LG set to show Intel smartphone at CES 2012

The annual Consumer Electronics Show is fast approaching, and in true form, rumors and information are starting to appear. The latest news of interest comes from LG and Intel, who look set to show off a new Intel powered smartphone at this year's CES held January 10th-13th at the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to sources speaking to the Korea Times.

The phone will likely feature Intel's new Medfield chipset coupled with Android's mobile OS, and could hit store shelves as early as March according to Intel Korea's chief Lee Hee-Sung. "Intel’s chief executive Paul Otellini will release Intel’s first Android smartphone using our own platform at the CES," he commented.

"LG Electronics will produce Intel’s first Android smartphones that use Intel’s own mobile platform. The device will be shown at the CES," a top ranking LG official also told the newspaper.

At CES 2010, both manufacturers showed off a jointly developed phone prototype. Ultimately, the smartphone (video above) never made it to store shelves but the Intel dual core Atom based Moorestown chipset displayed impressive performance when demonstrated at the show.

Reports are conflicting though, with an LG executive speaking on the condition of anonymity saying he doubts the phone will be released, adding that in his personal opinion "it is somewhat possible that LG might push the reference of Intel mobiles but that this will include huge subsidies on the part of Intel for promotional purposes."

Requests for more information via official channels have resulted in both firms declining to confirm any information unfortunately, so we will have to wait until CES to see if the phone makes it to the show floor.

Pantech's Element is a waterproof 8-inch Android tablet, hands-on

We got some hands-on time with the just-announced Pantech Elementtablet for AT&T here at CES 2012. The Element is a unique Android tablet that features an 8-inch display and waterproof construction.

Oh, where to start. There are a lot of cool, different things to like about the Pantech Element. For starters, I really like the size and more square'ish aspect ratio of the 8-inch, 1024 x 768 pixel touchscreen display. It offers an obviously larger amount of screen real estate than competing 7-inch tablets, but is still worlds easier to handle than the 10-inch monsters we see all the time. I like that.

I also like the fact that this low-cost, LTE tablet comes with a solid performing dual-core, 1.5GHz processor. In my quick test runs on the tablet, everything performed very smoothly. I didn't have access to data, though, so I can't say how well it performs when it comes to download speeds. I can say that you can spill your drink on it with no ill effects, though, since it is fully water-proof for up to 30 minutes in 3 feet of water. I don't really see people taking tablets out in the rain often, but it's nice to know that it's perfectly safe on your desk. Coffee be damned.

AT&T will offer the Pantech Element on January 22 for $299 with a new two-year data plan commitment. For a limited time, buyers can get the Element along with the Pantech Burst smartphone in a bundle for $249.99.