Starting Wednesday, customers can save $50 on the Nubia Z20 dual-screen phone, which’ll now cost $499 in the US (£449 in the UK). The phone launched globally in October.
The Nubia Z20 comes in diamond black and twilight blue. It features a bezel-less 6.42-inch FHD+ display with no notches, a 5.1-inch touch display on the back, triple cameras and up to 8GB of RAM. It also has a 4,000mAh battery and is powered by a QualcommSnapdragon 855 Plus processor.
The phone is available in the US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Macao.
Google’s device line could end up having a particularly important moment in 2023. The company usually announces new Pixel products throughout the year. Google is expected to release its first foldable phone this year, however, which would directly compete with Samsung’s proven line of Galaxy Z Fold devices. Google also introduced its own ChatGPT rival, …
The excitement surrounding a laptop-tablet hybrid from Asus that runs both Android and Windows 8.1 might have all been for nothing.
Asus has decided to shelve its dual-operating system Transformer Book Duet TD300 after both Google and Microsoft have thrown cold water on the idea of the company offering a laptop-tablet hybrid that can run both Android and Windows, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the talks.
Asus unveiled the Transformer Book Duet earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The device was slated to hit store shelves in the first half of the year.
According to the Journal’s sources, “Google wants all-Android devices.” Microsoft, meanwhile, made clear to Asus that it will only accept Windows devices that aren’t running other operating systems. Asus already sells dual-OS devices, the Transformer AiO P1801 and P1802, and might stop selling those because of Microsoft’s decision not to support dual-OS products, the Journal claims.
It’s widely believed that dual-OS devices are a potential boon for consumers and enterprise customers. However, it appears now that the politics between Google and Microsoft might be getting in the way and causing some issues.
CNET has contacted Asus for comment on the latest reports. We will update this story when we have more information.
Digirit’s SIM+ case, currently looking for crowd-funding, lets users switch between two SIM cards in an iPhone 5 with a simple software toggle.
The Digirit SIM+ case.
(Credit: Digirit)
The Digirit SIM+, a case designed for the iPhone 5, houses two SIM cards with space for a third spare. Some nifty electronics connect both SIM cards to the iPhone’s internal SIM card slot, and an app can switch between the two active SIMs at will.
Digirit’s proposal for the SIM+ case is for its already-created prototypes to be refined and mass-produced: “Imagine an iPhone 5 that holds two SIM cards, letting you toggle between them easily, right within the Settings panel of your iPhone 5. The SIM+ is our solution. We’d like to make it a reality for everybody else too.”
Dual-SIM phones are a niche market, but suit travelers and business users who keep the same phone for work and personal use. Digirit’s app can even be set to switch SIM cards at a predefined time, so the iPhone can switch to personal usage at the end of a work day.
The Digirit case can use one micro-SIM and one nano-SIM simultaneously, with the storage space suiting an additional micro-SIM. The SIM+, currently seeking funding on HWTrek, has 24 days left to run on its US$40,000 goal, and has had a slow start; it has eight backers and a grand total of US$495 pledged.
Samsung is playing for keeps. The consumer electronics giant has just announced sales of its Samsung Galaxy S III flagship Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone for five U.S. carriers starting in June.
Sprint will start selling the Galaxy S III June 21 — $199.99 for 16GB of storage, $249.99 for 32GB. T-Mobile will also receive its version on the 21st, but isn’t yet releasing pricing. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular will all receive variations of the Galaxy S III this month. Verizon begins June 6 preorders for the white or “pebble blue” handset, which will be available in “the coming weeks” for the same price as Sprint.
For is part, AT&T will offer just the 16GB model, for $199.99, though AT&T will be the only carrier to offer the handset in red, in addition to the blue and white. Meanwhile, U.S. Cellular, the surprise carrier in the bunch, will release pricing information when the phone goes on sale June 12.
What’s incredibly interesting (and what CNET had predicted) is that the U.S.-based version, like its HTC One X rival, will carry a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor as opposed to the 1.4GHz quad-core Samsung Exynos processor that’s used in the global release.
The “downgrade” is likely due to a current incompatibility between the quad-core chip and LTE data networks, just as with the HTC One X, which forewent the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor that was used in the global version of its hero device.
If you’re tempted to get huffy over your quad-core loss, keep in mind that Qualcomm’s dual-core chip is plenty fast, and that quad-core performance claims aren’t always what they seem.
The Galaxy S III is a slim handset with a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display. It supports 4G LTE and HSPA+ 42 speeds, has an 8-megapixel camera (hands on) with 1080p HD video capture and playback, and a bevy of software features to complement and enhance Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.
Samsung has also given the Galaxy S III 2GB of RAM and a very large, removable 2100mAh battery.
Another nice touch, the Galaxy S III is topped with Gorilla Glass 2.0, a stronger, thinner type of the premium glass brand that Corning, Gorilla Glass’ maker, unveiled this past January at CES.
The LG Optimus 2X was the first dual-core smartphone to hit the market late last year with its 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, and it soon came to the U.S. in the form of the T-Mobile G2X. Since its announcement, there have been a veritable array of dual-core smartphones, and interestingly, all of them have been Android so far. These dual-core processors promise plenty of power and speed, and they do live up to the claims. Navigation feels undeniably zippy, which makes multitasking a breeze. Here’s our roundup of the most recent phones with dual-core processors.
The dual-core Samsung Epic 4G Touch is the first Galaxy S II device for the U.S.
James Martin/CNET
The Samsung Galaxy S II is one of the better dual-core smartphones to catch our eye. The combination of the 1.2GHz dual-core processor and the Super AMOLED Plus display makes Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung’s TouchWiz drool-worthy. While the Galaxy S II we initially reviewed was the unlocked global version, Samsung has announced versions of this phone to arrive for Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Indeed, the Sprint version–the Samsung Epic 4G Touch–is available now.
Sprint also offers the Motorola Photon 4G, which has a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and compatibility with Sprint’s 4G/WiMax network. It’s not as slim and attractive as the Galaxy, however.
Verizon Wireless customers are free to pick from a couple of dual-core handsets. These include the zippy Motorola Droid X2 and the very impressive Motorola Droid Bionic. The Droid Bionic is the first Verizon smartphone to have both a 1.2GHz dual-core processor as well as 4G/LTE support. Indeed, we were very impressed with its speed and performance, so much so that we gave it an Editors’ Choice.
HTC makes a couple of great dual-core phones, too, like the HTC Sensation 4G and the HTC Evo 3D, which were a couple of the first handsets to use Qualcomm’s new 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The Sensation lives up to its name and earned itself an Editors’ Choice Award, and the Evo 3D makes for a great conversation starter with its 3D glasses-less display. LG also offers a 3D phone, in the form of the LG Thrill 4G, which is really just the AT&T version of the LG Optimus 3D. The Thrill 4G features a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430 processor.
A new LG handset with a rather unique design has been spied in London this week. The unnamed device features a sliding QWERTY keyboard with a secondary display nestled halfway between the keys. Pocket-lint indicates that the Android smartphone was used as part of a demonstration by Orange and Kineto Wireless, which were discussing the carrier’s Signal Boost technology.
According to Pocket-lint, the screen provides eight shortcuts to applications with six already accounted for. The other two would presumably be left for the user to decide. Unfortunately, they did not get enough time to see if the second display allowed for additional customization or if it behaved differently when specific apps were running. Considering the six listed shortcuts found in the image, I would anticipate being able to hand pick all of them.
In terms of hardware, not much else was disclosed. The digital camera lens on the back did not indicate its resolution and there appeared to be an abnormal amount of space between the two halves when the phone was closed. One possibility is that this particular display phone might be a prototype and not indicative of a production-ready model. The display was described as being unremarkable, leading me to believe this will be a wallet-friendly offering when it arrives.
It’s difficult to say with certainty which handset this is, however, multiple outlets are leaning toward the Optimus Slider. Also whispered with the code name of Gelato, at least two carriers are expected to offer the phone this fall. Both Sprint and T-Mobile were recently found to have the LG product on their short-term road maps. Without knowing the full details, I imagine this will be a priced on the low end of the spectrum, possibly hovering around $50 or less. Should that prove to be the case, LG could be sitting on another popular phone line.
Android smart phones and tablets with powerful dual-core processors are going to be increasingly common in 2011, with games set to be one of the best ways to show them off. Two separate announcements — from Gameloft and Nvidia — highlight the dual-core gaming goodness to come this year.
Now Nvidia has released an Android app dedicated to pointing you in the direction of games that take advantage of its new ‘super chip’. Tegra Zone is a free app, available on Google’s Android Market, offering game reviews, HD trailers and gameplay videos, and links to buy them.
The first Android games to get the Tegra Zone treatment include Samurai II: Vengeance, Dungeon Defenders: First Wave Deluxe HD — deluxe and HD? You’re spoiling us! — and the excellent Galaxy on Fire 2 THD.
Nvidia isn’t the only company in town when it comes to dual-core processors for Android devices, of course. Chipset giant Qualcomm is also trumpeting its latest generation of mobile processors, and using games to show them off.
Gameloft, the mobile games publisher which has already made a name for itself with visually impressive iOS games including NOVA, Sacred Odyssey and newie Starfront: Collision. It’s working with Qualcomm to optimise several of its Android games for the latter’s Snapdragon processors, including the new dual-core MSM8x60.
Gameloft is starting with four games: SpiderMan: Total Mayhem HD, Real Football 2011 HD, GT Racing: Motor Academy HD and Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus. Others may follow later in the year.
In separate news, Gameloft has struck a licensing deal with Epic Games to use its Unreal Engine 3 for a series of new games. UE3 powered Infinity Blade on iPhone and iPad, so expect it to form the basis of some stonking dual-core titles on Android too.
Excited about richer games tapping into the latest dual-core processors in phones and tablets? Let us know your thoughts with a comment.
The Pocket eDGe from Entourage is a dual-screen tablet and e-book reader.
Donald Bell/CNET
Sometimes, convergence between two devices happens so naturally that you hardly notice. You wake up, and your iPod and your phone are the same thing, and you wonder how you ever managed them as separate devices.
Some convergence is a bit more blunt. Case in point–the Entourage eDGe, a dual-screen tablet and e-book reader CNET reviewed in March of this year. In a perfect world, there would be one screen that offers e-ink readability as well as LCD features like color, photos, and video playback. Not content to sit and wait for this mythical color e-ink technology to arrive, Entourage literally links the two screen types together to deliver the best of both.
Is it an elegant solution? Nope. But it works, and it delivers the experience of marking and annotating e-books like nothing else on the market. Its biggest problem (aside from the $490 price) was its unwieldy size.
To answer this criticism, Entourage is now selling the Pocket eDGe–a scaled-down version of its original product offered at a scaled down price of $399.
The two connected screens of the Pocket eDGe include a 6-inch e-ink Wacom tablet on the left, and a 7-inch (800×480) resistive LCD touch screen on the right. Like the original eDGe, the Pocket version includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b/g, and USB sync and host ports. You also get a microSD memory slot to expand on the 3GB of internal memory, built-in microphone, and built-in 2 megapixel camera capable of video and stills.
During our hands-on demonstration of the Pocket eDGe, we noticed that the modified Android 1.6 OS performs much faster than original eDGe we tested in March. We’re told the performance boost is entirely due to software optimizations Entourage has rolled out to users over the past few months.
Compared with any other popular e-reader on the market, the Pocket eDGe is still a little chunky at a half inch thick when open, and an inch thick closed up. Still, we have to admit, it’s a much more portable proposition than its predecessor.
We won’t make any final judgments until we have more time with the device and formulate our rated review. That said, there are some inherent drawbacks to the device potential buyers should be aware of.
Unlike the original eDGe, the Pocket eDGe is deliberately not targeted at an academic audience due to the way PDFs display on the smaller 6-inch e-ink screen. PDFs can be zoomed in and out to increase readability, but unlike ePub files, you can’t reflow the text to easily adapt to smaller screens. To make a long story short, students and teachers are still urged to use the larger, original eDGe, which has no problem displaying the academically preferred PDF format at its native size.
Those looking more at the Android side of this dual book should know that the Pocket eDGe is still living in the ancient land of Android 1.6 and makes no apologies for not including Google’s Market app store. Entourage does include its own storefront for shopping books, magazines, and apps (including Pandora, Facebook, and Dropbox). Still, it’s fair to say the Pocket eDGe isn’t the right product for hard-core Android fans (a criticism that holds true for the recently unveiled Nook Color, as well).
