The First Dual-Core Superphones Leak

What 2011 Will Bring

Nov 24 2010, 8:45am CST | by Robert Evans

LG and Motorola have had been playing an unusually high-stakes game of 'dueling leaks' this week. First, the LG Star was tipped to Engadget. It was said to have a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, an 8 MP camera and the ability to record in 1080p. The Google logo on the back means a stock version of Android...probably 2.3.

The display is a healthy 4" and the launch date is some time "early 2011". That got the tech blogs salivating, and Motorola was quick to respond with these pictures of a dual-core Olympus smartphone with a giant screen. Rumors gave it Tegra 2, a 4.1" screen, 8 MP camera with 1080p recording, HDMI-out, a front-facing camera and Android 2.2.

Taken spec-by-spec, these phones don't differ much. A 4.1" display versus a 4.0" display. Identical processors and, presumably, RAM. Identical cameras (pending user reports) and front-facing cameras. Chances are, those are the specs we can look to see from most high-end smartphones through to the end of summer 2011. Next year's Evo and Galaxy equivalents may add in some RAM or larger/AMOLED screens, but the hardware will be broadly similar.

Both of these dual-core Superphones look like they will see multi-carrier launches. We can expect a wide spread of carriers for the Olympus. The Star's status as a With Google device makes me think we're unlikely to see it exclusive to any one network.

"4G" is going to become extremely common by the middle of 2011, especially among high-end devices. Which means that manufacturers will need to start looking towards new features to differentiate their products from a growing forest of nigh-identical handsets. Smartphone display size has continued to creep up past the 4" point. I think we'll see a healthy niche of "big" handsets at the 4.3-5" range.

It's worth considering Acer's smartphone/tablet. At 4.8", it is too large to fit in with the main file of smartphones. While most people probably won't want a phone that large, its other neat features (six-axis gyroscope!) and (likely) gaming focus will set it apart from the mass. It won't be the next Galaxy S, but it looks like one of those devices that could build a very loyal base of fans.

Updates

Insiders Bought These 3 Plunging Retail Stocks Last Week, And Other Noteworthy Buys And Sells

Source: Seeking Alpha

Insiders made noteworthy buys (see definition below) in four retail stocks this past week (May 21st to 25th, 2012), and sold four others. These were selected based on a review of over 1,600 separate SEC Form 4 (i ...
Full article at: Seeking Alpha More like this 24 minutes ago

Peoples Liberation Front of India's zonal leader & 6 cadres held with arms

Source: Times of India

RANCHI: Ranchi police on Saturday arrested six members of the Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) and its zonal commander with six rifles, two revolvers and hundreds of bullets from Mahuazari village, 40km away from Ranchi. PLFI zon ...
Full article at: Times of India More like this 1 hour ago

Forces agree on new Islamic state for Mali

Source: TVNZ

A Malian junta soldier holds a gun as he stands guard in the headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako - Source: Reuters Mali's Tuareg rebel MNLA and Ansar Dine Islamist militants have agreed to merge and create an independent Islamic state ...
Full article at: TVNZ More like this 1 hour ago

where to buy

Buy from Amazon

Don't miss ...

Mobile Phones

4 Million iPhone 4S sold in First Weekend

Robert Evans
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.