Qualcomm announces 64-Bit Snapdragon 410 chipset with World Mode 4G LTE

Qualcomm-Snapdragon-410 lte worldA bit techie, but stick with me.

We’re watching a smartphone revolution happen. It’s a little quiet now, but it’ll heat up very quickly. The exciting growth sector next year wont be in premier and high end phones. It’ll be in emerging and developing markets. We’ve seen hints of this with the popularity of the Nokia Lumia 520 and Moto G. Now Qualcomm is pushing forward with a new chipset designed to improve the mobile data experience for low-cost smartphones.

The Snapdragon 410 chipset is a 64-bit quadcore with integrated world mode LTE. We’re struggling to crawl out of the “chicken or egg” problem of delivering faster bandwidth to emerging markets. If they don’t have devices to support LTE, why build out the network? If there’s no network, why include expensive radios? The 410 aims to solve part of this problem by including LTE in a package which is designed for phones around the $150 off-contract price point. That’s Lumia 520 and Moto G territory.

The 64-bit addition could be interesting as well. Apple struck first, and we can take that as a clue or a cue that they might start merging the iOS and OSX ecosystems. We know Microsoft is working towards that with a planned release of “Threshold” in 2015, bringing Windows Phone and Windows 8 together. Qualcomm is now offering up hardware which might better facilitate that kind of software integration. Imagine Windows Phones, which can offer a robust computing environment like Windows RT for $200 or less powered by LTE data. Remarkable.

Read the full PR after the jump.

Continue reading “Qualcomm announces 64-Bit Snapdragon 410 chipset with World Mode 4G LTE”

LG Intros GPad 8.3 Google Play Edition Tablet

LG-G-Pad-8.3 front and backLooks like rumors surrounding a possible Nexus 8 tablet from LG were only MOSTLY false…

Google Play Edition phones are popular Android handsets running stock Android. We’ve seen Samsung and HTC strip out all of their custom software on the Galaxy S4 and One phones. LG will be offering up the first GPE tablet with the GPad 8.3. The specs make it a solid competitor for the Nexus 7: a 1080p screen powered by a Qualcomm 600 series chipset and 16GB of storage. Now you can choose between a GPad with LG’s custom software enhancements, or go with a clean, pure stock tablet.

GPad 8.3 GPE will start at $349, which on top of a Nexus 7 price, also nets you a MicroSD card slot and an IR blaster.

Full PR after the jump!

Continue reading “LG Intros GPad 8.3 Google Play Edition Tablet”

Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?

lumia 2520 20Just got this question from a reader. Jim asks:

As a recent purchaser of a Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet I am starting to get a little concerned about Windows RT folding or at least developers not making apps. Is this real and if so what does that mean for my tabby?

Hey Jim! First of all congrats on the Lumia! It was my Windows Tablet pick of the year!

So here’s the deal.

Windows RT as we know it today probably wont stick around long, and as the owner of a 2520 this is a good thing for you…  Continue reading “Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?”

Using the Surface RT 2 for Podcasting and Voice Over Recording (RT not Pro)

surface 2 audio recording mobile home sound USB microphone Zoom h4n somegadgetguyIf you’re into mobile audio, field recording, voice over, or podcasting, it’s been the dream for a while. The ability to use our consumer tablets as recording solutions.

It still hasn’t come to Android. Plug a USB mic into an Android tablet, and it’ll likely power up, but Android wont know what to do with it. Microsoft might have the hardware to offer up a solution for us mobile audio junkies. Let’s take a look at how recording works on a Surface 2, and what happens to the files you create after you’re done editing.

Top 5 for the week starting November 18 – Instagram, Expensive Phones, and Dopey Tech Support

WP_20131120_17_53_09_ProThese were the top read and shared stories from SomeGadgetGuy last week! Kind of an eclectic round up. I love it!

Let’s jump in!

5 – Microsoft Support: If your Surface wont turn on, just tap on “”Settings”…

So much fun finding these little gems. Bad tech support advice direct from a major tech company. Microsoft is usually pretty good about this too, but this one slipped through. It seems like reasonable advice. Until you use your brain and think about it…

LootCrate Whats in the box4 – Friday Fun – November Loot Crate Un-Boxing! CELEBRATE!

My second Loot Crate! I had to share what was inside! Each month a box of cool geeky gear is dropped off at your door. If you’d like to shop a Crate, you can save 10% by using promo code “SGLOOT” at check out!

3 – The argument for buying the most expensive phone you can…

The conventional logic would assume that if you’re not very tech savvy, then maybe you don’t need all the “bells and whistles” of more expensive gear. Here however, we take a look at what benefits there might be for shopping premier phones, with a few tips for saving cash while doing buying high end.

WP_20131120_12_10_56_Pro2 – Hands on Dreamwork’s ‘Dragons Adventure’ for the Lumia 2520

We’re entering another services and software era. Our phones and tablets are crazy powerful and come chock full of movement and location sensors collecting data. Now we’ll see more apps taking advantage of that raw power. We take a look at Dreamworks newest family game which uses geolocation tracking on a tablet and ties into a parents phone for participation.

1 – Instragram BETA for Windows Phone vs 6Tag and Instagram on Android

instagram vs 6tag app comparison somegadgetguyNothing like a good old fashioned showdown, and this was the most shared story of the week! Instagram is finally on Windows Phone, so let’s see how the BETA app compares to the established 3rd party app 6Tag!

We’re nothing without you readers, and we certainly can’t compete against the big blogs by ourselves. We always greatly appreciate not only the likes, but the sharing on social sites like Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. The more we get to talk with other tech fans, the better we get, and soon we’ll be able to reward that participation with some fun contests coming up soon!

Thanks for reading, and if you feel we missed a big story this week, or you have a hot tip, please drop us a line on our Contact Page!

Weekend listening: Our Surface 2 Speaker Quality Test

WP_20131120_17_53_09_ProOur first Windows tablet to hit the SomeGadgetGuy Test Bench!

We never did get our hands on the first Surface, but Surface 2 is ready to go! We’ll playback some movie and music samples to see how it stacks up to phones and bluetooth speakers! The audio level for our tablet tests is normalized to compare directly with the HTC One, so listen back to that test and you’ll be able to hear how the Surface 2 stacks up!

Previous speaker tests:
HTC One
Lumia 920
JawBone JAMBOX
LG G2
Lumia 1020
HMDX Jam Classic
Galaxy S4 Active
Nokia Play 360
HTC One Mini
LG Optimus G Pro
iPhone 5S
Pantech Discover

PSA: Buy A Nokia Lumia 2520 before January 31st and get a FREE Power Keyboard (normally $150)!

Nokia-Power-Keyboard-with-Nokia-Lumia-2520It’s the season of giving, and Nokia is hooking it up for you tablet shoppers!

I recently named the Lumia 2520 the Windows RT tablet of the year, and I think it’s already a great bargain when you compare it to an iPad hardware-wise. Nokia is sweetening the pot though by throwing in a free Power Keyboard Cover! This baby sports a QWERTY keyboard and built in battery to add hours more run time to your Windows slate. Normally a $150 add on.

Just fill out this form, and you’re all set! Enjoy!

Related:
Dreamworks’ Dragons Adventure on the Lumia 2520
Lumia 2520 vs Surface 2
Lumia 2520 hands-on video

A Brief Comparison – The Nokia Lumia 2520 vs the Microsoft Surface 2

WP_20131120_12_11_21_ProThe Lumia 2520 tablet launches today!

And while I’ve already named it the Windows Tablet of the year, and we’ve put it on video, I thought I’d do a brief rundown comparison between it and Microsoft’s own solution for Windows RT the Surface 2. What follows are my personal experiences handling both tablets, and if you disagree with me, it’s most likely because you’re wrong.

Build Quality and Construction

I have to give a subtle edge to the Lumia here with the matte finish Lumias. I don’t like glossy gadgets, and the matte black 2520 has an excellent feel in the hand. There’s a grippiness to the back plate which feels great in the hand without feeling like cheap rubber or tacky plastic. You could almost describe it as satiny or velvety. The red Lumia is striking, we don’t see tablets in colors, but I don’t like fingerprint smudges.  Continue reading “A Brief Comparison – The Nokia Lumia 2520 vs the Microsoft Surface 2”