CES 2012 Phone Roundup
Overview of Devices:
- HTC Titan II: huge phone (4.7" screen) with a 16 megapixel camera
- Nokia Lumia 900: Nokia’s first truly competitive Windows Phone device (previous had no front facing camera)
- Huawei Ascend P1 S and P1: Super slim Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) device
- Lenovo K800: First Intel Atom powered Android (2.3) phone with a 720p screen
- Lenovo LePhone S2: Unique gesture area for an Android (2.3) phone with iPhone 4S screen resolution (960x540)
- Sony Xperia Ion: big LTE phone (4.6" screen) with a 12 megapixel camera and 720p screen
- Sony Xperia S: mainstream 4.3" screen with a 12 megapixel camera and 720p screen
- LG Spectrum 4G: 4.5" 720p screen with LTE 4G (LTE/CMDA device not workable in Brunei)
- LG Connect 4G: 4" 720p screen with LTE 4G (LTE/CMDA device not workable in Brunei)
HTC Titan II
- 4.7" WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) super LCD screen
- Single core, 1.5 MHz
- 512 MB RAM
- 16MP rear camera, 720p video, dual-LED flash
- 1.3MP front camera
- Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
- HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
- LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 1700 / 2100
- Links: GSM Arena, HTC Press Release
Nokia Lumia 900
- 4.3" WVGA (800 x480 pixels) AMOLED ClearBlack display
- Single core, 1.4GHz
- 512MB RAM
- 8 MP rear camera, Carl Zeiss optics (f2.2/28mm), 720p video, dual LED flash
- 1 MP front camera (f2.4), VGA video
- Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
- HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
- LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 1700 / 2100
- Links: GSM Arena, Nokia Press Release, Nokia Lumia 900 microsite
Huawei Ascend P1 S and P1
- 4.3" (960 x 540) Super AMOLED with Gorilla Glass
- Dual core 1.5GHz
- 8 MP rear camera, 1080p video, dual-LED flash
- 1.3 MP front camera
- Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)
- HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
- “World’s slimmest smartphone”
- Links: GSM Arena (P1), GSM Arena (P1 S), Huawei Press Release
Lenovo K800
- 4.5" 720p (1280x720) screen
- 1.6Ghz (Intel Medfield platform)
- 8MP rear camera
- Android 2.3, Gingerbread
- Links: GSM Arena, Intel Press Release
Lenovo LePhone S2
- 3.8" WVGA (800 x 480) TFT display,
- Single-core 1.4GHz
- 8MP rear camera, 720p video
- 1.3MP front camera, VGA video
- 200 GB of free cloud storage, gesture area below the screen
- Android 2.3
- 8/16GB storage, 512MB/1GB RAM
- HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
- Links: GSM Arena, GSM Arena’s Lenovo’s Announcements
Sony Xperia Ion
- 4.6" 720p (1280x720) HD Reality display
- Dual core 1.5GHz CPU.
- 12MP rear camera, 1080p video, LED flash, image & video stabilization (standby to ready in 1.5 seconds)
- 1.3MP front camera, 720p video
- PlayStation certified
- Android 2.3 (Android 4.0 to come)
- 1GB RAM
- LTE Band IV and Band XVII
- HSPA 850/1900/2100
- Links: GSM Arena, Sony Ericsson Press Release
Sony Xperia S
- 4.3" 720p (1280x720) HD Reality display
- 1.5Ghz dual-core processor
- 12MP rear camera, 1080p video, LED flash, image & video stabilization (standby to ready in 1.5 seconds)
- 1.3MP front camera, 720p video
- PlayStation certified
- Android 2.3 (Android 4.0 to come)
- 1GB RAM, 1-1.5GB ROM
- HSPA 850/900/1900/2100
- Links: GSM Arena, Sony Ericsson Press Release
LG Spectrum 4G (CDMA/LTE phone, not GSM/UMTS)
- 4.5" 720p (1280x720) IPS Gorilla Glass screen
- 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor
- LTE
- 8MP rear camera
- 1.3MP front camera
- 1GB RAM
- 4GB ROM
- Android 2.3
- Links: GSM Arena, LG Press Release, LG Spectrum 4G product page
LG Connect 4G (CDMA/LTE phone, not GSM/UMTS)
- 4" 720p (1280 x 720) NOVA, Gorilla Glass screen
- Dual core 1.2 GHz CPU, 1GB RAM
- 4G LTE
- 5MP rear camera, 720p video
- VGA front camera
- Links: GSM Arena, LG Press Release, LG Connect 4G product page
CES 2012 Ultrabook Roundup
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 concluded last week and showed off what technologies will be coming to consumers this year. This year there were a lot of ultrabooks, phones, tablets and smart TVs (some with Google TV). Below are the ultrabooks announced/previewed at CES.
Key Points
- Many hitting the under US$1000 mark
- Less compromises compared those currently out with more ports and full-sized ports
- Dell XPS 13, HP Envy 14 Spectre, Samsung Series 5 and 9 are/should be available in Q1
Overview of Devices
- Acer Aspire S5: Thunderbolt port with AcerCloud for syncing/backing up data/devices, probably competitive on price as with most Acer products
- Dell XPS 13: 13" screen in a 12" chassis. Smaller form factor for 13" screen
- HP Envy 14 Spectre: 14" screen in 13" chassis with Beats and an optional 2nd SSD
- Lenovo ThinkPad T430u: interesting with optional nVidia graphics but looks to be released late in the year with the newer Intel processors
- Lenovo YOGA: for Windows 8, interesting slate, tablet & laptop usage scenarios
- Lenovo U310/U410: targeting lower end with the cheap price
- Samsung Series 5: mainstream ultrabooks with the 14" model having an optical drive
- Samsung Series 9: premium ultrabooks 13"/15" but light
- 13.3", 1366 X 768 screen
- 8GB of RAM
- 128GB SSD
- 1.35kg
- 2 x USB 3.0, HMDI, Ethernet port, 1 x Thunderbolt, SD card reader
- MagicFlip I/O port panel that hides ports in the hinge/base. When open, raises ultrabook
- AcerCloud that allows backup/syncing of pictures, media & documents via the cloud
- Availability: Q2 2012
- Links: Engadget hands on, Engadget Hands on Revisited, The Verge hands on, The Verge Aspire S5 annoucncement, Ars Technica, Ultrabook News database
- 13.3" (1366x768) screen in 12" chasis
- Core i5/i7 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 128GB/256GB SSD
- 1.4kg
- 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0 (with PowerShare - charge devices while device is asleep), 1 x MiniDisplay ports (no SD card slot / HDMI port)
- Backlight keyboard
- Aluminum lid, Gorilla Glass covered screen, Carbon fibre base
- Starting at US$999
- Availability: end of February
- Links: Dell, Engadgetd, TheVerge, T3 review, TechRadar Review, Ultrabook News database
- 14-inch, 1600 x 900 screen in 13.3" chassis
- Core i5/i7 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 128GB/256GB SSD
- 1.8kg
- 128GB SSD drive with an option to add a second SSD to double the storage
- Gorilla Glass covered
- Beats Audio system
- 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Ethernet port, SD card reader
- Starts at $1,399 (i5, 128GB)
- Availability: March 2012
- Links: TheVerge, CNET, Ultrabook News database
- 14-inch (1366 x 768) screen
- Next Generation Intel Core processors (or Ivy Bridge) with optional Nvidia graphics
- Windows 8 ready
- 1TB HHD
- 1.8kg
- Starts at US$849
- 2 x USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, full-size HDMI socket, SD card reader
- Availability: Late 2012
- Links: TheVerge, Engadget, Pocket Lint, Ultrabook News database
- 13.1" (1600x900) screen
- Intel Core processor
- Windows 8
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 1.47kg
- 360 degree dual- hinge flip design: screen bends all the way back so that the keyboard becomes a stand or device can be used as a slate
- 10-point capacitive touch
- Starts at US$1199
- Availability: 2nd half of 2012
- Links: ArsTechnica, TheVerge
Lenovo U310/U410
- 13" (U310) / 14" (U410) (1366x768) screen
- Intel Core processor
- 2GB RAM
- 320 GB HHD (configurable with SSD)
- 1.7kg (U310) / 1.9kg (U410)
- U310: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, ethernet,
- U410: 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, ethernet, SD card reader
- U410: Nvidia GeForce 610M graphics
- Availability: May 2012
- Start at U$699
- Links: Engadget, TheVerge, TechRadar, Ultrabook News database (U310), Ultrabook News database (U410)
- 13.3" (1366 x 768) / 14" (1366 x 768) screen
- Intel Core i5 processor
- 128GB SSD / 16GB SSD and 500GB hard drive combo
- 4GB of RAM
- 1.39kg (13") / 1.84kg (14")
- 13": 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader, Ethernet, full size HDMI
- 14": 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, SD card reader, Ethernet, full size HDMI, optical drive
- Starts at US$900 (13") / US$950 (14")
- Availability: End of January
- Links: TheVerge, Pocket Link, TechRadar, Ultrabook News database
Optus MyTab / ZTE V9 Review
I managed to pick up an Optus MyTab (which is a carrier branded ZTE V9) for AUD$129 back in September and have been thoroughly happy with the purchase. The MyTab is a 7" Android tablet with full phone capabilities and I bought it to test the 7" form factor for use as a tablet as well as ereader. I found myself mainly using it as a MiFi or a portable hotspot device that will share your mobile (3G) data over WiFi.
[gallery link=“file”]
7" is big yet small The V9 is small in size and portable, with it easily being put into a back pocket or handbag/man-bag. I found 7" to be a good size for reading text and saved web pages via ReadItLater however browsing websites may be a hit and miss experience. Since the device doesn’t have multi-touch, it was harder to zoom in and out of web pages that are not formatted for mobile, thus it may be considered too small to view websites in full ‘desktop’ mode comfortably. The width of the device was also just small enough for me to hold it comfortably in one hand. Obviously this will change from person to person but the Galaxy Tab (and Galaxy Tab 7 Plus) are wider and it is not comfortable for me to hold.
Weight is good but could be better I also found the device a bit heavy when holding it up in one hand above my head while lying down to read: I’ve had some near misses of dropping the device on my head. The only 7" tablets that I know that are lighter all come from Samsung (Galaxy Tab at 380g, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus at 345g, Galaxy Tab 7.7 at 340g).
Resistive touch gets old over time Some apps will have problems with the resistive screen which does not support multi-touch. Gestures like pinch to zoom are not possible and thus apps that rely on this may have problems: there is no way to zoom in or out in Angry Birds. For non-game apps there should be less of an issue as a zoom in/out control should appear; however I recently noticed it stopped showing in Opera Mini thus the only way to zoom in and out is to double tap the screen. While capacitive touch is desirable, resistive is sufficient for most of my use cases.
On a side note, the resistive screen does not have a uniform responsiveness: on some parts of the screen it is pretty responsive requiring only a light press or touch to active, while other parts require a heavier press. This could just be an issue with this device but is something to note when looking at resistive devices.
No Speed Demon Having only a 600MHz processor means that this device is not meant for high end apps/games and can be slow at rendering web pages and opening complicated PDFs (eg with embedded vector images) but it is possible albeit slow at times. Not an ideal situation and not a good reading experience for graphic filled PDFs like comics. It also doesn’t support Flash in the browser.
The Camera is so-so Quality is not great but I believe it is there just to meet the Google requirements in order to get Google apps on the device. The Android Market is highly important has some cheap tablets do not have it and make getting apps more difficult than it should be.
Sample photos (3.1MP: 2048x1536)
Phone/Hotspot Use While it is possible to use as a phone, it can be a bit cumbersome as it only has speaker mode unless you use a headset - similar to the Samsung Galaxy Tab. I do like Android’s portable hotspot feature for the device and is something I use very often, which is one thing I dislike about the iPad w/ 3G that doesn’t support Internet tethering.
Battery Life is pretty great Using as a wireless hotspot sharing 3G over WiFi to my phone: can get over 8 hours of continuous usage (tablet mostly idle in bag but access Internet on phone). I recently put the device into a drawer for several days and accidentally left 3G mobile data on and it still has 90%+ of battery left.
Notification lights are awesome The notification light, located at the bottom-right corner of the device, has 2 colours: green (to indicate > 90% battery when it is charging) and red to indicate unread notifications or that the device is currently charging. It is truley a joy knowing if you have unattended notification without switching on the device to check: a productivity plus.
Weird Audio The MyTab comes with some Dolby sound enhancements that lets you specify settings for different media that you play, similar to an equalizer, but I found the default settings set the volume too low and sounds distorted. I had to create a custom profile to be able to listen to audio properly.
Charging via microUSB is fantastic The device comes with a 5V @ 1.5A charger but it can be charged with a standard microUSB cable. With most phones having microUSB connections (the EU has even standardized this for consumer and environmental reasons), the convenience of having only to bring a single cable and charger to charge your devices is so great. I did find that the MyTab does charge slowly over USB (connected to a computer) when tethering 3G data (something my Optimus One is not capable of: it discharges slowly as power drain is higher than charging power)
Summary While the device isn’t fantastic, it is a good deal for the price: cheaper than a dedicated MiFi device but with much more functionality. I certainly am very happy with this device even though I doubt it will get anymore official updates but it has made me comfortable with the smaller 7" form factor and I’ll will be looking out for a similar 3G tablet but with better specs in the future.
Good
- Cheap clearance/end-of-life price
- Great hotspot battery life
- microUSB charging
Bad
- Resistive touch
- No updates
- only 160MB+ for apps
- slow CPU: slow opening documents, no Flash in browser
Ugly
- Screen does not have uniform responsiveness
Specifications
- 7" 800x480 resistive screen (non multi-touch)
- Android 2.2
- 600MHz CPU
- ~160MB for apps
- RAM: 400MB+
- 3 MP rear camera (no front camera)
- 3G (full SIM slot)
- microSD slot (supports up to 32GB) (comes with 2GB card)
- microUSB for charging and computer connection
- 3400mAh battery
- Notification light, Accelerometer with auto rotate
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2, Tri band UMTS (900, 1900, 2100MHz), Quad band GSM
- Weight: 403g
- Dimensions: 192mm x 110mm x 12.6mm
Huawei S7 Slim
Along with the Huawei Ideos X5 we managed to take a look at the Huawei S7 Slim which is an updated version of the Huawei S7. A more budget friendly (B$499) 3G tablet with phone capabilities, it has a similar UI to the original S7 which is a more landscape oriented and also has a lot of space for apps (2.7GB+). The original Galaxy Tab is currently going for B$575 at Shopping.com.bn and thus the S7 Slim may be a hard sell at the current price (the Galaxy Tab has less space for apps 1GB+).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDNtSD2C2hM (YouTube link to video)
The Good
- A decent Android tablet at B$499 with ample space for apps
- Support for Flash
- On customer request the device will be rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 running CyanogenMod
The Bad & the Ugly
- May not have Android updates
- The Galaxy Tab is less than B$100 more
Specifications
- Android 2.2 / Android 2.3 (upgrade to 2.3 upon customer request)
- 7" WVGA 800x480 capacitive multi-touch screen
- 1GHz CPU
- 2.7GB+ space for apps
- 400MB+ RAM
- Rear and front facing cameras
- Full SIM slot
- microHDMI, microUSB, microSD card slot, propetariy dock
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
Note: We would like to thank TenTen for allowing us to film this at their shop in Kiulap. TenTen offers many Huawei and they also have battery packs for your iDevices or generic battery packs with a USB output to charge for your phone
Sample Photo (max resolution: VGA, 640x480) Rear camera 
Front camera 
Sample Video (max resolution: 352x288, 3gp file with h263 and amr mono encoding) Rear camera (YouTube link to video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTjXsjd_Sa0 Front camera (YouTube link to video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTp8Br9Ruak
Huawei Ideos X5
I managed to take a look at the Huawei Ideos X5 that I first laid hands on at the TechXpo 2011. It is a very decent device at an affordable price of B$399. My only gripe is the lack of a front facing camera which means you will not be able to do normal video chats. If it had a front facing camera, this device would be one of the best budget Android phones. It has a bigger and higher resolution screen compared to the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro and thus makes it a good size for thumb typing, even for those with fat fingers like mine. Overall a very decent device, with 450MB+ for applications (a lot of space for a budget device), but I fear that there will be no official Android version updates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_-Lba2nSE (YouTube link to video)
The Good
- A decent Android device at B$399 with larger and higher resolution screen compared to some cheaper phones
- High resolution 3.8" WVGA (800x480) screen
- Support for Flash
- On customer request the device will be rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 running CyanogenMod
The Bad & the Ugly
- No front facing camera
- There are cheaper phones with front facing cameras
- May not have Android updates
Specifications
- Android 2.2 / Android 2.3 (upgrade to 2.3 upon customer request)
- 3.8" WVGA (800x480) capacitive multi-touch screen
- 1GHz CPU
- 460+MB available for apps
- RAM 350MB+
- 5 megapixel camera with flash (no front facing camera)
- microSD card slot
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
- Micro-USB connector
Note: We would like to thank TenTen for allowing us to film this at their shop in Kiulap. TenTen offers many Huawei and they also have battery packs for your iDevices or generic battery packs with a USB output to charge for your phone
Sample Photo (max resolution: 5 megapixel 2592x1944) 
Sample Video (max resolution: HD 720p, 1280x720, m4v with h264 and aac mono encoding) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTjXsjd_Sa0 (YouTube link to video)
The bmobile Pure budget Android Phone
The bmobile Pure is a budget Android phone running Android 2.2 and has pretty device specs but a pretty good 3.8" high resolution screen. The high resolution 3.8" screen makes it nice to read and surf the Internet but the 256MB RAM may be limiting for multi-tasking and general smoothness of the device. I was not able to get the Flash apk to try install and test Flash on the device but the 600 MHz CPU may not be capable of Flash, so I wouldn’t expect it to run.
Sadly there is no Android Market or Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps and the Market. Not having the Market means that the device needs an alternative Android app store. The Pure is bundled with the local grown Widget Warehouse for apps, however it seems that the Widget Warehouse doesn’t even work with the Pure. So I guess there is a need to rely on other 3rd party app stores such as GetJar, Soc.ia Mall (previously AndAppStore), SlideME, Opera Mobile Store. Side loading apps via downloading apk files (Android installer files) work well and that was how I installled apps to the device.
I love the fact that Android is able to scale down to a device as cheap as B$199 and with that device, although having limitations such as not having Google apps, it still has all the full functionality of a smartphone.
Video Overview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdVpjKtLlb0 (YouTube link to video)
The Good
- Cheap at B$199 (existing b-mobile customers) / B$229 (non-existing customers pay an extra B$30 for a Yes! prepaid mobile broadband starterpack)
- High resolution 3.8" WVGA screen
- 2 stage dedicated camera button
The Bad & the Ugly
- No Android Market or Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Market)
- No 3.5mm headset jack
- Locked to b-mobile
- Not likely to get any updates
Specifications
- Android 2.2
- 3.8" WVGA (800x480) capacitive multi-touch screen
- 600 MHz CPU
- ROM 512MB (260+MB available for apps)
- RAM 256MB
- 5 megapixel camera with flash (no front facing camera)
- microSD card slot
- 3.5G handset
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
- Mini-USB connector
- 1500mAh battery
Sample Photo (max resolution: 2592x1944, 5 megapixel) 
Sample Video (max resolution: 640x480, VGA, 3gp with h264 and amr encoding) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg99SJk2PiU (YouTube link to video)
The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook
I stumbled upon the Acer Aspire S3 at Netcom at the Mall and it being the first Ultrabook in Brunei, I just had to take a look and play around with it.
It is a 13" ultrabook which a form factor similar to the 13" Macbook Air meaning it is thin and light but without an inbuilt DVD drive. Ports are similar to the Air with two USB 2.0 ports, one full HDMI port, SD card reader and a 3.5mm headset jack.
Based on reviews (LaptopMag, The Verge, Engadget) I knew that a few things to look out for were the keyboard, cursor keys as well as the touchpad. I found the keyboard to be fine but the touchpad was hard to press. It has no physical buttons but pressing the lower left or lower right sections of the pad acted as left and right mouse clicks. It can be configured to “click on tap” as a usable workaround although this still isn’t ideal for drag and drop actions. The cursor keys are indeed the smallest I’ve seen: 3 cursor keys side by side is of the same length as a single Shift key. This is surely too small for typical use.
The quick resume worked as advertised, with the laptop being on by the time the screen was at a viewable angle. The base (i.e. cheaper) model comes with a hybrid drive which combines a solid state drive with a conventional hard disk drive to try give the best of both worlds: SSD for faster disk access (faster boot up, stand by, resume times) and the typical HDD gives you space to store all your files as SSDs are expensive and have less capacity.
All in all I liked form factor of the device but was initially put off by the price of B$1778 which I was told as the based model price. However after the recording I found out that the price of B$1778 was for the higher specification model, not the base model. According to Concepts’ pricing the base model is B$1188 which is much less than the B$1728 or B$1328 for a 13" or 11" MacBook Air thus it may be a good deal for those who want a thin and light but capable but with a large enough screen for viewing your content. Do have a look at the device and take into account that this is a first generation device and that Acer competes more on price than actual quality.
The Acer Aspire S3 spotted at Netcom in The Mall for B$1778 (mp3)
Specifications
- 13.3" display (Resolution: 1366 x 768)
- 1.6 GHz Core i5 / 1.7GHz Core i7
- 4 GB RAM
- 300GB HDD with 20GB SSD / 240GB SSD
- Webcam (Resolution: 1280 x 1048)
- Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
- 3.5mm headset jack
- Ports: 2-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC), 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x HDMI