It wasn't all that long ago that every month offered up yet another Android tablet for review. While Samsung is still producingplenty, the output of Google-powered slabs has generally slowed, replaced by a steady stream of Windows 8 / RT hardware often from the very same manufacturers that were once all about Android. Sony continues to be pretty discriminating with its launches, however: until now it's released only three Google-powered tablets. The first was the Tablet S, followed by the clamshell Tablet P and the Xperia Tablet S, which improved on the original with a thinner build and improved specifications.
If I had a dollar for every time I explained the ol’ “dry it out in a bag of uncooked rice” trick to a friend who had dropped his or her smartphone in various bodies of water, I could buy several bags of rice—even the fancy kind for making sushi. And if I had the waterproof Xperia Z smartphone from Sony, I wouldn’t have to waste that fancy rice saving my soaked smartphone.
Totally touchable
MIKE HOMNICKGo ahead, wash it off.
Sure, nearly any smartphone can be waterproof if you ensconce it in a thick, ugly, waterproof case. But the Xperia Z is as stylish as it is splash-proof—it feels substantial and light at the same time. The glass front and back (each with a “shatterproof film”) make the Xperia feel more high-end and expensive than the Galaxy S4 with its plastic chassis. At 5.47 by 2.79 inches, it’s just a hair bigger on each side than the Galaxy S4. Both are 0.31 inch thick, but the Xperia is over half an ounce heavier at 5.15 ounces.
The Xperia’s rubbery edges make it comfortable to hold and give the device some grip—it’s much easier to hold onto than the slippery glass-and-aluminum iPhone 5. The round metal power button fits neatly under your thumb when you hold it in your right hand, which helped one-handed operation feel more natural than I’d expected on a 5-inch screen. But the plastic volume up/down rocker switch below it felt less luxurious and was easy to bump by accident when holding the phone while watching videos—I kept inadvertently covering the single speaker on the corner below the volume switch with my finger, too.
MIKE HOMNICKThe four ports are covered by little flaps you have to lift up with a fingernail.
The rest of the ports aren’t visible, unless you have the eyesight of Sam the Eagle. The headphone jack, Micro-USB charge/sync port, microSD card slot (which handles cards up to 64GB to expand the 16GB of built-in storage), and micro-SIM slot are all covered with tiny panels that sit flush with the rest of the chassis except for a small ridge that you use to pry them open with your fingernail. All are labeled—if you consider dark gray text on a black background “labeled”—except the Micro-USB port, which stumped three out of four phone geeks in our random yet unscientific sampling, sending us to the directions for a diagram of where to plug in the charging cable.
Just add water
Anyway, the port covers are worth the hassle of opening and closing, since the Xperia is certified to the IP55 and IP57 standards for being dust and water resistant—it can even be fully submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
SONYDon’t sweat a little H2O.
Suddenly, hearing that telltale “plunk” sound isn’t even a cause for panic. This would have saved me considerable heartache the time I had just stepped into the shower when my iPhone 4 slipped from its precarious perch on the toliet tank and dove into the bowl. Had it been the Xperia, I could have finished a leisurely shower instead of frantically jumping back out to rescue it, risking bodily injury and soaking the bathroom floor.
Once I had faith in the waterproofness of the Xperia, I couldn’t stop thinking of new, ridiculous ways to use it. You can’t actually use the touchscreen underwater, but you could start a video clip on the side of the pool that ended up underwater in the shallow end. Or you could wash the phone off under the sink instead of futzing with alcohol pads. Experiment with pouring beer on the screen to trigger the recording of a Vine video—I couldn’t get that to work, but I was only willing to waste one beer trying. Take a call in the shower. Or just stop worrying about using your phone in crappy weather. Waterproofing is a great feature that makes more sense on a phone than on a tablet.
HD screen and specs to match
MIKE HOMNICKReady for the great outdoors? Your dustproof smartphone is.
The Xperia Z’s 5-inch, 1920-by-1080-pixel screen lends itself to sharp text and images—its density of 443 pixels per inch handily beats the iPhone 5’s 326-ppi Retina display, and I saw no visible pixels aside from a stray low-res icon or two. The Xperia’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2 is supposed to optimize the contrast of images and video, enhance sharpness, and reduce noise. Since you can toggle Mobile Bravia Engine 2 on and off (in Settings > Display), it was easy to see its effects: Still images clearly had more-saturated colors and deeper blacks, without skin tones getting messing up.
Inside, the Xperia Z boasts a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 2GB of RAM. It handled big games like Temple Run: Brave and averaged an impressive 56.3 frames per second in the Epic Citadel benchmark, running at 1800 by 1080 on the high performance level. (To compare, the Galaxy S4 hit 58.5 fps at 1920 by 1080, and the Nexus 4 churned out 51.2 fps at 1200 by 768 in the same test.) The Xperia did get warm when streaming video or downloading a bunch of apps at once. It runs Android 4.1.2, but Sony promises an update to the latest version, 4.2.2, soon.
SONYIt comes in black, purple, and white.
My primary Android device is a Nexus 4 by LG, and its battery life is dismal, so I appreciated the Xperia Z’s ability to go all day on a charge—as long as I didn’t keep the beautiful screen at its full-brightness glory. Plus, its Battery Stamina mode can extend standby time by shutting down apps, the Wi-Fi radio, and data transfers when the screen is off and then turning them back on when you wake the phone up again—even though calls, texts, and alarms can always get through. Using Battery Stamina mode, I didn’t notice a lag in performance when waking the phone up, either. Everything felt responsive and snappy.
Well, except for downloads over the cell network. Exclusive U.S. carrier T-Mobile’s 4G felt sluggish a lot of the time, and its LTE is available in only a handful of markets today: Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose, and Washington D.C. And Wi-Fi was a little finicky, too, sometimes having trouble connecting to my 802.11n home network even while multiple other devices (iPhone 5, iPad, and Nexus 4) were connecting just fine.
[Update: Hours after this review went live, T-Mobile announced that it's expanding its LTE network significantly, with a whopping 116 markets seeing LTE now, and should be in 200 markets by year's end—check out our coverage of their event for details.]
Point and shoot—and shoot and shoot
Low-light pictures are as noisy as a pack of four-year-olds.
The 13-megapixel camera features an Exmor RS image sensor, which allowsHDR (high-dynamic range) video as well as photos. And just as in HDR photography, the camera takes dimly and brightly exposed video and combines them. Its huge range of shooting modes (including 36 scene modes such as sports, fireworks, food, portrait, backlit, and low-light scenes) make it feel as if you’re using a point-and-shoot, even if the image quality says otherwise.
Photos I took outdoors in bright sunlight or overcast conditions looked excellent, but the HDR mode was a little disappointing in shots containing detail in both light and shadow. They seemed to lose some sharpness compared to HDR images shot with the Galaxy S4. Aphysical shutter button would make it easier to hold the phone still, but the Xperia Z uses only the volume buttons to zoom in and out. Photos taken in low light (without the flash) were noisy and blurred, but Burst mode did a great job of getting nonblurry pictures of my toddler. As with most smartphones, the flash is awful, producing harsh light and lots of red-eye, even in Fill Flash or Red-Eye Reduction mode. Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.
Well, I guess it’ll work after I crop it?
The sweep panorama feature lets you take a panorama that pans left, right, and even up and down, but its quirks made it annoying to use. Half the time I’d get an error that I was moving it too fast or too slowly, or a less-helpful error like “image has a gray area” or “can’t take photo.” I gave up on quite a few panoramas after multiple fails.
Bottom line
The Xperia Z is a great phone—the waterproof feature is incredibly fun to play with, the camera is solid as long as you have enough light, and the screen is both beautiful and responsive. Sony couldn’t help but slap its logo on the front of the phone and its mediocre software all over the home screens, but since the hardware is so high quality, it’s hard to mind much. The HTC One’s superior speaker and low-light photography give it an edge, but the Xperia Z is right up there with the top-tier Android phones, especially for fans of Sony’s other products—or butterfingers who want a stylish phone they can drop in the toilet once in a while.
Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom looks like the result of a one-night stand between a mobile phone and a digital camera. It’s a bizarre fusion of the two products, which aims to showcase the best of both, and the most amazing thing about the whole situation is that it just about pulls it off.
Viewed from the front, the Galaxy S4 Zoom looks like a typical member of Samsung’s mobile family. All the usual elements are in place - the familiar speaker grille, the ever-present home button, the spot-effect texture surrounding the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen. However, flip the phone over and you’re faced with something totally alien - a massive camera lens next to a powerful Xenon flash and a pronounced “bump” to improve grip when taking photographs.
The Galaxy S4 Zoom is part camera and part phone, but the emphasis feels like it has been placed more on the image capture side of things. These days, all mobile phones have cameras, but one displayed here is in a different league. The motorised lens mechanism allows you to zoom effortlessly in on objects and snap them in perfect detail, while image stabilization ensures that even when your aim is shaky, the resultant photo isn’t.
The sides of the phone are taken up by elements such as the power and volume buttons, the camera shutter key and a MicroSD card slot. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom only comes with 8GB of internal storage, so investing in a card is a wise move if you intend to take lots of snaps. At the bottom of the device you’ll find a door panel that opens to reveal the 2330 mAh battery and the Micro SIM card slot.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom: Specifications
Although it proudly carries the Galaxy S4 name, the Zoom doesn’t come with the same muscular specifications as its big brother. The 1.5GHz dual-core CPU is the same as the one utilised in the Galaxy S4 Mini, and it goes without saying that it can’t match the performance of other modernAndroid phones. 1.5GB of RAM - around 500MB less than other leading handsets - doesn’t help performance much, either. As a result you’ll notice stutter and slowdown when there are a lot of things happening in tandem, but for the most part the internal tech is good enough to keep things ticking over without too many issues.
This is undoubtedly the Galaxy S4 Zoom’s crowning glory, and the main reason you’d seriously consider trading in your super-thin Android blower for this beast of a handset. The quality of the shots is remarkable when compared to other mobile phones. We tested it alongside the likes of the Nexus 4 and our trusty iPod Touch 5th gen, and the gap in quality was striking. The Galaxy S4 Zoom can’t quite compete with dedicated point-and-shoot cameras in the same price bracket, but for a mobile phone, the results are amazing. Even the front-facing camera - which is clocked at 1.9 megapixels - is capable of taking decent shots.
ideo recording comes in 1080p and 720p HD formats; you can shoot at 60 fps in the latter, while the former is limited to 30 fps. The quality of the Samsung-made lens shines through again; video quality is fantastic, and the phone copes well with changes in lighting. The only issue is that the zooming mechanism is often picked up by the microphone during recording.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom: Software
With Android 4.2.2 running the show, the Galaxy S4 Zoom is already ahead of some rival phones in terms of software. As you might expect, Samsung’s TouchWiz interface is spread on top - which will be a blessing for some and a curse for others. The bright and breezy design of TouchWiz is something of an acquired taste, but the raft of unique features - such as gesture commands, Smart Stay screen control and S Voice - are sure to soften the blow. We also like Samsung’s power saving features, which are baked into the user interface itself.
Being an Android device, the Galaxy S4 Zoom has access to the thousands of apps available on the Google Play market. You can also sign into Samsung’s own app store, but you’ll need to register in order to do so. Having to use two different sign-ins on a single device feels a little backward, but if you’ve owned a Samsung phone previously then it shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience - you’ve probably already got an account.
Samsun
g Galaxy S4 Zoom: Screen
The Galaxy S4 Zoom’s Super AMOLED screen is bright and punchy, but it has a sub-HD resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, which means that text doesn’t look quite as sharp as it does on rival phones like the HTC One and Nexus 4. The lower number of pixels actually helps the handset in some ways; with less data to push around, it runs games at an impressive speed considering the relatively humble nature of the CPU.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom: Battery
The 2,330 mAh battery is pretty spacious for a phone with a 4.3-inch screen, and during our first day of testing we were pleasantly surprised by its stamina - especially as we took a lot of photos, did a fair amount of web surfing, and generally put the phone through its paces as much as possible. We managed to go a full 24 hours before needing to charge it up again, which isn’t something that usually happens with the office Nexus 4. However, if you really go to town on the image and video capture then you can expect to see the real-world usage time drop considerably - that Xenon flash is a real beast when it comes to sucking power.
Although it looks like something of a bad joke when you initially pick it up, the Galaxy S4 Zoom really surprised us. After a few days of use we honestly forgot about how large and bulky it is, and learned to love the fact that we had a top-quality camera in our pocket at all times. Sure, you might look like you’re trying to talk to your point-and-shoot when you take a call in public, but for photography lovers, this is the ideal mobile companion.
To gain superior image capture, you have to be prepared to do without other creature comforts, such as cutting edge internal tech and a phone which is so slim you forget it’s in your pocket. Or, you could just wait and go for the Nokia Lumia 1020.
Los teléfonos ultra resistentes no son una novedad, pero si
es verdad que el Motorola Defy fue el primero que se atrevió a adoptar eso a los
smartphones. Un móvil táctil, con conexión a internet y un sistema operativo
avanzado y que no fuera un trasto, que aguantase golpes, agua y polvo? Si, se
consiguió, y no se si por esa razón o porque realmente tiene un hardware
interno, o mezcla de ambas, fue un éxito de ventas como lo será el Defy+.
En ese filón es donde quiere meterse Sony Ericsson, en breve sólo Sony, y
presenta su Xperia Active, que en términos de resistencia va incluso un
paso más allá y lo vemos en un vídeo de esos que te dan grima por la
cantidad de vejaciones que sufre el teléfono. El Xperia Active tiene como nombre de modelo ST17 y ha
tenido que ser un usuario particular, que no al propia marca, aunque pude que
algo de vídeo viral haya detrás, la que nos demuestre que la resistencia
anunciada, no es buena, es que simplemente roza lo indestructible, pero antes
vamos a repasar las características técnicas de este
teléfono.
Pantalla Bravia Reality Display de 3 pulgadas capacitiva 320 x 480 px
(permite su uso con los dedos mojados)
Procesador de un núcleo a 1 Ghz y 512 MB de RAM
Android Gingerbread 2.3
16,5mm de espesor y 111 gramos de peso
1 GB de memoria interna con posibilidad de insertar tarjeta micro SD
Wifi, GPS, DLNA, HDSPA, ANT+, barómetro, brújula, sensores
de luz y movimiento
Cámara de 5 megapíxeles con flash y grabación de vídeo a 720p
Batería de 1200 mah (para una pantalla de 3 pulgadas no es tan poca como
parece)
Actualizable a Ice Cream Sandwich en Abril- Marzo de 2012 /
Carcasas intercambiables
Lo tiene prácticamente todo para abrirse paso en el mercado con facilidad y
conquistar los bolsillos y bolsos de muchos usuarios que quieren un móvil
no muy grande, ligero, compacto, y sobre todo resistente. El
precio del Xperia Active libre es de 299 € aunque ya sabemos que en
algunas tiendas especializadas lo podremos encontrar por algo menos, la pena es
que de momento ninguna compañía telefónica lo haya adoptado y aunque aquí somos
partidarios del teléfono libre, el poder elegir, también nos gusta.
Y ahora os dejo con el vídeo promocional y alguno de los vídeos que os
mencionaba donde amartillean, golpean con piedras, intentan cortar con
una navaja/cúter, traspasar con destornilladores, llaves de fontanero,
pasar con un coche por encima, tirarlo al agua y en definitiva maltratarlo,
saliendo indemne de todas las pruebas. No hacía falta tanto, pero nos
queda clara la resistencia, aunque hay una que nunca se menciona y nos preocupa
siempre, la que es a largo plazo, la obsolescencia programada, pero
ese, es otro tema ;)
Hit the speed of heat in the fastest, most visually stunning edition of the Asphalt series. It’s you against the world in 60 of the most amazing cars by prestigious makers like Audi, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. A total of 150 races on tracks across the globe, from Paris to Rio, await you in 6 different game modes with local and online multiplayer for up to 6 racers. Tap into the Asphalt Tracker to find friends to challenge then share your achievements and compare stats, or you can find an opponent using the online matchmaking system. Whatever device you use, Asphalt 7 will push its limits!
60 cars from prestigious manufacturers, like Ferrari & Lamborghini, including the legendary DeLorean
Beautiful graphics that push the limits of your device
15 tracks set in real cities, including brand new tracks in Hawaii, Paris, London, Miami and Rio
Revamped online & local multiplayer (up to 6 players) with matchmaking and special events
Social Features: The Asphalt Tracker lets you compare stats, share achievements & challenge friends
Complete 15 leagues & 150 races in 6 modes! Race for the top spot and leave the rest in your dust!
Al margen del revuelo causado ayer por los renovados Kindle Fire de Amazon, Motorola también celebró su propio evento en Nueva York en el que presentó tres nuevos terminales que os detallamos a continuación. Hablamos del Droid RAZR HD, el Droid RAZR MAXX HD y el Droid RAZR M.
Droid RAZR HD
Snapdragon S4 a 1.5 GHz
1 GB de RAM
Pantalla de 4.7″ y resolución HD 720p
Cámara de 8 MPx
Batería de 2500 mAh (16 horas en modo conversación)
Pantalla Super AMOLED de 4.3″ y resolución de 960 x 540 píxeles
Batería de 2000 mAh
8 GB de almacenamiento (ampliable mediante microSD)
Como vemos, aunque todos ellos comparten el mismo músculo, se trata de tres terminales enfocados a tres tipos de usuarios distintos pero con un denominador común: la duración de batería. Aunque llama la atención que, pese a la reciente adquisición de Motorola por parte de Google, no vengan con Jelly Bean preinstalado, al menos sus potenciales compradores tendrán la tranquilidad de saber que se actualizarán a la versión 4.1 de Android, esperemos que lo antes posible.
Además del estandarte de una batería de gran capacidad junto con una pantalla de grandes dimensiones, algo que llama la atención en estos tres terminales es su diseño, concebido con un borde lateral casi inexistente y que permite disponer de una gran pantalla sin aumentar considerablemente el tamaño del terminal.
Sin duda, el caballo ganador en cuanto a especificaciones sería el Droid RAZR MAXX HD, y aunque el Droid RAZR HD le va a la zaga y tendrá seguramente un precio más ajustado, no hay que perder de vista al Droid RAZR M, especialmente para aquellos usuarios que prefieren un smartphone con una pantalla algo más pequeña.
El día 11 de Octubre, Samsung anunciará un nuevo miembro de la familia Galaxy, el Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, el lugar de la presentación será en Alemania, trayendo como novedad que la familia crecerá de pantalla hasta alcanzar las 4 pulgada. Según el presidente de Samsung Mobile, JK Shin, aseguró ante los periodistas que el nuevo dispositivo tendrá un “rendimiento pleno”.
Filtraciones
Muchas veces muchos productos se desvelan a última hora a modo de filtración. Esta vez ha sido MobileGeeks, dónde nos enseña una foto del terminal como desvela las características:
Pantalla: AMOLED de 4.0 pulgadas con resolución WVGA de 800 × 480 píxeles,
Una cámara de 5 megapíxeles con flash en la parte posterior y una cámara VGA en la parte frontal
CPU: STE U8420 de doble núcleo de 1,0 GHz
RAM: 1 GB de memoria flash: 16 GB, ranura para tarjeta MicroSD ( . max 32 GB)
MIKE HOMNICK
SONY
MIKE HOMNICK
SONY
