Fourth in the Nexus series Google’s new LG Nexus 4 has plenty to live up to. Android phones have proliferated, but the expectations of Nexus flagships by users and platform enthusiasts have arguably increased even more. Not only do they represent a glimpse into the hardware direction Google envisages for Android, but the promise of the most timely software updates in an OS world growing increasingly fragmented. With the Nexus 4, there’s also a resurrected challenge at the carrier model, with some impressively competitive pricing for an unlocked device. Read on for some first-impressions.
The Nexus 4 is instantly familiar from our time with the LG Optimus G: the new Googlephone shares the LG’s 4.7-inch 1270 x 768 IPS LCD display, as well as its 8-megapixel camera, and its quadcore Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. It also gets a plastic chassis that, while creak free and sturdy, doesn’t match the same premium feel as, say, Apple’s metal iPhone 5 or HTC or Nokia’s polycarbonate.
The 1.5GHz processor is running Android 4.2, complete with updated Google Now functionality, a clever 360-degree “Photo Sphere” panoramic camera feature, and keyboard gestures for Swype-style typing – those on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean can get the new Google Now abilities by updating the Google Search app from the Play market.
In practice, the Nexus 4 runs smoothly and slickly; Project Butter continues to show its worth for keeping the Android interface lag-free, and we far prefer Google’s pure UI than LG’s modified layout. It’s perhaps price that’s the biggest selling point of the Nexus 4, though. Yes, T-Mobile USA will be offering a subsidized version – HSPA+ only, unfortunately, with no 4G LTE Nexus 4 available – but the more cost effective route to purchase will be the $299 SIM-free, unlocked option from Google’s own Play store. That’s impressively affordable, and starts to make rival devices from other Android OEMs, Windows Phone manufacturers, and Apple look uncomfortably expensive.
We’ll have a full review of the Nexus 4 up very soon, but until then enjoy our hands-on gallery and demo video. Let us know your questions and thoughts in the comments!
It would appear that amongst the software and hardware releases Google has detailed this week is their first giant iPad competitor in the Google Nexus 10. At first glance the differences might not be abundant to an everyday average user other than the obvious Android vs iOS and feel of each device. As it turns out though, these two tablets, for the first time, create a battle between the iPad and an Android-toting tablet made not just by a major manufacturer, but Google as well.
Google’s first full-sized Nexus tablet
Some might argue that it was the Motorola XOOM tablet that Google first gave their highest attention to as it was indeed presenting a very vanilla look at Android 3.0 Honeycomb (made for tablets specifically). This means that Motorola provided the hardware, sure, but it was Google that took care of the entirety of the software, with no additions from Motorola as would otherwise be standard. But because the name of the device was no Nexus, it never was truly a Nexus family device – not by today’s Nexus standards and expectations, anyway.
Here with the Nexus 10, Google and Samsung are coming in full force. Unlike the Motorola XOOM, this device is branded with Google first and foremost. Samsung certainly put their work on in the hardware, but this is Google’s show. This is the closest Google has gotten to having the same control over a full-sized tablet the way Apple does with the iPad.
Legal considerations
Samsung clearly had practice with the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 given the form-factor here. It’d be silly to assume that Google didn’t take into account both that Samsung built the Galaxy Tab 10.1N to avoid Apple wrath (the 10.1N being the precursor to the 2) and that this move effectively worked. With a tried and true – and legal – design on the books, Google must have seen this as an opportunity to work Samsung’s ever-evolving design sensibilities into their own Nexus family.
AirPlay vs Wireless Display Mirroring with Miracast
One of the most interesting additions the Nexus 10 adds with Android 4.2 is wireless display mirroring with Miracast technology. This update will eventually be on all new Android devices as it comes standard with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean+. Have a peek at our SlashGear 101: How does Android 4.2 Jelly Bean wireless display mirroring work? guide to see what it all means. Basically it uses a wireless standard technology that’ll be working on many, many devices in the near future.
With the iPad you’ve got AirPlay support which is quite similar to what Miracast offers, and like Miracast, it’s limited to devices that are compatible with it specifically. At the moment there appears to be more adoption of AirPlay out there in the 3rd party device world than there does Miracast, but given the adoption and promises we’ve heard around Miracast over the past few months, we’re expecting it to take hold very, very fast.
Display
With this Nexus 10 device from Samsung, Google brings a warrior to the battle and hits Apple right where it hurts – directly in the display. Of course it’s going to be all up to the end user deciding which unit has a “better” display, but the facts are these:
10.055 inches at 2560 × 1600 pixel resolution for 300 ppi PLS 9.7 inches at 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution for 264 ppi IPS LED
Apple brands their display as “Retina-quality” while Google says they’ve got the “highest resolution on the planet.” Apple’s “Retina” qualification was created by Apple, of course, while Google’s claim goes this far: if you’re considering every display on the planet, there certainly are a handful of units (smartphones, each of them) that have a higher number of pixels per inch : but when you consider the fact that this tablet has more pixels overall at 300 PPI, it does indeed have the most. If you had several HTC J Butterfly smartphones merged into 10.055 inches of screen space, Google would be beaten – HTC’s smartphone monster has 440 PPI and indeed the sharpest panel.
PLS stands for Plane-to-Line Switching, and was created by Samsung to be the next generation after IPS. It’s also known as “Super PLS” and is supposed to cost less to produce while providing better image quality, viewing angles, and brightness than previous generations – of course we’ll just have to see about that when the device hits our review bench.
Size, System, Cameras
The iPad 4th gen is 7.3 x 9.5 x 0.37 inches and comes in at 1.44 or 1.46 pounds depending on if you’re working with 4G LTE or not. You’ve got the new Apple 9-pin dock Lightning connector on the iPad while you’re using iOS 6 and a battery that Apple says will last you 10 hours for video playback. The cameras you get on the iPad 4th gen are a 5 megapixel rear-facing shooter capable of 1080p video and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat.
The Google Nexus 10 by Samsung comes in at 1.33 pounds pounds (wi-fi only) and is 10.39 x 6.99 x 0.35 inches across the top, side, and thick. The Nexus 10 connect with standard microUSB and has a microHDMI port as well, works with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and Google says it’ll have 9 hours of video playback. The back-facing camera on the Nexus 10 is 5 megapixels strong with 1080p video capabilities while the front-facing camera is a 1.9 megapixel machine made for video chat as well. Both devices have Bluetooth 4.0 and wi-fi capabilities, while the iPad currently has versions on the market with 4G LTE capabilities as well.
Apple has boosted the processing capabilities of the iPad 4th gen over its predecessor with a new chipset by the name of A6X. This chip only exists in Apple products and has been detailed as Apple’s top of the line model surpassing even the iPhone 5′s chip. The Google Nexus 10 comes with the Samsung Exynos 5250 with dual-core A15 Eagle CPU and Quad-core ARM Mali-T604 GPU – that’s the same as the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook we reviewed – rather powerful indeed; though again, we’ll see once we bring on the full review
Both Apple and Google currently have smaller devices like these on the market as well, Google’s being the Nexus 7 (made by ASUS) and Apple’s being the iPad mini. Have a peek at them as well if these 10-inch tablets are too rich for you blood.
Cost
The iPad comes in many different variations, and now that the iPad 4th generation is out, there are also iPad 3rd gen units floating around out there in the wild without Apple to sell them directly. Thusly the following list must suffice:
$499 for 16GB $599 for 32GB $699 for 64GB
The iPad 2 is also in your local Apple store and its prices essentially match that of the Google Nexus 10. The specifications, on the other hand, are far less grand than either the Nexus 10 or the iPad 4th or even 3rd generation devices. The Google Nexus 10 is about to be for sale (or already is, depending on when you’re reading this), for the following prices.
$399 for 16GB $499 for 32GB
Each of these units are wi-fi only, while it’s expected that mobile data connected iterations will be out in the future. Google just released the Nexus 7 with wireless data, so it’s likely that the Nexus 10 won’t be far behind. The iPad 4th gen has 4G LTE connectivity units out right now that are the same prices as listed above +$130 USD regardless of internal storage size.
Wrap-up
We’re not going to choose for you, of course – it’s up to you: but given the prices, the displays, the wireless technology, and of course the operating systems, it’ll have more to do with your preference than anything else. With these manufacturers creating the devices, it’s certainly not a question of hardware build quality – and with the software on both devices being evolved to the point they’re both at, it’s also not about which system is more mature. Stick around for our full review of the Google Nexus 10 in the near future and check out our full review of the iPad 3rd Gen right this minute – and of course we’ll have the 4th gen on the way as well.
Today the folks from Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8 in all its glory here live in San Fransisco. Along with many announcements and improvements we were able to grab a quick hands-on with what appears to be one of the best Windows Phone 8 phones coming soon. That being the impressive 4.8-inch Samsung ATIV S. This isn’t quite a Galaxy S III caliber smartphone, but it’s as close as you’ll get with Windows Phone 8 so lets take a look.
For those that missed the original details on the ATIV S that leaked back in August, Samsung’s built an impressive smartphone running Windows Phone 8 — and has equipped it with some top tier specs. The screen is bigger than the new Lumia 920, as well as the Windows Phone 8X by HTC “signature handset” of WP8. Here’s the full rundown on this sleek all aluminum smartphone.
The Samsung ATIV S comes with a bright and crisp 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm. You’ll get 1GB of RAM (vs 2GB on the Galaxy S III) 16 or 32GB of storage based on carriers, an 8 megapixel rear camera, and 1.3 front shooter for Skype video chat. Under the hood Samsung’s equipped this 4.8-inch beast with a large 2,300 mAh hour battery (compared to the HTC 8X’s 1,800) and it will rock the usual 4G LTE radios where available, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, and more.
The Samsung ATIV S will be available in one color, that being the gorgeous and durable brushed aluminum silver shown here, and is protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 on the front face. The brand new Samsing ATIV S takes some subtle hints from the Galaxy S III, right down to the menu and back buttons neatly placed around the physical home (or start in this case) button in the middle. The entire device is actually just barely bigger than the HTC 8X in size, a little thinner, and comes with a much larger 4.8-inch display. Feel free to check out our in-depth Windows Phone 8 Review. Until we hear more on the Samsung ATIV S enjoy a few quick photo’s and Windows Phone 8X by HTC comparison pictures below.
It’s Windows Phone 8 day and Verizon’s brand new Nokia Lumia 822 is up on display for all to see and touch. This unit works with Windows Phone 8 of course and will have 4G LTE upon launching, right here we’re seeing specifications – and a aesthetics – that are rather similar to the Lumia 822 that exists in GSM form for both AT&T and T-Mobile as the Nokia Lumia 820 or slight variations therein. This device will be appearing with a lovely 4.3-inch display at WVGA 480 x 800 resolution and you’ve got a replaceable back cover that’ll allow wireless charging if you pick the right one.
Also inside this device is 1GB of RAM, and 8 megapixel camera on the back, and a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. Have a peek at our original 820 hands-on for more comparisons, then hear this: Verizon will be offering up this device for $99 attached to a 2-year contract. That’s a fabulous deal if you love Windows Phone 8 and want a Carl Zeiss lens on the back to back up your 8 megapixels of fury.
Of course you’ve also got Nokia’s own City Lens augmented reality explorer app, free streaming radio, and more from both Nokia Drive+ and Nokia Music. The device will be appearing soon, and very soon, since the global versions of many of the Windows Phone 8 smartphones we’ve seen this week will be available this weekend. With a Windows Phone 8 device on Verizon – this of course also the first of its kind – you can expect either a brilliant flare of sales or a complete lack of interest.
We’re expecting the first of these two options, especially since Microsoft is pushing so extremely hard at the advertising angle. Like Microsoft’s own Steve Ballmer said this week at the Windows Phone 8 reveal event – you won’t be able to turn on your television or click a webpage on the internet soon without seeing Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 somewhere or another. With that we’re going to guess that bright lights will soon be descending upon us – just wait!
It’s time for Google‘s mobile OS to get another boost, with Android 4.1 turning to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with a new set of features galore. This update is largely improving upon what was revealed with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, effectively making it more of a “full” update than an incremental one – unless of course you consider that and this as increments, of course. This software will be working on the Google Nexus 10 from Samsung and the LG Nexus 4, tablet and smartphone environments alike.
Photo Sphere / Keyboard Gestures
Photo Sphere will allow you to snap photos in every direction, making no less than an amazing Street View sort of situation that you can share with your friends around the world – traveling in space! This update also brings on Gesture Typing – a feature that’s been around with 3rd party apps for some time now, perfected to a new degree by Google itself.
This update also brings on additional dictionary items in your speech-to-text archive and is improved in its anticipatory abilities with keyboard suggestions as well. Photo Sphere may well be used in the future to help Google create one gigantic Street View map of the world – we’ll have to wait and see. Would you participate in something as wild as that?
User Logins
Next and perhaps most important is user logins – this feature is only available on tablets at the moment, but may be expanded to smartphones in the future. With this feature you’re able to have the basics, first: those being your own backgrounds, homescreens, and widgets. You’ll also have your own apps, games, and individual high scores, too! This feature does not require you to shut the device off – only that you go back to your lockscreen: simple!
Wireless Display
Android 4.2 adds wireless display to your device – no longer will you have to rely on your smartphone’s manufacturer to add this as a value-added feature: you’ll have it on every Android device running Android 4.2 or higher. You’ll need a wireless display adapter to your HDMI-enabled TV, but once you do – instant mirroring! This feature also works with another tiny item calls Daydream – this effectively being a screen saver that shows photo albums, news from Google Currents, or weather.
Notifications
Your notifications have been expanded to a degree, now allowing you to take action on each of them with a simple tap. If you’re late for a meeting, this alert will be able to connect you to your contact with a simple call button. You can email everyone in the meeting too – this being just one example of the many different situations you’ll be able to take action on.
Google Now
Google Now has been boosted with several different items and updates, starting with weather. The weather readout wont just tell you what the weather is right in the moment, but as a forecast for your day as well. If you’re at a train platform, it’ll see which train you’re likely taking and will tell you when it’ll be arriving. This update also adds popular photo spots nearby, is able to track your packages, and brings you information on movies, too!
Stick around in our giant Android portal for more in-depth details as they arise with this software update and the devices that carry it. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will be unleashed on the Nexus 4 as well as the Nexus 10 and will likely be making its way to the rest of the Nexus family soon. As for carrier devices – we just do not know – wait and see!
This man sure knows how to entertain photogs, but he’s much more than just a charming French poser. Meet Henri Seydoux, the founder, chairman and CEO of today’s multi-talented Parrot. While promoting the recently launched Zikmu Solo wireless speaker in Hong Kong, Seydoux sat down with us to share the amusing story behind himself and his company. Check out the video after the break to hear how Seydoux’s encounter with Roland Moreno, the inventor of the smart card, made him drop journalism in favor of software engineering, as well as his detailed explanation on why many Bluetooth audio products suck, and how Bluetooth will continue to rule the world “like Beyoncé.” Enjoy!
Apple finally gave ambitious road-warriors with excellent vision the Retina MacBook Pro they’d been demanding, a 13-inch model to join the existing 15-inch Pro at the pinnacle of the company’s mobile range. Promising the same eye-watering visuals with the sort of processing power the Pro line-up is known for, the 13-inch version also makes some concessions so as to slim down to suit more frequent travelers. Is this the perfect notebook for your bag? Read on for our full review.
Hardware and Design
Side by side, the two Retina-class notebooks are almost identical in their thickness. The 13-inch model is actually slightly thicker – we’re talking a millimeter’s difference, mind – but the disparity in weight (3.57 pounds versus 4.46 pounds), width (12.35 inches versus 14.14 inches), and depth (8.62 inches versus 9.73 inches) are the most noticeable changes. If the original Retina MacBook Pro is a long, thin slice of computer, then the smaller model is a tiny powerhouse that can easily be dropped into a bag without demanding the sort of performance compromise of, say, a MacBook Air. Next to the old-style 13-inch, meanwhile, the differences are considerably more obvious. The new Retina model is thinner, lighter, narrower, and even less deep.
Still, there are some compromises to be made for reducing bulk (and for starting $500 less) from the 15-inch Retina Pro. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina loses the discrete graphics option of its 15-inch sibling, making do with Intel HD Graphics 4000, though you can still power two external displays – via a combination of the two Thunderbolt ports and the single HDMI – and run the notebook’s own display simultaneously.
Storage starts off at 128GB of flash, with 256GB, 512GB, and 768GB options; the default processor is a 2.5GHz Core i5 dualcore, whereas the 15-inch model heads straight to Core i7 quadcores. You can pay extra for a Core i7 chip on the 13-inch, but it’s the dualcore, not the quad. Memory is a fixed 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L, with no option to change that.
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina: Hands-on and comparisons:
All the ports, wireless connectivity, and 720p webcam are the same as we saw on the 15-inch, as is the backlit keyboard and sizable trackpad. That means you get a pair of Thunderbolt connectors (which can double as Mini DisplayPort), two USB 3.0, a headphone jack, SDXC memory card slot, and an HDMI output. Inside there’s WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and a pair of microphones are on the left edge.
Apple’s industrial design continues its gradual evolution toward thinner, pared-back computing, and the new MacBook Pro is no different. From the side, it’s like the old model but flatter; you can also glimpse the new “side gill” vents which are part of the reworked cooling system. In use, it’s quiet, with the fans only rising to a concentrated hum during the heavier moments of our benchmarking. The compromise to be made is one of repairability and room for improvement: the memory is soldered to the logic board, so as to shave away bulk, as is the processor, and the flash storage uses a proprietary connector so it’s sensible to buy the biggest drive you can afford initially.
Display
The 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina display is, at 2560 x 1600, slightly lower than the 2880 x 1800 of the 15-inch, but because of the smaller size its pixel density is even higher: 227 ppi compared to 220 ppi. With both in front of you, though, you don’t see any difference – the whole point, after all, is that the pixels aren’t supposed to be individually identifiable – only the mesmerizing detail and smoothness of the graphics that leave other notebook displays, no matter how bright or colorful, looking crunchy and jagged. Viewing angles are broad enough that you might have to worry about those next to you on the plane glancing over and seeing what you’re working on.
As before true Retina mode on the MacBook Pro doesn’t actually give you 2560 x 1600 resolution. Instead, you get a simulated lower resolution which is smoother all round, since each pixel is in fact a cluster of smaller pixels.Yyou can optionally switch out of Retina mode and pick a higher effective resolution, though the 13-inch misses out on the 1920 x 1200 of the larger machine; instead, the maximum is 1680 x 1050, still impressive (and impressively detailed) for a relatively small notebook. Third party applications are available which will force the display resolution even higher, though are not officially supported by Apple.
Apple is quoting a 75-percent reduction in glare from its new Retina display, versus the previous MacBook Pro 13. In practice, there’s certainly fewer reflections, which adds up to more flexibility in where you can use the notebook. It’s not a true matte finish, mind, though by ramping up the brightness you can use it outdoors and still see what’s going on.
Performance
We actually have two new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina models on our test bench: the 2.5GHz Core i5-3210M dualcore (3MB L3 cache) and the 2.9GHz Core i7-3520M dualcore (4MB L3 cache). Each has 8GB of memory and supports Intel Turbo Boost, up to 3.1GHz and 3.6GHz respectively, and is running Mac OS 10.8.2.
We started with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. The Core i5 machine scored 6507 overall, while the Core i7 pushed that to 8238. It’s worth noting that the increases weren’t solely in the processor categories: the Core i7 model also recorded better memory scores, suggesting that it makes better use of the 8GB it has. Still, each is a fair step behind the 15-inch Retina model, which scored 12,970 with its 2.6GHz quadcore Core i7-3720QM and 8GB of memory. Performance was roughly on a par with the mid-2012 13-inch MacBook Air.
MacBook Pro 13 with Retina – Core i5 – Geekbench:
Benchmark Score – MacBookPro10,2
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Mac OS X x86 (64-bit) – Mac OS X 10.8.2 (Build 12C2034)
Integer
Processor integer performance
5081
6507
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
8755
Memory
Memory performance
4979
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
6691
MacBook Pro 13 with Retina – Core i7 – Geekbench:
Benchmark Score – MacBookPro10,2 i7
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Mac OS X x86 (64-bit) – Mac OS X 10.8.2 (Build 12C2034)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6545
8238
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11131
Memory
Memory performance
6500
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
7516
We then turned to Cinebench, which benchmarks processor and graphics performance with a mixture of 3D rendering and OpenGL testing. It’s a good way of examining how a system will handle intensive tasks such as video processing, or gaming.
The Core i5 model scored 2.12 CPU points, while the Core i7 scored 2.81 CPU points, or roughly half the result you’d expect from a quadcore processor. Unsurprisingly, with no discrete GPU, graphics performance showed the biggest hit, with the Core i5 managing 14.81fps and the Core i7 squeezing out 19.69fps.
By way of comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina’s NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M GPU saw it record a score of 34.30fps in the same category. The MacBook Air managed 16.41fps.
If you’re planning use your new Mac for serious graphics or video editing, our suggestion would be to stick to the larger Pro, as the standalone GPU pays dividends. Of course, it also requires more power, though it includes the same Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip for more everyday use.
Battery
While the battery in the MacBook Pro 13 Retina may be smaller than before – 74-watt-hour, or versus the 95-watt-hour of the 15-inch – the fact it’s driving a smaller screen and less extreme components means Apple rates it for the same runtime: up to seven hours of wireless web browsing, or 30 days standby. However, the 60-watt MagSafe 2 power adapter is slightly smaller and thus continues the theme of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina being easier to transport.
In practice, with a mixture of web browsing over WiFi, some music playback, a couple of YouTube videos and some emailing, and the display set to a usable half brightness, the Pro lasted just over six hours. Scaling that back to solely browsing and we broke past Apple’s seven hour estimate by a couple of minutes. In contrast, a more ambitious use of the notebook for video playback and some brief video processing in iMovie saw the battery expire in around four hours.
Wrap-Up
The $2,000 mark is an important mental barrier, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina’s $2,199 starting price put it out of consideration for many. In contrast, the 13-inch version starts at $1,699 with the 128GB flash drive, rising to $1,999 for the 256GB model.
Increasing storage isn’t cheap – you can boost the entry-level model to 768GB, yes, but it’ll cost you more than a MacBook Air to do so – but the $200 extra for the Core i7 dualcore strikes us as a worthy upgrade given the impact it has on performance overall. Apple still offers the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,199 with the same 2.5GHz Core i5 dualcore, though to specify the same memory and a 128GB SSD you’re looking at $1,499. You also get a gigabit ethernet port, FireWire, and an optical drive, though you miss out on the lighter chassis and far improved Retina display.
While the Air might be the smallest of Apple’s notebook line-up, the 13-inch Pro hits a more palatable sweet-spot for balancing power, performance, and functionality. At $1,699 and up, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display sits at the premium end of the notebook market ($500 less than the entry-level 15-inch model, mind, although you do get extra performance for that) but it does offer features that, right now, you can’t get elsewhere. Those for whom sheer power – particularly multimedia editing – is essential should probably opt for the bigger model, but those road warriors looking to pare back weight and bulk without unduly sacrificing usability will find a lot to love in the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.
The artist / designer known as Futura 2000 has executed a rather interesting set of collaborative projects in his lifetime, painting a portfolio of historically significant cross-overs that’s lead him straight to Samsung. The folks at Samsung took the opportunity very recently to team up with Futura for the first time to present a unique use-case for the Galaxy Note 10.1 (tablet with S-Pen stylus) and its major potential in the hands of this creative icon and legend. In our interview we found that though Samsung presents this man as a larger-than-life hero here in their second collaboration (here using the Galaxy Note II as a central device), he’s actually quite the down-to-earth conversationalist, and has shown his approach with the Galaxy Note device series to be made with the same intrigue as your everyday average gadget enthusiast.
The Galaxy Note II event in New York City introduced a project Futura and Samsung would present together immediately following the main keynote that headed off the night. The night ended with a Kanye West concert, but not before Futura’s crowd-sourced digital mural was crafted live as the Samsung press and special guests filtered in to the venue. Made of a vast collection of guest-created images collected from Galaxy Note II devices throughout the night, the artist made one wild amalgamation to shine on its many contributors.
Above: Futura sits amongst the fray at the Galaxy Note II event in NYC. Below: DJ Hudson Mowhawke delivers tunes at the Galaxy Note II event near a giant display showing off the finer points of the Galaxy Note series.
In the hands-on period between the keynote and the concert, Futura sat at attention yet very obviously relaxed in the center of what was essentially a mad rush for touches on the newly available devices. A darkened club atmosphere, bright lights and colorful devices, and the artist in the center of it all, wearing dark pants, sneakers, and a white t-shirt with a leopard print pocket. His demeanor was that of a wise worldly fellow mixed with the seemingly unending hunger for staying on-point with not just his own artwork, but the most interesting and fabulous tools with which to do it.
That’s where Samsung comes in.
Above: Samsung’s Galaxy Note II keynote shows the collection of creative partners they’ve got ready to speak on the features of the Note series at the event.
Futura: They’ve asked me to speak on the creative possibilities on the tablet – specifically with the S-Note function and a lot of the different stuff you can do with the device. Kind of like a paint program, but it’s quite intense. I just got my device recently and within a few days of just messing with it, without even a formal walk-through, I felt like the device was intuitive enough to figure out, and I was able to do some really cool stuff.
Also the pen, itself, is amazing. I’ve worked with tablets before, whether its… you know, other names I don’t need to mention. Those always married up like a mouse. You do what you do with it… *clicking, mouse-movement gesture* within the tablet.
This is quite different.
The intensity, the sensitivity – I was messing around with something and it looked just like I spray painted it!
SlashGear: Have you gotten to use the Note II extensively yet?
F: Ah here, actually, I’ve got it in my back pocket. We’re gonna get plug in on it pretty soon and they’re gonna project my screen on to the monitor there and just go at it.
SG: I [Chris Burns] just got it too and reviewed it for SlashGear – it’s really nice, feels really good. [see our full review of the T-Mobile Galaxy Note II right now if you do so please]
F: Yeah it’s fun – it does feel good, and sexy, yeah.
SG: Your career path has been many different places – it’s always been interesting to see you delving into working with brands. Lots of different brands – designing a bike here, or this or that there – do you see yourself continuing to do that now?
With Samsung specifically, how do you see that affecting your art career?
F: The one thing about Samsung I’m kind of excited about – obviously – is – yeah there’s a list of companies that I’ve collaborated with, put my name on their product, bla bla bla – but I’ve never been [with] a tech company. And one of the biggest tech nerds out there – ever since my advantage, I guess, of going to Asia, for the rest of the whole swarm, I was always into gadgets and stuff like that.
I spent tons of money on all the kinds of stuff. Probably had every phone, PDA, you know, that’s probably been out there – if it’s cool, I may have got my hands on it, you know, as a consumer. So finally, [I get] to work with a brand that’s got a product that I can really use.
At this point Futura hails a server that’s been circling, asking quite politely if he can have two of the spring rolls she’s been serving to the crowd. In such a laid-back environment that this man creates, we can’t resist grabbing a roll as well.
F: There we go! Thank you so much, I’m going to dip this one, *dips from the sauce presented thusly*, thank you!
So all the collaborations. You know, the bike collabo, that makes sense, I guess, you know, Nike. CK1, that was like 6 years ago – maybe not so much. But you know, Samsung though, yeah, this is awesome.
And what I was saying is – you can do some stuff on this device that you can export out. I mean, you know, what, I got an idea for a painting, or a design sketch thing. It’s like other devices can’t just do that. This could be a very interesting addition.
Above: DJ Craze – another of Samsung’s special guests – lays down a few fine musical constructs for party attendees.
SG: If you have a brand, and Samsung, they have a brand – do you feel like this is a cross brand? Your name, Futura, do you feel like that’s a brand?
F: Yes. I do. I have a – I mean I subsequently closed my shop in Japan. You know, I had a shop in Japan where I was making stuff and putting my name on it. And thus those products are from, you know, my brand. But now, no, I’m actually kind of no longer doing that. However –
Skye, grab these foodie people! *Futura once again hails a server via his partner*
Above: The crowd gets thick at the event right before the Kanye session is about to begin.
F: But yes I understand that the Futura signature was once a graffiti tag on the walls of New York subways is now a brand. And I’m cool with that actually. I mean I’m not – I’m choosing these collaborations based on, obviously, what it is, not what the pay day is.
And to some degree, it’s not like – and as I say now, I had to close my store. It’s not like my motive is to manufacture things, put my name on them, you know – I want to pursue my art career. And I recently had a show in New York about a month ago.
I’m trying to get out of that lifestyle, get back into painting.
Above: Futura poses in front of one of his works of art at his recent show: Future-Shock at Valmorbida in New York. Image via 12ozProphet.
Stick around SlashGear for our continued interview series with the top minds in many industries and of many different disciplines, each of them making use of the technology that makes our modern world great. With an artist like Futura creating greatness with a device like the Galaxy Note II as a tool, the tool’s potential shines like a beacon for all to see – and want. Expect tech companies to continue with this trend in the near future – and keep an eye on Futura as he moves into tomorrow right on the cuff with creative intent.
It’s only been half a year since the peculiar PadFone made its much-delayed entry into select markets, and earlier this week, ASUS’ launch of its second-gen phone-in-tablet brings us back to this old question: are we better off with just one mobile screen instead of two? Ask any ordinary manufacturer and the answer is likely the latter, because who doesn’t want to sell more products? Similarly, carriers would likely back such manufacturers for the sake of selling more data plans, even if they admire ASUS’ efforts (and they could already be selling ASUS tablets in the first place). Some folks also argue that if you have to carry the tablet module with you anyway, you might as well have two separate devices for better multitasking.
It seems like there’s a huge mountain to climb here, but on the flip side, ASUS’ innovative differentiation does have some advantages. You only need one data plan (and no tethering required) for both form factors, you get to keep the same data in one place instead of having to duplicate them and you can pretty much instantly switch between a small screen and a large screen for the same content. Not to mention that there’s also the added functionality of charging up the phone while it’s sitting inside the tablet. Alas, the original PadFone and PadFone Station didn’t quite hit the spot: the combined weight and bulk made it tough to justify the phone-in-tablet idea, which is why we said it’s all about the PadFone 2 in our review. Let’s see if ASUS has done it right this time ’round.
It’s time for the most gigantic branding you’ve ever seen on a smartphone, right here live on the Galaxy Note II made by Samsung and plastered by Verizon. What will likely be one of the most sought-after models of the Galaxy Note II here is also being shown to have a Verizon logo on the front on the home button – as big as the home button – with Verizon’s 4G LTE branding on the back panel as well, rather massively. We got ahold of this Verizon Galaxy Note II unit at the Samsung Galaxy Note II World Tour NYC stop this week amid many party favors indeed.
This device is essentially the same as the Samsung Galaxy Note in each other iteration its been released, both nationally and internationally, save for a few details. The apps are slightly different in their abundance – instead of the T-Mobile apps you get on the T-Mobile unit (as we’ve reviewed in full here), you get the Verizon collection. Not all that different from what we’ve seen recently on units such as the Motorola DROID RAZR, including Color installed right out of the box.
We’re also minus the notification pulldown additions that T-Mobile made on their unit, and the settings menu has but one addition – a connection to your data plan from Verizon. In other words, you’re getting the same device no matter which carrier you’re on, save the data speed, the data cost, and the branding. Where the T-Mobile and AT&T versions of this device do not have anything but Samsung on the front, Verizon has flexed its muscle with a home key brand mark.
Have a peek at the few hands-on photos you’ll need to experience the Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Note II for yourself and keep on pressing your face to the screen until the actual unit is available in stores. We’re also getting pumped up about the AT&T 4G LTE version which we’ll be testing out soon as well – data speeds mostly, of course. Don’t forget also to take a peek at our Galaxy Note II international review too – hot stuff!
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We then turned to Cinebench, which benchmarks processor and graphics performance with a mixture of 3D rendering and OpenGL testing. It’s a good way of examining how a system will handle intensive tasks such as video processing, or gaming.
