| HTC One M8 for Windows Phone brings Microsoft's OS to an Android flagship Aug 19th 2014, 14:28, by Marc Flores 
The HTC One M8 for Windows Phone is here, and it's what everyone has been waiting for! Just kidding. Well, perhaps some of you were eagerly awaiting this device, but this one's only for the US right now. In a nutshell, it's an HTC One M8 with Android stripped out and Windows Phone 8.1.1 stuffed in, just as its name suggests. If you're already familiar with the HTC One M8, this will look and feel completely familiar to you. The body is completely identical, as are all the parts inside and out: 5-inch 1080p display, 4MP UltraPixel dual-camera setup, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801, Adreno 330 GPU and 2,600 mAh non-removable battery. 
While the phone is running Windows Phone 8.1.1, HTC and Microsoft made a few tweaks so that some UI elements remain the same, or at least very similar, between both devices. The dual-camera with UFocus, for example, works with Windows Phone 8.1.1 on the new M8. Blinkfeed is on the Windows Phone version, too, but as a separate app rather than an integrated part of the UI. 
Nothing new hereThe camera UI looks very similar, too. There are some features that are missing due to differences in the platform, but HTC tried to keep many elements the same, like the menu settings. You'll also have access to the Duo camera, as mentioned before, which took a little work with Microsoft to get WP8.1 to support it. 
The phone will only come as a 32GB model from Verizon Wireless in the US. There's no word on if or when other carriers will have the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone. Speaking at a press conference for the device, HTC America Jason Mackenzie said the company had "nothing to announce" regarding global availability. Meanwhile a spokesperson for HTC told TechRadar that this would be a US-only device for now. It goes on sale Wednesday, August 20, for a promotional price of $99.99 with a two-year contract. If we had to guess, when the promotional period is over, it will go for $199.99 like most other flagship smartphones in the US. It's interesting to see HTC going through the trouble of creating a device for a platform with such small market share. But for Windows Phone fans, this is great news because the only other viable option out there is Nokia. Having a little variety is always good.   |  | Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 might join the Note 4 at IFA Aug 19th 2014, 10:35, by James Rogerson 
There have been a few rumblings that a Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 is on the way, and not only does that now look more likely, but it appears an announcement may be imminent. SamMobile noticed that firmware for the SM-G750, which is believed to be the Galaxy Mega 2, is now available online, suggesting that it may soon launch. We can't say exactly when that launch might be, but IFA 2014 is taking place at the beginning of September so there's always a chance that Samsung will announce it there. Though if it does it will likely be buried beneath the hype around the Galaxy Note 4. Middle of the roadCurrent rumours suggest that it will probably have a 5.8-6-inch 720p screen, a Snapdragon 400 or 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12 or 13MP rear camera, 8GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot, and dimensions of 163.6 x 84.9 x 8.6mm. So it should be a slight upgrade over the first Samsung Galaxy Mega, but every bit as mid-range. We were disappointed by the resolution and lack of internal storage on that phablet and it looks like the same may hold true again, but if it's priced right it could be an affordable alternative to the Galaxy Note 4.        | | Lumia 530 UK release date confirmed and it's as cheap as we hoped Aug 19th 2014, 10:04, by James Rogerson 
The Nokia Lumia 530 has a lot going for it, but its main selling point is the price, as it's now been confirmed to start at just £60 in the UK. Microsoft revealed that the Lumia 530's release date will be September 4 and that it will be available from EE, Vodafone, O2, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4u in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green and dark grey. For your £60 you get a Windows Phone 8.1 handset with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 processor, 512MB of RAM, a 4-inch 854 x 480 display and a 5MP camera. On top of that there's 4GB of built in storage along with a microSD card slot which supports cards of up to 128GB and a 1430 mAh battery. Priced to moveSo it's a low end phone, particularly when you consider that there's no front-facing camera and the rear snapper has no flash. It's also only a small improvement over the Nokia Lumia 520... but then for £60 you can hardly complain. The Lumia 520 was one of Nokia's most successful Windows Phone handsets and with a price like that we expect the Lumia 530 will repeat the trick. Not just in western markets, but will continue Nokia/Microsoft's positive surge in developing regions too, which is mission critical to the firm as it looks to increase its user base as quickly as possible. - The Lumia 730 is likely to launch soon as well.
       | | Sony Xperia M2 Aqua brings top-level waterproofing to a mid range handset Aug 19th 2014, 09:08, by James Rogerson 
Sony has just announced the Xperia M2 Aqua with little fanfare, but then this is a fairly familiar phone. It's simply an Xperia M2 that you can dramatically throw in to the sea without frying it. So it's the return of a phone for which we gave a four star review, praising its impressive battery and flagship design - only this time it can be submerged up to 1.5 metres deep in fresh water for up to 30 minutes and it's dust proof too. 
The Sony Xperia M2 Aqua has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4.8-inch 540 x 960 display with a pixel density of 230 pixels per inch. There's also 8GB of storage plus a microSD card slot, an 8MP main camera which can be used underwater, a 1.1MP front-facing one and a 2330 mAh battery, while the M2 Aqua also supports 4G and NFC. Pricing it upSo waterproofing aside it's a distinctly mid-range phone, but that's okay if the price is right. Unfortunately Sony hasn't talked price yet, but we'd be surprised if it's much more than the Xperia M2. Hopefully we'll know for sure soon as the Sony Xperia M2 Aqua is set to launch from autumn 2014 in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. - Sony's flagship Xperia Z2 is water resistant too.
       | | HTC One M8 with Windows Phone pokes up in high-res pics Aug 18th 2014, 23:34, by Michael Rougeau 
The HTC One M8 is one of the best Android phones available, if not the very best, so it's no wonder Microsoft might want to get in on the action. Now the rumored Windows Phone 8 version of the HTC One M8 has appeared in yet another leak, courtesy of Windows blog Neowin. These images may mark the best look we've yet had of the alleged HTC One M8 with Windows Phone. Unsurprisingly, it looks pretty much exactly like the existing versions of the handset, albeit clearly running Windows Phone instead of Android. 
ShockerThe WP8-equipped HTC One M8 first reared its head in June, when an alleged inside source outed its existence. Since then the phone's specs have appeared online as well, showing a 5-inch 1080p display, a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 chip, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of on-board storage. In other words, there really won't be any surprises when HTC, Microsoft and/or Verizon officially unveil the HTC One M8 with Windows Phone 8. HTC has an event lined up for tomorrow, and it seems timely for the HOM8WP to make an appearance there.        | | Meet Sharp's nearly bezel-less Aquos Crystal smartphones Aug 18th 2014, 18:25, by klee 
Sharp is best known for producing household goods like great-looking TVs and ultra-efficient microwaves. After conquering home appliances, Sharp's next move looks to be turning itself into a global smartphone maker of note. The Japanese electronics firm has announced two new Aquos Crystal smartphones including one that could make its way stateside via Sprint. While the Aquos Crystal's name might sound sparkly, it has a 5-inch display with a so-so 1280 x 720 resolution. The most impressive feature about the phone is its sharp and thin rectangular design with almost no bezel around the screen. Thinner bezels not only look better, they also make it easier to hold handsets with massive screens like the LG G3. Low barHarman Kardon had a hand in designing the Aquos Crystal's sound processing technology. Previously the audio specialist helped tune a special edition HTC One M8 released exclusively for Sprint. The phone otherwise is fairly unremarkable with middling specs starting with yesteryear's 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, which we've seen on other budget handsets like the Moto G. It also has 1.5GB of RAM and Android 4.4.2 KitKat running on 8GB of internal storage. Camera-wise users won't find much to email to home about between its 8-megapixel rear shooter or 1.2MP front-facing sensor. Sprint to the finishSpeaking of Sprint, the yellow carrier is announcing something new tomorrow. There's no official confirmation yet, but The Verge theorizes it could be related to the Aquos Crystal. Sprint's parent company, the Japanese telecomm SoftBank, will purportedly release the 5-inch handset on August 29. SoftBank will also introduce a larger 5.5-inch Aquos Crystal X in Japan this December. As a slight step up from the Aquos Crystal, Sharp's model X will essentially be the company's phablet device complete with a 1080p screen, newer 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and 13MP camera. There's no word on if or when the Aquos Crystal X might come to the US, but it looks like yet another Asian smartphone maker is hoping to join the fray alongside Samsung, LG and lesser-knowns like Huawei. - Will we also see the iPhone 6 splash onto Sprint sometime soon?
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