Google Nexus 4 successor makes another appearance in leaked images and video

Google has been tight-lipped about its alleged Nexus 4 successor since a while. However, the device has made multiple appearances on the Internet via FCC filing and image leaks.

Thanks to 9to5google, the alleged Nexus 4 successor has again been spotted in new live images and a video. The site has posted some images of a pre-production unit of the next Nexus smartphone that reveals the front and rear panel. The rear panel of the device houses a large camera sensor at the top right side. The front is majorly dominated by the display with no physical buttons. The new images of the device match the leaks we have seen as of late. The site has also posted a video that does not reveal much except the lockscreen of the alleged device.

Additionally, Spigen, a case and accessory manufacturer for various smartphones including Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy range of smartphones has listed a case for the next-generation Nexus smartphone on Amazon. The listing offers a potential insight into the launch date and on how the handset might look.

Earlier, the alleged Nexus 4 successor was revealed in pictures by FCC filing. The photos offered glimpse of the externals and internal components of the same phone that was spotted in the Android KitKat statue unveiling video in the hands of a Google employee. While the phone in the pictures did not sport the Nexus branding unlike the previously spotted phone, it had the same large camera lens and LED flash. The back of the phone appeared to sport a rubberised matte finish.

Previously, @evleaks suggested that the rumoured LG branded D820 devcie was just a CDMA variant of the flagship, but later backtracked saying that he was wrong.

Watch the video here
              

Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet to launch in October-end: Report

Following several rumours that the release of Nokia's alleged Lumia 1520 has been delayed, we have the first indication of the possible launch of the device.

Pocket-Lint has reported that the Finnish handset maker may launch the rumoured 6-inch phablet at the end of October and the device can be expected to hit stores in November. The website cites a source and claims that the Nokia will be confirming details about the event soon, and the rumoured phablet will be released in the last week of October, the week starting October 21.

The site also notes that Nokia may not hold the launch even of the Lumia 1520 in the US, as thecompany launched its current flagship, the Nokia Lumia 1020 in New York back in July, and will probably prefer a different city this time.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Nokia had delayed the launch of its large-screen phablet, originally planned for late September, following the deal to sell its handset business and license patents to Microsoft.

Prior to this, we had been hearing that the alleged Lumia 1520 was slated for release on September 26, but a rumour claimed that the release date was rescheduled to October.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 has been rumoured to come with a 6-inch full-HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, a nano-SIM and a microSD card slot.

The press renders of the Nokia Lumia 1520 had already been leaked, revealing the homescreen featuring Live Tiles and the design largely resembled other phones in the Lumia family.

Previously, the rumoured Nokia Lumia 1520 was leaked in high quality images and was compared with a Sony Xperia smartphone.

BBM for Android and iOS launch expected this week; installation file leaks

The much anticipated cross-platform avatar of BlackBerry Messenger or BBM is soon expected to appear on Android devices and iPhones, with the company hosting events in Malaysia and India on September 18th, where it's expected to offer more details about the service including its launch date.
 
In the meanwhile, it seemed as if the person behind Samsung Mobile Nigeria's official Twitter account jumped the gun and announced that BBM would debut on Friday, September 20th and confirmed that it would be exclusively available on Samsung devices for three months, in response to a user's tweet.
 
However, BlackBerry has denied that the service would be exclusive to Samsung customers. The company issued a statement to CrackBerry that quoted Victoria Berry, BBM Communications Director at BlackBerry as saying, "The excitement around the upcoming BBM launch on iPhone and Android devices seems to know no bounds. Although I'm a big fan of this passion, I want to clarify that no one will have an exclusive on offering BBM. We'll be bringing the app to Android and iPhone users across the globe soon." 

Earlier, Samsung had announced that the messenger would be available on the company's app storethat comes preloaded on its Galaxy series of Android devices, and on the Google Play Store, across the African continent. Samsung had also agreed to join marketing efforts to showcase BBM for Android to customers and to mobile users across Africa.

 Incidentally the installation file (APK) for BBM's Android version has also leaked on several forums. However, it's being reported that the app doesn't work unless the user's BlackBerry ID is whitelisted by BlackBerry. It's worth pointing out that BlackBerry had invited a small set of users who'd registered with BlackBerry Beta Zone to try out the Beta version of the cross-platform BBM app on their Android device before the app was released to the public.  
 
Previously, Alex Kinsella of BlackBerry had posted on Twitter that BBM for iPhone had already been submitted for Apple's App Store approval. 
 
Landing pages for BBM for iPhone and Android had also appeared accidentally and pulled later.
 
BlackBerry had announced plans to extend BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) to Android and iOS in May. 
 
Presently, BlackBerry Messenger or BBM allows BlackBerry users to seamlessly exchange texts, audio, videos and pictures with each other. However, a number of cross-platform mobile messaging apps including WhatsApp, WeChat and Line have taken over as preferred choices since they are available on a variety of platforms. When it comes to the iPhone, BBM would also compete with Apple's own iMessage platform that allows users who own Apple devices to send each other free messages over a data connection. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched in India at Rs. 49,900, available September 25

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 3 in India for Rs. 49,900, and it will hit Indian retail shelves by September 25. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will come preloaded with support for 11 regional Indian languages. The company is also offering an introductory offer for Vodafone users, whereby customers using Vodafone 2G services will get 2GB Internet per month free for two months. The South Korean major officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 3 phablet at the sidelines of IFA 2013 in Berlin.

(Also see: Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch launched in India at Rs. 22,990)
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, but weighing at 168g and 8.33m wide, is both lighter and slimmer than its predecessor.

The Galaxy Note 3 is powered by 1.9GHz octa-core processor and a 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera alongside 2-megapixel front camera. It is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Note 3 will be available in 32GB and 64GB variants, with the company doing away with the 16GB variant after controversy on the available storage with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both variants come with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage.

Connectivity options on the Note 3 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR, and MHL 2.0. It comes with various sensors like Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, Proximity, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, and Hall Sensor. The company has also added features like the My Magazine, Scrapbook, Wake-up Command, S Finder, Advanced Multi Window, Samsung Smart Switch and Action Memo.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 key specifications

• 5.7-inch full-HD display
• 2.3GHz quad-core processor or 1.9GHz octa-core processor
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB/ 64GB storage options
• 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR, MHL 2.0

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch launched in India at Rs. 22,990

Samsung has launched its first wearable tech device, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch in India for Rs. 22,990, and it will arrive on Indian retail shelves on September 25. Unlike previous expectations from the pre-order availability of the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung has confirmed there is no bundled package of both devices available with a reduced price. 

(Also see: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched in India at Rs. 49,900, available September 25)

The Galaxy Gear smartwatch was launched alongside the Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013. The smartwatch features a 1.63-inch (4.14 cm) OLED display. The Galaxy Gear smartwatch also features S Voice and can presently only work with the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, a tablet which was also launched at IFA 2013. However, the company claims that soon the smartwatch will soon be compatible with other Galaxy smartphones like Galaxy S4, Galaxy SIII and Galaxy Note II. It can make calls, display messages, record videos and snap photos with its 1.9-megapixel camera.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch comes with 70 apps initially, as per the company, which include apps for basic fitness such as a step-counting passometer, although Samsung hopes this number will grow as developers get on board. The battery life, a key challenge for most wearable devices, is said to be around 27 hours under Samsung's normal-use tests.

Earlier, Samsung's first wearable tech device went up for pre-orders with the Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung also launched the third iteration of the Note, the Galaxy Note 3 in India for Rs. 49,900.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, but weighing at 168g and 8.33m wide, is both lighter and slimmer than its predecessor.

It is powered by 1.9GHz octa-core processor and a 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera alongside 2-megapixel front camera. It is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Note 3 will be available in 32GB and 64GB variants. Both variants come with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage. Connectivity options on the Note 3 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR, and MHL 2.0.

iPhone 5c: Apple picks profit over marketshare yet again

The higher-than-expected price of Apple Inc's new cheaper iPhone eased worries about gross margins, while arousing concerns the company was not being aggressive enough in its fight against Google Inc's market-dominating Android operating system.

Apple's shares were down about 3 percent at $480.50 before the market opened on Wednesday, a day after it unveiled the 5s, a high-end iPhone with a fingerprint scanner as well as a cheaper 5cmodel targeted at emerging markets.

Also see: Apple unveils iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s

"...We worry that Apple's inability/unwillingness to come out with a low-priced offering for emerging markets nearly ensures that the company will continue to be an overall share loser in the smartphone market until it choses to address the low end," Sanford C. Bernstein analysts said in a note.

Still, Bernstein maintained its "outperform" rating on Apple's stock, saying that it expected the new iPhones to have little impact on gross margins.

Also see: 10 new features in Apple's iPhone 5s

Nomura Equity Research analyst Stuart Jeffrey, who raised his price target for Apple shares to $480 from $420, said Apple may have ensured stable margins for the next couple of quarters by pricing the 5c at $99 with a contract and $549 without.

This was not enough for BofA Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse. Both downgraded Apple's stock to "neutral" from "buy" and "outperform."

"Rather than offer attractive pricing for consumers, and move the iPhone 5c into a new and growing price segment, Apple retained a premium pricing strategy in targeting the $400-800 smartphone segment," Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha said in a note.

"This segment is not forecast to see meaningful growth long term. This decision, at the margin, is good for profitability but not growth."

Garcha said that Apple's share of the smartphone market, where it faces intense competition from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, would likely fall to 15.5 percent this year and 13.1 next year from 18.1 percent last year.

Saying the 5c was "nobody's low-margin phone", Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri said Apple's new relationships with Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc and China Mobile Ltd supported the view that 2014 Street estimates for Apple earnings looked too low.

Arcuri said gross margins for the 5c appeared to be as high as the mid 50 percent area.

Apple's third-quarter profit fell 22 percent as gross margins slid below 37 percent from more than 42 percent in the year-earlier quarter.

"While the 5c is a first step away from the high-end, we do not think it is a big one," JP Morgan's Mark Moskowitz said.

The 5c will sell for 4,488 yuan China, almost $200 more than in the United States.

Also see: iPhone 5c price disappointment: 'Low-cost iPhone' fails to check-in

Canaccord Genuity kept its "buy" rating on the stock and raised the target price to $550 from $530, citing Apple's aggressive launch plans in more than 100 countries by year-end.

Canaccord also raised its 2014 estimate for iPhone sales to 180 million phones from 177 million.

Lazard Capital Markets raised its share price target to $570 from $500, noting a "best in class user experience".

"With escalating investor focus on Apple's diminishing product differentiation, slowing growth and margin compression, we think it's time to revisit what makes Apple unique," Lazard analyst Edward Parker wrote in a note.

"...We propose that Apple is a 'storage' company, not only levered to data creation but instrumental in driving data creation in ways its competitors are not," he said.

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5: The improved camera

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5s, the successor to its bestselling flagship phone, the iPhone 5, on Tuesday. The iPhone 5s is a much improved version of the iPhone 5 with new internals, although it sports almost the same design. It offers some revolutionary features including a new A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, a fingerprint scanner, new colour options and better battery life, among others.

The iPhone 5s also boasts of a much improved iSight camera. Apple has not increased the resolution of the sensor but has put a new 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 5s that has a 15 percent larger sensor, bigger pixels measuring 1.5 microns and an aperture of f/2.2 allowing more light to come in, in addition to a backside illumination sensor (BSI). This, according to Apple, will allow users to take good quality pictures even in low light, apart from capturing sharper detail.

Also see: Take a look at our complete specification by specification comparison in tabular format here: Apple iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 5s comparison.

The Apple iPhone 5s' iSight camera comes with a continuous burst mode which is capable of shooting 10 pictures per second, and offers a real-time analysis suggesting individual shots or a sequence of photos that users might like best.

The iSight camera on the iPhone 5s comes with an accompanying True Tone Flash that feature a white LED and an amber LED which work with software algorithms to adjust flash intensity and colour temperature, with over 1000 unique combinations to light the subject.

The latest iSight camera also comes with auto-image stabilisation to help reduce noise and motion from shaky hands or moving subjects. The camera also offers a Slo-Mo mode to shoot slow motion video at 120 frames per second at 720p. It also comes with live video zoom for zooming in up to 3x while shooting a video, in addition to live photo filters that can be previewed before shooting a picture.

In addition to these, the iPhone 5s camera also offers a new Square mode for taking photos for sharing on social networks, and a Panorama mode for taking panorama photos. It's worth pointing out that these features are included in iOS 7 and would also be extended to the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5s sports a new 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD Camera that also comes with a BSI sensor for capturing low-light self-clicks and support for 720p HD video recording for high-quality video chats.

Overall, the iPhone 5s offers a better camera bringing the ability to take images in low-light conditions, and capture slow motion videos. It also offers a smarter dual-LED flash.