Google Nexus Edition by subtraction of bloated UI features
The Sony Xperia Z is already a TechRadar-recommended smartphone, but the Android device's interface may get even better thanks to a report that says a Google Nexus edition is on the way.
Sony and Google have teamed up to develop a Google Edition of the LTE-equipped smartphone, according to anonymous Sony sources who talked to Android Geeks.
The Google Nexus version of the Xperia Z is said speculated to run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a step up from the phone's current Android 4.1 version of Google's operating system.
Google could also use the water-resistant and dustproof phone as a way to demo its expected Android 4.3 OS release, but that remains speculation.
Pure price to pay
The Sony Xperia Z Google Nexus, if the report is accurate, will cost $599 in the Google Play Store after it is announced in July.
That's a steep price, however, it won't have a two-year carrier contract attached to it, just like previous Nexus phones.
The Xperia Z would join recently Nexified phones like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 in running a stock Android operating system at a contract-free higher initial price.
Sony and Google have not responded to TechRadar's request for a comment on the as-it-stands unconfirmed Nexus version of the Sony Xperia Z, but we will update this story when they get back to us.
Samsung's rapid ascent to the top of the smartphone tree may be in danger of stalling, amid reports that demand for the flagship Galaxy S4 handset isn't up there with its predecessor.
The Korean company's stock price fell by 6 per cent on Friday seeing an estimated $12 billion (about UK£7.7, AUD12.6) wiped off its value, following claims that S4 sales are slowing following an initial surge.
What hasn't helped matters is the feeling among bean counters that the launch of spin-off handsets like the Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy S4 Active may hurt the company's profit margins.
Analysts believe that Samsung is swapping profit for volume by flooding the market with cheaper versions of its flagship device in order to take on affordable handsets from Chinese firms like ZTE and Huawei.
Beware of aiming low
Speaking to Reuters, analyst Kim Young-chan, of Shinhan Investment Corp, said Samsung needs to be careful when targeting the middle of the market.
He said: "Sales of high-end handsets are lagging behind expectations, while low- to mid-end handsets are selling briskly worldwide.
"As the portion of low- to mid-range handsets is expected to increase in Samsung's overall mobile phone business, this has also sparked concerns about thinning margins and lower growth."
Similar story at Apple
Samsung, of course, isn't the only company that may be experiencing a slight comedown following a period of insane growth in mobile.
Back in April, Apple reported that its profits had slowed for the first quarter in almost a decade, despite selling a whopping 37.4 million iPhones and 19.5 million iPads.
The markets panicked about that too, eventually sending Apple's stock price down by almost half from its all-time high of September 2012.
That leaves the question: If Apple and Samsung are struggling to appease the financial gods with record sales figures, what hopes do the likes of BlackBerry, HTC and Nokia have of bouncing back?
If you are feeling that you are not fully happy with your Galaxy S4, maybe it has a problem, or maybe you just need the device’s official wireless charging kit! It’s available in the US now from Samsung’s accessory store.
You will need to buy both a charging cover and the charging pad, which cost $39.99 and $49.99 respectively. Qi wireless charging standard is being used here, so you can ignore the pad if you already have a Qi charger.
But just in case you haven’t heard, there is also the WiQiQi S4 wireless receiver and charger set out there. With this charger, there won’t be any need for replacing the back cover. And it seems that they are just asking $49.99 for it at the moment. But you can forget about it if you are someone who likes all things official.
Is an official 'EOS' announcement imminent? (credit: Vizileaks)
Another day, another purported glimpse at the rumoured, camera-focused Nokia EOS smartphone. However, this time it has apparently gone on show in moving pictures.
Yes, the thought-to-be-forthcoming Windows Phone 8 device with the Pureview sensor, seems to be gracing YouTube in a somewhat blurry 50-second clip showing the large camera module in all its glory.
The clip, shared by VizLieaks, actually shows the camera in action. You know, taking pictures. It demonstrates the the shutter opening and closing as well as the image stabilisation tech on board.
The casing is obviously a pre-release version as it doesn't state the exact megapixel count, instead displaying a 'XX'. The only previous Pureview model rocked a 41-megapixel sensor.
Striking resemblance
The site also shared some photos, including the first we've seen of the front of the device, which, as expected bares a striking resemblance to Nokia's recent Lumia Windows Phone devices.
Earlier this week, we saw leaked pictures of the device's casing thanks to Chinese site WPDang, showing the protruding lens that will allow Nokia to pack in all of that fancy camera tech.
Speculation surrounding the device has suggested that the Nokia EOS smartphone device will pack a quad-core processor, 720p display, 32GB of storage for all of those hi-res photos.
Reports have also claimed that the device will take two versions of every photo. One at a whopping 35MB and one at 5MB which makes will make them easier to share on social networks.
Apparently there's something big brewing over in Taiwan as news of the super-sized handset going by the moniker HTC One Max begins to make its way onto the web.
After the success of the HTC One the Taiwanese firm is probably feeling pretty bullish about its chances going forward and it's no surprise that rumours have begun to crop up suggesting it's looking at a One mini and a phablet device codenamed T6.
We've sifted through all the HTC One Max/HTC T6 talk to bring you a definitive run down of what you might be able to expect from HTC's monster mobile.
HTC One Max release date and price
HTC currently doesn't have any events planned for this year, but that hasn't stopped speculation on a possible HTC One Max release date.
At the moment reports point towards a release towards the end of this year, so the One Max might be one for the Christmas list.
Pricing is equally as unknown for now, but expect to shell out the big bucks for this larger than life handset.
Growing pains
The main attraction on the HTC One Max will be its display which is apparently shaping up to be a mammoth 5.9-inch, full HD affair.
This would dwarf the 5.5-inch, 720p Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but with rumour of a Galaxy Note 3 on the horizon the One Max may find itself matching Samsung's next phablet when it comes to screen size.
Original reports suggested HTC would only give the T6 a modest screen bump, upping if from 4.7- to 5-inches from the HTC One - although those rumours seem to have been laid to rest now.
Anyone for Key Lime Pie?
One of the big surprises with the much talked about HTC One Max surrounds the operating system it'll be running.
Key Lime Pie hasn't even been announced yet so if it is to appear in the HTC T6 then Google's going to have to get a shift on - unless it decides to team up with the Taiwanese manufacturer for a joint launch. Tasty!
Double take
Usually with key phone launches a whole platter of images claiming to depict the handset in question are leaked online, although when it comes to the One Max we've only had one so far in the form of a blueprint.
If the picture does indeed show the HTC One Max then fans of the HTC One will be pleased to learn that it won't really deviate from the flagship's design language.
From the rear, the One Max (or HTC T6 if you want to use the codename) appears to be identical to the handset it's based on.
On the front only minor cosmetic changes show up, with additional width to accommodate the larger display and a shift of the sensors at the top of the device from the left to right side of the upper speaker grille.
Spec me up Scotty
In terms of other specifications for the HTC One Max we only really have The Unlockr report to go on, but it's worth noting the details came via @evleaks, which has a pretty decent track record when it comes to uncovering handsets.
Apparently the One Max will feature a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 2.1MP front camera, UltraPixel rear camera and a sizable 3300mAh battery.
Now those are some pretty tasty specs and it will certainly give the competition a run for its money - but we're going to have to wait and see if they are accurate.
HTC's rumoured phablet - the HTC T6 - is rapidly tearing its way into the realms of reality, and it looks like we have a more official name, blueprints and a vague release date.
The device will be given the name of HTC One Max, according to a J.P. Morgan analyst in Hong Kong who claims to have some inside info.
Makes sense, really. We knew that the T6 moniker was just a temporary codename, and putting Max on the end is about as close to "Mega" as you can getting Samsung hot under the collar.
It doesn't end there though. Mobileaks has posted what is allegedly the blueprint design of the maxed-up handset, revealing a few slight changes in design but nothing too drastic.
According to said analyst Alvin Kwock, carriers are apparently already very interested in the as-yet-unofficial device. Time for Samsung to start getting worried?
The previously posited specs, including that it will run on Key Lime Pie, were also repeated, though with a 2.2GHz CPU and not the previously-touted 2.3GHz.
The fabled handset is said to host a 5.9-inch HD touchscreen display at 1920 x 1080 resolution, with a Snapdragon processor powering the phone.
Many of today’s smartphones are coming with high end specs including fast processors. But a CPU of course can’t be too fast because of heating issues, unless there is a better cooling system available. DARPA’s micro vacuum pumps could eventually be the answer.
Via DARPA’s Chip-Scale Vacuum Micro Pumps (CSVMP) program, researchers from the University of Michigan, MIT, and Honeywell International have developed microscale vacuum pumps, intended for use in highly sensitive gas analyzers that detect biological and chemical attacks, and microscopic atomic clocks.
The pump that you see above is from the University of Michigan. It has an array of tiny hexagonal compartments to which smaller channels are connected for high suction.
Seen above is the two-stage pump that has been developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The pump has curved surfaces which allow large volumes of gas to be displaced.
The pump from Honeywell International is similar in design to a turbine, but in reverse. Those blades that you see above, each of which is apparently half the size of a dot at the end of this sentence, push gas outward to create a vacuum in the center.
Andrei Shkel, DARPA program manager, says, “There have never been ionic or mechanical gas pumps at the microscale before. The CSVMP program has demonstrated both and more. The smallest commercially available pumps are the size of a deck of cards, which dwarf the vacuum electronics and sensors we want to attach our pumps to. These pumps are not only 300 times smaller than off-the-shelf pumps and 20 times smaller than custom-built pumps, but they also consume approximately 10 times less power to evacuate from atmospheric pressure to milliTorr pressures”.
In the not too distant future we might see mobile phones and other electronic devices arriving with high-performance processors which could be cooled by microscopic scale vacuums.
