Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
The iPad has been very successful for Apple [AAPL] with 3,000,000 selling in the first 80 days of launch. This high number of sales has effected netbook sales.
Thanks to Apple, ASUS is having to lower it’s 3rd quarter 2010 shipments to 1.4 from 1.5 million the previous quarter. The 2nd quarter was also down from the 1st quarter which was 1.6 million. Normally, shipments would be starting to rise in time for Christmas, so it will be interesting to see what happens there. [Read more…]
Samsung look set to launch a Samsung Galaxy S PMP. The new device will be called the YP-MB2 and will be similar in how the iPhone and iPod touch are different in that it will be a Galaxy S without the cell phone functions inside.
As well as lacking cellular connectivity, the YP-MB2 also has a lower resolution camera at 3 megapixels. What it will have is an Android based OS and a 1GHz CPU. The screen will still be 4 inches and be Super AMOLED. For connectivity it will have Wireless and Bluetooth. [Read more…]
Rumours about Apple [AAPL] releasing a smaller iPad have been around before. Today they have resurfaced with details indicating that a 7 inch iPad could land around Christmas time this year.
Although this is a new iPad (if it arrives), we wouldn’t label it an iPad 2 in a way that our understanding of it shows that it’s just a smaller version of the current iPad that is available right now.
The information comes from Digitimes who is correct in some cases but also not correct in other cases. However, they are reporting that a 7 inch iPad from Apple is almost ready to be assembled over in Taiwan. [Read more…]
The Nook software for the iPad, iPhone and PC has been updated and enhanced. New features include a book rating feature on the iPad and Retina display optimised version for the iPhone 4.
The iPhone and iPod touch Nook app is new to the Apple [AAPL] devices and prior to this release, it was only available on the iPad. The iPhone version is a simple version that allows users to get on with reading without distraction. Colours can be optimised for day or night reading. A one-tap preview is also available allowing users to quickly see a theme before changing it. [Read more…]
Microsoft [MSFT] is launched Windows Phone 7 in the next few months. Along with the new OS, Xbox Live is also bundled in to the OS bringing the avatars in to the palm of your hand.
“We believe that no matter where life takes you, the best in gaming and entertainment should follow,” said Marc Whitten, corporate vice president of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 takes a different approach to handheld gaming, utilizing Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Game Studios, leading game publishers, and innovative indie developers, to create powerful, shared experiences for everyone.”
Microsoft [MSFT] has announced that the release date for the Kinect will be November 10 here in the UK.
With Xbox arriving on Windows Phone 7 and Kinect going up against not only the dominant Wii, but also Sony’s forthcoming Move in the family gaming market, it’s going to be a critical time for Microsoft’s gaming division.
Price wise, the Kinect has been tagged at £129.99. [Read more…]
Official details of the HTC Desire HD have not been made available yet. There is a small possibility that the phone will be revealed on September 15 at an event being held by HTC. This didn’t stop Amazon in the UK posting details about the smartphone (briefly) yesterday. The page is now pulled but it provided a few details about the HTC Desire HD along with a confirmation that it is coming.
Amazon in the UK priced it at £415 which will be off contract and not subsidised. The product was listed with the following title… “HTC 99HLZ001-00 ACE/Desire HD” with the ACE part being heard of before. [Read more…]
Qualcomm towards the end of this year will start shipping dual-core chips for smartphones. The new chip runs at 1.5GHz and is a dual core device numbered QSD8672.
As well as working in smartphones, the new 1.5GHz chip is expected to also arrive in tablets and low-cost laptops.
Release dates are mentioned as being next year although it is expected that manufactures of smartphones (if aggressive enough) might be able to get them shipping by the fourth quarter of this year. [Read more…]
We already know that Apple [AAPL] will be working on an iPad 2 as well as a CDMA iPhone. We have seen details before showing this and mixed with a bit of logic, it’s kind of obvious that they would be testing it.
However, we still like to see when more evidence is uncovered. The latest evidence confirms that new Apple devices are being tested out. The first bit of code looks to be related to a CDMA iPhone which is more than likely a Verizon iPhone. The next bit of code is related to an iPad 2.
The reasons for believing this is that the code found has a way for the devices to bypass the iTunes activation sequence. This is a common thing to happen when Apple tests out new phones and devices such as the Verizon [VZ] iPhone and iPad 2. [Read more…]
BGR has posted some interesting screen captures from Verizon Wireless systems [VZ] that show a few new devices are incoming.
The first smartphone mentioned is the Motorola DROID Pro that has a 4 inch display along with a fast 1.3GHz CPU. This device has the A957 model number and is apparently launching in November of this year.
The Motorola DROID 2 World Edition is also mentioned which will have a global roaming feature. This device is numbered A956 and will be available in either black or white. [Read more…]
Nokia has opened up pre-orders for the Nokia N8 for those in the US. The cost of the smartphone is $549 and it doesn’t have free shipping for some reason.
The N8 has a release date of the end of September 2010 listed which puts it a month or so behind the current UK launch although we have heard rumours that the UK has also moved a little closer to October although that isn’t confirmed yet.
The N8 is available to pre-order over at the Nokia site available here. [Read more…]
With the recent opening of the Amazon Kindle UK store, the Kindle Digital Text Platform has now also arrived in the UK.
“Publishers and authors can now take advantage of the Kindle Digital Text Platform and make their books available to the millions of customers that visit Amazon.co.uk,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon Vice President, European Retail. “Sales of Kindle books in the US continue to rise and we are now selling more Kindle books than hardcovers. We expect to see a similar pattern in the UK with publishers and authors benefitting from greatly increased sales as a result of adding their titles to the new Kindle Store via the Kindle Digital Text Platform.”
