Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 02-18-2014

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Opinion: The HTC One 2 is in trouble - it's going to have an awful name Feb 18th 2014, 14:37, by John McCann Two years ago HTC was in a bit of a quagmire. After the success of the original Desire, its handsets had gone off the boil and consumers were rapidly forgetting about HTC - it needed to re-invigorate its brand. It dropped it's rather odd logo for a cleaner, smarter trio of letters and reordered its pack with the introduction of the "One" range. While the One X, One S and One V didn't set the world alight, HTC did at least have a brand name it could build upon, and that was brought to the fore with the launch of the excellent HTC One last year. So all is well in the HTC camp again, right? Well, no. There's now the small issue of what it'll call the successor to its best smartphone to date - and when I say small, I mean huge. That's not my name HTC is so heavily invested in the "HTC One" brand it simply cannot afford to reinvent itself again - this is a crucial time for the Taiwanese firm and if it gets the HTC M8 wrong it could be in serious trouble. That rules out the "HTC Two" early on then. Dubbed the "HTC One 2" in initial rumours, the likelihood of that being the final name is pretty low. It's untidy, clunky and just doesn't sing premium smartphone. People will make jokes about checking sound quality while pretending to speak into a mic (hilarious, guys), but at least you'll know what you're getting and it's probably the most logical option. The numbers game has worked a charm for Samsung - one look at the sales of the Galaxy S2, S3 and S4 tells you all you need to know - but it has the advantage of only one digit in the name. No one wants to say they have the One 3 or One 4 in a few years time - it just sounds stupid. Go Apple HTC could always take a leaf out of Apple's book - we have the iPad, the iPod, the MacBook - no numbers, no versions. Just a new device with the same name. Keeping the name for the One's successor would mean people will be immediately drawn to it - but that gives us a problem with the current model. When a new flagship phone goes on sale its predecessor doesn't disappear, usually it gets a price drop. You can still pick up the Galaxy S3, and even the iPhone 4S - so how would stores differentiate between the old and the new HTC One? TechRadar's Phones and Tablets Editor Gareth Beavis reckons HTC might rename the 2013 model the "One Classic", but I can't see that working out particularly well. While it may make sense in the short term, come the third iteration of the HTC One what happens then - does the M8 then suddenly become the One Classic 2? Give me a break. Plus one Something we have seen HTC do is add a suffix in the shape of a symbol or additional letter to the end of a name to signal a new product. We've had the One X+ and One SV - so what's stopping us seeing the HTC One+ launched in the next few months? I'm hoping HTC will blow us away again with the M8 - but the One+ moniker suggests an incremental upgrade on last year's flagship, rather than an entirely new device. HTC has backed itself into a corner and I can't see an easy way out for it without losing a chunk of dignity. I hope you know what you're doing HTC, because I can't think of a single name that fits a truly decent successor to the all-conquering One. My fingers are crossed for something special on March 25 MWC 2014: 5 essential tips for business travelers Feb 18th 2014, 13:11, by Désiré Athow Like tens of thousands of business people, the TechRadar Pro team will be heading for the sunnier shores of Barcelona for this year's edition of Mobile World Congress which will be held from Monday 24 to Thursday 27. To help our peers make the most of the event, we've compiled a list of tips that will make this trip that little bit easier to fathom. 1. GSMA MWC App Download the free GSMA MWC app (available for Android, Windows Phone and iOS) as soon as you can. This is a lifesaver allowing you to rapidly make your way to your meeting points and find essential amenities like the cafetaria or the loos. The app adds mobile registration as well as three "SMART" features including the ability to use a NFC-enabled mobile device, the ability to order food and skip queues and an interactive indoor way-finding gizmo. 2. A translation app Get yourself a Catalunia-English translation app. There are a few free ones (like this Offline English Catalan dictionary or Translator Voice Translate) but we'd probably suggest you get the paid ones which offer a much larger dictionary of words, add more features and get rid of the pesky adverts. 3. Power socket converters Take a few of these with you. Barcelona, like the rest of Europe, uses two-pin round sockets. Make sure the models you're taking with you are not compatible only with electric razors or other low-powered electricals. 4. A portable battery Any business traveler attending MWC will likely have a tablet, a laptop and a smartphone (if not two of the latter). Making sure that they are all topped up and ready to run is a challenge if you're away from a power socket. That's why an essential accessory for your handbag would be a battery charger, one with a sizeable capacity that can feed your electronic devices all day long. Something like this IntoCircuit Power Castle from Amazon that, in theory, should be able to provide with 26,000mAh. That's up to 12 charges for your iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S. Just don't forget to charge it again when you're back to your hotel room. 5. Go to "Four Years from now" You can attend the Mobile World Capital's "Four Years From Now", an event that is happening at the same time as the Mobile World Congress and takes place at its former venue, for free when you register via TechRadar Pro. Mobile World Capital is geared towards startups and mobile developers but even if you're not part of that audience, there's enough of quality speakers and activities going on to make it a worthy trip. Check out what to expect from MWC 2014 courtesy of Tech Radar HTC One 2 release date revealed as March 25 Feb 18th 2014, 13:10, by John McCann Everyone has been waiting for news on the follow up to 2013's excellent HTC One, and the Taiwanese firm has now given us a firm HTC One 2 release date via its Twitter feed and official event invitation. Accompanying an image which reads "save the date" and "25 03 14" is a simple hashtag of #SaveTheDate - no other information is provided, but various rumours have already pointed towards a March launch for the HTC One 2. The event is scheduled to take place in both London and New York on March 25 2014, with proceedings kicking off at 4pm (GMT) / 11am (EST). Have you saved the date? Also known as the HTC M8, it's still not clear as to the name the device will launch under, with rumours of the One 2, One+ and One S all doing the rounds. In terms of specs, various leaks seem to be pointing towards a 5-inch (or even 5.2-inch) full HD display, powerful quad-core processor, Ultrapixel camera, Android KitKat with Sense 6.0 overlay and another luscious all metal frame. TechRadar will be reporting live from the HTC event in March, so stayed tuned for all the latest from the Taiwanese firm. What we know about the HTC One 2 so far HTC Desire 8 leak points to high-end camera at mid-range price Feb 18th 2014, 12:35, by James Rogerson The HTC Desire 8 has popped up a couple of times over the last week or so and now it's back with something approaching a full spec list. The phone is set to ship with a 5.5-inch 720p display and a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor according to tipster and ROM developer LlabTooFer. Additional specs include a 13MP main camera, 5MP front facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and microSD card support. The phone will also apparently ship with Android 4.4.2 KitKat overlaid with Sense 6.0. Mid-range desires We'd heard about the screen size and megapixel count already and this new rumor matches the earlier ones, but with the rest of the specs in tow we now have a clearer picture of what to expect from the phone. It's about as mid-range as you can get, in fact on paper it's a pretty even match for the Motorola Moto G, albeit with a larger screen and a much better camera. We also can't imagine it being as cheap as the Moto G, but an earlier leaked image of the handset showed a plastic build, which suggests it will slot in below the HTC One mini and certainly below the rumored HTC M8 mini, so a reasonable price tag could be on the cards. It looks as though an MWC 2014 announcement is likely, so we should know before too long. The Desire 8 looks interesting but all eyes are on the HTC M8. HTC Desire 8 leak points to high-end camera at mid-range price Feb 18th 2014, 12:35, by James Rogerson The HTC Desire 8 has popped up a couple of times over the last week or so and now it's back with something approaching a full spec list. The phone is set to ship with a 5.5-inch 720p display and a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor according to tipster and ROM developer LlabTooFer. Additional specs include a 13MP main camera, 5MP front facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and microSD card support. The phone will also apparently ship with Android 4.4.2 KitKat overlaid with Sense 6.0. Mid-range desires We'd heard about the screen size and megapixel count already and this new rumour matches the earlier ones, but with the rest of the specs in tow we now have a clearer picture of what to expect from the phone. It's about as mid-range as you can get, in fact on paper it's a pretty even match for the Motorola Moto G, albeit with a larger screen and a much better camera. We also can't imagine it being as cheap as the Moto G, but an earlier leaked image of the handset showed a plastic build, which suggests it will slot in below the HTC One mini and certainly below the rumoured HTC M8 mini, so a reasonable price tag could be on the cards. It looks as though an MWC 2014 announcement is likely, so we should know before too long. The Desire 8 looks interesting but all eyes are on the HTC M8. Inflight entertainment will soon be beamed straight to your tablet Feb 18th 2014, 11:52, by James Rogerson Smartphone and tablet fans will soon be able to get more out of their favourite toys when on planes, as Lufthansa has developed a system which allows users to watch inflight movies on their own devices. The solution is a server called BoardConnect which will soon be installed on aircraft and linked to wireless access points inside the cabin. All a passenger needs to do is download the app for Android, iOS or Windows Phone before their flight and they'll have access to films, music, publications and more, as well as being able to order food and drink straight from their phone or tablet. Fly smart Not only is BoardConnect a far cheaper solution for airlines than building screens in their planes, it's also likely to be preferable for passengers, as often screens are of low resolution and sometimes even built into the ceiling, making it hard to get a good view. The low costs of setting it up could also see in-flight entertainment becoming far more prevalent than it is now and may eventually replace seat-back and ceiling screens altogether. It makes a lot of sense. Many people are already bringing tablets and smartphones on to planes anyway and we'd wager that a lot of them would rather consume content on their own devices. BoardConnect is already used by Virgin Australia Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines plans to install it in some of its planes starting this summer, while other airlines are in talks to use the technology too according to CiteWorld. So if you're planning a long-haul flight later in the year you might want to invest in a tablet. Soon you might be able to make calls during take-off and landing too Inflight entertainment will soon be beamed straight to your tablet Feb 18th 2014, 11:52, by James Rogerson Smartphone and tablet fans will soon be able to get more out of their favorite toys when on planes, as Lufthansa has developed a system which allows users to watch inflight movies on their own devices. The solution is a server called BoardConnect which will soon be installed on aircraft and linked to wireless access points inside the cabin. All a passenger needs to do is download the app for Android, iOS or Windows Phone before their flight and they'll have access to films, music, publications and more, as well as being able to order food and drink straight from their phone or tablet. Fly smart Not only is BoardConnect a far cheaper solution for airlines than building screens in their planes, it's also likely to be preferable for passengers, as often screens are of low resolution and sometimes even built into the ceiling, making it hard to get a good view. The low costs of setting it up could also see in-flight entertainment becoming far more prevalent than it is now and may eventually replace seat-back and ceiling screens altogether. It makes a lot of sense. Many people are already bringing tablets and smartphones on to planes anyway and we'd wager that a lot of them would rather consume content on their own devices. BoardConnect is already used by Virgin Australia Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines plans to install it in some of its planes starting this summer, while other airlines are in talks to use the technology too according to CiteWorld. So if you're planning a long-haul flight later in the year you might want to invest in a tablet. Soon you might be able to make calls during take-off and landing too Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet shows its face for the first time Feb 18th 2014, 11:28, by John McCann We've heard various rumours surrounding the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2, and now we potentially have our first sighting of the slate. Official looking press images have shown up on both the tried and tested @evleaks Twitter feed as well as a new player in the bean-spilling game - @gadgetleaks. While the latter comes in with a totally unproven track record, the slate in the images does appear to match that of the press render revealed by @evleaks, so we're inclined to give them a bit of credit. KitKat onboard? In terms of looks, if these images turn out to be genuine, the Xperia Z2 Tablet doesn't appear to be a great deal different to the original Xperia Tablet Z. It looks pretty bezel heavy all the way round the screen, although looking at the screen the tablet could well sport Android 4.4 KitKat as the wallpaper is viewable behind the notification and navigation bars. Previous leaks suggest that the Xperia Z2 Tablet with the same 1920 x 1200, 10.1-inch screen of its predecessor, but will also feature Sony's Triluminos display technology for greater viewing angles. It's also expected to pack a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD slot, 6000mAh battery, 8MP rear camera and 2MP front facing snapper. The Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is hotly tipped to arrive at MWC 2014, potentially beside a new flagship smartphone rumoured to be the Xperia Z2. The big tablets to watch out for at MWC 2014 Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet shows its face for the first time Feb 18th 2014, 11:28, by John McCann We've heard various rumors surrounding the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2, and now we potentially have our first sighting of the slate. Official looking press images have shown up on both the tried and tested @evleaks Twitter feed as well as a new player in the bean-spilling game - @gadgetleaks. While the latter comes in with a totally unproven track record, the slate in the images does appear to match that of the press render revealed by @evleaks, so we're inclined to give them a bit of credit. KitKat onboard? In terms of looks, if these images turn out to be genuine, the Xperia Z2 Tablet doesn't appear to be a great deal different to the original Xperia Tablet Z. It looks pretty bezel heavy all the way round the screen, although looking at the screen the tablet could well sport Android 4.4 KitKat as the wallpaper is viewable behind the notification and navigation bars. Previous leaks suggest that the Xperia Z2 Tablet with the same 1920 x 1200, 10.1-inch screen of its predecessor, but will also feature Sony's Triluminos display technology for greater viewing angles. It's also expected to pack a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD slot, 6000mAh battery, 8MP rear camera and 2MP front facing snapper. The Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is hotly tipped to arrive at MWC 2014, potentially beside a new flagship smartphone rumored to be the Xperia Z2. The big tablets to watch out for at MWC 2014 16MP snapper all but confirmed for Samsung Galaxy S5 Feb 18th 2014, 10:59, by James Rogerson It's looking like the Samsung Galaxy S5 will almost certainly have a 16MP camera as a new image purportedly taken by the handset points towards that sensor size. The image was revealed by Twitter tipster @evleaks and it's about as boring as it gets, as it just shows a section of a keyboard. But the interesting bit isn't the image itself, but the Exif data that came with it. This apparently shows that the device used to take the photo was a 'Samsung-SM-G900A' - believed to be a version of the Galaxy S5. The Exif data also revealed that the resolution of the shot is 5312 x 2988 pixels, which amounts to 15.9MP. The evidence is mounting If this was the only "proof" of a 16MP camera on the Galaxy S5 we'd advise taking it with a pinch of salt, even though @evleaks is usually reliable, but the 16MP rumour has been doing the rounds since August. Since then it's popped up on Antutu's database and in an earlier test shot which carried the same 5312 x 2988 resolution. With so many separate leaks and rumours all pointing in the same direction it seems pretty likely that it will be true and while 16MP might seem a little low in the face of the Sony Xperia Z1 and the Nokia Lumia 1020 it's still an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S4's 13MP snapper. Sony's got an exciting camera phone up its sleeve too. Check out the latest on the Xperia Z2. 16MP snapper all but confirmed for Samsung Galaxy S5 Feb 18th 2014, 10:59, by James Rogerson It's looking like the Samsung Galaxy S5 will almost certainly have a 16MP camera as a new image purportedly taken by the handset points towards that sensor size. The image was revealed by Twitter tipster @evleaks and it's about as boring as it gets, as it just shows a section of a keyboard. But the interesting bit isn't the image itself, but the Exif data that came with it. This apparently shows that the device used to take the photo was a 'Samsung-SM-G900A' - believed to be a version of the Galaxy S5. The Exif data also revealed that the resolution of the shot is 5312 x 2988 pixels, which amounts to 15.9MP. The evidence is mounting If this was the only "proof" of a 16MP camera on the Galaxy S5 we'd advise taking it with a pinch of salt, even though @evleaks is usually reliable, but the 16MP rumor has been doing the rounds since August. Since then it's popped up on Antutu's database and in an earlier test shot which carried the same 5312 x 2988 resolution. With so many separate leaks and rumors all pointing in the same direction it seems pretty likely that it will be true and while 16MP might seem a little low in the face of the Sony Xperia Z1 and the Nokia Lumia 1020 it's still an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S4's 13MP snapper. Sony's got an exciting camera phone up its sleeve too. Check out the latest on the Xperia Z2. 'Confirmed' Galaxy S5 fingerprint sensor will sit on home button Feb 18th 2014, 10:15, by Hugh Langley When you're Samsung, you don't get to the week before the Galaxy S5 launch without springing a few leaks. The 'if' and 'where' of a possible fingerprint sensor has been one of the most discussed parts of the S5, and Sammobile says it's "confirming" the phone will indeed come with a sensor. According to insider speaking to the site, the fingerprint sensor won't be built into the display as a previous rumor had claimed, but will be on the home button instead – a la the iPhone 5S. However the sensor reportedly still works with a swipe mechanism, requiring you to move your finger "from base to tip" at medium speed across the home key. Finger swipin' good You'll also be able to register eight different fingerprints in total, claims the same report, and assign each one a different task or app shortcut. On top of that, you'll apparently be able to lock and unlock hidden folders using your fingerprint signature, as well as hide any apps you want to keep private. Samsung hinted at new privacy features in an invite last week. Not long until we know how much of this is real - MWC 2014 is just around the corner. Why is Samsung trying to hide the Galaxy S5? 'Confirmed' Galaxy S5 fingerprint sensor will sit on home button Feb 18th 2014, 10:15, by Hugh Langley When you're Samsung, you don't get to the week before the Galaxy S5 launch without springing a few leaks. The 'if' and 'where' of a possible fingerprint sensor has been one of the most discussed parts of the S5, and Sammobile says it's "confirming" the phone will indeed come with a sensor. According to insider speaking to the site, the fingerprint sensor won't be built into the display as a previous rumour had claimed, but will be on the home button instead – a la the iPhone 5S. However the sensor reportedly still works with a swipe mechanism, requiring you to move your finger "from base to tip" at medium speed across the home key. Finger swipin' good You'll also be able to register eight different fingerprints in total, claims the same report, and assign each one a different task or app shortcut. On top of that, you'll apparently be able to lock and unlock hidden folders using your fingerprint signature, as well as hide any apps you want to keep private. Samsung hinted at new privacy features in an invite last week. Not long until we know how much of this is real - MWC 2014 is just around the corner. Why is Samsung trying to hide the Galaxy S5? Bing Health & Fitness app brings wellness craze to Windows Phone 8 Feb 18th 2014, 04:09, by Matt Swider There are a lack of compatible Windows Phone 8 fitness trackers and apps at the moment, so Microsoft has decided to roll out its very own wellness app today. Bing Health & Fitness Beta is available to download for free in the Windows Phone Store, and it actually rivals the M7 coprocessor-powered Fitbit and Nike Move apps on iOS. Like its rivals, it uses a GPS tracker to record time, distance, pace and calories burned while walking, running and biking. But it goes a step further with nutritional calculations. The Bing-themed app can help you manually record what you eat thanks to the 300,000 foods listed in its database and it comes with hundreds of workouts and exercises with step-by-step instructions, photos and even videos. Something we haven't seen before is a unique interactive symptoms checker. Part of the Bing series of apps The Bing Health & Fitness app is actually part of a larger slate of new Microsoft apps including Bing Travel and Bing Food and Drink, both of which released in beta form last month. Even if health-focused players aren't willing to bring Fitbit Force and Nike FuelBand SE trackers and their app counterparts to Windows Phone 8, Microsoft is managing to fill the "app gap." Of course, Microsoft's name was mentioned in the possible sale of fitness tracker Basis, so its app-only fitness solution could be supplemented with hardware one day for a price. Read: Microsoft extends Windows 7 shelf life as Windows 8 struggles Vodafone Australia launches global 4G roaming Feb 18th 2014, 02:00, by Farrha Khan International roaming is getting better for Aussies, with Vodafone today announcing that it will be switching on global 4G roaming mid 2014 for customers on its Roam Like Home Red plans. The Vodafone Red plans were launched last year and allows customers to roam on 3G networks for just $5 extra a day in the UK, most of Europe, NZ, US and six countries in Asia. The launch of 4G roaming, which will be available for Aussie customers travelling to NZ, the UK and Europe, follows Vodafone Australia's parent company, Vodafone Group, launching international 4G roaming late last year for UK customers. A global network Vodafone Group has been leveraging its international presence for cheaper roaming rates, and is now touting itself to have the largest 4G international roaming network. The UK arm of Vodafone is already planning on extending it's 4G roaming reach to more countries by the end of 2014, and the Australian arm has said that it will be adding more countries later as well. "Vodafone Australia is in an enviable position with the largest global network at its fingertips and therefore at the fingertips of its customers," said Benoit Hanssen, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone Australia. "To extend access so customers can continue to enjoy super-fast speeds internationally is a natural next step and the Red plans offer the best value in the industry for data allowances both here and overseas." If you are lucky enough to be on a Red plan next time you're travelling, just make sure your handset is compatible with the band of 4G being used at your holiday destination. If you're confused, here's our guide to everything 4G Roaming charges force mostly everyone to reduce Facebook use while travelling Feb 17th 2014, 20:14, by Chris Smith Fear of amassing whopping roaming charges leads to a dramatic fall in mobile use among Europeans travelling to other countries in the region, a new European Commission study has revealed. The poll of 28,000 EU citizens revealed a quarter of all people turn off their phones for the duration of a trip, while among frugal Brits the tally is even higher at 37 per cent. Those who do run the risk of racking up charges, are forgoing their usual usage habits in favour of a more conservative approach, the survey showed. 94 per cent of folks don't use Facebook and Twitter as often, while 90 cent don't check emails as regularly and as many as 47 per cent of travellers within the region never use mobile data. Finish the job The study will used by the European Commission to further it's push for the complete abolishment of roaming fees, claiming users are restricting their phone use in "extreme ways." European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes said: "It shows we have to finish the job and eliminate roaming charges. It's not just a fight between holiday-makers and telecoms companies. Consumers are limiting their phone use in extreme ways, and this makes no sense for the companies, either. The battle to ensure consumers can make use of the minutes, data and messages allocations within their domestic contracts wherever the roam in the EU is sure to continue. Last summer, the EU vowed to bring down the roaming empire by the time you jet off for your summer hols this year. Pretty soon, you could be sat by the pool, commenting on liking the Facebook statuses of those at home, as merrily as you like, totally missing the fact that you're actually on holiday. Hoorah! Samsung announces Galaxy Core LTE, for 4G speed freaks on a budget Feb 17th 2014, 19:21, by Chris Smith Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Core LTE/4G, a low-end smartphone aimed at ensnaring those users seeking super-fast data speeds, rather than high-end specs. The device, which is likely to go on show at MWC 2014 in Barcelona next week, only packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and a significantly below-HD 4.5-inch 960 x 540 PLS TFT display. On the rear there's a modest 5-megapixel camera, coupled with a negligible 0.3 megapixel front-facer, while buyers can rely on 8GB of internal storage (plus MicroSD), Bluetooth 4.0 and a 2100mAh battery. On the plus side, it can shoot 1080p video at 30fps, while the presence of TouchWiz UI means all the usual S Voice, S Translator, Continuous Shot and Smart Shot goodness. among other Samsung apps. Speed > specs The relatively unflattering spec sheet will presumably allow the company to keep the handset as cheap as possible to aid those speed-focused smartphone fanciers. Samsung has also pointed out the new Galaxy Core LTE/4G (name will depend on region), will be a category 4 device, meaning it'll be capable of harnessing speeds of up to 150Mbps, depending on what's available in the area. The company hasn't confirmed pricing or availability just yet, but has said it will be available in Europe and Asia. We'll probably get the full skinny at MWC next week, so stay tuned. Still all about the top-of-the-line specs? Here's what we hope to see in the Galaxy S5 All new Android devices must run KitKat, says alleged leaked Google memo Feb 17th 2014, 18:04, by Chris Smith Android device manufacturers could soon be banned from launching their handsets on older versions of the operating system, Google has decreed in a purported leaked internal memo. The memo, obtained by MobileBurn, expresses that all new handsets must run Android 4.4 KitKat if they want access to the Google Play Store and other Google Mobile Services like Gmail and YouTube. "Starting February 2014, Google will no longer approve GMS distribution on new Android products that ship older platform releases," the memo states. "Each platform release will have a 'GMS approval window' that typically closes nine months after the next Android platform release is publicly available." Ever-present fragmentation The reported move comes as the company looks to solve the ever-present problem of Android fragmentation, which has left the vast majority of users perennially stuck on older versions. KitKat was designed especially to befit lower-end smartphones as well as those packing the latest and greatest spec sheets, but uptake remains slow. According to stats released by Google earlier this month, KitKat has only made it onto 1.8 per cent of devices since its launch in November 2013, struggling to graduate beyond Google's own devcies. Enforcing KitKat - and ensuing versions - is a must on new devices would certainly assist in the process as smartphone users grow tired of companies launching phones on older versions, promising updates that take eons to arrive. Well, the Moto G has Android 4.4. Is it the best smartphone bargain ever? Huawei Ascend Y530 offers choice of Android at affordable price Feb 17th 2014, 15:43, by Hugh Langley Huawei has announced the UK launch of its entry-level Ascend Y530, which offers two versions of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The phone is available to grab right now over at Argos (before hitting other retailers in March) and for £150 you'll be getting yourself a mid-range handset with a 4.5-inch, 854 x 480 display. Inside is a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of expandable internal memory. There's also a 5MP camera on the rear and a front-facing VGA snapper. Sure, those specs aren't going to blow anyone away but with the option to jump from Huawei's Emotion UI to Huawei's more accessible 'Simple Android Interface', it could be a good starting point for any smartphone novices. We'll be checking out the handset at MWC 2014, so keep an eye out for our hands on: Huawei Ascend Y530 review. Your move, 'Some song' HTC Desire 8 is coming - but at MWC or in China? Feb 17th 2014, 14:00, by Thomas Thorn It would appear that the HTC Desire 8 that broke free last week has been pretty much confirmed by HTC itself. We know that firms like to try and sneak in little details about upcoming announcements inside teasers such as screen shots, and it looks like HTC has done just that on its Weibo account. Pictures posted to the feed, and spotted up by G for Games, not only seem to confirm the Desire 8 moniker but also an MWC 2014 release. The clue is in weather, shown for 24 February (the opening date of MWC 2014) albeit for Beijing rather than Barcelona. Made for China As the report points out, it is highly unlikely that HTC will run a separate event the other side of the world when everyone's eyes and ears will be on MWC. The Desire 8 could be a China-only device though, something that makes sense given the clamouring for larger screens in Asia. We hope that isn't the case with rumours of a 13MP rear and 5MP front camera wrapped in a reasonable price tag certainly giving enough reason to pay attention - the other alternative being that a smaller version will be release in Europe, although we've not heard as much on such a thing. HTC may also be hinting at more than just the pixel size of the front camera with a rough translation saying "I like to take pictures and I also like to show the essence of selfies". Suggestions are that this is a 'beautification' mode, although we'll wait until an official announcement before we put the salt away there. If an MWC announcement is on the cards you can guarantee we'll be there to bring you all the news. The Desire 8 might make an appearance but we don't expect to see the HTC One 2 there. Mystery Jakarta phone turns out to be BlackBerry Z3 Feb 17th 2014, 13:07, by Thomas Thorn 2014 could be the year BlackBerry tries to pull off one of the greatest tech comebacks of all time, with the Canadian firm looking to the budget market to help give it a nudge in the right direction. According to n4bb.com we could well have laid our eyes upon that budget device, although the Jakarta development name has been dropped for the less inspiring BlackBerry Z3 moniker. The renders suggest the Z3 will join the all-touch realms of the BlackBerry Z10 and Z30, despite CEO John Chen stating that we could be in line for more physical keyboards this year. Doing budget the right way? Unfortunately these kind of renders can be knocked up fairly easily and with no clear source provided we're taking them with a pinch of salt for now. Current rumours have the BlackBerry Z3 Jakarta as the Canadian firm's first proper budget device, with it tipped to include a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB RAM and rumoured to retail at around $150 (about £90). The BlackBerry Z3 could pop its head up at MWC 2014 next week so check back as we'll be bringing you all the news as it happens. We could see the BB Z3, but what about these phones? Take 2: Sony Xperia Z2 bares all in new video Feb 17th 2014, 11:15, by Thomas Thorn It seems like the Sony Xperia Z2 just can't keep itself out of the pre-MWC 2014 limelight with a second video showing off the handset in all its glory. A much shorter video popped up only a few days ago, claiming to show the Sony Xperia Sirius D6503 in action, but this time round we get to see more of the handset. Both videos were published by Rimas Flyil, so we can't make any direct comparisons for authenticity, although there's a good chance that we're looking at the real thing. At the end it highlights just how far Sony has come in terms of fixing the viewing angles that we found to be particularly poor on the Xperia Z1. Design wise it appears little has changed from the Xperia Z1 with the standard Sony waterproofed ports all in order, including that microSD slot, but the speaker at the base is now three dots rather than a long bar fitting in with previously leaked photos. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPeYgwhFn1M New OS, new UI Running Android 4.4.2 KitKat also means that Sony's UI has been tweaked and now takes a few hints from Samsung's TouchWiz; a simplified home mode as well as smart gestures that allow you to answer a call just by putting the phone to your face. The video also shows that the Xperia Z2 will come with the same 20.7MP camera that was present on both the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact and the camera app appears to have been given even more attention. This attention means fancy new modes; the much rumoured 4K recording makes an appearance again, as does Motiongraph, which allows for the creation of GIFs as on the Galaxy S4. Background defocus will "take photos with beautiful background blur like a DSLR camera" while CamScanner claims to turn the Xperia Z2 into a mobile document scanner. We could be set to see the Sony Xperia Z2 debut at MWC 2014 next week, so keep your eyes peeled here for the full scoop.

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