Mobile Devices - Page 163

At this morning's launch event, HTC president Jason MacKenzie, said the company has been on an "amazing ride" over the last few years. He said that smartphone users "snack" on information from their phones in 10, 20 and 30 second intervals.

MacKenzie said that HTC "saw a massive opportunity to bring some excitement back to phones" and that "this isn't a set of incremental improvements I'm talking about a bold step forward for something new and fresh".

MacKenzie then introduced the HTC One, the company's latest flagship smartphone. "The HTC One improves every part of the smartphone experience," he said. "It has a complete visual redesign so it looks cleaner and more modern. No matter your age, we all rely on our smartphones, and rely on the constant flow of content".

If you thought Corning's Gorilla Glass was strong, it can still lead to cracked displays, which means there's always room for someone to make improvements here and there. This is exactly what two students from Cambridge University have done.

The students' product supposedly boosts the impact resistance of Gorilla Glass by up to five times, their product is called Rhino Shield, and is a new screen protector you install on top of your smartphone's display. Rhino Shield features a specific blend of patent-pending polymer, which gives your device more protection from shock, scratches and fingerprints.

There are countless other screen protectors on the market, but the developers assert that Rhino Shield is unique thanks to its impart dispersion and dampening layers that help diffuse blows against the device.

If you've been wondering why your Nexus 4 charges really quickly, well, it could be because of something Qualcomm have very quietly introduced - Quick Charge 1.0. This technology is baked into some of their Snapdragon-based chipsets.

Quick Charge is a physical circuit built into the chipset that talks to the USB connector, so it's not some form of software addition. Qualcomm acquired the technology when they purchased Summit Microelectronics last June. Qualcomm claims that Quick Charge 1.0 allows your smartphone to charge up to 40% faster than a device without Quick Charge. There are already devices in the wild sporting the quick charging technology, including:

There are many devices running the technology, which you can take a look at the list of right here. Qualcomm aren't finished with Quick Charge just yet, as they've promised "exciting news on the newest advancement in fast charging technology" next week - which should hopefully arrive as Quick Charge 2.0.

With the success of Apple's iPad mini, and Google's Nexus 7, it is only a matter of time before Microsoft jumps into the small tablet market. During the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference on Wednesday, Microsoft CFO Peter Klein, said that the company is open to and willing to bring a wide range of new form factors to the mobile device market.

Not only is the company considering a small form factor Surface Pro, but they alluded to being able to produce devices as large as 27 inches. "We're set up for that," Klein said "The notion of flexibility and scalability of the operating system is intrinsic to our strategy."

Klein went on to say:

I've said it previously, but I think we're going to see LG really crank up their quality moving into 2013 and it looks like this is happening. Today we have the unveiling of the South Korean-based company's Optimus G Pro.

LG's Optimus G Pro features a 5.5-inch display, and a curved glass design available in both black and white which LG says produces a "2.5D effect". The aforementioned 5.5-inch display ushers in 1920x1080 pixels, a quad-core processor that we should expect to arrive as Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro.

We should expect a launch later this month, but LG haven't stated whether this would be locked to just South Korea or not. We should hear more later this month at Mobile World Congress.

We should expect to find our news here at TweakTown to be filled with more iOS-based gadgets as news of the new iPhone's begins to circulate. A Chinese media site has claimed that Apple will release both an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 this year, with the latter being a 5-inch device. Brightwire translates the news:

We've been hearing more and more reports of a "larger" iPhone, but just how much bigger should we expect? 3.5 inches is, in my opinion, too small these days compared to most Android-based smartphones being at least 4 inches now (averaging at over 4.5 inches). A 5-inch iPhone 6 would be interesting, but iOS needs to see some fundamental changes, too.

Owners of Sony's Xperia line of devices will soon be getting an update to Android 4.1. Known as Jelly Bean, the updated version of Android has started rolling out the Xperia T and Xperia V devices. The update includes redesigned media apps, camera features, and other enhancements.

In total, the updated operating system will be making its way onto 10 devices within the Xperia line of devices. The Xperia TX will have to wait until next month to get its update. For the remaining seven devices, no official plans have been confirmed, though it shouldn't be too much longer of a wait.

Some of the changes owners can expect are listed below:

Microsoft is dropping some pretty serious hints that the Surface Pro could see itself being charged via accessories in the future thanks to an upgraded accessory spine. During the Surface AMA on Reddit, Microsoft dropped hints that the extra contact point could be used to attach accessories with batteries at a future point in time.

"At launch we talked about the 'accessory spine' and hinted at future peripherals that can click in and do more," says a Surface spokesperson. "Those connectors look like can carry more current than the pogo pins, don't they?" A further post in the AMA says that an external battery accessory would "require extending the design of the accessory spine to include some way to transfer higher current between the peripheral and the main battery. Which we did..."

As you can see, it's pretty clear that Microsoft is planning accessories that would charge the Surface Pro. Whether these will take the form of a thicker keyboard with an integrated battery or simply an extra battery, only time will tell. Until then, you can rest assured that the Surface Pro will support accessories like these.

I'm sure some of you have seen that I'm personally excited about Microsoft's Surface Pro, but Microsoft aren't working with us to provide me with a sample to review unfortunately. So I'm waiting until it's released and shelling out $999 to buy it personally.

There are a few reviews of the Surface Pro floating out now, where we've listed a few below. The reviews are mostly positive, which is a great first step for Microsoft. I really think the second-generation Surface Pro's are going to be where the money is, so we'll have to wait and see how the Surface Pro does in the market first. On to the reviews:

The Verge

It's widely known that we will be seeing a debut of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie at Google's annual Developer's Conference in May. However, before Key Lime Pie hits our phones and tablets, Google will be releasing at least one more update to the 4.2 branch of Android.

Android 4.2.2 is more of a very minor update that includes a number of security updates, bug fixes and some performance improvements. The Nexus 7 will also see improvement in its Bluetooth streaming with the new update. We can expect 4.2.2 to launch as early as next week, but it could release as late as mid-March.

Key Lime Pie is reportedly already being tested on Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 devices by Google employees and there is supposed screenshots floating out in the wild. As an Android user from the start, I am quite excited to get my hands on a device running Key Lime Pie. What about you? Leave us your thoughts on a new Android version in the comments.

It never fails, just when you are finally getting comfortable with your new Apple device, the company releases an upgraded model that you just have to have. That just may be the case for iPad owners across the US today as Apple has just released the 128GB version of its latest tablet.

The new 128GB iPad is the company's most expensive yet with the WiFi model costing a hefty $799. If you want the LTE capable version, you will need to add $130 to the price tag, bringing you to $929 total. The new device is available for purchase now at the Apple Store online with the WiFi version making it to your house within three days.

Apple, as well as its fan boys, has stated that the 128GB iPad could be a true laptop killer. While I think that some users will inevitably switch over, I feel that for the most part, laptop users will continue to augment their PC usage with a tablet. This is mainly because neither the iPad nor any Android tablet out there has the functionality to fully take over the duties of a notebook at this point. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

A new rumor is placing the next iPad mini with a Retina display that outputs a resolution of 2048x1536. That puts the pixel per inch count at 324, or near double that of the current iPad mini's 163. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD both come with PPI's of 216, so the new iPad mini would blow them away if this rumor proves true.

Many slammed Apple for releasing the iPad mini with such a low-resolution screen. However, the Retina display is more power hungry and costs more, so it was a sacrifice that Apple had to make in order to keep the device thin, light, and cheap. This rumor may prove to be true, however, as it goes along with an earlier rumor that Apple has picked AU Optronics to make the HD Retina panel for the next iPad mini.

We likely won't see a new mini until at least August. When that time rolls around, we should hopefully know more about the device.

BLU Products' latest smartphone creations have been announced, with their Quattro line of smartphones all based on NVIDIA's Tegra 3 SoC and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The first of which is the entry-level Quattro 4.5, featuring a 4.5-inch qHD display, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 4GB of internal memory expandable by up to 32GB with an external memory card, and 1GB of RAM. The Quattro 4.5 will be available in the coming days at $249.99 unlocked through various websites in the US.

Next up we have the Quattro 4.5 HD which sports an Advanced Super View 4.5-inch HD 326ppi display which is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass. We find an 8-megapixel rear-facing snapper on the Quattro 4.5 HD which also features an f/2.4 large aperture lens, 16GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM. The Quattro 4.5 HD will be available in the first week of this month at $349.99.

Taipei Game Show 2013 - Yesterday during the Taipei Game Show we were given the opportunity to sit down with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan and talk about the upcoming Edge gaming tablet.

Min has recently returned from the United States where his company saw the successful announcement of Razer Edge, (formerly codenamed Project Fiona, first unveiled at CES 2012) at CES in Las Vegas, a product which the Singaporean hopes will find a home in gamers houses in the US "in the next couple of weeks". Gamers in other countries around the world will need to wait a little longer as Razer staggers its launch for this product in order to keep up with demand.

The Razer Edge will sell as two models including the base model and the Pro model. The base model that will sell for $999 ships with Core i5 CPU, GEFORCE GT640 GPU, 4GB RAM and a 64GB SSD. The Pro model will sell for $1299 and it ships with a faster Core i7 CPU, GEFORCE 640MLE GPU, 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. It's a rather unique product in that it's not just a tablet, but with the add-ons it can become a portable console, a home console that can be connected to your TV for a larger gaming experience, and for productivity, it can be turned into a PC with the docking keyboard.

Our UK readers have been able to get their hands on the new BlackBerry Z10 since this morning and we are super jealous over on this side of the pond. If you are one of the lucky ones to now own a BlackBerry 10 device, you're in luck! BlackBerry has just released BlackBerry Link.

By now you are most definitely asking yourself, "what is BlackBerry Link and why do I need it?" To keep it simple, BlackBerry link is the new name for BlackBerry desktop software, which makes backing up and syncing your BB10 device very easy. It makes quick work of moving over your content like pictures, audio and video.

Legacy BlackBerry handsets that are running version 7.1 or earlier will still need to use the previous desktop app, while PlayBook tablets running BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 will be able to use the new version of the software. You can download the new software at Source #2 below.

Older Lumia devices can now be updated to Windows Phone 7.8. Nokia announced the available update alongside the video seen below and is encouraging users to update their Lumia devices to the latest Windows Phone 7. While it isn't Windows Phone 8, it will be the best thing available to these older Lumia devices.

Microsoft has released Windows Phone 7.8 to try and keep users happy, or at least that's what it would appear to be. Users with older Windows Phone 7 devices are unable to update to the latest Windows Phone 8, so Microsoft promised Windows Phone 7.8, which features a Start Screen similar to that of Windows Phone 8.

Nokia says to update your phone through the Zune for PC app. If you're an owner of one of these older Lumia devices, it should soon be prompting you to update it. If you already have Windows Phone 7.8, let us know what you think of it!

BlackBerry had a lot of announcements this morning at its BB10 launch event in NYC. What we didn't see in the live coverage was the booth's set up around the event showcasing the official accessories for the new BlackBerry Z10.

The Verge has just posted some images of a few of the official accessories geared for use with the new Z10. As expected there is a whole line-up of protective and stylish cases, but the big news accessories seem to be the optional Z10 charger that has a slot for charging a back-up battery.

Alongside the new charger is what appears to be a clip on Bluetooth 4.0 speaker that is big enough to clip onto the straps of even the largest messenger bag. The speaker doubles as a speaker phone and it has an auxiliary port so you can play music wirelessly on any device that lacks Bluetooth support.

The final major announcement at the BlackBerry 10 launch took most of us by surprise. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced that BlackBerry has been consulting with entrepreneurs and artist from around the globe in an effort to improve the company, and as a result BlackBerry has decided to create a new position called 'Global Creative Director'.

Hines said, "We've created a new position at BlackBerry, Global Creative Director. We wanted someone at the top of her field, someone who could help guide us. I want to announce 40 time Grammy award singer song writer, one of the top 30 people on twitter, wife and mother, Alicia Keys as the new Global Creative Director at BlackBerry."

Keys said "I'm so excited, thank you for reaching out to me. I love the new browser, the hub, the flow. I'm obsessed with the time shift, I love how you can switch from work to play mode through balance." Keys went on to say, "I was in a long term relationship with BB, and I started to notice some new hotter, more attractive, sexier phones at the gym. So I broke up with you, but started to miss how you organized my life. Then one day you called, and told me how you hard to started to work out, and now, we're exclusively dating again!"

BlackBerry just announced that as of today the BlackBerry World store already contains 70,000+ apps. They have partnered with all of the major app developers to bring the most popular apps to the service.

VP of Global Alliances and Business Development Martyn Mallick said, "Many people didn't believe we could create a BlackBerry that has incredible content and experiences. We are launching BB10 with more apps by far than any first-gen operating system - over 70,000 applications have already been added to the BlackBerry World Store."

Mallick continued, "When people get BB10 devices, they're going to be looking for certain apps... We have Skype committed to BB10, Amazon Kindle, Whatsapp, SAP, Angry Birds... over 1,000 of top applications from around the world committed to BB10."

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins along with Vivek Bhardwaj, head of software portfolio, just announced several new and exciting keyboard and BlackBerry Messenger features. Heins said "We have the experience to be best keyboard experience... Everything feels like a BlackBerry. I call this writing without typing. Imagine typing on one screen with a single thumb."

Bhardwaj pointed out that "We wanted to do more than just building gestures. The new keyboard features predictive typing that can adapt by language. Sometimes I'm in a real rush and I start typing fast, make mistakes, miss spaces, the new BlackBerry 10 keyboard can fix that too on its own".

The presentation then moved on to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). Bhardwaj said "The new keyboard is a great innovation, but I know there's another feature you can't live without: Blackberry Messenger. I've always enjoyed the real time nature of it, I use it for work, family, friends", said Heins.