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- EA Brings iOS Hit Monopoly Hotels to Google Play, Lowers Price of Need For Speed: Most Wanted to $0.99
- Samsung Galaxy S 4 Review: The smartest smartphone ever
- Samsung Galaxy S 4 bootloader unlock picks up steam with latest hack
- Samsung quietly working on the EK-GN120, a Galaxy Camera that’s also identified as a mobile phone
- HTC ditching HTC Watch support in 6 countries on May 31
- Samsung Galaxy Note III rumored to have octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM
- T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger is complete, new company now known as T-Mobile US
- More details emerge for Sony’s ‘Honami’ handset, includes Snapdragon 800 and 20MP Cybershot G lens
- AT&T and LG make the Optimus G Pro official, pre-orders start May 3
- Motorola XT1055 shows up in benchmarks with Snapdragon 600
| Posted: 01 May 2013 02:33 PM PDT
Today EA brought their freemium iOS hit Monopoly Hotels to Google Play. In the game you play a hotel mogul, building various themed rooms and catching money from the sky to build your hotel up. Upgrading your rooms brings VIP guests like Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe to your hotel. Achievements can be unlocked via in-app purchases, but EA has built a game that is fun no matter how you choose to play it. This and 16 other games have been optimized for the Galaxy S 4, so S4 users will definitely wanna try it out just to get the most out of that gorgeous screen. Not an aspiring hotel mogul? EA dropped the price of Need For Speed: Most Wanted down to $0.99 so be sure to grab that before the price shoots back to $4.99. Monopoly Hotels is free from the Google Play store, and should run on any device running Android 2.2 and above.     
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| Samsung Galaxy S 4 Review: The smartest smartphone ever Posted: 01 May 2013 09:57 AM PDT
It’s spring time so it must mean another edition of the Galaxy S line. The Galaxy S 4 was introduced with some pomp and circumstance last month at Radio City Music Hall. The event itself didn’t get a lot of praise, but the fact that the design of the GS4 didn’t change all that much from last year’s Galaxy S III left some people even more disappointed. Samsung didn’t hold much back in terms of specs, but the GS4 has zero to do with that. It doesn’t even have anything to do with the quality of the build. It’s the software features. Samsung started promoting software features with the Galaxy S III, and they turned up the dial even more this year. The Galaxy S III proved to be the most successful Android phone ever, and Samsung has even bigger plans for the Galaxy S 4. Does it live up to the hype? Well skip on past the break to find out.
Design When the Galaxy S 4 was introduced, I started hearing rumblings that Samsung pulled an Apple, which means the Galaxy S 4 is nothing more than a Galaxy S III S, as in the iPhone 3S and 4S. Those versions of the iPhone were minor spec bumps with minimal changes to the phone itself. Don’t be fooled folks, the Galaxy S 4 is nothing like that. Yes the phone looks the same as last year’s model, but it’s a lot thinner (7.9mm vs 8.6mm) and it has a better and larger display (5-inches 1080p vs 4.8-inches 720p). Apple used the same exact design as the previous years in their 3S and 4S versions. On top of all this, the GS4 brings an upgraded processor, rear camera, and battery. The Galaxy S 4 might not offer much more than other current flagship phones in terms of pure hardware, but it’s far from a minor spec bump when comparing it to the Galaxy S III. As I mentioned, the Galaxy S 4 looks very much like the Galaxy S III, which means it has an all plastic body. Quality of materials is where Samsung gets hammered by the critics, including myself, but if you look at Samsung’s sales, they have proven that the average consumer isn’t concerned with that. Samsung believes that consumers want light and durable phones and that’s what they give them. This is probably the only area in which Samsung hasn’t copied Apple, and for whatever reason, it has worked out for them. Samsung still implemented some minor changes in the overall look like a cross-stitched pattern on the back battery cover and front face of the phone. You will also find the edges to be straighter, which gives you a better grip. The phone is thinner, but it’s also narrower (2.75-inches vs 2.78-inches) and weighs less (4.6oz vs 4.7oz) than the Galaxy S III. It’s hard to believe that the GS4 is smaller and lighter than the GSIII when you consider the GS4 display is larger, but it’s very subtle. You wouldn’t know it unless someone told you.
As far as buttons and ports go, everything is the same as last year except you will find the power button and volume rocker to be a little longer and they added an IR blaster. The top has the earphone jack towards the left with the IR blaster towards the right, and the bottom has the microUSB port in the middle. The right side has the power button towards the top and the left side has the volume rocker, also towards the top. The main buttons on the front have the same layout as other Samsung phones. The large home button is here again for yet another year with a slightly different shape, and the back button is to the right while the menu button is to the left. Samsung continues its tradition of going against Android principles with these buttons, but it isn’t about Android for Samsung.
Just like the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy S 4 features a removable battery and microSD slot for expanding memory. It’s also one of the few flagship phones that has a removable backplate. This is where you will find the 2,600mAh battery along with the microSD slot and SIM slot.
I know many fans wanted to see a phone with a different design, but Samsung is taking a cue from Apple because consumers like familiarity. This doesn’t mean that Samsung won’t make changes in the future, but when major changes are made every year, it hurts brand marketing. Most consumers are upgrading their phones every two years so it makes no sense to put major R&D dollars into annual design changes. I personally prefer changes more often, but companies like Samsung and Apple know exactly what they are doing, and their sales and market shares prove that. Hardware It might not be about the specs anymore, but Samsung held nothing back with the Galaxy S 4. It has a 5.0-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) Super AMOLED display, a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor (certain regions will get the Exynos 5 octa-core clocked at 1.6GHz), Adreno 320 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, mircoSDXC slot for up to 64GB of extra storage, 13 MP rear camera, 2.1MP front camera, 2600mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MHL 2.0, IR blaster, DLNA, WiFi Direct, and NFC. As for radios, each variant is different. This review is on the Sprint version, which has 850 / 1900 CDMA / EVDO and 850 / 1900 GSM / EDGE / UMTS / HSPA+. Performance Since I am testing the U.S. version, my experience is based on the quad-core Snapdragon 600. It’s the same CPU found on the HTC One and the LG Optimus G Pro, but the Galaxy S 4 is clocked a little faster (1.9GHz vs 1.7GHz). The overseas version has the Exynos Octa 5, which features 4 Cortex-A15s along with 4 Cortex-A7s. Samsung’s J.K. Shin says it doesn’t matter which version you have because you won’t be able tell the difference. While I don’t have any first hand experience with it, I tend to agree. I mentioned in my HTC One review that it’s getting a little ridiculous to review CPU performance because phones are so fast now that it really isn’t going to be noticeable to the average consumer. The AnTuTu came in at 24,722, which is slightly higher than the HTC One’s 23,538. The bottomline is that the Galaxy S 4 is going to feel a lot faster than the U.S. version of the Galaxy S III. It’s fast, what more can I say? The Galaxy S 4 features a 5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display. It’s probably the best display we have seen from Samsung, but how does it stack up against the LCD 3 display found on the DROID DNA and HTC One? It is very very close and unless you are an absolute display snob, you’re going to have a hard time picking one of them. It really comes down to what color representation you like. Holding them side by side, you can see slight differences with color temperatures, but neither one looks off when looking at either display separate from the other. I will say the HTC One seems to have better viewing angles and I think it’s better in sunlight, but again these are minimal differences. After listening to the stereo speakers on the HTC One, the Galaxy S 4 seemed so blah. It’s on par with just about every other smartphone, but HTC has set the bar at an all time high. I personally don’t listen to much music from my phone’s speaker, but for the occasional YouTube video it gets the job done. Battery The Galaxy S 4 has a much larger battery than the Galaxy S III (2,600mAh vs 2,100mAh), but don’t expect that much more in performance Unfortunately 1080p displays use more energy than 720p displays. I conducted my usual rundown test in which I run continuous video while WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth are turned on (WiFi and Bluetooth not connected). and I was able to get about 9 hours. Unfortunately we didn’t conduct the same test on the Galaxy S III, but for normal use, I didn’t find a big difference. You should get about 16 to 17 hours of moderate use, which is pretty good for a phone with a 5-inch 1080p display. It should be noted that the GS4 bested the HTC One for both the rundown test and daily use, thanks to the bigger battery (2,600mAh vs 2,300mAh) Software The software is really what the Galaxy S 4 is all about. I don’t mean the user interface, which is called TouchWiz. I mean the software features. If you watched the Unpacked Event, you might have noticed that they only spent a few minutes talking about the specs of the GS4. The rest of the time was to tell us about the new software features. It’s these features that make the Galaxy S 4 so smart. Even if you don’t care about them, you cannot tell me there is another phone on the market that can do as much as the Galaxy S 4 out of the box. Before we get into all that, lets talk about TouchWiz. It probably isn’t the most popular user interface, but Samsung has kept it consistent, which is better for consumers. Consumers like that consistency, and it’s one of the reasons they keep coming back for more. Some of the changes include an updated settings menu, a new sidebar for multitasking, and an improved power toggle menu. In addition, Samsung added a new menu that you will see during the initial setup process (when you turn the phone on for the first time). This menu briefly tells you about many of the newer features, and you are given a choice to toggle them on or off. Here’s a video showing you the startup menu along with the major TouchWiz changes for this year. Click here to view the embedded video. As to software features, Samsung has added a bunch of stuff to the Galaxy S 4. In my opinion, it’s a little overwhelming for the average consumer as they are unlikely to ever utilize the majority of them, but Samsung’s approach is to throw in as much as they can whether they are used or not. There are a couple of reasons why they do this. The first is that it creates differentiation. The more proprietary features, the more distance they create from other Android manufacturers. At the same time, they lock in consumers to the brand since they aren’t available elsewhere, at least by the trademarked name. The second reason is for marketing the Samsung Galaxy brand. Many of these features are marketable and create excitement for consumers. I don’t have anything to back this up, but I feel confident that most Galaxy S III users never used S Beam, but we all remember that commercial when the wife beamed a video to her husband before his trip. Samsung is all about building the brand and these features are what solidifies it. I will go through some of the newer features in this section, but you will also find many of the newer camera related features in the camera section. Air View and Air Gestures Air View was first seen on the Galaxy Note II, but you needed an S Pen to utilize it. Now you can hover your finger over emails to read the text without actually opening it, and you can see the pictures in a folder without actually tapping it. You can even use your finger as a magnifying glass in the stock browser. Air Gestures will let you navigate by waving your hand. Instead of swiping your finger from picture to picture in your gallery, you can wave your hand instead. You can even answer your phone without picking it up. Here’s a video showing you how they work and how to setup both Air View and Air Gestures. Click here to view the embedded video. Smart Pause and Smart Scroll Sometimes when you're watching a video, you need to look away at something else. Wouldn't it be nice if the video paused automatically? That's exactly what Smart Pause does, and when you return to looking down at the video, it will continue playing from where it left off. It's pretty nifty when it works, but I found that it's very dependent on light. You can forget it working in the dark, but I found it didn't want to work in average light either. Smart Scroll works with emails and web pages. When you read a webpage, you will eventually get to the bottom of your display. You have two choices: Either swipe up to reveal more information or let Smart Scroll do it for you. This one is pretty spotty as well depending on how you set it up. It can be setup to work by tilting the device or by tilting your head. The video below shows you how both Smart Pause and Smart Scroll work. Click here to view the embedded video. Easy Mode This one might be the best kept secret on the Galaxy S 4. Easy Mode has been around since the Galaxy S III, but it’s more refined on the GS4. It’s for the smartphone beginner or the person who just isn’t that tech savvy. Easy Mode will transform your Galaxy S 4 into a very simple interface with larger icons and a simplified settings menu. You won’t find widgets other than the ones that are locked in for weather and calendar, and you won’t find any of the newer features found in this section. The bottomline is that anyone can own a Galaxy S 4 with Easy Mode. For a better idea of how it works, check out this video. Click here to view the embedded video. S Translator and Optical Reader S Translator is essentially a lesser version of Google Translate, and it allows you to get language translations via text or by the spoken word. It translates Brazilian Portuguese, English (UK), English (US), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish. If you’re in another country, you could literally have a conversation with someone even if they don’t speak the same language as you. S Translator also has predefined phrases for you to use and allows you to favorite some translations that you might use more often for quick access. The optical reader also serves as a translator by scanning written text on documents. It can also scan QR codes as well as create a new contact based on information from a business card. This video shows you how S Translator and the Optical Reader work. Click here to view the embedded video. WatchOn Just like the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 features an IR blaster along with a companion app to see what's on TV and get recommendations. Samsung's version is called WatchON, which is built by Peel. WatchON lets you control your TV as well as a cable or satellite box through the IR blaster at the top of Galaxy S 4. You will need to go through an initial setup, but soon after, you will be able see your TV guide on your GS4 and get recommendations based on your interests. Just tap on a show or sporting event to get more information, and once more to change the channel to that particular program. You can still set up an AV receiver, but for whatever reason it’s not included in the initial setup process. If you hit the volume key, you will be prompted to select your TV or to setup an AV receiver. I never hit the volume key because I knew I didn’t use the TV to control it, so I never knew this would happen. I found this out after I recorded the video below. Click here to view the embedded video. Group Play This is basically last year’s Group Share option, but with the addition of being able to share music as well. Just like Group Share, you can share a document or picture on several Galaxy devices for collaboration, but you can also share songs as well. This means you can play a song on several devices for a more full room experience. You can share via NFC or by creating or joining a group manually. Last but not least is the Samsung Hub, which isn’t new, but it has a new look to it that’s more pleasing. If you’re not familiar with Samsung Hub, it’s where you can go for your music, TV, movies, games, and books. With the Music Hub, you can stream over 19 million songs (with a subscription) and create custom stations similar to what Pandora and Slacker offers. The Videos section offers a wide variety of movies for purchase or rent as well as TV shows for purchase. The Games section features games that are available through Samsung Apps. Most of them are available in the Google Play Store, but there does appear to be some exclusives. The Books section is where you can purchase books, magazines, and newspapers. Still to come is S Health and the Knox Security Suite. S Health will launch in June and will be your fitness companion. They will offer accessories similar to the Nike Fuel band, and you will be able to keep track of all your workouts. Knox is the enterprise security application that allows users to completely separate their work and personal stuff on one phone. It’s similar to the multi-user account option that’s on Android 4.2+ in that employees will be able to switch from work mode to personal mode and everything will be separate. We are not sure exactly when Knox will launch, but it will probably be sometime over the summer. As you can see, Samsung is throwing everything but the kitchen sink in the Galaxy S 4. Yes it’s confusing, but this plan of attack is working well for Samsung. Lets also not forget that all the features that are on the Galaxy S III are still onboard such as multi window multitasking, S Voice, S Beam, AllShare, and Photo Share. With so many features, no one can argue that the Galaxy S 4 isn’t the smartest smartphone. Unfortunately since there are so many features, you will find less usable space than competing smartphones. For example, the 16GB version only has about 9GB of usable space. Thankfully you can use the microSD slot for expandability. Camera Samsung upgraded their lens to 13MP, which is now the new norm. HTC, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction and now offers a 4MP with UltraPixels on the HTC One. HTC promises superior low light performance while Samsung’s 13MP will give you more detail for cropping and/or zooming in. The low light performance comes from the size of the pixels. Samsung is using a 1.12-micrometers pixel and HTC is using a 2.0-micrometers pixel. The bottomline is that the Galaxy S 4 doesn’t perform as well in low light, but on the other hand, your pictures will have more detail. Overall it’s a good camera and fans of the Galaxy S III will be happy with it. Here are some pictures to judge for yourself. The last two were in very low light conditions.
Now let’s talk about the updated camera interface and the new features: Interface and Dual Camera Samsung changed the camera software as well as added a slew of new features or modes. The camera software has a new look and a new navigating wheel to select one of the many camera modes. One of the coolest new features is the Dual Camera function, which lets you utilize both the front and back lens at the same time for both photos and videos. So if you're taking a picture of your family, you can be included in the image as well. You can resize the image from the front lens as well as move it around. You can even select from a number of themes such as a postage stamp or a heart. We put together a hands on tutorial showing you the new camera interface as well as how to use the Dual Camera function. Click here to view the embedded video. Drama Shot and Eraser Drama Shot allows you to take consecutive shots of something moving and put multiple images in one picture. For example, you could take a picture of a motorcyclist going over a jump, and the finished product might include five or six images of the jump itself in one picture. Eraser mode lets you erase unwanted subjects from a photo. Say you are in a crowded park and trying to take a picture of the family. It's hard to get a shot in which somebody isn’t walking into the picture. With Eraser mode, you can easily remove these people. The one problem with both of these modes is that you have to be in either mode to utilize it. If you’re taking a picture in Auto mode and someone decides to jump in, you can’t remove them. Drama Shot is the same way. You can’t reproduce a Drama Shot from video or burst shots. One more issue is that if you plan on taking more photos, you will need to do your editing and fine tuning right after you take the photo. On the other hand, the HTC One allows you to do either of these after the fact if you are using the Zoe feature. Here’s a video showing you how both Drama Shot and the Eraser work. Click here to view the embedded video. Animated Shot and Sound & Shot Animation Shot allows you to make an image that has movement in it. In other words, an animated GIF. The best part of it is that you can fine tune the duration as well as what parts of the image you want to actually show movement. Sound & Shot is simply adding voice to a photo. Take a picture, but hold it for another eight seconds for an audio message such as, "We miss you Grammy" or "I love you Mommy." Here’s how Animation Shot and Sound & Shot work. Click here to view the embedded video. Story Album Story Album lets you select photos from a particular event and a "Story Album" will automatically be created. You can still customize the photos and even select themes. When you're happy with your album, you can print it out or order a professionally printed version for yourself or for a gift. You can even save copies to your dropbox account. Here’s how it works. Click here to view the embedded video. Closing Samsung is the reigning king of Android and although I don’t think the Galaxy S 4 is the best smartphone available, it doesn’t matter because it’s got enough to keep their brand loyalty. It’s faster, thinner, smaller, and has more features than any other phone. Of course these features are mostly a gimmick, but they solidify Samsung’s Galaxy brand as well as their differentiation from other manufacturers. Most of all, the Galaxy series appeals to everyone. Samsung continues to offer a microSD slot as well as a removable battery to appease those that continue to desire them. The only real complaint anyone can have on this phone is that it looks like last year’s model and the quality of materials is subpar. Unfortunately for competitors like HTC, those things are not held high by mainstream consumers. But don’t misunderstand me, the Galaxy S 4 might not be the highest quality phone, but it’s well built, durable, and light. If I were buying a phone today, I would opt for the HTC One because of the quality build and what I feel is the one killer feature in the Video Highlights powered by Zoe. On the other hand, most of the Android smartphone buyers already own a Galaxy S or Note phone and familiarity is king when it comes to technology. The Galaxy S 4 provides that as well as a solid experience. Samsung’s tagline is that the Galaxy S 4 is a life companion. I think this is true for most of us regardless of what brand smartphone we have in our pocket, but kudos to Samsung for coming up with yet another great marketing strategy. The Galaxy S 4 may lack in the looks department, but it’s by far the smartest smartphone on earth. That makes it one helluva companion even if you don’t utilize everything that it offers.
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| Samsung Galaxy S 4 bootloader unlock picks up steam with latest hack Posted: 01 May 2013 09:40 AM PDT
News today from Twitter where security guru Dan Rosenberg, @djrbliss, posted an image of a Samsung Galaxy S 4 with what appears to be an unlocked bootloader that he managed to hack. Rosenberg had already achieved root on the new devices on launch day when he figured out an unlock tool intended for Motorola devices would also work on the Galaxy S 4 thanks to the use of Qualcomm chips. The downside is that nothing much can be done once rooted and the risk related to bricking a brand new device is a little higher than normal as no recovery options or stock images are available yet. Hopefully Rosenberg’s work is about to change some of that as his image appears to indicate that he has recovery running. Rosenberg is expected to release more details later today on exactly what he has achieved and how others may replicate his efforts. source: @djrbliss
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| Samsung quietly working on the EK-GN120, a Galaxy Camera that’s also identified as a mobile phone Posted: 01 May 2013 09:04 AM PDT
Samsung’s Galaxy Camera certainly made a splash when it was released last year and the Korean giant has plans on introducing some sort of a follow-up to the unique device. A mysterious EK-GN120 device surfaced on the Bluetooth website and obtained the coveted Bluetooth 4.0 certification. While there are no particular details that indicate what the new camera will bring– there is some speculation that the newest edition of the Galaxy Camera will be well… more than just a camera, thanks to the device being listed as a “mobile phone” under the Product Type. So it’s possible that the new device will feature some sort of calling functionality or something of that nature. So now that the cat is out of the bag, we’ll be on the lookout for any new leaks regarding this intriguing new device— so stay tuned. source: Bluetooth SIG
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| HTC ditching HTC Watch support in 6 countries on May 31 Posted: 01 May 2013 08:45 AM PDT It looks like HTC is going to be refocusing its efforts this summer, starting with announcing that it will be dropping HTC Watch support in 6 European countries come May 31. These countries include Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. Due to the massive unpopularity of this application, this won’t affect too many of you. HTC released this comment:
There is a solid alternative in Google Play Movies, which would obviously be a solid fallback plan— however, the Google service is only available in Spain, with none of the other countries listed above. If you’re from one of the above countries and know of some good alternatives, let us know below in the comments!
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| Samsung Galaxy Note III rumored to have octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM Posted: 01 May 2013 08:36 AM PDT
There’s some new information that has surfaced regarding Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note III smartphone, courtesy of our friends at SamMobile. According to an insider, the upcoming phablet will come with all sorts of bells and whistles including a 5.99-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with diamond pixel structure, a 13MP camera, Exynos 5 octa-core chip with Mali 450 GPU (also featuring 8 cores), a whopping 3GB of RAM and the latest version of Android (presumably Android 4.3?). In other words— the device will roughly be a larger variation of the existing Samsung Galaxy S 4 smartphone. Design-wise, it is expected the G-Note III will follow a similar look to the Galaxy Mega 5.8, though the bezel will probably be reduced in order to accommodate the larger display— though no one knows yet if the device will feature the oh-so-mouthwatering flexible display technology we’ve been hearing more about lately. While there’s no concrete date of the device’s release, it’s looking like we will see the device by late summer (August or September), so we’ll just have to sit tight and play the waiting game for now. source: SamMobile
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| T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger is complete, new company now known as T-Mobile US Posted: 01 May 2013 08:06 AM PDT
At last, the T-Mobile/MetroPCS marriage is officially complete. After seeing a few signs that the merger was closer to being finalized, Deutsche Telekom AG and T-Mobile US, Inc. announced the newly-formed T-Mobile USA entity— which officially began public trading under the NYSE ticker TMUS as of today. With the new company fully established, Deutsche Telekom AG will effectively hold a majority stake in the company (at 74%), while the combined subscriber base grows to over 40 million. Additionally, the completed merger also expands the total 4G footprint as 228 million are currently served with 4G, with an additional 200 million expected to be covered with 4G LTE by the end of 2013. You’ll find more details once you hit the break and check out the full presser.
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| More details emerge for Sony’s ‘Honami’ handset, includes Snapdragon 800 and 20MP Cybershot G lens Posted: 01 May 2013 07:49 AM PDT
As we at Talk Android have reported before, Sony has two flagship devices set for release in 2013 including a new phone and a 6.44″ phablet. The phone, codenamed “Honami”, is rumored to be a proper follow-up to the popular Xperia Z that was released in February, and today we have an almost complete rundown of what to expect in the Honami. With a focus on photographs, the Honami’s 20-megapixel camera with feature a Sony Cybershot G Lens along with an Exmor RS 1/1.6″ sensor that is larger than most available smartphones, promising excellent photos even in low-light situations (a rumored dual-LED flash won’t hurt matters either). Sony apparently plans to improve their camera’s software algorithms and interface, hinting at a photo-taking experience previously only dreamed about in smartphones. Hit the break for even more details on this exciting device.
If thats not enough, the Honami will also reportedly sport a dedicated Sony Walkman chip, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch full HD display, and an integrated battery ranging somewhere from 2,700 to 3,000mAh. Housed in a glass/metal fusion body with some carbon fiber added to its rumored 10mm design, Sony’s newest offering is looking to be a combination of beauty and function. With a possible Japanese release sometime in July, this high-powered device could be available Stateside sometime in the Fall. No price has been set yet, but Sony is expected to unveil the device officially at IFA 2013, and when they do, be sure to check back here for a full recap. Source: VR-Zone
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| AT&T and LG make the Optimus G Pro official, pre-orders start May 3 Posted: 01 May 2013 07:30 AM PDT
We already knew that tonight’s LG party was all about the Optimus G Pro for AT&T so they decided to just go ahead and make it official. The Optimus G Pro will finally land in the U.S. with AT&T on May 10. It will be priced at $199 and pre-orders start this Friday, May 3. This is the same phone that has already been available internationally and features a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display, a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600, 2 GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, microSD slot for expanded memory, 13MP rear camera, 2.1MP front facing camera, 3,140mAh battery, and IR blaster. Let’s not forget the Value Pack update as well. One thing I will say is kudos to AT&T as they now offer the three best phones on the market, the Galaxy S 4, the HTC One, and now the Optimus G Pro. On the other hand, Verizon Wireless will only offer the Galaxy S 4, and that won’t be out until the end of May. Full presser and video after the break.
Click here to view the embedded video. AT&T and LG Unveil Powerful, Full HD Optimus G ProLG Optimus G Pro(TM) Enables Users to Connect and Share Like a Pro; Suite of Sharing, Multitasking Capabilities Enrich Users’ Demanding Lives New York, New York, May 01, 2013 AT&T* and LG Electronics USA announced today the LG Optimus G Pro, available exclusively from AT&T, for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement beginning May 10. LG Optimus G Pro is a powerful smartphone offering innovative solutions designed to help users creatively and more deeply connect, express and share their lives while providing the superior power and performance required to manage life on-the-go. Customers excited to reserve their Optimus G Pro can pre-order the device beginning May 3 at www.att.com/optimusgpro. While supplies last, anyone who pre-orders will receive a free Quick Cover black folio case. The LG Optimus G Pro comes packed with a host of high-performance features that refine mobile communication and help users better organize their lives. Backed by the powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 1.7GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM, users can access content and complete tasks faster than ever: The brilliant 5.5-inch, 1920 X 1080 Full HD IPS display (400ppi) gives users more pixels and screen real estate to view and show off content. "From engagements to weddings, to newborns to family gatherings and work to vacation, active and involved people require robust mobile technology designed specifically to support and enrich their lives," said James Fishler, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics USA. "LG Optimus G Pro is the ultimate device for creating, viewing and sharing media content, whether it be HD video in full 1080p or high-resolution photos. This device offers a vast collection of features and capabilities for those who want and need the best multitasking functionality." "The LG Optimus G Pro gives AT&T customers the ability to create and share rich content easily," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T. "There's no better place to experience that content than exclusively on our 4G LTE network, the nation's fastest." Whether users are multitasking industry professionals who require powerful recording and viewing capabilities or just want great mobile technology, LG Optimus G Pro provides the tools to capture important moments and share them with family, friends and co-workers. With Dual Recording, users capture special and productive moments from both sides of life, all simultaneously on a single screen. The combination of a powerful quad-core processor and 13 MP video camera lets you zoom in tight on the finest of details when viewing your recordings and helps maintain video playback quality and image resolution. LG Optimus G Pro features a stylish ergonomic design with a narrow screen bezel delivering a more comfortable in-hand experience and great "pocketability." Hardware features enhance productivity while providing fun, entertaining moments. QuickRemote is a universal remote application that utilizes the built-in Infrared (IR) sensor, turns the device into a Universal Remote Control for use with compatible TVs, Blu-Ray players, cable provider set-top boxes and more. The LG Optimus G Pro also comes packed with features designed to enhance and simplify your experience. With VuTalk™, users can draw and share fun and productive notes in real time*** between compatible devices, creating new ways for to express your creativity beyond traditional text-based communication*****. Using QSlide 2.0, you can also overlay up to two application windows on an existing open application, adjusting size and transparency as needed, for advanced yet convenient multitasking. For spur-of-the-moment thoughts or just to add some fun commentary to photos or screenshots, QuickMemo™ lets you take screenshots and add personalized notes, drawings and messages, then share them via social media, text or email. Key Features - Powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor with 2 GB RAM - Expansive 5.5″ 1080p Full HD IPS Screen (400 ppi resolution) - Long-Lasting 3,140 mAh Battery - Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) - Advanced 13 MP Full HD Camera with Dual Recording - 2.1 MP Full HD Front-Facing Camera for Dual Recording and Video Conferencing - Visually and Audibly Collaborate in Real Time with VuTalk - QSlide 2.0 for Advanced and Convenient Multitasking - Audio Zoom to enhance audio quality during video capture by focusing audio mics on the video target - QuickRemote for Universal Remote Control - Pocketable Ergonomic Design with Narrow Bezel - Internal Storage: 32 GB on-board, support for up to 64 GB of expandable memory for a total of 96 GB - Bluetooth® Version 4.0 Pricing and Availability LG Optimus G Pro will be available for preorder online May 3 at www.att.com/optimusgpro and in AT&T retail stores May 10 for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement.
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| Motorola XT1055 shows up in benchmarks with Snapdragon 600 Posted: 01 May 2013 07:09 AM PDT
According to rumors, Motorola’s next phone will be the X phone. Unfortunately the rumors have flip flopped in so many ways, it’s hard to determine if there will be only one X phone or several. What we do know is that Motorola is working on new phones, not surprisingly. We recently saw a Google X phone in an AnTuTu benchmark, which we can only assume is made by Motorola. Now we have some details about another Motorola device with the model number of XT1055. We don’t know if this will be an X phone or something entirely different. To be honest, we don’t even know if the image above is real since these kinds of things can be fabricated pretty easily. If this phone is indeed real, it will have a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU with Android 4.2.2. The AnTuTu benchmark of 18,252 does seem a little low, but lets not forget this result is most likely not from final hardware. We will let you know as soon as we hear more. source: PhoneArena
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