Dec 13

Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid

Posted in: Android, developer, developers, Google, GoogleAndroid, mobilepostcross, qualcomm, snapdragon, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, tablets, Today's Chili

Qualcomm’s souped-up Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform (MDP) tablet just got a major Android boost, in the form of a 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. The maxed-out MDP tablet, which boasts such specs as an on-die LTE modem, dual 1080p cameras and more sensors than you can shake an accelerometer-powered wand at, is now running Google’s latest mobile OS. During an Engadget Show visit last month, Qualcomm reps told us that the device will support Android 4.0, but we weren’t expecting a port quite so soon, considering Liquid won’t ship until next spring. The company says it’s working “rigorously” to get ICS optimized not only for the S4, but for other Snapdragon processors as well. Click through the gallery below for an early look.

Gallery: Qualcomm S4 MDP with Android 4.0 ICS

Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

iLuv outs iSM524 ArtStation Pro, ‘world’s first’ Galaxy Tab compatible audio dock

Posted in: Android, GalaxyTab, Google, remote, samsung, samsung galaxy tab, SamsungGalaxyTab, slate, tablet, Today's Chili
If you’ve been in the market for a Galaxy Tab friendly audio dock, your wait could be over. iLuv has debuted it’s iSM524 for your Samsung Android slate, calling it “the world’s first and only audio docking station” for the Galaxy tablet fam. Equipped with the company’s jAura Sound technology, the dock’s arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing modes and tilts so you can get the best possible angle for catching up on that Boardwalk Empire season finale. You’ll also find an IR remote and a 3.5mm auxiliary input to boot. iLuv promises that this ArtStation will play nicely with the entire Galaxy Tab family, but you can find out for yourself later this month if you’re willing to drop $149. So whether you’re sporting the 10.1 or the 7.0 plus, hit the gallery below for a closer look or check out the PR after the break for all the details.

Gallery: iLuv iSM524

Continue reading iLuv outs iSM524 ArtStation Pro, ‘world’s first’ Galaxy Tab compatible audio dock

iLuv outs iSM524 ArtStation Pro, ‘world’s first’ Galaxy Tab compatible audio dock originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

Pantech P4100 tablet wanders through FCC with AT&T LTE

Posted in: att, dual-core, lte, tablet, Today's Chili
A Pantech tablet dubbed the P4100 just hit the FCC, and it appears to have AT&T LTE radios (Bands 4 and 17) as well as the standard 850 / 1900 WCDMA bands. Interestingly enough, the device also comes with support for LTE Band 5, an 850Mhz band currently used in South Korea. The P4100 has been sighted once before in a listing of Nenamark benchmark results, hinting that it will use a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 CPU with Adreno 220 GPU, uses a 1,024 x 720 display and runs on Android 3.2. As always, this never guarantees it’ll see the light of day in the US, but having compatible LTE bands on AT&T’s network — not to mention the carrier’s friendly relationship with Pantech over the past few years — definitely gives it a pretty high chance.

Pantech P4100 tablet wanders through FCC with AT&T LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

ASUS delays Transformer Prime’s release until WiFi fix is found (update: Prime to be released the week of 12/19)

Posted in: Android, android tablet, AndroidTablet, ASUS, delay, Google, slate, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili
If you were hoping to get you hands on a Transformer Prime this month, prepare to be disappointed. After hearing rumors of the ASUS slate’s delay due to Wifi issues, we’ve now received confirmation from ASUS Canada via one of our tipsters. The company says that “the WiFi range on the TF201 did not meet our quality standards” and that it will not release the product until the wireless is up to snuff. In order to combat the issue, ASUS “will be implementing a new solution,” though it declined to elaborate on what the solution would be. Naturally, no timetable for the Transformer Prime’s release was provided either. So, if you jumped on the pre-order, let us know if you’ve heard the same song and dance from ASUS in the comments below.

[Thanks, George]

Update: We heard back from ASUS US and were told the Prime is still scheduled for release the week of 12 / 19.

ASUS delays Transformer Prime’s release until WiFi fix is found (update: Prime to be released the week of 12/19) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 12

Archos G9 tablets to receive Ice Cream Sandwich by ‘first trimester’ of 2012

Posted in: Android, android tablet, AndroidTablet, archos, minipost, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, upgrade
Archos’ duo of G9 tablets have been on the market for a few months now, but the French manufacturer has already made plans for the slates’ next major update, announcing today that the devices will receive an update to Android 4.0 by the “first trimester” of 2012. Archos didn’t offer anything more specific than that, but it’s certainly an encouraging sign for those looking to take a bite of Ice Cream Sandwich on a budget. Read the full press release at the source link below, but be warned that it’s in French.

[Thanks, Wewewi]

Archos G9 tablets to receive Ice Cream Sandwich by ‘first trimester’ of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 09

Motorola’s Tablet Do-Over Is Ready for Pre-Order

Posted in: Android, honeycomb, motorola, tablet, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili, xoom

Look familiar? The Xyboard tablet is not all that different from the Xoom. Photo courtesy of Motorola

“Those who cannot remember the past,” George Santayana wrote, “are condemned to repeat it.”

Motorola must have a very short memory. This much is apparent in the impending release of the Xyboard, Motorola’s successor to the Xoom Android tablet. The Xyboard is up for pre-order on Verizon’s web site, but by most measures, the device isn’t all that different from its predecessor.

For one thing, it boasts markedly similar specs. The Xyboard comes with a slightly more powerful dual-core processor (1.2GHz instead of 1GHz), a 10.1-inch screen (same as the Xoom), and front and rear-facing cameras with the same resolutions as those in the previous tablet (5 and 1.3 megapixels, respectively). The only major difference that we can discern thus far is that the Xyboard will measure in slightly lighter and thinner than the Xoom.

And for those who want more than just Wi-Fi, built-in 4G LTE connectivity on Verizon’s network is also an option. That’s an update to the Xoom, which required sending the device back to the manufacturer for a 4G upgrade (sheesh).

But here’s the ugly kicker: Motorola is selling the Xyboard at premium (read: pricey) rates, starting at $530 for the 16GB version, and stepping up gradually to $630 for 32GB and $730 for 64GB. And those prices are after signing a two-year Verizon Wireless contract.

To be fair, these prices represent a $100 price cut relative to comparable iPad 2 models, and the Xyboard includes 4G instead of 3G. So it would seem that you’re getting a deal by choosing Android over iOS.

But as the past year has vividly shown us, customers don’t want to buy Android tablets at premium prices. We’ve only seen non-iPad tablets fly off the shelves when hitting bargain bins, and even then the parent companies have been forced to sell premium components at a loss. That’s no way to run a business.

So why not learn from previous mistakes? And further, why release another device — one that is, for all intents and purposes, identical to the previous flop of a tablet launch — when both quad-core processors and a new version of Android are on the horizon?

Maybe the company knows something we don’t? Or maybe not.

The Xyboard goes on sale nationwide on Monday, with pre-orders currently available on Verizon’s web site.


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Dec 09

This Is the Crap Tablet Apple Thinks Samsung Should Make

Posted in: Apple, galaxy, ipad, patents, samsung, tablet, Today's Chili, top

This image shows Apple lawyers’ wet dream for a Samsung tablet. It demonstrates one thing: the Apple lawyers who described it are imbeciles and/or clueless mischievous snakes. Just as much as Samsung’s product designers are unimaginative shameless cloning bastards. More »

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Nov 01

GameStop’s Android gaming tablets get official at 200 stores in soft launch

Posted in: Android, controller, gaming, GoogleAndroid, honeycomb, slate, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, video games, VideoGames
Android slates gussied up with pre-installed video games? We must be talking Sony here, right? Wrong. Turns out, this is what GameStop’s prexy had in mind when he spilled the beans about the company’s plans for a certified gaming tab. Making good on that word, but falling short of actually producing a new device, 200 of the retailer’s brick-and-mortar shops are now home to an array of tablets from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Samsung and Motorola — all members of Google’s tablet OS brigade. These familiar Honeycomb faces carry their same retail prices, but come customized with seven free games and, in the case of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Iconia Tab A100, the company’s proprietary Bluetooth controller. You can always snag that last bit separately, although if you’re already committed to shelling out this much cash, what’s another $39? While the verdict’s still out on whether this move is a hit or miss, it sure is no wonder why PlayStation Suite’s eyeing greener hardware pastures.

GameStop’s Android gaming tablets get official at 200 stores in soft launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Motorola Xoom 2 officially priced at 400 Euros, coming this Christmas to Carphone Warehouse

Posted in: android tablet, AndroidTablet, exclusive, Google, leak, leaked, motorola, motorola xoom, MotorolaXoom, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, xoom

For those unaware, Carphone Warehouse is a warehouse that sells carphones in Europe, Jupiter and other locales in the known galaxy. It also sells smartphones and tablets. And according to the leaked flyer that we’ve acquired, the long-awaited Motorola Xoom 2 (or Xoom II, as it were) will be landing in Ireland before Christmas. The price? €399.90, or around $545, for the WiFi-only edition with 16GB of inbuilt storage. Other specs include Android 3.2 (what, no Ice Cream Sandwich?), an 8.2-inch touchpanel, and much, much more. In fact, CW calls it “everything a tablet should be.” Truth in advertising? You be the judge.

[Thanks, Artyom]

Motorola Xoom 2 officially priced at 400 Euros, coming this Christmas to Carphone Warehouse originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 01

Best Buy offer 32GB HP TouchPad for $150 with a PC

Posted in: Gadgets, HP, laptop, PC, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

When HP decided to discontinue the TouchPad tablet and drop the price to just $99, it wasn’t surprising to see the devices fly off the shelves. The market was there for a tablet that performed at the right price point, and led us to suggest every tablet should be $99. Supplies soon dried up, but […]

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