reportedly led to 137 employees being hospitalized.

"This is doing everything we can think of to do to crack down on chemical exposures and to be responsive to concerns," said Lisa Jackson, Apple VP of environmental initiatives, in a statement to the AP. "We think it's really important that we show some leadership and really look toward the future by trying to use greener chemicals."

Sprint will reportedly cut prices with an announcement set for next week, as the No. 3 wireless carrier tries to catch up to Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Sprint Chairman Masayoshi Son recently tasked new CEO Marcelo Claure with pointing the company in the correct direction following a failed bid for T-Mobile.

Claure replaced Dan Hesse last week, and is interested in dropping prices, boosting the company's wireless network, and trying to cut operational costs.

"In the short term, our success will come from our focus on becoming extremely cost efficient and competing aggressively in the marketplace," Claure recently said. "The management team has been working closely with the board to outline the future strategy of the company."

Google Android and Apple iOS are clearly dominating the smartphone market, with very little room for the Microsoft Windows Phone. Microsoft has added 11 additional OEM partners, and has attracted new developers, but Microsoft is still losing ground. There are more than 300,000 Windows Phone apps, but that greatly trails the 1 million+ Android and iOS apps already available.

Windows Phone devices dropped from 3.4 percent down to 2.5 percent year-over-year during Q2, according to the IDC research firm. Microsoft has tried to heavily promote its Windows Phone OS to users and developers, but it has been nearly impossible to steal attention from Google and Apple. Android has around 84 percent of the market, available on a host of different OEMs, such as Samsung, LG, and others.

"It's been an incredible upward slog for other OS players," said Melissa Chau, IDC senior research manager, in a statement. "Windows Phone has been around since 2010 but has yet to break the 5 percent share mark ... the biggest stumbling block is around getting enough partnerships in play - not just phone manufacturers but also developers, many of which are smaller outfits looking to minimize development efforts by sticking to the two big ecosystems."

LG has unveiled a version of the G Pad 8.0 tablet that packs LTE mobile web connectivity. With LTE connectivity, data connectivity while away from a Wi-Fi network is much faster allowing users to access video and other content on the go. The tablet has a sync feature that provides connectivity with other Android devices via QPair 2.0.

The users can connect their smartphones via Bluetooth and answer phone calls, text messages, and get notifications on the tablet. The tablet also includes other features from LG with Touch & Shoot letting users touch anywhere on the tablet to activate the camera. Gesture Shot makes it easy to take selfies by opening and closing the hand in front of the lens to get a three second count down.

LG uses an 8-inch IPS screen with 1280 x 800 resolution. The tablet has a 1.2GHz processor and 16GB of storage onboard. A microSD card slot is available for expansion and the tablet has 1GB of RAM. Power comes from a 4200 mAh battery and the rear camera is a 5MP unit with the front having 1.3MP. Pricing is unannounced and the tablet will ship in Europe this week before heading to other countries later.

Google Android 4.4 KitKat continues to gobble up the market, now accounting for 20.9 percent of total market share, a jump from 17.9 percent from July. The 4.4 version rolled out in October 2013 and wireless carriers have been excited to include the latest and greatest version to customers.

The continued fragmentation of Android, with five different codenames running different versions, however, is seen as a security issue that must be addressed. In addition, there is complexity of Google creating an update or modification, and then phone manufacturers also needing to conduct their own tweaks.

Android Jelly Bean 4.1 still leads with 26.5 percent market share, but KitKat is quickly working to overtake that number in the future. Developers are always excited to get their hands-on newer versions of Android, and app development continues to evolve with each new version.

Motorola launched its slick smartphone called the Moto G a while back and a rumor claims that the successor to that smartphone is coming soon. According to a source who claims to have been given launch details straight from a Motorola rep, the next device will be the Moto G2 and it will launch on September 10.

The devices are tipped to hit dealers by August, but sales won't kick off until September 10. The smartphone is said to sell for around €250, not exactly an inexpensive handset. We have heard spec rumors for the device in the past.

The smartphone is tipped to have a 5-inch 720p screen, Snapdragon 400 chipset, 1GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera. The front camera is a 2MP unit and the smartphone will run Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box. Internal storage is tipped at a paltry 8GB; presumably, the smartphone will have storage expansion.

Consumers are expected to control more than half of the estimated 5.2 million Chromebook units sold in 2014, according to research firm Gartner. The devices will see strong growth in the education sector - and while still not largely appealing to technology enthusiasts - the low-cost devices are building a stronger following.

Samsung led the Chromebook market in 2013 with 1.3 million units sold, and is expected to have 64.9 percent of the market by the end of 2014. Meanwhile, Acer has 21.4 percent, relying on the cost-effective ARM-based CPUs, while Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo have 6.8 and 6.7 percent control of the market, respectively.

" Competition in the Chromebook market is intensifying as more vendors launch Chromebooks, with eight models in the market in 2014,"said Isabelle Durand, Gartner Principal Analyst, in a press statement. " Now that the PC market is no longer growing strongly, vendors are searching for new business opportunities. They launched Chromebooks to revive interest in sub-$300 portable PCs once the netbook bubble had burst."

Sony has abandoned its e-reader business in Europe after being thoroughly trounced by products like Amazon's Kindle, it has emerged.

The Japanese company launched its e-book Reader devices to a largely tepid response from consumers in Europe. Its last model, the PRS-T3, will stay on sale in the continent but only until supplies run out, with the company confirming to the BBC that it has "no plans" to develop a successor. Existing customers have been pointed towards the Kobo e-reader device since February in North America and since May in Europe and Australia, according to a spokesperson. Sony's Readers will continue to be available in the company's native Japanese market, where the Sony Reader Store remains functional.

The overall e-reader market is totally dominated by Amazon and its kindle, although the sector is predicted to be on the wane in general as it is cannibalized by tablets and smartphones.

Samsung fans who are in the market for a new phone might want to check out the specs for the leaked Samsung Galaxy Alpha smartphone. The specifications have leaked online via a UK reseller. One retailer, called Mobilefun, is also taking pre-orders for the unlocked device already for the equivalent of $923 USD.

It's unclear what the release date will be for the device, but we know it has 32GB of storage and an octa-core Exynos processor. The smartphone will run Android 4.4.2 Kitkat and features a 12MP rear camera along with a fingerprint scanner.

The screen is tipped to be a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 320 ppi pixel density. Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and more. Rumors suggest that the phone will be announced officially on August 13.