Review: LG Optimus F6 for T-Mobile
LG spits out an entry-level Android smartphone for T-Mobile. The budget-friendly Optimus F6 has a lot going for it, and a few things going against it, too.
AT&T;, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular to Sell Galaxy S4 Mini
Samsung today announced that the Galaxy S4 Mini will become available from the top U.S. network operators beginning in November. The GS4 Mini was first announced in May. AT&T;, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless have all agreed to sell the phone. The Mini swaps out the S4's 5-inch FHD display for a qHD 4.3-inch display; it drops the 13-megapixel camera down to 8 megapixels; and changes out the quad-core processor in favor of a 1.7GHz dual-core processor. The user-facing camera rates 1.9 megapixels and the Mini includes many of the same imaging features found in its larger stablemate. The Mini also carries over the GS4's multitude of apps, such as S Translator, S Health, WatchOn, Samsung Hub, and others. The Galaxy S4 Mini has 8GB of internal memory (5GB accessible by users), 1.5GB of RAM, and supports microSD cards up to 64GB. It includes GPS and GLONASS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, and an IR blaster for the remote control app. Availability and pricing will be carrier dependent.
BlackBerry Makes BlackBerry OS 10.2 Available
BlackBerry today announced the release of BlackBerry OS 10.2. The updated operating system introduces a wide range of new features, such as Priority Hub, which learns what conversations are important to the user and automatically puts those messages at the top of the inbox. The inbox is now better at handling attachments, which can be organized across conversations. Other new features include improved BBM Video messaging with "natural sound"; previews of BBM, SMS, and email messages from within any app; improvements to the keyboard and copy-and-paste behavior; better sharing tools across social networks; reply to incoming calls with email, SMS, or BBM; and general improvements to the calendar. According to BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10.2 will be available in Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East beginning this week. It will reach Latin America next month, but won't reach the U.S. until "this winter." As always, the timing of the operating system update's availability will depend on each individual country and carrier.
AD more news below...
HTC Might Outsource Smartphone Production
HTC is considering whether or not to have other companies build its phones. HTC has spoken with several companies that run production facilities, including Hon Hai Precision and Wistron, about taking over some of HTC's manufacturing needs, according to the Wall Street Journal. Citing sources familiar with HTC's plans, the Journal says the company is looking for ways to save money as its cash flow weakens. HTC has always manufactured its own hardware because it owns various factories in Taiwan and China. Most of HTC's competitors, save for Samsung, outsource device manufacturing to other companies. The Journal also said that HTC might sell some of its plants. In a separate report, Reuters said that HTC has already idled several of its manufacturing facilities. Reuters reporters who visited an HTC facility outside of Taipei saw that it was shuttered. The facility in question handles about 20% of HTC's manufacturing capacity. When asked about the shuttered plant, HTC Chief Marketing Officer Ben Ho said, "Like any manufacturer, we do volume planning to optimize our lines, our manufacturing, and production facilities. Whether we are operating those facilities depends on market demand and our own expectations. When you have less demand you work with less facilities to optimize your costs. When you have demand, or bigger growth, you definitely have to activate all these facilities." Ho also said the company has no plans to sell its manufacturing plants.
Samsung Expands Gear Compatibility to Older Phones
Samsung today announced that its older smartphones can now interact with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Specifically, the Android 4.3 system update, which is being pushed out to some devices in other countries, enables compatibility between the Gear and the Galaxy S4, S III, and Note II. A separate, non-system level update will be delivered to the Galaxy S4 mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3, and S4 zoom that enables the Gear. This separate update will be pushed out beginning later this month. Timing for each device will vary by country and carrier.
Corning to Buy Samsung's Stake from LCD Venture
Corning today announced that it has agreed to purchase Samsung's stake in an LCD joint venture the two companies have operated together since 1995. Samsung owns about 43% of Samsung Corning Precision Materials, which makes LCD panels for televisions, laptops, and mobile phones. Corning will also buy out the stakes owned by other minority holders to take full control of the joint venture. Under the terms of the agreement, Corning has agreed to supply Samsung with its glass LCD panels for a period of 10 years. Corning makes Gorilla Glass for mobile devices, which is resistant to breakage. The companies expect the deal to close during the first quarter of 2014.
Apple Pushes iOS 7.0.3 to Fix Bugs
Apple today made available a minor update to its iOS 7 operating system. The new platform software includes support for iCloud Keychain, which can be used to keep track of account names, passwords, and credit cards across Mac devices. According to the changelog, the system update also adds a password generator for Safari; updates the lock screen TouchID behavior and patches a lockscreen bug; returns web and Wikipedia search to Spotlight; fixes several iMessage bugs; improves iWork stability; eliminates a VoiceOver bug that impacted Siri and input sensitivity; and resolves an accelerometer calibration issue. iOS 7 is free to download over the air and is compatible with devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
from Apple
Apple Redesigns iLife and iWork Apps
Apple today announced new versions of its core creativity and productivity suites, iLife and iWork. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand have all been redesigned with the design language used by iOS 7, as well as given new features. iPhoto makes it easier to organize albums; iMovie can now create picture-in-picture videos and slow motion effects; and GarageBand can handle more tracks in a single recording. All the apps have new support for iCloud, and can sync contents/file changes between iOS and Mac-based machines. iWork has been redesigned, too, to bring over the new elements of iOS 7. Pages, Apple's Microsoft Word equivalent, has less "chrome" getting in the way of content; Numbers has more graphics and visual tools; and Presentations adds object-based animation, new transitions, and more realistic physics. Last, Apple added collaboration tools to iWork for iCloud, which will allow people to share and work on documents/files. All six apps are free for iOS (and Mac) devices and will be available beginning later today.
Page Plus Attempting to Resolve Network Outage
Page Plus Cellular today confirmed on its Facebook page that the company is experiencing outages across the country. In a statement, Page Plus said, "There is a known issue that is affecting service for some customers. It is spotty across the country, not just some states. We are very sorry for the inconvenience and and are working to correct the issue. We do not at this point have an ETA, but they are working on the problem." Page Plus is an MVNO that uses Verizon Wireless's network. There's no word from Verizon on the status of its network.
Nokia Outs Combined 'Smart' and 'Pro' Camera App
Nokia today made available a new application called Nokia Camera. This app combines the best features of the Nokia Smart Camera and Nokia Pro Camera applications into one app that the company says is easier to use. The app has an advanced auto mode for quick photos taking, but still offers refined controls over settings such as ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and so on. It also includes a burst mode that takes a collection of shots so you can pick the best option. The application is free to download from the Windows Phone Store and is compatible with Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8.
Nokia Adding RAW Support and Refocusing to Top Phones
Nokia today announced new imaging features for its high-end Lumia smartphones with PureView cameras, including the Lumia 1520 and the Lumia 1020. First, Nokia is adding support for RAW image files. RAW files are unprocessed and act like digital negatives. They can be used to create a wider range of final images. Second, Nokia announced a feature called Refocus. Refocus is similar to Lytro in that it allows owners to adjust the focal point in an image after the picture has been taken. RAW image support and Refocus will be distributed to the 1520 and 1020 in November.
Nokia Debuts Lumia 1520 with 6-Inch HD Screen
Nokia today announced the Lumia 1520, a device that is the first to take advantage of new features built into Windows Phone, including a high-definition display and quad-core processor. The 1520 boasts a 6-inch full HD ClearBlack LCD with Gorilla Glass 2, sunlight mode, and high sensitivity for use with gloves. The latest version of Windows Phone supports a third column on the screen, which means owners of the 1520 will be able to add more content and Live Tiles to their home screen. The 1520 is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and comes with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and support for microSD cards up to 64GB. The 1520 takes imaging seriously and includes a 20-megapixel PureView camera with dual LED flash, Carl Zeiss optics, lossless zoom, and optical image stabilization. Nokia's custom camera software is on board, which has been updated so that accessing the various shooting modes is easier. The 1520 has a 1.2-megapixel wide-angle, user-facing camera and Storyteller, a new app that automatically creates a chronological picture journey based on time/location data stored in photos. The 1520 is widely compatible with wireless networks, supporting dual-carrier HSPA+ at 42Mbps and LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 7, and 17 in the U.S. Dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS/GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and a bevy of sensors are on board, as is an integrated 3,400mAh battery. The Nokia Lumia 1520 is expected to reach the U.S. and other markets during the fourth quarter of the year. The 1520 carries a full retail price of $749. AT&T; said that it will offer the 1520 later this year. Nokia also announced the Lumia 1320, which is similar to the 1520, but dials down the specs. For example, the screen measures 6 inches, but offers only 720p resolution. The camera is also of lower quality. It will be sold for $339 in select world markets. Nokia also added three more devices to its Asha portfolio, the 500, 502, and 503. Nokia's Asha devices straddle the line between smartphone and feature phone, offering advanced features at price points that are friendly to their emerging market targets.
from Nokia
Nokia Jumps Into Tablet Fray with Lumia 2520
Nokia today announced its first modern tablet, the Lumia 2520. The 2520 runs Microsoft's Windows RT 8.1, rather than Windows Phone, though many apps are compatible with both platforms. The device features a 10.1-inch full HD display with Gorilla Glass 2, an 8,000mAh battery, stereo front-facing speakers, and Microsoft Office/Outlook. The 2520 shares most other specs with the Lumia 1520, including the same 2.2Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and connectivity options (including LTE). The Lumia 2520 has a 6.7-megapixel main camera with Zeiss optics and a 2-megapixel, wide-angle user-facing camera. The Lumia 2520 will reach the U.S. during the fourth quarter and will cost $499.
from Nokia
Nokia Creates More Custom Apps for Its Lumia Phones
Nokia today announced several new applications that will appear on devices such as the Lumia 2520 and Lumia 1520. The new apps are meant to make the most of Windows Phone 8 Release 3 and the new hardware revealed by Nokia. Nokia Video Director, which is only being offered to the Lumia 2520 tablet for the time being, lets owners create, edit, and share customized videos. Nokia Beamer is a sharing tool that can be used to project the content from a Lumia smartphone screen to any HTML5 enabled screen. According to Nokia, this includes documents, maps, location details, and the camera viewfinder. Last, Nokia's Storyteller app automatically pairs pictures from the phone with HERE location data and creates a chronological picture journey on a map. Nokia Beamer and Storyteller will be preloaded on the Lumia 1520 and 2520. Nokia didn't say if or when these apps might be made available to older Lumia devices.
Nokia Says Instagram Coming to Windows Phone in 'Weeks'
Nokia today announced that a handful of popular applications will soon be available to the Windows Phone platform, including Instagram. Instagram is a photo-sharing service that is widely used on Android and iOS devices that has until now been unavailable to Windows Phone. Nokia did not provide an exact timing on its release. Some of the other apps headed to Windows Phone devices include Flipboard and Vine, Papyrus and Temple Run 2, and ESPN F1 and XBox Video. Many of these apps will be updated with support for high-resolution screens, such as that of the Lumia 1520, and will be able to take advantage of the third column on the home screen. The applications will become available over the course of the next few weeks.
from Nokia
Quality One Wireless Finalizes PCD Acquisition
Quality One Wireless today announced that it has finalized is acquisition of Personal Communications Devices. Quality One made a stalking horse bid for PCD, which declared bankruptcy in order to facilitate the deal, in August. According to Quality One, it paid "in excess of $125 million" for PCD's assets. PCD is responsible for facilitating the relationship between handset designers, handset manufacturers, and Tier 1 carriers in the U.S. Q1W does much the same thing, but for smaller companies across a larger geographical footprint. The two companies believe that they'll be able to offer carriers and phone makers a much broader and more complete set of services. Now that the acquisition is complete, the combined entity will operate as Quality One Wireless.
T-Mobile Pushing Android 4.3 to HTC One
T-Mobile today said that Android 4.3 may be downloaded and installed on the HTC One. The update adds features to the base Android operating system, as well as to HTC's Sense user interface. It can be downloaded and installed via Wi-Fi.
BBM for Android and iOS Relaunching Today
BlackBerry today announced that it is restarting its aborted launch of BlackBerry Messenger for the Android and iOS platforms. The application should appear in the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store later today. In order to manage demand for the app, BlackBerry has established a sign-up process for it. Mobile device users interested in the messaging application will need to download the app and register to reserve a place in line. BlackBerry will then email people who've downloaded/installed the app when it can bring them aboard the service. BlackBerry said people will be able to monitor their "spot in line" to see how long it will take to activate the service, but it didn't provide any sort of estimate on how long that might be. According to BlackBerry, more than 7 million Android/iOS device owners have already registered to receive more details about the app. BlackBerry originally attempted to launch the app last month, but ran into trouble with the rollout and postponed it.
