The "S" in iPhone 5S certainly doesn't stand for secret, as a new image said to be of batteries belonging to Apple's next smartphone has leaked.
This purported iPhone 5S battery photo shows 24 black slates that appear to be roughly the same size as the iPhone 5 battery.
The picture was taken on a factory floor, according to French site NoWhereElse, before the batteries hit the assembly line.
The alleged batteries are sitting in two trays that appear to be stacked on top of similar white containers, meaning someone is gearing up to ship these batteries out for mass production.
This certainly ties into the September-bound iPhone 5S launch rumors, increase in leaked photos, and slightly better battery life of the forthcoming device we've been hearing about.
More blips!
Still have battery life in that brain of yours? Put it to use by reading more blips
Known internally within the hallowed halls of Google as “K release,” what we refer to as Key Lime Pie is going to be the next version of Android and it’s set for release later this year. Expected to be launched as Android 5.0, Key Lime Pie will reportedly support a range of lower-end smartphones and tablets, as well as supporting “other devices.”
Up until now, even if you put Android under the hood of a smart device other than a smartphone or a tablet, you couldn’t use it straight out of the box. You couldn’t use the official version of Android that came pre-installed with Google’s web services and you couldn’t use the Android name to promote your product. That’s apparently going to change with KLP, ushering in a brave new world of Android smart appliances and wearable devices.
Wearable devices is the other next big thing. We already know about Google Glass, but Key Lime Pie might even be powering the new generation of Android smartwatches, including a Nexus-esque smartwatch that might come from Google directly. They’re also working on a new version of the Nexus Q that will likely ship with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie too.
While it is possible that we’ll get an Android 4.3 Jelly Bean before Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is offiically announced and released, the latter is also being geared to work not only on new flagship phones and tablets, but also lower-end devices. That ties in with its compatibility with smart appliances and wearable devices. Even so, we can be pretty certain that KLP will make its official debut in a new Nexus device of some kind. Nexus 5, anyone?
Sony going through Xperia overload (credit: JustAMP)
Ever since Sony announced its Xperia Z Android phone, the Japanese manufacturer has been busy building up the brand with tablets and phablets alike.
While releasing the Xperia Tablet Z and the Xperia Z Ultra could hardly be seen as over-saturation, Sony might not be done with the Xperia variants just yet.
Back in April we heard the first rumblings of a new handset dubbed the Honami alongside reports of the Togari, which went on to become the Xperia ZU.
Then just a few days ago, more signs Sony was readying a new Xperia were spotted when pics of the supposed Honami, now called the Xperia i1, made a showing, and revealed a possible 20MP camera attached to the device.
On Friday, another set of entirely different images were discovered by Just Another Mobile Phone Blog, hinting that the Xperia i1's release might not be that far off.
Alternative Xperia-nce
20MP lens in its tiny glory (credit: JustAMP)
Though no new spec information was given, the pictures do give the rumored device a bit more grounding in reality.
The dedicated camera button on the Xperia i1 sets it apart from the Xperia ZU, and you can definitely see a different camera lens on the rear of the device than the one found on the Xperia Z.
It's still believed this will be a 20MP lens, which would give Sony's smartphone a definitive leg up on the competition, at least until the oft-rumored 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020 arrives on the scene.
The earlier rumors suggested the Xperia i1 would include a 5-inch 1080p display, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, and a Walkman audio chip, but those specs have yet to be substantiated.
It's also been hinted the smartphone would used Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, feature 2GB RAM, include a a battery between 2,700-3,000mAh, and like the other Xperia devices, it too would be water- and dust-proof.
Sony is planning a July 4 event in France, and there's a strong chance the Xperia i1 could be the star of that show, so we shouldn't have to wait much longer to learn the truth about the next phone in the Xperia line.
The Huawei Ascend P6 smartphone may be the next Android device to forego its custom UI to give users the option of a 'Nexusised' Google Edition, the company revealed on Friday.
Speaking to Pocket-Lint, Kevin Ho, president of the Chinese manufacturer's handset product division, said Huawei has entered talks with Google over a version of the P6 with the pure Android experience.
"We are working with Google to analyse the possibility of bringing out a Huawei Ascend P6 with Google Edition," he told the site.
Regardless of the perceived superiority, it seems Ho is keen to give smartphone fans a choice.
The root of the issue
The clamour for Google Editions of popular Android devices began last month at Google I/O when the company announced a Samsung Galaxy S4 with the same UI that appears on branded Nexus devices.
HTC soon followed with a HTC One Google Edition, but both of which are only on sale in the US at present.
Custom skins like Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense have long divided opinion among Android fans, with some choosing to root their devices just to access raw Android.
The proliferation of Google Editions, something the search and mobile giant certainly appreciates as it attempts to reel in Android fragmentation, means users may no longer have to tamper with the device to avoid these homegrown skins.
If you're one of those folks who just can't decide whether you want a Galaxy S4 smartphone or a moderately acceptable compact camera, then your answer could arrive in the UK on July 8th.
Independent online retailer Clove has listed the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom for pre-order, pledging it'll be shipped a week on Monday.
The smartphone-glued-to-camera, which packs everything Android Jelly Bean can offer with a 10x optical zoom, has been priced at £440 by Clove.
So far there's been no official word of price and release date from Samsung, so all of this is still subject to change, but it's the best indication we have so far.
Knocking Nokia
For those hell-bent on condensing their photo-taking and call-making experiences into one package, a July 8 release date would be somewhat significant.
