Hasta La Gadget!

A rumor from an unofficial source has been making the rounds for a few days. Apparently a number of unnamed investment banking firms were planning to broker a merger between Acer and one of its two major rivals, Lenovo and ASUS. Acer’s founder Stan Shih, when quizzed about the possibility, said that he would “let nature take its course.” It should be mentioned here though that Shih isn’t actually involved in Acer’s management, he is retired but remains the company’s largest shareholder. Acer has now denied the possibility of a merger with either of the two companies, adding that it is not interested in such an idea.

The company said that its management has not been contacted by any investment bank to inquire about the possibility of it merging with a rival such as Lenovo or ASUS. Acer said that it is not interested. However, the company mentioned that it has been “undergoing reform.” It also said that it has confidence in its global brand business operation. Acer further said that while the market has rapidly been changing, notebooks, tablets and smartphones have market potential and the company will keep cultivating these market segments. It expects to “score points sooner or later.”

Acer Rules Out Merger With ASUS Or Lenovo original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier this year ASUS announced a new tablet, the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity which was recently spotted at the FCC, but it seems that ASUS might have a new Transformer tablet to announce, thanks to a post on its Facebook page in which the teaser reads, “We Transform Your Mobility” with a countdown to IFA 2013. Unfortunately for us the teaser doesn’t tell us much, although it is speculated that this new tablet will focus more on mobility, which could mean it could possibly be both thinner and lighter at the same time.

In any case ASUS’ announcement will coincide with a lot of other announcements made by other companies, such as Samsung who will be unveiling the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, and Sony who will unveil the their upcoming Xperia Z1 handset as well, meaning that ASUS had better have a product worthy of stealing the show, or at least leaving a good impression. So far ASUS’ Transformer tablets have been relatively successful in the Android tablet market and it will be interesting to see what they have for us this time round.

ASUS Teases New Transformer Tablet original content from Ubergizmo.

As IFA starts to slowly edge its way over the horizon, the product teasers start to rain. We’ve already seen hints from Sony, an outright admission from Samsung, and speculation from HTC. The latest tidbit, comes via ASUS’s Facebook, which suggests it plans to show a new tablet at the event. What can we say about it? Well, odds on it’s another Transformer Pad, running Android, and if you’re into numerology (and consistency), Tegra 4 inside. Coincidentally, an unknown ASUS tablet (pictured after the break) with model number K00C popped up at the FCC last week, revealing little more than the usual WiFi and Bluetooth radios, and a display somewhere around 10-inches. Though the description of it as a Transformer Pad could indicate that whatever its exact configuration, it’s arrival in the US won’t be that far out.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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Source: Facebook

There have been hints that ASUS’ new PadFone Infinity could represent a little more than a speed boost; if newly leaked details obtained by ePrice are authentic, we may have proof. Photos included with the leak show an exterior design that’s virtually identical to that of the current PadFone, save for the option of a white model. As previously rumored, the new smartphone would fit into the existing Infinity’s tablet base. ASUS could make up for this conservative design with a speedy release, however. The ePrice sources claim that the new PadFone Infinity should launch in Taiwan during the third week of September, which would leave just a short wait for ASUS’ fourth-generation hybrid.

Update: We’ve also noticed that there could be a microSD slot, next to the SIM tray. If so, that would answer the complaints of more than a few existing PadFone Infinity owners.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

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Source: ePrice (translated)

Earlier this year at MWC 2013, ASUS announced the PadFone Infinity, an upgraded and redesigned version of the PadFone 2. While the PadFone Infinity is available for purchase in the US, it is via unofficial channels and there are some who are still waiting for an official release, possibly with carrier partnership to help subsidize the cost of the device. Unfortunately we are still waiting for such a thing to happen, but a recent benchmark sighting might be able to explain why no US availability has been announced yet. (more…)

ASUS’ New PadFone Infinity Spotted In Benchmarks With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 original content from Ubergizmo.