Android Authority

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• HTC One Google Edition supply expected to be very limited
• America’s carrier speeds benchmarked, AT&T’s 3G/4G combo declared the winner
• Qualcomm’s ‘Battery Guru’ app is out of beta, and really interesting
• Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first device to support Verizon’s AWS network, just needs software update
• The Best VoIP and SIP apps for Android!
• Lambda Labs launching facial recognition API for Google Glass
• The HTC One to be on Verizon “before July”
• New Chrome experiment ‘Roll It’ is out!
• Marissa Mayer, Yahoo!, and the Google effect
• Does LG deserve to make the next Nexus?
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini to be unveiled at Samsung Premiere 2013 event?
• Rumor: Galaxy Note 3 to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• Huawei Ascend D1, Ascend P1 and Honor 2 Jelly Bean update promised
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and Galaxy Ace 3 specs leaked
• Hard to break up: Samsung resumes providing LCDs to Apple
• Umeox X5 could be the thinnest smartphone yet, coming in at just 5.6mm-thick
• Nokia loses out to Samsung on its home turf
• Huawei Ascend P6 reportedly priced, won’t cost a fortune
• Rumor: Liquidmetal tech in the cards for future HTC smartphones
• Executive: LG working on an Android tablet, no flexible display phone this year
• Rumor: Kyocera Hydro Elite on its way to Verizon
• Nexus 7 with Android 4.3 spotted at Bluetooth SIG
• Nexus 5 not an LG job, Google Edition phone not in the works either [Update]

HTC One Google Edition supply expected to be very limited Posted: 28 May 2013 03:43 PM PDT We've been hearing rumblings of an imminent new HTC One for the past weeks, an edition that supposedly eschews HTC's Sense software for stock Android (think Samsung's Galaxy S4 Google Edition). Now, we have tentative confirmation that the device does, indeed, exist, and won't remain in in the shadows for much longer. A Pocket-lint source said that the device will be made available in the extreme near future. However, quantities available for order will apparently be limited. Very limited. How few HTC One Google Edition phones does HTC plan to manufacture? As little as 1 percent of One sales so far. Estimating by the global sales figures the company released recently, that's only 50,000 units. According to the source, HTC wants to test the waters before deciding whether to go ahead with a bigger rollout. Though it's important to take this information with a grain of salt, it isn't implausible that HTC may approach the idea of an unsubsidized phone tepidly. We haven't heard how much the Sense-less (pun not intended) One might cost, but if it's anything close to the Galaxy S4 Google Edition's $649 price point, a majority of consumers will probably be dissuaded from purchasing it, no matter how great stock Android is.

America’s carrier speeds benchmarked, AT&T’s 3G/4G combo declared the winner Posted: 28 May 2013 03:25 PM PDT Ever have trouble streaming video in HD, browsing the web, or quickly uploading files on your LTE smartphone? We've all been there. The promise of 4G LTE smartphones was incredible speed, which they mostly delivered; a good, solid connection can deliver amazing throughput. The only problem? All four major carriers – AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint – are still in the process of building out their respective next-gen networks. Many areas – mostly rural – lack 4G LTE coverage, and rely solely on 3G technology. And when you're stuck in a 4G dead zone, unless your mobile carrier has excellent infrastructure behind their towers, you're in for Internet as slow as molasses. If you're not going to be connected to 4G LTE all the time, it's important to know which carrier offers the fastest combination of 3G and 4G. According to tests conducted by Tech Hive, AT&T takes that crown, edging out the others with an average download of 13.15 megabits per second (mbps) and upload of 6.45mbps. Apparently, AT&T's HSPA+ helped to prop up speeds in areas where LTE wasn't available. T-Mobile's 3G performance was close to AT&T's, but comparatively poor LTE throughput lowered the carrier in the rankings. Verizon and Sprint, which rely on the aging CDMA standard to deliver 3G, couldn't compete: speed tests showed average downloads of a third or less as fast as GSM rivals, and similarly slow uploads. These numbers don't bode well for those who travel in and out of 4G LTE coverage areas often. If you're a Verizon customer, you could see a drop in speed of 92%: 9.61mpbs on LTE to less than 0.80mbps on 3G. Sprint's average drop-off was nearly 90 percent, much higher than seen on GSM networks like AT&T due to, like Verizon, reliance on CDMA. T-Mobile managed to best maintain download and upload speeds across 3G and 4G with a drop-off of only 62 percent, achieved in part because of a substantial HSPA+ footprint. 4G LTE isn't everywhere. It's important to remember to remember 3G, because despite what your smartphone manufacturer might promise, CDMA and HSPA speeds are what you'll most commonly encounter. The dream of ubiquitous high-speed wireless Internet hasn't yet been achieved, and until that glorious day comes, know which network's 3G will keep you humming along until the next LTE tower comes into view.

Qualcomm’s ‘Battery Guru’ app is out of beta, and really interesting Posted: 28 May 2013 02:33 PM PDT Battery life is a concern for all mobile device holders. We're constantly in a tug-of-war with utility and power consumption, which tends to aggravate us. News of forward-thinking battery technology is promising, but we'll be lucky to see it soon, if ever. Left in limbo, we turn to apps to mitigate the damage. Apps like DS Battery Saver or Juice Defender are useful, but not as intuitive as we'd like. There is still a level of toying with the app we need to do to make it useful as a daily driver, and that's not as convenient as we'd like. When Qualcomm gives us a battery app, we take notice. They're responsible for the Snapdragon line of processors, which are starting to make appearances in newer breeds of smartphones. Powerful, the Snapdragon also uses its share of power. Qualcomm's new Battery Guru app wants to help change that a bit. Battery Guru is a different breed of "battery app". It tries to make power drain a bit more intuitive to how you live. By learning how you interact with your device, and where you tend to use it, the app makes changes to your power consumption. Contextual data in a battery power app? We like the concept. Battery Guru is available now in the Play Store. Check it out, and let us know what you think.

Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first device to support Verizon’s AWS network, just needs software update Posted: 28 May 2013 02:27 PM PDT Verizon might have been a little late to the party with the Galaxy S4, but the GS4 is certainly one phone worth the wait. Not only does it have solid specs under the hood, but it is also the first handset that will support Verizon’s upcoming AWS network. While we’ve known since March that the Galaxy S4 will support AWS, today Verizon’s VP of network support confirmed to Bloomberg that the device only needs a simple software update in order to activate the components inside the phone. So what’s AWS all about? The "Advanced Wireless service" spectrum will allow Verizon to expand the capacity of its LTE network, and as an added bonus is reportedly able to achieve double the speed of Verizon’s current LTE service. Now you might be wondering exactly when AWS will be turned on, and where. Verizon hopes to start turning on support to several major cities like New York in the next few months. Outside of larger cities, the rollout will happen slowly, similar to Verizon’s rollout of its original LTE network. Verizon also plans to release new devices that support the AWS spectrum later this year, likely sometime this summer. In the meantime, it’s great to see that Verizon and Samsung ensured that the handset would be future-proof and ready to go when AWS starts rolling out.

The Best VoIP and SIP apps for Android! Posted: 28 May 2013 01:02 PM PDT There are a lot of people who use VoIP’s and SIP’s as alternatives to a carrier’s offering. A lot of time you’ll find that the rates are cheaper, and sometimes even free of charge. That said, we went into the depths of the Play Store in search for some of the best VoIP and SIP apps available, and now we’re back to share the results of that with you! As usual, if you’d prefer the video, just head to the bottom of the article. Kakao Talk Considering its popularity, you may have heard of Kakao Talk before. This VoIP app allows you to make calls and send text messages over a network free of charge. As per the norm, you’re going to need to sign up for an account to use the service, which means your friends will have to do the same. Making calls and sending text messages isn’t the only thing Kakao Talk can do. You can change themes, play games, see notices, and even check out the item store. Most of these features costs money, which isn’t much of a problem. After all, the app has to support itself in some way! Besides, who doesn’t like a little customization? Aside from that, the interface is very user friendly, and no one should have any woes when navigating around the app. Tango You might be surprised by Tango. It’s main focus isn’t actually VoIP or SIP, as it markets itself as a social network. Regardless, you can still make free calls and texts. It also has support for picture and video messages, which makes it stand out from the rest of these apps. You can expect Tango to have the utmost quality as well. It’s won a number of awards, and the app itself boasts of having “great quality” over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi connections. Like the majority of the apps on this list, Tango is very easy to use. Account creation is simple and navigating around the app feels very natural. Unfortunately you can only communicate with people who have a Tango account, so convincing your friends to get on board might be difficult. Viber Viber is yet another VoIP that allows for free calling over a network. Free calling isn’t all it can do though. You can also send messages, stickers, emoticons, and other in-app features. Like the previous apps on this list, your friends are going to need a Viber account for calls and messages to even work. It’s also very easy to navigate around Viber and is just generally easy to use. The only negative to this app is that you need to set up your account before using SMS. It’ll be a tad annoying if you don’t have text messaging set up on your device, as you’ll have to find another way to active Viber. Aside from that, Viber is a very exceptional app that has been met with a lot of reception in the Play Store. At the very least, it’s worth a shot. VoX  VoX is one of the more simple solutions for your VoIP and SIP needs. It’s quite a simple app too. You can make calls from your VoX account, which you have to pay for. VoX keeps an extensive rate list for a variety of countries. Besides that, you have the dialer as the main interface, and the menu button can be used to navigate around the rest of the app. In addition to making calls, there’s SMS support. Of course, by sending SMS messages minutes will be deducted from your account, which means less calling time. Given the app’s simplicity, it takes a minute to get used to. All in all, it’s a pretty nice app with limited functionality. WiCall Last up on our list is WiCall. Similar to VoX, this app is a dialer interface. Unfortunately it can’t send text messages, which means this app is strictly for calling. Like VoX, WiCall is a paid service, so you’re going to need to add money to your account to make phone calls. That balance is deducted when you make calls. WiCall is very lacking in features, which means it’s quite simple and easy to learn. All you’re going to have to figure out is how to add money to your account. After that, you can simply use the dialer to call people with your WiCall number. Conclusion If you take a look at our leaderboard (image above) you can see how these apps compete with each other. As usual, we don’t rank these apps ourselves, as this is how you, the people, rated the apps on the Google Play Store. So there’s no bias on our part. When you get to the core of it all, finding a VoIP or SIP app is all about what you’re looking to get out of it. That said, we may have missed some really good VoIP and SIP apps out there, which means we have a few honorary mentions. These include GrooVeIP, Google Voice, Skype, and MobileVoIP. If you have a favorite, be sure to let everyone know about it in the comments below!

Lambda Labs launching facial recognition API for Google Glass Posted: 28 May 2013 12:52 PM PDT Dystopian future, here we come! Google Glass is about to receive access to a new facial recognition API, courtesy of Lambda Labs. The new API should be out within a week, provided that all goes as it should. Who is Lambda Labs? They are a small startup that released a non-Glass facial recognition tech API just last year, and currently have over 1,000 developers using it. Now they are taking this experience and tailoring it specifically to Google Glass apps. This means that the door could soon be open to Glass apps that allow you to match names with faces, get detailed info about landmarks and much more. Of course there is also a pretty big limitation here – it doesn’t work in real time, due to the Google mirror API. The Mirror API doesn’t allow for live streaming camera data to be sent over to a developer’s server. That means that you will need to snap a picture, send it in to Lambda, and then wait for it to be analyzed. After a few seconds, you will then receive a notification with the results. So does this technology mean that a perfect stranger could look at you, snap a picture and receive detailed information about you? Short answer, no. Long answer, it can only take data specifically from Lambda’s database, which includes things like pictures of well-known celebrities and important landmarks. Great idea, but what about privacy concerns? There is a lot of amazing potential for facial recognition, but then there are also both real and perceived privacy concerns when it comes to Google Glass and the idea of facial recognition technology. The company’s co-founder Stephen Balaban recognizes this is uncharted territory, and understands that there could eventually be changes made that could block out the technology: "There is nothing in the Glass Terms of Service that explicitly prevents us from doing this. However, there is a risk that Google may change the ToS in an attempt to stop us from providing this functionality." "This is the first face recognition toolkit for Glass, so we're just not sure how Google, or the privacy caucus, will react." The Congressional Privacy Caucus has already expressed concern over Google Glass privacy issues before, specifically relating to facial recognition technology, so Balaban is right to be unsure how the U.S. congress might feel about the new API. Google and Congress might also receive additional pressure to take action against the tech from anti-Glass organizations and other groups concerned about privacy violations. At least right now, there is nothing preventing the company from releasing their facial technology over to Glass, as the Glass API does not specifically ban such functionality. Personally I’m excited about the future of Google Glass and the technologies that it will introduce, as long as privacy concerns are addressed and opt-out options exist for those that are concerned. What do you think of the idea of facial technology coming to Google Glass? Excited or worried about the possibilities?

The HTC One to be on Verizon “before July” Posted: 28 May 2013 12:35 PM PDT The HTC One was meant to be the one to bring HTC back. It's a dynamic phone with awesome build quality, but fell short in a few respects. Sure, the production slowdown hurt a bit… but there was another problem. For whatever reason, the HTC One didn't make its way to Verizon customers immediately. A phone meant to revive a slumping HTC should have been made available to the largest US carrier, right? If recent indications are accurate, that's all water under the bridge. The HTC One looks like it will come to Verizon soon, reportedly "before July". We have seen the HTC One appear as its codename (the M7) several times, but nothing like this. Everyone's favorite source EvLeaks has recently provided some screenshots, from someone who "needs advanced knowledge of upcoming devices". The screenshots show a dropdown menu, with many Verizon HTC phones listed alongside the HTC One. We've heard of the T6 before, but that's not the One. That device will probably replace the Droid DNA in the fall, while the M7 is set for a much sooner release. We hope Verizon customers who may be ready to upgrade will give this phone a good, hard look. It's a really nice device, and we'd be happy to see it on Verizon.

New Chrome experiment ‘Roll It’ is out! Posted: 28 May 2013 11:38 AM PDT If you thought that Chrome maze experiment a few weeks ago was fun, wait until you try Roll It! One of the hidden gems at I/O this year, Roll It was another Chrome experiment, geared at bridging the gap between mobile and desktop. It's pretty simple to use, too; just open up the game on your device and computer, and you're ready for skeeball! It supports up to three players on one device, and only needs the Chrome browser. Having played it at I/O, and beating Joshua Vergara mercilessly at it, I highly recommend this game. It reminds me of the original Wii games, which were a ton of fun. Check out our YouTube video to see the action, and enjoy the official Chrome video below. Let us know your thoughts once you give it a shot… or roll… whatever.

Marissa Mayer, Yahoo!, and the Google effect Posted: 28 May 2013 11:05 AM PDT When Marissa Mayer took over as CEO of Yahoo!, it was a catalyst for change. Having lost their way long ago, the former champions of search were in desperate need of transformation. With Meyers at the helm, the Yahoo! ship is now changing direction, but to what end? If all their recent moves (and rumored acquisitions) are any indication, Yahoo! may not want to be Yahoo! for much longer. Where Yahoo! went wrong Yahoo! was founded in 1994 by college friends Jerry Yang and David Filo. The goal was to give the internet a little structure, and focus, by organizing search results. In a time of Ask Jeeves, Lycos, and Netscape, Yahoo! was a refreshingly straightforward approach. It was easier on the eyes, gave better results, and later lumped in services like email to make it the first one-stop internet portal for many of us. Over time, the sizable number of acquisitions by Yahoo! clouded the focus it began with. A company that started with such a simple concept soon found itself bloated, broke, and bartering for survival. Spending money to make money is not new thinking, but Yahoo! only got half of that right. Acquisitions that were later shelved or shuttered left Yahoo! with no return on investment, and the added bulk only served to weigh them down when they could least afford it. The advent of Google, with their incredible search algorithm, left Yahoo! in another bind. Like any search engine ir web portal, Yahoo! relies on selling advertising space for much of their revenue. Even with a 3 year jump on Google, Yahoo! was caught off guard by Larry and Sergey. The two companies were on a different arc, with Google breaking ground on an empire, and Yahoo! digging through the rubble of theirs. Number 20 Mayer has the distinction of being employee number 20 at Google, as well as its first female engineer. Mayer was instrumental in many key services like GMail and Search, famously keeping the Google landing page subtle. She seemed to be everything a company could hope for: beautiful, bright, and bold. There was, however, a point in which she reached waters at Google she couldn't navigate successfully. Schmidt, Page, and the management shakeup While Larry Page and Sergey Brin were finding their way within Google, Eric Schmidt was the defacto "adult supervision". A tried and true CEO, Schmidt had a very vanilla way of organizing the company. The structure suited Mayer, and left her with a very clear and concise trajectory to follow in her quest for greatness. As Schmidt moved away from the helm, and Page regained control, the Google universe shifted. The new CEO, a founder along with Brin, had a very clear idea on what Google should be. As with many management shifts, the structure changed. Schmidt, for instance, had an oversight committee, which Page almost immediately disbanded. That committee, which Mayer sat on, had a direct hand in the direction of perhaps the largest tech company ever. As Page disbanded the committee, a chain of events began, throwing Mayer's future at Google into uncertainty. Mayer the climber Marissa Mayer is an ambitious woman. For someone with a drive like hers, simply being a cog in the wheel isn't good enough. With the oversight committee being dissolved, and her being passed up for one of several open Senior Vice President spots after the Page regime began, Mayer's direction fell prey to the fog of corporate war. She went from a beloved figure to embattled talent in very little time. She was well suited for any SVP position in the company, having held so many key roles and been instrumental in so much of Google's early success. Mayer was now increasingly unavailable and unseen, whereas she was once the darling of Google. While the real reasons are not known, her role was increasingly diminishing at Google. No promotion, no committee, and no public face time. She was being relegated to simply being employee number 20, and that clearly didn't suit her. She said all the right things about her role at Google, but the fire was still burning. She wanted, and maybe needed, more.

Does LG deserve to make the next Nexus? Posted: 28 May 2013 11:01 AM PDT Earlier today LG confirmed that they are not currently working on any Nexus device right now, despite what the rumor mill suggests. However, the company did make it clear that they would consider the opportunity, if offered. This leads to us to ask the question: Does LG even deserve another shot at the Nexus game? On one hand, the Nexus 4 received tons of positive attention and sold out at every turn. On the other, we have the whole "out of stock" debacle, though it’s hard to say exactly who’s fault that is. LG seems to still hold to the idea that Google under-ordered and when demand was higher than expected, LG just couldn’t keep up. For Google’s part, some execs pointed the finger at LG, saying "supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic", though the official company stance simply was that there is "work to be done managing our supply better", leaving it at that. We will probably never know the whole story, but the truth is likely that Google did under-estimate the huge demand and LG simply couldn’t turn things around as quickly as needed. Could Samsung, HTC, Sony or Motorola have done a better job at kicking things into high-gear and turning the shortage issues around? Again, we really don’t know. You do have to wonder how many customers were lost from the shortage of supplies. For that matter it would be nice to get an official count on how many Nexus 4 devices have sold. We have seen a few estimates, but nothing official. The best guess is that Nexus 4 has sold “over a million units”, though in reality, only Google and LG know for sure. For those keeping score, it is worth mentioning that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus only sold around 500,000 between November 2011 and August 2012. Of course the Nexus line isn’t about making money or selling millions of devices, it is about providing a bloat-free, stock Android experience that is extremely developer friendly. To that end, the LG Nexus 4 was a phenomenal success. It might not be without its quirks, but ultimately the handset is reasonably durable, very beautiful and a vast improvement over past Nexus devices. Would consumers be open to another LG Nexus? The Nexus 4 was a success in many ways, but the past supply issues still haunt the phone’s reputation, even today. Honestly, it doesn’t matter who was at fault, the damage is done. Some of us have probably gotten over the frustration and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another LG Nexus device, probably because we eventually did get the Nexus 4 and saw just how great it really was. For those that were burned by low stock issues and eventually decided to get something other than a Nexus, it might be a lot more difficult to let things go. I believe LG has come a long ways in recent times and, even after the Nexus 4, has shown off some great devices such as the Optimus G Pro. To that end, I wouldn’t be opposed to another LG Nexus smartphone. I don’t fault LG for the stock issues encountered with the Nexus 4 (at least not completely) and think they could deliver something great. Still, it might be best to hand someone else the reigns for a while. The Nexus 4 really catapulted LG forward and gave the company a great marketing boost, stock problems aside. Now it might be time to let someone else benefit from the Nexus effect (HTC, perhaps). What do you think, does LG deserve a crack at the next Nexus smartphone, or do you feel that it’s best Google pick someone else?

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini to be unveiled at Samsung Premiere 2013 event? Posted: 28 May 2013 10:13 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will be unveiled at the Samsung Premiere event in London on June 20, according to the Wall Street Journal. “A person with knowledge of the matter”, has told the publication that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini could be one of the new products that the company will show the world at the event which will take place in London, at Earl’s Court, in three weeks. Samsung is set to show Android and Windows devices on the respective evening and, apart from the Galaxy S4 Mini, you’ll almost certainly see the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and Galaxy Ace 3, two products for which some specs have leaked today. Coming back to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, it must be said that it’s not the best kept secret, either. It has been spotted as long ago as the month of March, with better quality images of it recently leaked on the Internet (like the one you can see below). More recently, the device has appeared, accidentally or not, on the Samsung Apps website, and it had previously been mentioned on a Samsung support website. As far as specs go, nothing’s official, but rumors say that the smaller brother of the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, a dual-core Exynos 5210 CPU and 1GB of RAM. The LTE version is said to pack 2GB of RAM memory, and the camera of the Android 4.2 device is rumored to be an 8-megapixel one. Of course, Samsung maintains its silence concerning the device, and will probably continue to do so until the London event, where it could also unveil another Samsung Galaxy S4 variation, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, a rugged device (spotted in a recent video). Do you think Samsung will announce the Galaxy S4 Mini at its London Premiere event? Are you looking forward to it?

Rumor: Galaxy Note 3 to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor Posted: 28 May 2013 10:04 AM PDT Galaxy Note 3 concept The Galaxy Note 3 is said to be one of the smartphones set to launch in the coming months with a Qualcomm Snapdrong 800 processor under the hood. A new report from ZDNet Korea says that the phone will be just one of the devices expected to rely on Qualcomm's flagship processor. The list also includes the LG Optimus G2, the Pantech IM-A880 and the Xperia Honami, although it's worth mentioning that neither device is official yet, even though they all appeared in various rumors so far. The Galaxy Note 3 wouldn't be the first Samsung Android smartphone to use a Qualcomm processor, and it makes sense to assume that the Snapdragon 800 version would be chosen for the company's next flagship handset. It would also make sense to assume that Samsung would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and Exynos 5 Octa mix of processor for the handset, if today’s rumor is accurate that is. However, nothing is confirmed at this time, and we'll have to wait for Samsung to properly unveil the handset. The Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to be announced at IFA in Berlin, Germany, this fall, the same event where its predecessors first appeared. Meanwhile, we'll most likely keep seeing more Galaxy Note 3 rumors hit the web – just yesterday a different report from Korea revealed that the smartphone could pack a camera that would offer optical image stabilization technology. Recently, we also spotted an alleged AnTuTu benchmark result for the handset that suggested the Galaxy Note 3 would offer a better performance than the Galaxy S4. However, the benchmark did not reveal what kind of processor that particular device was using.  The Pantech IM-A880 has also been spotted in similar tests, outscoring the same Galaxy S4. As for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, the system on chip is currently being mass-produced and will offer users a 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 processor, Adreno 330 GPU, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. LTE, LTE cat.4 and features such as UHD video playback (resolutions up to 2560 x 2048) and 7.1 stereo sound.

Huawei Ascend D1, Ascend P1 and Honor 2 Jelly Bean update promised Posted: 28 May 2013 08:09 AM PDT The Huawei Ascend D1, Ascend P1, and Honor 2 will be getting Android Jelly Bean updates, along with some other unspecified models by the Chinese manufacturer. GSM Insider quotes Huawei’s Richard Yu posting to his page on Chinese social network Weibo about the Jelly Bean updates. Richard Yu said that apart from the Jelly Bean Android 4.2 update coming to the Ascend D1, Ascend P1, and Honor 2, the devices would also get updated to the Emotion UI 1.6. In the case of the D1, both the quad and the dual-core version are promised the update. While a  time frame for the update has not been confirmed, according to the same source, other Huawei devices will also be getting the update, but they haven’t been name-checked as of yet. While this may be great news for users of the Huawei smartphones mentioned above, the company is also preparing the imminent launch of its new flagship smartphone, the Huawei Ascend P6, which, according to the latest information, will be shown to the world in June (it even has a rumored price). Do you use a Huawei smartphone? Is it among the ones planned for update?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and Galaxy Ace 3 specs leaked Posted: 28 May 2013 08:01 AM PDT If you're looking for some juicy information to tide you over until next month's Samsung Premiere 2013 event, then look no further, as some rumored specifications have appeared for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet and Galaxy Ace 3 smartphone. The information has appeared on the same site which leaked information about the Galaxy Zoom camera phone, so there's a good chance that the information could be accurate. We've already had a few leaks about the 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3 variant, but now we have a better idea about what its larger brother could have hiding under the hood. According to the leak, the tablet's 10-inch display will pack in 1280×700 pixels, so sadly no 1080p display this time. It will come in a few variations depending on whether you require 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, and there will be different models for 3G support or WiFi-only as well. The tablet also includes a microSD card slot if you need to the extra storage capacity. The Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will supposedly also feature a dual-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, which matches the clock speed of the Intel Z2560 processor rumored yesterday. On top of that there's 1GB worth of RAM, a 13 megapixel rear camera, a 3 megapixel one on the front, and it will ship with a 6800mAh battery. Finally, the tablet will be 243.1 x 176.1 x 7.95 mm in size, weighs in at 510 grams, and will come with the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean as well. Moving on to the Galaxy Ace 3, as you'd expect the handset comes with decent mid-range specs which shouldn't break the bank. The Ace 3 is looking at a modest 1Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a rather slender 4GB of memory. But there will be a microSD card slot, so that's not really a problem. Money also appears to have been saved on the display, which will come in at 4-inches, making it ever so slightly larger than the Galaxy Ace 2, but it will only have the same 480×800 pixel resolution as the Ace 2. Again, the handset will come with the standard front and rear facing cameras, sporting 5 and 0.3 megapixels respectively. The battery is also supposed to be exactly the same size as its predecessor, 1500mAh, but the Ace 3 will ship with the upgraded Jelly Bean operating system. Size wise, the handset is 121.2 x 62.7 x 9.8 mm, which will easily fit into your pocket. If these specs turn out to be true, we are looking at a couple of devices which are just really incremental upgrades in their respective ranges. There certainly doesn't appear to be anything earth shattering here. That's not to say that either of the two is set up to be a bad product. Both of them should offer some decent bank for your buck.

Hard to break up: Samsung resumes providing LCDs to Apple Posted: 28 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT You've probably forgotten this already, but there once was a time when Samsung and Apple were best of friends, like two peas in a pod. However, technology is a fast moving market and in a post-2012 world, it would be difficult to get Samsung and Apple into the same room without one taking a bite out of the other (no pun intended). After countless lawsuits, it was obvious that Samsung could not play a crucial role in Apple's supply chain, like it once had, but moving away from Samsung hasn't been easy for the Cupertino company. Apple has poured millions of dollars into rival manufacturers like Sharp and TSMC, but even that hasn't proven to be successful, as Apple was forced to resume buying LCD panels from Samsung. The Korean TFT LCD component market looks to be turning around this year, spurred by Apple’s decision to return to Samsung as its display manufacturer. The TFT sales of Korean display companies Soulbrain, Chemtronics, Global Display and Avatec have improved immensely, and are expected to reach 643 billion KRW, which is a 34% increase, year on year. It seems that the main reason that Apple has returned to Samsung is its adept manufacturing of TFT displays. Unlike LG, who relies on outsiders to build its TFT displays, Samsung is able to build the panels in-house. Apple's attempts to leverage other manufacturers like Sharp, seem to have failed especially since Samsung recently bought a stake in the flailing Japanese company. Apple uses TFT displays in its iPhone and iPad, and more recently in the Retina Macbook Pro, and although Apple has tried to replace Samsung's displays with panels made by LG, Samsung's power in the components business has once again prevailed. Do you think Apple should still be suing Samsung when it plays a vital role in the manufacturing of Apple’s products?

Umeox X5 could be the thinnest smartphone yet, coming in at just 5.6mm-thick Posted: 28 May 2013 06:30 AM PDT It seems like every time we turn around a new device is vying for the title of "world’s thinnest smartphone". For a while, the Alcatel One Touch Idol held the honors. Then the upcoming Huawei Ascend P6 prepared to take the title. Now it is apparently the Umeox X5′s turn. I know you are thinking it, so I’ll just say it: Who the hell is Umeox? Fair question. Umeox is a smaller Chinese handset maker that sells its products primarily in China, though it also sales some of its devices in Europe through Thomson Mobile. In other words, they aren’t exactly a big name company, but they hope to change this with the X5. If you thought the P6 was small at 6.3mm, you’ll drop your jaw at the Umeox X5′s 118 x 60 x 5.6mm profile. Beyond its small size, what else do we know about the handset? Not much. We know it will run Jelly Bean and it will launch in China sometime in July. That’s it, though. It seems that Umeox is hoping it can generate hype for the phone solely based on its thin design. That’s all well and good, but being a few millimetres smaller than your average handset probably won’t make too much of a difference if the hardware isn’t up to snuff. Even if the Umeox X5 does end up killing it in the hype and sales department, it will more than likely never make it too far beyond its homeland. Certainly don’t expect it make its way to the U.S. market, as its ultra-thin profile will likely prevent it from obtaining FCC certification (as was the case of the Alcatel One Touch Idol). Are you impressed by the Umeox X5′s incredibly thin 5.6mm design, or do you feel that the war over becoming the "thinnest" handset is nothing more than a gimmick that matters little when it comes to real-world use?

Nokia loses out to Samsung on its home turf Posted: 28 May 2013 06:24 AM PDT Samsung outselling Nokia isn't a surprising feat, after all Samsung has held the title as the world's largest smartphone distributor for quite a while. But Nokia had successfully been making a last stand in Finland, the country in which its headquarter is based, maintaining a lead over the industry's dominant force, Samsung, despite its recent troubles. However, IDC has reported that the tide is now turning in Samsung's favour, as the company has managed to sell a higher number of mobile phones than Nokia in Finland during the first quarter of this year. Samsung secured itself a 36% share of the phone market, whilst Nokia pulled in a respectable 33% share, so it only lost out to Samsung by a tiny margin. But this is part of a slightly longer term trend, Nokia has witnessed falling sales in Finland, and in other markets, for the past couple of years despite the fact that the smartphone market has continued to grow. Although Nokia secured a 33% share of the total mobile phone market, the performance of its smartphone products is much worse. It seems that Nokia's Lumia handsets have failed to strike a chord with Finnish consumers, and the devices aren’t grabbing a massive share around the rest of the world either. The chart from IDC clearly shows a growing smartphone market (Yhteensä) over recent years, but at the same time Nokia has seen it’s sales fall. Other manufacturers (Muut) are also suffering from the dominance of Samsung and Apple. Of the approximately 587,000 phones sold in Finland in Q1 2013, about 73% of those were smartphones. Looking back a few years earlier, less than 150,000 smartphones were sold in the first quarter of 2010, and they only accounted for 25% of the total phone market, which goes to show just how much the smartphone industry has grown in recent years. Interestingly, back in 2010 Nokia held a dominant 65% share of the phone market in Finland, whilst Samsung was languishing far behind with only 12%. Something has clearly gone wrong with Nokia's smartphone strategy. As for the rest of the Finnish market, Apple is still trailing behind in third place with only 14% of the market, and all the other manufacturers make up the remaining 16% for the quarter. It seems that nobody is safe from the rise of Samsung, and it's certain that Nokia has a lot of work to do if it wants to regain its former glory. Perhaps it’s time to abandon ship and ditch Windows Phone.

Huawei Ascend P6 reportedly priced, won’t cost a fortune Posted: 28 May 2013 06:05 AM PDT The Huawei Ascend P6, the company’s future flagship device, now seems to have a price tag to it. According to Chinese website Sina, the price of the Huawei flagship smartphone,would be 1,999 Chinese Yuan, which translates approximately to $326 or €253. The device is said to be unveiled at a London press event on June 18, as the company’s chairman has suggested in a post on Chinese social network Weibo. The comment has been removed afterwards. The Huawei Ascend P6, a handset that was first mentioned when it was seen in a filing with the Chinese version of FCC, doesn’t impress only in terms of thickness (it’s 6.2 mm thin), as it also has some interesting rumored specs to it. The handset will apparently pack a quad-core CPU running at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM and a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen. The main camera is an 8-megapixel one and you’ll be able to store images taken with it (and whatever else you want) in the Ascend P6′s 32GB of internal memory. The Chinese company’s future flagship is said to be a dual SIM device and to weigh 120 grams. The Ascend P6 should run Android 4.1.2 and, according to pictures leaked on the Internet, will have white, black and pink colored versions, so that it can accommodate various needs. Would you be tempted to purchase the Huawei Ascend P6 if it will be available in your country?

Rumor: Liquidmetal tech in the cards for future HTC smartphones Posted: 28 May 2013 05:56 AM PDT A new report from Taiwan says that HTC may be interested in using Liquidmetal technology in its future smartphones. The news comes from DigiTimes, but we'll advise you to take it with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed at this time. HTC is said to work with Jabon International for Liquidmetal chassis supply, which would be used for new devices in the second half of the year, although neither company was willing to comment on the matter. The Taiwanese smartphone maker is reportedly trying to beat Apple to market with such Liquidmetal-based products according to the publication. HTC has apparently recruited additional R&D for this to work on Liquidmetal products. Liquidmetal is a relatively new technology and has certain advantages over other metal alloys used in the mobile industry, and it's expected that more mobile device makers would use the new alloy in future products. Liquidmetal features a "high tensile strength, excellent corrosion resistance, very high coefficient of restitution and excellent anti-wearing characteristics," as Wikipedia succinctly explains it. In other words, Liquidmetal could be used to manufacture even more resistant mobile devices, capable to withstand shocks better than current models. HTC's current flagship, the One, features an aluminum-based unibody design, which can offer increased protection against drops (see our test drop video below), but it would definitely be interesting to see an HTC handset made out of Liquidmetal. Assuming this particular rumor will be confirmed in the future, we can only be excited to learn more details about the next HTC flagship smartphone – after all, if Liquidmetal will be used, we expect the device sporting such technology to be a high-end one. That said, DigiTimes also says that some chassis suppliers are "conservative" about this particular metal alloy: However, some chassis suppliers are conservative about the idea since Apple currently still has partnership with metal chassis makers such as Catcher Technology, Foxconn Technology and Casetek, while market demand for aluminum-alloy unibody chassis remains strong, indicating that the full adoption of Liquidmetal is unlikely to occur in the short term. We'll be back with more details about HTC's future mobile devices as soon as we have them.

Executive: LG working on an Android tablet, no flexible display phone this year Posted: 28 May 2013 03:49 AM PDT LG's VP in Europe talked about LG's plans for 2013, which include an Android tablet, but apparently not a device with a flexible display, as it was previously rumored. The EU VP of LG Mobile, Kim Wong, sat down with the press for an interview, and apparently spilt the beans on some of the devices coming from the upstart Korean electronics manufacturer. According to Wong, the decision from last year to put tablet development on the backburner has been reversed. Now, LG Mobile is working on a yet to be announced Android-based tablet. According to Dutch website All About Phones, this device may be coming soon, despite the fact that the tablet market is already segmented, as the VP said. No further details have been provided. LG's previous efforts in the tablet market, such as the Optimus Pad LTE, have been largely unsuccessful. Kim Wong also tried to downplay the expectations related to LG's upcoming line of devices equipped with flexible displays. As a refresher, there were multiple reports originating in the Korean press about LG's progress in the area. The flexible display that was demoed at SID last week was said to come in a commercial product by the end of the year. However, according to the LG executive, the technology isn't yet mature enough, and we shouldn't expect a device with a flexible display this year. This statement seems to suggest that LG, like its local rival Samsung, isn't yet able to reach commercial yields for its plastic-based panel technology. The executive went on to reiterate LG's plans to make most of the crucial components that go into its mobile product in-house, and thus emulate Samsung's very successful strategy. In related news, Wong also suggested that LG isn't working on the new Nexus smartphone, and, furthermore, that the company isn't interested in offering a Google Edition phone, as Samsung did with the GS4, and HTC is said to be doing with the HTC One. However, LG quickly sent a clarification to The Next Web, saying that LG is not working on the next Nexus, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t interested in making it.

Rumor: Kyocera Hydro Elite on its way to Verizon Posted: 28 May 2013 03:35 AM PDT Kyocera Hydro Edge The Kyocera Hydro Elite will be available on Verizon at the end of June, says famed leaker @evleaks, also providing an image, which you can see below. Apparently, you’ll be able to buy the device from Verizon for $50 on contract, but no other information is provided about the Kyocera Hydro Elite. Considering the recent release of two other devices bearing the Hydro name, the Hydro EDGE and Hyrdo XTRM at CTIA 2013, it’s pretty easy to assume that the device will be nothing else than a variation on the same theme. The EDGE and XTRM are headed to Sprint  U.S. Cellular, respectively. What can you expect? Well, the Kyocera Hydro Elite will certainly be a rugged smartphone, water- and dust-proof, and capable of withstanding some serious shocks. It will probably get the same four-inch display its “brothers” use, at a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, as well as a dual-core CPU (the other two models have 1GHz and 1.2GHz CPUs) and 1GB of RAM. Both the XTRM and EDGE have 4GB of internal memory, which you can expand via the microSD slot. Judging by the price, it’s hard to imagine that the specs will be much higher than what the other two models are offering and, to get a better idea about them, you can check out our hands-on of the two devices, at CTIA 2013. Are you a fan of rugged smartphones? Are you looking forward to the Kyocera Hydro Elite?

Nexus 7 with Android 4.3 spotted at Bluetooth SIG Posted: 28 May 2013 03:25 AM PDT An Asus-made Nexus 7 running Android 4.3 has been recently spotted in a Bluetooth SIG filing. Dated May 27, the filing includes some very interesting information. Although the documentation doesn’t specifically say that the device is the Nexus 7, the “7″ tablet” described in it features a familiar model number: ME370T. ME370T is the model number of the first Nexus 7, which definitely is a clue that the rumors could come true and we’ll get to see a new model soon enough (tablet component suppliers confirm a July release date). The Asus device is said to use LTPS panels with 1920 x 1200 resolution, as well as a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU. However, the model number is not the only interesting detail in Asus’s filing, as it also mentions the device running software version number JWR11, which seems to be an Android 4.3 build – it certainly is a new software version not available on other Nexus devices. You may remember that we’ve noticed quite a few Android 4.3 builds not too long ago in our server logs. Just a few days ago, Android 4.3 has been seen running on a Nexus 4 at Thailand Mobile Expo, with a user even able to film a video of the new camera interface. This only seems to confirm that, if the Nexus 7 will be made available for you to buy in July, we can expect a June announcement of both the new Nexus 7 and Android 4.3. Are you a Nexus 7 user? Do you plan on switching to the new version when it will come out?

Nexus 5 not an LG job, Google Edition phone not in the works either [Update] Posted: 28 May 2013 03:07 AM PDT An LG exec revealed in an interview with a publication that the company will not make the LG Nexus 5 and that a Google Edition version of one of its flagship devices isn't planned either. LG Mobile Europe vice president Won Kim told All About Phones that while the Nexus 4 was a great marketing success for the company, LG will not make the Nexus 5. According to him, such a device is not necessary for LG's brand and profits. We would disagree, but then again we’re not in charge of LG’s mobile operations. The same exec also said that LG doesn't plan to counter the Galaxy S4 Google Edition with a Nexus experience version of its flagship devices. Apparently LG strongly believes in the value its user interface brings to the table, and it's not interested in releasing devices running stock Android. LG is not entirely done with Nexus devices just yet, as earlier today the company did announce the white Nexus 4, a device that's similar to the black version except for the new paint job. Earlier this year a rumor claimed that LG may be working on a new Nexus smartphone, but it looks like the company is clearly interested in putting the chatter around a potential LG Nexus 5 at rest. As for Google Experience handsets, while LG may not be interested in such a device at this time, word on the street is that HTC would join Samsung in releasing such Google Experience handsets this year with a Nexus experience HTC One model. LG mentioned that its relationship with Google is a very good one, even though the two companies won’t cooperate on a new Nexus device. That said, who do you want to make your next Nexus smartphone? [Update:] In a comment to The Next Web, LG confirmed that it’s not currently working on the Nexus 5, but that it would still consider such a proposal from Google: What Mr. Won Kim said is that we are not currently working on a Nexus 5, which is true. But that doesn't mean we would turn down the opportunity.

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