HTC One (Japanese Version) Comes with MicroSD Slot

Good news for Android users in Japan, as major carrier KDDI has just released its own version of the HTC One.

Dubbed HTC J One, the smartphone comes with microSD slot for memory expansion, a feature that the international and US variants lack. According to Engadget, HTC J One supports microSD memory cards up to 64GB. Unfortunately, this HTC One variant is limited to Japan and will not be available in other countries anytime soon. Keep in mind that KDDI’s HTC J One supports 64GB microSD memory cards in addition to the 32GB storage that comes embedded in the phone.

The international HTC One comes with 32GB of internal memory and 25GB of free cloud storage via Dropbox. It does not feature microSD slot, but HTC has also launched a 64GB model, which is more expensive and harder to find.

「HTC J One HTL22」製品ページへ
http://www.au.kddi.com/mobile/product/smartphone/htl22/feature/
Video credits to aubyKDDIofficial

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Live Pictures

Rumors on the rugged Samsung Galaxy S 4 emerged a few weeks ago, but Samsung is still mum on the upcoming device.

However, the folks over at GSMArena have just got their hands on the first live pictures showing the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. It appears that the smartphone was recently showcased in Croatia, which points to an imminent announcement in the next few days. The Galaxy S4 Active is powered by a 1.9 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, which is complemented by an Adreno 320 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM. It boasts a 5-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution. No word on the number of megapixels of the rear-facing camera, but there’s a high chance it will come with the same 13-megapixel photo snapper.

The pictures leaked confirm that the phone’s main camera features LED flash for night pictures, but we can expect that it will also come with autofocus and full HD (1080p) video recording. Although the hardware specs seem to be similar to the standard model, the rugged Galaxy S4 Active’s design is nothing like the original Galaxy S4 version. The phone’s chassis is made of metallic alloy with bolts on the back. In addition, the rugged Galaxy S4 features three hardware buttons, while the original model comes with one hardware button and two touch sensitive keys. Although it has yet to be confirmed, we suspect that Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active will be water and dust-proof and will have some other features specific to rugged devices.

According to a previous leak, Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active will ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, so there aren’t any differences in comparison with the standard model. There are no details on pricing options and availability yet, but we expect that Samsung will go official with the rugged Galaxy S4 Active in the next few days. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
Image credits to GSMArena

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LG Introducing 5-Inch Flexible OLED Display, Along with Other Screens

It's amazing how many flexible, foldable and rollable displays get launched every other month, but almost no flexible gadgets exist even now.

Anyway, LG has just launched the latest flexible OLED screen, a 5-inch sheet of plastic with organic light emitting diodes on it. It supposedly flexes more than others, all the while being more rugged. This is good in case of accidents, hits, drops, etc. No clue on the resolution though, sadly. Besides the 5-inch OLED screen, LG is making a 5-inch screen with 1mm bezel (borderless smartphones inbound) and a 7-inch version of it too, with embedded touch even.

Other things set to be shown off at the Society for Information Displays (SID) Display Week 2013 are a 23.8-inch UHD monitor, a 14-inch 2560 x 1440 resolution laptop panel , and a 7-inch Full HD screen, the first in the world. via Efytimes

LG OLED flexible display
Image credits to Shiny Plastic

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 Tablet Benchmarked

Despite Samsung not having said anything about it, the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 tablet is very well known already, at least in certain circles.

That is because of leaks, like the ones perpetrated by GLBenchmark (1), (2). GLBenchmark has posted the slate on its servers. Or should I say slates. There are two after all, Wi-Fi-only (GT-P5200) and 3G (GT-P5210). According to the leak, the tablet is powered by the Atom Z2560 CPU (dual-core at 1.6 GHz, Hyper-Threading supported) and boasts the PowerVR SGX 544 MP2 graphics processor too (400 MHz).

The 10.1-inch screen has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Needless to say, Google's Android operating system is installed on the device (Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean). All in all, it's not bad for a tablet, provided the price turns out to be reasonable.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 benchmarked
Image credits to GLBenchmark

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XOLO X910 with Intel Medfield CPU Goes on Sale in India

The X910 is the fourth XOLO smartphone powered by an Intel processor to go on sale in India. Android enthusiasts and fans of the XOLO brand will now be able to purchase the X910 via authorized third-party sellers.

For the time being, Snapdeal is one of the few Indian retailers that offer the XOLO X910, but other retailers may start selling the smartphone in the coming weeks. Currently, XOLO X910 is available for purchase for only Rs 9,999 outright, which is about $180 or €140. Check it out here. As Snapdeal points out, the smartphone is offered with 1-year warranty, but it might not be available in all parts of India. The good news is XOLO X910 comes with dual-SIM capability, which is one of the most requested features by Indian customers. Unfortunately, the fact that the device ships with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system out of the box might not appeal too many customers. There are lots of smartphones selling in India for under $200/€155, which come packed with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform onboard.

However, those who prefer Intel processors to older software will probably find the XOLO X910 well worth its price. The smartphone is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor, which is complemented by a 400 MHz PowerVR SGX 540 graphics processing unit and 1GB of RAM. On the inside, the X910 packs 4GB of storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card. There's also a 5-megapixel main camera on the back, which features LED flash, autofocus, and video recording, as well as a VGA front-facing camera for video calls.

Last but not least, XOLO X910 sports a decent 4.3-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen display that supports a 540 x 960 pixels resolution and 256 ppi pixel density.

XOLO X910
Image credits to Snapdeal

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Lenovo K900 Arrives in China, International Version This Summer

Lenovo has finally launched its flagship Android smartphone, the K900, in China. The device was officially introduced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 and was slated for a Q2 release in China.

According to the Chinese handset maker, the K900 is available for purchase in the Mainland for 3,300 yuan outright, which is about $535 or €415. The good news is Lenovo also confirmed the K900 will hit additional international markets throughout the summer, so Android enthusiasts should stay tuned for more updates on this one. “Smartphones are a critical component of Lenovo's PC+ strategy and the Lenovo K900 is an example of this strategy in action. With its cutting-edge design and intuitive, optimized user experience, K900 offers China's smartphone users a fresh, new option,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, and president of the Lenovo Business Group. One of the slimmest smartphones available on the market, Lenovo K900 is only 6.9mm thick and features a unibody chassis with a stainless steel frame. Lenovo K900 is the world's first smartphone to come equipped with an Intel Atom Z2580 processor. It also sports a dual-core chip, which runs up to 2.0 GHz and utilizes Intel Hyper-Threading technology in order to boost performance efficiency.

Intel's chipset also accommodates an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator engine running a PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU, which is said to triple graphics performance over the previous generation, and 2GB of RAM. The smartphone boasts a stunning 5.5-inch full HD (1080p) capacitive touchscreen display, as well an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with Sony Exmor BSI. “Intel and Lenovo have raised the bar for smartphones with the K900. Our teams got together and worked closely to innovate around a number of important features and capabilities that our customers care most about such as power consumption, application switching and camera functionality. We are proud to be teaming with Lenovo to bring these innovations to market,” said Ian Yang, president, Intel China.

Lenovo K900
Image credits to Lenovo China

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Waterproof LG Optimus GJ Arriving in Taiwan on May 22

Following Samsung’s business model, LG plans to launch a rugged version of its flagship smartphone. It appears that LG Optimus G will soon have a twin brother that won’t have any troubles functioning under water.

UnwiredView reports that a certain LG Optimus GJ will be introduced in Taiwan next week. Local media has already received invitations for a launch event, which is set for May 22. LG Optimus GJ is the rugged version of Optimus G and it’s said to be waterproof (IPX7 certified). The rest of the phone’s specs will be similar to the standard model, though we will know for certain when the device goes official.

For the time being, there’s no telling whether or not LG plans to introduce the Optimus GJ in other countries as well, but stay tuned for more info on this one.

LG Optimus G
Image credits to UnwiredView

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Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro Goes on Sale in India for $310/€240

Android enthusiasts in India rejoice, as Samsung has just introduced the Galaxy Win in the country, but this one comes with dual-SIM capability.

Samsung Galaxy Win has been recently launched in Europe, but it does not feature dual-SIM. However, Indian customers have been offered the opportunity to grab this smartphone for not so high a price.  According to fonearena, the Galaxy Win is now available for purchase in Black Mist and Frost White for only Rs 16,900 outright, which is about $310 or €240. Check it out here. Keep in mind though that the dual-SIM version of Galaxy Win has been renamed for marketing purposes and is selling in India as Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro. As the name suggests, the smartphone comes equipped with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, which is complemented by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. Users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card. Another selling point of the phone is the large 4.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Grand Quattro ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, but it won’t come as a surprise if the company offers an Android 4.2 upgrade in the not so distant future. On the back, the smartphone packs a 5-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, autofocus and HD (720p) video recording. There’s also a secondary VGA front-facing camera for video calls. Other highlights of the Galaxy Grand Quattro include: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76Mbps) support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, as well as GPS with A-GPS support and 2000 mAh battery that has yet to be rated by the manufacturer. For the time being, the device is only available for purchase via Samsung India online store, but we suspect that other major retailers across the country will offer the Galaxy Grand Quattro soon.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Quattro
Image credits to Samsung India

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ZTE Grand X2 In (Intel-Based) Official with Jelly Bean and 4.5-Inch Display

Chinese handset maker ZTE has just announced the upcoming availability of the Intel-powered Grand X2 In Android smartphone.

According to ZTE, the recently introduced device will be available for purchase in Europe beginning Q3 2013. No word on pricing options yet, but stay tuned for more info on this one. “We are proud to announce the ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone pursuing our multi-year strategic collaboration with Intel. The ZTE Grand X2 In is set to build on the success of the ZTE Grand X In, our first flagship smartphone in Europe to feature Intel Inside, and further increase ZTE’s growth in the high-performance smartphone market segment,” said William Chhao, terminal director at ZTE France. ZTE Grand X2 In features an Intel Atom Z2580 chipset that accommodates a 2GHz single-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The smartphone also packs 8GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.

Even though ZTE has confirmed that the Grand X2 In will ship with Jelly Bean operating system onboard, it has yet to state what version it will run out of the box. It is also worth mentioning that ZTE’s mid-range Android smartphone boasts an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, autofocus and video recording. A secondary 1-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls will be available as well. The Grand X2 In sports a large 4.5 inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display optimized by ZTE’s My-Pop function for easy-to-use one-handed operation and IPS technology that prevents screen picture distortion. “We are excited to extend our collaboration with ZTE on their latest innovative platform, the new Grand X2 In. Our teams have worked together to harness the power of the Intel Atom processor Z2580 to create a high performance smartphone with market-leading features and long battery life,” said Helmut Vogler, vice president and general manager of mobile and wireless sales at Intel.

ZTE Grand X2 In
Image credits to ZTE

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Result is 20% Better than GTX 680

This is yet another instance of the newest high-end NVIDIA graphics card making the news. Not that I can blame it after this.

And by “this” I don't mean the teaser trailer for EVGA's custom-made GeForce GTX 700 series cooler, though that one was a nice find too. After all, it means that the GTX 780 will be the first GK110-based card that NVIDIA's partners will be allowed to customize from the get-go. Instead, I am talking about the first benchmarks published of the GeForce GTX 780 video adapter. They were posted on the Chiphell forums and clearly show the GeForce GTX 780 overpowering the GeForce GTX 680 by 20%.

For those who want a short lowdown of the specs, the GeForce GTX 780 has a GK110-300-A2 GPU with 2,304 CUDA cores and 320/384-bit memory interface. 3 GB of GDDR5 back it up. The GPU clock is of 837 / 876 MHz, while the VRAm works at 6 GHz. Sales will start on May 23 for $500 / €500.

NVIDIA GTX 780 performance
Image credits to ChipHell

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