We just got back from Samsung’s spring 2011 product lineup event, where we had a chance to check out a host of the company’s new products — including some previously announced devices that are just making their way to the United States (Wi-Fi Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Player devices). Our favorite part of the event, though, was getting to check out some of the new 3D TVs. Samsung says that its UN55D8000 ($3,599.99) and UN46D8000 ($2,799.99), which launched in February, will now each ship with two pairs of its new Samsung SSG-3700SR 3D glasses. The glasses weigh under an ounce and only work with Samsung’s 2011 lineup of 3DTVs. Samsung will also start including Blu-ray 3D versions of the movie Megamind and the complete Shrek collection with each TV. We spent a few minutes watching Megamind with the new glasses on, and can honestly say that we could see ourselves using them at home. They were light, comfortable, and unobtrusive.
Samsung also said that it will be introducing several new features in to its Smart Hub software on its televisions. Smart Hub will now offer a new “store within a store” option that will allow you to purchase additional content within an application. Smart Hub lets you quickly access a host of programs, like Netflix Watch Instantly, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and more. Similarly, Samsung’s new remote control application for its Galaxy S smartphones will allow you to view content on your TV right on your phone. The feature is Twin View, and while we didn’t see it in action, the idea sounds awesome to us. Overall, we’re impressed with what we saw and are excited to start seeing more 3D TVs, better glasses, and more smart apps for televisions, hit the market.
iFixit got down and dirty opening up the iPad 2 Wi-Fi and its Smart Cover accessory over the weekend and has published specs and pictures of the inner workings of both. There aren’t a ton of surprises hiding in the iPad 2, which sports a 1GHz A5 dual-core processor manufactured by Samsung, 512MB of LPDDR2 RAM, a 9.7-inch LED-backlit multitouch display, and 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of internal storage. Its Wi-Fi board is powered by a Broadcom BCM43291HKUBC chip that was used in the first iPad and in the iPhone 4.
Also listed on the battery is a capacity of 6930 mAh. Since mAh = Watt-hours / volts * 1000, converting using the above numbers yields 25 / 3.8 * 1000 = 6,579. It looks like there might be some rounding going on here, or the battery voltage might actually be more like 3.6 volts.
The iPad 2 Smart Cover tear-down revealed 21 magnets (in addition to the 10 magnets in the iPad 2 itself), a large metal plate encased in plastic, and two structural plates. Hit the jump for images of a heaping serving of hardware porn.
An Apple patent uncovered on Thursday describes new technology Apple is experimenting with in an effort to increase the battery life in its device lines. The patent filing, entitled Increasing Energy Density in Rechargeable Lithium Battery Cells, describes a unique multi-pronged approach to the problem of poor battery life in consumer electronics. Apple is investigating the use of a new “multi-step constant-current constant-voltage (CC-CV) charging technique,” which would increase the volumetric and gravimetric energy density of energy-storing material within a battery. According to the filing, this would increase the capacity of a battery without impacting battery size or charge time. Relative to competitive products, Apple’s mobile device and laptop lines are often praised for exhibiting impressive battery life. There can never be enough time in between charges, however, and as more features and better displays are added to future devices, manufacturers will always struggle to ensure battery life is not overly degraded as a result. More →
It isn’t all that often we get to report on mobile technology news broken by magazine Rolling Stone, which makes this news even more special. In a print ad touting HTC’s portfolio of 4G handsets, some of the usual suspects are depicted. Obviously, Sprint’s EVO 4G makes a cameo, T-Mobile’s G2 is depicted, and Verizon’s unannounced-but-well-documented Thunderbolt is sitting front and center. But one carrier is missing from our above list. AT&T. Slinking around the background is AT&T’s HTC Inspire 4G, which looks an awful lot like the European Desire HD — the same handset that was just spotted at the FCC with North American 3G bands. We know AT&T is working on an LTE network, but this handset appearance really is a shocker. Hopefully HTC and AT&T will show the Inspire a little love at this week’s CES conference. Any AT&T Android fanatics excited?! More →
Today, via a barrage of press releases, navigation company Garmin announced its nüvi 2400 series of personal GPS devices and its first iPhone navigation application, StreetPilot.
The 2400 series of personal navigation devices will come in four different models and offer a variety of features, including live-traffic updating, hands-free calling, voice activated navigation, and lifetime map updates. All four models will feature a 5-inch display, include Bluetooth connectivity, and boast several new software convenience features. “All models feature nüRoute with trafficTrends and myTrends predictive routing,” reads the press release. “With trafficTrends, nüvi automatically learns traffic flow trends to improve route calculation and better predict the estimated time of arrival based on time of day and day of week.” The release continues, “with myTrends, nüvi will, over time, begin to anticipate a route to favorite destinations as soon as the device is powered up.” The 2400 series is priced between $249.99 and $349.99 and will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show this week.
Garmin’s StreetPilot iPhone app features many of the features available on the company’s automotive GPS devices including, free traffic alerts, lane assist, and speed limit indicators. The software is cloud-based — meaning you need an internet connection to download the maps — supports multitasking, and is priced at $39.99. StreetPilot weighs in at a modest 7.5MB, can navigate both the U.S. and Canada, and is available in the App Store today. More →
Predictions from Piper Jaffray’s managing director and senior research analyst Gene Munster have been compared to darts tossed at a 10-foot dartboard, but that won’t stop the man from churning out new notes. On Monday, Mr. Munster laid out his roadmap for Apple in 2011 and it actually looks like he may be in store for a few wins this year. Then again, the roadmap is based almost entirely on things we already know with near certainty — or, in some cases, absolute certainty — so these can hardly be called Munster’s wins if they pan out. Here’s how Apple’s 2011 pans out in Munster’s eyes:
Anouncements:
Hardware upgrades:
Munster does also note that Apple may launch some nifty new Web-based services and maybe even a television in 2011, but again, these are just rehashed rumors that have been around for quite a while now.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, TV manufacturer Vizio plans to announce its intentions to break into the Android smartphone and tablet market sometime today. “The Irvine, Calif., company said its first mobile phone, to be called Via Phone, will have a 4-inch screen, a front-facing camera for video calls, a rear-facing five megapixel camera and the capability to shoot video,” writes the Journal. The article goes on to note the Vizio will also introduce an 8-inch Android tablet with a “high-resolution screen, WiFi wireless connectivity; three speakers; and a front-facing camera for video conferencing.” Vizio is expected to release both its tablet and smartphone offerings in the summer of 2011. More →
Wow, who would have seen this one coming? A mobile broadband router that only works in 71 markets with three specific devices — iPhones, iPads, and iPod touchs — was not a best-selling device? Shocking. According to a Clear representative, the company will be discontinuing its 4G-only, Apple iDevice-only, mobile router. As the forum post reads:
The only locations currently available to purchase an iSpot are at certain retail stores. These stores only have a limited supply and once sold out will not be ordering more. We do however have the iSpots in stock for devices still under warranty that need to be replaced.
The iSpot, which retailed for $99, did have a puny $25 per month operating charge, but the restrictions seemed to far outweigh the utility of the pebble-shaped device. Anyone out there actually own an iSpot? More →
Today, via a brief press blast, Samsung Mobile Display announced its big intentions for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Sammy’s mobile display unit hopes to make a splash with two, very distinctive products: a 4.5-inch WVGA flexible AMOLED display and a 19-inch qFHD transparent AMOLED display. As Samsung explains:
SMD is presenting a prototype of the most advanced flexible AMOLED display. Only 2mm thick, the 4.5 inch flexible AMOLED runs at a WVGA 800 x 480 resolution and can be rolled down to a one centimeter radius.
At WVGA, this new concept prototype offers a display resolution four times that of the previous most flexible AMOLED prototype in the industry, thanks to the use of a new plastic substrate that can withstand the 450-500 degree temperatures required in the manufacturing process.
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SMD is showing the world’s first large transparent AMOLED Display prototype, designed for use in applications from PC monitors to TVs.
Whether the prototype AMOLED display is turned off or on, it maintains up to a 30% transparency. The average amount of transparency elsewhere has been below 10 percent.
SMD’s transparent AMOLED prototype provides the highest resolution on a transparent large screen TV (over 19 inches) or monitor display.
Look for more information about the two displays next week on January 5th. More →
Several weeks ago, we told you about the Novatel MiFi 4082 getting its proverbial rubber stamp from the FCC. Now, it looks like a press image of said device has made its way onto the Intertubes. User r0fl from the SprintUsers forums has posted an image of what we presume to be the 4082 — Sprint’s first 3G/4G MiFi device. The images show the presence of a front LCD screen (score!), an addition that makes the operation of the pocketable router much, much easier. No word on when the dual-mode MiFi could hit store shelves, but we’ll hit up some of our Sprint sources and report back with anything we find. More →
Earlier this morning, we told you about HTC’s EVO 4G Shift (although this morning it was called the EVO Shift 4G) making a cameo in a RadioShack flyer, and this afternoon it looks like accessories for the device have made their way to Best Buy as well. Engadget was sent in images of the Invisible Shield screen protector, designed specifically for the 4G Shift’s 3.6-inch window, that arrived at a Best Buy retail location. Between this, the RadioShack advert, and CES being next week… the writing seems to be on the wall. Who’s interested in a EVO 4G Shift? More →
Ah yes, the proverbial handset-image faucet is really starting to leak now. Blog CellPhone Signal has acquired several images of Motorola’s CLIQ 2 handset that is bound for U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile. The device will sport Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + ERD, aGPS, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, an interesting honeycomb-style keyboard, and will run the MOTOBLUR UI. The report speculates that the device could be Moto’s first HSPA+ device and the Android version the device will ship with is still unknown. This one should touchdown next week at CES and CellPhone Signal pegs the release date as January 19th, lining up perfectly with previous rumors. More →
