Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor to power Windows RT 8.1 devices as the Snapdragon 400 gets updated with LTE!

   With rumours running that Microsoft is looking to cut the licensing costs of Windows RT its' interesting that development doesn't seem to be slowing down behind the scenes with Qualcomm announcing plans to work with Microsoft to offer Snapdragon 800 processors for Windows RT 8.1!

   Just in case you haven't heard of Qualcomm's most powerful processor at the moment then the Snapdragon 800 is a beast of a processor which has integrated 3G and 4G support as well as speeds of up to 2.2GHz. This processor will be available later in the year along with the update to Windows RT!

   That's what Qualcomm are doing with the high-end devices, but in the mid-range Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 has been refreshed with four ARM Cortex A7 processors and built-in 4G LTE. The additions of 4G LTE and it being a quad-core processor makes this a much more marketable processor and is something which they needed to do given the plans of Mediatek to launch a 4G SoC for the mid-range later in the year!
Via HotHardware and AndroidBeat.

Read More

Qualcomm show off a new Mirasol display with a ppi of 577!

   You might have heard of Qualcomm's Mirasol idea before, it's essentially reflective display technology which has been inspired by the way butterfly's wings reflect light and make insane colours!

   The guys over at Engadget were able to see some mock ups of an 'always on' phone and a smartwatch which has the same display tech inside! The image you see above is just a mock up, but according to Engadget, Qualcomm's representative did say that the device will be coming to third party devices relatively soon!

   Those displays are cool and everything, but the future is a lot more exciting! Qualcomm are currently working on a 5.1 inch Mirasol display with a resolution unlike anything we've seen before! The 5 inch panel will have 2,560 x 1,440 pixels crammed onto it, giving it a ppi of 577!

   On paper that sounds great, but as you can see from the image to the right the display has a silvery reflective colour at the moment, which means that colours don't look as vivid as they do on LCD and AMOLED displays. But, at the moment the display is six times more energy efficient then either of those technologies and that means that theoretically if this screen can get colour right then this could power your smartphone for much longer than a day!

   Qualcomm say that there's still a few years worth of R&D to be put into this before it can come to market, but even if this isn't used soon it's a technology which can be utilised in the future! Check out the video below for a few more details on the inspiration for this screen technology!
Via Engadget.

Read More

Samsung join Qualcomm and the Korean Development Bank by purchasing a 10% stake in Pantech to 'solidify their relationship'!

      When Korean tech companies are mentioned then it's likely that you'll think of LG and Samsung right off the bat, but for those of you who really love your phones, you'll have noticed that a small company by the name of Pantech have been releasing a few interesting phones lately too! The might have dodgy names like the Pantech Vega Iron which you can see above, but that is one good looking phone!

   According to a report earlier today Samsung have ponied up $48 million for a 10% stake in the company because, as Samsung say:

"The investment is aimed at solidifying our relationship with Pantech, a key component customer of Samsung. Samsung will have no involvement in Pantech’s business management in any way or form."

   That's great news because it means Samsung don't interfere in the company's design language, but they still get what they want out of the deal and that's supplying components! The news agency who first reported the deal also said that, 'Samsung and Pantech have strong ties in semiconductor and display businesses,' and again this deal helps to tie everything together a little more tightly!

   We're not sure what this means for Qualcomm and the Korean Development Bank, both of whom own about 11% in the company too, but probably very little and they'll probably just have another sleeping partner on the board!
YonhapNews Via TheNextWeb.

Read More

Here's how the processor companies market shares compare from 2012!

   According to a report from Digitimes there has been some change in the people who produce the most processors in the world, figures which have been influenced lately by the decline in sales of traditional computers, sales which have instead gone to mobile devices.

   With that in mind Digitimes is reporting that Samsung and Qualcomm now ship more processors then AMD, who now find themselves in fourth place, behind the others which are second and third respectively. Intel are still running the show with 65.3% of the market share, but obviously there are growing threats from the ARM-based rivals and that's why Intel are working really hard on their Atom processors.

   This doesn't mean that AMD had a particularly bad year last year, they still shipped $3.605 billion worth of processors, but that was a 21% decline on the year before! During the same period Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor sales increased by a similar amount, 28% to be exact giving the company a $5.3 billion income through 2012.

   Samsung saw similar growth with their sales growing 78% throughout the year, something which the people behind the details say that Samsung made 83% of their processor revenues for the period came from Apple's orders.

   Into the future we expect companies to produce more and more ARM-based processors, but we'll have to wait and see what Intel can do to maintain their market share.
Digitimes Via TheVerge.

Read More

In Other News: 17/05/2013.

• Over in the United States the carrier Sprint have bought a few sets of spectrum and a few customers from US Cellular. The deal sees Sprint gain 420,00 customers throughout the Midwest and sees them gain 20MHz of spectrum in places such as Chicago, South Bend, Indiana and Champaign, Illinois.
  Via PhoneArena.

• BT have announced that there are now more than 5 million wireless hotspots across the UK and Ireland which are up and running and giving people internet access! It's no wonder they have grand plans for the network!
  Via IntoMobile.

• Vodafone in the UK have announced the latest in their range own self branded mobiles phones. The Vodafone Smart III is another budget handset which this time offers relatively clean Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 4-inch WVGA that's 480 x 800p screen, an unnamed 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and there's a nice 5-megapixel rear camera for good measure. This isn't anything revolutionary, but for £95 without a contract you could do worse, it looks solid too as you can to the right! You can get full details here!
  Via AndroidCentral.

• The website of the Financial Times has been hacked by people claiming to be the "Syrian Electronic Army", an infamous hacking and activist group, supposedly supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. the FT's website has had headlines changed to read "Hacked By Syrian Electronic Army" and tweets have been sent from the FT's Twitter account saying "Do you want to know the reality of the Syrian 'Rebels?'" and a link to a video was offered too.
Via Reuters.

• Fitbit have updated their wrist accessory which tracks your activity today to support the Galaxy S4. A lot of people have been complaining about the relatively small amount of devices which the accessory supports but the is another feather in its cap!
  Via Slashgear.

• Kaspersky have teamed up with Qualcomm to offer OEMs a discount if they preinstall their phones with Kaspersky's antivirus solutions for Andorid phones and tablets! This is a great deal for Kaspersky and should see their software on a lot more phones in the future!
  Via IntoMobile.

• There have been updates to both Angry Birds Seasons and Pudding Monsters for Android released today. Both updates bring new levels and challenges!
  Via AndroidCommunity.

And finally, Nvidia have opened up pre-orders of their Shield handheld for everyone who lives in US and Canada! Check out the tweet below if you're looking to pick one of the devices up!

We've opened up our #NVIDIASHIELD preorders across the board. Get yours today: ow.ly/l8H9K
— NVIDIA Tegra (@NVIDIATegra) May 17, 2013

Read More

Qualcomm working on tech which lets you wirelessly charge phones at up to 45mm away!

   At the moment one of the hot topics in mobile is Wireless charging. Everyone wants to be wireless. And it's fair enough, the bundles of wires which get everywhere are a right pain and companies know that. The only issue is that at the moment there's a fair few people giving wireless charging a go! There's Qi (which Nokia's phones have been arriving with lately), the Alliance for Wireless Power and the Power Matters Alliance. Each of those has a different standard and that means there's no single option which every phone is using right now.

   The standard which Qualcomm are hedging their bets on is the Alliance for Wireless Power or A4WP as you might see it written. According to an article over on AndroidBeat Qualcomm have announced that they're working to create a new charging option which their calling WiPower. This WiPower is not a new standard, it just utilises A4WP and gives it the unique ability to be able to charge phones and other devices at up to 45 mm away from the charging surface!

   That is the stand out feature of this WiPower because at the moment you're probably aware that Wireless charging is more without wires than wireless at the moment. If you head over to Qualcomm's site there's a video which shows you how the new tech will let you charge your gizmos through books and basically anything you can put in the way and it won't be upset if you empty your coins, your mints and whatever else you have in your pocket next to your phone when you stumble in after a night out!

   Unfortunately Qualcomm don't specify when we can expect this tech to land in cafe's, bedrooms and wherever else you want to charge your phone. But, it's probably still a way into the future and we probably shouldn't expect it to be here for the HTC Two, Samsung Galaxy S5 or whatever else they choose to name their flagships! The problem is that Samsung and Apple are the only ones making money at the moment so there's no real reason to do unnecessary things for phone companies on shoestring budgets! Which we think is a shame, let us know if you want wireless charging in the comments below!
Via AndroidBeat.

Read More

In Other News: 26/04/2013.

•  Intel CEO Paul Otellini has reiterated that he sees laptop prices heading down below $200 in the next few months! Apparently these devices will be running Android instead of Windows, which is why the price can get so low. The laptops are set to be powered by Intel’s Atom processors and apparently their Windows counterparts price points will be controlled by how much Microsoft chargers for their software! Does this mean that Google is working on something to make Android more suitable for non-touch devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Via Slashgear.

• Qualcomm have confirmed that mass production for the Snapdragon 800 processor will begin in May! The processor can run each of its four cores at different clock speeds or turned off entirely, so hopefully that will be much better at power management!
  Via AndroidCommunity.

• BetaWorks, the company behind Digg, has today announced that they have acquired Instapaper. Instapaper is a popular little app which saves articles from the internet so you can read them later. Apparently BetaWorks will expand operations, staff and they will seek to take the app further than its creator could have managed on his own!
  Via PocketLint.

• Microsoft has launched Bing Offers; it's a localised version of their Bing Deals program from before! If you want to check it out then click here!
  Via Engadget.

• Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been torn down by iFixit! Check out the full disassembly here!

• Google has acquired the news summary app Wavii and the first move has been to shut down to service to bring the ideas inside Google for the time being! Is this Google's reaction to Yahoo buying Summly? Probably!
  Via TheVerge.

• If you follow The White House on Twitter you would have seen this tweet pop up on your timeline! This is good news, we think?

Breaking: The White House is now on @tumblr (and there will be GIFs). at.wh.gov/ksJHi, twitter.com/whitehouse/sta…
— The White House (@whitehouse) April 26, 2013

•  LG have announced that they will be rolling out their cloud service in 40 more countries, unfortunately they didn't specify which ones they were just yet!
  Via Engadget.

• Forbes has published a list of the most reputable American companies! Intel came in as a surprise number 2 to the winners Disney! It's a pretty interesting list so head here to have a good read of it all!
  Via Hothardware.

• An Android app for Vine has been promised and is apparently on its way!
  Via Phandroid.

• A 17MB update is rolling out to Asus Transformer Pad 300's at the moment. The update brings fixes and improvements, but nothing too major!
  Via AndroidPolice.

And finally, we thought we'd bring you a bit of a different end to 'In Other News' today and we're going to show you just how slow things in the tech world are. We all think that things come to market quickly and well to some extent they do, but take the camera in the Galaxy S4. That was announced last August and it's just shipping in a device now! That's right around 9 months, which isn't quite so impressive and bear in mind that that's only the camera module!

Perfect example of industry lead times: The Sony IMX135, the camera sensor in the GS4, was announced in August 2012 sony.net/SonyInfo/News/…
— Stefan Constantine (@WhatTheBit) April 26, 2013

Read More

Samsung confirms the Exynos 5 Octa inside Galaxy S4's will ship with 20 band LTE support!

   In an interesting turn of events Samsung have confirmed via their Twitter page that the big.LITTLE arrangement in their new Exynos 5 Octa-core processor will support LTE and it will support all 20 bands of LTE used around the world!

   So the obvious question to pose is 'why use the Snapdragon 600 processor at all?' The answer to that is relatively simple according to SamMobile and that is that Samsung simply couldn't make enough of the Exynos 5 Octas for everyone wanting a Galaxy S4 to have one. We're not sure if Samsung will start using the Exynos chipset in a more diverse range of countries when their production levels increase, but it'll be interesting to see which of the two devices will get more support, because at the moment the Snapdragon variant is shaping up to be the one most widely distributed!

   Let us know which version you'd prefer to have and why in the comments below!

Via SamMobiles.

Update on LTE capability: The #Exynos 5 Octa processor supports LTE and all 20 bands
— SamsungExynos (@SamsungExynos) March 28, 2013

Read More

Qualcomm to use the HTC One in ads and are these the Desire P and Q?

   HTC and their new flagship, the One, seem to be making the news pretty much every day for a variety of reasons, some of which are good, the others not so good. But, either way you look at it everyone thinks HTC needs to spend money on advertising to make this device a success!

   That's a post over on Digitimes which comes in quite useful here. The post says that HTC's flagship will be featured on Qualcomm's advertising for their Snapdragon range of processors! The post reads:

“Qualcomm is extending its cooperation with HTC from technology, product and carrier relationship development to marketing with the firsts of a series of promotional films being presented at the ongoing Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2013, said Shen Jin, vice president of Qualcomm Greater China.”

It's actually quite interesting if it's fully accurate, because it means that Qualcomm at least wants to see HTC succeed. The only issue is that we don't know how well Qualcomm's other partners will feel about that. Samsung probably doesn't mind at all because they've got a huge budget to push sales of the Galaxy S4 through already, but people like Sony, who also use Qualcomm processors, albeit last generation ones, will probably feel left out!

   To be honest it probably will make very little difference because Qualcomm have very few adverts, but every bit of publicity is good news for HTC!

   Secondly, there are a couple of images floating around the internet, pictured right, which are supposedly press shots for two new smartphones from HTC.

   The first, the Desire P, seems to be a decidedly mid-range device and it has rumoured specifications which include a 4.3-inch WVGA that's 480 x 800p display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, an 8MP rear camera, HTC's standard Beats Audio EQ and a microSD slot, which would be a lovely change for HTC devices!

   The Desire Q, on the other hand, doesn't have quite as many details. There's supposedly a 4-inch display, Beats Audio and three colours to choose from, which are black, white and red.

   Other than that the devices are set to arrive in China for $365 (£240) for the Desire P and the Q is shaping up to cost $235 (£155). Naturally we'll update you if this becomes official news!
Via AndroidBeat and UnwiredView.

Read More

More Galaxy S4 details: Swiftkey and Qualcomm tell us what's inside the S4!

   Samsung's brand new Galaxy S4 was shown off a few days back but we didn't really know everything we ought to have known about it on launch day!

   One of those instances was with the quad-core variant of the smartphone. We knew the processor would be made by Qualcomm, but we weren't sure whether to expect the slightly older S4 Pro processor or the brand new Snapdragon 600, which is the driving force in the LG Optimus G and the HTC One! In this instance the Snapdragon 600 will be clocked at 1.9Ghz, which is a tad faster than it is in the HTC One, but with the bigger battery in the Galaxy S4 we don't expect that will be too much of a battery drain!

   Aside from the things we didn't about the processor, one thing Samsung didn't mention was that SwiftKey is the keyboard of choice on the new phone! SwiftKey's Co-founder and CTO Ben Medlock had this to say in a blogpost:

“Following our great success with the SwiftKey 4 launch last month, we are excited to confirm that Samsung has chosen SwiftKey’s innovative keyboard technology to be at the heart of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. This is fantastic progress for our vision of bringing the best touchscreen typing experience to as many people as possible.”

   We expect Samsung will have skinned the keyboard, but that shouldn't detract too much from the functionality hidden beneath that veil!

Via AndroidCentral and SwiftKey via AndroidCommunity.

Read More

ZTE release the Grand Memo: The first phablet to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800!

   What's a better way to combat the latest round of phablets? Well naturally it's to release your own, so here's ZTE's answer to the Galaxy Note, it's the ZTE Grand Memo!

   So how good is the screen on this device? Well ZTE have equipped this phone with a 5.7-inch 720p HD TFT display which should be good enough for most people's eyes! Other than that the Grand Memo is the first device to feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU out of the box. In this instance the processor will be clocked at 1.5GHz and it'll be paired with 2 GB of RAM. On the optical side of things there is a 13MP rear camera and a 1MP front shooter so you photos will happily fill up the 16GB of internal storage! As you'd expect Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is running the show and the only real limit here seems to be the internal storage on the device.

   ZTE will be customising your interface on this device with their 'Miflavour UI' and there's one unique addition which is the ability to "tap and hold on the screen for a few second, or you can do a pinch-out gesture that brings up a few shortcuts, like the phone, calendar, camera, etc" which should be quite useful for jumping straight into your apps, assuming you don't have a pin code on your device.

   All of that will be crammed into a chassis which is 8.5mm thick and ZTE have also put a well size 3200mAh battery in there too! As you would expect with a device which is targeting the higher end of the market you'll get WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a gyro sensor and LTE connectivity!

   The Grand Memo will be coming to China in March this year and those of you in Europe can pick it up 'later this year'. For the moment there's no word on pricing and we don't know if it'll land on US shores!

   Just in case you missed ZTE's other big announcement, the Firefox OS powered ZTE Open is detailed here!

The full press release is embedded below:

ZTE Launches Grand Memo 5.7-inch handset using Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor
Featuring leading performance, battery life and a 13MP camera, the ZTE Grand Memo offers high functionality for home and office use
25 February 2013, Barcelona, Spain – ZTE has launched the ZTE Grand Memo 5.7-inch handset running on Qualcomm ® Snapdragon ™ 800 processors.
The ZTE Grand Memo offers the ideal balance between the portability of a handset and the larger viewing and easier touch-interaction experience of a tablet. It features a 5.7-inch, high definition, 720 x 1280 display, and a powerful Qualcomm 800 processor with quad-core Krait CPUs and 2GB of RAM. Combined with a 13MP rear-facing camera, 1MP front-facing camera and 1080 HD video playback, this gives users a smooth, high quality multimedia experience that is perfect for gaming and video.

The Grand Memo caters for those who are always on-the-go, with voice-response technology which allows users to answer calls safely while driving, and A-GPS and car-mode navigation system for high quality mapping and directions. It comes with a HD version of ZTE’s Mifavor user interface that is specially designed for smartphones, providing a simpler user experience, and ZTE’s Z Cloud service for the security and access-anywhere provided by cloud services. It also includes a 3200mAh battery for super-long standby time.
“The ZTE Grand Memo’s large, high definition screen makes it perfect for media and entertainment, but its uses reach far beyond that,” said Mr. He Shiyou, ZTE EVP and Head of the Mobile Devices Division. “With ZTE’s custom Mifavor UI, a powerful processor, and LTE connectivity, this device offers users a wide array of benefits that go well beyond the capabilities of the typical handset.”
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors target premium mobile and computing devices. They are designed to deliver outstanding overall user experience, expand the possibilities of seamless connected computing and enable brand new mobile experiences while maintaining industry-leading battery performance.
“Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms are at the heart of over 770 announced smartphones and tablets, and we are thrilled to work with ZTE to bring the Grand Memo to consumers” said Raj Talluri, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies.
The Grand Memo is a slim 8.5mm, ensuring that its advanced performance is matched by its sleek appearance. The 1080P HD video and 13MP rear-facing Intelligent Camera, coupled with the 16GB storage memory make movie watching as sharp and detailed as the capturing of users’ own multimedia. Combined with high-speed LTE capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, integrated Qualcomm WCN3680 802.11ac/.11n dual-band Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth solution for high-bandwidth communications, MHL and DLNA connectivity for mobile entertainment, the ZTE Grand Memo is perfectly suited for both personal and office use.
“We have really tried to make this device fun for use at home, and practical for use in the office. By combining both of these factors, we have created a well-rounded large-screen handset that is suitable for any situation. It’s perfect for videos, gaming and music, and also for sending e-mails, checking news and making calls on the go. For those with a busy lifestyle, the ZTE Grand Memo will be indispensable,” said Mr. He Shiyou, ZTE.

Key specifications of the Grand Memo
ü Android 4.1 – Jelly bean
ü Thickness: 8.5mm
ü 5.7inch, HD.TFT, 16M color, multi-touch capacitive screen
ü Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with quad-core Krait CPUs
ü 3200mAh super-long standby battery
ü Memory: 16GB Rom +2GB RAM
ü Mifavour UI user interface
ü WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, gyro
ü LTE 100/50Mbps
ü 13MP Intelligent AF Camera with face recognition and panorama,1MP front-facing camera, 1080p HD video playback
The ZTE Grand Memo is on display at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona at Stand 3C64/3C74, Hall 3. ZTE Grand Memo is expected to launch the second quarter of 2013 with specifications varying between countries and regions.

Read More

Qualcomm detail a new chipset: Prepare for worldwide connectivity!

   Some of you lovely people out there might have travelled or have aspirations to travel the world. You've got everything; laptop, clothes, emergency supplies, the kitchen sink and you've got a mobile phone too. The only problem with that is that the very mobile phone you carry around 'just incase' probably won't work in many places in the world because of the connectivity limits of your regional specific device.

   Qualcomm are well aware that this will be a growing problem because LTE is being rolled out on over 40 cellular bands around the world. Qualcomm realise that, 'as mobile broadband technologies evolve, OEMs need to support 2G, 3G, 4G LTE and LTE Advanced technologies' all in that one phone that you pop in your pocket.

   With that in mind Qualcomm's senior vice president of product management, Alex Katouzian, has said that:

“The wide range of radio frequencies used to implement 2G, 3G and 4G LTE networks globally presents an ongoing challenge for mobile device designers. Where 2G and 3G technologies each have been implemented on four to five different RF bands globally, the inclusion of LTE brings the total number of cellular bands to approximately 40. Our new RF devices are tightly integrated and will allow us the flexibility and scalability to supply OEMs of all types, from those requiring only a region-specific LTE solution, to those needing LTE global roaming support.”

   So the new RF360 chipset will be the combination of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor and Gobi LTE modems which aims to create a "comprehensive, optimized, system-level LTE solution that is truly global."

   The chipset is set to launch in the second half of the year and although it'll be expensive it may well prove to be priceless for some people. Don't be surprised if Apple includes something like this in the next iPhone, they're very keen on offering a 'global device'!
Qualcomm Via ZDNet.

Read More

In Other News: 14/02/2013.

First and foremost, happy valentine's day everyone! Now that that's out the way lets crack on with the news!

• You may have heard of the sword fighting game for iOS called, Infinity Blade. Well at the moment the game is available for free in the iTunes Store! This is the first time ever that the app hasn't required a payment to own and the app is free all the way through to February 21st! It might just be worth a download now, so you don't have to pay for it in future, even if you don't play it every day! You can download the game here!
  Via Slashgear.

• Qualcomm have offered some details on their QuickCharge 1.0-enabled products today. There are lots of devices, such as the HTC DROID DNA, LG Nexus 4, Motorola DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX HD, Nokia Lumia 920 and Samsung Galaxy S III, which all feature the technology. Essentially it reduces the charging time and it's especially good for midday top ups! Qualcomm said they will offer more details on the feature and "exciting news on the newest advancement in fast charging technology" next week! Keep it locked for all the details!
  Qualcomm via Phonedog.

• KickStarter have now launched an app for iOS so you can back projects on the fly! Check it out in the app store!
  Via Slashgear.

• LG have had a bit of a PR nightmare today as they first issues and then asked people to wait to announce that the company had shifted 15 million of their L-series devices. Either way the company is either there or nearly there with sales of the L line. One thing they have confirmed is that they have sold a device a second so far this year, which is frankly insane! Just in time for the refresh at MWC! It all worked out nicely!
  Via CNet.

• The ex-CEO of Blackberry, Jim Balsillie, has sold his full 5.1% stake today, just a short while after the company launched BB10!
  Via PhoneArena.

• The Android 4.2.2 update for Nexus 4 owners has finally ended the unofficial LTE connections on the device! There's new radio software version included in the update. Be sure not to update if you're making use of unofficial 4G, but other than that, the update seems squash quite a few bugs!
  Via PhoneArena.

And finally, with iOS 6.1 Apple have let the ball slip from their usually astronomically high standards. First there was the problem with 3G connectivity which Vodafone texted users about and now there's a simple way to bypass the lockscreen code for the devices! Check out the video below!

Via Gizmodo.

Read More

Google to opt for Qualcomm processors in next Nexus 7?

   Qualcomm may well have their processors in lots of phones, primarily because of the way their chips offer manufacturers the best of connectivity and power. At the moment though, Qualcomm doesn't have too much of a presence in the Android tablet arena and Qualcomm have admitted themselves that they are a bit behind Nvidia's Tegra range when it comes to tablets.

   With that in mind it is interesting to hear rumours that Google is considering switching to Snapdragon processors for the refresh of the Nexus 7, which is also supposedly going to arrive with a full HD 1920 x 1080 p display!

   Analysts believe that the processor will swap out last years Tegra 3, not for a Tegra 4 chip, but for one of Qualcomm's APQ8064's:

“Supply chain conversations indicate two reasons for Google’s selection of the Snapdragon APQ8064 over Tegra 4: competitive pricing, and a decision to single-source the application processor and 3G/4G modem to simplify logistics and create a fully pin-compatible platform interface.”

   If the rumours are to be believed then we can expect Google to show off the new Nexus 7 at Google I/O in May this year!
Via UnwiredView.

Via UnwiredView.

Read More

15/01/2013: LG clear up Nexus 4 stock reports, Qualcomm thinks smartwatches are better than AR glasses! Plus much more!

LG reply to the Nexus 4 reports!

   If we had a pound for every time we heard from people tipping us or giving us feedback about the lack of Nexus 4 availability we would be very rich bloggers! But, we don't and we don't have a cure for the availability issues either. Until now Google blamed LG for sporadic stock shipments and now LG has come forward and offered a degree of clarity on the matter. Forgive us for the very poor translation, but this is what LG said:

“Our domestic Pyeongtaek manufacturing plant has been producing the Nexus 4 without a hitch. There is no problem in supplying. [The Nexus 5 rumors] are unfounded. The Nexus 4 from LG is significant in that it’s becoming more successful than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.”

   So there you have it, LG are manufacturing them as they expect, but the device is just proving to be insanely popular! We tweeted out yesterday that there is stock available on Virgin Mobile in the UK and there are some other outlets, like T-Mobile USA and Phones4U!
Chosun via Slashgear.

Qualcomm does think Google Glass is the way forward: They'll vote for smart watches instead!

   At the moment 'connected devices' is a buzz phrase. People want everything to display your latest emails, texts, IM's, social networks and all the information needs to be in one place. Constantly checking your phone isn't convenient enough for our busy lives so people are trying to come up with the best solution for this. Some think the future is wearable glasses, which is useful if you wear them normally, but Qualcomm have a different opinion.

   Qualcomm CEO, Paul Jacobs, sat down with PocketLint to talk about augmented realities. Jacobs revealed that he actually spent/spends a lot of time working on augmented reality options and he said that if you choose something which is fully immersive, like wearable glasses then you tend to suffer from painful headaches. His exact words were:

 "I spent a lot of time on glasses at one point and the issue for me is that the ones that were very immersive I would get a headache from."

   This would obviously pose a problem because they're designed to work all day and you can't go through your days suffering headaches, people simply will choose not to! So with that in mind Jacobs is:

 "More focused on things like smart watches - always-on display on your wrist - those kinds of ideas as opposed to glass... [That's not to say we won't] support the partners working on glass too, it’s just our focus right now is more on the other stuff."

   So devices like Pebble and Sony's Smartwatch (and dare we say their LiveView would fall into this category too) are what Qualcomm has in mind! We know what he means with this argument, the interactive glasses are very distracting (Zeal's Goggle's are very distracting if you're skiing) and smartwatches do seem to be very useful! What do you think is the future? Let us know in the comments below, but bear in mind that  these sorts of things might pale into insignificance with things like Samsung's flexible displays and Yotaphone's come to prominence!
Via PocketLint.

In other news:

• The Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the original Galaxy Note is hitting at the moment! The update is live in Poland, Samsung's normal test bed and we expect it will roll out across the continent soon after, assuming there are no hiccups!
  Via GSMArena.

• Sony will make a PlayStation 4 announcement at E3 in either June “or earlier in May” this year! This news comes from Sony vice president of Home Entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto. This would announce the next gen console before Microsoft despite Sony having release their PS3 two years after the launch of the Xbox 360! It seems this time the consoles will be going head to head!
  Via Slashgear.

• Sony will not be including their infamous Timescape app with the Xperia Z, instead they'll rely on other features like 'Socialife' and the other apps on offer for Android devices!
  Via CNet.

• LG's Optimus G is currently receiving an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean!
  Via Android Community.

• Android's Google Now app will now give you the option to use virtual boarding passes! Google Now will automatically pull down information like flight number, gate number, seat number departure times and weather in your destination without you having to manually request it! Google will provide virtual boarding passes in the future with select airlines but the feature isn't live at the moment!
  Via Phandroid.

• In case you haven't heard the UK high street store, HMV, is currently in administration. The firm is no longer accepting gift cards and 4,500 staff will face losing their jobs unless a buyer can be found in the next few days!

• Dell's share price has rocketed over the last few days after rumours that the company will be privatising itself! Their shares are currently up 15%!
  Via Slashgear!

   And finally, we've got a video demo of Blackberry's upcoming Z10 handset. This will be RIM's full touch device and it should be a relatively popular device if everything is well and good! We now have confirmed specs too! There's a 4.2" screen with a resolution of slightly more than 720p, a 1.5Ghz dual-core A9 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage which will be MicroSD expandable! Check out the video below and let us know whether you're excited for BB10!
Via Crackberry.

Read More

CES 2013: Qualcomm show off revamped processors!

Image Credit: Anandtech.

   Qualcomm is probably the most popular mobile System-on-chip maker amongst the smartphone manufacturers. They make everything simple and easy and today Qualcomm has deployed a new naming scheme to their mobile processors. They've changed from their conventional S1, S2, S3 and S4 line-up, opting instead for Snapdragon 200 through to 800 in intervals of 200s. The only logical reason we can think of for this is to avoid confusing with Samsung Galaxy S line of smartphones which may happen with the average consumer!

   So what's actually changed here? Well a surprisingly large amount actually, this is quite a big refresh for the processor line! 

   Lets start with the best, the 800. This chip is built on TSMC’s new 28 nanometer process called HPm. This is effectively a more efficient process than the one used to create the current S4 and S4 Pro. The shiny new 800 has four Krait 400 processors that can be clocked at all speeds up to 2.3 GHz and these will come with a new GPU called the Adreno 330, which promises speeds that are twice as fast as the last Adreno 320. On the memory transfer front the new 800 MHz LPDDR3 RAM can deliver speeds of up to 12.8 gigabits per second. Connectivity options got a boost too with 150Mbps LTE being supported as is 802.11ac support, which can transfer data at a maximum of 1 gigabit per second. All in all Qualcomm thinks this chipset can g0 75% faster than today’s S4 Pro, which is a great improvement over an already stellar processor!

   The 600 is probably most equivalent to the current S4 Pro, but it'll feature a faster memory interface, better GPU, and the Krait architecture will be manipulated to squeeze more performance out of similar clock speeds! The whole rig should be 40% faster than the S4 pro and it can be clocked at all speeds up to 1.9Ghz!

   The Snapdragon 400 and 200 are basically refreshes of Qualcomm's older ranges like the S3 and S2 in much the same way the 600 and 800 equalled and build on the S4 Pro! We're sure that they'll pop up in a lot of Chinese made phones which don't make it to the West! The little images in the picture at the top give you a good indication of the uses Qualcomm expects to see from each of their processors!

   So what do you think of these new chips? Which one do you want in your next phone? Let us know in the comments below!

Via AnandTech.

Read More

Padfone 2 specs leak

   With just under two weeks until the official release of the Asus Padfone 2 we have another set of specs, which sound extremely good and very well could be what we see in the final article.

Read More

27/09/2012

Qualcomm introduces some cheap quad-core processors for 2013's mid-range!

   Today Qualcomm has announced they have three new reference designs for future mobile phones. Each of them includes new processors which we can expect to see in consumer products next year.

   The new processors have the memorable names MSM8225Q and MSM8625Q! Each of these will have four CPU cores each and will support LPDDR2 memory. The chips will also have dual-SIM support, enough bus bandwidth for 720p video encoding and decoding and they'll play nice with 720p displays.

   The processors have slightly different radio compatibilities; the MSM8225Q has an integrated UMTS modem, while the MSM8625Q works with Qualcomm’s own integrated multimode UMTS/CDMA modem. Both of them will work with FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0, wi-fi connectivity, and Qualcomm Atheros AR6005 and WCN2243 chips.

   The final processor that's being worked on is going to be called the Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930. It's made specifically to support all China operators with UMTS, CDMA and TD-SCDMA. This processor was first announced way back in February 2011 and should be with us by the end of the year, but it won't turn up inside your next device until the first quarter of 2013. This processor is dual-core and has support for 4G LTE. So it'll work with LTE-TDD and TD-SCDMA in China!

In other news:

• Happy birthday Google!!! The company is celebrating their 14th birthday today!

• Rovio's new Bad Piggies is officially available in your app store of choice!!!... Assuming it's Google's Play store or Apple's App store.

• Google's Eric Schmidt came out today and all but called Apple a patent troll. This is what he had to say;

“Literally patent wars prevent choice, prevent innovation and I think that is very bad. We are obviously working through that and trying to make sure we stay on the right side of these issues. So ultimately Google stands for innovation as opposed to patent wars …I think one of the worst things that happened in the last few years has been the belief that somehow there are so many patents in the mobile phone world, an estimated 200,000 patent that are overlapping and complicated and so forth, that one vendor can stop the sale of another vendor’s phones or devices.”

• LG has filed a patent suit against Samsung in Korea, with the former accusing the latter of stealing some of the OLED technology. The most that's at stake here is $6million, so it hardly seems worth it to us!

• It turns out that the real reason Apple decided to ditch Google maps was because Google was unwilling to offer iOS users turn-by-turn navigation. Google instead wanted to reserve that particular right for their Android users! 

Read More

13/09/2012

Google threatened to cut Acer off the Android list!

Via CoolSmartPhone.

    Now we should take this one with a pinch of salt as it's straight from one of Google's Chinese arch enemies! The story goes that after a phone collaboration between the Acer and Alibaba was shelved at the very last minute!

   The pair has been planning to launch the 'CloudMobile A800' smartphone together, but Reuter's has said the event itself was strangely written off after Acer was told that “Google would terminate Android product cooperation” if the phone was revealed.

   Unsurprisingly Acer has been schtum on the matter, but Alibaba has been harder to silence, they came out and announced that “Our partner received notification from Google that if the new product launch with Aliyun went ahead, Google would terminate Android product cooperation and related technical authorization with Acer.” The company went on to say that Google’s decision was “clearly unfair to consumers” and it's pretty hard to disagree.

   At the moment we have no idea what the next move will be and we don't expect to hear anything out of Google or Acer soon! Perhaps it was Aliyun's plan to run Android apps which tipped the balance?!?! 

   But, we'll leave you with Alibaba's take on the whole situation; “We believe that by introducing the Aliyun OS we are giving consumers and hardware makers more options which is the foundation of a healthy and strong market. We think that it should be left to the market to decide.”

Via Slashgear.

In other news:

• LG has teased a press event for the unveiling of a quad-core Qualcomm based phone. We expect this to be the LG Optimus G and we will give you all the details when the event happens!

• Wii U pricing! If you're based in the US it'll be $299.99 for the Basic version, while the Deluxe will be $349.99. For European's pricing will be released on November 30 by individual retailers.

• The iPhone 5 will be available on Cricket, in the USA, as a prepaid phone!

• iPhone 5 won’t work with some accessories even with Lightning adapter!

And finally, Motorola and Intel have an event coming up together and on the eve of the release Intel have said that they have optimised Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Medfield powered phones!!!

Read More

05/09/2012

Nokia's Lumia 820 and 920 become official!

   After a tonne of leaks of these two phone this week today we officially know! The first of which is the Lumia 920, the new high end offering.

  That body is a new glossy finish, instead of the beautiful matte of the Lumia 800 and 900 predecessors. On the plus side Nokia is offering more colors out of the gate in this round, with the yellow getting particular love at the press conference. Thankfully knows the importance of a good screen and this one has a resolution running at 1,280 x 768, just slightly better than 720p on a 4.5" screen. This screen makes colours pop and still manages to have inky blacks. Under the hood there's a 1.5Ghz Snapdragon S4!

   The new Windows Phone 8 homescreen tiles stand out sharply and the whole minimalism of the UI looks great on the advanced LCD. The Lumia 920 will be offered in yellow, red, grey, white, and black, but we don't know anything about pricing just yet!

  The Nokia Lumia 820, on the other hand, will come in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white, and black. Interestingly it's not really that much of a downgrade from the Lumia 920 apart from in terms of screen and size! 

   There is a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 screen which is solid but not amazing for these day, the same 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor in it's bigger sibling, 1GB of RAM, and 8 megapixel camera only this one doesn’t feature their PureView technology. And yes there is wireless charging!!! Nokia will offer removable back covers for those wanting to cut the cord.

   The Lumia 820 comes with an exchangeable shell design. Exchangeable shells not only make it possible to select from a range of colors, but also to add wireless charging. Finally Windows Phone 8 now supports micro-SD for expanded storage. The only downside seems to be that 480 x 800 resolution display and this is a great mid-range device.

In other news:

• Nokia has now shifted 7 million Lumia devices! 4 Million of those were moved in the last quarter!

• Apple's next iPhone is reportedly getting a notably bigger battery to power the LTE!

• EC approves UK mobile wallet scheme from EE, Vodafone and O2, despite Google complaints!

• Samsung Galaxy Note II put up for pre-order for mid-September here in the UK.

Read More