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ASUS MeMO 370T 7-inch tablet clears the FCC, leaves no trace of Ice Cream or Jelly behind
The 7-inch ASUS Eee Pad MeMO ME370T we saw in early prototype form during CES just passed through the FCC. It's still only showing WiFi radios with no trace of a cellular connection, although if it's going to be the $249 standard bearer NVIDIA and ASUS were so excited about, that's to be expected. A juicier rumor that has surfaced in the intervening period however, suggests this device will actually be released as a Google Nexus 7-inch tablet (or just sold from a Google store), and could even feature the next version of Android, codenamed Jelly Bean. It could also sell for as low as $149, although the cheaper reworked version might swap out the Tegra processor for one from Qualcomm. We didn't spot anything in the filings to back that up, but you can paw through the PDFs yourself at the link below, or just get an idea of what it looks like in non-line drawn form with our gallery of pics from CES 2012.
NVIDIA touts 30 Tegra 3 smartphones set for this year, teases next-gen Grey SoC with on-board LTE
We're nearly halfway through 2012, but for NVIDIA, it seems the best is yet to come. The company's GM, Mike Rayfield, announced today that 30 smartphones with Tegra 3 chips are now slated for availability this year, which is double the success that the company had with its Tegra 2 platform during 2011. Perhaps more interesting, Rayfield also let it be known that the Grey platform -- not due for arrival until next year -- will be the first of NVIDIA's system-on-chip designs to include a built-in LTE radio. Specifically, we can expect it to include the Icera 500, a next-gen LTE modem that's set to supersede both the Icera 410 and 450 designs. The Icera 500 will initially debut as a standalone unit, but will later be integrated into the Grey platform. All things considered, perhaps its 2013 that NVIDIA should be most excited about.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL hits the FCC with AT&T-friendly LTE
ASUS isn't known for offering its tablets to North American carriers with 3G or 4G; an FCC filing for a cellular-capable Transformer Pad TF300 could be a clue at a break in the WiFi-only trend. Along with the usual wireless, a TF300TL variant of the Android 4.0 slate has stopped by the agency with the 850MHz and 1,900MHz frequencies needed for HSPA 3G as well as, best of all, 700MHz and 1,700MHz support for LTE-based 4G. All four are what we'd look for in an AT&T-oriented tablet, so don't be surprised if Ma Bell carries a 4G Transformer Pad before long. All but the 700MHz band would be handy for Canadian networks as well. There's no surefire evidence of when the tablet might make a more formal appearance, nor hints of whether or not it will keep the quad-core Tegra 3, although the slight spin on the regular TF300 formula could keep the wait short.
AT&T validates NVIDIA Icera 410 LTE modem for use on its network
NVIDIA, likely feeling the sting of not having an LTE presence on some of the biggest carriers in the US, announced this morning that the Icera 410 modem has been validated for use on AT&T's network. This particular chipset utilizes the carrier's particular brand of Long-Term Evolution -- in addition to HSPA+, UMTS and 2G -- which means that we should see Icera-powered 4G devices on AT&T's lineup sometime this year. NVIDIA has promised we'll see Tegra 3 LTE utilizing "partners' baseband processors" before we ring in 2013, so we're hoping this bit of news can help the company live up to its word. The press release is all yours to read after the break.
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.
NVIDIA confirms no 'Project Grey' until 2013, Tegra 3 LTE later this year
While earnings calls are rarely the veritable dial-in party, sometimes they do toss up a juicy gambit or disappointing revelation. While NVIDIA was dishing out projections for Q1 2013, it pretty much quashed any hopes of seeing an in-house LTE Tegra chip in 2012. While we were assured that Tegra 3 LTE phones would come this year -- based on those partnerships announced back in February -- it was also stated that the thoroughbred Tegra LTE chip wouldn't be a reality until 2013. So, this pretty much ties in with what we had heard, but this time, from the horse's mouth.
HTC pats itself on the back for the One X's battery life, has plenty of help
If you're a smartphone fan (of course you are, if you're not then you're almost certainly in the wrong place, can we ask how you even got here?) then you've almost certainly been bitten by the bug of a battery that just doesn't last long enough, the normal side effect of a data hungry lifestyle. HTC says it feels your pain however, and thinks it's done quite a bit to lick the issue with its latest flagship phone, the HTC One X. In reports consistent with our experience with the dual-core AT&T iteration, a blog post on the company's site notes several others that have tested it out and come away impressed with the battery life it shows. While our tests with the quad-core global version left something to be desired HTC says the One bests the old Sensation by as much as 147 percent when it comes to talk time, and 39 percent in video playback, while Anandtech had glowing recommendations for both versions. So, are you as impressed with HTC's engineering, or are you still pining for a larger RAZR Maxx-style battery bump?
Acer Iconia Tab A510 review
More Info Acer Iconia Tab A510 hands-on Acer Iconia Tab A510 with Tegra 3, Android 4.0 arriving in the US and Canada for $450 ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 review We'll stop just short of quoting Top Gun here, but if it's speed you crave, these next thousands of words could have you emptying your wallet. How's that for an opening line? To be honest, it's been quite some time since any of us Engadget editors booted up a brand new device and immediately let loose a stream of expletives -- all expressing unbridled delight, of course. Such was the beginning of our meet-cute with Acer's Iconia Tab A510, the company's first Tegra 3 slate, and the second to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich. Apart from that 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display, this 10-incher looks, feels and performs nothing like its predecessor, the A500. Turbocharged with that quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, this Android 4.0 tablet joins a crowded category with a generous 32GB in built-in storage and a reasonable $450 price tag to match. So, does that excellence lose its luster with more extensive use? Is your money better spent on any of the other umpteen tablets running ICS? Will the lack of a higher-quality display prove too much of a con for your exquisite tech tastes? Follow on as we probe the A510 for answers.
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.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 review
More Info ASUS outs lower-end Transformer Pad 300 tablet ASUS Transformer Pad 300 hands-on ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime review It doesn't feel like a year has passed since we reviewed the original ASUS Transformer and its innovative keyboard dock, but indeed time flies, and quite a bit has happened since then. The company has released the Prime, for starters, followed by two other high-end models. And now, the OG Transformer is going the way of the dodo, as the affordable new Transformer Pad 300 (aka the TF300) takes its place. Though this newest tablet was announced back in February, it's only just going on sale in the US this week, starting at $379 for the 16GB version, and $399 for one with 32GB of built-in storage. In addition to the fact that this replaces a truly memorable product, the TF300 is intriguing because it represents an even better deal for consumers: it borrows some design cues from the higher-end Prime, and also steps up to a similar 8-megapixel camera. Like the Prime, too, it runs an unskinned version of Android 4.0 and packs a quad-core Tegra 3 chip -- something you don't often see in a tablet this price. In short, the main differences between this and the Prime are battery life (10 hours versus 12), and the quality of the display (the 10-inch screen here offers 350 nits of brightness instead of 600). Those all sound like reasonable trade-offs and, frankly, they are. That's our abridged review, over and done with in just two paragraphs, but meet us past the break if you're craving a little more detail.
NVIDIA projects mobile SoC GPU performance to surpass Xbox 360 by 2014
Granted, we hope to see a new Xbox before 2014, but if NVIDIA has its way, mobile devices will have enough graphical prowess to surpass the current generation of gaming consoles by that time. The company brought the smackdown today with a chart that combines both historical and projected data, and while we don't recall NVIDIA exiting the desktop market in 2010, it reinforces the idea that smartphones and tablets of the future may stand as thoroughly enviable gaming devices -- provided that developers are willing to create enough visuals to make these things sing.
ASUS reportedly to release Transformer Pad 300 on April 22nd
The ASUS Transformer Pad 300 is getting closer to bringing its watered-down Prime flavor to store shelves, as PC World reports a spokesperson confirmed it will begin shipping April 22nd. What they could not confirm was the price, although there are preorders out there for $399 already. In case you've forgotten, the 300 brings the same Tegra 3 processor as the Prime, but matches it with a standard IPS display, optional LTE and only 16GB of built-in storage, as well as 10 hours of battery life. We'll let you know when we hear more, but for now feel free to pencil in a note on your Earth Day calendar entries.
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.
LG Optimus 4X HD holds its own against HTC One X in initial benchmarks
When we first laid our hands on LG's Optimus 4X at Mobile World Congress, we were left with mixed impressions, which was due in part to its pre-release software. While the phone tore through web pages and pinch-to-zoom actions with 1080p video, it struggled to keep pace with LG's own custom UI -- an unfortunate echo of our experience with the Optimus 2X. Now, LG's latest superphone has been put through the rigors of a few popular benchmark tests, which confirm there's plenty of quad-core, Tegra 3 potential inside this beast. While the Optimus 4X HD was easily surpassed by the One X in Quadrant tests, it actually bested HTC's premiere handset in the similar AnTuTu benchmark. Keep in mind, these aren't final scores, as we'll perform our own tests with a retail unit, but if you'd like to see how everything unfolded, just hop the break.
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.
NVIDIA CEO suggests $199 Tegra 3 tablets in the summer
Always talkative NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is in the news yet again, this time telling the New York Times that his company's Tegra 3 hardware is incorporating enough cost saving that it could be in $199 Android tablets by this summer -- beating his previous $299 promise. Beyond the tantalizing thought of value-priced tablets with the horsepower of the Transformer Prime (perfect for that rumored price subsidized, ASUS-built and Google-branded slate, right?) there's also a shout out Tegra-powered Windows 8 slates and Sony's unannounced VAIO Chromebook that popped through the FCC. The NYT suggests its T25 chip could stand for Tegra 2.5 with a debut planned for Google I/O in June -- we'll find out then if this is misguided line drawing or a very educated guess.
