| TomTom Runner and Multi-Sport watches will soon sync with your phone Dec 2nd 2013, 14:52, by Hugh Langley 
If there's one criticism we have of the TomTom Runner and Multi-Sport watches it's that syncing your data before and after a run is a bit of a hassle. But TomTom has heard the pleas and is introducing a mobile app for the GPS watches that will connect via Bluetooth, meaning you no longer have to hook it up to the computer. The best news is that you'll be able to download QuickGPSFix data to the watch via your phone, so you should get started a bit faster. It'll also automatically upload your activities. Run for your lifeThe app is set to go live for iOS users first, but isn't available just yet – TomTom's still waiting for Apple to push it through. As for Android users, TomTom told us that it's working on an Android version right now. Expect this to follow a bit later, then. With the amount of other fitness trackers on the market that already sync with our phones, it's definitely time that TomTom brought some Bluetooth love on board.   |  | Alcatel Idol X+ may arrive with smartwatch and smart bracelet in tow Dec 2nd 2013, 11:25, by Hugh Langley 
The successor to the Alcatel Idol X might be joined by a couple of wearable pals if the latest rumours are anything to go by. The new handset, currently going by the name Alcatel Idol X+, will reportedly run on MediaTek's flashy new eight-core MT6592 processor. But in an image on Chinese site MTKSJ, the silhouette of the handset appears sandwiched between a smartwatch and what appears to be a smart bracelet or fitness tracker of sorts. We do have to throw a fair bit of doubt on the image though – that bracelet looks an awful lot like a Fitbit Force, and the watch is a little Galaxy Gear in our opinion. Smart move?That's not to say it's all Photoshop lies, but we don't reckon that these are actual representations of the final products, should anything emerge. If it weren't for the huge number of companies getting in on this market right now then we'd probably be a little more skeptical. But anyone who's anyone has big plans for wearable tech these days, so it makes sense for TCL, the company that owns Alcatel, to join in as well. We're expecting the Alcatel Idol X+to come with a 5-inch full HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and a 13-megapixel rear camera. As for a possible smartwatch, we'd bet money on that running Android too.        | | Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in line for 20MP camera boost? Dec 2nd 2013, 10:35, by Thomas Thorn 
Samsung may be hunting the compact camera market to extinction if news that it is developing a 20MP camera sensor is to be believed. ET News reports that it isn't due to be released until the latter half of 2014, so we're not going to see it sat behind the Samsung Galaxy S5. Current rumors suggest that the S5 will come with only 16MP. A Q3 launch of the camera module would put it more in line with the annual refresh of the Samsung Galaxy Note series, so we'd expect the mooted sensor to potentially land in the Galaxy Note 4. A way to goBoth the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 sport a 13MP camera, and when compared to the likes of the 20.7MP Sony Xperia Z1 and 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020, Samsung is still some way off key competition. There's a chance that this camera may worm its way into the Galaxy S6 in early 2015 and potentially even a Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom midway though 2014 - the Galaxy S4 Zoom does, after all, already have a 16MP camera. Other manufacturers are pushing camera tech in new ways, with the HTC One's UltraPixels and LG G2's OIS system, and we're still waiting for Samsung to offering up something new.        | | Samsung Galaxy Grand Lite may arrive in time for MWC 2014 Dec 2nd 2013, 09:56, by Hugh Langley 
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Grand 2, but it's got plans to cover yet another price point with the Galaxy Grand Lite. According to SamMobile the Galaxy Grand Lite, as it's being referred to right now, is on its way and could be unveiled at MWC in February 2014. The phone packs a 5-inch WVGA screen, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and a microSD slot to bulk that up. The rear camera will be a 5MP deal, while there'll also be a front-facing VGA snapper and a 2100mAh battery. Dual identityConsidering the Galaxy Grand and Galaxy Grand 2 are both dual-SIM (and therefore quite popular in markets such as India), it seems obvious that it'll be the same affair on the Lite. But we expect we'll see it come further West too, with a single SIM option also being mooted. 
SamMobile states that the phone will be available from "somewhere around the fifth week of 2014" which puts it a couple of weeks before MWC. But we could also see the announcement held off until the Barcelona show. SamMobile also states that the phone will be available in white, "Midnight Black", orange and "Lime Green". So white, black, orange and green, then.        | | T-Mobile may be prepping to expand its coverage by buying spectrum Nov 30th 2013, 00:49, by Michael Rougeau 
T-Mobile has made a name for itself in a few ways, not least of them as the "uncarrier." But it's not known for its great coverage. That could change if the carrier really is about to purchase a chunk of low frequency spectrum band from Verizon, as a report from November 28 suggested. T-Mobile has been accruing cash assets, selling $1.8 billion of stock a few weeks ago and recently filing paperwork to sell $2 billion worth of bonds, according to Android Community. And it looks like it might use that cash to buy a block of spectrum in the 700MHz A and B blocks from Verizon, as the Wall Street Journal reported it would earlier in November. Widening the webThat spectrum is part of a chunk that Verizon is selling off as part of a deal it made with the FCC that allowed the carrier to purchase cable spectrum. It's not a fast block of spectrum, so it won't do anything for T-Mobile's data speeds. But it just might allow the carrier to improve its coverage, which would help its image compared to larger competitors AT&T and Verizon. Of course, this is all hearsay for now. But expect to see more headlines about the "un-carrier" soon.   | |
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