Android Authority |
- Mark Zuckerberg looking for a Samsung-made Facebook phone in Korea
- Asus contemplating foray into wearable devices, chairman says
- Former HTC execs create Kazam mobile startup
- HTC clarifies reports about pulled Android 4.2 update for HTC One
- Liquid-cooled smartphones from Samsung, HTC, and Apple coming later this year
- AT&T Galaxy Note 8.0 LTE costs $399.99 on contract; $199.99 with Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active or Galaxy Note 2 bundle
- LG Optimus G Pro hits 1 million unit sales mark
- How did NVIDIA get Project Shield noticed at E3?
- Will Instagram get video support soon?
- HP Slate 7 Review (video)
- Skype video messaging is out of beta, and free to use
- Sony i1 Honami specs allegedly leaked, and we’re hoping it’s a Nexus device.
- White Nexus 4 available with free wireless charger on T-Mobile
- Snapdragon 800 powered Xperia ZU crushes Antutu benchmark
- Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-Advanced coming to South Korea later this month
- New Nexus 7 apparently has LTE support for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile
- HTC Desire 200 hands-on sneak peak
- Microsoft Office arrives on iOS – what about Android?
- Facebook to unveil a new product on June 20, could be an RSS reader
- Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 custom edition rumored
- Rumor: Oppo Find 7 with 4000mAh battery and Snapdragon 800 processor
- Sprint HTC One available at Wirefly for $49.99
- Not happy with a 5 inch full HD phone, try one with a 6 inch 2560 x 1600 display!
- Sony SmartWatch goes open-source, looking for more innovation
- Jay-Z new album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” free for some Samsung Galaxy users (video)
| Mark Zuckerberg looking for a Samsung-made Facebook phone in Korea Posted: 18 Jun 2013 02:41 AM PDT
Like Larry Page of Google did a few weeks back, Mark Zuckerberg is visiting South Korea, home to some of the largest mobile companies, and increasingly, the place where the big decisions in the mobile industry are taken. As his Google counterpart did, Zuckerberg met with the country's president to discuss matters of "creative economy", and, more importantly, with the top brass of Samsung, the largest smartphone maker in the world. Sources told the Korea Herald that Mark Zuckerberg asked Samsung's CEO JK Shin and the group's heir apparent, Lee Jay-yong, for a Samsung-made "Facebook phone", probably similar to the HTC First. The report quotes an unnamed "market watcher" who said Facebook is hoping that Samsung would help it improve its position in the increasingly vital mobile market. Moreover, the insider said the social networking giant hopes to be the second Google, and a Facebook-friendly phone from Samsung would help that ambitious goal.
Clearly, Facebook realized that it's going to need more than a half-baked effort like the HTC First and the Facebook Home app, if it wants to successfully transition to a mobile-first company. The HTC First is said to be selling poorly, and there were even rumors about an early cancellation of the project due to low sales. Mark Zuckerberg needs a better partner to crack the problem, and Samsung is in the best position to help. But is Samsung interested in making a Samsung-phone? The industry experts cited by the Korea Herald believe that "there is no symbolic or monetary significance in such a deal". In other words, Samsung has nothing to win from such a deal, and moreover, "Samsung doesn't want to help nurture a second Google, which is now becoming a formidable rival for Samsung in the handset business". The report says that even the meeting between Mark Zuckerberg and the Samsung leadership is likely to be the result of some intense cajoling on Facebook's part. With more users accessing Facebook primarily on their mobile devices, and with the growth of its user base stalling or even reversing in some markets, Mark Zuckerberg's company needs a successful strategy in mobile like air. It remains to be seen if Samsung is the strong partner that Facebook is looking for. 
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| Asus contemplating foray into wearable devices, chairman says Posted: 18 Jun 2013 02:29 AM PDT
Answering questions from journalists during Asus’s annual meeting with shareholders, chairman Jonney Shih revealed that meetings have been held by the company’s research labs in order to talk about developing wearable devices, seen by Asus as a critical sector for innovation. Shih also added that it’s important to figure out how to be in the winner’s seat when such devices, such as Google Glass or Apple’s planned iWatch, will become commonplace, mainstream products (but he’s surely not the only one thinking about that), which he predicted they will, as more bio technology is mixed with computer technology. Shih has added that he sees even more possibilities of evolution for such devices, as they integrate voice control (which, as you know, Google Glass does) and flexible displays. The integration of flexible displays into products seems to be an important thing on other device manufacturers’ agendas as well (such as Samsung and LG), even if plans seems to have suffered delays. That’s as far as Shih went with providing information regarding his company’s wearable devices plans, but he did mention that “many simulation tests” have been run in the company’s labs, as Asus is trying to figure out ways to bring more value to customers with such products. Since nothing has been actually said regarding what exactly those products will be, we can only hope that Asus gives out more details soon enough. Fact is that Google Glass seems to have opened a segment of the market that could be very important in the future. What do you think Asus is planning in the field of wearable devices? Will it be a smartwatch (a product Google is said to be preparing, too) or will it be a Google Glass competitor? 
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| Former HTC execs create Kazam mobile startup Posted: 18 Jun 2013 01:54 AM PDT
Two ex-HTC execs have partnered up to create a new mobile-related company called Kazam, which will create smartphones at some point in the future. HTC's former head of sales and HTC’s former marketing chief for the UK region, Michael Coombes and James Atkins, respectively, are behind Kazam. In the new company, Coombes will act as the CEO, while Atkins will take the chief marketing officer role. The Kazam devices will be made primordially for the European market and will offer "stunning design, robust hardware, and intuitive technology, underpinned with improved customer service." In other words, we don't have any details about future Kazam handsets at this time, but we're certainly interested to see what these former HTC executives are up to. It's not clear whether Android will be the mobile operating system of choice for these devices, although it would make a lot of sense for Kazam to pick this particular OS considering its popularity with the crowds. What's very interesting is that Kazam promises to offer support for its future phones after they're purchased, whatever that means:
That sounds great on paper, but the fact remains that Kazam will have to face some tough times ahead, as the mobile business is pretty crowded as it is. Apple and Samsung are still the top dogs to beat, although a startup like Kazam will first have to compete with all the others players in the business, all giants compared to a startup, even if they don't enjoy the financial successes of the top two companies in the business. Kazam will have to take on companies like Microsoft, LG, Sony, Motorola and HTC, all of them having plenty of interesting mobile offers for consumers. Not to mention that there are quite a few Chinese companies looking to expand beyond their home turf, all potential Kazam rivals. Finally, there are plenty of new mobile OSes including Firefox, Ubuntu, Tizen and Sailfish backed by various companies that are also interested in grabbing a share of the mobile market. At this time, we don't know when the first Kazam phones will be launched, but we'll be looking forward for more details about the company's plans. 
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| HTC clarifies reports about pulled Android 4.2 update for HTC One Posted: 18 Jun 2013 01:28 AM PDT
It’s hard to believe that one of the best Android handsets of the year would be denied an update to Android 4.2, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation swirling around a recent Three UK tweet. In a recent reply to a Twitter question, the British carrier advised that HTC pulled the Android 4.2.2 update for the One, and that a new release hadn’t been scheduled yet. To dispel the rumors, HTC offered an official statement to Engadget, and we now know for sure that the Taiwan-based manufacturer is going to deliver the upgrade. Unfortunately, it seems that HTC One owners will have to wait a little longer before Android 4.2 Jelly Bean becomes available for their phones, with no official release interval provided. One of the most popular devices of the moment, the HTC One is behind the competition when it comes to the Android version. Running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5 out of the box, the handset has been denied so far access to the latest version of Android. Past predictions claimed that Android 4.2 would arrive on the HTC One at the beginning of June, so it shouldn’t be long now. Android 4.2 should bring several new features to the HTC One, including a percentage battery notifier near the current battery symbol, the ability to remove dock icons, changes to the app drawer, the ability to long press the home button to bring the menu, an extended quick settings set, and the popular Daydream feature. 
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| Liquid-cooled smartphones from Samsung, HTC, and Apple coming later this year Posted: 18 Jun 2013 01:19 AM PDT
As it turns out, big name smartphone makers such as the ones mentioned above are already looking into using liquid cooling for their future products, the first of which might be released some time before the end of this year, DigiTimes reports. It is said that you can expect to see these new handsets with liquid cooling some time in Q4 2013, at the earliest. Check your calendar and you’ll see that it’s actually not that far at all. The conventional method of smartphone cooling — which makes use of graphite foil sheets — has been deemed to be unfit for the needs of the modern smartphone. As such, the use of heat pipes is seen as a worthy alternative, especially as the use of 4G LTE connectivity becomes more and more common. Heat pipes would provide a passive cooling solution for smartphones and might also make way for more efficient phone designs. The key to making this all work lies in finding the right liquid coolant and fitting all of it inside heat pipes that are just the right size for modern handsets. Heat pipe cooling technology is already in use in many of today’s modern computers, possibly even the one you are reading this article on right now — if that’s a laptop or a desktop computer. But physical limitations, such as the fact that most manufacturers fail in making a heat pipe that’s smaller than 3mm in diameter, prevent their widespread use in smaller devices such as tablets and smartphones. NEC successfully crafted pipes that measure only 0.6mm thick in diameter, but so far their use is limited to just the Medias X-06E phone that was introduced last month. For now, we can only hope for a future where the manufacture of liquid-cooled smartphones is the norm. But as the father of modern rocketry Robert Goddard once said, it just might be the reality of tomorrow. 
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| Posted: 18 Jun 2013 12:46 AM PDT
AT&T on Monday announced that it will start selling the 4G LTE version of the Galaxy Note 8.0 on June 21, offering pricing details in the process. Interestingly, the 8-inch tablet will be priced at $399.99, which is what the Wi-Fi-only version costs. But you will have to ink a new two-year deal with the carrier to take advantage of that price. The 4G LTE version of the tablet will be available exclusively from AT&T. In case you're also looking for a new smartphone, you'd better check out the deal AT&T is offering, a deal that also includes the Galaxy Note 8.0. The tablet will cost $199.99 on-contract when purchased at the same time with a new Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active or Galaxy Note 2. It's not necessarily the best deal, considering that you'd have to sign at least one new agreement with the carrier – although you may end up getting two contracts, one for the tablet and one for a new smartphone – but it's still an offer to consider for those of you looking for new hardware. For what it's worth, you should know that AT&T sells the Galaxy S4 for $199.99 on contract (16GB version) or $249.99 on contract (32GB version), the Galaxy S4 Active costs $199.99 on contract (16GB version), while the Galaxy Note 2 costs $199.99 on contract (16GB version). On top of that, AT&T will also offer users "for a limited time" 50GB of free storage in the AT&T Locker cloud with the Galaxy Note 8.0 purchase. Before you purchase Samsung's latest Galaxy Note family member, make sure you check out our review of the Wi-Fi version (video version available above). 
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| LG Optimus G Pro hits 1 million unit sales mark Posted: 18 Jun 2013 12:07 AM PDT
Today, LG is proud to announce that the flagship Optimus G Pro has finally hit the 1 million unit sales point over in its homeland, with daily sales averaging at about 8,000 units per day. According to the official press release, this represents the fastest time LG has achieved a 1 million unit sales target with a phone in its home country, and as you might have guessed, it is a cause for celebration. For reference, the LG Optimus LTE took a whole 7 months to hit 1 million. Many of those 1 million Optimus G Pro buyers were probably enamored with the phone’s impressive specs, which include a huge Full HD IPS display, LTE connectivity, and exclusive software features. If you’ve already watched our Optimus G Pro review, you probably already know all about those. In case you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch our LG Optimus G video review in its entirety right here. 
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| How did NVIDIA get Project Shield noticed at E3? Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:42 AM PDT
Since Project Shield was unveiled at CES this January, the Android gaming world has been eagerly anticipating its arrival. A handheld gaming platform, with enough power to run a PlayStation 3 game, is perfect for mobile game fans. The dedicated gaming device also has a physical controller, which solves another little issue we have with mobile gaming. Now that NVIDIA has hit a decent price point with the device, they're set to push hard in the marketing department. Of course, research is part of that, and they've done their homework. In a blog post, NVIDIA talks about their off-the-cuff research at E3, where they used the opportunity to ask players where they'd take advantage of Project Shield.
If you came up with a few weird answers for yourself, you're not alone. Ranging from "on the couch" to "in the bathroom", the sampling at E3 was just as expected: all over the board. Of course, this just cements what NVIDIA already knew; Project Shield has a wide audience, and a lot of use cases. Steam support only adds to the Android goodness, making this a real powerhouse for gaming fans. So, how does NVIDIA market such an amazing device? Like Tyler Durden destroys the banking system. They went guerilla style for E3, with a little street art and massive projectors. The NVIDIA marketing team took to the streets with green chalk, slapping their logo anywhere they could. While the logo adorned the Los Angeles streets, the marketing team took to the sides of building, projecting real game play onto the giant concrete facades around the convention center. As if that wasn't enough cool stuff for E3 attendees, those who were wearing their black NVIDIA tees with the Project Shield logo were treated to something special. When in front of a specially designed screen, actual gameplay was projected onto their tee, essentially using the green logo as a "green screen". That's such a Hollywood thing to do for an L.A. show! NVIDIA knows they've got a big job ahead of them. Project Shield may be awesome, but it requires developers to adopt it. That awesome controller needs dedicated support, and developers need to know just how cool it is before they'll do the extra work for Project Shield. Hopefully, NVIDIA made an impact at E3. 
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| Will Instagram get video support soon? Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:44 AM PDT
Vine is the new passing fancy of Android enthusiasts, keeping us entertained six seconds at a time. An average Play Store rating of 2.8 suggests the concept needs work, even though over one million users have downloaded it. Facebook, however, may have something up their sleeve with Instagram. We have no official details to offer, but recent speculation suggests Instagram will be getting some sort of video support. Everyone's favorite photo-filtered social hub may be set to compete with Vine, or at least offer a similar service. With Skype's video feature coming out of beta, Instagram has an opportunity to fill a nice niche. Six seconds is not enough time for many, and Skype can be a bit cumbersome. A lightweight, easily approachable app like Instagram could bring a lot to the video messaging table. Already used by millions, Instagram would also liven up the Facebook interface with user generated video. The video feature has reportedly been tested internally at Facebook, so perhaps they're ready to show us. If it happens, we'll know on June 20th, when Facebook has their soire to announce a "big idea". If the big idea is Instagram video support, they've got a winner. We'll just have to wait and see what Zuckerberg and the Facebook crew have up their sleeve. 
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| Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT
When Google launched the Nexus 7, many felt it revolutionized the tablet market with its high performance, accessible size, and very affordable price. It’s still one of the best 7-inch tablets on the market, and the device is even expected to get a refresh soon. Thanks to its success, it was only a matter of time before other companies adopted this same strategy, and tried to possibly do better. The HP Slate 7 is one of those devices, which Hewlett Packard showed off at CES this year. It’s affordable, has some decent specs, and runs stock Android. However, is it able to compete with the Nexus 7 — a tablet that wowed the 7-inch market? If you’re in a rush, jump straight to the video, otherwise, stick with us and see if the HP Slate 7 is as good as it sounds. DesignAs the name suggests, the HP Slate 7 is a 7-inch tablet much like the Nexus 7. In fact, it looks a lot like a Google tablet at first glance. I’ll try my best to keep this from being a comparison, but it goes without saying, the Nexus 7 is a good benchmark.
On the front, you have your black slate with a sizable bezel around the screen. A front facing camera is up top. In size, is has a similar profile, but it is thicker and noticeably heavier. This is mostly due to the metal spine that joins the back and front. It’s a thick spine that allows for easier gripping in a single hand.
The power button, microSD card slot, and headphone jack are on the top of the HP Slate 7, and the volume rockers are on the side. The speaker grill can be found at the bottom, and looking around the back, we have a rubberized material surrounding the rear facing camera.
It’s almost as if HP took the somewhat cheaper feeling Nexus 7 and gave it an industrial look and feel. The thicker profile makes the HP Slate 7 easier to grip in a single hand, and the added weight helps raise the build quality. The attractive, rubberized back can be found in some other colors, such as a vibrant red, but the grey still looks quite good on it.
All in all, HP has made a sturdy and attractive 7-inch tablet, and they should be commended for that. DisplayIf the 7-inch tablet market is supposed to be more affordable, the HP Slate 7 definitely fulfills in that area. We’ll get to the price later, but know that the “you get what you pay for” saying is truer than ever here. Starting with the screen, the 7-inch LCD panel is actually, and disappointingly, lower in resolution than the majority of other devices. The display comes in at a mere 1,024 x 600 resolution rated at only 170ppi.
The HP Slate 7′s display looks decent from afar, but you can already notice some fringing in the colors that gets increasingly worse when you get closer. Just about everything from shapes and text looks jagged and pixelated, and even the general, everyday user will notice the lowered quality in the display. As I previously mentioned, this is one of those “you get what you pay for” tablets.
PerformanceHP outfitted the Slate 7 with a dual-core Cortex A9 CPU clocked at 1.6GHz. It’s now slow by any means — it works just fine for the budget Slate 7. It slides through the interface just fine, but it does take longer for it to load the more intensive apps. Gaming is also decent, as the Slate 7 is equipped with a Mali-400MP4 — a respectable graphics package.
The budget tablet also has 1GB of RAM, which gets you some multitasking abilities. All in all, you can get around typical tasks without any problems, but expect some stutter and lag when you try to take on more intensive applications. Benchmark scores are just where you would expect. AnTuTu places the Slate 7 below the 15000 mark, and Epic Citadel at just High Performance was only able to maintain 40 frames per second.
HardwareHardware on the Slate 7 gets a tad bit of a boost with the microSD card slot mounted on top. Being able to extend the 8 or 16GB of storage will help people get a lot more media usage out of this device, which is a nice addition. Other than that, you would expect to have the standard features, such as Bluetooth, which is included. Unfortunately, you don’t get GPS here, which means the Slate 7 is a last choice in navigation. It doesn’t have NFC or a gyroscope either. So if you try to play any games that require tilting the device, you’re out of luck.
Beats Audio is perhaps the only real addition that differentiates the Slate 7. As you might expect, it does its job, adding volume and some richness to music through headphones. It was a disappointment finding out that the outer speakers couldn’t do the same. They’re just not loud enough for more than one or two people trying to listen.
It really is hard to not be disappointed by all that is missing here. If HP could have pulled off the standard tablet experience at such a low price point, this tablet could have been seen as one of the top dogs in the 7-inch market. Battery and cameraThe HP Slate 7 is equipped with a 3,500 mAh battery, which HP claims will keep the device running for up to five hours. This is true, for the most part — after a couple of hours of YouTube usage, the battery drained to about 45% life. So when it comes down to it, overall battery life will depend solely on the degree of usage. However, a smaller battery offering is yet another blow to the Slate 7.
Cameras on tablets usually aren’t very good. Often they’ll be a 1.3-megapixel rear shooter at best, but they’re still a nice addition. However, HP took a step above and equipped the Slate 7 with a 3-megapixel shooter, which is a far cry from what the Nexus 7 offers. While it’s something the Slate 7 has over the Nexus 7, it’s probably something you won’t be using much anyway.
The camera app is as standard as it gets, and panorama functionality is really the only added mode. Pictures are also full of grain, lacks good color reproduction, and the decision to not include auto-focus adds to the troubles in the camera. The front facing camera is decidedly lower in quality too, capable of only VGA resolution and consistently washed out pictures.
Furthermore, if you need a camera on your tablet, it is indeed provided on the HP Slate 7 – but you’re probably better off taking photos with the camera on your smartphone. SoftwareFinally, we arrive at the software. There isn’t much to say here, as HP tried to keep the Slate 7 as close to stock Android as possible. There has really been no changes here, and without a proprietary ecosystem like Amazon and its Kindle to back it up, this is about as close to vanilla Android as you can get.
Many of us prefer the Nexus user experience, and that’s just what you’re going to get. There’s not much else to say. Hands-on video reviewPrice and final thoughtsIt’s important to keep in mind that HP stripped a lot away to make the Slate 7 one of the most affordable 7-inch tablets on the market. At $169, the HP Slate 7 is only $30 cheaper than a Nexus 7, and it has twice as much storage and better performance all around. The downside is that there isn’t very good camera functionality, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the jump. I think it is.
I commend HP for putting themselves out there and offering a very affordable Android tablet. On the other hand, it’s a disappointment to see that something so well constructed doesn’t have much to show for it under the hood. On a positive note, perhaps the HP Slate 7 would prove to be an affordable learning tool for your children. However, the fact that I had to think outside the box to justify the HP Slate 7 should tell you everything you need to know about it. Don’t discount it though — it’s worthy a try, especially in design, and I only hope it gets better from here on out. Brad Ward contributed to this review. 
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| Skype video messaging is out of beta, and free to use Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT
Do you Skype? Whether it be for work, or to catch up with family, the Hangouts challenger is widely popular. If you've ever wished you could leave a video message for someone, Skype now has you covered. The feature, which is currently in the Android app, allows you to take video up to three minutes long to send along to other Skypers. Once they log in to the service, your video message is ready for viewing. This function has been in beta for a while, but is now ready for prime time, and is available across all platforms. The video below illustrates the new feature really well, and we see all kinds of use cases that would make this attractive. The service was limited to 20 messages for those who use Skype for free, while unlimited video messaging requires a premium membership. That’s no longer the case, as Skype has scrapped that model, allowing the world to video message at their whim. Oddly enough, there is no Windows Phone support for the new feature. We find that strange since, you know, Microsoft owns Skype. Scroogled, anyone? 
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| Sony i1 Honami specs allegedly leaked, and we’re hoping it’s a Nexus device. Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:27 AM PDT
If a recent report is true, and we sort of hope it is, the upcoming Sony i1 Honami is a monster device. Allegedly shown in the blurry pic you see below, not much can be learned about the aesthetics of the device. The specs being mentioned, however, are something to behold. If you're wondering what a true next generation device would have under the hood, look no further:
In addition to that, we could see a revised Xperia UI, S-Master MX mobile audio amplifier, and dual speakers. The report also suggests an improved stamina mode, so that big battery could last quite a while. All told, this is one device that will turn heads, Sony or not. If we're making a wish list, we hope this list of goodies is really a Sony Nexus 5. The report suggests the device will make an appearance in the fall, and with Google giving I/O back to developers, it's clear the fall is Nexus time. Sony makes really nice devices, and a Nexus phone could give them a needed lift back into smartphone prominence.
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| White Nexus 4 available with free wireless charger on T-Mobile Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT
The white version of the handset, rumored very intensely before finally being officially confirmed, can now be purchased together with a free wireless charger, for a limited time. The interesting thing is that T-Mobile doesn’t actually explain what the “limited time” is, so presumably the offer stands until the stock of chargers is depleted. If the Nexus 4 is your dream phone, it can be yours for $19.99 down, plus $17 per month for a period of 24 months. However, if you prefer to purchase it from T-Mobile by paying for the device in full, you’ll have to shell out $427.99. In that case, it would probably be a better idea to just head to the Google Play Store, where the same 16 GB version, also in limited edition white but including a free bumper, can be purchased for $349. And if you’re still sitting on the fence regarding the Nexus 4 and whether you want to buy one or not, you can always take a look at our review below to get a better idea. There is also a really cost effective plan you can sneak your way into, which could end up saving you quite a bit of cash. Do you plan on taking advantage of T-Mobile’s offer? 
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| Snapdragon 800 powered Xperia ZU crushes Antutu benchmark Posted: 17 Jun 2013 07:35 AM PDT
We're eagerly anticipating the upcoming announcement of Sony's Xperia ZU 6.4 inch smartphone, which is expected to come equipped with a speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. For those who don't know, the Snapdragon 800 is Qualcomm's as of yet unreleased high-end processor which will replace the current Snapdragon 600 as its top of the line chip. We've already seen a Snapdragon 800 benchmark result show up for a new Pantech handset and one for the rumored Snapdragon 800 Galaxy S4 model, which stole top place from the Exynos 5 Octa. Now another result has cropped up, this time for the Xperia ZU. Again the result surpasses anything which is currently on the market, but the Xperia ZU result is easily the fastest Antutu benchmark yet; scoring a really impressive 32173. The processor used in the test was clocked at a reasonable 2265Mhz, which explains the slight besting of the 30133 score achieved by the 2150Mhz chip found in the Pantech device.
For the sake of some perspective, the Snapdragon 600 powered Galaxy S4 scored 25900 in our own tests, and the Exynos 5 Octa version currently tops our performance table with a score of 27417. So it's safe to say, providing that this result is the real deal, that the Snapdragon 800 blows the current crop out of the water. It's going to be interesting to see how the device performs in the real world, fortunately there's just over a week to wait until the Xperia ZU is officially unveiled. 
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| Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-Advanced coming to South Korea later this month Posted: 17 Jun 2013 07:14 AM PDT
It looks like the Samsung Galaxy S4 is getting yet another variant, this time the "Galaxy S4 LTE-Advanced". According to J.K. Shin, the new LTE-Advanced model will arrive to South Korea as early as this month, falling in line with previous rumors. Speaking to Reuters, J.K. Shin declared Samsung will be "the first with the commercial launch of the advanced 4G version of the smartphone", though obviously the phone will require a network designed for "advanced 4G LTE" in order to truly shine. For those wondering how much faster an LTE-advanced network can be compared to the current form, theoretically it will support up to 1 Gbit/s downloads and 500 Mbit/s uploads – though in reality it will most likely offer 2 to 3 times faster performance compared to current LTE speeds. Though Shin only confirmed that the new S4 variant would bring LTE-advanced support, it is also a strong possibility that the phone will also feature a beefy 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, as seen in past benchmark sightings. How much faster is the Snapdragon 800 over the Snapdragon 600 or Exynos 5 model of the GS4? The AnTuTu score for the S600 model was a respectable 25,900 and the Exynos 5 a 27,417. If the latest score proves correct, the GS4 with Snapdragon 800 is capable of reaching a score of 31,491. While this might not make a huge difference when it comes to real-world use, it is still hard not to be a little bit impressed. With a Snapdragon 800 processor and LTE-advanced support, the new GS4 model certainly sounds like a beast, but the big question is whether or not the handset will ever see the light of day outside of South Korea. Actually, J.K. Shin says that Samsung is already in talks to bring the phone to "several overseas carriers". While no specifics were mentioned when it comes to carriers or countries, it is still exciting to know that the phone will have a wider launch outside of Korea. 
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| New Nexus 7 apparently has LTE support for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile Posted: 17 Jun 2013 07:02 AM PDT
The Asus K009, which has positively been identified as the GSM version of the new Nexus 7 thanks to a recent FCC filing, seems to come with 4G LTE support for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. We shouldn't be surprised to hear that the second-gen Nexus 7 tablet would get LTE support, since there's more and more 4G coverage available to U.S. and international mobile device users. But what's interesting about the FCC filing is that it suggests the handset will come with multi-band LTE support for these three carriers, which isn't something you see every day in a smartphone and/or tablet. According to the available documentation, the new Nexus 7 will have LTE support for bands 2, 4 (AT&T, Verizon and mostly T-Mobile), 5, 13 (Verizon) and 17 (AT&T). Sprint's LTE band (25) is, interestingly, not mentioned. When it comes to 3G support, the new Nexus 7 comes with support for two bands, 850MHz and 1900MHz, which means the device will be compatible with most GSM networks in the world, AT&T's included. T-Mobile also has its HSPA+ network on 1900MHz.
The Asus K009 is yet to become official as the new Nexus 7, and while the device seems to have the necessary internal components to connect to three U.S. 4G LTE networks, that doesn't necessarily mean these carriers will actually sell the device. The 3G model of the first Nexus 7 generation comes with support for AT&T and T-Mobile, and the 3G versions are available via Google Play. 
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| HTC Desire 200 hands-on sneak peak Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:33 AM PDT
HTC is certainly piling on the new devices after the successful HTC One, and the Desire 200 looks to be the company’s next small budget smartphone to make its way into the product line-up. Although the device hasn't been officially announced by HTC yet, thegioididong.com has managed to get its hands on the little 3.5 inch smartphone and has given us a sneak peak at the handset’s specs. But this new mini smartphone won't be taking after the upcoming HTC Mini, which is more of a mid/high spec handset; instead the Desire 200 will most likely target emerging and budget markets, as you can see by the specs below:
It's certainly a budget device in the hardware department and the software isn't exactly up to date either, but at least this makes a change from the typical Gingerbread powered budget handsets that we’ve become accustomed to. Sadly the handset doesn’t appear to ship with Android Jelly Bean, which means no Project Butter improvements or Google Now. But software is still subject to change before the final launch, so hopefully the Desire 200 will receive a last minute upgrade. There's also a hands-on video if you'd like to take a closer look at the smartphone, but only the first 3 and a half minutes really show off anything useful. It appears that the HTC Desire 200 will probably be targeted at various budget markets, and most likely the Asian market where the leak originated from, but there currently isn't any information available regarding a release date or the handset's price. We'll know more once HTC comes along with the official unveiling. 
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| Microsoft Office arrives on iOS – what about Android? Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:16 AM PDT
Microsoft Office is a premium business tool, there is no secret in that. Whenever you want a document nicely done, whether you're referring to a spreadsheet, a slide presentation or a simple written piece, Office is the way to go. Here on Google's field, we've waited for Microsoft's service to arrive for a long time, but as it turns out, Apple was more fortunate and received it first. The first reasonable question that comes in mind is when will Microsoft bring its best on Android? Well, considering the simplicity of the newly released application, it may take some time.
Available right now in the App Store, Office works only on iPhones and there's no news of an iPad-compatible version. The mobile package can only be used by Office 365 subscribers, a service which costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year after a one-month free trial. Also, there's now word of a stand-alone application, which can be bought by paying a one-time fee. As BGR states, Microsoft has no plans for such a thing and views the package more as an extension to already existing services. Besides the business-related tool, those signed in into the Office 365 program also benefit from 20GB of SkyDrive storage and the possibility of installing the entire and complete Office Suite on five different PCs. What's included in Microsoft Office for iOS?
Office on iOS comes with three of the most well-known Microsoft applications: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All three are rendered using a nice looking minimalistic interface and contain basic functionality. Each and every service can only function through the cloud-based SkyDrive service and there's no support for local saving. As we mentioned, functionality is pretty limited at this early stage. In Word for example, iOS users can only change colors, size and other styling options or add annotations for others. In Excel font styling and cell colors are included, as well as formulas, searching, chart creation, multiple pages and document sharing. The most severely restricted service is PowerPoint, from where users can only view documents, edit text and add notes. In all apps, there is no support for paragraph formatting, image inserting or even making use the iPhone's native copy and paste function – even though it was mentioned by Microsoft in its product guide. Other than that some of the features discussed above encounter errors from time to time or simply refuse to work. When will Android's turn come?
Pretty soon we believe. Although there's no official source and even though Microsoft's package released for iOS is a very basic one, we have hopes of seeing an Android-compatible version in the upcoming future. The one thing that keeps our hopes alive is Microsoft’s need to make money. Even though developers currently programming mobile software get more benefits from Apple's platform than from Google's (I guess this was also Microsoft's strategy with Office), Android is still a major player. As soon as the Redmond-based giant will sort things out and develop a truly worthy version of Office, one that works on smartphones and tablets alike, Android will follow. Also, past signs tend to strengthen our believes. In May last year, the same source claimed to have exclusive news about an Android and iOS version supposed to arrive last November. A month later another credible source claimed the same thing and even added a hard release date. In October 2012 there were mentions of a tablet-friendly release for this March. From the looks of it, all the speculation was rather founded, but something might have intervened along the way. Maybe Microsoft was busy keeping its own mobile users happy instead of focusing on other mobile operating systems. It's worth mentioning here that Office has been available on Windows Phone 8 since the launch of the platform, in October last year. It's only logical that Microsoft developed WP8, launched Office mobile alongside it and then expanded to other platforms. Cross-platform support is a thing well considered by Microsoft and as a recent report shows, the company is willing to bring even the Web Apps suite to Android tablets soon. It shouldn't take long to see true Office Android app as well. Until that happens, Android enthusiasts can rely on other applications to do the same job. OfficeSuite Pro and Google Drive are some good options. Presently, Office for iOS is only available in the United States but Microsoft is reported to bring the app to 136 different markets in 29 different languages. 
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| Facebook to unveil a new product on June 20, could be an RSS reader Posted: 17 Jun 2013 05:53 AM PDT
The largest social media network on the planet is preparing for a rather mysterious event where an unknown new product will be launched. The Facebook invitation comes in the form of a simple, small letter, saying that a small team has been working on a big idea, which should be unveiled on June 20 at Menlo Park California. Coming shortly after the company's official introduction of clickable hashtags, which now allow users keep up with trending topics without actually following the news constantly, there are some speculations about what will actually be announced next week. TechCrunch revealed that there appear to be signs of a new RSS feed reading service embedded right in Facebook's Graph API code. The developer who made the breakthrough stated that when he tried to run the code, results appeared restricted only to whitelisted addresses. Moreover, the nature of the API code describes a connection from a Facebook user to an RSS feed, a feed which has multiple entries and subscribers. Pairing this with fact that Google's famous Reader service is going to be discontinued on July 1 makes this rumor quite plausible. Facebook and RSS feeds Facebook’s invitation letter for the upcoming event – Source: CBS Interactive After Google announced it’ll kill its famous RSS feed reading service due to usage decline, various companies including Feedly, Digg and NewsBlur tried to seize the opportunity. Feedly, for example, got a massive rise of traffic with over three million new users creating an account after Google’s announcement. It's hard to even think of why Google chose to close this product, as it looks like a worthy potential still exists for such services. Well, that potential will probably be picked-up by companies like Facebook. In order to keep its users even longer on the site, the social media network may add an alternative way for users to consume content. In my opinion, the introduction of a streamed timeline was the first step into this direction, users being able to view each and every entry in a chronological order. Speculations claim that Facebook's RSS reader could be implemented as a different section inside the website. Facebook could also announce a massive update to its existing service, Notes, in order to steal some numbers from Tumblr. The interesting part is that an upgrade of this scale would require a feed reader to extract and provide content. Facebook already has some experience with RSS services, introducing back in 2011 the "Subscribe via RSS" feature which was later replaced by the "Follow" feature. RSS still exists in the current release but the process of creating a unique RSS feed for one user implies several steps. On the other hand, we know that reading feeds is not a mainstream habit and it's something only used by vivid media content consumers. So, deploying such a service may cause confusion in Facebook's camp – there are plenty who do not know what an RSS feed actually is, so why even bother? Also, Facebook may be already a bit late, as plenty of users switched to other feed serving engines once Google broke the news of discontinuing Reader. And that happened three months ago. Do you read RSS feeds and if so, would you even consider Facebook for that in case this rumor turns out to be true? 
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| Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 custom edition rumored Posted: 17 Jun 2013 05:05 AM PDT
The Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to have a custom edition, if we’re to believe famed leaker @evleaks. The device, which Verizon launched a few weeks ago, is said to have a custom version in the works, one which would have a personalized back side, as well as a wallpaper matching said back side. @evleaks even provides an image, which you can check out below, in order to get a better idea.
As you can see, the design of the custom back plate would be provided by Kidrobot, a manufacturer of designer toys, which has various artists creating its models. Phone Arena has apparently received even more details, namely, that the custom Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 would be sold under another name. However, that name is still unknown. It’s also not clear how the new device would differ from the regular model, other than in terms of design. Another thing that’s known is that more than one design will be available, but you won’t be able to buy a cover on its own and put it on your existing Samsung Galaxy S4. With more colors for the Samsung Galaxy S4 promised for this summer, a custom edition can only bring even more options to potential buyers of the device. Would you be interested in buying a custom edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4, or do you prefer the “stock” color options? 
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| Rumor: Oppo Find 7 with 4000mAh battery and Snapdragon 800 processor Posted: 17 Jun 2013 04:59 AM PDT
RBMen has come across some more specs for the upcoming next Oppo Find handset, which we already heard is rumoured to be running the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. The new device will supposedly be called the Find 7 not the Find 6, as it seems that Oppo prefers odd numbers. So without further delays here are the specs:
The big deal here is the massive 4000mAh battery, which should help give this 5 inch handset plenty of battery life. Compare this with other 5 inch smartphones, like the Galaxy S4 which only has a 2600mAh battery, and you're looking at a significant battery improvement. However there's still no word on whether the battery will be removable or not, I wouldn't bet on it based on the Find 5, but with that size I doubt it's going to be such an issue for many users. Apart from the Snapdragon 800 processor and the vastly improved front facing camera, the specs appear to be pretty much the same as the older Oppo Find 5. The handset will also supposedly be 9.9mm thick, which suggests that it will be a tiny bit larger than its older brother. Just like we heard before, we're still looking at a mid-September release date, but there's no news yet about which regions the handset will be launching in. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until we receive an official statement about the Oppo Find 7. 
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| Sprint HTC One available at Wirefly for $49.99 Posted: 17 Jun 2013 04:06 AM PDT
The Sprint HTC One is now available for you to buy at just $49.99, which you have to admit it’s a really good price. You may remember that Amazon Wireless has offered the device for Father’s Day at $79.99 on Sprint and AT&T – the offer was still available at the moment this article was written. Well, Wirefly seems to want to show that it can do even better in terms of price, at least when it comes to the Sprint version of the handset. The price Wirefly offers the device for is $49.99, with a new Sprint two-year contract including 450 minutes at $39.99 per month. However, the price is only valid if you get a new account or add a new line to your existing one. If you upgrade, the Sprint HTC One will set you back $129.99 while without a contract, it’s $639.99. There’s some more good news for you, if you plan on taking advantage of this offer, as the device will come bundled with $25 of Google Play Store credit for you to fill your device with apps, movies, music or whatever else you want. If you’re still undecided, maybe our review of the HTC One can help you in that department: Will you take advantage of the offer, and get the HTC One from Wirefly? 
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| Not happy with a 5 inch full HD phone, try one with a 6 inch 2560 x 1600 display! Posted: 17 Jun 2013 04:02 AM PDT
To do that the manufacturers are looking to use a process called Low Temperature Poly Silicon (LTPS) to make the displays. With LTPS lasers are used as part of the heat treatment. The result is that very high resolution displays can be made. To achieve the increased resolution and greater PPI, LG Display is working with AH-IPS (Advanced high performance-In plane switching) so it can make panels over 500 ppi. With five inch HD panels in full production, Samsung and LG are considering using panels made in Japan in order to diversify their supply lines. As a results Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp are also working on 500 ppi mobile displays. This move to greater than HD isn’t just fueled by a desire for bigger and better. According to recent market surveys, smartphone users under 30 are able to distinguish between 400 ppi and 500 ppi displays. Unlike the resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels used on full HD display, Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array (WQXGA) has a 16:10 aspect ratio. It is also the resolution used on the Google’s Nexus 10, but due to its size that display panel is only 300 ppi. Would you be interested in a six inch, 2560 x 1600 smartphone? 
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| Sony SmartWatch goes open-source, looking for more innovation Posted: 17 Jun 2013 03:53 AM PDT
After releasing the first true smartwatch from a major manufacturer, Sony shows its pioneering skin again by making the project fully open-source. Hoping to attract extra attention and possibly more innovative ideas from independent developers, Sony has granted them opened access. Running on pure Android essence, Sony's SmartWatch was already compatible with various Google Play applications. Moreover, anyone who wished to develop a new title had the ability of doing so. Now, that level of freedom has been extended even further and in the near future Sony expects the first alternative firmware versions to appear on Open SmartWatch, the official page of the project. Sony also helps all those interested with instructions on how to create a custom firmware for their watches and reasons to do it, complete with developer support. While the gadget has received less media attention than expected, the most-watched companies for such wearable gadgets being Apple, Google and Samsung, the Sony SmartWatch is still capable of doing some nice things.
Presenting an elegant body, the stylish wristwatch comes with multi-level touch support used to sense various gestures, phone-paired notifications for calls, messages and other forms of communication and even works as an Android remote. Available in black and white with various wristwatch combinations, Sony's SmartWatch can also provide calendar information, music details and keep users connected with various social media networks. All those features and especially their design can now be extended and customized even more with the help of a custom firmware. Would a Sony SmartWatch with a more customizable system incite you to buy it? 
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| Jay-Z new album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” free for some Samsung Galaxy users (video) Posted: 17 Jun 2013 03:35 AM PDT
Jay-Z is giving away his new album, called “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” to users of some Samsung Galaxy devices, a full three days before the official release date. That’s good news for at least a million Samsung Galaxy device users. In order to qualify, you have to own either a Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4 or Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the album will be available to you via a dedicated Android app (provided you’re among the first one million users to get it). The app will be available starting June 24, and the link will be posted on the album’s website (see Source link below). However, you won’t get the album the instant you download the app, even if you do so the second it’s uploaded to the Google Play Store. Jay-Z’s new creation will be unlocked by the app on July 4 at 12:01 AM, three days before everyone else will be able to purchase it. Besides allowing you to download the album, the app also promises a look into the creation process of the new record. You can already catch a glimpse of the way Jay-Z, his collaborators and producer Rick Rubin (a man having worked with names as diverse as Black Sabbath, LL Cool J, Metallica, Tom Petty or Johnny Cash) in this video: This sounds like a very interesting initiative from Samsung and Jay-Z, and it could be one of the many ways in which music will get to us in the future. With many people owning a smartphone, it only makes sense for the artist to promote his album via smartphone apps, and for companies to make their products even more visible. If you own any of the three Samsung Galaxy devices involved, do you plan on getting the new Jay-Z album this way? 
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At the high end of the Android smartphone market, this year has been about devices with five inch, full HD (1920 x 1080) displays. But display manufacturers aren’t stopping there. According to industry insiders the key Korean and Japanese display makers are working on six inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) mobile LCD panels.
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