05/23, 9:00am
Rsponse to rumors of Apple, others going with sapphire instead
A new test video, along with explanation and question period, shows Corning firing back at rumors that Apple and other clients may switch to using a sapphire glass cover in future products. In addition to showing that Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 is stronger and more resistant to damage, the US-based glass company says that their product is more eco-friendly, cheaper to make, and more flexible for designing products.
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05/23, 7:15am
BlinkFeed, BoomSound, video highlights transfer to new Desire
HTC is continuing to develop for its Desire range of devices, and has introduced the Desire 600. The mid-range device inherits a number of features found in the HTC One, including the BlinkFeed news and social feed on the homescreen, 30-second video highlights generated from images taken during an event, as well the BoomSound audio processing and speakers.
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05/23, 6:45am
HTC One fairing well, but Samsung maintains strong lead
HTC says it has sold nearly five million units of its HTC One smartphone. Although only around half of the 10 million Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones sold, the figure is still a strong result. The news will be a morale boost for the Taiwanese company amid reports that it has lost several senior executives following a disastrous first quarter that saw the company return just $2.8 million profit on over just $2 billion is revenue.
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05/23, 1:39am
Lumia form gets aluminum frame
Following a formal unveiling last week at a press event in London, Nokia has brought its new Lumia 925 handset to Las Vegas for CTIA's spring expo. Electronista had a chance to try out the T-Mobile edition, which pairs the company's traditional Lumia form and premium camera features with a new aluminum frame.
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05/23, 12:11am
Galaxy S III reached 10 million shipped 50 days after launch
Samsung Electronics has announced that global channel sales of its Galaxy S4 has surpassed 10 million units shipped in less than one month after its commercial debut. Launched globally on April 27, the phone is estimated to be selling at a rate of four units per second. Shipments of the Galaxy S III reached the 10-million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the Galaxy S II took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same milestone.
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05/22, 3:09pm
Firmware update to offer subscription for phone tracking, recovery team aid
Samsung will soon be providing a theft recovery service for its devices, starting with the flagship Galaxy S4. LoJack, created by Absolute Software for securing notebook computers, will be released for Android, with Samsung embedding it into the firmware for future activation, in the event that the phone is stolen from the user.
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05/22, 1:03pm
Five patents claimed infringed, two covering Google Now
Apple has filed its amendment to its ongoing courtroom battle with Samsung, adding the Galaxy S4 to its list of infringing devices, just as it told the US District Court in California last week. The filing specifically names five patents said to be infringed by the Galaxy S4 itself, two of which are apparently infringed by Google Now.
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05/22, 7:12am
HTC losing executives as it struggles to turn its fortunes around
HTC’s woes seem to have cut into its staff morale with a several senior executives said to be leaving the company, reports The Verge. HTC’s Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera left the Taiwanese smartphone maker last week, joining an exodus that has taken place over the past three months. Other senior execs to leave the embattled company include Jason Gordon (VP Global Communications), Rebecca Rowland (Global Retail Marketing Manager), John Starkweather (Director of Digital Marketing) and Eric Lin (Product Strategy Manager).
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05/22, 1:36am
New rugged budget smartphone
Kyocera is one of several companies to bring new phones to CTIA's spring show in Las Vegas, introducing the Hydro Xtrm. Like most of the company's other handsets the Xtrm is a budget device, however it offers a higher level of ruggedness compared to its predecessor. Electronista had a chance to handle the new phone at a special event following the first show day.
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05/21, 7:28pm
19-year Apple vet takes reins of new division to invigorate Intel mobile
Intel has noted that it has appointed Mike Bell to lead its emergent technology and product trend group, which includes ultra-mobile products. The new division will be "tasked with turning cool technology and business model innovations into products that shape and lead markets," according to Intel.
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05/21, 12:27pm
Software-defined modem hits 150Mbps speed without hardware changes
Nvidia has updated its latest mobile chipset with support for Category 4 LTE connectivity. Tegra 4i, similar to Tegra 4 but includes an integrated Nvidia i500 LTE modem, managed to upgrade from Category 3 and its 100Mbps connection to LTE-Advanced and a possible 150Mps speed, without performing any changes to the hardware.
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05/21, 9:42am
Android favored among those who can't afford post-paid, study finds
Sales of prepaid smartphones in the US consumer market have risen dramatically, doubling in the last year and "continuing a string of more than 12 quarters of triple-digit sales increases" according to a new report from market analysts NPD. Prepaid phones -- defined as either premium smartphones such as the iPhone bought outright to avoid a contract or low-end smartphones aimed at lower-income consumers -- increased 11 percent in year-over-year in the first quarter of 2013.
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05/21, 8:34am
F3 uses 4.0-inch WVGA display, dual-core processor
An image allegedly of the LG Optimus F3 has appeared online. The smartphone, following on from the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 revealed at Mobile World Congress in February, is said to be heading to Sprint later this quarter, alongside the Optimus G Pro, and is expected to be a mid-range offering from the manufacturer and carrier.
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05/21, 8:23am
Google teases Android fans with Key Lime Pie references at I/O
Although many were expecting Google to announce a new version of Android at Google I/O, it did not materialize. Instead the major product announcement was for a stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which will only be available to US customers. Although the next version of Android is likely to be an incremental ‘Jelly Bean’ update widely thought to be Android 4.3, the rumored next major revision of Android dubbed ‘Key Lime Pie’ may have been given a subtle ‘hat tip’ during its developer conference.
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05/21, 8:15am
Encourages donations to Red Cross after storm kills more than 91
In the aftermath of the devastating tornado that cut a path of destruction through Oklahoma City on Monday, wireless carrier AT&T announced that overage charges would be suspended for the area until June 30 as part of an effort to assist victims, many of whom lost everything. Due to high call volumes as friends and family check on their loved ones, the company said it would add additional resources to relieve cell congestion.
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05/21, 7:29am
Opera for Android out of beta, already passes 350K downloads
Opera for Android has now exited beta, three months after it was first made available to users through the Google Play Store. The official release is free and is available for download now. Opera touts a number of features that users will prefer over other mobile browsers including an ‘Off-Road’ mode that helps to stabilize web connections when the connections become patchy, while also reducing data consumption.
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05/21, 6:26am
International customers to miss out on stock Android Galaxy S4
The ‘Google Edition’ of the Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Android will be a US-only model it has been revealed. The long anticipated device is set to go on sale on June 26 for $649 will only be available through the US Google Play Store with no current plans to expand its availability internationally. The news will come as a blow to users who like what the Galaxy S4 hardware offers, but don’t like Samsung’s TouchWiz version of Google’s Android operating system.
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05/20, 7:21pm
New displays slightly exceed Apple's displays in iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro
Samsung Display announced today that it is showcasing several mobile to extra-large-sized display prototypes at the Society for Information Display’s Display Week. These include a Full HD 1920×1080 mobile AMOLED 4.99-inch display with the world's broadest color gamut, a 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 LCD for tablets, and a 13.3-inch 3200 x 1800 LCD for notebooks.
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05/20, 3:02pm
Ruggedized phone shows bumpers on back, hardware buttons
Images reported to be of the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 Active have surfaced, complete with a ruggedized casing. The leaked photographs come at the same time as a fresh rumor claiming Samsung is creating a Mega version of the Galaxy S4, following on from the Mega devices revealed by the company last month.
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05/20, 8:02am
Changes to lock screen, main UI appear in test firmware
A future update for the Samsung Galaxy S III could include a number of features carried over from the Galaxy S4, according to a report. The pre-release ROM using Android 4.2.2 as a base, still undergoing testing by the manufacturer, adds new options to the lock screen, as well as a number of design cues carried over from the Samsung flagship smartphone.
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05/20, 6:59am
Samsung releases revised TecTiles NFC stickers for Galaxy S4
Samsung has released an updated version of its NFC tagging stickers that will work with the Galaxy S4. TecTiles 2 can be assigned individual on-device functions, like automatically updating Facebook and Twitter with a predefined status or muting all sounds, that are triggered when scanned by an NFC-enabled Samsung smartphone running Android. A pack of five updated TecTile stickers cost $15.
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05/20, 6:48am
Jolla smartphone with Sailfish OS set for release in late 2013
Jolla has revealed its first smartphone to run its Linux-based Sailfish mobile operating system. If you’re wondering how the Finnish company plans to survive in the cutthroat mobile space, things become clearer when Jolla looking at its features, which includes 100 percent app compliance with Android apps. The first handset is set to reach the market “by end of 2013” and will be simply titled “Jolla” (pronounced ‘Yo-la’) and will retail for 399€.
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05/19, 4:03pm
Picture may be from forthcoming Galaxy Note device
A new image has appeared online that could have been taken by an as yet announced Samsung Galaxy Note III. The image appeared on SmartFan over the weekend, showing nothing of much interest. What was notable was the image's EXIF data, which lists the device taking the picture as GT-N7200.
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05/19, 3:06pm
Last generation flagship arrives on T-Mobile with LTE
An LTE version of Samsung's Galaxy S III will be showing up on T-Mobile's network even as Samsung has moved on to the next generation of its Galaxy S series. The carrier already supported the Galaxy S III, but T Mobile's network wasn't LTE-compatible until just last month.
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05/19, 5:17am
How do the US and international versions of the Galaxy S4 stack up?
We have already published our full review of the Galaxy S4 for the US, which ships with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor. In some international markets, the Galaxy S4 ships with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa, an eight-core chip that uses ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture. We have been using one for the past week, putting it through its paces, although our focus here is to see whether US customers are missing out on any performance.
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05/18, 1:32pm
Carrier confirms ISIS support via Twitter
T-Mobile customers wanting to use Google Wallet are out of luck, as the carrier confirmed this week that it's blocking the mobile payment solution. Instead, T-Mobile wants its customers to use ISIS, a carrier-backed standard that is currently only available in two metropolitan areas. The confirmation marks T-Mobile as just the latest of the major carriers to block Google's standard as they prepare to roll out their own.
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05/17, 6:32pm
HTC technically infringing, but patent likely seen as not valid
The Mannheim Regional Court has stayed one chapter of the ongoing Nokia versus HTC trial in Germnay. Judge Andreas Voss ordered the stay over a feature proving supervisory remote permission management to employees' Android-based phones and tablets. While HTC is infringing on the patent, the court believes the patent itself to be invalid.
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05/17, 5:05pm
Mobile users spending tree times as much as portable console users
A report by market analysts App Annie and IDC continue to show that mobile devices such as the iPhone or the Nexus 7 control a clear majority of mobile gaming interest and dollars spent on purchases, with portable handhelds fading rapidly. The first quarter of 2013 saw another milestone achieved for the Android platform, with it seeing more downloads and consumer spending on games than iOS for the first time.
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05/17, 3:59pm
Race to 10M sales faster than Galaxy S3 by almost three weeks
Samsung is expecting to hit the 10 million sales milestone for its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, in the next week. If reached, Samsung co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun believes it would become the fastest selling smartphone in the company's history, beating its predecessor to the very same sales barrier by almost three weeks.
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05/17, 2:00pm
FIPS 14-2 certification, STIG approval opening DoD doors
Apple's iPhones, iPads and other devices running iOS 6 or higher are officially cleared for use on the US government's secure networks, the Department of Defence announced on Friday. The final approval, which we first reported on in March, also grants Samsung Android devices that are running the Korean company's Knox security lockdown, as well as BlackBerry devices running BB10 the ability to be used on secure networks. The move is expected to further hurt BlackBerry, as it faces competition in the military space for the first time.
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05/17, 1:53pm
Higher sales could help HTC turn around loss of profit in Q2 results
HTC is working on doubling the amount of HTC One devices it can produce, in order to meet what it calls "strong demand" from its customers. The company aims to manufacture twice as many of the flagship smartphone as it did last month, with a view to increasing it further as time goes on, after overcoming supply chain issues and a legal misunderstanding with Nokia over its microphones.
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05/17, 11:31am
Lower-cost glass could be used for iOS, Android, other mobile devices
The maker of the Gorilla Glass used in iPhones and other mobile devices has unveiled its latest fusion-made, resilient glass for high-resolution displays. Corning, which is also continuing its Gorilla Glass line with a third version this year, officially introduced a "second-generation glass substrate" called Lotus XT Glass. The new variant features many of the properties of some of Corning's other products while being easier and cheaper to manufacture -- a fact that may persuade tech companies to use it in figure products.
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05/17, 9:29am
White version of Google smartphone identical in specification to original
A white version of the Google Nexus 4 smartphone could be released in the next month. A rumor suggests the white mobile device will become available through Google Play on the 10th of June, and will be accompanied by the release of the next iteration of the Android mobile operating system, version 4.3.
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05/17, 7:14am
The HTC One could be the most enticing Android smartphone yet
The HTC One may be the ultimate iPhone switch-inducing Android device yet, even if the Samsung Galaxy S4 juggernaut remains unstoppable for the time being. There are a few of key aspects of the HTC’s Android flagship device for 2013 that makes it the most likely to interest Apple iPhone 4, 4S and 5 users itching for a change of scenery, but who can’t wait as long as September when Jony Ive’s design-influenced version of iOS could be released. Many iPhone users also love the beautiful industrial designs that Jony Ive has cooked up for the iPhone over the past few years. For many, however, even if they have contemplated switching to an Android device, most were simply not made to Apple’s high standards of design and finish -- until now.
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05/16, 12:55pm
Google+ Hangouts to gain SMS integration, outbound calls, Google Voice
The new Google+ Hangouts app will soon have SMS integration, though this is likely to be only within Android. The Next Web notes that the permissions list for the app includes listings for reading and sending SMS messages from within the app, something which would bring Hangouts in line with Apple's iMessage app. A message by Google employee Dori Storibeck confirmed that SMS integration is on the way, along with outbound calls and Google Voice features.
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05/16, 10:31am
Shipments for iOS rises for the quarter, market share drops
Shipments of Windows Phone devices have overtaken those of BlackBerry phones for the first time, according to a report. Numbers from IDC places the Microsoft mobile operating system in third place, still a considerable away behind iOS and Android shipments, which are said to make up 92.3-percent of all shipments when combined.
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05/16, 9:30am
All makers and platforms enjoyed growth in ad impressions in Q1
A new study by mobile advertising analysts Millennial Media finds that Apple's iOS is again the dominant platform for ad impressions, a measure of the effectiveness and engagement with in-app advertising. The report found growth in ad impressions across platforms and manufacturers, apart from BlackBerry which continued to shed users. Apple again swept the hardware results, taking the top manufacturer, top smartphone, and top tablet. Google's Android platform, however, continues to make great strides in growth.
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05/16, 8:29am
Phone-tablet gains boost to processor, internal storage
Asus is making a number of changes to its Fonepad, increasing a number of core specifications for customers in Taiwan. The 7-inch phone-tablet, seen by Electronista earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, will receive a processor upgrade from the current 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 to the faster 1.6GHz Z2460, also from Intel.
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05/16, 8:16am
HTC not planning stock Android version of HTC One
HTC has said that it isn’t planning to issue a version of the HTC One running stock Android. The company issued a statement on the matter following the surprise, but long awaited, announcement at Google I/O that it will be selling a version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Android. “HTC is not currently planning a ‘Nexus Edition’ of the HTC One,” said an HTC company spokesperson.
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05/16, 7:08am
Televised investigation forces Samsung to work on space issue
Samsung is working on reducing the amount of internal storage in the Galaxy S4 that is taken up by the operating system. After a number of customer complaints and an investigation from the BBC consumer affairs show Watchdog, the company will try to shrink the room its TouchWiz implementation and other items it has added to the base Android installation.
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05/16, 6:57am
JAYS updates a-JAYS Five with all-new design in three versions
Swedish audio maker JAYS has released the latest version of its popular a-JAYS Five series earphones. Unlike the previous model that came in one edition, the new lineup comes in three discrete models, each individually tailored to iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. Each of the three models features its own three-button remote that supports all the remote functionality of each type of smartphone running each OS.
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05/15, 8:50pm
Read Now section allows quicker access to items
Google has updated the iOS and Android versions of Play Books with the ability to upload already-owned books and documents. The option supports PDF and EPUB files, but uploads must be done via the Google Books website. Any uploaded titles sync across devices.
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05/15, 6:50pm
Google believes FTC consent decree restrictions overstated
A Google-made appeal filing in the Motorola Mobile versus Apple smartphone patent trial in Judge Richard A. Posner's court has been made public. Controversially, the Google-owned Motorola claims that the still-pending FTC consent decree it agreed to does not prevent it from seeking an injunction against Apple products -- claiming that in refusing a 2.25 percent fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) license, Apple is unwilling to negotiate in good faith for use of the patent.
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05/15, 5:02pm
Microsoft allegedly completely disregarded terms of service, API rules
A week-old update of Microsoft's YouTube for Windows Phone is the target of a cease-and-desist order from Google, demanding that the app be immediately withdrawn from the Windows Phone Store and each downloaded copy be remotely disabled by May 22. The complaint centers on the total lack of advertisements and disregard of the YouTube terms of service by Microsoft in developing the app.
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05/15, 4:35pm
Cellphone allegedly sends aircraft off course
An iPhone has been blamed for a navigation error during a commercial airline flight in 2011, fueling the ongoing debate surrounding in-flight device usage. According to a Bloomberg report, an unnamed regional airliner experienced compass malfunctions when climbing past 9,000 feet, sending the aircraft off course until a flight attendant asked a passenger to turn off an iPhone.
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05/15, 3:44pm
Drives developers to freemium model, hurts platform
New research from F-Secure Labs on the prevalence of malware on smartphones, along with developer data on game app piracy rates paints a pretty clear -- and damning -- portrait of Android compared to other mobile platforms. The growth in mobile malware on Google's platform is increasing at such a pace that the malware threat is approaching the relative level of compromised Windows systems, while the rampant piracy is driving developers away and making paid apps scarce in favour of the "freemium" model.
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05/15, 3:11pm
Reminder cards, suggestions for media part of Google Now additions
Google Now, the predictive information service, has received a number of updates, in how it works and what it shows. The Google I/O attendees saw Google Now showing options for new cards, including ones for dedicated reminders, as well as activating voice recognition without pressing a button, and adding it to the Chrome browser.
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05/15, 10:07am
Heat transferred from phone processor to graphite radiator via liquid tube
NEC has unveiled a smartphone aimed at women, which it claims to be the first in the world with a water or liquid-cooled processor. The Medias X 06E, forming part of NTT DoCoMo's summer release list, uses a tube of liquid that transfers heat from the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor to a graphite radiator located elsewhere on the phone, spreading generated heat across the phone instead of in a single place.
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05/15, 7:21am
Samsung said prepping stock Android version of Galaxy S4
A surprise rumor is circulating ahead of Google I/O suggesting that Samsung and Google will reveal a new version of the Galaxy S4 that runs stock Android instead of Samsung’s own version of Android, TouchWiz. According to reports, the device will be known as the Samsung Galaxy S4 ‘Google Edition.’ However, it is not expected to form part of Google’s Nexus line as it the hardware was not-co-developed with Google as is typically the case for Nexus-branded devices.
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05/15, 6:00am
The HTC One Double Dip Shell complements the One nicely
As our review of the HTC One highlighted, there is little doubt that HTC has crafted an impressive device. Although it is made from sturdy and robust materials including aluminum on its front and rear, many users will still want to keep it looking as good as the day they bought it. HTC has stepped into the frame with its own custom Double Dip Shell for the One that offers a tailor-made solution for protecting the device.
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