Sony announces Xperia ZR waterproof smartphone

Sony has announced the younger sibling to the Xperia Z: the Xperia ZR. The Xperia ZR includes many of the Z's features in a smaller, more compact design.

Just like the Xperia Z, the Xperia ZR is waterproof and dust-resistant. This time, Sony is not just advertising the fact that the Xperia ZR can survive underwater but that you can actually use it there, particularly for taking 13 megapixel pictures and full HD videos with the camera and dedicated shutter button.

The Xperia ZR has a 4.55-inch, 1280 x 720 resolution LCD. Sony is using its BRAVIA Engine 2, along with something called OptiContrast panel. This basically gets rid of the extra touchscreen layer by integrating the touch sensor on the panel itself, which improves image quality and makes the display assembly thinner.

Other features include a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal memory with microSD card slot and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Sony Xperia ZR is expected to go on sale around the world in Q2, 2013.

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Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_announces_xperia_zr_waterproof_smartphone-news-6021.php

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A teaser for Nokia's upcoming Lumia goes live on UK TV

A teaser of Nokia's yet to be announced Lumia smartphone made its way to UK TV. The twenty second teaser gives a glimpse of the upcoming handset's camera area on the back and promises "more than your eye can see."

The few short glimpses of the upcoming hardware look a lot like the previously leaked Nokia 'Catwalk' handset, which features a metal body. Check out the teaser below.

The new Nokia Lumia smartphone will break cover on May 14 in London. Be sure to tune in for the full scoop on the device.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokias_upcoming_lumia_teaser_goes_live_on_uk_tv-news-6020.php

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Images of unofficial Sony Xperia S39h smartphone surface

Images of an unknown Sony Xperia handset with model number S39h have surfaced online. The model number indicates that the smartphone might be placed above the Xperia L, which comes with a 4.3-inch display.

Images of Sony Xperia S39h smartphone

The leaked images show a white Sony Xperia smartphone with a dedicated camera button along with the signature power button.

As we already know, Sony uses two model naming schemes for its smartphones. The CXXXX naming structure is used for the devices released in 2013, and the company has continued with its old pattern of S/M/L (small, medium and large) for smartphones that are exclusive for China. So, the upcoming S39h might not be released globally.

Unfortunately, there is no word if the device is a prototype or the final design of a new Xperia smartphone, but we'll keep an eye for more information and keep you updated.

Thanks Ben Ling, for sending this in!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/images_of_unofficial_sony_xperia_s39h_smartphone_surface-news-6019.php

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Oppo to launch its Find 5 flagship smartphone in India

Oppo, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is said to be planning to launch its Find 5 flagship smartphone in India, according to a report from TheMobileIndian.

Oppo Find 5 sports a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1080p and a pixel density of 441ppi. The 1080p flagship smartphone is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor along with 2 GB of RAM. The device features a 13 megapixel rear camera, 1.9 megapixel front facing camara, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 2,500mAh battery.

The 16 GB variant of the Oppo Find 5 will be priced at INR27,445 (about $527) and the 32 GB version will carry a price tag of INR31,259 (about $601). Unfortunately, there is no official word on the exact launch date of the smartphone as of now.

If you are planning to lay your hands on the smartphone, you might want to check our detailed review.

Thanks Mohit Saini, for sending this in!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_to_launch_its_flagship_smartphone_in_india-news-6018.php

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Alleged images of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini leak

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has been rumored for quite some time and now, alleged images of the smartphone have surfaced online.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is said to sport a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 256ppi. The device is rumored to feature a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor along with 1 GB of RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Alleged images of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

The mini variant of the fourth generation Galaxy S smartphone is reported to make its way to the market by the end of May.

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Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_images_of_samsung_galaxy_s4_mini_surface_-news-6017.php

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White BlackBerry Q10 handset goes on sale in the UK

The Q10 sure look pretty in white

A white-hued version of the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone has gone on sale in the UK for the first time.

The QWERTY-toting BlackBerry 10 device is now available to buy in the new shade from high street retailer Carphone Warehouse and Selfridges.

At Selfridges the handset is a whopping £579 to buy outright, while Carphone Warehouse is offering the device free from £33 a month on a two-year contract.

The Q10 arrives with 4G LTE support, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel camera and earned 3.5 stars in a recent TechRadar review.

Success at Selfridges

Selfridges has already enjoyed great success with the black version of the Q10, which it was selling exclusively following the April launch.

The company claimed to sell 'thousands per hour' in its opening weekend, as corporate customers rushed to get the the Bold-alike device in their suit pockets.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/white-blackberry-q10-handset-goes-on-sale-in-the-uk-1150809

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One AppleCare subscription may soon cover all devices in service overhaul

Big changes coming to AppleCare?

Apple is reportedly planning big changes in the way it handles warranties and repairs through AppleCare, according to details leaked from an employee briefing last week.

AppleInsider brings word Apple will soon be moving to a single subscription model, which would cover all of the customer's Apple devices, replacing or sitting alongside the current one-warranty-per-device system.

Under the proposed system, Apple would offer exclusive 24/7 support for customers, while extending the option for One to One in-store training, to other devices beyond the purchase of Mac computers.

The changes, which may arrive this autumn in the US, before a worldwide roll-out, would also extend free after-purchase phone support, which currently stands at 90 days after purchase, for at least a year.

No more easy iPhone swaps?

Another intriguing item to leak from the Town Hall-style were purported plans for the company to fix more iPhones in Apple Store locations rather than replace them.

Currently iPhone users can return their busted handsets to the Apple Store and usually receive a straight swap for a device in similar condition.

Currently, technicians at Apple Stores can replace speakers, receivers, home buttons, the vibrator motor and the iPhone's battery. From this summer cameras, sleep/wake buttons and logic boards will also be replaced in-store.

The Apple employee who leaked the info to AppleInsider said: "The biggest announcement, was the way repairs for iPhones will be handled soon.

"The way it is now, if almost anything is wrong with an iPhone, iPod, or iPad, the entire device is exchanged for a like-new re manufactured (sic) device, whether brought into an apple store or sent in for mail in repair. Now we are starting to actually repair the products and return the same device to the customer."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/one-applecare-subscription-may-soon-cover-all-devices-in-service-overhaul-1150804

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New alleged image of the LG Optimus G2 surfaces

LG’s Optimus G served as the basis of the Nexus 4 and now the rumors suggest that the South Korean company is working on the successors of both. An alleged image of the Optimus G2 was posted on Twitter, which shows thinner bezels than the Optimus G.

This image is also similar to the one that was posted several days ago - it’s hard to tell if it’s the same device because of the different angles and lighting conditions.

Anyway, the LG Optimus G2 is rumored to have a 5" 1080p screen and be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with the CPU clocked as high as 2GHz. That’s going by the AnTuTu benchmarks that we saw earlier this month, which also show at least three different versions of the phone, running Android 4.1.2 and 4.2.2.

Thanks to Preetam for sending this in!

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Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_image_of_the_lg_optimus_g2_surfaces-news-6016.php

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Google Play Games leaks out again, brings cloud game saves to the party

The first look at Google Play Games (credit: AndroidPolice)

The rumoured Google Play Games platform for Android will allow game saves in the cloud and feature big Google+ integration, according to a newly leaked APK.

The latest word comes from AndroidPolice, the site which last month brought word that Google was planning a rival to Apple's Game Center with achievements, turn-based multiplayer gameplay, leaderboards and more.

Now the site has performed a teardown of the new Google Play Services v3.1.36 APK and gleaned new details about the service, expected to be unveiled at the Google I/O keynote on Wednesday.

The site grabbed the above screenshots, which show how Google+ is used to control who can send players notifications, while it'll also be possible to publish scores on the social network.

Google+ front and centre

It also appears that inviting players to match-ups will also be done in part through Google+, which ties in with Google's recent strategy of interlacing the service into most of its new and existing products.

"There's lots of pushing people to Google+, and offering to brag about a score on Google+," wrote the site's Ron Amadeo.

The site was able to discover the presence of synced game saves, allowing players to pick up games at the same point on multiple devices.

There was also a first look at pop-up achievement badges and placing medals, which Play Games is likely to handle in the same way Apple's Game Center does for iOS gamers.

Check out the source link for more screenshots and full details on what's likely to be officially confirmed within the next week at Google I/O

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/google-play-games-leaks-out-again-brings-cloud-game-saves-to-the-party-1150794

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