Google Nexus 5 aces BaseMark X gaming benchmark

If all the rumors and teasers are to be trusted, Google will be announcing the LG-made Nexus 5 this Friday. The flagship has leaked numerous times revealing all there is to know about its design, specs and even pricing.

We've already seen official pictures of the Nexus 5 and we know it will come with a 4.95" 1080p IPS display and Snapdragon 800 chipset. What we didn't know is how the Nexus 5 will be performing on benchmarks with its new Android 4.4 KitKat, previously rumored as Key Lime Pie.

Well, it seems nobody is trying to keep the gadget under wraps anymore. Someone subjected the Nexus 5 to the BaseMark X test and the results came out very promising.

LG Nexus 5 scores compared to LG G2 and LG Nexus 4

BaseMark X is a cross-platform benchmark, which aims to test how good a device is for gaming. As it turns out the LG Nexus 5 scores 8% higher than its LG G2 sibling running on pretty much the same internals but with Android 4.2.2 in charge of operations. The Nexus 5 is also twice as fast as its Nexus 4 predecessor, but that is to be expected.

In fact, the Nexus 5 ranked as the second best gaming device in Rightware's database, only beaten by the iPhone 5s (which only has about a third of its resolution).

Anyway, it seems the new Android version and Google's own optimizations matter and the Nexus 5 may have an edge over its competitors unit they get their own Android 4.4 updates.

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Quad-core Xolo Q900 goes official

Xolo Q900, the company's latest quad-core smartphone, has launched in India. It comes with a 4.7-inch 720 display and is powered by the MT6589 chipset with four ARM Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.2GHz, PowerVR SGX544 graphics and 1GB of RAM.

The Xolo Q900 has 4GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD slot. There is an 8MP rear camera capable of 1080p video recording plus a 2MP front snapper. As is usually the case with Xolo phones, the Q900 is dual-SIM-enabled and supports 3G with HSPA. Finally, it comes with a 1,800 mAh battery that should be enough for 10 hours of 3G calls, at least on paper.

XOLO Q900

Xolo Q900 runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean version.

The smartphone is now available in India for INR 12,900 which translates to just €155.

Source | Via

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Idea Ultra phablet with 8 MP camera launched for Rs 10,500

Idea Cellular has announced the launch of a new 5 inch display bearing smartphone, called Ultra. The new Idea Ultra comes with an 8 megapixel rear camera with flash and is said to be able to capture up to 90 continuous images of a moving object. It is priced at Rs 10,500 and comes with a glossy finish.

The dual-SIM ULTRA is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad core processor and runs on Android Jelly Bean (4.1.2). It has a 2000 mAh battery, Bluetooth 2.0, and WiFi . Besides, it has 512 MB RAM, 4 GB ROM, 32 GB expandable storage slot, and a 0.3 megapixel front camera.

Idea is also offering 3G B 3G data and Idea TV access for 3 months, with a pack priced at Rs 259 - Rs 261 with the handset.

5 million Samsung Galaxy Note 3s sold in the first month

Analysts expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to take up the slack now that the Galaxy S4 has passed 40 million sales and demand is weakening. According to Korean publication Hankooki (quoting the president of Samsung Mobile), the Note 3 phablet is off to a good start, having sold 5 million units in one month.

For comparison, the original Galaxy Note took 5 months to just ship 5 million units (not the same as sales). Of course, that was quite an achievement, too, given that back then phablets were an unproven concept.

The successor, the Galaxy Note II, sold 3 million units in its first month of availability and took another month to make it to the 5 million mark. Combined, Note and Note II have sold over 38 million units to date.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 sold 10 million units in the first month, which makes the Note 3's sale numbers all the more impressive – the S4 has a much wider target audience as phablets are still somewhat of a niche market.

Source (in Korean) | Via

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More Nexus 5 images leak, Sprint version confirmed

The oft-pictured Google Nexus 5 built by LG has been making the rounds quite a bit over the past several months. It left little to the imagination in terms of appearance, specifications, software version, and even pricing. The only thing that's still ambiguous is the release date.

The latest shots come by way of the NCC device certification authority, where a prototype variant pictured without a Nexus logo was submitted for testing. The non-removable battery was confirmed to have a capacity of 2,300 mAh.

In related news, @evleaks has tweeted that the upcoming Google flagship will also be making its way to the Sprint network in the US.

Sources claim that the Nexus 5 is set to hit retail (hopefully early) next month. The starting price point will be $349, if this month's accidental Play Store appearance is any indication.

Source (Chinese) | Via

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Dual-SIM HTC One Max crops up in Vietnam

Before the HTC One Max was officially unveiled, there were a few leaks showing a dual-SIM version. It showed up in Vietnam, although it was supposedly a unit headed for the Chinese market. It cost 21.6 million dong ($1,015), up from 17.9 million dong ($840) for the single-SIM version.

The specifications look exactly the same – 5.9" 1080p screen, Snapdragon 600 chipset, 4MP UltraPixel camera without OIS, 16/32GB built-in storage with microSD card slot and 3,300mAh Li-Po sealed battery.

HTC One Max dual-SIM

Except, of course, for the second SIM slot that's positioned symmetrically opposite the first SIM slot. The labels indicate that the first SIM is 3G-enabled, while the second SIM is 2G-only. The One Max has 4G LTE too and presumably that's SIM1-only as well.

There's no info on when – of if at all – the dual-SIM HTC One Max will make its way to the international market.

Source (in Vietnamese)

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Sony Xperia L now getting Android 4.2.2

Sony has started seeding Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for the Xperia L smartphone. The update is available through the PC Companion and weighs about 700MB.

In addition to bringing your Android version to 4.2.2, the update packs several tweaks to the home-baked launcher. Those include a new homescreen, improved search and app sorting, updated media apps (Walkman, Album and Movies), easier Small Apps and two new camera features - Burst mode and Auto Scene Recognition.

The guys over XperiaGuide have built a rather detailed changelog. Here it is:

• New homescreen UI, you can add up to 7 window panes now.


• Add more widgets in homescreen and lockscreen.


• Bug fixes and performance enhancements.


• Superior auto mode (auto scene recognition) and Burst Mode feature added in Camera interface.


• Better photo quality.


• Updated Sony Media apps.


• Small apps accessible from homescreen.


• Improved search and app sorting now.


• New Keyboard added.


• Transparent dock at the bottom part on homescreen.


• False memory notification bug is rectified.


• Day Dream feature added in display settings.

So, if you own a Sony Xperia L, you should keep an eye on your notification area. The update is either available or just around the corner. Given, Sony's recent track record it shouldn't take more than a few weeks for the update to reach every Xperia L unit globally.

Thank you, Anurag, for the tip!

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