While handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One are pushing 4G into the hands of more and more people, there's a segment of the market that simply can't afford these premium 4G handsets.
LG is doing its best to cater to this market, launching its Optimus F5 handset to provide the prepaid market an affordable 4G-enabled device. At AUD$299 outright (roughly $US285, £185), the handset certainly ticks the affordable check box.
A quick perusal of the spec sheet also promises plenty of features you'd expect from a higher-class of phone. A 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 8GB of internal storage expandable via MicroSD would all be appropriate for devices costing significantly more.
While it only comes with the 4.1 version of Jelly Bean running the show, the benefit of affordability over most up to date software should be enough to keep the budget-conscious happy.
Design
Can you say iClone? Of course you can. But that's almost exactly what the handset looks like front on. The screen proportions, the bezel, and even the front camera and earpiece look like they were magically transported directly from Jonny Ive's brain.
Of course, there are differences too. There's no hard home button, for a start. Instead, the standard Android trio of touch sensitive soft buttons line up below the F5's screen.
The IPS display is vibrant and colourful, with great viewing angles and a decent resolution at 960 x 550 pixels at 256ppi.
The bottom of the device houses a MicroUSB port, while the left of the phone is home to the volume rocker and the power button lives on theright hand side.
The removable plastic back is a glossy white with a fancy diamond pattern, which surrounds the phone's 5-megapixel camera. Take it off, and you can see the removable 2150mAh battery, SIM card slot and MicroSD port.
The plastic backing the phone is a little bit slippery. That diamond pattern isn't actually textured onto the case, unfortunately, and the slippery plastic feel does make its way onto the sides of the phones as well.
The overall feeling is that the phone could slip from your grip at any second. Mind you, phones like the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5 have the same sort of feel, so it's hardly a deal-breaker.
The F5 is also much chunkier than you'd expect. At 9.3mm thick, it's hardly what we'd call fat, but it does feel significantly wider than the premium phones of today.
It's also feels heavier than it looks, coming in at 134 grams.
Power and the passion
While power users will hate the lack of the most recent version of Jelly Bean, there's no denying that the 4.1 version, coupled with the dual-core Snapdragon processor, actually makes the F5 sing.
Animations are smooth, transitions are fast and the integrated features are nice too.
LG has stuffed its QSlide functionality, previously seen on the Optimus G into the F5. It lets you multitask, adding different apps on top of your current screen and adjusting the transparency so you can keep doing what your doing.
There are QSlide apps for video, memos, internet, calendar and calculator, and two can be used at a time.
The QSlide apps work pretty well. We saw a video of the Family Guy playing back in a transparent window while the main phone switched between apps and took notes.
LG has also bundled in its Quick Memo function, which lets you take a note on F5's, which can stay on the screen until you're ready to clear it away. Useful for taking down a phone number then calling that number.
One other nifty feature is the ability to customise pretty much any botton on the home page, making icons bigger or smaller for convenience, as well as changing the icon image.
This includes the ability to take photos and use the subsequent image as an app icon. Which is kind of neat, really, when you think about it.
Early Verdict
This handset isn't meant to compete with the likes of the Galaxy S4 or Xperia Z. It's a mid-range handset aimed at converting prepaid customers to 4G.
But given its snappy performance and bargain price point, there's a lot to like about the F5, in a way that sees it competing with phones double its price.
The handset itself seems well-made, and while it's not going to win any beauty pageants, it certainly doesn't look ugly.
There are question marks over the 5MP camera, and we haven't tested to see how well the processor performs under duress, but overall this looks like a really promising handset for affordable 4G access.
We’ve written about the “freemium” free wireless data model from FreedomPop before. I reviewed the Photon 4G mobile hotspot and the company expanded to free home Internet access too. More recently, they made the jump from Clear’s 4G WiMAX network to Sprint’s nationwide 3G/4G network. And now, an even bigger game changer is on the horizon as FreedomPop has announced that it will be offering a 100% free cell phone service starting this summer.
Whereas FreedomPop already offers you 500MB of free data a month through its various products already, the “free phone” will also come with unlimited text messages and 200 minutes of calling each month, plus unlimited calling to other other FreedomPop customers. And this will come at a monthly cost of $0.00. You can pay more for more data or minutes, but this basic plan will cover the needs for many customers. Even if you need unlimited calling, that’s only $10 per month.
Aside from being free, FreedomPop’s phone service is also entirely different in that it operates as VoIP over mobile broadband. You won’t be making cellular calls in the conventional sense, because they’ll be powered by mobile VoIP instead. The same is true for SMS, so at the end of the day, you’re really just using data and more data. We’re being told that this service will work with a “variety” of Android phones, but like the recently launched Overdrive Pro, they will likely be refurbished devices from Sprint. Forbes is saying one option will be the HTC Evo 4G, as well as devices from Samsung and LG. Pricing is expected to be between $99 and $199 with no contract.
This sounds somewhat similar to what Republic Wireless is doing, except it is entirely data-based. As such, it relies heavily on the bandwidth and coverage of Sprint’s network. Take that for what it’s worth, but when the service is free, you already get more than what you pay for. More information and early signups can be found at freedompop.com/phone.
Network woes left Three customers without data on Tuesday
UK mobile operating Three UK faces questions from communications regulator Ofcom, following a data services outage that left many customers without 3G internet access for long periods on Tuesday.
The network has issued an apology for the outage, but in a statement to Sky News, Ofcom said it will seek clarification from Three over the incident.
A spokesperson for the regulator said: "Ofcom is aware that Three customers have been affected by a recent mobile data outage on its network.
"We understand that data services have now been restored but are continuing to liaise with Three to understand the cause of problem."
All night long
Three was quick to say sorry to its customers on Wednesday, claiming its engineers pulled an all-nighter to resolve the problems, but the communications failed to offer any insight as to the cause
"Our engineers have worked through the night to resolve some issues related to yesterday's internet access problems that affected some of our customers' internet access.
"All services, including My3 account services have been restored and we are monitoring closely so we can address any performance issues if they arise.
"Voice and text services remained available throughout. We apologise for any interruption of service and for those affected - thank you for your patience."
If in doubt, reboot
The network had claimed on Tuesday afternoon that the issue had been fixed, but users continued to experience problems well into the evening.
Any of the network's 9 million customers who're still without data service have been advised to reboot their handset.
Nokia EOS - it's got bits, it's got pieces (credit: WPDang)
We've caught our first glimpse of what we think is the Nokia EOS, a photography-heavy handset coming from the Finns at some point this year.
The photos, snapped by an anonymous source who sent them to Chinese site WPDang, show the chassis of what is supposedly the EOS alongside a Lumia 920 for comparison.
The snaps show the same body design as the Lumia 920 but with a giant round hole ready for the camera in the back panel.
It looks as though the camera, rumoured to be a hefty 41MP affair similar to the one found in the 808 Pureview, will be housed in plastic rather than the polycarbonate of the rest of the body.
Lens talk
The round camera chassis is the main difference between the EOS body and that of Nokia Lumia 920 which rocks a traditional rounded oblong camera unit.
Whoever took the photos has made a valiant effort at demonstrating the handset's thickness relative to that of the Lumia 920, sadly choosing an uneven surface and slightly wonky camera angle to do so.
Credit: WPDang
But you can see that while the camera element is fairly chunky, the rest of the handset's chassis is about the same girth as the Lumia 920's 10.7mm.
There are two small holes further down the back panel which suggest that the Nokia EOS will play nice with the same wireless charging clip-on peripherals that the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 925 vibe with.
Coming from an anonymous source as they do, we haven't been able to verify the photos but we like them for legitimacy - they're just rubbish enough to be real and we'd expect the handset to be fairly far along in development given the leaks we've seen already.
Other mooted specs include a quad-core processor, 32GB of storage, a 720p OLED display, FM radio, Xenon flash and a debut on AT&T in the US. Today's leak posits that the handset will go on sale on July 9.
Apple made the screen bigger last time. Is an even bigger iPhone on the way?
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, the reaction was a bit muted: where previous phones were massive leaps forward, the iPhone 5 was a bit longer and a lot easier to scratch.
So what can we expect from the next iPhone, the iPhone 6 or 5S? Let's see what we can glean from the varying sources of the internet - some reliable, some not so much.
One thing is for sure, with the release of such super handsets as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and HTC One, the next iPhone will have to seriously up its game.
iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5S are two different phones
The rumour mill doesn't seem too sure whether the next iPhone is going to be the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6. Given the iPhone's history - from the 3G onwards, there's always been a half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone - we'd bet on an iPhone 5S first and an iPhone 6 a while later.
However, in May 2013 Stuff reported it received a photo of the till system at a Vodafone UK store (which it has since removed along with the reference to Vodafone), with '4G iPhone 6' listed. Interesting.
It's been suggested that there could even be three size variants of the new iPhone - check out these mocked up images by artist Peter Zigich. He calls the handsets iPhone 6 Mini, iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 XL.
Could we see both an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 this year? Some reports suggest a new 5S in the middle part of the year before a revamped iPhone 6 towards the end of the year or very early in 2014.
iPhone 6 release date
Many pundits predict a summer iPhone 6 release date. It's quite likely that Apple is moving to a two-phones-per-year upgrade cycle, but we'd bet on a springtime 5S model and a bigger, iPhone 6, update in the Autumn, probably September.
Digitimes reckons predicts a summertime reveal for Apple's next generation phones, which again fits with a WWDC unveiling. In May it became clear that US carrier Verizon introduced an iPhone 5 price cut of as much as $100 USD.
Reports in April also suggested that Foxconn has added as many as 10,000 assembly line workers per week to its Zhengzhou plant as it readies itself for the iPhone 6 release date.
But Jefferies analyst Peter Misek reckons we'll see an iPhone 5S first, with a June 2014 release for the iPhone 6. Citi's Glen Yeung also believes that we won't see an iPhone 6 or cheap iPhone until 2014.
Apple may have a new roadmap, with new phones every spring and autumn
iPhone 6 casing
Multiple rumours say Apple's working on plastic cases for its next iPhone, mixing plastic and metal in such a way that "the internal metal parts [are] able to be seen from outside through special design." Could these images from Apple.pro be a new iPhone 6 complete with plastic casing? The cynic inside us says no, but you never know...
It's unclear whether such cases would be for the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, or if Apple is simply considering making cheaper iPhone 4s to sell when the iPhone 3GS reaches the end of its life.
Speaking in March 2013, a KGI analyst said it believed Apple would turn to manufacturer Pegatron to make up to 75 per cent of low cost iPhone products. Indeed, rumours in early June 2013 pointed at a $399 price point for the cheap iPhone 6.
Pretty, yes, but also horrifically scratch-prone. Will your next iPhone have a plastic back?
The iPhone 6 will finally do NFC
That's what iDownloadblog reckons, quoting Jefferies analyst Peter Misek: it'll have a better battery too, he says. Many Android phones now boast NFC.
PayPal's chief information security officer, Michael Barrett said this during a recent keynote speech: "There is going to be a fingerprint enabled phone on the market later this year," he said. "Not just one, multiple."
Could this be inside the iPhone 6?
See our video below on what Apple needs to do to slay Samsung's Galaxy S4
We're expecting a September or October release date for iOS 7 in line with previous releases. We'll almost certainly see a reveal at WWDC in early June. Apple has promised to give devs "an in-depth look at what's next in iOS and OS X".
9to5Mac spoke with several sources who said the new iOS 7 will be attractive to new iOS users but may alienate older iPhone addicts. Described as "very, very flat" by one source, another said the interface is without gloss and shine and is rather like Microsoft's Metro design language on Windows Phone.
iPhone 6 storage
We've already seen a 128GB iPad, so why not a 128GB iPhone 6? Yes, it'll cost a fortune, but high-spending early adopters love this stuff.
iPhone 6 home button
According to Business Insider, of the many iPhone 6 prototypes Apple has made, one has a giant Retina+ IGZO display and a "new form factor with no home button. Gesture control is also possibly included" - more on that shortly. Mind you, it was mooted that Apple would dump the home button in time for iPhone 5, but it never happened.
iPhone 6 screen
The Retina+ Sharp IGZO display, would have a 1080p Full HD resolution. It's also been widely reported that Apple could introduce two handset sizes as it seeks to compete with the plethora of Android devices now on the market.
Take this one with a pinch of salt, because China Times isn't always right: it reckons the codename iPhone Math, which may be a mistranslation of iPhone+, will have a 4.8-inch display. The same report suggests that Apple will release multiple handsets throughout the year over and above the iPhone 5S and 6, which seems a bit far-fetched to us.
Could the touch screen even be transparent? Emirates 24/7 sin't the first source we'd turn to for bone fide rumours about a new smartphone, but it claims that an ultra-sensitive transparent touchscreen will make it into iPhone 6. The site also believes the display will be made by Sharp, which wouldn't be so surprising. One thing's for sure - a potential wraparound screen is probably a pipedream.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also says he believes the new iPhone will have a bigger screen. Different sizes also seem rather likely to us.
You'll probably still be able to see the camera lens in the iPhone 6
iPhone 6 processor
Not a huge surprise, this one: the current processor is a dual-core A6, and the next one will be a quad-core A7. The big sell here is more power with better efficiency, which should help battery life.
Expect to see it in the 2013 iPad first, and expect to see an improved A6 processor, the A6X, in the iPhone 5S.
iPhone 6 camera
Apple's bought camera sensors from Sony before, and this year we're going to see a new, 13-megapixel sensor that takes up less room without compromising image quality.
An Apple patent, uncovered by Apple Insider in May 2013, shows a system where an iPhone can remotely control other illuminating devices - extra flashes. It would work in a similar manner to that seen in professional photography studios. Interesting stuff.
Will the iPhone 6 be handy for pro photographers? [Image credit: Apple Insider]
iPhone 6 eye tracking
One thing seems certain - Apple can't ignore the massive movement towards eye-tracking tech from other vendors, especially Samsung. It seems a shoe-in that Apple will deliver some kind of motion tech within the next iPhone, probably from uMoove.
The new iPhone will have better 4G LTE
On its UK launch, just one UK network had 4G LTE: Everything Everywhere, which currently offers 4G on the 1800MHz band. In 2013, all the other big names will be coming on board, offering 4G in other frequency bands. International iPhones already work across different 4G bands to the UK, so you can expect the UK iPhone 6 (and possibly the iPhone 5S) to be more promiscuous than the iPhone 5.
By the time the iPhone 6 emerges, iOS devices should also have "nonclassified communication approval" status from the US FCC, which means they won't need to go through a lengthy approval process.
iPhone 6 Wi-Fi may be 802.11ac
Apple likes to lead Wi-Fi standards adoption - its Airport really helped make Wi-Fi mainstream - and there's a good chance we'll see ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi in Apple kit this year. It's faster than Lighting, and not very frightening.
iPhone 6 wireless charging
Wireless charging still isn't mainstream. Could Apple help give it a push? CP Tech reports that Apple has filed a patent for efficient wireless charging, but then again Apple has filed patents for pretty much anything imaginable.
The tasty bit of this particular patent is that Apple's tech wouldn't just charge one device, but multiple ones. Here are more details on the iPhone 6 wireless charging patent.
Meanwhile, a further Apple patent seems to imply that future iPhones will be able to adjust volume as you move them away from your ear.
The Huawei Ascend Y300 will go on sale in the UK from tomorrow, June 6, and it will carry a price tag which will please even the most frugal among us.
We first saw the Ascend Y300 back in February at MWC 2013 where we got our hands on it and were impressed with its feature list and generally solid build quality.
Considering it's going to set you back just £59.95 on PAYG for upgrading customers (it's £69.95 otherwise) - or free on contracts starting at £7.50 per month - the Ascend Y300 appears to be a decent contender on paper with a 4-inch display, 1GHz dual-core processor and Android Jelly Bean operating system.
On paper winner
It may only be running version 4.1.1 of Android but considering Google's only up to 4.2.2 this isn't a big issue - although the custom Emotion UI Huawei has stuck on the Ascend Y300 may not sit well with some users.
There's more good news when it comes to the camera, with a 5MP snapper 'round the back of the handset - plus you get a front facing 0.3MP option which may not be the best, but it puts it above the lacking Optimus L3 2.
In the past however Huawei handsets haven't always lived up to their on-paper billing, with sluggish performance and frustrating UI - so we'll wait until we've put the Huawei Ascend Y300 through our in-depth review process before commenting on whether it really is value for money.
After countless rumors and hints, Samsung has now confirmed that the Galaxy S4 is getting a rougher, tougher brother, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.
So what’s so special about the Galaxy S4 Active? The biggest call-to-fame for the Galaxy S4 Active is its IP67 certification, which gives it the power to resist dust and makes it waterproof in up to 1m of water for about 30 minutes.
In other words, this is a durable beast compared to the Galaxy S4. The big question though is whether or not the phone is really worthy of the “Galaxy S4″ branding or, if like the Galaxy S4 Mini, it is actually a low-to-mid-range handset hoping to milk off the popularity of its relative. The good news is that the Galaxy S4 Active is actually quite similar to the original S4, outside of its major body redesign.
The Galaxy S4 Active features a 5-inch HD TFT LCD display, as opposed to the typical Sammy AMOLED display. It also has a weaker 8MP rear cam with LED flash, instead of the 13MP found in the original S4. It does however have a beefy 1.9GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, many of the same sensors found in the S4, and approximately 11.25GB of user-available memory (16GB model). There is also Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box.
You’ll still find many of the same Samsung software tricks and features, including S Health, S Translator, S Travel, Smart Pause, Air Gesture and Airview. Unlike the Galaxy S4, it will also have “Aqua Mode”, which will increase visual quality and clarity for underwater video and images.
Should you pick the S4 Active over the original Galaxy S4?
So summing it up:the big difference between the models is that the Galaxy S4 Active is a bit larger than its older brother, measuring at 9.1mm thick to the S4 original’s 7.9mm, and coming in at 21g heavier than the original S4. It also has three physical front-buttons, a slightly different display, is missing a few of the S4′s special tricks and has a weaker camera.
Is it worth getting the Galaxy S4 Active over the original? If you like the idea of a rugged handset that you can take just about anywhere without worry, than hell yes. For those that tend to play nicely with their handsets and keep them bump-and-bruise free most of the time, then maybe not.
Samsung will be bringing the Galaxy S4 Active first to the United States and Sweden, starting this summer. There will also be three color options in these markets: Dive Blue, Orange Flare and Urban Gray. Hopefully the phone will expand into other regions shortly after that.
Personally, what I find most exciting for the Galaxy S4 Active is that it is looks quite durable, and yet it doesn’t sacrifice on the hardware, like many other handsets designed for “rough use”. Then again, the same can be said for Sony’s excellent Xperia Z.
What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, interested in this one, or not? How does it compare to other higher-end ruggedized handsets on the market?
SEOUL, Korea 17:00 KST – June 5, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology and digital solutions, today announced the GALAXY S4 Active, designed to enhance life experiences of the active user who wants to stay connected while exploring environments from the most rugged mountain trails to the roughest rivers.
“The GALAXY S4 Active is the newest addition to the GALAXY series and is purposefully designed for active users who love the outdoors,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung has taken the innovative features of the GALAXY S4 and added breakthrough protective design elements to create a device that thrives in an active environment and is built for a lifestyle of travel and exploration.”
Maximizing Durability
Recognizing the demands of a dynamic lifestyle, the GALAXY S4 Active was engineered to keep active users connected as they explore and experience the world around them.
The GALAXY S4 Active has qualified protection from dust and water (IP67＊), so you never have to leave the device at home during a long day at the beach or dusty hike. The fully sealed design keeps dust particles out and protects against water damage for up to 30 minutes of submergence at a depth of one meter. Equipped with a water-resistant earphone jack, the GALAXY S4 Active frees you to use earphones in more adventurous conditions, in the same way you’ve used them in normal ones. Whether capturing every moment of a wild rafting trip or taking a great underwater photo in the pool, the device’s unique construction lets users capture amazing moments previously impossible using a normal smartphone.
(＊ IP stands for International Protection against ingress of solid foreign objects and harmful ingress of water. The highest level is IP68,)
Explore Longer with Powerful Performance
An active lifestyle requires plenty of energy, and the GALAXY S4 Active offers a long-lasting and powerful user experience.
Featuring a 1.9 GHZ Quad-Core processor and 2,600mAh battery, the GALAXY S4 Active can handle the most intensive tasks with ease and precision. Striking color and stunning resolution on the device’s beautiful 5.0’’ Full HD TFT LCD screen (443 PPI) makes playing the newest games or watching hours of video easy on the eyes. And with ‘Glove Touch’, cold weather is no longer a problem since the touchscreen can be fully operated while wearing gloves.
With an 8-megapixel rear camera, users can easily share their vivid experiences while on the go. Unique to the GALAXY S4 Active camera, ‘Aqua Mode’ can be used to increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video. The volume key located on the side of the device can be used as a camera key, allowing users to easily and quickly open the camera application to capture photo and video the moment it happens. Additionally, the camera transforms into a powerful LED flash light to assist in low-light and nighttime activities with a simple long press of the volume key.
Richer & Fuller Life Experience
The GALAXY S4 Active is designed with a seamless interface that incorporates popular features of the GALAXY S4.
‘S Travel (Trip Advisor)’ offers travel assistance, local information, and recommendations to provide a more seamless experience in an unfamiliar environment. ‘S Translator’ makes international travel easy by providing instant text or voice translation for emails and text messages.
The camera interface is designed to make capturing and sharing meaningful moments intuitive and more engaging with multiple shooting modes including ‘Drama Shot’, which allows users to see all the action in one continuous time-lapse, and ‘Sound & Shot’, which uniquely stores sound and voice together with the image to capture the moment in an immersive visual/audio format. With ‘Story Album’, photos taken with the GALAXY S4 Active are collected and sorted according to a user’s timeline, geo-tagging information or a specific event to instantly create an organized photo album. To help facilitate sharing, users can also use the ‘Group Play’ function to enjoy music, photos, documents and games together and across various devices including GALAXY S4, GALAXY S4 mini, GALAXY Mega 6.3 and GALAXY Mega 5.8.
‘Samsung Smart Pause’ enables users to control of the screen using optical cues. While watching a video, the video pauses when you look away and starts right up again when returning to view, saving vital battery life and time spent rewinding. ‘Air View’ lets you preview the content of an email by simply hovering your fingers over the screen, which saves time and data. With ‘Air Gesture’, you can change the music track, scroll up and down on a web page, or accept a call with a simple wave of the hand. Additionally, ‘S Health’ helps you keep track of your personal health statistics. When paired with the S Health Accessory, you can monitor your heart rate, weight, sleep pattern and other personal measurements to assist in a healthy lifestyle.
Enhanced Content and Services
The GALAXY S4 Active also offers competitive content and services to provide a seamless mobile experience anytime and anywhere.
Using the ‘Samsung Hub’, users can access music, videos, books, games and engaging educational content. With a beautiful magazine-style interface, users can browse a variety of content across services, as well as purchase and manage their content easily with a single Samsung Account. Users can also control their TV through Samsung WatchON’s IR remote, which transforms the GALAXY S4 Active into a remote control for TVs, set-top boxes, and DVD players. Through ‘Samsung WatchON’, the GALAXY S4 Active also offers a broad selection of entertainment content including live TV, cable TV and video on demand, facilitated by the rich digital context provided by Samsung’s EPG (Electronic Program Guide) system. ‘ChatON’, another unique feature, connects and facilitates group chats, media sharing and interacting in creative new ways using pictures, hand drawings or figures across mobile devices. Further enhancing the device’s sharing capabilities, users can use ‘Samsung Link’ to share and sync content across multiple Samsung digital devices.
The GALAXY S4 Active will be available for purchase beginning this summer, with initial retail in the U.S. and Sweden. It will be offered in three different color options: Urban Grey, Dive Blue and Orange Flare. Specific availability will vary depending on the market.
Media requests and invited partners will be offered hands-on demonstrations with the GALAXY S4 Active at the Samsung Premiere 2013 GALAXY & ATIV in London on Thursday, June 20th.
＊ All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation ＊ Android, Google, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Play, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Places, and Google Navigation are all trademarks of Google Inc.
The HTC One mini, a rumoured cut-down version of the flagship HTC One, could arrive this summer pretty much at the same time as its Samsung rival.
According to hit-and-miss Taiwanese site Digitimes and its dubious "industry sources" the HTC One mini is set to roll off the production line in July, but may be announced sometime this month.
This would see it go head to head with the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini which we expect to also go on sale in July, and sets both handsets up for an almighty tussle for market dominance.
The sources go on to claim that the HTC One mini will have a 4.3-inch 720p display, dual-core processor, metal chassis and come running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
The same report cites sources revealing the T6 will sport a metal chassis as well as a 5.9-inch full HD display and punchy 2.3GHz quad-core processor.
We've already seen the HTC Desire 600 launched by the Taiwanese firm, but the industry insiders go on to reinforce reports that an entry-level HTC Desire 200 is also on the cards.
We're not getting too carried away with this news however, as Digitimes' sources are often pretty unreliable, so we'd suggest taking everything here with a decent pinch of salt.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active will be coming to the UK this summer, so if you like the idea of the Galaxy S4 but feel it's just too fragile then you're in luck.
Samsung has confirmed that the UK will be treated to all three colour variants of the Galaxy S4 Active which have been lovingly-named Urban Grey, Dive Blue and Orange Flare - fancy.
There's currently no word on the S4 Active price, but if we were to take a guess we'd expect it to cost pretty much the same as the normal Galaxy S4.
Phone for you
High street retailer Phones4U has already come out and confirmed it will be stocking the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, although there's no word on tariffs or which networks it will offer the rugged device on.
You can register your interest on its website if you fancy getting your hands on the dust- and water-proof S4 Active which features a 5-inch Full HD display, 1.9GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 8MP camera and Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2.
Make sure you keep an eye out for our hands on Samsung Galaxy S4 Active review, which will be going up towards the end of this month after we check out the handset at Samsung's June 20 event in London.
