NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core demo video leaks

What a surprise we have here, it appears NVIDIA will be going with Tegra 3 for the name of their new quad-core Kal-El mobile processors. This recently leaked promo video teases the Tegra 3 name as well as some features we can expect to see from the powerhouse quad-core chipset. Things like console-quality gaming and high speed web with embedded flash that will give us desktop level browsing experiences and more. The first thing that came to my mind was — where can I get that prototype tablet from the video because it looks incredible (and fake). Check out the video and a few more details after the break.

We’ve seen a few NVIDIA roadmap leaks suggesting a November launch for Tegra 3 and last month they shared a few details on just how awesome Kal-El will really be, including that fifth core. Here is where things get interesting — we’ve recently learned that the Transformer 2 may in fact be the first quad-core Kal-El tablet. Then just last week we heard the Transformer 2 could be launching in early November.
While launch dates and all the details have been very scant and tight lipped, the chance for a November launch would line up with NVIDIA’s roadmaps and the recent leaks about the new tablet both. Mix that in with the ASUS Transformer 2 tablet teaser video released just this morning and we may have something developing here. Before I continue check out the Tegra 3 demo video below:
Tegra 3 demo video




Now all of this can just be speculation, but we’ve been hearing for a while that ASUS could be the first tablet maker to launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and that was confirmed this morning also. NVIDIA and the Tegra 3 may still be a little ways off and the Transformer could just ship with a more powerful dual-core and ICS and make everyone happy, but a quad-core Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet sure would be awesome right? Either way now that Ice Cream Sandwich has been announced we have a few exciting months coming ahead in the world of Android.
[via Androidandme]

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Samsung: Galaxy Nexus was designed to avoid Apple’s lawyers

Now that the Galaxy Nexus has finally been unveiled to the world, Samsung has admitted that the device was specifically designed with the thought of bypassing Apple patents to help avoid those lawyers we’ve seen so much from as of late. Talking to Yonhap News, mobile president Shin Jong-kyun mentioned the company “will avoid everything we can” and that they “take patents very seriously” and that obviously given the complexity of those situations nothing is certain.

After Google and Samsung delayed the announcement for the Galaxy Nexus rumors were stirring that it wasn’t just to be courteous and show respect for Steve Jobs, but also because the two companies were still working out some patent details and agreements and what not. Rumors also suggested some of Ice Cream Sandwich’s features would be modified to not overlap and touch on Apple’s IP.

Shown in the image above, you can clearly see the direction change, looking closer to the Nexus S rather than the Galaxy S II that has been a large part of the Apple attack on Samsung — well and the original Galaxy S that looked similar to the II. Shin also went on to say “We will see if [the new phone] will be 100 percent free” but that is yet to be known. He also mentions Samsung will continue to innovate and be strong and these lawsuits aren’t slowing them down, only cutting into the pride of their brand. Samsung has actually filed for a few of their own injunctions against Apple and the iPhone 4S in some area’s such as Australia and Japan recently but we haven’t heard much back on those fronts yet.
Whether lawsuits and patents were actually part of the cause of the delayed announcement aren’t actually known, but Samsung’s confirmation that they were looking to dodge future problems with the design and thought of the Galaxy Nexus makes me happy. It should also give a few potential buyers assurance to go snatch this amazing phone up next month once available.
Galaxy Nexus hands-on:

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HTC Wildfire S hits US Cellular

Today the HTC Wildfire S is finally available on US Cellular. For those wanting a great smartphone in a small package, this is for you. Revealed back in January the Wildfire S is one of HTC’s best entry level smartphones available and has a better build quality than any free or low priced smartphone I’ve seen to date, and today it is now available from US Cellular.


What we have is an awesome little phone with a 3.2″ display and Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a 5 MP camera and the usual great build quality with aluminum casing that we all know and love from HTC. Announced by US Cellular last month users from that carrier can now get this phone completely free — with a new contract of course.
The Wildfire S is by no means a powerful device, coming in with a 600 MHz processor, but for the price you pay it will handle almost everything and do it well. From playing games like Angry Birds to browsing the web we found the Wildfire S to be quite enjoyable and many others will too, especially first time smartphone buyers. Again, the Wildfire S is available on US Cellular starting today completely free with a new 2-year contract (and a $100 MIR). Being another solid option running 2.3 Gingerbread I’d recommend you check it out if you’re on US Cellular.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus pre-orders live at Amazon

It’s time to tab again according to Samsung and Amazon. The recently unveiled Galaxy Tab Plus 7″ is finally available at another big time retailer for pre-order although we still aren’t sure when exactly it will be shipping. Pre-order pages from J&R were spotted earlier this month but were quickly taken down but I have a feeling the Amazon pages might last a bit longer.

Just a few short days ago the 7″ Tab Plus passed through the FCC, a clear indication that it will be hitting the streets here soon — line that up with the new pre-order pages on Amazon and we likely have a launch coming soon. The order page seems to only offer Wi-Fo variants at the moment but we can expect to see connected models soon as we’ve recently spotted one rocking T-Mobile 4G HSPA+.
As we already know, prices will be $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 32GB model. Hardware specs include a 7″ display with a modest 1024 x 600 resolution, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, 3.0MP camera with 2MP on the front, then the usual ports and sensors with USB 2.0 and of course Wi-Fi. I still think 8.9 might be the perfect size but for those wanting to get the latest from Samsung hit the pre-order links below.
Galaxy Tab Plus 7″ 16GB – $399
Galaxy Tab Plus 7″ 32GB – $499
[via GalaxyTabLife]

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Dolphin Browser HD updates with bookmark sync

I’ve always found that one of the most frustrating things about constantly flashing new ROMs is that I have to set up non-Google apps like third party browsers all over again. Today that process gets a little easier in one of Android’s most popular browsers, Dolphin. Dolphin HD7 includes a bookmark sync feature, backing up your bookmarks to Dolphin’s servers, not unlike Chrome or Firefox Sync.

The addition will be a welcome one for anyone who’s ever forgotten to back up their bookmarks to an SD card (cough, cough). The syncing feature, which is labelled “Dolphin Connect,” will also back up most of the browser settings, like gestures and history, though apparently any extensions will still need to be re-downloaded. Unfortunately Dolphin doesn’t hook into your Google account, so users will have to sign up for yet another account before using the service. The new version also offers “webzine” sites, which are RSS-powered specially formatted pages.
If you’ve yet to try Dolphin Browser HD on your smartphone or tablet, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. The tabbed interface, gesture control and sliding access to bookmarks and extensions makes for a much more versatile app than the standard browser, and it tends to be a lot more stable than desktop converts like Opera or Firefox Mobile. A wide variety of themes and extensions are available on the Android Market, and like the browser itself, they’re free. The latest version hasn’t hit the Market yet, but you can download it from GetJar for some side-loading goodness. Version 7 will hit the Market on Sunday.
[via Lifehacker]

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Motorola Droid RAZR to receive ICS update in 2012

With the announcement of Google’s latest build of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, it looks like more companies are starting to come forward and announcing when their phones will be getting the update. Naturally the manufacturer with the most updated phones will be preferred over those that are still shipping devices out with Gingerbread 2.3, right?
Well if you had plan on purchasing the brand new Motorola Droid RAZR, the good news is that according to Motorola’s SVP of Portfolio and Product Management, Alain Mutricy, the Droid RAZR while optimized for Gingerbread 2.3, can expect to get the Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 update at the start of 2012, or at least that’s what the company is hoping. Naturally this update will be available for unlocked phones first, since the update will probably have to pass through Verizon first before making its way onto Verizon branded Droid RAZRs.

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HTC officially unveils EVO Design 4G with WiMAX

Not content to let Samsung and Motorola hog the limelight for long, HTC has revealed its latest entry in the EVO line. The HTC EVO Design 4G is a 4-inch Gingerbread phone packing WiMAX and world phone capabilities. The phone runs on a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, which combined with 768MB of RAM should be able to handle the 960 x 540 qHD screen nicely.

The EVO Design 4G earns its name from its unibody aluminum construction, a trait it shares with some of HTC’s slickest handsets like the Sensation. The press release mentions .47 inch (11.9mm) depth, about on par with other 4-inch smartphones, and considerably thinner than most WiMAX handsets. Some sacrifices had to be made – the 5 megapixel rear camera is midrange, and the 1520 mAh battery will likely take a beating when using the faster connection standard. HTC Sense 3.5, Watch DLNA certification and a 3G/4G mobile hotspot are included.
Other features include the basic WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS combination, and the phone includes an 8GB MicroSD card, though internal storage is currently a mystery. The phone will go on sale this Sunday, October 23rd for $99 on a two-year contract, less $50 for the mail-in rebate. The pricing and size makes the HTC EVO Design 4G a suitable replacement for the EVO Shift 4G, so expect that phone to be discounted soon enough.
[via SlashGear]

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Foxconn tipped to build next gen Kindle Fire

A rumor is floating around today that Foxconn has landed orders for the next Kindle Fire tablet. The next version of the tablet is mostly mystery right now with no word on what will make the tablet different from the original. The next Kindle Fire could possibly be the same tablet we already have with the addition of a 3G modem inside.

The next Fire could also be a tablet with a larger screen to compete more directly with the iPad. The rumor has Foxconn making the next Kindle while Quanta Computer is making the current Kindle Fire. If Foxconn has in fact landed the second generation Kindle Fire contract the company will be making the bulk of the tablets on the market today.
Foxconn already produces the Apple iPad 2 and the Sony Tablet S. with the new Kindle Fire the source of the leak claims Foxconn would be the builder of 80% of the tablets on the market. Foxconn is building iPad 2 tablets as fast as possible along with the iPhone 4S. The company is expected to see some significant Q4 profits thanks to the heavy orders of those Apple devices. Amazon is expected to ship about 5 million Kindle Fire tablets this year.
[via DigiTimes]

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Galaxy Nexus SIM-free price: $680

While we don’t know exactly when the Galaxy Nexus will be hitting store shelves aside from the nebulous “November“, in at least one territory we have a firm price for the contract-free version. All Nexus phones are unlocked, but in countries that aren’t burdened with the “competitive” wireless market in the US, you can easily buy a phone without a SIM card. IN the UK, the Galaxy Nexus will cost £429, or about $680 USD.

A couple of things to note: that price is before a considerable Value-Added Tax, and it’s the smaller 16GB version. At present, there are no plans to release the larger 32GB model in the UK, which could be an important deciding factor for those who like to take large collections of media on the go. Like the Nexus S before it, the Galaxy Nexus has no MicroSD card slot. The price also reflects the HSPA+ model, as the UK currently has no LTE networks.
While off-contract prices for the US are tentative until one of the carriers makes an announcement, you can expect that the Galaxy Nexus will be in the $600 range for the 16GB model. The on-contract LTE price looks like it will be $299 on Verizon at least, though that may not include a mail-in rebate. Be sure to check out our hands-on coverage of the Galaxy Nexus to tide you over until it comes to our fair shores.

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