Is this the Nokia Normandy Android phone we've been hearing about?

Wrong phone, right screens? (credit: @evleaks)

Will it? Won't it? We simply don't know if Nokia has plans to launch its own Android smartphone, with rumours suggesting either outcome is possible - but a fresh leak has given the "it will" camp a little more fire power.

The regular (and normally accurate) @evleaks is at the centre of things again, posting an image which appears to resemble the Nokia Asha 503 - but with three rather different screens.

A simple message accompanied the tweeted picture, reading "Android on Nokia ( -virtual buttons)" - hardly giving much away, but the sentiment is clear.

Wait a minute

After closer inspection of the image we're a little dubious about its authenticity - there's some artifacting between the display and the handset's body, while the icons in the notification bar look a little too close to the top of the screen.

What are we saying? Well these are warning flags for a Photoshop job, leading us to believe that these aren't official press shots nabbed from Nokia of its rumoured "Normandy" Android handset.

That's not to say the screenshots themselves are not real - @evleaks has a strong track record of being on the money, so we're still taking the leak pretty seriously.

If Nokia does finally go to market with an Android device it looks set to sport a modified user interface - oh, and those lockscreen widget notifications look cool.

• Apparently Nokia hasn't given up on Android just yet

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-this-the-nokia-normandy-android-phone-we-ve-been-hearing-about--1213516

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Blackberry Z10 now £150 off-contract in the UK

Blackberry's Z10 handset just received another price cut: you can snatch one up for £150 SIM-free straight from the manufacturer's UK website. This applies to both the black and white versions of the smartphone.

This is what your money will get you: a quad-band 4G/LTE smartphone with a 4.2 inch screen with a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor and 2GB of RAM. The Z10 also packs an 8MP snapper, 16GB of storage space with a microSD card slot, and an HDMI port. Not to mention access to the latest version of the Blackberry 10 OS.

The drop in price is most probably a direct result of the smartphone manufacturer's inability to reassert itself as a key player in the mobile game again.

The company has seen better days, and maybe part of its strategy is to offer its phones at lower prices to get people used to their brand, instead of expecting customers to pay top dollar.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_z10_now_150_offcontract-news-7518.php

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Android 4.3 Jelly Bean now available on Asus Fonepad 7

Asus has announced the 7-inch Fonepad 7 hybrid on IFA back at September last year. It quickly gained some popularity due to its very attractive price tag and unique mixture of tablet and smartphone experience although it didn't exactly turn into a best seller. Still that doesn't prevent Asus from taking good care of it and here comes its first major update.

Originally the Fonepad 7 hit the shelves running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Asus didn't specify any upgrade plans, but it seems the manufacturer has been working to bring a newer Android version on the device.

So, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is now available as an over-the-air update for the Fonepad 7. It brings improved video player and image gallery, Gallery Home Front, and other UI improvements. There is no official change log though, so more upgrades could be hiding under the hood including improved system stability and bug fixes.

Anyway, if you own a Fonepad 7, you should check your Update section. There is no info on further updates, but we hope Asus decides to bring Android 4.4 KitKat to Fonepad 7 too.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/android_43_jelly_bean_now_available_on_asus_fonepad_7-news-7517.php

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Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo escapes ahead of MWC 2014

Its not even here yet and the Galaxy Grand 2 is on a diet (credit: SamMobile)

CES 2014 may be in full swing but that hasn't stopped MWC 2014 news from reaching our ears, with a leak of the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo hitting the web.

The Galaxy Grand branding hasn't reached UK shores yet, although there have been hints that that Galaxy Grand 2 is likely to reach us later this year.

GSM Arena claims to have seen an internal Samsung document, which reveals that the Galaxy Grand Neo is set to come in with lower specs than the Galaxy Grand 2, with a smaller and lower resolution 5-inch 480 x 800 display.

Behind this sits a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, backed up with 1GB RAM, to keep Android 4.2 Jelly Bean running smoothly.

Galaxy Grand Lite?

For those looking to take those all important selfies, a VGA camera is fitted to the front with a 5MP sensor and LED flash rooted to the rear of the Grand Neo.

Other key specs include a 2100mAh battery pack, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA+ (no LTE here), Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and GLONASS all wrapped in a frame measuring 143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6mm.

For all this, Samsung will apparently be asking for €299 (around £250) of your hard earned money.

You may think that this all sounds a bit familiar, and you'd be right as the specs match those we saw mooted last month for the Galaxy Grand Lite.

We'll have to wait for MWC 2014 next month just what Samsung has in store for us, so keep your eyes glued here as we'll be sending our crack team of investigators to dig out all the best news for you.

• What to expect from MWC 2014

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-grand-neo-escapes-ahead-of-mwc-2014-1213391

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Nokia Lumia 1520 32GB model coming to AT&T;

According to a report by WPCentral, AT&T is about to start offering a 32GB model of its Windows Phone 8 flagship - the Nokia Lumia 1520. So if you've been waiting for the 32GB version of the phablet on AT&T, you will be able to buy it starting January 10.

The US carrier started offering the 16GB Lumia 1520 at its brick-and-mortar stores as well as online for direct purchase back in November last year. AT&T asks for $199 with a 2-year contract. Judging by the way this things usually work, the 32GB units will probably retail for $299 on contract.

The report also suggests that the Lumia 1520 will be sold as a Direct Fulfillment device - it will be available for online orders and not in stores.

With the microSD card slot on board of the 32GB Lumia 1520, you'll be able to fit nearly 100GB of files if you get a 64GB microSD card. Anyway, pricing is yet to be announced, but with January 10 just around the corner, we won't have to wait much longer to know all about it.

We've already reviewed the Nokia Lumia 1520 and even put it head-to-head with the Galaxy Note 3. If you still haven't made up your mind about the phablet, you will do well to check out those articles.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_1520_32gb_model_rumored_to_launch_on_at_ampt-news-7515.php

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Can renewed focus on physical keyboards save BlackBerry?

The Q10 may just be the start of a new dawn

Touchscreen smartphones might be all the rage but it seems that the humble QWERTY keyboard still has a place, in Canada at least.

Bloomberg quotes new BlackBerry CEO John Chen at CES 2014 saying "I personally love the keyboards", adding that that future BB devices will "predominantly" use physical keyboards.

Perhaps in a move to underline just how important keyboards are to BlackBerry's future, the Canadian firm is suing the creator of iPhone QWERTY snap-on Typo, an accessory that looks suspiciously like the BlackBerry Q10 keyboard.

This could help BlackBerry re-establish themselves as a major smartphone player, following some less than impressive forays into the touchscreen market with the BlackBerry Storm and the more recent BlackBerry Z10 and Z30.

It would also help gain back the business sectors that made the BlackBerry brand the mobile giant in the first place, the same sectors that are prolific with emails and rely upon physical buttons for easy typing.

It makes sense then, that BlackBerry is set to focus on these markets over the next 18 months.

I need a dollar

With all this focus on physical keyboards, you'd be wrong in thinking that this means the Canadian firm is set to abandon the consumer market completely.

"Since I showed up there has been a lot of speculation that we're retreating from the phone business or the consumer business. This could not be further from the truth" said Chen.

2014 may herald a BlackBerry resurgence, and maybe one day we'll see BlackBerry return to being the device of choice amongst teens and young adults.

Don't expect that to be anytime soon though, with Chen adding "if there's a dollar I need to spend between the consumer space and the enterprise space I'll spend it on the enterprise space for now".

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/can-renewed-focus-on-physical-keyboards-save-blackberry--1213371

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EXCLUSIVE: Galaxy Grand Neo to launch in mid-February

After we the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo specifications, we received additional availability info. The 5" Android will start selling in Europe (Belgium at least) in Week 7 this year – that's February 10-16.

As we reported earlier, the Grand Neo will cost €300 (after tax) in Europe. That would put it in competition with phones much more capable than it. We'll see if Samsung actually prices the phone that highly or if there's something special about the handset.

We can't imagine what would justify the €300 though – the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo packs a 5" WVGA screen (187ppi), a quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, 5MP/720p camera, optional dual-SIM and a 2,100mAh battery.

Thanks again to our anonymous tipster!

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/exclusive_galaxy_grand_neo_to_launch_in_midfebruary-news-7514.php

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