Nokia gets a rating downgrade as dominance wanes

Nokia's credit rating was downgraded Wednesday as the world's largest producer of mobile phones sees its competitive position in the smart phone segment deteriorate.

Moody's Investors Service said it has downgraded the Finnish phonemaker's debt rating by two notches from A3 to Baa2 due to a "severe weakening" of Nokia's business position. A downgrade matters because companies raise money through the issuance of bonds as well as through shares and the lower rating implies potentially higher costs.

"This deterioration has been caused by a loss of competitiveness of Nokia's Symbian-based smartphone portfolio and the transition of its operating systems to the Windows Phone platform," Moody's Senior Vice President Wolfgang Draack said in a research note.

Moody's warned that it will take time for Nokia to make its operating systems Windows-compatible even after striking a partnership with Microsoft.

Draack said the benefits of the switchover to a Windows environment would likely not emerge until the second half of 2012, while increasing price pressure and gaps in the company's phone portfolio continue to weigh on competitiveness.

On a positive note, Moody's said the erosion of Nokia's sales volumes and profit margins "should be limited" thanks to new phone models such as the Dual-SIM card mobile phone and smartphones using the upgraded Symbian-Anna platform.

Moody's also stressed that Nokia has strong liquidity and capital structure, "which should support the transition process by covering possible cash burn."

Last week, Nokia posted a euro368 million ($533 million) loss in the second quarter on sales of euro9.3 billion ($13.5 billion) as Finland's largest corporation continues to lose ground to both top smartphone rivals and competitors in the low- and mid-tier handset market.

For the first time the once-dominant mobile phone giant slipped behind Apple Inc.'s iPhone in the second quarter in terms of quantity of smartphones shipped to vendors.

Nokia's shares are trading 0.8 percent lower at euro4.01 on the Helsinki exchange.

[source:  yahoo finance ]

Motorola Launching the Motorola XT316 Android Phone with QWERTY Worldwide

Motorola is launching the new Motorola XT316 with full QWERTY Android 2.2 smartphone in world markets, first in Hong Kong now in Brazil. Here is more info on this new Android smartphone:

Motorola XT316 has a sleek, modern design and a sophisticated finish. Its full QWERTY keyboard and 2.8-inch touchscreen display provide the perfect combination of tools for emailing, texting and browsing the Web all day long. Users can even personalize their device and stay in constant contact with friends and families through the world’s leading social media applications. And, Motorola XT316 transitions seamlessly between work and play, with a friends-centric widget to make it easier to manage contacts for both.

Motorola XT316 also comes with a best-in-class battery. The battery can handle Web browsing, playing videos from the Web or heavy messaging all day long. Motorola XT316 also has the Moto Switch user interface, which allows users to switch into a more friends-centric mode when they head home for the day.



 


Key Features and Specifications:

Android 2.2
WCDMA 850/2100, GSM 850/900/1800/1900
2.8” QVGA touchscreen display
Full QWERTY keyboard
3MP camera
Moto Switch UI allows users to switch between work and friends-centric modes
MicroSD card slot up to 32GB
Access to Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and Android Market
FM Radio RDS
Wi-Fi 820.11b/g/n
E-compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer
GPS.aGPS
LED notifications
3.5mm audio jack
Input: Chinese Handwriting, Cangjie, Pinyin and English
Memory: 256MB RAM, 512MB Flash, Support up to 32GB MicroSD (2GB MicroSD card included)
Dimensions: 116.5 x 58 x 13.45 mm
Weight: 110g
Battery capacity: 1390mAh
Talk time / standby time: up to 231 minutes / up to 394 hours
Video / Audio formats: H.263/H.264/MPEG4, 30fps video streaming, 128 Poly MIDI, AMR, MP3, AAC, eAcc + & AAC +, Mp3 player

Motorola XT316 is available now in Hong Kong for HK$1,688. The phone, known as Motorola SPICE Key in Brazil is available for R$ 99 at Sob Medida 130 Plan with 250MB Internet access.
For more info visit motorola.com/mobility

Google+ Mobile App (for Android)

• Pros
  Free. Clean and smart design. Easy to navigate. Easy to learn. Automatically includes a separate app for Huddle (group chat).

• Cons No administrative controls in Huddle. Not all thumbnail images resize and display properly.
  
  

• Bottom Line
  Social networks need mobile apps to thrive, and Google+'s is a fine start, tapping into conventions established by other online social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, while finding some of its own strengths at the same time.

Do Google services work best when used on Google platforms? I was curious if that would be the case when I installed the a Google+ Mobile app (free) on an Android-based phone (Android being Google's mobile operating system). In fairness, Google's new social network, Google+, runs just as well on Android as it does as an iPhone app (free, 3.5 stars). It doesn't get special treatment on Android, except that when you download and install the app, you actually get two: the primary Google+ app and a separate app for Huddle, or group chat. The only other difference is that the interface on Android deviates slightly from what's in the iPhone app; the way the apps work is largely the same, however. 

Mobile apps are essential to the whole social networking experience. Think about Facebook and Twitter. Mobile apps are the most convenient way to check in on what's happening, and just as quickly get back to life in real time. As a social network, Google+ has made itself is much more usable with the addition of the mobile apps.

Part of this success comes from the design. Less screen space (compared with a full computer monitor, where other Google properties are often deployed) means every inch of it has to be use effectively. If you've ever felt that Google was too sparse with its designs on the Web, you might see Google+ as a revelation in Google UI. The app is clean and easy to navigate without too many menus and unnecessary words cluttering the screen. 

How to Get Google+ Mobile App
Start by locating the Google+ Mobile app in the Android Marketplace, and dropping it onto your mobile device. Alternatively, you can try getting it through a QR code provided by Google.

Once you find and install the free app, just sign in using your Google account, if it's not already synced to the phone. If it is synced, you can select it from a list after firing up the app. Note that you must already have Google+ access in order to use the app, so if you haven't received an invitation yet, hang tight until you do.

Design
Like Facebook's mobile app, the mobile version of Google+ orients you with a landing screen that shows the main components in a grid, their icons and single-word descriptors helping you choose how you'll use the app. Google+'s icons are not yet as well known as Facebook's, so the names printed below them help a great deal: Stream, Huddle, Photos, Profile, and Circles. If you didn't guess what you can do by the name of the tool, at least you'll be mildly intrigued to dive in and find out.

Features
Any social networking user will be familiar with words like "stream" (updates from your contacts), "profile" (information about you) and "photos." And if you've used the Google+ site, you've likely already established Circles, or subsets of your connections, grouped by whatever classification you want to create, such as close friends, co-workers, extended family, and so forth.

Notably missing in the mobile app is the Hangout feature, or video group chat, which is Web-only. Replacing it is Huddle, a group instant messaging tool. To use Google+'s Huddle, select Huddle and click the speech bubble icon at the top right to start a new chat. Alternatively in Android, you can go directly to the Huddle app that automatically installs when you first downloaded the Google+ mobile app. In Huddle, you can invite individuals to group chat with you or an entire Circle. As people are invited, their profile pictures appear in a strip at the top, giving you the ability to quickly see who's there. Six images fit easily in that banner at the top, and when more people are invited, the strip become scrollable. This visual presentation of who has been invited to a Huddle is excellent.

Samsung Galaxy R

As expected, the Galaxy R maintains the look and many of the features of the Galaxy S II, but it swaps out some of the components in order to reach a lower price point than its flagship sibling.


From the front, the Galaxy R looks almost identical to the Galaxy S II, though its screen is slightly smaller at 4.2 inches in size, compared to the S II's 4.3-inch display. The Super AMOLED Plus display that we love so much on the S II has been swapped out for a Super Clear LCD, a move that likely saves a bit of money in manufacturing costs. The R is a bit thicker than its paper-thin sibling, as it measures 125.7mm x 66.7mm x 9.55mm (4.95in x 2.63in x 0.38in) and weighs 131g (4.62oz). The fantastic 8 megapixel shooter on the S II has been swapped out for a 5 megapixel unit that only records 720p (1280 x 720 pixel) video - no 1080p HD here. A 1.3 megapixel camera is on the front for video chat duties. 8GB of internal memory is supplied, and the R supports microSD cards up to 32GB in capacity.
Samsung claims the R has a dual-core processor, but it does not specify the clock speed or model of it. Some have speculated that the R features an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz, as opposed to the Samsung Exynos unit in the S II that runs at 1.2GHz. The R gets its juice from a 1650mAh battery that is said to provide 9.7 hours of talk time or almost 23 days of standby.

Software-wise, the Galaxy R is very similar to the S II, as it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the latest version of Samsung's TouchWiz interface, complete with various "Hubs" for different activities. Samsung says the Galaxy R is due to hit European markets at the end of July, and will eventually make it to various parts of Asia.

Galaxy R Specifications:

Network: HSPA ＋ 21Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mb EDGE/GPRS Class 12
Processor: Dual Core Application Processor
Display: 4.19” WVGA Super Clear LCD
OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Camera: Main(Rear): 5 MP, AF with LED Flash; Front: 1.3MP
Video Codec : MPEG4/H.263/H.264/H263.Sorenson/Divx/Xvid/VC-1
Playback : Full HD 1080p@30fps(Divx, WMV, MP4, H.264 B/P only)
Recording : HD 720p@30fps
Audio Codec : MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC＋, eAAC＋, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA, WAV, MID, AC3, IMY, AAC(Mono)
Music Player with SoundAlive EQ, Music Recognition
3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Value-added Features: Samsung Apps; Samsung Kies 2.0; Samsung Kies air; Samsung TouchWiz; Samsung L!ve Panel UX
Social Hub: Integrated Contacts, Integrated Calendar, Unified Inbox; Basic: POP3/IMAP Email & Google Talk IM
Readers Hub
Music Hub
Game Hub
Voice Solution
Find My Mobile

Connectivity: Bluetooth technology v 3.0 ＋ HS; USB 2.0 HS; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; Wi-Fi direct
Sensor: Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Light, Gyroscope
Memory: 8GB Internal memory ＋ microSD (up to 32GB)
Size: 66.7 x 125.7 x 9.55mm, 131g
Standard battery: Li-Ion 1650 mAh
Talk Time: 580 min(3G)
Standby Time: 550 hours(3G)



Press Release
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY R, its latest Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) Smartphone. Featuring a lightweight, slim and sleek metallic design, the GALAXY R Smartphone delivers incredible performance thanks to its Dual Core processor, whilst including a range of features to conveniently manage your social and content experiences.

“The year 2011 is turning out to be a great year for Samsung as the leader in smart mobile devices. I am very pleased that the GALAXY R will boost our leadership and add up to the industry’s most comprehensive Android smartphone portfolio that we already have.” said Hankil Yoon, Vice President of Smartphone Product Planning Group in Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business. He added: “Consumers are looking for stylish, premium devices with high performance as well as long battery life, and the GALAXY R meets these requirements in every way.”

Refined Design meets Lightning Speed

The slim, chic casing is just 9.55mm thick while a sophisticated metallic finish enhances the device’s fashion credentials, making the device an essential fashion accessory. Even though the device is incredibly lightweight (weighing just 131g) and stylishly contoured, it still features a powerful 1650mAh battery with Samsung’s advanced power consumption technology – delivering 580 minutes of talk time and 550 hours of standby time.

Users can take high-quality pictures and film HD video before playing back the images on the device’s large 4.19” Super Clear LCD touch screen. Consuming less power than competing models while offering clarity and a wider viewing angle, the Super Clear LCD screen enables a comfortable mobile viewing experience – complimenting the device’s cool design with stunning visuals.

The Samsung GALAXY R is powered by a fast Dual Core processor, enabling seamless multitasking, faster webpage loading and an ultrafast power up. The high-power processor also delivers smooth HD 720p video capture and Full HD 1080p playback(Divx, WMV, MP4, H.264 B/P) at 30fps(frames per second). 

Lightning-fast downloads are enabled by an HSPA＋ connection, meaning movies, games and music can be downloaded quicker while on the move.

The device’s overall connectivity is enhanced with the inclusion of Bluetooth 3.0 HS and USB 2.0 support, allowing the device to connect to another USB device without using a PC. Dual Channel Wi-Fi is also included as standard, enabling smoother and faster connection speeds, while the inclusion of Kies 2.0 and Kies Air provides better wireless device management.

This performance combined with the device’s compact form factor and long-life battery means that the Samsung GALAXY R is the ideal device for technology enthusiasts who want a stylish, premium, high performing device while on the move.



Intuitive User Experience
 
In addition to using the intuitive Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform, Samsung has also included Samsung Hubs with the GALAXY R, enriching the overall user-experience. The Hubs offer content anytime, anywhere and ensure that you’re always in touch with your social world. The Hubs included are:

– A Social Hub which aggregates the user’s contacts, calendar and email along with instant messaging and social networking connections all within one easy-to-use interface, keeping you in control of your social life, wherever you are.

– A Music Hub that gives you access to over 14 million tracks, old and new, turning the Samsung GALAXY R into your own personal jukebox.

– A Readers Hub enabling the user to carry around a vast library wherever they go, with access to over 2.3 million books, 2,000 newspapers and 3,000 magazines across a variety of languages.

– And a built-in Game Hub provides a terrific gaming experience for both casual and hardcore mobile gamers. Furthermore, the in-built 3-axis gyroscopic sensor unlocks a world of gaming possibilities.

Samsung has further improved the device’s usability by including a range of other features such as the Samsung Voice Command, an easy-to-use voice recognition service enabling simple hands-free control of the phone. The voice recognition feature also enables the user to have their text messages read out loud and to reply to them vocally to them orally, while calls, e-books and other features can all be launched with a simple speech command. Samsung has also included L!ve Panel, enabling a fully customizable home screen experience and enhancing visuals with 3D effects.

Samsung’s “Find My Mobile” functionality enables users to track, ring, remotely lock the device or bring up call logs when their smartphone has been misplaced, lost or stolen. This means further peace of mind for users who may otherwise worry about the loss of their phone and any confidential data.

New Search Experience for Honeycomb Tablets

Google has announced a new search experience today which will impact Android 3.1+ tablets and Apple's iPad. Expected to roll out over the coming days, a new Google.com experience will fall in line with other, simplified layouts. Think in terms of the new gmail inbox (desktop) and Google+ and you'll get the idea.



Tablet users will find larger page contents (buttons, text, drop-down menus, etc), a cleaner UI, and search boxes which can be used to filter results quickly. Image search gets a bit of extra attention with larger previews, faster loading of thumbnails, and continuous scrolling.
The update has started today and will continue over the next few days for Honeycomb 3.1+ tablets and iPads around the world.

Sixteen Essential Cooking Apps for Your Android Device

Face it -  at some point in your life, you are going to have to prepare  a meal for yourself. Maybe your wife will be out of town or your college buddies will be at school.  Or maybe mom has finally kicked you out on your own and you'v run out of Doritos.  What are you going to do now?  Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  No, you want to go big and cook up some Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper, bro.  The problem is, you know your way around an Android phone but you can't navigate your own kitchen.  We're here to help.
We've put together a list of Android applications that will make sure you always have something new and exciting to cook. Be it a simple appetizer or mind-blowing dessert, we'll get you pointed in the right direction.  With hundreds of thousands of recipes from dozens of valuable resources, you'll never run out of inspiration nor ways to share your ideas.  Many of the titles listed below are further enhanced with online accounts so be sure to check when you are setting up your apps.

1. Lawry's Digital Dinner Bell: Ring the various Dinner Bells (Grilling, Southwest, Mexican, etc.) to let friends and family know what's for dinner through SMS, Facebook Posts, or a good old fashioned phone call. FREE, Android 2.1+
2. Campbell's Kitchen: Scan the UPC barcode on any Campbell’s product and pull up a bunch of recipes or use the Quick Ideas shaker to discover something random and new!  Free, Android 2.1+
3. Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner: Choose from more than 40,000 user submitted recipes based on dish (appetizers, side dishes, main dish, etc) or from ingredients in your pantry or fridge.  Need to cook in a pinch?  Try the "Ready In" feature and tell the app how much time you have to work with!  FREE, Android 2.1+  Pro version is $2.99
4. Real Simple No Time to Cook: Nearly 1,000 recipes with preparation time of under 40 minutes as well as interactive grocery lists and how-to videos.  Start with a type of food (seafood, poultry, pasta, pork, etc) and indicate how much time you have to prepare the meal. $4.99, Android 1.6+
5. In the Kitchen: Recipes, Chefs: Official application of the Food Network, provides recipes from your favorite personalities such as Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri.  Features shopping lists, cooking timers, and unit converters among other options.  $1.99, Android 1.6+
6. Epicurious Recipe App: More than 28,000 delicious recipes from professionals, top cookbooks, restaurants,  and sources such as Gourmet and Bon Appétit magazines. Desktop widget with recipe of the day makes sure you always have something new to prepare.  FREE, Android 1.5+
7. Easy Chef Recipes (15,000+): Find the right meal based on your special occasions, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and more.  Share your results on  email, and twitter, or save them to your device for offline access.  FREE, Android 2.2+
8. What's for Dinner Premium: Browse recipes and building shopping lists using a variety of online resources, including FoodNetwork.com, Epicurious.com, AllRecipes.com, and MyRecipes.com.  $2.99, Android 1.6+
9. Mario Batali Cooks!: Official application for the Food Network star, provides 63 handpicked recipes with videos and exclusive photos.  As close as it gets to having Mario over for dinner.  $4.99, Android 1.5+
10. Recipe Search: Create and share recipes with AllTheCooks.com, bookmark your favorite selections, and access all features of their forums. Pick meals based on specific needs such as diabetes, gluten-free, vegetarian, and more.  FREE, Android 1.5+
11. Happystove: Quick and easy meals with photos from Happystove.com, features  a random recipe feature that changes every hour.Search for recipes based on items you already have on hand.  FREE, Android  2.2+
12. Healthy Recipes-Spark Recipes: Browse and search thousands of recipes from SparkPeople.com, access nutritional information, and more in this diet-friendly application.  FREE, Android 1.5+
13. Jamie's 20 Minute Meals: Sixty recipes from Jamie Oliver, each of which take 20 minutes or less to prepare.  Features videos, pictures, essential kitchen tools, and more.  Learn to how to properly sharpen a knife,  cut an onion, and other handy pro tips. $7.99, Android 1.6+
14. 170,000+ Recipes Big Oven: Access more than 170,000 recipes, create shopping lists, and find out what locals are cooking near you.  Tons of online integration and cross-platform sync.  Some features require a $15.99 annual membership to Big Oven.  FREE, Android 1.6+
15. Baconnection: Nothing but bacon-related recipes from Allrecipes.com, Taste of Home, and Every Day with Rachael Ray.  Play the bacon trivia or read the bacon facts while you're waiting on the Apple-Bacon Green Beans to finish in the oven.  FREE, Android 2.1 - 2.3.3
16. Betty Crocker Mobile Cookbook: Next to mom, she's the most famous woman to step into your kitchen. Official app includes more than 2,500 tried-and-true recipes, ingredient search, step-by-step instructions, and coupons for General Mills products.  FREE, Android 2.1+

As always, we know this list is not complete.  That's where you come in.  What apps are you using in the kitchen or out in the yard for grilling?  Leave a comment below and share your experiences.

Motorola Confirms DROID Bionic for September, New Phones and Tablets

Yesterday, mobile phone maker Motorola Mobility announced its financial results for the second quarter of the year, and also unveiled some of its plans for upcoming mobile phones and tablet PCs.

One of the handsets that will be brought to the market in the not-too-distant future is the DROID Bionic, the first Android-based smartphone from Motorola to pack support for Verizon's 4G LTE network.

During the earnings call, Motorola’s CEO Sanjay Jha said that the mobile phone will become available for purchase sometime in September, in line with some of the latest rumors on the matter.

The device was initially unveiled in January during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and was expected to land at Verizon in spring, but got delayed due to a design refresh.

Verizon's fourth Android-based LTE smartphone will hit shelves only in September, although some expected it to become available during summer.

However, it will not be the only new smartphone that Motorola plans on bringing to the market before the end of 2011, it seems.

A new flavor of Motorola Defy should be released in the fourth quarter of the year as well, under the name of Defy+, though it seems that it will not be put for sale on the US market.

Also, Motorola confirmed plans to launch at least one new LTE-enabled smartphone during the fourth quarter of the year, along with two new tablets that will sport the connectivity option. Three other Motorola devices will also be released in Q4.

Motorola will also launch new devices at Sprint, since it already announced plans to make available 10 of them, including the already available Motorola Photon 4G, Motorola XPRT, Motorola TITANIUM, and Motorola TRIUMPH.

During the second quarter of the year, the handset vendor sold a number of 11 million mobile devices, 4.4 million of which were smartphones, while 440,000 of them were XOOM tablets. Following the release of new devices, the sales for the remaining of the year should increase.

Android is Top Mobile OS, Apple Dominates Manufacturing

Google's Android mobile operating system was the most popular choice among smartphone buyers in June, but Apple's iOS helped Cupertino become the top smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. last month, according to Thursday data from Nielsen.

Android now has the largest share of the U.S. smartphone market with 39 percent, followed by Apple and iOS with 28 percent. Research in Motion's BlackBerry, meanwhile, is down to 20 percent.
"Because Apple is the only company manufacturing smartphones with the iOS operating system, it is clearly the top smartphone manufacturer in the United States," Nielsen wrote in a blog post.


HTC, Motorola, and Samsung also had a pretty successful month. HTC's Android phones represented 14 percent of the smartphone market, while its Windows Mobile/Phone 7 devices nabbed 6 percent. Android-based Motorola smartphones, meanwhile, made up 11 percent of U.S. smartphones last month, while 8 percent of smartphone owners had a Samsung Android device. Samsung also sold about 2 percent of Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices.


Earlier this month, comScore said that Samsung was the top U.S. handset manufacturer between March and May with 24.8 percent of the market, while Android nabbed 38.1 percent of smartphone OS market share.

Controversial June numbers from IDC, meanwhile, said that Android and Windows Phone would be the top two mobile operating systems by 2015. That might not be too far-fetched for Android at this point, but Windows Phone has thus far had a slow start. That could change, however, when Nokia starts releasing Windows Phone-based devices later this year.
 [source: pcmag ]

Apple Doubles Mobile-Phone Market Share: IDC

Apple Inc. more than doubled its share of the global handset market last quarter as the iPhone maker posted record shipments, while Nokia Oyj  lead in the industry shrank amid a sales slump, research company IDC said.

Apple increased its market share to 5.6 percent in the second quarter, from 2.6 percent a year earlier, IDC said in an e-mailed statement today. Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. (066570), the three biggest vendors, all lost market share, making Apple the only one of the top-four to post a gain, according to the Framingham, Massachusetts-based researcher.


Nokia this month posted its first quarterly loss since 2009 as the Espoo, Finland-based company reported weaker-than- expected revenue. Apple, the world’s biggest technology company by market value, had record sales and profit last quarter helped by demand for the iPhone, its biggest revenue contributor.

Nokia’s market share shrank to 24.2 percent from 33.8 percent a year earlier, after shipments plunged 20 percent, according to IDC. The Finnish company is losing out to low-cost vendors including China’s TCL Corp. (000100) and Huawei Technologies Co., according to IDC.

Samsung, maker of the Galaxy smartphone, accounted for 19.2 percent of the global mobile-phone market last quarter, declining from 19.4 percent a year earlier, IDC said. LG’s market share fell to 6.8 percent from 9.3 percent, IDC said.

Global handset shipments rose 11.3 percent to 365.4 million in the quarter, according to IDC.
[source: bloomberg ]

Dell Launches 10-Inch Android Tablet Only In China

-- Dell starts selling 10-inch tablet with Google's Android software only in China 

-- Dell will use both Android and Windows on future tablets 

-- Dell is looking for acquisitions of companies with strong technology 

Dell Inc.  on Friday started selling a 10-inch tablet computer running on Google Inc.'s  Android operating system that it will offer only in China, expanding its push into a product category dominated by Apple Inc.'s iPad. 

Dell and other makers of computers and devices, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., have sought to diversify their product lines and create new revenue streams by offering tablet devices, but the iPad has remained the market leader. 

Dell's Streak 10 Pro tablet adds to the company's Streak line of tablets, which also includes 5-inch and 7-inch devices. In February, Dell said it planned to release a 10-inch tablet running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows this year. 

Dell will sell the Streak 10 Pro only in China, though the company will continue expanding its mobile product line globally and will use both Android and Windows for future tablets, Michael Tatelman, Dell's vice president of global mobility sales, said at a news briefing. 

Dell launched the new tablet in China because the country's market is large and Dell has a strong retail network there, Tatelman said. 

The new tablet is priced at CNY2,999 ($466), which is below the price of an iPad 2, which Apple sells in China starting at CNY3,688. 

Tatelman also said Dell is looking to acquire more companies with strong technology. Dell has made various acquisitions in recent years as it aims to expand into high-margin services businesses. It said last week it plans to buy privately held networking company Force10 Networks Inc., expanding its data-center offerings. People familiar with the deal said Dell is paying $700 million in cash for the company. 

Tatelman played down concerns that rising sales of tablets could eat into sales in the personal-computer market. "Today I don't think there's any really clear evidence that tablets have cannibalized anything but netbooks," he said. 

Dell is "pleased" with sales of its Streak tablets so far, he said, but declined to say how many units have been sold. 

The iPad accounted for 74.3% of China's tablet sales in the second quarter, according to Beijing research firm Analysys International. The ranking included a 5.1% "other" category but didn't give a share for Dell. 

[source: foxbusiness ]

Technology Alibaba Group Launches Mobile Phone Operating System

--Alibaba Group unit to introduce smartphone with Alibaba operating system later this month 

--Move brings Alibaba into competition with Apple, Google and Microsoft in the smartphone operating-system market 

--Operating system could direct users to other Alibaba services 





BEIJING -(Dow Jones)- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said Thursday a partner will launch at the end of July the first mobile phone in China to use an operating system developed by Alibaba, kicking off competition with Apple Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in the smartphone operating system market. 

Alibaba Group unit Alibaba Cloud Computing plans for the operating system to support other devices, like tablets and mobile phones with larger screens in the coming months, it said in a statement. The operating system is "fully compatible" with applications based on Android, Alibaba said, without elaborating. 

The operating system seems to mark a new direction for Alibaba Group, as the company has made software before but is best known for operating online-commerce websites. 

The first phone using the operating system will be made by Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., also known by the name of its K-Touch handset brand, and sold for CNY2,680 (US$416), Tianyu Chairwoman Rong Xiuli said at a briefing. Alibaba is talking to other handset makers about pre-installing the software on their phones, it said. 

Many software and handset makers have offered their own operating systems partly so buyers will also use--and pay for--applications that work on those systems. 

Similarly, Alibaba could use its operating system to promote apps for online commerce, potentially boosting other Alibaba Group units such as Alibaba.com Ltd. (1688.HK), which operates websites connecting buyers and suppliers, and consumer-focused commerce websites Taobao Marketplace and Taobao Mall. 

Alibaba's operating system makes use of "cloud-based" services such as applications that a user can access on a remote server, instead of downloading them to the phone. Available services will also include e-mail, mapping and data storage space on a remote server, Alibaba said. 

Alibaba's move comes as top Chinese search provider Baidu Inc. (BIDU) has hinted it could also be developing a mobile operating system. Baidu says it aims to develop software that lets users of devices like smartphones perform a wide range of online activities by typing commands into a search box. 

Copyright © 2011 Dow Jones Newswires

Vodafone Loses Patience, Cancels Evo 3D

You know that saying, "Patience is a virtue?" Well, it would seem that it's not Vodafone's strongest, as they've pulled the HTC Evo 3D from their "Coming Soon" page. HTC was having some supply issues, so the device was delayed. The geniuses at Vodafone decided that it wasn't worth the hassle, so they removed the phone. Now, I could understand their position, if it was drawn out over months and months (I'm looking at you, Droid Bionic). But after just one delay that will most likely be straightened out within a few weeks? All criticisms aside, no word on whether or not Vodafone will relaunch the device at a later time.

So what are your thoughts on this fiasco? Should Vodafone have waited before pulling a potential flagship device?

Android will turn the tablet market on its head

Will wrestle the lead from Apple’s Ipad

-By Dave Neal

 

SCATTER CUSHION HARDWARE, the tablet computer, will make its way into most homes with the Android operating system in place, according to a report.

Informa Telecoms and Media said that despite its considerable hold on the market Apple's IOS based machines will start to fall out of favour with users over the next four years before being completely swept aside by Android devices.

Informa has gone into some detail about the rise of Android on tablets and has decided that it will really start punching its weight in 2013 before battling with Apple in 2016 and knocking it onto the canvas the year after.

"Three factors have proven to be decisive in the success and failure of tablets: brand; access to distribution channels; and product quality, including the application environment offered," said Informa telecoms and media principal analyst David McQueen.
"At the moment, the iPad leads in all three areas but Apple's edge is likely to wane as the quality of the competing products and application environments improves."
Although there are some low-priced Android tablets available already, Informa reckons that it will be increased availability that really increases Android tablet sales. It estimates that by 2015 some 230 million tablets will be sold every year.

   [source: theinquirer ]

More evidence that Android tablets will dominate Apple’s iPad

The iPad has enjoyed market share domination since its inception, but it is only a matter of time until Android tablets takeover. The question is when? I have gone on record as saying it will happen by March of 2012, and recent reports show that Android already owns at least 30% of the market through the 1st quarter of 2011.

Now Informa Telecoms & Media is predicting that Android will take a little longer by closing the gap in 2015, and eventually taking the lead in 2016. Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets.
They are projecting the market to grow to over 230 million in 2015 with Android selling around 87 million and Apple selling around 90 million.


David McQueen, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media said, “We expect Apple to retain its leading market share until 2015 but only just. From 2013, as cheaper and more advanced Android tablets enter the market, we forecast that sales will pick up considerably, eventually surpassing iPad sales in 2016.”

“Three factors have proven to be decisive in the success and failure of tablets: brand; access to distribution channels; and product quality, including the application environment offered.  At the moment, the iPad leads in all three areas but Apple’s edge is likely to wane as the quality of the competing products and application environments improves,” adds McQueen.
I agree with McQueen except for the time frame. I can’t see it taking this long.

Full press release

Android Tablets to close the gap on iPad in 2015

By David McQueen July 27, 2011

Tablet market to grow to over 230 million in 2015 from under 20 million in 2010

According to the latest forecasts from Informa Telecoms & Media, Android tablet sales will be neck and neck with the iPad in 2015 with 87 million and 90 million unit sales, respectively. Although Apple has dominated this space since the launch of the iPad in 2010, this is set to change with the introduction of low-cost Android tablets, the wider launch of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and the possibility of other major brands such as Amazon launching tablets on the OS.

“We have seen a huge explosion in the tablet market in recent years, driven primarily by the iPad, and we estimate that the market will go from strength to strength, growing from under 20 million tablets sold in 2010, to over 230 million in 2015,” comments David McQueen, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. “We expect Apple to retain its leading market share until 2015 but only just. From 2013, as cheaper and more advanced Android tablets enter the market, we forecast that sales will pick up considerably, eventually surpassing iPad sales in 2016.”

Apple currently has 75% of the market but this will drop to just 39% in 2015. Meanwhile Android will see a huge increase in its market share, as the devices and the ecosystem around the platform improve. By 2015, it will have 38% market share, putting it on a par with the iPad.

“Three factors have proven to be decisive in the success and failure of tablets: brand; access to distribution channels; and product quality, including the application environment offered.  At the moment, the iPad leads in all three areas but Apple’s edge is likely to wane as the quality of the competing products and application environments improves,” adds McQueen.

It is anticipated that, once Windows 8.0 is launched, there will be a variety of tablets available in the market based on Intel and ARM architecture. These are most likely to include a Nokia device as well as a number from the traditional PC vendors.

RIM’s PlayBook is expected to show only modest growth early on following its launch as some mobile operators have shown to be reticent to carry the device as they are struggling with the business model owing to it initially being Wi-Fi only. However, volumes will be buoyed by the inclusion of Android apps on the device and the introduction of cellular connectivity (HSPA+ and LTE versions are expected before end-2011).

“Most mobile operators are expected to focus on supporting iOS and Android tablets in line with demand, and their current indifferent support for Windows, BlackBerry OS (QnX), WebOS and MeeGo tablets will prove decisive in shaping consumers’ purchasing decisions in the short term. However, it is those devices that can also dominate the consumer-electronics sector and online retail channels as well as nurture their current partnerships with the mobile operators that will win out,” concludes McQueen.

About Informa Telecoms & Media

Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets. Our aim is to provide actionable, strategic advice and forecasting on all aspects of the music, mobile and fixed, entertainment markets.

© Informa UK Ltd 2011. All rights reserved.

European Motorola XOOM owners may get Android 3.1 by August 9

Back in June, Motorola announced via Facebook that European XOOM owners would get Android 3.1, but for whatever reason it did not happen. Now they made an announcement in their support forums:
Android™ 3.1 for Motorola XOOM™ will soon be available over the air to all Motorola XOOM users in Europe. We expect the over-the-air deployment to begin in early August, with the package being available for pull by August 9.

I am not sure I understand the problem here because Android 3.1 was announced in May and many US XOOM (WiFi) owners already have Android 3.2. Lets hope this time the job gets done.

IMS Research Says Global Smartphones Sales Will Top 420 Million Devices in 2011

According to IMS Research, a leading independent supplier of market research, sales of smartphones will come in at over 420 million device by the end of this year .  This will account for roughly 28 percent of the handset market as the research shows.  According to the company, with the release of more and more “entry-level” smartphones, we could see one billion devices sell by 2016.

According to IMS, despite how well mobile sales are going, not all companies will ultimately benefit from the trend.  IMS uses LG as an example, pointing to the fact that though they were the third largest OEM world wide, they barely exhibited any innovation over the past several years, subsequently causing the company to reach less than three percent of the market share in 2010.

The same source also notes that Nokia took a hit so devastating (see chart) they went to bed with Microsoft for its Windows Phone operating system, abandoning its very own Symbian platform.  Sales for the company dropped 34 percent from last year.

  

In contrast to the above, the research firm goes on to note that Apple, in the midst of other companies on the decline, has benefited greatly during this time in the face of its competitors.  No doubt its popularity is due to its innovation and the functionality of a certain product’s name that escapes my mind at the moment.  But don’t worry, it will eventually come to me.  During the company’s second quarter in 2011 sales soared for more than 20 million handsets with signs only pointing to even greater success in the near future.  In addition, Samsung is also following in the foot steps of the Great Apple. demonstrating it too can play with the big boys in the midst of adversity.  The company increased sales from three percent in 1Q of 2010 to a whopping 13 percent in 1Q of 2011 thanks to its innovative handsets touting Android, Windows Mobile and its very own Bada operating system.  Add this to its impressive line of Galaxy S phones and it’s no wonder the company is on top at the moment.

The moral of the story is, stay ahead of the game when it comes to innovation and growth.  With strategic planning and  the right individuals in place, any company can thrust forward and be successful in the midst of a mobile market decline.  Any business man will tell you, innovation and meeting the needs of the consumer is the name of the game.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Gets Android 2.3 Gingerbread Update

Sony Ericsson today released Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for Xperia X10. Software availability is dependent on operator and/or country. An icon in the notification bar of your phone indicates that new software is available.
The software upgrade can only be installed using a computer and PC Companion software. To start upgrading, connect your phone to your PC with a USB cable, start PC Companion and follow the instructions. Here is more info on this update from Sony Ericsson:

The latest Android platform for smartphones, Android 2.3.3, is now available for your Xperia X10. Update your phone to enjoy the following benefits:

-Facebook inside Xperia – a series of unique integrations of Facebook into your multimedia apps, phonebook and calendar
-The possibility to use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot
-Music player with equalizer
-USB tethering – share your 3G data connection via the USB connector
-Photo widget – one click access to your photo gallery app
-App tray sorting – arrange your apps in the order you want them








The update will replace the software in your phone. This means:

-User data, such as contacts, messages and more, saved in your phone memory will be overwritten. User data saved on the phone’s memory card is not affected.
-DRM content will be overwritten.
-The Backup and Restore app will be overwritten and cannot be used to restore data. Check out Android Market for alternative apps to back up and restore your data, such as MyBackup.
-The Creatouch, Neoreader and Quadrapop apps will be removed.
-Mediascape, homescreen operator customization and app tray operator customization will no longer be supported.
-Moxier Exchange will be replaced by Android 2.3 Gingerbread Exchange support.

Samsung Hosting Galaxy Tab 10.1 Event on August 3 for Major Software Update

Samsung just pinged our inbox to tell us about an event to be held next week in New York which centers around a software update for Galaxy Tab 10.1.  And not just any update, but a "major" software update.  Members of the press are invited to attend the show (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)and get a live demonstration of the new update and see all of its benefits.  Afterward, Samsung will be side-loading the software directly to tablets so that media types can play with it right away. Following that press portion of the event, any and all owners of Tab 10.1's are invited to attend (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and get their tablets flashed with the new software.  That means, you are invited.
Please note that if you do decided to attend the event, you'll have your tablet completely wiped clean and start fresh.  Don't want to lose your spot in Angry Birds?  You'll want to wait for the over-the-air version of the software update rolling out to all Galaxy Tab 10.1 users "soon".
Features in the major software update for Galaxy Tab 10.1 include:

• Fully customizable Samsung TouchWiz UX with Live Panel and Mini-Apps services
• Re-designed Samsung Media Hub user interface
• Amazon Music Cloud Player, Amazon Kindle, and Words with Friends applications
• Enterprise mobile solutions

Android Honeycomb 3.2 features: what to expect from this upgrade

Unlike past years Android strategy to name each version with a different codename (ex: 2.1 Eclair, 2.2 Froyo…) the Honeycomb started as Android 3.0 and stretched to 3.1 and 3.2 maintaining the same project code, so it’s hard to distinguish each version, especially since there aren’t many differences to talk about.


Here are a few of the features of the "Honeycomb 3.2":

SD card support

First and foremost, Honeycomb 3.2 adds SD card support, which means if you got a Honeycomb tablet with an SD card slot you can put it to good use now. But hold on, it’s not what you think: you can only read from those cards you insert in your tablet. I’m a bit puzzled by this, as pre-Honeycomb Android devices (including by 2.2 Froyo Samsung Galaxy S) are able to read and write from SD cards. The only reason I can see for this move would by Google trying to protect tablet manufactures so that adding more internal space would require getting a more expensive model.

Anyway, you can still add files to an SD card via your PC/Mac, so you can for example transfer music and videos to a card to listen/watch those files on your tablet. It’s the complete opposite mentality to Apple’s iOS 5, which will try and separate iPad’s dependence of a PC/Mac.

Zoom to fill

  It’s a new compatibility mode for apps not built for the native Honeycomb resolution. It is supposed to make apps look a little bit better, but don’t expect miracles. It’s physically impossible to scale pixels by zooming and get the same quality as a pixel per pixel image.

Support for 7 and 8.9 inch tablets

This is one of the most important things about Honeycomb 3.2 from developer’s perspective, who now have the tools to develop apps for lower resolution screens found in 7 inch and some 8.9 inch tablets.

Other optimisations

From the things you might not notice immediately there will be performance optimisations on the way widgets are handled, so those who use lots of screen widgets there might be an improvement in the overall operational smoothness.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

What's hot: Best looking Android Honeycomb tablet on the market and lightest. Vibrant and sharp display, delicious build quality.

What's not: No microSD card slot, no USB host, no standard HDMI out port, Samsung Kies USB file transfer is a nightmare.

 The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the Android tablet that’s most like Apple’s hyper-successful iPad 2 tablet from a design perspective. It’s incredibly slim at 0.34” and light at 1.25 lbs., and we can only marvel that Samsung re-engineered it to such lithe sexiness in just a few months. The silver sides, curved edges and attention to detail put it neck-and-neck with Apple’s finest and set it apart from all other Android Honeycomb tablets. On the software side however, it’s no different than other recent vanilla Honeycomb tablets on the market such as the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and the granddaddy Motorola Xoom. At trade shows earlier this year, Samsung had shown the Tab 10.1 running a tablet version of TouchWiz software that looked very sweet, and when it’s released as a free update, this will set it apart from other Android tablets.

Android 10” tablets vary little on specs: they have a 1280 x 800 capacitive touch screen, a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core CPU with hardware graphics acceleration, a healthy dose of internal storage, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, dual cameras and a GPS. Most have a gig of RAM and all have so far not strayed from a basic Honeycomb install (Google seems to be keeping manufacturers on a short leash when it comes to UI customization of the OS). The Galaxy Tab 10.1 follows these basic specs and it’s available in 16 gig ($499) and 32 gig ($599) capacities. Honeycomb tablet variation so far comes in a few optional features: 3G/4G, a microSD card slot and USB host (allowing a tablet to use USB peripherals). The WiFi-only Tab 10.1 has none of the optionals, though we wouldn’t be surprised if a carrier or two picked up the Tab 10.1, adding 3G or 4G along the way.  While all other Honeycomb tablets have an HDMI port, the Samsung does not. That doesn’t mean you can’t hook it up to your HD TV; you’ll have to purchase an adapter or dock separately. 

While the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the slimmest, lightest and best looking tablet on the market, we wonder if Samsung hasn’t gone too far down the iPad path. It’s darned near impossible to beat the iPad 2 at the gorgeous and simple game, and we’re not sure that Android folks want to give up functionality like USB, SD cards and simple HDMI out when Android’s counterpoint to iOS is the added capabilities it offers.  That said, if keeping it simple is your thing and Apple isn’t, you can’t get a better looking 10” Android tablet, nor a lighter one as of this writing. And the display? It’s simply awesome.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is, as its name implies, a 10.1” tablet. It has a marvelous 1280 x 800 display that’s extremely bright and color saturated (no, Super AMOLED doesn’t come this large but the color saturation and contrast remind us of Samsung’s AMOLED tech). Viewing angles aren’t quite as wide as the IPS iPad and Eee Pad Transformer, but they’re plenty wide enough for side-by-side movie watching enjoyment. Other than a modest difference in viewing angles, the Samsung easily competes with the Asus, the top dog of Honeycomb displays. The tablet has a GPS and the display is bright enough to be used in a car, though you’ll need some form of cellular data (a smartphone with the WiFi mobile hotspot feature) to download map data and directions on the go.

The tablet has a front 2.0 megapixel video chat camera and a rear 3 megapixel camera with LED flash. Most tablets have a 5 megapixel rear main camera, but we give Samsung the nod for getting the most out of 3 megapixels. Photos are decent with good exposure, color balance and color saturation. We’ll take the Samsung camera over the 5 megapixel Asus Eee Pad Transformer’s and Acer Iconia Tab A500’s.  The main camera can shoot fairly decent 720p video and there’s a very basic video editor included. The front 2 megapixel video chat camera (a common resolution among 10” Honeycomb tablets) shoots good looking video in Google’s Gtalk video chat.

The Tab 10.1 has Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and a healthy set of profiles including A2DP stereo and HID for Bluetooth keyboards (we tested a few and they worked fine). The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a whopping 7,000 mAh Lithium Ion battery. We’re impressed that Samsung found a way to pack such a large battery into this waifish tablet. As you might guess, with that much battery inside, the 10” Tab runs as long as the Transformer on a charge, and can handle three feature films on a charge easily with brightness set at an adequate 50%.

Build quality is excellent and the industrial design is lovely. The power and volume control buttons are small but easy to operate and have a nice feel when operated. The headphone jack is up top, and Samsung’s proprietary connector is at the bottom. This is the same multi-function connector used in the 7” Galaxy Tab, and we expect cables to be interchangeable. Both ship with the same small gloss black charger that puts out much more current than a USB port (tablets have higher capacity batteries than phones, hence tablets need higher amp chargers).  

The Tab’s back is gloss white, and Samsung lists a metallic gray version though we haven’t seen it. The back is plastic, so it loses quality and durability points compared to the Motorola Xoom and iPad 2, but that plastic is what makes it lighter. Though the build is excellent, the Tab is so slim that you can’t help but treat it gingerly. In comparison, the thicker metal-clad Motorola Xoom (also $599 for the 32 gig WiFi-only version) feels like it could be used as a weapon.

Samsung ships a USB cable that connects the tablet’s 30 pin connector to a standard USB port. The bad news is that Samsung didn’t opt for standard mass storage mode so the tablet could mount as a removable drive. Instead we have the horror that is Samsung Kies, the company’s oddball syncing protocol based on MTP that’s been such a headache on Samsung Android phones (which at least also had a USB mass storage mode). The Galaxy Tab 10.1 wouldn’t mount at all on any of our Mac OS X computers even though we had Google’s Android File Transfer app for Honeycomb tablets up and running. 

We mostly got it to appear under My Computer with a few Windows 7 notebooks, but it was hit or miss. MTP (media transfer protocol) is supposed to make life easy when transferring content from Windows Media Player to a portable media player. We don’t think that’s the most appropriate way to handle what amounts to a computer stand-in.  Samsung, this is not a pocket media player. With an Android tablet, you’re just as likely to want to transfer MS Office files, video taken with the tablet’s camera and other non-Windows Media Player content.  The Tab, when it begrudgingly appeared under My Computer did all the weird things that MTP devices do under Windows, including telling you that you might not be able to browse another folder on the Tab while copying files at the same time, and offering to convert inappropriate items.  Our laptops automatically installed drivers for Kies on first connect, but a serial driver failed, though things still (sort of) worked. Windows Update found a new version of the Kies driver, but it failed to download and install on two computers.

This leads to our complaint about the lack of a micro SD card slot and a USB host port. It’s not fun using the USB cable to transfer stuff in Samsung Kies mode. It would be nice to plug in a flash drive or micro SD card to get files on and off the device. Our Acer Iconia Tab does this, our Eee Pad Transformer has a micro SD card slot, the Motorola Xoom has USB host (though you really have to hunt for the proper cable) and will some day have a functional microSD card slot. Thank goodness for DropBox, for those of you who don’t mind storing files on the cloud. Like the iPad 2, your connection and file transfer options are limited, but at least it’s very easy to connect an iPad to a Mac or Windows PC. 

Since the Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs standard Android 3.1 Honeycomb, there’s not much to be said for software. Samsung adds very little; heck there’s not even a demo game included, though they do include Quickoffice HD (an excellent tablet-centric Office suite) and Movie Studio (a very basic video editing app). Samsung Apps is a portal to Samsung apps (surprise) and third party apps.  The tablet has only been on the market a few days, and Samsung Apps has only a few apps (mostly Angry Birds games).  Sadly, Samsung’s Media Hub wasn’t ready in time for launch but Samsung says it’s coming. Media Hub is a TV show and movie rental and purchase portal run by Samsung. Unless Netflix releases a version of their app for the tablet, streaming and downloadable commercial TV and movie content with DRM is slim on the Tab 10.1 (the same is true of other Honeycomb tablets).  When it comes to additional apps, the Android Market is here and you can download apps to your heart’s content. The selection of tablet apps on the Market is still very slim compared to the iPad’s, but we’ve found a few sharp 3D games, a good selection of news readers, Flixster, IMDB and plenty more to keep us productive and entertained.

In terms of speed, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is quite fast and it’s as stable as other Honeycomb tablets (we see an occasional app crsh but nothing worse).  Though it feels fast, handles Adobe Flash 10.3 with Tegra 2 hardware acceleration well, and plays 1080p video perfectly, its Quadrant Benchmark score is a surprisingly uninspiring 1504, though Linpack is pretty good at 31.

Conclusion

Looks count, and undeniably the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the most attractive and slim Android tablet on the market. The iPad 2 has nothing on the Tab 10.1 in terms of looks and build quality other than the Tab’s plastic back that allows it to be lighter than Apple’s finest. The display is top notch with vivid colors, sharp text and plenty of brightness to tackle a bright room. The tablet is responsive, handles Adobe Flash and 1080p locally stored content well, and it runs Android tablet apps from the Market fine. We can’t help but miss what’s missing though: no microSD card slot, no standard USB port and no HDMI port. For the same price, the Motorola Xoom offers these and the Eee Pad Transformer has a card slot and HDMI for considerably less money. We could live without the expansion options if Samsung hadn’t foregone standard USB mass storage mode and made us suffer with Kies and the MTP protocol.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y570

What's hot: Sleek design, solid multimedia and gaming performance, dedicated graphics.

What's not: Screen resolution could be higher.

Lenovo designed the IdeaPad Y series notebooks as multimedia powerhouses, which means they can handle movie playback, video streaming and serious gaming. These notebooks come with premium audio packages, good thermal management and offer dedicated graphics at reasonable prices. The new Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 updates the processor to Intel second gen Sandy Bridge CPUs, NVIDIA GeForce 550M graphics, an optical drive with Blu-ray Disc option, stereo JBL speakers with SRS Premium Surround sound and optional USB 3.0. At the top of the line, you can get it with an Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU, 750GB hard drive and a 64GB SSD RapidBoot disk. The system has WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth and a 2 megapixel webcam.

We look at one of the most balanced configurations in the Y570 series that has plenty of power yet keeps the price reasonable, the 0862 24U model, with Intel Core i5-2410M CPU running at 2.30GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 550M discrete graphics switchable with Intel HD Graphics 3000, for $850. The IdeaPad Y570 runs productivity tasks smoothly, plays movies at optimum speeds and plays FPS games like Battlefield Bad Company 2, Wolfenstein and Mass Effect 2 at very good frame rates. 

Design

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 scores the latest new design from Lenovo: an embossed cover that looks hip in a Sci-Fi sort of way, with a purple-ish metallic interior that’s popular among recent Lenovo IdeaPad notebooks. The 15.6” screen is glossy and has decent viewing angles, and the max native resolution is 1366 x 768 in 16:9 ratio. For a 15.6” display, we wish the screen resolution were a little higher. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 has excellent audio with JBL stereo speakers that sound super loud and incredibly full for notebook speakers. They provide immersive sound for video playback, music and gaming. 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 has a standard keyboard with 6 rows of chiclet style keys. The keyboard is spacious but the keys themselves aren’t very big. Key travel is good and tactile feedback is decent, but the typing experience on the IdeaPad Y570 can’t compete with the excellent typing on the Lenovo ThinkPad line. 

The IdeaPad Y570 has a spacious wrist rest area and a large touchpad with touch slider support. The touchpad is off center to the left a bit, matching the center of the Space bar. A mouse button rocker lives just below the touchpad. The Lenovo has plenty of LED lights above the keyboard indicating audio settings, display modes, cap lock and hard disk status. The system weight is about 6 pounds.

Ports

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 has a good number of ports including 3 USB 2.0 ports with an optional 3.0 upgrade, a USB/eSata combo port, 6-in-1 SD card reader (SD, SD-pro, MMC, MS, MS-pro and XD), headphone jack, mic jack, VGA monitor connector, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet port and a 2xMini-PCIe slot under a small cover. The 6-cell battery goes on the back of the laptop, and the RAM and hard drive are under a large screwed-on cover on the bottom. The Y570-0862 24U model comes with 4GB RAM, so you can add another 4GB DDR3 SODIMM in the second open slot. The system can address 8 gigs of RAM.

Playing FPS games on the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a joy. It handled most of the games we threw at it with relative ease. We’ve included a video of two of the games we tested with frame rate turned on in Fraps. The cut scenes in Battlefield Bad Company 2 played at 30 fps and above, and gameplay ran at 35 fps to 60 fps at peak. Wolfenstein cut scenes and gameplay ran at 60 fps throughout the game. We’ve also included the settings we used with these games for our testing and videos. We ran the games at the max display resolution for the Lenovo, which is 1366 x 768, and let the games select the appropriate graphics detail levels. 

Hardware and Performance

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570-0862 24U runs on a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M dual core CPU with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and 3MB cache. The system comes with a single 4GB DDR3 memory module, and it has two memory slots supporting up to 8GB memory. The IdeaPad has switchable graphics: Intel HD graphics 3000 and NVIDIA GeForce 550M dedicated graphics with 1GB memory. The IdeaPad Y570 comes with a 500GB 5400RPM hard drive, and you can opt for a 750GB drive. The IdeaPad Y570 comes with a standard DVD/CD combo and again, you can choose a higher model with Blu-ray and DVD combo drive for more money. The higher end IdeaPad Y570-0862 28U also comes with a 64GB SSD with RapidBoot technology in addition to a 750GB hard drive. 

We put the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 through PCmark Vantage and 3DMark Vantage tests as well as real life productivity tasks and gaming. The benchmark numbers along with Windows Experience Index numbers are below; we also provide PCMark Vantage numbers from the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560p with Intel Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge with four cores for comparison. For gaming, we recorded gameplay videos of 3D FPS games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Wolfenstein with fps numbers turned on.

We also hooked up the notebook with an HD TV and played Battlefield Bad Company 2 in 1920 x 1080 60Hz. The game played at 25-35 fps. The system also runs cool. After over an hour of intensive gaming, the CPU temp reached 68 degrees Celsius and it never became overly warm to the touch. When watching movies and playing less intensive games, the system only reached 53 degrees. 

3DMark Vantage Cores:

3DMark Score: 4752
GPU Score: 4128
CPU Score: 8688

Windows Experience Index:

Processor: 6.9
Memory: 7.2
Graphics: 4.7
Gaming graphics: 6.7
Primary hard disk: 5.9

Lenovo IdeaPad Y560p with 2GHz Intel Core i7, 6 gigs RAM and 750 gig 5400RPM hard disk: PCMark Suite: 7803 Memories Suite: 5153 TV and Movies Suite: 5500 Gaming Suite: 6879 Music Suite: 6827 Communications Suite: 6648 Productivity Suite: 5621 HDD Test Suite: 3674

Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 PCMark Suite: 6157 Memories Suite: 4510 TV and Movies Suite: 2704 Gaming Suite: 5342 Music Suite: 6366 Communications Suite: 5834 Productivity Suite: 4865 HDD Test Suite: 3579

The benchmark numbers are on par with other Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 systems and the graphics score reflects the power. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 performed well in all productivity tasks including surfing the web, checking email, working on MS Office documents, working with MS Movie Maker, video conferencing and music playback. Movie playback and video streaming are solid as well. Hulu played at 25 fps in full screen mode, as did DVD and Netflix playback. 

Software

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 ships with Windows 7 Home Premium and a suite of Lenovo system tools and utilities for system backup, using the webcam and more. Lenovo bundles CyberLink’s YouCam 3.0 software which functions as your regular video chat software as well as turning the webcam into a video surveillance recorder. There is also an ooVoo link if you want to use their video chat service. The system also comes with VeriFace 3.6 that lets you use your face as a login tool. Other tools from Lenovo include OneKey Rescue for system backups, recovery and recovery disc creation, Energy Management Software 5.0 and Lenovo OneKey Theater II audio-visual optimizer. CyberLink Power2Go 5 is included for making DVDs and MS Office Starter 2010 is also on the system. For security, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 comes with McAfee VirusScan Plus.

Lenovo takes fast boot times very seriously. The notebook times boot time and if you experienced a slow boot, it will offer you to do some tweaking with the Lenovo EE Boot Optimizer software onboard to optimize your boot time, though ironically the optimization takes quite a bit of time to finish the process, and you have to reboot your computer again for it to take effect. The process shaved off 10 seconds from boot up time in our test.

Battery

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 comes with a 6-cell battery with claimed average usage time of 4 hours. We tested the battery in real life tasks such as running productivity software, movie streaming, DVD playing and gaming. The notebook lasted for 4:30 hours while surfing the web, working on MS documents, PDF and email. Streaming Hulu lasted 4:15 hours on a charge, and playing DVDs lasted 4:15 hours as well. Gaming uses up power faster, especially resource intensive FPS games. We got about 2:45 hours of FPS games on average. These tests were done under the Balanced setting in the Energy Management tool with screen brightness set to max level. 

The power supply for the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is large brick world charger.

Conclusion

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 comes in what Lenovo calls "Dusk Black" and it's a great higher-end college student laptop, and it will suit users who need plenty of multimedia and good gaming power. The system we tested costs $849 on Lenovo’s web site, and Lenovo sells the top of the line version with Core i7, Blu-ray drive, 750GB HDD/64GB SSD for $1249. The prices on different pre-build models are comparable to competing systems with similar specs from other manufacturers.

With the IdeaPad Y570, you get a good amount of power for your money, and a useful software bundle. The notebook has a new skin that looks unique and any gamer will love the copper heat sinks that you can see through the heat vent. The second gen Intel Core CPU has excellent performance in this system and does save some power when unplugged thanks to Intel HD3000 graphics. Minor issues we have with the IdeaPad Y570 include the keyboard, which could use better travel and the typical glare from the glossy display. 

Pro: Sleek design, solid multimedia and gaming performance, nice software bundle.

Con: Screen resolution could be higher, if only as an option.