September 29, 2012

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update now available for the Acer Iconia Tab A700

Acer's Iconia Tab A700, the tablet that runs on Andriod 4.0 ICS out of the box the time it was for sale, has now started receiving its 4.1 Jelly Bean update. According to PocketNow, the update is rolling out globally and should be administered OTA. The update, like any other update, should make your Iconia Tab A700 experience a lot smoother and a lot faster. So for those who bought one, check your tablets now if you already have the update ready for installation.

USA: AT&T's Motorola Atrix 2 gets Android 4.0 ICS

AT&T's Motorola Atrix 2 have started receiving the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update it deserves. The update might be over due but over late is better than never. So, for those who own a Motorola Atrix 2, the update is administered OTA. You can check it manually by tapping through Settings > About Phone > System Updates. Cheers!

Sony Mobile rolls out Android 4.0 ICS update to Xperia Go, Xperia U, and Xperia Sola


Sony announced that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates for the Xperia Go, Xperia U, and the Xperia Sola has started rolling out. According to their announcement, the rollout will continue globally over the next few weeks. This is good news for all of you who owns these devices. The update is not administered via OTA but you need a PC or a Mac for you to get the update. You can go to the Sony Mobile Software update page to get instructions on how to do it. Cheers!

IND: Samsung Galaxy Note II launched in India for Rs. 39,900


Indians should be excited about this because the Samsung Galaxy Note II was already launched in the country with an SRP of Rs. 39,900. You should be able to see the Galaxy Note II in stores throughout India. There is no word yet about which carrier will be offering the device tied up with a 2-year commitment (so that everything will be much more affordable). From this day until that day comes, it seems the Galaxy Note II will just be available unlocked. 

Samsung USA to officially launch the Galaxy Note II on October 24


Samsung USA has announced that on October 24 in New York City, the Korean-based phone maker will be announcing The Next Big Thing. Although they have already unveiled the Galaxy Note II to the world back at MWC 2012, this will be special because Samsung will officially unveil the device in a market where devices like smartphones and tablets are a hit. So, for those who are in the US, October 24 is the date you want to mark on your calendars. I will be blogging about it. Cheers!

September 27, 2012

Google releases Google Chrome 22


And Google Chrome 22 is now available for download! Well, UI-wise, nothing much has changed except for the Settings button which is now a button with three bars from being a wrench. Google Chrome 22.0.1229.79 brings in tons of security fixes and support for a more natural gaming experience (for those who like 3D gaming). Anyway, for those who set their Chromes up to automatically update, then you should probably noticed the new settings button. For those who did not set it to automatically update, you can download Chrome 22 from the official download page. Alternatively, you can get the update from the browser itself, by clicking through Settings> About Google Chrome.

UK: Sony Xperia T available in the UK


Sony Mobile's newest flagship Android smartphone is already available in the British market since back then (I'm sorry about this very late post). Anyway, CarPhone Warehouse will be your bestfriend if you were waiting for this pretty smartphone. The retailer is offering the device for free if you get it tied with a carrier starting at £26 either from O2, Vodafone, or from Orange. O2 UK is offering that Bond Phone (an Xperia T with James Bond stuff in it) if you are interested, you can head directly to O2. If you want to check out the Xperia T's specs head over here.


Pantech Vega R3 takes the Galaxy Note II for a fight


Pantech has announced a Galaxy Note II challenger by the name of the Pantech Vega R3. The Vega R3, succeeds over the Vega S5 which is a 5.3" smartphone and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Yonhap News reports. The phablet will be available in South Korea soon via all the major carriers in the country. No word yet about the device's global launching though. Pantech says that the Vega R3 is the best quad-core device ever. 

September 25, 2012

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update starts rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S III


Samsung has officially started rolling out the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to the Galaxy S III starting in Poland. That is according to the Sammobile. The update is said to be administered either wired to your computer via Samsung Kies or OTA. For those who owns a Samsung Galaxy S III, there is no harm really to manually check your device if the update is ready for you. Your comments, if you got the update, would be appreciated! 

ZTE announced the ZTE Blade III 4G LTE smartphone


The Chinese phone-maker, the world's 4th largest, have announced the successor of the ZTE Blade II, named, unsurprisingly, the Blade III. The smartphone runs on, of course, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and sports a 4" WVGA display. According to ZTE's presser, the Blade III will be launched in Sweden and in Finland by Septmeber. Unfortunately, the company did not disclose any exact dates when that will happen. For those who are in either Finland and in Sweden, you might want to check local retail stores if some of them have already put the Blade III for pre-order.

September 21, 2012

HTC's latest Windows Phone flagship smartphone the HTC 8X


Then the HTC 8X is here. This is apparently, HTC's new Windows Phone flagship device. It packs a bit more punch than that of the HTC 8S and sports a larger screen, 4.3" of it. It also sports a more powerful processor compared to the 8S. But anyway, like the 8S this device was announced without any dates when it will actually be available in any market. You might want to check out local carriers if they have announced about the devices. Personally, I like the 8S' design more than the 8X but both carry the same aesthetics and this is a great design too. For pricing, no word yet too. For specs, head after the break.

HTC officially unveils the HTC 8S Windows Phone 8 smartphone


There are two Windows Phone 8 devices that HTC announced and this is one of them, the HTC 8S. Appropriately named with the number 8, the device is not the flagship Windows Phone from HTC. But the HTC 8S is not far away from it's ruling brother. In all fairness to HTC, this Windows Phone really packs a punch in terms of design over Samsung's and Nokia's (Lumia 820, 920) offering. As for availability and pricing, seems like HTC did not say anything about that but October is a good month or time to expect the launching of this device. 

September 20, 2012

iOS 6 now available for download!


iOS 6 was available for download since earlier, I believe. The next iteration of the world's smartest mobile platform is available to the iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, and of course the iPhone 5. It is also compatible with the iPod Touch 4th Gen and 5th Gen, and the iPad 2 and the New iPad. The update is available over-the-air so you might want to check your iDevices if the software is available. iOS 6 contains tons of features which includes Facebook integration, an improved Siri, Maps, and Passbook. For more information about iOS 6 head over here. Cheers!

September 19, 2012

The Motorola RAZR i with Intel's 2GHz Atom Medfield processor

Motorola's first Intel Medfield powered smartphone, is the Motorola RAZR i, which is the Motorola RAZR M just with a different processor. Anyway, Motorola cannot call it the world's first because ZTE has beat them to the punch with their announcement of the ZTE Grand X IN (IN stands for Intel and Motorola's i, apparently means the same). Regardless of who made it first, the RAZR i and the RAZR M is a brilliantly designed smartphone carrying the aesthetics of the original RAZR Android smartphone. The device will be available in October in select European markets and in Latin America. These markets include the UK, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Pricing should vary in different markets so Motorola did not announce how much the device would cost. You will have to wait when it gets announced locally.

September 17, 2012

USA: Sprint sells the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE for $99.99


Sprint has announced the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE smartphone back then and was available to customers yesterday (September 16). Priced at $99.99 with a 2-year contract with Sprint, the smartphone, running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is a decent 4G LTE device. Sporting a 4" display the device should be perfect for the daily stuff you do, not to mention that it will be connected with Sprint's fast 4G network.

September 14, 2012

The Apple iPhone 5


And the crown and jewel of Apple, the iPhone 5. To start things of, it is not exactly an entirely new design but rather it's kind of like a work around of an already brilliant iPhone 4/4S. It sports a 4" Retina display, yeah a bit larger than what it precedes but not that much but take note, the resolution and the quality of the Retina screen is the same, how? They did not really make the screen bigger, technically, they just stretched it (you will notice later that the resolution is a bit different from the the iPhone 4 and 4S). The device will also be running on iOS 6 with an upgraded Siri (which can now post on your Facebook wall) and will come with the new EarPods too. According to Phil Schiller, the iPhone 5 is the world's thinnest smartphone, which comes to a 7.6mm thickness. The iPhone 5 will be available starting September 21 in the US (via AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and in Apple Retail stores), UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. Customers can pre-order the device starting September 14th and is priced (in the US) at $199 for the 16GB, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for the 64GB variants. The iPhone 5 will come in either white or black slate. And I forgot to mention, this is Apple's first 4G LTE iPhone.

September 13, 2012

The Apple iPod Touch 5th Gen


And the world's most popular music player, the iPod Touch in its 5th generation livery! Like the iPod Nano, the new iPod Touch gets these new colors for you to choose from. The 5th gen iPod Touch will be sold in pink, yellow, blue, white & silver, black & slate starting September 14th via the online Apple Store. For pricing, the 32GB is priced at $299 and the 64GB at $399. iOS 6 will be running in the device out from the box and yes! Siri is in the iPod Touch! The device will be sporting Apple's A5 chip though would love it to have the new A6 chip but the A5 should work well with the music player.

Apple announced the new iPod Nano


Yesterday, the world waited, watched and wow-ed at the new products that Apple has unveiled to the world. One of those products is the new iPod Nano. Nope, it ain't iOS but Apple has done a great job in giving the Nano a revamping. The thinnest iPod ever sports a 2.5" touchscreen display and comes with Apple's new EarPods.

Google Chrome for Android updated to 18.0.1025308


Chrome for Android has been updated to be more safe. Google Chrome for Android 18.0.1025308 is now available over at Google Play for download. According to Google, this update is here to make the browser's sandboxing technology a bit more rigid, "which helps ensure malicious mobile websites are contained and do not impact the entire browser. This is made possible by the innovative multi-process architecture in Chrome for Android, in conjunction with Android’s User ID (UID) isolation technology. This more in-depth sandboxing capability will be automatically used for devices with Android 4.1, Jellybean." And of course, just like any other updates, this version will also bring in bug fixes here and there with that comes a more stable browser and a better performing browser you can use on your Android device.

September 12, 2012

USA: AT&T announced the LG Escape 4G LTE for $49.99


AT&T announced a rebranded LG Optimus G for the US market via AT&T, the LG Escape 4G LTE. By September 16, AT&T should be launching the device and is offered for $49.99 with a 2-year contract. The specs of the Escape 4G LTE is almost the same with the LG Optimus G. AT&T has disclosed the device's internal storage capacity which is at 4GB and will only sport a 5MP camera sporting that LG Innotek sensor. The Escape 4G is also a smaller device. Head over the break to check out the device's specs.

September 8, 2012

USA & UK: Sony's Xperia Table S now available


Well, that was quick! Sony Mobile Communication in the USA and in the UK has made the Sony Xperia Tablet S available! The US Sony online store puts up 3 versions of the Xperia Tablet S, which was announced during IFA 2012, there's a 16GB, 32GB, and a 64GB version of the tablet. As for pricing the 16GB is priced at $399.99, the 32GB at $499.99, the 64GB at $599.99.

USA: Verizon launched the LG Optimus Intuition (Optimus Vu) phablet for $199.99


Verizon has launched the LG Optimus Vu, or called by the carrier as the LG Intuition, last September 6th for $199.99. The smartphone/tablet, which competes with the Galaxy Note, sports a 5" display, runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front, 32GB of internal storage, and all the other stuff you find in an Android device. For those who are waiting for this device, you can head over to Verizon's online store and buy yourself one!

The Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD


And last but not the least, the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD. Another 4G LTE smartphone running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Like the Droid RAZR HD, this smartphone will also be coming to Verizon and like it, the device will also be coming before the Holidays but no price was released, yet. Since this device holds the MAXX name, expect a big battery inside it allowing you to be able to use the device for a longer period of time.

The Motorola Droid RAZR HD


Another 4G LTE smartphone running on Android 4.0 ICS, the Motorola Droid RAZR HD, apparently heading for Verizon, is the second smartphone that Motorola announced. From this device and not even looking at how the third and probably their latest flagship Android smartphone, I can already say that Motorola is staying with the beautiful design of the Motorola RAZR. Well, these devices holds the name "RAZR" so no need to redesign it, just make it even more prettier. This device is scheduled to be launched before the Holidays. No pricing was released.

The Motorola RAZR M & Droid RAZR M

Motorola RAZR M Global

Motorola has announced three new Android powered smartphones and one of them is this, the Motorola RAZR M (or called in the US as the Droid RAZR M). Both are 4G LTE devices and both run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Motorola's, undoubtedly, pretty new MotoBlur UI. In the US, the Droid RAZR M is avaialable for pre-order and you can do that by heading over here for $99.99. The device will then be available via Verizon starting September 13th. For the rest of the world, since this has a global version, which I am made to believe, Motorola will launch internationally, has no word when it will be available. For now, it's only in the US.

September 6, 2012

The Nokia Lumia 920


And then there's the Nokia Lumia 920. This is the second, and I should say Nokia's new Windows Phone flagship device. You can check out the Lumia 820 here. Anyway, I am a bit disappointed about this smartphone. A bit, that's kind of like a pinch. Because as I saw leaks and photos of the, then, alleged next Nokia flagship Windows Phone device, I said, please don't let this hold water but it did, apparently. I don't know, probably because the design is everywhere in Nokia's portfolio, from the original Nokia N9 that runs on MeeGo, the Nokia Lumia 800, and the Lumia 900. But who does not love that design? I love it, but I was not expecting it to reappear running in Windows Phone 8. Anyway, like the Lumia 820, does not have any pricing yet and is expected to be available later this year. The device will be available in yellow, red, grey, white, and black.

The Nokia Lumia 820


And Nokia finally announces their Windows Phone 8 smartphones to the world. First, we have the Nokia Lumia 820. Personally, this is my favorite between the two, probably because the design is something new and it's my type, you know those boxy kind of smartphones. The Lumia 820 is the smaller of the two new Windows Phone devices from Nokia but that does not mean that this is the lesser spec-ed device. Both use the same processor but might have differences here and there, like the camera or/and in the internal storage capacity. Anyway, as for the availability of the 820, it will be available in red, yellow, cyan, purple, white, and of course black. It also has LTE connectivity which means it should be able to get 4G speeds with this phone provided that your carrier offers 4G LTE connectivity. When will this be launched? Well, Nokia just said that it will be available "later this year" in select markets. No word on pricing yet.

September 1, 2012

The Huawei Ascend G600

Aside from announcing the Huawei Ascend G330, the Chinese phone maker also unveiled the Grand Ascend G600 which, I believe, is their latest Android flagship smartphone. It runs, as on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and sports a large 4.5" display. According to Huawei's presser, the device will be available in black o white and will be launched in selected markets by September. No word on pricing though.

IFA 2012: Dell announces the Dell XPS Duo 10 and Duo 12 Windows 8 tablets


Dell, at IFA 2012, unveiled two Windows 8 tablets by the name of the Dell XPS Duo 10 and the XPS Duo 12. The difference? The Duo 10 is a tablet with a keyboard dock while the Duo 12 is also a tablet but with a built in keyboard dock and has this very unique swiveling action to turn it from a tablet into a full-pledge netbook or laptop, whatever you want to call it. That swiveling Duo 12 is not really new, Dell also announced back in 2010 the Dell Inspiron Duo, that I believe never made it to the market. It was suppose to run on Windows 7. Now, since Microsoft has Windows 8, a platform perfect for either a Laptop, Desktop, and a Tablet, Dell now has the XPS Duo. 

IFA 2012: ZTE announces world's first Intel Medfield smartphone with the ZTE Grand X IN


ZTE beats Motorola to the finish line by announcing to the world the first Intel Atom (Medfield) based smartphone. Dubbed by the Chinese company as the ZTE Grand X IN, this Android running smarrphone is being powered by the Intel Atom Z2460 processor. This also marks Intel's entrance into the mobile world by finally supplying and competing in smartphones to some top guns with the likes of Qualcomm, nVidia, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. ZTE will be launching the device in Europe first by September. Other markets should follow after that. No price was announced. 


IFA 2012: The Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite


Huawei actually is at IFA 2012 unveiling a lot of new Android devices, 6 in total, but it seems not everybody in the tech world is covering them. Anyway, this is not new, the Huawei MediaPag 7 Lite, because Huawei first unveiled this device back in July but this is the only time that the company has disclosed the device's specs. By the end of August, Huawei will be shipping the device to South Africa, China, Russia, Philippines, and Taiwan. By September in Indonesia and Malaysia. As for pricing, no word though. 


IFA 2012: Huawei Acend G330

Photo Credit: Endgadget

The Chinese phone maker is also in IFA 2012 at Berlin, Germany to unveil some of the devices they have for markets all around the world. First, we have the Huawei Ascend G330. The device is scheduled to be available in Germany by November of 2012 with an SRP of €199 (unlocked). As for specs, the Ascend G330 runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 4" WVGA (480x800) display, a 5MP rear camera, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. The device is packed with a 1500 mAh battery to keep things powered. Head after the break to check out Huawei's presser.