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Daily Roundup: Nokia 1520 review, Xbox One vs. the PlayStation 4, RAW support for Android and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nokia Lumia 1520 review: the best Windows Phone device yet
Windows Phone has never looked this good. The latest update to Microsoft's mobile operating system, known as Update 3, added support for 1080p displays, large smartphone screens and state-of-the-art processors. And now, these features are finally showing up on actual hardware. The first device to tick off all these boxes is the Nokia Lumia 1520, a 6-inch flagship with all of the trimmings we've been waiting to see on a Windows Phone device for three years now. Because high-end Windows Phones have been limited to whatever specs Microsoft officially supports, we've felt that Nokia's flagships didn't differ enough in specs from the lowest-end Lumias to justify the enormous price difference. At least, they didn't until now. The Lumia 1520 is the first top-of-the-line Windows Phone device that brings the best possible components. So, what's WP8 like on hardware that isn't behind the times? Let's find out.
AT&T will have exclusive on Nokia 1520 in the US, will sell the 2520 tablet also (update)
All that fun over in Abu Dhabi, and all you really want to know is which of the new goodies can you buy? Well, if you're in the US, and you fancy the new Nokia 1520, you'd better be on AT&T, as the network's just announced it's got the exclusive on it. It'll also be adding the 2520 to its tablet offerings. No word on network-specific prices at this time, but we'll add them once we know. Update: It looks like Verizon will get the 2520 as well, so AT&T's exclusivity pertains to the 1520. More info on Big Red's announcement awaits at the source link down below.
Nokia leaks Lumia 1520 details on Chinese online store: 20MP PureView camera, Snapdragon 800 processor
Looking for more evidence that Nokia's about to unleash an oversized Windows Phone? You've got it: the company's official Tmall store (an online marketplace in China) recently published a product page for the fabled Lumia 1520. There's no images to speak of, but the listing agrees with the handset's rumored 6-inch 1080p display and 20-megapixel PureView camera. The page also promises a Snapdragon 800 CPU and a 4,999 Yuan (about $819) price tag. That said, the page seems to just be a placeholder for now, but the phone is expected to be officially announced at Nokia World later this week. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait.
Alleged Nokia 'Bandit' screen grab adds fuel to large 1080p Lumia 1520 rumors (update: GDR3?)
While technically not the biggest Nokia news of the morning, it's possibly news of the biggest Nokia. The ever resourceful @evleaks has posted what is claimed to be a screenshot from the Nokia "Bandit," also suspected to emerge as the Lumia 1520. There's a lot going on in the image, but one thing's for sure, you'll not be left wanting for space for mini tiles. Though even then, there are options. Update: Upon further inspection, there are a few interesting things to note. The original image is 1,080 x 1,920 -- a resolution not currently supported in Windows Phone. This corroborates claims that GDR3 will be coming along for the ride, along with a revised camera app (or icon, at least). Oh, and of course, more columns and rows for your start menu!
Dell's 15.4-inch Vostro 1520 gets AT&T 3G option
The Round Rock powerhouse has definitely worked with the lads and ladies at AT&T before, but never before has the company's bargain-priced Vostro 1520 been available with WWAN. Until today, of course. Starting right now, users interested in picking up the 15.4-inch rig can add an AT&T 3G module for $125, though you should know that Dell forces you to purchase the $109 NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GPU (256MB) upgrade alongside of it. If you're down with a two-year DataConnect 5GB plan, the Vostro 1520 with AT&T 3G can be ordered up for as low as $633, and we're also told that a slew of other Inspiron, Latitude, Precision and XPS devices should be receiving similar treatment in short order.
Dell launches freshened Vostro 1320, 1520 and 1720 laptops
It's been awhile since this family saw any updates, but we must say, Dell did a pretty laudable job with the redesign here. Make no mistake -- these guys are still aimed squarely at the gamboling suits in attendance, but we could certainly see a consumer or two pulling the trigger. The freshened line includes the 13.3-inch Vostro 1320, the 15.4-inch Vostro 1520, and the 17-inch Vostro 1720, all of which come with pre-installed videoconferencing and webcam software (so long as you purchase the integrated webcam and microphone). Furthermore, users can now opt for an SSD in place of the traditional hard drive, a fingerprint reader for added security or an encrypted HDD with Wave Systems software. The whole trio is available today in North America and select South American countries starting at $569 (Vostro 1520), $629 (Vostro 1320), and $649 (Vostro 1720).
Dell Inspiron 1525 review roundup
This laptop wasn't much of a secret as it was, and it turns out reviewers got an early shot at it as well. The Inspiron 1525 from Dell is about as cheap as standard-size laptops go, with a starting price of $500, but Dell has made surprising gains in the looks and size department -- the major complaints levied towards the 1520. Dell shaved 25% off the size, 30% off the thickness and half a pound off the weight in building this new model, and while it might not exactly have the looks of the m1330, it's certainly not the eyesore the 1520 was. Reviewers got to play around with a $999 configuration, and found performance to be just fine for standard applications, but the lack of a dedicated graphics option makes this one a non-starter for gamers. Perks like HDMI out and solid battery life for this price range are icing on the cake, and there are multiple color options and patterns you can trick out your 1525 with, but for the most part this is a simple but nice budget laptop, so we're guessing you've already got a decent idea if it's what you're looking for.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in; image courtesy of NotebookReview]Read - Laptop Magazine (4.5 out of 5: "Our favorite mainstream budget notebook.")Read - NotebookReview - ("The Inspiron 1525 is exactly the notebook that the Inspiron 1520 should have been in the first place.")Read - PC Mag - (3.5 out of 5: "Unfortunately, the slimmer design also means that it had to forgo an option for dedicated graphics.")
Dude, you're not getting a Dell: shipping delays hound PC maker
For those of you who've recently placed a Dell laptop order only to find yourself high and dry on shipment, rest assured you're not alone -- not by a long shot. Of course, there have been problems with shipment on the XPS M1330 for some time -- problems so severe that a thread on NotebookReview's forum concerning delays for the laptop has had over 9,000 replies to date (a record for the site), but apparently that's not the only system affected. It would seem that customers who've placed orders for the Inspiron 1420, 1520, and 1720 are also feeling the burn of Dell's little stop-up. Some of the disgruntled purchasers have even gone to the trouble of breaking down Inspiron delays based on lid color, which, for the 1520 (for instance) runs the gamut from no delays for a black lid, to a whopping 11-day delay if you want to go red, green, or pink. This phenomena has even led to buyers forgoing their desired color choices just to get a laptop in a timely fashion. With the continued slowdown in production and increasing heat from the competition, Dell and its customers may find that this minor bump in the road is turning into a major headache.[Thanks, Paul]
Dell's XPS m1330 and Inspiron laptops now on-line
After an initial appearance on Canada's site, Dell's new XPS m1330 and Inspiron laptops have broken free from the rumor mill. Available on-line now, the new 17-, 15-, and 14-inch Inspirons start at $769 while the XPS m1330 hottie will set you back at least $1,684 $1,299. Specs are in line with what we've already heard: LED-backlighting, slot-loading and Blu-ray optical, SSDs, big juicy 1,920 x 1,200 resolutions, GeForce Go 8600M GT graphics, 2x hard disk configurations and enough colors to make you doubt your manhood.Update: Dell just updated the website (again) to reflect a starting price of $1,299 for the XPS m1330. That's more like it.[Thanks, everybody who sent this in]
Pics and specs of Dell's unannounced Inspirons: HHDs, Blu-ray, and RAID?
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers, we've got pics-a-plenty from Dell's new Inspiron lineup. Better yet, French forum lesDelliens proclaims to have the specs on not only the 1520, 1521, 1720, and 1721 already churning in the rumor mill, but also on a new 14.1-inch 1420. Everything certainly looks kosher but you'll have to judge for yourselves. Click-through for a glimpse at the purported specifications (via machine translated French) or just click into the gallery below. Mmm, so many pretty pictures.%Gallery-3912%
