Not long ago Xiaomi, a Beijing-based company with around 250 staff, shocked the industry with theannouncement of its conveniently named Xiaomi Phone. We're looking at a well-built device packing a 1.5GHz dual-core SoC, 1GB RAM and 4GB ROM, 4-inch LCD, GPS plus GLONASS, and a generous 1,900mAh battery. Set at an extremely competitive price point of around $310 for October, this has no doubt made other local manufacturers -- Meizu in particular -- think twice about their current strategy.
But let's ignore the competitors for now and focus on Xiaomi. Many Android enthusiasts might already recognize this small startup as the star behind the popular MIUI, an Android ROM that offers a vast range of user customization along with the promise of great performance. Alas, we only had a glimpse of this at the Xiaomi Phone launch. Worse yet, it turned out that due to some miscommunication, the prototype unit we handled with actually had a very old firmware, which didn't do justice for the developers. Luckily, we were offered a second chance to take a closer look at a much more up-to-date device. Read on to see what we discovered.
We'll save you the details for the video above, but it's worth pointing out that the MIUI build for the Xiaomi Phone has a rather unique feature that no other phone currently support: a dual partition system. What this means is that you can have two MIUI builds simultaneously installed on the phone (and strictly MIUI only; also, major OS jumps like from 2.x to 3.x are not supported), while the two also share the same database for apps, contacts, calendar, etc. For instance, you can keep a stable firmware on one side while dipping your toes into a beta build on the other; and if something goes wrong, you can simply go back to the stable build. Also, you can still use the phone as usual while it performs an upgrade in the background -- the new build is installed onto the other partition, and then the phone reboots from there without having to enter recovery mode.
We asked a Xiaomi engineer whether this dual partition feature can be implemented on other MIUI-compatible devices, but the answer was this is up to the manufacturer, as Xiaomi itself isn't capable of tampering with such a low level structure. Perhaps someone from xda-developers can give this a go?
Our very own Xiaomi Phone should be arriving this week, so be sure to keep an eye out for our review soon. For now, enjoy our photo tour of Xiaomi's Beijing headquarters.
It's peculiar how a simple number and letter can cause the price to skyrocket when added to the end of a phone's name. But that's exactly what the term "4G" does -- ultimately, making a phone or tablet compatible with a carrier's next-generation network seems to add value (and cost) in unthinkable ways. There's a growing concern in the mobile industry; Sprint's WiMAX 4G coverage, once a novelty in the United States, is now just one of the boys. It faces direct competition against its two (much larger) LTE brethren in Verizon and AT&T, and the Now Network is searching for other methods of utilizing its high-speed offerings. In doing so, the carrier wants to keep the value high without escalating the expense.
Enter the Samsung Conquer 4G, the latest addition to Sprint's blazing-fast lineup. Rather than going head-to-head with giants like the Photon 4G and EVO 3D, the company's strategy is to offer a WiMAX-enabled handset that's light on the wallet. It's not the least expensive of the bunch these days -- theSamsung Nexus S 4G takes the cake there -- but it's another option to toss into the network's growing lineup. So does this mid-range handset have a shot at living up to its namesake? Keep on reading to find out.
Had the Conquer 4G been released this time last year, it'd be considered quite close to top-of-the-line status. By today's standards, however, it's simply middle-of-the-road (read: not a phone you'll be whipping out at parties). But Sprint's not really attempting to showcase glitz and glamour here -- it has the EVO 3D and Photon 4G to hold the reins in that regard. Rather, it's meant to reside on the inexpensive end of the WiMAX spectrum -- $100 or less -- an area in its lineup that could certainly use a bit more attention.
In the case of this particular device, inexpensive doesn't mean cheap. In fact, it's a solid device with specs that are above-average for its price range. While it's clear a few features were chopped out or streamlined on the drawing board to lower the phone's cost, we can still make a fair number of comparisons between it and the LTE-packing HTC Thunderbolt and LG Revolution. Both handsets are powered by the same 1GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, and the latter utilizes the same amount of RAM -- 512MB -- as the Conquer (the Thunderbolt is slightly higher at 768MB).
At 4.1 ounces (116g), the Conquer is incredibly light, at least in part due to the device's plastic build, smaller 3.5-inch screen and lack of physical keyboard. Still, unlike many other similar handsets, it doesn't feel like it's going to disintegrate in our hand. Accidental drops aren't as likely, thanks to its petite size -- the phone registers at 4.57 x 2.38 x 0.46 inches (116 x 60 x 12mm) -- and the EVO 3D-esque textured back, which provides much more friction than glossy backs while managing to keep the fingerprints away at the same time.
A total of three buttons line the sides of the Conquer. The volume rocker graces the left, while the top side houses the obligatory 3.5mm headphone port. The right side, meanwhile, is interrupted only by a double-detent camera key. The micro-USB charging port and mic hang out on the bottom of the device. Its backside remains relatively litter-free as well, sporting only a 3.2 megapixel camera with an accompanying LED flash and speaker grille.
Flipping the phone around, we behold a 1.3 megapixel front-facing cam on the top right, with a set of four standard Android navigation buttons directly underneath the display. Samsung eschewed touch-sensitive keys in favor of physical ones, which have just the right amount of feedback. Of course, this means they aren't flush with the rest of the phone's display, but at least they're only sticking out a little and won't catch in your pocket or purse.
The phone's display leaves more to be desired. A lot more. After reviewing several devices that use HD (or near HD) resolution, it's hard not to notice the pixelation oozing out of the 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) screen as if it were attacking our eyes from every angle. The difference, however, may not be so striking to anyone looking for their first smartphone or coming from a handset with similar resolution. That said, there's one specific detail about the display that we absolutely love: we were able to look at it easily in direct sunlight.
One consequence of a smaller display is having less real estate on the screen for a virtual keyboard. Sadly, the touchscreen keys seem slightly scrunched, which may prove frustrating for users with large fingers. We didn't have many issues typing with our medium-sized hands, though we did feel the need to double-check our work more often. A nice alternative to dealing with the smaller keyboard is Swype, which comes pre-installed. It's a polarizing feature, indeed -- one that will instill either genuine love or seething contempt -- but we appreciate the option nonetheless.
If you noticed the 3.2 megapixel count on the Conquer's spec sheet, your shoulders likely drooped in disappointment. Our experience was better than expected, however, as we found its performance to be more than competent. We wouldn't pit this David against the Goliath Nokia N8, obviously, but we've always appreciated Sammy's ability to throw in a sensor that performs above and beyond in comparison to the competition.
The camera uses the stock Gingerbread UI, which typically offers more settings than most branded devices. On the Conquer, you're given a lot of flexibility for a so-called low-end shooter -- macro mode, manual exposure adjustment, a larger-than-usual number of scene modes and auto exposure options such as frame average, center weighted and spot metering. Using the default settings, many daylight and cloudy shots appeared slightly washed-out, though we discovered that playing around with the exposure settings made a big difference. Unlike other cameras we've tested with similar specs, this one delivered low-light photos that were grainy, but still easy enough to make out.
We were also pleasantly surprised to find a physical camera button on the right-hand side of the phone, featuring a double-detent style. Such a button lets you press halfway down to secure a focus before actually snapping the picture; doing so offers you the ability to catch smiles and other great moments that could easily disappear within seconds.
Alongside the lower-end camera, the handset's VGA video capture resolution isn't exactly high-class either. That said, videos still turned out relatively smooth with only minor amounts of choppy motion. Colors remained a little too washed out in extremely bright conditions, but otherwise were perfectly fine. Just don't be throwing away that camcorder quite just yet, folks.
The Conquer 4G offers temptation for lovers and haters of vanilla Gingerbread alike. By default, the device comes preloaded with stock Android 2.3.4 with a few Sprint-inspired tweaks. But if additional customization makes your heart go pitter-patter, the Now Network replaces the browser icon on the bottom of the home screen with a button taking you to its iconic Sprint ID feature, which you can read more about in our review of the Samsung Transform last year. In short, the service bundles wallpapers, widgets, apps, wallpapers and even ringtones in packages, each with its own theme. Every ID can be downloaded and installed at your convenience, which can be a handy feature for novices who are still getting accustomed to their new Android device. Anyone who has been using the OS for a longer period of time, however, will likely prefer to keep with the vanilla UI and add widgets and apps to their liking.
Regardless of the phone's vanilla appearance, it's still a carrier-branded device, which means we found a few preloaded apps that cannot be uninstalled. Most of the usual Sprint suspects are there: Sprint Zone, Voicemail, YouTube, Qik, Talk, Sprint Mobile Wallet and ThinkFree Office are all bonded to the OS as well as a few other native Android programs. Thankfully, the list is kept to a minimum in comparison to other branded phones, but we would've fancied the ability to remove them when we want.
Performance and battery life
Since the Conquer 4G's CPU and RAM make it comparable to the Thunderbolt and Revolution, we took a few minutes to compare benchmarks for all three devices side-by-side. Here's how it fared against its 4G cousins:
Benchmark
LG Revolution
HTC Thunderbolt
Samsung Conquer 4G
Quadrant
1,913
1,886
1,146
Linpack
39.6
40.1
41.0
Nenamark
39.2
32.7
44.5
Neocore
65.1
59.5
70.9
Sunspider
4,591
6,213
4,436
So, how did our brave subject manage against the heavyweights? Not only did it hold its own, the Conquer bested its LTE rivals in four of the five tested benchmarks, losing only in Quadrant. Since our experience with the phone's performance has been rather pleasant, we weren't stunned by the results. The 1GHz CPU was able to keep up with our fierce usage requirements without breaking a sweat, the display was fluid and responsive to our every touch, and it gave us a consistently smooth ride the entire time we reviewed it. The only stutter we noticed was an occasional bit of lag when playing graphics-intensive games.
Battery life is rated at six hours, and it came pretty darn close in our test. In our battery rundown test, it played movies for five hours and 35 minutes straight before it was through. The 1,500mAh battery was able to provide us with almost a full day's charge -- roughly about 10 hours of consistent emailing, texting and other moderate tasks -- before we were compelled to find our nearest outlet.
We didn't experience any dropped calls or audio quality issues on the Conquer, though when running comparisons to the HTC EVO 3D, it consistently remained one bar behind. This could definitely be a concern if you already live in a region with notably weak Sprint reception, but we were unable to find any major concerns in areas of stronger coverage.
Wrap-up
Make no mistake: the Conquer 4G isn't a high-performance phone living at the top of the class. Rather than hiding from that fact, however, it accepts -- nay, embraces -- the challenge and makes the best out of its components. We came out of the review satisfied with the product; first-time smartphone buyers and shoppers on a budget could certainly choose worse phones to spend their hard-earned money on. Yet for a device listed at $100 after a two-year commitment, we couldn't help but wonder why a few extras (such as a better display or camera) didn't make the final cut. We feel it's still at least a sensible choice -- it just doesn't necessarily fit the given name printed on its birth certificate.
One of Samsung's Series 7 laptops was outed not long ago, but that PC was made for fragging, while the rest in this line of laptops is meant for more pedestrian purposes. The new members of the family come sheathed in the same silver aluminum skin, but sport a smaller 300-nit, 1600 x 900 matte display in both 15.6-inch and 14-inch versions. Those displays are surrounded by a minimalist bezel, which allowed Samsung to stuff a 14-inch panel into a 13-inch chassis. Around the sides, there are two USB 3.0 ports (and one of the 2.0 variety), Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI and VGA sockets (the latter requires an included dongle a la the Series 9).
On the inside, users can get up to a Core i7-2675QM CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, up to 8GB of RAM, Radeon HD 6750M graphics and a 750GB HDD spinning at 7,200RPM. On all but the base model, there's an additional 8GB of flash memory mounted on the motherboard that helps shave boot times down to mere seconds using Sammy's FastStart technology. A lithium polymer battery powers everything, and Samsung claims the 80Wh cell will maintain 80 percent of its original capacity for up to 1,500 charges. Prices start at $1,000, and run all the way up to $1,300 for all the fixins'. Sound good? Head on past the break for some hands-on impressions.
We got handsy with a 15.6-inch model, and came away liking what we saw. The brushed aluminum exterior was easy on the eyes, and we greatly appreciated the backlit keyboard and its number pad. We also thought that hinged lower jaw of the Ethernet port was a nifty feature, as it allows the Sammy's slim edge to accommodate a full size port. Best of all was the matte display, as we've been crying out for manufacturers to lose those fingerprint-friendly panels, and Samsung's given us what we desire. As you can see in the gallery above, the Series 7 stacks up pretty well size-wise to a 15-inch MacBook Pro, but we'll have to wait until we review one to really know how it compares to Apple's offering. Samsung offers powerful, fast performance in a compact, sleek form factor with new series 7 laptops
Stylishly Thin PC Line Provides Highly Portable Cutting Edge Technology to Mobile Users
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., August 31, 2011 – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced the Series 7, a sleek, cutting edge laptop line, at the IFA global consumer electronics tradeshow. Encased in a stunningly thin and compact aluminum chassis, the Series 7 is a highly powerful computer that empowers savvy consumers and design conscience business users to accomplish more in less time.
"The Series 7 is an ideal laptop for discerning users who need to be highly productive everywhere they go, with advanced features such as Samsung's exclusive Fast Start technology, a high-speed processor and a large, matte screen that is visible anywhere, even outside," said Scott Ledterman, director of mobile PC marketing at Samsung Enterprise Business Division. "Our goal is to create notebooks that constantly inspire and enrich customers' lives and with the Series 7, one of the thinnest quad core PCs to date, cutting edge consumers and business users can capitalize on Samsung's advanced engineering, inside and out."
Impressive Design
With a sleek brushed-aluminum body under one-inch thick, smooth lines and a stunningly thin bezel screen, the Series 7 embodies premium design, making it an ideal computer for users looking to make a statement.
By minimizing the bezel and maximizing the screen, the Samsung Series 7 laptop is highly portable without sacrificing screen size. Incorporating Samsung's latest Max Screen technology, the Series 7 enables users to experience up to an extra inch of viewing without sacrificing mobility or portability, with the 14-inch display being contained within the form factor traditionally associated with a 13-inch model.
The 13-inch or 15.6-inch HD+ (1600 x 900) high resolution, matte display features 16 million colors and up to 50 percent better brightness (300 nit) provided by Samsung Superbright Technology, as well as an AMD Radeon HD6750M graphics card. These features make the display ideal for any power user's needs, whether inside or out, viewing everything from presentations to photos, videos and games.
Powerful Performance
Series 7, with the Intel® CoreTM i5 or the Intel® CoreTM i7 processor, features ExpressCache™, a technology which accelerates boot-up and start times. It provides an extra 8GB of flash memory on the motherboard enabling faster start-up as well as increasing the overall performance. Web browsing is up to 50-60 percent quicker (using Microsoft Internet Explorer).
The Series 7 keeps up with your fast-paced life no matter where you are. It features Samsung's exclusive FastStart technology, which enables the laptop to transition from a hybrid sleep mode to full functionality in as little as two-three seconds, while Quick Boot has the notebook ready to go – from cold – in just 19 seconds, enabling users to quickly jump into work or play while on-the-go.
Maximum Mobility
The Series 7 was designed to offer highly mobile users a powerful computer in a compact, portable form factor, allowing them to capitalize on Samsung's advanced features without being weighed or slowed down.
Samsung's exclusive Easy Settings make it effortless to connect the Series 7 to new wireless networks, projectors and more by giving you easy access to commonly used PC settings, resulting in stress-free business travel and presentations. Samsung Easy Migration allows users to seamlessly transfer existing files to the new laptop by connecting their old PC to the Series 7, launching and starting Easy Migration and letting the PC do the rest.
With up to nine hours of battery life**, the Series 7 ensures an all day connection while on-the-go. The inclusion of Samsung Power Plus technology means that the Series 7 battery will retain 80 percent of the original battery capacity for up to 1,500 charges – giving users a battery that works whenever and wherever they need it, even after three years of use.
Signature Samsung Technology
Samsung's Support Center ensures all content stays safe and can help troubleshoot any particular problem. Accessible with a keyboard shortcut, the Support Center helps users manage their system settings or arrange for a tech-support web chat. Samsung's Back-up & Recovery Solution also allows users to create and restore back-ups of system data on the device, or on a network or removable storage device.
The Samsung Series 7 will be available starting October 2, 2011. It will retail for $999 – $1,299. All Samsung mobile PC products are available through Samsung resellers and distribution channels. For a full list of retailers, call 1-800-SAMSUNG or visit www.samsung.com.
Key Specs:
* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, to benefits, design, components, performance, availability and capability of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
** Battery life will vary depending on the product model, configuration, power management settings, applications used, and wireless settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will decrease with time and use. Test results based on independent third party Mobile Mark tests. Non-Metric weights and measurements are approximate. Total amount of available memory may be less based on configuration.
Accessible capacity varies; MB = 1 million bytes, GB = 1 billion bytes, TB = 1 trillion bytes. Please note that a portion of the hard drive is reserved for system recovery, operationg system and preloaded content software
We've seen it before, but not against one of its chief rivals: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Now here they are, sharing a little table space -- but not getting along too well. On one hand the Tab 10.1 is thin and light on its feet. On the other, the ThinkPad Tablet is large and would very much like to be in charge of your corporate lifestyle. Due to Honeycomb's limited customizations, Lenovo's tackling this angle thanks in large part to some enterprise- and stylus-friendly software, much of which the device comes with pre-installed. Join us after the break for a quick demonstration, plus a look back at our first hands-on with the thing.
British football fans agree on very few things: how much everyone likes Jimmy Bullard, Arséne Wenger's need to buy a proper centre-half and how painful it is to be dragged out shopping just before kickoff on Saturday. It's those sympathetic and forward-thinking people at Sky who have the answer, at least to that last one. The company has teamed up with supermarket Sainsbury's (which has a track record ofinnovation) to trial a new trolley with a solar-powered iPad dock and speakers. Now you can watch the game, or anything else, via the Sky Go app on your device and get the grocery shopping done at the same time. Worried about getting so engrossed in Juan Mata's footwork that you'll be a danger to others? Rest easy, the cart has proximity sensors attached to let you know when you're about to sideswipe a pensioner. It's being trialled in the Cromwell Road Sainsbury's in West London -- all you need to try it yourself is an iPad, Sky Go access and a desire to be on the cutting edge of sports and technology. If the thought of shouting 'Taxi for Bent!' down the fruit aisle appeals, you can catch another pic and the press release after the break.
Sky Sports fans get trollied at Sainsbury's
Sky Go trials new high-tech trolley at Sainsbury's to ensure consumers don't miss out on the latest sports news as they shop
The most action packed day of the football calendar is almost upon us and to ensure tomorrow's transfer deadline day is not interrupted with life's daily chores, Sky Sports News presenters Jim White and Charlotte Jackson tried out an innovative new trolley at Sainsbury's, designed to allow customers to stream the latest sports action via the Sky Go iPad app while they shop.
Customers can catch all the latest Sky Sports News live, and on the move, via the Sky Go app, so even the weekly grocery shop won't get in the way of tomorrow's transfer news, shock deals and speculation.
Footie fans can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to the state-of-the-art trolley which comes complete with tilting iPad holder and speakers, a front bumper complete with a sensor which lets off a warning beep if you get too close to other shoppers and an onboard battery with self-charging solar panel to ensure the viewing device never runs on empty.
Creator of the Sky Go trolley, Ian Burgess, Setwo Designs comments: "Being able to create a gadget that is practical yet innovative is often a challenge but Ithink with the Sky Go trolley we've cracked it. The trolley can be used in the traditional way for shopping yet streams the latest sports news on Sky easily."
Holly Knill, Head of Sky Go, comments: "The transfer deadline window is a perfect example of when sports fans want to be kept up to date with the latest sports news whenever and wherever they are. We have been able to respond to this consumer demand by working with Sainsbury's to create a prototype that allows sports fans to never miss a minute of the latest news from Sky Sports via the Sky Go app".
Brett Hart Sainsbury's trolley buyer: "We strive to make our customers' lives simpler, which is why we're looking at these new trolleys."
Sky Go is a new service from Sky that lets you watch all five Sky Sports channels, ESPN and Sky News through multiple devices including your laptop, PC, iPad or iPhone. For more information visit www.sky.com/go
-END-
About Sky
Sky operates the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland, reaching almost 10.3 million homes. Sky continues to break new ground with its own portfolio of channels: Sky 1 combines its commitment to UK production with the best of the US; Sky Arts is the UK's only dedicated arts channel brand; Sky Sports is still raising the bar in sports broadcasting; and Sky News remains a pioneer in television news. Sky also works with dozens of other broadcasters on the satellite platform, online and on mobile. Sky is now leading the UK into the age of high definition television with Sky+HD and launched Europe's first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D last October. The company has also been the UK's fastest-growing broadband and home phone provider over the past four years.
About Sky Go
Sky Go will give customers yet more control and choice over how, when and where they enjoy Sky. Each Sky home will be entitled to register up to two devices, through which they can enjoy access to live channels and selected on-demand content.
On mobile and tablet devices, customers will be able to access all five Sky Sports channels, ESPN and SkyNews, with further channels to be added over time.
On laptops and computers customers will be able to access more than 30 live channels, including all five Sky Sports channels, Sky Movies, Sky News, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts, MTV, Disney, G.O.LD, Nickelodeon, NatGeo, History, Eden and ESPN, supported by an extensive library of on-demand content.
Sky Go will is available to non-Sky TV customers, with monthly subscriptions priced from £15-£40. Sky will also remain available on Xbox and Fetch TV, but will rebrand simply as Sky (currently Sky Player).
