Leaked Screenshots Detail Upcoming BlackBerry OS 10.3 Features

Earlier today, we learned that a new OS flavor has leaked online for the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, in the form of BlackBerry OS 10.3, and we can now have a look at some of the enhancements that it will offer, courtesy of a host of leaked screenshots with the software.

As mentioned before, the upcoming operating system should bring along an updated user interface for the platform, with black and red accents dominating it, and the leaked screenshots, available courtesy of zonablackberry.com.ve, confirm that. Moreover, they also show that the shadow border of icons on the homescreen has been removed, transforming the overall looks of the platform into a flatter, minimalistic style, as GSMArena notes. At the same time, the leaked images will provide users with a closer look at other changes set to make an appearance in the upcoming OS version, such as a modified keyboard, an updated play button in the music player, and new features in the camera application.

At the same time, said screenshots offer a glimpse at the Personal Assistant that BlackBerry 10.3 has been rumored to come to devices with. The one thing that hasn’t been unveiled as of now is when exactly the new platform release will become available for download. However, BlackBerry might offer such info in the not too distant future, so stay tuned to learn more on the matter. Screenshot images below, click to view larger images.

Leaked BlackBerry OS 10.3 screenshots
Images credits to zonablackberry.com.ve via GSMArena

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Nokia X Now Receiving Software Update Version 11.1.1

Nokia X, the very first smartphone in Nokia’s lineup to run under Google’s Android operating system, has already started to receive a new firmware upgrade, it seems.

According to a recent post on Nokia’s support portal, the new software release is available for download over-the-air for the Nokia X devices out there and will land on them as version 11.1.1. Moreover, the company has unveiled that the update is designed to bring along a small set of improvements when compared to what the previously available 10.0.3 software flavor had to offer. Thus, following the update, users will see that they have the option to change the colors for third-party applications and that the overall performance capabilities of their smartphones have been improved as well. As mentioned above, the update will arrive on handsets OTA (over-the-air), which means that users won’t need to connect the device to a computer in order to grab it. “You can simply download and install the update using your phone. Updates are free of charge, but to download the update, you need an internet connection. It is best to use a Wi-Fi connection to avoid mobile data transmission costs,” Nokia explains.

Moreover, the company explains that the installation of this update should not affect the personal files that users have on their devices. Nokia X owners will receive a notification as soon as the new firmware release is available for their devices. When that happens, they should simply hit the download button top grab the update and then they should follow the on-screen prompts to install it. In the event that the new software iteration does not appear on its own, users can also manually check on its availability through going to Settings > About Phone > System updates and hitting the Check now button. The installation process should take around 15 to 30 minutes to complete. Before proceeding, however, users should check that the battery inside their devices has been charged at least at 50 percent, to ensure that it has enough juice to get through the entire process.

Although the update should leave all user files unaltered, it would also be a great idea to back up all data, so as to make sure that no important info is lost in the event that anything goes wrong during installation. For additional info on what software updates for the Nokia X are all about, simply head over to this page on Nokia’s website.

Nokia X
Image credits to Nokia

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Karbonn Plans a Snapdragon-Based Octa-Core Smartphone for May Release

Indian mobile phone maker Karbonn has officially confirmed plans to bring to the market a new octa-core smartphone sometime in May, after making official two such devices only yesterday.

However, while the newly announced Titanium Octane and Octane Plus are powered by MediaTek CPUs, the upcoming handset will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor inside. According to a recent article on BGR India, the company also said that the smartphone would pack a Snapdragon 615 chipset inside, and that it would also feature a 5-inch screen capable of delivering a full HD resolution. Running under the Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the handset will also feature Karbonn’s new user interface on top. Additionally, Karbonn said that it will release the device at a higher price point compared to the newly unveiled phones, at around Rs. 20,000 ($326 / €237).

Karbonn also confirmed that it was indeed working on the launch of a dual-boot Android-Windows Phone handset, while unveiling that it would not be a cheap device when it lands on shelves in the next several months. The company has partnered with Microsoft for the release of Windows Phone devices only recently and should unveil such a smartphone soon, with a price tag of around Rs. 10,000 ($163 / €119), it seems. More on the matter will be announced soon, so stay tuned.

Karbonn plans octa-core Snapdragon smartphone
Image credits to Karbonn

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Leaked 5-Inch Screen for QWERTY BlackBerry Phone Emerges

Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry might be on a descendent curve right now, but the company is still planning the launch of new devices, and info on one of them has allegedly emerged online in the form of leaked photos with the handset’s screen.

The smartphone in question is reportedly featuring the codename of Windermere and has already leaked online before as a 5-inch smartphone that would also arrive on the market with a QWERTY keyboard on the front. BlackBerry has already released devices with both touchscreens and physical keyboard, and it does not come as a surprise that it plans a new one, though the screen size is rather unusual, that’s for sure. In fact, the newly leaked images show that the 5-inch screen of the upcoming mobile phone will sport a 1:1 ratio, similar to those featured by BlackBerry Q10 and Q5.

According to N4BB, said photos appear to show that the handset’s screen is almost a final revision, which might suggest that BlackBerry could make the smartphone official sooner rather than later. No official confirmation on the smartphone has been provided as of now, and there’s no telling what other hardware specs it will feature when launched. Have a look at the images that leaked over at techguyzz to make a better idea of what the phone’s screen might be all about. Images gallery below, click to view original image.

5-Inch Screen for QWERTY BlackBerry Phone
Images credits to techguyzz

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Xiaomi Redmi Note Goes Official, Now on Pre-Order in China

Today, Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi officially introduced the Redmi Note smartphone, which is yet another mid-range device from the company, but which packs some highly appealing capabilities inside.

The handset was been teased a few times before, but it was not fully unveiled until today, when it also went up for pre-order in China. Users in the country interested in grabbing the device can head over to Qzone for that. However, they will have to wait for March 26 to arrive in order to be able to actually purchase the phone. Just as previously teased, the smartphone was made official with a 5.5-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution, which also packs OGS technology, and which can deliver a 178-degree-wide viewing angle. Xiaomi unveiled the smartphone with an octa-core processor inside, a MediaTek MT6592 CPU paired with Mali 450 graphics, and also announced that there would be two versions of the phone released to the market, clocked in at 1.4 GHz and 1.7 GHz, respectively.

On the back, the new device sports a 13-megapixel camera with 28 mm lens with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash, capable of recording videos in full HD resolution. Moreover, it comes with a 5 MP camera on the front, so as to offer great video calling capabilities while on the go. Xiaomi’s new handset arrives on the market with dual-SIM capabilities, offering support for both TD-SCDMA and GSM networks, it seems. Moreover, Xiaomi is planning the release of a WCDMA version of the device, and should bring it to shelves in other countries out there as well. Redmi Note was also unveiled with 1 GB / 2 GB RAM of RAM inside, as well as with 8 GB of internal memory, and with a microSD memory card for expansion purposes, as fonearena notes.

At the same time, it sports all of the usual connectivity capabilities, such as WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, along with a built-in GPS receiver, and is powered by a 3200 mAh battery, which should be able to offer up to two days of usage times. Xiaomi Redmi Note will arrive in China with a price tag of 799 Yuan ($129 / €93) attached to it for the 1.4 GHz version, while being priced at 999 Yuan ($161 / €116) if bought with the 1.7 GHz processor inside. Both versions of the smartphone are running under the MIUI v5 software, which is based on Google’s Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. They will be released in a variety of color options, the company has announced.

Xiaomi Redmi Note
Images credits to Xiaomi via fonearena

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AMD Carrizo APU Leaked, Has DDR4, but Is Crippled in PCI Express Support

AMD's Kaveri accelerated processing unit, sold under the A-Series brand, was released back in January, and will be succeeded in 2015 by Carrizo, whose preliminary specs have just been uncovered.

Bright Side of News, BSN for short, somehow uncovered some of the information regarding the next-generation APU. As you may know, the Kaveri is powered by the Steamroller architecture, or at least the central processing unit cores are. The GPU part, 8 SP modules based on Graphics Core Next, take up more of the die than the four CPU cores themselves, but we digress. For the first time, AMD will implement a full Fusion Control Hub in the APU, on on-die southbridge so to speak. The FCH will only have two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports though, four USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 connectors. It sounds like a shame at first glance, since the southbridge (or what used to be called that) would normally be able to handle much more than this.

But then you reach the part where it says that the FCH will only be active on mobile variants of the processors. That's right, Advanced Micro Devices is preparing Carrizo chips for tablets and (maybe) mobile phones. This must be why power efficiency will be a key concern. The onboard FCH will actually deactivate when you install the Carrizo APU inside an FM2+ socket. The motherboard's own Fusion Controller Hub will enter the fray then, providing many more storage and connectivity interfaces than the on-die one. Another important asset of Carrizo is the support for not just DDR3 RAM, but also DDR4 memory. We don't have any clock speed info, but even the assurance that DDR4 will be available is better than nothing, since it would have been truly unfortunate if Intel was the only one with that interface.

No mention of a GDDR5 controller suggests that dual-DDR4 channel memory might be what AMD has planned for backing up the on-board GPU (51.2 GB/s bandwidth, vs. 38.4 GB/s for DDR3-2400). Other features include support for AVX2 instructions (full 256-bit registers, probably), and a random number generator. Finally, and this could be a problem, 16 PCI Express lanes are available, down from 24, which implies that no more than a single PCI Express x8 slot will be possible to implement, or two in x4 electrical mode. It kind of kills the prospects of multi-GPU configurations, but is sufficient for any add-in card, and AMD might be trying to nudge people towards Dual Graphics anyway (where the APU GPU joins forces with the add-in card). It might damage marketability if AMD doesn't advertise the features right though.

AMD Carrizo APU detailed
Image credits to AMD

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Oppo Find 7, The Baby Beastie

Oppo has just announced the upcoming availability of two new smartphones that will certainly appeal to any Android enthusiast, the Find 7 and Find 7a. Both devices will be launched in China soon, but there’s a chance they will go on sale globally at some point. Here is hoping that will happen sooner rather than later.

We have already reported on top-tier Oppo Find 7, so now let’s take a look at what its “less featured” twin brother has to offer. Before getting your hopes too high, unless you are living in China, you won’t be able to get any of the two smartphones announced by Oppo. According to the Chinese company, the Find 7a will be launched in China on March 20 and will be available for purchase for only 3,000 yuan outright, which is about $485 or €345. The Oppo Find 7 will be released in China as well, but there’s no word on the exact date. However, we do know that it will cost only 3,000 yuan ($565 / €405). Anyway, unlike the Oppo Find 7, the Find 7a model will “only” pack a 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display with full HD (1080p) resolution with 403 ppi (pixel density) and Corning Gorilla Glass coating.

There are major differences between the two smartphones when it comes to hardware, but both devices can be easily tagged as high-end handsets. While the Oppo Find 7 is equipped with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, the Find 7a rocks a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 800 CPU, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and only 2GB of RAM (Find 7 packs 3GB RAM). Another major difference between the two smartphones is the storage they pack. Unlike Find 7 that comes with 32GB of internal memory, Oppo Find 7 offers only 16GB storage. However, the smartphone provides users with the option to further expand storage via microSD card (up to 64GB). On the back, Oppo Find 7a boasts an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera that features Sony IMX214 sensor with dedicated ISP, dual-mode LED and f/2.0 aperture.

The smartphone is powered by a removable 2800 mAh battery with Rapid Charge technology and will ship with Oppo’s proprietary Color 1.2.0 OS, which is based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system. It also packs all the connectivity options you might think of, including FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE support (for the Chinese market), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS with A-GPS.

Oppo Find 7a
Image credits to Oppo

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Oppo N1 Mini Coming in May/June with 5-Inch Display, Octa-Core CPU

Oppo fans will be pleased to know that their favorite company will embrace the current trend and will launch a “mini” version of one of its most popular smartphones, the N1.

According to Hardwarezone, the Chinese company plans to release a variation of the popular N1, which will be called Oppo N1 Mini. The smartphone has yet to be unveiled officially, but word is that Oppo will launch the device on the market sometime in May or June. Unlike the original Oppo N1, which boasts a huge 5.9-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution, the mini version will “only” pack a 5-inch display. No word on resolution yet, but we suspect it will only offer HD (720p) support.

On the inside, the Oppo N1 mini won’t be less impressive than the original model, which rocks a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 clocked at 1.7GHz, as rumors claim it will be powered by a MediaTek octa-core chipset. Design-wise, both Oppo N1 models will look similar, so don’t expect any changes in aspect. It is also worth mentioning that Oppo N1 Mini will be available in LTE and non-LTE variants, depending on the market. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Oppo N1
Image credits to Oppo

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Gigabyte Launches P34G Gaming Laptop with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M

Today Gigabyte launched a new gaming laptop, called the P34G that comes bundling a sleek and elegant look. The company says the device could prove to be the right solution for business users who like to kick-back and relax by playing the most advanced in the industry today.

The new P34G is kept alive by virtue of a powerful and efficient 4th-gen Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and bundles NVIDIA’s next-gen GPU, in the form of the GeForce GTX 860M GGR5 4GB discrete graphics (based on the Maxwell/Kepler architecture). The flagship laptop bundles Super-Cool technology which packs dual heat pipes plus two dedicated fans for CPU & GPU, a system which is said to be able to maintain an optimal overall temperature even while playing the most straining games. Furthermore, the Gigabyte Fan Tweak has 3 different fan speed choices that allow users to opt for the right mode, depending on the tasks they are engaged with. There’s a bunch of other dedicated software, including LAN Optimizer (gets rid of network latency) or LockWin Key (locks the Windows Key)

The P34G v2 is equipped with one mSATA SSD up to 256GB and one 1TB HHD. In the display department, we have a 14-inch AHVA display (1080p) with 72% NTSC wide color gamut. Another drawing point is that the laptop is really slim and lightweight being only 20.9 mm / 0.8 inches and 1.67 kg / 3.68 lbs heavy, which makes it comparable to an Ultrabook. So far, there’s no information regarding pricing or availability.

Gigabyte launches new gaming laptop
Image credits to Gigabyte

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Zotac Outs Fastest GeForce GTX 750 Ti Graphics Card, Called Thunderbolt

The GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card is one of the only two video boards powered by NVIDIA's Maxwell graphics processing unit architecture, and also the best, which means that it's the one most prone towards factory overclocking, something that Zotac has just proved.

The company has formally released the GeForce GTX 750 Ti Thunderbolt, which features a base GPU clock frequency of 1229 MHz, and a GPU Boost maximum setting of 1320 MHz. For the sake of comparison, the normal, reference card from NVIDIA works at 1020 MHz and 1085 MHz, respectively. Obviously, the company went to great lengths to push the board as high as it could go while still making do with air cooling. Speaking of which, the cooler is a large thing, with a thick aluminum fin stack and a shroud made of the same material. The fans are two in number, with a diameter of 90 mm and boasting hybrid impellers (two sets of blades, for better airflow and volume). Between the heat conductivity of the metal and the high air moving power of the fans, the heat is kept at bay quite well.

Of course, the cooler makes contact with the memory chips as well, otherwise their own overclocking would have caused an overwhelming amount of heat. To elaborate, while NVIDIA's reference card has the 2 GB of GDDR5 working at 5400 MHz, this one, Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti Thunderbolt, functions at 6 GHz. To sum up, the Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti Thunderbolt is the fastest GTX 750 Ti card made so far, and probably won't get a true rival any time soon. The name is still a bit odd though, not just because the coloring of the board does not evoke the phenomenon in the slightest, but also because “Thunderbolt” is the name of a particularly speedy storage/video interface, an interface which the card lacks.

Instead, the newcomer sticks to what works, a pair of DVI outputs, an HDMI connector and one DisplayPort. It's a real shame that the product isn't available outside of the Greater China Region. We're quite certain that there are plenty of Americans and Europeans that would jump at the chance to own the fastest Maxwell board on the market. Alas, they will have to be content with admiring the product from afar, or contact an acquaintance in China that can acquire one. The price is of 1,199 RMB ($194 / €140).

Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti Thunderbolt
Image credits to Hermitage Akihabara

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