Two Windows Phone 8 handsets have officially gone on sale in the UK today, with the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X hitting the shelves.
The Lumia 920 is exclusively available on the new 4G EE network for now, while the Windows Phone 8X can be picked up on tariffs from a number of networks.
You'll need to shell out some serious money if you want to lay your hands on the Nokia Lumia 920, with EE's two-year tariffs starting at £36 per month and the cheapest option giving you just 500MB of data and requiring you to shell out £129.99 up front.
Pricey
If you want more data a month, 1GB will set you back £41 with an outlay of £49.99, while EE's recommend tariff gives you 3GB for an upfront cost of just £19.99, but it's £46 per month.
Meanwhile the HTC Windows Phone 8X can be picked up at O2 for free on a £32 per month two year deal, giving you 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data.
If you fancy getting your mitts on the HTC 8S, Nokia Lumia 820 or Samsung Ativ S then you'll need to hold on for a week or two, as these handsets will be available later this month.
Samsung have once again outdone themselves, this time with the Galaxy Note II. The 5.5-inch phablet is now ticking in 3 million pockets worldwide, just 37 days after the September launch.
"The rapid Galaxy Note 2 sales have a meaning of not just creating a new category of smartphone, but also of popularizing the category." – says Samsung.
While the number is not as impressive Galaxy S III and far from Apple’s iPhone 5 sales, it’s still a milestone for the company and for any device in this class. The first Galaxy Note managed to sell just 2 million units four months after its premiere (way more than the initial expectations), so the Note II is a sound success indeed.
Android distribution numbers for October are in and Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean are still short of the reach Google might have hoped for.
At merely 2.7%, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean usage has jumped just 0.9% compared to September, 2012. The OS debuted exactly 6 months ago, and despite Samsung and HTC's best efforts to update their high-end devices, Jelly Bean is still to get proper traction.
Ice Cream Sandwich distribution is also on the rise clocking in at 25.8%, almost 2 points up from last month. With most manufacturers having completed their scheduled ICS updates, we don't expect this number to continue to climb. Especially with the majority shifting their attention to Jelly Bean.
Finally, Gingerbread is continuing to drop from 55.8% in September to 53.9% in October. With most devices comprising this number being low-end droids that would never see an update in their life, this number isn't likely to plummet anytime soon.
For more details and data, click on the source link below.
The HTC Opera UL will be the first official Facebook smartphone, so says a "very reliable source".
According to Pocket-Lint, an unnamed insider spilled the beans on social network's first handset, claiming that it was indeed in development and that we'd already got the first glimpse of it in a benchmark test.
It's claimed the HTC Opera GL is the name for the handset which is being developed specifically for Facebook, although little else is known about it at this time.
Delays
The benchmark result which the informant refers to reveals the Opera UL sports a 1.4GHz processor, 720x1280 HD display and comes running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.
The source did reveal the Opera UL has been subject to delays, it's not clear what the reason is behind this, or indeed how long the handset has been pushed back.
There have been many, many rumours about a potential Facebook phone, none of which have come to fruition, so we're taking this latest news with a heavy dosage of salt.
The HTC Windows Phone 8X signature device is up for sale in the UK on both Unlocked Mobiles and Clove. Off contract, it's priced £398.98 and £399.98 respectively, inclusive of VAT.
The device was on track to go on sale on November 2 so it's nice to see there weren't any delays.
The unlocked Windows Phone 8X's will work on all UK networks, except EE's LTE. As a refresher, it features a 4.3" 720p display with an impressive 342 ppi, an two wide-angle cameras, Windows Phone 8, dual-core Krait processor and more.
Amazon's cloud storage service for photos isn't just for Kindle HD users anymore. The company made its Cloud Drive Photos app available for most Android devices today. Signing in with your Amazon account will net you 5GB of free space for your pictures.
Android phone and tablet users have yet another option for cloud-based storage, though this time it’s specifically for photos. Amazon has made its Cloud Drive Photos app, which is already integrated into the Kindle Fire HD, available on most Android devices. This app looks like a service that will serve constant photo-snappers quite well.
The app initially asks for users to sign in using an Amazon account. You’re going to want to sign up for an account if you don’t already have one, because this app is completely useless if you don’t. The point of a cloud drive service is to save space, not take it up. Once you’re signed in, you’ll be greeted with the app’s home screen, or the “Cloud” tab. This simply explains to you how to access your drive online and add content from your computer that can then be viewed on your phone or tablet.
There is a second tab atop the display in this app called “Photos.” This is where you will actually be able to see the photo content that is currently saved on your device. Your camera roll, screen captures, Draw Something drawings, Instagram images, and all other photographic data is displayed. These are displayed by category, which can then be explored to see what each album holds. Pressing and holding on an album or an individual picture will allow you to manage the selection, prompting you to either remove it from the device or upload it to the cloud. These are very contrary choices, so make sure you select the one you want. The app also doesn’t appear to automatically sync and there is no option to do so in the settings, so you’ll have to manually update your sync after every snapshot, making this app annoyingly out of date compared to options from Google+ and others.
All users of Amazon’s Cloud Drive Photos get 5GB of free storage. That can be upgraded to 20GB of space for $10 a year. Everything you upload is accessible right from your Amazon account, making it easy to manage from your phone or your computer. The app isn’t exactly feature rich, but it does the job it claims. An auto-sync feature would be nice, but it looks like we’ll have to wait until the next update to see if it’s there.
you can download the Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app on the Google Play store or Amazon’s Appstore.
Looking for accessories to go with your brand new iPad mini? Moshi's VersaCover origami case doubles as a screen protector and an iPad stand.
Congratulations! You’ve braved the Apple line once again and got your hands on the new iPad mini. Now you want to know how to keep the Retina display safe from scratches and dust. Consider Moshi’s VersaCover origami case, an architecturally inspired cover that builds upon Apple’s Smart Cover design. Like its predecessor for the original iPad, you’ll be able to flip, fold, and tuck the VersaCover into various shapes so while it’s not protecting your iPad’s screen, it can function as an iPad stand.
The secret is between the edges of the cover, which contain little magnets to help the ridges connect and stay sturdy when folded. You can use the folds to position your iPad to stand upright or landscape are various angles. The cover itself is also made of microfibers and will support the iPad mini’s auto-wake/sleep feature for a swift access to the menu. Unfortunately, pricing is pretty steep in comparison to the original iPad version. The VersaCover for iPad mini will retail for $55 with a shipment date scheduled by the end of the year, while the original version retails for $60. Moshi’s VersaCover will be available in four color options: Aloe Green, Denim Blue, Sakura Pink, and Velvet Grey. We’re digging the pastel color scheme which makes for a soft introduction to the holiday season.
Word that Microsoft is working on an own-brand Windows Phone handset keeps resurfacing, with the latest reports saying that it's currently in testing.
The Wall Street Journal says that Microsoft is testing the mysterious Microsoft smartphone with Asian suppliers, presumably with a view to working out manufacturing processes.
The same sources also told the paper that the Microsoft phone will come with a display somewhere between 4- and 5-inches.
Time will tell
However, they also added that Microsoft isn't yet sure if the handset will make it to mass production.
Samsung has announced that it has sold 3 million Galaxy Note 2 tablet/smartphone hybrid devices, despite it only have been on sale since September. That's a lot of sales for a niche product, so where is its competition?
Samsung must be looking at the latest sales figures for the Galaxy Note 2, which it has just made public, shaking its head and then having a good laugh. It has released a device nobody thought they wanted and critics instantly took against, then went on to sell millions of them. So why is it laughing? Because there still isn’t any competition.
The Galaxy Note 2 went on sale during September in Korea, reached the UK on October 1, and has steadily made its way to the US and other regions around the world since. According to Samsung, in 37 days it has racked up more than 3 million sales.
The original Galaxy Note arrived in September 2011, but didn’t reach 1 million sales until the end of December, so the Note 2‘s performance is impressive going, particularly when you take into account the Note 2 is still a niche device.
But is it so niche that it doesn’t need some competition? Who does Samsung think it is? Apple? Has it really produced an initially derided product that in reality, just caught other manufacturers napping?
Rumors and half-releases
It seems so, as viable alternatives to the Note 2 are few and far between, despite the product line having been on sale for more than a year. There’s the LG Optimus Vu, or the LG Intuition if you buy it from Verizon; but in its infinite wisdom, LG hasn’t bothered to give it a wide release, so its sales are unlikely to impress.
HTC’s bizarrely named J Butterfly phone has a 5-inch, 1080p screen, but it’s only available in Japan, while Panasonic has picked up its 5-inch Eluga Power and taken it home, after it failed to gain any traction in the European market. At least these have seen a release, as phones such as the LG Optimus Vu II, the Oppo Find 5, Lenovo’s S880 and the Thomson X-View 2 are all seemingly in some kind of release date limbo.
Huawei and ZTE have woken up and started talking about their own tablet/smartphone hybrid machines. For Huawei, it will be the Ascend D2 and the rumor is it will be equipped with a quad-core chip and a 720p 5-inch display. ZTE’s Nubia Z5 will have the same specification, but will add a 13-megapixel camera too. Neither are confirmed though, and both are likely to do the rounds in China before possibly going international sometime next year.
There are also a few other rumored devices with 5-inch-plus sized screens coming soon. HTC may adapt the J Butterfly for international release — possibly to be named the Droid DNA and launched on the Verizon network — while the Sony C650X, codename Odin, may arrive next year too, along with a 6-inch screen version codename Yuga. Both of these and the Droid DNA are said to have 5-inch, 1080p screens.
All this gives the Galaxy Note 2 an almost entirely open playing field until well into 2013. How many Note 2 handsets will it have gone on to sell before a true alternative finally goes on sale?
A splash of colour, Microsoft's latest mobile platform and a sleek new body are combined with more powerful hardware - is the 8X the phone to bring Windows Phone 8 to the masses?
HTC's been in a bit of a weird position these last few years. From the days of anonymity when it made Windows phones for others, it rode the crest of the Android wave when Google's platform launched becoming, pretty much, the Android handset OEM of choice.
And then Samsung happened. HTC's offerings appeared to dip and even the pretty fantastic One X – struggled to make inroads against the seemingly unstoppable Galaxy line, currently led by the superb Galaxy S3.
HTC was up there at the starting block when Microsoft launched Windows Phone a couple of years back, and although it's competing with Samsung in this arena too – and its offerings haven't been what one would call "amazing" – HTC is clearly trying to make its voice heard.
And what better way to do that with some pretty bright colours and a newer version of Windows Phone that the world's been waiting for for months?
The HTC 8X comes in a range of colours - from muted black, to respectable red, to an elegant purple and a, quite frankly, hideous lollipop-lady yellow hue.
We were sent the purple model and it's a beauty. There had been rumours that the red would be reserved for Verizon users in the US – but it looks like the rest of world is now getting it too.
First thing we noticed is how thin the HTC 8X is. Not so much an amazing feat of engineering, but a clever trick.
With dimensions of 132.4 x 66.2 x 10.1mm, the HTC 8X is fairly average in size. But it's thinner round the edges to give the impression it's more svelte than it actually is. Not that this matters because it looks and feels thin most of the time and the slight curve around the back means it sits well, both on a surface and in the hand.
In fact, in the hand, it looks the same size as the HTC One X, despite the appearance given in our picture above.
Add to that the material the HTC 8X is made of – polycarbonate, like the One X – and you instantly have in your mitts a handset that feels like a real premium device. It's a unibody design so it's all nice and neat (win) but at the expense of a memory slot and replaceable battery (fail).
The front of the HTC 8X is taken up by the display. If you like what Nokia did with the Lumia 800, or indeed what HTC did with the One X, you'll be a fan of this too.
The screen just looks like it's been stuck on top of the phone and adds to that premium feel. There's also a splash of colour around the earpiece to remind you that the two are linked.
Next to this, you'll find the front-facing wide-angled camera, and the three Windows Phone softkeys at the bottom – back, search and menu.
That screen is an HD display at 720x1280. Spread over 4.3 inches, it's easily as sharp as Apple's retina display, which no longer appears to be anything special by modern standards.
The top of the HTC 8X is fairly minimalist with nothing other than the 3.5mm headphone jack and the lock button. Although we're not necessarily fans of lock buttons on top of larger phones due to the awkwardness they present, here, we weren't too fussed.
Due to the shape of the handset and the way it sits, it's easy enough to press with the index finger whether you're a left or right hander. Our only complaint is it is quite subtle and a few times, we had to feel around to find it if we were looking elsewhere. It doesn't stick out much.
The left hand side of the HTC 8X is completely bare, whilst all you'll find down at the bottom is the micro USB charging and syncing port.
The volume rocker is on the right and below it is a camera shutter key. We are always pleased to see these because it makes the art of launching the camera and taking a photo so much easier than messing about with software, no matter how good said software is.
There's also a tray for getting that micro SIM in – but you'll need to use a special tool to open it so make sure you keep it in a safe place.
The rear of the HTC 8X is a thing of beauty. That polycarbonate body really sets it off – as does the colour which sits beneath a silver HTC logo and another displaying the Beats Audio heritage. And of course, there's that main snapper with LED light which HTC promises will deliver amazing results.
The 8X will be pitching itself right against Nokia's latest Lumia range – and with the Lumia 920 also coming in a number of colourful iterations, telling them apart may be harder for those who aren't as used to Windows Phone products.
But there is a difference in that the HTC 8X doesn't come with 4G LTE connectivity in the UK, whilst the Lumia 920 does. Which means it'll likely be cheaper – and that may be its saving grace for late adopters.
Expect the HTC 8X to launch at the start of November. With this in mind, there are no real deals to be had yet, but preorder prices are sitting a shade under the £400 mark (USD: $640 / AU: £620) for a 16GB sim-free unit.
This will be HTC's flagship Windows Phone handset, so don't expect it to be in the bargain bucket. Prepare to pay at least £30 a month for two years.
Leaked screenshots of an update to Google's Wallet App that hasn't been pushed yet shows evidence that a physical Google Wallet Card will be made available for instances where you can't make purchases with your NFC-enabled Android phone.
Digital wallet services are flooding the market, despite the many barriers between them and consumers pockets. Apparently, Google is trying to alleviate some of this existing friction with a tangible solution. Android Police received an anonymous tip and series of screenshots showing off a Google Wallet app promoting a physical Google Wallet card. According to the screenshots, the Google Wallet Card will be a physical credit card used in lieu of the multiple credit cards you have in your physical wallet.
The screenshots might have been taken by someone who had early access to an updated Google Wallet app, and it shows off a leaked informational page explaining the advantages of a Google Wallet Card. The cards are likely intended for brick-and-mortar shops that haven’t adopted NFC reading terminals or even iPad-based solutions.
The card is supposed to bridge the gap between the new and old payment systems we’re stuck in. On one hand it’s a credit card like any other, but it digitally stores all of your existing cards so you can leave the multiple pieces of plastic at home. Users will defer to the Google Wallet app to indicate which credit card stored on the physical Google Wallet Card they want to swipe.
There are a few advantages to this system. For instance, if you lose your wallet, you’re not forced to cancel all your cards. In fact, “you only need to cancel your Google Wallet Card (not every card in your wallet).” You’ll also probably be able to request a new Google Card with the press of a button in the Google Wallet app. Some bonus security measures appear to include 24/7 fraud monitoring, and the ability to remotely disable your card at any time.
The second part of the leak introduces withdrawing money or sending money to a “Wallet Balance,” which seems to be a debt-like account where you can store, send, or spend money. It may suggest being able to soon use the Google Wallet Card as a debit card itself, independent of the stored credit cards. Finally, the screen shot shows evidence of the ability to add a transit card, like a New York City Metro Card for instance.
Of course until Google gets back to us we’re merely speculating, but the screenshots are incredibly telling: Google is aggressively entering this market and competing with the likes of Square and even more so Apple Passbook.
HTC today announced a new Android based dual-SIM smartphone in an event in Singapore. The Desire SV, as it is called, will go on sale in India this month and will sell for ₹22,590 ($420) unsubsidized.
The Desire SV has a 4.3-inch Super LCD2 with a resolution of 800 x 480, dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 768MB RAM, 4GB internal memory with microSD card slot, 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture and 28mm lens, WVGA video recording, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi, Beats Audio and a 1,620mAh battery. The phone runs on an unspecified version of Android (we are hoping it's 4.1) with HTC's Sense UI on top.
Ever since Microsoft announced the Surface tablet earlier this year, there have been rumors and speculations regarding Microsoft entering the smartphone hardware market as well.
Well, it seems they might. According to the sources at The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is working with Asian component suppliers to test their own smartphone design. Having said that, the company is not sure if the device will go in mass production.
It is said that the device Microsoft is currently testing has a display between four and five inches. Also, according to The Verge, this device won't be making an official appearance any time before the next year and is supposedly Microsoft's 'Plan B' in case the existing Windows Phone 8 devices fail to make an impression upon the users.
This is certainly interesting news for Windows Phone fans, although we are not sure if the other hardware manufacturers feel the same way.
