HTC Desire X announced: Android 4.0 on a 4-inch Super LCD screen

HTC is keeping a low profile at IFA 2012 this week but it does have at least one phone to reveal to the throng of tech journalists and writers making their way around Berlin, the Desire X (formerly Proto). It's a humbler new handset for the Taiwanese manufacturer and one whose outer hardware has already toured China. It's now been mildly adjusted (that is, improved) with one of Qualcomm's lower-end Snapdragon S4 processors, clocked at 1GHz, while it keeps that 4-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Beats Audio integration and 4GB of storage we saw earlier. There's also an extra 25 gigs of free cloud storage courtesy of Dropbox, while the camera packs the same capabilities as One series devices including HDR capture, continuous shooting and the ability to capture video and stills at the same time. The device will launch across as-yet unconfirmed countries in Europe and Asia starting next month -- and we'll have a hands-on for you later today.

Gallery: HTC Desire X

Continue reading HTC Desire X announced: Android 4.0 on a 4-inch Super LCD screen

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HTC Desire X announced: Android 4.0 on a 4-inch Super LCD screen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Ativ Tab and Ativ S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo

Samsung Ativ Tab and Ativ S details leak, hint a Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 power duo

Remember those Ativ Tab and Ativ S trademarks we saw just a couple of days ago? They may well be more than just Samsung's daydreams. As long as details at The Verge prove true, the devices attached to those names represent a two-pronged revival of Samsung's Windows-based mobile strategy. We're most interested in the Ativ S: thanks in part to Windows Phone 8's multi-core support, it's effectively a Galaxy S III for the Microsoft crowd with a similar 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front shooter. Swinging attention to the Ativ Tab shows what's likely to be a commonplace list of features for a Windows RT slate. Outside of the 10.1-inch screen, it's sporting its own 1.5GHz dual-core chip and 1.9-megapixel front camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear sensor, HDMI video out and USB. We're still missing a slew of details, such as storage and launch dates, although we might not have to wait long at all to know -- if the claims are correct, one or both of the Ativ models may show their faces at Samsung's IFA 2012 events.

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Samsung Ativ Tab and Ativ S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm confirms its role in LG superphone with quad-core Snapdragon S4

Qualcomm confirms its role in LG superphone with quadcore Snapdragon S4

There's nothing like jumping the gun to announce your involvement with a phone that technically doesn't exist, but we've gotta say, we love Qualcomm for doing it. The company has just revealed to us its role in the production of a smartphone from LG that'll feature quad-core Snapdragon S4 internals, and if it performs anything like recent benchmarks suggest, you'd best hold onto your hats. For a little backstory, rumors are currently circulating that LG is producing a smartphone of epic proportions that's known as the Optimus G, which is said to wield a quad-core processor, a 4.7-inch IPS True HD display, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera. Whether it's related to this announcement is anyone's guess, but you'll be forgiven for salivating at the prospect. Fortunately, you won't have long to find out the true home of the quad-core Snapdragon S4, as Qualcomm has also revealed that LG plans to release its next superphone for commercial availability this September in South Korea, with other territories to follow.

Update: AnandTech has gotten word from Qualcomm that the LG device in question will pack an MDM9615 LTE baseband chip as well.

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Qualcomm confirms its role in LG superphone with quad-core Snapdragon S4 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name

Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name

The saga of Samsung's Galaxy S Relay 4G (né Galaxy S Blaze Q) continues. In this latest episode, we're presented with an annotated set of pictures showing each side of the device -- courtesy of Samsung's very own US support site. Of course, this further confirms the handset's new name, which is just as terrible as the old name. No matter -- if you're a fan of QWERTY sliders this is definitely a phone to keep an eye on. While the full specs remain a mystery, previous leaks have confirmed HSPA+ 42Mbps support for T-Mobile's AWS network, a 4-inch screen (probably not HD) and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor (likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4). There's still no word on pricing or availability, but an official announcement can't be far behind, right?

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Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G shows off all sides, sticks with new name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon (video)

Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon video

Not that we were on pins and needles wondering what Motorola's September 5th event would contain, but what vestige of mystery was left may just have been sapped away. A quartet of Motorola tutorial videos newly uncovered by YouTube user revowii walk users through the unannounced XT926, better known in unofficial circles as the Droid RAZR HD. It's all about the looks in this leak: other than the conspicuous link to Verizon, what's mostly validated here is the expected use of a customized Android 4.0 with on-screen navigation keys, much like the Atrix HD in AT&T's corner of the universe. Earlier murmurings have the Droid RAZR HD carrying the same Snapdragon S4, 720p screen and LTE as well, which could leave the CDMA voice network, NFC and possibly increased storage as the only real differences. We'll know the full truth in about two weeks' time, but those who don't mind a peek into the possible future can hop past the story break to indulge in some video time traveling.

Continue reading Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon (video)

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Motorola Droid RAZR HD guides slip out to the web, pop the hype balloon (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xiaomi Phones may enter Europe next year, because China ain’t big enough

Xiaomi may enter European market next year

Here's a bit of good news to soak in over the weekend. After the unveiling of the Xiaomi Phone 2 (aka Mi2) in front of some 3,000 people yesterday, a reliable source informed us that the Chinese startup is already looking to bring its highly affordable phones to Europe next year. Alas, we couldn't get a more specific time frame, but assuming Xiaomi wants to deliver its first quad core device to the Europeans as well, it'd likely be within the first half of next year, well before the next August 16th announcement (the company's managed to stick to the same date so far).

Of course, it all depends on whether Xiaomi can scale its business model for the unknown territories, and it'll certainly need some solid partners to do so -- much like its collaboration with local retail channels China Unicom, China Telecom and Vancl. Luckily, the MIUI developer will be doing a warm up first in Taiwan. As reported by Business Next last month, chairman Lei Jun made a high profile visit to several Taiwanese carriers in the hopes of breaking into their market by the end of this year. If successful, Lei should be able to meet his ambitious sales target of 6 million Xiaomi Phones accumulated -- still some way away from the 3.52 million units sold so far. Judging by the madness at the event this week (see gallery below), it should be no problem.

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Xiaomi Phones may enter Europe next year, because China ain't big enough originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image)

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G

The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q might have missed the August 15th date mentioned in its leaked press shot, but a rumored name change would still put the future T-Mobile device in the running for the most convoluted phone name ever. Although there's a distinct lack of tangible evidence -- take this with a grain of salt -- the usually reliable TmoNews hears Samsung's TouchWiz-infused QWERTY slider will be called the Galaxy S Relay 4G when it ships. No, we're not feeling it, either. While there's no word on an updated release date, we'd at least like the earlier claims of a Snapdragon S4 to be true so that the phone is worthy of the respect the name isn't providing.

Update: Just in case there was any doubt, TmoNews has snagged a training document that shows the new name and mentions a 1.5GHz processor of an unknown make (likely the S4), a 4-inch display, S Voice and support for mobile hotspots.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q may be renamed to equally awkward Galaxy S Relay 4G (update: image) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung SGH-T899 for T-Mobile emerges on the web with potential Windows Phone 8, LTE

Samsung SGHT899 for TMobile emerges from the web's depths with potential Windows Phone 8, LTE

User agent profiles on the web aren't always guarantees of what you'll get in a future device, but this is one of those moments where we'd like the details to be true. A Samsung-made Windows Phone 8 device for T-Mobile, the SGH-T899, lines up closely with the higher-end Odyssey we'd previously only seen in a purported roadmap. Along with alluding to the OS itself through the presence of Internet Explorer 10, there's a reference to the hinted-at 1,280 x 720 screen that you won't find on any Windows Phone 7 gear. The profile even contains a suggestion of LTE support, although we're still wondering whether or not this would be very aggressive futureproofing or just an incidental aspect of the possible Snapdragon S4 chip -- Magenta isn't flicking the LTE switch until 2013. At least the rumored fall release date gives us a comparatively short wait before we learn whether the Odyssey and T899 are one and the same, or real at all.

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Samsung SGH-T899 for T-Mobile emerges on the web with potential Windows Phone 8, LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q leaks in August 15th-dated press shot, keeps terrible name

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q leaks in August 15thdated press shot, keeps terrible name

Remember Samsung's Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint? Think that name was a mouthful? Well here's a press shot of -- wait for it -- Samsung's SGH-T699 aka. Galaxy S Blaze Q, a QWERTY slider for T-Mobile that's been leaked before. Beyond the terrible name, the August 15th mention on the screen appears to confirm the previous launch date rumors. Spec-wise, the phone is expected to pack a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. There's also mention of 1080p video capture and a 720p display -- the latter being unlikely in light of the large amount of bezel surrounding the screen (Samsung's smallest HD Super AMOLED display is 4.65-inches across). Our guess is that T-Mobile's just complementing Samsung's existing Galaxy S Blaze 4G with a mid-range QWERTY slider, but we'll find out soon enough.

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Samsung Galaxy S Blaze Q leaks in August 15th-dated press shot, keeps terrible name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony LT25i Tsubasa pops up in benchmarks, may swell the high-speed Xperia ranks

Sony LT25i Tsubasa pops up in benchmarks, may amp up Xperia meidrange

Add another future Sony Xperia model to a rapidly growing pool. The LT25i Tsubasa (not to be confused with the ST25i/Xperia U) has been caught by Tencent in AnTuTu and NenaMark2 tests, seemingly running the same mix of a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, a 720p screen and Android 4.0 that we've seen in the upcoming Xperia T (LT30p). So what's different? There's rumors of in-cell touch to keep the display thin and vivid, but even the unverified source isn't certain that it will become a reality. The crew at Xperia Blog also claims that there will be international LTE and HSPA+ models along with China- and Japan-specific editions. Assuming the details are at all consistent with the truth, having the Tsubasa arrive on the scene mostly hints that Sony might be readying a broader speed-up of its roster than we first thought.

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Sony LT25i Tsubasa pops up in benchmarks, may swell the high-speed Xperia ranks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Tencent (translated), Xperia Blog  |  sourceAnTuTu (translated), NenaMark2  | Email this | Comments