Sponsored
Engadget News |
- Samsung moves ten million Galaxy S II smartphones, pats itself on the back
- Refresh Roundup: week of September 19, 2011
- Autom lady-bot will help you lose weight, love you regardless
- Engadget Mobile Podcast 105 - 09.25.2011
- Skytex licenses ExoPC UI for Skytab S Series Windows 7 tablet
- Novatel U679 Turbo Stick delivers 4G LTE to Bell laptop customers for $60, with 3-year contract
- Texas Instruments wraps up purchase of National Semiconductor
- Ask Engadget: most compatible motherboard / components for Ubuntu desktop?
- eT-shirt from España looks after your heart, minds its bedside manners (video)
- HTC Runnymede spotted in the wild (updated with backup video)
- Motorola Xoom 2 evidence mounts -- new photos, rumored specs and a Media Edition?
- Motorola LTE handset emerges with qHD Super AMOLED display, questionable identity
- Pre 3 for AT&T review
| Samsung moves ten million Galaxy S II smartphones, pats itself on the back Posted: 25 Sep 2011 11:01 AM PDT  Samsung GALAXY S II continues success reaching 10 Million in global sales Global popularity with customers drives momentum for Samsung's flagship smartphone SEOUL, Korea – September 25th, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced that the Samsung GALAXY S II (Model: GT-I9100) has achieved 10 million global channel sales, doubling from five million in just eight weeks. The GALAXY S II is Samsung's flagship smartphone device - a beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight dual-core smartphone that combines an unmatched Super AMOLED Plus viewing experience with powerful performance, all on Android, the world's fastest-growing mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes Samsung's four content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services. "Since its launch in late April 2011, the GALAXY S II has seen continued sales success, demonstrating Samsung's industry-leading capabilities in - and commitment to - the smartphone market" said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business. "In just five months the GALAXY S II has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the GALAXY S II as their device of choice have driven the device's strong market position globally." About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. |
| Refresh Roundup: week of September 19, 2011 Posted: 25 Sep 2011 10:31 AM PDT  Official Android updates
|
| Autom lady-bot will help you lose weight, love you regardless Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:07 AM PDT  |
| Engadget Mobile Podcast 105 - 09.25.2011 Posted: 25 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT  Host: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen Guest: Christopher Trout Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International) 00:02:15 - Introducing Engadget Distro! 00:04:10 - HP's unreleased white TouchPad and Pre 3 for AT&T (hands-on video) 00:15:00 - Review score review 00:20:14 - HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio, we go ears-on (video) 00:26:30 - HTC Rhyme with Sense 3.5 hands-on (video) 00:28:58 - 4G variant of HTC's Radar spotted in the wild, flying a magenta flag 00:30:52 - HTC Raider 4G arrives bearing South Korean LTE, looks a lot like the Holiday 00:32:45 - Sprint reportedly capping its mobile hotspot plans October 2nd 00:35:23 - Sprint to launch Direct Connect October 2nd, confirms mobile hotspot capping 00:35:52 - Sprint's Motorola Admiral quietly displayed on YouTube as America watches dancing cats 00:35:55 - Kyocera Duramax is in the batter's box, launching with Sprint Direct Connect October 2nd 00:41:19 - AT&T flips 4G LTE live, nearly 97 percent of America wonders where the party is 00:43:47 - Samsung Galaxy S II makes its AT&T debut October 2nd for $199 on contract 00:46:13 - Game on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G ready at AT&T for $50 00:46:28 - Motorola Atrix 2 peeks out (again) from the wild, destined for AT&T's faux-G? 00:49:25 - Pantech Breakout now available to bring LTE to the light-walleted 00:51:36 - Samsung Nexus S 4G updated to Android 2.3.7, brings Google Wallet support 01:01:45 - 'Personalized Wireless' launching September 26th (update: it's Cellular South, and it'll be regional) 01:03:47 - Verizon starts 'optimizing' (read: throttling) network for the most data hungry users 01:11:36 - T-Mobile CMO: no iPhone 5 on our network this year 01:14:08 - LG LU6200 spotted in the wild, with 720p HD display taking center stage 01:14:55 - Samsung SHV-E120L comes out of the development dark, is the Xtina to LG's Britney 01:16:09 - LG unveils Optimus Q2 QWERTY slider, slated for Korean launch next week 01:17:05 - 4G Samsung Galaxy S II X coming to Telus, still as Herculean as ever 01:24:00 - Listener questions Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) Contact the podcast podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com. Follow us on Twitter @tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile @mr_trout This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Skytex licenses ExoPC UI for Skytab S Series Windows 7 tablet Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:13 AM PDT  EXO UI coming to SKYTEX's SKYTAB Windows® 7 Tablet PC SKYTEX partners with EXOPC to bring their touch-friendly EXO UI to SKYTEX's flagship Tablet PC. SKYTEX S-series Windows 7 Tablet PC with EXO UI Online PR News – 23-September-2011 –SKYTEX Technology, Inc today announced their partnership with EXOPC in bringing a customized version of their touch-centric user interface to the SKYTAB S-series Windows® 7 tablet PC. Powered by a dual-core Intel® Atom™ N550 processor, the Skytab S-series tablet PC represents the ultimate in mobile computing. It combines the portability of a slate with the flexibility and familiarity of Windows®, offering true productivity and virtually unlimited entertainment possibilities. The EXO UI delivers an additional layer of touch-friendly features and apps to the Windows® 7 ecosystem. The Skytab's sleek and functional design encompasses a vibrant and crisp 9.7" capacitive multi-touch display with up to 4-points of touch recognition. Its 4:3 aspect ratio is ideal for reviewing and editing documents, browsing the web and reading digital textbooks or eBooks. The dual-core Intel® Atom™ CPU combined with Intel's integrated graphics and 2GB of DDR3 RAM ensures smooth playback of media and painless document editing. "The EXOPC team is proud to launch a customized touch-friendly UI on the Skytab S-series dual-core tablet. Optimized in terms of responsiveness for the Windows tablet, featuring state of the art ergonomics and design, this special edition of the EXO UI brings a unique user-centric feel, look and experience," said Shan Ahdoot, CEO of EXOPC. "We're pleased to see our OEM partners' continued commitment to delivering state-of-the-art mobile computing products to the enterprise and consumer markets," said Eddie O'Brien, VP of US OEM sales, Microsoft Corporation. "The new Skytab S-series tablet by Skytex provides a great combination of the adaptability and robust features of Windows 7 with an innovative multi-touch tablet experience." The Skytab S-series effortlessly multitasks and plays nicely within corporate IT infrastructures. Its HDMI out allows you to easily connect to a projector, television or external monitor for presentations, and its integrated 1.3MP web cam and mic are ideal for video conferencing or keeping in touch with loved ones while away. When it's time to unwind, users can enjoy browsing, streaming, and gaming through a blazing fast wireless 802.11b/g/n connection. The Skytab S-series tablet with Windows® 7 Home Premium and EXO UI is available for pre-order now. Shipments will begin in early October. |
| Novatel U679 Turbo Stick delivers 4G LTE to Bell laptop customers for $60, with 3-year contract Posted: 25 Sep 2011 01:02 AM PDT  Do you live in one of Bell's LTE markets and own a laptop? Do you wish your machine could hitch a ride on the Canadian carrier's 4G waves? Well sir or ma'am, may we submit for your consideration, the Novatel U679 Turbo Stick -- an LTE USB modem that can hit a maximum speed of 75Mbps. (Though, generally you're looking at between 7Mbps and 14Mbps.) When LTE is unavailable, the U679 falls back on 42Mbps, dual-carrier HSPA+ or plain ol' 21Mbps HSPA+. You can pick one up today for just $60 with a three-year contract, but those with a fear of commitment will have to plunk down $120 to avoid being locked into a service contract. If you've still got questions, might we suggest peeping the PR after the break. 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 Turbo Stick Launches Today with Bell Industry's most compact LTE USB modem brings speeds as fast as 75 Megabits per second today and as fast as 100 Megabits per second in the future SAN DIEGO and MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVTL), a provider of wireless broadband access solutions, and Bell today announced the launch of the 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 Turbo Stick (also known as the Ovation™ MC 679 USB modem) on Bell Mobility's new 4G LTE network. The 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 offers Bell Mobility customers in LTE coverage areas mobile Internet download speeds as fast as 75 Megabits per second (Mbps) with typical speeds ranging between 12 and 25 Mbps and up to 100 Mbps as the platform evolves. "The desire to leverage the latest 4G LTE speeds on-the-go is a palpable and growing trend in many markets today," said Rob Hadley, CMO, Novatel Wireless. "We are proud to launch on Bell's new 4G LTE network our cutting edge 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 Turbo Stick and believe Bell Mobility customers will applaud its speed, compact design and ease-of-use." The 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 - the slimmest and most compact 4G LTE USB modem on the market today - comes equipped with an internal MIMO receive antenna, for optimal performance when users need it most and is backwards compatible to both Dual Carrier HSPA+ networks offering speeds up to 42 Mbps (typical between 7 and 14 Mbps) or HSPA+ offering speeds up to 21 Mbps (typical between 3.5 and 8 Mbps). Bell's 4G LTE network is the first and only Canadian LTE network to offer customers Dual Carrier 42 Mbps speeds when outside of LTE coverage areas. "Launching our new 4G LTE network in some of Canada's most populous areas including the Waterloo region innovation hub and the country's largest wireless market in the Toronto area, demonstrates Bell's commitment to the continued growth of the country's wireless ecosystem," said Adel Bazerghi, Senior Vice President of Products at Bell Mobility. "With award-winning innovation, proven performance and reliability associated with the Novatel Wireless design, we're excited to introduce our customers to the 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 – delivering 4G LTE speeds in a small and efficient form factor." Compatible with both Windows® and Mac® operating systems, the easy to use plug-and-play 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 Turbo Stick is available at Bell stores and online for $59.95 on a three year term or for $199.95 with no term. Please visit Bell.ca/LTE for more details or to purchase the device. About Novatel Wireless Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a leader in the design and development of intelligent wireless solutions based on 2G, 3G and 4G technologies providing wireless connectivity. The company delivers specialized wireless solutions to carriers, distributors, retailers, OEMs and vertical markets worldwide. Product lines include MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspots, Ovation USB modems, Expedite embedded modules, Enfora smart M2M modules, and Enfora integrated M2M solutions. These innovative products provide anywhere, anytime communications solutions for consumers and enterprises. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless is listed on NASDAQ: NVTL. For more information please visit www.nvtl.com. (NVTLG) This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended to date. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. These factors include risks relating to technological changes, new product introductions, continued acceptance of Novatel Wireless' products and dependence on intellectual property rights. These factors, as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in more detail in Novatel Wireless' filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (available at www.sec.gov) and other regulatory agencies. (C) 2011 Novatel Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved. The Novatel Wireless name and logo, and Ovation are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. Other Company, product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. About Bell Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs: Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell Satellite TV and Bell Fibe TV, Bell Home Phone local and long distance, and Bell Business Markets IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital media, including CTV, Canada's #1 television network, and the country's most-watched specialty channels. The Bell Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada via the Bell Let's Talk anti-stigma campaign and support for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit www.bell.ca/letstalk. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For Bell product and service information, please visit www.bell.ca. For Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca. For BCE corporate information, please visit www.bce.ca. |
| Texas Instruments wraps up purchase of National Semiconductor Posted: 24 Sep 2011 09:49 PM PDT  In April, Texas Instruments announced its intention to snatch up National Semiconductor for a cool $6.5 billion. Now, almost six months later, the acquisition is complete and TI can tack another few percentage points on to its already market-leading chunk of the analog chip market. At least for now, National will operate as a branch of TI's analog division, which now accounts for over 50-percent of the company's revenue, and keep its (reasonably) well known brand name alive. For a few more details on the deal, check out the PR after the break. Texas Instruments completes acquisition of National Semiconductor National becomes part of TI's Analog business and expands company's ability to deliver more products, expertise and support for customers SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced the acquisition of National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) is complete. "National is now a strategic part of TI's Analog growth engine. Together, we're focused on accelerating semiconductor innovation to improve performance and power efficiency for our customers' electronic systems," said Rich Templeton, TI's chairman, president and chief executive officer. More than 5,000 National employees will immediately become part of TI. The two companies will begin the work to integrate National as a unit of TI's Analog business, which will have a combined portfolio of nearly 45,000 analog products, strong customer design tools, and a sales force that is 10 times larger than National's previous footprint. "The closing of this transaction allows TI to expand its market presence with more leading-edge analog products, greater manufacturing capacity, and the largest sales and applications team in the industry. Together, we will serve more customers in more markets," Templeton said. The transaction, announced on April 4, 2011, cleared all required regulatory reviews and was approved by National's shareholders. TI will include National's contribution to financial performance in the company's third-quarter earnings announcement on October 24. With today's close, TI's Analog semiconductor business now represents more than 50 percent of the company's revenue. TI will continue to operate National's manufacturing sites, located in Maine, Scotland and Malaysia, as well as business headquarters in Santa Clara and sales/design support around the world. For more information, see www.ti.com/deliveringmoretogether. About TI Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is just the beginning of our story. Learn more at www.ti.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "TI will" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe TI's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions, or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, including: the ability of TI to successfully integrate National's operations, product lines and technology and realize additional opportunities for growth; the ability of TI to realize synergies in terms of growth and cost savings; and the other risks and important factors contained and identified in TI's or National's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other SEC filings of the companies that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release, and TI undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. |
| Ask Engadget: most compatible motherboard / components for Ubuntu desktop? Posted: 24 Sep 2011 07:35 PM PDT  Anyone who has dabbled in Linux knows the pains of incompatibility -- it's the price we pay for being exactly who we want to be -- but if you've got any trouble-free recommendations, comments are open! |
| eT-shirt from España looks after your heart, minds its bedside manners (video) Posted: 24 Sep 2011 06:02 PM PDT  |
| HTC Runnymede spotted in the wild (updated with backup video) Posted: 24 Sep 2011 04:35 PM PDT  [Thanks, Thomas] Update: Unsurprisingly, the original video got pulled, but we've slapped on a backup clip after the break. |
| Motorola Xoom 2 evidence mounts -- new photos, rumored specs and a Media Edition? Posted: 24 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT  [Thanks, Anon] |
| Motorola LTE handset emerges with qHD Super AMOLED display, questionable identity Posted: 24 Sep 2011 01:22 PM PDT  |
| Posted: 24 Sep 2011 11:45 AM PDT This is a review of a phone that was never actually released to the public on AT&T. Despite the unfortunateness of the prior statement, we felt obligated to run this device through the wringer as a final farewell to Palm, the Pre line and webOS on consumer devices.  All that aside, it's been a strange few days with the final webOS-based phone, and in a sense, the final phone that'll ever have Palm's DNA running through its circuitry. Not even two months ago, HP was telling developers to get their Pre 3 app submissions in for approval, and a mere four weeks ago, the same company affirmed that this very phone wouldn't ever arrive on US shores. You know, despite that whole "being announced for AT&T" thing. Turns out, a few of those units actually did pass the requisite QA tests, and if you've got the right connections (or a quick enough trigger finger on eBay), you too can land yourself what'll undoubtedly go down as one of the most highly sought after pieces of Palm / webOS history. But should you? Find out after the break. Hardware Remember the Pre 2? How's about the Veer 4G? If you're even remotely familiar with either, you're intimately familiar with the Pre 3. By and large, the third incarnation of the Pre is identical to the variant that came before it, save for the loss of a millimeter in the thickness department and the addition of a few with regard to height / width. The latter two, of course, were required to make room for the 3.6-inch (800 x 480) display, which is unquestionably one of the biggest improvements here compared to the unit's predecessor. Overall, however, the Pre 3 is shockingly similar to the Pre 2, and in far too many ways, the original Pre. Shortly after Palm's comeback began on that fateful January day in 2009, we immediately began to question the Pre's ability to shine in the same way webOS could. Put simply, the software has always outclassed the hardware, and the same could be said here. The Pre 3 -- while solid in the hand, quick on its feet and soothing to the touch -- is all but totally devoid of innovation. Granted, it's not that we expected things to radically change -- after all, the Droid Incredible 2 isn't a dramatic departure from the first one -- but nothing about this hardware can be seen as immediately superior to what's already on the market. The keyboard, for instance, is exceedingly cramped, and we found ourselves longing for a virtual counterpart on more than one occasion. The buttons themselves, though delightfully sticky, lacked any appreciable travel or impact, making the learning curve for touch typists quite steep. In fact, we found ourselves surprised at how little room we had for two thumbs -- though the Veer 4G's keyboard is markedly smaller, this one's not large enough to make a noticeable impact in comfort or precision. Palm aficionados probably won't mind, but those coming over from a BlackBerry or one of the many virtual options could easily find themselves in a displeasing situation. It's not all bad news, though. The rounded, soft-textured back is lovely to hold, and it manages to both stick firmly whilst in-hand while sliding effortlessly out of one's pocket. It's the best of both worlds. The rear casing, however, proved to be quite the bear when time came for removal -- thankfully, you probably won't be tasked with such a thing too often after the initial SIM insertion is complete. The conventional micro-USB socket was a welcome change from the Veer's magnetic abomination, and the stock 3.5mm headphone jack was well-positioned for everyday listening. It's worth noting, however, that HP doesn't toss in any earbuds, so it's on you to provide the missing link.  Much like that of the Pre 2, the edges here are curvaceous and clean, with a solid volume rocker, mute switch and power button rounding things out. Around back, there's an absolutely lackluster 5 megapixel camera (which manages 720p movie captures), an LED flash, a chromed HP logo, a non-chromed AT&T moniker and a rear speaker for alerts and ringtones. The WVGA capacitive touchpanel is flanked by a gesture area below it, which allows folks to swipe to and fro within webOS -- again, just like the Veer 4G and Pre 2 before it.  All things considered, the Pre 3 is a joy to hold and touch, and it's equipped with a subtle flair that makes it darn near impossible to leave alone for any extended period of time. Perhaps it's the gliding mechanism that brings the keyboard to life, or maybe it's the desire to see webOS on a smartphone panel with a respectable resolution. In a way, we wish the Pre 3 were slimmer, longer and wider -- if only to provide a marginally bigger screen and a substantially larger keyboard. HP stuck to its guns here by just barely polishing the Pre 2's form factor, and in a world dominated by sleekness, churning out a third (or fourth, if you toss in the Veer) pebble while attempting to grab even a sliver of market share never did feel like the best approach. Display / audio / connectivityLet's go ahead and get this out of the way: the 3.6-inch WVGA touchpanel is the best display yet on a Pre. Colors pop from edge to edge, viewing angles are on par with any Super AMOLED Plus display we've seen and sharpness is superb. Granted, cramming an 800 x 480 pixel matrix onto a display this diminutive amps up the pixel density, but still -- there's no bad-mouthin' this guy. The touch sensitivity was largely on point, though we did encounter a few instances where presses were visually recognized, but didn't actually do anything. Hard to imagine that a 1.4GHz Snapdragon isn't powerful enough to manage webOS, but we definitely had to re-tap commands on a higher-than-average basis.  The gesture area beneath the panel is the same as it ever was, though we did notice a bit of insensitivity at times. We also couldn't help but longing for a button or two on each side of the middle gesture area -- sure, we're spoiled by the home, menu, search and back buttons that have become commonplace on Android handsets, but keeping up with the Joneses should probably apply to more than just lake houses and motorcars. We also found it frustrating that we couldn't activate the display with a long-press on the gesture pad; reaching for the power button is awkward at best (the location, that is), and sliding the keyboard out wasn't always preferred.  Audio-wise, the Pre 3 measured up to any other modern day smartphone in terms of ease-of-use and sound quality. Mercifully, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack right up top (hear that, Veer?), and while audiophiles won't get Cowon-like precision here, the average city commuter will be more than happy with the volume range and overall output. It's also worth pointing out that the built-in external speaker on the Pre 3 is well above average, making a quick YouTube showing a pleasant experience for all involved -- even aurally. We had no qualms whatsoever connecting to local WiFi networks, but we can't help but point this out -- webOS should allow you to search for and connect to a network right away, before setup truly begins. Instead, you're forced to get your SIM settings situated before your phone will fully load webOS, which is completely unnecessary. Enabling a WiFi connection right off the bat would hasten that whole process, anyway. Neither here nor there at this point, but still -- seems an obvious oversight.  As for AT&T service? Solid, if you can believe it. We roamed around our usual haunts to test out both data and voice services, and the phone had no issues whatsoever with either. Snagging an HSPA+ signal was a breeze, and while pages didn't render quite as quickly in webOS as they do in Safari or on our Galaxy S II, it was brisk enough that all but the sticklers in attendance wouldn't notice. Voice quality was particularly fantastic, with the earpiece speaker being astonishingly loud while maintaining clarity and keeping distortion to a minimum. We also have to give Palm props for nailing the call design -- after months of using gargantuan Android phones, having something like this makes us remember when phones actually fit upside your head. The Pre 3 is totally anti-Sidetalkin', and if we didn't have to rely on an undersized keyboard, we'd be strangely okay with that. Camera The 5 megapixel camera on the rear of the Pre 3 is perhaps the most shameful part of the whole ordeal. Much like the Veer 4G, the camera here is just outright lousy. Colors are lifeless, bokeh isn't even in the dictionary and grain is impossible to avoid. It's good for capturing splotches of hues that vaguely remind you of something you did in your life -- other than that, it's totally forgettable. As for videos? They aren't quite "terrible," as was the case with the Veer, though you could certainly do better -- even for 720p. Jelly-vision is in full effect, and while colors were admittedly more vibrant than on photos, it's still not superior (or even on par) with the competition. webOS and performanceOur test unit shipped with webOS 2.2.0 onboard, and we're guessing HP doesn't have any future updates in the pipeline (shocker, we know). It's a single point higher than the version found on the Veer, but there really aren't any fundamental changes included. Just Type works well, the email app still doesn't support threaded messaging, Synergy is accurate (for the most part), Gmail syncs are still just as sporadic as ever, and the App Catalog is still depressingly barren. The bottom line? There's no difference when using webOS here than on the Veer, but at least it's a wee bit quicker, and we've got more pixels to work with. We're throwing intentional emphasis on the "wee," though, as a number of applications -- Maps, Messaging and Mail, in particular -- still took two to three seconds to load up each time. That's pretty poor for a phone with a 1.4GHz chip and 512MB of memory, but we're guessing the few remaining webOS engineers didn't have a whole lot of motivation to optimize things as things were winding down. Fact is, the Pre 3 runs webOS as good as any phone in HP's lineup, but that's just not good enough. webOS looks as beautiful as ever, but it still feels hamstrung -- even after 2.5 years -- by underpowered hardware. For as elegant as the calendar is, the built-in mail app is a terrible excuse for one, and Gmail syncs were as irregular as the '86 Dolphins. Still, the OS finally had room to stretch its legs thanks to the heightened screen resolution, and we still found the promise of webOS growing into something special as real as ever -- it's a genuine shame that the parenting was so dreadful. As for battery life? The bolstered 1,230mAh battery (compared to 1,150mAh in the Pre 2) enabled us to get a solid day's use before needing to charge up. That's a 7:00AM unplug, plenty of texts, around an hour of voice calls, countless browsing sessions and a plethora of notifications. By 9:00PM, though, we were down to around ten percent of remaining life, so heavy users would've obviously want to keep an AC outlet within reach. 'Course, it's not like you're actually going to buy one of these and use it as your daily (right?), but there's the score regardless. Wrap-up The harsh reality is this: even if HP would've gone ahead with the Pre 3's launch on AT&T, moving 'em would've been tough. The company showed minimal interest in moving the TouchPad (well, until they showed nothing but interest in moving the TouchPad), and attempting to hawk a tired, understated design for an on-contract price that aligns with the iPhone 4 and a vertible plethora of tremendous Android phones would've probably led to even more tears. HP stepped it up with the Pre 3's processor and panel, but almost everything else looks like it was directly ripped from a phone that first launched over two years ago. When you're the underdog, those kind of tactics don't do anything to further your cause. webOS 2.2, much like the pre-NoDo build of Windows Phone 7, is simply too far behind Android and iOS in too many basic aspects. No threaded email app? Unreliable syncs? A stagnant app market? Middle-of-the-road hardware options? Not exactly a fine list of accolades. But for all of its faults, the Pre 3 still wins big on charm. It's cute, it's a darling to hold, the call quality is exceptional and we never did have enough cards open for it to politely ask that we close a couple. But with no long-term dev support, company support or emotional support bundled in, it's impossible to recommend the AT&T Pre 3 to anyone outside of collectors and Palm loyalists. It'll be a tough (and expensive) endevour to find one, and even then, you're probably better off financially to just keep it sealed up in the box.  'Tis a shame, too. The Pre 3 is living proof that Palm had it in 'em, but perfect storm of misfortunes kept both the OS and the associated hardware from developing into something that could steal market share from the established leaders. And with that, the AT&T Pre 3 floats off to join the Foleo in a place where bottom lines don't matter, recessions have no reach and gadgets are appreciated for what they are -- not what they aren't. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Engadget News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment