umpcportal home

Tag Archive | "motorola"

Report: Smartphone Screens Growing over Time, 5? Screens the Norm by End of 2013


I’ve been following a disturbing trend over the last few years as the Android platform (and now WP7 as well) matures. Smartphone screen sizes just keep growing and growing, and they don’t seem to want to stop. I have a number of issues with smartphones that have overly-large screens. It pains me to see that, while Android is known for giving users many choices, it’s nearly impossible to get a reasonably-sized flagship phone. For me, for a smartphone to be a ‘smartphone’ at all, and not a tablet, it has to be easily usable with one hand. Of course then the definition of smartphone/tablet will change from person to person, because our hands are not all the same size, however, there is certainly a finite limit for everyone where a phone will become too big to be comfortably used with one hand.

I’m currently testing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. So far it’s been a rather wonderful phone, and I recently wrote this on Google Plus:

I’ve been using the iPhone for 3 generations. Right now I’m testing a Galaxy Nexus. If they made the same exact phone in a size that’s actually comfortable for one-hand use, I might call myself an Android convert. Curse you 4″+ screens and the awful fad that you are!

For me, the 4.65″ screen on the Galaxy Nexus is just too big. I constantly have to shuffle the phone around in my hand because Android places the two most frequently used aspects of the interface (the menu buttons and the notification drawer) at opposite ends of the phone. The size of the phone and the required shuffling means that I’ve got a poor grip on it, and I’ve been rather worried about dropping it during use. Again, those with larger hands will not have the same issue at 4.65″, but at some point they will run into the same problem.

Android Handset Screen Size Over Time

To show the trends of Android smartphone screen sizes over time, I compiled screen size and release date data from 155 smartphones from five major manufacturers (Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG). I’d like to thank PDADB.net for their comprehensive release date info. (click to enlarge graphs)

   

 

As you can see, since the introduction of the 3.2″ HTC Dream / G1, screen sizes have consistently increased. Today we’re seeing 4″, 4.5″, 4.7″, 5″, and even 5.3″ smartphones! A simple projection (seen on the main chart) suggests that before 2013 is out, many handsets will have 5″ screens, while the flagship phones of that time may have even larger screens (if this trend continues) of 5.5″ or perhaps 6″.

With a slope of 0.0016, LG is increasing its Android smartphone screen sizes the most rapidly of these five manufactures. Despite pioneering some of the largest phones on the market at certain points in the timeline, Motorola is actually showing the slowest rate of increase in Android smartphone screen size with a slope of 0.0009, but of course this isn’t very far off from the leader!

Why is This Happening?

A good question to ask is what’s prompting the growth in screen size. It seems natural for manufacturers to have experimented with screen sizes as the platform grew legs. Different screen sizes are a point of differentiation for an Android phone manufacturer — a way to stand out in a sea of similar options. Bigger screens were also an easy way for companies to try to beat out the iPhone on features, even if the ‘bigger is better’ argument doesn’t hold much water in this case. Now it seems to have turned into a snowball effect whereby manufacturers are trying to one-up each other to have the biggest screen in town (all the while, Apple has stuck with 3.5″ since the introduction of their handsets). You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard the phrase “biggest and baddest” when marketers are referring to a new Android phone. They use this phrase as though bigger is always better, but I must say — when it comes to comfortable one-handed smartphone use — it is not.

Where Does It Stop?

My question is this: where do we draw the line? As I mentioned, despite variations in hand sizes, everyone reaches a limit of comfortable one-hand usability at some point. I don’t have the raw data to back it up, but I believe that Android smartphone screen sizes are rapidly surpassing the maximum size for comfortable one-handed use by the average Android customer. None of this is to say there aren’t advantages to having a larger screen (particularly when it comes to media viewing), but given that people much more frequently use their smartphones for apps rather than media viewing, the argument for surpassing a users one-handed comfort zone to provide a better media experience is a poor one.

It’s not so much that screen-sizes are increasing (the chart clearly shows that other sizes are still available), but the bothersome fact is that it’s near-impossible to get a flagship phone unless you’re willing to buy one of the massive phones on the market. If you want a phone that comes in a size that’s comfortable for one-handed use, you have to be willing to settle as a second-class Android citizen — the only options available to you will likely have slower processors, less RAM (and may be based on an older platform) than the newest and biggest flagship phone currently on the market.

 

Motorola Smart Controller–A Handset for Your Tablet


P1020370Finally! I’ve been looking for something like this for quite a while and I think Motorola might have done it. The Motorola Smart Controller is a Bluetooth controller that uses various BT profiles that allow you to control the tablet (good when it’s docked across the room and connected via HDMI to a big screen perhaps?) and take calls. I couldn’t confirm if it allows voice controlled calling and it would have been nice to see it used as a remote notifier for alarms, numbers, notifications. it also seems to be lacking audio controls such as play/pause, next track etc. I’m definitely going to check it out in detail when I can get hold of one.

Pics and video below

Read the full story

Motorola Smart Controller–A Handset for Your Tablet


P1020370Finally! I’ve been looking for something like this for quite a while and I think Motorola might have done it. The Motorola Smart Controller is a Bluetooth controller that uses various BT profiles that allow you to control the tablet (good when it’s docked across the room and connected via HDMI to a big screen perhaps?) and take calls. I couldn’t confirm if it allows voice controlled calling and it would have been nice to see it used as a remote notifier for alarms, numbers, notifications. it also seems to be lacking audio controls such as play/pause, next track etc. I’m definitely going to check it out in detail when I can get hold of one.

Pics and video below

Read the full story

The State of Android Tablets in 2011. A Survey


At the beginning of the year, if you would have told me that, by the summer, there would be a dozen different Android tablets available for order from reliable, first tier manufacturers, I would have told you to get outta town. We were likely all desensitized to the constant stream of news that seemingly had the same message: “Company X announced the Y Tablet today. It features blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. No information was released on a launch date or pricing.” It had gotten to the point that I immediately went to the bottom of any announcement of a tablet-device, and if it had the standard blurb about no launch date or word on pricing, I did not read the article.

Read the full story

Today Only: Motorola Xoom 32GB WiFi for $349!


Every once and a while, our favorite deal-a-day site — Woot.com — offers up a nice treat for tablet fans such as ourselves. Today they’ve got the very first Honeycomb tablet to hit the streets, the Motorola Xoom, for a reasonable $349.

This is the WiFi-only 32GB version of the Motorola Xoom. Aside from lacking the components that facilitate WLAN capabilities, and a silver metalic back (instead of a black rubbery one), it’s nearly identical to the carrier version. Here are the vital specs:

  • 10.1″ screen @ 1280×800
  • Dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU @ 1GHz
  • 1GB of RAM
  • Android 3.1 Honeycomb
  • 5MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera (720p video capture)
  • WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
  • Micro HDMI, Micro USB, 3.5mm headphone jack, AC adapter (cannot charge through Micro USB)
  • 32GB capacity
  • 731 grams

See even more detailed specs and info at the Motorola Xoom tracking page in our mobile device database. We’ve also got a gallery full of Motorola Xoom photos if you’re interested.

After playing with the Xoom a while back, I have to say that I was underwhelmed by it’s performance. Updates to Honeycomb helped, but it was still far too buggy for my taste. I also looked at the unit as a video editing platform, but came away with the same sense that I had with Honeycomb — they need time to mature.

Next to Amazon’s just announced $199 Kindle Fire, I can’t say the Xoom is too appealing right now. Still, you may be itching for a 10″ tablet rather than Amazon’s 7″ offering. If that’s the case, Woot has a good deal for you. Their $349 price tag is $109 (24%) less than you’ll be able to find it on Amazon at the moment, and $150 (31%) less than you can get it directly from Motorola!

Go check out Woot.com to get in on this deal. Don’t forget, Woot sales are only good for one day, which means this deal will be gone forever at 1AM EST (and has a chance of selling out even before that time)! Good luck.

Droid Bionic: Unboxed, Reviewed, and On-Sale. Was it Worth the Wait?


droid bionic

The Motorola Droid Bionic was announced 9 months ago at CES 2011, but it has finally arrived was it worth the wait?

As you can see, the design has changed since the initial announcement and it now looks much like a keyboardless Droid 3.

droid 3 and driod bionic

That’s only on the visual end of things though. Spec wise, the Droid Bionic is almost exactly like the Motorola Atrix:

Droid Bionic Atrix
OS Android 2.3.4 Android 2.3.4
Processor 1GHz Dual-Core 1GHz Dual-Core
RAM 1GB 512MB
Screen 4.3 inch @ 960×540 4 inch @ 960×540
Camera 8MP rear (1080p recording) 8MP rear (1080p recording)
Connectivity 3G/4G (LTE) 3G/4G* (*HSPA+)
Capacity 16GB built-in (+16GB pre-installed card) 16GB built-in
Ports Micro HDMI, Micro USB Micro HDMI, Micro USB
Battery 1735 mAh 1930 mAh

 

Regardless, the Droid Bionic is here and it’s available for $299 with an upgrade or a whopping $589 without an upgrade.

Cory Gunther of AndroidCommunity has a thorough unboxing of the Droid Bionic along with all of its accessories. Check it out.

He’s also got a video giving you a look at the lapdock and its functionality, check it out over at Android Community.

If you’re looking for a review, Josh Smith of GottaBeMobile has you covered.

If I had been waiting patiently for the Droid Bionic since its announcement 8 months ago, I would be a little bit disappointed that the Droid Bionic is basically the same phone at the Motorola Atrix (minus the 4G) which was released back in February… oh and it was cheaper.

For those of you who were waiting for the Droid Bionic, was it worth it?

Motorola Droid Bionic Finally Arriving on September 8th… What “Jaw Dropping” Features Have Been Added?


droid bionicNot long ago, some internal information had apparently been leaked showing that the Droid Bionic, among other devices, would be launched on September 8th. The official Droid Bionic twitter account has now confirmed that date.

The story of the Droid Bionic is a rather interesting one. The phone was announced ages ago (in tech-world time, anyway) back at CES in January. It was also announced next to the Motorola Atrix (a similarly speced phone, designed for AT&T). The powerful 4G LTE Bionic was presumed to be released alongside the Atrix, but then was oddly removed from Verizon and Motorola’s sites. It seemed that the Droid Bionic would be one of the first 4G LTE devices available on Verizon, but it was beaten to the market by the HTC Thunderbolt, Samsung Charge, and the LG Revolution.

Later, Verizon and Motorola indicated that the Bionic would be released this summer, and it appears they meant the tail end of summer!

The real question is, why the delay? I’m betting it has a lot more to do with some production issues and corporate politics than the excuse given on the Droid Bionic twitter account: “The Droid Bionic has been taken off from Motorola’s website. As you know we have already announced that we are improving the Bionic”, and, “The NEW Motorola Droid Bionic is packed with jaw dropping features that will make your wait well worth it.”

Though the launch date has been confirmed, there’s still no useful information about the Droid Bionic or the “NEW” Droid Bionic from Motorola or Verizon.

One thing that the Droid Bionic was originally announced with, that I hope to see changed, is the inclusion of Android 2.2. The Motorola Atrix was also announced and launched with Android 2.2, but was officially updated to the latest Android 2.3 build in July. Hopefully we’ll see the Droid Bionic make it out the door with the latest version of Android on board, as these update debacles are becoming ever tiring.

As far as I’m aware, the Droid Bionic is going to be packing the same specs that were announced at CES. I’ll be happily surprised if they managed to add anything “jaw dropping”, but I’m not holding my breath.

Thanks to GBM for pointing this out!

Motorola Droid Bionic Finally Arriving on September 8th… What “Jaw Dropping” Features Have Been Added?


droid bionicNot long ago, some internal information had apparently been leaked showing that the Droid Bionic, among other devices, would be launched on September 8th. The official Droid Bionic twitter account has now confirmed that date.

The story of the Droid Bionic is a rather interesting one. The phone was announced ages ago (in tech-world time, anyway) back at CES in January. It was also announced next to the Motorola Atrix (a similarly speced phone, designed for AT&T). The powerful 4G LTE Bionic was presumed to be released alongside the Atrix, but then was oddly removed from Verizon and Motorola’s sites. It seemed that the Droid Bionic would be one of the first 4G LTE devices available on Verizon, but it was beaten to the market by the HTC Thunderbolt, Samsung Charge, and the LG Revolution.

Later, Verizon and Motorola indicated that the Bionic would be released this summer, and it appears they meant the tail end of summer!

The real question is, why the delay? I’m betting it has a lot more to do with some production issues and corporate politics than the excuse given on the Droid Bionic twitter account: “The Droid Bionic has been taken off from Motorola’s website. As you know we have already announced that we are improving the Bionic inch, and, “The NEW Motorola Droid Bionic is packed with jaw dropping features that will make your wait well worth it. inch

Though the launch date has been confirmed, there’s still no useful information about the Droid Bionic or the “NEW inch Droid Bionic from Motorola or Verizon.

One thing that the Droid Bionic was originally announced with, that I hope to see changed, is the inclusion of Android 2.2. The Motorola Atrix was also announced and launched with Android 2.2, but was officially updated to the latest Android 2.3 build in July. Hopefully we’ll see the Droid Bionic make it out the door with the latest version of Android on board, as these update debacles are becoming ever tiring.

As far as I’m aware, the Droid Bionic is going to be packing the same specs that were announced at CES. I’ll be happily surprised if they managed to add anything “jaw dropping inch, but I’m not holding my breath.

Thanks to GBM for pointing this out!

Follow Chippy on  TwitterFollow Chippy on  YouTube

The most popular UMPCs on UMPCPortal

Acer C740
11.6" Intel Celeron 3205U
Acer Aspire Switch 10
10.1" Intel Atom Z3745
Acer Aspire E11 ES1
11.6" Intel Celeron N2840
Dell Latitude E7440
14.0" Intel Core i5-4200U
Acer TravelMate B113
11.6" Intel Core i3
Lenovo Ideapad Flex 10
10.1" Intel Celeron N2806
ASUS Zenbook UX305
13.3" Intel Core M 5Y10a
HP Elitebook 820 G2
12.5" Intel Core i5 5300U
Dell Chromebook 11
11.6" Intel Celeron 2955U
WiBrain B1H
4.8" VIA C7-M

Find ultra mobile PCs, Ultrabooks, Netbooks and handhelds PCs quickly using the following links: