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- Another set of HTC M7 details emerges from Poland, but no new pics
- Sony Xperia ZL up for pre-order in Germany for €600, Xperia Z to go for €50 extra
- LG officially confirms the existence of the Optimus G Pro to the Korean media
- Amazon offers Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx HD for $100 on contract
- New HTC M7 leaked photos show the device is pretty much just a DNA/Butterfly
- Video: Samsung uses unicorns to show their phones are for businesses too
- Sony announces the 10.1 inch Xperia Tablet Z in Japan, it’s just 6.9 mm thick
- Why did Eric Schmidt go to North Korea?
- Sony Xperia Z dissected by FCC
- New HTC M7 image hit the web, no sign of an official launch yet
| Another set of HTC M7 details emerges from Poland, but no new pics Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:38 AM PST
While HTC's next flagship phone, supposedly codenamed M7, has been making the rumor rounds for quite some time, today is by far the most ridiculously filled-up day with "leaks" and speculations. First, we saw a pretty ludicrous render that hinted at HTC basically reusing Windows Phone 8X's chassis for this new top-tier Android. The info got debunked just hours later, when a couple of leaked photos that looked a little more legit placed the M7 closer to the DNA from a design standpoint. And for the trifecta to be completed, here's another mostly design-focused rumor coming from Poland. According to Bartosz Dul from Czujnym Okiem (good luck with pronouncing all that), the M7 has an elongated front, a very solid rectangular frame and slightly rounded corners. That sounds vague enough to be bogus, but here's an interesting tidbit that could confirm this story's reliability – Dul says the three hardware buttons placed under the screen are "back", "menu" and "home" in this order. Where did we see buttons ordered that way? Why, in today's leaked pics, of course, so it seems these two stories are corroborating one another. Now, before getting all heated up and accusing this guy of simply putting the earlier graphic leak into words, you should know that the Polish story was published last week, being only today brought to our attention. So, do we have your curiosity? Because if we do, there are a number of other things revealed by Czujnym Okiem (damn, it's hard to even write that down). The new Sense 5.0 UI is in fact detailed quite nicely, although it's a little difficult to make sense of the information (pun intended) with Google Translate.
Reading between the lines, we think the Polish writer says the interface is tidier and cleaner than before, although there aren't that many major differences between it and previous versions. The top notification bar is transparent (nice), the lock screen and some default widgets seem to have been tweaked, while the dialer is closer to the one on vanilla Android 4.x. A number of widgets, icons and screens look almost exactly the same as on HTC's One series, but of course the version of Sense 5.0 supposedly tested by Bartosz Dul was more of a work in progress than a finished product. As far as specs go, the Polish blog doesn't provide any new insight, only recapping the following:
Can anyone say Butterfly+? Related Posts |
| Sony Xperia ZL up for pre-order in Germany for €600, Xperia Z to go for €50 extra Posted: 21 Jan 2013 01:40 AM PST
While we have been able to gather quite a lot of information on Xperia Z's availability and pricing in the last week or so, the 5-incher's almost twin has been a much more discreet presence in the news. The Sony Xperia ZL has however now popped up in Germany, where it's available for pre-order via Phonehouse.de. That's the good news here, while the bad news is when the retailer expects to be able to ship the non-waterproof beast – in April. We're not too enthusiastic about the pricing either (€599.99, or $800 off-contract), but the seller did remove it from its website, so it might have been a typo after all.
Then again, Phonehouse does list the Xperia Z at €649.99 (just like Amazon), and we guess there's no reason why the ZL should be a lot cheaper than its "cousin". The phones are almost identical from a design standpoint (though the ZL is five grams heavier, a tad shorter and a little thicker), while the hardware, as far as we know, is completely Xeroxed. It should now be interesting to see if Sony will apply this German tactic of releasing the Xperia Z first and the ZL a couple of months after in the rest of Europe, although we still think there'll be countries that will only get one device out of the duo. One last tidbit for people following us from Deutschland, as Phonehouse seems to have revealed the on-contract price of the Xperia Z. The phone is listed at €139.99 ($187), though we can't really tell with what carrier (can somebody help us with that, please?). Related Posts |
| LG officially confirms the existence of the Optimus G Pro to the Korean media Posted: 21 Jan 2013 01:20 AM PST
Two Korean news agencies, Yonhap and Aju News, are reporting that LG’s next new flagship will be called the Optimus G Pro. Said device will have a 5.5 inch full HD (1920 x 1080) screen and it could hit the market as early as this quarter. Earlier this month we heard some rumors the G Pro, and these reports pretty much confirm them. Without even knowing anything about this phone, we’re going to say the market will not give it any attention. This is a smartphone that’s being intentionally rushed out so that it can compete against the Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5S/6. This isn’t the Optimus G2, the true successor to the Optimus G, this is just the old Optimus G we already know about, but with a 1080p screen. Does anyone remember the Optimus 4X HD? That was “the world’s first quad core” smartphone that LG announced at Mobile World Congress in February 2012. When did it start shipping? During the summer. What device did LG announce in September? The Optimus G. Can you spot the pattern here? LG likes to announce a phone that they think the public will like in the first half of the year, fair to deliver a compelling product, and then finally come out with a tweaked device during the second half. Think about it for a second. The Optimus G, the device that’s the best LG has to offer, at least according to their public relations team, only now broke the million units sold barrier. It took two months to hit that figure. Can LG genuinely come out with something that’ll make everyone start taking them seriously again? The Nexus 4 clearly proves that LG can make something people want, but it’s such a shame that they didn’t make enough. Related Posts |
| Amazon offers Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx HD for $100 on contract Posted: 21 Jan 2013 01:10 AM PST
The next few months will see some big name manufacturers launching their flagship smartphones. But if battery life is what's at the top of your wish list, you can skip through the waiting part and get the undisputed champ in that department, the readily available Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD. We told you last week that the Droid Razr Maxx HD was selling for $150 with a contract. Now, Amazon Wireless is going to tempt you harder by dropping the on-contract price of the phone even further. New Verizon subscribers can get the Kevlar-coated phone for $100, while those who are looking to upgrade will have to shell out $150. It's worth to note that getting the handset directly from Verizon will cost you up to $200 more upfront. The Droid Razr Maxx HD may not have the best specs in the market, but it still has a lot going for it. The phone features a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD display, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage, 8MP main camera, 1.3MP front cam, LTE, and a 3,300mAh battery. Hit the link below to check the Jelly Bean phone out on Amazon. Related Posts |
| New HTC M7 leaked photos show the device is pretty much just a DNA/Butterfly Posted: 20 Jan 2013 10:55 PM PST
Depending on the type of person you are, product leaks are either the best thing in the world or they’re the worst type of journalism. I happen to fall into the latter camp. Every new awesome smartphone is just around the corner. Why buy a smartphone today when X device is two months away, Y smartphone is three months away, and Z smartphone, the one you really want, is four months away? Leaked images, renders, press shots, specs, screenshots, whatever you want to call them, they just confuse people, make the press speculate on things they don’t really know about, and in the end we all lose.
Take HTC’s M7 for example. We know that HTC is going to announce a new phone in a month or two because … everyone is going to announce a new phone in a month or two. How crazy will the M7 be? Take a look at the company’s last phone, the DNA/Butterfly to get an idea of what to expect. That thing has a 1080p screen, quad core processor, and 2 GB of RAM. What more can HTC possibly do to the M7? The screen is maxed out, they’re not going to use one of those new fancy Snapdragons since they’re not going to be released until the summer, so will they bump up the camera? The two images above were leaked via Android Police, who claim to know a guy who knows a guy who knows something about the M7. Whatever. If I told you I knew exactly what the Note III was going to look like, and that I even had the spec sheet, what could you possibly do with that information? Not buy a phone for the next six to eight months while you wait? Expect to hear more M7 information sometime between now and the end of the world. Related Posts |
| Video: Samsung uses unicorns to show their phones are for businesses too Posted: 20 Jan 2013 06:59 PM PST
We’re huge fans of Samsung’s ads here at Android Authority, which is why we’re always thrilled when the company uploads a new video to YouTube. Their latest clip features a fictitious video game development house that needs to launch a game in four weeks called “Unicorn Apocalypse”. Cheesy, but bear with us, it gets better. The ad starts by showing the head of the company saying that employees can now use whatever smartphone they want at work. You then see one guy using a BlackBerry, mocking his colleague for using a Note II. There’s a sly rebuttal, which is expected. Then there’s a woman trying to show her colleague how having one phone is better than two, but this colleague refuses to dump her iPhone/BlackBerry “system”. It’s a funny video, just 90 seconds long, and it highlights something that’s currently taking place in companies of all sizes and in all countries. As smartphones become the computing device people spend the most time interacting with, employees are going to want to pick something that they feel helps them get the most work done. The “BYOD”, short for bring your own device, movement is strong, and it’s only going to become more important with time. But can Samsung attract corporate users? We think so, because Samsung is also in the PC business, meaning they can sign contracts with other companies to provide them with laptops, desktops, monitors, smartphones, tablets, and just about any other gadget an employee would need to get his or her work done. Samsung is also taking security seriously with their SAFE hardware. SAFE stands for Security and Feature Enhancements. Will Huawei, HTC, or even Google, copy Samsung’s SAFE initiative? We certainly hope so, because that just makes the market more competitive, which results in more innovation, and that’s something we can’t complain about. Related Posts |
| Sony announces the 10.1 inch Xperia Tablet Z in Japan, it’s just 6.9 mm thick Posted: 20 Jan 2013 06:23 PM PST
Sony Japan has just announced a brand spanking new tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z. Not exactly the most interesting product name, but let’s ignore that for a second. It has a 10.1 inch screen that pushes 1920 x 1200 pixels, there’s a quad core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm chip in there, which means there’s 4G LTE support, and it even has an 8.1 megapixel camera. What makes this device really special is the thickness, just 6.9 mm. That’s thinner than Apple’s ultra thin iPad mini at 7.2 millimeters. Does that mean the Tablet Z packs a tiny battery? Possibly, but we can’t confirm or deny that since there was no battery specification provided. Will this piece of kit ever land in the United States or Europe? Hard to say, but the press release is in Japanese, so it makes you wonder. Would we recommend this over our current favorite large screen Android tablet, the Nexus 10? Not really. There’s something to be said about Samsung’s ultra high resolution 2560 x 1600 display. Not only that, but it also runs stock Android, which means it’s going to get updates faster. Oh and how can we forget about the two ARM Cortex A15 cores inside the Nexus 10! They’re definitely zippier than four Qualcomm Krait cores. Why did Sony announce this tablet? We honestly have no idea. Android tablets are popular in certain parts of the world, but not big ones. People seem to love the 7 inch form factor because it’s more portable, easier to hold, and more importantly there’s the cost factor. How much do you think Sony’s Tablet Z is going to cost when it launches? 300 EUR? Nope. 400 EUR? Maybe. 500 EUR? Probably. And who in their right mind would spend that much on an Android tablet? Exactly. Related Posts |
| Why did Eric Schmidt go to North Korea? Posted: 20 Jan 2013 06:08 PM PST
Chairman and former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt recently travelled to North Korea on a fact-finding mission of sorts. Schmidt wanted to ascertain how North Korea utilizes the Internet and see for himself just how restrictive it is. The information he shared was startling, but interesting. A country as large and powerful as North Korea is far behind many of its peers, and that could be troubling. But why go to a communist country? Travel to North Korea is difficult at best, so why take the chance? We also have to wonder why Google cares about how North Korea uses the Internet. Sure, the company is a tech giant and search magnate, but North Korea represents such a small fraction of potential world online traffic. As much as we can learn from what Schmidt reported back, we can also infer that North Korea is indicative of a larger problem for Google. Why North Korea?As much as I'd love to leave politics out of this discussion, it's not possible to do so with a communist nation in reference to openly sharing information. Although called the "Democratic People's Republic of North Korea," or DPRK, it's anything but democratic. Communism is restrictive by nature, and that includes information. With the passing of Kim Jong Il and the rise to power of his son Kim Jong Un, a few problems were exposed. North Korea is a severely depressed nation, and its people face a variety of serious problems daily. While using the Internet for information is probably a distant afterthought for many citizens, it's a concern for a company like Google. In North Korea, you have a very good example of a larger problem for Google. It's important to mention that Schmidt didn't travel alone. Former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson was his guide and he travelled in a delegation alongside eight other members. A former UN ambassador, Richardson was in North Korea on a humanitarian mission in response to North Korea's launching of long range missiles late last year. The White House referred to that trip as " unsuccessful," unfortunately. It's also worth note that Richardson no longer enjoys any official political capacity, so this was a private trip.
A rock starRichardson described Schmidt's reception as that of a "rock star", which sheds a little light on just how important this issue of an open Internet really is. Sure it's just the Internet, but it represents so much more than that. Right now in North Korea, the Internet is only available to a select few: the government, the military and universities. That's representative of an intranet, which is basically what its technology is. Schmidt notes that there is a "supervised" Internet, which means "that people were not able to use the Internet without someone else watching them". Schmidt also found that, despite the walled-off nature of technology in North Korea, it would be very simple for the country to "turn the Internet on", as he puts it. From his Google+ page, Schmidt writes:
Dollars and senseFor Google, North Korea represents a roadblock for something that is very important to the company: the free and open Internet. Whether or not you're familiar with the recent issues surrounding this cause, it's worth understanding that Google is fervently behind the issue. Mostly because it's the right thing to, but also because its business model is based on it. We visit Google.com, then enter what we want to know about in the search bar. The results pop up and so do some unobtrusively placed ads. We click on the ads, and Google makes money. In entering a new frontier of search and services, Google is committed to being a mobile-conscious company. The desktop will always be there, but the world is increasingly mobile. A system like that of North Korea, which operates in such a limited space, concerns Google. How will it drive revenue from a restricted system? More importantly, will this catch on anywhere else? With such a large number of North Koreans unable to access the Internet freely, there is little reason to have devices to access it. An open flow of information is the linchpin to just about everything Google does from selling devices to creating services. If I can't access the Internet, what good is a device that has such features? Was the visit worth it?Educationally, yes. Schmidt learned quite a bit, it seems, about how North Korea operates in regard to treatment of technology. Obviously driving revenue is a concern for Google, but the issue is deeper that that. This is ultimately about the transfer and open sharing of information. Eric Schmidt may represent the largest search (and arguably the largest tech) company on earth, but I'll not believe his trip was strictly business. To really understand the situation, it was important for him to see first-hand just what was going on. Schmidt himself said the North Koreans "listened and asked questions," so they are at least open to being open. The focus is a free and open Internet, and North Korea simply doesn't have it right now. Why should we care?In discussing this issue, we're remiss to place too much emphasis on the sensational facts: North Korea and communism. They are worth consideration, because in essence communism is the heart of the matter. While I don't subscribe to a communist mindset, I respect those that do and their belief in that system. For free transfer of information, however, old-line communism simply doesn't work. North Korea, like just about any nation on earth, is filled with very bright people doing important work. The open transfer of information can only help the world community. Being able to openly discuss things such as medical research will drive both sides of the equation. Perhaps there is a botanist in North Korea that can analyze cancer research from Scotland, then identify some rare plant to help reduce its spread. While that may be a made-for-TV scenario, it's also worth exploring. The definition of "www" is World Wide Web. Without a free and open Internet for all, that simply isn't true. North Korea is indicative of a problem, sure, but not the problem. North Korea confounds us because it’s a fairly advanced nation that has left an important factor behind: information, We may openly question why it does this, as it seems obtuse, but there is something we should all keep in mind when considering why North Korea resists the sharing of information. CommunismI live in a democratic nation, as most people do. In the world outside of North Korea, quite a bit of anti-communist opinion and rhetoric is shared. We must respect that North Korea is a communist country, and for them, reducing the flow of anti-communist talk is impossible. This is why it eliminates the open flow of information altogether. We may or may not agree on its politics, but let's try to appreciate and respect its belief system. An open Internet could create panic in North Korea, and that's not something it needs right now. North Korea is a country faced with widespread famine, poverty, among other various economical and human rights issues. The last thing it can really afford is dissension amongst citizens. Communism has the capacity to change, especially with a shift in power to Kim Jong Un, so we can hope for the people of North Korea that a renaissance of sorts is on the horizon. Controlling the chaosChange is never easy. To achieve the goal of a truly free and open Internet, some type of change must occur. North Korea, for its own reasons we only partly understand, chooses to limit or exclude information to its people. In Eric Schmidt visiting the country, it's fair to say that excluding or otherwise leaving North Korea behind is in nobody's best interest. Such a rich culture with a lot of potential for positive change should be welcome to join the fight for the open exchange of information, and they are. A free and open Internet should be for everyone who wants it, not everyone who is allowed to access it. In considering an open exchange of information, North Korea will have to ponder a new way of communism as well. If the current political environment doesn't lend itself to freely sharing information, what will? Can North Korea adopt a communist country in which information is available at-will? I believe so. Belief is at the core of every great concept, and North Korea simply has to believe it can forge a new path.
The remains of the dayThe Chairman and former CEO of one of the largest companies ever visiting a communist country in this day and age is monumental. He didn't stay long, or necessarily achieve anything, but the lessons were invaluable. A body of information that shows opportunity is there, but not being realized. Google's ever-present mantra is "don't be evil," so we can safely assume this visit had only the purest of aspirations. Google has never hidden its intentions in generating revenue, nor does it make it the driving force of its dealings. Doing the right thing will bring the money eventually, and it understands that. While the trip was important and poignant, it could have been for naught. Schmidt’s daughter and travelling companion, Sophie, has a Google Sites blog detailing the trip. It sheds a different light on the trip than Eric’s carefully measured feedback, and suggests at a dog-and-pony show orchestrated by North Korea. If what she saw was truly staged rather than carefully measured presentation, it doesn’t bode well for the people of North Korea in having access to information any time soon. The concept of a free and open Internet is a strict juxtaposition to the core concepts of communism. Like any concept, idea, or belief, communism is adaptable to change. The world has evolved in a way few people thought it could over the past decade or so. We have more knowledge at our fingertips than we ever thought we would, and a truly global community. If North Korea would include itself as we all hope it will, it would be a beacon for change and a signal of hope. Eric Schmidt opened the door, so let's hope North Korea sees fit to come outside. The playground is open. Related Posts |
| Sony Xperia Z dissected by FCC Posted: 20 Jan 2013 05:42 PM PST
Sony’s new super phone may be water and dust resistant, but it is certainly not FCC resistant. The Xperia Z recently took a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the Federal Communications Commision where is was dissected by the scientists to see all of the inner beauty that the phone possesses. Needless to say the phone is as charming on the inside as it is on the outside. The FCC gave the the collection of hardware a pass to proceed forward. So what became of this poor phone? Don’t fret, the device was put back together; it would be too tough to let this beast lay around in shambles.         The best news is of course that the kind people at the FCC took plenty of pictures to keep the public satisfied as they eagerly await the Xperia Z’s release. Are you planning on picking up the Sony Xperia Z when it is released? Related Posts |
| New HTC M7 image hit the web, no sign of an official launch yet Posted: 20 Jan 2013 05:34 PM PST
HTC's next flagship device is going to be unveiled soon, considering the increasing frequency of new rumors that either reveal details about the upcoming Android smartphone or show purported images of the handset. But while we can only assume that HTC is going to unveil the M7 – or whatever this device will be called – next month at this year's MWC edition in Barcelona, Spain, there are no official details from the Taiwanese company regarding the faith of the high-end smartphone. Today we're getting to look at a new HTC M7 render that has hit the web during the weekend. Is it the real thing? Is it just a photoshopped image meant to get some attention? There's no way of telling what's what right now, but we will also notice that the M7 in the image above looks awfully familiar. In case you have been checking out Windows Phone 8 handsets you may remember the HTC 8X, which is a WP8 smartphone that looks very much like the M7. Is HTC using the same chassis for its 2013 top-of-the-line Android handset? That would make some sense, wouldn't it?
For what it’s worth, HTC Source says the image comes from an "early firmware build of the device" so anyone looking to buy a new HTC Android handset this year can certainly hope the picture shows the real thing. Whether real or not, the image also reveals that the M7 will come with Beats Audio on board and a brand new Sense 5.0 UI version – and we've seen leaked Sense 5.0 screenshots just a few days ago. Moreover, you will notice how those menu buttons have a new layout, with the Multitasking button taking a central placement, while the Home button moves over to the right. And yes, there is a hint this device will be unveiled at MWC in late February. It's right there on the screen, and you must have noticed it already: it's rather cold in Barcelona at -4C. Anyone buying the HTC M7 in the near future? Thanks, tipster! Related Posts |
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