As per usual, we're quickly approaching the release of several high-end and highly-anticipated mobile devices. With two of the year's biggest trade shows behind us, one in the week ahead and several, smaller announcement events (like the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event yesterday), there are a ton of different devices that have been unveiled but have yet to released. And there are many that are speculated to release in the near future, but we've had no official word on yet.
Almost always, I am looking ahead, trying to figure out which devices I will buy next long before they ever release. And May always seems to be the prime time for expectations to begin to soar in anticipation. I already have my eyes set on a couple devices, and am keeping an eye out for up-and-coming phones and tabs. Here are the top five gadgets I'm looking forward to the most:
1. HTC One X (AT&T)
HTC's second coming is signified by their new One series that was announced back at Mobile World Congress. They announced three devices: One X, One S and One V. Of the three, the HTC One X is their flagship, touting some monster specifications. The quad-core global version is already available, but the U.S. version is on its way.
What does it entail, exactly? A 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD2 display, LTE connectivity, 16GB built-in storage (no micrSD card slot), an 8-megapixel rear camera with ImageSense technology and ImageChip, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 chipset and an 1,800mAh battery. It also comes with Android 4.0 beneath the updated and much more lightweight Sense 4.
The One X will be available on AT&T this Sunday for $199.99 with a two-year agreement. And its next-of-kin, the HTC EVO 4G LTE which adds a microSD card slot and a kickstand, will also be available on Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year agreement later this month. Pre-orders for it begin Monday.
2. ASUS/Google Nexus tablet
There have been countless rumors about a $200 (possibly $150) Nexus tablet circling the Web for some time now. And we learned back in March that the selected partner manufacturer may just be ASUS. It's all just hearsay right now, but I have a feeling the sources may be right on this one – even if the partner manufacturer is wrong. (For what it's worth, I don't think it is.)
Considering the nature of the rumor, details are still pretty scarce. The earliest point to the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor to power this budget-friendly slab, and it will allegedly come with a 7-inch display, pitting it against the (questionably) popular Kindle Fire. More recent word, however, says the $199 Tegra 3 Nexus tablet has been canceled for a cheaper one without a Tegra 3. Either way, it's ASUS, it's pure Android and it's cheap. Take my money!
It's hard to say exactly what to expect, or when to expect it. Either way, I'm excited for the first Nexus tablet, especially if ASUS is the maker.
3. The next iPhone
As per usual, Apple's next iPhone always ranks on lists like these. Rumors traverse the Internet, along with bizarre, outlandish concepts and expectations soar. Of all the upcoming devices, the next iPhone is the one we know the least about. Usually, we could judge a few things on Apple tradition. But in almost every way, Apple has broken all of their customs with their most recent releases. Instead of calling the third-generation tablet the iPad 3 (like everyone assumed and some still refer to it as), they named it simply the new iPad. And instead of launching the current iPhone, the iPhone 4S, in the summer months, they pushed it back to October.
Rumors say the upcoming iPhone model will feature a larger display, a redesigned body and a thinner profile. Some say it will launch in the summer, like every other iPhone (except the 4S, of course), and others say it's slated for the fall again. All these conflicting rumors tell us one thing: we really don't know anything about it. We don't even know what it will be called. But that's what makes it so alluring and intriguing.
Whatever it may really be and whenever it may release, rest assured, Android fans will hate it and Apple loyalists will go nuts.
4. Samsung Galaxy S III
Yesterday, Samsung unveiled its latest device, the successor to the most popular smartphone line in the world, the Samsung Galaxy S III. Instead of a day filled with "oohs" and "aahs", though, the Galaxy S III announcement garnered a lot of mixed feelings from a lot of people. It strongly resembles the Galaxy Nexus, which launched in November 2011 and recently on Sprint, but has more rounded corners and capacitive buttons instead of on-screen. However, it was rumored to come made of a different material – something other than Samsung's typical, cheap plastic, like ceramic or brushed aluminum. However, it is simply made of the same plastic, just painted differently.
Like I said, it was a victim of wild rumors.
In the end, the issue people have with the Galaxy S III is not the device's specifications. It's packing quite the beefy spec sheet: a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor (an unnamed chip for the LTE version in the U.S.), a 4.8-inch 720p HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera with software enhancements, 16GB or 32GB (64GB is in the works) of built-in memory, microSD card slot, and a 2,100mAh removable battery.
While looks aren't this device's high point, it's still one powerful smartphone. And it ups the ante for all other manufacturers. It will launch in Europe beginning on May 29 and other markets shortly thereafter. The U.S. is expected to get the Galaxy S III this summer, though no carriers have been named specifically. Sprint is believed to be among the first to get it, however. Here's to hoping the U.S. versions look a little better, no?
5. ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity
Last and certainly not least is ASUSTek's forthcoming tablet. Also announced at Mobile World Congress, the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity is part of the third-generation of Transformer tablets. The Transformer Pad Infinity is almost identical to the current Transformer Eee Pad Prime TF201T. The differences are a WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200 pixels) display and an update chassis with plastic covering the Wi-Fi instead of the signal-dumbing metal found on the Prime.
Currently, I own the Transformer Prime, and it's easily one of the best tablets I've used to date. I only have two complains. After using the new iPad, the display on the Prime is, more or less, lackluster (though still extremely bright). And Wi-Fi reception is absolutely horrible. I most certainly plan on picking up the Transformer Pad Infinity once it's available.
The Transformer Pad Infinity is expected to release June 10. But if you are impatient and can't wait another month, its cheaper sibling, the Transformer Pad 300, is already available, starting at $399.99.
Image via Pocket-lint
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