Pocketables

Huawei crams Android 4.0 and dual-core processor into the incredibly thin P1 S

Amid the numerous other announcements today, lesser known low-end smartphone manufacturer Huawei quietly announced their P1 S Android smartphone. While it doesn't seem to be getting the same press as other devices for some reason, it actually looks like a very good (if a bit generic) device.

Its one unique claim to fame, at least for now, is that is one of the thinnest devices out. The 6.68mm chassis even beats out the Fujitsu Arrow, which if released would have held the title at 7.1mm (same as the DROID RAZR). 

Realistically, though, millimeters don't matter as much as the hard specs. Fortunately, the P1 S pulls its own weight there as well, packing a dual-core 1.5GHz TI processor, 1GB of RAM, SGX540 graphics, an 8MP rear camera with LED flash as well as a 1.3MP front camera, 1800 mAh battery, and a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display.

Making this device even better is the OS Huawei chose to power it. Gone are the annoying custom UIs, and installed is a perfectly clean and updated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. If nothing else, I would certainly consider buying this phone just for that. 

True, it may not have the greatest specifications of the devices being announced at CES. However, Huawei makes a respectable showing with one of their first ventures into the premium market. Its not groundbreaking, but the hardware looks good, and then there is the perfectly stock Ice Cream Sandwich.

So, if for some reason the Galaxy Nexus doesn't suit your fancy, I would certainly consider waiting for the P1's release in Q2 this year.

[Washington Post]

Verizon announces Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx, which is a Droid RAZR to the max

I used to complain about manufacturers like HTC, Motorola, and Samsung using the Droid brand on so many of their devices. It used to be just a nuisance to consumers, but now it's getting out of control: I'd like to introduce you to the Motorola Droid RAZR . . . Maxx.

Regardless of the same name and similar design between the two, the RAZR Maxx is Motorola's newest Android phone and it will be headed to Verizon within the next few weeks. What's different from its older sister isn't quite apparent from the outside, but it's always what's on the inside that counts. 

The word "Maxx" in the new device's name actually represents its much-improved battery life, which achieves a phenomenal 21 hours of talk time! And if you think that a better battery would make for a much thicker design, you're (thankfully) mistaken: versus the original Droid RAZR's 7.1mm thickness, the new RAZR comes in at just 8.9mm, which is still thinner than the iPhone 4/4S.

The original Droid RAZR's price will be slashed to $199 on contract, but that's simply to make room for the newest addition to Big Red's portfolio, as it comes with a $299 price tag.

It looks to be a fantastic phone, and even at the same price as the Galaxy Nexus, I wouldn't be so fast to judge against the Maxx. 

[Verizon]

Asus Eee Pad MeMo coming this year

CES has finally kicked off! We're expecting some big (and not-so big) things out of Las Vegas, Nevada, but the Asus tablet that you see directly above these words is turning out to be one of my personal favorites.

It's called the Asus Eee Pad MeMo, and it's a 7-inch, 1280 x 800 tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich. Helping that operating system out is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB to 32GB of internal storage, and a plethora of connection options, including 802.11n WiFi, SD card slot, micro HDMI port, aGPS, and a SIM card slot. 

Unfortunately, due to all of those awesome specs, Asus hasn't announced pricing for any model of the MeMo; we'll find out when the tablet is launched in Q2 of this year. It's certainly leaving me watering at the mouth for more tablets just like it, and I think we'll see quite a few more during CES. After all, it is only the first day. 

[Liliputing]

5 trends to expect at CES 2012

Every year at CES, we are bombarded with a plethora of new devices and technologies, which are both exciting and confusing. Despite the confusion, though, there are usually a few new themes that present themselves each year. While there are sure to be plenty of innovative and surprising things as well, here are five things that I think will be prevalent throughout many of the announcements.

CES 2011 swag giveaway winner

Thanks for entering to win this year's share of the CES swag I took home from Las Vegas this month.

The giveaway period is now closed and the task of choosing the winner has been handed over to a random number generator, who has selected the commenter who will be receiving a package containing all of the CES goodies seen below.

And the winner is . . .

Pocketables CES 2011 swag giveaway

Want a piece of CES 2011? How about many, many pieces?

I'm settled in back at home after spending a week in Vegas for the show, and I brought back a bunch of swag for one lucky Pocketables reader to win. If randomly selected, you could get this year's official CES press bag, an Ocosmos T-shirt (large), a media copy of Diskeeper 2010, a bunch of flash drives of unknown capacity, some pins, a soft buffalo figure from Buffalo Technology, an Android mascot keychain, a lot of company-branded pens, a couple of lanyards, and some other stuff too. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Everything is brand new and unused, and it can all be yours for free. Just leave a comment with what you liked best about CES 2011 (one entry per person) and then cross your fingers that a random number generator will pick you as the winner on Monday, January 17th. I'll ship the whole kit to you via USPS Priority or USPS Priority International, depending on your location, the day after you tell me where to send it.

Good luck!

More pics of the Ocosmos OCS1

UMPCs and MIDs may not have been a part of CES by name this year, but the Ocosmos OCS1 with its 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail processor, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, 5-inch WSVGA capacitive touchscreen, dual cameras, and Windows 7 operating system looked like the MID revisited and redefined to me.

It was one of the highlights of the show for me, even though its biggest selling point (PC gaming) is something I'm not really interested in. StarCraft, Sudden Attack, and Halo are advertised as being well suited for the OCS1, but the controllers (built in on the OCS1U slate, detachable on the OCS1E modular unit) and the OMOS interface are said to be able to replace a mouse and keyboard so I assume that there's still a lot of value for non-gamers too.

There was actually a working unit at the Ocosmos booth, but some guy was being very selfish with it at the time so all I could really see while I was there was that it was on.

Viliv hoping to add Market, Google apps to X7 Android tablet by March

As mentioned previously, the Viliv X7 Android tablet is expected to launch worldwide in March. When it does, the company hopes that Android Market and all of the other Google goodies like Maps and Gmail will be included along with it.

None of those things were on the device when it was shown at CES last week, of course, and securing a stable WiFi connection was also tricky due to all the wireless interference in the showroom, so I wasn't able to get a feel for the complete experience. What I did see, however, was in keeping with what we've all come to expect from Viliv: quality.

Ocosmos OCS1 with keyboard may be coming back

Although word has been going around that the original Ocosmos OCS1 slider was no longer going to be produced, with the company focusing instead on the two slate versions, one of the booth reps told me today that there's talk about bringing the slider back because "so many people have been asking about it."

If Ocosmos could only release two versions, I'd like them to be the slider and the slate with the detachable controller. What about you?

Ocosmos OCS1 has detachable magnetic controller

One of two versions of the Oak Trail-based Ocosmos OCS1 gaming-geared tablets features a detachable controller that easily attaches to the unit via magnets. The two pieces lock together very quickly. The other OCS1 is the all-inclusive one with the controllers built into the sides of the display. I think I like the detachable controller configuration better.