Samsung Takes on the iPad, the Surface and the Kindle in Latest Ad

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It’s been a while since we have seen some attack ads, and that could be due to all the launches and announcements. However, since Samsung is just about finished announcing for 2014, it is time they put some fuel behind their products. What better way than some attack ads focused on the competition? Actually, there is a better way.

We have seen Samsung attack one company at a time, but the new ad by Samsung attacks, not only one company. Actually, Samsung is attacking almost all of their competition in the tablet markets. In this ad, we see cameos from Apple and the iPad, Microsoft and the Surface, and Amazon with the Kindle.

The point of this ad, is to let you know that all of the competition falls short of the Samsung tablet. More specifically, the Galaxy Tab Pro Series, at least that’s the tablet titled at the end. No matter what, the point is that Samsung tablets can do more than other tablets. Lets take a look at what they mention as an argument for each competitor.

When it comes to the iPad, which is mentioned a couple of times in the commercial, the Samsung tablet has more pixels, and therefore is better than the retina display of the iPad. Also, it can do more with apps and has more capabilities than the iPad like multiwindow options. When they shut down the Surface, they are essentially asking us, “Do you really think that’s a tablet?” With the mouse, and battery pack and all of the cables, they suggest that the Surface is a laptop. A laptop with too many connected parts and options to be called a tablet.

Then there is the Kindle, which doesn’t stand a chance in this commercial. They point out that the Kindle is only for books. Done. Books. Though this commercial is fun to watch, especially the Apple part, is the question you need to ask yourself is, “Does Samsung have room to talk?” At the end of the day, this commercial is basically just ringing the bell, and Samsung’s way of saying, “let the games begin!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Does Larry Page Need to Wear Glass to Prove Google Still Has Faith in the Project?

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You may remember one of the biggest fans of Google Glass being Robert Scoble. Scoble has become one of the many faces of Google Glass, but now he is speaking about Glass in a different light. Not to say that he doesn’t still love Glass, rather he is afraid Google is finished with the project and will kill the project before it even takes off.

You may wonder why Scoble feels that Glass is dying, but before you ask such a question, you need to know more about his personality. Scoble is so in love with the Google Glass, that he pays attention to every detail. The detail that started his fear of the end was Google CEO Larry Page appearing on a Ted Talks keynote. Scoble makes some valid points in his G+ post, mentioning one of Google’s dropped projects. The specific dropped project Scoble mentions is Google Wave. Scoble is quoted saying, “Larry Page is on stage at TED right now. I’m at home watching.” Then Scoble goes to bold print saying, “He is not wearing Google Glass,” Scoble continues in his post asking Why? Why did Google give up on Google Wave so quickly, and says this fits in his thoughts that “Google doesn’t know how to stick with a product.”

Though Project Glass has been going on since 2012, Scoble’s points could be a bit extreme, after all it’s as much Page’s choice to wear Glass as it would be a consumer’s. It still begs the question though, what is taking so long? So much money has gone into the project and testing has been going on for quite some time now. Google has said that they are continuing to figure out every possible use of Google Glass before launch. In an attempt to do just that, they started the Explorer Program. This program is how Google is testing the device in the lives of real consumers. Seeing how they are using the device, and where the device could use some improvement. Scoble’s fears are realized simply in the stage that Google Glass is left in, “Prototype”.

Now that Scoble has spoken freely about his fears, Google took this opportunity to address his, and any other fears that may arise due to his post. “We always appreciate feedback from everyone – even Robert – on how to make Glass better,” A Google spokesperson said. “In the last 10 months we have shipped nine new software updates and made three hardware updates based, in large part, on feedback from our Explorers. We continue to move quickly and are excited by what’s coming down the pipe. Glass remains a prototype and we’ll keep improving it before making it more widely available to consumers.”

Phew, now Google’s response may not cure Scoble’s fears, but at least they mentioned him by name. Giving him full credit to the response, and show that they are listening. What do you think, is Google taking too long for this project and may just give up, or does something this innovative need plenty of time to prepare?

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ZTE Nubia X6 Passes Chinese Certification; Gives Us a Quick Look at the Device

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China is not finished releasing smartphones for 2014, even though one of the most exciting devices was just launched. The OPPO Find 7 is an impressive device, but we have yet to hear anything official about another possibly amazing device. ZTE is still on stand-by for the official announcement of the Nubia X6.

Although there has not been an official announcement about the ZTE Nubia X6, we now know what it will look like. We expected the thin bezels, at least on the sides, and that’s exactly what we can see. The images are credited to the Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center in China. This is where all devices need to pass certification before becoming shelf ready in China. So along with the pictures, we get a glimpse at essentially official specs of the ZTE Nubia X6.

The display size makes you think of a phablet, with almost 7-inches, 6.44 inch display to be exact. Of course, the display is full HD, at 1920 x 1080 resolution, though the CPU power was only measured at 1.7GHz. So though the device may look powerful enough to take flagship status, the power underneath it screams low-end, mid range if you want to be nice about it. However, there’s a chance that this is one of MediaTek’s Octa-Core CPUs, which allows for all eight-cores to be active at once.

More telling is the camera, with the rear facing camera coming in at 8MP, and the front at 5MP. Though the camera has low MP’s, rumors surrounding their functionality still call to interests. Some of which are a “Super Zoom Mode” or the long exposure options. Due to these rumors, we anxiously await the official launch of this device, as mid-range and low-end devices are becoming the heavy hitter for the year.

It seems as though many OEMs are switching gears, at least when it comes to mid to low range devices. They are realizing that these markets have plenty of untapped potential,and they need to take full advantage. Even though it is highly unlikely that we will see this device in the US, it will help competition thrive. Who knows, maybe one day soon the US will become more aware of Chinese companies like ZTE. Until then, we just watch what happens over there and see how it affects the US markets later down the road. ZTE is set to launch the Nubia X6 officially on March 25th.

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The IUNI U2 Features a Metallic Build, Snapdragon 800 and Starts at $260

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Yesterday was a pretty big day for Chinese smartphone buyers as Oppo finally, officially announced their latest and greatest smartphone, the Oppo Find 7. Oppo’s latest is packed full of specs, including a Quad HD display and a 50-megapixel camera. The Chinese smartphone market might be ruled by big names such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Samsung and HTC, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only brands out there – far from it. In fact, smartphones in China are more abundant than we often realize, and there’s always another company selling something that seems more attractive. In terms of value, that would be the IUNI U2, a new device from a relatively new brand that makes most smartphones seem ridiculously overpriced.

The U2 features all the things you’d want in a modern Android smartphone, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 at 2.2 Ghz, 2 or 3GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 1920 x 1080 display from Sharp and 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. On the imaging front, the U2 doesn’t disappoint there either, as it features a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and an UltraPixel-style front-facing camera at 4-megapixels. With Android 4.3 running the show, with IUNI’s own skin on top it’s not running the latest version of Android, but it’s not exactly stuck in the dark ages, either. Other features include full USB OTG support and a build made from materials similar to the HTC One coming in at 145g.

With all of those features baked into some premium materials, you would expect a sizable price tag, right? Well, if you want the IUNI U2 with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage you can pick one up for CNY 1600 (roughly $260 here in the States), with the 3GB and 32GB model costing CNY 1999 (roughly $320). Even by Chinese standards, the IUNI U2 is excellent value, and while those prices are just straight conversions the only way you’re likely to get hands on one is via import. Here in the West, we’re stuck with only a few choices from some of the big name brands like Samsung, Motorola and HTC. However, in China they have such a vast array of devices that competition is fierce, resulting in devices such as the U2. Certainly, the U2′s design might not be to everyone’s liking, but I think we’re all a little jealous of the devices that launch in China.

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Samsung Makes Price For Gear 2 and Gear Fit Official Price, Is It too Late?

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The smart watch market quite possibly has been given the speed boost it has begged for in the form of Android Wear. The official announcement of Android Wear showed off what many people seem to think is the slickest, and sexist smart watch we have seen to date, the Moto 360.Now, Samsung may be feeling the heat from this device that’s on fire all over the place. How does Samsung respond to this news that has the world buzzing? Well with the official announcement of pricing for their very own Gear 2 and Gear Fit of course.

It has become very hard over the past few days to talk about smart watches and not bring up the Mot 360, or Android Wear. That is bad news for Samsung, especially since they had such a hard time with their first take on a smart watch, the Galaxy Gear. After Samsung’s announcement at Mobile World Congress 2014, everyone was excited more so for the Gear Fit, than the Gear 2. However, that was the focus, and it was believed that many people would be trying the new Gear 2 as well as the Gear Fit, well at least those with Galaxy smart phones.

Then walked in the Moto 360, and now it seems as though people are saying “Gear what?” So in order to possibly remain relevant, or just because they felt it was time, Samsung announced the pricing for the Gear Fit and the Gear 2. If you remember, pricing was the only thing the Samsung launch event was missing. They had everything from smartphones and watches, to an orchestra but pricing must’ve just called out sick that day. Well it is back on it’s feet, and without further ado, the Gear 2 comes with a price tag of $295. The Gear Fit will come with a price tag of $197, but the Gear 2 Neo is still absent.Though the Gear 2 is in about the same failing price range as the original Galaxy Gear, possibly features alone will sell the device. Though it could go completely the opposite way with this year smart watch market showing more and more options to the consumers. Competition will be stiff for the Gear 2 and Gear Fit, so they could’ve already messed up with pricing, only time will tell. The Gear Fit could be a different story.

The Moto 360 could fall short in the health department, though there has been no official word as of yet. Android Wear will provide support for health sensors and monitoring, but it will be up to the OEMs to implement the option. The Gear Fit, is basically a health monitor before anything else, so it could see less competition from the major OEMs. Again, only time will tell, and we will just have to watch what happens as the year continues. We have said before and we will say again, 2014 is the year of the smart watch. Do these price points excite you, or can you not get the Moto 360 out of your mind? Speak up down below, or on G+.

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Wondering Where Samsung’s 64-Bit Phone Is? D-RAM and Android Might be to Blame

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While Apple is already offering a 64-bit smartphone in the form of the iPhone 5S, so far the 64-bit club for Android smartphones is looking a little sparse, meaning “non-existent.” What’s the deal with that, anyway? Various rumors have claimed Samsung is indeed working on a 64-bit processor, with some even thinking that the chip would make an appearance in the Galaxy S5. That isn’t happening, but you’d think Samsung would be motivated to launch a 64-bit smartphone of its own since Apple is already a few steps ahead in that regard.

As it turns out, it may not be Samsung’s fault. According to ETNews, which spoke to unnamed industry insiders about the issue, there are two things in particular holding back the launch of 64-bit Android smartphones. The first is the OS itself, which can’t exactly boast full support for 64-bit architecture. As annoying as that might be for manufacturers ready to pull the trigger on 64-bit smartphones, it’s at least relatively easy to fix. The second problem with launching a 64-bit phone might take a little longer to solve.

That’s because the second issue revolves around D-RAM. For starters, D-RAM production costs have been seeing some increases lately, but it doesn’t end there, as manufacturing the 3GB modules that would need to run along 64-bit chips would force changes to production lines. That’s a pretty big setback, as changes to production lines to could translate to poor yields. So, until all of this gets sorted out, we’ll just have to be patient as we wait for the first 64-bit Android handset.

For what it’s worth, it does seem like manufacturers are working toward a future where 64-bit Android smartphones are indeed a reality. It just might take a while, as these insiders don’t expect the first of these phones to become commercially available until the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015. That could potentially put the launch first 64-bit Android phone a year or more behind the introduction of the iPhone 5S, which may not sit well with a few Android manufacturers. In truth, there are bigger things to worry about when it comes to the smartphones we use, but we’d lying if we said we weren’t be interested in getting our hands on a 64-bit Android handset. Stay tuned.

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Featured Review: Incipio Feather Case for the Moto G

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Here’s another case from Incipio, this one is the Feather case, and it’s called that because it’s so thin, yet it protects your device. This line of cases is actually available for plenty of devices out there, in fact I’ve reviewed the Feather case for the HTC One and Galaxy S4 last year. So I basically knew what to expect from the Incipio Feather Case, but it’s such a nice case that it deserves another review.

The Feather case is available in Cyan, Black and Gray – although their website only shows the black and Cyan and I have the Gray version. The Feather case is a rigid plextonium shell which protects from most dents and scratches from daily use. It’s also pretty thin so it doesn’t add much bulk to the device. It has a premium soft-touch finish on the back which also adds texture for improved hold, it’s also really light-weight and looks amazing on the Moto G.

This Feather case is on sale right now from Incipio for $24.99, and it’s definitely worth it if you want a case that will protect your device from dents, scratches and everyday use, but still want a sleek looking device that doesn’t get too bulky from a case. I actually use the Feather case on my LG G2 everyday – since the Moto G is a review unit that’s going back. And I love the Feather case. It’s very sleek looking and feels great in the hand. This is one of those cases that I’d recommend almost instantly, as it’s pretty awesome.

If you’re looking for the Incipio Feather case for the Moto G, it’s available on Incipio’s website as well as Amazon’s website. So you can pick your poison. What cases do you have for your Moto G? Let us know in the comments below.

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