Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 now available to pre-order in the UK for £649
Brits won’t have to wait long to (barely) get their hands on Samsung’s Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. A WiFi-only version of the massive tablet is now available for pre-order in the UK at an equally large price of £649 ($1,076), with shipments due to start on February 4th. That’s certainly expensive compared to what many are used to paying for Android devices, although Samsung is tossing in a free gamepad to sweeten the deal. As for cellular models or an American launch, the company isn’t talking just yet — however, we won’t be shocked if either of them comes relatively soon.
Via: Phone Arena
Source: Samsung (1), (2)
Lenovo’s 10-inch Miix 2 convertible tablet goes on sale early, starting at $699
You won’t have to wait until March to get your hands on Lenovo’s 10-inch Miix 2; much to our surprise, the budget-friendly convertible tablet is already on sale. Just be prepared to pay extra for early access. The company is offering only higher-end versions of the Windows 8.1 slate, which currently starts at $699 for a WiFi model with 128GB of storage. The promised $499 variant isn’t listed on Lenovo’s site as of this writing. While it’s hard to complain too much about the higher price given the unexpectedly quick launch, those who want the cheapest edition of this mid-size Miix 2 will have to be patient.
[Thanks, Augustus]
Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Sony could launch its Xperia Z Ultra phone as a WiFi only ‘tablet’
We’ve seen many a tablet turn into a road warrior — or even a huge phone — with the addition of a SIM card. A phone becoming a tablet is a much scarcer transformation, but if any device can make that switch, it’s Sony’s nearly iPad Mini-sized 6.44-inch, 1080p Xperia Z Ultra handset. A variation of that model (the SGP412) has appeared at the FCC packing a Snapdragon 800 MSM8074 SoC processor sans mobile baseband radio, normally used in WiFi-only tablet variants. New application photos of a half-submerged test model show it to be just as dunkable as before, while still packing 2GB of RAM, 32GB of memory, a microSD slot, 3,000mAh battery and an 8-megapixel camera. There’s no official word about the device, let alone pricing and a launch date, but when it does come it’ll likely need to beat the Mini’s $399 sticker — nearly half the Xperia Z Ultra’s off-contract price.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Sony
Via: Xperia Guide
Source: FCC
Microsoft fixes some of the Surface Pro 2’s battery and sleep problems
Microsoft vowed that it would fix the numerous bugs plaguing the Surface Pro 2 in the wake of the flawed December update, and it made good on that promise by rolling out a patch this weekend. The company tells us that the update addresses the most serious problems for affected tablet owners, including reduced battery life and unexpected wake-ups. Future software will tackle the remaining glitches, Redmond says. The partial remedy isn’t quite what some were hoping for — we’re still seeing a few complaints — but it’s at least a step in the right direction. Check out Microsoft’s full statement below.
This weekend we released an update that addresses the unexpected wake and battery drain behavior experienced by a small number of Surface Pro 2 customers who installed the December Windows Update. This should have no impact on users already running the October Windows Update. We’re working hard to address the remaining Surface Pro 2 items from the December Windows Update.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft Community, Surface Forums
Skype update for iOS brings two-way HD video chat to newer Apple devices
Did you get a new iPad or iPhone this holiday? If so, Skype has a treat in store for you — it just updated its iPad and iPhone apps to support two-way HD video chat on all A7-equipped devices. Not that Skype is leaving older hardware without an upgrade, mind you. The same update lets the software receive chat messages in the background, and those messages will sync faster across every gadget you own. Whether or not you live on the cutting edge, you’ll definitely want to visit the App Store for the update.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: iDownloadBlog
Source: App Store (iPad), (iPhone)
Intel’s revenue and profit stay flat in Q4 as PC sales level off
Intel may have just validated concerns that the PC market was relatively weak in the fourth quarter. The company has reported a net profit for the period of $2.6 billion based on revenue of $13.8 billion, which is only slightly better than its performance last year; it’s also a drop from what we saw in the summer. The company believes that Q4 showed “signs of stabilization” for the PC business, although the numbers also hint that a recovery isn’t coming any time soon. While the firm’s Data Center and Other Intel Architecture groups did boost their revenue year-over-year by 8 and 9 percent, respectively, its PC Client division was flat. In other words, any extra cash came largely from embedded chips (including mobile) and servers, not regular desktops and laptops.
The Q4 results have also given Intel a chance to look back at its results for all of 2013, and they too suggest that the PC market hasn’t been kind to the processor giant. The Data Center group was the only one to boost its revenue during the year; the PC group saw its revenue drop 4 percent, while the Other Intel group dipped 7 percent. It’s not entirely surprising, then, that Intel is shifting its focus from traditional PCs to wearables and other forms of ultra-mobile computing, where it’s more likely to see long-term growth.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Intel
Source: Intel
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 Lite doesn’t bring much to the crowded budget tablet market
Samsung’s regional Polish site inadvertently jumped the gun a few days ago, publishing a user manual for an unannounced Galaxy Tab 3 Lite to its support pages. Today, the Korean company’s press blog has finally caught up and formally introduced its new low-end, 7-inch slate. The standard 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 doesn’t exactly boast market-leading specs, but this Lite variant is diminished is several areas nonetheless, making some cheap tablets look like flagships. We’re looking at a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8 gigs of expandable storage, 3,600mAh battery and a lone 2-megapixel camera. It appears both WiFi-only and 3G editions of the black or white tablet, which runs Android 4.2, will be available come launch, whenever that may be. We’re no clearer on pricing, either, but if Samsung hopes to sell these things en masse, anything but seriously cheap is going to put a stop to those plans.
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Samsung
Box redesigns its iOS app for simplicity, speed and real-time search (video)
Box is finally countering Dropbox’s revamped iOS app with a redesign of its own. Its updated cloud storage software centers around a fresh, iOS 7-native interface that’s both simpler and faster at drawing content. The app takes advantage of that newfound speed, too — it now previews over 100 file types with accurate rendering, and grid views make it easier to find photos and presentations. Box has also slipped in real-time searching, a comments sidebar and the option to copy, delete or move multiple files at once. Even if these features don’t justify an upgrade by themselves, the company is sweetening the pot by offering 50GB of free, lifetime space to anyone who downloads the new app within the first 30 days. If you’re at all interested, we’d suggest hurrying to the App Store.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Storage, Mobile
Source: App Store
Chrome updates bring data compression to all Android and iOS users
Google has been testing data compression in mobile versions of Chrome for what seems like ages, but today it’s finally ready to bring that efficiency to the masses. Both the Android and iOS versions of the browser now let all users squeeze website content to reduce their data use — and, in some cases, their phone bills. There’s also a pair of platform-specific upgrades in the pipeline. Android fans will get to create web shortcuts on their home screens, while iOS users will see the automatic translation bar that has been available on Android since last year. Whichever version of Chrome you’re running, you’ll want to grab its latest update through one of the source links.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Source: App Store, Google Play
Samsung’s low-cost Galaxy Tab 3 Lite confirmed by official user manual
Samsung has just verified that another Galaxy Tab is imminent after it published the user manual for a new Android tablet on its own site. The company’s Polish support page reveals documentation for the SM-T110, which is rumored to be a Wi-Fi variant of Samsung’s low-cost Galaxy Tab 3 Lite. According to a local stockist, the Jelly Bean tablet will feature a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, dual-core 1.2GHz Marvell processor, 1GB of RAM, 2-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage (including microSD support) and a 3,600 mAh battery. The same retailer has opened pre-orders for both the Wi-Fi and 3G variants, pricing them at $165 and $263 respectively, all but confirming their place near the bottom of Samsung’s tablet pecking order. Expect the Galaxy Tab 3 Lite to make its official debut in the coming weeks, before Samsung heads to Mobile World Congress late next month.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Via: PhoneArena
Source: Samsung Poland, X-Kom
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