| Samsung taking high street battle to Apple with opening of 15 new stores Feb 4th 2014, 12:20, by Dean Wilson 
Phones 4U is gearing up to open 15 new stores in the UK, all with the Samsung name on them, a move that could see the smartphone giant take on rival Apple Stores. The new stores will be staffed by Phones 4U employees, but will pack Samsung-branded devices, according to Mobile News. Scott Hooton, chief marketing officer at Phones 4U, told the site that the first 15 stores will feature Samsung phones, computing accessories and wearable technology. It's not yet clear where in the UK the new stores will be located. High street warThe deal is a significant expansion on an existing contract between the two companies for a Samsung-branded Phones 4U store in the Westfield Stratford shopping centre. Phones 4U also ran some temporary Samsung stores during the London 2012 Olympics. Samsung appears to be wanting to expand big time to the high street. It recently inked a deal with Carphone Warehouse for 60 branded stores throughout Europe, between 10 and 15 of which will be in the UK and will open in April. Perfect Tim-ingIn December it also grabbed Tim Gudgel, the designer who worked on the Apple Stores, in what could not be a more obvious attempt to steamroll in on its territory. Apple has 98 stores in Europe, 37 of which are in the UK. Samsung's move will quickly give its long-standing rival a run for its money. With Apple Stores making more money per square foot than any other retail chain in the world, it is no surprise that Samsung wants a piece of the action.        |  | Sony Xperia Z2 set to slip into a size zero bezel Feb 4th 2014, 10:53, by John McCann 
The Sony Xperia Z2 is being tipped for a MWC 2014 unveiling at the end of February, and it may be sporting a super slim design if the latest photo leak is to be believed. In a typically blurry spy shot which appeared on Chinese forum Digi-woo, a handset which appears to be a Sony device - judging by the app icons and color scheme - seems to show an incredibly slim bezel down the side of its display. It's not clear how the forum poster managed to get hold of these snaps, and their poor quality throws the whole thing into doubt - but it's certainly not outside the realms of possibility that this is the Xperia Z2. 
Salt shakerAs you may have already guessed, we're recommending a heavy dosage of salt with this particular leak - but the good news is we're hopefully just a few weeks away from the official Sony Xperia Z2 launch. TechRadar will be reporting live from the Barcelona event, so stayed tuned for all the latest from the Japanese firm.        | | LG G Pro 2 camera set to get a 4K makeover Feb 4th 2014, 09:45, by John McCann 
It's no secret that the LG G Pro 2 will be launched at MWC 2014 in Barcelona, and now the Korean firm has spilled the beans on the handset's camera. Taking to its official social site, LG confirmed that the G Pro 2 would sport "OIS plus" technology on the rear facing 13MP snapper. The enhanced OIS (optical image stabilization) promises sharper images - even in darker situations - while a continuous shooting mode will see 20 pictures snapped in rapid succession. 4K videoThe post notes that the camera gets a revamped interface, as well as slow motion and Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) video recording. Round the front of the G Pro 2 you'll find a 2.1MP snapper - the same camera which is found in the flagship LG G2. TechRadar will be out in force at MWC 2014 to bring you all the latest from the Korean firm, including a hands on LG G Pro 2 review.   | | Updated: Samsung Galaxy S5 looks set for MWC 2014 reveal Feb 4th 2014, 01:13, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Samsung has sent out invitations to an event on the opening day of MWC 2014, heavily suggesting we are in for the Galaxy S5's unveiling. The company's invites advised attendees to prepare for its "new flagship product" at the February 24 gathering. The number five scribbled on the invite and a Twitter teaser image all but confirm it's time for the follow-up to the Galaxy S4 to show its face. Samsung has a history of debuting its flagship products at Unpacked events, and this one appears no different. Of course, nothing is confirmed till Sammy sings the S5's name, but it's unlikely we'll see something like the Note 4 headline this Barcelona brouhaha. Mystery phoneThe Galaxy S5's release date has been the subject of countless rumors, especially since Samsung has gotten into the habit of throwing elaborate, one-off unveilings for its signature products. However, a Samsung executive apparently spilled the beans last month that an MWC debut was in the cards, and other leaks have suggested as much. Other rumors have had the Galaxy S5's showing up sometime in March in keeping with other Samsung phone releases, though it's impossible to ignore the snaky 5's on today's invites. We may see the company's Tizen phone in addition to the S5, as another set of invitations would have us believe. Among the Galaxy S5's speculated features are an all-metal frame, a 64-bit processor, ultra-sharp screen (possibly even 2K), a new 16MP camera and, perhaps the furthest-flung of all, a retina scanner. TechRadar will be on the ground in Barcelona to bring you all the latest from Samsung's event, including hands on with all products there. And as this is only Episode 1 of what will surely be other Unpacked events throughout 2014, you can be sure we'll be there to cover those too. - Get caught up on all the latest Galaxy S5 news and rumors!
       | | Samsung may take a walk on Windows Phone-side with Galaxy S-like handset Feb 3rd 2014, 19:28, by Michael Rougeau 
Samsung has another new phone in the works, and the rumor that it's a Windows Phone handset has just been corroborated by one more source. But the serial tipster with the Twitter account @evleaks has also added some new details, including the claim that the Samsung Windows Phone is for US carrier Verizon. On top of that, it's even got a codename now: "Huron." So we can stop referring to it as the Samsung SM-W750V. Finally - and this may be the most tantalizing tidbit - the Samsung "Huron" apparently "looks very similar to a late model Galaxy S." Smile, Huron candid cameraFrom what's known so far it seems the Samsung Huron will be a high-end 5-inch 1080p running Microsoft's mobile OS. Strangely, "Huron" was also the name of an old Intel processor, though that may be nothing more than a coincidence. The Samsung SM-W750V first popped up in December, when the device's model number appeared on an India website's shipping manifesto. Granted, that was pretty thin; but in January it appeared again, and this time with more specs and firmer ground to stand on. Opposite daySamsung has been focused on Android for some time, while Nokia has enjoyed being king of the Windows Phone scene. But it's not like these are wholly unexplored waters for Samsung - its last Windows Phone handset was the Ativ S Neo, after all. Conversely, Nokia was rumored recently to be working on an Android phone alternately called the Nokia X and Normandy. It's truly a crazy world. - The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the company's latest flagship - don't miss TechRadar's review!
       | | HTC M8 said to look 'strikingly like' the HTC One, save for on-screen buttons Feb 3rd 2014, 19:00, by klee 
The HTC One was one of the slickest looking handsets to ever grace the smartphone world, and so why not stick with top-ranking design? In an off-handed remark, consummate technology leaker evleaks said over Twitter "[s]o, yeah, the M8 looks strikingly like the M7. It's too bad they already named another phone One S." There were no new photos to support evleaks' claim, but it seems the HTC One successor will look nearly identical to the first ("M7" was the HTC One's internal codename before it debuted). Despite likening the phone's new design to the differences between the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, it could be great for the HTC One 2 to feature the same machined-aluminum design. Previously leaked images of the HTC M8 revealed a metal back panel featuring a curious second hole above the camera. Early reports suggested that this extra gap could be used for the camera's secondary focusing sensor or potentially a new fingerprint scanner as seen on the HTC One Max. Buttoning up for launchWhile the phones may look alike overall, some changes should still be afoot. One such adjustment may be that the M8 will be HTC's first handset to slide its navigation buttons onto the screen. HTC Source caught an early glimpse of the HTC M8's onscreen buttons thanks to an anonymous tip. From the early look we can see the new navigation bar will match the current arrangement and style of Android 4.4 KitKat. 
More importantly, this move will help etch off some unneeded bezel and make more space for the device's rumored 5-inch display. The M8 is HTC's next big flagship gambit and as such it is likely to feature some hot specs including a 1080p screen, 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and 3GBs of RAM. We're gearing up to gander the HTC M8 during MWC 2014 or its newly rumored late March reveal in New York, so stay tuned to this space until then. - The HTC M8 will run into some stiff competition this March, check out the guns on the Samsung Galaxy S5.
       | | Windows Phone 8.1 pockets Bluetooth 4.0 seal of approval Feb 3rd 2014, 18:39, by JR Bookwalter -470-75.JPG)
Rumors abound that the next big update to Windows Phone 8 will include a notification center and Siri-like voice assistant, but users can also expect Bluetooth 4.0 support as well. Nokia Power User spied that Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update crossed yet another certification hurdle, this time for Bluetooth 4.0. The Bluetooth specification is already supported on competing iOS and Android devices. According to the listing on the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BSIG) website, Microsoft received Bluetooth 4.0 certification for Windows Phone 8.1 on January 31, more than five months after submitting the mobile OS on August 5, 2013. The BSIG certification page twice specifically includes mention of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) support, a feature that has been widely expected given the increasing popularity of devices coupled to mobile apps that support the technology. Great, but when?The first major update to Windows Phone 8 is shaping up to be quite a doozy, with new notification center settings, separate volume control and improved multitasking also tipped for release this year. When the update might start landing on user handsets is anyone's guess, but with Microsoft's annual Build developer conference kicking off April 2 in San Francisco, we wouldn't be surprised to see at least a preview version land in the hands of devs during the event. Previous sources claimed that Windows Phone 8.1 will be released to manufacturers next month, with a final release to end users arriving sometime in May. It's important to note Microsoft's BSIG listing only covers the "mobile phone operating system" itself, although Nokia has already confirmed Bluetooth 4.0 support for its Lumia line, and all Windows Phone 8 devices are expected to be eligible for the update to 8.1. - Relive the excitement of Windows 8.1 all over again in our full review!
       | | iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 'reported' to take screen resolution to the next level Feb 3rd 2014, 16:30, by Thomas Thorn 
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 are two of the most anticipated mobile launches of 2014, which is why all and sundry are keen to get the specs out to the masses - and an analyst firm with previous form reckons the next wave will have super high-res screens. A letter from KDB Daewoo Securities (who got early wind of the iPad Mini, according to Oled-display.net, which spotted the note to investors), shows alleged details regarding screen size, processor, and other key information for both new devices. The note claims that Apple is set to release two iPhones this year in Q2 or Q3, one with a 4.7 or 4.8-inch display and the other with a much larger 5.5-inch screen - which jives with reports of an 'iPhablet' in June and the new iPhone 6 later in the year. The iPhone 6 and iPhablet are set to come with a 1920 x 1080, 440ppi screen and a 2272 x 1280, 510ppi screen respectively. Inside is set to feature Apple's A8 64-bit processor as well as 2GB RAM. iOS 7.2 also comes on the devices, which seems unlikely given that Apple's yearly product releases tend to be accompanied with a whole new iOS iteration. But what about the S5?According to that same letter, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will reportedly sport a 5.2 or 5.25-inch WQHD AMOLED screen with the 2560 x 1440 display, giving a whopping 560ppi. It will also run Android 4.4 KitKat (no surprises there) on either a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 805 CPU or 64-bit 2GHz octa-core Exynos chip. In order to snap photos, the memo suggests Samsung is also set to unleash its 16MP camera on the rear with a 3.2MP effort on the front, while a 3,200mAh battery will keep things running, although that doesn't play nice with previous reports of a 2,900mAh battery. Whilst some of these specs do sound like they could hold some truth, we're still a little bit unsure. KDB Daewoo Securities isn't a source we're overly familiar with, although supposedly breaking news about the original iPad Mini shows decent form. Either way, we're sat here sipping at our mug of salt from the fishy farm just in case.   | | iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 'reported' to take screen resolution to the next level Feb 3rd 2014, 16:30, by Thomas Thorn
The Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 are two of the most anticipated mobile launches of 2014, which is why all and sundry are keen to get the specs out to the masses - and an analyst firm with previous form reckons the next wave will have super high-res screens. A letter from KDB Daewoo Securities (who got early wind of the iPad Mini, according to Oled-display.net, which spotted the note to investors), shows alleged details regarding screen size, processor, and other key information for both new devices. The note claims that Apple is set to release two iPhones this year in Q2 or Q3, one with a 4.7 or 4.8-inch display and the other with a much larger 5.5-inch screen - which jives with reports of an 'iPhablet' in June and the new iPhone 6 later in the year. The iPhone 6 and iPhablet are set to come with a 1920 x 1080, 440ppi screen and a 2272 x 1280, 510ppi screen respectively. Inside is set to feature Apple's A8 64-bit processor as well as 2GB RAM. iOS 7.2 also comes on the devices, which seems unlikely given that Apple's yearly product releases tend to be accompanied with a whole new iOS iteration. But what about the S5?According to that same letter, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will reportedly sport a 5.2 or 5.25-inch WQHD AMOLED screen with the 2560 x 1440 display, giving a whopping 560ppi. It will also run Android 4.4 KitKat (no surprises there) on either a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 805 CPU or 64-bit 2GHz octa-core Exynos chip. In order to snap photos, the memo suggests Samsung is also set to unleash its 16MP camera on the rear with a 3.2MP effort on the front, while a 3,200mAh battery will keep things running, although that doesn't play nice with previous reports of a 2,900mAh battery. Whilst some of these specs do sound like they could hold some truth, we're still a little bit unsure. KDB Daewoo Securities isn't a source we're overly familiar with, although supposedly breaking news about the original iPad Mini shows decent form. Either way, we're sat here sipping at our mug of salt from the fishy farm just in case.        | | Hang on - will it actually be called the HTC One 2? Feb 3rd 2014, 11:00, by Gareth Beavis 
Has a New Caledonian certification site just ruined HTC's forthcoming surprise? Unlikely, but at least we'll probably get a mini version. There has been plenty of confusion over what HTC will call the sequel to the One – and the New Caledonia Office of Posts and Telecommunications website has posted something that has the web convinced it will be a fairly obvious name. The site is listing the 'HTC One 2' and 'HTC One 2 Dual Sim' among all the other HTC phones ever made, prompting belief that this outlet has been privy to important information about the new phone. While it seems certain that a dual SIM version will appear to accommodate demand in other territories, the name is likely nothing more than a placeholder, as such things can change right up until the last minute with flagships such as this – and as we recently heard, March is looking good for the first time we'll actually see it. Mini marvelIn terms of matching last year's efforts, HTC is going to give the One 2 a little brother, according to noted tipster @evleaks. The info is sparse, stating only that "0P6B:HTC M8::0P8B:M8 mini", but the M8 moniker (the internal code for the HTC One 2 device) combined with the item number shows that Evleaks reckons he knows that a mini version is forthcoming. Even if this is true, there's little chance that we'll see the HTC One 2 Mini for a few months yet, as the Taiwanese firm won't want to launch both at the same time when it can get increased coverage by staggering the launches. The rumours of a new HTC device are reaching a nice boiling point at the moment though, which means we're surely only weeks away from getting our first look at what could be one of 2014's phones of the year. From Twitter, PhoneArena   | | Is Tizen struggling already? Networks reportedly pull out of launch Feb 3rd 2014, 10:51, by Thomas Thorn 
It seems that Samsung's fledgling OS is falling at an early hurdle, with networks unwilling to stock Tizen handsets and app makers unwilling to develop. Tizen, the South Korean brand's effort to bring a new player to the mobile space, was set to debut in Japan on NTT DoCoMo in mid-January but we're now in February and there is still no sign of the Tizen smartphone, with the Wall Street Journal claiming that the network didn't see demand for the new platform at this time and thus shelved plans for launch. President Kauro Kato publicly said "Tizen continues to be extremely important" but added that his network "will watch global market trends to decide on a launch". Samsung's OS is also struggling around the world. French operator Orange SA had also planned to launch a Tizen device at the same time but an Orange spokesperson told the WSJ that the development "is not as mature as we may have expected at this point", meaning Tizen is not in Orange's immediate future. Given that talk of Tizen toting handsets have been around for a while (ZTE were rumoured to have a device set for 2012 and Samsung confirmed devices for 2013), it's easy to see why expectations were so high. Are the challenges proving too much?It seems that Tizen has yet to prove itself as a viable alternative to the market leaders of Android and iOS, with Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Firefox and the upcoming Sailfish OS also left competing to try and win both network and consumer support. Telefónica of Spain decided that Firefox was a much better way to enter emerging markets, having left the Tizen Association and being the first network to commercially release a Firefox toting handset. Will your next phone be on show at MWC 2014? Samsung is still set to offer previews of the device at MWC 2014 to show off the platform, likely in hopes to give it more impetus globally and show it's a challenger platform. These previews could include both the Samsung Zeq 900 and the ZTE Geek. These devices could prove incredibly important to the Korean firm as a way to break free from the Google mothership. Every one of Samsung's Android handsets ships with Google software and leads to purchases from the Google Play store, something that Samsung knows is a very lucrative market. Its all about the money, money, money...It looks like selling the platform to developers is proving tricky too. Cash incentives, with $4 million of prizes for Tizen app developers, also aren't proving tempting enough for the larger app makers to jump on board. According to an executive at one of Android's most popular apps, Samsung approached with an offer of more than $100,000 to adapt to run on Tizen OS, only to be turned down. The problem appears to be the number of Tizen based devices on the market, a problem that is leaving the Tizen app store floundering on around 6,000 apps. "Software developers just care about the number of mobile phones on the market" said Tizen Association Chairman Roy Sugimura adding "Such an attitude makes it very difficult for Tizen to get approval because right now there are no users." This leaves Samsung wooing smaller developers in a bid to break free from a cycle; a lack of apps leading to low consumer interest, networks then eschewing Tizen handsets leaving app creators unwilling to develop. With MWC 2014 just around the corner we're expecting a massive push from Samsung to get Tizen into the public eye, and if anyone has the clout to do that it's Samsung - the same company that shipped over 72.4 million smartphones in Q2 2013.   | | HTC M8 said to be skipping MWC for a late March arrival Feb 3rd 2014, 09:40, by Hugh Langley 
We've already heard rumblings of a late March release for the HTC M8, and that's just been reinforced by a reliable tipster. Evleaks, a source who tends to be on the money, said that we can expect the highly anticipated HTC One successor to arrive post-MWC 2014 but before April. "Starting to look like a late Match, NYC launch for HTC M8," he tweeted. So what can we expect from the new phone when it touches down? A recent leak hints that this could be the first HTC handset to move its navigation buttons on to the screen. Other rumours suggest we can also expect a 5-inch 1080p display along with a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and possibly 3GB of RAM. Here's how we want the HTC M8 to look: FutTv : 03IH18h2bR06z  | |
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