BlackBerry 4G PlayBook Launching on Sprint Summer 2011

Demos of the BlackBerry Playbook we've seen up to this point have been looking nice--shockingly nice, in fact. RIM's BlackBerry phone UIs may not measure up to iOS or Android, but the PlayBook's new OS shows signs of being an extremely compelling tablet experience.


Today RIM finally announced how and when we'll be able to get our hands on the PlayBook: RIM is teaming up with Sprint to launch the tablet on Sprint's network this summer.

The Sprint version of the PlayBook will be launching with a slightly different name: the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook.

Available exclusively from Sprint this summer, the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook will launch with WiMAX connectivity and will be the first model to include 4G connectivity. In Other words, don't expect the 4G Sprint model to be the only PlayBook in town. We'll no doubt see an LTE model sometime in 2011, but Sprint has first dibs on a 4G-branded tablet.

RIM hoped to launch the tablet in early 2011 for under $500. With the first 4G model hitting stores this summer, it's possible a Wi-Fi or 3G version could ship out earlier.

Engadget got some hands on time with the tablet on the show floor at CES and seemed pleased as punch with the OS performance powered by the PlayBook's dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor and gig of RAM. Looks like the PlayBook is an early contender for best tablet of 2011.



By Wesley Fenlon, www.tested.com

Nokia won't have Windows Phone OS on handsets until at least October

One of the biggest surprises to be unveiled so far this year was the announcement by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop that Nokia would be moving from Symbian to the Windows Phone OS. Notice I didn't say Windows Phone 7. Apparently, the current Windows Phone 7 won't be used and the move to the Microsoft mobile OS will be pushed until at least October 2011 to wait for the next update.


Guardian.co.uk reports that Elop has never once said that Nokia Would be using WinPo 7 and has steered clear from making that comment. This leads some to believe that the next version of the OS codenamed " Mango" may not be called Windows Phone 7. Elop would presumably know about the coming version and what it is called since he was a Microsoft exec until last fall.

What the Mango update will include is unknown, but speculation is that it might be dubbed Windows Phone 7.5. Another thing that stands out is the fact that never once did Elop or Ballmer mention Zune Music Service, which is rumored to replale the Nokia offering.

We have rumors now that the Zune name will be dropped and the service rebranded. Whatever the new Mango OS is called officially, Nokia workers are far from happy about the move from Symbian.



By Shane McGlaun, www.slashgear.com

Sony Ericsson planning Android 3.0 gaming handset?

Rumours are surfacing that Sony Ericsson is planning an Android 3.0-powered gaming handset and platform, and perhaps even working on it with Google. Tech blog Engadget quotes sources who claim that the device is in the late stages of planning and could be introduced as early as October.

The idea, it seems, is to offer both a gaming-focused handset and a service that other compatible handsets will be able to hook into. The phone itself is unnamed, but said to be a landscape slider with a D-pad and four action buttons in place of the usual QWERTY keyboard. There'll also be a touch-sensitive strip for analogue control, and -- of course -- the screen is touch sensitive.

Specs-wise, it's not a huge step forward, but sits at the very top end of the current Android offerings in the market. There's a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 5-megapixel camera and a display that'll be somewhere between 3.7-and 4.1-inches with WVGA resolution.

More importantly, the operating system will be Android 3.0, possibly making it one of the first handsets to get the new version of Google's phone platform. A new area of the Android market will be dedicated specifically for games for compatible phones, and graphically, the games are said to be in the range of PSX and PSP tiltles like God of War and LittleBigPlanet.

For some time Google has sat back and watched as the liminations of Android's platform prevented the kind of explosive game development seen on the iPhone. That's now changed, and Android games are very slowly starting to get some traction, but in nowhere near the volumes seen on Apple's device. This tie-up with Sony Ericsson could bring some Playstation expertise on board.

It's good news for Sony, too. It's widely acknowledged that the PS3 has lost the battle of the current console generation, and the PSP failed againts the DS, too. Hitching its wagon to Google's Android steam train should help bring the company back towards the forefront of games development, especially with such a big, important casual games market opening up.

What's not yet known is the exact technical specs of the device, what kind of games will be available (courting indie developers will be essential, rather than trying to rely on big-budget franchises), and how much the handset will cost. All those things could nip the success of this project in the bud, if they're not handled correctly.

But if the companies handle this one right, then Apple's Apple Store policies could suddenly seem as quaint as having a MySpace profile.



By Duncan Geere, www.wired.co.uk

Samsung Galaxy S 2 picture leaked by Korean news site; 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab confirmed

Just a day or so before Samsung will officially introduce its new devices at MWC, a Korean news site accidentally leaked a photograph and specs relating to the Samsung Galaxy S 2.


According to the site, the Galaxy S 2 will have a bigger 4.3 inch screen. Under the hood, the device will be packing a 1GHz dual-core processor and be powered by Android 2.3. According to the story, the handset will be a bit lighter than the original weighing in at 116 grams. At 8.49mm thick, this very well could be the thinnest smartphone on the market. The picture of the phone shows a revamped UI with larger sized widgets.

In addition to the handset, the article also comfirmed that there will be a 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. Like the Galaxy S, the unnamed device will also have a 1GHz dual-core processor. The tablet will be running Android 3.0, and features an 8MP camera that can record video in HD. Music should sound good with surround sound speakers.

The Korean news site most likely had all of this information but it was to be embargoed until after Samsung announced the devices. In this day and age, when an embargo is broken, even by accident, information is spead through the internet quickly. The good news is that we won't have that much time before the Korean the Korean based manufacturer makes its official announcement.


Source: Androidandme

Apple Will Launch Two New iPhone Models In 2011 [Speculation]

Just six months have passed since the iPhone 4 launch, so it may seems a little premature to be speculating about its succesor. But given the long lead times involved, you can bet that Steve Jobs' A-team is already hard at it, toiling away in a maximum security lab, under his close personal supervision.


But where next for the iPhone? What can you add to the smartphone that has everything? With the growing competitive threat from Android, I think that Apple' s roadmap for iPhone in 2011 will switch from adding new features to product diversification, targeting multiple consumer segments and price points.

Instead of the iPhone 5, Apple will launch the iPhone Play and the iPhone Air. Here' s why...

The Android platform has two key advantages over iPhone: it offers consumers choice, and it offers handsets at entry-level price. This gives Apple' s competitors a "price umbrella," because the iPhone 4 is currently only competing at the high end, leaving the market for budget smart phones wide open.

Apple attempts to address this by offering last year' s model, the iPhone 3GS, at a knockdown price. But who wants last year' s model? And besides, it doesn' t make you feel very good to buy a phone that Apple can hardly bring itself to promote on its own website.

Apple' s main advantage over Android is that the iOS platform is not fractured, with different screen sizes, processor speeds, Uls, etc. This benefits both consumers and app developers, who can be confident that their apps will run on pretty much any device. Therefore the way for Apple to differentiate its hardware is not in terms of system specs-these should be identical. Instead, I think Apple will focus on physical dimensions.

Adopting a super-slim wedge shape for the top-end model, in the style of the new MacBook Air, would create a phone that slips seamlessly into the pocket of a fancy suit, [albeit, this is hardly a sartorial consideration for Steve Jobs]. Meanwhile, the entry-level model could focus on adopting the fun styling of the new iPod nano, bringing a choice of colors for the first time to the iPhone line.

For the mockup, I' ve called them "iPhone air" and "iPhone play" , because it feels like time to move away from the numbering scheme-especially since the two lines will need to differentiate. Im terms of timings, my guess is it' s more likely that the iPhone play will launch in 2011, alongside the current iPhone 4. We might need to wait till 2012 for something like iPhone air.

Hope you like the mockups. Please note this is all just speculation, and is not based upon any sources or even rumors!

What do you guys think? Will Apple launch a range of iPhone models, or place all its bets on the iPhone 5?



By Graham Bower, http://m.cultofmac.com

New 11.6-Inch MacBook Air?

Videos MacBook air laptop from Youtube

It has been a couple of years since Apple launched their MacBook Air laptop. Ever since then Apple has expressed little to no interested in netbooks. But they did of course release the iPad, a device which small, light and has long battery life, but of course no keyboard or full operating system.

So the closet thing Apple has to a netbook is their MacBook air, even though it will costs a good 3-5 times as much.

Now according to Digitimes, Apple is set to release a new MacBook Air with a smaller 11.6-inch display and a slimmer / lighter design that the original versions.

The original model has a 13.3-inch display, so the newer smaller with it' s 11.6-inch LCD brings it more inline with larger netbooks. But while the size might be more inline, I' m sure you can still expect to pay in the excess of $1,000 for one.

It is reported to feature an Intel Core i-series ultra-low voltage processor, and be available in the second half of this year.

There is also talk of a new iPod touch which will feature a 3-megapixel camera, for photos and videos, and will use the new Apple R4 processor which is currently used in the iPhone 4.

Apple iPhone 4 Woes Worsen

Videos iPhone from Youtube

The news about Apple and its iPhone 4 isn't getting any better. Earlier this week, Consumer Reports issued a statement saying that it could not
recommend the iPhone 4 because of the phones reception problems, and now calls for a recall of the device are growing louder.

The iPhone 4 was launched late last month to great fanfare; pre orders sold out ahead of its launch and long lines of eager shoppers snapped up the new phone as soon as it became available. But many of those buyers soon encountered what became known as the "grip of death" -- the fact that the iPhone 4's signal degraded greatly when they placed their hand on the lower left-hand corner of the phone.

Reports of this problem have been widespread, but I have not been able to replicate it in my usage of the iPhone 4 so far. Still, many technology bloggers and iPhone reviews have experienced it, as have scores of users.

Apple initially told people to avoid holding the iPhone in that spot, and claimed the problem was actually due to a software flaw that caused the phone display a higher signal strength than the phone was actually experiencing. But few people seem to believe Apple's claims, and now Consumer Reports has weighed in.

The respected consumer magazine issued a statement saying it can't recommend the iPhone 4 because of the signal problem. (Consumer Reports did, however, give the iPhone 4 its top ranking among smartphones.)

Now, calls for a recall of the iPhone 4 are growing louder, and some PR experts are going so far as to say that a recall is inevitable. I'm not convinced that Apple will actually recall the phone -- the company has yet to even truly acknowledge the problew. But the furor over the iPhone 4's reception problems doesn't seem to be going away, so it will be interesting to see how Apple weathers the strom.




Source: http://cellphones.about.com