Samsung Galaxy S4 Active for AT&T press image leaks

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has made yet another appearance on the web - this time with AT&T livery on. A press image of the yet to be announced smartphone has emerged, showcasing the handset with the AT&T signature globe on its back cover.

As we already know from the previous leaks, the rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 will sport a 1.9GHz quad-core CPU made by Qualcomm, 5" 1080p display, and an 8MP main snapper. The latter is a downgrade from the 13MP shooter of the regular Galaxy S4.

Judging by the date on device's homescreen in the press image, the Samsung Galaxy S4 active for AT&T might hit the shelves on June 21. This is only a day after Samsung's scheduled event in London, where the smartphone is expected to go official.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_active_for_at_t_press_image_leaks-news-6139.php

Read More

White LG Nexus 4 makes its way to the United States

The freshly announced white LG Nexus 4 has officially made its way to the United States. The eye-grabbing handset can be purchased at the moment both from the Google Play store and online at T-Mobile.

In the Google Play store, the white Nexus 4 is priced at the usual $299 for the 8GB version, and $349 for a 16GB device. Google is also giving away a free white bumper with every purchase.

T-Mobile on the other hand, charges a down payment of $19.99 for the device, followed by 24 monthly payments of $17. In case you want to buy the smartphone outright, prepare to pay $427.99.

Interested? Before you press the "ADD TO CART" button, be sure to check out our hands-on of the white Nexus 4.

Source 1 | Source 2

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/white_lg_nexus_4_makes_its_way_to_the_united_states-news-6138.php

Read More

European commission questioning if Apple coerced mobile networks

The iPhone's popularity may have lent Apple an unfair advantage in negotiations

The European commission is investigating claims that Apple used its considerable influence in the mobile world to bend network operators to its will, said a report today.

According to the Guardian, the European competition authority is sending questionnaires to mobile networks that ask whether they were coerced by Apple into anticompetitive behavior.

The questionnaire asks whether companies are required to purchase a minimum number of iPhones, whether they're forced to agree to treat the iPhone preferentially, and other questions that could reveal unfair terms set by Apple.

The document also asks about any technical limitations Apple may be imposing on the iPhone on certain networks.

Apple could be in trouble

The questionnaire is prefaced by an explanation that the European commission "is currently investigating alleged anti-competitive behavior in the EU/European economic area…relating to the distribution of Apple's smartphones ('iPhones') and the limitation or exclusion from use of technical functions on 'iPhones.'"

Regardless of how the documents are filled out, it would be difficult to prove that Apple is in fact the dominant force in the EU, as Samsung is actually the top phone maker.

On the other hand, Apple's influence on the market is undeniable.

The iPhone maker could be found in violation of article 101/102 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union and article 53/54 of the European Economic Area agreement, which have to do with competition and antitrust laws.

• When will the next iPhone be revealed? Whether it's the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6, TechRadar has all the rumors in one convenient place.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/european-commission-investigating-whether-apple-coerced-mobile-networks-1155830

Read More

Sky's Android apps make triumphant return to Google Play following hack

On your marks, get set.... Sky Go!

Sky has announced that its suite of Android apps have been restored to the Google Play store, following last weekend's hacking incident at the hands of the Syrian Electronic Army.

The company had temporarily removed the likes of Sky Go, Sky+, Sky Wi-Fi and Sky Movies when the Google Play pages were compromised, with logos and app descriptions replaced.

The broadcaster's Twitter support account was also taken over, with tweets sent out advising users to uninstall the apps until further notice. Later that day Sky itself issued a statement, telling users not to do so.

The company affirmed that the apps themselves had not been affected, but only the Google Play pages housing them.

Now the apps are back, with the @SkyHelpTeam Tweeting: "All our Android apps, which we removed from the Google Play last weekend, are now available to download!"

Who's next?

The hack was the latest in a series of attacks on the western media, believed to be perpetrated by the Syrian Electronic Army, a group sympathetic to the country's government.

The Financial Times, BBC, The Guardian and US-based network NPR also fell victim. Where will the group strike next?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/sky-s-android-apps-make-triumphant-return-to-google-play-following-hack-1155793

Read More

Is that a live photo of the Sony Xperia L4 and the Nokia phablet?

We stumbled upon a blurry image, which allegedly shows the Rumorland-resident Sony phablet going by the name of Xperia Togari (L4). There's also a Nokia phablet, which sources point could be named 1030 with perhaps a Lumia somewhere in the name too.

The photo allegedly shows the Sony Xperia L4 and Nokia Lumia 1030

The Togari could sport a 6.44" FullHD 1080p display and is supposed to be powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor. The following image compares the alleged live shot against a previously leaked image of an Xperia device's frame and there are obvious similarities.

Sony Xperia L4 compared to previous leak

As for the rather interesting-looking Nokia device - it sporting a Lumia-type body in cyan we see a large device which can fit three medium-sized Live tiles. This could be the Lumia phablet device Nokia's CEO himself has been mentioning.

The Nokia 1030 and Xperia Togari

Still the image looks highly untrustworthy given the presence of camera shake blur in the background and the lack of it in the Xperia L4 part of the image. Our gut tells us that it should be taken with more than the usual pinch of salt accompanying such images.

However, both prototypes pictured look quite plausible, so even if the image is fake there's an outside chance that it has been created by someone who has actually seen the devices in question.

Source | Via
Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_pics__could_this_be_the_xperia_togari_and_nokia_1030-news-6137.php

Read More

Why HTC shouldn't make the T6 phablet

Don't do it HTC - it's not time!

What's this, another one for the oversized smartphone bandwagon? But before HTC jumps headfirst into the over-hyped and badly named "phablet" market, perhaps it should take a minute to read this.

In theory, a handset with a seriously huge display is great. Samsung, ZTE, Huawei and LG are all churning these things out - but that doesn't mean this is the right direction for HTC.

One and only

HTC has already got a hero handset, and it should be fixing all its attention there. The HTC One is only the third phone ever to win a five star review on TechRadar. This is the mobile to get the Taiwanese firm back to the top.

So why launch a monstrously huge handset which will undoubtedly overshadow the HTC One - especially when the One needs its full share of the limelight?

• Check out our HTC One review

Launching the much rumoured HTC T6 will only distract consumers from the flagship phone. And while the HTC One has seen decent sales, it hasn't reached Samsung Galaxy S4 levels of 10 million in less than a month. HTC has no reason for complacency.

Big enough

Fab Phablets

Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Huawei Ascend Mate
ZTE Grand Memo
Samsung Galaxy Mega

It's worth noting that the HTC One isn't exactly a small handset anyway, with a more than serviceable 4.7-inch full HD display. Does anyone really need any more than this from a smartphone?

A 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate might sound tempting, but get one of these porkers in your palm and you'll see what I mean when I say it's just too much.

I'd probably recommend the HTC One to anyone trying to decide between it and a bigger option. That, coupled with the Note 2's dominance, means that there's very little reason to believe the T6 has a market at all.

Range down

If HTC is looking for a big win in the mobile market without cannibalising the the sales of its flagship, it needs to start by thinking smaller.

The mid and low-end regions of the industry are overflowing with various Android and Windows Phone devices, but if HTC can bring what it's learned from the One to smaller, more affordable handsets it could be onto a winner.

Currently there's no standout phone in either the budget or mid-tier arenas and if HTC can nail both, the payoff could be huge - even huger than an ungainly phablet screen.

HTC has history in the lower levels of the mobile world. I loved the One S when it launched last year - it was the perfect example of a mid-range smartphone - although the likes of the One V, Desire X and Desire C were less of a draw.

HTC needs to concentrate on building a solid range of three or four handsets which span the main price points in the market. Only when it's cemented a respectable position across all tiers should it look at pushing the mobile boundaries.

The T6 won't ruin HTC, but it won't help either. The One deserves to be the king of mobiles, so why hide it behind another ridiculous lump of a phablet?

• Smartphones are continuing to grow and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. We ask "just how big can they get?"

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/why-htc-shouldn-t-make-the-t6-phablet-1155732

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini priced, coming to Three UK

Russia will be receiving the Galaxy S4 mini for a price of 19,990 Russian rubles (around $630). The dual-SIM version of the smartphone will be available in June.

Of course you shouldn't reach too much into that as the prices of smartphones in Russia are always quite high. However, if we take into consideration the 29,990 rubles price of the full-grown Galaxy S4 (around $945) then you can probably do the math and get a pretty accurate estimate of the Galaxy S4 mini price in your country. The mini version will obviously retail for around two thirds of what its bigger brother cost.

Meanwhile, UK carrier Three posted a video hands-on with the Galaxy S4 mini, confirming that it will be offering the smartphone. Unfortunately we didn't get specific about on-contract pricing or availability datess.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_s4_mini_priced_in_russia_coming_to_three_uk-news-6136.php

Read More

New photo of LG Optimus G2 and details on Optimus L9 II leak

LG seems to be cooking up refreshes for two phones that are overdue for an upgrade – the Optimus G flagship and the Optimus L9.

The LG Optimus G2 was caught in another photo and it seems like the early software had experienced some issue, with the error screen advising beta testers to send an email report to G2-SW-Stability@lgm.com.

Unfortunately, this image doesn’t confirm the 5" 1080p screen or the Snapdragon 800 chipset that rumors have assigned to the second generation Optimus G.

The Optimus G2 might serve as the basis of the Nexus 5, just like the original did for the Nexus 4. Rumor has it that LG is already working on the next Nexus.

The LG Optimus L9 II was more loose-lipped, however, and bared the "L9 II" label right on its face, instead of having us guess things based on a bug report email address. It helps that it hit GFXBench too.

The benchmark detected a 720p screen (presumably 4.7" as on the original), Android 4.1.2 (with LG's customizations visible in the photo) and a Snapdragon 400 chipset with two Krait 200 cores running at 1.4GHz, 1GB RAM and Adreno 305 GPU.

TechTastic.nl, the site that published this info on the Optimus G2 and Optimus L9 II, promises more info on the camera and other specs of the L9 II, which should be officially announced next month. The rest of the second-gen L-series (the L3 II, L5 II and L7 II) were announced earlier this year at the MWC.

Source 1 • Source 2

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/new_photo_of_lg_optimus_g2_and_details_on_optimus_l9_ii_leak-news-6135.php

Read More

Analyst: Samsung to sell 80 million Galaxy S4 in 2013

Samsung announced just a few days ago it has shipped 10 million Galaxy S4 units globally. It is an impressive milestone achieved in less than a month - two times better than the achievement of its predecessor.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue predicts that the strong sales of the Samsung Galaxy S4 will continue to at least until the end of the year. He expects Samsung to sell 80 million units of its flagship in 2013, supports the claim with the continuing high demand in the US market and the already sold-out 32GB Black model (the White 32GB Galaxy S4 is yet to hit the shelves).

The Samsung Galaxy S4 momentum is far from over and Samsung is doing everything to maximize its potential. It has already announced the Galaxy S4 mini, but we expect the Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S4 Zoom smartphones to join the lineup very soon.

So it does seem quite possible for Samsung to sell 80 million Galaxy S4 devices by the end of this year, but only time will tell.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/analyst_samsung_to_sell_80_million_galaxy_s4_in_2013-news-6134.php

Read More

Sony Xperia Z to be available through a US carrier soon

At the All Things D D11 conference, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai confirmed that the Sony Xperia Z will be heading to a US carrier in the near future, although he didn't specify which carrier exactly.

The most likely candidate currently is T-Mobile, as leaked images of what is purportedly an Xperia Z with T-Mobile branding surfaced last month. The smartphone also got FCC approval with support for T-Mo's bands recently.

Of course, you can get the Xperia Z in the US even now, but you'll have to get its unlocked version directly from Sony directly for the hefty $629. So if you were looking to take advantage of lower on-contract pricing, this is great news.

Meanwhile, there's word that the Sony Xperia ZL, the Z's non-waterproof counterpart, will be heading to AT&T sometime soon.

Either way, we hope that Sony and the major US carriers make things happen sooner rather than later, as it's been almost three months since the devices became available in most other markets.

Thanks, Fady, for the tip!

Source | Via | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z_to_get_us_carrier_support_soon-news-6133.php

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release date and price: Where can I get it?

The errant child

Arriving a little earlier than anticipated, Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S4 Mini, the fresher, younger, and of course smaller version of its flagship, which will offer a slightly more budget-friendly option that keeps in line with Samsung's high-end design.

But where might you be able to get your tiny hands on the scaled-down handset, and when will it actually arrive on UK shelves?

While we don't have a firm release date right now - though we'd say July is looking pretty good - we do know of a few names who will be stocking the Galaxy S4 Mini when it arrives.

Three

For those hankering for something better than still photos, operator Three has posted a video giving an up-close-and-personal look at the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, putting it side by side with the standard Galaxy S4 and the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega.

Unsurprisingly, the network has also confirmed that it will be offering the phone, though it hasn't spilled anything on date or price yet.

Phones4U

Phones4U became the first UK retailer to announce it be offering the new handset, and has given the phone a tentative release date of July.

You can "register your interest" over on Phones4U's dedicated Samsung Galaxy S4 mini microsite right now to be alerted with updates as soon as they happen.

EE

EE confirmed to TechRadar in a statement that is plans to stock the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini "from launch".

It also stated that the phone will be available on its speedy 4GEE service, as well as on the 3G-only Orange and T-Mobile networks. EE's keeping schtum on price and availability for now though.

Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse will of course be offering the Mini too. It's not spilling anything on price or release, but it's also launched its own S4 Mini microsite for those keen to get in line right away.

O2

O2 has confirmed it will be offering the handset when it arrives, but like all the rest, there's nothing more concrete than that for the time being.

Vodafone

Vodafone is much the same, confirming it will be stocking the phone but not giving any details beyond that.

The bad news is that the Mini will be too early for Vodafone's 4G rollout, which is now being delayed until the end of the summer.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-mini-release-date-and-price-where-can-i-get-it--1155670

Read More

HTC might release AOSP ROM for current HTC One owners

People in the US looking to buy an HTC One will soon (June 26) be faced with a tough decision – buy One with Sense 5 or a One Nexus Experience (and lose some functionality). But if you already bought one, the choice has been made.

Or has it? HTC is reportedly "examining the best way to support early adopters of the One," so there could be an official AOSP ROM coming to the HTC One. Whether HTC One Nexus Experience owners will be get a similar choice with a Sense 5 ROM remains to be seen.

There's no reason not to – both versions of the phone are priced around $600. That's $550/$650 for an off-contract HTC One with Sense (depending on carrier) and $600 for the HTC One Nexus Experience from the Play Store.

Of course, HTC has yet to officially say that it's working on such ROM, so there's a possibility we're getting our hopes up for nothing. We'll have to wait and see what the company decides in the end.

Now, if HTC and Google (and Samsung too) will bring a pure Android flagship to the rest of the world it would be great (the One Nexus Experience is a US-exclusive right now).

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_might_release_aosp_rom_for_current_htc_one_owners-news-6132.php

Read More

Saying a big hello to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

Whatever angle you look from, it's definitely a smaller S4

When is a launch not a launch? When it's a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini launch. Rather than keep its powder dry until the official launch date on June 20, Samsung has decided to tell us everything well in advance. So what's the story? According to our resident phone expert Gareth Beavis, while it "packs a number of top end features in a diminutive package", it also "does away with a lot of the 'innovation' we saw in the S4". That's a good thing: the so-called innovation was generally rubbish.

Hardware-wise the Mini is pretty much what everybody expected: a 960x540, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1.7GHz dual core processor, 8GB of storage (5GB available) and a microSD slot. There's a nice camera, Android 4.2.2, a low-ish price tag and a July release date.

• Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 combine to make the ultimate Jelly Bean

Samsung isn't the only firm to spill the beans way in advance of a product launch: Motorola's at it too. The Google-owned handset maker's latest flagship, the Moto X, won't be out until October - but CEO Dennis Woodside teased this week's AllThingsD conference by saying it was in his pocket but he couldn't show it to anybody. You might think that sounds like the sort of behaviour you grow out of aged six. We couldn't possibly comment.

The Moto X will slip into the Motorola line-up

No such tactics for Huawei: its Ascend P6 will be unveiled on June 18, and if the teaser product image is anything to go by the entire internet is going to say, "Man! It looks like an iPhone!". Rather worryingly the phone's USP appears to be its thinness. While ever-thinner smartphones are impressive from an engineering point of view, we'd much rather have exciting features or better battery life than a slightly slimmer case. Hopefully the P6 has some surprises up its super-slim sleeve.

State of the 8

While Huawei gets ready to unveil a phone, Microsoft is putting the finishing touches to Windows 8.1, the operating system formerly known as Windows Blue. New screenshots suggest that as rumoured, the Start button really is coming back - and you'll be able to boot into Desktop mode, although that won't be the default option.

Is 8.1 going to be the big fix for Windows 8?

We've got most of the puzzle pieces now, and while Windows 8.1 isn't going to be a dramatically different OS it should address the most common criticisms of Windows 8. As ever, we have all the Windows 8.1 information you could ever possibly need online, and we'll be updating it constantly between now and Microsoft's Build 2013 conference at the end of June when Windows 8.1 will be officially unveiled.

Cooking something up

What's American and doesn't say much for more than an hour? That's right: it's Tim Cook! The Apple CEO's second year at AllThingsD was as successful as his first, if by "successful" you mean "inscrutable". Despite the hosts' best efforts Cook refused to be drawn on Apple's plans, the existence of an Apple TV set, the iWatch, whether his name was really Tim Cook, what day it was or whether the sun was shining, and we suspect that we'd have got just as much information if the hosts had attempted to interview a spy, or perhaps a mime.

We're not surprised, of course: Apple prefers to announce Apple things at Apple events, such as WWDC, coming up in a fortnight. Hopefully WWDC will have more interesting news than a slightly cheaper iPod.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/saying-a-big-hello-to-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-mini-1155586

Read More