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Three UK sends word that it's launched Huawei's latest mid-to-high-end handset, the Ascend P2. The data-centric operator is selling the Ascend P2 on-contract starting at £23 per month. That gets you unlimited data, 500 minutes and 5,000 texts on a 24-month plan. Alternatively, Three's also selling the P2 on Pay As You Go for £299.99 plus a PAYG top-up.

That money -- or monthly commitment -- will get you a reasonably speedy handset, powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 4.7-inch 720p display. On the connectivity side, the P2 supports Three's current 42Mbps DC-HSDPA, as well as 4G LTE, due to be rolled out by the operator later in the year.

The Huawei Ascend P2 is available now from Three's online store, and will be launching in brick-and-mortar Three outlets from tomorrow.

More: Three UK

The 10-inch form factor returns, but the top-end Tab 3 is still a mid-range device

Samsung’s second Tab announcement today brings news of the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, which as you may have guessed is a 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 3 line. Spec-wise, there’s not much to separate the Tab 3 10.1 from the 8-inch variant announced alongside it. You’ve got a 1.6GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM (less than the 8-incher, oddly), 16 or 32GB of storage backed up by microSD expandability.

It’s also running the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean along with the most recent iteration of Samsung’s TouchWiz interface. And you’ve got Wifi, 3G and 4G LTE connectivity options available, as well as Bluetooth 4.0.

Disappointingly, Samsung has opted to stick with a 1280x800 display resolution on the 10-inch Tab 3, meaning you’ve got the same pixel count as the Tab 3 8.0, only spread over a much larger area. So we’re dealing with a mid-range Android tablet here, and Samsung will likely choose to compete on price rather than specs when the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 reaches British shores later this year. There’s no word of any official release date or price just yet, however.

Check past the break for more images and the official spec sheet.

8-inch variant brings upgraded specs and a slightly larger screen

Not to be left out of the fun following this morning's ASUS tablet announcements, Samsung has taken the wraps off two new Galaxy Tabs this morning, the first of which is the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. The device shares a lot in common with the earlier 7-inch Tab 3, with modest upgrades including the obvious boost in screen real estate.

The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU with 1.5GB of RAM, runing on an 8-inch 1280x800 LCD display. Connectivity-wise, you’ve got Wifi-only, 3G and 4G LTE options alongside Wifi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. Internal storage comes in 16 or 32GB flavors and is expandable via microSD. The specs point to a solid mid-range Android tablet, in a familiar Samsung-designed chassis.

When it comes to software, you’re looking at Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, up from 4.1 on the 7-incher. That also means you get the latest version of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, as evidenced by the newer widgets in the promotional shots.

There’s no word on pricing for the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 just yet. A UK release is promised for “later in the year,” but that doesn’t narrow things down much. While you wait, you can check past the break for a few more photos and the official spec sheet.

Bumps in CPU, storage, display and camera with the same bargain bin pricing

As part of its Computex 2013 keynote presentation, ASUS rolled out a small but notable update to its recently announced MeMO Pad -- this time adding "HD7" to the name and making important improvements. While it retains much of the same design (and most of the same name), the MeMO Pad HD7 tweaks the design a bit to make it both thinner and lighter than it's predecessor -- down to 10.8mm thick and 302g in weight. On the display side ASUS bumps things to "HD" with a 1280x800 IPS display, up from the original 1024x600 panel.

On the inside, ASUS says the MeMO Pad HD7 is running an ARM Cortex A7 quad-core CPU, but didn't specify a clock speed or manufacturer. It did specify that the tablet will have both Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS, however, along with the addition of stereo speakers and a 5MP rear camera (keeping a 1.2MP shooter up front). Pinning this device at the low-end are some appealing prices too: 16GB for $149, 8GB for $129. The MeMO Pad HD7 will be released in a few different bright color options, with no specific sales dates given at this point.

ASUS' latest dockable device boasts dual CPUs and three usage modes

ASUS has announced the latest member of its Transformer family, the Transformer Book Trio, at its pre-Computex press conference in Tapiei. The Trio is a dockable laptop/tablet hybrid device running both Windows 8 and Android "Jelly Bean." To take advantage of both operating systems, the Transformer Book Trio packs two CPUs -- a fourth-generation Intel Core i7 U4500 for Windows and an Atom 2580 for Android. It's also got two banks of storage available -- a 1TB traditional hard drive and 64GB of flash storage. Other notable specs include a 1080p IPS display.

Being a Transformer device, the Trio can be docked and used as a tablet or a laptop. But it also boasts an additional usage mode -- the docking station can be connected to a monitor to create a full desktop PC experience. So it looks like the Atom chip lives in the display, while the Core i7 likely resides in the dock.

No word on pricing or availability just yet, but considering you've essentially got a full-powered laptop PC along with an Android tablet, we imagine the Trio won't come cheap.

A respectable bump in internals and design to the previous model

ASUS is currently giving its keynote presentation at Computex 2013 in Taipei where it has just rolled out the first of a few new Android devices, the refreshed and redesigned Transformer Pad Infinity. Although the device was only quickly flashed on-stage, it seems to fall in line with the same design as the original -- which makes sense as it shares a name with the previous version of the tablet. We're looking at a standard 10-inch tablet body with a keyboard dock that folds down in a clamshell like a laptop. As for the specs, here's the breakdown of what we know at this point:

• 10-inch 2560x1600 IPS display with 178-degree viewing angle
• 1.9GHz Tegra 4 CPU
• 2GB of RAM
• 32GB of storage, expandable by SDcard
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi
• USB 3.0 port
• 4K video output over HDMI

The story here seems to be all about the serious bump up in specs from the previous version, and less about the external hardware. With specs like that we're not going to complain either. We'll be bringing you more information -- such as more detailed pictures -- as soon as they become available.

6-inch Intel-powered tablet unveiled at Computex

At its Computex 2013 press conference in Taipei, ASUS has just announced a new 6-inch smartphone/tablet hybrid device. The Fonepad Note is a 6-inch device with pen input, powered by an Intel Atom Z2560 CPU, with 2GB of RAM and a 1080p iPS display. Like the HTC One and many Samsung Galaxy Tabs,  the Fonepad Note has front-facing stereo speakers. It's also packing an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.2

In terms of connectivity, it looks like you're topping out at DC-HSDPA (42Mbps) speeds. On the software side, ASUS is boasting customized pre-loaded apps that take advantage of the bundled stylus.

No word on availability just yet, but we imagine the Fonepad Note will be headed primarily to Europe and Asia in the months ahead.

The new definition of computer has caused Android and iOS to control market share, leading Mark Shuttleworth to close Bug #1 in Ubuntu's bug tracker

Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, has marked the very first bug on Ubuntu's LaunchPad bug tracking site as "Closed -- Fix Released". In this case, Android is a big part of the fix. As Shuttleworth explains in the final comment on bug #1

Personal computing today is a broader proposition than it was in 2004: phones, tablets, wearables and other devices are all part of the mix for our digital lives. From a competitive perspective, that broader market has healthy competition, with IOS and Android representing a meaningful share 

Microsoft still is the OS of choice on the desktop, both at home and the workplace. But the new definition of computer -- which not everyone agrees with, including yours truly -- combined with the sheer number of Android and iOS devices out there has changed the landscape.

I'm not so sure that bug #1 was really a bug to begin with. I've no love for Microsoft's products nor their business practices, but the free market has chosen, and both developers and users choose Microsoft when it comes to productivity on their workstations more often than the competition. We think everyone should have a choice that's done well, and one that fits their needs.

Of course others, like Shuttleworth, think differently and clearly when smartphones and tablets (as well as televisions and even appliances) are counted alongside the traditional desktop or laptop computer, Microsoft is now a distant third in terms of marketshare. Our advice? Don't get caught up in the details and appreciate the fact that you do have a choice. In either case, be sure to read Shuttleworth's comment if you're a fan of computing and software.

Source: Launchpad Comment  1834; Bug 1