this week

Next-Gen Video Format H.265 Is Approved, Paving The Way For High-Quality Video On Low-Bandwidth Networks

The ITU has approved a new video format that could bring 4k video to future broadband networks, while also making streaming HD video available even on bandwidth-constrained mobile networks. The H.265 standard, also informally known as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), is designed to provide high-quality streaming video, even on low-bandwidth networks.
The new video format is the successor to the H.264 codec, which nearly every video publisher has standardized after the release of the iPad and several other connected devices. It seems crazy now, but once upon a time, Apple’s adoption of H.264 and insistence on HTML5-based video players was controversial — especially since most video before the iPad was encoded in VP6 to play through Adobe’s proprietary Flash player.
The hope is that, through improved compression techniques, H.265 will enable publishers to stream 1080p video with about half as many bits as required today. That should make true streaming HD video available not just in broadband households, but on mobile and tablet devices, using networks that are a lot more bandwidth-constrained. Doing so could make online video more widely available in markets with poor connectivity or mostly mobile connections.
In places where there is decent broadband connectivity, H.265 could enable even higher-quality video. With 4K TVs finally becoming available, there’s an opportunity for even greater video resolution. The only problem is that networks aren’t built to support the load that streaming that video would require. With H.265, 4K streaming could be possible with as little as 20-30 Mbps of bandwidth. Still a lot by today’s standards, but not completely unheard of.
Of course, just because the format has been approved doesn’t mean that we’ll start seeing video files shrink or lower bit-rate streams anytime soon. While there will likely be software-based encoders available by the end of the year, the codec won’t see mass adoption until it gets embedded into chips and hardware. It could be 12 to 18 months, maybe longer, before the first devices with H.265 hardware acceleration make it to market.
Once those initial devices do make it to market, however, we can probably expect a quick ramp up in the amount of content that begins to take advantage of H.265. Since the launch of the iPad, the percentage of video published in H.264 has climbed from less than 10 percent to more than 84 percent in less than three years, according to MeFeedia.
The adoption of H.265 could mean less network strain, more HD video, or some combination of the two. I personally expect that the availability of a more efficient codec will more likely mean higher quality rather than smaller video files, but every little bit helps.

iPhone 5S targeted for a July launch, iPads coming in October

The rumors of next generation iPad and iPhone are already starting to pick up steam. According to the latest report from iLounge, the iPhone 5S is said to enter mass production in July.
Note the start of the mass production is usually a few months before the actual announcement, so Apple can fill up its warehouses ahead of the launch weekend.
The report also says that the company's tablet lineup refresh is coming in October. The iPad mini with Retina display is reportedly codenamed J84, while the iPad 5 is dubbed J72. Apple's rumored next-gen iPads are expected to retain the design of their predecessors, but the mini should be getting a Retina display. It's anyone's guess what kind of upgrades will come with the iPad 5.


As for the iPhone 5S - it is expected to include a faster processor and a Sony-made 13 megapixel camera sensor. Furthermore, the device is rumored to feature an improved rear LED flash. The iPhone 5S versions are codenamed N51 and N53 and predictably the device will have similar design to the iPhone 5.
The new iPhone is also rumored to feature a fingerprint scanner, which is based on the Authentec technology acquired by Apple last summer.

Karbonn S1 Titanium with 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.1 coming soon

Karbonn S1 Titanium, the company’s upcoming flagship phone has surfaced on their official site. It packs in a qHD multi-touch display, but no details about the display size yet, looking at the image it looks like a 4.5-inch display.  It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has has Dual SIM support, 5MP Auto Focus Camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera for video calling. This would compete with the recently launched Micromax A116 Canvas HD that also comes with a quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 rugged Jelly Bean droid goes official

Samsung just announced the Galaxy Xcover 2, an IP67-certified Android phone. It improves an all the specs of its predecessor, from a bigger screen to a more powerful processor.
The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 has a 4” WVGA TFT screen, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz customizations. The 5MP main camera can shoot 720p video and there’s a dedicated shutter key, plus a front-facing VGA camera.
The Galaxy Xcover 2 measures 130.5 x 67.7 x 12 mm, bigger than its predecessor, and it’s heavier too, at 149g. It has a 1,700mAh battery that’s secured into place by a special lock.
On the connectivity side, there’s 3G with 14.4Mbps HSDPA and 5.76Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS + GLONASS. The Galaxy Xcover 2 packs 4GB of built-in memory and a microSD card slot

Lava Xolo X500 to be the first Intel Z2420 powered smartphone in India

Intel had launched the Z2420 reference platform for low to mid end devices at the International CES 2013 just a week back, and we are now starting to learn from a report on NDTV Gadgets that the first smartphone to use that platform in India would be the Lava XOLO X500. Lava had already released the XOLO X900 in collaboration with Intel, and it proved to be quite a success. Following that, the XOLO X500 is supposed to be Lava’s second Intel phone that is ready to be launched in the Indian market.
UPDATE – It’s official!

The Lava XOLO X500 is reportedly a DUAL SIM Android device running on Ice cream sandwich. Otherwise, the XOLO X500 is reportedly just a rehash of the reference platform that Intel launched at CES. The key highlights of that platform(and of of the XOLO X500) are -

• 3.5 inch screen (480×320 in X500′s case)
• Intel 1.2 GHz single core processor with Hyper Threading(2 logical cores)
• PowerVR SGX 540 Graphics co processor
• 512 MB of RAM
• 5 megapixel camera with 1080p full HD recording(?)
• 7 fps burst rate for the camera
• 4 GB of internal storage
• Price – Rs.8,999/-

That’s about almost the same as the reference platform and the pricing suggests that this will be residing at the upper half of the low end smartphone segment. We are quite excited to see what kind of performance the Z2420 platform brings, as we already know that the XOLO X900 was quite powerful indeed.

HTC announces low-cost Desire U 4

HTC has announced the newest addition to its Android smartphone range in the form of the Desire U. The Desire U is a budget smartphone and slots above the previous announced Desire C.

The Desire U has the familiar HTC family look to it, which has started becoming a bit too familiar now. On the front is a 4.0-inch, 800 x 480 resolution display. Inside, the Desire U runs on a unknown 1GHz processor with 512MB of RAM. You also get 4GB of internal storage space with microSD card slot, 5 megapixel camera on the back with WVGA video recording, Beats Audio, 1,650mAh battery and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Jolla looking to China to gain traction for Sailfish

This year looks like the year of Linux-based mobile operating systems. Android, which already has the global lead, is poised to firmly take the US market share as well. Then, there are at least 3, maybe 4 (depending on if Ubuntu makes it to market in 2013) Linux-based mobile platforms set to launch, including Sailfish, which Jolla hopes will gain traction in China.So, not only will Sailfish be competing with established mobile platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry, but it will have to take on the new Linux crew: Meego, Tizen, Firefox OS, and Ubuntu. Each seems to be looking at around the globe for incubation grounds to grow user bases for these new platforms. Firefox OS is set to launch in Brazil, Canonical has said it will aim at emerging markets with Ubuntu, and now Jolla wants to try its hand in China.

Analysts expect that smartphone sales in China will be around 240 million devices this year, which gives Jolla a lot of room. It's interesting that unlike its competition, Jolla is aiming for the high-end market in China, competing with Samsung, Nokia, and Apple in the $500-$800 price range. 

Jolla has already created accounts on Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo, China's premier micro-blogging platforms, and signed a deal with D.Phone, a leading phone retailer in China. The company doesn't seem to want to tip its hat though, saying only that Jolla wants Sailfish to "stand out" in China.

RIM Blackberry Z10 press images leaks out, looks like the real thing

RIM is about to launch its BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system in just about a couple of days at a huge event and next month the first actual BlackBerries running on the new platform should arrive.The BlackBerry Z10, the very first one, has already leaked out countless times in images and video, but this time it seems we have something special as @evleaks has gotten hold of what it claims is the official press image. And judging by all we’ve seen so far we have no reason to doubt its veracity.The BlackBerry Z10, an all-touch device with no physical QWERTY keyboard, looks slightly conservatively designed, nothing outworldly, it’s a bit plain, but that simplicity and lack of radical decisions might actually help it get the sympathy of a wide range of people.We ourselves are not enamored by the design, but what seems more important is what materials would RIM pick for the final device and what would be the feel because nothing feels worse than cheap plastic.

With so many month in development, though, we have no reason to doubt RIM would at least pull the BlackBerry Z10 from a design perspective.  Take a look at the leaked images right below.

Nokia to release a 38MP WP EOS phone this year

The Nokia 808 PureView was the company’s first PureView smartphone and it still holds the throne as the best cameraphone out there, despite the Lumia 920 challenge. It seems that this is about to change though as the company's Windows Phone camp is going to get its own PureView device.

According to the information that The Verge acquired, the device will include a sensor similar to the one inside the 808 PureView and the whole device will be made of aluminum. The latter coincides with the rumor for another upcoiming high-end Nokia Catwalk that’s also going to be made out of aluminum, according to previous reports.
The EOS is going to a high-end Lumia device, but isn’t clear whether it’s the aforementioned Catwalk, that’s going to replace the Lumia 920, or if it’s going to be a completely different animal.
What sources familiar with the matter have confirmed, though, is that AT&T will be offering the EOS, which isn’t much of a surprise considering the carrier's close connections with Nokia. As far as the design of the device goes, it’s believed to keep the square edges of the current Lumia line-up of smartphones.

LG Optimus G Pro with 1080p display goes official in Japan

The recently leaked LG Optimus G Pro is now official. The 5" 1080p display toting Android beast will be part of NTT DOCOMO's Spring lineup of Android smartphones in Japan when it hits the shelves in early April.

Along with the eye-grabbing display we mentioned above, the LG Optimus G Pro features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and 2GB of RAM. The battery has increased significantly compared to the LG Optimus G we already know - it is now a 3,000mAh unit. A 13MP camera, 32GB of built-in storage, microSD card slot and, of course, LTE connectivity complete the highlights in the handset's spec sheet. The LG Optimus G Pro will boot Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.
We are yet to find out about international availability of the LG Optimus G Pro. The upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona seems like a safe bet to us for a global unveiling.

Meizu MX2 launches on China Unicom

Meizu and China Unicom have entered a partnership to sell the Meizu MX2 on contract in China. The phone goes on sale from today and is available on multiple contracts.
You can go for the free phone plan, in which you have to pay ¥226 per month and ¥2,699 prepaid for two-years or ¥156 per month and ¥2,699 prepaid for three years. There is also a bonus credit deal, where the phone is sold for ¥2,699 with a two year contract of at least ¥66 per month but you get bonus credit toppings of ¥5,800.
As for the phone itself, it has a quad-core Cortex A9 CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, 2GB RAM, 4.4-inch, 1280 x 800 resolution display, 16/32/64GB storage space, 8 megapixel camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The first Firefox OS phones are official, meet Keon and Peak

The first batch of smartphones running the HTML 5-based Firefox OS have been unveiled. Meet the GeekPhone Keon and Peak - a duo of early Firefox OS-running smartphones targeted at app designers and developers to start building the upcoming OS' app ecosystem.

What you see above is the GeekPhone Peak, which is the more powerful of the two. It sports a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage.
With a 4.3" qHD IPS display, the Peak packs an 8MP main camera with LED flash and 2MP front-facing one. The smartphone is housing a 1800mAh battery, a microSD card slot and the usual array of smartphone sensors and connectivity options.
Next up is the brightly colored Keon sporting a unique Firefox-inspired orange paintjob. The smartphone runs on a Snapdragon S1 CPU clocked at 1GHz with 512MB of RAM and packs a 3.5" HVGA display.

Internal storage is 4GB and despite its low-end nature, GeekPhone has thrown in a microSD card slot. The only camera is at the back and it features a 3MP senor and no flash. Under the orange back panel resides a 1580mAh battery.
GeekPhone says both Firefox OS developer smartphones will be available starting next month, but is mum on the pricing. However, judging from their specs and the budget-oriented nature of Firefox OS, they shouldn't cost too dearly.

Symbian is officially dead, 808 PureView is the last of its kind

We all knew this was eventually coming, but it's now official. Symbian on Nokia is dead.
Nokia managed to send off the once might platform in style. The 808 PureView will go down in history as the last Symbian device by the Finnish manufacturer.
Nokia announced the news alongside its great Q4 results today, which showed $585 million profit and $10.83 billion in revenue.
During our transition to Windows Phone through 2012, we continued to ship devices based on Symbian. The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia.
Symbian OS on Nokia devices has played a key part in the smartphone game over the past ten years, but its significance was severely reduced once the touchscreen revolution started. Some of the most notable phones to come out of Nokia were powered by Symbian - beginning with the 9210 Communicator. The Nokia E61 started a messenger phone hype that peaked with the E71, making Symbian OS the only viable competitor to the then-strong BlackBerry portfolio of messengers.
Then came the cameraphone era, which gave birth to devices like the Nokia N95, which was widely regarded as the king of the smartphone hill in its day. The Nokia N8 came at a time when Symbian was rapidly sliding into irrelevancy but still made a huge splash among camera-lovers with its large sensor and superb image quality. Heck we loved snapping photos with it and it's still the most popular smartphone in our database with over 25 million hits.
Nokia began a shift towards Windows Phone in the beginning of 2011 and starting now Redmond's mobile OS is Nokia's only smartphone platform.

Acer officially unveils the stylish Liquid E1 mid-ranger

 Acer announced a new member of its lineup of mid-range Android smartphones. The smartphone is called Liquid E1 and is basically a trimmed down version of the CloudMobile S500.

Powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, the Acer Liquid E1 runs with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean out of box. It's sporting a 4.5-inch display of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels) and boasts an 5MP auto-focus primary camera with LED flash at the back and a 0.3MP video-chat camera at the front.
The Liquid E1 dimensions are spot on for a midranger at 132 x 68.5 x 9.9 mm with a weight of 130 grams. Popping the stylishly designed back cover open reveals a somewhat underwhelming battery with a capacity of 1760mAh. Acer says that it should be good for up to 8 hours of talk time and around 400 hours of waiting patiently in standby.
The Liquid E1 also features an FM receiver, microSD card slot and the usual array of sensors. Judging from those official shots, we really like the Liquid E1 design, particularly on the dark grey version with red accents.
Annoyingly, pricing and availability are still only known to Acer.

Ubuntu Phone's 12 default apps will be "community created"

 We can already see it coming, once Ubuntu for phones gets released, there is going to be a lot more talk about just how "open" Android really is. Mark Shuttleworth already made one such comment when introducing the platform, and Canonical is following through it seems. The newest is that Ubuntu Phone's 12 default apps will all be "community created".

Canonical is putting out the word now to get developers on the project. The 12 default apps will be made up of 8 "traditional apps" - a file manager, calendar, clock/alarm, weather, calculator, e-mail, document viewer, and a terminal app - and 4 "social apps" - YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and an RSS reader. It's nice to see a terminal app in the works. We're sure power users will like that addition. 

Each of these apps have a Wiki page, design guidelines, and message boards dedicated. So, if you're interested, just read through the docs and start helping out with the design.

Forget flexible screens: NEC Medias W with two 4.3" panels just folds

  Not for nothing, but when NTT DoCoMo unveils its seasonal lineup we always listen, as the Japanese were toying around with 7mm waterproof handsets with 13 MP cameras in the days when Symbian still ruled.The US has caught up now, thanks to Apple and Google, but there are still a bunch of smartphone surprises in all shapes and forms coming from the Land of the Rising Sun with every new carrier portfolio.

We say shapes and forms, since that's exactly the selling point of the NEC Medias W that is included in NTT DoCoMo's 12-device launch today. Samsung might have a prototype bending phone in the labs with the YOUM flexible screens, but the Japanese are taking the simpler approach.

They just slapped two 4.3" qHD panels, and connected them with a hinge, so when closed the NEC Medias W is not larger than your average smartphone, just a bit thicker. When you open it, though, it reveals a screen that is Note II-sized in diagonal, letting you fool around with apps stretching on both screens, or use two apps at the same time.

LTE is onboard, too, and the rest of the specs are a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 MP camera, 16GB of storage and a memory card slot. Any takers?

Nokia Lumia 620 goes on sale, Russia gets it first

Nokia Lumia 620 is now available in Russia. It costs about €300 (11990 RUB) and, is the most affordable Windows Phone 8-powered smartphone by the Finnish company yet.
It is available on the official Nokia Store for Russia in all of its color versions (white, black, yellow, green and magenta colors).

We already had a close encounter with the Nokia Lumia 620 in green
Since the device is already on sale in Russia, we can probably expect it to hit Europe and Asian markets in the following weeks.

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Grand goes official in India

Samsung Galaxy Grand, which was announced in December 2012, has now received its official announcement in India. The 5" smartphone with dual-SIM functionality has been priced at Rs. 21500 (about $400).

Samsung Galaxy Grand features a 5" WVGA TFT display and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor along with 1 GB of RAM. The smartphone has an 8 MP camera with LED flash at the back and a 2 MP shooter in the front.
The dual-SIM smartphone offers 8GB of storage and supports memory expansion up to 64GB via the microSD card slot. Samsung Galaxy Grand runs on a 2100mAH battery and comes with few cool home-backed features like S Voice, Direct call, Smart alert, Popup play along with the Multi-View functionality, which allows the users to access two apps simultaneously.
Furthermore, the handset's auto forwarding option will automatically divert incoming calls on the other SIM to the primary SIM, if when you are in a call.