Getting in ahead of the CES 2014 chaos, Asus has launched its 7-inch PadFone Mini in Taiwan.

The two-in-one device – both phone and tablet – is a cheaper option to the PadFone Infinity and comes running Android 4.3. It's also the very specimen we've seen pop up in recent leaks.

And just as the leaks also informed us, the Mini hosts a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM. The tablet packs a 1280 x 800 display while the phone is offering up a 960 x 540 screen.

Meanwhile you'll get 16GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded via the microSD slot. The whole thing is priced at NT$11,990 (about US$405, £246, AU$445).

So when can we get it?

A spokesperson for Asus told us that a UK release wouldn't happen this year, and right now the Mini has only been confirmed for China, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

But Asus told Engadget that it plans to get its PadFone Infinity line over to the US soon, so we could well see the Mini break out around the same time.

• Find out what we thought of the PadFone Infinity

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!

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.

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

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!