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.