After a slow start, Motorola have taken off running with Android smartphone development. Only last week we were reviewing the Motorola DEVOUR for Verizon, and this week we’ve had the Motorola BACKFLIP in our hands, headed for AT&T’s network in the US. The first example of a new, distinctive form-factor for Motorola (and indeed Android), is the BACKFLIP more than just an unusual design? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
It’s a great urban legend. In September 1983, the Alamogordo Daily News of Alamogordo, New Mexico, reported in a series of articles that between ten and twenty semi-trailer truckloads of Atari boxes, cartridges, and systems from an Atari storehouse in El Paso, Texas were crushed and buried at the landfill within the city… it has been speculated that most unsold copies of E.T. are buried in this landfill, crushed and encased in cement.
After HTC’s rather shell-shocked statement yesterday on the Apple patent lawsuit – in which they admitted they’d only heard about it via the flurry of media reports – the company has released a second announcement in which the lawyers have obviously had a bigger input. The company again insists it “values US and international patent rights” but goes on to claim that it “believes that consumer choice is a key component to success in the smartphone industry and this is best achieved through multiple suppliers providing a variety of mobile experiences.”
Archos’ Android-based Phone Tablet was meant to make an appearance at CES 2010 a few months back, and after it failed to show up there we assumed it would be spotted at either MWC 2010 or CeBIT 2010 this week. That doesn’t look to be the case, however – Archos have outed their new Home Tablets and a range of PMPs, but no smartphone – and according to French financial paper Les Echoes (quoted by LesMobiles) the device may in fact never launch.
Trade shows always bring out some unusual hardware, and the 1Cross B’ook is perhaps one of the odder we’ve seen from CeBIT 2010 so far this week. Borrowing from the design of both the Entourage eDGe and the Barnes & Noble nook, the dual-display clamshell ereader has a 6-inch E Ink panel on the left side and a 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen on the right; unlike the eDGe, the majority of the right side is taken up by a physical touch-sensitive keyboard and shortcut buttons.
Video demo after the cut
Mio’s Moov V780 hybrid MID/PND device certainly has potential, at least going from the spec sheet, with a 7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, WiFi b/g and optional 3G and WiMAX, together with 720p HD video output capabilities. What we didn’t know was pricing, and according to jkkmobile – who caught up with the Moov V780 at CeBIT 2010 this week – that may be where the Mio tablet hides its sting. Still, there are hints of an Android update in the future, and a bit of a surprise about the CPU.
Video demo after the cut
Are the Google gloves coming off? After the furore yesterday over the Apple/HTC lawsuit, and the quick assumption that the Cupertino legal team actually have Google and their Android platform in their sights, the search giant has stepped up to the plate with a statement of support for their HTC pals.
While Apple may be ostensibly going after HTC with this latest round of legal wrangling, it’s starting to look like the Cupertino company is actually looking to take on Google. HTC’s devices – spanning Android and Windows Mobile – have been name-checked across the board, but Apple’s case saves some serious bile for their Android implementation. Meanwhile, examination of the specific patents in question raise questions about whether Apple’s target really is the device manufacturer, or in fact the underlying platform on which so many of their recent smartphones have been based.
Qualcomm’s 7X30 Snapdragon processor truly gives a fantastic multimedia performance in a demo at this year’s Mobile World Congress. Clips of some visually-stunning games and 3D acceleration after the break.
The prospect of a 7-inch Android internet tablet running a relatively laggardly 600MHz ARM9 processor left us doubtful about Archos’ new Archos 7 Home Tablet, but according to a very enthusiastic Charbax we shouldn’t be so concerned. He’s been playing with the Archos 7 for a few days now, and is reporting reasonable browsing speeds, 720p HD playback and 7hrs usage from a full charge.
Video hands-on after the cut
SlashGear JP
