KIRFs
Latest
Ask Engadget: Are KIRFs worth it?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Sabin, who wants a high-spec smartphone and is prepared to venture to the dark side to get it. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I know, I know. I sound like an idiot, but I'd like a full-featured smartphone without the hefty cost. I'm looking for an unlocked phone and came across some of the China Global iPhone KIRFs that run Android. I'm no slouch in loading ROMs, building jtags, etc., but I'd like to know if the hardware is solid, because I can make the software work if that's the case." Putting aside the various ethical and legal quandaries for the moment, it's a very good question. Are KIRFs usable smartphones for those who know their way around tech? Does the hardware work to such a standard that you can expect useful performance and bluff your way through a crowd of those paying full price? Share your experiences with the group -- we're sure you'll feel better afterward.
KIRF Notes are the Slankets of the phablet world (video)
Today we've got a special treat for you: not one, but two knockoff Galaxy Notes from across the Pacific. Both lack the raw power of Sammy's 5.3-inch device, and even knock the resolution down to a paltry 800 x 480. Our first contestant is rockin' only a 1GHz single-core processor and 512MB of RAM, but it's using those rather pedestrian components to push ICS through its little 9.7mm thick body. The second of today's players certainly wins the audacity contest -- brandishing its clearly unearned Samsung logos. It also wins the spec war here by jumping up to 768MB of RAM and a dual-core CPU, even if the later is an asymmetrical design with a 650MHz ARM7 and a 250MHz ARM9 inside. It also trades up in the camera department going with an eight-megapixel sensor, though, it does settle for Gingerbread. Now all we have to do is think up a new name for the segment, it seems wrong to bless these KIRFs with the phablet name. We were thinking slone or phlate... either way, check out the bonus hands-on vid after the break.
