this week

"Something incredible" coming from ASUS at CES 2014

CES, one of the biggest consumer electronics venues of the year in the US, kicks off on January 7. It seems that ASUS has been chomping at the bit to get 2014 started, as it's unleashed invites to its CES press event a day before the Consumer Electronics Show officially kicks-off.
The event headline reads "In Search Of Incredible" alongside a blurry background and some notes attached. The invite itself isn't too revealing even though that thing at the center of it might loosely resemble a Transformer, PadFone or something else entirely.


It's not uncommon for manufacturers to hold press events prior to actual trade shows, but this one is such a good deal in advance that we have no idea what to expect.
We can only hypothesize what ASUS will showcase, but from a company so in love with out-of-the-box thinking, it could range anywhere from a new Transformer Android or Windows device, to a new PadFone. Hopefully we'll have a clearer picture as next month rolls near.

Lenovo announces S930 and S650 droids

Chinese company is adding two more smartphones to its 2013 line-up: the Lenovo S930 and the Lenovo S650.


The Lenovo S930 is an affordable mid-range 6-incher coming to rival the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3. Its display boasts 720p resolution resulting in the okay pixel density of 245 ppi. At the back, there's an 8MP camera sans a flash, while the 1.6MP snapper is located above the display.
Inside the Lenovo S930 ticks a MediaTek 6852 chip with a 1.3GHz quad-core CPU with a Mali-400MP and 1GB of RAM. Internal memory is just 8GB, but it's expandable thanks to the onboard memory card slot. The phablet measures 170 x 86. x8.65 mm which is decent, considering the screen size. It weighs 170 grams with the 3,000mAh battery included.
The Lenovo S650 is the more compact new addition with a 4.7" qHD display that has almost the same pixel density as the S930 - 234 ppi. It packs the same internals as its bigger brother too - a 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU on a MediaTek chipset. Internal memory is also 8GB with a microSD card slot on board.
It's also as thin measuring 138x69.8x8.7 mm and pleasantly light at 126 grams. Inside it, there's a 2,000mAh battery. Additionally, the phone will be available in a dual-SIM slot version, too.
Both devices will be available by the end of the month with the Lenovo S650 costing $366 and the Lenovo S930 will carry a price tag of $427.

Nokia RM-964 with 5.2" screen now testing

Zauba is at it again – this time the Indian import tracking site leaked a Nokia device with a 5.2" screen and the model number RM-964. The device is once again being imported for testing.
Unlike the 4.5" Nokia RM-977, the RM-964 is an expensive device costing INR 34,524 ($563/€410). It's a single-SIM only too, there's no mention of a dual-SIM version. So, it's clearly a Lumia of some kind (Asha devices are around INR 5,000), but what could it be?


A quick check reveals an old rumor for a 5.2" Nokia device, allegedly Lumia 825, that leaked in August. The specs for the handset listed 720p screen resolution, Snapdragon 400 chipset (quad-core processor, Adreno 305) and Windows Phone OS (but unfortunately, no model number).
The listed price seems a bit steep for those specs, but that's just the declared price for an R&D device and doesn’t necessarily reflect the real retail cost.
By the way, Nokia allegedly has a 5" powerhouse in the works too, the Lumia 929. With a 1080p screen and Snapdragon 800 chipset it will target flagship Androids, while the Nokia RM-964 Lumia 825 will face the mid-rangers.

Dual-SIM Asus Padfone Mini goes official, 7" tablet dock in tow

Asus just unveiled the phone/tablet hybrid in Taiwan.


The Asus Padfone Mini is a mid-range device with a 4.3" Super IPS screen with qHD resolution (256ppi) and Snapdragon 400 MSM8226 chipset (4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.4GHz, 1GB RAM, Adreno 305). The phone runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
On the upside, the phone is relatively compact and light, measuring 129.3 x 65.6 x 8.7mm and weighing just 105g. The Asus Padfone Mini is powered by a relatively small 1,500mAh battery.
It also has an 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and BSI sensor that can do 16fps burst shots. There's a 2MP camera on the front. The built-in storage is 16GB, expandable with microSD cards.
On the connectivity side, there's dual-SIM (microSIM slots), Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS and GLONASS.
Inside the Padfone Mini box is a 7" tablet dock, which has Super IPS screen with 1,280 x 800 resolution (216ppi). The tablet also adds a 2,200mAh battery and 310g of weight (for a total of 415g).
Besides Taiwan, the Asus Padfone Mini will also launch in China, Russia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The color options are Black, White and Cherry, the first units will be black.


The price is set at NTD 11,900 ($405/€295), but Taiwan Mobile will offer it on a 2-year contract for NTD 9,900 (or even less depending on the monthly tariff) .

Samsung merges Wireless and Digital Imaging divisions in pursuit of better cameraphones

Samsung has merged the two divisions responsible for mobile devices and cameras into one, in the hopes of producing better camera imaging tech in its smartphones and tablets.

The Korean tech giant hopes that the greater synergy between the two teams will result in even higher quality mobile camera experiences.
Samsung is looking to merge not only the technical sides of each division in the process either:

“We will transplant the brand, sales networks, software competency and manufacturing competitiveness of the Wireless Business Division into the Camera Business Division, and integrate the technical know-how of the two business divisions into competency for differentiating our smartphones.”

While there are no specifics about what potential digital photography improvements we could see in future generations of Galaxy devices and the likes, it’s doubtful that we’ll see it in Samsung’s next top-dog offering, the anticipated Galaxy S5. The S5 is supposedly set to see an announcement as early as next month, so any potential gamechangers in the camera department will likely come later next year.

Nokia Normandy is reportedly a low-cost Android phone

According to a report in The Verge, the previously leaked, mysterious Nokia Normandy is an Android handset. Known internally under several different codenames, the device is said to be developed as an equivalent to the low-cost Nokia Asha range.

The Nokia Normandy allegedly runs heavily modified Android version – much like in the case of the Amazon Kindle Fire range. The OS will allow the handset to run popular Android apps, thus addressing a major shortcoming of the current Nokia Asha lineup.
The Nokia Normandy development is described as going at “full steam ahead”. The handset is reportedly planned for a release in 2014. However, with Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia's devices & services units all but completed, we are yet to find out what the Redmond giant’s plans for the Normandy are.

MediaTek to announce an octa-core LTE chipset in January

MediaTek recently announced its first true-octa core processor, as part of the MT6592 chipset. The successor of this SoC is allegedly in the works and the upcoming chip that is reportedly known as MT6595 is rumored to go official in the January, next year.


The company's upcoming chipset is basically an LTE enabled version of the MT6592 and is very likely to keep the true octa-core CPU. If the rumors turn out correct, MediaTek will be looking to expand its market share even further in 2014.
Until now, MediaTek has been producing chipsets, which are ideal for mid-range and budget friendly smartphones. However, things might soon change for the Taiwanese semi-conductor company and we really hope the company rises its game and poses a more serious threat to Qualcomm and lightens up the development race

Qualcomm announces 64-bit, entry-level Snapdragon 410

Qualcomm announced its first 64-bit mobile chipset – the Snapdragon 410. Curiously, the SoC is not a high-end powerhouse, but one designed for devices with sub-$150 price tag.

Alongside its 64-bit capability, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 will also bring 4G LTE connectivity to the masses. Manufactured using a 28nm process, the chipset will come with Adreno 306 GPU, as well as support for 1080p video playback and up to 13MP camera units.
Furthermore, the new silicon by Qualcomm will support Dual and Triple SIM configurations. In addition to LTE, connectivity options will include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and FM radio. GPS, GLONASS, and China’s new BeiDou standard will cover location services.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 will support all major mobile operating systems including Android, Windows Phone and Firefox OS. Sampling of the SoC will begin by device manufacturers in the first half of 2014. The first commercially available devices are expected in the second half of the same year.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active gets a Snapdragon 800 version

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active version with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset joined the “regular” SHV-E330S Galaxy S4 in SK-Telecom’s smartphone lineup in Korea. As expected, the smartphone comes with support for LTE-A networks (up to 150 Mbps).

Alongside the updated SoC with 2.3GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 330 GPU, the newcomer sports an updated, 13MP camera (up from 8MP on the regular Samsung Galaxy S4 Active) and a new color scheme. The LTE-A equipped device has also shed a few grams compared to the I9295 (147g compared to 151g). It will also be offered in a new, white color scheme.
The rest of the SK-Telecom’s Samsung Galaxy S4 Active specs are the same as those of the Snapdragon 600 version. Highlights include a 5” 1080p display, 2,600mAh battery, and IP67 certification.
There’s no word on international availability of the updated Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.

Affordable dual-SIM Nokia RM-977 with 4.5" screen now testing

Zauba – an organization handling the import of tech into India – has listed 43 units of the Nokia RM-977 as being brought in from Finland for "intercompany use for testing and evaluation purposes only".
The details on the device are scarce, but the screen size is known – 4.5". That's the same size as the Lumia 92x handsets, and a bit smaller than the 4.7" Lumia 625.


The price of the device is listed as INR 8,000 ($130). That's the same price as a Lumia 520, but much cheaper than the INR 15,000 ($245) price for the Lumia 625. So, what is it? The info on the site says it's a single-SIM device, so that rules out a dual-SIM Asha (those are under INR 5,000 anyway).
Update: The site actually lists two versions with the same model number. The second version is marked "dual-SIM". Is this the Nokia Moneypenny?
Is it a Lumia 520's equivalent of the 625 – same specs, bigger screen? We won't know until it's official or at least until someone leaks it.

Nokia Tablet with 8.3″ 1080p display coming up

After waiting what seemed like decades before producing its first Windows tablet Nokia went with the 10.1″ Lumia 2520, but that still left a compact tablet-sized hole to fill.

Turns out that Nokia is working on just such a device and, according to import documents from India, a device codenamed RX-115 has an 8.3″ FullHD IPS touchscreen, nanoSIM slot and is already undergoing testing.
The source also hints at pen support on that 8.3″ canvas. And if the RX-115 codename sounds vague you might recall the international version of the Lumia 2520 carries the codename RX-113.

We’ve heard whispers of an 8-inch Lumia 2020 making its debut in Q1 of 2014

Biggest tech companies rally against surveillance

In order to protect its businesses and the people using them the biggest companies on the web have formed an alliance to pursue a reform, detailed in five principles. Those companies are Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and AOL.


The principles are as follows - Limiting governments' rights to collect users' information, Oversight and accountability, Transparency about government demands. The list goes on with respecting the free flow of information and avoiding conflicts among governments.
The first principle requests that governments limit their surveillance to individuals, suspected of wrongdoing and not collect bulk data of internet communications. Also said governments should limit their ability to compel service providers (like network carriers) to hand over user data.
The second principle wants these government demands for user data be fulfilled with transparent and public rulings by independent courts and not be hidden from the public eye.
Next up companies want to be able to reveal specifics to users about government demands. "Governments should allow companies to publish the number and nature of government demands for user information."
Finally companies want a robust and principled framework of laws between governments concerning data collection so as to avoid conflicts between governments.
You can find the full page for Reforming Government Surveillance in the source link, where enclosed are quotes by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, Larry Page, CEO of Google, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo among others.

Samsung launches the first 1TB mSATA SSD

Samsung announced today the first mSATA SSD drive of 1TB capacity. The drive is from the EVO 840 family and is destined to find a new home in ultrabooks, but will also fit virtually anywhere you place it – be it your home PC or a laptop.

The 1TB mSATA EVO 840 SSD is capable of reaching 540MB/s and 520MB/s of read and write, respectively. Random read/write speeds are rated at 98,000 and 90,000 IOPS.
Samsung has managed to fit so much capacity into the small form factor by adding 4 groups of 16 128Gb NAND flash memory chips. They’re based on the 10nm manufacturing process and are separated into four packages onto the plate. Samsung also bundles the drive with the Samsung Magician 4.3 software suite, which can boost the drive to go as fast as 1000MB/s sequential read speed in RAPID mode.
Pricing is yet to be detailed, but Samsung has shared that the 1TB mSATA EVO 840 SSD is going to be available globally starting this month. If 1TB is too much for you, Samsung will also offer the 840 EVO mSATA in 120, 250 and 500GB flavors.

Samsung considers KitKat update for entry-level smartphones

Samsung's plans for updating its high-end tier of smartphones have already been unveiled and we know the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4 are getting Android 4.4 KitKat in January. As it turns out, though, the manufacturer is considering also bringing the latest version of Android to its more affordable droids.

A leaked internal document shows that Samsung is investigating the Galaxy S4 mini, Galaxy S3 mini, Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy Core, Galaxy Fame, Galaxy Ace 2 and the Galaxy Fresh to see if they are capable of running KitKat smoothly. As you might known the latest iteration of the Google OS lowers the minimum RAM requirement to just 512MB, but that's not including the custom TouchWiz skin that Samsung preinstalls on its smartphone.
Mind you, as per the leaked slide, Samsung is just investigating the compatibility and hasn't officially announced any firm plans.
Despite this, the news is great for owners of entry-level Samsung phones. Sony is also considering smartphones such as the Sony Xperia SP and Xperia ZR

Oppo Find 7 to bring Snapdragon 805 chipset

Under the hood the Find 7 is rumored to sport 3 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 805 chipset. For context, most of the current top Android flagships boast 2 GB of RAM and Snapdragon 800.
Also the Find 7's processor has been purportedly bumped up from the Snapdragon 800 to the 2.5ghz, 805 processor. It's worth noting that the 805 will most probably come packed with a 4G LTE radio, meaning that the Find 7 could very well be the company's first phone with LTE support. If these internal specs turn out to be true, the Find 7 will certainly be at the top of the smartphone food chain.
Mobile movie watchers will love this extra bit of news: the Find 7's screen is also rumored to have grown: from 5.0" to 5.7" , with a 2560x1440 pixel resolution.