Huawei debuts upgraded Mate Xs 5G foldable, bets on connectivity ahead of P40 series

MANILA -- Huawei on Monday unveiled its newest foldable smartphone, tablet and laptop, betting on an interconnected ecosystem of devices and software as it reasserted itself in the face of new devices from Samsung and Apple.

The world's largest supplier of telecommunications equipment debuted the new additions to its Mate line of premium devices ahead of the P40 series, its photography-centered line of premium smartphones that is expected be unveiled in March. The P40 phones will compete directly with Samsung's Galaxy S20 series.

In a global livestream, the Shenzhen-based tech giant unveiled the Mate Xs foldable phone; the MateBook X Pro laptop with a near borderless display; and the MatePad Pro, a productivity focused tablet.

The Mate Xs is made from sturdier materials and has an improved hinge that allows the display to unfold into an 8-inch tablet. Huawei also upgraded the processor to its latest in-house Kirin 990, said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei consumer business group.

The quick charging battery charges up to 85 percent in half an hour and lasts 20 percent longer than the original Mate X. The Mate Xs has 4 Leica-engineered cameras, he said.

The Mate Xs will be available internationally in March for 2,499 euros (roughly P138,0000). There was no immediate word on availability on the Philippines.



The MatePad Pro, aimed squarely at Apple's iPad Pro has a 10.8 inch screen with a 90-percent screen-to-body ratio, compared to 84.6 percent on the Apple device. It supports up to 40-watt fast charging and runs on Kirin 990, Yu said.

Also like the iPad Pro, the MatePad pro can be used with Huawei's own M Pencil and a keyboard that doubles as a case. Prices start at 549 euros (roughly P30,000) and will be available from April.

The MateBook X Pro has 3,000 x 2,000 resolution touch screen with a 91-percent screen-to-body ratio. It runs the 10th generation of Intel's Core i7, Yu said. Prices start at 1,499 euros (roughly P82,000)

Huawei is building its own AppGallery to compete with Google's Play Store and Apple's iOS App Store, he said.

A launch event in Barcelona for the new devices was scrapped, along with the entire Mobile World Congress to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus strain.

"We want to make sure your health and safety comes first so this new and unique format is arranged for your comfort," Yu said.

Acknowledging a "tough" 2019 for Huawei in 2019, Yu said annual revenue grew 18 percent while smartphone shipments grew 16.8 percent, Yu said.

Personal computer sales grew 200 percent while wearables grew 170 percent, he said.

The current year will be a "takeoff year" for 5G, as Huawei has so far shipped 10 million devices with the new connectivity standard, he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google unveils game streaming platform called Stadia

SAN FRANCISCO - Google on Tuesday unveiled a streaming platform called Stadia that allows video game play on any internet-connected device, eliminating the need for games consoles.

The tech platform, announced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, aims to connect more people to participate in interactive play on PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other devices.

Google also unveiled a new controller that can be used to play cloud-based individual or multiplayer games.

Chief executive Sundar Pichai said the initiative is "to build a game platform for everyone."

"I think we can change the game by bringing together the entirety of the ecosystem," Pichai told a keynote presentation.

Google said it had provided the technology to more than 100 game developers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Apple announces new iPad Air, iPad Mini

MANILA -- Apple quietly announced on its website on Tuesday a pair of iPads, including a 10.5 slate that packs most of the features of the top end models but at roughly half the price.

The 10.5-inch iPad Air will cost P29,990 when it is released. It's screen is smaller that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which costs at least P64,490, according to Apple's website.

The iPad Air also has larger top and bottom bezels compared to the Pro and lacks facial recognition, retaining the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Apple also refreshed the 7.9-inch iPad Mini. Like the iPad Air, the Mini comes with an LCD Retina display and the A12 series processor found on the iPhone XS and iPad Pro lines.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini retain much of the dimensions of older models, but with more powerful internals. Apple has largely kept the 9.7-inch iPad (simply called iPad) largely the same for years, save for upgrades in processor speed.

There was no immediate word on local availability for the new iPad Air and iPad Mini.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Ahead of P20 flagship, Huawei launches laptop, tablet

BARCELONA - China's Huawei launched a new laptop and tablet on Sunday as it sought to cement its place among the world’s 3 biggest electronic device manufacturers.

The laptop, the Matebook X Pro, and the tablet, the MediaPad M5, were presented on the eve of the opening of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- the scene of previous major Huawei launches.

But this year the company will instead present its new flagship smartphone -- the P20 -- on March 27 in Paris, in what is seen as a bid not to be eclipsed by Samsung's launch of its new top end phone later Sunday.

"By launching the new P20 smartphones only a month later in Paris, Huawei will be able to fine tune its marketing message based on how the new Samsung S9 devices are perceived by consumers," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

Both the new Huawei laptop and tablet feature long lasting batteries and quicker charge times and are available in grey and silver.

The laptop's power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which Huawei says will start and securely log into Windows in under eight seconds.

Huawei also unveiled what it said is the world's first commercial chipset that meets the standards of the super-fast 5G wireless networks which are poised to start being rolled out.

The company said the chipset can hit download speeds of 2.3 gigabits per second, significantly faster than speeds reached in current 4G networks.

Huawei remained the world's third biggest seller of smartphones in 2017, behind Samsung and Apple.

It boasted a 10.4 percent market share, up from 9.5 percent, according to research firm IDC.

Samsung had a 21.6 percent share while Apple held 14.7 percent.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia launches tablet to join Microsoft gadget push

ABU DHABI - Nokia has unveiled its first tablet and large-screen smartphones, which will form part of Microsoft's global push to become a leading player in consumer devices when it takes over the Finnish company's handset business.

The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1320 and 1520 phones are among the last products Nokia developed before deciding to sell the devices unit to Microsoft in a deal that is due to close in the first quarter of next year.

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, arrived late to the smartphone race and has struggled to catch up with Apple and Samsung, who dominate the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smartphones, known as phablets.

The Lumia tablet, which has a 10-inch screen, will also face tough competition from the likes of Apple, which is expected to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday. The phablets, which both have 6-inch screens, will take on a multitude of similar devices from Samsung.

Analysts said the new products, which will retain the Nokia brand after the Microsoft handover, are priced low enough to attract interest.

The Lumia 2520, which comes in glossy red and white as well as matt cyan and black versions, is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter for about $499.

"The tablet is a nice design, it's a good-value proposition," Gartner analyst Annette Zimmermann said, though she doubts that Nokia's first foray into the tablet market will bring billions in sales.

POSSIBLE CLASH

Others also questioned whether the new launch is enough to lure consumers back to Nokia and Microsoft, while Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said the Lumia 2520's position for Microsoft is unclear, particularly after the software giant launched its own tablets.

At midnight on Monday, Microsoft started selling its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still feeling its way in the computer hardware business, the company is banking on the lighter and faster models boosting the lackluster sales of its touch-screen devices.

"Despite a more affordable price, the respective positioning of Nokia's tablet versus the Surface 2 is not obvious and will have to be dealt with after the Nokia acquisition," Husson said.

The new devices will help Microsoft to increase the number of Windows users, but Husson said he expects it to remain a long way from "a significant installed base of consumers".

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop, hired in 2010 to turn round the company, decided in early 2011 to drop Nokia's own operating system in favor of the Microsoft's untested Windows Phone software.

The Lumia devices have been well received by technology blogs and critics, but sales have been slow to pick up, partly because of a lack of Windows Phone apps and a limited marketing budget.

(Writing by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by David Goodman)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Polaroid goes platinum

Polaroid has been known for its prestigous line of cameras and. when the tech world went crazy with super smart devices, it was a bit of a surprise when the ‘ol camera brand name found itself into a tablet. Behold, the 7-inch slate with the Platinum.

The Polaroid Platinum is a no-pushover tablet that runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, sporting a 1.2GHz quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory – expandable up to 32GB, and a 0.3 front camera. And that’s just for starter.

The Platinum is designed for full mobility. The rear cover has a rubber-like grip that prevents sliding.

The Platinum is conveniently thin like most of the tablets today. The body is strong enough to withstand a few bumps and scrapes from reckless tosses into bags, across the table, and so on.

The 1,024x600 resolution screen has decent responsiveness. We got to download a couple of games to it, Any movies played on it under the mentioned resolution will be displayed in HD.

Though the colors and detail lack that certain crispness that makes our eyes water. There is little we can say about the audio, it provides not too loud sounds even on maxed volume, but becomes somewhat distorted when set it that way.

Performance-wise, we can say that this tablet has got what it takes to make someone happy. The quad core processor will let users play Angry Birds, Candy Crush, or whatever game app is trending nowadays with ease and comfort.

Polaroid’s best-known quality, the 0.3 front-facing camera may not sound too much. But images were surprisingly bright and clear, plus, we figured it’s a student-oriented device, low-megapixel could aspire less selfies which are going rampant these days. But if students get creative, it’s more than enough to link into video chats with other classmates to show their math solutions or a fine and personal way to communicate with relatives abroad.

Battery life stands on the bronze side of the podium with 2,800mAh. That’s actually more than nearly every other smartphone out in the market. But for a tablet? We felt we needed a little bit more, especially with that quad core processor that is capable of draining battery fast. On the bright side of it, on a battery run test, it took a good few hours of watching movies with Wi-Fi on, before it ran out of power. Again, as it is geared for students’ educational purpose, typing, web browsing, and e-Reading will not drain the battery too fast.
The Platinum’s easy reach makes this a fantastic option when considering a 7-inch tablet.

source: mb.com.ph

Samsung unveils 8-inch tablet with phone capability

SEOUL - Samsung on Sunday unveiled an eight-inch tablet with phonecall capability to rival Apple's recently launched iPad mini and to cement its market dominance by offering devices in a variety of sizes.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 features an eight-inch screen and, where it may steal a march on its rival which measures 7.9-inches, the ability to make phone calls.

The new device, now being marketed by Samsung as a "tablet", is powered by Google's Android software and will be showcased at the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona beginning on February 25, the company said in a statement.

Like previous incarnations of the Galaxy Note, the device comes with a stylus pen allowing the user to write or draw on the screen, which can be split in two to run various programs at the same time.

Global sales will begin in the second quarter, the firm said.

Samsung is the world's top maker of smartphones and mobile phones in general.

The latest device -- the first from the company to feature an eight-inch screen -- is set to fill a gap in the firm's wide product lineup, which ranges from the flagship smartphone Galaxy S to the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 and the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab tablet PC.

The firm has recently shifted its focus to its Galaxy Note, which turned out to be far more popular than the larger Galaxy Tab, offering the Note in various sizes in a move that blurred the lines between smartphones and tablet PCs.

Samsung said the launch of the Galaxy Note 8.0 will "reignite the mid-size tablet category" -- a segment increasingly crowded by rival products including the iPad mini that launched last November and Google's seven-inch Nexus 7.

Samsung and Apple accounted for more than half of all smartphone sales in the final quarter of 2012 -- 29.0 percent for Samsung and 22.1 percent for Apple -- according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Globe offers Tattoo tablet for only P7,800

 MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom is offering its own tablet for only P7,800 when you subscribe to a Tattoo personalized plan for P999 a month.

"The Tattoo Mediapad is one of the hottest tablets right now. It boasts of an outstanding display and is a perfect handy gadget for games and entertainment," Dong Ronquillo, head of Tattoo Nomadic Broadband, said.

The Tatoo Mediapad can be paid in 3 monthly installments at 0% interest. It was originally offered at P10,990 bundled with a P999 plan. 

Running on Android 4.0 ICS with 1.2 GHZ Dual Core Processor, the 7-inch Tattoo Mediapad has a 1.3 megapixels front camera and a 5 megapixels rear camera, with 8 GB internal storage that has built-in support for micro SD expansion. It also has the highest PPI among 7-inch tablets in the market today.

"The Tattoo Mediapad also has a hotspot feature that allows users to share their wireless Internet connection with up to five other WiFi devices," Ronquillo said.

Tattoo is the first broadband service provider in the country to offer its own tablet.

source: abs-cbnnews.com