pcs

T-Mobile kicks off MetroPCS shift-over with new phones

Starting Friday, MetroPCS customers will already be able to feel the effects of T-Mobile's buyout in the form of three new phones that customers can start using right away on T-Mobile's 4G network.

The Android-running LG Optimus L9 ($149) and Samsung Exhibit ($129), and Alcatel 768 flip phone ($49) run on T-Mobile HSPA+ 4G network and go on sale today.

Things look up for people seeking an even heartier features experience. Beginning June 17, MetroPCS will also stock its version of the Samsung Galaxy S3, riding T-Mobile's much faster 4G LTE than Metro's own network.

Today, … Read more

Shipments of smartphones, tablets, and oh yes, PCs, to top 1.7B

The world will see combined shipments of PCs, tablets, and smartphones rise past 1.7 billion next year. And more of those will be headed toward developing markets, research firm IDC said today.

Out of that 1.7 billion figure, 1 billion devices will end up in emerging markets. China, India, Brazil, and Russia will grab around 662 million devices, for a value of more than $206 billion. Developed markets will see around 650 million units shipped, with more than 400 million devices valued collectively at $204 billion arriving in the U.S., the U.K., and Japan.

Tablets and … Read more

Intel amps up horsepower, battery life with Haswell chip

Intel's next-generation chips have officially arrived.

Developed under the codename "Haswell," the new line of chips has been engineered to enable thinner and lighter designs and longer lasting computers, and the company hopes it will reinvigorate a market that's in the doldrums.

The processor, the fourth generation of Intel's Core line, boasts double the graphics performance of the previous generation and a 15 percent raw computing boost, according to the company. That means the computer speed should be snappier, and users can perform more graphics-intensive tasks without always needing a discrete graphics chip.

Intel also … Read more

Intel's new fourth-gen 'Haswell' processors: What you need to know (FAQ)

Intel has officially revealed its next-generation lineup of desktop and mobile processors in the Core i3, i5, and i7 family, also known as "fourth-generation" or code-named "Haswell." The two-part announcement started over the weekend with Intel's quad-core enthusiast-level processors, and now the veil has been lifted on dual-core desktop and mobile processors, too.

This FAQ will mainly focus on the dual-core processors and what they'll do for mobile systems. For a detailed rundown on the quad-core processors, check out our hands-on look.

What is it? Haswell is Intel's code name for the fourth … Read more

Tablet shipments to surpass all PCs by 2015, IDC says

The tablet market should top all laptop shipments this year and the entire PC market by 2015, according to a report released Tuesday.

Market researcher IDC estimated that tablet shipments will grow 59 percent this year to 229.3 million units. That's higher than IDC's estimate for notebook shipments this year. Topping that, IDC predicts tablet shipments will surpass the total number of notebook and desktop PC shipments in 2015.

"Tablets surpassing portables in 2013, and total PCs in 2015, marks a significant change in consumer attitudes about compute devices and the applications and ecosystems that power … Read more

Broadcom unveils new 5G Wi-Fi chips for PCs, tablets, phones

Broadcom is ramping up more chips designed to support 5G Wi-Fi, aka 802.11ac.

The chipmaker today announced its first 5G Wi-Fi combo chips designed specifically for entry-level consumer devices, meaning PCs, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Combo chips offer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and FM radio all in one package. This second generation of 5G Wi-Fi chips includes the same features as Broadcom's current lineup but integrates more components to keep costs down.

"This 1x1 design lowers cost while still delivering dramatic speed, power and performance, empowering a broad new user base to effortlessly stream HD video, and significantly increase … Read more

Lenovo scores record sales amidst PC industry slump

Lenovo seems to be the only top PC vendor bucking the trend of sour sales.

The Hong Kong-based company today reported record results for its fiscal year that ended March 31. For the year, Lenovo captured sales of $34 billion, a 15 percent increase from the prior year. Earnings hit $635 million, up 34 percent. And its PC shipments grew by 10.2 percent, compared with an overall industry drop of 8.1 percent.

Lenovo's 15.5 percent market share for the year put it in within reach of stealing the top spot from Hewlett-Packard. A recent report from … Read more

Laptops equipped with touch screens on the rise, IHS says

In response to falling prices, nearly 25 percent of all laptops should have touch screens by 2016, IHS said Wednesday.

Windows 8 is the first version of Microsoft's popular operating system that works well with touch. The technology has been promising, and many companies have vowed to make more products with touch screens. But so far, high pricing and low supply have limited the number of touch-based PCs on the market.

IHS said global shipments of notebooks equipped with touch screens should jump to 78 million units in 2016, up from 4.6 million in 2012. This year alone, … Read more

More PC woes: AMD tanks, Windows 8 misfires in Europe

Maybe the PC isn't dead, but it's definitely showing signs of old age.

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices were off more than 12 percent Thursday on a downgrade from Goldman Sachs. And the PC market in Europe saw a sharp decline in the first quarter, according to Gartner.

Goldman downgraded AMD's stock from "neutral" to "sell," saying that AMD's upside in gaming devices, like Sony's upcoming PlaySation 4, "only partially offsets the continued...challenges in the company's core PC business." AMD is the second-largest maker of processors for … Read more