While there remains some debate over the success of the HTC First “Facebook Home” phone in the US market, it looks like the handset will not even be getting a[...]
Android Community
X Phone concept
A new Motorola device has been spotted at the FCC with model number XT1056, suggesting we could be looking at yet another Google X Phone variation.
While Google has not confirmed the X Phone yet, speculation based on available evidence seemed to indicate that the XT1058 (a model also seen at the FCC recently) is AT&T’s X Phone version.
Soon after that, we saw an XT1060 mentioned in a leaked Motorola file, believed at the time to be Verizon’s X Phone version.
The XT1056 has a model number that suggest it may be part of the same family of handsets, and according to the available FCC documentation, the device packs support for Sprint’s LTE bands.
Interestingly, an XT1055 has also been spotted in alleged benchmark, and was believed to be an X Phone version.
The FCC filing for the XT1056 doesn’t reveal other details about the handset, but we’ll note that the provided drawing (above) isn’t similar to the one saw in FCC documentation for the XT1058 (below). In fact, the image for the later seemed to indicate that the AT&T-bound handset could be similar to that Motorola handset spotted in Vietnam in mid-March.
To recap, so far we have two confirmed model numbers for upcoming Motorola devices, the XT1058 and the XT1056, while other two versions have appeared in various reports including the XT1055 and the XT1060 (in case they’re real, they should hit the FCC in the future as well). But we’ll have to wait some more to see whether these devices will actually be X Phones for their respective carriers, or not, so keep holding to that grain of salt for now.
     |
Come next month, NTT DoCoMo users won’t be the only ones to benefit from a water-resistant version of the Optimus G. Similar to the L-01E for Japan, LG has introduced the Optimus GJ for Taiwan, which carries IPX7 certification that allows for worry-free immersion in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The Optimus GJ also carries IPX5 certification for protection against dust particles. Dubbed the E975W, the smartphone is by and large a thicker version of the Optimus G (E975). This means you’ll find a 4.7-inch, 1,280 x 720 True HD IPS display, a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, a 13MP primary / 1.3MP front-facing camera setup, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage and Android 4.1.2. Unlike the original Optimus G, the Optimus GJ wields a larger 2,280mAh battery and a red backing, but also lacks NFC functionality. You can expect it to hit the market next month in Taiwan, where it’ll sell for NT$ 17,990 ($ 600). Hit up the source link to find additional views of the of the Optimus G — it seems that LG has thrown a bit of a pool party to celebrate its announcement.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: ePrice (translated)
Absolute Software, the makers of the LoJack theft recovery service, announced today that through a partnership with Samsung it will be offering its services to all Galaxy S4 handsets. The service, which was previously targeted at desktop and laptop computers, is making the move into the mobile space with one of the most popular devices out today. Unlike other services that can pretty easily be removed when a phone is factory reset, the LoJack system is embedded at the firmware level and will survive any tampering or attempts to remove it by a criminal.
Beyond just making sure that the phone is traced, locked and remotely wiped, you'll get the expertise of LoJack's years of experience in tracking stolen property. When we spoke to LoJack representatives here at CTIA they said they've recovered laptops in as little as 40 minutes, and as long as four and a half years after they were stolen. That just shows the determination of the people behind this service.
While it is embedded in every Galaxy S4 device, it won't be available to be activated until "early this summer". LoJack isn't releasing specific pricing at this point, but has indicated that the service will start at $ 29.99 with multiple subscription options ranging from 1 to 4 years at a time.
| |
Android Central – Android Forums – News – Reviews – Help and Android Wallpapers
Hang around these pages long enough and you’re bound to come across Pantech, the South Korean purveyor of everything from giant 1080p handsets down to… giant 720p handsets. Samsung has noticed this rising star too and, so says Yonhap News, has now made a $ 50 million investment in the smaller company in return for a 10 percent stake. Implicit in that is that the Korean government has allowed Samsung’s ever-expanding influence to infiltrate a potential rival, since Pantech is now the No. 3 phone maker in that country and only Qualcomm and a state-run bank possess larger stakes than Samsung’s. As a result, the acquisition could have an anti-competitive aura to it — but then, Pantech has actually been struggling of late, not least with large debts, and it has relied on big backers to bail it out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: The Next Web
Source: Yonhap News
We're at CTIA 2013 in Las Vegas and while a lot of business and back-end technologies are being talked about here, companies like the Japanese carrier NTT Docomo are showing off at least a couple of consumer-facing products. Its recently announced "Translator Phone" service was on display today and we had a moment to see how it all worked. The app and service, which will be pre-loaded on nearly every one of its devices going forward, gives near real-time voice and text translation between English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and several other languages.
The UI is extremely simple, and all you have to do is select which two languages you'd like to have a translated conversation between. The app then has two buttons — for example English and Japanese — that you tap, speak to and receive a translation. Voice is nearly instantly transcribed into text, translated into the text of the other language, then also read aloud in that language. You can then hold the phone to the native speaker of the other language, where they can read the text and give their response for you to read. The translations come through in a threaded conversation view, and any of the translations can be read aloud or re-transcribed at any time.
NTT Docomo is also working with this same technology to provide nearly real-time translation over phone calls, but it is only working in a limited capacity with English, Japanese and Chinese with about a 2 second delay when translating. The hope is to eventually provide seamless translation between languages while on phone calls one day. Be sure to watch the video above of the service in action.
| |
Android Central – Android Forums – News – Reviews – Help and Android Wallpapers
Foursquare for Windows Phone keeps getting better and better. And now Lumia owners will have something else to brag about (besides the stunning design, that is). Nokia devices are being granted access to a small set of exclusive features in the latest Foursquare update. The marquee addition is a new augmented reality view that puts venue information right in your live camera view. All you have to do is tap the camera icon at the top of the map screen. The AR will probably make it somewhat easier to find your mark, and you can always turn to the recently added NFC support for super simple check-ins. Not having an exclusive feature or two is hardly a deal breaker, but it’s bound to make non-Lumia Windows Phone fans more than a little jealous.
Source: Nokia
A new report says that Verizon may release in the future a Motorola handset similar to the XT1058 (rumored AT&T XFON), suggesting that a CDMA Google X Phone may be launched alongside a GSM version of it.
Droid-Life had access to an “.ini file pulled from leaked Motorola USB drivers” which revealed that the XT1058 – an unannounced Motorola handset spotted at the FCC and in benchmarks, and believed to be a Google X Phone candidate – may have a CDMA brother, the XT1060:
////////////////////////////
This is for RSD app to create correct phone model class
[MODEL]
WIFI = f100,mz604,xoom,mz615,mz615-16,mz615-32,mz615-64,mz607,mz607-16,mz607-32,mz602
STEUMTS = mb865,me865
MSM6X55UMTS = mb632,xt605,xt626,xt621
MSM6X55CDMA = xt603
MSM8960CDMA = xt926,xt897,xt907,xt901,xt1060
MSM8960UMTS = mb886,xt923,xt925,xt905,201m,xt1058
IMC6260UMTS = xt890
////////////////////////////
Considering the similarity between the two model numbers, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume they may be different versions of the same handset. In case you were wondering, in the list above only the XT1058 and XT1060 are unannounced devices, and we did check them all.
The XT1060 will apparently feature a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, the “MSM8960CDMA,” while the XT1058 would offer a similar CPU. The text snippet above, clearly indicates that the XT1060 is a CDMA device, while the XT1058 is a GSM one.
However, the XT1060 is yet to be confirmed. So far we have only seen the XT1058 at the FCC and found out that it has AT&T-compatible LTE support. The device also showed up in supposedly leaked benchmarks thereafter.
A recently leaked set of images did show us a Motorola-branded device that had AT&T XFON written on the back.
With all that in mind, it makes some sense to assume that the XT1058 could actually be the AT&T XFON, or a GSM version of that rumored Google X Phone that we’ve seen in so many unconfirmed reports in the past few months.
In addition to the XT1060 that we’re now seeing for the first time, we have also talked about an XT1055 model that appeared in a different set of leaked benchmarks, also a potential member of the same family of upcoming Motorola handsets.
As you can see, there’s a lot of speculation surrounding the XT1058 at this point so make sure you take everything with a grain of salt. But if the handset is indeed the GSM version of the X Phone, then in light of all these reports we could conclude that the X Phone would be a mid-range device, at least when compared to 2013 standards for high-end handsets. Such assumptions fall in line with some of the previous reports detailing the X Phone that did say that it may not offer high-end features.
| |
Almost exactly two years ago, Motorola’s Android-in-Webtop-OS solution was kicked off the stage by ASUS’ PadFone, the world’s first phone that could fully power a tablet module from its own OS. The original concept took a while to materialize, but since then the company has kept up with a surprisingly rapid product cycle. It was only five months from the first PadFone to the PadFone 2; and now seven months later, ASUS is offering the PadFone Infinity: a non-surprising full HD update for both the phone and the tablet module. The phone itself also benefits from a newer 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC, as well as a new brushed-aluminum body. So, does this upgraded package have what it takes to kill the “glass is half empty” mentality? Or would consumers still rather have two separate devices? Read on to find out.
Gallery: ASUS PadFone Infinity review
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS
Sick of that spotty (read: non-existent) cell coverage 1,000 miles off the coast of Alaska? This time, you can’t blame AT&T. There is an option for getting connected, though, and it’s not quite as pricey as you think. Spot, a subsidiary of satellite communications giant Globalstar, recently announced its new Global Phone, a fairly basic lightweight handset that supports phone calls, SMS and compressed data at speeds of up to 28 kbps for $ 499. Usage fees are also fairly reasonable, with plans ranging from 10 minutes per month for $ 25 to unlimited calling for $ 150, plus a $ 50 activation fee. There’s also an 80-minute plan for $ 40, 200 minutes for $ 65 or 400 minutes for $ 100 with monthly billing. The device itself sports four hours of talk time or 36 hours of standby, and provides direct access to GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center when you dial 911. The Global Phone is available now through a variety of retailers, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and REI.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: Spot