Move over, Samsung. The ‘phablet’ term it coined with the Galaxy Note now applies to another rival, and it’s come from a very unexpected source: Thompson.
That’s right, you didn’t read that wrong. Thompson, known for its set top boxes and Freeview recorders, has decided to release a 5.3-inch Android smartphone. It’s called the X-View-2, and it’s set to be officially revealed at the IFA tech event in Berlin later this month.
Like the Galaxy Note, the X-View-2 features a monstrous 5.3-inch touchscreen, although the resolution is distinctly lower than the Note’s 1280 x 800, at 800 x 480. Processing grunt is provided by a 1GHz Cortex A9 processor, which is paltry in comparison to the Note’s dual-core 1.4GHz Cortex A9 chip – are you noticing a pattern emerging here?
Nevertheless, the X-View-2 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box, with a very vanilla-looking launcher and layout. We think Thompson is gunning for the business user in particular, due to a dual SIM functionality hidden inside the phone. Users can slot in two separate SIMs and switch between the two with relative ease – something that seems to be becoming increasingly popular.
IFA 2012 kicks off in Berlin on August 31st, but with rumours of Samsung announcing the Galaxy Note 2 on the same day, Thompson’s first foray into the mobile phone market may be cast under a big shadow.
Can Thompson rival Samsung with its new device? We’ll find out at the end of the month.
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Via: Pocket-Lint