Asus’ goal for 2012 is to beat Samsung in tablets

Asus has offered up a glimpse of what it wants to do in 2012 at its global sales meeting held this week. Part of the goings on at the meeting was to set the shipment goals for the four major product lines next year. The company has announced that it expects to ship more than 22 million notebooks and netbooks next year reports DigiTimes. The specific number Asus is shooting for internally is 23.8 million units.

When it comes to tablet PCs Asus is a bit more specific. It wants to ship at least three million tablets shipped with an internal goal reportedly set at 6 million tablets. That would put Asus ahead of rival Samsung in the tablet market. Asus may well do that with the Transformer Prime looking like one of the best Android tablets to land so far.
The big number of notebook shipments that Asus expects next year would put it ahead of Dell and put it in the running for the third largest notebook vendor globally. The bulk of the shipments will be notebooks at 19.3 to 19.8 million units, netbook shipments are expected to continue to decline.
[via SlashGear]

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Engineer: Android Will Never Be Completely Smooth Thanks to Design Framework

Google+ user Andrew Munn claims to be a former intern of Google’s and a soon to be intern of Microsoft’s. He reportedly worked on Android for a short time and will be doing his work at Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 in a short time – just a small disclaimer before we move on.

Yesterday, we reported on a Google+ post by Dianne Hackborn who sought to set the record straight on hardware acceleration, stating that while full hardware acceleration didn’t get introduced until Android 3.0 and was further pushed in Android 4.0, they have always been using some form of hardware acceleration for drawing certain UI elements. She also admits that hardware acceleration isn’t as rosy as we’d like.
The aforementioned engineer Munn wants to tell you exactly why hardware acceleration in Android doesn’t, and may never, make for a very smooth experience up against iOS and Windows Phone 7, citing inefficient design frameworks in Android that keep it from using the CPU/GPU power necessary to ensure a 100% smooth experience. Take it with a grain of salt. It’s a good read if nothing else. [Google+, thanks phantomash]

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i.TV brings its local TV guide app to Android users in North America

i.TV has brought its free TV guide app to phones and tablets (including the Kindle Fire) running on Android, and is now available for download from the Android Market and Amazon’s Appstore for Android.
i.TV has existed on iOS for a long time now and the company claims that it is the most downloaded of all TV guide apps for the platform. It says that bringing the app over to Android was “the number one request we get”, which the company has now fulfilled.
The app detects your location and shows you local TV listing based on your service provider, as long as you are in Canada or USA. You can also type in a ZIP code manually if that is more to your liking.

It lets you log in to your TiVo account and remotely manage your scheduling. There’s a Netflix search feature built in and controls to add shows to your Netflix disc or queue.
You can browse through shows by lists, such as New Shows, Most Favourited, New Tonight, Emmy Winners, Staff Picks and You Gotta Be Kidding. The app lets you mark shows as favourites as well, so it is easier to keep track of them.
Finally, there’s news from the entertainment industry, which can be filtered by favourite shows, and inbuilt access to information about shows from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and Wikipedia.

Although the newest, i.TV is not the only app in town for Android-using TV lovers. Both the free ad-supported version and the premium version of TV Show Favs are also a hit among Android users, and you should be sure to check them out.
➤i.TV | Android Market | Appstore for Android

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HTC sees massive monthly sales dip, down 30% in November

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC today announced its monthly sales figures for November, posting financials that highlighted a 30% drop in sales from October, and 20% down on the same period in 2010.
The world’s fourth biggest smartphone manufacturer reported consolidated sales for November dropped to T$30.94 billion ($1.03 billion) from T$38.48 billion ($1.27 billion) a year ago and T$44.11 billion ($1.46 billion) in October 2011.
In November, HTC revised its revenue estimates in the fourth quarter, warning investors that increased competition in the smartphone market and a hostile economic climate would affect revenues. The company slashed estimates by as much as 23% as sales slowed quarter-on-quarter for the first time in two years.
It’s a stark contrast to HTC’s sales performance earlier in the year; in August sales peaked at $1.56 billion, an increase of 83.3% year on year. It was a new monthly sales record for the company, which also saw it announce plans to acquire mobile service provider Dashwire for $18.5 million.
The Android and Windows Phone device maker posted a small increase on its June sales, which stood at T$45.05 billion ($1.55 billion), with sales reaching T$24.61 billion a year earlier.
Strong sales from Apple and Samsung led HTC to predict its fourth-quarter revenue would be the same as it was in 2010, reaching around $3.4 billion. It previously issued guidance that it would see sales upwards of $4 billion.
Today’s filing will do little to reassure HTC investors after the company’s share price yesterday plummeted to a 17-month low ahead of a potential device ban in the U.S as a result of a legal fight against Apple. The Cupertino-based company continues to squeeze HTC over its device designs but is also eating into its sales following the release of the iPhone 4S.

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T-Mobile and Sprint Speak Out About Their Carrier IQ Use

T-Mobile and Sprint have recently decided to chime in on the conversation regarding their use of Carrier IQ, a metrics tool used to gather statistical data. Via some internal and unreleased memos regarding Carrier IQ, both carriers have discussed, as expected, its intended use which was to simply log data for troubleshooting and to improve the overall network performance for each respective carrier. Check out their responses below in an interview with The Verge:

To wit:

T-Mobile: ”T-Mobile does not use the tool to obtain the content of text, email or voice messages, or the specific destinations of customers’ Internet activity. It is not used for marketing purposes. T-Mobile uses the Carrier IQ diagnostic tool to gather device data for effective troubleshooting and to increase the overall device and network performance for our customers.
Sprint: ”Sprint uses the Carrier IQ data to only understand device performance on our network so we can identify when issues are occurring. … Even with Carrier IQ, Sprint does not and cannot look at or record contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., nor do we sell or provide a direct feed of Carrier IQ data to anyone outside Sprint.

In addition, T-Mobile also went one step further and listed the devices on its network currently running the Carrier IQ software. Hit the break for the full list of infected handsets.

• HTC Amaze 4G
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Exhibit II 4G
• T-Mobile myTouch by LG
• T-Mobile myTouch Q by LG
• LG DoublePlay
• Blackberry 9900
• Blackberry 9360
• Blackberry 9810

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Upcoming Facebook For Android Refresh Spied In Leaked Images

Looks like Facebook for Android will soon be receiving a much needed refresh. The leaked images above show not only a new UI layout but the addition of an extra icon for your app drawer that will most likely take a user straight to the “Check In” location of the app. The refresh will take the version number up to 1.8 and any changes will most likely be welcomed with open arms. The Facebook app for Android is one of the most hated in the Android Market so the boys at Facebook definitely have their work cut out for them. For a few more shots, hit up the source link below.
[Via Engadget]

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Motorola XT928 Pictured In The Wild – Shows Off Its 4.5-inch 720p Display

It wasn’t too long ago we told you about some Motorola RAZR variants hitting China one of which — the XT928 — was officially announced last week. Touted as “a phone inside a camera,” the XT928 (also known as the Motorola Dinara doesn’t fit in so well with its RAZR brethren. With a blockier frame, slightly thicker body and complete absence of carbon fiber or kevlar accents, looks wise, it seems to have more in common with the Droid X than anything.

Also unlike the RAZR, the battery is now accessible through the removable cover making the device compatible with spare batteries. The XT928 also features a 4.5-inch 720p resolution screen that holds its own against the RAZR’s vivid AMOLED (and super washed out MT917 display).

Word on the street is the XT928 could be landing on AT&T but that’s not a very strong rumor. I would like to propose that this will hit Verizon as the Droid X3 complete with 4G LTE connectivity based upon absolutely nothing other than the looks of the device. Regardless of carrier, I wouldn’t mind seeing this hit stateside as Motorola has yet to release a device with a 1280×720 resolution display. For more family pics hit up the source link below.
[Engadget China via Engadget]

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Leaked Verizon Email and PDF Confirms Verizon Galaxy Nexus December 9th Launch

Leaks have been coming out of the woodwork these past few days and it seems the boys over at RootzWiki have managed to secure a leaked email and PDF confirming the much rumored December 9th launch date for the Galaxy Nexus This pretty much coincides with what we’ve been hearing from our sources (although we’ve gotten more than a few emails stating December 15th is the new Dec 9th).

Judging by the wording of the email and PDF this almost seems like a rush job. Stores will apparently be getting their shipments on December 6th, just three days before the big launch with demo units already hitting some stores complete with Ice Cream Sandwich packaging (image below: courtesy of Droid-Life). My question is will the Galaxy Nexus even receive a well deserved big launch, or will it just happen to pop up into stores without an ad spot or major announcement from Verizon? Only a few more days until we find out…

[AndroidForums via RootzWiki

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Meizu MX launches January 1, 2012

Meizu just broke the ice and finally announced its 2012 flagship smartphone, the MX. Headed to mainland China January 1st, expect an initial cost of ¥2,999 ($470). It will pack some serious power from the included 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4210 dual-core processor and 1GB RAM. It will also sport a 4” ASV display with a 960×640 pixel ratio. Initially, the device will only be available with 16GB of internal storage, but expect a 32GB version later on.

As you can see from the picture, the MX will certainly include a heavily masked version of Android 2.3.5; I’ve never been a fan of anything but vanilla Android, but this skin seems to appeal to my taste. Jack Wong (CEO) has also stated the device will eventually be updated to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

The MX also has an impressive 8MP rear-facing camera supporting smile detection and an option for shooting panaramic photgraphs. It records in 1080p as well, but no HDMI output will be included. If you feel the need to go learn Chinese – go check out the official word on Meizu’s website. Or just Google Translate it like the rest of us.
Press Release:

Calling all dreamers, the Meizu MX is unveiled
HONG KONG—9:30 AM GMT +8, October 6—Today Meizu unveils a new product, the Meizu MX. Borrowing the first two letters from the Chinese characters of the word “dream,” or “meng xiang,” the MX is a dream phone in all its senses. The MX comes with a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 8 megapixel back-illuminated camera and LED flash, along with a gyroscope and other sensors. Its design is clean, intuitive and minimalistic, which is the result of countless discussions, prototypes, and revisions.
The Meizu MX has a gorgeous 4-inch, high resolution (292 PPI) AVS screen with the ideal 3:2 aspect ratio. Compared to wider 4.3-inch screens, the screen edges are easily reachable with your fingers, while providing better readability for text; both in horizontal and landscape mode. In addition, the phone comes with Meizu’s unique Flyme OS, which features a custom designed UI, as well as cloud services such as data syncing, music store (China-only), and an applications market. The Meizu MX also features a Meizu-only innovation, namely our patented situation-aware bottom light keys.
MX offers ample connectivity and media sharing options such as a micro USB port, coaxial digital audio output, MHL, USB Host and other features.
A 16GB version of the MX will be available January 1, 2012 priced at 2 999 CNY.
With the MX, Meizu is taking its first steps into the international market. Meizu is opening a store later this month in Hong Kong, on Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok.
About Meizu
Founded in 2003, we began producing music players which later came to be world renowned. Since 2008, all our efforts have been focused on making great smartphones, which have made us one of China’s most loved smartphone makers.
Since the beginning, something we have always held dear was the power of daring to dream. We believe in focus, in doing few things, but doing them really well. To us, focus is the key to achieving and exceeding our dreams. In focusing, our team is devoted, plans for the long-term, and strives for perfection. As a company, we want to transcend convention and imagination, with the ultimate goal of making products worthy of dreaming about.

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