HTC M4 surfaces, looks like a mid-range variant of the HTC One

It seems HTC is planning on releasing a younger sibling to the critically acclaimed HTC One. The HTC M4 as it is called for now (the One was called M7 at one point) looks very similar to the HTC One but will have downgraded specifications and a lower price tag to go with them.

The M4 design looks very similar to the One's but it's difficult to tell right now if HTC will be using the premium aluminum for the body or will settle for similar looking plastic. Unless the bands on the back are for just show, it does seem, though, that HTC will be using aluminum for the construction once again.

On the front you can see the dual stereo speaker above and below the display and a key arrangement similar to the HTC One. On the side is the micro SIM slot in the same location as on the One. On the back, the camera flash has been relocated above the lens and a large Beats Audio logo replaces the text on the One.

Software also looks similar to the One, with HTC's Blinkfeed placed prominently on the homescreen.

As for the specifications of the device, the M4 is said to have a 4.3-inch, 720p display, dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and a 1,700mAh battery. Interestingly, the M4 will also feature an UltraPixel camera, although the specifications are unknown at this point, which makes it hard to tell if it will be the same unit as on the One or a different one.

The phone is expected to ship near the end of the second quarter with LTE support and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. If you wanted the HTC One for its design but thought it was a bit out of the reach because of the price, then this should serve as the next best alternative.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_m4_surfaces_looks_like_a_midrange_variant_of_the_htc_one-news-5952.php

Read More

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 currently has three guises, and one's got a flexible display!

To flex or not to flex, that is the question

It looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 design is still up in the air as reports suggest the Korean firm is mulling a trio of options.

SamMobile says that "sources familiar with the matter" (hmm...) claim Samsung is toying with a Galaxy S4 look-a-like, a totally redesigned option and a flexible display variant of the Galaxy Note 3.

While SamMobile's track record is better than most when it comes to rumours, it's already admitted that the image it posted yesterday claiming to be Note 3 is actually a fake - so let's not get too carried away.

Bend and flex

We've heard various suggestions that flexible displays could find their way into smartphones this year, so learning that Samsung could be exploring this option isn't overly surprising - although we reckon we're still a year or two off flexi handsets hitting the market.

The unknown sources didn't provide us with any other nuggets of information so we're still in the dark over the Note 3's screen size, specification and potential release date.

We'll be keeping an eye out for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013 in Berlin this September, as that's currently the favourite for a Note 3 launch.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-3-currently-has-three-guises-and-one-s-got-a-flexible-display--1148208

Read More

Apple granted a multiplayer gaming patent with chat capabilities

Getting away from "i" Gaming (credit: Patently Apple)

Apple has been loading up on video game-related patents recently, but so far all of its controller copyrights have made the ideas seem like single-player affairs.

This week, however, it was revealed that the Cupertino company was granted a multiplayer gaming patent along with 42 other successful patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

While the application doesn't spell out a long-rumored Apple game console, it does lay out different types of networks that could relay gaming media content.

"Apple's focus zeros in on delivering a very high-end video gaming experience specifically for multiplayer gamers," noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent application today.

"[Gamers] will be able to use chat, video and other forms of communication while gaming with their buddies," noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent."

Game time for FaceTime?

In addition to setting up a process for joining and invite other players to multiplayer games, the patent details how gamers would be able to initiate in-game audio chat sessions.

This could extend between both desktop computer and mobile devices, demonstrating that this multiplayer gaming patent may cover everything from Macs to iPhones to newer technologies.

Whether or not the in-game chat capabilities outlined in this patent are intended to include video, along the lines of FaceTime, remains to be seen.

Apple's gaming prospects

This newly published Apple multiplayer patent gives credence to the theory that it is turning to gaming when exploring, as Tim Cook said, "exciting new product categories."

Besides patenting multiple game controllers, the company was reportedly talking to developers about launching a proprietary game controller at GDC 2013.

The impact of an dedicated Apple gaming machine could destroy console gaming, according to a former Microsoft lead engineer Nat Brown.

Agreeing with this industry head, 50 percent of Brits would put money down on an Apple game console.

With analysts sour on the prospects of the new Xbox and PS4, Apple's gaming competition in the future may actually be Google, which is also quickly patenting multiplayer services in a hurry.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/apple-granted-a-multiplayer-gaming-patent-with-chat-capabilities-1148147

Read More

Nokia will make a major announcement in Delhi on May 9

Nokia will hold a major announcement in New Delhi on May 9. The Finnish manufacturer sent out invitations calling for a "time to shift gears".

Curiously, Nokia's Indian announcement precedes the company’s scheduled Lumia event in London by five days. The latter will likely be the place where the company's next Windows Phone flagship will break cover.

There's no word on the subject of Nokia's New Delhi announcement. Our guess is that it might be one or more new members of the Asha family, as it is quite popular in India.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_will_make_a_major_announcement_in_new_delhi_on_may_9_-news-5950.php

Read More

TCL S606 low-cost WP handset goes on sale in China

A low-cost TCL S606 Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone went quietly on sale in China. The handset is a product of the joint venture between TCL and Alcatel.

The TCL S606 packs a modest spec sheet to go with its clean design. It features a single-core 1GHz CPU and 512MB of RAM. There's 4GB of non-expandable storage on board. A 4" WVGA display, 5MP main camera, and a VGA front-facing unit complete the highlights of the phone's specs. Curiously, the device has done away with a dedicated camera button.

The TCL S606 is priced at CNY799 ($130) in China. The smartphone comes with a ticket for Iron Man 3, as its manufacturer is featured in the blockbuster movie.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/tcl_s606_lowcost_windows_phone_handset_hits_the_shelves_in_china-news-5949.php

Read More

Samsung doubles down with world's first 4GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM

Transfer 17GBs per second

Samsung is further narrowing the gap between mobile devices and PCs thanks to today's announcement that it will begin producing the world's first 4GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM.

The memory, comparable to that of a desktop computer, not only trumps the company's 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM unveiled seven months ago, but reduces the size from 30nm to 20nm.

"Our 20nm-class 4GB mobile DRAM provides another example of our ability to deliver well-differentiated, high-performance, high-density memory to customers in a timely manner," said Samsung Executive Vice President Young-Hyun Jun in a press release.

"By providing the most efficient next-generation mobile memory with a very large data capacity, we are now enabling OEMs to introduce even more innovative designs in the marketplace."

4GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM comparison

The 20nm-class process technology behind the 4GB LPDDR3 DRAM chips makes for a 30 percent improvement in performance and 20 percent savings in power consumption over LPDDR2 DRAM.

It can transmit data up to 2,133 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin, which is more than double the performance of an 800Mbps LPDDR2 chip.

"This makes it possible to transmit three full HD videos, collectively 17 GBs in length, in one second over the new Samsung chip embedded in a mobile device," claimed Samsung.

The South Korean manufacturer's 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM announced seven months ago could run at a total of 12.8 Gbps and 1600 per pin.

And that performance bested the single LPDDR2 chips in just 10 months.

DRAM the torpedos, full-speed ahead

Samsung's announcement was coupled with hopes that this speedy new RAM will be an attractive solution for multimedia-intensive features on next-generation mobile devices.

"We're focusing on LPDDR3 right now. That's really what's being adopted in the marketplace," Samsung Mobile Memory Group product marketing manager Stephen Lum to TechRadar.

"We're planning to roll this technology out into mass production into devices in the second half of this year."

"We're production ready. Our customers will be launching their devices over the course of the next couple of quarters."

Next-generation mobile devices

"Last year, I think there was only a single device that launched with LPDDR3, so you're going to see a whole slew of new devices with the capabilities built around this technology," Lum told TechRadar.

This means that Samsung's 20nm-class 4GB LPDDR3 memory should make its way into next-generation mobile devices over the next couple of months.

The company's fast-paced memory division was able to put the 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM, announced last fall, into its Galaxy S4 smartphone, which launched this month.

Samsung was reportedly also able to retain Apple as a chip-buying customer last fall, outfitting the iPhone 5 with 1GB LPDDR3 chips.

However, there's no guarantee that Apple will use the South Korean manufacturer's newer LPDDR3 chips in the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6.

Apple reportedly wants to ditch all of its Samsung-marked components. This includes swapping Samsung parts for Intel processors like the A7 system-on-a-chip.

With industry-first announcements from the Smasung every seven to ten months, it's going to be a difficult task for any company to avoid using the world's largest memory manufacturer.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-doubles-down-with-world-s-first-4gb-lpddr3-mobile-dram-1148087

Read More

Alleged details on the camera sensor of Sony Honami emerge

Hot on the heels of the leak from a couple of days back, more alleged details on the upcoming Sony Honami flagship emerged. This time around, the rumor mill brings information on the camera tech of the upcoming Sony smartphone flagship.

Sony Honami will reportedly pack a Sony 1/1.6" Exmor RS stacked sensor and Cybershot G glass lens. A 1/1.6" sized camera sensor will be larger than any of its competitors', save for the one in the Nokia 808 Pureview. You can see how it stacks up against the current establishment in the graphic below.

An all new image processing algorithm and revamped camera UI, taken from the current crop of Sony Cybershot cameras are also rumored to be on board. Auto scene recognition is also said to be massively improved over the one found in the Sony Xperia Z.

The flash of the Sony Honami is reportedly either Xenon or dual-LED. It is said to be ten times brighter than a typical smartphone camera flash.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_details_on_the_camera_sensor_of_sony_honami_emerge-news-5948.php

Read More