Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
A number of retailers have leaked the release date of the Google Nexus 7 in France. The leaked date reveals that the device will be released on September 3.
Only the 16GB model is going on sale at first which will then be followed by the 8GB model at a later date. Various stores will have the tablet available which includes Fnac, Darty and Boulanger.
Pricing is still a bit of an unknown for the new Windows 8 based tablets. Some suggestions have hinted that Microsoft will launch their own RT version of the Microsoft Surface at a low $199.99 in an attempt to gain market share. This of course will put a strain on the other hardware developers who will have no chance at competing with that kind of pricing. But, Lenovo are hinting at a potential $300 – $500 price range for the RT versions.
The pricing information come in an interview held by Bloomberg where Lenovo hinted that the price for the Pro version would be somewhere in the $600 – $700 price range with the RT versions coming in $200 – $300 less than that.
Although one online store began listing the Windows RT surface at around $1000 for the 32GB model, we now hear that Microsoft [MSFT] will actually be aiming for something far more competitive. The latest is that MS is now wanting to price the RT at around $200 for the base model.
Out of all the rumours I’ve heard about the new iPhone and an iPad mini launching in the next few months, this particular is quite bold. The claim is that Apple will be changing its whole product line to a new and smaller dock connector. That part we have heard before, but the new rumours say that it will all happen at the same time this fall.
The Nexus 7 has received some excellent reviews. One company, SonicElectronix, has now mounted a Nexus 7 in the dash of a Dodge Ram. We’ve seen the iPad mounted before in a car, but the 7 inch screen on the Nexus 7 seems to work so much better for in-car use.
Google has released an update for its Gmail app on the iPhone and iPod touch. The new version of the app brings smoother animations as well as smoother scrolling. As well as it running better, Google also now allows image attachments to be saved to your photo library.
One of the problems with modern tablets, which means the iPad and Android variants, is that you are stuck with a single account. If anyone uses your tablet they just load it up to your settings and your personal information. It appears that Google wants to change this by allowing multiple user accounts on the same device.
Microsoft has confirmed that the Microsoft Surface is launching on October 26. This is the same day as the Windows 8 launch:
“The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices,”
Although Microsoft has mentioned before that Surface would launch at the same time as Windows 8, there was no official confirmation in writing as the last report just indicated Windows 8 for that specific date.
Pictures of a 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook have been leaked. The new tablet has been rumoured for a few months now although no official details are known about the device. It looks like a larger version of the regular 7 inch PlayBook although the aspect ratio of the screen looks to be a little different, perhaps 3:2 instead of 10:6.
The next iPhone is getting closer, perhaps closer than originally expected as we hear that there will be an event planned for September 12 with a launch of September 21 for the device. Although some are referring to it as the iPhone 5, it will likely be called just iPhone or the new iPhone to move away from numbers. It will actually be the 6th generation phone.
We doubt that these prices are real, but a Swedish retailer has begun displaying the Microsoft Surface prices on its website. The company begin with the entry model at a hefty £648 (about $1000 USD) at the current exchange rate with prices going up to just over £1200 for the most expensive model.
Microsoft [MSFT] is unlikely to have revealed prices to retailers just yet and we’ve also heard that it is only selling through its own official channels, so the prices are probably just “best guess” albeit quite a bad guess hopefully.
Apple has hit another impressive milestone recently. The company has announced that there are now a massive 650,000 apps in the app store. What makes the announcement even more impressive is that $5.5 billion USD has been paid out to developers since the app store first opened.
