People are already talking about 5G, but we are certainly years away from seeing that network launching. For now, the best thing is 4G LTE (and LTE-A too). And since more and more customers are now interested in trying out 4G LTE, more wireless providers are getting into it and one among them is AT&T’s prepaid subsidiary Aio Wireless.
Aio, a no contract wireless provider, has announced the launch of their 4G LTE service, and have also introduced the ZTE Overture which is coming with support for the network. The smartphone features the Android Jelly Bean OS, a touch 4″ LCD display, 5MP back cam, and memory up to 32GB. The device will be available in July.
But those who are on Aio with a 4G LTE device will surely get the service soon. They have released an OTA software update that automatically upgrades SIM cards for enabling 4G LTE.
Are you using 4G LTE on Aio now? Are the speeds enough for you?
The Samsung Galaxy Fame is a phone that comes with a celebrity name, but certainly no celebrity price tag. Available SIM-free and unlocked from around £180/US$200 and free on UK contracts starting as low as £10 per month, the Samsung Galaxy Fame will certainly not drain your bank balance.
It is unsurprising that Samsung has the most prolific smartphone sales figures. With Galaxy devices as numerous as stars in the night sky spanning every corner of the market, from the highest end SamsungGalaxy S4 and announced Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the super-sized Samsung Galaxy Note 2 right through to the ageing Samsung Galaxy S3 before hitting the lowest ends with the Samsung Galaxy Fame and the Samsung Galaxy Young.
Samsung has clearly got a design ethos in mind, one that has been apparent since the Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S3 was far curvier than its predecessor, with its successor following very much in its footsteps.
With the Samsung Galaxy brand all very much in line, the Samsung Galaxy Fame is positioned at the very bottom, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Young. With vital statistics sitting at 113.2 x 61.6 x 11.6mm (4.46 x 2.43 x 0.46) in size and 120.6g (4.25oz) in weight, Samsung has created a handset that sits very comfortably in the hand, if a little heavier than expected.
Clues to the smaller price tag are certainly evident from the off, the smaller 3.5-inch screen with a 320 x 480 HVGA resolution and plastic body being the biggest clues. That said, Samsung has been a fan of using plastics on its devices since the off, with its appearance on its flagship smartphones always being a talking point. On the Samsung Galaxy Fame, the plastic feel fits the phone.
Sticking with the design of the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes in two colours, our review model coming in white, with blue also being available. A faux metallic band surrounds the bezel, which is noticeably thicker than on premium handsets. The curved back wraps tightly round the back of the Fame, offering a reassuringly snug fit.
As with every modern smartphone, the screen dominates proceedings. The aforementioned HVGA resolution was always going to be a bit of a worry, but its diminutive size goes some way to helping. Thankfully, the resolution doesn't greatly hinder the phone, since Samsung's screen tech keeping things vivid and a lot brighter than expected.
Elsewhere on the front of the Samsung Galaxy Fame is the traditional Home button, sandwiched between the Menu and Return soft keys. At the opposite end is a metallic speaker, the VGA front-facing camera and a couple of sensors.
Underneath this, Samsung has powered the Galaxy Fame with a single core 1GHz processor, as well as 512MB of RAM. These sit alongside a VGA front-facing camera, 5MP rear snapper (with flash) and 4GB of internal storage, of which a mere 1.95GB is free.
Externally, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes with the standard micro USB port at the bottom, sat alongside the microphone, with the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.
Unsurprisingly, the volume rocker is on the left and the Power/Lock button is directly opposite, on the right-hand side. Being such a small phone, every inch of the screen - as well as every button - was easy to hit one-handed, which is ideal for the younger generation that Samsung seems to be aiming the Galaxy Fame at.
Behind the wrap-around back cover, which sits reassuringly tightly to the back of the Fame, the 1300mAh battery sits over the SIM slot. Thankfully, as with all Samsung Galaxy devices, the Samsung Galaxy Fame also comes equipped with a microSD slot, which even more thankfully is hot-swappable.
The Samsung Galaxy Fame shapes up to be an interesting prospect. The budget market has become increasingly packed with Android phones, with last year's flagship devices slipping down the price scales to sit alongside newly launched tech. The question is, will the Samsung Galaxy Fame live forever? Or will it crash into the ground while learning to fly?
Sony is apparently working on a super-sized smartphone - a phablet if you will - over in Japan as it eyes up the market currently dominated by the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
The handset originally leaked as the Sony Togari, but since January it's blossomed into the Sony Xperia ZU, and even more recently the Xperia Z Ultra - a naming regime which highlights that this will be a top of the range device.
Like it or not, the phablet market is continuing to grow as more and more manufacturers join Samsung in the oversized phone arena, so it's no great surprise that Sony is looking to jump on the bandwagon with LG, Huawei, Acer and ZTE.
There have been a number of leaks and rumours floating around the web for the past few months, so we've gathered them together to bring you an overview of what Sony might be planning.
Sony Xperia ZU release date and price
While there's no clear indication of a Sony Xperia ZU release date, we reckon we have an idea when the Japanese firm will unveil its super-sized smartphone.
Over in Germany Sony has sent out invites to an event on June 25, while in France invites to a July 4 event show a slender handset propped up to one side while claiming Sony Mobile has a "big surprise" in store - how exciting!
If the Xperia Z Ultra does indeed make an appearance at one or both of these shows then you can probably expect the handset to hit stores towards the end of July/beginning of August.
And you might want to start saving now, as you can bet your bottom dollar that it won't be arriving on the cheap.
Sony Xperia ZU display
There seems to be some confusion of the size of the screen on the Xperia ZU, but one common theme from all the leaks we've seen so far is that it's going to be over 6 inches.
The first round of rumours suggested the Sony Togari (as it was known then) would sport a mega 6.44-inch, full HD display which would trump the 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate and Samsung's recently announced 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega.
This report was backed up a few months later by a couple of different sources - the latter of which also quoted a 342ppi pixel density on an IPS LCD screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution.
However there's a twist in this 6.44-inch tale, as the most recent spec leak for the Xperia ZU points towards the Sony handset having a slightly smaller, 6.21-inch display with a 1,824 x 1,080 resolution.
Sony Xperia ZU OS
There's not been a great deal of talk surrounding the operating system the Xperia ZU could be running. Perhaps that's because everyone assumes Android is at it's heart, but only recently has Google's platform actually been name checked.
According to a series of leaked screenshots claiming to show various details of the Xperia Z Ultra, you can expect the latest version of Google's software to adorn this phablet - Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
To be honest we struggle to see how it will be anything else. There's the tiniest of outside chances Android 4.3 Jelly Bean may make an appearance, but considering the Xperia ZU launch is potentially days away we reckon Google may have already piped up with a release of Android 4.3 too.
Sony Xperia ZU processor
What goes hand in hand with a big screen? Big power, of course. And the Xperia ZU looks set to follow that trend with reports pointing towards a meaty 2.3GHz quad-core processor will be found inside.
This has also been quoted by another source, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 looking like the chip of choice for the ZU.
Another source has suggested it will pack four cores clocked at 2.2GHz - but perhaps that's a little typo - backed up with a decent 2GB of RAM.
Sony Xperia ZU additional specs
In terms of built-in storage the Xperia ZU looks set to come with 16GB, although a microSD slot looks like a nailed on certainty as it follows in the footsteps of the flagship Sony Xperia Z.
Early leaks suggested we may see a beefy 20MP Cyber-shot camera complete with Carl Zeiss lens slapped on the back of the Xperia ZU, but more recent rumours seem to play down this powerful camera.
The Xperia ZU looks more likely to actually sport a more reserved 8MP snapper instead, while on the front we could be looking at a 1.3MP option.
With such a large screen and powerful processor the Xperia Z Ultra will need a battery big enough to keep it alive, and we're hearing it could arrive at around the 3000mAh mark.
This would be a touch smaller than the 3100mAh battery found in the Galaxy Note 2 and considering the Xperia ZU is supposed to be sporting a larger, higher resolution display battery life could be an issue.
We have been hearing about the LG Optimus G2 for quite some time. Now, the company has announced to the press that they will be hosting an event on August 7th in New York City. That could be where the G2 might finally be revealed.
They haven’t said anything else, such as what device (or devices) is (are) going to be unveiled, but the next G smartphone is certainly a safe bet. Many have speculated that the device will be launched in early September, around the time the IFA is scheduled to happen.
The Optimus G2 will most probably have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, and is also expected to come with support for LTE-A Advanced network like the upcoming version of the Galaxy S4. Rumors also suggest a 5 inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, Android 4.2.2. Jelly Bean, 2GB of RAM and a 13 megapixel shooter.
LG has promised that they will be giving out more info regarding the event, maybe via teasers. But we are digging in to find out hints as early as possible, so stay tuned for updates.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 has quickly become the go-to chip for high-end Android devices on the market, but soon the focus will be on the Snapdragon 800, especially now that its impressive first benchmarks are out. Now the question is which devices will arrive equipped with the new chip.
Samsung’s S4 is currently using the 600 chip, but the company co-chief exec recently confirmed that the company is working on a faster version of the S4 which will arrive with support for the super fast LTE-Advanced. That device is expected to feature the new Snapdragon 800 chip.
And if info about a user manual is to be believed, the LTE-A S4 will indeed arrive with the processor. The device will be launched in South Korea as early as this month.
LG, which is apparently very satisfied with their partnership with Qualcomm, will be launching their next “G” phone with the upcoming Snapdragon chip. There haven’t been any hints about the release date, but it is expected that it will arrive sometime in September.
Sony has planned a “big surprise” for everyone, and all the hints are pointing towards the Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet with a 6.4-inch screen. The device has been rumored to have the 800 chip inside.
And now, leaked screenshots thought to be from the Z Ultra (aka Togari) appear to have confirmed the presence of the chip. The device will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 chipset with 2.2GHz quad-core processor. July 4th is the day that everything will become official.
And there have been rumors about an HTC T6 phablet, which is now known by the name HTC One Max. The device is rumored to have a Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core processor, a 5.9″ 1080p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and an UltraPixel back camera.
