Open to US residents only, the contest asks participants to Follow @LGUSAMobile on Twitter, and tell the company “how the LG Optimus G Pro would make what you share more fabulous.” Five winners will receive an Optimus G Pro each, while one grand winner is also going to get “a year of mobile phone service and accessories awarded in the form of a $1,000.00 check.” Full details, including Terms and Conditions, are available here at LG.

The two commercials mentioned above are embedded below:

Only AT&T is selling the Optimus G Pro in the US at the moment, for $199.99 on contract. Sprint should offer its own version of the smartphone in June, most likely for a similar price.

Sporting a 5.5 inch Full HD display, the Optimus G Pro is similar in size to Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, but slightly larger than the Galaxy S4 (these being two of its main competitors). The G Pro runs Android Jelly Bean, coming with a quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, LTE, 13MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of expandable memory.

• Canada: LG Optimus LTE on its way to Telus too
• Telus Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE and LG Optimus LTE outright prices unveiled
• LG can make your wishes come true on Facebook, also gives away Optimus L7 smartphones
• LG Optimus GJ – a waterproof version of Optimus G flagship is coming to Taiwan next week
• LG: Our Optimus G lasts longer than the Samsung Galaxy S III. Really really longer. We promise…

Now the update is ready, and it looks like it’s being rolled-out in the UK first. Bringing Android 4.1.2 to the handset, the update can be downloaded over the air, or via Samsung Kies.

At the moment, the Galaxy Music S6010 costs less than €150 unlocked. It’s a decent little smartphone for that money, featuring: dual stereo speakers on the front, Sound Alive & SRS technology, FM Antenna, 3 inch QVGA display, Wi-Fi, HSDPA connectivity, GPS, 3MP rear camera, 850 MHz processor (single core), 521MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a 1,300 mAh battery.

The Galaxy Music has a dual SIM version – S6012. However, this doesn’t seem to be ready for Jelly Bean yet. But it probably won’t be long until it gets its update, too.

Via SamMobile

• Samsung Galaxy Music announced: Android 4.0 ICS, “superb” sound quality, dual SIM (optional)
• New Samsung Galaxy Young S6312 expected to debut at MWC 2013
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S III rolling out in Europe now?
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 P3110 Android Jelly Bean update started
• Samsung Galaxy Music with Android ICS appears in photos, should be launched next month

This is just what is about to happen in the UK, where the Galaxy Young is set to land this weekend. The phone will be offered by both O2 and the Carphone Warehouse. You’ll be able to pick one up for free provided you sign a contract with the operator, and the cheapest option costs just £9.5 per month. Alternatively, you’ll have the option of buying the Galaxy Young on Pay as you go, in which case you’ll need to shell out £89.99.

Dirt cheap, then, as expected. The Galaxy Young will surely make a decent second phone for someone, or even a first (ever) smartphone for others. That’s definitely what O2 is thinking in offering it.

The Samsung Galaxy Young has 3.2-inch 320×480 touchscreen, a 3 MP rear camera, a 1 GHz single-core processor, 768 MB of RAM, 4 GB of built-in storage space, a microSD card slot, 7.2 Mbps HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1,300 mAh battery. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Via Android Central

• Alcatel OT-903 lands in the UK in September with 2.8″ touchscreen, will hopefully be dirt cheap
• Samsung Galaxy Europa is now just £39.99 at O2 UK on Pay as you go
• Samsung Galaxy Young Duos priced at €155, available in Europe now
• UK: Samsung Galaxy Ace now just £135 on Vodafone
• Samsung Galaxy Xcover runs Android Gingerbread, doesn’t mind dirt and water on it

For the moment, only Sony France has confirmed the update – which will be rolled-out in phases anyway. Most probably, other countries will follow in the near future. Also in the near future, Sony should be ready to provide a Jelly Bean update to another smartphone released last year, namely the Xperia Ion.

It remains to be seen if Sony wants to update the Xperia S and Ion to Jelly Bean 4.2, too. Beyond that, it’s unlikely that there will be any other updates.

Until now, the Japanese company has managed to bring Jelly Bean to lots of its 2012 smartphones. However, some will remain stuck on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – including the Xperia U, Xperia Tipo, Xperia Sola, and Xperia Miro.

Via Xperia Blog

• Sony Xperia U, Miro, Tipo and Sola will not be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Sony Xperia V and Xperia T Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean updates rolling out
• Sony Xperia J gets updated to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Sony Xperia T, Xperia V, Xperia S, Xperia Ion and others will be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Ben next year
• Sony Xperia TX gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, updates for others Xperias incoming

Sony’s online store now shows May 29 as the shipping date for the first pre-orders of its latest tablet. If the date doesn’t get changed again, it means we’re only talking about a five day delay here, so nothing horrible really. That said, if you’re the early adopter type and like to count the hours before a new bit of kit is shipped to you, then you may have an issue with the situation.

Obviously you can still pre-order an Xperia Tablet Z straight from Sony’s website. You are required to pay $499.99 for the 16 GB model, and you’re being offered free ground shipping to go with it.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z has a 10.1-inch 1,920×1,200 touchscreen, a quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM, an 8 MP autofocus rear camera with 1080p Full HD video recording, a 2 MP front camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 6,000 mAh battery. It’s dustproof and water-resistant and it runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

• Sony Xperia Tablet Z pre-orders have started, yours for $599.99, shipping on May 24
• Sony Xperia Tablet Z with 4G LTE arrives in the UK on May 20, yours for £499.20
• Sony Xperia Z can be pre-ordered for less than £500 in the UK, could be launched in February
• Sony Xperia SP priced in the US. Xperia Z is already available there
• Sony LT30 Xperia Mint might be called Xperia T after all

Now, one of the company’s first handsets based on the new OS has been confirmed. It’s the Samsung GT-I8805, codenamed Redwood. According to its UA profile, the GT-I8805 features an HD (1280 x 720) display and LTE connectivity. Sadly, there’s no way of telling what the handset looks like. Perhaps it will resemble the old Bada flagships smartphones (Wave II S8530 and Wave III S8600) – since Tizen incorporated the Bada platform. In any case, we’ll probably have more details on the I8805 pretty soon.

Japan-based Fujitsu and NEC are planning to release Tizen handsets, too, but only starting 2014 (and probably only in they home country).

In other Samsung news, the ultra-cheap Galaxy Star Duos (pictured above) is available now – at least in India. Retailer Infibeam is selling the Galaxy Star Duos for only 4,990 INR, meaning about $90. For that kind of money you get dual SIM capabilities (obviously), Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 3 inch QVGA display, Wi-Fi, FM Radio, 2MP rear camera, 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4G B of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a 1,200 mAh battery.

Via Techtastic, AndroidOS.in

• Samsung intros four dual SIM phones in India: Galaxy Ace Duos, Galaxy Y Duos, Galaxy Y Pro Duos, and Star 3 Duos
• Samsung Star Deluxe Duos S5292 coming soon
• All Samsung Wave phones will be updated to Bada 2.0
• Dual SIM Samsung Galaxy Win and Galaxy Fame available now
• New Samsung Galaxy Young S6312 expected to debut at MWC 2013

The Galaxy S4 can be bought straight from Verizon for the now-standard fare for high-end smartphones in the US: $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

However, if you’re willing to go another route, you can save $20 on that price – even starting today. The only thing you need to do is buy the phone from Amazon. This will still mean you’ll have to sign a two-year contract with Verizon though, so keep that in mind. Also do note that currently the Galaxy S4 for Verizon is available at Amazon only in white. That’s in stock. You can also order the black variant, but for now it is said to ship in 2-4 weeks.

Obviously this is the exact same Galaxy S4 that’s on sale at the other US-based carriers, albeit with support for Verizon’s different bands.

• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note II now starting at just $174.99
• Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S III joins Sprint’s in being priced at $0.01, AT&T’s version now $49.99
• Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Note II can now be bought for just $199.99, Motorola Droid RAZR HD for $49.99
• Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note II now just $69.99 for new customers who sign a two-year contract
• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note costs just $249.99 at Amazon

Customers will be able to pre-order the red Galaxy S4 from AT&T as of tomorrow, May 24. The handset will be available on June 14 for $199.99 on contract. It looks like it’s going to be offered only in a 16GB variant.

If you want a 32GB Galaxy S4, AT&T is offering it in black for $249.99 on contract.

Samsung has already shipped 10 million Galaxy S4 units around the world. And it will sell millions more in the near future.

The S4 is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones you can buy this year. The North American version comes with a quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, LTE connectivity, 5 inch Super AMOLED Full HD display, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, TouchWiz UI, 13MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM, MicroSD card support, and a 2,600 mAh battery.

Via AT&T

• LG Optimus G Pro and Samsung Galaxy S4 32GB available at AT&T now
• Samsung Galaxy S4 to come in Snapdragon 600 and Exynos versions
• Samsung Galaxy S4 32GB arrives at AT&T on May 10 (LG Optimus G Pro launches the same day)
• Samsung Galaxy S II HD will not be launched in the UK
• Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Note II finally available

Xperia Blog has discovered that a new firmware is listed over at the official Xperia S support page. The firmware build is 6.2.A.0.200, and is reportedly related to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The support page says the release date for this firmware is “2013-04-24.” However, since that’s April and no Xperia S is running the new software, it must be a typo, and the real date could be 2013-05-24. That’s tomorrow.

We’ll keep an eye on this, and let you know when Sony is ready to finally push JB to the Xperia S.

• Sony Xperia V and Xperia T Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean updates rolling out
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for Sony Xperia S available now (in France)
• Sony Xperia S could get its Android Jelly Bean update in the next few days
• Sony Xperia T, Xperia V, Xperia S, Xperia Ion and others will be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Ben next year
• Sony Xperia TX gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, updates for others Xperias incoming

To add insult to injury, the HTC First will not be launching in the UK anymore. This despite the fact that pre-orders have already been taken for the device. It was supposed to be an EE exclusive, at least at first. And it was due in the UK in the next few months. But that won’t happen. Existing pre-orders have been cancelled, and the launch will simply never take place. The decision to not release the First in the UK after all has apparently been made by Facebook, not HTC.

The reason is said to do with the smartphone’s poor sales in the US, where it’s been available at AT&T for over a month. The carrier has slashed its price after just a few weeks, though, thus also fueling rumors about really bad sales numbers. Furthermore, AT&T may even stop selling the First altogether, according to some recent mumblings across the blogosphere. Now if the sales are really (that) bad, that would of course make sense.

It looks like the world wasn’t ready for a Facebook phone. Not yet, at least. Not for this iteration, anyway. But aside from being a Facebook-infused thing, the First is also a decent midranger, yet it seems like not many people took that into account. As for Facebook Home, the software running atop Android – it’s also available for other phones. And not many people are happy with it, if you go by the comments in the Google Play Store. It feels incomplete as a replacement launcher, because it takes away some functionality that people have been used to having in Android. This may or may not have something to do with Facebook employees and their love for all things Apple, or maybe they’re just bad at mobile apps (Facebook for iOS is a crashy mess too, though less so than its still horrible Android counterpart).

Via Mobile News and Engadget

• Rumor: Facebook-branded HTC Android phones to be announced at MWC 2011
• Facebook phone made by HTC to be announced on April 4?
• Zuckerberg denies Facebook phone’s existence
• HTC Prepping 2 Facebook Phones For MWC Announcement Tomorrow
• Facebook’s own phone to be made by ex-Apple employees, should be out “by next year”

Today USPTO has published a patent application called “ Providing information through tactile feedback” that makes Google’s obsessive advertising priorities even more clear.

The patent app deals with the issue of the tactile/haptic feedback on touchscreen devices. The lack of such tactile feedback from our full touch smartphones and tablets, is probably one of the most annoying things about them.

Apple, Nokia, Samsung and other companies in the smartphone biz have been trying to solve the touch device tactile feedback problem for years. But, except for the rather primitive haptic engines that vibrate most of the device on touch event, outside an R&D lab, none of them has anything interesting to show us. But they will figure something out eventually.

And this brings us to Google, and their latest patent app. In it, Google does not go deep into the technologies of how to make the tactile/haptic feedback work. They do an overview of what might be possible, and how it might be done, but it is very broad and not really helpful. For all intents and purposes, Google just says that eventually the solution will be there. That devices with a very granular tactile feedback, along full surface of a touchscreen, will come along.

And then Google will be ready with their own “Tactile Interface Engine” inside Android, to …. display all those ads on Android smartphone,  with tactile feedback – to make them better and more effective.

The ways to do so, described in the patent app, include:

Separating an ad displayed on a webpage with a border having a distinct tactile feel, so you notice when your finger is approaching the ad.

Displaying multiple ads in separate tabs, and giving each ad different textures/feelings of roughness. The ad which is considered the most relevant will give the roughest feedback, the next one will give a different and lighter sensation, and so on.

If you decide to drag one of the background ads to a new place, the display will provide you with the physical feeling of dragging something, to keep you more focused.

And those different textures of roughness? Well, they can be adjusted to the ad content, too:

if the content displayed in the first region 208 corresponds to an ad for a beach resort, the haptic feedback provided to the user in the first region 208 may be gritty like sand. As another example, if the content displayed in the first region 208 corresponds to an ad for a carbonated beverage, the haptic feedback provided to the user in the first region 208 may be bubbly. As yet another example, if the content displayed in the first region 208 corresponds to an ad for a hand lotion, the haptic feedback provided to the user in the first region 208 may be liquid and/or gel. Each of the haptic sensations providing a particular perceived sensation may be generated, for example, by the tactile interface engine 165 by manipulating voltage potentials between the electrode elements corresponding to the particular regions of the tactile interface 110.

Furthermore, the technology may become available, which allows Android’s Tactile Interface Engine to create separate regions on your smartphone display, that give you a feeling of distinct height. What would you do with such regions? Well, display differentially priced ads, of course. The higher the region feels, the more advertiser pays.

Here’s the idea described in Google’s own words:

the perceived height above the tactile interface 110 of the first region 214 is greater than the perceived height of the second region 216, which is greater than the perceived height of the third region 218. As illustrated, moreover, the displayed regions, which may each display different content, are differently sized in area on the tactile interface 110, thereby allowing the user to access each of the regions 214, 216, and 218, through contact. In some aspects, a particular perceived height of a region may be tied to, for example, the content displayed in the region. For example, if the displayed content of several regions (such as regions 214, 218, and 218) are ads, the advertisers may pay more money for an ad placement in a region with a higher perceived level (such as the first region 214).

I would prefer that he, who finally solves the tactile feedback problem on our touchscreens, would do it for better keyboard and device controls. But you can’t blame Google for focusing on the things that bring in most of their money. And, if their focus on better ads helps bring truly tactile smartphone displays around faster, I will be happy. Even if its only for ad display first.

After all, when the problem is solved, the solution will quickly be applied to things that will actually make my smartphone better.

• Apple’s touch surface keyboard with tactile feedback
• Apple is working on a Multi Haptics technology for iPhones and iPads
• Apple files for iPhone/iPad haptic feedback system patent. Already explores manufacturing options
• Apple is still exploring ways to make stylus worthy of iPhone and iPad
• Another take on PSP phone, or Sony Ericsson’s own iPhone patent

Running Android Jelly Bean, the Desire 600 is also one of the few out there to come with dual SIM capabilities and a quad-core processor (1.2 GHz). Other features: 4.5 inch qHD display, HSPA connectivity, dual front-facing speakers, BoomSound, Beats Audio, 1.6MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear camera with 720p video recording, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of expandable memory.

HTC says we will be able to buy the Desire 600 starting early June (that is very soon). There is no word on the handset’s price. In any case, it’s going to be available “with mobile operators and major retailers in a number of markets”, in two color versions: black and silver.

Until the Desire 600 hits the market, the WSJ (subscription required) is reporting that HTC has sold about 5 million One flagship smartphones around the world. That’s half the number of Galaxy S4s shipped by Samsung, but it’s still a nice figure – especially since HTC is having a lot of troubles lately, culminating with some execs (including Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera, and Vice President of Global Communications Jason Gordon) leaving the company.

• Nokia’s cheapest Windows Phone 8 handset, Lumia 620, goes on sale in Europe
• HTC Desire P and Desire Q photos, specs unveiled
• Silver HTC Desire to be available in the UK this week
• HTC Desire to have a silver version, too
• New HTC Desire P and Desire Q Android handsets coming soon

Amazon has been playing with its Amazon Android App Store and then Kindle Fire tablet for several years now. But as long as its Appstore and Kindle Fire tablet running forked version of Android were available only in U.S., and later very few limited markets, there was only so much impact Amazon could have on Google’s mobile OS.

But today Amazon announced that it is expanding Android Appstore to 200 countries, while making Kindle Fire available in 170 countries as of June 13. And things are about to get really interesting.

Google has long been neglecting its Play store, putting only very limited efforts in app promotion and discoverability. Lately, with the new redesign and developer options, things have been improving, but not as fast as they should. Google has touted 48 billion downloaded apps number during its I/O Developer conference, and mentioned some meaningless statistics like doubling of payouts for developers, fast growing in-app purchases and subscriptions, etc;. But the fact that Google is still afraid to disclose actual Play Store revenue numbers, tells me that those numbers are still nothing to brag about.

Now in comes Amazon, with its online retail and merchandising experience, and with direct competitor to Google Play. What’s more, it already has a tablet which is selling better than any tablet made by genuine Android vendor. And, it is working on its own forked Android smartphone too.

Granted, Amazon does not have global distribution infrastructure to seriously hurt Google and its partners… yet. But I did try Amazon International Delivery services to Lithuania, of all places, and they do work at least on par with delivery services from the local online stores. And, quite often, offer better prices than local dealers, even with all shipping and tax costs included.

So I am pretty sure that there is at least a small chunk of active online population, that will take a serious look at the new Amazon offerings, now, that they are available. And some of them will begin actively using Amazon Appstore store on their true Android devices, while others will opt for the Kindle Fire as their next Android tablet.

And this is just the beginning. When Amazon then strikes music and video delivery rights in some of those 200 countries, and makes their own proprietary content available there… Things may get very interesting for Google, and its partners too.

• Amazon has already ordered 2 million Kindle Fire 2s from Quanta to ship on August 7
• Amazon Appstore makes it to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain
• Amazon’s Kindle Fire may be headed to the UK in January
• $99 Amazon Kindle Fire HD coming this year
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ported to Amazon Kindle Fire

We already knew that sales of SGS4 were off to a great start. They sold 4 million devices during the opening weekend, then another 2 million in ten more days, and now added another 4 million in a couple of weeks. According to Samsung, one Galaxy S4 is sold every 4 seconds.

Impressive achievement, and really impressive growth for Samsung flagship line. It took Sammy 215 days to ship 10 million of first generation Galaxy S, Galaxy S II reached 10 million mark in 155 days, Galaxy S III did it in 50 days. And now its 26.

The question is where do we go from here, and how many Galaxy S4s Samsung will sell over the year, before its next flagship comes along. And it’s already clear that it’ll be a lot.

After initial pre-order boost, Galaxy S4 sales are now averaging 1.5 to 2 million a week, and I do not see any competitor that could cut into SGS4 sales, at least before fall. Smartphones like HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and LG Optimus G do have their niches, but their marketing and distribution is simply to weak to affect Samsung’s juggernaut. The first real challenge Galaxy S4 will face will come this fall, when Apple will release a new iPhone.

In the meantime, Samsung will expand their flagship offerings with the likes of waterproof Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S4 mini, further broadening its mass appeal. So we are looking for at least 12 weeks of uncontested SGS4 weekly sales in the range of 2 million. And will probably see announcement of 20 million Galaxy S4s sold in late June – early July. Then it will get to 30 million by mid August and will be approaching 40 million before the new iPhone ships. After that, with the new iPhone, all new flagships from other competitors and Samsung itself  refocusing  on  Galaxy Note III,  situation becomes a bit more muddled. But, come next spring – we’ll probably be looking at a total of between 80 to 100 million SGS 4s shipped.

As for now, it is too late for Galaxy S4 to take the crown of a single best selling smartphone in the world from iPhone in Q2. But come Q3, and if Apple keeps to its iPhone release schedule, Samsung’s flagship will become the world’s bestselling smartphone, just like it did it last year.

Source: Samsung Village

• Samsung shipped 4 million Galaxy S4 in 4 April days, 6 million by May 10th. On track to sell 10 million by May’s end
• Apple iPhone 5 now the world’s best-selling smartphone, Samsung Galaxy S III slips to third place
• Samsung Galaxy Note II: 3 million sold in 37 days
• Samsung has sold 5 million Galaxy S II smartphones already, new white version coming mid-August
• Samsung Galaxy S and S II sold in more than 30 million units

Like the S4 that’s already available via most of the other US mobile operators, Cricket’s version will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean at launch, coming with a 5 inch Full HD display, LTE, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 13MP rear camera.

“The Galaxy S4 redefines the smartphone and we are very proud to offer our customers the highest level of wireless technology on the market. Cricket’s three smartphone rate plans start as low as $45 per month1 and give customers value-packed choices for the plan that’s right for them with unlimited music included,” declared Matt Stoiber, senior vice president of devices for Cricket.

Next we have the Galaxy Admire 2. This is the device that US Cellular is currently selling as the Galaxy Axiom. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, featuring a 4 inch WVGA display, LTE connectivity, dual-core processor, and a 5MP rear camera.

And finally, the Galaxy Discover is smaller, sporting a 3.5 inch HVGA display, and featuring Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, plus a 3MP rear camera.

PhoneScoop has managed to check out all the three upcoming Cricket handsets, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Admire 2, and Galaxy Discover:

The Galaxy Admire 2 and Galaxy Discover will be available at Cricket “this summer.” There is no word on how much they’re going to cost.

• HTC Desire C launched by Cricket as its latest Muve Music Android phone
• Cricket to launch Samsung r710, r631, Kyocera Zio, BlackBerry 8530 and more
• MetroPCS intros affordable Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G
• AT&T Pantech Discover with HD screen and 12MP camera launching on January 11 for $49.99
• AT&T launches HTC One X+, HTC One VX, Samsung Galaxy Express and Galaxy Camera

This isn’t even the first time we’ve heard about the fact that it will be released in July. But two different sources told two different websites some stuff about the Eos, so here goes. Keep in mind though that everything you’re about to read has ‘rumor’ status. For all we know, this could be the same person talking to two different sites, and he or she may just have a hyperactive imagination.

With that out of the way, let’s get to it. Apparently the Eos will indeed come with a 41 MP sensor, though maximum picture size will be 34 MP. The handset will be made out of polycarbonate and will be “about as thick as the Lumia 920 in the middle”, but with tapered edges, so it might actually feel thinner. There will obviously be a camera bulge, but not a terribly big one. It will have Xenon flash, but interestingly it will be smaller than the one in the 808, as will be the lens too. It remains to be seen whether that’s due to advances in camera tech since the 808 PureView was developed, or Nokia simply decided to sacrifice some quality for size.

Next to the flash will sit a red focus assist light. In something that’s straight out of Nokia’s old Symbian portfolio, the camera is said to sport an automatic cover that opens when the camera app is started. Speaking of that app, it will be an entirely new one, called Nokia ProCamera, which will have on-screen circular dial controls, ‘DSLR-like sounds when you flick around the settings’, and a manual mode that allows you to, well, manually change every setting imaginable. The standard camera app will be available too.

Video recording will top out at 1080p Full HD, with three different frame rates possible both at this resolution and at 720p. The screen will be a 4.5-inch 768×1,280 unit, and the phone will be much lighter than the Lumia 920 (not that that’s at all hard).

The Eos should be in stores in the second week of July, more specifically the big date could be July 9. So – have you started counting down yet?

Via WMPoweruser and MobileGeeks

• Nokia Lumia 920 PureView and Lumia 820 press shots leaked. Here’s what Nokia will announce next week
• Unlocked Nokia 808 PureView to be launched in the US soon
• Verizon’s Nokia Lumia 928 (Laser) set to arrive in April with Xenon flash
• Nokia Lumia 920 specs: wireless charging, 4.5” HD screen, 32GB of memory, PureView camera with… 8 mpx sensor
• Upcoming Nokia Lumia 950 purportedly photographed, specs detailed too

June 7 is the date you need to mark in your calendar if you’re a Cricket customer (or a prospective one) and are interested in the latest and greatest from the No.1 Android vendor. That’s when you’ll find the Samsung Galaxy S4 available online and in Cricket stores.

You’ll need to pay $599.99 to purchase the device outright. An alternative would be putting $54.99 down when you get it, then paying monthly installments after that.

The Galaxy S4 will work with Cricket’s nascent 4G LTE mobile network. You can pair it with a variety of plans starting at $50 per month. For example, for this amount you can get unlimited talk and text plus 1 GB of data.

• UK: Samsung Galaxy S II now just £29 with £21.5 per month contract
• iPhone 5 finally in stock at T-Mobile, alongside the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• Samsung Galaxy Ace now free with £10.50 per month contract at O2 UK
• Affordable Cricket TXTM8 3G messaging phone launched in the US
• T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S III gets officially priced

The GJ is essentially a waterproofed Optimus G, as its model number suggests (the Optimus G is the E975, while the GJ is the E975W).

Unveiled in Taiwan, the new handset is slightly larger and thicker than original Optimus G (131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5 mm vs. 136.9 x 68.9 x 9.9 mm). Its IPX7 certification means it can stay underwater – up to 1m – for up to 30 minutes. Other features: 4.7 inch IPS HD display, Bluetooth 4.0, 13MP rear camera, quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, MicroSD card slot, and a 2,280 mAh battery.

According to ePrice, The LG Optimus GJ will be available in Taiwan starting June, retailing at $17,990 TWD (about $600). It has two color versions: all black, and black / red. For the moment we don’t know if LG is planning to launch the handset in other markets.

Samsung is also getting ready to introduce a waterproof version of its Galaxy S4 flagship. Called Galaxy S4 Active, this could be announced in the coming weeks.

All in all, it looks like Sony has started a trend with its Xperia Z – which is the world’s first widely-available high-end Android smartphone.

• LG Optimus GJ – a waterproof version of Optimus G flagship is coming to Taiwan next week
• Samsung Galaxy S III (16GB and 32GB) officially priced in Taiwan
• Waterproof Samsung Galaxy S4 called “Active”, should be launched alongside the S4 Mini in July
• Sony Xperia Acro S to be released next week (in Taiwan)
• LG Optimus Black gets priced in the Philippines, lands next week

Since it’s just a variation of the Lumia 520 (available in Europe and Asia for some time), the Lumia 521 is Nokia’s cheapest Windows Phone 8 ever. T-Mobile is offering it for just $149.99. You can also opt for a down payment of $29.99 plus $5 per month (for two years). Go here to buy the handset online now.

The Lumia 521 features a 4 inch IPS WVGA display, 5MP rear camera, 512MB of RAM, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1,430 mAh battery, 8GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support.

As for the Lumia 925, T-Mobile should start selling it in June. There’s no word on how much it’s going to cost. The 925 has a metallic case, featuring an 8MP PureView rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, LTE connectivity, a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ display with 1280 x 768 pixels, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a 2,000 mAh battery.

• Nokia Lumia 920, 820 and 620 with WP8 officially launched in China
• Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 launching in Asia next week
• Nokia presents the differences between Lumia 820, Lumia 822 (Verizon) and Lumia 810 (T-Mobile)
• Nokia Lumia 810 and Windows Phone 8X by HTC available now at T-Mobile USA
• T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 521 launching in May

According to Analysys International, Samsung shipped 17.3% of all smartphones in China in Q1 2013. Next are Lenovo, with 13.1%, and Coolpad (10.3%).

Huawei (10.1%) and ZTE (6.9%) ranked fourth and fifth, while Apple managed to grab 6.4% of the Chinese market share for the sixth place.

Two rather obscure brands (at least internationally) follow: K-Touch (4.1%) and GiONEE (3.8%). HTC is on the ninth place, with 3.1%, while Oppo closes the top 10 with 2.9%.

Overall, 75.28 million smartphones have been sold in China in the first quarter of the year. Needless to say, if we don’t consider Apple, most of the smartphones sold to Chinese customers are Android-based.

As you can see, Nokia isn’t in top 10. However, I’m not sure if the data compiled Analysys International includes the Finnish company’s Asha handsets – while some still call them featurephones, they can do all the things that budget smartphones can.

LG and Sony – two of the smartphone makers that are well-regarded internationally – also don’t seem to matter much in China.

Via DigiTimes

• LG to ship more 3G phones than Samsung, thanks to demand from China
• Nokia and Motorola have 90% of the Chinese smartphone market
• Motorola still leading the US mobile market, followed by LG and Samsung
• Samsung shipped 70 million smartphones in Q1 2013, almost twice as many as Apple. Nokia and BlackBerry not in top five
• HTC to conquer China with its Android Magic smartphone

The retailer is Digital Phone Company, and it’s asking £589.99 (about €693 or $895) for a SIM free Lumia 925. That’s definitely expensive, but the price will almost surely go down as the launch day gets closer. To pre-order the 925 from Digital Phone Company, go here. If you don’t want it SIM-free, various plans on Vodafone and T-Mobile are available (£42.00 pre month will get you a free 925).

O2 will sell the Nokia Lumia 925 in the UK, too, offering an exclusive white edition.

In Germany, the new Lumia might be available as soon as June 10. In the US, the Windows Phone 8 handset will be sold only via T-Mobile – most probably also staring June. We’ll report back when we have fresh details on this.

Via The Inquirer

• Nokia Lumia 925 32GB launching in the first half of June in Germany?
• Nokia Lumia 900 to hit the UK on May 14
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 920 sees tremendous demand at Amazon. T-Mobile’s Lumia 810 now costs $99.99
• White Nokia Lumia 800 now up for pre-order in the UK, yours for £429.95
• Nokia Lumia 900 Batman Edition to be released in Europe soon

That said, it looks like HTC has decided to scrap the Desire + letter (or two letters) naming scheme, instead opting for numbers. So we’re going to see the Desire 200 and Desire 600 out soon. That’s right, HTC’s done channeling Samsung’s branding strategy and is doing something similar, yet different.

The HTC Desire 200 got certified in Taiwan, and its model number is 102e. This handset may in fact be the one codenamed G2, a model we first told you about in February. If so, it will have low-end specs – a 3.5-inch 320×480 touchscreen, a 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a 5 MP rear camera, no front camera, and a 1,400 mAh battery. Furthermore, it was said to come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a version that’s pretty much ancient in this day and age. Yet apparently those who buy cheap devices deserve stuff like this. Or something like that. That seems to be the phone makers’ thinking.

Whether or not we’ll ever see the Desire 200 outside of Asia remains to be seen. On the other hand, we’re pretty sure that the Desire 600 is destined to see the light of day in Europe. This smartphone got caught in some benchmark results, and the model tested had dual-SIM support. Its processor is rumored to be the quad-core 1.2 GHz MediaTek MT6589, and the phone has a screen resolution of 540×960 – so it’s going to be a midranger. The Desire 600 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and it will almost certainly launch running that – since HTC still has no device on 4.2, not even its flagship. Based on the screen resolution, we can infer that the screen size will be around 4 to 4.5 inches, but such details aren’t known just yet. We’ll keep you posted.

Via VR-Zone and GSM Insider

• New HTC Desire P and Desire Q Android handsets coming soon
• HTC Desire P and Desire Q photos, specs unveiled
• HTC Desire Q gets officially unveiled, it’s another Desire U, or a Desire X minus one CPU core
• HTC Desire U launches in Taiwan with midrange specs, priced at $274
• Acer V350 leaks with better specs than the V360

You haven’t pre-ordered the S4 yet, you can get it from Verizon in either black, or white, for $199.99 on contract (or $649.99 without agreement).

Verizon is currently offering only the 16GB version of the handset – unlike AT&T, which is selling the 32GB version, too ($249.99 on contract).

Samsung may ship more than 10 million Galaxy S4 units around the world before the end of May, as the smartphone is its most successful to date.

Another new handset that Verizon has started selling recently is the Nokia Lumia 928. Unlike the Android Jelly Bean-powered Galaxy S4, the Lumia 928 runs Windows Phone 8, and costs only $99.99 on contract, being Verizon’s first handset to feature a PureView camera.

• AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III now $79.99 at Amazon
• AT&T gets an exclusive red Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 920 sees tremendous demand at Amazon. T-Mobile’s Lumia 810 now costs $99.99
• Verizon Samsung Fascinate now available for pre-order at Best Buy
• Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II is slightly cheaper at Wirefly

This series debuted right before this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. Back then only the F5 and F7 were members of the family, but the F3 has joined them since. And now it’s looking like it’s going to be making it to the US, and more specifically landing at the Now Network. Here it is in all its glory:

The Optimus F3 comes with a 4-inch 480×800 touchscreen, a dual-core processor, and a 2,460 mAh battery which is great considering the price point. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The F3 should become official in a few weeks, so stay tuned for that.

Joining this handset in Sprint’s lineup will be the LG Optimus G Pro, already being sold by AT&T. This device will be released sometime before the end of June, and will bear the model number LS980.

Via Phone Arena

• Dual SIM LG Optimus L3 II, L5 II and L7 II all expected to debut at MWC 2013
• LG Optimus F7 headed to Boost Mobile
• LG Optimus G Pro with Snapdragon 600 CPU officially announced for Korea, goes to North America in Q2
• Android Jelly Bean updates coming soon to LG Optimus 4X HD, L9 and L7
• LG E940 to bring 1080p Full HD touchscreen to AT&T

Exact pricing details haven’t been unveiled, but we know that the S III from Boost and Virgin will run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean at launch, being compatible with Sprint’s LTE network.

Sprint has also unveiled the Kyocera Hydro Edge – a new waterproof smartphone that’s “built to withstand sprayed water, or submersion in up to 3.28 feet of fresh water for 30 minutes.”

The Hydro Edge runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, featuring a 4 inch display, dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm CPU, Smart Sonic Receiver technology (for enhanced audio quality in noisy environments), and a 5MP rear camera. It will be available at Sprint and Boost “this summer” for an unknown price.

“Kyocera Hydro Edge is the next generation of the original Kyocera Hydro, which launched at Boost Mobile in 2012 and has been a top seller ever since. People clearly see the value of an affordable smartphone that’s also waterproof. With Hydro Edge, we’re keeping those core values while taking performance to a new level,” declared Eric Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of global sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc.

Via Press release and Press release

• Kyocera Rise with Android 4.0 ICS headed to Sprint and Virgin Mobile
• Kyocera announces Hydro and Rise Android 4.0 ICS smartphones
• Waterproof Kyocera Hydro will be available at Boost Mobile on August 3 for $129.99
• Sprint to launch the Kyocera Rise on August 19
• Samsung: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates for Galaxy S III US variants will be out in the coming months

Clove is asking £460 (about €541) for the Galaxy Mega 6.3 16GB, saying the first stock is expected in July. The price is similar to the one asked by Handtec (€537) – which doesn’t mention when the device should start shipping.

There’s also an 8GB version of the Mega 6.3, but we have no word on how much this will cost (possibly around £400).

Like the smaller Galaxy Mega 5.8 I9150, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Its features include a 6.3 inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels, 8MP rear camera, 1.9Mp front-facing camera, 3,200 mAh battery, dual-core 1.7GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and MicroSD card support (up to 64GB).

The Mega 5.8 has lower-end specs (including a qHD display and a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU). In consequence, it’s going to be cheaper than the Mega 6.3. From what we’ve previously heard, the 5.8 inch device won’t be released in the UK at all.

Later this year, Samsung might introduce a Mega version of the Galaxy S4 – naturally called Galaxy S4 Mega. But this, of course, is just a rumor for now.

Via Android Central

• More details on Samsung’s Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Mega 5.8 show up
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Mega 5.8 now official, launching in May with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-i9200 already available for pre-order, it’s pricey
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 priced at $200. New Galaxy S4 Mega to join the S4 Active and S4 Mini?
• Samsung’s Galaxy Mega phablets delayed?

However, where it will be launched, the Xperia ZR is going to cost about €400.

According to Xperia Blog, the new Xperia will be released in the Netherlands for €479 in July. Belgium and the Nordic countries should have the smartphone at about the same time.

Meanwhile, Sony allows you to win an Xperia ZR on Facebook. You need to enter this competition by May 27, answer a question, and talk about how the Xperia ZR would “play a role at your perfect pool party.” The Terms and Conditions of the contest (see here) confirm that the ZR has “an approximate value of 400 EUR.”

The Xperia ZR is slightly smaller than Sony’s Xperia Z flagship, but its waterproof abilities have been increased from IP57 to IP58 – this making it perfect for taking photos and shooting video (Full HD) underwater. That aside, the handset comes with a 4.55 inch HD display, LTE connectivity, NFC, dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, 13MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM, MicroSD card support, and Android Jelly Bean.

• LTE-ready Sony Xperia Z launching in Germany on February 21. Vodafone UK takes pre-orders now
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S officially announced, has 1.4 GHz processor and can shoot 3D pictures
• Waterproof Sony Xperia ZR now official, lets you shoot Full HD video underwater
• Quad-core, waterproof Sony Xperia Z with 1080p screen and Android Jelly Bean gets official. Xperia ZL also announced
• Sony Xperia SL live photos emerge, show all possible angles

If you’re craving this device, you might not have to wait much longer. TmoNews has learned that June 5 is set to be the big day, the one on which the Samsung Galaxy S III LTE will become available at T-Mobile. If all goes according to plan, of course. Things could still change.

Another new Samsung device headed to T-Mobile is the Galaxy Exhibit. And this one has also been in the leaks for quite a while. Well, it now seems it will be in stores pretty soon. On May 29, to be exact, which is in just nine days. This is a midranger, and it too was supposedly launching in late March. Needless to say, that hasn’t happened. So let’s hope this round of rumored release dates turns out to be right.

• T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, Galaxy Exhibit, and BlackBerry Z10 release dates leak
• Samsung T759 Exhibit 4G smiles for the camera on its way to T-Mobile
• Samsung Galaxy W will be launched by T-Mobile as the Exhibit II 4G, press shots leaked
• Samsung Galaxy Exhibit: a Galaxy S III mini for T-Mobile USA
• T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit II 4G gets official, in Walmart stores tomorrow

WParea.de has discovered a T-Mobile document which suggests the carrier will release a Lumia 925 32GB in Germany. This should happen in the week between June 10 and June 16.

Prices for an unlocked Lumia 925 are currently around €599 in Europe – according to retailers like Amazon and Notebooks Billiger.

As for T-Mobile USA, the fourth largest US mobile carrier will certainly offer the Lumia 925 16GB. It remains to be seen if it can also sell the 32GB edition. T-Mo customers can pre-register for the new WP8 handset here.

Featuring a metal body and an 8MP PureView camera with Nokia’s latest imaging technology, the Lumia 925 is one of the best Windows Phone handsets we’ll see this year.

Via WMpoweruser

• SIM free Nokia Lumia 925 to be launched in the UK on June 12?
• Nokia Lumia 920 will be Rogers’ first Windows Phone 8 handset
• Sprint HTC One also launching on April 19. T-Mobile’s version will come with free car kit
• Nokia Lumia 710 will become South Korea’s first Windows Phone Mango handset
• Nokia Lumia 900 to be launched by T-Mobile USA?

The Iconia W3 will indeed be an 8-inch tablet that will run Windows 8. The company claims 8-hour battery life will grace the W3. SlashGear has it that the tablet will also have an Intel Atom Z2760 processor and will run ‘full’ Windows 8 Pro (since Acer really isn’t a fan of Windows RT).

The exact screen size is 8.1 inches, and its resolution is 1,280×768. The Acer Iconia W3 has 2 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microHDMI, a 2 MP front camera, and either 32 GB or 64 GB of built-in storage.

As you can see, a snap-on keyboard accessory will be provided by Acer, but that will probably be just an aftermarket option and not something that will come bundled with the tablet. The W3 may get announced during Computex in a few weeks.

• Acer Iconia Tab A200 officially announced, will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012
• Acer Iconia Smart S300 gets the FCC teardown treatment
• Acer Iconia Tab A200 promo video leak shows full size USB port
• Acer Iconia Tab 100 launched in Canada
• Acer’s Iconia A100, A500, A501, and W500 tablets get prices and release dates in the UK

Similar in size to the original Galaxy S4, the S4 Active (mode number GT-I9295) looks quite different, thanks to its red back and sides, and the three hardware buttons on the front.

Like Sony’s Xperia Z flagship, the Galaxy S4 Active is a high-end waterproof and dustproof smartphone. It has a 5 inch Super AMOLED Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen, quad-core 1.9GHz processor (probably Snapdragon 600), Adreno 320 GPU, and likely a 13MP rear camera.

It’s not the first time when Samsung makes a waterproof Android handset (see the Xcover series), but it is the first time when this comes with high-end specs.

The new Galaxy smartphone might be released as soon as July. There is no word on how much it’s going to cost. In any case, it’s clear that Sony’s Xperia Z will have a true competitor in the S4 Active.

Via GSM Arena

• Sony Xperia Z to be launched by T-Mobile USA?
• Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 launched in Europe
• T-Mobile USA’s Sony Xperia Z confirmed by FCC
• LTE-ready Sony Xperia Z launching in Germany on February 21. Vodafone UK takes pre-orders now
• New Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L could be announced on March 18

Of course, the Tab 3 7.0 can’t be bought anywhere in the world yet, but it should be available pretty soon – most likely starting June. Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the tablet features a 7 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and a 4,000 mAh battery.

As you may already know, tablets-aside, Samsung is also getting ready to unveil new versions of its Galaxy S4. In an update to the Samsung WatchOn TV app,  the S4 Mini and S4 Active were mentioned alongside a previously unheard-of “S4 Mega.” While this may be a typo, it could also mean that we’ll see a Galaxy Mega with the high-end specs found on the Galaxy S4. In other words, a phablet with a ~6 inch Full HD screen and quad-core (or eight core) processor.

The Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Mega 5.8 (announced last month) haven’t been released yet – they might have been delayed. We’ll bring more details on Samsung’s upcoming launches as soon as we get them.

Via Sam Mobile, Android Central

• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy S4 Zoom get rumored release dates for Europe
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 pricing details show up
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 won’t be sold in the UK
• Samsung’s Galaxy Mega phablets delayed?
• Samsung Galaxy Note III confirmed for the second half of 2013? Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 LTE listed at Bluetooth SIG

The very first Sailfish smartphone has been unveiled today by Jolla, and it’s a fairly large device, sporting a 4.5 inch display (of unknown resolution). It further features 4G – which, I assume, means LTE – a dual core processor, 8MP rear camera, 16GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a removable battery. The handset also has removable back covers whit color schemes reminiscent of the Nokia N9 – the first and only commercial MeeGo phone.

As for Sailfish OS, this brings a gesture-based interface, and is “Android app compliant.”

Unfortunately, Jolla can’t provide an exact launch date for the handset. But the company aims to start shipping it before the end of this year. Pre-orders are available as of now – the phone costs €399. It’s unlocked, of course.

Nokia’s N9 was well received back in 2011, so let’s wait and see how Jolla’s new handset will do.

You can take a quick look at Sailfish OS in the video below:

You can also see Marc Dillon (Jolla co-founder, ex MeeGo and S40 specialist at Nokia) talking about the new Sailfish phone in this video:

More info can be found here at Jolla’s official website.

• New MeeGo smartphone coming soon, not from Nokia, but from Jolla
• India: Nokia X3-02 and C5-03 to be launched this quarter. C6-01 may not be released this month
• Nokia N9 official video teaser leaked, MeeGo UI included
• Nokia’s MeeGo head resigns. Will we see the N9 this year?
• Nokia N9/N950 RM-680 developer device will launch next week ?

The Smart III has a 4-inch 480×800 touchscreen, a 5 MP camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, a 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, and all the usual connectivity options. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Vodafone Smart III can be yours right now for just £95 on Pay as you go. Alternatively, you can get it for free if you get a 24-month contract. The cheapest option is £13 per month and offers you 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 100 MB of mobile data. Obviously you can pair the Smart III with many other plans, but you’re probably not going to use it too much anyway since it’s not the highest-end device out there. Not even a midranger. For this day and age, this is a low-end offering, but one that will suit many (perhaps as a second handset) just fine.

If you’re interested in getting a Smart III, head over here at Vodafone right now.

• BlackBerry Torch 9810 now up for pre-order on contract in the UK, free from £31 per month
• Red Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo now available at Vodafone UK, free from £26 per month
• HTC Desire S now available at Vodafone UK, free on contracts starting at £30 per month
• BlackBerry Bold 9900 now available at Orange UK, free from £41 per month
• Pink Nokia Lumia 800 now available in the UK on Orange and T-Mobile, free from £25.54 per month

Sam Mobile says the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 could be launched at the end of June – most likely in Europe first. It should have Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE versions, all running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Other expected features: 1280 x 800 pixels display, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear camera, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support (up to 64GB), and a 4,450 mAh battery.

The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 will certainly be more expensive than the Tab 3 7.0. Unfortunately, there’s no word on the exact prices for neither of them.

Samsung should also introduce a Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 later this year. Moreover, a Galaxy Tab 3 Plus is reportedly in the making, too. This should be Samsung’s next flagship tablet, featuring a 2560 x 1600 pixels display, and an Exynos 5410 Octa processor.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Plus possibly pictured, might be called Galaxy S Tab
• 7 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 announced. Octa-core Nexus 11 and Dual SIM Tab Duos also in the making?
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and Asus Fonepad possibly launching in the UK next month
• Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE priced at $599, will be indeed launched on March 7
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus N officially launched in Germany, prices start at €499

Nokia has posted some comparison shots “using the Nokia Lumia 925 and a number of its closest competitors.” Unsurprisingly, these competitors are Apple’s iPhone 5, Samsung’s Galaxy S4, HTC’s One, and Sony’s Xperia Z. The HTC One (which has a 4MP Ultrapixel camera) seems to have done the best job in the low-light conditions set up by Nokia, but it’s still not enough to beat the Lumia 925.

Smart Camera will be included in a future Windows Phone 8 software update (called Lumia Amber) for older Nokia handsets – like the Lumia 920 – so it’s not just Lumia 925 users who are going to enjoy its benefits.  For more details on the photography capabilities of the 925, go here and here at Nokia Conversation.

In the US, the Nokia Lumia 925 will be available exclusively at T-Mobile in the coming months. It will be released via multiple carriers in Europe and Asia (starting June), for about 469 Euros before taxes and subsidies.

Via Nokia (Facebook)

• Software updates for Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 arriving on June 27, Wi-Fi tethering included
• Windows Phone 8-like Start screen, plus other enhancements coming in future update to Nokia Lumia 900, 800, 710 and 610
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC One X get software updates
• Nokia Lumia 720 and 520 pictured. This is Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 future
• Nokia Lumia 920 seems to be the most popular WP8 device in the US. HTC 8X and Lumia 822 follow

The device running the ‘full’ version of Windows 8 and not the cut-down Windows RT will retail in the UK starting at £719. That will net you the version with 64 GB of built-in storage, but keep in mind that this being desktop Windows, quite a chunk of that will not be accessible to you. If you want more, there’s also the 128 GB model, which will be sold for £799.

The usual Surface accessories will also be on sale naturally. The Touch Cover will cost £99, while the Type Cover will be priced at £109.

Elsewhere in Europe, you’ll be able to purchase the Surface Pro in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland starting on May 30. Pricing will obviously differ according to country, this is how things always are.

Europe won’t be alone in welcoming the Surface Pro this month. The tablet will be out in Hong Kong on May 17, and then in Australia and New Zealand too before the end of May.

Increased distribution will surely play its part in helping Microsoft sell more Surface tablets, and the company definitely needs all the help it can get.

Via Engadget and The Verge

• Microsoft Surface Pro will be released on February 9. Surface RT arriving in 13 new countries soon
• Apple iPad 2 international launch delayed by half a day
• Sony tablets and smartphones discounted in Europe. Jelly Bean updates for Xperia P and Xperia Go coming really soon
• Microsoft announces huge list of Windows Mobile 6.5 phones, HTC HD2 included
• Nokia N9 won’t be available in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and many other countries

Even more, European retailers suggest that the new phablets won’t be launched this month at all. In the UK, where the Mega 5.8 will not be sold anyway, Carphone Warehouse (via The Inquirer) says it’s going to stock the Galaxy Mega 6.3 only starting July.

In Netherlands, the Mega 6.3 should be out in week 23 (June 3 – June 9), while the smaller Mega 5.8 may not arrive until week 30 (July 22 – July 28).

Both the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Galaxy Mega 5.8 run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The former offers a 6.3 inch HD (1280 x 720) display, LTE connectivity, 8MP rear camera, 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB / 16GB of internal memory, and a 3,200 mAh battery. The latter is obviously smaller, sporting a 5.8 inch qHD display, and featuring HSPA connectivity, 8MP rear camera,  dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, and a 2,600 mAh battery.

Later this year, Samsung will announce another huge Android handset – the Galaxy Note III, which seemingly has a 6 inch display.

• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Mega 5.8 now official, launching in May with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 pricing details show up
• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-i9200 already available for pre-order, it’s pricey
• More details on Samsung’s Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Mega 5.8 show up
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 priced at $200. New Galaxy S4 Mega to join the S4 Active and S4 Mini?

The Sony Xperia UL is going to sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, and a 2,300 mAh battery, according to both the first rumor on the matter as well as information sent to CNMO today alongside the pictures you can see below.

Whether or not this device will be a KDDI exclusive or not is up for debate at this point. It might have a version tailored to that carrier’s requests, but then who knows, maybe it will get an international launch as well.

With the updated chipset, you might even call this a successor of sorts to the Xperia Z, Sony’s current flagship smartphone. But  with the fabled i1 in the works too, things are bound to get a little crowded at the higher echelons of the Japanese phone maker’s roster.

• Sony Xperia SL live photos emerge, show all possible angles
• Sony Xperia V delayed until early 2013 in Europe? It should run Android Jelly Bean at launch
• Sony LT25 Tsubasa shows up in benchmarks with HD screen and dual-core 1.5 GHz CPU
• 5-inch Sony Yuga to be sold as the Xperia Z
• Sony C6802 with Full HD screen and Android 4.2 leaks, may be the successor to the Xperia Z

Whereas the original FonePad announced back in February comes with a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor, the new and improved model swaps that up with a Z2460 clocked at 1.6 GHz. Furthermore, there’s double the storage inside too – 32 GB compared to ‘just’ 16 GB.

The two models will be sold side by side in Taiwan. The original will go for NT$ 8,990 (around $300), and the updated Fonepad is set to retail for NT$ 10,900 (about $364). So clearly, there’s a price to pay for those 16 extra gigabytes of storage and the added 400 MHz of processing power. But not a huge one, considering that, for example, Apple still charges $100 to go from 16 GB to 32 GB in its mobile products.

For now, there’s no information about when (or if) the new FonePad will make its way outside of Taiwan, so do stay tuned for that. Finally, as you may have gathered, know that aside from the two aforementioned specs, the ‘new’ FonePad is identical to the ‘old’ FonePad.

Via Engadget

• Asus FonePad arrives in Europe this month, priced at €265 in Russia
• Asus FonePad will be out in the UK on April 26 for £179.99. Pre-orders start on Friday
• Intel-based Asus ME371MG called Fonepad K004? Padfone 2 reaches almost 1 million units sold
• Intel-powered Asus Fonepad 3G version confirmed
• Intel-powered Asus FonePad gets full specs leaked alongside a picture of its back

The 928 costs $99.99 on contract, or $499.99 without any agreement. For some unknown reason, though, Verizon can’t ship the handset right away – it currently says that it should be delivered “by May 20” to customers who are ordering it online today. Most probably, you’ll be able to find the smartphone in retail stores anyway.

Like AT&T’s Lumia 920 (available since late 2012), the Nokia Lumia 928 comes with an 8MP PureView rear camera – one of the best ever included into a smartphone – and it even adds a Xenon flash. The rest of its features include a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack display with 1280 x 768 pixels, LTE connectivity, Nokia Here, NFC, 1GB of RAM, dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, 32GB of internal memory, MicroSD card slot, wireless charging capabilities, and a 2,000 mAh battery.

Verizon is selling three other WP8 devices: Nokia Lumia 822 (free on contract), Samsung Ativ Odyssey ($49.99 on contract), and HTC 8X ($99.99 on contract).

Meanwhile, Nokia’s other new high-end Windows Phone 8 handset – the Lumia 925 – has appeared over at T-Mobile’s website. Sadly, there is no word on exactly when the fourth largest North American carrier will launch the 925. But it might happen in June.

• Nokia Lumia 928 officially bringing more Windows Phone 8 to Verizon on May 16
• Nokia presents the differences between Lumia 820, Lumia 822 (Verizon) and Lumia 810 (T-Mobile)
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 920 offered with free Wireless Charging Plate until February 21
• Nokia Lumia 810 and Windows Phone 8X by HTC available now at T-Mobile USA
• SIM free Nokia Lumia 820 now in stock in the UK

The phablet is a  few months away from launch, and early in the day we’ve heard a lot of cool rumors about it. They said that Galaxy Note III will be the first smartphone to use Samsung’s flexible Amoled display. We’ve heard that highly impressed and worried by the reception of HTC One, Samsung finally decided to pay some attention to design and produce the aluminum frame for Note III.

Sadly, according to SamMobile, none of those early rumors are going to pan out. Flexible Amoleds are still not ready for the primetime, while there was too little time to respond the One, rethink Note III design and produce enough aluminum frames.

And things are going great, anyway. Samsung Galaxy S4s are flying off the shelves, other Galaxies sell to the tune of tens of millions a month, so why bother. Let’s just take the old Galaxy S4 design and plastic body, make it bigger, and you’ve got yourself a brand new Galaxy Note III.

That’s exactly what Samsung is apparently going to do, with only design improvement being a narrower bezel, similar to the one on SGS4.

Well, at least Note III will get a decent specs bump with Exynos Octa CPU (quad-core 1.9GHz Cortex A15 + quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex A7), 13 megapixel main and 2 megapixel front camera, 3GB of RAM and 5.99” Full HD display.

And we’ll wait for Samsung’s great design remake for another year.

• New Samsung Galaxy Note III to have a 6.3 inch screen?
• 5.9-inch Samsung device coming this year, may be the Galaxy Note III
• Samsung Galaxy Note III to have an unbreakable display?
• Samsung Galaxy Note III will probably not have a flexible display after all
• Samsung will demo 5.9″ Galaxy Note III to AT&T execs later this week

But Microsoft is nothing if not persistent. And it is getting ready for round two very soon now.

According to Digitimes, for its second round in the tablet market Microsoft is working on a smaller 7.9” Surface RT device. The new tablet should be manufactured by Pegatron, with the display panels supplied by Samsung and NVIDIA Tegra CPU. The smaller Surface should retail for $249-299, and launch during Microsoft Build conference in June.

If Microsoft can hit the lower price point and fix the most glaring problems of the first generation Windows RT, 7.9” Surface tablet might be an interesting device. Then again, competition isn’t standing still, too.

As for the next generation of the original 10.6” Surface RT, we’ll have to wait at least until the third quarter. The going for it is so slow, and Microsoft has so much inventory to clear, they won’t even consider launching it earlier.

Via: Digitimes 1, 2, 3

• Next Microsoft Surface tablet might have 7.5″ screen, retail for $399
• 7″ to 9″ second-gen Microsoft Surface tablets reportedly getting announced in June
• Microsoft’s Windows RT Surface tablet to cost just $199.99?
• Microsoft Surface Pro release date may be January 26. Or January 29. Or January 30
• Microsoft’s Surface for $499 is a statement they won’t Nexus 7 their partners, unless forced to by low sales

We already know that Korean company is preparing something special for the follow-up Optimus G2 soon. But , it seems, it still has some surprises in store for the original flagship too.

According to E-Price, LG issued invitations to Taiwan media for the launch of Optimus GJ phone on May 22nd. And, according to them, it will be a waterproof version of the original G flagship.

Most of the features will remain similar to the old device, but it will IPX7 waterproof spec to the mix. It means that you will be able to safely submerge your LG Optimus GJ in up to 1 meter of water, for 30 minutes.

That LG has a waterproof version of its Optimus G smartphone is not a big surprise. They’ve launched one for Japan’s NTT DoCoMo last year.

NTT DoCoMo’s LG Optimus G L-01E

Now they are taking this device international. I hope other markets than Taiwan are in LG’s plans too.

• Waterproof LG Optimus GJ E975W officially announced, priced at $600
• Rugged Motorola Jordan will be on T-Mobile
• New waterproof Sony Xperia ZR in the making?
• Fujitsu Offers Waterproof Phone with Fingerprint Sensor
• LG Optimus G Pro launches in Japan on its way to the US

The smartphone’s model number is PN073XX, and we know that it features LTE connectivity, and dual band Wi-Fi. Blog of Mobile (in Japanese) – which has a very good track record when it comes to rumors and speculations – assumes the PN073XX corresponds to the model number “M7_WLV”, and is a Verizon-bound version of the One (for the record, AT&T’s HTC One is the PN07120).

Verizon is currently offering the HTC Droid DNA for free on contract (until May 21). The existence of the Droid DNA is believed to be the reason why the largest North American carrier didn’t pick up the HTC One from the beginning. But maybe things will chance soon – we’ll certainly let you know. The One is obviously superior to the Droid DNA, although on paper they’re not that different.

Besides AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have also launched the HTC One in the US last month.

Update: Verizon has a “special announcement” prepared for May 22 at CTIA 2013. It could be related to the HTC One, right?

• Verizon’s HTC Droid Incredible 4G (Fireball) hits the FCC, LTE included
• Verizon Droid Incredible 2 shows up in new photos
• Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus SCH-i515 to come with no carrier branding?
• Motorola Crush probably coming soon to Verizon
• Android Jelly Bean update for Verizon Motorola Droid 4 possibly coming soon

According to Google, as of today, they have activated 900 million Android devices. For some perspective – they only reached 750 million Androids two months ago, on March 14th, and they were at 500 million last September.

It’s even more impressive, if you look at the daily activations. Even though Google didn’t provide them today, it’s easy to see that they just had their huge late spring/early summer daily activation spike. Back in March, when they had that 750 million Android device announcement, Google was still activating the same 1.3 to 1.4 million Androids a day. A month later, on April 16th, the daily activations were at 1.5 million.

So, between March 14th and today, in 62 days, Google activated another 150 million Android devices. At the best 1.5m devices/day rate between March 14th and April 16th, they could have activated no more than 48 million of them. The other 102 million got activated in the last 30 days. Which means Google now activates more than 3 million Android devices a day!

It’s really hard for me to believe it, but so far Android seems to be impervious to the law of big numbers. And I simply give up in trying to guess where it’s growth will stop, or even slow down.

• Google activated 250 million Androids so far, may have topped 1 million/day in the second half of Q4
• Google now activates 350,000 Android devices daily. 3 billion Android apps installed around the world
• Hugo Barra: the 500 millionth Android device has been activated. 1.3 million daily activations
• Google now activates 550K Androids per day. 135 million devices sold. Market reaches 250,000 apps
• Google activates 160,000 devices daily. Android 2.2 Froyo released to manufacturing partners

Unlike the previous handset, which sports a 5 inch display, the Grand X2 In has a 4.5 inch screen (1280 x 720 pixels). It runs Android Jelly Bean, further featuring: ZTE’s My-Pop function “for easy-to-use one-handed operation”, 8MP rear camera with zero shutter lag and 24 frames per second shooting, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support, and a 2,000 mAh battery.

“We are proud to announce the ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone pursuing our multi-year strategic collaboration with Intel. The ZTE Grand X2 In is set to build on the success of the ZTE Grand X In, our first flagship smartphone in Europe to feature Intel Inside, and further increase ZTE’s growth in the high-performance smartphone market segment,” declared William Chhao, Terminal Director at ZTE France.

The Grand X2 In will be released in Europe starting the third quarter of the year. Its price isn’t known at the moment.

ZTE was the fifth-largest smartphone maker in the first quarter of 2013, shipping 9.1 million handsets around the world – about 800,000 less than its main Chinese competitor (Huawei).

Via Press release

• ZTE Geek with Android Jelly Bean and Intel Z2580 Clover Trail+ CPU announced
• ZTE will make more Intel-powered smartphones to follow the Grand X IN
• ZTE intros Grand X IN Android ICS smartphone with Intel Atom Z2460 CPU
• Motorola will launch Intel Atom based Android smartphones, tablets
• ZTE comes to its senses, could price the Grand S as low as $480

Google just announced that this new phone will be available on June 26th. It will have the latest version of clean Android, will receive the OS updates together with other Nexus phones, will have all the Galaxy S4 specs , including LTE, and will even come with unlocked bootloader.

That’s the good news.

The bad news – this Galaxy S4 is available only in the U.S. via Google Play, and it will cost $649 for 16GB version.

Even though this Samsung’s take of Galaxy S4 will work on T-mobile and AT&T, with no retail presence and carrier promotion – very few will want to buy it. And, frankly, there’s almost no reason to buy it, even if you are geeky enough to care about stock Android and prompt OS updates.

If you are, then you’ll just get AT&T’s SGS4 at 1/3 the price, quickly root and update it to the ROM you want. Or you will wait a few months, until Nexus 5 with even better specs comes out, and get it from Google Play for half the price.

Looks like my guess about the reason for Galaxy S4 Google Edition was spot on. It is just some sort of compromise for Samsung to get the latest Android version from Google, earliest, without offending smaller partners too much.

Neither Google nor Samsung is interested in selling this new “Nexus Experience” smartphone, or even pushing SGS4 GE to the developers. Heck, they didn’t care enough to include this Galaxy S4 among many Google I/O freebies…

Image credit: TheVerge

• Galaxy S4 Google Edition gets Samsung out of Nexus phone program, for early Android access run-around
• Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab and mystery Samsung GT-i9010 (Google Nexus Two/S?) hit the FCC
• Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus (HSPA version) released via Google Play for only $399
• Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won’t get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations
• Motorola posts Ice Cream Sandwich timeline, no device will be updated before April

It won’t be a major update, bringing FM radio support, support for CalDAV and CardDAV sync protocols (for Google services), while Data Sense will be “available for more carriers to offer”. In addition, hundreds of other tiny enhancements should be included. All these will already be on the Lumia 925 when it hits the market around the world (in June).

Microsoft didn’t say if there are going to be particular WP8 handsets to get the new update first, so we’ll assume it’s going to be rolled-out to all devices at about the same time. Although maybe Nokia’s Lumias will be favored. We’ll see.

Via Windows Phone Blog

• Windows Phone 8 will be released in October, says Nokia’s Stephen Elop
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update coming in H2 2011 with HTML5 support?
• Microsoft: Windows Phone 7.8 will be launched in 2013
• Windows Phone 7.8 to be available soon. Nokia Lumia 510 already runs it (video)
• Some Nokia Lumia 800 phones have battery issues, software update coming soon

Interestingly, the Droid DNA has never been free before. This despite the fact that third party retailers such as Amazon are used to heavily discounting smartphones, and some of those reach the ‘free’ price point pretty quickly. Not the Droid DNA, though.

But now you can get it for $0 if you follow these simple instructions. First, go to this website (Verizon’s dedicated page for this campaign). Then, enter your email address. Check your email a few minutes later, and you should have received a special promo code from Big Red. Finally, go to Verizon’s Droid DNA website, add it to your cart, and enter that promo code. The result? A free HTC Droid DNA.

One thing you need to keep in mind though – this special offer is only going to be available until May 21. So if you feel like you ought to take advantage of it, do so soon.

• Verizon Motorola Droid Bionic gets its own page ahead of the summer release
• Verizon HTC Incredible now official as “Droid Incredible by HTC”. April 29 seems to be the launch date
• T-Mobile HTC Radar 4G now free for a limited time
• Motorola Droid X now free at Dell (with new Verizon contract)
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid X now free at Amazon