Rumor: Windows Phone 8 to Launch Oct. 29, Phones on Sale Shortly After

It's a busy time for Windows Phone 8, with Samsung recently unveiling the very first WP8 smartphone at IFA, and with Nokia and Microsoft expected to reveal some WP8 devices during next week's New York City event on September 5. But come late October, things are going to really take off, with its official launch date rumored to be October 29, with handsets going on sale a couple weeks after.

Citing an inside source who asked not to be named, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley recently revealed that following the launch of Windows 8 and the Surface RT on October 26, WP8 will see an official launch at a (likely) west coast event on October 29. This date marks the "consumer launch" of WP8, with smartphones running the OS being made available for purchase "a week or two later." This jives with previous rumors that Windows Phone 8 devices would go on sale sometime in November.

Details on the launch event for WP8 are still scarce -- Foley confessed to not knowing the exact location or even the city in which it will take place -- and companies besides Samsung have yet to reveal any of their devices running Microsoft's next generation mobile OS. But over the next course of the couple of weeks, we should be seeing a number of details and announcements emerge regarding WP8, so stay tuned for more details.

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Huawei Ascend G600 Android Smartphone Unveiled

Today Huawei, one of the largest companies in China is continuing its emergence into the global smartphone market with the Ascend G600.

The device will offer mid-range feature set, starting off with a 4.5-inch LCD IPS screen with 960 x 540 pixel resolution.

The handset will run Android 4.0 (Ice cream Sandwich) and will be powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm dual-core processors accompanied by 768MB RAM and 4GB of total storage, though the device will support microSD storing up to an additional 32GB of data.

Hauwei Ascend G600The Ascend G600 will also offer a 1930mAh Li-Polymer battery; which Huawei states: "provides more than 15 days of standby time", when fully charged.

In addition, the handset will offer an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with BSI auto focus, and is set to be Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth and DNLA enabled.

The Huawei device will be available in black and white in selected markets starting in September. Though as of right now, it is unclear whether or not the Ascend G600 will ever ship in the United States.

Although Huawei is very successful in its home country, it has yet to break into the lucrative U.S. handset market. The company continues to try, however.


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Alleged Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 Images Leak Via Twitter

It isn't much to go on, but a somewhat reputable Twitter account, @evleaks, has leaked what it claims are the first official images of the Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 with PureView.

Shown below, the phone on the left is the Lumia 920, and the Lumia 820 is on the right:
Nokia Lumia 920     Nokia Lumia 820

The Twitter account, which has been accurate with its leaks before (outing devices like the Samsung Jasper and Galaxy Reverb), also posted tweets providing the sizes of the two phones. The @evleaks account claims the Lumia 820 will be a 4.3-inch device, while the Lumia 920 will be slightly larger at 4.5, and will sport PureView, Nokia's imaging technology that was last found on the 41-megapixel 808 PureView.

Unfortunately, the tweets did not provide any more information on the devices' specs beyond the handsets' sizes, so we'll just have to wait and see if these pictures are the real deal and, if so, what is going on underneath the hood.

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iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: a Visual Comparison

At this point, there have been enough leaks that it's a safe bet that the next-generation iPhone is going to have a larger screen than its predecessor. A new set of pictures show how much bigger.

Apple iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 5Numerous unconfirmed reports have indicated that Apple's next smartphone will be its first with a 4.0-inch display, after using a 3.5-inch one on all previous versions. Images leaking out of China, where the iPhone 5 is going to be produced, apparently show the front panel for this device next to one from an iPhone 4S.

If accurate, the images indicate that the next-gen iPhone will be marginally larger than its predecessor, but not dramatically so. This is because the bezels at the top and bottom of the handset have been reduced in size.

The display will reportedly use in-cell technology, and is getting a change in resolution, not just size: 1136 x 640 pixels, up from 940 x 640.

It is assumed that Apple is making this change because of competitive pressure from devices running the rival Android OS. Many of these have displays much larger than the iPhone 4S -- the very popular Samsung Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch screen.

More iPhone 5 Details

This smartphone is supposedly going to be Apple's first with 4G LTE, giving it a considerably faster wireless connection to the Internet but raising questions about its battery life.

It is certainly going to launch running iOS 6, and it may do so on an Apple A6 processor. Other rumors speak of a slimmer design, which includes a smaller Dock Connector. The rear-facing camera my be upgraded from 8 MP to 12 MP.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12, and launch it a few days later, in Sept. 21. If the company follows its previous practices, the new version will sell for what the previous one does now.


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Next Stage in Samsung vs. Apple Trial Scheduled for December

 

The judge in the Samsung vs. Apple trial has decided that the next major hearing isn't going to happen for over three months. That's when Judge Koh will listen to various arguments related to last week's decision.

Apple vs. SamungAlthough a jury has decided that some of Samsung's smartphones and tablets infringe on Apple patents, that's not the end of the matter -- far from it. Since that decision was announced, both sides in the case have filed numerous post-trial motions. So many have come in that Koh has decided that she needs plenty of time to read them.

One of the major topics at the hearing -- now scheduled for Dec. 6 -- will be Apple's request that the judge permanently ban eight handsets that it believes violate its patents. Samsung, on the other hand, is filing motions on why it believes the judge should overturn some or all of the jury's decision.

Judge Koh said:

Having considered the scope of Apple's preliminary injunction request, the additional post-trial motions that the parties have already filed and will file, and the substantial overlap between the analysis required for Apple's preliminary injunction motion and the parties' various other post-trial motions, the Court believes consolidation of the briefing and hearing on the post-trial motions is appropriate.

Previously, the judge had been planning to hear arguments for a temporary ban on the eight Samsung smartphones on September 20.

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From Rumor to Reality: HTC Desire X Announced

Two days ago information on the HTC Desire X (previously named HTC Proto) leaked out, creating a surge of reports around the Web. Well HTC has responded today by officially announcing the Desire X, its next mid-range Android smartphone.

It appears that most of what was leaked a few days ago was accurate, as the handset is going to sport a 4-inch WVGA super LCD display with a 480 x 800 resolution. The device will also house Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) along with HTC Sense 4.0a.

HTC Desire XThe mid-ranged model will run on a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor with 4GB of total storage capacity, 768 MB of RAM, and a 1650 mAh battery. Luckily for users, the HTC Desire X will support microSD memory cards, allowing users to opt for more storage.  It is also set to include 25GB of free DropBox storage to users for 2-years who sign up for a HTC Desire X before the end of 2013.

Additionally the mid-range handset will offer a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash, with an f/2.0 lens and BSI Sensor for low-light captures. The camera will support WVGA video recording and offer VideoPic, allowing users to shoot video and capture pictures at the same time.

And finally, the smartphone is going to offer Beats Audio for improved sound quality, and will be compatible with Beats headphones, offering an even better audio experience thanks to specific tuned audio files.

The Desire X is slated to come to European and Asian markets in September, though HTC has made no mention of when we can expect the mid-range handset in the United States.

Unfortunately HTC has yet to set a price for the device, though I expect the estimate from our last article of around $450 USD stills holds accurate.


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First Windows Phone 8 Device Officially Announced: The Samsung ATIV S

No more prototypes, no more rumors, hypothesizing, or teases: Samsung officially revealed the very first Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S, at IFA in Berlin today.

The phone is going to be undeniably sleek, measuring only 8.7 millimeters thin with a brushed aluminum chassis and a bezel that tapers inwards toward the back. The ATIV S won't skimp on screen size, however, sporting a sizable 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display, complete with Corning Gorilla Glass 2.

Samsung ATIV S FrontThe rest of the handset's specs are equally impressive, with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor under the hood, as well as 1 GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, NFC support, and a choice of either 16 GB or 32 GB of storage. Thankfully, Windows Phone 8 is going to have support for expandable memory -- a feature that its predecessor was lacking -- so the ATIV S will also have a microSD card slot for extra storage.

Finally, the phone is powered by a 2300mAh battery, which should provide even the heaviest of users with a respectable battery life.

As the pictures show, the ATIV S will have a couple of distinct design features, including a raised, physical Windows home button (as opposed to a capacitive one) and a speaker bar that runs along the back. The quality build of the ATIV S is evident all the way down to the buttons, which, like both of the phone's speakers, are going to be made of aluminum. Combined with the slightly rounded edges of the display glass, the phone will take on a clean and classy look.

Samsung ATIV S BackThe version of the phone that was revealed at IFA was a European model that could run on AT&T's HSPA network, but the spec sheet does not list support for LTE, CDMA, or AWS bands, which some of the American carriers must have in their phones. So it remains to be seen if and how Samsung will adapt the model for US carriers and networks.

Unfortunately, Samsung has not provided any news yet on pricing and availability of the ATIV S.


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LG Unveils Quad-Core, 4G LTE-Enabled Optimus G

LG has just taken the wraps off its latest flagship handset, the Optimus G, and from the spec list it looks like it will be among the first to feature both a quad-core processor and 4G LTE, a move that could increase LG's standing in the Apple and Samsung dominated smartphone race.

LG Optimus GWith a 4.7-inch True HD 1280 x 768-pixel IPS display, the Optimus G will ship with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), though it's safe to assume that it will likely get a tasty update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) soon after it hits shelves.

Most notably however, is that the smartphone will feature a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, which allows for seamless toggling between 3G, 4G and LTE networks. Previous LTE-enabled devices, such as the U.S. versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One X, had to use dual-core chips because no quad-core model provided LTE support.

The Optimus G will also feature Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, a USB 2.0 host port, Mobile-Definition Link (MHL), DNLA protected media sharing, and NFC for mobile payments. LG's latest and greatest will also sport a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, in addition to a 1.3-megapixel front shooter. The device will come with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 2,100-mAh battery, all packed inside a case that is just 8 millimeters thick.

LG has fallen behind in recent years, as the smartphone race has become a two-player competition, with Apple and Samsung fending for the top spot. High-end devices like the Optimus G are LG's attempt to become relevant again in the eyes of consumers, and what better way than to offer one of the most powerful devices coupled with high-speed connectivity?

Unfortunately, U.S. customers enticed by the quad-core packed Optimus G will likely have to wait a while to see this device Stateside, as the company plans for a September launch in Japan and Korea, with no word yet of a global release.

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Motorola Droid RAZR M Gets an Early Unveiling Thanks to Spec Leak

With last week bringing rumors of a follow-up to the Motorola Droid RAZR, more details have now surfaced about this device, revealing everything from its processor to its price tag.

Dubbed the Droid RAZR M, Verizon's upcoming smartphone will sport a 4.3-inch HD Super AMOLED Advanced display that will boast an 1196 x 720 resolution, as previously reported. Packing a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, the handset will come with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, though the device will be equipped with a microSD slot for additional space.

The smartphone is also going to feature global roaming capabilities, 4G LTE connectivity, and an NFC chip, an ideal characteristic for the Google Wallet users out there. Furnished with on-screen navigation keys, the smartphone will house a 3-megapixel front-facing camera, as well as an 8-megapixel rear shooter that is capable of taking 1080p video.

From this spec leak, it seems the only similarity this device will have with its predecessor is a Kevlar casing, though no word yet if the Droid RAZR M will have the same 1780 mAh battery as the original Droid RAZR.

An Important Product

With Motorola undergoing big changes since being acquired by Google back in May, the company has said it will reduce its number of devices to just a few, eliminating low-end phones to focus only on high-quality devices. Pegged with a $150 price tag with a new two-year agreement, the Droid RAZR M certainly fits Motorola's high-end credentials. The smartphone is expected to be announced alongside the Droid RAZR HD at Verizon and Motorola's press conference on Sept. 5.


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Android phone makers back platform but consider other options

(Reuters) - Some phonemakers are quietly exploring alternatives to the Android operating system implicated in the Samsung-Apple ruling, industry watchers say, despite their public pronouncements they are sticking with the technology.

Last week, a U.S. court ruled Samsung's Android devices were violating Apple patents - a major blow to the leading mobile software platform because it could lead to sales bans and high licensing fees.

The impact could also hit smaller vendors that use Android like HTC, ZTE, and Sony. Android is used in more than two thirds of smart phones.

Huawei, Sony, Lenovo and ZTE - which all use Android extensively - told Reuters they were continuing to bet on the Google's platform despite the ruling.

"(The ruling) is not relevant to what we are doing," said Chris Edwards, chief of ZTE's business development in Europe.

But as the mobile market matures and more patent cases look likely, some makers are looking at the alternatives.

Samsung, which has used a number of platforms but now mostly uses Android, announced a new phone running on Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 software at a consumer technology conference on Wednesday, sneaking ahead of a hotly-anticipated launch of a Nokia-Windows phone due next week.

Shares in Nokia, which has partnered with Windows and is its main user, jumped after the Samsung ruling on expectations it might be a safer legal bet than Android makers.

The California jury said Samsung infringed six of seven Apple patents in the case, including technology that recognizes whether one or two fingers are on the screen, the front surface of the phone and the design of screen icons, which is a clear reference to Google's technology.

After the verdict, Google said that most of the patents involved "don't relate to the core Android operating system."

Android was used in 68 percent of all smartphones sold last quarter, with Samsung making almost half of them, while Microsoft had 3 percent market share.

The balance of power is unlikely to shift quickly as this season's new phones were all made before the ruling.

Sony launched three Android phones this week at IFA, Europe's largest consumer electronics fair. Chinese phone maker Huawei launched four.

"We have made our choice," said Lars-Christian Weissewange, vice president at Huawei's phone unit, adding that consumers were making the platform choice for them by picking Android phones. Sony said the ruling was not impacting its business.

"This is probably not impacting consumer thinking," Gianfranco Lanci, chief of Lenovo's European operations, said on sidelines of the conference.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

But behind closed doors, companies are looking at alternative routes should the ruling impact ripple wider out, said several industry insiders.

"Today, all Android vendors are considering their software options," said Pete Cunningham, an analyst at research firm Canalys.

Samsung's brief, surprise launch on Wednesday of the world's first smartphone running on Windows Phone 8, should be interpreted as muscle flexing, analysts said.

However, it should not be seen as a firm move away from Android as the model will likely struggle to stand out even among the other Windows phones, said Malik Saadi, analyst at research firm Informa.

Illustrating the high interest at stake are the behind-the-scene meetings of Google's and Apple's chiefs Larry Page and Tim Cook on the patents.

Despite its small market share, Windows Phone is still the largest alternative to Android as Apple and Blackberry maker RIM have not made their platforms available for other handset makers.

At the same time, vendors are pretty much stuck with Android as Windows is way behind in terms of applications on offer, offering just 100,000 apps against half a million each on Android and Apple.

"Microsoft needs to create a developer environment for the Window Phone, which is growing, but still trails behind the others," said Roberta Cozza, analyst at Gartner.

Attracting developers is difficult with tiny market shares.

Navigation firm TomTom launched an app running on Android this week but said it was not planning a Windows app.

"I have a big bucket of (research and development) and if I had to decide where to put my money, I want to wait first to see whether Windows is a success," said co-founder Corinne Vigreux.

(Reporting By Tarmo Virki; editing by Jane Barrett and Janet McBride)


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