AllThingsD » Ice Cream Sandwich http://allthingsd.com Sun, 19 May 2013 03:12:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://allthingsd.com/theme/images/logo-rss.jpg All Things Digital http://allthingsd.com/ 144 22 Lenovo IdeaPad S2110: A Solid Convertible, but It Won't Blow Your Hair Back http://allthingsd.com/20120924/lenovo-ideapad-s2110-a-solid-convertible-but-wont-blow-your-hair-back/ http://allthingsd.com/20120924/lenovo-ideapad-s2110-a-solid-convertible-but-wont-blow-your-hair-back/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:00:27 +0000 Lauren Goode http://allthingsd.com/?p=252942 As more tablets and touchscreens come to market, more solutions are emerging for consumers who like the feel and satisfying click of physical keyboards. I happen to be one of those consumers, which is why I had high hopes for Lenovo’s IdeaPad S2110.

This $399, 10-inch tablet, which came to market last month, is built to work with an optional, attachable $100 keyboard. And the keyboard goes beyond just keys: It also provides several extra hours of battery life and two USB ports, marrying the consumption-friendly features of a lightweight tablet with the productivity features of a laptop.

The idea of the convertible PC — a term that applies to laptops and tablets with adjustable form factors — isn’t a new one. Lenovo introduced the convertible ThinkPad X41 tablet back in 2005, and currently sells a Windows 7 ThinkPad convertible, the ThinkPad x230, for $1,150. One of the IdeaPad S2110’s closest current competitors is the $499 Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700, an Android tablet that comes with an optional keyboard for $150.

But while the power-packed IdeaPad is a solid device for people who want both a tablet for fun and a laptop-like solution for work, there are a few reasons to walk, not run, to buy this convertible.


[ See post to watch video ]

The IdeaPad is one of just a few Lenovo devices running on a Google Android operating system instead of Windows, a deviation from Lenovo’s longtime support of Windows operating systems. But it runs on last year’s Android 4.0, and there’s no guarantee that an upgrade to the newest Jelly Bean 4.1 operating system will be available.

I also experienced a few software glitches with the first IdeaPad I tested, a Lenovo lab-tested model. The company later supplied me with a new model, which showed notable improvements, but one of the problems — a black flash across the screen when I was watching movies — persisted.

Lastly, a variety of PC form factors will be ushered in with the launch of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, so consumers who are sold on the convertible form factor but not tied to Android may want to hold off another month before buying.

The IdeaPad measures 10.2 inches by 7.0 inches, and is .34-inch thick. The tablet alone weighs 1.3 pounds, the same weight as the Asus Transformer Pad without its keyboard, and slightly less than the new iPad. With the keyboard attached, the IdeaPad’s weight doubles.

The IdeaPad is coated with durable, textured plastic. It’s mostly matte-black, with a pewter-silver strip at the hinge where the keyboard fits. When coupled with the keyboard, it has gently rounded edges and looks like a black notebook.

While I think it’s better-looking than Lenovo’s ThinkPad line of business PCs, which tend to be boxy, this IdeaPad lacks some of the pizzazz of other consumer PCs. It’s functional but not sexy, like a buttoned-up professional trying to let loose at the after-work party, without really succeeding.

The IdeaPad has a speedy, dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor. The base model includes 16 gigabytes of internal storage and 1GB of RAM. When powering on, I had to firmly press the power button for a few seconds, and the tablet runs through a Lenovo graphic before the home screen appears, which made boot-up time feel slow compared to other tablets.

It has a 10.1-inch, glossy touchscreen, with a 1280 by 800 LED HD display. This isn’t as brilliant as the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity’s full-HD, 1920 by 1200 display. But, in the handful of new movies I watched on the IdeaPad, colors were still vibrant, with good contrast.

And that’s when I experienced that weird bug: Whenever I adjusted volume, using the buttons on the right-hand side of the tablet, its screen would flash to black for a second, as though it were blinking. Lenovo didn’t really have an explanation for this.

The IdeaPad interface is made up of small, Post-it-like squares that categorize apps by themes, like Social, Games, Media and Lenovo’s own App Shop. As with other Android tablets, tiny movable app icons litter the rest of the space.

Since I’m a Google apps user, I only had to sign into my account once to sync my email, calendar, documents, Google+ account and Google Apps account. For Microsoft Office users, the tab comes with a built-in app called Documents to Go, which lets users create, view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

While I’m still not sold on the idea of using a 10-inch device to take pictures, tablet shutterbugs won’t be impressed by the cameras on this one. In my experience, pictures taken with the five-megapixel rear camera came out grainy and, even with the option to adjust the exposure, photos taken in low light looked dark. The camera app has a panorama picture option, but in my test, the living room came out looking a little psychedelic.

And while Lenovo claims 10 hours of battery life for the IdeaPad, in my test — which involves setting the display’s brightness to 75 percent, playing videos nonstop and running an email application — it lasted just under six hours. This isn’t even close to what the new iPad and iPad 2 get, and an hour-and-a-half less than the battery life of the Android-based Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, all determined with our same battery tests.

That’s where the keyboard came in handy. After running down the battery, I inserted the tablet into the keyboard dock — which requires a bit of force — and the keyboard battery powered up the tablet.

Lenovo says that this should provide up to 10 extra hours of battery life. I wasn’t able to fully test that claim, but after watching two movies back to back one night, with the tablet docked on the keyboard, the keyboard was drained, but the tablet’s battery was still at 90 percent. When you plug the tablet-plus-keyboard into a wall outlet, the tablet gets charged first, so you don’t end up with a fully charged keyboard and a dead tablet.

With the keyboard as its saving grace, the IdeaPad is a decent convertible, though as a standalone tablet it lacks the style and features of some of its premium competitors.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120924/lenovo-ideapad-s2110-a-solid-convertible-but-wont-blow-your-hair-back/feed/ 1 LG's New Flagship Phone, Optimus G, Coming to the U.S. by End of Year http://allthingsd.com/20120919/lgs-new-flagship-phone-optimus-g-coming-to-the-u-s-by-end-of-year/ http://allthingsd.com/20120919/lgs-new-flagship-phone-optimus-g-coming-to-the-u-s-by-end-of-year/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:49:58 +0000 Lauren Goode http://allthingsd.com/?p=251654 It was the September smartphone event you haven’t been waiting for: LG’s new flagship phone, the Optimus G.

As expected, the electronics company showed off its latest Android-powered smartphone at a press event in New York today, a day after LG unveiled the phone in Korea.

It might not be the new iPhone, but this is far from a budget phone. As my AllThingsD colleague Bonnie Cha writes, the 4G LTE, NFC-equipped phone is powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, which promises speed, power and longer battery life. It has a 4.7-inch, 1,280 by 768-pixel HD touchscreen, a 13-megapixel camera on the back, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. It’s running Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system — not the latest flavor of Android — and a feature called the QSlide lets users work in two screens at the same time. It’s unclear whether the phone will be upgradable to Android Jelly Bean 4.1, Google’s newest OS.

The LG Optimus G goes on sale in Korea next week, and will launch in other “key global markets” in October. It will come to the U.S. in the fourth quarter of this year, LG said today. LG didn’t announce which carriers will offer the Optimus G or how it will be priced, but it’s safe to say, since this is a flagship phone, it won’t be priced in line with budget phones. It definitely won’t be free, as confirmed by an LG spokesperson.

The model LG showcased today has 32 gigabytes of storage and is supposed to toggle between 3G and LTE or HSPA+ high-speed networks with minimal impact on battery life, due to its quad-core processor.

But the question for LG isn’t necessarily whether this is a good phone; it’s how LG plans to market this phone in an increasingly crowded Android market, with a handful of formidable smartphone competitors hitting stores this fall, including Nokia’s new Lumia phones, the Samsung Galaxy S III and — oh, yes — the iPhone 5.

LG has tried to strike at both the low end and the high end of the smartphone market in recent months; at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, the electronics maker showed off three phones, the L3, L5 and L7, which run on varying flavors of Android, as well as a range of high-end models, including a 3-D phone and the large-screened LG Optimus Vu. (The Optimus Vu came to the U.S. market this month as the LG Intuition, offered through Verizon Wireless.)

In April, the company launched the Sprint-offered, family-friendly, $99 LTE Viper phone, first announced at CES this past January.

In a recent comScore report on the U.S. mobile market, Samsung led the handset manufacturing market with a 25.6 percent share. LG followed with an 18.8 percent share, down half a point, and Apple came in third with a 15.4 percent share, edging up 1.4 points from a previous report.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120919/lgs-new-flagship-phone-optimus-g-coming-to-the-u-s-by-end-of-year/feed/ 4 Sony Xperia Tablet S Aims to be Your Living-Room Companion http://allthingsd.com/20120829/sony-xperia-tablet-s-aims-to-be-your-living-room-companion/ http://allthingsd.com/20120829/sony-xperia-tablet-s-aims-to-be-your-living-room-companion/#comments Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:45:05 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=245743 According to a recent Gartner survey, most consumers are using their tablets at home, in the living room, using them to check email and social networks, read the news and play games. Now Sony wants your tablet to control your home entertainment system.

Enter the new Sony Xperia Tablet S.

Due out on Sept. 7, the Android tablet comes preloaded with a universal remote control app that allows you to control your TV and cable box right from the device. It’s a feature that was first introduced on the Sony Tablet S, but the app now supports multiple devices, including Blu-ray players and audio equipment, from most brands.

Users can program commands into the app, so they can turn on the TV or play music with just a tap of the screen.

Sony is also aiming to make the TV-watching experience more social with a new app called Watch Now. Downloadable from the Google Play store, the software offers a visual program guide and provides show recommendations based on personal preference. In addition, you’ll be able to share and comment on what you’re watching via Twitter, Facebook and GetGlue.

As for the tablet itself, the Xperia S has a 9.4-inch, 1,280 x 800-pixel touchscreen, with a splashproof guard that registers your touches even if your fingers are wet. It has a rather unique design where the top of the device looks like it’s folded over, which the company says provides a more comfortable grip and feel.

The Wi-Fi-only tablet will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and includes a multitasking feature called Small Apps and Guest Mode. With Small Apps, you can work in one program and then launch another in a smaller window to use at the same time.

Meanwhile, Guest Mode allows you to manage which applications and widgets are accessible to others, in case someone else wants to use your tablet.

Other notables include an eight-megapixel camera on back, a front-facing one-megapixel camera, an HDMI port and an SD card slot.

The Sony Xperia Tablet S will come in 16 gigabyte, 32GB and 64GB versions at $399, $499 and $599, respectively. They are available for preorder today from Sony’s Web site. There will also be a number of compatible accessories, such as a cover with keyboard ($100), and a docking stand ($100).

Going forward, Sony’s tablet will live under the Xperia brand name, along with the company’s smartphones, and will share a more user-consistent experience across all devices.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120829/sony-xperia-tablet-s-aims-to-be-your-living-room-companion/feed/ 0 A Peek at the Parts -- And Profits -- Inside Samsung's Galaxy Note Tablet http://allthingsd.com/20120824/a-peek-at-the-parts-and-profits-inside-samsungs-galaxy-note-tablet/ http://allthingsd.com/20120824/a-peek-at-the-parts-and-profits-inside-samsungs-galaxy-note-tablet/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:27:40 +0000 Arik Hesseldahl http://allthingsd.com/?p=244644 One of the most revealing facts to emerge from the continuing trial between Samsung and Apple in a California federal courtroom is how thoroughly the iPad has dominated the emerging tablet market in the U.S. Court documents showed that from the end of 2010 to the middle of 2012, for every one of any of the three models of Samsung tablet sold, Apple sold 21 iPads.

Samsung’s latest attempt to tilt at Apple’s windmill is the Galaxy Note 10.1. Released in the U.S. on Aug. 16, at a high-profile event in New York, it sells for a starting price of $499.99 for a 16 gigabyte version. Like other tablets from Samsung, it runs Google’s Android operating system, specifically the version from last year known as Ice Cream Sandwich, though an upgrade to the newer Jelly Bean is coming eventually. It has also been reviewed favorably, including last week by AllThingsD’s Walt Mossberg.

Now, the gearheads at IHS iSuppli — the folks who last month dismembered Google’s Nexus 7, and before that Apple’s latest iPad — have taken the Galaxy Note 10.1 apart to see what makes it tick. More importantly, they’ve also estimated how much Samsung spends on the components used to assemble it; from that, it’s pretty easy to guess at Samsung’s profit margin.

Rassweiler says the firm tore down a version of the tablet that includes the ability to connect to 4G wireless networks (it is not yet available in the U.S.), and which sells at retail for about $640. As yet, the only model available in the U.S. is a Wi-Fi-compatible model. All told, the cost of the components — “bill of materials,” or BOM in industry lingo — for that model adds up to $283. Take out the 4G wireless components and leave the Wi-Fi-only, and the BOM estimate comes down to about $270, he says.

Technically speaking, says analyst Andrew Rassweiler, who supervised the teardown, the Note 10.1 doesn’t break any new ground. “As is usually the case, each hardware release offers an incremental set of improvements over the last generation,” he says. The tablet’s main microprocessor chip is the quad-core Samsung Exynos processor, made by its own chip division, and based in part on a design licensed from ARM. The chip has already been seen in the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, and costs Samsung about $18.

Also seen in the torndown unit, and spotted before in other Samsung devices, is a wireless chipset from Intel’s recently acquired Infineon division. “By reusing components, Samsung can negotiate better pricing with suppliers, and it shrinks the incremental cost of developing other devices like this tablet,” Rassweiler says. Combined, all the wireless components add about $15 to cost, and a little less in the Wi-Fi-only version.

The Galaxy Note’s main differentiating feature is the digital pen, or stylus, that lets users write and sketch on the screen. The main part that allows that is a hybrid capacitive touchscreen that also allows the conventional touch interface that tablet users are accustomed to. Samsung’s combined cost of the display and touchscreen components adds up to $100. The pen comes from Wacom, the same company known for its graphical tablets favored by digital artists.

Also spotted inside the Note: A gyroscope chip from STMicroelectronics, a power-management chip from Maxim, a touchscreen-controller chip from Atmel, and an audio chip from Wolfson Micro. Some of those companies are also regular Apple suppliers.

Which brings us to another important point: Samsung gets most of the parts from itself. It is the world’s biggest manufacturer of memory chips, and one of the biggest manufacturers of LCD screens. It also ranks at or near the top of the world’s suppliers for chips to smartphones and tablets generally, and even manufactures, under contract, Apple’s own A5 chips used in the iPhone and iPad. “Samsung’s competitive strength is in controlling a large percentage of the parts that go into their final product,” Rassweiler says. Most of the key components — the display, the memory, the main processor and the battery — were all made by different branches of the far-flung Samsung empire.

By comparison, the total cost of all the components on the latest iPad, as estimated by IHS iSuppli at the time of its release in March, was $316. Oddly enough, Samsung made the so-called Retina display that Apple touts as that device’s main differentiating feature. The cost to build the Nexus 7 was estimated at $152.

And while a cost of about $270 might lead you to the conclusion that Samsung is taking a fat $230 on each unit sold, Rassweiler says there are more costs to consider that a teardown can’t account for — software and development costs, for starters.

In the end, Samsung may not be coming even close to denting Apple’s commanding market share, but it may be making a slightly better profit. One fact that emerged from the epic patent lawsuit between Apple and Samsung is that Apple’s iPad gross margin runs between 23 percent and 32 percent. Rassweiler says that even after accounting for software and other non-material costs, Samsung probably makes a slightly larger margin. There is that.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120824/a-peek-at-the-parts-and-profits-inside-samsungs-galaxy-note-tablet/feed/ 0 Archos Unveils 101 XS Tablet With Keyboard Dock http://allthingsd.com/20120822/archos-unveils-101-xs-tablet-with-keyboard-dock/ http://allthingsd.com/20120822/archos-unveils-101-xs-tablet-with-keyboard-dock/#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:59:24 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=244130 Today, Archos introduced its new Gen10 XS tablet series — a trio of ultraslim Android tablets that come with a magnetic keyboard.

The Archos 101 XS will be the first model released in the series and features a 10.1-inch, 1,280×800 pixel touchscreen. Protecting the display will be the company’s Coverboard accessory, which also doubles as a full keyboard and dock.

The cover measures just 0.2 inch thick and attaches to the tablet via magnets. When removed, you can dock the tablet to the Coverboard and then use the built-in full keyboard to compose messages, work on documents and more. The accessory draws power from the tablet, or you can charge it and the tablet at the same time by using a wall adapter.

Coverboard aside, the Archos 101 XS runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system; Archos says the tablet will be upgraded to the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean by the end of the year. It also comes preloaded with OfficeSuite Pro 6 and the company’s Media Center and remote control app.

The tablet measures 0.31 inch thick — 15 percent thinner than the latest iPad — and has 16 gigabytes of flash memory and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The Archos 101 XS will be available in November for $400.

Archos didn’t reveal too many details about the other two models in the Gen10 XS series, the Archos 97 XS and 80 XS, but did say they will be available later in 2012 and will also include the Coverboard accessory.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120822/archos-unveils-101-xs-tablet-with-keyboard-dock/feed/ 5 MetroPCS Intros $55 Unlimited 4G Data Plan, LG Motion 4G http://allthingsd.com/20120821/metropcs-intros-55-unlimited-4g-data-plan-lg-motion-4g/ http://allthingsd.com/20120821/metropcs-intros-55-unlimited-4g-data-plan-lg-motion-4g/#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:11:33 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=243588 MetroPCS might not be as big as the four major U.S. carriers, but it is certainly making some moves to grab people’s attention.

Today, the carrier announced a limited-time offer for a $55-per-month data plan that includes unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data. Families receive additional savings, as the monthly price goes down to $50 per month for the second, third and fourth lines.

MetroPCS did not provide an end date for the promotion, but said that it will go on for the next few months. Also, customers who sign up for the new data plan during that time will be able to keep the $55 plan for as long as they remain with MetroPCS.

In addition to the new data plan, MetroPCS introduced its latest 4G smartphone, the LG Motion 4G. It’s the carrier’s first Android phone running Ice Cream Sandwich, and comes with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a five-megapixel camera on the back that can capture 1080p HD video.

The LG Motion 4G costs $149. Customers can buy the phone — and sign up for the new unlimited 4G data plan — online and in stores later this week.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120821/metropcs-intros-55-unlimited-4g-data-plan-lg-motion-4g/feed/ 4 Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 Event, by the Numbers http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsungs-galaxy-note-10-1-event-by-the-numbers/ http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsungs-galaxy-note-10-1-event-by-the-numbers/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:30:03 +0000 Lauren Goode http://allthingsd.com/?p=241580 Samsung held an event today at the Rose Theater in New York City to promote the launch of its new Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, which officially hits stores tomorrow and marks the electronics giant’s latest attempt to compete with the dominant iPad.

AllThingsD’s Walt Mossberg takes a deep dive into the device here, and my colleague Bonnie Cha offers her take on the tablet news, as well. In short: The slim (0.3-inch) Galaxy Note 10.1 has a 10.1-inch display, has two cameras — a five-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.9-megapixel camera on the front — and will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though it will be upgradeable to Jelly Bean 4.1.

It’s Samsung’s first tablet with multiscreen view, too, so users can, for example, write an email on one side of the screen while viewing a slide or video in another area.

At today’s launch, director Baz Luhrmann took the stage alongside Samsung executive Tim Baxter to promote the Note’s capabilities for the creative community, calling it a “creative toolbox” and sticking to the script, as directors know well how to do. Designer Zac Posen made an appearance, too, touting the stylus that works with the Samsung Note products.

Movie director Baz Lurhmann with Samsung’s Tim Baxter.

Hype aside, here’s a look at some of the other numbers worth noting, in light of today’s news and event:

Number of Samsung Galaxy Tabs sold in the U.S. between the fourth quarter of 2010 and second quarter of this year: 1.4 million.

Number of iPads sold in the U.S. in the same time frame: 29 million.

Number of Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone units sold since its launch last fall: 10 million.

Number of Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 predecessors: By my count, six: The original 7-inch Galaxy Tab, the newer Galaxy Tab 7.7, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and the Galaxy Tab 2, in both 7-inch and 10-inch versions.

Number of iPad models on the market: Three: iPad, iPad 2 and the new iPad.

Number of apps currently available in the Android app marketplace (not necessarily tablet-optimized): More than 500,000.

Number of apps currently available in the App Store (not tablet-specific): Also around 500,000.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet works with a stylus pen.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 display resolution: 1,280 by 800 pixels.

New iPad display resolution: 2,048 by 1,536 pixels.

Price point of new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1: $499 for the 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi model, and $549 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model.

Price point of new iPad: $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, and $599 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model.

Number of Samsung execs appearing on stage during today’s event: Three — Tim Baxter, Younghee Lee and Travis Merrill.

Number of non-Samsung execs appearing on stage during event: One — Jim Mohan from Adobe, to demo Adobe Photoshop Touch on the tablet.

Number of celebrities appearing on stage during event: Two — Film director Baz Luhrmann and fashion designer Zac Posen.

Number of times anyone anywhere said “iPad” or “Apple,” the company with which Samsung is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle over patent infringement: Zero.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsungs-galaxy-note-10-1-event-by-the-numbers/feed/ 9 New Samsung Tablet Offers a Stylus and a Split Screen http://allthingsd.com/20120815/new-samsung-tablet-offers-a-stylus-and-a-split-screen/ http://allthingsd.com/20120815/new-samsung-tablet-offers-a-stylus-and-a-split-screen/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:02:52 +0000 Walter S. Mossberg http://allthingsd.com/?p=241626 Even though they’ve been the best known competitors to Apple’s dominant iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablets have lagged far behind the leader in popularity. For instance, according to documents Samsung had to release at a patent trial last week, three leading Galaxy Tab models, combined, had sold just 1.4 million units in the U.S. from the fourth quarter of 2010 through the middle of 2012. Apple documents said it sold 29.7 million iPads in the U.S. during the same period.


[ See post to watch video ]

So, Samsung is trying something new. This week, it is releasing a new flagship full-size tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, designed around two key features the iPad lacks—a stylus and several apps that allow you to use it for note-taking and sketching, and the ability to view two apps at once in a split-screen view.

In particular, Samsung is betting on the stylus, which the company calls the S Pen, to attract users who find typing on glass to be limiting and might want, at least occasionally, to simulate pen and paper. The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs disdained the stylus as a tool, although lots of third-party styluses are now sold for use even with the iPad.

I’ve been testing the Galaxy Note 10.1 for the past four days and, in general, I like it. It works smoothly and quickly, and the stylus and split-screen features perform as promised. However, I found its battery life to be much lower than the iPad’s, and some of Samsung’s software to be overly complicated. Plus, even Samsung concedes that the key differentiator, the pen, isn’t likely to be used by most people most of the time.

Still, I can recommend the Galaxy Note 10.1 as a better choice than the iPad for people who value the stylus or split-screen capability, or for those who prefer Android.

This new tablet builds on a previous Samsung stylus-equipped product, a 5-inch Galaxy Note released in February. But that device was actually a huge $300 phone, with some tablet features, a sort of tweener product that some nicknamed a “phablet.” This new Galaxy Note is a pure tablet about the size of the iPad and with the same base price of $499.99 for a 16 gigabyte version. The Galaxy Tab will remain available.

Like other Samsung products, the Note 10.1 is based on Google’s Android operating system, with some software features added by Samsung. It uses last year’s version of Android, called Ice Cream Sandwich, though Samsung promises an upgrade to the newer, sleeker, Jelly Bean version at an unspecified date.

image

Pen-compatible apps pop up on the side of the screen when the pen is removed from its slot.

The new tablet looks different as well. It has a plastic case with a thin, silvery border, twin front-mounted speakers and a storage slot for the stylus. Also, unlike the iPad, it has an easily accessed slot for extra-cost flash memory cards that can expand its storage. It’s lighter than the iPad and slightly thinner.

The new Note has much lower screen resolution than the new iPad, though I found videos and photos looked good. The front and rear cameras were decent, and the twin front speakers sounded better than the iPad’s speaker on the back.


[ See post to watch video ]

Using the S Pen for simple handwriting or sketching was easy. It can detect over 1,000 degrees of pressure, so you can learn to make lines thicker or thinner based on how hard you press. But you don’t want to lose the stylus: It costs $40 to replace.

When you remove the pen from its slot, a menu of mostly pen-compatible apps pops up on the side of the screen. The primary app for the pen is called S Note. It’s essentially a free-form electronic pad. You can jot down notes or sketch in it. The notes can be translated into handwriting, something I found worked only moderately well. S Note also can transform shapes you draw, like circles or triangles, into perfect images. This worked great for me.

Most of these tasks were simple to do, though there are a lot of menus and choices that can make this easy app complicated. And if you’re drawing something that requires scrolling, you’re forced to use a mini-version of the page to scroll to the place you want.

I also tested the pen in two non-Samsung apps that are bundled with the device. One is Polaris Office, an app that handles Microsoft Office documents. Here, you can annotate documents by hand, but not create them with handwriting. The other is an Android version of Adobe Photoshop, called PS Touch, where the pen proved handy in tasks like cutting unwanted backgrounds out of photos.

The pen can also be used in place of your finger to navigate through the tablet. Samsung says it doesn’t expect many people to use the pen this way. In fact, a spokesman said the company sees the pen as something most people will only use some of the time.

image

In the Galaxy Note 10.1, some apps can share the screen, and you can copy and paste between them.

The split-screen feature works with a limited selection of apps, such as S Note, email and the browser. While in this multiscreen mode, each app takes up half the screen, and you can copy and paste content between them. I liked using this feature, but found copying and pasting often required multiple, clumsy steps, like taking screen shots of what’s in one app, and then cropping.

In addition to the stylus and split screen, the new Note has some features, mostly about beaming and sharing content, carried over from Samsung’s new Galaxy S III smartphone. As on the phone, I found these somewhat complex. Like the iPad, the Note will be able to beam content to a TV wirelessly, via an adapter, but the adapter isn’t ready for release yet.

Another useful feature on the Note is a pop-up row of mini-apps at the bottom of the screen. These are stripped-down versions of core apps: email, calendar, calculator, music player and S Note.

I also liked a video feature: You can view a movie in pop-out mode. It appears in a small window and continues to play while you do something else, like surf the Web. Another nice video feature missing on the iPad: You can set the video player to auto-play a series of videos, one after another.

The biggest downside of the Galaxy Note 10.1, in my tests, was battery life. Using my standard, tough, tablet battery test, it lasted only seven hours and 27 minutes between charges, about 2.5 hours less than the Apple device.

With its stylus and split-screen features, the Galaxy Note 10.1 may well give Samsung the boost it needs in the ever more competitive tablet wars.

Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.

Corrections & Amplifications

An earlier version of this article incorrectly had the price of the Galaxy Note 10.1 as $499.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120815/new-samsung-tablet-offers-a-stylus-and-a-split-screen/feed/ 0 Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 U.S. Launch Set for August 16 http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-tomorrow-hands-on-impressions-today/ http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-tomorrow-hands-on-impressions-today/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:00:46 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=241478 In less than 24 hours, Samsung will release its flagship tablet for the year here in the U.S.

The company announced today at an event in New York that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will go on sale Aug. 16 at various retailers, including Best Buy, Office Depot and Amazon, with pricing set at $499 for the 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi model, and $549 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model.

First introduced in early August, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is a bit different from other tablets on the market, as it features a built-in stylus (or the “S Pen,” as Samsung calls it) and comes preloaded with a set of apps optimized for use with the S Pen to help increase productivity, creativity and multitasking.

You can read more about the tablet’s features and performance in my colleague Walt Mossberg’s full review. I also had a chance to check out the tablet in person a few days before the event, and there are many things that I like about Galaxy Note 10.1. But I’m not completely sold on it.

As far as hardware, the Galaxy Note 10.1 isn’t a real standout. It has a 10.1-inch display with a 1,280 by 800 pixel resolution. Though it’s clear and bright enough for reading text and viewing video and images, it’s not the sharpest display I’ve ever seen (the iPad has a 2,048 by 1,536 pixel resolution). Samsung said it had to make some trade-offs to keep costs down.

The tablet is on the larger side, at 10 inches wide by 7 inches tall, but is still relatively slim at 0.3-inch thick. On top of the device, there is a power button, volume up and down keys, a microSD expansion slot and an IR port that lets you use the tablet as a remote control for your TV. The Galaxy Note 10.1 also has two cameras — a five-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.9-megapixel camera on the front just above the display.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but it will be upgraded to the latest Jelly Bean operating system. Samsung did not provide a time frame for the update.

Things get interesting once you start using the S Pen. As soon as you remove the stylus from its housing, a pop-up menu will appear on the right side of the screen that displays all the apps that are designed to work with the S Pen. This includes S Note, S Planner, Crayon Physics, Photoshop Touch and Polaris Office.

In addition to the apps, Samsung added a multiscreen feature that allows you to work in two different programs at the same time, for easier multitasking. For now, you can only use the multiscreen function with six apps — Web browser, video player, photo gallery, S Note, Polaris Office and email — but Samsung said it will open up the feature to other developers, so they can add their apps to the list.

When you’re in one of these apps, you’ll find a drop-down menu that allows to you launch one of the other five programs and then presents them side by side. I thought this was a pretty cool feature. I can imagine myself having an email open on one side and then making notes to a document using Polaris Office on the other. I also liked that you could take a screenshot by pressing a button on the S Pen, and then drag it over to a note or document to add comments.

The stylus has other tricks. It’s pressure-sensitive, so if you press down harder on the screen, it will create a thicker line when you’re drawing or writing, while light pressure will create a finer line. You can also hover the S Pen’s point over a section of a Web site to view any drop-down menus or other graphical elements.

With the multiscreen feature, suite of apps and larger display, I think the S Pen-tablet combination is a good one, much more so than the Galaxy Note smartphone. While not a laptop replacement, I see the benefits it could bring as a productivity tool and educational aid.

But one of my reservations of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is that it’s not entirely user-friendly. While trying out a couple of apps, there was a lot of trial and error to figure out how to complete a task. For example, the Kno textbook app lets you add notes to any page in a book, but it’s not immediately clear how to do so.

The other thing that gives me pause is the price. At $499 and $549, we’re talking iPad prices here. Though I always appreciate a choice in devices, I feel the Galaxy Note 10.1 is a tad overpriced for what it offers. Whether people are willing to pay a premium for a stylus and a few extra apps remains to be seen.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120815/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-tomorrow-hands-on-impressions-today/feed/ 1 Sprint Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE Launching August 19 http://allthingsd.com/20120813/sprint-motorola-photon-q-4g-lte-launching-august-19/ http://allthingsd.com/20120813/sprint-motorola-photon-q-4g-lte-launching-august-19/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:20:23 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=240686 First introduced in late July, Sprint said today that the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE will be available on Aug. 19 for $200 with a two-year contract. The Photon Q is the carrier’s first 4G LTE smartphone with a full physical keyboard and world-roaming capabilities and also has a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a rear-facing eight-megapixel camera. Preorders of the Android smartphone start today online, and customers may receive it as early as two days before the Photon is available in stores.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120813/sprint-motorola-photon-q-4g-lte-launching-august-19/feed/ 0 Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Launching This Month http://allthingsd.com/20120806/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-this-month/ http://allthingsd.com/20120806/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-this-month/#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2012 21:32:46 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=238384 The Samsung Galaxy Note might confuse some people as to whether it’s a phone or a tablet, but there’s no question about the identity of the new Galaxy Note 10.1.

Samsung revealed today that the 3G- and Wi-Fi-enabled Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, first introduced at Mobile World Congress in February, will be available globally this month. The company will also launch a 4G LTE version, but availability dates and pricing for any of the models were not announced at this time.

The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device sports a 10.1-inch, 1,280×800-pixel display with a multiscreen feature that lets you work in two apps simultaneously.

Like its smaller smartphone sibling, it comes with a stylus (dubbed the S Pen) that lets you take handwritten notes, sketch doodles and more. It also comes preloaded with a number of apps designed to work with the S Pen, including S Note, Polaris Office and Adobe Photoshop Touch. These apps will automatically launch once you remove the stylus from its holder.

In addition to the Galaxy Note 10.1 launch, Samsung is expected to reveal the next version of the Galaxy Note at an event in New York on August 15. AllThingsD’s Lauren Goode will be in attendance, so be sure to check back then for all the news.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120806/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-launching-this-month/feed/ 2 Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile Available August 8 http://allthingsd.com/20120730/samsung-galaxy-note-for-t-mobile-available-august-8/ http://allthingsd.com/20120730/samsung-galaxy-note-for-t-mobile-available-august-8/#comments Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:20:01 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=235447 Following up on its announcement from mid-July, T-Mobile revealed today that the Samsung Galaxy Note will go on sale Aug. 8 for $249.99 with a two-year service agreement. The extra-large smartphone is equipped with a 5.3-inch HD touchscreen and features a stylus for jotting handwritten notes and more. The Galaxy Note runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120730/samsung-galaxy-note-for-t-mobile-available-august-8/feed/ 1 Motorola Photon Q to Be Sprint's First LTE Phone With Physical Keyboard, World Roaming http://allthingsd.com/20120726/motorola-photon-q-to-be-sprints-first-lte-phone-with-physical-keyboard-world-roaming/ http://allthingsd.com/20120726/motorola-photon-q-to-be-sprints-first-lte-phone-with-physical-keyboard-world-roaming/#comments Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:53:18 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=234306 Sprint is giving keyboard lovers a new choice in smartphones with the addition of the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE.

Announced today, the Photon Q is the carrier’s first 4G LTE smartphone with a full physical keyboard and world-roaming capabilities. Sprint did not announce pricing and availability date, but said it would release more details in the next few weeks.

The Photon Q has a five-row keyboard with backlit buttons and a dedicated number row for faster typing. You can also use the handset’s 4.3-inch touchscreen; though, with a 960-pixel by 540-pixel resolution, it’s not the sharpest display on the market.

The smartphone runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and includes such security features as remote wipe, PIN lock and data encryption for business users. The Photon Q also has an eight-megapixel camera on the back of the phone, a front-facing HD camera for video chats, and a microSD expansion slot.

For globe-trotters, the Photon Q features technology that allows you to use the phone in the U.S. and overseas. The phone is compatible with Sprint’s newly launched 4G LTE network, which is currently available in 15 cities, including Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Kansas City. The carrier plans to have its LTE network largely completed by the end of 2013, covering 250 million people across the U.S.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120726/motorola-photon-q-to-be-sprints-first-lte-phone-with-physical-keyboard-world-roaming/feed/ 1 Sony Expands Walkman Line (Yes, They Still Exist) http://allthingsd.com/20120718/sony-expands-walkman-line-yes-they-still-exist/ http://allthingsd.com/20120718/sony-expands-walkman-line-yes-they-still-exist/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:30:28 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=231601 You may or may not remember the days of Walkmans, but the music players are still kicking around. They just look completely different and don’t accept cassette tapes anymore.

Today, Sony introduced the latest additions to its Walkman series, the F800 and E470. The Walkman F800 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, so not only can it act as your entertainment device, you can also use it for email, Web browsing or casual gaming.

The player features a 3.5-inch touchscreen and has a dedicated button so you can quickly jump to the music player from any app. The F800 features technology to cut distortion for clearer audio quality and is Bluetooth-enabled in case you want to connect wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers.

Meanwhile, the Walkman E470 is more of a straight music player but includes some fun extras like preloaded Tetris and Sudoku games and karaoke mode. It has a 2-inch display and measures just 0.27 inch thick.

Both players offer access to Sony’s Music Unlimited store and support iTunes playlists with the use of special software. The Walkman F800 comes in two capacities. The 16 gigabyte version costs $269.99 and the 32GB player is priced at $299.99. The E470 will come in 8GB and 16GB models and costs $79.99 and $109.99, respectively. Both will be available at the beginning of August in Sony stores and online.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120718/sony-expands-walkman-line-yes-they-still-exist/feed/ 3 Waterproof Kyocera Hydro for Boost Mobile to Surface August 3 http://allthingsd.com/20120717/waterproof-kyocera-hydro-for-boost-mobile-to-surface-august-3/ http://allthingsd.com/20120717/waterproof-kyocera-hydro-for-boost-mobile-to-surface-august-3/#comments Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:53:34 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=230900 It’s summer, and that means trips to the beach or pool. But water and cellphones don’t mix — unless you have a waterproof phone like the upcoming Kyocera Hydro for Boost Mobile.

Available Aug. 3 for $129.99 without contract, the Hydro is splashproof and can be submerged in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

The 3G-enabled smartphone will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a 3.2-megapixel camera on its back.

Monthly plans for Android smartphones cost $55 and include unlimited voice, text and Web. However, for every six on-time payments you make, Boost Mobile will reduce the price of your plan by $5, so eventually you could pay as little as $40 per month for unlimited everything.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120717/waterproof-kyocera-hydro-for-boost-mobile-to-surface-august-3/feed/ 0 Samsung Galaxy Note Coming to T-Mobile http://allthingsd.com/20120716/samsung-galaxy-note-coming-to-t-mobile/ http://allthingsd.com/20120716/samsung-galaxy-note-coming-to-t-mobile/#comments Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:50:33 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=230730 A whopper of a smartphone is headed T-Mobile’s way, as the carrier announced today that the Samsung Galaxy Note will be available in the coming weeks.

The smartphone-tablet hybrid features a 5.3-inch HD touchscreen — the largest of any T-Mobile smartphone — and a stylus that allows you write notes, annotate documents and more, using the preloaded S Memo and S Note apps.

Though its extra-large size makes it awkward to hold, the Galaxy Note is a phone, and works on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network. It will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and comes bundled with extra apps, such as Dropbox, Evernote, TripIt and LinkedIn.

The Galaxy Note also has an eight-megapixel camera on the back, and a front-facing two-megapixel camera.

Pricing was not announced at this time. The Galaxy Note first launched with AT&T for $300 with a two-year contract, but is now $249.99, so expect T-Mobile’s pricing to fall within that range.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120716/samsung-galaxy-note-coming-to-t-mobile/feed/ 1 Motorola Atrix HD Coming to AT&T July 15 http://allthingsd.com/20120710/motorola-atrix-hd-coming-to-att-july-15/ http://allthingsd.com/20120710/motorola-atrix-hd-coming-to-att-july-15/#comments Tue, 10 Jul 2012 17:10:12 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=228756 AT&T announced today the upcoming availability of Motorola’s latest Android smartphone, the Motorola Atrix HD.

On sale July 15 for $100 with a two-year contract, the Atrix HD offers a 4.5-inch touchscreen, with an eight-megapixel camera on back. The smartphone measures just 0.33-inch thick and features an invisible nano-coating that protects both the phone’s exterior and interior from accidental splashes.

The Atrix HD runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes with a new Motorola Circle widget that shows you your data usage, notifications, weather and battery life at a glance.

For business users, the handset includes such security features as password protection, device and SD card data encryption, and the ability to remotely wipe the phone and SD card.

The Motorola Atrix HD will be available in white or silver, and for a limited time, AT&T will throw in a vehicle dock for free with the purchase of the phone.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120710/motorola-atrix-hd-coming-to-att-july-15/feed/ 0 Judge Denies Reprieve in Galaxy Nexus Case, Allowing Sales Ban to Take Effect http://allthingsd.com/20120703/judge-denies-reprieve-in-galaxy-nexus-case-allowing-sales-ban-to-take-effect/ http://allthingsd.com/20120703/judge-denies-reprieve-in-galaxy-nexus-case-allowing-sales-ban-to-take-effect/#comments Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:20:03 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=227044 A federal judge on Tuesday refused to hold off on an injunction that prevents U.S. sales of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone, ruling that Samsung is unlikely to prevail in a patent infringement suit brought by Apple.

U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to put the ban on hold while Samsung pursues an appeal.

“Although some consumers may be disappointed that they cannot purchase the Galaxy Nexus, the Galaxy Nexus, as Samsung itself has repeatedly insisted, is not Samsung’s only smartphone product on the market,” Koh wrote in the ruling.

In order for the sales ban on the Nexus to go into effect, Apple must post a $95.6 million bond to account for the potential impact should a court later decide the injunction was issued in error.

While the ruling means that the Galaxy Nexus is barred from being sold as is, Google and Samsung have been preparing a workaround software patch that Google says should enable sales of the Nexus to continue.

On Monday, Koh declined to put a separate injunction on hold, that one related to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

Although not the biggest-volume Android phone, the Galaxy Nexus is critical strategically for both Samsung and Google, as it was the first device running the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android and is also the reference point for developers testing the next version of the operating system, known as Jelly Bean.

Google gave out Galaxy Nexus devices to developers at last week’s I/O conference in San Francisco.

Update: Samsung said in a statement late Tuesday that it is disappointed with the ruling and will continue to pursue its appeal.

“We believe today’s ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior products to consumers in the United States,” Samsung said in a statement. “Meanwhile, we are also working closely with Google to resolve this matter, as the patent in question concerns Google’s unified search function.”

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120703/judge-denies-reprieve-in-galaxy-nexus-case-allowing-sales-ban-to-take-effect/feed/ 0 HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon Available July 5 http://allthingsd.com/20120702/htc-droid-incredible-4g-lte-for-verizon-available-july-5/ http://allthingsd.com/20120702/htc-droid-incredible-4g-lte-for-verizon-available-july-5/#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:13:35 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=226694 First introduced at the CTIA wireless trade show in May, Verizon finally announced today that the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE will be available on July 5 for $150 on contract. The smartphone improves on the previous model by adding 4G support and integrated Beats Audio technology for a richer sound experience. The Droid Incredible 4G LTE runs Android 4.0 Ice Sandwich and also has an eight-megapixel camera, a four-inch touchscreen and a microSD expansion slot.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120702/htc-droid-incredible-4g-lte-for-verizon-available-july-5/feed/ 0 HTC One V Lands at Virgin Mobile http://allthingsd.com/20120629/htc-one-v-lands-at-virgin-mobile/ http://allthingsd.com/20120629/htc-one-v-lands-at-virgin-mobile/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:12:44 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=226278 The iPhone 4 goes on sale today at Virgin Mobile, but if you’re more of an Android guy or gal or just can’t afford the iPhone’s $550 to $650 price tag, the carrier has another option for you.

The HTC One V is available now from Virgin Mobile for $199.99 without a contract. First introduced at Mobile World Congress, the One V is more of an entry-level smartphone and features a 3.7-inch touchscreen, a five-megapixel camera and 3G and Wi-Fi for connectivity options.

The handset is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, along with HTC’s Sense user interface. Included in the software is 25 gigabytes of free storage for two years on cloud-based service Dropbox.

In addition to Virgin Mobile stores, the One V will be available at Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart in July and August. Virgin Mobile’s voice and data plans start at $35 per month for 300 anytime minutes and unlimited messaging and data.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120629/htc-one-v-lands-at-virgin-mobile/feed/ 0 Sony Xperia Ion: Entertainment-Filled, but Running on Empty http://allthingsd.com/20120628/sony-xperia-ion-entertainment-filled-but-running-on-empty/ http://allthingsd.com/20120628/sony-xperia-ion-entertainment-filled-but-running-on-empty/#comments Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:00:58 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=224884 When you hear the name Sony, you probably think of TVs, laptops or game consoles — cellphones, not so much. Now, after a decade of making smartphones under the Sony Ericsson brand, most of which were only available to international markets, Sony is making its own phones. And it’s working with carriers to bring more models to the U.S., starting with the Sony Xperia Ion.

Available now from AT&T for $100 with a two-year contract, the Xperia Ion is not only the first smartphone to be released by Sony, it’s also the company’s first 4G smartphone for the U.S.

I’ve been testing the Android smartphone for the past two weeks, and it offers some great features, such as a rich multimedia experience and zippy data speeds. The affordable price is also a plus, but it comes with some tradeoffs, including an older version of the Android operating system. But the smartphone has bigger issues — namely, poor battery life and low call volume — so it’s hard to recommend the Xperia Ion, even as a budget pick.


[ See post to watch video ]

Though people use smartphones for much more than making calls these days, call quality is still an important feature. I tested the phone in San Francisco, and calls were clear without any background noise or voice distortion. Friends who were on calls with me also reported good audio quality, and a couple of people even said it sounded like I was using a landline.

Unfortunately, the Xperia Ion just didn’t offer enough volume on my end. Even in a quiet room, I had to crank the volume up to the highest level to hear my callers. Voices got drowned out when I had the TV on in the background, and continuing a call outside on a busy street was difficult. Trying to have a conversation over speakerphone in the same environment was nearly impossible.

On the positive side, I didn’t experience any dropped calls, and AT&T’s 4G LTE network provided some impressive data speeds. Here in San Francisco, I averaged download speeds of around 16 megabits per second and upload speeds of 6 Mbps, so I was able to pull up Web pages quickly and enjoy smooth playback of high-definition YouTube videos.

One thing to note, however, is that AT&T’s 4G network is currently only available in 41 markets. If you don’t live in a coverage area, the Xperia Ion will operate on the carrier’s 3G network, so in that case, expect slower data speeds.

That said, I wish the smartphone had an option to switch between 4G and 3G to help extend battery life. In my talk-time battery tests, the Xperia Ion’s battery delivered seven hours of continuous talk time on a single charge — short of Sony’s estimate of 10 hours. In everyday use, the smartphone struggled to last a full day.

I would start with a full battery around 8 am, and after checking my email and social networks, reading a couple of news articles on the Web, making soome quick calls and watching a short YouTube video, the battery was nearly dead by 3 pm. The battery life on 4G smartphones isn’t great, in general, but at least the HTC One X, another 4G smartphone from AT&T, offered about two more hours of battery life in the same scenario. What’s more, the Xperia Ion doesn’t have a user-replaceable battery, so you can’t even swap in a fresh battery if you aren’t near an outlet.

The Xperia Ion runs an older version of Android OS called Gingerbread, and not the latest Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s disappointing that Sony used this for its first smartphone in the U.S., but the company said it will be upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich. No specific time frame was given.

In the meantime, the company has integrated some of Ice Cream Sandwich’s features into its own user interface. For example, you can take a screenshot by holding down the power button, and create folders by dragging and dropping icons. But I did miss the dedicated task-switcher button in Ice Cream Sandwich that easily lets you move between apps.

One area where the Xperia Ion shines is multimedia. The smartphone offers access to Sony’s Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services, where you can stream unlimited music for $10 a month, or rent or buy TV shows and movies. Prices start at $1.99 to rent a show, and go up to $14.99 to purchase a movie.

Watching videos on the handset’s 4.6-inch HD display is a treat. With a 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution, images and text looked sharp, but the screen’s larger size makes for a bigger device. The Xperia Ion is bigger than the iPhone at 5.24 inches tall by 2.7 inches wide and 0.46-inch thick.

The smartphone has an HDMI port, so you can connect it to your HDTV to view pictures and videos stored on your handset. I connected it to my Samsung TV, and the Xperia Ion automatically launched an app that gave me access to all my media, YouTube and the browser. If you have a Sony TV, you can also use your remote to navigate through the app’s menus. This features also works on non-Sony TVs, as long as your remote has CEC (consumer electronics control) capabilities. I got a message saying my Samsung TV was compatible, but I wasn’t able to get any of my remotes to work with it.

Finally, the Xperia Ion packs a 12-megapixel camera with some fun built-in functions, like panorama shooting mode. Picture quality was good, but I didn’t find it to be any better than the Nokia Lumia 900 or the One X, both of which have eight-megapixel cameras. In fact, when taking a picture of the sunset, the One X produced a brighter picture, with more details and richer color.

The Xperia Ion’s multimedia features, 4G connectivity and affordable price are bright spots in Sony’s first bid into the smartphone market, but they don’t make up for the battery and call-volume issues. Customers looking for an affordable 4G phone from AT&T should look at the Nokia Lumia 900 for a comparable multimedia experience, or the Samsung Galaxy S Skyrocket II, which has a user-replaceable battery. Both are $100 with a two-year service agreement.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120628/sony-xperia-ion-entertainment-filled-but-running-on-empty/feed/ 0 Google's Nexus 7 Tablet Finally Revealed http://allthingsd.com/20120627/googles-nexus-7-tablet-finally-revealed/ http://allthingsd.com/20120627/googles-nexus-7-tablet-finally-revealed/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:26:27 +0000 Lauren Goode http://allthingsd.com/?p=225008

AllThingsD.com

Google today unveiled a new tablet, after months of speculation that the search giant was developing hardware that would compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and, maybe, the iPad.

The Nexus 7, made with hardware partner ASUSTek Computer, is a 7-inch tablet, built for Google Play, and is running the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Priced to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7 costs $199 and is available for preorder today through the Google Play store, with orders shipping in mid July. To sweeten the deal, Google is throwing in a $25 Google Play credit, the “Transformers” movie, some free magazines and a Bourne book.

The tablet boasts a 1280×800 HD display, a Tegra 3 chipset with a quad-core CPU and a 12-core GPU. It has a front-facing camera; is Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth- and NFC-enabled; and claims up to nine hours of battery life with video playback, and up to 300 hours of standby time.

It weighs just 340 grams, Google says, or about three-quarters of a pound.

Earlier today, The Verge reported that images of the Asus-branded Nexus 7 had surfaced in the Google Play app store.

As my AllThingsD colleagues Ina Fried and Bonnie Cha pointed out here, Google had already demonstrated its vision of combination OS-plus-hardware with its Nexus smartphones. And there are currently Android tablets of all shapes and sizes, from bargain-basement to iPad-comparable prices, available on the market.

What has been lacking are compelling, tablet-optimized apps combined with content services that keep it simple, stupid.

Google chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt first sparked the tablet rumor mill back in December of 2011, when he hinted in an interview with an Italian newspaper that the search giant would bring a tablet to market within six months.

Since then, Microsoft has introduced its own tablet hardware to compete with Android tablets and the market-dominant iPad. While a price point and release date hasn’t been announced, Microsoft has said the Surface for Windows RT will rival ARM-based tablets in terms of price, and should be released around the time Windows 8 hits the market later this year.

Some believe that Microsoft had taken a wise wait-and-see approach to entering the tablet market, while others feel that the software maker’s presentation of two different devices last week was half-baked. (And the silence from Microsoft’s PC-hardware partners has been deafening, aside from this statement from Acer.)

Google, of course, is still reliant on its hardware partners for the distribution of its Android OS, and owes its fast-growing market share to this multiplatform approach.

But with products like Amazon’s Kindle Fire running a barely-there Android OS, it was only a matter of time before Google took control of how its operating system appeared on hardware. The Nexus 7, with its 7-inch form factor and $199 price point, takes more of an aim at the Fire than at the iPad.

In a company letter to investors earlier this year, Google CEO Larry Page quoted co-founder Sergey Brin as saying, “We’ve let a thousand flowers bloom; now we want to put together a coherent bouquet.”

Flowery language aside, what he meant was that the company planned to focus on big bets and core products, rather than spreading itself too thin.

Will Google’s newfound focus on key products — Google Play, Google+, Google Music and Google Drive, to name a few — be the glue that ties it all together to make a killer tablet?

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120627/googles-nexus-7-tablet-finally-revealed/feed/ 10 What Google Promised Last Year at I/O and What the Heck Happened http://allthingsd.com/20120626/what-google-promised-last-year-at-i-o-and-what-the-heck-happened/ http://allthingsd.com/20120626/what-google-promised-last-year-at-i-o-and-what-the-heck-happened/#comments Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:00:27 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=224180 Warning: Not everything you hear about at Google I/O this week will necessarily make its way to the real world.

Google made a lot of announcements at last year’s I/O developer conference. While a few were specific products that were ready, a lot of last year’s talks were of the “here’s where we are going” variety. And not everything has turned out just the way Google had hoped.

With this year’s event kicking off on Wednesday, AllThingsD decided to take a look back at what was promised and where things stand.

1. Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)

Full marks for Google on this one. The company said that the next version of Android would ship by year’s end, and would unify the company’s tablet and phone operating systems. The operating system came out last year on the Galaxy Nexus, and is now finally becoming a mainstay on new top-end smartphones, such as the Galaxy S III and HTC One.

2. Google Music

It’s kind of a mixed bag. The company announced a beta of its music-in-the-cloud service at Google I/O — and actually launched it, with the help of most of the big music labels, later that year. That said, it’s not clear how many people are actively using the music locker service. (Google did note in March that,as of then, four million people had created a locker.)

3. Android Upgrade Alliance

In one of the most talked-about moves at last year’s event, Google trotted out a long list of handset makers and carriers that were joining forces to ensure that Android devices received updates for a full 18 months after a device’s introduction, and also talked about narrowing that gap between when an operating system update is released and when it finds its way to existing phones.

Although I’m told that the effort continues, this is still a big problem in the Android ecosystem. Ice Cream Sandwich is just now making its way to many existing devices — that is, those getting the upgrade at all. This chart kind of says it all: Only about 7 percent of all Android devices are running Ice Cream Sandwich.

We’ve checked in with the various handset makers and carriers that are part of the group, and hope to have more to say on this front soon.

4. Android at Home

Danger co-founders Joe Britt and Matt Hershenson (now reunited with Andy Rubin at Google) took to the stage last year to talk about efforts to bring Android to a wide range of devices, from Android-compatible lightbulbs to Project Tungsten, Google’s plan for living-room devices. It’s hard to know how this one is faring, though there certainly haven’t been many announcements of commercially available devices. One home device expected to be shown this year is a Google-made media player.

5. Chromebooks

Day 2 of last year’s event was all about Chrome OS and how the browser-as-operating-system was ready for the world. Of course, the world hasn’t necessarily felt the same way. Aside from the free Chromebooks being handed out for a time on Virgin America flights, the devices remain rarely sighted in the wild.

That said, Google knew this would be a long-term bet, and has continued to plug away with the software and expand the hardware options. The most recent version of the software provides some desktop-like features for windows and file management, along with new desktop and laptop designs.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120626/what-google-promised-last-year-at-i-o-and-what-the-heck-happened/feed/ 0 Samsung's Latest Tablet Takes Aim at the Kindle Fire http://allthingsd.com/20120510/samsungs-latest-tablet-takes-aim-at-the-kindle-fire/ http://allthingsd.com/20120510/samsungs-latest-tablet-takes-aim-at-the-kindle-fire/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 13:30:05 +0000 Bonnie Cha http://allthingsd.com/?p=206152 On a recent vacation, my plans involved surfing and relaxing at the beach, and I brought three paperback books to keep me entertained. But after lugging them around in my heavy backpack for a week, I realized it was finally time to go digital.

An e-book or tablet is travel-friendly and capable of holding multiple books; in the case of tablets, they also allow you to surf the Web, play games, watch videos and more. There is no shortage of devices to choose from, with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire, the iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. But this week, I took a look at Samsung’s latest Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.


[ See post to watch video ]

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the third model in Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series to feature a seven-inch touchscreen, and the first to run the latest version of the Android operating system, which is called Ice Cream Sandwich. At $250, it’s also one of the more affordably priced Ice Cream Sandwich tablets on the market, and because it runs on Wi-Fi, you don’t have to sign a long-term contract with a cellular provider.

It’s a great value for all the features you get, and it even offers some extras over the $199 Kindle Fire, including two cameras, expandable storage, and a year of free online storage (up to 50 gigabytes) from DropBox. However, the Kindle Fire’s user interface is slightly more polished, and Amazon offers a more vast collection of books, video, and other multimedia, so choosing between the two may come down to whether you want to use your device more as a media-consumption device, or as an extension of your laptop.

Physically, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 doesn’t look all that different from previous versions. In fact, if you were to compare it to the model before it, which was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, you’d be hard-pressed to find the difference between the two, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is slim and fairly compact, measuring 4.8 inches wide by 7.6 inches tall and is 0.41-inch thick. I usually carry a medium-size purse or a backpack, and had no problem tucking the tablet away in either bag.

It is slightly on the hefty side at 12.1 ounces, but it’s lighter than the Kindle Fire (14.6 ounces) and has tapered edges, so it’s comfortable to hold while reading books or watching video.

On back, there’s a three-megapixel camera, and though taking photos with a tablet is a bit silly, it’s nice to know you have the option if you’re in a total pinch and need to capture something. Since there’s no flash, photos taken in low-light conditions are not of the best quality, but it did a decent job outdoors. The camera on front can be used to make video calls over Wi-Fi.

The seven-inch touchscreen has the same resolution as the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. There are sharper displays on the market, such as the one found on the new iPad, but I found the Galaxy Tab’s display clear and bright enough to read books, watch videos, surf the Web, and play games without major problem. The only issue is that the screen tends to wash out in bright sunlight.

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0’s main draw is its software. In the past, the Android operating system has always been a little more difficult to navigate compared to Apple’s operating system and even the Kindle Fire’s, but Ice Cream Sandwich offers a much more user-friendly approach. For example, you can now access a Task Manager that brings up a list of running apps from any screen on the tablet, so you can easily move between tasks or exit programs.

On top of that, Samsung has added its custom user interface, called TouchWiz, which brings more enhancements. One that I liked in particular was the Mini Apps toolbar along the bottom of the screen that gives you quick access to your favorite or most frequently used apps. The Kindle Fire still offers a more polished and attractive interface, but the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is a nice improvement over previous models.

On a couple of occasions, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tripped up when trying to launch an action or changing screen orientation, but overall, the tablet’s performance was smooth and responsive. I streamed a movie from Netflix, and the video played back without any interruption. I also viewed some graphics-heavy Web pages, such as Boston.com’s Big Picture, and the tablet’s browser was able to load the page without problem.

Samsung’s estimated battery life for the tablet is 11 hours, but I didn’t get anywhere near that in my standard tablet battery test. Playing a looped video with the screen brightness set to 75 percent with Wi-Fi turned on and e-mail running in the background, the Galaxy Tab lasted six hours and 17 minutes. This is slightly better than the Kindle Fire, which clocked out after five hours and 47 minutes in the same test, performed by my colleague. In general, the Galaxy Tab’s battery was able to last most of the day with moderate usage (checking e-mail, surfing the Web, and watching some video), and I was never in a situation where I worried about running out of power.

The one nagging issue that remains with Android is that many third-party apps were designed to work on smartphones and aren’t optimized for larger screens yet. For example, I downloaded the Marvel Comics app, and I felt some of the comics didn’t take advantage of the full display, as pages displayed on only a portion of the screen.

Samsung does preload the tablet with some extra programs, including the Peel universal remote control app, Netflix, and the Amazon Kindle app. Peel is a pretty cool app. A set-up wizard helps you connect the tablet to your TV and cable box. It initially had a problem finding my Samsung TV, but after I exited and restarted the program, it was finally able to find it. After inputting my ZIP code and selecting my cable provider, I was able to use my Galaxy Tab to change channels, view the program guide and set my DVR.

You can download more books, as well as music, videos, and games from Samsung’s various media hubs (Media, Music, Games and Readers) and the Google Play store. However, Amazon remains king when it comes to selection and on-demand content. Plus, the Kindle Fire gives Amazon Prime customers access to free books, but the same feature isn’t available on the Galaxy Tab.

If you’re an Amazon Prime customer or get a lot of your content from Amazon, the Kindle Fire is the way to go, since it’s so well-integrated with the company’s services. Given the lack of hardware and design improvements on the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, there’s not a huge need for current Tab owners to upgrade. However, if you’re curious about Android and aren’t married to a particular ecosystem, or just desire the extra features, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is a great introduction at a good value.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20120510/samsungs-latest-tablet-takes-aim-at-the-kindle-fire/feed/ 17 AT&T Says Ice Cream Sandwich Update Available, at Least for One of Its Android Phones http://allthingsd.com/20120322/att-says-ice-cream-sandwich-update-available-at-least-for-one-of-its-android-phones/ http://allthingsd.com/20120322/att-says-ice-cream-sandwich-update-available-at-least-for-one-of-its-android-phones/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:55:51 +0000 Ina Fried http://allthingsd.com/?p=189298 AT&T said on Thursday that it is ready to start updating owners of one Android phone model to the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the OS.

The update, which AT&T says is the first to be made available by a U.S. carrier, is for owners of the HTC Vivid phone. In the coming months, AT&T said it will also update 10 other phones and tablets, including the LG Nitro, two versions of the Motorola Atrix, Pantech’s Burst and Element, as well as five Samsung devices.

Google released Ice Cream Sandwich some time ago, but few phones — other than its Nexus series of devices — are actually running the software. ICS adds a number of features to Android, including a revamped look, support for phones and tablets with the same operating system and improvements to voice recognition.

Customers can download the update directly to their phone via Wi-Fi, or pull it down to a PC and then install it on their HTC phone. AT&T said it plans to notify users of the update via text message starting on Friday.

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