New Details On The iPhone 6: It Will Be Super Slim, High Res, Come In Two Sizes, And The Power Button Is Moving

Business Insider - Big changes are coming to Apple's iPhone line this year, says KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo.

In a note picked up at Apple Insider, Kuos predicts that Apple will release two larger iPhones by the end of the year.

He's calling for a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in the third quarter, and then a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 in the fourth quarter.

Kuo isn't the only person calling for two big iPhones. We've heard it from a variety of sources. The more we hear, the more we think it's going to happen.

Apple knows that it needs to release a phone with a bigger screen. Last year, in an internal presentation, it said big-screen phones are the best-selling phones. Since Apple had only a 4-inch iPhone, it concluded "Customers want what we don't have."   Read More

STMicro's invisible lasers could bring touchless gesture control to smartphones

PCWorld - Using an infrared laser, ST Microelectronics’ new proximity detector for mobile phones can measure distances to within a centimeter or two.

The component could enable future smartphones to repond to more sophisticated touchless commands, distinguishing between as many as eight simple hand gestures, said company representatives on the STMicro stand at Mobile World Congress.

Traditional proximity detectors contain a sensor that detects when a beam of infrared light from an adjacent LED is reflected off a nearby object. While the intensity of the reflected light can give some information about the proximity of the object, this can also be affected by the object’s color or surface finish. Typically, they are placed next to the phone’s earpiece or front-facing camera.

Software running on a demo phone showed a traditional detector responding strongly to objects within about 5 cm, but barely reacting beyond that. The same app also showed the new detector’s response varying proportionally with the distance to an obstacle, out to about 50 cm.    Read More

Mobile World Congress - Day Two Highlights

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 review: Premium small tablet for premium price

You get what you pay for with this slate. This 8.4-inch tablet brings a comfortable design, smooth performance, and an incredible screen in one package.     Read More

Ford shows off a different kind of mobile device

At Mobile World Congress Ford introduced the 2015 Focus to the world. Since we're at a tech show, we took a good look at the tech inside.    Read More

Dolby to bring Atmos cinema sound to mobile

The audio company has special algorithms that deliver spatial sound similar to its Atmos technology to your basic headphones.    Read More

Samsung Gamepad is a slick Bluetooth controller

Samsung wants to turn your smartphone into a games console, with a chunky Xbox-style controller. We see how it plays in this hands-on video    Read More

Hands-on with the bare-bones ZTE Open II Firefox phone

The Open II features a 2-megapixel camera and Firefox OS, and has its sights on emerging markets.    Read More

Unique smartphones boast encryption, e-ink

Several smartphones unveiled at Mobile World Congress stand out with unusual features, like the untraceable Blackphone, the durable Toughpad, and the dual-screen YotaPhone. And BlackBerry strays from the pack by bringing back the trackpad.    Read More

Mobile World Congress Day One Highlights

Samsung unveils the Galaxy S5

The wait is over. No more rumors, just facts. This is Samsung's much anticipated superphone freshly unveiled at Mobile World Congress.   Read More 

HTC brings style to the mid-range segment with the Desire 816 (hands-on)

The new Desire 816 is the company's flagship for a new mid-tier lineup and sports a design based on the One series of devices.   Read More

Nokia Asha 230 shows off teeny-tiny touchscreen

It's incredibly basic, but the minuscule Asha 230 has an adorable design, and will set you back very little cash.   Read More

The Nvidia Tegra Note 7 adds LTE

Nvidia's updatd Tegra Note 7 keeps its Tegra 4 processor and adds a i500 modem, coming soon for $299.    Read More

First Ubuntu phones revealed (pictures)

Take an exclusive first look at the first Ubuntu phones, the Meizu MX3 and BQ Aquaris, in our hands-on photos.    Read More

Mobile World Congress in Video: Sony updates its Xperia lineup

We've told you about the changes Sony's introducing to its Xperia smartphones and tablets. Now see the new Xperia Z2 phone for yourself in this video report.    Read More

More

Daring phones done dirt cheap: Moto X goes contract-free for $400, Moto G for $100

PCWorld - Motorola's smartphones just keep getting cheaper.

The flagship Moto X (pictured at left above) has received a permanent $100 price cut for the unlocked, contract-free version. The new price is $399 with 16 GB of storage, and $449 with 32 GB of storage.

Meanwhile, Best Buy is selling the mid-range Moto G (pictured at right above) on Verizon Wireless for $100 without a contract. The phone was originally priced at $179.

As Motorola points out, some wireless carriers such as T-Mobile offer month-to-month or prepaid plans that are cheaper when you pay full price for the phone, so it's possible to save money with an off-contract Moto X in the long run. Motorola also offers zero-interest financing plans if you'd rather pay off the phone over time instead of up-front.    Read More

Get Ready For CES 2014 - What To Expect

• CES 2014: We'll take you there News Lindsey Turrentine 6 hours ago 
  

  From stellar panels to on-stage torture tests, CNET's CES 2014 coverage will make you rethink your definition of technology. Find out what we have in store for the first and largest tech show of the year.
  
  
• LG HomeChat lets you SMS with your appliances News Megan Wollerton 8 hours ago
  

  Use this app to chat with your LG fridge, robot vacuum, washing machine, and oven.
  
  
• CES 2014 Gaming preview: Gaining Steam News Jeff Bakalar 3 days ago
  

  For the first time in recent memory, gaming may have a significant presence at CES.
  
  

Smartphones at CES: Big, bendy, 64-bit

A look at the year's upcoming trends for Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show and into 2014.

The calm before the tablet storm

What's in store for tablets at CES 2014? Probably not all that much.

Wearable tech: Expect the unexpected

The weird, wild world of wearables is bound for a lot of chaos in Las Vegas. What will it all add up to? That's anyone's guess.

See the Rest Here

Top 12 Smartphones - CNET Reviews

The best smartphones make the best gifts

From Top smartphones for the holidays



CNET - Looking for a deal on a red-hot smartphone? You've come to the right season. Carriers and big-box stores like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart slash prices to entice you to fill your shopping cart.

For high-end devices hat are typically backed by a lot of dollar signs, a seasonal buy-one, get-one deal or other deep discount could be enough to put a smile on your face, and a new smartphone in that lucky someone's pocket. That lucky someone might even be you.

View the Phones!

Your Phone Can Take Your Blood Pressure With This New Tech

Forbes - Engineers are taking advantage of the flexibility of apps and the computing power of smartphones to replicate the functions of medical devices and even laboratory instruments.

Smartphone based medical apps started to proliferate two years ago. Handy integrated devices like the $129 Withings blood pressure monitor simplified the process of tracking personal health. This year, the level of sophistication of as taken a significant leap.

Take for instance the NetraG from Massachusetts-based EyeNetra. The company, which develops mobile diagnostic tools to aid eye-care, is working on manufacturing an effective diagnostic system using plastic lenses mounted on a smartphone. By replacing autorefractors—the expensive medical devices optometrists use to prescribe glasses—EyeNetra says it can cut eye-care costs by thousands of dollars.   More

Hands On With Google Nexus 5 with LTE, Available Now

CNET -

It's finally here.

After months of leaks and rumors, Google officially announced its latest flagship phone, the Nexus 5, during a press event today in San Francisco. The device will run the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, and like its predecessor, it will be manufactured by LG.

However, the handset features several key changes, like a bigger 4.95-inch screen, a faster Snapdragon 800 processor, and most notably LTE support. It will be available unlocked at the Google Play Store for $349 (16GB) and $399 (32GB) starting today.

Design

Once again, minimalism is key. Decorated with a simple vertically lined Nexus logo and an even subtler LG logo, the Nexus 5 sports a more subdued and restrained aesthetic that is still sleek. Instead of the lustrous, tile-patterned back that we saw on the Nexus 4, the black version of the 5 features a soft-touch matte backing that, during our brief time with it, we found makes it easier to grip.

Personally, we prefer this new simple look for the durability. As chic as the Nexus 4 was, many reported that its glass back cracked too easily; in fact, two of our own review units fractured as well.

The handset measures 5.43 inches tall, 2.72 inches wide, and 0.34 inch thick, but weighs even less than the previous generation, at 4.59 ounces. Sporting the biggest screen yet in relation to past Nexuses, it has a 4.95-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display. Keeping up with its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, the Nexus 5's touch screen has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and 445ppi. In contrast, the previous Nexus had a 1,280x768-pixel resolution with just 320 ppi.   More

LG's curved G Flex phone solves a problem that nobody had

PCWorld - After a long leaky build-up, LG has officially debuted its curvaceous smartphone, the LG G Flex. Remember where you were this day; for it will go down in history as the date when LG's mobile devices began to slightly bend for no demonstrably necessary reason.

First, we should mention that despite its name, the G Flex is not actually "flexible." The phone boasts a slight static curve from top to bottom. The company claims the curve provides a number of comfort benefits, such as following the rounded contour of the human face and fitting more snugly in one's back pocket.

LG also claims that in landscape mode, the curve will add a more immersive "IMAX-like" experience for watching videos or playing games. In addition, the curve naturally reduces "the distance between one's mouth to the microphone." (Was there a mouth-to-microphone distance problem I was unaware of?)  

Spec-wise, the Flex is basically a curved version of the LG G2. Both phones sport a six-inch display and single-button-control "Rear Key" design. Both are powered by a 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset. Both run on Jelly Bean and even share the same specs on their front and rear cameras (13MP and 2.1MP respectively).    More

Samsung to unveil Galaxy Round flexible display phone

Possibly debuting this week, the phone could steal some thunder from LG's allegedly upcoming G Flex smartphone.

CNET -Samsung is reportedly set to announce a curved display smartphone known as the Galaxy Round.

The new phone could be unveiled later this week, Korean news site Asiae reported Sunday. A Google translation of the story mentions October 10, but it's unclear whether that's the date forecast for the expected unveiling.

The phone would use a plastic display rather than one made of glass. The Asiae report follows a comment made by a Samsung executive in September confirming such a phone.   More

Motorola Droid Ultra - Motorola's thinnest Droid ever

Waterproof Samsung Galaxy S4 Active makes some waves

CNET - Samsung's Galaxy S4 line gets another family member in the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, a hardened, ruggedized spin off of the company's flagship model.

Waterproof to a meter below the surface and for up to 30 minutes, the Active carries on computing with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Samsung's TouchWiz interface, and a 1.9GHz quad-core processor, the same as its more delicate Galaxy S4 sibling.   More

Most anticipated tech of 2013

CNET -

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S4
 

The Samsung Galaxy S3 was arguably the biggest Android phone release to date, so it's hardly surprising that the inevitable S4 is leading the pack as one of the most anticipated phones of 2013. While details on the device remain strictly in rumor mill territory, the best guesses include a 5-inch 1080p HD display, a 13-megapixel camera, and integrated support for Visa wireless payments. But one thing we know for sure: we'll be getting all of the relevant details on March 14 at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 rumor roundup

Read: "What I want to see in the Samsung Galaxy S4" 

 

See the Rest!

Mozilla Unveils Firefox OS Smartphones At Mobile World Congress

 

ReadWrite - It started with a gecko, of sorts. It then became a fennec, a type of winter fox. Now, it is a smartphone, and soon it will be available all over the world. 

We are, of course, talking about Firefox OS, the open source, Web-based smartphone operating system created by Mozilla. The company announced Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that it has partnered with device manufacturers and mobile operators across the world to launch Firefox smartphones in 2013. 

Mozilla also officially launched the Firefox Marketplace, an app store featuring mobile Web applications and websites that will be able to operate on the new smartphones. Both the Firefox OS and Marketplace are optimized towards HTML5 development and open Web standards using Mozilla’s Firefox browser as its backbone.

More

Samsung takes inspiration from Fort Knox for mobile security

 
PCWorld - BARCELONA—Samsung on Monday announced an improved version of its SAFE management and security system for popular Samsung-branded Android smartphones and tablets.
Samsung dubbed the updated tool set KNOX, after the famous Fort Knox in Kentucky, where much of the U.S. gold reserves are stored.

The KNOX technology, to be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress here this week, means that Samsung smartphone and tablet users will soon be able to take advantage of a dual persona or containerization approach, where corporate and personal data are kept in separate spaces on the Android OS.

Samsung said its new software is not a hypervisor, but runs in the BIOS (basic input output system) firmware of the Android OS with file system encryption, to protect against data leaks, viruses and malware.

More

Per These Leaked CES Pics, Sony Is Actually Capable Of Making A Memorable Android Phone

 

TechCrunch - Quick! What’s Sony’s current high-end Android phone? Anyone? Yeah, Sony has a problem with brand recognition, one it likely hopes will be resolved with a big CES debut next week. While that could still happen, Sony’s Japanese press site just prematurely posted pics of the Xperia Z “Yuga” and the Xperia ZL “Odin”. And, surprisingly, the phones actually look worth remembering.

Sony, and before that, Sony Ericsson, has long floundered about in the mobile waters. Besides the Sony Ericsson gaming phone, none have been particularly interesting. Somehow Sony manages to make forgettable phones even though past models looked great and packed top-notch specs. Hopefully, and I mean that, these upcoming phones will hit the market with a bit more pizzazz.

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Android Rumor Roundup

Five-inch smartphones, an unbreakable display, and an even larger Galaxy Note make up the juiciest Android rumors this week.

 

(Credit: Google) 

 

CNET - On any given day of the week, the rumor mill churns out leaked specs, blurred images, and other tidbits that give us a clue about unannounced Android tablets and smartphones. In a new weekly column, I'll track the best ones, be they credible or outlandish.

Before going any further, remember that none of these rumors has been officially confirmed.

Benchmarks, while often a good source for discovering new devices, can be faked. What's more, a trusted source doesn't always have the right intel to pass along. Also worth noting is that the time frames for the respective products can slip and that "coming weeks" may actually mean months.

In other words, you'll need to take these rumors with a grain or two of salt. In fact, you might want to keep that salt shaker nearby.

HTC M7
December 5, 2012

Word broke earlier this week that the smartphone maker is hoping to move 4 to 5 million units of a new device in Q1 2013. Dubbed the M7, details reportedly include an aluminum uni-body, 13-megapixel camera, and quad-core Qualcomm processor. Oh, and let's not forget the five-inch 1080p HD display.

Could LG launch its Optimus G successor so soon?

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) 

 

LG Optimus G successor
December 6, 2012

LG could release a follow-up to the Optimus G, but it's improbable that they'd announce something as soon as CES. Mobile World Congress, which takes place in late February, seems like a more likely time. As to what handset could make for the successor, the E940 could be a likely candidate.

More

Prizefight: Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3

CNET - This is a Prizefight throwdown showdown between Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3, before the Jelly Bean update, that will continue on for generations to come.

The iPhone 5 finally has caught up to technologies that the Android world has had for more than a year, so how will it match up with one of Android's crown jewels, the Galaxy S3?

More

iPhone 5 full review: Finally, the iPhone we've always wanted

CNET Editors' Rating

4.0 stars - Excellent

The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and feather-light.

The bad: Sprint and Verizon models can't use voice and data simultaneously. The smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter. There's no NFC, and the screen size pales in comparison to jumbo Android models.

The bottom line: The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It's absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.

 Read the Full Review