Hasta La Gadget!

Gionee isn’t exactly a name that you’d come across in the Western market every day, but this time, the Chinese company has big global ambitions. The latest proof is its Elife E7, a 5.5-inch 1080p Android phone that boasts two titles: it’s the first known phone featuring the 2.5GHz flavor of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chip (MSM8974AC); plus it has the most sensitive 16-megapixel camera, courtesy of its Largan M8 lens (though the aperture is still unknown) and 1/2.3-inch sensor with large 1.34µm pixels. Compared to the competition, Gionee believes this particular OmniVision sensor has the best balance between resolution and pixel size, and the phone maker even went as far as claiming this already beats the 1.12µm, 16-megapixel counterpart on the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy S 5. Of course, we’ll believe it when we get to properly test the E7’s camera ourselves.

%Gallery-slideshow123339% %Gallery-slideshow123346%

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Gionee (Chinese)

If you’re still enjoying that fresh Snapdragon 800 CPU, guess what? Qualcomm’s just trumped it with a new model: the Snapdragon 805 ‘Ultra HD’ quad-core processor. The most headline-grabbing feature is UltraHD video playback on your tablet, smartphone or Smart TV — so you can finally watch that 4K video you recorded. To do that, it’s packing the latest Adreno 420 GPU, which Qualcomm claims has as much as 40 percent more graphics horsepower than previous models. On top of that, the Krait 450 CPU’s four cores will each run at up to 2.5GHz and communicate with memory at 25.6 GB/second max, to make all apps run faster.

The new processor will also come with the 28nm Gobi MDM9x25 modem announced earlier this year, in order to support LTE carrier aggregation (and the resulting higher speeds) and 150Mbps LTE 4. Another option will be a new LTE modem, the 20nm Gobi MDM9x35, which pairs with the WTR3925 chip to bring up to 300Mbps download speeds via LTE advanced. Qualcomm said that both chips support “all carrier aggregation band combinations approved by 3GPP” while enabling manufacturers to bring LTE devices to market faster. Finally, there’s a new mobile camera processor that supports gigapixel throughput and gyro-based image stabilization, for smoother video recording and faster image processing. All of that will come in a package that consumes less power, according to Qualcomm, who added that owning a Snapdragon 805-equipped device will be like “having an UltraHD theater in your pocket.” Don’t sell that Galaxy Note 3 just yet, though — Qualcomm said manufacturer sampling won’t start until next year, meaning actual devices are still a ways off.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD, Mobile

Comments

Source: Qualcomm (1), (2)

The follow-up to AT&T’s Unite LTE hotspot has arrived in time to keep folks connected during their holiday travels. Like its predecessor, the newly launched Unite Pro has a 2.4-inch touchscreen panel where users can change the WiFi network’s info, as well as monitor usage and battery life. The Unite Pro, however, ups the ante by connecting to as many as 15 gadgets, while promising up to 16 hours of use in one charge and having the capability to juice up a device jacked into it. What’s more, the portable modem even packs LTE-A and dual-band WiFi support. Those upgrades do come at a premium — while the original Unite cost mere 99 cents with a two-year contract, the Unite Pro will set you back $50 up front when it’s available on November 22nd. Feeling particularly jazzed about the hardware? Head past the break for a video overview.

Filed under: Mobile, AT&T

Comments

Source: AT&T

Those on our side of the pond who’ve been lusting after LG’s intriguingly flexible handset might’ve seethed with jealousy after finding out it’s heading to Asia and Europe later this year. Thankfully, the US will get its very own version of the LG G Flex as well, if this FCC filing is any indication. The document reveals an LG D959 — the G Flex’s model number — with LTE band 17, a sure sign that the phone is headed to the Ma Bell network. Other tidbits gleaned from the listing suggest that the G Flex also has quad-band GSM support, 802.11a/ac/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and GPS, most of which we already knew. At last, it seems that we’ll be that much closer to seeing how LG’s bendy smartphone compares to its curvy competitor.

Update: It appears the FCC document also listed LTE Band 4 (AWS), which means it might head to T-Mobile as well.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

Comments

FCC

AT&T will no longer offer per-minute billing plans to most of its new customers, reports the Wall Street Journal. Following the industry trend towards unlimited talk time and texts, the company will only offer one per-minute plan, a meager 450 minutes per month for about $40, plus extra for texts and data. It will focus […]