E-Noa’s Tegra 2 based Interpad was one of those tablets we harboured quiet doubts over back in July, uncertain whether the company could beat big-name rivals to the market with their Android 2.2 slate. Having met the company at IFA 2010 this week, though, it seems they’re well on their way to making some sales. The Interpad isn’t quite ready – E-Noa are apparently still working on a custom UI that will suit the 10-inch 1024 x 600 multitouch display – but it was certainly functional enough.
In its unfinished software state, there are still some obvious glitches. The presence of a phone icon on the homescreen is one, since while the Interpad will be offered with optional 3G/UMTS it won’t make voice calls, instead using only cellular data. E-Noa are keeping the details of the UI close to their chest, too, since there’s no sign of any screenshots or mockups on the company’s site and they couldn’t tell us at the show exactly what will change.
Tegra 2 kept things running smoothly, though with no wireless connection for the Interpad’s WiFi b/g/n (paired with Bluetooth 2.1 as standard) we couldn’t try out the browser. It’ll play back up to 1080p video (supporting MPEG2, H.264 and VC-1 codecs, among others) and E-Noa are still claiming an ambitious 8-12hrs of battery life from the 3,500mAh pack. That sizeable battery adds up to a hefty slate, though it’s a little thinner and a little lighter than Toshiba’s Folio 100.
It’s hard to pass judgement until we see the final software, since so much hangs in the balance of how user-friendly the core Android OS is on a significantly larger display than a smartphone. At €399 ($515) for the non-3G version, it’s priced the same as the Folio 100, though we’ve a feeling most users would opt for the recognizable brand name. As IFA 2010 has shown, the tablet segment is hotting up and within a couple of months there’ll be no shortage of above average hardware that the Interpad may have trouble standing out from.
We’re big Sleek Audio fans here at SlashGear, and we’ve known the company has been cooking up something special for the past six months or so. That project – the new flagship Sleek Audio SA7 in-ear monitors – has come of age just in time for IFA 2010, along with their upcoming refresh of the original SA6‘s, in the shape of the SA6-R (where the “R” stands for “Reference”). We jammed the carbon-fiber and machined aluminum SA7′s into our ears for a preview.
Unlike the plastic-bodied SA6 earphones, both the SA7 and SA6-R use the same solid aluminum core. Around that core are bolted the shells: aluminum on the SA6-R’s (either brushed or a soft-touch blasted finish; what you can see in our photos are still non-final) while the SA7′s get custom carbon-fiber. The latter is worth examining; it has the tightest weave of any carbon-fiber we’ve seen, and is in fact manufactured for Sleek by a military composite specialist responsible for producing drones for the US government. Tricky to photograph, but it looks brilliant in real life. The SA7′s get a dual armature driver to differentiate them from the single armature driver of the SA6-R’s.
As with the SA6′s, you can adjust the treble and bass response of the SA7′s and SA6-R’s using various tube and plug inserts as part of the company’s VQ System. There are also various silicone tips (and you’ll still be able to get the CT6 Customs which are specifically molded to a cast of your ear canal) and you can detach the audio cables for easy replacement or to use the Kleer wireless system.
It’s too soon to say conclusively about audio quality, but our first impressions of the SA7′s are certainly positive. We’re used to Sleek offering airy, twinkling high end frequencies paired with distinctive, clear bass (and you can tweak those, of course) but the new set seems even more precise. We tried a broad range of musical styles – from classical through to pounding dance – and the real takeaway was the delineation of the different components of the audio. Bass was powerful but wasn’t an overwhelming thump, coexisting well with other elements rather than drowning them out; mids and trebles, meanwhile, were piping clear and crisp. The end result was more enjoyable music at quieter volumes (though that’s not to say the SA7′s can’t handle high power).
We’ll save anything more in-depth until review samples are available, which should be sooner rather than later: Sleek say the new sets are almost ready for release. The SA6-R’s will be priced at roughly the same as the SA6′s they replace, around $200, while the SA7′s will be $350-400, still cheaper than rivals from Shure and others (and which are often made of plastic not metal).
We were a bit surprised to find LG’s prototype Windows Phone 7 device for developers, soon to be unveiled officially as the Optimus 7 when released in its production form, hanging out in the wilds of IFA. Nevertheless, there it was, streaming DLNA content to a WiFi enabled TV. LG worked with Microsoft to develop a custom DLNA media sharing capability for its GW910 handset. Just one of the ways hardware partners are able to differentiate themselves on the otherwise locked down Windows Phone 7 platform. It certainly makes sense that LG would play to its strengths in the television industry as it moves to market with the device as early as next month according to our sources. Watch the trick flip-to-TV photo sharing interface in action after the break.
LG’s 31-inch OLED TV may not be the biggest set at IFA 2010 this week, but it certainly stands a chance of being the brightest and most color-rich. It’s just 2.9mm thick, and uses an OLED panel capable of Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution with a contrast ratio LG reckon is infinite.
Video after the cut
Of course, part of the way LG manage to make the set so thin is that they strip out the tuner, connectivity and everything else and dump it into the box at the bottom. That has a couple of HDMI ports and a USB port, along with the regular digital TV tuner.
LG 31-inch OLED TV:
LG actually had two versions of the 31-inch OLED HDTV on show, differing only in their stand arrangement and controls. Both had incredible image quality, too bright at times, but we’re guessing you could easily notch that down should you be able to afford the HDTV when it goes on sale in the first half of next year.
That “leaked” low-end LG Android device from a few days back? Turns out it was nothing more than the Optimus Chic, one of two Google-powered phones that the company announced back in early July. They’re still not ready to let us touch the damned things here at IFA — apparently on account of the fact that they’re not commercially available yet — but we got close enough to conclude that you definitely won’t be fooling anyone into thinking that you’ve dropped many hundreds of euros on your phone. You could argue that Huawei set the tone for IFA’s small-but-notable mobile presence this year with its introduction of the Ideos — in other words, cheap Android gear — and both of these LGs look primed to go head-to-head with the Ideos in that arena. Nokia had long been hoping to totally own the smartphone industry in emerging markets by driving S60 into the bargain basement — but with this latest round of Android releases coming dangerously close to the same price points, we could have an interesting battle on our hands.
Microsoft worked with Vodafone late last year to deploy Surfaces to a few dozen stores in several European countries (much as AT&T has done in the US), and one of those units happens to be set up at the carrier’s IFA booth this week. The basic idea here is that each available model appears as a card that can be twirled, resized, and flung around the screen. When the software first starts, the cards start in a deck from which you can “deal” onto the table — but when we first approached it, the Surface had obviously already been played with because the cards were in complete disarray. Not too helpful when you’re a befuddled buyer trying to browse models and make a choice from a dizzying selection of handsets, but that doesn’t mean it’s not cool — if nothing else, parents, it’s something to babysit the kiddies for a few minutes while you go about your business in the store. Follow the break for video of the Surface in action.
It was the middle of August when we brought your attention to LG’s highly-anticipated 31-inch OLED TV. There was some speculation that the set would make an appearance at this year’s IFA, and sure enough it looks like the company managed to sneak it in and put it on display for everyone to look at. Actually, just by looking at the image below, we can safely say that they put it out there for everyone to stare at.
Coming in at 31-inches, it may not be the biggest TV out there, but in terms of OLED displays, it’s ridiculously impressive. And, that’s not all. It comes in at only 2.9mm thin, which is just down-right ridiculous. Put this thing in your living room, and we’re pretty sure that everything else in there will look way too big for its own good. As for the other features? This OLED TV packs in full HD resolution, at 1920 x 1080, and it has a contrast ratio of . . . Infinite. Yes, you read that right. That means you can pretty much view the clear image from any angle you want.
You’ve probably already guessed the bad news, though. Considering the earlier OLED TVs that were released this year were expensive, you can already guess this one is, too. Though, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be. LG says that the 31-inch OLED TV is set to hit retail shelves by March of next year, and it will come with a price tag of about £6,000. Like we said: it’s not as bad as it could be.
If your living room is usually being used to watch movies or play video games, then you know that having the best sound is critical to a fully enjoyable experience. There are plenty of options out there for speakers, especially if money is no worry and you have a system that can handle 5.1 or 7.1-channel experiences. But what if you just want a simulated 3D experience? An experience that doesn’t come with a huge price tag? Then you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to get your hands on Antec’s Soundscience speakers.
Shown off over there in Europe today, at this year’s IFA show, this new speaker is of the 2.1-channel system variety. Antec says that, despite the limited channels, that the Soundscience speaker will deliver realistic 3D sounds, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much. The Soundscience features anodized aluminum satellite speakers, which can accept digital or analog input. And, if you want to use 3D only depending on what type of media your watching, there’s an external toggle that will let you choose between 2D and Antec’s very own 3D sound.
While Antec is confident that the speaker will be set to launch this year, they couldn’t give a precise date. They do say that it will be out some time this Fall. But the best part comes in the fact that it won’t cost an arm-and-a-leg to get your hands on the Soundscience. Only $250, and you can have all the simulated 3D sound you need.
Huawei are another company going in for Android in a big way, already behind several of the operator-branded budget smartphones on the market and hoping to follow up that success with the new Ideos U8150, a Froyo 2.2 smartphone with what’s tipped to be a roughly $150 unsubsidized price tag. As well as playing with the U8150 at IFA 2010 today, we also grabbed a fleeting moment with the Ideos S7 tablet and a (non-functional) Huawei prototype for their idea of a potential gaming MID.
Video demos after the cut
The U8150 is largely what you’d expect from a budget Android smartphone – a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel camera and relatively bulky chassis – though there are some moderately unusual features. The touchscreen is capacitive, not resistive, and there’s 3G mobile hotspot functionality for up to eight WiFi-connected devices. Build quality is fair, too, with only the D-pad being a little less than responsive, and there was no apparent sluggishness despite the absence of a cutting-edge 1GHz processor.
Huawei Ideos U8150 hands-on:
As for the Ideos S7, unfortunately that had no network connection and so we couldn’t really put the internet tablet through its paces. However, responsiveness of the homescreen alone was mixed, with navigation tabs sometimes requiring two or three taps in order to respond. Had Huawei managed to get the S7 to the market back when it was first announced in May, they could have stood a chance, but with Froyo rivals like the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and the larger Toshiba Folio 100 fast approaching, it’s hard to see how the Ideos S7 could carve a niche.
Huawei Ideos S7 Tablet hands-on:
Finally, Huawei were showing the Hx, a concept “media terminal” which would supposedly have a modular gamepad/keypad/kickstand attachment. Seeing as it was non-functional, Huawei didn’t have to actually worry about fitting in all the necessary components – it’s as slim and slick as any concept design – but we’d like to see the company turn some of the budget imagination shown in the U8150 to a working model with a similarly low price.
Though Archos’ larger internet tablets grabbed our attention first, we spent some time playing with the French company’s three smaller models too: the Archos 28, 32 and 43. Ranging in size from 2.8-inches QVGA, through 3.2-inches WQVGA, to 4.3-inches FWVGA, the three palm-sized tablets are Archos’ attempt at hybrid PMP/MIDs, hitting price points from $99.99 to $149.99 to $199.
All three support a broad range of video codecs (AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, WMV) and will run Android 2.2 Froyo when they launch in the next couple of months (Archos’ demo units were loaded with a 2.1 test build). The Archos 28 and 32 both use an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and the 43 gets a 1GHz version; all have WiFi b/g/n plus USB Host and Bluetooth 2.1. None have Android Market access, instead using Archos’ own AppsLib download store.
The baby of the bunch, the Archos 28, has 4GB or 8GB of flash storage, and feels a lot like a cheap Android smartphone. The display is pixelated and, despite the long list of codecs, the PMP lends itself more to audio playback. Responsiveness is fair, and Archos’ new media app looks good, but we can’t see buyers picking this over a comparably priced iPod.
As for the Archos 32, that’s got 8GB of storage as standard and comes with a 720p-capable camera. The bigger display is low-resolution for its size, however, which undermines browsing and video playback, and makes for a tricky typing experience with the onscreen keyboard.
Archos 43 hands-on:
Of the three, the Archos 43 is the most successful, though the company’s choice of a resistive rather than capacitive touchscreen may lose them sales in comparison to the iPod touch. Still, you get a bigger display than the iPod, larger than most smartphones in fact, and the functionality is packed in too: 720p video recording and playback (with a camera on the back), an HDMI output, up to 16GB of storage (with a microSD slot) and the same processor as in the bigger Archos 70 and 101. That keeps things moving swiftly, and it’s actually a decent browsing experience (and will be improved with Froyo and its Flash Player 10.1 support).
