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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Philips Xenium W9588 Android Clamshell Arrives in China

Philips seems to focus its smartphone business on the Chinese market. The company has just announced the immediate availability of the Xenium W9588 in the Mainland.

The Xenium W9588 is not a standard Android phone, as the device features a clamshell form factor and costs no less than 5,000 yuan off contract, which is about $825 or €600. UnwiredView reports that the smartphone comes with a decent 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor on board, along with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory.

No word on which version of Android the smartphone runs, but Philips has confirmed that the Xenium W9588 sports an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a high-capacity 2400 mAh Li-Ion battery. We don't expect Philips to bring the Xenium W9588 in other countries, so unless you're living in China, there's no way that you can purchase this one for the moment.

Philips Xenium W9588
Image credits to MTKSJ

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Motorola Updates Touchless Control with Support for More Commands

Motorola has made available for download a new flavor of its Touchless Control application for the owners of Android-based devices, adding support for more commands to it.

Basically, this means that users will be able to enjoy increased control of their handsets even when they haven’t been unlocked. “More Google Now commands now work without having to unlock your phone first. Personal information such as emails, messages, and contacts are still protected by your PIN or password,” the app’s release notes unveil.

Following the update, uses will be able to speak their PIN to unlock the smartphones, and they will also enjoy a new listening tone when they say “OK Google Now.” Motorola’s Touchless Control application also received a series of bug fixes in the new update. It can be found on this page in the Google Play Store, but it will work only with Android 4.4 KitKat smartphones.

Motorola's Touchless Control app
Image credits to Google Play Store

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Nokia Reportedly Kills Current Android Plans

An Android-based smartphone coming from Nokia might never arrive on shelves, despite the fact that the vendor has been working on at least one for some time now, new reports on the matter suggest.

Nokia is currently the largest provider of Windows Phone devices out there, but the company has been recently rumored to be designing its own Android devices as well. However, it seems that the Finnish mobile phone maker has finally decided to kill all of its plans for the release of an Android smartphone or of any device running under Google’s platform, for that matter. The info comes from C Technology, which suggests that Nokia already has some Android-based prototype devices, including a 7-inch tablet PC, and that Peter Skillman, head of Nokia’s UX design team, was in charge with their development.

One of these products was recently leaked online under the form of Nokia Normandy, which was planned for launch in 2014 as an entry-level device, but which will never come to be. Apparently, Microsoft has asked the phone maker to leave aside any Android projects, and the company complied, despite the fact that it was conducted by that part of Nokia that won’t be transferred following the pending Microsoft purchase. As part of the agreement with the Redmond-based software giant, Nokia is not allowed to sell phones, smartphones, and tablet PCs under its name for the next two years, as UnwiredView notes. Instead, Nokia is expected to focus its CTO office R&D activities towards new emerging technologies, including wireless charging, low-power electromagnetic energy generation, flexible screens, and the like.

The leading mobile phone maker might have smart glasses on shelves by 2015, rumor has it. The company will work on the development of other wearable technologies as well. However, no official confirmation on this has been provided as of now, and we’ll take the info with a grain of salt. Keep an eye on this space for additional details on Nokia’s plans for the future.

Nokia reportedly kills Android plans
Image credits to Nokia

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Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Fixes Xperia Z1’s Bootloader Camera Issue

Today, Sony Mobile started the delivery of the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system upgrade to the owners of Xperia Z1 smartphones out there, and it appears that it has managed to resolve a camera issue with the device.

The problem appeared only on handsets that had their bootloaders unlocked, but the issue has been finally patched in the 14.2.A.0.290 update that is now rolling out to the smartphone. As XperiaBlog notes, it appears that the problem has been resolved even for those who unlocked their bootloaders before the update, and that they can now resume camera functionality.

Info on the patch comes from XDA-Developers forum member DooMLoRD and suggests that those who were looking to unlock their smartphones to install unofficial ROMs on them can now do so safely. However, an official confirmation from Sony hasn’t emerged as of now.

Sony Xperia Z1
Image credits to Sony

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