Sony Ericsson are launching a new a smartphone in October and calling it the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S. It seems the new Arc S is pumped with a 1.4 Ghz processor compared to its predecessor which clocked at 1Ghz. The Xperia Arc S has a 2d to 3d converter which lets you take photos and use ” 3d sweep panorama” application to display 2d photos in 3d if you plug it into a 3d TV or any other 3d display using a HDMI port. The phone will use Android OS Gingerbread 2.3 and have pretty much the same hardware features the original Arc did including ultra thinness at 8.7mm. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is available in an array of colours : pure white, gloss black, misty silver, sakura pink and midnight blue.
Posted by Gareth
Huawei has shown off their brand new smartphone, marking their first attempt at a truly high end smartphone. Packing specs like a 1.4GHz processor, 4 inch FWVGA capacitive screen, and an HDR capable 8MP camera, this is set to be a pretty serious bit of kit. Other notable features include a sleek 10.9mm body which weighs just 140 grams. It runs the latest (at the moment) version of Android Gingerbread, and from the press images it also seems to have some kind of UI skin.
You may be able to find smartphones which are even more powerful, but I don’t recall any which claim to have a 3 day battery life with what Huawei calls ‘normal usage’. Given its monster 1900mAh battery, it does seem like it’s achievable in day to day use – we’ll be able to find out when it becomes available in the UK sometime in 2012.
The full press release can be found after the break.
The Mango update for Windows Phone 7 has been on the cards for a while, but second generation devices which actually ship with the Mango update preinstalled are not available quite yet. The Omnia W from Samsung is their first Mango device, which also features some updated hardware. A 1.4GHz processor coupled with 512MB of RAM is under the hood, topped off with a nice 3.7″ Super AMOLED display. One of Mango’s headline features is support for video calling, so the Omnia W has a VGA front facing camera as well as a 5MP snapper on the back, all wrapped in a slim 10.9mm casing – if you’re not one for the giant phones coming out lately then this may be worth a look, available later this year.
In case you’ve forgotten about what the Mango update brings to the Windows Phone table, take a read of this breakdown. The full press release is after the break.
If you are a BlackBerry PlayBook owner and you live or visit London then this free app is well worth a download. TubeMap is provided by MX Data who also support the app on BlackBerry Smartphones as well as iOS. They also developed Traffic TV that we have covered a couple of times on the site.
As you would expect the application is essentially a map of the London Underground but it does have some added features which are both quick and simple to use in assisting you getting from place to place around the capital.
This morning I rolled over to my Nexus One to see an update message. How very exciting and unexpected. Not much is known about the contents of the software other than it includes ‘important bug fixes and security patches.’ It doesn’t allude to anything in particular so you’re just going to have to download it and see what it takes care of.
The Nexus S recently saw an update to 2.3.6 that included some sort of voice search fix. There have been some unconfirmed reports that the update was breaking USB and Wi-Fi tethering.
So, for those of you that haven’t seen it roll out OTA just yet, here is how to get Android 2.3.6 on your Nexus One at this very moment. The steps are pretty easy so even if you’re not proficient in tinkering with your device, you should be able to do this.
There is some industry speculation that Google may be planning to take on the role of wireless carrier in parts of Europe soon. In fact, they may have already started testing a Mobile Virtual Network (MVN) in Spain. The images posted are of what appears to be a Google-branded SIM card and a Nexus S running on a network dubbed “Google_es”. According to the report, a few trusted engineers have started receiving this starter pack for testing purposes already. Here’s a quote with a few more details, Continue Reading »
HTC has partnered with Dropbox to bring a deal to those who upgrade to an HTC Sense 3.5 device. While we mere peasants are entitled to a paltry 2 GB of free cloud storage, HTC Sense 3.5 devices will get access to 5 GB at no extra price. Pretty sweet deal if you ask us.
Currently, the only device with Sense 3.5 is the brand new HTC Rhyme on Verizon. If you happen to get this device, odds are that it will be through an upgrade or new contract. This means you’ll be hitching your wagon to data caps.
This isn’t exactly a new idea, companies like Asus have been doing it for a few years right back from their original Eeepc. Data caps from network providers do limit what you can do with your phone, Spotify and music and video streaming services are a fine examples. If you plan to take advantage of those 5 free GB, you’d better keep that unlimited data contract. Your 2 GB will fly away in no time if you use cloud storage constantly. So be careful with those transfers! You can also use WiFi when transferring large files to/from your Dropbox account (or upgrade to a higher data cap).
There’s still no word on whether current HTC Sense users will also get this treat or not. Future Sense 3.5 smartphones will definitely get an extra 3 GB, though. It might not be a major decision factor when choosing your next smartphone, but it’s definitely a nice extra. These devices will also come with the Dropbox app pre-installed. Depending on how you see it, this could be great or just more bloatware.
Posted by Gareth
As I walked past my local Sony store today I noticed they had the S1 tablets in stock with a couple of demo models sitting proud at the front of the shop. Of course I darted in and had a quick play.
I’m not overly impressed with the design of the tablet. Although it feels quite nice in the hand it does also feel a little odd having a thick end and a thin end.
Performance wise it seemed very good. Certainly a lot quicker than the XOOM which is the only other Honeycomb tablet I have used.
How will it compete in the ever growing tablet market I wonder?
You can see the video below I shot. Not stunning quality but I was only equipped with my trusty BlackBerry at the time. It does alright though. Continue Reading »
BGR is reporting a patent filed by Microsoft titled “Mobile Communication Device Having Multiple, Interchangeable Second Devices” was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday. The patent it describes a device that consists of a display and “multiple second devices” that can serve as accessories to the primary screen. We have seen this design executed before: Verizon Wireless launched the LG Versa in 2009 that could be equipped with a game pad accessory, but Microsoft has bigger plans. The patent describes the additional accessories as “more game controllers, batteries, physical keyboards or mobile phone handsets with a display.” Users can detach the devices too, and use wireless communications to interact with the primary display. It is a compelling concept although we aren’t so sure consumers will want to carry multiple accessories at once and could prove costly to replace once misplaced.
Posted by Gareth
We announced the HTC Rhyme earlier this week. You remember, the one for the ladies. You are allowed to buy it if you are a man but you may not want to go for the Plumb coloured version?
Anyway, HTC have released a short video detailing the accessories that are available for the Rhyme. I was able to get hands on with these accessories earlier in the week and although not my cup of tea I think they will appeal to the ladies. The docking station is superb and I wish all phones had an official one as an optional extra.
The word on the street is that the HTC Rhyme will be hitting UK shores around October 8th sim free. Not long to wait if you are waiting to pick one up.
You can see the video below along with a quick description of the accessories available.
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