Archive for CES 2012

Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD headed to AT&T with LTE on board

Skyrocket HD 300x283 Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD headed to AT&T with LTE on board

How many variants of the Samsung Galaxy S II does the world need, seriously? Don’t get me wrong, I love the phone and all, but we’ve ventured far enough to start an official new line. Most recently we brought you news of the S II WiMax and the white S II Skyrocket. Now we have the Skyrocket HD from AT&T, which really should be the called the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD LTE.

By now, I’m sure we’re all pretty familiar with the Galaxy S II’s standard specifications. The Skyrocket HD has a few variations, including a bigger screen that measures in at 4.65-inches—still Super AMOLED, of course—with a removable battery, a slimmer case design, and a 1.5GHz processor that is 0.1GHz better than the WiMax version, and 0.3GHz better than the original S II.

Full specifications and a release date haven’t been made available yet, but it’s clear that this is not even close to the same phone as the original S II. I’m honestly not sure why Samsung is still using the Galaxy S II tag on these phones. Ask yourself something Samsung: if the chipset, the screen, the case, the battery, and the radio are all different, is it still the same phone? I think not, but the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD is no less of an awesome phone just because Samsung’s naming division has gotten a bit repetitive.

[The Verge]

Intel and Lenovo demo some Android lovin’ with China-bound K800

Lenovo K800 560x337 Intel and Lenovo demo some Android lovin with China bound K800

The Lenovo K800 is the first fully-functioning mobile phone with Intel’s bred-for-mobility Atom chipset. While some entities prefer to enter heated competitions quietly, that is certainly not the case for Intel. This phone has all the subtlety of a Lamborghini and a bit of its styling to boot.

For while now the biggest name in mobile chipsets has been Qualcomm. And of course, nVidia’s Tegra chipsets have made a significant name for themselves, especially when it comes to graphics-intensive applications. Still, I don’t know about you but when I hear the words, “central processing unit” even regarding mobile devices, I still think “Intel Inside.”

To say the new Intel chipset is untested in an Android environment would be stating the obvious, but even in an apples-to-oranges comparison the numbers sure look pretty. The K800 is rocking a single core 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 processor. Before you rush to conclusions about multi-tasking, take into account that thanks to Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology, this processor can beat the Galaxy Nexus’ dual-core TI OMAP4460 and the A5-based iPhone 4S in a head to head JavaScript battle.

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Motorola announces the DROID RAZR MAXX

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX Motorola announces the DROID RAZR MAXX

Anythingbutiphone’s CES wrap-up coverage continues. Read the rest of the exciting news here.

Motorola’s new DROID RAZR MAXX takes the RAZR’s great hardware to the–pardon the pun–max. The RAZR’s 4.3-inch display, 1.2GHz processor, and 1GB of RAM return, as do the 8MP primary camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera. This, of course, is to be expected. The RAZR MAXX upgrades the internal memory to 32GB (in addition to the microSD card slot) and nearly doubles the 1780mAh battery to 3300mAh. This equates to approximately 21 hours of talk time, a refreshingly long battery life when compared to the average 7-11 hours on competing smartphones. All of this fits in the same 8.99mm thin form factor.

The Motorola DROID RAZR MAX will be released on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network on January 26 for $299.99, a $100 premium over the original RAZR. It’s also Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” compatible. Is the RAZR MAXX worth the higher price tag? We certainly think so.

[Motorola via The Verge]

DROID 4 announced for Verizon

Motorola DROID 4 DROID 4 announced for VerizonAnythingbutiphone’s CES wrap-up coverage continues. Read the rest of the exciting news here.

Motorola has announced the DROID 4, the latest and greatest device in the DROID line of Android smartphones.

The device, which has water-repellent nanocoating, sports a 4-inch qHD display and an 8MP camera with 1080p HD video. All of this is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, and 4G LTE network speeds. The storage, of course, can be supplemented with up to 32GB of expandable memory via a microSD card.

In addition to a great touchscreen, the DROID 4 includes a five-row QWERTY slide-out lit keyboard. Android 2.3.5 will come on the handset, but Motorola and Verizon have promised to deliver Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” at some point.

The DROID 4 will be released exclusively on Verizon Wireless “in the coming weeks” for an as-yet unannounced price. A slate of accessories will also be sold alongside the DROID 4, including three docks, an HD station, and a navigation mount for vehicles.

[Engadget]

Microsoft announces new Windows Phone games at CES

Anythingbutiphone’s CES wrap-up coverage continues. Read the rest of the exciting news here.

Following the success of 2011′s “Must Have Games” promotion, which included such hits as Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies, Microsoft has announced a new lineup of titles. This year’s “Must Have Games” will hit the Windows Phone Marketplace in February and feature five great titles: Need for Speed, Splinter Cell, Toy Soldiers, Bullet Asylum, and Chickens Can’t Fly.

The Redmond software giant also revealed that more than 20 games from Electronic Arts and Chillingo will, for a limited time, be made available exclusively on Nokia Lumia handsets. The list of exclusives is fantastic: Mirror’s Edge, Real Racing 2, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, The Sims Medieval, Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Spy Mouse, Yahtzee Adventures, The Game of LIFE, Vampire Rush: The Adventures of Capt. Greg, Parking Mania, Picnic Wars, and much more.

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Microsoft bets Windows Phone is fastest, destroys the competition at CES

Updated 1/21/2012: Added wrap-up video showcasing the entire competition.

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, Microsoft’s Ben “The PC Guy” Rudolph bet attendees that Windows Phone was faster than their device. The rules were simple: Any and all devices were welcome to compete against Ben’s slate of devices by completing a mutually agreeable task. If Windows Phone was faster, the challenger had to admit that their phone was #smokedbywindowsphone on camera. If the challenger won, he or she would receive a crisp $100 bill on the spot.

The results are impressive. Windows Phone won 30 of the challenges, lost three, and had one draw. This comes out to an 88% win ratio. Devices of all sorts entered the competition, including iPhones, Android devices, BlackBerries, and even a Palm Pre Plus.

From the Windows Phone Blog:

  • Phones Windows Phone beat: A few each of iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, Galaxy Nexus, ATT Skyrocket, Droid Charge, Droid Bionic, various BlackBerries, Palm Pre Plus.
  • Phones that beat Windows Phone: iPhone 4s (posted a picture to twitter just a hair faster), Droid Bionic (got an SMS to a friend a smidge faster than I did), and Galaxy Nexus (also posting a photo to Twitter)

Interestingly, the devices in challenges that Windows Phone lost or tied in were only a few seconds off. An 88% success rate is fantastic for Microsoft’s smartphone, which is often considered to be the underdog. It’s also great to see that Microsoft isn’t afraid to promote its losses as well. The Redmond software giant is rumored to be turning the #smokedbywindowsphone competition into an ad campaign sometime in the near future. We can’t wait to see the result.

Stay tuned for more of Anythingbutiphone’s CES 2012 wrap-up coverage.

[Windows Phone Blog]

Nokia announces the Lumia 900, destined for AT&T

Nokia Lumia 9001 560x383 Nokia announces the Lumia 900, destined for AT&T

The rumors were true. Nokia has officially announced the Lumia 900 Windows Phone, formerly known under the Nokia “Ace” codename. This beautiful device will be exclusive to AT&T, which continues to have the best lineup of Windows Phones.

Nokia’s Lumia 900 features a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack Display (CBD) set into a fantastically-designed matte black or cyan chassis. A 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8055 + MDM9200 processor, 16GB of internal memory, and 512MB of RAM power the device, supported by a 1830mAh battery rated at seven hours of talk time and 300 hours on standby. This might not sound like a lot, but Nokia assures us that the device will play music for two and a half days straight in airplane mode. The 8MP Carl Zeiss camera has a f2.2 lens with a 28mm wide-angle focal length, while the 1MP front-facing camera has an f2.4 lens, rivaling the iPhone’s rear camera. Best of all, it will be second Windows Phone to support AT&T’s 4G LTE network.

On the software side, the Lumia 900 comes packed with a wide selection of apps, including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, ESPN Sports Hub, Tango, AT&T’s standard suite of apps, a collection of exclusive games from EA, and much more.

The Nokia Lumia 900 looks like it will be a fantastic Windows Phone, perfectly suited for the spotlight. Details like the pricing and release date have yet to be announced, but rumor has it the device will hit AT&T on March 18.

We’re on location at CES, so stay tuned for additional coverage throughout the week.

[Nokia | Nokia Blog]

AT&T announces the HTC Titan II Windows Phone

HTC Titan II 560x307 AT&T announces the HTC Titan II Windows Phone

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has finally begun, and AT&T has kicked off the show by announcing the HTC Titan II at its Monday keynote. This 4G LTE Windows Phone, the first of its kind, has a much more editor-friendly name than the TITAN. But it is the Titan II’s screaming fast speed and massive camera that really makes it stand out from its predecessor.

The Titan II features the same great 4.7-inch screen and a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor. Better still, the TITAN’s 8MP camera has been doubled to 16MP, tying the Titan II with the Sony Ericsson Cybershot S006 for the biggest camera on the market. That’s not to say that it will have the best quality CMOS, but 16MP is a fantastic start. The 28mm f2.6 fast wide-angle lens is supplemented with autofocus, dual LED flash, red eye reduction, image stabilization, panorama and burst shot modes, and much more. Finally, a 1.3MP front-facing camera graces the other side of the device, perfect for making calls via Tango or the upcoming Skype app.

Overall, the HTC Titan II looks like it should be a fantastic follow-up to the original TITAN, which hit stores just two months ago. AT&T has yet to announce availability and pricing for the handset, but we wouldn’t be surprised to learn more details at tonight’s Microsoft keynote.

We’re on location at CES, so stay tuned for additional coverage throughout the week.

[Windows Phone Blog]

Nokia schedules CES 2012 press conference

Nokia CES 2012 Invite Nokia schedules CES 2012 press conference

Nokia has scheduled a press conference for January 9, 2012, the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. It also happens to be just two days before Nokia brings its Windows Phones to the US with the Lumia 710 on T-Mobile. This is highly unlikely to be a coincidence. In fact, this could be where the company unveils the oft-rumored Lumia 900 on a carrier like AT&T, Verizon, or even Sprint.

The invitation asks journalists to “join [the] press conference and get the latest news from Nokia, hear from some of the leading minds in the industry about the future of smart devices and applications and witness stunning demos of Nokia technology in action.”

We’ll be on the CES show floor, bringing you all of the latest Windows Phone, Android, and BlackBerry news, as well as whatever else happens to be the “new hotness” at the moment. We hope you’ll join us. It should be an exciting convention.

[Engadget]