As promised, Geeksphone is offering both of its Firefox OS smartphones starting today. While the Firefox orange-tinged Keon will set you back $119, the slightly more upmarket Peak is priced at $194 -- check out both of them in action after the break. The online retailer is willing to send both developer devices to anywhere in the world, so if you're looking to be part of the next billion smartphone users, place your order at the source.
[Thanks, Kyle]
Source: Geeksphone
When we think of BBC iPlayer use on mobile devices, we most often picture someone catching up on dramas with their smartphone during the commute home. Not anymore: newly available March stats from the Beeb reveal that tablet viewing has overtaken phone viewing for the first time. The difference is slight -- tablets are only 200,000 requests ahead, at 41 million -- but it's enough to suggest that many now prefer bigger screens when they're away from a computer or TV. While the broadcaster hasn't directly explained the change in demographics, it's not hard to see a possible explanation based on viewer habits. The BBC notes that most tablet-bound iPlayer users watch TV, and most iPlayer TV time overlaps that of traditional viewing, when audiences are more likely to be at home with the larger devices at hand. If you're one to curl up on the couch to watch Panorama on an iPad or Android slate, then, you may just be part of a growing trend.
Source: BBC
Back in February, Google CFO Patrick Pichette said its recent purchase, Motorola, didn't "wow" on the smartphone front, but it looks like the two companies have long since smoothed over any hard feelings. Speaking to PC Mag, Motorola design chief Jim Wicks revealed plans for the first post-acquisition handsets, demonstrating a philosophy that seems perfectly in line with Mountain View. According to Wicks, his company is embracing stock Android with as little bloatware as possible, and hardware itself won't likely reach Galaxy Note II proportions; he says the new design philosophy is "better is better" rather than "bigger is better."
Motorola will also change its approach to carriers, with a move toward offering devices across several service providers rather than keeping certain handsets -- such as the Droid and Razr lines on Verizon -- as exclusives for one. For AT&T and Sprint customers who were tempted by the Razr M on Verizon, for example, this strategy could go a long way in bringing them into the Motorola fold. Wicks says the first batch of new smartphones will debut in the second half of 2013 -- and, at least according to Eric Schmidt, they should be quite impressive.
Source: PC Mag
Look: we know many on Verizon aren't happy that the carrier has revealed plans to lengthen its upgrade intervals right as smartphone update season is hitting full stride. However, there may be a consolation prize. As of April 21st, "some devices" in its smartphone range, not just the existing tablets, will qualify for a Device Payment Plan that spreads out the full costs over the course of a year, letting those who crave the latest mobile hardware (presumably, you) upgrade without either having to sign a contract or pay everything up front. Sounds like a very UnCarrier thing to do, doesn't it? Not quite, unfortunately. The carrier tells us that these payments sit on top of existing service plans, not inside them -- the base service rate won't go down in year two. T-Mobile will remain the better bargain for anyone constantly replacing handsets, then, but those on Verizon will at least have a degree of freedom.
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Verizon
A pure LTE world is still a long, long way off. But some countries and carriers could get there quicker than others, and indeed Verizon has revealed that it's considering launching LTE-only handsets, with no CDMA chip, within the next couple of years. Speaking to analysts at a recent Deutsche Bank event, the carrier's CFO, Fran Shammo, said his company's goal is to establish voice over LTE by the end of this year and then to "start to think" about pure LTE handsets in "late 2014". Shammo mentioned this possibility in the context of bringing out cheaper phones, and a general incentive for any carrier to leave 3G behind would be to avoid paying associated licensing fees to the likes of Qualcomm or Broadcom. If those savings eventually trickled down to us customers, and if we could breathe the clean air of the countryside without LTE dropping, then it'd certainly be an enticing prospect.
Via: The Verge, CNET, FierceWireless
Source: Verizon
Jealous about your mates' ability to edit photos and whatnot via their mid-sized slates? Well, Adobe has just announced a solution that's ready to equip your handset of choice. That's right, the pro design software outfit added Photoshop Touch for phones that wields "core" Photoshop capabilities, Scribble Selection and supports those high-res snapshots. The app also sports Camera Fill and other special effects alongside the option to share creations via Facebook, Twitter, email and other applications. Creative Cloud access is here as well, with auto syncing across a device arsenal and a free 2GB storage account to boot. For iOS, you'll need an iPhone 4S, 5th-gen iPod touch or later to get in on the action while the Android version requires Ice Cream Sandwich. Ready to take the leap? A $5 purchase from iTunes or Google Play stands between you and slice of Adobe on that GS III or iPhone 5. Adobe Photoshop Touch for phones
Source: Adobe
More Coverage: Google Play, iTunes
As stylish as it can be, LG's Optimus L Series is very appliance-like, the smartphone line that gets the job done versus the more luxuriant Optimus G. It's almost no surprise, then, that LG's sales rate has accelerated to the volume we'd expect from an air conditioner or fridge: just two months after the L Series hit 10 million in sales since launch, it's already at 15 million. That's no doubt heartening to LG, especially with the L Series II right around the corner. We doubt Samsung will break into cold sweats, though. When the Galaxy S III alone moved twice as many units by November of last year, LG still has some catching up to do in 2013.
Show full PR text15 MILLION CUSTOMERS APPROVE OF LG OPTIMUS L SERIES
SEOUL, Feb. 15, 2013 ? LG Electronics (LG) announced today it sold an Optimus L Series device every second over the past two months, propelling sales of the popular smartphones to over 15 million units. Since its launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC) last year, Optimus L Series smartphones have become the device of choice for individuals around the world who favor a well-balanced smartphone with a unique design. Building on this momentum, LG will unveil a new generation of the stylish series at MWC 2013 with an upgraded design and improved features.
The Optimus L SeriesII will carry on the legacy of its predecessor, offering a user experience unique to LG smartphones. The Optimus L3II, Optimus L5II and Optimus L7II all feature a comfortable contour with laser-etched details in a slim unibody design. The sleek and customizable devices are also differentiated by smart LED lighting around the home button to mirror users' unique styles.
"The success of the Optimus L Series is testament to our belief all along that there is indeed a market for well-balanced smartphones that represent individuals' unique tastes," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "The new Optimus L SeriesII expands upon the design philosophy of the original series so we're quite confident that we'll have another hit on our hands."
The new Optimus L SeriesII smartphones will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress later this month. Visitors to MWC are encouraged to see these new models up close at the LG booth in Hall 3.
Offering up its Facebook fans a loving wrapped teaser image, LG Mobile reckons it's got something up its sleeve. On the social network entry, it notes that the new series will have an "unexpected distinction", which is hopefully more than just a baffling screen ratio. Will it be ready for MWC in a few weeks? Or will the company go the way of other smartphone makers and just launch whatever it has at its very own event? Who knows? LG does, that's who.
[Thanks to everyone that sent this in]
Source: LG Mobile (Facebook)
After delays and a software preview, RIM BlackBerry finally pulled the wraps off of it's new hardware and operating system that we'd been looking for the end of January to bring. In this week's edition of our e-publication, we take a look at all of the wares that the Canadian company unveiled in order to determine if it's enough to reinvent the outfit. We also rundown the history of the unit formally known as Research in Motion to paint a complete picture of the road leading up to this week's proceedings. Of course, there's more than just BlackBerry stuffs to peruse. Hands-On visits NAMM 2013, Weekly Stat tallies up earnings season and we get cozy with the Pebble Smartwatch. There's plenty of time for a bit of weekend reading, so head to your favorite repository to snag the goods.
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A new report from The Korea Times points out that Samsung plans to increase handset shipments by 20 percent next year following a record-setting 2012. In total, the Korean electronics giant wants to move some 510 million phones in 2013, up from the 420 million they are expected to ship by the end of this year.
Specifically, 390 million of the 510 million handsets will be smartphones while the remaining 120 devices will be feature and budget phones. All of this data comes from unnamed sources at Samsung and various suppliers, according to the publication.
As the LA Times points out, that’s a pretty lofty goal for any handset maker but if anyone is up to the task, it’s Samsung. In fact, they are on track to overtake Nokia as the world’s top handset maker this year.
The company has seen tremendous success with their Galaxy line of smartphones such as the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II. And with the Galaxy S IV rumored to be just around the corner, 2013 could certainly be another booming year for the tech giant. We are also hearing that Samsung is planning to release even more handsets based on Windows Phone 8 next year as demand for LTE devices continues to rise.
Do you believe Samsung will be able to keep up the momentum that carried them through 2012 or will competition from Apple, Nokia, HTC and others keep them at bay?
Japanese mobile service provider Softbank announced today that it will sell satellite phones that can be used during tsunamis, earthquakes, or other events during which traditional mobile phone service may be unavailable. The carrier has partnered with Dubai-based Thuraya, a satellite phone and service provider, to sell satellite-based phones to its home market. Softbank, which is in the midst of a $20.1 billion acquisition of US carrier Sprint, has been slower than other Japanese carriers to restore critical mobile services after natural disaster-caused outages. Satellite phone sales will primarily target essential services such as government officials, energy providers, and local media, though private citizens will be able to buy the phones through retail outlets in order to stay connected during critical events. No word yet on price, though Japanese consumers can expect these phones on the market by February.
Continue reading Softbank will offer satellite phones for use during natural disasters
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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Via: Computerworld
Source: Zawya
]]>In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phones. That's why we've put together this hub for our latest mobile phone reviews and hands on: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for choosing the best handset for you out of the most current models around.
We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Samsung and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8, so you should find something that piques your interest here.
In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.
These phones are so new we've not even received a unit to put through our full review process yet.
Luckily TechRadar travels the world to get hands on with all the latest handsets as soon as they're announced, so we can give you our initial reaction right here, right now.
After the success of the wallet-friendly Ascend G300 the Chinese manufacturer has decided to reboot the handset with the Huawei Ascend G330.
Expected to sport the same £100 price tag, the Ascend G330 features a 4-inch display, beefed up 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 5MP rear camera and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The handset itself is pretty uninspiring, but you're not going to get iPhone-esque styling on a device which is one fifth of the price so we can forgive Huawei here, but at 130g it's got a weight to it.
Unlike Samsung and HTC, Huawei doesn't go overboard with its Android overlay, with just a light sprinkling occurring on the ICS interface on the G330 – although icons have been changed, and look a little childish.
With its impressive spec sheet for the cash you'll pay out, the Ascend G330 could well be the new star of the budget smartphone market. Keep an eye out for our full review, when we'll reveal if it's really worth it.
Read our hands on: Huawei Ascend G300 review
The HTC 8S in second in line to the Windows Phone 8 crown at the Taiwanese firm, with the flagship 8X still the show at the top of the tree.
However that's not to say the 8S should be ignored, it's still a perfectly capable and well designed handset which won't cost you a huge amount of money.
The 8S will go head to head with the mid-range Lumia 820, with its fancy array of colour options, 4-inch HD display, 1GHz dual-core processor and the welcome addition of a microSD card slot – something which is missing from both Nokias and the 8X.
An advantage HTC has over its rivals is its partnership with Dr Dre and his Beats Audio technology – enhancing your music with added bass to really get the party started.
Design wise we reckon the Taiwanese firm is on to a winner with the HTC Windows Phone 8S, but we'll reserve proper judgement until we've fully reviewed it.
Read our hands on: HTC 8S review
Not wanting to miss out on the Windows Phone 8 party, mobile giant Samsung has its own handset on the way, in the form of the Ativ S.
Taking design cues from the extremely popular Samsung Galaxy S3, the Ativ S offers up a solid Windows Phone experience and is ready to challenge the likes of the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X.
The Ativ S is an intriguing proposition packing a huge 4.8-inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, huge 2,300mAh battery and an 8MP rear camera.
Although slower to market than its rivals the Samsung Ativ S could well be the best of the initial flurry of Windows Phone 8 devices.
Read our hands on: Samsung Ativ S review
posted November 14th 2012 2:00PM 
We're on the cusp of holiday retail madness, and if you know what's good for you, you'll make use of our comprehensive gift guides. Shopping for friends and family may be top priority, but we know you have a gadget wish list of your own. With that in mind, we've teamed up with AT&T to give away one of the carrier's hottest phones for each guide that goes up -- that's 14 devices total. To enter the contest, leave a comment on each of our guides. We're accepting entries until December 31st, at 11:59 ET, so make sure you get your "pick me!" in for your chance to win a sweet new handset to ring in the new year.
Update: To clarify, if you want to enter the contests you need to leave the comment on the actual gift guides. Comments here will sadly win you nothing, except perhaps our sympathy for your well-crafted and witty, but ultimately wasted, demand that we "pick" you.
HTC's Jelly Bean update is coming... eventually After initial reports indicated HTC would be rolling out Android 4.1: Jelly Bean in October, there's been little to no movement from HTC in regards to pushing the update to any of its handsets.
Though the HTC One X, One S and One XL were confirmed to be the first to receive the update, none of those smartphones has been upgraded as of yet.
HTC finally broke its silence Monday, revealing in a new frequently asked questions post its plans for the future of the Android update.
As of Monday, only the One X and One S were confirmed by HTC as being eligible for a Jelly Bean bump.
While the company claimed other devices are currently being reviewed for Jelly Bean, HTC has decided to "prioritize review for devices launched in 2012" before moving on to devices from 2011 and earlier.
The good news is that only two phones from the manufacturer's entire lineup have been completely ruled out for the update.
HTC stated devices with 512MB of RAM or less will not get Jelly Bean, which, translated, means anyone with a One V or Desire C will be left behind.
Of course, that doesn't mean further support and updates will be taken away from those phones entirely; just that those devices won't earn the latest Android OS.
The Jelly Bean update also brings with it HTC Sense 4+, but there's no indication from HTC as to whether or not only phones getting Jelly Bean will gain access to the latest version of Sense.
Unfortunately, there is still no timetable in sight for when the Jelly Bean update will begin rolling out to One X and One S users.
HTC claimed there were "many aspects to the software development process that make it difficult for us to give specifics on upgrade timing."
Citing different testing protocols for each carrier and region as chief factors in the long wait for Jelly Bean, HTC assured that once testing was successful, the update would come.
The same could be said for the developer version of HTC's Jelly Bean update, which the company will announce whenever it is ready.
Not every user will get the update at the same time, but HTC also assured that every user would see Jelly Bean within 45 days of its release in a given region.
Though it's promising to hear HTC is somewhat closer to releasing Android 4.1 to its flagship phones, the lack of a concrete date is still disheartening.
Hopefully users won't have to wait much longer to enjoy all that Jelly Bean has to offer.
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Learn moreHTC's Jelly Bean update is coming... eventually After initial reports indicated HTC would be rolling out Android 4.1: Jelly Bean in October, there's been little to no movement from HTC in regards to pushing the update to any of its handsets.
Though the HTC One X, One S and One XL were confirmed to be the first to receive the update, none of those smartphones has been upgraded as of yet.
HTC finally broke its silence Monday, revealing in a new frequently asked questions post its plans for the future of the Android update.
As of Monday, only the One X and One S were confirmed by HTC as being eligible for a Jelly Bean bump.
While the company claimed other devices are currently being reviewed for Jelly Bean, HTC has decided to "prioritize review for devices launched in 2012" before moving on to devices from 2011 and earlier.
The good news is that only two phones from the manufacturer's entire lineup have been completely ruled out for the update.
HTC stated devices with 512MB of RAM or less will not get Jelly Bean, which, translated, means anyone with a One V or Desire C will be left behind.
Of course, that doesn't mean further support and updates will be taken away from those phones entirely; just that those devices won't earn the latest Android OS.
The Jelly Bean update also brings with it HTC Sense 4+, but there's no indication from HTC as to whether or not only phones getting Jelly Bean will gain access to the latest version of Sense.
Unfortunately, there is still no timetable in sight for when the Jelly Bean update will begin rolling out to One X and One S users.
HTC claimed there were "many aspects to the software development process that make it difficult for us to give specifics on upgrade timing."
Citing different testing protocols for each carrier and region as chief factors in the long wait for Jelly Bean, HTC assured that once testing was successful, the update would come.
The same could be said for the developer version of HTC's Jelly Bean update, which the company will announce whenever it is ready.
Not every user will get the update at the same time, but HTC also assured that every user would see Jelly Bean within 45 days of its release in a given region.
Though it's promising to hear HTC is somewhat closer to releasing Android 4.1 to its flagship phones, the lack of a concrete date is still disheartening.
Hopefully users won't have to wait much longer to enjoy all that Jelly Bean has to offer.
Get the hottest tech stories of the week, plus the most popular reviews delivered straight to your inbox.
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