Hasta La Gadget!

We just played with ASUS whole new tablet lineup, which is truly impressive not only in scope, but also for the fact that ASUS didn’t just pick a few capacitive screen sizes and call it a day. Each of the four tablets (three Android-based Eee Pads and one Windows-based Eee Slate) has its own “twist” on what’s come to seem traditional in modern day tablets, while also maintaining significant hardware and screen quality. We’re not crazy about the ‘MyWave’ ASUS software skin on its Android models, but they at least seem serious about providing UI and apps for the entire experience — they’re not kidding around, is what we’re saying.

We’ve got a ton of pictures and impressions, so follow after the break as we break it all down!

Update: We’ve added video as well. You’d be a fool not to click.

Continue reading ASUS tablet lineup preview: Slider, Transformer, MeMO, and Slate EP121 go wild (with video!)

ASUS tablet lineup preview: Slider, Transformer, MeMO, and Slate EP121 go wild (with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though it’s just being called the “Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone” at this point, rest assured: the Android-powered device is very much real and very much destined for Verizon’s airwaves. Though the inclusion of LTE is obviously a high point, the phone’s claim to fame might be that it’ll be among the first devices in the world to feature one of Sammy’s newfangled Super AMOLED Plus displays (4.3 inches, in this case) that offers even better contrast and outdoor viewability than the original Super AMOLED did. You’ve got TouchWiz-skinned Android 2.2, an 8 megapixel camera with flash paired to a 1.3 megapixel front-facing unit for video calling, and a 1GHz processor that seems to mirror what’s already being offered on most of the Galaxy S series today — no dual-core madness here.

We had a few fleeting moments to touch (but not photograph) the phone recently, and the screen is definitely a sight to behold — we’re not sure how Samsung managed to make a more contrasty display than Super AMOLED, but it did. We’ll admit, we didn’t love the tapered shape — we thought it looked a little strange sitting on a table, though some might like it and it’s certainly not a big deal either way. We also weren’t huge fans of the big physical buttons below the display, a surprising counterpoint to the recent trend toward capacitive buttons on high-end Android devices. It’s a heavy phone, though probably not heavy enough to bother folks who are in the market for a 4.3-inch display anyway — and hey, we won’t know for sure how it stacks up until we pit it head-to-head in a brutal deathmatch with Verizon’s other version-one LTE phones like the Droid Bionic. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display

Samsung sends Verizon an unnamed Android smartphone with LTE, Super AMOLED Plus display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — After all the ruckus at CES 2011 over Motorola’s Honeycomb-dedicated XOOM tablet died down, I got a chance to get my hands on the latest in the company’s Droid series of smartphones, the Bionic.

Like its Droid X predecessor, the Bionic is definitely not small. The 4.3-inch screen is one of the largest on the smartphone market right now, and if you’re wearing tight jeans and hoofing it around the Vegas strip all day like I’ve been doing, a fat-bodied Bionic in your pocket might bring on a bit of chafing.

But the screen’s aesthetic appeal makes up for any inconvenience its size may bring. Shooting pictures with the back-facing 8-megapixel camera was made easier by the extra screen area for planning and viewing shots.

Whereas Apple’s iPhones are all about the smooth-backed covers, the Bionic goes the way of rubberized grip-style case. The phone’s backside has ample tooth to it, another line of defense against clumsy phone-droppers like myself. But the gripping doesn’t make the Bionic feel bulky or weighed down. It’s a nice touch, even if it may add to the aforementioned pocket-chafing.

We weren’t allowed to pop open the hood to see the phone’s 1-GHz dual-core processor insides, but by the looks of flipping through the Android 2.2 menu screens, the Bionic’s guts seemed to be doing their job well. No visible stuttering was to be seen in the few apps I ran, and load time was minimal. It was, however, a brand new phone with its 16 GB of on-board storage still relatively empty. I’d like to see how it runs after an app-hungry tween has had her hands on it.

All in all, I dug what I saw of the Bionic. It may be a bit large for my taste, but for the crowd that’s into the big and powerful (and prefers a Motorola handset over a Samsung offering) the Bionic is surely worth a second look.

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Dell’s Looking Glass tablet has just received its official papers, being dubbed the Streak 7 and packed off to T-Mobile HSPA+ network. Alas, unlike its fellow CES debutants from the likes of Motorola and LG, this slate only has Android 2.2 on board, no Honeycomb, but you do get a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, a Gorilla Glass-protected screen, 16GB of internal memory, and of course the greatness and glory of that 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor. T-Mobile retail stores and Dell’s direct online outlet should have the Streak 7 “in the coming weeks.” Full PR and an introductory video follow after the break.

Continue reading Dell Streak 7 official on T-Mobile’s 4G network, bringing dual-core Tegra 2 and Froyo

Dell Streak 7 official on T-Mobile’s 4G network, bringing dual-core Tegra 2 and Froyo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A funny thing happened after Google posted (and subsequently pulled) its Android 3.0 Honeycomb video: T-Mobile celebrated its G-Slate announcement by posting the same video. And about six more after that (to be fair, they’re also on the Motorola / Verizon Xoom we demoed). Today it was made official during Verizon’s keynote, with Google itself narrating a hands-on demo. We’ve scrutinized these videos to no end and we think we’ve come up with the most complete picture of Google’s tablet OS experience at this point. Join us after the break for all the goods.

Continue reading Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets: a guided tour of the UI (video)

Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets: a guided tour of the UI (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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