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BenQ rejoins the smartphone market with two tepid Android models
Contrary to what the execs told us back in September last year, BenQ has now decided that it should re-enter the smartphone business, and it's done so in Taiwan with two affordable quad-core models: the recently-launched, MediaTek MT6589-powered F3 (pictured left), and the Snapdragon MSM8225Q-powered A3 from early November. Both 1.2GHz devices feature a 4.5-inch 960 x 540 IPS display, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, microSD expansion, a 2-megapixel front camera and a similar battery (2,100mAh for the F3 and 2,000mAh for the A3). Apart from the appearance, the main difference between the two is the camera: the higher-end and better-looking F3 has a 13-megapixel f/2.2 main imager with HDR and zero shutter delay, whereas the A3 only has an 8-megapixel counterpart. The F3 is already available in Taiwan for NT$7,990 (about US$270) off-contract, and the A3 goes for NT$5,990 (about US$200). There's no word on global expansion just yet, but hey, BenQ, how about bringing your expertise in luxury lamps to your next smartphone?
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.
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.
iPhone 5 launches in mainland China and Taiwan today, lines show up as usual
While the iPhone 5's been out for some time already, it wasn't until today that our friends in China and Taiwan (along with many other countries) can finally buy the device locally. Since midnight local time, several carriers and shops welcomed customers with balloons, drinks and even musical performance. But in the case of Apple Stores in China, the lines were much shorter than before as interested buyers have to first make an online reservation, before trekking to the stores once they are notified -- a policy no doubt welcomed by residents of bitterly cold Beijing at this time of the year. On top of that, both China Unicom and China Telecom are simultaneously offering the iPhone 5 -- with WCDMA or CDMA radio, respectively -- alongside several tariff options. In China, the unsubsidized iPhone 5 starts from ¥5,288 or about $850. Our brethren in Taipei went to check out the various shops today and saw warm reception for the iPhone 5 launch as well, with Chunghwa Telecom getting the most attention, followed by local resellers Studio A and Data Express. Including tax, the Taiwanese iPhone 5 starts from NT$21,900 or about $750 unsubsidized. More pics after the break.
Mainland China, Taiwan send first data over direct fiber optic link, take steps towards peace and harmony
Relations between mainland China and Taiwan haven't always been what you'd call warm, even with many companies having a footprint in both regions. Consider the first bursts of network traffic from a newly active connection as olive branches: a pair of undersea fiber optic cables running between southern China's Xiamen and the Taiwan-claimed Kinmen island chain represent the first truly direct data link between the two sides. Built by China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom, the link both has its share of diplomatic symbolism as well as the very practical advantage of a faster, more reliable route -- there's no globetrotting required to get data and voice to their destinations, and there's fewer chances of blackouts if a boat inadvertently slices a cable. We wouldn't go so far as to call it a Happily Ever After for either faction after decades of tension, but it does at least provide a greater semblance of normalcy to their communication. [Image credit: Aine Hickey, Wikitravel]
Taiwan's mobile operators see 'unprecedented' demand for iPhone 4S
Taiwan is ready to break sales records when it launches the iPhone 4S later this month. According to a Focus Taiwan report, iPhone 4S pre-orders have already reached an astounding 380,000 units. With eight more days left until the December 16 release date, this number will likely get larger. A report at Want China Times claims the carriers were not prepared when pre-orders began earlier this month. Far Eastone's website crashed under the load of customers trying to reserve their handsets, and even Chunghwa Telecom, which upped its capacity during the pre-order frenzy, couldn't keep up with demand. Taiwan Mobile also went down, and its 2,500 free iPhone 4S cases sold out within hours. The top 4S seller is wireless carrier Chunghwa Telecom, which accepted 210,000 pre-orders, well over the 150,000 orders the carrier expected. Coming in second and third are Far Eastone with 90,000 pre-orders and Taiwan Mobile with 80,000. All three carriers say they did not expect this high demand for Apple's latest smartphone. The iPhone 4S will launch in Taiwan on December 16. An unlocked iPhone 4S will start around NT$25,400 (US$842). [via The Next Web]
December: White-market iPhones coming to Taiwan
The iPhone 3G will be officially arriving in Taiwan during the month of December, according to Kaddy Chung and Adam Hwang of Digitimes. Chunghwa Telecom will be "exclusively" offering the phone for sale, but did not release any details about pricing or when exactly it will hit store shelves. Gray market handsets have been available in the country for as much as NT$28,500 (≈ US$865). According to NetworkWorld, the iPhone might be next destined for China, as a release in Taiwan suggests that Chinese input support is finished (or nearly so). [Via Cult of Mac.]
BBC HD heads to Taiwan on Chunghwa Telecom
BBC HD is about to head east -- way east. This month, the channel will make its Taiwanese debut via an SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) service on Chunghwa Telecom. Viewers who tune in will reportedly be able to select from "ten three-hour multiple genre blocks of programs at any one time," which will feature "drama, comedy, documentary, natural history, music and arts programming." Of note, the channel will be shown in English with traditional Chinese subtitles added on, but there will be "program promos and navigational menus in traditional Chinese."[Via Variety]
Trans-Pacific Express submarine cable system gets FCC approval
It's not like we haven't seen consortiums working to establish better links between America and Asia, but the more the merrier, right? Apparently, Verizon Business has just recently received the all-important thumbs-up from the FCC to "activate and operate the Trans-Pacific Express submarine cable system in the US." The TPE cable is hailed as "the first next-generation undersea optical cable system directly linking the US and mainland China," and is the first major system of its kind to land on America's West Coast (Oregon, to be precise) in over seven years. For those curious, the 10,563-mile submarine communications cable will be able to support the equivalent of 62 million simultaneous phone calls -- which is "more than 60 times the overall capacity of the existing cable directly linking the US and China" -- and will initially provide capacity of up to 1.28Tbps. So, when will this thing be up and running? If all goes to plan, it should be fully operational by August (you know, prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing).[Image courtesy of Devicepedia]
