We first reported that the 2011 DROID line-up would include a freshly upgraded DROID X2powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, but now we have a set of pictures and additional specs to confirm all of that. Site The Mobi Zone snagged an entire gallery of shots of the upcoming DX2 and you’ll notice right away that it looks no different than the original. In fact, the only difference we’re seeing is the removal of a dedicated camera button.
The phone won’t have a front facing camera, but will have that dual-core power, 1GB RAM, qHD screen and the new Blur that we’ve seen on the BIONIC. It looks like a beast, but the lack of a front camera is a little frustrating. I guess Verizon won’t be including them in any of their non-4G phones? And how could this phone have more RAM than the BIONIC?
Other specs:
NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor
1GB RAM
QHD LCD Display - 540 x 960 Resolution (Same as Motorola Bionic)
3G Only – No LTE/4G
8MP Rear Facing Camera (No Front Cam)
Froyo (Android 2.2) – Could get Gingerbread (Adnroid 2.3) before launch
As you all know by now, a Motorola XOOM landing page popped up late last night showing a $1199 causing one of the biggest internet outrages we’ve seen in quite some time. We tried to make it clear that the price would not be $1199 and would indeed end up at $799 for launch just as all of the flyers we’ve seen hinted at, but that doesn’t appear to be enough for everyone. Well so you know, we’ve been told from our friends at Best Buy that all of the training guides mention $799 meaning $1199 is no where to be found. It’s not going to be $1200, people. We also just heard that there will be a $35 activation fee to go along with the first month $20 data package in order to activate WiFi. I know that will probably anger you even more, but almost all new devices have an activation fee of that amount. It’s up to you to try to negotiate that down or out.
Oh, and if you didn’t notice, the XOOM page on Best Buy’s site is now gone and likely won’t show back up until that February 17 pre-order date we broke news about on Friday.
Moving on to the Thunderbolt. I know that many of you are wondering if you can pick-up your pre-ordered phone tomorrow at Best Buy, and according to the memo below, that won’t be happening. The phone isn’t slated to drop until the 24th, and BBY is now telling their employees that the launch date is “TBD”, so don’t plan on making a trip to your local store in the morning.
We’ll more than likely have more info for you very soon, so stay close. Cheers that dude!
Time to welcome in a new member to the already impressive Android collection on Verizon, the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY aka the Playstation Phone. Murmurs of the device possibly hitting Big Red started last week and today, it became official in an announcement at MWC in Barcelona. The PLAY will come to VZW first out of all the U.S. carriers and should be here some time in the spring, which means it’ll be battling it out with new versions of our beloved DROID franchise like the DROID X2.
Loading up with Gingerbread (Android 2.3), a slideout gaming keyboard, 4″ screen, 5MP camera, 1GHz processor, and a GPU capable of producing 60 FPS, this could be one heck of a fun toy. What do you guys think? Who’s ready for some serious gaming?
Full gallery, press release and specs after the break.
Behold, the Samsung Galaxy S II. The original Galaxy S ushered in a new era of power and screen technology in a form factor that was so light you had to heft it to believe it, and the sequel continues that trend.
The Galaxy S II steps things up with a 4.3-inch screen at 480x800 with the new Super AMOLED Plus technology, a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, either 16GB or 32GB of storage (plus microSD up to 32GB), Wifi b/g/n, USB 2.0, a 1650mAh battery, aGPS, an 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera (and 1080p recording), and the new Touchwiz 4.0 atop Android 2.3.
And it's all done in an impossibly light form factor. The Galaxy S II, while slightly larger than its predecessor at 125.3mm tall and 66.1mm wide, is thinner -- yes, thinner -- at 8.49mm. The iPhone 4, by comparison, is 9.3mm thick. And the Galaxy S II weighs just 116 grams.
Touchwiz has been bumped to Version 4.0. It's still full of bright colors -- which look even better on the Super AMOLED Plus screen -- and it highlights four major hubs -- Readers, Game, Music, Social.
The camera app has been reworked for the better, and the widgets now look and feel a little more processional.
We're going to be spending a good amount of time with this beast this week at Mobile World Congress. Check out our initial hands-on after the break.
You didn't think Samsung would be left off the Honeycomb train, did ya? The Korean manufacturer that brought the first usable Android tablet with the 7-inch Galaxy Tab has roared into the 10-inch tablet market with a larger device by the same name. And this Galaxy Tab definitely takes Sammy into the next generation of Android tablets.
The Motorola Xoom has gotten all the Honeycomb tablet love (and press) since Android 3.0 was announced, but the new Galaxy Tab appears to be a worthy competitor.
The 10.1-inch display has a 1280x800 resolution, and it's being powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. Just like the new Galaxy S II, it has an 8MP camera on the rear and 2MP up front, with 1080p recording and playback.
If you've held the Xoom before (what, you haven't?), the new Galaxy Tab feels very familiar. Similar size, similar weight. But the back of the Galaxy Tab is more of a matte plastic than the rubberized feeling of the Xoom. That's not a bad thing, just a differentiation, and quite nice, actually.
Honeycomb, well, it looks and feels like Honeycomb. There weren't any customizations that really stood out -- which maybe be because the code hasn't been finalized yet, or it could be because Google might be cracking down on manufacturers. It's probably the former more than anything, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Other specs of note: It's 246.2mm tall, 170.4mm wide and just 10.9mm thick. It weights 599 grams. The Tab has a 6860mAh battery and Wifi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0.
Not willing to be outdone by all the Samsung and Sony Ericsson news of late, LG has their own presentation to give in Barcelona. They have put up a countdown post on their Facebook page, telling folks to be ready for Feb 14 at 10:00 AM Barcelona time (GMT). We'll be there, and you can bet we will get you clued in on what's going on just as soon as they tell us.
We can never be sure of everything we're going to see from a company as big as LG, but we're pretty sure the Optimus 3D is going to play a big part. How do we know this? Hit the break and see the Optimus 3D teaser video LG attached to their Facebook post. [LG Mobile's Facebook page]
If you thought the HTC Merge (see our hands-on) on Verizon was dead, you might want to think again. An astute reader sent us in some pictures of HTC Merge screen protectors that just arrived at his Verizon store. I don't think Verizon is in the practice of ordering accessories for phones that won't be coming to market, and our tipster doesn't hail from the twilight zone, so be on the lookout for news about the HTC Merge soon. There's one more picture after the break. Thanks anon, and Vive la Merge!
It's the eve of Mobile World Congress, and what do we have here? Why, yes, it's anotherHTC Merge story. The phone that JUST WONT'T DIE apparently is in Verizon's inventory system, according to this image we were tipped to. The question is whether it's new, or if it's been there all along as a placeholder. Either way, another interesting entry in the journal of the phone that never was meant to be.
While we're still a little on the fence about all this 3D on mobile devices business that hasn't stopped LG or YouTube from working out some arrangements to bring us the best 3D can offer. The latest press release from LG and YouTube outlines what they have been working on for the LG Optimus 3D:
3D technology has traditionally been reserved for the major Hollywood movie studios,” said Francsico Varela, Head of YouTube Platform Partnerships“With the new LG Optimus 3D anyone anywhere in the world can shoot 3D videos, upload them to YouTube and share them with their friends. We’re excited to see the creative videos our community captures and shares with this new technology.
Whether or not you're interested in 3D on your mobile device, it is coming. LG and YouTube are looking to be the leaders in that area. For more info, you can hit the press release after the break. If you just want to know when the LG Optimus 3D will be release, we can tell you that you'll see it globally starting in Europe early in the second quarter of 2011.
LG AND YOUTUBE PARTNER TO BRING THE FULL 3D EXPERIENCE TO MOBILE DEVICES
LG and YouTube Are Bringing A New Era of True 3D Mobile Experience
Barcelona, Feb. 14, 2011 -- LG Electronics (LG) and YouTube are taking a major step forward today by announcing a partnership to provide a unique 3D mobile experience to users. LG’s upcoming Android-powered premium smartphones will enable users not only to capture and view 3D videos without glasses, but also to upload and share them instantly with others via YouTube.
“The Optimus 3D is LG’s newest flagship smartphone. It is our answer to two major pain points of the current 3D experience - limited mobility and specialized glasses. Furthermore, our partnership with YouTube will ensure that our customers can easily generate and access ample 3D content,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
The new partnership is part of a broader push into 3D entertainment by LG and the world’s largest online video community. YouTube and LG collaborated to enable the delivery and sharing of 3D video onto mobile devices in a way that makes it simple and easy for consumers.
“3D technology has traditionally been reserved for the major Hollywood movie studios,” said Francsico Varela, Head of YouTube Platform Partnerships“With the new LG Optimus 3D anyone anywhere in the world can shoot 3D videos, upload them to YouTube and share them with their friends. We’re excited to see the creative videos our community captures and shares with this new technology.”
Powered by a unique “Tri-Dual” Configuration -- dual-core, simultaneous dual-channel and dual-memory, LG’s advanced Optimus 3D will be unveiled at the 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and will be the first mobile device capable of providing the YouTube 3D experience. The Android-powered Optimus 3D will be available globally starting in Europe early in the second quarter of 2011.
For more information, visit the LG stand at 8B178 in Hall 8 at Mobile World Congress in Fira de Barcelona from February 14 to 17 or go to the online newsroom at www.lgnewsroom.com/MWC2011.
So the story goes that some store-bought Norwegian butter was eaten away to reveal a very special Android-powered surprise at the bottom. It looks to us like the butter could have possibly been packed back in after the fact to create the effect, but even so: if you're willing to sacrifice a Tattoo in such spectacular fashion, you deserve a little recognition.
Geez, it's been a long weekend of almost incessant Galaxy Tab II teasing, but the time has come: Samsung's finally releasing the official details of its 10.1-inch, Android Honeycomb tablet to the world. Contrary to the leaks, the tablet is called the Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- grabbing its moniker from the screen size, obviously -- and like the rest of the upcoming Android 3.0 tablets it's powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, will be available with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and has a front-facing 2 megapixel camera as well as a 8 megapixel imager around back. That's just the tip of the iceberg, but we've got the nitty-gritty too -- find specs, full impressions and even some video of the slate in action after the break! Oh, and don't forget to stop by the galleries below to see the new Tab 10.1 up close and then face off with Sammy's original Tab, not to mention the Apple iPad.
We may have all the spec answers, but on the launch front we're still left in the dark on quite a bit. Samsung says the 10.1 will be launching in March in both Asia and Europe -- Vodafone will be the first carrier to nab the Tab -- but it had absolutely no timing details for the US market. Price? We've got no idea, though we're told it will be "competitive."
Hardware impressions
As we say in the video, the first thing we noticed about the Tab 10.1 was how light it felt in hand. Tipping the scales to just 1.23 pounds (or 599 grams), the 0.4-inch thick tablet felt noticeably trimmer than the 1.5-pound iPad and even the 1.6-pound Motorola Xoom. Sure, the Tab 10.1 is primarily made out of plastic rather than some sort of metal, but it still felt rather rigid. We're happy to report that Samsung also did away with the very smooth glossy back of the 7-inch Tab -- the 10.1's cover has a grippy, patterned surface, which actually reminds us a bit of the Streak 7's rear. Still, we'd say it's getting quite hard to tell these tablets apart from one another, on the front there's no buttons or anything indicating the slab is made by Samsung, though the chrome circular logo on the back does add a little character.
Obviously, the heart and soul of the tablet is its 1280 x 800-resolution 10.1-inch TFT display, and while it's not Super AMOLED or Super AMOLED Plus quality, it looked quite bright at a variety of angles. We'd venture to say that Samsung's using a similar panel as in the original Tab here, which is certainly a good thing. Surrounding the tablet you'll find a SIM slot, 3.5mm jack, and Samsung's proprietary charging cable. Sadly, there's no USB or HDMI ports. The rear 8 megapixel cam has a LED flash and can capture 1080p video, while the 2 megapixel lens centered on the top bezel should suffice for those Google Talk Video calls.
Software and performance impressions
The Tab 10.1 runs stock Android 3.0 or Honeycomb. Nope, no TouchWiz or custom Samsung tablet apps here, and according to Samsung it will stay that way -- it is, in their words, a "Google Experience" device. We've obviously had a few solid looks at Honeycomb in the past few months and we're excited about the improved user experience, but also the apps, which take advantage of the extra screen real estate. As for performance, the 10.1 seemed pretty snappy in our short time with it. Obviously, Tegra promises full 1080p playback, and the preloaded HD clips on the unit we saw played quite smoothly on the screen. The tablet also has a both a gyroscope and accelerometer so we're expecting a pretty decent motion gaming experience.
Outlook
We're starting to notice a pattern with these Honeycomb tablets, and our guess is you are too. Most of them (Moto's Xoom and the Toshiba's Tablet) have 10.1-inch displays, Tegra 2 processors, dual-cameras, and run an untarnished version of Google's Honeycomb OS. Obviously, the cookie cutter specs are no coincidence -- Google's calling a lot of the shots here -- but it's making it incredibly hard for these companies to differentiate their wares. We won't really know how Samsung's Tab 10.1 stands up to the rest until we get to take a closer look at it, but there's no doubt that its lightweight design is what really sets it apart, and hey, if Samsung can undercut the rest in price (eh hem, Motorola!), we'd say it stands a real fighting chance in the very soon-to-be-crowded tablet market.
