Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

Samsung Electronics Co. has unveiled a smaller and cheaper version of the Galaxy S III smartphone with the same screen size as the iPhone 5.

Samsung says the Galaxy S III mini features a screen measuring 4 inches diagonally, smaller than the Galaxy S III's 4.8 inch display but the same as Apple's iPhone 5, which was Apple's first upgrade of the iPhone screen size.

Samsung said the mini will be launched in Europe later this month but kept mum on schedules for other countries.

Samsung's German mobile shop lists the mini's price at 399 euros ($516) versus 550 euros ($711) for the cheapest S III.

The mini is powered by the latest version of Android software but does not support faster fourth-generation wireless networks.

Sony Xperia tipo dual shares SIMs, still fits in tiny pockets

It looks like Sony's not quite finished today, with two more phones sneaking out on its YouTube channel ahead of any official fanfare. The Xperia tipo dual (and its single-SIM version, the tipo) keep things small and simple, with a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 TFT screen and 800MHz Snapdragon processor. Both, however, will be running Ice Cream Sandwich out of the gate -- embarrassing Sony's bigger (presumably pricier) smartphones. The sub-100g (3.5-ounce) frame houses 3.2-megapixel camera and 2.5GB of user-accessible memory, expandable by microSD. A dedicated hardware key will switch the tipo dual between those SIMs, while you can also automate the phone to swap between them at different times of the day. There's no launch date or pricing yet, but you can take a video tour of both phones below.

Sony Xperia tipo dual

Source: Engadget.com

Acer Debuts Iconia Tab A700 Tablet with Full HD 1080p Display

• Vibrant, precise images brought to life on 1080p Full HD Display with 1920 x 1200 resolution

• All-day entertainment with long battery life of up to 10.5 hours for video playback

• Tablet features Dolby Mobile 3; 5.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound via HDMI to home entertainment system

• Highly capable and expandable with MicroSD card slot, micro-USB

• Pre-sale starts today in U.S. and Canada; 32GB Iconia Tab A700 is $449.99

Acer America today debuts the Acer Iconia Tab A700 tablet with a premium 10.1-inch full HD 1080p display.

The Acer Iconia Tab A700 presents high-quality images in a new level of clarity and realism with a remarkable 1920 x 1200 resolution that delivers 55 percent higher pixel density compared to 1280 x 800 displays. This results in sharper images and greater details in everything from websites and text to photos and video. The bright and detailed visuals are further enhanced by Dolby® Mobile 3 with 5.1-channel home theater surround sound capabilities.

Powered by an NVIDIA® Tegra™ 3 quad-core processor and running Android 4.0, the Acer Iconia Tab A700 delivers industry-leading performance and responsiveness for running multiple apps, smooth HD video, fast web browsing and console-like gaming. The tablet can be used as a central part of a digital life; it can be connected to other displays via the HDMI port, and to other devices via its micro-USB port for syncing and transferring files. Plus, consumers can enjoy additional content with the convenient MicroSD card slot.

"Consumers have embraced their tablets as a mobile hub for their daily lives, and the full HD display on the Acer A700 will give customers a fresh new perspective on the apps, games and digital media they enjoy," said Paul Tayar, director of product marketing for connected devices, Acer America. "Customers looking for a no-compromise tablet will get the features and performance they want in the new Acer A700."

Visually Stunning Display Paired with Incredibly Rich Sound

The Acer Iconia Tab A700's full HD 1080p LED backlit display gives customers a visually rich experience; 1080p videos and photos look more vibrant and realistic, and social media networks and online shopping will be enjoyed with more clarity and precision. Many of the most popular Android apps – such as 3D games, reading and digital media – already support 1080p, so they can be enjoyed in greater detail on the new Acer A700 tablet.

Ensuring an optimal viewing experience, the Acer A700's display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, 800:1 contrast ratio and a wide 178 degree viewing angle. Plus, the display is a 10-point touch capacitive screen, so it delivers a remarkable degree of accuracy and responsiveness.

In addition, customers can share video stored on the Acer Iconia Tab A700 on other monitors, displays, and TVs via the tablet's built-in micro HDMI port. The new tablet also supports dual-displays, so customers can share videos and photos on an external display. Plus, the tablet can be used as a console to play the latest games on a TV.

The A700's display is complemented by the tablet's impressive sound capabilities. It comes with Dolby Mobile 3 and is 5.1-channel surround sound ready, so it can be connected via HDMI to an external sound system for a high-fidelity audio experience. The excellent audio can also be enjoyed through the stereo speaker.

The sound recorder captures audio in a variety of environments. Students can record lectures and panels discussions, since the Acer Iconia Tab A700 will record multiple voices while suppressing background noises. While in concert mode, the tablet can record sound from further away such as a children's school performance. Sound capture is also improved for video conferencing, so friends and families feel like they're nearly face-to-face.

NVIDIA Tegra™ 3 Quad Core Processor, Features for Performance, Power

The Acer Iconia Tab A700 features the industry-leading NVIDIA Tegra™ 3 Mobile Processor that provides a unique Super 4-PLUS-1™ Quad Core CPU design with a fifth Battery Saver Core.

The processor dedicates up to all four cores to demanding tasks such as watching video and playing next-generation graphics-intense mobile games. Plus, the high-performance 12-Core GeForce NVIDIA GPU delivers incredibly detailed graphics and imagery, while the tablet's full 1GB of RAM(2) contributes to its fast mobile performance. As a result, the Acer A700 is incredibly responsive, delivering smooth video playback, fast navigation and console-quality gaming on-the-go, with performance rates that are 2.6 times faster and graphics that are three times faster compared to previous generation processors.

The fifth Battery Saver Core handles less demanding activities, ultimately using less power and improving battery life. Plus, the 9800 mAh battery extends the tablet's battery life for all-day usability of up to 10.5 hours of video playback, or nearly 8 hours of web-surfing(1). Customers can use the integrated GPS and e-compass to enjoy location-based services and maps. The tablet easily connects to Wi-Fi networks with reliable Acer 802.11 b/g/n wireless technology.

Connections Make it Expandable, Feature-Rich

The Acer A700 comes with 32GB of flash storage integrated into the tablet, so customers have extra room to store games, photos, music and videos.(2) Plus, additional content can be accessed from the Micro-SD card reader that supports up to 64GB Micro-SD cards.(2) The micro USB 2.0 port can be used to transfer data and files on and off the tablet, and can also be used to charge it.

The Acer A700 has two integrated cameras: the 5MP rear-facing camera is auto-focusing, and provides the ability to take snapshots while recording HD video, while the 1MP fixed-focused front-facing camera is great for video conferencing, as it features an improved zoom. Customers can capture video and photos, enhance them on the go, and then conveniently store them in Google+ and upload to other social networks.

Suite of Extras Boost Productivity

The Acer A700 tablet comes with the apps that make it a productivity booster. Polaris™ Office 3.5 allows customers to read and edit documents on the go. The tablet also comes with Evernote, a personal assistant that lets customers easily capture and save web pages, photos, ideas and documents and then store them to the cloud for access from other devices. Printing from the tablet is seamless with Acer Print, which is compatible with 87 percent of brand name printers in the market and supports a wide range of printing formats (doc, pic and browsers). In addition, the tablet features integrated Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (enhanced data rate), so it can connect to a variety of other devices, such as headsets and printers.

Intuitive Experience with Android™ 4.0, Acer Ring and clear.fi

Running on Android™ 4.0 OS, the Acer Iconia Tab A700 delivers many benefits, such as intuitive navigation, fast browsing, as well as enhanced app and folder management options. The unique interactive Acer Ring interface is a welcome addition to Android 4.0, as it can be customized by users to launch favorite apps, programs and websites through a single one-touch button. Additionally, the Acer Ring's screenshot feature can be used to capture images of an app, web site and even photos from a video conference.

The chassis' soft-touch finish has a patterned texture that makes it comfortable to hold. It easily fits in a purse, briefcase or book bag, as it weighs just over 1.47 pounds and measures 10.23 (L) x 6.89 (W) x 0.43 (H) inches.

Available in U.S. Starting at $449.99

The new Acer Iconia Tab A700 is available for pre-sale starting today in two models – the Acer A700-10s32u (silver) and Acer A700-10k32u (black). The tablets are available at http://us-store.acer.com/ and at national electronics retailers in the United States at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $449.99 USD.

Customers can purchase the portfolio case to protect the Acer A700 tablet. The sleek design prevents slipping on surfaces and also allows convenient access to the connectors and ports. It is available through Acer at a price of $39.99.

Sony Alpha A57 Translucent Mirror Camera

Sony Alpha A57

DSLRs tend to have longer refresh cycles than oh, we don't know, phones with RAZR in the name, but every shooter must eventually go to heaven nonetheless. About a year and a half after introducing theAlpha A55 translucent mirror camera, Sony's putting that model out to pasture to make way for its replacement, the Alpha A57. This time around, Sony's bumped the ISO to 16000 and boosted the continuous shooting rate from 10 frames per second to 12. It's also rolling out some improvements to the 15-point autofocus system, including enhanced object-tracking and quick AF in Full HD movie mode. Like the A55 before it, the A57 packs a 16-megapixel APS HD CMOS sensor, though this guy records 1920 x 1080 video at 60p, 60i and 24p/25p. It also packs the relatively new Bionz imaging engine introduced with Sony's fall 2011 models. Also on board: effects like Auto Portrait Framing (it is what it sounds like) and Clear Image Zoom, which promises an effective two-fold increase in focal length. Design-wise, the A57 takes some cues from the A65, and sports a tilting, 921,600-dot LCD. It'll start at $699 for the body only when it goes on sale next month, though it will also be offered as a $799 kit with an 18-55mm lens. Until then, we've got official press shots below and the PR just past the break.

Sony Brings Pro-level Performance to Mainstream SLR Users with New High-Speed ?57 Camera Featuring Translucent Mirror Technology
Advanced Feature Set Includes 12 fps Shooting, Full HD (60p) Video Capture, New Auto Portrait Framing and more

A wider palette of creative options is now accessible to more shooters with the ?57 camera, the newest addition to Sony's popular line of A-mount cameras employing Translucent Mirror Technology.

The innovative Translucent Mirror design directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting. Users can also frame, focus and preview shots in real-time on the high-resolution Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder, which offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view. This allows photographers to capture exactly what they see on the screen.

A natural successor to Sony's acclaimed ?55 camera, the ?57 is positioned for a wide audience of DSLR users. It can shoot still images at up to 12 frames per second, capture full HD video at 60p, 60i or 24p frame rates and has a variety of creative modes including Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology

"Today's DSLR consumer is looking for a higher level of control and flexibility in their camera," said Mike Kahn, director of the Alpha camera business group for Sony Electronics. "With the introduction of the new ?57, we're bringing blazing fast response rates, enhanced artistic capabilities and other advanced features to the mainstream DSLR marketplace, offering professional-grade performance at affordable prices."

With the ?57 camera, shooting speeds of up to 12 frames per second are achieved in new Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode, maintaining continuous auto focus and auto exposure with fixed aperture. Magnifying the central portion of the sensor's image by 1.4x, it's perfect for capturing split-second action close-ups with a burst of sharply focused images, even when the subject is moving. In this shooting mode, aperture is fixed at either f/3.5 or the maximum aperture of lens in use (whichever is smaller) and image size of photos is about 8.4 megapixels.

Additionally, the ?57 camera lets people create powerfully expressive Full HD movies. Responsive full-time continuous phase detection AF ensures that moving subjects stay sharply focused, just like with still shooting. Support for the AVCHD™ Ver. 2.0 (Progressive) format means that Full HD resolution movies can be captured with 60p frame rate: ideal for capturing smooth, blur-free action. Shooting in 24p is also available to give footage a rich, cinematic look. Movie-making options are enhanced further with full control over P/A/S/M shooting modes for virtually limitless creative expression.

The ?57 model shares the ?65's 15-point AF system with three cross sensors delivering fast, accurate TTL phase detection autofocus. Newly enhanced Object Tracking AF keeps faces or other selected objects in sharp focus – even if a target is obscured momentarily by another passing object.

Even the novice photographers can now easily create pro-style portraits with the ?57 thanks to new Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology. Using face detection and the compositional 'rule of thirds,' the camera identifies a subject's position, trimming the scene to create tightly framed, professional-looking pictures in portrait or landscape orientation while maintaining a copy of the original image. Saving both the original photo plus the adjusted version allows for easy comparison between the two images, offering photographers inspiration to refine their portrait skills.

To get closer to the subject, 2x Clear Image Zoom digital zoom technology doubles the effective magnification of your lens and is a highly practical alternative to travelling with a bigger, bulkier telephoto lens. The camera uses Sony's "By Pixel Super Resolution Technology" to ensure that cropped and zoomed images retain full pixel resolution.

Additionally, the model's range of popular in-camera Picture Effect modes includes 11 different effects and 15 total variations – offering a generous palette of 'PC-free' artistic treatments, including Pop Color, HDR Painting, Miniature Mode and much more. Results can be previewed directly in live view mode on the LCD screen or in the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder while shooting either Full HD video or stills.

Still and video shooting, framing, focusing and real-time preview of exposure adjustments are a pleasure with the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. With ultra-detailed 1440k dot resolution and a 100% field of view, it rivals quality optical viewfinders. There's a choice of selectable high-resolution information displays with a wide viewing-angle to help consumers shoot with confidence, including a digital level gauge and framing grid. Information can be displayed either directly in the viewfinder or on the angle-adjustable 7.5 cm (3.0-type) Xtra Fine LCD™ display.

Ensuring detail-packed images, the 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor® APS HD CMOS sensor is teamed with a latest-generation BIONZ® engine. Refined by Sony during the development of its flagship ?77 and high-end ?65 cameras, this powerful processor effortlessly handles large amounts of image data for flawless, low-noise images and Full HD video.

Thanks to the BIONZ processor, creative shooting opportunities are boosted by an outstanding sensitivity range of ISO 100-16,000. Users will experience consistently natural, low-noise images – whether shooting at fast shutter speeds to freeze dynamic action or handheld without flash in low light.

Pricing and Availability

The new ?57 interchangeable lens camera will be available this April with an 18-55mm kit zoom lens for $800 (model SLT-A57K). It will also be offered as body-only for about $700 (model SLT-A57).

Sony will also be introducing a new battery-powered LED video light, model HVL-LE1, which broadens options for recording video indoors or in low light. This new accessory will be available this month for about $250.

Source: Engadget

Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329

If that display up there looks familiar, it's because it's already won itself a fancy schmancy iF product design award. But as Prospero would say, 'tis new to thee -- at least if you live on this side of the Atlantic. Acer just announced it's bringing that very S23HL monitor to the US, along with four other models whose screens range in size from 20 to 27 inches. The S235HL is clearly the star of the show here, with a half-inch-thick frame and asymmetrical stand. (It has 1080p resolution and VGA / HDMI ports too, if you're interested in more than just the design.) Intrigued? You can expect to fork over $219 for it when it lands stateside next month.

Moving on, Acer also has two other 23-inch, 1080p monitors -- the S230HL Abd and Abii -- with the former packing VGA and DVI ports, and the latter trading DVI for two HDMI sockets. Look for those in April for $169 and $189, respectively. Of the lot, the most expensive is the 27-inch S271HL, a 27-inch, 1080p monitor with DVI, HDMI and a VESA mount. You can snag one now for a cool $329. Last but not least, if you're on a tighter budget there's the 20-inch S200HL, which has a more modest 1600 x 900 resolution, along with VGA and DVI ports. That's on sale now for $139. More info on all of these in the PR after the break, though we're pretty sure we passed on all the pertinent details already.

Source: Engadget

Camera: Pentax K-01 and Optio WG-2

Pentax K-01

Pentax has been teasing us with its trio of cameras for what seems like an eternity. It's been long enough that we've actually had playtime with the new mirrorless flagship, the K-01. That chunky retro body will turn some heads in the street, so any fashionistas can now pick it up. It'll be winging its way to stores at the same time as its extreme-living WG-2 and WG-2 GPS, which are perfect for recording your Bear Grylls routine. The former will set you back $750 for the body, or $900 with a 40mm kit lens, whilst the Optio WG-2 is $350 or $400 if you want one with built-in GPS.

Pentax Announces Availability of Marc Newson-Designed K-01 Digital Camera High-style feature-packed interchangeable lens camera in stores now

Denver, CO (March 12, 2012) – PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION announces the availability of the Marc Newson-designed PENTAX K-01 interchangeable lens camera (ILC). The new mirrorless PENTAX K-01 is now shipping to retailers in the U.S. The K-01, first announced last month, continues the tradition from a camera manufacturer that is known for pushing camera size, color, durability, and now, design, to the limit.

Featuring a contemporary yet classic style, the K-01 provides discriminating photographers with a full array of advanced functions and user-friendly features in a camera body with remarkable form and function. Available in black, white and Newson's signature yellow colors, the new K-01 features the designer's autograph logo stamp on the bottom of each camera.

"It's a great honor to have worked with world-renowned designer Marc Newson to bring the PENTAX K-01 to market," said John Carlson, Sr. Manager of Sales and Marketing, PENTAX. "The new K-01 is not only technically superb, it is a design object."

Internationally known for designing a wide range of furniture and household items such as bicycles, cars, aircraft and yachts, various Marc Newson collections have been on display in The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City as well as many other major museums.

The famed designer's touch also is evident in a new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS interchangeable lens. As the world's thinnest interchangeable lens,* the new 40mm combines with the PENTAX K-01 camera body to deliver a unique mirrorless ILC system that is perfect for photographers who are as keen on design as they are on performance. Together, the K-01 and 40mm lens system mark the intersection where high technology and high design meet.

Key features of the PENTAX K-01 include:

• Durable machined aluminum frame under a stylish black, white, or yellow exterior.

• PENTAX mirrorless body design is compatible with 25+ million PENTAX K-mount lenses spanning decades.

• Large, newly-developed, 16 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS image sensor with low noise image capture and multiple aspect ratios.

• Bright, high resolution 3-inch LCD with 920,000 dots.

• Full HD 1080p video capture at 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60 FPS at 720p) features outstanding video capture flexibility.

• A new "PRIME M" imaging engine ensures first-rate movie recording performance in a digital interchangeable lens camera.

* The world's thinnest interchangeable lens for lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras, as of February 1, 2012 (based on PENTAX's research).

• Sensor-shift PENTAX Shake and Dust Reduction system is compatible with every mounted PENTAX lens.

• Fast 6 FPS burst mode is ideal for fast-action photography.

• Flexible ISO range of 100-25600 ensures noise-free imaging in virtually any lighting condition.

• Focus peaking mode provides fast and accurate manual focusing for critical focus applications.

The K-01 is available for $749.95 USD (body only) and $899.95 USD (lens kit including new DA 40mm XS) in Marc Newson-designed packaging and with the Marc Newson-designed camera strap. The smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS unifocal interchangeable standard lens is available for $249.95 USD.

Source: Engadget

Sony Xperia Sola Features and Specifications

Sony Xperia Sola

http://www.todayupdates.com/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-sola-features-specifications/

• Introducing “floating touch” navigation for magic web browsing without touching the screen
• Easily open apps and launch actions in an instant with NFC and Xperia SmartTags
• Reality Display with Mobile Bravia engine and fast capture camera boosted by a powerful dual-core processor

13 March, London, United Kingdom – Sony Mobile Communications today announced Xperia™ sola* as the latest addition to its portfolio of Android powered Xperia smartphones.  Complete with Sony technology, premium entertainment and innovative floating touchTM navigation, the NFC enabled Xperia sola comes equipped with Xperia SmartTags, allowing consumers to change their smartphone’s settings and applications to fit their lifestyle in an instant. Xperia sola will be available to consumers globally in black, white and red in the second quarter.

A floating touch of magic
Making its smartphone debut exclusively on Xperia sola, Sony’s unique floating touch lets consumers navigate the web by hovering their finger above the screen so it acts like a moving curser, without actually having to touch the screen.  Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page.  Floating touch will evolve with new user functionality and applications through software updates and engagement with developers.

Calum MacDougall, Head of Xperia Marketing for Sony Mobile Communications, commented; “Xperia sola comes with the power of Sony and a sense of magic with floating touch, giving consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off. With Xperia SmartTags out of the box and access to the latest content through Sony Entertainment Network, Xperia sola is perfect for consumers looking for ease of use and the best in entertainment in a smart and innovative smartphone.”

Simplify the everyday with SmartTags
Xperia sola is NFC enabled and comes with two NFC Xperia SmartTags in the box as standard to simplify consumers’ everyday smartphone experiences. By touching an NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, a pre-configured profile in the smartphone will launch. The two SmartTags included with Xperia sola can be personalized with up to 10 commands. Out of the box one is ready for the living room to turn on Wi-Fi™ and launch Google™ news and weather apps, and the other one for the bedroom, which turns on the alarm and switches to silent mode. Xperia sola supports NFC pairing, allowing consumers to enjoy great connectivity with other NFC smartphones, applications and services by tapping their smartphones together.

Powerful entertainment anytime, anywhere
Xperia sola boasts razor sharp clarity with Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, xLOUD™ and 3D surround sound audio technology delivering crisp and loud sound, and a 1GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance.  Xperia sola also comes with fast capture to take the camera from sleep to snap in a little over a second with a single key press.

Consumers can also access premium entertainment experiences with Sony Entertainment Network**, where they can watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters on Video Unlimited or listen to millions of songs*** through Music Unlimited.

Key features for Xperia sola

• Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience
• NFC enabled and Xperia SmartTags in the box to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing
• 3.7” Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• Powered by a 1GHz Dual Core Processor for super fast browsing
• xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud listening
• Direct access to Sony Entertainment Network* with pre-installed Video and Music Unlimited** apps
• Launches on Android platform 2.3, upgrade to Android 4.0 during summer 2012

* Xperia sola will be bought into the Italian market under the name “Sony Xperia™ sole” and in China P.R. under the name “Sony Xperia™ MT27i”
**Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region, please see www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details.
*** The number of available songs varies by region.

Xperia sola specifications
All services mentioned in this leaflet may not be available in every market.

Colours

• Black
• White
• Red

Facts

• Size: 116 x 59 x 9.9 mm
• Weight: 107 grams
• 1 GHz STE U8500 dual-core processor
• Google Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Camera

• 2D and 3D Sweep Panorama™
• 5 megapixel camera
• 16x digital zoom
• Auto focus
• Face detection
• Flash/Photo flash
• Geotagging
• HD video recording (720p)
• Red-eye reduction
• Self-timer
• Send to web
• Smile detection
• Video light
• Video recording

Music

• 3D surround sound
• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Clear bass
• Clear stereo
• Music Player
• PlayNow™ service
• SensMe™
• TrackID™ music recognition
• xLoud™ Experience

Internet

• Google play™
• Bookmarks
• floating touch™
• Google™ search
• Google Voice™ Search
• Google Maps™ for Mobile with
• Street view and Latitude™
• NeoReader™ barcode scanner
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (WebKit™)

Communication

• 2 speakerphones
• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application
• Facebook inside Xperia™
• Google Talk™ application
• Noise suppression
• Twitter™ (with Timescape™ integration)
• Xperia™ Timescape™

Messaging

• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail™
• Instant messaging
• Multimedia messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotation
• Gesture input
• Keyboard (on-screen, QWERTY)
• Live Wallpaper
• Picture wallpaper
• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
• Screenshot capturing
• Touch screen

Entertainment

• 3D Album
• Accelerated Adobe Flash Video
• Media browser
• Motion gaming
• Radio (FM radio with RDS)
• Sony Entertainment Network
• Video streaming
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Airplane mode
• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Contacts
• Document readers
• Notes
• Setup guide
• Stopwatch
• Tasks
• Timer

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA)
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ wireless technology
• DLNA Certified®
• Micro USB support
• Media Go™
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Modem
• Native USB tethering
• NFC
• PC Companion
• Synchronisation via Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®
• USB High speed 2.0 support
• USB Host
• Wi-Fi®
• Wi-Fi® Hotspot functionality
• Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation

All services mentioned in this leaflet may not be available in every market.

Display

• 3.7” Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
• 854 x 480 pixels
• 16,000,000 colour TFT
• Scratch-resistant glass

Memory

• 8 GB internal storage (up to 5 GB user-accessible memory)
• microSD™ memory card slot (supporting up to 32GB)

Networks

• Quad EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850, 900, 1800
• W-CDMA Band I, II, V and VIII

Battery life

• Talk time GSM: Up to 6 hrs*
• Standby time GSM: Up to 470 hrs*

• Talk time UMTS: Up to 5 hrs*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 475 hrs*

• Music listening time: Up to 40 hrs
• Video playback time: Up to 6 hrs

• Battery: 1320 mAh (built-in) typical, 1265 mAh minimum

*Values are according to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.

In the kit

• Xperia™ sola, embedded battery, 2 SmartTags, stereo headset, charger, micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer, and user documentation

Source: Sony

Nokia 808 PureView: 41 MP Camera Phone

It can not be overlooked. It's jaw dropping! Nokia has unveiled a new smartphone - the Nokia 808 PureView - at the MWC 2012, which has a 41 megapixel camera sensor with Carl Zeiss optics.

Yes, you read it right. It's 41 megapixel! As you might have speculated, the 41-megapixel sensor does not mean shooting pictures the size of billboards. Instead, it's about creating pictures at normal, manageable sizes.

It lets users shoot photos at different resolutions, say 2 megapixel, 3 megapixel, 5 megapixel, high resolution 8 megapixel or full resolution. The maximum resolution you can shoot at is 38 megapixels in 4:3 aspect ratio and 34 megapixels in 16:9 mode.

The large sensor enables pixel oversampling, which is explained in detail in the white paper (embedded below). But in a nutshell, it means the combination of many pixels into one perfect pixel. In other words, the camera can use oversampling to combine up to seven pixels into one "pure" pixel, thereby eliminating the visual noise.

PureView imaging technology is touted to be the result of many years of research and development and the tangible fruits of this work are excellent image quality, lossless zoom, and superior low light performance, said the company.

The phone comes equipped with a 1/1.2" sensor, which is approximately 2.5 larger than the sensor used in the Nokia N8.

Besides, the camera performance also extends to video. The camera allows for 1080p recording at 30fps, with 4X lossless zoom thanks to the big sensor and powerful image processing which is said to be handling over 1 billion pixels per second, as claimed by the company.

The phone has a Nokia Belle operating system and a 4-inch, ClearBlack AMOLED display underneath Gorilla Glass. Powered by a 1.3GHz processor, it has 16GB of internal user memory, with support for MicroSD cards up to 32GB to contain all the pictures and video you’ll be shooting.

Reportedly, the Nokia 808 PureView will be launched in May 2012.

Source:IBNLive

Samsung Galaxy Beam Versus Nokia 808 PureView

Samsung Galaxy Beam

Nokia 808 PureView

Samsung Galaxy Beam and Nokia 808 PureView are two great products from the Mobile World Congress 2012. The former is famous for its integration of a pico projector and the latter is featured for a massive 41-megapixel rear camera. Well, these two attributes are for the first time on some smartphones. Tech geeks were pretty excited to listen to the announcements of the new products from Samsung and Nokia, two leading mobile makers with the former recently topping the latter to become the top handset maker in world. Here, we compare specs and other features of the Galaxy Beam with the 808 PureView

Form factor

The Galaxy Beam is slimmer and lighter than the 808 PureView. It comes with a 12.5mm body that weighs at 145.3 grams, whereas the PureView has a 13.9mm body with 169 gram weight due to the massive camera sensor. But, when the length and height are concerned, the PureView (123.9 x 60.2) wins over the Beam that has the dimensions of 124 x 64.2 x 12.5mm.

Display screen

Both the Beam and PureView are to come with 4-inch displays. The Beam will have better screen resolution with 480 x 800 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen over the PureView, which will sport a 360 x 640 AMOLED capacitive touchscreen.

Processor, RAM and OS

Samsung has implanted a 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor inside its projector handset plus a huge 6GB of RAM. Meanwhile, Nokia has placed a more powerful 1.3GHz ARM 11 processor for its camera phone, certainly the world’s highest camera phone. The device mounts 1GB of ROM and 512 MB of RAM for additional juice. When it comes to the OS, the Beam is to come with Android OS version 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Ice Cream Sandwich will soon be there. The PureView, on the other hand, runs on Nokia’s own MeeGo OS.

Storage

Samsung only avails 8GB of internal memory with the Galaxy Beam, while Nokia has placed 16GB of onboard memory inside its 808 PureView. However, users can expand the memory up to 32GB with external memory sticks thanks to microSD slots.

Camera

This is the area where the 808 PureView overrules not only the Galaxy Beam, but all smartphones on earth till to date. The PureView breaks all records with a 41-mepaixel (38-megapixel effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels) rear camera, which can shoot video at 1080p. In addition, there is a VGA front camera for video chatting on the device. On the other hand, the Beam is to come with 5-megapixel 2592 x 1944 rear camera capable of shooting video at 720p. 1.3-megapixel secondary camera enables video chatting on the Beam.

Connectivity

Both the Galaxy Beam and 808 PureView share most of common connectivity features. They include HSDPA (14.4 Mbps), HSUPA (5.76 Mbps), 802.11 b/g/n W-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and microUSB 2.0 slots. But, the PureView has an additional support of UPnP technology.

Battery

The Beam packs in a Li-Ion 2000 mAh battery, when the PureView touts a Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery. Since both the devices have their own distinctive power savoring features, respectively a projector and a high res camera, we can’t tell anything about their possible battery performance until the devices are available in stores.

Special feature

Samsung has implemented an advanced pico projector on the top end (above the screen) of the Beam. This projector is capable to produce 15 lumen of brightness on any surface, whether it is your hand, wall, tabletop or ceiling. This feature will immensely help users show the contents in their phones to their friends and family in a nice way. Nokia, in the meantime, has embellished its phone with an unforeseen 41-megapixel sensor and resolution. The company has combined high-res sensors, Carl Zeiss optics and 4X lossless zoom to design this high performance rear camera.

Verdict

In fact, Galaxy Beam and 808 PureView don’t raise any challenge each other. They are only two high-end phones with different specialties; a projector and high-res camera. Customers will certainly be choosing any of these devices with an eye on their unique features, however.

Source: nvonews.com