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Sharp's smartphone robot gets a more 'affordable' WiFi version
If you've been waiting for a price drop for Sharp's super adorable robot phone, your wait is sort of over. As of October 6th, you can get a RoBoHon for 138,000 yen (excluding tax) which is about $1,230. That's a notable 60,000 yen or $530 drop from the original price, but there's a catch: this new offering doesn't come with cellular function. Apart from that, this WiFi-only RoBoHon (SR-02M-W) is otherwise identical to its LTE counterpart (SR-01M-W), packing the same Snapdragon 400 chipset, Android 5.0 OS, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera (with 720p video recording), a 720p pico projector in the head, a 1,700 mAh battery and a 2-inch QVGA touchscreen on the back.
ASUS' stylish ZenWatch is all about security, remote control and wellness
After its routine pre-show teasers, ASUS' first smartwatch has finally been unveiled at IFA in Berlin. It's no secret that this Android Wear-powered ZenWatch isn't joining the party of circular watch faces, but it's certainly done a nice job at packaging the 1.63-inch, 320 x 320 AMOLED touchscreen (as featured on Samsung's Gear Live). The body consists of a curved stainless-steel case surrounded by a rose-gold-colored band inset, and the top is dominated by a piece of 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3. You also get a genuine stitched-leather strap with a quick-release clasp out of the box, but you can swap it with your own 22mm band to suit your mood.
HTC Desire 816 review: A mid-range M8 let down by sluggish cameras
HTC may have some problems behind closed doors, but outside, it's still widely regarded as one of the world's top phone makers. We already gave this year's One M8 flagship a rather jolly review, and now it's time to see if the same qualities are preserved in its mid-range counterpart, the Desire 816. Indeed, back at Mobile World Congress, HTC called this $390 LTE phablet the "flagship mid-range" to emphasize its competitiveness. But has it lived up to its name? Or is it too little, too late in a world full of affordable options? Let's find out.
HTC's Desire 610 joins the affordable LTE smartphone party
Joining HTC's "flagship mid-range" Desire 816 at MWC is this smaller, but similar-looking Desire 610. As the cheaper model of these two LTE phones, many things have been downsized a little here: There's a 4.7-inch 960 x 540 display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 chip, 1GB of RAM and a fixed 2,040mAh battery. The cameras are also more modest, with the main one sporting an 8-megapixel sensor with f/2.4 aperture, and the front imager featuring a 1.3-megapixel sensor. Both can only handle 720p video recording. On the flip side, the Desire 610 has preserved some of the goodies from its bigger sibling: microSD expansion (but up to 64GB instead of up to 128GB) on top of the built-in 8GB of space, BoomSound stereo frontal speakers, nano-SIM support and LTE radio for either EMEA or Asia. There's no pricing info at the moment, but knowing that the Desire 816 will be priced extremely competitively, here's hoping that the Desire 610 will cost a tad less than Huawei's counterpart, the €249 (about $340) Ascend G6 4G. Expect this device to arrive in Europe sometime in May.
HTC's 'flagship mid-range' Desire 816 packs a large display, decent cameras and LTE (hands-on)
That HTC "Desire 8" you've been seeing lately? It's finally unveiled as the Desire 816, a "flagship mid-range" phone that promises to be competitively priced, while also offering LTE (for EMEA and Asia) and HSPA+ (up to 42 Mbps). This pretty phablet comes with a large 5.5-inch 720p display, a 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 SoC, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (capacity may vary), microSD expansion of up to a staggering 128GB and a fixed 2,600mAh battery. You'll get a decent multimedia experience courtesy of the BoomSound frontal stereo speakers (with dedicated amplifiers), along with the 13-megapixel f/2.2 main camera (with Zoe mode in HTC Sense 5.5 UI) plus the 5-megapixel f/2.8 selfie camera. These are all tucked inside a 7.99mm-thick, 165g body, which is pretty good for the size. Interestingly, this will be the first HTC phone to take a nano-SIM, which may be able to lure a few iPhone 5c users. Ultimately, it's all about the price, and we should know very soon given the China launch next month (likely March 18th), followed by a global launch in April. Update: We now have some hands-on photos. Enjoy!
The Grand Memo II LTE is ZTE's phablet sequel (hands-on)
ZTE's back with yet another take on the sans stylus phablet it introduced at Mobile World Congress last year, except this time, the device isn't touting a world's first with its Qualcomm CPU. The Grand Memo II LTE marks the company's second attempt at the smartphone category created by the Galaxy Note and G Pros of the world with a 6-inch 720p display, 13-megapixel rear camera and 7.2mm thickness. To ZTE's credit, it's whipped up quite a sleek and attractive plastic design, marked by a grooved, reflective backplate. Not only is the handset ultra slim, but also its curved edges and thin bezels somehow conspire to make the device appear slighter than its massive size.
Hands-on with LG's G2 mini
Just because it's smaller and has the same branding, that doesn't mean LG's G2 mini is anything like its elder namesake. It's just borrowing a bit of the G2's tech halo, is all. With a 4.7-inch, 960 x 540 qHD display, Android 4.4 KitKat, Snapdragon 400 heart (or Tegra 4i, depending on your market) and 1GB RAM, it's clear LG's positioning this as a budget Android KitKat device. But budget doesn't have to mean bad and here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we got a chance to see just how modest the G2 mini really is. Read on for our initial thoughts.
Samsung SGH-i187 reaches the FCC, may be a Windows Phone for AT&T
Samsung hasn't launched any Windows Phones for AT&T in the past year, but there are new hints suggesting the company may renew its support. An unannounced SGH-i187 phone has surfaced at the FCC with AT&T-compatible GSM, HSPA and LTE frequencies. While the filing doesn't reveal the OS, the i187 name last appeared in benchmarks for a Windows Phone; if the tests are authentic, we're looking at a mid-range handset with a 720p screen and a Snapdragon 400. We don't know if or when Samsung will ship the i187 to AT&T, but it could bring some diversity to a Windows Phone lineup that's increasingly Lumia-centric.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 with LTE now available at AT&T with faster CPU inside
AT&T may be focused on Galaxy Note 3 pre-orders at the moment, but it still has something for those who want a new Samsung gadget right away. The company has quietly launched its expected LTE version of the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 at prices of $300 off-contract, $200 with a two-year agreement and $20 per month on AT&T Next. It's also available for as little as $100 if you buy one on contract at the same time as a Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S 4 Active or Galaxy Note II. While the tablet is mostly unchanged from the WiFi version, it does have a treat inside -- there's now a 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 processor under the hood instead of the usual 1.2GHz chip. If that's enough to lure you in, you can order the 7-inch slate today at the source link.
This is the HTC One Mini
The leaks are true: HTC's rumored M4 is indeed the One Mini. We know because a trusted source in possession of the "petite" 4.3-inch handset has fed us a direct image, while also confirming some specs. From what we've seen, the few renders and blurrycam shots that bled out earlier this year appear to be dead-on. The One Mini's a more approachable (and affordable) version of the One -- both inside and out -- with some notable differences. For starters, its screen size has been reduced to 4.3-inches, much like Samsung's Galaxy S 4 Mini, making it much more palm-friendly and deserving of the Mini moniker. But we don't yet have a clear handle on its resolution. Certainly, the Mini's not going to ape the One's dazzling 1080p Super LCD 3 display -- what's more likely is that this "smaller" screen is of the 720p variety. The Mini still features the much-lauded metallic unibody HTC ushered in with the One and Beats Audio branding on the back, although now its front face is ringed with plastic. The consequence of that latter design change should aid in reducing its weight, but it also means you're getting considerably more bezel than on the One. There's also no IR blaster on the device, so you won't be able to use it as a handy replacement for your tv remote. And cosmetically, that's about as far as the Mini strays from the One. Much could change by the time the One Mini is released later this year -- should be sometime in Q3 -- but for the moment, the handset's running a Sensed-up version of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with BlinkFeed on board. Specific details on the UltraPixel cameras weren't made available to us, but we do know the rear module's capable of full HD video recording and Zoe share capture. As for the processor inside, our source provided us with a few benchmark results, pegging the CPU as a 1.4GHz dual-core setup -- presumably, a Snapdragon 400 just like the HTC First. That's about the extent of what we have on the One Mini. For anything further, you'll just have to wait for more leaks or HTC's official announcement later this fall.
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 400 with built-in LTE, new reference tablet designs
Qualcomm doesn't want to reserve the fastest wireless technology for its highest-end processors: it's launching a new quad-core edition of its Snapdragon 400 chip, the MSM8926, with both 3G and LTE built-in. The 1.2GHz, Cortex-A7 part will handle the faster wireless speeds alongside 42Mbps HSPA+ and China-friendly TD-SCDMA. It will also continue to support shorter-range technology like 802.11ac WiFi and Miracast streaming. The newer Snapdragon should arrive late this year alongside a matching Reference Design tablet. In the shorter term, the company is also introducing 7- and 10-inch versions of the Reference Design tablet that will be based on earlier, 3G-only versions of the Snapdragon 400 (the MSM8230 and MSM8030). These variants are targeted at developing world markets, and should be display on the Computex show floor this week -- naturally, we're hoping to get a first-hand look.
Alleged Galaxy S 4 mini benchmarks reveal Snapdragon 400 processor
The more we know about the 4.3-inch Galaxy S 4 mini, the more we're convinced that it's coming in the near future. German website All About Samsung claims to have obtained AnTuTu benchmark results from the baby Galaxy S 4, courtesy of an unnamed source. According to the screenshots above, the phone will feature 1.5GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front shooter capable of 1080p video. The original screenshots confirm the GS4 mini's rumored qHD display resolution (960 x 540 pixels), while also indicating that the phone will likely be powered by Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon 400 (like the HTC First), running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). If these specs pique your interest, ensure you haven't missed some recently leaked shots of the phone itself.
The Engadget Interview: Qualcomm's Raj Talluri talks Snapdragon at MWC 2013
Qualcomm finally detailed its Snapdragon 200 and 400 processors here at MWC, and we got the opportunity to discuss the new chips with Raj Talluri, SVP of product management. While the Snapdragon 600 and 800 SoCs are geared towards high-end devices, the 200 and 400 are targeting sub-$100 and $200-300 phones. He explained that the software remains as close as possible to what's available on the 600 and 800, but the hardware is scaled down to support lower-resolution displays and cameras by using ARM cores instead of the company's own Krait architecture. We then talked about the Snapdragon 800, which was decoding 4K video at CES but is being showcased here in Barcelona handling 4K playback with Dolby and DTS in Qualcomm's movie theater (sans popcorn, sadly). He also mentioned some of the other demos at the company's booth -- 4K encoding and streaming (via TransferJet), realtime video editing, voice activation, games (Modern Combat 4 and Need For Speed) and more. Don't miss our video interview after the break.
Qualcomm formally details lower-end Snapdragon 400 and 200 processors
We knew way back at CES that Qualcomm had a few lower-end chips up its sleeve, but now it's official: the Snapdragon 400 and 200 have been formally detailed in a company blog post thrown up today. Following in the footsteps of the high-end Snapdragon 800 and 600, these units are being aimed at "the mid-tier and entry level smartphone segments." The 400 options include dual Krait CPUs running at up to 1.7GHz per core, quad ARM Cortex-A7 CPUs humming along at up to 1.4GHz per core, and an Adreno 305 GPU. You'll also find support for TDSCDMA, DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps), 1x Advanced, W+G CDMA, and multi-SIM capabilities of Dual SIM, Dual Standby (DSDS) and Dual SIM, Dual Active (DSDA), as well as support for up 13.5 megapixel camera sensors, 1080p video capture / playback and Miracast wireless display tech. For the number nerds, Snapdragon 400 processors now include the following part numbers: 8226, 8626, 8230, 8630, 8930, 8030AB, 8230AB, 8630AB and 8930AB. As for the 200, you'll get quad ARM Cortex-A5 CPUs at up to 1.4GHz per core, an Adreno 203 GPU, HD video playback, GPS, LPDDR2 RAM, multi-SIM support and the ability to handle up to 8 megapixel camera sensors. Snapdragon 200 processors now include the following part numbers: 8225Q, 8625Q. Unfortunately, pricing is being kept under wraps, and it seems that Qually is going to leave it to its wondrous partners to actually announce new hardware that'll be powered by its latest duo. With Mobile World Congress kicking off in a matter of days, something tells us you won't have to wait much longer for the nitty-gritty.
