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Sony Xperia GX makes Japan debut today
The Xperia GX passed muster at the FCC labs a few weeks back and is filling shelves of NTT DoCoMo stores starting today. If you like your smartphone screens big and high-resolution, you'll probably be very happy with the Xperia GX's 720p 4.6-inch display, wrapped in a curved frame similar to last year's Xperia Arc. There's no word on whether the phone will remain a Japan-only exclusive, but Sony is likely to have something new to show off at European trade show, IFA, in only a few weeks. Arguably more of a looker than the Xperia S, perhaps we'll see a global model -- there's a pentaband 3G radio in this iteration -- sidling up next to an Xperia tablet in Germany very soon.
Rumored HTC Verizon phablet may land soon, with 1080p screen and 1.5GHz Snapdragon
Samsung and LG have already embraced the tiny-tablet form factor. It only makes sense that HTC would want to carve out a niche of this niche for themselves. Rumors of a five-inch HTC device have been circulating for some time, but now a report from DigiTimes is lending some credence to those murmurings, and a mysterious handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer has popped up over at GLBenchmark. According to unnamed sources the company has been working on a flagship level (One XXL?) device with a stunning 1,794 x 1,080 display, due to be released in either September or October. If you're taking that claim with a grain of salt, we don't blame you. But, an entry for the HTC 6435LVW that just popped up at GLBenchmark.com seems to fit the bill pretty nicely. It has the same listed resolution, which we assume is actually a 1,920 x 1,080 panel with room set aside for Android's soft keys. The device info has it running ICS, version 4.0.4 to be specific, on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 -- which should make it quite the powerful piece of hardware. The software build also singles it out as a Verizon handset, which means it'll be packing an LTE radio as well. Whether the rumored stylus is included, a la the Flyer, remains to be seen, but, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.
Quad-core Galaxy Note 10.1 source code wastes no time, available now
Appearing almost simultaneously alongside the Galaxy Note 10.1's launch itinerary, Samsung has offered up source code for both Korean iterations of the stylus-friendly slab. Ensuring custom ROM devs have very early access to the source should mean we're likely to see other software iterations (minus TouchWiz, perhaps) sooner rather than later. Developers can delve into the coding goodness below.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 coming worldwide this month, UI shown off on YouTube
We've got a good few updates rolling in on the Galaxy Note 10.1 front today. For starters, Samsung has announced that the S Pen equipped slate will available globally from August in WiFi and 3G varieties, with an LTE version coming later in the year. The press release and spec sheet after the break also confirm that the Note 10.1 will indeed possess a quad-core Exynos processor (alongside a 2GB dose of RAM), rather than the dual-core engine seen in our initial hands-on -- although we'd already gleaned that much from retailer listings. Finally, there's now an official video on YouTube showing off the tablet's interface, including a multi-screen function to make use of that stylus. Samsung's definitely pushing the productivity angle here, with the S Note / S Pen combo looking more like a publishing program than a doodle board. A sizeable and movable keyboard is also detailed, which should address the problem of landscape keys devouring screen space. Whether the UI runs on the new processor as swiftly and smoothly as the video suggests is unknown, but we'll sort the spin from the truth in our review coming very soon.%Gallery-161835%
Visualized: LG's Optimus L7, 4X HD, Vu and 3D Max pose for family album
A few weeks ago we had the chance to line up some of LG's current handsets -- the Optimus L7, Optimus 4X HD, Optimus Vu and Optimus 3D Max -- for a little photo shoot. While we only had access to the 3D Max for a short time, we ended up reviewing the other three. There's a bit of something for everyone here -- some Ice Cream Sandwich and some Gingerbread, some mid-range hardware and some hi-end style, some phablet and some 3D. Check out the pr0n family album in the gallery below.%Gallery-161789%
Pantech P9090 Magnus swings by FCC with AT&T LTE
Despite cranking out plenty of high-end devices in Asia, Pantech has built itself a reputation in the US as a budget OEM -- but continues to improve its products regardless. Having already proven its ability to crank out LTE phones on the cheap with the Burst, it appears ready to follow up with another phone on AT&T's next-gen network, as evidenced by documents released by the FCC this afternoon. This particular handset, dubbed the Magnus on its WiFi certification paperwork, sports quad-band LTE (700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900), a radio combo that's starting to be quite the trend for AT&T-bound phones recently -- likely done to ensure the GSM carrier's refarming efforts go as smoothly as possible. The federal docs also reveal the presence of NFC (suggesting this will come with Android 4.x included), and Bluetooth certification tells us we can also expect it to offer the 4.0 standard. The paperwork is fuzzy on more details, but we hope its arrival is just around the corner.
HTC Rezound finally ready to receive Android 4.0 update
Just a couple days short of its latest deadline, the HTC Rezound now appears to be ready to be knighted with Ice Cream Sandwich via an OTA update. Verizon has taken to its official site to publish upgrade instructions and benefits, indicating that the rollout has begun. Once your install is complete, you should find yourself gazing at Sense 3.6 and its many associated features. These types of refreshes usually take a couple weeks to reach its entire consumer base, so don't fret if your particular device doesn't ping you with a notification while you're jamming to your Beats today.
Ice Cream Sandwich takes a bite out of Gingerbread, represents 15.9 percent of Android devices
Two major updates later (three if you count the tablet-exclusive Honeycomb), and Gingerbread is finally starting to falter. According to Google's latest two week survey of devices accessing the Play store, Ice Cream Sandwich is on the rise, filling out 15.9-percent of the Android user base. That's a full five points ahead of Android 4.0's July score, and it's eating into the OS' other flavors: Gingerbread (Android 2.3) dropped by 3.4-percent, Froyo (Android 2.2) by 1.8 and Eclair (Android 2.1) by a meager half a percent. Google's latest confectionery update, Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), made an appearance as well, eking out a shy 0.8-percent of the market. Check out Google's collection of charts for yourself at the source link below or let us know where your devices falls in the comments.
Meizu MX 4-core review
More Info Meizu MX review Meizu MX 4-core announced Meizu MX 4-core hands-on If it feels like yesterday you read our in-depth review of the dual-core Meizu MX, you're not too far from the truth. In reality, it's been just over seven months and we've already moved onto the smartphone's quad-core sequel, aptly named the Meizu MX 4-core. Not only is it easy to confuse the two phones by name, but good luck trying to tell which one is which. Indeed, the two handsets are quite similar both inside and out, with the exception of some improvements in a couple rows on the 'ol spec sheet. The biggest surprise isn't necessarily the speed with which the company cranked out a second MX, and it's not even the reasonable price (HK$3,099, or US$400, or the 32GB version, and HK$4,099 / US$530 for the 64GB). Nope, it's seeing Meizu, a manufacturer known for its copycat products, evolving into a relevant player beyond its native China. So how does this latest effort stack up? Read on to find out.
Raspberry Pi gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running, sounds delicious
Work on Raspberry Pi just doesn't stop, and the latest news from the programming box's official blog is that its already got Google's (second) newest Android iteration running on the tinker toy. While this early version is reportedly working smoothly, with hardware-accelerated graphics already in place, a developer is still working on adding support for AudioFlinger, Android's native audio software. This Raspberry-flavored Ice Cream Sandwich apparently runs on both a kernel and VideoCore binary image that's currently not publicly available. The team is still looking into whether the two code lines can be wrapped into a single entity before it offers up the source to its users. See how the experimental pairing fares in a quick video runthrough after the break.
Sprint starts rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich update to HTC EVO 3D
It's official: we can finally add Sprint's three-dimensional EVO to that endeavoring list of slabs running Ice Cream Sandwich. According to multiple tipsters, and promptly confirmed by The Now Network's legitimate support page, Google's ICS assortment is now being delivered OTA -- a wee bit earlier than expected, no less -- to the now-discontinued HTC EVO 3D. As we could imagine, the tasty software update brings previously known features to the 4.3-inch device, including folders, improved browser, resizable widgets and the crowd-pleasing Face Unlock method. Needless to say, Sprint certainly took its sweet time to dish out the long-awaited 4.0 nuggets -- but better late than never, right? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Archos' ICS-loaded 97 Carbon tablet now up for sale, priced at $230 for a limited time
Its brief, mandatory appearance at the FCC a couple of weeks ago certainly let us know it'd be ready to take anyone's cash sooner rather than later, and surely enough, the 97 Carbon's now making itself available to all. Just as we'd heard, Archos is pricing the Ice Cream Sandwich slate at $250, though the company's currently running a deal where it's parting ways with the Elements slab for $20 less than MSRP -- naturally, this is a "limited time only" offer, and thus it could change at any given moment. Either way, that amount of greenbacks snags you an eye-pleasing 9.7-inch, IPS display with a run-of-the-mill 1GHz, single-core CPU and 16GB of built-in storage. Obviously the spotlight's still shining high on Google's Nexus 7, so we're interested to find out how many of you think this is enough to make you look past the Jelly Bean sweets -- do let us know in the comments below.
Security expert shows that Android and Nokia NFC can be hacked -- under certain conditions
A research consultant has revealed to Ars Technica that he can force NFC-equipped Android and Nokia phones to run malicious code in several ways -- but only with specific devices and constraints. The first violation used the near-field Google Beam function, but only affected certain NFC phones running ICS or Jelly Bean. This could allow an evildoer to send a malicious website to an unsuspecting victim to possibly compromise their data. The next exploit was limited to a Gingerbread-equipped Google Nexus S, since later Android releases patched the bugs necessary for the hack. It allowed a so-called tag to access the NFC functions in the OS, and with a little more legwork could offer up access to more malicious programs. The final invasion was made on the Meego-powered Nokia N9, which the expert controlled by Bluetooth, using NFC -- as long as the dupe overrode the defaults and enabled that function. If so, a hacker could dial out from the phone, send messages or upload and download files, depending on which security settings were enabled. Fortunately, exact hardware and software combinations aside, nefarious types would still have to be within an inch or two of your phone to enable their NFC box of tricks. Take a look at the source for the full interview.
Fujitsu Stylistic M532 Android tablet cozies up to the FCC
Half a year has gone by with nary a word nor sighting, but it looks like Fujitsu's svelte Stylistic M532 tab is ready to break cover. Spotted in the FCC's database, the 10.1-inch Android slate bears all the makings of a WiFi-only affair, as it lists support for a/b/g/n protocols, in addition to Bluetooth. From what we've gleaned in the separate filings, the ICS tablet should also come loaded up with a 3,170mAh battery -- a generous cell size to complement its Tegra 3 CPU. Aside from this recent Commission appearance, no official announcement has been made to port this slim fella stateside. But where there's an FCC doc, there's usually a launch not far away. Check out the source below to sort through the usual RF tests or head to the company's own site for more legit shots.
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) MDP benchmarks blow away the competition (update: video)
As mentioned earlier, we've just gotten our hands on Qualcomm's latest development platform to see how its first quad core chipset fares. And boy, that APQ8064 really doesn't disappoint, but it should be no surprise -- we've already seen how the top dual core S4 chipsets already beat their quad core competitors in certain aspects, so it's only natural for the quad core S4 Pro to annihilate them. As you can see in our chart after the break, the APQ8064-based MDP easily beat the Tegra 3-based One X and Nexus 7, as well as the Exynos 4412-based Galaxy S III. And partly thanks to the Adreno 320 graphics core, the MDP even scored an astonishing 132fps in our GLBenchmark test, while the quad core Galaxy S III with Mali-400 graphics came second with 99fps, with the remaining devices lingering around 60fps only. Obviously, the question remains how big of a trade-off there is on battery life in exchange for those two extra cores and the more powerful graphics chip. That said, we have a feeling that Snapdragon's Krait architecture and asynchronously clocked cores will again prove that Tegra 3's 4-PLUS-1 design isn't the best solution for battery efficiency -- as many of you might already know. We shall see when APQ8064-based products become available later this year. For now, take a gander at our numbers and photos. Update: Hit the break for our hands-on video with the MDP. Also, we had a chance play with the 13-megapixel autofocus camera in the worst possible lighting conditions, and it acquitted itself rather well considering the circumstances. Check out the sample gallery below. Myriam Joire contributed to this mind-blowing hands-on. %Gallery-161028% %Gallery-161033% %Gallery-161041%
Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core dev tablet now available for $1,299 (update: spec sheet)
For those keen beans out there who want to get an early taste of Qualcomm's first quad-core chipset, news just came in that starting today BSQUARE, the usual distributor of Qualcomm dev kits, is offering the Snapdragon S4 Pro mobile development platform for a hefty $1,299 (and just for reference, the MSM8960 "Fluid" smartphone MDP is currently sold for $999). Similar to the dual-core "Liquid" slate we tinkered with last year, this new APQ8064-based MDP sports the same 10.1 WXGA display as well as 2GB LPDDR2 RAM, 32GB of storage space and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. But obviously, developers will be able to take advantage of the two extra asynchronous CPU cores plus the new Adreno 320 graphics engine, which is said to pack three to four times the processing capacity of the Adreno 225 in the current top S4 lineup. If you're in no hurry then stay tuned for our hands-on later today. Update: We've got a spec sheet after the break, and wow, there's a 13-megapixel camera and seven mics on this slate!
Toshiba REGZA T-02D smartphone launches in Japan: 'New AMOLED Plus' display, old resolution
Confusingly announced by Fujitsu, the Toshiba Regza T-02D will settle into a wall of similarly bright-colored, good-looking smartphones in NTT DoCoMo stores starting this week. The (Japan-only) phone's 4.3-inch OLED screen holds onto a middling qHD resolution, but Fujitsu says its "new AMOLED Plus technology" will apparently render in higher clarity than any of its preceding smartphone displays -- we'll wait to see it in action before coming to any conclusions. There's no word on who's behind the dual-core 1.5GHz processor, but Xi connectivity (how Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo brands its LTE provision) makes a Qualcomm chipset likely. Fujitsu is also pushing the phone's 'human-centric' Android skin, like what we saw on its own quad-core slab). This involves a collection of UI tweaks to the base Android 4.0 OS, including Intellicolor, where the phone will sense the color of ambient light and tweak the display accordingly. The phone's 13.1-megapixel camera reaches an impressively high ISO level of 25600, running on Sony's back-illuminated Exmor R sensor, while Fujitsu's also channeled the ghost of the original Motorola Atrix, resurrecting a fingerprint unlock sensor. Other features worth mentioning include high-definition NOTTV compatibility, plus certified water and dust resistance. As is expected from the world of Japanese smartphones, there's a selection of colors too -- the T-02D will be available in Pink, Black and Blue from launch. Japan residents wondering exactly which company made the phone can try to get their head around the full release below.
KDDI unveils ICS 'Smart TV Box' for cable providers in Japan, available later this year (video)
We've seen a fair share of Android-powered set-tops in our time, but KDDI (with the help of Panasonic) has taken a slightly different entertainment route with its recently unveiled Smart TV Box. Similar to some Google TV boxes, which the Smart TV Box isn't, KDDI plans to bring this one to cable providers in Japan to act as the main unit in living rooms, with the testing phase set to commence as soon as next month. KDDI's Smart TV Box is powered by an undisclosed dual-core chip and feeds off of a tasty bite of Mountain View's Ice Cream Sandwich. As far as ports and other features, there's HDMI and three USB ports on board, while Ethernet (WiFi, too) keeps you connected and a built-in hard drive takes care of all your DVR needs. Like we said earlier, trial runs will start in August, but the Japanese company expects to have the brick officially up-and-running in a number of households later this fall. In the meantime, though, there's a soothing video for your viewing pleasure just past the break.
Sky Go for Android adds support for Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung's Galaxy S III, Nexus and Note
When v2.0 of the Sky Go for Android app arrived earlier this month it promised another update would follow soon with support for Android 4.0 and more phones, and now it has arrived. We're not seeing it in Google Play yet, but the press release (included after the break) indicates the app is ready to run on the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note from Samsung, and is also finally Ice Cream Sandwich compatible on those devices and the HTC Sensation / Sensation XE. That brings the total supported device count for the video on-demand player to a round 11, which is less than the "all" we're looking for but still more than the zero supported prior to February.
Xperia GX goes through federal inspection, is still the Sony phone we want
Sony's forthcoming 4.6-inch Android ICS slab has appeared at the FCC, and has revealed a few more details on what appears to be the company's next flagship smartphone. The highlight of the federal-sanctioned autopsy of the Xperia GX reveals an interesting point; a pentaband 3G radios capable of HSPA speeds, something that's still a rarity among global smartphones. The filing otherwise offers up a not-so-thrilling glimpse at the hardware labeling and, well, not much else. See for yourself at the link below.
