Android in April: KitKat gains rapidly

Yet another month passed and Google is quick to release the statistics on the distribution of the different Android versions. April’s most rapid development saw KitKat gain some 3.2 points, bringing its overall market share to 8.5%.

The three Jelly Bean distributions had mixed fate – 4.1 dropped 0.9 points but still remained the most widely adopted version with its 33.5% share. 4.2 actually expanded its share by 0.7 points to 18.8%, while 4.3 dropped 0.4 points and is now tied with KitKat at 8.5%.

As you could expect all releases prior to Jelly Bean kept losing ground – Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich went down by 0.7 percent points, Gingerbread lost 1.6 points and Froyo dropped another 0.1 points. Honeycomb is still stuck at 0.1% share – it will remain there until Google pronounces it officially extinct.

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HTC One mini 2 will not have Duo Camera

The HTC One (m8) and it’s predecessor were both overwhelmingly praised for their sleek designs, durability, and sound quality. However, their cameras received mixed reviews. The Duo Camera technology isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The HTC One mini 2 won’t be carrying the Duo Camera dual-lens system, but will be rocking a straight up 13MP sensor instead.

A leaked press release confirmed the information. The way the Duo Camera system works is with two lenses. The first lens processes the picture, and the second lens changes the focus on it. The system has both is fans and critics (moreso the latter), and it won’t be making an appearance on the Mini 2.

HTC has released a press render of the phone, but not an official list of its tech specs. Rumor has it that the phone will be packing a 4.5” screen with 720 x 1280 resolution, a quad-core 1.4GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB built in storage, and Android 4.4 with Sense 6 to round out the software side of things.

Evleaks has already confirmed that the mini 2 will be released for Verizon, but expect it to be offered on other major US carriers as well.

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Moto X+1 leaks via the Moto Maker website

Motorola is holding a press event on May 13 in London to unveil a new smartphone. There is no more information on the device but the rumors have it Motorola might be unveiling either the Moto E or the Moto X+1.

Well, it seems @evleaks was right about the existence of Moto X+1, because Motorola has just added a placeholder for the Moto X+1 on its Moto Maker website.

We still know nothing about the Moto X+1, but our best guess is it will be an upgraded version of the Moto X on a bargain price (as the invitation suggested).

We'll know everything on the morning of May 13.

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Sony Xperia Z2 now available across Europe

Sony Xperia Z2 went on pre-order in early April and a few orders were shipped around April 15. The wide handset launch was delayed though due to stock shortages probably caused by supply bottlenecks.

Later Sony announced the Xperia Z2 launch will happen on May 1 and this time all went according to plan. The official Sony online stores across Europe are now offering the Xperia Z2 for purchase. The smartphone is in stock and will ship immediately (standard and express delivery options are available).

All three flavors of the Sony Xperia Z2 are available to order - white, purple and black. Sony UK asks £599 for the Xperia Z2, while Sony France, Spain and Italy have it on €699. Sony Germany's price is slightly lower at €679.

Now that the Sony Xperia Z2 has hit the shelves, we'll be looking forward to get one and do an in-depth review.

Sony UK | Sony France | Via

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Exclusive: LG G3 specs detailed as new photo surfaces

With the official announcement fast approaching, LG is having an increasing hard time keeping its upcoming flagship under wraps. The rumors are intensifying rapidly and with each passing day we are getting more and more pieces from the puzzle that is the LG G3.

Today we were sent another photos of the smartphone – a clearer version of the one we brought you last week, garnished with a bunch of specs of the device.

Our source confirmed that the LG G3 will come with a 5.5” QHD display – that’s 2560 x 1440 pixels adding up to the whooping pixel density of 534ppi. As a result of the bigger screen, the G3 will have a bit larger footprint than the LG G2, but it will be slimmer, which should partially make up for that.

We also got the storage/RAM issue clarified – it appears the G3 will come in two different versions – one with 16GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM and the other with 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. Both units will support memory expansion via a microSD card slot.

The battery capacity will be set at 3,000mAh, while the rear-mounted speaker will deliver 1W output. The primary camera has been reconfirmed to sport a 13MP sensor and the new OIS+ image stabilization that debuted on the LG G Pro 2.

The LG G3 is clearly shaping to be one of the hottest smartphones of the summer. You can bet we’ll be on site when it gets announced on May 27, bringing you all the details on it, garnished with our first-hand impressions.

Thank you, mitsurugi, for sending this in!

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Samsung hosting an event on May 28 around health

Samsung has started sending out invites for an event in San Francisco, held on May 28. As usual, there is no explicit mention of the purpose of the event, other than a short message saying 'A new conversation around health is about to begin'.

While Samsung would love to take the credit for being the first to get on the health bandwagon, there is little doubt that this event is a knee-jerk reaction to the WWDC event later in June where the Cupertino giant is expected to (for quite some time now) announce its Healthbook software and possibly, a companion smartwatch/fitness band device later this year.

For all we know, Samsung would just reiterate the features it showed with the Galaxy S5, along with the ill-received new Gear devices (remember the Google Maps event right before Apple announced its own Maps service where Google didn't show anything new?) We'll find out for sure on May 28.

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HTC Desire 816 now available in Europe for €295

HTC unveiled the Desire 816 at the MWC this year and after enjoying great success in China, the smartphone is finally ready to storm Europe. The company's latest mid-range offering has just hit Romania and will gradually go on sale across the other European countries in the coming days.

In Romania, the dual-SIM variant of the HTC Desire 816 is up for grabs for RON1,299 (about €295). Although, the Romanian version of the phone supports dual-SIM cards, this might not be the case with the variants sold in other European markets.

For your money, you will be getting a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The Desire 816 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with a 1.6 GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. There is 1.5 GB of RAM for trouble-free multi-tasking, while the 8GB of internal storage with the ability to expand it via microSD card will house all your content.

For more information on the HTC Desire 816, check out our first-hand impressions from the MWC floor.

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