Oppo R1 New Hands-on Photos Emerges

Soon, Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo should make official a new handset in its R-Series of devices, one that has leaked in a new series of hands-on photos.

These are the clearest images with the smartphone available as of now, and, as GSMInsider notes, they offer a better look at what will be coming to the market in the not too distant future. The mobile phone reportedly packs model number R829T and sports a glass design similar to the one that Sony packed its Xperia Z1 smartphone with.

Oppo R1 is said to feature a 5-inch 720p screen, while being powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor, paired with 1GB of RAM. The handset will also feature 16GB of internal memory, while packing an 8-megapixel camera on the back, and a 5MP camera on the front. The smartphone will run under Google’s Android operating system, though specific info on the actual version has yet to be unveiled.

Oppo R1
Images credits to Weibo via GSMInsider

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Official CyanogenMod Cases for Nexus 5 Launched

Owners of Nexus 5 devices who are also CyanogenMod fans can now grab official CM cases for their smartphones.

The new accessories come from Cruzerlite and the CM team and are presented as the Official CyanogenMod cases for the latest Google phone out there. There are four different color options available for them, namely Black, Clear, Smoke, and Teal, so that users can personalize their experience with the Nexus 5 even more than before.

“Available in your choice of four colors, this design comes from community member Asher Simonds – who also made the Nexus Experience pattern wallpapers seen in CyanogenMod,” the CM team announced in a recent post on Google+. Those who order these cases now should receive them by the end of the week, the aforementioned post also announced. Buy links for each of the aforementioned color options are available in said post as well.

Official CyanogenMod cases for Nexus 5
CyanogenMod on Google+

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Sony to Launch D650X (D6503) and D53XX (D5322 /D5303) Handsets in 2014

Next year, Sony Mobile is expected to bring to the market some appealing new devices running under Google’s Android operating system, and info on two models has emerged over on the Indonesian Postel website.

Apparently, there will be a new flagship smartphone from the company, one that will sport model number D650X (D6503), complemented by a mid-range device, which should feature model number D53XX (D5322 and D5303). As XperiaBlog notes, the D650X should be in line with the Xperia ZL in terms of specs and features, while the D530X would be launched in the same range as the Xperia SP.

What remains to be seen is when exactly these new devices will arrive on the market, and whether Sony will launch the aforementioned flagship in two flavors, as it did this year with the Xperia Z (C660X) and Xperia ZL (C650X).

Sony models numbers for 2014 emerge online
Image credits to Postel Indonesia

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Jolla’s Sailfish OS Smartphone Now Available Across Europe

Today, Finnish startup Jolla announced the availability of its Sailfish OS-based phone in more countries around the world, as the device went available through its online store for customers in Europe, starting with Switzerland and Norway.

The company has a new batch of Jolla smartphones up for grabs, claiming that those who order it now will receive their units in two to four weeks. The handset features a price tag of €399 ($546), contract-free, with VAT included, and runs under a beta version of the Sailfish OS. The company appears very happy with sales of the device so far, especially since it has had it available for pre-order twice and sold out all units both times. “Sales of Jolla smartphones are off to a great start and it is time to move on to the next phase by offering a new batch of Jolla smartphones to new customers across Europe,” says Tomi Pienimäki, CEO of Jolla.

Jolla has also confirmed that users who pre-ordered the handset before its official release will be receiving their units before Christmas. Newly placed orders will start shipping only in early January 2014. “After solving some technical logistics issues all the shipments to pre-order customers in the EU will be shipped by Christmas. We want to thank all of our valued customers for their great support and patience to make this happen,” Pienimäki also said. In addition to announcing the expanded availability of the smartphone, Jolla unveiled plans to allow users to get involved in the development process. Thus, the company has launched a new portal at together.jolla.com, so that customers could discuss and vote features that should be added to the company’s platform. There, they can also report issues and submit ideas.

“We launched Jolla with Sailfish OS Beta to put the product in the hands of real customers as soon as possible. We have received a lot of valuable feedback, for example, regarding power management and most wanted features, and we are reacting quickly,” Pienimäki also said. “We have already released two updates for the OS and are expecting to rapidly improve the capabilities with frequent over the air updates.” Those who would like to purchase the Jolla phone should head over to shop.jolla.com for that. Additional details on the smartphone and the mobile operating system are available there as well.

Jolla's phone now available in more markets
Image credits to Jolla

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Tizen UI Screenshots Leaked

We reported earlier today that Samsung and Intel confirmed that they would bring the first Tizen OS devices at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 in February, and now it looks like the first screenshots showing the new platform’s UI have just leaked.

SamMobile reports that the new screenshots have been taken from the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service database. Although Tizen UI is still subject to change, from what we can tell from the screenshots below, the new UI is clearly different from previous versions.

Obviously, Tizen UI resembles Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, but the former looks a bit much cleaner and nicer. If Samsung indeed showcases the first smartphones powered by Tizen next February, they might go on sale a few months later, most likely after Samsung Galaxy S5 is out. Stay tuned for more on this one.

Tizen UI (click for larger images)
Images credits to Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service

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NVIDIA GeForce 800M Maxwell Mobile GPUs Set for February 2014 Release

NVIDIA hasn't provided an update in regard to its GPU roadmap recently, but that doesn't mean that others can't do it. Case in point, laptop manufacturer CLEVO provided one.

As you can see in the image above, the first GeForce 800M graphics processing units will debut in February 2014. They are (probably) Maxwell GPUs called GeForce GTX 880M (N15E-GX-A2), GeForce GTX 870M (N15P-GT) and GeForce GTX 860M (N15P-GX). In that order, they will have 8 GB, 6 GB and 4 GB memory, or maybe 4GB, 3GB and 2GB, with the others being SLI configurations.

That said, besides these chips, there will be a GeForce GT 840M (N15S-GT1) and a GeForce GTX 850M (N15P-GT). The latter will probably really be called GT 850M (no X), but we can't be sure. These two will probably be rebranded Kepler units, not Maxwell.

CLEVO Maxwell Roadmap (click for larger image)
Images credits to Clevo via ComputerBase

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Bitcoins Crash and Burn, Value Drops to $500 / €363

Bitcoins are crashing, just a few weeks after reaching the biggest values in the currency’s history.

The price per Bitcoin has dropped under $500 (€363) for a while, a far cry from the $1,200 (€872) from a few weeks ago. The incredible price drop seems to indicate what economists across the world have been suspecting for months – that the Bitcoin was in a bubble. The Bitcoin bubble, like many others before it, only lasted for a few weeks and there are plenty of reasons explaining the burst and why the cryptocurrency is back to the value it had about two months ago.

The rapid rise in price put the currency on the to-do list of numerous governments who felt the need to take a formal stance towards Bitcoin. The Chinese officials said that Bitcoin wasn’t a real currency and other nations followed in their footsteps. The United States didn’t really come to a conclusion on the matter, although it seemed to be more open-minded about it. Either way, what the situation indicates is that Bitcoins are incredibly volatile and risky to invest in. Whether it will pay off in the end, it remains to be seen.

Bitcoins are slipping again (click for larger image)
Image credits to bitcoincharts.com

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Vivo Xplay 3S Official as World’s First 2k (2560 x 1440 Pixels) Smartphone

Today, Chinese mobile phone maker Vivo has made official the first smartphone in the world to arrive on the market with a 2k screen, in the form of Vivo Xplay 3S.

The new handset made headlines quite a few times during the past few months, and it is now finally official with a 5.7-inch screen. As the vendor has announced, the new Vivo Xplay 3S can deliver a pixel density of 490ppi, proving to be one of the smartphones with the most advanced touchscreens out there. However, the 2k panel (also known as Quad HD or QHD), is not the only appealing feature that this Android-based device arrives on shelves with, as PhoneArena notes. Vivo made it official today with a Snapdragon 800 8974AB processor inside, with four Krait 400 cores clocked in at 2.3GHz, and with the Adreno 330 GPU attached. The specifications list of this phone also includes 3GB of RAM, which should allow the smartphone to provide users with great performance capabilities.

Moreover, it features 32 GB of internal memory, as well as a 3200 mAh battery. There is also LTE connectivity included inside the 2k phone, along with DTS sound technology, paired with stereo speakers. On the back, the new device has a 13-megapixel camera with f/1.8 aperture, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution (which does not come as a surprise, given the phone’s screen). The new Vivo Xplay 3S also sports a fingerprint sensor on the back, as well as the usual set of connectivity capabilities and sensors. On top of that, it is also incredibly slim, measuring only 4.5mm at its thinnest point.

What remains to be seen is when exactly the new mobile phone will become available for purchase, and whether users will be able to afford it, considering the high-end hardware specs it was packed with. Previously, VivoXplay 3S was rumored to arrive on the market priced at 4,498 Yuan ($740/€533) and 4,999 Yuan ($823/€599), depending on the internal memory.

Vivo Xplay 3S
Images credits to PhoneArena

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ASUS Padfone X (Unannounced) Emerges Online

ASUS might soon make official a new device in the popular Padfone series, one that has been spotted online recently as ASUS Padfone X.

The device made an appearance in the AnTuTu database and is expected to arrive on the market as the successor of last year’s Padfone 2. The Padfone X is said to launch with Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat operating system loaded on top right from the start, though it remains to be seen whether it will be called Padfone 3 or something else. Furthermore, the upcoming device should hit shelves with a Snapdragon 800 MSM-8974AB processor packed inside, as well as with 2GB of RAM, a recent post on PhoneArena notes. No specific info on the smartphone’s display size has been provided as of now, but it seems that ASUS will have it deliver a 1200 x 1920 pixels resolution.

The upcoming mobile phone is also said to arrive on shelves with 16GB of internal memory, though no details on a possible microSD memory card slot have been provided as of now. On the back, the phone should sport at least a 5-megapixel camera, though an 8MP or a 13MP one is more likely, considering the rest of the specifications. What remains to be seen is what size the tablet that accompanies the smartphone will be, and whether the aforementioned 1200 x 1920 pixels resolution applies to it instead. No official confirmation on the device has emerged until now, and chances are that its final specifications will change from what was mentioned above, so take these with a grain of salt.

However, it might not be too long before ASUS decides to make a formal announcement on this handset and tablet PC combo, especially with CES 2014 approaching fast, so stay tuned for more on the matter. In case you missed previous news on ASUS’ Padfone family, you should know that the company launched a 4.3-inch Padfone mini smartphone only a few weeks ago. It is accompanied by a 7-inch tablet case.

ASUS padfone X in benchmarks
Image credits to PhoneArena

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HP Slate 21 Pro Maxi Tablet Emerge on Benchmark Site

HP has unleashed a flurry of tablet devices these past few months and the company doesn't plan to stop here.

Apparently, the PC manufacturer is planning to roll out a professional version of its maxi tablet, the HP Slate 21, which is already available on the market. The HP Slate 21 Pro has been spotted at the GFX Benchmark website and will feature a lot of the same technical specifications found in the slate mentioned above. More than that, it will probably even borrow a lot of design cues, as well. The gigantic tablet will be aimed at the business crowd of course, but so far we don’t have the complete picture when it comes to specifications. The product will feature a 21.5-inch full HD screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (1920 x 1032 in the GFX Benchmark scores) and bundle an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor.

That this is a new model is indicated by the  “Moon” code-name, which is different from the “Mars” given to the current model. Also, the Pro version will run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box, not Android 4.2. We will keep you posted as more information comes up, but I think the business edition of the HP Slate Pro 21 could be announced as soon as January 2014.

HP Slate 21 Pro spotted on benchmark site (click to see it in full)
Image credits to GFX Benchmark

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