BlackBerry Q10 and Z10: Full Touchscreen vs physical keyboard

Yesterday BlackBerry, formerly RIM, showcased its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and in the process unveiled the first two handsets that will be available on the new platform. This came in the shape of the BlackBerry Q10 and the much leaked Z10 with its full touchscreen vs the physical QWERTY keyboard of the other handset.

The BlackBerry Z10 is obviously the flagship handset on the platform, but BlackBerry has stayed true to its roots by providing a physical QWERTY keyboard on the BlackBerry Q10. The Z10 comes packed with a dual core processor powering a 4.2-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 768, and a 356ppi pixel density.
As we have already told you consumers in the UK can purchase the device from the likes of Vodafone or Phone4U, but US consumers have to wait until March to get their hands on the device. This compares to the BlackBerry Q10 that also uses a 1.5GHz dual core processor but this comes with a QWERTY keyboard that the company says is the widest it has provided so far.
This comes paired with a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with a 720 x 720 resolution, and also 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. For those that want a new BlackBerry 10 device the main decision will be whether they want a full touchscreen or a handset with a physical keyboard as well.
At the showcase yesterday the company did show off some clever features of the BlackBerry Z10 keyboard to try and make things easier for users when using it, but there are still many smartphone users that prefer physical keys when typing out emails or SMS messages.
So what do you prefer the full touchscreen of the Z10 or the physical keyboard of the BlackBerry Q10?

evad3rs evasi0n iOS 6 Untethered jailbreak release, list includes iPhone 5

For those that have been waiting for the iOS 6 untethered jailbreak might want to keep Sunday free, the new evad3rs evasi0n iOS 6x Untethered jailbreak is under construction right now and on the list it includes the iPhone 5.

If you visit the official evad3rs website aka evasi0n you will see that they are up to 68% towards completion and you will also see that private beta testing will be done for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. The new evasi0n jailbreak will support devices running iOS 6 to iOS 6.1 such as the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPod touch 4th generation, iPhone 4S, iPad 3, iPod touch 5th generation, iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPad 4 and the Apple TV 2.
The evasi0n website is made up of famous hackers including musclenerd, pimskeks, pod2g and planetbeing, we love the fact that this site shows you the progress status bar featuring percentage completion. The requirements for such a jailbreak includes the likes of five minutes of the users time, you will need a PC running Mac OS X 10.5 minimum, Windows XP minimum or Linux x86 / x86_64> Other requirements include An iPhone, iPad or iPod running iOS 6.0 through 6.1, and a USB cable for connection to computer.
The site also gives credit to the likes of @phoenixdev for his research, @Surenix for evad3rs and evasi0n designs, @chronicdevteam and @iphone_dev for their support, Hanéne Samara for her work on evasi0n GUI and last but not least Kiki the cat for the inspiration. If you would like to contribute money to the team you can do so by hitting the ‘Contribute Button’ on the official website link above.
If you look at the photo we have provided above you will see that the calendar icon is set on number 3, if you combine this with 68% on the progress bar you will get the evad3rs evasi0n iOS 6 Untethered jailbreak release this Sunday coming.
All comments most welcome, love to know what you are thinking right now.

Nexus 4 RasBean Jelly Custom AOSP ROM review

The LG Nexus 4 is one of those typical phones that you want on the cheap but cannot have, yes you can obtain via other routes but you cannot get it for the Google Play Store low price because they are out of stock. If you are one of the lucky ones that does own the Nexus 4 and you love rooting and modding etc then let us bring it to your attention about the new Nexus 4 RasBean Jelly Custom AOSP ROM, if you already know about it then you need not read on.

The RasBean Jelly custom AOSP ROM by Rascarlo, many of you that has the or had the Galaxy Nexus will know about Rascream and this name derives when Ice Cream Sandwich was the latest ROM, so remove the cream from the end of Ras and add Jelly and you get RasBean. Flashing can cause a lot of problems and many do steer clear of it, but there are a few that loves this option and that is why we would like to give you a little review about RasBean.
Thanks to Talk Android (Love You Guys) they have put a mini review together explaining a few things about RasBean, they report that they have never had any problems or bugs with this custom ROM. They mention that if you are into CM or AOKP then you may not like this ROM at all, the reviewer above talks about RBJ being mostly stock Android Jelly Bean 4.2 theme but with a few modifications thanks to Rascarlo.
Clean looks, easy to do and the changed colour of the Navigation Bar matches the same blue that’s throughout the ROM, this is a nice free of bloat and very clean. Nexus 4 owners are warned that the CyanogenMod Theme Chooser feature is not within this ROM. For more information about the lovely looking Nexus 4 RasBean Jelly Custom AOSP ROM please read the full review over on Talk Android by clicking the link above.
If you are already running this ROM please do let us know what your thoughts are?

iPhone 5 ampjacket acoustic amplifier case

For those of us that like to protect our treasured smartphones in a case or bumper there are a huge variety of different products that can be used. The iPhone 5 is arguably the most stylish handset yet from the company with many users not wanting to cover up those looks with a case, but the iPhone 5 ampjacket acoustic amplifier case offers more than just protecting your handset.

This new case has recently been announced by Kubxlab that are a company that provide a number of innovative ideas for smartphone accessories, and this new iPhone 5 ampjacket acoustic amplifier case continues this trend. The case has been designed to double the volume of the iPhone 5 acoustically without the need for any external power or battery units.
The case is manufactured from a hard polycarbonate shell that has a matte rubber finish for a comfortable grip, and has been designed with a users experience in mind. It uses clever technology that filters the sound through the case to push it outwards while at the same time enhancing it.
This provides an impressive rich boost in volume that is twice as loud if the case is not used on the device, and besides this it fits nice and snugly onto the handset while providing a nice sleek look that compliments the smartphone.
It is smooth and lightweight and easily snaps into place and is great for when a user is listening to music or watching video content. The case is available for purchase now in a variety of colours and is priced at $29.95 from here and check out the video below.
Do you have a case fitted to your Apple iPhone 5?

HTC M7 release tipped to hit Europe before US

In the last few months we have been hearing a lot about HTC’s plans to recapture the success the company had previously seen with regards of sales of smartphone devices. The company got the ball rolling late last year with the launch of a couple of 5-inch smartphones, and now thoughts have been turning to a device going under the codename of HTC M7 that is being tipped for release in Europe before the US.

With have seen a number of images and videos appearing that are supposedly of the HTC M7, and the company has announced two press events to be held in London and New York, which will take place at the same time on February 19th. It is widely believed that the company will be staging the events to showcase the HTC M7 or whatever the name of the device turns out to be.
Now though new rumours are suggesting the handset will become available in the UK and Europe on March 8th, but the sources didn’t provide which carriers will be stocking the handset. It is believed that the US market will get the handset at some point after this date but exactly when is not known.
The source is also claiming the device will be available in another colour option besides the black that has been seen in the various leaks so far, and the other option will be a silver/white offering. The images that have been seen so far don’t seem to back this rumour up unless it has a silver or aluminium casing with a white bezel around the screen.
To recap the HTC M7 is rumoured to feature a 4.7-inch Full HD touchscreen display with a quad core processor clocked at 1.7GHz under the hood. This will be paired with 2GB of RAM and there is thought to be a thirteen megapixel camera on the back, and is expected to launch running Android Jelly Bean. Via: HTC Source.
Will you be keeping an eye out for the HTC M7?

Where to buy Nokia Lumia 620 in UK

At Phones Review we like to bring you information about smartphones across the market, from the high-end devices to those aimed at being more affordable. The Nokia Lumia 620 may be at the budget end of the spectrum but it has the pleasing distinctive Lumia styling and we think this could appeal to a lot of people. We’ve rounded up where to buy the Nokia Lumia 620 in the UK along with pricing in case you’ve decided you want to get your hands on this smartphone.

Just a very quick recap on the major specs first and the Nokia Lumia 620 runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system with its popular tiled layout. It’s powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus dual-core processor and has a 3.8-inch display with resolution of 800 x 400, 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 64GB. On top of this, users will also get 7GB of SkyDrive Cloud storage. There’s also a 5-megapixel rear camera, front-facing VGA camera and a 1300 mAh battery along with NFC and Bluetooth 3.0 and it has a range of colorful shells to choose from. For all of the following simply click on the supplier link to go straight to the product page for orders or more information.
Starting with O2 tariffs with a contract. You can purchase the Lumia 620 at no cost for the handset with an 18-month contract at £18.50 monthly. For this you’ll get 50 minutes of calls, unlimited texts and 100MB of data or for £21.50 monthly you’ll get the same amount of talk time and unlimited texts but 500MB of data. If you’re willing to pay a £49.99 price upfront for the phone you can then get it on a 24-month contract as low as £13.50 monthly, which will offer you 50 minutes of calls, unlimited texts and 100MB of data. If you don’t want a contract then you can get the Lumia 620 on Pay and Go for £149.99 with various top-up options. For many more tariff choices head to the above O2 link.
On to Unlocked Mobiles.com and here the SIM-free price of the Lumia 620 is £214.98 with next day delivery. Over on Clove meanwhile the SIM-free Nokia Lumia 620 will cost you £226.80 but while the black version is now in stock the white version won’t be arriving until February 1. At Argos the Lumia 620 will set you back £199.99 and you can select any one of four microSD cards at half price until July 26, 2013. At HotUKDeals the Lumia 620 unlocked is priced at £180.97 with next day delivery and 3 months free phone insurance.
Finally the Nokia Lumia 620 is also coming to the Carphone Warehouse but at present there is no pricing available and you’ll find it listed as ‘coming soon’ with an expected date of February. Hopefully this selection of places to buy the Lumia 620 should include a supplier that will suit you.
Are you intending to purchase the Lumia 620? Will you purchase on-contract or SIM-free? Let us know with your comments.

BlackBerry Z10 vs Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 5: Fight is on

The completely overhauled BlackBerry operating system, BlackBerry 10, was formerly introduced yesterday and while it’s too soon to tell if it will breathe new life into the BlackBerry platform the signs are looking promising. The first phone running BB10 is the BlackBerry Z10 and so we thought it would be interesting to compare the BlackBerry Z10 vs. Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5, the first BB10 device in a fight against the dominant Android and iOS phones.

Although the BlackBerry Z10 was only unveiled yesterday it releases in the UK today and in Canada on February 5. Sadly though for the many US customers waiting avidly for the Z10 they will have to wait until mid to late March for its release there on all four major carriers (detailed here). The Samsung Galaxy S3 on the other hand is already available on multiple carriers worldwide and the same applies to the Apple iPhone 5. Although we cannot compare every single specification and feature of all of these three phones as they have so many different things to offer, we will look at the key factors to give you an idea of what each phone brings to the table.
Processor
The Z10 has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core Krait processor while the Galaxy S3 has a 1.4GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core Cortex-A9 processor (US variants sport a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 dual-core processor). The Apple iPhone 5 has a 1.2GHz Apple A6 dual-core processor.
Display
The Z10 has a 4.2-inch touch display with resolution of 1280 x 768 and 355ppi. The Galaxy S3 carries a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 resolution and 306ppi while the iPhone 5 has a 4-inch display with resolution of 1136 x 640 and 326ppi.
RAM and Storage
The BlackBerry Z10 has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 64GB. The Galaxy S3 has 1GB of RAM (or 2GB for US variants) and 16, 32, or 64GB storage options, expandable via microSD to 64GB. Meanwhile the iPhone 5 has 1GB of RAM and 16, 32 or 64GB internal storage options but this is not expandable.

Camera Set-up
There’s an 8-megapixel rear camera on the Z10 with 1080p video capture and video stabilization and also a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The Galaxy S3 also has an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability along with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera while the iPhone 5 also joins the 8-megapixel rear camera party with 1080p video capture as well as a 1.2-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Operating System
The new BlackBerry 10 operating system only officially launched yesterday and as we previously stated the BlackBerry Z10 is the first device to launch running it. The Galaxy S3 is upgradable to Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and uses the Samsung TouchWiz UI and the iPhone 5 runs iOS 6, upgradable to iOS 6.1, the latest Apple mobile OS.
Battery
The BlackBerry Z10 has a 1800 mAh battery while the Galaxy S3 totes a 2100 mAh battery and the iPhone 5 a non-removable 1440 mAh battery.
Dimensions
The Z10 measures 130mm x 65.6mm x 9mm and weighs 137.5g. Measurements of the Galaxy S3 are 136.6mm x 70.6mm x 8.6mm and it weighs in at 133g while the iPhone 5 measures 123.8mm x58.6mm x 7.6mm and weighs 112g so is the slimmest and also lightest of the three.

Price
Pricing will vary according to region but the BlackBerry Z10 in the US will be $599 unlocked or $199 on the usual two-year contract. The Galaxy S3 unlocked on Amazon can be found for around $570 unlocked or the entry-level S3 costs $199 on a two-year contract. The entry-level iPhone 5 also costs $199 on a two-year contract and unlocked starts at $649 so there’s not too much to separate them all on price.
All three of these smartphones have 4G LTE connectivity (where applicable). There are of course many more individual features and capabilities for each of these phones to take into account but we’ve shown the major factors that you’ll need to consider. These are three great smartphones and if you’re not a devotee to one particular platform these give you some top-notch choices. Of course it may be just the design of the phones that helps to make your ultimate decision and the best one for you will be the one that most suits your own personal requirements.
Have you been considering purchasing one of these phones or will you be thinking of it now? If you have decided which is the option for you, which one do you prefer and why? Let us know with your comments.

2013 smartphone releases and your preference

No matter what smartphone platform you favour this year more than ever consumers will have a bewildering amount of new hardware to choose from. Handset manufacturers are constantly coming up with new handsets to tempt consumers to part with their cash and we are looking at some 2013 smartphone releases and asking your preference.

Many of these handsets we are talking about today have yet to be officially announced so we will only know about the numerous rumours that have appeared for each handset.
Sony Xperia Z
Sony is looking to offer worthy alternatives to what Apple and Samsung have to offer, and the company recently announced the Xperia Z that features a 5-inch TFT display with resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 441ppi pixel density. This is powered by a quad core Qualcomm processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM.
HTC M7
The HTC M7 is a handset we have heard a lot about recently including a possible March release, and the device is thought to feature a 4.7-inch Full HD display with a pixel density of 468ppi. Under the hood is claimed to be a 1.7GHz Qualcomm quad core processor with 2GB of RAM.
LG Optimus G Pro
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo recently announced the upcoming LG Optimus G Pro that also uses a 5-inch Full HD touchscreen display with a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core processor clocked at an impressive 1.7GHz under the hood. There is also 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that is expandable further.
Huawei Ascend Mate
The massive 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate has already been compared to the Galaxy Note 2, and uses a Super IPS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 and 241ppi pixel density. There is a 1.5 quad core processor paired with 2GB of RAM under the hood.
Huawei Ascend P2
This is another handset that has not been officially announced but a recent leak points to a handset with a 4.5-inch Full HD display powered by a quad core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, and other features are believed to be 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear facing camera.
BlackBerry Z10
Fans of the BlackBerry platform look to be in for a treat this year with the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 OS, and the Z10 looks to be leading the way. This is rumoured to feature a 4.2-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 running on a 1.5Gz dual core processor.
Nokia Lumia Laser
This is another unannounced handset with not much currently known accept it will be a high-end device, and could just be another version of the popular Lumia 920 but for Verizon after the AT&T exclusivity ends.
Samsung Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 is one of the most speculated about handsets at the moment with rumoured specs to include a 4.99-inch Full HD display using Samsung’s own eight core Exynos 5 Octa processor.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
While the current model has only been available for a short while there have already been rumours that the Note 3 will have a 6.3-inch display, and again using the Exynos 5 Octa processor.
Apple iPhone 5S
The next smartphone from Apple has also been the centre of a number of different rumours that include 128GB of storage and a Full HD display, but it’s not known if it will actually be called the iPhone 5S yet.
Lenovo IdeaPhone K900
This is a handset that has only just come to our attention that has a Full HD 5.5-inch IPS screen in a form factor that only weighs 162grams measuring 6.9mm thick.
Motorola X
Google are rumoured to be working on a handset with Motorola that will supposedly standout from the crowd, and has been tipped to be unveiled at May’s Google I/O event.
Nexus 5
There has been rumours that LG were working on a new Nexus handset, and while we don’t know if there is any truth in this or if it will release this year, but we thought we would add it because many readers are talking about the handset.
Is there any other smartphone that you will be waiting for this year that we have not mentioned?

Apple iShoes, patent for sensor and alarm system

Apple has always been known as an innovative company and in the past changed the smartphone industry for the better with the launch of the original iPhone back in 2007. This shook up the market with other companies having to up their game and we have news of an Apple patent that has been discovered that could easily be called iShoes, and is basically for a sensor and alarm system placed into footwear.

Another Apple patent has recently been found that shows a sensor and alarm system that can even be placed into footwear, and would provide users another way to decide when to replace shoes that had worn out.
It was originally filed back in the summer of 2012 and titled “Shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods”. The company is saying the footwear should not only offer comfort and protection, but also stability when doing physical activities and the support offered by footwear will decrease.
When the shoe gets to a critical stage with hardly any support left a sensor and alarm system could alert the user to help prevent injury. There is a detector placed in the shoe with a processor that sorts all the data collected, and an alarm that will make the user aware when the footwear is no longer stable.
The sensors can include a variety of different types that include pressure sensors, accelerometers, and more. The data collected is processed via an algorithm that can be specified by the manufacturer of the footwear, so can be set to what stage the shoe will fail.
This system gets its power from a built in battery unit, or a mechanical electric generation device, and the alarm can be an LED light or display, and even a speaker. There are also suggestions the system could be used with mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad.
Various patents by Apple often appear but many of them may never see the light of day with regards to products released to the public, but this may eventually be seen in some sports shoes in the future. Source and image: AppleInsider.
Do you think we will ever see this idea?

Samsung Galaxy S4 Eye Pause, Scroll and Smart Stay

Last year Samsung released their most successful smartphone to date in the form of the Galaxy S3, with the device helping the company to further tighten their grip on the Android platform. Since the turn of the year we have been hearing regular rumours and speculation about the handsets replacement, and now the Samsung Galaxy S4 is rumoured to have some new features called Eye Scroll and Eye Pause.

The release of the Samsung Galaxy S3 last year brought with it a new feature called Smart Stay, which would stop the handsets display from switching off while the user was still looking at it. Now though the company looks to go further with the Galaxy S4 after filing for two new trademarks called Eye Scroll and Eye Pause.
The trademark requests were filed with the European Union on the 21st of January, and while there are no details with the filings the names have given some an idea what they may do. The Samsung Galaxy S4 if released with these new features could be using some sort of eye tracking technology that could be used while watching video content.
While the video is playing if you look away from the display the handset could pause the video, and recommence playback when you look at the screen again. With the Eye Scroll feature this could be used while viewing web pages, and when the user’s eyes scroll down the screen the page could automatically move down in sync with your eyes.
Of course this is only speculation to what the features may bring to the table, but given the Smart Stay feature on the Galaxy S3 there is a good chance it will be along these lines. Recently we have heard the handset could make its debut on March 22nd with shipping beginning the following month, and we have even seen some images that could be of the handset. Source and image: SamMobile.
Do you think these features will appear on the Samsung Galaxy S4?

Nexus 4 demand in Australia, buy via Harvey Norman

Many consumers that have been looking to pick up the LG Nexus 4 via Google Play since it was released late last year have been left frustrated as supply hasn’t kept up with demand. Occasionally stock has come back onto the store only to run out almost instantly, and while some carriers have stock this often comes at a premium price and a two year contract. The demand for the Nexus 4 in Australia is no different from other regions, but consumers in the country will soon be able to buy the handset via Harvey Norman.

While we have heard promises of an increase in production for the LG Nexus 4, the handset remains thin on the ground regarding supply via the Google Play Store, but the likes of T-Mobile recently got more stock. The big pull for the handset has been the relatively low up front price for a smartphone that offers some great specifications, and without the need to have to sign up for a lengthy two or three year contract depending on the carrier.
Now though LG has announced that consumers in Australia can get hold of the Nexus 4 from February 1st via Harvey Norman brick and mortar stores across the country. The 16GB version of the smartphone will set those back who are interested in the device $496 AUD, and this is without the need for any contract being agreed to.
If this is still a little too much of a price to suit your finances there is a subsidized option that will be bundled with the Optus price plan that costs $35 AUD a month. The handset will only be available via the retailer’s stores and not online, so it is debateable how much stock there will be.
The price is also $100 more than what the device can be purchased for via Google Play if there was any stock, and Harvey Norman won’t be selling the 8GB model of the Nexus 4. Will you be trying to purchase the Nexus 4 via Harvey Norman?

Huawei Ascend P2 key specifications and good looks

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has been in the news a lot lately as it looks to become more of a success outside of the Asian market. They have been busy launching a number of new handsets that feature some worthy specifications, and now we have news of the Huawei Ascend P2 with some key specs and good looks to boot.

The company is starting to gain a name for itself with the launch of some great looking handsets such as the Ascend D2 and the 6.1-inch Ascend mate. Now another high spec handset has leaked that is expected to be unveiled at next month’s Mobile World Congress in the shape of the Ascend P2.
This includes an image that you can see on this page with the handset featuring a 4.5-inch Full HD display with a rumoured quad core processor under the hood clocked at an impressive 1.8GHz. Other features are thought to include 2GB of RAM and a 13 megapixel rear facing camera.
There is also an alleged 1.3 megapixel front facing shooter, 3000 mAh battery unit, and the device will be running the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. What could be a deal breaker for the Huawei Ascend P2 though if true is the 8GB of on board storage that is rumoured to be un-expandable.
The handset is said to be only 6.99mm thick and the processor will be the HiSilicon K3V2 unit that features a Cortex A9 design. The company only revealed the Ascend P1 LTE back in November of last year, which features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display on a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz.
This only had 4GB of internal memory but is expandable by up to 32GB, so it remains to be seen if the Ascend P2 loses this option. Source and image: Unwired View. Will you be considering a smartphone from Huawei this year?

Lava Xolo X500 dual-SIM Intel smartphone looks boring

The Android platform is becoming awash with numerous different handsets being released from an ever increasing selection of manufacturers, and recently there seems to be more handsets that feature dual SIM compatibility and one such phone we have for you today is the Lava Xolo X500 Intel smartphone that does look rather boring though.

The company is now launching its second smartphone in India that features an Intel Atom processor and will be priced at Rs. 8,999. The handset will come powered by the Intel Atom Lexington Z2420 that was recently shown off at CES 2013, and is expected to hit the shelves shortly.
It features only a 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 320 with the processor clocked at 1.2GHz that uses Intel Hyper Threading Technology. There is 512MB of RAM coupled with 4GB of on board storage that can be expanded further via microSD card by up to 32GB.
There is a five megapixel rear facing camera and the handset uses a 1,500 mAh battery unit, and the Lava Xolo X500 will come running the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. At CES Intel revealed the Lexington Z2420 with its technology that has one core and two threads, and is capable of supporting 1080p HD hardware, accelerated encoding/decoding, and also supports up to two cameras that can deliver advance imaging.
This includes a burst mode that can capture seven pictures in under a second in five megapixel quality. The company’s first Intel based phone released in April last year was the Xolo 900 that used the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system running on the Intel Saltwell 1.6GHz single core processor. Source: NDTV Gadgets.
Do you have a dual SIM smartphone?

Google X Phone and power of suggestion

Last year search engine giant Google completed the deal that saw it snap up smartphone manufacturer Motorola in a $12.5 billion move, and since then we have not heard much about the plans that Google has for the company in the future. Recently this has changed with speculation growing of a Google X phone, and there are many Android fans offering suggestions on what they want to see on the handset.

While the Google X Motorola handset remains just speculation for the time being, the company has revealed that Motorola already had between twelve to eighteen months worth of products lined up when it was taken over. Now this roadmap is getting close to be finished thoughts have been turning to what will be the first products released by Motorola that have been developed since it was taken over.
Towards the end of last year we first heard that the two companies were working together on a smartphone and a tablet PC, but it’s the smartphone that has been getting most of the headlines. The Google X smartphone has been rumoured to standout from the crowd and has been tipped to be unveiled at May’s Google I/O event.
There has been some suggestion the handset could feature a bendable display that could be similar to what Samsung has already shown off recently, and being flexible would mean the display would have less chance of shattering when dropped, which can happen to a lot of smartphones currently available.
Others have hinted at an ultra durable smartphone with even Google CEO, Larry Page, has stated that the idea of a durable handset is something Google likes the look of in the future. There has been talk of a vastly improved battery life, which is an area that has seemingly been left behind in the smartphone world in recent times.
There is a lot of competition now in the smartphone market with new innovation no longer only coming from Apple with the likes of Samsung and other companies coming up with some great ideas. With more handsets constantly being released now companies need to try and come up with something a little different to tempt consumers to their product, and this will be no different for Google and Motorola with any new product they produce. Source: Mashable.
What would you like to see on the Google X phone?

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Telus HTC One X 4.1 Jelly Bean update, AT&T lagging

We are starting to hear of more Android hardware finally being treated to later versions of the mobile operating system, but time and time again certain carriers are holding up the firmware updates from getting pushed out to their customers. In the last few days the TELUS HTC One X 4.1 Jelly Bean update has been rolling out to end users, but this again means AT&T in the US are lagging behind.

A few days ago mobile carrier TELUS announced the availability of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the HTC One X, but again this has left owners of the same handset on US carrier AT&T frustrated with the lack of the newer firmware from their mobile network.
Owners of the handset on AT&T have been left wondering when they will see the new operating system, especially since the update begun rolling out for the HTC One X back in October. Various markets around the world then begun seeing Jelly Bean reach their smartphones, and more recently customers of rival Canadian carrier Rogers were also treated to a taste of Jelly Bean on the HTC One X.
TELUS revealed the update had begun the process of arriving on handsets on its official Twitter page, and is available via an over the air update. The Jelly Bean OS brings a big upgrade when compared to Ice Cream Sandwich with a number of new features and improvements.
Meanwhile AT&T customers are left waiting in the dark for the software to arrive with currently no timeframe given for its release, with both AT&T and HTC remaining tight lipped on its whereabouts. We are almost four months away now from when the new OS was first released and surely it doesn’t take this long to do all the checks needed to insure its compatibility with carrier specific versions of the smartphone. Source: GottaBe Mobile.
Are you fed with waiting for AT&T to push out Android Jelly Bean to the HTC One X?

HTC M7 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 theoretical Comparison

We often bring readers phone comparisons of two phones that are just out or about to be released but sometimes we like to look ahead a little further to phones that will be arriving in the coming months. The HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4 (S IV) both fit into the latter category and we have already heard many leaked and rumored specs although neither has yet been made official. We thought it would be intriguing to take a look at the HTC M7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 in a theoretical comparison of these two flagship devices.

Both of these are Android handsets and both already look as though they will be hugely successful. Obviously as neither the M7 nor Galaxy S4 has been made official yet, we can only tell you what we know and what we think we know so far. However, very often we find that much of what we hear on the grapevine regarding rumored specs does turn out to be accurate and early details can at least give us some idea of what to expect. As neither phone has been officially unveiled the release dates cannot be confirmed ether. However we can tell you what has been rumored.
For example the HTC M7 has a rumored release date of Q1 and it has been widely speculated that it will be announced at MWC in Barcelona next month between February 25 to 28 with a release soon afterwards. However yesterday we told how the M7 might now be introduced at a separate special media event on February 19, a little earlier than expected but at this point this is not clear.
As far as the Galaxy S4 is concerned a release date sometime in spring has been widely anticipated but again the picture is a little complicated. There have recently been unsubstantiated rumors that the Galaxy S4 will be revealed at a special Samsung Unpacked event to be held on March 22, with a possible release around April 15. Yesterday though it was noted that a leaked image of a phone purported to be the Galaxy S4 showed the handset displaying a date of April 22, adding another date into the mix. Of course this has to be taken with a pinch of salt for now as the leaked image may not even be the real deal.
It looks as though the M7 may beat the Galaxy S4 to the market then but either way both phones should be with us before too long. Moving on to specs and features and again we’ll remind you that anything we discuss here is purely from leaks or rumors but we’d be very surprised if most of this doesn’t turn out to be accurate. We’ll begin with the HTC M7 and what we’ve heard so far is that this phone will have a 1.7GHz Qualcomm quad-core processor, 4.7-inch display with full HD and an incredible 468ppi, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It’s also likely to sport a 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability along with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Another mention we’ve heard of regarding the camera is that it will have a new image sensor enabling super slow-motion video to be taken. Other inclusions are LTE connectivity and a 2300 mAh battery and the M7 will be running Android Jelly Bean, either 4.1.2 or 4.2, with HTC Sense 5.0. Looks-wise it’s said to feature an aluminum unibody design.
We’ve heard plenty of rumored specs and features for the Galaxy S4 too, many that are pretty credible but others not so much. The more likely specs that have been widely reported include the new Exynos Octa 5 processor using two quad-cores, a 4.99-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display and 2GB of RAM. There’s also a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and 2600 mAh battery. Although many were hoping it would release running Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie this now seems more unlikely and so it should launch running Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. Other things that we’ve heard rumblings of are a flexible display, wireless charging, two color options on launch (black or white), enhanced S Voice and new features such as Eye Scroll and Eye Pause and we’ve also heard mention of a stylus, similar to that on the Samsung Galaxy Note.
There’s a lot to take in then but looking at what has been speculated so far shows that both the HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have a lot to offer. The image above is claimed to be of the Galaxy S4 and so we have included it here to give you an impression of what it could look like. However we have no way of verifying this photo just yet so don’t decide to purchase it from the way it looks here. Both phones are set to arrive on multiple carriers so there should be a good choice for consumers on this front and both are set to be truly top-notch devices so are likely to be similarly-priced, although no pricing is yet available.
In conclusion we’d say it’s really hard to split these two phones based on rumors and leaks so far and so it will be really intriguing to take another look once specs and design have been confirmed. Both the HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4 look as though they will be hugely impressive devices that will offer a great smartphone experience and once official it could merely be a personal preference of design that decides your choice. We’d like to know what you think about the M7 and Galaxy S4. If you had to opt for one of these smartphones right now, which would you choose and why? Maybe it will depend simply on which one hits the shelves first? Let us know with your comments.

Temple Run 2 vs Pitfall in Gamers Choice

If you are a gaming fan there is a vast selection of quality titles now available on the various smartphone platforms, with many being free to download and play. This has recently increased with the release of Temple Run 2 on both the Android and iOS platforms, but today we are looking at the choice gamers have with Temple Run 2 vs Pitfall.

Last week Imangi Studios released Temple Run 2 for iOS users to enjoy, which was quickly followed by the Android version becoming available yesterday as promised. The game has had a number of new features added with some improvements made to the graphics, but the game still has that addictive can’t put down feel to it.
Late last year though the popular Atari classic Pitfall was re-imagined and released by Activision onto both the Android and iOS platforms and the games have a lot of similarities. Pitfall kicks off with your character holding a tablet with a scene from the original Atari game with its blocky graphics, before he starts off running.
In the same way as Temple Run 2 your character runs along with the user swiping the screen to jump, slide, and change direction collecting items along the way to increase your score. Tilting the screen has the same result as Temple Run 2 allowing you to angle your character to collect more items.
Both the games have optional things that can be purchased from within the app, and they both have that addictive game play that is almost impossible to put down. Graphics wise personally I prefer Temple Run 2, but others may disagree and favour Pitfall.
When Temple Run 2 was released onto Google Play yesterday there were many users that couldn’t find it, but I just entered it into Google to be provided with the link, and since then it does appear when entered into the search option on Google Play.
Android users can find Pitfall here or Temple Run 2 here, and iOS users can get Pitfall here or Temple Run 2 here.
Which of the two games do you prefer?

Top 4 Apps for your Android Tablet

It’s getting more difficult to find the best Android app in the rapidly growing crowded Play Store. So we thought we would give you four Android apps that might be of interest for your tablet device. Here are the top apps that we’d recommend to our readers who have just got their first tablet device, these are not the best applications in the world as there are hundreds of thousands, but it is a good start to get you going. Please do take a look; if you are already using any of these apps we would love to know what you think of these Android apps.

1. Pocket
Pocket, previously called Read it Later, is a cross platform application for managing you’re reading on a range of devices, including Android tablets, phones and desktop web browsers. The application adds a user to add bookmark to its database, which will then be synced across all of your devices that have Pocket installed. So if you find an interesting article on Reddit, you can ‘Pocket’ it, and read it on your phone whilst you commute, and then continue reading it on your tablet once you’re in bed or in the office. Pocket has an open and free API, so it allows developers to integrate it with their own applications. It has almost 4 million users worldwide, so you can’t go wrong with it!
2. Flipboard
Flipboard was originally “made with love” with the Apple iPad in mind, but things have dramatically changed since December 2010 in the tablet landscape. In response, an Android version has been made available via the Play Store, and has been recognized with the “Editor’s Choice” badge – But what is Flipboard? It’s a social newsreader, with a magazine-like layout and design. It has tight integration with Twitter and Facebook (and Google+, Flickr…) so if your friends post new stories, they will become available through the social feeds. What’s great is that the content you receive can be highly customised. So if you’re not so keen on sports, but you’re a true news junky, you can set your feed sources to reflect your preferences. The app has received very favourable reviews. It’s been around for a while now, so why not download it and see what you think?
3. Google Drive
Google Drive is the companies file storage and document sync service, which also includes Google Docs that is basically a simple suite of office applications. It’s often described as an alternative to slightly rusty Dropbox. Your PDFs, reports and photos of your pets can be now accessed on the go thanks to the mobile app. The most recent version has been optimised to take advantage of larger screens for tablet users, so you can take advantage of creating and editing documents as well as spread sheets, it also comes with presentations with full animations and speaker notes. What’s great is that even when you lose your device, all your data is safely backed up on Google servers, so you have one less thing to worry about.
4. Tasker
Have you ever thought “I wish my tablet would do [A] whenever [B] happened? For example, send a text message to your partner whenever you leave your office; set your phone to vibrate whenever you’re at the cinema; or increase your ringer volume after you wake up in the morning? Tasker will make your dreams come true. Tasker is an automation app for Android phones and tablets. The application monitors for conditions (device plugged in and charging, or at a certain physical location) and when those conditions are met, it can do anything from launching applications, change system settings, send text messages, and even speak alerts aloud. When you combine Tasker’s automation tools you’re your device it states that you have set it, for example, “I’m in the office” or “I haven’t got any 3G signal”, you can see how much potential the app really has. The app is £3.99 when purchased from the Play Store, but you can also get a 7 day trial from the developers website.
If you do not own a tablet yet but want an affordable and lightweight tablet computer, why not check out the NVIDIA Tegra 3, quad-core powered 10 inch Acer A700 available now at the BrightHouse.
Image via Flickr By Johan Larsson

Samsung Galaxy S3 AOKP Build 2 JB 4.2.1 (US Cellular & Verizon)

In the last few months the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy S3 has been treated to various versions of the Android Jelly Bean operating system officially. There are many users that like to install custom ROMs though, and today we have news of the Samsung Galaxy S3 AOKP Build 2 JB 4.2.1 for US Cellular and Verizon Wireless.

At the time of writing the latest official release for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware, but for those of you that like to flash custom ROMs onto your device and are customers of either Verizon or US Cellular the AOKP JB-MR1 Build 2 ROM is now available, and comes after versions for both T-Mobile and AT&T surfaced.
AOKP ROMS are built using official AOSP releases but come with a number of customization and tweaks compared to the official firmware. This latest release is based on the Android 4.2.1 OS so once installed will see your treasured Galaxy S3 running the very latest Android Jelly Bean OS.
Some of the new features that Android 4.2.1 brings to the table include improvements to Google Now, Photo Sphere, Gesture typing, Miracast display, Multi user support, quick settings option, new camera application, Daydream, and much more.
Of course you are advised to only install custom ROMs if you are confident in the process and at your own risk, and this firmware is still under development so may have some bugs or other minor issues that will be ironed out as development continues.
Back in November of last year it was suggested the official version of the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean would be available sometime during the first quarter of this year, but if you don’t want to wait for any official release you can get the Verizon version with instructions from Android Jinn here, or the US Cellular version here.
Have you got a custom ROM running on your Samsung Galaxy S3?

Breaking the Law to unlock U.S phones after Jan 26th

We have some unfortunate news for the many people who enjoy unlocking their phones and the freedom that it brings to the use of their device. In a nutshell it will be breaking the law to unlock U.S. phones after January 26. That means phone users in the US only have today to purchase a phone and unlock it or unlock a phone they already have, although some carriers already sell unlocked phones or will unlock it after a contract runs out. Also some people buy a phone unlocked at full price rather than with the usual two-year contract.

Not having freedom to unlock their phones will come as a blow to many people as by doing this they then have no restrictions over which compatible networks they can use and can easily switch carriers, especially useful for those who often travel overseas. However from tomorrow unlocking your phone in the US will be illegal and this follows a move from the Library of Congress back in October last year who ruled this would no longer be allowed under an anti-hacking law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Following that decision a 90-day window was given whereby people could still buy a phone and unlock it, but that window runs out tomorrow.
If you buy an unlocked phone this won’t affect you but this is a pricey option compared to the subsidized price when purchased with a contract. For instance the Apple iPhone 5 is priced starting from $649 unlocked, while locked and on a contract the cost goes right down to $199. However those who purchase the iPhone 5 on Verizon will receive it unlocked.
There’s only today left then to buy a new phone and unlock it legally yourself but before you do that you have to ask your carrier first if they will unlock it for you. Only if they won’t do so are you legally entitled to do it yourself under the DMCA ruling but from tomorrow it will be illegal. In the few hours you have left, if you still want to unlock it yourself you may find the unlock code on the Internet or achieve the task using a tool.
There may be some of you who are confusing the term ‘unlocking’ with ‘jailbreaking,’ which still remains legal for smartphones. Jailbreaking refers to opening up the software so that users can run alternative apps or customize their phones. If you are one of the many cellphone users who like to unlock their phones then we’re interested to hear what you think about this news. Maybe this feels like an infringement of your rights to do what you want with your smartphone? Are you intending to unlock your phone in the remaining few hours you have left before it becomes illegal? Let us know with your comments.
Source: TechNewsDaily

Acer Liquid E1 enters Android Universe

Ahead of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 taking place next month we’re already starting to hear about new phones coming to the market. Today we’re looking at the Acer Liquid E1, a new smartphone entering the Android universe and aimed at the mid-range of the market. This is a pleasing looking handset and very different from the earlier Acer Liquid phone that came out several years ago so read on for more details and specs.

The Acer Liquid E1 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and totes a 4.5-inch qHD display with resolution of 960 x 540, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD). There’s also a 5-megapixel rear camera, 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, FM radio and HSPA+ connectivity and a 1760 mAh battery for around 8 hours of talk time or standby time of up to 400 hours.
This Acer offering runs on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and features a microUSB port for charging and also data transfer to a PC. Dimensions of the Liquid E1 are 132mm x 68.5mm x 9.9mm and it weighs in at 130g. The Liquid E1 is likely to be available internationally although there are no firm details on regions, release dates or price yet.
Hopefully we’ll be hearing much more about this at MWC in Barcelona, running from February 25 to 28 and we’ll bring you more news as we hear it, along with tons of news on other new smartphones and tablets coming to the market. We’d like to hear your first impressions of the Acer Liquid E1? Does it sound like a mid-range phone suitable for your needs? Why not let us know by sending us your comments.
Source: Eurodroid

HTC Desire U ICS Boring Budget Phone

We always try to bring readers news on upcoming smartphones and tablets and most of the time there are so many notable devices coming to the market that we get pretty excited. However as far as budget phones go, while we understand the need for them some are pretty boring and such is the case with the HTC Desire U. If ever there was a phone surplus to requirements it may just be this one.

Nevertheless we’ll bring you the details although when HTC is coming up with impressive phones such as the upcoming HTC M7 it does make it quite difficult to get excited over the Desire U. Specs and features of the HTC Desire U include a 1GHz single-core processor, 4-inch WVGA LCD display with resolution of 800 x480, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card. The Desire U also has a 5-megapixel rear camera with flash but no front camera, a 1500 mAh battery and runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, rather old hat to say the least.
So far the Desire U has been announced for Taiwan and is also likely to hit Europe and possibly the US too but we have no details yet on pricing. However unless it is exceptionally cheap we really can’t see much to recommend it, with other budget phones having more to offer. For instance yesterday we told about the Samsung ATIV Odyssey that has just gone up for sale on Verizon priced at $49.99 on the usual two-year contract. The ATIV Odyssey has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage as well as dual cameras and runs on Windows Phone 8. As you can see the ATIV Odyssey is also a budget phone but with much more impressive specs than the HTC Desire U.
Of course the Desire U may well be exactly what some are looking for but we feel that another budget phone with better specs, or an older model of a flagship device, might be a better option. As always we’re interested in your views so tell us if you could be tempted to the Desire U by sending us your comments.

LG Optimus Prime vs Microsoft Surface Phone, Concept Ideas

The majority of articles we bring you are about new or upcoming smartphones and tablets but every now and then we like to look at concept phones. These LG Optimus Prime and Microsoft Surface Phone concepts will not be available for sale but many concepts have been cleverly designed and show real innovation and give us some idea of what we might see coming to the market. Today we’ll show you the LG Optimus Prime vs. Microsoft Surface Phone and we’ll be interested to hear which you prefer.

Starting with the LG Optimus Prime rendering which would be a real flagship for LG. This has been designed by Rahul Sharma, who has also come up with some specs for this concept smartphone. Sharma imagines a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with graphics taken care of with the Adreno 320 GPU, a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 3D display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass and 2GB of RAM.
There’s also a whopping 21-megapixel rear Carl Zeiss camera with autofocus, dual Xenon flash, PureView technology and Vario Tessar technology and an HD projector. Nice idea for it to feature Nokia goodies but hey, this is a concept after all. As well as all this the Optimus Prime has NFC, HDMI, DLNA and a 3000 mAh battery. The form factor of the Optimus Prime is only 6.65mm thick and as you can see from the image above just when you think there’s not much else to offer with smartphone design Sharma has come up with something that looks breathtaking
Our other concept today is the Microsoft Surface Phone and this is another stunning looking phone, this time from the mind of Yanko Andreev. You can see an image of this one below. The Surface Phone is aimed at providing a computer-like experience as it can be partnered with a monitor, keyboard and mouse or a docking station if desired. Specs include a 2GHz Tegra 4 processor, 5.1-inch IPS LCD Full HD display, 4GB of RAM (!) and whopping 128GB of internal storage with microSD card slot.

Other inclusions are a 16-megapixel rear camera with wide angle lens and PureView technology and it also has a 3500 mAh non-removable battery. The Surface Phone concept runs Windows Phone 8 and Windows RT and includes USB and HDMI and has 3 stereo speakers. For the design, you’re looking at a metal unibody styling with chrome detailing and this one is rather heftier than the Optimus Prime as it is 11mm thick and weighs 189g.
We’re sure you’ll agree these are both stunning concepts and we reckon there will be more than a few readers who’d love to get their hands on one if only they could. You may also like to see a former Surface Phone concept here. We’d like to know what you think though. Are you impressed by the LG Optimus Prime and Microsoft Surface Phone concepts and if so, which do you favor and why? Send your comments to share your thoughts with us and other readers.
Sources: Concept Phones AND 1800 PocketPC

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 official with release date obscurity

The new Samsung Xcover 2 that has now been officially announced before MWC 2013 was a great surprise to be honest, we really thought Samsung would wait until the event to provide its announcement, but guess there is no point going on about this because we all know the handset is real.

Samsung are pushing this durable mobile phone for those that love the great outdoors, being it the active explorer or those living and enjoying fun lifestyles. The phone has all the goodies within that offers not only a decent smartphone but a rugged one at that to fit into your outdoor lifestyle, this handset comes with a IP67 certification and so much more, please do read on.
We mentioned about the Samsung Xcover 2 three days ago and reported that it would be announced at MWC that kicks of from February 25th in Barcelona, well it will not be announced there because Samsung have sent out a press release with all the details about the handset as well as al that specifications. The Xcover 2 comes with a 4-inch WVGA TFT screen, 1GB of RAM, and excitingly Android Jelly Bean, as well as a dual-core 1GHz processor, TouchWiz customizations, 5MP main camera with a 720p video, and we like that it has a dedicated shutter key and a front-facing VGA camera. Shame the camera’s were not bigger, this is a mobile phone for the great outdoors and if that is the case most people going for walks, cycling etc love to take pictures, sorry but we are a little disappointed about the camera sizes.
The Galaxy Xcover 2 is a little larger than its predecessor at 130.5 x 67.7 x 12 mm and weighs 149 grams; it comes with a 1,700mAh battery that is protected with a special lock. Other features include 5.76Mbps HSUPA, 14.4Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth 4.0, microSD card slot, 4GB of built-in memory, 3G and GPS + GLONASS.
For full specifications please read the full Samsung press release here, the only downside to this announcement is the release date obscurity; no dates or prices have been revealed yet and maybe this is when MWC 2013 will come into play.

New iPad 5 and iPhone 5S rumours include release dates

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New iPad 5 and iPhone 5S rumours include release dates

Under: Mobile Phones, Tablet PC
Date: January 26th, 2013

We often get to hear various rumours about upcoming Apple products with many of them proving to be pretty accurate. Now a new report is claiming to have some information about Apple’s 2013 product lineup and these include new iPad 5 and iPhone 5S rumours that have various release dates for the devices.

A few weeks ago there was talk that the iPad 5 could be seen as early as March, but the latest rumours seem to contradict these earlier reports. It is being claimed by iLounge that a physical model of the iPad 5 has been seen, and unlike previous years the device didn’t seem finished yet.
The device had a 9.7-inch display but was a lot smaller than previous iPad models with hardly any bezels surrounding the screen, and there was just enough space to fit in the camera and home button. It was also found to be a lot thinner than before and looked like a stretched iPad mini.
It is believed that a Sharp IGZO display has been used along with a more energy efficient processor, but will be around the same power wise as the iPad 4 while being a lot smaller and lighter. It is believed that the iPad 5 will see a release in October so to give Apple enough time to build sufficient stock as components won’t be that easy to get hold of.
There is also some news regarding the iPhone 5S that is supposed to look almost the same as the current model, but have a larger flash on the back, and also it is being claimed the handset may feature a Sony 13 megapixel camera sensor.
The handset is being claimed to be months away from full production with prototypes having the N51 and N53 codenames, and these have a July release date as a possibility. This could see Apple returning to showcasing the new iPhone at its annual WWDC event, which was speculated about before.
A cheaper iPhone model is again being rumoured but manufactured from a lower costing plastic body, and is being developed to take advantage of the huge customer base China Mobile has.
The high cost of the iPhone 5 in the country is believed to be the reason that demand for the device has fallen away, but a cheaper alternative would dramatically address this. The earlier rumours about the iPhone Math are being claimed by sources to be a mistranslation of an iPhone+, but a new model is supposed to be in the early stages of building but is not expected for release this year.
It is supposed to feature a 4.7-inch display but it is not known if it will ever see the light of day and be released to the public. There is again talk of a new iPad mini model that is also planned for a release in October, which will be basically the same except featuring a Retina Display. Source: iLounge.
Do you think these rumours will prove accurate?

BlackBerry 10 Tablets incoming

Over the last few months we have heard a great deal about the upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system and the smartphones that will be running on the software, but until now there hasn’t been much said about any tablets that will be coming to the platform. Now though following a RIM press release we can tell you that BlackBerry 10 tablets are incoming to the new platform.

We have heard a lot about the upcoming Z10 smartphone with a possible release touted as February 28th, as the new platform is tipped to spell a new beginning for the company and in turn improve its fortunes for the better. Now RIM has said they will release an ad during the upcoming Super Bowl on February 3rd just a few days after the January 30th launch event.
The press release states the ad will showcase the company’s “new mobile computing platform that will power the next generation of smartphones and tablets”. RIM has yet to announce BlackBerry 10 running on tablets, but the new platform does have some similarities to the OS found on the BlackBerry PlayBook.
It is not currently known if RIM will reveal a new tablet during the ad or at the launch event, but this does seem to be conformation that a new BlackBerry tablet that will run on the new platform is on its way.
Some of the new features that the software will use include a software keyboard that has an auto complete feature, and will also have an all new camera application. The amount of applications the company will have available on offer is growing all the time with thousands of apps submitted to the platforms app store.
Hopefully at the launch event in a few days time the company will unveil any new tablets it has for the platform, along with those all important release dates and pricing. Will you be considering a BlackBerry 10 device this year?

iPad Archos Design Bluetooth keyboard with kickstand

The Apple iPad is a lovely tablet and works well for all activities; great for searching the Internet, gaming and many other things are superb with the offerings of so many apps in the App Store to fit all lifestyles. The onboard touchscreen keyboard is brilliant as well but can never be good as a physical keyboard, we have the Apple iPad keyboard dock as well as Bluetooth ones that work very well indeed, and now we would like to bring your attention to the new Archos Design Bluetooth Keyboard for the iPad.

Archos is now selling the new Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad that is only 0.2-inch thin that fits from the iPad 2 to the latest model not long released, this new product is based on the highly popular Archos Gen10 tablet coverboard and is the thinnest on the market.
The new Archos Design Bluetooth magnetic Keyboard for iPad comes fitted with a kickstand and as said at 0.2-inches aka 5mm it is very thin indeed and looks stylish to say the least, the kickstand itself is highly adjustable to fit your viewing pleasure and will have a low price tag of £49 MSRP that will be available in March this year.

This keyboard is as thin as the smart cover for the iPad, and we love the fact it comes with a magnetic bonding to house the iPad securely. Other features include the automatic screen switch on/off Function, which basically means the iPad will turn on and off when you attach or remove the iPad from the keyboard, the keyboard also has a aluminum back casing that fits nicely with the iPad styling.
For more information and photos please visit Archos.

Weird iPhone cup holder, UpperCup case is just stupid

We love the world of weird and wonderful iPhone accessories but they should at least be something that is of use, say hello to the new product called “UpperCup”. UpperCup is a weird iPhone cup holder that has a built-in case for the iPhone to sit in whilst housing your cup of tea or coffee, and personally we think this is funny but also stupid and cannot see it catching on.

It just gets stranger by the minute, we thought we seen it all when we saw the Ramen Soup Bowl – The UpperCup iPhone cup holder is a Indiegogo project that has a $25,000 goal, once this is reached then the Natwerk marketing company based in Amsterdam can go ahead and put it into production, the project has 35 days left running and so far has only raised $765, to be honest it would have been higher if it was a useful product. Ok the thought of holding your cup of coffee whilst still having the ability to text etc on your iPhone at the same time is a nifty idea, but we would not be seen using this in public (Sorry Guys).
Think about this for a minute, you put your nice shiny expensive iPhone in the case, then you slip your nice hot coffee or tea in the built-in cup holder and for some unknown reason you slip or get bumped and the whole thing drops out of your hand, what do you think will happen to your iPhone? It will not get damaged by way of bumps, drops etc, but it will get soaked with a nice hot drink.
Would you donate to the project to see the UpperCup on the market? Texting and having a coffee, come on most people use one finger when texting or calling someone. Please watch the video below and then let us know what you think of the iPhone cup holder called the UpperCup?

Nexus 4 further disappointment for US but there’s a twist

If you’re a US reader and still trying to get your hands on the Google Nexus 4 by LG then you’ll no doubt already know how problematic that has been. We’ve been following this dismal saga of supplies not anywhere near meeting demand and then two days ago brought some much better news. The Nexus 4 was back in stock at T-Mobile although we did caution we didn’t know for how long. Now, only two days later we have the gloomy news it is already sold out again, or is it?

We’ve posted many times about the lack of supplies of the Nexus 4 worldwide so don’t want to bore you with every detail again. In a nutshell it was available through the Google Play Store but ever since its release it sold out almost instantly whenever it became available, and that wasn’t very often. In different countries there are various avenues for purchasing the Nexus 4 without using Google Play but the unlocked version works out much more expensive this way. In the US the only other route for obtaining the Nexus 4 is through T-Mobile but the same problems with lack of stock have also plagued this major US carrier.
However there was recently good news when T-Mobile announced that more stocks of the Nexus 4 would be available in stores and online from January 23 and on January 24 we let readers know that true to word, T-Mobile now had available stock for online orders, even though Google Play still had the device listed as sold out. Of course we had hoped that there would be adequate supplies for the demand but urged readers to be quick if they wanted to order one and now sadly we have learned that T-Mobile stocks have been snapped up and once again those after the Nexus 4 are out of luck, although of course you may be lucky enough to find the odd one still in-store. Hang on though as there’s a twist.
Business Insider reports that the Nexus 4 actually sold out again at T-Mobile online just one day after it went back on sale, hours after we told readers we had checked and it was still listed as available. We have checked and found many reports of the phone selling out at T-Mobile again although we now have a glimmer of hope. When we checked T-Mobile moments ago we found the out of stock notice had once again been removed so it now seems like if you try again now you may be lucky after all. To back this up Android Community also informed that the phone had sold out again through T-Mobile online again and an update now states that although it sold out again quickly, it now looks as though inventory has returned.
It seems that from day-to-day and even hour-to-hour this situation is changing so we cannot tell you at the specific time you’re reading this whether online stocks are available or not. If you hurry you may be lucky though so check at T-Mobile here.
We’d be interested to hear from anyone who managed to get the phone through T-Mobile recently, especially those who ordered online. Are you one of the fortunate ones? Maybe you were one of those who tried but once more to no avail? Let us know with your comments.

Droid DNA Jelly Bean ROM, meet Super Charged Hatka

We know there are many people who enjoy customizing their smartphones with the use of custom ROMs and today we have details for those who own an HTC Droid DNA. A Droid DNA Jelly Bean custom ROM dubbed Super Charged Hatka has just become available and will bring you the benefits of Android JB 4.1.1 plus the much-admired PhotoSphere feature of Jelly Bean 4.2 whilst also offering a stock vanilla theme.

This Super Charged Hatka custom ROM for the Droid DNA manages to get rid of the WiFi status bar notification that was a permanent fixture, as well as the NFC icon, and as for bloatware, it’s all gone. Just some of the things it offers are the stock Jelly Bean dialer, HTC Flashlight, Busybox, contacts app and more. Other features listed for this ROM include build prop tweaks for “Insane battery and speed,” semi-transparent status bar, centered clock in the status bar, and of course the great addition of Photosphere.
There are loads more benefits and also some fixes so if you have a Droid DNA you may be really tempted to this ROM. The ROM comes from MustafaHadaKing and can be found at XDA Developers here where you’ll find full details of the features and step-by-step installation instructions.
At this point we’ll give you our usual caution and say that at Phones Review we never recommend the use of custom ROMS or tampering with your smartphone and if you choose to do so and something goes wrong it is entirely your own responsibility. However we do know that many of our readers enjoy this side of owning a smartphone and so like to bring you details of some of the ROMs available.
Just remember if you choose to use the Super Charged Hatka ROM to make a backup before flashing. We’d like to hear from Droid DNA readers about this ROM. Are you considering installing this ROM on your phone? If you use the ROM or have already done so, share your thoughts on it by sending us your comments.

BlackBerry Z10 unlocked price leaked on internal database

We’re getting very close to the January 30 event where BlackBerry 10 and the first devices running the new operating system are finally unveiled to the world. The BlackBerry Z10 will be the first smartphone to release running on BB10 and looks pretty impressive from the images and leaked specs that we’ve seen already. Today though we have heard our first news about the BlackBerry Z10 price.

A lot of information has already come out prior to the big media event and we’ve been pretty excited with what we’ve heard so far. Although several months ago we were doubtful that RIM could turn things around and thought that the company was relying too much on BB10 to succeed, in the last few weeks what we’ve learned about BB10 and the Z10 has sounded more and more promising. We’ve already posted some initial details and images, news that it looks as though the Z10 will come to Verizon in the US, photo tests, video tests and much more but so far we hadn’t heard any mention of price.
However now a leaked internal database from Carphone Warehouse in the UK has revealed a price of £480 for the unlocked BlackBerry Z10, as reported by Engadget. It also shows that this is for a white variant of the phone with a model number BLAZ10WHI, which ties up with previous leaks. The £480 price tag converts for the US to around $760 although prices are often vary region by region. Of course we have to point out that this price cannot be confirmed but often these slips that come out before a device becomes official do turn out to be accurate.
At any rate it’s only four more days now until the BlackBerry 10 event where we hope to hear further details. As far as a release date for the BlackBerry Z10 goes we’ve heard rumors of February 28 via a leaked inventory from Best Buy in Canada. We’ve also told about a T-Mobile US roadmap that shows the Z10 with a launch date of March 27 but just like the price leaks we cannot confirm these dates just yet.
We’ll be following all the news from the BB10 event on January 30 so be sure to check back with us for much more on the new operating system, the Z10 smartphone and hopefully other devices too. Are you waiting eagerly to hear more about BB10 or the Z10 phone? Maybe you thought BlackBerry was past its best but do you think BB10 can revive the platform? Let us have your comments about this.