La Fleur Galaxy S III, S Duos, Ace 2 and Ace Duos on the way

The La Fleur brand is no news for Samsung. It’s been doing those editions since the end of 2009. The limited-edition phones are not quite widespread or famous, but they've usually enjoyed good reception from the ladies out there.

So here come the new La Fleur phones, all of them running on Android OS – the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S Duos, Galaxy Ace Duos and Galaxy Ace 2.

All of them will come in the usual colors – white or pink with some additional flower decoration on both sides of the phone.

In case you are eyeing one of those, you’ll be happy to learn they’ll be released by the end of January just in time for the Valentine's day shopping decisions.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/la_fleur_editions_of_galaxy_s_iii_s_duos_ace_2_and_ace_duos_on_the_way-news-5099.php

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ZTE Grand X Pro press image breaks loose

ZTE may have just announced a bunch of new phones, but it seems there is even more cooking in its labs. A leaked image supposedly shows the Grand X Pro – the ZTE’s next flagship.

ZTE Grand X Pro

It looks really cool and seems to be running an almost vanilla Android OS.

There is nothing more coming with this pic, but since the previous Grand X LTE announced this summer runs on a dual-core Krait, we guess the Grand X Pro may introduce the quad-core Krait to the lineup.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_grand_x_pro_press_image_breaks_loose-news-5096.php

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Google pushes Nexus to the next level

We checked out the Kobo Mini this week

It's been a busy old week here at TechRadar: we've got new phones, new tablets, new e-readers and a small tear in our eye as we wave goodbye to an old friend.

First up is Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo - but is it like Apollo 11, the one that landed on the moon, or is it like Apollo 13, the one that was all explodey and Tom Hanks-y? Mary Branscombe has been investigating, and she tells us it's very much the former: "this is a real step in quality from Microsoft and gives us hope for variety in the smartphone wars."

Did someone say smartphone wars? The Nexus 4 is Google's latest weapon in that particular battle, and Phil Lavelle reckons it's a little cracker. While it doesn't "solve famine, pick up the kids up from school and decipher Mandarin Chinese in a millisecond" the Nexus 4 "comes SO close to that, it's unreal." Phil is currently having a nice lie down in a darkened room.

Did someone say ten-inch tablet? No? Okay! The Nexus 10, you'll be stunned to discover, is the big brother to the Nexus 7 tablet, and it's a big cracker. James Rogerson's Big Book of Superlatives has been given a damn good thumbing for this one: it's "brilliant", "stunning" and "swingorilliant". OK, maybe not that last one.

It's good, but is anything good-er? We've updated our guide to the ten best tablet PCs in the world today, and while we don't want to give away the ending we can tell you that the top four places are taken by iPads and Nexuses.

Big or small?

Whether you're an Android fan, an Apple one or a Windows one there's never been a better time to get a tablet - and Gary Marshall reckons that for most people, smaller is better.

As he points out, small tablets used to be rubbish, and now they're great: "Processors are better, batteries are better, ecosystems are better, OSes are better... look at the huge strides Android has made in three years.

Compare an early Android crapper with a Nexus 7 and you'll see what I mean." That makes them hard to beat: "They're more portable than their bigger brothers.

They're lighter to hold, easier to fit into a large pocket or handbag, easier for kids to handle - and they're much, much cheaper too." Marshall is so confident that small tablets will be big sellers, he's promised to eat an iPad mini if it doesn't account for the lion's share of this quarter's iPad sales.

Buying Guide

10 best tablet PCs in the world today

Many people buy tablets to read ebooks, but e-ink readers are still easier on the eyes - and they're much cheaper too. Would bookworms be better off with the £59.99 Kobo Mini, or its £99 big brother, the Kobo Glo? The cheaper Kobo is nice enough, Jamie Carter says, but it's a bargain basement offering: it'd be "a great occasional e-reader".

Ebook fiends would be better off with the slightly pricier Glo, which beats the similarly illuminated Kindle Paperwhite by supporting EPUB files without having to convert them first. Carter reckons it delivers "a top quality reading experience". It's a really nice bit of kit and an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous Kindle.

IM off

We didn't just say hello to a bunch of new things this week: we also said goodbye to an old friend. Windows Live Messenger, the service formerly known as MSN Messenger, is closing, and Microsoft is urging users to migrate to its Skype service instead.

Gary Marshall remembers Messenger's glory days very well: "For many of us MSN Messenger and Hotmail were part of the plumbing of the internet, the programs we used when we were supposed to be doing something else such as sleeping, working or studying," he says.

However, "that was a long time ago... these days, most of us want to talk somewhere else."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/google-pushes-nexus-to-the-next-level-1111178

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Sony to outsource up to 40% of phone manufacturing?

Sony is looking to ship more phones in 2013, according to DigiTimes, going from a projected 35 million to 50 million. To get the job done, the company plans to outsource some of the manufacturing to big ODMs.

Foxconn has been manufacturing low-end Sony phones since Q3 of this year. According to sources, Sony will add Arima and Compal to the list of makers early next year. Together, the three companies are expected to get orders for around 30-40% of the Xperia phones to be made in 2013.

As for what those ODMs might be making next year - the low-end Sony Xperia E and E Duos leaked recently. There's also the Xperia Odin and Xperia Yuga to look forward to, but it's unclear if Sony will outsource the manufacturing of its high-end models as well.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_to_outsource_up_to_40_of_phone_manufacturing-news-5052.php

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HTC reports dismal Q3 profits as Samsung beats out Apple in sales

Much rests on this HTC device

Rough and tumble HTC, the Taiwanese company banking on phones like the Windows Phone 8X and recently announced J Butterfly to push it forward, announced its third quarter financials Friday.

The company reports a net profit of about $133 million (£82.6, AUD$128.5), down 79 percent from $639 million (around UK£397, AUD$617) during the same period one year ago.

Revenue stood at $2.4 billion (UK£1.49, AUD$2.31) last quarter, down from $4.64 billion (UK£2.88, AUD$4.48) last year, or a 48 percent drop.

Moving into the fourth quarter, HTC expects revenue to fall to around $2.05 billion (UK£1.27, AUD$1.98) as it struggles with an operating margine of one percent.

That leaves the firm with a pre-tax income of slightly over $20 million (UK£1.24, AUD$19.3) for Q4.

Not in Nokia's shoes

Despite the tough figures coming out of Taiwan, HTC could at least pat itself on the back for earning an IDC rank as one of the top five smartphone vendors last quarter. IDC is a market intelligence firm.

HTC, along with Samsung (No.1), Apple, RIM and ZTE all made the cut as the largest smartphone manufacturers. Nokia, on the other hand, didn't.

The Finnish company fell from No. 3 during the second quarter to not even making the top five.

Samsung claimed 31.1 percent of the market, followed by Apple at 15 percent (up from 13.8 percent a year ago).

It beat out Apple by selling 56.3 million smartphones around the world, whereas Cupertino almost hit 27 million.

RIM took 4.3 percent, a drop from 9.6 percent during the same period last year, while ZTE nabbed 4.2 percent.

HTC squeaked by with 4 percent.

Nokia also has Windows Phone 8 devices dropping on the market soon, with most eyes centered on the Lumia 920 to lead the charge.

Microsoft has offered its support for both HTC and Nokia, including both firms on invites to its WP8 kickoff event Monday.

Though both are getting some strong Washington backing, the two firms seemed poised to fight for market scraps.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-reports-dismal-q3-profits-as-samsung-beats-out-apple-in-sales-1107756

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HTC reports Q3 profit of $133M, says disappointing period ahead

Much rests on this HTC device

Rough and tumble HTC, the Taiwanese company banking on phones like the Windows Phone 8X and recently announced J Butterfly to push it forward, announced its third quarter financials Friday.

The company reports a net profit of about $133 million (£82.6, AUD$128.5), down 79 percent from $639 million (around UK£397, AUD$617) during the same period one year ago.

Revenue stood at $2.4 billion (UK£1.49, AUD$2.31) last quarter, down from $4.64 billion (UK£2.88, AUD$4.48) last year, or a 48 percent drop.

Moving into the fourth quarter, HTC expects revenue to fall to around $2.05 billion (UK£1.27, AUD$1.98) as it struggles with an operating margine of one percent.

That leaves the firm with a pre-tax income of slightly over $20 million (UK£1.24, AUD$19.3) for Q4.

Not in Nokia's shoes

Despite the tough figures coming out of Taiwan, HTC could at least pat itself on the back for earning an IDC rank as one of the top five smartphone vendors last quarter. IDC is a market intelligence firm.

HTC, along with Samsung (No.1), Apple, RIM and ZTE all made the cut as the largest smartphone manufacturers. Nokia, on the other hand, didn't.

The Finnish company fell from No. 3 during the second quarter to not even making the top five.

Samsung claimed 31.1 percent of the market, followed by Apple at 15 percent (up from 13.8 percent a year ago). RIM took 4.3 percent, a drop from 9.6 percent during the same period last year, while ZTE nabbed 4.2 percent.

HTC squeaked by with 4 percent.

Nokia also has Windows Phone 8 devices dropping on the market soon, with most eyes centered on the Lumia 920 to lead the charge.

Microsoft has offered its support for both HTC and Nokia, including both firms on invites to its WP8 kickoff event Monday.

Though both are getting some strong Washington backing, the two firms seemed poised to fight for market scraps.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-reports-q3-profit-of-133m-says-disappointing-period-ahead-1107756

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Bad manners? UK store stops serving customers yakking on mobile phones

Staff at a store in England have become so annoyed with people talking on their mobile phones at the cash register that they're now refusing to serve them.

The County Stores in south-west England says on its website that visitors will be able to find, among its many offerings, “a bakery, our delicatessen counter, a small and friendly butcher, quality chocolates and coffee.” They’ll also find a notice informing them that should they approach a cash register while talking on a mobile phone, they won’t be served.

Staff at the store, which has been in business since 1836, have become so fed up with distracted customers yakking away on their handsets that in the end the notice seemed like the only solution.

“Quite simply, if someone’s on their phone, we’ll serve the next person,” store assistant Sharon Kidd told the Daily Mail. “People refusing to hang up when it’s their turn to be served is happening increasingly, and…..the queue can get quite long.”

Kidd said that on the whole that the policy has been well received by customers, with only one or two visitors getting upset after being ignored.

The owner of the store, Hugh Duder, understands his workers’ disgruntlement at visitors who appear unable to take a break from their mobiles, saying, “It’s disrespectful to be on the phone when you want to get served, and the counter assistants shouldn’t have to put up with it.”

The store isn’t first in the UK to adopt such a policy. Earlier this year Darren Groom, owner of a coffee shop in Norwich in eastern England, decided to “strike a blow for basic manners” by putting up a sign indicating that he would refuse to serve customers talking on a phone.

Groom explained that he’d become fed up with people expecting him to be able to lip read their order.

“In the shop we need to ask a few questions, like whether they’re having it in or taking it away, whether they want whole milk or not, sugar or not,” he told the BBC, adding “When people come in we like to say ‘hello’. It’s nice if people respond to that. They should have the basic manners to converse with us.”

In the case of retail stores, it’s possible the issue of customers talking on their phone while at the cash register is a bigger annoyance than many people realize. However, beyond sticking up notices, there’s little staff can do. If only cell phone jammers weren’t illegal….

[Image: Arcady / Shutterstock]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/bad-manners-uk-store-stops-serving-customers-yakking-on-mobil-phones/

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Acer considering Intel-powered smartphone

Intel looking to get inside more phones

Acer may be planning an Intel-powered smartphone as it aims to join the growing number of other manufacturers that have already dabbled with firm.

The Taipei Times and China Post quoted Acer's vice president Peter Shieh saying the company was planning on producing a smartphone with Intel inside before the end of the year.

Shieh did not provide any further details on Acer's plan with Intel, but a company official told the China Post: "Intel is a more familiar partner to us because we have been working together in the PC sector for a long time."

Growing

It's no great surprise that a firm with its roots in computing would talk to one of its key suppliers about potentially using its technology in other devices, so even if an Acer-Intel phone doesn't appear this year, the chance of one arriving in 2013 is pretty high.

Acer would be the sixth manufacturer to stick one of Intel's Atom processors inside a smartphone, with the likes of the Orange San Diego, Motorola Razr i and Lenovo K800 already leading the way.

We've contacted Acer in a bid to find out more information and we'll update this article once we hear back.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/acer-considering-intel-powered-smartphone-1105295

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Nokia officially pulls the plug on Symbian, puts it in 'maintenance mode'

No more updates for the troubled OS

Once upon a time, Symbian was everywhere. It was the de facto operating system for mobile phones for years, before the iPhone was a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye.

And now it's gone, with Nokia officially putting the humble operating system into maintenance mode.

The decision to kill off Symbian has been in the works for a while, although nobody quite expected for Nokia to pull the plug with such a whimper.

Following its last update, FP2, a user of Nokia's Drive app for the Nokia E7 lodged a bug report, only to get a response that Symbian is now in maintenance mode, and no new features will be added to the OS from here on out.

"Thank you for your improvement ideas, thus (sic) Symbian is in maintenance mode and no new features will be implement[ed] without extremely good reason (business case). We have written down your ideas for future development if there is a chance that new features will be released," read the response.

A long time coming

In many regards, Nokia's commitment to Symbian has been its achilles heel in the smartphone race. While the FInns pioneered early smartphones with the N95 and N96, it was totally unprepared for Apple, then Google's entry into the smartphone market.

Eventually, rapidly declining Symbian sales saw the phone manufacturer take the step of partnering with Microsoft to exclusively release Windows Phone devices. It also decided to rename the operating system as "Nokia Belle".

The name change did little to salvage market share, leading to the decision to put the operating system into maintenance mode.

With no updates to the operating system other than bug fixes, this is undoubtedly the end of the line for the mobile operating system that drove mobile phones into the mainstream.

Vale, Symbian. Rest in peace.

Via: Phone Arena

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-officially-pulls-the-plug-on-symbian-puts-it-in-maintenance-mode-1105245

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Photos of Sony Nexus X leak, will the LG Nexus 4 have competition?

The LG-made Nexus phone is a given but in the end, there might be something in that rumor that multiple manufacturers will be offering Nexus phones. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2 rumors fizzled out, but now there are two good looking photos of a Sony-made Nexus phone.

Judging by the title of the two photos uploaded to Picasa, it's called Sony Nexus X. While the pics might be fakes, they are at least very realistic-looking fakes.

Unlike the LG design, the front of the Sony Nexus doesn’t look like the current Galaxy Nexus, going for a traditional rectangular Xperia design. The photo of the back also suggests an arc curve, another trademark Xperia design element.

Sony Nexus X

The screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio (again, unlike the LG Nexus, which goes for 16:10) and there are only on-screen buttons. There's no Sony logo on the front, just like there's no LG logo on the front of the LG Nexus phone or a Samsung logo on the current Galaxy Nexus.

On the back there's a camera of unknown resolution (the options are 8MP or 13MP) with LED flash and there are also a standard microUSB port and pogo pins visible on the side.

There's not much else we can tell from these photos (taken with a Galaxy Nexus by the way, to keep things meta), but we can look at the rumored specs for the Sony C650X 'Odin' and C660X 'Yuga' for inspiration.

Thanks to Francis for the tip!

Source | Via (in Japanese)

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/photos_of_sony_nexus_x_leak_will_the_lg_nexus_4_have_competition-news-4948.php

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LG announces Jelly Bean update schedule for Korea

LG is not exactly known for releasing timely Android updates for its smartphones, but as it seems, its Korea-only phones will get Jelly Bean treatment on time.

The first handset go get Android 4.1 is the Optimus LTE II in November. Next is Optimus G in December, followed by Optimus Vu and Vu II in the first quarter of 2013.

The updates will bring the new LG UI we saw for the first time in the ICS-running Optimus G to all of the mentioned phones along with some LG exclusive apps.

There is no word on the fate of the non-Korean devices though. And just don't get us started with the yet-to-come-or-not-to-come long overdue Ice Cream Sandwich updates.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_announces_jelly_bean_update_schedule_for_korea-news-4945.php

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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 takes a top five place in best mobile phones

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

There's a been a key new entry in TechRadar's famed top 20 best mobile phones list – with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 making a top five entry.

TechRadar's list has become one of the most viewed parts of the site - and changes at the top indicate big shifts in what the experts and the public are saying.

The Note 2 has landed just a single place behind the Apple iPhone 5 to take fourth spot, with the Samsung Galaxy S3 still holding top place from the HTC One X in second.

Even since the first Samsung Galaxy Note the big screen has always been divisive with some feeling that the extra room is exactly what they want from a phone, and others suggesting that a handset should be more pocket-friendly.

Niche to know you

"Ultimately, there's no getting away from the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a niche device," suggests Phil Lavelle in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review.

"But it does almost everything it sets out to do perfectly, with grace, class and maximum functionality."

That explains the four-and-a-half stars the phone was awarded – a key score in an increasingly competitive phone market.

With the HTC One X+ incoming, HTC's Windows Phone 8X and the widely mooted LG Nexus phone on the horizon and the iPhone 5 selling like hot cakes – phones are the most fascinating market in tech right now.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-2-takes-a-top-five-place-in-best-mobile-phones-1103336

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Nokia Belle FP2 update pulled, users report issues

Yesterday, Nokia started the rollout of the Belle FP2 update for the last crop of Nokia OS (formerly Symbian) phones including the 603, 700, 701 and 808 PureView (with the PureView getting extra imaging and gallery features). Shortly after, though, the update was pulled from Nokia's servers.

The reason is that while for some the update process went fine and everything worked smoothly after it, others experienced various issues ranging from unable to install the update to problems with different parts of the updated software.

You can check out this thread in the Nokia Discussions forum to see what kind of problems people are experiencing and also the comment thread under our news article.

Nokia is investigating the issues and will put the update back up once they've been resolved. You can keep an eye on the Discussions thread for updates or wait on the Software Update app to notify you of a new update.

Thanks to sss for the tip!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/yesterdays_belle_fp2_update_pulled_users_report_issues-news-4893.php

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Samsung issues software fix for Galaxy S3s affected by malicious USSD hard reset exploit

Samsung has issued a fix for Galaxy S3 phones vulnerable to code that could remotely wipe a device simply by clicking a link.

Here’s the scary version of the above headline: “One line of HTML code could remotely wipe your Samsung phone, and it could be hidden in the very next link you click.” Eeek! The idea that a small piece of code embedded in a website, QR code or even in an NFC transfer could cause that much damage is unsettling, and worse still, it’s absolutely true.

The all-powerful code was demonstrated at the Ekoparty security conference earlier this week, and was shown to affect many Samsung phones using the company’s TouchWiz user interface including the Galaxy S3. For those interested in seeing the so-called “dirty code” in action, this is the video you need to watch.

It works by forcing the phone to auto-dial a specific Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, or USSD, code to start the remote wipe process and in some cases, permanently disable the SIM card too. You may have used USSD codes before, for example to find your phone number or to add credit to some pay-as-you-go phones. Ravi Borganokar, the researcher who demonstrated the kill code, said the whole process could be over and done in just three seconds.

However, before you fearfully disable the data connection on your phone, Samsung has issued a statement to put your mind at rest: “We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the Galaxy S3 has already been resolved through a software update. We recommend all Galaxy S3 customers to download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the over-the-air service.”

Is your Samsung phone vulnerable?

This is good news, and even better is that many S3 owners have found the patch has already been applied, and that European i9300 Galaxy S3s haven’t been as widely affected, and neither have all i747 AT&T S3s.

While Samsung only mentions the Galaxy S3, Slashgear.com reports that the exploit has been shown to work on the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Beam, the Galaxy Ace and the S Advance.

If you’re wondering whether your S3, or any TouchWiz Samsung device, is vulnerable to the attack, here’s a way to find out. Visit this safe website, created by Dylan Reeve, on your phone and if your device’s IMEI number is displayed, then your phone hasn’t been patched. If it doesn’t, then you’re safe.

Additionally, a poster on XDA-developers.com’s forums pointed to the Auto-reset Blocker app available through Google Play as an alternative fix while you’re waiting for the official one. Otherwise, it’s best to exercise good sense and not click on links to or from sources you don’t trust.

Ultimately though, it looks like the disaster has been — or at least, can be — averted, so make sure you check for any OTA updates as soon as possible. You never know, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean could be waiting too.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-ussd-exploit-galaxy-s3-fix/

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20 best mobile phones in the world today

The Galaxy S3 - the world's best mobile phone

What's the best mobile phone? Our verdict on the best smartphone/best phones - constantly updated

We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best one for you?

Well, this is where we make it easy. Because here we have our continually updated comparison of the top 20 best smartphones you can get in the UK.

The last update saw the Samsung Galaxy S3 take the top spot most people thought it deserved... but with the iPhone 5 now upon us, can the Korean brand hold off ANOTHER onslaught from the Cupertino powerhouse?

But we probably shouldn't forget the Apple iPhone 4S as a viable option, and the Nokia Lumia 900 suggests Windows Phone might have something to offer, so check out our list to discover the perfect phone for you.

If that still doesn't help, well, there's always our extensive mobile phone reviews pages as well - or check out our personally crafted smartphone buyer's guide:

And when you've decided which new phone to buy (and checked out the best mobile phone deal), why not cash in your old one with our phone recycling price comparison service?

Here are our rankings for the best mobile phones around, currently available in the UK.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/20-best-mobile-phones-in-the-world-today-645440

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iPhone 5 fails to knock Samsung Galaxy S3 from top spot

iPhone 5 - it ain't the best, you know

The iPhone 5 hasn't managed to nab the top spot in TechRadar's definitive ranking of the world's best mobile phones.

Anyone that's been following the iOS 6 Maps saga won't be surprised to hear that the new iPhone, which also features a larger screen and two-tone back, only manages to take the bronze medal in our rankings, despite garnering the same 4.5 star rating as the competition.

Our mobiles team deliberated long and hard over the final ranking, but in the end, the superb features and outstanding display made the Samsung Galaxy S3 the easy choice.

HTC One X-cellent

The HTC One X, with its impressive polycarbonate body and intuitive Sense UI, made it ahead of the iPhone 5 too, and both offer significant price savings and a more modern OS compared to the Cupertino effort.

The iPhone 4S only drops to ninth place, thanks to being a real alternative to the iPhone 5. With iOS 6 on board, it's still a very valid smartphone choice and is now a little cheaper too.

But there's still plenty to choose from in our top smartphone ranking chart: be it the budget Huawei Ascend G300, the Intel-powered Orange San Diego or the latest Windows Phone, we've sifted through the hundreds on sale to pot them down to the best on offer.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-5-fails-to-knock-samsung-galaxy-s3-from-top-spot-1099558

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Nokia’s new Asha 308 and Asha 309 are now “smartphones,” despite running Series 40

Nokia has announced a pair of new Asha touchscreen phones, and made a point of labeling them as smartphones. So, what has changed?

Nokia has announced a pair of new Asha phones, the Asha 308 and Asha 309, which as touchscreen devices join the previously released Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311. While we, and everyone else, referred to them as “feature phones,” according to Nokia’s press release, the Asha phones have earned “full smartphone classification from global market research companies and analysts such as GfK and IDC.”

So, you may be thinking, the Asha’s run Symbian Belle? Nope, the 308 and 309 still use Series 40 as their operating system, except it’s now called “Nokia OS” according to the specification pages on Nokia’s website.

The press release continues to refer to the 308 and 309 as smartphones, but looking back at the release for the Asha 305, 306 and 311, they were “touch screen devices,” with a “smartphone-like” experience. What has changed about Series 40 between early June, July — when Nokia still referred to it as a feature phone OS — and now? Not much, as this is manipulative marketing at its best.

It has been a long-time coming too, as the new generation of Series 40 phones have been blurring the line between feature and smart devices for a while, and when Nokia sold its 1.5 billionth Series 40 handset it paved the way for the change by describing them as “smartphone lite.”

Asha 308 and 309 features

Here’s what you need to know about the new Asha phones. The Asha 308 is a dual-SIM variant of the Asha 309 and aside from this feature, they’re both identical, so we’ll concentrate on the 309. A 3-inch capacitive touchscreen is your window into the world of Nokia OS and it has a resolution of 400 x 240, while the little device weighs just 104 grams and measures 13.2mm thick.

There’s a 2-megapixel camera on the back, plus Nokia Maps, Wi-Fi, a microSD card slot and an FM radio are all to be found inside. The Nokia Xpress browser compresses webpages for speedier (and cheaper) browsing, there’s access to an app store and a Facebook and Twitter app come pre-installed. Electronic Arts also provide 40 free games to download. Both Asha phones connect only to a 2G network.

While the hardware specification doesn’t scream smartphone, the software is more convincing, and although it’s easy to sneer at Series 40, there’s no denying it looks polished and really quite flash in the video below. To us, “smartphone-like” is still the best description of the Asha range — particularly for those without 3G — but that’s not going to sell any phones for Nokia, at least not where it counts.

Smartphones sell

Feature phone sales are dropping in the USA, but the Asha range isn’t aimed at those with the means to purchase a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an iPhone 5, it’s for markets where those devices are either prohibitively expensive, or don’t offer the right feature set — dual-SIM for example. These emerging markets are prime Asha hunting ground, but for Nokia to do business, it must compete with endless cheap Android smartphones.

With the software looking its best and installed on full, capacitive touchscreen handsets with a cool, colorful style; the only thing left was to convince the public that they’re buying a fashionable smartphone and not a feature phone that’s one step away from the grave. A task which starts right now.

Nokia will release the Asha 308 and Asha 309 before the end of the year, and both will cost around $99.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/nokia-plows-on-with-symbian-belle-announces-asha-308-and-asha-309/

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Nokia announces Asha 308 and 309 budget touchscreen phones

Nokia has announced two new budget touchscreen phones called the Asha 308 and the Asha 309.

Both are 2G-enabled handsets with a 3.0-inch, WQVGA capacitive touchscreen display, 2 megapixel camera, multiple homescreens, stereo loudspeaker, FM radio and have up to 32GB microSD card support. The phones come with the usual social networking applications and YouTube as well as free 40 games from EA.

The difference between the two is that the Asha 308 is a dual SIM phone whereas the Asha 309 is a single SIM phone with built-in Wi-Fi.

No specific price has been mentioned but the phones are expected to cost around $99 and will start shipping some time in the fourth quarter of this year.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_announces_asha_308_and_309_budget_touchscreen_phones-news-4852.php

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ZTE Warp Sequent and Anthem 4G announced, will provide budget Android thrills for MetroPCS and Boost Mobile

Both MetroPCS and Boost Mobile have announced new, budget Android phones this week; the ZTE Warp Sequent and the ZTE Anthem 4G respectively.

ZTE has been busy over the past few days, with two of its phones debuting on two different US networks, and both offering cheap Android smartphone thrills.

The first is the ZTE Warp Sequent, which is available now for Boost Mobile, and as its unusual name suggests — seriously, ZTE, what’s wrong with slapping a “2” on there like you usually do — it’s a new version of the old ZTE Warp.

So what’s changed? The screen remains at 4.3-inches, however it now has a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, plus the processor has been upgraded to a 1.4Ghz, single-core Snapdragon S2. The RAM has been boosted to 768MB, and there’s 4GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot to add another 32GB too.

A 5-megapixel camera sits on the back and a 1.3-megapixel video-call lens on the front, while the operating system is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which appears here almost free of manufacturer and network abuse.

Phone fans may recognize this specification as being similar to the Grand X and Grand X IN, and there has been talk that the Warp Sequent could use an Intel Atom processor; however Boost’s specs don’t mention anything other than the clock speed, and the Grand X IN’s Atom runs at 1.6Ghz and not 1.4Ghz, so it’s looking unlikely.

If you’re interested in the Warp Sequent, it’s out now and is priced at $199 without a contract, but you will need to buy one of Boost’s pre-paid plans.

ZTE Anthem: cheap 4G with a catch

On to the ZTE Anthem 4G, which is MetroPCS’ latest budget offering, and it’s particularly notable because the phone is ZTE’s first 4G LTE device to be released in the USA.

It has a 4.3-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, a 1.2Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage.

The camera has 5-megapixels and can shoot 1080p video, plus there’s features such as an HDMI-out, a microSD card slot and GPS. It’s a weighty beast though, tipping the scales at 190 grams, and at 13.7mm, it’s not slim either.

What it is though, is fairly cheap at $219 SIM-free, but then it needs to be as it runs Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread. While Gingerbread is perfectly usable, it looks and feels dated when compared to Ice Cream Sandwich, let alone Jelly Bean.

If the outdated operating system hasn’t put you off, then the Anthem’s budget 4G thrills will be available in both MetroPCS stores and online in the coming weeks.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/zte-warp-sequent-anthem-4g-announced-for-metropcs-boost-mobile/

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LG Optimus G launches in South Korea, quad-core Krait in tow

At a special event in South Korea, LG officially launched the most powerful Android phones do date, the Optimus G.

Built around a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 (15:9 ratio), the Optimus G is powered by a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, featuring a 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor and the whopping 2GB of RAM. Naturally, this powerhouse boasts LTE connectivity as well as NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi with DLNA.

At the back there's gonna be either 13MP or 8MP snapper, both teamed up with a LED flash and capable of shooting 1080p video. Below the back cover resides a 2,100 mAh battery rated for 15h of talk time and 335hours of standby.

Measuring 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm, the Optimus G weighs 145 grams which is pretty good for a smartphone with such large screen and powerful internals. Internal storage is 32GB.

The LG Optimus G runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with LG's proprietary Optimus UI launcher on top. However, an update to Jelly Bean is scheduled to follow in the not so distant future. Speaking of the customization LG has put on the Optimus G, it has quite a few outstanding features.

One of the most useful is called QSlide Function and it allows you to split the screen in two and have different apps running in each half. Some of the other interesting ones are Application Link, which launches a pre-defined app once you turn off the alarm and Cheese Shutter for taking pictures with voice commands.

Pricing of the LG Opitmus G is not known yet, but will surface when the device goes on sale in Korea starting next week. Global availability will follow soon afterwards.

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_g_launches_in_south_korea_pricing_is_still_unknown-news-4816.php

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