Canadian phone manufacture RIM have officially changed their name to BlackBerry today at a press event in New York City. Along with the name change came the unveiling of their new operating system called BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry 10 brings an all new interface, along with new features and true multitasking to the smartphone wars. To show off their innovative new software, BlackBerry unleashed 2 new stunning pieces of hardware. BlackBerry unveiled the full touchscreen Z10, and the full QWERTY Q10 smartphones which both run BB10 effortlessly.
Lets break-down the all new OS and the 2 new handsets below.
BlackBerry 10 OS:
70k apps at launch
BlackBerry Hub: A single place to manage all conversations, BBM messages, social media updates or notifications.
BlackBerry Flow: Enables features and apps to flow together. For example, tap on an attendee listed for a meeting to see their latest tweet or LinkedIn profile. Or tap the thumbnail of a picture to launch the Picture editor and quickly apply a transformation or filter.
BlackBerry Balance: Separates and secures work applications and data from personal content on BlackBerry devices.
Time Shift: Captures a group shot where everyone is smiling with their eyes wide open.
Story Maker: Bring a collection of photos and videos together, along with music and effects, to produce an HD movie.
BlackBerry Remember: Combines memos, tasks and more into a single experience. It helps organize and manage information around projects or ideas, letting users collect content such as websites, emails, photos, documents, and other files, and then create tasks, assign due dates, and your progress.
BlackBerry Z10:
4.2-inch screen displaying at a 1280×768 resolution with 356 PPI
a dual-core TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz processor
2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. I
microSD expansion slot
microHDMI port
NFC capabilities
8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
BlackBerry Q10:
full QWERTY keyboard
3.1-inch physical touch screen. I
dual-core TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz processor
2GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of internal storage
microSD expansion slot.
720 x 720 resolution display.
Availability:
The Z10 handset will start at $199.99 and will be available on T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless in mid-March. UK and Canadian consumers can purchase the Z10 late this week. The Q10 QWERTY model will be available here in the U.S. sometime in April. Stay tuned for more exact dates.
Apple have officially released a new iPad model with the upcoming 128GB version of the iPad 4. The upgraded model will go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 5 in both black or white options. The 128GB model will carry an MSRP of $799 for the Wi-Fi-only model, and the 4G LTE model will sell for $929. Apple looks to offer more storage space for the likes of businesses, healthcare, artist, and educational institutions. The launch of a new 128GB model makes the release of 2 new iPad models in March a little less likely. Rumors now point to the launch of an iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 in the fall. Check out the official press release from Apple below.
“With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs.”
Sony have been stepping up their game in a major way so far in 2013. With the launch of new phones like the Xperia Z & ZL, Sony have been putting an emphasis on build quality and design. The Japanese electronics giant officially unveiled their newest Android tablet today in Japan with the new Xperia Tablet Z. This slim sexy Android powered tablet takes the title for world’s thinnest tablet beating out the iPad Mini from Apple. The 6.9mm thin tablet tops out the iPad Mini (7.2mm) for slimness by .3 millimeters. In terms of features it is powered by a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, has a 10.1-inch screen with a 1920-by-1200 pixel resolution, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage and an 8-megapixel camera. The 6.9mm thin tablet will weigh only 495 grams but will also be waterproof and shockproof (like Xperia Z smartphone). Check out the full specs on the Tablet Z below.
Specifications:
10.1 inch WUXGA Display with 1920 x 1200 resolution
Qualcomm 1.5GHz Quad-core processor
2GB RAM
8.1 megapixel Exmor R rear facing camera
2.2 megapixel front facing camera
32GB internal storage
6,000 mAh Battery
Sony has not released an official price or street date, or even if the device will land on U.S. shores. Insiders do expect the tablet to arrive in March with a $499 starting price point. Stay tuned for more on the new tablet heading into Mobile World Congress come next month. For you Sony fans who loved the Xperia Z and ZL at CES, the Z tablet does look complete the perfect Sony phone/tablet partnership.
Long before the days of iPhone and Android, device manufactures battled it out for title of the coolest phone. From Samsung and Motorola sliders, to the first Nokia and Sony Ericsson models with color displays. Phones back then were not only unique, but had a true sense of style. Since the inception of the iPhone (2007) and Android devices (2008), the big black touchscreen slab has really taken precedence in terms of form factor. Don’t get me wrong, some devices still have a bit of style like the sexy chinned HTC Legend. I also loved the slightly curved body of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc when it was first released. For the most part however, the black slab is where the market is truly at right now. Unique phones like the N95, T68i, and 8800 Sirocco are just relics of the past now. If you want a phone that stands out these days, your best bet is getting your iPhone plated in gold or wrapped in diamonds.
So kick your feet up and enjoy as I take you back through memory lane, when phones were true works of art. Below are my top 10 phones before the iPhone and Android took over the globe. Enjoy!
10.LG KG800 (Chocolate): The Chocolate from LG was one of the phones everybody wanted back then. This attractive slider had touch-sensitive glowing navigation keys that were just plain cool. The 1.3MP camera was not the greatest, but the small sexy form factor made it a hot seller. Just check out this advert here for the Chocolate from 2006.
9. Motorola V70 (2002): This unique swivel phone was a new form factor at the time, and grabbed some serious attention when pulled out in public. It featured a white-on-black LCD display, and neon-like EL keypad backlight. The circular silver bezel that frames the menu featured interchangeable rings with gold, silver, or white options. The$400 price tag in 2002 made this baby the “it” phone of its time. Check out the review from ZDNET back in 2002.
8. Palm Treo 650 (2004): One of the best smartphones in its class during that time period. The Treo 650 was packed with features, but not so much with style. This Intel powered device ran Palm’s own OS and featured a stylus for its 2.4” resistive touchscreen. Also on board was a VGA camera, SD card slot, and 65k color resistive touchscreen. Hard to believe back then it was the Treo, iPaq, and BB battling it out for best business device. Try not to laugh too hard from this TigerDirect review of the Treo 650.
7. Motorola RAZR V3 (2004): This is the phone that put Motorola on the map. It practically made flip phones cool for a while. The RAZR was one of the best selling phones of all time in almost every country. The slim design and unique keypad made the device stand out from the crowd. Motorola also packed it with features such as Bluetooth, VGA camera, second display, and miniUSB connectivity. The RAZR family is still going strong today with the Droid RAZR line-up of phones. However the prestige it once had is far from gone. Check out just how cool your world was if you had a RAZR from Motorola. HELLO MOTO!
6. Samsung D600 (2005): Unlike these other brands, Samsung flourished much more post iPhone. Their latest Galaxy lineup of phones is giving the iPhone a true run for the money. Before any Galaxy S, S2, S3 was even dreamed of, they had the D600. This phone was considered the best slider phone ever until the N95 showed up. Although it was not a smartphone, this palm-sized powerhouse was years ahead of other competing models. It sported a 2MP camera, microSD slot, Bluetooth, and TV Out. TV out was a big thing back in 2005. The D600 was just one solid piece of hardware and was a pleasure to hold and use. Check out this French TV spot for the sexy D600.
5. Sony Ericsson K800i (2006): This baby was Bond’s choice in Casino Royal thanks to it’s stunning camera and sexy body at the time. The 3.15MP snapper with xenon flash was considered a top-notch camera phone in 2006. A 255k color 2-inch display with 200ppi was not to shabby back then either. Other features like Bluetooth, M2 card slot, and yes a front facing camera made this truly a Bond worthy device. Check out the K800i in Casino Royal guiding Bond through the Bahamas.
4. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100 (2006): The first half QWERTY device from RIM became ever so popular due to its good looks and compact form factor. RIM’s goal was to go after everyday consumers with this model, and it worked. The phone featured a 1.3MP camera with a 65k color 2.2” display. The glowing trackball was the main star of the Pearl as many modded it to display different colors. The Pearl was a great device from RIM. Hopefully BB 10 brings some of the class back to the struggling company.
3. Nokia 9300 Communicator (2004): Wait what is this? Computer or Phone? The 9300 Communicator was like nothing else on the market. A phone on the outside, but a full QWERTY smartphone once flipped open. This 170g brick was powered by the Symbian OS, and sported a TI chip. It also featured Bluetooth and MMC card support. This form factor proved successful for Nokia as it was followed by a sexy E90. Fun Fact: The 9300 saved the day in Live Free or Die Hard with Bruce Willis. Check it out in action.
2. Sony Ericsson T68i (2002): One of the first phones with a color screen, Bluetooth, and world bands for roaming. The T68i was an upgraded version of the Ericsson T68 that added more memory allocation and MMS capability. The T68i was considered the perfect phone back in 2002. Although it did not have a camera, Sony Ericsson had the MCA-20 digital camera accessory. The MCA-20 clips on to the bottom of the phone and lets you take and send low-resolution digital images to friends. WOW! The T68i made a brief appearance in the James Bond film “Die Another Day” thanks to Halle Berry.
1. Nokia N95 (2007): I honestly could have packed this entire list with Nokia phones. They were just so globally dominate before the iPhone flourished. The N95 to me is still by far their most innovative and full-featured phone ever produced. It was the first 5MP camera phone on U.S. shores and featured the best GPS navigation a phone has ever seen. This phone was the true benchmark of the smartphone before Apple arrived. Every phone was out to beat the N95. About 6 months later the device was revived with a black coat of paint and 8GB of storage. The Nokia N95 8GB (2007 post iPhone) was and is one of my favorite phones of all time. Check out the differences between the 8GB in this review here. WINNER!!!
After the successful unveiling of the Xperia Z and ZL at CES last week, Sony may have a “Z” like tablet in the works as well. A tweet from Xperia_Info (Japanese Xperia twitter account), list the specs of Sony’s next possible Android tablet. The tablet would be a 10.1″ model that would also be waterproof and dust-proof with both IP57 and IP55 ratings. At the moment there is still no official word on pricing or availability, but perhaps we may see this at MWC in Barcelona next month.
Check out the leaked specs below directly from Xperia_info’s twitter feed.
The North Hall at CES brings some very cool automotive brands to the show each and every year. I almost feel like I am on the set of the next Fast and Furious movie in this hall. The floor is split between Auto, some Health tech and the iLounge Pavilion. The iLounge is just one giant Apple accessories showcase filled with everything for your iDevice. Element case showed off some stunning new cases for iPhone and iPad. These cases are made from premium materials and can cost over $200 like their new Ronin case. Other brands like Cygnett, Otterbox, CaseMate, Incipio, and Puro showed off new cases and covers for iPad and iPhone. The Italian brand Puro introduced new cases for the iPhone and iPad in collaboration with Just Cavalli (Roberto Cavalli). These new luxury snake skin cases bring some over the top styling to your iDevice. The health section had some cool innovations like the Healthspot virtual kiosk (located in Grand Lobby). This kiosk links you up with your doctor via video and he/she can examine you from a remote location. Wearable health gadgets overall made some big noise at the event this year. Brands like FitBit, Basis, and Bodymedia all had health watches/bracelets on display. Although health tech and the iLounge were great, for me the main star at the hall has to be the cars. With tricked out cars from the likes of audio pro’s Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer, for me the cars are always the main spotlight of the North Hall.
As I walked through the South Hall yesterday I noticed a massive crowd gathering around a small DJ booth. I thought to myself…why the big crowd? As I parted the crowd to grab a sneak a peak, I noticed something extraordinary. Once in front I saw this tiny young boy tearing up the decks, and pumping out some serious tunes. After a quick Google check I found out he was DJ Babychino, the world’s youngest DJ. DJ Babychino was showing off the new Home DJ Virtual DJ bundle from Beamz. The new DJ tool is available to consumers for just $149.95 and includes the feature rich Virtual DJ home software. Check out my video below of this 10 year old working the wheels-of-steel at CES 2013. Enjoy!
The south hall this year seemed to be missing some mobile presence due the absence of both BlackBerry and Nokia. I think this may have taken a bit of the hype away from the normally mobile heavy hall. The stars of the hall this year, were Chinese phone manufactures Huawei and ZTE. These two upcoming (here in the U.S.) brands are going at it like Apple vs. Samsung, but on a much smaller scale. Both brands showed off impressive and powerful new handsets which should (hopefully) make it over to the U.S. very soon. Another big headliner at the South hall was Nvidia. This tech giant released a new handheld Android gaming device called Project Shield. No word on pricing or street date yet, but gamers have something awesome to look forward to. Viewsonic had some new Windows 8 touch displays that look impressive as well. Qualcomm, Verizon, and Soul Headphones (Ludacris) rounded out the big names over at the south hall this year. Overall the South hall did seem a bit lacking due to the absence of Nokia and RIM, but still a lot of great tech on showcase. Check out some pics from the South Hall below. Enjoy!
The Chinese manufacturer Huawei has really changed their brand around over the past 2 CES events. They went from producing middle range to low end affordable mobile phones, to top end models that can compete with the big boys. Last year Huawei shocked us with the Ascend D and Ascend P1 smartphones. This year Huawei steps up their game even more with a complete lineup of all new (mammoth sized) devices.
Ascend Mate:
First up was their new flagship device, the Ascend Mate. The new make take the title of worlds biggest cell phone with a 6.1″ screen. The giant screen features 720p resolution with 241ppi. The Ascend Mate uses an IPS+ 720p display powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor. The Mate features an 8MP camera and runs Jelly Bean 4.1
Ascend D2:
The D2 is the follow up to the D we saw last year at CES. Overall I think it the best phone that Huawei produces currently. In fact it is one of the nicest devices at the show just behind the new Xperia Z & ZL from Sony. The D2 features a 5″ 1080p screen with a whopping 440ppi resolution. The D2 is also built to provide IP54 level of dust and water resistance. The D2 runs JB 4.1 at launch and sports a 1.5GHz quad-core chip with 2GB of RAM. The D2 also comes standard with 32GB of storage.
Ascend W1:
Last up was the first Windows device from Huawei with the all new W1 Windows Phone 8 powered handset. The W1 features a great built quality and runs a dual-core 1.2 GHz Krait CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. The phone features a 4″ IPS LCD display with WVGA resolution. The device also sports a mediocre 5MP camera but shines with over 470 hrs of standby time.
Conclusion:
Overall it was as solid show from Huawei at CES this year. This brand continuously brings their “A” game when it come to putting out quality products across various price points. Well done guys. Enjoy some other pics from the Huawei booth below.
Day one here at CES and I was off to tackle the gigantic central hall. With just too many gizmos and gadgets to cover, I thought I would share some of my favorite images of the day right here on the blog.
Highlights:
LG OLED TVS
4k TVS
RCA Tablet with TV Tuner
Sony Xperia Z & ZL
Samsung series 7 ultrabooks, series 7 chronos
Panasonic 4K OLED
New chips from Intel
Enjoy all my pics from Central Hall day 1 at CES 2013!
