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HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian lives it up in the wild, sneaks in a stylus for the nostalgic types

by Paul Miller posted Jul 24th 2009 @ 10:10AM

There's always been a little chunk of softness in our cold, stone hearts for candybar QWERTY handsets. Stylus interaction? Not so much. That's why it's a little disappointing to see HP's upcoming iPAQ K3 Obsidian handset for AT&T show up with a stylus on board, despite the initial leaked documents we saw that clearly stated otherwise. Still, it's nice to see how Windows Mobile 6.5 can operate under such conditions, and the 2.43-inch screen is OLED, even if it's restricted to a mere QVGA resolution. It appears that a scroll wheel does the duty of shuffling through that honeycomb menu. As far as we know, we're still looking at a November release.

[Via SlashGear]

OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones using a series of lenses developed

by Laura June posted Jun 29th 2009 @ 7:19PM

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute -- partnered with project HYPOLED -- have created an OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones. Unlike many previous iterations of similar technologies, this new prototype doesn't need an additional illumination system, instead relying on a lens system to project images produced by an OLED onto a screen or wall -- making it both smaller and more energy efficient. The prototype currently displays a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, and color images with a brightness of about half of that. The lenses are also made of glass at this point, though cheaper and simpler plastic ones are in the works. No word on when we might see these prototypes hitting the streets in actual projector phones, though.

[Via Gizmag]

Samsung's Pixon 12: a dozen megapixels of cameraphone nonsense in June

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 1st 2009 @ 2:35AM

After failing to show at Mobile World Congress event in February, Samsung's rumored 12 megapixel cameraphone has finally arrived. Meet the Pixon 12 and its 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a Sammy promise of fast shutter speeds and quick browsing. As a camera, the Pixon 12 (M8910) brings a dedicated shutter button, touch auto-focus (wherever you touch becomes the focal point) that locks in to track moving subjects, Smart Auto mode changing depending upon conditions, and 28-mm wide angle lens. The unit also saves images relatively quickly (for a cameraphone) so that you can fire off the next shot within 2 seconds. Just remember, more megapixels do not make for better photos especially when jammed tightly into a sensor small enough for a cellphone. And 12 megapixels translates to files ranging from 2MB to 18MB and beyond depending on the compression used (Samsung doesn't say). So ask yourself: is it really worth the storage space and the associated delays when uploading images to Samsung's Share Pix service (with Facebook, Picasa, Flickr integration) over the Pixon 12's built-in WiFi and HSUPA data? No rush, you've got time to decide -- Pixon 12 will be hitting Europe in late June, other regions sometime in August. One more pic after the break.

Update: Full specs just came in: 150MB on-board storage (MicroSD expansion); quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSPA 900/2100MHz; Xenon + Power LED flash; 720 x 480 pixel videos at 30fps; internal GPS, and FM radio with RDS.

Continue reading Samsung's Pixon 12: a dozen megapixels of cameraphone nonsense in June

Samsung's OmniaHD gets high-def unboxing

by Darren Murph posted May 31st 2009 @ 8:08PM

If watching the N97 crawl out of its Espoo-designed packaging just isn't enough for one day, how's about this? An unlocked Samsung OmniaHD (or i8910, if we're being proper) has found its way into the ever-loving hands of one mareskino, and he was kind enough to unbox the thing on video. Better still, the quality here is second to none, and we'd bet you'll be drooling by the end of it. If you're ready to prove us right / wrong, hop on past the break and mash play.

[Thanks, Curtis]

Continue reading Samsung's OmniaHD gets high-def unboxing

Retail details emerge on Samsung's S5050 for the ladies

by Chris Ziegler posted May 27th 2009 @ 1:03AM

Many manufacturers have yet to create even a single AMOLED-powered model -- HTC, we're looking straight at you -- but for Samsung, it seems the time has already come to start differentiating among its whole freakin' AMOLED portfolio. The S5050 slider's been floating around since February, featuring a supposedly girl-friendly color combo (though we don't necessarily see why a dude couldn't use this) along with EDGE data, FM radio with RDS, stereo Bluetooth, microSDHC support, a 3.2 megapixel AF cam, and that sweet hunk of vibrant, organic light at 320 x 240 resolution -- and now, it seems the phone's been lined up for a summer release for something in the range of 4,500 Czech crowns ($236). That's an unlocked price, too -- and considering the screen and camera specs along, it's a steal. Shouldn't there be a premium for the pink?

Next iPhone to launch July 17 with OLED display and glowing Apple logo?

by Nilay Patel posted May 19th 2009 @ 2:06PM

You had to know we'd see a flurry of iPhone rumors and news as the Apple community reacted to the Pre's official price and launch date, and right on schedule, we've got whispers that Cupertino's next handset will be announced at WWDC, feature an OLED display and a glowing Apple logo, and launch on July 17. There's also a longer list of detailed specs, but for the most part they're just a combination of that matte black casing leak from February and those Chinese specs from last week. So are they the real deal? Well, the source and the site they're on seem a little shaky to us, but the specs themselves don't seem too far-fetched -- OLED screens are getting cheaper and more prevalent, and we're almost certain to see bumps in camera resolution and storage, so even if they are totally made up, we'd venture to guess they're more right than wrong. That's just us, though -- check out the full spec list after the break and tell us what you think.

[Via Wired; image from MacRumors]

Continue reading Next iPhone to launch July 17 with OLED display and glowing Apple logo?

Samsung: OLED screens on half of mobile phones within 5 years

by Darren Murph posted Apr 20th 2009 @ 10:47AM

Truthfully, we wouldn't put too much stock in that headline considering that Samsung Mobile Display, a company that makes its ends off of selling active-matrix OLEDs, is the source. But on the other hand, we can definitely see it coming to fruition. According to a new report, said outfit has stated that OLED screens of some sort will be on over half of all mobile phones (not just smartphones, mind you) within the next five years, and that these same power-sipping displays will be on 20 percent of digital cameras and 30 percent of portable game players (PSP2, anyone?) within the same window of time. While it may seem a bit far-fetched now, we actually have good reason to believe that OLED adoption will indeed skyrocket on the small scale; it's those big screen TVs that we're worried only our grandchildren will truly enjoy.

[Via OLED-Info]

Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

by Paul Miller posted Apr 16th 2009 @ 6:22PM

We're big fans of reality and feasibility, we swear, but something like this "EOS" concept phone Kyocera was showing off at CTIA is just too good to pass up. The handset folds up into what could roughly be described as a wallet shape, but folds out into two configurations: portrait QWERTY mode (pictured), and full-on widescreen OLED display (after the break). Samsung was showing similar screen-folding folding abilities, but a much less impressive handset, at CES. Things get even wilder, tough, with Kyocera envisioning shape memory keys that can morph flat when not in use, and a kinetic charging method based on piezoelectric generators and Mary Poppins. Sure, our great grandkids are going to have a good laugh at us for thinking this is lovable, but they always were a bunch of theoretical brats. Kyocera plans on implementing some of the concept ideas into its "near future" lineup of devices. We'll see how that pans out.

[Via Inhabitat, photo courtesy of Jeffrey Sass]

Continue reading Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

Apple to partner with LG on OLED-equipped iPhone, netbook?

by Ross Miller posted Mar 19th 2009 @ 7:38PM

A new rumor from SmartHouse is making the rounds today, with alleged sources claiming LG has partnered with Apple to make OLED displays for a new iPhone and iPod touch, a Taiwan-manufactured netbook that's reportedly already in working prototype stage, and a device with a wafer-thin screen that would link wirelessly to a content-providing box similar to Apple TV. Sure, some of that makes sense, but let's add a good bit of context here. This article in question was written by SmartHouse veteran David Richards, who in the past has brought us such winners as PlayStation 4 launching in 2008, a Xbox 360 equipped with HD DVD, and our favorite, Apple producing its own soap opera series exclusively for the iPod. We're not saying the Apple-LG partnership is entirely out of the realm of possibility, but this guy doesn't exactly have the best track record. Furthermore, this doesn't jibe with two separate reports from Dow Jones Newswire and Commercial Times / DigiTimes that Quanta is providing the screens for an upcoming Apple netbook launching in Q3. Lastly, with today's announcement that LG is licensing Kodak's OLED technology for future devices, we get the feeling the company isn't the best suited to meet Cupertino's demands. Seems like this week's barrage of Apple news has gotten to people's heads, honestly -- keep a sharp eye!

[Thanks, everyone; image courtesy of Frunny]

Read - Report on Apple / LG OLED partnership
Read - Articles from David Richards

Samsung's S8300 slider packs AMOLED display, 8-megapixel camera

by Darren Murph posted Dec 29th 2008 @ 2:33PM

If Samsung's Soul had your innermost emotions shakin', wait until you wrap your retinas around this. The S8300, which is said to be an upgrade from the aforementioned mobile -- will reportedly come stacked with 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity, a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera, inbuilt GPS, an FM radio with RDS, 60MB of onboard memory, DivX playback and an "anti-scratch / anti-fingerprint coated duraluminium chassis." There are no promises that it'll be ready for a CES showcase, though we're hearing that a MWC launch is expected in a worst case scenario. Lots more images are hiding in the read link.

Samsung concept phone unfolds to hypnotize onlookers with flexible OLED

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 24th 2008 @ 2:01AM

Cellphones are caught in this awkward spot where they've got to be small -- like pocketable, doesn't-look-ridiculous-on-your-face small -- and yet somehow big enough to pack an expansive, pretty display that's capable of displaying a lot of stuff at once. That's a paradox that has forced manufacturers into some curious form factors over the years, but ultimately, if you want to somehow cram the desktop viewing experience into a device the size of a pack of cigarettes, you're probably going to need something that projects, rolls, or folds. That's where Samsung's new concept phone shown off at the FPD International show in Yokohama comes into play, opening like a book to reveal a flexible OLED big enough to handle those cute puppy videos that no plain-vanilla, 2.5-inch display can do justice. There's no word on when a so-equipped handset might see production -- but we think it's appropriate that it's being shown off in Japan in all places, if you catch our drift. Follow the break for a video of the display in action.

Continue reading Samsung concept phone unfolds to hypnotize onlookers with flexible OLED

Casio's 8.1 megapixel W63CA with 480 x 800 pixel OLED flips out in Japan

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 27th 2008 @ 4:59AM

We had a chance to gaze through the wireframe of this 8.1 megapixel Casio W63CA Exilim cellphone back in August courtesy of the FCC's finest. Now check it in high-gloss, plastic flesh. The latest Japanese super-phone squeezes 480 x 800 pixel into a 3.1-inch OLED display. Let that sink in for a second... the very same 384,000 pixels on a display smaller than the 3.8-inch LCD heralded by the Touch HD. The camera features a wide-angle lens, 9-point auto focus, face detection, anti-shake, and a YouTube video mode that records VGA video at 30fps to microSD. All this in a Japanese-only flip measuring 110 x 50 x 17.4 ~ 22-mm when it launches in early November.

[Via Impress]

Samsung's S60-based I7110: HSDPA, AMOLED display, 5MP camera

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2008 @ 9:07AM

Hardware fanatics, listen up -- a golden egg has been laid in the form of the Samsung I7110. Arriving with a slightly sleeker design than on the earlier spotted i7110c, this Symbian S60-based candybar has been revealed to the world today in London. Specs wise, you're looking at a luscious 2.6-inch AMOLED display, FM radio / transmitter , GPS navigation (with geotagging functionality), an accelerometer, "3D graphics," Bluetooth 2.0, HSDPA and WiFi. Additionally, it packs a 5-megapixel camera (with Auto Focus and a LED flash), robust multimedia player (DivX support included), 50MB of internal memory, a microSDHC slot, video recording, 11-hours of talk time and a 12.9-millimeter thin body. Price remains a mystery, but those in Russia will be the first in the know when it launches there next month. As for everyone else? Patience.

KDDI shows off Samsung-made 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, 3D LCD panel

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 2nd 2008 @ 6:57PM

It's been almost a full year since Samsung first announced its plans for a 3-inch WVGA OLED panel, but it's now finally delivered, and found a partner in the form of KDDI, which was showing off the panel at CEATEC. As Tech-On notes, the panel is quite the upgrade over Samsung's current top-end 3-inch QVGA panel and, best of all, KDDI says that it'll be showing up in actual products "shortly," though it's not about to get any more specific than that. As if that wasn't enough, KDDI also had a new "3D LCD" panel built by an unnamed "Japanese panel manufacturer" on hand at the show. It boasts the same WVGA resolution as the OLED and employs a "parallax barrier method" to magically "convert 2D images into 3D in real time -- check that out after the break, and look for the panels to be productized by the end of 2009.

[Via OLED-DISPLAY.net]

Continue reading KDDI shows off Samsung-made 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, 3D LCD panel

Panasonic turning cellphone, gas pump into your next Plasma

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 3rd 2008 @ 7:41AM

We kid you not. Panasonic is working on a new low-voltage (1.5v) plasma technology which it says will rival OLED displays in brightness, thinness, and contrast. Better yet, Panasonic claims that its plasmas can be manufactured for "much less money" than OLEDs. Panny already has plans to include their new plasma displays in cellphones for use with AT&T's Mobile TV service, gas pumps, ATMs, and on HP printers under a new exclusive two-year deal. Color us impressed if the new displays look anything like the 3.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixel Viera phone instead of that anemic looking phone pictured above which accompanied the press release.