Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE variant receives Android 4.3 update

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was the first non-Nexus device in the market to run Android 4.3, and it seems company’s flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the next device to run the OS version.

Sammobile reports that Samsung Galaxy S4’s LTE variant (GT-I9595) is receiving the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update. The site suggests that the first country to receive the update is Germany and mentions that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy S4 is being rolled out in phases, which means that other countries and device will receive the update soon.

The S4’s Android 4.3 update is reportedly available both OTA (over the air) and via the company’s Kies software. Notably, the update will bring Galaxy Gear support to the Galaxy S4, making it the second device to sport that functionality, as previously announced by Samsung.

The site detailed changelog for the update, listing OpenGL 3.0 support; Samsung’s Wallet app comes with the update; improved RAM management; improved display colour reproduction which will reportedly make display look sharper than before; improved TouchWiz launcher; Samsung’s new keyboard; new Samsung’s default Browser; new camera firmware and minor tweaks in the UI for contacts, flashlight widget and dialog box apps. However, the report does not reveal the availability of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500) variant which is available in India.

Recently, a report indicated that Samsung was planning an Android 4.3 update for its top of the line smartphones soon.

The report also claimed the devices getting the Android 4.4 update were the 2013 flagship, the Galaxy S4 in October while the 2012 flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S III was expected to get the new Android update by October end or even November. He report further revealed that the Galaxy Note II would also be getting the taste of the new Jelly Bean iteration, but that would only be by the end of November, or early December.

Prior to this, while announcing the Galaxy Gear smartwatch at IFA, the South Korean major revealed that the compatibility for the Gear smartwatch would be extended to the Galaxy S4 ad the Galaxy S III with a software update that would be seeded to consumers in October.

Apple is believed to have cut Q4 orders for iPhone 5c

Apple Inc told manufacturer of its new iPhone 5c that it will cut orders of the smartphone for the final three months of the year, a source familiar with the supply chain situation said.

Pegatron Corp, a major manufacturer of Apple’s new phone, had 5c orders reduced by less than 20 percent, the source told Reuters on Wednesday, declining to be identified because the information is sensitive.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, Apple’s other manufacturer of the 5c, has had its orders for the same period reduced by a third, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The iPhone 5c (Review) and iPhone 5s (Review) were launched in September ahead of the year-end holiday season when sales tend to hit a peak. In the United States, the 5c is $100 cheaper than the premium 5s, which is retailer for $649 for the 16GB model. 

The cut in 5c orders will reinforce investor sentiment that the phone was overpriced and would not be well-received by consumers, some analysts say.

“This reflects failure in Apple’s pricing strategy, “said Bevan Yeh, a Taipei-based senior fund manager at Prudential Financial Securities Investments Trust. “The price differentiation between 5c and 5s is too small. It’s an iPhone 5 with plastic casing and isn’t worth the price.” 

Spokesmen at Pegatron and Hon Hai declined to comment, while Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.

In China, one of Apple’s most important markets according to Chief Executive Tim Cook, the 5c’s reception has been lukewarm. Some local bloggers say the price difference between the 5c and 5S is too narrow.

Apple said previously that sales for the 5s and 5c in the first three days of their launch in September totaled 9 million, and that demand for 5S exceeded initial supplies. I did not give separate figures for the 5c and 5s.

Prudential, which does not own Apple shares, forecasts assemblers will ship around 5c units in the final three months of this year and 10 million in the first three months of next year.

Some analysts caution against correlating the cuts to Apple’s supplier orders with poor sales, because of the complexity and opacity of the company’s supply chain.

“We’ve seen this several times. There are too many moving parts in the supply chain to draw any conclusion,” said Benedict Evans, who covers mobile and digital media at Enders Analysis, a research consultancy in London.

“We don’t know what other suppliers they use or what inventory they already have.”

Microsoft unveils third Windows Phone 8 update with large display support

Microsoft has finally announced the much-anticipated third update for Windows Phone 8. The company also mentions that the new update will be rolled out in the coming weeks and will be counting for some months depending on the carrier and phone models. However, the company has not detailed anything about region-specific rollouts of the latest third Windows Phone update.

The new update, previously thoughts to be called the Windows Phone GDR3 update, brings some of the most awaited features to the Windows Phone platform that includes support for bigger display (5-inch and 6-inch displays) that will now house six Live Tiles instead of four, as found in previous version; support for higher resolution (full-HD or 1080p) displays, which paves the way for yet to be released Windows Phone devices (like rumoured Nokia Lumia 1520); support for more powerful processors, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, and improvements in Internet sharing, which now adds a pairing feature for a Windows Phone 8 device and Windows 8.1 PC or tablet over Bluetooth for sharing cellular data via W-Fi hotspot.

The third Windows Phone 8 update also adds more ‘Mobile Accessibility’ features for Windows Phone 8 devices, including a suite of apps like screen reader, meant for the convenience of blind and visually impaired users, allowing them to manage calls, contacts, texts, emails and also hear notification like calendar, alarm, events and low-battery warnings.

The latest update for the Windows Phone 8 platform brings a new Driving Mode feature that will limit notifications for calls, texts and emails on the phone’s lock screen while driving. This feature can also be set for automatic replies to contacts for calls and texts while driving.

There are some minor changes added to the third WP8 update that include custom ringtones for messages, emails, voicemails, reminders and contacts; new rotation lock option to keep the device’s screen in place while using it; new storage management feature that will allow users to free up space on the phone and manage temporary files; app switcher to close background apps; enhancements in connection quality for Bluetooth-attached accessories and finally a user will be prompted to set Wi-Fi during phone startup process.

Darren Laybourn, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone further adds in a blog post, "When we sat down to plan our latest official update to Windows Phone 8, we had three main engineering goals in mind - enable incredible new Windows Phone devices, enhance the platform with new capabilities for current users and partners and improve overall quality." 

Nexus 5 leaked again, reveals build, more Android 4.4 KitKat features

A bunch of new images and a walkthrough video reportedly showing the alleged Nexus 5 smartphone running the new iteration of Google’s mobile operating system have surfaced on the Internet.

The new leaked live images reveals some of the new features of the Android 4.4 KitKat which include transparent notification and navigation bar; Google photos and Hangouts replacing the conventional messaging and gallery apps respectively; a new camera launch icon is now seen sitting on the left corner of the display on the lockscreen; ability to add more homescreen panes; new wallpapers; Google Now to activate by saying ‘Ok Google’ from the homescreen and new boot animation reportedly borrowed from the Play Editions of Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

The latest leaked images were posted on TuttoAndroid and were first reported by Android Police.

Further a new walkthrough video featuring the alleged prototype of the Nexus 5 has also surfaced. The video has been posted by gn5 and shows some of the preloaded apps that were seen on previous versions of Android like Live wallpapers, Chrome, YouTube, calendar, among others. It is also showcases the build of the Nexus 5, however, it is definitely an early build, or prototype, as there is no branding visible.

While the video also shows the storage of the device which has 16GB out of which only 12GB is user-accessible and the smartphone’s about section that reveals Nexus 5 running Key Lime Pie. The leak is accompanied with the speculation that the Nexus 5 will feature a rubberized back, just like the prototype version shown. The video has been shooting with the phone supporting the French language and could be deciphered.

As previously reported, Google is expected to unveil the next Nexus smartphone and Android 4.4 KitKat, the new iteration of Google’s mobile operating system on October 15, as per a recent report. 

Karbonn A16 and Karbonn A99 budget Android smartphones available online

Karbonn Mobiles has introduced two new budget smartphone for the Indian for the Indian market, the Karbonn A16 and Karbonn A99. Both the handsets have been listed at ecommerce site, Saholic. The Karbonn A16 is available for Rs. 5,990, while the Karbonn A99 comes for Rs. 6,190. The ecommerce site clearly mentions that both the handsets will be delivered next week i.e. October 17.

Both the handsets interestingly come with identical specifications; the only difference is that the Karbonn A99 packs a 1400mAh battery while the Karbonn A16 includes a 1350mAh battery. Both the Karbonn A16 and A99 are dual-SIM devices with support for GSM+GSM.

Other specifications of the two budget smartphones include 4-inch WVGA (480x800 pixels) display, dual-core 1.3GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of inbuilt storage further expandable upto 32GB with microSD card, a 5-meagpixel camera, and a VGA front-facing camera. Both the handsets, the Karbonn A16 and Karbonn A99 are operated on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.

Some preloaded apps included on both devices are UC Browser, Opera Min, Kingsoft Office, Karbonn Live, WhatsApp and Flipboard.

Prior to this, Karbonn rolled out the Smart A51 budget device for Rs. 3,499. The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-based Karbonn Smart A51 features a 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with 320x480 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1GHz processor, though chipset has not been specified in the listing and includes 256MB of RAM. It is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device with dual standby time. There is a 3.2-meagpixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash while there is a VGA front-facing camera. It runs on a 1.100mAh battery, though standby time and talktime have not been detailed.

Nexus 5 image leaked

The much anticipated successor to the Nexus 4 has made another appearance on the Internet. The latest leaked image comes courtesy Spigen, a case-maker that has posted an image of the expected Nexus 5, revealing the rear panel.

Spigen has posted the image to its Google+ feed and noted, “There will you be when the revolution begins?” accompanied by the #nexus5, #android and #google hashtags that suggests that case-maker wants more people to talk the upcoming Nexus smartphone.

The leaked image shows the rear camera with large sensor accompanied by an LED flash. The rear panel’s design appears to be identical to that of the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet. The image has a tagline which said, “Nexus 5 revolution is ready.” Unfortunately, the case-maker has not revealed any details about the availability of the alleged Nexus 5.

Earlier this month, the rumoured Nexus 5’s battery, pricing and storage details were leaked. The report claimed that the 16GB Nexus 5 model will supposedly be priced at $299 (Rs. 18,500 approximately), while the 32GB Nexus 5 might be expected to be priced at $399 (Rs. 24,500 approximately).

Additionally the report claimed that the next Nexus smartphone would come in two different battery sizes for 16GB and 32GB storage models. As per the report, the 16GB is said to include a 230mAh battery while the 32GB model is expected to pack a 3000mAh battery.

We had already reported that the rumoured Nexus 5 will come with 16GB and 32GB storage onboard, as the company has shifted to larger inbuilt storage on the device.

Rumoured specifications of the Nexus 5 include a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080p) IPS LCD display. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera with OIS and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The alleged Nexus 4 successor has also been expected to include a host of sensors like ambient light, proximity, pressure as well as accelerometer, compass, notification LED and gyroscope.

Prior to this, a report suggested the successor to the Nexus 4 would be unveiled later this month, while it would be start shipping in the last week of this month. 

Sony Xperia Z1 f with 4.3-inch display, 20.7-megapixel camera launched

Sony has finally taken the wraps off its latest smartphone, the Xperia Z1 f which is a mini-variant of the flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z1.

The device has been introduced under Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo's winter smartphone line-up, and is expected to be released in late December 2013. No pricing details for the newly introduced Xperia Z1 f have been revealed by Sony and NTT DoCoMo.

The Sony Xperia Z1 f (SO-02F) features a 4.3-inch TRILUMINOS HD (720x1280) display with X-Reality for Mobiles. It is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 processor along with 2GB of RAM, much like its elder sibling. The Xperia Z1 f runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box and is manufactured by a single aluminium frame with tampered glass on back and front panel. It comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage which is further expandable up to 64GB with the help of microSD card.

The highlight of the Xperia Z1 f is again the 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS sensor alongside BIONZ image processor engine and pulsed LED flash, as seen in Xperia Z1. It also includes a 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS/ GLONASS and NFC. The Xperia Z1 f packs a 2300mAh battery with STAMINA mode and is waterproof and dust-proof smartphone, like other high-end Xperia smartphones.

The Xperia Z1 f will be available in multiple colours, Black, Lime, Pink and White, as rumoured earlier.

Meanwhile, Sony unveiled its flagship, the Xperia Z1 at IFA in Berlin and launched the device in India recently.