OPPO Find 7 (Two Versions Expected) Confirmed for March 19

A few days ago, rumors on the possible unveiling of OPPO Find 7 on March 19 have emerged online, and an official confirmation on the matter has already arrived, from the handset vendor itself.

The company has published a new teaser image for the device, claiming that “Find 7 are coming,” which actually means that more than one version of the handset will be announced. According to Engadget, we’ll be looking at one model with a 5.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440 (538 ppi) touchscreen display, and at a second one featuring only a full HD screen, presumably also cheaper.

The handset is also said to arrive on shelves with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor packed inside, as well as with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean loaded on top. OPPO is planning on making the new mobile phone official in Beijing on March 19, at the 798 Art Zone.

OPPO Find 7 confirmed for March 19
Image credits to Oppo/Weibo via Engadget

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Sprint’s Galaxy S5 (SM-G900P) Emerges in UAProf

As it turns out, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone is expected to arrive in the United States on the networks of various wireless carriers there, including Sprint.

We’ve already seen a User Agent Profile offering some info on the T-Mobile version of the device, and it seems that Sprint will also have the handset available for its users. In fact, another UAProf shows this phone as featuring model number SM-G900P, while packing a full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) touchscreen display, in line with the rest of the info available on the device.

As SammyToday notes, however, the phone is listed with a 2011 processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2MP front camera, and Android 4.4.2 KitKat loaded on top. Galaxy S5 has been previously rumored to pack a 16MP camera and a next-gen processor inside, so it remains to be seen whether the above details pan out. Stay tuned for more on the matter.

Sprint's Galaxy S5 emerges in UAProf
Image credits to Sprint

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Microsoft Planning to Allow Android Apps to Run on Windows

The idea of bringing Android apps on Windows isn’t new and in some way or another you can already do it, but it turns out that Microsoft itself is currently pondering a future mix that would allow adopters of its modern operating system run Android software on both desktop computers and Windows Phone devices.

The Verge is reporting via unnamed sources that a number of Microsoft executives have expressed their support to allow Android apps to run on Windows, but the internal (still ongoing) discussions are also involving a number of major drawbacks that could seriously harm the Windows platform completely. Basically, Microsoft wants to bring Android apps on Windows not only to boost the number of tools available for its users, but also to slow down the migration to Android, as this particular platform continues its high-speed growth started a couple of years ago. While this could clearly be a major hit for Microsoft, there are some critical drawbacks that Redmond is very afraid of, the report states.

First, Android apps on Windows could seriously lower interest in Metro apps and Microsoft has involved a fortune into campaigns supposed to bring developers closer to the company and encourage them to port software to Windows 8. Second of all, the arrival of Android apps in the store would create even more confusion for users and developers alike and Microsoft has been struggling to fight this thing ever since the launch of Windows 8. Microsoft isn’t the first company that would integrate Android support in its flagship platform, as BlackBerry did the same thing with BlackBerry 10, but the results have until now been well below expectations.

Redmond, on the other hand, is apparently working out a plan that would use BlueStacks as the core foundation. AMD is already working with BlueStacks and Intel is reportedly pressuring Microsoft to raise focus on technologies that could bring Android apps on Windows. Of course, the software giant would kill two birds with one stone and not only compete against Android devices much better than it currently does it, but it would also boost consumer appeal in the mobile and tablet market, two industry sectors where it invested millions of dollars without too impressive results.

The Verge writes that in case Microsoft’s plans to bring Android apps to Windows goes through, it’s very unlikely to happen until 2015 when Windows 9 is said to hit the market. Windows 9 is also supposed to merge the Windows stores and bring Metro apps on the desktop, so this could be the right time to introduce such a significant upgrade.

Microsoft could bring Android apps right in the Windows Store
Image credits to smh.com.au

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Samsung to Make Upcoming High-End Handsets Both Dust and Waterproof

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics might soon bring to the market a great deal of high-end smartphones that are both dust- and waterproof, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

The company has been already rumored to aim at releasing a rugged version of the Galaxy S5, supposedly called Galaxy S5 Active, but it seems that its plans actually stretch further. According to a recent article on ETNews, Samsung’s upcoming premium smartphone models will feature these capabilities by default, so as to be able to pack them with in-mold antenna (IMA) technology. Apparently, while most high-end smartphones today feature a laser direct structuring (LDS) antenna setup, this technology cannot offer reliable performance when it comes to waterproof devices, an area in which IMA rules. Samsung is said to have already secured deals with suppliers focused on IMA technology, which suggests that the company might indeed come up with a great number of devices that include the feature.

Considering the fact that IMA comes with low high-frequency (RF) performance and that it cannot be fit inside very thin devices, it would not make sense for Samsung to adopt it unless it is planning more rugged phones ahead. Apparently, IMA antenna makers are already working on new thin-film injection molding technology that will allow them to pack their products in slimmer handsets while boasting the same performance as LDS antenna. One such product comes from Daesan Electronics and is called ‘high-performance in-mold antenna (H-IMA), capable of outpacing the performance and thickness level of LDS antenna. However, there’s no telling on whether vendors will adopt it.

“As press and injection molding technologies are gradually advancing, LDS antenna is facing a new challenge,” an industry insider said, according to ETNews. “We are keeping our eyes on the antenna market, expecting yet another technological competition in the market.”

Samsung to launch more dust and waterproof high-end devices
Image credits to Samsung

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Nokia to Launch More Android Phones Following Nokia X (Normandy)

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is reportedly planning the launch of more than one smartphone running under the Android operating system, and it should unveil such devices after the launch of Nokia X (Normandy), rumor has it.

According to info coming from a source at Artesyn Technologies, Nokia is also planning the launch of high-end devices running under Android, a post on tech.qq reads. Moreover, said source claims that Nokia might be set to unveil these sometime in May or June this year, and that they will be covering multiple price points. Apparently, Nokia will be left only with the Asha lineup and its feature phone business after the Microsoft acquisition, and it will try to gain some market share in the Android area with said devices. Considering the competition in the Android segment at the moment, it remains to be seen whether the company will indeed be able to make a name for itself there or not. By the looks of it, it will have little chance to attract users in the high-end market, and it might find it difficult to compete even in the mid-range segment.

However, given the popularity of Asha handsets in emerging markets, the company might try to attract users to its Android devices in these countries, as PhoneArena notes. What remains to be seen, however, is whether said devices, provided that they will indeed arrive on shelves, will sport the same forked Android platform that Nokia X is expected to be launched with. For those out of the loop, we should note that the device was rumored to arrive without a series of Google services, such as Google Play, set to be replaced with Nokia’s own products, such as HERE and others.

For the time being, however, nothing has been officially confirmed on the matter, and we’ll take info above with a grain of salt until it is confirmed. Nokia X might be announced at MWC, so stay tuned for specifics on the matter.

Nokia rumored to plan more Android devices, including high-end smartphone
Image credits to Nokia

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Samsung Galaxy Mega Plus Emerges in China with Quad-Core Processor

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics appears set to expand its series of mid-range handsets with new large smartphones, and the Galaxy Mega Plus might be one of these devices.

The mobile phone has made an appearance on Samsung’s official website in China with model number I9152P attached to it, and with the same hardware specifications as the Galaxy Mega 5.8. However, unlike the already official smartphone, the new device packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor inside, and with features such as Multi Window, Popup Play, Group Play, Story Album, S Translator and more, as sammyhub reports.

The phone’s specs include the aforementioned 5.8-inch qHD (960 x 540 pixels) screen, an 8-megapixel camera on the back, 1.9MP front camera, and dual-SIM capabilities. Moreover, the phone sports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS receiver, a microSD memory card slot, and a 2600mAh battery inside.

Samsung Galaxy Mega Plus
Image credits to Samsung China

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Another Leaked HTC M8 Photo Confirms Phone’s Final Design

As the official unveiling of HTC M8 is getting nearer, more and more leaked info on the device emerges online, and a brand new image with the phone is now available for your viewing pleasure, supposedly confirming the final design that it will employ.

The handset in this photo (available courtesy of HTCFamily.ru) falls in line with some of the previously spotted leaked images with the phone, as well as with the concept renders that we’ve seen recently, though it’s uncertain whether HTC M8 is indeed featured in it. The handset should come with on-screen buttons and a tiny bezel, while also expected to sport a 5-inch display, quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM. It will also sport a new Sense UI version.

One of the most interesting features it was reported to come with is the presence of twin UltraPixel cameras on its back, supposedly set to provide users with much better imaging capabilities than its predecessor.

Another HTC M8 leaked photo
Image credits to HTCFamily.ru

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