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LG Nexus phone spotted in the wild. Purported specifications for the phone revealed
After all the leaks we have seen in the last few days we can safely say that Google is partnering with LG to release its next Nexus Phone. Now a XDA-Developers forum user 4Shael has posted some photos and purported specs of the rumored device.

The Android powered smartphone that is dubbed as LG Nexus features a shape that is very similar to Galaxy Nexus from the front. The back of this phone as seen in the second image is inspired by Sprint’s variant of Optimus G. Here’s the second shot revealing back side of the not so mysterious device.

Other than posting the photos of the ‘LG Nexus’ phone 4Shael also revealed the internal specifications of the device. According to his post on the forum, LG Nexus smartphone features a quad-core ARMv7 processor that is clocked at 1.5GHz and has 8GB of internal memory. The screen resolution of this phone is said to be 1184×768 pixels. You can see the full specs revealed on XDA forum below.
- CPU: quad core ARMv7 1.5GHz
- RAM: 2 GB
- Memory: 8GB (no SD slot)
- GPU: Adreno 320
- Android version: JellyBeanMR1
- Kernel 3.4.0
- Screen: 768×1184 (320 dpi)
- Camera: 8 MP
LG’s Nexus Phone is expected to get announced in the fall.
October 20, 2012
LG Nexus: Hands-on, benchmarks, release date, and official name revealed?

The LG Nexus phone, which is perhaps the most leaked smartphone in recent months has now got more details available on the web. Several sources have shared different news about this new Nexus device by LG. First up is a Belarusian tech blog that has posted hands-on photos of the unannounced phone.

Guys over at Onliner have posted photos of LG Nexus Phone from every angle enabling us to have a detailed look at the upcoming device. They have also posted photos of LG Nexus alongside iPhone 5 to show us the size and design differences between the two devices. Onliner’s device is labeled as LG E960 and features Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 processor alongwith 2GB of RAM.

As previously reported, LG Nexus has 8GB of internal storage, 8-megapixel camera, and a 4.7-inch screen with 1280×768 resolution. As of now the device is running Android 4.1.2, but that could change as it is expected to get released with Android 4.2 installed.

Secondly, a guy who is in possession of a prototype of the upcoming LG Nexus device has posted the benchmark scores from the phone after running AnTuTu and Quadrant apps on it as reported by AndroidandMe. You can see the benchmark scores of LG Nexus in the image below.

In a report TheVerge reports about a leaked inventory info from UK retailer Carphone Warehouse. The photo of the inventory list has a mention of ‘LG Nexus 4′ device that lists white and black versions of it. If this inventory detail is right then not only it reveals the official name of the upcoming Nexus device by LG but it also tells us that it will be available in more than one color.

Lastly we have a French newspaper that claims to have info regarding LG Nexus’s release date. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro LG Nexus or Nexus 4 will launch on October 29th. We have heard reports of LG Nexus coming at the end of October and this report by French newspaper supports that claim.

Nothing has been revealed about this new LG Nexus phone officially, yet. We will update you with more soon.

October 20, 2012
Microsoft official confirms Office for Android and iOS for March 2013

Ever since tablets became mainstream there have been reports about Microsoft releasing the Microsoft Office for Android and iOS devices. Back in February iPad only magazine TheDaily posted alleged photos of Office for mobile running on an iPad, that were later denied by Microsoft. Now a Microsoft product manager named Petr Bobek has ‘confirmed’ that the software giant is indeed working on Office for mobile devices and it will be released for public in March 2013. He revealed this info at a press event in Czech Republic of all places earlier today.

Tech site TheVerge reports that it has seen the Press Release by Microsoft’s Czech Republic team that confirms the existence of Office for Android and iOS. Here’s what TheVerge writes

A press release, seen by The Verge, from Microsoft’s Czech Republic team confirms the availability for iOS and Android. “In addition to Windows, Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian,” says Microsoft, while separately noting that there will also be a new version of Office Web Apps too. Office for iPad has long been rumored to be in the works, offering iOS users a way to access Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents from Apple’s tablet and phone devices.

According to the Press Release mentioned by TheVerge, the PC version of Office 2013 will be released to consumers in February while the mobile version for phones and tablets will be released in March of next year.

In response to what its official said in Czech Republic the US representative of Microsoft said that his company has previously announced that Office for mobile will work on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone without revealing any further detail.

October 20, 2012
Pre-orders for Samsung Galaxy S III mini begin in the UK, starting from £25 per month

Samsung Galaxy S III mini that was announced yesterday at an event in Frankfurt, Germany is already available for pre-order for the residents of the United Kingdom. Retailer Phones4U is now taking pre-orders for this mid-range Android device which will cost £25 or more per month. The phone is available from Vodafone, Orange, and O2.

The price range for this new phone is between £25 to £36 per month depending on the tariff. Vodafone is offering the phone at the cheapest rate but with limited hours of talk time package. The best offer for Galaxy S III mini is also from Vodafone that will cost £33 per month with unlimited talk time, text messages, and 1GB data over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks separately. According to Phones4U’s website Galaxy S III mini will be shipping to customers on November 2nd.

As we reported yesterday, the Samsung Galaxy S III mini features a dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 5-megapixel front and VGA back camera, 8 or 16GB internal storage, microSD card slot, 4-inch screen with Super AMOLED display and WVGA resolution, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and more.

October 20, 2012
Microsoft Surface for Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 Pro differences
You’ve already read about the launch event and an overview of what Microsoft showed the world. Dig a little deep and you’ll find out Microsoft in fact launched two different Surface tablets. One that runs Windows 8 RT and the other one running Windows 8 Pro. The differences are not only in the Windows version but go all the way to the internal as well as the external hardware.

Surface for Windows RT tablet
- Processor: NVIDIA Tegra-based ARM chip
- Weight: 676 grams
- Thickness: 9.3 millimeters
- Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD capactive touchpanel
- Battery: 31.5Wh
- I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Software: Windows RT + Office Home & Student 2013 RT
- Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand
- Capacity: 32GB / 64GB
- Availability: “Around” the Windows 8 launch (fall 2012)
- Pricing: To be determined
Surface for Windows 8 Pro tablet
- Processor: Intel Core i5 (Ivy Bridge)
- Weight: 903 grams
- Thickness: 13.5 millimeters
- Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD (1080p) capactive touchpanel
- Battery: 42Wh
- I/O: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Software: Windows 8 Pro
- Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand, Pen with Palm Block
- Capacity: 64GB / 128GB
- Availability: ”Three months after” the Windows 8 launch this fall
- Pricing: To be determined
The differences become a lot clearer when you go through the comparison above. Surface for Windows 8 RT is aimed squarely at Android tablets as well as the iPad from Apple. It’s a pure tablet experience since RT is limited to only the Metro interface of Windows 8. That means you won’t get the desktop part here. Naturally it will only be running Metro apps only. Since the internal hardware is essentially all smartphone like, Microsoft managed to keep the tablet thin and light. The battery is smaller too since the Tegra 3 SOC isn’t nearly as power hungry as the Core i5 from Intel. Microsoft has not officially gone on record regarding screen resolution but it’s rumored to be of the 1366×768 variant, which is a shame and will eventually come to haunt this tablet when it goes head to head with the 1080p panels of Android tablets and the insane Retina Display of the new iPad.

Surface for Windows 8 Pro is more like a full desktop experience in a 10.6 form factor. Like they did on Windows 8 RT, Microsoft has gone all out on specs for this particular variant. You get a full 1920×1080 panel which results in PPI of a little over 200. Not quite the same as the new iPad but a heck of a lot better than the rudimentary 1280×720 panels we see. The CPU is also a desktop grade Core i5. To keep all this power in check sacrifices had to be made regarding dimensions and weight. The tablet measures 13.5mm in thickness and 903 grams in weight. That is substantial and quite a bit bulkier than your average tablet. But then again your average tablet does not run a Core i5. Battery is also beefed up to 42Wh. Unlike RT, you get a full version of Windows 8 here which includes the old desktop interface behind the Metro UI. Also supported is pen input. Where the RT version will go head to head with the iPad and Android tablets, the Pro version is a bit of a niche product. On paper it’s suppose to be a MacBook Air competitor but it looks and performs nothing like it. Such is the beauty of Windows 8. And if Microsoft can capitalize on this, they can surely give the competition a very tough time.
October 20, 2012
Samsung to release a 10-inch Nexus tablet in the first half of next year

If you were planning of buying a 10-inch Nexus tablet from Google and Samsung you will have to wait for a few months. CNET reports that Samsung is going to release a new 10-inch Nexus tablet that will be co-branded with Google. This new tablet is said to hit the shelves in the first half of the year 2013. The 10-inch Nexus tablet will feature a ground breaking display that will be even better than iPad 3′s Retina Display and pack more pixels in one place.

According to CNET’s report the new 10-inch Nexus tablet will have a whooping resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. For sake of comparison iPad 3 features 2048×1536 pixel density while the new Macbook Pro that Apple is expected to announce soon with a 13-inch Retina display will feature similar number of pixels on a larger area.

The awesomeness of the new display will come at a price though, as manufacturing such a display will be an uphill task and will definitely push the display-manufacturing tech envelope.

If this report by CNET turns out to be true then we will have a 10-inch Nexus tablet with a better screen to compete with Apple iPad 4th generation that the company is expected to announce in the months between February and April according to Apple’s previous release pattern for iPad releases.

October 20, 2012
Upcoming ASUS Padfone 2 leaks ahead of next week’s launch

Many Android fans who were waiting for ASUS Padfone 2 were taken by surprise when the phone that doubles as a tablet made an unexpected appearence on live TV. Anant Dwivedi of the Bloomberg TV was interviewing ASUS CEO Jerry Chen when he was presented with the upcoming and unannounced ASUS Padfone 2 device to play with for a few moments.

CEO of ASUS in an attempt to get most media attention for his company’s next big device leaked it before the official event that is expected to take place next week.

ASUS Padfone 2 just like its predecessor has two components, one is the phone and the second is its tablet docking station that converts it into a tablet. ASUS Padfone 2 features a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdrago S4 Pro processor, 4.7-inch HD display, and a 13-megapixel camera. The phone also has a front camera whose details are unknown at this point.

The tablet docking station of ASUS Padfone 2 has features a 10.1-inch HD display and provides three times more battery life than the original Padfone’s tablet dock.

You can watch the hands on video and more photos leaked by Twitter user @evleaks below.

So what do you think of the ASUS Padfone 2? Good enough to be your next phone?

October 20, 2012
Developer interest at a record high for iOS, looks dismal for BlackBerry
When it comes to creating a smartphone, there is only so much a manufacturer can do. Sure they can create great hardware and software, but unless there’s a viable eco system to go with it, the platform is destined for failure. Just as Meego. This survey by Baird Equity Research was conducted from 200 developers from a pool of 4300. The results are increasingly positive for Apple, and ever so damning for RIM.

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 being excellent 1 being poor, the developer interest in iOS is at 9.3 and 8.7 for Android. This number has risen for Apple from Q1 2012. This could party be because of speculation over iPhone 5 and the recently announced Retina Display iPad, which has been very successful.

Android is at number 2, with interest at 8.7%, which has dropped from the previous quarter. This could probably get better as more phones get Jelly Bean update.

Interest for BlackBerry 10 is at a dismal 3.8% which has taken a steep drop from the previous quarter. This is because of the constant delays that this platform is facing. Even the current BlackBerry OS is at 2.8%.

A few other quick observations from Baird’s survey(From AllThingsDigital):
- 71 percent of developers surveyed said the announcement of Windows Phone 8 three weeks ago increased their interest in the platform, while 64 percent said they were enthusiastic about Microsoft’s new Surface tablet.
- 78 percent of iOS developers expect Apple to eventually launch an HDTV.
- 62 percent of developers surveyed said that most of their tablet-specific downloads come from Samsung; 23 percent said Amazon’s Kindle Fire was their top device for downloads.
The numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt. While as a whole they do represent what’s already clear in front of our eyes, lets not forget it’s only 200 developers that were part of the survey. There are developers all over the world, in quantities over millions.
October 20, 2012
ASUS Padfone 2 with 4.7-inch screen, quad-core processor and more announced officially

ASUS Padfone 2 that appeared in front of a TV camera a few days ago has been announced officially. The phone that doubles as a tablet thanks to the 10.1-inch tablet docking station is powered by Android 4.0.4 which will be upgraded to Android 4.1 later, and is the second edition of ASUS’s original Padfone.

ASUS Padfone 2 features a powerful 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB of RAM. It has a 4.7-inch 720p IPS display that carries a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The camera found at the back of this device is 13-megapixel and on front it has a 1.2-megapixel camera for video calling and taking self portraits. Other notable features of this newly announced device include LTE, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, microUSB slot and more. The device comes in two colors including black and white. The tablet docking station comes free of cost with every unit.

The tablet docking station that come with every Padfone 2 and makes it a unique option for Android phone/tablet buyers features a 5000mAh battery which is 1600mAh lower than the previous Padfone whose tablet dock featured 6600mAh battery. This sacrifice was possibly made to make the docking station thinner than the original model.

ASUS is going to release ASUS Padfone 2 in many parts of the world including Europe, where it will cost €799 for 32GB model and €899 for 64GB model. A 16GB model is also promised but details of its release and pricing are unavailable at this point.

October 20, 2012
Leaked Android 4.2 build has a second pull down panel for quick settings

Android fan site AndroidPolice that recently leaked the unreleased Gmail 4.2 app is back with another leak. Now they claim to have a full build of Android 4.2 which according to them is the entire system dump of LG Nexus phone. The build appears to be still in testing stages and has most apps tagged with version 4.2 just like the Gmail app. This particular build of Android 4.2 identifies itself as JellyBeanMR1 instead of JellyBeanMR0 like Android 4.1.2. The build according to AndroidPolice is very different and isn’t working on current devices yet.

More importantly the new build has some interesting bits of changes that are going to be the new features of Android 4.2 on release. One such feature that has been uncovered in this report is the second pull down quick settings panel for Android devices. What this second panel will do is, it will show the toggles for Wi-Fi, bluetooth, brightness and other settings.

Once user has pulled down the notification menu and it is visible on screen, the user can perform the pull down gesture again to reveal the quick settings menu. The second quick settings menu is quite similar to what we already have on TouchWiz but the double pull gesture makes it unique and better in my opinion. Check out the video below to get an idea of how this second menu will work in Android 4.2.

So far, it looks pretty useful.

October 20, 2012