HTC One Max may stretch out jeans pockets before year's end

HTC One on more steroids than the MLB (credit: @evleaks)

If the 4.7-inch screen of the HTC One wasn't big enough for you and the HTC One Mini moved things in the wrong direction, you may want to wait for the rumored HTC One Max.

The Taiwanese company is said to be crafting a 5.9-inch phablet version of its well-received flagship smartphone, and all signs point to it launching before the end of the year.

The HTC One Max, also known as the HTC T6, is said to be pictured in a "non-final artwork" render leaked this week ahead of its expected September announcement. HTC has denied this particular photo leak is accurate.

To that point, HTC told TechRadar that "HTC does not comment on rumor or speculation" when asked about the HTC One Max.

Phablet in the fourth quarter?

While the render cannot be confirmed, the mere existence of the HTC One Max is partially backed up by comments reportedly made this week by HTC chief marketing officer Ben Ho.

"The company plans to unveil ... a variant of its flagship One series in the fourth quarter," he said according to Focus Taiwan.

Having already launched the HTC One Mini to compete with the Galaxy S4 Mini, the phone manufacturer is expected to go from big to small before the year's end.

HTC One Max specs speculated

There's a minimum amount of information available about the unconfirmed HTC One Max.

However, rumors suggest that it'll received bumped up specs in addition to the screen that's 1.2 inches larger.

It'll one-up the One's internals with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 3,200mAh battery, while sticking with 2GB of RAM and HTC UltraPixel camera, according to Phandroid.

Another move that makes sense is only offering the HTC One Max in 32GB and 64GB flavors of internal memory, dropping the puny 16GB version of the phone in the transition.

Finally, HTC One Max should cut to the chase and come loaded with Android 4.3 considering HTC launched its smartphone with 4.1.2 only to start upgrading it to Jelly Bean this month.

• Wait for the HTC One Max or wait longer for the Samsung Galaxy S5?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-one-max-may-stretch-out-jeans-pockets-before-year-s-end-1172956

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Future to the back: BlackBerry launches 9720 handset running BB7 OS

BB7 still on life support

Normally, when a company is desperately trying to reinvent itself with a new 'with-the-times' image, it'll avoid the things that saw it fall so far behind everyone else. BlackBerry, it seems, has a different idea.

Today it launched the new BlackBerry 9720 smartphone, not running the BlackBerry 10 operating system it is desperately trying to establish, but the BB7 OS that stood guard during the company's fall from grace.

The device, which harkens back to the Curve handsets of previous years, brings the traditional qwerty keyboard, a 2.8-inch touchscreen, a video-capable 5-megapixel camera, W-Fi and an FM radio.

The new 9720 also arrives with BBM and the Multicast tool, enabling users to post statuses to multiple social platforms at once.

Questions

The company is planning to launch the BB7-running handset in selected markets in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, but there are no specific country-by-country details as yet.

BlackBerry may be of the opinion it can still bring in some much-needed revenue in emerging areas, in much the same way Nokia was able to with its Symbian OS, long after deciding the software was passé.

However, with BlackBerry desperately attempting to shift the spectre of the last few years, the decision to continue with the dying platform will certainly be questioned in some quarters.

• BlackBerry for sale? The smartphone-maker formerly known as RIM has officially confirmed it is actively exploring an exit strategy.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-phones/phone-and-communications/future-to-the-back-blackberry-launches-9720-handset-running-bb7-os-1172916

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BlackBerry Z30 to support wireless charging

BlackBerry Z30 has already leaked in live pictures, we learned its specs and we even saw it star in a six-minute video. It's supposed to be Z10's bigger sibling with a 5.0" OLED 720p display, but to keep the same internals.

Latest piece of info comes from the Wireless Power Consortium, where the BlackBerry Z30 is listed as a Qi wireless charging compatible device.

We don't know yet if you'll need an additional accessory cover (like the Lumia smartphones), or the feature will be available out of the box. We guess we'll have to wait for the official announcement.

BlackBerry is having some trouble lately and is seeking for alternatives and considers a potential buyer. Let's hope this won't impact the development of the rumored BlackBerry Z30 and BlackBerry Z15 QWERTY/touch hybrid.

Source | Via | Image courtesy of crackberry.com

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_z30_to_support_wireless_charging-news-6569.php

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Apple: Trade your cheap charger for an official one and avoid electrocution

Concerns about the safety of third-party charges have been raised

Apple has extended its charger amnesty for iOS devices to the UK, allowing users to swap potentially dangerous, third-party adapters for an official accessory.

For a fee of £8, iPhone, iPad and iPod users can take any knock-off charger into an Apple Store or authorised Apple dealer and get a new USB charger.

Apple usually charges £15 for new iOS chargers, so users are getting an official one for nearly half price, while diminishing the risk of being electrocuted as an added bonus.

To quality for the offer, which will run from August 16 to October 18, users must bring their device with them in order for the serial number to be recorded.

Safety first

The trade-in scheme comes following concerns over an incident in China in which a woman died after reportedly being electrocuted by a third-party charger.

Earlier this year, trading standards officials in Essex also expressed concern over the safety of third-party chargers, with one in three chargers failing to meet European standards.

In its announcement Apple said: "Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues. While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.

"Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That's why all of our products - including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod - undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/apple-trade-your-cheap-charger-for-an-official-one-and-avoid-electrocution-1172902

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LG G2 available for pre-order in UK, priced at £468

LG recently unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the G2. The dedicated launch event brought the ultra-slim bezel, the new design and a few other cool new features into the limelight, but there was no information on the availability and the pricing of the smartphone.

However, an online listing revealed the cost of the device in Europe. Now, the latest beast from the house of LG is up for pre-order in the UK and the first stocks of the smartphone are expected to hit the stores by "late September".

Clove and Expansys are currently taking the pre-orders for the LG G2 smartphone. The first store has priced the device at £468 (including VAT), while the latter is yet to confirm its asking price. Clove, too, mentions that pricing and availability are subject to change, but they seem pretty reasonable so there's a good chance they are correct.

The LG G2, which will be available in Black and White color options, and can be pre-ordered from the two source links below.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2_available_for_preorder_in_uk_priced_at_468-news-6568.php

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LG Optimus L1 2 makes the low end even lower

How low can you go?

There's a new baby in the ranks over at the South Korean firm as the LG Optimus L1 2 comes into view - even though we seemed to have completely missed the first incarnation of the dinky device.

We thought the Optimus L3 2 would be propping up LG's smartphone offering this year, and while it's been doing just that so far the Korean firm has decided the £90 handset is just too good to be called entry-level.

To say we were less than impressed with the L3 2 would be an understatement, so we're not holding out much hope for the Optimus L1 2 which sports a 3-inch QVGA (320x240) display, 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, 2MP camera and 1540mAh battery.

Back to basics

It is at least running Android Jelly Bean, albeit only version 4.1.2, but that's better than nothing - although LG will slap its own overlay on top so don't expect a pure Google experience.

Sure it's not going to be dazzling anyone with specs, but we can at least expect the Optimus L1 II to rock up with a bargain basement price tag, as LG has confirmed it will be cheaper than the L3 2.

If you fancy getting hold of the cut price Optimus L1 2 then you'll need to hit up Three in the first week of September as the network has the black and white versions of the handset exclusively.

We're told the exclusivity will run out on the black L1 2, with other carriers picking it up at a later date, but details on that remain thin on the ground for now.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-optimus-l1-2-makes-the-low-end-even-lower-1172867

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LG G2 event turns into balloon battle royal

The culprit

Life's not so good for 20 people who have just felt the brunt of a commercial stunt gone wrong.

LG had an idea to promote the LG G2 in Seoul - release helium balloons with smartphone vouchers attached, hoping people would would wait for them to come down before claiming their prize.

But LG also doesn't understand human nature, with many participants turning up with knives, spears and BB guns.

The whole thing ballooned out of control with 20 unfortunates getting injured as a result. No surprise that LG's cancelled a bunch of other commercial events for the phone.

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Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-g2-event-turns-into-balloon-battle-royal-1172859

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