Samsung reportedly launching new 8-inch tablet in June, Galaxy S 4 Active in July

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Samsung Gulf president Young Soo Kim reportedly made casual mention of an upcoming rugged take on the Galaxy S 4 at a press event earlier in the week, but left out any details. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim to know more of the story, and it sounds like the toughened phone won't be alone this summer. The Galaxy S 4 Active, as it's rumored to be called, would arrive in July and carry the dust- and waterproofing of spiritual predecessors like the Galaxy Xcover 2 while maintaining the GS 4's design language. A smaller, 4.3-inch parallel to the GS 4 would appear at the same time -- Galaxy S 4 Mini, anyone? The same tipsters also expect the release of a new 8-inch "Galaxy-line tablet" in June, which suggests the Galaxy Note 8.0 may get a regular Tab counterpart. We wouldn't base our buying strategies around the rumors when Samsung hasn't said anything that's truly on the record, but it might be wise to hold off if you're not in a rush.

Intel Teases Potential Android Notebooks Priced at Only $200

What you see in the image below is the Samsung Ativ PC, that could sell for as little as $200 once it’s available with an Intel CPU and Android on board. Dadi Perlmutter, Intel Chief Product Officer recently spoke to CNET ad said that Intel Core devices may drop prices soon.

Notebooks are expected to reach $200 and we’re talking about Android models, not Windows 8 units here. It’s interesting to hear that about Android as well, after yet another Intel official said last week that we should expect $200 Intel-based Windows 8 tablets in the future. The Intel Atom CPU will power such cheap devices and Android has the advantage of being available out in the open, while Windows 8 PCs require the Microsoft blessing… and tariff.
Intel is ready to deal with cost effective devices and it all depends on the choice of OS. While the entire PC market seems to be slowing down, convertibles/detachables are expected to gain more traction over the following months. Such convertibles are usually defined by high prices, but maybe Intel Atom/Android models will dismiss that cliche. Qualcomm has a big foothold in the Android universe, so it’s hard to see Intel gaining any ground there, although they have some solid new models, like the Lenovo K900 phablet.

Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note III May Include a Photo Sphere Like Feature

If we are to believe the latest rumors and looking back at Samsung’s previous release schedule, this year should mark the announcement for the newest smartphone in the Note line. It is supposed to come with new software features, and maybe a few unique design characteristics to make it more appealing.

Samsung has put an emphasis on software when it comes to every flagship device they announce, especially with the Note line that is meant to be the perfect productivity tool. The Galaxy Note III that should be arriving this year is said to come with new features in terms of hardware, including a full HD display and a new and improved S-Pen interface.
The latest rumors about what the Galaxy Note III may offer in terms of software state that the manufacturer will include a new camera function called Samsung Orb. The feature that did not make it into the Galaxy S IV, though it could be available later through a software update, is meant to be Samsung’s own version of Photo Sphere – included by Google with Android 4.2. It will allow for taking 360-degree panoramic photos at full resolution that look stunning on a display like that of the upcoming Note device. With it the manufacturer might also be offering new gallery features to better represent the new function.

Kocaso Introduces New Budget Tablet Offering an HD 13.3-inches Display

Budget Android tablets are some of the most desired devices these days, capable to offer a more than pleasing browsing experience and even for productivity and gaming. There are a lot of good offers in this regard, with new ones coming in almost every day and offering enhanced features without emptying your pockets.

The minimum tablet specifications, especially for a budget product, have increased for this year and are set at about 1 Ghz CPU and at least an HD display. And probably the most important aspect of any mobile device is the software. In this regard the latest versions of the OS are capable of completely turning the experience into a most pleasing one, packed with productivity features.
Manufacturer Kocaso – less known on the Android tablet devices market, has decided to introduce its latest Kocaso GX1400 device. The budget tablet comes with a good quality 13.3-inches display, a less conventional size that offers the 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. The tablet offers the Android Jelly Bean experience out of the box, running on the dual-core Rockchip RK3066 (ARM Cortex-A9) hardware. There is 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of built-in storage and an 1000 mAh battery, providing about 5 hours of battery live. And that in a package that goes for about $300.