this week

Geeksphone Peak+ with 1GB RAM goes on pre-order for €150

Geeksphone has started taking pre-orders for the Peak+ Firefox-powered phone. Geeksphone typically makes phones targeted at devs or tech savvy enthusiast, but says the Peak+ is also ready for consumers.
It's a small upgrade over the regular Peak – the RAM has been doubled to 1GB and the material used for the exterior has been changed to make it feel better to the touch. The phone will come with Firefox OS 1.1 out of the box, the same version the other two (Peak and Keon) recently got.


Other than that, you're still getting a Snapdragon 8225 S4 Play chipset (dual-core Cortex-A5 at 1.2GHz, Adreno 203 GPU), 4.3" IPS screen qHD (540 x 960) resolution, 4GB storage plus microSD cards slot and a 1,800mAh battery.
The Geeksphone Peak+ pre-order is at a promo price of €150 ($200), the same as the original Peak. This price will go up slightly after the initial batch of units is sold out (there's no indication what the standard price will be). The original Peak sold out fairly quickly.
If you pre-order now, Geeksphone will ship your Peak+ in mid-September.

Android may soon support 4K displays

You may have thought that smartphone displays would be stopping at 1080p, and tablets may take a while to move past the 2560x1600, but some new code inside Android 4.3 indicates that Google is getting ready to offer support for crazy high pixel density as well as 4K displays. Apparently, Android 4.3 has added support for XXXHDPI, which is for screens with an approximate DPI of 640.

Let's roll back a bit to give some context there. Android smartphones started out in the Medium DPI (MDPI) range of ~160ppi, which is what you'd find on the T-Mobile G1. Eventually, we moved up to HDPI (~240ppi), which was the Nexus S type display. We then blew right through the XHDPI range (~320ppi) which were essentially the 720p displays on devices like the Nexus 4, and we are now in the world of the XXHDPI range (~480ppi) which you'll find on 1080p displays like the HTC One.

Samsung Galaxy Note III leaks out again: 5.7" screen, 3GB RAM, Android 4.3

The Samsung Galaxy Note III will feature a 5.7-inch display, 3GB of RAM and the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, according to the latest leaks coming from Korea’s Business Daily.
The alleged Galaxy Note III spec sheet has surfaced and it shows the device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip and support the latest 4G LTE-A standard, allowing twice the speed of traditional LTE.Most importantly, the G Note III is once again said to come with a 5.7-inch display, and not the 6-inch one we’ve initially heard about from rumors.Design-wise, there seems to be a metal ring encircling the third-gen phablet, adding a more premium feel to it. Samsung is expected to officially announce the Galaxy Note III at its IFA event in Berlin on September 4th.

New Google Nexus 10 on the way?

With all off the hubbub over the new version of the Google Nexus 7, featuring a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a higher-resolution screen and Android 4.3 installed, there is some talk about a refreshed version of the Google Nexus 10. This information is said to come from none other than Google's own Sundar Pichai, who told a plugged-in WSJ reporter about the tablet.
Amir Efrati, a reporter for the businessman's bible, sent out a tweet earlier on Wednesday, saying that he was told by Pichai that a new Google Nexus 10 should be expected in the near future. Just like the current version of the slate, the new version would be manufactured by Samsung. With the tablet running Android 4.3 at present, depending on when the revised version of the Nexus 10 would be released, Android 5.0 just might be debuted on the device.

6" Nokia Lumia phablet front panel pictured

Rumors of a phablet in the works from Nokia for a while now. Back in May we even saw a (blurry) glimpse of what appeared to be a large-screened Nokia device, expected to see the light of day as the Lumia 1030.
This latest leak which supposedly comes from a factory floor in China brings the phablet one step closer to reality. It measures 6-inches in diagonal and is supposedly already being mass-produced by Nokia.

As you can tell from the image, it has a very thin bezel and looks to also feature a slot for a front-facing camera. Unfortunately there's nothing else that we can make out from it and the source didn't provide any additional specs either.
It's possible Nokia may be readying this device for the anticipated Windows Phone GDR3 update. The new release is set to start seeding by the end of the year and will add support for 1080p resolution to the Windows Phone 8 platform as well as an additional column of tiles - perfect for larger, phablet-esque displays.

Nokia Lumia 625 brings a 4.7" screen

The Nokia Lumia 625 is an entry-level Windows Phone 8 handset with a rather big (for the class) screen – 4.7".
That's not groundbreaking, though as the WP7-powered HTC Titan had a 4.7" screen back in 2011. The Lumia 625 is mostly a stretched out 620 with some additional extras.


The Nokia Lumia 625 has a 4.7" IPS LCD with WVGA resolution (480 x 800, 201ppi) and "2.25D" curved Gorilla Glass 2 ("2.5D" has curved edges, we guess "2.25D" means less curvy"). The screen packs Nokia's proprietary image tuning options that let you change the color profile. It has super sensitive touch too, meaning it works with gloves and fingernails.
The phone measures 133.3 x 72.3 x 9.3mm and weighs 159g, roughly the dimensions of the One X, but 29g heavier.
The Nokia Lumia 625 continues the WP tradition of having entry-level phones with fairly high specs (compared to Android's entry level). It packs a dual-core Krait processor at 1.2GHz, 512MB RAM and 8GB of built-in storage, expandable with a microSD card slot.
There's HSPA+ and 4G LTE connectivity, along with Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + LE and GPS + GLONASS for positioning. Nokia's HERE mapping suit is on board with HERE Drive beta (it gives you free offline GPS navigation for one country).
The main camera is a 5MP shooter that can capture 1080p video and the front-facing camera has VGA resolution. There's an LED flash and one HD mic. Other goodies include Smart Camera and FM radio, meaning the Lumia 625 comes with the Amber update. Free Nokia Music subscription is also included.


The Nokia Lumia 625 will launch in China, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, Africa and Latin America in Q3 2013 in a variety of colors (orange, yellow, bright green, white and black), with exchangeable semitransparent shells to easily switch colors (just like the 620).
In the UK, the Lumia 625 is expected in September for £200 though EE, Vodafone and O2 as well as retailers Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U. Elsewhere the price will be €220 before taxes and subsidies.

Nexus 7 brings WUXGA screen, quad-core Krait CPU

New Nexus 7  a 7" tablet running pure Android 4.3 and improves the screen and chipset over the first generation Nexus tablet. The base price is set at $230, a little higher than the $200 that the first Nexus 7 costs (both prices are for the respective 16GB model).
So, what do you get for the extra $30? A 1920 x 1200 screen with 320ppi pixel density (50% more than the first Nexus 7 and more than even the Nexus 10) for one. It's the highest resolution 7" display on a tablet. The screen also promises a 30% wider color gamut.
You also get the chipset from the Nexus 4 – Snapdragon S4 Pro with quad-core Krait processor at 1.5GHz, 2GB RAM and Adreno 320, a sizable update over the Tegra 3 chipset.
While the display size was kept the same, the new Nexus 7 is smaller. Google and Asus shaved off 1.8mm off the thickness, 2.8mm of the bezels on either sides and reduced the weight by 50g. Google kept well-liked the soft touch back.


There's also a back-facing camera – a 5MP shooter that can also record 1080p video joins the 1.2MP front-facing camera of the first Nexus 7. Other changes include an LED notification light on the front and SlimPort, which means you can get HD video out of the microUSB port.
Other connectivity features are dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 (Android 4.3 adds native support for 4.0 + LE) and NFC. Wireless charging is also supported.
Google announced the Wi-Fi and 4G LTE models of the Nexus 7 from the get go this time around. One device will be able to use 4G from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, no different versions required.
For storage, there's 16GB for the base model, $230, and 32GB for $270. Those prices are for the Wi-Fi only model, the 4G LTE model comes in 32GB only and costs $350.
The Nexus 7 2 will be available starting Tuesday (July 30) through the Google Play store and a number of retailers including Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Staples, Amazon.com.
In the coming weeks, Google will expand availability for the Nexus 7 2 to Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

Exynos 5 Octa 5420 is 20% faster, set to star in the Galaxy Note III

The new Exynos 5 Octa 5420, which is likely to power the Samsung Galaxy Note III, is retaining its ARM big.LITTLE architecture with four Cortex A15 and Cortex A7 cores. Thanks to a boost in the clock speeds of both quartets of CPU cores, the new Exynos 5 Octa packs 20% more punch than its predecessor. The quad Cortex A15 now run at up to 1.8GHz, as opposed to 1.6GHz in the 5410 version, while the Cortex A7 can now operate at 1.3GHz, compared to 1.2GHz in the previous version.

Samsung has opted out of using Imagination's PowerVRSGX544MP3 graphics of its new gen Octa chip and has decided to use the 6-core ARM Mali-T628 MP6. The memory is updated as well and while its the same dual-channel 32-bit LPDDR configuration it can now support up to 1866MHz clock speed. This results in a maximum bandwidth of 14.9Gbps.
As a result of this boost in the memory, the new Exynos 5 Octa comes with full HD Wi-Fi display support. As with any new generation chip, Samsung has made improvements in the energy department and the 5420 chip is more efficient when used on high-resolution display devices, improving battery life.
Samsung says the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 is now sampling and will enter mass production in August. That means the chipset will be ready just in time for the Galaxy Note III announcement, which should happen on September 4.

New high-res Google Nexus 7 up for preorder

Today we'll be seeing the second generation of the Google Nexus 7 tablet that last year started the upward climb of Android tablets market share, and the full list of specs and the price has already leaked out.

  

Best Buy obviously concluded that there is no point in hiding the device anymore, so it is up for preorder, reconfirming the price rumors: $229.99 for the 16 GB versions, and $269.99 for the 32 GB variation.

Not bad at all when  consider the 1920x1200 pixels 7" screen with 300 nits of brightness, 2 GB of RAM and the quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro that is powering it. There are also a 5 MP camera on the rear and 1.2 MP front shooter, while the whole package is just 0.3" thin. The newest Android 4.3 jelly bean is running the show, which we should see detailed at Google's event today as well.

DROID Ultra and DROID Maxx made official by Verizon

Verizon and Motorola have just announced their latest collaboration with the updated DROID family of phones.

    

Motorola DROID Ultra in red

As per tradition, the Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID Maxx feature an improved Kevlar body, which makes them stronger yet thinner than their last-gen DROID counterparts. They also feature a water-repellent nano-coating that should keep them dry.                                                                                               
Motorola has built an entirely new system-on-a-chip called the Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System. It packs a dual-core 1.7GHz CPU, quad graphics cores and, more interestingly, a contextual computing core alongside a core for processing natural language. The company didn't disclose any further details regarding the CPU and GPU, but they did reveal that the processor is 24% punchier than the previous generation DROID phones and the graphics - twice as fast. There's also 2GB of RAM onboard as well.                                                             
At the back, both phones pack a 10 MP camera with f/2.4 lens and LED flash. They also share the same screen - a 5" OLED (no PenTile here) display of 720p resolution. There's also 32GB of on-board memory and 4G LTE, complete with NFC connectivity with 48 hours of battery life as the phone's key feature.There's also wireless charging as well. The DROID Ultra is much tinner, at 7.18mm and Verizon dubs it "the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone."

DROID Mini gets announced by Verizon 

A refresh of last year's DROID RAZR M, the DROID Mini is Motorola's/Verizon's attempt jump onboard the 'Mini' nomenclature alongside recent similar offerings from Samsung and HTC.The Mini is part of Verizon's just-announced refresh of their DROID lineup, alongside the new DROID Ultra and DROID Maxx.

  

As expected, the DROID Mini is the smallest of the new trio, sporting a 4.3-inch 720p screen. It is the only one to feature Motorola's edge-to-edge display, aimed at minimizing the bezels on either side of the screen.Other specs include a dual-core 1.7 GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, a 10MP camera capable of 1080p video recording, alongside a 2MP front-facer also capable of fullHD recording. All of this will be powered by a 2130 mAh battery.                                                                                                                  

Like the previous DROID, it features Kevlar protection, although this model features a reinforced unibody to go with the Gorilla Glass up front.                                                                                                                 

There's also a few software optimizations thrown into the mix, such as Droid Zap, which lets you quickly send files to other smartphones via the cloud. The new camera interface from Motorola is also here, which aims to minimize the amount of icons cluttering the screen.                                                                                      .

this week

HTC One mini goes official with 4.3" 720 screen, dual-core Krait

The HTC One mini is built around 4.3" display of 720p resolution resulting in a density of 341 pixels per inch. The screen itself is of the S-LCD2 variety and is protected from scratches by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3.Under the hood of the HTC One Mini there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with 1.4GHz dual-core Krait 300 CPU, Adreno 305 and 1GB of RAM. The internal memory is 16GB and sadly, there isn't a microSD card slot for expanding it.

HTC One mini official photos
The HTC One mini runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with HTC' Sense 5 UI icing on top. It gets treated to HTC's BlinkFeed and Beats Audio technology as well.
At the back of the HTC One mini resides the same 4MP UltraPixel camera found on the HTC One. The only difference between them is the lack of optical image stabilization on the One mini. You still get HTC's ImageChip 2 and a BSI sensor of 1/3" size, though.
The camera is capable of shooting 1080p videos with HDR and the LED flash next to it uses five levels of luminance (Smart Flash). HTC's Zoe is available as well, along with slow motion video recording with variable speed playback. The front-facing camera is 1.6MP and sports a BSI sensor that can shoot 720p videos.

HTC One mini live photos
Measuring 132 x 63.2 x 9.25 the HTC One mini weighs 122 grams. The battery that powers it is an 1,800mAh Li-polymer unit and according to the HTC estimates is good for up to 13.2 hours of 3G talk time and 692 hours of 3G stand-by.
Connectivity is covered with LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX enabled, Wi-FI a/b/g/n with DLNA and GPS + GLONASS. HTC has provided a range of sensors, too - there's a gyro, accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors
The HTC One mini will be available in grey (Glacial Silver) and black (Stealth Black) for select markets starting from August for an estimated €449. Global rollout and availability will begin from September..

Darling Will Bring OS X Apps To Linux

Now to get all the Apple OS X programs and applications on Linux-based operating systems.

The concept is quite similar to Wine, the layer that allows Windows applications to run on Linux OS. The Darling project is attempting to create a similar layer of software compatibility to run OS X apps on Linux.As of now, the project has managed to get a small number of OS X programs which are working on Linux with Darling. Additionally, the project is testing various other apps, like Midnight Commander, QREncoder, Bayon, The Unarchiver and World of Warcraft. Though the project has not explained which apps will be compatible and non-compatible with the Darling layer.It is expected that this Darling layer will also be able to run iOS applications as the software it is targeting have been compiled using the Darwin software kernel, which is the base for both iOS and OS X.Another interesting aspect is that if the iOS applications are successfully ported to Linux, then probably the Linux-based Android OS will be able to run iOS apps too! Sounds exciting but there might be some time before it happens as the wiki page of Project Darling says there numerous technical barriers in this way. Starting from porting assembly code in the ARM-based Risc chip architecture used in smartphone handsets to adding support for relevant software frameworks.The Darling is based on GNUstep, which is an open source execution of Apple's Objective-C software libraries which is aimed to let applications be built in a way that they can be run on Macintosh, Unix and Windows systems.

 BlackBerry A10 leak specs and features

An internal slide for the BlackBerry A10 has been made public, and sheds some light on what you can expect from the upcoming device. In the below slide you'll see the A10 with its characteristic white band across the bottom, alongside a list of specs.

While the slide dates from back in May, and some specs may have changed since then, it does confirm that the 5-inch display will be of the 720p variety (rather than fullHD, as found on most recent 5-inch Android flagships). There's also mention of the dual-core Qualcomm processor, which will be clocked at 1.7 GHz, rather than 1.5 GHz as we previously heard.
Unfortunately, this latest leak does not indicated pricing or availability of the BlackBerry A10, but we'll keep you posted when we hear more on that front.

Leak Nokia Lumia 625 with 4.7-inch display and LTE

Nokia is working on a new Lumia phone, which is expected to launch shortly. Called the Lumia 625, it is said to be the cheapest Lumia phone in Nokia's range.
According to the sources at The Verge, the Lumia 625 will have a 4.7-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display, which is the largest for a Lumia phone so far. Other specs include a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5 megapixel camera.
The Lumia 625 will be releasing in China shortly for CNY1999 ($325) in multiple colors. No word yet on international availability.
This is the right step for Nokia as low-end devices is exactly what both Nokia and Windows Phone needs to increase market share. Now it's time for Microsoft to step up its game and introduce new features through regular updates.

Samsung plans a new Android flip-phone

By now, we all understand that Samsung's business model is the complete opposite of Apple. Where Apple focuses on a few devices and tries to make each device fit the needs of as many users as possible, Samsung wants to make sure it has a specific device for every single potential customer. And, it seems that even includes the flip-phone market.The new word from Korea is that Samsung is planning to release an Android powered flip-phone in August that will be called the Samsung Galaxy Folder (get it?). The device will feature a 480x800 WVGA display and a dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, along with LTE, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Sony Xperia Honami leak, 20 MP camera confirmed

Sony's upcoming cameraphone flagship has been spotted in few leaked images earlier and now, the specifications of the device have been leaked.


The Sony Xperia Honami will reportedly sport a 5-inch display of 1080p resolution. The smartphone is going to be powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and feature 2 GB of RAM. The 20 megapixel Exmor RS main camera will feature Sony G-lens and BIONZ image processor, but its sensor will measure 1/2.3" rather than the previously rumored 1/1.6".
The impressive snapper will be joined by a 2 megapixel front facing snapper. The smartphone will have 16 GB of expandable storage to save all those shots and will draw its juice from a 3,000mAh battery.Sony Xperia Honami is said to be IP57 certified, which it is completely dust-protected and it will withstand a meter of water for 30 minutes. The Xperia Honami reportedly measures 144 x 73.9 x 8.3mm and will come with a great set of connectivity options along with latest version of the Android OS - 4.2. The upcoming flagship smartphone from Sony is expected to compete against the likes of other camera-phones such as Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and, more importantly, the Nokia Lumia 1020.
Sony is set to unveil its Honami smartphone at its press event on September 4 at the IFA expo in Berlin.

Leaked photo of new HP smartphone

Leaked render of a new HP smartphone

A rendering of an HP branded smartphone came to our attention on Monday night from one of our sources. What made this an interesting and timely leak is that back when this month was young, HP Senior Director Yam Su Yin was quoted as saying that the company was planning on returning to the smartphone business with a unique model. The executive was quoted as saying that "HP has to be in the game."
HP killed off the U.S. launch of the HP Pre 3 in 2011 after a limited European release of the device. But HP no longer owns webOS, which was sold to LG in February for use on the Korean manufacturer's television sets. HP currently uses Android on its 7 inch HP Slate 7 tablet and it appears that Google's open source OS will also be powering the Palo Alto based firm's new smartphone. Our tipster didn't leave us any information about pricing or specs, but the timing of this leak, coming just a couple of weeks after an HP executive says that HP needs to be in the game, is awfully fascinating.

iPhone 5S photos appear, specs hint at 12 MP camera, higher CPU clock, quad-core GPU

Parts for the iPhone 5S have leaked quite a few times before, and now we have another batch of what seems to be chassis waiting to be stuffed with internal silicon.

The more interesting part here are the claimed specs accompanying them, which say that we'll get a 4" 1136×640 pixels IGZO display, meaning high brightness at frugal battery consumption, the same A6 SoC like in the iPhone5, but clocked higher, and a quad-core PowerVR SGX544MP4 GPU, instead of the tri-core unit we have now.The source also confirms 2 GB of RAM, NFC at last and the elusive fingerprint scanner we've been hearing about for a while, linked to mobile payment system of sorts, though we have to see the two gigs of RAM listed officially to believe them. As for the camera, it gets downgraded a bit in terms of resolution from the last leaks, claimed to be 12 MP instead of 13 MP now, but a dual LED flash system is confirmed

BlackBerry A10 renders reveal removable back cover and side-loaded SIM slot

BlackBerry A10 Aristo have been leaked and the renders reveal that the left side of the device will feature a side-loaded SIM slot as well as hosting both the micro USB port and the HDMI-out port. Another diagram shows a removable back cover for the BlackBerry A10.That might not seem like a big deal, but many of today's flagship models seal in the cell.Just because there is a removable battery door doesn't necessarily mean that the battery itself can be swapped. Especially since the 2800 mAh battery rumored to be powering the 5 inch 'Berry is supposedly going to be non-removable. We've seen a series of leaks showing the back of the phone, the front of the phone and a video showing the device in action. As responsive as the UI looks, the A10 does not offer flagship-type specs. The resolution on the 5 inch screen is expected to be offer a resolution of 720 x 1280 with a dual-core processor and an 8MP rear-facing camera. The latest buzz around the water cooler is that the Canadian OEM is having problems squeezing enough battery life out of an FHD resolution.

Images of the BlackBerry A10 show the micro USB port, HDMI-outport and a side-loading SIM slot

this week

Nokia gives us 10 reasons to get excited about the Lumia 1020

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a lot of camera for a smartphone and Nokia likes to remind of that. It its latest piece the Nokia Conversations Blog has detailed 10 reasons why the Lumia 1020 is the most exciting name of the season.

The first seven reasons revolve around the brilliant 41 MP PureView sensor and its software. They detail the Pro Camera suite that captures photos “like a pro”, the next-generation optical image stabilization, the versatile shutter speed, which is great for quick shots and bulb photography with long exposure.
Another strong point of the Lumia 1020, according to Nokia, is the Windows Phone 8 OS that comes built in, offering around 165 thousand apps, including Nokia lenses, Nokia Music, Microsoft Office.The final two reasons are about the video recording which gives you 6 times lossless zoom (in 720p mode that is) and brilliant stereo sound recording, thanks to two very sensitive microphones which can handle sound pressure levels six times louder that competitive smartphone products.

Windows Phone GDR3 to bring 5-, 6-inch 1080p devices later this year, Windows Phone Blue will introduce notification center in 2014

Windows Phone 8 was a huge update over the initial WP7 bringing support for key features like multi-core processors and microSD cards, but since it launched Microsoft has been very quiet when it comes to updates. The company basically hasn’t released anything major since then.

Now, we have just saw it detail the changelog of a minor update that’s coming up, the General Distribution Release 2 (GDR2). It brings improvements to Xbox Music, an FM radio feature, and the capability to set a camera Lens as the default camera app. Some other stability improvements and minor changes are coming with it too, but nothing big.Why is that and what is Microsoft doing, you might be wondering. Whispers say Microsoft has entered “shut up and ship” mode as it has fully focused on delivering a massive Windows Phone Blue update and that’s coming up in 2014. Windows Phone Blue should introduce huge changes like a new notification center, better multitasking, and changes to the core Windows Phone apps, according to The Verge.It is also possible that some of the WP Blue features arrive earlier as part of a GDR3 update coming later in 2013. The biggest novelty coming with it will be support for 5-inch and 6-inch Windows Phone devices with 1080p screens and quad-core chips. Those devices will also come later this year.

Nokia Lumia 1020: smaller sensor camera than 808 PureView, but could capture the best images of any smartphone

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a mind-boggling smartphone that just arrived in our office and as it’s making the rounds ahead of our first in-depth look (stay tuned!), we have to clarify a few things about its most important feature - the camera.The Lumia 1020 comes with a 41-megapixel camera and at first look - judging by the pixel count - one would think that this means the size of the sensor (the part of the camera that collects light) is the same as the one in the 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView. Turns out, that is not exactly true.The Nokia Lumia 1020 actually has a very large by smartphone standards but still smaller sensor than the one in the 808 PureView. While the one on the 808 measures 1/1.2” in size, the 1020 has a 1/1.5” sensor. What this means is that you have less space and smaller pixels. Without the oversampling, the physical size of pixels on the Lumia 1020 is 1.12µm compared to the larger 1.34µm on the 808.

Lumia 1020 has a sensor (2/3) that is much larger than that of a traditional smartphone (1/3.2).

We have gotten a bit technical here, so let us explain what this means. Pixels are like buckets, but instead of collecting water, they collect light. The bigger the pixel the more light it collects and the more light it collects the better the images at night time and other situations where light is scarce. At first sight, that means the Lumia 1020 has a slight disadvantage when fared against its older sibling, the 808 PureView.
Let’s not jump into conclusions that quickly, though. The new Nokia Lumia 1020 has some key advantages that come with that smaller sensor. The most obvious is the physical size of the device, it’s much slimmer than the chubby 808 PureView. Next, the small size made it possible for Nokia to include optical image stabilization (OIS) that allows for longer exposure times and ultimately better video and low light shots.Finally, this is not the same sensor as on the 808 PureView. Despite its larger sized, the 808 used front-side illumination, a more primitive camera technology where wires connecting the camera pixels with the phone got in the way of light and stopped some of it. The Lumia 1020 has a modern backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor with those wires not getting in the way, and allowing for the full lightstream to hit the pixels.

Lumia 1020 camera sensor (top right) dwarfs traditional smartphone cameras.

In reality, this means that despite the smaller sensor size, Nokia has made some key improvements that should yield similar if not sharper and better images on new Lumia 1020.In conclusion, we’d like to also mention the lossless zoom capabilities of the new Nokia camera superphone. The Lumia 1020 has a zoom range of 25-69mm in SLR terms for image still and 25-100mm for 1080p video. Its f/2.2 aperture however does not drop when you go into higher zoom levels. That is one huge advantage as even the most complex DSLR lenses close the aperture and require much longer exposure times. The Lumia 1020 does not suffer from those mechanical problems.

Image of the most powerful Berry, the BlackBerry A10 Aristo, leaks

  On Wednesday, we told you about a BlackBerry road map that had leaked. Actually, considering that the road map consisted of just two phones, it wasn't much of a map after all. One of the two handsets, the BlackBerry 9720, is a BlackBerry OS 7 powered device for emerging markets. The more intriguing model is the one that BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins says gets him excited. That model is the BlackBerry A10 Aristo. The model is supposed to be the most powerful 'Berry ever, but still will only feature a dual-core processor. And the resolution of the 5 inch Super AMOLED screen is pegged by those in the know as being 720 x 1280 compared to the 1080 x 1920 seen on many high end Android models. This is going to result in a pixel density well below the industry leading 468ppi pixel density seen on the HTC One. As we noted yesterday, BlackBerry can't seem to shake the habit of offering devices with specs that trail behind iOS and Android models.Meanwhile, a picture of the BlackBerry A10 Aristo has leaked and the picture shows a more rounded handset than the BlackBerry Z10. Speculation calls for a back cover that is similar to the one on the BlackBerry Q10 with its weaved glass. The A10 is supposedly going to launch in November and Sprint is rumored to be one of the U.S. carriers involved.

Microsoft posts Windows Phone 8 GDR2 changelog, doesn't mention the features we expect

We have heard bits and pieces about the next update for Windows Phone 8, codenamed GDR2, and we were getting pretty excited to see some of the features that were rumored to be included. Today, Microsoft posted the changelog for the GDR2 update, and unfortunately it doesn't list the features that we expected to see, although that doesn't mean they won't be in the update. The features Microsoft lists are:

• Xbox Music. It's now easier to select, download, and pin music. Plus, music fans will see more accurate metadata (such as song and album information) and many other performance improvements.
• FM radio. Listen to FM radio right from the Music+Videos hub. (Not available for all phones.)
• Data Sense. Stay on top of your phone's data usage with Data Sense. You can set a limit based on your data plan, or just keep track of which apps use the most data. (Not all mobile operators offer Data Sense.)
• Skype. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) apps like Lync and Skype now feature improved stability and performance.
• Internet Explorer. Your web browsing experience is now better than ever with improved HTML 5 compatibility.
• Camera. Set your favorite Lens so it opens automatically when you press the camera button. (Not available for all phones.)
• Other improvements. Includes many other improvements to Windows Phone.

It's that "other improvements" category that we're interested in, because while the other improvements do sound pretty nice, we had heard that GDR2 was going to bring CalDAV and CardDAV support for Gmail users, which is one feature that we would really like to see as soon as possible. Another rumor was that GDR2 would start the habit of Microsoft updatesbeing bundled with OEM updates. We didn't really expect that to be in the changelog though.

LG working on first Windows Phone 8 device, hasn't decided to release it though

LG has been one of the manufacturers on the rise in the Android ecosystem. The Optimus G has sold well around the world, and of course LG was the manufacturer of the Nexus 4, and is rumored to be making the Nexus 5 as well. But, the company may be looking beyond Android and towards Windows Phone.

LG’s Managing Director for the Indian market Soon H Kwon told Light Reading India, "At home (South Korea), we are actually working on our Windows Phone 8 OS powered smartphone." Although Kwon did note that LG had yet to come to a decision as to if the device would be released or not.

Kwon didn't want to give the wrong impression though, and said that the company is still fully committed to Android, saying, "Android is the major platform globally, given its acceptance and penetration. Although, we believe that Windows will pick up going ahead, as Microsoft is pumping efforts into it."

Nokia already teasing the "next major launch" for later this year

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is barely out the door and Nokia is already teasing the "next major launch" that is planned for later this year. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop casually tossed in the phrase during the question and answer section after today's announcement of the 1020. The idea that there would be another Nokia device this year isn't anything surprising, but the idea that it would be a "major launch" is interesting.

It's pretty common to expect two major releases per year from a mobile manufacturer. Regardless of the smaller releases, Samsung's major releases are the Galaxy S in the spring and the Galaxy Note in the fall. HTC has the One in the spring and the One mini in the fall. Even Google is expected to release the Nexus 7 this month, and the Nexus 5 and 10 refresh in the fall. So, it sounds like Nokia is going with the 1020 now, and another "major launch" in time for the holiday season.

The key of course is the word "major", which implies it won't be refreshes or variants on the 1020, like the Lumia 925 and 928 were compared to the 920. "Major" implies a flagship device worthy of a larger model number bump. Of course, implying something and actually delivering are two different things, so we'll have to wait and see what's to come from Nokia.

Nokia Lumia 1020 now official, 41MP OIS camera 

Nokia Lumia 1020 - the company's new Windows Phone 8 cameraphone flagship.
The Nokia Lumia 1020's centerpiece is the 41MP autofocus PureView camera with a huge (by smartphone standards) 1/1.2" BSI sensor, 6-lens ZEISS optics and optical image stabilization. It is coupled with LED flash used for video shooting and a proper xenon flash.

The Lumia 1020's optically stabilized 41MP image sensor that can snap 40MP and 5MP photos at the same time – one straight off the sensor and one after Nokia's Super sampling has been applied. The other 41MP cameraphone - 808 PureView can only shoot one or the other at a time.
To make the best out of this beast of a camera, the Nokia ships the Lumia 1020 with its Pro Camera and Smart Camera camera lens apps. They'll allow advanced users fiddle with the camera settings and get the most out of the impressive shooter - there's even a full manual mode, which is a rarity outside prosumer or pro-grade cameras. At the front, there's a secondary 1.2MP wide-angle camera.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 in black
Nokia Lumia 1020 can capture videos of up to 1080p resolution and thanks to the high-res sensor it features lossless zoom. You can zoom in up to 3 times in 1080p mode and up to 6 times when shooting 720p video without sacrificing much in terms of quality. Sound is recorded in stereo and is guaranteed to be crisp and deep thanks to the two wide dynamic range microphones on board.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 internals don't bring many surprises as the smartphone is powered by the same Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU as the Nokia Lumia 925. A nice addition is the 2GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. As usual, Nokia and Microsoft have teamed up and provide 7GB of free SkyDrive storage.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 in yellow
You'll be able to admire the beautiful photos taken with the 41MP camera on the 4.5" Clear Black AMOLED display of 1280 x 768 pixels resolution. It is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and features Nokia's PureMotion HD+ technology for smoother animations. Super Sensitive Touch technology is present, too, allowing you to operate the phone with gloves and nails. Nokia Glance Screen is available thanks to the Windows Phone 8 Amber update.
Local Connectivity is standard and includes Bluetooth 3.0, NFC (featuring SIM-based security), dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and GPS with Glonass support. Network support is quite wide covered with quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 42Mbps UMTS/HSPA and LTE support.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 in white
The Nokia Lumia 1020 is powered by a 2000mAh capacity and supports wireless charging via an accessory cover (purchased separately). The Finns say the phone will be able to last 16 days on standby and provide 13.3 hours of talk time. Video and music playback endurance are rated at 6.8 and 63 hours, respectively.
This impressive camera module is certainly pretty large, but the Lumia 1020 isn't too bulky overall. At 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm, the smartphone is pretty much the same size as the Lumia 920, except that this time there's a large bump on the back. The Lumia 1020 is also lighter than its predecessor, tipping the scales at 158 grams.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 will be available in yellow, white and black. It will hit AT&T on July 26 for $299.99 with a two-year contract. If you want to be among the first to have it, you can pre-orders your unit starting from July 16.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 is then expected to arrive in China and key European markets before the end of the quarter. Nokia plans to ship an exclusive variant of the device with Telefonica to select European and Latin American markets.

Image of Xiaomi Mi3 leaks, 5.5-inch 1080p display 

We've been seeing rumors about the third-generation Xiaomi smartphone for some time now and we even got a glimpse of it thanks to a few leaked images. Now, another image of the Xiaomi Mi3 has been leaked.


The source that leaked the images of the Xiaomi Mi3 prototype suggests a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is a nice upgrade over the previous edition of the Xiaomi that sported a 4.3-inch 720p display.
If the rumors are to be trusted, the Xiaomi Mi3 will feature 3 GB of RAM, which will put in on par with upcoming flagship from top-tier manufacturers. Furthermore, the upcoming smartphone is said to come out with a 13 megapixel camera at the back, 5 megapixel front facing camera, built-in NFC, HIFI quality stereo and a 3,600mAh battery.
The Xiaomi Mi3 is rumored to be launched on 16 August, but there is no official confirmation of an event for now.

Swipe MTV Slash 7-inch Fablet officially launched for Rs. 9490

MTV India and Swipe Telecom has partnered once again to launch the Slash, a 7-inch device in Swipe’s Fablet series. It went on sale yesterday from online retailer Snapdeal. It has a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED Flash and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby and comes with 3G support.
It comes pre-loaded with MTV India that offers exclusive access to all the MTV Shows, Blogs, Videos, Web Shows, Buzz, Photos, Downloads and more. The MTV Funny app provides funny pictures, trolls and memes from funny people on the internet and the‘MTV Hottie app provides a peek into MTV Splitsvilla contestants across five seasons.
 Swipe MTV Slash specifications

• 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) capacitive 5-point multi-touch display
• Android 4.1.2  (Jelly Bean) OS
• 9 mm thick and weighs 290 grams
• 1 GHz processor
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with dual standby.
• 5MP rear camera with LED Flash
• 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with recording
• 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
• 1GB DDR3 RAM, 4GB internal memory , 32GB expandable memory with microSD
• 3000 mAh battery

The MTV Slash by Swipe is priced at Rs. 9,490

Spice Pinnacle FHD Mi-525 with 5-inch 1080p display, 1.5 GHz quad-core processor launched for Rs. 16990

S Mobility has launched the Stellar Pinnacle FHD Mi-525, the company’s latest flagship smartphone. It has a 5.0-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, powered by 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with dual LED Flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It has Pop- up play to play, Flip to Mute to mute the calls, Intelligent Answer; Direct Call and Spice Cloud backup support with seamless data sync and 2GB of free data storage. It has dual SIM support with dual standby.
Spice Pinnacle FHD Mi-525 specifications

• 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display
• 1.5 GHz quad-core processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM (3G + 3G) with Dual Standby
• 8 MP auto focus camera with dual LED Flash, 1080p Full HD video recording
• 2 MP front-facing camera
• 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, aGPS
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB
• Proximity Sensor / Gyro Sensor / Ambient Light Sensor / G-Sensor
• 2100mAh Li-ion-Polymer battery

The Spice Pinnacle FHD Mi-525 is priced at Rs. 16,990 and is available from Saholic (ships on 20th July). It would be available through major retail stores across India from 20th July, 2013.

LG Optimus G2 leaks out in clear photos

The LG Optimus G2 made yet another pre-announcement appearance.

The leaked photos showcase the upcoming smartphone in its full glory. We get to have a proper look at the device's hardware, including the much talked about volume rocker on its back.



The images reveal some details of the smartphone's UI too. The LG Optimus G2 caught in the photos is booting Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and runs on Sprint Wireless in the United States.
The camera UI gets exposed too. It shows well-spaced buttons which take full advantage of the rumored 5.2" display of the device.

Microsoft hints it could make phones

Microsoft has just announced a radical overhaul of its whole organization structure and there is one huge takeaway that we’d like to emphasize. Describing its vision of one family of devices, Microsoft hints that it could make phones in the future.
First, Microsoft makes it clear that its future ‘family’ will consist of “both partner and first-party devices” and then it clarifies that the family would include not just tablets and PCs, but phones as well.
While this is not clearly saying that a Microsoft-made (‘first-party’) is coming, but we definitely take this is a hint in that direction.
Not just that, later on the Redmond companysays its family will include “other devices to be imagined and developed,” and if we think hard about devices yet to be developed we can definitely envision smartwatches, glasses and other wearables.

LG Display's 2.2mm panel is world's slimmest 1080p glass for smartphones

LG has officially unveiled the world's slimmest Full HD LCD panel designed exclusively for smartphones. The 5.2-inch panel will enables manufacturers to come up with thinner Full HD smartphones, without sacrificing image quality.

The newly launched LCD panels are only 2.2m thick and have a very slim 2.3mm bezel, which makes the panel slimmest and narrowest among the existing Full HD LCD panels designed for smartphones.
LG's latest LCD panel makes use of Advanced One-Glass-Solution that enables better touchscreen experience and the dual flexible printed circuits, which are placed between the panel and touch film reduces the number of lines on the panel by 30%.
The direct bonding system used is also said to enable greater brightness. The panel's 1080 x 1920 pixels all have full set of subpixels - Red, Green, and Blue sub-pixel, forming a conventional RGB matrix.
Apparently, the LG's display panel outperforms all the current full HD LCD panels with a brightness of up to 535 nits. Furthermore, the Ambient Contrast Ratio results of 3.74:1 based on 10,000 lux, suggests that the panel will perform well even in brightly sunlight conditions

Telefonica to get exclusive 64GB Nokia Lumia 1020 for European and Latin-American markets

Telefónica today announced a global agreement with Nokia to sell Nokia Eros 64 Gb exclusively to Movistar, Vivo and O2 customers in Telefonica markets during 2013. The smartphone will be launched this September.This announcement is part of the Telefónica strategy to reinforce the smartphone portfolio and increase the ecosystem offer for their customers. Telefónica will actively promote Nokia Lumia Eros 64Gb, as part of Telefónica iconic smartphone offering.Nokia Lumia Eros brings stunning innovations only found in the SLR cameras so far, like a 41 Mpixel sensor, 6 lenses, and high resolution zoom. Taking excellent photos has never been so easy, as complex settings are turned into easy adjustments with immediately visible results.Eros 64Gb, for Telefónica customers, will have more than double capacity than the Eros standard version, extending the capability for customers to store large amount of content, up to 4,000 images or 6 hours of very high quality Full-HD video.

3 GHz ARM processors to come by 2014

TSMC and GlobalFoundries, the global semiconductor foundries will be raising the bar of the processing power by 2014 as they are currently working on a 20nm chip for their next generation ARM based mobile processors.


At present, 2.3 GHz achieved at 28nm is the fastest clock speed by a mobile processor - it is used in the Snapdragon 800 and Tegra 4i that are set to arrive in late 2013 or early 2014. However, the next generation processors are expected to surpass this clock speed with the help of much smaller manufacturer node of 20nm.
The 20nm manufacturing node is expected to yield 30% faster clock speed with 1.9 times better density at 25% less power consumption. If the 20nm node is used, the ARM SoCs will be eventually clocked at 3GHz with more transistors working on the graphics. The 25% lesser power consumption can be potentially translated into a better battery life in the next generation SoCs.

SanDisk announces Extreme Micro-SDXC, the world’s fastest memory card for mobiles

SanDisk has announced a new lineup of SanDisk Extreme Micro-SDXC cards. The Extreme will double the performance of the Ultra micro-SDXC cards, which was claiming to be the quickest in the world so far.

SanDisk Extreme Micro-SDXC will be available in 16 GB and 64 GB varieties. SanDisk has designed its latest cards to offer high speeds, while giving the durability a top priority. The newest addition from SanDisk will support read speeds of up to 80 MB/s and write speeds up to 50 MB/s.
The writing speeds of the Extreme SDXC have received a huge boost over the Ultra cards, which offered speeds up to 30 MB/s. SanDisk also claims that its Extreme cards will work greatly in mobile devices, enhancing the performance of data transfer, fact action photography, burst mode, 1080p video recording and playback.
Unfortunately, there is no official word on the availability and the pricing of these Extreme SD cards

Nokia phablet to be called Bendit and sport a 6-inch display

Nokia's first phablet looks like.
A pretty concise tweet by @leakschina claims that what we're seeing is going to be called the Nokia Bendit and sport a 6-inch display, in line with our intel from earlier this year. The tweet also mentions that the device will ship running Windows Phone 8.1 and launch some time after the Nokia EOS.

Olloclip introduces telephoto lens, brings 2x magnification to iPhone camera

Olloclip, the company making the awesome iPhone 3-in-1 camera lens system, has officially announced that it is now adding a brand new Telephoto lens that will allow 2 times magnification. As all other lenses, the lens just snaps on the edge covering the rear camera and augmenting it with new functionality.
The Olloclip iPhone Telephoto lens will be available in two versions - one for the iPhone 5 and another one for iPhone 4S/4. The lens will appear in Apple Stores later on this month and in Best Buy in August.
The package includes not just the lens itself, but a telephoto lens cap, microfiber bags, CPL/wide-angle lens adapter and iPod touch 5th generation adapter as well. If you can swallow the $99 price tag, that seems a great accessory to have in addition to the fish eye/wide-angle/macro 3-in-1 system.

Google announces it will retire Latitude on August 9th

Today has finally seen the release of the overhauled Google Maps, and a smaller news note that was hidden in that announcement is that Google Latitude will be retired on August 9th. Latitude has been Google's location sharingservice, although it has never been a very popular option compared to services like Foursquare and Facebook. But more importantly, Latitude has been somewhat eclipsed by Google+ which has its own location sharing service, and one that gets far more use than Latitude.

Latitude had always been a strange product. It is baked-in to Google Maps, and had a fairly good feature set, allowing for automatic tracking of location, and check-in prompts or automatic check-ins at locations you set. The problem was always that very few people used it. So, if you're looking for it in the newest Maps update for Android, you won't find it. The standalone app for iOS will be removed from the store, and the Latitude API will be retired, meaning 3rd-party apps that use it will cease to work, unless they switch to Google+ location sharing.

Nokia Windows Tablet Prototype Images Leaked

The Nokia tablet was rumored to be running on a lowly Tegra 3 processor, have a 10″ display, HDMI and USB ports, SIM slot and a MagSafe charger, similar to that of the MacBook and Microsoft Surface – a charger that magnetically attaches to the port for convenience.

The tablet is said to sport the model number NVIDIA P1001, but we doubt it will be what the final version is called. When we hear more, we’ll update you immediately.

Android in June 2013: Jelly Bean overtakes Gingerbread

 Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 and 4.2) finally did what ICS (4.0.x) never managed – get more market share than Gingerbread.
Gingerbread in its current form (API level 10) debuted in February 2011, while the initial version, API level 9, came out in December 2010, but all GB phones were updated. Anyway, it's still the most popular version of Android going by version numbers rather than nicknames – v2.3 is at 34.1% and v4.1 is at 32.3%, with v4.2 contributing another 5.6%.
Both Jelly Bean versions saw an increase in market share since May at the cost of Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich. Eclair and Froyo, which still hold single digit percentages have barely moved.
The Holo-centric Android 4.0+ versions now power over 60% of the Android market, which will hopefully mean that more devs focus on bringing a Holo interface with their apps.

Moto X phone to sport a so-called Clear Pixel camera with gesture controls

Some new info emerged on the Moto X, on top of what we already heard about customization options and always-on awareness of the handsets.

It turns out that the Moto X phone might "feature a Clear Pixel Camera with gesture controls," whatever that means. Google's Vic Gundotra was promising "insanely great" camera in the next Nexus phone, with Nikon branding, but for now it seems that Motorola and the Nexus line will be kept separated, though that camera might have been folded into the Moto X, too.

Last we heard, the shooter was supposed to be 10 MP, and the source also confirmed the specs that were tipped to us before - 720p HD screen, dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 Pro processor and 2 GB of RAM. 

The thing he writes about the camera is that "dark, blurry pics and lack of details will be things of the past," and one comment reminds us of a technology Kodak had a while ago that incorporates panchromatic, or "clear" pixels, like the arrangement you see on the right, to achieve two to four times better light sensitivity. Whether the Moto X camera will use a similar technology, and will this result in better low-light pictures in reality.

Valve releases new steam for linux beta client

After a development version garners sufficient changes, Valve promotes it to stable. The work for the next 

beta starts almost immediately.

Highlights of the latest Steam for Linux beta update:

• Support for 64-bit Linux titles has been implemented;

• A "friendly machine name" is now provided when Steam-Guarding an account;

• Finding Steam client skins on Linux now works properly;

• A crash that occurred when looking at community images on Linux has been fixed;

• Linux Steam overlay is now restoring the proper mouse cursor;

• The data format of client updates has been changed in order to improve the compatibility with flawed proxy servers.

Trio coloured Nokia Lumia 1020 leaked press image revealed

A few days after we saw it wearing AT&T livery, the Nokia Lumia 1020 appeared in yet another press image. This time around, the Windows Phone 8 imaging powerhouse appeared free of carrier branding, and showcasing three colors - white, black, and yellow.

Alongside the leaked press image, some fresh details about the handset's specs emerged, including its much talked about camera unit. The latter promises to be a smartphone photographer's dream when the handset goes official.
Reportedly, the 41MP camera unit of the Nokia Lumia 1020 will be capable of simultaneously capturing 32MP and 5MP images with 16:9 ratio, as well as a 38MP ones with 4:3 aspect. The 5MP image will be oversampled by combining seven pixels into one "super pixel." The camera will unsurprisingly feature optical image stabilization (OIS) and F2.2 aperture.
The Pro Camera app which left us wondering last time will bring proper enthusiast settings to the user. They include the option to manually tweak ISO, white balance, focus, shutter speed, and the flash settings.
Further leaked specs for the Nokia Lumia 1020 included never before seen on WP handset 2GB of RAM, 32GB of non-expandable storage, NFC, FM radio, flip to silence gesture, and optional wireless charging.
Nokia Lumia 1020 is allegedly expected to hit AT&T's shelves by the end of this month. No details have been spilled on international availability.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 will break cover this coming Thursday in New York City. We will be covering the event live from the spot, so be sure to tune in for the full scoop on the smartphone.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 appeared in yet another press image. This time around, the Windows Phone 8 imaging powerhouse appeared free of carrier branding, and showcasing three colors - white, black, and yellow.

Micromax launches Canvas 4 in India for $295

Micromax has launched the highly anticipated Canvas 4 in India. The phone was being teased for quite a while now and was even up for pre-order (without announcing the full price) but it was finally unveiled in an event today at New Delhi.
The Canvas 4 has a 5.0-inch, 1280 x 720 'TRU-HD' IPS panel, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 13 megapixel rear camera with five element lens, image stabilization, multiple face detection and vertical panorama, 5 megapixel front camera, dual SIM, dual standby functionality, expandable memory, flip cover option, 2,000mAh battery and Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.
One of the unique features of this phone is Blow to Unlock, wherein you essentially blow a kiss to your phone to unlock it (yes, that's an actual feature). Other, more sensible features include video pinning to pin videos on the homescreen and look away to pause video, stuff that's straight out of Samsung's TouchWiz. You can also turn the phone down during a call and it automatically switches to loudspeaker mode.
The Micromax Canvas is priced at INR17,999 ($295) and will be on sale this weekend in India.

Official Intel statement denies Tizen's death rumors

Intel has posted a statement regarding the rumor that the Tizen OS, which is co-developed with Samsung, is dying. The rumor came from Eldar Murtazin, whose prediction record seems to have picked up another miss.

Obviously, Intel hasn't been all too pleased with such information floating around the web and has posted the following statement, cited by TizenExperts.com.

Intel is very committed to the development of Tizen. We see a unique role for Tizen in the industry to create and to grow a new, open and flexible, mobile operating system that allows developers to "write once/run on many devices". Tizen has received broad industry support through the Tizen Association and has achieved major milestones this year including establishing the storefront, releasing the Tizen 2.1 source code, the Tizen IVI 2.0 and the Tizen 2.2 Beta SDK that was just released yesterday.

The authenticity of the message above isn't confirmed, as a source isn't directly pointed out. If true, it seems that Intel is keen on continuing its work on the Tizen project. Samsung has also proven a lot of commitment to the mobile OS. The company has been running a Tizen app challenge race with a $4 million prize and released a new SDK for the platform just this week.
We suspect Samsung is going to chime in soon enough with an official statement