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Intel aims at China with its speedy LTE Cat 6 solution, shipping in Q2 this year
Marking Intel's 29th year in China, CEO Brian Krzanich took the stage at IDF Shenzhen with a little surprise: his company will be shipping its first Cat 6 multi-mode LTE solution, the XMM 7260, in Q2 this year. This follows the XMM 7160 that started shipping with Cat 4 LTE and half the number of basebands last October. The new solution has added support for China's popular TD-SCDMA plus TD-LTE networks, along with the usual 2G GSM, WCDMA plus FDD-LTE around the world. With Cat 6 LTE's carrier aggregation mode, the XMM 7260 can reach a top theoretical speed of 300Mbps, which is twice that of Cat 4 LTE.
iPhone 5s and 5c to reach China Mobile on January 17th, 2014
Finally. Following a false start a couple of weeks ago (and some protracted discussions), Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 5s and 5c will reach China Mobile on January 17th, 2014 as part of a multi-year deal. As hinted earlier, both smartphones will support the carrier's TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA networks. Pricing isn't available just yet, but customers can pre-register starting on December 25th. The partnership is Apple's largest to date, at least in terms of sheer numbers -- even if only a small fraction of China Mobile's 700 million-plus customers buy iPhones, they're bound to significantly improve Cupertino's bottom line.
Gionee Elife E7 boasts most sensitive 16MP camera, 2.5GHz Snapdragon 800
Gionee isn't exactly a name that you'd come across in the Western market every day, but this time, the Chinese company has big global ambitions. The latest proof is its Elife E7, a 5.5-inch 1080p Android phone that boasts two titles: it's the first known phone featuring the 2.5GHz flavor of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip (MSM8974AC); plus it has the most sensitive 16-megapixel camera, courtesy of its Largan M8 lens (though the aperture is still unknown) and 1/2.3-inch sensor with large 1.34µm pixels. Compared to the competition, Gionee believes this particular OmniVision sensor has the best balance between resolution and pixel size, and the phone maker even went as far as claiming this already beats the 1.12µm, 16-megapixel counterpart on the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy S 5. Of course, we'll believe it when we get to properly test the E7's camera ourselves.
World's first 128GB phone now available from Meizu, but only works in China
You may recall that a little while back we checked out China's Meizu MX3, and in addition to its unique 15:9 1,800 x 1,080 display, one of its other selling points is the 128GB storage option. Well, this version is finally available as of today, except it's only offered to the TD-SCDMA variant of the phone, meaning you can only use it on China Mobile's network or, if you're desperate, any GSM 2G network. If that's no problem and you have an address in China, then you can head over to online store JD.com and hand over CN¥3,999 (about US$660) for the 5.1-inch, Exynos 5 Octa-powered device off contract. As for the rest of us, it's probably just a matter of time before the WCDMA-flavored MX3 gets the same treatment, so stay tuned. Alternatively, the upcoming Vivo Xplay 3S is rumored to have a 128GB option as well, and given that it'll support both TD-LTE and FD-LTE, it might be a better buy for us speed freaks outside China.
Oppo N1 puts a 13MP camera on a hinge, comes with CyanogenMod extras
Oppo's been prepping its photography-centric N1 for quite some time, but at last, the teasing stops today as the company unveils its first N-Lens series device in Beijing. We're looking at a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 phone with a 5.9-inch 1080p display, an "O-Touch" backside touch panel (for scrolling and taking photos) and a generous 3,610mAh battery, but the focus is obviously on the camera. Not only do you get a 13-megapixel imager with an f/2.0, 6-element lens plus dual LED, but it's also rotatable over 206 degrees! While THL's W11 beat the N1 to being the first phone with both a front and back 13-megapixel cameras, it's not as versatile as the latter's implementation, and it's ultimately all about the image quality. In case you're wondering, Oppo said the N1's swivel camera has passed a 100,000-time rotation test, which works out to be seven years of usage if you rotate it 40 times a day. This is quite reassuring, given that you can also activate the camera -- which takes just 0.6 seconds -- with a rotation of over 120 degrees. Oppo also boasted that its camera's been tested in over 100 scenarios, which is apparently the highest in the industry. Other features include long exposure of up to 8 seconds, an updated version of Oppo's beautification algorithm, and support for video beautification in China's popular IM app, QQ.
WSJ: Apple near shipping iPhones to China Mobile (updated)
If you believe the rumors, Apple has been in discussions to bring the iPhone to China Mobile almost since day one. Those seemingly endless negotiations may have drawn to a close: the Wall Street Journal now claims that Apple is near shipping at least the iPhone 5C to the giant Asian carrier. There's no word on ship dates or what kind of deal (if any) is in place, although imminent shipments would suggest that there's some kind of official arrangement. Neither side has commented on the rumor; we wouldn't necessarily expect a mention of China Mobile at the iPhone launch event next week. When Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone on other holdout carriers this year, however, an expansion to the world's largest cellular provider only makes sense. Update: Bloomberg hears that Apple is "close to a deal" with China Mobile, but that there won't be an announcement at the September 10th event in Cupertino.
ZTE Geek U988S outed as world's first Tegra 4 phone, headed to China Mobile
China's TENAA certification database is notorious for leaking mobile devices, but this time ZTE's learned that if you can't beat it, then just play along with it. After this U988S was leaked by TENAA recently, ZTE decided to share some product shots on a forum and Sina Weibo ahead of time. What's more, the company confirmed that this red device is actually the China Mobile version of the Geek, but the Intel chip has been replaced by NVIDIA's upcoming Tegra 4. As teased before, this will likely make the new Geek the world's first phone to pack this quad-core chip, which will be clocked at 1.8GHz and will have 2GB of RAM, according to the TENAA filing. Other changes include a 5-inch LCD upgrade from 1,280 x 720 to 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, plus the front-facing camera is now at two megapixels instead of just one. On the other hand, the old 8-megapixel main camera is here to stay. Sadly, this particular device will only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, meaning the rest of the world will have to stay tuned for a global version. Let's hope it doesn't take too long.
Huawei Ascend W2 shows up prematurely, packs color-matching backlit soft keys (hands-on)
After the official product shot leaked in late May, we knew it wouldn't be long before Huawei's Ascend W2 makes an official appearance. Well, today's the day, but as the company's second-ever Windows Phone device, the W2's appearance at Mobile Asia Expo was surprisingly low key. According to the spec sheet at Huawei's booth, this affordable phone comes with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 display (looked like IPS to us) and a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8230 SoC (same as the W1 but faster) with 512MB RAM. There's 8GB of built-in storage along with microSD expansion -- the slot is located next to the removable 1,700mAh battery plus full-size SIM slot, all underneath the red or yellow back cover. Even though Huawei doesn't hide the fact that the W2 is a low-cost device, it's actually not too shabby. Most notably, the three usual soft keys are color backlit and will match your desired theme in Windows Phone 8. As a bonus, the touchscreen has a glove mode -- as featured on several other more recent Huawei phones -- for the cold winter days. There's still no price or date announced just yet, but since this particular model packs a TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile, folks outside China will have to wait for the WCDMA variant. For now, we have a hands-on video for you after the break. %Gallery-192374%
Qualcomm grows Snapdragon 200 family with six new chips, targets emerging markets
Just because Qualcomm's gone to plaid (aka. reached ludicrous speed) with its Snapdragon 800 flagship doesn't mean the company's been standing still at the other end of the market. The Snapdragon 200 family just received a major boost with the introduction of six new chips geared at China and other emerging markets. Available with dual- and quad-core CPUs, the processors are manufactured using a 28nm process and incorporate HSPA+ (21Mbps) and TD-SCDMA radios. The new SoCs are optimized to provide good multimedia performance and long battery life, with support for dual cameras (up to 8MP rear and 5MP front), multiple SIMs (dual standby, dual active and tri standby), iZat location tech and Quick Charge 1.0. Qualcomm's Adreno 302 GPU rounds up the spec list, making these chips well suited for devices running Android, Windows Phone and Firefox OS. The company's expected to begin shipping these new processors (8x10 and 8x12) in late 2013. Full PR after the break.
HTC Desire 608t with BoomSound joins 606w on Chinese online store
While taking a look around HTC China's online store after the Desire 600 (aka Desire 606w in China) announcement, we also stumbled upon this Desire 608t that was first outed by TENAA in late April. With the exception of the One SV-like design and the TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile, this model is otherwise identical to its 606w sibling, especially with the Sense 5-enhanced Android 4.1, BoomSound front stereo speakers, dual SIM and even the CN¥2,499 ($410) unsubsidized price tag. Other specs include: 4.5-inch 960 x 540 Super LCD 2, 1.2GHz quad-core chip by Qualcomm, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage (with up to 64GB expansion via microSD), 8-megapixel imager (with f/2.0 aperture and 720p video capture), 1.6-megapixel front camera, 1,860mAh battery and NFC. Interestingly, the 608t is also listed with Zoe camera feature, yet the 606w isn't, so hopefully it's just a mistake for the latter instead of the former.%Gallery-189189%
MediaTek's new chip offers entry-level smartphones a dual-core SoC with HSPA+ on the cheap
As glad as we are that MediaTek ushered in affordable, quad-core SoC designs with the MT6589, even that silicon can only go so far in making smartphones accessible. The company's new MT6572 might be frugal enough to lower some of those few remaining barriers. The all-in-one part mates a cheaper dual-core, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7 processor with HSPA+ 3G, China-focused TD-SCDMA, Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi, dropping the construction costs beyond what even the chip's quad-core sibling can manage. While the MT6572 can only handle up to a qHD display, a 5-megapixel camera and 720p video, that's more than enough to improve baseline features in a category where many recent entry-level phones still tout single-core CPUs and WVGA screens. Its rapid arrival in the marketplace may be crucial, too. MediaTek expects the first phones based on the MT6572 to roll out in June -- just in time to keep the world's transition to smartphones moving at full steam.
HTC 608t spied, brings dual speakers to a One SV-like design
HTC might be gearing up for a wider audio assault. Just days after the 606w made a pass through China's TENAA with stereo sound, a 608t cousin has made the agency rounds carrying its own pair of front speakers. If the 608t looks familiar, it should -- it's effectively a spin on the One SV body (or rather, the somewhat similar One ST from China) with both the reworked audio as well as the same navigation layout that first appeared on the One. While we can't verify rumors that the 608t will step up to Jelly Bean, a quad-core chip and an 8-megapixel rear camera, the TENAA report does show that it will include TD-SCDMA for China Mobile as well as GSM and WiFi. However subtle an upgrade the phone will be, about all that's left is for HTC to orchestrate a formal launch.
Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder
No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances are it'll only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.
China Mobile says over 60 million TD-SCDMA devices sold in 2012, aiming for twice as many this year
At today's Qualcomm QRD Summit in Shenzhen, China Mobile sent its Deputy General Manager of Products Wang Hengjiang to share some hardware stats. In 2012, over 60 million TD-SCDMA devices were sold, with December alone pumping out over seven million units. To put that into perspective, there are now over 220 million 3G phone users in China (as of end of November), meaning the carrier still has plenty of catching up to do as it had a late start in the 3G game. That said, Wang also announced that China Mobile aims to sell twice as many TD-SCDMA devices this year, with smartphones expected to take up over 80 percent of that segment -- hardly a challenge considering they already reached 94.4 percent in the last quarter. Wang added that out of the 120 million units to be sold this year, half of them will be customized by China Mobile -- presumably so that it can choose its own bloatware, right? As for TD-LTE, China Mobile expects its 4G technology to bloom in China some time between 2014 and 2015, as it continues to help the development of devices that natively support five modes (GSM, TD-SCDMA, UMTS, FD-LTE and TD-LTE) along with 10 to 12 bands. Obviously this is the very reason why China Mobile is getting cosy with Qualcomm, the company who has SoCs that support all these radios. Wang added that ahead of the full launch of TD-LTE, his company will be initiating user trials for TD-LTE data devices and phones throughout 2013 -- the first half of the year for the former, and the second half for the latter. Well, we only have three words for China Mobile: hurry up already!
ZTE U956 poses for pics, said to offer a 5-inch 720p screen, quad-core CPU
ZTE's no stranger to phones that provide more bang for your buck, so it's hardly surprising to see evidence of a new mid-range phablet from the Chinese outfit. The leaked images may not point towards another world first, but the U956 apparently runs Android 4.1.2 and is rumored to pack a 5-inch, 1,280 x 720 display and a quad-core MediaTek MT6589 SoC. There's also support for China's TD-SCDMA networks, while an 8-megapixel camera joins some China Mobile branding on the back. Some specifications are still missing, but if the pricing is as low as expected, the smartphone could likely be an option for penny-pinchers who can't afford its designer cousin.
MediaTek launches world's first quad-core Cortex-A7 SoC, we go hands-on (video)
There's a new player in the quad-core SoC game and it's called the MT6589. MediaTek announced today that it's launching the world's first quad-core Cortex-A7 SoC and gave us the opportunity to take it for a spin -- in prototype form, of course. The MT6589, which includes the aforementioned quad-core Cortex A7 1GHz+ CPU, also features a PowerVR Series5XT GPU, high-performance multimedia support (13MP / 3D camera, 1080p video and display, Miracast) and a built-in 42Mbps HSPA+ / TD-SCDMA-capable dual-SIM dual-active radio. By combining competitive performance with high thermal efficiency and low power consumption in an affordable package, MediaTek's new chip is well suited for a wide-range of smartphones and tablets running Jelly Bean and beyond. The MT6589 will be available in devices starting Q1 2013. Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our impressions and benchmarks plus MediaTek's videos and PR.
China Mobile head says conflicting technology is only partly why it doesn't carry the iPhone
Apple's smartphone world tour has always skipped past China Mobile and its 700 million-plus subscribers. The network uses the incompatible TD-SCDMA wireless standard and it's been generally presumed that Cupertino wouldn't follow Nokia's example and produce a custom handset just for this partner. However, China Mobile president Li Yue has revealed that he has been in talks with Cupertino since 2009, with negotiations becoming "more intimate" last year. Despite Apple's apparent willingness to co-operate, that's not the only sabot in the machinery. When asked, Yue said: "technology is a problem, but it isn't the entire problem, there's also mainly the issue of business model and mutual benefits." Which could be taken to mean that it's more a case of financial wrangling around revenue sharing and carrier subsidy than it is about modem chips. Maybe that's what happens when you have two companies, both used to getting their own way, but we wouldn't count on seeing iPhone 5T any time soon.
Nokia Lumia 920T for China Mobile brings TD-SCDMA to Windows Phone
Nokia just announced plans to launch a TD-SCDMA version of its Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 flagship. The handset, designated Lumia 920T, will be available on China Mobile by the end of the year for RMB 4599 (about $739) in a choice of four colors (black, white, yellow and red). It's the first Windows Phone to support the country's TD-SCDMA standard and the first Windows Phone 8 device available in China. Spec-wise, the Lumia 920T is almost identical to its western sibling. Other than packing a different radio, it features the same 4.5-inch 1280x768-pixel PureMotion HD+ display, optically image-stabilized 8.7-megapixel f/2.0 Carl Zeiss autofocus camera, and 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor (plus 1GB RAM). There's no word on storage capacity, but the handset presumably matches the original with 32GB on board. The Lumia 920T integrates with local Internet services such as Sina, Sohu, Tencent, Baidu and Renren and provides access to both the Chinese Marketplace (50,000 apps) and Mobile Market (China Mobile's app store). It also offers NFC deals on location-based service Jiepang (in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou). Furthermore, Nokia and Air China are making wireless chargers available in VIP lounges at Beijing airport. Hit the break for the full PR.
Oppo's Ulike 2 boasts 5MP front camera, clearly made for self-portrait addicts like you
Hold up! Oppo's not quite done with teasing just yet for the day. The company's Sina Weibo account has quietly announced the Ulike 2, a white 4.5-inch phone designed with ladies in mind: not only does it have a common eight-megapixel main camera on the back, but there's also a staggering five-megapixel front-facing imager with beautification features (like face slimming, skin whitening, skin smoothing and more) to keep the self-portrait addicts busy. Other specs include a gapless 960 x 540 LCD (with 2.2mm-thick bezel), 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage, micro-SIM slot, a 2,020mAh battery, and TD-SCDMA radio for China Mobile's network. There's no telling how much this Android 4.0 phone will hurt your wallet, nor is there any official information on the underlying processor, but we shall find out when it hits the Chinese market on December 19th, if not at the Find 5's launch event on the 12th.
Motorola's RAZR i MT788 announced with 2GHz Intel chip, heading to China Mobile next month
Motorola created quite some buzz with its first "Intel inside" Android phone, the RAZR i, back in September, so it's only natural to see the company tapping into the Chinese market with a localized variant. Dubbed the RAZR i MT788, this China Mobile device bears much similarity to its Western sibling on paper: 2GHz Intel Atom Z2480, 4.3-inch 960 x 540 AMOLED display (with Gorilla Glass), eight-megapixel camera, microSD expansion (up to 32GB) and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The difference? Well, the chassis is the most obvious one: instead of using the same design as the original RAZR i, the new MT788 looks identical to the MSM8625-powered dual-SIM XT788 on China Telecom. On top of that, the battery is rated at just 1,735mAh instead of the RAZR i's 2,000mAh, and there's just 4GB of built-in memory instead 16GB; but the front-facing camera's bumped up from 0.3 megapixels to 1.3. There's no price just yet, but interested buyers can pick one up in China starting in mid-December. Will the world's largest carrier help Intel take a significant bite out of the mobile phone market? Only time will tell. %Gallery-171262%
