Rumoured Xperia Z1 mini gets leaked in images revealing colour variants

Some new images revealing the Sony Xperia Z1 mini, a.k.a ‘Xperia Z1 f’ has leaked again. The new leaked images suggest that the rumoured Xperia Z1 mini will come in multiple colours, Black, Lime, Pink and White, unlike the original Xperia Z1 which comes in Black, Purple and White colours.

RBMen has published handful images of the rumored Xperia Z1 mini from leaked brochure documents from NTT DoCoMo Japan. According to the site, the NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese operator, will be introducing its all new winter smartphone line-up on October 10 and that the line-up also includes the yet to be officially unveiled Xperia Z1 mini.

There’s no new information about the alleged device, but as more rumours fly across the Web, it seems quite plausible that Sony may be planning to release the alleged mini variant of the Xperia Z1 soon, which will be an affordable alternative to the flagship smartphone.

Earlier this month, the ‘Xperia Z1’ with model number SO-02F was leaked alongside the Xperia Z1 (SO-01F), which was launched last month at IFA 2013. The former was believed to be the yet-to-be-announced Xperia Z1 mini.

Rumoured specifications of the Sony Xperia Z1 mini includes a quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, the same as we have seen on the Xperia Z1; a 4.3-inch TRILUMINOS display with 720x1280 pixels resolution; 16GB of inbuilt storage ; 2GB of RAM, apart from a 2300mAh battery. It supposedly also boasts of IP55/IP58 certification (dust and water resistant), just like the Xperia Z, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra.

Interestingly, the alleged Xperia Z1 mini is said to ship with the same 20.7-megapixel camera as the Xperia Z1, one of the recently unveiled flagship’s biggest highlights. Additionally, the Xperia Z1 mini is said to feature the same Sony G lens, f/2.0 aperture and the same ½.3” sensor which has been seen on the Xperia Z1. 

Purported Nexus 5 service manual leaks, reveals complete specifications

Fresh purported evidence about the rumoured Nexus 4 successor has been spilled out, thanks to a leaked service manual that is said to reveal its specifications.

Android Police has published a service manual for the LG-D821 variant which was formerly believed to be the LG G2’s CDMA-variant. The leaked manual reveals complete specifications of the alleged Nexus 5 along with diagrams, images, and flowcharts of the device.

The specifications revealed by the alleged leaked manual include a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080p) IPS LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 8-meagapixel rear camera with OIS and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera. It is also evident by the alleged manual that the rumored Nexus 5 will come with 16GB and 32GB storage onboard as the company seems to shift to larger inbuilt storage on the device. However, the manual reveals noting about expandable storage.

The Nexus 5 is also rumored to include a host of sensors like ambient light, proximity, pressure as well as accelerometer, compass, notification LED and gyroscope. Connectivity features expected on the device include NFC, Bluetooth, A-GPS and WI-Fi. It is also suggested by the leaked manual that the device will come with 2300mAh battery and also support wireless charging. One of the images in the manual show the alleged Nexus 5 with large camera sensor as seen in at the back, which was first spotted in the Android 4.4 Kitkat announcement video.

There’s not much more that can be leaked out about the Nexus 5, expect for the device itself to actually be officially announced. A recent report had indicated an October release for the Nexus 5 while the device would ship in the last week of October.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with dual-SIM support surfaces online

Samsung has yet to announce a dual-SIM variant of the new Galaxy Note 3 phablet, through a report claims that the South Korean maker has made the device official in China.

According to a Vietnamese media report, the South Korean has introduced the Galaxy Note 3 with dual-SIM support for the Chinese market. The handset has been priced at 735 Euros (Rs. 61,300 approximately) in Asia, claims the report. The alleged Samsung Galax Note 3 dual-SIM is said to be carrier unlocked, unlike many Galaxy smartphones. However, the company has not released any official press note or possible availability details of the device, yet.

The alleged Galaxy Note 3 dual-SIM is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor much like the N9005 version of the device. Other specifications of the device are expected to be similar to the single-SIM variant of the Galaxy Note 3, expect the dual-SIM support features.

The South Korean major officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 3 phablet at the sidelines of IFA 2013 in Berlin. It comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display. The Galaxy Note 3 includes a 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera alongside 2-megapixel front camera. It is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Note 3 is available in 32 GB and 64GB variants. Both variants come with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage.

Recently, it was reported that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and other high-end smartphones were region-locked. Following widespread outrage, Samsung later issued a statement and said that the company is SIM-locking new device including the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, and Galaxy Note 3 device produced after the end of July 2013.

Samsung also clarified that all these devices will sport a sticker indicating the same and that the region lock could be removed free of charges through a Samsung service partner if the device is used outside the region it’s meant for and had not been used with a local SIM of that region. 

iPhone 5s motion sensors delivering inaccurate readings: Report

The motion sensors on Apple's iPhone 5s are not working properly and delivering inaccurate results, if a new report is to be believed.

The various sensors of the phone, including the Level, Gyroscope, Compass, and Accelerometer, were put to test by Gizmodo, and the site found out that the readings were way off compared to the ones taken by the iPhone 5's sensor. Both the phones were running iOS 7, which implies that it's not a software problem and cannot be fixed through an update.

The site found a major difference between the iPhone 5s' internal inclinometer/ level readings and a real measurement of inclination. Compared to a Stanley spirit level, the iPhone 5s level's reading in iOS 7 compass software was 2-3 degrees off. The reading was accurate on the iPhone 5. The results were similar even on a third party app. Same was the case with the Gyroscope impacting gameplay on the phone.

Testing the Compass, Gizmodo found out that there was a difference of 8-10 degrees between the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5. Compared to a real compass both the phones' readings were off but iPhone 5's reading was more accurate. This issue could affect mapping and navigation apps leading to differences in location detection.

The iPhone 5s' Accelerometer registered more latent motion than the iPhone 5's Accelerometer. This would again impact gaming and motion tracking-based fitness apps.

It's also possible that the iOS 7 software is not accurately calibrating the iPhone 5s' sensors for which a firmware update bringing a fix could be released. However, different users are reporting different levels of discrepancies on forums. It's also possible that the sensors have not been calibrated properly in the factory, as the report notes. 

HTC posts first-ever quarterly losses as troubles multiply

Taiwan’s HTC Corp slid into the red for the first time in the third quarter, with sales hit hard by fierce competition in the smartphone market, supply chain constraints and internal turmoil.

Underscoring a dramatic decline for a company which boast award-winning smartphones but has failed to develop a durable brand of handsets, it posted an operating loss of T$3.5 billion as sales for the quarter tumbled by a third from the same period a year earlier.

At a net level, it booked a loss of T$2.97 billion, bigger than an expected loss of T$1.8 billion, according to Thomson Reuters Smart Estimates. That compares with a net profit of T$3.9 billion in the same quarter last year.

Its shares were down 2.3 percent in early trade.

HTC lacks the scale of bigger rivals Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and its troubles this year have only multiplied.

In Addition to internal feuding and executive exits, sources have said that it is facing casing shortage for its HTC One Mini. It has also lost some patent cases and media have reported that three of its design executives have been arrested on suspicion of leaking trade secrets.

HTC’s share of the global smartphone market has plummeted from a peak of 1.9 percent in 2011 to 2.6 percent in the most recent quarter, according to research firm Gartner and analysts have said it needs a wholesales reevaluation of its strategy in order to survive.

New iPad, iPad mini to sport improved 8-megapixel rear camera: Report

Apple will put an improved 8-megapixel rear camera sensor on the fifth generation iPad and the second-generation iPad mini, if KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s predication is to be believed.

The analyst’s predications have been pretty accurate in the past. Kuo mentions that the new camera module will features a larger aperture, similar to the one found on the recently launched iPhone 5s. He has also indicated that the ASP (average Selling Price) of the camera lens module will increase by 10 to 20 percent due to this change.

In a note (via MacRumors) the firm said, “We predict Apple (US) will launch new iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 (so called retina iPad mini) in 4Q13. As the tablet market becomes increasingly competitive, Appl could upgrade the camera as a selling point for the new iPad in a bid to increase competitiveness. We expect the upgrade will include 8MP rear camera, up from 5MP, and larger aperture. Lens modules ASP will raise 10-20 percent on this optics spec upgrade.”

Apple has not focused much on the rear cameras of its iPad tablets, at least not when compared to its focus on the iPhone’s camera. The current-generation iPad and iPad mini both sport a 5-megapixel camera without an LED flash.

It’s not clear if the other components of the next-generation iPad and iPad mini’s camera modules will also be upgraded to make them on par with the iPhone 5s camera. The iPhone 5s camera includes a True Tone Flash that features a white LED and amber LED which work with software algorithms to adjust flash intensity and colour temperature. It also offers a Slo-Mo mode to shoot slow motion video at 120 frames per second at 720p.

Kuo also mentions that the Retina display equipped iPad mini launch in the fourth quarter of 2013. Interestingly, a new report indicates that Apple will be unable to widely roll out a new versions of the iPad mini with a high-resolution “Retina” display in October, citing people who work in the company’s supply chain as a source. These people added that Apple’s supply chain is only now gearing up to make Retina displays for the iPad mini,, which means the tablets could be available in only limited quantities this year, if at all.

Apple is expected to unveil the new iPad tablets at an event in October; however, there’s no official word from the company on the same.

Sony Xperia C with 5-inch display, dual-SIM available online for Rs. 20,490

Sony seems to be geared up to officially launch another mid-range smartphone, the Xperia C for the Indian market. The device is currently available online for Rs. 20,490 on Saholic, while it is up for pre-order on Flipkart with the same pricing. Both the ecommerce sites have mentioned that the device will be available from second week of October. The Xperia C was officially unveiled earlier this year at the Mobile Asia Expo.

The Sony Xpreria C is the first smartphone from the Japanese handset to be based on quad-core MediaTek MTK6589 processor; clocked at 1.2GHz. It comes with 5-inch TFT LCD qHD (540x960 pixel) display and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It includes 1GB of RAM and 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The Sony Xperia C is a dual-SIM smartphone (GSM+GSM) with dual standby.

The Xperia c sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with Exmore R sensor. The rear camera comes with features like face detection and Sweep Panorama, and is also capable of shooting videos in full-HD (1080p) mode. There is a 0.3-megapixel front camera onboard also. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. The smartphone will be available in White, Black and Purple colour options.

Other features on the Sony Xperia C include motion-gaming, FM radio with RDS, walkman app and ‘screen mirroring’. The device is backed by a 2330mAh battery, which the company claims can deliver up to 10hours of talktime and up to 588 hours of standby time.