Day: March 31, 2015

Earlier this month, we heard that China-based Xiaomi is about to commemorate its 5th birthday (which happens to be today, by the way) with a new device announcement, and it turns out that this is indeed the case. The so-called “Apple of China” just lifted the veil off of its newest device, the Redmi 2A, a toned-down variation of the recently-announced Redmi 2,which proudly joins the ranks of the affordable members of Xiaomi’s entry-level range with its ultra-low starting price of 599 yuan (which is roughly $96). Well, we shouldn’t expect stellar hardware or any unique features for this price. Honestly, the price tag itself is a pretty notable aspect of the phone. In particular, the device is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Leadcore L1860C chipset, paired with 1GB of RAM, while a Mali T628MP2 GPU takes care of graphics.
It has a 4.7-inch 720p display at the front, an 8MP camera at the back, and a 2MP selfie shooter. A 2,200mAh battery keeps the lights one; the Xiaomi Redmi 2A is also LTE-capable and has two SIM card slots on board. Note that the phone is also equipped with fast-charging.As we said, the device will be available fort 599 yuan, but Xiaomi will undertake a promotion on April 8 and will sell the device for 499 yuan (roughly $80). Availability will most certainly be limited to the markets that are currently selling Xiaomi’s devices on a regular basis. via phonearena.com

Microsoft is adding a new Surface table to their arsenal. In an attempt to capture the attention of students, families, or anyone not enamored with the Surface Pro 3’s $799 starting price, Microsoft has the Surface 3 (non-Pro). Starting at $499, the device sports a 64-bit Intel Atom x7 Cherry Trail quad-core SoC, sports 2GB RAM, and 32GB memory on-board. The Surface 3 will ship with Windows 8.1, but is upgradeable to Windows 10 once that version is available. Expect to see Surface 3 in stores this May 5. It’s available for pre-order starting today. Aside from the aforementioned specs, the Surface 3 has a 1920 x 1280 resolution 10.8-inch display, which has a 3:2 aspect ratio. On launch, the WiFi version will be available. Later this year, Microsoft will have an LTE-ready version available via T-Mobile and Verizon, though no date or timeframe was given for that one.At 622g (1.37 pounds), it’s the lightest Surface tablet Microsoft has ever made. The 8.7mm profile rivals other larger tablets, and you’ll still be able to slip Microsoft’s impressive keyboard on the bottom. Surface 3 naturally supports Microsoft’s stylus, but it won’t be included with your purchase. Mini DisplayPort and USB 3.0 will serve as your main plug-and-play ports, while microUSB is around for charging (it seems Microsoft isn’t quite ready to hop on the USB-C bandwagon). A microSD card reader is also included, while an 8MP camera is housed around back.There are a lot of unanswered questions with Surface 3; things like battery life or how well the odd screen size works with Microsoft’s Surface keyboard folios can be answered in a review. Once we’ve got one in-hand for a longer duration, we’ll be sure to answer those for you. via slashgear.com