In a little over nine hours, Apple will have an answer for the Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1, TouchPad, PlayBook, ASUS Slate and all the other tablet PC’s that are challenging its dominance. So far we are hearing rumors of what to expect from the announcement and though these are just rumors, the sources are credible and were right on for last year’s iPad announcement.
So far, we’re hearing that in addition to a thinner design, the device will be featuring a front facing camera. While early case mockup’s indicated that there would be a rear camera, many analysts are speculating that this will not be the case. You’ve been hearing this for weeks now so it probably goes without saying; don’t expect a high resolution screen from the device. That is being shelved for version 2.0 of the device and should come around with version 3.0.
The latest version of iOS will be doing the honors (4.3) and in addition to the set of new API’s and what not, we’re hearing that MobileMe will no longer be a paid subscription service but instead live in the free domain. Its features should also be greatly expanded so prepare to be angry for paying $99 for last year’s subscription.
Last but not least, we would expect that the target launch date of this device will be sometime in April to coincide with the release of all the other major tablets and seeing Apple has a great track record of releasing devices very soon after announcement, we wouldn’t expect this to be otherwise.
The Apple iPad 2 live event will take place in San Francisco at 6PM London time (10AM Pacific Standard Time). We’ll have the latest details for you than so be sure to stay tuned.
It is all fair sport in the advertising world, and companies can and will point fingers at each other and laugh if it helps boost their products. Motorola has taken a quick jab at both Apple and fellow Android supporters Samsung on their tablet devices as the company prepares the world for their upcoming Stingray unveiling at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show this coming 2011.
According to the advertisement, the iPad is basically a giant iPhone. While it was meant to be a criticism, a second look at the tech specs reveals that Motorola was a bit off. Calling the iPad a giant iPhone gives it more credit than what is due. For one thing, the iPad lacks texting and calling capabilities, and of course, the lack of a camera on the tablet is pretty evident.
The Galaxy Tab on the other hand, was called an Android OS device, but using an Android OS for a mobile phone –which is more on the spot and actual state of the device. Even Google has specifically stated that the pre-Honeycomb versions of the open source platform are not optimized for use with tablet devices.
Where this criticism fails is in forgetting the fact that Samsung could easily update the tablet to the latest version of the OS (unless Motorola paid off a very expensive exclusivity deal on the Honeycomb –or at least, a time delay before a multi-device patch comes out).
So are we excited about the Stingray? For all accounts, we are pretty much expecting another Galaxy Tab that simply has an updated Android OS. Aside from that, the specs are pretty much what we would expect to see from a high end tablet these days. What would change the game is if the Stingray provided us with a faster dual core processor and impressive graphics capabilities as well as a high internal memory capacity –of course, all of that would still need to be complemented by a whole new line of made-for-tablet apps in the Android Market.
Tablets are now the next big gadget to own at home. Sure, they certainly serve a lesser practical purpose than a smart phone or a net book, but they are so convenient that not having one seems to be pretty close to a sin.
The Apple iPad has shown the world how easy it is to just pick up a tablet, browse the latest news updates, send a quick email, check your social networking account and even read a digital book in just one sitting, using just one device –all without both the hassle of fiddling around with a net book.
Samsung takes it a little further with the Android Galaxy Tab. This touch screen tablet may be smaller, but the size is so ergonomically sound that reading eBooks for long periods is preferable on the Tab than on the iPad –mostly due to the iPad’s significantly larger size.
Flash support is another major issue. There are plenty of great websites on the internet that use Flash content –not only for media, but also for navigation purposes as well. In this sense, Apple’s web experience is lacking one very important aspect.
The Galaxy Tab has just hit the 1 million sales mark recently and is a testament to how strong the importance of ergonomic design and Flash support is to the tech industry.
Sony Ericsson’s new Zeus smart phone (also called as the Z1) has been shown in a new video. This new vid highlights the use of the Android 2.3 Éclair OS on the new handset. The gaming controls have also been shown off, showcasing a directional pad and control buttons.
The only thing lacking now is the Playstation brand –which seems to be out of the question and makes one wonder what sort of game this new device will be able to attract. Without SCE backing the device, the gaming phone would hardly be impressive at all.
3 UK has confirmed the prices for their iPad tariffs. While not that many people are now interested in Apple’s touch screen tablet (mostly due to the lack of Flash), the prices that 3 is offering will certainly make some think twice. The device is subsidized at a low price of 199 Pounds under a 25 Pound monthly tariff –which is great value considering the monthly allowance.
Of course, the MVNO is not the only one offering the 9.7 inch tablet. Tesco has also confirmed that they too have the iPad in stock and will be offering it on credit –making the device readily accessible. T-Mobile and Orange UK are also offering the iconic gadget as well.
Carphone Warehouse is not only offering the iPad tablet (they have it at 429 Pounds, SIM free), but they are also going to be exclusively selling the Nokia C6-01 Symbian smart phone. It’s a great dual combination of tablet and smart phone, which means that if you’ve got enough on your holiday spending budget, this might be a good choice, unless you are waiting for the iPad 2.
Apple is actually killing interest in the original iPad thanks to their official statement implying that the iPad 2 is already in the works. The device will be sporting a built in camera as well.
Speaking of Apple’s gadgets, a new app for the iPhone has been created allowing consumers to check if the products or brands they support practice humane measures for the production, packaging and shipping of their goods. The anti-slavery app acts quite similar to a green app (which informs buyers if the product has been produced by a green company).
If this is the future of consumerism –providing buyers with instant information that allows them to support products based on their principles, then smart phones are truly enabling our society to become better each day.
Tesco has announced that the sales of mobile phones are expected to reach a fever pitch this coming holiday season. While there are plenty of people that will be shopping straight from retail stores, a vast majority of the sales will be coming from the internet: online shopping is fast becoming the new option for busy people –about 78% of total sales is expected to come directly through online buyers.
A new Tegra 2 Powered smart phone from LG is expected to appear at the upcoming Mobile World Congress: the LG Star. Aside from the fact that this is a full touch screen smart phone using the Android 2.2 OS with an HDMI output port, little else has been revealed about this new device from the Korean phone maker.
Gresso has announced that they are launching a new luxury smart phone: the Luxor. While this expensive device screams nothing but style and class, buyers should be reminded that the use of 200 year old African Blackwood on a phone that will probably not be used for more than a couple of years is definitely not encouraged.
Orange and T-Mobile UK’s offer for the Apple iPad is impressive and hard to match. Everything Everywhere currently offers one of the best deals for the touch screen tablet –a feature that is only matched by 3 UK, which currently holds the post for having the best options for Apple iPhone 4 and iPad buyers.
Sony Ericsson has confirmed that the XPERIA X8 will finally be getting an update to the Android 2.1 Éclair. Not quite the impressive Flash 10.1 capable Froyo update that we have been waiting for, but this is still a great bit of news for this 1.6 Donut handset.
Images of what appears to be the Nokia N00 has been spotted online, plenty of speculations about this supposedly MeeGo OS powered device has sprouted up. With the N9 nowhere in sight, we doubt that the N00 will be coming out anytime soon.
It is pretty much an accepted notion that Apple is slowly losing its foothold in the tablet industry. Slowly, but far too fast for the Cupertino based company. While they have had a pretty strong start with the launch of the iPad –being the first commercial tablet available, the sudden arrival of so many other tablet devices running the rival OS, Google Android, has left iPad users wondering if they should shift devices.
There are plenty of reasons to give up the iPad. Despite the larger screen size, the 9.7 inch screen has proved vastly inferior to the 7 inch touch screen of newer devices (such as the Galaxy Tab from Samsung). The reason for this is sheer ergonomics, while the visual quality of the screens did not vary as much, the weight did. Since tablets are mostly used for browsing and reading, the act of holding up the device for long periods of time has made the larger iPad harder to handle. Of course, the lack of many features such as USB support, a camera and even Flash support has led to many wondering if the iPad is even worth the expensive price tag.
Rumors that a new iPad is in the works have been spreading online in the past couple of days and looking at the content, one cannot help if they are musing of disappointed Apple iPad owners. The new features include video phone capabilities, USB support and larger storage space. So far, no official word from Apple has been given about the iPad 2 making most of the current information as unconfirmed rumors.
BlackBerry’s Playbook is about to be launched soon, and the Galaxy Tab is already making strong sales (which will certainly increase one the price slash gets in); in most aspects, the original iPad will not be able to compete with the Android tablets (even when the iPad is subsidized later on)
Vodafone is currently working very hard to push the limits and improve their services –more particularly, their network coverage. With many locations in the UK still lacking proper network connectivity and access, the mobile network operator has made it a major goal to enhance their area of coverage as soon as possible.
In London alone, it has been reported that Vodafone has been spending about 1 million Pounds each day in order to maintain and improve their network. This project has started since September 25 and is expected to finish by the end of the year. For those in closed locations, the Femtocell Sure Signal booster is also available.
3 UK has confirmed that they will also be offering the Apple iPad under subsidized contracts. T-Mobile and Orange UK have been the first to make the announcement regarding the touch screen tablet from the Cupertino based company. The announcement from the virtual network operator is going to be a major source of happiness for those hoping to get great 3G deals for the web browsing tablet.
BlackBerry’s Playbook touch screen tablet is reportedly going to be price a lot cheaper than its two biggest competitors: the iPad and the Galaxy Tab. Reports state that the 8 GB version of the QNX tablet is going to have a 189.84 GBP price tag while the 32 GB version will be priced at 380.32 GBP.
Samsung has confirmed that not only are they working on the next Nexus branded handset (the Nexus S), but they are also going to release a new non-Galaxy Android phone, the Stealth V. This new handset will be featuring high end specs and media streaming capabilities.
Lastly, new rumors about the PSP phone have popped out announcing that the device might get an official unveiling this December 9. However, due to the lack of credibility from the source of the leak makes us all doubt that the news is believable.
Tablet fans have something new to be excited about: the launch of the iPad 2. And while knowing the release date is certainly exciting, there is very little else that is known about the new tablet device from the Cupertino based company aside from the fact that it will come out on February 2011.
The original iPad pretty much set the basic standards for the tablet experience, but even that has been surpassed in the past couple of weeks as the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab came out and showed the industry how much they were missing out with the iOS’ lack of Flash support. This mean that all Flash related content online would be blocked by an image placeholder.
Even stronger is the argument that a Flash player application for the iPad managed to sell over a million in just a single weekend –even iPad owners have announced that they too want to get Flash support as well.
That is quite unlikely to change however. Even the iPad 2 will almost definitely not support the web format either. With Steve Jobs ever stubborn about sticking with the “no-to-Flash” campaign, this will be the official stand that Apple will have on the format for a long time to come.
If the iOS is not your thing and the Google Android just will not fit your style, then you might want to consider trying out the RIM made BlackBerry Playbook. The device is to be launched March of next year –just a little after the iPad 2 launch date.
The PlayBook uses a modified version of the BlackBerry OS 6 called the QNX, from what we have seen so far, this looks like a stylized OS 6 with even more focus on the touch based controls. Media playback and web browsing will be very important features on this device though the lack of a physical keyboard accessory is really throwing us for a loop since that is a specialty for RIM.
The PSP Phone is one elusive device –after all, Sony refuses to make comments or statement directly about the whole matter. But from what we have heard from the grapevine, there are plenty of interesting things about the new handheld gaming system –slash mobile phone.
First off, it seems that the device will certainly be packing a touch screen display in addition to the buttons and that it will also have two analog sticks –or more appropriately, nubs.
Another bit of big news is the announcement that the UMD storage option will no longer be used. Now this is not stating that the next PSP will not support physical storage media –but it does say that the older discs are no longer any good to use. Also, the device will certainly support microSD cards (since it is also going to be a smart phone).
HD video will also be a core feature on the device, though this is most likely to be playback on the HD capable touch screen display as opposed to recording capabilities since the mock ups did not seem to have a digital camera –yet.
The most likely OS to be used in the device is the Android 3.0 Gingerbread; since it is expected that Google would out that version by the time the PSP Phone comes out.
In Cupertino, the folks at Apple are already hard at work making the i-Series for Christmas worthy. One interesting new offer brings the Apple team in engraving the back side of the iPad with two lines of dedication –a particularly interesting option for those planning to give out the touch screen tablet as a gift for loved ones.
Be warned however, that due to the hardware modification process that the etching will induce, the iPad in particular will not be refundable.
Apple has already taken the big lead in the tablet industry by being the first to launch a touch screen tablet device. The Apple iPad was a pretty big success for its time and despite the fact that our society does not exactly have a space or specific use for tablet technology, the presence of the touch screen device has been much appreciated supported.
This is why it was not surprising to know that some of Apple’s largest competitors in the industry quickly jumped into the tablet scene –after all, many were already developing tablet devices even before the iPad was being planned. Of course, it was pretty impressive to see that among the first new tablets to be made available is none other than Android devices.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab certainly set a new bar for the tablet devices thanks to its smaller, ergonomic size and by having a wider range of user friendly features.
Not, it seems that even Microsoft is planning to finally push through with their plans. It may be recalled that MS has already been working with HP earlier on to develop tablet technology. Steve Ballmer, current CEO of Microsoft, has stated that “We as a company will need to cover all form factors. We have done work around the tablet as a productivity device and a consumption device… You’ll see slates with Windows on them, you’ll see them this Christmas, you’ll see them continue to change and evolve… Right now we have got to get back seriously into the game of phones.”
With the new Windows Phone 7 operating system seemingly ready to replace the Windows Mobile platform as the new OS of choice for the Silicon Valley giant, it is not surprising that Ballmer is still holding off further tablet plans until later this coming December.
One big advantage that the Windows Phone 7 OS is that it was likely developed to be made compatible with both mobile phones and tablet devices –something that the Google Android operating system or even the Apple iOS is not.
It is all fair sport in the advertising world, and companies can and will point fingers at each other and laugh if it helps boost their products. 
Tablets are now the next big gadget to own at home. Sure, they certainly serve a lesser practical purpose than a smart phone or a net book, but they are so convenient that not having one seems to be pretty close to a sin.
3 UK
Tesco has announced that the sales of mobile phones are expected to reach a fever pitch this coming holiday season. While there are plenty of people that will be shopping straight from retail stores, a vast majority of the sales will be coming from the internet: online shopping is fast becoming the new option for busy people –about 78% of total sales is expected to come directly through online buyers.
It is pretty much an accepted notion that 