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SmartQ announces Ten, an Android tablet packing IPS display with piezoelectric touchscreen
OK, before y'all haters state the obvious in the comments below, there's actually something noteworthy about this familiar-looking Chinese slate. What we have here is the SmartQ Ten (or T10, as referenced above), a forthcoming Froyo tablet that'll feature a juicy Cortex-A9 chip plus a Mali 400 GPU, as well as 512MB RAM and a 9.7-inch 1024 x 768 IPS display. This wouldn't be the first Android device to get the IPS goodness, though, as its predecessor R10 -- launched with Android 2.1 and a 720MHz processor back in December -- also has the same LCD panel within a seemingly identical form factor. In fact, we stumbled upon an R10 earlier today, and the prettiness of the screen did surprise us. But what really sells the Ten is its piezoelectric touchscreen, which supports multitouch input even with non-conductive objects like the old school styli. This means said tablet can achieve light transmittance similar to its capacitive touchscreen counterparts but using cheaper parts, as well as having point-input precision similar to those with resistive touchscreens but with better screen clarity. Alas, no date or price has been announced for the Ten just yet, nor do we know if it'll get Honeycomb in the future, but price it right and it might still get some love.
SmartQ T7 and T7-3G Android 2.1 tablets announced and priced in China
Don't worry, it's not déjà vu -- these SmartQ T7 tablets may appear just like their Ubuntu-riding R7 sibling, but they offer Android 2.1, an integrated 3G option, a speedier 720MHz CPU, and a colossal 4,700mAh battery -- 1,400mAh more than before! If that's woken you from the slumber brought on by yet another boilerplate tablet, SmartQ's also boasting support for a similarly impressive range of video codecs, meaning you can grab any RMVB, AVI, MKV and WMV files (even at 1080p) from your various, ahem, sources, and just play them back on the 7-inch LCD (probably at 800 x 600 like the R7) as they are. If you're cool with just WiFi connectivity, then go for the ¥1,480 ($219) T7; if 3G is a must, be prepared to dole out ¥1,880 ($278) and ¥1,980 ($292) for the EVDO and WCDMA flavors of the T7-3G, respectively. And if you're hanging out with China Mobile, price for the TD-SCDMA version's to be confirmed later.
SmartQ R7 e-reader boasts 3G, touchscreen LCD, magazine service and IPTV (video)
Late to the touchscreen MID party, Chinese manufacturer SmartQ was determined not to miss another opportunity. That's why it spent the month of April touting its new R7 e-reader as -- you guessed it -- the iPad killer. With the same ol' 600MHz ARM11 and 256MB of RAM inside as its ho-hum MIDs, that claim's quite a stretch, but our cohorts at Engadget Chinese actually found the Ubuntu-powered 7-inch SVGA touchscreen device moderately capable in a recent hands-on. Like fellow PMP / e-Reader the Onda VX560, the device supports 1080p in most every video format under the sun, reads e-books (PDF, EPUB and CHM), and has an optional USB 3G modem for on-the-go capability. Ubuntu standbys Midori and Pidgin handle web browsing and IM, respectively, and it can even stream live video and purchase Chinese magazines through SmartQ's services. Sluggish as it might be, for $1,680 RMB (about $250) we'd say that's a pretty respectable featureset. Video after the break, specs and hands-on pics at our source links.
SmartQ V5 MID available now to a world that's just stopped caring
When we first laid eyes on the SmartQ V5, we were pretty underwhelmed... yet another resistive touchscreen MID? We're beginning to long for those halcyon days of late 2009 when an Android handheld was a thing of awe and wonder. Just a refresher: this guy features a 4.3-inch display, 600MHz ARM11 processor (which the brave among us can overclock to 800MHz), 256MB RAM, HDMI out, and more. Of some interest to the jaded gadget-head, this guy ships with Android, Ubuntu, and Windows CE 6.0 pre-installed -- not a bad feature, if that's your thing. If you poke around the Internets you should be able to find this bad boy for near $180.
SmartQ V5 MID strives to be relevant, may succeed on some level
Not to be confused with the SmartQ 5 (how could you ever, right?), the SmartQ V5 MID is essentially a V7 with a less spacious screen. Within, you'll find a 600MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of DDR2 memory, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 2GB of internal storage and an SD expansion slot. There's also USB 2.0 connectivity, an HDMI output good for shooting out material at up to 1080p, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack and a 4.3-inch touchscreen (800 x 480). You'll also find a format support list longer than your latest cellphone bill, though both a price and release date have remained elusive thus far. Here's hoping it's cheap enough to matter. [Via PMP Today]
Smart Devices SmartQ5a MID... now with Android!
If you're a MID fan that's curious about this crazy "Android" you've been hearing about, it looks like the realms are colliding in many new and interesting ways as of late. E World, which seems to be owned by China Mobile, is selling the SmartQ5a touchscreen device pre-installed with Android 1.5 for $199.99. We know some of the more hardcore have been taking it upon yourself to install the open source OS on Smart Devices' 4.3-inch wonder for a while, but now the whole affair appears to have the stamp of approval of the People's Republic itself. We're just wondering who you'd contact if you have to take advantage of the one year warranty.
SmartQ 7 MID unboxing
Our compatriots at Engadget Chinese just got ahold of that surprisingly attractive SmartQ 7 MID, and have given the thing a proper unboxing. Hands-on impressions are on the way as well, but it's not hard to see that despite the continued pointlessness of MIDs in most practical applications, they're only getting better. Except for the ones that aren't.
SmartQ 7 Internet Tablet spotted in the wild, priced
We just caught our first glimpse of the SmartQ 7 Internet Tablet a few days ago, and now it's already showing up out and about on display. A few more of the tablet's specs have emerged since our initial gander, including the fact that it'll house a 667MHz Samsung ARM S3C6410 CPU, 128MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash memory. Apparently, a limited number of these bad boys will be available in China in the next two months, and it's expected to run CNY1,289 (about $190). [Via Pocketables]
SmartQ 7 is an Internet Tablet with dedicated FN
Oh look, another 7-inch device with an identity crisis. Too big to be called a smartphone, definitely not a netbook, it must be a MID, UMPC, or maybe a PMP. Wait, we see it now, the SmartQ 7 aspires to be an "Internet Tablet." Good, because its WVGA (800ish x 480 pixel) resolution is the same as Toshiba's 4.1-inch TG01 (to name just one smaller device) only stretched across a 7-inch touchscreen display -- not exactly ideal for video in 2009. The SmartQ 7 runs an unspecified Linux distro with specs that include WiFi, a USB-host mode, stereo speakers, and up to 2-days of music off a single charge to its 4500mAh Li-Poly battery. More importantly, there's a dedicated FN button along the top for instant fun. No launch date or price but we've got the backside, front, after the break.[Via Pocketables]
SmartQ 5 MID gets unboxed
We've already seen the SmartQ 5 MID out in the wild, and even sporting Ubuntu, but those sitting on pins and needles for the inevitable unboxing can now finally rest easy, as Kam Leung has stepped up and done the honors. From the looks of it, however, there's nothing but the bare minimum included with the 4.3-inch MID / PMP although, judging from the pics, SmartQ may have been wise to at least include a dust cloth. Hit up the link below for the full show, and then start figuring out the best way to import one of these if you're sold on it, as there's still no word of an official release 'round here.
SmartQ 5 MID scores itself Ubuntu, a ridiculously low price tag
The SmartQ 5 from SmartDevices just took itself from me-too MID of the millisecond to a quite interesting value proposition. The touchscreen device, which features a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 screen, is now running an ARM-friendly Ubuntu distro, and has been given the low, low pricetag of 899 Chinese Yuan, about $132. Sure, it'll probably never surface Stateside, especially not for that price, but it's a good demonstration of what a little bit of decent ARM hardware and a popular Linux distro can do when they work together, hand in hand.[Via iTech News Net]
SmartQ introduces HDTV Player, lets it explain itself
Generally speaking, SmartQ has stuck to what it's best at -- mediocre portable media players -- without deviating an inch. Finally, someone at the company conjured up enough courage to take a risk, and we think the outcome is pretty decent. The simply titled and not-at-all-confusing HDTV Player is the firm's very first set-top-box, which aims to play back a litany of high-definition files on one's HDTV. As predicted, the box offers up an HDMI 1.3 port for getting all that lovely 720p+ content onto your screen, and there's also a pair of USB 2.0 ports for connecting external HDDs and the like. Beyond that, details are astonishingly sparse, but we get the feeling it'll be quite some time (read: forever) before this thing floats far from the shores of Asia.[Via MP4Nation]
SmartQ 5 gets peeped, for reals
We've been hearing all about the SmartQ 5 PMP / MID for a little while now, but someone's finally gotten their hands upon a real live device, and it's looking pretty cool. We still don't know a ton in the way of specs -- it's got a 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, plus four actual hardware buttons -- nor do we know when it's going to be available, or how much it'll cost... but it definitely appears to exist now! Check two more shots after the break, and hit the read link for a bunch of them. [Via The MP3 Players]
SmartQ 5 touchscreen PMP / MID promises WiFi, Bluetooth
It looks like it may still be quite a while before it actually ends up on store shelves, but this new SmartQ 5 PMP / MID seems like it should be able to at least muster up a bit of interest when and if it is ever released. While complete specs are a little light, and most likely not finalized, the device will apparently boast a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, and four hardware buttons to give the touchscreen a rest once in a while. Not much more than that, unfortunately, although SmartQ does seem to be pitching this one squarely as an internet device first and media player second, so hopefully that means it'll pack enough capabilities to truly earn that MID moniker.[Via SlashGear]
SmartQ TAO sports a swanky screen
We're pleased to see some improvements in SmartQ's latest PMP. Screen size and resolution for the TAO weigh in at a formidable 3.3-inches 480x320 HVGA with 262,000 colors. It hosts a decent lineup of multi-codec niceties like MP3, OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV (PCM, ADPCM), along with a 500mhz Blackfin processor -- not too shabby for soaking up video. Xvid and Divx AVI res hit 720x480 with RMVB topping that, and FLV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, MPEG, DAT, MP4 formats are also supported. If you're jetting over to China any time soon, you should be able to pick up a 4GB model for around 699RMB ($102.)[Thanks, Nick]
SmartQ's T5-II handheld does multimedia and emulation
Although Oppo's fresh S11 likely has SmartQ's latest beat in the attractiveness department, the 4GB T5-II is the unanimous champion in terms of sheer utility. Not only can this handheld handle MP3, OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV, AVI, XviD, DivX, MPEG and MP4 files (just to name a few), it also features a video output, SDHC expansion slot, six-band equalizer and a 600MHz processor. Furthermore, you'll find a 3-inch 320 x 240 resolution display and a built-in emulator that handles GBA and even NEO GEO titles. Not too shabby for $174.99 if we may say so ourselves, but do yourself a favor and peek the preview vid after the break before rushing to judgment.
SmartQ T5 flash player gets updated, taunts us from afar
We thought the SmartQ T5 was a solid little player with decent codec support when we first spotted it back in August, but SmartQ's gone and updated it to the T5-II Deluxe Edition, featuring a new video chip that supports TV-out, AV-in, and the RMVB codec, which supports 1024x576 video. Unfortunately, the screen resolution remains at QVGA, but the actual panel's also been bumped up to display 16.7 million colors. Too bad we probably won't ever see this bad boy in the States -- why is it we only get the crap?[Via thegadgetsite]
SmartQ rolls out T5 portable flash player
SmartQ has another flash based portable media player for us from China with the release of the SmartQ T5. Coming in 2 and 4GB variations, the T5 plays a variety of file formats including 640x480, 30 fps XVID DivX, and features a 3.0-inch screen -- 320x240, a shame considering its VGA quality playback potential -- with a battery that can last up to 7 hours playing video, and 22 hours playing audio. No word on shipping dates or prices, but you know how it goes with these flash playing gadgets that never seem to make it stateside.[Thanks, nick]
