KDDI and Fujitsu have just launched a powerful new Android smartphone which is scheduled to be released in Japan this July 2012. The device known as the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F is a very capable capable device and that would likely be a big hit if it were to reach either the European or North American market. Why do we say so? What more can you ask for from an Android device with 1.5GHz Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, 13MP camera, and a waterproof and dust-proof design? Give it a catchy name, a nice $199 subsidized price, and you you have a device that can go toe to toe with HTC’s One X aka EVO 4G LTE,  and Samsung’s S3. Sadly though, it’s never likely to be anything but an import for those with more exotic tastes. Oh, and it’s a WiMax capable device, which is a dying connectivity standard.

Other interesting features include a built-in FM transmitter, a humidity sensor, thermometer and  and a fingerprint scanner. Fujitsu has had a very wide range of successful Android devices under the Arrow brand, and in our meeting with them in Las Vegas, they expressed strong intention to enter the North American market, calling it a “top priority”. That being said, it’s likely that they will be releasing devices in partnership with Toshiba, and will use the Regza brand, as they feel that is a name that consumers are much more familiar with.

Anyway, back to the juice! Spec wise, this device hits it out of the park. Operation of games, web browsing and the UI is butter smooth. Fujitsu has a ton of experience making quality wares, but initial reports from the Verge and Engadget are suggesting that the device, while good in the hand, could have been built a bit more tightly.

As we said before, spec-wise, the device is a true champ, and bests some of the leading devices in a few areas of note. To start off, the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F boasts of 13.1MP digital camera which can record 1080/60p videos and a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chatting as well. It may not be as ridiculous as Nokia’s 41MP PureView camera, but is certainly superior to any of the latest offerings from Samsung, HTC, or LG.

Other features of the smartphone include, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of ROM (expandable to 48GB with microSD card), a 4.6-inch 720p display, and a plethora of connectivity features including WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, CDMA/GSM/GPRS/W-CDMA. The phone measures 135mm x 67 mm x 10.6mm and weighs a mere 145 grams. It packing a modestly sized 1800mAH batter, too.  Of course, the device runs Android 4.0 so that just about seals its awesomeness. Finally, for the color-conscious, you’ll be happy to know that the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F will be available in both red and black iterations.

We really hope that this phone gets an international attention. If you’re super keen, independent resellers are beginning to list this device for around $680USD+/-. As always, we’re here to give you more information about this phone  for as long as we can gather more updates about it.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/kTf3FqsBorQ

We all know HTC, we all know Samsung, and we all know Motorola, LG, and Sony. But what about the lesser known manufacturers? They are hungry for your love (dollars) too. Out of the offerings you’ve seen from ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Panasonic and Fujitsu – which one would you say stands tall? Also, be sure to check out the best Android Phones of 2012. Let us know in the comments what you want to see! We’ll continue scouring the earth for the latest and greatest of all things Android!

NEXT: Fujitsu Unveils Waterproof Smartphone and Tablet

Fujitsu Demos Quad-Core Android 4.0 Prototype Smartphone with LTE Support and a 13.1 Megapixel Camera Fujitsu Arrows F-07D Hits FCC, Challenges DROID RAZR as World’s Thinnest Phone

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of May 14th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Going by Microsoft’s Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China is off to an auspicious start — enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to get past the six points of the iPhone. We’re waiting on hard data before we take van der Bel’s word: the top smartphone makers worldwide aren’t depending much or at all on Windows Phone, and the iPhone has a thriving gray market in China that masks some of its real numbers. Having said this, we’ve seen signs of Windows Phone enjoying a bit of a surge even in an iOS- and Android-loving Europe, so we’ll be watching to see if there’s an uptick in the number of buyers saying ni hao to Microsoft in the near future.

Continue reading Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China

Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  Emerce (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Borders. Here at the Engadget Mobile Podcast, we’re so over them. That’s why we let former Engadget Mobile CEO-in-chief Chris Ziegler come back and hang out on our side of the fence for a few hours, no matter where he comes from. You know who’s NOT over border? The United States Border Patrol, Division of Potential Patent Infringements on Apple Intellectual Property. Be a fence-sitter with us for a little while: it’s not so bad up here (and we get great reception).

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guest: Chris Ziegler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho – Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

00:01:06 – Best Buy expects EVO 4G LTE to land May 23rd, HTC remains cautious
00:03:00 – Apple, HTC ordered by judge to sit down, try and make nice on August 28th
00:07:00 – HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE delayed at customs due to ITC exclusion order (updated)
00:13:15 – HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint review (updated)
00:30:00 – T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm issues memo discussing restructuring plans, more jobs affected
00:48:06 – HTC confirms One X multitasking tweaks in Sense 4
00:51:30 – NTT DoCoMo’s Galaxy S III to ship with 2GB RAM?
00:59:27 – LG shows off UI 3.0 for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, says it’s ‘unobtrusive and simple’
01:06:22 – Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell ‘em direct
01:15:48 – Verizon CFO says grandfathered unlimited plans on the way out
01:18:07 – WSJ: Apple moving towards larger iPhone screens
01:30:05 – Report: Apple dumping Google for own Maps app in iOS 6 (update)

Hear the podcast

Subscribe to the podcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace

Download the podcast
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)

Contact the podcast
podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.

Follow us on Twitter
@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @zpower @engadgetmobile

Engadget Mobile Podcast 138 – 05.19.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

What does one do after generating billions from an initial public stock offering? Go shopping, of course. After falling short of expectations following its somewhat helter-skelter IPO debut, Facebook simply shook off the whole thing and acquired itself some good Karma. No, we’re not talking about that Karma. Instead, Facebook purchased the startup responsible for the Karma social gifting app. The move was apparently made to bolster Facebook’s mobile chops — an area the company considers ripe for opportunity. Just recently, Facebook also acquired mobile stalwart Instagram and the Lightbox team, for example. As for its newest purchase, Karma will be allowed to “continue to operate in full force” despite its recent status change, according to a blog post by co-founders Lee Linden and Ben Lewis. Details weren’t disclosed about how much the deal was worth but judging from celebratory nature of their post, it doesn’t look like Linden and Lewis will “Unlike” the agreement any time soon.

Facebook likes Karma app, buys the whole darn thing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Fast Company  |  Karma Official Blog  | Email this | Comments

It’s been just over nine months since Google announced their intentions to acquire hardware manufacturer Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, and now it seems that the final pieces of the deal have fallen into place.

According to a new report from the Associated Press, Chinese officials have finally given the Google-Motorola deal their blessing.

China’s official approval of the deal has been a long time coming — Google managed to score regulatory approvals from the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission back in February (on the same day no less), but China’s anti-monopoly bureau leapt into action just a few days later. That period of intense regulatory scrutiny is a routine part of the purchasing process, as every company that makes more than 400 million yuan ($63 million) in China and 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) globally is subject to the process.

Google and Motorola originally expected to close the deal in “early 2012″, and it turns out they weren’t too far from the market. With this final approval in place, Google has confirmed that they expect purchase to be completed some time next week.

With the long process of purchasing Motorola Mobility finally drawing to a close, Google seems to be shifting their attention to the process of selling hardware on their own. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Google was looking at fleshing out the Devices section of the Google Play Store with unlocked smartphones and tablets — all of them “lead” devices —  from up to five major hardware manufacturers. Now that Google will have their own in-house hardware team, it stands to reason that they might soon offer their own devices alongside those from hardware partners like Samsung and HTC.

The final significant roadblock to Google’s buyout of Motorola has been cleared, as Chinese regulators have just given their rubber stamp. Their approval follows a few months after the simultaneous American and European clearances, and virtually all that’s left now is to formally close the deal and start integrating the two mobile giants. It might still come too late for the combined entity to present a united front at Google I/O, but at least they won’t have any awkward glances at each other across the room. We’re just trying to decide on whether or not Googorola is the best pet name for the loving, $12.5 billion-dollar Android union.

Update: Google has since told the AP that the deal will likely wrap up early next week, so Motorola should be part of the family well in advance of Google I/O. Also, Google has to keep Android freely usable by anyone for at least five years, although no one was expecting that to change anytime soon.

China clears Google acquisition of Motorola, eliminates last barrier to Googorola bliss (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  WSJ  | Email this | Comments

My set ritual before going to bed each night is as follows — turn out the lights, plug in my iPhone, take off my glasses and attempt vainly to nod off. Step two in that process can be a bit of a crapshoot in the dark, but the folks at Scrap Pile Labs have recently kicked off a new Kickstarter campaign for a product called the CordLite that just may come in handy.

As the name sort of implies, the CordLite is a dock connector cable for iDevices that, well, lights up thanks to a pair of forward-facing LEDs. It’s a very simple concept, but the thoughtful execution is what make this project worth keeping an eye on.

Perhaps the niftiest thing about the CordLite is how you actually fire up those lights — the dock connector’s aluminum body is entirely touch-sensitive, so the lights engage whenever someone goes to plug in the cable. Meanwhile, a pair of indicator lights run along the top of the dock connector so there’s never any confusion as to which side is up.

Pledging $25 locks you in for one of the first CordLites to roll off of the assembly line, so you’d best shell out the dough if you’re interested — after the Kickstarter campaign ends, the price will jump up to $35. Not a bad deal for night owls, especially considering that Apple’s own dock connector cable is nearly $20 without a single frill to go with it.

Though the CordLite is Apple-only for now, Android users shouldn’t feel too left out. The team also has a light-up micro-USB cable in the works, though I suspect we won’t be seeing those out in the wild for a little while yet.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) is an inexpensive 7 inch tablet with a decent screen, a relatively zippy 1 GHz dual core processor, and Android 4.0 operating system. But if you want to get even more performance out of this $249 tablet and don’t mind voiding your warranty (and possibly breaking something in the process), there’s a way to…

Read more »

Overclock a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) to 1.3 GHz is a post from: Liliputing

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

On average, North American consumers will spend a lifetime total of five days on failed attempts to pair their dock connector cable with an iPad or iPhone. Yeah, that’s not true, but we can certainly sympathize with frustrated device owners — fitting a tiny connector to any gadget can be a chore, especially in the dark. Scrap Pile Labs’ CordLite sets out to point the way to a successful connection with its built-in LEDs. The illuminated cable is quite simple to use — with no buttons or switches to fuss with, the connector lights up when you touch the aluminum plates, and powers off the moment it’s secured to your device. There’s really not much else to it — CordLite functions identically to an Apple-manufactured cable, though the dock connector itself is significant larger than the OEM variety, at least in its current prototype form.

The design team has turned to Kickstarter to get their project funded, with a $70,000 goal. If all goes to plan, they expect to ship black or white CordLites beginning in September at $35 a pop, but as always, getting in during the “pre-order” phase will net you a hefty discount. The first 200 backers can get an early-bird cord in the color of their choice with a $25 pledge, with the required amount jumping up to $30 from there. A $45 pledge gets you an exclusive laser-etched model, while $50 will be met with a pair of early-bird cords. As you may have gathered from the picture above, the first version will only function with Apple devices, though a microUSB cord is also said to be in the works. See it in action in the video demo just past the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: CordLite illuminated iPhone cable (video)

Insert Coin: CordLite illuminated iPhone cable (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  CordLite (Kickstarter)  | Email this | Comments