Hasta La Gadget!

At long last, the iPhone 5. We just got our hands on Apple’s latest smartphone following its unveiling in San Francisco, and suffice it to say, it’s a beautiful thing. Some might say we’ve been waiting for this moment since October 4th of last year, but another crowd may say that the real next-gen iPhone has been on the burner for much longer. Indeed, this is the first iPhone since June of 2010 to showcase an entirely new design, but it’s obvious that Apple’s not going to deviate far when it comes to aesthetics.

Apple followers will aptly recall Steve Jobs’ quote in July of 2010 — you know, that one about “no one” wanting a big phone, with current CEO Tim Cook seated just feet from Steve as the phrase was uttered. Now, however, Apple’s inching ever closer to that very realm, with an elongated 4-inch display that enables new apps to take advantage of more pixels (1,136 x 640), while legacy apps can still operate within a familiar space. The phone itself doesn’t feel too much different than the iPhone 4 and 4S; yes, it’s a bit taller, but by keeping the width the same, you’ll utilize a very familiar grasp to hold it.

In typical Apple fashion, even the finest details have been worked over tirelessly. The metal feels downright elegant to the touch, and the same line we’ve said time and time again applies here: there’s no doubting the premium fit and finish when you clutch one of these things. Yeah, the headphone port’s now on the bottom, but avid Galaxy Nexus iPod touch users shouldn’t have too much trouble adjusting.

Continue reading iPhone 5 hands-on!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

iPhone 5 hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As we were wandering the floor today at IDF 2012, we happened upon an OCZ rep who pulled the company’s new 2.5-inch SATA 3 SSD out of his pocket and let us get our mitts on it. Called the Vector, it will replace the well-received Vertex 4 at the top of OCZ’s lineup. Like its predecessor, the Vertex packs an Indilinx controller, but this time it’s the Barefoot 3, which was developed totally in-house without any assistance from Marvell designs. You can expect to see 256GB and 512GB versions of the Vector hit the market in Q4, with other sizes possibly showing up after. Of course, IOPS, read/write speeds and pricing remain a mystery, but we can share the gallery of shots below.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Filed under: Storage

OCZ’s new Vector SSD breaks cover at IDF, packs in-house developed Indilinx controller originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 01:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you believe us if we told you Sony packed a full-frame sensor in a Cyber-shot-branded camera? It’s true! Say hello to the RX1, a “compact” digital camera for pros that’s packing the same 24.3MP Exmor CMOS sensor introduced today with the A99. Calling the rangefinder-esque one-pound shooter small might seem off-base, especially considering the Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.0 fixed prime lens protruding from its front, but it’s not so huge (3-inches high by 4.5-inches wide) up against its tiny sibling, the RX100 — taking into account how much larger the RX1’s sensor is, well, that’s when this editor’s jaw basically dropped. While it’s not a “pro-NEX” as many had hoped, Sony explained that it chose a fixed lens to avoid the bulk of a lens-mount. We were able to get some eyes-on time with an engineering prototype of the unit, so click past the break for more details, close-ups and a brief video overview.

Continue reading Sony’s Cyber-shot RX1 compact camera packs a full-frame sensor, ‘fits in your palm’ (hands-on)

Filed under: Cameras

Sony’s Cyber-shot RX1 compact camera packs a full-frame sensor, ‘fits in your palm’ (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does the NEX lineup need another model? Sony reckons it does. Meet the NEX-6. The company’s latest mirrorless camera looks nearly identical to last year’s top-of-the-line NEX-7, with the exception of a new dedicated mode dial, that lets you switch between aperture- and shutter-priority, manual, or scene modes with a hardware control rather than a need to jump into the menu. It offers the same pop-up flash (with a bit more power), a 3-inch 921k-dot TruBlack tilting LCD, an identical 2,359k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder and a strikingly familiar design. And that’s where the similarities screech to a grinding halt.

The NEX-6 is a hybrid camera of sorts, merging the best of the NEX-7 and the new 5R into a compact ILC that Sony says is its first to offer “full DSLR functionality.” You won’t be able to snag full-frame captures, as with Sony’s brand new Alpha A99, but the 16.1-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor should get you well on your way. There’s also low-light shooting through ISO 25,600, 1080/60p video, a 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting mode, the new Fast Hybrid autofocus system first introduced with the NEX-5R and a new Multi Interface Shoe that lets you interface with a bunch of new accessories, including a hot shoe-mounted XLR mic input rig ($800). Join us past the break for our impressions and hands-on video.

Continue reading Sony NEX-6 mirrorless cam squeezes in between 5R and 7 with WiFi, EVF and dedicated mode dial (hands-on video)

Filed under: Cameras

Sony NEX-6 mirrorless cam squeezes in between 5R and 7 with WiFi, EVF and dedicated mode dial (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The next-generation Samsung Galaxy Note II is bringing on some new powerful features in its international version in the form of Airview, a brand new user interface that appears when you pop your S-Pen from its slot! Though we’ve still got no confirmation on when, if, or how this device will be appearing in the Untied States on US carriers, we can see here that Samsung does, once again, intend on bringing the device stateside soon enough. This device is next in line in Samsung’s Note branded family of devices with a 5.5-inch display and a brand new bit of S-Pen hardware as well.

This device once again has a slot inside it where your S-Pen can rest while it’s in your pocket. As an added bonus, it’s got a special alert that notifies you if you’re leaving the area without your pen in its dock, this a great feature for those that are forgetful. This S-Pen and the technology that surrounds it is able to detect interaction between the pen and the display even before they physically touch, shown here in the hands-on video at right about the 1 minute mark.

The Airview user interface shows a new homepage which you can customize for special S-Pen friendly apps. You’re able to work with preview video with picture-in-picture as you were with the Galaxy S III, here called Pop Up Play with full resizability available as well. With the S-Pen you’re able to highlight items in the web browser and scroll through webpages too. Essentially there’s a whole lot of hovering going on.

Have a peek at our full Samsung Galaxy Note II coverage in the timeline below and be sure to check out all of our hands-on experiences, too. We’ve also got reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the original Galaxy Note for your perusal. While we wait for this device to pop up on the shores of the USA in carrier iterations, we’ll be rolling hard with the Samsung Galaxy S III and debating whether or not it makes sense to join the LG team for their competing phablet device, the LG Intuition – stay tuned!

Samsung Galaxy Note II shows off hovering S-Pen hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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