handhelds
Latest
The top 17 gaming gadgets you can buy right now
Say hello to Engadget's first-ever Buyer's Guide dedicated to consoles, turbocharged headsets and all things gaming. It's a wide, wide world out there, and choosing the right console and accessories is a daunting task. So whether there's a special gamer in your life, or you're looking to make a few upgrades yourself, we have the top 17 picks right here -- just click the gallery below.
Switched On: A handset for human hands
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the golden era of the PDA, many debated whether future consumers would adopt a one-device or two-device approach. The two-devicers argued that the connectivity for phone calls would come from a simple, bare-bones cellphone while all the fancy data management would occur on a Bluetooth-tethered, PDA-like device unbound from cellular contracts. The Handspring Treo was for many the first converged-device handset that accomplished key tasks well enough to make a convincing case for handset integration, and the smartphone revolution ensued. The first iPhone featured a large screen for its time but not a much larger footprint than its contemporary competitors such as the BlackBerry or Treo. Competitors asked if a 3.5-inch handheld palette was good for consuming web content, wasn't a 4.3-inch display -- like that on the HTC EVO 4G better? Screen sizes and attendant resolution continued to grow with the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note, 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II and culminating in the 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate that debuted at CES. Samsung and Huawei are joined by LG, Sony and HTC in offering or announcing a 5-inch or larger Android phone. The latter joined the pocket-stuffing ranks with the 5-inch Droid DNA on Verizon, available in China as the HTC Butterfly.
Fraunhofer develops extra-small 1Gbps infrared transceiver, recalls our PDA glory days
Our 1997-era selves would die with envy right about now. Fraunhofer has developed a new generation of infrared transceiver that can transfer data at 1Gbps, or well above anything that our vintage PDAs could manage. While the speed is nothing new by itself -- we saw such rates in 2010 Penn State experiments -- it's the size that makes the difference. The laser diode and processing are efficient enough to fit into a small module whose transceiver is as large as a "child's fingernail." In theory, the advancement makes infrared once more viable for mobile device syncing, with room to grow: even the current technology can scale to 3Gbps, lead researcher Frank Deicke says, and it might jump to 10Gbps with enough work. Along with the usual refinements, most of the challenge in getting production hardware rests in persuading the Infrared Data Association to adopt Deicke's work as a standard. If that ever comes to pass, we may just break out our PalmPilot's infrared adapter to try it for old time's sake.
Sony rules out PS Vita price cut in 2012, works to lower the price later
It's time to get realistic about the prospects of a PlayStation Vita price drop. Sony Worldwide Studios' head Shuhei Yoshida dampened the fires of speculation at GamesCom this week by telling Eurogamer that it was simply "too early" to slash the price on the gaming handheld -- it was only just launched this year for every active region beyond Japan, after all. That's not to say Sony is determined to keep the PS Vita at $249 forever. Much like what it did for the PS3, the company is working to bring down the price by streamlining part costs. The cuts might be necessary given the mismatch between the warm reception to the quad-core, OLED-packing hardware and the actual sales; Sony would "like to see more uptake" than what's been seen to date, according to Yoshida. In the meantime, we'll have to be content with bundles like the European LittleBigPlanet combo if we want to eke out a little more value at the game store counter.
Honeywell next up to get a patent license from Microsoft, goes the Android handheld route
Stop us if you've heard this one before: a company that wants to start using (or keep using) a Google OS strikes a patent licensing deal with Microsoft to avoid the legal barrage that will invariably follow if it says no. It's Honeywell singing the tune this time, and the company has reached an agreement that will let it use Android or Chrome OS on devices like a new edition of the Dolphin 7800 rugged handheld (shown here) without perpetually looking over its shoulder. Neither side is going into the specifics, although Microsoft has steered Honeywell into using its boilerplate copy about royalties trading hands. The truce won't help the prices of Honeywell devices; even so, it's good news for developers and customers who've been part of the company's official Android feedback program. We're still yearning for the day when we can get root access on a Honeywell thermostat.
Droid X360 goes for the KIRF prize, antagonizes Microsoft, Motorola and Sony at the same time (video)
Can we establish a KIRF award for Most Likely to Invite Multiple Lawsuits? If so, Long Xun Software would have to claim the statuette for its Droid X360, at least if it dared set foot in the US. This prime example of keepin' it real fake is even more of a PS Vita clone than the Yinlips YDPG18, but goes the extra mile with a name that's likely to irk Microsoft, Motorola, Verizon and George Lucas all at once. That's even discounting the preloaded emulators for just about every pre-1999 Nintendo, Sega and Sony console. Inside, you'll at least find a device that's reasonably up to snuff: the 5-inch handheld is running Android 4.0 on a 1.5GHz single-core Quanzhi A10 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of built-in space, a 2-megapixel camera at the back and a VGA shooter at the front. If the almost gleeful amount of copyright and trademark violation isn't keeping you from wanting this award-winner, you'll have to ask Long Xun for pricing and availability.
Nintendo 3DS XL sports less reflective screen than its predecessor, improved parallax effect
Supersized screens may be the centerpiece of Nintendo's 3DS XL, but a new Iwata Asks interview reveals that its top display packs some new anti-glare tech too. Takashi Murakami, from the company's Mechanical Design Group, notes that each of the LCD's three glare-prone layers were specially treated to reduce reflectivity from the original 3DS' 12 percent, down to three. According to head honcho Iwata, anti-reflection coatings have been on the Big N's radar since the GameBoy Advance era, but were typically abandoned because they were too pricey. The Q&A session also confirmed something we noticed when we put the handheld through the review gauntlet -- the larger display increases the parallax effect, which translates to a deeper looking 3D experience. If your current handheld's screen bounces too much light for your liking, the XL can take its place starting August 19th in North America.
NPD: Nintendo 3DS sales hit 5 million in US, Xbox 360 still claims the console crown
The NPD Group's gaming figures for June have made the rounds, and both Microsoft as well as Nintendo have something to crow about, albeit for very different reasons. Nintendo is the most eager to prove itself and says that the 3DS has hit five million total sales in the US since it reached gamers' hands in the country. The tally doesn't compete with the heady numbers smartphone designers are used to, but it's a milestone for a handheld console whose prospects were dim until a sudden price cut fueled sales a year ago. Before Nintendo lets the 155,000 3DS units it sold in June get to its head, however, it's important to get context from Microsoft's own achievements: Redmond shipped 257,000 Xbox 360 units that month and has had the lead among all US consoles for the past year and a half. We're in the dark on Sony data, although it's important that just 90,000 Wii units traded hands in the same month -- as clear a sign as any that the Wii U can't come quickly enough for Satoru Iwata and company.
Motorola Solutions buys Psion for $200 million
Psion has mostly slipped out of the public eye, but that's about to change -- Motorola Solutions just bought the company for $200 million in cash to bolster its work with industrial companies. The deal will mostly focus on improving Motorola Solutions' toughened-up handhelds and in-car terminals. Not always exciting out of devices like the ET1, but it ends Psion's 32-year history as an independent company and a legacy that includes some of the very first PDAs, like the Psion Organizer. We won't miss the fight over the "netbook" name, mind you. Regardless of how you feel, you'll have until fall to wax nostalgic, as that's when the two sides expect the deal to close and the Psion name gets subsumed into that of another mobile pioneer.
Nintendo's Miyamoto: we're focused on a 3DS sequel, not a refresh
Every gamer knows the Nintendo handheld routine: there's always one major new model followed by endless revisions as the console legend improves whatever was flaky in the original. Right? If so, Mario maker Shigeru Miyamoto may be breaking that streak. He tells IGN that he's "satisfied" with the 3DS' hardware and that current thought at Nintendo is swinging towards a true replacement. That puts at least a momentary damper on Nikkei's claims of an extra-large 3DS coming soon, but it's good news for gamers used to waiting several years between major platform generations. With Nintendo taking a bruising from smartphones and tablets, new hardware likely can't come quickly enough.
Nintendo granted patent for emulating handheld consoles and software
Any geek worth his / her salt knows that techdom's territory-spanning intellectual property spats are far from over, so we don't begrudge heavyweights like Nintendo for endeavoring to bulk up their litigious arsenal. Filed back in October of 2003 and just recently granted by the USPTO, is patent number 8,157,654 that gives the Big N ownership of a method to emulate video game consoles bearing built-in displays (think: handhelds) and accompanying software on external computing devices. What does that mean in plain 'ol English, dear gaming fanatic? Well, it could presage a device agnostic service that would break the company's vast backlog of handheld titles out of its walled garden and into the vast consumer wild. Or it could just be another legal armament poised for deployment should the sue-happy titans of the electronics industry come a-calling. Either way, the house that Mario built's got another IP bullet locked and loaded.
Sony updates PS Vita sales figures: 'over 1.2 million units worldwide', 2 million in software
As of recently, the PS Vita has become available in the locales of America, Europe and PAL territories, and now Sony's updated sales figures are in. How does "over 1.2 million units worldwide" sound? Because that's how many systems were purchased as of February 26th. If you'll recall, just two days after its December 19th arrival in Japan, the Vita rushed out of the gate, with Sony citing 321,000 units sold. Sales quickly slowed, however, despite the system making its way across Asia, as that number only rose to 500,000 by the time CES hit in January. Considering that means an additional 700K+ units were moved in less than two months, it seems that Sony's latest handheld isn't doing too shabby. Furthermore, it looks like a healthy amount of early adopters stocked up on games, as Sony also noted that more than two million pieces of software have been sold (out of 25 currently available titles) via retail and the PlayStation Store -- that said, there's no telling how popular those slightly cheaper digital editions have proved. Hit up the press release after the break for all the details, courtesy of the House of Kevin Butler Kaz Hirai.
Nintendo sold four million 3DS consoles, 4.5 million Wiis in US last year
We've been (somewhat) taken with Nintendo's dual-screen handheld's 3D screen, AR features and overall unique experience, but it appears that the 3DS has been a real boon to gamers, with more than four million U.S. consumers picking up the console since it hit stores in March of last year. 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, which sold more than one million units each in the US alone, were also incredibly popular, along with the aging Wii, which made its way to 4.5 million additional U.S. households in 2011. All told, Nintendo sold more than 12 million consoles stateside last year, and has solid hopes for an equally successful 2012. As always, you can get your fill of warm and fuzzy PR magic just past the break.
Nintendo DSi XL bundles land on November 6th, just in time for the holidays
Looking to spring for a new handheld gaming system this Christmas? The Big N is doing its darndest to nudge you in that direction with a new spin on the Metallic Rose and Midnight Blue versions of the DSi XL. Both painted handhelds will be available in bundles alongside Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!. These will set you back $170 a pop for each package deal, and you've got about a week to search the couch cushions for spare coin. You know, just in case the Mini-land ruckus can't wait for Santa's delivery.
Sony NGP may become 'PS Vita,' give us 100 percent of our RDI of handheld gaming
If you're like us, you've been spending most of your time in the lead up to E3 scouring the source code of gaming company sites searching for clues about next week's announcements. We happened to miss Sony's "Vita" namedrop in the code of a post about the "future of handhelds," but one reader managed to catch it before the company removed it completely. The inclusion of the name is the latest in a series of slip ups that lend credence to the notion that the decidedly generic Next Generation Portable title isn't the official name for the company's less investment heavy handheld. There's certainly the possibility that Sony was using the name PS Vita while developing the device internally, though mentions seem to be popping up more and more as we push closer to the big event. Either way, we're certain to get a big dose of vitamin Sony in a matter of days.
NGP to be less 'investment heavy,' more 'affordable'
After years of losses in its PS3 division, it's no surprise that Sony's not attempting a fiscal encore. Just the opposite, in fact. Massaru Kato, Sony's Chief Financial Officer, stated recently that the upcoming NGP handheld won't be as "investment heavy" as previous platforms. What does this mean? Sony probably won't pour cash into developing new semiconductors just for its new handheld, and will instead opt to build NGP hardware with off-the-shelf and readily available components. This could translate to competitive pricing versus Nintendo's 3DS (we hope), but it's all quiet on the pricing front at Sony HQ. That's liable to change at E3 next week, but regardless we'd rather not have to wait four years just to hear Yoshida's good news again.
Nintendo 3DS pre-orders begin at GameStop, still no official US price
The forumites at NeoGAF were chatting it up all evening, and sure enough, it's true -- starting this morning, you can reserve a Nintendo 3DS by dropping a stack of change at any GameStop store. How high you'll have to pile the coin seems to depend on the location, as a New York employee wanted us to deposit $50, even as an Arizona store said we'd only need to bankroll a modest $25. Not that it much matters, as either way your money will go directly towards the as-yet-undetermined (likely $300) purchase price. Should your local GameStop fail to recognize the autostereoscopic handheld's impending availability, just kindly ask them to consult their computer, find the SKU field, and type in the magic numbers "020132." Then, painstakingly wait until March to claim your prize.
Latest BlackBerry 6 preview proves that the more things change...
To say RIM has a lot riding on BlackBerry 6 is an understatement. With new kids on the block like Android and iOS stepping in with lustworthy apps and attractive UIs, the BlackBerrys have been sitting in a corner BBMing everyone else at the party trying to convince them of its sustained utility. Regardless, the latest tease on the BlackBerry Blogs shows off some of the "fresh, but familiar" elements that are getting polished in the jump from OS 5 to OS 6. While some features do have us intrigued -- its implementation of universal search, for example -- other headlining changes to the otherwise staid homescreen have us begging for more. New "views," toggled from a space right under the notification bar, are essentially glorified folders, and the "quick access area" is much like the functionality offered by years-old "Today"-style themes for the handset. Don't get us wrong, the refinements definitely help, but at the end of the day we just hope it isn't RIM trying to put lipstick on a pig -- guess we'll find out when we get a commercial release to really bite into. [Thanks, Jason K]
Another Android tablet spotted? Say it ain't so!
What's this? Oh, just yet another Android tablet spotted in the wild hanging out, looking cool. This one, made by Acorp, is a 5-incher with Android 1.5 (upgradable to 2.2) and we have to say, it definitely looks a lot like the Dell Streak. We also hear that there's going to be a 7-inch version as well, if you need something that's absolutely massive. It's got a 600MHz Rockchip ARM9 processor, micrsSD slot, 3.5mm jack and Wi-Fi, and a resistive touchscreen with stylus. We know that it's going to be available sometime next month, and while we don't have pricing information, we've heard that if you're willing to buy it in bulk (over 1,000 units, friend) they'll be around $88 each. Deal? Video after the break.
Blue Nintendo DSi XL headed to the US of A
Nintendo rather quietly announced earlier that as of July 11th, it will see the DSi XL in Midnight Blue. The new color model will cost $189.99 -- just like every other DSi XL -- and will also come with all the same installed software and apps. Yes, other than the color (we'll give them this, it's a pretty sweet shade of blue) this one's identical to every other DSi XL.
