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K-Touch joins China Mobile with Marvell-powered T660, waves a $160 price tag

Edgar Alvarez — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:42:00 EST

Last we heard, Chinese manufacturer K-Touch was quite busy showing off its Treasure V8 at this year's Mobile World Congress. Now, the company's taken the wraps off of its budget-friendly, TD-SCDMA T660 smartphone, marking its first intelligent handset on China Mobile. The device itself features a 4-inch, IPS display alongside a 5-megapixel rear shooter and a 1GHz, Marvell PXA920H CPU (the same one found on the ZTE U880E and Lenovo A668T). Specs aside, however, this is K-Touch's first crack at the TD-SCDMA market and it's doing so on the cheap, pricing the Gingerbread-loaded T660 at a mere 1,000 RMB (around $160) without any contracts attached. Not a bad way to kick things off, right?

Continue reading K-Touch joins China Mobile with Marvell-powered T660, waves a $160 price tag

K-Touch joins China Mobile with Marvell-powered T660, waves a $160 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung: We're still not into 3D smartphones

Richard Lai — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:02:00 EST

By now you may have already seen a handful of "leaks" on Samsung's imminent Galaxy S III, but if you ask us, they all smell like a cruel prank on anticipating fans. As far as we're concerned, the only reliable tidbits so far are the GT-i9300 and GT-i9308 codenames (the latter likely a TD-SCDMA variant for China Mobile) on Samsung's support page; along with murmurs from executives about a certain quad-core chipset and a release date. Funnily enough, we just received the following statement from Sammy who's probably not too happy about some of the speculations out there:

Although Samsung Electronics is constantly exploring new technologies for our mobile devices, we have no immediate plan to include displays featuring 3D technology in our upcoming smartphones.

So there you have it: the upcoming Galaxy S III, along with its new siblings, definitely won't feature a 3D display; and you can certainly forget that 4-inch 3D handset we heard about last February. Unless, of course, LG can convince its Korean buddy to think otherwise.

Samsung: We're still not into 3D smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MediaTek-powered ZTE MT73 packs TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, GSM, dual SIM and magic dust

Richard Lai — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:38:00 EST

Here's a funny one we spotted at China Mobile's booth at Mobile Asia Congress: a ZTE Android phone powered by a MediaTek chipset that supports TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, GSM and dual SIM! Of course, given that China Mobile is currently the exclusive carrier to the TD-SCDMA technology, we're not expecting this peculiar device to pop up anywhere beyond the Great Wall any time soon; but knowing that there's a dual-SIM LTE phone somewhere on this planet still makes our day.

Spec-wise this MT73 prototype features Android 2.3.4, an 800MHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.1-inch 854 x 480 LCD with capacitive touchscreen, a five megapixel main camera, a VGA front-facing camera and a 1,100mAh battery. As per usual ZTE build quality, there's an inevitable cheap feel upon laying our hands on this phone, but we'll give ZTE the benefit of the doubt and wait for the final version. As for a launch date, the folks at China Mobile said it'll depend on when will the government issue a commercial license for TD-LTE. To keep you occupied for the time being, we have a hands-on video right after the break.

Continue reading MediaTek-powered ZTE MT73 packs TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, GSM, dual SIM and magic dust

MediaTek-powered ZTE MT73 packs TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, GSM, dual SIM and magic dust originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China, the latter with 720p display

Richard Lai — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:25:00 EST

Chinese mobile customers face a similar dilemma as their American counterparts: they have to choose either China Unicom's WCDMA network, China Telecom's CDMA2000 network or China Mobile's more obscure TD-SCDMA offering. Needless to say, this can be a real headache for phone fanatics stuck on a carrier that doesn't support their desired devices, unless they don't mind surfing the web on 2G radio (if compatible at all). Luckily, nowadays Motorola tends to take good care of all potential Chinese customers whenever it rolls out a new Android phone, including the Droid RAZR (aka XT910, pictured right) in this case. Read on to find out what these two new phones are about.

Gallery: Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China

Continue reading Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China, the latter with 720p display

Droid RAZR's CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA variants teased in China, the latter with 720p display originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm outs Snapdragon S4 SoC details, promises improved battery life and true world capability

Zachary Lutz — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:12:00 EST

Qualcomm has laid out its details of the upcoming S4 SoC, and yes, there's definitely reason for excitement with this next generation Snapdragon. First, it'll usher in a new 28nm manufacturing process alongside the company's Krait CPU and Adreno 225 GPU. The move from 45nm to 28nm promises smaller components, lower power consumption and improved thermal performance, while Krait will introduce a new pipeline architecture that promises a full 60% boost over the current Scorpion lineup with clock speeds ranging between 1.5 and 2.5GHz -- along with support for asynchronous multiprocessing and dual-channel memory. As for the GPU, the latest chip flaunts 50% greater performance over the current Adreno 220, where it also provides support for DirectX 9.3 for Windows 8, in addition to OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0. Should be quite the gaming experience, eh?

It doesn't end there, as the S4 MSM8960 promises multi-mode world capabilities with support for all the commonly used frequencies from 700 to 2600MHz -- quite a feat, indeed. It handles Cat. 3 LTE (up to 100Mbps) and Cat. 24 HSPA+ (up to 42Mbps), along with EV-DO Rev. B, 1x Advanced and TD-SCDMA, as well as GSM, GPRS and EDGE. Oh, and there's also simultaneous support for GPS and GLONASS, along with Bluetooth, WiFi, FM radio and NFC. With samples already being sent to manufacturers, we're quite excited for what 2012 may bring.

Qualcomm outs Snapdragon S4 SoC details, promises improved battery life and true world capability originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC

Zachary Lutz — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:22:00 EST

There's a new Sensation on the block that'll be making its way to China Mobile, but rather than rehashing more of the same, this release marks the first smartphone to place ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC under the hood. Unlike offerings from Qualcomm, the chip inside the Sensation Z710t offers a dual-core A9 processor along with connectivity to the carrier's TD-SCDMA infrastructure. Other specs are expected to remain the same, which includes a 4.3-inch qHD display and 8 megapixel camera. Unfortunately, press photos weren't released, which suggests its design hasn't changed. You'll find the full PR after the break, heralding this latest Sensation among the top-tier of China Mobile's offerings. While pricing or a release date have yet to be announced, we're inclined to agree.

Continue reading HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC

HTC Sensation Z710t becomes first smartphone to offer ST-Ericsson's NovaThor SoC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia brings Symbian^3 to China Mobile, officially announces T7-00 and 702T

Brad Molen — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:45:00 EST

Though its visits have been few and far between, Nokia has had a presence on China Mobile for many years. The carrier's never been blessed, however, with any TD-SCDMA devices powered by Symbian^3 -- until now. Two new flagship models, known as the T7-00 and 702T, were announced by both companies and slated for Q3 release. If both phones seem oddly familiar, there's a very good reason why: the T7-00, as we originally speculated, is a variant of the Nokia N8 with a lower-quality 8 megapixel EDoF sensor; the 702T is the TD-SCDMA version of the E6, though the keyboard has been altered slightly to include larger Function and Ctrl buttons, allowing for easier switching between Chinese and English input. Both phones will be pre-loaded with the Anna update, and could be a big factor in helping Nokia hit its goal of selling 150 million Symbian devices before the OS goes the way of the Dodo. Check out another image after the break.

Continue reading Nokia brings Symbian^3 to China Mobile, officially announces T7-00 and 702T

Nokia brings Symbian^3 to China Mobile, officially announces T7-00 and 702T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia T7-00 surfaces again, looks like N8 redux

Myriam Joire — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:01:00 EST

This isn't our first encounter with the Nokia T7-00, but this time around we're getting a whole bunch more info thanks to some detailed pics leaked by PCPop. In a nutshell, the T7-00 appears to be a downgraded version of Nokia's N8 imaging flagship for the Chinese market. The phone is identical to the N8 in appearance, except for the missing camera pod in the back. Gone is the phenomenal 12 megapixel autofocus Zeiss shooter with xenon flash -- instead, you'll find an 8 megapixel camera (likely EDoF, like its E7 and C7 cousins) with dual-LED flash mounted flush with the body. In addition, the micro-USB connector finds a new home behind the plastic door that normally conceals the mini-HDMI port on the N8. Under the hood, the existing pentaband 3G radio gives way to China's proprietary TD-SCDMA standard, and the ARM 11 processor gets a 20MHz speed bump to 700MHz. Considering the vast numbers of mobile subscribers in China, the T7-00 is sure to help Nokia reach its goal of selling 150 million Symbian devices in the next few years. Follow the source link below for the complete set of pictures.

Nokia T7-00 surfaces again, looks like N8 redux originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvell announces 1.2GHz UMTS / TD-SCMA chip 'world phone' solution and Kinoma platform for Android (video)

Ross Miller — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:16:00 EST

Claiming to be the "world's first" single chip solution with 3G UMTS and China's fave TD-SCDMA (with HSPA support), Marvell's using its MWC 2011 time to unveil the PXA978 chip with 1.2GHz clockspeeds and a 40nm size. Alongside that, the company's announced Kinoma Play as a barebones, no-nonsense platform with Android underneath the skin. A developer SDK is in the works, and if you're so inclined, video and press releases are after the break. Rest assured, we'll be swinging by Marvell's booth this week to see it for ourselves.

Continue reading Marvell announces 1.2GHz UMTS / TD-SCMA chip 'world phone' solution and Kinoma platform for Android (video)

Marvell announces 1.2GHz UMTS / TD-SCMA chip 'world phone' solution and Kinoma platform for Android (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola's MT716 OPhone launched in China, looks just like a Droid with Cliq's keyboard

Richard Lai — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:12:00 EST

If only this was a hoax. Yes, that's some bitter talk alright, because this Motorola MT716 from China Mobile is almost the perfect Droid that we once had on our dusty wish list: a similar slider form factor but with a hard-cap keyboard, as opposed to one with spongy mashers. In fact, eagle-eyed readers might have already spotted that this is the exact same keyboard as featured on the Cliq. Compared to its distant relative, other differences on this OPhone include an 8 megapixel camera (with dual-LED flash and 720p camcorder feature), an extra VGA front-facing camera, TD-SCDMA radio, WAPI connectivity (WiFi-compatible), and CMMB TV streaming; otherwise, you'll find the same weedy 600MHz TI OMAP3430 chip, 480 x 854 LCD, AGPS and Bluetooth 2.1 inside. Now if you'll excuse us -- we have a petition to write up.

Motorola's MT716 OPhone launched in China, looks just like a Droid with Cliq's keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S keeps up global offensive with three Chinese launches

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:42:00 EST

Samsung's done an admirable job of pushing its Galaxy S line far and wide already, but when you enter the Chinese market -- a market with a billion wireless customers -- you're potentially taking things to a whole new level. Sammy has crafted HSPA, EV-DO, and TD-SCDMA versions of its high-end Android phone for China Unicom, China Telecom, and juggernaut China Mobile, respectively, all offering the same 4-inch Super AMOLED display seen elsewhere around the world. The Telecom model launches first -- this month, in fact -- but all three versions will be available before the end of the year. Follow the break for the full press release.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S keeps up global offensive with three Chinese launches

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S keeps up global offensive with three Chinese launches

Samsung Galaxy S keeps up global offensive with three Chinese launches originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson announces China-bound A8i Ophone: its first-ever TD-SCDMA smartphone

Richard Lai — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:06:00 EST

We're actually surprised it's taken that long for Sony Ericsson to join China Mobile's TD-SCDMA bandwagon (potentially 554 million accounts!), but as the old Chinese proverb goes: "it's never too late to fix the fence, even if you've already lost a few sheep." The new Ophone 2.0 handset in question is the A8i, which bears much resemblance to the oh-so-popular Xperia X10 (also available in China) except for the smaller 3.5-inch touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, CMMB mobile TV feature, and the seemingly missing Timescape plus Mediascape apps. No prices announced just yet, but we're told that both the "Titanium Black" and "Shiny White" editions will be heavily subsidized when they come out in October.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson announces China-bound A8i Ophone: its first-ever TD-SCDMA smartphone

Sony Ericsson announces China-bound A8i Ophone: its first-ever TD-SCDMA smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Ming A1680, MT810, and XT806 begin their Android mercy mission in China

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:33:00 EST

Motorola's venerable MING handset revisions were just made official in three Android-toting varieties for China Unicom (model A1680 pictured above left), China Mobile (MT810, pictured center), and China Telecom (XT806, on the right). The TD-SCDMA riding MT810 ships with the Android derived OPhone 2.0 operating system and two touchscreen displays: a 3.2-inch stylus-friendly resistive touchscreen and a second transparent capacitive cover that provides a finger-friendly experience when closed. Other specs include 720 x 480 video capture, 720p video playback, and support for China's CMMB mobile television spec. China Telecom's XT806 is built on Android 2.1 with GPS, 720p video capture, and support for both CDMA EVDO and GSM for global wanderings. Finally, China Unicom's A1680 packs a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Chinese WAPI WiFi, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, and Motorola's sixth-generation SoftStylus handwriting system.

Continue reading Motorola Ming A1680, MT810, and XT806 begin their Android mercy mission in China

Motorola Ming A1680, MT810, and XT806 begin their Android mercy mission in China originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets announced and priced in China

Richard Lai — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:44:00 EST

Don't worry, it's not déjà vu -- these SmartQ T7 tablets may appear just like their Ubuntu-riding R7 sibling, but they offer Android 2.1, an integrated 3G option, a speedier 720MHz CPU, and a colossal 4,700mAh battery -- 1,400mAh more than before! If that's woken you from the slumber brought on by yet another boilerplate tablet, SmartQ's also boasting support for a similarly impressive range of video codecs, meaning you can grab any RMVB, AVI, MKV and WMV files (even at 1080p) from your various, ahem, sources, and just play them back on the 7-inch LCD (probably at 800 x 600 like the R7) as they are. If you're cool with just WiFi connectivity, then go for the ¥1,480 ($219) T7; if 3G is a must, be prepared to dole out ¥1,880 ($278) and ¥1,980 ($292) for the EVDO and WCDMA flavors of the T7-3G, respectively. And if you're hanging out with China Mobile, price for the TD-SCDMA version's to be confirmed later.

SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets announced and priced in China originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious Dell Mini 3v outed by Chinese mobile regulator, OS unknown

Richard Lai — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:35:00 EST

Fancy playing a game of "guess the phone?" Dell's got one for you -- the folks over at Chinese mobile regulator TENAA have once again prematurely outed another handset from said computer giant. As usual, there's no mention on the screen size, screen type or even the OS, but we're told that this plain-looking Mini 3v runs on both TD-SCDMA (i.e. China Mobile) and GSM networks (HSDPA supported). The photos also reveal a 5 megapixel camera with flash, along with a possible front-facing camera. This may sound like a promising package, but you won't be able to make full use of this phone outside China: there's WAPI instead of WiFi, along with a TV functionality that we assume to be the China-exclusive CMMB digital TV. That said, there may still be hope with a slight spec tweak and some Froyo love for this strange child.

Update: commenter thugsin313 pointed out the stylus at the back of the Mini 3v, which suggests that this is a resistive touchscreen. This makes sense considering the complexity of Chinese characters.

Mysterious Dell Mini 3v outed by Chinese mobile regulator, OS unknown originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola MT810 Ophone to sport both capacitive and resistive digitizers, makes TV cameo

Richard Lai — Sun, 09 May 2010 07:59:00 EST

Remember the Motorola MT820 that got leaked in China last week? Well, for some mysterious reason it's now adopted a new name -- MT810 (but with the same codename, "North Sea"). According to IT168, the tipster isn't exactly clear on whether the two model numbers refer to the same hardware configuration, but a quick search on the Chinese regulator's database reveals just MT810, and that it'll work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network and WAPI (China's own take on WiFi). Going back to the latest leak: we're now learning that the camera will capture 720p footage -- apparently a first on the Ophone platform -- and a minimum of 5-megapixel stills, accompanied by an LED flash. As for the flip cover, turns out it also serves as a capacitive touch layer, while the screen underneath is coupled with the good-old resistive digitizer -- ideal for those who prefer writing Chinese with a pointy stylus instead of a sausage. Sadly, the tipster's still mum about the cover's rumored 3D filter capability, which would in theory go nicely with some live soccer on the phone's CMMB mobile TV capability, as teased by a recent commercial on China's national television -- video after the break, if you can bear the jealousy.

[Thanks, Rachel]

Gallery: Motorola MT810 Ophone to sport both capacitive and resistive digitizers, makes TV cameo

Continue reading Motorola MT810 Ophone to sport both capacitive and resistive digitizers, makes TV cameo

Motorola MT810 Ophone to sport both capacitive and resistive digitizers, makes TV cameo originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 May 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia cozies up to TD-SCDMA some more, launches China Mobile versions of the X5 and C5, joins TD Forum

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:41:00 EST

Though the standard GSM technology path has always been (and will likely always be) Nokia's bread and butter, Espoo has warmed to the idea of alternatives in the past couple years -- they've ended up establishing a reasonably decent lineup with Verizon in the States, and for China, TD-SCDMA is the name of the game these days. To that end, the company has received its membership card to the TD Forum in the mail (finally joining its Nokia Siemens joint venture) and announced two new candybars: the X5 and C5. Actually, it's a bit unfair to call them both "new" since the C5's already seen an international introduction, but the X5 is a fresh design that mimics the design of its X3 and X6 cousins with a 5 megapixel cam and 2.4-inch QVGA display, becoming the company's first S60 device with support for TD-SCDMA to deliver on a promise made back in 2008. Interestingly, China Mobile's C5 is quite a bit different from the version you'll find elsewhere, rocking an entirely different ID and enjoying an additional 1.8 megapixels in its camera sensor for a grand total of 5. The X5 should start to filter into the market this quarter, while the C5 come in the third quarter. Follow the break for the press release.

Continue reading Nokia cozies up to TD-SCDMA some more, launches China Mobile versions of the X5 and C5, joins TD Forum

Nokia cozies up to TD-SCDMA some more, launches China Mobile versions of the X5 and C5, joins TD Forum originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 3T1 and Mini 3iX 3G phones spotted with Chinese mobile regulator

Richard Lai — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:02:00 EST

If we need another reason to be envious of Chinese residents, it'd be the premium treatment that they're getting from Dell these days. Spotted on Chinese mobile regulator TENAA's website are two 3G phones from seemingly different design departments -- the never-before-seen Mini 3T1 (pictured) is a "TD-SCDMA / GSM dual-mode cellphone" that "supports HSDPA," dons a 2-megapixel camera on the back plus a front-facing one, and we're betting on Ophone for the OS; the second device is the familiar Mini 3iX (an exotic cousin of AT&T's Aero) that will sport the same old WCDMA radio and WAPI (the Chinese equivalent of WiFi). No word on availability of either handsets in China yet, but hey, who cares when the Streak is on the horizon?

Update: on the same website we also dug up the Mini 3iW -- essentially the Mini 3i (so just 2G and no WiFi) but with the additional WAPI radio.

Gallery: Dell Mini 3T1 and Mini 3iX 3G phones spotted on Chinese mobile regulator's website

Dell Mini 3T1 and Mini 3iX 3G phones spotted with Chinese mobile regulator originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola MT710 quick hands-on

Sean Cooper — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:56:00 EST

We've already had a quick look at the Korean Motorola MOTOROI, and we figured it was only fair if we gave the Motorola MT710 a fair shake, too. The MT710 is running the Android-based Ophone OS on some pretty sweet hardware including an 854 x 480 FWVGA resistive touchscreen display -- to help with Chinese handwriting recognition we'd bet -- replacing HSPA 3G with TD-SCDMA for 3G, and a pretty slick housing accented in reflective and red metals. Of course the MT710 isn't meant for our market, but we're still encouraged to see how many Android sets are cropping up here at the show and indeed from Motorola.

Gallery: Motorola MT710 quick hands-on

Motorola MT710 quick hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry, meet TD-SCDMA: RIM partners with China Mobile

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:33:00 EST

Enterprising Chinese have had access to BlackBerrys for some time now, but they've been met with limited sales for many of the same reasons that internationally successful products often fail in China: high prices, cheap clones, and a general lack of understanding of the local market's needs and behaviors. RIM, like any smart manufacturer, would love to find a way to effectively tap into the market, though -- and they're trying to make headway today on news that they've partnered with number one carrier China Mobile on customized devices. By "customized," we mean that these bad boys will support TD-SCDMA, which is China Mobile's proprietary 3G tech -- probably the only carrier in the world that could get away with that, thanks to its nine-figure subscriber count -- and will be offered through local distributor Digital China, whose market expertise RIM is hoping to capitalize. The silver bullet here might be the fact that China Mobile has committed to subsidizing the handsets; China is a huge prepaid market, but if they can get 'em cheap enough, they could have a shot.

BlackBerry, meet TD-SCDMA: RIM partners with China Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola MT710 bringing its Droid-ish good looks to China this month

Vlad Savov — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:38:00 EST

China Mobile is about to spoil its half billion subscribers with yet another Android smartphone in the 3.something-inch category. The Droid's keyboard-deprived younger sibling, the MT710 is about to hit Chinese stores this month, with TD-SCDMA 3G capabilities and OPhone OS 1.5 giving it a distinctly local flavor. WiFi connectivity will also be available, thanks to Moto playing nice with China's new security protocol, and the CPU has also changed to a 624MHz Marvel PXA310 chip, which is growing a bit long in the tooth now. Still, with that dashing red stripe on its side and a presumably thinner chassis, the MT710 just might be somebody's idea of a Droid perfected. You'll find the full specs of the new handset at the Moto Developers links below.

Motorola MT710 bringing its Droid-ish good looks to China this month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's 6788 for China Mobile hops across the Pacific for FCC meeting

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:12:00 EST

The 6788 looks just different enough from any other Nokia in the lineup that you might find yourself with an irresistible, inexplicably urge to own one (or destroy one, depending on your disposition), but unless you happen to be within earshot of a China Mobile outlet, you're probably going to be out of luck. Of course, that leads to the obvious questions of why a China-only Nokia -- the company's first to support TD-SCDMA, in fact -- would've found its way into an FCC lab. The answer's far less sensational than you might've liked: China Mobile's TD-SCDMA footprint is still a drop in the bucket of its much larger GSM coverage area, which means the 6788's gotta support it, and part of that is a US-usable 1900MHz radio. Without 850MHz coverage, you'd have to have an almost committable obsession with this trick one-off to justify using it in the States, but hey, good news -- if you do, you'll be legal.

Nokia's 6788 for China Mobile hops across the Pacific for FCC meeting originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola's MT710 OPhone for China makes us dream of Droids without keyboards

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:10:00 EST

While it's busy trying to rebuild market share on the backs of Android-powered devices in North America and Europe, Motorola's already got a bustling business in China, so it makes sense that they'd want to contribute some Google juice over there as well. That dovetails nicely with China Mobile's Android-based Open Mobile System -- which runs those so-called OPhones -- and Motorola has yet to bring an OPhone to market, so that's where this little beast appears poised to come into play. The MT710 is said to feature an 854 x 480 display clocking in at 3.7 inches and 3G support (using China Mobile's up-and-coming TD-SCDMA network), but beyond that, little is known; rumor has it that Motorola will intro a total of seven Android models in China over the next year, though, and this is clearly one of them. Shave three or four millimeters off the Droid's girth with this puppy, and count us in.

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola's MT710 OPhone for China makes us dream of Droids without keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola's MT710 OPhone for China makes us dream of Droids without keyboards

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:10:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, China Mobile, Android

Motorola's MT710 OPhone for China makes us dream of Droids without keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's first TD-SCDMA-based 6788 ready for China Mobile's 500 million subscribers

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:26:00 EST

Nokia might be hemorrhaging smartphone marketshare to North America's meddling upstarts but it still dominates in total handsets sold worldwide. Today's news can only help that cause as Nokia taps into China's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G marketplace for the first time. The Nokia 6788 does the honor via collaboration with China Mobile, China's (and the world's) largest mobile phone operator. The handset itself brings a 2.8-inch QVGA display, 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual-LED flash, 4GB of memory plus microSD expansion, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, all riding atop S60 3rd Edition -- not 5th as we're accustomed to seeing by now. Unfortunately, it won't start contributing to Nokia's sagging bottom-line until the end of December.

Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Symbian, China Mobile

Nokia's first TD-SCDMA-based 6788 ready for China Mobile's 500 million subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's first TD-SCDMA-based 6788 ready for China Mobile's 500 million subscribers

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:26:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia's first TD-SCDMA-based 6788 ready for China Mobile's 500 million subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: HTC Qilin uses OMAP3 -- out of necessity

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST

HTC's got a super-tight relationship with Qualcomm, a relationship that they've gone to the mat to defend on many occasions -- most recently with the Hero, which uses essentially the same 528MHz MSM7201a chipset as pretty much every other notable HTC in recent memory. Thing is, this is 2009 and there now are better, faster processors out there, even within the ARM family; take TI's Cortex A8-based OMAP3, for example, which very effectively powers some of the most media-centric, UI eye candy-heavy devices on the market. That's not to say that the MSM7200 series can't hold its own -- one look at TouchFLO 3D gliding along smoothly on a Touch Pro2 will tell you that -- but why not throw more horsepower under the hood if you can still get a full days' worth of use on battery power? We've been able to confirm a wmpoweruser.com report that HTC's upcoming Qilin for China Mobile will be underpinned by an honest-to-goodness OMAP3, which you'd think might rock the Qualcomm boat but HTC's decision was actually very easy: the fully-integrated MSM7200 isn't available in a TD-SCDMA configuration. That's good for Qilin, good for China Mobile, bad for customers of every other Whitestone variant in the world. If there's a silver lining here, it's that HTC's leaked roadmaps seem to indicate that Snapdragon-powered gear will happen sooner rather than later, but at this point, it can't happen soon enough.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, China Mobile

Confirmed: HTC Qilin uses OMAP3 -- out of necessity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's Android-powered O1 'OPhone' due next month

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST

Good news, kids! It looks like Lenovo's O1 "OPhone" handset is finally ready to hit the shelves over on the Mainland sometime next month. Truth be told, the story arc of this Android-powered 3G (TD-SCDMA) handset has been quite the emotional roller coaster: Some were riveted by the sleek, sexy physical design of the thing, while others were repelled by its intensely KIRFish UI. China Mobile is obviously hoping for big things from the little guy -- and getting it into stores before Unicom gets the iPhone sorted can't hurt. Either way, it looks like someone's just taken a bite out of iOrgane's market share!

Filed under: Handsets, Others, China Mobile, Android, WiMAX

Lenovo's Android-powered O1 'OPhone' due next month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's Android-powered O1 'OPhone' due next month

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Lenovo's Android-powered O1 'OPhone' due next month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinpo VIA Nano-powered netbook rocks the 3G (but only in China)

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:59:00 EST

We're starting to see more companies throw VIA Nano processors into the netbook mix as of late, and now it looks like Kinpo (last seen with an Android-sporting tablet) is getting in on the action with the N03. This guy has an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, comes with either a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor, and sports integrated TD-SCDMA 3G (the China-specific 3G standard), HSDPA/HSUPA, W-CDMA, and EVDO. Also on hand are WiFi, options for either SSD or HDD storage, up to 2GB memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and your choice of either Windows XP or Vista Home Basic. The company is "boasting" a 3 hour battery life, which is a shame -- with all that connectivity, this device is otherwise well suited for situations where plugging in isn't really an option. No word on price or release date, but we'll keep you posted. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Gadget Mix]

Filed under: Laptops

Kinpo VIA Nano-powered netbook rocks the 3G (but only in China) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero and Click coming to China under Dopod brand

Vlad Savov — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:36:00 EST

HTC has been on a global Android-pimping mission with its Hero device, and it looks like Chinese subsidiary Dopod gets the honor of announcing three new handsets for the Middle Kingdom. Unlike others, the Hero retains its WiFi capabilities by playing nice with China's custom WLAN security protocol and is expected in late August on China Unicom for 5,600 Yuan ($820) along with the few-frills Click for 3,400 Yuan ($500). The carrier has opted to strip Google Maps from the Hero (though it's still downloadable), and to soften the blow it will likely offer a snazzy red version of the phone. China Mobile will have to settle for an as-yet unspecified TD-SCDMA handset and the already announced Magic, both of which will likely be sporting the OMS flavor of Android. We're not sure we'd classify the Hero's price tag as reasonable -- but really, can you put a dollar figure on being the first big-name Android release in the world's largest wireless market?

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, China Unicom, China Mobile

HTC Hero and Click coming to China under Dopod brand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero and Click coming to China under Dopod brand

Vlad Savov — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Hero and Click coming to China under Dopod brand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung touts that it has 3G covered like a blanket in China

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:40:00 EST

Though it stands as the world's most populous wireless market (by a stunningly wide margin), China lags in 3G coverage --partly thanks to its fragmentation-happy attitude that has left the country with three very different, very incompatible standards that are all being rolled out in parallel. Of course, when you're Samsung, that ain't no thing. Sammy -- the world's number two manufacturer, and a company that very nearly rolls out a phone a day every single day of the year -- is spearheading a new "3GSamsung, 3G for all" marketing campaign in China to advertise the breadth and depth high-speed wares. To be fair, the company is probably more qualified to aggressively advertise 3G support in China than any other company, seeing how it's in the process of rolling out around 30 compatible phones there spanning the full range from EV-DO to HSPA to China's own TD-SCDMA -- now they've just got to work on bumping up those adoption rates and they'll be in business.

[Image via 163]

Filed under: Samsung, China Unicom, China Mobile

Samsung touts that it has 3G covered like a blanket in China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

Darren Murph — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:49:00 EST

We've nothing much to go on outside of a few good renders and a smattering of machine translated paragraphs, but it sure sounds as if China Mobile is entertaining the idea of bringing a 7-inch Android-based tablet to its airwaves. As the story goes, said slate would boast China's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G connectivity, support for video calling, a full-fledged web browser and an OPhone operating system -- which is essentially a customized version of Android for the Chinese market. Sadly, no further information was given, leaving us to wonder what kind of innards are scheduled for implant and what kind of price tag / release date we're looking at. Oh, and those "call" and "end call" buttons are pretty darn evident, leading us to believe that China Mobile might actually expect you to use this as your primary mobile. Can you say... Sidetalkin'?

[Via Pocketables]

Continue reading China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

Filed under: Handsets, China Mobile, Android

China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

Darren Murph — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:49:00 EST

Continue reading China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China Mobile says 3G isn't winning hearts and minds yet

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:42:00 EST

China Mobile officially kicked off commercial 3G services on China's homegrown TD-SCDMA standard way back in January of this year and it's sparing no expense to build it out, but so far, only 3 percent of new subscribers -- that is, those that could easily get a 3G line and hardware if they wanted to -- are opting for the service. It'd be totally cool if 3 percent of China Mobile's total subscriber base were on 3G, but in reality, only about three-quarters of a million folks were signed up by the end of May -- and when you consider that there are nearly half a billion subscribers on the carrier, that's a drop in the bucket. Part of the problem could simply be that TD-SCDMA is unique to China, which limits hardware selection; its competitors are deploying HSPA and EV-DO networks, which may have a better chance of broad acceptance. Either that, or Chinese just hate fast wireless, and we're doubting that.

Filed under: China Mobile

China Mobile says 3G isn't winning hearts and minds yet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meizu releasing upgraded M8 versions with 3G and big cams?

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:09:00 EST

As decent as the M8's software might be, the one consensus area where everyone's favorite iPhone rip is clearly lacking is in the radio silicon; the current model's strictly 2G, and what's worse, the shipping units frequently come without WiFi. What's a Meizu fan to do? The company's ever-colorful CEO Jack Wong is now saying that there are a couple new versions of the M8 in the works -- which may launch in place of the previously-mentioned M9 variants -- and should include both GPS and a healthy 5 megapixel cam. An "M8 3G" would be rocking TD-SCDMA for domestic Chinese high-speed service, while a second "M8w" model would do some form of WCDMA, presumably equipped for 3G service both in and out of the country. No release dates are mentioned -- but considering the M8's seemingly perpetual delay, we wouldn't hold our breath for a 2009 outing.

[Via Meizu Me, thanks nice2know]

Filed under: Handsets, Others

Meizu releasing upgraded M8 versions with 3G and big cams? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola ZN300 gets unofficially official, is surprisingly nice

Sean Cooper — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:27:00 EST

First in the "we're surprised they did it" category today is Motorola's ZN300, a handset that doesn't look even a little like a RAZR. We knew you could do it Moto, and congrats on what seems at first glance to be a pleasant departure form the rehashes we've seen so much of lately. The ZN300 is a slider set with quad-band GSM, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA, which makes this set a shoe-in for China mobile. Other notables include 8 MB (hopefully a typo for 8GB) of built in memory that can expand to 32GB, 3 megapixel camera with 8X zoom, Bluetooth, and styling that finally may make some people take notice. Sure this handset may not deserve a ZOMG!, but hey, we're happy to see something, anything, new from these folks. Look for it to launch this quarter; follow on for a wee gallery.

[Via UnwiredView]

Gallery: Motorola ZN300 gets unofficially official, is surprisingly nice

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM, CDMA, China Mobile

Motorola ZN300 gets unofficially official, is surprisingly nice originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meizu looking to CDMA and China-centric 3G with M8 successor

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:42:00 EST

We've barely had time to digest the fact that real, actual, honest-to-goodness Meizu M8s are now available at the odd retail outlet around the globe, and Meizu's famously colorful CEO is already spouting off about a successor. Talk about a buzzkill, eh? Jack Wong made an off-the-cuff remark in a forum post today about the M9 in two flavors -- M9c for CDMA networks and M9t for China's 3G TD-SCDMA networks -- but beyond that, he's said nothing about specs or availability. Odds are, we can expect a good 18-24 months of teasers, missed launches, and brushes with vaporware status before either model actually launches, so if you had your heart set on an M8, seriously, don't feel bad about taking the plunge.

[Via Meizu Me]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Meizu looking to CDMA and China-centric 3G with M8 successor originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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