For example, this follow-up to last year's HTC One is supposed to boast a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, according to a brochure obtained by GSM Arena.
That's a step up from the previously rumored Snapdragon 800 chip that was thought to be powering the device and can be found in the current LG G2 and Google Nexus 5 smartphones.
Also, beneath its expected 1080p 5-inch display, the All New HTC One has been tipped to be packing a 2,600 mAh capacity battery.
Both phones use a Snapdragon 801 system on a chip from Qualcomm, while the new HTC One's 2,600 mAh battery life is close to its rivals.
The Galaxy S5 includes a removable 2,800 mAh li-ion battery capacity, while the crams in a non-removeable 3,200 mAh battery. The pros and cons are pretty obvious between the two.
It's unknown whether or not the All New HTC is destined to have a removable battery, but that wasn't the case for its predecessor when it launched last year.
The final interesting detail from the brochure indicates that the HTC One for 2014 will include a nano SIM card and slot vs the typical micro SIM configuration.
OnePlus, a company composed primarily of former Oppo employees, has been fervently trying to get hype for its upcoming One flagship over the past several months. It's marketing the OnePlus One as an ultra-premium smartphone that'll beat many top-brand manufacturers in key areas.
The latest bit of teasing involves Pete Lau, the OnePlus founder himself, posting a picture of a Sony Xperia Z1 on the OnePlus forums.
While nothing spectacular in itself, Lau claims that he's placed his company flagship underneath. Now, if you've been keeping up, then you'll know that the One is slated to feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display.
While this is dangerously close to phablet territory, (allegedly) placing it underneath the 5-inch-toting Sony Xperia Z1 should do much to alleviate the concerns of users worried about an overly-large device.
While there are any number of tricks Lau could have used to fake the shot (we don't see the Z1 in full frame, after all), to fit a 5.5-inch display into such a small footprint would raise more than a few eyebrows.
The OnePlus One is expected to get unveiled on March 16, so we'll know soon enough first hand.
The maker of axed smash hit mobile game Flappy Bird has hinted the addictive title could one day return to the App Store, following the self-imposed exile.
At the time, Nyguyan claimed to "hate" the game that had "ruined his simple life," but in an extensive interview with Rolling Stone, he admitted to pondering its eventual return to the nest.
"I'm considering it," he told the magazine, before adding that any return would come with a "warning [to] take a break!"
Addictive-yet-infuriating
Since Flappy Bird went into hibernation, iOS devices with the game installed have appeared on eBay for thousands and many clones have emerged seeking to replicate the addictive-yet-infuriating experience.
Those fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to still possess the game are still generating massive wads of cash for the Vietnamese developer who was reportedly bringing tens of thousands in ad revenue during the game's peak.
As a result, the Nyguyan has quit his day job to focus on full time developing. He's got an untitled cowboy shooter, a vertical flying game called Kitty Jetpack and an "action chess game" called Checkonaught coming this month.
All of the games will feature those 8-bit inspired graphics combined with extreme levels of difficulty, according to the interview. Great! There goes another sheet of Gorilla Glass!
Now we've got our hands on the complete and detailed specs of the smartphone. We also acquired what appears to be a sales guide depicting the key features of the HTC One (2014) and how the company's representative plan on marketing them.
The HTC One (2014) will measure 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35, making it a little thicker than its main rivals. Weight is set at 160g.
The screen will indeed be a 5" 1080p unit. The processor is quoted to be a quad-core 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801, while the battery capacity will be 2,600 mAh. The SIM is said to be of the nano variety (like on the iPhone 5, 5c and 5s, Moto X, etc.) and there will be a microSD card slot to compliment the preloaded 16 GB of storage (10GB of which will b e user available).
There's no world on the camera resolution but the rest of the specs appear the same as last year's model - 1/3.0" size, f/2.0 aperture, 2µm pixel size, etc. suggesting the resolution could again be 4 MP. According to the guide the video capture is still 1080p and not 4K. There will also be a rapid improvement in the front-facing camera which will now pack 5MP sensor.
A Barometer is also said to be on board, but FM Radio is a no-go. You can check out the HTC One 2014 specs page, where we've added all the new info we learned.
And here's the full sales guide we mentioned earlier.
We've also got hold of the key apps that sales representatives would pitch to clients in the markets where those are available.
Don't make do with Google Hangout! Try these apps instead
It's all very exciting having the latest version of Android install itself on your mobile, but what happens when it makes changes you don't actually like?
That's the situation owners of phones like the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 found themselves in recently, as Google's exciting new Android 4.4 KitKat release arrived – and forced upgraders to use Google's own Hangouts app as the default SMS app.
Aside from no one really liking being told what software they have to use, the change was also a bit unsettling. The SMS tool is one of the most basic, reliable and unchanged features of any phone, with even the most backward of tech users usually able to work out how to send a simple text message.
But in Hangouts? Even experienced smartphone users struggled to work out how to send a simple text. Not only that, the term 'hangout' is a dreary, predictable piece of brainstorming nonsense.
So if you fancy rebelling against Google's forced use of the Hangouts app and going your own way, here are five alternative SMS apps to install and bring texting back to basics on Android.
1. Hello SMS
Plenty of customisation options await in this Android SMS app, with Hello SMS letting users choose if they want a standard notification or the entire screen to light up when messages arrive. Plus there's a night mode layout option with a dark background to supposedly save your eyes and battery when texting late.
The design is pretty jazzy, with a list of SMS threads down the left, plus a wider layout when viewing your texts in landscape mode.
Replies are threaded, albeit in a subtle, bolded highlight way, and it's a fast, simple app to open and use. A long-press on the message icon lets you delete an entire conversation, while the attachment option is a swish combined gallery and camera app, splitting the screen between existing shots and a viewfinder for capturing and attaching live shots.
Handcent's been around for a long time on Android, and it shows. The design's not particularly thrilling, offering a white and blue colour scheme that looks like it's been ported from iPhone.
Still, beneath the clunky layout there are absolutely stacks of features in Handcent, with this texting app letting users add doodles to messages as image files, attach screen captures of the phone's display, spellcheck messages before sending and, if you have a clear non-regional accent, input text via Google's speech-to-text tools.
The sending of messages can even be scheduled, if you need to establish a watertight alibi. It's a proper hardcore texting app for people who use their 3,000 SMS allowance each month.
EvolveSMS goes all-out on design, with a stylish layout that incorporates a swish landscape option, multiple font and text size options, Emojis and more.
A nice pop-up reply box makes responding simple, plus there's a pattern lock and the ability to set some conversations to private while leaving others unrestricted, and a choice of Home screen widgets.
You can also snooze incoming text message notifications for a set period of time, in the unlikely event you've got something better to do than look at your portable telephone.
And as nice as it looks, the appearance can further be amended by installing themes and other customisation packs.
Textra bravely claims it's a "beautiful" texting app, and, if you like Android's old grey, boxy layout, it probably is.
To make it less pretty there's a custom Textra Emoji plugin that can be downloaded for free, if you like expressing yourself via silly emoticons, plus there's a built-in audio recording tool, for sending people clips of you speaking when typing's too much of a chore.
In terms of customisation, there's much to play with. It supports pop-up message notifications, the changing of the notification LED colour (if your phone supports it), with users also able to customise the pulsing of the notification vibration – for the ultimate in stealth text alerts.
TextSecure has a bigger selling point than the rest: security.
On a basic level it restricts Android from taking screengrabs of messages, plus, if you demand more control and reassurance that the wife/government isn't reading everything you say, there's the option of locking the app down with a passphrase. And, for yet more protection, conversations between two users can be kept private with end to end encryption.
In terms of customisation, TextSecure delivers some fun consumer toys, with SMS delivery report tools, LED colour and blink pattern toggles for at-a-glance notifications, enter key modification and more.
Getting closer to the March 19 launch in Beijing, the official Oppo Find 7 invitations are out. They're pretty interesting and interactive.
Oppo is sending out invites in the form of a box with a map to the place of launch, a QR code and a black pyramid stand.
The QR code will direct you to a short teasing video that you can only watch after you place your phone on top of the pyramid stand.
Here goes a, rather blurry and low-quality, video of the invite.
The Find 7 will likely come in two versions - both at 5.5" but with different screen resolutions - 1080p and 2K (2560 x 1600 pixels). The chipset is expected to be a quad-core Snapdragon 800 with 3 GB of RAM. The 1080p option could cost sub-$500. To complete the tally we're expecting a removable battery in a unibody-like casing and a whopping 50 MP camera.
Two renders uploaded on RedDot21 website reveal ZTE's upcoming flagship - the Grand S ext. It has a curved body and should be build using Nano Molding Technology (NMT).
The NMT basically injects plastic and metal together in the mold and the end product is easy to cut, cheap to build, lightweight and yet with great quality and durability.
ZTE Grand S ext renders
There are no other details on the ZTE Grand S ext. The description of the design says this is the first smartphone to be manufactured using NMT and it will come with a smart dock with integrated battery and wireless charging support.
The Grand S ext renders were uploaded on official's ZTE profile on RedDot21, so we can consider the existence of the smartphone certain.
Ever since the announcement of the Microsoft-Nokia acquisition, many of us have been wondering what will happen to Nokia, and how will the 10 year licensing period on its patents work?
Korean manufacturers are more than a little worried, and have even gone as far as petitioning the FTC over what they feel could be an unfair advantage held by Microsoft after the deal goes through.
"The Korea Electronics Association (KEA) submitted a petition to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on March 7 with the Korea Software Industry Association, the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, and the Korea Battery Industry Association, claiming that Microsoft is likely to keep Korean manufacturers in check by means of Nokia’s patents."
In the eyes of the KEA, Nokia could also pose a threat to foreign manufacturers by use of its own patents, which it will still have control over even after the deal goes through.
“As a mobile phone maker, Nokia rarely exercised its patent rights because of its cross-licensing with Samsung Electronics, Apple and the like, but now it can launch patent lawsuits or demand an increase in royalties without any limitation."
According to KEA lawyer Hwang Eun-jeong, Nokia can effectively become a patent troll with its own patents because it no longer has to cross-license them with other manufacturers after having effectively withdrawn from making smartphones.
We'll see if the FTC deems the complaints serious enough to prevent the eventual merger in due course. For more on the Nokia-Microsoft deal, check out our detailed report.
Samsung has started seeding the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 3 throughout the UK. The update is now available for all unlocked S4 and Note 3 handset, while those bound to a specific carrier will be getting the new firmware very soon.
The new Android 4.4 firmware will bring you all KitKat improvements and enhancements (Project Svelte), better lockscreen with support for full-screen music album art and a dedicated camera shortcut, some minor UI updates (monochrome status bar icons) and improved stability.
The official rollout of the KitKat updates for the latest Galaxies kicked off in January for the Note 3 and in February for the Galaxy S4. If your country or carrier didn't get the update just yet, it should be brought on the KitKat bandwagon very soon, probably by the end of March.
Apparently being able to use a fingerprint, password, PIN, face or pattern to unlock a smartphone isn't enough as Samsung has now patented a new method.
The patent explains that users will be able to wake up or unlock a phone when the screen is off by drawing a shape with at least one intersection in it.
If that sounds familiar it's because LG has just launched a new unlocking method of its own called Knock Code, which again works with the screen off, but rather than creating a shape you tap out a series of knocks.
Muscle memory
According to Samsung's patent it doesn't matter what size, shape or orientation the pattern has, so it should be easy to draw.
A new way to unlock? (Credit: USPTO)
All that matters is that it has at least one intersection and by saving multiple patterns with different numbers of intersections users would be able to jump straight to specific apps or phone functions by entering a different pattern.
So for example one intersection might just unlock the phone, while two intersections would launch the camera and three would take you straight to the web browser.
At the moment this is just a patent, so it's anyone's guess if and when it will actually be implemented into the Galaxy S5 or any future Samsung phones, but on paper it makes a lot of sense, even if it is suspiciously close to LG's idea.
Good news for Samsung fans - your shiny device is about to get better with a chocolatey dose of Android 4.4.2.
The update is rolling out today for unlocked versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, while if you're on Three you may also be getting the update soon, as forum members on Android Central who are on the Three network have reported getting it on their Galaxy Note 3s.
Incoming Android
Some users already have the update while others are still waiting, so keep an eye on your phone today if you don't have it yet.
There's no news on when other networks will roll out KitKat, but hopefully they'll soon follow.
The update is an OTA file, with sizes ranging from 300MB to 400MB, and it brings the KitKat features you'd expect, like lock screen album art and support for native cloud printing, along with some minor visual changes such as white notification bar icons.
The Galaxy S4 is old news. Check out our first thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The newly-announced HTC Desire 816 has went on pre-order in China and it appears interest is pretty high. So high, in fact that it sent HTC's shares have up by 3.91%.
The device saw around 450 thousand orders in the first three days of the campaign alone and that figure is expected to rise to half a million shortly. Marketed as a mid-range flagship, the phablet has obviously been exactly what the doctor prescribed to the ailing company.
As of 11:17 AM today HTC's shares have gone up to NT$146 ($4.82). Deutsche Bank increased the target price of HTC's shares from NT$85 to NT$155. The bank is the fist foreign brokerage to revise its recommended target price of HTC shares upwards.
HTC's aim for this quarter is to generate between NT$34 billion and NT$36 billion, down from Q4 of 2013's NT$42.9 billion. However, the drop was mostly in January and February when HTC revenues amounted to around NT$16.9 billion and things should improve drastically in March, hopefully marking the start of a turnaround in the company's fortunes.
Another boost to HTC shares could be the announcement of the All New One smartphone on March 25.
If Samsung's working on the Galaxy S5 Neo it's certainly stayed quiet about it so far, but now we've got some evidence that it could be on the way.
A phone with the model number SM-G800F has appeared on Indian import site Zauba and while that letter-number combo doesn't ring any bells, the price difference between it and the Samsung Galaxy S5 is similar to the difference between the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, suggesting that the mystery handset could be the Galaxy S5 Neo.
That's hardly a confirmation, but we wouldn't be surprised if Samsung is working on such a handset and just days ago the same logic was used on the same site to spot what might be the Galaxy S5 mini.
Slim hope
Even if this is the Galaxy S5 Neo it might not emerge for a while. The Zauba listing claims that it's being shipped for R & D purposes, so it may not be a finished product yet.
Then there's the fact that the Galaxy Note 3 Neo never actually made it to the UK, so here's hoping the S5 Neo, if that's what this is, does.
Whatever it turns out to be, the price difference between it and the Samsung Galaxy S5 is very small, so we should be looking at quite a powerful device if and when it ever sees the light of day.
Looking for a mid-range Galaxy and just can't wait? Check out the Galaxy S4 mini.
HTC experiments with cameras to set its One phones apart and The All New One will have two cameras but we didn’t know why until now. We have a photo of a Telstra (a big Australian carrier) brochure detailing the phone's feature and confirming the "all new" name.
The so-called Duo Camera will allow the user to choose the focus point and create bokeh effects. The camera will also enable 3D effects. Presumably "effects" means more than just 3D photos and videos.
The adjustable focus has become very popular since Nokia released the Refocus app and all flagships have it – the Galaxy S5, the Xperia Z2 and the LG G Pro 2 have it. However with two cameras on board the 2014 One won't have to do multiple shots with one camera and should yield better results.
HTC had a dual-camera, 3D-shooting phone previously, the HTC Evo 3D, but that didn’t work out great.
It remains to be seen if HTC's gamble will pay off, plus we still don't have many details – camera resolution, optical stabilization, video resolution and so on. The dual-LED, dual color flash is a lock though.
A spy shot of a Telstra brochure for the All New HTC One
Other feature of the All New HTC One that the Telstra brochure details are the 5" 1080p screen, BoomSound speakers on the front and double tap to wake.
The phone will cost AUD 840 (RRP) off-contract, which is $760 / €550.
The Alchemist London team proves they have the philosopher's stone by turning an iPhone 5 (not 5s) into gold – a one-off gadget worth $1 million / £600K. The millionaire's gadget takes 5 months of handcrafting to produce and there will be only two of those made.
Million dollar iPhone
Here's the rundown of precious metal and gems. The bezel, back panel and Home button are made out of 24 karat gold. On the back, there are 53 diamonds forming the Apple logo. The home button has a 2 carat diamond. To top it all off, there are 1,600 flawless F grade diamonds (16 carats in total) on the bezels of the device.
Million dollar iPhone
The two Million Dollar iPhone will be sold in London but for a few days – March 9-12 – one is at the Best of Britain Luxury Exhibition in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
And if a million dollars is too cheap for you there's always the $15.3 million iPhone 5, which has a much bigger diamond on the Home button.
