While the smartphone is designed with a simple and uncluttered user interface, it does run the Android operating system. It has a four-inch display and is water and dust resistant. Judging by how many times my parents have dropped their devices, being a bit rugged is a good thing. The phone has a number of features specifically designed to make the device easier to use for older people that Fujitsu borrowed from its Raku-Raku series that has been available in Japan for over 10 years.

The screen has a special feature to make it more like using a phone with physical buttons. The screen requires that the user press as hard on the screen as a user would have to push with a physical button. The goal here is to prevent users from accidentally hitting the wrong key. The device also has a strange feature that promises to slow the speech of talkers who are talking too quickly without changing the pitch of their voice or delaying the conversation.

The phone also automatically adjusts audio quality to help users hear better and has a function that adjust the frequency of the sound based on the age the user enters. The device also has a loud personal security alarm to help alert people if you’re in trouble. The smartphone runs Android 4.0 and runs a QUALCOMM MSM8255 1.4 GHz processor. The device has an 8.1-megapixel rear camera and a front camera for video calling. The device will land on Orange in France this June.

[via CNET]

This information comes from Fujitsu’s president himself, who told the newspaper Asahi, “As the Japanese market has already hit a peak, we have to sell devices overseas to increase our sales numbers.” The Raku Raku will be modified for its respective overseas markets, although no information on what changes will be in place for the US and European versions have been offered.

The Japanese version of the phone offers many features designed specifically for easy-to-comprehend navigation and use. For example, the large icons on the handset’s display change colors when tapped to let the user know that it was pressed to make up for the lack of a physical button. The user interface is designed to offer simple menus and easily accessible features.

The handset has a 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800, an 8.1-megapixel rear camera and 3.2-megapixel front camera, and is presently being sold in Pink, Navy, and Gold colors. There are no set dates for when the handset will hit the international markets, nor what carriers will offer it and the expected price range.

[via Asahi]

Samsung might be headed for a rather large fine ($15 billion to be exact) for trying to secure a ban on Apple products in Europe, and Apple dropped its infringement claims on the Galaxy S III Mini in the patent case against Samsung. One Android developer has unleashed a bunch of fake apps on the Google Play Store, so watch out for that, while Microsoft is trying to get the legions of iOS developers to start making apps for Windows Phone.

Crystal Dynamics confirmed that its upcoming Tomb Raider reboot will indeed have a multiplayer mode, and Microsoft’s Research lead announced that he will be retiring from the company in 2014. Quentin Tarantino was overheard suggesting that Killer Crow will be title of the third movie in his historical revenge trilogy, and we caught a glimpse of a handful of Apple prototypes from the 1980s. After this morning’s leak, more images of the Huawei Ascend Mate surfaced, while one analyst said that the iPad mini is proving to be a big hit over in China.

Fujitsu today said that it probably won’t meet its target for PC shipments in fiscal 2012 and blamed the miss on weak consumer demand for Windows 8, and Xbox Live cloud storage is currently down with Microsoft trying to implement a fix quickly. OneWed has arrived on iPad to give you ideas for your wedding, one very cool YouTube video is giving us a look at two Halo 4 armor abilities that were left on the cutting room floor, and Toyota has introduced its new 2013 Crown line in Japan. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the weekend folks!

According to Fujitsu president Masami Yamamoto, the company will miss its target because of the “weak” consumer demand for Microsoft’s new OS. Windows 8 isn’t entirely to blame, as Yamamoto also said that demand is on the way down in Europe thanks to the nation’s debt crisis. Still, Yamamoto had no problem calling out Windows 8 as a reason why it will miss its projections for the fiscal year.

It isn’t as if it’s simple to make a buck in the PC space these days, either. The market for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets seems to be growing at the expense of demand for desktops and laptops, so if general indifference toward Windows 8 is partly responsible for Fujitsu’s lagging sales, that only makes things worse. Yamamoto said that his company won’t be dropping PC prices to try to muster some additional sales, which is what some manufacturers have been doing as they see sales come in under expectations.

It doesn’t seem like Fujitsu will miss the mark by much, with Yamamoto saying that total shipments for the fiscal year could settle north of 6 million. Since the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft has touted 40 million licenses sold, which certainly seems like a healthy number. We’ll just have to keep an eye on the new OS to see how it ultimately performs with consumers, so stay tuned.

[via Bloomberg]

Storage is courtesy of up to a 750GB 5,400rpm HDD, or alternatively a 320GB 7,200rpm drive or 128GB SSD, with Intel HD graphics. Connectivity includes audio in, audio out, four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, DVI, and gigabit ethernet, with WiFi an option along with a webcam and microphones.

As for the ultrasonics, Fujitsu has equipped the Esprimo X913-T with a sensor that uses reflected soundwaves to figure out if there’s someone in front of the screen. Then, like Samsung Smart Stay on the Galaxy S III, the display stays active even if nobody touches the keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen, but automatically locks when the user moves away. Facial recognition with the webcam can speed up the unlocking process too.

The 23-inch display is posable, and can be laid completely flat for those times you want to pretend you have a SUR40 multitouch table. No word on pricing at this stage, but Fujitsu says the Esprimo X913-T will go on sale from Windows 8′s launch next week.

The Stylistic Q572 also has a choice of solid-state drives – from 64GB to 256GB – and digital pen input with a dual-mode finger/stylus touchscreen running at 1366 x 768. Connectivity includes optional 4G LTE, standard WiFi, optional Bluetooth, gigabit ethernet, HDMI and both a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port.

There’s also a docking connector, memory card slot, two digital microphones, audio in, audio out, and a pair of webcams: HD resolution up front, and 5-megapixels on the back. The Q572 measures in at 273.5 x 176 x 13.9 mm and weighs 820g.

Meanwhile, the existing Fujitsu tablets each get an upgrade to Windows 8, with the Intel powered Stylistic Q702 – shown above – running the new OS on an 11.6-inch docking hybrid form-factor, complete with a detachable keyboard. Alone, it will run for over 4hrs, but when docked it will last for up to 9.5hrs, Fujitsu claims.

Finally, the Lifebook T902 is a convertible 13.3-inch model with a choice of Core i5/i7 processors, a swiveling 1600 x 900 touchscreen, integrated optical drive, and optional 4G LTE. It’s more powerful than the other models, though the compromise is weight and bulk: at 1.89kg, it’s a hefty notebook to carry around in your arms all day.

Fujitsu’s updated range will go on sale alongside Windows 8, on October 26. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.

The joint-venture will specialize in semiconductor products with integrated modem functions “for use in communications equipment” according to the quartet. That equipment is likely to primarily consist of phones and tablets, most likely targeting the Japanese home market initially, but could also expand to laptops from NEC and Fujitsu, as well as mesh-networking in the so-called “Internet of Things.”

All four have already collaborated in the past on development work, and the Access project basically makes that an official endeavor. Fujitsu will control the majority stake, holding 52.8-percent ownership, while Fujitsu Semiconductor will hold 9.5-percent. NEC will control 17.8-percent, and DoCoMo will get 19.9-percent. Initial capital is 100m yen ($1.3m) with a workforce of approximately 85.

Timescales for the first chips to emerge from Access Network Technology Ltd haven’t been revealed, though Fujitsu says the goal is 7-percent of global marketshare for smartphone chips by 2014. Currently Qualcomm dominates that landscape, but Access aims to push ahead in LTE and other next-gen connectivity standards – already advanced in consumer deployment in Japan – to give it an edge.

Fujitsu said that it had worked directly with Google to design a phone that would prevent elderly users from becoming overwhelmed or confused while using it. The simplified user interface features larger text and buttons and only vertical scrolling to make everything as easy as possible.

The touchscreen has also been given a makeover and was specifically made for first-time users who aren’t yet used to the technology. Tests by Fujitsu revealed that many elderly users experienced difficulty and frustration trying to use a typical touchscreen on any other smartphone, which is why the touchscreen on the F-12D has been built to give way a little when pressed, which resembles the feeling of pressing down on an actual button.

Fujitsu admitted it was eager to bring the phone to foreign markets in the future. It will be available for sale in Japan in early August under NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest operator.

[via Computer World]

It’s on the large side at 11.6-inches, but features an LED backlit 1366×768 display and a Core i3 or i5 Ivy Bridge processor. 4GB of RAM comes as standard with the tablet, and you can configure the hard drive up to a 256GB SSD. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU, and there’s USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports as well as HDMI output and an SD card slot. Once you dock the tablet into the keyboard, you get an extra 4-cell battery as well as an Ethernet jack and VGA output.

The LifeBook T902, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch 1600×900 display with Gorilla Glass. Inside is an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and up to 16GB of RAM. The default hard drive is a 320GB offering, although you can configure up to a 256GB SSD. The laptop includes two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, VGA, Ethernet, an SD card slot, and the option for 3G or 4G connectivity depending on the market. A 1080p webcam can also be configured, with battery rated for around 7 hours and 40 minutes.

The Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 should both be available sometime in the third quarter, with the Q702 starting from $1,099 and the T902 at $1,899. Both will be running Windows 7 when they ship, but can be upgraded to Windows 8 without any issues.

With the footprint of half a piece of paper, and capable of being USB bus powered – albeit using two of your USB ports – so that you don’t need to tote a separate PSU, the ScanSnap S1300i will work as a regular multi-sheet scanner. It can also scan straight to your Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive or other cloud storage services.

However, the Android and iOS apps allow you to scan to your phone or tablet instead; unfortunately you’ll still need to have a PC or Mac connected to act as an intermediary. That’s the big missed opportunity for Fujitsu: if they’d integrated WiFi and made it so you could wirelessly connect your iPhone directly to the scanner, it would’ve been far more useful.

Scanning speeds of up to 12 pages per minute automatic detection of color, grayscale or monochrome, and a 10-sheet document feeder round out the key specs. So close, Fujitsu, and yet not quite on the mark. The ScanSnap S1300i is available now, priced at $295.

The machines also all have optional SSD cache or SSD storage options and a modular bay that allows the user to remove the optical drive to save weight or to install second battery. When the second high-capacity battery is installed the computers are good for up to 15.5 hours of use. The machine can also be fitted with an optional anti-microbial keyboard. The new machines have integrated webcams with an LED that indicates when the camera is in use.

The E752 is a desktop replacement notebook with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a separate 10-key keypad. The S752 is aimed at mobile professionals and weighs 5.4 pounds. It can be fitted with optional Core vPro technology. Both machines can be fitted with an optional port replicator to support up to three active displays. The S762 is a 3.7-pound subcompact notebook with a magnesium-alloy cover and a hard drive shock sensor. It has an HD resolution LED backlit display, and the machine has Nvidia Optimus tech inside. The E752 starts at $879; the S752 starts $899; and the S762 starts at $999 with all three models available now.

The ultrabook promises seven hours of battery life and can be had with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. Optional 3G connectivity will be offered in Q3 of 2012. The machine can be customized with multiple options for RAM, storage, and processor making the price vary greatly. It does have integrated web cam. The Lifebook UH572 ultrabook is another new offering from Fujitsu and is powered by Intel Core i5 processors. It has a .71-inch profile and weighs 3.5 pounds.

Fujitsu promises a battery life of six hours and this ultrabook has integrated Wireless Display technology. The U772 ultrabook also has Intel vPro technology, Trusted Platform Module, and a fingerprint reader. Graphics for both ultrabooks are via Intel HD Graphics 4000, both have three USB ports and HDMI output along with memory card readers. The U772 ultrabook will start at $1149 with the UH572 starting at $999.

This roadmap shows Fujitsu dipping in to both the Android and Windows 8 worlds with four new products, each of them coming inside 2012. The first to be appearing is what this map calls a 10-inch High-End “Bacura”. This device will be running Android and would appear at first to be lining up with what we know as the Sylistic tablet we caught a glimpse of earlier this year. Lo and behold on the other hand, the last device on this map is also coming with the name “STYLISTIC” this time with the name Q5xx tacked on its 10.1-inch self and more importantly including Windows 8 instead of Android.

Next there’s another 10-inch Volume Android slate which we’ve not seen nor heard of quite yet, this slate coming in the second quarter of 2012. Finally there’s what Fujitsu calls a “New performance Slate with attachable keyboard” set for the third quarter of 2012 running Windows 8 as well.

In addition to these lovely additions to the Fujitsu family coming this year, several Windows 7 “convertable tablets” will be popping up in the coming months. The first is a Lifebook T902 with a 13.3-inch display, that second is a Lifebook T732 with 12.1-inch display, both of these device being pushed with 3rd Generation Intel Core Ivy Bridge processors and will be guaranteed an upgrade to Windows 8. Sound like a bunch of winners to you? We’ll see soon!

Thanks for the tip, Marco!

[via Notebook Italia]

Fujitsu say they’ve combined proprietary video processing technology in conjunction with the small mirrors located in the add-on in order to get usable 3D video from smartphone cameras. The mirror splits the image into two and feeds it to the camera lens. Then, video is uploaded to Fujitsu’s servers, distortion from the lenses is corrected, and other magical processing occurs that delivers 3D video back to you for viewing on a 3D display.

The company hopes that this add-on will drive 3D image and video adoption on the web, with people linking to their “compelling” content on blogs. It’s an interesting implementation, but there’s bound to be quality loss in the chain. Fujitsu is just teasing the gadget for now, with a formal announcement and pricing to follow on June 4th at the IEEE ISCE conference in Harrisburg.

Both laptops will be powered by the dual-core Intel i3-2350M processor clocked at 2.3Ghz and feature the Intel 3000 HD GPU. Both will also have screen resolutions of 1366×768 and come with 4GB of DDR3 RAM as standard. The 14-inch model will come with a 750GB hard drive, with battery life lasting up to 6 hours and 30 minutes, while the 15-inch will have a 500GB hard drive a 7 hour battery life.

Intel Wireless Display will also be on board, as well as 720p HD webcams, and USB 3.0 ports. Bluetooth 4.0 also makes an appearance for all your low power gadgets. Both laptops are available today, and Fujitsu is offering them for a very reasonable sum: the 14-inch LH532 starts at $599, while the 15-inch AH532 will start at $549.

Fujitsu already had the majority share of the partnership, 80.1%, and has converted the company into a wholly owned subsidiary as a result of the buyout. Now that Fujitsu has purchased the other 19.9%, the company has been renamed to Fujitsu Mobile Communications Limited.

The now defunct joint venture used to deliver smartphones to Japanese carriers like KDDI. Fujitsu already had a controlling interest in the company, so the buyout means everything should still be business as usual, with no major changes in strategy.

In the past, Fujitsu has built smartphones running a variety of operating systems, including Android and Windows Phone. The company most recently demoed a quad-core prototype phone at MWC 2012. Fujitsu has stated in the past that it plans to try and enter the US smartphone market, but so far news of any plans has been scarce.

There’s also a docking connector of some sort on the bottom, though at this stage it’s unclear if Fujitsu has a multimedia dock in mind – which could perhaps add extra ports and even an optical drive – or a battery slice for extending runtimes. Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0, along with an HDMI, SD card reader, headphone jack and a custom ethernet port.

The keyboard isn’t functional on this prototype, so it’s impossible to know how well the key travel works given the shallow base of the ultrabook. In fact, the whole machine doesn’t turn on; Fujitsu won’t have working models until closer to launch.

Fujitsu’s entrance into the ultrabook segment was previewed last month, when the company revealed its intentions to produce at least two models in a 2012 roadmap. They’re tipped to go on sale in May, according to that roadmap, though Fujitsu is saying “early summer” at CeBIT 2012 this week.

What we’re going to do here is separate everything by brand. First there’s a big set of smartphone and tablet manufacturers, then we’ve got Google, then the big processor manufacturers, Microsoft, and the rest. I should also let you know that we’re not quite done yet here, with a selection of other oddities still up our sleeves set for release over the next few days as well. Continue checking our [MWC 2012 portal] for the full pack!

One of the first events we attended was an LG booth preview, this meeting / miniature keynote had us also able to check out the full line of devices announced the week before MWC 2012 by LG. We were able to check out the full LG Optimus L-Style family including the L7, L5, and L3 in all their mid-range glory. Next we had a peek at the all-powerful LG Optimus 4X, a Tegra 3 toting next generation smartphone following up on the original world’s first dual-core smartphone, the LG Optimus 2X. Another follow-up nest-generation device we got to handle was the LG Optimus 3D Max, and the LG response to the Galaxy Note, the LG Optimus Vu, a massive smartphone / tablet hybrid with a 4×3 height x width ratio.

Sony decided to doll out a couple more Xperia devices, each of them slightly unsurprising to a fine degree. We first got official word that the Xperia P existed, then got a hands-on experience with the device. We also finally got to handle the fabled Sony Xperia U in all its square goodness.

If there was one smartphone manufacturer that brought their A-game and threw it all out on the floor, drew a line in the sand, and said “let’s do this thing”, it was HTC. They both introduced and described their brand new hero line of devices, HTC One. This line of devices features high-quality sound from Beats Audio, fabulous high resolution and sharp displays, HTC ImageSense for fabulous photos inside of Sense 4.0, and a high quality overall experience in each device. The devices dropped like this: first there’s the HTC One V – the lowest spec’d device with a classic shape.

Then there’s the HTC One S international version and the T-Mobile HTC One S as well – note here right away that the HTC One naming scheme will stick around no matter which carrier these devices are on, HTC holding strong to their hero line guarantees. Plus there’s the HTC One X as well as its AT&T relative by the same name. HTC One X is the hero of heroes and comes with either an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor or a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor depending on if you get the international or AT&T version, respectively. We got hands-on looks at the HTC One V, the HTC One S, and the HTC One X as well.

Nokia was another fantastic force this year at MWC 2012, not least of all because of their awesome set of booths which both showed off their devices and provided press and brand friends an excellent place to work and relax during the week’s madness. The devices Nokia dropped were pretty neat too, starting with the Nokia Lumia 900 DC HSPA Global Edition which we also got hands-on time with. There was also the physical keyboard toting Asha 202, 203, and 302 which we also got hands-on time with right after the release event. There was but one mid-range touchscreen device from the group in the Lumia 610 (hands-on), then the giant game-changing device that rattled the whole event was the Nokia 808 Pure View complete with an undeniable 41 megapixel camera on its back – have a look at our hands on with 41 megapixels as well, and head to our Nokia MWC 2012 round-up for a different guide to the awesome madness.

Three companies that brought one device each that triggered our “must touch” sensors were ViewSonic, Toshiba, and Panasonic. For the first manufacturer it was for the ViewSonic ViewPhone 4S, complete with an ultra high-resolution display and the ability to use two SIM cards. Then there was Toshiba with their unnamed NVIDIA Tegra 3 toting tablet complete with 7.7-inches of HD display and an ultra-thin profile. Then for Panasonic we got two hands-on looks t the ELUGA device, first in a classic hands-on experience, then with the dunking of the device in the water for good fun had by all.

The folks at ZTE surprised us with several new devices including both Windows Phone and Android in a wide array of configurations. Perhaps the most impressive of these was an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor toting smartphone by the name of ZTE Era. We got hands-on with the ZTE Era as well as the Windows Phone Tango smartphone ZTE Orbit.

Samsung had a highly odd set of devices on hand for us to get hands-on experiences with including the Samsung Galaxy Beam with its cool projector top and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 with its Galaxy Note abilities, S-pen (the tablet having no slot despite the silo on the original Galaxy Note,) and Galaxy Tab 10.1 stylings. For those of you looking for one solid device with no such super odd abilities on top, check out our hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S Blaze, complete with everything you need for speedy daily living.

Two more groups that surprised us with some super excellent devices running high-powered processors were Huawei and Fujitsu. With Huawei we got hands-on with both the MediaPad 10fhd and the Ascend D Quad, a device which you’ll also see a massive amalgamation of this weekend in a post about the model they made specifically for and of this device. It’s a horse ascending into the air, all made out of the Ascend D Quad smartphone! Then there was the Fujitsu unnamed NVIDIA Tegra 3 smartphone which despite it having no finalized features just yet, seemed pretty impressive at the time.

ASUS revealed several new tablets in their now-named Transformer Pad series including the brand new 300 series as well as the high powered ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity 700 LTE. Then of course we got another glimpse of the ASUS Padfone, this time with a release date and a stylus headset!

We covered the Google keynote for the Mobile World Congress main series of keynotes, of course, it having Eric Schmidt speaking on the development of the world for countries and communities that have no access to the internet at all. He also spoke on privacy and how Google Chrome as well as Android have it and continue to allow you the control to keep yourself as private as you like. He also spoke of legal matters and there were quite a few above-average quotable moments also, especially in the Q and A section of the keynote. Schmidt mentioned Google Bucks and 3D-capable personal robots as well. Check out our round-up of the Google keynote for all of this information arranged once more.

For processor power we go to see great offerings from each of the big powerhouses, first up Texas Instruments with their OMAP 5 2x dual-core SoC as well as information on how they’ll be teaming up with Harman and iRobot for future OMAP 5 toting devices. Qualcomm took some awesome shots at the competition with the Snapdragon S4 and Gobi 5th gen while we took a look at the Qualcomm Snapdragon MDP for S4 and spoke with the team, this resulting in the note that Intel is still uncompetitive in the mobile marketplace.

Intel certainly does appear to be taking a good run at the market recently, on the other hand, here at Mobile World Congress with the Orange Santa Clara Medfield phone in all its glory. Then there’s NVIDIA, which if you simply take a peek at our hands-on with Shadowgun Deadzone multiplayer, you’ll only see a tiny fraction of what we’ll be publishing soon – and don’t forget about the massive amount of Tegra 3-toting smartphone released this past week alone.

Microsoft took each of these chipmakers and put them all in one room together with the Windows 8 Publishers Preview, having a tablet each from each manufacturer to show off Windows 8 for the consumers of the future. We also saw the preview on a wide variety of computers and saw how it all works together as you would expect it to. The app interface was incredibly fast and fluid, the shoe system worked extremely well on tablets as well as any PC with the ability to run a USB stick. You can also download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview right this second if you’d like to.

Of the oddities we’ve posted thus far, I recommend you check out the following: Skype for Windows Phone and MTV’s under the thumb Social TV for starters, then FXI Cotton Candy the world’s smallest PC to keep your sweet tooth hungry. You of course then must also view our look at the Neonode 3D touch for tablets and phones hands-on experience we’ve got along with the one vehicle we checked out: RIM’s own BlackBerry vehicle, the QNX Porsche 911 complete with BlackBerry phone and PlayBook tablet integration.

Again there is a selection of content still coming from our Mobile World Congress 2012 crew at the time of this posting, and you can catch all the action through our [MWC 2012 portal] for access to it all!

With Fujitsu saying the device is still months away from production and slated for a late 2012 launch we were happy to at least get some time with it. While the hardware felt a little loosely designed this early on it’s to hard to judge. The quad-core Tegra 3 under the hood is impressive with this prototype device but that is only one small part of what makes it so unique. Fujitsu’s also outfitted the phone with many top end specs to make an overall premiere device.

Along with everything else from Fujitsu this phone is both dustproof and waterproof. To make things better we have a 4.6″ high resolution display but the exact specifications weren’t available. It was extremely crisp and clear as you can see from our video experience below — although unresponsive at times.

To top things off we have a 13.1 megapixel camera on the rear and an optional fingerprint scanner too — similar to the Motorola Atrix. This sensor doubles as a proximity sensor and will automatically turn off the display when you set the device on the table. As usual the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor was blazing fast and Fujitsu had a few on demo displaying some HD Tegra games using HDMI mirror to the big screen. The performance of the device was extremely stable and quick running on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, even for a early prototype device.

Although Fujitsu is only calling this a prototype for now under the settings tab it was labeled the F12arc so we’ll be sure to look for more information soon. Overall this quad-core prototype phone definetaly had its strong points and its weak ones. With the hardware needing some minor touch-ups this will be a quality top-end phone to round off the Fujitsu lineup. We look forward to seeing more later this year.

I think we certainly have, why not? It’s always a good time to upgrade far beyond what you’ve just purchased a month ago, folks. Fujitsu is apparently preparing you for the next generation of superphones with a great partner, NVIDIA, the same group that dominated the 2012 landscape for dual-cores, and Ice Cream Sandwich is along for the ride as well – there’s nothing better than that! You’ll notice that this device has three physical buttons on the front, this implying that Fujitsu hasn’t abandoned the old ways yet, while ICS itself is ready to do away with these buttons for most other devices through the year.

We’re being told that this device may not be as thin as the ARROWS devices we’ve seen from the manufacturer recently, and that waterproofing may not be an option. This device has been tipped as having fantastically large battery life as well as a release date inside the second quarter of 2012 – but no mention of USA availability thus far.

In addition we’ve received an anonymous tip that fits in with the idea that Fujitsu will be bringing forth a set of devices, the phone listed above as well as a tablet that’s not only “thinner than ever before” but also toting an NVIDIA Tegra 3 as well. Will Fujitsu be bringing a tablet to face up against the $249 7-inch ASUS powerhouse revealed at CES? We’ll be looking for these devices to of course pop up during Mobile World Congress 2012 – stick with us for the whole show!

We’ll be covering everything mobile next week starting on Sunday and you can look for this device in the Fujitsu portal – be prepared for it!

The unnamed Fujitsu flagship will also have biometric security, with a fingerprint scanner to prevent unofficial access to the handset. That’s something we’ve seen before, on Motorola’s ATRIX 4G, and it’s a welcome addition even with things like Android 4.0′s Face Unlock system around.

Finally, it’s said to be waterproof and dust-resistant, following the example of many Japanese handsets by offering a greater degree of ruggedness than most smartphones deliver.

Talk of the new Fujitsu range earlier in the week also suggested NFC would be onboard, used for wireless payments, along with LTE connectivity. The company also told European Communications that the smartphones would have strong social networking integration as well as “an SLR camera experience.”

Despite all those high-tech features, Fujitsu is apparently also confident its phones will deliver solid battery life. We’ll know more at MWC 2012 next week.

[via Android Community]

The LG Optimus Vu has been revealed as a big time Samsung Galaxy Note competitor. Check out our gigantic Meizu MX review while the Google Phablet is in the works – perhaps. At the same time the leaks just keep coming for the iPad 3 including case specs with sleeker edges and an 8 megapixel camera. In addition we’ve seen what very well may be an iPad 3 Apple A5X chipset for release in the near future! Then of course there’s the on time analysis from Chris Davies by the name of Do we need an 8MP iPad 3?

Avi Greengart recounted his Toy Fair 2012. Avatar is coming to life in more ways than one. It appears that Fujitsu is readying at least one flagship smartphone for release in Europe – power inside! The same goes for ZTE with two new smartphones on deck! Same for Panasonic!

We’re coming up on Mobile World Congress 2012 quick! Get into it!

Fujitsu had announced its intention to re-enter the US market back in January, having withdrawn to Japan to focus on the home market some years earlier. There, the company offers both smartphones and tablets, and holds around a fifth of the market, but rivals like Samsung, Apple, HTC and Motorola have grown to dominate the North American and European markets.

It now seems Fujitsu wants a slice of those pies too, and it believes a flagship line-up is the best way to achieve that. The company showed off its waterproof Arrows tablet at CES 2012 last month, while its super-skinny 6.7mm thick Arrows F-07D smartphone was caught crossing the US FCC back in November.

Japanese devices are known for catering to a high-end user base with considerable tech affinity – mobile TV, waterproofing, NFC payments and other abilities are commonplace in handsets there – but the differences between networks in Japan and elsewhere has made transitioning smartphones and tablets impractical. However, Fujitsu has apparently designed its new range with global use in mind. “The Japanese market has been in a silo from a technology and design perspective, but Fujitsu is bringing out a global product” Fujitsu Europe mobile phone chief Robert Pryke says, claiming the handsets are equipped to be used all over the world. That certainly implies at least pentaband 3G/UMTS along with LTE and other 4G technology.

Fujitsu will presumably show off its wares at MWC 2012 next week, where it will mount its first challenge against established players Samsung and LG. We’ll be there to bring back all the details.

[Thanks James!]

June 2012 brings a “mainstream slimbook”, but it’s the “detachable performance slate” in September 2012 that is really interesting. Fujitsu is apparently following ASUS and others down the road of pairing a tablet with a removable keyboard section, and while we’re guessing the final design won’t be as interesting as the LIFEBOOK2013 concept, it’s still a form-factor we’re very keen on.

Fujitsu’s diagram shows a device similar to the Lenovo IdeaPad S2 10, though it’s entirely possible the company has merely used a generic image rather than given any hint of what the real product will look like. It’s possible the tablet could use Windows 8 rather than Android.

There’s also a new family of desk PCs in Q4, at the same time as the Windows 8 release, with Fujitsu planning an all-in-one touchscreen PC in addition to thin/zero clients for the business market. They’ll be preceded by an ultrathin LCD display in Q3, one of a number of accessories including, the roadmap seems to suggest, a multi-drive NAS.

[via Notebook Italia]

The idea is reminiscent of ASUS’ Padfone, which docks an Android smartphone into a larger screen section for tablet duty. However, unlike with the Padfone – the tablet of which is only functional when the phone is inserted – Chandra envisages each section of his LIFEBOOK concept being operable when separated. The laptop would have its own processor, storage, memory, optical drive and connectivity, similar to the tablet, each working standalone as well as synchronizing when brought back together.

That would increase cost but also flexibility, though you’d need to plug in an external keyboard if you wanted to enter text on the laptop while the tablet was undocked. On the upside, however, the processors in the tablet and phone could be used to augment the performance of the notebook itself, and handwriting entry or sketching would be easier.

Fujitsu hasn’t given any indication as to whether it will be using Chandra’s idea – or, indeed, any of the other entrants to the competition – for a future LIFEBOOK model. However similar propositions are apparently in the works; the i’m circle modular computer was announced at CES earlier in the month, sharing the intelligence of a wireless “core” pendant computer unit with various tablet, phone and display peripherals. That’s tipped to go on sale later this year.

[via Recombu]

Apparently, the little beastie runs Tegra 3 under the hood and packs Android 4.0 ICS for the operating system. The tablet is apparently going to launch in the US come May. The screen is a 1280 x 800 resolution unit measuring 10.1-inches. The tablet has 16GB of onboard storage, which will be enough for many users. If you need more it has a microSD card slot, it also rocks a SIM card slot.

The front camera is a 3MP unit with a rear camera packing in 8MP resolution. The price for the tablet is thought to be in the area of $630. I see nothing here that will make this tablet a success at that over $600 price. Fujitsu’s M532 is in with some stiff competition in the over $600 price category for tablets. Check out the video below and see for yourself.

[via Engadget]

This tablet is not the thinnest in the world, nor is it the sleekest in any way, but it is light. And it does not feel fragile in the least bit, that’s for sure. It runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb out of the box, and is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP4430 1GHz dual-core processor. The display is 1280 x 800 pixels strong and it does seem to be, in general, a pretty OK tablet.

What you’re going to see in the hands-on video here is that this tablet runs a stock version of Honeycomb and has a collection of apps so strange it’ll make your head spin. Of course this version is the NTT Docomo iteration, that meaning it’s got carrier-added apps we (and I mean I) have never heard of before. When this device is released in the USA, expect it to have LTE speeds on AT&T. That’s not confirmed, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet on that.

“North America is our priority market,” revealed Fujitsu’s Senior Executive Vice President Hideyuki Saso in an interview at CES. The company is in the process of regaining full control over its operations, taking back Toshiba’s 19.9% stake in their joint-venture. It makes both Android and Windows Phones, but isn’t sure yet which niche it will target in North America.

“We would like to identify the right way of entering the North American market that would make use of our technology and expertise to make a steady landing”, said Saso. “We don’t want to be just another mobile phone. We want to be special”.

Some of the strengths the company hopes to draw on include its wide range of thin yet durable and waterproof handsets. Its Fujitsu Arrow F-07D smartphone is touted as the thinnest phone in the world at only 6.7mm thin.

[via AllThingsD]

SuVolta calls this new technology DDC for Deeply Depleted Channel. The technology could be making its way very soon to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets where systems-on-a-chip (SoC) technologies are aggressively competing to keep down power consumption, while providing greater performance.

The current mobile landscape is dominated by ARM chips with Intel pushing its way in, but SuVolta argues that its DDC technology has several advantages over Intel’s in the areas of cost and efficiency. The DDC technology is part of SuVolta’s PowerShrink platform and devices utilizing the SuVolta technology are expected to reach the market by the second half of 2012.

[via eWeek]

Stylishly starved, the Arrows F-07D does have to forgo some on the specs, packing in a moderate single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM. But it otherwise features a large 4-inch 480×854 display covered by Gorilla Glass, sports 1GB of internal memory, offers a 5-megapixel camera, and manages to squeeze in micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports.

Plus, the Arrows F-07D doesn’t cheat with a large hump on the backside like the DROID RAZR and other ultra-thin smartphones. This one’s uniformly thin, varying less than 2mm between its thinnest and thickest sections. The device is expected to launch on NTT DoCoMo in 2012. There’s no word on pricing yet.

[via Android Community]

Also inside this tablet is 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot able to utilize up to a 32GB card. This device has a microUSB port, a microHDMI port, and of course is able to be dunked. You’ll see a video of this happening below, but until then, note that this tablet is thus far only set for Japan. What you’ll see for a USA release instead of a video like this is BRIGHT LIGHTS and flashing WORDS and all kinds of FIRE. Trust me on that one. Have a peek at this hands-on video:

The processor on this device is the same dual-core 1Ghz NVIDIA Tegra 2, a mightily well working chip in and of itself. Note that essentially every dual-core tablet with Android that came out inside 2011 had this same processor, including the hero device for Google’s Honeycomb platform, the Motorola XOOM. AGAIN UPDATE: this tablet has the Texas Instruments OMAP4430 dual-core processor, not NVIDIA’s Tegra 2. This information comes straight from Texas Instruments, while the incorrect information can be seen in the video below.

This of course doesn’t begin to add up against the other tablet we’ve seen this week, the Panasonic Toughpad A1 which appears very much to be impervious to most anything, not just H2O.

[via NotebookItalia]

The machine can be scaled up to a 1,024 rack configuration to reach the 23.2 petaflop performance level. Fujitsu is aiming the machine at things like drug development, disaster prevention and mitigation and other research that demands high performance from the computer. The processors inside the machine are SPARC64 IXfx units.

Each of the processors has 16 cores and uses water cooling to maximize the performance per watt with standalone performance levels of 236.5 gigaflops and a performance per watt of over 2 gigaflops. Each node of the supercomputer can pack in 32GB or 64GB of RAM with memory bandwidth of 85GB/s. The supercomputers will start shipping in January with a goal of 50 systems sold over the next three years.

Although no official details are available yet, the Arrows Tab F-01D is expected to have specs that are not too shabby. It will sport a 10.1-inch WXGA display, a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor, and possibly support for LTE connectivity along with GSM and GPRS compatibility for roaming abroad.

It’s also expected to have both a front-facing and rear-facing cameras, micro-USB, headphone jack, and 16GB internal storage expandable with a microSD card slot. The tablet, however, is only rumored for a September launch in Japan on NTT DoCoMo. There’s no word on whether it would make it here to the states and it’s also unclear just how waterproof it will be.

[via Android Community]

This Fujitsu Toshiba masterpiece going by the name of IS12T comes in a couple of fantastically loud colors or your choice of black, and it runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. This is the cellular partnerships’ first Windows Phone ever AND it appears very much to be the first device to be released with Mango out of the box. This device has a massive 13.2-megapixel camera, 32GB of internal storage, and is both waterproof and dust-resistant! What more could you want?

The release information coming straight from Twitter translates horribly with Google translate thusly – exciting!

Decided finally released information ★ IS12T ~ Windows Phone ~ latest model released ★! ! ♪ This title will be released in stores August 25, we accepted from today preordered! You may want to come, ♪ I please buy

You may want to come quickly because these phones are sure to sell off the shelf! Now we can only continue to pray to the Microsoft / Toshiba / Fujitsu gods that this device will somehow miraculously be released in the USA as well. Furthermore, a fellow by the name of Tezawaly from Nanapho.jp has snapped a photo I’m sure you’re gonna love to peek at: a whole three shelves full of IS12T handsets sitting ready to be held and tossed around! Unfortunately they’re all display units, of course:

[via WMPowerUser]

Meanwhile, there’s Global Phone support with both CDMA and GSM connectivity for use in Japan and elsewhere, GPS, six-axis motion sensing, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The display is 3.7-inches while the processor is Qualcomm’s 1GHz MSM8655 SoC.

Fujitsu and Toshiba look to have based much of the IS12T’s design and functionality on a previous Android smartphone, the REGZA T-01C, currently available through Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo. It has a 12-megapixel camera and is also semi-ruggedized with water- and dust-resilience. Yesterday, Microsoft confirmed that Windows Phone Mango had been “RTM” or “released to manufacturing” meaning that OEMs can now begin producing devices ready for launch.

That won’t happen for a couple of months yet, however, giving developers time to begin submitting Mango-compatible apps in August. The Fujitsu Toshiba Windows Phone IS12T will go on sale in September 2011 in Japan, on carrier KDDI.

Update: DigInfo.TV was on-hand to grab some playtime with the new Windows Phone; check out their video below:

Fujitsu is still mum on the pricing for the smartphone though so you will need to check tomorrow to see what the phone sells for. The F-07C still has some interesting features like the ability to run Windows 7 and Symbian on the same device. Fujitsu is calling the smartphone the world’s smallest PC. The smartphone uses an Intel Atom processor and has the full version of IE 9 browser installed.

The smartphone also ships with a 2-year license for Office Personal 2010. The QWERTY keyboard on the smartphone will let you thumb type away. The screen is a 4-inch unit with a resolution of 1024 x 600. The phone also has security features that allow it to be remotely locked if lost. The processor is an Atom Z600 running at 1.2GHz. The front camera is 0.32MP and the rear is a 5.1MP resolution camera. Main memory is 1GB and it stores to a 32GB eMMC SSD.

Microsoft’s Todd Brix, in a blog post today, announced the rollout of a new App Hub for Windows Phone developers. The refreshed portal allows developers to manage their accounts, stay up to date on Windows Phone developments, and submit apps. Brix then revealed that Mango app submissions will be accepted starting in August with the Windows Phone Release Candidate tools made available to developers later that month to finalize Mango apps.

Assuming no unexpected bugs turn up during the last half of August, it seems certain that Windows Phone Mango will be released in September with a possible debut at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference from September 13-16. During Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference last week, the company already showed off some upcoming phones running Mango builds, including a Fujitsu handset that may sport a 12-megapixel camera and a Samsung Galaxy S II look-alike.

[via IntoMobile]

Apple:
Apple’s New MacBook Airs To Launch Late Next Week
Apple’s Revamped LED Cinema Displays With Thunderbolt Coming Soon
Apple iOS 4.3.4 Released, PDF Vulnerability Fixed
ITC Finds HTC Infringes On Two Apple Patents

Google:
Android patent situation not critical insists Google CEO
Google+ Has Over 10 Million Users, 1 Billion Items Shared Per Day, Says CEO Larry Page
Google Activates 550,000 Android Devices Daily, Reaches 250,000 Android Market Apps
Google+ Corporate Accounts Testing To Launch Next Week
Google Games discovered in Google+ code
Android Market Files Hint At Google Music Store

Spotify:
Spotify US goes live
SlashGear 101: What is Spotify?
SlashGear Free Spotify Invite Giveaway

Microsoft:
Microsoft Reveals New Windows Phone 7 Mango Handsets From Samsung, Acer, And More
Fujitsu Windows Phone could be tweaked 12MP Android handset
Microsoft To Ship Windows Phone Mango Devices By September?

Netflix:
Netflix Announces Price Hike, Splits DVD And Streaming Plans
Is this the chance Netflix rivals have been waiting for?
Netflix lands on Nintendo 3DS today
Blockbuster Attempts Neftlix Customer Thievery in Wake of Price Hikes

Reviews:
Android Market 3.0.26 Hands-On and Review
Spotify Premium Mobile App and Service Review [USA]
Swiftkey X Review for Android Handsets
SwiftKey Tablet X Review
T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide Review
iRiver Story HD Review

Japanese site Nanapho flagged up the comparisons initially, and LiveSide threw together the side-by-side shots you can see above. Obviously it’s too soon to say exactly which of the hardware specs Fujitsu might have carried across, but the Android handset has a 4-inch LCD display with Toshiba’s Mobile REGZA Engine 3.0 graphics processing system, a 12.2-megapixel autofocus camera with 720p HD video capture, NFC and DLNA support.

It’s also water-resistant, if only down to a meter, so it should be able to cope with being dropped into a puddle or bath. Interestingly, there’s also what looks to be an icon for the Japanese NAVITIME app on the Windows Phone version, which could well be one of Fujitsu’s customizations to the platform.

Fujitsu isn’t the only company borrowing existing hardware for its Windows Phone line-up. Nokia’s “Sea Ray” handset is clearly built on the same chassis as the MeeGo-powered N9, though presumably the processor inside has been changed.

[via WMPowerUser]

In comparison to the Fujitsu FLEPia Lite, which the company put on sale last year, the new prototype is lighter at 220g and considerably thinner, too. That’s aided by the fact that cholesteric displays don’t require backlighting or any polarizing, filtering or reflecting layers. Meanwhile, the OS has been changed, from Windows CE to an unspecified Linux build.

According to Fujitsu’s engineers, the color range that the FLEPia panel can display is a conscious decision, balancing performance and breadth. “There is a trade-off between writing speed and display colors,” the company says, “and while it is 4,096 colors and 0.7 seconds right now, if we reduce the writing speed we can make a full color display.”

Currently, the display runs at 157 dpi, with over a 34-percent reflection ratio, 8:1 contrast ratio and 20-percent NTSC color coverage. The prototype can display JPEG, PDF and EPUB documents, though obviously that’s a limit of the software rather than the FLEPia panel itself. No word on when Fujitsu might slot it into a commercial ereader, at this stage.

[via The Digital Reader]