Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition a no-show in the UK?
Fancy the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition? You're certainly not alone, but the bad news is it looks like it won't be available in the UK at launch, and in fact might not make it to the UK at all.
So says CNET, apparently based on information received directly from Google itself. Looks like the Nexus 4 is set to remain the best option for a stock Android handset for a while still.
Click here to read more...
When Google announced a stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 last week, it left us wondering whether we'd see rival high-end Android handsets getting the same treatment.
Yet despite HTC claiming it has “no plans” for a vanilla Android HTC One, the hot rumour on the mobile grapevine right now suggests just the opposite.
Click here to read more...
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 specs leaked
You’d be forgiven for getting a tad confused with Samsung’s many, many Galaxy Tab devices. Just a few weeks ago, the South Koreans made the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 official.
Now we’re seeing a purported spec sheet for the tablet’s slightly larger brother, namely the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0.
Click here to read more...
Vodafone Smart 3: £95 for 4in, 5MP, Jelly Bean
Remember the Vodafone Smart 2? Nah, me neither. It popped up last May, with fairly mediocre specs and a price tag of £70.
The Vodafone Smart 3 cranks the specs, but also jacks up the price by a crucial £25. Is it tough enough to punch the rest of the budget gang in the gob?
Click here to read more...
First Jolla Sailfish smartphone made official
No doubt hoping there’s room for a fifth ecosystem behind Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 is Swedish posse Jolla, which aims to keep the MeeGo dream alive with its gesture-heavy Sailfish OS.
We’ve been jawing about Sailfish for a good few months, and the details of the first smartphone, seemingly called – simply – the Jolla, have finally been revealed.
Click here to read more...
Most young Brits would rather go without sex than mobile for a week
Over the years, various surveys have shown how much we’ve come to rely on our mobile phones, with people shamelessly declaring that they’d rather go without booze or chocolate or coffee than give up their mobile telecoms device.
One recent survey, however, takes the proverbial biscuit, with the key takeaway being that a whopping 94% of young Brits would give up sex for seven days before their mobiles. Kids, you obviously ain’t doin’ it right.
Click here to read more...
HTC One production to double in May
The HTC One’s head start over the Samsung Galaxy S4 was hampered somewhat by delays, supposedly caused by production issues pertaining to the handset’s unique rear camera.
The good news is that the issues have reportedly been overcome, and the Taiwanese manufacturer is set to go into production overdrive, with twice as many HTC One units pumped out in May than in April.
Click here to read more...
JK Shin: Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit 10m sales next week, ‘more time needed’ for unbreakable displays
The Samsung Galaxy S4 storage issue has been widely publicised, thanks to folk like BBC Watchdog, but it doesn’t seem to be doing sales any harm.
We heard a few days ago that Samsung expected the Galaxy S4 to hit 10 million sales by the end of May, but JK Shin reckons it might happen as early as next week. Good lawd.
Click here to read more...
Review of the week
This week will forever be known as the week that failed to deliver the Nokia EOS, Motorola X-Phone, Google Nexus 5, Google Nexus 7 refresh, 32GB Google Nexus 4 with LTE, Key Lime Pie Android 5.0 or even Jelly Bean Android 4.3. But I have a theory about all that, one I’ll share next week.
In the meantime, the big talking point this week was the Samsung Galaxy S4 storage issue, specifically that only 9GB of the advertised 16GB is available to el usero. Anne Robinson was not happy.
Click here to read more...
Samsung sticking with plastic for Galaxy Note III, no flexible display either
With the Galaxy S4 launch now firmly out of the way, Samsung mobile fans are no doubt looking forward to the arrival of the other top-end Galaxy handset later in the year – the Galaxy Note III phablet.
But now it seems all the speculation about curved displays and aluminium construction we've been hearing may be nothing more than hot air, and neither will be present when the Galaxy Note III arrives in the flesh.
Click here to read more...
iPhone 5S: familiar on the outside, significant overhaul inside
While we’d love to see a spanking new iPhone 6 later this year, history tells us it’ll more likely be an iPhone 5S, essentially an iPhone 5 with a few tweaks under the hood.
However, some leaked pics suggest it won’t just be a case of a slightly faster processor and enhanced camera.
Click here to read more...
Samsung to reduce Galaxy S4 bloat?
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been making headlines for various reasons of late, perhaps most notably because around 7GB of the advertised 16GB storage is consumed before you’ve even unboxed the phone.
The South Koreans previously explained that it’s merely symptomatic of having an array of fantastic software features, but word on the street suggests Samsung might look to compress the significant bloatage.
Click here to read more...
I’m starting to think there’s some sort of conspiracy with new stuff. Where’s the Nokia EOS? And the Motorola X-Phone? And the Google Nexus 7 refresh? And the 32GB Google Nexus 4? And Android 4.3?
Well, we have the answer to at least one of those. Android 4.3 is tipped to accompany a white Nexus 4 to Google Play on June 10.
Click here to read more...
Nokia EOS spotted with slimmed down PureView and all-new camera software
Nokia's big launch event through the week delivered the new Lumia 925 flagship as expected, but rumours that we'd also be given a preview of the camera-tastic EOS sadly proved to be false.
But while we've not seen the EOS yet, it seems somebody has, and they've just spilled the beans in a big way on exactly what Nokia has in store for camera-loving smartphone fans.
Click here to read more...
Microsoft's 7.9in Surface RT to come in at under £200?
Tablets come in all shapes and sizes, but aside from the iPad very few have sold in decent numbers, and the majority have come and gone largely unnoticed by the gadget-buying public.
Those that have succeeded, though, have generally had one thing in common – a low price. No surprise, then, to hear rumours that Microsoft is planning a similar pocket-friendly pricing strategy for its upcoming 7.9in Surface RT.
Click here to read more...
ZTE ramps up the Intel love with Atom-wielding Grand X2 IN
ZTE and Intel are big buddies these days, and the latest product of their collaboration is the ZTE Grand X2 IN – an Android smartphone powered by a 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 processor.
And that's pretty much its most notable feature out of the way, as besides its Intel underpinnings it's very much a middle of the road Jelly Bean handset.
Click here to read more...
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 now only coming in July
You may recall the colossal Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 – how could you forget it? – and you may also recall it was originally tagged with a May on-sale date.
Well, May is already half-gone, and it looks like the second half of the month won't see anything change, as it seems the Galaxy Mega will now only be turning up in July.
Click here to read more...
Jan fired up a quick link about this last night, but when your news editor holds a spear to your groin and tells you to write a story, you write that story.
Essentially 95% (94.7%, to be precise) of Q1 2013 Android profits went to the world’s top mobile manufacturer, the all-conquering Samsung.
Click here to read more...
We’re still pretty surprised at the lack of new hardware this week (pointing the finger at Nokia and Google), but Mountain View certainly had plenty to say at I/O 2013.
I’ve already covered Google Play Game Services; now it’s time for a look at Google Play Music All Access (terrible, terrible name) and the Google Maps refresh for Android users.
Click here to read more...Samsung Galaxy S4 is the new Nexus phone
The primary Google I/O 2013 keynote wasn’t massively exciting, and there was plenty to be disappointed about with exactly this many new devices: none.
That is unless you count the Samsung Galaxy S4. Yes, the South Korean manufacturer’s flagship has gone all Nexus. What the…?
Click here to read more...