Rumor: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Expanding to 5.5 Inches

While Android fans continue to debate whether the Samsung Galaxy Note is a big smartphone or a small tablet, the manufacturer appears ready to go in an even bigger (though not necessarily better) direction.

TechCrunch is reporting that a sequel to the Galaxy Note will be announced in Germany at the IFA 2012 trade show next month, and the display will take another step toward tablet size by expanding from 5.3 inches to 5.5 inches.

According to the Korean MK Business News, the improvements to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 don't end there -- the handset is also expected to get juiced with a quad-core processor (most likely Sammy's own Exynos 4) and either a 12 or 13 megapixel rear camera, which would be a nice improvement to the existing model's mere eight megapixels.

And yes, the Galaxy Note 2 should come out of the box with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, although it's likely you'll even recognize it once Samsung applies their own UI touches to the software.

The real question is, what kind of super sized mortal will be able to hold a 5.5-inch smartphone in their hands -- and why would they want to when a fine seven-inch tablet like the Nexus 7 will soon be available?

Thankfully, we won't have long to find out, since IFA 2012 kicks off in August.

Source : ign[dot]com

Rumored 7” iPad Expected Later This Fall

According to two separate reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to release a smaller iPad, with a screen between 7-8”. The tablet would directly compete with recently announced and expected tablets such as the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire 2. Apple currently holds 61.4% of the tablet market with the company’s 9.7” iPad models, according to Gartner.

Bloomberg expects this new iPad model to be announced in October, to release the following March (the same time Apple releases new iPads annually). This is telling, as Apple typically doesn't announce new products so far in advance of release.

• Why Apple Shouldn't Make an iPad Mini

Pricing is still unknown, but analysts expect this smaller iPad to rival competitors pricing, though it would likely be slightly more expensive than the competition. The reports also indicate that the display will have a significantly lower resolution than the Retina display on the iPad.

Some reports suggest the smaller iPad will contain a 16:9 widescreen display instead of the current 4:3 on the iPad, with a lower resolution of 720p. This configuration would make it a prime competitor against other 7” tablets, but require developers to completely re-work previous iPad apps.

These reports may still prove false. The 7-inch tablet business has seen few victors, besides Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which subsidizes the low price for exclusive content available through the company’s Amazon Prime service. The Nexus 7 will likely prove to be another hot seller.

This isn’t the first time such reports have surfaced, but it is the first time two very similar reports have been released simultaneously from two completely different sources. We will continue to report on this as more information becomes available.

What do you think about a 7” iPad? Would you buy one, or get one over the current iPad? Or is it all fake?

Source : ign[dot]com

Google I/O - Live on IGN!

From Android 4.1 - Key Lime Pie to a rumored Nexus Tablet, this year's Google I/O promises to be packed with exciting announcements and possibilities. But what will they show and what will be absent? Find out at 9:30AM PST where we'll be streaming the conference live!

Source : ign[dot]com

Has Nintendo Redesigned Wii U’s Controller?

A new photo indicates that Nintendo has redesigned the controller for Wii U. In a photo tweeted by a QA tester at Telltale Games, Wii U’s tablet controller appears to have proper analog sticks in place of the sliders shown during E3 2011.

Wii U's new controller, as tweeted by a Telltale Games employee.

Comparing the image to the controller shown last year, it also appears that Nintendo has relocated the plus and minus buttons to the right side of the tablet and centered the microphone. A Wii U logo has also been added to the bottom left.

The Wii U controller shown at E3 2011.

The initial controller model was met with a bit of criticism for not including proper analog sticks, a topic that we wrote about during last year's show. While it appears Nintendo was listening, keep in mind that the image shown by the Telltale employee is likely a development unit and doesn’t necessarily indicate what we’ll see in the final retail controller.

Nintendo has confirmed in the past that we’ll see Wii U in “final form” at E3 2012, and with just over two weeks to go until the show, you can expect many more details to come very soon.

Do you prefer the new Wii U controller design? Let us know in the comments below.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/19/has-nintendo-resdesigned-wii-us-controller