Intel Atom Processor Supports Android, Runs up to 1.5 GHz [Intel]

The race is on for faster, more capable processors in your smart phone. Intel's new Atom (Moorestown) processors are out and they're pushing the envelope forward. The new chips can run in speeds up to 1.5GHz for smartphones and up to 1.9GHz for tablets. Compatible with Android, these processors will offer support for WiMAX, 3G/HSPA and WiFi. It might be a few quarters before we see this actually arrive on phones, giving companies like Qualcomm time to prep their 1.5Ghz chips, too. Get ready for more phones full of win!

[AndroidGuys via Engadget]

BlackBerry 6 sneak peak at WES 2010 [BlackBerry]

The new OS 6. A very nice and stylish video for the new version. Emphasizing the new user experience. I don't know, all the of newly designed OSs these days seem to be very similar. All centered around the social, which is great for the user... Well, here's the video:

This reminds me that my newly purchased Nexus One is coming in two day. I will let you all know if and how I enjoy using it.

Dell Thunder Android Smartphone Pics Storm Onto the Scene [Android]

In a week that’s been filled with stories of Apple’s smartphone leaks, I guess Dell got a little jealous and let some photos slip out of their own new mobile handset.

The Dell Thunder looks pretty slick from these early pics the guys over at Engadget managed to get their hands on. The Thunder is expected to have a nice big 4.1-inch WVGA OLED screen, and sports an 8-megapixel digital camera. Rumor has it that it will have a zippy Snapdragon CPU powering its brains. Connectivity will be provided by 7.2Mbps HSPDA and Wi-Fi.

From the looks of the user interface screens, Dell has added their own menu system, but under the surface, there’s a full Android 2.1 operating system. Internal documents from Dell indicate that the Thunder will include built-in support for Facebook, Twitter, and Hulu, and also play Flash 10.1 content.

At this point we don’t know a firm release date, but word on the street is a Q4 2010 release for the initial version of the phone.

[technabob]

Microsoft Employee Shows Off Prototype Windows Phone 7 Series Smartphone From LG [Windowsphone7]

Aaron Woodman, the director of consumer experiences for Microsoft's mobile division, was a guest on today's Engadget Show, and he had a nice surprise for everyone: a prototype of LG's Windows Phone 7 Series phone.

There's not a whole lot in the way of details—it's a slider that's a bit thicker than the iPhone, it has a 5MP camera, and sports six hardware buttons—but it's still exciting to see the new operating system on a branded device for the first time.

Woodman wouldn't confirm nor deny if Windows Phone 7 Series would support Mac OS, only mentioning that it was a topic the team was currently discussing. Hey, at least the notion hasn't been shut down out of hand, so we'll take this as a no news is good news type of thing for now.

Head over to Engadget for more pictures and a quick video clip of the LG phone in the round.
[Gizmodo via Engadget]

OmniVision's 5-Megapixel Sensor Shoots RAW on Cellphones [Sensors]

This is OmniVision's newest 1/4-inch, 5 megapixel RAW sensor. It's tiny, has low light sensitivity, captures 720p video at 60 fps or 1080p at 30 fps, and shoots in RAW. The best part? It could be in cellphones soon.

Now if only phones had lenses which would truly take advantage of sensors like this.

[Gizmod via PR Newswire via Engadget]

Huawei Unveils 4 Android Handsets and an Internet Device

Chinese handset maker Huawei is in Barcelona and it's not to see what the competition is up to. They've just pulled the curtain back on 4 brand new Android handsets, the U8300, U8100, U8110, and the U8800. In addition to that, they've also announced a SmaKit S7. Let's take a quick look at each of them, shall we?

U8300

The U8300 is targeted at the youth market, integrates social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, features a QWERTY keypad, and is designed to allow for chatting and texting in comfort. Look for the u8300 in three 'bright' colors - green, yellow and purple.

u8100

Up next, the U8100 and U8110, are the same phone on the inside. The outside however might appeal to different segments (read boys versus girls). These are considered entry-level handsets although we don't have a complete list of specs. What we do know is that they both have 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreens, a 0.3 mega pixel camera in the front and a 3.2 mega pixel camera in the rear. Both of these models are expected in Europe at some point in Q2 of this year.

u8110

The high-end handset,the U8800 runs Android 2.1, offers support for HSPA+ (14 Mb/s download), a 3.8-inch screen and more. With the right network and ideal situations, this phone can download a 400Mb feature-length movie file in under a half minute. As far as carriers, price, or availability go, we're still waiting to hear more.

u8800

Huawei is also introducing their first Android-based Internet Device, the SmaKit S7. Featuring a 7-inch wide screen (800x480 resolution), it's designed to support 'information-sharing across screens to present the same content simultaneously on computers, mobile phones and TV screens'. A screen this size makes it easy to read emails, tweet, and stay connected to friends and family. The SmaKit S7 can also be connected to home gateway, TV, and of course, Android handset.



Be sure to check back with us as we fill in the blanks with the hardware specs and various Android builds for each phone!

[AndroidGuys]

Even at 4-inches, The Qisda QCM-330 Dwarfs the iPad's Resolution [Smartphones]

You hear the 9.7-inch iPad has a screen resolution of 1024x768, and you think to yourself, that's not so bad! And it's not. But when you later hear that a new 4-inch smartphone will feature a resolution of 1280x1024, well...
...it's just tough to be floored by anything less.

The Qisda (you also know them as BenQ) QCM-330, expected to debut at the upcoming CeBIT tradeshow this March before being available through Vodafone, features a 4-inch, 1280x1024 screen that could be sharper than life itself, along with HSDPA and Wi-Fi. From the Render you can guess a 3.0 MP camera on the back side.

We don't know much else, other than that it will most likely run Android given the Home key (which makes the prospect of importing a phone for its hardware alone so much more appealing). But if you're one of those people who doesn't like to use the same phone as other people, the QCM-330 might be a decent handset to watch.
[Gizmodo via Unwired View via SlashGear]

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Shoots HD Video (Also Takes Calls and Stuff) [Smartphones]

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz, formerly known as the Kurara, is a smartphone with enough optical muscle to challenge any high end pocket camcorder.
We'll ignore the Symbian S60 OS for a moment (pretending that Android wouldn't be so, so much more tempting), and point out the Vivaz's 8.1MP camera with perks like face detection, that's also completely capable of shooting 720P videos and uploading them to services like YouTube or playing them back through TV-out.
Otherwise, the Vivaz has the typical smartphone amenities, including a 3.2-inch (360 x 640) touchscreen, EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s/HSUPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and MicroSD support. Look for the Vivaz soon, running somewhere between $670 and $750 in select markets.
[Gizmodo via Sony Ericsson via phoneArena]

Else Intuition OS Looks Pretty Sweet on First Phone Expected Q2 Next Year [Cellphones]

This video is the best-look yet at the slick OpenGL-accelerated OS from Else (formerly Emblaze) and Access (who developed a next-gen Palm OS before Palm ditched it for their own). The big news: The First Else phone arrives next-year.
Confusingly, the name of Else's first phone is actually 'First Else'. As we mentioned in October, the phone has a 3.5-inch (480 x 854-pixel) touchscreen display, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 5-megapixel camera (capable of 480p video at 30fps). It's also very likely to have a TI OMAP 3430 processor, a 1450mAh battery, up to 32GB internal memory, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apparently, it may only support HSDPA 3G and EDGE (no Verizon).
As for the Linux-based OS, it uses a one-thumb wheel that avoids digging through menus, has GPS aware reminders, can record voice calls/messages and store them along with when the call was made, and straight-up looks sci-fi.

It seems that Linux-based mobile operating systems like Android and webOS will soon have a new competitor.

ELSE INTUITION™ is a complete mobile platform developed by ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile. Thanks to the combination of ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 and an advanced user interface engine, jointly developed by Emblaze Mobile and ACCESS, ELSE INTUITION™ delivers a highly compelling and differentiated user experience, coupled with state-of-the-art hardware, accelerated 2D/3D graphics and elegant transition effects. ELSE INTUITION™ takes advantage of ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 to provide advanced flexibility and configurability, enabling users to run multiple applications simultaneously, switching between them with ease. All data and content, including contacts, appointments, videos and photos can be rendered anywhere, not just within a single dedicated application, giving users faster, easier and more consistent access to their information

 [Gizmodo via First Else via Pocket-Lint and SlashGear]

iPhone and Android Are Taking Over the (Mobile) Internet [Smartphones]

So, what does it take to snatch a combined 75% of US mobile internet traffic? Two operating systems, a handful of phones, and one great browser core.

That the iPhone is a massive source of online traffic isn't a surprise—that's been apparent since the week it launched. What's interesting here is Android's rise, which is dramatically quickening, already accounting for a fifth of mobile traffic in the US, when the real marketing push for the OS, starting with the MyTouch ads and the massive Droid launch, is only recently starting in earnest. What is a surprise, or at the very least a Sad Thing, is how poorly Palm is faring. Their tiny sliver of market share might seem understandable since they really only had one new phone for the duration of the survey, but this phone was supposed to be their savior; in the year since it was introduced, their mobile traffic actually fell.
Google and Apple's stark gain in the stats, collected by mobile advertising firm AdMob, is a little less spectacular worldwide, mainly because Symbian's established, but waning, 40% smartphone market share helps it snatch about 25% of mobile web traffic. Still though, two things are clear: Android and the iPhone are who mobile web developers are going to have to cater to, and WebKit, which Symbian uses in its browser too, is basically it.

Anyway, how about a bonus chart! Ever wondered how common the different Android handsets are, which is most popular, and which don't register? Well hello, extra pie:

The G1 is the predictable star here, but the Droid is exploding.
[Gizmodo via AdMob via Techcrunch]

Fujitsu and Docomo debut Separate Keitai modular phone

NTT Docomo, in partnership with Fujitsu, updates its modular cell phone concept with the debut of the new Separate Keitai F-04B. The cell phone's main innovation is its ability to separate into two pieces, one acting as the keyboard/computer the other acting as the display, both communicating via Bluetooth.
The amazing thing about this device is that the separation doesn't cripple the functionality of the two pieces. The display can be used separately as a touchscreen interface and telephone, while the other part can be used as a keyboard, microphone and speaker. When joined the unit functions as a kind of slide-out keyboard phone. The set-up also has an optional projector attachment that allows you use the phone to view movies. Pricing has not been announced, but this is probably the closest we've come to a true mini-desktop dynamic in a mobile phone format, so the bar has been officially raised.
[DVICE via Nikkei]

HTC Kicks off Ad Campaign Centered Around ‘You’

For years, HTC has been the biggest handset maker that nobody had ever heard of. Content to stand back in the shadows and defer the spotlight, the Taiwanese manufacturer has remained relatively unknown. If someone were to ask you who made your Windows Mobile smart phone, chances were good that you either said ‘T-Mobile’ or ‘I don’t know’. That’s because the devices were marketed as carrier branded handset (think T-Mobile Dash, T-Mobile Wing). Until now, they’ve been one of those companies who didn’t get the credit they deserve. That’s all changing.
HTC has started a major push for brand awareness here in the United States and deservedly so. As of today, they are responsible for nearly every Android handset released in the US, with more to come. Some of the best cutting-edge phones in the world are their products and the public should know that. Enter the “Quietly Brilliant” campaign.
We’ve come to have a very emotional relationship with our phones. Many of our key experiences in any given day come through this one device and yet most of the advertising in the category is still about utility. HTC’s whole design philosophy is very personal. They make phones where your experience is completely unique, so we think there is a connection between how people feel about their phones and how HTC makes them. – Eric Hirshberg, co-CEO and chief creative officer, Deutsch LA.
We’ve embedded the first two advertisements from the campaign. As Androinica points out, Android is bound to grab some extra attention as a result of this push;The handset featured in the commercial is a Hero from Sprint. Further, HTC is heavily vested in Android and will continue to develop a majority of their handsets using the platform.



[AndroidGuys]

Else Intuition: The Surprisingly Not-Sad Fate of Palm OS [Cellphones]

In 2006, Access bought the rights to Palm OS, and licensed the code to Palm. Access spent plenty of time and money developing a next-gen OS, which Palm totally ignored for their own. Things looked grim! Until this thing.
The Else Intuition, aside from being one of the first phones to use Access' Linux Platform v3.0 OS, is a 3.47-inch 480x854 slab of handset, with an OMAP 3430 processor, 16GB of internal memory, a 5MP camera, A-GPS, and 3.5mm headphone jack. It's capable hardware to start with, and the Palmy (an honestly, kind of sleepy) v3.0 OS has been slapped with a completely new OpenGL-accelerated interface, codeveloped by Access and Emblaze, who had promised an 'ultimate holistic device,' whatever that means, late last year.
It's a lot to process, and there's not a ton of info to run with here: There's no hands-on to indicate if this left-field software is any good, and the companies won't get any more specific than '[worldwide] operator evaluations are currently underway' as far as potential release dates go. That said, this looks like decent hardware, albeit seriously bricklike, and newness counts for a lot in mobile software. (Pre, anyone?) Maybe this whole Access fiasco wasn't so crazy after all?
[Gizmodo via Access via Impress]

Samsung takes a moment to announce the Android-powered Moment

Hot off the presses! Samsung has announced a new Android-powered phone: the Moment. The new Android-powered Samsung Moment is the first Sprint phone to use Samsung's new 3.2' AMOLED touchscreen display and will feature a landscape sliding QWERTY keyboard. And it's not priced all that bad either.

It's got a 3.5-mm headphone jack and SDHC expansion (compared to an awkward mini-USB combo and a microSDHC), but it's also significantly thinner and loses the G1's chin. It's got a 3.2MP camera on the back.

Unlike the Motorola Cliq or HTC Hero, Samsung hasn't messed with the stock Android interface very much at all, merely sprinkling in some carrier-specific widgets like Nascar, Sprint Navigation and Sprint TV, which actually works quite well.

Specs:

* 3.2-megapixel camera with flash and camcorder with auto-focus
* Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless technology
* Expandable memory up to 32GB
* Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
* NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
* Easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and TwitterTM
* Media player with 3.5-millimeter headphone jack
* Visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages
* Access to personal and corporate email through Active Sync

[Via Gizmodo, CrunchGear]

Motorola Tao Gets Release Date, Full Specs Coming Together

A super secret document made its way into the hands of Taylor and company over at AndroidAndMe which outlines the plans for Motorola’s Tao handset. We’re being treated to some insider information that sheds light on what to expect from both Motorola and Verizon. This phone definitely plans to deliver the goods.
Rumored to drop December 1st, the Tao is being billed as the world’s thinnest slide QWERTY phone at 13.7mm thick. Other details include a 3.7″ touch screen with 16:9 ratio, 16GB on board storage, Flash and a little something called Android 2.0, whatever that is.

There’s mention of a dock that transforms the phone into a beside clock, digital picture frame, or bedside clock. From the sounds of it, the Tao will come with it in the box. There are tons of little goodies in the document – Too many to list out here. If you’re into things that get Android fans excited, then might we suggest reading it for yourself?
If you’re looking for the full-on spec list, we have that for ya. Here’s what we have so far. You’ll note that some of it is a little conflicting.
Specs:

• OMAP3430 – 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
• Dimensions 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm
• Weight 169 g
• Battery Li-ion 1400 mAh.
• Standby 450 hours, talk time 420 minutes
• 3.7-inch touch-sensitive display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, 16 million color depth. Physical screen size is 45.72 mm by 81.34 mm.
• 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM
• microSD / microSDHC expansion slot
• Camera: 5.0 megapixel with autofocus and video recorder
• Connectivity: USB2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi
• Operating System: Android 2.0 (with Eclair, no Motoblur)
• Package Contents: Phone Motorola Sholes, battery, charger, USB cable, 8GB MicroSD memory card and other literature

The list we were passed does not indicate the dock, nor does it match up in terms of on board storage. Also noteworthy is that this is not going to have MOTOBLUR, the new interface developed by Motorola. This matches up with the pictures we’ve seen so far.

Hang on folks, this is about to get really fun!
[AndroidGuys]