Nintendo will release ‘Mario Kart Tour’ beta starting next month

We don’t really know much about this new mobile spin-off of Mario Kart, but it is coming. Nintendo just announced a “Closed Beta Test” for Mario Kart Tour. This sneak peek will be available to Android users in the US and Japan between May 22^nd and June 4^th. If you’re in either countries and want to check it out, you can sign up using the QR code on the official Mario Kart Tour website. The game is set to debut in “summer 2019” alongside Doctor Mario, a game Nintendo co-developed with messaging company Line. And yes, Mario Kart Tour is coming to iOS, too.

Source: Engadget

Nintendo says we won’t get new Switch at E3

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Despite what rumours say, there will not be a new Switch coming out at E3 this June. Nintendo’s CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said in yesterday’s earnings call that they are not announcing new hardware at the expo. He said, “As a general rule, we’re always working on new hardware and we will announce it when we are able to sell it, but we have no plans to announce that at this year’s E3 in June. E3 is scheduled to start on June 11^th.

Rumours claim there might be two new Switch consoles coming out this year, with a cheaper version expected to launch in June. And that may or may not happen, even without an E3 announcement, it seems highly unlikely for now.

Source: The Verge

Samsung does a take two of the Galaxy View

It’s a tablet but looks more like a portable TV—and its getting a second iteration. Samsung is launching the aptly named Galaxy View 2 in the US with AT&T teasing its release. It comes with a 17.3-inch 1080p display and comes with a built-in cover that doubles as a kickstand. It runs on a mid-tier 1.6GHz Exynos 7884 octa-core chip, 3GB of RAM, a front-facing 5-megapixel camera, and 64GB expandable storage. Since it’s designed for entertainment purposes, it comes with Dolby Atmos audio and a gigantic 12,000mAh battery. Since it’s launching with AT&T it comes with built-in LTE support for calling (if you want to).

It’ll be coming to the US on April 26^th through a US$37 per month, 20-month installment plan. This means the Galaxy View 2 will cost $740, which is $140 more than the original View. But if you’ve been looking for a pretty hefty portable TV/tablet, here’s one to consider.

Source: Engadget

LG is reportedly stopping production of its phones in Korea

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While there is a lot of pride invested in LG being able to put the “Made in Korea” label on its best mobile devices, it seems the company’s financial troubles might put a stop to this practice. A new report from Korea’s Yonhap News Agency claims the company is discontinuing its smartphone manufacturing at home. The report suggests LG will reallocate its current Korean production to a plant in Vietnam. LG’s manufacturing in Korea usually focuses on the flagship devices, which Reuters says accounts for a tenth and a fifth of LG’s total phone output. But with LG Mobile failing to turn a profit, they might be looking for ways to cut costs. It doesn’t seem likely for LG to raise its prices as they seem to be falling behind its rivals in the Android space.

Source: The Verge