AndyPad Pro review

Picture the scene: you’re checking your emails on a shiny new device (worth two months pay) and from nowhere, a greasy-fingered infant is screaming at you to play. Reluctantly, you pass it over, watching your own hands cup the air beneath any potential drop zone, wondering how best to explain the jam-smeared calamity to your insurance company. Then you wonder if there isn’t a useful, hard-wearing and cheap device you could let them play on without fear of bankruptcy. That’s what prompted Norwich-based bedding magnate Andrew Kerry to conceive the AndyPad, an inexpensive, 7-inch Android tablet he could fling at kids. It wasn’t long before jealous adults were demanding their own version, so a tooled-up edition of the device called the AndyPad Pro was born.

The tablet is currently UK-only and it retails for a lot less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 (£280; $345 on Amazon) and Acer Iconia Tab A100 (£273 for the 8GB version; $328 on Amazon), and HTC Flyer (£330; $499 on Amazon). What’s more, Verticool, an outfit founded by a man more famous for his Mattressman chain than any interest in technology, believes it can match the competition in a fair fight. Do the electronics giants have something to fear from the bargain-basement tablet or does it promise much and deliver little? Read on to find out.

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AndyPad Pro review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb

Samsung has just unveiled a rather unexpected addition to its fleet of tablets, with the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Available in both 16GB and 32GB varieties, this new slate is fueled by a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb and features a seven-inch LCD with 1024 x 600 resolution. It also packs a two megapixel front-facing camera, along with a three megapixel shooter that supports 720p video, boasts 1GB of RAM and ships with Sammy’s TouchWiz UI baked-in. In terms of connectivity, you’ll find support for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G with 21Mbps HSPA and the usual smattering of Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS capabilities. In addition, this little guy offers WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, along with support for channel bonding and apt-X Codec for Bluetooth. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the 7.0 Plus is slated to hit Indonesia and Austria by the end of October, before rolling out internationally. Slide past the break for more details, in the full PR, or check out the gallery below for more images.

Continue reading Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb

Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, packing 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and coated in Honeycomb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seven-inch Huawei tablet headed to T-Mobile, priced at $200 on contract?

It looks like T-Mobile is getting a seven-inch stablemate for the incoming Galaxy Tab 10.1. According to these shots from TmoNews, Huawei’s dual-core MediaPad will arrive in magenta clothing, though branding is limited to a few apps and an additional press shot, included after the break. Aside from a 1280 x 800 IPS display and 4G goodness, details remain sketchy, though pricing is expected to be around $200 with a two-year agreement. No word either when it’ll go on sale, but if Huawei’s earlier promises of end-of-year availability apply to carrier-branded versions, you can expect to get your hands on it at some (vague) point between now and 2012.

Continue reading Seven-inch Huawei tablet headed to T-Mobile, priced at $200 on contract?

Seven-inch Huawei tablet headed to T-Mobile, priced at $200 on contract? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE Smart Tab 10 makes its way through FCC with Vodafone branding

Just three days ago, the ZTE Smart Tab 7 strolled through the FCC, flashing a Google-branded tramp stamp, and now its older sibling, the Smart Tab 10, is following suit. The probable 10-incher isn’t revealing a whole lot, but it does have the same Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G logos riding on its lower back. It’s also sporting what looks to be a back-facing camera in the upper-right corner, just like little sis. What’s more, this filing lists the tablet as the Vodafone Smart Tab 10, which further confirms our suspicions that this and the Smart Tab 7 are the same Honeycomb tablets announced by the carrier at IFA. Those slates are said to share a 1280 x 800 pixel screen, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor — and, of course, a thing for lower back tattoos.

ZTE Smart Tab 10 makes its way through FCC with Vodafone branding originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobo’s Vox Android tablet appears online briefly, gets Canadian release date and pricing

A day after another little-known e-reader manufacturer announced a tablet, a new Android slate from Kobo made a brief online appearance on Future Shop’s site, only to be quickly taken down. According to the Canadian retailer, the FCC-approved tablet will offer up a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, WiFi, a speaker (perhaps the reason behind the Vox name) and 8GB of storage. The tablet is apparently set for an October 17th release in that country, priced at $250 Canadian.

[Thanks, Carolyn and Bart]

Kobo’s Vox Android tablet appears online briefly, gets Canadian release date and pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS TOUGH 7-inch Honeycomb tablet lands in Japan ready for some corporate abuse

Not content with offering up merely modular Android tablets, ASUS has revealed a new seven-inch tablet that’s water and dust resistant — perfect for a spot of bath-time browsing or… desert rallying. The ASUS TOUGH-ETBW11AA has a rubberized bezel and strips across the back, contributing to the substantial 22.2mm profile, but that hefty frame can survive drops from the heady height of 76cm. Aside from its tough-guy credentials, there’s a 1280 x 800 screen, five megapixel camera, Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor, WiMAX connection and the staple WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS medley. It comes with 16GB of well-protected storage, but there’s room for more via microSD. For those seeking a slate that’ll survive the bumps and scrapes of the business world — and not look ridiculous — it’ll be available to enterprise customers of Japanese carrier KDDI this November. No news yet on whether it’ll canoe its way across from the Land of the Rising Sun, but we can give you a few more photos of the rough and tumble tablet after the break.

[Image credit: Keitai Watch]

Continue reading ASUS TOUGH 7-inch Honeycomb tablet lands in Japan ready for some corporate abuse

ASUS TOUGH 7-inch Honeycomb tablet lands in Japan ready for some corporate abuse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is a 10-inch Kindle Fire coming? Amazon says ‘stay tuned’

Is a 10-inch Amazon Kindle Fire coming?

We already knew to expect a 7-incher today, and that’s exactly what we got in the Kindle Fire. We just asked Amazon Kindle vice president (and thinking man) Russ Grandinetti when we might expect a larger successor. With a smile, Russ said “Stay tuned,” and left it at that. If you’ll recall, RIM’s Ryan Biden told us at a past Engadget Show that there was “no reason” the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook couldn’t be shipped in a different size, and given recent rumors that both outfits were working with Quanta, it’s not too tough to read betwixt the lines. We also asked about an international release of the Fire, knowing that many of you are lamenting its US-only release in November. We got the same response there. So, it’s coming… the only question is when.

Is a 10-inch Kindle Fire coming? Amazon says ‘stay tuned’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 coming to T-Mobile

See that there? That’s confirmation from T-Mobile USA that it’ll be stocking the Galaxy Tab 10.1 soon. Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether the model it hawks will boast a WWAN module (or if it’s just a magenta-hued WiFi edition), but you can bet we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for news as it comes. For now, hit the source link to “Like” or “Pretend to Dislike.”

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 coming to T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video)

It looks like the AT200 isn’t the only Toshiba tablet poised to land in time for the holidays. The company just announced the Thrive 7″, a (surprise!) 7-inch version of the original. Like its big brother, it runs on Tegra 2 and packs twin 5 MP / 2 MP cameras, though this time around that textured, rubberized back isn’t removable, and the rear-facing camera comes paired with an LED flash. As you’d expect, in exchange for a smaller form factor (0.88 pounds, half an inch thick), you’ll be giving up the full-sized ports that made the original so unique. Instead, it offers a more typical selection, including mini-USB and micro-HDMI sockets, a headphone jack, docking connector and a microSD slot. Like pretty much every 7- and 8-incher trickling into the market, it runs Android 3.2, and Toshiba did us the favor of leaving it completely unskinned (it did include Swype as a keyboard option, though). No word yet on pricing or availability, though a Toshiba rep confirmed that 16GB and 32GB models will go on sale by early December with a starting price of “less than $400.” How low is Toshiba willing to go? Your guess is good as ours but until then, you can meet us past the break for some early impressions and a short vid, too.

Continue reading Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video)

Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th

Hot on the heels of a UK release, Samsung has just announced that its long-awaited (and long-delayed) Galaxy Player 4.0 ($229) and 5.0 ($269) will be available for pre-order starting September 27th, with US availability pegged for October 16th. Oddly enough, Samsung gave no reason behind the once-spring, now-autumn pushback, but at least we can finally stop wondering and instead start enjoying the spoils of an (almost) Galaxy Note-sans-phone. (Not like we haven’t heard a similar tune before). All that aside, the Player 5.0 and 4.0 weigh in at 6.4 and 4.2 ounces, respectively, and both are powered by Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread); other specs include 802.11b/g/n, WVGA Super Clear LCDs (800 x 480), Bluetooth 3.0, 8GB of onboard storage, a microSD expansion slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, voice recorder, mini-USB connectivity, front and rear cameras and support for Sammy’s Media Hub content service. The big fellow gets a 2,500mAh battery, whereas its little(r) brother is equipped with a 1,200mAh cell. (Psst… you can catch our hands-on with these here and here.)

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is available for pre-sale right now, with shipments to hit retail on October 2nd. You’ll be laying down $469 for the 16GB model, while a doubling of capacity will run you $100 more. Need a refresher on this one, too? How’s about a WXGA (1,280 x 800) touchpanel, dual-core T250S processor, 6,100mAh battery, sub-one pound weight, DLNA compatibility, a 3 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, integrated Swype / Polaris Office and even a few amenities for those in the enterprise — things like full support for Exchange ActiveSync (v14), on-device encryption, Cisco VPN, Sybase MDM and WebEx support. Best of all, the inbuilt FindMyMobile service allows users to track their lost / stolen Tab 8.9 down on a map as it moves, remotely lock the device to prevent unauthorized access and delete personal information stored on the device. Head on past the break for the full release.

Continue reading Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th

Galaxy Tab 8.9 hits pre-order, ships October 2nd in US; Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0 shipping October 16th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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