Archive for rumors
Is Amazon Developing a 3G Kindle Fire?
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The Rumor: Is Amazon working on a new Kindle Fire 3G? A recent tip has mentioned that the company is internally toying around with the idea.
The Rational: Amazon has a long established track record during the last four years of providing free 3G internet access with their e-ink readers. They are always more expensive then their WIFI counterparts, but allow more freedom to purchase content while outside wireless areas. The drawback of their existing WIFI model of the Fire is that it limits the amount of impulse purchases that you may make when on vacation or during your daily commute. Amazon frequently offers the hardware at cutthroat prices and makes the money back selling you content. With a WIFI only edition right now, they are shooting themselves in the foot by limiting the amount of things you can buy. The 3G model would in essence allow more flexibility for people on the go. You will not have to pay anything extra for the 3G internet access, but the internal debate at the company is centered on what you can do while on 3G access.
The Amazon networks and S3 cloud servers maintain most of the content delivery networks on the internet. Some of the largest websites in the world use Amazons services to handle their bandwidth and server networks. I would imagine that the Kindle Fire 3G will not let you do high bandwidth tasks like streaming video or audio. Amazon wants people to buy books, newspapers, apps, audiobooks, and other low-bandwidth content while on the go. This has been a staple of their e-ink models with free 3G and it is good to have different models based on the needs of the customer.
If Amazon was really developing a 3G Kindle Fire it would probably limit the number of things you can do. There is no way the company could offer free 3G and let everyone watch Netflix or Amazon Prime movies while on the go. Likely you would receive a nag screen saying you need to be on a wireless network for this content. This would provide the solution for super high-bandwidth problems that plague the entire telecommunications industry. In essence, the 3G would let you buy books and other things that don’t take much room at all.
There is no dispute that the Amazon Kindle Fire has been very popular and currently controls 54% of the entire Android tablet market. There has been rumors for awhile that the company is working on an e-reader similar to the Barnes and Noble Glowlight and a 10 inch version of the Kindle Fire.
Although there is no concrete evidence that the company is developing a tablet with 3G functionality, but this is one rumor that actually makes a ton of sense. Amazon makes its money with content and sells hardware at near loss. It would make total sense to give people more freedom to buy content on the go, then be relegated to a WIFI zone.
Rumor: HP Slate 8 in the Making
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Hewlett Packard’s effort in the tablet world is mostly known for a certain WebOS debacle that etched a place in computing history. So while the absence of the HP TouchPad signifies one tablet less for the consumers to consider, the company continues to maintain a presence in the enterprise tablet segment.
There is some great news coming from HP and the company seems to be in the process of bolstering its presence in the business tablet segment. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as HP had already made it known they are not quitting the tablet game altogether and that their next venture in the tablet segment will be based on Windows 8. Sources maintain the tablet will have Windows 8 Professional and not the tablet optimized Windows RT version.
The tablet in question is tentatively named HP Slate 8 and is based on an x86 chip. Details aren’t in abundant supply right now. Still, sources with Neowin maintain they are pretty sure of the tablet’s specs. It’s allegedly a 10.1 inch device that sports an all aluminum body about 9.2 mm thick, weighs at 1.5 pounds, and has 8 – 10 hours of battery life. There could also be an optional docking station and a pen based input for the Slate 8. No word on what the tablet will have at its core though an Intel Clover Trail Atom processor can’t be ruled out considering the 8-10 of battery life that is quoted, which is in line with what Intel has claimed the chip is capable of delivering. Also, considering the tablet is targeted at the business community, it is natural for the Slate 8 to come pre-loaded with a few business oriented apps. Another nice aspect of the tablet is the outdoor readable display that the Slate 8 is reported to come with.
HP though hasn’t confirmed any of this and has stated “we don’t comment on rumors or speculation.” However, if the specs are correct, this will be a device that can not only set things right for one of the largest technology companies, but also take things right to the Apple camp.
via neowin
Rumor: Kindle Fire 2 Set for Debut in May
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There is a new Kindle Fire coming our way if early rumors are to be believed. The current Kindle Fire continues to burn bright and attract new buyers in increasing numbers in the few months that it has been in the market. So while an upgrade to the current 7 inch Kindle Fire is in the cards, Amazon is also keen to enter a whole new segment with a 9 inch sized Kindle Fire tablet. There already are reports of the new Amazon tablets being readied for a launch sometime around May-June with components reaching manufacturing site during March.
However, Amazon is all too eager to make money out of its 9 inch Kindle Fire venture and is believed to have been successful in sourcing lower priced components to keeps costs low. Towards this, Amazon isn’t letting OEMs decide what components go in the making of the new Kindle Fire, as it has been with the current gen version of the tablet. Further, Quanta alone will not be putting together the Kindle Fire devices; Foxconn will also have a role to play in the manufacturing of the new tablet device. It’s no secret Amazon is losing money with each Kindle Fire sold and is having to make up for that with app and e-book sales.
Over the past few months, a number of display sizes have been associated with the new Kindle Fire, though it now seems that the 9 inch sized device is going to make the cut. Also, while details of the new Amazon tablets are being kept under wraps, there sure will be lots of rumor, speculation and leaks coming our way before we settle down with the real thing. So keep watching!
In other Kindle Fire news, the tablet is believed to have been picked up by 3.9 million consumers which is enough to let Amazon command 14 percent of the market curing the 4th quarter of 2011. However, with that figure, Amazon may have done more harm to other Android tablets than to the iPad. While sales of other Android tablets have gone south, Apple iPad continues to be the king with a commanding 57 percent of the market share. The Apple iPad has also been witness to a slump, as its share of the market dropped down from 64 percent during the pre-Kindle Fire era. What remains to be seen is whether the new 9 inch sized Kindle Fire will be just as popular as its 7 inch cousin.
via pocketnow
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1: The Tablet To-Be or Not-To-Be Launched at MWC
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Perhaps we have had enough of Galaxy Tab devices and its time we take note of another class of tablet devices from Samsung — the Galaxy Note 10.1. The name though should have been a secret but for an inadvertent leak from the company’s own website which has since been taken care of promptly. The upcoming Mobile World Congress is set to be the most likely event that would see the bigger cousin of the Galaxy Note being unveiled, as per text in the official blog by Samsung.
The event would be the venue where Samsung has sent out invitations to developers to meet where stuff like S-Pen SDK and Bada OS would be discussed. The latter bit is more compatible with a device such as the Galaxy Note so that a 10.1 inch sized Galaxy Note device might indeed make its debut at the upcoming MCW event. Now if that is exactly how things tun out to be then it would mark the first tablet device to include a digital pen. Samsung Galaxy Note is a 5.3 inch sized device and includes a stylus as part of the package. Also, Samsung is leaving no stone unturned in marketing the device as distinct from both a smartphone and a tablet with the stylus being shown prominently in all promotions.
We can expect to be bombarded with something similar with the Galaxy Note 10.1 soon.
Keep watching!
via the verge
Rumor: Samsung Developing a Cheap 7 Inch Tablet
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This is the aftermath of the success that the Amazon Kindle Fire has enjoyed. A whole new tablet segment is developing, where companies like Amazon, B&N, or Kobo will offer tablet devices that your wallets will love. The strategy seems to have been successful enough to entice Samsung to have a presence in this emerging segment with a new tablet device they are developing. Code named GT-P3100, the tablet device is still in a nebulous stage and betting on it might not be the wisest thing to do.
The tablet is believed to sport a 7 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display, which incidentally is the same as Samsung’s very first tablet device, the Galaxy Tab 7. Further, the tablet will likely have an ARM11 mobile processor, which would mean that Samsung plans to use the Samsung S3C6410 Application processor on the tablet. This would enable the tablet to go up to speeds of 800Mhz. The tablet is therefore expected to boast a good battery life, given the low power ARM Processor that it is expected to have. Other details of the tablet are not known, like whether a camera will be present, or what the OS will be (it is expected to be Android 2.3 Gingerbread).
We have already have a lot of tablet devices in both the 7 and 10 inch segments, most of which can’t be called cheap but usually have all the features loaded. While the segment currently led by the iPad seems to have settled down, the budget segment will take some more time to reach that stage. Until then, it’s not a bad idea to have many of the mainstream players develop a presence.
via pocketnow
Amazon in the Process of Launching a Retail Store
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Amazon sources close to the situation have told us that the company is planning on rolling out a retail store in Seattle within the next few months. This project is a test to gauge the market and see if a chain of stores would be profitable. They intend on going with the small boutique route with the main emphasis on books from their growing line of Amazon Exclusives and selling their e-readers and tablets.
Seattle is where Amazon’s main headquarters is based and is known as a fairly tech savvy market. It is a perfect launch location to get some hands on experience in the retail sphere. A source has told us that they are not looking to launch a huge store with thousands of square feet. Instead they are going the boutique route and stocking the shelves with only high margin and high-end items. Their intention is to mainly hustle their entire line of Kindle e-Readers and the Kindle Fire. They also will be stocking a ton of accessories such as cases, screen protectors, and USB adapters.
The company has already contracted the design layout of the retail location through a shell company, which is not unusual for Amazon. When Amazon releases new products to the FCC it is always done through anonymous proxy companies to avoid disclosure to their competition on what they are working on. While we don’t know the actual name of the firm they are working with we have heard rumors that they are based in Germany.
The store itself is not just selling tangible items like e-readers and tablets, but also their books. Amazon recently started their own publishing division and has locked up many indie and prominent figures to write exclusively for the company. This has prompted their rivals such as Barnes and Noble, Indigo and Books-A-Million to publicly proclaim they won’t touch Amazon’s physical books with a ten-foot pole. Amazon launching their own store will give customers a way to physically buy books and also sample ebooks via WIFI when they are in a physical location.
This is exciting news and Amazon in a great position to make a strong go out of their retail endeavors. They are starting out local and small mainly to test the waters with the new store, but also to figure out how they’re going to avoid paying massive taxes. In the last few years, there has been a huge tax debate because Amazon sells things online and only pays State taxes if they have a distribution center within a particular location. Having a physical store means the company will have to start paying more taxes and they are currently working out the logistics and tax loopholes before they launch.
We have heard that the time-frame of their first location starting up will be before the end of the year to capitalize on the lucrative holiday season. The store may also roll out towards the Fall when their own publishing imprint will officially launch and the first few books will be released. I expect it to launch soon after the Kindle Fire 2 is announced to maximize the exposure they are going to get.
Rumor: Barnes and Noble to partner with Waterstones in the UK
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Last month the VP of Digital Content at Barnes and Noble Theresa Horner announced that they intend on bringing a new Nook to the UK in the spring of this year. The company is seeking to expand its Nook offerings outside of the USA into one of the largest markets, the UK. Over the weekend two different reports were issued that expanded on the potential deal.
Bloomburg has reported that the company intends on partnering with Waterstones for distribution in the UK of a new version of the Nook. The new device will be optimized for international use and be sold in over 300 physical locations. “If they do increase the distribution for the product, it’s obviously a benefit for them,” Michael Souers, an analyst for Standard & Poor’s in New York, said in an interview. “Amazon is still the behemoth in the market, and has the upper hand because they were the first mover in the majority of markets.” Selling it in the retail sphere is tremendously important and really is how the Nook really took off to begin with. Having the weight of every B&N store and many other big box retail outlets hustling your product is a good way to garner some attention.
The second article to touch on the subject was an amazing article featured in the New York Times which everyone should read. The Times basically interviewed a wide array of engineers and industry insiders on the entire B&N business model. They claimed to have first hand knowledge that a new e-ink based device is nearly complete and will be marketed exclusively to the UK.
Obviously in order to compete with Amazon which is embedded in major markets with its line of e-ink devices such as Canada, US, UK, France, Germany, and Spain the book retailer is playing a game of catch up. The Nook does very well in the USA but not the rest of the world. A successful UK launch would mean the company would put a higher priority on expanded markets and would make the Nook a household name.
Rumor: Samsung to Launch New ICS Tablet at MWC
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Since the CES is over, the entire tech world is now focused on the upcoming MCW event right now and the rumor machine is picking up pace. Samsung is expected to introduce an upgraded Galaxy Tab which would have a 2 GHz Exynos 5250CPU. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is already a year old and is therefore due for an upgrade.
According to the rumor, the tablet would have a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. For OS it would be the Android 4.0 and the hardware would also include the Mali T604 Graphics card.
Of course, as it is with all rumor stories, it’s best not to bet on these until any official news or confirmation from Samsung is received.
via androidandme
Rumor: iPad 3 to include Quad Core CPU, LTE support and Retina Display
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iPad 3 is scheduled for a launch in March. Followers and fans of Apple naturally expect the newest iPad version to be an even bigger hit that it’s previous variants and there is no reason for them to believe otherwise. Apple is also taking steps to ensure there are enough number of the iPad 3 available when it comes to the market so that we are spared with the all too familiar scenario of far less supply than demand that has come to be associated with the iPad tablet PCs at launch. There already are reports of Apple manufacturing partners going ahead full steam with manufacturing the iPad 3 so that there are enough numbers in stock before the tablet goes up for sale.
As for its features, while everything is speculation and rumor in the absence of concrete evidence or an official confirmation from Apple, it will perhaps still be safe to associate the upcoming iPad with features such as a quad core processor, retina display and also support 4G LTE. However, it will be interesting to see how Apple is going to support this high end specification while still ensuring decent battery backup times.
We have already had rumors of the new iPad being a shade thicker than the current version owing to a larger battery. Maybe that is how things are likely to turn out with the iPad 3. Alo, if that is indeed true, it will have to cede ground to competitors who are already in the race to bring along the slimmest and lightest tablet device.
via macrumors
Latest iPad 3 rumors and speculations
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The latest buzz in the tablet market is about the iPad 3 and its only going to get stronger until we get to see the real thing. Rumors has it that the upcoming iPad 3 is going to have features such as a better rear facing camera that would be as good as on the iPhone4 or 4S. It would also be adding a front camera that is HD capable, something that no other tablet as of now can boast of. Though 8 MP is something that was talked about in 2011 for the camera, this may change given the current standards that are available in the market.
Digitimes however has some more interesting possibilities to share. Like there might in fact be two new iPad tablets coming our way this year. The first is of course the iPad 3 that is likely to be launched as early as March followed by an even better iPad 4 in October.
The iPad 3 will comes with a 1,536 x 2,048 pixels display along with a much improved battery life. However, the most important thing with the new iPad 3 is that it will allow Apple to position the current iPad 2 to take on the relatively lower priced competitors by pricing it around the $399 mark. The iPad 2 is already a formidable tablet and continues to sell in millions. A discounted iPad 2 will only add to its appeal even more and could in fact be as much in demand as the iPad 3 is expected to be.
However, one will have to wait till October to have the iPad 4 with more advanced features built into it along with ‘killer apps.’ Apple will have to ensure its iPad 4 is spot on as it then will have to fend off Windows 8 based devices along with the usual array of Android 4.0 based tablet devices that are expected to up their ante significantly this year.
Any which way it is, what is almost a surety is that we have a mighty interesting year ahead in the tablet space, what with the iPad 3 and iPad 4 along with the new crop of Windows 8 based devices. Intel is also expected to launch its Clover Trail-W platform towards the second half of this year too. All in all, its plenty of action throughout the year.
Research in Motion turns down Amazon Takeover Offer
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During the summertime Amazon hired a investment bank to review a potential merger with Research in Motion. The Canadian based company has seen a tumultuous year with its stock decreasing by more then 70%. Instead of merging with Amazon the company decided to fix its own problems rather then being bought out.
The duel CEO strategy that RIM has employed is obviously not working and I am quite surprised the shareholders are not openly revolting due to the companies inability to stay current. Its sole hope is the next gen OS 10 operating system that will launch next year based on the QNX platform. A RIM investor who declined to be named said the company was now essentially on the block. “This story puts RIM in play, because shareholders are going to put it in play,” the U.S.-based investor said. “It’s over. This is now a company where the activists are in charge.”
RIM management really wants to turn the ship around before selling the company. Management reached for comment said “Selling the company or an economic joint venture is probably not in the cards right now,” said the source. “Until you stabilize the platform, people are going to be very nervous about spending $10 billion or more.”
Although a straight purchase from Amazon seems unlikely at this juncture the companies are discussing ways to incorporate some of technology into the Kindle Fire. The rumors right now are integrating the strongest asset RIM has, their BES Push email service and BBM. Canadian management is planning on security rolling out support for iOS and Android that will allow non-blackberry devices to take advantage of their supercharged email servers. On a personal level I am stuck with Blackberry phones because of their fabulous email support and the ability to get them delivered instantly. If a Android phone were to gain support for the entire Push process, I would jump ship to the new Nexus or the next gen iPhone.
Reuters is reporting that not only was Amazon interested during the summer but also HTC and Google.
Rumor: iPad 3′s 2048 x 1536 display production to start in November
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We have had a lot of iPad 3 rumors prior to this and here is another one. The much talked about high density display from Apple is supposed to be one more revolutionary input from the California based company. The iPad 3 is believed to be coming with a super high 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution display and which places it high in the ranking of such high density screens not only in the tablet segment but also in the smartphone genre as well. Now rumor mill has it that production of the screens is supposed kick off at LG and Samsung plants from November but there could possibly be an issue in the yields that such a screen could generate.
“They have production plans for 2,048 x 1,536 displays. Starting in November. But those are only plans at this point,” revealed a source while referring to LG and Samsung.
“It’s not a question of making just one. That, of course, can be done. The challenge is making lots of them,” the source further added. “This is a quantum leap in pixel density. This hasn’t been done before.”
Apple would fall back on the 1600 x 1200 dpi screen in case the yield factor does not play up to its part.
Also, with 550 nits of brightness, the display would not compromise on brightness in spite of the high pixel density and would compare favorably with the typical notebook displays that generally top out at 350 nits. The technology that would be applied for making the screen is not yet known and it could be either the IPS panel or the LTPS (low-temperature poly-silicon) or Super PLS-based IPS based screen. Chances of it being based on PLS which is a Samsung patented technology is less as Samsung does not wish to part with the technique as of now.
Apple has given enough hints on their intent to go for the 2048 x 1536 resolution display with enough modifications introduced in iOS 5 to support such high levels of resolutions. However, Apple is not the sole player here as there are others too aiming for a super high resolution display. Like Samsung has also made their intentions clear by showcasing a display having an even better resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. They had put this screen on display at the FPD conference though there also are reports of them facing similar problems with devising a suitable production plan of the displays. Toshiba on their turn have also announced coming up with a screen that would be denser for their 6.1 inch device.
Its no secret Apple is aiming to introduce Retina Display on its future iPad tablet and it remains to be seen if the upcoming iPad 3 could be the first to feature the high resolution displays. Apple defines Retina Display as “pixel density so high your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels.” Also what high resolution tablets means to its makers and specially Apple is that with print media now being transferred to the tablets there are chances of more people preferring the electronic device to the paper material for reading their magazines and other such print content.
via cnet
Apple might be readying a 7.85 inch sized iPad
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The Apple rumor mill is busy churning out stories of a new iPad being under developments though unfortunately, hard facts remain too few to render any of those as believable. That it would be cheaper than the present ones is one part of the talk that grows like creepers in the vineyard. It would have the tag of mini to it is also being talked about in all earnest. However, its also here that the contradictions start as some point out the mini tag is all about a reduced price tag and has nothing to do with a reduction of screen size while others point out a smaller sized iPad may eventually become a reality. There is however one fact known from the agents that supply components to Apple and that being sample screens from LG and AU Optronics reaching the Apple centre for implementation.
It has also been confirmed that the screen size of the samples is 7.85 inch which adds credibility go the rumors which stated a reduction in screen size might in fact be true after all. While Apple has always tried to get the price of its devices lower than present scales, the suppliers from whom they get their components have somehow not allowed this to happen. The next Apple tablet is expected next year and inside source indicate it would be the screen size that would be compromised at the behest of price of the device.
It would be worthwhile to mention here that that Steve Jobs had always held the opinion that 7-inch devices did not make sense. He had gone on record saying: “The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit that price point, it’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software.” Apple seems to have woken up to the challenge posed by low cost tablet segment that has carved out with the tablet segment itself and is keen to have its presence there too. Amazon’s Kindle Fire can be considered a hit as far as budget tablet segment is considered and Apple can choose to stand out of the crowd by coming up with a iPad with reduced specs to make the tablet a cheaper one instead of reducing screen size.
However, amongst all the confusion and speculations, what seems a certainty is that a new iPad does not seem to be a coming our way this year. Also, some believe a budget iPad might be the first to come from the Apple stable with an iPad with all the bells and whistles coming up later in the year.
via udn
