8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 pictured with leaked specifications in tow

It looks as though Samsung has plans to expand its new Galaxy Tab 3 range with new sizes, as a leak from SamMobile shows, with images and specifications of an 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3 surfacing.

Samsung launched the first model in the Galaxy Tab 3 range in the form of a 7-inch tablet, so we’re not quite sure why it will also reveal an 8-incher – the size difference in the display will be so minimal that surely there’s no point?

Nevertheless, the tablet will rock the same white finish and curvy design as its 7-inch counterpart, with an 8-inch TFT display being the focal point, offering a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It’ll also run the very latest version of Android out of the box, version 4.2.2 Jelly Bean – that is until Google launches Android 4.3.3 next month.

Inside the new 8-inch tablet will be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor along with 1.5GB of RAM, the latter of which we’re rather dubious about – it’s usually a 1GB or 2GB affair, not something in the middle. There’s also 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded using the micro SD card slot by up to 64GB.

Dual cameras are present, with a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3 megapixel sensor on the front for video calling.

Samsung will pack in a host of the latest connectivity options including Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, GPS and 3G, which will be available in a 3G + Wi-Fi model. A 4,450 mAh battery will power the whole thing, although we’re not sure what sort of battery life we’ll be able to expect from it.

SamMobile tells us we can expect the 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3 to launch officially in June. We can only assume that the odd decision to launch an 8-inch model when you already have a 7-inch model is down to Apple’s 8-inch iPad Mini – Samsung wants a slice of that market.

Source: Gadget Helpline

Hot Deal: Motorola RAZR i for £159.99 at EE stores

Through scouring the interwebs for the latest gadget news we occasionally come across a gadget bargain that’s too good not to share. Today’s deal is the excellent Motorola RAZR i for £159.99 from EE stores.

The network is currently selling the Intel-powered Android handset on pay as you go for this crazy price, provided you also get a £10 top-up. The deal only looks to be available in EE stores and not online, but the saving – regular price is £299 – is surely worth a trip to the shops.

Motorola’s RAZR i is the company’s first smartphone to use an Intel processor, which is clocked at a speedy 2GHz. The phone runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) but is currently in queue to receive the Jelly Bean update from Moto. There’s also dual cameras – 8MP on the back, VGA on the front – plus 8GB of expandable internal memory.

You’ve also got an excellent quality display that runs right to the edges of the phone, whilst the handset itself is pretty compact and very well-made – we love the rubberised carbon weave effect on the back.

If you’re put off by the huge smartphones from Sony, HTC and Samsung of late, the sleek, fast and compact RAZR i is an absolute steal at this price.

Source: Gadget Helpline

BBM for iOS: BlackBerry won’t bring Messenger to iPad…yet

The news of BlackBerry’s BBM coming to Android and iOS got most of us hot under the collar earlier this week, but there’s bad news for tablet fans hoping to use the app.

BlackBerry has confirmed that its BBM app will not be coming to the iPad when it launches on iOS and Android over the summer. The company will be focussing on phones to begin with and showed an iPhone 4S and Nexus 4 as examples during the keynote at BlackBerry Live, Florida.

The app will however be available on iPod Touch, which we’re sure will help make it a hit with the younger generation. Little ones seem to love the iPod Touch and BlackBerry combination we’ve noticed, so it’s likely that the app will prove popular. BBM will go up against the established and very popular WhatsApp, but with the iPod Touch it could have an edge – WhatsApp will only work on the iPod Touch when linked with a separate mobile number and usually after doing a workaround.

See also: Budget BlackBerry Q5 QWERTY smartphone launched in red, white, black and pink

Speaking to Trusted Reviews at BlackBerry Live, Vivek Bhardwaj, head of BlackBerry software said; “Smartphone is our real focus and again it comes back to what BBM is. If you like BBM and the engagement and the activity, it’s because it is mobile, because people are on the go.”

Whilst it seems the company’s key focus for the foreseeable future is on smartphones, Vivek didn’t rule out the possibility of an iPad or desktop version; “When you start looking at tablets, computers and other screens, the usage model changes and behaviour changes,” Bhardwaj said. “For us right now the absolute focus is getting BBM on to smartphones.”

BBM for iOS and Android launches this summer.

Source: Gadget Helpline