| Huawei Ascend P7 to be the take the ultimate selfie phone? Dec 11th 2013, 12:50, by Thomas Thorn 
News that Huawei is producing the Ascend P7 should be no surprise, with a leaked document showing the successor to the P6 will have a market-leading selling point. Alongside a a raft of budget devices like the Ascend G300 and Ascend G510, the Huawei Ascend P6 has helped gain the Chinese firm the title of 'third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world'. A leaked internal document found by GSM Arena shows a device under the code name 'Sophia', set for release in April 2014. This has led to speculation that this will be the new Huawei Ascend P7. The most noticeable specification of 'Sophia' is the front facing camera; a whopping 4 times larger than most, an impressive 8MP. This makes it 3MP larger than the front sensor found on the Ascend P6. 8 megapixels, but not 8 coresRumours surrounding an octa-core processor handset are limited to the Honor 4 as the Ascend P7 comes toting a HiSilicon Balong 910 1.6GHz quad-core CPU, backed up with 2GB RAM. Storage wise, the Ascend P7 comes with 16GB of internal space, although there will also be a microSD card slot. Elsewhere, the P7 comes 4G-enabled, with a 5-inch 1080p screen and 2460mAh battery, as well as being made out of "exquisite materials".. we assume that means diamonds, rubies and Angel Delight. And let's not forget about the middlingly-interesting Emotion UI, which has been boosted to 2.0 and will run over an 'unspecified' version of Android.        |  | Nokia readying a smaller Lumia 1520 to crush the Galaxy S4 mini Dec 11th 2013, 12:41, by Thomas Thorn 
Nokia looks like it wants to cash in on the launch of the powerful Lumia 1520, with a mystery device codenamed RM-964 being spotted on an site monitoring Indian imports. Nokia Power User spotted the device on Zauba, noting a device with a 5.2-inch screen and a price tag of 34,524 Rupees (around £340/$560/AU$617). This puts it in line with rumours of a compact Lumia 1520; a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 20MP camera and Full HD screen akin to the upcoming US-only Lumia 929. Of course, while calling it the Lumia 1520 mini would make sense given the climate of making everything smaller, it would be interesting to see whether Nokia / Microsoft pushes this against the S4 mini or the full phone itself, given the larger screen. Is Nokia the friend that's never on time?The Nokia Lumia 1520 was the first Windows Phone 8 handset launched with a quad-core processor and full HD display, putting it right against the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in terms of size and power. A smaller-screened quad-core brother would give Lumias something big to shout about, by setting it apart from the dual-core Windows Phone 8 devices that currently occupy the market and pushing it into HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG G2 territory, if it eschews the 'mini' product category. As the RM-964 is still very much a rumoured device, we're unlikely to see it this year. Launches of the HTC One Two and the 64-bit Samsung Galaxy S5 will give the Nokia a real push. Is Nokia too late to the party? It'll be interesting to see what happens, but more importantly, what would it be called?        | | Samsung set to bring KitKat joy to Ace 3, S4 mini and more Dec 11th 2013, 11:33, by Thomas Thorn 
Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and Galaxy Ace 3 may be getting a new year treat with news that their handsets could be upgraded to Android 4.4 KitKat in 2014. A leaked internal document passed to Sam Mobile shows both handsets on a lengthy list of devices apparently due to be tested for the KRT16 update. Both handsets are considered "mid-range" so there was always a chance of them getting the Android 4.4 update, but the inclusion of the older Galaxy Ace 2, among others, is more of a surprise. In the past Android handset manufacturers have tended to reserve such updates for higher-end models like the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4. One of the biggest features that Google has been pushing with Android KitKat is its ability to run on devices with as low as 512MB RAM, a move seen to try and reduce the amount of Android segmentation. KitKat update set to get Fame-ous?
Alongside the S4 mini and Ace 3, the older yet decent Samsung Galaxy S3 mini as well as the Ace 2 and super cheap Galaxy Fame. The update for these Samsung handsets is far from confirmed though, as it's still "under investigation". Whilst we await the slew of budget KitKat handsets which will hit the market during 2014, support for lower end handsets thus far has been noticeably short. The only budget handset with Android KitKat announced is the Google owned Moto G. We'll continue to keep our eyes peeled for further information on the Android 4.4 KitKat update, so keep checking back.        | | Asus PadFone Mini puts 7in tablet and 4.3in phone hand in hand Dec 11th 2013, 09:58, by Hugh Langley 
Getting in ahead of the CES 2014 chaos, Asus has launched its 7-inch PadFone Mini in Taiwan. The two-in-one device – both phone and tablet – is a cheaper option to the PadFone Infinity and comes running Android 4.3. It's also the very specimen we've seen pop up in recent leaks. And just as the leaks also informed us, the Mini hosts a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM. The tablet packs a 1280 x 800 display while the phone is offering up a 960 x 540 screen. Meanwhile you'll get 16GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded via the microSD slot. The whole thing is priced at NT$11,990 (about US$405, £246, AU$445). So when can we get it?A spokesperson for Asus told us that a UK release wouldn't happen this year, and right now the Mini has only been confirmed for China, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. But Asus told Engadget that it plans to get its PadFone Infinity line over to the US in Q4 2014, so we could well see the Mini break out around the same time.        | | 'Normandy' is reportedly Nokia's Android phone, planned for 2014 Dec 11th 2013, 01:30, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
As Nokia's device and services division hurtles towards a merger with Microsoft, word of the Finnish firm's long-rumored Android phone has resurfaced. The company's Android handset is codenamed Normandy, according to sources of The Verge. The codename - apparently one of several for the clandestine phone - appeared in November along with an alleged photo courtesy of Twitter tipster @evleaks. Nokia's Android phone is said to run a "forked" version of Google's OS, similar to how Amazon makes use of the the system for its hardware. Normandy can run Android apps like Skype and other popular applications, according to the sources. Because of its forked status, Nokia would be able to fully customize the OS, taking it out from under Google rule. An Asha phoneNokia has reportedly been developing the phone despite the impending sale to Microsoft. Because of the acquisition situation, it's unclear whether Nokia will attempt a release of Normandy before the deal is done. If it decides not to, then it's equally uncertain whether Microsoft will keep Normandy afloat post-merger. The smart money is on a big "No" for Normandy under Redmond's order. Interestingly, Nokia's Android handset is supposedly designed to be an on par with its Asha line - a lower-end phone that will deliver traditional smartphone apps to consumers. Because Series 40-powered Ashas have failed to do just that, Nokia wants Normandy to pick up the slack. The handset is said to be "full steam ahead," with a release pegged for sometime in 2014. The attitude within Nokia may be gung-ho, but the clock is ticking for Nokia to launch its take on Android. Regulatory hurdles are falling left and right for the Microsoft deal, and a closure can't be more than a few months away.        | | Ubuntu Touch OS finds a phone partner, bound for high-end handsets next year Dec 11th 2013, 00:03, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Remember the Ubuntu Edge, the Canonical creation that set out to earn $32 million (about £20.8m, AU$34.5m) on Indiegogo but fell very short? Well, the company is back at it again, though this time it's maneuvering a slightly different route to deliver the Ubuntu mobile platform to the public at large. "We have concluded our first set of agreements to ship Ubuntu on mobile phones," Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth told CNET. "We've shifted gears from 'making a concept' to 'it's going to ship.' That has a big impact on the team." Shuttleworth stayed quiet on who its initial phone partner is, but said that Canonical is on board to deliver its Ubuntu Touch OS to a handset. High-end devices running the Linux-based operating system should be available next year. Ooo-ooo-UbuntuThe good news for Ubuntu supporters doesn't stop there. Shuttleworth said several board-level discussions are underway at other hardware makers. And not just Joe Smartphones; Canonical is chatting with "four household brands" that "sell a lot of phones all over the world" to both businesses and consumers. Ubuntu Touch has been available for install on Nexus devices, but 2014 would mark its arrival on a native machine. The OS is essentially a mobile version of Ubuntu for desktop. When docked to a desktop monitor, Ubuntu Touch can launch as a full-fat system.        | | Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition joins a growing KitKat crowd Dec 10th 2013, 20:52, by klee 
The LG G Pad 8.3 isn't the only device joining the Google Play Edition posse today. Sony's Xperia Z Ultra has signed into the vanilla Android ranks as well. Branded as the Z Ultra Google Play Edition, fans of the phablet-sized gadget can grab it running Android 4.4 by forking over $649 (about £394/AU$708). Unfortunately, the device is limited to the US Google Play Store for now. The Z Ultra is identical to the Xperia Z Ultra Sony announced in June (not counting the inclusion of KitKat). The same whopping 6.4-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution is there, and the Z Ultra maintains the original's slim 6.5mm-thick, 212-gram figure. Inside, the smartphone packs a Qualcomm quad-core 2.2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. There is a spot for an external microSD/XC card slot. The large phone also comes with a decent suite of cameras including an 8MP sensor on the back and 2MP front snapper for selfies. A 3,000mAh Lithium polymer battery keeps the Z Ultra Google Play Edition on task. Playing with the big boysIn a race to cram the biggest phone in consumers' pockets, the Xperia Z Ultra is the largest, beating out its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Mega, by a mere 0.1-inches. Those that want something in the slightly smaller sub-6-inch screen world should look for the still palm busting 5.9-inch HTC One Max or 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Of course the Play Edition of the Xperia Z Ultra holds an appeal for many as it runs stock Android 4.4. Not only does this mean it's not lacquered with bloatware, the handset is primed to receive updates quicker than non-Google Play Edition handsets.        | | LG G2 may jump on the mini bandwagon with pocket-friendly handset Dec 10th 2013, 20:11, by Chris Smith 
LG could be the next Android manufacturer to churn out a diminutive iteration of its flagship smartphone, with speculation mounting that an LG G2 Mini may be on the way. According to reports, the company is plotting to announce a scaled back 4.7-inch, 720p version of its top smartphone for the CES in Las Vegas in January. Like the 5.3-inch, 1080p top dog, which has proved a surprise hit among critics, the LG G2 Mini is also said to pack a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU (although it may be clocked slightly slower) and 2GB RAM. The word comes from Greek website Techblog, which said it'll "probably" be launched at CES, although we'd be keen to wager it's more likely to show up at MWC in Barcelona a month later. It's a Mini adventureLeading Android smartphone manufacturers, like Samsung and HTC, have been keen to stretch our palms with larger, full HD screens in recent years amid the demand for entertainment content on mobile devices. Both have released Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini models, with smaller displays, scaled back features and a more agreeable price point, while maintaining the popular design aesthetic. It's likely that should LG go down this path, the G2's trademark rear-mounted volume rocker will take centre stage. It'll be interesting to see whether the 13-megapixel camera and 3,000mAh battery remain part of the equation, too.        | | Apple patent hints at future devices with curved displays Dec 10th 2013, 18:50, by JR Bookwalter 
Flat touchscreen iOS devices and Mac displays could be a thing of the past one day now that Apple has been awarded a patent for a touch sensor capable of being manufactured on a curve. AppleInsider reported today that a new patent awarded to Apple from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office paves the way for the iPhone 5S maker to start manufacturing devices with curved displays. U.S. Patent No. 8,603,574 specifically outlines a "curved touch sensor" capable of producing touchscreen surfaces capable of being wrapped across the front of a device without manufacturing defects such as substrate warping or deformation. First filed in 2010, the curved touch sensor patent specifically covers displays, touch pads and touch mice, with the invention credited to Lili Huang, Seung Jae Hong and John Z. Zhong. Curvy roadmap ahead?In that original patent filing, Apple noted that current methods for creating touch panels using thin-film conductors aren't ideal for curved displays, since they require lower temperatures to avoid being damaged. Display manufacturers prefer to employ higher temperatures "for added thin film resistiveness and enhanced optical properties," according to the report. Apple's process dodges this issue by depositing a conductive thin film over a flexible substrate while it's still flat, then adding the substrate package and applying heat to the completed stackup. The complicated process doesn't necessarily mean Apple will adopt this method for future iOS or Mac products, so current smartphones with curved displays such as the LG G Flex appear to be safe for now.        | |
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