Archives for October, 2013
Android 4.4 KitKat details announced; includes Project Svelte and full screen mode
Google has finally unwrapped the full details behind Android 4.4 KitKat, its next major iteration of Android. Amongst the changes includes Project Svelte, which is Google’s effort to make Android run on low memory devices (think 512MB RAM). It has achieved this by removing unnecessary background services and minimising the memory footprint of features not ...
Pandora finally gets the Chromecast treatment
Pandora fans can rejoice as the popular music streaming service finally has support for Google’s Chromecast. Folks can now stream their music from their Android smartphone or tablet directly to their TV sets. This feature was also added with tablet support, which brought proper optimization to the UI experience on all Android slates. Owners of Chromecast ...
ZTE unveils a trio of affordable Blade Q smartphones
ZTE unveiled three new affordable smartphones – Blade Q Mini, Blade Q and Blade Q Maxi. All three devices run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, while rocking 5-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, HSPA+ connectivity, MediaTek’s 1.3GHz dual-core chip, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage. When it comes to differences, the Blade Q Mini rocks ...
Verizon Ellipsis 7 Android tablet leaks
Verizon is preparing to launch the Ellipsis 7 tablet, EVleaks is reporting. The popular leak source “found” a press image of this device that will likely be offered to tablet buyers on a budget. Specs are unknown, but we’re guessing this thing doesn’t hide a top-notch hardware under the hood. We expect it rocks some sort ...
Sony yearly phone sales increase 39.3%
Sony’s smartphone business is growing, helping the company increase its sales by 39.3% compared to the same period last year. However, not all is nice for the Japanese giant with its other divisions struggling to keep up. In total, Sony cut its annual profit forecast down from 50 to 30 billion yen (roughly $300 million), due ...
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 sales hit 5 million in one month!
Samsung is killing it with the new Galaxy Note 3, having managed to move 5 million units only a month after the phablet debuted on the world stage. That’s an impressive figure for an everything-but-affordable device that costs north of $700 in its unlocked, SIM-free form. Comparing it with earlier Notes, we see that an increasing ...
Strategy Analytics: Huawei is now the third largest smartphone maker
Huawei has killed it in the third quarter of this year, with shipments securing it the third position, behind Samsung and Apple. According to Strategy Analytics, the Chinese vendor shipped 12.7 million smartphones globally in Q3 2013, representing a 67% increase on the same period in 2012 while giving the company a 5% market share. Huawei’s ...
Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 with Snapdragon 800, 2560×1600 screen and 3GB of RAM caught at AnTuTu
We’ve already told you that Samsung is working on an even bigger tablet, one that would rock a 12.2-inch screen. Well, guess what, such device has been caught at AnTuTu benchmarks. And from there we get to learn what the Galaxy Note 12.2 will be all about. The unit that has been tested at AnTuTu rocks ...
Sony Xperia L gets Android 4.2 update
Though most users are waiting to get Android 4.3 and even Android 4.4, some devices still run the first version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.1. The Sony Xperia L is one such device and the Japanese company is (finally) doing something about it, rolling out the Android 4.2 update for this low-to-mid end smartphone as ...
Samsung Wallet gets new partners
Samsung has announced 14 new partners for its Wallet app. Companies joining Sammy’s scheme include American Express, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Amtrak, Valpak, eGifter, Gyft, Yowza, SpotOn, Agoda, HRS, Opodo and Thrillcall. This batch joins existing partners that include the likes of Walgreens, Expedia, Belly, Lufthansa and Hotels.com. The Samsung Wallet app works like Apple’s ...