Nexus X: How Google and Motorola could rule the world

Recent comments by a Google exec suggest that its relationship with Motorola is less than rosy, but the two companies could end up ruling the smartphone world

As has long been rumoured, Google’s $12 billion acquisition of mobile phone manufacturer Motorola may have had more to do with gaining valuable patents to use in its war against Apple than a desire to leverage Moto’s phone-building expertise.

Recent comments by Google’s chief financial officer Patrick Pichette lend weight to this viewpoint. Pichette has been less than kind about the projects Motorola has in the pipeline, saying they lack the ‘wow factor’ and ‘innovation’ expected in a Google-backed device.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Smart Scroll eye control confirmed

The Galaxy S4's Smart Scroll eye-tracking controls have turned up in leaked screenshots

Reports that Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S4 flagship would feature eye-tracking scrolling control have apparently been confirmed.

SamMobile received a tip-off from an unnamed source along with several screenshots showing the menu interface and the ability to toggle Smart Scroll and Smart Pause on or off, along with several settings for things like scrolling speed.

Samsung Galaxy S4 leak turns out to be fake

Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S4 are fakes

That Samsung Galaxy S4 rendering which leaked this week is apparently not official Samsung material and was, allegedly, mocked-up for an Expansys product page.

But, according to UberGizmo, it appears this little faux pas wasn’t exactly Expansys’ fault. The report says that according to posts from Expansys’ Twitter account the mock-up was made for a preliminary Galaxy S4 product page, which doesn't make any claims to show the finished product as it also bears the disclaimer:

iPhone 6 concepts show off 4.2-inch and 4.8-inch screens

Online renderings show what the iPhone 6 could look like

Rumours continue to circulate about Apple’s forthcoming smartphone product line-up and whether we’ll see a larger premium iPhone or a plastic-build budget one, or both. But, in the meantime, industrious concept artists are turning out renders to give us a glimpse of what the future might hold.

AppleInsider.ru has produced a very convincing set of renders, including an extensive Apple-style video, complete with integrated live-action footage of someone handling the device.

Samsung Galaxy S4 will keep plastic design

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will keep the plastic shell as seen on the Galaxy S3 and S2 before it

Samsung's Galaxy S4 will feature a plastic chassis just like the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2.

Rather than opting for the more premium looking aluminium as seen on HTC's One device and many more before it, Samsung will stick to lower-grade materials.

iPhone 5S to feature Beats music streaming service?

Tim Cook has been in conversations with Beats CEO Jimmy Lovine about a music streaming service like Spotify

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Beats CEO Jimmy Lovine have reportedly had talks around bringing a Spotify-like music streaming service to iTunes and iDevices - arriving in time for the iPhone 5S launch.

The two bigwigs, according to Reuters, were chatting about adding a subscription music service to iTunes, which we can only assume will be rolled out across iPods, iPhones and iPads.

iPhone 5S already on production lines ready for July release date

The iPhone 5S is reportedly already under construction, ready for a release in July

The iPhone 5S has already hit production lines according to a Japanese website.

Foxconn has started the manufacturing process, although at the moment only parts of the device are being produced, not the finished unit.

Samsung Galaxy S4 specs and render leak online

A render of the Samsung Galaxy S4 has leaked online, complete with specs

A render and accompanying spec line-up has leaked online ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S4’s official launch on March 14.

As we trundle towards the big day, more and more info is emerging from the woodwork and the latest snippet comes courtesy of oft-reliable Twitter source @evleaks.

The Galaxy S4 spec information, perhaps predictably, lines up with spec leaks we’ve been hearing for months now and more recently with benchmark records pretty much confirming the hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S4 to feature eye-tracking technology?

Samsung's Galaxy S4 could use some cutting edge eye-tracking technology that allows you to browse through web pages without using your hands

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature eye-tracking technology that will let users scroll through web pages and menus simply by using their eyes, claims reports. Eye-tracking will be just one of the features Samsung unveils next week at its Galaxy S4 launch event in New York.

The news comes via The New York Times which claims to have spoken with sources close to Samsung that have tested the Galaxy S4 and confirmed that it does indeed feature eye-tracking technology – technology that eradicates the need for physical input when scrolling or browsing.

Sony aiming for third spot behind Samsung and Apple

Sony is preparing to do battle with Huawei and ZTE

Sony’s head of mobile business, Kunimasa Suzuki, has revealed the company’s plans to usurp Huawei and hold off ZTE in the race for third position as the world’s leading mobile manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple.

At a briefing in Tokyo, Suzuki said Sony would tailor its smartphone development strategy for individual markets in order to knock Huawei off the number three spot.

The big Chinese manufacturers, ZTE and Huawei, currently hold 4.3 per cent (fifth place) and 4.9 per cent (third place) of the global phone market respectively, according to IDC market figures with Sony sitting between in fourth place at 4.5 per cent. This space is set to become hotly contested in 2013.

Talk from commentators suggests Suzuki’s statements imply the company will look into manufacturing cheaper smartphone models for developing markets.

What are the best smartphones of 2013 so far

Published on Mar 4, 2013

We’re only three months in, but 2013 is shaping up to be quite a year for smartphones. We’ve already seen plenty of new devices launched in and around CES 2013 and Mobile World Congress 2013. And there’s still a lot more to come – most notably Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and a new iPhone.

So far we’ve seen launches from some of the industry’s most significant players: Samsung, Sony, Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Huawei, and ZTE. All of which represent a significant leap forwards in terms of processing power, display technology, and features.

Most of 2013’s new high-rolling handsets feature Full HD displays and high-end processors, CPUs that make last year’s Snapdragon S4 look practically remedial. And some handsets, notably the Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2, are also water and dust resistant – that means you can use them in the bath.

Here’s our pick of the five best handsets of 2013 so far:

Sony Xperia Z

Apple wristwatch in the works, tipped to run iOS

Google’s making Android-powered spectacles and Apple is pushing forwards with an iOS-powered wristwatch. What the hell’s going on?

Apple is said to be pushing ahead with plans to release an iOS-powered watch in 2013. Jony Ive is apparently heading up the project along with 100 Apple engineers. Details are scant at present but the watch is expected to debut at some point in 2013.

Windows Phone Blue will arrive Winter 2013

The next big version of Windows Phone, known as Windows Phone Blue, will arrive in time for Christmas 2013

The next landmark update of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, dubbed Windows Phone Blue, will arrive this winter, according to reports.

Microsoft posted a job listing on its careers website – the company’s looking for a software development engineer:

‘This is a great time to join as we’re completing our current release are getting ready for our next release targeting the holiday [Christmas] of this year and we’re chartered with keeping the momentum for Windows Phone by bringing new killer devices and delightful user experiences.’

Previously rumoured as simply Windows Blue, the next major update following the launch of Windows Phone 8 at the end of 2012 is expected to do a great deal to bridge the gap between Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8/Windows RT in terms of features, functionality and cross-compatibility between the smartphone and tablet/PC platforms.

Speaking to assembled reporters at MWC 2013, Windows Phone senior marketing manager Greg Sullivan commented that development work was being done to improve Windows Phone 8 and enhance its capabilities:

‘We're going to have an upgrade path going forward. Windows Phone 8 can evolve. We have an architecture that enables portability and is fundamentally hardware independent,’ he said.

Following Windows Phone 8’s release, Microsoft’s own program manager, Thomas Fennel, admitted that the company had planned to include a notifications menu but ‘ran out of time’, suggesting there may have been many more features on the drawing board which didn’t make it into the final product.

It’s believed Windows Phone Blue will be as substantial an update in terms of new functionality as Windows Phone 8 was from Windows Phone 7.

A number of incremental updates are expected between now and the arrival of Windows Phone Blue, with Windows Phone GDR2 expected in the next few months.



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Nokia Lumia 1000 EOS PureView could debut P2i waterproofing

Nokia is working with P2i, a partnership which could see the Lumia EOS as fully waterproof down to the PureView camera

Nokia’s rumoured forthcoming flagship, the Lumia 1000 EOS with PureView camerea tech, could be the first production device to debut P2i waterproofing technology showcased at MWC 2013.

P2i’s self-named technology is a nano-coating which works at a molecular level to effectively ‘bounce’ liquids off the surface of phone components, in particular the delicate internals.

The technology is significant because, unlike the current tech found on the likes of the Sony Xperia Z, it doesn’t require the phone’s various ports (headphone jack, microUSB etc.) to be sealed with fiddly grommets and covers.

Not only are such covers frequently annoying to use every time you wish to access a port, but they’re also often held in place by a flimsy plastic band which, if it snaps, compromises the waterproofing of the entire device.

Reports indicate Nokia is planning to debut this P2i technology on products within 2013 and rumours suggest the company’s next flagship, the PureView equipped Lumia 1000 EOS, could be among the first.

The Lumia EOS is said to pack the Nokia 808 PureView 41-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation and will feature an aluminium unibody to keep the weight down.

With P2i technology in place the potential is there for users to take spectacular underwater shots and footage from their phone.

The 41-megapixel setup is capable of capturing some truly stunning images and video, but was left a little redundant in the 808 PureView as it ran the now defunct Symbian operating system.

Previous reports suggest the Lumia EOS will have an angular design language but will focus on a ‘new look’. Nokia is said to have another aluminium-bodied revamp of the Lumia 920 in the works, dubbed the Catwalk, which may or may not have the same chassis as the Lumia EOS and also sports a ‘Phase 2’ PureView camera.

Select attendees at MWC 2013 caught a glimpse of the Catwalk with Eldar Murtazin pouring praise on the new design for its slim and lightweight build. He also alleged that it could be the most popular phone of the year for its superb design and camera tech, but that it is let down by the Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Alcatel, Huawei and Motorola are also said to be working with P2i.



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Samsung Galaxy S4 specs confirmed by Antutu benchmarks

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been caught on benchmark results, confirming the rumoured specs

Samsung Galaxy S4 specs posted in popular testing suite Antutu.

This time the device results are specifically labelled as ‘Galaxy S4’ rather than as we’ve seen before the supposed model number GT-I9500. Interestingly, however, the handset does have the model number too, which is recorded as GT-I9300. We're not sure what to make of this discrepacy just yet.

The rumoured Exynos 5 Octa 5410 eight-core chip is present and correct with its 1.8GHz speed. We were expecting a Mali graphics processing unit (GPU), so it’s curious to see a PowerVR SGX 544MP model instead - another eyebrow-raising anomaly.

BlackBerry Z10 gets its first major update

The BlackBerry Z10 is now getting its first major update which introduces a myriad of improvements, bug fixes, and optimisations

BlackBerry has issued its first major update for the BlackBerry Z10. Now live, update 10.0.10.85 brings with it a new features, lots of bug fixes, and some key software optimisations. The update is available for download OTA.

BlackBerry launched the BlackBerry Z10 just over a month ago, the handset received positive reviews although many found issues with the number of applications available at launch and with its battery life. This update aims to remedy many of these issues.

Here’s a breakdown of what delights you’ll find contained inside the 10.0.10.85 update:

3rd Party App Performance

'We’ve improved performance for 3rd party applications, so developers can build apps that run fast and smooth for you. With this update, you might want to keep an eye out for some fresh new app launches in March, like WhatsApp.'

Phone, Calendar, and Contacts

'Among the top improvements and features are fixes for Gmail calendars on BlackBerry 10. You’ll also find improvements in the BlackBerry Hub for logging calls log and how conversations are handled. We’ve also made general improvements to importing contacts from online sources.'

Camera

'We’ve optimized the camera for better photos in low-light situations. You’ll love the difference this makes for photos where you don’t use a flash – like the Time Shift Camera feature.'

Browser and Media

'With more and more of you using the gorgeous screen on the BlackBerry Z10 to consume online videos and media, we’ve made a number of improvements to the software in the way the browser handles video playback to provide a fantastic experience.'

Battery Life

'The software team has included a number of battery life optimizations with over 60 battery saving improvements since launch to keep you moving. These combined improvements are designed so that you see improvements in battery life and heavy users especially should see a longer average usage per charge cycle.'

The update is now available OTA but users can also check to see if it’s available in their region manually via the following steps: Settings> Software Updates> Check for Updates — then follow the on screen steps to install.

The update is 150MB and, as always, we’d recommend you do it over a Wi-Fi network.



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Best smartphones of Mobile World Congress 2013 [Video]

All the best smartphones of MWC 2013 collected all in one place, featuring Samsung, HTC, Asus, LG, Huawei, Alcatel, Nokia, and ZTE

We’re back from Mobile World Congress 2013 after almost a week of launches, briefings, no sleep and way too much tapas. So what did we see at Europe's biggest mobile expo?

We saw lots of new handsets from a variety of manufacturers, spoke with key people at ARM, Mozilla, NVIDIA, Nokia, Asus, and LG to name but a few, and tested out a trio of new mobile platforms in the form of Ubuntu, Tizen, and Firefox OS.

It was a busy week peppered with lots of little launches and updates from manufacturers and technology brands that don’t yet command the same level of interest as Apple, Google, and Microsoft – none of whom were officially in attendance this year. Still, we did see some cool stuff that was definitely worth the plane ride over.

Mozilla’s Firefox OS, although initially aimed at emerging markets, is certainly very interesting. As is Ubuntu for tablets and the Samsung/Intel-backed Tizen OS. We also saw more of the HTC One, went hands-on with the Sony Tablet Z, and had our first real play with LG’s Optimus G Pro and Nokia’s MWC-launched Lumia 720 and Lumia 520.

It’s difficult to say which device was the best, although one common theme shared by all is that they’re huge - 2013 is undoubtedly going to be the year that 5-inches replaces 4.7-inches as the default size for most top tier handsets. We were also blown away by power contained inside Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chipsets.

Personally, I was most impressed by the LG Optimus G Pro, Ubuntu for Tablets and the Sony Tablet Xperia Z. I also enjoyed speaking with ARM and Mozilla about upcoming developments at the lower end of the smartphone space and the huge impact it’ll have on user experience in emerging markets.

We could go on. But we won’t. Instead, check out the official Know Your Mobile MWC 2013 playlist. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest handset and tablet previews.

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Nokia Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 pre-order and pricing for April 1 UK release

Nokia's mid-range Windows Phone 8 duo, the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, are now up for pre-order

Nokia’s latest Windows Phone 8 handsets, the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, were announced at Mobile World Congress 2013 this week, but already it appears they will be released in the UK on April 1, according to product pages on the site of UK retailer Clove.

The Lumia 720 can be pre-ordered for £300 and includes a 4.3-inch IPS LCD ClearBlack display at 217 pixels-per-inch (ppi), a Qualcomm 1GHz dual-core processor, a 6.7-megapixel camera, a 2000mAh battery pack, 8GB of storage and card support for up to 64GB via high-capacity microSD.

The Lumia 520 is the cheaper of the two, but its 4-inch IPS display features a 233ppi pixel density and allows use even with gloved hands. It has the same storage setup but instead carries a 5-megapixel camera and a dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm processor with a slightly faster graphics processor. The battery is rated at 1,320mAh. It’ll set you back £170 on pre-order.

Buying the handsets through Clove will mean you’ll have to supply your own SIM card. Expect these phones to become available on contracts with major UK networks by the time they land at the beginning of April.

We’ll probably be hearing more about what kind of deals you can get ahead of that date.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our first look preview coverage with both the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 720 as we go hands-on with the devices at MWC 2013.

by via Know Your Mobile

HTC Tiara set to ship with next Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update build

HTC has another Windows Phone 8 handset planned with the Tiara, which will feature a new build of Windows Phone 8

HTC is reportedly working on a new Windows Phone 8 handset, known internally as the ‘Tiara’, which will arrive with the next update version of Microsoft’s smartphone platform.

Microsoft just released General Distribution Release 1 (GDR1) for Windows Phone 8 in December 2012, dubbed ‘Portico’. The HTC Tiara will be loaded with GDR2 but it’s not yet known what codename this update might have.

According to the source of the news, which comes via Unwired View, the handset will be the first to ship with GDR2 Windows Phone 8 and will have a spec which sits between the company’s existing HTC 8X flagship and HTC 8S mid-range model, both of which are proving some of the most popular Windows Phone 8 devices in terms of sales.

The HTC Tiara will have a similar spec to HTC’s One SV Android phone, with a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor from Qualcomm and a 4.3-inch WVGA (800x480 pixel) Super LCD2 display.

There’ll be 1GB of RAM onboard along with 8GB of storage – there’s not yet any mention of card support.

The camera will be better than the One SV's as it's an 8-megapixel setup while a 1.6-megapixel secondary will sit on the front and the whole package will be powered by a 1,800mAh battery pack.

The report pegs the HTC Tiara to arrive by the middle of May 2013.

While nothing was revealed with regard to what the design might look like, it was claimed it will not have any similarity to the HTC One’s design language. You can probably expect it to have a similar appearance to the HTC 8X and HTC 8S, though.

Not much is known about the GDR2 update, but it’s not expected to be a substantial change. The current word is that Microsoft is planning a series of these GDR updates as small patches in the run up to Windows ‘Blue’ within the next 8-12 months.

Windows Blue, referred to simply as ‘Blue’, is expected to introduce huge changes to Windows Phone 8, including more significant integration with Windows 8 and Windows RT.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 leaks, rumours and benchmarks

The Samsung Galaxy S4 could ship with different regional processors, according to rumours, while new photos leak and web benchmarks emerge

The hotly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship has popped up in a number of online news sources, including a leaked photo, reports of multiple processor variants across regions and browser benchmarking tests showing it to be the fastest phone on the web.

Starting with the photo leak – it’s pretty blurry with plenty of camera wobble, but is important for a handful of reasons.

Firstly, it shows the handset in someone’s hand, so looks pretty legitimate. Second, it matches up with a similarly dark and hand-held photo leak from last week (above right), lending further authenticity.

Thirdly, both matching photos show a device with a distinctly squared-off and angular shape, which puts to rest rumours from earlier in the year that the Galaxy S4 would be very similar in design to the Galaxy S3.

What about that processor rumour? It’s all sounding a bit odd actually. According to the Taipei times, which cites analysts from JPMorgan, Samsung will launch the Galaxy S4 in the US with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and integrated 4G LTE modem, while other regions will get the device with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa eight-core chip.

Previously the Samsung Galaxy S3 shipped in the US with a Qualcomm chip, so it is not without precedent, but that was due to Samsung’s own LTE solutions not being ready and a lot of time has passed since then.

We don’t think the rumour is likely to be true. Samsung must have 4G LTE connectivity ready for the Exynos-based version because to launch it without 4G when so many competitor models have it would be suicidal. There aren't many other reasons than lack of 4G for Samsung to opt for Qualcomm's chipsets over its own.

Finally, the browser benchmarks. A device has been spotted in Browsermark 2.0 records marked as the GT-I9500, a codename believed to belong to the Galaxy S4.

The handset clocks up a score of 2710, higher than pretty much anything else recorded by the testing suite so far.

It outclasses the LG Optimus G’s score of 2555, the HTC One’s 2262, the Sony Xperia Z’s 1865, the Nexus 4’s 1794, the Nokia Lumia 920’s 1774 and the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 1247.

At time of writing the phone is sitting pretty at the top of the Browsermark ‘Powerboard’ ranking.

There’s not long to wait now until we can fully bask in the Galaxy S4’s expected glory, as Samsung has officially confirmed March 14 will see the handset launch in New York.

It’s expected to sport a 1.8GHz processor, a 13-megapixel camera and a 5-inch 440ppi display with a 1920x1080 pixel Full HD resolution.

We’ll be covering the event as it happens so stay tuned for all the details.

by via Know Your Mobile