As Nokia's device and services division hurtles towards a merger with Microsoft, word of the Finnish firm's long-rumored Android phone has resurfaced.

The company's Android handset is codenamed Normandy, according to sources of The Verge. The codename - apparently one of several for the clandestine phone - appeared in November along with an alleged photo courtesy of Twitter tipster @evleaks.

Nokia's Android phone is said to run a "forked" version of Google's OS, similar to how Amazon makes use of the system for its hardware.

Normandy can run Android apps like Skype and other popular applications. Because of its forked status, Nokia would be able to fully customize the OS, taking it out from under Google rule.

Nokia has reportedly been developing the phone despite the impending sale to Microsoft. Because of the acquisition situation, it's unclear whether Nokia will attempt a release of Normandy before the deal is finalized. If it decides not to, then it's equally uncertain whether Microsoft will keep Normandy afloat post-merger.

The smart money is on a big "No" for Normandy under Redmond's order.

An Asha phone

Interestingly, Nokia's Android handset is supposedly designed to be an on par with Asha - a lower-end phone that will deliver traditional smartphone apps to consumers.

Because Series 40-powered Ashas have failed to do just that, Nokia wants Normandy to pick up the slack.

Normandy is said to be "full steam ahead," with a release pegged for sometime in 2014.

The attitude within Nokia may be gun-ho, but the clock is ticking for Nokia to launch its take on Android. Regulatory hurdles are falling left and right for the Microsoft deal, and a closure can't be more than a few months away.

• Speaking of Microsoft, check out our full Xbox One review!

Source : techradar[dot]com

Remember the Ubuntu Edge, the Canonical creation that set out to earn $32 million (about £20.8m, AU$34.5m) on Indiegogo but fell very short?

Well, the company is back at it again, though this time it's maneuvering a slightly different route to deliver the Ubuntu mobile platform to the public at large.

"We have concluded our first set of agreements to ship Ubuntu on mobile phones," Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth told CNET. "We've shifted gears from 'making a concept' to 'it's going to ship.' That has a big impact on the team."

Shuttleworth stayed quiet on who its initial phone partner is, but said that Canonical is on board to deliver its Ubuntu Touch OS to a handset. High-end devices running the Linux-based operating system should be available next year.

Ooo-ooo-Ubuntu

The good news for Ubuntu supporters doesn't stop there. Shuttleworth said several board-level discussions are underway at other hardware makers.

And not just Joe Smartphones; Canonical is chatting with "four household brands" that "sell a lot of phones all over the world" to both businesses and consumers.

Ubuntu Touch has been available for install on Nexus devices, but 2014 would mark its arrival on a native machine. The OS is essentially a mobile-ized version of Ubuntu for desktop. When docked to a desktop monitor, Ubuntu Touch can launch as the full-fat desktop system.

• Get to know Mark Shuttleworth a bit in this in-depth interview.

Source : techradar[dot]com

LG G Pad 8.3 isn't the only device hitting the Play Store, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra also hit Google's virtual shelves on the same day.

Xperia Z Ultra fans craving Sony's phablet-sized device running the latest vanilla version of Android 4.4 can do so by forking over $649 (about £ 394/AUS $708). Although it looks like availability is in America only for now, global customers should be able to get their hands on the 6.4-inch handset soon.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra features a 6.4-inch screen with a 1920x1080 resolution. Inside the smartphone comes packing a Qualcomm Quad Core 2.2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB for storage that's expandable though the microSD slot.

The rather large phone also comes with a decent suite of cameras including an 8MP sensor on the back and 2MP front snapper for selfies.

Playing with the big boys

In a race to cram the biggest phone in consumers' pockets, the Xperia Z Ultra is the largest beating out its closest rival Samsung Galaxy Mega by a mere 0.1-inches.

Those that want something in the slightly smaller sub 6-inch screen world should look for the still palm busting 5.9-inch HTC One Max or 5.7 inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Of course the Play Edition of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra holds one extra feature of running a vanilla version of Android above all the other devices. Unlike other manufacturers' devices, the Xperia Z will be updated more quickly with the latest versions of Android not come preloaded bloatware or 37 pieces of visual flair.

• In another Google Play Store addition its the White 32GB Nexus 7, get them before they're gone

Source : techradar[dot]com

Flat touchscreen iOS devices and Mac displays could be a thing of the past one day now that Apple has been awarded a patent for a touch sensor capable of being manufactured on a curve.

AppleInsider reported today that a new patent awarded to Apple from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office paves the way for the iPhone 5S maker to start manufacturing devices with curved displays.

U.S. Patent No. 8,603,574 specifically outlines a "curved touch sensor" capable of producing touchscreen surfaces capable of being wrapped across the front of a device without manufacturing defects such as substrate warping or deformation.

First filed in 2010, the curved touch sensor patent specifically covers displays, touch pads and touch mice, with the invention credited to Lili Huang, Seung Jae Hong and John Z. Zhong.

Curvy roadmap ahead?

In that original patent filing, Apple noted that current methods for creating touch panels using thin-film conductors aren't ideal for curved displays, since they require lower temperatures to avoid being damaged.

Display manufacturers prefer to employ higher temperatures "for added thin film resistiveness and enhanced optical properties," according to the report.

Apple's process dodges this issue by depositing a conductive thin film over a flexible substrate while it's still flat, then adding the substrate package and applying heat to the completed stackup.

The complicated process doesn't necessarily mean Apple will adopt this method for future iOS or Mac products, so current smartphones with curved displays such as the LG G Flex appear to be safe for now.

• Check out our review of the new iPad Mini 2 with Retina Display!

Source : techradar[dot]com

Whether you've got an older Android device or one the latest Android-powered tablets or phones, there are plenty of choices when it comes to loading it with extra software.

There's an app for pretty much everything these days, and it's easy to spend hours browsing the selection in the Google Play Store. That can be a downside as it can be a problem to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That's why we're here. We've tirelessly trawled Google Play looking for the best downloads on offer - many of them are free but if there are apps that we think are worth the money we've included those, too. We've got alternative browsers, keyboards and music players, brilliant free games, apps for kids and a whole lot more.

Read on for links to all of our roundups.

80 best free Android apps

Most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. From social networking apps to ones to inspire you with new ideas at work and at home, these 80 free Android apps should be any Android owner's installs...

Read 80 best free Android apps

80 best free Android games

We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone or tablet, and these are our picks.

Read 80 best free Android games

10 best alternative Android apps

Even if you're using a phone layered down with a custom user interface like Sense or TouchWiz, there are many alternatives to your pre-installed tools and settings. These are our 10 favourite alternate Android apps.

Read 10 best alternative Android apps

10 best free Android apps for kids

There are plenty of child-friendly apps in the Android Market. From educational apps to fun apps, we've rounded up 10 your kids will love.

Read 10 best free Android apps for kids

10 best office apps for Android

Android has a wealth of productivity tools at its disposal, ranging from free and simple text editors and "to do" lists up to impressively feature-packed and rather costly suites of document management apps that promise PowerPoint and Excel editing on your mobile.

Read 10 best office apps for Android

Best Android browsers

We wouldn't recommend sticking with Internet Explorer on a PC unless you've tried out some of the alternatives, and you're doing yourself no favours if you've never ventured beyond the stock Android browser for getting around the web. We've listed eight of our favourites below.

Read Best Android browser: 8 compared for speed and features

Best Android keyboards

There's an abundance of Android keyboards on the Play Store, and you can change them until you find one you like. With this in mind, we've selected nine of the best Android keyboards available .

Read 9 best Android keyboard apps reviewed and rated

Best Android music players

The best way to unify your Android music player experience is to use one of the many standalone apps out there, all of which offer their own take on how to best make your MP3 collection sing out of your phone. Here are 10 of the best ways to get your mobile managing your tunes today.

Read 10 best Android music players

Best Android movie players

If you have a relatively modern handset with a fast processor, the following media apps will spice up Google's rather boring movie playback options and widen your options when it comes to video viewing.

Read 10 best Android movie player apps

Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung's tradition of packing its Galaxy and Note phones with AMOLED displays may have come to an end.

The latest rumour is that Samsung is looking to fit PLS LCD displays on its future phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4 – both of which are expected in 2014.

According to G 4 Games, who picked up the story from the hit-and-miss etnews, the reason is that Samsung is looking to cut down on production costs.

For your consideration

The important thing to note here it that Samsung is apparently only "considering" at the moment, so don't get too overworked by the news.

But the reports state that Samsung could make a decent 20% cost cut by opting for PLS LCD over AMOLED, so it's no doubt a big decision for the company.

Especially as, at the same time, Samsung is said to be looking to put AMOLED displays on its top-end Android tablets.

• What else is going on with the Samsung Galaxy S5 then?

Source : techradar[dot]com

While Android phones are still being made with a physical menu button on them, Google is making it pretty obvious that they're not wanted by shifting all functions to the on-screen capacitive button in KitKat.

Writes Google engineer Adam Powell:

"The menu button is not pining, it's passed on! The button is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to a flagship device it'd be pushing up the daisies! THIS IS AN EX-BUTTON!!"

Okay then. Just need those pesky manufacturers to get on board, eh?

More blips

Let's get physical with some more blips.

• Send in the drones: German firm gets in on the unmanned delivery act
• Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox One release date settles on December 24
• Ebay Xbox scam sucker gets free console for his trouble

Source : techradar[dot]com

This isn't the first time that we've heard the Nexus 8 might be a thing that exists or that LG might be making it, but now we have more fuel to add to that fire.

A recent tweet from @evleaks states that a tablet with the model number LG V510 is indeed a Nexus tablet and it backs that up with what seems to be an inventory manifest which shows that the LG V510 is a Google device.

Seen it all before

Whatever it ends up being, a manual for the device, leaked by the Japanese site RBmen, suggests that its specs will be very similar to those of the LG G Pad 8.3, including in 8.3 inch 1920 x 1200 screen, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 5MP rear camera, a 1.3MP front facing camera and a 4600 mAh battery.

The manual doesn't include the word 'Nexus' but it does state that the LG V510 will be running stock Android, which strongly suggests that it will be a Nexus device.

We're still waiting on a Nexus 10 refresh but in the meantime we'd quite happily take a Nexus 8 to tide us over, if that is indeed what this is.

• Can't wait for the Nexus 8? Then check out the Nexus 7.

Source : techradar[dot]com

While the world at large may have poo-pooed the 'phablet' at first glance, Samsung's sales figures show that these big-screened phones are becoming more and more popular with every passing iteration.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has blown previous Notes out of the water by hitting 10 million sales within 60 days of going on sale, which isn't making anyone more enthusiastic about calling it a 'phonblet'.

It joins such Samsung handsets as the SGH-T100, SGH-E250, Samsung Galaxy S, S2, S3, S4 and Note 2 in the Samsung 10 Million Sellers Club which isn't so much an exclusive club as a list of phones Samsung has made.

Infinity and beyond

The Note 2 did pretty well for itself too, hitting 30 million sales back in October 2013 after going on sale a year before - at the Note 3's current speed, it should out-do its predecessor quite comfortably.

Attentions understandably turn to future Samsung products, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 presumably currently in development - we don't expect to see that get its big unveil until IFA 2014 which, mark your calendars, kicks off in September.

Not so long to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S5, though, which should be birthed after MWC 2014 in February, at which point we may also be treated to a Galaxy Note 3 Lite.

• What spiffy new features will the Samsung Galaxy S5 bring? Find out here

Source : techradar[dot]com