this week

LG making a Windows Phone 8 handset?

Korean manufacturer LG might be the next major smartphone producer to offer a Windows Phone 8 model. A published report out of India says that while the phone is under development, there is no guarantee that the Korean manufacturer is going to go ahead and launch the handset. Kwon Soon, LG India’s managing director, said, "At home (South Korea), we are actually working on our Windows Phone 8 OS powered smartphone." But even with that comment, it would seem that LG's main focus remains Android. Kwon went on to clarify his statement by adding, "Android is the major platform globally, given its acceptance and penetration. Although, we believe that Windows will pick up going ahead, as Microsoft is pumping efforts into it."

While deciding whether there is a market opportunity for them with Windows Phone, LG has the eagerly awaited LG G2 ready to be unveiled on August 7th, although the phone will actually launch in Korea this month. Leaked photos of the Android flavored model show that it will have its volume buttons on back of the phone. While LG has been avoiding Windows Phone, the platform is slowly picking up market share. From a 1.9% market share in the first quarter of 2012, the platform had 2.9% of the global smartphone market a year later, according to researcher Gartner.

Motorola DROID MAXX image leaked

An intriguing picture of a new Motorola handset has been tweeted by evleaks, and according to the serial leaker, this is the Motorola DROID MAXX. There is some speculation that it is the extended battery version of the Motorola DROID Ultra (XT-1080) that popped up on Verizon's website last week, confirming a thin, Kevlar body for the handset. Even more interesting is that a look at the bottom of the phone shows the same design as seen on the back of that mystery Motorola device pictured the other day with the Ferrari logo.

The Motorola DROID MAXX

There have been some nay-sayers who have called that picture photoshopped, pointing out that the Ferrari insignia had an incorrect color scheme. Instead, it could very well be a real photograph showing us the back of the phone that evleaks just outed. Our source has said that besides the Motorola Moto X, the wholly owned Google subsidiary has three more models on the way. Two are believed to be the Motorola DROID Ultra and the Motorola DROID Ultra M (XT-1030).

It is possible that we could be close to an official announcement from Motorola. A recent full page ad that the company took out in some of the nation's most widely circulated papers for the Moto X showed the image of two people that formed the roman numeral "X I" or 11. Some took that to mean that July 11th will be the unveiling date for the Moto X and possibly other Motorola phones as well. We also wonder if the "X" formed in the picture was for the Moto X and the "I" indicated that it is the first generation model in the series. Or perhaps the "X" was representing the X used as the logo for Nexus models and the "I" meant that it will be Motorola's first such phone.

Comparing the back of the Motorola DROID MAXX (R) to the back of the mystery Motorola device

Galaxy Note III to be unveiled on September 4 with 5.7" display

The next generation Galaxy Note phablet from Samsung is one of the most anticipated devices of the year, so understandably rumors about it aren't hard to come by. According to latest report the Galaxy Note III will be announced two days before IFA 2013 kicks off - on September 4.


The report also says Samsung Galaxy Note III is said to sport a 5.7" Super AMOLED display, rather than the 6" unit that was most frequently mentioned so far. The 1080p resolution is still expected to feature a Snapdragon 800 chipset or an Exynos 5 Octa processor along with 3 GB of RAM.

Samsung announces 20MP WB110 with 26x optical zoom

Samsung has extended its collection of superzoom cameras with the addition of WB110. Samsung’s latest camera boasts a 26x optical zoom and has a 20.2 megapixel sensor.

Samsung WB110 measures 114.48 x 79.26 x 86.45mm and weighs about 385g. The WB110 lens starts from the ultra wide 22.3mm and its LCD screen measures 3-inch in diagonal. The WB110 can capture 720p AVC/H.264 videos and has a maximum ISO level of 3,200.

The camera packs features like smart auto, which analyses key elements in photographer’s compositions and also adjusts photo and movie settings automatically to capture the best possible shot. The WB110 has the ability to shoot panoramic shots and preview them live on the screen.
Unfortunately, there is no official word on the availability and the pricing details of the camera for now.

Nokia Lumia 1020 back side appears in leaked official photo

The Nokia EOS has a rich history of leaks on its record, including a mini preview not too long ago. The trend seems to be changing to official photos now and after yesterday's display and front panel of the device for AT&T, @evleaks has now outed a render of the cameraphone's back.
The photo shows the party piece of the Nokia Lumia 1020, its 41MP camera with Xenon and LED flash unit. We've already seen the design of the back in a series of live photos, but this is the first time an official image has popped up.
However, it doesn't stop there, as @evleaks has also unveiled the smartphone's name for AT&T. It's going to be called the Nokia Elvis, but not much details were leaked regarding pricing and launch dates.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 will break cover next week, on July 11 in New York City. We will be covering the event live for you, so be sure to tune in for all the details surrounding the device when the time comes.
Update: A new tweet from evleaks appeared, saying that according to some new information they got, Nokia will not be calling the smartphone Lumia 1020. Instead the PureView smartphone will go by as Nokia Lumia 909. That model number would probably serve the purpose of showing the connection between this smartphone and the 808 PureView more clearly.

 

Alleged image of Motorola Droid Ultra surfaces

We already know that the Google-owned Motorola is working on a few exciting smartphones, but it appears we are finally coming close to the launch of those.
The Motorola X phone, which has been rumored for quite some time is one of the upcoming smartphones that have been inhabiting rumorland and we even saw a leak about the Droid Ultra phone (which may or may not be the same thing according to previous reports).
Now, an alleged image of the Motorola Droid Ultra has surfaced and the smartphone has a Ferrari logo along with an "Elite Partners - New Orleans 2013" tag line engraved on it. We haven't seen anything like this before from Motorola and the smartphone could well be the Moto X or the Droid Ultra.
However, the Motorola X is said to be a mid-range smartphone and we believe that "Ultra" is a flagship name. So, could this be the upcoming flagship device from Motorola? Let's wait and see.

 

Images of LG Optimus G2 leak, OIS and 5.2" 1080p confirmed

A couple of images allegedly showing the LG Optimus G2 surfaced, showing a button-less front with thin bezels. The image seems to go nicely with previous rumors of on-screen buttons and some slides we've seen of the device.

LG Optimus G2 front (click to enlarge)
The Optimus G2 is rumored to sport a 5.2" FullHD display with around 423 ppi density, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset and 2 gigs of RAM. It's also likely that its 13 MP camera will come with Optical Image Stabilization.

LG Optimus G2 back (click to enlarge)
On the back we can see the camera module along with a single LED flash and a set of physical buttons for + and -, which will likely have camera-related functions as well. According to reports the keys are located on the camera's protective slide-down cap.

BlackBerry 10.2 to bring Wi-Fi Direct, notification actions

BlackBerry 10.2 OS update was confirmed for later this year by BlackBerry’s Product Manager Michael Clewley. He has also revealed some of the new upcoming features such as standard Unicode emojis, multiple alarms, reminders and level 1 notifications.
A bunch of screenshots coming from a pre-release version of the BlackBerry 10.2 lets us get an even better idea of the new features. It seems the update will also bring quick actions to the notifications. You will be able to respond to a message straight from the notification area, for example.

BlackBerry OS 10.2
Another new feature is the Wi-Fi Direct support. This would allow you to share content via Wi-Fi without the need of a router.

BlackBerry OS 10.2
We bet BlackBerry will add even more features before the update hits the supported devices later this year. It certainly should if it is to have any chance of dealing with the financial troubles.

Samsung Galaxy Note III to have 3GB of RAM, slimmer profile?

The Samsung Galaxy Note had 1GB RAM, the Galaxy Note II had 2GB RAM and the Galaxy Note III will have... 3GB RAM. That's what Korean publication Hankyung claims anyway. So far from leaks we've seen that the Note III will pack either a Snapdragon 800 chipset or an Exynos 5 Octa (pretty much the same options as the Galaxy S4 uses, now that the LTE-A version is official).
However, the publication mentions LTE Advanced, which points to the Qualcomm chipset, at least in some regions. As for RAM supplier, Samsung, LG and SK Hynix have been mentioned. Samsung is already manufacturing 4GB LPDDR3 RAM based on a 20nm process, SK Hynix also demoed such RAM chips.
Other Note III specs we've gleaned from leaks include a 5.7" or 6" Super AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution and a 13MP camera. In terms of looks it's set to be a Galaxy S4 lookalike.
Meanwhile, SamMobile reports that the Galaxy Note III will be 8mm thick and weigh 183g. That's a little thinner than the Note II and about the same weight (not impossible, considering the bigger Mega 6.3 is just 15g heavier).

 

Nokia EOS aka Lumia 1020 back plate image confirms 41-megapixel camera

If there ever was an award for most leaked device, the Nokia EOS, aka Nokia Elvis, aka Nokia Lumia 1020, aka Nokia’s camera superphone, would definitely snatch it. We’ve seen it all from all sides, and the leaks just won’t stop days ahead of the official unveiling pegged for July 11th.

Infamous leaker @evleaks is at the center of the whole leak affair and just keeps on teasing. After releasing what looks like a press render of the front of the device, we now get to see the back and it’s just what we’ve seen before - a huge circular cutout for the camera and both a Xenon and LED flash.

This setup definitely seems interesting. If true, that would mean that Nokia would rely on the Xenon flash for well-lit images, and the LED flash light could fire up to reduce red eye effect in images.

The most important piece however is not the flash, it is the number 41 engraved on the back of the Nokia Lumia 1020. It’s an obvious indication that the phone features a 41-megepixel camera. That’s the same impressive number of megapixels we saw on the Nokia 808 PureView, and should translate into lossless zoom capabilities and simply outstanding images, beating all other smartphones.

Samsung Cronus in development – new WP8 smartphone

Oops! It looks like Samsung accidentally leaked the name of a smartphone it is currently working on. The handset in question is called the Cronus and it is a Windows Phone 8 model of unknown tier.

How did this happen? Well, someone noticed a reference to the Cronus smartphone in a description of a Windows Phone app called Mobile Care. The app, published by Samsung itself, is used to collect "the log/minidump files and uploads to Samsung MobileCare server which is normally used in User Trial". The data collected is used for statistical purposes and product quality improvement.

According to the description, Mobile Care should work on the Cronus smartphone, which is under development. Launched devices, such as the Samsung ATIV S and the Samsung ATIV Odyssey, can use the application as well once they receive the GDR2 software update.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time we hear about a Samsung handset given the same moniker. Back in May, someone wrote about a Samsung Chronus on Reddit, with hints indicating that it could be a smartphone or a notebook computer with an aluminum frame.

Further details about the Samsung Cronus, such as specs and launch date, remain a mystery. Whether Cronus is a codename, or the smartphone's official market name isn't known either.

Motorola XT1030 and XT 1080 visit FCC before heading off to Verizon?

A pair of Motorola handsets paid a visit to the FCC, the Motorola XT 1030 and Motorola XT 1080. Both offer 4G LTE connectivity using the same LTE bands used by Verizon, 4 and 13. There is support for EVDO Rev. A and WCDMA on 850/900/1900/2100, all pointing right at Verizon. The FCC report shows that both phones are enabled for NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. Also supported on the pair of handsets is connectivity for 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which works on routers like the NetGear R6100 and the Apple AirPort Extreme.

Since we've already seen the Motorola Moto X for Verizon visit the FCC as the Motorola XT 1060, the Motorola XT 1080 would probably be the  Motorola DROID RAZR Ultra. Our source tells us that this model will feature a screen with resolution of 1080 x 1920. The Motorola XT 1030 would then most likely be the model number for the Motorola DROID RAZR M Ultra. Considering that the Motorola DROID RAZR M is a mid-range model, the "M" version in the Ultra line would also be considered the same. Our tipster has let us know that this model will offer a panel with resolution of 720 x 1280.

Remember, our source has told us that there are three phones in the Motorola pipeline after the Moto X. One has a large screen and one has a smaller glass. That dovetails perfectly with the XT 1080 and XT 1030. Still, there are just so many different combinations and possibilities alive compounded by Motorola running its full page ad Wednesday for the  Motorola Moto X in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. It seems appropriate with today's 4th of July holiday in the states, that we are on the verge of seeing some fireworks from the long dormant Motorola camp.

Two Motorola handsets have just visited the FCC

3D game engine by Havok is available free for mobile developers

Havok, the Ireland based company is known for their homonymous engine, designed primarily for video games. With its mind-blowing levels of realism, a lot of developers are taking advantage of the real-time collisions and dynamics of rigid bodies that it provides. Dynamic simulation is being used for creating more realistic virtual worlds in games with Havok. Now, the Irish guys are offering a completely new 3D mobile game engine: Project Anarchy, and one of its perks is that it is absolutely free. Another perk is that a vast variety of operating systems are supported, such as Android, iOS and Tizen. There isn't any commercial restriction, based on a given company, nor on a revenue level. Developers are free to test, create and enjoy Project Anarchy's physics tools, animation suites, AI, etc. Make sure you check the link next to the source, leading you to anarchy... or more like Project Anarchy's official website. We, at PhoneArena, are looking forward to what developers could do with that engine, not only in terms of games.

YouTube multitasking is coming, claims a leakster

A few hours ago, reliable leakster @ryanf1fan has posted yet another heads-up on The Verge forum. According to him, “coming out in sometime” is an updated YouTube app which will allow users to simultaneously watch one video whilst searching for another. And while the Google team is at it, we can think of a bunch of people that would also love the ability to listen to music whilst YouTube is running in the background.

Back to the leak at hand, @ryanf1fan claims app performance is fluid and fast on his Galaxy Nexus and shares some more info on the functionality of the upcoming update:

• App will retain current aesthetic
• When you start a video an arrow pointing down will appear at the top left corner
• Swiping on the arrow will create a small window at the bottom left corner of the screen where the video will continue playing
• You can continue scrolling through other videos simultaneously
• It currently doesn't support system wide capabilities but that should come by launch time

China Mobile's Oppo Find 5 upgraded with Snapdragon 600

Oppo has upgraded the Find 5 flagship for China Mobile with a faster chipset. Previously the Oppo Find 5 was powered by the Snapdragon S4 Pro with a quad-core 1.5GHz Krait processor and Adreno 320 graphics with 64 ALUs (arithmetic logic units).
Now Oppo has replaced the S4 Pro chipset with Snapdragon 600. It has four cores of the upgraded Krait 300 architecture clocked at the higher 1.7GHz and the same Adreno 320 GPU but with 96 ALUs.


The rest of the specs remain the same - a 5" IPS 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera and 16GB non-expandable storage. The Android version has been updated to 4.2 Jelly Bean. Naturally Oppo's proprietary user interface is on top of it.
Despite the upgraded hardware, the Oppo Find 5 price remains unchanged.

Nokia officially announces the 207, 208 and 208 dual SIM

Nokia hast just officially took the wraps off three new affordable handsets - the Nokia 207, Nokia 208 and 208 dual-SIM.

The trio of candybars is done in Nokia's bold colors that we're used to seeing and are almost identical to one another. Built around a 2.4" QVGA display and phone keypad, the only difference between the 207 and 208 is the 1.3MP camera at the back.
The 207 and 208 measure 114.2 x 50.9 x 12.8mm and weigh 89.6 grams and 90.5 grams, respectively (the extra gram is due to the camera). They all share a 1020mAh battery which doesn't sound much, but Nokia boasts the phones can go more than a month on stand-by without needing a recharge, while the talk time is estimated to be up to 12 hours on 2G.
Quad-band 2G and tri-band 3G mean that the 207 and 208 will work on most places. Connectivity is covered with Bluetooth 3.0, which supports Slam sharing, 3.5mm AV port and microUSB port for PC sync and charging. The both models support Nokia's data-compressing Xpress Browser, YouTube video streaming as well as popular social networks and services like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp (will be available for the 208 initially). Mail for Exchange is supported for calendar and contacts sync, while the lack of a camera on 207 means that it can be used in workplaces which forbid cameras on sight, according to Nokia. There's a microSD card slot too, for storage up to 32GB.


Nokia says the phones are splash proof thanks to the lack of gaps between the keys. They're tough as well, due to the 'cup'-style design, reminiscent to Asha 501 and Lumia 620. This also means you can change the back shell with another and completely change the look of the phone.
Expect to phones to start shipping some time in Q3 this year with all three phones available in red, cyan, white and black. The Nokia 207, 208 and 208 dual SIM will cost around $68 / €52 each before local taxes and operator subsidies.

Xolo launches Q600 in India, quad-core dual-SIM for INR 8,999 ($150)

Xolo has introduced its latest Android smartphone and has even made it available for pre-order. The quad-core Xolo Q600 is up for grabs now for the price of just INR8,999 INR or about $150.

The Xolo Q600 has dual-SIM support with dual stand-by and sports a 4.5" FWVGA (854 x 480) display resulting in around 217 ppi. A quad-core Mediatek 6589M chipset with four Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.2 GHz and a PowerVR SGX544 graphics chip do the heavy lifting inside. There's a puzzlingly low 512 MB of RAM, a 5 MP back camera with a single LED flash and a 0.3 MP (VGA) front-facing one. On-board storage is limited to 4GB but there's a microSD card slot for expanding it.
Nicely surprising for a device with such low price tag, the OS of choice is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and the Xolo Q600 comes with a built-in security app for tracking the device remotely and a Swype-ready keyboard. An FM radio receiver, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi b/g/n complete the tally. The whole package is powered by a 2000 mAh battery.
Xolo has begun taking pre-orders but there's no word on when the device will be shipping to customers.

Samsung postpones launch of first Tizen smartphone?

While the first Tizen OS smartphone by Samsung were expected to launch in August or September of 2013, it seems like that is not going to happen as planned. According to reports by Korean media, the tech giant is postponing the launch of this device (or devices) by a couple of months. In other words, Tizen powered handsets likely won't be on the market earlier than October or November, 2013.

The reason behind the delay is said to be related to the software ecosystem, which Samsung wants to build prior to releasing its first Tizen smartphone. Simply put, the company prefers to build a solid catalog of apps and then make the smartphone official, not the other way around. 

The very first Samsung Tizen OS smartphone, bearing a model name GT-I8800, is expected to be a high-end device, although exact hardware specifications have yet to be revealed. We also believe that the Tizen smartphones after it might be of the mid-range tier, powered by last year's Exynos 4412 SoC, also found inside the Samsung Galaxy S III.

Future of phone displays: non-reflective, antimicrobial, made with Corning

We've heard that Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass that protects your smartphone or tablet display, is cooking up something in terms of anti-reflection and anti-microbial abilities, and for the first time the firm gave it some pep talk in public at the MIT Mobile Technology Summit.

Dr. Jeffrey Evenson, senior vice president and operations chief of staff for Corning took the stage and gave the usual demos we've seen before like a four-pound steel ball dropping on a 1mm sheet of Gorilla Glass with the proverbial trampoline effect. 

Corning reiterated some of the main advantages of its glass technology in the bullet points below:

• Glass can withstand an astonishing amount of pressure. Imagine, for example, a scale that measures the pressure under an elephant’s foot. Glass can theoretically tolerate the pressure of 10,000 elephants stacked on top of that scale – a strength of 10 gigapascals.
• A sheet of glass is so stable that it would take 20 trillion times the age of the earth to create a visible sag in the thickness of a glass window. This dimensional stability is critical to manufacturers of high-performance devices.
• You want to talk transparency? The glass used for optical fiber – which forms the backbone of the Internet – is 30 times more transparent than the purest water, and only about 1 percent less transmissive of light than air on a clear day.
• As for being impermeable – consider the difference between plastic and glass covers on electronics. A molecule of oxygen could pass through a piece of 1-millimeter-thick plastic in about two weeks. That same trip would take 30 billion years through the same thickness of glass. That makes glass “an ideal enclosure for advanced display technologies such as OLEDs, which decay rapidly if exposed to oxygen or water,” said Mr Evenson

Now for the new anti-reflection tech. The sunlight visibility of your phone or tablet, which is pretty weak on almost all mobile devices, is a function of two parameters - peak screen brightness, but almost as important are mirror reflections or the screen reflectivity ratio in general. The best panels barely go below 5% reflectivity, which is still a lot, but Corning is apparently working on bringing that down to a percent larger than thin air, as you can see in the quote above. 

During the MIT Mobile Summit presentation, it showed the slide below, which at first look depicts a hole in a normal cover glass, except that it's not a hole, but rather a circle of glass treated with the new anti-reflection tech. Very promising, and we can't wait to see the effect this will have on our smartphones outside, equipped with the next-gen Corning glass.

The circle in the middle is treated with Corning's new anti-reflection tech

Not only that, but the germophobes of this world will rejoice when they hear that the company is also incorporating antimicrobial tech that is supposed to kill germs and viruses that can stick to your phone screen and get transferred to you or someone else using it. Even after half an hour, measurements showed that the treatment killed a bunch of invisible critters that are lounging on the glass at any given time, compared to regular displays, and in two hours all bacteria or viruses that could cause harm, were dead and buried.

In two hours time, the antimicrobial coating from Corning has assassinated harmful bacteria and viruses lurking on your phone or tablet display

Motorola Droid Ultra smartphone listed online, Kevlar body confirmed

Remember those mysterious Motorola DROID Razr Ultra smartphones that we told you about a few days ago? It looks like these are indeed real handsets as a placeholder page on Motorola's web site has one of them mentioned. "Available in a bunch of glossy colors, this high-grade DuPont™ Kevlar body proves you can be even thinner and still be tough as steel." – that's what is stated on there about a phone referred to as the DROID Ultra.

Unfortunately, there isn't much more that we can say about this new smartphone. There are some hardware specs listed on the page, but we are pretty sure these aren't correct as they match those of the Motorola DROID RAZR M. However, that leaves plenty of room for speculation. Perhaps the Motorola DROID Ultra is one of the several smartphones that Motorola may launch along with or right after its X phone.

4.3" HTC One Mini confirmed once again for a Q3 launch

The shrunk version of the HTC One aka One Mini, has leaked so often already, that there's barely a doubt we will see something akin to the Galaxy S4-S4 Mini duo in short order, but from HTC.

Sources from the Taiwanese supply chain are confirming that the handset will sport a 4.3" display, and will share some specs with its larger flagship sibling. The insiders mentioned that we'll see the HTC One Mini launched in Q3, which jibes with previous rumors for unveiling next month, and will coincide with the general availability of the S4 Mini as well.

Huawei and Lenovo, they say, are also mulling mid-range versions of their flagships with smaller screens, so there will be something for everybody this year, though the average display size seems to have grown even further, but we'd wager to guess the buck stopped with the 6.4" Xperia Z Ultra.

MediaTek to launch 2GHz octa-core SoC, the MT6592

Popular budget handset chipset manufacturer, Mediatek is all set to launch what might be the world’s first true octa-core chipset. Unlike the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa that only has four cores active at any given point of time, the Mediatek MT6592 will use eight ARM Cortex 7 cores. The chip is being built on the 28 nanometer process and will reach peak frequencies of 1.7 to 2.0Ghz.


The Exynos 5 Octa based on the big.LITTLE architecture has four Cortex A15 chips to perform heavy duty tasks and switches over to frugal Cortex A7 cores for average usage. Mediatek’s chipset is said to score over 30,000 in the AnTuTu benchmark which would pit it right next to the Snapdragon 800. Mediatek’s cost effective chips are starting to make an appearance in name brand handsets from LG, Acer compared to the off brand Chinese handsets that were commonly using these. It’ll be interesting to see how the company manages to tackle thermal and battery related issues, something that it has struggled with in the past. Handsets based on the platform should be expected towards the end of the year or 

Windows Phone 8 to get 1080p display support, more evidence surfaces

This may not be the first time we hear about Windows Phone 8 getting 1080p display support, but it is now that we get some solid evidence in support of this claim. Apparently, the Visual Studio 2013 suite, which was previewed during Microsoft's Build conference, has the option to emulate Windows Phone handsets with 1080 by 1920 pixel displays. Thus, it allows developers to see how their software runs and behaves on a WP8 smartphone with a screen of that resolution.

Support for resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels is expected to be added with the GDR3 update, which would allow smartphone manufacturers to launch Windows Phone 8 smartphones with 1080p displays. You know, displays that have been present on select Android devices for nearly a year now. That software will also allow quad-core CPU Snapdragon chips to be used in WP8 gear. 

The GDR3 software update for Windows Phone 8 won't be out anytime soon, however, although it is expected to be available to manufacturers by the end of 2013. Currently it is the GDR2 software being readied for existing Windows Phone 8 gear - the same WP8 version running on the recently launched Nokia Lumia 925.

Microsoft to launch 256GB Surface Pro in the US for $1,199

If you have been craving for a higher capacity version of the Microsoft Surface tablet, especially considering the way the OS tends to eat up memory on the device, leaving significantly less than what is advertised by the company, then you might be interested in this.

According to one of Microsoft’s authorized vendors, the company is all set to launch a 256GB variant of the Surface Pro tablet in North America. It is said that this variant will be priced at $1,199.99.
If you think $1200 is a bit too steep to pay for the Surface Pro then it is but then again, high capacity flash storage isn’t cheap. Still, shelling out 1200 bucks for a Windows machine that doesn’t even run on Haswell in 2013 seems a bit silly.

Google Reader finally shuts down

We knew this day was coming. Google had informed us back in March that come July, the popular RSS service Google Reader would be shutting down for good. And that day has now arrived.

Starting today, the Google Reader service will no longer be available. If you have any data that you may want to recover, such as list of sites you subscribed to, starred items, notes, etc., then you can download a copy from Google before July 15, 2013.
Thankfully, the death of Google Reader does not mean the death of RSS. There are tons of alternatives available, such as Feedly, Pulse, NetNewsWire, etc. that you can still use. It’s unfortunate that Google Reader had to die an untimely death but your RSS usage shouldn’t have to stop with it.

Latest Google Glass update adds web browser, handsfree functionality

Google has been steadily improving it with new updates released every month. In the latest update, Google has introduced several new features which makes the device a lot more usable.

The biggest addition in this update is the presence of a full web browser. Now you can do web search and also open the links in the built-in web browser. To scroll through page, just swipe your finger on the side. You can zoom into the page by sliding using two fingers and if you want to pan around, just hold down using two fingers and turn your head around and the focus would move accordingly on the page.
The other inclusion is handsfree functionality. Now you can read messages on your phone or answer calls using just your voice, by saying “Okay Glass, read aloud.” or “Okay Glass, answer call.” respectively. You can also share photos to a specific contact by saying the name.
Lastly, Google Glass now gives you access to your entire Google contact list instead of just the ten people you could previously contact.
The update has started rolling out now and should be available on your Google Glass Explorer edition shortly, if you’re lucky enough to have one.

Savelli debuts luxury Android smartphone made especially for women

Most of the luxury smartphones that we bring you news about are just gold-plated and/or diamond-encrusted versions of handsets that already exist. Take this sparkly HTC One, for example, or this golden BlackBerry Q10. The smartphone you see pictured here, however, is a bit different for it is a new, totally unique model. And it looks fancy, doesn't it?

Made by a Swiss company called Savelli, this new smartphone has been designed with women in mind. It comes in 11 different variants, bearing names such as Ardent Red or Diamond Night, all of which feature a unique almond-shaped body covered with premium materials. The front is graced by a sapphire glass touchscreen while exotic leather covers the back. Of course, the precious metals and gems have not been omitted for this pricey handset. 

Specs-wise, Savelli has yet to reveal what hardware makes this smartphone tick, although chances are that potential buyers wouldn't really care. All we know is that it runs a version of Android, which we suppose has been heavily customized to match the looks of the handset. Creating the ringtones for this work of art has been a job assigned to French DJ Stéphane Pompougnac.

The Savelli smartphone is set to debut on the luxury handset market later this month, with a launch party scheduled for July 3. As for its price, the cheapest models can be ordered for about $9000, while the most expensive variant called Black Insane can be had for $118 000.

HP exec says company will re-enter smartphone market, is working on a device that offers a unique experience

HP and phones? It's not over, apparently. The company's Senior Director of Consumer PCs and Tablets for Asia-Pacific, Yam Su Yin, has told The Indian Express that HP isn't done with smartphones and is already working on a new device. While its focus (for now) remains on tablets, laptops and its all-in-ones, it's wisely decided not to ignore the ever-increasing influence of smartphones, despite that whole messy Palm saga. When asked about a chances of a future HP smartphone, she said: "The answer is yes but I cannot give a timetable. It would be silly if we say no. HP has to be in the game."

"Being late you have to create a different set of proposition[s]. There are still things that can be done. It's not late. When HP has a smartphone, it will give a differentiated experience." We'd put money on an Android device being in the works, given several of HP's recent product launches, but to compete in the increasingly two-horse smartphone race, HP will have to ensure that its "differentiated experience" offers something pretty pervasive to win over customers.

Canon launches EOS 70D

Canon has launched a new mid-range DSLR called the EOS 70D. The highlight feature of this new camera is the 20.2 megapixel, APS-C CMOS sensor with dual-pixel CMOS AF technology, which is the first of its kind.

Unlike traditional cameras, the sensor on the 70D has not one but two photodiodes per pixel and uses the additional diode to perform on-chip phase detection auto-focus. This, along with the 14-bit DIGIC 5+ processor and 19-point all cross-type AF System, helps in improving the auto-focus speed during still image capture and provides smoother and more reliable auto-focusing while recording videos.

Other features on the 7D include ISO 100-12800 range, 98 per cent frame coverage and 0.95x magnification for the viewfinder, 7fps burst mode in full resolution (up to 65 JPEG or 16 RAW images), 1080p video recording in 30, 25 and 24fps, 3.0-inch, 1040k fully articulated display with capacitive touchscreen and built-in Wi-Fi.
The Canon EOS 70D will is priced at $1,199 / €1,099 (body-only) and $1,349 / €1,249 with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens and $1549 / €1499 with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.

System Dump reveals Sony Honami 20MP camera with 4K video capture and updated UI

We've heard plenty about the upcoming Sony Honami in the past few weeks. In fact, right before last month ended, we got a glimpse of what it actually looks like, when its first purported press images went online — and subsequently spread across the Internet. But surely there is more to it than what has already been revealed, right?
Indeed, there is. A recently leaked system dump has now made it possible for the handset's first screenshots to appear. It also gives added confirmation to some of the rumored features, like the beastly camera and the updated UI.
The Sony Honami will apparently come with a brand new user interface, including an updated launcher, a new app drawer, and even a few new apps (such as a new Walkman app). There's also a new version of Small Apps, which allows users to run multiple apps on the screen at the same time.

The changes to the software are of course not just superficial. There's a new virtual keyboard, that might also have a few new features itself. And as mentioned earlier, there's a new Walkman app which helps fulfill a long-time dream of many Sony users: Music Unlimited integration.

Here is the new Walkman app in action, showing “Unlimited Music Streaming” at the very top as one of the options.

The Sony Honami is one of the most hotly-anticipated Android phones from Sony this year. And part of the reason why is because it has been rumored to wield a 20-megapixel camera that is capable of recording 4K video (4000×2000 pixel resolution). This is confirmed with a read-through of the phone's build.prop, which also identifies a few other highlight features.
Above, you can see something else that the camera will offer: Augmented Reality. That dinosaur clipart up there shows just one of several Augmented Reality modes, which can be activated with the use of the camera. We still aren't certain when exactly the Sony Honami is going to drop, but it's looking more and more like something that's worthy of waiting out for, that's for sure.

Nokia should look to Android to stay afloat, analyst says

Many attribute Nokia's decline in recent years to its exclusive reliance on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform as its only outlet into the world of smartphones. Now one analyst argues that if Nokia has any hope of righting the ship, it must begin manufacturing Android smartphones.

Pierre Ferragu of Bernstein Research urges that Nokia must "take the pill before one cannot afford to do so anymore… its exposure to the disappearing feature phone market and the lack of traction of Windows phones could cost Nokia a lot of cash in the near term, in restructuring, marketing/distribution support, and operational losses, which means it could be too late to address the problem in a couple of years."
Nokia's partnership with Microsoft has been anything but what either company was hoping for, even if recent signs are encouraging. The Finnish phone maker and the Windows Phone operating system found on many of its devices are struggling to make the smartphone the three-horse race Elop was talking about when unveiling the new strategy.
Nokia continues to rely heavily on its feature phone sales to keep finances in check, as evidenced by its most recent ad campaign for the S40-powered Nokia Asha 501. But the featurephone market, once a pillar of Nokia's dominance, is also starting to crumble. Even in the conservative Western European smartphone market, where Nokia's total shipments have dropped by 30% year-over-year.
It's unclear what would it cost for Nokia to dip its toe into the Android pool, though. On one hand Microsoft has given licenses to Samsung, HTC and Huawei to make WP-powered devices of their own despite all of those also having Android smartphones. On the other ever since day one and Microsoft Nokia made it clear that their partnership is different to that between Microsoft and the other WP OEMs.

Sony C906 'Honami' system dump reveals new UI

Yesterday, we saw some leaked images of the upcoming Sony Xperia handset, known for now by the codename ‘Honami’. Now, a system dump of the device has surfaced, which reveals some details about the hardware and showcase some of the new UI changes.
For starters, the phone seemingly runs on a Snapdragon 800 processor, has a 20 megapixel sensor and can record 4K videos in 4000 x 2000 resolution. The last spec seems interesting even though the aspect ratio is unusual.
Other than that, there are several changes to the UI on the phone. You can see a new clock, calendar, calculator and contacts apps. You can now place multiple Small Apps on screen at once and there is a new keyboard as well. Sony also seems to have added a new augmented reality app.

Nokia buys Siemens shares of Nokia Siemens Networks for €1.7 billion

With an expected announcement tomorrow, Nokia plans to buy the 50% of its Nokia Siemens Networks venture from Siemens for an unspecified amount under €2 billion ($2.6 billion), using a bridge loan to finance the deal.
Siemens has been looking for an exit strategy from this joint-venture for some time and had recently announced its intent to sell off its stake earlier this year. Nokia Siemens Networks was formed in 2007 and was largely unprofitable until this past year, which is an accomplishment when you consider what the industry has been through over the past few years.
Nokia Siemens Networks makes telecom gear which enables wireless networks and the internet itself to function on a daily basis. Recently it exited the WiMAX area since that standard has failed to gain much traction. Its products are geared for commercial and industrial applications, with several wireless carriers being a customer of Nokia Siemens Networks.
If this news holds up, it would explain the call to convene Nokia’s Board of Directors this past Wednesday, which had many of us wondering what the gang in Espoo, Finland were working on.

Windows 8 overtakes Vista, becomes the third most used desktop OS

8 months after its release in October 2012, Windows 8 has finally surpassed Windows Vista in usage. Microsoft’s latest desktop OS boasts 5.1% market share, whereas the WIndows Vista share has shrunk to 4.62%.

The data comes from research company and market tracker Net Applications. Their research shows that Windows 8 isn’t too far behind Mac OS X (all versions combined), either. At 6.63% combined, Apple’s OS is just at arms reach for the latest release of the Redmond company. Windows 8 marks a decent jump in usage over May, when it had 4.27% share.
At the top of the chart remain Windows 7 and Windows XP with 44.37% and 37.17%, respectively. This puts Microsoft as the undisputed champion in the desktop operating systems market in June with a 91.51% slice. Mac OS is distant second with 7.2% (including older versions, not just OS X) and Linux is third with 1.28%.

Nokia Amber update for WP8 Lumias coming in August

The Nokia Lumia 925 launched with a new and improved software and Nokia promised to make it available to its older WP8 phones in the summer with the so-called Amber update. Now we've got a more concrete time frame thanks to the Nokia Spain's Twitter account.
The Amber update will bring the new Smart Camera lens for Lumia, which does post processing tricks like Action shot, Motion focus and object removal. Check out demos of those effects here.
There’s more - Amber will enable the FM radio receiver that has been lying dormant in Windows Phone 8 powered Lumia phones (except the 620) and the "double tap to wake" lockscreen with a clock (presumably only for AMOLED packing phones). Check out our preview of the Lumia 925 for more details on these features.

Carl Zeiss holds the “Carl” and becomes “ZEISS”

For those that do not know, ZEISS does more than photo-optics, the company has a wide portfolio that deals with microscopy, metrology, planetariums, even semiconductor manufacturing technology (lithography requires amazing optics).

Carl Zeiss has been using the “ZEISS” brand for a while, but the photo-optics we have seen on smartphones (and other lenses) have still been bearing the “Carl Zeiss” branding we are familiar with.

The change was made to “create consistency” across its brand (even though the company has been called ZEISS for a long time. Going forward, ZEISS will begin labeling its lenses differently The company was founded by Carl Zeiss in 1846 when he started making microscopes.

The branding effort is the result of the company’s work to position ZEISS across the board and maintain a consistent image for the brand. No changes are being made to the company’s products with the change of the brand, although we could see some aficionados wanting to hold on to equipment that has the founder’s name as a potential collector’s item.