Huawei announces dual-SIM B199 with 5.5" screen
Huawei announced the B199 dual-SIM Android smartphone as a successor to the A199, which debuted last April. Just like its predecessor the B199 has dual-SIM support with CDMA/GSM dual stand-by.What's interesting is that the B199 packs a large 3,000 mAh battery that can be used to charge other devices (with a dedicated cable). The price of the B199 will be CNY1,999 or around $330.
The rest of the specs are a quad-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz (this time on a Snapdragon chipset and not the home-made K3V2 CPU), 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of expandable storage, 5.5" 720p display, 13 MP back and 5 MP front-facing cameras.
The back cover of the Huawei B199 is metal-clad. The smartphone should begin selling in China on January 20 but there's no word on global availability.
Huawei makes the MediaPad 7 Youth2 official
Huawei announced the successor to the affordable MediaPad 7 Youth tablet it launched last year. Predictably called the MediaPad 7 Youth2 (the lack of space is not a typo), the slate sports a metallic frame surrounding its 7″ display of 1024 x 600 pixels resolution.
Under the nice looking aluminum gold back, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset with quad-core 1.2GHzCPU and 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. Thankfully, there’s a microSD card slot on board. Additionally, the tablet sports a 4,100mAh Li-Po battery, which thanks to Huawei’s Dynamic Power Management system promises to last longer than usual.
At the back, there’s a 3MP camera, while at the back a front-facing VGA shooter is good for occasional video chats. The Youth2 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and as you’d probably guessed it, Huawei has put its proprietary Emotion UI 1.6 on top.
Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. However, Huawei seems keen to take the Samsung Galaxy Tab3 Lite with its latest Youth2 tablet. Samsung’s affordable offer stands at approximately $200, but we’re yet to see if Huawei will be able to match or beat this price.
Sharp RW-16G1 is a 15.6-inch Windows 8.1 tablet
Sharp has announced a new tablet running Windows 8.1. The RW-16G1 is a massive 15.6-inch tablet, designed more to be used on your desk than on the move.
The 15.6-inch display has a resolution of 3200×1800 and uses an IGZO panel. It also comes with a stylus with 256 step digitizer for pressure sensitivity. Inside, there is a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-4200U processor with Intel HD Graphics 4400, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. The RW-16G1 claims to have a battery life of up to 9-hours.
No price has been announced so far but the tablet is expected to go on sale in March.
China launches its own, Linux-based mobile OS
According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, foreign operating systems pose great risks and issues, but "COS will simultaneously solve both security and usability aspects". COS is built "completely independent"-ly, upon a security-enhanced Linux kernel, which supports multiple runtime environments, as well as multitasking. The platform will come with a user-friendly interface and will be used in various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers, smart handheld terminals, and even set-top boxes.According to Chen Feili, the deputy general manager of Liantong Network, China Mobile and China Telecom have been testing COS for three months now. Feili has also stated that, at the moment, four already-released Chinese smartphones run COS, but he hasn't revealed the names of the manufacturers who have launched them. According to some sources, HTC is one of the companies that support COS, which might confirm the rumors we heard back in August. The deputy manager of Liantong Network has also said that the goal of the new mobile platform is to become one of the most used operating systems in China. The China Operating System supports both JAVA and HTML5 web applications, and is currently compatible with over 100,000 different apps. It seems like a unified app store for the new platform is being developed, too.
New HTC One allegedly coming with larger screen, better dual-sensor camera in March
Original HTC One
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The second-gen HTC One is said to arrive at the end of March, so we have all the time in the world to make guesses - give us yours in the comments below.
Samsung's plans to launch Tizen smartphones on Japan's NTT DoCoMo carrier put on shelf
"The market is not big enough to support three operating systems at this time," So Hiroki, a spokesman for DoCoMo, said on Friday.
DoCoMo even quoted statistical figures by IDC Japan research showing that the local smartphone market has grown by merely 2.2% in April to September of 2013.
This is clearly a disappointment for Samsung, the company that has put the immense effort to develop its own Tizen operating system. The platform was first rumored to launch in late 2012, then the release dates were pushed further away, to only arrive at this indefinite decision by the main partner DoCoMo. Interestingly enough, Tizen is not meant to arrive to the United States. The US market is seen as too mature for yet another platform, so Tizen's focus is primarily on markets outside the US like Asia and Europe.
The list of other high-profile backers for Tizen includes Intel, Orange and Vodafone group, so there are still chances for it to launch in other countries, but the scale won’t be the same without DoCoMo. Latest whispers on the street have suggested that Samsung might finally officially lift the cover off real Tizen smartphones at Mobile World Congress, an event kicking off in just a few weeks in Barcelona. Let’s wait and see. Meanwhile, though, feel free to let us know your opinion about Tizen: do we need yet another operating system and is there space for it?
Mid-range Oppo Neo now official, costs $215
The Oppo Neo is built around a 4.5" IPS LCD display, which is extra sensitive and is capable of detecting touches even when you are wearing gloves. The screen packs a rather low resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 217ppi .
This places the Oppo Neo straight up into the mid-range smartphone category, where it'll be providing backup for the Oppo R819. The Neo is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core CPU, but there's no information of the processor architecture, internal memory or RAM at this point.
The Oppo Neo weighs just 130 grams and measures 132 x 65.8 x 9.2mm, which is pretty thin for the price range. It runs Oppo's ColorOS skin on top of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
At the back, there's a 5MP snapper, while at the front, there's a 2MP camera for video chatting. Specifications of the main camera are missing at this point - we guess it's going to record up to 720p videos, but Oppo is yet to confirm or deny that.
On the software side, the Neo features Quick reach, Oppo's gesture-based feature that can trigger a variety of features. The motтo of the phone is "Let your finger talk," which is an appropriate description of the feature.
The Oppo Neo will also be available in a dual SIM version. In Indonesia, the phone will retail for $215 (IDR2,599,000). There's no information if Oppo plans to bring Neo to more markets. We'll keep you updated as new information arrives.
Bing Tell Me voice assistant beta coming to WP handsets this April
According to latest online gossip, Microsoft’s Bing Tell Me voice assistant, also known by its codename Cortana, should debut this April at the annual’s BUILD conference. As previously suggested, Bing Tell Me will be voiced by Halo’s Cortana actress – Jen Taylor.
Just like Google Now, the Windows Phone voice assistant can be activated by a voice command (in this case “Bing Tell Me”) and it will understand commands such as “… will it rain today?”, “.. when’s my next meeting?” and “.. how do I get to the American Airlines Arena?”.
Bing Tell Me beta is expected to launch this April on various Lumia devices, probably with Windows Phone 8.1 update.
According to the tipster, Bing Tell Me will premiere on Windows Phone first with support for US English. Then this fall the service should hit iOS via a dedicated Bing app as well. Its endgame is reportedly Windows 9, scheduled for the next spring, where the service is expected to graduate from beta and gain support for lots of additional languages.
As usual, raising your hopes based on rumors with no official confirmation is not advisable.
Samsung's first 1080p Windows Phone 8 handset could be the SM-W750V
At the moment, Nokia is the only manufacturer that’s selling Windows
Phone handsets with 1080p displays. Of course, Nokia has pretty much
remained the only manufacturer that sells WP devices regardless of their
features. But Samsung, which leads the smartphone market thanks to
Android, might prepare a new WP flagship as well: the SM-W750V.
We first heard about the SM-W750V in December, when we reported that the mysterious device had a 5-inch display. As of today, the SM-W750V is approved by the Bluetooth SIG, which seemingly confirms that what we have here is a phone - one that’s made for North America.
What’s even more interesting is that the
We first heard about the SM-W750V in December, when we reported that the mysterious device had a 5-inch display. As of today, the SM-W750V is approved by the Bluetooth SIG, which seemingly confirms that what we have here is a phone - one that’s made for North America.
What’s even more interesting is that the
 |
To recap, Samsung SM-W750V is a Windows Phone 8 handset with a 5-inch, 1080 x 1920 pixels display and LTE connectivity, and it might be released in North America. Naturally, we can’t be certain of anything until Samsung makes an official announcement. Perhaps it will happen at MWC 2014 next month? Since it won’t reveal its Galaxy S5 Android flagship there, the company can certainly announce other high-end (albeit less important) devices at the upcoming trade fair.
What do you think, can a new 1080p WP handset from Samsung compete with Nokia's Lumias?
Intel’s Arizona factory launch gets delayed due to slowdown in the PC market
Intel has revealed that it’s going to delay the opening of its completed chip facility in Chandler, Arizona. Called simply Fab 42, the facility lacks the robots and infrastructure to actually produce processors.
Instead of investing in Fab 42 right now, Intel spokesperson Chuck Mulloy has shared the company’s plans to upgrade three of is other factories. The reason behind the decision is that Intel will be able to use the existing equipment that is already present.
Mulloy says the delay will not have any effect on Intel’s chip output. It seems the rise of the smartphones and tablets market, which was at the expense of PCs and laptops, has made Intel rethink its factory strategy. We are yet to see whether the slowdown in PC production will have noticeable mark on Intel’s financial results for Q1 of this year.
Windows 9 expected for an April 2015 release, but it's unclear if Microsoft knows that
Thurrott
says that this coming April at the BUILD 2014 developers conference,
Microsoft is planning to announce details of Windows 9, and that Windows
9 is planned to be released in April of 2015. Rumors have said that
Windows 9 will include the return of the Start menu, as well as options
to run Metro apps on the desktop. Of course, the big news as far as our
readership is concerned is the potential merging of Windows Phone and
Windows RT.
The trouble is that Microsoft may not be aware of these plans, because InfoWorld is
reporting that Microsoft hasn't actually started coding Windows 9 yet.
It took Microsoft six years after Windows XP to release Vista, two years
after Vista to release Windows 7, and three years after Windows 7 to
release Windows 8. If it is true that Microsoft hasn't started work, it
could be cutting it close if April 2015 is really the aim.
HP Slate6 VoiceTab and Slate7 VoiceTab go official
HP official
announced the two new devices. The first one is a phablet that is named
Slate6 VoiceTab and the second one is a tablet, which is dubbed Slate7
VoiceTab.
As the name itself suggests, both new additions will have the voice-calling capabilities. The new entries are powered by quad-core processors, which according to HP lets you multi-task without having to compromise with its performance.
HP Slate6 and Slate7 are expected to come out with 6-inch and 7-inch displays respectively. The devices are also rumored to run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, but the official hardware specs of the both the devices are unknown at the moment.
Previous rumors suggest that the 6-inch Android phablet will be priced under $250, while the 7-inch model is said to come with an even more affordable $199 price tag. HP Slate 6 VoiceTab and HP Slate 7 VoiceTab is expected to go on sale in India, starting from next month.
We are on a lookout for more details on the HP Slate 6 and Slate 7 devices. We will keep you posted as and when we get to know more about them.
As the name itself suggests, both new additions will have the voice-calling capabilities. The new entries are powered by quad-core processors, which according to HP lets you multi-task without having to compromise with its performance.
HP Slate6 and Slate7 are expected to come out with 6-inch and 7-inch displays respectively. The devices are also rumored to run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box, but the official hardware specs of the both the devices are unknown at the moment.
Previous rumors suggest that the 6-inch Android phablet will be priced under $250, while the 7-inch model is said to come with an even more affordable $199 price tag. HP Slate 6 VoiceTab and HP Slate 7 VoiceTab is expected to go on sale in India, starting from next month.
We are on a lookout for more details on the HP Slate 6 and Slate 7 devices. We will keep you posted as and when we get to know more about them.
Huawei B199 with 5.5-inch 720p display, 1.6 GHz quad-core processor launched in China
Huawei has launched B199, the company’s latest mid-range smartphone for the Chinese markets. It has a 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display, powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8628) processor and runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with Huawei’s own Emotion UI 1.6 on top. It has a 13-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
It also comes with dual SIM support and packs 2GB of RAM and a 3000 mAh battery. Huawei launched the Honor 3X with a similar 5.5-inch HD display in China last month, but it has a Octa-Core MediaTek processor.
Huawei B199 Specifications
- 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
- 1.6 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8628) processor
- Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with Emotion UI 1.6
- Dual SIM
- 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p video recording
- 5MP front-facing camera
- 3.5mm audio jack
- 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
- 3G (EVDO ) / 2G (GSM), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG
- 3000 mAh battery
Motorola Moto G Google Play Edition announced
In somewhat of a bizarre announcement, Google just made the Moto G Google Play edition available in the US and several other countries’ Play Stores. Unfortunately, it says “not available in your country” for India, so we might have to wait a bit longer to get the Moto G here. But here’s the thing, Google has just announced a Play Edition of a device that already got fast updates and has a stock interface. From our understanding, the Moto G Google Play Edition will not carry any of Motorola’s additions(which are few already) and will get updates at the same time as other Play Edition devices. These are the only two things that are possibly different with the Google Play Edition of the super “value for money” Moto G. It is available for order on the Play Store for a price of $179, unlocked and the 16GB version costs $199.
Like all the other Play Edition devices, the Moto G Google Play Edition comes with the latest Android update, which is based on the AOSP build of Android. The phone will get faster updates and will have no skinning, while the hardware, in terms of specifications remains the same. Here is a quick recap of the Moto G’s specs -
- 4.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) edge-to-edge display at 329 ppi with Corning Gorilla Glass protection
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU
- Android 4.4 (KitKat)
- 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 720p HD video recording at 30fps
- 1.3MP front-facing camera
- 6.0-11.6 mm thick (curve) and weighs 143 grams
- 3.5mm audio jack
- 720p HD video playback
- 1GB RAM, 8GB/16GB internal memory
- 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS
- 2070 mAh battery
With this Play Store addition, we might see Google launch the dual SIM Moto G in India, using the same distribution model(like the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 here), but we are not sure if that would be a Google Play Edition device or otherwise. Only time can tell, so hang on until that elusive announcement happens, we’ll be the first to report to you if it does. Meanwhile, let us know what you think of this announcement, in the comment section below.
AMD boasts its next gen chip is better than Intel’s
If you’re a PC gamer, then you’re familiar with AMD’s line of processors. The company introduced the first dual-core chipset back in 2008 and has always been at the forefront of the CPU advancement game with quad-core and octa-core processors. Now AMD has upped the ante with Kaveri, a processor which offers ’12 compute cores.’
The chipset actually offers four CPU and 8 GPU cores which, according to AMD, provide for unrivaled gaming experiences on PCs. GPU cores were previously thought to be used primarily for 3D rendering, but they can also be used for other computing tasks as well.
So what does AMD claim the Kaveri can do? The chip manufacturer promises that it can play the current crop of PC games at 30fps without the need of a dedicated graphics card. Also, Kaveri costs $173 – significantly cheaper than Intel’s Haswell Core i5, which is currently priced at $242.
There were some tests run on the Kaveri chips on a variety of titles and it seems that, for the most part, AMD wasn’t telling tall tales.
Bioshock Infinite was run on low detail settings on at 1080p, and it did indeed keep a steady 30fps. AMD claims that more graphically intensive titles, like Battlefield 4 (which is coming with Kaveri chips) will also run at 30fps. Keep in mind however, that you’ll need to turn low detail settings on.
Two other features offered by AMD’s Kaveri are Mantle and TrueAudio. Mantle is a programming tool which supposedly offers higher performance even at reduced power settings. Battlefield 4 is optimized to work with Mantle, so it’s probably why AMD is making a big fuss about their processor performing well with the title (it also happens to be an insanely popular game).
TrueAudio allows for the total number of voices and sounds to be heard at the same time in a game. It also assists in breaking down sound location data with regards to distance and direction, giving gamers a more involved audio experience.
Early impressions of the chip are positive and, if paired with a graphics card, Kaveri should be a PC gamer’s delight, especially for the price.
Sony Xperia E1 with 1.2Ghz dual core processor, 4inch WVGA display announced
Specifications
- 1.2Ghz Dual Core Snapdragon 200 Processor
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB storage, microSD expansion up to 32GB
- 4 inch 800×480 display
- 3MP camera with WVGA video recording
- 1700 mAh battery
Sony has also announced a dual SIM version of the device which’ll be called the Xperia E Dual. An interesting feature that Sony is plugging here is xLoud and a rated 100Db speaker. Sony claims that its ClearAudio+ and xLoud technologies will be able to deliver crystal clear audio even at very high volumes.
There’s a dedicated Walkman key onboard the phone and shake to shuffle support in the music application. The camera is a bit poor at just 3MP and can shoot WVGA video at max.
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and T2 Ultra dual with 6-inch 720p display, 13MP camera announced
Sony Mobile has announced the Xperia T2 Ultra and its dual SIM variant, the Xperia T2 Ultra dual. These have a 6” (720 x 1080 pixels) HD TRILUMINOS Display for mobile with X-Reality picture engine, powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and runs on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean). These pack a 13-megapixel rear camera Sony Exmor RS sensor, LED flash and 1080p video recording and a 1.1-megapixel HD front-facing camera with Sony Exmor R sensor.
The phone has 73.6% screen-to-body ratio with smaller bezels. The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra dual lets users set up both SIM cards independently with custom ring tones and one-touch switching between SIMs. It lets users can keep both SIMs active at all times – so you can talk on one SIM, and still receive calls on the other.
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and T2 Ultra dual specifications
- 6-inch (720 x 1080 pixels) HD TRILUMINOS Display with X-Reality picture engine for mobile
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8928 for LTE and MSM8228 for 3G) processor with Adreno 305 GPU
- Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean MR2)
- 13MP rear camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor, LED flash, 1080p video recording
- 1.1MP HD front-facing camera with Sony Exmor R sensor
- Dual SIM (Optional, only in T2 Ultra dual)
- 7.65mm thick and weighs 170 grams
- 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with RDS
- 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, Upto 32GB expandable memory via microSD card
- 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 820.11 a/b/g/n ( 2.4 GHz/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC
- 3000mAh Battery with STAMINA mode
Google acquires Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash
Google acquired the designer and manufacturer of home products Nest Labs. The search engine giant paid $3.2 billion in cash for the Palo Alto-based company.
Founded in 2010, Nest brings modern design and functionality to ubiquitous home products. The company has a learning thermostat and a carbon monoxide & smoke detector currently on sale. Both gadgets connect with Android and iOS devices to enhance their usual functionality.
Nest will continue to operate with its own brand, under the leadership of its founder and current CEO Tony Fadell. Google is yet to announce its plans for Nest Labs, though some sort of home implementation seems more than likely.
The acquisition is expected to close in the next few months after the usual round of regulatory approvals.
Nokia Normandy shows its color range in a leaked image
The unannounced Nokia Normandy showed up yet again. This time around, the low-cost Android smartphone revealed its color range on Twitter, courtesy of @evleaks.
The leaked press image reveals the smartphone in six different colors – white, black, red, yellow, green, and cyan. They fall right in line with those of the budget-friendly Nokia Asha 503.
Furthermore, the press image showcases the homescreen of the Nokia Normandy, where Nokia MixRadio and dual-SIM functionality capture the attention. Curiously, with various apps on it, the homescreen resembles a lot the Windows Phone UI of the Nokia Lumia range.
Rumored specs for the Nokia Normandy include Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 SoC, 4” FWVGA display, 5MP camera, and Android 4.4.1 KitKat. The smartphone is tipped for a launch during MWC 2014 next month in Barcelona
Samsung demos 5.68″ foldable AMOLED display at CES 2014
Samsung has already put its flexible display technology into production with the Galaxy Round, but the company is going one step further as it has showcased its first foldable screen. The demo has been conducted at CES to VIPs in the Encore, Las Vegas, where, according to the ETnews sources, the company has shown a 5.68″ prototype.
Interestingly, the display of the AMOLED variety, but unlike the flexible display of the Round, the new method used in the foldable display allows it to bend in two. The new foldable display is also touch sensitive, thanks to a new tech Samsung has developed. It allows the engineers to place a touch screen panel using a layer of metal mesh technology.
Galxay Round’s flexible display, which uses ITO (indium tin oxide), can only bend to a certain degree before having its connectors snapped. Samsung won’t be placing the display into mass production until 2015, so we still have to wait for a while before we get a Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which at the push of a button turns into a 5.68″ smartphone
Unannounced Samsung device with 5.5-inch screen surfaces
Samsung's yet-to-be-announced smartphone with a model number GT-I9405 has surfaced on the Indian import and export tracking site Zauba.According to the data, Samsung has shipped a device with model number GT-I9405 to India for testing and evaluation. The model naming scheme suggests that the device could be placed between the Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305) and the Galaxy S4 (I9500/I9505), but these are just speculations at this point.
The mysterious device will sport a 5.5-inch screen and will have a single SIM card slot. The hardware specifications fall in line with the recently leaked Galaxy Note Neo phablet and Samsung could well be testing the upcoming device with different model numbers.
We will be on a lookout for more information on the GT-I9405 and we will keep you posted when we hear more about the device
Nvidia Tegra K1 GPU benchmarked, found to be a real beast
The NVIDIA Tegra K1 (Tegra
5) is an ARM-based SoC (System on a Chip) made largely for high-end
Android tablets and smartphones. Its main features include an integrated
five ARM Cortex A15 cores (4+1), a Kepler-based graphics card with 192
CUDA cores, a dual-channel 64-bit memory controller (up to 4 GB), video
codecs for encoding and decoding up to 4k content and dual ISP. It is
built at TSMC under a 28nm HPM process for improved peak performance (in
contrast to the 28nm HPL process of Tegra 4 which is optimized for low
leakage).
Later in 2014, Nvidia will introduce a second
version of Tegra K1 with two "Denver" cores at up to 2.5 GHz. Similar to
Apples "Cyclone", Denver is alredy 64-bit capable (ARMv8) and has been
developed by Nvidia itself. Especially the per-core performance should
be significantly above the Cortex-A15 model.
| Series | NVIDIA |
| Codename | Logan (Cortex-A15 "r3" + Kepler-GPU) |
| Clock Rate | 2300 MHz |
| Level 1 Cache | 256 KB |
| Level 2 Cache | 2048 KB |
| Number of Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 |
| Manufacturing Technology | 28 nm |
| Features | 2x 32 Bit Dual-Channel Memory Controller (DDR3L, LPDDR2/3, max. 2.133 MHz), Kepler-GPU, Dual ISP, 4K Encoder + Decoder, USB 3.0 |
| 64 Bit | no 64 Bit support |
| Announcement Date | 01/06/2014 |
Processor
As with the Tegra 4, NVIDIA uses four ARM Cortex A15 cores
as the main processing power for the Tegra K1. In addition to this, a
further lower-clocked "companion core" is used to save power. Compared
to the Tegra 4, Tegra K1 uses a newer revision of the A15 architecture
(r3) and clocks the main cores up to 2.3 GHz - much higher than
the 1.8 GHz or 1.9 GHz Tegra 4. Furthermore, NVIDIA claims up to 40%
more performance at the same power compared to the previous generation.
The companion core can run up to 1 GHz independently from the 4 main
cores, but is typically clocked at 500 MHz for lower consumption. It is
used only for power-saving purposes and not for additional performance.
Graphics
The
integrated graphics card has received the most significant upgrade in
the Tegra K1 chipset. Nvidia has finally made the move to a unified shader architecture. It integrates a full-featured Kepler-based graphics card that includes a single SMX with 192 CUDA cores, 8 TMUs and 4 ROPs. Therefore, Tegra K1 offers about half the power of a GK208 chip (384 shaders, 32 TMUs, 8 ROPs) such as a GeForce GT 730M or 740M. This is a big step forward compared to the GeForce ULP in the Tegra 4 SoC,
which was based on an old architecture with dedicated pixel- and vertex
shaders that is similar to the GeForce 6 series of 2004 and supported
only OpenGL ES 2.0. The new graphics card supports OpenGL 4.4 and
DirectX 11 in hardware, or well above the current OpenGL ES 3.0
standard that is most common amongst the majority of mobile operating
systems. Furthermore, the Kepler GPU can be used for general
calculations using CUDA and OpenCL 1.1 (1.2 in theory). As an example,
Nvidia has shown how to perform real time video effects using the GPU
and CUDA (Chimera 2).
Features
To
drive two independent cameras, Tegra K1 integrates a dual ISP with 600
Mp each. Both ISP support cameras with up to 100 Mp and 14-bit input.
The integrated video engine of Tegra K1 is advertised as 2K and 4K-capable
for hardware video encoding/decoding. According to Nvidia, the SoC most
likely requires processing assistance from additional CPU cores for 4K
content. 4K can be decoded at 30 fps and encoded at 24 fps. 1080p videos
on the other hand can be decoded with up to 120 fps and encoded with 60
fps.
Performance
Nvidia claims to outperform all current high-end competitors like the Apple A7, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and Samsung Exynos in processor and graphics card performance.
Processor Performance
The four Cortex-A15 r3 CPU cores can be clocked up to 2.3 GHz (no higher frequency available for single thread load) and are advertised as fast and efficient. Compared to the Tegra 4
A15 cores, performance has increased by up to 1.4x at the same power
level. In the SPECInt2K benchmark, Nvidia claims more than 1400 points
compared to the nearly 1200 points of Tegra 4 while needing less power
(see slide). To compare performance against the competition, Nvidia
chose the largely single-threaded Javascript benchmark Octane where the
Tegra K1 was able to beat a Krait 400 (or Qualcomm Snapdragon 800) at every power level. Nvidia also claims a performance-to-power ratio similar to that of the Apple A7
at 1300 MHz and a 2 Watt power envelope. The announced Snapdragon 805,
however, features new Krait 450 cores that can be clocked even higher at
up to 2.5 GHz. Therefore, the performance of the new Qualcomm should be
similar to the Nvidia offering according to press release
specifications.
Since the Tegra 4 is already on par with the
current fastest mobile offerings like Snapdragon 800 or the Exynos 5
Octa 5420 (especially the fan equipped Nvidia Shield Tegra 4 running at 1.9 GHz), the performance claims of Tegra K1 sound reasonable. The move to 28nm HPM
and the 3rd revision of the A15 design should make this performance
jump possible. Samsung could also make the same move with their
Exynos-based SoC in the near future.
CPU Benchmarks
| 3DMark (2013) in comparison | ||
| Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060A (min) |
5570
| |
| ... | ||
| Qualcomm APQ8064T |
12862
| |
| Qualcomm MSM8974 |
14260.6
| |
| NVIDIA Tegra 4 |
14635.5
| |
| NVIDIA Tegra K1 |
16299
| |
| AMD A-Series A6-5200 |
25304
| |
| Intel Core i5 4200M |
38597
| |
| ... | ||
| Intel Core i5 4200M (max) |
38597
| |
Graphics Performance
However,
what Samsung cannot easily do is move to a new graphics architecture.
This is where Tegra K1 stands out, as it implements a full version of
the Kepler core that is found from laptops up to supercomputers. In a 7-inch Tegra K1 reference tablet, Nvidia claims the ability to render 60 fps in the GFXBench 2.7.5 T-Rex offscreen test. In our benchmarks, the PowerVR G6430 in the iPad Air was the fastest ARM-based SoC GPU, which achieved only 27 fps. The similarly sized iPad Mini Retina managed 25 fps in the same benchmark. 60 fps would be similar to a Haswell-based Intel HD Graphics 4400 (e.g. in the 4200U). The Adreno 330 achieved 20 - 24 fps in our benchmarks (e.g. in the Galaxy Note 3 or 10.1).
Even the announced Adreno 420, which should be up to 40% faster than
its predecessor, is not expected to outperform the Tegra K1. Thanks to
the 128 Bit memory interface and similar feature support it could play
in the same league however.
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - 1920x1080 T-Rex HD Offscreen C24Z16 | |
| Tegra K1 Reference Tablet |
|
| Toshiba Satellite S70-A-10F |
|
| Acer Aspire V5-573G |
|
| HP Spectre 13-h205eg x2 |
|
| Apple iPad Air |
|
| Apple iPad mini Retina |
|
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 |
|
| Toshiba eXcite Pro AT10LE-A-108 |
|
In an early release candidate version of GFXBench 3.0,
the Tegra K1 was able to score 2x as many points as the PowerVR G6430
in the iPad Mini Retina according to Nvidia. As other benchmark results
were not shared with us, users should keep in mind that these two
results may be under ideal conditions for Tegra K1 and performance in
other benchmarks may be lower. However, the specifications and GFXBench
results indicate that the Kepler GPU in Tegra K1 will be the fastest graphics card in ARM-based chips
(at least for the moment, as of early 2014). Combined with the advanced
feature sets that exceed the current Android standard OpenGL ES 3.0
(including Tessellation, Geometry Shading, ASTC Texture Compression,
...), Tegra K1 promises to be a serious mobile gaming platform. However,
the competing Snapdragon 805 also supports DirectX 11 and therefore a
similar feature set. Compared to the previous generation of gaming
consoles (PS3 and XBox 360), Tegra K1 could offer similar CPU
performance and better GPU performance. However, console developers are
quite skilled at optimizing the games for the hardware and gaming on
Android and IOS is still evolving.
Power Consumption
Nvidia
emphasized the power efficiency of the Tegra K1 SoC in their
presentation. Processor and graphics card should be able to beat the
competition on all power levels according to Nvidia. The TDP for the
entire chip is rated at 5 W, however the slides did not mention any
reference to the clock rate. It is very likely that there will be
several versions of Tegra K1 for different devices like smartphones or
tablets, which differ in clock rate and power consumption.
Release Date and Devices
Nvidia
was rather vague about the design wins for Tegra K1. They only divulged
to the press that they expect a lot of mobile devices with Tegra K1 in
the near future. An updated version of the Shield is also expected, though a retail Tegra K1 version of the Tegra Note 7
has not been confirmed as of this writing. We expect to see additional
form factors spanning both smartphones and tablets with the Tegra K1
hardware.
:: No reviews found for this CPU (yet).
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9005 gets Android 4.4.2 KitKa
Hot on the heels of the leaked KitKat build for the Galaxy S4 comes the Galaxy Note 3 build. The firmware number N9005XXUENA6, leaked by SamMobile, is said to be one of the final builds for the Note 3, which means all the features present in this build are final and only a few bug fixes will be made before it starts rolling out officially.Update: The ROM has now started officially seeding to the Galaxy Note 3 units in Poland and a few other European countries. More should be joining the list in the next few days.
This build is for the N9005 model only, which is the one that runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC with LTE support. If you have this device and can't wait for the official update to be available (which could take months), head over to the link below.
Beats Music streaming service launches on January 21
Beats Electronics is launching its new Beats Music service in the US. The service will be available starting January 21 and will be available in single and family plans, the latter being exclusive to AT&T.
One of the highlights of the Beats Music service is the curated content tailored for your needs. The service uses algorithm and curation from its staff to suggest music to you based on what you like and listen to. It will be available in two options, a single user subscription with a $9.99 monthly fee for use on three devices and a monthly plan at $14.99 for five people to stream on ten devices. The latter plan is exclusive to AT&T for now and also requires you to subscribe to AT&T’s cellular family plan.
Along with streaming, Beats Music will allow users to download the songs and play offline as long as you are still subscribed to the service.
You can try out the service for 30 days for the single user model or 90 days for the family plan if you’re an AT&T customer. Everyone else gets to try the service for 7 days. The service will be available next week with a 20 million song library and available on iOS, Android,
Android in December 2013: KitKat, Jelly Bean on the rise
Google released its traditional monthly Android version distribution numbers. The latest state of the platform saw Android 4.4 KitKat add a bit to its share and the latest release now powers 1.4% of all droids.Despite not being the most current, Android Jelly Bean continues to gain ground. Its oldest 4.1 build slid 1.5 points to a share of 35.9%, which still makes it the most widely adopted single release out there. However, the two newer JB versions – 4.2 and 4.3 grew by 2.5 percent points each, bringing the total Jelly Bean share to 59.1 percent.
Android 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the other hand, continue their decline. All three versions dropped their cut of the overall distribution. Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich were the biggest losers with 2.9% and 1.7% drops respectively, which is actually more than they lost last month, hinging at updates intensifying.
Curiously, Android 3.2 Honeycomb is still refusing to disappear form the map. The tablet-only Android version continues to sit on a 0.1% share – it has been there for a few months now.
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