Hasta La Gadget!

Sony is planning to unveil some new handsets on August 29th before IFA kicks off in Berlin, and it looks like one of those has been detailed well ahead of the event. Mobile-Review has gotten its hands on the Sony LT30p, aka the Mint. In addition to the full specs, there are a bevy of pictures of the device from every angle, plus lots of screenshots of Sony’s user interface on top of Ice Cream Sandwich, which includes some new software tweaks.

The Sony Sony LT30p features a 4.3-inch screen with a 720p resolution, a 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD card slot, microUSB capable of MHL output, microSIM slot, NFC, and a sealed internal battery. The star of the show is the 13-megapixel camera, also capable of 1080p video recording. A front-facing camera capable of 720p can also be found on the device. Mobile-Review indicates the screen is 4.3-inches, but as you can see below, it’s not far off the 4.8-inch Galaxy S III – the handset may be closer to 4.6-inches.

Mobile-Review notes that the hardware is smaller than the Xperia S, allowing for easier one-handed usage, but the most important change is that the phone uses the Ice Cream Sandwich onscreen navigation keys and ditches the physical buttons of the NXT range altogether. Still, other hardware buttons have been placed in a strange place: the power, volume rocker, and camera shutter buttons are all located on the bottom right hand side of the phone.

Software changes, meanwhile, include Small Apps, allowing you quick access to certain application from your homescreens. Mobile-Review provides screenshots of one example, a recording application that can be activated with just one tap. Other apps will reportedly be available for download from the Play Store, but as the phone hasn’t launched yet there aren’t any additional Small Apps. The site has also benchmarked the phone against heavyweights such as the HTC One S and Galaxy S III. It comes up a little short despite running the same Snapdragon S4 processor, but the software most likely hasn’t been finalized yet.

If you want the full details on the phone, head on over to Mobile-Review and take a peek. There’s a ton of screenshots for you to pour over, plus some additional benchmark comparisons.

[via Xperia Blog]

Sony LT30p “Mint” breaks cover, gets early review is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A lot has changed since early 2001. We’ve got a new president approaching the end of his first term, the US has embarked on two major wars and the words “Lady Gaga” have become much more than just gibberish. Some things, however, don’t change. In nearly each of these intervening years, Apple has issued a major update to its desktop operating system, OS X. This time last year, the company issued OS 10.7 Lion, a king-of-the-jungle moniker many thought would mark the end of Apple’s big cat naming scheme and, by extension, the OS X lineage. In February, however, the old operating system showed she still had some life left in her, when the next edition was revealed, arriving over the summer and called Mountain Lion.

Based on the name alone, you’d think 10.8 would be a modest improvement over its predecessor — not unlike the baby step between Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6). But Apple insists that this latest build is more than just a seasonal refresh — in all, it boasts more than 200 new features. Some are major, including things like a new Notification Center, AirPlay Mirroring and a desktop version of Messages. Others, such as full-screen mode for Notes… not so much. What seems to unite the vast majority of the 200 features, however, is a nod to iOS. So, how easily can Mac users justify that $20 download? Follow along after the break, as we put those 200 features to the test.

Continue reading Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 review

Filed under: Software

Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

With dozens and dozens of Ultrabooks on parade, you’d be forgiven if one skinny laptop with an ultra-low voltage processor started to look like the next. Even so, it’s tough to forget the Acer Aspire S5: of all the ultraportables we’ve seen these last nine months, this is the only one with a motorized port cover. Yeah, that one. It’s an intriguing product, to be sure, and the stakes are especially high given that $1,400 price: you’d have to really enjoy that form factor (and everything else) to choose it over some less expensive ultraportable. So is it worth it? Is that drop-down door anything more than a gimmick? Questions for the ages, and ones we’ll tackle in our full review after the break.

Continue reading Acer Aspire S5 review: is this innovative Ultrabook worth $1,400?

Filed under: Laptops

Acer Aspire S5 review: is this innovative Ultrabook worth $1,400? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

If the LG Optimus Vu’s insistence on running Gingerbread was the sole factor keeping you from its 5-inch HD-IPS display and its goofy 4:3 aspect ratio, your prayers may have been answered. According to a leaked gallery of images at Android Police, the oversized slab’s rumored Verizon variant will be running Android 4.0.4. The images don’t reveal much else –save for big red’s standard logo, prominently stamped above the device’s face — but that’s one less negative you can count from our review. Check out a second shot after the break, or the full gallery at the source below.

Continue reading Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade

Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Android Police  | Email this | Comments

When it comes to storied products, the Motorola Atrix has already mushroomed into one prolific line of devices, even in its short, 18-month life. It began as the Atrix 4G, entering the market with a splashy press conference at CES 2011, earning our respect as a game-changer, with its fingerprint sensor and innovative Webtop system. Less than a year later we were treated to the sequel, which offered some incremental improvements in specs and design, but failed to dazzle techies the way the original did.

Enter the third installment of the Atrix saga: the Atrix HD. True to its name, Motorola’s latest device is the company’s first US-bound smartphone to take advantage of a 720p display. It’s also the outfit’s first handset to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich already installed, and it sweetens the pot with other goodies such as LTE and an 8-megapixel rear camera. The spec sheet looks promising, and at $99 with a two-year agreement, so does the price. So is it worth your hard-earned Benjamin and two more years with AT&T? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Motorola Atrix HD review

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Motorola Atrix HD review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments