TVs and smartphones steal the spotlight at IFA

This year's IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin offered smartphones, tablets, 4K TVs, a much-anticipated smartwatch, and new spins on the camera.

Consumer electronics manufacturers from all over the world headed to the annual expo, which is as much a launch pad for products ahead of the year-end sales period as it is a chance to strut their tech stuff with the latest developments by their engineers.

Samsung Galaxy Gear

Samsung launched a new version of the Galaxy Note as well the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, while Sony showed its new flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z1. Both had been the subject of rumors and leaks before IFA began, so their appearance was expected.

The Gear, which has a 1.6-inch screen, was met with mixed reactions. Some liked its futuristic functionality while others were reserving judgement on the new product sector until the devices become smaller and offer more functions.

Cameras have come to play a more important role as smartphone makers try to differentiate their products. The Note 3 and the Liquid S2 from Acer can both record 4K Ultra HD videos using their 13-megapixel cameras. While Sony has put a 20.7-megapixel sensor in the Xperia Z1.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The Liquid S2 has a 6-inch screen and will compete with the Note 3, which has a 5.7-inch display, and other products from the likes of LG Electronics and Sony. The number of phones with screens in the 5-inch class or larger continues to grow as some consumers are warming to the large displays.

Sony also showed an interesting new take on the digital camera with its QX10 and QX100 "lens cameras." They are essentially compact digital still cameras without screens and control buttons. Instead of a camera body they are attached to the back of Android-based smartphones and iPhones, which provide the viewfinder and camera controls.

TVs have long been a key part of IFA, and this year was no different. LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony and other vendors all showed 4K, OLED, and curved TVs of various sizes. But precious few will be able to afford sets like 77-inch Ultra HD curved OLED TV.

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Lenovo gets deeper into smartphones with Vibe handset

Lenovo sells most of its smartphones in China but it hopes to break out internationally with a new line of handsets called the Vibe.

Lenovo announced the first member of the new lineup Wednesday, the Vibe X. The smartphone runs Android and has some premium features, including a 5-inch, high-definition screen that can display images at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.

Lenovo’s Vibe X smartphone

The phone is 7 millimeters thick and weighs 121 grams. It has a 13-megapixel, rear-facing and 5-megapixel, front-facing camera, which is better than most smartphones.

The Vibe X has a quad-core MediaTek 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of flash storage and 2GB of RAM. It connects to 2G and 3G networks but does not support LTE, which could reduce its chances of coming to the U.S. market.

The phone will be available in China in October and in other markets starting in December. Pricing will be announced at a later date and will vary by region, said Keith Liu, director of launch marketing at Lenovo Business Group.

Lenovo's best known smartphone is the K900, which runs on an Intel processor and has sold well in China.

Lenovo was the world's third-largest smartphone vendor in the second quarter, according to a Canalys study released in August.

With Vibe, Lenovo hopes to grow in markets outside China, Liu said.

"We're very new in the market outside China, and we're very happy with our progress," Liu said.

Lenovo also announced the S5000 tablet, which has a 7-inch screen and Google's Android 4.2 operating system, the same as the Vibe X. The tablet has a 1280 x 800 pixel display, 1.6-megapixel front camera, 5-megapixel rear camera, 16GB of storage and 1GB of RAM.

It's 8 millimeters thick and weighs 246 grams. The tablet runs on a quad-core MediaTek processor, and battery life is an estimated six hours watching video and eight hours surfing the Web.

Lenovo did not provide pricing or availability details for the tablet.

Agam Shah is a reporter for the IDG News Service in New York. He covers hardware including PCs, servers, tablets, chips, semiconductors, consumer electronics and peripherals.
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Acer Extend prototype is another stab at producing laptops powered by smartphones

The tech-consuming public has never shown much interest in using smartphones to power their laptops, but that’s not stopping Acer.

The company is showing off a prototype laptop shell, called Acer Extend, that’s powered entirely by a connected smartphone. According to Engadget, the laptop contains hardly any internal components except for a 6000 mAh battery. All the processing power and Android software comes from Acer’s Liquid E2 smartphone, which connects to the dock via an MHL cable.

The concept is reminiscent of Motorola’s Webtop from 2011. Early versions of Motorola’s laptop dock included a cradle for the phone, though Motorola later introduced a version with a cable connection. Motorola’s docks didn’t just run Android apps; they could also launch the desktop version of Mozilla’s Firefox browser.

As exciting as the concept seemed, it wasn’t a big hit with consumers. The first edition was more expensive than many laptops. Also—even after prices came down—the performance wasn’t up to par with dedicated PCs, and the software was too limited. Motorola abandoned the idea in 2012.

Other companies have tried at similar convergence, with mixed results. Asus’ Padfone has never been officially available in the United States. While Asus claims the product has sold well elsewhere, the latest version does not offer a laptop dock. More recently, Ubuntu tried to offer modular computing with the Ubuntu Edge, but the project fell far short of its crowdfunding goals.

While it sounds alluring to have one device plus peripherals for all your computing needs, it’s not really necessary. Cloud-storage services like Dropbox allow you to easily reach your files across multiple devices, and if you want to handle text messages from computer, you can use services likeMightyText or Motorola Connect. Samsung even allows users of its Ativ PCs to access apps and data from Galaxy phones through a USB connection.

Meanwhile, the limitations on storage and processing power in a smartphone make the laptop experience less than ideal. The fact that your phone must be connected to the laptop presents a challenge for working and talking on the phone at the same time. And in Acer’s case, Android just isn’t very capable as a laptop operating system.

Perhaps some version of smartphone-laptop convergence will make sense in the future, with the right software and significant advances in hardware. But from the looks of Acer’s prototype, it’s more of the same failed concept we’ve seen several times already. Although a representative told Engadget that Extend could launch early next year, this idea is better off staying in the lab.

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A Samsung smart watch and smartphones with bigger screens expected at IFA show

IDG News Service - A smart watch from Samsung Electronics, an Acer smartphone that can shoot 4K video and a Sony phone with a 20-megapixel sensor, plus a plethora of tablets and TVs are expected at this year's IFA consumer electronics show.

Consumer electronics manufacturers from all over the world are heading to Berlin for the show, which doesn't open its doors to the public until Friday. By then, though, most of the new products will have already been announced at press conferences on Wednesday and Thursday.

Samsung is expected to launch a smart watch, the voice-controlled Galaxy Gear, rumored to allow users to keep track of calls, messages and social networks. The device will also have calorie and pulse monitors, and apps that take advantage of those features, according to media reports. The smart watch segment is being increasingly hyped, but expectations should in this case be tempered by the fact that the Galaxy Gear is a first generation device, and few vendors get everything right the first time.

The Korean company is expected to launch a new Galaxy Note too. When it launched the first phone-and-stylus combination back at IFA in 2011, the form factor had its detractors. But Samsung has managed to create a new product category, in which it now faces stiff competition from the likes of Sony and LG Electronics.

The Note's screen size has increased from 5.3 inches to 5.5 inches and is expected to be 5.7 inches on the Galaxy Note 3, with a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution. The Note 3 will have a 13-megapixel camera and Samsung is also expected to stick with a MicroSD card slot, in addition to the 32GB or 64GB of integrated storage.

The device will be powered by either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 or Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa processor. The company demonstrated a new model of the latter in July. The Exynos 5420 has four Cortex-A15 processors running at 1.8GHz and four additional Cortex-A7 cores at 1.3 GHz. It also has a six-core Mali-T628 GPU for improved graphics performance. Compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 5420 will also be more power efficient, according to Samsung. At the time, Samsung said the processor was scheduled for mass production in August.

Any large-screened new Samsung smartphone will probably have to duke it out with the Xperia Z1 Sony is expected to launch at IFA. In an effort to differentiate its new flagship from the competition it looks like Sony is taking a note from Nokia's play book by focusing on the camera, which will have a 20-megapixel sensor. The smartphone's specification is also rumored to include a 5-inch full HD screen and a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Large-screen smartphones, tablets, PCs expected at IFA

A smart watch from Samsung Electronics, an Acer smartphone that can shoot 4K video, and a Sony smartphone with a 20-megapixel sensor, plus a plethora of tablets and TVs, are all expected at this year's IFA consumer electronics show.

Consumer electronics manufacturers from all over the world are once again heading to Berlin for the show, which won't open its doors to the public until Friday. By then, though, most of the new products will have already been announced at news conferences on Wednesday and Thursday.

Samsung is expected to launch a smart watch, the voice-controlled Galaxy Gear, rumoredto allow users to keep track of calls, messages and social networks. The device will also have calorie and pulse monitors, and apps that take advantage of those features, according to media reports. The smart watch segment is being increasingly hyped, but expectations should in this case be tempered by the fact that the Galaxy Gear is a first generation device, and few vendors get everything right the first time.

The Korean company is expected to launch a new Galaxy Note too. When it launched the first phone-and-stylus combination back at IFA in 2011, the form factor had its detractors. But Samsung has managed to create a new product category, in which it now faces stiff competition from the likes of Sony and LG Electronics.

The Note's screen size has increased from 5.3 inches to 5.5 inches and is expected to be 5.7 inches on the Galaxy Note 3, with a 1920 by a 1080 pixel resolution. The Note 3 will have a 13-megapixel camera and Samsung is also expected to stick with a MicroSD card slot, in addition to the 32GB or 64GB of integrated storage.

The device will be powered by either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 or Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa processor. The company demonstrated a new model of the latter in July. The Exynos 5420 has four Cortex-A15 processors running at 1.8GHz and four additional Cortex-A7 cores at 1.3 GHz. It also has a six-core Mali-T628 GPU for improved graphics performance. Compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 5420 will also be more power efficient, according to Samsung. At the time, Samsung said the processor was scheduled for mass production in August.

Any large-screened new Samsung smartphone will probably have to duke it out with the Xperia Z1 Sony is expected to launch at IFA. In an effort to differentiate its new flagship from the competition it looks like Sony is taking a note from Nokia's play book by focusing on the camera, which will have a 20-megapixel sensor. The smartphone's specification is also rumored to include a 5-inch full HD screen and a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor.

Some smartphone and tablet vendors didn't want to get drowned out at IFA, so they have already announced products ahead of the show.

LG G Pad

From LG Electronics comes the G Pad 8.3 tablet, which has an 8.3-inch screen with a 1920- by-1200-pixel resolution. It is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 600 Processor running at 1.7GHz and has inherited some features from LG's recently announced G2 smartphone, including the capability for users to knock on the screen to turn on the device. With a feature called QSlide, users will be able to control "up to three different apps in one window with no interruption."

The tablet will be rolled out in North America, Europe and Asia as well as other regions starting next quarter. Prices will be announced at launch time, according to LG.

Archos also wants a bigger piece of the tablet market and will show a number of new products in Berlin. Android-based tablets in its Platinum range will be made out of aluminium and have quad-core processors and screens with resolutions of up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. The tablets in the new ChildPad range feature a user interface designed for children, parental controls as well as a filtered version of the Google Play app store.

The rapid growth of the tablet market has left the PC sector struggling. Vendors are looking for new ways to lure consumers into buying a PC as well as a tablet.

Acer DA241HL

Acer has announced the DA241HL, an Android-based all-in-one PC that has a 24-inch Full HD touchscreen and is powered by a Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Via an HDMI connector it can also double as a display for a Windows 8-based laptop or desktop computer. The DA241HL will be available mid-October and cost from $570.

LG, on the other hand, is hoping a screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio will help. Consumer interest in the format has increased since LG launched its first monitors last year, it said. Last week the company unveiled the V960 all-in-one PC, which has a 29-inch, 21:9 screen with picture-in-picture functionality, allowing users to browse the Internet while watching TV, the company said. LG didn't announce any details on when it will ship or what it will cost.

The TV sector is another part of the consumer electronics industry that has been struggling in the last couple of years. The addition of 3D has largely been a failure, so TV manufacturers have instead set their sights on 4K resolution sets, which have a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution.

They face two main challenges—lack of content and getting the price down to something a majority of consumers can afford. Recently, Samsung and Sony both dropped the cost of their 4K products, in Sony's case to around $4,000 for a 55-inch model.

Just like last year, all the major vendors are expected to show new 4K TVs, although it remains to been seen whether they have cheaper models in store. Rumors ahead of the show are mostly about 4K products that are out of reach for most consumers, including a 98-inch TV from Samsung.

One way to get around the shortage of 4K video content is to allow users to create their own, which is what Acer's Liquid S2 does. The device will be unveiled at IFA, and is the first smartphone capable of recording 4K video. The device has a 6-inch full HD screen and is also powered by 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. The Liquid S2 version will be available at the end of October. Pricing was not announced.

Sony's Xperia Z1 is also rumored to be capable of 4K video recording.

IFA opens in Berlin on Friday and will continue through September 11.

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5 ways your smartphone's ‘smarts’ have become more important than the ‘phone’

It’s been headline news this week that smartphones outsold feature phones for the first time. Huzzah!

My first thought was, “They still sell non-smartphones?” My second thought was “Why do we even still call it a ‘phone’?” I mean, a PC is basically an evolution of a calculator, but we don’t get excited about whether or not PCs outsell calculators, and we don’t call PCs “supercalculators.”

If you think about it, making and receiving voice calls is one of the more minor functions of a smartphone. Sure, the devices we use today evolved from a basic mobile phone, and they’ve gotten “smarter” with new features and capabilities and a seemingly endless array of apps. But the term “smartphone” is a bit of a misnomer that doesn’t accurately describe what the device is.

It’s a personal communication and entertainment device (PCED). It’s a mobile pocket computer (MPC). It’s a personal digital assistant (PDA)—much more so than the devices that originally claimed that title. It’s an invaluable tool that enables business professionals to stay connected and be productive from virtually anywhere and at any time.

The “phone” part of “smartphone” doesn’t even scratch the surface of what the device is capable of. Here are five things a typical smartphone is used for more frequently than making or receiving voice calls:

  Smartphones have made standalone GPSs virtually obsolete.

One of the greatest things about a smartphone is that it’s capable of accessing and downloading email over either a Wi-Fi network or a cellular data connection. That means that your email is available in your pocket 24/7.

Texting or instant messaging is a nice middle-ground between email and voice calls. It’s an immediate form of communication, and it’s often way more convenient and courteous than a voice call.

This point started out being called “research.” Whether you need to keep up with breaking news in your industry, or you want to see how your investments or doing, the smartphone lets you surf the Web in the palm of your hand. You can compare features or research better prices while out shopping, book travel arrangements, or look up whether a narwhal is mythical creature or a real thing (Hint: it’s a real animal and it should have totally been called a “sea unicorn” or a “unicorn whale”).

Maps, and turn-by-turn directions are one of the most valuable functions of a smartphone. Whether you’re driving in your car or hoofing it, your smartphone can help you get from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible.

5. Camera

One of the most common uses for a smartphone is as a camera or video camera. Just look at the phenomenal success of Instagram, Flickr, and Vine. The iPhone is the most-used camera in the world. It’s not that the smartphone is a better camera than a DSLR, or even a traditional point-and-shoot—in fact most pale in comparison. It’s simply a matter of convenience because most people have their smartphone with them everywhere they go, and don’t carry a camera around unless they know they need to.

As a matter of fact, the “smartphone” has done just as much to make standalone GPS units and point-and-shoot cameras obsolete as it has for standalone mobile phones, so we could just as easily call it a “smartgps” or a “smartcamera.” Actually, when it comes to Samsung, I guess the “smartcamera” is sort of a real thing thanks to the Galaxy Camera.

So, have fun using your PCED, or getting work done while on the go from your MPC. I was trying to stay focused on functions with some intrinsic value for business users, so I didn’t even cover the fact that you can watch Netflix, read a book, or play Angry Birds as well. Oh, and don’t forget it can also make phone calls if you’re into that sort of thing.

Tony is principal analyst with the Bradley Strategy Group, providing analysis and insight on tech trends. He is a prolific writer on a range of technology topics, has authored a number of books, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
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Nokia updates Lumia smartphones with camera app, better imaging

Nokia has started rolling out the Amber software update to its Lumia smartphones, which will allow users to take better pictures and get new camera apps.

The Finnish handset maker continues to put a lot of effort into improving camera functionality and picture quality on its Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphones.

The Amber update brings improved algorithms for better noise reduction, color reproduction, exposure control and autofocus. On the Lumia 920, controls to adjust the ISO settings of the camera from 800 to 3200 allow even better low-light performance, Nokia said in a blog post on Thursday.

After installing the update, users will also be able to get the Smart Camera app, which premiered on the Lumia 925. It includes features such as Best Shot, Action Shot and Change Faces. The latter allows users to create better group pictures by choosing the best from a series of images or removing unwanted objects. Action Shot lets users combine shots of people in movement into one image.

The quality of images taken with the Smart Camera app will be affected by the performance of each phone. On the Lumia 720, 620 and 520, the burst mode used for some effects takes seven pictures rather than ten, for example.

NokiaNokia Lumia 928

In addition to the Amber update, the Pro Camera app is available for the 920, 925, and 928, Nokia said. The app's user interface has a number of sliders that lets users control camera settings such as shutter speed, exposure value, ISO settings, white balance and the manual focus. The app is also available on the 1020.

Amber isn't just about imaging; Nokia has also added a feature called Glance Screen, which adds a clock to the standby screen. It also adds indicators to show when the phone is running on a low battery or when the phone is charging or set to silent mode.

The software won't be available on the 520 and 625, because those two smartphones have a smaller display memory, according to Nokia.

Two features from older phones are also making an appearance in Amber: flipping the phone over to mute an incoming call and a double-tap on the screen to unlock the screen.

The Lumia 920 and 820 in selected countries as well as the 521, 810, and 928 in the U.S. will get the update first. Owners of the 520, 620 and 720 will have to wait a bit longer, but Nokia expects everyone will get Amber by end September.

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Nokia updates Lumia smartphones with camera app, better imaging

Nokia has started rolling out the Amber software update to its Lumia smartphones, which will allow users to take better pictures and get new camera apps.

The Finnish handset maker continues to put a lot of effort into improving camera functionality and picture quality on its Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphones.

The Amber update brings improved algorithms for better noise reduction, color reproduction, exposure control and autofocus. On the Lumia 920, controls to adjust the ISO settings of the camera from 800 to 3200 allow even better low-light performance, Nokia said in a blog post on Thursday.

After installing the update, users will also be able to get the Smart Camera app, which premiered on the Lumia 925. It includes features such as Best Shot, Action Shot and Change Faces. The latter allows users to create better group pictures by choosing the best from a series of images or removing unwanted objects. Action Shot lets users combine shots of people in movement into one image.

The quality of images taken with the Smart Camera app will be affected by the performance of each phone. On the Lumia 720, 620 and 520, the burst mode used for some effects takes seven pictures rather than ten, for example.

NokiaNokia Lumia 928

In addition to the Amber update, the Pro Camera app is available for the 920, 925, and 928, Nokia said. The app's user interface has a number of sliders that lets users control camera settings such as shutter speed, exposure value, ISO settings, white balance and the manual focus. The app is also available on the 1020.

Amber isn't just about imaging; Nokia has also added a feature called Glance Screen, which adds a clock to the standby screen. It also adds indicators to show when the phone is running on a low battery or when the phone is charging or set to silent mode.

The software won't be available on the 520 and 625, because those two smartphones have a smaller display memory, according to Nokia.

Two features from older phones are also making an appearance in Amber: flipping the phone over to mute an incoming call and a double-tap on the screen to unlock the screen.

The Lumia 920 and 820 in selected countries as well as the 521, 810, and 928 in the U.S. will get the update first. Owners of the 520, 620 and 720 will have to wait a bit longer, but Nokia expects everyone will get Amber by end September.

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Smartphones and slates outsell computers for Lenovo, the world's top PC maker

Lenovo's sales of tablets and smartphones were higher than that of PCs in its fiscal first quarter, reflecting the company's efforts to reduce its dependence on the ailing PC business.

The company reported on Thursday that net profit jumped 23 percent during its first fiscal quarter ended June 30.

Lenovo's net profit reached $174 million, up from $141 million in the same period a year ago. Its revenue was $8.8 billion, a year-over-year increase of 10 percent.

The Chinese PC maker reported the positive earnings for a quarter when it beat HP to become the world's largest PC maker, according to research firm IDC. During the period all of the top five PC vendors saw decline in shipments, with Lenovo's down year-over-year by 1.4 percent.

Despite the struggling PC market, Lenovo has largely seen strong growth by focusing on selling PCs in its home turf of China, where it receives 42 percent of its revenue, and in other emerging markets. At the same time, the company also focused on developing smartphones, tablets and smart TVs as a way to expand its business.

In China, Lenovo ranks as the second largest vendor of smartphones, putting it behind Samsung, according to research firm Canalys. The Chinese market is so large that Lenovo's market share in the country has made it the third largest smartphone vendor in the world. Year-over-year, its smartphone shipments worldwide were up 131 percent in the quarter, reaching 11.3 million units.

Most of the company's smartphones are sold in China, but the company has also started selling the devices in Southeast Asia, Russia and India. In the future, the company will bring its smartphones to the U.S. and Europe.

The company's mobile devices business, which covers smartphones and tablets, saw its revenue increase 105 percent year-over-year in the period, reaching $1.2 billion. This made up 14 percent of the company's total revenue in the quarter.

In the PC space, Lenovo plans to introduce a next generation of its IdeaPad Yoga product later this year, the company's CEO Yang Yuanqing said during the earnings call Thursday. Its previous Yoga product works as a convertible PC that can be turned into a tablet.

"I believe the PC is a more powerful, multi-function device, people still need this product," he said. "It's still a $200 billion market industry."

In addition, the company will also introduce a new "multi-mode" tablet. Worldwide, the company's tablet sales were up more than three times, year-over-year in the period.

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HTC sees more basic smartphones as way to regain market share

HTC plans to introduce a series of mid-tier and entry-level smartphones later this year as a way to regain market share, after posting disappointing financial results in the second quarter. 

The new phones will arrive at the end of the third quarter, or early fourth quarter, HTC CEO Peter Chou said in an conference call on Tuesday. "We suffered a little bit in this mid-tier market share from the end of last year to so far, in terms of competition," he added. "However, with this new range of mid-tier products we will address those challenges."

HTC has struggled to lift its earnings over the past 18 months as its faced an increasingly competitive smartphone market. In response, the Taiwanese company has focused on boosting its brand name with its HTC One flagship series, along with spending more on marketing. 

During this year's second quarter, the company's newest HTC One handset was on sale globally. The high-end handset, priced at US$599 without carrier subsidies, gained many positive reviews. But at the end of the period, the smartphone maker still posted an 83 percent year-over-year decline in net profit.

Despite the recent string of weak quarterly earnings, HTC's CFO Chialin Chang said the company will restore its profitability soon. Its newest HTC One device sold better than the flagship products the company had during the same period last year, he added.

Earlier this month, HTC unveiled a new mini version of its HTC One handset that will arrive globally in September.

The company expects the phone will help maintain its sale momentum, but HTC's CEO also acknowledged that gaining product visibility in today's market would be a challenge.

"The market is a little confused right now. There are too many products coming out," he said. "That's why we are planning to have a new range of products to try and stay competitive in the market".

HTC, however, denied the company will move to purely selling low-end phones, and tried to reassure investors its current flagship phone was still selling well globally. "The HTC One will not just come out and die. The HTC One momentum continues to stay very, very strong," he said.

For this year's third quarter, HTC projects its revenue will amount to NT$50 billion to NT$60 billion, a year-over-year decline of between 14 percent and 28 percent.

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