4-inch
Latest
Acer's Liquid E3 smartphone will go up against the bargain Moto G
While Acer has made some hay in Europe with low-spec smartphones, its latest budget models are launching into a whole 'nother market. For instance, the €199 ($275) Liquid E3 now has to contend with the likes of the Moto G at €160, while the €99 Liquid Z4 ($135 or so) has an endless conga line of budget devices to compete with. That said, the Liquid E3 (above) at least punches in its weight class with the 4.7-inch, 720p IPS screen, quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM and 13-megapixel rear/2-megapixel front cameras -- but it's in tough with only 4GB of storage versus 8GB for the Moto G. Meanwhile, the cheaper Liquid Z4's main claim to fame is its 5-megapixel f/2.4 camera, as the rest of the specs (dual-core 1.3GHz processor, 4GB storage) are decidedly downmarket. Both devices will arrive in Europe in April with lowly Android 4.2.2 and no mention of LTE support. As is usual with Acer, don't count on it coming to the US. Update: At least we now know why there was no mention of LTE support -- they don't have it.
Samsung's Galaxy S III mini packs bags for November 8th UK arrival
Samsung just revealed that the half-pint Galaxy S III mini that debuted in Germany will arrive in the UK on November 8th. The 4-inch, WVGA super-amoled, dual-core smartphone will alight toting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and all that entails, like Google Now and the whole butter thing. You'll also get Samsung's video and games hub plus a 50GB Dropbox for two years if you nab the device, along with all the TouchWiz-y doodads like S-Voice and Direct Call. Phones4U announced it was taking preorders for the device earlier, which will be free on contract for £25 and up. Check the PR after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini radios get probed by FCC
The Samsung Galaxy S III mini (aka the GT-i8190) may have a Napolean complex, carrying as it does the name of its bigger sibling while endowed with a garden-variety 4-inch, 800 x 480 screen and other downmarket specs. But that didn't stop the inevitable FCC rendezvous, where its array of 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, GPS, GLONASS, FM, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) and NFC radios were waved through (and lack of 4G confirmed). That means the new runt of the Galaxy litter should be free to travel to Europe soon for €439 retail -- but there's still no word on when smaller form-factor lovers stateside will be able to grab it.
Samsung Galaxy S III mini pops up, we go hands-on (video)
When word first started trickling out that Samsung planned to make a mini version of the Galaxy S III, it had the air of plausibility -- we've heard from many a person about the too-large size of that phone for their hands. Then, a press invitation confirmed that "something small" was in the works, and finally mobile chief JK Shin confirmed that a smartphone of that name would be announced today in Frankfurt, Germany. Now Samsung's spilled all the beans, and revealed the new Galaxy S III mini, a slightly paler version of its bigger brother in specs as well as screen size. Our own short time with the phone certainly revealed that its pushing all the same "inspired by nature" buttons of the original Galaxy S III (and the Galaxy Note II), with the same exact rounded pebble shape and layout. The German marketing rep we spoke to said his company's research found that users wanted the same phone design as the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III, but in a smaller form factor -- to more easily fit smaller hands and pockets. Samsung said those folks don't necessarily need or want the most powerful phone they can get their hands on and are content to have mid-level specs -- so the mini carries a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, a 4-inch, WVGA AMOLED screen and 32GB max of memory. It remains to be seen if those specs will dilute the Galaxy S brand, but in any event, we found the phone certainly doesn't cramp our regular-sized hands like its older brother can (let alone the Note II), and the comfortable shape of the original works even better in a mini size. The button placement is identical to the larger handset, and the phone will come out of the box with nearly identical Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean functionality -- with the added Samsung TouchWiz twist, of course. That includes new niceties like the multi-screen option, and a brief play with the phone shows the same butter factor, even with the lesser dual-core processor. So might this mini-me Galaxy S III model sway you over to the Samsung Galaxy family if you disdain the giant screen of its predecessor? Check out the gallery below to see how the size compares with the rest of the family, and a hands-on video and interview with Samsung Germany rep Mario Winter, both after the break.
Samsung announces Galaxy S III mini: 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GHz dual-core CPU, NFC
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy S III mini, a 4-inch David version of its Goliath big brother -- will it be worthy of its name? The rumor mill churned out that it might be a dumbed down version, but an oblique comment by mobile head JK Shin suggests otherwise -- either way, we're on the scene in Frankfurt, Germany to give you the long (and short) of it. According to the spec sheet we just received, this Android 4.1 phone features a dual-core 1GHz chip (which is good news for the 1,500mAh battery), 1GB RAM, 8 or 16GB of internal storage plus an extra 32GB maximum via microSD. The 4-inch Super AMOLED screen comes with a WVGA resolution, while the main camera takes five-megapixel photos plus 720p video, and there's a VGA front-facing camera as well for fans of video chats. There's obviously the usual bundle of radios as well, including 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, GPS, GLONASS, FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) and even NFC, but for now, this 111.5-gram TouchWiz device will only support HSPA 900/1900/2100 networks along with EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. Update: Our hands-on with the phone is live! Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Windows Phone 8S by HTC hands-on: a bright Windows phone that holds promise (video)
HTC is making a two-pronged attack on Windows Phone 8, and while it may not match up to the specs on its new flagship, the Windows Phone 8S by HTC (yes, that's the official moniker) has some charm all of its own. The screen is a pretty underwhelming Gorilla Glass-coated 4-inch WVGA LCD, with a similarly middleweight 5-megapixel camera peering out from the other side. Given that it's looking to be priced closer to the One V than the One S, we're not all that surprised. The phone itself is a good-looking slab, thanks to the breezy color schemes and while the build is certainly solid enough, we'd be hard-pressed to put it in league with the 8X, which felt at home in our hand from the start. The 8S is cocooned in a matte plastic finish, arriving in four different color options -- depending on carrier and territory. The two-tone color scheme, aside from a few color licks around the lens and ear piece, keeps the second color limited to the bottom edge and the detachable cap. This offers access to the microSD slot (upgrading the built-in 4GB of storage up to 32GB), but like the 8X, no access to the battery. Yep, these new Windows Phones look nothing like HTC's One series, and while the same design studio is responsible, this time, it took its inspiration from Microsoft's tile interface. There's a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor inside, but the phone wasn't quite ready to be put completely through its paces. While the software was still locked down, you can take a video tour -- and read more of our hardware impressions -- after the break.
Lenovo outs dual-SIM waterproof A660 ICS smartphone, likely for China only
Lenovo is burning up the Chinese smartphone market, and it's just announced a new midrange 4-inch ICS model, the A660, with two twists: dual-SIM slots and a waterproof case. The IP67 certification and Gorilla Glass also make it dustproof, but apart from that, the device carries pedestrian specs: Android 4.0, 1GHz dual-core processor, 800 x 480 screen and 5-megapixel rear camera. As with other recent models in China aiming down the middle of the road, the A660 boasts several colors, and supports WCDMA + GSM networks with dual-SIM / dual-standby capability. There's no word yet on how much or when, but don't start shopping for lime green or burnt orange furniture to match just yet -- few of Lenovo's smartphones have crossed the Great Wall.
HTC Desire X hands-on (video)
Earlier this year, HTC spent much of its mobile bombast on that other major European conference: MWC. But that doesn't mean the company showed up to Berlin empty handed. In a closed door session today, the company demoed a flagship of sorts: the Desire X. The 4-inch handset, just recently announced, may look familiar -- that's because it lifts distinctive elements of the premium One series for a decidedly upscale spin on an entry-level device. With an 800 x 480 Super LCD display, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 8255 running Sense 4.1 atop Ice Cream Sandwich and a 5-megapixel rear shooter enhanced by the outfit's ImageChip, this first-timer device is anything, but average. Curious to see how this top-shelf budget phone fared in our testing? Then follow along after the break for some initial impressions. Follow all of our IFA 2012 coverage by heading to our event hub! %Gallery-163799%
HTC Proto goes under spycam, reveals secret identity: the Desire X
It seems the newest member of HTC's mid-range smartphone line-up -- previously known as the Proto -- is actually the Desire X, according to several Scandinavian retailers (see coverage). Also, Hong Kong blog ePrice, who gave the new model the blurrycam treatment, claims that the specs line up with all the rumors: a 4-inch, 800 x 480 display, Android 4.0 with Sense 4.0, Beats Audio, dual-core 1GHz processor and 5-megapixel camera. HTC should formally out the phone this week at IFA, but its European presence and similarity to the China-only New Desire V means it's likely an international version -- without the continental sticker shock.
Samsung Galaxy Beam with built-in projector now up for grabs: £395 sim-free in the UK
If you've been eyeing flat surfaces with bad intent since the new Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone was announced, it's now ready for your schemes -- at least in the UK. Expansys is showing the light-shooting device in stock, replete with its 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9, 768MB of RAM and 8GB storage, at a price of £395 ($615). The projector itself radiates 15 lumens and displays an nHD (640 x 360) image up to 50 inches across. At 12.5mm (0.5 inches), Samsung claims it to be the world's thinnest projector phone, so if you need something pocketable for those impromptu presentations -- or even to save your bacon -- check the source to snag one.
Orange San Diego Medfield phone: a closer look at Computex 2012 (update: video)
Well what do we have here? Yes, it's the Orange San Diego we first saw at Mobile World Congress and it's going on sale in the UK today for £200. This isn't just yet another Android smartphone, but one of the first Medfield-based handsets on the market. We caught this pre-production unit chilling out at the Intel booth here at Computex 2012 and decided to go up close and personal. First impressions? It's thin, light and feels great in the hand thanks to a pleasant soft-touch back. The Gigabyte-made device packs a 4-inch glass-capacitive 1024x600-pixel LCD (that's 300dpi), an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. While the screen looks decent enough, it falls somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of viewing angles. The phone features Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) and runs most apps from the Google Play store directly via an emulation layer. Performance matched prior benchmarks and was on-par with current mid-range ARM-based Android handsets -- the experience was mostly smooth, but we noticed some lag when scrolling and zooming pages in the web browser. Battery life remains the major outstanding question when it comes to Medfield handsets, so expect more details once we have our very own review unit. In the meantime, check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.%Gallery-157275%
Sony Xperia P review: a solid, mid-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0
More Info Sony Xperia S review Sony announces the Xperia P: Aluminum unibody, shipping Q2 Sony pushing ICS to more devices next week, confirms Xperia Play won't be upgraded As the middle child from Sony Mobile's NXT family, the Xperia P steps out from behind the Xperia S' shadow with its own 4-inch screen -- and a touch of WhiteMagic. Screen technology aside, the phone's design follows a path very similar to Sony's latest flagship and picks up a few quirks of its own on the way. The see-through button strip is actually touch-sensitive on Sony's 2012 middle-weight -- a curious oversight on the bigger model. It packs Sony's 8-megapixel Exmor R camera sensor (likely to be the same one found in the Xperia Arc S), a dual-core 1GHz processor and just under 13GB of user-accessible storage. But there's one unfortunate Xperia trait here -- we're still playing with Android Gingerbread, even while its ancestors begin to dip their toes into Ice Cream Sandwich. Does anyone want an incrementally smaller Android phone from Sony? And what exactly is WhiteMagic and what does it mean for the battery life?
Nokia 808 PureView impressions, camera showdown with the iPhone 4S and HTC One S
Nokia invited us to take a tour of the Carl Zeiss HQ in Germany, all in the name of getting some time to shoot with the pair's latest project, the 808 PureView. Sure, you've heard the specs: a 41-megapixel sensor, f/2.4 Carl Zeiss lens and a focal length of 8.02mm. That hulking sensor dominates the body, but how do those photographic results turn out? We spent a few hours shooting with Symbian's (possibly) last hurrah and found that -- unsurprisingly -- this looks to be the new benchmark for mobile imaging. The top-heavy body fits in with the focus on mobile photography epitomized in this phone and there's a tangible quality to the photos even on the 808 PureView's 640 x 360 display, alongside a noticeable decrease in noise. Check out our gallery and grab more impressions and comparison images with the iPhone 4S and One S after the break. %Gallery-156016%
The future for Nokia PureView: Possible slimmer models and 'not necessarily a 41MP sensor'
Nokia's 808 PureView may not even be blasting retinas in stores just yet, but that doesn't mean those Finnish cameraphone obsessives aren't already cooking up a buffet of high-megapixel ideas for the future. Vesa Jutila, Head of Product Marketing for the incoming 808 PureView, said that there was plenty more high-spec digital imaging products in the pipeline. While he wasn't about to be drawn on specifics for any future Lumia-Pureview unions just yet, there were "multiple ways" that Nokia could run with its new imaging jewel. Slimmer models are a possibility, still containing high-end Zeiss optics and Nokia's oversampling techniques avoiding the need for optical zoom. He added that the next generation of Nokia camera sensors are already being worked on -- the 808 PureView was borne from an idea back in 2007. Jutila included one more soupçon of information: future PureView products "would not necessarily have the same 41-megapixel sensor" that we've been playing with recently.
Nokia 808 PureView enables NFC image share, mobile payment apps to come
Rounding off a busy day of shooting with Nokia's new imaging mistress, the company's Vesa Jutila, Head of Symbian Product Marketing, hooked us up with some more developments for the 808 PureView, specifically to do with NFC. He told us that picture sharing would be possible across devices -- not limiting itself to fellow PureView smartphones, and differentiating it from another hotly anticipated future smartphone. We'd err against using it on those full 38- or 34-megapixel images though, as they will often measure over 10MB and it could take some time. Further, Nokia's already applied for Mastercard and Visa accreditation to get those mobile wallets up and working. We're curating our own exclusive image gallery as we speak and they're likely to whet your appetite for more oversampling goodness. Expect a fully-fledged review with a final model in the not-too-distant future.
Samsung's Focus 2 arrives at AT&T today, a slice of LTE-equipped Mango for $50
Not long after Samsung's SGH-i667 "Mandel" looked like it would never see the light of day, the Windows Phone 7.5 device made its official debut at CTIA, dubbed as the Focus 2. As expected, the phone is officially on sale today at AT&T retailers across the US, giving folks another option aside from the HTC Titan II or flagship Lumia 900 for a fix of LTE and Mango on the network. To refresh your memory, you'll find a 4-inch Super AMOLED display and VGA camera up front, and a 5MP shooter on back that capture 720p video. Internally, there's a 1.4GHz single-core CPU (exceedingly par for the course for Windows Phone at this point) and a 1,750mAh battery to hopefully ensure you'll have enough juice to get through the day. Despite the speedy connectivity, we'd be remiss not to mention that the Focus 2 packs a paltry 8GB of non-expandable storage and only comes in Glossy Pure White -- but for fifty bucks under a new two-year agreement, we won't kvetch too much. Our full review is coming soon, so hit the source link for more details in the meantime.
Did LG's Optimus L5 handset sneak through the FCC?
Remember LG's Android L-style series of smartphones from back at Mobile World Conference? While we can't be totally certain this is the case, it appears that the Optimus L5 handset recently passed through the FCC's subterranean lair. Buried within the testing report is the diagram pictured, displaying measurements that fit in nicely with the mid-tier device's 4-inch screen size. For cellular connectivity, you'll find GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and WCDMA (850/2100) radios, alongside the requisite GPS, Bluetooth and WLAN. Mum's still the word on when we might start seeing this device and its siblings up for sale on US shores, but feel free to parse the FCC testing report at the source link below in the meantime.
Huawei Ascend G312 (U8680) lands at FCC, unsurprisingly sports T-Mobile myTouch moniker
It's far from a secret that T-Mobile has been cooking up its next myTouch handset with Huawei (also known as the Ascend G312), and now a phone bearing the same moniker has landed at the door of the FCC. According to the label location diagrams, it plays nice with HSPA, UMTS, GPRS, GSM and Edge, but there's no indication of whether this Huawei U8680 is the QWERTY variant we spotted at the company's headquarters. If you'll recall, Huawei has this 4-inch (WVGA) device pegged to ship with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, running atop a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255T SoC with 1GB of RAM that's supplemented by 4GB of on-board storage. Of course, this doesn't leave us with any more information about when T-Mobile will officially debut this next-gen myTouch, but for now, you can can view the currently available FCC documents at the source link below.
Sprint LG Viper 4G goes on pre-order April 12 for $100, release date still TBA
Sprint's finally starting to get the ball rolling with its first LTE devices, announcing this morning that it's ready to begin pre-orders of the LG Viper 4G on April 12, and the next-gen goodness can be yours for $100 (after $50 mail-in rebate). The actual release date wasn't specified, but at least we know this means it's coming up much sooner rather than later. As a refresher, the Viper comes with Gingerbread, a 4-inch WVGA NOVA display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon S3, 1GB of RAM, NFC and Google Wallet functionality, a microSD slot, 50GB cloud storage from Box and a smattering of eco-friendly features. For the full rundown, gaze upon the press release below.
T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G lands in select stores March 21st, everywhere else March 28th
A Galaxy S II it is not, but that isn't a bad thing, as not everyone's kosher with cramming 4.65-inches worth of superphone into their pocket. Enter T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G -- a souped up Galaxy S class device with some new silicon from its faster (and larger) brother. Hitting select stores March 21st, followed by more retail outlets and online on the 28th, those plunking down the $150 asking price will be treated to a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, a 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA panel and a 5 megapixel rear shooter with 720p video capture. TouchWiz and Gingerbread are still the name of the game here, but Samsung's assured us an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade will come in due course. With a couple of weeks before judgement day, why not get cozy with our hands-on from MWC? Go-on, it won't bite.
