Nokia Amber update for WP8 Lumias coming in August

The Nokia Lumia 925 launched with a new and improved software and Nokia promised to make it available to its older WP8 phones in the summer with the so-called Amber update. Now we've got a more concrete time frame thanks to the Nokia Spain's Twitter account.

La actualización Amber para la gama Nokia Lumia con WP8 llegará en agosto dando la misma experiencia de usuario que el #Lumia925

— Nokia Spain (@NokiaSpain) June 28, 2013

The Amber update for Nokia Lumia range with WP8 arrive in August giving the same user experience as #Lumia925
Translated with Google Translate

The Amber update will bring the new Smart Camera lens for Lumia, which does post processing tricks like Action shot, Motion focus and object removal. Check out demos of those effects here.

There’s more - Amber will enable the FM radio receiver that has been lying dormant in Windows Phone 8 powered Lumia phones (except the 620) and the "double tap to wake" lockscreen with a clock (presumably only for AMOLED packing phones). Check out our preview of the Lumia 925 for more details on these features.

By the way, Twitter accounts aren't 100% reliable when it comes to such information, so we're still waiting for official confirmation.

Purported images of low-cost iPhone back cover emerge

Alleged photos of a back cover for an upcoming low-cost iPhone have made the rounds on the web. The images reveal a bright-green back shell, which falls in line with previous rumors about a cheaper iPhone, bound to offered in multiple colors.

There are no surprises on the alleged low-cost iPhone's back. The camera unit is accompanied by a single LED flash. A dedicated microphone appears to be tucked in between them. Naturally, an Apple logo and an iPhone sign complete the picture.

The source of the images is a micro-blogger, who's known for his connections with factory workers in China. The back cover on display has been allegedly photographed in a Foxconn facility.

Alleged press images of Sony Xperia i1 Honami leak out

After posing for live shots yesterday, the Sony Xperia Honami made yet another appearance. This time around, the yet to be revealed top-shelf smartphone showed up in alleged press images, reportedly taken from a Xperia i1 Honami system dump.

    

The press images show both what appears to be the international version of the smartphone, as well as one which is bound for NTT Docomo in Japan. The press renders of the former appear to be in line with the recently leaked live images of the device. Sadly, no images of the device's back are available at the moment.

There is no official launch date for the Sony Xperia Honami. Considering the intensifying leaks of the device however, we doubt it will be a long wait. Until then, use the usual pinch of salt when checking out the images.

Nokia sets up Trade-up program for your used phone in the US

Nokia, in partnership with Clover Wireless, has launched a trade in program for the US. The initiative allows you to give your old smartphone and receive a VISA prepaid card that you can use for purchasing a brand new Nokia Lumia smartphone.

Currently eligible for the discount are the Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925 and Lumia 928. You can submit any smartphone to see how much of a financial benefit it'd translate to when purchasing one of the aforementioned Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

The value of a submitted smartphone is determined by Clover Wireless, who has more than 20 years of experience in the resale market and it says it's analyzing the market constantly. The maximum balance you can receive in the VISA prepaid card is $300.

For example, based on its condition, an iPhone 4S is worth up to $250, $210 for a Samsung Galaxy S3 or $250 for an HTC One. After you've determined the cost of your phone using Nokia's specialized webpage (source link below) you send it in the mail with a proof of purchase of your new Nokia Lumia attached. And that's it.What do you think of Nokia's latest attempt at luring in customers in t

Apple Blocked in Attempt to Add Samsung's Galaxy S4 to Patent Lawsuit

Apple has been blocked in an attempt to add Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4 to an ongoing patent dispute it has in the USA.

If it had been able to add the smartphone to the case, and if the case was won by Apple, it would mark an unusual situation where an import ban in a patent dispute applied to a current device, rather than one that was already discontinued.

Adding another product to the case is a "tax on the court's resources," U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal wrote in the ruling. "Each time these parties appear in the courtroom, they consume considerable amounts of the court's time and energy, which takes time way from other parties who also require and are entitled to the court's attention."

Apple had tried to argue that it would have to otherwise file a separate case against Samung, and by the time that was heard, in all likelihood, the Galaxy S4 handset would have been superceded by a replacement model.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One with 'stock' Android now available in Play Store

When it rains, it pours - that certainly seems to be case with stock Android devices. The stock Android variants of HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are now are available in Google Play Store in the US.

Samsung had announced its Galaxy S4 smartphone in March 2013. The company is retailing the unlocked samsung galxy s4 with Nexus experience for $ $649 (approximately Rs. 39,000). The unlocked HTC One on the other hand is available in the Play Store for $599 (approximately Rs. 36,000). In contrast to the three capacitive buttons on other stock Android smartphones, the HTC One has just two buttons (Back and Home) and the HTC logo in the middle. In addition to this, on the stock version of HTC one you will have to bid goodbye to the Beats Audio software and the HTC camera app.

Both Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One with Nexus are SIM unlocked, which means they should work on GSM operators across the globe. However, as of now these smartphones are not available outside the US. It is expected that they will be available in other markets soon.

As per a news report by phandroid.com, both HTC One and Galaxy S4 are running kernels supplied by their respective device manufacturer and so they will not be getting the Android update directly from Google. The Nexus devices that Google offers - like the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 - are the first to get Android updates directly from the Internet search giant. This bit of information might be a bummer for consumers looking forward to Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One with 'stock' Android for quick updates.

Apple Unveils iOS 7

Completely Redesigned With Stunning User Interface & Great New Features

SAN FRANCISCO―June 10, 2013―Apple today unveiled iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface. iOS 7 is completely redesigned with subtle motion, an elegant color palette and distinct, functional layers that make it feel more alive. The typography has been refined for a cleaner, simpler look, and the use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.

Apple Awarded $30 Million iPad Deal From LA Unified School District

CUPERTINO, California―June 19, 2013―Apple today announced it received the Los Angeles School Board of Education’s approval to begin a massive roll out of iPad to its students across the school district starting this fall. The $30 million commitment for iPads is the first phase of a larger roll out for the country’s second-largest public school district. 
“Education is in Apple’s DNA and we’re thrilled to work with Los Angeles Unified public schools on this major initiative as they plan to roll out iPads to every student across 47 campuses this fall,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Schools around the world have embraced the engaging and interactive quality of iPad with nearly 10 million iPads already in schools today.”

Justin Timberlake, Thirty Seconds to Mars, More Fan Favourites to Headline iTunes Festival in London 31 May 2013

Apple has announced that global superstars including Justin Timberlake, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jack Johnson, and Jessie J are among the headliners at this year’s iTunes Festival in London. Running every night in September at the Roundhouse, the iTunes Festival features over 60 acts. Performances can be watched live or on-demand by millions of iOS users around the world on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, as well as by music fans with iTunes on their computer or in HD with Apple TV. “This year’s iTunes Festival is the best ever with an incredible lineup of global superstars and stellar emerging artists,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. Fans can win tickets to the iTunes Festival through competitions run by local media partners

BlackBerry loses $84M despite increased shipments, revenues

BlackBerry reported the financial results for the quarter that ends June 1 and there's some good news and some bad news. The company saw an uptick the two previous quarters, but this quarter ended with an operating loss of $84 million.

On the positive side, revenue was up to $3.1 billion, 15% higher than the previous quarter and 9% more than the year ago quarter. Shipments were up too – BlackBerry shipped 6.8 million devices, up from 6 million in the previous quarter.
The report doesn’t tell how many BlackBerry Z10s were shipped, the previous quarter it was 1 million). The Z10 was the sole shipping BlackBerry 10 product, but this quarter it was joined by the more affordable, QWERTY-equipped Q10. The lower-end Q5 launched at the beginning of the next quarter in the shifted fiscal year of the Canadian company. As for BlackBerry's sole tablet, the PlayBook, it shipped 100,000 units.

BlackBerry reports increased revenue from North America (30%), APAC (35%) and EMEA (9%), but Latin American revenue dropped by 6% (BB is blaming Venezuela's foreign currency restrictions).

At the end of the quarter BlackBerry's cash, equivalents, short and long-term investments totaled $3.1 billion, up from $2.9 billion at the end of the quarter before that.

BlackBerry expects to continue losing money over the next quarter too, but the company will continue its cost cutting efforts and focus on the BlackBerry 10 OS, Enterprise Service 10 and BlackBerry Messenger.

Update: Uh-oh. Investors didn't react kindly to BlackBerry's financial report and the company's stocktook a massive beating - it's down over 26% at the time of writing.

Android 4.3 spotted on Galaxy S4, screenshots inside

Leaked screenshots show Android 4.3, dubbed Jelly Bean, running on a Snapdragon-powered (I9505)Samsung Galaxy S4. The firmware was allegedly intended for the Google Edition Galaxy S4 (I9505G) and sports the build number JWR66N.S005.130625.

Just by looking at the screenshots we can't identify anything truly new, except for the camera UI, which is already present on the HTC One and Galaxy S4 Google Editions, and the fact that the release seemsto retain the Jelly Bean name, instead of going for Key Lime PieAccording to another report from WSJ, Google is feverishly working on finishing up Android 4.3 and releasing it and is planning on dropping Android Key Lime Pie (perhaps version 5.0) on the scene this fall. According to sources the next Android iteration (KLP, not JB) will be "better tailored to the lower-cost smartphones".

Reportedly Google is even developing low-cost devices on its own, without OEM branding.

And while we're talking rumors WSJ learned from unknown sources that Google is developing a smartwatch device and gaming console, both revolving around the Android platform. Seeing how much traction the OUYA console gained and that smart wristwatches are all over the news lately, we would hardly be surprised if Google wants to join the bandwagon. There's also talk of an upcoming second generation Nexus Q home entertainment device.

However there are a lot of ifs and buts, and uncertainties in the information so you should take it with a pinch of salt.

Nokia Asha 501 preview: First look

Introduction

With a refreshed design and software, the candy-colored Nokia Asha 501 turns a new page for the Finnish feature-phone lineup. Low-end Android smartphones continue to be the main target but, for the first time the Ashas, which Nokia has always insisted on calling smart, are walking the walk.

No more of the cheap gloss of the older generations, the hardware call keys are gone too - the styling is simple but finally looks relevant and up-to-date. Touchscreen is in charge and the single Back key under the display is a major feature of the new look and feel - even if it plays a very small part in the actual navigation.

 The Nokia Asha 501 is premiering the Asha platform 1.0 - the redesigned interface is heavily swipe-driven - a trend that goes back to the previous Asha generation, but with the right bit of polish and fluency

Updated stock Android camera app ripped, ready for download

The two Google Edition phones – Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One – went on sale yesterday via the US Play Store and they run Android 4.2.2. However, both have a new camera app, boot animation and wallpaper that do not match what's in current stock Android. Those have been ripped out of those phones, so you can install and enjoy them too.

The new camera features new on-screen settings - the circular menu has given way to an arc. Also, you can use the volume rocker as a shutter key. The rest seems to be the same, including the Photo Sphere function.

   
Screenshots of the new camera on HTC One and Galaxy S4 Google Edition

You can grab the new Camera app from here – note that on Nexus devices it replaces the Camera and Gallery apps, while on non-Nexus devices it installs them alongside your current apps. Note that some users report the Photo Sphere functionality is missing.

The Google Editions of Galaxy S4 and HTC One also came with a brand new boot animation and live wallpaper. You can grab those from here (the boot animation is available in 720p and 1080p).

First alleged image of the Sony Xperia Honami leaks

Sony's event a couple of days ago brought us the Xperia Z Ultra, but still left only one major phone in the rumor mill – the Sony Xperia i1 Homani. This could be the first image of the device – the OmniBalance design gives away its Xperia Z family allegiance, but the camera positioning doesn’t match any of the official models.

The photo allegedly shows the Honami next to the new Xperia Z Ultra and the Xperia ZQ (Brazil's ZL version).

The rumors are that Sony is trying to revive its camera phone business with the Honami, putting in alarge 1/1.6" sensor with an impressive 20MP resolution. To be honest the smartphone looks a bit too slim to be able to host such a large sensor, but only time will tell. The Techtudo team who leaked the photos claims they have verified the 20MP resolution, but could not download any photos to publish.

The camera on the Xperia Honami may borrow the BIONZ image processing tech Sony puts on its Alpha DSLRs.

The Honami appears bigger than the ZQ, so it should be about the same size as the Xperia Z, supporting the rumors of a 5" display. It was reportedly not a finalized device, but it ran Android 4.2 without glitches on a Snapdragon 800 chipset.

The back is made of glass as on the Xperia Z and Z Ultra and there are microSIM and microSD card slots on the sides of the device.

Keep in mind those are unverified rumors and we cannot confirm their authenticity or that of the photo. We can't even confirm that the device in question is the Honami – a big 20MP sensor with a single-LED flash seems an odd combo.

HTC One in Glamour Red hits UK in the coming month

HTC today officially showed the world a new Glamour Red version of its One flagship smartphone. This brings the number of available HTC One color options to three - grey, black and red, with a blue onereportedly in the works.

The HTC One Glamor Red is going to be available in the UK initially, and is expected to make a broader European debut later on. UK retailer Phones 4u will be offering the smartphone exclusively from mid-July. Unsubsidized pricing is expected to float around the £500 mark, so get your wallets ready. The UK retailer also offers the device with a 2-year contract from £33.

One of the HTC One's main rivals, the Samsung Galaxy S4, is also offered in blue and red colors, but we really think the colorful versions look better on the One's aluminum body.

Google Editions HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 go on sale

As originally promised, the Google Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One have gone on sale today. Both top-shelf smartphones, running stock Android can be ordered from the Google Play Store in the United States.

The Pure Google Samsung Galaxy S4 is priced at $649. HTC One on the other hand, is slightly cheaper at $599. Both devices are offered with free delivery. The scheduled shipping date for either of the two devices is on or before July 9.

The stock Android editions of the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are bound to attract their fair share of Google purists, who aren't keen on living with some of the limitations the Nexus 4 has. Considering the difference in the pricing however, it is fair to think that the sales of the Nexus 4 are not likely to take a hit.

Mystery Motorola device leaks in photo, is it the X phone?

The Motorola X phone has been circulating the rumor swirls ever since we first heard of its equally mysterious name. And now that it's alleged unveiling draws even closer, we stumble across an image of what could possibly be it.

The image was sent in to PhoneArena and according to their sources this is a Motorola XT1056 caught while in testing for Sprint USA's 4G LTE network. The device was described as either having a 4.5" or 4.6" display, or around that size.

Possibly the Motorola X phone (click for larger image)

We've heard speculations that the Motorola X phone will be a 720p-packing device with an OLED on the front, powered by a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon CPU with 2 gigs of RAM alongside 16 GB of inbuilt storage.

The device in the above image is clearly running Android Jelly Bean (probably 4.2.2) and flaunts truly thin bezels on each side of the screen. There's some kind of sign covered up the right side above the display, but there's no way of knowing what it is or if it's relevant.

WP8 Samsung ATIV S Neo and HTC 8XT for Sprint announced

Two new Windows Phone 8 offerings will be making their way stateside on Sprint's 4G LTE network this summer.

The first is the HTC 8XT, toting a 4.3-inch display of WVGA resolution as well as a Snapdragon 400 chipset with a 1.4 GHz dual-core Krait CPU. The RAM is 1GB, while internal memory is only 8 GB but can be expanded by up to 64GB thanks to the microSD card slot. The HTC 8XT will draw its juice from a 1800 mAh battery.

Samsung's ATIV S Neo, like the regular ATIV S, will offer a larger 4.8-inch display of 720p resolution (we're not sure if it'll be of the AMOLED variety, however), a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and a 2000 mAh battery. There's also mention of the ATIV S's NFC connectivity and 1.9 MP front-facing camera.

Sprint is keeping mum on a more specific release date, saying only "this summer," but on contract pricing has been listed at $99 for the HTC 8XT (after $50 rebate), and $149 for the Samsung ATIV S Neo (after $50 rebate).

Snapdragon 800 Samsung Galaxy S4 benchmarked, scores inside

The Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A went official this morning in South Korea, promising double the download and upload speeds compared to the regular LTE edition. Moreover, the Galaxy S4 LTE-A with its Snapdragon 800 promises to be significantly quicker than the company's own eight-core Exynos 5 Octa chip. But how much faster exactly?

Thankfully, we've got the answer as the Snapdragon 800 in the Galaxy S4 LTE-A has just been put through two of the most famous benchmarks around: Quadrant and AnTuTu.

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean for Sony Xperia ion now available

Great news, Sony Xperia ion owners. Sony is finally seeding the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean updates for the AT&T-bound Xperia ion LTE and the international Xperia ion HSPA.

The Sony Xperia ion was announced way back at CES in January 2012. It launched in June 2012 running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with a promise of Ice Cream Sandwich treatment soon after the official launch. Well, the ICS did happen but it took Sony four months to release it. Then came the Jelly Bean promise.

The official Jelly Bean update was scheduled and postponed a few times, but the wait is finally over. The 4.1.2 updates are seeding right now and all the Xperia ion should get the notification soon.

As usual with this kind of updates, the rollout is gradual and it may take a few days before the Jelly Bean ROM reaches your device. You should check both the OTA service and the Sony PC Companion tool.

WP8 Huawei Ascend W2 shows its face ahead of announcement

We first saw the Huawei Ascend W2 for the in May. Later we got some pictures of the Ascend W2 in red and yellow paintjobs. We also knew some of the specs including a rumored price tag of below $300.

Today the Huawei Ascend W2 was showcased at an official event in China. The W2 packs a 4.3-inch WVGA display and runs on the Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon S4 Plus chipset with a dual-core 1.4GHz Krait processor, Adreno 305 graphics and 512MB of RAM.The rest of the specs include an 8MP camera, 8GB of internal expandable via a microSD card slot, and a 1700mAh battery. The Ascend W2 spreads at 134 x 66.7 x 9.9 mm and will be available in blue, red and yellow flavors.

evleaks: Nokia EOS to be officially named Lumia 1020

The Nokia EOS, the company's upcoming Windows Phone-running cameraphone flagship is going to be called the Lumia 1020, according to evleaks. More often than not, the famous Twitter user is right in its predictions, so there's good reason we trust the latest Tweet, stating just "EOS = Nokia Lumia 1020".

While it was believed for a while that Nokia may come up with a brand new name for its camera-centric Windows Phone 8 smartphone, something in the lines of "EOS", it seems the Finns have decided to stick to their familiar naming scheme. Considering the series of leaks we've had of the smartphone and its resemblance to the Lumia 920, it's logical for the company to go a step further and give the EOS an official name - the Lumia 1020.

Nokia has confirmed in its latest teaser image that the Nokia EOS Lumia 1020 is going to pack a 41MP camera. The rest of the details will be unveiled on July 11, when Nokia is holding its special event for the device. We'll naturally be covering the event live for you, so make sure you stick around when the time comes.

Snapdragon 800-rocking Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A gets unboxed

A full unboxing of the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor has appeared online, further solidifying that the company is almost ready to launch the device in Korea on SK Telecom's LTE-Advanced network.

The device, carrying the model number SHV-E330S, will be offered by the carrier in the coming weeks in at least two colors - Blue Arctic and Red Aurora.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8 to come in Plum Purple

Word is that the latest bigscreen phablet offerings from Samsung will be getting a new color scheme - Plum Purple. While no official image has surfaced, the following renders should give you some idea of what to expect.The colors are expected to become available in week 28-30 of this year, which is 2-4 away now.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 features a 6.3-inch display of 720p resolution, with dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait CPU, 8/16 GB of internal storage, and 1.5 GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of box, and also has 8 MP shooter capable of 1080p video recording. Check out our full review here.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 has a qHD display, 8 GB of storage and 1.5 GB of RAM. It's got a dual-core 1.4 GHz Broadcom chipset, and the same 8 MP camera capable of 1080p video. It's also powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and you can find out more about the Mega 5.8 here.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra goes official: a 6.4" Snapdragon 800 monster

Sony has just made its Xperia Z Ultra phablet official. Previously known by its codename Togari, the device features a 6.4" monstrous screen and a Snapdragon 800 chipset, which is the fastest ARM chip put in a smartphone to date.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra Triluminous screen has 1080p resolution, giving it a nicely sounding 344ppi pixel density. It uses Sony's OptiContrast and X-Reality tech, which it's the successor of the Mobile BRAVIA tech. Sony is boasting that the 6.4" display gives users 60% more surface to work with compared to other phones (5" phones presumably).You can use a regular pencil or pen as a stylus as well as a capacitive stylus.

There's a powerful Adreno 330 GPU to push all the pixels to the screen too, a part of the new Snapdragon 800 chipset, which also packs a quad-core Krait 400 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. That makes the Sony Xperia Z Ultra the first device to go official with the 800 chipset and it will surely be quite the benchmark champion when it comes up.

The new chipset runs Android 4.2.2 with a revamped Sony software to make good use of both the extra available power and screen real estate.

Sony announces Xperia SP M35t and Xperia C S39h for China

Just announced in Shanghai alongside the Xperia Z Ultra is the Xperia SP M35t, a TD-LTE-enabled variant of the Xperia SP for the Chinese market, and the Xperia C S39h, a dual-SIM qHD 5-incher, which is also Sony's first mobile powered by a quad-core MediaTek SoC.

The Somy Xperia SP M35t will be the same as the original, save for the TD-LTE antenna which lets it work with China Mobile's 4G network. It'll have the same 4.6-inch 720p display and customizable transparent LED strip which stretches at the bottom of the device, alongside a dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait on a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and an 8 MP camera.The Sony Xperia C S39h will be a China Unicom exclusive and features a 5-inch display of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels), a quad-core 1.2 GHz MediaTek processor, and an 8 MP camera with Exmor R sensor. It'll come with dual-SIM support, and will be available in White, Black and Purple on release.

Apple iOS 7 review: Evening the odds

Introduction

The last couple of iOS updates were hanging on the wrong side between too little and too late. The user interface is six years old now and while it has been repeatedly polished in every revision so far, it was decidedly starting to look stale. And it's not just a matter of visuals either. iOS 5 brought little to nothing in terms of new features and some would even argue that iOS 6 was actually a step back. It seems though that Apple has found inspiration again and is ready to take the game to the opposition.

The UI that launched on the original iPhone way back in June 2007 has finally been put to rest. Android has stepped up in big strides since Gingerbread to dominate the smartphone game. Meanwhile, Windows Phone keeps bringing new features, and even the conservative BlackBerry broke with the old ways and completely redesigned its platform. It was about time Apple did something different with the iOS.

The iOS 7 is among the largest upgrades the OS has ever been given - not quite the game changer that the iPhone OS 2 and the App Store were, but it certainly took a lot of effort. It not only brings some key new features and a few cool system apps, but it also completely overhauls the user interface and tweaks the right things under the hood.

Key features

Huawei Ascend Mate review: Gentle giant

Introduction

Huawei are making sure they're taken seriously as a phone maker. They're actually well past the newcomer stage and, with a market the size of China behind them, Huawei's appetite will only be growing bigger to compete with the establishment.

Huawei didn't start with a bang, there was - inevitably - a stage of copying and imitation, but we found some of its phones to be quite good - reasonably priced alternatives of existing devices by major manufacturers, and not without some nice custom touches either.

   
Huawei Ascend Mate official pictures

While the Chinese have proved to be fast learners in smartphones, the Ascend Mate is perhaps a throwback to their early days of mixing and matching. The Mate is the Chinese take on the Samsung Galaxy Notes - low-cost but quite up to date in terms of equipment, for a midrange phablet that is.

And by the way, they might just be doing things right. Samsung's Mega 6.3 is probably in equal measures an attempt to make the Note experience available to the masses and a response to genuinely affordable, and seemingly quite competitive, products like the Huawei Ascend Mate

Android 4.2.2 JB update for Sony Xperia ZL now seeding

Sony promised to release Android 4.2.2 updates for the Xperia Z and Xperia ZLsoon after their launch. And even though the Xperia ZL hit the shelves a few weeks later than the Xperia Z, it is the first one to taste the latest 4.2.2 version of Jelly Bean.

Currently the Android 4.2.2 update is available for the Sony Xperia ZL C6503 (LTE) model across Europe. You can have it both through Sony PC Companion and over-the-air. We expect the other Xperia ZL flavors and more countries to join the roll out in the next couple of weeks.

Since Sony Xperia ZL and Xperia Z are practically identical, save for the different shells, we guess the update for the water-proof Xperia Z should be just around the corner.

Oppo confirms Find 7, though not for September, denies Find 5 Min

After the Oppo Find 5 came around and convinced us that the Chinese manufacturer is perfectly capable of standing up to the big names in business, we've been keeping a close eye on the company's new projects. Recently we've heard about Find 5 mini and Find 7 coming up, and as luck would have it we were just contacted by an Oppo representative, who wanted to clear out a few things about them.

The bad news is the Find 5 Mini version isn't coming at all and the rumors about it are unfounded.Here is the official quote:

One article mentioned the possible release of a Find 5 Mini. Unfortunately, there are no plans to release any Find 5 Minis.

The good news is the rep officially confirmed Oppo is indeed working on a Find 5 successor called Find 7. The device is still in very early stage of development though and won't launch this September as some reports suggested.

AT&T is now shipping the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

AT&T holds the exclusivity on the dust and water resistant Samsung Galaxy S4 Active for the United States. The phone was unveiled earlier this month and its worldwide availability will start with the US and Sweden.

AT&T has been taking pre-orders since June 14 with a promised shipping date June 21. As it turns out though AT&T started shipping the Galaxy S4 Active yesterday, which is two days ahead of schedule, and many users are already using the tough smartphone.

AT&T website is still taking pre-orders though it now says those will be fulfilled on June 19.

Other markets will launch the Galaxy S4 Active later this summer.

Nokia Lumia 928 price slashed to $29.99 on Amazon

Nokia Lumia 928 is a Verizon-exclusive version of the popular Lumia 920 that upgrades the camera department with an additional xenon flash.

The Nokia Lumia 928 was launched in May when it was priced at $99 with a new two-year contract. Now, that the Nokia EOS premiere is getting closer, the Nokia Lumia 928 has just got its first price cut.

Amazon is now offering Nokia Lumia 928 for just $29.99 with a two-year Verizon contract. The contract-free price is still $499.99, though. There is no information on whether this is a limited time offer or a permanent price decrease.

Another leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy Note III surfaces

The Samsung Galaxy Note III has leaked several times already, first showing off a 5.9-inch display with a rounded corner unibody typical of Samsung's design strategy, then sporting a more straight-edged prototype look, and now with a 6-inch display with ultra-narrow bezels that supposedly result in 84% screen-to-footprint ratio.

Not much else in the way of specs information accompanied the leak, but a thinner bezel may be just what the doctor ordered to make the next generation of the popular Note phablet more appealing

Nokia will stop shipping Symbian phones this summer

Nokia will stop shipping Symbian smartphones this summer, thus leaving the revered 808 PureView as its last developed product on the "burning platform." Going forward, the only smartphones manufactured by the Finnish giant will boot Microsoft's Windows Phone OS.
Nokia pointed long development of Symbian devices as one of the reasons to halt their production. According to the manufacturer it takes 22 months to bring a Symbian product to the market, compared to less than a year for a Windows Phone handset.

Of course, there is also the matter of the number of units sold. Nokia moved only 500,000 Symbian smartphones in Q1 this year - significantly less than the 5.6 million Lumia devices sold during the same period.

HTC One Mini gets caught posing for the camera once again

The HTC One Mini has made yet another appearance in front of the camera. This time around, the upcoming mid-range offering got caught next to its bigger brother in a matching color.

The fresh batch of rumored specs for the HTC One Mini fall right in line with previous reports. The upcoming smartphone is said to feature a 4.3" display (likely a 720p unit), and a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU (a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 is widely expected). The camera is tipped to be capable of capturing Zoe share and 1080p videos, though no further details were given this time around. The OS on the leaked device is Sense-d Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

The HTC One Mini will feature the gorgeous aluminum body of its flagship sibling. The Mini however will have a plastic ring around it, as seen in the image above, and no IR remote.

The HTC One Mini is expected to go official at some point in Q3 this year. Given how little is left to our imagination this far, we doubt it will be a long wait.

EXCLUSIVE: Huawei Ascend P6 full specs leak via internal doc

The Huawei Ascend P6, although still listed as rumored in our database, is all but officially announced after its latest specs leak. With last month's official render and not-so-official pricing of the device, followed by leaked benchmark results and live photos, we'd almost expect to be able to walk into a store and see it on shelves, even though Huawei's "mysterious" launch event is still a week away.

The latest leak involves internal documents, which were sent to us by one of our readers who chose to remain anonymous for obvious reasons. While we can't share the actual documents with you, we can reveal their contents, which give us the full nitty-gritty on the device.

We got to learn that the Ascend P6 will be powered by a 2000 mAh Li-Po 2000 battery and will have a 5MP front-facing camera capable of 720p video recording. The Bluetooth specification turned out to be v3.0 rather than v4.0, and the wireless 802.11a standard isn't supported, which probably points to the lack of dual-band Wi-Fi.

There's also confirmation of a temperature sensor and the exact measurements, which come in at 132.7 x 65.5 x 6.5mm, with a weight of 120g.

The detailed specs sheet also proves that many of the previous rumors were correct - the smartphone will be powered by a a quad-core 1.5 GHz K3V2+ Huawei chipset with 1.5GHz quad-core CPU and an Intel XMM6260 modem. The Huawei Ascend P6 will also offer 8MP camera capable of 1080p video recording, 8GB of expandable internal storage with 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 16M color screen of 720p resolution - all running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

You can check the complete specs sheet in our Huawei Ascend P6 specs page. Just don't forget to check back with us on June 18th for the official launch, so we can see what else Huawei may have up its sleeve.