Microsoft: No more Windows 10 upgrades for some Atom-based PCs

Posted on 20/07/2017 by Engadget RSS Feed

Everyone knows that technology goes obsolete quickly, but Microsoft and Intel are taking that tenet too far for some folks. Owners of three- to four-year-old "Clover Trail" Atom-based PCs like the HP Envy X2 laptop noticed that they were unable to up...

Intel-powered ZTE Geek arrives in China on July 25th

Posted on 12/07/2013 by Mariella Moon

When we first caught a glimpse of the ZTE Geek in Beijing, it was merely an awkwardly named prototype. Now, it looks like the smartphone with "Intel Inside" will soon be ready for primetime -- in China, anyway. It boasts the same Clover Trail+ processor as the Lenovo K900, but with pared-down features that help it achieve a lower price point. The phone's outfitted with Android (Jelly Bean), a 5-inch 1,080 x 720 pixel display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1-megapixel front cam, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage space. Clearly, it's not the most tricked-out phone there is, but its price might entice people to try it out. The ZTE Geek will make an exclusive arrival at Jingdong Mall on July 25th, where it'll retail for ¥1,888 ($307). If you despise cables and your wallet can take a hit, you can also get one bundled with a wireless charging kit for ¥2,288 ($372).

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: ZTE (Sina Weibo)

Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab will have Intel inside, says Reuters

Posted on 31/05/2013 by Sharif Sakr

This particular rumor has been swirling for a while already, but Reuters says its own sources are now backing it up: Samsung will switch from an ARM-based design and use Intel as the supplier of the processor inside at least one version of its next 10-inch slate, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. Word is that Samsung will run Android off Intel's latest x86 Atom architecture, Clover Trail+, which we've so far seen in just a handful of Android smartphones including the Lenovo K900 and ZTE Geek.

By way of corroboration, Korea Times is reporting the exact same Galaxy Tab 3 rumor and has also quoted an anonymous Intel employee who claimed that the number of Atom engineers based in Korea has ballooned from six last year to as many as 50 personnel today. They're said to be working on "Samsung-related projects with a mission to customize circuits for adaptation in Samsung products" -- which certainly doesn't sound like typical Intel behavior. Korea Times specifically says that Samsung is looking to reduce its reliance on the tricky supply of its own ARM-based Exynos processors, while Intel is offering the Korean giant good prices and cooperation in order to build its mobile market share. This all tallies with the idea of Atom coming to some high volume Android products -- and it's very possible that we'll see proof of that at Computex next week.

Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung, Intel

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Via: Android Beat

Source: Korea Times, Reuters

ZTE Geek unveiled with 2GHz Intel Clover Trail+ and a terrible name (video)

Posted on 10/04/2013 by Richard Lai

Oh ZTE you cheeky monkey. Towards the end of day one at IDF in Beijing, we stumbled upon this awkwardly titled Android Jelly Bean phone that is the Geek at ZTE's booth. Needless to say, this is yet another phone powered by an Intel processor -- a 2GHz Clover Trail+ Atom to be exact, which is what Lenovo's K900 also has. The rest of the device isn't too shabby, either: you get a nice 5-inch 720p display with Gorilla Glass, along with an 8-megapixel main camera, a 1-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB of storage space, 1GB of RAM, 2,300mAh battery and wireless charging. Radio-wise we see UMTS 900/2100 courtesy of Intel's XMM 6260 chip, and there's also the usual lot of 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and GPS.

Design-wise the Geek takes a huge step away from the Grand X IN and shares a similarly clean look with the Grand S, but without the black eye around the main camera. This particular unit had a glossy white finish as well, but we'd prefer a matte finish for a more premium feel. Since ZTE admitted that it had to rush this prototype for exhibition at IDF, we'll come back to the build quality once we see a final retail unit. Until then, check out our hands-on video and the press release after the break.

Gallery: ZTE Geek hands-on

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Intel launches dual-core Clover Trail+ mobile Atom processors

Posted on 25/02/2013 by Steve Dent

Intel teased a dual-core Clover Trail+ earlier this year at CES 2013, and now it's revealed the rest of the story on the new Atom-based mobile processors at MWC 2013 in Barcelona. While based on the same 32nm architecture of the previous Medfield generation, the new Z2580, Z2560 and Z2520 chips will pack dual 2.0GHz, 1.6GHz and 1.2Ghz CPU cores, respectively, along with two PowerVR SGX 544 GPU cores. That should make the new chip a lot more competitive than the previous generation, performance-wise, though battery life may suffer next to 28nm chips from the likes of Qualcomm. Still, Intel says that the new chips will burn less juice at idle than Medfield, meaning cell life could vary widely depending on usage.

On the radio side, Intel's at last bringing support for 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ along with 11.5 Mbps HSUPA cat 7 with its XMM 6360 silicon, but there'll still be no multimode (on-chip) LTE support for now. However, it also launched its new XMM 7160 radio as a separate chip, supporting 15 LTE bands along with HSPA+ and saying that it'll appear on its upcoming 22nm SoC chips -- which the company said were on track to arrive by the end of the year. Finally, Intel flaunted a new Clover Trail+ reference design, featuring a Z2580 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a max 256GB(!) of NAND, WUXGA support (1,920 x 1,200) and a rear 16-megapixel camera. Hopefully, there'll be a large battery to go along with all that -- check the PR after the break for more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Intel

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Via: Ananadtech

Lenovo K900 is the first Intel Clover Trail+ phone, boasts 5.5-inch 1080p screen and 13MP cam (hands-on)

Posted on 09/01/2013 by Richard Lai

Much like how Lenovo's K800 was unveiled as the first Intel Medfield phone last CES, this year the manufacturer pulled another first with the K900, powered by Intel's recently-announced Clover Trail+ platform (likely an Atom Z2580 clocked at 2GHz). For those who missed the Intel keynote, Clover Trail+ is the much improved yet still secretive successor to the relatively quiet Medfield, though it is odd that Lenovo only says "the forthcoming Intel Atom processor platform for smartphones" instead of just "Clover Trail+" in the press release.

Anyhow, said Android device comes with many mouth-watering features: 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display, Gorilla Glass 2, 13-megapixel F1.8 camera with dual flash, and a front-facing imager with an 88-degree super wide viewing angle. 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage add to the package. As with many Lenovo phones, there will also be three capacitive touch buttons below the screen. All of this goodness comes in a handsome 6.9mm-thick body that consists of stainless steel alloy plus polycarbonate, and together they weigh just 162g. Little else has been unveiled about the K900 so far, but it'll be available in China from April.

Update: We've just gotten up close and personal with the Lenovo K900 and it's certainly an impressive piece of kit. This 5.5-inch 1080p device touts a low magnetic property steel in combination with polycarbonate to offer users lavish style without compromising on antenna reception. Depending on the model -- four colors in all -- users will be treated to a striped brushing or, in the case of the Diamond Plate model, a very reflective gem-like design on back. For more of these first impressions of Lenovo's K900, follow on after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo K900 hands-on

Gallery: Lenovo K900 is the first Intel Clover Trail+ phone, boasts 5.5-inch 1080p screen and 13MP cam

Joseph Volpe, Ben Gilbert and Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Lenovo K900 is the first Intel Clover Trail+ phone, boasts 5.5-inch 1080p screen and 13MP cam (hands-on)

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Intel teases Clover Trail+ with the Atom Z2580

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Steve Dent

Intel's not saying too much about it yet, but it just announced the Atom Z2580 at its CES 2013 live event, the first processor of the upcoming Clover Trail+ family. Details are scarce at this point, but the chip-maker said it would enhance the current Clover Trail family with better performance and battery life. We should have more skinny on it soon, but anything that can keep our Atom-powered Windows tablets and devices kicking along for longer than they do now has got to be a good thing.

Filed under: Tablets, Intel

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Acer’s Windows 8-based Iconia W510 tablet hits the FCC, ready for November launch

Posted on 12/10/2012 by Nicole Lee

Now that we've taken a look at the Acer Iconia W510, it's heartening to see it finally hit the FCC. The documentation doesn't tell us much we don't already know about the Windows 8 tablet, though it's interesting to note it packs a 7300mAh battery, which will hopefully lead to that promised nine-hour battery life. As a quick refresher, the W510 packs a Clover Trail-based Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, a 10.1-inch display, and will cost roughly $500 for the 32GB SSD model. The timing of the FCC listing does seem to point to Acer actually hitting that November 9th launch date, so keep your ~~fingers~~ tiles crossed.

Filed under: Tablets, Acer

Acer's Windows 8-based Iconia W510 tablet hits the FCC, ready for November launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx: an 11.6-inch Windows 8 hybrid arriving in December for $600 and up

Posted on 09/10/2012 by Dana Wollman

With a couple exceptions, we hadn't heard much about Lenovo's Windows 8 plans until now. Okay, it teased the IdeaPad Yoga back at CES, and recently unveiled the business-friendly ThinkPad Tablet 2. But surely the company wasn't going to stop there, right? Hardly. Lenovo just announced the IdeaTab Lynx, an 11.6-inch laptop / tablet hybrid aimed at mainstream consumers. Like so many other products with this form factor, it runs a dual-core, Clovertrail-based Atom processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and either 32 or 64GB of solid-state storage, depending on the configuration you choose. Unsurprisingly, the detachable keyboard dock has a built-in 6,800mAh battery of its own, which promises to double the tablet's runtime from eight hours to 16. In this case, though, the machine benefits from Lenovo's keyboard know-how, so as small as the 1.45-pound dock is, it still offers an AccuType layout similar to what you'd find on Lenovo's bigger notebooks.

Detach the tablet from its dock and you have a 1.4-pound tablet that measures 9.45mm thick. That 11.6-inch, 400-nit screen is of IPS caliber, so the viewing angles should be decent if you attempt to use it outdoors or watch movies from an odd angle (say, with the screen dipped forward on an airplane tray). Poke around the device and you'll find micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports, along with a microSD slot for external storage. It also has a 2-megapixel webcam up front for video chatting, though interestingly, there's no camera module on the back side. The dock, meanwhile, adds two full-sized USB 2.0 ports. According to Lenovo, the Lynx will be available in December, starting at $600 for the standalone tablet. (The keyboard dock will be a $150 add-on.) Until then, we've got some early hands-on photos below, along with the usual spate of press shots.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx hands-on

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx: an 11.6-inch Windows 8 hybrid arriving in December for $600 and up

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx: an 11.6-inch Windows 8 hybrid arriving in December for $600 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Iconia W510 preview: as Acer moves into the Windows 8 era, it returns to its netbook roots

Posted on 09/10/2012 by Dana Wollman

Acer Iconia W510 preview

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Here it is, folks: our first Windows 8 device. No, not the first we've laid hands on, but the first built-for-Win-8 PC that we've been able to take home and spend some quality time with. If you don't remember today's specimen, you'd be forgiven: the Acer Iconia W510 is one of many, many tablet / laptop hybrids that have debuted over the past few months. Plus, this isn't even the highest-end Windows 8 PC Acer has to offer: unlike the W700, which has a 1080p screen and Ultrabook guts, the W510 runs off a Clover Trail-based Atom processor, and has a smaller 10.1-inch (1,366 x 768) display.

Accordingly, the price is also lower: the W510 will start at $500 for the tablet only, though you'll also be able to purchase it with the detachable keyboard dock for $750. (And if the dock really does double the battery life to 18 hours, you might want to.) Though the W510 won't be available for a few weeks yet -- it goes on sale November 9th -- we've gotten a hold of an early unit. An important note: the model we tested was pre-production, so we'll hold off on benchmarking for now and update our story with performance scores and a review card once we have the chance to test a final unit. In the meantime, if you're looking for a deeper dive on the hardware, you've come to the right place.

Gallery: Acer Iconia W510 preview