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And here we are ladies and gents, we’ll be witnessing yet another milestone in the mobile industry. Lava (an Indian mobile phones company) is preparing to launch the Xolo smartphone which, hardware wise, runs on an Atom platform. As the OS is concerned the weapon of choice would be Android Gingerbread at launch with an update to ICS following up shortly.
I know y’all geeks are eager for some specs so here they are: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor, 1 GB of ram, 16GB of internal memory, screen size of 4.3”@1024x600 pixels resolution, 8MP main camera with Flash, a front camera of 1.3MP, micro HDMI out. The handset is also NFC (near field comm.) ready. All those goodies are packed in a form factor that measures a mere 123x63x10.99 mm.
At first glance the specs are on par with the last year’s high end devices but do keep in mind that this is an Atom processor on which a PC version of Windows might work just fine.
From now on we should get used to see the “intel inside” logo on smartphones as well. But how soon is now and how’s that Xolo for a change? See ya!
Innovation is scarce and mere upgrades are paramount… The Xperia S is in between but has everything it takes to take on the top dogs.
So, let’s see what the S has onboard: Snapdragon platform with a 1.5Ghz dual core processor, 1GB of ram, Adreno 220 GPU, 32GB of storage, 4.3 inch display of HD resolution @1280x720 pixels, 12MP camera with autofocus and Exmor R sensor for low light conditions along with 1080p video recording.
Connectivity-wise there’s WiFi(b/g/n), Bluetooth, NFC(near field communication), DLNA, USB on the go, micro-USB and HDMI 2.0. All this in a slim form factor measuring only 10.6 mm in depth.
The Xperia S is running on Android 2.3 with the ICS update coming up soon. Anyway the Sony’s Timescape user interface offers enough functionality and eye-candy for the average user :) On the gaming side the “PlayStation Certified” feature allows for playing PlayStation Suite games.
The device’s design mixes the classic form factor with a transparent strip which cuts through the base of the device in which the antenna is embedded - it also illuminates and indicates where the on-screen buttons are placed.
Sony really nails it with this product, it really adds the “S” letter back into the “Smartphone” wor(l)d.
Let's take the word "phone" as an example, how many of you think of "smartphones" when you hear it? And the answer would be - many :)
Nowadays smartphones come in all kind of "flavors": iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, meeGo, Symbian and others. It wasn't long ago that "cheap" was similar to low quality products. The game has changed - this time in the buyer's interest. Now let's "light" this "Fire" up. Steady, ready and go :)
Specs wise, under the hood there's the most typical hardware available: an ARM 11 clocked at 600 mhz, 256mb of RAM, WiFi b/g/n, and bluetooth 2.1. OS wise - Gingerbread (Android 2.3) runs the show and adds value to the "Fire". The reception is good - no dropped calls, messaging is a breeze thanks to the hardware qwerty keyboard (Blackberry styled) although the user can opt for the software one as well. The overall built quality is above average and the handset feels good in hand.
The 3MP camera takes some good snapshots given the proper lighting conditions are provided - no autofocus or flash for this price tag though. The battery backup is not the best there is out there but it can get you through the day and the "People centric" widget by Moto along with the low ram (only 256mb) can lead to occasional lags in the user interface.
To sum it up - the Fire delivers the "bang for the buck".
Tablets come in different sizes and hardware configurations but in the end it all comes down to the user's needs. I remember the Dell Streak's reviews - too small for a tablet and too big for a phone. It was the first 5 inch screen tablet/phone.
Nowadays the Samsung Galaxy Note is a hit with its 5.3 inch screen but unlike the Dell's Streak the Note has both the hardware and the software to prove its worth among Android's top dogs.
The Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 is for the Galaxy S line of smartphones what the iPod Touch is for iPhone, meaning you get the Galaxy S smartphone's performance at a lower price without the phone function i.e. with GSM and 3G modules stripped off. Still, the device has an earpiece and a microphone built in so calls through wifi are possible whether you use Yahoo, Skype or other voip(voice over ip) solution and the front facing camera makes video calling a viable option too.
I was a bit skeptical about a 5 inch device but the hands-on experience was better than what I was expecting. Hardware wise the device has the same specs as the Galaxy S smartphone. Under the hood there's a 1Ghz Hummingbird processor that powers an Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Hummingbirds and gingerbreads... funny :)
The performance is fluid, there are no hiccups and the TouchWiz interface adds to the eye candy although I personally prefer the vanilla experience. Android Market makes up for 50% of this device cause of the huge apps and games selection. Videos look great on the 5 inch screen, audio output is great in case you use some quality headphones - the stock ones are not state of the art but get the job done. I haven't played the latest Android game titles on it but all I can say is Angry Birds runs great on it :)
The internet experience is pleasant. All the flash videos and animations loaded flawlessly although I'm certain that there are some sites out there in the wild that would stress the hardware, keep in mind that this is not a dual-core platform. At 2500 mAh, the battery life is above average but it also depends on the user's usage style - light or heavy.
Overall this is a great product, more like a niche product, it also features a GPS module and a 3MP camera with flash and autofocus making up for a good price/quality ratio.
I recommend it to anyone who doesn't have an Android powered smartphone or to anyone in search of a small tablet or PDA.
