Tag Archives: budget

LG Optimus F3 confirmed for those on a budget

Leave a reply

Today we’re getting our first official look at the upcoming LG Optimus F3 for the Now Network. This budget-friendly smartphone has leaked on Twitter from the usual @evleaks, and a few of the details have been revealed. LG first announced their new F series at Mobile World Congress, and now it looks like the low-end is headed to a few US carriers soon.

LG-Optimus-F3

All the details of the leak were released from the folks at Phone Arena, which weren’t much. The leakster didn’t reveal full specs, price, or a release date, but we know it’s coming. However it does state to look for it in the next few weeks, and that it should be priced aggressively.

If it indeed comes in a similar package as what we saw at Mobile World Congress the Optimus F3 should be a dual-core smartphone with a 4-inch display. So while it won’t be top of the line, it should be a mildly impressive phone for first-time buyers or budget conscious shoppers.

At the same time this leak also states that the recently released (see our full review) LG Optimus G Pro and that massive 5.5-inch 1080p display will also be headed to the Now Network, and AT&T won’t have the exclusive rights to the phablet.

LG also has an Optimus F5 and F7 in the works, but so far this is the first device that should be hitting the market. Stay tuned for more info.

SOURCE: @evleaks

Android Community

Vodafone Smart III is new own-branded budget offering

Leave a reply

Vodafone Smart III

£95 up-front gets you Jelly Bean on a 4-inch screen

If you were wondering just how much smartphone you can get for under £100, Vodafone UK has your answer. The Vodafone Smart III is the latest entrant in the operator's Smart line, coming with mostly vanilla Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (despite the distinctly ICS-looking search bar) on a 4-inch WVGA screen. It's powered by an unnamed 1GHz processor with 512MB of RAM, and packs 5-megapixel rear camera, so there's nothing too fancy going on under the hood. But it's an attractive enough design, and we always like to see more vanilla Android out there.

The Vodafone Smart III sells for £95 outright on PAYG, and is given away for free on contracts starting at £13 per month. The device is on sale now in black and white color options.

Source: Vodafone

    




Android Central – Android Forums – News – Reviews – Help and Android Wallpapers

Budget MediaTek big.LITTLE chip supposed to be available this year

Leave a reply

MediaTek chip

I love the idea behind the big.LITTLE architecture; powerful cores for peak processing backup up by less power hungry CPUs for the more simple day to day tasks, it makes perfect sense. But the big.LITTLE architecture has had a few teething problems when it comes to balancing efficiency and performance, and it’s a pretty expensive piece of hardware.  Perhaps someone else needs to step into the ring and broaden the choice for consumers.

Of course we know that Qualcomm and MediaTek aren’t interested in octo-core chips, they said so themselves, but MediaTek does appear to like big.LITTLE, as it’s preparing to release its own chip by the end of the year, at least according to industry sources.

The chip will be called the MT8135 and will again be using Cortex A15 and A7 cores, but in a 2-by-2 rather than a 4-by-4 combination. The chip will supposedly be clocked much slower than Samsung’s version, crawling in at a peak of 1Ghz. However, this does mean that it will be a lot less power hungry than the 1.8Ghz Cortex A15s found in the Samsung Galaxy S4, and it should still be more than powerful enough for a decent smartphone or tablet.

The MT8135 will be much cheaper to manufacture than Samsung’s design, as it uses fewer cores and won’t have to tolerate higher temperatures generated by fast clock speeds. But brute power isn’t everything, and I’m more than happy to see a company pursue energy efficiency over clock-speeds and bumping up the number of cores for once.

Knowing MediaTek, this chip will be targeted at mid range devices, which is certainly a good thing for those looking to upgrade at a reasonable price. Expect to see a few more big.LITTLE chips for all budgets heading our way before the end of the year.

    

Android Authority

Acer Iconia A1 preview reveals budget competitor to the iPad mini

Leave a reply

Acer

So you’re looking for a tablet, you say? But you find a Nexus 7 to be too small and a Nexus 10 to be large? Looking for a device in the middle? Except, there aren’t many choices in this segment of the tablet market, with the iPad mini and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 the first tablets that come to mind. However, these devices are still out of the price range of many people.

Enter Acer, the prominent PC vendor has been making a name for itself, releasing cheap, yet still very capable Android tablets to the market. The company will apparently soon release the recently rumored Acer Iconia A1, a 7.9 inch-iPad mini competitor, with a rumored price that’s sure to woo some people.

The Iconia A1 is said to come with a 7.9-inch IPS display, a quad-core chip and costs half of what the iPad mini does. Oh, and did we mention it’s running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean?

index-acer-iconia-a1

According to a first hands-on preview of the device, the Iconia A1 has a few software tricks up its sleeves as well. Acer has fitted the tablet with an application it has dubbed “Acer Life Image,” a mashup of Story Album and Zoe, found on the Galaxy S4 and HTC One, respectively. It allows you create a blog of photo albums and to search through keywords or event names, as well as share photos and the ability to edit your photos.

Another addition, is “Acer Touch WakeApp,” allowing you to wake the device by tapping the screen, or by placing two thumbs on the screen, or by placing five fingers simultaneously on the display.

This one is a similar to a feature found in the Nokia N9 a few years back, but what is different here is the ability to configure these gesture to open a specific application. For example, by placing two thumbs on the screen, you can open a note taking application, while five fingers down opens the camera app.

Here’s the full specifications list, according to Tablet.bg:

  • Operating System: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
  • Processor: MediaTek MT8125 (quad-core, 1.20GHz, Cortex-A9)
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Internal storage: 8GB/16GB versions (11.8GB free to the user in the latter)
  • Graphics: PowerVR SGX
  • Display: 7.9-inch 1024 х 768 pixel, capacitive IPS
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Cameras: 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera, recording 1080p video and a VGA front camera
  • Sensors, other connectivity: GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, 3.5mm jack, MicroSD card slot, Micro USB 2.0
  • Battery: 3250 mAh battery
  • Thickness: 11.10 mm
  • Weight: 460 grams

The Iconia A1 doesn’t seem to be the slimmest tablet at 11.1mm thick, nor is it the lightest, but with a capable processor, a MicroSD slot, both front and back facing cameras, a decent enough screen, it sure looks like a good deal. The price is said to be listed at 169 euros, meaning it should be under $ 200 in the U.S. Possibly the only thing that gives me pause, is its rather small 3250mAh battery, which may be of a concern.

If you’re looking for a capable 8-inch tablet, with a decent set of specifications and a sweet price, the Acer Iconia A1 should definitely be on your radar, once it becomes official.

Is the Acer Iconia A1, what you’ve been looking for in a tablet? Are other budget tablets like the Nexus 7 the better choice?

Android Authority

Nokia Lumia 520 review: does Nokia need another budget Windows Phone?

Leave a reply

Nokia Lumia 520 review does Nokia need another budget Windows Phone

Oh, for an easy life. Sometimes it’d be nice to just read a phone’s spec sheet, compare prices and make a decision. In a number of ways, the Nokia Lumia 520 looks like just the type of handset where this ought to be possible: it has the same reliable internals and happy design language that have already proven their worth in the Lumia 620, but it makes a couple of sacrifices for the sake of its £115 pay-as-you-go price tag in the UK — which undercuts the higher model by a good £30-£50 depending on where you shop. It’s even cheaper in the US, where a $ 150 Lumia 521 variant (not the one reviewed here) is scheduled for general availability on T-Mobile starting tomorrow.

These sacrifices seem straightforward enough, and they include things that many smartphone users may barely notice, such as the absence of a front-facing camera, camera flash module and NFC. The problem is that the specs are never the full story. Like any phone, the Lumia 520 comes with a few surprises. Read on and we’ll try to root them out.

Gallery: Nokia Lumia 520 review

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Engadget RSS Feed

Archos officially announces its new budget smartphone line

Leave a reply

Archos

Late last night we reported that Archos was preparing to launch a new smartphone line for the European market. The news is now official. The three budget-oriented handsets are the 35 Carbon, 50 Platinum and 53 Platinum. The phones are priced outright at $ 100, $ 220 and $ 250, respectively.

Although neither of these handsets are going to blow you away, they aren’t half bad considering their low costs. All three handsets feature 7.2Mbps HSPA 3G, 4GB storage, microSD and dual SIM slots. All three phones also run stock Android.

The entry-level 35 Carbon has a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon S1 with 512MB of RAM. Other specs include a 3.8-inch HVGA display, a VGA camera and ICS.

Next up is the 50 Platinum, which has a much bigger 5-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear cam, 2MP front cam and is powered by Jelly Bean.

The last of these is the 53 Platinum, which has the same features as the 50 Platinum, except for a larger 5.3-inch display.

The phones are expected to hit Europe in late May. No word on if they plan to move outside of Europe, though here’s to hoping they make their way over to the North American market.

Denver, CO – April 18th, 2013 – ARCHOS, a pioneer in AndroidTM devices, is pleased to announce its first line of GoogleTM certified smartphones. Each smartphone will feature a super slim design, IPS screen with amazing viewing angles, a powerful Qualcomm CPU and the flexibility of dual SIM cards which allow the user to manage two providers simultaneously.

The ARCHOS 35 Carbon ($ 99.99), ARCHOS 50 Platinum ($ 219.99) and ARCHOS 53 Platinum ($ 249.99) will be the first in a new line of smartphones to be released and will be available starting in Europe at the end of May 2013.

“The smartphone market is shifting, as SIM-free sales versus subsidized sales are increasing, and ARCHOS is prepared to respond, as we can offer retail channels affordable, unlocked and feature-rich smartphones without the need to subsidize,” says Loïc Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS. “Furthermore smartphones and tablets are interrelated markets that have quickly crossed over with the arrival of “phablets” – half-phone, half-tablet devices. It only makes sense that this should be our next phase of products as this would be a natural fit for our brand and long term growth.”

Ranging from 3.5″ to 5.3″ in size, the first three smartphones to be released in Q2 will include a range of features, connectivity, CPU’s and storage. The flagship device, the ARCHOS 50 Platinum, features a stunning 5.0 inch full black IPS display paired with a quad-core CPU at 1.2GHz and 8 M Pixels camera. End-users will have an experience similar to a Samsung Galaxy S3 for half the price.

In addition, all smartphones in this new line will include:

* Pure un-skinned Android OS
* Google Certification for access to Google PlayTM and Google Mobile Services including Google NowTM
* Dual SIM flexibility to manage two providers simultaneously from one phone
* An IPS Screen with amazing viewing angles
* Full Black Screen Process
* ARCHOS Media Centre Apps for music and videos
* Cloud-Based Contacts and Storage
* Front and Back Cameras for capturing the perfect picture

For full Smartphone technical specifications please visit:

50Platinum: www.archos.com/products/smartphones/platinum/archos_50platinum/index.html

53Platinum : www.archos.com/products/smartphones/platinum/archos_53platinum/index.html

35Carbon : www.archos.com/products/smartphones/carbon/archos_35carbon/index.html

For more information about ARCHOS products visit www.ARCHOS.com.

Android Authority

Alleged budget iPhone shows off polycarbonate body, brings back good memories

Leave a reply

Alleged leak suggests upcoming budget iPhone will revert to polycarbonate body

The rumor about that more affordable iPhone just keeps coming back, but this time we’re finally seeing some sort of progress. Courtesy of case manufacturer Tactus, we’re apparently looking at the upcoming budget iPhone’s polycarbonate shell which was spotted at a factory that provides parts to Foxconn. It’s the same story for the “iPad 5″ case leak that Tactus published two days ago (the same day as our own scoop), so the company does seem to have a good contact for this kind of goodies — and it is a very competitive market, after all.

Compared to the old polycarbonate iPhone 3G and 3GS, this mysterious shell appears to have a flat back instead of the old curved one, meaning it should reduce manufacturing complexity and therefore the cost as well. Another notable difference is that the old volume rocker is split into two, and then there’s also the LED flash that was absent on the old polycarbonate iPhones. Tactus adds that this body is slightly taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4 and 4S, but what we do struggle to believe is that apparently the same factory is producing this shell in black and white as well as blue, red and yellow. A decoy, perhaps? Only time will tell.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Tactus (budget iPhone leak), (“iPad 5″ case leak)

Engadget RSS Feed

ZTE Director launches on US Cellular for those on a budget

Leave a reply

Today the folks from ZTE and US Cellular announced the latest smartphone that will be headed to the regional carrier soon. It’s called the ZTE Director and this little entry-level budget smartphone is aimed for those on a budget or looking for their first smartphone. It’s just 1 cent with a new contract, or $ 99 to buy outright and we have all the details.

ZTE_Director_1

It certainly isn’t a top end smartphone, or even mid-range for that matter but the low price should help sway some potential buyers. According to ZTE the Director is a nice little Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone that should make most users happy.

Now for the important parts. The Director sports a 3.5-inch WVGA display, a 1.0 GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM, and just 4GB of internal storage. It certainly isn’t much, but for free you can’t really complain too much I suppose. However, we do get a micro-SD slot for adding more storage and a 3 megapixel camera for those Facebook photos and such.

Under the hood you’ll be happy to know there’s an average sized 1,500 mAh battery that should keep the phone juiced up, and music apps such as Slacker Radio and Amazon Music will come pre-loaded for some content enjoyment. More details can be found by heading to US Cellular and taking a look. If you’re interested in a cheap phone for the kids this summer, take a peek at the new ZTE Director from US Cellular.

[via CNET]

Android Community

Huawei G510 heads to Vodafone UK, puts Jelly Bean on a budget

Leave a reply

Huawei G510 heads to Vodafone UK, puts Jelly Bean on a budget

Huawei’s G510 isn’t what you’d call a screamer. In fact, the handset’s more of what the Chinese market refers to as a “1,000 yuan” phone, or as we so benignly call it: a budget device. Formerly available in Asia-only, the G510′s now making the trek to the UK on Vodafone for £130 outright or £13 monthly. Despite its lower-end leanings, the Android Jelly Bean device packs a reasonably large 4.5-inch WVGA display, dual-core Cortex-A9 clocked at 1.2GHz, 5-megapixel rear camera, NFC and a 1,750mAh battery. It’s also the first of Huawei’s UK releases to ship with its custom skin, the Emotion UI. It’s a questionable bragging right, we admit. But we’ll let it slide for now.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Engadget RSS Feed

US budget has NASA planning to capture an asteroid, USAF reviving DSCOVR (video)

Leave a reply

2014 US budgets have NASA towing an asteroid near the Moon, reviving DSCOVR

Many have lamented the seeming decline of the US space program. While we’re not expecting an immediate return to the halcyon days, the President’s proposed federal budget for fiscal 2014 could see some renewed ambition. NASA’s slice of the pie includes a plan that would improve detection of near-Earth asteroids, send a solar-powered robot ship (like the NASA concept above) to capture one of the space rocks and tow it back to a stable orbit near Earth, where researchers could study it up close. The agency would have humans setting foot on the asteroid by 2025, or even as soon as 2021. It’s a grand goal to say the least, but we’d potentially learn more about solar propulsion and defenses against asteroid collisions.

If NASA’s plans mostly involve the future, the US Air Force budget is looking into the past. It’s setting aside $ 35 million for a long-discussed resurrection of the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, also known as DSCOVR — a vehicle that was scuppered in 2001 due to cost overruns, among other factors. Run by NOAA once aloft, the modernized satellite would focus on warning the Earth about incoming solar winds. That’s just one of the satellite’s original missions, but the November 2014 launch target is relatively realistic — and we’ll need it when the satellite currently fulfilling the role is overdue for a replacement.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Space.com

Source: NASA, AP (Yahoo)

Engadget RSS Feed