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With just days to go before Apple is likely to unveil a long-expected tablet device, rumors continue to circulate over its details. As the buzz continues, we wanted to wrap up what we have heard recently.

You want 3G with that? Sources inside both AT&T and Verizon once again say that an Apple tablet will be compatible with not just one or the other, but both networks. The source from Verizon claims that it will work automatically with Verizon’s WiFi hotspots and switch seamlessly to EVDO when out of range. Whether such a service would work the same on AT&T isn’t known, but that company did boast to Fox that it has “the largest network of Wi-Fi hotspots in the country.”

Further rumors peg Qualcomm as the supplier of the 3G chip for the tablet. Apple may build separate versions, one with HSPA+ chips for AT&T and most other carriers, and another with EVDO chips for Verizon and other carriers using the CDMA standard. Alternately, Apple may even include a chip recently designed by Qualcomm that’s capable of connecting to either network.

Buy one dock connector, get one free. Sources for iLounge say that the tablet will have not one, but two dock connectors—one on the horizontal bottom, and one on a vertical “bottom.” This would allow the device to be docked in either landscape or portrait orientation while charging. This way, the tablet could perform different functions—playing video or reading books, for example—while set in a single charging station.

The tablet will also have generously sized antennas, if the “long rear stripe” of plastic along the back—which breaks up the device’s metal casing—is any indicator. That should offer better reception that the small antennas on the iPhone, and may enable 802.11n compatibility.

Acer-Liquid

The Acer Liquid A1 is expected to become available for purchase on November 28 in Spain, but there are great chances that it will come to more markets in Europe around the same date. One thing that is sure about the phone is that it has the looks, and it has proved it recently in a series of images that show it dressed up in red. The Qualcomm Snapdragon chip is not the only attractive hardware spec the phone comes to the market with, for it also features a 3.5-inch touchscreen display that boasts a WVGA resolution, a 5-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, a 3.5mm headset jack, Wi-Fi capabilities, built-in GPS receiver, and integration with various social networking sites, including Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter.

beTouch-and-neoTouch by ACER

The E100 and E101 come equipped with 3.2-inch WQVGA touchscreens, a Qualcomm 7225, 528MHz processor, as well as a 2-megapixel camera, and a Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module. The main difference between the two is represented by the supported networks, the E100 featuring quadband GSM and dualband HSDPA support, while the E101 also sports quadband GSM, but EDGE for data transfers. The third model in the beTouch series, the E200, is quite similar to the E100, apart from the fact that it comes equipped with a slide-down numeric keypad, 3-megapixel camera, as well as GPS and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support. The neoTouch series, on the other hand, includes just the S200 model, which is described by the company as a “fast and powerful device, complete and versatile, but at the same time attractive and easy to use. It is Acer’s response to those trendy and demanding users who are perfectly at ease with technology and who only choose devices that fully satisfy their expectations in terms of communications, information, and entertainment.” The S200 comes equipped with Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, quadband GSM and triband HSPA. There’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, together with GPS, an accelerometer and 3.5mm headphone jack.

PNDs vs GPS-Enabled-Phones

According to the research firm the personal navigation device market is showing signs that it has reached its maturity. The price points for these devices have started to drop fast, and there are signs of consolidation. At the same time, In-Stat also says that shipment growth already slowed down, and that the competition PNDs see from GPS-enabled mobile phones is the greatest threat the PND market faces. The research firm also published the findings of a new study, which shows that the unit shipments for PNDs are expected to reach 56 million in 2012 all around the world, while the shipments of GPS-enabled mobile phones are expected to triple by 2013, when compared to the number shipped in 2009.
Other findings from the report include:
- The total silicon opportunity for PNDs will pass $1 billion in 2010, before starting to decline. Processors will be the largest semiconductor segment, followed by DRAM and NAND memory.
- Among the semiconductor competitors in this market are Broadcom, Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) & SiRF Technology, Inc., GloNav/NXP/STMicroelectronics/Ericsson, Infineon, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and STMicroelectronics.

HTC HD2

HTC Corporation officially announced on Tuesday the launch on the market of HTC HD2, a high-end device that comes powered by Microsoft’s newly released Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. The 4.3-inch capacitive touch display and the ultra thin design are there, and the same applies to Qualcomm’s new 1Ghz Snapdragon mobile processor, which should deliver enough power for a great experience. The phone comes with a virtual QWERTY keyboard, which should work great on its large touchscreen display, and also offers fast viewing, zooming and resizing when it comes to websites, Microsoft Office files, PDF documents and pictures. The HTC Sense, based on three principles, Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected, is meant to enable phones to work in a simpler, more natural and personal way. At HTC we believe that the best things in life should be experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is based on this principle by making the phone more simple and natural to use and by enabling people to personalize their mobile experience in their own unique way,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “With HTC Sense, the HTC HD2 melds the power and flexibility of the Windows platform with the most advanced phone we’ve ever created.”

HTC Leo

The handset sports 512 MB of flash storage, just the amount needed by WM 7, as WMPoweruser notes, and a 1GHz processor, which should also work just fine with the future release of the operating system. It includes the Qualcomm MSM 8250 processor clocked at 1GHz, 512 MB of RAM, a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display that boasts a 480 x 800 pixel WVGA resolution and support for 65k colors, “Multi-Touch capability for WM7 Chassis,” a 5-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus, LED flash and video recording capabilities, HSPA/UMTS 2100/900 MHz and GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) / HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA / EGPRS functionality, and built-in GPS receiver. The device also comes with G-sensor, proximity and ambient light sensor, FM Radio, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g) connectivity, Micro-USB slot, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, and a microSD memory card slot (with SDHC support) for additional storage space. A 1.230 mAh battery is also included in the package, as well as support for a variety of applications and services. The Windows Mobile 6.5 platform will also provide users with access to Microsoft Outlook Mobile, ActiveSync, Internet Explorer Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Live!, Smart Dial and Microsoft Windows Mobile Update, as well as to a series of value-added applications. HTC Leo also comes with an array of messaging features, including email and IM, as well as with various Web functionalities, including support for social networking sites.

Acer will join the competition,four Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handsets. Acer should deliver on October 6, news on the company’s Android-based A1 smartphone emerged….There are great chances that Acer A1 will become available for purchase before 2009 is gone, while featuring a price tag of $568 (€389) unlocked. The Acer A1 is reportedly powered by a Qualcomm 8250 768 MHz processor and sports 512 MB of ROM and 256 MB of RAM. At the same time, it also comes with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display that boasts a WVGA resolution, and a 5-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus capabilities, as well as the Donut flavor of Android on board (Android 1.6). Other specifications of the phone also include Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP and Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g connectivity features, along with a 3.5 mm headset jack, a MicroSD memory card slot for additional storage space, and a 1350 mAh Lithium-ion battery that can deliver up to 300 minutes of talk time or 400 hours of standby time. The new Android phone measures 115 x 62.5 x 12.5 mm and weighs 135 grams with the battery included. It comes to the market with support for HSPA/WCDMA: 850/1900/2100 MHz (up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds) and for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies.