The rumoured Nokia Lumia 630 is thought to be one of the first handsets to run Microsoft's incoming Windows Phone 8.1 OS, but a leaked press render suggests it won't have that much else going for it.
The image you see above comes courtesy of that ol' leakster @evleaks and shows a device in five pretty shades of polycarbonate, but without a camera flash on the rear or a physical camera button.
That suggests Nokia has trimmed back significantly on the hardware in order to keep the Lumia 630 as affordable as possible, while it continues to target the lower end of the market.
Earlier this week, a leak from Chinese site winp.cn, pegged the device as having a 4.5-inch 854 x 480 screen, Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM.
An upgrade and a downgrade
Should that prove to be the case, it would still be a significant update on the Lumia 620, which brought a 3.8-inch 480 x 800 display and only 512MB of RAM to the party.
Still, you have to wonder just how much a little camera flash and the integration of a physical button actually costs Nokia and whether their omission is worth saving those few pennies.
The Lumia 630 is expected to arrive shortly after Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 8.1 at its Build conference in early April.
Recent reports have suggested Nokia may have already planned an event for April 19, but that remains unconfirmed.
BlackBerry isn't the only smartphone maker generating headlines for their mobile advertising initiatives this week: Apple is said to be working on iAds that automatically play video in full-screen mode on iOS devices.
Ad Age dug up a scoop on Apple's forthcoming plans for its mobile iAds which may soon see those relatively innocuous banner ads exploding all over their display with full-screen video playback - whether users like it or not.
According to the usual "people with knowledge of Apple's plans," iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners may no longer have to voluntarily tap on a banner-based iAd to make it play.
These so-called "interstitials" are rumored to catch a user's attention while they are in the process of jumping to another level of gameplay or after reading an article, rather than disrupting whatever they happen to be doing at the time.
Lights, cameras, iAds?
Launched in 2010, Apple's iAds generated a lot of buzz but never really took off with advertisers, who balked at the initial asking price of $1 million (about UK£596,500, AU$1.99M) per buy.
Although Apple doesn't report iAd revenue, the iPhone maker is said to have steeply marked down the price of such ads to a more reasonable $100,000 (about UK£59,650, AU$109,890) in the years since.
According to IDC data, iAds added another $125 million (about UK£75M, AU$137M) to its already overflowing coffers in 2012, but that's a pittance compared to Google-owned AdMob, who advertised its way into $243 million (about UK£145M, AU$267M) during the same year.
Apple has yet to comment on its future plans for iAds, but Cupertino is expected to offer full-screen video interstitials through a rumored ad exchange, where space is auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Check out our completely iAd-free review of the iPad Air!
LG has kept the appearance of the G3 a closely guarded secret.
LG surprised us all with last year's LG G2. It combined top flight specs with innovative features and alongside the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 it really put LG back on the mobile map.
But the company faces a bigger challenge now as it's got to keep that momentum going with an even more impressive successor - the LG G3.
Little is known about that successor yet, though a number of rumors are starting to bubble up. We've scoured the web for all the juicy gossip and put it in one place to start to paint a picture of the LG G3.
First of all, to get the completely unsurprising bit out of the way, it looks like the handset will indeed be called the LG G3, as LG has applied to trademark 'G3'. With that said, let's get down to business.
Cut to the chase What is it? The sequel to 2013's excellent LG G2 When is it out? Between May and July 2014 What will it cost? It may be slightly cheaper than direct rivals
The LG G2 didn't arrive until September, so a launch as early as May seems a little unlikely, but reportedly it's being done to allow the G3 to better compete with the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and new HTC One.
For what it's worth the same source claimed the LG G Pro 2 would be launched in February, which it was right about, so there could be something to its LG G3 claims.
On the other hand German site Giga Android is claiming a "source close to the matter" has quoted a June launch, while an anonymous user of the ortud.com forum claimed the device will probably launch in July. Whatever the case it looks like it might arrive earlier in the year than the LG G2 did.
There's no word on what it might sell for yet, but this is a flagship phone we're talking about, so it will cost a lot. However LG's flagships have tended to slightly undercut Samsung and HTC rivals, so keep your fingers crossed.
We're somewhat skeptical about that though, it feels more like wishful thinking than anything grounded in reality.
1080 x 1920 seems to be the current go-to resolution for flagship phones if the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 are anything to go by. Then again, if the LG G3 intends to stand out from the crowd a QHD screen could certainly do that.
LG G3 processor and RAM
The LG G2 has a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, which is still pretty impressive, but LG is said to be improving its in-house Odin processor and an octa-core version of it is tipped for the LG G3.
The latest octa-core version of the processor will apparently have four cores clocked at 2.2GHz and the other four clocked at 1.7GHz, which should give it a sizable boost over the LG G2.
It's worth noting that most new flagships get tipped for octa-core processors at the moment and it doesn't always pan out, while it could equally be that only certain variants of the handset will get octa-core power, as we've seen in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
If this does turn out to be true though it would mean a move from the Snapdragon chipset in the LG G2 to LG's own chipset.
There's no word yet on how much RAM the LG G3 might have. The G2 has 2GB, but the LG G Pro 2 upped it to 3GB, so here's hoping for the same in the G3.
A benchmark for a mystery Android handset believed to be the LG G3 due to its model number of LG-D830 (which is similar to the G2's D802 model number) showed that it ran Android 4.4 KitKat. No surprise there, this is a flagship after all.
Unfortunately that's all we really know about the OS so far, but it seems a safe bet that it will use LG's Optimus UI and include recent LG innovations like Knock Code, which takes KnockOn to the next level by allowing users to tap a pattern on the screen when it's off, to both turn it on and unlock it.
LG G3 camera
Initial rumors coming out of ZDNet Korea pointed towards a 16MP sensor, but more recent leaks suggest a 13MP one.
What will probably be the first of many photos supposedly taken on the handset appeared the other day. The picture was an impressively detailed image of a cat and had a resolution of 4260 x 2342 according to the EXIF data.
That equates to 9.6MP at a 16:9 aspect ratio, which would mean the camera should be capable of taking 13MP photos at a 4:3 ratio.
The photo was posted on the ortud.com forum by someone going by the name 'Geek'. The poster claimed their friend was testing the phone and that it had a 13MP camera with optical image stabilization plus (OIS+) and that it's very similar to the snapper in the LG G Pro 2.
The posters megapixel claims match those revealed by the EXIF data, but that's something that's very easy to fake. Not to mention the fact that the device is listed as an LG-D972, which isn't a model number that we've ever come across.
If it does turn out to be real then it will have the same number of megapixels as the LG G2, but given the quality of the leaked image it looks like it could still be capable of taking significantly better photos.
Phone Arena also received a User Agent profile from an anonymous source which showed a device going by the name LG D830 (the same device as appeared in benchmarks) as having a 13MP camera along with support for 4K video playback and 120fps slow motion video.
An unknown number of users in the UK have reported undesirable behavior after installing the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the HTC One, which has resulted in the company temporarily suspending the OTA update.
This comes quite a while after the update hit the UK on February 24, and it's unclear if the issues take longer than usual to develop or if there's another reason why the company has taken so long to react. HTC has issued the following statement:
"We are aware that a limited number of HTC users are experiencing difficulties with the KitKat update. As a result, all FOTA updates have been temporarily suspended. HTC is committed to providing customers with the best possible mobile experience and we are working hard to resolve the issue quickly."
No specifics into what exactly is so mission critical as to cause an OTA suspension, but it's likely specific to the region as similar KitKat rollouts to US and other areas have not been recalled.
It's a BENDY PHONE, for crying out loud. You could've just bent it a bit and we'd have been impressed
Here are the various emotions that you will go through when watching LG's latest ad for the LG G Flex:
Boredom, dismay, disbelief, ABJECT HORROR, what is that? is that a... no, wait, it's a mouth, dismay, confusion, dismay, why's he putting the ear to his ear and the mouth to his mouth?, more dismay, sick in your mouth, dismay, dismay, dismay.
We're starting an online petition to have the whole thing killed with fire, who's with us?
Health sensors everywhere could save a lot of lives
There's a big problem with wearable health tech: the people who need it won't buy it.
With the obvious exceptions - people who have conditions that mean they need to keep a close eye on what their bodies are up to - the kind of people who'll embrace wearable health gadgets are the kind of people who don't really need them.
If you care enough about your health to drop hundreds on health kit, you're probably not the kind of person who runs screaming from salad bars.
We don't need health sensors for healthy people, we need them for everybody else.
We need smartphones that will spy on us.
Pizza power
I'm not being judgemental here. In a former life I was Scotland's most enthusiastic smoker, and while I don't do that any more I still enjoy a deep-fried pizza - don't knock if you haven't tried it - and come out in a rash if I think about exercising. I'm as interested in health apps as I am in morris dancing, cricket or One Direction.
That's why a smartphone could save my life.
Everybody's going to die but many people die far too early. For example, it's estimated that a quarter of deaths from heart disease are preventable and the risk factors are both well-established and easy to monitor; they're things such as blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity and so on.
The problem, of course, is that you have to monitor those things and many of us don't.
We're pretty good at pretending that unhealthy behaviours aren't affecting us - and the unhealthier the behaviour, the more in denial you can become. When I was torching entire tobacco plantations before breakfast the last person I wanted to see was my doctor. What's the point of going to see someone who'll only tell you to stop smoking?
Wearables might do a better job. If our devices come stuffed with sensors in the way they currently do with accelerometers and compasses, they could keep a close eye on how we're doing.
For example, the Wello smartphone case includes a handful of sensors that monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature and so on; Apple is reportedly working on audio sensors that can detect irregularities in arteries.
The trick is to make health monitoring the rule, not the exception. Given the choice between spending a couple of hundred on a health gadget or dropping the same sum on Haribo, the sweets will win every time - but if the sensors are in the gadgets we'll want to buy anyway, they can sneak in under our radar.
There are lots of issues to address - privacy is the biggie - but if wearables can get it right, they might warn us of imminent problems without just nipping our heads about eating more salad.
Sensors could be the canaries in our personal coalmines, spotting great danger when there's still time to do something about it.
Saving us from ourselves? Maybe we need an app for that.
HTC unveiled the Desire 310 earlier this year – an affordable dual-SIM phone. Exact price and launch date weren’t known until now but HTC filled in the blanks – the Desire 310 will cost €160 and launch on April 10.
The phone is an alternative to the Moto G – its 4.5" screen has only FWVGA resolution (that's 480 x 854), but there are advantages like 1080p video from the 5MP camera and expandable storage. Note that the Moto G has a dual-SIM version too.
The phone will be available in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland (that we know of so far). The price for Germany is €160, while in the Netherlands it's €170. The Swiss price is CHF 180 (€150).
Wello (by Azoi Inc) is a health tracker with a difference, or at least it has far more features than we've come to expect from the humble smartphone case.
It can track your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, ECG, blood oxygen level, respiration, heart rate variability and lung functions with supposedly medical grade accuracy.
You might be imagining it as some sort of expensive and unwieldy contraption, but in fact it's built into a mobile phone case, so it can be with you whenever your phone is and you simply place your fingers on the sensor areas to get a reading.
Diagnose on the move
It connects to a handset using Bluetooth, allowing it to sync data to an app, so you can see your stats wherever you are. It can also be linked up to Fitbit devices (with support for other brands apparently in the works), so you can see all your data in one place and it has a two month battery life.
The Wello is compatible with the iPhone 5S, 5 and 4S, as well as all Android KitKat devices with Bluetooth LE (low-energy), though it doesn't look like the case will currently fit Android handsets, as you can only order iPhone versions for now.
Speaking of orders, it's up for pre-order now for £120 / $199 (around AU$220) and will be shipping to the UK and Europe in the summer with the US following this autumn, pending FDA approval.
Whether it's any good we cannot say, but on paper it certainly sounds it and makes Samsung's Galaxy S5 heart rate monitor seem somewhat underwhelming in comparison.
For a more fitness oriented tracker, check out the Nike FuelBand SE
Nokia announced its Android-powered phones at the Mobile World Congress, but the rumored Lumia 930 and Lumia 630/635 were nowhere to be seen. Nokia might be saving those for a separate event on April 19.
News of the event comes from popular rumor source @evleaks. The date might not be a coincidence – two weeks earlier, Microsoft will be holding the BUILD conference. It is expected to bring Windows Phone 8.1 with the Cortana virtual assistant and Start screen backgrounds.
According to rumors, the Lumia 930 will be similar to the Lumia Icon / 929 but for GSM networks and possibly with a 4.5" screen instead of a 5" one. The Lumia 630/635 will succeed the Lumia 620 and offer slightly higher-end specs than the 525, including dual-SIM (WP8.1 is supposed to add support for it).
Startup phonemaker OnePlus has done "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit opening themselves to questions from the public. As a result of it, some interesting details and tidbits have surfaced regarding the company's first phone dubbed simply One.
The Chinese company is going to ship the smartphone in the second quarter of the year and make it available in 10 countries at launch, including the US. Pricing is confirmed to be under $400 for unlocked, SIM-free version. Speaking of US availability, the One won't support Verizon and Sprint.
The OnePlus One is confirmed to feature a Snapdragon 800 chipset with 3GB of RAM and will run CyanogenMod 11 based on Android 4.4 KitKat. The kernel sources and stock images will be provided on day of sale, similarly to the Oppo N1.
The display is expected to be 5" with a 1080p resolution and the company revealed it won't be of the OLED variety. OnePlus belives the phone will be a little smaller than the Nexus 5 thanks to its "slightly better screen/body ratio."
Additionally, the phone will have stereo speakers, although it didn't come clear if they'll be at the front or at the back. In fact, OnePlus hypes the build quality of the One to be superb with the former Oppo Find 5 product manager now working for the Chinese startup and saying the One is better than the Find 5.
Here's what Carl Pei, Director of OnePlus Global said regarding build quality.
We designed the OnePlus One to be easy to handle with one hand, while at the same time having the largest possible display size under these circumstances. How? By having a slim body, tapered edges and narrow bezels.
What's interesting is that there won't be a 32GB version, as the One will be offered in 16GB and 64GB flavors. The larger storage option will come at a price close to what other companies ask for 32GB models, OnePlus notes. Rumored to be made out of metal, the One will also sport a notification LED.
The battery specs haven't been revealed just yet, but it did become clear the phone will last more than a day on a single charge. There's also a new and interesting technology, which it'll be utilizing, too.
The OnePlus One will be the only phone the company makes this year. It's also planning to double its size from the 150-employee company it is now. Those are very bold plans and we'll see how things pan out for the optimistic phonemaker.
You too can ask OnePlus questions by following the source link below. Hurry up, as the AMA will only be active for a couple of days.
The L90 should be here soon, but it's got a lot of competition
The LG L90 only appeared the other day at MWC but it's already on its way to stores.
At least, it is if you live in Russia and the surrounding countries, as the handset will land over there starting this week.
The rest of us might have to wait a little bit longer, but hopefully not too long as the press release states that the L90 will be arriving in "other markets around the world" just as soon as it's finished launching in eastern Europe.
Priced to move
When it does arrive, the LG L90 has a 4.7-inch 960 x 540 display, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built in storage and an 8MP camera.
It also runs Android 4.4 KitKat, so it's up to date on that front, and it includes LG's new Knock Code feature which allows users to turn the screen on and unlock the phone through a combination of taps.
We gave the L90 a test drive at MWC and were impressed by the build quality and performance, but felt the screen resolution was a little on the low side - check out the full hands on here.
We're waiting to hear back from networks about pricing for the L90, but it looks as though the SIM-free handset will land at around £209.99, or at least that's what Clove has it up for pre-order at - that translates to around $350 or AU$400.
It's also launching into an increasingly crowded market, with the likes of the Motorola Moto G and Sony Xperia M2 sure to provide stiff competition. Can it stand out? You'll have to wait for our full LG L90 review to find out.
Samsung Galaxy S5 pre-orders continue to expand throughout Eurasia – following the Netherlands and Romania, the new flagship is now available for pre-order in Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic.
In Sweden, the Galaxy S5 is available for around SEK 6,200 (€700 / $964) off contract, but several carriers have offers too. Tre (Swedish Three) prices start at SEK 328 / month and the carrier will throw in a free 32GB microSD card.
Telia has it at SEK 380 / month and SEK 6,400 on prepaid. Tele2 has the blue Galaxy S5 (the other two carriers have only Black and White) and with a 2-year contract, the monthly cost is SEK 424. A pre-paid option is available too at SEK 6,400.
In Russia, Samsung's official page advertises the pre-order at RUB 30,000 (€600 / $830). If you pre-order by April 9, you'll get a RUB 2,000 voucher to spend on Samsung Apps. Only the Black and White models are available here.
In the Czech Republic, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is priced CZK 19,000 (€700 / $950). The full range of colors is available – White, Black, Blue and Gold.
HTC has officially announced the Desire 310, its mid-range successor to the Desire 300.
The specs won't blow your mind, but they're sure to be enough to make this affordable handset sing.
The 310 has a 4.5-inch 854x480 display, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor working away inside and 512MB of RAM.
You'll only have 4GB of internal storage inside but you'll be able to add more via the microSD card slot.
Meanwhile, you've got a resonable 5MP shooter on the rear capable of 1080p video recording, and a VGA camera on the front.
Burning desire
And unless you're averse to choice, the other good news is that you'll be able to pick it up in one of three colours - white, orange or navy blue.
The HTC Desire 310 will be available in the UK "from the end of April" via O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse, although we're not yet being told anything on pricing or when other territories will get their hands on it - HTC just promises us it will be "affordable".
Looking for something a bit beefier? Check out the HTC Desire 816
