Google Nexus Edition by subtraction of bloated UI features
The Sony Xperia Z is already a TechRadar-recommended smartphone, but the Android device's interface may get even better thanks to a report that says a Google Nexus edition is on the way.
Sony and Google have teamed up to develop a Google Edition of the LTE-equipped smartphone, according to anonymous Sony sources who talked to Android Geeks.
The Google Nexus version of the Xperia Z is said speculated to run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a step up from the phone's current Android 4.1 version of Google's operating system.
Google could also use the water-resistant and dustproof phone as a way to demo its expected Android 4.3 OS release, but that remains speculation.
Pure price to pay
The Sony Xperia Z Google Nexus, if the report is accurate, will cost $599 in the Google Play Store after it is announced in July.
That's a steep price, however, it won't have a two-year carrier contract attached to it, just like previous Nexus phones.
The Xperia Z would join recently Nexified phones like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 in running a stock Android operating system at a contract-free higher initial price.
Sony and Google have not responded to TechRadar's request for a comment on the as-it-stands unconfirmed Nexus version of the Sony Xperia Z, but we will update this story when they get back to us.
Samsung's rapid ascent to the top of the smartphone tree may be in danger of stalling, amid reports that demand for the flagship Galaxy S4 handset isn't up there with its predecessor.
The Korean company's stock price fell by 6 per cent on Friday seeing an estimated $12 billion (about UK£7.7, AUD12.6) wiped off its value, following claims that S4 sales are slowing following an initial surge.
What hasn't helped matters is the feeling among bean counters that the launch of spin-off handsets like the Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy S4 Active may hurt the company's profit margins.
Analysts believe that Samsung is swapping profit for volume by flooding the market with cheaper versions of its flagship device in order to take on affordable handsets from Chinese firms like ZTE and Huawei.
Beware of aiming low
Speaking to Reuters, analyst Kim Young-chan, of Shinhan Investment Corp, said Samsung needs to be careful when targeting the middle of the market.
He said: "Sales of high-end handsets are lagging behind expectations, while low- to mid-end handsets are selling briskly worldwide.
"As the portion of low- to mid-range handsets is expected to increase in Samsung's overall mobile phone business, this has also sparked concerns about thinning margins and lower growth."
Similar story at Apple
Samsung, of course, isn't the only company that may be experiencing a slight comedown following a period of insane growth in mobile.
Back in April, Apple reported that its profits had slowed for the first quarter in almost a decade, despite selling a whopping 37.4 million iPhones and 19.5 million iPads.
The markets panicked about that too, eventually sending Apple's stock price down by almost half from its all-time high of September 2012.
That leaves the question: If Apple and Samsung are struggling to appease the financial gods with record sales figures, what hopes do the likes of BlackBerry, HTC and Nokia have of bouncing back?
Apple is expected to announce its next iteration of iOS in its upcoming World Wide Developers Conference, which will kick start on June 10.
Apple has begun to decorate its Moscone Center in San Francisco, the venue for WWDC 2013, and the banner used in the process shows the number '7'. This more or less confirms that the Cupertino giant will be announcing a new version of iOS.
Moreover, the much anticipated iOS 7 recently appeared in a GFXBench database and confirmed its presence. The upcoming iOS version is expected to feature a major UI redesign with a flat new look under the leadership of Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design - Jony Ive.
Apple's official WWDC 2013 app for iOS is already available and, in case you are not able to attend the event, stay tuned to our website, as we will be bringing you all the latest happenings from the developer's conference live.
Is an official 'EOS' announcement imminent? (credit: Vizileaks)
Another day, another purported glimpse at the rumoured, camera-focused Nokia EOS smartphone. However, this time it has apparently gone on show in moving pictures.
Yes, the thought-to-be-forthcoming Windows Phone 8 device with the Pureview sensor, seems to be gracing YouTube in a somewhat blurry 50-second clip showing the large camera module in all its glory.
The clip, shared by VizLieaks, actually shows the camera in action. You know, taking pictures. It demonstrates the the shutter opening and closing as well as the image stabilisation tech on board.
The casing is obviously a pre-release version as it doesn't state the exact megapixel count, instead displaying a 'XX'. The only previous Pureview model rocked a 41-megapixel sensor.
Striking resemblance
The site also shared some photos, including the first we've seen of the front of the device, which, as expected bares a striking resemblance to Nokia's recent Lumia Windows Phone devices.
Earlier this week, we saw leaked pictures of the device's casing thanks to Chinese site WPDang, showing the protruding lens that will allow Nokia to pack in all of that fancy camera tech.
Speculation surrounding the device has suggested that the Nokia EOS smartphone device will pack a quad-core processor, 720p display, 32GB of storage for all of those hi-res photos.
Reports have also claimed that the device will take two versions of every photo. One at a whopping 35MB and one at 5MB which makes will make them easier to share on social networks.
We already know M4 is the codename behind the HTC One mini. The handset is supposed to be a mini version of the 5" HTC One (M7) flagship powered by a dual-core chipset and running on a smaller 4.3" 720p display.
Today, the HTC One mini was certified by the Bluetooth SIG, so if the live pictures weren't enough to convince you of its existence, the certification will do the job. The document also points to the fact that the launch of the device is drawing close and we should see an announcement sooner rather than later.
In case you wonder how we know HTC PO58XXX means HTC M4 - the M4 already appeared under the same model in the Wi-Fi certification database.
Samsung announced the IP67-certified Galaxy S4 Active just two days ago and it's supposed to hit the US and Sweden in the summer.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is powered by the same Snapdragon 600 chipset as the vanilla Galaxy S4, but comes with an 8MP camera and a 5" 1080p TFT display. The rest of the specs stay the same. The Galaxy S4 Active is IP67-certified for dust and water resistance (up to 1 meter for 30 minutes).
Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active official images
Samsung didn't specify the pricing details at the announcement but today we get some info on the Russian official pricing. The Galaxy S4 Active will costs exactly the same as the Galaxy S4 flagship in Russia (about €700). Which means the same will probably apply in the rest of the world.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 costs a little under €550 in most markets, so we expect Samsung to release the Galaxy S4 Active at about the same price point. It make sense since the Active has almost identical hardware as the S4 and adds a tougher dust and water resistant shell as a compensation for the lower-res camera and the lack of AMOLED screen.
Samsung Electornics's market value has taken a $12 billion hit as the company's share price has dropped 6%.
The reason is the rumored slowdown of Galaxy S4 sales, which while starting quite strong are losing momentum according to some analysts. Furthermore, investors are fearing that the company's newly introduced Galaxy S4 mini will eat into the profit margins as some people might choose it over the full-sized Galaxy S4.
Samsung's market evaluation suffers even more due to rumors floating the web that Apple is planning to start a trade-in program for its iPhone. We'll see what Apple has to announce in just a couple of days' time at its WWDC conference. Whatever investors' feeling are, the fact is that Samsung is the alpha dog of the smartphone world in Q1 2013.
Apparently there's something big brewing over in Taiwan as news of the super-sized handset going by the moniker HTC One Max begins to make its way onto the web.
After the success of the HTC One the Taiwanese firm is probably feeling pretty bullish about its chances going forward and it's no surprise that rumours have begun to crop up suggesting it's looking at a One mini and a phablet device codenamed T6.
We've sifted through all the HTC One Max/HTC T6 talk to bring you a definitive run down of what you might be able to expect from HTC's monster mobile.
HTC One Max release date and price
HTC currently doesn't have any events planned for this year, but that hasn't stopped speculation on a possible HTC One Max release date.
At the moment reports point towards a release towards the end of this year, so the One Max might be one for the Christmas list.
Pricing is equally as unknown for now, but expect to shell out the big bucks for this larger than life handset.
Growing pains
The main attraction on the HTC One Max will be its display which is apparently shaping up to be a mammoth 5.9-inch, full HD affair.
This would dwarf the 5.5-inch, 720p Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but with rumour of a Galaxy Note 3 on the horizon the One Max may find itself matching Samsung's next phablet when it comes to screen size.
Original reports suggested HTC would only give the T6 a modest screen bump, upping if from 4.7- to 5-inches from the HTC One - although those rumours seem to have been laid to rest now.
Anyone for Key Lime Pie?
One of the big surprises with the much talked about HTC One Max surrounds the operating system it'll be running.
Key Lime Pie hasn't even been announced yet so if it is to appear in the HTC T6 then Google's going to have to get a shift on - unless it decides to team up with the Taiwanese manufacturer for a joint launch. Tasty!
Double take
Usually with key phone launches a whole platter of images claiming to depict the handset in question are leaked online, although when it comes to the One Max we've only had one so far in the form of a blueprint.
If the picture does indeed show the HTC One Max then fans of the HTC One will be pleased to learn that it won't really deviate from the flagship's design language.
From the rear, the One Max (or HTC T6 if you want to use the codename) appears to be identical to the handset it's based on.
On the front only minor cosmetic changes show up, with additional width to accommodate the larger display and a shift of the sensors at the top of the device from the left to right side of the upper speaker grille.
Spec me up Scotty
In terms of other specifications for the HTC One Max we only really have The Unlockr report to go on, but it's worth noting the details came via @evleaks, which has a pretty decent track record when it comes to uncovering handsets.
Apparently the One Max will feature a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 2.1MP front camera, UltraPixel rear camera and a sizable 3300mAh battery.
Now those are some pretty tasty specs and it will certainly give the competition a run for its money - but we're going to have to wait and see if they are accurate.
According to Citigroup Global Markets Inc analyst Kevin Chang HTC may have sold 1.2 million HTC One units in May, which is a 100% increase compared to April.
That would mean that with the addition of the first week of June around 2 million HTC Ones were sold, which fits-in nicely with the revenue increase HTC posted in May but drastically contradicts previous reports that HTC has sold 5 million One units. However until we see a complete breakdown of the numbers by HTC itself we cannot say for sure.
Analysts expect the momentum to continue throughout this month and, barring any major announcements in the Summer as well..
HTC has apparently dealt with the shortages in the HTC One's production, which in turn leads to higher sales.
The Sony Xperia ZU, codenamed Togari, has made an appearance in its first live photo. The image which purportedly displays the side of the Xperia ZU isn't of very good quality. However, that is compensated by the cute cat that stands on top of Sony's phablet.
The cat aside, the Xperia ZU looks to carry the design language of the Tablet Z and Xperia Z featuring straight edges and amazingly thin profile. Rumored to sport a 6.44-inch 1080p display, the Xperia ZU is said to be powered by the 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset and 2GB of RAM.
On top of that, chatter around the web suggests the phone will be IP58 certified and will support pencils for stylus. The Xperia ZU is expected to run on Android 4.2.2.
Sony will be holding an event on June 25, and we reckon the Japanese will show off the Xperia ZU there.
HTC's rumoured phablet - the HTC T6 - is rapidly tearing its way into the realms of reality, and it looks like we have a more official name, blueprints and a vague release date.
The device will be given the name of HTC One Max, according to a J.P. Morgan analyst in Hong Kong who claims to have some inside info.
Makes sense, really. We knew that the T6 moniker was just a temporary codename, and putting Max on the end is about as close to "Mega" as you can getting Samsung hot under the collar.
It doesn't end there though. Mobileaks has posted what is allegedly the blueprint design of the maxed-up handset, revealing a few slight changes in design but nothing too drastic.
According to said analyst Alvin Kwock, carriers are apparently already very interested in the as-yet-unofficial device. Time for Samsung to start getting worried?
The previously posited specs, including that it will run on Key Lime Pie, were also repeated, though with a 2.2GHz CPU and not the previously-touted 2.3GHz.
The fabled handset is said to host a 5.9-inch HD touchscreen display at 1920 x 1080 resolution, with a Snapdragon processor powering the phone.
Nokia might as well make the EOS official already, after multipleleaks the WP8 sharpshooter now has a short preview. The preview is light on details, but is still an interesting first look at the 808 PureView successor.
The phone reportedly feels a bit on the heavy side and the reviewer from ViziLeaks couldn’t quite make out the material. It's probably polycarbonate, but possibly metal too (whichever it is, it's certainly high quality). The Nokia EOS uses a design very similar to the Lumia 920.
Nokia EOS got a quick review before it is even official
The arrangement of controls, ports and slots is the same as on the other Lumia phones. On the left are the volume rocker, Power/Lock key and the all-important shutter key. On top is the microSIM card slot and the 3.5mm audio jack, with the microUSB port and loudspeaker grilsl at the bottom.
The design of Lumia phones is fairly standardized
It's the back that's interesting, really, with the bulging camera module with Carl Zeiss lens, xenon flash and LED light. Unfortunately, the ViziLeaks team was not allowed to check the megapixel count on the camera or get any other specs.
The star of the show – a PureView camera of unknown resolution
Also on the back are two pogo pins (like the Lumia 925 has) for connecting wireless charging covers, meaning the Nokia EOS probably won't have this built in. Nokia probably didn’t want to add any more weight to an already heavy phone (the 808 PureView tipped the scales at 169g).
June will be a busy month and now Sony has thrown its hat in the ring – "it is time for the next step" the company says in the invites it sent out, promising a look into the future. The invites are for an event on June 25.
There's not even a hint of what the star of the show will be, but Sony will announce more details later.
It doesn’t hurt to speculate though. The Sony Xperia L4 Togari phablet is one option, with a 6.44" 1080p screen, which supports the use of pencils as styluses, a Snapdragon 800 chipset and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
Another name from the rumor mill is the Sony Xperia C670X, with a 4.8" 1080p screen and quad-core Snapdragon 600. Earlier this year we also stumbled on the Xperia C680X, but there's little info about it.
Of course, it could be something less exciting but we'll have to wait and see – and hope some more info slips out.
