Nexus 5 makes an appearance in yet another live photo

After appearing in an Android KitKat promo video, going through the FCC, and sitting unattended in a bar, the yet to be announced Nexus 5 smartphone made another unscheduled appearance. This time around, a live photo of the LG made Android powerhouse popped up in a forum thread at Macrumors.

The latest live photo of the Nexus 5 falls right in line with previous leaks. It clearly shows the handset’s relationship with the 2013 Nexus 7, thus further reaffirming that Google is on its way to unify the design of its own family of devices. The user who uploaded the photo has subsequently taken it down, so there’s no reason to doubt its authenticity.

The person who posted the image also left a couple of quick hands-on impressions. The Nexus 5 is said to be smaller than an LG G2 and (unsurprisingly) feeling a lot like the latest Nexus 7.

Earlier today, we also ran into most of the Nexus 5’s specs from a leaked log. Now that there is little left to the imagination, all we’re left with is to wait for the official announcement. The latter is expected to take place in October.

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Apple offers buyback for fake iPhone chargers

Great news for everyone who has been using a third party charger for charging their Apple iPhone. Apple in India has announced a buyback offer for local USB chargers in exchange for a branded Apple iPhone USB charger,for a reduced price of Rs 839, whereas the original charger costs around Rs 1,500.

This offer from Apple has been going on internationally as well, and is a result of reports of Apple iPhones getting spoilt when charged using a third party charger.

Sometime ago a girl in China was electrocuted while using her Apple iPhone, which was also charging using a non-Apple charger . Prior to this too there have been several reports similar to the ones mentioned above.

As per the listing on Apple's website "To qualify, you must turn in at least one USB power adapter and bring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to an Apple retail store or participating Apple authorized service provider for serial number validation. The special pricing on Apple USB power adapters is limited to one adapter for each iPhone, iPad and iPod you own, and is valid until October 18, 2013."

LG G2 hands on-Something different from the league

In the last couple of weeks India has witnessed the launch of two high-end smartphones, namely Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1 .

Yesterday, it was the turn of LG to launch its latest flagship smartphone G2 , which the company claims has been designed based on feedback from users across the globe.

The launch of LG G2 seems perfect as the festive season is just about to begin in the country. We spent some time with the device during its launch at an event in Delhi. Here is our first impression of it.

Top 5 Android smartphones between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 August-September

Usually, top of the line handsets get a price cut and are slowly phased out of the market when no one notices. However, there are some handsets that continue to deliver great features for performance that bags every bang for the buck spent. These handsets offer little more than value for money and are mostly intended for those who are feeling a bit adventurous.

Android smartphones in the Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 price bracket offer almost all features that are packed in top of the line handsets. Of course, there are a couple of trade-offs, but one can hardly complain about them.

Here is out list of top 5 Android smartphones:

LG Google Nexus 4

LG Google Nexus 4 tops our list simply for the Nexus experience and for being a contender for receiving the next major update - Android 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 4 has a 4.7 inch IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixel native resolution. It is constructed using Corning Gorilla Glass 2 technology. With 9.1 mm thickness, the Nexus 4 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro mobile processor with 2 GB RAM to run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean smoothly. LG has used a variety of sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light sensor and digital compass.

At the rear, the phone has an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and it has a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front. The handset is powered by a 2100 mAh battery that promises about 15 hours of talktime over 3G . The camera of Nexus 4 is not that great compared to other devices and the lack of a micro SD card slot might irk many. You can read our thoughts on the LG Google Nexus 4 here .

Google's Nexus 5 will allegedly feature nano-SIM card slot

Hot on the heels of the leaked specs from earlier today, another detail on the highly anticipated Nexus 5 made an appearance. The next generation, LG-made Nexus will reportedly feature a nano-SIM card slot.

The information on the smartphone appeared on the website of the Ukrainian wireless provider Life:) (yes, the smiley is part of its name). In a small-font disclaimer, the carrier states that it will equip its iPhone 5s, 5c, and Nexus 5 users with a nano-SIM card.

The Nexus 5 is expected to be unveiled before the end of October. As always, we’ll keep you posted on all details surrounding the smartphone.

Source (in Ukrainian) | Via

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Kantar: Windows Phone exceeds 9% market share in Europe

According to the latest smartphones sales data from analyst company Kantar Worldpanel, Windows Phone has reached a new high in market share across the five major European markets (UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain).

In France, Microsoft's mobile OS has scored 12% market share, while in the UK it's powering 10.8% of the smartphones sold in the three months ending in August. This is the first time ever Windows Phone has scored double digits in such major markets.

The company explains the success of the OS with Nokia's expansion into the low- and mid-range markets. Phones like the Lumia 520 and Lumia 620 are some of the most popular smartphones running Windows Phone, as they are "hitting the sweet spot" appealing to users between 16 to 24 years as well as the 35-49 year-olds.

However, it's not all good news for Microsoft, as in Italy, its OS is marking a slight decline - from 10.3% to 9.5% year-over-year. In China, the fall is pretty dramatic - 2.6 percentage points on an yearly basis - from 4.7% to 2.1%.

In Australia and the United States, WP is still on the rise. The platform holds a 6.5% market share in Australia, marking a growth of 2.8 percentage points YoY, while in the US the growth isn't as fast-paced at 0.4 percentage points rounding up to a market share of 3%.

Overall, Android is still the most popular mobile operating system on the market with a market share in Europe of 70.1%. Apple's iOS is a very distant second at 16.1%, while Windows Phone is third with 9.2% of the market. BlackBerry is fourth at 2.4%, losing more than half of its share since 2012.

Source | Via

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Bluetooth 4.0 not coming to high-end Lumias, says Nokia Australia

Nokia Australia announced in a series of tweets that Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy support is not coming to the Lumia 820, 920 and 1020 smartphones with the upcoming GDR3 Bittersweet shimmer update.

Nokia Australia later clarified the reason behind the lack of Bluetooth 4.0 LE support within the next major WP8 release is hardware limitations.

That sounds a bit strange, given that the recently released Nokia Amber update adds Bluetooth 4.0 LE to the Lumia 520, 620, and 720, while Lumia 625 has it out of the box.

Bluetooth 4.0 LE is rather useful for many accessories, such as temperature sensors, heart-rate and fitness monitors, plus the rumored Nokia Treasure Tag accessory.

Even though the information comes from Nokia Australia, we are still hoping this is some kind of misunderstanding and waiting for an official statement from Nokia's HQ.

Source | Via

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Fujitsu Arrows A hits Softbank, lasts a day after a 10min charge

The Japanese carrier Softbank has unveiled its upcoming smartphone lineup and the most interesting one among them is the Fujitsu Arrows A running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800 chipset and comes with a 5" 1080p display and a 13MP camera. It has 64GB of internal storage, which is further expandable via a microSD slot.

What's interesting about this Japanese fella is Fujitsu promises three days of battery life on a single charge, and a whole day of battery endurance after only 10 minutes of charging.

Finally, the Arrows A comes with a fingerprint reader on its back and probably supports finger unlock feature.

Fujitsu Arrows A will hit the Softbank network in December.

Source | Via

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Official doc confirms Sony Xperia Z1 mini existence, specs

Some leaked documentation, allegedly belonging to Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, is referencing the specs of the local version of the Sony Xperia Z1 (SO-01F) as well as a device dubbed Sony Xperia Z1 f (SO-02F). It's believed that the Z1 f is actually the long-rumored Xperia Honami mini.

The smartphone is said to shares the quad-core 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800 and 20.7 MP camera with the bigger Xperia Z1. The difference comes from the display - 4.3" 720p vs 5" 1080p, battery -2300 mAh vs 3000 mAh, and dimensions - 127 x 64.9 x 9.4 mm vs 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm.

NTT DoCoMo documents on Xperia Z1 mini (click to enlarge)

The specs in the document align nicely with some previous leaks, but they also contradict others about the size.

Still anything's possible and we expect to Sony put an end to all speculations by making the smartphone official.

Source

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Ads to clutter Gmail Android soon

Google has recently rolled out an improved Gmail Android 4.6 version. Now Google is planning to run advertisements on the Gmail application for Android, according to a report of Android Police.

Android Police claims to have torn down an .APK file of Gmail Android app from which it said to have discovered a code that would allow Google to run advertisements on the Gmail application, much like it does on the Gmail for web interface. Google has already included code in the application file that could display advertisements on the application, but they have not yet activated the code. This makes us believe that Google is still considering whether they should go ahead or not.

But considering Gmail today powers the email needs of most of the Android users, Google getting some additional revenue out of it could be possible.

Now will Google add the advertisements as we have seen in most of the freemium applications or will Google devise an entirely new and harmless way of displaying advertisements much like the web version is remains to be seen.

Google with clever placement of advertisements in its web email version has managed to win the hearts of users as advertisements are non-intrusive and if same thing is followed in the Android version then users would not have any issues whatsoever.

Modern Combat 4 price slashed to Rs 55 from Rs 390 for iOS, Android

Gameloft has slashed the price of its 'Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour' game to Rs 55 on both Google Play store and iTunes store. The first person shooter (FPS ) game was earlier available for Rs 390.

Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour is considered as one of the best FPS games for the mobile platform as of now. It has both campaign as well as multiplayer facility. The game comes with console-like graphics, lifelike animations, and dynamic objects.

The game is a sequel to the Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation where you get to play with different guns including snipers. You can also upgrade weapons mid way while playing. You could also throw grenades and knives. There are in all 12 missions after which you can indulge in multiplayer where you could play with your friends over WiFi or can do so over internet with anyone worldover.

Lenovo Vibe Z with 1080p display, Snapdragon 800 goes official

After announcing the Lenovo Vibe X at IFA 2013, the company has added a second member to the Vibe family dubbed Vibe Z.

The Lenovo Vibe Z was previously known as K910 and sports a metal body and a design similar to the Vibe X, which the company hopes to appeal to the younger demographic outside China.

The Lenovo Vibe Z sports a 5.5" display of 1080p resolution. The phone is powered by the a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 2GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. As you'd imagine, this configuration runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean without problems.

At the back, there's a 13MP camera with LED flash, which is similar to the one found on the Lenovo Vibe X. At the front, there's a 5MP snapper. The phone measures just 6.9mm thick, but battery size hasn't been detailed yet.

Lenovo has announced its plans to update the device to Android 4.4 KitKat in the future. Specific plans aren't yet revealed, as isn't the pricing and availability of the Vibe Z.

Source | Via

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Leaked Nexus 5 log reveals most of the specs

Myce.com got their hands on a log from the Nexus 5 (also called LG D820 and Hammerhead) and AndroidWorld.it dug though it. Some 133 thousand lines were searched but the reward was probably worth it - a number of interning specs for the upcoming pure-Google phone were confirmed.

Most of the stuff is no surprise – a 5" screen (actually, 4.97") with 1080p resolution, 442ppi pixel density, a Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage (on that concrete model, there might be others with more and hopefully not less storage). The phone ran Key Lime Pie (a.k.a. Android 4.4 KitKat), build version KRS74H.

It seems that the camera has been changed to an 8MP snapper (the Nexus 4 also got a lower-res camera than the Optimus G it was based on). It's too early to tell if there will be optical image stabilization (probably not though). There's a 1.2MP front-facing camera too.

The Nexus 5 will pack dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and GPS connectivity. The model whose log file leaked ran on North American LTE bands, but we should expect a Euro version too.

Pieces of the leaked log with the salient info

The phone will have wireless charging built in and while battery capacity wasn’t in the logs, FCC docs point to a 2,300mAh unit. There will also be a full set of sensors – accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity and light sensors as well as a barometer. The FCC measured the phone at 131.9mm tall and 68.2 mm wide, there's no info on thickness.

A case maker, SPIGEN, puts the Nexus 5 launch date at October 31, a month from now.

Thanks for the tip, Emanuele!

Source (in Italian)

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LG G Pro Lite Dual to have stylus, lower-end screen and chipset

The LG G Pro Lite Dual is back with a brand new leak and while last time we wondered why it was called "Lite," now we wonder why it's called "Pro." There's also a curious change – the phablet will have a stylus that can be sheathed into the device's body, Galaxy Note style (unlike the LG Vu's, which had no slot for the stylus).

The dual-SIM LG G Pro Lite Dual will reportedly have a 5.5" IPS screen like its single-SIM sibling, but that screen will only have qHD resolution (540 x 960 pixels) with half the pixel density. But it's the chipset that got the greatest cutback – instead of a Snapdragon 600, the G Pro Lite Dual will have only a dual-core 1GHz processor, according to the new leak. It will have 1GB of RAM (down from 2GB) and 8GB built-in storage (down from 16GB/32GB) with a microSD card slot.

LG G Pro Lite Dual will have a stylus

The phablet will run Android 4.1.2 with LG's customizations (KnockOn, Guest mode, etc.) and will pack an 8MP camera with a BSI sensor. There will also be an FM radio and a 3,140mAh battery (same as the Optimus G Pro). The dimensions will be almost identical, 150.2 x 76.9 x 9.5mm (there's no info on weight).

The phone will launch in Russia mid-October at RUR13,000 (around $400 and half the price of the Optimus G Pro in Russia), where it will compete against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos, Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Sony Xperia C.

Thanks again to Freddie!

Source (in Russian)

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Storyteller app coming to Windows Phone 8 platform

Nokia is reportedly set to launch a large display bearing Lumia 1520 smartphone on October 22 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At the launch event, Nokia will also debut a new app called Storyteller. The EVLeaks shared via Twitter account an image of the upcoming app called Storyteller.

Nokia is reportedly working to bring the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update bundled as Bittersweet Shimmer . One of the significant features of this update will be to bring support for full 1080p HD resolution for the Windows Phone platform. Apart from that, Nokia will bring along its own set of goodies for the large screen devices.

No details of the Storyteller app have been made available so far. But from the name it is quite easy to guess that the users will be able to use photos and videos to create a story around an event. Rest is on Nokia to share more specific and exact details on 22 October.

The update shared pointed that the Storyteller app will be released for the Windows Phone 8 on Bandit aka Lumia 1520 and Sirius aka the Windows RT based tablet from Nokia.

Nokia Asha 502 in works, launching soon

Nokia Asha 501 was an inexpensive smart feature phone meant for those who wish to have a good looking device but at an affordable price. Now Nokia is reportedly working on a new mobile phone in the Asha series, called Asha 502. As per the image leaked by Evleaks on Twitter, the Nokia Asha 502 is almost nearing its official launch and while the devices offer the same great look and feel as the older Asha 501, it has upgraded hardware.

The Nokia Asha 502 is said to have a Fastlane feature which allows users to access applications that they use the most and the latest images they have captured and their social network updates with a simple swipe. The Nokia Asha 502 is likely to get a 3.2 or 3.5 inch display with capacitive touch and a toughened glass based scratch resistant screen as compared to 3 inch display of Asha 501.

The Asha 501 came with EDGE cellular data connectivity along with WiFi and Bluetooth for wire free connectivity as well. But the Asha 502 is likely to be a 3G device with the option of a Dual SIM . It is also said to feature a 3 megapixel camera at the back along with an LED flash for better illumination.

Along with that Nokia also seems to be planning to bundle a polycarbonate case along with the device as the one showed in the image as well. This will be a clear plastic case that will protect the device form scratches and damage while will not obstruct the view of the colorful device.

LG Optimus G Pro Lite Dual SIM spotted

LG Optimus G pro is among one of the most popular Android smartphones that have been launched in recent times. Now LG is also working on a newer version of LG G Pro, called the LG Optimus G Pro Lite Duos. The G Pro Lite is a dual SIM Android smartphone with lowered hardware specifications but a similar look and feel as the original LG Optimus G Pro. Although there has been no official information from the company on this, HiTech.ru have some information that they have shared on their website.

As per the report, the LG Optimus G Pro Lite Duos features a 5.5 inch display, built with IPS technology that offers better brightness and contrast levels than ordinary displays. The resolution has not been revealed but most probably it should be an HD Display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. The device is powered by a dual core processor in place of a quad core processor as featured on the Optimus G Pro.

Besides, the LG Optimus G Pro Lite Duos said to have an 8 megapixels with BSI (Back Side Illumination) sensor as compared to the 13 megapixel camera of the Optimus G Pro. The smartphone is said to have a 3140 mAh battery as the Optimus G Pro. The LG Optimus G Pro Lite Duos also has dual speakers, which separately produce lower and higher frequencies for crisper and powerful sound.

The price of the device is not yet known but is likely to be towards the lower side only.

More details of Nexus 5 with Android KeyLimePie spotted

Google announced the exclusive promotional tie-up with Nestle to introduce the next major Android update named as KitKat. Meanwhile, the Google Android team is busy winding up the final stage development and testing of the next smartphone delivering Nexus experience - Nexus 5. This smartphone will formally run Android 4.4 KitKat which was previously named as Key Lime Pie. Myce Forums has now claimed to have spotted several instances where Nexus 5 smartphone codenamed as Hammerhead and the Android 4.4 KitKat aka Key Lime Pie update.

Google is expected to launch the Nexus 5 made by LG by late next month - October. The Nexus 5 will run the Android 4.4 KitKat update with several user experience and performance improvements. Meanwhile, Google Android team has a lot to do in terms of replacing the update name from Key Lime Pie to Kit Kat.

Every major Android version update has been assigned a dessert name by Google - Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6), Éclair (2.0-2.1), Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.x), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), and Jelly Bean (4.1-4.3). The next major update was previously reported as Key Lime Pie and till now, there are sittings of devices being tested with Key Lime Pie as the build name running on it.

Apparently, when the devices will come out, it would be visible as Android 4.4 KitKat. Google has still not announced the new features that are expected to arrive with Android 4.4 KitKat but we certainly hope for some user interface changes and new features.

Panasonic to launch sub-Rs 5,000 features phones

Panasonic, which has recently made its debut in the smartphone market with its P51 smartphone earlier this year, will launch features phones priced below Rs 5,000 in India. The devices will be launched next month itself.

"Panasonic is conscious of the market and demand for phones priced below Rs 5,000. Considering the same, we plan to come out with a feature phones below Rs 5,000 by November this year," Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma was quoted as saying by PTI.

"We have already launched four premium models since our entry into smartphone market and we will continue to offer a wide range of phones. We are looking at budget phones and may introduce them following up on these launches," Sharma further added.

Panasonic is a leading mobile phone company in the Japanese market. It had however withdrew its mobile phone business from other overseas market in 2005. Later it had re-entered the mobile phone business in a big way launching several devices in 2012 but it entered the Indian mobile phone market only in 2013. It had just also few days back expanded its smartphone portfolio in India by announcing three new handsets -0 T11, T21, and P11.

Samsung will reportedly make 30-40% of Apple's upcoming A8 chip

While the freshly announced, 64-bit CPU toting iPhone 5s is enjoying its time under the spotlight, a report has emerged, potentially shedding light on the production of Apple’s next generation mobile SoC. According to Korean media, Samsung will handle the manufacturing of around 30 and 40% of the upcoming Apple A8 chip which will find a spot in future iOS devices.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is said to handle the rest of the chips’ production. Apple reportedly wanted TSMC to handle the entire A8 chip manufacturing process. However, the challenges associated with the production of state of the art 20nm chips necessitated the involvement of Samsung in the process.

There has been no official confirmation from any of the parties involved in the deal. The rumor however, falls in line with previous reports about Apple’s intent to diversify its chain of suppliers.

Source (in Korean) | Via

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Top 5 must have privacy apps on Android

Smartphone s are almost like a people magnet, everybody who sees one tries to use it no matter if the device is their or not. This kind of a situation can arise in office or at home as well where saying no to the person taking a peek in to your smartphone is not an option. Thankfully, there are applications in the Gogol Play store that can make sure that your device stays secure and as private as you would like it to be.

And as always, we have selected only the best free applications for you so you don't need to spend money as well.

Hide Pictures - Keepsafe Vault

Videos and pictures are most private in nature and this application is specifically meant to keep them secure. You can set aside pictures that are of not private in nature and hence would be available for others to see while the selected pictures could only be accessed after using the password that you have generated.

The working of the application is simple - simply selects pictures and videos that you want to hide and those will then vanish from the photo gallery of your Android smartphone, and stay locked in the Keep Safe app of your smartphone. You can only access those once you put the PIN .

It also has an innovative feature called Fake Pin which would protect you from people who will force you to open the app. Choose a second PIN that opens a fake KeepSafe where you can put pictures you are ok for others to see. No one knows you have a real KeepSafe PIN.