Hasta La Gadget!

We just played with ASUS whole new tablet lineup, which is truly impressive not only in scope, but also for the fact that ASUS didn’t just pick a few capacitive screen sizes and call it a day. Each of the four tablets (three Android-based Eee Pads and one Windows-based Eee Slate) has its own “twist” on what’s come to seem traditional in modern day tablets, while also maintaining significant hardware and screen quality. We’re not crazy about the ‘MyWave’ ASUS software skin on its Android models, but they at least seem serious about providing UI and apps for the entire experience — they’re not kidding around, is what we’re saying.

We’ve got a ton of pictures and impressions, so follow after the break as we break it all down!

Update: We’ve added video as well. You’d be a fool not to click.

Continue reading ASUS tablet lineup preview: Slider, Transformer, MeMO, and Slate EP121 go wild (with video!)

ASUS tablet lineup preview: Slider, Transformer, MeMO, and Slate EP121 go wild (with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though it’s just being called the “Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone” at this point, rest assured: the Android-powered device is very much real and very much destined for Verizon’s airwaves. Though the inclusion of LTE is obviously a high point, the phone’s claim to fame might be that it’ll be among the first devices in the world to feature one of Sammy’s newfangled Super AMOLED Plus displays (4.3 inches, in this case) that offers even better contrast and outdoor viewability than the original Super AMOLED did. You’ve got TouchWiz-skinned Android 2.2, an 8 megapixel camera with flash paired to a 1.3 megapixel front-facing unit for video calling, and a 1GHz processor that seems to mirror what’s already being offered on most of the Galaxy S series today — no dual-core madness here.

We had a few fleeting moments to touch (but not photograph) the phone recently, and the screen is definitely a sight to behold — we’re not sure how Samsung managed to make a more contrasty display than Super AMOLED, but it did. We’ll admit, we didn’t love the tapered shape — we thought it looked a little strange sitting on a table, though some might like it and it’s certainly not a big deal either way. We also weren’t huge fans of the big physical buttons below the display, a surprising counterpoint to the recent trend toward capacitive buttons on high-end Android devices. It’s a heavy phone, though probably not heavy enough to bother folks who are in the market for a 4.3-inch display anyway — and hey, we won’t know for sure how it stacks up until we pit it head-to-head in a brutal deathmatch with Verizon’s other version-one LTE phones like the Droid Bionic. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display

Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you look at that. Verizon’s ongoing press conference has been accompanied by the appearance of two 4.3-inch LTE handsets coming to the network. Both HTC’s Thunderbolt and LG’s Revolution were pretty well known in advance, but hey, now we have big luscious high-res pictures to gawk at. The Revolution will come with Android 2.2 preloaded while the Thunderbolt has Skype video calling integrated right into HTC Sense. The latter device also boasts a Super LCD display, 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording, DLNA, Dolby Surround Sound, and the honor of being a Verizon exclusive in the US. Now that the devices have been made official, we also know that the Revolution can stream, play and record HD video, perform video chat with a front-facing camera, and share its 4G connection with up to eight devices through its built-in hotspot functionality. Jump past the break for the full announcement.

Update: Hop on past the break for the Thunderbolt specs, courtesy of our friend Peyton (and HTC).

Continue reading HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution official on Verizon (update)

HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution official on Verizon (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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