After announcing the new Padfone Infinity, Asus had one more trick up their sleeves before calling it a day at Mobile World Congress. They unveiled the Fonepad (yes, that’s like the opposite of Padfone), a 7″ tablet with full voice and data capabilities. There are no docking tricks here, this is strictly a tablet, but one that can make calls and crush data on the go over HSPA+ networks.

Inside, you’ll find a Intel Atom Z2420 processor, Android 4.1, a 1280×800 HD display, HSPA+ radios, 8/16GB storage options, microSD cart slot, 1.2MP front camera, and a 3MP rear camera. Asus also tossed in some exclusive apps Floating App, SuperNote lite, and WebStorage Office Online.

The tablet is ultimately being sold as a device for viewing and consuming content on a larger screen, but that still has the ability to do the basics, like make phone calls.

Availability starts in March. The 8GB model will run €219. 

ASUS Announces 7-inch Fonepad with 3G Mobile Data and Voice-Calling

Built-in 3G for fast mobile data and full telephony support give two-in-one
flexibility at a competitive price

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain (25th February, 2013) — ASUS today announced Fonepad™, a competitively priced handheld with 3G voice and mobile data for all the features of a smartphone, with the versatility of a 7-inch tablet. Powered by a new Intel® Atom™ Z2420 processor with Android 4.1, Fonepad™ features a vibrant HD display with IPS technology for wide viewing angles and outstanding clarity.

“It is ideal to have a larger screen with entertainment, social media and other online activities now playing an increasingly important part in our mobile lifestyles,” said Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman. “The incorporation of 3G mobile data with full telephony support, makes the Fonepad™ the perfect combination of a tablet and phone in one single device.”

“Extending our long history of collaboration, including most recently on the Ultrabook™ and Intel-based tablets, we are very excited to be partnering with ASUS again,” said Hermann Eul, Intel® vice president and co-general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group. “Intel’s new Atom™ Z2420 processor delivers the power, performance and flexibility required to accommodate a range of devices and market needs. We think the ASUS Fonepad™ is a very innovative device in an emerging category of 3G tablets with telephony features.”

Beautiful metallic design with Intel® Atom™ performance

ASUS Fonepad™ is perfect for people who value both the voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet, but prefer the convenience of carrying just one device. Fonepad™ is a sleek and compact tablet with a metallic design that can be held comfortably in one hand, thanks to its light 340g weight and slim 10.4mm profile. Powered by the latest Intel® Atom™ Z2420 processor with full Android compatibility, Fonepad™ features perfect balance of performance and energy efficiency, with hardware-accelerated 1080p Full HD video decoding and up to nine hours of battery life.

The 7-inch screen features 10-point multi-touch, and a crisp 1280 x 800 HD resolution for crisp, readable web page text and incredibly detailed photos. IPS technology ensures vibrant color with 178-degree wide viewing angles, and images that are clear and bright, even outdoors.

Built-in 3G for mobile data and voice calls

Built-in 3G with HSPA+ mobile data means ASUS Fonepad™ is an always-connected mobile device for seamless web browsing, fast downloads from Google Play Store, and smooth streaming of audio and video. Thanks full 3G telephony support, Fonepad™ can also be used for voice calls using the built-in noise-cancelling digital microphone or a Bluetooth headset — and with just one mobile data plan to pay for, running costs are much lower than a separate smartphone and 3G tablet.

Fonepad™ is available with 8GB or 16GB of storage, and also has an SD card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage. All models feature a front 1.2-megapixel for easy video chat and an optional rear 3-megapixel autofocus camera with 720p HD video recording. ASUS SonicMaster audio technology with MaxxAudio 3 processing by Waves ensures clear, well-rounded sound quality.

Exclusive ASUS apps and accessories for greater productivity

ASUS Fonepad™ comes with a number of exclusive ASUS productivity apps: Floating App for easy management of running apps and simpler multi-tasking; SuperNote lite for handwritten notes and drawing; and WebStorage Office Online for Microsoft Office-compatible document editing on the move. Fonepad™ users also get 5GB of free lifetime ASUS WebStorage for syncing and sharing data with other devices.

Two new optional accessories are also available for Fonepad. Available in four snazzy colors, VersaSleeve 7 is a wraparound cover with a folding design that both protects Fonepad™, and props up the screen in two different positions for typing and watching video. Turn Case is a lightweight hardshell case for Fonepad™ that features with a soft interior that keeps keep the screen clean and a built-in stand that puts the screen at the perfect angle for watching video.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS Fonepad™ and accessories will be available from March 2013. Prices start from €219 (MSRP) for the 8GB Fonepad™ with rear three-megapixel camera. VersaSleeve has an MSRP of €19.99 and Turn Case an MSRP of €39.99. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information. Exact pricing and specifications will vary by market. Please confirm full pricing and availability with your local ASUS representative.

WHERE TO FIND ASUS AT MWC

Location: ASUS MWC Product Showroom
ASUS Business Suite, Hall 2, 2C70,
Fira Gran Via
Av. Joan Carles I, 64 08908
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat,
Barcelona, Spain

Opening hours: 25th February, 3pm to 7pm
26th to 27th February, 7.30am to 7pm
28th February, 7.30am to 4pm

###

About ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2011 was approximately US$11.9 billion.

Asus Announces the Fonepad, a 7-inch Tablet With an Intel Atom Processor and Voice Calling is a post from: Droid Life

Asus is at it again with their phone-inside-of-a-tablet line of products called the Padfone. Announced this morning at Mobile World Congress, we have the brand new Padfone Infinity, a phone with a 5″ 1080p display, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 64GB storage, 13MP camera, LTE, and Android 4.2. But most importantly, it also docks into a tablet shell, just like its brothers and sisters did, to turn your phone into a 10.1″ tablet as an all-in-one type of device. 

The device, to me, doesn’t seem a lot different than the Padfone 2 other than its 1080p display and upgraded processor. It still rocks LTE, docks gently into a shell, and likely will never come near a U.S. carrier.

The Padfone Infinity will go one sale in Taiwan in April, along with some other select countries in Q2. The U.S. is not mentioned at all, and that shouldn’t surprise you. Neither of the previous Padfone devices made their way to our shores, because carriers here like to charge you to connect tablets to their network. They also sure as hell don’t want you to tether for free (which is sort of what docking the device does) to a tablet and gobbling up data.

It’s too bad really, because the concept of the Padfone is brilliant.

ASUS Announces Next-Generation PadFone™ Infinity

LTE smartphone with 5-inch Full HD display combines with a 10.1-inch tablet dock for seamless mobile flexibility

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain (25th February, 2013) —ASUS today announced PadFone™ Infinity, a powerful LTE smartphone with a sleek metallic design and a 5-inch Full HD display that becomes a 10.1-inch tablet when docked to its companion PadFone™ Infinity Station. PadFone™ Infinity features Android 4.2 and groundbreaking mobile performance, thanks to its next-generation Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 quad-core processor and up to 19 hours of 3G talk time.

“PadFone™ Infinity is the latest evolution of our PadFone™ line,” said Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman. “It combines incredible design with an uncompromised user experience derived from our Design Thinking philosophy.”

Premium design with premium performance

With slender unibody design crafted from aerospace-grade aluminum, ASUS PadFone™ Infinity is beautiful and durable. 64GB of storage complements the class-leading Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 1.7GHz quad-core processor for a smooth and responsive premium Android experience, while 100Mbit/s LTE and 42Mbit/s DC-HSPA+ ensure super-fast web browsing and downloads.

ASUS PadFone™ Infinity features a high-performance 13-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 five-element lens that captures incredibly detailed images with no shutter lag. A dedicated image signal-processor enhances low-light image quality and enables PadFone™ Infinity to capture up to 100 sequential photos at 8 frames-per-second, while simultaneously recording 1080p Full HD video. PadFone™ Infinity can also output 1080p Full HD video via its Micro-USB-compatible MyDP interface.

Share apps and mobile data instantly

The unique two-in-one nature of ASUS PadFone™ removes the tedious need to synchronize data between smartphone and tablet. Data and settings on PadFone™ Infinity are available instantly on PadFone™ Infinity Station upon docking, and running apps are smoothly reformatted to fit the larger display. Mobile data bills are also reduced, since a single data plan can be shared between both devices.

PadFone™ Infinity comes with new and exclusive ASUS apps, including SuperNote 3.1 for note taking, Story for creating stunning photo albums and ASUS Echo for voice control of PadFone™ Infinity.

ASUS PadFone™ Infinity has up to 19 hours of 3G talk time, increased to up to 40 hours when docked into PadFone™ Infinity Station. PadFone™ Infinity Station also has sufficient battery capacity to fully recharge the docked PadFone™ Infinity up to three times.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS PadFone™ Infinity will be available in Taiwan from April and selected other countries from early Q2 2013. The combined price of PadFone Infinity 64GB and PadFone Infinity Station is €999 (MSRP). Exact pricing and specifications will vary by market. Please confirm full pricing and availability with your local ASUS representative.

WHERE TO FIND ASUS AT MWC

Location: ASUS MWC Product Showroom
ASUS Business Suite, Hall 2, 2C70,
Fira Gran Via
Av. Joan Carles I, 64 08908
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat,
Barcelona, Spain

Opening hours: 25th February, 3pm to 7pm
26th to 27th February, 7.30am to 7pm
28th February, 7.30am to 4pm

###

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2011 was approximately US$11.9 billion.

Asus Announces the Padfone Infinity With 5-inch 1080p Display, Snapdragon 600 Processor, LTE, and Docking Fun is a post from: Droid Life

Mobile World Congress 2013 has officially started with Samsung announcing the Galaxy Note 8.0, a device that is expected to “re-ignite the mid-size tablet category.” It sports a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 8″ (1280×800) display, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 4600mAh battery, HSPA+ radios, and runs Android 4.1.2. It also supports S Pen and all of the multi-tasking software that you have come and love to know on all of the Note products. An IR sensor rounds out the specs, taking advantage of Samsung’s TV remote capabilities.

As you can see from the pictures, Samsung kept to the design language of the Note 2 and Galaxy S3 by sticking with a physical home button, and soft touch back and menu buttons. In what may be the greatest feature of all, though, Samsung has finally allowed the S Pen to interact with the soft menu and back buttons. That’s right, you can now tap on the soft keys with the S Pen and make magic, something you cannot do on any other device including the Note 2.

The international version can technically make phone calls, so yes, you can hold an 8″ tablet up to your ear and look that silly if you so choose to. We don’t know if that functionality will carry over to the U.S. version.

Pricing and availability has not been announced for the U.S., but the device is expected to be available across the rest of the globe in Q2 of this year. 

Gallery

Specs

Press Release

INTRODUCING THE GALAXY NOTE 8.0,
A NEW ERA OF PORTABILITY AND EVERYDAY PRODUCTIVITY


SEOUL, Korea [February 24, 2011] – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the 8 inch tablet, the GALAXY Note 8.0; a new era of intelligent Note technology set to re-ignite the mid-size tablet category that Samsung established in 2010. Providing unrivalled multimedia performance within a compact one-hand-grip screen, the GALAXY Note 8.0 has the power and advanced technology to evolve the tablet experience and ensure you achieve new levels of efficient multi-tasking while benefitting from superb voice call functionality*. Furthermore, the intelligent S Pen brings together the latest innovation and the ease of using a traditional pen and paper; creating a sophisticated mobile experience that will enhance life on the go.

“Back in 2010 the launch of the first Samsung GALAXY Tab with 7 inch screen opened a new chapter in the mobile industry. Now almost three years later, Samsung continues to evolve the sector that meets the demands of modern life.” said JK Shin, President of the IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

“The GALAXY Note 8.0 breaths fresh life into the category as it delivers the perfect fusion of portability and everyday productivity – the result is a pioneering, pocket-sized solution that enhances and enriches our everyday lives, whether at work or play,” added Shin.

At the core of the GALAXY Note 8.0’s innovative solutions are beneficial functions, including multi-window options to split the portable 8inch screen and allow optimal access to a number of live applications; a new generation of Samsung’s intelligent S Pen with advanced usability; access to a suite of S Note templates and tools that allow you to create, edit, manage and share everyday documents; the Samsung “reading mode” technology to enjoy e books with optimized resolution, video and voice calls*. In addition, a suite of exciting new content and services are pre-loaded for users at no additional cost including, for the very first time on Samsung GALAXY tablet, the innovative Flipboard, and Awesome Note.

A smart diary for life on the go
Slim and compact enough to become the perfect on-the-go work and play companion, the GALAXY Note 8.0 brings powerful performance and functionality to support even the most demanding of lifestyles. Designed to store and manage your personal and professional data efficiently, the new era device gives users the perfect pocket-sized hands-on organizational tool. Practical S Note templates and S Planner feature help to manage everyday tasks, including meeting notes, to-do lists and even personal diary entries. All content can be entered and updated with the finest of detail thanks to the evolution of the intelligent Samsung S Pen. Enhanced precision is offered with Handwriting-to-Text conversion and advanced Productivity Tools that support formula and shape recognition are now available at the touch of your S Pen.

New content and services
GALAXY Note 8.0 is packed with pre-loaded content and apps specifically for the value maximizing, mass multimedia consumer. Upgraded Chat-On provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in multiple formats – images, video, voice, contacts – for simple, enjoyable communication. Awesome Note, an integrated application that is introduced in android tablet for the first time with NOTE 8.0, is capable of unlimited note-taking uses including Memo, Diary and Must-remember lists. With Flipboard, your news, social network and other feeds come together in one stylish, flippable format so you can enjoy all your news and life’s great moments in one place. Flipboard developed a customized version of its application exclusively for Samsung that allows users to take the S Pen’s hover feature and preview article headers beneath Flipboard’s main screen tiles. Finally, Smart Remote, gives you a universal remote control and electronic programming guide allowing you to manage TV and video watching seamlessly.

A new age of S Pen intelligence
Optimized to aid personalized creativity, the Samsung S Pen has evolved to increase everyday usability and enhance creation expression. Embedded within the tablet, the S Pen is an extension of the GALAXY Note 8.0. Removing the S Pen from the device will automatically launch innovative features such as Pen Detection that will suggest adapted menus that it thinks you’ll need and Page Buddy, a feature that will intuitively activate your most recently adapted S Note home screen.

S Pen technology is now so advanced that it doesn’t even have to touch the screen. With Air View, the S Pen needs only to hover over the screen to see previews of videos, emails, photos and appointments on SPlanner without opening the file or application in full. S Pen Gesture allows images and content to be easily edited and cropped, whilst Paper Artist and Photo Note allow photos to be artistically personalized.

In addition, for the very first time in GALAXY NOTE category, you can use S Pen to control the physical menu/back buttons on the device with WACOM technology.

Maximizing mass multimedia consumption
Creative multi-tasking with the GALAXY Note 8.0 is effortless due to innovative Dual View feature, two multi window options that seamlessly allow you to facilitate multi-screen usage. Dual View’s split screen accommodates optimal operation of different apps, such as launching the S Note on the web browser screen and allowing content to be resized, dragged and dropped as required.

Multi-tasking is extended to phone calls*. Pop Up Note allows you to access S Note at any time to keep track of key actions and Pop Up Video ensures you can keep surfing the web whilst chatting – content windows can be easily resized by pinching to enlarge or reduce.

Perfect info-tainment partner
Packed with features to engage, entertain and excite, the GALAXY Note 8.0 supports your practical everyday needs. Reading Mode transforms the GALAXY Note 8.0 into an e-Book reader, provides the optimal reading conditions to ensure you can curl up and enjoy a good book. You can even turn it into a universal remote control with Smart Remote, to seamlessly manage TVs, set-up boxes, DVD & Blu-ray players.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales exceeding KRW 201 trillion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung Announces the Galaxy Note 8.0 is a post from: Droid Life

LG finally fully unveiled the Optimus G Pro yesterday. The device will be on display at Mobile World Congress next week before it makes its way to the U.S. in Q2 of this year. The official specs, which we mostly knew, are now confirmed as a 5.5″ FHD (1080p) display (400ppi), 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage (expandable SD slot to 32GB), 13MP rear camera  2.1MP front camera, 3140mAh battery, is only 9.4mm thick, runs Android 4.1.2, and is powered by the brand new Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.7GHz.

Beyond specs, the Optimus G Pro will feature “advanced UX features” that were developed specifically for this device. Two of them are Dual Recording mode and Virtual Reality Panorama. Dual Recording allows users to capture video with both the front and rear cameras at the same time in a picture-in-picture experience. VR Panorama sounds a lot like Google’s Photo Sphere, in that you can pan horizontally and vertically to grab full 360-degree shots.

The device sounds incredibly impressive on paper, especially with the new Snapdragon processor and 1080p 5.5″ display. We don’t know pricing or carrier partners at this time. 

OPTIMUS G PRO, LG’S FIRST FULL HD SMARTPHONE, LAUNCHES THIS WEEK IN KOREA
LG’s 5.5-inch Full HD IPS Display Device to Make Appearance at MWC

SEOUL, Feb. 18, 2013 — Hot on the heels of the success of Optimus G, LG Electron-ics (LG) today introduced the newest addition to the G family to the Korean public. With the largest display yet to appear on an LG smartphone, the 4G LTE-equipped Optimus G Pro with 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display and new UX features was developed to meet the growing demand for smartphones with large screens.

The Full HD IPS display on the Optimus G Pro — developed in partnership with LG Display — delivers 1920 x 1080 pixels at 400ppi. The smartphone offers the largest battery capacity in its class at 3,140mAh, allowing for Full HD viewing enjoyment for hours on end. And with an improved 13MP rear and 2.1MP front camera, users can also capture images and videos in Full HD, the same quality found on high definition TVs.

The Optimus G Pro also comes with advanced UX features developed specifically for the device, such as Dual Recording and Virtual Reality (VR) Panorama. Dual Recording allows users to capture video with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously for a unique picture-in-picture experience. And VR Panorama allows shots of entire horizontal and vertical environments for a full 360o view. Creative and innovative UX features popular with Optimus G users have been added to the Optimus G Pro, such as an upgraded QSlide, Live Zooming and QuickMemo.

“The Optimus G Pro was developed specifically to deliver vivid and superb picture quality in a large display smartphone form factor,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We will continue to expand our position in the premium LTE smartphone segment with our superior display technology and unique user experience.”

Visitors to 2013 Mobile World Congress (MWC) can experience Optimus G Pro and its advanced UX features for themselves at LG’s Booth in Hall 3.

Optimus G Pro Key Specifications:
• Chipset: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm? Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
• RAM: 2GB DDR
• Memory: 32GB / microSD (up to 32GB)
• Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels / 400ppi)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with LED Flash / Front 2.1MP
• OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Battery: 3,140mAh (removable / wireless charging capable)
• Size: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm

# # #

LG Optimus G Pro Finally Fully Detailed – 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 Processor, 2GB RAM, and 1080p 5.5-inch Display is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, LG took to Facebook to tease their next mobile product in the most vague and generic of ways. In fact, all the teaser image said was “New series will be unveiled,” only they forgot to mention a where, when, or what. Well, they finished off the teaser today by posting up a new video to YouTube that confirms it will be a product unveiling at MWC later this month. 

In the teaser, we see a lot of screen splitting and slicing, though I’m not sure I’m willing to take that as a reference to a razer thin design or something along those lines. What we do know for sure is that “Breakthrough will be made at MWC 2013.” Wait, is that even a sentence? The device will also be premium, stylish, creative, speedy, powerful, and fresh, while making a world of difference.

Maybe it’s the 5.5″ Optimus G Pro that we saw pictured this morning.

Feel free to watch it and see if they have hidden some secret message deep within that we aren’t figuring out.

Click here to view the embedded video.

LG Teases MWC Unveiling With “Unlimited Possibilities” is a post from: Droid Life

Earlier today, reports flew in from overseas that Samsung’s head of mobile, JK Shin, has confirmed that his company plans to unveil the Galaxy Note 8.0 at this year’s MWC. Other than that information, specs are still rather speculation, but it is reported the tablet will feature a screen with a resolution of just 1280 x 800, be powered by a quad-core Exynos processor (definitely not the Octa), and will naturally come packed with Samsung’s proprietary software. 

If you are hoping for some powerful little tablet in the 8″ form factor, I wouldn’t hold your breath. This is more than likely a way for Samsung to directly compete against the iPad Mini, which only exists because of the Nexus 7. Ah, the world of competing companies in electronics.

Via: Engadget

Samsung’s Head of Mobile Confirms Galaxy Note 8 Unveiling For MWC is a post from: Droid Life

So, we didn’t get the new Optimus G2 at CES as had been rumored a number of times. But that may be because the device will actually be called the Optimus G Pro and may arrive a bit later at MWC for all to drool over. According to a leaked slide, the device above is that device, one that will sport a 5″ 1080p display (the standard these days), a beefed up 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, 32GB of internal storage, LTE, and a massive 3000mAh battery. The phone will be just 10mm thick, have a 13MP rear camera, and a 2.4MP front shooter. 

Sound enticing? It’s like LG’s version of the One X and One X+. We won’t complain, we just wish it would have arrived at CES so we could have put our slippery little grubbers all over it. We were big fans of the original Optimus G (our review), so we can’t imagine this won’t get us hot and tingly as well.

Assuming this comes anywhere near the U.S., would you be interested? (Also assuming it came to Verizon, which it may not.)

Via:  Engadget

Cheers Scott and Justin!

LG Optimus G Pro Outed – Sports 5-inch 1080p Display, 3000mAh Battery, and Upgraded Processor is a post from: Droid Life

Looks like we can “confirm” at least one device launch scheduled for this year’s MWC. This morning, SamMobile has confirmed specifications for an upcoming Galaxy Note 8.0 from Samsung, which is said to be ready for unveiling at next month’s event in Barcelona. 

According to the source, the device will come in two versions – one WiFi/3G model and one WiFi-only version. The Note 8.0 will feature an 8″ 1280×800 TFT Super Clear LCD display, a 5MP back-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, S-Pen, 2 GB RAM, 16GB and 32GB storage options, plus a Micro SD slot. The battery will be a beefy 4600 mAh pack, large enough to get you through a full day. To top it off, it will reportedly launch with Android 4.2. And for those curious, no exact processor was mentioned in the specs, so we are guessing it will be the standard Exynos 4 or 5 and not the new Exynos 5 Octa.

Basically, we can think of the Note 8.0 as Samsung’s answer to Apple’s iPad Mini. It will probably be priced in the $400 range and come packed with all of their Android software enhancements.

Interested?

Via: SamMobile

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Specs Reportedly Confirmed Ahead of MWC Unveiling is a post from: Droid Life

Let the games begin! Only three months after Samsung released the Galaxy S3 into our lives, we have the first Galaxy S4 rumor to mock. According to today’s rumor which is straight from company officials who wish to remain nameless, Samsung will unveil the next generation flagship Galaxy in February at Mobile World Congress. The device will have a 5″ display, LTE, and a quad-core processor. It will run Android, look similar to previous Galaxy devices with its rounded-corner rectangular shape, and compete directly with Apple. 

Really? Anyone that has casually spent the last year or so in tech could have come up with this rumor and not even had to peg “company officials” on the end. The Galaxy S2 was launched at MWC and contained a slightly bigger screen than its predecessor. The Galaxy S3 was supposed to be announced at MWC, but Samsung wanted to wait to announce it until the phone was actually ready to ship. It also had a slightly bigger screen over its predecessor along with LTE and a quad-core chip. So now the S4 is going to follow the same path, get out of town!

First, all of this is about as obvious as you can get. Sure, it will likely sport an Exynos chip, LTE, and a similar design. Will the screen see a bump in size? Maybe, but maybe not. Samsung has a Note line of phones for the 5″+ market. Will we see it at MWC in February? I sort of doubt it. Samsung seems to have settled into the late Spring-early Summer release time frame. They’ll certainly have a presence at MWC, but that would only be 9 months into the life of the current Galaxy S3 and only a short couple of months after the Note 2 – it just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

So you’ll see this rumor everywhere today, but let’s try not to get too excited about it. A bunch of obvious info targeted at an even more obvious date.

Via:  Korea Times

Samsung Will Reportedly Unveil the New Galaxy S4 in February, You Don’t Say! is a post from: Droid Life

The Android booth at Mobile World Congress 2012 is now open to attendees. If you are in Barcelona this week, this is your new playground. With its smoothie bar, lounge, demo setups, device carousel, crane machine, looping slide, pin collections, Jelly Bean bowl (we’ll get to that later) and device bedazzler, it’s safe to say that the Android team has officially outdone itself. Do attendees even need to stop anywhere else?

Check out the gallery of the entire booth after the break, all thanks to Hugo Barra.  

Here is the entrace along with a view from afar of the booth. We told you there were a ton of demo setups for attendees to play with.

A look at the slide, smoothie bar, and that bedazzler we mentioned earlier.

Android crane machine? Can I have one for my office?

And what’s with the bowl of Jelly Beans sitting alone on this table in what appears to be a back room? As you all know, the next major version of Android is rumored to have been dubbed “Jelly Bean,” so being the Android conspiracy theorists that we are, we have to assume this means something. Or it’s just Google messing with us. Yeah, that is probably it.

More photos at the link below.

Via:  Google+

Android Booth Tour MWC 2012, Does This Bowl of Jelly Beans Mean Anything? is a post from: Droid Life

Since Samsung wasn’t ready to announce the Galaxy SIII at MWC this year, they had to at least come up with something. That “something” is the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) and a projector phone called the Galaxy Beam, which we’ll talk about in a bit. For now, let’s focus on this new Tab 2 that should be an epic release after the success and awesomeness that was the original 10.1, right? Eh, not really. The Galaxy Tab 2 is identical to the original 10.1 except that it runs Ice Cream Sandwich and has a slight redesign with speakers in the front. Otherwise, it packs a dual-core processor, 7,000mAh battery, 3MP shooter in the back, VGA shooter in the front, and TouchWiz. We wish there was something else to say about it, but it really is an identical tablet. Not to say that we don’t still love the original 10.1, but come on Sammie, give us something new and brilliant.  

Update:  As reader @tomgillotti points out, there is also a Galaxy Note 10.1 on the horizon that is yet to be announced. It was rumored to be on the way, but with Samsung not confirming it during their Beam and Tab 2 announcement, we weren’t sure if it was real or not. Apparently it is. The difference between that and this tablet is beyond us.

Samsung Announces the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) Which is Just an Original Tab 10.1 with Ice Cream Sandwich and Slightly Tweaked Design is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

Remember that must-have set of Android pins that were unveiled last week just before MWC? The Android team made a commercial to go along with them, that includes kids who were asked what they would want to be when they grow up. Good stuff.

Android Team Releases Commercial to Show Off the Diversity of the Platform and Their Nifty Pins is a post from: Droid Life

We knew they were all coming, but HTC officially stole the show today at Mobile World Congress 2012 with the unveiling of their HTC One series. Even with specs leaking and pictures popping up across the globe, we should all still be impressed with what HTC has produced for the first half of this year. The One X is their flagship phone and the most impressive on paper, but the One S isn’t far behind it as a next-gen phone. The One V is their lowest level of the three, yet still manages to include Beats audio and an extremely slim body while maintaing the unique look of the once iconic HTC Legend. Overall, this is one hell of a lineup of phones. They announced more than just phones though, but we’ll start there and continue on throughout the afternoon.

We have pictures, specs and more after the break.  

HTC One X

Starting with the big dog simply makes sense, so let’s dive into the HTC One X first. What was rumored has now been officially confirmed on the spec front. The device will rock a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor (in most of the world), 1GB of RAM, Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0, a 4.7″ Super LCD 2 HD screen with Gorilla Glass, NFC chip, 32GB of storage, 1800mAh non-removable battery, Beats audio, 8MP camera with F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, and is ridiculously thin at 8.9mm. It will begin to ship globally in April. AT&T has this one locked up in the U.S. though.

HTC One S

The One X may be the phone that everyone is talking about, but the One S should not be overlooked. Rockin’ Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset, this phone is as powerful as any other phone we have seen come to life thus far. It also has a 4.3″ qHD display with Gorilla Glass, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, Android 4.0 with Sense 4.0, Beats audio, the same amazing 8MP camera as the One X, 1650mAh battery, and an unbelievably thin 7.8mm body. HTC went with a ultra-matte black Ceramic Metal surface that is harder than aluminum and will keep better over time. It’s a crazy good phone. The One S will ship with the rest of the One series in April. This puppy is headed to T-Mobile here in the U.S.

HTC One V

The One V is HTC’s budget phone for early 2012. It has a single-core processor and 512MB of RAM, yet still runs Android 4.0 and a similarly amazing camera to the One S and One X. As you can see, it looks almost identical to the HTC Legend and HTC knows that. It will also ship in April.

Stay with us though, there is more on the way. HTC also announced some very exciting new camera technology along with more Beats integration. Like we said earlier, it’s not all phones out of MWC today.

HTC ONE SERIES UNVEILED 

HTC One™ Highlighted by an Amazing Camera and Authentic Sound Experience 

Unprecedented momentum for HTC One series – available beginning in April with broad global availability through more than 140 mobile operators and distributors

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Mobile World Congress – February 26, 2012 – HTC, a global designer of smartphones, today unveiled its new HTC One series of smartphones that represent its most premium mobile experience with a new level of iconic design and amazing camera and authentic sound experience.

“The best moments in life are captured with a photo or remembered by a song, so it was key for the HTC One series to improve these emotional experiences with an amazing camera and authentic sound experience,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “We are very focused on creating a camera and audio experience customers will love and use often and we believe the HTC One series delivers this in a way never seen on a phone before.”

With HTC’s most premium experience, the HTC One series integrates Android 4.0 (ICS) with HTC Sense™ 4, the new version of HTC’s branded user experience that is introducing HTC ImageSense™, a new suite of camera and imaging features that set HTC One apart from other phones.  HTC Sense 4 also includes broad enhancements to audio quality and simplifies how people listen to music on their phone.

Amazing Camera

With ImageSense HTC One rivals traditional digital cameras with improvements to every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip. These enhancements combine to deliver our fastest image capture, best image quality under adverse conditions and easiest interface that enables quick access to capturing stills and videos with side-by-side photo and video capture buttons.

• Superfast Capture - HTC One dramatically reduces the time it takes to capture those key moments. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot, and with a new superfast 0.2-seconds autofocus, continue to take nearly unlimited continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button.
• Good photos in adverse conditions - HTC One delivers dramatic enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X and HTC One S offers best-in-class performance, capturing 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones. HTC One also includes HDR, a market-leading technology, for taking great photos even when there are varying levels of brightness.
• Video Pic (Concurrent Video/Still Capture) – With Video Pic you capture a photo and shoot video at the same time.  Now, while you’re shooting HD video, all you have to do is tap the shutter button and it snaps a high-resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot.  You are also able to capture a photo frame from a previously recorded video.
• Dropbox integrated with HTC Sense - HTC One gives you an easy way to save and share your photos and videos. HTC has integrated Dropbox into HTC Sense 4 enabling HTC One customers to get 25 gigabytes of free Dropbox space for two years. That’s enough to keep more than 10,000 high-quality photos. Dropbox is also integrated throughout HTC Sense 4, so it’s easy to edit, save and share your documents and other kinds of files.
• Sharing your photos and more - HTC One gives you a new way to share your photos and videos. When you plug in HTC’s wireless Media Link HD* accessory into your TV’s HDMI port, you can easily share your photos, videos, or anything else on your phone with your friends, family or colleagues regardless of the television’s brand as long as it has HDMI.

Authentic Sound

With HTC One, Beats By Dr. Dre Audio™ integration is enabled for the first time across the entire experience for richer, more authentic sound whether you’re listening to your favorite music, watching a YouTube™ video or playing a game.  HTC One also makes it easy to get and listen to your music on your phone with the built-in HTC Sync Manager software that automatically installs to your computer when connected. Once connected, it is easy to transfer songs, artists and playlists from your music library.

Of course, people today no longer just listen to the songs stored on their phones; they use streaming services and tune into Internet radio. So HTC One lets you customize the new Music Hub with your favorite services and music applications, like the latest Soundhound technology, giving you one place to go for all of your music.

HTC One lets you take all of your music anywhere, including the car. With HTC One, you get an easy way to bring your mobile music to your car’s sound system with the HTC Car Stereo Clip*. It also lets you connect to your music through more than 50 thousand online radio stations worldwide or play music from any service or app on your phone through your car speakers.  All this makes HTC One the one place to enjoy all your music, wherever you are, with the power of Beats By Dr. Dre Audio and HTC Car.

HTC One X

The HTC One X features a beautifully crafted polycarbonate unibody that has the ruggedness of metal but is super lightweight. With seamless construction, the unibody combines a unique high gloss ‘piano’ finish and a matte back.  HTC One is blazing fast with the new NVIDIA® Tegra 3 Mobile Processor for clear graphics, faster applications and longer battery life. It includes a 1.5GHz Super 4-PLUS-1™ quad-core with an integrated fifth Battery Saver Core and a high-performance 12-Core NVIDIA® GPU.  The HTC One also has an amazing 4.7-inch, 720p HD screen crafted from contoured Corning™ Gorilla Glass. HTC One X will also be available in select 4G LTE markets with a LTE-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon S4™ processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPU’s.

HTC One S

The HTC One S is for people who want a high-end smartphone in a more compact size. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPU’s. It also includes a 4.3-inch screen crafted from contoured Corning™ Gorilla Glass. HTC One S brings HTC’s innovative metal unibody styling to a new thin 7.9-mm design, making it HTC’s thinnest phone yet.  The HTC One S sports two new finishes that break new ground in mobile phone innovation.  The first is an ultra-matte black Ceramic Metal surface that is the result of a microarc oxidation (MAO) process originally developed for use in satellites. It transforms the surface of the aluminum unibody into a ceramic, super-dense crystalline structure that is four times harder than anodized aluminum, enabling the HTC One S to look great over time. The second finish for the One S takes anodizing to a new level with a new patented process that creates a light-to-dark gradient fade that looks gorgeous and sophisticated.

HTC One V

Utilizing the classic, award-winning design of the HTC Legend, the HTC One V brings top-end design to a smartphone with broad appeal and a premium experience that delivers an amazing camera and authentic sound.  It features a simple, iconic aluminum unibody design that exudes craftsmanship and quality.

Global Availability

With unprecedented excitement, the HTC One series will begin shipping in April with broad global availability available beginning in April through more than 140 mobile operators and distributors globally.  For more information and to pre-register for HTC One visit www.htc.com.

HTC One Series

Europe, Middle East and Africa - A1 Austria, BH Telecom Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bite Lithuania, Bouygues Telecom France, Cellcom Israel, Cosmote Greece, Cosmote Romania & Global Bulgaria, Cyta Cyprus, E-Plus Germany, Elisa Estonia, Elisa Finland, EMT Estonia,  Euroset Russia, Everything Everywhere UK, H3G Austria, H3G Denmark, H3G Ireland, H3G Sweden, H3G UK, KPN Netherlands, Turkcell Turkey, LMT Latvia, M-Tel Bulgaria, Meteor Ireland, Mirs Israel, Mobilezone Switzerland, Avea Turkey, MTN Cyprus, Netcom Norway, O2 Germany, O2 Ireland, O2 UK, Omnitel Lithuania, Orange Austria, Orange France, Orange Israel, Orange Poland, Orange Romania, Orange Slovakia, Orange Switzerland, Pelephone Israel, Play Poland, MTS Russia, SFR France, SiMobil Slovenia, Sunrise Switzerland, Svyaznoy Russia, Swisscom Switzerland, T-Mobile Austria, T-Mobile Croatia, T-Mobile Czech Republic, T-Mobile Germany, T-Mobile Hungary, T-Mobile Macedonia, T-Mobile Netherlands, T-Mobile Slovakia, TDC Denmark, Tele2 Estonia, Tele2 Latvia, Tele2 Lithuania, Telefonica Czech Republic, Telekom Slovenia, Telenor Denmark, Telenor Hungary, Telenor Montenegro, Telenor Norway, Telenor Serbia, Telenor Sweden, Telia Denmark, Telia Sweden, TIM Italy, Tusmobil Slovenia, Vipnet Croatia, VIP Mobile Serbia, VIP Operator Macedonia, Virgin UK, Vodafone Czech Republic, Vodafone Germany, Vodafone Greece, Vodafone Hungary, Vodafone Ireland, Vodafone Italy, Vodafone Netherlands, Vodafone Romania, Vodafone Turkey, Vodafone UK, Wind Greece  North America: AT&T, Bell Mobility, Best Buy, C-Spire, Cellcom, Fido, Metro PCS, Bluegrass, OpenMobile, RadioShack, Rogers Communications, T-Mobile USA, Target, TELUS, U.S. Cellular, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile Canada Latin America: Cellcom,  Claro Argentina (América Móvil), Claro Perú (América Móvil), Claro Puerto Rico (América Móvil), Entel Chile, Iusacell México, Movistar Chile (Telefónica), nTelos, Telcel México (América Móvil), Telecom Personal Argentina, Telefónica Brazil,  Asia-Pacific: AIS, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile (TD-SCDMA), ChungHwa Telecom, 3HK, CSL, DiGi, DTAC, Fareastone, Globe Telecom, Indosat, M1, Mobifone, Maxis, Optus, SingTel, Smart, Smartone, StarHub, Taiwan Mobile, Telkomsel, Telstra, Viettel, Vinaphone, Vivo, Vodafone Australia, Vodafone New Zealand, XL Axiata, TRUE

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC’s portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense™, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.

HTC Announces the One X, One S, and One V – Sets the Bar for 2012 Android Devices is a post from: Droid Life

HTC’s MWC event tomorrow afternoon won’t have many surprises after the folks at FullGSM managed to find the official spec pages for the One X floating around HTC’s site. It looks as if the device will come in both white and black (or charcoal) and will live up to all of the hype. It indeed does sport a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 4.7″ Super LCD HD display with Gorilla Glass, has 32GB of storage, new dual-shutter camera tech, 28mm wide angle lens, an NFC chip with Google Wallet support,  and so much more. The only real downside that we are seeing is the 1800mAh battery. We would have liked to have seen something with a little more juice to power that massive display, but since the phone is not LTE, it could be fine.

Jump past the break to see it all.  

As expected, it won’t be anywhere near Verizon’s network. Will HTC and Big Red push a device with similar specs at some point though? We certainly hope so, especially knowing how HTC likes to handle bootloaders.

Via:  FullGSM

Cheers to everyone who sent this!

Full HTC One X Official Specs Leak Out – 4.7-Inch Super LCD Screen with Gorilla Glass, NFC with Google Wallet, 1800mAh Battery is a post from: Droid Life

Most of the devices expected to make a splash at next week’s Mobile World Congress have now been outed. Yesterday we saw LG’s entire lineup of phones receive hands-on time and today we have the first shots of the HTC One X and One S in the wild. The One S is expected to be a mid-range device, so we’ll get right into the picture we have up top which is of the One X. As you know from the constant coverage of it over the last couple of weeks, the One X is HTC’s new flagship device. Rockin’ a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 4.7″ Super LCD HD screen, NFC, 8MP rear camera, and Sense 4.0 over Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s something to be taken seriously.

As far as styling goes, it looks like all of HTC’s devices from the last couple of years only it appears to be incredibly thin. In fact, if this was sitting next to a Sensation, you might not be able to tell the difference other than the ICS-ready 3-navigation keys that HTC has chosen instead of the previously standard 4. I’m not calling it ugly, just saying that it looks like every other HTC device from the front.

The HTC One S is expected to be a little more budget-friendly and is pictured after the break. Rumored specs have it with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (possibly the Snapdragon S4), 4.3″ qHD screen, and Ice Cream Sandwich. 

Thoughts on HTC’s new devices? They rarely ever send anything to Verizon first, so you can almost expect that most of us will never even think about purchasing one. However, the specs, thickness of the devices, and continued use of Super LCD screens has to get you at least a little excited. Should a variation of one of these come to Big Red, would you be all over it? Bootloader unlocking tool, remember?

Via:  ITProPortal [2]

HTC One X and One S Pose for the Camera – Same Old HTC Design, But Ultra-Thin is a post from: Droid Life