Following several leaked images showing off Android 4.4 KitKat, there are rumors floating around that Google's latest Nexus offering made by LG, the Nexus 5, will go on sale on October 30. It's hypothesized that Android 4.4 KitKat could debut on the new Nexus smartphone.
This news comes alongside a leak suggesting that it could be accompanied by a new Nexus 10 tablet made by ASUS. The tablet's release date is still uncertain, though.
The new Nexus 5 has leakedseveraltimes so far, hinting of a 1080p screen, Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. Be sure to stick around to know all the latest on the Nexus 5.
Google detailed the state of Android OS versions in September and it's business as usual – Jelly Bean is gaining slowly, while pre-4.1 versions decline. Pre-2.1 versions account for about 1% of devices, but they are too old for the new Play Store app and are not included in the charts. With that it's only 2.2 Froyo that remains of Android's archaic past at 2.2%.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread still powers around a third of all Android phones with 28.5%, having fallen a couple of percentage points since August. It's still the second most popular version after 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is losing ground at a slower rate, dropping a single percentage point. Honeycomb (3.2) is at the 0.1% threshold, where it has been for months now.
Anyway, it's Jelly Bean that's interesting – the first one, 4.1, declined a bit perhaps due to 4.2 updates rolling out. The second Jelly Bean version, 4.2, has crossed the 10% mark growing two percentage points and the third JB version, 4.3, scored 1.5%. Not bad considering it's mostly Nexus devices as devices with 4.3 out of the box are just starting to hit the shelves.
Also, 4.3 adoption is going faster than 4.2, which had 0.8% in November 2012 and took until February 2013 to reach 1.6%.
Google is also reporting the OpenGL version support and 2.0 has an overwhelming 99.8%. Strangely, OpenGL ES 3.0 isn't included even though 1.5% of Androids run 4.3, which supports the new standard.
Phone of the year is one of the most sought after awards at the T3 Awards each year, and with TechRadar in charge of handing over the trophy, we thought we'd run through which of 2013's handsets are in the running.
Ford SYNC presents the T3 Awards 2013 and the lineup of phones is a veritable who's who in the current hierarchy, with Apple and Samsung's rivalry propped up by the brilliance of HTC, the fascinating world of Nokia and the backdrop of Sony's long-awaited resurgence and BlackBerry's sad decline.
But at its heart, the award is all about the actual handsets. So we asked TechRadar's phone guru Gareth Beavis, mobiles staff writer John McCann, as well as some guest comments from the rest of the team their thoughts on the six shortlist contenders.
T3 judge and TechRadar's Editor-in-chief UK Patrick Goss: "It's become almost too easy to criticise Apple's iPhones as innovation slows and debacles like Apple maps add a faint patina of tarnish to the brand's reputation, but this was (and still is) a gorgeous phone. Light, fully featured and just a little bit taller - the arrival of iOS 7 recently has made it even better."
TechRadar staff writer Hugh Langley: "The iPhone 5 is an obvious contender for 2013's best phone. It was a smart evolution for the series and the bigger screen was more than welcome. While it made iOS 6 feel a little dated at first, iOS 7 has turned the iPhone 5 into what feels like a completely new handset that's more intuitive than ever. Most importantly, it's an absolute joy to use."
TechRadar phones editor UK Gareth Beavis: "The HTC One is a phone that defies all expectations through a clever camera, amazing sound quality as well as the best-designed smartphone out there. Add to that industry leading specs and cool content discovery and there's no surprise when you learn the HTC One is already our phone of the year, and competing in the T3 Awards for their accolade."
Patrick Goss: This is a beautiful phone and it's not a coincidence that it sits proudly at the top of our 20 best phones on the planet list. Wonderful construction, sweet, sweet Android and, eventually, an improvement to the early battery life woes proved to the world that it wasn't just Apple and Samsung who could wow us with flagship phones.
TechRadar UK phones writer John McCann: "Windows Phone is still finding its feet in the mobile market, but Nokia's Lumia 925 is the best smartphone currently on the market running WP8. It's metal chassis gives it a solid, premium look and feel, plus the camera on the back is great for low-light snaps. We're still not sold on the Windows OS yet though - both iOS and Android offer more."
Patrick Goss: "I'm coming to the conclusion that it's time to stop patronising Nokia and Windows Phone for being an okay third option and start beating them with a big stick labelled 'make a wonderful phone already'. I'm just not that big of a fan of the Lumia 925 and I think it doesn't compare that well with some of the big hitters on this list."
John McCann: "The BlackBerry Z10 is the most significant smartphone to come out of the Canadian firm for years - the flagship for the new BB10 operating system the Z10 offers a completely new experience for all users. While it may not be the first phone you think of, the impressive messaging capabilities make this handset a contender."
Hugh Langley: "Did the BlackBerry Z10 deliver the goods as the first BB10 handset? With that 4.2-inch HD display, stylish design and 8MP camera, it would be tough to say no. But as great as it was, it's hard to argue it offered anything special. Which is why it wasn't the phone to save BlackBerry."
Gareth Beavis: "The Samsung Galaxy S4 takes power to the next level, with a supreme screen, strong camera and solid design. The South Korean firm should be applauded for its bravery too... The reams of innovative new features in board may not all be useful, but at least it's working out what the next big thing will be in smartphones."
TechRadar UK deputy editor Marc Chacksfield: "The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a no-brainer for me. Superior AMOLED screen, sizzling processor, expandable memory, a tie-up with Dropbox and touchless gestures are just a few reasons why it became my phone of choice this year. I do wish Samsung would move away from plastic, though - the chassis is the only thing that lets this superb smartphone down."
John McCann: "Supremely powerful and outstandingly specced the Sony Xperia Z1 is, on paper at least, a solid gold winner (It's not gold though, it's black). There are a few niggles with the interface and excessive levels of bloatware, but if you're in the market for a super slim smartphone with 20MP camera and waterproof credentials, look no further."
Gareth Beavis: "The Sony Xperia Z1 is another great step away from the troubled Sony Ericsson venture - and now imbued with all the great tech the Japanese firm has to offer, the Z1 packs an impossible amount of tech into one thin frame. Be it compact camera-level snapping, TV-spec visuals and a simplified UI there's a load of reasons to see this as another moment in Sony's smartphone revolution."
Having reported on LG's rumoured flexible Z phone just hours ago, we've received some new info nuggets that change everything.
Well, not absolutely everything. But according to sources speaking to Cnet, LG's new phone will likely be going with the name "G Flex", meaning the Z moniker may have just been an internal codename.
The phone will feature a 6-inch display and the same sources claim that November will be the month in which LG makes the big curvy reveal, although plans are said to not be finalised just yet.
Remember, remember, flexible November
The flex-factor doesn't mean the phone will actually be bendable though - just that it will arrive in a fixed contorted form.
Cnet says the phone will be "dramatic enough to comfortably fit around your face but not so angular that it looks weird" and has obtained a sketch of the handset showing off that not-overly-dramatic curvature.
Google unveiled its latest Android build, version 4.4 KitKat exactly one month ago, and today we have some screenshots of exactly what's been updated.
As with the other incremental updates since version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the updates of the latest build are almost exclusively under the hood. Nevertheless, some of the latest inclusions are more noticeable, like the updated camera interface.
The leaked images are likely a bit dated - or Google simply hasn't gotten around to changing the build name - as there are several mentions of Key Lime Pie rather than KitKat.
In the Settings menu, you'll find new integration for a Printing and Payments system, which brings wireless NFC payment to the main Android architecture, rather than relying on third party apps. Looks like the same will be done with printer support. Then comes Miracast, which will let you screencast your device to a supported TV.
Like we said, UI changes are mostly minor, although animations are reportedly much smoother.
A few additional Google apps are set to come preloaded on KitKat - Drive and Keep. The first lets you access your documents on Google's cloud storage service, while Keep is used for note-taking.
The camera UI now features Instagram-like previews of your applied filters. There's also a print menu that allows you to save your image as a PDF, or print to a local or network printer. There are options for paper size, colors, orientation and number of copies.
Android 4.4 KitKat may become available as early as this month, with the release of the new Nexus 5.
Google has already launched a new version of the Nexus 7 so surely it's only a matter of time before its bigger brother, the Nexus 10, gets a reboot too.
Last year's Nexus 10 was made by Samsung, but if the latest information posted by @evleaks is to be believed (and it's usually a reliable source), then Asus appears to have stolen this one from the Korean firm.
The picture posted on the Twitter account seems to be a product listing for the new Nexus 10 tablet, but above confirming a 10-inch screen and Wi-Fi connectivity it offers us precious little information.
Have a KitKat
While no Nexus 10 release date was offered in this post there are rumours suggesting Google is planning an event on October 14 where we could possibly see the Nexus 5 smartphone launched alongside the larger tablet.
We already know that Google's next instalment of Android is dubbed KitKat, and this shiny new software is expected to appear at the same event, so we could be in for a real treat.
The executive Vertu brand is never going to appeal to a wide audience, but it's looking to garner some new customers with the launch of its latest smartphone, the Constellation.
We saw the audaciously valued Vertu Ti launch earlier this year with prices starting at £6,700 (around $10,600/AU$10,300) and in comparison the Vertu Constellation is a steal at just £4,000 (around $6,500/AU$7,000).
The majority of Vertu's customers at the moment are male, so it's hoping that the Constellation - with a less garish appearance and a choice of coloured leather included "Raspberry", "Cappuccino" and "Mocha" (or pink, light brown and brown) - will appeal more to the female market.
How does Vertu go around justifying that price then? Well the specs certainly don't live up to the price tag with a rather average 4.3-inch 720p display, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage and 13MP rear camera.
Justify this
You also get a 1.3MP front snapper, NFC and a non-removable 1800mAh battery placing this Android 4.2.2 toting handset firmly in the middle market.
It's the handmade casing and the added services provided by Vertu where it attempts to justify the price point of its smartphones, with the Constellation clad in grade 5 titanium and wrapped in calf leather, while the Vertu shortkey on the side of the handset is made from a ruby.
Press the ruby on the left side of the Constellation and the phone will launch Vertu's own services application providing you with two options - Life and Certainty.
The former provides users access to some of the most exclusive clubs and events around the world as well as offering a high-class, Groupon style deals area, while Certainty provides various levels of protection from encrypting calls and messages to securing your documents and device.
If you're feeling flush the Vertu Constellation goes on sale this month, but if you want the best phone on the market, or simply value for money, we'd recommend getting pretty much anything else.
