Mobile Devices - Page 159

We have been hearing rumors of a low-cost iPhone for almost six months now and today it appears those rumors may just hold more weight than we originally thought. Images of the low-cost iPhone have surfaced on a Chinese social networking site.

If legitimate, the images show off a device that looks very similar to the iPhone 3G with a round, very smooth plastic back. This would make a lot of sense as Apple already has the tooling, molds, and most of the design on hand. All they would need to do is update the hardware, which would result in massive savings that they can then pass along to the customer.

Keep in mind that rumors are just that and this new leak looks much different than the leaked shell we saw two months ago. However, this new image does appear to show the device using Apple's new smaller connector so that adds some weight to the rumor. TweakTown wants to know what you think about the idea of a new low-cost iPhone. Is there simply no market for such a device with so many good Android phones being available at a low price? Let us know in the comments!

Motorola's CEO, Dennis Woodside, has confirmed that the rumored X Phone is real. He adds that the device will be made right here in the United States. The device will be Motorola's flagship device and is called the Moto X. It will make use of an OLED screen.

The device will be built-in Texas in a 480,000-square-foot facility currently making Nokia devices. Woodside cheerfully announced that the Moto X will be the first smartphone to be built-in the United States. He added that breakability and battery life are two main focuses for the device.

Woodside had the phone in his pocket while doing the interview, but refused to show it. Android's Sundar Pinchai has seen the device, but Woodside said that Motorola is the same as any Android vendor. "We're hiring out of Google, but once you come to Motorola you give up your Google badge. It really is separate."

HTC are up and down right now, as the company have been bleeding employees for a while, but have seen a horizon of success with their One smartphone. But if DigiTimes' article is correct, maybe we could see HTC turn things around with a new smartphone made from amorphous metal alloy.

The 'Liquidmetal' smartphone would debut later in the year, and will see HTC partner up with Taiwanese chassis maker Jabon International to help manufacture the device. If HTC can make it to the market with their Liquidmetal smartphone, it could light a fire under Apple who were interested in using Liquidmetal for future iPhone's. HTC have reportedly started hiring chassis manufacturing experts to help incorporate the technology into future products.

Last year it was reported that Apple would switch from their reliance on their biggest competitor, Samsung, for their displays and shift to others like LG Display or AU Optronics. Well folks, it seems that Apple is considering new contracts with Samsung for displays in the future.

Korean site ETNews.com is reporting that Apple would resume purchasing LCD's from Samsung Display, as the South Korean giant are better equipped to keep up with Apple's high demand:

It's an interesting twist of events, as it falls in line with Apple preparing their fifth-generation iPad, and sixth-generation iPhone. The latest reports peg Apple to start production of the new iPhone next month, with the fifth-generation iPad to begin production the month after, in July.

A May 27th filing at Bluetooth SIG has pulled back the wool a little further on the upcoming Nexus 7 refresh. The ASUS built "7" has been given the model number ME370T and should feature a new high resolution screen.

The refreshed Nexus 7 is said to be getting a Full HD 1920x180 7-inch LTPS display and will run a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core chipset. While the new display will be a nice feature, the device is listed as running the JWR11 firmware, which is highly speculated to be Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Reports say that tablet suppliers are hinting at a July release, but no pricing information or further specifications on features like cameras, internal storage, storage slots, battery ratings or accessories have been leaked thus far. The new display would make it the first 7-inch class tablet to feature a true full HD display.

Looking to get an iPad but don't want to pay full retail price? Check out Apple's refurbished store. In fact, just today, Apple lowered the prices on its refurbished iPads to that almost every model is now at a 15 percent discount compared to a brand-new model.

The changes, as noted by MacRumors, are as follows for the iPad mini:

For the fourth-generation iPad, changes are as follows:

After selling more than 10 million units in less than 30 days, Samsung is releasing its flagship, the Galaxy S4 in several new colors, including Blue Arctic, Red Aurora, Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn. This morning we are learning that AT&T will have exclusive rights to the Red Aurora version as it did with the burgundy version of the Galaxy S3.

These new colored models feature all of the same hardware and the existing Galaxy S4 models, and it is unknown at this time as to which carriers will be getting the remaining three colors. AT&T has opened up pre-orders for the Red Aurora model and will begin shipping on June 14th.

The exclusive Red Aurora model will run you $199.99, which is the same price as existing Galaxy S4 models at AT&T, and at the moment, only the 16GB version will get the new color treatment. Personally I prefer a black smartphone, but I will admit that the brushed aluminum look of the HTC One is beginning to grow on me.

Some ex-Nokia staffers have created a company called Jolla, who have just unveiled their first smartphone designed to run an OS called Sailfish. Sailfish is a Meego-inspired OS, with Jolla believing that their self-titled mobile phone will be one of the hot new mid- to high-end smartphones.

Jolla will feature a 4.5-inch Estrada display, a dual-core processor which we don't know of yet, 16GB of internal flash storage, microSD for expandable storage, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. On the front we have a front-facing camera of course, and 4G LTE support in some countries. Jolla will feature no buttons on the front whatsoever, and will arrive with a two-tone removable back shell that the company calls The Other Half.

The Jolla is available for pre-order, with pre-order customers to receive a voucher worth 100 euros that will be taken off of the totla price of the phone once it ships. Jolla will go on sale in Q4 for around $513 (399 euros) and will drop in Europe before jumping over to other countries.

After just one month of being on the market, Samsung has announced that it will sell its 10 millionth Galaxy S4 sometime next week. While that may not sound very impressive, consider that it took Samsung almost double that time to sell 10 million Galaxy S3 devices after launch.

Going even further back, five months passed before 10 million Galaxy S2 smartphones were sold. Like it or not, Samsung is the new Apple, albeit with less overpriced hardware and more feature rich smartphones. Industry analysts say that Samsung managed to capture 95 percent of the $5.3 billion in profit that Android generated market wide in the first quarter of 2013.

Samsung earns more off of Android than Google does, and while you may think that would shake Google to the core, it has done quite the opposite. Google could not be more happy, and to prove this point, we saw the search giant unveil its own version of the Galaxy S4 during the Google I/O keynote earlier this week.

The folks over at Analogix were kind enough to send me over to Shanghai, China to attend its SlimPort Summit 2013 here at the lovely Marriott City Center hotel. You've got the brief introduction, now let's dig in deep for a bit and talk about SlimPort.

If you don't like reading, hit play on the embedded video above. What is SlimPort? Today at the event I heard a few different variations to the definition of SlimPort. I'd like to explain it in my own words. SlimPort is a technology standard that is use to easily get more out of your smart device and connect it up with one simple cable to a larger, secondary display via VGA, HDMI or DisplayPort.

Analogix is the company responsible for creating SlimPort and the company is one that is a semiconductor and has its roots in display and digital media. One of its biggest projects right now is SlimPort, a relatively new standard that has already had quite a lot of success in the market. You can already find SlimPort technology in popular devices including the Google Nexus 4 smartphone, LG Optimus G Pro smartphone, Fujitsu Stylistic QH582 Windows 8 tablet and the ASUS PadFone Infinity Android tablet. Analogix is working hard currently on securing more design wins, and while I didn't hear any specific brands or models, I'm told to expect more in the next 2 or 3 weeks, and more throughout the year. Analogix are working hard to cement SlimPort as a standard, cable and connector for many years to come.

According to PayPal's chief information security officer, the upcoming iPhone 5S will feature an integrated fingerprint scanner. This isn't the first time we've heard this rumor, but it's the first time it has come from a decently credible source.

While it remains to be seen if this will come true, Apple recently purchased AuthenTec, a company that specializes in mobile and network security. Combine that with various other pieces of data and it starts looking like the iPhone 5S will come with a scanner. However, it's a decent idea to remain somewhat skeptical for at least a while longer.

Microsoft has issued patches for both of its existing Surface tablet lines as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday. The patches aim to boost wireless performance, enable PXE boot, and various other stability concerns. The updates continue Microsoft's current trend of releasing monthly updates for the Surface tablets.

The Surface Pro is receiving the following updates and fixes:

The Surface RT is receiving the following updates and fixes:

Nokia made the Lumia 925 official today at an event in London. The Lumia 925 is an updated Lumia 920 and is one of Nokia's first devices to feature an aluminum shell. This is a marked improvement in durability and tangible feel. Aluminum makes the device feel so much more like a premium device.

The screen is a 4.5-inch AMOLED display capable of a 1,280x768 resolution. It's covered in Gorilla Glass 2 to protect from scratches. The camera is 8.7MP, as rumors suggested it would be, and is of the OIS variety. While the Lumia 925 doesn't come with a Xenon flash, it does feature software enhancements ssuch as Smart Cam, Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus.

The CPU is a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 clocked at 1.5GHz. This is the same CPU that was used in the older Lumia 920. It's coupled with 1GB of RAM and a 2,000mAh battery, both of which remain the same as the Lumia 920. The new device is thinner than the older Lumia 920, but lacks the wireless charging capabilities of the older device.

We've been hearing that Samsung plans to release several variants of the popular Galaxy S4. One of the main variants that keeps popping up is the Galaxy S4 Mini, a smaller version of the S4 that is easier on the pockets and wallet. According to documents from Samsung and Korea Investment & Securities, the S4 Mini will be released in the next few weeks.

According to the documents, the S4 Mini will feature a 1.6GHz dual-core Exynos 5210 coupled with 1GB of RAM for 3G devices and 2GB of RAM for LTE devices. It will feature 32GB of internal storage, Android 4.0, and a 4.3-inch qHD(540x960) Super AMOLED screen. The camera is said to be an 8MP sensor and battery capacity is pegged at 2,100mAh.

For now, this remains a rumor as nothing official has been confirmed. As with all rumors, take this with a grain of salt. However, the details look to be about right for the S4 Mini.

The tiny magnets inside of the iPad are capable of turning off implanted defibrillators if the iPad is left on the chest, something that was discovered by a fourteen-year-old.

This isn't a problem for most, and even those with pacemakers, but if you were using your iPad in bed and had a pacemaker, and fell asleep - well, ther could be a serious issue. Gianna Chen discovered the problem as part of a science fair project that didn't win first place, instead, she'll be presenting her findings to 8,000 doctors at a meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society in Denver. Bloomberg reported the news, adding:

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities has come out and said that Google will unveil a next-generation Nexus 7 tablet at Google I/O next week. The analyst also reveals some potential, and quite surprising specs on the device.

The Nexus 7 will still reportedly be made by ASUS, and will feature:

The best bit that we have here is the price - just $199. If Google can achieve this price, it'll completely kill the iPad mini in virtually all aspects.

How much does the new flagship Galaxy S4 from Samsung cost to build? According to research firm IHS, just $237. This could be because most of the components sourced for the S4 are from Samsung themselves.

IHS analyst Vincent Leung said: "Samsung's strength is this ability to in-source to itself. They just keep adding to the list of components that they can supply to themselves". The international version of the Galaxy S4, the one that features the eight-core Exynos 5 Octa SoC, costs just $28 per chip. The US version, which features the Qualcomm-made Snapdragon processor, has an estimated cost of $20.

There are at least four versions of the Galaxy S4 being made, with two versions headed to the United States. The two US-bound versions feature a Fujitsu image processor that adds $1.50 to the cost of the phone, with the Korean version having its image processing handled by the on-board Exynos processor. The display and touchscreen are made by Samsung and cost $75, while the 32GB of on-board flash memory costs $28.

We reported leaked pictures of the Huawei P6-U06 yesterday and since then, more pictures have been posted to the web. The latest pictures show off a sleek device clad in brushed aluminium. The device continues to be as thin as the specs suggest, coming in at a mere 6.18mm.

The device is said to have a 1.5GHz quad-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. We expect it to feature Emotion UI 1.6 on top of Android, though the specific Android version is unknown. A Huawei launch event has been scheduled for June 18 in London and it's quite likely the P6-U06 will be shown off in all of its glory.

Android is beginning to take off in a big way. It seems like every month we see a new manufacturer step into the ring with a powerful Android based offering, and this month is no different. This morning Vivo announced a new smartphone dubbed Xplay, and boy does it pack a punch.

The Vivo Xplay is a high-end Android smartphone that features a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm S600 Snapdragon processor alongside 2GB of RAM and a 3400mAh battery. The display is a 5.7-inch class full 1080p display, and storage is set at either 16GB and 32GB based on phone model.

A 13MP rear camera combined with a 5MP front facing unit handles the imaging duties, while the audio system gets a boost from the addition of an extra audio chip. NFC, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 handle the connectivity with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will be served up as the OS. At the moment, the phone is only slated for China, and should retail at 2,990, which is just below $490 for the 16GB model.

Earlier today, Acer's upcoming, yet still unannounced, W3-810 tablet popped up on Amazon. It was then pulled down in short order, but not before pictures, specifications, and pricing information was grabbed. The W3-810 was originally seen in a leak that took place last month.

The W3-810 will set back potential buyers a total of $379.99 and is powered by a 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor. The 8.1-inch tablet runs Windows 8 and has a screen resolution of 1280x800. The device features 2GB of RAM, which should be enough to keep up with the slightly under powered Atom processor.

The device was listed with 32GB of storage, a 2MP front and rear camera, one micro USB 2.0 port, and one micro-HDMI port. Amazon listed the weight at 1. 1 pounds and battery life as 8 hours.