Sony will be using new f/2.2 aperture lenses for some for improved depth-of-field, and the company has also improved auto focus features for video recording. In addition, videos will be able to take advantage of HDR, a feature that has been reserved for still images on smartphones so far. That should allow footage to capture a full range of lighting scenarios, with smartphones struggling to dynamically adjust to dramatic changes in the past.

The company is still working on further sensor enhancements, focusing on improved image quality and sensor behaviour while keeping the overall size down. Sony says that the first new Exmor sensor will be available in October, but it lack HDR video and RGBW exposure features. The other two sensors with those features will be reportedly be available in March and May 2013.

Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung will most likely make use of the new sensors once they hit the market next year. They’re particularly appealing due to the reduced size (up to 40% over previous sensors), which would save precious space inside a smartphone that could make room for additional components or battery capacity, all while bringing better image quality.

[via Engadget/HEXUS]

The two CEOs will converse with each other via phone, with lawyers from both companies reporting to the courthouse and Judge Lucy Koh afterwards in order to report the outcome of the call. If the two CEOs fail to reach any sort of agreement, then the jury will be instructed to overlook the case and form a verdict, with the judge indicating that deliberations could begin as soon as tomorrow.

The trial has been a heated one, and not just for the two companies involved. On Friday evening, Judge Koh suggested that one of Apple’s lawyers may be “smoking crack” when he attempted to call a large list of further witnesses in the case. Apple is seeking $2.5 billion worth of damages from Samsung, claiming that the South Korean company copied the iPhone design along with important UI elements such as icons.

Samsung, meanwhile, denies such allegations, arguing that previous cases of prior art suggest that the iPhone design isn’t unique, and that the company arrived at its current icon designs of its own accord. Samsung also asserts that Apple has failed to license certain patents, and has tried to argue that other patents that Cupertino holds are invalid. Samsung is seeking $422 million in damages as a result.

Samsung has packed quite a lot of tech inside the Note 10.1, including an Exynos 4 Quad processor clocked at 1.4Ghz. In order to accommodate S-Pen input, the touchscreen makes use of a Wacom W8008 digitizer, with an Atmel mXT1664S used as the touchscreen controller. A Wolfson Audio WM1811AE is used for audio duties, and Samsung has included its own NAND chips for storage.

iFixit notes that it’s easy to get inside the device, with lots of connectors used for components, indicating good repairability. While a fair number of cables have to be removed, the battery can be user replaced, with capacity coming in a 7,000mAh. iFixit also praises the EMI shields used in the Note 10.1, saying that they employ regular screws instead of being firmly attached. Better yet, they double as heatsinks for the components.

Finally, the dock connector can be replaced with relative ease, and iFixit says that the front glass and LCD can be removed and replaced individually. The firm gives the Note 10.1 an 8/10 for repairability as a result, a stark contrast to the 2/10 they awarded for the third-generation iPad. Apple’s tablet scored lower due to the difficulty in accessing components, with the battery also glued to the chassis to prevent removal.

[via 9to5Google]

ForcePad will rely on pressure tracking instead of traditional mouse clicks, reducing the thickness of the touchpad as a result. Rather than having one set level for finger tracking, ForcePad will constantly adapt and tune itself, allowing the user to get the best performance possible out of the trackpad at all times. The technology is capable of detecting up to five fingers, and Synaptics is adding support for five new gestures that developers will be able to take advantage of in Windows 8 and apps.

Synaptics gave an interesting example for the force detection use: fast forwarding through a movie. Rather than clicking constantly to increase the speed of the fast forward, users could simply press harder on the trackpad to scroll faster through the movie. Once they let go, the movie would resume playing at normal speed.

The company has introduced a new keyboard technology too, designed for ultrabooks and thin notebooks. Synaptics has dubbed it ThinTouch, with the downpress of keys reduced to 2.5mm. Not only that, but the entire keyboard surface is equipped with a capacitive touch sensor, which could open the door for touch gestures on keyboards as well as the trackpad. Because the keys sit closer to the substrate, backlight levels for individual keys should also be much brighter.

Synaptics says that both technologies should start showing up in notebooks sometime in 2013, but didn’t go into details about which OEMs would be making use of the new features. The first ForcePad-enabled laptop should debut at CES 2013, so keep an eye out in January for a demo of the technology.

[via Gizmodo]

Thanks to the implementation of DAB+ Slideshow, the screen is capable of displaying current songs that are playing, as well as weather reports, news headlines, and traffic updates. According to Revo, DAB+ Slideshow is already supported in multiple markets, including the UK, Hong Kong, and Germany, so most customers will be able to take advantage of the feature straight out of the box.

Other specs for the PiXiS include a 2.7-inch custom speaker driver and 3W Class D amplifier. Naturally, Revo is keen to point out the low price for the radio: “PiXiS is a strategically important product in the development of DAB, and sets a benchmark in the sub-£100 price category. With its support of DAB Slideshow, PiXiS is able to deliver a significantly enhanced user experience, one that truly delivers on the multimedia promise of digital radio by elevating the experience beyond purely audio.”

Revo say that the PiXiS should be available on September 17th for £99.95. Anyone picking it up in the UK will be able to test the DAB+ Slideshow feature with Capital FM, and regular DAB support means all your regular favorite digital stations from the likes of the BBC and others will all be available as well.

The 5.8-inch screen with have a qHD resolution, with the display making use of standard LCD technology instead of the company’s popular Super AMOLED tech. That falls in line with previous Galaxy Player releases, however, helping to keep costs down. Other specs for the device include a dual-core processor clocked at 1Ghz, 1GB of RAM, a three megapixel camera and VGA front-facing camera, plus Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz 4.0.

The player won’t be as svelte as some smartphones, but we doubt many will be complaining about the 10.8mm thickness. The device is said to weigh 223g, and it will feature other radios such as Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and T-DMB for mobile television in South Korea. The battery is rated at 2,500mAh, and a microSD card slot is included for 32GB of storage. There’s no word on how much storage the player will come with as default, but we imagine it’ll fall in the 8 to 16GB range.

Interesting, the design looks to be a cross between the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 10.1. You have the same white glossy finish and curves as Samsung’s flagship handset, while two speaker grills are located at the top and bottom of the device, not unlike the Note 10.1 where similar speakers sit on either side. It also looks like the device will be going with a physical button plus two capacitive buttons, just like the Galaxy S III. There’s no word on when Samsung plans to release the media player, but SamMobile speculates that it it may make an appearance at IFA.

[via Android Central]

The company plans to do so via an application compatibility layer. That will allow apps to run without any issues on MeeGo, with OpenMobile, the company behind the ACL, saying that there’s no performance loss. Apps should also behave correctly as the software makes use of the Android runtime environment and Dalvik virtual machine, allowing for full compatibility.

Jolla also revealed that its first smartphone will come with a screen size of 3.5-inches, an interesting move given the shift in the market towards larger screens on smartphones. Even the upcoming iPhone is rumored to have a larger screen size, coming in at 4-inches compared to the 3.5-inch size used on previous iPhones. Bigger isn’t always better, however, and plenty of consumers are happy with the 3.5-inch form factor: Jolla could be looking to take advantage of that, and there’s nothing stopping the company releasing multiple devices with different sizes.

Jolla is comprised of ex-Nokia employees looking to leverage the MeeGo operating system, with the company formed at the beginning of July. Nokia only managed to get one MeeGo phone out of the door, the Nokia N9, before switching over to Windows Phone for the Lumia 800 and 900. Jolla has faith in the MeeGo operating system, believing that development “deserves to be continued”. How much success the company will have in an already crowded market remains to be seen.

UPDATE: Arctic Startup mistranslated the original article, noting that Jolla’s first smartphone will in fact have a screen larger than 3.5-inches. An exact size wasn’t given, however.

[via fonearena]

First, the user interface isn’t too far removed from what we’ve seen on recent Motorola devices like the Atrix HD. It’s mostly stock Ice Cream Sandwich, but Motorola has skinned a few elements here and there in addition to adding some new functionality. The design of the handset, meanwhile, mimics the current DROID RAZR, but most notably Motorola has ditched the capacitive keys underneath the display and opted for Android’s onscreen buttons.

The device is never referred to as the DROID RAZR HD in the videos, however, instead marked with the XT926 moniker that’s been referenced in the past. Unfortunately, the videos have been pulled: whoever originally uploaded the tutorials has since closed their YouTube account, nuking the videos in the process. If you want any more details, you’ll have to sit tight like the rest of us until September 5th.

Previous reports suggest that the DROID RAZR HD will feature a 4.6-inch 720p display along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5Ghz. It’s not known how much internal storage the device will have, but it will come with a microSD card slot for cards up to 32GB. An eight megapixel camera will apparently be onboard along with an expanded battery carrying a capacity of 2,530mAh.

[via Phone Arena]

The message of the video seems to be on target with the company’s general mantra, highlighting creativity and art while teasing a few shots of the S-Pen for the successor to the Galaxy Note. Samsung has even roped in filmmaker Wim Wenders to look pensively into the sky, spread his arms, and declare how so much can be achieved using a “small and light thing” in “the blink of an eye.”

The very brief tease of the device itself doesn’t yield any shocking revelations. There will be a slot for the S-Pen on the device, just like the current Note, and it looks like Samsung is once again planning to offer the device primarily in white, just like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 10.1. The silver trim around the edge of the device looks to have made a return, and the chassis might even be a tad curvier, but it’s not entirely clear from the video.

Reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note II will feature a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6Ghz to go along with the 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD screen. Leaked benchmarks have suggested that the device will have a 1280×720 resolution, marking a shift to 16:9 and away from the 16:10 used on the current Note. The Note II is also expected to have 2GB of RAM, an eight megapixel camera, and a refined design that will fall in line with the Galaxy S III.

[via Android and Me]

OnLive services will reportedly continue to work without any issues for users, but those employees who have been left without a job will be offered consulting roles with the company in exchange for options in the new company. When the company secures more funding, it plans to hire back more of its former employees. In a statement, the company says that “asset acquisition, although a heartbreaking transition for everyone involved with OnLive, allows the company’s core innovation and ongoing offerings to survive and continue to evolve.”

Employees aren’t the only ones affected by the changes: HTC estimates that it will lose out on its $40 million investment in the company that it made in February 2011. HTC cites the troubles that OnLive has been facing, saying in a note to investors that the company faced difficulties due to a “lack of operating cash and an inability to raise new capital.” It’s yet another blow for HTC, which has been seeing financial trouble itself in recent months.

The company recently had to pull out of South Korea and Brazil due to lack of sales in both markets, and posted a troubling second quarter financial results. Profits were down 57% compared to the same period in 2011, with HTC posting a net profit of ~$248 million overall. Revenues for July 2012 were also down 45% compared to the same time last year.

[via TechCrunch/PCWorld]

The intentions of the movie are relatively clear: to be the ultimate action flick by cramming in all those actors you used to like in all those movies you used to like decades ago, mixed in with a dash of more recent talent for good measure. The posters and marketing for the movie boldly proclaims who to expect (Willis! Schwarzenegger! Li!) and yet not a single frame of the movie shows all the actors together.

This movie does have a very loose and tired plot, but the plot is irrelevant, because you’re here to watch old people mow down entire armies with very large guns. Here’s the thing: it doesn’t really work. There are only really two big action set pieces in the movie – one at the beginning and one at the end, with brief flirtations in between - and thanks to janky editing and pacing, they feel rushed. The director is so intent to make sure he fits all his eye candy moments in that he doesn’t give the audience any time to savour the action, and the use of bad CGI ultimately that nothing has any impact.

Characters disappear and reappear at random. Jet Li is in the film for approximately four minutes at the beginning before leaving and never coming back, yet has third billing, according to IMDB. Chris Liam Hemsworth is set up to be a disgustingly likeable hero: he left the Army because they shot his dog (seriously), he can run up hills really fast, and he’s a pretty good sniper to boot. He’s dispatched during the first act in order to set up some sort of half baked revenge plot for Stallone. Some terrible dialogue is muttered at his funeral (“Why is it that the good people who deserve to live die, but the bad people who deserve to die live?”, or words to that effect.)

Crews and Couture have maybe one or two lines in the movie. They’re mainly there to shoot people. Chuck Norris shows up for around three minutes to shoot people too. He makes a Chuck Norris joke because he’s Chuck Norris, and we’re supposed to laugh, but we don’t, because that meme died years ago. Bruce and Arnold share a particularly cringe worthy exchange. At least they get to shoot people out of a moving SMART car for a couple of seconds.

The only two people who are having any fun in the movie are Lundgren and Van Damme. Van Damme is clearly enjoying playing the bad guy, hamming it up with insane body language and gestures while wearing wraparound sunglasses and a leather coat in just about every scene. Lundgren clearly realizes that this isn’t a movie to be taken seriously, and also recognizes that people think he’s a bit weird, playing to his strengths and getting a few laughs in the process.

All the other actors in the movie are unsure of how to play things out, resulting in a tone that’s neither worthy of a good or bad-good action movie. Stallone in particular looks fairly bored throughout the whole affair. His extremely dodgy mustache gives a great performance, at least. The only time he really lights up is during his exchanges with Statham, but let’s face it: they’re both going through the motions.

My expectations for the Expendables 2 were low, and yet I still left disappointed. Ultimately, the problem is that it has no charm. It’s a movie designed to tick all the boxes on a financial sheet (famous action stars,  explosions, more explosions), without any passion involved in the film making process by just about… well, anyone. I don’t want something of this calibre to be a good movie, but I do want it to be entertaining, and the film just doesn’t provide nearly enough entertainment.

According to Clove, the unlocked version of the black Samsung Galaxy S III will be available in October. Better yet, it will come with 64GB of storage, an option that has been sorely missing from the international version so far. The 16GB model is readily available, and there’s a microSD card slot that supports up to 64GB, but serious power users have been missing out on the ultimate storage option.

Unfortunately, Clove can’t confirm pricing, but expect to pay over the odds for such a large amount of internal storage. Still, if you just have to have your gadgets in black, then there’s only a few short weeks to go. Specs will otherwise be the same: a quad-core Exynos processor, 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720p display, 1GB of RAM, and eight megapixel camera with 1080p video recording.

By the time you get your hands on the black version the phone may even have been updated to Jelly Bean. Last week a report suggested that the update will be made available on August 29th alongside the launch of the Galaxy Note II, and an early version of the Jelly Bean firmware leaked out onto the internet yesterday for eager hackers to try out.

The indium tin oxide coating is a transparent substance that can conduct electricity, designed to act as an EMI shield in order to reduce interference from radio waves. That should help reduce interference to 3G or WiFi radios located on mobile devices, with the technology already reportedly in use on various Samsung handsets. Efun has seen its profits double as a result of the production of the technology, with recent favourable financial information tipping a deal with Apple.

This week design details were alluded to in several separate reports. The iPad mini will reportedly use a much thinner bezel, with users being able to grasp the tablet from the back rather than with a thumb grip from the sides. The volume buttons may also feature separate physical buttons rather than the volume rocker found on the current iPad.

Schematics that were first discovered back in April back up the design reports, suggesting that the tablet will also be much thinner than the current iPad. Apple had to make a thickness concession with the current iPad due to the Retina display and huge increase in battery capacity, features which won’t make the jump to the iPad mini, allowing for a thinner device as a result. Reports all seem to point towards a 7.85-inch screen, with Apple tipped to unveil the iPad mini on September 12th alongside the next iPhone.

[via Apple Insider]

According to Sony, new features include some rejigged media applications, including Walkman, Album, and Movies, not unlike the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Xperia S. Walkman takes the place of the default media player, while Movies pulls in your media and displays relevant information such as actors and plotline.

Sony has also added what they call an “extended standby mode.” By powering off certain functions of the handset, the standby time can be extended “up to four times” the default. That will heavily depend on how the user has the device configured, however, and by how much data is being pulled down in the background. Sony has also improved the lockscreen on the phone, and added resizable widgets too.

Naturally, other Ice Cream Sandwich features are along for the ride, such as the mobile data consumption tool, allowing you to keep an eye on how much data you’re using and letting you place limits on what you use for the month. Finally, a Recent Apps button has been added that should help you find what you’re looking for in the endless app screens. Sony says the update should be rolling out from today, but owners with different carriers variants may have to sit tight as it rolls out over the next few weeks.

[via Android Police]

The image largely matches up with the front panel that we saw a few days ago, with the physical home button bearing the same shape and size. The bezel, however, looks to be thinner on the assembled device – maybe a little too thin when compared to the leaked front panel. The sensors are also located in different places: in the front panel picture, they’re positioned slightly above the earpiece, whereas in this finalized product they’re placed further down down and to the right of the grill.

That matches up with previous Samsung products, however. Compare the sensor placement to what’s found on the Galaxy S III, and you’ll see the similarities. The front panel could possibly be an early part for the Note II, with Samsung having shifting sensors around and slimming down the bezel in the meantime. The overall design mimics the Galaxy S III as well, adding some subtle curves along with a white and silver trim. This could be what we officially see at the end of the month, or a very well done fake.

Previous reports have indicated that the Note II will feature a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED 1280×720 display, marking a shift away from the 16:10 ratio and 1280×800 resolution used on the original Note. Specs for the handset are said to include a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6Ghz along with 2GB of RAM, plus an eight megapixel camera. The phone will reportedly run Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, but rumors have suggested that that Samsung has been testing Jelly Bean on the device for a possible retail launch. Samsung is expected to announce the Note II on August 29th at a pre-IFA event in Berlin.

[via PocketNow]

The design of the new app means it’s especially finger friendly, which should come in handy on the various Windows RT tablets that OEMs are planning for release later in the year. Desktop users shouldn’t have any issues either, with Neowin saying that the app is fast and fluid and so far crashfree. Everything is very clean and simple having taken advantage of Microsoft’s Modern UI, with text tweaked to distinguish between the different people in a conversation, and the size of text has seen a boost to aid readability.

Skype for Windows 8 has been marked as an app preview, so either Microsoft is internally beta testing the software or plans to release a limited preview to the public in the near future. A similar situation occurred with Skype for Windows Phone, with Microsoft releasing a beta earlier this year for users to tinker with before making a final version available in April. Functionality of the app seems fully baked as well, with voice and chat working along with Skype’s credit services and pinned favorites.

The only real question remaining is when Microsoft will release this new version of Skype. The company hasn’t commented on the leak, but we imagine they’re holding off on a release until October 26th when Windows 8 will be officially released along with Microsoft’s Surface tablet.

[via The Verge]

Apple is pitching the idea of users being able to watch any show at any time by storing content in the cloud, not unlike its current iTunes service. The company is taking the idea one step further, however, believing that users could start watching a show just a few minutes after it’s officially begun on live TV, functionality which closely resembles Time Warner’s Start Over service.

The crucial detail for Apple is the simplification of the user interface. Just like the Apple TV or iPad, users would be presented with a series of icons and apps rather than bars and context menus found on current set-top boxes. The Wall Street Journal notes that the design may be different than what we’re used to, but the interface will be expressly intended for ease of use over current cable and satellite boxes.

The most interestingly detail is that Apple could tie in social features to the new box: users may be able to share what they’re watching via Twitter or other social networks. Apple hasn’t had a great deal of success when it’s come to social networks in the past, but its tight Twitter and Facebook integration in iOS and Mountain Lion plus this latest information means the company is taking such networks seriously. Finally, The Wall Street Journal indicates that Apple would hope to take content from the box and make it available across other Apple products like the iPhone and iPad.

The Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, detailed how Verizon’s acquisition of the wireless spectrum wouldn’t be anti-competitive as a result. He went on to say, “Approval of the substantially modified transaction will promote the public interest and benefit consumers in several ways. By advancing U.S. leadership in 4G LTE deployment, the transaction marks another step in our effort to promote the U.S. innovation economy and make state-of-the-art broadband available to more people in more places.”

Verizon paid a total of $3.9 billion for the spectrum access, with $2.3 billion going to Comcast, $1.1 billion  to Time Warner, and $189 million to Bright House Networks. All the companies involved have agreed to license spectrum to each other as part of the sale, and the cable companies will also gain the right to resell some of Verizon’s wireless services in the future.

There is a catch, however: all four companies have agreed to restrict cross-marketing agreements until December 2016. That gives the FCC some peace of mind, and means that all four will still compete against each other in the meantime. Verizon still needs to divvy up some of its own spectrum as part of the agreement.

[via The Next Web]

Lenovo certainly seems confident of its abilities, going on to say that it would beat out Surface in hardware: “[They're] just one of our many competitors. We are still confident that we are providing much better hardware than our competitors including Microsoft. They are strong in software, but [we] don’t believe they can provide the best hardware in the world. Lenovo can.”

Still, Lenovo didn’t totally call out Microsoft, saying that the company still had a strong relationship due to the Windows partnership: “To be frank, we’re not that worried about [Surface]. Microsoft is still our strategy partner. We are very optimistic on the Windows 8 launch so we will fully leverage that to launch our new products.” The company recently launched its ThinkPad Tablet 2, designed to run Windows 8 on an Intel Atom processor, with HSPA+ and LTE connectivity options, plus security and fingerprint support.

Meanwhile, the company is reportedly planning on releasing an ARM-based convertible tablet later in the year when Windows 8 officially launches. The idea was first shown off with the IdeaPad Yoga, a convertible ultrabook that allowed the screen to fold back on itself so that it could be used like a tablet. The ultrabook is running one of Intel’s ULV Core processors as well as Windows 8 Pro. The ARM version, however, is reportedly running one of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processors on Windows RT.

[via CNET]

Just as we learned last week, the dimensions of the eReader have been tweaked slightly, with the PRS-T2 coming in a 0.38-inches thick and weighing 5.9 ounces. The four navigational buttons beneath the screen have also been adjusted, with Sony making them larger and easier to push. The company says that the device should get up to two months of battery life (assuming WiFi is turned off, of course), and there’s 2GB of storage of all your digital books.

Sony is still offering access to its online services too, and a nice little bonus is the ability to borrow around 15,000 ebooks from its public library system if you have a valid library card. Sony’s Reader store is still on tap as well, offering magazines and newspapers via a web-based store. Anyone choosing to read a novel via web browser can do so via Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Finally, Sony is throwing in a free copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from the Pottermore store. The company will bundle a download code that will grant you access to the ebook once you’ve purchased the ereader. The device itself will set you back $129.99, and Sony says it’s shipping right now via its online store.

Thanks to 500GB of storage, TiVo says around 75 hours of HD programming will be able to be recorded to the box before it fills up, and the company’s custom user interface helps customers find programmes with relative ease. When searching for a particular show, the box not only checks cable listings, but also online services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video.

The box is compatible with digital cable (QAM) and Verizon FIOS, with ports including HDMI, Component, Composite, and optical plus analogue audio. CableCARD support is onboard, and other inputs include Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, and MoCA. A TiVo Wireless N or G wireless adapter can also be plugged into the box if you don’t fancy running an Ethernet cable through your living room.

The Premiere 4 costs $249.99 outright, but comes with a one-year contract and a $14.99 monthly fee. TiVo says the box should be available starting from today online, with the device also heading to various home theater and Magnolia stores across the country in the near future.

Both cameras use 14-megapixel sensors and have 3-inch LCD screens for live shooting and photo playback, and there are electronic viewfinders so that budding pros can accurately frame shots. The cameras also employ Fujinon optics and image stabilization in order to correct your caffeine induced shakes, helping to keep everything nice and sharp.

The difference between the two models seems to be how they’re powered. The FinePix SL240 has a rechargeable lithium battery that’s rated for up to 300 shots on a single charge, while the FinePix S4200 is powered by AA batteries. The latter is probably more handy for travellers running low on juice, while the former keeps things nice and simple.

Fujifilm says both cameras will be available in red, white, and black. The FinePix S4200 will set you back £149 (~$234), while the SL240 will command a slightly higher price of £199 (~$312). Both should be available right now.

The handset is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chip, the APQ8064, a quad-core 28nm-based SoC clocked at 1.5Ghz. The company was keen to show off benchmarks using various apps such as AnTuTu and Quadrant, with the phone clocking 14085 and 7787 respectively. The handset is also powered by 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of memory, with the 4.3-inch IPS display manufactured by Sharp. The pixel density works out at 342 PPI, beating out the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S III, and HTC One X. The touchscreen also makes use of in-cell technology which decreases thickness, something that Apple is rumored to be using for the next iPhone.

A 27mm eight megapixel camera with backside illuminated sensor is found on the rear of the phone, and a 28mm two megapixel camera has been placed on the front. The main camera is capable of recording 1080p video at 30fps, or 720p at 90fps. The standard phone comes with a 2,000mAh battery, but those who want to get through a full day and then some can pick up a 3,000mAh option that will increase the thickness of the phone by 2mm.

The Xiaomi Phone 2 will be running a custom MIUI interface, but it will be on top of the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean. The company will be offering the handset for an unsubsidized price of ¥1,999 (~$314), but Chinese carriers such as China Telecom and China Unicom will be offering the HSPA+ phone for lower prices as part of a contract. The only question left to ask is when can we get our hands on one?

According to SamMobile, the Jelly Bean update hasn’t quite been finalized, with the leaked firmware build a pre-release version built on July 31st. The site says that the final update is still on track for the end of the month, and that it will be delivered to Galaxy S III owners both over-the-air and via KIES. They’ve also compiled a list of new features that the Jelly Bean update brings.

Samsung will apparently be offering a new clock in the notification bar which matches the one found on stock Jelly Bean, and Google Now is accessed by touching the Google search widget bar instead of long-pressing the home button. Some new live wallpapers have been added, and a new “dormant mode” has been added to the phone, but it’s not clear exactly what that entails.

It sounds like there’s a couple of bugs to go along with the ROM too, with SamMobile reporting that SD cards are formatted after installing Jelly Bean, and that certain apps fail to install. They recommend that users wait for the official update that should be coming at the end of the month, but the pre-release version is there for those who know what they’re doing. If you want a taste of the future, head over and read the instructions very carefully.

[via Sammy Hub]

Instead of licensing content directly, Apple will go through the cable providers, offering a set-top-box that offers a mix of live television and custom apps. According to the report, the box that Apple is planning to build could cost “hundreds of dollars”, not unlike the current devices offered by Motorola, among others. Rather than building an actual television, Apple could slowly but surely makes its way into the industry, building up credibility with partners before moving ahead with its own plans. The Wall Street Journal does note, however, that Apple has built prototype televisions in the past.

According to the WSJ, Apple hasn’t yet reached a deal with any cable operators, as the companies may be reluctant to let Apple participate in the TV game. It’s not the first time Apple has approached content providers with the prospect of some sort of device based around the television. Steve Jobs reportedly approached the CEO of CBS last year about providing content for a new Apple television subscription-based service, an offer that was met with rejection.

Rumors have popped up for years suggesting that Apple is working on a television, but things have been quiet on that front as of late. The last time we heard about the fabled Apple television it was said to resemble a Cinema Display, with voice recognition powered by Siri allowing users to control the TV with only their voice. Sharp is said to be providing IGZO panels for the TV, but if this new report from the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, Apple may be trying a different route instead.

[via The Next Web]

Samsung took somewhat of a gamble when it launched the 5.5-inch behemoth, with reviewers not taking kindly to it, complaining that the device was too big to be used practically as a smartphone yet too small to be used effectively as a tablet. Still, it looks like there’s a big market out there for such a device if Samsung has managed to sell 10 million units in nine months. The device seems to be particularly popular in Europe and Asia.

The South Korean company isn’t the only OEM trying their hand at larger than average smartphones either. LG debuted its Optimus Vu back in March, a 5-inch device with a 4:3 form factor aimed at the same market as the Note. LG hasn’t done quite so well, however, recently revealing that the company has sold 500,000 units in South Korea since launch. The Vu is set to be released on Verizon’s network by the end of the third quarter.

Rumors suggest that HTC is working on its own 5-inch device with a 1080p screen, with the display possibly manufactured by LG. Little is known at this point about the device, but it may feature one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro processors. Samsung isn’t standing still either, with the company expected to announce the Galaxy Note II at an event just before IFA 2012 on August 29th. Current reports suggest the device will feature a slightly larger screen at 5.5-inches, with a shift in aspect ratio to 16:9 and slight drop in resolution to 1280×720. The handset will also reportedly include a quad-core Exynos processor and eight megapixel camera.

[via CNET]

Multiple reports have suggested that Nokia will be demoing new handsets on September 5th, but the New York location is a surprise. It remains to be seen if Nokia will be showing off any new handsets or Windows Phone 8 at Nokia World in Helsinki, but it’s possible that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer and Microsoft want to focus on the all important US market before turning their attention to Europe.

Nokia is expected to release two new handsets on September 5th, the Lumia 910 and 920. Not much is known about the devices, but a front-panel that leaked just the other day for a Nokia phone featured the new Windows tile button, indicating the use of Windows Phone 8. The cut out for the display on the panel measured 4.3-inches, with the design featuring rounded corners and curves instead of the sharp angles of the Lumia 800 and 900.

Microsoft, meanwhile, is expected to demo Windows Phone 8 on Nokia’s new handsets, showing off some more consumers oriented features in addition to what was first seen at the Windows Phone Summit in June. We’ll be sure to bring you all the details, so mark September 5th down on your calendar if you’re a Windows Phone fan looking forward to the next big thing.

Previous reports tipped the RAZR HD for a 13-megapixel camera, but PhoneArena’s source denies the camera boost, saying that the standard eight megapixel offering will be there instead. On top of that, the phone will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5Ghz, the same chip that’s found in the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X.

The internal storage size of the device isn’t known, but a microSD card slot will definitely be included, says the source. The battery, however, won’t have the rumored 3,300mAh capacity, instead falling somewhere in the region of 2,530mAh, but that’s still a nice boost compared to the batteries found in other smartphones. Tthe tipster confirms that previous leaked pictures of the handset are accurate, with the device featured a patterned kevlar back once again.

Finally, the screen size is said to come in at 4.6-inches, featuring the same 720p resolution and ColorBoost tech used on the Atrix HD, lining up nicely with previous rumors. If leaked pictures from earlier in the year are to be believed, Motorola will also ditch the four capacitive keys under the screen, instead opting for the on-screen buttons used in Ice Cream Sandwich. The handset will ship with ICS, but an update to Jelly Bean is expected “sometime in 2013.”

The LTE version of the tablet features similar same specs to the WiFi-only version, with a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, 7-inch PLS 1024×600 display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with a microSD card slot, and three megapixel camera. The Tab 2 7.0 also comes with a front-facing VGA camera and runs Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

As Samsung has fitted the tablet with an LTE radio, customers will be able to surf the information superhighway with fast speeds on Verizon’s network rather than relying on WiFi. On top of that, the Tab 2 7.0 is Samsung Approved for Enterprise, featuring 256-bit AES encryption and support for Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync as well as support for VPNs and MDM solutions.

At $350 off-contract, it’s not a bad deal at all, even if you won’t be getting the latest and greatest specs. Still, if this sounds like your next tablet, then make sure to pick one up on Verizon’s website or in a retail store starting from August 17th.

The filings were issued by a company called Harpers LLC, with The Digital Reader tracing the company back to an address rented by CSC Entity Services. The listed name on the paperwork, Stephen Facciolo, is apparently the President of Harpers, who just so happens to also work for CSC. Meanwhile, his name appears on LinkedIn for CSC, with the website concluding that CSC is the first front company that Amazon employed to set up the second front company.

The Digital Reader stipulates that this isn’t the first time that Amazon has gone about its FCC filings in such a roundabout way. Amazon reportedly used three front companies for its Kindle Fire submission to the FCC the day before the official announcement back in September 2011. While The Digital Reader may have cracked the code, the actual FCC filing leaves much to the imagination, with little to no details surrounding Amazon’s next Kindle Fire iteration.

Having said that, the aspect ratio of the device indicates that Amazon is moving to a 4:3 form factor instead of 16:9 ratio that many Android OEMs use. Why the company has chosen to do so remains to be seen, but given that the one-year anniversary of the Kindle Fire is rapidly approaching, we may soon find out exactly what Amazon has up its sleeve.

[Thanks, Nate.]

In the email, Chou lays out how the company needs to “kill bureaucracy” while improving communication, going on to say, “We have people in meeting[s] and talking all the time but without decision, strategic direction or sense of urgency. Bureaucracy crept in without clear ownership. We agreed to do something but we either didn’t do it or executed it loosely.”

Chou goes on to say how he’s disappointed that the company’s sales have fallen despite the huge growth in the smartphone market. “Our competitors can leverage their scale, brand awareness and big marketing budget to do things which HTC could not do. The fast growth from the last two years has slowed us down.” Chou finished the email by saying, “We are coming back.”

The company’s 2012 lineup of smartphones were well received by reviewers but don’t seem to have found a massive following amongst consumers. The HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE were briefly delayed at US Customs shortly after launch which may have affected sales, and the arrival of the Galaxy S III in Europe and the United States shortly afterwards probably hasn’t helped either. HTC’s Q2 financial results were also poor, with profits down 57% compared to the same time last year and net profit reaching just $248 million.

Elop also confirmed that Nokia was committed to the Windows Phone platform, with the company having no plans to abandon the operating system. The company has had limited success in the United States so far, but Elop remains confident that it can continue to compete by sticking to Microsoft’s operating system, saying, “In today’s war [between] Android, Apple, and Windows, we are very clear, we are fighting that with the Windows Phone.”

The market seems to have responded well to Elop’s comments too, with shares rising 7.5%. The company is still facing financial difficulties, however, posting a $1 billion operating loss for the second quarter of 2012. Net sales increased slightly, and the company managed to ship four million smartphones Lumia Windows Phone over the three month period.

A report late last month indicated that Nokia plans to unveil two new Windows Phone handsets at Nokia World on September 5th, the Luma 910 and 920. The details surrounding the devices aren’t clear, but they’re said to be running Windows Phone 8. Microsoft representatives will also reportedly be on hand in order to further demonstrate consumer oriented features of the refreshed operating system.

The bezel also looks to be relatively thin compared to the current Galaxy Note, and the top and bottom portions of the casing have also been reduced. The earpiece, front-facing camera, and sensors are present and accounted for at the top, and it looks like the device will still feature a large physical button below the screen.

Previous reports indicated that the design of the Galaxy Note II would be tweaked to fall inline with the aesthetics of the Galaxy S III, although this front panel shows a squared off design rather than the rounded corners and curves found on Samsung’s flagship smartphone. Previous information has also suggested that the Galaxy Note II will feature unbreakable plane display technology, allowing Samsung to substitute fragile glass with a toughened plastic substrate while reducing device thickness.

Specs for the device are said to include a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6Ghz, along with a 5.5-inch 720p Super AMOLED display. The Note II will reportedly eschew the 16:10 aspect ratio used on the current Note in favor of 16:9, allowing for a slightly larger screen without taking up additional physical space. The device is expected to be announced at Samsung’s IFA 2012 event on August 29th, so whatever the company has in store, there’s not long to go until the big reveal.

[via Engadget]

According to the company, the new regions will gain access to the same services found in the US and UK, which includes streaming access to a wide variety of Hollywood movies and TV shows. Other details surrounding the service, however, haven’t been announced, with pricing and availability coming later on as the company finalizes the details.

One of the problems with trying to tackle worldwide streaming is the various content deals one has to grapple with, as licenses vary from region to region. It’s not clear what European Netflix users will have access to, but it may be limited to begin with. The content selection has been lacking in the UK thanks to the competition with LoveFilm. Netflix has some older content along with catalogue titles, while LoveFilm has signed various exclusive license deals to secure newer content like the latest blockbusters.

If you’re in one of the listed countries and fancy jumping on the Netflix bandwagon, then plug your email details into the website. Netflix will send out an email with more details once they become available, so sit tight for now.

[via CNET]

Samsung’s lawyers then attempted to demonstrate that the iPhone’s design wasn’t original, showing various pieces of prior art, including several patents and LG’s Prada phone, all of which came before the release of the iPhone. After that, Samsung moved on to the design of the iPad, playing a video to the jury of Roger Fidler, who created several prototypes for tablets. Although they were mockups and not working devices, some features were reminiscent of the iPad, including a large touchscreen, a rectangular shape with rounded corners, and an all black bezel.

The electronics manufacturer then addressed Apple’s design patents, saying that they should be invalidated due to prior art, and that the elements that have been patented covered functions rather than ornamental design. Samsung’s lawyers argued that two iPhone design patents were invalid, saying that a Japanese patent “renders both of these designs obvious.” Samsung looks to be sticking to its original argument that Apple is essentially trying to patent a rectangular display with rounded corners.

Apple’s counterargument to the claims boiled down to the fact that there are alternative designs that Samsung could have used for its phones. Apple cited one of Sony’s tablets, saying that while it has a rectangular display and rounded corners, it doesn’t look like the iPad nor does it infringe on Apple’s design patents. Apple also introduced the design of the Nokia Lumia 800 and GzOne phone from Casio, again suggesting that there were alternative designs that Samsung could have pursued.

[Above mockup by 9to5Mac, showing the potential iPad mini design.]

9to5Mac suggests that this may make the tablet easier to hold due to the reduced size, with users gripping the tablet from the back rather than grabbing on to the bezels. Some of the buttons on the iPad mini will also be tweaked, with the volume rocker featuring seperate physical buttons rather than a combined rocker. A microphone will also be added to the back of the device for noise cancellation.

The thinner bezel is also alluded to in alleged schematics for the iPad mini, first spotted back in July. The schematics corroborate reports of the thinner bezel and tweaked buttons that have come from multiple sources, and also point to a much thinner design for the device compared to the current generation iPad. The smaller dock connector that has been rumored for the next iPhone, along with all iOS products going forward, is also seen in the drawings.

John Gruber at Daring Fireball has backed up some of these claims in addition to iMore, suggesting that the bezels will indeed be noticeably reduced, with Apple possibly aiming for a much thinner device compared to the current iPad. The company had to increase thickness slightly over the iPad 2 in order to accommodate the Retina display and larger batteries, but won’t necessarily have to make those concessions for the iPad mini, allowing for a thinner device.

LG says that by far the most popular LTE handset is the Optimus LTE, managing to amass two million devices sold. The Optimus LTE II, meanwhile, became one of the fastest selling LTE phones, reportedly selling 500,000 units in its first 70 days of life. As for the quirky Optimus Vu, LG says that its managed to shift 500,000 since its release in South Korea in March. The handset will be making its way to the United States shortly on Verizon, so we’ll have to see how receptive an American audience is to the device.

The company is planning a variant of the Optimus LTE II in the United States on Verizon’s network, the VS930. Pictures emerged of the handset last month, showing off a fairly basic design, with reports indicating the handset will feature a 4.7-inch IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, NFC support, and LTE connectivity as well as world roaming capabilities.

A leaked service manual for the phone indicated that Ice Cream Sandwich will be onboard out of the box, and the handset will pack a 2,150mAh battery. The release date for the handset was tipped for July 13th, but the date came and went without any form of an announcement. No doubt Verizon will reveal it in due course, and we’ll let you know when the company does.

[via Android Central]

The black version may be on T-Mobile’s website, but there’s no details as to when you can get your hands on the color. The company still only has the blue and white versions of the smartphone available for purchase, so you’ll have to sit tight and see if an official announcement is coming soon. When it does land, it should cost the same as the other versions, currently $280 on a two-year contract.

Images of the black Galaxy S III first emerged from photos in Germany several weeks ago. More recently, Samsung threw up official images of a black version of the phone on its Facebook page with no information to back them up, and UK retailer MobileFun announced this week that it would be stocking the black handset, estimating a shipping time of four to six weeks. Samsung still hasn’t made an official announcement regarding this particular color choice, however.

The black Galaxy S III will otherwise be identical to currently shipping models, featuring a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720p display, a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.4Ghz (dual-core Snapdragon S4 in the United States), 1GB of RAM (2GB in the US), and an eight megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. The phone ships with Ice Cream Sandwich and TouchWiz 4.0 out of the box, but reports indicate that Samsung may update the smartphone to Jelly Bean on August 29th at its IFA 2012 event.

[via Engadget]

Microsoft recently held a session at its TechReady 15 conference that detailed the exact launch plans for the Surface tablet. Surface for Windows RT is planned for release on October 26th, which lines up with previous information, but the shockingly low price is new. Surface for Windows RT reportedly features a similar quad-core Tegra 3 processor to the one found inside the Nexus 7, but the construction materials along with the internals are vastly different.

If you believe the $199 price point, then Microsoft will be attacking the market held by the Nexus 7 along with other budget tablets rather than facing the iPad head-on. That may be the smart play, as it puts Windows RT tablets into the hands of consumers and captures mindshare in the process, something that Windows Phone has failed to do so far. Just look at the recent Nexus 7 launch or the HP TouchPad firesale and you’ll see the virtues of aiming for a lower price point, with consumer scrambling to get their hands on the product.

Having said that, can Microsoft really afford to release the Surface at that price? The Nexus 7 was a careful balancing act between affordable internals and pricing, with Google admitting that it essentially sells the tablet at cost. In comparison, Microsoft is using premium materials, highlighting the magnesium chassis at its Surface event back in June. Not only that, but OEMs are already reportedly unimpressed with Microsoft’s tablet attempt, believing the company blind sided them at the announcement. Will Microsoft risk further damage with a super cheap tablet that partners may not be able to compete with once license fees for Windows RT are added into the mix? We’ll have to wait and see if this one pans out, but take it with your daily dose of salt in the meantime.

Just yesterday, Samsung UK indicated that the Galaxy Note 10.1 would go on sale at its retail store in the Westfield Stratford shopping center, offering users a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1280×800 display, quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, and stylus-enabled touchscreen. The S-Pen has reportedly seen some performance improvements too, with Samsung throwing in Adobe’s Photoshop Touch app to aid drawing and doodling.

One report indicated that tomorrow may see the announcement of the Galaxy Note II instead, but the current information surrounding the successor to the popular phablet points to a reveal at Samsung’s pre-IFA event on August 29th. Reports indicate that device will also feature a quad-core Exynos processor along with a larger 5.5-inch screen, although the resolution and aspect ratio may shift to 1280×720 and 16:9 respectively.

Whatever Samsung’s mystery device turns out to be tomorrow, we’ll fill you in on all the details. The event kicks off at 11am EST (8am PST), so keep it locked to SlashGear to keep up to date with Samsung’s shenanigans.