LG’s G2 mini is a smaller flagship by name, not by nature
LG’s not left much to the imagination before this month’s Mobile World Congress. After it confirmed the G Pro 2 last week, the Korean phone maker today officially announced a smaller version of its current Android flagship: the G2 mini. If you were expecting LG to take a similar approach to Sony, which crammed impressive specs into its Z1 Compact, the G2 mini has its fair share of drawbacks. In that regard, the device is powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 400, the same chip found in the Moto G, while its smaller 4.7-inch display boasts a rather unflattering 960 x 540 qHD resolution.
The handset also features 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, 8GB of onboard storage, and retains the same unique backside as its bigger brother, where the volume rocker and power button are placed just below the rear camera. LG has, however, equipped the mini with Google’s latest OS, Android 4.4 KitKat, and will port its custom knock-to-unlock and Guest Mode features over from the flagship G2. The mini is set to go on sale in Russia from March and roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America shortly after. Given the specs, we’re looking at a low-priced handset but we don’t know yet how low LG will go. Hopefully it’ll share more details at MWC next week.
[Image Credit: Android Planet]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Via: The Verge, Android Planet
Source: Tweakers
‘All New’ HTC One leaks again with a bright gold paint job
Is there anything that hasn’t already leaked about HTC’s photography-focused successor to the One? Not much, except that we haven’t seen any publicity renders quite as detailed as the one just shared by @evleaks. It suggests that the dual-camera handset will be offered in a gold flavor, alongside the rumored silver and black options. Furthermore, @evleaks — who has a generally reliable track record — claims to know how the new phone will be branded. It’ll apparently skirt around tricky numerical conventions by adopting a slightly Apple-esque alternative: the “All New HTC One.” A name like that should roll right off the tongue, shouldn’t it?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Source: @evleaks [Twitter]
LG G2 Mini is now official, probably closer to a Lite than a Mini
LG has been hinting for a few weeks now that they are about to announce a smaller version of their flagship device, the LG G2. That device was expected to be called the LG G2 Mini and today that name was confirmed as the device was officially announced. All the major smartphone manufacturers have started making ‘mini’ versions of their flagship devices like the HTC One Mini, Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, just to name a few, so it’s not surprising to see LG follow suit. ‘Mini’ smartphones have had the unfortunate perception of being a capitalization of their flagship device’s fame, Xperia Z1 Compact aside, and it appears LG has taken this concept a step further than any manufacturer before it.
The LG G2 Mini comes with either a Snapdragon 400 processor or Tegra 4i chipset, likely determining whether the device has LTE support or not, as well as 1GB, 8GB storage with microSD slot and 2,440mAh battery. Probably the most surprising specification for this 4.7-inch device is the 960×540 pixel resolution of its display, which makes for a pixel density of 234ppi; for reference, the 4.3-inch HTC One Mini has a pixel density of 342ppi. This is quite a large difference in screen clarity, and given that the G2 Mini will only be 0.5 inches smaller than the original, it makes the G2 Mini seem more like a G2 Lite; hopefully the price of the G2 Mini, which has not been detailed, is more representative of its abilities than its namesake.
The LG G2 Mini is expected to release in Russia in March, and the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Europe in April. Would you be interested in the LG G2 Mini assuming its pricing was appropriate? Let us know what you think about this ‘Mini’ device in the comments.
Source: GSMInfo.nl via Phone Arena
Huawei Ascend P7 looks ready to be revealed at MWC 2014, alongside Huawei’s first Smartwatch
For anyone keeping track, Huawei has been doing a pretty good job in the smartphone world as of late. Despite not having a particularly big presence in the U.S., Huawei had a 6% market share in the smartphone industry to finish 2013 which puts them third among all phone manufacturers behind Samsung and Apple; not a bad achievement at all. Huawei is looking to start 2014 with a bang by bringing in a successor to its Ascend P6 device, presumed to be named the Huawei Ascend P7, only 8 months after the P6 was launched.
The P7 is expected to have a 5-inch 1080p display, a quad-core HiSilicon processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 2GB RAM and a 13MP camera. Those specs, and pending the price, should put the P7 somewhere in the mid-range to upper-mid-range phones available on the market. And if its 6.18mm older brother is anything to go by, the P7 will likely have lost some millimetres on its waistline. The Ascend P7 is expected to debut at MWC 2014 next week, along side a rumoured smartwatch, the first from the Chinese manufacturer. While there aren’t many details about the wearable device, we only have a few more days before MWC 2014 begins and from the look of it, it’s going to be one filled with surprises.
What do you think about the Huawei Ascend P7: is this a device you would get? And what do you think about Huawei outing a smartwatch? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Phone Arena (1), (2), (3)
Arr Jim lad: Nokia’s Treasure Tags keep your phone and wallet within 50 paces of each other
Phone, wallet, wooden leg. That’s the mental, if not physical, pat down today’s urban pirate typically goes through as they leave the house. Nokia’s Treasure Tag hopes to remove some of that anxiety. The “tag” part attaches to your “treasure” and connects to your phone over Bluetooth (with NFC pairing). Should your gold and your phone be parted — say, as you leave one on your desk as you dash out for lunch — both pieces of hardware alert you with an alarm. The sonic part also helps you find the forgotten item, should you not remember where you left it. There’s also a companion app that will locate your lost bounty on a map. The extra forgetful can pair unto four tags with one phone, and disable/enable alerts for each at will, and with battery life claimed to be around six months, you’re good for a long while. It comes in Nokia’s four favorite/regular hues, and costs $30 a pop. It’s not restricted to Windows Phone, either, it seems, as Nokia states there will be support for third-party iOS and Android apps. What if you’re prone to forgetting you keys and phone together? Then you probably don’t deserve nice things in the first place, swashbuckler.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Nokia Conversations
Sketchy Report Claims Apple Will Release 4.7-Inch iPhone and 5.6-Inch ‘Experimental’ Phone Without iPhone Branding [iOS Blog]
Apple is planning on introducing two new phones this year featuring displays of 4.7 and 5.6 inches, with the former using a traditional Gorilla Glass display and the latter featuring a sapphire screen, according to a new report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News [Google Translate] (via Mac Otakara). The report also states that due to its experimental nature, Apple’s 5.6-inch phone will not be known as an iPhone.
While it is somewhat probable that Apple could release two versions of the iPhone as previously suggested by other reports, it is very unlikely that the company would drop the iPhone name for the larger phone given the iconic reputation of the brand.
The report adds that Apple’s next-generation phones will once again be assembled at primary supplier Foxconn (also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.), with other suppliers including Cheng Uei Precision Industry and Simplo Technology also helping with production. Furthermore, the sapphire displays to be used in the 5.6-inch phone are said to come from new Apple partner GT Advanced, which was reported to be gearing up for massive production of devices with sapphire displays earlier this month.
Apple has been experimenting with a range of screen sizes for the next-generation iPhone since early 2013, with size rumors varying from 4.7 to 5.7 inches. Last week, the South China Morning Post stated that the company would be launching two new iPhones with larger flat sapphire displays in September, while The Korea Herald reported that the iPhone 6 would adopt a “bezel-free” display.
In addition to a new display, other reports have indicated that the iPhone 6 will feature a slimmer profile due to thinner and lighter backlights and a 10-megapixel or higher camera with an improved filter. The iPhone 6 is generally expected to arrive in the same September-October timeframe seen in recent years.
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The Gionee Elife S5.5 is the world’s thinnest smartphone at just 5.5mm Thick
Smartphone manufacturers in general appear to have shied away, at least for the time being, from attempting to make their phones any thinner than they have to. One of the last phones to claim the title of ‘thinnest smartphone’ went to the Huawei Ascend P6 at 6.2mm. Gionee has other ideas, however, as it has come out with the Gionee Elife S5.5 which measures just 5.5mm thick. That’s wafer-thin territory and from the press images (see image above), it makes slim look pretty darn good.
Hardware for the Elife S5.5 includes a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, a 5-inch display and a 2,300mAh battery.While those specs might not look like much, the minute thickness of the device more than likely influenced what was possible to be included. The Elife S5.5 will be available in 3G and LTE versions, and while the 3G version is now available for pre-order in China for around $370 USD, the LTE version won’t be available till June. While Gionee is saying that it will be releasing the Elife S5.5 in 40 other countries, it is yet to specify exactly which 40 they are.
Would you be interested in getting the new ‘thinnest smartphone’ on the market? Let us know what you think about the Gionee Elife S5.5 in the comments.
Source: engadget via Phona Arena
BigRep’s ONE can 3D print full-sized pieces of furniture
While consumer 3D printers are cheaper and more efficient than ever before, their small size often means designers are limited to creating hand-sized models and figurines. With the launch of its open-source ONE printer, German studio BigRep is looking to expand things quite significantly, by letting you print your own full-sized pieces of furniture. With a build volume of 45 x 39 x 47 inches (that’s 46 cubic feet), BigRep’s machine can fashion things out of the usual plastics, but can also be tweaked to print using a mixture of wood fibers and polymers, as well as Laybrick, a sandstone-type filament. If you fancy crafting a new side table for your home or office, the ONE will set you back a hefty $39,000 — just make sure you have plenty of spare room in your garage.
Filed under: Household
Via: CNET
Source: BigRep
Gionee’s 5.5mm thick smartphone can make calls all day, slice tomatoes
Gionee’s trying to stand out from the Huaweis and Oppos of smartphone-mad China with its new Elife S5.5, which it claims is the world’s thinnest at 5.5mm. If so, that would edge out the 5.75mm Vivo X3, the current champ (for reference, the iPhone 5s is 7.6mm thick). If “battery life” is the first thing that pops into mind for such a phone, Gionee claims it’ll last all day like its (much thicker) flagship, the Elife E7, thanks to a 2300mAh battery. Other than that, it’s fairly tame with a 5-inch display of unknown resolution, Gionee’s “Amigo” Android-based OS, an unspecified 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 13-megapixel back/5-megapixel front cameras. The 3G model is now up for pre-order in China for around $370, with an LTE version arriving in June. Gionee also said it’ll launch in 40 other countries, though eager small-pocketed consumers will have to wait to find out which.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Microsoft intros monthly storage plans for OneDrive, Android app now does automatic camera backups
Nope, not SkyDrive — OneDrive. In case you haven’t heard, Microsoft’s cloud storage service is going by a new name, and it’s finally going into effect today; you should see in the upper-left corner the next time you log in. But that’s not all that’s new: the company also updated its Android app with automatic camera backups, so that any photos or video you take on your device will automatically be sent to OneDrive. If you recall, this is a feature you’ll already find on the company’s iOS app — for whatever reason, it just took a bit longer to make its way to Android. As ever, you can opt to have OneDrive upload on WiFi only, ensuring you don’t exceed your monthly data cap. You can also put limits on image sizes if you want to make the most of your 7GB of free storage space.
Additionally, the company introduced monthly storage plans, starting at $4.49 a month for 50GB and going up to $11.49 a month for 200GB. Simple math tells us that’s more expensive than buying the same amount of storage on a yearly basis, but hey, some of you might be commitment phobes, and we get that. Lastly, you’ll want to keep an eye on Microsoft’s new OneDrive Twitter account today: the company will be giving away 100GB of free storage for a year, with freebies going to the first 100,000 people who log in at a designated time. The catch: Microsoft hasn’t said yet what time folks will need to log into their accounts, so if you want a chance of winning, you’ll just need to watch OneDrive’s Twitter feed. Sneaky, but them’s the breaks.
AIVAnet 