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slate posts

Video: LG GD510 touchscreen 'Pop' is heavy on hype, light on specs

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 30th 2009 @ 5:23AM

Gotta hand it to LG, it pulled out the big hitting hyperbole with the launch of its otherwise simplistic GD510 touchscreen phone. LG begins with a reminder that it launched "the world's first full touchscreen phone" -- the Prada -- back in January 2007. A claim that Ericsson, Nokia, and others would rightfully dispute. LG then calls the brushed-aluminum GD510, or "Pop," the "most compact 3-inch full touchscreen phone ever made," while boasting of its simplicity. That latter claim is achieved by removing "unnecessary features" that apparently include burdensome WiFi and 3G radios since modern consumers want to browse the internet over GPRS/EDGE. Spec-wise, you get a WQVGA (note the "Q") display, 3 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory, and a single home key that glows green to call or red to hang-up / cancel. They've also ditched the S-Class UI in favor of something that's presumably less convoluted. There's even an optional solar-panel battery cover which we hear is the number one requested feature on touchscreen phones... right. It does look pretty though, which is saying a lot for a phone packing a solar panel. Hitting Europe in mid October and the US at the end of October if the Bluetooth SIG entry is to be believed. Video promo after the break.

Gallery: LG GD510 touchscreen 'Pop' is heavy on hype, light on specs

Read -- Bluetooth SIG
Read -- LG press release

Continue reading Video: LG GD510 touchscreen 'Pop' is heavy on hype, light on specs

Video: Nokia 5230 touchscreen seen lagging the competition

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 25th 2009 @ 4:47AM

Ok S60 5th edition fans, here you go: another touchscreen Nokia slate to admire before it could be leaked by Eldar Murtazin. The new 5230 brings a 3.2-inch touchscreen riding HSDPA data, A-GPS, 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and Bluetooth 2.0 with the promise of 33-hours of music pumped over its 3.5-mm audio jack. It will launch in two flavors in Q4: a €149 model and €259 Comes with Music version. Backside pic and video demonstrating the importance of long pink finger nails for navigating its resistive touchscreen after the break.

Note to Nokia: you really should review your marketing videos more carefully unless the severe lag / unresponsiveness seen when scrolling at 36 seconds is a feature.

Continue reading Video: Nokia 5230 touchscreen seen lagging the competition

China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

by Darren Murph posted Jul 31st 2009 @ 6:49AM

We've nothing much to go on outside of a few good renders and a smattering of machine translated paragraphs, but it sure sounds as if China Mobile is entertaining the idea of bringing a 7-inch Android-based tablet to its airwaves. As the story goes, said slate would boast China's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G connectivity, support for video calling, a full-fledged web browser and an OPhone operating system -- which is essentially a customized version of Android for the Chinese market. Sadly, no further information was given, leaving us to wonder what kind of innards are scheduled for implant and what kind of price tag / release date we're looking at. Oh, and those "call" and "end call" buttons are pretty darn evident, leading us to believe that China Mobile might actually expect you to use this as your primary mobile. Can you say... Sidetalkin'?

[Via Pocketables]

Continue reading China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

LG's 12 megapixel GC990 Louvre flagship with Schneider-Kreuznach optics records our puzzlement in HD

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 8th 2009 @ 6:19AM

If you're the type who values specs above all else then lean in close, LG's GC990 Louvre is about as spec heavy as it gets. Taking its industrial design and UI cues from the GC900 it will replace later this year, LG's newest flagship brings yet another 12 megapixel camera to market. LG's promising "zero shutter lag" while using respectable Schneider-Kreuznach optics with auto- or touchscreen-focus, a xenon flash, claimed ISO 3200 sensitivity (from a tiny cellphone image sensor?), and the ability to record 720p video at 30 fps. It'll also geotag your snaps thanks to on-board GPS. Fine, just remember that 12 megapixel images shot at full quality will result in massive (up to 18MB) files that must then be stored and transmitted to your favorite image sharing sites -- a waste of time and treasure unless you plan to blow up and crop those well-lit images. Anywho, rounding out the specs are LG's S-Class featurephone UI running atop an auto-rotating 3.2-inch (16:9 aspect) touchscreen display, WiFi, Bluetooth, DivX and Xvid video support, a TV-out jack, and support for media sharing with DLNA standard devices. Picture of the backside camera just beyond the read link.

Huawei's G7000 could be an Android phone, but isn't

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 8th 2009 @ 9:38AM

Like this phone? Well, don't get too used to it, because we're not really seeing it launching properly outside of China. It happens to be the descriptively-named G7000 from Huawei featuring EDGE on both 850 and 1900 -- probably a quadband device, if we had to guess -- and, as you can probably gather from the pictures, it's got a full touchscreen. The design lends us to believe it could be rocking Android underneath that pretty face, but a quick glance through the manual suggests that it's nothing more than a proprietary OS destined for the same segment of the market clogged by countless modern feature phones. If you change your mind on the platform, though, Huawei, do let us know, okay?

Motorola with big touchscreen emerges, doesn't disgust

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 21st 2009 @ 2:32PM

What's this, a high-end slate from Motorola that we can all cautiously get behind? Hard as it may be to believe, it seems that Moto might be working on some serious hardware to compete with... well, anything. We don't have any information on this device we're seeing here beyond what we can make out from the picture -- 5 megapixel Kodak-branded camera, big touchscreen, TV-out, and a xenon flash -- but the tip suggests that this could be Moto's first Android device. We tend to think that's not very likely, since we don't have Home or Back buttons on the front (which would also rule out Windows Mobile 6.5 without a Start button), but we suppose they could be hiding out on the side somewhere -- and frankly, we don't see Motorola blowing anyone away with a touchscreen version of its proprietary platform any time soon. At any rate, let's just hope this shot is real, and the phone's almost ready for retail.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Leaked Rogers slides make us want to move to Canada

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 25th 2008 @ 1:22PM

We're not really sure where to begin with this one, because the awesomeness is so thorough and so intense that we're basically at a loss for words; we'll see what we can do here, though. In brief, a HoFo poster has thrown up what appear to be slides from a Rogers event detailing the carrier's release plans for the better part of 2009, and seriously, if you name a badass handset, odds are it's here. Samsung will apparently be bringing the 8.1-megapixel Pixon, for starters, and Sony Ericsson will be throwing its name into the huge-cam hat with the C905. Turning our attention to Windows Mobile, the X1 is scheduled for release "around August if not sooner," Motorola brings the lowly Q11, and HTC adds the Touch Pro, the Touch Viva (an unusual choice considering HTC's intention to send it to emerging markets), and possibly the Touch 3G. Nokia will be offering the 5800 XpressMusic in the middle part of the year, Moto will be bringing a pair of 5-megapixel phones in the VE66 and ZN5, and finally, it seems RIM is signed up to bring the all-GSM 9520 Storm with WiFi -- a feature sorely missing from the Verizon and Vodafone versions -- and a 3G remix of the 8200 Pearl series flip that'll have a front-facing cam for video calling (yeah, no joke, they offer it up there). So look, AT&T, you have two options here: either crib off this presentation and make it happen, or we hope you get bought by Rogers. Your choice.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Mobinnova's ICE suggests Sony Ericsson might know what it's doing

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 24th 2008 @ 2:16PM

So remember how Mobinnova allegedly has some hot new contract with Sony Ericsson for busting out future XPERIA models? We're still a little bummed considering how good the X1 looks -- and how good HTC is at its trade in general -- but digging into Mobinnova's dealings a bit gives us hope. Turns out the Taiwanese company introduced the "ICE" last month, a reasonably decent-looking Windows Mobile 6.1 slate with a 3-inch WQVGA display, 3-megapixel cam, WiFi, and HSDPA. It doesn't stand out against the myriad offerings on the WinMo front these days, but if nothing else, it shows that Mobinnova might just have the chops to keep pace.

[Via pocketnow.com]

Motorola apparently planning another year of existence with claimed 2009 lineup for Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 16th 2008 @ 11:02PM

Our first thought when we saw Boy Genius Report's alleged shots of Moto phones that'll find a home on Verizon in 2009 was, "holy cow, these look fake." And yes, granted, they're all renders -- but what really set off the alarms for us was the fact that they look... well, nothing like Motorolas. At all. But then we thought about it for a second and realized that hey, you know, when you're a once-great cellphone manufacturer losing market share hand over fist and you're looking for the Next Big Thing, you probably want to try something a little new, a little fresh, and a little crazy. So on that note, Verizon can apparently expect a "Rush 2" early in the year that continues Moto's contribution to the low-cost messaging phone trend; the "Calgary" (pictured), looking like a high-end Sidekick Slide minus the Sidekick; the "Inferno," presumably succeeding the ZN4 (which was coincidentally codenamed "Blaze"); and finally the gorgeous "Flash," which -- as far as we're concerned -- should just take the A3000's place. So yeah, these could be an elaborate hoax, but for Motorola's sake, we hope they're not.

Pantech Slate starts trickling into AT&T stores, beauty not included

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 28th 2008 @ 2:52PM

Personally, we're feeling that gray version we saw a few days ago more than the retail trim of black and blue, but either way, there's one thing Pantech didn't manage to squeeze into the Slate's supposedly world's-thinnest QWERTY shell: good looks. Or are we just feeling particularly jaded today, and this is actually the most attractive phone of 2008? Physical design aside, the Slate packs a pretty powerful textual punch for its sub-$50 price point on contract, so we'll let it slide -- we just don't expect to see many screen grabs with this thing.

[Thanks, Kal]

Pantech Slate in the wild

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 22nd 2008 @ 9:28AM

Curious what the "world's thinnest" full QWERTY device (AT&T's words) looks like when it jumps off the PR documentation and into a slightly more real, less retouched environment? Well, here ya go (albeit in a color that won't be available at launch). We're told the Pantech Slate feels "solid" and is expected to go on sale toward the end of the month at a sub-$50 price point -- forgoing 3G, yes, but who needs 3G to send a text message here and there?

[Thanks, Kal]

AT&T goes wild with texting, announces four QWERTY phones

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 14th 2008 @ 11:49AM

If you're into that whole SMS craze and you're on AT&T, you're in luck -- four times over. The carrier's gone ahead and announced not one, not two, but four QWERTY-equipped dumphones today, including a dual slider and a Pantech being billed as "the world's thinnest device with a full QWERTY keypad."

First up, the Pantech Matrix is available now in your choice of blue or green, with red being added on Thursday, October 16. It slides two ways -- a conventional vertical slide to reveal a numeric keypad, and a second side slider for the full QWERTY action. It's got 3G, AT&T Navigation, Video Share support, and a 1.3-megapixel cam, running $79.99 on contract with rebate. Next, the Samsung Propel apes the i620's industrial design -- but make no mistake, there's no Windows Mobile to be found here. It also does 3G and features the full host of AT&T services, packs a 1.3-megapixel cam, and will run the same $79.99 as the Matrix when it hits in late October in blue, green, red, and white with red accents. Next, the Pantech Slate is pretty appropriately named -- if its claim of being the thinnest QWERTY device in the world ends up holding water, anyway. It'll be available in late October alongside the Propel for $49.99 on contract with a 1.3-megapixel camera, but there's no high-speed data to be found in this sucker. Finally, the long-rumored Quickfire -- you may know it better as the Knick -- will come in November bearing AT&T branding and a Sidekick-esque style that'll likely appeal to the young'uns among us. It's got a touchscreen in addition to a slide-out QWERTY deal, a 1.3-megapixel camera (notice a trend here?), and 3G in your choice of orange, lime, and silver for $99.99 after you've inked up the dotted line.

Trio of AT&T phones comes to light, Pantech Matrix released Thursday

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 8th 2008 @ 12:47PM

This week is the week for Pantech and Sony Ericsson fans on AT&T to break out the bubbly and throw a wild, crazy party, because the trick dual-sliding C740 Matrix will be joining the W760a (check the gallery) for release on Thursday; they'll be available for $79.99 and $129.99, respectively. Down the road, we're now seeing signs of a Pantech "Slate" running $49.99 and a Samsung "Propel" for $79.99 (in three available colors, no less), the latter of which is signed up for a late October release, but we really don't know much more about 'em.

We don't have dates, but it looks like that Samsung Epix will suck $199.99 out of your wallet after rebates, and the Fuze will run $299.99. Finally, we're seeing an AT&T "Quickfire" that's due in late October just like that Samsung Propel -- but unfortunately, we don't know much about this one, either. Any educated (or completely wild) guesses?

[Thanks, Kal]