Smaller Google tablets coming soon

Google Android 3.2 has been revealed as the new version of Android Honeycomb that will run a range of new tablet sizes to rival the iPad

A new version of Google’s Android operating system, Honeycomb, will run on a range of new tablet sizes, it has been revealed.

Version 3.1 has been used on 10” tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1”, but now Honeycomb 3.2 will run smaller devices such as the newly announced Huawei MediaPad. The Chinese company claims that this will be the first Android 3.2 machine, and that it will launch by September. Honeycomb 3.2 will also allow existing devices such as HTC’s Flyer to be upgraded, if manufacturers are willing to invest in updating their software.

The Huawei MediaPad features a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, and two cameras, at 1.3mp and 5mp respectively.

At last month’s Google I/O conference, the company announced that it would release Honeycomb 3.1, with a range of minor updates including resizeable widgets, but that a totally new release, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, will follow in the last quarter of 2011. This will include new features such as face recognition for video-conferencing, and will be the first version of Android that will run on a range of tablet sizes.

Meanwhile, version 3.2 of Honeycomb is set to offer improved hardware acceleration and updates to Google’s music and movies applications, as well as improvements to widgets and Movie Studio. Details have not yet been announced, however.

The new form factors may not produce the Android tablet boost that some analysts expect, however. A new Bernstein Research survey claims, “we find that consumers are not interested in form factors that deviate from the benchmark set by Apple. Few consumers, less than 15 percent prefer the 7? screen size versus the 10? screen of the iPad. Over 50 percent of respondents are firmly in favor of the 10? screen, which leads us to conclude that the 7? tablet models recently launched, like the BlackBerry PlayBook, are destined for failure. Consumer’s preference for the 10? form factor explains the lukewarm response to Samsung’s 7? Galaxy tablet and the rapid introduction of larger screen models in that series.” The survey also found that over 50 per cent of respondents explicitly wanted an Apple device.

By Matt Warman
The Telegraph

Motorola Droid X2 Coming to Verizon May 26

Verizon today announced the Motorola Droid X2, the successor to the popular Motorola Droid X. The Droid X2 will be released on May 26 and will be the first 1-GHz, dual-core phone in Verizon's lineup.

From the press photos, the Droid X2 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, even sporting what looks like the same case. But there are plenty of differences under the hood. In addition to its dual-core, 1-GHz processor, the Droid X2 will feature an HDMI out port, allowing users to view photos, video clips, and downloaded movies on a TV. It will also come enterprise-ready, with a number of built-in security and IT-grade policies.

The Droid X2's 4.3-inch touch-screen display will be scratch-reistant and anti-reflective, and the virtual QWERTY keyboard will feature SWYPE technology. Though the Droid X2 is not running on Verizon's new 4G LTE network, it has mobile hotspot capability, allowing users to share their 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.
Droid X2

There's also an 8-megapixel camera that can capture HD video, as well a new Gallery app that allows users to view, tag, and post photos to social-networking sites directly from the app. And like most other Android phones, the Droid X2 will feature support for Google mobile services including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Search, and Google Talk. It also has access to the Android Market, which currently has over 200,000 apps.

The phone will be released running Android 2.2 Froyo, but an update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread is promised, though no date has been given.

The Droid X2 will be available for preorder online from Verizon beginning May 19. It will be available in stores and online May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

PCmag

Samsung Galaxy S II coming to US by AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Plans to bring the Samsung Galaxy S II to the US have been independently supported by an accessory maker's posting of a silicone case. Lining up with USPTO trademarks, the mention from Wireless Xcessories Group has the dual-core Android 2.3 device coming to AT&T as the Attain, the Function at Verizon, and the Within at Sprint. T-Mobile is unusually exempt and may either go without or have a delayed version.

The appearance of one case for three carriers suggests the US version will, unlike the original Galaxy S, carry largely the same design from carrier to carrier. Samsung may either have gained more influence or else decided it was necessary to speed up the launch.

No mention has been made of when these phones would release, but Samsung is holding an event on May 24 that could mark the US debut. A Verizon roadmap has put a "Galaxy 2" on the launch schedule for May and could see the phone available very quickly.

Electronista

BlackBerry PlayBook keyboard add-on coming soon

A conversation Pocket-Lint had at BlackBerry World with RIM's head of accessories, Bruce Winter, indicated the company is working on a hardware keyboard dedicated to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. An official confirmation wasn't forthcoming, with Winter simply stating that such an accessory is a logical addition to the device in the coming months. RIM has said in the past that a wide range of accessories beyond cases was coming.

Also, BlackBerry smartphones have traditionally had QWERTY keyboards, so a similar one for the company's first tablet had been widely expected. Competitors such as Apple and Samsung already make similar accessories for their respective tablets, and HP has had one planned for the launch of the TouchPad.

Electronista