 | Is the BlackBerry Kopi the budget device that's been sorely missing? Sep 25th 2013, 11:20, by John McCann 
It's no secret that BlackBerry isn't having the best of times at the moment, but news of the potentially budget BlackBerry Kopi could ease the pain slightly - although like everything from the Canadian firm recently it's rather late. Details and photos of the Kopi were passed to BGR from a "close source", and it will apparently slide in beneath the BlackBerry Q5 handset the firm launched back in May. According to the report, the Kopi will actually have a faster processor than the Q5, but misses out on 4G connectivity. There's a win for battery fanatics however, as the Kopi will have a removable power pack - like the higher end Q10 and Z10. A screengrab supposedly taken from the Kopi reveals it's running the latest version of the firm's new BlackBerry 10 operating system - v10.2. 
Too cheap, too late?In terms of design it appears from the leaked photos that the BlackBerry Kopi isn't that dissimilar to the Q5, with a chunky plastic case and bezel-heavy front encompassing the firm's famous QWERTY keyboard. There's no word on a potential Kopi release date or price, and with BlackBerry in such an unstable position at this moment in time it may not see the light of day. 
A cheap BlackBerry 10 handset was really needed at launch to encourage the kids rocking cut-price Curves to upgrade to another BB handset, instead of making the switch to a low price Android or Windows Phone device. BlackBerry is currently beginning to roll out its larger Z30 handset, but with reports suggesting another handset - dubbed the Americano - is also on the way, the Canadian firm may be biting off more that it can chew in this tricky period of transition.        | | In Depth: How your business can make a smooth transition to iOS 7 Sep 25th 2013, 11:00, by Kane Fulton 
Apple's iOS 7 is the company's most feature packed mobile operating systems yet - and undoubtedly its most colourful. But for many businesses, it's what's under the surface that will count. Some organisations will look to take advantage of iOS 7's new security and mobile device management (MDM) features straight away, while others may survey the situation and make the switch down the line. Green lightJay McLaughlin, Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Q2ebanking, says that organisations that do want to upgrade employees' devices to iOS 7 can confidently give employees the green light to do so now - so long as the handsets are in a "non-jailbroken" state. "iOS 7 presents new vulnerabilities in the fact it contains new code, technology and features," he says. "Once discovered, you'll see new exploits created - many of which would be used for jailbreaking purposes - which inherently breaks and destroys the strength of Apple's underlying security model for iOS." He adds: "Historically, Apple has tightened its security within iOS with each subsequent release, adding stronger encryption, Data Execution Prevention, ASLR and the new A7 processor's 'Secure Enclave.' As such, when in a non-jailbroken state, the iPhone is one of the most secure consumer devices." 
Preventative measures But what can a company do if it's not confident in giving the go ahead? Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney says that small businesses in particular will have little success in preventing users from updating to iOS 7 if they have no existing MDM solution in use. "Upgrading can be a problem if bugs are found in the software, as there have been in previous iOS releases," he says. "There is an iPhone Configuration Manager that can be used to block some updates, but than can take great effort to use [for the first time] as employees would have to agree to the company's 'bring your own device' policies." Delaney adds businesses with an MDM policy should issue a note to employees requesting that they wait to download and install the upgrade. The business can use this interval to evaluate risks and note bugs that emerge in the first few months after iOS 7's release. "Some organisations may have little discipline to stop this, and if something goes wrong they will have to use device wipe through Exchange Active Sync as the only line of protection," he says. "They should make users aware that backup of personal information is their responsibility and that the business has no ability to protect it if lost during a device reset to protect the enterprise." Controlling data For Q2ebanking's McLaughlin, businesses with "bring your own device" (BYOD) policies in place should focus less on aiming to control employee's iPhones in the aftermath of the update and more on protecting corporate data. "What organisations must keep in mind and realise is that they don't control the device," he says. "IT is losing more and more control of devices. Instead, they should be focused on what controls they can use to protect the corporate data, and information transmitted and stored on these devices." He adds that companies should check to make sure the MDM solutions they are currently using to enforce BYOD policies will be compatible with iOS 7 and the iPhone 5S. "This is critical for ensuring patches and updates can still be pushed to devices - not to mention being able to take control of the newest security features," he says. 
App WrappingOne feature that enterprise mobility company Cortado believes iOS 7 has killed off is that of "app wrapping," a technology for modifying existing apps by replacing aspects of it to add specific enterprise functionality like manged open-in, encryption, network access control, single sign-in and more. "We've never believed in third-third party solutions that provide such functionality," says Cortado CEO Carsten Mickeleit. "With iOS 7 nearly every app wrapping feature is covered by the operating system, with no need to change the app." He adds: "Companies should be aware that with iOS 7, projects regarding app wrapping and containerisation are redundant and that they need a MDM solution and a VPN that is compatible with the new iOS 7 Per App VPN. If they are informed, then they will understand that iOS 7 is an opportunity to realise not just a secure but also a productive MDM system including corporate file sharing with which employees are happy to work." 
Vendor backed Once an organisation decides to go ahead with upgrading devices to iOS 7, it can take advantage of the new version's numerous MDM and security APIs that are made useful when paired with offerings from vendors to provide full enterprise capabilities. Nigel Hawthorn, Director of Marketing at mobile IT solutions company MobileIron, says that previous challenges such as establishing secure connections to enterprise data sources, configuring apps at scale, and preventing data loss is now possible without manual configuration and maintenance or specialist skills from app developers. "With iOS 7, each of these capabilities is available at OS level and can be managed and enforced by MobileIron, meaning developers can focus on building apps without being security specialists," he says. Other iOS 7 features assisted by MobileIron include Open-In control (defining which apps documents and messages are opened in), VPN rules to start VPN connections to corporate networks when apps need access to secured resources and the ability to disable the iPhone 5S's fingerprint scanner. Identity Management Software maker Centrify places a greater focus on the BYOD aspects of iOS 7 to increase simplicity for IT administrators. "Our Centrify User Suite is able to integrate mobile devices and OS, including iOS 7, into an organisation's existing Microsoft Active Directory infrastructure, allowing users a secure Single Sign-On (SSO) for access to all their corporate apps on the device," explains Centrify CEO and President Tom Kemp. "From an IT administrator perspective, we provide iOS 7 support for locking or remotely wiping devices, securing access to email networks and enforcing of user passcodes," he adds. "Organisations can easily assign devices to users and manage the associated properties and settings for each user's device without the hassle of deploying complex new infrastructure or a separate management console."        | | In Depth: What's special about Windows 8.1 for Surface 2 Sep 25th 2013, 10:31, by Mary Branscombe 
Surface 2 is about "bringing all of Microsoft to life," Surface vice president Panos Panay said at its launch. That should make it one of the first examples of the 'one Microsoft principle' from the recent reorganisation. The company is bundling Skype and SkyDrive in with the price of a Surface 2 to make the tablet more useful. This chimes with comments made by Terry Myerson, the new head of Microsoft's OS group, at last week's financial analyst meeting. "All of our devices are becoming more cloud-powered," said Myerson. Similar to bundling Xbox Live with Office 365 and Bing on cheap Nokia featurephones, it's also a chance to get you hooked on Microsoft services. 
In the same discussion, Julie Larson-Green, who runs the devices and services group, said the initial release of Surface taught them that "you need to have balance to be successful in the market - you need to have the combination of great hardware, great software, apps and services in order to win." Microsoft is hoping that Surface will be more like Xbox than the failed Zune music player and service. Xbox had a slow start against the big players in the console market ("when the first Xbox came out it had hardly any games, it took a while for us to get going with it," Larson-Green pointed out). But it's the mix of hardware, software, apps (from Microsoft and others) and services like Xbox Live that Microsoft wants to get on Surface and Windows Phone. 
When we asked Larson-Green at the Surface 2 launch what's special in Windows 8.1 for the new Surface, she was quick to emphasise the mix of hardware, software and services. "I think 8.1 is a great update for all PCs, but then the special things we did working together [with other Microsoft teams] really bring to life the capabilities of Surface 2," she said. "The power in the Surface device to run the Halo games and the full Office suite at the same time, snapped side by side, the low-light camera working with Skype [to adjust exposure automatically]… We spent a lot of time working across software and services with the devices team to make sure it all comes together in a seamless package."        | | Samsung Galaxy F range could usurp Galaxy S4 and co. Sep 25th 2013, 09:59, by John McCann 
Not content with it's top-end Galaxy S products it looks like Samsung might be working on an even more premium range of devices, supposedly set to carry the "Galaxy F" prefix. According to ETNews, dubious "industry sources" have spilled the beans on Samsung's plans, claiming the Korean firm is lining up its first super-premium smartphone for a March 2014 launch. They suggest Samsung doesn't think two flagship products a year is enough to keep up with industry change, although we're inclined to disagree - especially as most people will hold onto a top-end handset for a couple of years now. More class, more moneyHandsets such as the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 have been criticised by some for their plastic cases which make these highly expensive phones feel a little cheap, but the F-series is said to sport a full metal body, bringing them inline with the HTC One and iPhone 5S. The sources claim the first Galaxy F device will rock up with the firm's Exynos octa-core processor (that's two quad-core chips) and a 16MP camera. There's no word on the screen size, resolution or price for this rumoured smartphone, but considering the Galaxy Note 3 is pushing £600 (around $950, AU$1,000) SIM-free, it's probably going to sport an eye watering price tag - if it actually exists of course.        | | The mysterious tale of Elop's $25m Nokia payout Sep 25th 2013, 09:24, by Kate Solomon 
Big payouts to tech company CEOs are nothing new, but the tale of Nokia and Elop has added layers of mystery and intrigue, from whispers of industrial sabotage to multi-million dollar divorce settlements. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is in line for a $25m (around £16m) payout when the sale of the handset business to Microsoft goes through and he steps down as the company's CEO. Elop will receive 18 months of his salary and a "management short term cash incentive", which together come to $5.7m. He'll also receive share awards of around $19.7m, and gets a new job at Microsoft when the deal is finalised. Back to basicsElop is no stranger to Microsoft HQ having left the company to take over at Nokia in 2010. And it's this return to his old stomping ground that has many people up in arms, suspecting that the whole Microsoft/Nokia deal had been orchestrated years in advance, the plan being to skim off Nokia's hardware business all along. The Finnish, in particular, are unhappy with the size of the payout Elop is to receive for effectively taking the country's biggest company away. It doesn't help that Nokia's chairman, Risto Siilasmaa, told reporters that the terms of Elop's payout are comparable to those of his predecessors, only to later backtrack and say he was wrong. Some have speculated that Elop's contract actually offered him an incentive to broker a buy-out deal. Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat today reports that the beleaguered company has "pleaded" with Elop to accept a smaller package to try and quiet the drama around the deal. However, Elop is reported to have rejected this idea for the most soap opera of reasons: because he is getting divorced. That the soon-to-be-former-Mrs Elop cannot be expected to take a reduced divorce settlement is apparently Elop's argument. The whole situation does not exactly speak of an elegant end to an always controversial management move. But the big question remains: who will play Elop in the inevitable movie?        | | Samsung reveals it's about to unveil a curved display phone Sep 25th 2013, 09:16, by John McCann 
Flexible phone displays have been in the news recently as we look to the next generation of smartphones and the boom in wearable tech, and it looks like Samsung is getting fully behind the idea. Yesterday we heard that a special version of the Galaxy Note 3 would be produced bearing an "unbreakable" flexible display, and now the Korean firm has revealed a curved display smartphone will break cover next month. The Verge reports that the news was announced by Samsung executives during an event in Seoul for the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch. CurvyNow this wouldn't be the first handset to sport a curved display, the Google Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus for example had gentle curvatures to their screens, but it's expected Samsung's new handset will be more defined in its bend. Earlier this year Samsung applied for a patent regarding a "slightly curved display smartphone", which saw the bend along the handset's vertical axis and a kick stand incorporated onto the back of the device. It's not clear whether the smartphone in question will follow the design depicted in the patent sketches, and the executives who spilled the beans were unable to furnish us with any further information on the device. We're a little unsure as to why anyone would actually want a noticeably curved display on their smartphone, as we can't see if helping when it comes to video playback or gaming - plus typing may be tricky.        | | Vodafone debuts Galaxy S4 with Cat 4 LTE and HTC One Mini Sep 25th 2013, 02:21, by Farrha Khan 
Vodafone has today announced that pre-orders are now open the HTC One Mini, a smaller version of the flagship HTC One. Due to be in stores from October 4, it will be offered across all of Vodafone's plans, including its new Red plans, with monthly handset repayments only for the lower-priced 24-month contracts and three of the 12-month contracts. You'll be paying an extra $10 or $5 monthly on the $30 and $40 24-month plans, or $16 on the $60 12-month contract. It will incur monthly repayments of $16 on the Red $65 plan and $8 on the Red $80 plan for a 12-month contract. The smaller-but-still-large handset is powered by a dual core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a 4.3-inch screen running at 720p. It also has a smaller, 4MP rear-facing camera and a 1.6MP front-facing camera. Of course, Voda's announcement comes off the back of reports that the HTC One Mini's chassis is in short supply, so it will be interesting to see the how it does in Australia. Zooming toward Cat 4Vodafone is also introducing a Category 4 LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy S4 variant to customers today, it's first Cat 4 handset, though it does already offer the Huwaei MediaPad 10 tablet. With near-identical insides to the original Galaxy S4, the new handset with Cat 4 only differs with its Snapdragon 800 CPU. The faster LTE technology promises theoretical speeds of up to 150Mbps, and while Cat 4 networks aren't available Australia-wide yet, the purchase should future proof 4G-technology access until you're ready for a new phone. The Galaxy S4 is available from today on Voda's four 12-month contracts, incurring $16 handset repayments on its $60 and Red $65 plan, $8 on its Red $80 plan and $0 on its Red $100 Plan. On a 24-month contract, it will incur $0 month repayments on both its $80 and $100 Red plans, but $5 for its $65 Red plan. It will attract monthly handset repayments between $20 and $5 for all of its lower-tiered plans.        | | HTC One tipped for octa-core update, but it's all Greek to us Sep 24th 2013, 21:51, by Chris Smith 
HTC is working on an octa-core variant of its flagship HTC One handset, according to a new report Greek site TechCommunity.gr [Google translation] is under the impression that a One refresh is on the way, and with the new processor the critically acclaimed handset will also see its memory bumped up to 3GB RAM. The report features a purported screenshot from the phone's hardware settings, apparently showing the improved specifications, but it's hard to verify its authenticity. According to the site, the updated version of the handset will bring 'Clear Audio' tech for improved call and music quality, but aside from that the rest of the handset's features will remain the same. 
Successor or update?HTC is no stranger to updating its phones throughout the annual cycle, but to give the HTC One a processing bump at this stage would be a pretty big surprise. If the company is indeed working on an octa-core device to rival the Samsung Galaxy S4 (in some regions) then it would appear more likely that HTC will save it up for the One's successor. Image credit: TechCommunity.gr It would give HTC a top-line spec improvement to hang the new handset on and would avoid annoying owners of the current handset, who may wonder why an update arrived after just six months on sale. Oh, and while we're on the subject of the One's successor, if it isn't called the HTC One-Two then its a missed opportunity.        | | Sony Xperia Z2 specs rumored to have bigger display, extra RAM in 2014 Sep 24th 2013, 21:49, by Matt Swider 
Sony's new Xperia smartphones are waterproof and dust-proof, but they sure aren't leakproof. Today's Xperia Z2 rumors reportedly reveal the still unconfirmed phone's specs and release date. The sequel to the recently released Xperia Z1 smartphone is said to best its predecessor with a 5.2-inch display and 1080p full HD, giving it 506 pixels per inch, according to AndroidSas. That would be a slight improvement over the current Z1's 5-inch screen and 441 pixels per inch. Underneath the display, a familiar processor in the form of a quad-core Snapdragon S800 System-on-a-Chip is said to be at the heart of the Xperia Z2. On the back, the Z2 will reportedly have the same 20.7MP camera as its predecessor. However, this time around the Sony G camera lens is supposed to be accompanied by a Xenon flash instead of the typical and less powerful LED flash. More RAM and Android 4.4Previous rumors by the same site pegged the Sony Xperia Z2 as having 3GB of RAM, literally one-upping the 2GB of RAM of the Xperia Z1. The software is said to be incrementally improved, too, with Android 4.4 KitKat at launch instead of the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean we have now. The question remains: When will the Sony Xperia Z2 launch? For now, it's rumored to happen in April 2014 - later than a previously thought CES 2014 unveiling. From Xperience, take these Xperia Z2 rumors with a grain of salt, as the specs could be untrue or, more likely, change over the next seven months.        | | Troublesome case causing HTC One Mini supply shortages? Sep 24th 2013, 19:51, by Michael Rougeau
HTC may not be able to supply enough HTC One Minis to meet consumer demand, a shortage the Taiwanese phone maker can't afford. Problems in HTC's supply chain, particularly with the HTC One Mini's casing, will soon cause supply shortages, according to Reuters report. The HTC One Mini's chassis is reportedly in short supply thanks to "design difficulties," the exact nature of which are unknown. Another source told the site that demand for HTC's miniaturized flagship can't currently be met, despite analysts' expectations that the company plans to ship just 200,000 of them per month. Mini and MaxIn TechRadar's HTC One Mini review we gave the smaller HTC One a well-earned 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a cutting edge smartphone that takes all the great elements from the world's best handset and crams them into a smaller frame." We asked HTC for comment about any supply chain difficulties, but a company representative informed us that they have nothing to add. The HTC One Mini isn't the only HTC One spin-off up the company's sleeve, if all the recent HTC One Max rumors are any indication. That enlarged version of the HTC One is said to be a phablet with a fingerprint scanner, but there's been no official reveal yet.        | | Verizon CEO says there's no going back to unlimited data Sep 24th 2013, 18:53, by JR Bookwalter 
If it weren't for Sprint and T-Mobile, unlimited data may have become a treasured yet fading memory to U.S. wireless customers by now. Apparently, that would be just fine with the nation's largest carrier. CNET today reported that Verizon Chief Executive Officer Lowell McAdam had some harsh words for those hoping unlimited wireless data might someday return to the carrier's product mix. Speaking at an investor conference, McAdam claimed unlimited data plans are not sustainable in a world where streaming music and video services have quickly become the norm. "With unlimited, it's the physics that breaks it," McAdam remarked. "If you allow unlimited usage, you just run out of gas." Virtuous cycleOf course, Verizon is no stranger to unlimited data, having offered such service until last year, when it switched to the tiered pricing and shared family plans also offered by rival AT&T. Despite lower prices and unlimited data guarantees touted as advantages by rivals T-Mobile and Sprint, McAdam has little fear that such initiatives will disrupt Verizon's position as the top dog of the U.S. wireless market. "We never have and never will lead on price," McAdam commented, while adding that next-generation 5G wireless technology will ultimately help carriers better accommodate higher bandwidth content such as video. Finally, McAdam said stocking a wide variety of the smartphones customers want will create a "virtuous cycle" that keeps them coming back to Verizon - regardless of whether unlimited data is on the menu. - You know what are complete ripoffs? Find out.
  | | Nokia event set for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, Lumia 1520 probably dropping in Sep 24th 2013, 18:19, by Lily Prasuethsut 
The sand dune teaser image from a Tweet last week was just a sliver of a hint, as today Nokia confirmed it's hosting a Nokia World event Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Eremites. Aside from naming the city, event details are still sparse. However, it's likely that the rumored 6-inch screened Lumia 1520 will finally be unveiled. The phablet would be the first from the Finnish firm, along with the first to reportedly hold a full HD display and quad-core processor. The 1520 would also be the first release since Microsoft bought Nokia's device division, a reality that may be hinted at with the hashtag "wayforward." Tablets also on the horizon?A Nokia tablet codenamed "Sirius" is also making the rumor rounds with details claiming the tablet will boast a 10.1-inch full HD IPS display, 2GB of RAM, up to 10 hours of battery life and come with 32GB of native storage expandable via microSD. Perhaps we'll see the Sirius join the Lumia 1520 in the Nokia World announcements. It sounds like a long shot, but it could also be a big day of firsts for Nokia.        | | T-Mobile Moto X gets badly needed camera fix via an update Sep 23rd 2013, 23:10, by Michael Rougeau 
The Moto X has plenty going for it, but its camera is not one of them. Thankfully, that should change today - at least for T-Mobile customers - as Motorola pushed out an exclusive update pointed squarely at the Moto X's inconsistent snapper. The update is said to improve the camera's white balance detection and color accuracy, which should help with overall photo quality. In particular, the Moto X's camera will now take properly exposed shots outdoors and against strong backlights. The update is currently available only to Moto X users on T-Mobile, but a Motorola representative told TechRadar that it's "coming to more carriers soon." There's more!But that's not all - the update should help the Moto X take photos more quickly and autofocus faster in low light. And the update should allow users to switch between the Moto X's front and back cameras with less of a delay. The update also addresses some minor non-camera related issues, including improvements to touchless control and call quality. A much-needed updateIn TechRadar's Moto X review, we named the Moto X's camera the most inconsistent of any on a major flagship phone that we've tested. "Bottom line, the Moto X can take a great picture, it just doesn't always decide to do so," reviewer Alex Roth noted. Hopefully, the new update fixes that and Moto X users on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint get access to it sooner rather than later.   | | Sprint finally sets Oct. 4 date with Samsung Galaxy Gear, Galaxy Note 3 Sep 23rd 2013, 15:49, by JR Bookwalter 
Any plans for next Friday? You may want to reschedule if you've been holding off purchasing Samsung's latest Sprint latest big-screen smartphone and companion smartwatch from Sprint. Today, Sprint announced a Friday, Oct. 4 date with destiny for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Gear, the Korean manufacturer's latest eagerly awaited Android devices. Available from all Sprint retail, phone and web stores including business channels, the Galaxy Note 3 will be available in a choice of Classic White or Jet Black, priced at $349.99 with a two-year service agreement. For those afraid their phablet might be lonely, Sprint will also sell the Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch on the same day, priced at $299.99 and available in a choice of Jet Black, Oatmeal Beige and Wild Orange. Buy it your wayPowered by Android 4.3, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can be used with Sprint's latest Unlimited, My Way or My All-In plans, complete with the company's Unlimited Guarantee for as long as the customer keeps their service active. The Galaxy Note 3 can also be purchased as part of the new Sprint One Up upgrade program, which allows customers to trade in their smartphone every 12 months in order to get the latest model available. Unlike the Galaxy Note 3 which must be purchased on contract for new or eligible upgrades, the Samsung Galaxy Gear companion smart watch will be sold without such strings attached. Galaxy Gear features a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display, a 1.9MP camera and can be paired with the Galaxy Note 3 to receive notifications, enable hands-free calling, control media playback and access S Voice. - Can't get your hands on an iPhone 5S? Why not read our review while you wait?
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