Samsung and Tizen

Samsung's setting out on its own against Apple and Google.

With its Android market share near maxing out, Samsung has a plan in mind to stay on top. In the first quarter of 2012, Samsung became the highest sellling smartphone vendor. Google has realized that Samsung's growth has overshadowed Google itself and has bought out Motorola for the purpose of competing with Samsung on a wider front. So, it would be in Samsung's best interest to high-tail it within the next few years. Samsung has announced quite recently in fact, that in the upcoming months they will debut a smartphone that will be running the still premature, open-source OS known as Tizen.

The TIzen Project is run by Samsung and Intel. It is completely and strictly an open-source system for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices since September 2011. And Samsung’s newest phone as yet unnamed would be the first ever to use Tizen. Samsung's prototype of this new OS was first seen at MWC this past February. It was reminiscient of the Galaxy SII and its OS looked very much like a stock version of Android. Though it is young, it has a chance with Samsung's huge fan base and marketing team.

Galaxy S4

Galaxy S4

 The brand-new flagship smartphone, which runs the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, improves upon its predecessor. And by super-sizing the screen and packing in so much specialized software, the GS4 sets itself even farther apart from the iPhone. The Galaxy S4 has the same design as the S3, but the screen is now 5 inches, the resolution upped to 1080p, a much higher battery capacity 2,600mAh, with a faster processor, and a higher mega pixel rear-facing camera. But it's the software that Samsung has been pushing. There are a few features that you would be hard-pressed not to want. The IR blaster is one of these (the HTC One has this, too), speech-to-text and text-to-speech translator, and eye-tracking and gesture technology that let you pause a video automatically when you look away and let you hover your finger over an item to preview it.

 Samsung also showed off a new feature during the S4 release known as S Voice Drive. This feature will let drivers make calls, send messages, and check the weather.

The S4 has the same edges and physical home button as the Galaxy S3, but it's lighter and thinner, at 7.9mm thick and 130g. The GS4 is part polycarbonate (making it a higher build quality than the S3) but it isn't as classy as the all-metal HTC One or the iPhone 5. Samsung refuses to give up plastic for a few reasons, including durability and price.

Updated Notification Tray

The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display. It packs a now standard 1920x1,080 pixel resolution with 441 ppi. The Galaxy S4 uses a special sensitive screen that lets you use it even when you're wearing gloves. Located above the screen are the new Atmel Sensors along with the other usual sensors and the 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Below the screen is the physical home button, with the usual capacitive menu and back buttons. The new IR blaster is located on the top of the device, near the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung's Touch Wiz overlay. Samsung uses TouchWiz to add a whole new host of software enhancements, like gestures, and a larger notifications tray that offers more settings toggling than stock Android does. Samsung also introduces the S Translator tool with TouchWiz 2.0. It is integrated with e-mail and ChatOn. ChatOn now includes three-way video calling, screen-sharing, and video calls that make use of both cameras.
Another noteworthy feature is Group Play. It lets you connect to other Galaxy S4 devices to share music, photos, documents, and even play multiplayer games. Gun Bros 2 and Asphalt 7 have been adapted for the new Group Play feature.
Also included with the Galaxy S4 is S Health, a calorie-counter/pedometer that uses phone sensors like the accelerometer and barometer combined with a Samsung-branded fitness wrist band.
Eye-tracking gestures
Smart Pause and Smart Scroll are two features that build off the Galaxy S3's optional Smart Stay feature, which kept the screen from dimming when you looked at it. In the GS4, tilting the screen up or down while looking at it scrolls you up or down. The new Smart Pause feature pauses and resumes video depending on whether or not you're looking at the screen.

Air View and gestures

Hover your finger to preview a video clip or image from the photo gallery, glance at browser tab thumbnails, find your place on a video timeline, and check out an e-mail. You'll also be able to magnify calendar events and get a closer look in speed dial. Flipboard has built a customized app to work with Air View, which lets you hover over a tile to see which articles lie beneath.
You can also wave or wipe your whole hand in front of the screen to pick up a phone call or switch songs in a playlist. Sliding your hand back and forth can go through photos in a gallery, or browser tabs. You can also scroll up and down in a list.
Cameras and video
Samsung is hoping that its refreshed interface and enhanced features will impress. Perhaps the most out-there is the dual-shot mode, which takes photos and video from both the front- and rear-facing cameras, and combines them into one (LG's Optimus G Pro does this, too.)Even more new modes include Sound & Shot, which takes a picture and captures up to 9 seconds of audio (similar to HTC's Zoe), and Drama Shot, which combines all the actions from a burst shot into a single frame. If someone is jumping you see all stages of the leap in one shot (The HTC One also has this) 

Performance
The Galaxy S4 will either come from a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series processor, or from a 1.6GHz eight-core chipset, Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa core processor depending on your location. The Galaxy S4 will also support LTE. The phone has a large, 2,600mAh battery. In terms of storage and memory, the Galaxy S4 has 2GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, and another 64GB available through the microSD card slot. 

This phone will be sure to make waves and disrupt other company's phone share. This may also be the phone that will finally unseat Apple. Many of its features are slightly gimmicky, but they function. If Samsung can refine its new features it may change the way we look at mobile phones.

HTC Sense 5.0

HTC Sense 5.0

HTC's newest overlay

HTC's new Sense 5.0 overlay has been surrounded by mixed feelings since its unveiling earlier this year. HTC has taken steps to ensure that its brand will stand out of the crowd. This includes their new overlay. Sense has taken strides since its introduction. Sense 5 has taken dramatic changes from Sense 4. All throughout its life it has been either loved or hated. This version features a more minimalistic design, and new scrolling news source known as "BlinkFeed", which is reminiscent of Flipboard and Windows Phone live tiles, displays a series of news headlines and social network content. Sense 5 only uses two home screen pages: one with a traditional grid for apps and widgets, and Blinkfeed with a redesigned clock, although more pages can still be added and you don't have to use Blinkfeed. Sense 5.0 will not be available to the HTC One; on February 28, 2013, HTC announced that it would provide updates for the DNA/Butterfly, One S and the One X/X+ to Sense 5.0 in the coming months. Other changes include the use of the Roboto font and a vertical scrolling app drawer instead of the widely used horizontally scrolling one. All of the lockscreens also feature the new HTC clock and weather widget, which is located at the top of the app drawer. It's a simplified version from the original HTC clock. It's cleaner, easier to read, and blends in better with Android Jelly Bean.

HTC's updated camera app is extremely easy to use. Its very sparse and clean, allowing you to see more of what you're shooting. Toggling flash on/off, recording video, and applying fun filters are easy to access. From the settings, you have full control over everything from resolution, white balance, contrast, exposure, and ISO. It's also where you'll find settings for self-timer, HDR, and panoramic options. There's also zero-shutter lag due to the monster processor and the fact that HTC has near perfected its camera app.


HTC's new version of Sense has been refined and cleaned thoroughly though many think that the new Blinkfeed feature causes bloat. HTC's new version of Sense along with the HTC One is critical to the company's success and HTC' CEO has threatened to step down if it isn't successful.

Galaxy S4 Mini

Galaxy S4 Mini leaks? These May be Legit.

SamMobile released some pictures on its site that reveal a design similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4. The photos confirm that the S4 mini will even feature the new polycarbonate back cover of its bigger brother. The Galaxy S4 mini won't pack an amazing CPU, but instead a 1.6GHz dual-core processor and a 4.3" Super AMOLED 256ppi display with a resolution of 960x540 pixels. It's slightly bigger than the Galaxy S III mini, which features a 4" WVGA display. The S4 mini's processor type isn't known at this point, but its known from the photos that the smartphone will run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. According to the source the Galaxy S4 mini is expected to make its debut in June or July this year.

LG/Samsung Patent War

Samsung vs. LG Patent Warfare. Sound familiar?

VS

LG is publicly demanding that it receive compensation for what it claims is copyright infringement
on its newest technology. LG is claiming that Samsung copied its eye-tracking technology in its upcoming smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4. LG is still looking at its patents before it decides whether it is pursuable. Samsung claims it doesn't infringe on any of LG’s patents, although this wouldn’t be the first time they have had a patent war. The technology is more of a face-tracking tech instead of “eye-tracking.” Both phones simply check to see if you’re still looking at the screen. If you are, the screen will stay on. Samsung and LG both have technology that pauses video. Samsung calls this Smart Stay and LG calls it Smart Pause. Another fought over feature is the Dual-camera addition. The Dual-camera allows for picture in picture effects and more convenient video-chat features. This is also not the first time that Samsung has been accused of patent violation. Its fight with Apple still continues over similarity of design. Apple is known to sometimes cry foul so this may be the first legitimate accusation that it has received. After LG's outcry, Samsung claimed that LG stole its LCD technology for use in its phones and then right after that LG yet again complained that Samsung stole its OLED technology. This is all very up in the air so we are all hopeful that soon this will all be sorted out.

Odin Processor

Odin Processor

LG has stacked itself against the likes of Samsung with its newest smartphones the Optimus G and the upcoming Optimus G Pro, F5, and F7. It has also announced that it will be manufacturing its own processor to be featured in its rumored LG Optimus G2. Its rumored to unveil it this Fall, as the successor for the Optimus G. This processor is rumored to be an eight core system with standard ARM 15 and ARM 7 structure (though this may change in the months to come). Like the Exynos 8 core processor that will be featured in the international version of the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 2, it will feature 2 quad-core groupings; the ARM 15 to handle the nitty-gritty and the ARM 7 to handle low performance tasks. 

The Optimus G2 will be similar to its predecessor

An LG official told the Korea Times newspaper that, “LG Electronics is going to mass-produce the Odin processors by using finer 28-nanometer level processing, applying high-k metal gate (HKMG) technology. The processors will be used in LG’s next flagship Optimus smartphone ― the Optimus GII ― which will probably be unveiled in this fall’s IFA trade fair.” Even though LG does not have their own processor manufacturing factory, the company will be able to pull of mass production through Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). A company spokesman said LG is going to use the Odin Processor to strengthen its competitiveness similarly to Samsung with its upcoming Exynos Octa-core processor. “CEO Koo Bon-joon is injecting more resources in smartphone-related projects to fully revive the business. LG is striving to transform itself into a major fabless chip-making firm by increasing the number of its qualified chip designers and giving authority to associated divisions,” the officials said. 

All in all, this new chip should add some new twists to an already tense market situation for most cell phone manufacturing and this should raise LG to new heights as a dominant power. Its success is critical to making smart moves regarding publicity and upcoming releases. If it follows in Samsung and Apple's footsteps we may have a new mobile power in the market.

Android 4.1 Root

Android 4.1 Root

Easy Android 4.1 and 4.0 root process

Bin4ry down at XDA Developers have come up with a way to root any Android 4.1 or 4.0 device easily through a script. This process just makes life easier. Check it out here.

How-To:
1.) Download the file.
2.) Extract it 
3.) Open RunMe.bat and follow the instructions!


Video Tutorial: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...6#post33470626

Optimus G in Europe

Optimus G finally released in Europe

Newly upgraded for European release

 Months after the release of the LG Optimus G, Europeans are finally able to get their hands on it. There had been rumors that the Optimus G would be available in Europe before the end of Quarter 1, and these rumors held true. Better yet, the Optimus G has been 'enhanced and improved' for its European debut. The big news is that the Optimus G now releases with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.This upgrade is just now being released to U.S. Optimus G owners on Sprint's 'Now Network'.

With the Jelly Bean upgrade, the Optimus G receives all of the normal Google treats like Google Now and Project Butter, but LG has thrown in a few exclusives too. QSlide, for example, which allows users to use multiple applications at once as transparent layers on top of each other is integrated into the UI. Other integrated exclusives include Safety Care and Privacy Keeper. The LG Optimus G will go on sale in Sweden before the end of the March, and will then be released to other European territories including France, Germany and Italy. Despite being overshadowed by the Nexus 4, the Optimus G is still an excellent smartphone. This is a great option if you are in the market for a new phone. With a 720p HD IPS display with multiple viewing angles and a Gorilla Glass 2 encased body, this is a beautiful piece of hardware. The upcoming Optimus G Pro will not be released in Europe so this is definitely a great alternative.

iOS 6

iOS 6

New features of ios 6 and how to upgrade

iOS 6 is Apple's latest upgrade for its products. The new OS was shipped out this past fall.  You can update your Apple device to iOS 6 through the iTunes service after the iTunes 10.7 upgrade. Devices not receiving the upgrade include the original iPad, iPod Touch 3rd Generation, and phones prior to the iPhone 3GS.

Features

iOS 6 has removed Google Maps and YouTube. The new built-in Maps app gets rid of lag from Google's servers, making it smoother. New Maps features include turn-by-turn navigation in certain countries, 3D views and traffic. Turn-by-turn navigation is only available for iPhone 4S or later and iPad 2 or later. 3D viewing is only capable on the iPhone 4S and up, iPod touch 5th generation, and iPad 2 or later. Another change is the addition of a podcast app instead of the ability to download Podcasts through regular iTunes. iOS 6 also keeps certain documents like admission tickets and coupons with the new Passbook app. An Apple device with Passbook can be scanned under a reader for use. The Siri personal assistant now includes the ability to make restaurant reservations, launch apps, dictate Facebook or Twitter updates, find movie reviews and sports statistics. Siri is also now supported on iPhone 5, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 3rd generation, iPad 4th generation and iPad mini. Facebook has now completely integrated with Apple. New privacy settings are available. iOS 6 also comes with a "Limit ad tracking" user control in the general settings menu.

Android 4.2 Root

Android 4.2 Root

The guys down at XDA Developers have done it again, releasing a root process for Android 4.2. If you for some reason aren't happy with your current OS, just root and flash a new ROM. This is a stock build of Android 4.2.2, Jellybean, which was released for HSPA Galaxy Nexus devices on 2/11/13. All they did is rooted the system, installed busybox, set the boot.img to insecure, and packaged up the ROM into an easy to install zip file. You can get this root file here.

Features

• The latest Android OS, 4.2.2 Jellybean build JDQ39
• Insecure boot.img (allows for elevated commands such as adb remount)
• Rooted with the latest su binary and SuperSU app
• Busybox 1.21.0 installed for increased functionality of root applications and terminal commands
• Deodexed for easy themeing and modding
• Odexed version also available for purists

Credits

• Google - for developing Jellybean, the best version of Android yet!
• Chainfire - for quickly updating SuperSU for Jellybean!
• Goo.im - a great host and resource for developers and the Android community in general
• Anyone I may have missed - thanks for all your contributions!

LG Nexus 4

LG Nexus 4

Newest Smartphone directly from Google

The Google Nexus series is a line of smartphones running stock Android. This means no carrier or branded bloat. This is the purest form of Android. This is a phenomenal phone to own if you are a developer or someone who likes to hack and toy with your device. Size wise, the Nexus 4 is 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – which means it is similar to its predecessor. But it is much more to look at and hold. The front is all glass in piano black and life-proof thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 2.
At 139g, the Nexus 4 isn't the lightest handset around but it gets away with carrying that extra weight and argues with those who say Android devices look like toys. The screen is also invisible when off. When it lights up, you're treated to 4.7-inches of True HD IPS Plus. That's 768 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density of 318. It is razor sharp but not as good as some of the devices coming out in the next few months. There's no removable back so that no removable battery and no expandable storage. The battery isn't so much of a problem since the 2,100mAh battery pack is great but the lack of memory card allowance is annoying and a deal-breaker for some. But, the addition of wireless charging is definitely a plus.The greatest thing about this phone is the price. For just a second lets think about the HTC One line. An HTC One X from HTC is still around $700. The price for a Nexus 4 device with extremely similar specifications? No its not $700. Its not even $500. One of these bad boys will cost you up to $300. Google is selling these devices for dirt cheap. This shows one of two things: either a)these devices are extremely marked up and we are fools to pay $600-$700 for them or b)Google is significantly subsidizing these phones at a loss to gain attention. Despite these measures there are still deployment problems. LG is having production issues and these devices have only recently come out of a backorder line.

The Nexus 4 runs Android 4.2 which includes some effective changes from 4.1.  Google's introduced a new keyboard which supports swipe functionality, repackaging the killer quality of Swype.
It's also added toggles to the notification bar which allow you to control things like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and brightness. Another new addition is something called Daydream. Your phone takes a simulated 'nap', playing a screensaver instead before it goes to sleep. You can no longer move the Android search bar. It is stuck at the top of each home screens. Having an immovable Google search bar seems a little extreme. Speaking of Google Now, that's all there. Google Now has been extremely slow and glitchy in the past. This doesn't appear to be the case with the Nexus 4 which gives really quick and speedy responses. Navigation is conducted with the three on screen soft keys that appear and disappear at the bottom of the display as and when needed.

As per the camera the Nexus 4 comes with two – an 8MP one around the back and a 1.3MP snapper on the front. 8MP seems to be the industry standard at the moment, but it's not about the megapixels but so much more. All of the pieces of this photo puzzle are important including the aperture, the compression and a whole lot of other things. Videos are shot in 1080p, but you can also switch to 720p or even 480p. Full HD files are large so its nice to be able to sacrifice quality for storage space, but HD is beautiful on that screen. Accessing the video camera is a little difficult, but Google has streamlined it so that you have to go in through the camera app and then change the input method which takes an extra second or two.

Sony Xperia Z

Sony Xperia Z

Sony's latest edition to their Android line

Sony made a scene with their new life-proof phone, the Sony Xperia Z. The phone is 146g and IP57 certified. This means that it is dust proof and water proof up to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. Running Android 4.1.2 (with a 4.2 upgrade scheduled for later, of course) on a Qualcomm 1.5Ghz processor, this thing is plenty fast. It has a primary camera that is 13.1MP that shoots 1080p video and a 2.2 MP secondary camera that also shoots in 1080p@30fps. Packed with 16GB of storage (expandable with up to 32GB on micro SD) with 2GB of onboard RAM this thing should last a while before it fills. Its display is 1080 x 1920 pixels and 5.0 inches with an approximate 441 ppi pixel density.  It is currently going through the deployment process.

The 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU is very, very fast, and onboard specs prove that the Sony is at the forefront of mobile technology. Sony has finally joined the rest of the mobile crew by stacking 4 cores inside the processor with this flagship phone. It's packing quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chip with 2GB of RAM. This processor may be a bit dated but it is still top of the line. This makes it one of the fastest Android phones. This processing power means that Sony’s new flagship device is quick to run most Android applications and games, but there is still brief moments of lag. This is probably due to the fact that the Xperia Z is using an Snapdragon S4 Pro instead of the newer Qualcomm 600 processor. Hopefully a software update can prove this theory wrong. Sony’s OEM layer is on top of stock Android. This skin offers some nice features. The lock screen is one example of this. It simulates window blinds. You can also equip the lock screen with shortcuts; similar to Android 4.2 although Sony's version is still quite primitive. Sony has included some exclusive goodies especially in the NFC realm of things. The device can communicate with other Sony products, but most features are meant for use with the newer Bravia TV's. Just by touching the phone to the TV you can display pictures and video on your Bravia TV. 

Speaking of pictures and video, Sony has installed a 13.1MP primary shooter on this phone. It is also capable of shooting 1080p video. The camera is packed with the usual mobile phone camera features including ISO and HDR. You can also use 'Superior Auto' and let the phone select the correct scene for the picture you’re taking. HDR is also available during video recording, which results in some great footage.

With a bright 5-inch screen and quad-core CPU, the Xperia Z is definitely in need of a strong battery pack and power saving features. With heavy usage on high brightness, you’ll get between four to five hours. Mobile phone manufactures are usually aware of this and pack in battery saving features to compensate in their own ways. Sony has created Stamina Mode. This feature shuts off data activity when your screen is off. When in use at night, Stamina Mode is effective enough to ensure that battery use is extremely minimal.

Sony’s previous Xperia devices have always been under the competiton, but with the Xperia Z, it seems like Sony's finally entered the competition. Even though this phone isn't launching with Snapdragon's newest processor and Android 4.2 OTB, this phone is packed full of good stuff. The quad-core processor is a crazy fast, the 1080p screen is very sharp and the waterproof design will help the phone go places with clumsier users (which is most of us) who really do tend to drop their expensive phones into water.

Galaxy S4 3/2/13 Rumor Round-up

Galaxy S4 Rumors

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is said to be sporting the best specs on the market

Samsung has sent out invitations for an event in New York City that is set to take place on March 14th. And while Samsung hasn’t said what it will be announcing at the show, it’s clear that it’s going to be the Samsung Galaxy S4.
What this means is that on March 14th, we will finally hear all about the Galaxy S4, its features and yes, its release date. We still don’t have a specific picture as far as its release date is concerned but we do have several rumors.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.CR7Mh78G.dpuf

 While the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date remains unknown, the Galaxy S4 launch date has been announced. Samsung has sent out invitations for an event in New York City that is going to take place on March 14th. Even though  Samsung hasn’t said exactly what it will be announcing at the show, it’s clear from the invite that it’s going to be the Samsung Galaxy S4. This means is that on March 14th, we will finally hear all about the Galaxy S4 and its release date. No one has a specific picture when it comes to its release date is but there are plenty of rumors.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will almost certainly improve on the display that Samsung included with the Galaxy S3 which specifically was a 4.8-inch 720p resolution display.
Rumors thus far have all suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be coming with a full HD 1080p display though they have not agreed on what type it may be. A report has claimed that the Galaxy S4 may not feature a Samsung AMOLED display like the one Samsung showed off at CES 2013. At CES, Samsung quietly showed off a 4.99-inch FHD display with 1080p resolution using Super AMOLED technology. The new rumor claims that Samsung may opt for a SoLux Display with LCD technology though that remains unconfirmed.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will almost certainly improve on the display that Samsung included with the Galaxy S3 which specifically was a 4.8-inch 720p resolution display.
Rumors thus far have all suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be coming with a full HD 1080p display though they have not agreed on what type it may be. A report has claimed that the Galaxy S4 may not feature a Samsung AMOLED display like the one Samsung showed off at CES 2013. At CES, Samsung quietly showed off a 4.99-inch FHD display with 1080p resolution using Super AMOLED technology. The new rumor claims that Samsung may opt for a SoLux Display with LCD technology though that remains unconfirmed.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

 

A report from Korean publication claims that Samsung will be including Atmel’s latest maXTouch S sensors on the Galaxy S4 which could allow users to make on-screen gestures without touching the display.
The Galaxy S4 would not be the first smartphone to feature this type of technology, but it certainly would be the biggest name to. Previous smartphones like the Sony Xperia Sola and Pantech Vega 4G LTE included touch less gestures but the feature was said to be a drain on battery life and gimmicky. The new sensors from Atmel are said to provide better battery life.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

A report from Korean publication claims that Samsung will be including Atmel’s latest maXTouch S sensors on the Galaxy S4 which could allow users to make on-screen gestures without touching the display.
The Galaxy S4 would not be the first smartphone to feature this type of technology, but it certainly would be the biggest name to. Previous smartphones like the Sony Xperia Sola and Pantech Vega 4G LTE included touch less gestures but the feature was said to be a drain on battery life and gimmicky. The new sensors from Atmel are said to provide better battery life.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

A report from Korean publication claims that Samsung will be including Atmel’s latest maXTouch S sensors on the Galaxy S4 which could allow users to make on-screen gestures without touching the display.
The Galaxy S4 would not be the first smartphone to feature this type of technology, but it certainly would be the biggest name to. Previous smartphones like the Sony Xperia Sola and Pantech Vega 4G LTE included touch less gestures but the feature was said to be a drain on battery life and gimmicky. The new sensors from Atmel are said to provide better battery life.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

A report from Korean publication claims that Samsung will be including Atmel’s latest maXTouch S sensors on the Galaxy S4 which could allow users to make on-screen gestures without touching the display.
The Galaxy S4 would not be the first smartphone to feature this type of technology, but it certainly would be the biggest name to. Previous smartphones like the Sony Xperia Sola and Pantech Vega 4G LTE included touch less gestures but the feature was said to be a drain on battery life and gimmicky. The new sensors from Atmel are said to provide better battery life.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will almost certainly improve on the display that Samsung included with the Galaxy S3 which specifically was a 4.8-inch 720p resolution display.
Rumors thus far have all suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be coming with a full HD 1080p display though they have not agreed on what type it may be. A report has claimed that the Galaxy S4 may not feature a Samsung AMOLED display like the one Samsung showed off at CES 2013. At CES, Samsung quietly showed off a 4.99-inch FHD display with 1080p resolution using Super AMOLED technology. The new rumor claims that Samsung may opt for a SoLux Display with LCD technology though that remains unconfirmed.
What is quite clear though, and rumors align with this, is that the Galaxy S4 will come with a full HD 1080p display of some kind and will likely sport a high pixel-per-inch (PPI) count. However, big resolution may not be the Galaxy S4 display’s only enticing feature.
- See more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/01/samsung-galaxy-s4-rumor-release-date-roundup/#sthash.ZT5D5Uc3.dpuf

 Samsung will definitely improve upon the display of the Galaxy S3. Samsung will almost certainly be installing a 1080p display into its newest flagship device. As for the display type, there has been some discrepancy as the company may have abandoned its own AMOLED technology; instead choosing a new SoLux panel for its new flagship device. Reports from Korea also say that this device will also feature touch-less gesture technology from Atmel. Technology similar to this is already incorporated into the S-pen on the Galaxy Note series. As far as design goes, the most credible design leak has come from SamMobile.  This supposedly shows the Galaxy S4's boot up screen. As you can see the design is similar to the rest of the Galaxy line. The only visible difference is the sharper edges.

Rumors say that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature a 13 MP primary camera with a 2.1 MP front facing camera.The Galaxy S4′s most recent camera rumor comes from a potential camera sample, discovered by Androsym, which means a 13MP camera will be on board the new Galaxy S4 device. This camera sample shows a large amount of detail as the image is zoomed in far enough to see dirt and dust on the keyboard. One of the biggest debates that has come up about the Galaxy S4 is which processor will be inside the device when it launches. Early rumors and benchmarks show that we could see the Exynos 5 Octa quad-core processor, Samsung’s new processor that it debuted at CES 2013, be inside the Galaxy S4 first. Since then though, benchmarks and a more recent report from Taipei Times have suggested otherwise. According to the report, the Galaxy S4 could be equipped with the Qualcomm 600 in regions like the United States while Europe and other regions could see the Galaxy S4 come with the Exynos 5 Octa processor later on during deployment. The device has also been rumored to be sporting a 2,600mAh battery. This beats the HTC One's supposed battery as well as its predecessor the Galaxy S3. As for OS, rumors and benchmarks have pointed to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the latest version of Jelly Bean, being on the device at launch. It will also be equipped with have Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. With the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung introduced Nature UX which brought a handful of smart features like the ability to turn the phone over to silence a call.It will be interesting to see what features the Galaxy S4 will bring to the table. No pricing has been set for the Galaxy S4, but it is anticipated that it will go with the Galaxy S3's pricing standard.

What are you most excited for? Will you upgrade to the S4 or are you going to buy the One instead?

LG Optimus G Pro

LG Optimus G Pro

A challenger worthy of the Galaxy Note II

It looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note Series finally has a worthy challenger. LG unveiled its LG Optimus G Pro at MWC this past week and it is gorgeous. When it comes to software LG included some new goodies to improve brand reputability including LG's QSlide UI which lets you run several apps at once, and even drag them around the screen in small windows.You can also adjust the transparency of these windows as you multitask. LG is working hard to comeback into the world of smartphones and they are doing a great job of trying to make a new name and face for the company in the Android realm of things.

The LG Optimus G Pro comes with a 5.5-inch IPS Super LCD 1080p screen, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU (which is also used in the HTC One and possibly the Galaxy S4) and an Adreno 320 GPU. The LG Optimus G has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded by a  microSD (by up to 32GB). The handset also has a 13 megapixel rear camera capable of dual recording, 360 degree panorama features, and a 2.1 MP secondary camera. In terms of design, the LG Optimus G Pro looks quite appealing. It has a similar appearance to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but it’s not as wide, so it'll be a little easier to use with one hand and it will fit better in your pocket. This may appeal to a wider range of customers making this device more popular. It will be available in two colors (white and black). The back of the device is similar to that of the Nexus 4 and the Optimus G; both populat phones by LG.

  The Optimus G Pro is big on connectivity with WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotpsots, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2, NFC and DNLA. As for the networking, LG has joined the big boys with 4G connectivity. The Optimus G Pro has support for LTE, GPRS/EDGE, and HSDPA/HSUPA. It also comes with a pretty massive 3,140 mAh battery which is removable and can be wirelessly charged. And it will come running Android 4.1.2 right out of the box. The stock Android 4.1.2 is skinned with LG's custom UI which is similar to Samsung's Nature UI.

If the Samsung Galaxy Note Series finally has a worthy challenger it will be this phone. LG's grand unveiling of the Optimus G Pro at MWC 2013 has turned heads and will attract lots of buyers LG has included lots of new goodies to improve brand reputability including LG's QSlide UI which lets you run several apps at once. Many of these features do need to be refined, but for sure LG is moving in the right direction with its new flagship phone. LG is working hard to comeback into the world of smartphones and they are doing a great job of trying to make a new name and face for the company in the Android realm of things.

Which features are you most excited for? Does LG stand a chance against the Galaxy Note series?

HTC One

The HTC One

Best Android Smartphone of 2013?

The HTC One is widely hailed as the the best Android or otherwise smartphone displayed this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. HTC is desperately hoping that this phone could put them back into the spotlight. HTC has fallen into the shadow of Samsung. HTC own a meager portion of the market share dropping 60% in just 5 months. Trouble was first announced with a 70% year on year drop in profits for Q1 2012 and a 35% year on year decline in revenues. After losing most of its One series profit shortly after the debut of the Samsung Galaxy S3; HTC is extremely cautious of a similar scenario this year. HTC has put all it has into its 'aluminum-clad savior' which releases this March. Timing and marketing is extremely important for this Taiwanese company to survive the next few years.

On paper this phone is amazing. It launches with Android 4.1.2 with Sense 5.0 overlay. It has an Android 4.2 upgrade ready right after launch. There should be no worry about not getting Key Lime Pie this May (Android 5.0) because the HTC One has the tech to handle at least a few more evolutions of Android. Sporting a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 quad-core 1.7GHz Krait 300 processor this beast is plenty fast. It comes with 2GB of on board RAM with either 32GB or 64GB of non-expandable storage. This lack of a expandable storage may be a deal-breaker for some, but HTC does offer 25 GB of free Dropbox Cloud storage for up to 2 years. This total of 89GB of total storage should be plenty for most users. This phone is also equipped with a 2,300mAh battery which should break HTC's trend for short battery life which has driven away potential customers.

HTC is also known, along with Nokia, for excellent camera performance. HTC has backed away from the MegaPixel war and has decided to opt for Ultra Pixels. This technology increases the pixel size and allows for up to 300% more light exposure. This reveals photos that are just as quality as cameras that have 13MP. This risky move by HTC could be dangerous but initial camera images have surfaced and initial tests to prove that its camera is an exceptional snapper that also takes 1080p video. The One's secondary camera is a 2.1 megapixel beauty and this number is now seen across the board as most MWC 2013 smartphones are equipped similarly (e.g. Sony Xperia Z). It also is equipped with the dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2 for excellent pictures and video. Some other Camera goodies HTC has provided us with include a BSI sensor, 2.0 μm Pixel size, 1/3 'Sensor, F2.0 aperture, 28 mm lens, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Smart Flash: Five levels of flash automatically set by distance to subject, Front Camera: 88 wide angle lens with HDR capability, 1080p Full HD video recording for both front and back cameras, HDR Video, Continuous shooting and VideoPic, Slow motion video recording with variable speed playback, HTC Zoe™ with highlights and HTC Zoe™ Share, Retouch with Object Removal, Always Smile, and Sequence Shot.

Looking at hardware this device boasts a full aluminum block casing; the first of its kind. The device is 137.4 x 68.2 and 9.3mm at its thickest and 4mm at its thinnest. It is on the heavier side but it isn't too bulky, weighing in at 143g. The display is a magnificent 4.7in with 1080p LCD3 technology. The display is the sharpest available on paper with a never-before-seen 468ppi.The device has no physical home button, with HTC opting for 2 capacitative buttons instead of the standard 3. HTC has removed the multitasking button, replacing this feature by allowing a double-press of the home button to open multitasking. It is NFC capable and also equipped with Bluetooth 4.0. One of the more showcased features of this phone is the IR blaster located within the power button. This allows the phone to be used as a remote for many objects including TV's and cameras. HTC has also unleashed 'BoomSound'. This feature encompasses the new noise cancellation feature (Sense Voice), the dual frontal speakers,  and of course HTC's signature BeatsAudio.

This phone is packing all the top specifications of 2013. HTC is definitely placing the fate of its company into this smartphone. Definitely this phone has what it takes to be the top smartphone of 2013, but it may be overshadowed by the Samsung Galaxy S4 on March 14. HTC must really play their cards right to win this one.

How excited are you for the HTC One? Can it beat the Samsung Galaxy S4 this March? What do you like best about this phone?

Best Smartphones at MWC

MWC Smartphones

Even though HTC was crowned king there are plenty of choices

At the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Spain there are many phones of interest. Many contenders fight for high-valued attention at one of the largest consumer electronics exhibitions in the world. Among these brands are some classics, as well as some new members to the game. New phones were released and shown-off this year and almost all of these come with top of the line specs. Brands include LG, HTC, Huawei, Sony, Asus, ZTE, Motorola, and Nokia.

HTC made a stellar appearance with their new HTC One phone, boasting some of the best specifications, technology, and features available on the market today. This phone is a follow-up to the HTC One line which failed specifically to overtake Samsung's Galaxy S3 last year. The company's fate rests in this phone releasing internationally in early March (most likely the 7th) and in the U.S. in late March (most likely the 22nd). The company has lately spiraled into chaos. Their market share has decreased exponentially however if the company plays their cards right they will be able to reestablish the HTC empire of early Android. The phone has received rave reviews so far and really is a crowd pleaser with its full aluminum chassis and 1080p display. On the software side of things, HTC Sense appears to have gone in an entirely different direction. Sense 5.0 is much simpler, but it definitely is fare from stock Android. Some people will love it and some will hate it just like any OEM skin.

LG made quite the entrance with its much anticipated LG Optimus G Pro. The phone is designed as a challenger to the popular Galaxy Note series from Samsung. It boasts a 5.5-inch, 1080p Super IPS LCD panel, the same quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor as the HTC One, a 13-megapixel camera, and a monstrous replaceable 3,140mAh battery. When it comes to software LG included some new goodies to improve brand reputability. LG's QSlide UI layer lets you run several apps at once, and even drag them around the screen in small windows.You can also adjust the transparency of these windows as you multitask. LG is working hard to comeback into the world of smartphones and they are doing a great job of trying to make a new name and face for the company in the Android realm of things.

 
Chinese brand Huawei made a name for itself this year at MWC with its new phone the Ascend P2. Though it only sports a 720p LCD display don't count it out of the fight in 2013. It is one of the fastest 4G phones that will be available in 2013. The Ascend P2 features a 4.7-inch, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 13-megapixel camera, a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, and a sleek, 8.4mm-thin body. On the inside is LTE Cat 4 support for download speeds of 150Mbps, plus NFC support, and a big 2,420mAh battery. It definitely the best phone that Huawei has ever produced. Huawei has claimed that it is the "world's fastest smartphone". No one is sure of this but its LTE Cat 4 support should make its 4G the fastest currently available. The validity of Huawei's claim should be put to the test soon after its release.

 

Sony made a scene with their new life-proof phone, the Sony Xperia Z. The phone is 146g and IP57 certified. This means that it is dust proof and water proof up to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. Running Android 4.1.2 (with a 4.2 upgrade scheduled for later, of course) on a Qualcomm 1.5Ghz processor this thing is plenty fast. It has a primary camera that is 13.1MP that shoots 1080p video and a 2.2 MP secondary camera that also shoots in 1080p@30fps. Packed with 16GB of storage (expandable with up to 32GB on micro SD) with 2GB of onboard RAM this thing should last a while before it fills. Its display is 1080 x 1920 pixels and 5.0 inches with an approximate 441 ppi pixel density. Granted it isn't as good as the HTC One in this regard it is still better than any thing else currently available. It is currently going through the deployment process.


Nokia released several new phones at MWC this year. Most of these are mid-to-low range phones. The company has placed its trust in the Windows 8 OS and is quite successful in its pursuit of making high quality Windows phones. The company unveiled the Nokia 105, the 301, the 520, and the 720. The company is known for having one of the best cameras in the smartphone market with exceptional detail and excellent low-light performance. They also unveiled a new NFC like feature based upon Bluetooth without pairing devices. They announced camera upgrades as well as manufacturer specific OS bonuses.

Many other high class phones have been revealed including the RAZR HD the successor to the RAZR. Underneath the 4.7-inch Super AMOLED 720p display lightning fast web access on the move with great 4G support and the latest edition of Jelly Bean. Motorola is known for their great battery life and says the battery will survive an entire day on a single charge and a special Smartactions’ function will help boost battery by lowering screen brightness and switching off apps to conserve power. Just 8.4mm thin, the latest RAZR also boasts an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot HD video and there's also a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera.

What's your favorite phone from MWC? What phones are you looking forward to for the rest of 2013?