this week

Huawei reportedly working on Ascend P6 Nexus edition

Huawei is working on the Nexus edition of its flagship Ascend P6 smartphone, which will run stock Android.
"We are working with Google to analyse the possibility of bringing out a Huawei Ascend P6 with Google Edition," Pocket-lint has quoted Kevin Ho, president of the handset product division at Huawei, as saying.
Unveiled on June 18 this month, the Huawei Ascen P6 measure mrerely 6.18 mm thick. It has a 5 megapixel front-facing camera, designed for taking "selfies", or pictures of the owner to be shared on social media networks.

The Huawei Ascend P6 measure 6.18mm thick and has a front 5 megapixel camera.

Running Android 4.2.2 OS, the smartphone features a 4.7-inch high definition in-cell display and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor.
Its 8 megapixel rear-facing BSI camera with F2.0 aperture and 4cm macro view also enables 1080p full HD video recording and playback.
It seems that the the top-of-the line smartphones from tech gaints running stock Android is the latest fad, and a young strategy to gain a new market share.
We have already seen the Galaxy S4 and HTC One Nexus editions, and the Internet is abuzz with reports that Sony is also planning to bring the Xperia Z Google edition.

Android 4.3 spotted on Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition, ROM leaked

Android 4.3 that is yet to be released has leaked from a Google Play edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Google Play Editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One went on sale in the U.S. few days back. It would not be shipped until 9th July, but some got early access to the device. Sammobile obtained the screenshots that revealed the Galaxy S4 running stock Android 4.3. Later they released the stock ROM of the Android 4.3 for the Snapdragon version of the Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505).
The Android 4.3 with the build number JWR66N in the device is a test build firmware for the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505G) which is fully functional Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505), says Sammobile. This doesn’t have any changes from the Android 4.2.2 running on the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4. Flashing this ROM will void your warranty, so try it at your own risk.
This has a new camera app that leaked recently, new live wallpaper ,  Bluetooth Low Energy support and more that are not available on the Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) that was released for the Nexus devices earlier this year. The Android 4.3 is rumored to roll out for the Nexus devices this July.

Micromax A92 Canvas Lite with 5-inch display, Android 4.1 launched for Rs. 8499

Micromax has officially launched the A92 Canvas Lite that surfaced yesterday.  It has a 5-inch (480 x 854 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen display and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby similar to other Micromax phones.

Micromax A92 Canvas Lite Specifications

• 5-inch (480 x 854 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen IPS display with 196 ppi
• 1 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT6577 processor
• Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• 10.8 mm thick
• 5MP auto focus camera with LED flash
• 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory (0.94 GB user memory), 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0,GPS
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with Recording
• 2000 mAh battery

The Micromax A92 Canvas Lite is priced at Rs. 8,499 and would go on sale across India from this weekend.

Nokia sets up Trade-up program for your used phone in the US

Nokia, in partnership with Clover Wireless, has launched a trade in program for the US. The initiative allows you to give your old smartphone and receive a VISA prepaid card that you can use for purchasing a brand new Nokia Lumia smartphone.

Currently eligible for the discount are the Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925 and Lumia 928. You can submit any smartphone to see how much of a financial benefit it'd translate to when purchasing one of the aforementioned Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
The value of a submitted smartphone is determined by Clover Wireless, who has more than 20 years of experience in the resale market and it says it's analyzing the market constantly. The maximum balance you can receive in the VISA prepaid card is $300.
For example, based on its condition, an iPhone 4S is worth up to $250, $210 for a Samsung Galaxy S3 or $250 for an HTC One. After you've determined the cost of your phone using Nokia's specialized webpage (source link below) you send it in the mail with a proof of purchase of your new Nokia Lumia attached. And that's it.What do you think of Nokia's latest attempt at luring in customers in the US? Would you participate in such program if Nokia made it available in your country as well?

5.99 inch AMOLED flexible display coming with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3?

Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and one of those units was equipped with a flexible screen. Despite previous denials by the Korean OEM, speculation out of South Korea has Samsung using a 5.99 inch flexible AMOLED display on the next iteration of its phablet.

Other rumors have Samsung using both AMOLED and LCD panels with the one used on each unit depending on the market it is offered in. A published report on Friday says that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with a flexible display will start production in August and launch in September, possibly during the IFA 2013 show in Berlin.

According to the report, Samsung decided to go with the flexible display for the Samsung Galaxy Note III after demand started fading for the Samsung Galaxy S4. After sales of the handset got off to a great start with 10 million units purchased in the first month, demand for the flagship Android model has apparently dried up. Additionally, reports that LG is close to releasing a phone with a flexible display might have given Samsung the incentive to use a flexible panel for the next generation of its phablet.

First alleged image of the Sony Xperia Honami leaks

Sony's event a couple of days ago brought us the Xperia Z Ultra, but still left only one major phone in the rumor mill – the Sony Xperia i1 Homani. This could be the first image of the device – the OmniBalance design gives away its Xperia Z family allegiance, but the camera positioning doesn’t match any of the official models.
The photo allegedly shows the Honami next to the new Xperia Z Ultra and the Xperia ZQ (Brazil's ZL version).


The rumors are that Sony is trying to revive its camera phone business with the Honami, putting in a large 1/1.6" sensor with an impressive 20MP resolution. To be honest the smartphone looks a bit too slim to be able to host such a large sensor, but only time will tell. The Techtudo team who leaked the photos claims they have verified the 20MP resolution, but could not download any photos to publish.
The camera on the Xperia Honami may borrow the BIONZ image processing tech Sony puts on its Alpha DSLRs.
The Honami appears bigger than the ZQ, so it should be about the same size as the Xperia Z, supporting the rumors of a 5" display. It was reportedly not a finalized device, but it ran Android 4.2 without glitches on a Snapdragon 800 chipset.
The back is made of glass as on the Xperia Z and Z Ultra and there are microSIM and microSD card slots on the sides of the device.
Keep in mind those are unverified rumors and we cannot confirm their authenticity or that of the photo. We can't even confirm that the device in question is the Honami – a big 20MP sensor with a single-LED flash seems an odd combo.

Videocon A55HD with 5-inch HD display, quad-core processor, Android 4.2 launched for Rs. 13499

Videocon Mobiles has launched the A55HD, the company’s latest flagship smartphone. It has a 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display at 295 PPI with one-glass solution (OGS) technology. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash with Panorama Shot and up to 40 Continuous Shots (Burst) and a 3.2 -megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby.

It has Flip To Silent and Face Detection options and comes with V-Store, which lets you access your favourite apps, including games, mail, social networking, new channels and more.

Videocon A55HD Specifications

• 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD capacitive touch screen display
• 1.2 GHz quad-core processor
• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
• 8MP rear camera with LED Flash
• 3.2MP front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 1GB RAM, 4GB internal memory, 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G (HSDPA: 42.2 Mbps, HSUPA:  11.5 Mbps), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
• 2000 mAh battery

The Videocon A55HD is priced at Rs. 13,499 and comes with a protective pouch.

Sony announces updated RX1R and RX100 II compact cameras

Last year Sony launched the RX1 and the RX100 cameras, which went on to become some of the best compact cameras money could buy. Now, less than a year from their launch, Sony has announced updated versions of both cameras: the special edition RX1R and the RX100 II.

The RX1R gets a minor improvement over the RX1. The new model gets rid of the optical low-pass filter (OLPF) found on the RX1R whose purpose is to suppress moiré and color artifacts. The removal of the filter helps the camera achieve even greater resolution through the same sensor with sharper images.

The RX100 II, on the other hand, gets a brand new 1-inch, 20.2 megapixel backside illuminated CMOS sensor. Sony claims it is the world’s first 1.0-type back illuminated sensor ever developed and offers 40% more sensitivity in low-light situations compared to the previous generation model. The RX100 II also gets Wi-Fi and is the first Sony camera to include NFC for quickly transferring content to compatible devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Other additions include a hot shoe for connecting an additional flash, electronic viewfinder or flash and the display is now fully articulating. Lastly, the RX100 II can record videos in 1080p24 mode.
The special edition RX1R is priced at $2,800, same as the RX1 which will continue to be sold. The RX100 II, meanwhile, will replace the RX100 and costs $750.

Windows 8.1 update will have built-in support for 3D printing

microsoft  announced that the Windows 8.1 update will have built-in support for 3D printing. Making a 3D object on your PC will be as easy as writing a document in Word and sending it to print. Just as desktop publishing transformed how we write, we think desktop manufacturing will transform how we create. 3D printing has been around for a while but has mainly been used by manufacturing companies – car makers, aerospace companies, toymakers, and hardware companies, including Microsoft, to make prototypes. Using big, very expensive machines, manufacturers build 3D models using a variety of materials, from plastic to metal. Recently, the popularity of 3D printing has exploded among the “maker” community – do-it-yourself hobbyists, inventors and design enthusiasts who make everything from jewelry and clothing to robotics and games. Many experts think 3D printing could help spark a manufacturing renaissance, and some market analysts predict that the global 3D printing market will reach $3.1 billion by 2016.

But will 3D printing go mainstream? We think so – which is why we’ve built it into Windows – the world’s most popular platform. This includes all of the things you’d expect from Windows: plug-n-play support for printers, enabling apps to seamlessly submit 3D print jobs, understanding 3D file formats, and connecting lots of apps with lots of hardware to deliver an end-to-end solution for customers. We want this to be so simple that anyone can set up their own table-top factory.

We don’t think desktop 3D printing will replace mass-production; the economics of making millions of the same object will always be more cost-effective than individual or short-run manufacturing. Instead, people will use 3D printing to make custom creations. Why settle for off-the shelf trophies for your daughter’s soccer team, when you can make unique, personalized awards? Why wait two weeks to order a small plastic part for the salad box of your refrigerator, when you can just print it at home in a few minutes? Broken hinge? Make it. New product idea? Make it.
Easier 3D printing will also revolutionize invention beyond the home. For example, Fast Company recently wrote about Enabled by Design, a nonprofit that is using 3D printing to make customized medical devices to help people with disabilities live independently. Someday, medical printers may even be able print organs needed for life-saving transplants.

We’re excited to have leading partners across the 3D printing industry join us in making this a reality for the masses. What we’ve seen from partners like 3D Systems, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, Formlabs, MakerBot, netfabb, Stratasys, Tiertime, Trimble and many others will be very appealing to a broad set of users and, ultimately, create a new ecosystem for Windows customers.
The prices of consumer 3D printers are dropping quickly. Staples announced that it will start selling 3D Systems’ Cube 3D printer for $1,299 at the end of June, and several companies are offering consumer-friendly 3D printers that range from $800 to $3,000. And today we announced that you can purchase the Replicator 2 from MakerBot in our Palo Alto and San Francisco Microsoft Retail stores – with availability in other locations soon. You can also use a 3D printing service like Shapeways or Sculpteo to make something and have it shipped to you or sell it online. And Staples recently announced they will be offering a 3D printing service in Europe.
As Windows 8.1 becomes available later this year, now is the time for software and hardware developers to start planning for this new capability in Windows. We have free tools available to make 3-D printing as easy as clicking File --› Print.

So it’s time to imagine the possibilities. What are you going to make?

Windows 8.1 Preview officially launches, better personalization, Start button comeback

Today at its Build developer conference, Microsoft released the preview of the Windows 8.1 update and it is now available for users to download and try out.

The update brings a lot of changes to Windows 8 in an effort to improve the experience and fix the stuff that people have been complaining about. The major one of them is the removal of the Start button in Windows 8. Happily, it’s back in Windows 8.1 However, there’s no Start menu to go with it, as Microsoft is keeping its new Metro-styled user interface in the new start screen.
The other major update that Windows 8.1 brings is the ability to boot directly to the desktop, rather than the Start Menu. Speaking of the Start Menu, the tiles there now support more sizes: the larger the tile, the more information it holds – just like on Windows Phone 8. Swiping up on the Start Menu unveils all installed applications.
The backgrounds on the Start Menu are now dynamic and allow you to fiddle with them a lot more than before to get them just right according to your taste.
Windows 8.1 also gives you better control over how app windows are snapped and now supports 50/50 split view among the defaults, but will also allow you to define your own percentages for even more control over the personalization. Windows 8 apps now get support for multiple monitor setups, too.
Microsoft has updated some of its core Windows 8 apps and added more features to them. Internet Explorer 11 now supports WebGL, while the Mail app has a more polished user interface that makes it a bit better than before. The same treatment has been given to Xbox Music as well.
Steve Ballmer was proud to state on the stage today that the 3-year update cycle is a thing of the past now. Steve Ballmer reiterated that from now on Microsoft will release updates more swiftly, so the future of Windows is going to be exciting, that’s for sure!

Google Editions HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 go on sale

As originally promised, the Google Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One have gone on sale today. Both top-shelf smartphones, running stock Android can be ordered from the Google Play Store in the United States.

The Pure Google Samsung Galaxy S4 is priced at $649. HTC One on the other hand, is slightly cheaper at $599. Both devices are offered with free delivery. The scheduled shipping date for either of the two devices is on or before July 9.
The stock Android editions of the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are bound to attract their fair share of Google purists, who aren't keen on living with some of the limitations the Nexus 4 has. Considering the difference in the pricing however, it is fair to think that the sales of the Nexus 4 are not likely to take a hit.

Motorola's new logo hints at color options, brands itself "a Google company"

We broke the news a while back that the Motorola Moto X (then just known as the X Phone would likely be made available in at least 20 different colors. Now, Motorola has tweaked its logo, and the new look seems to hint that our original report was correct. We saw the beginnings of this with the new "Hello again" campaign that it was in recently, where the logo changed colors. The new logo is a simple grey with a wheel of colors around it, and the logo can take on any color as needed. This seems to hint that Motorola devices will focus on color options in the future.

The other change is that the Motorola name itself has gone completely lower case, with a thinner and lighter typeface than has traditionally been used. It looks a lot like Motorola (and by extension Google) is trying to distance itself from the mechanical, heavy DROID branding that it had so long been attached to.

The last tweak is the label that Motorola is "a Google company". Google and Motorola have always asserted that the two companies would be kept separate, and Motorola would be run independently, but this is a clear indication that Google does have some control over its new hardware company.

Mystery Motorola device leaks in photo, is it the X phone?

The Motorola X phone has been circulating the rumor swirls ever since we first heard of its equally mysterious name. And now that it's alleged unveiling draws even closer, we stumble across an image of what could possibly be it.
The image was sent in to PhoneArena and according to their sources this is a Motorola XT1056 caught while in testing for Sprint USA's 4G LTE network. The device was described as either having a 4.5" or 4.6" display, or around that size.

Possibly the Motorola X phone (click for larger image)
We've heard speculations that the Motorola X phone will be a 720p-packing device with an OLED on the front, powered by a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon CPU with 2 gigs of RAM alongside 16 GB of inbuilt storage.
The device in the above image is clearly running Android Jelly Bean (probably 4.2.2) and flaunts truly thin bezels on each side of the screen. There's some kind of sign covered up the right side above the display, but there's no way of knowing what it is or if it's relevant

Windows Phone 8.1 reference found in Windows Phone Store

This manifest file shows that Windows Phone 8.1 is the name of the next build for the platform

While trying to install some Nokia exclusive apps on a non-Nokia model, someone apparently found a reference to Windows Phone 8.1 inside a manifest for an application. If legit, this would pretty much seal the deal that the next version of Windows Phone will indeed be called Windows Phone 8.1. It also means that the OS is undergoing testing this year which means it could see the light of day earlier than expected.
Last month, we told you that mobile ad network AdDuplex spotted Windows Phone 8.1 being used on the Nokia P4301 test device along with the HTC 8X and the Nokia Lumia 920. Back in March, we saw Microsoft advertising for a test engineer for Windows Phone 9.
Now that we know the the name of the next Windows Phone update, now we need to come up with the launch date. You might recall that early this month, a Nokia Lumia 920 bought from eBay contained parts of the Windows Phone Blue update including an improved calendar, and a new notifications page. Microsoft not only bought back the phone from the buyer, it also gave him a free Nokia Lumia 920. This all adds up to the possibility of a Windows Phone 8.1 update coming as soon as Q3.

Razer releases Surround software for virtual 7.1 surround on stereo headphones

Any gamer knows that the sound in the game matters as much as the visuals. In fact, at times, it matters more, especially when the enemy may not be on the screen but you could still hear them. Normally, people use headphones while gaming but often the level of immersion from just two speakers leaves a lot to be desired and not everyone can afford to purchase a pair of surround sound headphones.

As a solution to this problem, Razer has released a new software for Windows PCs that let you enjoy the benefits of a surround sound headphones from any old pair of stereo headphones. It uses virtual surround sound (which is what most surround sound headphones use anyway) to recreate the experience of listening to a 7.1 channel system through just two speakers.
The software allows users to fine tune the sound to their liking and then the settings are saved not just on your own PC but also on the cloud, so if you happen to log in from another computer your settings are downloaded and synced automatically.
The best part is that the software is completely free to download. Razer, however, also gives you the option to pay if you want to and the money will be donated to Child’s Play charity.

WP8 Samsung ATIV S Neo and HTC 8XT for Sprint announced

Two new Windows Phone 8 offerings will be making their way stateside on Sprint's 4G LTE network this summer.


The first is the HTC 8XT, toting a 4.3-inch display of WVGA resolution as well as a Snapdragon 400 chipset with a 1.4 GHz dual-core Krait CPU. The RAM is 1GB, while internal memory is only 8 GB but can be expanded by up to 64GB thanks to the microSD card slot. The HTC 8XT will draw its juice from a 1800 mAh battery.
Samsung's ATIV S Neo, like the regular ATIV S, will offer a larger 4.8-inch display of 720p resolution (we're not sure if it'll be of the AMOLED variety, however), a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and a 2000 mAh battery. There's also mention of the ATIV S's NFC connectivity and 1.9 MP front-facing camera.
Sprint is keeping mum on a more specific release date, saying only "this summer," but on contract pricing has been listed at $99 for the HTC 8XT (after $50 rebate), and $149 for the Samsung ATIV S Neo (after $50 rebate).

Alcatel announces the ONE TOUCH FIRE, Firefox OS device to launch this summer

It looks like the Firefox OS segment will have its first commercial launch in Europe and Latin America this summer courtesy of Alcatel.
The Alcatel ONE TOUCH FIRE is an entry level smartphone, built on the popular browser based OS and designed to thrive in the open-source HTML5 environment. Alcatel touts the ONE TOUCH FIRE will be ready to go out of the box.
The ONE TOUCH FIRE will feature a 3.5-inch 320x480 display, an MSM 7227 1GHz CPU, a 3.2MP main camera (no flash) and will be available in a variety of colors, like Mozilla Orange, Apple Green or Pure White. The ONE TOUCH FIRE can capture 30fps video at VGA quality and features a music player and FM radio. It is a 3G device supporting GSM/UMTS in the common bands (850/900/1800/1900/2100) and will support microSD cards up to 32GB.
For a small sized device, the battery is 1,400mAh which Alcatel claims up to 6.7 hours of talk-time on 2G, about half that on 3G. While not earth-shattering specs in any direction, the ONE TOUCH FIRE is sure to be appealing in emerging markets in Central and South America and will certainly be an endearing option for those on a budget in Europe.
As with many product announcements, we do not have any pricing or release dates, nor did Alcatel announce which markets would get the ONE TOUCH FIRE first. The company already has an established line-up of Android powered smartphones and the manufacturer was one of the first to announce its support of build equipment using the new Firefox mobile operating system.

evleaks: Nokia EOS to be officially named Lumia 1020

The Nokia EOS, the company's upcoming Windows Phone-running cameraphone flagship is going to be called the Lumia 1020, according to evleaks. More often than not, the famous Twitter user is right in its predictions, so there's good reason we trust the latest Tweet, stating just "EOS = Nokia Lumia 1020".

While it was believed for a while that Nokia may come up with a brand new name for its camera-centric Windows Phone 8 smartphone, something in the lines of "EOS", it seems the Finns have decided to stick to their familiar naming scheme. Considering the series of leaks we've had of the smartphone and its resemblance to the Lumia 920, it's logical for the company to go a step further and give the EOS an official name - the Lumia 1020.
Nokia has confirmed in its latest teaser image that the Nokia EOS Lumia 1020 is going to pack a 41MP camera. The rest of the details will be unveiled on July 11, when Nokia is holding its special event for the device. We'll naturally be covering the event live for you, so make sure you stick around when the time comes.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra goes official: a 6.4" Snapdragon 800

Sony has just made its Xperia Z Ultra phablet official. Previously known by its codename Togari, the device features a 6.4" monstrous screen and a Snapdragon 800 chipset, which is the fastest ARM chip put in a smartphone to date.
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra Triluminous screen has 1080p resolution, giving it a nicely sounding 344ppi pixel density. It uses Sony's OptiContrast and X-Reality tech, which it's the successor of the Mobile BRAVIA tech. Sony is boasting that the 6.4" display gives users 60% more surface to work with compared to other phones (5" phones presumably).

Sony Xperia Z Ultra official images
You can use a regular pencil or pen as a stylus as well as a capacitive stylus.
There's a powerful Adreno 330 GPU to push all the pixels to the screen too, a part of the new Snapdragon 800 chipset, which also packs a quad-core Krait 400 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. That makes the Sony Xperia Z Ultra the first device to go official with the 800 chipset and it will surely be quite the benchmark champion when it comes up.
The new chipset runs Android 4.2.2 with a revamped Sony software to make good use of both the extra available power and screen real estate.

More images of the Xperia Z Ultra
The camera on the back of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet has an 8MP Exmor-RS sensor that can record 1080p video and supports HDR for both stills and movies. There's no LED flash though.
The Sony Z Ultra uses the same OmniBalance design as the Xperia Z, including the tempered glass back, but adds a metal frame along the sides and at 6.5mm it's even slimmer than the hot-looking smartphone. It's water-resistant too with a IP58 certification, same as the Xperia ZR. Unlike the IP57 of the Xperia Z, this certification allows the Xperia Z Ultra to dive deeper than 1m and stay there for longer.
The Ultra packs 4G LTE connectivity, HD Voice along with NFC. There's also Sony's proprietary WALKMAN player with ClearAudio+ and xLOUD enhancements.

The Z family: Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z
Sony is advertising it as the world's slimmest 1080p phone - it measures only 6.5mm thick. That screen size and 3,000 mAh battery come at a price though, 212g of weight in this case.
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is expected to launch in Q3 this year in three color versions - white, black and purple.

Sony announces Xperia SP M35t and Xperia C S39h for China

TD-LTE-enabled variant of the Xperia SP for the Chinese market, and the Xperia C S39h, a dual-SIM qHD 5-incher, which is also Sony's first mobile powered by a quad-core MediaTek SoC.
The Somy Xperia SP M35t will be the same as the original, save for the TD-LTE antenna which lets it work with China Mobile's 4G network. It'll have the same 4.6-inch 720p display and customizable transparent LED strip which stretches at the bottom of the device, alongside a dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait on a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and an 8 MP camera.


The Sony Xperia C S39h will be a China Unicom exclusive and features a 5-inch display of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels), a quad-core 1.2 GHz MediaTek processor, and an 8 MP camera with Exmor R sensor. It'll come with dual-SIM support, and will be available in White, Black and Purple on release.

Sony announces the IP57-certified SmartWatch 2 with NFC

Sony officially announced the SmartWatch 2, its third-gen watch accessory that pairs with your Android smartphone.

The new SmartWatch 2 sports a new design inspired by the Xperia Z and even sports the smartphone's cool-looking aluminum power button. Just as before, the watch connects with any Android smartphone or tablet via Blueetoth and can show text messages and incoming calls as well as give you Facebook and Twitter updates, show calendar entries and act as a remote for the music player.

Sony claims that the SmartWatch 2 is significantly faster than its predecessor and is also resistant to water splashes with IP57 certification. There are a few hundred apps specifically designed for the experience that the SmartWatch 2 provides, according to Sony.

Sony SmartWatch 2 official photos
Sporting an aluminum body and stainless steel wristband, the watch features NFC connectivity for easy pairing and connecting and microUSB port for charging. It has a 1.6" display with a resolution of 220 x 176 pixels, which Sony says is very good for reading and offers great sunlight legibility.

Fujifilm announces X-M1 interchangeable-lens camera

Fujifilm has launched the new X-M1 interchangeable-lens camera, the third of its kind from the company and the cheapest one so far. It has the retro-style design of some of Fujifilm’s other models and as you can see below it looks utterly fantastic.

The X-M1 uses the same 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS Sensor as the X-Pro1 and X-E1 cameras with a 49 point auto-focus system, which Fujifilm claims offers quality comparable to full-frame sensors. The sensor is capable of shooting at ISO6400, which can be further extended to ISO25600.

The X-M1 comes with two command dials, one on the top and one on the back, that let you adjust various parameters, such as aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation. On the back is an articulated, 3.0-inch 920k dot LCD but the camera lacks an optical viewfinder. On the top is the flash and the hot shoe for accessories. The X-M1 also comes with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for wirelessly transferring your images to a computer, smartphone or tablet using the respective companion apps.
Lastly, you can also record 1920 x 1080 video at 30 frames per second.
The Fujifilm X-M1 is priced at $699 (body-only) and $799 with the 16-50mm lens.

HP officially announces the Slate 21 AIO Android tablet with Tegra 4 chipset

HP Slate 21 aims to remedy that and really takes us by surprise. As you can guess, the all-in-one/"tablet" hybrid sports a large 21.5" touchscreen display.

The desktop/tablet combo runs on a fast Tegra 4 chipset, and sports Android 4.2 out of the box, with a kickstand on the back when you want to use it in its desktop reincarnation - at 21.5" we assume this will be most of the time, but board games around the bonfire aren't out of the question either with this thing.

Slate 21 was unveiled in Beijing, so the press release below is a rough translation from Chinese, but seemingly the IPS display is with 1920x1080 Full HD resolution, and DTS surround sound speakers are present. HP says there will be more details on the exact specs and pricing when the Slate 21 hybrid gets introduced at each country, but at least we are sure that Microsoft's licensing fee for Windows RT won't be in the price, which should already mean a more affordable device for those who might need it.

Sony Xperia Z with Snapdragon 800 coming up?

The Sony Xperia Z with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset exists and is actively been tested by the company, according to Eldar Murtazin, who claims he has seen and played with the device himself.

Murtazin, who has a somewhat mixed success with his predictions and leaks as of recently, also reports that the prototype he has tested sports a similar display to the HTC One's Super LCD 3. However, he doesn't believe Sony will leave it in the final version of the device, provided it exists.

Vertu announces limited edition TI devices, only 1,000 of each will be made

The luxury handset’s first Android powered device will now also be offered in a limited edition trim featuring a couple exclusive for those that already have everything else.  The Vertu Ti will offer limited edition models in either Sunset Red or Midnight Blue, both of which are made with leather. The colors are what make the devices special, plus only 1,000 of each color will be made, engraved with a serial number and signature of the craftsman that built the device by hand.

The red and blue are a departure from the current line of black options featuring specific accents of alligator or gold. These luxury handsets are not spec-monsters by any standard nowadays. The appeal of a Vertu beyond its exclusive hardware is the concierge service that is available to accommodate every whim and wish of the owner 24/7.

For those that need to know though, the Ti features a 3.7-inch 800x480 display with a sapphire crystal instead of glass. There is an 8MP autofocus camera, and 64GB of storage on board. The Ti is a quad-band GSM smartphone with HSPA+ data up to 42Mbps, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and NFC. Powering the whole thing is a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU tuned to 1.7GHz and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

To become an owner of one of these exclusive limited edition Ti devices, just find a dealer and be ready to pay about €8,900 ($11,700) for the privilege of owning one. The concierge service starts at about a couple thousand per year. Big spenders get their own dedicated concierge agent.

Intel snubs Qi, goes with Alliance for Wireless Power

The Alliance for Wireless Power has won over a big name as chip maker Intel has decided to join the Alliance over Qi. In siding with the A4WP, Intel receives a seat on the board of the organization. The Alliance for Wireless Power has several big chip manufacturers on its side now, including Samsung, Qualcomm and Broadcom.
Intel likes the direction that the A4WP is taking toward near-field magnetic resonance technology which allows devices to be charged without touching a pad. Intel wants to further develop Wireless Charging Technology to allow a smartphone or tablet to automatically recharge when placed close to a laptop.

"Intel believes the A4WP specification, particularly the use of near-field magnetic resonance technology, can provide a compelling consumer experience and enable new usage models that make device charging almost automatic. In joining A4WP, we look forward to working alongside other member companies and contributing to standards that help fuel an ecosystem of innovative solutions capable of simultaneously charging a range of devices, from low-power accessories to smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks."-Intel

LG Optimus G2 screenshots show onscreen keys

A trio of leaked screenshots that allegedly come from the LG Optimus G2 have appeared revealing a bit of what LG has been cooking for its upcoming Android flagship smartphone.
The images in question show that the company hasn't altered the look of the Optimus UI too much, but has rather given it a few refreshing touches here and there. What the screenshots do reveal though, is the resolution of the Optimus G2. The smartphone's 5" screen is now confirmed to have full HD resolution .
Here are the screenshots themselves. Notice the onscreen software buttons, suggesting that LG has chosen to leave out the physical buttons for its upcoming flagship. This would also make it easier for LG to make the rumored Nexus 5.

Alleged LG Opitmus G2 screenshots show the new Optimus UI
Purported photo of the LG Opitmus G2 has already given us a glimpse of how the smartphone would look. Qualcomm and LG have also confirmed the smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 800 chipset

this week

Samsung announces ATIV Book 9 Plus, ATIV Book 9 Lite ultrabooks

Samsung has announced the next generation of their sleek Series 9 ultrabook. The two new ultrabooks are called ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Book 9 Lite respectively and both run Windows 8, as you might have guessed.

Both feature aluminium unibodies and 13.3-inch screens with touch functionality. The one on the ATIV Book 9 Plus however packs the whopping 3200 X 1800 QHD+ resolution.
The ATIV Book 9 Plus uses Intel’s fourth gen Haswell CPUs – both Core i5 and i7 ULT are available – and provides up to 12h of battery life. It has 2xUSB 3.0 ports, it weighs only 1.39kg and comes in black.

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus
The ATIV Book 9 Lite takes it easier on the wallet with a screen, which has 1366 x 768px resolution and touch functionality only as an option.
The ATIV Book 9 Lite is powered by a low-voltage quad-core CPU and weighs 1.44kg-1.58kg depending on the touchscreen option. It has one USB 3.0 port and another USB 2.0 port on board. It will be available in both black and white.

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite
There is no info on pricing and availability just yet.

Samsung officially unveils ATIV Q and ATIV Tab 3 Windows 8 tablets

Samsung officially announced two tablets – the convertible ATIV Q and ATIV Tab 3. Both devices run Windows 8, while the ATIV Q can dual boot Android as well.

Starting up with the Samsung ATIV Q, as it is the more interesting slate of the two. It’s built around a 13.3″ display with the jaw-dropping resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels. This results in pixel density of 275ppi, more than some not-so-old smartphones out there.

Since its a slider tablet, it supports a few lock modes: typing, floating (the display is lifted from the base), stand and writing.
It’s powered by a fourth-gen Intel Core i5 processor with Intel’s HD Graphics 4400 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD storage. It runs Windows 8 and can run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, as well. Connectivity options include one USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port each, micro HDMI, Ethernet port (via a dongle), and an SD card slot. The front-facing camera is capable of shooting 720p HD video.

The Samsung ATIV Q weighs 1.29kg (2.84 pounds) and measures 327.0 x 217.8 x 13.9mm, which is not too shabby for a tablet with these specifications. The battery is of unknown size, but Samsung claims it can power the ATIV Q for up to 9 hours.

Samsung ATIV Tab 3

On to the Samsung ATIV Tab 3, which sports a 10.1″ display, packing a more modest 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. It runs Windows 8 again but is powered by he Intel ATOM Z2760 CPU and 2GB of RAM. The internal storage is 64GB, expandable via the on-board microSD card slot.

The ATIV Tab 3 weighs 550 grams and is just 8.2mm thick, which Samsung claims is the world’s thinnest as far as Windows 8 tablets go. The company hasn’t provided details about the battery yet, but says it’ll be good for 10 hours of usage. There’s one microUSB and one microHDMI port as well.
Sharing the design of the Galaxy Tab series, the ATIV Tab 3 also features an improved S Pen, which is fully compatible with the Microsoft Office suite, which is preloaded on it (Home &amp: Student version).

Samsung announces Galaxy NX, first Android-powered interchangeable lens camera with 20.3MP APS-C sensor

The Galaxy NX uses an APS-C sensor with an effective resolution of 20.3MP. Besides high resolution stills, the camera can also record 1080p video at 25fps. The camera features DRIMe IV Image Signal Processer and can do burst shots at 8.6fps with a maximum shutter speed of up to 1/6000 sec.
The big sensor isn’t the only advantage – with the Galaxy NX you can use any NX mount lens, pancake lenses, fish eye lenses, long primes and zoom lenses, even a 45mm 2D/3D lens. Some lenses feature Optical Image Stabilization too.
The camera packs a powerful xenon popup flash and you get an electronic viewfinder with SVGA resolution (800 x 600) if you are into that sort of thing.
The Samsung Galaxy NX also packs a 4.8″ HD TFT LCD display on the back, which is a lot better than what cameras usually get (yes, even expensive DSLRs). It gets much better functionality too, thanks to Android 4.2.2 with TouchWiz 5, which is becoming standard issue for recent Galaxy devices.
The Samsung Galaxy NX is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. The storage can be expanded with a microSD card (up to 64GB). Connectivity is worthy of a smartphone too with LTE (market dependent), HSPA+ (42Mbps download), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS plus GLONASS for accurate geo-tagging.

The TouchWiz software means users get the same creative camera modes that we saw on the Galaxy S4 Zoom – more than 30 Smart modes including Animated photo (creates a GIF), Multi Exposure and Sound & shot.
The Galaxy NX will come bundled with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for advanced image processing, but the camera also comes with True 3D Creator for making 3D images and movies.
The camera measures 136.5 x 101.2 x 25.7mm and weighs 495g with the battery. Speaking of which, it’s a 4,360mAh battery, which is close to four times the capacity of the Samsung NX2000 battery, but it’s needed for the bigger screen and powerful chipset.
There’s no info on the price and availability of the Samsung Galaxy NX just yet.

Alleged pictures of the Apple iPhone 5S leak

While Apple successfully managed to be tightlipped about the iOS 7, it looks like it's not having the same luck keeping the upcoming iPhone 5S a secret. Two new images of what claim to be the next generation iPhone have surfaced and show us what we had already guessed; it's going to be a spec update over the current iPhone 5.
The image on the left show the redesigned internals with a new logic board that matches one of the previously leaked images, which gives it some credibility. The 5.92Whr battery is bigger than 5.45Whr battery on the iPhone 5, suggesting improved battery life.
The image on the right shows us the new LED flash next to the camera lens. The shape has changed and now there are two LEDs under the lens. The rest of the design is identical to the iPhone 5. Also, as you can see from the edges, this device shares its affinity to scratches with the iPhone 5, although that may not be the case with the final version.
The iPhone 5S is expected to go on sale later this year. As can be seen from the images above and using the previous iPhones as reference, it is not going to be a completely redesigned product but more of a faster, more refined version of the current iPhone. So it's best to adjust your expectations accordingly

Sony Xperia Z Ultra screenshots reveal an updated launcher

While the other day's screenshots of the Xperia Z Ultra (Togari) confirmed the device's specifications, today's batch of snaps reveal the changes made to the Sony launcher in its Android 4.2.2 version.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra screenshots
The screenshots were acquired by an acquaintance of a member of the XDA-Developers forum, who confirms they are the real deal. As you can see, Sony has done well to utilize the extra screen estate by expanding the rows and columns of the app drawer to a 6x5 grid.
The icons on the homescreen itself look a lot smaller, too, hinting that the grid there has been expanded as well. Other small cosmetic touches include an updated app drawer icon (3x3 circles, not 4x4 squares) as well as the dock, which can now take up to 6 icons, not just four.
Sony is holding a press event next week on Tuesday and the Xperia Z Ultra is dubbed to be one of the stars of the show. Naturally we'll be covering it live for you, so stick around.

Nokia RM-875 also passes FCC. Nokia EOS international edition?

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Nokia keeps slipping out clues as to what we might expect from its Zoom Reinvented event: following the RM-877's appearance at the FCC, an RM-875 device has also popped up at the US agency. This new hardware looks like an international variant of the RM-877, and thus a second take on what we believe is the EOS. The RM-875 sheds what traces were left of its sibling's 1,700MHz HSPA+ data and switches the LTE to more exotic 850MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,100MHz and 2,500MHz frequencies, but it's otherwise a near perfect match in terms of dimensions and antenna layouts. The camera grip accessory and wireless charging cover persist, too. As such, it's quite possible that whatever Nokia unveils on July 11th will ship worldwide -- let's just hope it ships quickly.

Oppo confirms Find 7, though not for September, denies Find 5 Mini

After the Oppo Find 5 came around and convinced us that the Chinese manufacturer is perfectly capable of standing up to the big names in business, we've been keeping a close eye on the company's new projects. Recently we've heard about Find 5 mini and Find 7 coming up, and as luck would have it we were just contacted by an Oppo representative, who wanted to clear out a few things about them.
The bad news is the Find 5 Mini version isn't coming at all and the rumors about it are unfounded.Here is the official quote:

One article mentioned the possible release of a Find 5 Mini. Unfortunately, there are no plans to release any Find 5 Minis.

The good news is the rep officially confirmed Oppo is indeed working on a Find 5 successor called Find 7. The device is still in very early stage of development though and won't launch this September as some reports suggested.




Here is the relevant part of the statement:

OPPO is excited to be currently developing the next phone in the Find series, the Find 7. However, development is still in the early stages and has no finalized designs or specifications. There is also no release date at this time and will unfortunately not be available this September.

Qualcomm announces 6 new Snapdragon 200 chipsets

Qualcomm has secured the high-end with its Snapdragon 600 chipsets (and soon the 800) and has turned its attention to entry-level phones with six new Snapdragon 200 chips. They will be available in Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) platforms in late 2013.
The new Snapdragon 200 chipsets come in dual and quad-core flavors (8x10 and 8x12) and will be built on a 28nm process (same as the 600 and 800, current 200s are made at 45nm).
The new 200 chipsets support cameras up to 8MP and come with a new Adreno 302 GPU, which Qualcomm promises will deliver "class-leading graphics performance" (current models use Adreno 203). There's Quick Charge support too.
The chipsets support 3G HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps), TD-SCDMA for emerging markets in China and elsewhere, and can work in dual-SIM, dual-standby (or dual-active) phones and even tri-SIM, tri-standby handsets.
We can expect to find Snapdragon 200 chipsets inside entry-level Android, Windows Phone and Firefox handsets, but it's too soon to be talking about launch dates.

LG and Qualcomm partner up for next G-series smartphone

LG and Qualcomm announced their collaboration on the next G-series smartphone. The successor of the LG Optimus G will sport Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800 chipset with quad-core Krait 400 CPUs.

The latest Qualcomm chipset promises up to 75% better performance than the Snapdragon S4 Pro. The new Adreno 330 GPU on the other hand, promises to deliver more than twice the oomph of the currently used Adreno 320.
The press release goes further to point some of Qualcomm Snapdragon 800's key features. They include support for advanced 4G LTE, Ultra HD video capture playback and display support, as well as dynamic power sensing for better power management.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra screenshots emerge, confirm specs 

Screenshots taken from the upcoming Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet have emerged, thus confirming the previously leaked specs. Codenamed Togari, the large-screen device is expected to break cover next month, on July 4.

The screenshots reveal most of the phablet's specs (click to enlarge)
The screenshots confirm that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 chipset with 2.2GHz quad-core CPU, and Adreno 330 GPU. There's 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in memory on board, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot. The OS version is Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
The display's resolution is listed at 1080 x 1824 pixels. The remaining pixels up to 1920 are likely reserved for the trio of virtual buttons. The listed pixel density of 342ppi on the other hand, confirms that the unit sports a 6.4" diagonal.

Ultra-rugged NEC Terrain gets announced for AT&T

AT&T took the wraps off the ultra-rugged, LTE capable NEC Terrain. The Android smartphone with full QWERTY keyboard and push-to-talk functionality will be available exclusively through AT&T Business Solutions and online on June 21 for $99.99 with a two-year commitment to the carrier.


The NEC Terrain features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC with a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. There's 8GB of built-in memory on board, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot. A 3.1" display with a yet to be known resolution and the ageing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich are also part of the smartphone's specifications.
Being a rugged business device, the NEC Terrain exceeds the MIL-810G specifications for water, dust and shock resistance. Combined with the full QWERTY keyboard and PTT functionality, the rugged credentials of the device are bound to make it a credible niche proposition.

41MP camera officially confirmed for the Nokia EOS

The Nokia EOS rumor fire has been burning for a very long time now, but since recently Nokia itself has started adding fuel to it. The first rumors started soon after the last Symbian Nokia 808 PureView was announced and even though the Lumia 920 with OIS lens was carrying the PureView brand it didn't turn out the 41MP monster many fans hoped for.
Well the wait is almost over. The company just posted a second teaser for its July 11 event in New York, which says that there will be 41 million reasons to follow it. Get it? 41 million - the same as the number of pixels on the sensor of the upcoming WP8 smartphone.
Over the past few weeks we finally saw the first live pictures of the mysterious Nokia EOS device. Now that we also got to learn the resolution of its sensor, there are very few unknowns about it remaining.



Now the 41 megapixel sensor suggests we might also see an update of the Windows Phone platform pretty soon. Since the currently available WP8 release doesn't support higher-resolution sensors, either Microsoft will have to deliver an update with added drivers, or Nokia will have to do it by itself.

HTC Butterfly S is official, packs HTC One's UltraPixel camera

HTC Butterfly S official and it's a significant bump over the first Butterfly. The smartphone is powered by a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 - the same as the one in the Samsung Galaxy S4 - and has 2GB of RAM.
It's built around the same 5" display boasting full HD resolution and a pixel density of 440ppi. Internal storage is 16GB, and as is usually the case, HTC has teamed up with Dropbox to provide 25GB of free cloud storage for 2 years. MicroSD card support is available, too.
At the back of the Butterfly S, there's the same UltraPixel camera as the HTC One. It packs a 1/3" BSI sensor size with a 2.0 micron pixel size and wide F/2.0 aperture. Since the smartphone is running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with the latest Sense UI 5 skin on top, there's HTC Zoe with HTC Share and Video highlights.

HTC Butterfly S official photos
Not much has changed in terms of visuals, and the Butterfly S looks more or less the same as its predecessor, safe for its thickness and different color variations - red, white, gray - and some details here and there. The most prominent of which is the metal ring surrounding the camera glass at the back.
Measuring 144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6mm, the Butterfly S weighs 160 grams and is significantly thicker than before. That's because under the hood, there's a 3200mAh battery, a lot bigger than the original Butterfly's 2020mAh unit. Connectivity options are the usual for a high-end offering and include Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, DLNA, NFC, GPS.
The HTC Butterfly S is expected to debut in Taiwan for NT $22,900 (US $766) in July. The company's plans for a wider release at this point are still unclear.

GDR 2 update for Windows Phone 8 to bundle OEM and OS updates

We don't know a lot about the GDR 2 update that is coming soon to Windows Phone 8. We've heard that quad-core processor support will be coming with the GDR 3 update, but all we have learned so far with GDR 2 is that it will be bringing CalDAV and CardDAV support for Google accounts. A new report is saying it will also help unify Windows Phone updates by bundling OEM and OS updates.

Previously on Windows Phone, OS updates would roll out to devices separately from OEM fixes, which tended to cause problems because the timing wasn't always organized properly, which would mean that the OEM fixes would come first, but users wouldn't be able to install them, because they required the OS updates. Now, Microsoft is going to send the OS updates to the OEMs, who will customize and add device specific fixes to the bundle before pushing the update to users. 

This is actually how updates worked back in the days of Windows Mobile. It may cause a bit of a delay in updates, but since the amount of OEM customization allowed is limited, the delays shouldn't be that noticeable.

NVIDIA to license its Kepler GPU core to grab more from the "explosion of Android devices"

NVIDIA isn't content with the number of Android devices that use its Tegra chipsets and wants to get more of the market, and the plan to do that looks like the company will license its Kepler GPU core to other chipset manufacturers. NVIDIA hopes that doing this will enable it to get more from the "explosion of Android devices".

Basically, NVIDIA is tired of seeing its revenue from the PC market dropping as the PC market itself gives way to mobile devices, and the company wants to be more integrated in the mobile revolution. So, NVIDIA is going to license its "GPU cores and visual computing patent portfolio" to manufacturers working on mobile processors.

NVIDIA has done this before, and had licensed its GPU core design to Sony for use in the PlayStation 3. NVIDIA says that this new world "presents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate this effort" because so many companies are building Android devices.

It will start by licensing the Kepler GPU core, which supports DX11, OpenGL 4.3, and GPGPU. It will also license its visual computing portfolio, so companies can "develop their own GPU functionality".

Huawei Ascend P6 now official – "world’s slimmest smartphone"

The Huawei Ascent P6 was just announced official. Meet the new slimmest smartphone, with an awe-inspiring thickness of only 6.18 millimeters. But even though it is so impressively slim, the Ascend P6 has quite a lot of goodies packed under its hood.

Inside the sleek metallic body of the Huawei Ascend P6 ticks a 1.5GHz quad-core processor. There is a 4.7-inch LCD  touchscreen with HD resolution gracing its front – 1280 by 720 pixels, we assume. Huawei notes that an in-cell touch display has been used, which are known for their slimness. The 8-megapixel main camera can capture macro shots from as close as 4 centimeters, while the front-facing 5MP shooter ensures that your self-portraits will look as good as they should. And although there is a decent 2000mAh battery tucked behind its back plate, the Huawei Ascend P6 weighs a mere 120 grams. 

To give users more value for their money, Huawei has added a few extra tricks as well. Among them is the so-called MagicTouch tech, which allows the screen to be operated even while the user has gloves on. Through some power management optimizations, Huawei has managed to make the Ascend P6 battery last as much as 30% longer than cells of this size used in other handsets. The AirSharing feature is present as well, allowing one to instantly share content over the air with TVs and other devices. Android 4.2.2 will come pre-loaded onto the Huawei Ascend P6, with the maker's Emotion UI layered on top.

The Huawei Ascend P6 will be released in China this month. Markets throughout Western Europe will get the phone in July via a number of carriers and retailers:vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, H3G, O2, Carphone Warehouse, TalkTalk, MediaMarkt & Saturn, TIM, Amazon and CDiscount. At this time, there is no information whether the Huawei Ascend P6 is ever going to be released in the U.S. Color choices include black, white and pink, with optional color-matching cases sold separately.

First Tizen phone to be powered by an Exynos 4 chipset

We're still waiting for the first Tizen device – it will launch in August or September according to Samsung VP. In the meantime we get leaks that paint a picture of what the device will be like – a smartphone with 720p screen and an Exynos 4 chipset.
TechTastic looked through the Tizen repository for stuff committed by Samsung and there seems to be support for only two chipsets – the Exynos 4212 and Exynos 4412. The first is a revamped version of what went into the Galaxy S II (under the alias s5pc2xx) and the second is the Galaxy S III chipset.


The chipsets pack two and four Cortex-A9 cores respectively (at 1.4-1.6GHz clockspeed) and a Mali-400 GPU.
This means the Samsung I8805 Redwood, which is the first Tizen to launch according to rumors, won't match Android flagships like the Galaxy S4 in terms of raw power (actual performance is another story, of course). It's the higher-end of the two Tizens that have leaked so far – Redwod and the I8800 Melius.

AMD building ARM chips for non-mobile servers

With a code name of "Seattle," Advanced Micro Devices is building its first chips based on the ARM Holdings designs that are prevalent in smartphones and tablets. But AMD isn't looking to sling silicon for mobile devices. Instead, these chips are headed for the server market. With AMD's share of x86 chips quickly heading south, the company needed something new to enhance the top line of its balance sheet.

While producing ARM based chips for servers might be new for AMD, it has been done before. Applied Micro Circuits starting shipping samples of its X-Gene chip in April. The foundry calls it "a server on a chip". Meanwhile, AMD will start shipping samples of "Seattle" in Q1 of 2014 with commercial shipments rolling out the door the following quarter. It will operate at speeds of 2GHz or faster and come in 8 or 16 core variants.

With the production of its first ARM chips en route, will AMD decide to enter the competitive market to manufacture ARM chips for mobile devices? Considering the competitiveness of that market, led by big names like Qualcomm and Samsung, it might seem a tough business to enter. And with MediaTek enjoying big business in the low end of the market, it seems like AMD might be better off with this niche for now.

LG confirms the production of flexible displays will start in Q4

LG spokesman Frank Lee said the Korean company is set to start mass production of flexible displays in the fourth quarter of this year.

Furthermore, LG Electronics plans on releasing its first smartphone with a flexible display before the year’s end.

The new displays are of the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) variety, which LG first introduced in its products via a 55-inch OLED television unveiled at CES last year.
LG also plans on selling the technology with to other major mobile producers, as the company predicts its flexible display technology will become the latest trend in mobiles. This, in turn, raises speculation as to which next generation device we could see with flexible displays this year, or in the first half of 2014.
In LG’s own camp, the rumored LG Nexus 5 is one such candidate, as is the LG Optimus G2 (although not according to these leaked images).
The anticipated Apple iPhone 6 could also be in store for a flexible display, although that product is not expected until at least 2014.
Finally, LG hopes that its flexible display technology will give it the upper hand over hometown rival Samsung, who are supposedly facing problems with the development of their own flexible display tech. Then there’s also last years OLED panel leak, which makes this a hot button issue between the two Korean giants.

Lava to launch a $50 Firefox OS smartphone in India

The first commercially available Firefox OS smartphones – the Peak and Keon by Geeksphone – are already pretty cheap, priced at €150 ($200) and €91 ($121) respectively. That doesn't mean, however, that smartphones powered by Mozilla's mobile platform won't go any lower than that. In fact, $50 Firefox OS handset are expected to launch in India, produced by a local smartphone company.

Lava is the Indian company that has chosen tho give Firefox OS a try. It is currently known for producing affordable Android smartphones with a reasonable set of features for what they cost. It's latest Lava Iris model, for example, packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 4.5-inch screen, and 8MP camera, yet can be bought for the equivalent of roughly $145. 

The upcoming $50 Firefox OS, on the other hand, will most likely have an unimpressive specs sheet. But hey, it might still be better than alternative phones costing as much. Lava has yet to announce any details as to when its low-cost Firefox OS smartphone may be released. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on the Geeksphone web page in case you want to grab yourself one of them Firefox OS phones.

Nokia Working on Lumias with Snapdragon 800 SOC? Up to 55MP and 2560×2048 displays

The evidence that Nokia is working on a quad-core Windows Phone 8 handset is mounting and this time we're talking the big guns – Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. A changelog in a file hosted on Nokia's servers indicates that the terms "quad_core", "adreno_330", "qualcomm_snapdragon_s4_msm8274" and "qualcomm_snapdragon_s4_msm8974" were added recently.
The MSM8274 is a Snapdragon 800 chipset with four Krait 400 cores at up to 2.3GHz and Adreno 330 GPU. The MSM8974 also adds support for LTE-Advanced, CDMA, and the Chinese TD-SCDMA.



And supports up to 55MP, “ultra HD capture” and displays up to 2560×2048 (nice for a future LumiaTab). We’re still waiting on MS to expand WP’s resolution support to 1080p.

Quite recently a quadcore Lumia was found, but quite interestingly with a 16:9 (720p vs Nokia’s 1280×768) which was hoped the ratio was in place as a filler in prototypes with 1080p displays but no support yet.
Let’s hope that battery life isn’t forgotten.

1080p is not enough: high-end smartphones in 2014 may feature 6-inch 1600 x 2560-pixel screens

The industry just won’t settle at 1080p. Next year smartphones could get even more detailed screens as we are about to jump right into 1600 x 2560-pixel screen territory. The new displays are expected to ship on 6-inch phablets, devices that are expected to become way more common in the near future.

For the geeks, the new 1600 x 2560-pixel resolution goes by the WQXGA acronym, and means that next year the resolution on your smartphone might be higher than the one on an Apple iPad.

With a pixel density of over 500ppi, the obvious benefits will be that text will appear crystal clear and images even sharper.
We first heard about a 6-inch 1600 x 2560 pixel displays back in 2011 when Toshiba announced it has made an LCD screen with the world’s highest pixel density. Since then, Japan Display and Sharp have also unveiled 1600p displays late last year.

If we had to give out an award for the fastest growing mobile technology, it would probably go to makers of smartphone screens. Just a couple of years ago, the Apple iPhone 4 stunned us with its high-resolution “Retina” display and Android followed up quickly with a ton of 720p devices. Fast forward to today and we have 1080p quad-core smartphones selling for around $200 in China.

Screen resolutions

Having a 500 pixel per inch screen might seem like an overkill - after all many experts said that the human eye simply wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a 1080p and a 720p display from a regular viewing distance. However perfection is where technology is going and good news is that high-res displays will inevitably start arriving to more affordable devices.

To see a piece of that future, right below is a demonstration of Sharp’s new 1600p 6-inch display.

HTC Desire 200 is officially announced with 3.5" display

HTC has just officially announced its latest budget offering dubbed Desire 200. It's running HTC's own Sense UI skin on top of currently unspecified version Android and packs Beats Audio music enhancement.
Built around a 3.5" LCD display of 320 x 480 pixels resolution, the HC Desire 200 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 chipset with single-core 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM. The internal memory is just 4GB, but thankfully it is expandable via the on-board microSD card slot.

HTC Desire 200 official photos
At the back, the Desire 200 has a 5MP, f/2.8 fixed focus camera with 34mm lens that supports VGA video recording. The battery has a capacity of 1230mAh and is user-removable. According to HTC, it'll be able to provide you with 7 hours and 30 minutes of 3G talk time and 812 hours of stand-by.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB and GPS. There's a trio of sensors, too - accelerometer, proximity and ambient light.
Pricing and availability are unknown at this point, but it's just a matter of time until major retailers and carriers are ready to share this info.

Transparent solar films add 20% to your phone's battery life on the cheap

The French from SunPartner are having a very pragmatic approach to the promising field of transparent solar cells that can be used as a screen cover, charging our phones even while in use and off the grid.

Instead of the complex and expensive projects from the likes of MIT and UCLA that are trying to weave miniature solar cells into the touchscreens themselves, or other projects that harvest the light leaking from OLEDs, SunPartner is just combining traditional with transparent solar cells.

The visible traditional solar stripes are then being hidden vie an add-on cover with numerous lenses that distribute the light in a certain way. Currently the company has achieved 82% transparency, with future prototypes expected to hit 90%. The CEO has been in the Silicon Valley recently, demonstrating the product to the mobile talent there.

Apparently the solution adds about 20% to your battery life with normal usage, and can also power the phone completely when standing by in daylight, thus being gentle on your juicer, no matter how many mAh the manufacturers manage to cram in. SunPartner says that three phone makers have already expressed interest and are working with prototypes of the technology.

Samsung starts mass production of PCIe SSD, your storage is about to get 2.5 times faster

Samsung has confirmed that it has started mass production of the new PCIe-based (PCI-Express) solid-state drives, which bring about 2.5 times performance boost over current SATA-based drives and around 7 times more than a conventional 7200 RPM hard-drive.

The new XP941 PCIe-based SSDs are also smaller than their predecessors making them ideal for use in ultrabooks.
The SSDs will come in 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB variants. The new XP941 SSD allows for 1400 MB/s read, due to the PCIe 2.0 interface. It weighs around 6 grams (compared to the average of around 50 grams of 2.5″ SATA SSDs) and offers a seventh of the 2.5″ SATA SSDs volume, leaving more room for stuff like battery.
To put things in perspective, Samsung points that the new XP941 SSD will be able to read 10 HD movies at around 5 GB each in 10 seconds.
Currently the mid 2013 MacBook Air is the first device on the market rocking Samsung’s PCIe SSD but other PC makers are lined up for the upgrade.

Oppo Find 7 to come in September with 4,000 mAh battery

The new report confirms previous online gossip about the specs and adds a 4000 mAh battery and 9.9 mm thickness. That would put it on par with the 6" Huawei Ascend Mate, which has the largest battery of any smartphone to date.

In case you need a refresh the Oppo Find 7 is supposed to run on the latest Snapdragon 800 chipset and pack a 5" 1080p display. The previous rumors also suggested a 13MP rear and an 8MP front camera for the next Oppo flagship.
The rest of the previously confirmed specs are the NFC connectivity and 2GB of RAM.
Anyway, if this new info turn out correct the Oppo Find 7 announcement should be just around the corner, so we'll know sooner rather than later.

Quad-core Nokia with WP8 shows up in GFXBench scores

Qualcomm recently announced the first quad-core chipset with Windows Phone 8 support and Nokia may already have a phone with it in the works according to GFXBench results. The promised GDR3 update should bring quad-core and 1080p screen support.
However, the Nokia device that ran the benchmark had screen resolution of 720p, suggesting this might be a separate update.
The GPU of the chipset was Adreno 305, but unfortunately GFXBench didn’t detect CPU clockspeed or the amount of RAM.


The Snapdragon 400 chipset that Qualcomm announced was a mid-range model with four Cortex-A7 CPUs at 1.2GHz and LTE support. Qualcomm also has Krait 300-based quad-cores with Adreno 305, but it's not clear if they support Windows Phone 8 and without CPU clockspeed it's hard to guess which one it is anyway.
The benchmark is also mum on the name, but it confirms Nokia as the manufacturer and Windows Phone 8 as the OS. There's been some talk that the Nokia EOS will pack a quad-core CPU, but this could be a completely different device (or even a fake entry altogether).

Motorola X smartphone specs leak, packs 10MP camera

Purported specifications of the Motorola X smartphone have appeared on evleak's Twitter account. The renowned leakster suggests the device will pack mid-range specifications, despite being touted as a "hero" device by the company's CEO Dennis Woodside.

Anyway, the specs include a 720p display of unknown dimensions and 1.7GHz dual-core Krait CPU with 2GB of RAM on the MSM8960 Pro chipset. Internal memory is 16GB, but a microSD card slot isn't mentioned.
At the back, the Moto X is suggested to feature a 10MP camera. This sounds promising and in line with Vic Gundotra saying we can expect awesome camera from the company. A 2MP camera at the front will be used for video chatting.

Photos of metal-clad Nokia EOS body leak out

The previously leaked Nokia EOS made an appearance once again, flaunting its metal-clad body. This time around, the upcoming camera-centric Windows Phone smartphone got allegedly caught in front of the camera on what appears to be a production line under way.

The leaked photos reveal the right side of the device, where (unsurprisingly) the volume rocker, power/lock key, and dedicated camera button reside. The back of the upcoming smartphone is also on display, thus revealing the opening for the camera tech.
Nokia is expected to take the wraps of the EOS at an event in New York City on July 11. Be sure to tune in for the full scoop on the newcomer.