Sony Yuga C660X Confirmed as Sony Xperia Z L36i/L36h/L36a

Japanese mobile phone maker Sony has reportedly confirmed that its previously leaked Yuga C660X flagship handset will be officially launched at CES 2013 in January as Xperia Z L36i/L36h/L36a (the letter in the model number will change depending on market).

According to ePrice, the phone will sport the hardware specifications already rumored for it, starting with the full HD 5-inch 440ppi touchscreen display, and the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor complemented by 2GB of RAM. The flagship smartphone is also said to include 16GB of internal memory, microSDXC card to expand it, 4G LTE connectivity, WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, GPS receiver, and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean loaded on top.

The phone will also sport a 13-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with Exmor RS Camera sensor, HDR video recording, and a front. NTT Docomo in Japan will launch it first, followed by US and Hong Kong and global availability in April.

Sony Xperia Z (Yuga)
Image credits to Mobile-Review

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Nokia to Launch 10.1’’ Windows RT Tablet with Surface-Like Cover

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is reportedly gearing up for the launch of a 10.1-inch tablet PC that will rival Microsoft’s own Surface slate.

In fact, the company is said to plan packing the device with a cover similar to the one Microsoft used for Surface, and to include HDMI and USB ports on it. The cover will include not only a keyboard, two USB ports and a kickstand for the tablet, but also a battery that will further extend the usage time of the device.

Also featuring cellular connectivity inside, the device is expected to make an official debut at AT&T in the United States, The Verge reports. Nokia’s Windows RT tablet PC is expected to boast a 10-hour capacity. Apparently, the handset vendor is planning to manufacture only a small number of this device, but is also looking at the launch of a Windows 8-based slate at a later date.

Windows 8/RT Start Screen
Image credits to dannzfay

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RIM BlackBerry L-, Z- and N-Series Devices Get Photographed Together

What would reportedly become the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones from Canadian mobile maker Research In Motion have emerged in a group photo, offering us a glimpse at what the company has in store for its users for the next year.

The handsets can be seen in the photo above (via crackberry), and appear to be accompanied by a device than might prove to be none other than BlackBerry Dev Alpha C phone that RIM has announced a few months ago. The L-Series smartphone, which can be seen in the middle, is said to land on shelves as BlackBerry Z10, and will sport a full-touch display.

As for the N-Series phone, it has emerged in another photo as well today (via CNBeta), one that shows its front entirely, and which can be seen embedded below. Rumor has it that it will be released as BlackBerry X10.

RIM BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry X10
Image credits to 4chan via crackberry

BlackBerry X10
Image credits to cnbeta via crackberry

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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (GT-N5100) GLBenchmark Result Emerges

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics has been long rumored to plan the launch of a 7-inch tablet PC in the Galaxy Note lineup, and some more info on it is now available.

The slate has made an appearance over at the GLBenchmark, where it showed model number Samsung GT-N5100 and Google’s Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean platform loaded on top. The new device is reportedly en-route to shelves with a 7.7-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a 1280 x 800 pixels resolution.

Furthermore, it is expected to sport a 1.6GHz processor inside (most probably the same quad-core CPU that powers Galaxy Note II), along with 3G connectivity. No official confirmation on this device has emerged so far, but sammobile suggests that Samsung might plan unveiling it to the world in early 2013, either at CES in January, or at MWC in February.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (GT-N5100)
Image credits to GLBenchmark

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Native BBM for BlackBerry PlayBook Leaked Screenshots

One appealing feature that the owners of BlackBerry PlayBook tablet PCs will soon be able to enjoy on their devices is a native BlackBerry Messenger, which should look as shown in the screenshots attached to this post.

The leaked shots have emerged over at BBOTA.cn and allegedly show a finished application, ready to arrive on Research In Motion's tablet PC. The native BBM client was rumored a while ago, but no specific info on how it might look like has emerged until now.

The app is said to be ready for deployment, and to work great over WiFi networks, even without BIS or a SIM inside the tablet. According to BBin.in, the PlayBook BBM will be available next month, and will also include BBM Voice & BBM Video features. Stay tuned for more.

Native BBM for BlackBerry PlayBook
Image credits to BBOTA.cn via BBin.in

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New BlackBerry 10 OS Screenshots Available

BlackBerry 10, the next-generation mobile operating system from Canadian handset vendor Research In Motion, is set to make its official debut on January 30, 2013, but some more info on what it will have to offer to users has emerged online.

We have already had the chance to have a look at some of the core applications of the platform, courtesy of leaked screenshots that emerged online last week, and some more of them are now available for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of CrackBerry.

They show the initial set-up process of BlackBerry 10 devices, along with apps such as Adobe Reader and Story Maker, along with other applications that handsets will have loaded on them right from the start. All on the new operating system will become official in a bit more than a month, so stay tuned to learn specifics on it.

BlackBerry 10 screenshots
Images credits to Crackberry

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BlackBerry X10 First Live Picture Leaks

While we know quite a lot about the upcoming BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, little is known about the X10. Part of the N-Series of BlackBerry 10 devices, the X10 will be officially unveiled in a bit more than a month, on January 30, 2013.

The folks at NerdBerry have just leaked what appears to be the first live picture of the BlackBerry N10 smartphone. Sadly, just one image of the device is available for the moment and it only shows the back of the device. For the time being, details on the BlackBerry X10 specs sheet has been rather scarce, though the Z10 has had its share of leaks.

The only thing we know for sure is the fact that the X10 will ship with a full QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen display. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

BlackBerry X10
Image credits to NerdBerry

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Huawei Honor 2 U9508 White Flavor Hit Market

A new version of the Huawei Honor 2 U9508 smartphone is now available for purchase in China, all dressed up in white, and with a price tag of RMB 1,888 (around $300 / €230) attached to it.

However, although the phone changed its color, the internal specifications remained unchanged, which means that users will be able to take advantage of the same 1.4GHz K3V2 quad-core processor that was included in the black version, while also enjoying its 2GB of RAM. Furthermore, the smartphone provides users with a 4.5-inch 720p HD IPS display, while featuring an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back.

Huawei Honor 2 U9508 is powered by a 2230mAh battery and runs under Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. According to GSM Insider, the white flavor of the handset is in limited supply, and those who would like to purchase it should hurry up.

Huawei Honor 2 U9508
Image credits to CNMO

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TCL S850, Only 6.45mm Thick, the Thinnest Smartphone to Date

A new Android-based handset appears set to grab the title of the world thinnest smartphone, namely the TCL S850.

Coming from a Chinese maker, the device is said to measure only 6.45mm thick, though it sports a 4.7-inch AMOLED display that can deliver a 720p HD resolution. According to CNMO, the phone’s specifications list also includes a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of internal memory. The smartphone also features an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, complemented by a 1.3MP front camera, and runs under Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.

Unfortunately, the handset vendor did not offer specific info on when the handset might arrive on shelves, nor on the price tag that it would feature when released. Check back on this space for more on the matter.

TCL S850
Image credits to CNMO

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Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT with Boost

Sapphire may not have tweaked the performance of the Radeon HD 7870 much when it made the HD 7870 XT with Boost, but it did put its personal touch on the graphics adapter.

For those who think the Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT with Boost is a custom version of the AMD Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition, that is incorrect. The new video board is actually a custom-made version of the regular HD 7870, with a clock speed of 925 MHz in base setting and 975 MHz when the GPU goes into PowerTune Boost mode, “AMDs dynamic performance enhancement for games.” Even that much should be more than enough for games though, with or without EyeFinity multi-monitor setups. After all, the chip has 1,280 stream processors and 80 texture units. Speaking of which, HD 7870 XT with Boost has an HDMI output, two mini-DisplayPort connectors and a dual-link DVI port. VGA monitors and HDTVs are supported as well, thankfully, via a bundled adapter dongle.

Spec-wise, the new graphics adapter runs the 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM at 1.5 GHz, or 6 GHz effective frequency. That leaves just the cooler, and it is definitely better than the reference model, even if not necessarily mind-blowing. Then again, there wouldn't have been much point to it if the cooler hadn't been better and quieter than the original contraption. That said, the Dual-X cooler has graduated heatpipes and two aerofoil fans with dust repelling bearings deeper silence and better cooling efficiency. The improved HDMI 1.4a performance will make 3D easier on the eyes, thanks to enhanced 60 Hz per eye. 4K displays should be driven well by the interface as well, or DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2.

Sapphire didn't say what price people would have to pay in exchange for a Radeon HD 7870 XT graphics card, but we imagine that the tag will be around $250 / 250 Euro, give or take.

Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT with Boost
Image credits to Sapphire

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