Samsung heralds quad-core chip 'first' Samsung introduced not the world's first quad-core processor for mobile devices but, it claimed, the world's first quad-core processor for mobile devices built with a High-k Metal Gate process. And, we'll be bound, the world's first quad-core processor built with a High-k Metal Gate process and carrying the Samsung brand. …
That's a pretty good demonstration of Moore's law right there... it might be harder to apply it to x86 architecture these days but I'd not be surprised to see some of these chips in more 'computery' roles (as opposed to mobile widgetry). I wonder if a normal ARM compiler is good for the job or it needs a special one.
2x the grunt for 80% of the power. nice. That SG3 will go like a nutter.
Being someone old enough to remember so much of the vintage hardware being reminisced about on El Reg this week, I am happily amazed to see such a fast chip with so many cores available for a device small enough to comfortably into my pocket.
But what I am much more interested in here is the improved power consumption. I have a smart-enough phone...what puts me off upgrading to a smart-as-you-can-get-nowadays phone is the fact than instead of charging the battery every few days, I'd be needing to top up the juice on a daily (if not more frequent) basis.
I travel on business quite a lot. When I'm on out I tend to (a) use my phone more, (b) find myself in places like airports where charging can be a problem.
My current phone, on heavy use, will last for a day or more without me getting twitchy about running low on power. Normal use, I can go for 2 or 3 days without having to plug it in
By contrast, my other half's 2012 model smartphone is gasping for a recharge come teatime after a day of normal use. I just know that if I had the same sort of phone, and subjected it to the sort of use my phone gets when I'm out of the office, then battery depletion would be a major factor for me (and looking at my fellow travellers, I don't think that my phone use pattern is particularly excessive).
I've just invested in a NewTrent unit charging that delivers 11000 mAh of power - should be enough to keep my phone running flat out for about 5 days. £35-ish. Its a bit chunky, and a bit heavy, but it does mean if Im away from home I should (theoretically) never be without my phone.
The GS2 was already a very successful all-rounder. And it sold very well.
It had decent battery life, very good performance and brilliant screen. It even had a quite decent camera too. It was the yesteryear's King Of The Hill (among Android phones).
In my opinion the design was sadly lacking, the shiny black plastic looked low-rent (though it was very durable and light), and the TouchWiz interface, again, works but looks like it's out of Draw Something.
It's successor will probably improve on previous strengths. What I wonder is what it looks like, and how it feels in the hand - HTC One series look very enticing.
I'm not holding my breath on the touchwiz part though, though luckily it can be replaced/hidden.
Have to agree with you there. The S2 is a great bit of kit and very fast but it just felt a little, dare I say, cheap and plastic-y.
Hopefully the S3 will have a bit more of a quality feel to it to go with the (assumed) outrageous specs.
Before the hardcore Android fans start having a pop, I'm not knocking the phone itself per se, it's a great bit of kit. I'd personally like it to feel a bit more robust.
Flame? Because as soon as you mention mobile phones there's a deluge of downvotes from the radicalised mobile extremists.
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