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The Daily Roundup for 02.04.2013
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.
Samsung ATIV Tab review: the Windows RT tablet you'll never find in the US
In a world that's increasingly dominated by tablets, Microsoft, whose fortune is intertwined with desktops and laptops, needed to prevent its customers from leaving in droves. After a few years in a Redmond laboratory, Windows 8 and Surface RT were born -- but not everything was well in the brave new world the company had created. While Windows RT looks and behaves the same way as its big brother, it doesn't run your existing Windows programs despite having its own "desktop" mode. Understandably, as casual users struggled to understand the distinction, Samsung abandoned any plans to launch a Windows RT product in the United States. However, the device is still available in the rest of the world (including Canada), and so it is for everyone else -- and those with an eye on importing it -- that we put the ATIV Tab through its paces. In short, if it never made the journey across the pond, it would be a shame, because it's certainly tablet enough to give the Surface RT a run for its money. So should you buy one? The answer to that question awaits after the break.
Samsung introduces ATIV Tab: a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet
Samsung's busy cranking out its fall lineup here in Berlin, and among the new entries is the ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for micro-HDMI as well as USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick. The 32GB and 64GB storage options aren't shockers given the extra space Windows and the bundled copy of Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 will demand, but there's a treat for long-haul users in the battery -- it's been upgraded from the 7,000maH pack of the Note 10.1 to an ample 8,200mAh unit. Samsung hasn't handed out launch details, but it's safe to say that the ATIV Tab won't arrive any sooner than October 26th. Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub! Brad Molen contributed to this post.
Samsung ATIV Tab and ATIV S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo
Remember those ATIV Tab and ATIV S trademarks we saw just a couple of days ago? They may well be more than just Samsung's daydreams. As long as details at The Verge prove true, the devices attached to those names represent a two-pronged revival of Samsung's Windows-based mobile strategy. We're most interested in the ATIV S: thanks in part to Windows Phone 8's multi-core support, it's effectively a Galaxy S III for the Microsoft crowd with a similar 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front shooter. Swinging attention to the ATIV Tab shows what's likely to be a commonplace list of features for a Windows RT slate. Outside of the 10.1-inch screen, it's sporting its own 1.5GHz dual-core chip and 1.9-megapixel front camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear sensor, HDMI video out and USB. We're still missing a slew of details, such as storage and launch dates, although we might not have to wait long at all to know -- if the claims are correct, one or both of the ATIV models may show their faces at Samsung's IFA 2012 events.
Samsung trademarks Ativ Tab and Ativ S names, may give a peek into its Windows (Phone) 8 world
Everyone knows that Samsung is making a big Windows 8 push at IFA, but there's new signs emerging that it might shake up its naming scheme in the process. We now know through SamMobile that Samsung has quietly snapped up a pair of trademarks with the Ativ badge that would let its branding venture beyond the Galaxy. Ativ Tab is the most conspicuous: unless Samsung is planning a shakeup of its Android slates, there's a distinct chance we're looking at the future name for one or more Windows 8 tablets. Ativ S is slightly more nebulous, although that very familiar oversized S raises the possibility of a high-end Windows Phone 8 smartphone like the Odyssey. Whether or not Samsung wields these trademarks later this week, or at all in the near future, is still up in the air -- it may be holding on to names as a precaution rather than previewing a course of action. If the Ativ label makes its way into stores, though, it may give Samsung a much catchier (if not entirely intuitive) name for its Windows devices than Series 5 Hybrid PC.
