Google's 2nd Gen Nexus 7 to be Announced in May, Partners with Asus

When will Google announce the successor of Nexus 7?

Nexus 7, an Android tablet designed by Google and made by Asus, has been sold more than 6 million units by the end of January 2013. Equipped with a 7-inch 1280 x 800 display and powered by a quad-core processor, this device is priced at very reasonable prices: $199 for a 8 GB model and $249 for a 16 GB model. Currently we got the rumored from DiGiTimes, said Google is planning to introduce a successor of Nexus 7 (Nexus 7.7?), probably on their I/O event in May.

It's said the second generation of Nexus 7 will have a Full HD display in 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The machine will be slimmer in thickness with smaller bezel as well. As to price issue, the new Nexus tablet may maintain the same price strategy as its predecessor (between $199-249). As a member of Nexus devices, this device may run upgraded Android Jelly Bean OS (Why not Key Lime Pie?).

The combined shipments of Google's first and second generation Nexus 7s are expected to reach 10 million units in 2013, according to sources from the supply chain.

So is it right time to purchase a Nexus 7 now? That's really hard to say. Despite its reasonable price, tablet is still not a must-have for many people. Let alone a newer and better Nexus tablet may probably come 2 quarters later. Potential consumers can even see something next month at MWC 2013 and maybe find a suitable tablet instead.

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Rumor: New Pic of Samsung Galaxy S4 Leaks, Probably Announced in April?

When will it come?

What would be the most expected smartphone for customers in 2013? iPhone 5S? Probably yes. Well, another handset should be the long-rumored Galaxy S4 from Samsung mobile. According to engadget's report, Samsung has sold more than 30 millions units of Galaxy S3 during last year. Thanks to the great succeed of Galaxy series, Samsung is currently the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.

OK, let's get to the point. Thought the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 hadn't been announced at CES 2013, the first photo of handset was leaked in early January. However, the lack of Samsung's signature physical button makes people doubt its authenticity.

Rumored Samsung Galaxy S4, pic leaked in early January

It's said the second pic of rumored Galaxy S4 has been hidden on Picasa for more than a month. The guy who uploaded the pic claimed that it's a S4. From the picture below, we can see this new device has different design from S3 with a larger screen and thinner bezel.

Rumored Galaxy S4 (left), pic found on Picasa

Rumored specs of the Samsung Galaxy S4:

• 4.99-inch 1080p full HD display
• Octal core 1.8 GHz Exynes 5 processor
• Runs newest Android
• 13 MP rear camera
• 2GB of RAM
• microSD card slot
• 4G LTE
• Wireless charging

What make the pic interesting is the date on the phone: April 22. Since Samsung usually puts release date on its upcoming products, could it be possible for the company to announce Galaxy S4 on that day?

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CES 2013: 4-Inch Budget Windows Phone 8 Huawei Ascend W1 Unveiled

Huawei Ascend W1,pic from Windows Phone Central

Two months ago I posted an article about Huawei's very first Windows Phone 8 --- the Ascend W1, which should had been announced in December. According to CNET's report, Huawei finally unveiled this tardy handset at CES 2013 in Las Vegas.

The phone's hardware specs are almost the same as previous leaked ones.The Ascend W1 comes up with a 4.0-inch display in 800*480 pixels resolution. It also has a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor (with Adreno305 GPU), 512 MB of RAM, expandable 4GB of ROM (up to 32GB), a 1950 mAH battery, a 5 MP rear camera, a 0.3 MP VGA front facing camera, a detachable back case and NFC.

Dimensions of the handset is 124.5*63.5*10.5 mm. Several colors are available for the case: blue, pink, white, black, etc. Seems like it's configuration is a little higher than HTC 8S, another budget Windows Phone 8.

Based on the interview between CNET and Richard Bhudhikanok, Huawei's product manager, sounds like there would be some more expected new devices coming. Bhudhikanok claimed that he's unable to leak schedules or release dates of any new products. He smiled and said the company is developing a new Windows Phone 8 device, which is similar to the 6.1'' Ascend Mate.

Considering that 2 innovative devices to be announced at MWC 2103, mentioned by Bhudhikanok at CES 2013 today, it would probably be a highlight for the February show. 

Nokia's 10.1'' Windows RT Tablet to be Announced Next February

According to The Verge's report, Nokia is about to announce a Windows RT tablet at MWC next February. This would be Nokia's very first tablet and a competitor of Microsoft's Surface tablets.

It's said this tablet will come up with a 10.1'' screen, an ARM processor and newest Windows RT OS from Microsoft. Similar to Surface RT, Nokia will release a special cover for its tablet. Besides normal features such as protection and kickstand, the cover provides a keyboard and a battery for the tablet. Usually the tablet will have a 10-hour battery life and supports fast charging in a short period of time.

Additionally, the Nokia tablet has a HDMI port, 2 USB ports and supports cellular connectivity. AT&T would be one of the first carriers in USA.

2013 CES: Smartphone Rumors on HTC, LG & Samsung

The 2013 International CES will be held in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11. Along with time files, kinds of rumors on new devices spread everywhere. Pics and specs of next generation Android flagships had leaked one by one since last week. However, none of them have been confirmed by officials. Now let's have a look at these likely or unlikely rumors.

HTC M7

Rumored specs of HTC M7

News spread that HTC is going to launch 4 or 5 million kits of its new model, M7, during Q1 2013. It also said this handset will have an all-in-one aluminium case, a 13 MP rear camera, a Qualcomm Quad-Core CPU and a 4.7'' 1080p Full-HD display. Here we found another specs chart of the phone from Underwired View. If rumors turn out to be true, The M7 will become  HTC's second smartphone with 1080p display, other than Droid DNA.

Successor of LG Optimus G

When will the success of LG Optimus G appear?

News also leaked that a successor of LG's Optimus G will be unveiled in 2013. This phone, probably called E940, may absent from CES but appear on the later MWC 2013. 

Based on the result of benchmark tests, this mysterious successor may be equipped with a 1080p Full-HD screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and an Adreno 320 GPU. Although the E940 is finally confirmed to be a customized model for AT&T, its International version, F240, is also possible to launch on South Korea market in advance.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Any new phablets from Samsung?

Discussions on Galaxy S3's successor will spread rapidly  on the Internet in upcoming month. A few days ago, Samsung uploaded an official teaser and hints "a new product" in the future, makes people associate it to Galaxy S4. But when in the world will the Galaxy S4 be announced? Nobody knows excepts Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3
The Galaxy Note phablet series help Samsung reach a balance point between tablets and smartphones. Currently news claims that the company may launch a 6.3'' super sized smartphone "Note 3". That's exactly what was The Korea Times reporting: a new device between 10.1 '' tablet and 5.5 Galaxy Not 2 in dimensions.

Samsung Grand Duos GT-I8092
Samsung is likely developing a new phone similar to Galaxy Note 2 without S Pen. From what we’ve heard, this model may also be a large screen smartphone, probably named "Grand Duos GT-I8092". As to the hardware, it may come up with a 4.4 GHz Quad-Core Exynos processor, a 2100 mAh battery, and a mid-end display in WVGA resolution. We also guess from the name that the machine would have dual SIM card slots. No matter if the specs are true or fake, we don't think customers would show interest in a 5'' phone with a WVGA display.

Samsung's Flexible Screen

Samsung's flexible screen

News about Samsung not only focus on its new gadgets but also include technical innovation, such as the screen. According to a report from Reuters, Samsung is developing a kind of unbreakable screen and planning to equip it with Galaxy S4 or further Galaxy S5 smartphone. 

On the 2013 CES show, attendees can see a 5.5'' flexible screen for smartphone , with a 1,280 x 720 pixel HD resolution and a 267 pixel density. reported by CNET.

Sony's Crazy Plan: 6'' Quad-Core Super Phone Xperia 6 Leaks

Sony

Well, the year 2012 is nearly coming to an end. No matter if the world ends on December 21, and no matter how bad the economies are in US and Europe, smartphone manufacturers are already planning for the next year. Besides Samsung, it's rumored that Sony will announce 4 smartphone models in early 2013, said Android Authority. Now let's have a look at them one by one.

The first one is named Xperia 4, a mid-end model. It has a 4.0'' display with 720p, a 12 MP rear camera, an MSM8960T processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, supports microSD, 16 GB of internal storage, and a 1,800 mAh battery.

The second smartphone is Xperia 5. It's equipped with a (5 inch?) 1080p display, a 13 MP rear shooter, an APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro compressor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, supports microSD and LTE. The battery will be a 2,400 mAh one.

The next one is Xperia 5R, a battery upgraded version of Xperia 5. It has a 2800 mAh battery and water resistant feature. This model is probably a regional version.

As to the last model, Xperia 6, should be Sony's next flagship. It's said this handset comes up with a 6.0 inch panel with 1080p, a 13 MP rear camera, a Qualcomm Quad-Core S4 Pro, 3 GB of RAM (wow!), 32 GB of internal storage, also supports microSD. The battery's capacity can reach 3500 mAh (wow!).

Have you guys noticed one thing? All of these rumored phones support expandable storage via microSD. Very different from other manufacturers, huh? We hope these rumors are true though there's no confirmation from Sony. Anyway, let's stay tuned and see if they're true after doomsday.

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S4 will Have Quad-Core A15 CPU & 13MP Camera

Concept of Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone

Samsung's current flagship, Galaxy S3, is the best selling smartphone in the market, which is sold as many as 18 million units during Q3 2012. And I've posted an article about rumors of the next generation flagship Galaxy S4 two months ago. Now some new rumors occur and we have to catch up with them.

Rumors said the handset will have a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display in 1080p resolution and 441 ppi. What's more, it will be equipped with an Exynos 5450 chip (Quad-Core 2GHz Cortex-A15 CPU) and a 13MP rear camera.

As a matter of fact, an out-dated rumor said the Galaxy Note II would come up with a 13MP camera. But in the end this device is put into market maintains a 8MP one. What happened to that? It's said Sony was unable to provide enough camera sensors to Samsung. Moreover, it's not wise for using the same camera for 3 generations continually.

A newest report from South Korea claims that Samsung would display a new 4.99'' 1080p Super AMOLED screen on CES next January. Another report from different source also confirms this. However, there's no detailed information from this new rumor.

Additionally, what we have to emphasize is the usage of Exynos 5450 chip. There's no doubt this 2GHz processor with 4 cores can knock out any other ones easily. Meanwhile faster speed and better performance usually mean shorter battery life and running time. It should be a big problem to solve.

Microsoft XBOX Surface Console Specs Leaked

Rumored XBOX Surface

Rumored XBOX Surface

Last month, Microsoft confirmed that more than 70 million XBOX 360 consoles had been sold worldwide. Recently a specification document leaked on the Internet and hints an upcoming XBOX console: the XBOX Surface.

Specification document of XBOX Surface

From the photos above, we know there are two parts of hardware for the console: tablet and stationary. The tablet computing device has a 7.0'' multi-touch LED display in 1280*720 pixels resolution. This device supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a regular-sized SD card slot. It's also equipped with a rechargeable battery, supports up to 7hours of usage.

The XBOX Surface's tablet has only 288MB of RAM, which is really low compared to other tablets in the market. So we believe that the tablet may probably be a wireless screen or controller of the console, just like Wii U's GamePad.

As to the stationary device, it has  two IBM POWER7 SCMs with 6 active cores per SCM, 5GB of system memory, a custom GPU from AMD and a 250GB 2.5″ 10K RPM hard disk. Storage expansion via USB drives is also available.

The stationary device supports up to 4 wireless game controllers, 4 USB 3.0 ports, component and HDMI TV-outs, optical S/PDIFF and an Ethernet port.

Moreover, there is another document which was leaked 5 months ago. Specifications in this older file may have some differences from the new one. It also shows the logos of AMD, IBM and Texas Instruments, probably means some of the components or chips are made by these manufacturers.

An older specification document of XBOX Surface

There's no official comment about the XBOX Surface from Microsoft. Perhaps it's still early for Microsoft to announce it. We'll wait for the announcement and bring you more further information. Just stay tuned.

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HTC Droid DNA Leaked, Probably Launched in December

HTC Droid DNA

A new smartphone model named HTC Droid DNA leaked recently. From the picture above, we know this phone is a Verizon version of HTC J Butterfly. It's believed that this phone may have same features as HTC J Butterfly, a model that announced in Japan recently. 

HTC J Butterfly

Some specifications of HTC J Butterfly

• Display: 5.0'' HD Super LCD 3 display, 1080p resolution, 440ppi
• OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Processor: Quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 pro
• RAM: 2GB
• ROM: 16GB
• Camera: a 8.0MP rear camera, a 2.0MP front-facing camera
• Battery: 2,500 mAh
• NFC: Support

Currently we are not sure if the HTC Droid DNA has the same specifications as J Butterfly. We don't neither know the detailed launching day from Verizon. Let's keep an eye on this smartphone and wait for more information from the official.


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Updated News and Rumors about Android Event on October 29

Google's Android event on Oct 29

The upcoming week would be busy days for the IT giants. Apple may probably announce iPad Mini on the news conference tomorrow. On October 26, Microsoft will launch their Surface tablet and Windows 8 OS. On October 29, there will be an event on Microsoft Windows Phone 8. On the same day, there will also be an Android event from Google. 

It's said Google will announce a 10'' Nexus tablet and a 3G version Nexus 7. Based on the news from an insider, an internal TGIF meeting video was uploaded by Google, leaked some contents about the event on Oct 29. 

The following news are Unconfirmed. Believe it or not.

• Google will announce 32GB Nexus 7 tablets. One of the version supports HSPA+(3G), allows users to play the device while travelling.

Will Google announce a 32GB Nexus 7?

• A co-branding 10'' tablet may be launched by Google and Samsung. This device, likely named Nexus 10, has a internal code "Manta", runs Android 4.2 OS and equipped with a display in 2,560*1,600 pixels resolution.

• The long-time rumored Nexus smartphone is made by LG, probably named LG Nexus 4. More detailed info leaked: This handset is powered by 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon, has a 4.7'' display, an 1.3MP front-facing camera, a 2100 mAh battery and also runs Android 4.2.

Rumored LG Nexus 4

• Google's Android 4.2 OS will have an positive competition with apple's IOS 6, said by the news source. For Android 4.2, the Panorama camera is set defaultly to shoot horizontal and vertical photos at the same time. Another feature called "Content in the center" is also added. It enables users to visit Play Store via a desktop gadget. Additionally, a "Table Sharing" feature helps users to switch their home and business accounts more conveniently.

Almost one week left before the Android event. Please stay tuned and we'll bring you more news.

Will Apple Announce iPad Mini on October 23?

apple's invitation

The apple Inc. has invited members of media to join a special event on October 23. It's believed that several new products will be announced during the conference, include the long-time rumored iPad Mini.

We currently get some new information about the new tablet. A leaked picture shows 24 iPad Minis in different configurations. As a matter of fact, we don't think apple will launch 24 different models in reality. Only some of them are available in different capacities/supported networks/colors.

iPad Mini SKUs in different configurations

Above the list, the numbers P101, P103, P105 and P107 may probably represent 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB in capacity. Behind the numbers, we can see 3 different designations called “GOOD”, “BETTER” and “BEST”. These 3 words may refer to capacity of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB version. They can also mean WiFi+3G features for different cellular networks. As to the last "A" or "B" in the description, may represents the color of the tablet case.

Beside the iPad Mini, rumor also says a new 13'' MacBook Pro with Retina screen will be revealed at the same time. There's still a week until the event. We'll bring you the most fresh news as it happens. Stay tuned!

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iPad Mini Prices & Configuration Leaked, Officially Announced Next Week?

iPhone 5, iPad Mini and The new iPad

Rumors on apple's iPad Mini comes up continually these days. It seems most rumors will turn out to be true though apple refuses to say anything about them. Well, the most recently one is about the prices and configurations of the tablet. 

MobileGeeks, a German website, posted a screenshot about iPad Mini's prices and configurations in an article. It's said this pic is leaked from the inventory system of Media Saturn, a retailer with 70,000 staffs, 18 stores on Europe and Asia.

Leaked configurations and prices of iPad mini

From the pictures above, we can know that the iPad Mini will come in 16 different colors, memory and wireless configurations:

Configurations	Price
iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 8GB, Black/White)	249 Euros ($322)
iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 16GB, Black/White)	349 Euros ($451)
iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 32GB, Black/White)	449 Euros ($580)
iPad mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB, Black/White)	549 Euros ($709)
iPad mini (Cellular, 8GB, Black/White)	349 Euros ($451)
iPad mini (Cellular, 16GB, Black/White)	449 Euros ($580)
iPad mini (Cellular, 32GB, Black/White)	549 Euros ($709)
iPad mini (Cellular, 64GB, Black/White)	649 Euros ($839)

The iPad Mini's price starts at 249 Euros with 8GB memory and WiFi. 16GB/32GB and 64GB versions are also available. The most expensive one should be the Cellular version with 64GB memory.

It's also rumored that apple will hold a press conference for the iPad Mini and the 13'' MacBook Pro. If it's true, media may receive invitations on Tuesday (October 16). Let's wait and see.

13-inches MacBook Pro

LG Nexus 4 Leaks, Rumored to Launch on October 29

Rumored LG Nexus 4

Who would be the manufacturer of next Nexus device? HTC, Motorola or Samsung? Now it seems that LG is the luck dog. According to the report from Le Figaro, a french media, LG is planning to launch a new Nexus smartphone This device would be officially announced by Google on October 29 and sell in France in December.

Le Figaro didn't tell more information about the handset. And this is not the first rumor about announcement of new Nexus devices. Similar news had been reported by cnet but this time french media leaked the detailed date. More importantly, Le Figaro called the device LG Nexus 4, same as the leaked name from Carphone Warehouse, an European smartphone chain retailer. So it's very possible for the upcoming Nexus device to be called Nexus 4.

Leaked Nexus device name from Carphone Warehouse

Rumored specifications of Nexus 4:

• 4.7'' True-HD IPS display, 1280*768 resolution, 320ppi, in-cell touchscreen panel.
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS (Sample version), may upgrade to Android 4.2 (formal version).
• 2GB RAM, 8GB ROM, no microSD card slots.
• Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 processor.
• New 2,100 mAh battery, available for 800 times of full charging.
• 8.0MP rear-facing camera.
• Supports LTE network and NFC.
• Supports wireless charging.

Rumor: Samsung will Make Google's 10-Inch Nexus Tablet

Google Nexus 7 tablet

According to the report from cnet, Google is planning to release a high-end 10.1'' Nexus tablet (Nexus 10), larger than the 7'' Nexus 7 tablet. It's rumored that the device will be made by Korean manufacturer Samsung. Google produces Nexus 7 tablet with another manufacturer Asus currently.

Google Nexus 7 tablet sells well in the US for its low price ($199 for 8G version). As a mid-end product, it's still difficult to beat iPad in the competition. The rumored Nexus 10 will be equipped with a 10.1'' display and has a resolution of 2,560*1,600 pixels, much higher than the new iPad's 2,048*1,536 pixels. The new Nexus device is able to compete with iPad in the market with high configuration. As to the price, there's no doubt that Nexus 10 would be more expensive than the $199 Nexus 7.

Different from Google, apple is currently rumored to announce a smaller and cheaper (probably $299 for 16GB) iPad Mini. If both rumors on Google and apple turn out to be true, the iPad Mini will be a tough opponent for Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.


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Rumor: Apple Has Placed An Order of 10 Million iPad Mini

Rumored iPad Mini

Apple Inc. hasn't officially confirmed any plans about the releasing of smaller size tablets up to now. However, according to the report from The Wall Street Journal, an Asian component manufacturer leaked that they have received an order of more than 10 million iPad Mini for apple at the fourth quarter this year. This is almost 2 times as much as the amount of Amazon Kindle Fire's production plan at Q4.

The competition in tablet market is more and more fierce. Despite the iPad's market share is nibbled by Android based tablets, apple is still the largest tablet manufacturer in the world. Along with Samsung's releasing of 5.3'' Galaxy Note and Amazon's 7'' Kindle Fire HD, it's quite reasonable for apple to produce iPad Mini besides the 9.7'' iPads.

17 million iPads were sold at last quarter, has an 84% increasement compared with the same time of last year. The 10-million order also shows apple's confidence to the new iPad Mini. The Deutsche Bank predicts apple would sell 18 million iPads at Q3, this amount could increase to 24 million at Q4.

It's rumored that the iPad Mini is equipped with a 7.85'' display and would put into market at the price "much lower than iPad". Apple currently has no comment about it. No matter these rumors are true or false, the iPad Mini will probably be unveiled later this month.

Rumor: Google Nexus 5 Smartphone Will Be Made By HTC?

HTC One X 5 or Google Nexus 5?

It has been almost one year since the announcement of Samsung Galaxy Nexus. And now it's believed that the latest Nexus Devices will be soon revealed. According to an article from GSM Arena, there's rumor said the Taiwanese giant HTC will produce Google's latest Nexus smartphone, probably named HTC Droid Incredible X, HTC One X 5 or Google Nexus 5.

Rumored Google Nexus 5

Rumored Google Nexus 5

Rumored Google Nexus 5

The article also provides some specifications about this rumored Google Nexus 5:

• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS with bugfixes, project butter improvements (fluid speeds) and more lock screen options, etc.
• 5'' display with 1080p, large and slim appearance.
• Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.
• A 12MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera.
• 2,500mAh battery.
• Internal memory up to 64GB.
• LTE connectivity.

We currently unable to confirm the legitimacy of the rumor though the tipster said it comes from reliable source. One of the suspect point is about the Android version. As "Google's very own sons", all Nexus devices have brought with new Android software upgrades - but why Nexus 5 not comes up with 5.0 Key Lime Pie OS? That's skeptical. Is it possible for Google to create this phone by his own Motorola? We'll continually wait and see.

Well, no matter which manufacturer would make Google Nexus 5, it will probably be the 6th Nexus Device. The former ones are: Nexus One, produced by HTC; Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, both produced by Samsung; Nexus 7 tablet, produced by ASUS and Nexus Q, a media-streaming entertainment device.

G1, Nexus One, Nexus S & Galaxy Nexus

Nexus 7

Nexus Q

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