According to the announcement, the 10 million-units-sold milestone was reached a full 20 days earlier than with the previous unit, the Galaxy S 3, and quite a bit faster than the Galaxy S (seven months) and the Galaxy S 2 (five months). The smartphone is available for purchase in 60 countries. By the end of June, the total number of Galaxy S – S4 handsets available will span 327 operators in 155 countries.

We reported on May 17 that GALAXY S 4 sales were expected to exceed 10 million units sold this week, information that was passed down by co-CEO JK Shin. The announcement was expected to be made on May 24, so Samsung hit the range a solid two days ahead of its anticipated schedule. Samsung has plans to roll out additional colors for the handset, expanding on the black and white varieties with Blue Arctic, Red Aurora, Purple Mirage, and Brown Autumn starting this summer.

On May 15, it was revealed during Google’s 2013 I/O event that a 16GB Google Edition of the GALAXY S 4 will go on sale later this year via the Google Play Store, receiving updates straight from Google and running a vanilla variety of Android. The handset will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile’s 4G LTE networks.

Of course, with the greatness that will be an unlocked vanilla Android Google Edition GALAXY S 4 comes a comparable price tag, pegged at a hefty $649. The handset won’t feature the Nexus branding, and will run Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, and mostly all the regular hardware to be found on the regular variety. The Google Edition is slated for sale on June 26.

SOURCE: Samsung Tomorrow

The Lenovo K900 was launched at a gala event at the M-Space located in Haidian, and will go on sale this week. The phone is being hocked by Kobe Bryant of the NBA, who is featured in advertisements from Lenovo throughout Southeast Asia and China. Lenovo calls him and his fame “a magnet of attention.” As for the phone, you can check it out in action in our hands on video below.

The Lenovo K900 features a 6.9mm thick unibody chassis, which makes it the most thin phone in its class. To help maintain its thinness, the rear camera is flush with the back panel, and the IPS display lies under Gorilla Glass 2 to help protect it from cracks. Inside, users will find an Intel Atom Z2580 dual-core 2GHz processor with hyper-threading.

Graphics are provided via an Intel GMA PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU. The camera is one of the phone’s more distinguishing points – and it certainly has a lot of them – with a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor BSI sensor and an F1.8 focal length lens with an 88-degree viewing angle for the front camera. Lenovo says the handset is capable of taking clear photos in a low-light setting without using the flash, something that is difficult to achieve with smartphone cameras.

Lenovo’s Senior Vice President Lio Jun said: “Smartphones are a critical component of Lenovo’s PC+ strategy and the Lenovo K900 is an example of this strategy in action. With its cutting-edge design and intuitive, optimized user experience, K900 offers China’s smartphone users a fresh, new option. At the same time, Lenovo’s smartphone business is growing fast in global markets. In 2013, we will add several new countries to our smartphone footprint, and by year-end we will cover most of the world’s emerging markets.”

Price starts at RMB 3,299 in China.

SOURCE: Lenovo

Intel’s involvement in the mobile market has been limited, although it is both present and growing. ZTE, for example, unveiled an Intel-powered smartphone – the Grand X2 In – yesterday, while its previous Grand X In was dubbed the first Intel-Inside smartphone running Ice Cream Sandwich last August. Likewise, earlier this month Intel revealed an overhauled Atom processor lineup to help it compete with Qualcomm and get a better footing in the smartphone chip market.

There was one area in particular where – in hindsight – the company missed a solid opportunity to become fully entrenched in the mobile industry, however: providing chips for Apple’s iPhone. Such was one of the areas discussed by Otellini in an interview with The Atlantic. Said the former Intel CEO about the matter:

“The thing you have to remember is that this was before the iPhone was introduced and no one knew what the iPhone would do… At the end of the day, there was a chip that they were interested in that they wanted to pay a certain price for and not a nickel more and that price was below our forecasted cost. I couldn’t see it. It wasn’t one of these things you can make up on volume. And in hindsight, the forecasted cost was wrong and the volume was 100x what anyone thought.”

The past is the past, however, and new CEO Krzanich is looking to the future. He conceded at the shareholder’s meeting today that Intel did, indeed, miss the mark, being slow to enter the mobile industry with “tablets and some of the mobile computing.” He says that the company has a solid base, however, and from such a foundation will make a concerted effort towards going up from there.

According to Reuters, the CEO has already met with manufacturers, and is seeking guidance from them on the current state of the market, where its future lies, and what those customers need Intel to do in light of those two things. Such information is aiding Intel in adjustments to its product choices and architecture. Said Intel CFO Stacy Smith: “I think the emphasis is important. A focus on the end-customer, a focus on execution and a really strong focus on the ultra-mobile segment of the business. That’s pretty important.”

SOURCE: Reuters and The Atlantic

Earlier today, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced that they have joined the “It Can Wait” campaign, which was created by AT&T in 2012 and is slated to begin circulating advertisements on May 20. The carriers aren’t the only ones working towards eradicating texting while driving, however, with in excess of 200 organizations and companies also slated to come on board.

The goal of the campaign is to bring awareness to the dangers of texting while driving, with it primarily targeting teenage drivers. For this reason, the project is set to run radio, TV, online, and in-store advertisements throughout the summer when teenagers are more likely to engage in the activity. The campaign will run through Labor Day.

As part of the campaign, teenagers and other commuters are being encouraged to make an anti-texting-while-driving pledge, doing so on the official It Can Wait website or via its Facebook account. The campaign is also ramping up on Twitter under the hashtag #itcanwait. Videos are already circulating for the campaign, with everyone being encouraged to share stories for the public on texting while driving.

In addition to the advertisements, It Can Wait’s website also features a texting-while-driving simulation game that demonstrates the difficulties and dangerous in sending a text message while operating a vehicle. While the co-branded aspect of the campaign will end on Labor Day, the project itself will continue beyond it.

SOURCE: PC World

The handset is a small device with an equally-small 3-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 480. In case that doesn’t tip you off, the rest of the specs are likewise nothing that will jump out at you, including its 800MHz MSM7625A Qualcomm processor and 512MB of RAM. There’s 4GB of internal storage space, as well as a microSD card expansion slot with support for up to 32GB.

One of the specs’ upsides is the addition of Bluetooth, which means users will be able to use wireless headsets when driving or in situations that demand it. The battery is also a decent 1,500mAh, which given the lower-end processor and small screen results in an appreciable standby charge time of 10 days and talk time of 7 hours – assuming the user doesn’t run Bluetooth constantly, which will reduce those numbers.

There’s a single camera around back with a 3-megapixel resolution and 3x digital zoom, as well as a few different image modes and the ability to record video. There’s also GPS. The handset runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and has the cell phone standards of speakerphone, voicemail, and such. There’s no word on when it’ll be available, but we’ll update you when we know more.

[via Phonescoop]

The issue at play is that T-Mobile makes claims that seem to be contradicted by the fine-print in its uncarrier plans, which are promised to have no restrictions and yearly contracts. Such is the case with plans that aren’t accompanied by a cell phone, but not with plans where the customer gets a phone, which they are required to keep under T-Mobile service for two years or pay the device’s full retail price upon dropping the service.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said of the matter: “In our view, those advertisements were quite deceptive.” And one of the attorney’s working the investigation, Paula Sellis, expounded on that, saying: “You had to dig very deeply to understand what the terms of the program were, and you had to put two and two together.” T-Mobile doesn’t agree with their conclusion, as you might expect, but has agreed to change its advertisements and to offer customers a refund.

Says T-Mobile:

As America’s Un-carrier, our goal is to increase transparency with our customers, unleashing them from restrictive long-term service contracts — this kind of simple, straightforward approach is core to the new company we are building. While we believe our advertising was truthful and appropriate, we voluntarily agreed to this arrangement with the Washington AG in this spirit

According to Tech Hive, no customers complained about T-Mobile’s claims and services, with the investigation being prompted by the advertisements the carrier put out. For its part, T-Mobile has to pay $26,046 in costs and fees, has agreed to make its consequences of cancellation, true costs, and terms more clear, and to train its staff within the next 21 days to provide this information. Those who subscribed to one of the uncarrier’s plans by today are eligible for a full refund upon service cancellation.

[via Tech Hive]

Notes Mozilla, these two handsets are completely unlocked and run a development version of Firefox OS (which will be regularly updated), allowing developers to test things out alongside hardware in a way that is difficult to replicate with the simulator. The smartphones will be available for purchase from Geeksphone starting tomorrow, April 23.

The Keon is the orange variety of the handset featured above, offering lower-end specs and a price tag to match at €91/$118 USD (not including taxes). The handset features a 3.5-inch display with HVGA resolution. Under the hood, users will find a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor and 512MB of RAM. According to Mozilla, these specs are similar to what consumers can expect in handsets that hit shelves in the coming months.

The Peak, meanwhile, is a tad more expensive with a boost in the price tag to €149/$195 USD, featuring a 4.3-inch qHD IPS display, 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage space, and an 1800mAh battery. Says Mozilla, this handset is better suited for testing apps that are being developed for public consumption down the road.

[via Mozilla]

The 16GB model of the GALAXY S 4 will cost $199, which is quite lower than what AT&T previously mentioned last month, but we’ll certainly take it. If you’re wanting to get the phone off contract, you’ll have to pony up $639 for the privilege. However, it seems AT&T hasn’t yet listed the 32GB model on its website yet, but we should be seeing it soon, most likely at a price of $249 on contract.

The launch of the new phone will come just a couple weeks after the HTC One in the US on AT&T, which gives HTC the advantage in this case, allowing them to put more handsets in the set of buyers before Samsung can. However, we can only assume that the GALAXY S 4 will still be a big hit among avid Galaxy users.

The GALAXY S 4 sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920×1080. The US version of the phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor clocked at an impressive 1.9GHz with 2GB of RAM. On the back there’s a 13MP camera with a 2600mAh battery right beneath that, which should be enough to keep you going all day. Check out our hands-on with the device to learn more.

According to Bloisi, the next 4 years will be the most crucial years for smartphone companies to begin marketing their devices in Latin America. He also says that having more WiFi connections in Latin America will be crucial to transforming the Latin American market. He believes that manufacturers will need to shell out cheaper phones, because due to “taxes, taxes, and the mystery of the Brazilian economy”, pricing of smartphones is 10x more expensive than other markets.

Bloisi states that the industry moving their focus away from HTML5 was the wrong decision. It sounds like what Bloisi believes is the key to penetrating the Latin American market is exactly what Mozilla is doing with its Firefox OS. While not addressing the “more WiFi connections” factor, Firefox OS does help accommodate all of the other “key” factors Bloisi believes will increase smartphone penetration in Latin America.

Earlier today, Mozilla announced that Firefox OS devices will launch in Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Portugal, and Spain this June. Firefox OS revolves around HTML5, and the smartphones running the OS will primarily be low-end, affordable devices. Mozilla plans on bringing Firefox OS to at least 18 global operators, most of which are primarily emerging markets. While Firefox OS may not do well in major markets, it has a fighting chance in emerging markets, and is apparently exactly what emerging markets need.

[via All Things D]

The ultra revolution allows the user not only the powered rotating thumb feature, but also the ability to articulate each individual finger, offering “unparalleled dexterity” and much more precise grip actions. There are also a variety of wrist options that allow more “natural positioning of hand when gripping or picking up objects”. There are also various aesthetic products that can make the i-limb look more natural.

The i-limb ultra revolution is the first upper limb body part that is controllable via a mobile application. While using the biosim mobile app, users are able to access any of the preset 24 Quick Grips with a single touch. There is a Hand Health Check option that checks the make sure the i-limb is functioning correctly. There is also training modes that teaches the users how to fully utilize their prosthesis.

The Quick Grips offer a variety of useful options, including grips that allow the user to type, hold papers, or use a mouse. Users are also able to sort their favorite grips into a list so that they have quicker and easier access to them. Touch Bionics is very innovative in combining prosthesis with advanced technology. A couple of its previous products include a bionic finger and a prosthetic hand programmable via Bluetooth. An i-limb ultra revolution user, Bertolt Meyer, states,

“Powered thumb rotation, combined with the mobile app and quick access to all these new grips, gives me natural hand function that I never imagined would be possible.”

[via Touch Bionics]

Some stores were extremely busy and required stanchions, while other stores saw the commotion die down later on in the day. Many T-Mobile customers were relieved that they would finally be able to use an iPhone on their carrier. And while the customers would have to pay a lot more for their iPhone compared to other carriers, that didn’t deter them because in the end, the cost of the iPhone combined with T-Mobile’s low rates would ending up saving them a lot more in the long run.

Customers were able to get the 16GB T-Mobile iPhone 5 for a $99 down payment, and $20 monthly payments for 24 months. If they wanted an iPhone 4S instead, they would have to pay a $69.99 down payment, and $20 a month for 24 months. And finally, if they just wanted an iPhone 4, they would only have to make an $18 down payment, and pay $18 a month for 24 months. While the iPhone 4 and 4S is only available in one storage size, if customers wanted an iPhone 5 with more space, they would be able to purchase a 32GB version with a $199 down payment, or a 64GB with a $299 down payment (monthly payments stay the same).

T-Mobile also announced a trade-in program, where customers can trade in their old iPhones to reduce the payments of their new iPhone 5. While we’re not sure how many people took advantage of the trade-in program, we do know that T-Mobile has seen some phenomenal results from the launch of its iPhones. T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert told AllThingsD, “Clearly they want the iPhone 5, and they are voting with their feet that they want it from T-Mobile.” Be sure to check out our review on the iPhone 5 to see if its the device you should switch to.

[via AllThingsD]

According to Verizon, beginning April 21, customers will be able to purchase some smartphones with a Verizon Wireless Device Payment Plan. It didn’t specify which smartphones would be available under the plan, nor if more will be added over time or if the feature will remain available only to a select few. Customers can buy a new handset at its full price whenever they’d like, regardless of whether they’re still under a contract.

This is in addition to the early upgrade, with two-year contract customers no long being able to upgrade early at 20 months, instead having to wait the full 24 months. With the change, the upgrade becomes possible on the day the two-year contract comes to an end. This change applies to Verizon subscribers who contract comes to its end in January 2014; those with a contract end date that is earlier won’t be affected.

There have been a couple other changes as well, including putting an end to the use of New Every Two credits on April 15, which is this coming Monday. Finally, customers can’t toggle a non-cell phone device upgrade to a phone upgrade. This follows the carrier’s rollout of a $35 prepaid plan for feature phones, which was also announced today.

[via Verizon]

The T-Mobile variant of the iPhone 5 is quite a unique version, meaning that it’ll support HD Voice, making T-Mobile the only carrier to offer the iPhone 5 with that feature for now. However, the phone won’t support WiFi calling on T-Mobile’s network, which could definitely be a deal-breaker for some.

Just the other day, T-Mobile pushed out an update for its iPhone 5 before it was even released. The update addresses battery life issues, as well as officially enables the carrier’s new LTE network, which is now live in seven markets in the US. Of course, that’s not a lot of coverage, but T-Mobile says they’re planning on covering 200 million people by the end of the year.

If the iPhone 5 doesn’t tickle your fancy, T-Mobile also offers the older iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S for a bit cheaper. You can grab the iPhone 4 for just $15 down, while the iPhone 4S will be priced at $70 down. Of course, you can pay full price for the three phones up front, with the iPhone 5 starting at only $579. Either way, though, you’ll be paying full prices for the phones no matter how you look at it, so choose your payment plan wisely.

The phone comes in black, blue, red and white colors, and if you don’t feel like signing your life away, you can grab the phone off-contract for $449. The First is a mid-range device that is specifically built to run Facebook Home, so if you’ve been waiting for a Facebook phone of sorts, this is pretty much it.

The First sports a 4.3-inch Super LCD display running at a resolution of 1280×720. Inside there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz with 1GB of RAM. There’s also a 5MP camera on the back, along with a 1.6MP front-facing shooter. The phone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so you’ll be treated with all the great new features, like Google Now, improved notifications, and Project Butter.

If you’re not too keen on the HTC First, but still want to play around with Facebook Home, it’ll be available for free in the Google Play store starting sometime today. Once it goes live, we’ll be sure to report back to let you know that you can grab it, but for now, you’ll have to be a little on the patient side.

The survey was conducted by Raymond James, which also included some other questions, such as which features were most likely to make them buy a new smartphone among the three options, such as a low price or big display. Sometimes there isn’t any feature that is grand enough to lure consumers to certain products, however, and so another option was included: the ability to choose which phone the consumer will never use.

Apple‘s iPhone came out on top (or bottom, depending on your perspective) with only 19.7-percent of the respondents saying they would never use the handset. Next up was Android, which had a slight rise over the iPhone at 31.3-percent of those who took the survey saying they’ll never use it. And then, finally, there’s Blackberry, with 71.4-percent saying they won’t ever give the platform a shot.

The results pretty strongly reflect the data that has been published on the smartphone market over past months, which is very strongly dominated by Apple and Google, with Blackberry squeezing in with a small percentage in global phone shipments. Regardless, however, the survey is an intriguing reversal on the type of questions typically asked, and gives us an inverse look at the sides consumers have taken on the mobile device playground.

[via AllThingsD]

The source code for the new phone is based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and all the files come in at 100MB in size after it’s all said and done. Of course, releasing source code for its phones is typical fashion for HTC, and the HTC One is simply added to a list of HTC devices with source code out in the wild.

While we would eventually see custom ROMs even if HTC didn’t release the source code for the One, the official source code makes sure that custom ROMs work seamlessly with the phones that they’re put on. Many custom ROMs come with caveats and may not be fully-functional. With the source code, developers are able to make flawless ROMs.

If you’re in the mood to grab an HTC One, you can do it right now because it’s available for pre-order on AT&T, with a release date of April 19 on both AT&T and T-Mobile. You can pick up the 32GB model for $199.99 and the 64GB model for $299.99. If you already happen to have HTC’s Droid DNA, the company also announced that the source code for the phone is available now as well.

[via Android Community]

The Skyrocket was released was released back in November 2011 as an AT&T exclusive, and it ran Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box. It was eventually updated to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and now owners are able to take advantage of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean by downloading the update either over-the-air or via Samsung Kies.

The Galaxy S II Skyrocket wasn’t a huge change over the original Galaxy S II, but it does offers a larger display at 4.5 inches over the Galaxy S II’s 4.3-incher. The Skyrocket also comes with 4G LTE that the Galaxy S II unfortunately lacks. The Skyrocket also sports a slightly faster processor at 1.5GHz and double the internal storage space.

Jelly Bean will allow Skyrocket users to take advantage of some of the great new features of the new Android OS, including Google Now, improved notifications, and smoother performance thanks to Project Butter. This may be the last update that the Galaxy S II Skyrocket receives, so savor the moment while you can.

Users have been waiting quite a while for such the fullscreen feature added into Chrome, with it now automatically switching into the browsing mode when the user begins scrolling, causing the upper navigation bar to disappear from sight. By touching the screen, the navigation bar will reappear, making it all-around unobtrusive and convenient.

Swiping upwards will make the toolbar reappear with the URL field and navigation options, such as the back and refresh buttons. Fullscreen feature aside, the latest update also brings with it simpler searching than before by altering the way Omnibox search works. While the current version requires searches to be retyped in their entirety, after updating users will be able to edit queries via the search bar without hassle.

There are a few other more minor things, such as holding the back button to reveal search history and added client-side certificate support. There are also some known bugs, including a “noticeable lag” when typing in certain text fields, duplicate items in the history tab, slow tab opening on occasion, and possible flickering pages.

[via Android Community]

So what kind of specs can you expect with the Nokia Lumia 521? Well it has a 4-inch 800 x 480 resolution super sensitive display, meaning it can still read your touch inputs even if you’re wearing gloves. It has a 1GHz dual-core procesor, 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot for expandable storage, 512MB RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera capable of shooting 720p video, and of course it’ll run on the Windows Phone 8 OS.

We’re still unsure what colors the Nokia Lumia 521 will come in, but hopefully we get the yellow, blue, white, and red color options we saw at Mobile World Congress this year. A few downsides to this device include its lack of 4G-LTE capabilities, as well as its lack of flash on its rear-facing camera. Nonetheless, for a low-priced device, it still performs really well on the Windows Phone 8 platform.

T-Mobile states that it will release pricing for the device at a later date, however, at Mobile World Congress, we learned that the device will be available in the United States for under $200 off contract, meaning you could be seeing a $0 required down payment for the device, and monthly payments of $8-$9 for the device for 24 months. T-Mobile will offer the device at Walmart, Microsoft, and T-Mobile retail stores. Be sure to check out our hands-on review of the Nokia Lumia 520 here.

MobileSyrup obtained an internal document that states that Canadian wireless carrier Rogers, as well as all other Canadian carriers most likely, will launch the Q10 on April 30. However, pricing and color choices have yet to be leaked. The internal document also reveals that Rogers will be launching the entry-level Nokia Lumia 520.

The Q10 was officially announced back in late January, along with the announcement of the BlackBerry Z10 and the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. It’s certainly not as popular as the company’s flagship Z10, but it sports a hybrid design of sorts, including both a touchscreen and a physical QWERTY keyboard for business road warriors.

The BlackBerry Q10 isn’t anything to write home about, but it comes with some respectable internal hardware. It’s running a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of internal storage. It comes with a 3.1-inch display with a resolution of 720×720, an 8MP camera that shoots 1080p HD videos, and a 2100mAh battery powering the whole thing.

[via MobileSyrup]

First off, this new Smarter Stand has a very unique design. It makes for a pretty good headphone wrapper by itself, but it also acts as a stand for your iPhone, allowing you to keep your headphones wrapped up while you have it propping up your smartphone. However, you’ll have to have your headphones plugged into your iPhone in order to use the Smarter Stand as a stand, since it uses the headphone jack as a fulcrum of sorts. The Smarter Stand has a convenient location to slide the headphone plug into, although it seems to only work best with the stock Apple earbuds (or EarPods, as they’re now calling them). The stand isn’t too friendly with other headphone plug designs, as you can see with my own pair of headphones in the gallery toward the bottom, but it at least still works, albeit not as great as using regular Apple earbuds.

However, what I really like about the Smarter Stand is how it allows for room to feed the headphone earpieces through the middle after you wrapped them up. It’s a small design facet, but it’s incredibly genius and really handy. The two forks at either end also make it really easy to wind up your headphones, although you have to be careful not to wind your headphones up too tightly or too loosely — too tightly can result in destroyed headphone cords, while wrapping too loosely can lead to unwanted unraveling.

As a stand itself, the Smarter Stand works pretty well. Again, you have to have your headphones plugged into your iPhone in for the stand to do its thing, but you can still have your headphones wrapped up if you want, and if you want to utilize your external speakers, you can simply unplug your headphones past that first notch to keep them plugged in, but not activated. Sadly, you can’t adjust the angle of the stand, but it sits at a nice 45-degrees (roughly), which we found to be optimal anyway.

In the end, if you need a simple and cheap stand that also doubles as a headphone wrapper, this is probably what you want. You can get one for as low $9 (plus $3 shipping to US), and it’s made out of flexible, but stiff thermoplastic polyurethane, so while it looks like a cheap accessory, it’ll hold up quite well. However, it only works well if you’re using Apple’s own headphones. You can use other brands, but the stand doesn’t quite work as nicely. It’ll at least work either way, but that’s definitely something to be aware of if you’re planning on backing the project.

The Smarter Stand is available for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4/4S, as well as all generations of the iPod Touch. As for Android version, the company says that each Android device would require its own exclusive design (which can get expensive), but they’re open to making Smarter Stands for certain Android models if the demand is up.

According to MobileSyrup, Director of Product Marketing at Facebook, Ami Vora, says that Facebook Home will be available to Canadians a couple of weeks after the US launch, and even going as far as saying a few days after the US release, possibly. However, Vora says that it certainly won’t be months until Home launches in other countries.

The HTC First, which is the one device that Facebook Home is optimal on, is an AT&T exclusive, and it’s only available in the US. However, there’s no word on whether or not we may see the new phone release in Canada or other countries, although it’s certainly possible. We won’t hold our breath just yet, though.

Canada has been a big testing ground for Facebook, using the country to test new features that are being workshopped. However, it seems that Canada is getting short end of the stick this time around, but we have a feeling that the exclusivity with AT&T might have something to do with that. Either way, if you’re a Facebook junkie and live in the US, you’ll probably want to tune into Google Play come April 12 to be one of the first to get your hands on the new product.

[via Android Community]

T-Mobile confirmed that it would be carrying the HTC One during an event last month to announce its new UNcarrier mobile plans. Along with the iPhone 5 and the Samsung GALAXY S 4, the HTC One will join T-Mobile’s arsenal of mobile devices being offered in stores. The GALAXY S 4 is scheduled to arrive on T-Mobile on May 1, so the HTC One will beat Samsung’s new device to the punch.

While Best Buy’s listing for the T-Mobile version says the phone will sell for $249 after a two-year contract, T-Mobile will sell the phone at $99 down, with two years worth of monthly payments to pay off the full $699 price of the phone. For those looking to do the smaller down payment, it may be a good idea to head straight for a T-Mobile store if you’re in the market for an HTC One.

However, T-Mobile has yet to make an official announcement of the release date of the HTC One, so while Best Buy says that the phone will become available on April 19, we can’t be 100% sure that it will actually happen. However, a release date that’s right on the same path as AT&T seems very believable, we’ll ultimately have to wait for T-Mobile’s word before making the official call.

The California appeals court ruling essentially states that using your phone in any way while driving will get you a ticket, even if you’re trying to look up where your old friend lives. Of course, the problem doesn’t exactly lie with using GPS while driving, but using GPS to look down at your phone to type in an address to scroll through a map.

You can still use your phone while driving, but it must be completely hands-free, meaning that you have to hook it up via Bluetooth and use voice control to navigate through your phone. Of course, a recent study determined that even hands-free use of a phone is still dangerous, since your brain still focuses its attention on the phone, rather than on the road.

However, there are a lot of loopholes in the new law. For instance, many newer cars come with navigation systems built into the dashboard, and many of them are completely touch-controlled, which means it’s essentially the same thing as using the GPS on your smartphone, only it’s built into the car. These are still legal, but we’re guessing that auto makers will be more aware of creating navigation systems that are more voice-controlled — not only to follow the law, but to actively make driving safer.

[via Techdirt]

T-Mobile announced availability of the iPhone 5 during the carrier’s “UNcarrier” event late last month. T-Mobile emphasized that it wanted to shake up the wireless industry with all-new plans that no other carrier is offering. It’s quite a bold move on their part, but CEO John Legere seems confident that customers will love it.

The T-Mobile iPhone 5 is practically the same model that’s on other carriers, save for a few changes with the wireless chip and support for different bands and spectrums. However, AT&T iPhone 5 models will work on T-Mobile if the phone itself is unlocked. For the cheapskates, T-Mobile also offers the older iPhone 4S, which only costs $69.99 down, as well as the iPhone 4, which costs $14.99. These older devices, however, are only available in select locations.

The iPhone 5 comes with 4G LTE, so T-Mobile customers will be able to take advantage of faster speeds, but the carrier only has LTE available in a handful of cities, but they’re adamant about expanding their LTE network and say that it will cover 200 million people by the end of the year. Here’s hoping that they can get it done.

According to the report, 133.7 million individuals in the United States own smartphones, a rise of 8-percent since November. Among them, Apple holds 38.9-percent, a slight increase over 2012′s 35-percent. Samsung came in second at 21.3-percent, rising a hair over 2012′s 20.3-percent. And HTC comes in third at 9.3-percent, suffering a 1.7-percent drop, followed relatively closely by Motorola and LG.

As far as smartphone platforms go, Google is still at the top, but suffered a 2-point drop from 53.7-percent to 51.7-percent, marking the second month straight where Google has taken a hit. This was contrasted by Apple, which still sits at #2 with a 3.9-point increase from 35-percent to 38.9-percent. Third on the list is BlackBerry, which also suffered a drop from 7.3-percent to a paltry 5.4-percent. The list is rounded out by Microsoft at 3.2-percent (a 0.2-point increase) and Symbian, which held steady at 0.5-percent.

HTC and Samsung are all but guaranteed to see number jumps the next time around given the soon-to-be-released HTC first, which will offer Facebook Home, as well as Samsung’s much-anticipated GALAXY S 4 flagship. And while things are looking good for Apple and Samsung, Google has once again edged closer to dropping below the 50-percent mark.

[via ComScore]

The HTC first will sport a 4.3-inch LCD display with a 720p resolution, as well as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor — one of Qualcomm’s newest chips that was announced not too long ago. The phone also packs a 5MP camera on the back, as well as a 1.6MP camera on the front for video chatting and taking selfies.

The phone will also come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, meaning that you’ll have access to the latest features of Android, including Google Now, improved notifications, and a smoother UI thanks to Project Butter. Plus, there’s 1GB of RAM to keep you going through all the Facebook multi-tasking you’ll need.

With AT&T’s CEO at the Facebook event right next to HTC, it makes sense then that the first will be available on AT&T, and will support the carrier’s fast 4G LTE. Overall, this looks to be the phone to get if you’re a Facebook junkie at heart. Have a look at our Android Hub for more Android news!

Zuckerberg is talking about turning Android phones into a more social platform, and he brings up the fact that with Android’s openness, along with Facebook’s connected platform, people are built around this kind of ecosystem, so it makes sense that Facebook is wanting to do something about this.

Since people spend their lives sharing information with one another, via Facebook in this case, Zuckerberg and company want to make it easier for users to do just that on Android devices. However, before you can do that though, you must make the phone about the user first, and not the apps themselves.

Since Facebook has over 1 billion users, the company not only wants to make a phone, but an entire ecosystem around that phone, and it seems like they can sell a lot of them, touting that average smartphone sales are anywhere from 10-20 million, but Facebook’s 1 billion users could easily surpass that.

The Samsung Experience Shops will feature, as you might have guessed, Samsung mobile products: tablets, smartphones, and laptops, among other items. As such, consumers will have access to a wide array of Samsung products to handle and test via the store-within-a-store setup. These Samsung stores will have variables sizes, with some being larger and others being smaller – the biggest store is about 460 square feet.

Some of the 1400 Best Buy stores that will feature the Experience Shops will also offer Samsung Smart Service, which involves both so-called Samsung Experience Consultants and trained Best Buy employees that will help consumers shop for gadgets. These individuals will be trained in warranties, activating devices, providing support, and more.

Samsung Telecommunications America’s President Dale Sohn had this to say: “With the Samsung Experience Shops, we are ensuring consumers get the most of that innovation by learning how to leverage their mobile devices across our ecosystem of consumer electronics. Consumers will have one place to not only explore and learn about our full portfolio of mobile products, but also the support of a Samsung expert to help with selecting and servicing them.”

[via Android Central]

The ’381 patent was invalidated last October due to “lack of novelty” and many other factors. Apple used the patent to accuse 21 of Samsung’s devices of infringement. It used claim 19 in the patent to accuse the Samsung Captivate, Vibrant, Fascinate, Galaxy S, Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II (i9100), Epic 4G, Droid Charge, Infuse 4G, Exhibit 4G, Mesmerize, Continuum, Indulge, Gem, Replenish, Galaxy Prevail, Galaxy Ace, Nexus S 4G, Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Wi-Fi).

Apple appealed the first invalidation, but the USPTO has invalidated it again in what it says is the Final Office Action. Apple can still appeal the decision, but the “Final” aspect of the action limits Apple’s rights to amend the claims. Apple has 2 months to appeal USPTO’s decisions, and if it fails once again, it can seek judicial review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Last year, the courts ruled that Samsung had to pay a $1.05 billion fine to Apple, a fine that Apple hoped to increase. Unfortunately for Apple, Judge Lucy Koh reduced that fee by $450.5 million down to $600 million. Now that the bounce-back patent has been invalidated again, Samsung can reduce the fine even further. However, Apple, of course, isn’t going to let Samsung win that easily, if at all. It’s already working on appealing USPTO’s decision. It states, “Reexaminatinon of the ’381 patent is far from conclusion.”

[via CNET]

Formally called the Casio G’z0ne Commando 811, the new handset comes with an all-new look on top of the brand new LTE chip. Of course, it’s not the most beautiful phone to look at, but if it’s protection from rain, dust, drops, etc. that you’re looking for. the Commando 811 may be the phone for you.

It’s very similar to our recently-reviewed Kyocera Torque, only this newer version is getting a bigger screen, a front-facing camera, and possibly an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean based on the new navigation-key arrangement at the bottom of the device. And of course, it’s got the black and red color scheme that Verizon is notorious for on its Android handsets.

Nothing is official yet, but we should be hearing from Verizon and Casio with an official announcement sometime soon. It just cleared from the FCC, so it should only be a matter of time before those that need a viable option for a rugged smartphone equipped with LTE will be able to grab the Commando 811 from Big Red.

[via Android Community]

The Bamboo Stylus mini joins Wacom’s current line of Bamboo styli, such as the Stylus Feel, Solo, Pocket, and Duo. The size of stylus may be off-putting at first, but it seems like the compact shape of the Stylus mini is great for those who need optimal portability, and let’s face it, not all of us need a stylus the size of a permanent marker.

The stylus looks a lot like a cheap crayon, but it’s actually plated with brass and it comes with replaceable tips in case they ever get worn down eventually, but the various tips also vary in softness and firmness, allowing users to select the optimal surface tension for the stylus right off the bat.

The Stylus mini also comes in several colors for those who want more than just the usual black color scheme. Other than black, you can choose white, green, blue, pink, or red. They cost $20 each, which may seem like a lot with a stub of a stylus like this, but portability usually costs a lot more in the technology world these days.

The liaison was Michael Foulkes, and he reportedly spoke with the DA for an hour, a conversation that was, apparently, mostly worthless. Gascon said that he didn’t get much in the conversation, with Foulkes doing the majority of the talking. “It was incredible. He would just go on and on, one subject to the next. It was hard to follow. It was almost like someone who’s been trained in the art of doing a lot of talking and saying nothing.”

The liaison then went on to talk about the kill-switch system that the DA is wanting to see unified among phone makers, something the Apple worker said would be “long and laborious” in terms of both research and development. Phone users, at least for the time being, would have to be content with using software to find and terminate their mobile device.

Another issue presented, according to the interview, was that the next two iterations of the iPhone have already been developed. Even more interesting than that, however, is the statement that both of the iPhones “preceded Tim Cook,” indicating that they were possibly developed under the late Steve Jobs. Which iPhones, specifically, the liaison reportedly referenced isn’t known.

[via 9to5Mac]

According to Engadget, who received an anonymous tip on the leak, reports that AT&T is planning to open up pre-orders at the end of the week, with Thursday being the big day for online pre-orders, while in-store pre-orders start the day after. It seems users will be able to grab the 32GB version in either white or black for $250 after signing a new two-year contract, which is the same price as the GALAXY S 4.

Of course, AT&T will also be carrying a 64GB variant of the new device, and they’ll be the only carrier doing so. Customers will be able to get a 64GB version for $300, although it appears that it won’t be available right away for pre-orders. According to a leaked screenshot, HTC One display units won’t be available during the pre-order period either.

April 4 is only a few days away, so we should be hearing from AT&T in no time as far what the official word is with HTC One pre-orders. However, like the pre-orders with the GALAXY S 4, we don’t expect a release date just yet. We should also be hearing official word from other carriers as well, if they plan on opening up pre-orders around the same time as AT&T.

[via Engadget]

In 2012, the Government Accountability Office released a report after spending a year researching the health aspects of cell phone usage that stated the radiation limit needed to be reevaluated, the first time such a required had been made in nearly two decades. At the time of the report, the FCC had the SAR (specific absorption rate) set at 1.6W/kg.

The FCC reevaluated the radiation limit after the report was published, and has now published its own response, in which it states that the SAR limit is staying the same as it has been for many years. However, all is not staying unchanged. Per the report, the outer part of the ear has been reclassified as an extremity, a designation that legally allows it to absorb more radiation under current specifications.

The effects of cell phone radiation on humans is mostly unknown, but is typically regarded to be safe and to not cause some of the speculated conditions that populate conspiracy boards. Still, more research is needed on RF radiation and its potential health effects, something that could be prodded by the ever-increasing use of smartphones in our digital, mobile world.

[via The Verge]

According to German site MobiFlip, the new Nexus 4 features two small nubs towards the bottom of the phone, where the glass meets the edge. These small nubs raise the back of the device just slightly off of the surface to prevent it from sliding around and possibly falling onto the floor causing any kind of damage.

The small nubs also allow the sound coming out of the phone’s speaker to be louder when the device is laid on its back. They’re barely noticeable, but they can make a huge difference in several ways. On top of that, the camera’s lens has been updated as well, with less area around the lens being exposed. We’re not sure if this was because the old lens wasn’t working as efficiently, or if it’s just a simple design tweak that had nothing to do with the camera itself.

Overall, it’s nice to see Google still focusing on the Nexus 4 and improving the hardware even though the phone has already been released. However, those who already own the phone are out of luck, and you’ll have to resort to the bumper case to get a similar effect. However, for those still thinking about buying a Nexus 4, your unit may come with the new changes.

[via Android Central]

What’s perhaps more surprising is that out of all the teenagers surveyed, 43% of them admitted to texting behind the wheel, which is lower than the 49% of the older folks. Of course, that doesn’t make the situation better — 43% of teenagers is still 43% of teenagers who text while driving, so the statistics don’t look good either way.

However, with the advancement of technology, commuters are able to use hands-free systems if they want to use their phones while driving. However, as we’ve pointed out before, hands-free systems may not be all that much better. A study showed that hands-free systems can still distract drivers by taking their mind off the road.

It’s never a good idea to multi-task while driving. Even having your morning coffee can distract you from the road. It only takes a split second for something to happen, and by then it could already be too late. While you may think that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to take a sip of coffee, your mind itself gets distracted and can reduce your reaction time significantly.

[via Android Community]

AT&T’s pre-order date is far later than the UK’s pre-order availability. Users across the pond are already able to snag their own unit for when it officially launches on April 26. However, US residents will have to wait a bit longer until they can reserve theirs — at least on AT&T for the time being. We should hear from other US carriers sooner or later.

T-Mobile recently announced the availability of the GALAXY S 4, and CEO John Legere said that the new phone would be available to own “about May 1,” which isn’t a solid release date, but we should expect it to arrive close to that time frame, and other US carriers will most likely follow that same release window.

The GALAXY S 4 comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and a 13MP camera on the back. The US version of the phone will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.9GHz with 2GB of RAM. The phone also has a gargantuan 2500 mAh battery. We’ve already gotten our hands on the new toy, but we’ll have a full review coming up in the near future.

At Carphone Warehouse, you can pre-order the GALAXY S 4 off-contract for a steep £630. However, you can also grab the new phone from the retailer with a contract from either Orange, T-Mobile, or O2, which will obviously offset the cost of the device significantly, but you’ll have to sign away for a two-year contract in order to make that happen.

As for Amazon, you have your pick at a either a black or white version (same with Carphone Warehouse), both of which will cost the same £630 if you want to get it without a contract. With the pre-order, you’ll get £1 MP3 credit to use in Amazon’s MP3 Music Store. As for Unlocked Mobiles, you can grab a GALAXY S 4 for just £530, which is £100 cheaper than Amazon and Carphone Warehouse.

As for availability on other wireless carriers not mentioned, the GALAXY S 4 is available on EE, Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Mobile. EE seems like your best bet right now, as they’re the only carrier in the UK with a 4G LTE network. Of course, more wireless carriers in the UK will launch their own LTE network, but if you want LTE as soon as possible, EE is your only option right now.

[via The Next Web]

The announcement was made on the Google Play Store’s Google+ account, where it simply stated that users in Mexico and India can now buy and rent films via Movies in both countries. Users in Mexico have seen quite the content expansion this month, adding movies and TV shows on top of the book catalog they were given access to a little over a week ago, with both local titles and international bestsellers being offered.

Of course, while the expansion is a good thing, it does serve to remind many Android users that they still don’t have access to the content a lot of us enjoy, a source of frustration that many are happily sharing on Google Play’s G+ account. With the changes we’re seeing this month for select international users, however, it is reasonable to assume more content will become available to users in neglected countries as the year presses on.

Speaking of Play Store Movies, earlier today Google added actor info cards to the service, which presently only works on tablets running at least Ice Cream Sandwich. After pausing the movie or TV show, an actor’s face can be tapped to pull up an info card that contains relevant information, such as fun facts and personal details (age, place of birth, etc).

[via Google+]