Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 08-05-2013

TechRadar: Phone and communications news TechRadar AU latest feeds

HTC One Max lumbers into view Aug 5th 2013, 09:36, by Hugh Langley With the HTC One Mini now out the door, the Taiwanese handset maker is believed to eyeing up bigger horizons with the HTC One Max - and today we've got some alleged new pictures to pore over. Three images have leaked along with some more details, including that the handset will come running the recently-released Android 4.3. According to ePrice, the handset will arrive with a 5.9-inch 1080p display and a HTC One-trumping 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, matching what we'd previously heard. The HTC One's Ultrapixel and 2.1-megapixel front-facing cameras are also reportedly on board, while the site also mentions the possibility of a stylus being included a la the long-forgotten HTC Flyer. Palm-packing The site refers to the phone under its T6 codename for now, though we expect this to change to something much more obvious like the HTC One Max. Assuming this is all real, HTC's phablet effort is believed to be arriving next month and going head to head with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which looks set to be touching down at IFA 2013. Related Stories Why iPhone users are out of luck with O2's 4G plans No Moto X launch for the UK as Motorola touts 'all American' device Android vs iOS phones for business Jelly Bean is now on 40% of Androids, fragmentation still flavour of the month QuickRadar: Video: Budget iPhone - Apple's best or worst idea? Blip: Curated playlists come to Spotify apps for when you're in the mood Aug 5th 2013, 09:17, by Kate Solomon Entrust your musical education to your phone: Spotify has added "expertly curated playlists" to its Android and iOS apps in the form of Browse. The new feature is rolling out from today, with ready-made playlists for your "every mood and moment" so when you feel "Party", "Chill", "Club" or "Urban", you know what to do. Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that this won't result in you listening to the Black Eyed Peas. That's just the risk you run. More blips! Party, Chill, Club, Urban, Pop, Mood, Blips: Avatar to get three sequels, second film arriving December 2016 Amazon's jumping on the Pinterest pinwagon with Amazon Collections Getting spammed on iMessage? Spam Apple about it Oh snap! Dual-screen Samsung Galaxy Folder flip phone leaks again Aug 4th 2013, 15:47, by Chris Smith Samsung's purported Galaxy Folder phone has appeared in the wild again, with a new series of leaked snaps and further word on potential specs. The unique handset will feature two 3.7-inch AMOLED 800 x 480 touchscreens according to Clien.net, with one screen on the inside of the clam shell design and one on the outside. The Folder will also boast a dual-core Snapdragon 400 1.7GHz processor and 2GHz of RAM according to the site, which falls in line with previous leaks of a Samsung user manual for the device. Beyond that, there's Android 4.2.2, a modest - by today's standards - 1820mAh battery and 4G LTE support. Korea-only However, as we've seen this week with the Moto X launch, the era of specs being the be-all-end-all may be coming to an end. If the Samsung Galaxy Folder brings about the return of a once-loved mobile form factor and diversify the designs of modern smartphones, then the device could be welcomed with open arms. It may be academic anyway, because the device is only slated for a Korean launch at present. Is this the real deal? Check out this purported Galaxy Folder press shot. Related Stories Absent-minded Android owners to get 'Find My Android' app from Google Verizon could make up for lost time with the Galaxy S4 Mini, blue HTC One Updated: Where can I get the Moto X? New Verizon phones: 11 we recommend T-Mobile stores won't stock the Moto X, but that could change Verizon could make up for lost time with the Galaxy S4 Mini, blue HTC One Aug 3rd 2013, 00:59, by Matt Swider Verizon was slow to sell the Samsung Galaxy S4 and has been even slower to announce an HTC One release date, despite the fact that both are flagship Android smartphones. Now the No. 1 U.S. carrier is reportedly making up for lost time, readying new variants, the Galaxy S4 Mini and a blue HTC One, according to new reports today. The currently international-only Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini hasn't made its way stateside just yet, but a leaked photo sent to Engadget shows a Verizon-labeled S4 Mini. This picture, from an anonymous source, corroborates the Samsung SCH-i435 registration that was thought to be for the Verizon Galaxy S4 Mini last month. The HTC One blues If it's the HTC One Verizon delay, almost four months long at this point, that has you blue, then the carrier might have your cure in the form of a blue version of the phone. Big Red is reportedly stocking an HTC6500LVWBLU, described by PhoneArena as the "HTC One in Blue." The dedicated phone blog's source theorizes that the shade of blue could resemble that of HTC's Windows Phone 8X. Interestingly, Verizon isn't rumored to receive the HTC One in red, which is expected to be exclusive to the Sprint network. With so many new handsets, check out our in-depth look at Verizon Edge for faster phone upgrades. Related Stories Absent-minded Android owners to get 'Find My Android' app from Google Oh snap! Dual-screen Samsung Galaxy Folder flip phone leaks again Updated: Where can I get the Moto X? New Verizon phones: 11 we recommend T-Mobile stores won't stock the Moto X, but that could change FBI reportedly hacks phone, laptop mics when wiretaps won't cut it Aug 2nd 2013, 21:20, by Luke Brown The perils of living in such a technologically advanced age have never been more apparent than these past few months, as more and more reports of government cyber-surveillance have been uncovered. The full extent of the acts of U.S. and European governments in regard to monitoring citizens may never truly be known, but one inside man has claimed you're not even safe if your laptop or smartphone is turned off. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has the ability to turn on your Android device's or laptop's microphone to listen in, even when you think the coast is clear. Apparently the technology was created when the FBI discovered more suspected criminals were "going dark," meaning they were communicating in ways where a wiretap wouldn't be of any use. Hacking the public That the U.S. government employs hacking techniques for surveillance shouldn't come as a surprise, but the level of invasion is a bit of a shock. An unnamed former U.S. official spilled the beans to the paper, adding the FBI typically reserves these types of tactics for organized crime, child pornography rings and counterterrorism. Thus far, the FBI hasn't been using that power to investigate hackers, for fear of being discovered, and having these ploys outed to the public. Whoops. The source also stated the FBI has been developing hacking surveillance techniques for more than a decade, though these strategies have never been disclosed legally. We're sure Google is going to love being dragged back into more invasion of privacy debates, particularly since its been so adamant about not being party to the government's plans. Spies like US Not only is the FBI capable of listening in whenever it wants, there's even supposedly a specialized branch, known as the Remote Operations Unit, which not only develops these techniques in-house, but also seeks private companies to create new devices. The unit uses things like USB drives to install its spying software onto unsuspecting devices, or can get onto a computer from a trojan delivered via a link in an email. Of course, all of the data captured and used is only that which is relevant to a case, and a whole separate team of screeners looks through the material to deem what's necessary and what should be disregarded. That the government is trying to find ways around the legal rights afforded to U.S. citizens (like getting warrants for wiretaps) sounds troubling, but let's not confuse this anonymous tipster with Edward Snowden. How reliable the WSJ's source is we can't know, so while you take this information in, don't go wallpapering your house with aluminum foil just yet. Just how much information does the NSA glean about your web browsing from XKeyscore? Updated: Where can I get the Moto X? Aug 2nd 2013, 19:31, by Michael Rougeau Motorola today announced the not-so-mysterious Moto X phone, a highly customizable Android device that for months was the subject of rumors, speculation and leaks. Wonder no more, people, for the Moto X was unveiled at a presser in New York, where Motorola confirmed that the device will ship in late August or early September. It will be available motorola.com, at retailers including Best Buy, and from five carriers. Customers will be able to choose the handset's color and accents and add custom engravings via an online Moto Maker available to users on certain carriers, and the phone will be assembled in the U.S. and then shipped to customers. "That's great," you're thinking, "but where and when can I get mine?" AT&T - It looks like AT&T will initially be the only U.S. carrier to get the customizable version of the Moto X, despite that being the handset's most-talked-about feature. The carrier says the Moto X is "coming soon," and would-be buyers can head to att.com/att/moto-x to register to be notified of a release date. The phone will cost $199.99 for 16GB or $249.99 for 32GB on a two-year contract. Without a contract the carrier confirmed that the Moto X will run you $574.99 or $629.99 for 16GB/32GB respectively. Verizon - Verizon confirmed on Twitter today that it will carry the Moto X's standard black and white iterations, minus the customization at first, and that the device is "coming soon" on its 4G LTE network as well. The carrier added that the Moto Maker that will allow users to customize the Moto X will become available to Verizon customers "later this year." Sprint - Sprint revealed in a press release today that it plans to carry the Moto X "later this summer," with exact details arriving closer to launch. Unlike AT&T and Verizon, though, the carrier didn't mention the Moto Maker in its announcement, and only specified a single price point: $199.99 with a two-year agreement. A spokesperson confirmed with TechRadar that "Moto maker will not be available at launch," leaving wiggle room possibly to add the customization suite later. T-Mobile - A T-Mobile spokesperson confirmed with TechRadar that the Moto X will be available on the carrier, supported by its network. However, CMO Mike Sievert revealed that the carrier won't sell the Moto X in stores, and customers will need to go through Motorola directly to buy the phone. This is the situation to start, but we could see the Un-carrier carry the phone itself at a later date. U.S. Cellular - U.S. Cellular announced in a press release that the Moto X is available for pre-order on its regional LTE network at uscellular.com/motox for $199.99. Like the other carriers besides AT&T, U.S. Cellular customers will not have access to Moto Maker or the 32GB version. However, the smaller carrier is offering a free Motorola Boom headset to pre-order customers. Best Buy - The retailer will also carry the phone, though we have little more on availability than "coming soon." On the Best Buy website, a black and white option from Sprint are listed with a $199.99 price, plus a 2-year contract extension. Unactivated, the phone costs $699.99. Motorola.com - That's right; You can shop for your Moto X right through Moto itself. There's no word on when exactly availability will open up, but phones from all carriers will be up for purchase. Want to know what the TechRadar team makes of the Moto X? Related Stories Absent-minded Android owners to get 'Find My Android' app from Google Oh snap! Dual-screen Samsung Galaxy Folder flip phone leaks again Verizon could make up for lost time with the Galaxy S4 Mini, blue HTC One New Verizon phones: 11 we recommend T-Mobile stores won't stock the Moto X, but that could change New Verizon phones: 11 we recommend Aug 2nd 2013, 18:51, by Lily Prasuethsut New Verizon phones Do you want a list of the new Verizon phones so you can just pick one out without the hassle of endless research? Or are you just curious about what the upcoming Verizon phones are? If your answer is yes to both (or even yes to one) then you're in luck because we know it's tough keeping up with all the upcoming products for the check-mark carrier so we've created a list for you here, that we'll keep updating with each Verizon release. Check out the phones below to see what's coming to Verizon soon. Moto X The Moto X has been a hot topic since its Aug. 1 reveal inciting both positive and negative reactions. Verizon confirmed on Twitter that it will carry the Moto X's standard black and white iterations, minus the customization at first, and that the device is "coming soon" on its 4G LTE network, as well. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro running a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 320 GPU. The Moto X lacks a memory slot, and it houses 2GB of RAM. The standard Moto X variant is 16GB, with a 32GB available online. The X will only be out in the U.S. Other carriers will also have the Moto X Motorola DROID Ultra The Droid Ultra is the centerpiece of Motorola's new line up of Droid smartphones on Verizon and is up for pre-order right now and will become available Aug. 20. Pricing for the machine is $199 with a two-year contract. The Ultra has been touted as the future's "thinnest 4G LTE phone" on the market with an expansive 5-inch screen in a body that's just a mere 7.18mm thick. The Android 4.2.2 machine will have dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM. It also has been treated with what Motorola representative Jeff Snow described as a water-resistant nano-coating to protect the device from spills. Motorola DROID Mini Smaller not just than the Ultra and bigger-battery-toting Droid Maxx but also the last compact model, the $199 Droid Mini still feels like an essential component to the line up and not an obligatory offering. The guts of the Droid Mini are exactly like those in the Droid Ultra and Maxx, namely Motorola's new X8 8-core processing unit. The die has two processors devoted to running apps, one processor just for contextual computing, and one more devoted only to language processing, particular the Droid Mini's Touchless Control. Motorola DROID Maxx Of the three Verizon Droids, the Droid Maxx is the $299 flagship, sporting Motorola's signature Kevlar backing and a real whopper of a battery. While all the new Droids have the same horsepower, the Maxx is the one with the most staying power. It has 32GB of storage to the others' 16GB, and since none of the phones support microSD, that's an important distinction. HTC One Verizon took to Twitter to announce that it will carry the HTC One "this summer." That's as specific as the carrier has been willing to get. Currently, the 32GB HTC One sells for $199 with two-year contract, and $599 month-to-month. The 64GB version is $299, and $650 off-contract. While Verizon hasn't talked pricing yet - their HTC One isn't even listed on the carrier's website yet - we'd expect them to match the pricing around town. New Verizon phones If you can't wait for the upcoming Verizon phones, have no fear - there are plenty of new Verizon phones to choose from. Nokia Lumia 928 The Nokia Lumia 928, exclusive to Verizon's 4G LTE network at a listed price of $99 on a two-year contract, is a bulky, bland slab available in just black or white, and vastly different from the usual bold Lumia colors. But this Windows Phone 8 handset has other standout features - namely a great camera with a lens built for low-light conditions, not to mention a very sharp screen. And the WP8 interface is great on any device; here it's certainly no slouch. Samsung Galaxy S4 Like the Lumia 928, Verizon carries the Samsung Galaxy S4 in white and black with an average amount of carrier branding. The Galaxy S4 is advertised as a 16GB phone, but after the Android 4.2: Jelly Bean OS, Samsung's TouchWiz software and Verizon's buffet of bloatware, users have only 9GB of storage to play with. Now, Verizon isn't the only one doing this, every version of the phone we've encountered has had far less than 16GB available. You can add up to 64GB, but that's only for media, such as pictures, music and videos. Apps can't be installed to the SD card. The Galaxy S4 is quite a popular phone and definitely worth checking out if you're on Big Red's plans. Motorola Droid Razr M Likely in anticipation of the HTC One on Verizon, the Droid Razr M is now free year with a two-year contract. The Razr M is the lightest, thinnest phone in the refreshed lineup of Droid Razrs exclusive to Verizon. It's sleek and compact, but hasn't sacrificed anything in performance. It sports the same 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM found in its bigger siblings, the Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD. Instead, the phone is sized down in the screen, battery and storage departments to make for a compact and affordable little handset. The Droid Razr M is a jack-of-all-trades kind of phone. It's overall performance and premium make it a winner. What's more, it's just surprisingly snappy and sturdy for how affordable it is. HTC Droid DNA Droid is Verizon's brand, but HTC has constructed a slick looking device with enviable specs and a mammoth high-resolution display. HTC Droid DNA also runs Android 4.1: Jelly Bean, making it the second HTC phone to launch with this version of the Android OS, next to the HTC One X+. In addition to the Droid's good looks, it has the brilliant display and snappy camera HTC phones are known for. Sadly, its also got some of the HTC turn-offs, like a closed body without microSD support, just 16GB of storage inside, and a battery that often struggled to make it through the day. Similar to the Droid Razr M's contract change, the HTC Droid DNA is now just $50 with a two-year contract. Blackberry Q10 The BlackBerry Q10 arrived just recently (in June actually) and without a doubt, holds the best QWERTY keyboard smartphone on the market, which is certainly a bold claim - until you consider, what other high-end smartphones are sporting a full-on keyboard these days? Exactly. It may be the best, but it's the best of one. People will buy the Q10 for its QWERTY keyboard, it's a business tool and in that arena it excels. However start stacking the Q10 up against handsets which have a similar price tag and you can't help but think it's possibly one of the most expensive keyboards on the planet, with little in the way of stand out features to justify its cost. Blackberry Z10 Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic that mimics the general aesthetically designed smartphone these days. The Z10 is a little bezel-heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset. It does pretty much everything we'd expect from a high-end device and there are no major flaws to go running to the press about. That said, the Z10 also lacks any killer selling points. It's hard to find reasons why we'd recommend this over say the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or Nokia Lumia 920 - all of which are around the same price as the Z10. Related Stories Absent-minded Android owners to get 'Find My Android' app from Google Oh snap! Dual-screen Samsung Galaxy Folder flip phone leaks again Verizon could make up for lost time with the Galaxy S4 Mini, blue HTC One Updated: Where can I get the Moto X? T-Mobile stores won't stock the Moto X, but that could change T-Mobile stores won't stock the Moto X, but that could change Aug 2nd 2013, 18:35, by Michelle Fitzsimmons The Moto X phone is heading to five U.S. carriers...sort of. In an interview with AllThingsD published today, T-Mobile CMO Mike Sievert noted that while T-Mo's network supports the new Motorola phone, the "Un-carrier" won't be selling it directly to customers, at least to start. "The Moto X optimized for T-Mobile's 4G LTE network will initially be available through Motorola's channels," Sievert said. "We do not plan to stock Moto X devices immediately in our stores but are working closely with Motorola to make the Moto X a great experience for T-Mobile customers. "Any news about distribution in our stores would come at a later date." Yay and kind-of yay Soon after Moto X hit the web waves at 3 p.m. ET yesterday, AT&T and Sprint pushed out press releases talking up the newest addition to each carriers' line up. AT&T especially puffed out its chest at the fact it will exclusively offer customization options via Moto Maker at launch. Regional carrier U.S. Cellular is already taking pre-orders for the 16GB flavor. Verizon and T-Mobile, meanwhile, were more reserved when it came to announcements. Verizon tweeted the news, noting that while it will only carry the black and white Moto X to start, Moto Maker access will come later this year. Verizon confirmed to AllThingsD that the phone will be sold in stores and online. Part of T-Mobile's tip toeing towards carrying the Moto X could do with its phone payment options, which require a down payment followed by 24 months of installments. We'll keep you posted on developments from the T-Mo front. Verizon may be keeping relatively quiet on the Moto X, but it does have three new Droids to concern itself with. Related Stories Absent-minded Android owners to get 'Find My Android' app from Google Oh snap! Dual-screen Samsung Galaxy Folder flip phone leaks again Verizon could make up for lost time with the Galaxy S4 Mini, blue HTC One Updated: Where can I get the Moto X? New Verizon phones: 11 we recommend

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