Dual-SIM Nokia Lumia 630 Emerges Online with 4.5-Inch Screen

One of the smartphones that mobile phone maker Nokia is expected to make official later this year is the Nokia Lumia 630, which should arrive on shelves in a dual-SIM version as well, according to a recent report.

A leaked image that emerged online courtesy of baidu shows that the upcoming smartphone will be similar to the Nokia Lumia 630, featuring on-screen keys, along with the aforementioned support for two SIM cards. Moreover, the smartphone, supposedly running under the latest version of Windows Phone 8, is said to land on shelves with a 4.5-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering an 854 x 480 pixels resolution, and should measure 129.5 x 66.7 mm. The newly leaked image also shows two live tiles for calls, as well as two of them for messaging, which supposedly confirms the phone’s dual-SIM capabilities. According to MyNokiaBlog, the handset could be launched as Nokia Lumia 635, though an official confirmation on the matter has yet to be provided.

A previously leaked image with the mobile phone also shows that it could be launched with a design similar to that of Nokia Lumia 620, but it will clearly be larger, given that the already available Windows Phone smartphone sports only a 3.8-inch screen.

Leaked Nokia Lumia 630 image
Images credits to Baidu via MyNokiaBlog

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HTC Preps Butterfly S Successor, Codenamed GLU2

Following the launch of new Desire smartphones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC Corporation might bring to the market a successor for the Butterfly S as well, to accompany the upcoming All New HTC One on shelves.

The smartphone has reportedly leaked only under the codename of GLU2, featuring support for CDMA2000 connectivity, and supposedly set to make an official appearance in Japan on the network of wireless carrier KDDI. What’s more interesting is the fact that this mobile phone is expected to land on shelves with about the same hardware specifications expected to be included inside the All New HTC One device, which was previously spotted online as HTC M8. Thus, users might be able to enjoy a 5.2-inch touchscreen display when buying the phone, capable of delivering a full HD resolution, at least this is what info coming from HTCSoku unveils. As gforgames notes, this will be a SHARP screen, most probably IGZO.

The upcoming Butterfly S successor is also said to be powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, paired with 2GB of RAM, which should provide users with appealing performance capabilities. The smartphone should be launched with 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, most probably paired with a microSD memory card slot that will allow for additional storage space to be included. One of the most interesting tidbits related to this smartphone is the fact that it is said to arrive on shelves with a 5MP UltraPixel dual-camera on the back, the same as the All New HTC One. Should this pan out, we’re wondering whether this HTC GLU2 handset won’t be, in fact, a custom version of the upcoming HTC One successor, specifically designed for KDDI. One thing that is certain, however, is the fact that the mysterious device will also sport a 5MP front camera for video calling.

A 3000 mAh battery is also said to be included inside the upcoming mobile phone, along with Android 4.4.x KitKat. Of course, HTC will also load its own Sense 6 UI on top of Google’s mobile operating system. All in all, it seems that HTC has some powerful, highly appealing smartphones in store for its users for this year, though it remains to be seen how much of the above mentioned details on this Butterfly S successor will pan out. Info on the device’s release date and pricing hasn’t been provided as of now, and we don’t expect for such info to emerge soon. Most probably, the phone will become official after the All New HTC One is formally announced.

HTC reportedly preps Butterfly S successor
Image credits to HTCSoku via GforGames

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Nexus 6 in H2 2014, Galaxy S6 Still on Android, Sundar Pichai Says

The long series of Nexus smartphones will receive a new member before the end of this year, Google’s Sundar Pichai has reportedly confirmed during a press event at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Five smartphones were launched as part of the Nexus family, and a new one is expected to become available this year, though not in the first half of the year, Sundar Pichai unveiled, Frandroid reports. Previously, Google and its partners launched Nexus phones in the Q4 timeframe (Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, and Nexus 5 were launched like this over the past three years), and Nexus 6 could have a similar fate, as BGR notes. Some of the previous reports on the matter suggested that the Nexus family of smartphones might be ended once Nexus 6 is released, yet no official confirmation on this has been provided as of now. However, there is a possibility that Google will continue the series without using the current numbering scheme (Nexus 7 does exist at the moment, but it is a tablet PC). However, keep in mind that this is only our supposition for the time being.

One other interesting thing that Sundar Pichai is said to have unveiled at MWC 2014 is the fact that the next flagship smartphone from Samsung, supposedly called Galaxy S6, will still be powered by Android. Some people expressed their concerns regarding the relationship between Google and Samsung, especially given the latter’s efforts to build its own mobile platform, the Tizen OS. According to Pichai, the two companies get along just fine and plan on continuing their collaboration in the future as well, despite the fact that Samsung has put Tizen on top of its latest smartwatch, the Gear 2. One thing that Pichai also stressed upon was the openness of Android, which has allowed for smartphones such as the new Nokia X, which is based on a forked flavor of the platform, without Google services on top, to be launched.

At the same time, he reportedly insisted that Android was meant to be open, not secure, responding to inquiries related to the increasing number of malware found on the platform lately. According to him, its popularity was expected to make it a magnet for malicious apps. On the other hand, we should note that Google did focus on improving the overall security of the Android platform over the past few years, and that it is expected to continue doing so in the future as well.

Sundar Pichai (Google)
Image credits to techwhack.co

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The All New HTC One Leaks in Live Photos

Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation was present on the floor at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, but it did not announce the smartphone that everybody was looking for, namely the All New HTC One.

However, the handset was spotted online in newly leaked live photos, confirming once again the change in design that HTC is planning for it, when compared to last year’s HTC One smartphone. Available courtesy of HardForum.com, the leaked images show the phone both from the front and from the back, offering yet another view of the device that will supposedly go official on March 25. As phandroid notes, the leaker also claims that the phone feels thinner and lighter than HTC One, and that it is very fast, despite the fact that it featured some bugs. However, they did not get the chance to play with the twin cameras on the back of the device. Apparently, HTC also teased the inclusion of BoomSound technology inside the All New HTC One, as the video embedded below unveils. However, the smartphone itself cannot be seen in the clip, though we already know what it looks like.

HTC seems to have upgraded the BoomSound on the upcoming smartphone, so as to deliver a better experience to users, but specifics on the matter haven’t been provided either. Hopefully, all will be brought to light on March 25, so stay tuned to learn more details on the upcoming flagship. Previously leaked online as the HTC M8, the mobile phone was said to be a bit larger when compared to HTC One, courtesy of a 5-inch or larger touchscreen display, most probably a full HD one. Moreover, the phone was rumored to land on shelves with a latest-generation Snapdragon 800 processor from Qualcomm, paired with at least 2GB of RAM (though the general consensus appears to be that 3GB of RAM will be included inside it). HTC was also said to plan on packing the handset with a fingerprint sensor, the same as it did with the HTC One max last year, as well as with the aforementioned twin UltraPixels cameras on the back, for better imaging capabilities.

The latest version of Android (4.4.2 KitKat) should also be loaded on top of the forthcoming handset, along with a new set of customization features from HTC, also known as the Sense 6 user interface. Unfortunately, no official confirmation on any of these has been provided until now.

Leaked All New HTC One image
Image credits to hardforum via phandroid

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Google to Detail Project Ara Smartphone at Its April 15-16 Conference

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has announced a new conference that will certainly stir the interest of mobile phone users out there, as it will bring to the spotlight the Project Ara handset.

The conference, set for April 15-16 in Mountain View, is meant to provide us with all the necessary info on the long-expected modular device. Project Ara is one of the smartphones that Motorola hasn't got the chance to unveil to the world until now, but it appears that we’ll be able to learn all about it in the not too distant future. At Ara Developers' Conference, Google is determined to showcase a smartphone that has been designed for all 6 billion potential mobile phone users out there, Project Ara’s official website unveils. As Google puts it, despite the fact that one billion people out there already have a smartphone, little is actually known on what such a device is capable of offering. Furthermore, the announcement posted on the aforementioned website stresses on the fact that 5 billion users don’t have such a device, and claims that there’s a way to ensure that each and every person on this planet could own a smartphone soon.

Unfortunately, no specific info on what Project Ara will have to offer has been provided as of now, and Google appears set to keep tight secrecy on the matter. Previous reports on this, however, did suggest that we’re looking at a device that will enable users to add a nice range of hardware customizations to the mix, in addition to the suite of software personalization options that are already available on today’s smartphones. As a modular device, it will allow people to easily replace various parts to modify capabilities, including memory, battery, processor, camera, and the like. The image embedded above speaks for itself, offering a better view of this idea.

Apparently, the basic Ara module will come with a very low price tag, at only around $50 (€36.6), but users will be able to add better components to it, thus also increasing its price, a recent article on Time reads. In addition to offering details on said device, Google will focus on the Ara Module Developers’ Kit (MDK), which will be released in an alpha version at the time of the conference, it seems. The MDK is expected to become available online sometime in early April, and it will arrive as a free and open platform specification and reference implementation, set to offer all the necessary info on what developers will need to start building an Ara module.

Project Ara
Image credits to Project Ara 

Project Ara
Image credits to Project Ara via Android Police

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Boeing Black Is a Secret Phone for Government Agencies and Companies Related to Homeland Security

We all know that Boeing is making aircraft, but what would you say if you were able to purchase a Boeing-made mobile phone? This may actually happen sooner than we think, as the company has already confirmed plans to launch a mysterious Android smartphone.

The official statement was evasive and did not include too many details, just the fact that Boeing may launch a smartphone sometime in 2014. Well, it appears that Boeing’s statement was pretty accurate given the recent details leaked online. The folks over at Myce have just spotted the rumored Boeing smartphone at Federal Communications Commission (FCC), along with its schematics. The mysterious device tipped by Boeing last year is called Black and, for the time being, little is known about its specs due to security reasons. The Boeing Black is meant to offer extra protection during communication, but the device is meant to offer that protection to only a few and probably at a high price. Apparently, Boeing’s Black phone will be sold “primarily to government agencies and companies engaged in contractual activities with those agencies that are related to defense and homeland security.”

Boeing has also stated in the documents filed at FCC that all the technical information about the Black smartphone won’t be made public. However, some technical details may be provided at various trade fairs, but that will be limited and those who receive it will have to sign non-disclosure agreements. There’s more to it as Boeing is clearly stating that its upcoming Black smartphone “is also protected by the Boeing Black Purchase Agreement (Purchase Agreement).” The “purchase agreement” is meant to protect as “proprietary information” all the components, hardware, software, applications and functionalities of the Black smartphone provided by Boeing.

Even though the FCC documents don’t reveal too much about the specs for the reasons explained earlier, there are some mentions of dual-SIM support on the smartphone’s schematics that were filed as PDF documents. Boeing also states that its Black smartphone will be compatible with GSM, WCDMA and LTE networks and microSIM cards, which shouldn’t be surprising if the company wishes to cover as many markets as possible. For the time being, it’s unclear whether or not the Black smartphone will be limited to the United States or it will be “secretly” made available worldwide. We also don’t know when it’s set for release, but this information may be “classified” as well. Don’t look for more info on this one, as the Black phone isn’t meant for end users.

Boeing Black phone
Image credits to FCC

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BlackBerry CEO Says He'd Sell BBM for $19 Billion

Now that Mark Zuckerberg shelled out $19 billion (€13.8 billion) for messaging app WhatsApp, BlackBerry’s CEO says he’d have accepted a similar offer too.

“I work for the shareholder. If somebody comes to me with $19 billion, I would definitely sell it. I would recommend to the board to take it,” said John Chen, BlackBery CEO, in an interview with CNBC. While he’s not adamant about selling BBM, it’s clear that Chen would agree to a similar offer if it came. He did add, however, that he did not look at BBM in this manner. “I know there's a lot of value in messaging businesses... I think the right thing to do is to expand that and market as big as possible and then I (will) worry about the valuation later,” he said. Last week, when everyone was talking about the Facebook acquisition of WhatsApp, trying to discover possible reasons for the transactions, the general agreement was that this was one of the few options for the social network. Snapchat refused to sell, while BBM was (presumably) not for sale. WhatsApp, seemed like the logical next step for Facebook.

The deal shocked the tech industry due to its nature and the fact that no one knew that Facebook was looking to acquire a messaging app, especially since it had already built its own. BBM is an extremely popular feature among BlackBerry users and one that has managed to keep the interest of fans in the company’s devices even during the lengthy crisis it went through. Hoping to bank on the success it had on its own platform, BlackBerry decided to release the messaging app to other platforms as well. Back in October, Android and iPhone versions were revealed, attracting millions of downloads in no time. Even so, when you compare BBM to WhatsApp, BlackBerry’s tool is not even close when it comes to popularity. While WhatsApp has some 465 million users, BBM only has about 85 million monthly users.

Also, given the size of the offer that WhatsApp accepted from Facebook, it’s no surprise that Chen would be willing to sell the messaging app for this price. After all, BlackBerry’s current market cap is a lot smaller than that, namely some $5.5 billion (€4 billion). Another thing that should be highlighted in his statement is that Chen seems to care most about the shareholders; a steep difference between WhatsApp’s desire to protect users and BlackBerry’s hunger for cash. It is understandable, however, given the difficult years that BlackBerry has had, that the company’ leaders would be willing to sell one of the most prized possessions for a hefty price that would bring BlackBerry back on track.

BBM logo
Image credits to BlackBerry

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iOS 7.0.6 Bricks iPhones, but There’s a Fix

Following the release of iOS 7.0.6 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch last week, a growing forum thread on Apple Support Communities started to reveal an anomaly: the firmware update bricked users’ devices.

iPhone 5s users in particular seem to be the most affected by the so-called bricking issue, but it seems there’s an easy fix. Simply resetting the device by holding down the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds seems to do the trick. Apparently, some handsets will fail to reboot after installing the new firmware, leaving users with a device that won’t power on anymore. However, with the device in “bricked” state, users can simply perform the hard reset and get the thing working again. One customer in particular claims that, because of the update, he is now forced to visit his local Apple retail store and ask for a replacement. It isn’t clear if this user actually knows of the hard-reset fix, as he doesn’t mention trying this method.

“Same here,” user oregonjoe writes on Apple's forums. “My iphone 4s won't turn on or restore. It happened after I had tried to update to 7.0.6. It froze in the middle of the update, so I had to restart, and then awhile later it turned off and hasn't been able to get past apple logo since.” “I tried restoring through itunes, and just kept getting ‘unknown error (9).’ Took it to an Apple store, and to summarize, I have to buy a new phone because I tried to update,” adds oregonjoe. “Thanks, Apple, way to stick it to the customer.” Others managed to fix their problem by restoring their firmware manually through iTunes, but are still disappointed that Apple doesn’t seem to be offering its support for those who are having problems updating their iDevices.

“Just restored through Itunes and now restoring my stuff from my icloud,” writes TragedySherbert. “It's really kind of awful that Apple's own software would do this to people's phones,” he adds. Apple released iOS 7.0.6 – and an adjacent 6.1.6 firmware update for old-generation devices – to patch a severe SSL flaw that affects the way iPhones communicate with servers, failing to protect the user’s identity. The flaw is present in Apple’s desktop software too. OS X 10.9.1 Mavericks has the same bug in its SSL code strings, and the company is yet to deploy OS X 10.9.2 to address the issue. Security researchers have criticized the Cupertino giant for taking the flaw lightly, but a spokesperson for Apple said on Saturday that a software patch would be released “very soon.”

iOS 7.0.6 OTA
Image credits to Apple

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MWC 2014: Samsung Galaxy S5 is Here with Fingerprint Scanner, 4K Video Recording

As expected, Samsung has taken the wrap-off its next Galaxy S smartphone. Samsung Galaxy S5 is now dust- and waterproof (IP67 certified) and comes with a fingerprint scanner placed under the physical Home button.

We've already reported on the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner, which allows users to keep their data safe, as well as make payments via PayPal with just a swipe of the finger. Samsung Galaxy S5 will ship with Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system out of the box and a new TouchWiz UI, which strongly resembles the previous version. Hardware-wise, the high-end smartphone is equipped with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which is complemented by an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM. Another strong point of the Galaxy S5 would be the 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, which features autofocus, LED flash and 4K video recording. Even though previous rumors pointed to a 5.25-inch QHD (2650 x 1440 pixels) resolution, the Galaxy S5 comes with a slightly smaller 5.1-inch Super AMOLED full HD (1080p) capacitive touchscreen display.

Aside from the 2GB of RAM, Samsung Galaxy S5 comes packed with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD memory card. Connectivity-wise, the Galaxy S5 offers a wide range of options, including LTE Cat4 (up to 150Mbps downloads, 50Mbps uploads), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO 2x2), Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, ANT+, NFC (Near Field Communication), IR blaster, and USB 3.0. Design-wise, Samsung has replaced the cheap glossy back cover with a more stylish dimpled back side that offers better grip over the phone. The Galaxy S5 also comes with a much better 2800 mAh battery, which is rated by Samsung for up to 10 hours of web browsing or up to 12 hours of video playback.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S5 will be available for purchase beginning April 11 in no less than 150 countries. Unfortunately, no information has been provided on price tag yet, but we suspect Samsung will offer more details on pricing very soon. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Samsung Galaxy S5
Image credits to Samsung Mobile

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First Ubuntu Phones Revealed at MWC 2014

The first Ubuntu phones are now being displayed at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2014 event, which takes place this week in Barcelona, Spain, between February 24-27.

Canonical announced last week that the forthcoming Ubuntu-powered phones will be manufactured by the Chinese company, Meizu, and a Spanish phone designer and manufacturer, named BQ. The names of the two Ubuntu phones have been revealed today at MWC 2014, the BQ Aquaris and the Meizu MX3. Unfortunately, the prototype phones showcased at the Ubuntu booth in Barcelona have no operating system.

However, the Canonical employees are hard at work, showcasing the latest Ubuntu Touch software on a Google Nexus 5 phone. If you are in Barcelona, go to MWC and visit the spectacular Ubuntu booth, because those phones look really good. We will have more pictures tomorrow morning!

http://www.gizchina.com
There have been a lot of rumours over the past few weeks claiming Meizu are gearing up to launch a new version of the MEizu MX3 running Linux Ubuntu! The leaked video we have here cetainly shows us an MX3 running Ubuntu,but it remains to be seen if Meizu will actually launch such a device!
More Meizu news at GizChina.com
Video credits to GizChina

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