The specs of an upcoming handset, the HTC Ville C, have been spotted by BriefMobile. They reveal a version of the HTC One S (shown) that is reported to be less costly, mainly thanks to its Snapdragon S3 processor rather than the S4 in the One S. It's being billed as ultra-slim, though exactly how thin isn't known.
Yet another Samsung smartphone has been quietly revealed, this time by carrier KT in South Korea. The device, known thus far only by its SHV-E170K model number, would get an LTE radio and sport a dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4. It will also ship with Android 4.0.4 onboard, SammyHub reported, but it will have Samsung's TouchWiz custom skin onboard as well.
An LG smartphone with the designation LS970 has been leaked courtesy of an anonymous Brief Mobile source. The ‘Eclipse 4G LTE’ is notable for its horsepower, which could make it most powerful smartphone on the market when it lands. Under the hood, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 ‘Krait’ quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with a generous 2GB of RAM.
Sony Mobile has announced its first LTE handsets powered by Qualcomm’s fast Krait-based Snapdragon S4 dual-core processors. Capable of download speeds up to 75mbps, the Xperia GX and SX will also be the first Sony Xperia handsets to launch with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box. Sony also claims that the smaller of the two phones, the Xperia SX is also the world’s lightest LTE smartphone at just 95 grams.
Verizon has made the Droid Incredible 4G LTE official, though this wasn't a surpsie, since the handset's product page was leaked last month. The 4-inch Super LCD qHD-equipped phone has Android 4.0 onboard with HTC's Sense 4.0 on top and it will connect to Verizon's 4G LTE network for some of the highest mobile broadband speeds available in the industry. The phone is powered by a dual-core, 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 processor that's also used in the One S.
The HTC One V smartphone is now available in Canada at provider Bell. On a three-year contract, the phone won't require any up-front payment, though the required voice and data plan is at least $50 CAD ($50.30). Contract-free, the phone is priced at $300 CAD (about $302).
The first image of Samsung's upcoming Windows Phone smartphone, the SGH-i667, codenamed Mandel, has shown up on Chinese forum WPXAP. While the model number is shared with the Focus S on AT&T, the Mandel supports LTE networks, as revealed by FCC testing in March. It is also likely to arrive at AT&T, though exactly when isn't known.
For HTC, 2011 was sometimes considered a write-off: what looked to be a promising year with an early 4G lead saw the company overwhelmed by Apple and Samsung, and even by its own at times confusing lineup with problematic phones like the Thunderbolt. The One series for 2012 is the reboot, a return to basics with an emphasis on high-end design and even stripping back the custom Sense interface layer. We'll determine in our review of the HTC One X in 4G LTE trim, and to some extent the Evo 4G LTE, whether HTC is back to being a fierce competitor for the iPhone and Galaxy roster.
More details, including a newly spied photo, have emerged about two forthcoming Sony Xperia smartphones originally listed on the leaked Sony 2012 smartphone roadmap. The LT29i Hayabusa, pictured, will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 and will center on a 4.55-inch HD Reality display. The LT29i will is also expected to be just 7mm thin, yet still pack a high capacity 2200mAh battery.
Images anonymously sent to Greek site Techblog have revealed an as yet unannounced addition to Sony's Xperia lineup. Codenamed Tapioca, the Android 4.0 device appears to be a budget-level addition to Sony's handset offerings.
Samsung officials in Korea have purportedly hinted that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III will get different chips for different markets. The comments were made by an unnamed exec after Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs admitted that the 28nm MSM chips were facing a supply shortage, The Korea Times reported. Qualcomm chips will only be used in the US, the Samsung exec said, not explaining why.
T-Mobile as promised has started selling the HTC One S. The first HTC One series phone in the US comes only in Gradient Blue and costs $200 on a contract, albeit only after a $50 rebate. Buyers can opt for it $600 contract-free.
Some new tips have pointed to Verizon aiming for the low-cost tablet with more definitive plans for a ZTE tablet. An accessory maker claimed to PocketNow that the seven-inch, unreleased V66 would come to Verizon as the Turbine. It's rumored to be similar to the Optik at Sprint, sharing its dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon, but would have the expected much faster 4G LTE data.
Canada has slightly beaten the US to the punch and is getting the 4G LTE version of the HTC One X on Rogers ahead of AT&T's May 6 date. We have our test unit on hand and have been giving it an early shakedown in advance of a fuller review. Read ahead for our initial impressions.
Verizon itself inadvertently confirmed the new Droid Incredible through a product page (since pulled) on its own Droid Does website. Now known to be called the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, the phone is now known to be a heavily modified take on the One S. While the shrink to a four-inch LCD and an underclocked 1.2GHz Snapdragon were known, it should have the dedicated ImageSense processing chip of the One series to get the burst shooting and faster response times.
A new Samsung smartphone with the codename ‘Jasper’ has been spotted undergoing Bluetooth certification. Other details to surface so far about the new handset includes that it is undergoing testing with Verizon and that it is running Qualcomm’s speedy dual-core Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960) based on its proprietary ‘Krait’ architecture. The processor is the same 1.5GHz model found in the HTC One X for AT&T and the HTC One S that has been shown to blow past the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core chip.
Sony's split with Ericsson is as much a cultural break as a corporate one, and the Xperia S on the surface reflects that. It's a showcase for the company's design and technology. But with the split just months old, has Sony's mobile team learned its lesson? Our Sony Xperia S review will decide whether Sony can hold its own, or if pressure from HTC, Samsung, and Apple is still fierce.
Analysts at Citigroup and Piper Jaffray helped trigger stock market jitters on Thursday over the implications of LTE chip supply as it relates to Apple. Following Qualcomm statements after its quarterly results that there was a supply shortage of its 28 nanometer chips made at TSMC, Citi's Glen Yeung and Piper's Gene Munster both suggested that was a direct sign of Apple choosing a 28nm MSM9615 cellular chipset for its next iPhone. To Yeung, a ramp down in existing 45nm parts combined with the shortage was a sign Apple was switching production and lowering orders of older hardware as it got ready to produce the new.
Following launch secrecy details, a second leak Wednesday has dropped hints that the Galaxy S III, or whatever the device is named, may be a breakthrough in speed. The same source for The Verge as earlier said it would use the rumored quad-core chip, likely the Exynos 4412, and deliver "superlative benchmark performance." The part isn't confirmed, but it's likely to be identical to the Samsung chip in the Meizu MX Quad-core, which could be 60 percent faster than the dual-core MX.
Qualcomm Incorporated released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 today, with numbers showing substantial revenue growth for yet another consecutive quarter. The mobile chip and network gear maker noted record revenue and earnings per share growth, driven by 3G- and 4G-enabled devices.
The FCC has approved the Pantech ADR910L according to a recent filing. Believed to be the sucessor to the Breakout, Pantech's budget LTE handset on Verizon, the Android 4.0 smartphone will use a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor.
The AT&T version of the HTC One X received its official launch details on Wednesday. The LTE-equipped Android 4.0 hardware should be in stores on May 6 and will be priced aggressively for an LTE phone, at $200 on a contract. Pre-orders start April 22.
Motorola might be making a fundamental shift from its loyalty to TI if an inadvertent GLBenchmark test run posting is an indicator. A phone known as the MB886, codenamed Qinara and possibly a reference to the Dinara has shown up using Qualcomm's MSM8960, or the same 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 chip as found in phones like HTC's One S. Motorola has used TI's OMAP and occasionally NVIDIA's Tegra 2 in its Android phones, suggesting a new direction in chip options.
The AT&T version of the HTC One X may get its final release window very soon. Rumors emerging from BGR have an announcement due as soon as Tuesday, with shipping coming "within five to seven days" of that date. Pricing itself wasn't given out, but it's expected to come in at $250 to $300 given AT&T's past 4G phone pricing.
Nokia has inadvertently let some owners of the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 get full control over their phones. A discovery by XDA-Developers member biktor_gj has found that some phones ship with Qualcomm's stock bootloader, not the Nokia-customized version, and can load any custom firmware. Accordingly, he had already posted an interop unlock that lets owners load virtually any app, not just those cleared through the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Canadian carrier Rogers has dates both official and semi-official for two of its highest-end Android smartphones for the spring. A leak to MobileSyrup of internal Rogers info has put the HTC One X release date as April 20. The provider had already confirmed that its version, which has the same 4G LTE and Snapdragon S4 as the future AT&T model, should cost $170 on a three-year contract.
A rendering and press photos of what may turn out to be Verizon's second smartphone shipped with Android 4.0 has surfaced. An image of the HTC Incredible 4G has been posted by Pocketnow, while photos have emerged at Android Police. Rumors of the phone, known also as the HTC Droid Incredible 4G and HTC Fireball, first appeared in February.
T-Mobile erased suspicions of an upcoming HTC One S launch Wednesday by sending invitations to the media for an introductory event on April 18. The evening event will include music from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and is explicitly intended to give hands-on time with the T-Mobile version of the Android 4.0 headliner. Internal leaks have had the phone shipping exactly a week later, on April 25.
HTC's One S got clues it was much closer to release after leaks of internal staff training. Material passed on to TmoNews have it selling the phone on April 25, which is likely "Final" barring a delay. The copies mostly recap features, but also position the One S as one of if not the most important phone T-Mobile will have for the spring.
The Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 tablet that went through FCC testing last month has now showed up in a very official-looking YouTube video. The 9.7-inch tablet's specs are revealed and possibly confirmed in the video, including its 9.7-inch, 1024x768 IPS LCD display. A stock Android 4.0 OS is onboard, and the tablet is just 8.9mm (0.35in) thick.
The HTC One Sfor T-Mobile has surfaced undergoing benchmark testing and the results are impressive. Its dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (Krait) processor shows a result that it is more than twice as fast as the Samsung dual-core Exynos processor at the heart of the Galaxy Nexus in its Quadrant score. Where the Galaxy Nexus scores around 2,000 on the benchmark, the HTC One S pushes past 4,000 giving it the crown, alongside its similarly powered sibling, the HTC One X.
HTC's One V on Friday had its first official release in the company's home area of Taiwan. The more affordable of the Android 4.0 lineup is currently on sale through Chungwa Telecom for the equivalent of about $339 off-contract. To mark the occasion, Netbook News has conducted an unboxing as well as some early tests.
Lenovo, traditionally a PC maker, will begin accepting pre-orders for its range of smart TVs in China as soon as April 10, PCWorld learned. A dedicated website has already been set up, and the flagship model will be the 55-inch K91 Android Smart TV we had a chance to check out at CES. It alone gets a 240Hz LED panel with 3D capability.
A new and potentially far-reaching rumor has had TSMC's 28-nanometer manufacturing capacity significantly hampered for about half of the year. Supply was said by Digitimes, which has a mixed track record, to be tight enough that it wouldn't clear up until the end of the summer. The shortage was enough that it was purportedly forcing AMD, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm to all limit their releases or find alternative suppliers.
When HP released its ill-fated 10-inch TouchPad, it was also prepping a smaller seven-inch version for the market. In August it sent the device to the FCC for regulatory approval, and even through the company abandoned the entire webOS-based family a few weeks later, HP did not pull the submission for the smaller tablet. Wireless Goodness has now posted photos from the FCC filing's teardown.
South Korean electronics maker Pantech has announced plans to soon bring out a successor to the Vega Racer sequel the Vega Racer 2, the country's Digital Daily reported. The early specs are aggressive and include a huge 4.8-inch touchscreen with a 720p resolution along with a dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4. There will also be an LTE radio onboard, along with a ceramic body which Pantech claimed is a world-first.
As expected, HTC and Sprint have formally unveiled the Evo 4G LTE smartphone at a special event in New York City. The handset appears to serve as an LTE variant of HTC's One X, which was introduced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, though the Sprint model offers several additional upgrades alongside the LTE radio.
HTC at its live event Wednesday rolled out the Evo 4G LTE. Its adaptation of the One X we tried in February will be the first in the US with HD Voice. The trick ups the effective bitrate of voice to provide a clearer and more natural sound, although Sprint hasn't explained fully how it works.
All doubt as to the HTC Evo One's existence was removed overnight as a new leak showed it in the flesh. Somehow getting access to an early unit, Android Life confirmed both the slightly reworked design on the front and a back with a kickstand. It remained responsive and had the same quick responsiveness, high-end 720p display, and other traits as the One X we tried in February.
Sprint's adaptation of the Evo One, has been given a last-minute leak through a press render. The shot obtained by Pocketnow shows a device that has clearly made some cosmetic changes, eliminating some of the curves and making it slightly taller than the reference version that AT&T will be carrying.
The LG Miracle may be bound for two North American carriers at once, based on separate tips. The Windows Phone hardware has shown in an FCC filing as the LS831 intended for Sprint. Details are short as to how it would differ beyond the needed CDMA and EVDO 3G, but it would have a five-megapixel back camera and the expected front VGA camera.
Qualcomm senior VP Rob Chandhok in discussion Friday made clear that the quad-core version of the Snapdragon S4 would be destined for Windows 8 notebooks. Confirming that ARM wouldn't be confined to tablets for Windows 8, Chandhok told IDG that he expected them to show up Intel's ultrabook concept with thinner designs and longer battery life. They would share the 28 nanometer process behind the dual-core versions, but the extra power would make them more viable for games and more complex apps as the software underwent an "maturation."
With the Nokia Lumia 900 due on April 8 at AT&T, the carrier has now begun offering the phone for pre-order. Only matte black and cyan colors will be available on April 8, with a white version expected to follow on April 22. As expected, the phone is priced at $100 on a two-year voice and data contract.
A new source speaking to Android Central maintains that the HTC One X smartphone variant that will be unveiled at a joint event with Sprint on April 4 will be called the Evo One. Other key information revealed by this latest, unnamed source includes a ship date of June 6 for the handset, which will also get a 4.7-inch, 720p LCD (not AMOLED as claimed). Powering it will reportedly be a dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor.
HTC on Thursday set out the first launches of the One X, One S, and One V outside of Taiwan. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland will all get the Android 4.0 centerpiece phones on April 2. Prices for the One X, One S, and One V will come in at 599 euros (719 Swiss francs), 499 euros (599 francs), and 299 euros (349 francs).
HTC is nearing the launch of a new dual-SIM smartphone in its native China. The T328w Wind is powered by a Qualcomm 1GHz single core processor and a four-inch 800x480 screen. It will ship with Android 4.0, making it close in some respects to the One V.
Intel has managed to not only hold on to but widen its lead as the world's largest chip designer in the past year, iSuppli determined Monday. By revenue, Intel had seen its revenue in 2011 go up over 20 percent to $48.7 billion dollars despite the effect of the iPad and other tablets. ARM's champion, Samsung, had moved just over half a point to $28.6 billion.
The same source as the original leak of the HTC One X for AT&T has since posted benchmarks showing it possibly taking the crown for the fastest Android device yet. Despite stepping down from the international version's quad-core Tegra 3 to the dual-core Snapdragon S4, the AT&T version was shown by Android Central forum contributor Phonegeek to be roughly twice as fast. Qualcomm's own Vellamo browser test showed the Android 4.0 phone mostly thriving in CPU-heavy JavaScript, a feat borne out by Quadrant's very high CPU and memory scores.
A contributor posting details to the Android Central forums has given a rare glimpse of the AT&T version of the HTC One X. While his impressions of the LTE-aware version's light weight and good build quality match what we tried ourselves (linked above), he added that the battery life for the Android 4.0 flagship was "really good" compared to most LTE phones to date. The longevity was likely owed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip inside, which builds LTE directly into its core and is much more power-efficient.
On Wednesday, Sony announced that it would begin shipping its Xperia S smartphone worldwide. It now appears that the first North American carrier to get the device will be the Canadian provider Rogers. Although it has not given any specific date, Rogers has posted a teaser on its site advising its customers that the phone will be "Coming Soon."
