ZTE Geek U988S outed as world’s first Tegra 4 phone, headed to China Mobile

ZTE U988S outed as the world's first Tegra 4 phone,

China's TENAA certification database is notorious for leaking mobile devices, but this time ZTE's learned that if you can't beat it, then just play along with it. After this U988S was leaked by TENAA recently, ZTE decided to share some product shots on a forum and Sina Weibo ahead of time. What's more, the company confirmed that this red device is actually the China Mobile version of the Geek, but the Intel chip has been replaced by NVIDIA's upcoming Tegra 4. As teased before, this will likely make the new Geek the world's first phone to pack this quad-core chip, which will be clocked at 1.8GHz and will have 2GB of RAM, according to the TENAA filing.

Other changes include a 5-inch LCD upgrade from 1,280 x 720 to 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, plus the front-facing camera is now at two megapixels instead of just one. On the other hand, the old 8-megapixel main camera is here to stay. Sadly, this particular device will only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, meaning the rest of the world will have to stay tuned for a global version. Let's hope it doesn't take too long.

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Via: Engadget China

Source: Sina Weibo, TENAA, ZTE Fans

NVIDIA CEO demos new stylus touchscreen tech, uses Tegra 4 image processing to reduce battery drain

NVIDIA CEO demos new stylus touchscreen tech, uses Tegra 4 image processing to reduce battery drain

Elaborating from the battery-saving PRISM screen tech that we saw on Tegra 3 devices, the NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang showed off a new software-based touchscreen technology that allows you to use a simple capacitive stylus with a degree of pressure-based input. Showing of his writing skills at Computex on an experimental 7-inch tablet, he used a simple (ie. non-digitizer) stylus to write at several different thicknesses, utilizing a flat surface at the other end of the pen to erase any mistakes -- there's sensitivity to the millimeter, apparently. NVIDIA reckons this will improve battery life while using the stylus and offers a high detection rate (thanks to the software-based processes) for slick, curved lines. The primary hardware necessary? No less than NVIDIA's new Tegra 4 chip, of course, and DirectTouch. Check out the gallery of the stylus in action below, and we can expect the company to elaborate on which devices will house the feature in the near-future.

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Toshiba intros three Android tablets, two with Tegra 4 and a 2,560 x 1,600 screen

Toshiba intros three Android tablets, two with Tegra 4 and a 2,560 x 1,600 screen

Could three times be a charm for Toshiba? After striking out with its "Thrive" Android tablets and then coming up a bit short with the "Excite" line, the company is completely scrapping its tablet lineup and replacing it with three new models. These include the Excite Pure, Excite Pro and Excite Write, and while they share the same plastic design, 10-inch form factor, ports and Android 4.2 OS, they each offer something a little different on the inside. Starting with the Pure, it's a $300 tablet running with last year's specs -- namely, a Tegra 3 SoC, a 1,280 x 800 screen with Gorilla Glass 1 and no rear camera. Storage is capped at 16GB, but since all of these have a microSD slot, 16GB or 32GB isn't really a hard limit. Moving up the line, the Excite Pro steps up to a Tegra 4 chip, 32GB of storage, an 8MP rear camera, Harman Kardon sound and a 2,560 x 1,600, 300-ppi Gorilla Glass 2 screen to match the Nexus 10.

As you can see in our hands-on shots, it was meant to be used with an optional keyboard case, though you can technically use that dock with any of these tablets, since they all share the same hardware. That will arrive in early July for $500, putting it in line with the iPad and other premium tablets like the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity. Finally, the Excite Write is exactly what it sounds like: a tablet with pen support. Specifically, it has a Wacom digitizer with support for 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Accordingly, Toshiba is also pre-loading its own TruNote and TruCapture apps to assist with note-taking. That digitizer aside, the Write shares all the same specs as the Excite Pro: Tegra 4, 32GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera and a 10.1-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 display. This, too, will be available next month, with an MSRP of $600. In the meantime, check out our hands-on photos after the break.

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ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity launches: 2,560 x 1,600 display, capable of 4K output (hands-on)

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity launches 2,560 x 1,600 display, capable of 4K output handson

Promising to transform our devices and our lives, Jonny Shih revealed the Transformer Pad Infinity to a packed press room here at Computex 2013. Its 10.1-inch screen packs a potent 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, alongside a quad-core Tegra 4 chip clocked at 1.9GHz, USB 3.0 port, Bluetooth 3.0 and, whoa, 4K output via HDMI. There's 32GB of internal storage, residing inside a spun metallic-finished that's very similar to the current Zenbook series and last-generation Infinity tablets, while you'll get an SD slot through its companion dock too. We're waiting on more specifics (namely something closer to a date and pricing) and we'll let you know here when we hear 'em. For now, a quick hands-on video and some impressions are right after the break.

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NVIDIA Shield drops by the FCC, gets ready to fill pre-orders

NVIDIA Shield drops by the FCC, gets ready to fill preorders

Eager to get your mitts on NVIDIA's first Tegra 4 device? Cast your jealous eyes upon the federal government -- they've already got one. NVIDIA's Shield gaming handheld dropped by the FCC to get its label approved, betraying its original code name, Project Thor, in the processes. Hardly a surprise to see the device passing federal muster, of course, as it's slated for release at the end of next month. Unfortunately, the filings don't reveal any hidden goodies (that is, no cellular radio), just a standard WiFi antenna. Still, if label location drawings and test reports are your thing, check out the FCC link below.

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Source: FCC

HP intros the Split x2 Windows hybrid and the Android-based SlateBook x2 (hands-on)

HP intros the Split x2 Windows hybrid and Android-based SlateBook x2 (hands-on)

The Envy x2 has never been our favorite Windows 8 tablet, but that hasn't stopped HP from selling loads of them. The device has been such a success, in fact, that the company is expanding the x2 series to make room for two follow-on products: the Split x2 (a Windows 8 hybrid) and the SlateBook x2 (an Android tablet). Starting with the Split (pictured above), this is the first time HP's made a laptop / tablet hybrid with a laptop processor inside, though Microsoft and others have of course done this already. In brief, it's a 13-inch slate with a 1,366 x 768 display and your choice of Core i3 or i5 CPU (these are Intel's Y-series Ivy Bridge chips we're talking about). As you'd expect, the keyboard dock packs a second battery, though it also makes room for an optional 500GB hard drive to complement the SSD inside the actual tablet. Other specs include two USB ports (one 2.0, one 3.0), HDMI, Beats Audio, WiDi and expansion slots for both microSD and full SD cards.

The SlateBook (shown below) is a 10-inch tablet with a Tegra 4 chip -- one of the first to be announced by any company, in fact. Though it's a companion to the $169 Slate 7, it packs considerably higher-end specs. There's that Tegra 4 SoC, for one, as well as a 1,920 x 1,200, 400-nit IPS display and the latest version of Jelly Bean (4.2.2). As with other dockable tablets, its keyboard has a battery built in. Here, though, the keyboard also includes a shortcut for Google voice search. There's even a laptop-style trackpad supporting multitouch gestures -- a rarity on products like this. The hardware itself weighs about 2.8 pounds in total, with a spec list that includes two USB sockets, stereo speakers and SD / microSD readers. Both products will be available in August, with the Split x2 priced at $800 and the SlateBook x2 going for $480 (docks included). Now all we need are some battery life claims. In the meantime, check out our hands-on photos below. (Pssst: the Split unit we photographed was just a mockup.)

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Tegra 4 reference tablets use SanDisk iNAND Extreme, mate a fast CPU with fast storage

Tegra 4 reference tablets use SanDisk's iNAND Extreme, match fast chips with fast storage

It's well established that NVIDIA's Tegra 4 is at least reasonably quick. It's only quick when the storage isn't a bottleneck, however, which is why SanDisk has negotiated a repeat partnership as the official storage supplier for reference Tegra 4 tablets. Pop open one of the designs and you'll find either 16GB or 32GB of SanDisk's iNAND Extreme keeping pace with the quad-core processor. The reference deal may be more than just a publicity grab: it raises the chance that companies will use the speedier flash memory in their own Tegra 4 slates. Whether or not SanDisk makes it to shipping devices, the deal could lead to balanced tablet hardware that seldom leaves us waiting.

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Source: SanDisk

Aptina unleashes 1080p and 4K mobile sensors, entire point-and-shoot segment cringes

Aptina unleashes 1080p and 4K mobile sensors, entire pointandshoot segment cringes

Hear that? That's the sound of the entire point-and-shoot camera industry bracing for yet another blow. As smartphone cameras mature, it's becoming ever more difficult to convince consumers to use anything other than their phone outside of special occasions where ILCs or DSLRs are necessary. Aptina has a lot to do with that. Here at Mobile World Congress, the sensor outfit has announced its 12 megapixel and 13 megapixel mobile image sensors, aimed squarely at next-gen flagship phones that ought to be coming out in Q2 or Q3 this year. The smaller 1.1-micron pixel construction is the standout feature, with the AR1230 capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps as well as 1080p video at up to 96fps. The AR1330 throws in electronic image stabilization support at 1080p, while snagging 4K UHD and 4K Cinema formats at 30fps.

Over on the tablet PC / TV front, the AR0261 is a new 1080p-capable sensor that's destined to redefine what a front-facing camera can accomplish. It relies on a 1.4-micron pixel, and should have no issues capturing faces at up to 60fps when using its 720p mode. Furthermore, Aptina promises that this guy can work with applications involving gesture recognition and 3D video capture, but sadly, no OEMs are coming forward just yet with concrete plans to include it.

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Source: Aptina

NVIDIA Tegra 4 benchmarked, breaks all sorts of speed records (video)

NVIDIA Tegra 4 benchmarked, breaks all sorts of speed records video

When NVIDIA unveiled Tegra 4 back at CES, we scrambled to get hands-on with a reference device. And though our initial performance impressions were positive -- it runs 1080p video and games smoothly -- there was only so much we could say to illustrate how fast the performance is. After all, Tegra 3 already does a fine job handling games and full HD movies. What we really needed were benchmarks, some quantitative data to help show the difference between Tegra 4 devices and whatever's currently on the market. Fortunately for all of you, we just got our chance: here at Mobile World Congress, the company has reference tablets set up expressly for the purpose of running tests. So, we did just that... over and over and over until we had a long list of scores. Meet us after the break to see how it fared.

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ZTE to ship some of the first Tegra 4 phones by mid-2013

ZTE to ship some of the first Tegra 4 phones by mid2013

When NVIDIA unveiled the Tegra 4 last month, there were questions as to when it would ship in a phone, or whether it was bound for phones in the first place. ZTE has settled that question with plans to be the first company shipping Tegra 4-packing smartphones. The Chinese phone builder won't spoil the surprise by naming the devices in question, but the first models reach China by mid-2013. An LTE "super phone" is in the pipeline, ZTE says. With that fresh ground broken, we're mostly left wondering how likely it is that these devices will cross the Pacific -- as well as guessing which other companies are lined up for NVIDIA's fourth-generation silicon.

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Source: NVIDIA