The HTC One could soon be released in a slew of new variations, according to reports this week.
Most recently we learned of a bigger HTC One that's rumored to have a large display between five and six inches, according to pocket-lint.com.
The site was tipped off to the larger HTC One variant by the ever reliable "people familiar with the matter."
The HTC Android flagship currently comes in at 4.7 inches, so a 5-incher would be quite an upgrade.
Bigger, but not better?
The larger HTC One will feature the same specs under the hood as the existing HTC One, the site said.
But its display could be more than a full inch bigger.
There's no word on a name or a possible launch date for the new phone, and HTC isn't likely to comment until it's ready to make an official announcement.
But that's not all
Pocket Lint suggests that the new, bigger HTC One will be better able to compete with its rival, Samsung's Galaxy S4.
But the Galaxy S4 is also rumored to be coming soon in multiple variations, including a more rugged "Active" version and a "Zoom" version with a superior camera.
The HTC One, too, was rumored this week to be coming in some new editions - specifically, a "Google Edition" and an HTC One mini.
Yes, just like the Galaxy S4 mini (sort of). There's no greater form of flattery than imitation, right?
We first learned Apple was going to great lengths to give iOS 7 designer Jonathan Ives the time necessary to complete his overhaul of the operating system earlier this May.
The new iOS 7 is still believed to be on track for a debut at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference in June, and is expected to be used in the next iPhone later this year.
With WWDC 2013 just a few weeks away, it appears iOS 7 has found its way out into the wild, as sources have given loads of details on the "flat" redesign to 9to5Mac.
Longtime iPhone users may be in for a bit of a surprise, as the leak suggests iOS 7 will be a complete overhaul, and will replace the vibrant look and feel of the phone with a more minimalist, monochromatic approach.
Sleek and simple
The first major change indicated by the sources was a distinct lack of skeuomorphic style, as the fake textures and effects you're so used to seeing will be swapped out with a more basic design sense.
Everything starts with the new Lock screen, where the glossy image and clock have been replaced by a stark black screen with supposed improved gesture controls.
Even the security code pad has been altered, and instead of the familiar overlay, a new interface with round, black keys with white text has emerged.
As an added bonus, new panoramic wallpapers will be a part of the package, and will show different parts of an image on new pages.
Android users have been able to set such wallpapers for a long while, but this gives all those panorama photo takers on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 a place to display the widescreen memories they've captured.
By merely removing the false shadows and sheen of the standard Home screen, iOS 7 appears to be flatter, though this is part of Ive's concept to deliver an operating system that matches the physical form of the iPhone.
It will be almost immediately apparent just how different everything looks as base apps like Calendar, Camera, Game Center, and Safari will be pared down quite a bit from their current incarnations.
App-solutely different
Apps won't only change in their outward appearance, as Ive has also spearheaded the revamp of the programs when opened as well.
Inside, apps like Mail and Messages will feature more uniform looks, with each individual app getting its own signature color highlights to emphasize the white background they will all reportedly share.
Weather will also see a similar reworking, but may also get some minor animated touches for different situations, be it raining or sunny.
The various storefronts (iTunes, iBook, and App) will all be rewashed in a brighter white, rather than the black they have become synonymous with, and the Newstand is also believed to be dropping the wood grain, too.
iPhone users who frequently FaceTime should be glad to hear a separate button for the feature will be added, as it was for the iPad and iPod Touch.
Potent Notables
With all the other changes coming, it should be no surprise the Notification tab will also undergo significant retooling.
White text will again star on a dark grey and black pull-down menu, which will no longer feature the linen texture.
You can already get weather, stock, and sports information, but Apple is also tweaking Notifications to also include local news, and some other widgets still being tested.
Most importantly though, a new panel is expected to be included which will feature easy access to Airplane, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth toggles.
Having those not buried under the Settings app should go a long way in making the iPhone even more intuitive for new and long-time users.
All of these major changes fall in line with rumors we've heard before, but we won't have long to wait for WWDC 2013 to see just how Jony Ive has revitalized iOS for a new generation of users.
Travel app Waze has found itself at the centre of a bidding war between Google and Facebook, according to new information.
Waze, a community driven GPS social navigation app, is one of the main data suppliers for the rather-maligned Apple Maps. In January, it was reported that Apple and Waze were in takeover talks, with Apple putting $500m (about £330m, AUS $516m) on the table, which Waze rejected.
Then Facebook came in offering around $1bn (about £660m, AUS $1.03bn) - and now Google is said to making its own offer as well.
Clash of the Titans
Waze took the spotlight in the wake of Hurricane Sandy when government agencies contacted the company to ask its users which gas stations were running low on fuel.
Both Google and Facebook see Waze as a way to improve their own standings in the mobile arena.
Google will want to incorporate Waze's real-time traffic updates and social elements into its revamped Google Maps, whereas Facebook will see Waze's 40m users as a perfect advertising and mobile expansion opportunity.
Which will come out on top? The ball certainly seems to be in Waze's court, so stay tuned.
Between a second complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and a new federal lawsuit in California, Nokia has added nine additional patents for a grand total of 50 infringement claims lobbed in HTC's direction.
HTC had little to say in response beyond its intentions to "consider all legal options to protect our rights."
HTC One ban?
Nokia accuses HTC of shifting any patent infringement blame onto its suppliers - a claim that's falling upon deaf ears in Nokia's native Finland.
"Despite the German courts confirming infringements of Nokia patents in HTC products, HTC has shown no intention to end its practices. We have therefore taken these further steps to hold HTC accountable for its actions."
According to Foss Patents, Nokia's second ITC complaint appears to be aimed at a full U.S. import ban on the HTC One, which is listed as one of the devices implicated.
Six patents singled out in the most recent ITC complaint include delivery of new features, video encoding/decoding, radio frequency components and "app-specific permissions."
The market for mid-level handsets is exploding, and manufacturers are hurrying to offer even more choice for those on a stricter budget, so the Xperia SP brings a mid-range price with a lot of technology borrowed from its bigger, Xperia Z, brother.
Sony has been busy since the split from Ericsson and has put out an ever-increasing number of Xperia models to try and capture customers at every conceivable price point and specs sheet. The latest is the Sony Xperia SP, a mid-level Android smartphone that sits below the flagship Xperia Z and above the budget Xperia E.
Sony is taking on lesser-known Android handsets such as the Acer Liquid E2, ZTE Blade 3 or LG Optimus G Pro with the Sony Xperia SP's £350/US$490 price point. But one look at the box is enough to tell you that the Japanese company still means business - even though this isn't the flag bearer for the Xperia line.
All of Sony's considerable tech expertise is being brought to bear on the Xperia SP. The packaging proudly bears the logos for Bravia Engine (screen), Exmor RS (camera) and PlayStation (gaming), all of which have found their way into the Sony Xperia SP's 131 x 67 x 10mm (5.14 x 2.64 x 0.39 inch) frame.
The phone itself is a step down from the 5-inch models that have dominated 2013's headlines. The 1280 x 720 pixel screen measures a pocket-friendly 4.6 inches, and the 10mm thin casing is blackened aluminium rather than the glass-slab Sony Xperia Z chassis.
Unfortunately, while other phones such as the HTC One have pushed the screen right to the edge of the case, there's still a noticeable bezel around the Sony Xperia SP's Gorilla Glass display.
Designers Jessie Zhao and Toshihide Umedan apparently started with a simple paper mockup when they began work on the Sony Xperia SP.
To us, it looks similar to last year's Sony Xperia S handset thanks in no small part to the transparent antenna running along the base of the handset.
It's functional as much as aesthetic, lighting up with notifications and incoming calls, as well as pulsating to music and getting stronger when you push up the volume.
While the curved frame is moulded aluminium, the removable back is a black speckled plastic polycarbonate that's smooth to touch and features the Xperia logo right in the centre. It's a more subdued design than the glittering back of the Google Nexus 4 and helps to give the Sony Xperia SP an air of premium quality beyond its price tag.
Our review unit came in black but there's also a choice of red or white to be had. However, the one rather obvious flaw with the build is that the back of the Sony Xperia SP does flex ever so slightly when pushed.
In keeping with Android Jelly Bean's soft key UI, there's no physical home key on the front of the Sony Xperia SP, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4. The right-hand side of the phone is where you'll find all the physical buttons in the form of a volume rocker, power on/off switch and physical shutter button for the camera.
Forget, for a moment, the praise heaped on the camera-crafting skills of HTC or Samsung. Because the snappers that Sony has been loading onto its Xperia phones in the last couple of years have been some of the best in the market. Honestly, the Japanese company really knows its stuff when it comes to taking pictures.
The 8MP rear-facing camera on the Sony Xperia SP is understandably a few rungs below the Sony Xperia Z or the HTC One, but still manages to be an excellent substitute for an everyday compact camera. Sony uses the newly developed Exmor RS sensor to give the Sony Xperia SP some kick, and there's also a front-facing VGA lens for video chat and the occasional self portrait.
The removable back of the Sony Xperia SP reveals the microSD slot that enables you to swell the memory from the rather pathetic 8GB of native storage up to 32GB with a card. You'll need to as well, because only about 5.5GB of that is actually available to use.
The Sony Xperia SP uses the Android Jelly Bean OS, but Sony has overlaid this with its own TimeScape skin. It's being run by a dual-core 1.7GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 graphics chip.
There's obviously a lot of sparkling Japanese technology inside because, well, the Sony Xperia SP is a bit on the heavy side. Not too heavy that you'll worry about holding it to your ear for any length of time, but it doesn't have the lighter-than-it-looks reaction that the iPhone 5 and BlackBerry Z10 both enjoy.
Of course, there are different schools of thought when it comes to smartphone weight, and you might feel that the 155g (5.47oz) Sony Xperia SP actually feels better for having a bit of heft. The smaller chassis does mean the weight is more concentrated than on the larger 5-inch handsets.
Sony's Xperia SP doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to smartphone design. It's still a black, rectangular slab and the introduction of a translucent bar doesn't really change that, but it's really not a bad-looking handset. The smaller size means your fingers will curl protectively around it, and the all-black, unblemished front brings it into the BlackBerry Z10 realm of business dress.
Then there's always the price to consider. It's available SIM-free from Sony for £349/US$489.99, and UK customers can pick it up for free on a £21 monthly contract which, all things considered, is pretty damn reasonable.
Of course, you'll want to know how the thing performs - so read on, and be enlightened.
