More Nexus 5 Render Leaks!

Yet again, thanks to @evleaks on twitter, we get another official looking render of the Nexus 5! Looking good. Please good, just announce the Nexus 5!

NEXUS 7 NEXT GENERATION, LEAKED!!!!

What a better look at that new Nexus 7? Well it's back again today, continuing the steady stream of leaked press images that we've seen this weekend.

Prolific leaker @evleaks has shared some press shots that give us a clear look at the front and rear of the new Nexus 7. Looking at the Nexus 7's face, we can see a 7-inch display smack dab in the middle of a front-facing camera and what appears to be a notification light. Around back there's a new rear-facing camera, a speaker up at the top (with another speaker likely at the bottom), and some horizontal "Nexus" branding.

More to come...

UPDATE: SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF THE NEW NEXUS 7 vs The Current Nexus 7!

FIRST LOOK OF THE MOTOROLA "X - FONE"/"X - PHONE"

Today, @evleaks on Twitter put out first official press renders of the Motorola X-Phone. The Android OS version is something that looks like 4.2 or possibly 4.3 with No/Minimal skins. Using other leaked photos as reference, these renders have every detail right. The X-Phone's camera is in the center of the device, the phone is sleek and has a bit of a curve at the bottom. The flash is located under the camera and the speakers are located next to the camera. The material seem to be some sort of Kevlar material on the back, and the phone has a headphone jack at the top. From these leaked renders, the phone actually looks very different from most phones Motorola has put out, and personally this design is very appealing to me. The phone is meant to be more of a "Mid-range" device, so specs are a bit watered down, however, it still has many specs (Leaked and confirmed) that will make you want this device in your pocket.

Here are the specs we know so far for the X-Phone:

- A dual core Qualcomm S4 Pro 1.7GHz CPU, Adreno 320 GPU.

- 2 GB Of RAM

- 720x1184 4.7 inch display *about 4.5 inches without the on screen buttons*

- 10.5MP Rear Camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera

- Android 4.2.2 or 4.3

- 16 GB of memory, 12GB is available to users.

- NFC

- 2,200 mAh Battery.

This phone has some "mild" specs, but its no slouch, these specs are much better than all the mid-ranged phones out there, and if this has a mid-range price, these will be going off the shelves as quick as the GS4's and HTC One's are. Remember, the camera image quality doesn't matter if it has super high Pixels, its all about the sensor capturing the image. Hopefully the sensor is a legit sensor, not a "Mid Range" sensor. Other than that, the device is very nice looking, The curve will make it easier to hold, and the screen is not as large are the S4 or the Note 2, so people looking for phones will smaller screens will be great buying this phone. 

Pictures: 

Google to acquire WhatsApp for nearly $1 billion

Google is in talks to acquire cross-platform messaging application WhatsApp, a new report claims.

Google and WhatsApp have been talking for "four or five weeks," according to Digital Trends, citing a person who claims to have knowledge of the negotiations. So far, WhatsApp has been able to push the acquisition price to nearly $1 billion by "playing hardball," Digital Trends' source says.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging applications available to mobile users. The app allows users on just about any mobile platform, including Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone, to instant-message with each other, as well as send images, audio, and video messages. The messaging app essentially allows for cross-platform texting without having to pay for SMS.

Nexus 4 First Thoughts

The Nexus 4, announced yesterday and rumored for about 50 years before then, goes on sale directly from Google starting November 13. The unlocked, off-contract phone will cost $300 for an 8GB model and $350 for the 16GB version.

 So what's the phone actually like to use? I haven't had it for long -- I'll be sharing more detailed thoughts after I've had a chance to really get to know the thing -- but my first impression is that this is one very nice device.

 In terms of basic hardware and form, Google has clearly taken the best parts of LG's Optimus G -- the foundation upon which the phone is based -- and polished them to near-perfection. This is truly a melding of LG's basic hardware and Google's sense of design.

 Put simply, the Nexus 4 looks and feels like the way a high-end smartphone should. It's sleek, solid, and not at all flimsy. There are no cheap-feeling, plasticky surfaces here.

 The Nexus 4's 4.7-in. display extends all the way to the side edges of the phone's face. That brings up an important detail: On the Nexus 4, the glass is curved, but it's curved in a different way than what we've seen with past Nexus devices. Here, the glass curves along the edges of the phone -- something the Android team did in order to match the way you hold and interact with the device. (The glass curvature on past Nexus devices, in contrast, was designed to match the contours of your face -- but let's face it, most of us hold our phones in our hands far more than we hold them up to our heads these days.)

 Speaking of the screen, boy, is it a beaut. If you've seen the Optimus G, you know what to expect: The device uses True HD IPS technology and boasts a resolution of 1280 x 768, with 320ppi. It looks fantastic -- crisp, clear, and bright, with phenomenal detail. This is hands-down one of the best screens I've seen on an Android phone, rivaling the likes of HTC's One X for the gold-medal spot.

Surrounding the screen is a seamless silver metal band that extends all the way around the phone's perimeter. The level of thought put into this design is apparent: The band meets the edge of the screen's glass in a soft, subtle curve that looks and feels incredible. It's easy to see how the slightest change in approach could have resulted in a sharp-feeling edge or an awkward-looking meeting point -- but Google and LG avoided those pitfalls and achieved a solution that begs to be caressed.

 Last but not least, there's the back of the phone -- which, like the phone's front, utilizes Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for protection. At the risk of firing off an overused adjective, I feel compelled to say that the back of the Nexus 4 is -- yes, I'm going there -- beautiful. LG has created a mesmerizing moving-crystal effect that brings to mind the classic Google Nexus wallpaper. The design actually appears to shift as you change your perspective. It's really something to see. (The downside: The glass does seem to pick up an inordinate amount of visible fingerprint smudges.)

 There's so much more to be said about the Nexus 4 -- and rest assured, we're barely scratching the surface. I'll be spending the next several days using the phone and getting to know both its hardware (this phone is F-A-S-T) and pure Google software (the new Android 4.2 Camera app looks absolutely awesome) inside and out. I'll share my detailed thoughts in an in-depth review next week.

LG Nexus 4 User Manual Up for download on LG Site!!!

The information leaks ahead Google's Android event next week continue to flow, with the latest thanks to support manuals on LG's Australian and UK websites. While we're already familiar with the phone's hardware thanks to a detailed Belarusian review, the manuals confirm it is going to be called the Nexus 4, and that along with the 8GB version we've seen there will definitely be a 16GB edition available. As you can see above, it also includes an induction coil for wireless charging and excludes any microSD slots for additional storage. This all comes after two separate Nexus 10 leaks earlier today, as well as a report byWired of a lost Nexus 4 recovered in a San Francisco bar (sound familiar?) last month. Hit the source link below to check out the LG E960 PDF for yourself (you may need to select the "show all" radio button), although there's only a few diagrams and support info waiting within.

New LG Nexus Phone Specs and Design leaked! [Update New pics in! This is the real deal!]

A steady stream of recent rumors have suggested that Google's next volley of Nexus devices will include an LG smartphone, and a new gallery of photos posted by an xda-developers forum member might give us our first peek at what the handset is going to look like when it's announced in the coming weeks. The images show a phone that bears a striking resemblance to LG's recently-announced Optimus G flagship — as expected —this comes with a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, an Adreno 320 GPU, 2 GB of RAM, 8GB of non-expandable storage (only for prototype), 768×1184 320 ppi display, an 8 megapixel camera, Jelly Bean MR1 and Kernel 3.4.0. 

More evidence lies in the phone's About screen, which shows a model number of "Fully JellyBean on Mako" — Nexus afficionados might recognize mako as a type of shark, and all Google-designed Android devices (dating back to the T-Mobile G1) have been named after fish. Labels on the phone also indicate a model number E960, which Droid Lifenotes has been attached to the mythical LG Nexus phone in previous rumors and has recently passed FCC testing.

Signs point to an announcement as soon as late October, so we won't have long to wait to find out whether LG's finally getting a shot at the Nexus program.

Honestly, this device looks ok. LG making a Nexus is a not a great idea, I rather see a HTC Nexus then a LG Nexus. The front looks good (normal) but the back looks devastatingly terrible, especially the camera. Would you get this over a Samsung Nexus? 


(UPDATE: In person, the back looks great. Still, the camera and flash looks very un-dynamic compared to the Galaxy S4) 

The Next Galaxy Nexus specs LEAKED!

Will Google stick with Samsung for the next Nexus-series phone? If this spec sheet that just leaked is accurate, it looks like Samsung could be returning for a three-peat, with what amounts to a small upgrade over last year’s Galaxy Nexus.

Instead of a quad-core Exynos, this document claims the phone would stick to a dual-core SoC, but ramp the clock speed up to 1.5GHz. Unfortunately, there’s no work on just which SoC we’re talking about, only that it won’t be a new design based around A15 cores.

Supposedly, this model GT-I9260 will keep a 4.65-inch display, which is now noted as an HD component; that’s a bit odd, since the Galaxy Nexus already has an HD screen. Why mention it for one but not the other if they’re the same resolution?

According to this, the next Nexus would use the same cameras as the Galaxy S III, with an eight-megapixel component around back, and would also offer the same microSD compatibility the GS3 enjoys.

Frankly, it’s all a bit underwhelming, and we can’t help but hope to see something a little more exciting from the next Nexus. That’s not to say that these specs look underpowered; maybe we’re just expecting too much to be wowed, when we really need a more utilitarian upgrade to a solid design.

Via PocketNow

NEW HTC 5 INCH SMARTPHONE REPORTED TO COME THIS SEPTEMBER, The Galaxy Note 2 will have some competition.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note II may not be the only “phablet” this fall. According to "technoBuffalo" and “industry sources” speaking to DigiTimes, HTC is planning to debut a 5-inch smartphone in September or October, which will have a full 1080p high-definition display with a 1794 by 1080 resolution.

The new 5 inch tablet is likely that it will have 126 vertical lines will be dedicated to Android’s virtual navigation buttons, which were introduced with Ice Cream Sandwich. That means the device would actually feature a 1920 x 1080 panel.

Back in July a GLBenchmark test, which details a “HTC 6435LVW” with a 1794 x 1080 display, powered by Qualcomm’s MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor running Android 4.0.4. appeared.

That seems to confirm a device with these specifications is currently being tested by HTC, but whether or not it will show its face this fall remains to be seen. It seemed like only a matter of time before the Galaxy Note got a rival, though.

[via The Verge]

HTC One X+ Specs appears in benchmark results

Hot on the heels of a rumor about a new HTC device codenamed Proto, we've got a benchmark for another unannounced handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer to check out. This time we're looking at the NenaMark results for the HTC PM63100, which is a model number that actually popped up in some GLBenchmark test results last month. The NenaMark page lists the PM63100 as packing a 1.7GHz Tegra 3 processor and 720p screen resolution, both of which also showed up in the aforementioned GLBenchmark tests, as well as Android 4.1.1. Last month's results suggested that the PM63100 could be headed to AT&T. LandofDroid suggests that the PM63100 is the One X+, which we've heard may also be T-Mobile-bound.

While this PM63100/One X+ device isn't quite official just yet, with purported specs like a 1.7GHz Tegra 3 and 720p display, it definitely sounds like it's got the makings of a flagship handset. The good news is that a leaked T-Mobile roadmap claimed that the One X+ (codenamed "Era 42" for Magenta) may be landing at the end of September, so it may not be long before we get a chance to put the handset through its paces ourselves. What do you all make of the One X+ so far, Android fans? Has it piqued your interest or is there another device that you're lusting after?

Via TmoNews, LandofDroid, NenaMark

Re-blogged from Phonedog and TechnobuffaloHt

HTC “Proto” Reportedly Coming This Fall

HTC’s One V will reportedly receive a refresh later this year in the form of an unannounced device carrying the codename “Proto.” Tipped to The Verge, this HTC handset is said to be 9.62mm thick and feature a 4-inch WVGA SLCD display, a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, Beats Audio and a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon processor.
While the aforementioned specs are fairly detailed, there’s no mention of what version of Android the Proto will launch with. Looking at its mid-level hardware, we suspect this handset to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, opposed to the highly sought after Jelly Bean.

Re-blogged from Technobuffalo
[via: The Verge]