Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Duos With Snapdragon 805 Launched

Samsung has quietly revealed the dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy Note 4 in China.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Duos is now listed on the company's China site and is currently available in three variants - SM-N9109W for China Telecom; SM-N9106W for China Unicom, and the SIM-free (unlocked) SM-N9108V.

Sammobile reports that the unlocked version of the Galaxy Note 4 Duos is priced at CNY 5,199 (Rs. 52,000 approximately) and is compatible with 4G LTE networks on most carriers. Unfortunately, the pricing details of the Galaxy Note 4 Duos SM-N9109W and SM-N9106W variants are not available.

The report  also suggests that the first SIM card slot of all three variants of the Galaxy Note 4 Duos supports 4G over TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE networks, while the second SIM supports just 2G networks.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Duos listing features few specifications, but Sammobile notes the smartphone comes with slightly different innards from the original Galaxy Note 4. Apart from dual-SIM support, the Galaxy Note 4 Duos comes with 16GB built-in storage compared to 32GB inbuilt storage on the original variant, and is also backed by a 3000mAh battery instead of the 3220mAh battery on the Galaxy Note 4.

The Galaxy Note 4 Duos is powered by a 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor. The rest of the specifications of the Galaxy Note 4 Duos are thought to be the same as the original Galaxy Note 4.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 runs Android 4 .4 KitKat, and features a 5.7-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixel) Super Amoled display with a pixel density of 515ppi. The Galaxy Note 4 comes in two versions based on chipsets - 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and a 1.9GHz octa-core (1.9GHz quad-core + 1.3GHz quad-core) Samsung processor. It comes with 3GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Note 4 features a 16-megapixel autofocus rear camera with Smart OIS, and a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/1.9 lens. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ Glonass, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0, IR LED, USB 2.0, and MHL 3.0. The Galaxy Note 4 features an accelerometer, geo-magnetic sensor, gyroscope, RGB, IR-LED, proximity, barometer, hall sensor, finger scanner, UV, heart rate monitor.

Considering the official listing of the Galaxy Note 4 Duos, the handset also seems to feature Adaptive Fast Charging that according to the company charges from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

Recently, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 went on sale in India priced at an MRP of Rs. 61,500, and a market operating price between Rs. 58,300 and Rs. 58,500. Interestingly, the Galaxy Note 4 was available to buy in India the same day as Apple's iPhone  6 Plus

Sony Xperia Z2 with Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update and Schedule

Sony has been working on delivering Android  updates as fast as it can. According to the latest information, the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update has been certified with users expected to see the download available soon. The release may follow a similar pattern as with other Android updates with the roll out done in stages. Some users can get access to the device sooner while others delayed. 

View Full Image

Reuters
Android mascots are lined up in the demonstration area at the Google I/O Developers Conference in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, May 10, 2011. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

SONY promised users that the Android 4.4.4 KitKat Over the Air or OTA release to Xperia Z2 will be coming soon. The company did not provide any particular dates but it should be soon as the company moves to the final stages according to Hallels. Reports also projected the release date to be around November. 

There have been concerns among Xperia Z2 users as some older Sony handsets have received the update with the unit seemingly "ignored." Other devices that got certification included Xperia Z2 Tablet SGP521, Xperia Z2 L50w, Xperia Z2 D6503, Sony Xperia Z2 D6502 and Xperia Z2 Tablet SGP541. 

According to Android Headlines, Sony Xperia Z2 will receive a revamp on its design similar to the Xperia Z3. Once users update to the software, they can expect a similar launcher to the Z3. Other improvements to expect include power menu giving people the option to begin a screen recording, reboot and screenshot. Likewise, people can expect the update to allow the Z2 to last longer with limited usability. More importantly, people will also see a pairing option with Dualshock 4 PlayStation controller. This should be great news for those who are fans of Sony.  

Android Headlines also noted that it strikes as odd to see the firmware build older compared to the the one certified just recently. There are Android 4.4.4 KitKat custom ROMs available for those who cannot wait for the official firmware. Users are advised to take caution when dealing with these ROMs as they can result to bricked phones and warranty loss.

Note III

Samsung Galaxy Note III purported image spotted online

Gurman Bhatia, June 21, 2013

A leaked image that has surfaced on the Internet is being dubbed as a prototype of the Samsung Note III.

The image leaked by a Twitter handle PunkPanda, shows only a corner of the device. From what we can see, it seems like a shape similar to the Galaxy Note II. If we notice the status icons on the top bar, they do not seem to be similar to what Samsung usually has in its TouchWiz UI. Rather, these icons are closer to what we see in stock Android.

This is not the first time that an image of Note III has leaked. If we go back to the image leakedpreviously, it looks closer to the original Galaxy Note rather than the Galaxy Note II. Also, that device showed TouchWiz UI like status icons in the top bar. The positioning of the front facing camera is also closer to the speaker grill in the recent leak. So, make what you will of the two leaks.

Previous rumours state that the 6-inch phablet will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset. The Snapdragon 800 chipset has a quad-core Krait 400 processor that supports clock speeds of up to 2.3GHz. If is also expected that the device will have a full HD AMOLED display. Samsung Galaxy Note III is rumoured to support Bluetooth 4.0, 02.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), GSM (GPRS, EDGE), W-CDMA/UMTS (HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ cat.29), MBMS, LTE cat.4, CDMA2000 connectivity options.

Recently, a leaked EXIF file on Picasa Japan revealed that the device will come with a 13-megapixel camera.

With multiple rumours already circulating about the forthcoming phablet, it is difficult to settle on what the actual device could be like.

The successor to Samsung's Galaxy Note II is expected to be launched at IFA in September.

BlackBerry 10 AppWorld

RIM to spice BlackBerry 10 AppWorld with local flavors

 November 16, 2012

Research In Motion is pushing for app quality, not quantity, with its make-or-break BlackBerry 10 devices set for launch on January 30, and targeting applications to customers in various regions.RIM's projected 100,000 apps - a record for any new platform at launch - will still be a fraction of those available on Apple Inc or Google Inc devices.
But it is a stronger showing than RIM's PlayBook tablet computer which was slammed at its 2011 launch for a dearth of apps and incomplete software.
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins admitted that app libraries play a crucial role in the success or failure of smartphones. But he said the game is not just about numbers.
"The tactic we are deploying is by country and by region. We are aiming to have the most important 200 to 400 apps available, because many applications are regional and they really do have a regional flavor," Heins said.
RIM says it aims to offer both the most popular applications in the market, and also those most relevant to Blackberry aficionados - people Heins described as hyper-connected multi-taskers who need to get things done.
RIM's ultra-secure BlackBerry was once the smartphone of choice for government and corporate elites. But rivals have taken giant bites out of RIM's market share, especially in North America, and the company's stock has slumped. The BlackBerry remains popular in many emerging markets, partly for its popular BBM messaging system.
With this in mind, RIM has hosted events with developers across the globe.
"We've done 30 jam conferences in various cities all around the world, to get the bucket filled with meaningful local apps and not just a huge bunch of applications that you collect and throw at your audience," he said. "It is a very, very targeted approach."
Heins, who has met with customers and carriers in a series of whirlwind global tours, came across as relaxed and confident in the interview, in RIM's Waterloo headquarters.
Speaking rapid fire English with just a hint of an accent from his native Germany, he acknowledged that RIM's fate may depend on the success of BB10, but he said feedback from clients has been very encouraging.
RIM hopes its new line of BB10 smartphones will help it claw back market share from Apple's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android operating system. Developers say like what they see, but analysts are not convinced that RIM's gamble on BB10 will succeed.
Big name draws 
In terms of numbers, RIM's app offering will remain far behind the Apple and Google app stores, each of which boast over 700,000 apps. But Heins said he was not worried.
"In my view it is really short-sighted to say, you have 600,000, you have 400,000 and you only have 100,000 apps, so you are not good," he said.
"Look at how many actually get downloaded. ... BlackBerry App World today is still the most profitable portal for application developers - it has the highest number of paid for downloads."
In a small dig at his rivals, he added: "We don't have 1,500 Solitaire apps. That is not what Blackberry is about."
RIM has already said it plans business focused apps from the likes of Cisco WebEx, Box, SAP and Blackboard, as well as music and movie apps like TuneIn, Nobex and Popcornflix and gaming apps from developers like Gameloft, Halfbrick and Paw Print Games.
Heins has said social networks such as LinkedIn, Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook will all have apps for BB10 at launch. But he declined to name any of the other big name apps that RIM will have on board come launch day.
"Allow me to talk to you about this on January 30, otherwise I'm losing a lot of thunder," he said.

Nokia with Microsoft

Nokia sees no change in relationship with Microsoft

Reuters, November 15, 2012

Nokia's chief executive said there would be no change in the relationship with its software partner Microsoft, despite the software giant's entry into tablets and partnerships with rival phone makers.Stephen Elop said Nokia retained a "special" relationship with Microsoft, even though others such as HTC have also launched phones with Windows Phone software.
"They're not sitting in the priority meetings that we're sitting in," he said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
Analysts have said Microsoft could one day become a rival to Nokia if it launches its own smartphones, while there is also speculation that the U.S. company could one day acquire the Finnish phone manufacturer.

BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry 10 will fuel RIM's growth for the next decade: CEO

Reuters, November 15, 2012

A new line of BlackBerry 10 devices will provide Research In Motion with a framework for growth over the next decade, offering long-term value for unhappy shareholders, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said on Wednesday.In an interview with Reuters, Heins said RIM had identified $800 million of the $1 billion of savings it promised for the financial year ending in early March, and was confident of finding the rest as it gets ready to launch the new phones.
RIM is betting that the new smartphones will help it claw back the market share it has lost to the likes of Apple Inc's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android operating system.
Both consumers and corporate customers have abandoned the BlackBerry in droves, even though the devices offer security features that rivals have been unable to match.
"There's this high-level security that you cannot walk away from, and then there's 'good enough' security," Heins said in an interview at RIM's Waterloo, Ontario, campus, a sprawl of low-rise buildings.
But analysts remain skeptical, especially after the botched 2011 launch of RIM's PlayBook tablet computer, which the company had hoped would compete with Apple's wildly popular iPad. The PlayBook had top-of-the-line hardware, but its software was far from complete at the launch and needed multiple updates.
RIM delayed the roll-out of the BlackBerry 10 phones to the first quarter of 2013 so as not to repeat the errors that surrounded the PlayBook launch.
Heins said the delay was the correct decision - the way to ensure the BB10 phones are a high-quality product rather than a rushed one that would not meet customer expectations.
"I think it's all lining up. Sometimes you get the feeling that the universe is in disarray, and with BlackBerry 10 coming, I see the stars lining up," Heins said.
Sleek demo models 
Sleek demo models of the new phones look much like the high-end smartphones in the market today, and company executives proudly showed off a touch-screen version and a version with the miniature QWERTY keyboard popular with many BlackBerry users.
Users flick a thumb or finger to maneuver from one program to another and can sneak a look at an incoming email while browsing the Internet or using other applications, a multi-tasking ability that RIM says rival devices lack.
Personal and business profiles can be kept separately, something RIM calls BlackBerry Balance. Corporations can erase only their share of the data on a device if they need to do so for security reasons, leaving personal photos, contacts and emails untouched.
The app library available at launch will not match the vast number available on other devices. Heins said RIM had chosen to focus on providing those apps needed in different regional markets. It expects some 100,000 apps to be ready at launch.
The developer community has been broadly enthusiastic about the devices. But financial analysts have mixed views on their likely reception in an ultra-competitive market.
Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette warned last week that BlackBerry 10 is likely to be dead on arrival - with an operating system that gets "a lukewarm response at best," due to the unfamiliar user interface and a shortage of apps.
Shareholder value 
Heins insisted morale was high at the company, despite 5,000 job cuts and a rapidly sliding market share ahead of the launch of the new phones.
RIM's share price is down more than 90 percent from a 2008 peak of about $148. It has fallen even after Heins, a former Siemens AG executive, took over in January. The shares on Wednesday closed at $8.49 on Nasdaq.
"The message to our shareholders is that we understand this is and has been a difficult time for them and for us," the tall, bespectacled CEO said. "But with the development of the BlackBerry 10 platform we are truly convinced that we will create long-term value for RIM's shareholders and investors."
RIM has already given the demo phones to developers and to carriers, and its new BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10, which runs the devices on corporate networks, is in beta testing with 20 key customers -- both government agencies and corporates.
Next month, the company will give more than 50 top enterprise customers technical previews of both BES 10 and the devices.
Heins said the feedback he is getting from the customer base "is very encouraging."
With the erosion of RIM's base particularly strong in North America, there has been speculation the company could choose to launch the new phones in a region where the phones remain popular. Heins said that would not be the case.
"We cannot launch every carrier and every country on the same day, but what we have defined is a set of waves in the various regions," he said. "It is going to be a global launch. There isn't one preferred region. We are managing and planning it as we speak."