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Pantech Vega S5 does Android 4.0 on a 5-inch LCD, facemask not included
The 4.5-inch Vega LTE is not eight months old and the 4.8-inch Vega Racer 2 is still properly wet behind the years. But, the flow of progress abides by no calendars, so welcome the Pantech Vega S5 to the world. It steps up to a full 5-inch IPS LCD with a 720p resolution in a phone that, thanks to a "zero bezel" design, actually has a smaller footprint than the Samsung Galaxy S III. There's a whopping 13 megapixel shooter in there with zero lag, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 16GB of internal storage and a 2,100 mAh battery that's said to deliver 11 hours of talk time. If that sounds like a good combination indeed it could be, but don't spend too much pining -- this handset is destined only for Korean shores.
Hitachi's 4.5-inch IPS HD display delivers 329ppi on the cheap courtesy of amorphous silicon backplane
It's been awhile, but earlier this year Hitachi unveiled a beautiful new 4.5-inch IPS LCD sporting 1280 x 720 resolution, a 1,100:1 contrast ratio and a retina display-like 329ppi. Well, in the time since, Hitachi's been hard at work on a virtually identical version of that screen that uses amorphous silicon instead of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) as its backplane material. What's the difference? Well, amorphous silicon's much cheaper to produce than LTPS, and the company figured out a way to use it in its new panel with only a scant drop in performance -- the new one's got a lower 1,000:1 contrast ratio, but all the other specs are the same. So, the screen's a comparative bargain while still providing 4.5 inches of 500-nit HD goodness. Thanks, Hitachi, we always did like eating our cake and having it too.
Nokia announces Symbian Belle alongside three new devices
True to Monday's teaser, Nokia unveiled its latest update to the Symbian OS as well as a few new devices. Belle is indeed coming, and it's heading to the Nokia 700, 701 and 600 in the third quarter of this year. The successor to Anna brings NFC sharing and pairing functionality to the table, along with three additional home screens (bumped up to six), a dynamic lock screen, live widgets in five different sizes, and a pull-down taskbar and notification menu. Fortunately, the new handsets announced today aren't the only beneficiaries of the upgrade: the N8, E6, E7, X7, C7, C6-01 and Oro will all get Belle at a yet-unknown later date. Join us after the break as we go more into detail on the three phones announced today, along with a video and press release. %Gallery-131567%
iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Asus Transformer displays compared, iPad stands out
If you have an iPad, an iPhone or any other handheld device with a screen on it, you'll know how important its screen quality is. We spend hundreds of hours staring at (and touching) those displays; they are the primary means of interaction with our devices. Therefore, it's no wonder that frustrations arise (a poor viewing angle, limited brightness, ambient light reflection, to name a few) when displays don't perform the way we want them to. Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, President of DisplayMate Technologies, has compiled a very interesting "Tablet Display Technology Shoot-Out" between the iPad 2, Motorola Xoom and Asus Transformer. We've previously covered Dr. Soneria's thoughts on the iPad 2's display, but now he compares it to the competition. Dr. Soneria's objective test uses the following criteria: screen reflection, color and intensity, brightness and contrast, viewing angle, the display backlight, power consumption and, finally, the running time on the battery. Each display's performance was summarized and put into a comparison chart. The report concludes that the iPad 2's display is the clear winner in all categories. The Asus Transformer comes in at a solid second (which is impressive, as it costs US$100 less than the iPad 2), and finally, the Motorola Xoom arrives as a "distant third." Interestingly, the report also looks head-on at some of the rumors surrounding next generation displays in tablets. Most notably, the report dismisses the likelihood of a quadrupled resolution of 2048x1536 in the next generation iPad as well as detailing what an iPad Retina Display, similar to that found in the iPhone 4, would likely look like. Dr. Soneira says, "...to make the iPad 3 a Retina Display does not require the same pixels per inch (ppi) as the iPhone 4 Retina Display because it is typically held much further away from the eye, whose visual sharpness is based on angular rather than linear resolution. The iPad is typically held 15-18 inches away as opposed to the iPhone 4's 12-15 inches. As a result, to meet the 300 ppi Retina Display specification made by Steve Jobs at WWDC for the iPhone 4, an iPad Retina Display would need only 240 ppi. So an iPad Retina Display could start anywhere above 1862x1397 pixels. That is still a major overkill that carries a significant performance and cost penalty – so it would be primarily a marketing ploy." The full article can be found here, and it's definitely worth a read. [Via ZDNet]
Quality issues with LG manufactured panels to blame for iPad 2 shortage
Quality control problems with LCD panels from LG Display may have contributed to the prolonged shortage of the iPad 2. According to the report from Digitimes, early batches of the 9.7-inch panels supplied by LG had a light leak issue that limited LG's ability to meet demand. As a result, LG only produced 3.2 million panels in the first quarter of 2011, a figure that trails the four million panels produced by Samsung. This report corroborates an earlier report from IHS iSuppli that blamed the iPad 2 shortage on an unknown manufacturing problem with LCDs. LG has reportedly fixed this light leakage problem and is back on track to ramp up production this spring. Chimei Innolux is also prepping to contribute to the supply of IPS panels for the iPad 2 starting in May. If both these manufacturers can boost production, then perhaps iPad 2 supply constraints can be eased in this current quarter.
T-Mobile G2x review
It's only been a few weeks since the Optimus 2X crossed the desk of our European review bureau as the first known dual-core smartphone in the universe. Now LG's wunderkind has made its way across the pond and landed on US soil to be reborn as the G2x on T-Mobile. While the hardware remains the same elegant Tegra 2-infused slab of glass, metal and plastic, the software has been liberated from the shackles of LG's UI customizations into a serving of vanilla Froyo -- the exact same approach T-Mobile took when it introduced the Desire Z as the G2 without HTC's custom Sense skin last fall. Unlike previous G-series phones, the G2x ditches the physical keyboard for a 4-inch WVGA display with HDMI output and an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture. Beyond the transition from messaging-centric device to multimedia powerhouse, what else is different about the hardware? Is plain Android a vast improvement over the lackluster software that shipped on the Optimus 2X? How does the G2x fare against T-Mobile's current flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S 4G? Find out in our full review after the break. %Gallery-121708%
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (UK edition) review
The world's love affair with tablets may have been bubbling along under the surface for a while, but it really got started in earnest during CES 2010. Back in those wild days, you could see 15-inch jumbo screens, TV tuners, and even hybrid pseudo-laptops stalking the tablet area of your favorite trade show. ASUS was there too, of course, though it still believed in the upstart smartbook category -- a modernized take on the netbook that relied on an ARM CPU and a mobile OS to extract more battery life out of a lighter, thinner device -- and was busy showing off a seductively slim prototype of just such a machine. Alas, nothing came of that Neo concept, most likely because it was relying on Android 1.6 and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip that was then still months away from hitting the market. %Gallery-121404% Today, however, is a different day. The 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 is finally being produced in volume, Google has evolved Android to version 3.0, specifically targeting higher-resolution displays, and ASUS has abandoned the idea that a keyboard is crucial to mobile computing. No, wait, that last bit's still there. The Eee Pad Transformer is a 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet very much in keeping with the current trend, but it also has an optional keyboard dock that turns it into a, you guessed it, instant smartbook. So, does that mean you'll get two devices in one or has ASUS been overly ambitious and compromised too much? We got to grips with the £380 16GB WiFi-only model and its keyboard buddy (£430 when bought as a pair) in an effort to find out. Answers await just past the break. %Gallery-121419%
ASUS debuts, showcases new 3D and IPS-based Designo displays
If it ain't broke, don't fix it; ASUS has taken this old adage to heart, offering up some moderate, but worthwhile changes to its latest consumer and 3D monitor lines. Retaining the award-winning style of its Designo series, the outfit is launching a trio of new 22-, 23-, and 24-inch IPS and VA panel displays -- each vaunting a 178-degree viewing angle, 1920 x 1080 resolution as well as more accurate color reproduction and a higher contrast ratio than previous models. Too bad this change didn't carry over to ASUS' 3D line -- despite adding an integrated IR transmitter for NVIDIA 3D Vision, the 1080p 27-inch LED VG278H sports a backlit TN panel (boo), same as its predecessor. But hey, at least the integrated transmitter ought to free up some desk space... right? No official price on these just yet, but check out the more coverage link below for a spate of eyes-on impressions. [Thanks, TheLostSwede]
LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video)
Where Samsung leads, LG inevitably follows (and vice versa, of course). The Korean electronic arms race has now heated up by an extra few degrees with LG's demo of a crazy new 47-inch display that packs in everything a geek could want: IPS technology, 1080p resolution, multitouch, and some good old transparency... just because. This so-called Window Display is sadly intended for advertisers and other digital signage proprietors, meaning that even if it wasn't still at the concept stage, it likely wouldn't be populating living rooms anyway. Ah well, so long as LG makes sure John Anderton and the precrime unit get one, we'll be happy. Video for the rest of us after the break.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer shows up at Best Buy for $400 (update: dock price)
Never mind the cringe-inducing advertising, ASUS has given us a much better reason to care about its Tegra 2-toting Eee Pad Transformer: a $400 price. The 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet (with 1280 x 800 resolution on an IPS display) has quickly moved from its Taiwanese release, through yesterday's UK pricing announcement, to today showing up at Best Buy in the US, so we suspect its global shipping can't be far off at all. With a sticker that's a clear $99 less than the cheapest iPad and a good deal more affordable than its Android competition like the Xoom and G-Slate, the Transformer could yet take the tablet world by storm. Do take note that the keyboard dock that inspires this slate's name is an optional extra, but given the starting price, the whole package might still end up less than what others will ask. Update: Whack attack! Best Buy has pulled the Transformer page and it no longer shows up in search results on the site. Was the price too good to be true? Thanks, Jaime! Update 2: It's looking likely that the price info was accurate, as 16GB and 32GB versions have shown up elsewhere on the web for $400 and $500, respectively, though both are currently out of stock. Thanks, Sam and James! Update 3: Ah, and now we have the price for the dock alone: $149. Thanks, Peter C.!
Eizo's 27-inch ColorEdge CG275W has a 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, which will calibrate itself
Calibrating your monitor in order to maximize color accuracy is considered an inevitable chore for graphics professionals, but here comes Eizo with a defiant look on its face and a brand new 27-inch IPS display. The ColorEdge CG275W promises to do all the adjustments itself, eschewing the need for a separate calibration utility, and can even be set to do it overnight, freeing your creative mind to collect its much needed ration of Zs. Brightness maxes out at 270 nits, contrast is rated at 850:1, and there's a 6ms gray-to-gray response time, not bad for the traditionally slower IPS tech. DVI, DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort connectivity is augmented with a USB 2.0 hub, while the stand can tilt, rotate and swivel in typical Eizo fashion. You also get that fetching hood that's compatible with both portrait and landscape orientation. Shipping begins at the end of this month, with pricing varying by territory.
Hitachi's 4.5-inch IPS display has 1280 x 720 res, 1,100:1 contrast, plans for mass production in October
Yo, Apple, you know that Retina Display you're so proud of? Old news. Hitachi Displays has just announced a 4.5-inch IPS LCD panel that fits 1280 x 720 pixels within its frame, accounting for an eye-watering 329ppi density. That's higher than you can get on the iPhone 4, but the fun doesn't stop there. Hitachi's new goodness also promises an 1,100:1 contrast ratio and 500 nits of brightness coming from an LED backlight. This precious new slice of technology is predictably all geared to land in your future smartphone of choice and we're told mass production is set to begin in October of this year. That basically means CES 2012 is going to be filthy with handsets offering full 720p resolution -- we can't wait.
Poll: is your iPhone 4 retina display seeing yellow spots? (update: losing bars in the hand?)
Out, damned spot! out, I say! One; two: why, then, 'tis time to do 't. Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie! Reports are coming in from some of those lucky early iPhone 4 users that there may exist a not-so-lucky yellow coloration in the bottom right corner of the IPS LCD. We haven't seen this ourselves on any new iPhones, but maybe you've had different experiences. Tell us, is your iPhone 4 seeing yellow? Update: As a number of readers have pointed out, there seems to be an issue with how many bars are displayed on screen -- perhaps even a correlation to how it's being held in the hand. According to Walt Mossberg's review, Apple has acknowledged the issue as something that has to do with "the way the bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call," and that a fix is forthcoming. Indeed, as noted in our review, we've had "far, far fewer dropped calls than we experienced on our 3GS." We're not seeing very many videos showing more dropped call, but the bar change is interesting. Still, to be sure, we're adding another poll. Update 2: Our iPhone 4 purchased in Japan has a pale yellow bar along then entire bottom edge. Picture after the break.%Poll-48460% %Poll-48475% [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
