New HTC One put up for sale ... on eBay

We've seen that dark gray hue before, too

Leave it to a now-pulled eBay posting to give us a detailed look at the oft-leaked All New HTC One.

Someone walked away with a Verizon version of the phone for a steal of $499.99 (about £300, AU$556). While there's a chance it could be a repeat of the Xbox scam, so far no words of a hoax have surfaced.

Only the HTC One 2's packaging is shown in the listing, but the little white box is revealing.

For one, we know the phone is headed to at least one major US carrier (no surprise there).

The packaging is perhaps most valuable in that it gives us a full breakdown of specs, though many we've seen previously.

Unfocused HTC One 2 spec sheet

In addition to labeling the processor as a Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.3GHz, the phone is said to sport a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 display and house a nanoSIM slot.

We do find some enlightenment on the storage side. This phone is a 32GB model, plus it has a microSD slot for memory expansion up to 128GB. RAM is specced at 2GB DDR2.

Of course, BoomSound is a noteworthy feature, and since we're looking at a Verizon device it's 4G LTE-capable.

New HTC One Camera and price

As for the new One's much talked about cameras, the snappers are listed as Duo Camera with UltraPixel on the back. They have a BSI sensor, an F2.0/28mm lens and HTC's ImageChip 2 with HDR video tech.

The front camera is listed as a 5MP BSI sensor with wide angle lens capable of HDR, 1080p video recording. HTC Zoe pokes her head out to say hi, too.

Finally, while the phone was listed for just under $500, expect the new One to cost significantly more off-contract. Except something at least $100-$200 more.

Heard about the Galaxy S5? Want to read our hands on?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/new-htc-one-put-up-for-sale-on-ebay-1233420

Read More

SIM-free Sony Xperia Z2 UK pricing and availability confirmed

At the end of February, the first pre-orders for the Sony Xperia Z2 began at £564, but back then it was noted that official pricing is yet to be confirmed. And today we have the real deal as Clove UK has listed Sony's flagship at £540. The availability date is still set for April 11, which suggests those manufacturing issues rumors might be off the mark.

Carphone Warehouse also offers the Xperia Z2 pre-orders - it charges a bit more at £549.95, but promises to deliver the smartphone earlier, on April 7. Other stores are yet to list SIM-free prices for the latest Sony flagship.

Sony has outdone itself and has partnered with UK carriers to promote the Xperia Z2 pre-order by any means necessary. A few days ago, we reported that Vodafone UK is actually bundling a free 32" Sony TV with every Z2 pre-order. Clove UK, too, is doing a promotion and throws in a free Sony wirelss speaker, noise-cancelling headphones and £80 of digital goods.

O2 and EE are also going to offer the Sony Xperia Z2, but haven't put up prices yet.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/clove_details_uk_pricing_of_the_sony_xperia_z2-news-8019.php

Read More

Galaxy S5's ISOCELL camera advantages demoed on video

Samsung has been working on its ISOCELL tech for a while now and the new camera technology is ready for primetime – it's used in the main camera of the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is bound to sell in the tens of millions.

What's ISOCELL anyway? It turns out, individual pixels are in actual cells.

Barriers between the pixels reduce the crosstalk between them by 30%, which reduces noise in low-light conditions. An added advantage of the cells is that they improve on the back-side illumination by growing each pixel's light-collecting capacity by 30%, which enhances the dynamic range.

Samsung also claims that the ISOCELL sensors are thinner than traditional BSI sensors, making them more suitable for thin superphones. Watch the video below for a better explanation of how ISOCELL works.

We'll certainly take a few low-light snaps when we get a Samsung Galaxy S5 review unit. It's worth noting that it has a relatively large 1/2.6" sensor - close to the 1/2.5" sensor Nokia uses for the Lumia 1520 and Icon.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/video_explains_how_samsungs_isocell_camera_sensors_work-news-8018.php

Read More

Paym is the new mobile payment system on the block

Owe someone for a coffee? Paym will let you square it away

The Payments Council, the organisation that sets strategy for UK payment mechanisms, has confirmed the name of a new secure way to pay using just a mobile phone number.

The new method will be called Paym, and will be integrated into customer's existing mobile banking or payment apps. At its launch (the data of which will be announced in April) nine bank and building societies will adopt the method.

Customers will be able to register their mobile number and select the account they wish to use before the service goes live. The new system, the Payment Council claims, will be the largest and most wide-ranging service for moving funds without an account number or sort code.

Easy, simple payments

The system will be expanded further in 2014, with other banks being added to the original nine, meaning that Paym will be available on more than nine out of 10 current accounts.

If a Paym user finds their mobile phone is lost or stolen and is concerned that that someone could access their account, they can ask their bank or building society to suspend service from that phone.

"Paym is a mobile update for payments that means you can pay securely using just a mobile number," said Adrian Kamellard, chief executive of the Payments Council. "Paym will make it easier to repay a friend for cinema tickets, split a restaurant bill or settle up for a colleague's birthday collection."

• Businesses should consider the benefits of mobile payments

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/paym-is-the-new-mobile-payment-system-on-the-block-1233287

Read More

Rumor: Supplier issues may delay mass Xperia Z2 launch

The Sony Xperia Z2 might be delayed due to manufacturing issues. So says milukugiuniu from the Esato forum - a credible source of Sony-related info in the past. According to him the delay is caused by a supplier that isn't Qualcomm and that the issue is global and will likely force Sony to launch the Xperia Z2 in limited quantity at first with mass unit availability pushed back.

If the information turns out true, the Sony Xperia Z2 might come to the market a full month after the Galaxy S5 and perhaps even the All New One by HTC has gone on sale. In recent years Sony was enjoying a healthy lead with its flagships - the Xperia Z was on the shelves in February - two months before the Samsung Galaxy S4.

One Esato forum user believed Europe will be an exception to the delay. This was denied by the original source of the information, though.

So far official information states that the Sony Xperia Z2 will launch in bulk this month. And until we hear any sort of confirmation on these rumors, we'll be hoping that this is the truth.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/rumor_supplier_issues_may_delay_mass_xperia_z2_launch-news-8017.php

Read More

HTC One 2014 forgets it's not official yet, hits eBay

The HTC One 2014 (M8) leaks have been all over the place lately, but didn't suspect they'll go as far as this. Verizon-branded 32GB HTC One 4G LTE has been listed on eBay for sale.

Carrying a $499.99 price tag, the eBay listing shows the packaging of the phone, which also confirms it's going to be called like its predecessor - the HTC One (the All New part has been dropped from the box label).

The phone itself isn't photographed for the eBay listing, but we already saw the 2014 HTC One with Verizon branding earlier today, when a dummy unit also hit eBay.

Yesterday we gave you almost all the information of the upcoming flagship phone you need. We already know the second camera will be used for selective focus and 3D shooting. The phone's specifications are also out detailing the One will feature a 5" 1080p screen, Snapdragon 801 chipset, 4MP camera on the back and a 5MP front-facing camera.

HTC will unveil the One 2014 edition on March 25, but at this point we are not sure there's a lot left for the company to announce.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_4g_lte_goes_on_sale_on_ebay-news-8016.php

Read More

New spy shots of the Oppo Find 7 surface

New spy photos of the upcoming Oppo Find 7 have surfaced. In them, the phone seems to be in its packaging, but nevertheless the slim bezels and 5.5" display are clearly seen.

We've already seen leaked official photos of the phone and we have to say it looks really nice. The company has confirmed there'll be two versions of the phone - one with FHD display and the other with a 2K one.

In the second photo below, you can also see the capacitive keys below the display.

Additionally, rumors are floating around that the FHD version of the Find 7 is going to sale for CNY3,000, which is below $500. We've also heard it's going to pack a removable battery. The lower-resolution version of the Find 7 will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset (with a quad-core Krait CPU), 2GB of RAM and will pack 16GB of internal storage.

As you already probably know, the Oppo Find 7 announcement will happen in just a week on March 19 in Beijing. The company has already sent out the invites to the event, and judging by their cool look, it's going to be quite a show.

Source | Via
Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/new_spy_shots_of_the_oppo_find_7_surface-news-8015.php

Read More