Alexandru Stanescu | Android Tablet Blog

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Gets Android 3.2! Freshly Available Now!

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is not only the hottest Android tablet right now, but also a privileged one, since it’s one of the few that just received the Android 3.2 update. The new Honeycomb was announced for the tablet that can become a netbook since yesterday on the ASUS Twitter account.

Android 3.2 Honeycomb brings optimizations for many tablets and especially for the 7 inch ones. It also allows for zoom compatibility for fixed-sized apps on larger devices. This function offers a pixel-scaled version of the (poorly) stretched UI for the apps that were created for phones not tablets. You can access the feature from the menu icon in the system bar.

Another new function is media syncing from the SD card, that allows users to load media files straight from the SD card to the applications that rely on them. The files become accessible from the system media store. I have to say I’m pleased with the zooming function, since I was sick of having trouble with the interface of phone-only apps.

Is this is a way of Google telling us that they won’t develop dedicated Honeycomb apps any time soon? Maybe…

Packard Bell Liberty Android Honeycomb Tablet Debuts in the UK

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 28, 2011 No comments

Yes, there’s a Packard Bell tablet out there, one that was announced in April. And it’s not bad at all, especially if you’ve seen an Acer Iconia 500 in action. This is basically a rebranded Iconia 500, now going as the Packard Bell Liberty. The reason? Acer bought Packard Bell in 2008.

This device comes with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and a 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display, plus the usual WiFi, Bluetooth, 5MP camera at the back and 2MP front camera. The brain of the slate is a dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and the device also comes with 16GB of internal memory. You can purchase the product from here.

There’s at least half a year to go for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, at least until the Android Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade comes… Till then, this is a solid purchase via Comet for $570, a bit more than you’ll be paying for an attractive Eee Pad Transformer.

Amazon Tablet Supplies Detailed: NVIDIA, CPT Touch Sensors, E Ink and More

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 27, 2011 No comments

Amazon’s tablet continues to leak bit by bit and now we have a list of the company’s supplies that will help build the device. The list includes Nvidia’s CPUs, CPT touch sensors and more. Q3 2011 remains the launch time frame, it appears.

Speculations have pointed towards a Fringe Field Switching display technology on this tablet, provided by E Ink, in order to rival the IPS panels on the Eee Pad Transformer and iPad 2. E Ink recently decided to invest $52 million into CPT, getting in return the chance to use the company’s 6th-gen production line.

This increases the yield for the manufacturing of Fringe Field Switching displays using the subsidiary Hydis. We remind you that Amazon has two tablet planed, the Coyote, a dual core model with glass on glass touch panel and the Hollywood, with a 10 inch display and a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 Kal-El chipset.

Wintek and CPT will provide the hardware for assembles Quanta in the case of the 7 inch model, while Foxconn will handle the 10 incher.

Dell Streak Pro Taking Off in China This Week

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 27, 2011 No comments

Dell promised us goodies back in June when they announced China as the first country they’ll be selling the Streak 10 Pro tablet in. Now, their promises didn’t come true and according to reliable source, the slate is coming, but only this week and in China.

No info about the price, although it should be affordable, if Dell wants to compete with Acer and ASUS products. After the China debut, we should expect international release of the tablet and the take off will be evaluated depending on the success of the product on the Chinese market. Streak 10 Pro is Dell’s third attempt at an Android tablet, following the 5 inch Streak 5 and the 7 inch Streak 7.

However, this new model brings forth Honeycomb as an extra, plus a 10.1 inch display with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, WiFi, GPS and a dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU. There’s also 1GB of RAM on board, plus a 5MP camera and a 2MP front facing cam.

HTC Puccini 10 Inch Tablet Unveiled! First Images Here!

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 26, 2011 No comments

The folks of BGR have done it again, unveiling the first pictures of the HTC Puccini 10 inch tablet. This is a mere codename of the tablet and we’ve yet to learn some solid specifications of the brand new device.

This is a more evolved device in comparison to the HTC Flyer, that only used Android 2.3 and a 7 inch display. Puccini uses Honeycomb, an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, stereo speakers and a microphone. Rumors claim that we’ll also see a 1.5GHz CPU inside, as well as HTC Sense UI customization and 4G LTE radio.

Let’s hope that the pricing is right for the slate and the launch should be close enough, considering that Samsung is already launching its own 4G LTE Galaxy Tab this week. What carrier will sell this unit? Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T?

ASUS Eee Pad Slider (SL101) Reaches the FCC After Bunch of Delays

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 26, 2011 No comments

ASUS Eee Pad Slider aka the SL101 promises to be the next hit delivered by its makers, after the Eee Pad Transformer that sold 400k units a month. Well, the Slider was unveiled back at CES this year and it’s only now that it reaches the FCC.

It was supposed to take off in May 2011, being delayed and pushed to August. ASUS has provided too little details about the device’s real launch date, but thanks to the FCC filing, we have the image above. Approved for WiFi and Bluetooth, this model doesn’t seem to sport 3G capabilities, like the Transformer that became a hit even when the 3G version wasn’t out yet.

ASUS Eee Pad Slider has a trademark sliding keyboard, a 10.1 inch touchscreen with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, the classic 5MP camera at the back and a front 1.2MP cam. Mini HDMI and mini USB ports are included and under the hood we find a dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU @ 1GHz. Rumors claim that we might also see a Win 7 version of the slate, with Intel Atom Z670 CPU.

ZTE V55 Mystery Tablet Leaked in Sprint Inventory Table

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 25, 2011 No comments

Sprint has a ZTE mystery tablet coming, as shown in the table pictured below. Dubbed the ZTE V55, this tablet is shown together with a bunch of other products, some of which have launch dates and the devices they replace mentioned.

Well, the V55 doesn’t replace any other tablet and as far as launch goes, this model is expected in the first quarter of 2012. This could be the 10 inch model that ZTE showcased at CTIA this year, in spite of that slate being scheduled for 2011 not 2012. Also, the CTIA unit was LTE compatible, while this one can’t be, not just yet.

Considering the diagonal, we could see a new Honeycomb model, or maybe even a Windows 8 premiere, if the OS is ready by then. Let’s hope it’s not the usual Win 7 slate…

Facebook iPad App Details Found Inside the New FB iPhone App; Screenshots Here!

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 25, 2011 No comments

The folks of TechCrunch have made an incredible find: inside the Facebook iPhone app in the latest version there are some hints and details regarding the official Facebook iPad app. Also, they’ve been using this software for a couple of hours and can now provide the needed feedback and screenshots.

The first impression about the app is a very good one and this appears to be the version that’s going to ship. The software is written with HTML5 and the feeling on the iPad is great. The navigation system gets much praise and it’s even better than the one on the iPhone, that’s considered stale even by its maker.

When using the dedicated Facebook iPad app, you’ll rely on a left side menu that’s accessible via button touch or tablet screen flick. You can flip the tablet horizontally in order to make the list of your online friends appear and allow you to chat with them. The photo viewer section is great, looking just like the iPad’s native photo app.

All of these features are found inside a pretty tiny upgrade to the iPhone app, that reaches version 3.4.4 and only restores the Send button for comments and chat among other minor upgrades. With Mark Zuckerberg himself supposedly involved in the development of this application, we’ll probably see something really good coming.

T-Mobile G-Slate Tablet 200% Times Faster than the iPad 2?!

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 23, 2011 No comments

When the seller of a tablet tells you that it’s faster than a rivaling product, it’s wise not to believe them. But when a best selling product such as the iPad 2 is the device that’s being surpassed, one gets curious… T-Mobile is claiming that the G-Slate tablet is no less than 200% faster than the iPad 2.

Also, the device is supposed to be 300% faster than the Motorola Xoom, believe it or not. These details are listed on a new page on T-Mobile’s USA website. T-Mobile compares its 3D device with units from AT&T and Verizon, the iPad and Xoom respectively. The real appeal of the G-Slate is in fact the price, since you’ll pay $399.99 with a 2 year contract for a 3D tablet.

You can also pay $599.99 off contract, making the G-Slate quite a hot option. Meanwhile, the 3G iPad 2 is $729 with 32GB of storage, while the Xoom is $599.99 on contract or $800 without it. As far as the sped claims goes, tests conducted in two cities were quoted: New York and Seattle. 30 locations and 5 repetitions of tests unveiled that the 4G HSPA+ speed of the G-Slate beats the Xoom and iPad hands down.

Dell Streak Pulled for Upgrades

Posted by Alexandru Stanescu on July 23, 2011 1 comment

The Dell Streak was released before the tablet craziness started and it was among the first big screen Android devices (5 inches in diagonal). Sporting the features of a smartphone, but not its portability, this device didn’t quite catch on too much. And now Dell pulls it from the shelves…

Worry not, as they’ve pulled it in order to perform an update, although at first tech sites announced that the product was being discontinued. Engadget got in touch with a store rep, that told them the Streak is not discontinued, but instead the device was receiving some updates from its mother company.

It has nothing to do with Android, so good luck getting the latest version of the OS on your Streak… This unit started selling in August last year, but since then we’ve seen a bigger version called Dell Streak 7. Rumors about a Dell Streak 10 have also been surfacing lately…

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