BlackBerry landing page featuring BBM for iPhone and Android spotted online

BlackBerry has been working on bringing its popular messaging service, BlackBerry Messenger, to the iOS and Android platforms for a while now. The cross platform version of the messaging service was expected to be rolled out by summer and it appears that we're finally close to its launch.

Recently, a landing page dedicated to BBM surfaced on the official site of the company, claiming that the BBM service has arrived for both, Android and Apple platforms. The dedicated page for the service said, "BBM for Android and iPhone is here."

However, the landing page was pulled later and has been replaced with a launch page that says, "BBM is coming to Android and iPhone" and includes an option to get notified when the service launches through an email prompt.

Engadget notes that, the BBM service landing page hinted that the service is just about ready to be launched and the page can reappear anytime. It is worth pointing out that the landing page that has now been removed showed iPhone instead of iOS, which hints that the BBM service may be rolled out to iPhone users initially and an iPad app might not be in the works.

Earlier, BlackBerry Messenger for Android was spotted online with some users reportedly receiving invites for the same. The report claimed that BBM for Android would be rolled out in the not-too-distant future. A screenshot revealed that users would be able to sign-in to BlackBerry Messenger with their BlackBerry ID.

In a recent development, Samsung had announced that the BBM app would be available on the company's app store, preloaded on the Galaxy series of Android devices, and on the Google Play Store, across the African continent.

HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM with CDMA support listed on company's India website

After unveiling the mid-range HTC Desire 600 dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphone for the Indian market, the Taiwanese major is all set to launch another variant of the phone, the HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM (GSM+CDMA). The handset has already been listed on HTC's official website.

The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM measures 134.9x66.78x9.55mm and weighs 127 grams. It features a 4.5-inch qHD display. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It comes with 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64GB via microSD card. The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus accompanied by an LED flash and is capable of 720p video recording. There is 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera with BSI sensor.

HTC Desire 600c also features dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers. Connectivity options include 3.5mm audio jack, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS/AGPS and NFC. It also includes an 1860mAh battery.

The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM is not a re-hash of its predecessor. Though the device sports almost the same specifications, it is not identical in design. The HTC Desire 600c dual-SIM is a CDMA variant and supports GSM+CDMA networks. The phone runs Android Jelly Bean with HTC Sense on top with BlinkFeed and other features. However, it's not clear at this stage whether the phone is running Android 4.1 or Android 4.2.

The HTC Desire 600 dual-SIM launched earlier this year for Rs. 26,990.

Mobiles launched in August 2013

HTC Desire 600c technical specifications

• 4.5-inch display
• 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 1.6-megapixel front shooter
• Android Jelly Bean

iPhone 5C leaked specifications point to dual-core CPU, Siri support

We've seen the low-cost iPhone or the iPhone 5C a number of times in multiple colours thanks to leaked videos and images. However, not much is known about the hardware specifications of the phone except that it might feature internals similar to the iPhone 5. A new report claims to shed some light on the specifications of the low-cost iPhone.

According to SIM Only Radar, the iPhone 5C will be powered by a dual-core CPU, and will have a 4-inch screen, just like the iPhone 5, with a resolution of 640x1136 pixels. The site cites a specs sheet that it received from a tipster as the source for this information.

The sheet mentions that the iPhone 5C will have 1GB of RAM, and will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage variants. It will sport an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera camera and run iOS 7 complete with Siri which would be available in English, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish, as per the tipster.

The iPhone 5C will reportedly be 6 grams lighter than the iPhone 5 at 106 grams and will measure 124.2 x 58.4 x 7.6 mm. The iPhone 5 measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm. If the rumoured specifications are true than the phone would almost be the same size as that of the iPhone 5.

It's worth pointing out that Apple hasn't officially acknowledged the presence of a low-cost iPhone. The low-cost iPhone or iPhone 5C has leaked several times. Alleged pictures of the iPhone 5C have revealed a plastic polycarbonate body back panel in White, Blue, Red, Yellow and Green colours, a round camera lens and LED flash, lightning connector port, Apple logo and iPhone branding.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5S along with the iPhone 5C on September 10 at an event in San Francisco.

Moto X costs just $226 to make despite 'Made in USA' tag

Motorola's new Moto X phone doesn't cost more to make simply because it's assembled in Texas, research firm IHS said Wednesday.

The Moto X is the first smartphone to carry the "Made in the U.S.A." designation. Labor costs are higher in the U.S. compared with Asian factories, where phones are typically made. But IHS said theMoto X is about 5 percent cheaper to make than Samsung Electronic Co.'s flagship Galaxy S4 phone. The firm said the Moto X's overall production cost is just 9 percent more than that of Apple's iPhone 5.

(Also see: Google unveils Moto X, a customisable Android smartphone)

The findings come as little surprise, as the labor cost of a phone is just a small part of its production cost. IHS estimates that labor and other assembly costs Motorola $12 per phone for the Moto X, bringing the production cost to $226. That compares with $207 for the iPhone 5 and $237 for theGalaxy S4. IHS said Motorola is able to keep the cost of parts low by using standard components that don't break much new ground.

By assembling the phone in Fort Worth, Texas, Motorola is able to let customers order custom designs online for delivery within four days. Standard black or white models are available immediately at retail stores.

"With the Moto X, Motorola is reaping the public-relations and customization upsides of producing a smartphone in the United States, while maintaining competitive hardware costs," said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director for cost benchmarking services at IHS.

IHS said the estimated $12 for assembly is about $3.50 to $4 more than other leading phones.

"Our initial estimate suggests the additional costs of onshoring the Moto X are relatively low," IHS said.

The phone went on sale last Friday, starting with AT&T. It's coming to other carriers, including Verizon this week. The Moto X's price is about $200 with a two-year service agreement.

The Moto X is Motorola's first phone designed from the start under its new owner, Google Inc. The Internet search company bought Motorola Mobility for $12.4 billion last year.

Samsung Galaxy Note III release pegged for September 27

With Samsung's supposed September 4 Galaxy Note III unveiling event just a week away, now we hear rumours about the expected release dates for the device in various markets.

A new report claims that the Galaxy Note III will reportedly go on sale on September 27 in the Taiwanese market, while the device will be up for pre-orders from September 16.

The news comes from the Taiwanese site ePrice which cites its sources and claims that the dates of pre-orders and launch may be changed; however the site does not expect major changes in the roll out of the device in Taiwan.

Earlier, a Samsung official had confirmed that the company will be unveiling the next-generation Galaxy Note device and the long-rumoured Galaxy Gear smart watch on September 4. There have been reports that suggested that the South Korean major may start shipping the Galaxy Note III in September itself. An earlier report had indicated the likely shipping date of the latest Note device to be from week 36, which is from September 2 to September 8.

Recently, a new set of leaked images of the alleged Galaxy Note III screen surfaced online, that suggested that the next Galaxy Note device will feature a 5.68-inch display.

Other rumoured specifications include a full-HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, quad-core Snapdragon 800/ Exynos octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM. The internal storage capacity is expected to start from 32GB, instead of 16GB as has been the norm with flagship devices. It is also said to sport a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 3,200mAh battery, and run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Phone 5S Gold and Graphite back shells leak in new videos

Looks like Apple has not been able to prevent its upcoming devices from leaking innumerable times, ahead of their rumoured launch. The next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 5S, and the low-cost iPhone, iPhone 5C, appear online in different leaks almost every day.

In line with previous rumours that pointed to the iPhone 5S being offered in two new colours, Gold and Graphite, some new videos showcasing the back shell of the next generation iPhone in these two colours have appeared online.

First spotted by 9to5Mac, a new video by TLDToday, compares the internal structure of the Gold iPhone 5S' casing with that of the iPhone 5, noting that it's much different from its predecessor. The video reveals that the space reserved for the battery has increased, and position of the logic board screws has been changed, with the logic board and chip set being expected to take less space. So, we can expect the iPhone 5S to have a better battery life in addition to a faster processor and graphics. The video also reconfirms the pill shaped dual-LED flash as seen on previously leaked cases of the iPhone 5S. 

 

Another video from DetroitBORG compare the iPhone 5S shell to the iPhone 5C shell noting that the 5C shell sports larger dimensions compared to the 5S. The iPhone branding is again in a thinner font, similar to past leaks.
 
 

The website also features a third video by iPhone jailbreaker Tanner Marsh of iCrackUriDevice fame, which features the back casing of a Graphite or Grey coloured iPhone 5S. The shell looks very similar to the Slate and Black iPhone 5 except that the colour is a bit lighter. However, this could also be an early prototype of the Slate and Black iPhone
. 

The iPhone 5S is expected to come with a brand new Apple chip, the A7, alongside 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM, retaining the form factor of the iPhone 5. A 128GB storage variant of the phone has also been rumoured. The iPhone 5S is likely to come with a larger f2.0 aperture compared to the iPhone 5, that comes with f2.4 aperture. It's also likely to sport a fingerprint reader.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5S along with the iPhone 5C, the cheaper version of the iPhone, on September 10 at an event in San Francisco

Google Nexus 7 vs iPad mini, Kindle Fire and others

Google Inc. has announced new versions of its Nexus 7 tablet computers. It has better features and a higher price tag.

The new models are available in the U.S. starting Tuesday through Google's online Play store and the following retailers: Best Buy, Gamestop, Walmart, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Amazon, Home Shopping Network, Radio Shack, J&R and B&H Photo. A version with cellular capability is coming later with support for T-Mobile and Verizon.

Here's a look at how the new Nexus 7 compares with last year's model and other tablets with comparable screens.

Google's Nexus 7

Price: $229 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $269 for 32 GB. Add $80 for 32 GB model with cellular capability.

Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200 (323 pixels per inch)

Size: height: 7.87 inches; width 4.49 inches; thickness: 0.34 inch (200 by 114 by 8.65 millimeters)

Weight: 10.2 ounces (290 grams) for base model, 10.5 ounces (299 grams) for cellular version

Cameras: 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera

Battery life: 9 hours

Operating system: Google's Android

ProsAccess to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. Option for cellular wireless broadband.

Cons
Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Google's Nexus 7 (2012 model)

Price: $199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $249 with 32 GB. Add $50 for 32 GB model with cellular capability.

Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels (216 pixels per inch)

Size: height 7.81 inches; width: 4.72 inches; thickness: 0.41 inch (198.5 by 120 by 10.45 millimeters)

Weight: 12 ounces (340 grams) for base model, 12.2 ounces (347 grams) for cellular version

Cameras: Front-facing, 1.2 megapixel camera

Battery life: 8 hours

Operating system: Google's Android

Pros
Access to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. Option for cellular wireless broadband.

Cons
Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Apple's iPad Mini

Price: $329 for base model with Wi-Fi only and 16 gigabytes of storage, $429 with 32 GB, $529 with 64 GB. Add $130 for versions with cellular capability.

Screen size: 7.9 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1024 by 768 pixels (163 pixels per inch)

Size: height 7.87 inches; width: 5.3 inches; thickness: 0.28 inch (200 by 134.7 by 7.2 millimeters)

Weight: 10.9 ounces (308 grams) for base model, 11 ounces (312 grams) for cellular version

Cameras: 5-megapixel camera on back and a low-resolution camera on front, for videoconferencing

Battery life: 10 hours

Operating system: Apple's iOS

Pros
Unmatched access to third-party applications, high-quality Apple software and the iTunes store. High-resolution screen. Available with access to fast 4G wireless broadband networks, starting at $459.

Cons
Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Barnes & Noble's Nook HD

Price: $129 with 8 gigabytes of storage, $149 with 16 GB

Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1440 by 900 pixels (243 pixels per inch)

Size: height 7.65 inches; width: 5 inches; thickness: 0.43 inch (194.4 by 127.1 by 11 millimeters)

Weight: 11.1 ounces (315 grams)

Cameras: None

Battery life: Up to 10.5 hours of reading and up to 9 hours of video

Operating system: Modified version of Google's Android

Pros
Expandable with microSD card. High-definition screen. Larger-screen version available.

Cons
Selection of third-party applications is small. Lacks cameras and option for cellular broadband.

Amazon.com's Kindle Fire HD.

Price: $199 with 16 gigabytes of storage, $229 with 32 GB

Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1280 by 800 pixels (216 pixels per inch)

Size: height: 7.6 inches; width: 5.4 inches; thickness: 0.4 inch (193 by 137 by 10.3 millimeters)

Weight: 13.9 ounces (395 grams)

Cameras: Front-facing camera.

Battery life: 11 hours.

Operating system: Modified version of Google's Android

Pros
Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store. High-definition screen. Dolby audio. Larger-screen version available, including option for cellular broadband.

Cons
Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. No rear camera for taking video and photos. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Amazon.com's regular Kindle Fire

Price: $159 with 8 gigabytes of storage

Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels (170 pixels per inch)

Size: height 7.44 inches; width: 4.72 inches; thickness: 0.45 inch (189 by 120 by 11.5 millimeters)

Weight: 14.1 ounces (400 grams)

Cameras: none

Battery life: 8.5 hours.

Operating system: Modified version of Google's Android

Pros
Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store.

Cons
No-frills tablet lacks camera and microphone. Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for cellular wireless broadband.