smartphone

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Samsung Z1, the First Commercially Available Tizen Smartphone, Has Launched in India

Samsung Z1, the First Commercially Available Tizen Smartphone, Has Launched in India

Tizen operating system is already found in cameras, and smartwatches, with works also being done for televisions, laptops and cars, but the Tizen smartphone has been mostly newsworthy because of product cancellations or delays, rather than product launches. But finally, the first Tizen smartphone has been introduced in India, it’s called Samsung Z1 and sells for 5,700 Indian Rupees ($92). Samsung Z1 (SM-Z130H/DS) specifications: Processor – Spreadtrum SC7727S dual core Cortex A7 processor @ 1.2 GHz with Mali-400 GPU System Memory – 768 MB RAM Storage – 4GB Internal memory + micro SD slot (up to 64GB) Display – 4” WVGA (800×480) PLS screen Cellular Connectivity – GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSDPA 900/2100 MHz. Dual SIM support. Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS Video – MP4, M4V, 3GP, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV Audio – MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC Camera – 3.1MP rear camera, VGA […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on $142 Micromax Yureka Cyanogen OS Smartphone Features a 64-bit Qualcomm Processor

$142 Micromax Yureka Cyanogen OS Smartphone Features a 64-bit Qualcomm Processor

Micromax is one of the leading smartphone companies in India, battling with Samsung for the top spot, and they’ve recently announced Yureka, a 64-bit smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, and Cyanogen OS 11 selling for just 8,999 Rupees  (~$142 US) in India. Yureka smartphone specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) octa core Cortex A53 processor with Adreno 405 GPU, and Hexagon V50 DSP System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB internal storage + micro SD slot up to 32GB Display – 5.5″ IPS display with Corning Glass 3, 1280×720 resolution Cellular Connectivity LTE TDD B40 2300 MHz / B3 1800 MHz (150 Mbps DL / 50 Mbps UL) WCDMA 900/2100 MHz (42 Mbps DL/ 11 Mbps UL) GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz Dual SIM (micro) Wireless Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, FM radio Camera – 13MP rear camera with autofocus and flash, 5MP front-facing camera USB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Andromium Transforms Your Smartphone into a mini Desktop PC (Crowdfunding)

Andromium Transforms Your Smartphone into a mini Desktop PC (Crowdfunding)

Mobile desktop convergence has been a buzz word for several years now, and people have tried to use their smarphone as a desktop PC for a while thanks to technologies like MHL, which allows an easy connection between a phone and TV. However, mobile operating systems such as Android are not really suited for desktop use, and it can be a frustrating experience, so there needs to be different user interface in desktop and mobile modes for an optimal user experience. Canonical is working on this, and Ubuntu Edge, an ambitious, but ultimately failed crowdfunding campaign, was part of the strategy for convergence. But a team of developers lead by an ex-Google employee has been designed a solution with a desktop OS (Andromium OS) and a docking station that let you use your smartphone as a phone on the go, and as a desktop computer while docked, with Andromium user […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Huawei Introduces Kirin 620 Octa Core Cortex A53 LTE SoC for Smartphones

Huawei Introduces Kirin 620 Octa Core Cortex A53 LTE SoC for Smartphones

Huawei / Hisilicon has announced a new 64-bit ARM processor with Kirin 620 featuring eight ARM Cortex A53 cores coupled with a Mali-450MP GPU, as well as an LTE Cat4 modem. Key specifications of this application processor include: CPU – 8x ARM Cortex A53 @ 1.2 GHz GPU – Mali-450MP4 GPU Memory – LPDDR3 Camera – 13MP, ZSL (Zero Shutter Lag), HDR Video – Decode & Encode: 1080p30 H.264 Cellular connectivity – LET Cat4 150M/50M, HSPA+ Cat24 42M / Cat6 5.76M, TDS R7 2.8M/2.2M, GSM R6 Class33 Voice Solution – VoLTE/eSRVCC, CSFB, SGLTE, DSDA, DSDS Peripherals – USB, HSIC, SD/MMC, DMAC Process – 28 nm That’s about all I know so far. Hisilicon mobile SoCs have not found their way in many handsets in the past, apart from Huawei smartphones. We’ll see if that one becomes more popular. Via AndroidPC.es and Android Headlines. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Yotaphone 2 Smartphone Features an Improved AMOLED + ePaper Dual Display

Yotaphone 2 Smartphone Features an Improved AMOLED + ePaper Dual Display

About two years ago, Yota , a technology company based on Russia, introduced the Yotaphone, an Android smartphone with an innovative dual display solution comprised of a standard color display on the front, and an E-ink display on the back, in order to extend battery life. The idea was interesting, but the phone did not look that great. But with Yotaphone 2, the company upgraded the processor with a Snapdragon 800 processor, a larger 5″ display, and if the back ePaper display looks as crisp and clear in real life as in the picture below, you could have a winner, and copycats will eventually show up. Yotaphone 2 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core Krait processor @ 2.2 GHz with Adreno System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 32GB eMMC Displays Front – 5″ AMOLED touch screen, 1920×1080 resolution,16M colors, 442ppi, with Corning Gorilla glass 3. Rear – 4.7”  […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Intrinsyc Introduces Snapdragon 810 Powered Mobile and Tablet MDPs, DragonBoard Development Kit

Intrinsyc Introduces Snapdragon 810 Powered Mobile and Tablet MDPs, DragonBoard Development Kit

Intrinsyc has recently announced availability for three development platforms based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 ARM Cortex A53/A57 processor, namely a smartphone Mobile Development Platform (MDP), a tablet MDP, and a DragonBoard development kit integration Open-Q 8094 system-on-module, making these one of the first ARM64 development platforms available to individual developers, or at least small software development companies (approved by Qualcomm). All three platforms will run Android 5.0 Lollipop. Intrinsyc Snapdragon 810 MDP Smartphone Intrinsyc MDP/S specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (8994)  64-bit octa-core processor with 4x Cortex A57 cores, 4x Cortex A53 cores, Adreno 430 GPU, and Hexagon V56 DSP System Memory – 3 GB LP-DDR4 Storage – 32 GB eMMC 5.0  micro SD slot (under battery door) Display – 6.17” QHD (2560×1600) 490ppi, 10-finger multi-touch capacitive touchscreen Video Output – micro HDMI type D Audio Headset jack with ANC support 8 microphones (2 analog/ 6 digital) with support […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on International Deals for Black Friday 2014

International Deals for Black Friday 2014

Every year, right after Thanksgiving comes Black Friday which “officially” opens the shopping season for Christmas, and the next Monday is called Cyber Monday, a much more recent day on the calendar, as it offers Online deals. Both are mostly US centric, but Chinese e-retailers have decided to jump on the Black Friday / Cyber Monday bandwagon, so just like for Black Friday 2013, I’ve decided to list a few offer available online for international buyers. Please make check to check my little shopping guide to avoid pitfalls, such as “fake” discounts, where the original price is inflated to misguide prospective buyers. DealExtreme DealExtreme’s Black Friday promotion campaign has not officially started, but they’ve already announced their program: From November 28th to December 1st, DX Black Friday Shopping Carnival will be grandly open! This year, DX will bring you with the most beloved brands at affordable prices with amazing discounts […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Marvell Introduces ARMADA PXA1936 & PXA1908 Octa & Quad Core Cortex A53 LTE SoCs for Smartphones and Tablets

Marvell Introduces ARMADA PXA1936 & PXA1908 Octa & Quad Core Cortex A53 LTE SoCs for Smartphones and Tablets

Marvell announced ARMADA PXA1928 quad core Cortex A53 LTE SoC at the beginning of the year, and they’ve now introduced two new Cortex A53 based processors with PXA1936 and PXA1908, featuring respectively eight and four ARM Cortex A53 cores at 1.5 GHz, and 5-mode 4G LTE support (TD-LTE, FDD-LTE, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA and GSM). PXA1936 targets high performance smartphones and tablets, whereas PXA1908 targets mid-range / mainstream mobile devices. Key features of the Marvell ARMADA Mobile PXA1936 include: Octa core Cortex A53 up to 1.5GHz Supports 1080p display, and video encoding and decoding Improved image processor to support 13 to 16MP camera Advanced power management and audio codec for power efficiency and audio performance Enhanced security processor Integrated location and sensor hub functionalities for better usability Field proven DSDS (Dual Sim Dual Standby) software for 5-mode modem While key features of Marvell ARMADA Mobile PXA1908 include: Cost optimized quad-core Cortex A53 […]