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.