Xiaomi Phone 2S and 2A announced with MIUI v5, the former entering Hong Kong and Taiwan

Posted on 09/04/2013 by Richard Lai

After selling 7.19 million phones in China last year, Xiaomi is now one step closer to world domination with a new device that'll take it to new territories: the Xiaomi Phone 2S (or MI-2S). As the name and look (pictured left) suggest, this is pretty much the same device as the 4.3-inch Xiaomi Phone 2, except it comes with Qualcomm's newer Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip clocked at 1.7GHz, plus a beefed up camera of 13-megapixel resolution (with F2.2 aperture) on the 32GB model. The 16GB 2S, on the other hand, gets the same old 8-megapixel F2.0 imager. The rest of the hardware is the same old: 2GB RAM, 2,000mAH removable battery, 720p IPS display, dual-mic noise cancellation, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz radio (there's also a CDMA version for China Telecom).

Unlike the previous launch, the 16GB flavor of this phone is already in stock on the day of announcement and is ready for purchase in China today for ¥1,999 or about $320 unsubsidized. Actually, strike that -- apparently the first lot of 200,000 units promptly sold out (likely thanks to scalpers). Luckily, Xiaomi is finally tapping into the Hong Kong market via its xiaomi.hk website starting April 23rd, so chances are genuine buyers in Hong Kong won't have to compete against the machines from mainland China; and Taiwan customers will also be able to buy a 2S from either local carrier Far Eastone towards the end of this month, or from xiaomi.tw starting next month. No word on the availability of the 32GB model just yet, but it's already priced at ¥2,299 or about $370 unsubsidized.

Gallery: Xiaomi Phone 2A

Gallery: Xiaomi Phone 2S

Gallery: Xiaomi Fans Carnival 2013

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Via: Engadget Chinese (2S), (2A)

Source: Xiaomi (2S), (2A)

The Engadget Interview: Vertu CEO Perry Oosting talks specs and rationale

Posted on 12/03/2013 by Richard Lai

"Hi, I'm Richard Lai from Engadget. You guys probably hate us but..."

"No no, I don't hate you," Vertu's 52-year-old President and CEO interjected with a charming smile. He then laid a hand on my shoulder and explained our in-joke to the other chuckling diners, "These guys, they read the specs and they only judge by the specs."

Of course, it was just a light-hearted banter the night before our interview, but having been with the luxury phone maker since June 2009 as President, Perry Oosting obviously knew of everyone's ongoing jokes about the rationale of his super expensive phones. Even before Vertu, the Dutchman would've faced a similar problem when he held senior positions at the likes of Bulgari, Prada, Gucci and Escada, except these brands have been around for a lot longer; and for us mere mortals, their existence is already widely accepted. Not so much for the luxury gadgets, though.

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Vertu’s first Android smartphone costs $9,600, admits to falling short of ‘bleeding edge’ (updated)

Posted on 12/02/2013 by Sean Buckley

Vertu's first Android smartphone costs 7,900, admits to falling short of 'bleeding edge'

That fancy Vertu Ti handset we saw pop up last month? It's finally been priced, predictably out of the average buyer's price range. Sticker shock for Vertu's first device since the EQT acquisition starts at ~~€7,900, or about $10,587~~ $9,600 in the US, and buys eccentrics with money to burn a sapphire-covered 800 x 480 display, ~~1.5GHz~~ 1.7GHz of processing power and a 1,250mAh battery -- all wrapped in a durable titanium shell. What's it missing? 4G connectivity, unfortunately. "Vertu will never be at the bleeding edge of technology," Vertu head of design Hutch Hutchison told the BBC. "It has to be about relevant technology and craftsmanship -- it's not a disposable product." At those prices, we'd certainly hope not. Vertu phones might not be packed with the mobile world's latest tech, but Hutchison says that the top dollar pricetag buys better durability. "People think sapphire is just posh glass," he explained to the BBC. "The only thing that scratches it is a diamond." At the very least, Vertu customers won't have to worry about which pocket they keep their keys in.

Update: Now with official product shots below and press release (including details on the various stress tests) plus promo video after the break. Also, here's a detailed list of specs: Android 4.0, dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC, 64GB storage, 3.7-inch sapphire crystal screen, titanium casing, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, NFC and "Full/Micro/Nano SIM capability" (we're waiting for clarification on that one). The prices are as follows:

o. Titanium Black Leather - $9,600
o. Titanium Pure Black - $11,500
o. Titanium Black Alligator - $12,800
o. Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals - $19,900

Richard Lai contributed to this report.

Gallery: Vertu Ti

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Source: BBC

Android-powered Vertu Constellation Ti leaked all over, just needs a diamond-studded price tag (updated)

Posted on 30/01/2013 by Richard Lai

Shortly after the latest rumor that Vertu's prepping its first-ever Android-based device, eagle-eyed Blog of Mobile delivered further evidence to support the claim, and it even managed to dig out what it claims to be product shots of said phone. First of all, the name "Ti" and model number "RM-828V" are spotted across Bluetooth SIG, GLBenchmark and telecom regulator databases in Singapore and Macau. Having scanned through these pages we now know that the Ti will come with Android 4.0.4, an 800 x 480 display, a 1.5GHz processor, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. Blog of Mobile added that it's a Snapdragon MSM8260A SoC with WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 radio, accompanied by a rather lame 1,250mAh battery. Bluetooth SIG's page provided the following design description of the device:

"VERTU Ti possesses the classic Vertu design DNA and characteristics - strong, unique & distinctive. The design and craftsmanship positions VERTU Ti alongside other iconic products in the luxury market."

If the above images are authentic then the Ti does indeed maintain the classic Vertu look. The only real changes we can see so far are the three new physical keys -- presumably "Back," "Home" and "Recent apps" for Android. If all goes well, we should see this wallet-busting gadget at MWC next month, so start saving up now.

Update: Russian retailer spblux.ru lists four variants of the Ti or, as the site calls it, the Constellation Ti: "Titanium Black PVD black leather," "Titanium Black Alligator," "Red Gold Mixed Metal" and "Titanium Black Leather." Interestingly, the red gold version has a search button instead of "Recent apps," but we guess that was an earlier design. Regardless, we have all four designs after the break for your viewing pleasure. [Thanks, Roman K.]

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Source: Blog of Mobile, GLBenchmark, Bluetooth SIG, DSRT, iDA

ASUS PadFone gets its first firmware update, minor bugs removed

Posted on 14/06/2012 by Richard Lai

We've been regularly poking the "Check Update" button on our PadFone since the release of our epic review, and just as promised, today ASUS has finally delivered the hybrid device's first OTA update. While the release notes have yet to pop up, we can see that the system firmware on our Taiwanese model's been upgraded to IML74K.CHT_PadFone-9.18.8.41_CHT_9.1.15-0, which has eliminated some of the bugs that we had reported to ASUS. For instance, the missing change-keyboard button in ASUS' Chinese handwriting input method has been reinstated, and trace input in ASUS' English keyboard is now working properly. Sadly, the "A" and "L" keys are still easy to miss -- we're accustomed to their larger sensitive areas on the native Android keyboard, so we shall stick to that for the time being.

Also sent along is the camera firmware's update which brings the version number up to f09951, and consequently we're no longer getting an erroneous "no GPS signal" message in the camera app. Last but not least, the PadFone Station's firmware is now at version p40, but we've yet to notice any difference. Until we get the update log, don't be afraid to drop us a note in the comments if you spot anything else new.

Update: We almost forgot to mention that the PadFone's already out in Singapore, and our pals over at Engadget Spanish reported earlier today that it's also heading to tiendas españolas next month. Likewise for Italy, according to Notebook Italia.

ASUS PadFone gets its first firmware update, minor bugs removed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS PadFone review

Posted on 12/06/2012 by Richard Lai

It's been a long ride for the PadFone. ASUS' last smartphone was the Android 2.1-powered A10 from two years ago, then five months later the company ended its smartphone partnership with Garmin (though they're still friends). The next thing we knew, the outfit was openly considering Windows Phone, but obviously nothing came to fruition despite its E600 engineering units floating about in the wild. Meanwhile, a bunch of Android Eee Pads started entering the market to get a slice of that hot tablet pie.

Eventually, the PadFone shocked the industry at last year's Computex (remember our brilliant mockup based on the teaser pics?), but ASUS went on to miss its Christmas launch target, allowing it extra time to rejig the phone's software and design. Then CES and MWC went by, with the latter hosting the official launch event to unveil the PadFone's final design and availability date. This time, the new April target was missed by only three weeks, and shortly afterwards we got hold of our retail unit from Taiwan, which is still the only place where you can get hold of the product.

But enough with the story. What we want to know is whether ASUS' courageous and unique project has all the right ingredients to squeeze itself into a market now dominated by the likes of Apple, Samsung and HTC. Most importantly, will the company set a new trend with this two- or three-in-one form factor -- in the same way it did with netbooks -- thus taking the Android ecosystem to the next level? Let's see.

Gallery: ASUS PadFone review

Gallery: ASUS PadFone review (accessories)

Continue reading ASUS PadFone review

ASUS PadFone review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCs

Posted on 05/06/2012 by Richard Lawler

Sure Qualcomm has snagged quite the coup by sliding some of its dual-core S4 CPUs into the US-bound Galaxy S IIIs, but it's not stopping there. The company just revealed versions of these chips will power connected HDTVs and set-top boxes as well as PCs and Windows 8 (including Windows Phone 8) devices. There's four tiers of the upcoming processors: Prime, Pro, Plus and Play. S4 Prime is the smart TV platform that includes the MPQ8064 1.5GHz quad-core CPU with Adreno 320 graphics, while S4 Pro processors are ready to be the brains of Windows RT tablets, laptops and tablet / laptop combos. S4 Plus is the high-end smartphone experience we've come to associate with the Snapdragon brand, and finally S4 Play for more entry level mobile devices. Check after the break for more info on the chips in each family and details on what they can do, and our hands on with some S4 powered Windows 8 devices right here.

Continue reading Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCs

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One X vs. One S: which phone is The One for you?

Posted on 05/04/2012 by Brad Molen

HTC One X review

HTC One S review

HTC Sense 4 review

Jet Li starred in a 2001 movie called "The One." In it, his character traveled to parallel universes and grew stronger as he killed alternate versions of himself. This continued on until there was only one other copy left, with the movie culminating in an epic battle between the two. We won't spoil the ending, but we were reminded of this movie when thinking about the One X and the One S: both are incredibly powerful phones that we'd be proud to use as our daily drivers, but the vast majority of us are only able to choose one One. (The One V is also a possible option but for the purposes of this feature we're laser-focused on HTC's two higher-end models.)

How can we make a sound decision? The two phones are considered premium devices with top-notch components and relatively few flaws. The major difference, however, is going to be the price. Naturally, the cost will vary depending on where you live and which carrier you choose, but make no mistake: the S is going to be less expensive. Is it worth spending the extra money to go with the top-shelf model, or will the little guy be plenty? Now that the two devices are officially on sale in Europe, it's time to pick a side. We can't decide for you, but our goal is to present each phone's pros and cons, going round by round. Which one is right for you? Read on to find out.

Gallery: HTC One X vs. One S... fight!

Continue reading HTC One X vs. One S: which phone is The One for you?

HTC One X vs. One S: which phone is The One for you? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One S review

Posted on 02/04/2012 by Mat Smith

HTC One S hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)

HTC Sense 4 review

HTC One X review

In some alternate universe, the One S would be HTC's flagship phone. There's the new, forged-for-space body, a uniform 7.8mm thickness and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display -- normally enough to qualify for the top slot. However, HTC decided to make this its (upper) middleweight contender, putting the quad-core One X right above it -- and launching it at the same time. We've got the HSPA+ global edition, but aside from the radio differences, this is the same hardware you can expect to see from T-Mobile a little further down the line, and it's powered by the same processor that will run inside the US version of the One X. Can the dual-core Snapdragon Krait possibly hold its own against Tegra 3? If you're in the market for a new Android device, why would you go for what is possibly HTC's second best? Perhaps -- dare we say -- it's not all about the cores and display size. Read on to see what the One series' mid-tier option has to offer.

Gallery: HTC One S review