Wednesday, March 5, 2014

New HTC One release date, news and rumors

New HTC One release date, news and rumors
Is this the All New HTC One? (credit: @evleaks)

How do you follow up a phone like the HTC One? It was only the third smartphone to garner a highly coveted five star TechRadar review and the Taiwanese firm has got a job on its hands to repeat the trick with its successor.

HTC is working on something as a myriad of leaks, rumors and suggestive benchmark results flood onto the web - all of which appear to reference the All New HTC One smartphone, with the development name of HTC M8 appearing on several occasions.

Why is M8 significant? Well, the codename for the original HTC One during development was M7, so the M8 moniker makes logical sense for the firm's next flagship smartphone.

The handset won't launch under the M8 name however; there's actually a bit of confusion over the name HTC will give it after backing itself into a little bit of a corner with its "One" brand - "The All New HTC One" appears to be the current front runner though.

Cut to the chase
What is it? Sequel to the 5 star HTC One - a tough act to follow
When is it out? HTC has an event on March 25 2014
What will it cost? A lot. Big phone, big money.

One thing is for sure, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 already here and the iPhone 6 due to launch later in 2014, the new HTC One is going to have its work cut out and it could be make or break time for the Taiwanese firm.

We've rounded up all the latest M8 chatter from around the web to bring you the best picture of what you may see from the All New HTC One.

New HTC One release date and price

After months of speculation and hearsay, the Taiwanese firm has finally sent out invitations to an event on March 25 2014, which we can only assume will signal the arrival of the all New HTC One.

The event is scheduled to take place in London and New York, with proceedings kicking off at 4pm (GMT)/11am (EST).

A post-MWC 2014 launch event was always looking most likely as it allows HTC to avoid the launches of the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2, giving the new One 2 space to shine away from the bustle of a trade show.

With the Galaxy S5 doing such a good job of stealing the show at MWC it seems like this was probably a wise decision.

We hope HTC will get the new HTC One out of the door quicker this time round, as back in 2013 Samsung managed to announce the Galaxy S4 and get it in stores between HTC's announcement and release of the One. Of course, either way it's likely to arrive after the Galaxy S5, as that's already been announced.

There's no confirmation on price yet, but Mobile Fun is listing the handset at £579.99. Whether it has some inside information or whether that's just a placeholder is unclear, but we'd expect the handset to go for between £550-£600 so it seems reasonable.

New HTC One display

Big screens are the order of the day for today's flagship smartphones and various reports seem to suggest the all new HTC One will build ever so slightly on the 4.7-inch display found on the One - with 5 inches being a popular choice, and 5.2 inches also appearing in leaks.

This makes sense as the HTC One is dwarfed by the likes of the 5-inch Xperia Z1 and 5.2-inch LG G2 and phones are only getting bigger- people want more screen and with the bezels beside displays decreasing the phone's physical dimensions may not actually change too much.

The 5-inch, full HD All New HTC One screen has been echoed by @evleaks - a usually reliable source of upcoming phone leaks - while resolution appears to be stuck at 1080p. No QHD or 4K resolutions in sight for the M8 just yet.

Based on the variety of rumors, leaks and reports we've pulled together a render of how we'd like the All New HTC One to look:


Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/new-htc-one-1202748

Google working on Android KitKat fix for camera app battery drain

Google working on Android KitKat fix for camera app battery drain
You might want to cut down on those selfies

If you've recently updated your smartphone to Android 4.4.2 KitKat and have noticed some abnormally high battery drain you're not alone - but Google is on the case.

Apparently some Android handsets are seeing battery life diminish at a rate of knots after opening the camera application as a result of the phone's CPU maxing out.

While Google's fix will be able to alleviate the problem on the likes of the Nexus 5 and Nexus 4, those rocking a HTC, Samsung or any other Android device with a UI skin will have to wait for the relevant manufacturer to address the issue separately.

Reboot, for now

There's currently no time frame on Google's fix to roll out to handsets, but it's expected to arrive as part of the Android 4.4.3 package - so keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime a quick reboot of your device is said to provide a temporary solution to the excessive battery drain, but it won't fix the problem.


Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/google-working-on-android-kitkat-fix-for-camera-app-battery-drain-1231198

New HTC One Benchmark puts it ahead of Galaxy Note 3

As the official announcement date of the All New HTC One draws near, the phone's leaking intensifies. Today we have a photo showing an AnTuTu test completed on the upcoming HTC flagship, which shows the phone has managed to beat the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

This is quite the achievement, considering the Note 3 isn't by any stretch of the imagination a slow phone. The All New HTC One is rumored to pack the newer 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 (8974-AB). However, HTC is likely to have done some under-the-hood tweaks, which would've allowed Sense 6 to be less of a resource hog.

Next to the four Krait cores of the Snapdragon 801, there's also an Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The latest evidence points out to a microSD card slot, too.

The smartphone is tipped to sport a 5-inch 1080p flagship and will also come in silver, grey and gold. The most notable new feature is, of course, the dual-camera, dual-LED setup on the back.

Speaking of which, there are also a bunch of new photos of the upcoming HTC One successor. One of them is showing the dual rear cameras, while another offers us a glimpse at the top of the phone. There, we can see it sports a cool metallic accent with the Power/Lock key sitting on the top right side.

The official announcement is just a few weeks away, but we feel we already know almost everything there is to know about The All New One. Here is hoping HTC will still manage to surprise us in a good way come March 25.

Source | Via
Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/new_htc_one_benchmark_puts_it_ahead_of_galaxy_note_3-news-7966.php

Google Nexus 6 could be a stripped-down LG G3

Google Nexus 6 could be a stripped-down LG G3
Keep flying the LG flag

Google and LG are set to continue their romance through 2014, we're hearing, with word that both the Nexus 6 and the Google smartwatch will be LG-built.

Gizmodo.de quotes a "business-related source" claiming that the Nexus 6 is intended to be "a lightweight" version of the LG G3, which we're expecting to arrive around the middle of the year.

That's not a shocker – the LG G2 and the Nexus 5 have plenty of comparative aspects, mainly in design.

What "light" means here is anyone's guess, but we'd expect it means the internals will be less powerful on Google's pure handset.

Watch the horizon

The other bit of information concerns Google's rumoured smartwatch, as the same source reckons that Google is working closely with LG on this one too.

Take this news cautiously, but LG will reportedly build the watch, which Gizmodo is referring to as the "Google Nexus Smartwatch".

While there's nothing to say if this name was provided by the source, it sounds better – and makes a lot more sense – than Google Gem, another potential moniker we've heard.

Apparently Google is hoping to bring its smartwatch to market "soon", which could mean anywhere from a month to a decade really.


Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/google-nexus-6-could-be-a-stripped-down-lg-g3-1231135

Samsung Galaxy S5 goes up for pre-order for €699

It seems Orange in Romania is the first one to put up the new Samsung Galaxy S5 for pre-order. The phone is available with a 2-year contract for €249 or you can pay €699 and get the phone without a contract and also completely unlocked. Orange will also throw in an S-View Flip Cover for the S5.



As far as the delivery is concerned, the site mentions that the expected time of delivery is April 11, same as the date announced by Samsung. Orange Romania is selling the phone in black, white and blue, with the gold color option nowhere to be found.

You can find the link to purchase the phone below.

Orange Romania (Thanks Ioansuhov for the tip)


Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5_goes_up_for_preorder_on_orange_romania-news-7965.php

Samsung Galaxy S5 goes up for pre-order on Orange Russia

It seems Orange in Russia is the first one to put up the new Samsung Galaxy S5 for pre-order. The phone is available with a 2-year contract for €249 or you can pay €699 and get the phone without a contract and also completely unlocked. Orange will also throw in an S-View Flip Cover for the S5.



As far as the delivery is concerned, the site mentions that the expected time of delivery is April 11, same as the date announced by Samsung. Orange Russia is selling the phone in black, white and blue, with the gold color option nowhere to be found.

You can find the link to purchase the phone below.

Orange Russia (Thanks Ioansuhov for the tip)


Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5_goes_up_for_preorder_on_orange_russia-news-7965.php

Android-powered Nokia X hits Malaysia for $120

The first Android device from Nokia, the Nokia X, landed with much fanfare at MWC last week. The company is wasting no time in getting it out to customers, as the device has been announced through Malaysian retailer Storekini.com for RM 399 (about $120).



While certainly on the cheap side, the device itself boasts rather meager specifications: a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 4-inch WVGA display, 3MP fixed focus camera, 4GB of storage and just 512MB of RAM.

Our time with the device revealed a somewhat confusing mashup of Android 4.1, Windows Phone, and even elements from Nokia's Asha lineup. And although it's not able to run Google's Play Store, it does have the ability to sideload Android apps, 75% of which Nokia claims will be able to run without modification.

For our full impressions and hands-ons with the Nokia X, X+, and XL from MWC, go here. Otherwise, follow this link to get the Nokia X in Malaysia with free shipping.

Source


Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/androidpowered_nokia_x_hits_malaysia_for_rm_399-news-7964.php