Android Authority: Rumor: Compact Sony Honami “Mini” flagship in the works, to take on the iPhone 5S

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Rumor: Compact Sony Honami "Mini" flagship in the works, to take on the iPhone 5S Jul 13th 2013, 08:59, by Chris Smith Sony is rumored to be working on a smaller Honami handset – a flagship Honami Mini version – that would take on the iPhone 5S this fall. Obviously, the "Honami Mini" is not going to be the official name of the product. It's just a placeholder name used to describe this particular rumored handset. Sony is expected to unveil the next flagship smartphone on September 4 at IFA 2013 in Berlin. The Honami is said to be a high-end device that will feature high-end camera technology, and was recently rumored to be unveiled at a July 4 media event in Paris, but that didn't happen. More interestingly, a new VR-Zone report says that the Honami Mini will be the kind of small smartphone that many Android users could be waiting for – a compact handset that will come with high-end hardware, and not just another "Mini"-branded mid-range device like, say, the Galaxy S4 mini. The Honami Mini would compete directly against the iPhone 5S – that's the unconfirmed name used to refer to the next-gen iPhone that will hit stores this fall – but also against other Mini handsets. The iPhone 5S is expected to have a 4-inch display, just like its predecessor, as Apple is not going to move to bigger handset displays this year – or at least that’s what most rumors say. According to the publication, the handset would pack a display with a screen size of 4- to 4.3-inch and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. The camera of the Honami Mini may not be exactly on par with the Honami's, but its performance is said to be "really close." We'll point out that this is just a rumor at this point, and while it makes plenty of sense, we'll still have to wait for Sony to make everything official.

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Android Authority: At last we know, Nokia went with Windows Phone because it feared Samsung’s domination of Android

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At last we know, Nokia went with Windows Phone because it feared Samsung's domination of Android Jul 13th 2013, 08:36, by Gary Sims Stephen Elop, CEO, Nokia When it comes to hardware most people agree that Nokia makes good handsets, just look at the new Nokia Lumia 1020. But the problem is Nokia’s smartphones run Windows Phone which is still playing catch-up in terms of consumer acceptance. The question that is often asked is this, why didn’t Nokia use Android? Everyone has a theory, but now Nokia’s chief executive Stephen Elop has spilled the beans. The reason was simple – Samsung. When Nokia realized that its smartphone strategy was failing it jumped off its proverbial burning platform straight into the arms of Microsoft. But it didn’t make the leap without first talking to Google about Android. Studying the Android eco-system Elop says that Nokia didn’t like the risk that “one hardware manufacturer could come to dominate Android.” That one hardware manufacturer was of course Samsung. So instead Nokia went to Microsoft. The advantage Elop says is that by offering an alternative to Android and iOS Nokia has something to bring to the negotiation table when dealing with the carriers. In the US in particular, the carriers are the ones who decided which devices are put in front of the consumers. Without their blessing trying to sell handsets becomes difficult. By having a third alternative available, the carrier is in turn able to exert pressure on the likes of Samsung and Apple to ensure that everyone gets their cut and the pricing is acceptable (to the carrier at least). And as an operator he wants to negotiate with different people and keep pressure on everybody and have the best range of options, he wants that third alternative. So strategically we have an opening with AT&T and every other operator in the world - because we've taken that path as the third ecosystem. Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia You can see why Nokia thinks it made the right decision. Given the struggles of companies like HTC as it tries to battle the might of Samsung, Nokia can quietly go about developing and releasing alternatives that could attract people away from Samsung or Apple if either company fails to innovate sufficiently and keep their customer bases happy. Having said that, I would buy a Nokia in a second if it ran Android. The specifications and prices of the devices in the Lumia range are very competitive, even leading edge. But not enough for me to want to jump ship and switch to Windows Phone. If only they had versions running Android…

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Android Authority: CyanogenMod 10.1.2 includes fix for second “master key” Android vulnerability

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CyanogenMod 10.1.2 includes fix for second "master key" Android vulnerability Jul 13th 2013, 06:06, by Kyle Wiggers The developers behind CyanogenMod, bless their hearts, have committed code to prevent exploitation of a second, recently discovered "master key" security bug. Designated CyanogenMod 10.1.2, the update addresses a flaw in Android that, much like the hole uncovered earlier this month by researchers at Bluebox, is related to the way many versions of the mobile operating system verify signed apps. Android Security Squad, the China-based group that uncovered the bug, describes how a nefarious individual or business could, with some knowledge of a legitimate app's file contents, disguise a malicious code as a harmless application update. That's certainly troubling, but it's important to note that, as we mentioned in our post about the "master key" exploit last week, those with affected devices who download apps from the Play Store exclusively are likely protected by Google's app-scanning feature. Apps from shady third-party stores and websites represent the greatest risk to owners of unpatched devices. The update marks the second time this month CyanogenMod has responded to a security threat by releasing an updated CM build. Google has already patched both bugs, so it's good to see the CyanogenMod team catching up. Builds are appearing on Get.CM slowly, but most should be available now. If you're running an older CyanogenMod 10.1 ROM, it's recommended you update.

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Android Authority: Samsung and LG apparently fighting over the use of the “Unpack” word

Samsung and LG apparently fighting over the use of the "Unpack" word Jul 12th 2013, 22:14, by Chris Smith Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs LG Optimus G Pro A South Korean publication revealed that Samsung and LG have apparently been fighting over the use of a particular word combination, "Unpack Event," that's of particular importance to at least one of them. We've seen our fair of silly mind games between such large corporations – more often than not they lead to patent-based trials – but this one has to simply take the cake. ETNews says that Samsung is not happy at all that LG is using the "Unpack Event" phrase in its invitation for a future media event – the August 7 New York based event where the (Optimus) G2 should be unveiled. Apparently Samsung feels that the "Unpack" term should only be used by the maker of Galaxy devices and not by any other companies. We will say that Samsung has been hosting for a few years now "Unpacked" mobile events to announce new devices, specifically high-end Galaxy models, but that certainly doesn't give it the right to own the word. However, the company apparently filed an objection with the Intellectual Property Office (of South Korea?) against LG trying to prevent the latter from using "Unpack Event" in its marketing materials. Smsung was not successful in its quest, the publication says, as the office unsurprisingly ruled that "Unpack" is a common verb and can't be registered as a trademark. On its part, LG said that the word has been used by others before and that it didn't plan to use it in the name of its media event, only in the invite. The two rival companies have clashed in the recent past, and the fact they're arguing over the use of a word or phrase only goes to show how important the mobile business is for both players.

Android Authority: LG G2 slims down for matchup vs Note 2

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LG G2 slims down for matchup vs Note 2 Jul 13th 2013, 02:50, by Kristofer Wouk No, the picture above is not from the leak in question, but it's there because, well, we have to apologize in advance: these pictures are pretty ugly. But in yet another leak for a phone that's nearly been leaked to death, it looks like things are shrinking all over. In what is purportedly a photo of the LG G2 next to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, it looks like the G2′s bezel is at least half as thin. While that is undeniably cool, not everything included in this newest leak looks like reason to celebrate. Fans of super-huge batteries will be dissapointed with the 2,540 mAh battery shown in the pics, though given what we've seen with Snapdragon chipsets and power consumption, we'd hold judgement on battery life for now. While we're still crossing our fingers for 3 GB RAM, another leaked pic featuring memory usage may point to it being 2 GB. It's hard to tell from just simple seeing an (ugly) image, though, so who knows? It's entirely possible that the device is either not running many apps, or is just extremely memory efficient. One thing is for sure: we're not going to have to wait that long to find out. We'll be there at the LG G2 event in New York on August 7 to bring you a first hand look at the real-deal G2, and we've got a feeling that it's going to be making a pretty big splash. What do you think of this newest leak? Is this what we're going to see in the LG G2 when it's made official?

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