26
Feb
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[MWC 2013] Andy Rubin, Finger To The Side Of His Nose, Says Google Has No Plans For Retail Stores

Posted by in Google, News

Andy Rubin, you coy devil. I suppose we could ignore those rumors about Google retail stores if you ask nicely and bat your eyes at us. That's what the head of Android would like us to do, anyway, as he spoke at Mobile World Congress stating that "Google has no plans [for a retail store] and we have nothing to announce."

Why not, though? This sure sounds like a good idea to a lot of us in the Android fan world. Well, according to Rubin, people are able to make decisions about which phone they'd like to buy without actually seeing the hardware.

26
Feb
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[Video] Watch ASUS' (Hilarious) Padfone Infinity/Fonepad Unveiling In Its Entirety

Posted by in ASUS, Fonepad, Padfone Infinity, Videos

Yesterday, we attended a press conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where we were treated not only to the unveiling of ASUS' new Padfone Infinity and aptly-named Fonepad 7" tablet phone (with which we later got some hands-on time), but also to the dazzling (ly awkward and hilarious) antics of a "tech illusionist," and plenty of other awkward moments.

We were able to share a pretty detailed account of the event, along with a short video, but those who want to see the full unveiling from start to finish can now do so, thanks to ASUS' own YouTube channel.

26
Feb
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[MWC 2013] Hands-On (Video) With The ZTE Grand Memo: It's Really Big And The UI Confuses Me

Posted by in Grand Memo, News, Videos, ZTE

Late yesterday, we headed over to the ZTE booth to check out the company's latest smartphone - the Grand Memo. The selling point? It's big and powerful - sporting a 5.7" display with a Snapdragon 800 600 processor of some kind.

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Of course, that big display is only 720p. And that processor is paired with only 1GB of RAM. And it's using ZTE's Android acid trip of a UI overlay. ZTE also wasn't very honest about a couple of these specifications when the phone was initially announced. Basically, I wouldn't expect to see the ZTE Grand Memo make it very far outside China.

26
Feb
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ZTE Says The Grand Memo Has A Snapdragon 800, Then A 600, Probably Has An S4 Pro, Lies About Amount Of RAM, Too

Posted by in Grand Memo, News, ZTE

After having a chance to play with the ZTE Grand Memo yesterday, I was a bit perplexed. It was kind of slow. Actually, it was really slow - I haven't seen UI lag like that on a top-tier smartphone in over a year. It was terrible switching between tasks, and while ZTE's hilariously overwrought UI is likely slowing it down a fair bit, something just didn't feel right for a phone allegedly running on the very latest Snapdragon chip.

Well, something was not right - because ZTE was very wrong about the specifications of its own product. Originally, ZTE claimed the Grand Memo had a Snapdragon 800 chipset - the most powerful mobile chip Qualcomm makes, and which probably isn't even available outside limited manufacturing samples at this point.

26
Feb
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[MWC 2013] Hands-On (Video) With The ASUS Padfone Infinity And Fonepad

Posted by in Fonepad, News, Padfone Infinity, Videos

While I was a bit too preoccupied at ASUS's press conference to really pay attention to the details of its products (you can find said details here), later in the day, I headed over to the ASUS booth on the MWC show floor to check out the Padfone Infinity and the Fonepad.

The Padfone Infinity was first on my list. After a few minutes with the phone portion, I wasn't particularly impressed, but I wasn't appalled, either. While the Snapdragon 600 processor moves the Padfone's... phone... along quickly, I don't really know what else to say about it - the device feels relatively solid, but looks exceptionally generic.

25
Feb
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[MWC 2013] ZTE Launches The Grand Memo, A Massive 5.7" Device Using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 Processor

Posted by in Grand Memo, News, ZTE

Update: Looks like ZTE may be fibbing a bit on the specs of this device, at least in what it's showing off as the "Grand Memo" at MWC...

Say hello to the newest entrant into the bigger-than-a-phone-but-not-quite-a-tablet arena: ZTE's Grand Memo. It's a massive 5.7" device with a resolution of 1280x720, Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB built-in storage, and a 13MP camera, running Android 4.1. While a 1080p display would've been a nice addition, there's no denying that the Grand Memo is quite a powerful device.

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It has a few ZTE-specific tweaks going on, as well – like a safe driving experience with car mode (creatively named, no?), ZTE’s Mifavor for a simplified user experience, and ZTE Z-Cloud...

25
Feb
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[MWC 2013] Samsung Unveils KNOX, A Secure Enterprise Solution For Workplaces With A BYOD Policy

Posted by in News, Samsung

The push for BYOD (bring your own device) policies in workplaces has been on the rise for the last couple of years, but many corporations have frowned upon Android devices due to "security issues" within the OS. Samsung is looking to change that mindset with its newly-announced KNOX solution.

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Essentially, KNOX is a security-enhanced version of Android – based on the NSA-approved SE Linux – optimized for Samsung's SAFE (Samsung for Enterprise) program. It's built-in to both the hardware and Android's framework, so it's really a full-coverage solution. At the application layer, it works to separate personal and corporate data by containerizing and encrypting corporate applications and data, which protects against viruses and malware, as well as outside attacks.

25
Feb
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[MWC 2013] ASUS Just Had The Most Hilariously Corny Press Conference Ever And I Love It (Photos And Video)

Posted by in ASUS, Fonepad, News, Padfone Infinity

We're here at ASUS's press conference in Barcelona, where the company has just unveiled two new Android products: the Padfone Infinity and Fonepad.

The Padfone Infinity is the follow-up to the Padfone 2, released late in 2012, which was the successor to the original Padfone that debuted at MWC last year. The Fonepad is a tablet that also works as a phone. Right (if you actually want to know more about those things, see this post).

The real story for me, though, was the absolutely fantastically ridiculous press conference. Crammed into a small hotel ballroom across from the Fira Gran Via, a couple hundred tired and annoyed tech journalists waited for the show to begin - ASUS was running about 45 minutes late, and was playing what I can only describe as an instrumental rendition of 'Milkshake.'

Then, it happened: THE CLOUD.

25
Feb
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[MWC 2013] ASUS Announces The 1080p, Snapdragon 600 Padfone Infinity And 7" Fonepad

Posted by in ASUS, Fonepad, News, Padfone Infinity
Last Updated: March 4th, 2013

At an afternoon press conference across the street from MWC 2013's enormous venue, ASUS has just wrapped a (hilarious) press conference that saw the introduction of two new devices (or three?) – the Padfone Infinity and the Fonepad. Before we dive in for hands-on, let's take a quick look at the specs and pricing for the devices.

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Jonney Shih with the Padfone Infinity

Padfone Infinity

The Padfone Infinity is the tablet/phone combination we were expecting from ASUS today. It's got decent specs, and boasts ASUS' new AOCC "Ubiquitous Cloud" functionality, but has a rather stunning price, pegged at €999. The device isn't expected to make an appearance States-side.

25
Feb
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[MWC 2013] Hands-On (Video) With The Sony Xperia Tablet Z: Light, Thin, Waterproof - But Worth $500?

Posted by in News, Sony, Videos, Xperia Tablet Z

Sony's latest tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z, isn't exactly new. While it was announced for Japan last month, Sony fans have been waiting with bated breath for news on worldwide availability and pricing. Today, we have some more information on that front: the Tablet Z is slated to be released across the globe starting in Q2. Furthermore, the US version of the device (which is Wi-Fi only), will cost $499 for the 16GB version, and $599 for the 32GB.

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So, given that a Nexus 10 is $100 less, has a higher-resolution display, a newer and unmolested version of Android, and very quick software updates in the future, why would one choose the Tablet Z?

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