Samsung Z1 leaks in live photos, launch date confirmed

The Samsung Z1 Tizen-based smartphone leaked almost a week ago with details regarding the phone's availability and specs. A new set of live photos of the phone showed up today however, further giving us reason to believe Samsung won't back out of the Z1's release.

The phone is a typical low-end budget device with a 4" display of 800x480 pixel resolution and a still unspecified dual-core 1.2GHz CPU with 768MB RAM. Internal storage is 4GB, expandable via the on-board microSD card slot and under the back cover lies a 1,500mAh batter.

The Z1 will have dual-SIM card slots and feature 3G, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM radio. Samsung has equipped it with two modest cameras - a 3MP at the back with LED flash and a 0.3MP at the front.

The company aims at January 18 for the phone's launch with India being the first country to welcome the device. Later, the Samsung Z1 will arrive in China and South Korea. Pricing is likely to be under $90.

Kodak will unveil a range of Android devices at CES

Kodak will unveil a range of mobile devices with Android OS. The first smartphone from the new product family will be unveiled in less than two weeks, during CES in Las Vegas.

 

Kodak’s family of smartphones and tablets will be aimed at customers looking for high-end, yet simple user experience. There is no word on specs just yet - all we know is that the devices “will come pre-loaded with bespoke image capture, management and sharing features to offer a rich user experience.”

Xiaomi Mi 3 to make a return to India

The Xiaomi Mi 3 was a runaway success during its short stay in India earlier this year. The smartphone batches were selling out in seconds with thousands of people never managing to get the unit they wanted. That's why when the company announced that it will be stopping the sales of the former flagship and replacing it with the Redmi 1S it caused quite a lot of discontent.
There's a silver lining to this cloud though - Xiaomi has reevaluated its decision and decided to bring the Mi 3 back to India. During an event in Bengaluru, a Xiaomi spokesperson confirmed that the smartphone will be back in stock in time for the Diwali festival (Thursday, October 23).

There were no specifics mentioned about the pricing and availability channels, but there will likely be no changes there. This means that Xiaomi will probably stick to Flipkart as its partner and sell the Mi 3 for INR 13,999 (roughly $230). We are just hoping the Chinese manufacturer brings enough units this time so they last for more than a few seconds.

Alleged Motorola Nexus 6 appears in a live photo next to the LG G3

The Motorola Shamu, believed to be the upcoming Nexus 6 smarptohne, is starring in a live photo with the LG G3. The phone looks substantially larger than the G3, which carries a 5.5" display. This lends further credence to rumors that the Shamu is going to feature a display in the 6" ballpark.

The photo clearly shows that the Shamu features a soft-touch plastic back and keeps the metal frame from the Moto X (2014). This is clearly an indication that Google likes to keep the soft touch back that made a debut on the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 (2014).
In terms of specifications, the rumor mill suggests the Nexus 6 by Motorola is going to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in memory. The screen is said to have a 5.92" diagonal and QHD resolution for a pixel density of 498ppi. At the back, the camera is reported to have a 13MP sensor, LED flash and 4K video recording skills.
The battery of the Shamu is allegedly a 3,200mAh unit. As with all recent Nexus smartphones, don't expect a microSD card slot. The Shamu should be unveiled at Google's Android L release event and will run it out of the box.

Google tipped to require more of its apps on Android devices

According to a report in The Information, Google will require more of its apps to be preloaded on Android devices. Confidential contracts obtained by the media have revealed the upcoming change.

Allegedly, Google will require up to 20 of its apps preloaded going forward. Currently, the number hovers below 10.
Additionally, the search giant will require the apps to be prominently displayed on a device’s homescreen. The list of manufacturers in Google’s contracts includes the likes of Samsung, HTC, and Huawei among others.
The shift in Google’s policy towards its own Android apps is reportedly related to the ever-increasing importance of the OS as an income generator. Google’s apps and services have become a key contributor to its bottom line.

Snapdragon 210 with quad-core CPU and LTE goes official

Today Qualcomm announced its next generation affordable chipset - Snapdragon 210. Its key upgrades over the existing Snapdragon 200 include better Adreno 304 GPU, 1080p video capture and playback support, and LTE Cat.4 connectivity.

These are the new Snapdragon 210 key specifications:

• Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor up to 1.1 GHz
• Adreno 304 GPU with support of 720p displays
• 8MP camera support
• 1080p video recording and playback
• LTE Cat.4 connectivity
• LTE dual-SIM support
• Quick Charge 2.0 support (up to 75% faster charging)

Qualcomm expects the new entry-level Snapdragon 210 chipset to become available in various affordable smartphones in the first half of 2015. The manufacturer hopes its latest design will enable the creation of the first LTE-A sub-$100 smartphones.

Android in August: KitKat runs on a quarter of all devices

Google released its Android distribution report for the month of August. Unsurprisingly, Android 4.4 KitKat continues its march towards larger market share – it now runs on almost a quarter of all devices out there (24.5% to be precise).

The gain of Android 4.4 came mostly at the expense of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Both builds lost some of their share over the month of August.
Android 4.2 and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean registered a slight gain in share. Android 2.3 Gingerbread dropped to 11.4%, while Android 2.2 Froyo remains on 0.7% of all devices.
We don’t expect any dramatic changes to the overall landscape in September – Android 4.4 will certainly continue its march towards larger cut of the distribution pie. The impending launch of Android L will surely alter things in the months beyond.

Motorola to announce the Moto 360, G2 and X+1 on September 4

Motorola has decided to make one of its biggest announcement in recent history on September 4. The company has sent out press invites and the hints are very clear.
We're in for the announcement of the Moto 360 smartwatch, as well as the Moto G 2 and Moto X+1 smartphone duo. Additionally, a new bluetooth headset accessory is going to get its announcement, at the event.

The Moto 360 was announced on March 18 and will finally be launched almost half a year later. The smartwatch leaked in a series of photos recently flaunting its metal body. The wireless charging and the charging cradle were also shown. The price of the watch was rumored to be around €249, but we'll let Motorola have the final say.
The Moto X+1 is expected to be the company's next flagship. It's said to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (with a 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU) along with 2GB of RAM. Earlier reports and different mumblings also had it coming with a 5.1" or 5.2" touchscreen of 1080p resolution, a 12 MP rear camera, and a 2,900 mAh battery.
As for the Moto G2, we reported that it's going to ship on September 10 for €250. It's going to be a dual-SIM device with a 5" display of 720p resolution, a Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 CPU and Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB of RAM, plus an 8MP rear camera. The phone is also known as the Moto G+1, but we'll know its final name on September 4.

Micromax Canvas Knight Cameo A290 launches in India

Today Micromax has released a new Android smartphone in its home market of India. The Canvas Knight Cameo A290 is already up for grabs at one online retailer, going for INR 12,350 (that's around $202 or €151 at the current exchange rates).
The Canvas Knight Cameo comes with a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 5 MP front snapper for selfies.

It's powered by MediaTek's MT6592M chipset, which sports a 1.4 GHz "true octa-core" CPU, aided by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage (of which 5.64GB is user accessible).
The phone has support for 21 Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and a 2,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
The Micromax Canvas Knight Cameo is being offered in Pure Black, Black and Gold, and White and Gold.

Moto X+1 rumored to launch at Verizon on September 25

The oft-leaked but not so far announced Moto X+1 now gets a rumored release date. According to some unnamed sources, it should land at Verizon "by September 25".
Motorola has previously told us to expect the successor to the original Moto X to arrive in "late summer", and this is close enough - as summer officially ends on September 22. And the "by" in the release wording above could potentially mean that it might be out a little while before September 25 too.

And let's not forget that other carriers are expected to sell the Moto X+1 as well, so one of those may have it for sale before Verizon manages to.
There's nothing new to report on the front of a release date for the Moto 360 smartwatch, though. Obviously it could be launched alongside the Moto X+1, but this rumor doesn't say anything about that.
The specs are Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (with a 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU) confirmed along with 2GB of RAM.
Earlier reports and different mumblings also had it coming with a 5.1" or 5.2" touchscreen with 1080p resolution, a 12 MP rear camera, and a 2900 mAh battery.

Sony rolling out KitKat for Xperia E1 and E1 dual

Sony is delivering on its promise to deliver KitKat to the Xperia E1 and Xperia E1 Dual. The update is rolling out now though there might be delays varying by market and carrier. Go to Check for updates in the About screen of the settings on your phone to see if you're among the first to get it.

The update boasts performance enhancements that stem from Android 4.4 KitKat. Other than that the changes are similar to what the Xperia T2 Ultra got, including a tweaked status bar and quick toggles. The custom Sony apps like the Walkman music player, Stamina Mode and others have been updated too.
Despite Google's changes to KitKat, Sony has enabled moving apps to the external microSD card in case the 4GB of built-in storage starts to run low.
Another change is the inclusion of PlayStation 4 like boot animation and live wallpaper. You can change up the look with Xperia Themes.
The Xperia M2 and Xperia M2 dual are next in line to receive KitKat.

50000 Xiaomi MiPad units sold in 3 Minutes 59 Seconds on launch day

Xiaomi the famous Chinese phone maker had announced its plans to enter the tablet market with the Mi Pad back in May and looks like the tablet has gone on sale recently. A post on the official company forum says that Xiaomi sold 50000 units of the MiPad tablet on launch day thereby running out of stocks. Continue reading for some more breathtaking news. The 50,000 MiPads were sold out in just 3 minutes and 59 seconds. There is no mention about the location but we place our bets on China as it is the home market for handset maker which is now headed my Ex-Googler Hugo Barra. Priced aggressively at about 240 USD / Rs.14400 for the base 16GB version , the company is clearly taking on the Apple iPad Mini with its first tablet.

Here are the specs of the Xiaomi MiPad -

•  7.9-inch (2048 × 1536 pixels) display at 326 ppi with 4:3 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• 2.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor
• 8MP rear camera with Sony BSI stacked sensor, 1080p video recording, f/2.0 aperture
• 5MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
• 8.5mm thick and weighs 360 grams
• WiFi 802.11/b/g/n/ac Dual Band (2X2 MIMO)
• 2GB of RAM, 16GB / 64GB of internal storage, up to 128GB expandable memory with microSD
• 6700 mAh battery
• Android-based MiUI ROM

Xiaomi is expected to enter the India market soon and we can only hope that it launches the MiPad tablet here along with the Hongmi and MI3 phones.

Xolo launches quad-core Q500s IPS and hexa-core Play 6X-1000

Xolo announced two new smartphones - the budget Q500s IPS with a quad-core processor and the powerful Play 6X-1000 running on a hexa-core chip.

Xolo Q500s IPS features a 4" IPS display of WVGA resolution and comes with two SIM slots. It is powered by MediaTek's MT6582M chipset with a 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-400 GPU and 512MB of RAM. The rest of the specs include 4GB of microSD-expandable storage, a 5MP FF camera with 1080p video recording, and a 1,500 mAh battery.

The Xolo Q500s IPS, in addition to the dual-SIM option, supports 3G, Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. It will launch soon for INR 5,999 (€74) and will be available in black, white, red, blue and green flavors.

Xolo Play 6X-1000 comes with a bigger 5" IPS display of 720p resolution and is powered by the MediaTek's MT6591 chipset. The MT6591 offers a hexa-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-450GPU and 2GB of RAM. The phone also comes with 8 gigs of expandable storage, an 8MP auto-focus camera with 1080p recording, and a 2,100 mAh battery.

The Play 6X-1000 features dual-SIM capabilities, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS.
Xolo Play 6X-1000 will hit the shelves soon for INR 14,499 (€178) in black and white paintjobs.

Nokia by Microsoft branding spotted on Lumia 830

The Lumia 830has  been spotted in a brand new leaked render, this one courtesy of Chinese search engine Baidu.

The most intriguing thing about it is obviously the new branding: Nokia by Microsoft, as you can see.
As recently as last week it's been rumored that something like this would happen, and in the leaked image above we get our first confirmation of sorts.
So the consequences of Microsoft purchasing Nokia are going to slowly start showing up. One wonders if there isn't a plan to gradually phase out the Nokia brand entirely - maybe in a year or two we'll see Microsoft's name on smartphones by itself.
Until that happens, though, let's focus on the Lumia 830. The new picture tells us that it will have a 13 MP rear camera with Zeiss optics. Previously we heard that it would also sport a 4.5-inch touchscreen, but everything else about it is still a mystery.

Gionee Elife S5.5 gets Android 4.4 KitKat update

Gionee has started rolling out the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Elife S5.5. The update weighs in at 865MB and will make the phone jump from Android 4.2 straight to 4.4.

The list of changes in the update include:

• Android upgrade to KitKat
• New Desktop layout
• Removed the world cricket championship
• Added Du speed booster for faster operations
• Updated Amigo Paper with a brand new UI interface design
• Updated Game Zone with a new UI interface design
• Updated GioneeXender for optimized performance and further improved the linking success rate
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

iPhone users are switching to the Galaxy S5

There's a significant number of iFans in the UK who are fed up with waiting for an iPhone with a larger screen and have jumped ship to the Samsung Galaxy S5 as a result.
It turns out that 26% of new Samsung Galaxy S5 users have switched from the iPhone in Britain; a huge increase from the 12% new adoption rate of the previous year. The rates were lower in Europe: a 17% turnover, but the region with the highest level of Apple loyalty is the USA. In the States, only 8% of new S5 buyers were former iPhone users.

It's interesting to see that such a high number of iPhone users are now opting for the S5, especially with rumors that the iPhone 6 will have a larger screen. The projected release date of Apple's next flagship phone is slated for September, so there may be more Apple turncoats before then.
However, it should be noted that the Galaxy S5 still lags behind the iPhone 5c and 5s in the UK, which are the number one and two highest selling handsets in the region.
11.1% of all phones were iPhone 5cs, 11% of the market belongs to the 5s, and the Galaxy S5 comes in third with 9% of the mobile phone market. Samsung has another phone on the top five list: the Korean manufacturer's former golden child: the Galaxy S4, with the Moto G rounding out the list with 6%.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 4, Core II, and Young 2 get priced

Samsung's Dutch portal announced today that the pricing for three of its latest entry-level droid iterations, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 4, Galaxy Core II, and Galaxy Young 2. All three devices will become available in Q3 of this year.
The Galaxy Ace 4, announced on Monday, will continue the legacy of cheap, quality droids put forth by the company's Ace lineup, with a 4.0-inch WVGA display, 1GHz dual-core processor, and a 1,500mAh battery. It will be available for €219.

The Galaxy Core II sports a 4.5-inch WVGA display with quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 2,000mAh battery and will sport Samsung's leather-esque rear panel the company introduced with its Galaxy S4 flagship. Strangely enough the Galaxy Core II will retail for €179, even though its specs sheet is better than the Galaxy Ace 4's. There is also a dual-SIM variant of the Core II, which will likely be sold at a slightly higher price.
The Galaxy Young 2 is set to be the cheapest member of the trio at just €99, but it only sports a 1GHz single-core processor, 3.5-inch HVGA screen, and a 1,300mAh battery.
All three devices will be powered by Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung's TouchWiz overlay.
Samsung also announced another entry-level device alongside the Young 2 - the Galaxy Star 2. Although pricing has not been disclosed, the Star 2 is almost identical to the Young 2, except without 3G connectivity and a downgraded 2MP camera.
Expect Samsung's budget droid lineup to become available this quarter.

Apple iPhone 6 leaks in 4.7” and 5.5” display flavors!!

Alleged photos of the long-rumored two upcoming iPhone 6 versions made the rounds on Twitter. The images purportedly showcase a 4.7” and 5.5” mockups of the hotly anticipated device.

The photos fall right in line with past leaks. They show a duo of devices with ultra-slim waistline and design language which closely follows that of the iPad Air and the iPad mini 2.
Compared to the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, the upcoming iPhone 6 duo has seen its power/lock key move from top of the device to its right side in order to accommodate the larger display. The LED flash of the main snapper also has different design that the current setup.
Apple is expected to unveil iPhone 6 with iOS 8 on board at some point in mid to late September.

Micromax Canvas Gold A300 with octa-core CPU specs, pictures leak

The Indian company has scheduled a press conference for June 16, and during that it may officially introduce the Canvas Gold A300.
This smartphone will reportedly come with some pretty interesting specs. And the 'Gold' in the name isn't there by accident, as the color options for it will be called White Gold and Black Gold. They can be seen below.

The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 is rumored to sport a 6.9 mm thin metal body, as well as a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen.
Keeping things running will be a 2 GHz octa-core CPU, along with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage space. The exact chipset isn't mentioned, but given the processor details, it's probably going to be the MediaTek MT6592.
A 16 MP camera will be on the back of the phone, and the 8 MP front-facing unit will surely make selfie lovers happy. The A300 is said to run Android 4.4 KitKat from day one.
This handset may be joined at the Micromax event on Monday by the company's first device to run Windows Phone 8.1. It got detailed last month, and it's rumored to come with a 5-inch 1080p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 2GB of RAM, and a 13 MP rear camera.

Update: Even more images showing the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 have surfaced. Thanks to them the front of the handset has been revealed for the first time.

Flipkart and Karbonn selling the new A50s for just ₹2,790

Indian mobile phone company Karbonn Mobiles has tied up with Flipkart to exclusively launch the new A50s in India. The key feature of this phone is the price, which at ₹2,790 ($47), makes it the cheapest Android smartphone you can purchase today.

The Karbonn A50s has some very basic specifications, including 3.5-inch, 480x320 display, MediaTek SoC with dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, 512MB storage space with microSD card support, dual-SIM support, 2 megapixel camera on the back with flash, and VGA camera on the front.
The phone comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean instead of KitKat, which is rather disappointing as the latter is optimized for phones with lower specifications.
The phone is now on sale in black and white.

Micromax's upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 device detailed.

At this year's BUILD conference in San Francisco Microsoft announced Micromax as its new hardware partner for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Today, we get to hear some new rumors about the first upcoming WP smartphone from the Indian manufacturer.

Micromax's first Windows Phone is rumored to sport a 5-inch FullHD display along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB of RAM.

The leak suggests that the device will feature a 13 megapixel rear snapper and a 5 megapixel front facing shooter. Lastly, there is 16GB of internal storage, expandable via a microSD.

If the rumors are to be trusted, the smartphone will run on WP 8.1 and will go on sale in July with a price tag of INR 23,000 to INR 25,000 (about $390 to $425).

Wickedleak Wammy Neo cheapest octa-core launched at INR 11,990!

Wickedleak has launched the 'Wammy Neo', a dual-SIM smartphone with a GSM-WCDMA configuration. With a price tag of Rs. 11,990, Wickedleak says Wammy Neo is 'probably the most affordable octa-core smartphone' in the Indian market. The deliveries of the Wammy Neo smartphone would start from June 15, according to Wickedleak's website.

The Wickedleak Wammy Neo smartphone has a 5-inch IPS display with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution and a Dragon Tail screen. It runs Android 4.2v Jelly Bean (upgradable to Android 4.4 KitKat) and is powered by a 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6592 SoC processor paired with 2GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 8 GB of built-in storage expandable up to 64 GB via a microSD card slot.

The Wammy Neo features a 13 MP rear snapper with LED flash and a 5.0 MP front-facing camera. Connectivity options included are 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi with hotspot, GPS/ A-GPS with EPO, Bluetooth v2.1 and micro-USB support. The smartphone packs a 2,200mAh battery with a standby time of 5-6 days, according to the company.

The Wickedleak Wammy Neo is not the company's first octa-core smartphone, it had launched the Wammy Titan 3 Octasmartphone in March for Rs. 14,500. The phablet supports dual-SIM support and has a 5.7-inch IPS display with 800 × 1280 pixels resolution. It has a 13MP rear camera with flashlight and HD video recording as well as a 5.0 MP front camera. The phablet has 16 GB built-in storage, expandable up to 64 GB via micro SD card slot. It has a 3,200 mAh battery. The smartphone runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean upgradeable to Android 4.4 KitKat OS.

Micromax Unite 2 A106 launched, aims to compete with Moto E

Soon after the Motorola launched the sub-7k smartphone Moto E, Indian smartphone brand Micromax has announced the launch of a new Android smartphone in the same price range and with similar specifications – Unite 2 A106. Micromax claims its Unite 2 is the first smartphone to support 21 languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and others.

Priced at Rs. 6,999, the Micromax Unite 2 A106 is a dual-SIM smartphone, sporting a 4.7-inch IPS display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution. It runs Android KitKat 4.4.2 (supports upgrades via FOTA) and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6582 processor along with 1GB of RAM.

The Unite 2 A106 has a 5MP rear camera with flash and a 2MP front facing camera – a feature missing in the Moto E. The smartphone has 4GB of ROM and supports expandable storage up to 32GB. For connectivity, the Unite 2 supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. It is powered by a 2,000 mAh battery.

The Micromax Unite 2 comes preloaded with a slew of apps including Mad, Getit, Kingsoft Office, Opera Mini Browser and Hike. There are a few pre-loaded games like Marble, Burn the Rope, Toystory Smash.

LG G3 full specs leak ahead of announcement.

It's not like the LG G3 has been a particularly well kept secret. The smartphone, which is set to make its debut next week has appeared on camera multiple times, revealing much of its specs sheet in the process. Yet today, we've got a leak so massive that it almost makes us question why LG will bother with the announcement at all.

It appears someone was able to sneak in a camera at an early preview event and capture several slides of a presentation, detailing the smartphone.

The first of those holds the most information - it confirms the LG G3 will come with a 5.5" QHD IPS screen and a Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone will be powered by Android 4.4 KitKat and it will pack an optically stabilized 13MP main camera and a 2.1MP front-facing snapper.

LTE and LTE-Advanced are naturally supported, while the connectivity department will also include USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. GPS and GLONASS support haven't been mentioned, but they go without saying.

The internal storage is going to be 32GB, but sadly there's no mention of a microSD card slot for expanding that. Keep in mind that the presentation is for the F400S/K/L version, which is for Korea so storage might be different on the international units.

We also got to learn the capacity of the LG G3 battery, 3,000 mAh, and the exact measurements of the smartphone - 146.3 x74.6x8.9mm. That would give the G3 roughly the same footprint as the Sony Xperia Z2, albeit with a slightly thicker profile (the Sony flagship measures just 8.2mm). Of course, the LG G3 has a 0.3" larger screen to show for that.

Nokia XL goes on sale in India for INR 11,500.

The Nokia XL, which is the biggest smartphone in the X series, comes to you with a price tag of INR 11,489 (about $196).

For your money, you will be getting a 5" display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Just like the Nokia X and X+, the XL is also powered by a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225 chipset, but gets a bump in RAM to 768MB.

The 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 2 megapixel front facing shooter completes the camera department of the Nokia XL. The dual-SIM smartphone comes out of the box with 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

New press renders of LG G3 in white and gold surface!

LG G3 is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the tech industry. The smartphone has already appeared numerous times though live images and case maker renders. Today, the official press renders of the LG G3 in white and gold have leaked, courtesy of @evleaks.

The leaked images show the upcoming flagship smartphone in various angles. There has been a lot of talk about the build material that the company is using for the G3, but it now looks like the smartphone will indeed come out with a brushed metal finish

Apple to launch 8GB iPhone 5c tomorrow

Various tips, leaked emails and even a picture of a retail box suggest Apple is prepping to launch a cheaper iPhone 5c model with 8GB storage tomorrow, March 18.
We have been tipped already by internal sources from two major European carriers that 8GB iPhone 5c stock is already in stock and ready for deployment. The launch should happen tomorrow after an official Apple announcement.

Besides the tips we got, there are other evidences of the 8GB iPhone 5c. There is this internal email from O2 Germany that details the availability of the 8GB iPhone 5c. It is tipped to cost €60 less than the 16GB model.

Currently the only available 8GB iPhone is 4S and there is no indication if Apple is going to discontinue it after the downgraded iPhone 5c hits the shelves.
Recently we got reports Apple has a pile of 3 million iPhone 5c units collecting dust. The iPhone 5c is underperforming on the market and it seems Apple is trying to make it a more attractive purchase. We are just wondering if Apple is manufacturing new 8GB iPhone 5c units, which will most probably increase that stockpile, or it is just disabling half of the memory on the already assembled and ready to ship ones?
Whatever turns out to be the case, €530+ price tag for an 8GB iPhone 5c with year and a half old hardware doesn't sound like a great bargain.

Nokia X scores 1 million pre-orders in China

Nokia's first Android smartphone, the Nokia X has been the talk of the town ever since its introduction at this year's Mobile World Congress. The Nokia X has already gone on sale in countries like India and Malaysia and the device was available for pre-ordering in China.

 

Nokia has taken to its Weibo account to reveal that the pre-orders for the Nokia X smartphone in China have already reached 1 million in just about 4 days. The Finnish company isn't making any predictions for the overall sales figure in China, but the firm is confident of capturing a fair share of Chinese market with its latest affordable offering.
Nokia X will begin to ship across the country on March 25, so there are still few weeks to go before we get to know the final pre-order figures.

Microsoft allegedly waives WP licencing fee for Indian OEMs

Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system hasn't been an obvious choice for manufacturers to run their smartphones. The Redmond giant is trying its best to push its mobile OS and its latest efforts will allegedly involve waiving the license fee for Indian OEMs like Lava and Karbonn.
Microsoft at its press conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona announced new partners that included Lava and Karbonn for producing Windows Phone smartphones. According to a report from Times of India, Microsoft has been negotiating with the Indian smartphone manufacturers to come up with affordable WP devices for the last one year. The waiver of the licensing fee has allegedly helped Microsoft to clinch a deal with the local OEMs.

Microsoft's latest move is quite surprising as the company did not give its OS for free even to Nokia, which has been the major manufacturer of the WP smartphones since 2011. However, Nokia received $250 million every quarter from Microsoft as 'platform support payments'.
Here's what a senior executive from an unnamed Indian company had to say about the waiver of the WP licensing fee - "For our planned Windows Phone handsets, we are not paying Microsoft a licence fee. The company is obviously exploring new models for Windows Phone. It must have realized that the older model where it licenced the OS did not work out well, even with Nokia's support."
A few reports in the past had suggested that Microsoft has been trying to motivate manufacturers to develop WP smartphone by offering them an annual sum of $1 billion. It appears the company is dead set on expanding the reach of its smartphone even if it means giving up on some profits in the short term.

HTC One 2014 leaked again

It has become usual for case manufacturer Spigen to release photos of high-end smartphones wearing its cases before their official reveal and the HTC One 2014 is no exception.
The photo of the HTC One 2014 that's currently available on the Spigen website shows both the front and back of the phone. Spigen's case has special design for the One's dual cameras as well as the dual LED flash. The front is bare of any casing to leave space for the stereo speakers.

 

There's no actual new information about the HTC One 2014 except the new photo. However, we already know just about everything there is to know about the phone. Its dual cameras will give you more control on where the focus of the photo is and will also shoot in 3D. You can check out our extended coverage of the phone's specs and leaked sales guide.
The screen will indeed be a 5" 1080p unit, while the processor is a quad-core 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801. Under the aluminum unidoby resides a 2,600 mAh battery. The SIM is said to be of the nano variety (like on the iPhone 5, 5c and 5s, Moto X, etc.) and there will be a microSD card slot to compliment the preloaded 16 GB of storage (10GB of which will be user available). HTC plans to sell 32GB and 64GB versions, too.
In less than two weeks, we'll know all about the HTC One 2014 as the company will be making it official on March 25.

Nokia X Android smartphone launching in India on March 10th

Nokia unveiled the Nokia X, the company’s first smartphone built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) at the MWC 2014, few weeks back.  Nokia has just sent us an invite for the Nokia X India launch. Even though the invite doesn’t mention anything clearly, the “Xperience a new beginning” in the invite and the green color, clearly states that it would obviously launch the Nokia X at the event.

The Nokia X 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capactiive touch screen display, powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 play (MSM8225) processor and runs on Nokia X software platform 1.0 based on AOSP Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has dual SIM support and a 3-megapixel rear camera. It also has Nokia Store to download Android applications. Nokia has partnered with several developers to bring apps and games to their Nokia X series.
Nokia X specifications

• 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capactiive touch screen display
• 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon  S4 play (MSM8225) processor
• Nokia X software platform 1.0 based on AOSP Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM
• Dimensions: 115.5 x 63 x 10.44 mm; Weight: 128.6 g
• 3MP fixed focus  rear camera
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 512MB RAM, 4GB of Internal storage, micro SD expansion slot
• 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n,Bluetooth 3.0, aGPS
• 1500 mAh battery

The Nokia X smartphone was listed on a online retail site for Rs. 8499, but the launch price is expected to be cheaper. Nokia is also expect to reveal details about the Nokia X+ and the Nokia XL Android smartphones at the launch event next week

Nokia's Asha 230 is the most affordable touch Asha

Nokia unveiled the Asha 230 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - the device is a full-touch operated Asha, which will cost just €45.

The Asha 230 has WhatsApp preinstalled, a Swype keyboard, Nokia's Fastlane homescreen for easy access to calendar, to-do's and more.
The Asha 230 is the cheapest touchscreen phone in the Asha range to date.

Android-powered Nokia XL is official, costs €109 (Approx. Rs. 9300)

Much to everyone's surprise, Nokia announced a third addition to the Nokia X family - the 5" Nokia XL.

The phone is made of plastic and at the back there's a 5MP snapper with LED flash. At the front, there's a 2MP camera perfect for Skype calls.
The Nokia XL+ is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset with 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which is expandable via the on-board microSD card slot (up to 32GB).
Nokia also throws in 1-month free of Skype premium for every Nokia X-family customer. Users will also get 10GB of free storage to the OneDrive cloud service for storing their files online.

The Nokia XL will be available in early Q2 for €109. The phone will start making its debut in growing markets, but Stephen Elop didn't specify which ones.

Nokia announces Android running Nokia X and Nokia X+

Nokia announced its first Android-app running smartphones - the Nokia X and Nokia X+. The phones pack a 4" LCD display and come with Nokia and Microsoft app preloaded.

The Nokia X, X+ and XL are powered by a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225 chipset with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Happily, it's expandable via the microSD card slot and supports up to 32GB cards.
The Nokia X and XL feature a 4" 800x480 IPS LCD capacitive touch display making up for a pixel density of 233ppi. However, the Nokia+ and XL get a bump in RAM to 768MB.
At the back of the Nokia X and X+, there's a 3MP fixed focus camera with both phones weighing 129 grams and pack 1500mAh battery. It's good for 10.5 hours of 3G talk time and have a maximum standby time of 17 days. Both phones are also capable of maximum music playback of up to 26 hours, while video playback is rated at 8.4 hours before the battery needs a recharge.

The Nokia X features the signature Nokia Glance Screen. A swipe to the right reveals a list of installed apps, and another one gets you to fastlane. You can reorganize the tiles similarly to Windows Phone 8 UI. They are resizable as well and the larger the tiles get, the more information they display.
Unsurprisingly, the phone doesn't have the Google Play Services installed, so the Play Store isn't available on the Nokia X or Nokia X+. However, Stephen Elop highlighted that users can take advantage of the Nokia store for Android apps as well as the popular Yandex Store.