Philips Brings W732 Android 4.0 Smartphone to China

 Philips may no longer be a trendy phone brand in the United States, it still churns outs smartphones for the Chinese market. The latest in its line of Android smartphones is the Philips W732, which runs on the latest Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The device features a 4.3-inch WVGA LCD IPS screen with 800 x 480 resolution, 1GHz single-core MediaTek MT6575, 5-megapixel camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 57.6Mbps HSUPA, dual-SIM support, and a 2,400mAh battery.

Out of all this phone's features, it is the battery that got us intrigued, especially that it can last up to 10.5 hours if combined with other power-saving methods. There is also the preference of LCD IPS screen over AMOLED, which not only conserves battery juice, but also avoids the color bleeding usually found in AMOLED screens.

The Philips W732 is set to hit retail stores this week!

Dual SIM Nokia Asha 305 available now, but only in Philippines

Announced more than a month ago as part of Nokia's new Asha Touch series of handsets, the Asha 305 was supposed to be released before the end of June. But it's only now that the phone has become available - at least in the Philippines.

According to TechNoodling, you can get a Nokia Asha 305 in the Philippines for 3,890 PHP (about €76 or $93). The handset features dual SIM capabilities, as well as a 3 inch resistive display with 400 x 240 pixels, Nokia Browser, 2MP rear camera, and a 2GB MicoSD card pre-installed.

For now, we don't know when the Nokia Asha 305 will be released in other countries, but it's likely going to happen soon.

XMBC announces Android app

Good news for Android users. XMBC has just announced its full featured app for Android. The app was announced on the developer's blog and will work on any Android-based smartphone, tablet, set-top box and pretty much anything else that runs on Android. If you are unfamiliar with XMBC, it's a media client that packs tons of features including support for all popular file formats(video and audio), local network playback, and even a weather forecast function.

XMBC for Android will offer the full suite of features that are available on the desktop version. Users will also not be required to root their device to get the app like in previous versions. Unfortunately, we don't have any info on a release date, but XMBC posted that the app is stable and developers will be able to get their hands on beta APKs in the coming weeks.

LG Optimus L5 Now Available At Bell Canada

The all new LG Optimus L5 is now available for purchase in Canada via Bell. The handset can be yours for free on a three-year term or for $199.95 no term. To refresh your memory, the LG Optimus L5 packs a 4.0-inch 480 x 320 capacitive touchscreen display, an 800MHz single-core processor, a 512MB RAM, a 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), a 5MP rear-facing camera and runs on Android 4.0 OS. [Product Page]

Sony Xperia tipo sidles into the FCC, inspires yawns Another day, another FCC filing. This time, though, the documents on offer aren't tipping us off to the impending arrival of some wunderphone - it's just Sony's recently outed Xperia tipo. The diminutive 3.2-incher - set for an official Euro bow this August - is no screamer with its 480 x 320 TFT display and lone 800MHz Snapdragon CPU. The ICS handset's real claim to fame is its availability in single- and dual-SIM flavors. And based on the radios outlined in the corresponding Commission docs - GPRS/EDGE/GSM 850 and 1900; WCDMA 850 and 1900 - this modest phone could see a low-end berth on AT&T.

We've certainly delved into Android 4.1 Jelly Bean's new features, but Google itself is just now giving us a full exploration of its update's sugar-laden heart through an official changelog. While Google Now, the updated camera app and other core components easily get their due, the checklist also has a decidedly more buttery feel than one would think - key individual apps like Calendar now have more elegant transitions to go with the leaps and bounds in Android's overall speed. The breakdown even goes into corners that Google scarcely illuminated during the Google I/O keynote, such as accessibility and the finer nuances of the new keyboard. If you're the sort whose Jelly Bean fever has you checking for that Galaxy Nexus upgrade so often that you're nearly punching a hole in the screen, Google has your (no doubt temporary) placebo.

Sony Xperia tipo sidles into the FCC, inspires yawns

 

Another day, another FCC filing. This time, though, the documents on offer aren't tipping us off to the impending arrival of some wunderphone - it's just Sony's recently outed Xperia tipo. The diminutive 3.2-incher - set for an official Euro bow this August - is no screamer with its 480 x 320 TFT display and lone 800MHz Snapdragon CPU. The ICS handset's real claim to fame is its availability in single- and dual-SIM flavors. And based on the radios outlined in the corresponding Commission docs - GPRS/EDGE/GSM 850 and 1900; WCDMA 850 and 1900 - this modest phone could see a low-end berth on AT&T.

Nokia and AT&T cut Lumia 900 price to $50, sweeten the Windows Phone 7.8 pot

 Early Lumia 900 adopters might feel spurned knowing that their devices won't get any near-future upgrades beyond Windows Phone 7.8, but AT&T and Nokia are hoping that some new customers just need a little incentive to forgive the OS ceiling. As of now, the Lumia 900 has taken a permanent price cut to $50 on contract, whether it's one of the early color options or pretty in pink. Although the price drop might not take power users' eyes off of the Windows Phone 8 prize, it could make the Lumia 900 a low-hanging fruit for more than a few newcomers.

Samsung Galaxy S III Coming to Verizon July 10

 
Verizon Wireless has finally put into specifics when the Samsung Galaxy S III will arrive in its stores. The flagship device will be available both online and physical stores beginning July 10th.

There is a catch, though: only the 16GB model will be available in retail stores at first, while the 32GB can only be ordered online for now and will arrive in your local Verizon store in the “coming weeks.” The smartphone will come in white and blue color options.

The 16GB edition will cost you $200, while the 32GB will be $250.

The Samsung Galaxy S III enables you to share real-time video broadcasts with your Facebook friends, aside from the 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, mobile hotspot capability, 8-megapixel camera, and microSD card slot among others.

Motorola ATRIX HD for AT&T becomes official

We have seen the Motorola ATRIX HD in the past, back when it was known as ‘Dinara’. Now suddenly we find the product page live on Motorola's website even before the company made any official announcements.

Looking at the ATRIX HD you can see a strong resemblance to the RAZR. The phone has a similar sleek profile and a Kevlar covered back that curves upwards near the camera. And the specs of the phone match its good looks. On the front we have a 4.5-inch HD LCD with ColorBoost technology and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. On the back is a 8 megapixel shooter that can also capture 1080p videos. Inside there is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB memory (expandable) and a 1,780mAh battery.

The phone runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and you can even see that it uses on-screen navigation controls like the Galaxy Nexus. The phone will be available on AT&T's LTE network. Pricing and release dates should be available when Motorola makes the official announcement.

Source

LG Prada 3.0 receives Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update in Germany and Italy

 
Italy, the losing finalists in the recently concluded Euro 2012 championships, as well as Germany who lost to Italy in the semi-finals, have at least something to cheer about – both countries will have owners of the LG Prada 3.0 receive the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. This is definitely a jump up from the Android 2.3.7 version when it rolled out via T-Mobile UK in February earlier this year.

This is not a simple Over The Air (OTA) update, so you will need to be extra careful. First of all, you will need to plug your LG Prada 3.0 smartphone into a Windows-powered computer, and then fire up the LG Mobile Phone Support tool which works only in a Windows environment. For folks who are rocking to the Mac platform, that means you will still need to find someone else who owns a Windows PC. The entire updating process on the LG Prada 3.0 will require just a few minutes of your life, but as usual, a backup of all your data comes across highly recommended before you start anything. After all, you can never quite tell just when Murphy and his law will strike.

Goophone X1 is a HTC One S clone

 
The HTC One S can be said to be one of the better looking smartphones out there, although there has been issues with the micro arc oxidization process in the past which HTC already said they have fixed. Well, here we are with what looks like a clone of the HTC One S – the Goophone X1. In fact, we received an email from it, who claimed that it is a pretty good clone of the HTC One S, and proud of it, too. Let us take a closer look at how the specs measure up to the real deal. For starters, the Goophone X1 comes with a body that measures 7.8mm slim, a 4.3″ qHD display, as well as an 8-megapixel camera right at the back, not to mention 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory. All of it is backed up by a 1GHz processor, although you know what they say – the proof of the pudding is in the eating. How does the Goophone X1 work then – it lacks the finesse of HTC Sense, so chances are, it probably will be unable to measure up to the real deal. Hopefully it will not have the crazy software glitch in the original HTC One S…

Nokia N9 updated to MeeGo PR1.3, boasts 1,000 improvements

MeeGo isn't quite dead, and Nokia N9 users are getting another update pushed to their phone to prove it. PR1.3, a firmware refresh that's been in the works at least since 1.2 was released a few months ago, has finally been made official. But this is no simple bug fix — the latest version of MeeGo offers an impressive 1,000 “quality improvements, including mail, Facebook and Twitter.” Some of the actual boosts involve camera feature enhancements, higher volume, NFC fixes, better video decoding and more precise copy and paste.

According to Nokia's official support page, the update will also provide several network and connectivity enhancements. The 203MB OTA download is now beginning to roll out, starting with unbranded devices and branching out from there. Continue past the break for the full statement from Nokia.

As you might have noted already, we have now started rolling out a new update for N9 to 40.2012.21-3. This software release brings you over 1000 quality improvements, including Mail, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as several small network and connectivity improvements. For more information on the update, you can check out http://swipe.nokia.com/.

UK judge rules HTC doesn't violate Apple's patents, invalidates Cupertino's claims

 Well, Apple had a few legal victories over the last couple of weeks, but it's just been handed a significant defeat by Judge Christopher Floyd. The UK court handed down a ruling that HTC does not violate four Apple patents, including the infamous slide-to-unlock claim. What's more, the judge ruled that three of the four patents in question were not valid, among them the aforementioned unlocking design. The only one of the four patents that stood at the end of the day was related to scrolling through images in the photo management app, but HTC did not infringe upon the claim. This follows the ITC refusing an emergency ban on HTC products in the US. Don't think you've heard the last of slide-to-unlock, however. As HTC, Apple and Samsung have repeatedly shown, they're just as interested in competing in the court room as they are on store shelves (if not more so).

Samsung Galaxy Chat brings Nature UX to the messaging crowd

We didn't have to wait long to find out what Samsung would do with the GT-B5330 we saw just a day ago: meet the much more elegantly-titled Galaxy Chat. The finished product is Samsung's first phone outside of the Galaxy S III to carry the Nature UX layer, but takes it in a very message-happy direction with a QWERTY keyboard, a bundled copy of Quick Office and a dedicated key for ChatON that reminds us of the BlackBerry Curve 9320′s BBM shortcut. Not that you'd confuse the two otherwise, as the Galaxy Chat's 3-inch, 480 x 320 touchscreen and 4GB of built-in storage (plus a microSD slot) are decided steps up. About our only letdowns relative to the category are the 2-megapixel, flashless camera at the back and the difficulty some will have in getting their hands on Samsung's first keyboard-touting Android 4.0 phone. Unlike the global blitz we saw with the Galaxy S III, the Chat is launching in Spain this month and will exclude some large swaths of the Earth when it goes worldwide later on, leaving out Africa, North America and Russia.

Dual-core Huawei Ascend D1 launching tomorrow in China

While its Ascend D Quad will not be out until August, or maybe even September, Huawei has another high-end Ascend D smartphone that's ready to hit the shelves: the Huawei Ascend D1.

The D1 isn't too different from the D quad, the only major change being that it comes with a dual-core processor (1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460) instead of a quad-core one. Other than that, it features Android 4.0 ICS, a 4.5 inch IPS+ HD display (made by Toshiba), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, HSPA, GPS, Dolby Digital Plus sound, 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash and 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and an 8.9mm thin body.

ZTE launches single-chip LTE smartphone Grand X LTE (T82)

 
Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer ZTE launched its first single-chip LTE smartphone today at CommunicAsia2012. Officially branded as the ZTE Grand X LTE (T82), the single-chip LTE smartphone harnesses the MSM8960 chip from Qualcomm. ZTE said that the phone will sport a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU and an 8 mega-pixel rear-facing camera that supports 1080p HD video, as well as a front-facing camera that supports 720p HD video calls. Apart from the aforementioned specs, the Grand X LTE will be Wi-Fi capable and will run Android 4.0.

"We are the first company to use the single-chip solution in a handset. The Grand series products are our high-end flagship offerings this year. ZTE aims to enhance its profile in the high-end market with the Grand series of smart terminals,” said He Shiyou, Executive Vice President of ZTE. The Grand X LTE will be available in Asia and Europe sometime in Q3 this year. As for the Android device's corresponding price, it remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more details.

Nokia 808 PureView announced for US, available soon through Amazon at $699

Color us surprised - or whatever the antonym of that word may be - but Nokia has announced the availability of its 41-megapixel 808 PureView smartphone for the United States, which will be distributed through Amazon. If you've been patiently waiting for your opportunity to wield this highly competent cameraphone for yourself, just know that you can soon stake your claim in line: pre-orders are set to begin later this week, and you can sign up on Nokia's website to receive that all-important notification. As for price, expect to pay $699 outright for this bulbous beauty, which offers support for AT&T's 3G network here in the US.

HTC One S with 1.7GHz Processor Released In India

HTC has just announced the availability of their new Android smartphone ‘One S' in India. Unlike the US version, the Indian version of the HTC One S comes with a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor. The rest of the specs remain the same as the US version, it features the same 4.3-inch 960 x 540 Super AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1GB RAM, a 16GB of storage, a VGA front-facing camera, an 8MP rear-facing camera and runs on Android 4.0 OS. The HTC One S is available for purchase in India via Saholic for 33,000 INR (about $590). [Product Page]

LG Optimus L5 E610 officially debuts in Europe this month, will have dual SIM capabilities in some markets

Announced in February, at the same time with the Optimus L7 and Optimus L3 (which are already available), the LG Optimus L5 E610 is finally ready to be released around the world.

According to LG, the L5 will make its debut this month in Europe - first in Germany, the UK, and France. After that, the smartphone will be introduced in the CIS, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

Part of the L-Style series, the L5 measures 118.3 x 66.5 x 9.5 mm, runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and features a 4 inch HVGA (480 x 320) display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, 5MP rear camera, 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support. In some markets (Asia and Latin America), the Optimus L5 will have dual SIM capabilities.

The price of the Optimus L5 hasn't been announced. Amazon Germany says the handset cost €199 - but the final price will certainly be lower, since the Optimus L7 (which has more advanced features) currently costs €199, too.

ZTE announces Grand X LTE for Europe and Asia Pacific

You probably don't put too much thought into how many chips it takes to get your smartphone on an LTE network, but just in case you were curious, ZTE's upcoming Grand X LTE (T82) will only need one. Qualcomm's MSM8960 makes the Grand X LTE ZTE's first single-chip LTE handset, and the firm is very proud. If processor cores and hardware stats are more your concern, however, rest easy knowing the Grand X packs a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a delectable serving of Android 4.0. Details on the slab's price and release date are scarce, but it should hit Europe and Asia Pacific in the third quarter.

Nokia 808 PureView smartphone now official in the US

 I know that we talked about the availability of the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone Stateside earlier today, but here is the official announcement – where it will be available in an unlocked format – not to metion unsubsidized through Amazon.com. Those living in the US will be able to pick up the Nokia 808 PureView for a rather hefty $699 (considering how it is unlocked, that is the fair price one pays in other countries that also offer unlocked devices), where it will see action with a compatible SIM card from AT&T. It will, of course, work nice with T-Mobile's network, but that would limit you to just 2G speeds. Just to recap, the Nokia 808 PureView comes with a 41-megapixel sensor that offers the highest performance Carl Zeiss optics ever, in addition to Nokia's brand-new pixel oversampling technology.

PureView technology would mean being able to shoot typically sized images, while oversampling is used to merge up to seven pixels into a single "pure" pixel, while removing visual noise that is found on other mobile phone cameras. Apart from that, you are able to zoom in up to 3X without having to lose any of the details in your images. This means there are no artificially created pixels in your picture.

Apart from that, there is also a full HD 1080p video recording which is capable of playing back your video in 4X lossless zoom, and is also the world's first use of Nokia Rich Recording. This allows you to make audio recording at quality levels of a CD, which was previously made possible only with external microphones. Pre-sales begin on Amazon.com later this week.

Oppo Finder 6.65mm Android Smartphone

 

Measuring at just 6.65mm thin, the Oppo Finder is claimed to be one of the ultra-thin Android Ice Cream Sandwich smartphones in the world. The Oppo Finder is currently available for pre-order in China for 2,498 Yuan ($393). For your info, the Oppo Finder features a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 1GB of RAM, a 16GB of internal storage space, a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. [Product Page]

ZTE announces Grand X LTE for Europe and Asia Pacific

You probably don't put too much thought into how many chips it takes to get your smartphone on an LTE network, but just in case you were curious, ZTE's upcoming Grand X LTE (T82) will only need one. Qualcomm's MSM8960 makes the Grand X LTE ZTE's first single-chip LTE handset, and the firm is very proud. If processor cores and hardware stats are more your concern, however, rest easy knowing the Grand X packs a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a delectable serving of Android 4.0. Details on the slab's price and release date are scarce, but it should hit Europe and Asia Pacific in the third quarter.

China-bound Sony Xperia Neo L with ICS gets handled, holds nothing back

It was only a couple of months ago that we first crossed paths with Sony's Xperia Neo L, and now the Ice Cream Sandwich handset is back with a vengeance - at least in terms of exposure. As you may know, details were revealed in abundance (read: 1GHz Snapdragon S2 CPU, 512MB of RAM) during our first MT25i encounter, but thanks to Taiwanese site ePrice, we're able to gander at the device posing in an array of different angles and leaving very little to the imagination. For now, pricing still remains a mystery, though we do know Sony's 4-inch (854 x 480) Neo L is expected to hit Chinese shelves later this month.

Huawei Activa 4G Arrives Stateside

 
As much as Huawei is a successful smartphone brand in Asia, it has yet to make waves in the United States and they hope its latest smartphone would make American consumers take notice. Without much fanfare, the company has unveiled its very first 4G LTE handset.

The Huawei Activa 4G features a 3.5-inch runs on Android Gingerbread and features a 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen, a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a VGA front camera for video calls.

The prepaid device will be distributed exclusively on MetroPCS. We think this is a good marketing strategy because at least the Activa would not have to compete with other flagship devices from the likes of AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

The Huawei Activa 4G is now available in MetroPCS stores and online for only $149 without any binding contract.

ICS update for the Sony Xperia Mini Pro now available

 We've got some good news for users of the Xperia Mini Pro: Sony's now pushing out an update which will bring Android 4.0.4 to your handset. As always, you will probably get a notification. If not, go into settings and force a check for the update.

Windows Phone-Powered ZTE Tania Rolls Out in China

 
Smartphone makers have been racing in the Chinese market with its mobile handsets that run on Windows Phone. After HTC and Nokia introduced their wares, ZTE unveils the Tania.

The ZTE Tania is similar to other Windows Phone handsets hardware-wise, such as the 800 x 480 display and 512MB RAM, but it steps up the competition with its 1.4GHz processor, 4.3-inch screen, a 5-megapixel rear camera, 4GB of internal storage, and even black and white color options.

The Tania will be distributed exclusively by China Unicom.

LG Optimus 4X HD set for European launch this month, have some “major surprise” too

 The 4.7 inch, Tegra 3 powered Optimus 4X HD looks set for launch in Europe this month. LG will be bringing the device to Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain and Italy first, and also have some “major surprise” regarding the launch itself. They do have their work cut out in publicizing it, though, with the Euro 2012 football (or soccer, if you prefer) tournament going on.

HTC One X is better than the Samsung GS3, HTC biasedly notes in a brochure

 
So, which smartphone is better? Is it the Samsung Galaxy S3, or is it the HTC One X? Well, we will leave that to you to find out. But a new report from Baba's Blog apparently shows that HTC is making a move to prove that its flagship One X is better than Samsung's. Of course, HTC's seemingly biased opinion doesn't come as a surprise. The blog was able to grab some documents that allegedly belonged to HTC. The said documents reveal a comparison of the two devices highlighting HTC's supposed superiority in terms of its CPU, camera, display, sound and even its design.

Now before you shrug those shoulders, check out the documents to see for yourself. The source said that HTC is reportedly preparing the documents for its sales team. Now obviously, if this is believed to be true, the document could be used by HTC's sales team as a training slide to persuade Android fans that the HTC One X is better. I for one cannot tell if the One X is better than the GS3. In case you missed our review of the HTC One X, check it out here. Also, standby for our upcoming review of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

LG Optimus L-Series make a fashionable debut

 
When cell phones were first introduced to the world, functionality took over form – and had a pretty long run before the design engineers decided that aesthetics should no longer take the back seat, but also be thrust to the forefront. Well, the LG Optimus L-Series is one such smartphone in the modern day context, where it has been thrust into the limelight thanks to a fashionable debut. In what is an exclusive collaboration with Vanity Fair UK and British celebrity fashion photographer Ralph John Perou, the LG Optimus L-Series targets style connoisseurs with an eye for great technology.

There are many models in the fashionable pictorial spread who hail from diverse backgrounds, ranging from dancers to makeup artists to neuroscientists, but the unifying factor that brought all of them together? Their effortless and strong sense of style, which is something that LG hopes to associate with the LG Optimus L-Series. While the LG L3 and LG L7 were launched earlier this year, there is still the L5 that is said to be released to the market sometime in the second half of this year. [Press Release]

Sony Xperia Mini Pro receives Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update

 
We are seeing more and more Android-powered smartphones these days that come with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update being released, which is a good thing – after all, who does not want to have the latest and greatest operating system version running on their handsets? The latest candidate in line would be the Sony Xperia Mini Pro, where you will need to have the proprietary PC Companion software installed beforehand prior to accessing this operating system update. I guess there has been no negative reports about this update just yet, so those who have applied the update, how do you find it? Did it manage to live up to your expectations?

Motorola unveils dual-core XT760 for China

Motorola introduced yet another Android smartphone for the Chinese market. Called Motorola XT760, the new droid is built around a 4" qHD screen and a 1GHz dual-core CPU of unknown architecture.

The mid-range Motorola XT760 comes with quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support and dual-band 3G with HSPA. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and has a camera on either side of its chassis. The main snapper at the back can capture 8 MP stills and 1080p video, while the front-facing shooter is limited to VGA resolution.

The Motorola XT760 comes with 768MB of RAM and 2GB of built-in storage with microSD card slot for expanding that by up to 32GB. Local connectivity is well covered with Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0 HS, a 3.5mm audio jack and an HDMI port.

Motorola XT760 is available from authorized Motorola resellers across China starting today, but its pricing hasn't been confirmed by the official Motorola press release. There's also nothing on the potential release of the smartphone in other markets.

Source | Via

Nokia Lumia 710 could be getting in on the Batman action as well

 
A while back we reported that there would be a Batman version of the Nokia Lumia 900. It would also be an extremely limited edition model and only 900 units will be made. Well if you're looking to get in on the Batman action but you'd rather not fork out the cash for a brand new Lumia 900, you might be in luck. In conjunction with the upcoming Christopher Nolan movie, the Dark Knight Rises, phone cases for the Lumia 710 have appeared and it looks like they will be sporting the Batman emblem as well.

According to WPCentral, these Xpress-on covers were spotted at a local T-Mobile store and were given out to new Lumia 710 purchases. It is unclear if these covers are officially licensed or if someone just got creative. It was also unclear as to whether these cases are part of a nationwide promotion or if it is just limited to that particular T-Mobile store, but if you're planning to get your hands on a Lumia 710, you could probably ask your local store rep to see if they have any Batman cases to give away. Admittedly not as exclusive or as cool as the Lumia 900, but we're sure that there are fans out there who wouldn't mind the freebie anyway.

MetroPCS announces the Activa 4G, Huawei's first LTE Android smartphone for the US

MetroPCS has announced a new LTE smartphone: the Huawei Activa 4G, which is available starting today, coming as Huawei's first LTE-capable handset made for the US market. Despite featuring 4G connectivity, the Activa is an entry-level smartphone. It offers a 3.5 inch HVGA display, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth, 800MHz single-core processor, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, VGA front-facing camera, 1,880 mAh battery, and a 4GB MicroSD card pre-loaded with Kung Fu Panda 2. The handset runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and there's no word if it's ever going to get Android 4.0 ICS (probably not). For a limited time, the Huawei Activa 4G will cost just $149 (plus tax, following mail-in and instant rebate). At this price, the Activa 4G is the cheapest LTE handset you can get in the US without contract. You can buy the new smartphone either online, or in MetroPCS stores across the US. The Huawei Activa 4G is the fourth LTE Android smartphone available at MetroPCS at the moment, alongside the LG Esteem, LG Connect 4G, and Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G.

Sony Xperia Mini Pro gets Android 4.0

While we're not surprised by this story considering Sony Ericsson confirmed all 2011 phones except the Xperia Play would be getting Android 4.0, we're no less excited.

The little bundle of joy named the Sony Xperia Mini will be getting an upgrade to Android 4.0. While you'll find that the corner-endowed Timescape UI will remain intact,Android 4.0 will bring about some minimal interface and feature changes with certain apps.

But you'll also get to take advantage of the many apps which use the new Android 4.0 design guidelines. The companion app for PC is all you'll need to get started, but note that this upgrade is for unlocked, unbranded versions of the device, and that carrier-specific versions will be updated according to the carriers' wishes and schedule. Get started here. [via The Verge]

GSmart M1420, M1320, G1362, G1342

The Computex computer trade expo, held annually in Taipei, is one of the largest computer and technology trade shows om the world and it's only logical that smartphones will be there as well. Gigabyte has taken the opportunity to announce several new dual-SIM-capable smartphones, all as part of their GSmart ICS lineup. The GSmart M1420 features a 4.3-inch screen with WVGA resolution, it has a 1 GHz processor and an 8 MP camera, alongside 1.3 MP front-facing one. It has Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth support, and runs on the Mediatek Cortex A9 MT6575 chipset. The GSmart M1320 has a slightly smaller 3.5 inch screen, although with the same 480 x 800 resolution as the M1420. It runs on a 1 GHz processor, and has 4 GB of storage complete with 512MB of RAM, a 3 MP camera alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The GSmart G1362 has a 4.3 inch touchscreen and is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor. It has 4 GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, and a 5 megapixel camera complete with front-facing VGA snapper. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 are also available. Gigabyte also showed off the smaller GSmart G1342, which we've known about for a while now. It's also a dual-SIM device, and has an 800 Mhz processor, 1 GB of storage and 512 MB of RAM. No word on market availability or launch dates yet. Source

Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders live at Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint; shipping late June

 Samsung Galaxy S III pre-orders have gone live for three of the five carriers announced to receive the device in the US. Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint are all offering customers the chance to reserve their very own GS3 in a choice of Marble White or Pebble Blue finishes. Verizon and Sprint have the phone priced at $199 on a new two-year contract for the 16GB version and $249 for the 32GB model. AT&T is offering only a 16GB option, and its price matches that of VZW and Sprint.

As suggested yesterday, Verizon's site is showing a ship date of no later than July 9th. For AT&T the phone will begin shipping on June 18th, while Sprint will start fulfilling pre-orders on June 21st, the same day as T-Mobile's launch of the device. The phone will take advantage of all three carriers' LTE networks, and will also feature HSPA+ connectivity on AT&T. For this reason the phone will sport a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor instead of the quad-core Exynos chip found in the international version. Other hardware highlights include a 4.8-inch HD display, 8MP camera, and 2GB of RAM.

AT&T Galaxy S III pre-orders start, shipping June 18

 As promised AT&T is already taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S III. It will cost you $200 with a 2-year contract, while the no commitment price is $550.

Both the Pebble Blue and the Marble White colors of the Galaxy S III are available on pre-order, which means that the AT&T-bound batch wasn't affected by the production hiccups.

The Galaxy S III on AT&T is LTE-enabled so it will be based on a Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset and will pack 2GB RAM, instead of the quad-core Exynos ticking in the international version (which lacks LTE support).

AT&T has confirmed that the new Samsung flagship will begin shipping on June 18. This means the US largest GSM carrier will have a three day advantage over rivals Sprint and T-Mobile, which will start fulfilling pre-orders on June 21.

Verizon and US Cellular, which are the other two operators to offer the Samsung Galaxy S III in the US are yet to announce details on the actual availability of the smartphone on their networks.

Source | Via

Verizon confirms global roaming for the Samsung Galaxy S3

 
Verizon had recently announced that several of their 4G LTE compatible devices would be receiving an OTA update that will allow the handsets to roam globally. This is great news for those who travel frequently and don't wish to have the hassle of owning two phones or having to switch carriers. Well if that describes you and you were planning on getting your hands on the Samsung Galaxy S3 on Verizon's network, fret not as Verizon has confirmed that the Galaxy S3 will also be gaining global roaming capabilities via a OTA update. Prior to this confirmation, Verizon's Galaxy S3 was spotted at the FCC with some semblance of global roaming capabilities, but we guess that particular feature is now confirmed. Global roaming is not available at launch but it is expected to arrive down the road as an update, so we guess you'd still be in for a wait.

Nokia introduces the Asha Touch range with three new handsets

Nokia announced the first three members of the newly created Asha Touch family of handsets. The Nokia Asha 305, Asha 306, and Asha 311 bring the range of feature phones even closer to smartphone territory, while still maintaining seriously low price tags. As Nokia's naming convention suggests, the Asha 311 will sit on top of the newly formed range of devices. The feature phone sports a CPU clocked at 1GHz and 256MB of internal memory, which can be further expanded through a microSD card slot. A 3.2MP camera can be found on the back of the device. The screen is a 3.0” capacitive touch unit with WQVGA resolution. Connectivity is fully covered with Bluetooth 2.1, pentaband WCDMA, microUSB port, and a 3,5mm audio jack. Accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor complete the spec sheet, and make it worthy for any budget minded smartphone. Its measures are 106 mm x 52 mm x 12.9 mm, while its weight is 95 grams. A 1110mAh battery powers the handset. On the software side, the Asha 311 will offer 40 free EA games, preloaded Angry Birds, as well as the cloud accelerated Nokia Browser. Next, we have the dual-SIM Nokia Asha 305. The handset will offer a 3" resistive touch screen with WQVGA resolution. A 2MP camera, microSD card slot and dual-band GSM/EDGE connectivity are part of the specs too. Just like in the case of its bigger brother, the Asha 305 sports Bluetooth 2.1, microUSB 2.0 connector, 3.5 mm audio jack, and accelerometer. The handset's measures are 110.3 mm x 53.8 mm x 12.8 mm, while its weight is 98.3 grams. It is powered by the same 1110mAh battery as the Asha 311. The Nokia Asha 305 will also offer 40 free EA games and Nokia Browser. Nokia Maps will be available in select markets. As its name suggests, the Nokia Asha 306 is rather closely related to the 305. In addition to its specs, the 306 offers WLAN, as well as video streaming over both GPRS and WLAN. Nokia Asha 305 will begin shipping in Q2 with a price tag in the €63 range. Nokia Asha 306 and 311 will follow in Q3, priced at €68, and €92 respectively. Source

Microsoft to launch Windows Phone 8 on June 20? [Rumor]

 

DigiTimes is reporting that Microsoft is planning  release Windows Phone 8, allegedly codnamed Apollo, this coming June 20. The Taiwanese publication is basing its report on reliable sources from the industry who also reportedly mentioned that most branded smartphone vendors, with the exception of Nokia, will be adopting a wait-and-see attitude toward the launching of the new OS. Why? DigiTimes explains that because the market share enjoyed by Windows Phone 7.5-based smartphones hasn't reached the desired expectations, it will be impractical to expect the launching of Windows Phone 8 to bring a turnaround for Windows phones immediately.

Sources are also saying that Microsoft is focusing more on the promotion of Windows 8, at least for now. That's because a successful launching of Windows 8-based tablet PCs will presumably encourage more smartphone vendors to jump into the Windows Phone 8 segment. “Nokia and branded vendors including Samsung Electronics, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo which are capable of rolling out cross-platform mobile devices, are likely to the first batch of vendors to launch Windows Phone 8 smartphones,” DigiTimes said. Of course, it's important to take these matters with a grain of salt in hand. Unless we can verify the authenticity of the report, let's keep our fingers crossed.

Huawei Ascend P1 Now Available In China

The Huawei Ascend P1 has been released in the Chinese market. Priced at 2,999 CNY or around $475, the smartphone features a 4.3-inch (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass, a 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 processor, a 1GB of RAM and a 4GB of ROM, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, an 8MP backside-illuminated rear-facing camera and Dolby Mobile sound. Measuring 127.4mm x 64.8mm x 7.69mm, the Huawei Ascend P1 runs on the Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. [Unwiredview]

AT&T To Launch HTC One X On May 6th

AT&T has made a new announcement today that they will be launching the all new HTC One X on their network on May 6th. The handset will retail for $199.99 with a new 2-year contract agreement. To refresh your memory, the HTC One X packs a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 1GB RAM, a 16GB of storage, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, an 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Full HD video capture, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a 1800mAh battery and runs on Android 4.0 OS. [Press Release]

XOLO X900 Intel Medfield-powered Android Smartphone Released In India

The XOLO X900 Intel Medfield-powered Android smartphone is now available for purchase in India. For your info, the smartphone features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 SoC, a PowerVPR SGX540 GPU, a 4.03-inch display with a 1024×600 pixel resolution, a 1GB of RAM, a 16GB of internal storage, HSPA+ connectivity and NFC. It has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p Full HD video recording capability and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. The XOLO X900 runs on the Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. The XOLO X900 is priced at INR 22,000 or around $423. [Ubergizmo]

Samsung Galaxy S Advance I9070 Available For Pre-Order Via Clove UK

The all new Samsung Galaxy S Advance I9070 is now available for pre-order in the UK via Clove. The handset retails for 322.80 GBP (about $518) and will begin shipping from April 26th. As a reminder, the Samsung Galaxy S Advance I9070 packs a 4.0-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 768MB RAM, an 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), a 1.3MP front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing camera with 720p HD video capture, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, 14.4Mbps HSDPA, a 1500mAh battery and runs on Android 2.3 OS. [Product Page]

MetroPCS Releases LG Optimus M+

MetroPCS has just announced the availability of the new LG Optimus M+ on their network. The handset can be yours for just $129. In case you didn’t know, the LG Optimus M+ packs a 3.5-inch HVGA display, an 800MHz processor, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), a 5MP rear-facing camera, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and runs on Android 2.3 OS. [Product Page]

BlackBerry Curve 9220 Released In India

RIM has recently released the BlackBerry Curve 9220 in India. The smartphone comes jam packed with a 2.44-inch QVGA display, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera, a 512MB of RAM, a microSD card slot, a 1,450 mAh battery, WiFi and Edge. Its battery offers up to 7-hour of talk time and up to 28-hour of music playback. Folks in India are able to purchase the BlackBerry Curve 9220 for Rs. 10,990 (around $211). [Intomobile]

LG D1L With Built-in Wireless Charging

The LG D1L is a new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphone that features an integrated wireless charging. The smartphone provides a 4.7-inch HD display, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and LTE connectivity. The LG D1L will be released in South Korea at the end of May 2012. Stay tuned for more updates. [Unwiredview]

AT&T Releases LG Xpression C395 Messaging Phone

AT&T has rolled out a new messaging phone in the form of the LG Xpression C395. Priced at just $49.99 with a new 2-year contract agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the handset features a 3-inch (400 x 200) display, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, AT&T Social Net, 3G, a 2-megapixel rear-facing digital camera, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB) and a 1000mAh battery. You can also purchase AT&T’s LG Xpression C395 for $219.99 without contract. [PhoneArena]

Clove UK Releases HTC One V

HTC’s latest Android smartphone is now available in the UK via Clove. The handset can be yours for 246 GBP (about $397) SIM-free and unlocked. Just to remind you, the HTC One V packs a 3.7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, a 1GHz processor, a 512MB RAM, a 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 5MP camera with 720p HD video capture, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, HSPA, a 1500mAh battery and runs on Android 4.0 OS. [Product Page]