Hasta La Gadget!

LG is mulling a return to the tablet market, Korean sources claim, with a new model tipped for release sometime in the second half of 2013, and potentially as early as Q3. Details of the speculated slate are in short supply, and according to Munhwa it’s uncertain whether LG will opt for Windows or Android to power its renewed attempt on the big-screen mobility ecosystem.

LG’s tablet ambitions were scuppered in 2012, when the company confirmed it would sideline its slate plans so as to focus instead on smartphones. Its Optimus Pad failed to gain traction, and fellow Android device OEMs pushed prices low to undercut Apple’s iPad.

Since then, however, we’ve seen Windows 8/RT arrive, as well as some success among Android devices, fueled in no small part by the low-cost Nexus 7 ASUS manufactures for Google. Meanwhile, we’ve also seen some movement in the high-end Android tablet world, with high-res options like Samsung’s Nexus 10 out-performing the iPad’s Retina Display in terms of pixel density.

That might pave the way for LG to use some of its display arm’s homegrown screen talents. Back at CES, LG Display showed off a 7-inch, 324ppi 1920 x 1200 tablet panel, among others, which seems ideally suited for a small tablet rival to the much-speculated iPad mini with Retina Display.

Of course, there’s not only Android to consider. LG could also opt for Windows 8 or Windows RT, joining a relatively limited market of tablets running Microsoft’s platform. Whether the potential rewards for taking on Microsoft’s own Surface are considered rich enough for LG remains to be seen, however.

[via TechEye]

LG tablet redux in 2013 tip sources is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Windows Julie Larson-Green was at WIRED’s Business Conference today, and she was put on the spot when asked by interviewer and WIRED Senior Editor Michael V. Copeland about the apparently sluggish start for Windows RT. RT’s failure is a consumer education problem, according to Larson-Green, since it’s very different from what’s come before.

Windows RT, for those unfamiliar or confused by the new familial breakdown of Windows following the introduction of version 8, is a lightweight version designed for ARM-powered devices (vs. x86, the architecture which full Windows OS runs on), which doesn’t offer access to the full suite of Windows software. According to our own Matt Burns, that has resulted in a big app gap, and made the Surface RT essentially a glorified web browsing tablet, which sounds like something different from a simple matter of properly framing the product.

“I think we have some work to do on explaining it to people because it’s different,” Larson-Green said. “They’re just so used to Windows meaning backward compatibility in all the programs that you use today. I use Surface RT as my main computing device, I connect to a corporate network using my virtual smart card and VPN when I need to, Office is already on there […] it’s just a simpler experience and then the Surface Pro has the flexibility if you want to work on the details.”

“I love my Surface RT,” was a common refrain from Larson-Green even into the Q&A, who later characterized it as a device for casual consumption mostly, especially filling a niche for “weekend” use. Even the dual nature of her defense of the Microsoft tablet shows that it still needs work at Microsoft itself in terms of fleshing out its role in the consumer ecosystem, which probably isn’t helping the company properly explain its purpose to the buying public.

The Surface RT is estimated to have sold only around 1 million units total since its launch late in 2012, far under its reported initial estimates of 3 million or so. Other OEMs have balked at the RT line in the meantime, with Acer waiting on launching its RT slate until at least Q2 of this year.

While fans of the HTC One were pushing for a tablet version of their new Android smartphone, the company appears to have been busy creating not one, but two new devices. Android is not on the docket this time around, it’s been tipped – instead HTC seems to have been swayed by Microsoft to the tune of Windows RT. And not just any Windows RT: the new and improved Windows RT Blue.

If you’ve heard of Windows Blue, you know that Microsoft isn’t necessarily thrilled about the idea that their original Windows 8 user interface hasn’t taken off at the rate that they’d planned. The “Blue” addition to both Windows 8 and Windows RT is said to make marked improvements on the operating system’s user interface based on user feedback, these improvements being largely touch-based and user-friendly.

The rumor that HTC is bringing two tablets to the market with Windows RT is not unfounded – there’ve been plenty of tips surrounding HTC’s return to the tablet market since they decided to exit not long after their first two Android attempts (with the HTC Flyer and HTC Jetstream, that is). Here though, Windows RT Blue will be used, not Android.

HTC is said to be bringing a device called HTC R7 to the market alongside one called HTC R12. The HTC R7 is said to be bringing a 7-inch Full HD display along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.3GHz processor, more powerful than the Snapdragon 600 processor found in the LG Optimus G Pro, Samsung GALAXY S 4, and HTC One with a single step up the ladder.

The HTC R7 is also said to be bringing a now-standard 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for memory expansion. This device is being tipped as bringing a 13 megapixel camera on its back along with wireless connectivity through 4G LTE / HSPA+ radios, Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and A-GPS.

The HTC R12 will be bringing a set of specifications that matches the HTC R7 with one large difference. The HTC R12 is being tipped as bringing a 12-inch display with 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. That’s essentially unheard of in a device such as this, especially in a Windows RT package.

You’ll find both of these devices – if they do come to fruition – appearing for launch on October 13th right alongside the launch of Windows Blue. This release time will also be marked by a launch of the second wave of Microsoft Surface tablets, it’s said, with Microsoft aiming for holiday sales galore.

[via PhoneArena]

HTC tablets tipped with Windows RT Blue aboard is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ever since Acer’s Linxian Lang said that Microsoft would eat “hard rice” for building its own Windows RT hardware, the company has treated the operating system with something bordering on contempt. When asked about Acer’s long-gestating RT device, Acer president Jim Wong said “to be honest, there’s no value doing [hardware for] the current version of RT.” Given the underwhelming interest in RT gear that other companies have reported, we’re not sure if Wong’s comments qualify as a sick burn or merely kicking an adolescent piece of software when it’s down.

Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft, Acer

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Via: AllThingsD

Source: CITEworld

Back on April 11, we heard rumor that Microsoft is working on a 7-inch Surface tablet, with the information being provided to The Wall Street Journal by unnamed sources. That rumor has surfaced again, this time with NPD DisplaySearch telling the folks over at CNET that Microsoft will produce a 7.5-inch tablet of some sort, and that unlike the late-2013 date supplied by the original sources, the tablet won’t be available until 2014.

According to the first rumor, the tablet would go into production later this year. But NPD DisplaySearch’s analyst Richard Shim says: “From the supply chain side, we’re seeing the panel specifications, the touch module, the mass production schedule being made … Mass production is Q1 2014. Apparently, pretty significant volume. Multiple millions.”

The rumored tablet is said to have a 7.5-inch display with a resolution of 1400 x 1050 (233 ppi), which puts it ahead of both the iPad mini and Nexus 7. The price, however, will still be on the higher end, with a different source saying that Microsoft is aiming at $399, but that the price may drop below that. The company has been taking steps to get the price lower, which includes changing panel suppliers.

It’s worth noting, however, that a few days ago DigiTimes published a piece alleging that Microsoft will be rolling out a second-gen Surface tablet that measures in between 7 and 9 inches and will be announced soon, possibly this summer. Such a rumor is more in line with the rumor heard earlier this month via the WSJ, but until Microsoft says anything official, it is all speculation at this point.

[via CNET]

Microsoft reportedly to produce 7.5 inch tablet is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.