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Get your daily of salts ready, the Internet is quoting anonymous sources for cheaper, colourful and bigger Apple iPhones again. No, seriously, the cheaper iPhone especially has been a long time coming, right since the iPhone 4S, but it didn't materialize because it never made business sense for Apple. But we are now seeing Apple lose its dominance and coolness, with the latest iOS 7 re-haul being the latest effort to being cool again. Apple also knows that there is a huge demand for big screened phones, popularized by Samsung and colours, popularized by Nokia.
And if the sources of Reuters are to be believed, which is quite questionable considering their track record, Apple is planning to launch bigger 4.7 inch and 5.7 inch phones with colours as options, and also is pitching a ridiculously low $99 price point for its cheaper iPhone model. We would rather take this with a good amount of salt, because one, Apple is not a company usually known to succumb to demand, but we did see them releasing a slightly bigger iPhone with the iPhone 5, but will they go even further and increase the next iteration screen size to 4.7 inches, or even 5.7 ...
Samsung is prepping for a Galaxy Note tablet with a 12.2-inch (2560×1600 pixels) display, according to a recent report from Korean website ET News. It adds that Samsung Display and Sharp will supply about 2.5 million 12.2-inch panels equipped with IGZO (Indum-Gallium Zinc Oxide) technology to Samsung Electronics for the device. The tablet is also expected to come with the S Pen stylus that usually come with the Galaxy Note 10.1. We don't have the complete specifications of the tablet yet.
The website says that this would target the 12-inch iPad rumored to launch early next year. It aims to sell 12 million units of the 12.2 inch tablet per quarter. The company unveiled the Galaxy Note 10.1 last year and the Galaxy Note 8.0 earlier this year. Specifications of the Galaxy Tab Duos 7.0, Galaxy Tab 8.0 and the Galaxy Tab 11 surfaced few months back.
Source: ET News | Via: SammyHub
If rumors are to be believed then HTC is all set to introduce a smaller and cheaper variant of its popular flagship, the HTC One. The Taiwanese company posted its highest sales in almost an year owing to strong demand for the HTC One. To compete with the likes of Samsung, HTC plans to introduce a more affordable mid range variant of its handset. While the design is believed to be very similar to the One, the One Mini will pack a smaller 4.3" screen and is expected to include a less powerful processor. That said, it is believed that the handset will have the same Ultrapixel camera that has been highly praised in most reviews for its low light capabilities. HTC's front facing BoomSound speakers too are expected to make a comeback. We've previously reviewed the HTC One and found it to be an excellent high end device. The Android running smartphone should prove to be quite popular in its mid range avatar.
[Via - Bloomberg]
Samsung has introduced Smart upgrade offer in India that offers Rs. 10,000 discount in exchange for select smartphones. The phone is priced at Rs. 37,500, so it comes to Rs. 27,500 after the exchange. You can also pay the amount in 6 EMI with 0% Interest on select credit cards. Back in April Samsung started offering 15% cash back on purchase of select Galaxy devices using select credit cards. It extended the cash back offer till the 31st of May for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and also announced that the offer is applicable for debit card purchases.
Under this offer you get instant cash back of Rs. 5,000 upon purchase of Galaxy Note 2 from Samsung eStore and the remaining Rs 5,000 (if applicable) will be reimbursed in customer's account upon receipt of customer's old smartphone. The old smartphone would be collected from you location after you receive the Galaxy Note 2. This offer runs from 9th June 2013 to 30th June 2013.
You can check the list of applicable phones and the complete terms and conditions for the Smart upgrade offer from the Samsung eStore.
Source: Samsung India eStore
Google finally announced that they have acquired Waze, the popular crowd-sourced navigation app based in Israel. There were reports that earlier this week about the acquisition for $1.3 billion. These companies did not reveal the price on the deal, but TechCrunch reports that the detal was done for $1.1 billion. Waze has over 50 million users globally and offers real-time traffic and road info submitted by these users.
The product development team of Waze will remain in Israel and operate separately for now. The community, brand, service and organization, the community hierarchy, responsibilities and processes will also remain the same.
Regarding the deal Google said,
We’re excited about the prospect of enhancing Google Maps with some of the traffic update features provided by Waze and enhancing Waze with Google’s search capabilities. We’ll also work closely with the vibrant Waze community, who are the DNA of this app, to ensure they have what’s needed to grow and prosper.
In a blog post, Waze said,
Larry Page, Brian McClendon and the Google Maps teams have been following our progress closely and are excited about what we’ve accomplished. They share our vision of a global mapping service, updated in real time by local communities, and wish to help us accelerate. We are excited ...
Huawei had been teasing the company's upcoming flagship smartphone on their official Facebook page for over a week, now the popular Twitter user evleaks have leaked the specifications of the device. Images of the phone leaked back in May. The device would reportedly come with a 4-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) display, 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera with BSI sensor, 4 cm macro which takes macro shots closer than most of the smartphone cameras, 5-megapixel front-facing camera with face enhance option and a new Emotion UI.
As you can see from the leaked screenshots above, there are different themes that changes the wallpaper and the icons. The phone would be just 6.18mm thick, but Huawei says that even though the phone would be thin, it would not compromise on the battery life The device is also expected to have dual SIM support and come in Black, White and Pink colors.
The Ascend P6 would be unveiled at an event in London on 18th June.
Source: evleaks1,2
Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy S4 zoom, the company's flagship camera phone. It has a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with 10x optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) and Xenon Flash. It has a 4.3 inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (Chip varies based on the market) and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Unlike the Galaxy Camera, you can make calls with this since it has an ear piece. It also comes with LTE support in select markets. This has a Zoom Ring that lets you zoom and offers new features such as In-Call Photo sharing via MMS to the caller with just a twist. It also lets you activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features. The dials from the Galaxy Camera have been replaced by digital controls.
The Photo Suggest instantly connects you to huge libraries of images taken by fellow photographers and directs you to the ideal nearby location. It also has 25 Smart Modes, including the Smart Mode Suggest feature that suggest the best mode based on surrounding factors such as light levels, focal length, or face detection.
Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom Specifications
4.3 inch (960 x 540 pixels) ...
Samsung is rumored to unveil the Galaxy Camera 2, successor of the Galaxy Camera at the June 20th event in London, according to a recent report from a Korean publication Digital Daily. Alleged image taken from the Galaxy Camera 2 surfaced recently that revealed the model number as EK-GN120 and hinted a 20.9-megapixel sensor. The model number of the Galaxy Camera is EK-GC100 and it came with a 17MP camera sensor that is capable of shooting 16.3MP images.
The Samsung NX300 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was unveiled earlier this year at the CES 2013, the Galaxy Camera 2 might have a similar sensor and have 4G LTE and 3G support like its predecessor. We don't have any other details about the device yet.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S4 zoom earlier today, and would showcase it along with the S4 mini and the S4 Active at the Samsung Premier 2013 event next week.
Source: DDaily | Via: SammyHub
BlackBerry India has announced a new offer for American Express Card members buying the BlackBerry Q10. Under this offer customers customers buying the device with their American Express Card(s) will get Rs. 5000 back as an American Express Gift Card. The prepaid American Express Gift Card is accepted at over 100,000 locations in India.
BlackBerry launched the Q10 in India back in India last week at a price tag of Rs. 44,999. This is the company's first BlackBerry 10 smartphone with a 35-key QWERTY hardware keyboard. It has a 3.1-inch (720 x 720 pixels) Super AMOLED capactive touch screen display, powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, packs a 2GB RAM, 16GB of inbuilt memory, supports microSD cards upto 64 GB and a 2100 mAh battery.
This offer is also applicable on online purchases. This offer is valid from June 12th to July 3rd 2013. The company introduced 0% EMI schemes and data offers for Z10 last month. Hope they will announce something for the Q10 in the future.
Gameloft's popular game, N.O.V.A. 3 just went on sale on the Windows Phone platform as a Lumia exclusive. The game that clocks in at 1017 MB requires you to have close to 4GB of storage available before you can install it. Available on iOS and Android as well, it is a typical space themed 3D shooter that allows you to run, shoot, drive vehicles amongst other things.
The game's features include :
• Multiple weapons and powers: Run, shoot, drive vehicles, and pilot a mech to defeat hordes of enemies.
• Join 12-player battles in 7 multiplayer modes (Capture the Point, Free-for-All, Capture the Flag, etc.) on 7 different maps.
• Use Voice Chat to communicate with your friends in real time!
• For the first time, multiple allies can jump inside the same vehicle and spread destruction on the battlefield.N.O.V.A. 3 hits Windows Phone with a full-fledged Xbox LIVE experience to maximize your fun:
• Unlock 20 exclusive new Achievements in both Single Player and Multiplayer modes.
• Invite friends from Gameloft LIVE! to join multiplayer games.
• Are you more elite than your Xbox LIVE friends? Compare your scores on the leaderboard.
The game is now available for download via the Windows Phone Store on Lumia devices. ...
Samsung Galaxy Pocket Neo (GT-S5312) is now available in India from online retailers Flipkart and Snapdeal. It was announced back in April along with the Galaxy Star and was spotted on the official Samsung India website last month. The Galaxy Star was officially launched in India last month. It has a 3-inch (320 x 240 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 850 MHz processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 2-megapixel rear camera and comes with Dual SIM support with Dual SIM Always ON that lets you receive calls on one SIM even when you are using the other one.
Samsung Galaxy Pocket Neo (GT-S5312) specifications
3.0-inch ( 320 × 240 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
850 MHz processor
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
2 MP camera
Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
3G HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with RDS and Recording
512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32 GB with micro SD
1200 mAh battery
The Galaxy Pocket Neo comes in Blue, Grey and White colors and is priced at Rs. 6990.
Source: Flipkart, Snapdeal
Samsung has released a new video that tests the reliability of the device in several tests such as Dropping Test, Tumble test, Impact test, Sink Test, Temperature & Humidity Test. We had already seen several videos of Nokia phones undergoing such tests, but this is the first time Samsung is releasing a reliability test video for their flagship smartphone. Want to find how reliable the S4 is? Check out the official Galaxy S4 reliability test video.
httpv://youtu.be/K4f9gQ7b6Gg
The consecutive drop test involves dropping the Galaxy S4 hundreds of time on a hard metal floor. The free-fall test involves dropping the device from a certain height. In the tumble test the Galaxy S4 is rolled inside a box. In the impact test the Galaxy S4's glass must hold up to the impact of a dropped metal ball from a considerable height.
An active Galaxy S4 is submerged in water for the Sink Test to test the functionality.
The heat & humidity test involves placing the device in a controlled environment with extremely high temperatures and humidity for five days. In addition, there are static tests such as dust inflow test and lots more tests that are not shown here, says Samsung. If the device works both externally and functionally after all these ...
Sony Mobile has started sending press invite in France for an event on July 4th. Last week the company had announced an event in Germany on June 25th. The translation reads "Sony Mobile reserves a big surprise for you" and "Do not forget to mark your calendars!" part is shown written using a stylus. Looks like it might come with a stylus. It also shows the side part of the device which is pretty sleek with a new power button similar to the latest Xperia devices, 3.5mm audio jack, volume rocker and a dedicated camera button.
This might be the rumored Sony Togari or Xperia Z Ultra. According to the previous leaks, the device is expected to come with a 6.4-inch 1080p Triluminos with X-Reality for Mobile display, Android 4.2 OS, 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, microSD memory card slot, 8MP camera with LED flash and 2.2MP front-facing camera. It is expected to have a thin 6.5mm body and weigh 212 grams.
Details about the battery capacity is not available yet, we will get to know when Sony unveils the device in few weeks.
Via: Xperiablog.net
Get your daily of salts ready, the Internet is quoting anonymous sources for cheaper, colourful and bigger Apple iPhones again. No, seriously, the cheaper iPhone especially has been a long time coming, right since the iPhone 4S, but it didn't materialize because it never made business sense for Apple. But we are now seeing Apple lose its dominance and coolness, with the latest iOS 7 re-haul being the latest effort to being cool again. Apple also knows that there is a huge demand for big screened phones, popularized by Samsung and colours, popularized by Nokia.
And if the sources of Reuters are to be believed, which is quite questionable considering their track record, Apple is planning to launch bigger 4.7 inch and 5.7 inch phones with colours as options, and also is pitching a ridiculously low $99 price point for its cheaper iPhone model. We would rather take this with a good amount of salt, because one, Apple is not a company usually known to succumb to demand, but we did see them releasing a slightly bigger iPhone with the iPhone 5, but will they go even further and increase the next iteration screen size to 4.7 inches, or even 5.7 ...
Specifications of the HTC One mini (M4) surfaced first in February earlier this year. Press image of the device surfaced back in May along with the rumored specs. It was caught on camera earlier this month that showed the chin and the bottom part of the device, now the whole front part of the device have been revealed in an image from Engadget. It confirms that the device is indeed the M4 and would come with a 4.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display and powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor.
This would come with a metallic body, Beats Audio, BoomSound similar to the HTC One. The device pictured runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Sense UI and BlinkFeed on board, but this might change at the launch.
The report did not confirm the UltraPixel camera but it confirms the full HD video recording and HTC Zoe image capture. Earlier this week Bloomberg confirmed that the device will go on sale by August, this report says it is expected sometime in Q3.
Source: Engadget
Earlier this week HTC announced that they are planning to launch the Butterfly S in Taiwan on June 19th. Now the images of the Butterfly S has surfaced from a Chinese website VR-Zone. This reveals a simlar HTC Butterfly Design, but this one has dual front-facing stereo speakers similar to the HTC One and the Desire 600 with BoomSound. According to earlier rumors the Butterfly S is likely to come with 5-icnh 1080p full HD display, Android Jelly Bean OS with Sense 5, Ultrapixel camera and features like HTC Zoe and Blinkfeed.
It is also expected to come with a faster Snapdragon 600 processor and a micro SD card slot. The back of the phone has similar camera and flash placement, HTC branding and a Beats audio logo. We have to wait till next week to find out more about the device.
On a related note, Focus Taiwan reports that HTC is planning to release the Butterfly 2 in the fourth quarter of 2013. Details about the Butterfly 2 is not available yet, hope we can expect a larger display and a faster processor.
Source: VR-Zone | Via: Android Beat
Google has released Cloud Print app for Android. This lets you send a picture or a document from your Android device to a cloud print-connected printer. You can also track the status of your print jobs from the app easily. Google Chrome for iPhone and iPad were updated recently with Cloud Print features. Google Print is already available for Chrome for Android, Google Drive for Android, Gmail Mobile app.
Features of Google Cloud Print for Android
Print from any compatible Android device to any Google Cloud Print connected printer
Share a picture or a document from apps like Gallery directly to Cloud Print
Track the status of your print jobs
You need to setup Cloud Print feature that uses Chrome browser on your PC. It takes few seconds to set it up and print from your Android device. You can read more about the procedure to set Cloud Print here. Download Google Cloud Print Beta from the Google Play Store for free.
Google has updated the official Blogger app to version 2.0.41 that brings support for Android tablets finally. The Blogger Android app was released back in February 2011. The app had seen several changes since the launch, but it took more than 2 years for Google to bring the tablet support. This update also brings improved compose screen with WYSIWYG editor for existing posts that was introduced for the iOS app in version 2.1.7.1. Blogger for iOS got iPad support back in November last year.
The blogger app lets you compose a post, draft it or immediately publish, switch account/blog if you have more than one, embed an image from the gallery, or take an image, add location information and lots more. This update also includes performance improvements and minor bug fixes.
Download Blogger for Android from the Google Play Store for free, if you don't have it yet.
Google has pushed out an update for its gesture search application for Android. The application that is available on phones and tablets is now compatible with a larger range of languages. Google's gesture search application provides quick access to oft used applications, contacts, music, settings and bookmarks by allowing users to draw characters on the screen.
The application recognizes 40 languages and can handle transliterations as well and this will be appreciated for those entering characters in China. The application should come in handy to facilitate quick usage on phones. The application received tablet support last year and was initially introduced as a Google Labs project in 2010. Go ahead and give the latest version a spin and let us know if you like it. Follow the source link to download the app.
[Source - Play Store]
Nokia has sent out invites to some media outlets inlcuding Pocket-Lint for an event in New York on July 11th with the tagline "Zoom Reinvented". It is almost certain from the invite that Nokia will launch a camera centric phone. Nokia has already said that it is bringing the Lumia 925 to the US on T-Mobile during the London launch event so it is certainly not got anything to do with the Lumia 925. Could we finally have the true successor to the PureView 808 in the form of the Nokia device codenamed EOS running Windows Phone ? We have seen some recent leaks of that device.
Below is a leaked image from ViziLeaks about the Nokia EOS. May be that camera you see there features some really crazy zoom going by the official invite.
Stay tuned to FoneArena if you are looking forward to this hi-zoom camera phone from Nokia. We are definitely looking forward to July 11th.
Samsung's JK Shin today hinted that the company might be ready to announce an Android powered mirrorless camera soon and right on cue, press images have turned up for the device. The images that first shower up on a Vietnamese gadget site depict the Galaxy NX which has interchangeable lenses and an Android device tacked on at the back.
The device can be seen with a mirrorless mount compatible with a range of NX lenses. From the few images that have turned up, it seems that the camera is fairly bereft of physical controls and will likely make heavy use of that large touchscreen on the rear of the device. Buttons would be limited to a shutter release, video capture button, top-mounted dial and a pop-up flash. Internally you'll find a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor with ISO range that goes up to 25,600. The camera can also shoot video in up to 1080p resolution. The differentiating factor here is of course the Android 4.2.2 running unit at the back of the camera. This should allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of quick post processing and sending off them to multiple destinations conveniently using Android's robust sharing capabilities.
[Via - Tin ...
