According to a report emanating from Greece, HTC is working on an octa-core variant of its flagship HTC One handset.
The TechCommunity.gr site is under the impression that a refresh is on the way, that a new version of the critically acclaimed handset also see the memory bumped up to 3GB RAM.
The report shows a purported screenshot from the phone's hardware settings, apparently showing the improved specifications, but it's hard to verify its authenticity.
According to the site, the updated version of the handset will bring 'Clear Audio' tech for improved call and music quality, but aside from that rest of the handset's features will remain the same.
Successor or update?
HTC is no stranger to updating its phones throughout the annual cycle, but to give the HTC One a processing bump at this stage would be a huge surprise.
If the company is indeed working on an octa-core device to rival the Samsung Galaxy S4 (in some regions) then it would appear more likely that HTC will save it up for the One's successor.
It would give HTC a top-line spec improvement to hang the new handset on and would avoid annoying owners of the current handset, who may wonder why an update arrived after just six months on sale.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of the One's successor, if it isn't called the HTC One-Two then its a missed opportunity.
HTC may not be able to supply enough HTC One minis to meet consumer demand, according to one report.
Problems in HTC's supply chain, particularly with the HTC One mini's casing, will soon cause shortages, Reuters reported today.
The HTC One mini's chassis is reportedly in short supply thanks to "design difficulties," the exact nature of which are unknown.
Another source told the site that demand for HTC's miniaturized flagship can't currently be met, despite analysts' expectations that the company plans to ship just 200,000 of them per month.
Mini and max
In TechRadar's HTC One mini review we gave the smaller HTC One a well-earned 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a cutting edge smartphone that takes all the great elements from the world's best handset and crams them into a smaller frame."
We reached out to HTC for comment about any supply chain difficulties, but like Reuters we haven't received a response.
The HTC One mini isn't the only HTC One spin-off up the company's sleeve, if all the recent HTC One Max rumors are any indication.
That enlarged version of the HTC One is said to be a phablet with a fingerprint scanner, but there's been no official reveal yet.
The sand dune teaser image above from a Tweet a few weeks ago has now been confirmed by Nokia as Abu Dhabi, the location for its Oct. 22 Nokia World event.
Aside from naming the city, details are sparse but it's likely the rumored 6-inch screened Lumia 1520 will be unveiled.
The phablet will be the first from the Finnish firm, along with the first to reportedly hold a full HD display and quad-core processor.
The 1520 would also be the first release under new Microsoft ownership which may be hinted at with the hashtag below stating "wayforward."
Nokia goes to Abu Dhabi
Tablets also on the horizon?
A Nokia tablet codenamed "Sirius" is also making the rumor rounds with details claiming the tablet will boast a 10.1-inch Full HD IPS display, 2GB of RAM, up to 10 hours of battery life and will come with 32GB of native storage expandable via microSD.
Perhaps we'll see the Sirius join the Lumia 1520 in the world event announcements - it sounds like a long shot, but it would make sense to unveil a tablet since it's also a first from the company.
Where are the Google heads planning to drive Android in the next decade?
Cast your mind back to late 2008, when the first Android-powered handset saw the light of day. Obama won his first Presidential election, Apple launched its App Store (the iPhone had appeared the year before), Google announced its own Chrome browser and we got our first look at the company's new mobile OS on the T-Mobile G1.
The Android of 2013 is a world away from that 2008 version, where the Android Market was in its infancy, there were no native video playback capabilities and the G1 had no multi-touch support. But Google is going to have to keep innovating and improving its mobile OS to keep the lion's share of the smartphone market.
We've taken a peek into the future to consider what Android might look like in the year 2020. With new Android monikers now appearing about once a year, its codename should start with an "R" - Rhubarb Pie, Rocky Road or Rice Pudding, perhaps? Or maybe even Rolos, given the tie-up deals Google is putting in place these days?
Here are the four key features we think could play the biggest part in Android's ongoing evolution over the next seven years:
1. Maps in Android in 2020
Apple's Maps app may not have set the world alight when it launched, but it's here now (alongside Nokia's offering), and that means Google needs to up its game to stay ahead. The 2013 Google Maps refresh brought with it a greater level of customisation based on your personal searches, and this will only increase in the future.
With Google Now and Google Latitude tracking your every move, you'll see directions to your favourite pub appear on-screen every Friday lunchtime. If the pub in question has an Android-powered bar installed, you might even find your tipple of choice waiting for you when you arrive.
As for all of the services hanging off Maps, Google is already hiring out the Street View cameras and enabling you to peek inside buildings - you can expect Android 2020 to offer better imagery of most public buildings, as well as tappable info as you move around.
There might even be an option to enable Google to anonymously augment its Street View data with the snaps you take on your phone to provide an even more up-to-date view of the world.
2. Android messaging in 2020
Google has already made its intentions clear with the Hangouts upgrade we got at I/O this year. With Facebook, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Snapchat, Skype et al to battle against, there's no doubt we'll see Google push further into the universal messaging game, covering SMS, email, instant messaging and video calling with tools that are baked into Android.
You won't have to have separate apps for each of these, as the UI will be unified in a way that makes it easy to seamlessly slip between each method of calling.
We might even get Google Voice in the UK by the time 2020 rolls around, though don't hold your breath.
Don't be surprised to see free 5G video calling and texting between Android devices by 2020, with all of your conversations grouped by person rather than platform, and archived and searchable in Gmail.
Eric Schmidt has already predicted that every human will be online by 2020 (no doubt hoping that we'll all have a Google+ page too), and the more people his company can help get connected the better for Google's bottom line.
3. Android payments and security in 2020
Over the next few years our phones will become even more important for making payments, transferring money and verifying our identity (everything from getting through the door at work to logging into Facebook).
The Google Authenticator app of 2020 could work with your device's NFC chip to automatically log you into Gmail when you sit down at your laptop, for example, or pay for your flight when you step on a plane. Apple has Passbook, and Google will want an equivalent in place too.
We've seen tattoos and pills shown off as possible authentication triggers of the future, and Android 2020 will play a big part in proving you are who you say you are, whether it's at a coffee shop or Google I/O.
Basic face recognition is already available, but in the years to come it has the potential to get much more accurate. It might even be joined by fingerprint or retina scanning built into Android's camera app, or at least part of the phone, now that Apple has shown that fingerprint scanning is a viable option with its new Touch ID technology.
4. Android hardware in 2020
Hardware innovations are going to play a big part in Android's roadmap. Besides the obvious smaller, thinner, faster improvements for our phones, bendable screens should be in place in the near future - the likes of Samsung have the tech already in production, and Android will change to adapt itself through scrolling rivers of news, status updates and other notifications.
Ever-changing, ever-optimising displays will be the order of the day, and the batteries and mobile processors of 2020 should be able to keep up.
Google Glass has of course generated plenty of buzz this year, good and bad, as has the rumour of an Apple iWatch to cpmpete with the Galaxy Gear. It looks like the wearable tech revolution is about to take off, and by the time 2020 rolls around this could mean miniature devices on our glasses, wrists and clothing, ready to capture every moment and record every movement.
You won't need to take photos any more, since Google will simply pick out the best pictures from the unedited stream of the day's events. Nor will you need to decide what to eat for dinner - Android 2020 will know what you've been doing today (and what you're probably doing tonight), and can pick out the most suitable foods for you.
Android: the 2020 edition
The only certainty about Android's future is that it has a fight on its hands to stay competitive. Apple's new-look iOS 7 has given Google plenty to think about, not least with its tie-ins with Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Flickr and Vimeo.
Android's continuing integration with Chrome and the desktop/laptop will make for an interesting story too - they're both run by the same man, Sundar Pichai, remember - and perhaps Google's biggest challenge will be to convince us that we can trust it with more and more information about where we are, who we communicate with and the way we live our lives.
Could this be the end of the plastic era for Samsung?
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is likely to have an all metal body, which if true would finally remedy the flagship lines one real Achilles heel.
We've heard these rumours before, but they've now been given more credence as Barclays analysts have stated that Catcher Technology Co has taken an order to make the chassis for phones in Samsung's Galaxy series, as reported by the Taipei Times.
If you recognise the name Catcher it's because it's the company that already produces the metal casings for Apple's iPhones and the HTC One.
The analysts went on to state that Samsung is likely to order metal casings from Catcher for between 10 and 30 million smartphones, though the final amount won't be confirmed until the first quarter of next year.
Cut the crosstalk
Along with finally making the jump to metal, Samsung has also announced a new CMOS image sensor dubbed ISOCELL. The new sensor isolates individual pixels which minimises electrical crosstalk between them, which in turn leads to higher colour fidelity, for sharper, richer images.
The sensor also has increased light sensitivity, which should allow it to perform well in low light conditions. It's designed for 'premium' smartphones and tablets, so there's a good chance that we'll see it in the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Along with previous rumours that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature an iPhone 5S matching 64 bit processor, unibody design and no longer have a removable battery, it looks like it's all change for the flagship Galaxy line, though it remains to be seen how much of this will pan out.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 won't be here until next year, but in the meantime there's always the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The current Galaxy Note 3 sports a huge 5.7-inch, full HD Super AMOLED display covered in a large amount of glass - and that means there's a lot of screen to damage.
Introducing a flexible display to the Note 3 will provide an almost unbreakable screen - handy as this is a big device which can easily slip out of the hand.
Why no bend?
When we hear the words "flexible display" our minds race to handsets which we can fold, roll and generally manipulate any way we want.
But in reality smartphones are still restricted by the solid components under the hood so you won't be moulding the Galaxy Note 3 into any new shapes.
The flexible-display-toting Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date is pegged for the final quarter of the year, with rumours pointing to a limited production run in October.
