Hasta La Gadget!

When MediaTek announced that it would be producing true eight-core mobile processors later this year, we knew it was only a matter of time before its main rival Qualcomm chimed in. As illustrated by a set of guitar amplifiers, the San Diego gang explains that while they rebuild their CPU cores for each generation (the latest architectures being Krait 300 and Krait 400), they claim that “Our Competitor” — which is labeled with the same font and colors as MediaTek’s logo — simply “chooses to duplicate the same old cores” based on ARM’s slower Cortex-A7 architecture. That said, it’s worth a reminder that Qualcomm’s cheaper Snapdragon 400 range also uses Cortex-A7.

Later on in the video, Qualcomm uses a Guitar Hero-like visualization to compare the performance difference, as well as show how octa-core is overrated for most apps. Apparently only 17 out of the top 20 Android apps in China use two cores at most, hence the bare fretboard for the octa-core side. The Snapdragon side, meanwhile, combs through a denser bunch of apps at a higher speed. Of course, there’s bound to be some bias here, so only time will tell how close to reality this argument is. Until then, enjoy the cheeky clip after the break.

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Did you think Huawei’s Ascend P6 was a slim smartphone? It has nothing on BBK’s just-unveiled Vivo X3. Despite a 5-inch (if 720p) screen, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a front 5-megapixel shooter and a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, the X3 measures a wafer-like 5.75mm thick in its blue variant. There’s plenty of party tricks under the hood, too — the Android 4.2 device has both an infrared sensor for touch-free gestures and a dedicated audio chip from ESS. It also preserves much of the better hardware from its slower and thicker X1S cousin, including the 16GB of non-expandable storage and the 2,000mAh battery. The Vivo X3 ships to China on September 1st for the same ¥2,498 ($408) as the X1S. If the device proves tempting, you can check out the Engadget Chinese hands-on; their English-language video is available after the break.

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: Vivo

It seems that the entry-level Kindle Fire tablets from Amazon will be easy on the pockets and bank balances as well, as those are rumored to arrive with MediaTek-made mobile chipsets from next year onwards. If this particular rumor were to be true, then it would most definitely be a “win” for the chip maker which happens to be based in Taiwan. After all, MediaTek is right now a household name in Asia (with China making up most of the bulk), where it acts as a chipset supplier for plenty of ‘white box’ mobile devices, which being a leading supplier for the up-and-coming Chinese mobile brands.

So far, we do know that Sony, Acer, and LG might be mulling over the possibility of throwing their lot with MediaTek down the road, having already included MediaTek chipsets in some of their more affordable handsets to date. Should Amazon’s Kindle Fire (2014 model) come with a MediaTek chipset, it would be a huge win for the latter, where brand-name recognition is concerned. The chipset that would most probably debut then would be the MediaTek MT8135, which happens to be based on ARM’s big.LITTLE design, in a similar manner as that of the Samsung Exynos Octa.

Kindle Fire Tablets Rumored To Come With MediaTek Chips In 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

Dual-SIM phones are handy in regions where international travel and prepaid service are common, but even those devices aren’t always enough for jetsetters. Thankfully, GooPhone and LG have come to those customers’ rescue by launching the first smartphones based on a new MediaTek Triple-SIM chip. Both the leaked GooPhone X1+ (shown above) and a just-shipped variant of the Optimus L4 II (after the break) can juggle three phone lines without a big hit to battery life. Neither tri-SIM phone is high-end: the X1+ reportedly carries a 5-inch FWVGA display and a dual-core MT6572 processor, while the L4 II sports a 3.8-inch HVGA screen and an unnamed 1GHz chip. Despite those limitations, we suspect the handsets will be vital to anyone who’d rather not switch SIMs when crossing the border. LG’s phone is already on sale in Brazil, while the GooPhone X1+ should ship to multiple countries within the next several days.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Via: TechKiddy, CNXSoft

Source: PConline (translated), Webfones (translated)

In response to a question about whether Qualcomm will create an eight-core processor like MediaTek’s upcoming model, Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher told a Taiwanese publication “we don’t do dumb things.” He added that “you can’t take eight lawnmower engines, put them together and now claim you have an eight-cylinder Ferrari.” Instead, he said Qualcomm is focused on good modems, long battery life and affordability, rather than “simply throwing cores together.” Though MediaTek had no comment on that, it claimed earlier that all eight cores in its upcoming CPU can operate at the same time to improve stability and battery life — unlike the Exynos 5’s big.LITTLE configuration, for instance. Whether you agree with Chandrasekher or not, eight seems better than four, meaning most CPU outfits — including Qualcomm — will likely jump on the octa-core bandwagon.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets

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Via: PC World

Source: Taiwan Media Roundtable