Mwc2012
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HTC One X exclusive to AT&T in the US, brings LTE, Beats, ICS and Sense 4 to Ma Bell
Just frothy thinking about HTC's recently unveiled superphone, the One X? Well, for those of you that call the US home, outside of importing HTC's latest, you're going to have only one network choice, and that's AT&T. Unlike the global Tegra 3 version announced today, Uncle Sam's variant swaps out that quad-core goodness for an LTE radio paired with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 by Qualcomm -- specs which curiously match a video titled One XL, which we've embedded after the break from its YouTube page. This also marks the first occasion a Beats by Dr. Dre-powered handset has made an appearance on the carrier. Other then that, you're looking at the same gorgeous 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 HD screen, 8-megapixel f/2.0 shooter and Sense 4 running atop Ice Cream Sandwich. As for when it'll land? The duo's playing coy, only mentioning it'll come in the "coming months." Stay tuned for a hands-on. Update: If you're wondering how the dual-core switcheroo will impact performance, AnandTech lays out some thoughts on the brain swap.
HTC unveils One series camera upgrade, gets dedicated chip, f/2.0 lens, 0.7-second startup
We've not even seen the devices yet, but HTC CEO Peter Chou is very excited about the camera sensor inside his mysterious new phones. The module packs a f/2.0 camera lens, while the company's been busy crafting its own image sensor put behind it, called the HTC, er, "ImageChip." It'll help to clarify low-lit pictures and ensure a capture speed of under a second -- 0.7 seconds from starting up the camera app, in fact. It also has the tantalizing ability to shoot pictures while recording continuous-focus 1080p video. Add in a new LED flash that has five different levels of brightness control and as you might be able to guess, we really want to see these phones -- now.
HTC One X announced at MWC 2012
HTC's launched a new flagship handset for Mobile World Congress 2012, the HTC One X -- codenamed Endeavour. Dipping into design notes from The Nokia Lumia line, the One X is a unibody device machined from white polycarbonate that uses Gorilla Glass to protect its 4.7-inch 1280x720 non-pentile Super LCD 2 display. Stunning outside appearances aside, HTC's newest features an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor for the Global edition and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core for the LTE iteration. Memory specs on the box show 1GB DDR2 and 32GB of built-in storage -- 26GB of which is available to the user -- and an additional 25GB free for two years through DropBox. Connectivity options abound with quad-band GSM and quad-band 42Mbps HSPA+ -- which includes AWS frequencies, huzzah! At the heart of its 8MP f/2.0 camera section is HTC's ImageChip silicon for clearer shots even in low light conditions and the ability to shoot pictures while recording continuous focus 1080p video. Rounding out the new set's photographic prowess is a unique LED flash with support for 5 levels of automatic brightness control and a front facing 1.3 megapixel number that'll sort your 720p HD needs. All things considered we'd say HTC has likely knocked it out of the park with this Engadget specced device, the only thing some might possibly nitpick would be that the 1800mAh battery nestled in the housing is never coming out nor will you find a spot to pop an additional memory card in. We'll be back as quick as we can with some detailed hands-on details, pics, and video. What we do know is that it'll be out globally in April.
HTC adds even more Dropbox support in Sense 4.0, storage upped to 25GB
More news coming out of HTC's camp in Barcelona. The firm shared promise rings with Dropbox a few months ago, offering 5GB total storage capacity on its Sense 3.5 devices, and now the two companies are ready to take the next step in their commitment with ICS-backed version 4.0. This time they're integrating the cloud service directly into its OS and are offering five times the storage (and arguably five times the fun) for free, up to a grand total of 25GB -- in addition to the amount you already have in your account -- for the course of two years. That's great, but we're rooting for the relationship to last longer than "til end of contract do us part."
HTC debuts One brand at MWC 2012, unifies Android device lineup
Shearing clippers, meet HTC's Android device portfolio. It appears UK head Phil Roberson wasn't just blowing the proverbial smoke this past January when he stated intentions to tighten up the manufacturer's portfolio with fewer releases focused on "amazing hardware" experiences. At today's MWC keynote the company announced an initiative that'll quite literally institute a One product line to rule them all ethos. Functioning much like Samsung's Galaxy series does, all smartphones and tablets that fall under the 'One' brand umbrella will showcase an attention to three distinct areas of detail: top-notch imaging, integrated Beats audio and industrial design. And, unlike the divisive monikers that often results from heavy-handed carrier intervention, the 130 operators already on board for the OEM's newborn products will retain that streamlined naming convention. No word yet on whether the outfit intends to group its Windows Phone array under this same tree or if that'll warrant an entirely new family itself. PR about the new branch in the HTC family tree can be found after the break.
Sony Xperia P hands-on (video)
Without revealing the rhyme or reason behind its seemingly arbitrary Xperia naming convention, Sony's newly minted Mobile Communications arm unveiled its middle ground NXT series entry, the P, at this evening's MWC event. Occupying a space firmly between the S and U, this 4-inch handset boasts a company first -- that WhiteMagic display tech -- while incorporating the better known hardware elements of its older stablemate. With that signature aluminum unibody design, transparent bar and NFC-capabilities, this Android handset is poised to usher a whole new crop of smartphone users into the company's wireless folds. We spent some up close and personal time with the unit, so click on past the break to see whether this phone suffers from middle child syndrome or truly shines on its own.
Live from the HTC press conference at MWC 2012!
Are you endeavoring to see the latest and greatest out of Taiwan? So are we, and we have a couple seats to watch Peter Chou excite us with some fancy new stuff on stage. That doesn't mean, however, that you won't be able to come along for the ride. Our liveblog of HTC's Mobile World Congress press conference is about to begin, so keep your eyes locked here! February 26, 2012 2:30 PM EST
Sony Xperia S now shipping globally, Ion to join the world tour come summer
Those of you that have been waiting to get your grubby paws on Sony's Xperia S are in luck, as Sony just confirmed during its keynote that it's started shipping globally, with the first units available at Sony's Barcelona store during MWC. Those with stellar memory will recall that's more concrete than its former Q1 suggestion. To recap, those taking the plunge will be privy to a 1280 x 720 4.3-inch display, a 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 12-megapixel camera all wrapped in a gorgeous shell -- albeit one that runs Gingerbread, with an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in due course. Additionally the electronics giant also confirmed the Xperia Ion will be available globally, however those interested will have to wait until summer. It too, totes Gingerbread and a 12-megapixel sensor, but plays host to a larger 4.6-inch display (albeit at the same resolution as the S), a presumably faster dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and delectable LTE. If either strikes your fancy, we humbly suggest our pair of hands-ons from CES -- at least if neither the freshly unveiled Xperia U or P are to your liking.
Sony Xperia U hands-on (update: video!)
Sony certainly didn't pull out the big guns today at its Mobile World Congress 2012 keynote -- those showstoppers were for CES. Instead, the electronics giant decided to trot out two new, mid-to-low end additions to its NXT line of handsets, a portfolio that previously claimed the ion and S as its sole occupants. Focused on delivering a handset for every price point, the ill-concealed Xperia U, formerly known by its cheeky Kumquat codename, combines a compact, idiosyncratic design with user experience flourishes to add value and a higher profile to an otherwise ground floor device. We got to spend some brief time with the handset, so join us after the break as we share our first impressions.
LG Optimus Vu hands-on at MWC 2012 (update: video)
Yes it's the LG Optimus Vu, and we got a chance to play with it! The verdict? It's quite lovely. The design is simple but attractive, and the build quality / materials are excellent. There's no doubt this is a thin and wide device -- just like the Samsung Galaxy Note, two hands are the name of the game here. Is it a phone or a tablet? Take a look at our gallery below and judge for yourself. Hands-on video after the break.
Sony officially debuts Xperia U at MWC 2012
Frankly, Sony hasn't done much to stem the flow of Xperia U leaks pre-MWC, so we can't say we were all too surprised when the handset made its debut on stage today in Barcelona. The 3.5-inch phone offers up a Reality Display, a 1GHz dual-core processor and five megapixel camera. According to Sony, the handset should get up to six and a half hours of talk time and will, sadly, be rocking Gingerbread at launch, though for what it's worth, a planned upgrade to ICS has been announced. The Xperia S's younger sibling will be hitting shelves some time in Q2. We'll be sure to give some hands-on impressions of the forthcoming phone as soon as humanly possible.
Sony announces the Xperia P: Aluminum unibody, shipping Q2
Sony's press event is in full swing, and the first to arrive is the Xperia P. The phone follows on from the styling we saw on the Xperia S; but it looks likely to be the middle child, with a similar Sony-themed skin atop what appears to be Gingerbread Android, still housing dual-core power under the hood. Previously known as the Nyphon, the Xperia P has a 4-inch "WhiteMagic" display encased in an aluminum unibody. This new screen technology is apparently geared toward outdoor viewing, with NFC, HDMI connectivity and an 8-megapixel camera with full HD video capability. It will also be gifted with its own incoming SmartDock, which is set to arrive alongside the phone. And that's going to be pretty soon: the P model will ship mid-Q2, but pricing remains as dark as Sony's live event stage.
ViewSonic ViewPhone 4s hands-on (video)
Viewsonic's ViewPhone 4s was on hand at Mobile World Congress and we couldn't help but stop and check out this surprisingly likeable handset. First off, the 326ppi 3.5-inch IPS display is beautiful, very beautiful. Other notables include dual SIM support, a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing cam and four gigs of storage that can be augmented via an SD card. The housing wasn't complete in the handset being shown, though the design is pretty sharp with the inclusion of a trapdoor on the bottom which folds open to reveal a SIM tray and the slot for expansion memory. The interaction with the Android 4.0 OS was really fast and perfectly smooth with the standout being the ViewScene 3D launcher interface. Have a look at the video for a quick once-over and the gallery for pics from every angle.Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Huawei Ascend D Quad (hands-on)
It's no secret that Huawei is intent on joining the big boys in the smartphone arena, and the Ascend D Quad is undoubtedly its most promising attempt yet. The manufacturer is determined to make some serious headway into the world of handset relevance dominance, and the Ascend D Quad -- alongside its larger-battery XL brother -- are ready to play ball in the specs game. With a homegrown 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 8MP rear camera, 720p display and plenty more components that top the charts, we think the chance of Huawei making a big name for itself is more promising than it ever has before.We just took an opportunity to play around with the potential game-changer, and our initial impressions were quite positive. Immediately, our attention was drawn to the display itself, which boasts incredibly vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles. And the device, with its elegant soft-touch back, was incredibly comfortable to hold -- in fact, it felt much similar to the Honor in many respects, with the exception of its width. The unit we played with was running on stock ICS, but it's quite possible this won't be the final software version when the thing is fully baked. We hope to get add more impressions throughout the week as we go to Huawei's booth and spend some more quality time. For now, however, check out a few images below.Dana Wollman and Brad Molen contributed to this report.
LG Optimus 3D Max hands-on (video)
While we haven't seen 3D phones take the world by storm just yet, that hasn't stopped LG refining its Optimus 3D series. Mobile World Congress 2012 has been hit by the Optimus 3D Max and it's faster, thinner and, well, just plain better looking. Unfortunately, there's been less progress on the software side; this dual-lens Android phone is still wearing last year's Gingerbread jacket. Our full first impressions and video awaits, after the gallery, below.
ViewSonic ViewPad E70 and G70 hands-on
ViewSonic has kicked off the Showstoppers festivities at Mobile World Congress with a couple new tablets: the ViewPad G70 and E70 (pictured left and right). The twin tabs are specced just about the same save for a couple minor differences in bells and whistles and the E70's 150€ (roughly $200) price tag ringing in at half of the G70's €300 tally. Both tablets will ship running Android 4 ICS, feature 7-inch displays -- with E70 getting an 800x480 version and the G70 a 1024x600 unit -- 1Ghz Cortex A9 CPUs, and 3300mAh cells. The E70 should start shipping by April this year and the G70 in late June, and we're pretty sure ViewSonic will need all that time to polish both of these up -- no, not the fingerprints, though they are magnets. The device's response to touch input wasn't particularly accurate and the interface was very lagged when using it. Unfortunately we were also unable to ignore how weak these two displays were, and on a device that uses the screen for its principal point of interaction, that's a dealbreaker for us. Here's hoping these two get a buff and polish before launch time. Hit the gallery for some pics.Zach Honig contributed to this post
Huawei adds home-grown K3V2 quad-core mobile CPU to its arsenal
Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Samsung and Huawei? The Chinese company is hoping to add its name to the list of major players in the mobile CPU game with the K3V2. The processor is a quad-core part that comes clocked at either 1.2 or 1.5GHz. The four A9 cores are actually 64-bit parts, according to chairman Richard Yu, something of a surprise since ARM only ditched world of 32-bits in October with v8. Also along for the ride are 16 GPU cores, which in a set of carefully picked presentation-friendly benchmarks (NenaMark 2 and Basemark), spanked the Galaxy Nexus and the Transformer Prime. If the marketing buzz is to be believed the K3V2 delivers twice the graphics performance, is 49 percent faster in purely CPU-powered tasks and uses 30 percent less power than its competitors. We shouldn't have to wait much longer to put those claims to the test, however. The chip will be inside the Ascend D quad which should be landing sometime in Q2.
LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on (video)
The quad-cores have arrived and the first out of the blocks is LG's sequel to its dual-core Optimus 2X. The Korean phone maker has apparently recruited its "best engineers "on this wafer-thin slab of power and it shows; the phone is light and slim. It's taken a detour from the Prada Phone stylings we've seen on the Optimus Vu and L-series, but looks noticeably more mature than last year's efforts and Android's Ice Cream Sandwich is in attendance -- with some tweaks. Our video hands-on and impressions are waiting after the break. Until then, take a 360-degree tour of the device at our gallery below.
Huawei outs Ascend D Quad: 4.5-inch 720p display, Dolby 5.1, 1.5GHz K3V2 CPU
We'd seen some prior leaks, but aside from poorly translated marketing jargon, Huawei's managed to keep its latest and greatest smartphone under wraps -- until now, that is. The device is being billed as the "world's fastest quad-core smartphone" with the company's own K3V2 CPU, clocked at 1.5GHz, powering the unit. Sharing a slim, albeit slightly chunkier 8.9mm profile than its P1 predecessors, this Android 4.0 beast sports a 4.5-inch 720p display, 8 megapixel rear camera, Dolby 5.1 surround sound, support for LTE and an 1,800mAh battery bolstered by a proprietary energy management software that the manufacturer claims will last for up to two days. The actual hardware design itself takes a cue from Nokia's Lumia 800, with a screen that blends into the device's edges, creating an "infinity feel."Along with this flagship powerhouse, two other Diamond family members -- the Ascend D Quad XL and Ascend D1 -- will be joining Huawei's lineup. Spec-wise, the XL is essentially an unchanged version of the original Quad, except imbued with a larger 2,500mAh battery, while the D1 swaps out the four core internals for a more 2011-ish, 1.5GHz dual-core setup and smaller 1,670mAh battery. All three are slated for a Q2 release this year and should hit retail and online shops in white and black options across North and South America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Check out the official presser and gallery after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Beam hands-on at MWC 2012
Samsung, expected to make a quiet showing at this year's Mobile World Congress due to the fact that it doesn't have a press conference scheduled today or tomorrow, is actually projecting to offer a bit more buzz than the Ace 2 or Mini 2. How? With a projector phone, of course! Sammy's latest phone announced for the show is the Galaxy Beam, a refreshed version of the projector phone, with a bit fancier specs. The device is packing a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500 Cortex A9 CPU, 768MB of RAM and a 2,000mAh battery. Of course, those aren't the important specs to consider here -- the projector is. Taking advantage of a nHD (640 x 360) resolution and 15 Lumen brightness, the 12.5mm thickness helps Samsung claim the title of "world's thinnest projector phone." All in all, the phone felt very comfortable to hold, and the lump that incorporates the projector isn't an eyesore in the slightest -- in fact, Samsung managed to add it in a rather stylish manner. Our only concern? The projector itself is found on the very top of the device without any recession, which will likely make it a candidate for being a fingerprint magnet. We also liked the dedicated power button for the projector on the top right of the phone, just above the normal phone switch. We're also expecting to see some docks become available for the phone (which itself should be available in select markets in Q2) that will help stabilize it and keep it from shaking, as well as amplify sound for watching movies or video presentations. We'll add in more pics and videos as they come. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
