|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:11 AM PST
 We think we have a pretty good picture of the specs of the HTC One (previously known as M7), and we even know it will be launched in less than a week. What we were not sure of is how the device would look like. But, thanks to some images and videos that mistakenly end up on HTC's website, that's about to change. The media in question can be found by visiting HTC.com and checking the source code of the countdown timer that shows the time left to the One launch. In the Resources section, one can find a few unclear shots of the upcoming device, as well as a couple of teaser videos. A YouTube user grabbed the snippets and put them together in the 20 second clip below. From the deliberately hazy video (hey HTC, J.J. Abrams called, he wants his lens flares back) we can tell that the alleged leaked press shot that @evleaks produced is indeed accurate. The teased device seems to feature a metallic unibody with chamfered edges, and at first blush, the design language is somehow similar to the Apple iPhone 5 and the Blackberry Z10.  As for the other design that we've seen (most recently revealed in a set of images from a Chinese spare part retailer), I am starting to believe it's another device that HTC is preparing to launch, perhaps the M4 or the G2? Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:09 AM PST
 Without so much as an official announcement, Google has started rolling out Android 4.2.2 to several Nexus devices. So far, the latest flavor of Jelly Bean is heading to two Nexus tablets, the Nexus 7 (non-3G) and Nexus 10, as well as the Galaxy Nexus (takju). So, what exactly does Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39) offer? The official changelog isn't out yet, but here's what some folks have reported.
Of course, the list above is far from complete. Nexus 10 owners have reported that the tablet is now running more stable. It looks like Google has fixed the random rebooting bug that’s plaguing the device. Another thing that users might experience on 4.2.2 is an improved battery life. Noticed anything else that hasn't been listed? Hit the comments below. Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 02:49 AM PST
 We know, we know, you're sick and tired of hearing how Android keeps crushing iOS around the world. And how Samsung continues to be the undisputed heavyweight champ of the smartphone market. So how about changing the tune for once and, instead of focusing on the Apple-Samsung duopoly, we'll talk more about the challengers to the throne? Sounds good? Okay, here goes. According to the latest Gartner report, Huawei poses the greatest danger for Sammy and Apple's domination. The Chinese OEM boosted its total yearly smartphone sales with more than 73% in 2012, reaching the 27.2 million mark.  Not too shabby for a manufacturer that's still mostly regarded as an outsider in the Western world, don't you think? The 27 million were apparently enough to secure Huawei the third spot among smartphone vendors, although Gartner for some reason neglected to mention the gap between the company and the number four in the ranks. In fact, we don't even know who that number four was. What we do know is that, as far as mobile phones on the whole are concerned, Huawei is not the most dangerous Samsung opponent. Instead, it's Nokia who keeps clinging on to the podium, beating Apple with the help of the Asha feature phone line.  Nokia is therefore second in both yearly and Q4 cell phone sales, followed by Apple and… ZTE. The other Chinese company sniffing for glory apparently sold 67 million handhelds in 2012 and 16 in the final quarter, which is significantly behind Apple's numbers (130 and 43 million). LG also narrowly beat Huawei in mobile phone sales, with 15 million in Q4 and 58 for the entire year (vs. 14 and 47 for Huawei). Wrapping up the top ten, we have TCL (aka Alcatel), Lenovo, Sony and Motorola in Q4 2012 and TCL, RIM, Moto and HTC across the entire year. But now, with the risk of enraging a few closeted Apple fanboys, we have to give (some) credit where credit is due. Android's Q4 market share has risen with 18 full points from the final quarter of 2011 (69.7%, up from 51.3%).  That translates into no less than 144 million smartphones sold in three months, which is more than three times what Apple has to brag about (43 million, or a 20.9% share). RIM was the distant number three in the ranks, with sales of 7 million and a 3.5% share, while Microsoft's Windows Phone very narrowly missed the OS podium (6 million smartphones sold, or 3% market share). Meanwhile, Samsung comfortably won the mobile phone vendor competition, with 384 million units sold in 2012 and 106 million in Q4 (including "dumb" devices). What can we say, it's good to be Android, it's good to be Sammy and it might soon be darn good to be Huawei and/or ZTE. Any other thoughts? Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:33 AM PST
 But a day after the Android 4.2.2 roll out, Android Police noticed something interesting with the Nexus 7 product pages. Google has updated the them to reflect better battery life for the device, with the Nexus 7 now capable to offer "up to 10 hours of active user" instead of the previous eight hours. At the same time, we shouldn't be surprised to see Google try to improve battery life, as this one seems to be one of the concerns that need to be addressed in future devices, at least according to Larry Page (although he was talking about future Motorola future handsets). What better way to start than by optimizing software?  Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:31 AM PST
 Valentine's Day is literally just hours away, so anyone who's yet to get a present for his significant other is, well, screwed. But wait, because there might be some hope after all… if you're living in South Korea. Samsung has just made the "Garnet Red" version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE official, which in our book definitely qualifies for a thoughtful and sweet Valentine’s gift. Then again, we are crazy about technology, so before splashing the cash on this thing make sure she is equally as enthusiastic about tablets. Besides the special coat of paint, there's nothing really new at this latest Note 10.1 model, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the 10-incher is pretty awesome, packing a quad-core Exynos CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 7,000 mAh battery and dual 5 MP/1.9 MP cameras.  The Garnet Red Note 10.1 LTE will be available on all three major carriers in Korea (SK Telecom, KT and LG U+) starting tomorrow, February 14 (what a coincidence, eh?). No words on pricing or overseas availability, but even if the tab will land in the US and Europe in the future it'll probably be too late. Which is why it's time for those of you residing outside Korea to start writing your prayers and get ready for a hot Valentine's date… with your hand. Or, you know, you can save your behinds – while there’s still time – with the usual: flowers, chocolates, the Garnet Red Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, the Amber Brown Galaxy S3 Mini. Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:22 AM PST
 While announcing that Opera now has 300 million monthly users on phones, tablets, TVs and desktop computers, the company also announced that it will be migrating to the WebKit HTML/CSS rendering engine for most of its new releases on Android smartphones, iOS, and on desktop computers.WebKit is the clever bit of software which works-out how to display web pages with all the right fonts, colors and positions. Modern web pages can be quite complex with lots of sophisticated HTML and CSS which together produce the rich media Internet to which we are so accustomed. The project was started back in 2001 when an Apple engineer started porting a Linux HTML rendering engine (called KHTML) to OS X. KHTML was open source and as such the resulting WebKit engine is also open source. Today WebKit is the backbone behind several popular browsers including Safari and Google Chrome. Following the spirit of open source development, Opera plan to help make WebKit even better than it already is. Håkon Wium Lie, the company’s CTO, has said that it makes more sense for Opera’s engineers to work with the open source community to further improve WebKit rather than further developing its own rendering engine. To that end Opera will contribute source code to WebKit and has already submitted its first set of patches to improve multi-column layout. Opera has been experimenting with WebKit for a while now and last month a video was leaked onto the Internet showing a WebKit development project know as ICE. Wium Lie said that rather than point the finger at who leaked the video, the company was pleased by the attention the new browser received It plans to provide more information about ICE and other R&D projects in the future. During the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Opera will be revealing more about its WebKit plans along with more information about its new browser on Android and its Opera Web Pass operator offering. Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:17 AM PST
 The Galaxy S4 is rumored to be unveiled in a little over a month, and as we approach that moment, the rumor mill is going into overdrive. Today, the Korean site DDaily published a report that seemingly sheds some light on Samsung's plans for the Galaxy S4. If we are to believe it, the upcoming smartphone will retain the button setup that we’ve come to associate with the Galaxy line, but will not feature an S-Pen as some earlier gossip suggested. Moreover, the Galaxy S4 is said to be launching in early April. Familiar design, no S-PenDDaily says the Galaxy S4 will have the same Home button and capacitive keys that previous Galaxy S phones have sported. The S Pen rumor was supposedly the product of a misunderstanding; the tipper allegedly confused the gesture-based functionality (also rumored a while ago) with the presence of a stylus. The Korean company will keep the stylus as a differentiating feature for the Note series.The report also provides some info on the design of the device, which will be an evolution of the "organic" design that Samsung first introduced on the Galaxy S3. Although it's difficult to tell from the machine translation of the original Korean article, it seems that Samsung will also maintain the TouchWiz Nature user interface from the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, and some other devices. We know that Samsung has trademarked the terms "Eye Scroll" and "Eye Pause", so we believe we'll see some new additions to the arsenal of tricks of the Galaxy S4. Galaxy S4 availability in early AprilAccording to a recent report, Samsung has commenced the mass production of the 5-inch full HD AMOLED display that will equip the Galaxy S4.DDaily says that the device will be unveiled in mid-March, with market availability date coming soon after, probably in early April. It's not clear if the Korean site has this information from a credible source, or if it's a rehashing of earlier gossip. Samsung is said to have finalized the specs and design of the device, and is now working on optimizing the prototype before the final blueprints get the go ahead. The batteries and displays are expected to be delivered by the end of February, with actual device manufacturing scheduled for March. If everything goes to plan, we should see the first devices in stores by April. Judging from this report and from previous rumors, it seems that the Galaxy S4 will be an evolved Galaxy S3, rather than a radical re-invention of the S series. For more information on the rumored Galaxy S4 specs, features and availability, check our rumor roundup. Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:12 AM PST
 The unconfirmed reportA new report from SmartHouse says that Telstra, an Australian carrier, has reasons to be excited about the product said to hit stores later in July, as the X Phone will come with software never before seen in a smartphone:According to Telstra sources, Hugh Bradlow, Chief Technology Officer for Telstra, has told senior mobile staff at Telstra the new device is a “real breakthrough, a game changer that will put pressure on Samsung and Apple”. […]However, the tipsters were not ready to offer any actual details about the X Phone's specs and features and we'll have to wait for more leaks to learn new details about the device. Obviously, we expect the X Phone to come packing Android 5 Key Lime Pie especially if it’s announced at Google I/O 2013, which happens to be indeed "software never before seen before in a smartphone," because, let's face it, it hasn't been seen so far. And obviously, none of it is confirmed so far. The broken promise?But considering all the hype in this new report, isn't calling the handset a "real breakthrough" a bit much for today's smartphone landscape? Can it be "a game changer" that will indeed put pressure on Samsung and Apple?In case the answer is yes to any or both of these questions, does that mean that Google didn't really mean it when it said it won't treat Motorola differently than any other handset maker?  Motorola NexusMeant to reassure its partners, Google's previous statements regarding Motorola hardware were probably intended to address two immediate concerns: that Google will not choose Motorola as its only go-to company for Nexus devices and that Google will not sell high-end Motorola hardware at cost to undercut Apple, but also Android OEMs in the process.Since the Motorola purchase was finalized, Google launched three Nexus devices, all made by other-than-Motorola companies – well four if you count the Nexus Q failure as well. We're looking at the Asus Nexus 7 models, the LG Nexus 4 handset and the Samsung Nexus 10 tablet. But no Motorola Nexus – in fact a Google exec did say that the Motorola purchase was mostly about patents, thus crushing some Motorola Nexus dreams in the process. Selling devices at costWhile it did not launch any Moto Nexus device, when it comes to pricing, Google did sell devices at cost in 2012, although these were not made by Motorola.The company had to come out with an aggressive offer for the Nexus 7, a device seen as a fix to Google's Amazon Kindle Fire unofficial problem, but you can't argue that the move didn't hurt Android tablet makers as well. But why did it launch a high-end Nexus 4 smartphone priced at mid-ranged levels? To snub carriers one could say, carriers who aren't ready to accept Google's Nexus the same way they do with Apple's iPhone. But that low Nexus 4 price may have somehow hurt Android handset makers as well, and would have hurt them even further had Google ordered enough Nexus 4s to go around. All the while, it launched Motorola RAZR-branded products that were not even running the latest Android version – maybe to confirm its stance on Motorola hardware – and its subsidiary kept losing money in the following two quarters since being purchased by the Search giant. So technically, Google did not give Motorola any preferential treatment in the eight months since finalizing the purchase. X Phone vs competitionBut if this new report is to be believed, Google has been working with Motorola on this handset for a long time while talking a different talk.And it will be interesting to see how the X Phone will compete in this year's high-end smartphone market. We'll have a bunch of interesting devices fighting for their share of the profits including the Sony Xperia Z, the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the seventh-generation iPhone to name just a few of flagship devices we expect to see in stores.  After all, it was a Motorola Droid that rallied Android a few years ago in its fight against the iPhone, so it could be another Motorola Android handset that could help model the direction Android is heading to. Whatever the case is, we’ll definitely be here to cover this never-before-seen X Phone smartphone. Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:35 AM PST
 Alcatel was by far the busiest bee of last month's CES, but apparently the French OEM is not yet done with product unveilings. It's therefore time to meet the "Star" of the new One Touch family. But don't let the name fool you. The One Touch Star is definitely not Alcatel's crown jewel. In fact, if we compare it with the Scribe X or the OT Idol Ultra, it looks terribly modest. But it'll probably come with an ultra-low price point, so you'll most likely be inclined to overlook its dated specs. That said, let's sink our teeth into said specs. We have a 4-inch 800 x 480 pix res panel, a dual-core 1 GHz CPU and 512 MB of RAM to start with. Moving on from hors d'oeuvres, the main course includes a 5 MP rear-facing camera with LED Flash, 4 GB of on-board memory, a microSD card slot and a 1,500 mAh battery, served with an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-flavored side dish. Nothing too gourmet there, but if you're on a balanced diet it's probably scrumptious enough to keep you going. And if you're also in for some dessert, Alcatel calls Star's design "simply irresistible".  We don't know about irresistible, but the "petite and devilishly bright" handheld is certainly stylish. It comes in several different color combos, including a snazzy white-and-pink scheme, and it weighs just 119 grams while measuring 9.7 mm in thickness. And if you were not yet convinced the Star is targeted at emerging markets, this will seal the deal – the Star is set to come in both single and dual SIM versions (model numbers 6010 and 6010D respectively). Knowing all that, you might expect us to give you some specifics on pricing and availability as well. However, at the risk of disappointing you, we don't have anything official on that at the moment. Unofficially, we think the One Touch Star is to be shown off later this month, at MWC, and commercially released soon after. As for price points, a Swedish retailer is currently listing the unlocked fellow (with one SIM card slot, we think) at SEK 2,000, which is around $310. That sounds about right for Europe, but if the Star is to shine in America and Asia as well we'd expect it to go for a few clams less. Would you be interested in it at $310? How about $270? $250? Related Posts |
|
Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:05 AM PST
 While pricing and availability is unknown at this point – we know it’s “coming soon” – the sign up page is live on the Virgin website so you can be notified as soon as it is in stock. The questions still remains though, why would anyone want to buy the phone on a contract if its available unlocked for up to $350? Chances are if you were on the lookout for the flagship Google phone then you would have bought it from the Play Store. But then again, Play Store availability hasn’t been that great. Of course, if you are waiting for this handset to come to your carrier of choice, do let us know why in the comments. Related Posts |
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Android Authority
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment