Alleged specifications of the successor of Nokia Lumia 1320 made the rounds online. The previously leaked, upcoming mid-range phablet will likely debut during MWC 2015 in Barcelona as Microsoft Lumia 1330. Sporting the model number RM-1062, the upcoming device is tipped to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, 1GB of RAM, and 5.7" 720p display, and 32GB of onboard storage. The device's main camera is said to be a 14MP PureView unit, coupled with a 5MP front-facing snapper. Microsoft Lumia 1330 may launch with Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2. We will be keeping an eye out for more news about the device going forward. Source...

Live photos and specifications of an upcoming Huawei Ascend GX1 phablet made the rounds on the web. The specs were revealed from a visit to TENAA in China by the device. The budget-friendly Ascend GX1 packs 1.4GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of expandable memory. A 6" 720p display, 8MP main camera, 2MP front-facing unit, 3,500mAH battery, and Android 4.4.2 are also part of the specs. Physical measures of the phablet are 161 × 84.5 × 9.55mm. Cellular connectivity options include GSM, CDMA 1X, CDMA2000, LTE FDD, and TD-LTE. Leaked live photos of the device also showed up, showcasing it alongside Huawei Ascend Mate7. The newcomer will unsurprisingly sit below the metal-clad flagship in the Chinese company's product range. A Chinese retailer listing shows that Huawei Ascend GX1 costs ¥1590 (about $256). We are yet to receive an official word from Huawei about the phablet. Source 1 | Source 2 | Source...

You'd think that tech companies are busy marketing their existing products for a final holiday buying spree, but it turns out some defining moments in mobile history happened around this time of year. This edition of Counterclockwise recounts several of these occasions - the gossipy birth of the Nexus line, jumping to a next-generation cellular tech and bringing high-quality video to people's pockets. Nexus of power Google started Android as a software platform, but before 2009 had come to an end there were strong suggestions that Google will turn to hardware and produce its own phone. Not a simple developer version like the ones the search giant gave its employees and attendees to Google I/O. Instead it would be a proper, Google-branded phone. The new phone - to be named Google Nexus One - would come with a new business model too. It was to be sold with no subsidies (uncommon in the US at the time) and it will be sold from Google and select retailers. Android 2.1 runs on Nexus One, shows off some new features The phone was to be pretty impressive too, with a 3.7" AMOLED display, a Snapdragon chipset with 1GHz processor and a 5MP camera. Better yet, it came with Android 2.1 with Google-customized software, instead of the usual HTC skin (the Nexus One was based on the HTC Desire). Two years later, with the phone market secure, then CEO Eric Schmidt let it slip that Google will be launching a Nexus tablet within six months. One was badly needed - while Android phones were going strong against the iPhone, Android tablets were simply no match for the iPad. The one that came close was Amazon's Kindle Fire and that ran a completely de-Googled Android. It was speculated that Google will partner with Motorola, which made the Xoom, the first Android 3.0 Honeycomb device (and one of very few). In the end Asus got the gig and produced the Nexus 7, which was unveiled at Google I/O in June 2012 along with a new brand of Android, Jelly Bean. Fast gets faster with LTE The first generation mobile phone networks are buried deep in history and nostalgia for car phones, but it was the second generation, colloquially known as 2G, when "cell phones" really exploded in popularity. It was mainly voice and text oriented though with tech like CSD and GPRS used for data on the go. That was slow however - you could send email and fax, browse WAP sites too. Then came 3G, which brought home Internet speeds to the mobile phone. Before Christmas 2009 Scandinavian carrier TeliaSonera launched the first 4G LTE network, promising unheard of speeds up to 100Mbps, more than double what the fastest 3G could do at the time. There weren't any phones that support the new tech yet, but you could buy a USB stick and use it on your laptop. With CES and MWC just a couple of months away, the new 4G-capable phones were sure to arrive quickly. Back in 2009 getting a 3G signal was no small feat and LTE sounded futuristic. Not to be left out, carriers started branding their upgraded 3G HSPA networks as "4G" for marketing reasons, which caused a lot of confusion later on about what "4G" really means. To be fair, LTE wasn't officially a 4G standard, it was LTE-Advanced (150Mbps) that should have been the first, but again marketing pressure moved labels around. 5G is some way away, but we're already getting phones that support 300Mbps LTE, so there's no rush. The biggest issue is data caps - these days you can blow through your data allowance in literally minutes or rack up staggering charges. The future is bright, the future is 1080p Video killed the radio star, then DVD did VHS in. TV manufacturers needed a new sales pitch and so High Definition was born. It had two levels - "HD" or 720p and "FullHD" or 1080p. The latter created a video with 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution, just over 2MP. Not too long ago 2MP was considered good for digital photos, to do it at 30 frames per second required a lot of processing power that was hard to fit into a battery-powered, pocketable form factor. The first phone to do it was unveiled in mid-December 2010, was the LG Optimus 2X. LG Optimus 2X official photos It was powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset, making it the first phone with a dual-core application processor to hit the market. There were "dual-core phones" before, but that was manufacturing...

BlackBerry's reputation in the mobile world lays on two pillars - data security and refusal to blindly follow design trends. That's why the Canadian company seemed like the most obvious partner choice for Boeing when the aircraft manufacturer decided to build a smartphone of its own. BlackBerry's CEO spoke to Reuters, confirming that the two companies have started the development of the Boeing Black phone. Featuring call encryption, the Android-based smartphone is aimed at government agencies and other types of business where data protection is crucial. And while call encryption isn't anything new or that hard to come by the other security feature of the Boeing Black phone is far more interesting. Apparently, the Black phone will be able to self-destruct if tampered with, which should provide further security for sensitive data if the phone is lost or stolen. No specifics were given on how the whole self-destructing thing will work or how dangerous it will be for the current holder. All we know is that the phone will feature dual SIM slots and that it will be powered by Android, while also utilizing the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 12. It's already being offered by Boeing to its partners though, so its production start shouldn't be too far...

The first Tizen-based smartphone - Samsung Z - was abruptly cancelled after all Tizen partners backed off the project. Samsung then decided to continue developing Tizen, but instead of targeting high-end devices, as the Samsung Z was supposed to be, it will now be intended for entry level handsets. Samsung was supposed to launch its first affordable smartphone - Samsung Z1 - just a few days ago, but that turned out to be just another missed deadline. As it turns out, Samsung now targets January 18 next year for the official premiere of Samsung Z1. The first country to get it will be India and it should cost about $90. Samsung Z1 rumored specs include a 4" WVGA display, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, half a gig RAM, a 3MP snapper and a mid-range connectivity package including 3G support and Wi-Fi. Today we also got a glimpse of the Samsung Z1 from a leaked presentation slide. And here are two screenshots from the latest version of Tizen OS - one of the homescreen and one of the phonebook. Tizen OS According to the report claiming Samsung Z1 is coming on January 18 in India, its availability should be expanded in February over China and later it will hit its homeland - South Korea. Thank you, our anonymous tipster, for the images! Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 |...

With the CES expo closing in, various companies have begun releasing teasers about their devices scheduled to be unveiled in Las Vegas in two weeks. Sony has already issued a cryptic teaser and now Asus has published a rather interesting video. The 10s video teaser hints of a new Zenfone with dual camera setup over the back. The message says "see what others can't see". It's unclear if those two camera will be used to take 3D pictures, or for better focus and post processing effect, just like in the HTC One (M8). The CES show kicks off January 6 in Las Vegas, so we'll know more very soon. Thank you, Arjunsinh Jadeja, for the...

Screenshots and videos of HTC One (M8) running Android 5.0.1 with Sense 6.0 made the rounds online. This time, the device boots software number 4.1 as opposed to 4.0 from a past leak. Unsurprisingly, the Sense-d Android 5.0 on the HTC One (M8) looks fresh yet familiar. The Recents view is almost stock Android-like, while the Notification area and the Quick Settings are, in terms of design, a fusion between the language seen in Google's Lollipop and HTC Sense. The new OS version should arrive on the Taiwanese company's flagship smartphone in the near future. HTC promised to update the One (M8) to Android 5.0 by February 2, 2015. Source...

The Chinese smartphone and tablet manufacturer Xiaomi is now valued at over $45 billion. The latest estimate tops the $40 billion valuation, which the company received in early November. Xiaomi raised over $1 billion in the latest round of funding. Participants in it included All-Stars Investment, the Russian firm DST Global, and the Singapore sovereign-wealth fund GIC. The last two companies are already shareholders of Xiaomi. Xiaomi has quickly established itself as an industry heavyweight. A recent report puts the company as the third largest smartphone manufacturer globally. The company has ambitious plans for the future. Recently, Xiaomi's CEO said that he wants the company to be the world's No.1 manufacturer within 10 years. Source...

After launching the Android One brand in India earlier this year, Google is now expanding the devices to other south Asian markets, namely, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The same three devices will be available in these markets for now - Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, and Spice Dream UNO. Except for Bangladesh, which along with these three phones will also be getting the Symphony Roar A50 from local brand Symphony. Google will be expanding to more markets with more devices in 2015. Source •...

After Motorola's initial launch of the Moto X(2014) in India, back in September users were left to wonder as to if and when the 32GB version would be available, along with the wood and leather back covers variants. The larger storage model is now exclusively available through Flipkart for INR 32,999 ($520) in Black and Royal Blue colors. The two aforementioned back cover variants can also be found on the website. In accordance with the new launch, the 16GB Moto X 2014 has received a price cut and will now set you back INR 29,999 ($475). Eager buyers will be also pleased to know that Flipkart also offers an additional discount of up to INR 6000 towards the purchase of any Moto X 2014, 16GB or 32GB in exchange for an old smartphone, but some restrictions do apply. So if you are in the market for a new Moto device, be sure to consider the more spacious variant of this flagship device, you can read our opinion of the Moto X 2014 in the review. Source |...

Update: Turns out that the phone is nothing more than a concept device. Move along people, nothing to see here. Following the announcement of the Nokia N1, the company's first Android tablet after the Microsoft deal, now we hear the Finns are working on a phone running Google's mobile OS. The phone is dubbed simply C1 and an alleged product shot of it popped up. Alongside it, there's also a rumored spec sheet, which includes an Intel-made chipset with 2GB RAM. The Nokia C1 would sport a 5" display, probably of 720p resolution, and have 32GB of storage. At the back, there is believed to be an 8MP camera joined by a 5MP one at the front. The Nokia C1 will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop garnished with Nokia's Z Launcher, just like the N1 tablet. It will be manufactured by Foxconn, since Nokia is prohibited from manufacturing devices until 2016 as per its acquisition contract with Microsoft. There's no information regarding availability just yet. We suspect Nokia will announce the phone in the first quarter of 2015, but we're yet to see and hear more about the C1. Source |...

Just over a week after unveiling it, Xolo has launched the Q900s Plus, a successor to the Q900s, which was released back in July this year. It comes in black color, and is now available for purchase on Infibeam for 7,999 INR ($126). Specification-wise, the device sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (MSM 8212) chipset with 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 302 GPU, 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone has 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory (which can be expanded by up to 32 GB via microSD card), and a 1,800 mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and sports a 4.7-inch HD display. The Q900s Plus is listed on the company's website with a price tag of 8,299 INR ($133). Source |...

Oppo will be releasing two new additions to its R smartphone lineup. The devices look promising enough on paper and they just appeared on the TENAA website, which means official announcement isn't far away. The two handsets dubbed, at least for now, R8200 and R8205 are almost identical with one small, but significant difference. Both phones boast 4G LTE support and a glossy back-plate in blue or white with curved edges, resembling the design of the Oppo R1. The only major difference is that the R8205 will support CDMA networks. Other than that the two smartphones are practically identical with a 5-inch capacitive TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Both are powered by an octa-core Cortex A7 CPU, clocked at 1.5GHz and have 16GB of onboard storage and 2GB of RAM, which is always good to see in mid-ranged devices. Physical specs include a 130 gram body, measuring in at 140.6x70.1x6.85 mm and a single SIM card slot. Each of the two models will have a dual camera setup - 13MP main camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording and a 5MP front-facing shooter. The list of features goes on with various connectivity options: 4G, 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth v4.0, as well as a few standard sensors: G-Sensor, Gravity sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor. There is currently no information pertaining to pricing or release dates, but given that the devices have already passed standardization it shouldn't be too long before the two siblings hit consumer markets. Source 1 | Source 2 |...

A couple of spy shots of an upcoming Huawei smartphone have appeared. They're believed to portray the upcoming Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Plus, which the company is preparing to be the successor of the Ascend Mate 7. There aren't that many visual differences between the phones. The Ascend Mate 7 Plus comes with the same almost zero-bezel design of the Mate 7, but sports a larger speaker grille at the back. Apart from the visual changes, we hope Huawei will also equip the Ascend Mate 7 Plus with a QHD display. That's a feature the Ascend Mate 7 lacks and it lags behind in the competition as a result. While there aren't any specifications available at this point, we assume Huawei will stick with its Kirin 925 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 2GB/3GB of RAM combo. It's possible for Huawei to release more information once CES 2015 starts in early January, 2015. Until then, stay tuned. Source |...

The Lollipop update frenzy is well under way and LG's current flagship - the LG G3 was definitely not left behind with updates rolling out during all of the December, first in South Korea and then in a number of other countries. In the height of all this one question remains unanswered - will last year's LG flagship - the very popular LG G2 receive similar treatment. A screenshot surfaced today that might shed some light on the matter. It appears to show a F320L version of the LG G2 running an Android 5.0.1 build. Even more encouragingly the UI, visible in the picture seems to bear all the design and visual characteristics of LG's new GUI, which first appeared on the G3. So it seems the year-old smartphone will receive the full update package, complete with the fresher interface. This is all but justified, given that the LG G2 still packs quite the punch and can easily compete with current devices. Its more-than adequate Snapdragon 800 SoC, 2GB of RAM and 5.2-inch 1080p display are more than worthy to be adorned by Google's latest OS version. One more important detail needs to be noted about the screenshot, namely that it is obviously taken from a F320L G2 unit, which is the LTE-A model, exclusive to South Korea. This of course comes as no surprise, given LG's track record of beginning update roll-out on the domestic market first. If the rumor is true and the photo real, Lollipop builds for the international LG G2 versions can't be far behind and should grace user's phones pretty soon. Via (in...

Samsung sure likes to launch a lot of smartphones each year. And while 2014 is almost over, we're clearly going to see a lot of new stuff from Samsung next year. One such handset seems to be the SM-G430. This has surfaced through an import listing from an Indian website specializing in these things. A few units have made it to the subcontinent for R&D purposes already. The import tracker helpfully lists the G430's screen size, which is 5.5 inches. Some other specs can be gleaned from a user agent profile for the phone, which is already present on Samsung's website. This tells us that the display resolution in this case will be 1080p, and the G430's processor will be clocked at up to 2.5 GHz. This last bit of info implies that the device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, which has that exact clock speed. If so, then this isn't going to be yet another forgettable midranger, but an upper-midrange offering that could be quite interesting. The Snapdragon 801 was, after all, the SoC of choice for top of the line smartphones for most of this year. It has support for Cat.4 LTE (with theoretical peek download speeds of 150Mbps), so the Samsung G430 should too. Finally, the new handset has been revealed to be running Android 4.4 KitKat. Perhaps, given the screen size, this will be some kind of a competitor to Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. We'll have to wait and see. Source 1 • Source 2 | Via (in...

Back in November, Nokia (the part of the company that wasn't sold off to Microsoft) announced its first ever Android-running tablet, the N1. We got specs and pricing information then, along with a very vague release time frame of "Q1 2015". Today though a rumor out of China has that down to an actual launch date - January 7. Because the translation from Chinese isn't perfect, it's not 100% clear right now if that's the day starting on which those in China will be able to purchase the Nokia N1, or just the date of its official introduction for the Chinese market. Regardless of that, however, it looks like the "Q1" estimation is about to turn into a January release for the first ever Nokia tablet to run Android. This still doesn't tell us anything about when (or if) we might see the N1 elsewhere, since during the official announcement Nokia only mentioned China as the initial launch country. Other places are due to get the tablet at some later point in time. Hopefully that will happen soon, perhaps still inside that "Q1 2015" window, otherwise the N1's specs risk getting old soon. And the hype surrounding it may die down somewhat too. An actual price for China hasn't been leaked yet, but the tablet should cost the rough equivalent of $249, which is the official number (sans taxes though). The Nokia N1 comes with a 7.9-inch 2,048x1,536 touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front snapper, an Intel Atom Z3580 chipset with a 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 5,300 mAh battery. It will run Android 5.0 Lollipop with Nokia's Z Launcher on top. Source (in Chinese) |...

The touchscreen issues that the Microsoft Lumia 535 has been encountering have been widely documented up until this point. The software giant first confirmed the problems earlier this month, and then promised a fix would come on December 27. Well, it looks like Microsoft was working overtime on that, since a new firmware update for the Lumia 535 is already rolling out "in selected countries". And yes, this new software incorporates the much awaited touchscreen fix, according to the official changelog. That's not the only thing it brings to the table, though. Cortana is now available in more countries, the action center lets you easily turn your mobile data connection on or off, and you can now schedule phone updates. Finally, as you'd expect, some unnamed stability and performance improvements are in too. After applying the update, you'll be running Windows Phone version 8.10.14219.341 and build 02054.00000.14485.370xx. To check if it's available in your country, you can use this tool. Source |...

Less than a week after it halted online sales in Russia, Apple resumed offering its products in the country. Unsurprisingly, the Cupertino giant increased the prices of its iPhone lineup to counter the drop of the local currency against the U.S. dollar. Apple iPhone 6 with 16GB of on-board memory now costs 53,990 rubles (about $956). The price is up by roughly a third over the 39,990 rubles that the manufacturer previously asked for the smartphone. The latest iPhone 6 price hike, coupled with loss of value of the Russian ruble, means that the smartphone is now almost 70% more expensive than a month ago. Apple previously raised prices in the country at the end of last month. Apple's Russian App Store applications have also gotten more expensive. Basic iOS apps now cost 62 rubles as opposed to 33 rubles before. Source |...

Android One has been steadily gaining speed ever since its initial announcement at Google I/O 2014. The exciting program represents the California tech giant's strive to rapidly advance in emerging smartphone markets, starting with India, by offering entry-level handsets with software support and up-to-date Android versions. This is a challenge to say the least, even for the likes of Google, but the endeavor showed results this September, with the launch of three Android One devices. This is a monumental achievement and represents a major step forward for the ever-growing India consumer base. But it comes as no surprise that well-supported, budget, stock Android devices have a universal appeal, as is evident by the success of the Motorola Moto G and Moto E in various European markets. The latest development in the spread of Android One smartphones comes from Symphony Mobile, who has made the Symphony roar A50, a device bearing the Android One specs, available through its website. The handset is prices at BDT 8700, or about $112, which is definitely in the budget range. The website seems to be having some trouble with the shopping functionality at the moment and we can't definitely confirm availability and delivery terms, but one thing is certain - there is movement on the Android One front. The Symphony roar A50 has mostly the same specs as other Android one phones, like the Karbon Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and Spice Dream UNO. They are all based on Google's reference design and have a 4.5-inch, 854x480 resolution IPS display, MediaTek MT6582 SoC with 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU and Mali 400 MP2 GPU, 1GB RAM, 5 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front camera, FM radio, dual SIM support. The new device does bear some minor improvements over the aforementioned three, namely that it has 8GB ROM, instead of 4 and a slightly larger battery at 1,780 mAh instead of 1,700 mAh. As we mentioned last week this is only one of many steps to come towards expanding Android One to new Asia markets, like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Those countries are all set to receive the initial array of three devices with Bangladesh apparently receiving the Symphony roar A50 as well. No official statement is available yet as to whether or when Android One will spread to US and European markets. It is a fact that the Karbonn Sparkle V is available through Amazon UK, but for the rather steep £123.51. All we can do is wait and see if Google goes the extra mile and decides to take on international supply challenges for the exciting and affordable Android One...