Hasta La Gadget!

The saga of Samsung’s Galaxy S Relay 4G (né Galaxy S Blaze Q) continues. In this latest episode, we’re presented with an annotated set of pictures showing each side of the device — courtesy of Samsung’s very own US support site. Of course, this further confirms the handset’s new name, which is just as terrible as the old name. No matter — if you’re a fan of QWERTY sliders this is definitely a phone to keep an eye on. While the full specs remain a mystery, previous leaks have confirmed HSPA+ 42Mbps support for T-Mobile’s AWS network, a 4-inch screen (probably not HD) and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4). There’s still no word on pricing or availability, but an official announcement can’t be far behind, right?

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xiaomi may not be the first company that springs to mind when considering a new smartphone, with the company based in China and predominantly serving local customers, but its latest smartphone will certainly turn more than just a few heads. Engadget reports that the Xiaomi Phone 2 was announced at an event in Beijing today, featuring some impressive specs, such as a 4.3-inch 720p IPS display and quad-core Qualcomm processor.

The handset is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chip, the APQ8064, a quad-core 28nm-based SoC clocked at 1.5Ghz. The company was keen to show off benchmarks using various apps such as AnTuTu and Quadrant, with the phone clocking 14085 and 7787 respectively. The handset is also powered by 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of memory, with the 4.3-inch IPS display manufactured by Sharp. The pixel density works out at 342 PPI, beating out the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S III, and HTC One X. The touchscreen also makes use of in-cell technology which decreases thickness, something that Apple is rumored to be using for the next iPhone.

A 27mm eight megapixel camera with backside illuminated sensor is found on the rear of the phone, and a 28mm two megapixel camera has been placed on the front. The main camera is capable of recording 1080p video at 30fps, or 720p at 90fps. The standard phone comes with a 2,000mAh battery, but those who want to get through a full day and then some can pick up a 3,000mAh option that will increase the thickness of the phone by 2mm.

The Xiaomi Phone 2 will be running a custom MIUI interface, but it will be on top of the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean. The company will be offering the handset for an unsubsidized price of ¥1,999 (~$314), but Chinese carriers such as China Telecom and China Unicom will be offering the HSPA+ phone for lower prices as part of a contract. The only question left to ask is when can we get our hands on one?

Xiaomi Phone 2: quad-core Krait, 4.3″ 720p IPS, and Jelly Bean is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Remember Samsung’s Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint? Think that name was a mouthful? Well here’s a press shot of — wait for it — Samsung’s SGH-T699 aka. Galaxy S Blaze Q, a QWERTY slider for T-Mobile that’s been leaked before. Beyond the terrible name, the August 15th mention on the screen appears to confirm the previous launch date rumors. Spec-wise, the phone is expected to pack a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. There’s also mention of 1080p video capture and a 720p display — the latter being unlikely in light of the large amount of bezel surrounding the screen (Samsung’s smallest HD Super AMOLED display is 4.65-inches across). Our guess is that T-Mobile’s just complementing Samsung’s existing Galaxy S Blaze 4G with a mid-range QWERTY slider, but we’ll find out soon enough.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q leaks in August 15th-dated press shot, keeps terrible name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a whole five months since Sony released its last flagship Android smartphone, so clearly it’s time for another. Benchmarks have emerged of the Sony LT25 “Tsubasa”, with soruces speaking to Xperia Blog indicating that it will be a smartphone heading to multiple carriers across the world. Both LTE and HSPA+ models of the phone will be offered, with specs said to include a 720p screen, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, and LTE connectivity.

NeNaMark 2 results show that the handset features a 1196×720 display, with the 84 missing pixels taken up by the on screen buttons in Ice Cream Sandwich. An Adreno 225 GPU is also onboard, which means we should be looking at Qualcomm’s extremely popular Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 SoC.

AnTuTu indicates that the clock speed is 1.5Ghz, so Sony’s latest handset should feature the same silicon that HTC and Samsung are using for their phones in the United States. Several carrier variants are in the works too: the LT25c is said to be tailor made for China Telecom, the SO-01E will make an appearance on NTT DoCoMo, the SOL21 will feature on KDDI, and the LT25i and LT25i will be LTE and HSPA+ models for other international markets.

Sony has an event at IFA 2012 lined up, and we’d hazard a guess that it’s where we’ll see this new handset, along with the recently leaked Sony Xperia Tablet. Sony’s event starts on August 29th, and we’ll bring you coverage of all the goodies that Sony unveils on the big day.

[via Unwired View]

Sony LT25 “Tsubasa” tipped for Snapdragon S4, 720p display is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amid rumors that Chinese startup Xiaomi will soon be bringing out its next-gen Android smartphone, various spy shots have been circulating around the web. However, a company representative has already shot them down by claiming they were all rejected designs, though the same person told CNMO that the so-called “Xiaomi Phone 2” will feature a larger display as well as Qualcomm’s quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz. If true, this would make the new Xiaomi Phone officially the first smartphone to pack the beefy APQ8064 silicon, which should be no surprise given the tight partnership between Xiaomi and Qualcomm — not to mention that the latter is also a notable investor of the phone maker. As to when we’ll know the truth, Sina Tech is reporting that according to an insider, Xiaomi will be hosting the launch event on August 16th and will, oddly enough, offer tickets to non-media attendees for ¥199 (about $30) per head. On the contrary, fans were able to just walk into the unveiling of the original Xiaomi Phone — three million of which have been sold as of June.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun and his colleagues have been showing off the minimalistic, eco-friendly packaging of their upcoming second-gen smartphone — more pics after the break. And as before, the company pulled the standing-on-box stunt again, only this time they bumped the weight from 85kg to 180kg which obviously required an extra fellow, as you can see in the intimate photo above. Looks like the new MIUI flagship device is all set for a safe delivery — all we need now is a price.

Continue reading Xiaomi Phone 2 may debut on August 16th, packaging will withstand 180kg of weight

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Xiaomi Phone 2 may debut on August 16th, packaging will withstand 180kg of weight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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