ASUS’ slim and sharp ZenPad S tablet arrives in the US
Looks like you didn’t have to wait long for ASUS’ ZenPad S 8.0 to show up in the US — Best Buy is now selling the 8-inch Android 5.1 slate for an easy-to-swallow $200. While this isn’t the highest-end version (it’s carrying ‘just’ 2GB of RAM and a slower 1.33GHz Atom chip) it’s far from a slouch. You’re still getting an iPad mini-rivaling 2,048 x 1,536 display, 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front cam and 32GB of storage in a frame that’s just 0.27 inches thick. You’ll have to like ASUS’ custom software for the ZenPad S to float your boat, but it’s otherwise a solid deal.
Via: Android Central
Source: Best Buy
Samsung gets granted patent on foldable tablet displays, invisible buttons
Another day, another patent. Last year, Samsung filed a patent on a flexible screen technology. Nearly a year later, on July 7, Samsung was granted this patent. This patent not only supports OLED flexible displays but also LCD ones. The size is near the same as Samsung’s Galaxy tablets. This is remarkable as it seems like just yesterday when the first smartphones where taking off. It will be interesting to see how Samsung brings these displays to the market and when and if they ever integrate them into its their future lineups. However, don’t take this to seriously, the technology of a fully fold-able and bendable tablet could still be a ways off.
Samsung was also granted a patent by the USPTO that involves near invisible virtual buttons. Samsung thinks this could be used in a variety of ways. For example, the sensor pad could activate say the camera app to open. It could also carry out some independent functions like taking a picture, and this could all be done without taking up physical space below the screen or on the side of the device.
Samsung definitely has some ideas that haven’t been tossed around very much in the market yet and that is not a bad thing. It’s great to see the company still looking for new enhancements to improve its devices and innovate. It would be great if we could see these advancements make it to upcoming devices, but don’t get your hopes up.
Source: Patently Apple (1) (2)
Come comment on this article: Samsung gets granted patent on foldable tablet displays, invisible buttons
Google’s Nexus 9 tablet slashed to £200 in the UK
If you’d had your eye on a new Nexus device but missed out on the recent round of smartphone sales, today’s new Google tablet deal might be of interest. Just days after the Nexus 6 price was slashed to £304 (normally £479), the WiFi Nexus 9 is enjoying similar treatment, with the 16GB model now setting you back £200 instead of the usual £319. Amazon and Argos are both hosting the deal, which also includes a £100 discount on the 32GB model, but Google has not reflected the price change on its own store.
Motorola and Google have teased sales in recent months, suggesting that both companies are managing stock levels ahead of a likely Nexus hardware refresh in the coming months. Google bucked from tradition with the launch of the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 by removing the huge subsidies that earlier flagship devices had enjoyed, which is probably why we’re seeing bigger discounts now we’re enjoying summer. Given that Google has not mirrored the price change, we can only presume that today’s deals are time-limited or are in place until the allotted stock runs out. That means you’ll likely have to move quickly if you’re wanting to grab HTC’s first Nexus tablet while it’s affordable.
LG G Pad F™ 8.0 is now available from U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular announced today that it will carry the LG G Pad F™ 8.0. It will be available in the color of your choice, as long as that choice is black.
LG G Pad F™ 8.0 specs
- 8-inch HD + IPS display
- 5 MP rear-facing camera
- 2 MP front-facing camera
- HD camcorder
- Full-sized USB port so you can store and transfer content directly to the device
- Q Pair™, that you can sync the G Pad to your Android™ smartphone (Android 4.1 or higher) to answer calls and messages right from your tablet
- Stylus pen for a more precise touch, and it is loaded with Android 5.0 (Lollipop).
With U.S. Cellular’s $0 down installment pricing, qualified customers purchasing the LG G Pad F 8.0 make 24 monthly payments that are conveniently added to their bill. Customers can upgrade this device in as little as 12 months if they trade it in for any new device with installment pricing. They can choose to pay off the full balance of their device anytime they want. It is also available for $129.99 with a two-year agreement.
Is this device on your radar? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
The post LG G Pad F™ 8.0 is now available from U.S. Cellular appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Jolla hopes to ‘focus’ its mobile plans by splitting in two
Jolla’s mobile efforts have barely begun, but it’s already shaking things up by splitting into two companies. From now on, Jolla Ltd. is focused solely on developing and licensing Sailfish OS, its custom mobile platform. It’s forming a new, as yet unnamed firm this summer for its hardware business, which sees demand from the pro-privacy crowd. As newly appointed CEO Antti Saarnio puts it, the division is all about establishing a “clear focus” — Jolla believes that it’ll require total concentration on software to take advantage of “large opportunities” for licensing its mobile platform.
This doesn’t mean that Jolla is leaving hardware fans completely in the lurch. It still plans to deliver the Jolla Tablet to crowdfunding backers, but Saarnio says that there are “supply issues” for some parts that are holding things back. While that won’t do much to assuage supporters (you were supposed to have it in your hands back in May), this at least addresses some of the uncomfortable silence in recent weeks.
So who’s licensing the software? Jolla isn’t offering a list, but it says its biggest successes so far have been in India and Russia. We know that some rumors of big deals aren’t true, though. Saarnio recently denied claims that Russia is developing its own mobile OS based on Sailfish, and Yota has shot down talk of Sailfish-powered YotaPhones. As such, this is more likely about the overall business than one or two major customers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Source: Jolla (PDF)
Latest Qi spec promises fast wireless charging for your phone
Before long, you won’t have to choose between charging your phone quickly and plunking it on a convenient wireless charger. The Wireless Power Consortium has rolled out a new version of the Qi standard that supports 15W fast wireless charging, much like the sort we saw late last year. The organization isn’t making any performance claims at the moment, and it’ll be a while before phone makers have compatible devices on store shelves. However, it’s safe to say that this will save you some agonizing wait times — you could return home from work, drop your phone on a pad and expect to have a meaningful amount of energy when you head out for the evening.
[Image credit: Aaron Yoo, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets, Mobile
Via: Pocketnow
Source: Wireless Power Consortium (PDF)
Choose Your Own Android Phablet Giveaway
It’s time to leave the kid’s table and upgrade to something a bit formidable. With today’s Choose Your Own Android Phablet Giveaway, we’re giving you the chance to step up to the major leagues.
One winner will choose between a Google Nexus 6, LG G4, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, OnePlus Two or an LG G Flex 2. All brand new and ready to impress anyone who might feast their eyes upon it. One of these phone/tablet hybrids is already be calling your name. Can you hear it?
There’s no purchase necessary and no complicated forms to fill out. All you’ll have to do is visit our giveaway page and submit an entry for your chance to take home a free big-boy toy. It’s as easy as that. Plus, sharing with your friends via social media gains you more entries. Good luck!
Check this deal out, and many others at deals.androidguys.com!
The post Choose Your Own Android Phablet Giveaway appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple invented a material that hides your iPhone’s antenna lines
Not a fan of the iPhone 6’s less-than-flattering antenna lines? Neither is Apple, apparently. The company has filed for a patent on a composite material that looks like anodized metal, but still allows wireless signals to get through. You’d get a cleaner-looking phone (or computer, or tablet) without watching your reception take a nosedive. It could be used to blend other surfaces into a device, too, such as the trackpad on a laptop.
As with most patents, there’s no telling whether or not the folks at 1 Infinite Loop will use the invention in shipping devices. It often has clever workarounds, after all — look at the new MacBook, which is nearly entirely metal despite depending almost entirely on wireless connections. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if future Apple gadgets use this to incorporate wireless technology (such as NFC, a key factor in the iPhone 6’s design) without creating eyesores.
Photo by Will Lipman.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Via: Business Insider, iClarified
Source: USPTO
Engadget giveaway: win a Fire HD 6 courtesy of Amazon!
Father’s day is rapidly approaching and what better way to honor the man whose wits you may have stretched to the limit, by giving him access to brain-building literature and the occasional action flick. The Fire HD 6 tablet offers access to Amazon’s vast store of books, movies and, of course, impulse purchases of all kinds. There’s multiple user logins in this version of Fire OS (since sharing is caring) and it’s got a solid build to handle inevitable mishaps. The battery life is respectable, too, so extended viewing of films or photos on its sharp 1,280 x 800 display won’t be an issue. Amazon was nice enough to give us five of these slates so an equal amount of dads (or whoever, let’s be honest) can enjoy one. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these sturdy slates.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Five (5) winners will each receive one (1) Amazon Fire HD 6.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until June 17th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, Amazon
EE adds the 8-inch Harrier Tab to its own-brand range
EE wasn’t kidding around when it said its new “connected strategy” would yield a whole host of additional own-brand devices this year. Merely a week after launching the 4GEE action cam, the carrier is back with another new product bearing its logo: the Harrier Tab. Just as the recently released Harrier and Harrier Mini smartphones were designed to replace the older Kestrel, EE’s latest tablet is the successor to last year’s Eagle. On the specs front, the Harrier Tab heralds several improvements, including an 8-inch, 1080p display, octa-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 CPU, 2GB of RAM and 8- and 2-megapixel cameras. You’re also looking at Android 5.1 Lollipop, 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), a 4,650mAh battery, and of course, Cat 4 LTE for taking full advantage of EE’s 4G network.
The Harrier Tab is available across all EE sales channels from today for free on contracts from £18 per month, or for £200 on pay-as-you-go (the Eagle was the same price at launch). Unsurprisingly, it works out as the cheapest tablet EE now offers — barring the lower-spec Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7S, anyway. If you’re not that bothered about numbers on a spec sheet and are after a reasonably priced tablet for mobile internet access, though, then keep your eye on the Eagle. We imagine there could be some attractive discounts on the way as the older device prepares for retirement.
Filed under: Tablets
Source: EE
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