Hasta La Gadget!

Just as we’d heard, today’s the day that budget-minded (and not-so-shy) Kyocera Rise hits the Virgin Mobile USA shelves. Available now for a mere $100 — without any contracts, of course — this 3.5-inch, Ice Cream Sandwich device boasts some pretty run-of-the-mill features, including an HVGA, 480 x 320 LCD, a single-core, 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of built-in storage which can be expanded to 32GB via microSD and, as you can see above, a full-on, slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Naturally, Virgin Mobile’s betting on folks to bundle the cheap handset with one of its unlimited data plans — not to mention Kyocera’s handset is yet another addition to the prepaid carrier’s rising smartphone lineup. Those interested can give the Rise a better look down below, where a nice gallery filled with charming press shots awaits.

Continue reading Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Kyocera Rise arrives on Virgin Mobile with ICS, 3.5-inch display and slide-out QWERTY keys originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in July, word got out that Huawei was prepping a revised version of its entry-level Android tablet, dubbed the MediaPad 7 Lite. As that name implies, this Android ICS tab’s of the 7-inch variety and, thus, lends itself well to one-handed use for busy on-the-go types. Considering this isn’t part of the outfit’s top shelf portfolio, its mix of specs have been kept quite modest: there’s a single-core 1.2GHz Cortex A8 CPU underneath that 1,024 x 600 IPS display. But before you knock it for falling short of even 720p territory, bear in mind this device’s being marked at a 229 Euro price point — so it’s affordable and geared squarely for the budget segment.

Loaded up with a mostly stock version of Android 4.0.3 and global radios for 3G / WiFi, this humble tab’s made for mobile use, as the OEM’s VP of Euro operations assured us repeatedly. Performance-wise, its lack of a dual-core setup is heavily apparent, since there was a considerable lag between our touch input and onscreen effect. The tab also sports 8GB of internal storage, a rear 3.2-megapixel camera and VGA front facer — helpful if you’re out and about and want to video chat — in addition to a 4,100mAh battery.

As for the MediaPad 7 Lite’s build, well, it’s a bit disappointing especially given the attractive design of the Nexus 7 which is comparably priced and higher specced. In all, it feels rather chunky in-hand, but it does feature a metallic back bordered by solid white plastic. It’s set to be released this August in South Africa, China, Russia, Philippines and Taiwan, followed by Germany in October for 249 Euros. Check out our gallery below and head past the break for a video tour.

Continue reading Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite hands-on at IFA 2012 (updated: video)

Filed under: Tablets

Huawei MediaPad 7 Lite hands-on at IFA 2012 (updated: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here you are Sony’s latest Android Tablet, the Xperia Tablet S! Announced during the IFA 2012 The Xperia Tablet S is a nice 9.4″ Tablet sporting a 1280×800 IPS screen and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3, The Xperia Tablet S comes in 16, 32 or 53GB and runs on a nice Quad Core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU. Other specs includes the usual GPS, Gyro, Compass, SD Card Slot and a nice 8Mpix rear facing camera and a 1Mpix front facing one! The Xperia Tablet S will be available in WiFi …

Even though Jelly Bean’s the latest mobile OS to come out of Mountain View, there are still OEMs and carriers working on delivering the not-so-fresh Ice Cream Sandwich update to some of their earlier handsets. Now, unlike what we’d previously heard, it appears HTC’s Incredible S won’t be on the receiving end of said 4.0.x refresh, with Bell Mobility taking to Twitter to reveal that the Taiwanese outfit “will not be updating the Incredible S with ICS.” Still, things could potentially take a turn for the best, as the Canadian carrier told a cheerless S owner, “If that changes, I’ll let you know.” As for us, well, we’ll have to hold off on making any changes to our current Ice Cream Sandwich list.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Ice Cream Sandwich update won’t be coming to HTC’s Incredible S, says Bell Mobility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Until self-driving cars become mainstream, it’s best to keep eyes on roads and hands off phones. With this in mind, Samsung’s debuting Drive Link, an app that balances in-car essentials with driver safety, complete with approval from the no-nonsense Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association. It’s all about the bare essentials — navigation, hands-free calling and audiotainment from your phone-based files or TuneIn. Destinations can be pulled from S Calendar appointments or texts without trouble, and the text-to-speech feature means you won’t miss a message, email or social media update. The best bit is that via MirrorLink, all these goodies can be fed through compatible dash screens and speaker systems. Drive Link is available now through Sammy’s app store for Europeans sporting an international Galaxy S III, and will be coming to other ICS handsets “in the near future.”

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Transportation, Mobile

Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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