Huawei brings LTE Cat 4 to affordable Ascend G6 smartphone and MediaPad M1 tablet
This year’s all about LTE Cat 4 for Huawei, which is why it’s pushing this faster 4G technology into both the high-end market as well as the lower price points, in order to help drive its network business — LTE Cat 4 only works if your carrier supports it, after all. At MWC, the company announced the launch of two affordable devices that will come with this 150Mbps technology: the Ascend G6 4G and the MediaPad M1.
The Ascend G6 appears to share some design elements with the higher-end Ascend P6, so it looks quite pretty in the above render. It features a lesser 4.5-inch 960 x 540 LCD, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, NFC and an adequate 2,000mAh battery. The cameras are surprising nice, though: there’s an 8-megapixel f/2.0 imager (with Sony’s IMX134 sensor) on the back, plus a 5-megapixel front-facing counterpart with unknown aperture. This phone will first arrive in its 3G-only, 7.5mm-thick form in Q1 this year, followed by a 7.85mm-thick 4G version in April.
The 8-inch MediaPad M1 tablet (pictured after the break) has a 1,280 x 800 IPS display with stereo front-facing speakers, and with the help of its 4,800mAh battery, users will be entertained by hours of movies (Huawei claims up to eight hours) on one charge. Other specs include a 1.6GHz quad-core chip, a 1-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel main camera, all tucked within a 7.9mm-thick body. Like the 3G version of the G6, the M1 will also launch in various countries in Q1 2014.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Huawei MediaPad X1 is the lightest and narrowest 7-inch tablet, plus it’s also a phone (video)
Does the world need bigger smartphones? Huawei answers this question at MWC with the launch of its MediaPad X1, a 7-inch Android tablet that lets you make phone calls. As ridiculous as it sounds, this device is designed in a way that makes it more usable than other colossal phones. At just 239g heavy and 103.9mm wide, the X1 is the lightest and narrowest tablet in its class, beating the likes of the ASUS Fonepad 7, Kindle Fire HDX 7 and the latest Nexus 7. Don’t be deceived by the lightness, though; Huawei has managed to stuff a generous 5,000mAh battery — again beating the other 7-inch tablets — and a high-res 1,920 x 1,200 LTPS display inside this 7.18mm-thick aluminum body.
Let’s get the remaining specs out of the way. First and foremost, you get a pair of cameras: 13-megapixel f/2.4 on the back, and 5-megapixel f/2.2 on the front. There’s 16GB of internal storage, and you can add up to 32GB of external space via microSD. The SoC here is Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 910 (as seen on the Ascend P6S), which features a 1.6GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 CPU, along with 2GB of RAM and a Mali-450 MP4 GPU. There’s support for both TD-LTE and FD-LTE, meaning you can enjoy 4G speeds in both China and a large part of the world. Likewise, the same phone also works on both WCDMA and China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G networks. Sadly, the WiFi radio only goes up to 802.11n instead of the more powerful 802.11ac, but the 150Mbps LTE Cat 4 radio should somewhat make up for this — if your carrier supports it, that is. Read on for our hands-on video and thoughts.
To our surprise, the MediaPad X1 feels good in our hands. Compared to the aforementioned 7-inch tablets from other manufacturers, this one is significantly easier to hold with one hand thanks to its narrow bezel, light weight and solid aluminium construction. Of course, you may get some funny looks when you hold the X1 up to your ear. As for pocket-friendliness, your mileage may vary depending on what jacket or trousers you wear; but it slips into my relax-fit Levi’s jeans without much difficulty. If you wear tighter trousers then the X1 will definitely get in the way when walking up stairs. If you want to keep the phone in your bag or pocket more often, you may want to consider picking up Huawei’s new TalkBand B1 smart band and Bluetooth earpiece.
Huawei’s added a few neat software features, with our favorite one being the ability to scroll with one thumb while still gripping onto the touchscreen with the other thumb. We’re also meant to be able to jump straight to the home screen by double-tapping anywhere on the screen at any time (thus skipping the home button entirely), but we haven’t been able to get this feature to work. Other software goodies include motion control (like flip to mute, pick up to reduce ring volume, and automatically make or answer calls when placing the phone next to your ear), hover gesture (to preview photo albums, videos and calendar events) and voice-controlled camera.
We’re still waiting on the pricing info, but what we do know now is that the MediaPad X1 will be available in China, Russia, Western Europe, Middle East, Japan and Latin America starting in March this year. If you reside in any of these regions, do keep an eye out for this 7-inch phablet — not that you’d miss it, of course.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Huawei’s first smartband has a pop-out earpiece for voice calls
Huawei hasn’t exactly been keeping quiet about its very own wearable device, so today’s announcement of its TalkBand B1 should be no surprise to anyone. As shown in the earlier leaks, it has a 1.4-inch flexible OLED display on the band, but what hasn’t been obvious until now is that it also supports wireless calling — there’s a removable earpiece tucked inside it, which explains the 14.6mm-thick bulk. Like any good wearable, the device also has fitness tracking features: It records how many steps you’ve taken, how far you’ve travelled and how many calories you’ve burned. It’s also a sleeping pattern monitor, so you can use the smart alarm function to wake up at the optimal time. There’s NFC here for pairing with phones, and the 90mAh battery promises six days worth of usage (but takes two hours to charge up). There’s no price announced just yet, but the B1 will be out in China next month, whereas Japan, the Middle East, Russia and Western Europe will have to wait until Q2 2014.
Acer’s Liquid series: hands-on with the new E3 and Z4
Last week, Acer announced its latest budget smartphones ahead of Mobile World Congress, and as expected those devices are making an appearance at the show. We guessed that the €199 ($275) Liquid E3 is looking to go toe-to-toe with the Moto G in terms of specs, while the €99 Liquid Z4 ($135 or so) fights it out with a whole host of low-end handsets. With a 4.7-inch, 720p IPS screen, quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage and 13-megapixel rear camera, the Liquid E3 is clearly the more exciting of the two, but head past the break where we take a closer look at both of Acer’s new Android phones.
Perhaps the most interesting addition for both is a user-mappable rear button, which Acer lovingly refers to as “AcerRAPID.” With this button you can launch apps, toggle different “user modes” or answer a call. Hold it a little longer and you’ll launch the camera, which can be tweaked to make use of the E3′s 2-megapixel front camera with a dedicated flash. Acer’s certainly going for a more premium feel with the E3, opting for a metallic red effect on the bezel that gives it a slightly more racy look. We took a peek at Acer’s new user modes, which include basic, senior and classic settings (not that Acer wants to put you in a box), and while they were Windows Phone-like in appearance, selecting apps, navigating menus and changing additional settings was overly difficult. The E3′s HD display seemed adequate, but lacks in comparison to other devices in its class, especially the Moto G (with its lower price point).
The Liquid Z4 sports a round-edged design we’ve seen on plenty of other phones. The budget handset boasts a 5-megapixel rear camera, but most of its other internals are unsurprisingly basic in nature. The Z4 sports a subtle AcerRAPID button on its reverse, which is a nice inclusion considering its very low price. Acer’s also bundled its Liquid UI on both of its new devices, and navigating the phone in default mode (the way you’d normally enjoy Android) was fluid and responsive. However, we couldn’t help but think that the company’s latest tweaks have arrived a little late to the party.
Can the Liquid E3 hold its own against the Moto G? In our opinion no. Not only are Acer’s UI tweaks functionally basic, both devices ship with Android 4.2.2 (although KitKat will reach the E3 “later this year”). Acer’s hands-off approach in the US market means we might not even see either of these new devices when they eventually go on sale in April.
Filed under: Cellphones, Acer
Update to Windows 8.1 coming this spring with more hardware options, benefits for non-touch users
We may be at a mobile show this week, but Microsoft is making some announcements on the Windows side. VP Joe Belfiore, at an event this afternoon, has announced that an update is coming to Windows 8.1 this Spring, which will offer more hardware options, benefits for non-touch users and some changes to the user interface. It brings support to devices at lower price points that have as little as 1GB of RAM and 16GB storage, enables app launching and switching via the taskbar and a new mouse user interface with new options for closing apps and right-clicking to get to the Start screen.
Despite the update’s attention on users of non-touch devices, Belfiore exclaimed: “we love touch, but we do want to make things better for people who don’t have touchscreens.” We’ll update the post as we hear more about this new update.
Facebook Messenger coming to Windows Phone in the coming weeks
Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore made an announcement that will come as a solid addition to the Windows Phone app ecosystem: Facebook Messenger will be making its way to the platform sometime in the next few weeks. No specific date was given, since it’s still in the works, but we’re told that it’s progressing well enough that Belfiore could announce it. More updates from Microsoft as we get word.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Microsoft
Hands-on with the LG G Pro 2
Knock, knock. Excuse us, we’re just unlocking LG’s new G Pro 2 with some light taps from our fist. Yes, the Korean company’s showing off its 5.9-inch flagship here at Mobile World Congress and its once again gunning for rival Galaxy Note 3′s place in the spotlight. Aside from sporting a de rigeur 1080p display, the G Pro 2 comes loaded up with Android 4.4 KitKat, 32GB of storage and a 13-megapixel rear camera that’s primed to shoot video in 4K. We’ve got one in hand right now, so follow along for our first impressions.
Developing…
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, LG
Hands-on with LG’s G2 mini
Just because it’s smaller and has the same branding, that doesn’t mean LG’s G2 mini is anything like its elder namesake. It’s just borrowing a bit of the G2′s tech halo, is all. With a 4.7-inch, 960 x 540 qHD display, Snapdragon 400 heart (or Tegra 4i, depending on your market) and 1GB RAM, it’s clear LG’s positioning this as a budget Android KitKat device. But budget doesn’t have to mean bad and here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we got a chance to see just how modest the G2 mini really is. Read on for our initial thoughts.
Developing…
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, LG
We’ll be live from Sony’s MWC 2014 press event tomorrow at 2AM EST!
If history is any indication, then we have a sneaking suspicion Sony could be using this year’s Mobile World Congress as a showcase for its next, great Xperia Tablet. More specifically, it could be this fella right here, the Xperia Tablet Z2 — a minor spec update to its waterproof, “omnibalanced” Android slate. But that might not be the only Xperia flagship waiting in the wings here in Barcelona. Recent leaks have us fairly convinced Sony’s planning yet another Zed Part Deux debut, but this time it’s for the company’s rumored Xperia Z2 smartphone. Lucky you, we’ll be live at Sony’s MWC press event to report on the news as it unfolds and count how many times Kaz says, “Wow!” So make sure to tune in here tomorrow at 2AM EST / 8AM CET to catch your (Xperia) Zzzs.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, Sony
Microsoft: Windows Phone 8.1 will come with more hardware support and is backwards-compatible
Microsoft has made a few announcements related to Windows Phone 8.1 this afternoon in Barcelona. While we don’t expect to see the new update in its entirety until April, we got at least a few satisfying nuggets of info today. First, we’re going to see a lot more flexible support for hardware: 8.1 will be able to support more Qualcomm chipsets, such as Snapdragon 200, 400 and 400 LTE; it will come with TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA and SGLTE support, the ability for phones to use dual-SIM, and virtual softkeys instead of capacitive keys. Devices won’t be required to have a hardware camera shutter key anymore, either (but it’s still offered as an option anyway). Additionally, we’ve been told that devices currently on Windows Phone 8 will be able to get an update to 8.1, so it’s fortunately backwards-compatible to some degree.
Developing…
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Microsoft
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