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New Baidu Cloud phone unveiled: Changhong H5018 with 100GB of cloud storage
That new Baidu Cloud phone we told you about last week? You're looking right at it! Following the flagship Dell Streak Pro D43 (which was branded with what was then known as Baidu Yi aka version 1.0 of the platform), this Foxconn-built Changhong H5018 is the second smartphone to have its Android Gingerbread system enhanced by Baidu, meaning it'll come with 300GB of cloud storage space (instead of the old 100GB), voice search, voice control and a set of other online services offered by the Chinese search giant. As for the hardware itself, we're looking at a 10.3mm-thick matte chassis housing a 650MHz MTK6573 processor, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a three-megapixel camera and a non-removable 1,400mAh battery, all of which would explain that highly affordable CN¥899 (US$140) off-contract price tag. That said, you'll still find a dual-SIM (WCDMA plus GSM) tray and a microSD slot hidden beneath the bottom cover. Not sure where ZTE is on this one, but for now, you can head over to Sina Tech for its hands-on report and photos. Update: Baidu just confirmed that it's actually the same old 100GB of cloud storage, so somehow Sina Tech got lucky with its 300GB edition. We'll let you know when we hear more.
ASUS PadFone's real world battery life: 14.1 hours of 3G browsing in laptop mode (video)
Since the official launch at MWC, ASUS has been mum on how many hours its upcoming PadFone can stay on the treadmill for, but earlier today, we spotted an official promotional video -- which has since been removed from ASUS's YouTube channel -- that mentioned 16 hours of battery for the phone itself, 63 for tablet mode and 102 for laptop mode. Something smells funny here so we pinged ASUS, and guess what? Those turned out to be just continuous talk time over 2G, so perhaps said video clip was pulled to be re-edited. Conveniently, ASUS was also kind enough to share some very realistic battery life figures from the lab. With the corresponding screen set to 137 nits (about half the brightness), you get the following for phone mode, tablet mode and laptop mode, respectively: 2.6 hours, 10.7 hours and 17 hours of continuous WiFi browsing; and 2.1 hours, 8.9 hours and 14.1 hours of continuous 3G browsing. Just as promised before, the PadFone Station (the tablet) and the PadFone Station Dock (the keyboard) do seem to pump up the battery by about five-fold and nine-fold max, respectively. Now sure, these may make the 1,520mAh battery inside the phone look feeble and silly, but do bear in mind that these aren't the "up to" numbers. As always, stay tuned for our own tests whenever the PadFone finally lands on our doorstep. Update: A new version of said walkthrough video is online, now with a clarification at the top left corner in the battery life segment. Check it out after the break. [Thanks, Ex14]
HTC talks smartphone design: from inception to final product
At the Frequencies media summit in Seattle over the last two days, HTC walked us through the fine details on how its smartphones are developed, going from the boring rectangular ABS block to the more refined plastic mockups that are presented to carriers and focus groups -- the findings of which then shape the final product. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take photos of the One X mockups that were shown to us, but do read on to learn the general process of how an HTC phone goes from inception to the final product.
UT Dallas researchers seek to imbue your smartphone with X-ray superpowers
If anybody ever told you that the future would be awesome, they were right. A new bit of research has emerged from the University of Texas at Dallas, which describes equipment that may allow people to see through walls -- and if that weren't wild enough, creators of the specialized CMOS imaging hardware believe the same technology could be integrated into our mobile phones. To pull off the feat, the scientists tapped into a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that exists between microwave and infrared known as the terahertz range. Due to privacy concerns, the equipment is being designed to operate at a distance of no more than four inches, but its creator hypothesizes that the technology will still be useful for finding studs in walls, verifying documents and detecting counterfeit currency. In other words, this brand of x-ray vision isn't exactly on par with Superman's abilities, but it's bound to work better than mail order spectacles from Newark.
Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors
Can't say we're surprised, but Meizu's finally giving us the lowdown on the quad-core variant of its flagship Android smartphone. Simply dubbed the MX Quad-core, this new device will be powered by a Cortex-A9-based, 32nm HKMG (High-K Metal Gate) quad-core Samsung Exynos chip -- no word on the clock speed or RAM, but we're betting our money on the Exynos 4412 that goes up to 1.5GHz. Meizu claims this will save up to 20 percent of CPU power consumption compared to its dual-core counterpart. Also, the battery will be bumped up from 1,600mAh to 1,700mAh -- we shall see how much difference this makes when we eventually get our hands on the phone. And yes, in addition to the original white back cover, you'll be able to swap it with one of the five optional colored covers pictured above.On the software side you'll get a Meizu-customized Ice Cream Sandwich system (aka Flyme OS), though it isn't clear whether the company will stick to its old promise of simultaneously releasing a vanilla ROM. The rest of the new phone's identical to the dual-core MX, especially the 4-inch 960 x 640 ASV display and the eight-megapixel BSI camera. While there's still no microSD expansion, here's some good news to make up for this flaw: the base model starts at 32GB and it'll cost the same as the current 16GB MX! In other words, come June the unsubsidized MX Quad-core will go from ¥2,999 (US$480) in China and HK$3,099 (US$400) in Hong Kong; and then there'll also be a 64GB version priced at ¥3,999 (US$635) and HK$4,099 (US$530), respectively. Meanwhile, starting today, the original MX is reduced to ¥2,399 (US$380) and HK$2,599 (US$335). Press release after the break.Now, with Meizu proudly claiming to have the world's first smartphone to utilize the quad-core Exynos chip, we wonder where Samsung's at with its own unicorn device?
LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung's HD Super AMOLED
While the Optimus LTE's already made its way to South Korea, Japan and the US (in the guise of the Spectrum and the Nitro HD), LG's decided to give this dual-core handset a new name ahead of its Hong Kong launch at the end of this month. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus True HD LTE. Alas, the "true HD" part here doesn't actually mean the phone's getting 1080p resolution on a 4.5-inch panel (which would be 490ppi; yet Toshiba's actually done it!); but we were told that 'tis really just a dig at Samsung's HD Super AMOLED technology -- you know, the magic behind that 4.65-inch screen on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.Simply put, LG doesn't think that 1,280 x 720 on PenTile counts as HD due to the lower number of sub-pixels; and while it's at it, the company also criticized AMOLED's over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in "normal user environment" -- for the latter, LG showed that its AH-IPS has a more consistent power consumption across varying levels of overall whiteness. You can see the relevant slides after the break.Of course, we've already expressed (twice) how much we like the HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Nexus. The clearness issue now is much less noticeable when compared to the original Super AMOLED; but as for color accuracy, many of us are indeed deceived by the vibrancy that we naturally enjoy -- except when you need to inspect photos, of course. Regardless, we're pretty sure that it's only a matter of time before Samsung strikes back with a, ahem, "true HD" Super AMOLED (Plus) panel -- hopefully in time for the upcoming Galaxy S III.
Nokia: Two million Lumia phones sold in Q1 but profits still falling
Nokia's announced preliminary information on its forthcoming Q1 results due on April 19th. It's reportedly sold €4.2 billion worth of phones, €2.3 billion coming from the sale of 71 million dumbphones and €1.7 billion coming from smart devices. On the upside, sales of the Lumia handsets are still growing, selling two million of the series in the last three months alone. However, "competitive industry dynamics" and the cost of its painful transition into a modern smartphone player have meant the numbers aren't too pleasing. The figures mean that the company will make a loss of around three percent below "break even," but Stephen Elop remains bullish, saying that his team is "continuing to increase the clock speed of the company" and that "the change is tangible."
SIM-free Nokia 808 PureView up for pre-order in Italy, expected to launch in May
Eager to tinker with Nokia's 41-megapixel cameraphone ahead of everyone else (especially if you're based in North America)? Then it looks like you might want to take a trip to Italy next month, as online retailer NStore.it is now accepting pre-orders for the 808 PureView ahead of its "expected" May availability. Il costo? €599, which works out to be about $780 -- not cheap for a SIM-free, Symbian Belle-powered device, but at least the option's there for the mobile photography connoisseurs. Alternatively, keep an eye out for that Lumia PureView unicorn.
Lenovo K800's initial benchmark scores look promising, but not ambitious
If Lenovo's sticking to its promise, it should only be another two months maximum before its Intel Medfield-powered K800 smartphone debuts in China. Until then, we won't know the full potential of the 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 powering Ice Cream Sandwich, but we do have the next best thing for now: what we've just obtained are some benchmark results from a K800 prototype with Android 2.3.7, and while the graphics performance wasn't top notch this time round, the general score performance came close to that of the Galaxy Note (powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos chipset). However, the K800 did beat pretty much everyone -- including the brand-spanking-new One X and One S from HTC -- in the SunSpider 0.91 Javascript test, where it only took 1,270ms to complete! What remains to be seen is whether Medfield will really deliver a better battery performance than its competitors; so until we find the answer (along with improved scores) on a final unit, you'll just have to make do with our list of scores after the break.
Panasonic KX-TG7740 and KX-TG7730 cordless phones feature Link2Cell, iPhone ringtone integration
Sure, you may have long ditched the landline, but you could still be in the market for a cordless phone. Two such rigs from Panasonic let you tap your mob for a voice connection, with Link2Cell. The KX-TG7740 and KX-TG7730 can both sync up with Bluetooth-enabled phones, letting you make calls through your smartphone as it charges in another room. You can also transfer up to 3,050 address book entries to the household system, while this year's models add an extra layer of iPhone integration, enabling ringtone matching and transfer -- you'll now be able to hear that iOS jingle through any connected handset. Both models also include the standard gamut of features, including talking caller ID, call block for pre-programed numbers and a handset locator. The 7730 series ships with three handsets for $100 (TG-7733S), two handsets for $80 (7732S) or a single handset for $60 (7731S). Likewise, the 7740 adds a dial pad to the base, and is available with five handsets for $150 (7745S), three for $110 (7743S), two for $90 (7742S) or one for $70 (7741S). You'll find the full PR rundown just past the break.
Samsung: We're still not into 3D smartphones
By now you may have already seen a handful of "leaks" on Samsung's imminent Galaxy S III, but if you ask us, they all smell like a cruel prank on anticipating fans. As far as we're concerned, the only reliable tidbits so far are the GT-i9300 and GT-i9308 codenames (the latter likely a TD-SCDMA variant for China Mobile) on Samsung's support page; along with murmurs from executives about a certain quad-core chipset and a release date. Funnily enough, we just received the following statement from Sammy who's probably not too happy about some of the speculations out there: Although Samsung Electronics is constantly exploring new technologies for our mobile devices, we have no immediate plan to include displays featuring 3D technology in our upcoming smartphones.So there you have it: the upcoming Galaxy S III, along with its new siblings, definitely won't feature a 3D display; and you can certainly forget that 4-inch 3D handset we heard about last February. Unless, of course, LG can convince its Korean buddy to think otherwise.
ASUS PadFone priced and ready for pre-order in Taiwan tomorrow, launches mid-April
We were promised that the phone-that-goes-tablet would ship in April, and it looks like ASUS is keeping its word. The PadFone and its corresponding tablet shell and keyboard dock, will be up for pre-order in Taiwan starting tomorrow, going on sale April 20th. On its own, the Snapdragon S4-powered 1.5GHz dual-core phone is priced at NT$17,990 (US$610), while the tablet set -- including that curious Bluetooth headset / stylus -- will set you back NT$24,980 (around US$850). If you're thinking keyboard add-ons are all the rage, expect to pay around NT$28,901 (US$980). Need more of an excuse to step into pre-order territory? Well, ASUS is offering up an extra battery for those that do. While we wait for some global roll-out details, you can remind yourself of what to expect in our hands-on from MWC.
China officially tops one billion mobile subscribers
We heard last year that China was approaching 900 million mobile phone subscribers, and it looks like it's now finally hit the big one. The country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed today that, as of the end of February, there were more than a billion mobile subscribers in the country (1.01 billion, to be specific). As the AFP notes, that's individual subscriptions, which includes users with more than one phone, but any way you slice it that's a whole lot of cellphone users. Of those, 144 million are on 3G networks, which is fully double the number from April of 2011. Not surprisingly, much of that growth comes at the expense of landline phones, which have dropped a further 828,000 in the first two months of the year to 284.3 million. Internet use also continues to be on the upswing, with more than half a billion people having internet access of some sort, and 154.96 million having broadband access (up nearly five million during those same two months).
T-Mobile's next MyTouch: Huawei Ascend G312 QWERTY hands-on
First the leaked product shots, then the Mr. Blurrycam pictures, and now the real deal in our own hands! When we spotted this upcoming T-Mobile MyTouch slider, we just so happened to be chilling out at Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen where the phone was displayed as the Ascend G312 QWERTY, or "Buddy" according to the "About phone" info ("MyTouch Buddy"?). We didn't see the non-QWERTY variant, but judging by the name, we don't doubt that there's also an Ascend G312 lurking somewhere.Anyhow, this new MyTouch packs a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255T chip, a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and microSD expansion, along with features like DLNA connectivity and five-second fast boot. As for image capturing you get a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera plus a five-megapixel main camera (with 720p recording) on the back, and you'll find a handy camera button at the usual place as well. Interestingly, the spec sheet listed Ice Cream Sandwich while the demo unit was only running on Android 2.3.6, so we'll probably need to wait for T-Mobile's final say on this end.During our quick hands-on we were pretty satisfied by the phone's overall build quality, especially with its spring-loaded sliding mechanism and keyboard feedback. The screen isn't the best in class when it comes to viewing angle and contrast, but bearing in mind that this phone comes with a Snapdragon S2 processor, we expect it to be priced almost as sensibly as LG's MyTouch handsets -- stay tuned for the official announcement, of course. Hands-on video after the break.
GSMA and WBA team up to develop WiFi roaming framework for cellphones, tablets
Many phones have WiFi, and there are hotspots in all sorts of places these days, so wouldn't it be cool if you could use them for roaming, regardless of provider? Well, if a new collaboration between the GSMA and the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has any say in the matter, one day you might be able to do just that. The goal is to simplify how cellphones can connect to those hotspots, by developing a technical framework for seamless WiFi roaming. The new standard will be based on the WBA's "Next Generation Hotspot" initiative and the WiFi Alliance's "Passpoint certification" system, taking cues from the GSMA's established roaming experience. The basic principles have already been laid down, and just require network formalities such as security and billing to be taken care of. No peep on when we might start seeing dividends, alas, so for now your subway ride can continue in (relative) peace.
Samsung patents using a phone as a pointer while wearing a head-mounted display
We're not sure how many head-mounted displays you've had your follicles on, but generally the answer around the Engadget compound is, "quite a few." If you've ever played with such a wearable gadget though, you'd know that head-tracking, while intuitive, isn't always the most accurate way to control a device. Samsung has patented an alternative method that lets you keep wearing those silly goggles, but uses your cellphone almost like a gyroscopic mouse to pilot a pointer. Rather than use a gyroscope or accelerometer (both of which are present in many modern smartphones), Samsung's patent turns to the camera -- a feature found in even the lowliest dumbphone. The primarily software-based solution would require that both the phone's sensor and the display have an agreed upon background marker to help line up the motions. If you're the type that loves to dig through the minutiae of patents there's something seriously wrong with you, but you'll find what you're looking for at the source.
iPhone is top-selling cellphone in Japan
A report in the Mainichi Daily News suggests the iPhone 4S is the top-selling mobile phone in Japan. The iPhone 4S is reportedly beating out handsets from local favorites like Fujitsu-Toshiba, Sharp and Panasonic. According to IDC Japan estimates, the iPhone grabbed 26.6 percent of all mobile phone shipments in the October-December 2011 quarter. Fujitsu-Toshiba claimed the second spot with 18.3 percent of shipments and Sharp ranked third with 15.7 percent. Total mobile phone shipments in Japan climbed to 10.65 million units in the year-ending quarter. The iPhone 4S went on sale in Japan starting in October 2011. Early sales were strong and the iPhone climbed to the top of Japan's handset market within a few weeks. The handset is sold by local carriers SoftBank and KDDI. [Electronista]
China claims one billion mobile phone users, India shrugs
China claimed 900 million mobile users last April, but back then it still seemed possible that India might reach the billion user milestone first. China was ahead in absolute terms, while India's user base was growing faster. According to the latest figures from its government, however, China is ready to stake its claim. It had 997 million phone owners by late February, with growth of around three million per week, which means it should have tipped the scales in the last few days. Of course, it's not really about who gets there first: The salient fact is that millions more humans can now ring each other up, just, you know, to chat.
HTC Titan aka Triumph to become China's first official Windows Phone
Look who just beat Nokia, ZTE and Lenovo to launching the first official Windows Phone in China? At the opening of HTC's first Chinese flagship store in Beijing yesterday (pictured after the break), Sina Tech's Zāng Zhì Yuān noticed that the company's already accepting pre-orders for the 4.7-inch Titan, which is priced at ¥4,399 or about $700 sans contract -- very much in the high-end of the market, surprisingly enough. In fact, we had already heard HTC's managers claiming to have the first Chinese Windows Phone at MWC last week, except they couldn't comment on the actual timing.Judging by the sign above, the only noticeable difference here -- depending on your Chinese literacy -- is that the phone's dubbed Triumph locally; but additionally, HTC informed us that its first Chinese Windows Phone will be powered by WP7.5 Tango, with its Facebook and Twitter integration replaced by the likes of Sina Weibo, Tencent Weixin and SkyDrive to play the local rules. If you'll recall, such localization is very much what Nokia's Stephen Elop had confirmed in our Engadget Show interview back in November. So, any bets on who's next in line to climb over the Great Wall?
Lumigon T2 hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)
We've been waiting for Lumigon to get around to launching its Android opus for a while now. Fortunately, MWC is precisely the right kind of place for a new company to catch the eye of the mobile press. With Ice Cream Sandwich and Bang and Olufsen involvement, we had to take a look at the Lumigon T2 for ourselves. First impressions are after the break, with a video run-through of the stainless-steel lined phone thrown in for good measure.
