Wednesday 29 August 2012

29/08/2012

Galaxy Note II arrives, with the ATIV S, before IFA!


   They guys over at PocketLint appear to have scored quite a scoop today! If they're right the image above is the upcoming Galaxy Note II, which is slated for release at IFA next week.

   The guys believe there will be two colour variants of the phone; blue and white, much like Samsung's Galaxy S3. On the front there will be a 5.5-inch 1280×720 resolution display which will be a massive HD Super AMOLED panel.

   The rest of the specs are equally impressive; with a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU, 2GB of RAM, 8 and 1.9 megapixel cameras, and a huge 3,100mAh battery. This beast of a battery will not make the device thicker than its predecessor, but it'll make it slightly heavier.

   The body will be a mere 9.4mm thick a marginal thinning compared to the original which was 9.65mm. All of this will make it a whopping 2 grams heavier(!) than the first Note, and we expect to see 16, 32, and 64GB iterations.

Samsung Ativ S!
   As for you guys across the pond we have no news on what the specs will be for you yet and or if there will US availability!

Samsung ATIV S.
As well as the Note II here is the Samsung ATIV S, the company's first Windows Phone 8 device!

   It has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera paired with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. The internals are crammed into a 8.7mm thick profile and the rest of the specs include 1GB of RAM,16GB or 32GB models, both of which come with a microSD slot for more storage and the whole device is powered by a 2300mAh battery. The body is made with brushed aluminum(!!!), the screen lies behind Gorilla Glass, and Samsung opted for a physical Windows button instead of a capacitive one — a decision that matches its latest Android devices.

Samsung Galaxy Camera!

   Perhaps we should have seen this one coming, after all Samsung has brought us the Galaxy Beam! Another quirky mix of Android and attachment has occurred today and this time Samsung has added a 16MP shooter!

   There's actually a great spec sheet on this thing; things are kicked off by a 4.8-inch 1280 x 720 touchscreen running at 308ppi, along with the voice control that’s part of Android. There’s also the same sort of in-device intelligence that we’ve seen on the Galaxy S III – in fact it runs on a 1.4GHz quadcore processor as well!

   Amazingly Samsung has managed to put out Jelly Bean with this thing although we aren't holding out for many updates in the future! And yep this thing is aimed at socialites and the 3G/4G connections and onboard editing and social sharing features should be a hit! And if you need to know exact details about this cameras' prowess then you'll have a 21x optical zoom on that 16-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS which itself is paired with a 23mm wide-angle lens! 


Samsung ATIV Tab 10.1.



   So what does every good Android manufacturer need? Some Windows powered 'balance' that's what! This is Samsung's attempt to make sure all consumer bases are covered with a Windows RT powered version of their popular tablets.

   This is essentially the Galaxy Note 10.1's Windows cousin, but with the slightly less powerful processor and a slightly worse screen, which would indicate that this is more for mid-range consumers (we hope!). Just for reference the screen is a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 display, and the quad-core Exynos chip has been swapped for a Snapdragon 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. The camera on the rear will be 5 megapixels and the front one will be 1.9MP shooter.

   Other than that the details are still light and until we hear more soon we won't know if the 10.1 will come with anything more than the HDMI, USB, super skinny and lightweight features we've already been promised!

Sony unleashes devices before IFA.

Phones together

   Sony has an almost completely new line-up of devices this time around and a brand new tablet! We could explain to you the merits of each device but Sony themselves have done it best;
xperia

"Xperia™ T
  • 4.6” HD Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for razor sharp clarity.
  • 13MP fast capture camera that goes from sleep mode to snap in just over a second
  • Full 1080p HD video recording capabilities and a 720p HD front camera for the highest quality content
  • Easy connectivity with ‘One-touch’ function enabled by NFC
  • Latest generation 1.5GHz dual core processor for improved battery life, fast performance and ultra sharp graphics
  • Android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Will be upgraded to Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) following launch. Detailed timing to follow.
  • MHL connectivity for viewing content on a big screen without the need for a charger
  • Use Xperia TV Dock with MHL to HDMI converter and charging connector to enjoy photos and videos on an HDMI enabled TV
Xperia™ V
  • 4.3” HD Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 for razor sharp clarity
  • 13 MP fast capture camera with full HD video recording.
  • Latest generation 1.5GHz dual core processor for improved battery life, fast performance and ultra sharp graphics
  • LTE for the fastest data download speeds (in markets where technology is available)
  • Easy connectivity with One-touch ‘One-touch’ enabled by NFC
  • Clear audio+ for the highest level of sound quality
  • Highest levels of dust and water resistance in a smartphone (IP55/57+) ensure protection from the effects of immersion up to 1m for 30 minutes
  • MHL connectivity for viewing content on a big screen without the need for a charger 
Xperia™ J 
  • 9.2mm slim stylish design
  • Large 4.0” FWVGA Display
  • Social media updates with illumination
  • 5MP AF camera and a front facing 'chat camera' 
Xperia™  Tablet S 
  • Slim new aluminium body and splash-proof design
  • 9.4” HD display with OptiContrast™ Panel with low-friction coating
  • NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor and Android 4.0.3 operating system
  • Android version 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
  • Various experiences with original applications and Sony’s network services
  • Optimized accessories (sold separately) to enhance experiences in every scene

   The Xperia T and Xperia Tablet S are both great looking devices and are worthy flagships for the foreseeable future! It's worth saying that the company has Playstation Certified all of these devices and they have promised Jelly Bean updates for the Xperia T and V, although we would expect the Xperia Tablet S to get one too!

   In case you can't wait to get your hands on them the Xperia T and the tablet will be available from September and the rest will be coming your way through the latter part of the year!

HTC rumoured tablet!
The image below is reportedly an upcoming tablet from HTC. We have no details on it and we have no idea if it's real or not. But, if it is real HTC might have to brace themselves for lawsuits as it looks painfully like a tablet version of Apple's desktop iMac computers.
HTC Tablet 1

In other news:

  • It's been reported today that Microsoft will unleash Windows Phone 8 a day after Windows 8 goes on sale, the date to mark in your calenders is October 29th!
  • Google is reportedly looking to sell Motorola's set-top box department as the company doesn't see it as an essential revenue stream anymore.
  • Samsung has promised Jelly Bean updates for both the Galaxy S3 and the Note 10.1 will take place in the 'very near future'. Stay tuned for the updates.
  • Verizon's version of the Galaxy Nexus can now run Jelly Bean, but only if you're prepared to go down the AOSP route at the moment!!!!

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