Sony Says it Will Introduce Phone Running Firefox OS in 2014

In partnership with wireless carrier Telefonica, Sony said it wants to introduce a phone running Firefox OS by next year. The multi-year agreement will see Sony flex its Android muscles, but more interesting is how the partnership wants to explore development of the fledgling Firefox OS—not something in the Windows Phone camp—which has more freely reared its head at Mobile World Congress.

Sony said the decision to explore Firefox OS is so it can “deliver the premium user experience that Sony’s consumers expect.” We won’t know how, exactly, Sony’s Firefox efforts will translate into a premium experience until 2014, but the company’s backing of Mozilla’s OS is certainly a big one, and shows it wants to capture emerging markets.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Galaxy S IV Announcement Set for March 14

Its official, the Galaxy S IV will be unveiled in New York City on March 14.

After numerous rumors, Samsung has officially announced an Unpacked event for March 14 in New York City. Seeing as the slogan is “Ready 4 the Show,” we feel confident that this is indeed the launch event for the Galaxy S IV.

The event will kick off at 7 p.m. Eastern time, and you will be able to watch the livestream at YouTube.com/SamsungMobile. TechnoBuffalo will also be in attendance so be sure to check in for all of the live coverage of the event.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Nokia Unveils Lumia 720 and Lumia 520

Nokia took the stage during Mobile World Congress 2013 to unveil two new entry-level Windows Phone 8 handsets.

The Lumia 720 will launch in March of this year and features a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8227 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot for adding additional storage, a 4.3-inch ClearBlack display with a WVGA resolution, a 6.7-megapixel camera, a “Skype HD Wide Angle” front-facing camera for video chat with a 1.3-megapixel resolution, a 2,000mAh battery and more. It will launch in red, yellow, cyan and black in matte and in a glossy white color.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Huawei Reveals the World’s Fastest 4G LTE Smartphone

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today introduced the HUAWEI Ascend P2, the world’s fastest smartphone, at the 2013 Mobile World Congress (MWC). The Ascend P2 features a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and LTE Cat 4 providing an ultrafast web experience with download speeds of up to 150 Mbps. Continuing the fashion legacy of the Ascend P-series, it is only 8.4mm slim with an infinity edge 4.7-inch IPS HD in-cell touch display with second-generation Corning® Gorilla® Glass, and will be available in black and white.

“Ascend P2 is the perfect combination of elegance and power, and further proof that there’s no need to compromise when desiring a perfect smartphone. It is evidence of the outstanding smartphone experiences and great technology that we are committed to bringing to consumers globally,” said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group.

The HUAWEI Ascend P2 will be on sale in France through Orange in June 2013.  

“We’re pleased to be working with Huawei again to enable our customers to have easier and faster access to all their favorite content,” said Yves Maitre, Senior Vice President, Mobile Multimedia & Devices, Orange. “We are impressed by the design and look forward to putting the Ascend P2 into the hands of consumers as soon as possible.”

“The technological capabilities of the HUAWEI Ascend P2 will enable our customers to have the fastest access to all their content, with speeds up to 150 Mbps on our brand new 4G network,” said Florence Paour, Device Marketing Director, Orange France.

The HUAWEI Ascend P2 runs on the Android 4.1 operating system, with Huawei’s own Emotion UI 1.5. Powered by a 2420 mAh battery and 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, the Ascend P2 downloads HD movies in minutes, and loads online videos, web pages, songs or e-Books in seconds. Huawei’s proprietary ‘swift sharing’ supports uploads and downloads two to three times faster than other smartphones in a Wi-Fi environment. With its NFC module*, Ascend P2 enables e-payments and can act as an electronic ticket. Huawei's unique Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) power-saving technologies, reduces power consumption by 30% and charging time by more than 25% compared to other smartphones.

Continuing the fashion focus of Huawei’s Ascend P smartphones, HUAWEI Ascend P2 evokes the image of an infinity pool with its seamless, elegant design and curvy contours. Using in-cell technology, its LCD 4.7-inch IPS HD touchscreen is an impressive 8.4mm slim. Its ‘magic touch’ feature provides enhanced screen responsiveness even with gloves, and instant keyword translation and Wikipedia searches can now be done on a single window with ‘smart reading’. The screen also calibrates its brightness automatically under any light conditions, allowing users to perform any function, under any light.  

The HUAWEI Ascend P2 provides optimal photo and video features including a 13 MP BSI rear-facing camera with HDR, and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera to support self-portrait and video shooting. A dedicated camera key on the side of the phone also allows instant access to picture taking, click once for the camera to be activated and another time to take the shot. With Huawei’s advanced camera algorithm, high-definition images can be captured even in backlit conditions. Auto adjustment modes further enable Ascend P2 to produce photos that rival professional cameras.

The Huawei Emotion UI*, available on the Ascend P2 is easy to use and customize. The UniHome function combines home panels with the main menu, while Huawei’s patent-pending Me Widget better utilizes screen real-estate by combining all the information and functions you need in a single, customizable widget. Emotion UI is also pre-installed with a smartphone housekeeper function to support real-time data traffic tracking, automatic blacklisting and blocking, periodical system cleaning, and spontaneous exiting of idle programs and cache cleanup, in addition to anti-virus, energy saving, privacy protection, software management, and more. 

For more information, visit Huawei Device online: www.huaweidevice.com

Nokia Music+ now live for US Lumia owners

After launching the service across the pond just a few short days ago, Nokia's now ready to make Music+ available for the US -- confirming to us today its availability on Yankee soil. To recap, the paid subscription service ramps up the free app's offerings with higher quality audio, unlimited offline downloads and Mix Radio skips, multiple device use, as well as lyrics -- all for $4/mo. It's a significantly cheaper alternative to other freemium music streaming servicescurrently available in the Windows Phone 8 ecosystem. So, if you've recently gone Lumia, you might want to check it out.

[Source: Engadget]

HTC One – Everything You Need To Know

You can worry all you want about specs, the number of megapixels and the density of a screen, but what ultimately matters is the experience. How does a phone improve your life, make communicating with the people you care about most easier? With the HTC One, the company covered what is by now becoming the standardized specs: big Full HD screen, fast processor, LTE, etc.

But the company has also introduced new features it hopes will change the way you interact with your super phone. By including BlinkFeed, you’ll have at-a-glance access to all your favorite social and news content, so you’re always up to speed. And with these so-called UltraPixels, HTC has engineered a better way to capture life’s moments, no matter how well lit the scene is.

It’s these thoughtful touches that make specs secondary, and shows that HTC, despite the company’s struggles, can craft a pretty darn good device. We’re excited to spend more time with this amazing-looking handset. Until then, stay tuned for more HTC One coverage.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Xperia Z now on sale at Sony Mobile France store

It looks like Germany isn't the only country getting an early chance to pick up the Sony Xperia Z. The phone has just gone up for sale on the Sony Mobile France online store. Purchased SIM-free, the 5-inch, 1080p-toting handset will set French buyers back €649 -- that's not cheap, but nor is it significantly more expensive than the average high-end smartphone.

The phone is available in black and white -- the purple version isn't being offered unlocked, as it's exclusive to the SFR network in France.

The Xperia Z should start appearing in brick-and-mortar stores before long, starting with the Sony Store in Berlin. Other European territories are expected to follow around the end of the month.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Picture of Alleged iPhone 5S Motherboard Leaks, Shows Off A7 Processor

A photo of what is allegedly the iPhone 5S’ motherboard has been let loose, showing off what appears to be an A7 processor. According to iOSDoc, who acquired the photo from a trusted source, the alleged motherboard is quite similar to that of the iPhone 5, indicating an incremental upgrade is inbound, similar to iPhone 4/4S territory.

Further speculation explores what we’ve already heard and, in the Apple world, these expectations aren’t outside the realm of possibility. Apple’s upcoming device will reportedly come with a quad-core chip clocked at 1.2GHz, along with Jony Ive’s repainted iOS 7 and a “highly improved Siri.”

Additionally, the next iPhone will come with PowerVR quad-core SGX554MP4 GPU that’s featured in the iPad 4, meaning folks will see an improved gaming experience. Other supposed enhancements include 2GB of RAM and, the holy grail of iOS user’s dreams: widgets in iOS 7.

None of this is substantiated and sounds more like hope than actual fact. Still, plenty of what’s being suggested sound like logical upgrades, though the rumors about what we’ll see in iOS 7 are certainly interesting, especially with Scott Forstall out of the picture.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

LG finally reveals Optimus G Pro specs, price, availability

Update: LG expects to begin rolling out the new Optimus G Pro in overseas territories including the U.S. during the second quarter.

LG technically officially announced the Optimus G Pro for the Korean market a few days ago, but now we've got all of the gritty details on the device. As we saw before, the new device will sport a full HD 1080x1920 5.5-inch (that's 400 ppi) display, with seemingly tiny bezels. Under that screen will be a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (SDcard expandable) and a removable 3,140mAh battery with wireless charging support. We're looking at 13MP rear and 2MP front cameras, LTE connectivity and shipping software of Android 4.1.2 with LG's latest UX customizations.

The press release indicates availability of "next week" for the Korean market. Pricing is quoted at 968,000 won, which with a quick currency exchange calculation is just shy of $900 (although that's not always indicative of eventual U.S. pricing). The Optimus G Pro will be on display at MWC in just a week, so you can bet we'll have our hands on one soon.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Black HTC One leaks ahead of Tuesday's launch

Another day, another HTC One leak. This time we get a look at the handset in black, courtesy of Unwired View.

Design-wise, it looks identical to the silver model we already spied. The images on the screen are different too, with this one listing New York as the home city, whereas the silver one had London. HTC will hold events in both London and New York on Tuesday, so expect to see the phone launched then.

HTC has opted for a two-button layout below the screen, while most handsets that runAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean -- like the Nexus 4 -- have three. Or maybe the HTC logo could double as a button.

HTC has punted out numerous teasers concerning the One. Here are the videos spliced together in a 20-second clip, viaPhone Arena.

[Source: CNET- Read the full story here]

Motorola RAZR HD now in stock SIM-free in the UK from Expansys

The Motorola RAZR HD may of been rocking the U.S. for some time now, but it's only today that the Android device has become available SIM-free in the UK.

If you are after a high-end Android handset with a meaty battery then the RAZR HD is well worth considering. The 4G (pentaband) ready device sports a glorious 4.7 inch Super AMOLED HD display,1.5 GHz Dual-core chip and 1GB of RAM, and ships with Android Ice Cream Sandwich (v4.0.4) although upgradeable to Jelly Bean (4.1).

In addition, Expansys are offering the chance to win a Virgin Experiance Day if you order in February. They have five pairs of tickets to give away each worth £125 - not to be sniffed at.

The Motorola RAZR HD will set you back £419.99 SIM free. You can order it here.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

LG confirms 5.5-inch 1080p display for Korean Optimus G Pro

As has been rumored recently, the LG Optimus G Pro is indeed heading to South Korea, with a 5.5-inch display in tow. The device, which first appeared in Japan with a 5.0-inch screen, was reported to be heading to LG's home market with a refreshed spec sheet in the past week -- and we'd even seen some leaked photos to back up these claims.

LG's promotional site for the G Pro doesn't reveal much beyond the screen size and resolution, so we'll have to wait on confirmation of other changes like the larger battery and microSD support. However, the device in the image above certainly looks a lot like what we saw in last week's spy shots.

As for whether the Optimus G Pro will eventually extend its reach outside of Asia, that's something we'll likely find out at Mobile World Congress in a couple of weeks.

[Source: AndroidCentral]