LG Optimus G Pro with a 5" 1080p screen leaks

The LG Optimus G is one of the most powerful phones on the market right now and it got the honor of being the basis of the latest Google Nexus phone. Yet, LG may already be working on an improved version, the LG Optimus G Pro.

Blog of Mobile came upon some info that points to the Optimus G Pro joining the 5” 1080p fight. The quad Krait CPU will be clocked at 1.7GHz (up from 1.5GHz) and the battery capacity has been bumped up to 3000mAh. It might also pack an IR port, similar to the Sony Xperia ZL.

The rest is pretty much the same – 13MP camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, LTE connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, NFC, wallet and a couple of digital TV standards (presumably, those won’t make it to the worldwide version).

The LG Optimus G Pro will measure 139 x 70 x 10mm and weigh 160g according to rumors.

A couple of things lend some credence to the G Pro rumors - the image above was sent to Engadget by an anonymous tipster and Piet Zweegers, who sent this in to us, found out LGOptimusGPro.nl is registered by LG Electronix Benelux (there's nothing at that domain at the moment).

This isn't the first time we're hearing of such a device - it sounds very close to the rumored specs of the LG Optimus G2.

If it pans out, it will be interesting because the G Pro will depart from the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Optimus G (unless the Pro has a 1200 x 1920 screen, which was mislabeled as 1080p by the rumors) and it will undoubtedly spark rumors of a Nexus 5.

Thanks to Piet Zweegers for sending this in!

Source 1 (in Japanese) | Source 2

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/rumored_lg_optimus_g_pro_to_have_a_5_1080p_screen-news-5366.php

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BlackBerry 10 apps may suck on the QWERTY handset

The curse of the QWERTY keyboard

The first QWERTY keyboard-toting BlackBerry 10 device may be at a disadvantage with apps not optimised for its display.

According to Canadian news site the Financial Post, Victoria Berry from RIM has said the firm won't release the SDK for its QWERTY handsets until after the January 30 launch date.

This would mean developers cannot adapt their applications for the smaller display ahead of time meaning devices will go to market without properly coded native apps.

App-oh

It's not like the QWERTY keyboard has gone off the boil with RIM Senior Director Bob El-Hawary telling Vodafone recently the firm "will also be announcing a physical keyboard device" at the January 30 launch event.

El-Hawary was also quick to point out that the number of new apps being submitted to BB 10 is breaking records: "we're confident that we'll launch with tens of thousands of apps, a record for the launch of any new mobile platform."

With so many apps apparently ready to go it's even more surprising that the physical keyboard device - currently referred to as the BlackBerry X10 - won't be able to take full advantage of them from the word go.

We're sure all will become clear at the end of the month when RIM finally launches BlackBerry 10 and hopefully gets its business back on track.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/blackberry-10-apps-may-suck-on-the-qwerty-handset-1125931

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UK network O2 sees success selling the HTC One X+ without a mains charger

O2 has published the results of its “Charger out of the box” scheme, where it offered the HTC One X+ to customers without a mains charger, in an effort to cut down on environmental waste.

Following a trial which began in October last year, UK network O2 is celebrating the success of its “Charger out of the box” scheme, where it partnered with HTC to provide customers purchasing the One X+ the chance to opt out of having a mains charging adaptor included. The idea is to reduce the amount of environmental waste these chargers produce, as according to O2, there are 100 million of them laying around in the UK already.

Those buying the One X+ without a charger will get the standard microUSB to USB cable, enabling them to use a compatible wall charger they already own, or to charge their new phone through a computer. In 2010, the European Commission and 14 mobile manufacturers approved a plan to standardize mobile phone chargers, and all agreed to use the microUSB system. A clause allows manufacturers to provide an adaptor if they really don’t want to convert over to microUSB charging, which is how Apple deals with the rule.

O2 became the first network to conduct a trial run of selling a phone without an A/C adaptor, as its research showed 70-percent of its customers already owned a suitable charger and therefore didn’t need another. Now the trial has ended, it has revealed 82-percent of people who purchased the One X+ chose not to take a charger, showing its research was on the conservative side. In case you’re wondering, O2 will still supply a charger to anyone who wants one, but they have to pay cost price.

With 30 million phones sold in the UK annually, if every network and manufacturer adopted a similar practice, it would result in 24 million fewer phone chargers being added to the pile, based on O2’s results. O2’s CEO Ronan Dunne said, “The results of the trial demonstrate a clear willingness among consumers to consider and respond to the environmental argument for taking a phone charger-free.” Dunne also pushed others to follow its example. The trial is the first part in O2‘s plan to ultimately sell all its phones without a charger by 2015.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/uk-network-o2-sees-success-selling-phones-without-a-mains-charger/

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LG Optimus G2 set to be a Jelly Bean powerhouse

A new flagship on the horizon, but what will it be called?

Specs have appeared online for a new smartphone dubbed the LG Optimus Pro - but is this a new handset or just the Optimus G2 in disguise?

The details have cropped up on Japanese forum 2Channel, so it's not exactly the most legit leak we've ever seen, but still let's see what it's saying.

According to the unknown source, the Optimus Pro will pack a 5-inch full HD display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 13MP camera and a 3,000mAh battery.

G2 or Pro?

These specs are pretty similar to the rumourswe've seen surrounding the Optimus G2 which has led many to believe they could be the same device.

The original Optimus G didn't make it out of Asia, but we're hoping LG's next flagship handset will go global especially after the success of the Google Nexus 4.

The LG Optimus G2 or Optimus Pro - or both - could arrive at MWC 2013 in Barcelona and we'll be there to bring you all the latest from the Korean firm.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-optimus-g2-set-to-be-a-jelly-bean-powerhouse-1125919

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Newsstand news: Apple offers Hearst magazines before print edition, Rolling Stone arrives

Apple and major magazine publisher Hearst are trying something new in an effort to get more iPad users to buy content from Newsstand….

Apple has struck a deal with publishing giant Hearst to give iPad users an extra incentive to hit the buy button for one of its many magazine offerings. The New York-based publisher is now giving readers of its titles – which include the likes of Car and Driver, Esquire, Elle and Cosmopolitan – early access if they purchase it through Apple’s Newsstand store. Twenty titles are currently by the New York-based publisher.

Hearst’s Alexandra Carlin told AllThingsD Thursday that Apple came up with the idea – an idea that Hearst executives evidently liked the sound of. “It’s a great offer they can provide to their Newsstand users,” she said, adding, “We’re always working with our retail partners on unique ways to drive consumer sales and engagement.”

According to Carlin, the offer will apply not only to subscriptions but also to single-edition purchases made through Newsstand. How many days ahead of the print publication readers can get access to the magazine will vary from title to title, Carlin said.

The early access feature is new to Newsstand, though if it proves popular we can expect to see other publishers following in Hearst’s footsteps before too long.

Hearst is one of the world’s biggest publishers of monthly magazines, with 20 titles in the US and over 300 international editions.

With more and more people jumping online for their news fix, newspaper and magazine publishers around the world are frantically searching for ways to get Web users to pay for content as print circulations plummet. Paywalls, per-article-payments and various subscription options are among the different methods being tested. Newsweek recently consigned its print edition to the waste paper basket, choosing to invest all of its its resources in its online edition, most of which sits behind a paywall.

Rolling Stone

And guess what – even Rolling Stone magazine, whose owner said in 2011 that publishers were “crazy” to be so keen to get their publications on the iPad, has, you guessed it, just turned up on Newsstand. The digital edition offers instant streaming of tracks by artists mentioned in its articles.

The music magazine, which is published twice a month, costs $4.99 for a single issue. Two subscription options are also available: one month for $1.99, or one year for $19.99.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-offers-hearst-magazines-before-print-edition/

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Titanium Gray Samsung Galaxy Premier launched in Taiwan

You may remember the Samsung Galaxy Premier that was announced back in October last month. The phone has a 4.65-inch, HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera and Android Jelly Bean, and is essentially a variation of Google's Galaxy Nexus, also manufactured by Samsung.

The phone has now gone on sale in Taiwan, where it is being sold in a new color called Titanium Gray, as seen above. The phone is now available for purchase for 15,900 Taiwanese Dollars, which is approximately US$549. The phone is expected to go on sale shortly in other Asian markets.

You can get some details hands-on pictures and videos and some benchmark scores in the link below.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/titanium_gray_samsung_galaxy_premier_launched_in_taiwan-news-5365.php

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Windows Phone 8 'Portico' update rolls out to Lumia 920 and 820

The AT&T version of the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 received the Windows Phone 'Portico' update back in December, along with the HTC 8X. The same update has now started rolling out to the international version of the Nokia handsets.

The Portico update brings with it some much needed improvements to the performance of these devices. Nokia has improved the camera performance with this update, reducing the blur in some of the daylight images. Along with that this update also brings with it the ability to keep the device connected to the Wi-Fi even when the screen switches off, ability to reject calls with an SMS and Select All and drafts functionality for SMS.

The update is now slowly rolling out internationally and is expected to be completed by mid-March.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_phone_8_portico_update_rolls_out_to_lumia_920_and_820-news-5364.php

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