ARM-based mobile internet devices (MIDs) could soon be presenting more of a challenge to their Intel Atom-based rivals, if newly-emerging trends in China continue. According to Chinese retailers, ARM-based MIDs such as the SmartQ 5 - priced at roughly one quarter of the cost of a branded Atom MID are prompting manufacturers to move away from Intel’s chipset.
As well as their latest Fuzebox HTPC, Velocity Micro also brought along two mobile products to CES this week. The company has added a MID, the Velocity Micro NoteMagix M5, and a netbook, the Velocity Micro NoteMagix M10, to their range. The former, a rebadged aigo P8860, has a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G, and a 4GB SSD, and will be offered in both Windows XP Home and Linux versions.
Gigabyte’s M528 MID has been flitting around the pages of SlashGear for so long now, it was hard to believe we’d never seen an unboxing for the touchscreen handheld. Thankfully the guys at UMPCFever have sorted that, showing the mobile internet device taken from box, to SIM and battery slotting in, to boot and then even flirting with its aigo counterpart.
The mysterious T-swivelling MID that was mistakenly identified by some as the Palm Roteo has been correctly traced back to Compal, in the shape of their Tabasco MID concept. On show at Computex 2008 back in June, the non-working handheld was meant to demonstrate a 4.5-inch (or 5-inch) touchscreen device with a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with 2x optical zoom and flash plus a front-facing webcam.
Fresh news on the Gigabyte M528 saga, as Expansys do an abrupt about-turn and confirm that yes, the Mobile Internet Device does in fact include a 3G HSDPA modem. Previously the reseller had suggested that the MID, which is up for preorder on both its US and UK sites, would not ship with 3G but leave it as an option.
It was all going so well for Gigabyte’s M528 MID. After the preorder pricing news broke late last week – suggesting $685 in the US or £429 in the UK – a surprisingly large number of people started to imagine an immediate future with a MID in it. Now some slight clarification on the part of Expansys has scuppered those hopes: the M528, in its standard configuration, won’t include 3G.
Retailer Expansys has listed the Gigabyte M528 MID for preorder on its US and UK sites. According to the listing, the 4.8-inch touchscreen device will cost $684.99 in the US and £429 in the UK, figures that tally with the Taiwanese pricing Gigabyte recently confirmed. Although both Expansys sites now list the MID as “ordered on request”, an earlier screenshot suggested availability on September 17th.
Unsurprisingly the iPhone 3G has overshadowed just about all other news this week, with Steve Jobs taking to the Keynote stage at WWDC 2008 on Monday and announcing Apple’s updated cellphone. Packing 3G, GPS, improved software and more into an only slightly thicker (and curvier) chassis, the iPhone 3G is destined to make waves when it launches on July 11th, especially given the lower price of $199 (for the 8GB model). We live-blogged the Keynote and many of you were good enough to join us; check out our coverage here, and click over to iPhone Buzz for more up-to-the-minute iPhone news.
Gigabyte have revealed pricing for their M528 MID, which we last saw back at CeBIT 2008. The compact device has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, GPS, 3G HSDPA and dual cameras (VGA up front, 3-megapixel with autofocus round the back). Storage is courtesy of a 4GB SSD, while the processor is an 800Mhz Silverthorne/Poulsbo (Menlow). The Taiwanese end-user price is a recommended $750.
Remember the Gigabyte M704? Billed as the smallest 7-inch 1024 × 600 UMPC on the market, we briefly spent some time with the 780g device at CEBIT 2008 and came away, if not madly impressed, then at least still curious. Now Mobile01 have unboxed and reviewed the M704 – complete with its modular GPS and DVB-T accessories, and the docking station – to see if the 1.2Ghz VIA C7-powered Windows XP PC is up to scratch.
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