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HTC One X for AT&T review
... More Info HTC One X review HTC One X exclusive to AT&T in the US, brings LTE, Beats, ICS and Sense 4 to Ma Bell AT&T HTC One X hands-on After last year's scattered lineup of products, HTC's been going through a bit of a renaissance lately thanks to the One X, One S and One V -- a beautifully focused trio of phones that run the company's new, lightweight Sense 4 skin on top of Ice Cream Sandwich. Hot on the heels of T-Mobile's One S comes AT&T's One X, which is launching May 6 for $199 on contract. The reworked device gains LTE and drops NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 chip for a dual-core Snapdragon S4. So, does this brain transplant make it a better or worse proposition than the global One X? Hit the break to find out.
HTC One S for T-Mobile review
A couple weeks ago we got to have our Ice Cream Sandwich and eat it too, thanks to a gorgeous couple phones from HTC -- the One X and the One S. Both run Sense 4 -- a thinner, lighter version of the company's polarizing UI -- and together with the entry-level One V, represent HTC's attempt to make a comeback after a lackluster year of me-too products. The first to make its way to the US is the One S which lands on T-Mobile April 25 for $199 on contract (with a $50 rebate). We just spent a weekend with Magenta's new flagship handset. So how does it compare to the global One S? Find out after the break.
Leaked benchmarks suggest Motorola is working on a Snapdragon S4 phone
You slave away on your company's Next Big Thing, of course you want to see how it performs. And we're glad that you do decided to dabble, hypothetical engineer, because we can pore over those numbers for a glimpse at what's coming next. According to benchmarks discovered by Blog of Mobile, Motorola might be looking to move on from the Texas Instrument chipsets it's used in the past. In the purported system details included with the benchmark results, the Ice Cream Sandwich-decked phone houses a 1.5GHz MSM8960 chip -- that's Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4. Could these be more details on a possible RAZR HD -- even an Atrix 3? Unfortunately, more concrete information remains scant. The repeated mention of Qinara, however, tallies with Motorola's XT928, China Telecom's version of the Motorola RAZR released last year, codenamed Dinara. (So, would that be Q for Qualcomm?) If, according to the leak, the device does use a 720p display alongside the aforementioned dual-core processor, it would find itself up against HTC's One X, which packs the same Snapdragon S4 hardware in its AT&T guise. Hopefully, Motorola is making some similarly lofty efforts with its hardware design to ensure we've got yet another phone to get excited about.
Qualcomm details Snapdragon S4-loaded Win8 notebooks further, will be lighter than Ultrabooks
Although ARM-based SoCs are generally associated with mobile devices, it's no secret that Qualcomm and NVIDIA want to get Windows 8 computers into the fray. We knew that both companies began seeding developers with prototype SoC-loaded computers back in February, but now more details have arisen about Qualcomm's plans in the area. According to PC World, the company's senior vice president, Rob Chandhok, explained that it's aiming to have a variant of its quad-core Snapdragon S4 chips in notebook PCs by the end of the year. It's said that this'll enable manufacturers to create machines that are immensely lighter and thinner than Intel's Ultrabooks and Apple's MacBook Air lineup, while offering up a unique experience thanks to its built-in 4G compatibility and graphics handling. What's more, the company also has a version of the chip on the table for the 64-bit version of Windows 8, but there's no word on if and when it would come to fruition. We can only imagine how many more options you'll have to run Microsoft's latest OS when it finally hits shelves this October -- for now, you'll find more details about Qualcomm's offerings at the source link
Panasonic Eluga Power: hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)
Panasonic is keeping busy. Interested by the OLED screened Eluga, but yearning for a bigger screen and the chance dance along the bleeding edge of Android? Then welcome the Eluga Power. With a 5-inch LCD display and Ice Cream Sandwich already on the device, Panasonic was ready to show off its Eluga Power prototype. We had to drop by to see the phone in action and the Japanese manufacturer was more than happy to oblige. Check the gallery below, while our hands-on video and first impressions await after the break.
ASUS PadFone hands-on (video)
We're here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and ASUS just formally unveiled the shape-shifting PadFone -- just like it said it would. Even more than raw specs, what makes the phone striking are its accompanying accessories. Sure, you could use it as a standalone 4.3-inch handset, but it will also be sold with a so-called station that effectively turns it into a 10-inch tablet -- not unlike how you can slip certain Moto handsets inside the company's netbook-like Lapdocks. It will also be sold with an optional keyboard dock (just like the Prime) and -- get this -- a stylus that doubles as a receiver for when you receive phone calls. We elbowed our way to the front of a pack of voracious tech journalists, and stole a few minutes of hands-on time with both the handset and its various accoutrements. Join us past the break for some early impressions and a duo of videos.
ASUS rebrands its tablets 'Transformer Pads,' announces the high-end Infinity Series with either Tegra 3 or Snapdragon's S4 chip
Yes, another one. Less than four months after announcing the original T201 Transformer Prime aASUS is adding uno más to the collection. And don't be fooled by the name: though the company is rebranding its tablet line "Transformer Pads," the newly announced Infinity Series looks a lot like something we've already seen. Essentially, this is the TF700T announced at CES, with a dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8960 Snapdragon S4 CPU and an optional LTE radio. Now, before you gasp that ASUS has ditched NVIDIA, hear this: there will still be a Tegra 3 option, but that's just the WiFi-only version; the 3G / 4G versions will pack the S4 chip. Additionally, there will be a lower-end 16GB option (the TF700T was only available in 32GB and 64GB flavors). Otherwise, the specs are the same, including dual 8MP / 2MP cameras, 1GB of RAM, HDMI and a 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200, Super IPS+ Gorilla Glass display. This time around, it has Gorilla Glass 2, but that's a mild spec bump indeed. Unlike the original Prime, which shipped with Honeycomb but updated to Ice Cream Sandwich shortly after going on sale, the Infinity Pad will run Android 4.0 out of the box. It also comes with 8GB of free lifetime ASUS WebStorage and is rated for 10 hours of battery life (16 with that signature keyboard dock, sold separately). No word yet on pricing or availability. In any case, though, we wouldn't be surprised if ASUS gave birth to another tablet between now and then.
Panasonic Eluga Power: 5-inch 720p display, 9.6mm thin, S4 processor
Remember Panasonic's Eluga? The phone with a name that sounded like you'd eaten too much popcorn before going on a roller coaster now has a bigger brother to protect the family insignia: the Eluga Power. It's a 5-inch (1280 x 720) display-toting premium version of the device running ICS on a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU. The 9.6mm thick device includes a 1,800mAh battery that can reportedly quick-charge to 50 percent in half an hour. It's packing NFC, an 8-megapixel camera as well as an unspecified front-facer for video calls, 8GB storage and a microSD slot -- giving you up to 32GB expandable storage. There's a gallery below and full PR after the break.
Qualcomm Krait S4 SoC fully benchmarked, diagnosed as 'insane'
We've seen it, touched it and we fully expect it'll be turning heads in Barcelona next week, but until now Qualcomm's Krait chip has largely escaped the rigors of independent benchmarking. Fortunately, AnandTech has to come to our rescue once again with a characteristically thorough analysis at the source link. Those blue and green charts can speak for themselves, but if you're in a rush then here's the rub of it: the Krait truly is a next-gen SoC, with the dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8960-powered reference handset delivering an "insane performance advantage" of between 20 percent and 240 percent on CPU benchmarks. As we glimpsed recently, graphics performance is somewhat less ground-breaking but still very healthy, with the 28nm process allowing the Adreno 225 GPU to run at up to 400MHz, versus 266MHz on its Adreno 220 predecessor. Oh yes, this is going to be one mother of an MWC.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)
While we already know that Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 will offer a quad-core variant, incorporate LTE and use a 28nm manufacturing process, the company posted an article to its media blog ahead of Mobile World Congress showcasing the new features provided by the chipset's Image Signal Processor. You're likely familiar with some of the imaging functionality available in Qualcomm's existing Snapdragon processors -- technology like Scalado's Rewind (pictured above) which we've covered before. The new SoC cranks things up a notch with support for up to three cameras (two in the back for 3D plus one front-facing), 20-megapixel sensors and 1080p HD video recording at 30fps. In addition to zero shutter lag, the Snapdragon S4 includes proprietary 3A processing (autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance) along with improved blink / smile detection, gaze estimation, range finding and image stabilization. Rounding things off are gesture detection / control, augmented reality and computer vision (via Quacomm's FastCV). Want to know more? Check out the source link below, then hit the break for video demos of the S4's image stabilization and gesture-based imaging chops.
Lenovo's IdeaTab S2 10-inch does tablet transformation, packs a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon (update: hands-on)
This wouldn't be the first time for Lenovo to release a tablet-plus-keyboard combo, though the illusive IdeaPad U1 Hybrid was merely adding Windows to the updated LePad via the keyboard dock. That said, Lenovo's freshly-announced IdeaTab S2 10" is a full package dedicated to Android 4.0, and it sports a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon 8x60A or 8960. Compared to the ASUS Transformer Prime and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, this 10-inch IdeaTab comes close to or even beats them with a 0.34-inch (8.69mm) thickness and a 1.27-pound (580 grams) weight -- certainly much better than its Chinese counterpart, the LePad S2010. Other features include a 1,280 x 800 LED-backlit IPS display, 3G with call support, 1GB LPDDR2 RAM, SSD of up to 64GB, HDMI Micro connection and front (1.3MP) and rear (5MP with autofocus) cameras. As for battery life, the tablet alone can keep cranking for up to 9 hours, and sliding it into the keyboard dock gets you an additional 9 hours plus two USB 2.0 ports, a multitouch trackpad and an SDHC card reader. No word on availability or pricing yet, so we'll keep poking Lenovo until we hear something.Update: We now have hands-on photos and video -- the latter after the break, as usual. Something interesting we spotted was the grid-like LeLauncher, which consists of square-shaped widgets that expand to bigger widgets or launch the relevant apps. Lenovo's folks also mentioned that compared to the ASUS Transformer series, the S2's "clam dock" slot hinge is designed in such a way that makes it easier to snap the tablet onto it, and we agree with them.
Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid
Qualcomm's souped-up Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform (MDP) tablet just got a major Android boost, in the form of a 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. The maxed-out MDP tablet, which boasts such specs as an on-die LTE modem, dual 1080p cameras and more sensors than you can shake an accelerometer-powered wand at, is now running Google's latest mobile OS. During an Engadget Show visit last month, Qualcomm reps told us that the device will support Android 4.0, but we weren't expecting a port quite so soon, considering Liquid won't ship until next spring. The company says it's working "rigorously" to get ICS optimized not only for the S4, but for other Snapdragon processors as well. Click through the gallery below for an early look.%Gallery-141645%
Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated)
If the most recent batch of S4 chips from Qualcomm wasn't enough to completely satiate your thirst for new SoC's, the folks from San Diego are adding two more options to the already heapin' pile. At the 2011 Uplinq China Conference in Shenzhen, Qualcomm announced the MSM8625 and MSM8225 S4-class dual-core chipsets, both of which can clock up to 1GHz and pack an Adreno 203 GPU plus a 3G modem. While these numbers aren't relatively exciting at this day and age, the real selling point here is that these chips are actually software and hardware-compatible with the entry-level MSM7x27A and MSM7x25A S1 chips, meaning some of the existing S1-based designs can be quickly and easily adapted to these new S4 chips. Interested manufacturers can nab some of this new silicon from the third-generation Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) program -- which was also announced today as Qualcomm enters the smartphone reference design business -- or standalone in the first half of 2012, but let's just hope we won't end up seeing too many familiar-looking phones. Press release attached after the break. Zach Lutz contributed to this report. Update: We just did a hands-on with one of Qualcomm's new reference designs -- the one we played with had Dianxin OS installed, but we also came across one powered by Aliyun OS. Neither were running smoothly but we've been told they were slightly rushed so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyhow, enjoy the photos. %Gallery-141412% %Gallery-141413%
ASUS PadFone crops up in benchmark database, hides its S4 SoC out in the open
Late last spring, we got hands-on with dummy units of the PadFone and its companion dock, but aside from potential form factors and a Christmas release window, details of its glorified guts were scarce. That's all changed now thanks to GLBenchmark's public results database, which outs the category-straddling device as having a Krait S4 MSM8960. Yes, the first in a line of uber-performing Qualcomm SoCs will be embedded in the heart of ASUS' smartphone, bringing support for a global range of frequencies (including blazing HSPA+ and LTE speeds) and an Adreno 225 GPU. What could very well be disheartening is evidence the handset's running Gingerbread 2.3.5, but we'll chock that up to early testing and cling tightly to the company's hard ICS-laden wink. If you've been eagerly anticipating this mobile power couple, you shouldn't have to wait long -- that target holiday release is surely creeping up. So, expect to see an official announcement of the dual-core goods any day now.
The Engadget Show - 027: Nokia's Stephen Elop, Qualcomm, NASA and more
Man, do we have a show for you this month. It's a veritable Thanksgiving feast of gadgety goodness. Brian and Tim kick things off by taking a looking at the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Kobo Vox, a slew of Samsung Galaxy Tabs, the Motorola Razr and the HTC Rezound. Next up, Michael Gorman visits Lockheed Martin to check out the Orion spacecraft the company is building for NASA.Brian and Terrence put iOS, Android and Windows Phone to the test with some mobile operating system newbies, and Tim sits down with Nokia's Stephen Elop to discuss the company's struggles and successes. Qualcomm's Raj Talluri pays us a visit in the studio to show off his company's snazzy new S4 chip, and if all of that wasn't enough, Brooklyn's Milagres plays us out in style.Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian HeaterSpecial guests: Stephen Elop, Raj TalluriProducer: Guy StreitDirector: Michelle StahlExecutive Producers: Joshua Fruhlinger, Brian Heater and Michael RubensMusic by: MilagresDownload the Show: The Engadget Show - 027 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 027 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 027 (Small)Subscribe to the Show:[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4).[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4).[RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.[HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD.[iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Qualcomm announces Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform tablet on The Engadget Show, we go hands-on (video)
At its investor conference earlier today, Qualcomm unveiled a variety of new Snapdragon processors to join its recently-announced MSM8960 S4 chip. But we got an exclusive first look at the 8960 in New York City this evening, in the form of a mobile development platform (MDP) tablet demo during The Engadget Show. The tablet the company had on hand isn't much to look at -- it's not the slimmest we've seen, and it feels a bit clunkier than models destined for consumers -- but its specs, which include an on-die LTE modem (the first of its kind -- we were seeing download speeds of around 45 Mbps), dual 1080p cameras (and another two for 3D), seven microphones, a spattering of sensors and a handful of connectors make this the ultimate platform for Android developers. Not convinced? Join us past the break for a hands-on walkthrough with Raj Talluri, Qualcomm's VP of Product Management, and stay turned for his segment from The Engadget Show.%Gallery-139648%
Qualcomm announces a slew of new Snapdragon processors, upgrades, mobile games
It's shaping up to be a busy morning for Qualcomm. The San Diego-based mobile chipmaker issued a bunch of announcements today, including a number of additions to its S4 line of next-generation processors. The list of new S4 chips includes the MSM8660A, MSM8260A, MSM8630, MSM8230, MSM8627, MSM8227, APQ8060A and APQ8030, which join the already announced MSM8960, MSM8930 and APQ8064. The new chips feature the Krait CPU, aimed at upping mobile performance, while offering better power management and battery life. Also on the list are upgrades to four members of the company's S1 entry-level smartphone chip line -- the MSM7225A, MSM7625A, MSM7227A and MSM7627A have been juiced up for better performance. Oh, and there are games. The company is expanding its already voluminous Snapdragon GamePack to include titles like The Ball, Fight Game Heroes, and Galaga Special Edition -- casual and console games aimed at showcasing its chips' abilities. The list also includes the introduction of Snapdragon GameCommand, an app aimed at showcasing those showcasing apps, making them easier to find and offering up gaming news. GameCommand will be hitting early next year. The new games will be available through the Android Market for handsets packing Snapdragon processors. Lots of press info after the break.
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 review
Native Instruments Maschine Mikro just wants to make the world dance, forget about the price tag T2 is not a cyborg, is the new more colorful Traktor Moldover's limited edition Mojo MIDI controller for serious musicians with seriously deep pockets (video) In the world of DJ'ing there are few certainties, be it the music you play, where you play it, or what you play it on. One thing's for sure, and that is that technology is changing the craft of mixing as we know it. Controllers in particular are responsible for bringing the craft closer to the masses: they're bedroom-friendly, full of gadgetry and they bring the time honored two-decks-and-a-mixer set up into the 21st century. Native Instruments already has offerings in this area in the form of the Kontrol X1 and Kontrol S4, both of which have been hugely popular. How, then, will its latest addition to the family – the Kontrol S2 – hold up against its established elder siblings, along with an increasingly crowded pool of competing models? Is this an evolutionary refinement of its bigger brother – the S4 – or a stripped-down, slightly more economical ($669) controller for those looking to dip a toe into the whole DJ thing? Let's get under the hood and find out. %Gallery-138510%
Qualcomm outs Snapdragon S4 SoC details, promises improved battery life and true world capability
Qualcomm has laid out its details of the upcoming S4 SoC, and yes, there's definitely reason for excitement with this next generation Snapdragon. First, it'll usher in a new 28nm manufacturing process alongside the company's Krait CPU and Adreno 225 GPU. The move from 45nm to 28nm promises smaller components, lower power consumption and improved thermal performance, while Krait will introduce a new pipeline architecture that promises a full 60% boost over the current Scorpion lineup with clock speeds ranging between 1.5 and 2.5GHz -- along with support for asynchronous multiprocessing and dual-channel memory. As for the GPU, the latest chip flaunts 50% greater performance over the current Adreno 220, where it also provides support for DirectX 9.3 for Windows 8, in addition to OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0. Should be quite the gaming experience, eh? It doesn't end there, as the S4 MSM8960 promises multi-mode world capabilities with support for all the commonly used frequencies from 700 to 2600MHz -- quite a feat, indeed. It handles Cat. 3 LTE (up to 100Mbps) and Cat. 24 HSPA+ (up to 42Mbps), along with EV-DO Rev. B, 1x Advanced and TD-SCDMA, as well as GSM, GPRS and EDGE. Oh, and there's also simultaneous support for GPS and GLONASS, along with Bluetooth, WiFi, FM radio and NFC. With samples already being sent to manufacturers, we're quite excited for what 2012 may bring.
Wasteland Diaries: A fond farewell
Fallen Earth's Alpha County: the first installment of Sector 4 is here at long last. There was a time when the place was considered a myth by many wastelanders, but it has finally become a reality. If you want to see what it has in store, check it out for yourself. It's very likely that's what I'm currently doing. Since the patch date got pushed back a day, I wasn't able to do a piece on my first impressions of the new zone. Maybe I'll handle that next week. I've instead decided to do a retrospective on what I am leaving behind in Fallen Earth, a fond farewell to some of the things that will no longer matter. There are a great many things I will miss as I cross over into S4, and there will be a great many things I won't miss. As a creature of habit, I fear change, but I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible. With that in mind, after the cut, I'll try to concentrate on some of the changes that I'll be pleased about.
