Samsung is right now leading the smartphone race, so something big certainly should come from Apple if they have plans to reach the top again. Apple is expected to bring out their next iPhone at their worldwide developer conference in June. Further evidence that this is happening comes from reports claiming that suppliers are already making the display for the so-called iPhone 5S.

While other companies have already started the manufacturing, the next gen iPhone’s LCD displays from Sharp will enter production in June. All these developments are pointing to a possible launch sometime in June or July.

The iPhone 5S is expected to run iOS 7 and come with an updated processor, a fingerprint sensor, improved cam, and more RAM, among other additions. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has earlier said that the device will take time to arrive due to delays in development of the fingerprint sensor and their next OS.

Meanwhile, the rumored low cost iPhone, which is expected to be unveiled beside the iPhone 5S, could enter mass production sometime in the near future. This has been suggested by a new rumor about Apple supplier Pegatron’s plans to increase its workforce in China by 40 percent in the second half of 2013.

As for their upcoming iPad Mini 2, it is expected to arrive with a high resolution Retina Display, which could delay the manufacturing of the device.

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When modern tablets first started surfacing, they were generally of the 10-inch variety and a demanded a pretty substantial price to take em’ home. Things change quickly, don’t they? Nowadays, 7-inch tablets like the Google Nexus 7 can be yours for as little as $200.

But what if you want more screen real-estate, without paying more of your hard earned cash? That’s where the Cube U35GT could come in.

We’ll be upfront here and say that the Cube is a Chinese branded tablet, and that means you probably won’t get the same build quality as you might expect from more commonplace brands. It is also aesthetically a clone of Apple’s iPad Mini.

What the tablet lacks in originality of design, it somewhat makes up for with its 7.9-inch display with a resolution of 1024×768. Areas where the U35GT ones-up devices like the Nexus are the addition of microSD, a 2MP rear cam, and VGA front cam. The tablet is powered by an ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core processor. Other specs include 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, WiFi, mini-HDMI, stereo speakers and a battery that gets about six hours of usage. The tablet also features Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Unfortunately, the U35GT also has some very big weaknesses like a lack of Bluetooth and GPS support. Still, at $187.82, it could be a perfect device for those that need a bigger display budget tablet that still packs a fair amount of punch for gaming, entertainment and other apps.

For those that want and need GPS, Bluetooth, the latest OS updates, and a more reliable brand – you are probably better off with the Nexus or perhaps Apple’s iPad Mini. What do you think of the Cube U35GT, would you consider it or not?

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We have been seeing a lot of good deals from Barnes and Noble recently, and now an even better one. They are currently offering both the Nook HD and the HD+ at discount rates through Mother’s Day on May 12.

You can now get the 8GB Nook HD for $149 and the 16GB version costs $179 (a $50 discount). The 9-inch 16GB HD+ will be yours for $179 (down from $269) and the 32GB model for $209 (drop from $299). The devices are available online at Barnes & Noble bookstores and on Nook.com, and at retailers including Best Buy.

The Nook tablets have suddenly become more appealing with this price drop, and also the slates now support Google Play (so access to more than 700,000 apps and games. That’s a big advantage over the Amazon Kindle Fire devices. At Amazon, the entry-level Kindle Fire has a price tag of $159, the 16GB Fire HD costs $199 and the 32GB 8.9-inch Fire HD tablet is available for $299.

As for other rivals, the Google Nexus 7 starts at $199 and Nexus 10 retails from $399. The Mac maker’s iPad mini starts at $329. Bottom-line, for the hardware, the Nook HD and HD+ are nothing less than a steal at their reduced pricing. What do you think, are you interested?

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If waiting for great deals on gadgets is the way you roll and if you are fond of doing a lot of shopping at Walmart, then you will be glad to hear about this new deal. They are offering a $70 e-gift card when you get a Nook HD+ tablet from Barnes & Noble.

Both the 16GB and 32GB models, which cost $269 and $299 respectively, are available. So if you are someone who frequently shops at Walmart, then the offer is giving you a chance to truly pay $199 or $229 for an impressive 8.9-inch tablet with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor (when you factor in the $70 card). Indeed it’s a great deal especially when we think about the 8-inch, lower-resolution iPad Mini starting at $329.

So, are you interested in the deal? It’s a great deal and a great tablet. If you are still not moved, maybe you probably went for the earlier deal. And certainly there is the possibility that all these Nook-related deals are pointing towards the arrival of new devices from Barnes & Noble. We will let you know when something new comes up. In the meantime, you can check out the Walmart product page here if you want to get in on the deal.

The post Barnes & Noble 16GB Nook HD+ Tablet for $199, Well Sort Of appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Game D is being designed to work with the Apple iPad mini, providing it with real console-style controls in a pretty sleek looking package.

The Game D, which is just a working name and will likely change before the final retail offering, is super slim like the Logitech Ultraslim Keyboard for iPad mini, but it discards the QWERTY in favor of a PlayStation-style D-pad and four face buttons, along with the start and select buttons.

Presumably communicating over Bluetooth, the iPad mini can be docked into the Game D one of three ways. First, it can attach magnetically so that the two devices are in line, offering an experience similar to a really big DS or PSP.

Second, there is a keyboard-style slot toward the back of the Game D where you can place the iPad mini in landscape mode on an angle, not unlike how you’d use a Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad. And third, you can use that same slot to put your iPad mini in portrait mode.

Developer Techdy is currently seeking some crowdsourced funding for the project. Pledge a minimum of $39 to secure your own Game D or upgrade to a $59 pledge for the Pro version that comes with backlit keys, vibration feedback and two analog gamepads. The crowdfunding goal is set for $500,000 with a deadline of May 12.

What do you think, could you see yourself getting a “Game D” controller or perhaps there is another iPad Mini gaming controller that has your fancy? Let us know in the comments below!

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It’s no secret that I have fallen out of love with the iPhone and am very much an Android phone user, but for tablets I still can’t get enough of the iPad Mini. It’s small, fast, has very little bezel and just outperforms anything else in its class, but perhaps not for long.

Google and Asus are preparing a new version of the Nexus 7 and are rumoured to be taking a few styling and feature cues from Apple’s tiny iOS tablet. The new Nexus 7, which could go on sale as early as July, is reported to offer a larger screen but with less bezel than the current Nexus tablet.

Further reports claim that a higher resolution display will be in place on the new Nexus 7 along with a faster processor and more RAM. I don’t know about you guy’s but if Google and Asus throw in a decent rear camera and Android Key Lime I’ll be sorely tempted to ditch the iPad Mini.

What do you think of the current Android tablets out there on the market? How to their compare to their rivals in the Windows and iOS world?

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Apple is famous for its products but the Mac maker is equally famous for its trademark issues. You might not have forgotten the company’s secret moves to acquire the iPad trademark and their eventual payment of $60 million. Now they are having trouble with ‘iPad Mini’.

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied Apple’s application for a trademark on ‘iPad mini’. According to the USPTO, “The term “MINI” in the applied for mark is also descriptive of a feature of applicant’s product. Specifically, the attached evidence shows this wording means “something that is distinctively smaller than other members of its type or class”. It means that even a company as big as Apple can’t patent words.

And it appears like the USPTO is against the name ‘iPad’ as well, since the ‘i’ stands for internet, and therefore also descriptive. They are saying, “When a mark consists of this prefix coupled with a descriptive word or term for Internet-related goods and/or services, then the entire mark may be considered merely descriptive”. But iPad is a registered trademark of Apple in the US.

Now, if Apple plans to get ‘iPad Mini’ they can only do it by proving to the USPTO that the name is descriptive of the entire device and not a smaller iPad. But that might be difficult to do as, according to Apple, the iPad Mini is “Every inch an iPad”, only smaller.

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Apple has now created a new iPad page highlighting the features of both the iPad and iPad mini on their website. The new page is much like the iPhone page they launched earlier this month and points out everything that is ‘great’ about the iOS tablets.

Obviously it’s just Apple marketing going in to high gear in order to better fight off growth from competing tablets, particularly Android devices. The page is actually quite informative and gives you all the best bits of the iPad on one continuous page. Other areas on the Apple site have you navigation from page to page to get the full story.

Apple is obviously feeling the pressure from Android devices, and hopes that this new targeted campaign will be enough to keep people in their camp. What do you think of their recent iPhone/iPad campaign, does it smell of desperation or do you agree that the iPhone and iPad are the best consumer smartphone and tablet options on the market right now?

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At present, there are many 7 inch Androids tablets out there for customers to choose from such as the Nexus 7, the HP Slate 7, or devices from Acer, Asus, Lenovo and countless others. Being highly portable and offering lower price tags, smaller Android tablets are becoming quite popular. And now, it appears like these new tablets will be overtaking the iPad in quarterly market share, according to estimates by Sameer Singh at Tech Thoughts.

Data suggests that 57% of the market will be taken by Android tablets while iPad will take 40% by the end of Q1. These predictions are mostly based on tablet display shipments. Of course we can’t say that these figures will be completely accurate, but analysis of the supply chain sometimes does tell us what is coming especially in the near future.

According to available data, compared to the shipments of the iPad Mini and the full-sized iPad, the shipments of 7-inch Android tablets are on the rise which might be suggesting an increasing demand for cheaper 7 inchers. Although 10-inch tablets are still popular, they don’t seem to be growing at the same rate as 7-inchers, both running Android or even Apple’s own iPad Mini. In fact the iPad Mini is also affecting the sales of the 9.7-inch iPad.

Will 7-inch Android tablets overcome Apple’s iPad in the tablet market soon, or will these predictions prove wrong? We will have to wait and see. In the meantime, you can share your thoughts on the matter.

Do you prefer iOS, Android, or maybe even Windows on a tablet? What size of display, 7 to 8 inches or 9 inches plus?

The post Look Out iPad, 7-Inch Android Tablet Market Continues to Grow appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The iPad Mini is the tablet Apple should have made all along. It’s thin, sleek, easy to hold, powerful and most importantly of all makes the regular iPad feel old fashioned and cumbersome!

With this in mind it comes as no surprise to us that purported iPad 5 cases suggest that the next generation 9.7-inch Apple tablet could feature an iPad Mini inspired design. The leaks from from case manufacturer MiniSuit, who have released a photo of the iPad mini case and current iPad 4 case along side the alleged iPad 5′s.

From the photos we can also see that the iPad 5 appears much narrower than the current iPad, possibly due to a thinner bezel, seems to have the same Lightning connector port and speaker placement as the iPad Mini and iPhone 5, and the hole at towards the top of the case could suggest a rear facing microphone.

With the iPad 5 launch not expected until Q3, we have plenty of time to see more leaks, which will either confirm or deny the redesign.

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