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Tegra Note 7 gets updated with Android 4.3 and camera enhancements
A few things were missing from NVIDIA's Tegra Note 7 when it launched a month and a half ago, but the company promised that users would get a timely update that filled in some of the holes. That refresh, which includes Android 4.3 and a handful of other enhancements, is coming out to the $200 Tegra 4-powered tablet today. One of the biggest features that should've been offered from the very beginning is Always-on HDR (AOHDR), which does exactly what the feature's name implies -- making sure users can snap a real-time HDR shot without waiting several seconds for the camera to process it. There are a few other nice touches in the changelog, such as left-handed stylus support, improvements in the DirectStylus' response, notifications and the ability to transfer files to microSD from internal memory. Granted, this isn't the latest version of Android (4.4), but NVIDIA is planning on bringing it to the Note 7 eventually. In the meantime, at least users can enjoy the current update as it begins rolling out today around the world, regardless of which market you live in.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 5th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a smartphone inspired by TopGear's 2012 supercar of the year, leaks of a water-resistant handset for T-Mobile and an Android smartphone from LG that sells for under $100 outright. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 5th, 2013.
Xolo Play T1000 brings Tegra 3-based phones to India
Tegra 4-based phones may be all the rage lately, but many in India haven't even had a shot at the Tegra 3 -- not very fair, we'd say. Xolo is addressing that deficit by launching the Play T1000, which brings the Tegra 3 to the country for the first time. The quad-core processor adds a gaming-friendly spin to what's otherwise a close cousin of the X1000 we saw back in March. Both phones share a 4.7-inch 720p LCD, 21Mbps HSPA+ and an 8MP rear camera; the T1000 cuts the (thankfully expandable) storage down to 4GB in return for a sharper 2MP front camera. Pricing may clinch the deal for some Indians, however. The Play T1000 is available now for 15,999 rupees ($268) off-contract -- a price low enough to make us wish there were plans for a US release.
Xolo Q600 hits India with 4.5-inch screen, quad-core CPU for $150
Lava has an eclectic mix of smartphones on the market under its Xolo brand, including the Intel Atom-based X1000 and dual-core X800 ARM model with an 8-megapixel camera. A common thread is that all are, shall we say, cheap, and the Q600 unveiled today is no exception at 8,999 rupees (about $150). For that sum, you'll get a quad-core Mediatek 6589M processor, 4.5-inch 854 x 480 screen, 5-megapixel rear camera, 0.3-megapixel front cam, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory (expandable via microSD) dual 3G sims and Android 4.2. Residents of India can grab it as of today, though we can't see this particular model ever making occidental travel plans.
Xolo X1000 reaches India, mates a 2GHz Atom with a 4.7-inch screen for $369
For all the credit the Xolo X900 earned as the first Intel-based smartphone, it grew long in the tooth very quickly between that 4-inch screen and 1.6GHz Atom chip. The solution, naturally, is a straight-up modernization like the X1000. The new smartphone jumps to a more contemporary 4.7-inch, 720p LCD and the same 2GHz Atom Z2480 that we saw in the RAZR i. Most other components won't rock the boat for those who bought in last year, though. There's still the familiar high-speed 8-megapixel rear camera as well as a 1.3-megapixel camera at the front, 1GB of RAM, 21Mbps HSPA+ 3G and 8GB of expandable storage. The X1000 is even using Ice Cream Sandwich instead of some flavor of Jelly Bean. Still, the price is right -- a contract-free 19,999 rupees ($369) for the Indian debut could have at least a few customers willing to bring some Intel Inside.
Mobile Miscellany: week of February 11th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought new smartphones from Alcatel, Samsung and Xolo, along with a sneak preview of the BlackBerry Travel app. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 11th, 2013.
Xolo helps you save some cash with 5-inch A1000 Jelly Bean phone for $275
Not ready to hand over Rs 21,500 (about $400) for a Samsung Galaxy Grand in India? Xolo seems to be counting on it, at least according to the company's comprehensive PowerPoint -- the vehicle of choice for this week's A1000 smartphone launch. The Rs 14,999 (about $275) Jelly Bean handset packs specs similar to those offered with the Samsung flavor, such as an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.2MP shooter on the front, a dual-core 1GHz MT 6577 processor, one gig of RAM and a 2,100 mAh battery pack. Both smartphones include 5-inch displays, though the A1000 offers a 720p IPS panel, compared to an 800 x 480 TFT display on the Galaxy. There's 4GB of built-in storage (expandable to 32GB), Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n and compatibility with 900/1800MHz GSM bands, along with 2100MHz HSPA. Sound like a perfect fit? Folks in India should be able to pick one up beginning today.
Visualized: Intel Lexington-based smartphones from Acer and Xolo
At Intel's press conference today here in Las Vegas we got a chance to see smartphones from Acer and Xolo based on chipzilla's Lexington platform. This new SoC follows in Medfield's footsteps but is targeted primarily at emerging markets. It scales up to 1.2GHz, supports 1080p video and features HSPA+ with dual SIMs. We were not given any specs and were only allowed to look (in fact we got in trouble for touching) so stay tuned for the details as we find out more. Until then, go ahead and take a look at our gallery below.
Lava Xolo A800 reaches India, delivers big screen and dual SIMs on a budget
Most of us who know Lava's Xolo badge will associate it with one of the first Atom-based smartphones, the Xolo X900, but it's branching out to models that don't require an Intel Inside label. Its just-launched, India-oriented Xolo A800 is all about keeping the cost of a big-screened phone down through a low-cost ARM processor: the Android 4.0 smartphone combines a 1GHz, dual-core MediaTek MT6577 chip with a 4.5-inch, 960 x 540 IPS display that you won't often find in this device class. There's a few other surprises in store. While the dual 2G and 3G SIM slots aren't unusual given local market tastes, the A800 also stuffs in a very modern backside-illuminated 8-megapixel rear camera, a front VGA camera and a total of 12GB of storage out of the box. The grand total for Indians buying today is just 11,999 rupees ($220) off-contract -- a good deal that makes us hope Lava takes the A800 abroad.
Intel posts x86-friendly Android 4.0 image, lets you feel the need for speed
Android developers are all too familiar with not-so-hot emulator performance, so it's a relief that there's now an system image in a native x86 for testing. While you'll still likely want to test on ARM, the x86 image will both help ferret out bugs specific to Intel's architecture as well as provide a much faster experience debugging apps now that the ARM-to-Intel translation isn't needed on top of running a whole second operating system. It's not perfectly up to date, running on Android 4.0.3, but it's close enough that the environment will mimic much of what users see -- and a big help if you're jumping into writing specifically for Intel devices. If speed is of the essence, or you're not keen on importing a Lava Xolo X900, you just need to update the SDK Manager to start testing with an Intel-flavored green robot.
Lava's Medfield-based Xolo X900 smartphone gets reviewed by AnandTech
We briefly got our hands on the Medfield-based Xolo X900 back in February, and have seen some benchmarks from Lenovo's K800 (based on the same reference design), but AnandTech has now provided a typically thorough review of the device that's ushering in Intel's new push into smartphones. In short, the phone is a solid first step, but not something that AnandTech sees as a flagship device. Battery life is respectable and performance is even better (scoring among the top of the heap in most benchmarks), and both the screen and camera manage to impress, but AnandTech didn't find anything that pulled the device ahead of the competition. In its own words, "on the one hand it's a good thing that you can't tell an Intel smartphone apart from one running an ARM based SoC, on the other hand it does nothing to actually sell the Intel experience." Hit the source link below for the full review and benchmarks.
Intel's Xolo X900 by Lava hands-on (video)
Intel's Medfield-based Android smartphones have been buzzed about for sometime now, but until this past CES, we hadn't actually seen one of these unicorns en vivo. No longer, as the chip manufacturer outed a trio of those very handsets today at its MWC event. Of particular note is the Xolo by Lava, a 4.03-inch, single-core unit running a mostly stock build of Gingerbread and destined for the Indian market. We spent time getting to know the device, so follow on past the break as we parse through its finer qualities.
Lava brings Intel-based smartphones to India with the XOLO X900
Intel has already announced a partnership with Orange to bring the first Intel-based smartphone to Europe, and it's now also announced a deal with Lava International to bring a similar phone to India. Like the Orange phone, this new XOLO X900 is based on Intel's reference design, and packs a 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 processor, a high-res 4-inch display (presumably the same 600 x 1024), front and rear-facing cameras, support for HSPA+ networks, built-in NFC, and HDMI connectivity -- plus what appears to be stock Android 2.3 for an OS, with no mention of a possible ICS upgrade just yet. Still no firm word on launch details for the phone either, but Intel says it's expected to be available early in the second quarter of this year.
