Google to start selling the Moto X on the Play Store, too

Yesterday, Motorola finally announced the Moto X, which will soon go on sale in the US on all the major carriers on a contract. However, Google has now announced that you will also be able to purchase the Moto X from the Play Store as well.

The Google Play edition of the Moto X will be similar to the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, where it would come with a stock version of Android. Although the Moto X does have relatively stock Android even on carrier branded models, it does come with the usual carrier bloatware, along with some of Motorola's customizations, such as the always-on voice feature, shake to start camera and the active lockscreen.

Although Motorola promised quick updates to the Moto X, the Google Play edition will get them even quicker since they don't have to go through the carrier before being pushed to your device.

Just like the GPe of the S4 and the One, the Moto X will also be sold unlocked and at full price. The exact price is not yet known as of now, nor is the actual date when the phone will be available on the Play Store, but considering the specs of the device, you can expect a price of around $299 for the 16GB model. It's unlikely though that Google would offer the Moto X in any other color option other than the standard black and white.

You can check out our hands-on with the Moto X here.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/google_to_sell_the_moto_x_on_the_play_store_soon-news-6506.php

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Motorola Moto X goes live with X8 chipset, 4.7" AMOLED screen

Motorola has officially taken the wraps off the Moto X - the first phone that has been entirely developed under the supervision of Google. It's also the company's first phone in a while to be fully assembled in the USA.

The Motorola Moto X is build around a 4.7" AMOLED display with full RGB matrix and 720p resolution. This results in a pixel density of 316 ppi. The screen is protected by a new type of Gorilla Glass, which is dubbed Magic Glass due to its curves towards the edges of the phone.

On the inside, the Motorola Moto X features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with dual 1.7GHz Krait cores, Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Internal storage is 16GB or 32GB depending on the version you choose but there's no card slot for further expansion. Just like the latest DROID line-up, the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset is part of the Motorola X8 board, which also includes a natural language processor and contextual computing processor.

The Moto X camera has a 10MP sensor and uses the ClearPixel technology for superior low-light performance. Every other green portion of the Bayer filter array, which sits in front of the image sensor, is replaced by a clear one, allowing more light to reach the sensor.

On the software side, the camera offers HDR, burst shots and panorama. The Moto X can also shoot full HD videos at 30fps and there are features like face detection and geo-tagging on board. At the front, there's a 2MP camera capable of 1080p video recording that serves for video-chatting purposes.

Motorola has gone great lengths to make the Moto X a truly customizable phone. Customers can choose whether the front panel to be black or white, as well as the color of the back panel from 18 options. There's also a third customizable area called accent - it covers the camera rim and side buttons. Further customization includes adding a name or short message on the back of the phone as choosing a Google account and wallpaper to come preinstalled on the device.

The Motorola Moto X runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which at first glance looks as clean as stock, but Motorola has added a few touches of its own. One of them is the Active Display feature, which makes use of the OLED screen and brings a snippet of information (the time, new messages and voicemail) on a blank black screen. Think of it as an Android version of Nokia's Glance Screen feature.

Motorola has also preinstalled a transfer app called Migrate. It allows you to transfer your photos, videos, SIM contacts and even call and text history from any Android phone running Android 2.2 or higher.

Because of the curved back, the Motorola Moto X thickness varies from 5.6 to 10.4mm. The phone has a pretty decent footprint for its 4.7" display - 129.3 x 65.3mm with a weight of the very acceptable 130 grams.

Below the customizable back panel sits a 2200mAh battery, which Motorola rates at 13 hours of 3G talk time and up to 24 hours of mixed usage endurance.

The Motorola Moto X a will be available on the five largest carriers in the USA - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular. It will cost $200 for the 16GB version and $250 for the 32GB units, both with a two-year contract.

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/moto_x_by_motorola_is_now_official_is_fully_customizable_in_and_out-news-6504.php

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OK Moto X: Motorola highlights new phone's voice command powers

No need to play telephone with the Moto X

Update: To clarify: your phone is actually listening for you, and to you. Actively. If the Moto X is on, the microphones are on, and should be able to pick up your voice from about 30 meters away depending on your location.

There are also three microphones in the top, bottom and back of the phone for better vocal recognition in your car, in your pocket and on a table.

Original story

Motorola's newest device, the Moto X, is out in the open, and it brings with it a bevy of specialized features and applications.

Motorola has really taken their slogan "Made for you, responds to you, designed by you" to heart.

The Moto X is replete with touchless control where voice command is king and saying "OK Google Now" will activate your phone to do practically anything, but only if it's already turned on.

Responsive to you and you alone, there is a three step training process to learn your voice. If you have a similar voice with your buddy, there's a chance the Moto X will get confused however, Motorola has spent a lot of time making sure this happens as little as possible.

Need to set an alarm? Ask your Moto X. Want to listen to music? Your X is apparently waiting patiently for you to tell it what to do.

Though voice command only works to first party apps however it won't open third-party apps like Spotify.

Vocal range still has yet to be confirmed, but the engineer of the Motorola's Rick Osterloh claims range is good as he was able to make a phone call with the device in his pocket.

• Here's a bit more about the Moto X's splashy new camera features.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/moto-x-has-some-nifty-features-1170407

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Front panel and innards of the iPhone 5C leak

Hours after the purported camera module of the cheaper Apple iPhone 5C got snapped, now photos of the phone's display and framing have surfaced.

Said parts of the rumored cheaper iPhone 5C have been leaked by a company called Chinese C Technology. It claims that there are minor differences between the iPhone 5 and the device they claim is the affordable iPhone 5C. The inside wiring is one of them, in addition to the all-plastic build.

We've already seen the plastic casing of the iPhone 5C on video as well as the different color variations that allegedly Apple is going to launch it in. Naturally, if you've been following the topic, you've also seen a lot more leaks regarding the low-cost Apple smartphone, as well as renders showing how it would look like based on the information available.

Naturally, there is no official confirmation from Apple just yet. Even worse, Apple has repeatedly denied that it's working on a more affordable iPhone, so you'll have to judge for yourself whether the leaks and reports are to be believed.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/front_panel_and_innards_of_the_iphone_5c_leak-news-6503.php

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Play Store beats Apple App Store by downloads for the first time

For the first time ever, the Google Play Store served more app downloads in a quarter than the Apple App Store, about 10% more according to App Annie. However, the iOS store still brings in 2.3x more revenue than the Google реpository.

The main moneymakers in both were games, accounting for 40% of downloads during Q2 of this year. Games accounted for 75% of the revenue generated by the App Store and 80% of the revenue by the Play Store.

It's interesting to see how the two platforms differ in the Top 5 most downloaded app categories. For iOS users, Entertainment, Photo & Video, Lifestyle and Utilities were the most important (after games), while Android users pushed Communication to #2, above Tools, Entertainment and Social.

Social networking apps made a lot of money, getting into Top 5 on both platforms. But while the Apple store had the Music category shoot up 3 places, it was Travel & Local that climbed in the Google store.

How different countries placed in the top downloads and top revenue is also telling. The US is on top in all but revenue from the Play Store. Russia is the only other country to be in the Top 5 for app downloads from the App Store and the Play Store.

Interestingly, China is #2 by downloads and #5 by revenue for the App Store, even though the country is dominated by third-party app stores (yes, for jailbroken iGadgets). The US and Japan (at #2 by revenue) accounted for 40% of the revenue.

Japan spends a lot of money to the Play Store too – in fact it's at the top, even though it isn't in the Top 5 for most downloads. South Korea and the US are second and third respectively, with these top 3 making up 70% of the Play Store revenue.

Thanks to Jean for sending this in!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/play_store_beats_apple_app_store_by_downloads_for_the_first_time-news-6502.php

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More Sony Xperia Honami live photos appear

A new set of Sony Xperia i1 Honami images have popped up online and they go nicely with previous leaks we've seen. The smartphone's Omni Balance design is a certainty at this point with the front and back covered in glass.

This time we get a closer look at the camera lens along with the "G-lens" label and some placeholder Xs to cover what will be the megapixel and focal length information.

We also get a glimpse of the camera UI's and mores specifically the resolution options, which re-confirm the 20 MP sensor.

Sony Xperia Honami

Finally there's an image of the Xperia Honami's side where the dock connector magnetic pins lie.

The next image was allegedly taken with an early model Xperia Honami and got uploaded to Facebook. The image doesn't really tells us much as Facebook does away with EXIF information and downsizes images.

Alleged downsized photo sample from Xperia Honami

The Sony Xperia Honami is supposed to come with a 5" 1080p display, 20 MP CMOS sensor, a fast Snapdragon 800 with the Adreno 330 GPU, Android Jelly Bean (probably 4.2.2) and water resistance. We're expecting it to make an appearance on the IFA floor in Berlin on September 4.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_honami_camera_ui_and_body_leaks_20_mp_confirmed-news-6501.php

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Healthy Xperia sales give Sony's bank account a boost

Sony Xperia Z - helping to save Sony

A bit of good financial news for Sony: the company confounded expectations with its latest results, with smartphones leading the charge and a bucket of hope riding on the PS4.

Sony reported operating profit of $396.68m for April to June 2013 after analysts predicted a mere $256.4m for the quarter.

It's even better news when you look at the operating profit compared to this time last year - income is up by 30 billion yen - that's around $300m - after restructuring came into place and the global exchange rates swung in Sony's favour.

Xperiance

Sony says the big bucks are all thanks to the strong smartphone sales boosted by products like the Xperia Z on top of those thrilling favourable exchange rates.

Sony's mobile division saw a huge 36.2% uptick compared to last year and Sony notes the fact its phones sell for more than they used to has also helped.

Champagne corks might not be popping over at Sony HQ just yet though - the gaming division saw a bigger loss than in previous results, which Sony attributes to a drop in PS3, PSP and PS2 sales coupled with the cost of developing the PS4.

The PS4, of course, should further revitalise Sony's coffers when it launches in time for Christmas.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/healthy-xperia-sales-give-sony-s-bank-account-a-boost-1170267

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Sony sells 9.6M smartphones, turns small profit in Q1

Sony ended its fiscal 2012 year on a good note and it's starting off 2013 in the black too. The fiscal Q1 (April-June) saw an increase in sales and operating revenue by 13% year on year and a net profit of $35 million (it doesn’t sound like much, but in Q1 2012 the company posted a net loss $248 million).

The increase in revenues improved due to favorable currency exchange and a strong performance of the Mobile Products & Communications (MP&C) division responsible for the company's Android phones.

On a constant currency basis, the revenues decreased 3%. Sony points to lack of sales of its chemical division and weak performance of compact and video cameras. Operating profit is up thanks to strong sales of Android phones and higher operating income from Sony's Financial services.

The MP&C division's sold 9.6 million smartphones, which compares favorably to the 8.1 million shipped over the previous quarter and the 7.4 million for the same period of last year.

Revenue increased 36.2% year on year (14% up on a constant currency basis) to $3.92 billion due to the significant increase in smartphone sales and a higher average selling price. The division also scored $71 million due to patent royalties. Operating income was $60 million compared to an operating loss of $285.8 million in the same quarter last year.

Sales of $1.19 billion for the Game division were flat with positive currency exchange rates offsetting lower PS3, PS2 and PSP sales. The division recorded an operating loss of 149 million due to higher R&D costs associated with the upcoming PlayStation 4.

Imaging Products & Solutions saw a 10.4% decrease in sales to $1.75 billion and saw an operating profit of 82 million. The shrinking digital and video camera market resulted in a significant decrease of sales of Sony's products in this category.

The Home Entertainment & Sound scored higher sales and an operating profit of 34 million thanks to an 18.2% increase in sales of Sony TVs. Last year the company lost money on TVs, but a better mix in LCD TVs and reduced costs offset a significant decrease in unit sales.

Sony Pictures and Sony Music scored $38 million and $109 million operating income respectively. Operating income includes a sale of Sony Pictures Entertainment's music publishing catalog for $106 million. After Earth underperformed and hurt Sony Pictures' sales.

You can read more about Sony's financial performance in Q1 this year here (PDF) and its forecast for the fiscal year ending in March 2014. The company has divisions we didn’t cover (including the Sony Life insurance company, which was one of the best performing divisions).

Source (PDF)

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_turns_small_profit_in_q1_with_thanks_to_android_sales-news-6500.php

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Apple patents a three-sensor camera for the iPhone and iPad

No blind spots here...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Apple a new patent that indicates the tech giant may be developing a new camera for the iPhone and iPad that uses three separate sensors, each with their own lens.

The US patent No. 8,497,897 is for "Image capture using luminance and chrominance sensors" on mobile devices.

The system would use two chrominance sensors and one luminous sensor with a lens sitting in front, allowing the capture of three separate images that collect colour, light and other data.

The raw data can then be combined to create a higher quality composite image, which would be particularly handy for photos taken in low-light.

That camera effect

Though we probably won't be seeing the new camera tech in any upcoming iPhones this year, smartphone camera quality seems to be the new "go to" frontier for device dominance, what with Nokia claiming that its Lumia 1020 is "the first smartphone to put the camera first" and Samsung releasing the Galaxy S4 Zoom.

The focus on cameras in smartphones has been around for ages, only increasing because of apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Vine, so this new patent could be a boom for Apple as it faces dropping market share.

But while the USPTO granted this camera patent to Apple, it also invalidated Apple's "pinch-to-zoom" patent earlier this week, which could cause more troubles for the tech giant in its court cases against Samsung.

Via: AppleInsider

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/apple-patents-a-three-sensor-camera-for-the-iphone-and-ipad-1170220

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