Showing posts with label tablet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tablet. Show all posts

Wednesday, 31 August 2011

NVIDIA Takes Over One-Third Share in non-iPad Tablets in Q1

Apple continues to lead in the tablet apps processor market and held 61 percent unit share in Q1 2011. In non-iPad tablets, NVIDIA topped with 34.4 percent unit volume share in Q1 2011, thanks to NVIDIA's first-mover advantage with the dual-core Cortex-A9 processors and Honeycomb Android design-wins, says Sravan Kundojjala, analyst on Strategy Analytics’ Handset Component Technologies (HCT) programme
Provisionally they estimate that NVIDIA's tablet apps processor share increased to 48.6 percent in Q2 2011 with the Tegra 2 processor in multiple tablets from tier-one vendors including the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad 3D, Acer Iconia Tab 500 and Asus Eee Pad Transformer. NVIDIA is expected to maintain this momentum with its upcoming Kal-El quad-core processor.
They estimate that x86 processors accounted for less than 5 percent of total tablet apps processors shipped in Q1 2011. Intel is expected to support Android tablets from later this year which could potentially improve the x86-based processor share in tablets.
Stand-alone apps processors accounted for 93.5 percent of total tablet apps processors shipped in Q1 2011 and they continue to believe stand-alone apps processors will dominate the tablet market in the near-to-medium term given the business model and pricing issues surrounding Wi-Fi-only versus 3G / 4G connectivity integrated tablets. Qualcomm's upcoming LTE Snapdragon processor MSM8960 could potentially increase integrated processors' share in tablets.
“The non-iPad camp is still waiting for a blockbuster product and we believe most tablet apps processor suppliers' fortunes are now tied up with this to see further growth," said 
Stuart Robinson, Director of Strategy Analytics’ Handset Component Technologies (HCT) programme."We expect Amazon's rumoured tablet and Microsoft's Windows 8 platform will be catalysts for further tablet apps processor vendors dynamics.”
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Monday, 1 August 2011

Full comparative breakdown of tablet costs

By Nick Flaherty, PortableMultimedia

IHS has released an excellent comparison of the costs of nine recent tablets, pointing to Apple’s control over the operating system allows it to reduce costs by limiting the quantity of memory in the iPad. In the current-generation iPad 2, the density of synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) is 512 megabytes—half that of the 1 gigabtye used in competitive designs, says IHS. This memory density reduction results in a nearly $14 reduction in the BOM of the iPad 2 compared to other tablets. Likewise, the original iPad contained half as much SDRAM as comparable competitive devices with single-core applications processors.
“The iPad’s efficient memory usage stems from the fundamental difference in the architecture of the operating system,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, competitive analysis, at IHS. “Apple’s iOS handles multitasking differently than other tablet operating systems, allowing it to reduce the amount of memory required to support the microprocessor.”
Also, Apple’s tight management of its product design, software integration and component selection also allow the iPad’s battery to be the thinnest of all competing tablet designs while still having the largest capacity.

Tablet trends Extensive teardown research also reveals how Apple is setting the pace in the tablet market in the areas of pricing and screen size.
Apple established the sweet spot for tablet pricing, pegged at $500 for the Wi-Fi version of the Apple iPad that included 16 gigabytes of NAND flash memory. Samsung reinforced this pricing standard with the 16-gigabyte version of the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 model.
Other tablets such as the BlackBerry Playbook from Research in Motion and the TouchPad from Hewlett-Packard have gravitated toward that price point as well.
Apple also is setting the standard for display sizes, with the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen becoming the default standard in the market. Although some tablets have been introduced with screens in the 7-inch range, notably RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook and the upcoming HTC Flyer, the number of designs in the market with 10.1- and 9.7-inch displays have been more plentiful.

“Dual-ing” tablets The IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service also illustrates the trend toward multi-core processors in tablet designs. Following the introduction of the Motorola Xoom in February and the iPad 2 in March, all new tablet designs within 2011 have included dual-core processors that deliver higher computing and graphical performance.
In 2012 IHS expects to see this trend to continue with the introduction of tablets featuring quad-core processors for even more enhanced performance. IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service.

Related articles
Toshiba Thrive vs. Acer Iconia Tab: Battle of the PC imposters (digitaltrends.com)
Galaxy Tab 10.1 Vs. iPad 2 Review (apple.slashdot.org)
HP Offers Rebates on its TouchPad to Attract consumers (android-tablet.org)
Apple considering cheaper components to keep iPad 3 competitive (9to5mac.com)
With poor Q2 Results, Motorla Admits Xoom Tablet might be Overpriced (android-tablet.org)
Is the iPad Unbeatable? (pcworld.com)
Best of Kindle & iPad = Amazon Tablet (blogs.vinuthomas.com)
New Toshiba Thrive tablet computer sports laptop features (usatoday.com)

Monday, 25 July 2011

Lenovo launches x86 and ARM tablets

First Android 3.1 “Honeycomb” tablet certified for streaming from Netflix 

Lenovo has launched its first family of tablets – the IdeaPad Tablet K1 for consumers, the ThinkPad Tablet for business customers, and the IdeaPad Tablet P1 for home and office use, using a combination of an ARM-based NVIDIA Tegra chip, and one of the first major x86 design wins.
The new Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 and ThinkPad Tablets are the company’s first mobile internet devices to use Android 3.1 platform, and the IdeaPad Tablet K1 is the industry’s first Android-powered tablet certified to deliver Netflix video streaming to very clearly aim the devices at the iPad and iPad2.
“Tablets are extremely personal technology devices. That’s why we’ve created a family of tablets that has something for everyone, including entertainment-friendly features and content for consumers, or business-friendly features to enhance productivity for professionals as well as security and manageability for IT managers,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Mobile Internet Digital Home business group, Lenovo. “So whether it’s the IdeaPad for entertainment or the ThinkPad for business, we have listened to our customers and are delivering Android-powered tablets designed to meet their particular needs."
With HDMI output and Digital Rights Management (DRM) built directly into the IdeaPad and ThinkPad tablets, Netflix members can instantly watch movies and TV shows streaming from Netflix directly to a big screen TV,
“We’re very excited to see that TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix will be available on Lenovo’s family of Android-powered tablets,” said Bill Holmes, Netflix vice president of Business Development. “This is not only an important development for our company as we seek to expand the benefits of our services to more people, but also means that consumers now have greater choice in selecting a tablet device that best fits their entertainment needs.”
Building on Lenovo’s heritage of innovation, quality and reliability in PCs, Lenovo’s new tablets deliver an accelerated mobile experience. The IdeaPad and ThinkPad tablets feature NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processors that offer extreme multitasking, noticeably faster web browsing with built-in Adobe Flash Player, console-quality gaming and low power consumption for improved battery life.
“The Tegra 2 dual core processor is the perfect fit for Lenovo’s tablets,” said Michael Rayfield, general manager, Mobile Business, NVIDIA. “Consumers can now enjoy the whole web with Flash, console quality gaming, high definition video, and streaming Netflix. These are a must have for today’s tablets.”
Weighing just 1.63 lbs, the highly mobile IdeaPad Tablet K1 offers integrated Bluetooth and 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity. The IdeaPad Tablet K1 offers several key features and tools as standard, for flexibility, power and security to enjoy digital content anywhere. It is preloaded with more than 40 apps from partners like Netflix, Amazon, Adobe, Electronic Arts, Rovio, Zinio, Dataviz, and others including favorites like Need for Speed Shift, Angry Birds, Kindle reading app and Documents to Go.
Users can browse all websites and watch online videos with ease thanks to Adobe Flash Player 10.3. Plus, with DRM, they can rent movies in every available format. At a later date shortly after launch, users will also be able to both rent or buy movies to play off-line with a new application Lenovo will pre-load.
Users can access an entire network of friends and social sites all in one place, with Lenovo's exclusive SocialTouch app, which effectively creates a one-stop social connection. And since one picture is still worth a thousand words, the Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 comes with a two-megapixel front-facing and a five-megapixel rear-facing webcam.
The ThinkPad Tablet combines the superior media and entertainment experience of the IdeaPad Tablet K1 with the security, reliability and manageability features ThinkPad is known for, to create the first true business-class tablet. Designed as a companion computing device for professionals on the go, the ThinkPad Tablet includes an optional digitizer pen, a full-size USB port, full-size SD card slot, and mini-HDMI for connecting to external projectors and displays, as well as an optional ThinkPad quality Keyboard Folio Case with optical TrackPoint
Data remains safe on the ThinkPad Tablet with layered data security, and the device is easily supported by IT managers thanks to a suite of business partner solutions that include anti-theft software and the ability to disable the tablet if the device is lost or stolen with Computrace. Additional security features include virtual desktop support support with Citrix Receiver, simple zero-touch deployment with LanDesk and secure email support available from Good Technology*.

Offering a 10.1” WXGA (1280x800) display weighing a mere 1.65 lbs, the ThinkPad Tablet also comes with an IPS display for a 178-degree viewing angle and scratch-resistant Corning* Gorilla* Glass. This business-class device keeps professionals connected, productive and entertained while they’re away from the office and their home.
With WiFi connectivity, 2GB of free cloud storage, a standard size USB port and SD Card Reader, and Lenovo’s unique file copy utility, sharing media files and documents with other people and electronic devices is easy. Presentations may look even better when connecting to an external monitor via the built-in mini-HDMI port. Users can conveniently sync key files and folders with their tablet every time they plug into their Windows 7 PC. With apps like ooVoo, dual cameras allow users to show either themselves or what they are looking at in a video conference. Users can keep in touch with friends and business contacts using SocialTouch, which puts social networks, email, and calendar notices all in one easy-to-use interface.
ThinkPad Tablet can connect to a range of devices and networks without hands-on help from IT administrators. Users can utilize corporate network passwords to access their device and connect to corporate email with the specially certified app, Good for Enterprise. IT managers can easily create access unique corporate preloads from the Lenovo Image Technology Centre as well as share and distribute company purchased or developed apps to numerous devices through a custom, corporate-controlled app store. Most importantly, users will have the ability to protect confidential data with robust security features including SD card encryption, lost device disablement and anti-theft software.
ThinkPad Tablet customers will have access to Lenovo’s full portfolio of enterprise-level services, such as ThinkPlus Support, which provides business customers direct access to advanced technicians with tablet specific experience, and Tablet Protection, which gives business customers coverage for non-warranted damage from operational and structural damage due to drops, minor spills, electrical surges and other accidental damage incurred under normal operating conditions. In addition, Lenovo’s Imaging Services help save IT departments from having to do custom images for each machine, and ensures that even with flash images, the warranty is protected and the tablet is ready-to-go right out-of-the-box.

Lenovo’s 10.1in IdeaPad Tablet P1 with Microsoft Windows 7 features a 1.5GHz Intel processor so users can be more productive with Office documents, or get creative with photos while on the move.
The IdeaPad Tablet P1 has a multitouch touchscreen display and optional stylus pen for added flexibility, easy access to Web content thanks to full Adobe Flash Player support and HD playback, and Microsoft Security Essentials for an extra layer of security. At just 14.5mm thin and weighing less than 2lbs, the IdeaPad Tablet P1 with Windows 7 offers portability, power and versatility for the office, in the home and on-the-go.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands of apps available in Android Market, IdeaPad Tablet K1 and ThinkPad Tablet users have access to apps in the Lenovo App Shop -- a unique app marketplace, which features popular applications that have been tested specifically for Lenovo IdeaPad and ThinkPad Tablets. The Lenovo App Shop offers apps within a broad range of categories including music, movies, books, productivity, social networking, weather, printing and more.
The Lenovo App Shop will also support enterprise applications and a private corporate application store to help businesses more easily integrate tablets into their daily operations. In addition, Lenovo will offer country-specific applications, currency, and languages.
The 32GB model IdeaPad Tablet K1 is priced at $499, and can be ordered in the U.S. starting July 20, 2011, through select business partners and retail stores nationwide, or online at www.lenovo.com/tablets.
The product will be generally available in the U.S. in August 2011 and generally available worldwide during the third quarter 2011.
The 16GB ThinkPad Tablet is priced at $479 without the digitizer pen, and at $509 including the digitizer pen, for Wi-Fi models. The 32GB ThinkPad Tablet (Wi-Fi model) with digitizer pen is $589. There is also an optional keyboard portfolio carrying case available for $99. At a later date, shortly after launch, ThinkPad Tablets with 3G will become available. ThinkPad Tablet can be ordered in the U.S. starting August 2, 2011, online at www.lenovo.com/tablets, or through business partners nationwide. The product will be generally available in the U.S. in August 2011 and generally available worldwide during the third quarter 2011.
The IdeaPad Tablet P1 will be available in the fourth quarter 2011.

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Thursday, 6 January 2011

MicroVision shows mini tablet with embedded pico projector

Prototype combines attributes of smartphones and tablets with embedded laser projector

By Nick Flaherty www.flaherty.co.uk

Pico projector maker MicroVision has developed a prototype 3.5in mini-tablet to demonstrate what is possible in the next generation of mobile devices that offer large viewing experiences in an ultra-compact size. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) can use the PicoP Development Kit for all the tools necessary to design fully functional devices incorporating the PicoP display engine.
Developed using the PicoP Development Kit, the MicroVision design offers the functionality of a tablet PC and a big-screen viewing experience from the embedded pico projector in a pocket-sized package—just a little thicker than today’s smartphones. The embedded pico projector displays vivid, widescreen images as large as 100 diagonal inches depending on lighting conditions, offering dramatically enhanced mobile gaming, social networking and content sharing experiences. While the architecture can support a variety of mobile operating systems, the current functional design uses the Android 2.2 operating system. The device includes a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen, 720p camcorder module, motion sensor, HDMI in and out and display support for web content, user generated content and apps on popular mobile operating systems.
"More functionality in a smaller package has always been the trend in consumer electronics until tablets came along,” said Alexander Tokman, president and CEO of MicroVision. “This mobile multimedia device is just one example of how we plan to help the industry achieve big-screen viewing experiences while still offering pocket-size portability.”
MicroVision’s laser-scanning technology is ideally suited for embedded mobile applications as its images are always in focus even under constant motion and colors are created instantaneously, avoiding color breakup other technologies experience when the projector or the viewer’s head moves. With a highly modular and flexible architecture, the PicoP display engine offers additional unique benefits including high optical efficiency, small form factor and low power requirements. It does not require projection lenses, focus wheels or complex optics and it dissipates less heat, yielding an extremely small form factor.


The mini-tablet prototype offers a technical foundation for OEM and ODM partners to introduce exciting new mobility use-cases to businesses and consumers.

Related articles


Wednesday, 5 January 2011

MIPS makes its way into tablets and smartphones for the first time


By Nick Flaherty www.flaherty.co.uk

MIPS Technologies has long struggled to get its processor technology into portable devices, despite arguing that the higher performance architecture can be used for less time and so use less power.
Now at CES 2011 however it is seeing the first use of the architecture in portable multimedia devices such as the 7in $249 Cruz tablet from Velocity Micro.
Devices are based on systems-on-chips (SoCs) from MIPS licensees including Actions Semiconductor and Ingenic Semiconductor.
“Less than a year ago, MIPS announced its intention to enter the mobile market, leveraging a confluence of industry dynamics and technologies including the Android platform and the move to 4G networks. We have signed more than eight mobile-related customers to-date for applications processing, media processing, baseband processing and other technologies in e-readers, tablets, netbooks and mobile handsets. The fact that we can now show these devices—including MIPS-Based smartphones—is a solid endorsement of our strategy,” said Sandeep Vij, president and CEO of MIPS Technologies.
The MIPS-Based tablets featuring the Ingenic SoCs are available now. Velocity Micro offers the Cruz Tablets, which can be purchased through major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart.com, Borders and others.
The two smartphones are in pre-production now with chips from Actions Semiconductor.
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010

The rise of the 2+ tablet household

My partner uses my iPad!

By Nick Flaherty www.flaherty.co.uk

Nearly a fifth (17%) of Apple iPad owners state that there is more than one tablet in their household, either owned by themselves or another family member, according to a study by online market researchers YouGov
The main reason for owning more than one tablet in the household is due to other family members using the tablet. Over a third (37%) of Apple iPad owners state that their partners use their iPad. Though the user friendly nature of the device may be influencing people to purchase the iPad, it appears that this feature is also attracting other members of the family to the device. Our TabletTrack research reveals that 14% of Apple iPad users purchased another tablet because their child was using it.
Whilst 17% of tablet owners currently own another device, almost a further fifth of all tablet owners (19%) are considering purchasing another tablet in the future. Of those existing owners, loyalty is high, with most users stating they will get the same device that they currently use, 71% of Apple iPad owners surveyed will get another iPad. However, the lure of newer tablets being released in the future may also drive an increase in the 2+ tablet households with 18% of Apple iPad owners stating that they will purchase other tablets that become available in the future.
Tablets are attractive pieces of hardware and they attract people to them. Recommendation and buzz is strong and this drives multi-tablet households where utility levels are high.

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Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Tablets Become Focus for Convergence

After decades of discussion, the convergence of consumer, computer and communications is finally becoming a reality with the arrival of Apple iPad and competing tablets, a development that will have massive implications for the technology world, spurring competition not only among varying types of products—but among entire industries, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS.
“The definition of convergence has changed over time, with the latest version describing it as voice, video and data services being delivered to the home vis-à-vis broadband networks and the new services that would result from this confluence,” said William Kidd, director and principal analyst, financial services for iSuppli. “While that trend still exists, the convergence of consumer electronics devices and industries are now coming together at a fast pace, with the tablet form factor serving a tangible representation of that convergence, since it is part smart phone and part notebook.”
However, the implications of the convergence in consumer electronics span well beyond tablets.
The rise of the tablet parallels the growing importance of the mobile operating system (OS) in a large number of consumer electronics devices where previously there was no OS—or the OS wasn't a factor, Kidd added. Because of this, it's a time of great risk and opportunity for all the players across the electronics value chain. This is why so many technology firms seem to be rushing to deliver—or to become a key supplier to—a next generation tablet, smart phone or both, like the iPad/iPhone. At the same time, these companies also are attempting to keep their design options somewhat open, because it is still so early in this product's life cycle.
“Companies in the electronics value chain increasingly must face the reality that the rise of the mobile OS means distinct product categories now are blurring together,” Kidd said. “For example, note the similarity both in external functionality and internal electronics between Apple's tablet, smart phone, MP3 player and set top box product lines. Not only do they run the same OS, but all these Apple devices are internally similar, plus or minus a screen and touch interface. Industries likely to face the impact of convergence through the proliferation of mobile OSes include televisions, cell phones and notebook PCs.”

Going mobileMobile OSes will proliferate because of their range of benefits to technology providers and users.
These OSes provide a framework for consumers to cheaply and effortlessly create custom use cases for devices by using apps that greatly exceed the utility of an Internet browser alone. For developers, mobile OSes allow the creation and monetization of apps. Using mobile OSes, content providers to distribute their wares and adds another convenient option for consumers to access content. Finally, mobile OSes enable interconnectivity between connected devices, and thus generate even more new use cases.
iSuppli believes televisions likely represent the next important catalyst in this evolution toward a broader and more unifying consumers platform that encompasses significantly more devices. Despite challenges and past failures in this area, iSuppli expects mobile operating system providers will get the formula right and transition televisions into a new paradigm. Over the long term, tablets are likely to reshape the computer market as well.

Consumption versus creationiSuppli’s current outlook for tablet shipments foresees that these devices will remain content consumption devices, similar to the iPad. However, growth in the tablet segment starting in 2012 could be much higher than now anticipated as these devices take on the kind content creation capabilities now offered by notebook and netbook PCs.
The transformation of tablets into media creation devices would require the development of OSes that are more evolved that Apple’s iOS is today. Even with Microsoft’s stumbles to date in tablets, iSuppli believes that Microsoft will figure out how to design a functional tablet operating system. Apple also is likely to determine how to evolve iOS and an iPad into a creation platform that is 100 percent compatible with the Widows-dominated PC universe. Obviously, Apple could combine iOS and Mac OS at some point, which iSuppli believes is logical as well.

For a detailed analysis on the impact of the mobile OS, see Kidd’s report entitled: Tablets: Epicenter for the Convergence of Smart Phones and PCs.
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Wednesday, 5 May 2010

Intel tries yet again with Atom for smartphones

Lower Power for Z6xx platform for Smartphones and Tablets

Intel has tackled one of its key problems - standby power - with a new family of 45nm Atom processors targetted at smartphones and tablet PCs. The company claims a 50x reduction in static power to 100microWatts.
  The newest Intel Atom processor-based platform, formerly "Moorestown", has been repartitioned to include the Z6xx, which combines the 45nm Intel Atom processor core with 3-D graphics, video encode and decode, as well as memory and display controllers into a single SoC design. It also includes the MP20 Platform Controller Hub which supports a range of system-level functions and I/O blocks. Additionally, a dedicated MSIC integrates power delivery and battery charging, and consolidates a range of analog and digital components. Alongside the Z6xx Series Family (formerly "Lincroft" system-on-chip [SoC]) is the Intel Platform Controller Hub MP20 (formerly "Langwell") and a dedicated Mixed Signal IC (MSIC), formerly "Briertown."
The new platform supports a range of scalable frequencies, up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs. The chips also bring support for Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA, and WiMAX, as well as a range of operation systems, including Android, Meego and Moblin. Intel is bringing together a breadth of applications and ecosystem support across these platforms
"Intel has delivered its first product that is opening the door for Intel Architecture [IA] in the smartphone market segment," said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group. "Through "Moorestown," Intel is scaling the benefits of IA while significantly reducing the power, cost and footprint to better address handheld market segments. As a result of our efforts, the Intel Atom processor is pushing the boundaries of higher performance at significantly lower power to show what's possible as handheld devices become small, powerful mobile computers."
Building on the C6 state in the original Intel Atom processor design, the SoC incorporates new ultra-low-power states (SoI), which take the SoC to 100 micro-watts. At the platform level, Intel implemented a new, fine grain OS power management approach that manages the idle and active power states across all aspects of the system based on usage scenarios. This software-managed technique applies aggressive power and clock gating across the SoC's power islands and system voltage rails. Additionally, Intel used a new high-K 45nm LP SoC process to support a multiple transistor design with a range of high-voltage I/Os.
These power management capabilities, when combined with Burst Performance Technology for high-performance on demand, and the Bus Turbo Mode for high-bandwidth on demand, help to deliver industry leading performance and power efficiency across a range of handheld devices, says the company.
"After we delivered the first-generation Intel Atom processor with 10x thermal power reduction, we challenged ourselves to achieve 50x power reduction at the platform level," said Belli Kuttanna, chief Intel Atom processor architect. "We are delighted to have exceeded this goal while increasing performance and are proud of the architects and designers who consistently reinvent the possibilities of Intel Architecture."

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Wednesday, 28 April 2010

HP buys Palm for smartphone and tablets

Hewlett-Packard is to buy struggling smartphone operating system developer Palm for $1.2bn and plans to target both smartphones and tablet PCs with WebOS.
“HP’s announced acquisition of Palm gives it an entry into the fast-growing smart phone market—but the move has implications far beyond cell phone hardware,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for market researchers iSuppli. “The battle for dominance in the high-tech world increasingly is focused on the mobile Internet. Any company that can manage to control the flow of revenue from wireless data users— coming from subscriptions, ad sales or app store revenues—stands to benefit enormously. With the Palm purchase, HP has positioned itself as a player in this great technology battle.”
Smart phones represent the hottest segment of the cell phone market. Worldwide smart phone shipments are set to rise to 247 million units in 2010, up 35.5 percent from 182 million in 2009. In contrast, total cell phone shipments are projected to climb to 1.28 billion units in 2010, up 11.3 percent from 1.15 billion in 2009.
Palm was the world’s 10th-largest smart phone brand in the fourth quarter of 2009, accounting for 1.5 percent of unit shipments. Palm’s share of the global smart phone market has remained flat during the past year, with the company commanding 1.3 percent of shipments in the fourth quarter of 2008.
While Palm has made limited headway in the smart phone market so far, the company’s Pre smart phone offers significant advantages compared to Apple’s benchmark iPhone.
“Palm’s webOS appears to be superior to the Mac OS X used in the iPhone in the crucial area of multitasking capabilities,” Teng said. “This is a key point of differentiation, combined with the product’s multi-touch display.”
Based on pricing from June 2009, the Palm Pre carried a bill of materials cost of $170.30, according to iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis service.
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Thursday, 22 April 2010

Socle Technology readies ARM tablet platform

Socle Technology in Taiwan is preparing to launch a tablet platform based around the ARM11 core and Andriod operating system.
The "sPad" platform uses Global Foundries high performance 65nm low power process, and not only includes the sPad A11 core SoC with an ARM 1176 CPU and FPU core, Mali 3D Graphic Core, and Full HD 1080p Video CODEC Application Processor but also the complete soft and hardware design platform. Socle is Global Foundries only ODM design partner.
The "sPad A11 Design and Development platform" includes an Android and Linux based SoC design platform supports functions such as Multitasking, 3D Graphics, Camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Wireless and Expandable Memory module, with Full HD 1080p video playback, giving sharper and clearer pictures.





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Thursday, 28 January 2010

Trade prices on mobile phones