nvidiategra3
Latest
Toshiba Excite 10 review: a 10-inch ICS tablet that puts the Thrive to shame
More Info Toshiba announces Excite 10, 7.7 and 13 tablets, Thrive slates on their way out Toshiba Excite 10 ICS tablet goes on sale, prices start at $450 for 16GB model Toshiba AT200 review In the tablet market, big as it is, one notion generally holds true: thinner equals better. Toshiba, for example, surely tried to equate a svelte silhouette with a premium product in its super-slim Excite 10 LE. And indeed, its 1.18-pound body and solid Honeycomb experience add up to tablet that puts Toshiba's earlier Thrives to shame. That $530 model is definitely priced like a high-end tablet, but it's accompanied by a new, lower-priced Toshiba slate, the Excite 10. For $450, you get a tablet with a tad more meat on its bones, but that increase in weight and thickness comes with some more powerful specs: a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM -- not to mention Ice Cream Sandwich. While you can probably guess which of these slates makes a stronger contender (hint: the one without the "LE"), figuring out the Toshiba Excite 10's place in the grand hierarchy of tablets takes a little more exploration. Luckily, that's what we're here for, so join us past the break as we do our best to get through the review without a single "excite" pun.
NVIDIA outlines Kai platform, hopes to make good on $199 quad-core tablet promise
When NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang talked of $199 Tegra 3 tablets, we were nothing but skeptically hopeful. Now, it seems those were more than just words. During a recent stockholder meeting, VP of Investor Relations, Rob Csongor, revealed the firm's strategy to deliver on this budget quad-core promise. Announcing the "Kai" platform, Csongor stopped short of giving specifics, but implied that the architecture or hardware borrows much of the "secret sauce" from Tegra 3, and will enable lower-priced higher-performance devices. Jump on the source link, and listen in from about 33 minutes, if you want the full spiel.
LG lines up Optimus 4X HD for launch in Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Poland
While there's already plenty of excitement around other quad-core Android phones, LG will join the party soon when its Optimus 4X HD launches in a few European countries next month. Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Poland are all on deck in June, where this latest Optimus variant will bring a 4.7-inch 720p HD IPS LCD, Tegra 3 CPU (benchmarked and seen in white here) and 2,150mAh battery coupled with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. On the software front, LG is touting its ability to take and share notes with "Quick Memo" (as seen in the Optimus Vu, now updated with the ability to include hyperlinks) as well as new "Media Plex" video playback controls. We got our hands all over this one during MWC 2012 a few months ago so until it drops in your neck of the woods, check out our gallery and video for a closer look or the press release after the break.
HTC One X gets teardown, battery unsurprisingly dominates
While some might deem the One X's combination of svelte unibody profile, quad-core power and 720p display to be downright witchcraft, we knew differently. Fortunately, there's now scientific proof to back us up, courtesy of PCOnline, which has performed a delicate autopsy on the Chinese variant of HTC's new flagship. To explore that polycarbonate shell, a narrow plastic tool to is eased in behind the screen and around the face of the device, with the majority of the phone's tightly packed innards -- including the Tegra 3 processor -- attached to the display half. Some contacts, however, were left on the inside of the unibody, including the NFC chip. Most of the quad-core thinking parts were clustered around the 8-megapixel sensor, while the battery dominated the center of HTC's big hitter. Anyone who gets their kicks from the gentle undoing of all that engineering hard work can watch it unravel in grisly detail at the source below.
Acer Iconia Tab A510 now available, 10.1 inches of Olympian ICS and Tegra 3 for $450
Ah, Acer's Olympics-themed Iconia Tab A510. If you'll recall, after months of staying quiet about its A500 successor -- which was already viewable in public -- Acer finally made the 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) slate official when it went up for pre-order last month. Fast forward to today, and the company's US website is now listing the tablet as in-stock and ready to ship. Notably, the A510 is Acer's first tab loaded with NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 SoC and Android Ice Cream Sandwich (slightly modified) -- a duo of delicacies seldom found together in tablets up for grabs as of late. To refresh your memory, its $450 price tag also gets you 32GB of storage with 1GB of RAM, your choice of a white or black bezel and other goodies, including a 1-megapixel front-facing camera and an auto-focusing 5-megapixel shooter on back. Not too shabby for device that can reportedly handle 12 hours of video playback. Sweet tooth tingling? Hit up the source link below for all the details. [Thanks, Daryl]
HTC One X gets unofficial power management fix, boosts battery life 10 to 20 percent
Somewhere along mike1986's development of Android Revolution HD, a custom ROM for the HTC One X, he found that something amiss with the smartphone's stock system -- its Tegra 3 power management software didn't function properly. According to the developer, an app known as NvCPLSvc.apk was misplaced in the /system/bin folder, rather than its proper destination of /system/app. Along with the custom ROM, mike1986 has released the fix as a separate bundle, which is detailed in the source below. To apply the patch, users must push the new APK to their handset via ADB, and then alter the file's permissions. Unless you're seriously hindered by your phone's battery life, however, it seems safe to wait for an official update from HTC. On the upside, users report an battery life increase in the neighborhood of 10 to 20 percent once with the fix in place, and we can only hope that all users will soon benefit from similar gains.[Thanks, Nitin]
That's right, folks: Instagram now supports HTC One X
Upon it's debut, one notable smartphone was curiously absent from Instagram's list of supported devices: the HTC One X. Thankfully, all of that worry is now behind filter lovers, as the latest update for this Android app has added support for HTC's premiere superphone and its stellar camera. In addition, the refresh is said to deliver better support for all devices based on NVIDIA's Tegra 3 platform, provide better support for tablet users and squash a nasty bug that'd caused Instagram photos to not appear in the gallery. With this issue behind us, we can now resume living our lives without worry or fear.
Toshiba announces Excite 10, 7.7 and 13 tablets, Thrive slates on their way out
You complained, Toshiba listened. After its Thrive tablets were widely panned for their short battery life and chunky, cheap-feeling design, the outfit decided to put those models out to pasture and start anew. So bid goodbye to the Thrives, then, and say hello to the Excite 7.7, 10 and 13 (yes, 13). If you've been paying attention, these are the same tablets we first saw in prototype form at CES (and again at Mobile World Congress), complete with their slim builds and textured aluminum backs. Now, though we know that all three will pack NVIDIA's Tegra 3 SoC, and ship with unskinned Ice Cream Sandwich. The 7.7, in particular, sports the same AMOLED display inside the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, while the 13-incher steps up to 1600 x 900 resolution (as opposed to 1280 x 800). Oh, and for those of you who think you'll miss the 10-inch Thrive's full-sized SD slot, that feature carries over to the Excite 10 and 13. (As you can imagine, there was no room for the full-sized USB and HDMI ports on tablets this thin.)Before we go any further, though, we're sure you want to hear more about that 13-incher in particular. First off, no, we're not joking. This is a 13-inch ARM-powered tablet. Not a 13-inch slate with Ultrabook specs; just a really big Android tablet. Why would you want such a thing, you ask? Well, Toshiba's banking on you using this indoors, particularly in the kitchen where you might want to glance at recipes or the weather forecast. In conversations about the product, company reps emphasized the tablet's tough Gorilla Glass display, though they seem oblivious to the fact that you could do all of the above with a $400 iPad 2, or any other mid-range tablet, for that matter. It's an important thing to consider, given that the Excite 13 will set you back a princely $650 for 32GB when it goes on sale June 10th.In addition, the Excite 13 will be available with 64GB of storage for $750 (!). The Excite 7.7 is also coming June 10th, at which point it'll cost $500 for the 16GB flavor and $580 for the 32GB configuration. The 10-inch will beat them both to market, arriving May 6th starting at $500 for 16GB of built-in storage. There will also be a 32GB version for $530 and a 64GB number for $650. For now, we've got photos below, and you can check out our hands-on from CES if you prefer your gadget porn have some video.
HTC One X vs. One S: which phone is The One for you?
HTC One X review HTC One S review HTC Sense 4 reviewJet Li starred in a 2001 movie called "The One." In it, his character traveled to parallel universes and grew stronger as he killed alternate versions of himself. This continued on until there was only one other copy left, with the movie culminating in an epic battle between the two. We won't spoil the ending, but we were reminded of this movie when thinking about the One X and the One S: both are incredibly powerful phones that we'd be proud to use as our daily drivers, but the vast majority of us are only able to choose one One. (The One V is also a possible option but for the purposes of this feature we're laser-focused on HTC's two higher-end models.)How can we make a sound decision? The two phones are considered premium devices with top-notch components and relatively few flaws. The major difference, however, is going to be the price. Naturally, the cost will vary depending on where you live and which carrier you choose, but make no mistake: the S is going to be less expensive. Is it worth spending the extra money to go with the top-shelf model, or will the little guy be plenty? Now that the two devices are officially on sale in Europe, it's time to pick a side. We can't decide for you, but our goal is to present each phone's pros and cons, going round by round. Which one is right for you? Read on to find out.
HTC One X review
More Info HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) HTC Sense 4 review HTC One S review It's been a difficult year for HTC. After several successful quarters, things have started looking less rosy in recent months with the company facing stiff competition and suffering from apparent brand dilution -- the results of launching too many handsets with forgettable names, making too many compromises for the carriers, continuing to rely on Sense, and lacking an iconic flagship to take on Samsung's mighty Galaxy S II. We knew something important was coming for Mobile World Congress after HTC timidly revealed the Titan II at CES -- after all, the company has a long history of innovation. A few days before flying to Barcelona and after being sworn to secrecy, we were quietly whisked into a San Francisco conference room with clear instructions: no pictures or video. There, in the middle of the table, was a white phone that instantly caught our eye -- the HTC One X. To write that we came away impressed after briefly using it is a massive understatement. This was obviously a halo device made for geeks like us, something designed to take on the Galaxy Nexuses of the world, something with the mother of all spec sheets, something running Ice Cream Sandwich with a significantly thinner and lighter version of Sense. Better yet, there were two other handsets with the same impeccable attention to detail -- the One S and the One V. HTC was finally showing some vision again with strong branding, gorgeous design and a polished user experience. While first impressions go a long way, there's a lot to be learned about a product by living with it for a few days. So is the One X truly HTC's comeback device? Are we still delighted? Is this the Engadget phone? Hit the break for our full review.
Sony Tegra 3 slate benchmarked, Tablet S successor on the way?
If you're looking to benchmark tools for hints at Sony's next slate, then you're looking at a little number that calls itself the V150. According to the NenaMark Android GPU benchmarking tool, this 1.4GHz tablet rocks a 1280 x 752 display and Android 4.0.3. An Nvidia Tegra 3 helps this slate achieve a benchmark score of 59.70, which is well above the Tablet S' 42.89 average. Considering that Sony's last wedge-shaped wonder has already seen a sizable price drop, it's looking like the firm may be gearing up to announce its replacement. We're reluctant to make the call with only a single benchmark score to go by, but we won't stop you from speculating.
Fujitsu quad-core phone hands-on (video)
We've finally managed to get some time with Fujitsu's incoming quad-core handset and it's pretty close to completion. The quad-core phone's approaching its very final model, with just a bit of finishing and tightening left to do on what we're seeing here at MWC 2012. It's still water-friendly, wielding a Tegra 3 chip and brandishing a 13.1-megapixel camera. So what are you waiting for? Our impressions and video are right after the break.
ZTE Era flagship phone brings Tegra 3, 4.3-inch qHD display, 7.8mm chassis
We're just about to get hands-on with ZTE's latest high-spec ICS phone, the Era, but in the meantime here's a heads-up on the main credentials. The guts are all NVIDIA, with a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and an Icera HSPA+ modem. The display has 960 x 540 pixels spread over 4.3-inches of real estate, housed in a razor-like 7.8mm-thick (0.31-inch) slab. The 8GB of onboard memory is expandable via microSD, while there's also HD Voice and Dolby sound processing. ZTE will be looking to release the Era in the second half of this year, and says it's counting on the handset to help it become a "top three handset provider by 2015." More big words in the PR after the break.
NVIDIA officially brands Tegra 3's five-core quad-core architecture as 4-PLUS-1
NVIDIA's cooked up a few ways to describe the Tegra 3's quad-core-with-a-spare architecture, usually by giving the extra Cortex A9 a cute nickname like "ninja," or "companion." Until now, the proper description was "Variable Symmetrical Multiprocessing," or, vSMP for short. Despite how much fun (and technically accurate) some of these descriptions may have been, however, they just aren't marketable. "Our customers wanted a name for it that's unique and descriptive," writes mobile business unit general manager Michael Rayfield, "A name they could put on a box or a store sign that immediately represents its value." That official name is the 4-PLUS-1 quad-core architecture, he says, and you'll probably see it pop up a few times in Barcelona next week if LG's latest offering is any indication. It lacks something in pizzaz, to be sure, but we'll admit that it is at least descriptive of the Tegra 3's technical chops. In related news, NVIDIA promises the Tegra will be less fickle about its new moniker than the symbol formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince.
Fujitsu readies its 'final model' quad-core smartphone for reveal next week
We laid our hands on Fujitsu's quad-core prototype at the start of the year, it now looks like the phone's now ready to show itself outside the confines of a perspex box. Wielding a Tegra 3 chipset, there's still no official name for the incoming handset, but we're promised admirable battery life and those increasingly typical (for Japan, at least) water resistant credentials. We've also been told that this will be close to -- if not the -- final model of the handset, so we should get to test out that fingerprint sensor in person. Sure, it's not the only quad-core device we're expecting to see at MWC, but we'll welcome it with open arms -- if it does make the journey outside of Japan.
Fujitsu's super-slim, super-powerful phones could come to Europe
We've been enviously eyeing Fujitsu's super-thin, super-powerful phones for a very long while. At CES, we were able to swing an early look at its unnamed Tegra 3 Arrows prototype and the question we asked, over and over, was if we'd ever see these devices in the west. A knowing smile followed with the response that it would "depend on the carriers involved." A report in the Financial Times seems to confirm that the company's planning to take Europe by storm as it unveils the finished model at next week's Mobile World Congress -- albeit with the same caveat that carriers are still yet to sign on. The report adds that Fujitsu will include biometric security, NFC and LTE in all future handsets: just more teasing for those nations still to adopt the standard.
HTC Endeavor specs revealed in leaked ROM: Tegra 3, 720p, Sense 4.0 (update: screenshots)
HTC fans spent the last couple of days (i.e., their weekend) unpicking a leaked ROM Update Utility for an officially non-existent handset called the 'Endeavor.' The specs revealed so far include a 1280 x 720 display spread over 4.7-inches, a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, eight-megapixel rear shooter, front-facing camera, NFC, 1GB RAM and the new ICS-adapted version of HTC's Sense UI. These leaked specs tally with an earlier tip-off to MoDaCo, which further hinted at a 1.5GHz clock speed and Beats Audio. There's also a bunch of screenshots showing off the Sense 4.0 skin that we already glimpsed in a fuzzy HTC Ville video -- and it conspires to look both new and deeply familiar.Update: Screenshot gallery just added below, via Android Central.
Exclusive: Fujitsu's Arrows prototype, new quad-core Tegra 3 smartphone eyes-on (video)
We've been hitting Fujitsu phones for a while, looking in awe at the super-thin gear that remained firmly in the hands of the Japanese. Fortunately the Consumer Electronics Show is the perfect time for the company to further tease us with a product that might just make a trip to the west. Yesterday we got our mitts onto the Arrows Mu and today we've got a really special exclusive: a first look at the prototype of the quad-core packing Arrows super-phone. So, what delights are tucked inside and is this going to be the phone of 2012? Head on past the break to find out.
ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME171, ME370T and high-end Transformer Prime TF700T revealed
Flustered with the original Transformer Prime you just purchased? We'd advise you to have a seat. ASUS just took the wraps off an all new Transformer Prime (the TF700T) here at CES, which is presumably designed to rival Acer's newly-announced Iconia Tab A700. Notably, this guy won't be an outright replacement for the existing TF201 model; it's simply an upmarket alternative for those tired of the same specs over and over again. Speaking of, let's dive under the hood of this one, shall we? It's a 10.1-incher with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 within (1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A9), a Super IPS+ / Gorilla Glass 10.1-inch display with a downright silly 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (watch out, Lenovo!) and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage space. There's also an 8 megapixel rear camera / 2 megapixel front-facing cam, support for 1080p playback, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a micro-HDMI port, microSD card reader, a 25WHr Lithium-Polymer battery and a chassis that weighs just over a pound. It'll ship with Android 4.0.1 onboard (yeah, that's Ice Cream Sandwich), and will be compatible with the exact same keyboard dock as the existing Prime. Needless to say, ASUS is aiming for the stars with a build sheet like this, and the $599 to $699 retail price points enable you to know it. It'll land next quarter here in North America, and no, there's no GPS functionality listed on the spec sheet after the break; though we've been informed that this new Prime will come with a new back panel design (pictured after the break) that should enhance WiFi, BT and GPS performance. Moving onto more diminutive offerings, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we saw months ago is getting a formal reveal here in Las Vegas, boasting a 7-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) IPS capacitive touchpanel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, a gigabyte of memory, 16GB / 32GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.2 megapixel front / 5 megapixel rear camera (with 1080p recording), an A-GPS sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor and a micro-USB port. There's a 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery reportedly good for some 8.5 hours of video playback, and it'll be Android 4.0.1 running the show. The unit checks in with dimensions of 7.8- x 4.6- x 0.50-inches (and a weight of 14.2 ounces), and while mum's the word on price (sadly), it'll supposedly ship in Q2 to North American adobes.
Acer Iconia Tab A700 hands-on (updated: now with more video!)
So, the mystery quad-core tablet shown off by Acer at CES has a name... kinda. The Tegra 3-powered unit is the oft rumored and leaked Iconia Tab A700, though, we were told repeatedly that this is just a technology demo and not a consumer product -- so don't be surprised if you never see an A700 come to market. Underneath the hood is a 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 and a full gig of RAM for pushing a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich to its 10.1-inch 1080p "IPS quality" panel. The most glaring difference between Google's stock experience and Acer's version of Android is the "ring" -- a lockscreen launcher with a selection of shortcuts available depending on which direction you drag your finger in. The textured back felt quite nice to the fingers, though it sports a healthy amount of heft that might worry some fans of lightweight devices. As far as ports go, you're looking at an HDMI-port, microSD and micro USB -- the latter of which can actually be used to charge the device. Huzzah! (Update: After originally telling us the tablet could be charged via micro USB they came back to us and said they had to double check that one). Check out the gallery below for a few more impressions. Update: Head on after the break for a quick hands-on video.