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Motorola Droid Mini for Verizon hands-on (video)
Gigantic handsets may be surprisingly popular, but they're hardly appropriate for every smartphone user. Some of us prefer working with a more compact device, and for those customers, Motorola and Verizon have announced the new Droid Mini. The handset, a smaller variant of the Droid Ultra (and Ultra Maxx), stills packs plenty of punch. Moto calls it "compact without compromise," and while there's clearly less screen real estate here than on the larger Droids, it does look like a pretty compelling package. For all intents and purposes, the Mini is a refresh of last year's Droid RAZR M. As expected, the phone packs a 4.3-inch display which, like the RAZR M, its nearly edge-to-edge. Though the Droid Mini retains nearly the same diminutive dimensions as the RAZR M, its overall impression is not as slick-looking. That's due to the glossy, unibody design (still Kevlar) Motorola's opted for on the Mini. Not everything's remained the same, though: the Mini distances itself from the past with a resolution bump to 1,280 x 720, although it reps a TFT display -- not the AMOLED of the Droid Ultra and Maxx. %Gallery-194444%
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review
More Info Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 preview (video) Samsung rumored to tweak Galaxy Note 10.1 inside and out Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 coming worldwide this month, UI shown off on YouTube Consider it the fallout from a decade-plus of reality TV, but our made-by-the-masses approach has expanded into new territory: technology R&D. Or so Samsung's very public handling of the Galaxy Note 10.1 would have us believe. Thrust into an American Idol-like spotlight at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the still-unfinished slate, a follow-up to the pen-enabled Galaxy Note phone, was forced to perform for hordes of skeptical insiders. Sure, there was raw talent on display and we could see the promise of this 10-inch contender (we said as much in our exhaustive preview), but it was also clear the company was testing consumer waters, fishing for a vote of confidence before continuing down the development track. Does this make Samsung's latest flagship the Kelly Clarkson of the tablet category? It's an apt analogy, if you think about it: Kelly wants to be country, the Note 10.1 wants to be a pro-designer tool, but neither are allowed. Why? Well, simply put, products sell better when they're made more palatable for a wider range of tastes. Which is why the company used MWC to gauge popular opinion before molding its untested product into something wth a broader appeal. Ultimately, that meant a drastic makeover: since MWC, the Note 10.1 has received a slot for that S-Pen, streamlined software, a quad-core Exynos 4 chip and two storage configurations: 16GB / 32GB, priced at $499 and $549, respectively. So it now has more horsepower under the hood, that much is assured, but is that chip enough to boost the Note 10.1's mass appeal? Will savvy shoppers be able to forgive that relatively low-res 1,280 x 800 display? Will its Wacom digitizer elevate this slate past its more generic Android and iOS rivals? Or will that feature hamper its widespread appeal, attracting mainly creative professionals? Meet us after the break to see if the Note 10.1 can succeed as the multitasking everyman's go-to tablet.%Gallery-162350%
iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble
It's been some time since we heard much from iRiver but the PMP maker is keeping busy with the snow-white B100. This capacitive touchscreen media player will offer up to 36 hours of music playback, or eight and a half hours of video watching. The 3.1-inch TFT screen has a resolution of 320 x 480, but it's backed up by a (relatively) long list of media codecs, including OGG, WAV, APE and ASF compatibility. If you're sick of limited playback options, you might want to consider downscaling those screen-size desires for improved format freedom. The PMP launches today, with prices starting at 11,800 yen (around $144) for the 4GB model, while the 8GB version will set you back 13,800 yen (around $168) at online Japanese retailer, Rakuten. The Google-translated PR awaits your quizzical looks below.
AUO's flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in battle of the bendiest
There's nothing better than unplugging on a Sunday afternoon with a newspaper and a cup of Joe, which is exactly what AU Optronics hopes to facilitate with its 6-inch Rollable Organic TFT E-paper. We've heard rumblings about the foldable photovoltaic device before, but the company has finally delivered a working prototype that is completely solar powered and elastic enough to make even Gumby jealous. Made of organic TFTs, the SVGA e-paper has an amorphous silicon PV battery, which turns natural or indoor light into solar energy without requiring a power plug. The only downside? Unlike the dead tree variety, wrapping presents in this stuff is a no-go. Check out the extended PR after the break.
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.
LG Optimus EX bound for South Korea, still won't pay alimony
Despite its rather curious name, the LG Optimus EX (aka the LG SU-880) just might be your soulmate -- provided you live in South Korea. The 9.5mm device appears ready to take SK Telecom by storm with a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU (with no indication of make or model), Android 2.3, 4-inch WVGA TFT-LCD display and five megapixel camera; it's also said to be coming in black and white varieties. We admit, it's not the type of spec sheet that induces a large amount of salivation, but we imagine many will be seduced by the new device -- if the price is right, that is. No word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll hopefully know more once we get officially introduced to the new handset.
Engadget Primed: all mobile displays are not created equal
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The quality of a mobile phone's display is arguably the most important factor to consider when you establish a relationship with a handset. It's inescapable, really. Whether you're playing a rousing game of Robot Unicorn Attack or (regrettably) drunk-dialing an ex, it's the one interface element that you're consistently interacting with. It's your window to the world and your canvas for creation, and if it's lousy, it's going to negatively influence everything you see and do. Today, we're delving into the world of mobile displays, where we're aiming to entertain and edify, and hopefully save you from making regrettable decisions -- when it comes to purchasing new phones, anyway. In this edition of Primed, we'll be examining the different qualities and underlying technologies of several displays, starting with the ubiquitous TFT-LCD and moving through the nascent realm of glasses-free 3D and beyond. We'll also be addressing the importance of resolution and pixel density. Finally, we'll be scoping out a handful of upcoming technologies -- while some are thoroughly intriguing, others are just plain wacky. Go ahead... buy the ticket, take the ride, and join us after the break. It's Primed time.
Toshiba's in-cell integrated 7-inch capacitive LCD ditches touch layer, extra girth (video)
Samsung's Super AMOLED may have beat Toshiba to the in-cell capacitive touch punch, but we're still happy to see other LCD panels dropping unnecessary layers. Featured in a GPS mock-up, Toshiba's 7-inch 1024 x 600 R&D display touts 10-point multi-touch over 38,400 sensors -- that's one touch sensor for every four pixels. It may not be the first LCD to abandon the standard touch layer for integrated capacitive support, but we wouldn't shy away from a tablet or embedded screen featuring this 1mm wonder. We'll have to wait though; Toshiba's in-cell tech is still in R&D, with no word when or if we might see it in commercial devices. Check out the video after the break for a quick hands-on. %Gallery-123862%
Toshiba reveals 7-inch LCD with integrated touch, just 1mm thick
Remember all that happy fuss over Samsung's Super AMOLED display, and its more recent Super AMOLED Plus? Well now Toshiba Mobile Display has jealously stepped into the ring with its own answer to the world's demand for thinner, lighter and less reflective LCDs. Its as-yet-unnamed technology seeks improvement in a roughly similar way to Super AMOLED, by fusing the capacitive touch layer and LCD. In so doing, Toshiba claims it can produce an integrated panel just 1mm thick, which it says is less than half the thickness of a conventional LCD touchscreen. Weight is also halved and surface reflection is reduced by 10 percent. Alas, Toshiba's press release does not provide the stats we really want -- a head-to-head comparison with Samsung's best efforts or, say, the Synaptics ClearPad 3250 which also melds touch layer and LCD. And perhaps to avoid confrontation in the mobile arena, Toshiba emphasizes the use of its technology in "vehicle-mounted" and "industrial" applications. Seems we will have to wait until the screen is exhibited in LA next month before we know whether it is really up for a fight.
Super AMOLED vs AMOLED vs LCD in direct sunlight... fight! (video)
By now you know that (one of) AMOLED's Achilles' heel is readability in direct sunlight. But Samsung's been working hard to fix that with its new Super AMOLED technology. Techblog took the display to task by pitting the Samsung Galaxy S (4-inch, 480 x 800 pixel Super AMOLED) against the HTC Desire (3.7-inch 480 x 800 pixel AMOLED) and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 (4-inch, 480 x 854 pixel TFT LCD). It's clear from the video embedded after the break that the LCD still has the edge in the harsh Greek sun, but the Super AMOLED certainly makes a much stronger showing than its AMOLED sib. In fact, differences in visibility between the LCD and Super AMOLED are often indistinguishable, like the picture above. That'll be good news for us just as soon as Samsung can start meeting demand... regardless of what Stevie J has to say. Check the video after the break and be sure to click the source for some more side-by-side pics, including a few taken indoors where that Super AMOLED display really shines.
ASUS Eee Tablet: a notepad with impressive 2450 dpi touchscreen sensitivity (updated)
Don't call it the Eee Pad, this is ASUS' Eee Tablet -- a digital notebook with a 2,450 dpi touchscreen and lickity quick 0.1 second page turns on a backlight-less TFT-LCD offering 64-levels of grey. As such, ASUS is calling its Eee Tablet one of the world's most accurate and sensitive note taking devices available. The other being paper and pencil of course. While the Eee Tablet will serve up texts and ebooks for reading just fine, ASUS is really pushing the note taking feature with built-in notepad templates and the ability to store, sort, tag, and annotate your notes on the fly. It comes packing a MicroSD slot and 2 megapixel camera for snapping lecture slides which students or professionals can then annotate and then sync back to a PC over USB. Battery life? 10 hours -- so yeah, it's not E-Ink... but then again it's not E-Ink. Update: Uh, ok, we've received clarification here at Computex. Apparently, when ASUS says "a 2450 dpi touch resolution screen" they actually mean a 2,450 dpi input sensitivity. In other words, annotations probably will feel like writing on paper, or an 8-inch 1024 x 768 pixel panel, anyway. Update 2: We've just been told to expect the Eee Tablet to cost somewhere between $199 and $299 of the green stuff when it launches sometime in September. Update 3: Lookie here -- we've got a hands-on preview up, video and all. %Gallery-93955%
Mac Tablet Files: Rumored delay for the rumored device
DigiTimes stories are fun. They just are. Sometimes they provide insight into the components side of tech. Other times they make me wish I hadn't given up my dreams of writing fiction. Today, unnamed sources from unspecified component manufacturers say Apple is postponing the launch of its amazing wonder tablet, moving the date from next March to the second half of 2010. According to the shadowy sources, Apple has decided to switch some components, and now plans to produce a tablet using a 9.7" OLED panel from LG Display. The panels would be provided under Apple's five-year, US$500 million display deal with LG Display revealed at the beginning of the year. The nameless talkers say construction of the devices will be done by three companies, and that there will be two, distinct units, the previously mentioned 9.7" OLED screened unit, and a 10.6" TFT LCD screened version. OLED's are very expensive compared to LCD displays, a cost that will be passed on to consumers. Sources figure the OLED tablet will have a retail price of about US$2,000, though that could come down with subsidies from telecom partners. The LCD unit with its 0.9" larger display is expected to be priced between US$800 and US$1,000. There are advantages to OLED versus LCD displays, but would consumers pony up twice the money for an untried device when they can get a bigger screen at a lower cost? Thanks to Paul for the tip. [via DigiTimes]
Movie Gadget Friday: Code 46
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema. On our last visit, we examined the computer hacking fantasies of 1980's adolescents in Weird Science. Skipping on from software-engineered babes to a bio-engineered society, this week we investigate the gadgets in the human-clone-saturated cities of Code 46. Though most of the futuristic technology in this 2003 film is in the form of mind-altering viruses, the everyday devices used by Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton slightly stretch today's technical specs in true sci-fi form. Memory Videobook Preventing scrapbooks from being left behind as primitive forms of experience archiving, this gadget combines the cheap plastic form of photo-books with a relatively thin interactive screen. The device captures first-person memories from a user in the form of lossy video (alas, the specs behind memory capturing have yet to be released, much to our irritation). Playback and fast-forward/rewind are enabled through basic scrolling gestures on either the corner of the video or the opposing soft-acrylic, touch-sensitive finger pad. Similar to Americhip's video-in-print technology, the memory videobook appears to use a TFT LCD, but with a far more outstanding resolution. While this memory scrapbook device is far from chic, we kind of respect that it stays true to its historical laminated, cutesy form despite the high tech modifications. More after the break.
LG's Solar Cell e-Book goes an extra day for every 5 hours of sunlight
Funny thing going on in the marketplace right now: reading for pleasure is on a rapid decline yet the choice of e-reader devices grows weekly. That's good news for those of us not spending our down-time in front of a television, mouth agape -- awkward for manufacturers testing the waters of this unproven niche. LG's showing off its Solar Cell e-Book reader anyway, in a bid to flex its thin-film solar muscle. The prototype features an energy conversion efficiency of about 9.6 percent giving it an extra day's worth of power for that 6-inch TFT-LCD after about four to five hours in the sun. LG is working towards boosting its thin-film solar cell energy conversion efficiency rate to 12% by 2010 on up to 14% by 2012. We say bring it LG, if you can. [Via OLED-Display]
LCD price-fixing probe targets LG.Philips, Sharp, Samsung
A number of TFT LCD manufacturers are under investigation by government regulators in Asia and the US for possible price-fixing. LG.Philips was subpoenaed by American, Japanese and Korean authorities on Monday, while Samsung was hit with legal papers on Tuesday. Further, Sharp was "contacted" by the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice, though it's unclear if that meant it got a subpoena too. But the fun doesn't stop there, reports IDG News Service, with the European Commission now getting in on the act, too -- the EC said that it was trying to "ascertain whether there is evidence of a cartel agreement and related practices concerning price fixing." Of course, this comes hot on the heels of that video card investigation we heard about recently, as well as the RAM price-fixing fiasco that Mitsubishi (and previously Samsung) were involved in. We'll keep you posted if other display makers get swept up into this.[Via Slashdot]
Sanyo-Epson announce 7.1-inch 1080p LCD: by far the world's smallest
You'll hear people argue endlessly about the merits of paying that 1080p cost premium on say, television panels of 37-inches or below. Hell, you'll be lucky to find a 37-incher throwing that Full HD resolution in the first place. So hang on to your azzhats kids, 'cause Sanyo-Epson just announced this 7.1-inch TFT LCD panel capable of that "Full HD" 1080p sweetness. Even with all those pixels, Sanyo-Epson is claiming that power consumption is "low" on this "thin" panel yet come up short on the details. Too bad 'cause we'd love to see how it stacks up against Samsung's single-chip 7-incher capable of a mere 854x480 pixels. What we do know is that these panels are destined for mobile digital TV devices and hopefully UMPCs to bump that all-too-common 7-inch, 800x480 display to a whopping 1920x1080 pixels -- assuming same or greater battery life, naturally. What, who ya callin' greedy!? Now if that's still not small enough for you then try on their 2.6-inch TFT LCD panel also announced, touting a 1024x768 XGA resolution and destined for PMPs and cellphones. The panels will be on display at FPD International in Japan starting tomorrow where we hopes to gets additional details and wafer-thin snaps held by waffer-thin models -- you know, as these things tend to go.[Via Impress]Read -- 7.1 inch (translated Japanese) Read -- 2.6 inch (translated Japanese)
Toshiba's "world's slimmest" 0.99-mm LCD for cellphones
Like the self-satisfaction felt upon arriving at Carhenge in slaughterhouse central, Toshiba Matsushita can lay claim to a hollow victory in this, the latest "world's slimmest" TFT-LCD. This 0.99-mm slimster kicks that ol' 1.3-mm fatty from LG.Philips squarely to the curb by trimming the paunch and matching the lower estimate of its 300 to 400 nit brightness. Meant for cellphones, the display delivers a 240x320 QVGA resolution on that 2-inch diagonal / 3.5-gram screen. Just don't get too worked up at the thought of a sub-6mm phone anytime soon -- the first samples won't roll to manufactures until April 2007. Oh Tosh, why must you tease? [Via Slashphone]
LG.Philips' "world's slimmest" 1.3-mm LCD for cellphones
We know you love your cellphones thin and hopefully, rigid so check the world's thinnest TFT-LCD panel just announced by LG.Philips. Measuring a mere 1.3-mm, the panel is 32% slimmer than the current gen of TFT-LCDs and about 0.2-mm thinner than those ultra-slim OLEDs. The new LCD should allow manufactures to dip below that 6.9-mm crown held by Samsung's SGH-X820 yet up the display brightness from 300 to 400 nits. So let's see, a conservative 0.6 less of 6.9-mm means we're looking at a 6.3-mm (0.25-inch) thick phone. Hear that Sammy, we'll expect nothing less, er, we mean more.[Via Telecoms Korea, Thanks Fred for math lesson]
LG's 1.48-mm TFT LCD
No doubt, thin is most definitely in at the mo'. Now, with some help from LG Electronics, we'll soon see a few more millimeters planed to the shop floor with the introduction of their new 1.48-millimeter sliver of an LCD. Besides being able to balance on a razor's edge for photo ops, this wee TFT panel will drop in both 2.0 and 2.2-inch formats able to handle QVGA (320 x 240) resolutions. No word on when these might appear, but we're pretty sure that Samsung's rigs won't be sporting 'em.
