| HTC 606w shows up in China - Ultrapixels moving to other phones? Apr 17th 2013, 11:35 
The HTC 606w may sound like a lightbulb, but it is in fact souped-up HTC First without the tedious burden of Facebook Home to contend with. HTC tried to sneak the device through Chinese regulatory channels but it was spotted by Digi.Tech which managed to skim off some renders of the handset, showing off a natty blue piping around the bezel of an otherwise fairly uninspiring handset. On to the HTC 606w's specs, and we're looking at an Ultrapixel camera on the back, 4.3-inch 720p display boasting 342ppi and a 1.2GHz processor to keep the whole thing chugging along. Battery woeUnfortunately, it's rocking a 1700mAh battery which may be a bit on the weak side for the mooted specs. The HTC 606w is running Android 4.1.2 with the HTC Sense 5.0 overlay, and there's also 2GB of RAM and 16GB of device storage to play with. No word on an official device name nor possible release date but we'll be keeping the heat on HTC til it makes the 606w all official.     |  | Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 details leaked and it doesn't look bad Apr 17th 2013, 10:29 
It's not just high-end handsets being churned out over in Korea at the moment, with a new benchmark result apparently revealing a more budget-friendly phone in works over at Samsung in the form of the Galaxy Ace 3. Looking to replace the Galaxy Ace 2 and the still wildly-popular-with-networks original Galaxy Ace, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 has reportedly turned up on GL Benchmarks with a handful of specs leaked in the process. According to the results of the test, the Galaxy Ace 3 - or GT-S7272 if you prefer - will arrive packing a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 800 x 480 display and running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Smoking AcesIt's good to see the latest version on Android on a cheaper handset, as cut-price phones usually have to make do with older versions of Google's OS. Round the back you'll apparently find a 5MP camera with 720p video recording capabilities, while under the hood you should be greeted with contactless NFC technology. Samsung hasn't said anything about its future products, so we're just going on hearsay for the moment and we know that benchmark results can be forged - although it's probably pretty safe to say a Galaxy Ace 3 will arrive at some point.     | | Optimistic Facebook 'in talks' with Apple about Facebook Home for iPhone Apr 17th 2013, 09:43 
A Facebook exec has confirmed that the social network is 'talking' to Apple about bringing Facebook Home to it's famously locked-down iOS. That doesn't mean that the part-OS part-overzealous-app will make it to your iPhone or iPad any time soon though, with Adam Mosseri, Facebook's director of product, describing the talks as 'ongoing'. "We've shown them what we've built and we're just in an ongoing conversation," he told the Bloomberg. Facebook Studio Apartment With Shared BathroomEven if the talks prove fruitful, Mosseri isn't sure that what makes it to iPhone will look much like the Facebook Home the company launched last week - it could be more like Facebook Bedsit. "It may or may not be Home. We could also just bring some of the design values to the iOS app. That might be how it ends up. Or we could build just the lock screen. Maybe then it's not called Home, it's called something else." Glad we cleared that up. His comments echo those of COO Sheryl Sandberg who told reporters, "We are going to continue to develop for both [Android and Apple]." "It is true that Android is enabling us to provide a more immersive Facebook experience than we can on other operating systems. Home is based on the openness of Android. It allows users to customise in ways that Apple does not." Given that Facebook Home for Android basically skims all the useful user data that can be used to target and sell advertising and Apple's traditional unwillingness to share any of the data or revenue love with other companies (take a bow, 30% app store cut), we can't see an all-encompassing Facebook skin making it to iOS. Still, a 'lite' version could well be on the cards, particularly since Chat Heads have already begun infiltrating the iOS apps.     | | Nokia EOS could be first quad-core Windows Phone Apr 17th 2013, 09:40 
Internet gossips are refusing to give up on suggestions that the Nokia EOS is in the works, complete with a 41MP snapper and now apparently a quad-core processor too. According to MyNokiaBlog a source "familiar with Nokia's plans" has spilled the beans on the Finnish firm's next flagship smartphone, currently known as the EOS / Lumia 1000. It's claimed that Nokia is currently working on two different versions of the EOS - one which sports a rather sedate dual-core processor while the other is getting treated to a beefier quad-core chip, thought to be a Snapdragon 800 processor. Dragon gets thirstyThose of you licking your lips at the potential of a Windows Phone 8 device turning up with four cores may need to hold your horses, as the report goes on to say Nokia is having issues with battery drain on the more powerful variant, which could see that option scrapped completely. Apparently the EOS will sport a similar screen resolution (768 x 1280) and battery (2000mAh) as the Nokia Lumia 920 and suggestions that it will sport the crazy 41MP snapper we found on the 808 PureView are still strong. Interestingly enough the source also revealed that the EOS will arrive with a microSD slot - which will be music to a lot of people's ears - plus a microHDMI out and FM transmitter. While these details aren't difficult to believe we're taking them with the usual side serving of salt. It's not clear when Nokia is planning to launch its next flagship device, or if the EOS is indeed next in line to the Lumia throne.     | | Sony Xperia SP up for pre-order in the UK, with 4G available through EE Apr 16th 2013, 23:46 
High street retailer Phones 4U has made the mid-range, yet highly impressive Sony Xperia SP handset available for pre-order in the UK, with a shipping date of May 3. The more affordable iteration of the flagship Sony Xperia Z was unveiled last month with a 4.6-inch, 720p display, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera and 4G LTE radio. The SIM-free version has been available to reserve form Expansys since last month, but Phones 4U's offering brings a range of pay monthly options from some of the UK's leading networks. Top of the pile, of course, is EE which is able to provide 4G LTE service for a pretty penny. Buyers can grab a two-year deal, with 500MB of 4G data for £31 a month, with a free handset, while the 8GB allowance will set folks back an wallet-emptying £56 a month. Big boys on boardThe Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device, which also boasts Sony's Battery Stamina app and 8GB of onboard storage is available for £25 a month with Vodafone (300mins 250MB, unlimited texts, free phone). However, the £28.50 a month tariff on Orange seems a better deal with 1GB data, 600 mins, unlimited texts and a free phone. O2 and Three mobile had previously indicated that they will be selling the device, while the SIM-free price on Expansys is listed as £339. In a recent hands-on review, TechRadar's Gareth Beavis summed up his early verdict by saying: "With this spec list wouldn't look too out of place on a new flagship phone from another firm right now – and with a lower price, that's an ace notion." If you're struggling to scrape the pennies together for a flagship handset like the Xperia Z then you could do a lot worse than the Xperia SP. Check back in the coming weeks for the full, detailed review.     | | Motorola likens next generation phones to Goldilocks, size will be 'just right' Apr 16th 2013, 21:36 
It may seem like we've been anticipating for quite some time the Motorola X, the first collaborative smartphone from Google and Motorola's partnership, but reports of the phone arriving later this year bode well for the power duo. Though it's believed to carry the next version of the Android operating system (Key Lime Pie), very little else is actually known about Motorola's upcoming phone. However, we may have a better idea of what to expect thanks to Moto's design chief Jim Wicks, who recently spoke with PC Mag about the company's next generation smartphones. No concrete details were divulged, but Wicks painted a picture of a mobile device that could be "just right" for every user. Size mattersWith more and more smartphones like the Galaxy S4 and HTC One taking the bigger is better approach, Wicks promised that size was important, but not in the way competitors would have you believe. "Certain people like a large screen," Wicks said. "But there's a sweet spot for consumers that we're currently exceeding in the market. There are some people that like a big display, but there's also a lot of people that want something that's just about right." "I think 'just right' is important, and we're designing so we don't disappoint those people." Wicks also mentioned size in relation to extraneous software included on a device, adding he hoped the next-gen phones from Motorola wouldn't be as gluttonous with pre-installed apps. "People don't want all that stuff pre-populated on their devices," Wicks said. "They really want to define these things themselves. We're focusing on simplicity and the power of the consumer." United frontA lot of what Wicks is excited about springs from the solid relationship he claims Motorola and Google now share, adding the infamous "wow" factor comment was taken out of context. "We've been spending the past eight months on this next generation of phones, and we've all seen positive feedback and collaboration around things," Wicks said. "From a software and UI perspective, our strategy is to embrace Android and to make it the best expression of Android and Google in the market." It would appear Google shares these sentiments, as Executive Chair Eric Schmidt called Moto's new phones "phenomenal" during a talk at the Dive Into Mobile conference today. Wicks added he believed moving away from the specification wars, and focusing on the consumers instead, was the answer for Motorola's success. Brand awarenessWith so many different exclusive phones at so many different carriers, it's hard to pinpoint a specific vision to Motorola's smartphones. The next generation devices, such as the rumored Motorola X, should change all that according to Wicks, as Motorola will adopt similar strategies as HTC and Samsung for its new phones. "We are going to try to drive a more singular expression of our brand across multiple carriers," Wicks said. "It's a fundamental change in the model." Don't take that to mean Droids will be disappearing though, as Moto still has plans to support the line in the future alongside its new, focused vision.     | | Facebook thought about building an operating system to call Home Apr 16th 2013, 19:58 
Facebook floated the idea of building a brand new mobile operating system for its new Home platform, a senior company engineer revealed on Tuesday. The social network considered three ways to introduce Home; a custom-built OS, a forked version of Android as many had expected, or the recently-launched custom UI that sits neatly on top of Android. Of course, the company went with the final option, but Facebook's director of mobile engineering Cory Ondrejka admitted that prototypes existed for all three eventualities. He said: "[Home] was about making an experience that flows through friends and people. We saw three ways that we could do this. One, we could go and build an operating system. Second, we could dig into Android deeply in order to see how we can we fundamentally change / fork Android to make it different. Or, we could build an app to make it different." Something for everyone (on Android)Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference, Ondrejka said the first two options were ditched out of a desire to reach as many people as possible with Facebook Home. "The OS path was the least fleshed-out of the paths. Mark [Zuckerberg] talked on launch day that he wanted to build something for everyone. It's hard to get to the type of scale that's necessary for us [when building an OS]. We wanted Home in front of hundreds of millions of people - even a successful OS would only give that experience to a few of them," Ondrejka, who was joined on stage by Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer, added. The pair also discussed the plans for future roll outs, admitting Facebook Home has been tested on tablets, but will not arrive until it becomes common place on all Android phones. They also revealed that the first Facebook Home update for Android is coming in May. Earlier today we brought news that the company was releasing the Facebook Home suite for select Android devices on Google Play stores around the world.     | | Google's got some Android activation figures to brag about Apr 16th 2013, 19:57 
If we've learned anything from Google executives over the past few years, it's a lot of statistical information about the success of the company's Android operating system. Those who attended the Dive Into Mobile this week conference and listened to Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt speak soon learned just how serious the search engine giant was about its mobile OS. Last October, we learned from Schmidt that Android was being activated on 1.3 million device daily, which he then estimated would put the OS on more than 1 billion devices in 2013. According to Schmidt's statements on Tuesday at the conference, not only have Android activations increased since last fall, but now Google has an even better chance of hitting the 1 billion mark before the end of the year. What's cooler than a million activations?Android is now being activated on 1.5 million devices a day, which is a pretty nice improvement over October's numbers. Based on that trend holding true for the rest of the calendar year, Schmidt expects to increase the current number of 750 million active Android devices by one-third, which puts it right at the 1 billion mark. Of course, Schmidt didn't just talk numbers the entire time, because that would be boring. He touched on subjects like Facebook Home and the Maps situation with Apple. When asked if Google was worried about Facebook Home, Schmidt dismissed the idea entirely. "We're phenomenally happy that people are using Android in these ways. You can't have half-open source. It's open source," Schmidt said. "Facebook read the manual, they read the rules, and they adhered to them. Shocking. Good for them! They went to great lengths to remain application-compatible." Even after all these months, the Maps mess is still a sensitive subject to some, but Schmidt assured that it was of no consequence. "From our perspective, we really want them to use [Google Maps]," Schmidt said. "It'd be easy to take the app in the store and use it as their basic one." "They decided not to. But we'd really still like for them to use our Maps." When 10.5 million people are activating your operating system every week, you can probably be a little less concerned about what the competition is doing.     | | LG piques our curiosity with word of May 1 press event Apr 16th 2013, 18:15 
Got any May Day plans? LG does. The company has sent out save the date invites to a shindig in New York City scheduled for May 1. Ah, the Big Apple in spring. Is there anything better? The invite is light on details, asking attendees only to "Share the Genius" and "Capture the Spotlight in True Brilliance." A microphone and literal spotlights decorate it, which may simply be symbolic but could also forewarn a Samsung-inspired extravaganza, albeit one that features pop star talent and not hired Broadway hands, but who knows. What will we see?The last time LG had an event billed this big was last September when the company announced the Optimus G. While there's always a chance LG might whip out the G's follow-up, the turnaround time seems a little fast to us. Same goes for the Nexus 5. It's predecessor, the Nexus 4, was only announced in late October 2012, meaning a new version is likely in the works though not quite ready for prime time. What's more, we expect word of the Nexus 5 to come at Google I/O, a more appropriate venue for a phone that Google's really at the helm of. One phone that's garned some attention lately, especially in the U.S., is the Optimus G Pro, which is already available in a few international iterations. On a scale of one to 10, an announcement about the phone's stateside availability (or a country-specific variant) ranks at about an 8 in possibility, particularly after LG confirmed the Pro would land in North American during the second quarter back in February. The phone has a knock-out screen - perfect for putting pics in the spotlight - plus a nice 13MP rear camera and 2.1MP front-facer. Share, capture, brilliance - the G Pro has it all. We won't know all until May 1, but rest assured TechRadar will bring you all the latest and the handiest hands on review.     | | Eric Schmidt touts 'phenomenal' new Motorola gadgets on the way Apr 16th 2013, 16:49 
Google's executive chairman is at it again, chatting up the next wave of "impressive" gadgets on the way from the search giant - without really divulging much in the way of details. AllThingsD reported today that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt made a stop at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference in New York City, where he got chatty about a recent visit to the company's Motorola division. "They have a new set of products, which are phenomenal," the Google exec remarked. "Very, very impressive." Schmidt wouldn't elaborate further, except to refer to the upcoming devices as "phones-plus" - a futurist term we're sure will become a buzzword for Google and its manufacturing partners moving forward. No tension with SamsungNew gadgets weren't the only thing the Google chairman was eager to talk about as the conversation inevitably turned to rumors of tension with Android partner Samsung. Describing the relationship between the two companies as "very healthy," Schmidt dismissed rumors that Samsung may be co-opting Google's mobile OS for its very own, as reported by Android Community. During a question-and-answer session after his talk, Schmidt commented that Samsung actually "helped to define Android" and how much Google appreciates the Korean manufacturer's decision to "go Android" while the platform was still in its infancy. And with good reason: Schmidt confirmed that Samsung is now the number one Android vendor by unit volume, which has now reached 1.5 million activations per day.     | | Chat Heads break out of Facebook Home and head to iPhone and iPad Apr 16th 2013, 16:30 
Facebook's bringing its multitasking Chat Heads to the Facebook iPhone and iPad apps. The floating friend heads are a key feature of Android's Facebook Home interface, but since that's not on its way to iOS any time soon Facebook has added them into the apps instead. You'll be able to do other stuff on Facebook while chatting in private messages as the Chat Heads will hover across the top of your screen until you flick them down to close them. Emoticons have no feelingsThe social network is also making like it's 1994 with new emoticon stickers that you can use in your chats - tapping the smiley in the text-input box lets you choose a sticker to post, while you can buy more from the Sticker Store if words fail you and that perfect emotion isn't represented in pictorial form. 
Finally, the iOS apps are also getting their mitts on the new-look Facebook News Feed in an update that puts the emphasis on bigger, more image-focused stories. The updated apps will be available from the App Store later today, while Chat Heads and Stickers will roll out to the iPhone app over the next few weeks. Android phones without Facebook Home can also get annoyed with the Chat Heads as they're also available in Messenger for Android.     | | Facebook Home goes global in Google Play today Apr 16th 2013, 16:30 
Facebook Home is coming to Google Play around the world later today, which means that anyone with a compatible handset will be able to download and install the Facebook-flavoured Android overlay. You'll need an HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Note 2 or HTC One to be able to make use of the free download. If that sounds like you, you can enjoy Facebook's not-quite-an-OS which puts the social network front-and-centre on your handset. The app-but-not-an-app went live in the US on April 12. Facebook phone homeThe software turns your phone into a Facebook machine, putting Cover Feed on the homescreen with scrolling photos and status updates to enjoy without even unlocking your phone. Messaging is taken care of by the floaty-bouncy Chat Heads which pop up and glimmer at you when you have a chat running, until you flick them off screen. Although it takes over your phone entirely, you can still get at your non-Facebook apps thanks to Facebook Home's app launcher. If you don't have a compatible Android phone, never fear - you can still get annoyed with those persistent Chat Heads as they are now available in Messenger for Android. And now you can even get them on your iPhone too. Chat Heads. Inescapable.     | | Blip: WhatsApp: We're now bigger than Twitter Apr 16th 2013, 16:24 
Testament to the ever-growing popularity of the messaging app, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum has announced that the service has more than 200 million users, with 8 billion inbound and 12 million outbound messages a day. On stage at Dive Into Mobile, Koum said, "We're bigger than Twitter today." Twitter's official user claim is 200 million, but the WhatsApp service has now smashed through that number. While the two services are quite difficult to compare, it's still interesting to see how rapidly WhatsApp has taken over from standard texting services. It's also another reason that Google might want to keep considering a potential purchase of the service, despite word that it's not interested. More blipsYou can read more news nuggets here.     | | Android was meant for cameras not phones, says Rubin Apr 16th 2013, 16:15 
The team behind Android originally made the OS for a range of smart digital cameras rather than mobile phones. And it wasn't the iPhone that had Android quaking in its boots - it was Symbian. That's according to Android founder Andy Rubin, speaking at a forum in Tokyo. "The exact same platform, the exact same operating system we built for cameras, that became Android for cellphones," he said. "We decided digital cameras wasn't actually a big enough market." Snap happy"I was worried about Microsoft and I was worried about Symbian," he admits, harking back to the days before that platform Nokia was teetering on caught fire. "I wasn't worried about iPhone yet." Rubin went on to explain that the Android forefathers had 9 per cent market share in North America in their sights: we think they may just about have exceeded that. And happily for those early versions of the OS, their destiny has been fulfilled - you can now get an Android snapper in the shape of the Samsung Galaxy Camera.     | | Microsoft: We have no plans to make a Surface Phone Apr 16th 2013, 15:24 
While there's been talk of Microsoft considering a Surface Phone for some time, the chief of Windows Phone has stated that it's not currently in the pipeline. At least not right now. Speaking at the second day of Dive Into Mobile in New York, head of Windows Phone Terry Myerson dismissed rumours that there would be a Microsoft-made Surface-branded version of the Windows Phone any time soon. "It would have to be something where Nokia or HTC was not providing the consumer experience we think is possible with our platform," he said. Even though a Surface Phone has never been a sure thing, it's certainly an idea that makes sense, and one that Nokia has been encouraged in the past. Knives outMyerson also had a few things to say about a certain couple of market competitors. "Android is…kind of a mess," he said. "Look at Samsung – there's clearly mutiny going on. The only OEM making money off of Android is Samsung." He then moved onto Apple, discussing the changes found in the iPhone 5: "With iPhone, I sense urgency. With iOS 5 [Apple] just added a fifth row of icons." Of course, the rumoured Windows Smart watch was also raised during the discussion, though Myerson wouldn't confirm whether one was on the way. "It's an exciting space," he said. "There's no doubt that wearable computing has incredible potential." Take from that what you will.     | |
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