Jolla talks Sailfish OS: why it can do what Nokia couldn't

Carol Chen is the head of Community for Jolla, the developers of Sailfish OS

All of a sudden, we're spoilt for choice when it comes to Linux-based smart phones. Sailfish OS, a derivative of Meego, is one of the new options we're excited about.

It promises to bring a sleek Qt experience to phones in a way Nokia never quite managed, but its facing tough competition from Mozilla and Ubuntu who are both launching their own phones. Which will reign supreme in this highly competitive field?

The first Sailfish OS phone is due to go on sale by the end of 2013 and our sister magazine Linux Format caught up with community chief Carol Chen at Jolla, the Finnish company making Sailfish OS happen, to find out the behind-the-scenes news.

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Linux Format: You're community chief - Is there much community involvement at the moment?

Carol Chen: We are still in the process of building the community, and we want to be as open as possible. We have a lot of support from people who were working on Meego. So we have already the base community there who are happy to support us …

One of our markets is in China so I've been going to Beijing and Taiwan and discussing with the open source communities there hoping to get even more involvement. In Europe open source is very familiar and popular and people know what it's all about, but in some parts of the world, not so much. We hope to generate more excitement and passion for that and, hopefully, get more contributions and work on Sailfish OS together.

LXF: Android development is quite closed and lead by Google. It sounds like you're not going down that road.

CC: No. We don't want to go down that road. We understand that Android is a good platform and is very popular but as you mentioned, it's controlled by the company and most of the development is done behind closed doors even though it is open source. We want to have open development, open source and open communication.

LXF: Does that mean there'll be a public source tree?

CC: There will be certain components that we want to protect, but the open parts will be in the public. We'll be contributing upstream. You'll be able to grab the code and start using it. We'll have IRC channels.

LXF: Jolla has split off from Nokia. How has that affected the people in it?

CC: Most of the people are from Meego background, but we aren't a spin off from Nokia. We're not a subsidiary. Personally, my background in Nokia is Symbian, not Meego. When I was in Nokia, I was working on the video engine which is based on the open source Helix video engine, and I got really interested in open source so I got to know the people in Meego really well. When I left Nokia, it was kind of natural for me to talk with the people I used to hang around with in Meego.

LXF: There was always an impression outside of Nokia that it had a wonderful system in Meego, but Nokia never quite made the most of it.

CC: I was in Nokia myself for eight years and it was good to me, but big companies have problems and I think that's why some of us wanted to form a small company. To do what we really wanted to do and not have to worry about too much of the bureaucracy…

We are very agile, we make decisions without taking ten meetings to reach an agreement. There's no waiting around for five layers of management to see what happens. I like that.

LXF: There's been a lot of talk of Sailfish on Phones. Are you planning on developing on tablets as well?

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CC: We're focused on smartphones. However, Sailfish is very flexible, and it can run on a wide range of hardware. We're creating the Sailfish Alliance which we welcome partners to join and people are welcome to develop Sailfish OS for their own hardware. This could be tablets or some smart TV etc. We've already tried running Sailfish on a variety of hardware, and there are sometimes tweaks and modifications needed, but, it's really easy to make it work. We can help our Sailfish Alliance partners to work on configurations.

LXF: Over the last year, we've heard of three Open Source phones (Ubuntu, Firefox OS and Sailfish). How do you see Sailfish fitting in to that?

CC: I think we are one of the very viable alternatives. I'm very happy to see these, I won't call them competitors, but different solutions that people can choose. When we talk to the different operators, they are a bit tired of just having Android…

We can offer them different software to match their solution. Actually, the Ubuntu phone has a very similar software stack because they're both based on Linux and they also use the Qt framework. We're happy to have discussions to work together to get things in common with Qt, so if you write an app in Qt it works on an Ubuntu and Sailfish phone. We want to make collaboration easy, but we also have to differentiate. We're focused on the OS but we also want to bring the best of Sailfish and put it on our phone and make really good hardware.

LXF: How receptive have hardware manufacturers and carriers been?

CC: We've had really good feedback. I hope that once we get more confirmation of who our partners are, we can make more announcements. Right now we're still in discussions with a lot of companies.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/jolla-talks-nokia-sailfish-and-phones-1203459

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Press renders of ASUS Padfone Mini leak ahead of its unveiling

ASUS will allegedly be officially announcing the Padfone Mini at a dedicated event in Taiwan on December 11. The press images of the upcoming device from the company have been leaked well ahead of its unveiling, though.

The leaked shots come from the popular tipster @evleaks and show us the 4.3" smartphone and its 7" tablet dock. The smartphone will slide into the tablet in a portrait mode, which makes the tablet look similar to the Nexus 7.

The 4.3" smartphone is expected to feature a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels, while the 7" tablet will sport a 1280 x 800 piexel display. ASUS Padfone Mini is also rumored to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor along with 1 GB of RAM and is said to run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

For now, there is no word on the pricing and availability of the ASUS Padfone Mini, but we will know more about the device, when it goes official.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/press_renders_of_asus_padfone_mini_leak_ahead_of_its_unveiling_-news-7326.php

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LG G Flex 2 could reportedly be truly bendable phone to 90 degrees

This at 90 degrees

LG may be determined enough to deliver a truly bendable smartphone before Samsung that it's reportedly contorting its next-generation LG G Flex to be flexible up to 90 degrees.

The right-angle LG Flex 2 is said to be "bendable with force," according to ZDNet Korea, making it sound as if it'll fall in between today's curved phone and foldable technology of the future.

Curved phones on the international market right now include the LG G Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round. Neither have made it out of Asia just yet.

The usefulness of these large, bendable phablets isn't readily apparent, but both LG and Samsung have been known to throw prototype-like devices out there on the open market.

Hitting Samsung below the fold in 2014

Samsung has long experimented with flexible displays, but the next-generation LG G Flex may make the first fold. The unconfirmed LG G Flex 2 is reportedly being planned by the South Korean manufacturer for next year.

There are other components the two companies are racing to contort including batteries.

LG Chem, for example, invented a battery in the form of a cable that won't heat up - even when it's tied into a knot. There are no rumors attached to this report that indicate a flexible battery like this, however.

So far, the LG G Flex and Samsung Galaxy Round aren't available worldwide. Even if LG and Samsung do decide to pursue bendable technology, we may never see it released outside of their home territory.

• Story arc: Growing curve: LG G Flex headed outside South Korea soon

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-g-flex-2-could-reportedly-be-truly-bendable-phone-to-90-degrees-1205621

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Huawei will announce the eight-core Honor 4 just in time for the holidays

The invitation to the Huawei Honor 4 announcement (credit: Weibo)

Rumors about a Huawei phone with an eight-core chip have been dropping down our chimney for some time, and now it looks like that device will be unveiled this month.

The Chinese phone maker has sent out invitations to a December 16 event, and one of the invites was allegedly posted on the social site Weibo.

Though the invite is plastered with Chinese characters, the English word "honor" is clear.

The Huawei Honor 4 is rumored to use Mediatek's brand new MT6592 chip, which Mediatek calls the "world's first true octa-core mobile platform."

Eight heads are better than four

The 1.7GHz processor's eight cores works simultaneously to handle multiple tasks, making it the first "true" eight-core SoC according to the chip maker.

In addition the Honor 4 is rumored to have 2GB of memory, 32GB of storage, 13- and 5-megapixel cameras, and Android 4.2.2: Jelly Bean.

Meanwhile the screen is said to measure 5.5 inches with a resolution of 720 x 1280.

The Honor 4/Glory 4 leaked in photos toward the end of last month, but there's been nary an official peep.

Luckily it seems that's about to end just in time for Santa to pick up a batch before he makes his rounds at the end of the month.

• Huawei's said to have another new flagship in the words as well: The 6.1-inch 1080p new Ascend

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/huawei-will-announce-the-eight-core-honor-4-just-in-time-for-the-holidays-1205580

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Hands on: LG G Flex review

Real phones have curves. Or something like that. And with the LG G Flex, there is certainly no shortage of curves: around the edges, its packaging and especially the entire phone itself. If you're looking for something different, something that stands out against the rest, look no further.

Thanks to flexible display technology, we'll soon be seeing more curved devices and wearable gadgets and gizmos. In some cases, it makes perfect sense - like wristwatches or any other wearable that wraps around you or parts of your body.

On the other hand, we have to start questioning its use in devices that have always been flat, like smartphones and TVs. What benefit, if any, does a curved display have in these cases?

Our instincts tell us there really isn't much of an upside. We've become so used to living in a flat-screen world that introducing curved displays would garner Christopher Columbus-like reactions. Curved?! Nonsense! Except that was a myth.

First, let's make one thing clear about the LG G Flex: it is a phablet more than just a smartphone, with a display six inches on the diagonal. It's huge, like the Nokia Lumia 1520, but its gentle curve makes it somewhat easier to hold.

However, with its size come some benefits, like better viewing for videos and photos. A bigger phone also means, presumably, a bigger battery, so you'll get through your day with a more peace of mind.

In fact, LG claims that the G Flex will get two to three days of mixed use, but more on that later.

So, is there a reason for you to buy a large, curved smartphone? Let's find out.

Hardware

(Note: We are using a Korean version of this smartphone loaned to us by LG because the device is not yet available worldwide, and LG was unable to disclose whether it will hit U.S. or European markets.)

The LG G Flex is large, there's no doubt about that. It's a six-inch display with a 700mm radius of curvature from top to bottom, which LG says is just the right amount of curvature for viewing, holding, manufacture and so forth.

The display is 720p, which isn't the sharpest on the market by any means, but LG says it's because it was the only way to get the RGB stripe on the curved display without resorting to PenTile for higher resolution.

At any rate, the display looks nice enough, but for a device this large, you can definitely tell that it isn't as sharp as the Nexus 5 or HTC One. It also has a strange, matte quality to it: it looks like it has some kind of grain or noise like you'd find on a photo shot with film or high ISO digital. Except it looks a lot more like color noise than luminance noise. In some cases, it's quite pleasing and somewhat cinematic, but other times you wish the images and video were cleaner and sharper.

It seems like that noise may also be a quality of the coating of the display, just underneath the glass. Either way, it's very noticeable.

Above the display is the earpiece and front-facing camera along with ambient light sensors, and at the bottom edge of the phone is the microphone, charging port and 3.5mm headset jack. The top edge has another small microphone, presumably for helping in noise reduction.

On the back is a 13MP camera with flash, and the volume rocker and power button, placed just like it is on the LG G2. We're not too fond of this particular design, but we've learned to live with it.

At the bottom of the backside is the speaker, which works nicely with this phone's design. When the phone is resting on its back, the speaker is slightly elevated thanks to the device's curvature. This makes speakerphone calls and music much louder when the phone is on its back.

At the very base of the phone, there is also an antenna that you can pull out for watching TV, though we were unable to test this feature in the U.S.

Inside, there is a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800, like the Nexus 5, with 2GB RAM and 32GB on-board storage. There is no memory card slot on the device.

LG added a 3,500 mAh battery for the G Flex, which is higher in capacity than the LG G2's stellar 3,200 mAh unit. We've had limited testing with the G Flex's battery life so far, but we expect it to outperform the LG G2 by a good margin.

The backside itself has what LG calls a self-healing coating. When you feel it, it feels like the thick, transparent plastic you'd find in some packaging materials. LG tells us that its molecular structure allows it to recover from scratches from springing back. But common sense makes it feel like it's just springing back from a dent, rather than a true scratch.

We scratched the back lightly with the corner of a USB jack, and in 24 hours it has yet to recover. The scratches are superficial and light, rather than the deep scratches you'd expect to be permanent.

Design

The most noticeable feature of the LG G2 is its curved design, and that's really the whole schtick for this smartphone, too.

Without that soft curve, this would likely be just another phablet on the market from LG. The curve happens from top to bottom, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Round prototype, which curves from left to right.

As far as we know, the phone only comes in a dark gray or silver color, but that could change in the future.

Otherwise, you can picture the G Flex as an oversized G2 with a curve and you wouldn't be far off.

The back buttons are also going to be a trend from LG moving forward, as we were told during our meeting that it has to stick with something to distinguish it from the rest of the smartphone makers out there.

Long pressing the volume down button activates the camera, just like it does on the G2. The power button glows as a notification light if your phone is facing downward on a table so you know when you have missed messages or notifications.

Beside the camera, opposite the flash, is an IR blaster, though we find very limited use for those when we do review new smartphones. However, if you like controlling your TV or music player from afar and it supports it, having the IR blaster is convenient.

One last word on the not-so-self-healing coating: it tends to attract dust and dirt, and it sticks to it as if it's statically charged. You can wipe all you like, but it seems difficult to get the stuff off, especially if it's been in your pocket or bag for a while. It'll eventually all come off if you wipe it well enough, but will attract dust and dirt once again as soon as you put it away.

Early Verdict

So far, there isn't much to dislike about the LG G Flex. While we dive much deeper into this device, as we've only had two days with it so far, we'll be able to test LG's claims about its two to three day battery life and more.

Although we have our gripes about the display, it's perfectly fine for everyday use. That bit of noise or grain or artifacts from the display tend to melt and disappear the longer we look at the phone - not because it goes away, but we just stop noticing.

The real question is its curved design and why LG did it. We're told that it helps viewing at certain distances, but we found that it doesn't seem to matter whether you're holding a flat or curved device at one or two feet away.

While it doesn't seem to offer any clearly immediate advantages, the curved design doesn't hurt the phone, either. It's not awkward to hold - or at least any more awkward than holding any phone this massive size - and it's very light, too, thanks to its plastic design.

We get the feeling that after a solid week of use, we aren't going to mind this phone at all. The real question is if we're going to fall in love with it. You're going to want to check back to find out!

Source : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/lg-g-flex-1205508/review

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Is the iPhone 5S Touch ID sensor losing accuracy over time?

Does not compute

Fingerprint scanning may be set to go big on phones in 2014, but there might be a few kinks to iron out before then.

Apple's iPhone 5S introduced Touch ID, letting owners unlock their phone and make app purchases using their fingers. However, isome users are reporting that the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner dwindles over time.

Touch ID requires you to scan your finger or thumb at various angles so it can store a nice and comprehensive scan to memory.

But tech blogger Dr Drang, "a consulting engineer well known amongst nerds on the Internet", wrote in a post about how he has experienced the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner "decay with time".

This has now led to a number of other people coming out of the woodwork to say the same. BGR updated to say that a number of people had responded to the story "indicating that they are experiencing Touch ID accuracy degradation as described".

John Gruber of Daring Fireball also backed this up, stating "Drang is not alone — I've had a handful of readers ask me about this recently".

Touchy subject

We found that several forum users have also had issues. "Works perfectly for a week after registering a new finger, deteriorates slightly in week 2 and by week 3 it takes 3-4 tries before it logs in. So I re-register the finger(s) and the cycle restarts," said user Minimo over on the imore forum.

Meanwhile user nr2d wrote in a separate thread: "It seems that I have to reprogram my Touch ID prints about every 2 - 3 days. It'll work for about 1 - 2 days then I have to re-program 1 or both finger prints. Anyone else having problems?"

However, plenty of other forum users responded to say that they've had no problems at all, so right now the problem doesn't appear to be massively widespread - or indeed a problem at all, as plenty of users are citing naivety in the way people are interacting with the biometrics, with factors like sweat, dry weather and misplaced digits all having an effect.

Still, it will be interesting to see if this issue is reported more and more as time goes on - the iPhone 5S has only been available for just over two months, after all. Right now it could just be a case of people getting used to the new technology - or just having dirty fingers.

Have you been experiencing problems with Touch ID accuracy? Let us know.

• What else does the iPhone 5S offer?

Via BGR

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-the-iphone-5s-touch-id-sensor-losing-accuracy-over-time--1205472

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Oppo Find 7 to bring Snapdragon 805 chipset

We've already heard that Oppo was working on the Find 7, and that the device is going to have some top-shelf specs. It turns out though that the upcoming handset's hardware might be even more impressive than previously estimated.

Under the hood the Find 7 is rumored to sport 3 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 805 chipset. For context, most of the current top Android flagships boast 2 GB of RAM and Snapdragon 800.

Also the Find 7's processor has been purportedly bumped up from the Snapdragon 800 to the 2.5ghz, 805 processor. It's worth noting that the 805 will most probably come packed with a 4G LTE radio, meaning that the Find 7 could very well be the company's first phone with LTE support. If these internal specs turn out to be true, the Find 7 will certainly be at the top of the smartphone food chain.

Mobile movie watchers will love this extra bit of news: the Find 7's screen is also rumored to have grown: from 5.0" to 5.7" , with a 2560x1440 pixel resolution.

Stay tuned for more news on what is shaping to be one of the most exciting Android phones to date.

Source| Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_7_rumors_updated_screen_processor_radio-news-7324.php

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