taiwan
Latest
HTC to show its soft side with Hello Kitty edition Butterfly s
The number of times Hello Kitty's popped up on Engadget over the years is quite astonishing, and thanks to HTC, the cat leaves yet another paw print here. Earlier today, our Taiwanese brethren received an invitation (embedded after the break) for next Monday's launch of the Butterfly s Hello Kitty limited edition. Interestingly and perhaps unsurprisingly, the cartoon character is seen wearing a uniform similar to that of EVA Air, a local airline that now operates five Hello Kitty edition planes. Later on, a Mobile01 forum user followed up with what appears to be a spy shot of said phone's printed ad, as shown above. Here you can see the feline's head -- with her butterfly hair clip highlighted for obvious reasons -- dominating the white back of the 5-inch phone. And with that cute wallpaper, we assume there will be other Hello Kitty features on the software side as well. All will be revealed next week, of course. Meanwhile, we're secretly hoping HTC's also planning on a One Max with a glowing arc reactor stuck on the back.
Apple looking to fill more than 200 new positions in China
Apple has a good chunk of the consumer electronics market in the developed world, with the company's flagship iPhone and iPad products still flying off the shelves. But there's still a lot of the world -- in particular Brazil, Russia, India and China -- where the company can make huge inroads. Apple appears to be turning its attention to China, with more than 200 job openings appearing in the last several weeks on LinkedIn. With the Chinese government and state-run media focusing on environmental and workplace issues at Foxconn facilities where Apple products are manufactured, and attacks earlier this year over warranty policies that allegedly discriminated against Chinese customers, the company has obviously decided to put assets on the ground to keep an eye on things. The advertised openings included a number of Supplier Responsibility positions, as well as an Environmental Affairs Program Manager. Apple is also hiring senior engineers in Taiwan, which has led to some speculation that the company is considering opening a new R&D facility in the island nation to focus on iPhone product development.
HTC Desire 500 launched in Taiwan, packs Sense 5 but ditches BoomSound
Just when you thought HTC's going all the way with its BoomSound feature, the company stopped short with its Desire 500, a mid-range model that's just been announced for the younger Taiwanese audience (think: university students). As you can see above, the new device takes design cues from the One S for its front side (but with plastic instead of metal), and from the One SV on the back. Despite the lack of front stereo speakers, this phone still packs the same 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 SoC featured on the Desire 600 range. Similarly, you'll still find NFC, microSD expansion (on top of just 4GB of built-in storage) plus Sense 5 UI with BlinkFeed and Video Highlights here -- the latter works alongside the same pair of cameras: an 8-megapixel f/2.0 main camera, plus a 1.6-megapixel front imager. What's slightly disappointing, perhaps, is the low 800 x 480 resolution on the 4.3-inch display, and we're even more baffled by the relatively high suggested retail price of NT$11,900 or about US$400. Hopefully it's just a way to persuade more people to get the subsidized Desire 500 from Taiwan Mobile, HTC's exclusive local partner for this phone come August 1st. Stay tuned while our colleagues in Taiwan grab some hands-on photos. Update: Our brethren over at Engadget Chinese has just posted their hands-on. Enjoy!
Foxconn applies for license, aiming to get into wireless service
Apple's parts manufacturer of choice, Foxconn, doesn't seem very happy with its current industry. The company recently made its own iPhone-compatible smartwatch (in order to show off that it could design its own devices), and now the Wall Street Journal reports that Foxconn's parent company, Hon Hai, has applied for a high-speed wireless broadband license in Taiwan. An auction for the frequency will happen in September of this year, with bidders being announced in August. This move certainly makes it seem like the company is aiming to provide wireless service, which is a nice industry jump from where it's at right now. Foxconn doesn't seem content with assembling parts for Apple lately, and could be in a few different industries by the end of this year. We'll have to wait and see if that affects Apple's production line at all. It doesn't seem like Foxconn would want to hurt its relationship with Apple, but if it would rather sell products directly to consumers, then it's possible the core business could falter a bit. [via BGR]
HTC applies for 'Fetch' trademark, tracking device passes through Taiwan's NCC
Just what the heck is the HTC Fetch? Well, it's certainly not a phone. In fact, it appears to be some sort of tracking device according to a filling with Taiwan's NCC. Unfortunately, beyond some broad strokes describing the device in a US trademark filing, we're left with only our imagination to figure out how the Fetch might work. Apparently it's a "portable multifunction electronic tracking device for assistance in locating mobile phones, smartphones, cellular phones, portable computers, tablet computers..." The list goes on and on. We do know there's both a hardware (potentially Bluetooth-powered) and software component, and that while there's a lot of talk about finding lost phones or laptops, HTC also sees the potential for "tracking and locating people." Now it's just a waiting game to find out if the company has any intention of actually selling tracking accessories.
HTC sends out Butterfly S and Desire 600 launch invitation in Taiwan
According to an invitation we received earlier today, HTC and Taiwanese carrier Chunghwa Telecom will be holding a joint event on June 19th to launch two devices locally: the already announced 4.5-inch, BoomSound-enabled Desire 600, along with a new Butterfly S. While no specs are mentioned here for the latter phone, our usually reliable friends over at ePrice received a tip last month on what to expect: the new phone is believed to still pack a 5-inch display, but its camera will be replaced by an UltraPixel version (which is currently only featured on the One), plus its body will be slightly thicker to make way for a larger battery. And unsurprisingly, the new Taiwanese Butterfly is expected to still have a microSD card slot. HTC's VP of North Asia Jack Tong also told ePrice recently that if there is a demand, he will speed up the process of bringing an LTE-enabled second-gen Butterfly to Hong Kong -- a city that never officially got hold of the original Butterfly. The exec believes that judging by HTC's recent market performance in Taiwan, it's possible to realize a dual-flagship strategy in other regions for the remainder of the year. Anyhow, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese will be at the launch event in Yilan, Taiwan next week, so stay tuned for our coverage.
We're live from Computex 2013 in Taipei!
Over the last year, some key manufacturers have opted to reduce their dependence on major trade shows, instead deciding to launch new devices at blowout private events. That's not the case at Computex. As the home of substantial technology players such as Acer, ASUS and HTC, Taiwan is no stranger to innovation. Its capital city, Taipei, has played host to this annual IT show for more than three decades, and judging by the activity today, the event remains vitally important to the country, and the industry as a whole. We had a chance to check out a tremendous number of new products on the first day alone, but we'll continue delivering news and hands-ons throughout the week. For a look at what we saw on Monday in Taipei, click past the break. Then check out our event hub for a complete look at Computex 2013.
Foxconn and Mozilla join hands over Firefox OS, may show off new devices next week
In a Chinese invitation we received earlier today, Foxconn Technology Group and Mozilla confirmed an upcoming press conference that will detail and make their Firefox OS partnership official. The event will take place in Taipei next Monday (just a few days before Computex truly kicks off), and it'll see Mozilla welcome the 19th partner to its Firefox OS alliance. There isn't much meat in the email, though we did spot a little hint in the rundown that says one or more of the "latest" Firefox OS products will be on show. Whatever they may be, we shall keep an eye out for them as soon as we land in Terry Gou's back garden next week.
LG invites you to splash around with Optimus GJ, a water-resistant phone for Taiwan
Come next month, NTT DoCoMo users won't be the only ones to benefit from a water-resistant version of the Optimus G. Similar to the L-01E for Japan, LG has introduced the Optimus GJ for Taiwan, which carries IPX7 certification that allows for worry-free immersion in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The Optimus GJ also carries IPX5 certification for protection against dust particles. Dubbed the E975W, the smartphone is by and large a thicker version of the Optimus G (E975). This means you'll find a 4.7-inch, 1,280 x 720 True HD IPS display, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, a 13MP primary / 1.3MP front-facing camera setup, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage and Android 4.1.2. Unlike the original Optimus G, the Optimus GJ wields a larger 2,280mAh battery and a red backing, but also lacks NFC functionality. You can expect it to hit the market next month in Taiwan, where it'll sell for NT$17,990 ($600). Hit up the source link to find additional views of the of the Optimus G -- it seems that LG has thrown a bit of a pool party to celebrate its announcement.
ASUS Fonepad gets a spec boost: 1.6GHz Intel processor, 32GB storage
ASUS' Fonepad has been making its way around the world with a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor and 16GB of built-in storage, but apparently there's a need for covering one's face with a beefier version. Announced in Taiwan earlier today, the 7-inch tabletphone will be offered with a faster 1.6GHz Z2460 plus 32GB of memory (with microSD expansion as before). This new model will retail for NT$10,900 locally, which works out to be about US$360; whereas the original model will still be available for NT$8,990 or about US$300 (which is, by the way, a tad more expensive than the UK price). We'll let you know when ASUS comes back with more information regarding availability in other regions.
Inhon Carbon Tablet unfolds for a CPU boost, wields a Surface-style keyboard
Believe it or not, Inhon has a wilder concept up its sleeve than the extra-light Blade 13 Carbon laptop. Its equally new Carbon Tablet at first looks like it could pass for an IdeaPad Yoga, but the non-display half has little to do with input this time around -- besides USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPort jacks, it's mostly about giving some breathing room to the Core i3, i5 or i7 inside. Keep the Windows 8 PC closed and it runs in a slower but quieter mode for handheld use; unfold it for some serious desk work, however, and a cooling fan inside ramps up to run the processor at TurboBoost speeds. Anyone who wants more traditional interaction has to attach an optional, Touch Cover-like keyboard and trackpad combo. We don't entirely grasp the logic when a convertible laptop might have done the trick, although estimated prices between NT $29,999 and NT $39,999 ($1,007 to $1,343 US) for the eventual launch in Taiwan will make it at least somewhat feasible to try Inhon's latest design experiment.
HTC Desire L revealed in Taiwan: 4.3-inch display, low-end specs, nostalgic branding
Despite all of HTC's talk about unified branding in the West, the company's model names are still diverse when looked at from a planet-wide perspective. This newest phone, the Desire L, appears to be a Taiwan-destined version of China's One SU, with the same low-end specs -- including a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 SLCD2 display, dual-core 1GHz processor and 5MP camera -- but a distinctly pre-One moniker. It's different strokes for different folks, just as with the Butterfly and Droid DNA -- though only a chosen few can boast the added distinction of coming in pink.
HTC Butterfly goes pink for Mother's Day in Taiwan
Fancy a phone that's been styled after Molly Ringwald's prom dress? HTC has decided to celebrate mother's day by releasing a Butterfly in a lovely shade of #DDA4B4 -- but only for the Ducky Dales of Taiwan. The re-tinted handset is said to drop on April 30th, carrying the same 5-inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core APQ8064 CPU and 8-megapixel camera we've seen on the other regional variants. At least we know what Sergey's getting for his mom.
Xiaomi Phone 2S and 2A announced with MIUI v5, the former entering Hong Kong and Taiwan
After selling 7.19 million phones in China last year, Xiaomi is now one step closer to world domination with a new device that'll take it to new territories: the Xiaomi Phone 2S (or MI-2S). As the name and look (pictured left) suggest, this is pretty much the same device as the 4.3-inch Xiaomi Phone 2, except it comes with Qualcomm's newer Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a beefed up camera of 13-megapixel resolution (with F2.2 aperture) on the 32GB model. The 16GB 2S, on the other hand, gets the same old 8-megapixel F2.0 imager. The rest of the hardware is the same old: 2GB RAM, 2,000mAH removable battery, 720p IPS display, dual-mic noise cancellation, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz radio (there's also a CDMA version for China Telecom). Unlike the previous launch, the 16GB flavor of this phone is already in stock on the day of announcement and is ready for purchase in China today for ¥1,999 or about $320 unsubsidized. Actually, strike that -- apparently the first lot of 200,000 units promptly sold out (likely thanks to scalpers). Luckily, Xiaomi is finally tapping into the Hong Kong market via its xiaomi.hk website starting April 23rd, so chances are genuine buyers in Hong Kong won't have to compete against the machines from mainland China; and Taiwan customers will also be able to buy a 2S from either local carrier Far Eastone towards the end of this month, or from xiaomi.tw starting next month. No word on the availability of the 32GB model just yet, but it's already priced at ¥2,299 or about $370 unsubsidized. %Gallery-185086% %Gallery-185084%
Panasonic Lumix GF6 passes through Taiwan certification with WiFi
Panasonic's support for WiFi in its Micro Four Thirds cameras has so far skewed toward the high end. Thanks to a new filing at Taiwan's National Communications Commission, though, we know the entry level should be covered as well. The regulator has been looking at a DMC-GF6 camera with with built-in WiFi, hinting that the Lumix GF5's sequel will make networking one of its centerpiece upgrades. Other clues aren't quite as forthcoming -- there's nothing imaging-related at the NCC, so we don't know if the GF6 is an optical revolution or another subtle refresh. It's mostly safe to presume that Panasonic will watch out for celebrity leaks this time around.
Surface RT coming to six more countries in late March, Pro in the 'coming months'
Microsoft's Surface is continuing its global retail rollout, expanding its reach well beyond the western hemisphere. In late March the RT model of Redmond's in-house tablet effort will begin popping up in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan, (though, not necessarily at the same time) adding to the pile of European nations where it's already launched. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro will finally be leaving the Americas and heading for Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the UK sometime in the coming months. Unfortunately Microsoft isn't getting any more specific about when its full-blown Windows 8 machine will appear in countries other than the US and Canada. All we can do now is await the promised follow up post on the Surface blog for more details about availability. If you're a fan of press materials (even those that don't provide a ton of information) you'll find some after the break.
HTC outs budget-minded Desire U: ICS on a single-core 1GHz processor
HTC has put penny-pinchers in China and Taiwan square in its sights with its freshly announced Desire U. A price tag is MIA for the Android 4.0-toting and Beats Audio-infused device, but the specs paint a fairly frugal picture for the hardware, which comes in black and white flavors. Behind the handset's 4-inch 800 x 480 (WVGA) display sit a single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, a microSD slot and a 5-megapixel rear-facing shooter. In terms of connectivity, the device supports 3G, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. As of now, there's no word on when it'll hit the streets in China and Taiwan or if a tweaked version with international-friendly radios will make its way to other countries.
Just Mobile's early-2013 range: AluCup, black HeadStand, AluFrame, AluPocket and Gum Max Duo
What we love about CES is that we get to see so many familiar faces in one week, and Just Mobile was one of them this year. Since our visit to its Taiwan office a few months ago, the award-winning accessory maker had been preparing several new products for CES: (from left to right in the above picture) AluCup, black HeadStand, AluFrame, AluPocket and Gum Max Duo. Starting in chronological order we have the black edition of the minimalistic aluminum HeadStand headphone stand, which will join its silver-colored sibling for the same $49.95 price tag at the end of this month. As before, the HeadStand's base comes in two layers for cable management, as well as a spun-metal finish. Check out the rest of the product range after the break.
NCKU's i-Transport robot wheelchair helps riders reach full height
Those who have to use a wheelchair are often bound to the elevation of the seat if they want to reach something, which isn't fair when some parts of our world are still built for standing height. Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University is redressing that imbalance with the i-Transport. Its robotic vehicle can raise the driver to an upright level and shift them into a better position to grab objects that wouldn't otherwise be at arm's length. The added independence doesn't stop with the assistance, either, as the i-Transport carries its own blood pressure and breathing monitors to keep checkups to a minimum. NCKU hasn't said how likely it is that we'll see the robot enter mass production, but we hope it forges ahead -- the potential freedom would be worth the effort.
Xiaomi Phone 2 preps Hong Kong and Taiwan launch, seeks early local testers on Facebook
We knew Xiaomi's keen to bring its phones out of China and into the European market, but before taking that long-haul flight, the Chinese company is going to make a couple of stops in Asia. According to the latest updates on the company's Twitter feed and a freshly-made Facebook group (under "Xiaomi Asia"), the Xiaomi Phone 2 will be hitting Hong Kong and Taiwan "in the near future," and folks living in those two regions can enter a draw for a chance to become a guinea pig help test the phone's localized MIUI ROM (in traditional Chinese, naturally) ahead of launch. CEO Lei Jun had previously stated that his company would expand into Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore by the end of this year, but due to the overwhelming demand of Qualcomm's 28nm chipsets throughout the year, it's unlikely that Xiaomi can realize its original plan in time. Regardless, from what we know, Xiaomi may partner with Chunghwa Telecom to sell the Xiaomi Phone 2 in Taiwan, whereas in Hong Kong it may utilize the same old online direct sale model to begin with -- unlike Meizu who has a physical shop in the city, as well as a partnership with local carrier PCCW. Now, how about a full schedule for your world domination, Mr. Lei?
