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ZTE Grand X2 In with dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 CPU announced

ZTE unveiled the second generation of the Intel CPU-powered Grand X In smartphone. The new device, simply called ZTE Grand X2, comes with Intel’s 2GHz dual-core Atom Processor Z2580 with hyper-threading capability. In addition, there’s also an 8-megapixel camera on board with “one of the shortest shot-to-shot times on the market,” real-time 2x axis stabilization, and face and smart scene recognition. Plus, let’s not forget a 4.5-inch HD screen (most likely 720p), 1GB of RAM, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, 1-megapixel front-facing cam, 8GB of internal storage and a 2,000mAh battery. Read more

Google Wallet now available on Sprint’s HTC One, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S4 and US Cellular’s Note II

Google keeps expanding the list of devices compatible with its Google Wallet service. The latest batch of phones that can sing along the search giant’s mobile payment service include Sprint’s HTC One, Samsung Galaxy Note II and Samsung Galaxy S4; as well as US Cellular’s Samsung Galaxy Note II. If you have one of those device and would like to benefit from NFC-based contactless payments, download the Google Wallet app (linked below) and try it out at the growing list of participating merchants. You’ll get as seamless as possible payment Read more

Bluetooth Smart Ready support coming to Android later in the year

Google announced that in the coming months Android will include native support for Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart devices. Devices that come with a dual-mode Bluetooth chip will qualify as Bluetooth Smart Ready, allowing users to connect their phones to ultra power-efficient Bluetooth Smart accessories, like the FitBit Flex or the Pebble watch. Up until this point, handset makers had to develop their own Bluetooth stacks to make this possible, but now virtually all companies (not just the big players like Samsung, HTC and Motorola) making Android-based smartphones and Read more

ASUS should license Ubuntu for Android for its Padfone

Few days ago I ranted about Ubuntu for Android, saying that I can’t wait to install it on my smartphone. Today I have a related idea to discuss with you. At the moment, Canonical doesn’t allow users to download Ubuntu for Android (or perhaps it’s still not ready for prime time), and the company is rather looking for OEMs to license the software. I believe that the “perfect vendor” to take advantage of this software is ASUS, which should offer it pre-installed on its Padfone series. This way Padfone users Read more

UK’s Phones 4U scores exclusive launch rights for the white Huawei Ascend P2

Few days ago we’ve told you that Huawei Ascend P2 is coming to the UK, and now we have Phones 4U saying that it managed to score the exclusive launch rights for the white version of the device. The mobile specialist failed to mention the exact launch date and pricing, but we tend to believe interested users will be able to grab the Ascend P2 in white for free as long as they commit on a two-year contract with one of the major carriers, including Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, EE and Read more

120,000 BlackBerry 10 apps now available in BlackBerry World

BlackBerry World app store now counts 120,000 BlackBerry 10 apps that work on the company’s Z10 and Q10 smartphones (as well as the upcoming Q5). The new platform was launched with 70,000 apps “on board” with another 50,000 submitted in the next four months. BlackBerry president and CEO Thorsten Heins didn’t hide its excitement, praising the “thriving ecosystem” and a great response from the developer community. He was also quick to add that synthesizer maker Moog has selected BlackBerry 10 as the second after iOS to offer its app. To Read more

Philips Xenium W8510, the company’s first quad-core smartphone, launching in June

Philips is getting ready to launch its very first quad-core smartphone in June. Details are still scarce about the upcoming Xenium W8510, but we do expect it to have a “standard for Xenium devices” powerful battery, providing the “superb stand-by time.” It is said that the phone will have a 4.7-inch HD screen (720p?) while that quad-core processor will be clocked at 1.2GHz. It’s unknown which company makes that CPU but it’s likely we’re talking about MediaTek’s product since Philips usually sells its phones in China, where MediaTek-powered gear is Read more

A new Disney smartphone coming to Japan

Another Disney smartphone has been unveiled in Japan with NTT DoCoMo announcing plans to sell the DoCoMo F-07E. Set to hit the streets from mid-July, it isn’t just cute but also a pretty powerful device. Under the hood, the F-07E hides a 1.7GHz quad-core processor (most likely Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro), 2GB of RAM and a 13.1-megapixel camera sensor (for the rear camera). The phone is also waterproof, making sure you keep receiving calls and texts even after accidental drops in the water. Plus, let’s not forget the mobile TV Read more

India’s Micromax to launch a 5.5-inch full HD phablet in June

India’s Micromax will enter the phablet space next month with a device of its own. Dubbed Micromax A120 Canvas HD Pro, it will be released in June, sporting a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) screen, MediaTek’s quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera on the back. It is said that Micromax will offer its phablet for as little as 20,000 INR, which translates into some $385. That’s pretty aggressive pricing that will help the Indian company compete with the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note II. As I’m writing Read more

Google TV Updated to Android 4.2.2 – LG Rolling out Jelly Bean to Existing TV Units in Q3

Though absent from the Google I/O Keynote, it looks like the search giant hasn’t ignored Google TV altogether. The TV service is set to get updated to Android 4.2.2, which should bring some nice improvements over the existing Android 3.x Honeycomb build found today. LG also announced that it will roll out the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update to existing Google TVs in Q3 of this year. From the +Google TV Developers page: Today, Google TV is moving to the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean, 4.2.2), and we’ve refactored Read more

Gameloft Announces 3 Popular Titles Will Receive Google Play Games Features

Hot on the heels of Google’s unveiling the new Google Play Games, Gameloft has come out with an exciting announcement of its own! Three of its most popular games will be updated with Google Play Games features. Modern Combat 4 has added the Google Play Games integration with its latest update and the company will also be updating two other games; Asphalt 7: Heat and Dungeon Hunter 4. The 3 games will receive global leaderboards, achievements, and other advanced social features. However, the matchmaking and multiplayer features aren’t yet rolled out (maybe they weren’t ready for Read more