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Sharp launches two new Aquos 4K LCD TVs into the Japanese market

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Sharp launches two new Aquos 4K LCD TVs into the Japanese market

Sharp has just introduced a couple of high-end TVs if you’re rich enough to be seeking an UltraHD set and lucky enough to live in Japan: the 70-inch LC-70UD1 and the 60-inch LC-60UD1, part of the new 4K Aquos UD1 series. Each will feature Sharp’s 4K “Moth-eye” panel, Aquos 4K-Master Engine Pro HD upconversion engine, 2.1 channel THX surround and 3D capability. The 70-inch model will run 850,000 yen ($ 8,290) and launch on June 15th, while the 60-inch set will arrive August 10th for 650,000 yen ($ 6,335). There’s no word yet on a stateside arrival, but based on what Sharp said at CES 2013 in January, it may join a 32-inch 4K Aquos model sometime later this year.

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Via: AV Watch (translated)

Source: Sharp (translated)

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Review: ThL W100, the cheapest branded quad-core smartphone on the market

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thl-w100-promo-imageSome people mistakenly think that all Android phones that come out of China are white-label devices with no support and no hope of future upgrades. That is true of some phones, but not all. China has several popular international brands including ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo. ThL is another brand that is popular in China where it has over 340 stores across the country. Its phones are also for sale internationally from places like Chinavasion. The ThL W100 is its latest smartphone and it was launched only this week. Not only does this phone have a 4.5 inch IPS display, sport a quad-core Cortex A7 based processor, include an 8MP rear camera along with an amazing 5MP front-facing camera, it only costs $ 169! That makes it the first branded quad-core Android smartphone to be offered internationally for less than $ 200.

Hardware

At the heart of the W100 is the MTK6589, a quad-core A7 processor designed for low power but yet quad-core performance. A7 cores are becoming increasingly popular and are starting to replace the Cortex A9 cores that were popular in dual-core phones. By using the A7 core the MTK6589 is able to reduce its energy needs, but at the same time offer quad-core performance. Here are the full specs of the ThL W100:

  • 4.5 inch, 960 x 540, 5 point multi-touch IPS display
  • Android 4.2
  • 1.2GHz MTK6589 quad-core CPU
  • PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU
  • 8MP Rear Camera + 5MP Front-Facing Camera
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Dual-SIM
  • 3G: WCDMA: 850/2100MHz
  • 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
  • WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
  • GPS
  • Bluetooth
  • Full support for Google Play
  • Micro SD Card Slot
  • Proximity Sensor
  • Accelerometer Sensor
  • Light Sensor
  • Magnetic Field Sensor

thl-w100-in-the-box

The device is 134 mm long, 70 mm wide and 9 mm thick which is reasonable considering the 4.5 inch display. However the phone is amazingly light. It weighs just 102 grams and when I first picked it up I thought I had forgotten to put the battery in! Much of this lightness is achieved by using lots of plastic, so no aluminum uni-body designs here, but still it is pleasure to hold.

The phone only comes with 4GB of internal storage that is divided into 1GB phone storage and 3GB external storage. This can be a problem for larger apps or games as they simply won’t fit into the 1GB of phone storage. However the good news is that a microSD card can be added and in the settings the microSD card can be set as the default write location. This helps keep the price down but doesn’t leave the user frustrated with no hope of expanding the storage.

Although the resolution of the screen is “only” 960 x 540 the display is remarkably high quality. The IPS screen has excellent viewing angles, the colors are vibrant and when on full brightness the screen doesn’t look washed-out.  Below is a photo comparing the same image on a HTC One S, a Nexus 7 and the ThL W100. Although the HTC One S offers deeper coloring, I think the W100 is actually the best of the three displays (in terms of color at least).

thl-w100-display-test

Connectivity

The phone has all the standard connectivity options like Wi-Fi ( 802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth, 2G GSM and 3G. It doesn’t have NFC nor does it support LTE but for only $ 169 that isn’t a problem!

There are two SIM card slots both of which can be used for normal GSM services and messaging but only one of which can be used for 3G. It doesn’t matter which slot is used for 3G as everything is configurable via the settings. Which SIM is used by default to make calls, which SIM is the default for SMS and which SIM should be used for 3G can all be set accordingly. Both slots are unlocked and will work with any SIM card, contract free.

For 3G the phone only supports 850 and 2100MHz.  The latter number is the “normal” 3G frequency and should work in most places around the world, however a lot of carriers also use a secondary 3G spectrum range. In Asia this tends to be 850MHz, as supported by the W100, while in Europe it tends to be 900MHz. I tested the 3G slot with a local carrier which uses 2100MHz and 900MHz networks. The 3G worked fine but the range and effectiveness wasn’t as good as a phone that also supports 900MHz. The 3G connectivity will be optimal in areas with only a 2100MHz network or with a 850MHz/2100MHz network.

I compared the Wi-Fi signals strengths of the W100 with a HTC One S and a Nexus 7 using the free “Wifi Analyzer” app from the Google Play Store. The W100 performed just as well as those two devices and I was able to access the Internet from all around the house and outside without any problems.

Software

The phone runs Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean and includes Google Play and Google Now. The phone is running a slightly tweaked version of stock Android. The most noticeable difference is the transparency of the app draw. When the app draw is opened the background (but not the desktop) can still be seen. It is visually pleasing and a nice touch from ThL. The other thing I noticed was that the settings app uses color icons. Other than that, everything looks to be stock Android.

The device supports Google Play and although not all the official Google apps like YouTube etc are pre-loaded, it is a simple matter to install them via the Play Store. Using Google Play was simple and I didn’t encounter any “incompatible” apps. All the top free, paid and essential apps like Twitter, Yahoo! and Facebook all reported compatibility with the W100. For those who like customization it is worth noting that the phone isn’t rooted by default.

thl-w100-software-diffs

Performance

The MediaTek MT6589 is becoming increasingly popular at the lower end of the quad-core smartphone market and since it uses one of the the latest core architectures from ARM, it is a good choice for this phone (and other in the range).

I previously tested the 5.8 inch, 720p Mithril phone which uses the same processor and the results are very similar with the W100 getting slightly higher benchmark results mainly due to its smaller screen (and hence less effort needed by the CPU/GPU).

The phone scores 13,041 on AnTuTu (compared to the Mithril’s 12,737). Putting that into some context it means that AnTuTu rates the W100 as being faster than the Google Nexus 7, the Asus Transformer Prime (both of which are Tegra 3 quad-core devices) and faster than the Samsung Galaxy Note. Similarly the W100 scores 4006 on Quadrant putting it on par with the Asus Transformer Prime. For further comparison the ThL W1, which is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 based MT6577, scored 6436 on AnTuTu and 2737 on Quadrant. Older dual core phones like the HTC One score just under 7000 on AnTuTu. Overall the phone performed well and there was no lags or annoying pauses. It felt as fluid and usable as any of the Android devices I have at hand, maybe even better.

thl-w100-benchmarks-645

A quick test using Epic Citadel showed that the W100 can manage an average of 47.4 frames per second at 960 x 544 using the high resolution mode. The Tegra 3 based Asus Transformer TF300 manages 46.5 FPS and the Nexus 7 53.7 FPS.

Camera

The W100 includes an 8MP camera which takes vibrant pictures and is certainly well beyond what to expect in this price range. Also the inclusion of a 5MP front facing camera is remarkable. The built-in camera app includes features like face detection, HDR, continuous shooting and panorama. The camera works well for quasi-macros shots and I was able to get a good focus lock on objects even when quite close. The dandelion picture below demonstrates this the best.

thl-w100-camera1

thl-w100-camera2

thl-w100-camera3

Battery

In the box ThL provide two 1800 mAh batteries. The advantage of two batteries is that you can leave home with both fully charged and know that you will get double the battery life during long journeys or times away from a mains socket! The device includes a fairly standard USB mains charging adapter and the phone can also be charged from a laptop or PC since charging only requires 500mA. My battery tests revealed that the ThL W100 can play video for about six hours on one charge. In another test I found that a full battery will allow you to watch YouTube videos over Wi-Fi for about five hours or play heavy 3D games for about three hours.

Conclusion

For those with questions about buying electronics online from China, see our guide (part one, part two) – it isn’t as difficult as you might imagine. For $ 169 this phone could be missing half the features it has an I would still recommend it! OK, this isn’t a Samsung Galaxy S4 or a HTC One, but it costs a lot less than they do. The W100 has a quad core processor based on ARM’s low power consumption Cortex A7, a vibrant IPS display, good connectivity options, reasonable battery life and a nice 8MP camera. The support for only 850MHz and 2100MHz on the 3G  side could be limiting to some, but there are other advantages like dual-SIM support plus features like GPS and a compass. All that from a branded Chinese company for just $ 169.

    




Android Authority

Sony Xperia L arrives unlocked for the US market

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Sony has officially launched another Xperia branded handset for those in the US market. This latest addition is the Sony Xperia L and similar to other recent releases, this one has arrived unlocked and is being sold on a no-contract basis. The Xperia L sports a 4.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 854 x 480 and is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

sony-xperia-l-colors-50

Otherwise, the specs are not what we would describe as being high-end, however the handset does have a price that matches. The Xperia L has 8GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot and is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 processor with 1GB of RAM.

Those making a purchase can also expect to find the usual array of features including WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Xperia L has a front-facing camera along with an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Sony touts the Xperia L as being a “camera lovers’ phone” which seems to be another way of saying the handset has the ExmorRS for Mobile image sensor.

The other bit worth mentioning is the colors — the Xperia L is available in black, white or red. Sony has the Xperia L priced at $ 349.99 and at present, the store listing is showing an estimated shipping date of May 23rd. Additionally, as we often seen with Sony Store orders, those ordering the Xperia L will get free ground shipping.

Looking back and we have also seen the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL come available for those in the US. Both of those handsets are also selling unlocked and they are each priced at $ 629.99. Finally, as per what seems standard for unlocked Sony handsets here in the US, the Xperia L has network support for HSPA+ on the 850, 1900, 1700, 2100 MHz bands.

SOURCE: Sony

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Panasonic P51 breaks into the Indian phone market with a 5-inch screen and stylus

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Panasonic brings smartphones to India with the 5-inch P51

Although Panasonic’s cellphones have traveled far from Japan, the company has left the hot Indian market relatively untapped — until today, that is. The company is staking its first proper claim in the country with the launch of the P51. The Android 4.2-toting smartphone reflects the local market’s taste for big-screened yet modest phones between its 5-inch, 720p LCD and quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek processor, but comes across as a sort of Galaxy Note lite: Panasonic bundles both a capacitive stylus and a magnetic flip cover in the box. The remaining hardware is a slightly unusual mix of budget and premium components, with the so-so 1GB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage buffered by an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera and support for both HSPA+ and dual SIM cards. The P51 will be comparatively expensive for India at 26,900 rupees ($ 517) contract-free when it’s available next week, but it should be a bargain next to its pen-packing Samsung counterpart.

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Via: FoneArena

Source: Panasonic

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Gartner: Android continues its reign as king of the smartphone market, now controls 75%

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Android

Technology research firm Gartner has released its report on world smartphone sales for the first quarter of 2013. The report puts both Android and Samsung as leaders in their respective markets, with Android accounting for 74.4% of all smartphone units sold and Samsung controlling 30.8% of the smartphone market.

Android has continued its stratospheric rise to prominence, with its market share increasing 17.5% year on year. Every other major smartphone operating system suffered losses, except for Microsoft’s Windows Phone, although the improvement from 1.9% to 2.9% probably isn’t the result Redmond was hoping for.

 gartner-smartphone-sales-report-q1-2013-2

Google’s nearest competitor, Apple’s iOS dropped from 22.5% to 18.2%, continuing its slow decline. Blackberry’s (formerly known as Research In Motion) marketshare was cut in half and Samsung’s ill-fated Bada OS and Nokia’s decaying Symbian, both continued their trip to the operating system graveyard, as they couldn’t even muster a single percent each.

Smartphone sales increased from 147 million units sold in Q1 2012 to 210 million, however, interestingly all smartphone markets declined, with the exception of the Asia/Pacific region, which grew 6.4% year on year. Total handset sales reached 426 million in Q1 2013, an 0.7% increase compared with the same period last year.

Samsung continued its growth, albeit not as record-breaking as we have grown accustomed to, with it now controlling 30.8% of the market. Apple came in second with 18.2% of the market and LG, on the back of its successes with the Nexus 4, Optimus G and Optimus G Pro, rounded out the top 3.

gartner-smartphone-sales-report-q1-2013-1

Chinese manufacturers ZTE and Huawei completed the top 5, with device makers Nokia, HTC, Lenovo, Sony and Co. making up the “others” section. Gartner also claims that budding operating systems Tizen, Firefox OS and Ubuntu will not affect the smartphone market in any great manner.

Both Android and Samsung are at the top of their respective food chains right now and it doesn’t look like this will change anytime soon. Samsung has recently released its flagship smartphone in the Galaxy S4 and Android will be bolstered by the introduction of the S4 as well as the launch of the HTC One, meaning it would not come as a surprise if Google and Samsung can muster up even bigger numbers in the upcoming quarters.

Do you think Android can grow even larger than it is now? Will new operating systems affect the market?

    




Android Authority

Sony Xperia SP pre-orders go live for the US market

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Sony introduced the Xperia SP smartphone back in mid-March. At the time they had said the handset would be available during the second quarter, however they didn’t offer much in terms of where it would be available or how much it would be selling for. Well, flash forward till today and we now have word of Xperia SP pre-orders for those in the US market.

sony-xperia-sp-540

The pre-orders are available by way of the online Sony Store and at the moment, they are reflecting a shipping date of May 20th. The price of the handset is $ 489.99 and as we often see with unlocked Sony smartphones — that includes free two-day shipping. Sony seems to think high of the design of the Xperia SP. In this case they are referring to the handset as having the “brilliance of Sony in a stand-out design.”

You can get a look at the handset in the above image and judge that claim for yourself. In the meantime, lets talk specs so you can decide if the $ 489.99 price point is something you would consider fair. The Xperia SP specs include a 4.6-inch display at 1280 x 720, a dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. The handset will also arrive running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Remaining specs include a front-facing camera as well as an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with an Exmor RS for Mobile image sensor. Network support includes HSPA+ on 850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands as well as LTE on bands I, II, IV and V. Of course, Sony also has the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL smartphones selling unlocked for those in the US market.

[via Sony]

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info

    Device Name : Xperia SP
    Manufactuer : Sony
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : March 18, 2013
    Release Date : April 29, 2013
    Also Known As :

Display

  • Screen Size : 4.6 Inch
  • Resolution : 720×1280
  • Screen Type : TFT
Dimension & Weight

  • Height : 5.14 Inch
  • Width : 2.64 Inch
  • Depth : 0.39 Inch
  • Weight : 155 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 2370 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 734 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.1.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • 3GP
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
  • WMV
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
  • IM

Hardware

    CPU : Snapdragon S4 MSM8960T
    CPU Clock Speed : 1700 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 8 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11a
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • A2DP
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :


Android Community

Sony C3 leaks out, probably headed to the Chinese market

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Sony logo aa (1) - 600px

We’re big fans of Sony here at Android Authority. We’re hopeful for a comeback of sorts, and their Xperia line of phones is pretty good stuff. Sony is very supportive of the developer community, and their hardware is top notch.

Sony is also aware of the mobile industry downfalls. For a company that once had a near duopoly with Nokia, they’re aware of how precious their place in the market really is. Like many handset manufacturers, they’re wise to create devices at different price points, meaning more consumers consider them in their purchase decisions.

They’re also aware that Asia is an emerging market, and China is the low-hanging fruit on that tree. The largest country in Asia also has the biggest number of potential handset users. Chinese consumers are also keen for a good deal on a great handset, and manufacturers are clamoring to give them what they want. The battle for initial market presence will rely on who has the best device at the lowest price point.

With recent leaked info regarding their “C3” phone, it seems as though Sony is on the right path. While no official specs are out, we’re hearing all manner of things suggesting the device will be an entry level Xperia device, and pretty good to boot. Things like a 5-inch screen and 1.5GHz processor are nice, but definitely not earth shattering. The presence of a dual-SIM is normal for markets outside the US, and the persistent talk of a MediaTek chipset suggest lower-cost guts for the device.

The rumored sub-3,000 yuan (about $ 486 US dollars) is competitive, too. With most devices topping the $ 600 mark, Sony looks serious about staking a claim to China, and beyond. This is a good move at the right time, and one that could do wonders for Sony’s future in mobile.

 

    

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IDC: Android now leads the tablet market with a 56.5% share

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Tablet market share

There were more Android-based tablets shipped in Q1 2013 than all others combined, and here's why that matters

The Q1 2013 numbers from IDC, a technology and telecommunications research firm who keeps track of this sort of thing, show that Android tablets now lead the market with a 56.5-percent share. The 27,800,000 units shipped in the quarter is a 247-percent improvement from this time last year, when just 8,000,000 units were shipped. It's important to note that this increase doesn't come at the expense of Apple, who shipped 65.3-percent more tablets in Q1 2013 than they did in Q1 2012 — it shows the market is growing, and the lions share of new purchases are Android.

These sorts of numbers make CEOs and people who count pennies pretty happy, and will be the fuel for fanboy wars across the Internet, but why are they important? I'll tell you why — because the available selection of applications designed for Android tablets sucks.

Google keeps telling developers exactly how to build their app to take advantage of the real estate on a tablet, but because there weren't that many out there, nobody listened. Sure, there are some really great applications done "right" and look fabulous on our tablets, but most of them are just the phone version blown up to fill the seven or ten inch screen on your tablet with unused white space. Have a look at iPad apps, and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Hopefully, with more Android tablets being sold than any others, developers will take notice and change this. You simply can't afford to ignore over half the market, and we saw what happened when Android took the phone market away from everyone else. I'm looking for big things now that we can no longer be ignored.

Source: IDC

    




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Parrot ASTEROID app market gains a car-friendly version of Facebook

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Parrot launched their ASTEROID line of devices back in March. This device lineup consists of the Smart, Tablet and Mini — all of which have access to the Parrot ASTEROID Market. Before anyone shifts focus thinking this is yet another market to download Android apps, the ASTEROID market does have one unique factor going for it. This market brings a focus on apps that are designed for use while in the car.

parrot-asteroid-market-540

That being said, the Parrot ASTEROID Market contains a mix of free and paid apps and includes everything from GPS navigation solutions to apps that focus on traffic, music libraries and online radio. As of today however, the market has gotten a few new additions. The first of these new additions is Facebook.

Specifically, Facebook for ASTEROID, which is said to be able to help drivers “safely” stay connected. The app will allow the user to do everything from share updates to include images and videos. The app also shows notifications for likes and comments as well as offers the ability to chat, play games and in general use your “favorite Facebook apps and check in wherever they go.” For those thinking this sounds a bit involved for a driver, rest assured in knowing that “certain app functions may not be available while the vehicle is in motion.”

Shifting over and the other new additions to the Parrot ASTEROID Market include Mail, VLC, Recargo, Glympse and Roadhub. Keeping in line with the car features, these apps all have car friendly features. Take the Mail app for example, this will provide a new mail alert and even read new messages so the driver can simply listen.

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Android kicking butt and taking names, represents 58.4% market in the UK and 49.3% in the U.S.

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Android

Kantar Worldpanel’s latest stats are in, and it doesn’t look good for iOS. Based on the three month period ending with March, Android dominates the scene in every “key global market” with the exception of Japan, where iOS enjoys 3.4% more control than Android. That’s right, even the United States currently sees Android on top with 49.3% of the market, as opposed to iOS’ 43.7% share.

In Europe, the situation is even more dire for the Cupertino giant. In the United Kingdom, Android continues to steal the show with a massive 58.4% of the smartphone market, with iOS following in a distant second with 28.9%.

Think that’s a crazy low share for Apple? In Spain, Android represents 93.5% of the smartphone market for 2013, with Apple representing just 3.2% of the market. Looking at Spain, the UK, Germany, Italy and France together, Android represents 68.8% of the market, with iOS in second place with 19.4%. Similar growth exists in Australia as well.

kantar-data

This has clearly been a great year for Google’s Android OS, and is only about to get better with highly anticipated Android flagships like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 already generating quite a bit of hype, and rightfully so. One iPhone model just can’t compete with hundreds of excellent Android devices – ranging from the low end to the extremely high end – which is probably why rumors continue to indicate Apple is preparing a low-end handset of its own.

It is worth noting that while Apple didn’t get any great news with these latest stats, the situation for Microsoft is much better than ever before. In the United States, Windows Phone represented 5.6 percent of the sales for the first quarter of 2013, which was up 1.9 percent from the same period last year. In the European Union Five, Windows Phone represented 6.5% of the market, versus 4.1% last year during the same timeframe.

For Symbian and Blackberry, things continued about as you’d expect them: downhill in every market that Kantar tracks.

What do you think of these latest stats? Does it surprise you that Apple is continuing to decline while Microsoft is starting to see growth?

Android Authority