Watch Acer unveil new stuff at its IFA press event
You may have already noticed, but Team Engadget is on the ground in Berlin covering IFA, Europe’s biggest and busiest consumer tech show. As it happens, we won’t be liveblogging Acer’s keynote, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still follow along from home. Click here to watch the livestream, and then stay tuned as we post our inevitable first impressions of all the company’s new stuff.
Source:
Acer
Tags: acer, ifa2015, livestream
Watch Acer unveil new stuff at its IFA press event
You may have already noticed, but Team Engadget is on the ground in Berlin covering IFA, Europe’s biggest and busiest consumer tech show. As it happens, we won’t be liveblogging Acer’s keynote, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still follow along from home. Click here to watch the livestream, and then stay tuned as we post our inevitable first impressions of all the company’s new stuff.
Source:
Acer
Tags: acer, ifa2015, livestream
ARCHOS takes the wraps off new Diamond Plus smartphone just in time for IFA
Following its announcement of the Diamond S, 50e Helium, 50 Cesium and Diamond Tab last week, ARCHOS has today unveiled yet another smartphone in its rapidly-growing IFA 2015 lineup of devices, the Diamond Plus.
In terms of specifications, the Plus packs a 5-inch Full HD display, a 1.5GHz MediaTek octa-core 64-bit SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable memory, a 16MP rear-facing camera
, an 8MP front-facing shooter and a 2,850mAh battery.
The handset will run the latest build of Lollipop straight out of the box. However, like previous smartphones manufactured by the French company, it won’t come with a custom user interface on board, thereby giving users the opportunity to enjoy pure Android.
With regards to pricing and availability, the Diamond Plus will retail for $275 in the United States, £179 in the United Kingdom and Rs. 18,299 in India when it launches in these regions mid-November.
If you’re attending IFA and would like to see a demonstration of this device, it will be on ARCHOS’ stand at the conference starting Friday, September 4.
Come comment on this article: ARCHOS takes the wraps off new Diamond Plus smartphone just in time for IFA
Oppo is expected to launch the Find 9 on Friday, September 19
According to a renowned Weibo tipster, Oppo is preparing to launch its flagship smartphone of 2015, the Find 9, on Saturday, September 19. The handset is expected to be unveiled at an exclusive press conference scheduled by the Chinese company, although no details have been announced as of yet.
If recent leaks, rumors and speculations are anything to go by, the Find 9 is set to be a powerhouse, packing a 5.5-inch 2K display, a Snapdragon 810 chipset, 4GB of RAM, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera equipped with Optical Image Stabilization and a fingerprint sensor.
Unfortunately, as with all information received from a third party we have to take this alleged launch date with a pinch of salt until Oppo provides us with some solid evidence with regards to what it has in store for its next flagship handset, but hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer to find out.
Come comment on this article: Oppo is expected to launch the Find 9 on Friday, September 19
Xiaomi said to be working on laptop to compete in the PC market
Xiaomi may be only about 5 years old, but it is certainly no amateur in the tech industry. The Chinese startup has managed to take its home country’s top spot by making great devices, undercutting its competitors’ prices and taking advantage of social media to enforce their brand. These guys are also no strangers to spreading their influence; they make smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, wearables, power banks, headphones and even air purifiers.
If the latest reports are to hold true, their next endeavor may involve a laptop. “People with direct knowledge of the matter” state Xiaomi is considering its first portable PC, and likely introducing it early in 2016. The sources go on to mention the startup has been in talks with Samsung, which could possibly partner up with them to supply memory chips. Furthermore, this relation could extend to display distribution later on.
Aside from being the #1 Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi happens to be the 4th largest mobile vendor in the world. This could pose a great business opportunity for the Galaxy maker. Especially considering Xiaomi’s ongoing success in the market. The company sells out their inventories wherever it goes, so there is some good cash to be made here.
That’s all internal business talk for now, though. What’s more intriguing (and very uncertain) is what Xiaomi’s computer influence in the market could pose for large competitors like Apple, Google and Microsoft (as well as all applicable partners). Xiaomi is no small contender, and if this laptop is to become a reality, we are sure it will be packed with great hardware, a stunning design and a price point that will be hard for anyone to beat.
Sure, Xiaomi doesn’t yet have the name to take these guys down quickly (at least outside of China), but they are known for their patience, and they might get there eventually. What matters here is that they would be stepping into the PC market with both feet in.
Also, which operating system would they use? I doubt it will be Android, but there is always a chance. If I was to place a bet, I would probably say they are likely to work with Windows or Linux.
Would you buy a Xiaomi laptop?
We can sit here and talk about the possibilities all we want, but the real question is whether you would buy this rumored laptop or not (given that it meets your needs). I say they have a good chance at taking my money, at the very least.
Knowing Xiaomi, they will likely release something similar to Apple’s notebooks, but with a much, much lower price. On the other hand, we have Google’s Chrome OS devices. These are affordable too, but Chrome OS still has limitations that keep many of us from adopting the web-based OS as a daily driver. Windows laptops would probably have a better chance at competing, but I still think Xiaomi can make something that is truly hard to put down.
Only time will tell. Until then, I will just keep my credit card ready. Will you?
Details emerge about LG’s latest smartwatch
Leaks have been flying this past week faster than almost any time in recent memory. We probably have IFA 2015 to thank for that and today we’re talking about the upcoming smartwatch from LG. LG has had several very popular smartwatches since Android Wear was released including the G Watch, the first Android Wear smartwatch, The G Watch R, The Urbane and the truly ridiculous Urbane Luxe which will run you over a grand.
Today we’re talking about an unnamed new smartwatch that looks to be announced later in September. AndroidPolice has received information from two sources divulging the details on the latest smartwatch from the South Korean tech giant. According to their sources, AP claims that we’ll be seeing another circular screen but we don’t know how it relates in dimension to the G Watch R and Urbane.
Additionally it seems we’ll be seeing two buttons appear on either side of the crown. There’s no telling what these buttons will do as of now but LG must have something up their sleeve to differentiate it from the likes of the Moto 360. The body shown off to AP appears to be a brushed and polished metallic materials. There will be a substantial metal bezel around the screen but the watch should be more angular and sharp, making it appear more futuristic and sporty.
The strap doesn’t appear to have changed styles from the Urbane or G Watch R. It will be featuring a clasp and hole system we normally see and feature silicone or rubber material. No other details have been let loose on color, other types of bands, or other body styles.
Personally, these reports excite me. The Moto 360 was the first Android Wear watch that didn’t feel like a toy or a beta version of a real device. Android Wear has been evolving and adding functionality and looks like it’s finally maturing from a hobbyists project into a full fledged consumer product.
Source: AndroidPolice
The post Details emerge about LG’s latest smartwatch appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Yogas are thinner, lighter and… silverier
The black, boxy ThinkPad design is so iconic, so predictable, that even a simple color change is enough to make us do a double-take. That was our first reaction to Lenovo’s new ThinkPad 260 and 460, both of which are arriving this fall with a silver option — the first time in a while that we’ve seen Lenovo put out a business notebook in anything other than basic black. Aside from the lighter color choice, both laptops stick to the signature Yoga design, meaning they have a 360-degree hinge allowing the screen to fold back into tablet, “Stand” or “Tent” mode. As on previous ThinkPad Yogas, the 260 and 460 feature Lenovo’s “Lift ‘n’ Lock” keyboard, which flattens out the keys as you flip it back. There’s also a slot on both models for the accompanying pen, which recharges when it’s in its garage.Slideshow-316485
As you can see, then, the two models are more similar that not, except that the 260 has a 12.5-inch screen and weighs 2.9 pounds (down from 3.48), whereas the 460 has a 14-inch chassis and comes in at 3.9 pounds. In addition to screen size, there’s also a difference in resolution: Whereas the 12-inch model tops out at 1080p, the 14-incher goes up to 2,560 x 1,440 on select configurations. Also, while the 260 can be had with up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, the 460 maxes out at 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB solid-state drive or a 1TB HDD. In exchange for less RAM on the 460, you also get the option of discrete graphics.
Those differences aside, they have this in common: Both are rated for up to 10 hours of battery life, and both run Intel’s newly announced sixth-gen Core processors, codenamed Skylake, with some configurations going up to i7. Also, both will be offered with an optional LTE-Advanced radio built in, for those who can’t take a chance on always having a WiFi access point nearby.Slideshow-316484
The 260 starts at $949 and will arrive in November, while the 460 goes from at $1,049 and will reach some markets in October. (It won’t hit North America until January, which is when Intel usually unveils its latest enterprise-grade CPUs anyway.) As for those pretty silver models? You’ll have to wait till January for those too.
Tags: hands-on, ifa2015, lenovo, lenovothinkpad, lenovoyoga, thinkpad, thinkpadyoga, thinkpadyoga260, thinkpadyoga460, yoga
Toshiba unveils a 12-inch convertible laptop with a 4K display
Toshiba may have been, er, less than original when it unveiled its Yoga-like Satellite Radius series, but the latest model in its laptop-slash-tablet line does quite a lot to stand on its own merits. The newly launched Satellite Radius 12 packs a 12.5-inch 4K touchscreen into a compact convertible that measures a scant 0.6 inches thick and weighs 2.9 pounds. That’s more than a little impressive when you consider that Lenovo’s equally new (and equally light) ThinkPad Yoga 260 sticks you with a 1080p display. You’ll also get your choice of speedier, longer-lived 6th-generation Intel Core processors and an infrared camera that can sign you in using facial recognition. Slideshow-316541
The PC maker is shy about the Radius 12’s full specs and price at this point. However, it’s hard to imagine a 4K screen giving you all-day battery life in a system that’s so small, and you just know that this won’t be a budget computer. We’re also curious to know how well Windows 10 scales graphics on such a pixel-dense monitor. If Toshiba can pull this off well enough, though, this might be one of the hottest two-in-ones when it reaches the US in the fourth quarter of the year.
Filed under:
Laptops
Source:
Toshiba
Tags: 4k, computer, convertible, ifa2015, laptop, pc, satellite, satelliteradius, satelliteradius12, skylake, toshiba, windows10, windowshello
The Miix 700 is Lenovo’s Surface killer
Lenovo has arguably done more than any other PC maker to blur the line between tablets and laptops — but its new Ideapad Miix 700 convertible tablet is clearly aimed at one particular competitor: Microsoft’s Surface. Like that machine, the Miix 700 sports a kickstand with a high-tech hinge; it’s a pretty decent tablet on its own; and it has a well-built keyboard accessory that snaps on with a strong magnet. Even a Lenovo rep acknowledged that it was “inspired” by the Surface. But just because it looks familiar doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy convertible entry. Lenovo fans will likely appreciate the Miix 700’s solid keyboard implementation, which feels practically indistinguishable from some of the company’s laptop keyboards (and far more comfortable than the Surface Type cover), as well as the company’s more subdued style. The Miix 700 starts at $699 and will start shipping in November. Slideshow-316577
The Miix 700 packs in up to an Intel Core M7 processor, which puts it more in line with the low-powered Surface 3 than the beefy Surface Pro 3. You can still include up to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD if you need a bit more speed and space, though. Its 12-inch screen runs at 2160 by 1440 pixels, a tad sharper than plain old 1080, and it weighs 1.7 pounds with the keyboard attached. There are also 5 megapixel front and rear cameras, and you also have the option of plugging in Intel’s RealSense 3D camera, which will let you log into Windows 10 using just your face. That’s something no Surface tablet does yet — but you can be sure Microsoft will include something similar in its next refresh (which is expected to hit in a few months).
In my short hands-on time with the Miix 700, it felt like a solid, if somewhat familiar, device. Its kickstand lays flat on its back and takes a bit of effort to pull out, and it can expand almost to around 160 degrees. The big difference from the Surface? Its hinges are prominently displayed on the Miix 700’s back, rather than being hidden under the hinge. It uses two of the same “watchband” hinges we saw on the Yoga Pro 3, a design that we ended up liking last year. I didn’t have a chance to hold the Miix 700 on my lap, but judging from the sturdiness of the keyboard and its hinge design, I expect it to be about as “lappable” as the last few Surface tablets.
More on that keyboard accessory: I can’t stress enough how great it feels. Lenovo is no stranger to quality keyboards, after all. But it’s still surprising to see it pull off a very usable keyboard on a tablet cover. It also folds up slightly onto the tablet’s screen to give the keys a bit of an angle (a design choice that Microsoft also used to stabilize its keyboard).
Still, as good as the Miix 700 looks and feels, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering why it even exists. Lenovo has explored other detachable tablet concepts, like the Miix 2, and it’s also spent plenty of time honing its hinge technology for its many Yoga convertibles. It’s also still the largest global PC vendor, with around 20 percent of the market. One possible reason is that it may feel threatened by the growth of the Surface lineup, which would also explain why it lifted so many design choices from Microsoft. If anything, Microsoft should take it as a compliment.
Filed under:
Laptops, Tablets, Mobile, Lenovo
Tags: IdeaPad, lenovo, Miix700, mobilepostcross
Lenovo’s new PCs include a $189 Windows laptop
Today marks the start of IFA, Europe’s largest consumer tech show, and Lenovo is kicking things off with a slew of product announcements. In addition to some new ThinkPad Yogas, the company just unveiled a handful of laptops in a variety of sizes and price ranges. Perhaps the most interesting is the Ideapad 100S, an 11.6-inch Windows machine that will retail for just $189. (There will also be a 14-inch version for $259). This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a sub-$200 notebook, but it’s interesting to see Lenovo, one of the world’s biggest PC makers, enter the super-cheap-laptop fray. Like other machines in this class, the 100S cuts corners with a low-powered processor (an Intel Celeron N3050), minimal RAM (2GB) and little on-board storage (up to 32GB). Essentially, it’s the closest thing to the Windows equivalent of a Chromebook. Speaking of the sort, Lenovo will also sell a Chrome OS version of the 100S, priced at $179. (That, too, is pretty cheap compared to the competition.)Slideshow-316531Slideshow-316532
Before I give you the rundown on the other laptops, this would be a good time to clarify that in addition to unveiling new hardware, Lenovo also just switched up its product-naming scheme, and even updated its logo. In brief: PCs will now fall into “good, better, best, bester” buckets, with the 100 series denoting budget machines like the $189 laptop I just told you about. The 300 and 500 series represent the mid range, and the “700” moniker is reserved for high-end stuff. With me so far? Well, there will be some notebooks that have an “S” appended to the end. No, that’s not for speed — this isn’t the iPhone here; it’s for slimness. That brings me to today’s lineup, which includes mid-range machines like the Ideapad 300 and 500, which are accompanied by the lighter 300S and the 500S. From there, you can get each in various screen sizes, ranging from 13 to 15 inches, which explains why you’ll see product names like 300s-14.Slideshow-316533
In any case, I promise I’m done droning on about naming schemes, and I won’t bore you with specs either: All you need to know for now is that Lenovo will be using Intel’s recently announced sixth-gen Intel Core processors (and in rare cases, AMD). Everything will ship next month, with starting prices running the gamut from $249 to $659.Slideshow-316534
Tags: 100s, chromebook100s, hands-on, ideapad, ideapad100s, ideapad300, ideapad300s, ideapad500, ideapad500s, ifa2015, lenovo, lenovoideapad
AIVAnet 