Hasta La Gadget!

HTC is set to show off something at a special press event in NYC on February 19 (the day before Sony’s, it turns out), and it’s quite likely that the company will debut its rumored new flagship phone, the M7. And now new leaks from the generally dependable Evleaks suggest the company has a multi-device lineup planned to follow the M7 with retail availability in Spring.

The two phones detailed by Evleaks on UnwiredView suggest that HTC will follow-up the M7 with a device with slightly more moderate specs, akin to how the One S was designed to complement the One X last year. And there will also be a down-market device, called the G2, that will be 2013′s equivalent to the HTC Desire C.

The M4 will reportedly pack a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, with a 4.3-inch 720 p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage and a 13 megapixel rear camera. It’ll have a fairly limited 1500 mAh battery (but fewer pixels to push compared to the M7), and should run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The HTC G2 (which is unrelated to the previous HTC phone of the same name) will have a 1.0GHz ARM Cortex processor with 512MB of RAM, a 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) display, with a 5 megapixel rear camera and no front shooter, a 1400 mAh battery and Android Ice Cream Sandwich as its operating system.

Once again, HTC looks set to deliver a trio of solid Android handsets designed for various consumer budgets, but I am a little concerned that this won’t be different enough from the status quo to really excite consumers and propel sales to higher than HTC’s rather disappointing performance overall in 2012. That said, it’s still very early to be judging these phones considering they haven’t even been made official yet, so maybe there’s more to HTC’s 2013 lineup than what’s apparent from the spec sheets.

Good news for Verizon customers. If you’re looking for a cheaper prepaid plan, today’s your day because the carrier is announcing a new set of prepaid plans for those on a tight budget. “When it comes time to think about the important task of keeping in touch with friends and family, taking time to investigate wallet-friendly options can mean a few extra dollars for weekend fun or paying down those holiday bills,” Verizon said. (more…)

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Nikon introduced a pair of step-up superzoom cameras here at CP+, with the P520 designed to meet the needs of advanced amateur shooters and the L820 best suited for casual photographers looking to get a bit closer to the action. Both models include BSI CMOS sensors, with the $450 P520 snapping 18.1-megapixel stills and the $280 L820 capturing 16 megapixels. That first model includes a 42x (24-1,000mm) optical zoom lens while the latter sports a 30x (22.5-675mm) optic — both offer lens-based image stabilization. Both options feature lens-mounted zoom toggles, pop-up flashes and dedicated video capture buttons, but only the P520 offers a dedicated mode dial, and if you’re planning to make changes on the fly, that’s really a necessity.

We caught up with the duo at Nikon’s CP+ booth this week — we were expecting some inconsistency between the two based on price and specs alone, but after trying out both models, the Coolpix P520 is far and above the better option. The VGA-resolution 3.2-inch display was incredibly sharp and bright, and the vari-angle functionality lets you snap overhead and below-eye-level shots with ease. The camera was very responsive and the housing felt quite durable — you definitely get quite a bit for your 450 bucks. The L820, on the other hand, felt very much like a low-end alternative, so unless you’re on a strict budget or in the market for a sub-$300 model, you’ll want to spend for the P520. You should be able to check out both cameras in retail stores beginning later this month, or you can take a look today in our hands-on after the break.

Filed under: Cameras, Nikon

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