The HTC Desire 600 will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa from early June 2013.

In addition, the platform incorporates a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor with high performance graphics and Avastar wireless connectivity, including Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 + FM single-chip SoC, and the L2000 GNSS Hybrid Location Processor, as well as an integrated power management and audio codec IC.

Yup, it’s heading to the emerging markets of the world where it will compete with MediaTek and other Tier-2 chip makers. For the high-end superphones, we’ll still see handset makers relying on solutions made by Qualcomm and NVIDIA, with major companies like Apple, Samsung, Huawei and soon LG using their own gear.

We’ll let you know when we spot a first phone using Marvell’s new chip. Stay tuned in the meantime, k?

The LG Optimus GJ rocks many of the same specifications you’d find on the existing Optimus G, like a beautiful 4.7 inch display, 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, and 13 megapixel camera, just to name a few.

Most water-resistant/proof devices have largely been on the low-end of the market. This changed with the Sony Xperia Z, and we’re more than happy to see that LG is taking the plunge and making a high-end waterproof device as well.

Having a water proof device may not be a must-have feature, but it’s certainly gaining more traction. Plus,we couldn’t imagine someone being against such a feature.

The LG Optimus GJ will land in Taiwan in June for $17,990 TWD ($600 US Dollars). A wider roll-out of availability has yet to be announced.

[Via: UnwiredView]

With the Latino population growing faster than ever, it certainly doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see a partnership like this form. While we think it’s a smart partnership, this is hardly the announcement that we were expecting to see come from Verizon this CTIA. At best, we were hoping to see a Voice Over LTE announcement or something to that extent and what we got was quite different.

Verizon devices will exclusively be offered by Viva Movil, but the retail locations have J-Lo all over them. J-Lo has helped to pick store layouts, locations, fonts, and a line of fashionable phone accessories. Stores are also said to have play areas for children, inviting customers to bring family and friends.

The first Viva Movil location will open on June 15th in New York, with 15 stores to open by the end of 2013 in Los Angeles, Miami, and more.

For more information about Viva Movil, be sure to check out the official website right here!

• Novatel Wireless MiFi 500 LTE – offers sleek and compact styling, and the ability to connect up to 10 devices with the same 3G or 4G LTE connection. It comes with a 1,800mAh battery with an average of up to 10 hours of use on a single charge; as well as GPS functionality over Wi-Fi, multiple security protocols and other advanced features required by many corporate customers.
• NETGEAR Zing Mobile Hotspot – Sprint’s first CDMA/LTE mobile hotspot to boast international roaming capabilities via GSM, and also the first LCD touchscreen hotspot in Sprint’s portfolio. It has a 2,500mAh battery (good for up to 10 hours of operation) and the ability to connect up to 10 users on Wi-Fi capable devices.
• NETGEAR 341U USB Modem – with a built-in LCD screen display to monitor connection status, signal strength and data usage with a quick glance.

In addition, Sprint also said that smartphones from Samsung and LG with tri-band capability are expected to be available before the end of the year.

[Image from Engadget]

It’s still unclear how much the Galaxy S III will cost sans any long-term commitments, with Sprint wowing to release pricing information at a later date. We do, however, know that interested users will be able to get it in June with Boost Mobile’s no-contract $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinking Payments; or Virgin’s Beyond Talk monthly no contract plans which offer unlimited data and messaging starting at $35 per month.

Those who grab the Galaxy S III from either Virgin or Boost will be able to use it on 4G network in 88 markets to get the “real” (as in – fast) experience.

We’re guessing the point of this augmented reality feature is to make it easier to find the spot you are looking for. This is yet another compelling reason for potential Windows Phone converts to buy a Lumia device over the others.

[Nokia; via engadget]

The phone’s highlights include a 4.5-inch screen (most likely 720p HD), dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera with flash, 16GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot, and LTE connectivity support, as well as the gesture-based Sailfish OS that works in a similar fashion to MeeGo and BlackBerry 10 (they all share the same roots). Perhaps more importantly, with Jolla users get an option to run Android apps though I guess there will be some glitches here and there with apps requiring access to specific phone functions.

The Jolla phone consists of two parts, one housing the screen, processor and all other hardware; and the plastic back cover that comes in different colors. The neat thing — which we’ve seen before on some Nokia phones — is that the device can detect which back cover you’re using and react accordingly, changing colors, fonts, backgrounds, favorite media files and so on.

That’s all cool, but is it enough to compete in today’s market? Let’s face it, Jolla is facing some tough competition not just from incumbent players like iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10; but also from aggressive newcomers like Canonical (Ubuntu), Mozilla (Firefox OS) and Tizen (backed by Samsung and some other major corporations). The Finnish company doesn’t seem to target business users (at least not initially) and their recently announced funding round from China Fortune can help it move quite a few units in the world’s most populous nation. Then again, Chinese also have an array of platforms to choose from and I do wonder how many of them are willing to experiment with a nascent platform that still doesn’t have a single major backer.

The Sailfish OS looks pretty amazing but that’s not enough. Going forward, Jolla’s goal should be to amaze developers, media and get more partners to its eco-system. It’s a long ride and we want them to succeed. Alas, we’ll have to try out the first Jolla phone to make our judgment. In the meantime, we’re curious – what you think about Jolla? Does it have what it take to succeed?

GIV Mobile is a virtual operator (MVNO) relying on T-Mobile’s 4G network to provide users with two easy-to-grasp plans:

• $40/month Unlimited Everything – which includes talk, text, MMS, International text and web (first 250MB up to 4G/3G speeds) on all 4G enabled phones and smartphones.
• $50/month Unlimited Everything – that extends fast 4G/3G mobile data allowance to 2GB.

After choosing the plan, customers can select up to three charities from eight different categories that will receive a monthly donation. Charities include:

• Animal Welfare: American Veterinary Medical Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, PetSmart Charities, WCS Wildlife Conservation Society
• Arts, Culture & Humanity: The Academy of Natural Sciences, Archaeological Conservancy, Fractured Atlas, Little Kids Rock, StoryCorps
• Education: Children’s Scholarship Fund, Donors Choose, Kids in Need Foundation, Scholarship America
• Environment: American Rivers, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, The Wilderness Society
• Health: Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Commonweal, Patient Services Incorporated, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• International: Camfed USA, Doctors Without Borders, Direct Relief International, United States Fund for UNICEF
• Human Services: American Red Cross, The Children’s Aid Society, Dress for Success, Feeding America, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Public Benefit: American Endowment Foundation, Carnegie Institution for Science, Mercy Housing, Taproot Foundation, United Way Worldwide

In addition, on a bi-annual basis, GIV Mobile will have a period of open submissions during which members can nominate new organizations for inclusion…

The K900 is only available in China at the moment, as is the case for most of Lenovo’s smartphones. The company is claiming that they will bring the device to “international markets” this summer, although which markets are still unspecified. The K900 is on sale now in China for around $536.

The official press release follows below.

Lenovo’s New K900 Smartphone Turns Heads in China

Flagship Now Available at Retail and Online

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (PINK SHEETS: LNVGY) launched its highly-anticipated, new smartphone, the K900, at a gala event in the Chinese capitol yesterday evening. Industry and media luminaries gathered for an exclusive event at the M-Space in Haidian, eager to get a glimpse of the metal-clad flagship that stands out as much for its category-topping performance as its slim, sleek design. The Lenovo K900 goes on sale in China this week, and will roll out to additional international markets throughout the summer.

The unibody design of the K900 makes a bold statement for Lenovo. The sleek-cut, stainless steel frame exudes power and strength, while the unibody chassis maintains a low profile at 6.9mm, ensuring a smooth, elegant look and feel. The attention to detail and focus on design for Lenovo’s latest flagship smartphone makes the K900 an excellent choice for top-end smartphone buyers, while Lenovo’s expanding distribution for smartphones ensures the K900 will compete head-to-head with many of the top smartphones in the market today.

Lenovo has tapped NBA superstar, Kobe Bryant to help promote the K900 in its television and print advertisements and on social media sites in China and Southeast Asia. Bryant is known on the basketball court for a playing style which combines power and grace, similar to the combination of performance and design that makes the Lenovo K900 stand out from the crowd of high-end smartphones. Like a high-profile celebrity, the K900 is instantly recognizable and a magnet for attention.

Liu Jun, senior vice president , and president of the Lenovo Business Group, opened the event stating, “Smartphones are a critical component of Lenovo’s PC+ strategy and the Lenovo K900 is an example of this strategy in action. With its cutting-edge design and intuitive, optimized user experience, K900 offers China’s smartphone users a fresh, new option. At the same time, Lenovo’s smartphone business is growing fast in global markets. In 2013, we will add several new countries to our smartphone footprint, and by year-end we will cover most of the world’s emerging markets.”

Lenovo K900 is the first smartphone in the world to leverage the latest Intel® Atom™ Z2580 processor, a dual core chip, which runs up to 2.0 GHz and utilizes Intel® Hyper-Threading technology to boost performance efficiency. The Intel-powered device also features an Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator engine running a PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU, which triples graphics performance over the previous generation.1 This makes the Lenovo K900 very responsive, especially for key functions such as web-browsing, multi-tasking and application-switching.

“Intel and Lenovo have raised the bar for smartphones with the K900. Our teams got together and worked closely to innovate around a number of important features and capabilities that our customers care most about such as power consumption, application switching and camera functionality. Then the Lenovo design team took this powerful platform and wrapped it up in a very attractive package with the K900. We are proud to be teaming with Lenovo to bring these innovations to market,” said Ian Yang, president ,Intel China, at the Beijing event.

Design

As smartphones have become ubiquitous, customer demands on “top-of-the-line” devices have increased, with design and usability growing in importance. The Lenovo K900 resets the bar on these aspects. At 6.9mm, the K900 is the thinnest phone in its class by a wide margin and weighs in at a mere 162g, making it a device that unobtrusively slips into a jacket pocket or handbag. Made from a composite of stainless steel alloy and polycarbonate in a Unibody mold, the K900 manages to stay strong and look sharp while maintaining its slim profile.

However, the material alone is not the only aspect that has allowed Lenovo to achieve a design milestone with the K900. The rear camera array has been optimized for size with a new sensor and layout that does not protrude from the case, leaving a clean, smooth rear face that doesn’t snag on clothing. The design team tweaked the PCB and battery layout to reduce the space used by internal components. And the K900 is topped off by a unique “stripe” ID language that reinforces the thin body and integrates the external components.

While the K900 is certainly sleek, it does not ignore the emerging trend toward larger and clearer displays on smartphones. The K900 is one of the first smartphones in the world to combine a 5.5″ IPS display with 1080p full high-definition resolution performance at 400+ pixels-per-inch, all under the latest, touch-capacitive Gorilla Glass 2. This gives the K900 supreme clarity and crispness along with plenty of space to capture the nuances of high-definition photos and video, as well as for viewing standard-size web pages.

Performance

The Lenovo K900′s camera stands out as one of the smartphone’s most distinguished features. As with other functions on the K900, Lenovo has completely overhauled the camera, and delivered a package that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Megapixels is the first specification that many users recognize for digital cameras, and with 13MP, the K900 ranks at the top of its class in this aspect and combines this with an industry-leading, Sony® Exmor BSI sensor for what would already be considered outstanding performance.

Recognizing that customers often need to take clear, flash-less photos in low-light, Lenovo has equipped the K900 with an F1.8 focal length lens, making it the first smartphone to offer such a wide aperture on its camera. In addition to these improvements to the rear camera, the front camera has also been widened to an 88? viewing angle, the widest available on a smartphone front camera for convenient self-photos and video calls.

Pricing and Availability2

The K900 smartphone is now available in China and will hit select international markets this summer. Retail price for the K900 in China will start at RMB 3,299.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

[Via: Engadget]

The Archos 80 Xenon tablet will be  available sometime in June, and will be priced at $199.99. If you’re looking for a mid-range tablet at a reasonable price, check out the Archos 80 Xenon tablet.

Press release follows below.

Specially designed for an on-the-go experience, the ARCHOS 80 xenon has 3G built-in to stay connected anywhere at only $199.99

Denver, CO – May 16th, 2013 – ARCHOS, a pioneer in Android™ devices, is pleased to announce the latest addition to the Elements range of tablets, the ARCHOS 80 xenon, a specially designed 8” tablet with built-in 3G and WiFi for an on-the-go experience. This Google™ certified tablet features a powerful Qualcomm Quad-core CPU at 1.2 GHz, Android™, 4.1 Jelly Bean for an improved smooth interface and a sharp and clear IPS multi-touch screen that delivers amazing vivid colors and impressive wide viewing angles. The ARCHOS 80 xenon will be available for $199.99 SRP starting in June, 2013.

“We designed the ARCHOS 80 xenon to meet the growing need and desire for large screen connectivity while on the go,” says Loïc Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS. “Taking advantage of the recent arrival of affordable 3G subscriptions, the ARCHOS 80 xenon provides a full connected tablet experience anywhere, anytime.”

As a Google certified tablet, the ARCHOS 80 xenon has complete access to Google Play™ and its 700,000 applications and games and as a “Un-SIM-locked” device, it can accept SIM cards from any operator even pay-as-you-go SIM cards. Additional features and functions include:

Built-in GPS: The 80 xenon includes an integrated GPS combined with Google Maps™ and Google Maps with Navigation beta, for easy access to maps and directions
Vibrant Screen: The ARCHOS 80 xenon is equipped with an impressive 8‘’ IPS screen that provides amazing image quality, extra wide viewing angles, excellent screen sharpness and vivid colors
ARCHOS Media Center Applications: The ARCHOS 80 xenon includes the best of multimedia with tailor made apps for Video and Music that include metadata scraping, auto-subtitles, wireless media sharing and the best format and codec support around including HD video decoding
Pure Android Experience: Powered by an unskinned version of Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean, ARCHOS 80 xenon delivers a pure Android™ experience including optimizations for a super-smooth UI experience and Google Now™ voice assistance
Full Suite of Google™ Mobile Apps: The full suite of Google™ mobile apps are available on the ARCHOS 80 xenon; whether it’s to keep in contact via Gmail™, Google Talk™ and Google+™ (with multi-user video calling), planning a trip with Google Maps™ or accessing content on the cloud with Google Drive™.
Other Key Specs:
1024×768 IPS screen
Quad-Core CPU @ 1.2 GHz with 1GB RAM
Expandable MicroSD slot (up to 64GB)
2 Megapixel Back Camera

For more information about the ARCHOS 80 xenon or other ARCHOS products visit www.ARCHOS.com.