Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date pegged for September 4

The Note 3 is just a few months away

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 isn't a secret and while the Korean firm may not be giving any indication that it's in the works we now have a tentative Note 3 release date.

According to AndroidGeeks a source "close to the matter" has revealed that the Galaxy Note 3 release date is being lined up for September 4 at a special Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin.

While IFA 2013 doesn't officially start until September 6, the 4th and 5th are media preview days at the show - so it all seems to fit in quite nicely - although it's not clear who the source is, or how well connected they actually are.

Sticking with tradition

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2 were launched at the two previous IFA shows in 2011 and 2012 respectively, so everyone already assumed that the Galaxy Note 3 would follow suit this year.

We've seen potential specs for the Galaxy Note 3 in previous leaks and the super-sized smartphone looks set to get even bigger with a screen possibly in the region of 5.9 inches.

This still wouldn't be a big as the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega, or the insanely proportioned Sony Xperia Z Ultra which sports a whopping 6.44-inch display, but you can bet your bottom dollar the Note 3 will come with the S Pen stylus.

• Find out everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in our news and rumour round-up

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-3-release-date-pegged-for-september-4-1162755

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Android 4.2 update rolling out for HTC One Dual Sim

HTC created a special Dual Sim version of its HTC One flagship, which is limited to several markets like India, China and Russia. Strangely enough this is also the first One variant to receive Android 4.2.2 (not counting the Nexus Edition), the worldwide version of the flagship is still on 4.1.2.

The update brings a number of improvements to both the Android base and HTC's customizations. There's a widget-enabled lockscreen, quick toggles in the notification area plus smaller enhancements like rearranging homescreen panes, battery percentage in the status bar, options for the Home button to remove the on-screen Menu button.

The Camera and Zoe apps were improved too – now you get AE/AF lock, an updated Zoe file format that handles videos better and 6 new themes for Video highlights.

The update weighs in at 175MB and is only for the dual-SIM version of the phone. The update for the regular HTC One should come out soon. This might be HTC playing it safe, first releasing the update for the rarer One Dual Sim to make sure there are no issues before launching for the the more popular HTC One.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/android_42_update_rolling_out_for_htc_one_dual_sim-news-6299.php

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EU slashes roaming charges, data gets biggest cut

The future's bright

There's great news for anyone who happens to reside in an EU country and fancies hopping over the border to an neighbouring EU member state - roaming on your smartphone gets significantly cheaper from today.

The EU Commission has slashed roaming charges across the board with the introduction of new caps and data is the big winner seeing a 36 per cent decrease, which works out at 45 cents (around 39p) per MB.

Compare this to the price in 2007 and it's dropped 91 per cent in six years, as demand for data on the go increases - in fact data usage has grown by 630 per cent in that time.

Talk the talk

It's not just data which is getting a reduction in price, with the cost of sending a text down by 11 per cent to 8 cents (around 7p) while outgoing calls will fall by around 17 per cent to 24 cents (around 21p) per minute.

Receiving calls will also be reduced by 12 per cent per minute, and the EU Commission is promising more cuts in the future.

On July 1 2014 the EU is set to cap data roaming costs at just 20 cents (around 17p) per MB, while text messages will cost 6 cents (around 5p) and outgoing calls will be 19 cents (around 16p) per minute.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/eu-slashes-roaming-charges-data-gets-biggest-cut-1162712

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Sony C906 'Honami' system dump reveals new UI

Yesterday, we saw some leaked images of the upcoming Sony Xperia handset, known for now by the codename ‘Honami’. Now, a system dump of the device has surfaced, which reveals some details about the hardware and showcase some of the new UI changes.

For starters, the phone seemingly runs on a Snapdragon 800 processor, has a 20 megapixel sensor and can record 4K videos in 4000 x 2000 resolution. The last spec seems interesting even though the aspect ratio is unusual.

Other than that, there are several changes to the UI on the phone. You can see a new clock, calendar, calculator and contacts apps. You can now place multiple Small Apps on screen at once and there is a new keyboard as well. Sony also seems to have added a new augmented reality app.

You can find more screenshots in the link below.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_c906_honami_system_dump_reveals_new_ui-news-6298.php

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Flipboard folds in Instagram videos, but Vine left hanging

Instagram video arrives within Flipboard

The socially-themed digital magazine app Flipboard has issued users with an update that enables Instagram's new video feature.

The update to the iOS and Android versions of the app doesn't mention the Instagram update specifically, but videos are now playing within the relevant sections of the app.

Flipboard is yet to integrate Twitter's Vine as a standalone app, although those six-second clips do appear within the Twitter section of the app as tweets.

Flipboard does offer access to the likes of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SoundCloud, Flickr, Tumblr, LinkedIn and Google+, so it is surprising that it hasn't taken the opportunity to add Vine to the equation.

Craze over already?

One thing we noticed when breezing through the Instagram section within Flipboard was it took us a while to actually find a video to test out.

The amount of videos posted seems to have decreased quite steadily since the feature launched on June 21. Are you bored of the feature? Does it annoy you seeing the videos within your feed?

Let us know in the comments sections below. In the meantime check out our first impressions of Video on Instagram.

• Earlier this week it was revealed that Flipboard would soon be coming to Windows 8 along with an official Facebook app.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/flipboard-folds-in-instagram-videos-but-vine-left-hanging-1162651

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Is this the plastic fantastic casing for the 'budget' Apple iPhone?

The first plastic iPhone since the 3GS on the way?

Could this be another sign that Apple is preparing to launch a more affordable iteration of its world-changing iPhone handset?

The picture above is a purported plastic rear casing for a device which, speculation suggests, Apple could reveal in September or October.

The leak comes from Chinese blogger 7mob, who SlashGear reports, is renowned for his connections to 'factory sources' in the country.

The casing, which could of course be a phoney, also showcases the bright iPod nano-style colour, also rumoured to be a calling card of any cheaper iPhone.

iPhone for all

Recent rumours have suggested that the affordable iPhone handset, would be enclosed in a plastic casing in order to reduce manufacturing costs for the company, with savings passed onto the customer.

The device is expected to target emerging markets rather than the US and Europe, opening up iOS and the App Store to those who may not have been able to afford an iPhone for the first time.

Of course, the device has been rumoured for years, so we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Apple hold off a little longer before it launches the device.

• The cheap iPhone wont be as cheap as we think, according to the manufacturer rumoured to be building the device.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-this-the-plastic-fantastic-casing-for-the-budget-apple-iphone--1162643

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Nokia Amber update for WP8 Lumias coming in August

The Nokia Lumia 925 launched with a new and improved software and Nokia promised to make it available to its older WP8 phones in the summer with the so-called Amber update. Now we've got a more concrete time frame thanks to the Nokia Spain's Twitter account.

La actualización Amber para la gama Nokia Lumia con WP8 llegará en agosto dando la misma experiencia de usuario que el #Lumia925

— Nokia Spain (@NokiaSpain) June 28, 2013

The Amber update for Nokia Lumia range with WP8 arrive in August giving the same user experience as #Lumia925
Translated with Google Translate

The Amber update will bring the new Smart Camera lens for Lumia, which does post processing tricks like Action shot, Motion focus and object removal. Check out demos of those effects here.

There’s more - Amber will enable the FM radio receiver that has been lying dormant in Windows Phone 8 powered Lumia phones (except the 620) and the "double tap to wake" lockscreen with a clock (presumably only for AMOLED packing phones). Check out our preview of the Lumia 925 for more details on these features.

By the way, Twitter accounts aren't 100% reliable when it comes to such information, so we're still waiting for official confirmation.

Source (in Spanish) | Via (in Italian)

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_amber_update_for_wp8_lumias_coming_in_august-news-6297.php

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