The high-end tablet market has been largely ignored over the past few months, with a slew of low-cost, but impressive Android 4.0 tablets hitting the stores. While there are a lot of such budget-friendly options, there is obviously something far more attractive about those quad-cored, high-resolution tablets, regardless of the much higher price point.

ASUS has been slowly circling the high-end tablet market with the release of the Transformer Prime last year, which is slated to be  followed by the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity. The flagship device, first spotted at CES 2012 as the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF700T, boasts an amazing set of specifications including:

• 10.1″ multi-touch Super IPS+ display
• 1920×1200 resolution
• 1.6Ghz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor (WiFi only)
• 16/32/64GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 25Whr (~6757 mAH) battery
• 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera

The good news that we bring today is that, according to a report from Engadget, the WiFi edition of the Transformer Pad Infinity has just received FCC approval, which usually indicates that a release is soon to follow. Granted, the 4G LTE version, expected to feature a 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm  dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, was nowhere to be seen, but that is likely to arrive soon as well.

With the device expected to show up in Europe on July 10, the FCC-approval is just in time for a similar release date in the US . On the down side, the Transformer Pad Infinity comes with the hefty price tag of approximately $780 in Europe, and will likely feature a similar price in the US.

What are your thoughts? Will you be picking up the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity when it is released? Would you rather own the WiFi only quad-core tablet or wait for the dual-core 3G/4G LTE version? Let us know in the comments section below.

NEXT: ASUS Padfone, Pad Infinity, and Pad 300 pricing and release dates in Europe revealed

ASUS to Release Eee Pad Transformer Successor in October ASUS Eee Pad Transformer 2 Release Date Rumored for November 7

After enjoying rather modest success with its Thrive line of tablets in 2011, Toshiba has decided to mix things up and launch a new trio of very different slates. The Excite 7.7, Excite 10, and Excite 13 were all revealed a while back, and all three are expected to become available by the end of June.

The humongous Excite 13 was just spotted at the FCC and can now be finally confirmed for the US market. With a 13.3-inch screen and a rather netbook-like look and “figure”, Toshiba’s future tablet should be made available in three different models.

We knew for a while that the 13-incher will come with 32 and 64 GB of on-board storage, but it now seems that we’ll see a slightly more affordable 16 GB model as well. On the other hand, it’s very likely that the 16 GB version will only hit select markets worldwide, so US tech enthusiasts might only see the 32/64 GB duo up for sale.

There aren’t many new things to report about the Excite 13 based on the FCC stop that the tablet recently made, but it’s now almost sure that the gadget will go up for sale at the beginning of June (June 10, to be more exact).

Other than that, things stand as they did a few weeks ago. In other words, the Excite 13 is still expected to cause quite a stir in the technology world. And how could it not, when it’s set to come with a 13.3-inch IPS display with 1600 x 900 pixels resolution, as well as a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor under the hood, Android 4.0 ICS outside of the box, four SRS speakers, a monstrous battery with 13 hours of expected autonomy, and a full set of ports.

The main complaint prospective buyers might have about the Excite 13 concerns its rather bulky figure (the 13-incher will weigh no less than 3.52 pounds). As far as pricing goes, the tablet will be anything but affordable, with the 32 GB model set to cost $649.99, while the 64 GB version will go for as much as $749.99. On the other hand, you’ll get what you pay for, as Toshiba’s slate is really a one of a kind gadget these days.

So, how about it? Are you glad to find out that the Excite 13 is getting close to its debut? Have you already started saving money to get Toshiba’s new “beast”? Or, are you just not sold by the idea of a tablet that is so bulky?

NEXT: Toshiba reveals the Excite 7.7, Excite 10, and the humongous Excite 13 tablets

Toshiba Excite X10 10.1 Tablet – Hands On [Video] Toshiba Excite 7.7 quad-core AMOLED tablet hits the FCC, are you ready to be excited?

Let’s be honest, Toshiba didn’t exactly hit it out of the park with their last batch of Android tablets. This time though, the guys at Toshiba have rethought their whole marketing strategy for this market niche and are bringing to market a fresh new line of “exciting” products.

The Excite 7.7, 10 and 13 were all unveiled last week and are set to hit the market in the next couple of months, targetting technology fanatics concerned about specs, raw power, style and cool looks.

The first of the trio we suspected to be made available is the 10-incher, as it’s one of the easiest to market. After all, everybody likes 10-inch tablets, right? Despite this though, the beloved 7.7 AMOLED Quad Core has already been caught sneaking through the FCCand might be coming earlier than expected.

And – if the success of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the rave reviews it has received are to serve as any indication, Toshiba might have a hot little tablet on their hands.

Codenamed AT270, this little guy will most definitely be marketed as the Excite 7.7, or simply the Excite 7, and is truly and simply… exciting! With a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor under the hood and a 7.7-inch AMOLED multi-touch display with a scratch-resistant surface, this looks positively dreamy.

Weighing in at just 380 grams (13.4 ounces), the Toshiba Excite 7.7 might just be the perfect combination of raw performance and AMOLED goodness i have been craving for. I mean, to have an 0.3-inch thick tablet is one thing, but for that same gadget to come with a quad-core chipset, an eye popping AMOLED display and 1 GB of RAM is truly amazing!

The rest of the features are themselves not too shabby, with the running of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, dual 5 MP/2 MP cameras, 32 GB of on-board storage, a microSD card slot, USB 2.0 and microUSB 2.0, as well as WiFI 802.11 b/g/n connectivity and micro HDMI.

Set to cost around $500, the Toshiba Excite 7.7 is clearly not a gadget oriented to consumers on a budget, but will draw some attention from those of you who can afford to look their best and own the best possible technology devices out there.

If you are eager to grab a 7.7 inch AMOLED tablet, then the Galaxy Tab 7.7 still remains a viable choice, albeit still more expensive and with inferior specs. Thankfully, we can all rest easy knowing that the Excite 7.7 will be coming soon, and is set to hit stores on June 10^th. That’s almost two months from now, which makes for an excruciating wait, but then again the Excite 7.7 truly looks like something worth our patience. Also, that release date is not set in stone, so stay tuned as we bring you more updates on this micro beast of a tablet! AMOLED and quad core might be too much to pass up folks.

What do you guys think, will this little guy look in reality as good as it does on paper? And can the Excite 7.7 make more technology geeks interested in 7-inch tablets these days? Let us know your opinions in the comment section below!

NEXT: Toshiba reveals the Excite 7.7, Excite 10, and the humongous Excite 13 tablets

Toshiba Excite X10 10.1 Tablet – Hands On [Video] Toshiba Excite Rumored to Be Name of Toshiba’s New Ultra-slim Tablet

Two words – Smartphone, projector. What’s not to love? Do you remember the Samsung Galaxy Beam Android-based smartphone with a built-in projector that was unveiled back at the MWC in February? You better.

Perhaps the reason that most of you might have forgotten about this particularly cool gizmo is that it hasn’t been advertised since its official introduction. As is normally the case with products that are announced to the nerd-elite at events like CES and MWC, are the gadgets we all know and love.

Most recently though, the guys at Engadget picked up an FCC mention of the Galaxy Beam. Featuring 3G support for GSM 1900 MHz and 850 MHz bands, Sammy’s phone/projector seems destined to be made available on AT&T in the United States, and soon at that.

Of couse, there’s still no mention about the device’s pricing and release date, but it’s sure nice to know that at least one American carrier is planning to pick this up and unleashing it into the market.

After all, the Galaxy Beam looks like a pretty innovative and original gadget, even though some of you might be phased by its rather modest tech specs. With a 1 GHz dual-core processor and 768 MB of RAM under the hood, this little guy will sport a 4-inch TFT WVGA screen with 480 x 800 pixels resolution, which is anything but high-end right now.

Only running Android 2.3 Gingerbread under the hood, the 4-incher should be pretty satisfying in terms of autonomy, with a 2,000 mAh battery, while the biggest ace up its sleeve should of course be that 15 lumens nHD built-in projector with 640 x 360 pixels resolution.

I don’t want to make any wild guesses about the device’s release date, but it usually doesn’t take a smartphone more than a month or two after an FCC leak to get all the approvals it needs, to clear its final testing stages to then be made officially official, officially. Then again, this is not your regular Android-based handheld, so we might just have to wait a bit more to see it hit AT&T’s (or anybody else’s) shelves.

Are you excited about the Samsung Galaxy Beam? What would be a fair price for such a gadget, in your opinion? Hit us with a comment below and please let us know! Are projector phones a good thing? What would make the perfect projector phone?

NEXT: Samsung reveal Galaxy Beam (I8520), Galaxy 3 (I5800), Galaxy 5 (I5500) at CommunicAsia

Samsung i8520 Galaxy Beam built-in projector Android smartphone available July 17 Samsung Galaxy Beam vs Nokia Pureview

Unfortunately for HTC’s fans from the United States, the HTC One X will not be officially supported by any carrier (at least according to the information we have so far). Granted, a dual-core version of the HTC One X will reach AT&T as the HTC One XL, but it’s safe to assume the main attraction of the HTC One X is its quad-core Tegra 3 processor, so the XL doesn’t seem to rock too many boats. If the last sentence speaks your thoughts, you’ll be glad to learn that the Tegra 3 HTC One X has recently passed through the FCC, with support for AT&T’s HSPA+ radios.

What this means is that you’ll be able to import an unlocked HTC One X (once it gets released in Europe in April – Amazon.co.uk and other European retailers will surely offer the unlocked version on their webstore sometime soon), stick in an AT&T SIM card and you’ll be ready to go. Unlike the XL version, you won’t be getting access to Ma Bell’s LTE network but the slower HSPA+ data speed on a Tegra 3 smartphone seems to be a compromise many of us are willing to make.

No LTE but quad core still good? Let us know!

NEXT: Tegra 3 Project Kal-El Benchmarks Revealed – Not Quad Core – it’s Quintuple Core!

NVIDIA CEO Promises Tegra 3 Quad-core Tablets Coming for the Holidays World’s First Quad (Quintuple) Core Tegra 3 Tablet Makes an Appearance

But enough with the philosophy! Here’s what happened. A DroidLife reader and Verizon Wireless customer sent a formal complaint (based on a perceived breach of the licensing agreement between FCC and VZW) to the FCC, objecting on Big Red’s practice of selling devices with blocked bootloaders. Verizon responded to the formal inquiry with a letter to the FCC, in which it explains its position concerning bootloaders.

This is newsworthy because, up until now, Verizon kept quiet about the reasoning behind its bootloader locking practice. Big Red remained unfazed even when Motorola, the last big Android manufacturer to lock bootloaders, has implied that it locks devices at the request of carriers (read Verizon). So it’s interesting to see how Verizon plays defense when it comes to this thorny issue.

DroidLife

Verizon’s arguments in a nutshell: we do it to protect consumers. Come everybody, a warm round of applause for Verizon! The carrier claims that its “standard of excellence” in serving customers can only be maintained if all devices are shipped securely locked. This prevents, according to the analyst that sent the letter on behalf of VZW, the supposed negative impact that boot loaded phones have on the cellular network, and even the wireless experience for the other users. In essence, Verizon claims the hassle of supporting boot loaded devices affects its service for all customers, so it chose not to support it at all.

In other words, give up your right to use your device the way you see fit, and we’ll make it worth it for you.

The surprisingly vague (for a formal answer to a FCC inquiry) letter leaves many questions unanswered. Is Verizon the one to blame for the locked bootloader problem? Does this make Motorola innocent? Or maybe is a mutually beneficial agreement between Motorola and Verizon to keep Droids locked? And why doesn’t Verizon lock all of its devices? For instance, the Galaxy Nexus, and many other smartphones from HTC, Samsung, or LG come unlocked.

What do you think?

NEXT: Verizon Explains What Unified Communications and Collaboration Is

Motorola RAZR May Come with Unlocked Bootloader, But Not Verizon’s DROID RAZR Unofficial Verizon phone listing

I bet if you just hang out at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) all day long, you’ll discover who the latest to get a patent is. In most recent stories, Google is the latest to ask the FCC for permission. However, they have not disclosed what this mysterious ‘entertainment device’ is. All we know is that they got permission to use it in the four major US cities over the next 6 months. This got everyone pretty excited! The device was described as equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. According to GigaOm (who discovered the FCC application), Google submitted the request back in December.

As of the moment, there are unclear details about the device. This is why people have their own assumptions on whether it could be an Android or a Google TV device. But after reading the description of the device, it looks like this mysterious device will take video content straight from the internet and will distribute it across several connected devices. As experts have assumed, this would lessen strain on current broadband internet connections.

Because it is such a mystery, we couldn’t help but snoop around as to what this device may be. As such, a number of theories have been generated—including an extension of Android @ Home, which was unveiled at Google IO 2011.

Another theory is that it is the Project Tungsten, which was only demonstrated as a central, connected device running on Android OS. At the time of its demonstration, Project Tungsten was merely a prototype. So maybe this is the real thing?

All we know, at this moment, is that Google is currently testing over 250 of these entertainment devices in various locations such as New York City, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles. At this point, all we can do is wait.

What do you think it could be? Let me know in the comments section below!

NEXT: Google Fills Patents Chest with 1,000 IBM Patents

Motorola Yields 18 Patents Google Can Use Against Apple Mysterious Samsung Device Shows Up on Dev Site, Has WXVGA Screen

Earlier this month at CES AT&T announced six new LTE devices they would be launching on their network soon, including the first LTE Windows phone. But there was a device that was a bit more interesting to us, Android fan boys, the Samsung Galaxy Note which has been widely popular overseas. It is finally going to land in North America pretty soon. A Canadian carrier also announced they would be offering the LTE version of the device sometime in the near future as well, of course no specific launch dates have been given for either device.

The handset gained approval for its GSM/EDGE 850/1900 support in addition to WCDMA bands II and IV from the FCC. Aside from LTE connectivity, the Note is most known for its 5.3-inch 1280×800 display that blurs the line between tablet and smartphone. Inside waits a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU and 16GB of storage. This announcement was one of the biggest Android announcements at CES this year, and one of the most rumored ones. It was right up there with the Droid 4, that had been rumored for quite a few months.

Is a 5.3-inch device to big for you? Would you rather something smaller like a 4.3-inch or 4-inch? When do you think AT&T will officially release the device? Head down to the comments and let us know your thoughts.

NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note LTE AT&T – Hands On Video

Samsung Galaxy Note Unboxing and First Review [Video] Samsung Has Shipped 1 Million Galaxy Note’s Globally

Here is somewhat shocking news to come from Verizon today, recently we reported to you about the new $2 convenience fee Verizon was going to start charging their customers for paying their bill online or by phone, they have now decided to cancel that altogether.I’m sure that makes a lot of you Verizon customers very happy. Here is the full statement from Verizon below:

Verizon Wireless Will Not Institute Single Payment Fee

December 30, 2011

Verizon Wireless has decided it will not institute the fee for online or telephone single payments that was announced earlier this week.

The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan, which was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. The company continues to encourage customers to take advantage of the numerous simple and convenient payment methods it provides.

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers.  Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

Looks like Verizon actually listened to their customers this time. But I think most of this is to do with the FCC looking into this “convenience” fee.

Are you happy Verizon is cancelling this “convenience” fee? Let us know in the comments.

NEXT: Verizon Charging Extra $2 for Online and Over-the-phone payment Starting January 15

Unofficial Verizon phone listing Verizon Pantech Breakout – The LTE Android Phone for Just $99

We knew that the Motorola DROID RAZR won’t be the world’s thinnest smartphone forever.  We just didn’t expect its title to be challenged so soon.  And, the challenger?  The Fujitsu ARROWS F-07D, which recently made the rounds for approval at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Filings at the FCC showed that the device is merely 6.7 millimeters thin.  In comparison, the DROID RAZR is 0.4 mm thicker at 7.1 mm, whereas the difference is even more noticeable if you compare the ARROWS F-07D with the 9.3-mm Apple iPhone 4S.

The Fujitsu device also remains slim almost throughout its body, with no large hump at one end, like the ones you’d see on the DROID RAZR and the Samsung Galaxy S II.  The thinnest to the thickest point of F-07D only spans less than 2 mm.

Besides its thin form factor, the ARROWS F-07D also has other noteworthy features. According to reports on Ktai Watch, a 1.4-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor powers the device with Android 2.3 Gingerbread onboard. It also has 512 MB of RAM, 1 GB internal storage, a 5-MP camera, Micro USB and Micro HDMI ports, and a 4-inch OLED display with 480×854 resolution. The phone is also waterproof and protected by Gorilla Glass.

NTT DoCoMo will handle ARROWS F-07D’s launch in 2012, although price and availability to other markets are unclear for now.

Who’s wishing for this slim Android phone to arrive stateside?

NEXT: Motorola DROID RAZR GSM Variant Seen at FCC

Fujitsu-Toshiba Releasing Waterproof Android Phone With 4G/Wimax, 13MP Camera Droid RAZR Water Resistant Test