Sony Xperia Z2a Launches in Taiwan

                                                           Xperia Z2a

The new Xperia Z2a appears to be a rebrand of the Xperia ZL2 that launched in Japan this year, but that doesn’t stop it from being a nice handset. The handset sports a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801, 5-inch display, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard memory with an SD card slot for up to an additional 64GB, a 20.7 MP rear camera capable of shooting 4K video with a 2.2 MP shooter up front. You’ll also find aGPS, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC are onboard. And for good measure it’s also IP58 water and dust resistant.


                                                                   Xperia ZL2

Sony has announced the Xperia Z2a for the Taiwanese market today. With a 5-inch full-HD display and a Snapdragon 801, the Xperia Z2a is a rebranded Xperia ZL2 that was announced in Japan earlier this year.
 
                           
Xperia ZL2

 The Xperia Z2a will retail for NT$ 18,900 (approx. $630 USD), but there is no indication that this handset will be making it to any other countries or regions at this time.

Galaxy S5 Price Drop Coming This Week From Verizon, Report Says

If you’re still eyeing the Galaxy S5 we’ve got some good news. According to a new report from Droid-Life the flagship Samsung phone will be getting a huge price drop from Verizon starting later this week. The carrier is also set to start offering the LG G3, G Watch and Xperia Z2 Tablet, though not necessarily at a discount.

The big news, however, is the rumored Galaxy S5 price drop, which could potentially slash the phone’s on-contract price by 50 percent. According to Droid-Life’s sources, Verizon is cutting prices on Samsung’s latest smartphone along with the Galaxy Note 3, iPhone 5s, HTC One (M8) and LG G3.  The deal, which will apparently run from July 10 through July 27, may also extend to last year’s phones including the HTC One (M7), Moto X and Galaxy S4.

The same anonymous sources also claim the LG G3 and G Watch won’t actually land on Verizon until July 17, though pre-orders could open up as early as tomorrow. It sounds crazy that the carrier would offer a 50 percent discount on the G3 at launch, though Droid-Life seems pretty confident of its sources.

If these price cuts turn out to be real they may be the best price you’ll see on the Galaxy S5, LG G3 or HTC One (M8) for a while. Of course you’ll need to sign up for a two-year Verizon contract to take advantage of the deal, but if you’re due for an upgrade or ready to sign up for a new line, now’s your chance to grab one of the best smartphones around at a huge discount.

Walmart Drastically Cuts iPhone 5c & 5s Prices

Well, if you don’t already own an iPhone 5c or 5s, there has never been a better time to purchase one than right now. In a move that screams “something bigger is coming down the road”, Walmart has slashed their prices on the popular Apple devices. They’ve also cut down the prices on iPods in recent days.

So, if you find yourself eligible for an upgrade and would like to get your hands on one of the aforementioned devices, all you have to do is visit a physical Walmart location (the deal is not available online), and head to the electronics counter. Once there, you can choose to purchase the iPhone 5c for a mere $29, or you could pony up and get the iPhone 5s for $99. Either way, you’re getting a really good deal any way you look at it. In order to get these prices, you’ll also have to sign up for a new 2-year contract with whichever network you subscribe to.

iPhones On The Cheap!!!

Everyone loves a good deal, and Walmart as of right now seems about the best place to go and pick up a new iPhone. However, we should also realize that it probably won’t be too long until Apple decides to announce the release of the long-awaited and rumored iPhone 6. If you don’t care about not having the latest and greatest phone, though, the iPhone 5c and 5s are great phones to have, and there has never been a better time to get one.

iPhone 6 Coming in September?

Well, it’s another week which means there’s another iPhone 6 rumor. This one, though, seems like it might have some merit which is worth talking about. Techbeat just recently reported that Walmart is one of the major retailers offering massive price cuts on their inventories of iPhone 5c’s and 5s’s. In case you missed that article, you can now buy an iPhone 5c for $29, or you can get a 5s for $99. (These deals are only available in physical stores, and you have to also sign a new 2-year contract). While that’s great news about lower prices, that’s probably not the best news. The best news might just be that it’s not going to be too long before something takes the iPhone 5c/5s’s spot on the shelf – namely, the iPhone 6. It seems like Walmart (amidst other retailers) is trying to reduce their inventory load so they can replace it with Apple’s latest offering once it’s available.


 
And, speaking of its availability, many signs point to it being released in September of this year. Apple seems to like the month of September, as they’ve announced several iPhones during the month in the past. It would seem September would also coincide around the release of their newly designed iOS 8.

It has also been widely reported that the iPhone 6 will be the first of the iPhones to come in multiple sizes, ranging from a 4.7 inch screen to a 5.5 inch screen. It seems the smaller of the 2 will be more readily available at least at the time of its release, as the bigger screen appears to require rare sapphire in its construction. The phones will also be slightly more curved (as you can see in the image) than previous models.

BBM For Android & IOS Announced

If there’s one thing that BlackBerry can be proud of, it’s the BBM messaging service. I think that everyone can say that for the majority – if not all – of the BlackBerry users they know, BBM was the thing that clinched the deal. Of course, we have heard of BBM outages happening, with users feeling like they’ve been cut off from the rest of the world. Never mind that they can only use BBM with the handful of other BlackBerry users in their circle.

This situation is about to change, though, as BlackBerry has just announced that it is going to release BBM for Android and iOS come summer. This season is always an exciting one for many reasons, but for users of BBM who may have been wanting to expand their circles to non-BlackBerry friends, this summer is really something to look forward to.

According to BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins, “It’s time to bring BBM to a greater audience, no matter what mobile device they carry.” He also gives assurance that BBM for Android and iOS will not be merely crippled copycat versions. He adds, “We’re starting with messaging and groups, but we’ll bring voice, screen share, and of course, channels later on.”

Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that BlackBerry has to rely on Apple and Google’s approval. Without that stamp, BBM for Android and iOS might just be a flop. Or might not even happen. If it does happen, users who want to connect via BBM will be able to do so by downloading the free app.

On another note, this development brings up an interesting idea: “Every major mobile competitor makes apps for iOS.” Google makes apps for iOS (How do we live without Google Maps?). Microsoft also has apps for iOS. Nokia has Here Maps. That may not be every competitor, but it does give you something to think about.


In any case, how do you feel about BBM for Android and iOS? Are you even thinking about using it on top – or in lieu – of WhatsApp (which is on BB10, by the way), Viber, etc.?

Is BBM For Android & IOS A Hit?

About six months ago, BBM for Android and iOS was announced. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: BBM is the one thing that BlackBerry can be totally proud of. Outages notwithstanding. Of course, we know just how limited you can be with using BBM, as BlackBerry phones are not exactly the most popular units out there, but with the app finally available for the two other mobile platforms, BBM just might get a boost. And, if the numbers released by BlackBerry are accurate, they might just have a hit on their hands.





According to BlackBerry, BBM for Android and iOS was downloaded over 10 million times in merely 24 hours. Just as quickly, the free app topped the App Store’s charts, although the American Play Store seems more difficult for BBM.

Even the harshest BlackBerry critic has to give them a thumbs up for those numbers, yes?

Going past the impressive download numbers, though, BBM for Android and iOS still has to live up to its competition. The messaging niche is a crowded one, and while BBM has been around for many years, it has its work cut out for it, especially in the iOS and Android realms.

This is where issues do crop up as the cross-platform app is nothing like the original BBM. Naturally, it fits the latest BlackBerry OS, BB10, and early users have been free in mentioning how confusing the interface can be.

BBM for Android and iOS does retain its core features, some of which are not available in the popular messaging apps today. Remember how you can “ping” or “buzz” the person you are chatting with on Yahoo Messenger, for example? The original BBM had this, and this feature remains in the cross-platform version.


On the downside – which seems to outweigh the positives – BBM for Android and iOS has no video sharing and other fun features like Stickers. You can’t make voice calls. You can’t share contacts or calendar events either. Rumor has it that video and voice calls are coming in the next months, though.

The verdict

While it may be too early to give a verdict, initial impressions don’t bode well for BBM. Aside from the download numbers, there might not be much to keep BBM for Android and iOS to keep going.

The IPad Dilemma: IPad Air Or IPad Mini Retina?

Apple has done it again. While critics have been criticizing, and fanboys have been staunchly defending, Apple showed everyone that they still have some breath left in them. More than a few gasps, in fact. For a while there, the consensus was that it was unlikely that the iPad Mini will have a Retina screen this year. Speculators were proven wrong, and they have something else to drool over: the iPad Air.




Instead of having to look forward to only the iPad Mini Retina, we now have the excruciating task of choosing between the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina.

The iPad Air

The successor to the current full-sized iPad is a very tempting device indeed. Not only is it only 7.5 mm thin (the previous one is 9.4 mm), but it also only weighs one freaking pound. That’s .33 pounds lighter than the iPad 2, about .43 pounds lighter than the iPad 3, and about .45 pounds lighter than the iPad 4!

And if you think that the physical downsizing cripples the iPad Air in terms of performance, think again. This baby has the A7 64-bit processor. It’s twice as fast. It has new Wi-Fi technology. And how do a 5-megapixel back camera (with HD video), improved FaceTime camera, and dual-mics sound?

As for the battery life, the iPad Air is still supposed to last you 10 hours.

You can choose from silver/white and black/space gray.

The price is where it will hurt most, with the Wi-Fi-only model starting at $499 and the cellular model at $629.

The iPad Mini Retina





Going to the smaller and even lighter side of the spectrum, we have the iPad Mini Retina, which I have been yearning for ever since the first iPad Mini came out. The almost 8-inch tablet now has that resolutionary display, making sure that it really is every inch an iPad! 2048 x 1536 resolution. 326 pixels per inch. My eyes are going to be so happy!

It can hold its own in terms of performance as well, with Apple going with the A7 chip. No more glitches when playing Infinity Blade (1, 2, or 3) or Injustice!

And, at 0.73 pounds, the iPad Mini Retina is the perfect tablet for people who don’t want to lug a rather heavy bag along.

What’s the catch? 

Unfortunately, the iPad Mini Retina is rather pricey, starting at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model. It goes up to $829 for the 128GB Wi-Fi+Cellular model! Now compare that to the $299 tag for the non-resolutionary iPad Mini (16GB)…

The Verdict

It all boils down to the balance between pricing and preferences. The iPad Air is not so heavy, but the difference can be felt if you are on the road a lot. The price, well, we already expect to pay a premium for Apple products, don’t we? Personally, I am probably going for the lighter option – it’s still $100 cheaper than the iPad Air anyway.


How about you? Which of the new iPads do you think is the better buy?

Sony Smartwatch 2 Vs Samsung Galaxy Gear

The smartwatch has been around for some time but the technology of the devices brought to market so far haven’t been the Secret Service/James Bond style that everyone pictures when they say the word “smartwatch”. Now though, Sony and Samsung seem to have stepped up their game and are going head to head in a considerably more exciting battle of the smartwatches than we’ve seen to date.

Sony Smartwatch 2 Spec Overview

• 1.6 inch display 220 x 176 pixels
• Aluminum body with interchangeable straps
• Micro USB Charging with 3- 4 day battery life (average use)
• NFC and Bluetooth connectivity
• $262 out late September 2013

Samsung Galaxy Gear Spec Overview

• 1.63 inch display 320 x 320 pixels
• Stainless steel body
• Snap-on USB 3,0 charging with 24+ hours heavy use
• Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity
• $299 out October

Battling It Out

So what does it all mean? Well for a start, the Samsung Galaxy Gear seems to have a sharper display. In fact Samsung are proud to say that the display is bright enough not to be affected by sunlight. No cupping your hand over the smartwatch’s face to tell the time.

Both the Samsung and the Sony are nicely designed although the Sony Smartwatch 2 offers a little more flexibility for its users with interchangeable straps.

Both watches are extremely app friendly (of course), but Samsung have an advantage with this as they’ve secured partnerships with some of the more popular app developers. Also, when it comes to running apps, the Samsung model might be slightly better as the CPU is faster than its competitors.

Bond, James Bond

For anyone who wants to pretend they’re a spy, the Samsung features some brilliant tools. There’s a 1.9 megapixel camera contained in the strap of the camera for the photo opportunity that needs instant capture without fiddling around for a camera or smartphone. Users can also make calls directly from the watch which has a built in microphone and speaker, as well as the Samsung ‘S Voice’ voice recognition tool.

The second version of the Sony Smartwatch doesn’t feature these benefits although users can use the watch to call friends and family but only with a Bluetooth headset as there isn’t a mic or speakers. But what kind of spy could do without a waterproof watch? Sony’s watch allows its user to swim whereas the Samsung will only protect them from a shower.

Which is Best?

The one thing that will undoubtedly let the Samsung watch down is the fact that it is only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. A short way down the road there will be updates to make it compatible with the S3, S4 and Note 2. In comparison, the Sony watch is compatible with any android phone that operates Android 4.0. the options are almost endless.

Now though, other companies are hot on the heels of Sony and Samsung trying to push the limits of the smartwatch all the time.

Samsung Mega: For When The Note 2 Is Just Not Big Enough

Huge. Ginormous. Brobdingnagian. Humongous. Whatever adjective you want to use to describe the new Samsung Mega, you probably won’t be far off from reality. If my life depended on it, I still wouldn’t be able to convince myself to go for the new Samsung phone, the Samsung Mega. To be honest, I didn’t know about the phone till I chanced upon it at the mall a couple of weeks ago. It was so big that I just had to do a double take.

It has not been released in some parts of the world, but the Samsung Mega is already making waves. And, how could it not with that size?

As a matter of fact, the 6.3-inch phone (phablet, you may want to say) is being released today in the US via AT&T. At some point, Sprint and U.S. Cellular will also be offering the unit.

If you’ve got hands the size of Hulk’s, then this phone might just be perfect for you. Aside from the size, though, there is another factor that makes the Samsung Mega interesting: the price.

For AT&T at least, the price is a reasonable $149.99 – with the usual 2-year contract, naturally. There even is an installment option, which makes it $24 per month. Not bad at all, yeah?

Of course, we have to look at the specs – after all, size isn’t everything. Here’s what the Samsung Mega has to offer:

• HD Super Clear display
• resolution of 1,280×720 pixels
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• dual-core 1.7GHz processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal storage
• expandable to 64GB with an external microSD card
• 8-megapixel camera

Microsoft CEO To Retire In The Next Year

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, has announced that he plans retire in the next twelve months, depending on when a replacement can be found.

The company publicly announced the news on Friday, which resulted in the company’s stock shooting up by nearly 9% in pre-market trading.

(Microsoft, founded in 1975, is a multinational tech corporation based in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft is best known for launching the Windows operating system in 1990. The company played a huge role in molding and enhancing the Internet over the last two decades, under the leadership of Bill Gates.
Microsoft specializes in products, software and game development. The company excels in technological innovations. In 2009, Microsoft launched Bing -- a new "decision engine" to compete with Google. Bing is now one of the biggest search engines on the web and powers Yahoo.
The current CEO of Microsoft is Steven Ballmer. Bill Gates stands as the corporation's chairman. Microsoft's long list of businesses and company divisions include Xbox 360, Zune Music and Video, Office, Exchange, MSN portals, Skype, So.Cl and much more.)


In a statement Ballmer said, “There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time. We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices and services company. We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction.”

Only one month ago Ballmer Ballmer led a massive reorganisation of the company in a bid to bring all the divisions under one unified vision. Microsoft has said that a special committee has been appointed to oversee the process of hunting for Ballmer’s replacement.

Microsoft Agree To Buy Nokia’s Mobile Phone Unit

In a bold move, Microsoft has settled a deal to buy Nokia’s mobile phone business for $7.2 billion. Included in the deal are Nokia’s patents and mapping services, which will be licensed to Microsoft.

Microsoft Chief, Steve Ballmer described the deal as a “big, bold step forward” and that the company was transforming itself from one that “was known for software and PCs, to a company that focuses on devices and services”.

“We’ve done a lot of great work in the two-and-a-half years that we’ve been in partnership with Nokia, going literally from no phones to 7.4 million smart Windows phones in the last quarter that was reported,” he said.

The announcement comes at a time when Microsoft is struggling due to consumers choosing smartphones and tablets over PCs and laptops. It has been accused of being too slow to enter the mobile device market.

Nokia on the otherhand was once the leading name in mobile phones but its sales were down 27 percent in the quarter compared to last year. The Nokia Lumia phone, which runs a Microsoft operating system however, saw sales rise in the same period.

Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan feels that the deal between these two well known companies could help bring the “hardware closer to the operating system and achieve a tighter integration”.

“This should help Microsoft make a more effective strategy to compete in the mobile sphere,” he said.

Due to the sale, Nokia has announced that there will be changes to the management at the company. Stephen Elop is to step down as president and chief executive of Nokia Corporation and resign from the company’s board. It is likely he will “transfer to Microsoft at the anticipated closing” of the deal, the firm said.

It has been suggested that he could be one of the forerunners to replace Steve Ballmer, who announced last week that he will be retiring within the next year.


The companies are both awaiting the approvall from Nokia’s shareholders and regulators before the sale can be completed. Nokia has said that once it has been completed it plans to concentrate on three key businesses: the network equipment manufacturing, mapping and location services and the development and licensing of technology.

Newkia Aiming To Take Nokia Talent To Android Platform

Out of the ashes of what many perceive as the burning death of Nokia, comes Newkia.  It is the Singapore-based company that was founded the same day the US$7.2 billion Microsoft-Nokia deal was announced, with the single aim of acquiring Nokia employees and knowledge, but to focus on the Android platform.

Newkia plans to acquire as much of Nokia’s know-how as possible and do what they really should have done at Nokia and push Android forwards.  ”The Microsoft-Nokia deal reflects the complete failure of the Windows strategy”, says Thomas Zilliacus, executive chairman and founder of Mobile FutureWorks.

He spent over 15 years as a Nokia employee including seven where he was Asia-Pacific CEO. He left the company in 1993 but spent another three years under Nokia’s payroll as a regional consultant.  He left to become an entrepreneur and currently runs investment company Mobile FutureWorks, which advisors include former Nokia’s mobile phones CEO Jorma Nieminen and Ericsson’s former CEO Sven-Christer Nilsson.

Zilliacus, tried to buy out Nokia a year ago with the aim to push the company toward a strategy focused around the Android platform, but was unable to raise enough funds to do so despite approaching several global sovereign wealth and equity funds. He still believes Nokia makes the best phones in the world, citing the Lumia collection which he said had been well-received in the market.  ”But consumers simply don’t want the Windows OS because it lacks the ecosystem and there are not enough apps and services built for the platform that users find crucial today,” he said.  He added that the Windows market share is too small for developers to want to develop for the OS. “There’s also a general image problem where Microsoft isn’t perceived as a sexy company.


Developers think it’s cooler to develop for Android and Apple iOS.” He has welcomed Microsoft’s buyout because it opens up the floodgates for his company to now swoop in and gather up Nokia’s technology know-how.

Rise of the Phoenix

“We set up Newkia literally the day Nokia sold its phone business to Microsoft. It was the day Nokia died in Finland, and the new Nokia was born in Newkia. I know Nokia employees who are keen to develop for Android and maybe would like to join us…I strongly believe Nokia still has the best know-how in terms of mobile phones and we want to get the best people to join us.”

Thomas Zilliacus has already gathered a team of former Nokia employees and hopes to acquire more staff with expertise, from logistics to manufacturing through to smartphone design.  The company will be based out of Singapore, but Newkia plans for its core research and development team to be based out of Finland and the company may set up other R&D divisions across the globe where there are advanced skills sets, such as in Silicon Valley.


In effect, what Newkia plans to do is to use the Nokia framework of technology and design to build the world’s best smartphones, but running on Android.  I personally, cannot wait to see what comes of this!

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Confirmed & Specs Revealed

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini has been confirmed by the team at Samsung.

As expected the Galaxy S4 Mini keeps close to the S4 but with a small display and mid-range hardware options.

According to Samsung the S4 Mini features a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display and a 1.7GHz processor that supports 1.5GB of RAM. Samsung executives have not revealed which mobile processor is being used in the S4 Mini.

The S4 Mini also comes equipped with 8GB of storage for which 5GB is available for free use. Buyers needing more space can expand their hard drive holdings via the included microSD cardslot.


Also housed within the Galaxy S4 Mini is a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and a front-facing 1.9MP option.

Connectivity on the device includes Wi-Fi, GPS, Glonass, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and an infrared LED that can come in handy for controlling your television set and other infrared devices.

The S4 Mini will offer an LTE connectivity option while the entry-level version of the device will feature quad-band HSPA+ connectivity.

Along with Google Android 4.2.2. the Galaxy S4 Mini will also feature a slew of Samsung software options that includes Group Play, S Translator, Samsung Hub, ChatON, and S Voice. As you may recall from Samsung’s Broadway inspired release party, it is the devices software features that really stand out on the new smartphone.


With its smaller display and smaller overall size the Galaxy S4 Mini also pushes the battery size down from 2,600mAh to 1,900mAh.

Samsung says the new smartphone will be available in both White Frost and Black Mist casings. The company has not announced pricing or the release date for the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active – It’s Waterproof

Finally, after all the rumours circulating about the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, Samsung have confirmed that it will hit markets this summer. They have labelled it the new “rugged” version of their popular Galaxy S4 smartphone.

This new handset is aimed at those of you who love the great outdoors; so if you want to phone your mum whilst abseiling down a cliff or send a quick text when you’re white water rafting, this is the phone for you! Samsung have developed a sealed design which they promise will protect the S4 from water and dust particles. This new design protects the phone for up to 30 minutes in submerged water, at a depth of three feet. They also claim you will be able to take photos using the Active’s 8-mega-pixel camera, which has an “acqua mode”, improving picture quality and clarity underwater. The phone comes with a water-resistant ear jack, enabling you to listen to music whilst swimming.

The Active will run on Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). It comes with a 1.9GHz quad-core processor, a 5-inch 1080p screen and a 2,600mAh battery.

Some others feature of this phone include: Smart Pause- allowing you to control the screen with optical clues, Air View- lets you hover over content for previews, and Air Gesture- with this you can scroll web pages and take calls with a wave of the hand.


There will be three colours available, urban grey, dive blue and orange flare.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom – A Smartphone & Camera Rolled Into One

Samsung seems determined to produce niche Galaxy S4 variants, first the S4 Active and now, the Galaxy S4 Zoom.

It looks very similar to a Galaxy S4 Mini, but with a big camera lens plopped on the side. The camera has 16-megapixels and a 10x optical zoom. It also has a built-in optical stabilization, taking better photos in low light and helping prevent shakiness in videos. The Zoom sports a 16MP sensor, a xenon flash and a 24mm wide lens.

Under the hood of the Galaxy S4 Zoom, is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. It is built around a 4.3″ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels. Compared to the S4 Mini, it is notably thicker and heavier, but with a much larger camera module that was a bit obvious.


It has an internal memory of 8GB but you can increase this to 64GB by using the microSD card. As a smartphone you will be able to have connectivity via Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0LE and A-GPS. It supports 3G with HSPA and LTE connectivity.

There have been no announcements regarding pricing yet but the Galaxy S4 Zoom is expected to arrive in the US and UK by the end of this year.

Android 4.3 Now Available For Download – At Your Own Risk

Just how adventurous are you when it comes to “upgrading” to the latest OS – even if it’s still on beta? Last week, I was taken down a peg or two because I installed iOS 7 Beta 2 on my iPad. Contrary to my initial reaction – immediately roll back to iOS 6 – I still am on the iOS 7, but I learned enough not install this version on the iPhone 5. Now, if you’re an Android user, does it make a difference?

If you are an ultra early adopter, and if you’re NOT a developer, but you still like downloading early versions of operating systems, then you might want to give Android 4.3 a go. Oh, but you have to be using a Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505).

The early build of Android 4.3 was spotted by SAMMOBILE last week, and it looks like it is working pretty well.

Of course, early builds and unofficial releases always come with risks, and Android 4.3 is no exception. For one thing, downloading and installing this will require you to flash your ROM. Oh, and your warranty will be voided.

I can already see hardcore Apple users rolling their eyes, but then again, no fan boy or girl will be reading up to this point for sure.


In any case, while the topic of Android 4.3 was noticeably absent from this year’s I/O, this development is solid proof that we will be seeing the latest Android version available for public consumption soon enough.

Word(s) of caution from SAMMOBILE, which I strongly feel we should reiterate – we wouldn’t want you saying we didn’t warn you enough in case things go south:

• This is not flashable through Odin.
• This will void your warranty.
• Don’t attempt this if you don’t have the skills to flash a custom ROM.
• You are doing this on your own risk.

Good luck!

Sony Phones That Will Have Android 4.3

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is finally out of the bag, much to the delight of Android enthusiasts. In a press event held last July 24, Google unveiled the highly anticipated mobile operating system, and not too surprisingly, it also announced that the OS will be launched on the new Nexus 7. The new tablet will be thinner, with a hi-res screen (of course), and will cost about $230 – that depends where you get it, of course. Owners of existing Android devices will have the opportunity to update their gadgets to Android 4.3 over the air. These gadgets include the first-gen Nexus 7, the Nexus 4, the Nexus 10, and the Galaxy Nexus.

The good news is that other brands are also going for the Android 4.3, Sony included.

Sony might have had received a lot of criticism in the past, but it sure is not going anywhere – at least not if the big boys in that camp have anything to do with it. With the new Android OS being announced, it is interesting and heartening to hear that Sony is actually joining that bandwagon for sure.

Less than a day after the unveiling of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, Sony made an official announcement that some of their devices are going to run on the OS. These devices are as follows:

• Xperia Z
• Xperia ZL
• Xperia ZR
• Xperia Tablet Z
• Xperia SP
• Xperia Z Ultra

You’ll have to be a tad patient when it comes to other details such as the WHEN, but you can follow @SonyMobileNews for timely news regarding the topic.

In the meantime, if you own an Xperia ZR and/or an Xperia Tablet Z, you only have a couple of days – or maybe a little more; Sony says early August – to wait for Android 4.2 to be available for your device/s. Also, take note that software rollouts are dependent on the market and the carrier, so don’t be too disappointed if you have to wait longer than others.

Worlds Thinnest Smartphone: Vivo X3T

I have had a number of different smartphones over the past few years, some have felt like a brick in my pocket, others felt slim and lightweight, but nothing prepared me for the BBK Vivo X3T, at a extremely thin, almost wafer thin if you will, 5.75mm thick it has passed its Chinese certification for sale and is expected to launch as early as August 22! on the world’s largest carrier, China Mobile.

The specifications for this marvellous piece of kit are as follows:  5-inch FHD at 1080 x 1920 Resolution, MediaTek 1.5GHz Quad-Core Processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP Camera, 5MP FFC (Front Facing Camera), 143.27mm x 71.03mm x 5.75mm, weighing only 150 grams and running Android Jelly Bean 4.2


The war continues to drag on for who can build the slimmest smartphone, but at only 5.75mm, the BBK Vivo X3T is the hands down, winner for now.  Only the other day at 6.18mm, Huawei’s Ascend P6, was the thinnest ruling smartphone on the market. The next in line was the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra which comes in at 6.5mm.  We need to just remember though, with thinness, comes less room, coupled with that comes a smaller battery, which means, obviously, shorter battery cycles and increased recharges. There is no battery size specified, as yet on the BBK Vivo X3T, but Huawei’s Ascend P6 has only a 2000mAh battery, so we should be expecting that or even smaller in the Vivo X3T.

The amount of stories I have heard regarding a screen being broken, due to a person’s smartphone (Galaxy S3 comes to mind) being left in a pocket is unreal.  However, it doesn’t help the situation when manufacturers and developers make the devices even thinner, does it? I would be happy with a slightly bigger phone with a  larger battery to give increased battery life, not to mention a sturdier handset!  Small and think is great, but at what cost?

Sony Release The Xperia Z Ultra

Sony has announced the release of the Xperia Z Ultra, a waterproof Android smartphone with a 6.4-inch screen. They claim it is the slimmest large-screen handset on the market.

The company say they intend for this device to challenge Samsung’s dominance in the jumbo-sized handset sector.

                The Xperia Z Ultra is waterproof

The Ultra follows the previous Sony Xperia Z, which was unveiled in January. It will go on sale in China, Indonesia and Singapore in July and reach Europe in September.


Calum MacDougall, Xperia’s director has said that “Southeast Asia is the key market for the product because the trend towards large-screened smartphone devices is stronger there, but we also see the trend in Europe as well.”

“In the large-screen segment at the moment most consumers are looking at the Galaxy Note. Now we can offer something that is really distinct: a stronger screen, greater portability, waterproofing and something different around the stylus and the pen.”


The Xperia Z Ultra can accept sketches or notes written not just from the optional stylus, but also from a standard pencil or metal-tipped pen.

                                             You can use a plain old pencil for writing or
                                                                  sketching on the Xperia Z Ultra
It is only 6.5mm thick, making it it only slightly deeper than the Huawei’s Ascend P6, the thinnest device on the market.

Sony have done away with the flap over the headphone socket, which featured on the original Xperia Z, after there were complaints that it was fiddly to use.

The handset can be submerged in freshwater for up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5m, that’s deeper than its predecesor.

Some other features that the Xperia Z Ultra offer are:

• A 1080p resolution screen with in-built software to upgrade lower definition videos and photos
• 16 gigabytes of internal storage with support for 64GB microSD card
• An 8 megapixel rear camera
• A battery offering up to 11 hours talk time or 120 hours of audio playback – a figure which Sony claims is a record

Sony is not the only company trying to undermine Samsung’s lead in this market; Huawei, ZTE, Acer, Asus and Lenovo have all released devices, trying to compete for popularity. But with Samsung releasing their own Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Mega, have they already missed the boat?

Microsoft Planning Touch-Enabled Smartwatch?

You may already have a Windows phone or tablet, but what would you say about running your favorite applications on a highly wearable Windows device, such as a wristwatch? As the market for gadgets you can actually wear is expanding, Microsoft is reportedly looking to build a touch-enabled smartwatch.

The reports are yet unconfirmed, but it would make sense for the software giant to follow in the footsteps of its rivals which have announced similar plans. Apple, Samsung, LG and even Google are already working on developing such wearable gadgets.


Microsoft launched a similar smartwatch concept in 2004, but the project was discontinued.

Microsoft is rumored to have asked Asian suppliers to provide the necessary components for such a smartwatch earlier this year. The company is reportedly looking at using a 1.5 inch display for the device. However, it is yet unclear whether Microsoft will move ahead with the project. The company’s previous attempt to launch into the wearable gadgets market, by manufacturing a similar wristwatch device about ten years ago, resulted in failure when sales stopped in 2008.

Either way, there is a growing demand for wearable gadgets and one way or another, a smartwatch could actually be released on the market in the next couple of years, no matter who the manufacturer is. As smartphones are becoming bigger, people will be looking for smaller devices that have the same function but are more easy to carry around.

Smartwatches are however unlikely to function as independent computerized devices in the immediate future. They are more likely to be used in sync with smartphones and other devices instead of replacing them, at least at first.

A smartwatch from Microsoft could, for instance, allow you to connect wirelessly to your Windows devices and receive alerts about incoming emails, Twitter posts or phone calls, practically complementing the gadgets you are already using every day.  Additional features could be added, such as allowing you to send text messages and take pictures. This would make the smart wristwatch a very useful gadget to have, offering wearers higher accessibility and portability than the current handheld devices.