Motorola Atrix - Teaser TV video

Acer Iconia Tab W500

   The Iconia Tab W500 is the Windows tablet announced by Acer. With this operating system it makes it superior on the business side. But the hardware specifications are really rising the device in a higher level.

-- DISPLAY:  TFT capacitive, multi-touch screen, 1280 x 800 pixels, 10.1  inches.

-- CPU: AMD C50 1GHz dual-core processor.

-- GPU: AMD Radeon 6250

-- MEMORY:  1 GB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  32 GB SSD drive, micro SD up to 32 GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording (1080p),

Secondary - 1.3 MP, video chat.

-- CONNECTIVITY: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, micro-USB, HDMI port, A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack.

-- SENSORS:  Gyroscope, Accelerometer.

-- BATTERY:  no official details.

-- MULTIMEDIA: Dolby Advanced Audio Surround sound system.

-- OS:  Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, Adobe Flash 10.1, Acer Ring UI.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Acer Crystal Eye WebCam, My Journal, clear.fi, SocialJogger.

   So there is a PC-like advanced processor, a PC-like integrated graphic processor from AMD, a high speed storage drive and a premium sound quality system. Iconia W500 Tab is a great combination between a laptop and a tablet running the Windows 7 Home Premium on the chiclet keyboard docking station. But has the common multimedia applications with A100 and A500 - clear.fi and SocialJogger. Pre-installed is the Acer Ring - the Acer`s improved user interface - which includes a disk space management system, a device control for settings and the 'Snipping Tool' for select, tab, clip screen images. My Journal application allows the user to 'collect web clips that are dynamically updated to keep you posted on any news in the websites you find interesting'. This tablet is a main competitor for the Asus Eee Slate EP121 and of course for other Microsoft Windows tablets.

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Acer Iconia Tab A500

   Another tablet announced by Acer in Barcelona was the Iconia Tab A500. Now this is the same with A100 as has almost the same technical specifications but with a larger screen size and all packed in an aluminium body.

-- DISPLAY:  TFT capacitive, multi-touch screen, 1024 x 800 pixels, 10.1  inches.

-- CPU:  nVidia Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core processor.

-- GPU: nVidia GeForce

-- MEMORY:  1 GB DDR2 RAM.

-- STORAGE:  16 GB or 32 GB, micro SD up to 32 GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording (1080p),

Secondary - 2 MP, video chat.

-- CONNECTIVITY: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-USB, HDMI port, A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack.

-- SENSORS:  Gyroscope, Accelerometer.

-- BATTERY:  no official details.

-- MULTIMEDIA: no other details.

-- OS:  Android Honeycomb 3.0, Adobe Flash 10.1, Acer UI.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, clear.fi, SocialJogger.

   I wish they gave more information so I can appreciate or criticize more. Unlike on A100 there are no details regarding any Dolby Mobile sound system which I see it as a big minus. The plus I see is the screen size which makes the device superior for watching movies, playing games and reading books. Also the RAM memory is very powerful with 1 GB DDR2 which makes it one of the main competitors for the Motorola XOOM. Acer Iconia Tab A500 should be available starting with April this year.

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Acer Iconia Tab A100

   Acer has announced 3 smartphones and 3 tablets in Barcelona. First tablet is the Iconia Tab A100 which appears to be a compact, stylish and elegant device. But let`s see how powerful it is.

-- DISPLAY:  TFT capacitive, multi-touch screen, WXGA 1024 x 600 pixels, 7  inches.

-- CPU:  nVidia Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core processor.

-- GPU: nVidia GeForce

-- MEMORY:  512 RAM.

-- STORAGE:  8 GB for internal, micro SD card up to 32 GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording (1080p),

Secondary - 2 MP, video chat.

-- CONNECTIVITY: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-USB, HDMI port, A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack.

-- SENSORS:  Gyroscope, Accelerometer.

-- BATTERY:  no official details.

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Dolby Mobile sound system.

-- OS:  Android Honeycomb 3.0, Adobe Flash 10.1.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, clear.fi, SocialJogger.

   This tablet is great for multimedia as it comes with the clear.fi application. This is a data sharing system that gathers all files from TV, phone, computer, network storage, HD media player and shows the photos, videos, music in one place. Also through the SocialJagger you can share information on all your social networking accounts like Facebook and Twitter. Movies can be watched in full HD (1080p) with Dolby Mobile technology sound entertainment. Iconia Tab A100 can run 3D and HD console-quality games. And of course is great for ebooks reading. I believe this is an interesting product with main competitors from Asus, HTC (the Flyer), Galaxy Tab from Samsung and other 7 inches tablets.

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Acer Iconia Smart

   The high-end smartphone Acer has announced at Mobile World Congress was the Iconia Smart. Now I am not sure how will be received by the customers but it reminds me of the Dell Streak which was too big for a smartphone and too small for a tablet. I do not understand the design of Iconia Smart and why they made the screen so long and big. It`s looks like you are holding a remote control for a TV in your hands and not a smartphone.

-- DISPLAY: 4.8 inch LED edge-lit capacitive touch WVGA 480 x 1024 pixels screen, 16M colors.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  512 MB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  8GB for internal, 512 ROM, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 8MP camera for full HD video recording (up to 1080p, MPEG-4/H.264).

Secondary - 2MP video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSPA+, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyroscope (six-axis).

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1500 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Touch sensitive controls, Dolby Mobile sound.

-- OS:  Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Acer UI 4.2, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking.

   They say it`s 100% smartphone and 100% tablet. But for me it looks like 50% smartphone and 50% tablet - the same as Dell Streak. Sure is nice to watch movies at 21:9 format with high sound quality and probably the internet browsing is great. But I would not buy this phone, even if has the curved screen design.

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Acer Liquid mini E310

   Another model Acer has presented in Barcelona was the Liquid Mini E310 with an image of a small smartphone that can have and do anything despite the small size. The design is also elegant and stylish.

-- DISPLAY: 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch 360 x 640 pixels screen, 256k colors.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm ARM A11 600 MHz processor.

-- GPU: Adreno 200.

-- MEMORY:  512 MB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  512 ROM, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G+ HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer.

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1300 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Touch sensitive controls.

-- OS:  Android 2.2 Froyo, Acer UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, Documents To Go, RoadSync.

   So this is a medium hardware performance smartphone and a main competitor for HTC Wildfire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and others. The price will make it different of course but also the DLNA feature.

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Acer beTouch E210

   Acer was also present at Mobile World Congress with three important smartphones. One of these was beTouch E210 which I see it as a business low-cost but elegant device. You will see from information below that there are not amazing technical specifications:

-- DISPLAY: 2.6 inch TFT touch screen.

-- CPU:  Ericsson 416 MHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  256 MB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  512 MB ROM, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  3.2 MP on the back side.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G+ HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-USB port v 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer.

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1300 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  QWERTY keyboard, optical track-pad, ubiquitous share button.

-- OS:  Android 2.2 Froyo, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking.

   I have always seen Acer phones as good products but not impressive in terms of design. However this does not look bad at all.  Although this may appear only a business phone you should now that has a 'ubiquitous' button which allows the user to share information instantly on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Acer beTouch E210 is a competitor for other QWERTY phones but has the advantage of a touch screen in the same time and of course the Android OS which offers many possibilities.

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HTC ChaCha -- First look video

HTC Flyer -- First look video

LG Optimus 3D -- All about performance video

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

   The same as LG which announced their best smartphone and a tablet, Samsung has announced their new slate. The new Galaxy Tab has improved hardware and a larger screen than the first product with the same name. The most important specifications are:

-- DISPLAY:  TFT capacitive, multi-touch screen, WXGA 1280 x 800 pixels, 10.1  inches.

-- CPU:  nVidia Tegra 2 1 GHz dual-core processor.

-- MEMORY:  no official details.

-- STORAGE:  16GB or 32 GB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 8 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording (1080p),

Secondary - 2 MP, video chat.

-- CONNECTIVITY: 4G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack.

-- SENSORS:  Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Compass, Proximity.

-- BATTERY:  6860 mAh.

-- MULTIMEDIA:  dual surround sound, dual-speakers.

-- OS:  Android Honeycomb 3.0, Adobe Flash 10.1.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking.

   As LG`s Optimus Pad, there are not too many official details released for the new Galaxy Tab so I can only say that is an improved upgrade from the old Tab and a new competitor for the other Android Tablets.

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Samsung Galaxy S II

   Samsung had a powerful word to say at Mobile World Congress. They have announced the new Galaxy S II - the successor of the Galaxy S. This has new hardware and features which really makes it a real upgrade from the original. Also this has integrated Samsung`s own applications for multimedia and business and it appears to be the best combination for work and fun. Most important specifications are:

-- DISPLAY: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touch WVGA 480 x 800 pixels screen, 16M colors, Gorilla Glass.

-- CPU:  Dual-core ARM Cortex A9 1GHz Orion processor.

-- MEMORY:  1GB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  16GB or 32GB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 8MP camera for full HD video recording (up to 1080p, MPEG-4/H.264).

Secondary - 2MP video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSPA+, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyroscope.

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1650 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Touch sensitive controls, 5.1 sound.

-- OS:  Android 2.3 Gingerbread, ToucWiz UI 4.0, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, Social Hub, Readers Hub, Music Hub, Game Hub, Samsung Kies 2.0, Samsung Kies Air, Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco WebEx.

   There is more behind these technical specifications. First is the screen which is more energy optimized, reducing the battery usage. The colors and brightness are superior through the new 12 sub-pixels per inch technology. With the wireless connectivity features the phone can synchronize data with a computer, can work as a remote for a TV and payments can be made with NFC technology. Multimedia experience is complete with 4 hubs applications. With Reader Hub you can access many ebooks, magazines and newspapers, Social Hub integrates all email and social networking tools in one place, Music Hub offers the best sound quality for playback and Game Hub lets you download and play high quality games. The smartphone offers, in the same time, high performance for business area. Galaxy S II comes with Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, has powerful hardware encryption. Also this is a great device for accessing the office network as has adopted the Cisco AnyConnect application technology and is safe to get into the conference calls with the Cisco WebEx application. With all these capabilities the Galaxy S II is a great device that has it all... well almost all. I did not see a HDMI port. The main thing I did not like on the original Galaxy S was the plastic which gave me the impression of cheap material. I hope the quality on this one is better.

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HTC Flyer

   The only big thing HTC had at the Mobile World Congress was a tablet - the HTC Flyer. And is not a bad product as they have integrated some new multimedia applications and the hardware specifications are good also. I am glad and was expecting HTC to get into the tablets market.

-- DISPLAY:  TFT, touch sensitive screen, 1024 x 600 pixels, 7  inches.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5 GHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  1GB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  32 GB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording,

Secondary - 1.3 MP, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, micro-USB port 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity

-- BATTERY:  no official details.

-- MULTIMEDIA:  SRS WOW HD virtual surround sound, dual-speakers, stylus pen

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.4) upgradable to Honeycomb 3.0, HTC Sense UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, HTML 5.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, 3D games, HTC Scribe, Timemark, HTC Watch, OnLive.

   As mentioned the hardware specifications are good. Now in terms of software Flyer has an improved HTC Sense made especially for tablets offering a unique 3D home screen with lots of widgets. The tablet comes with HTC Scribe technology introducing integrated digital ink innovations. Using the stylus pen, you can take notes through a digital handwriting system, draw or modify pictures. With the Timemark application you can capture the audio of a meeting inline with the notes taken, as tapping on a word from notes will take you in the exact place in time in the audio recording of the meeting.

   HTC has a new premiere with this Flyer device - the HTC Watch. This is a streaming mobile movies platform which enables low-cost on-demand progressive downloading HD movies 'from major studios.' And now the great part is the Onlive cloud gaming platform present on this tablet. Trough OnLive users can connect and access hundreds of games and by connecting the Flyer to a TV through HDMI port - which can bring the feeling of using a console. I really liked the part from the presentation at the Mobile World Congress where someone was connecting a wireless controller (just like the XBOX one) and was playing connected to a TV just like any XBOX, Playstation or WII would.

   Now there are of course things to improve but this is the HTC`s first tablet so is good for now. I did not understand why they could not make it run with Honeycomb from the beginning. I hope HTC will announce a 10.1 inches tablet and with better hardware in the near future.

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HTC Facebook phones

   HTC announced, a few days back before the Mobile World Congress start, that they will have a 'big thing' in Barcelona for their customers and fans. In my opinion they were a big disappointment with the products presented. And I like HTC as I have a Desire so I was really badly  surprised of their approach. They announced the successors of Wildfire (with the S version), Desire (the new Desire S) and Incredible (the Incredible S). Now I am not going to write an article regarding the three devices as I do not believe these worth the time and effort. Wilfire S, Desire S and Incredbile S are just minor upgrades from the originals. HTC could have done a better job if they would have made upgrades with the new Gingerbread and Sense to the devices announced about one year ago.

   Anyway the new thing is the Facebook phone but this is not that much of a surprise. They released two models which have a Facebook button for fast access to Facebook application and features.

HTC Chacha

-- DISPLAY:  TFT, capacitive touch screen, 480 x 320 pixels, 2.6  inches.

-- CPU:  600 MHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  512 MB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  512 MB ROM, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash,

Secondary - VGA, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with FTP/OPP for file transfer and with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light.

-- BATTERY:  1250 mAh.

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Facebook button, QWERTY keyboard.

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.4), HTC Sense UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, Facebook widgets.

HTC Salsa

-- DISPLAY:  TFT, capacitive touch screen, 480 x 320 pixels, 3.4  inches.

-- CPU:  600 MHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  512 MB RAM

-- STORAGE:  512 MB ROM, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash,

Secondary - VGA, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with FTP/OPP for file transfer and with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light.

-- BATTERY:  1520 mAh.

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Facebook button.

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.4), HTC Sense UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, Facebook widgets.

   As you can see the 2 devices do not have outstanding features and are the same with other HTC products (like the Wildfire for example). The only difference is the Facebook button which can be used for access to Facebook application, instant upload of photos, quick check-in and others. I wonder what happened with the HTC Innovation...

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LG Optimus Pad

   Another announcement from LG is a product for the tablets market - the Optimus Pad. As you will read further I do not see it as a very different tablet than what the other produces can offer or will in the near future. It gives me the impression that they just needed to make a tablet just as a response to the others. The most important specifications are:

-- DISPLAY: 8.9 inches display LCD capacitive touch 1280 x 768 pixels screen, 16M colors

-- CPU:  Dual-core 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 processor.

-- MEMORY:  1GB RAM.

-- STORAGE:  no details so far.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5MP dual-lens camera for 3D photo taking, video recording, 2D (up to 1080p, MPEG-4/H.264) and 3D (up to 720p, H.264 SEI).

-- CONNECTIVITY:  no details so far.

-- SENSORS:  no details so far.

-- BATTERY:  no details so far.

-- OS:  Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking.

   There are many specifications missing but there is one mentioned which creates some confusion in my head. I wonder why Optimus Pad has only a 2D display but can record video in 3D. Also this screen is clearly larger than the smartphone Optimus 3D has and the 3D experience would have been a lot more fun. But I assume they know best.

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LG Optimus 3D

   LG has announced the first 3D smartphone - and you do not need any 3D glasses to look at the screen. The hardware specifications are making it the most powerful phone I`ve seen. Regarding the 3D technology, this is great but I am not sure if was released at the right time. I do not believe that there is a real need for a smartphone to have a 3D screen right now... perhaps is just a beginning of a new approach or future for mobile industry.

-- DISPLAY: 4.3-inch 3D LCD capacitive touch WVGA 480 x 800 pixels screen, 16M colors

-- CPU:  Dual-core & dual-channel Texas Instruments 1GHz OMAP4 processor.

-- MEMORY:  4GB RAM DDR2.

-- STORAGE:  8GB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5MP dual-lens camera for 3D photo taking, video recording, 2D (up to 1080p, MPEG-4/H.264) and 3D (up to 720p, H.264 SEI).

Secondary - Yes, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1500 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  3D hotkey and five 3D-dedicated Uis, 3D sharing.

-- OS:  Android 2.2 Froyo, upgradable to Gingerbread, LG 3D UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, YouTube 3D.

   So LG has released again a smartphone with some world`s first features: full 3D experince (including sharing with a 3D TV through the HDMI port), dual-core & dual channel CPU, dual-channel RAM memory. I see it as the most multimedia capable phone but I do not believe there are applications in Android Market which can test the capabilities of this device yet.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia play

   The Xperia Play is.... different - because is more than a smartphone or multimedia phone, but, in the same time, is not exactly a full gaming console. So it`s somewhere in the middle due to the fact that is known as the world`s first Playstation certified smartphone. I am not sure how this will be received by the customers. I do believe that will have it`s own fan club and also I really appreciate the originality of this product.

-- DISPLAY:  TFT, capacitive multi-touch screen, 16M colors, 480 x 854 pixels, 4  inches.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor.

-- GPU:  Adreno 205

-- MEMORY:  380 RAM (available for user).

-- STORAGE:  400 MB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording with 720p,  Secondary - 2 MP, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1500 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  slide-out gaming control with digital D pad, two analog touch pads. two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle.

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.3), Timescape UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, social networking, 3D games.

   The Xperia Play should offer a unique multimedia experience with the slide-out Playstation like pad controls and through the Adreno graphic chipset which will make 3D games run at 60 fps. The important part is that Sony Ericsson has partnered with some key gaming industry producers like Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, EA Mobile, Glu Mobile and Unity Technologies.  It`s interesting because the design reminds me of Xperia Arc and the Next Generation Portable console from Sony in the same time.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia neo

   The Xperia Neo has the same features as Xperia Pro but that does not make it the same phone under a different shape. The only difference between the two is the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. So perhaps the Neo does not have the business part highlighted much and might be a more multimedia phone.

-- DISPLAY:  LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 854 pixels, 3.7  inches, scratch- resistant surface.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  no words so far regarding RAM.

-- STORAGE:  320 MB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording with 720p,  Secondary - 2 MP, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1500 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine and Exmor R™ for mobile

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.3), Timescape UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, Office Suite Pro.

   So it`s not like they have removed the business side of the device - it`s still there... but without the keyboard. We should see this one released sometimes in Q2.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia pro

   The Mobile World Congress has started already in Barcelona and many announcements have been released. So I will not have too much time to cover in details all the big new events and decided to just post the technical specifications of new devices and just add a few comments.

   The new Xperia Pro from Sony Ericsson is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard smartphone which looks great, elegant, business. But below you will see the most important technical details:

-- DISPLAY:  LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 854 pixels, 3.7  inches, scratch- resistant surface.

-- CPU:  Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor.

-- MEMORY:  no words so far regarding RAM.

-- STORAGE:  320 MB for internal, microSD card slot up to 32GB.

-- CAMERA:  Primary - 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, HD video recording with 720p,  Secondary - 2 MP, video chat, video calling.

-- CONNECTIVITY:  3G HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, micro-USB port v 2.0, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, A-GPS.

-- SENSORS:  Accelerometer, Proximity

-- BATTERY:  Li-Po 1500 mAh

-- MULTIMEDIA:  Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine and Exmor R™ for mobile

-- OS:  Android Gingerbread (2.3), Timescape UI, Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

-- APPLICATIONS:  Google Apps, Office Suite Pro.

   This is one of those smartphone which combines the multimedia experience with the business productivity. It will be released sometimes in Q1, so we will not wait too much.

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HP Veer

   HP Veer is a smaller Pre 3 QWERTY keyboard slider with less power and less performance. But you can still do a lot with it because has the same business corporate style.

   The processor is a Qualcomm with 800 MHz frequency hidden somewhere under the 2.6 inches multitouch screen with 18-bit color and 320x400 megapixels resolution. There are no details regarding the RAM memory so I will get to the storage which is 8 GB and internal only, as there is no support for card extension. Veer has only one 5 megapixels camera on the back for pictures, geotagging and video recording. Now I do not see any reason for a front camera due to the small size of the screen and will not help too much in a video call. The same as Pre 3, this one has speaker, dual microphone for noise cancellation, accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensor. The connectivity is the same too with HSDPA, HSUPA, encrypted Wi-Fi (HP Mobile Hotspot included), stereo capable Buetooth, A-GPS and the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The 910 mAh non-removable battery has a 300 hours stand-by and up to 5 hours talking performance.

   Regarding the software, Veer is the same with Pre 3 starting with webOS, Adobe Flash Player support and including HP Synergy and Touchstone applications. Overall it appears to be a small but can handle it smartphone with the size of a credit card. This is a competitor for Blackberry devices, for a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro and others. Anyway great surprises from HP these days.

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HP Pre 3

   HP Pre 3 - the business smartphone. Together with the TouchPad, Hewlett Packard has announced the Pre 3, a device for 'professionals who require a powerful mobile productivity with an eye on personal connectivity.' This is another great result of HP`s acquisition of Palm and I hope they will continue to release such products in the future. And you will see why if you will read this article below.

   Hardware. This is a powerful word these days when talking about smartphones. But it is the most powerful if we are referring to this phone`s CPU. I can not believe it (as there were rumors that we will not see any CPUs with frequency higher than 1.2 GHz this year)  but Pre 3 has a Qualcomm Scorpion at 1.4 GHz with Adreno 205 graphic chipset. So it`s not dual-core, but this is the fastest mobile CPU I have seen so far. RAM memory has only 512 MB and the storage can come with 8GB or 16GB as there is no support for slot card. The screen is a 3.58 inches multi-touch display with 24-bit color and 480x800 WVGA resolution. Yes this is not as large as other smartphones have because Pre 3 is a slider - has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Connectivity does not show too much with the 3G HSDPA & HSUPA, Bluetooth 2.1 with AD2P stereo support. But the Wi-Fi is a little different with 802.11a/b/g/n 5 GHz and WPA, WPA2, WEP encryption. The wireless connection is different because the phone can work as a router which can support up to 5 devices connected simultaneously through HP mobile hotspot. There is also a microUSB 2.0 port, A-GPS, a 3.5 mm jack and sensors like accelerometer, ambient light, proximity or compass. If you want to take pictures or record a HD (720p) video there is a 5 megapixels camera on the back and if you need to attend a video conference there is a VGA front camera, a mono speaker as well as the dual-microphone with noise cancellation. The battery has only 1230 mAh - so I do not believe that can offer a great performance although they say is a high capacity one.

   As the TouchPad, this smartphone is running the webOS with HTML5 amd Adobe Flash support for internet browser. HP Synergy is again present which can connect almost any POP3, IMAP or corporate Microsoft Exchange server. An important application is the Quick Office Mobile Connect Suite with Word, Excel, PowerPoint editing, Pdf viewer including support for Google Docs and Box.net support. Other applications are: Google Maps, YouTube, Amazon MP3 store, Foursquare and more. The HP Touchstone is also there if you wish to exchange data with TouchPad or other webOS device. New is the HP Touchstone charging dock as can charge the phone only on contact (so without any plug-in cable).

   In conclusion - the HP announcement has many business environment words like: professionals, multi-tasking, productivity, customers, tasks, corporate - speaking clearly about what this phone is all about. In my opinion they could have done a better job if the Pre 3 had 1GB of RAM, a slot card support, a HDMI port and perhaps NFC (the future of mobile payments). But is great as it shows and I wonder what RIM with Blackberry has to say about this. Oh yeah... I do not hear anything :). So we will see this released this summer.

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HP TouchPad

   HP just announced their new Tablet PC with webOS - the TouchPad. This shows clearly the intention to try and get a byte from the slate`s market and is also a result of Hewlett`s Packard acquisition of Palm. But first lets see what features are under the case of this TouchPad.

   We can start with what`s the most visible piece - the screen. This is a 9.7 inches XGA capacitive multi-touch display with 18-bit color and 1024x768 resolution. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz dual-core which is faster than XOOM`s 1GHz from Motorola. Moving to connectivity, HP has placed A-GPS support (for 3G models only), Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2 and WEP encryption, Bluetooth with AD2P, a micro-USB port for charging and 2.0 high speed and finally a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Regarding the memory, there is 1GB of RAM but there are 2 options for storage: 16 GB & 32GB (no words on any memory card slot). As multimedia the TouchPad has only one camera - a front-facing - of 1.3 megapixels which is a webcam made for video calling. Inside there is a stereo speakers system with Beats Audio and sensors like accelerometer, light sensor, compass (magnetometer) and gyroscope. The battery is a 6300 mAh giving the impression of performance in stand-by mode (as they did not detailed more). As accessories available are a dock, a case and a ultra-slim and ultra-compact wireless keyboard. 

   TouchPad is running the webOS 3.0 version - HP`s own tablet OS - and has Adobe Flash Player 10 support for internet browsing. Through HP Synergy, the webOS brings a different way of communication. And this means that if you sing in to Facebook, Yahoo, Google, Linkedin and Microsoft Exchange you will see all your contacts from all these accounts gathered in one place. Through Synergy you can share and check photos from Facebook, Snapfish and Photobucket again gathered in one window. This tablet has more - like YouTutbe, Twitter, instant messaging support. You can read a book as Amazon has announced their webOS application, that is if you are tired of watching one of the movies you will download from HP Movie Store. What is really a new approach is the HP Touchstone for TouchPad which is a 'touch-to-share' feature allowing you to share data between a webOS enabled phone and this tablet.

   At the end there are some important features missing. There is no back camera for live pictures or videos (not to mention the HD recording), the screen is not HD capable so I am not sure about the movies playback quality. The HDMI port is nowhere, no SD card slot and of course no NFC (but would be probably too much). Given these facts I see as a conclusion that HP TouchPad is more business oriented and made for the enterprise environment especially because they will integrate the QuickOffice Mobile Connect Suite as a support for Word, Excel and Powerpoint editing documents. So this may be in a battle with the Cisco Cius (expected to be released), but also with the iPad from Apple and perhaps with Palybook from RIM. As per the HP`s news we should see the TouchPad this summer, first with Wi-Fi only and later as 3G and 4G configuration.

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