Hasta La Gadget!

Huawei had said it would deliver the Ascend Q in August, and it didn’t waste a moment — Cricket is selling the Android 2.3 messager as of today for $140 on its prepaid smartphone plans. While the OS, 800MHz processor, 3.2-inch display and fixed-focus 3.2-megapixel camera won’t knock any socks off, we found the Ascend Q a solid phone for compulsive chatters when we tried it last month. There’s also a 4GB microSD card in the box to get the ball rolling. One minor surprise: Muve Music is getting a minor boost through DTS audio processing that reportedly fills out the sound. As long as there’s no expectations of a media extravaganza, Huawei’s new hardware could be one of the better bargains in Cricket’s stable.

Filed under: Cellphones

Cricket ships Huawei Ascend Q, offers Android chatting for $140 prepaid originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft may be preparing a massive software launch for Windows 8 later this year, but it looks like the company is also readying some new accessories to go along with the update. A new keyboard made by Microsoft has been spotted by Czech site WinMAG that seems to be designed for portable use with mobile devices like tablets. On top of that, the keyboard will feature the new Windows logo.

The keyboard will reportedly be introduced “very soon”, and will be sold alongside Windows 8 when the update launches this Fall. It marks the first time we’ve seen the new logo used on Windows related hardware other than Surface, although Microsoft has indicated in the past that its various partners will begin to use the redesigned logo on desktops, laptops, and other hardware going forward.

Windows 8, meanwhile, is Microsoft’s big gambit. The company has redesigned the OS to put the Metro interface front and center, and is even using two different versions of the OS for tablets and traditional PC hardware. Tablets will run Windows RT, a stripped down version of Windows 8 that will run Metro-only apps, while Windows 8 can run both Metro apps and traditional desktop applications. Windows RT will leverage ARM-based processors for tablets as well, allowing for extended battery life compared to previous Windows tablet attempts.

[via The Verge]

Microsoft readying Wedge keyboard with new Window 8 logo is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s obviously the week for Android QWERTY candybars, with Motorola following Samsung’s Galaxy Chat with a touch-and-type of its own, the Motorola DEFY PRO. Built around a thumbboard and a 2.7-inch touchscreen, the DEFY PRO is targeted at the business user who might be bored with their BlackBerry, promising document handling as well as multi-mode support for work and play.

On the back there’s a 5-megapixel camera, with autofocus and an LED flash, and a front-facing camera above the display does for video calls. You also get WiFi and Bluetooth, along with DLNA streaming support and a 2GB card preloaded into the microSD slot.

Motorola has preset three different “Views” for different activities. Outdoor View prioritizes the weather; Hiking View uses the phone’s compass and GPS for navigating the wilderness; and Workout View offers a pedometer and calorie count, together with a stopwatch.

It’s not exactly the most inspiring of Android phones, but candybar-format devices with both QWERTY and touch are still relatively rare in the market, so fans have to take what they’re given. The Motorola DEFY PRO will go on sale in Brazil by July 15, the company says. No word on pricing, nor indeed if other countries will get the handset.

Motorola DEFY PRO targets bored BlackBerry users is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We didn’t have to wait long to find out what Samsung would do with the GT-B5330 we saw just a day ago: meet the much more elegantly-titled Galaxy Chat. The finished product is Samsung’s first phone outside of the Galaxy S III to carry the Nature UX layer, but takes it in a very message-happy direction with a QWERTY keyboard, a bundled copy of Quick Office and a dedicated key for ChatON that reminds us of the BlackBerry Curve 9320’s BBM shortcut. Not that you’d confuse the two otherwise, as the Galaxy Chat’s 3-inch, 480 x 320 touchscreen and 4GB of built-in storage (plus a microSD slot) are decided steps up. About our only letdowns relative to the category are the 2-megapixel, flashless camera at the back and the difficulty some will have in getting their hands on Samsung’s first keyboard-touting Android 4.0 phone. Unlike the global blitz we saw with the Galaxy S III, the Chat is launching in Spain this month and will exclude some large swaths of the Earth when it goes worldwide later on, leaving out Africa, North America and Russia.

Samsung Galaxy Chat brings Nature UX to the messaging crowd originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things aren’t looking good for RIM. The Q1 2013 fiscal results showed a massive loss, 5,000 jobs need to be cut from the company, and BlackBerry 10 has been delayed until next year. Reuters reported earlier this morning that Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer approached the troubled company in the past, courting them for a potential Windows Phone tie-up. RIM could turn towards Android too, with Google’s Matias Duarte believing the company could make some great Android hardware.

In an interview with ABC News, Duarte expresses his love for hardware keyboards: “I am still a huge fan of hardware keyboards. Many of the products I have worked on in the past have had them. I think there is a place for them — it’s all about choice and different types of devices.”

Duarte goes on to say that he would be glad to see RIM jump aboard Android: “If RIM wanted to work on Android devices, I would really welcome that. They clearly make great physical keyboards.” Still, the mobile landscape has shifted, with on-screen keyboards having almost completely replacing hardware offerings. There are one or two products from the likes of Motorola that feature portrait QWERTY keyboards, but nothing that can compare to high-end smartphones from HTC or Samsung.

Android BlackBerry could be QWERTY heaven says Google design chief is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.