TechnoBull UK

Our new blog...

2012-10-25T23:27:00.000+01:00

TechnoBull has now moved to a new WordPress hosted blog, our new blog will be located at technobulluk.wordpress.com

The content we post will remain the same, I see this move essential for TechnoBull's expansion and this new blog will allow me to present posts better and provide a more organised platform to build upon.

Huawei Y300 unveiled

2012-10-12T22:36:00.000+01:00

Huawei's newest budget droid brings together Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean", a dual-core processor and a 4-inch display. The phone is expect to be sold at around $250/£190 which is awesome value for money. Design wise the device is essentially a rectangle with rounded corners with three capacitive buttons below the display.

Specs, include a 4-inch WVGA resolution display (480x800), powered by a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 512MB of RAM. Camera's on the device haven't been specified, internal storage is at 4GB and can presumably be expanded by MicroSD card.

As the phone presents good value for money, I'd expect it to sell well in the UK and the US. Especially since it has the newest version of Android aboard and a dual-core processor which should do those who are into mobile gaming.

GT-i9260 Samsung Galaxy Express caught

2012-10-11T22:59:00.001+01:00

Remember when a leak gave us a model number for Samsung's upcoming Nexus device. Well, it seems the leak wasn't correct as the model number actually belongs to the Galaxy Express. An upcoming mid-range device.

The device packs a 4.65-inch screen with a resolution of 720x1280 (the same as the Galaxy Nexus's), powered by a dual-core clocked at 1.5GHz. An 8-megapixel camera is featured on the back of the device paired with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Internal storage is at 16GB and can be expanded by MicroSD card.

Personally, I love the design of the handset. Somehow reminds me of the Wave 2 which I also loved. The device could be available early next year but I wouldn't get your hopes up, pricing should be between £300-£350.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini goes official

2012-10-11T22:43:00.000+01:00

After being rumoured, the Galaxy S3 Mini has now been officially announced. The handset is essentially a budget version of the infamous Galaxy S3. The device features the same design, weighs 114.5g and is 9.85mm thick.

Specs wise, the device packs a 4-inch SuperAMOLED with 480x800 rsolution, Android 4.1 is onboard the device which runs on a ST-Ericsson dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz with 1GB of RAM. Camera's include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a VGA resolution front-facing camera for video calls. 8/16GB of internal storage is available and can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

The Galaxy S3 Mini is expected to be available sometime next month for a price of around £300. At that price point the device seems very expensive baring in mind the ZTE Grand X is available for £200 from Virgin Mobile.

LG Nexus spotted in the wild?

2012-10-10T21:41:00.002+01:00

The phone is display in the picture with a rather different to the usual design of LG's smartphones. It looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus but has a longer bezel at the bottom and the back doesn't have the plastic-y battery door.

The phone featured in the photo is a prototype, so the design covering the entirety of back won't be featured on the final product and thank god it won't, it doesn't look nice at all. However, the picture clearly displays that the phone will run Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" which is awesome.

We should see this device very soon and since my Nexus S will probably be incompatible with the next version of Android, this or one of the other Nexus phones seem a fitting upgrade.

"LG Nexus 4" spotted in CarPhoneWarehouse

2012-10-10T21:24:00.000+01:00

The inventory listing at the CarPhoneWarehouse has yet again leaked another device, this time the "LG Nexus 4". So far we know that there will be multiple Nexus devices but only the LG (due to this leak) and Samsung's (due to a previous leak) has been confirmed so far.

With that being said, what does the 4 mean? Well, LG's Nexus device is said to be based on the LG Optimus G with a 4.7-inch screen so it can't be referring to the screen size. Whatever it may mean, we shall find out pretty soon.

Acer Iconia Tab A210 being listed on multiple sites

2012-10-07T05:16:00.001+01:00

Even though Acer hasn't officially announced a release date for the Iconia Tab A210, Both AcerDirect and PixMania are listing the device as available. Pricing is £234 at AcerDirect and £273 at PixMania respectively.

For that price you get a 10.1-inch display with 800x1280 resolution, powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB of RAM and runs Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Only a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calls is offered by the device and internal storage is at 16GB but can be expanded by MicroSD card.

The Iconia Tab A210 is an all round great device that includes a very handy full sized USB port making data transferring easier. If you want this device, feel free to order it from one of the sites given above.

Google's Dan Morrill posts about "rumour sites"

2012-10-07T04:07:00.001+01:00

Since October has started, rumours about Nexus devices have increased drastically but no confirmation of anything has even been given by anyone. Well, today Google's own Dan Morrill posted on Google+ about "rumour sites" saying one thing about them.

He reacts by saying "LOL" which confirms absolutely nothing. However, don't for one second that this means nothing. What this could mean is that something is going to happen this month, I mean it's very coincidental that he posted about rumour sites the same month that a year ago the Galaxy Nexus was revealed.

What ever is happening, Dan is clearly showing that we must be pretty far off what is actually happening.

Is Samsung tying out smartphone prototypes with 3GB of RAM?

2012-10-07T03:29:00.002+01:00

Within the last year, We've seen more and more smartphones sporting 2GB of RAM which has made way for a better user experience. However a SamMobile tipster is reporting that Samsung is now testing phones with 3GB of RAM.

The tipster sent the image featured at the top of this post to SamMobile, it depicts what looks to be devices with "3Gb RAM" stickers on, not only that but they're also button-less which unlike the Galaxy Nexus has never been featured on a Samsung device to this day.

If this image is true, it looks like Samsung could be trying out new hardware for their future line up (inc. Galaxy SIV).

Alcatel reveals One Touch T10 tablet

2012-10-06T03:48:00.000+01:00

Within the last few hours, Alcatel has revealed an android 4.0 running budget tablet named the One Touch T10. The tablet -since it is aimed at being a budget device, sports low end specs but is ideal for people looking to try a tablet.

The tablet packs a 7-inch TFT display with a resolution of 480x800, powered by a single-core Rockchip (RK2918) processor clocked at 1GHz with 1GB of RAM. A front-facing VGA camera is offered and can be used for video calls. 4GB of internal storage is available and can also be expanded by MicroSD card.

Battery capacity is at 3000mAh which should see the device through a day or two (light usage). Pricing is expected to be around £98 which would work out at $156, at this point there has been no release date specified so keep your eyes peeled.

Android 4.2 and LG Optimus G Nexus.. (rumours)

2012-10-04T22:01:00.001+01:00

According to an anonymous tipster on Android and Me, Google will unveil a new version of Android being 4.2 bringing with it bug fixes and maybe new features (maybe multiple users on tablets) but will still be named "Jelly Bean".

Not only that but LG will then go on to announce the Optimus G Nexus or announce the Optimus G as a Nexus device. I'll explain, Google may not be releasing an independent Nexus device like the Nexus One, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus were but they are instead allowing companies to make a Nexus device but only if they follow certain requirements.

So for example, Samsung could make the Galaxy S4 device a Nexus phone (doubtful) by fulfilling the requirements that Google set. This would also mean that the devices that do get this certification get updates direct from Google, which is a lot faster than most if not all manufacturers/carriers.

Galaxy Nexus 2 & 32GB Nexus 7 spotted in CPW inventory...

2012-10-04T00:41:00.001+01:00

We've had a few leaks involving the Galaxy Nexus 2 which looks to be a follow up to last year's Galaxy Nexus and today's discovery may actually confirm it's existence.

You can see in image that the CarPhoneWarehouse have an accessory for the upcoming Galaxy Nexus 2 (exact words are Nexus 2). Also featured in this leak is a 32GB version of the Nexus 7 which will most certainly be a welcomed addition since the Nexus 7 doesn't feature a MicroSD slot.

However, the accessory may be referring to the Nexus S (as it is the 2nd Nexus smartphone), or an additional accessory for the original Galaxy Nexus. In other words, don't rely on this leaks delivering.

HTC One X+ made official!

2012-10-02T18:57:00.000+01:00

Today, HTC has announced a follow up to their flagship One X device, named the One X+ it features a fast processor, bigger battery and Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" out of the box with HTC's new version of Sense (4+). This comes a day after a leak revealed all of the specs which spoiled this smartphones unveiling for me.

The new One X+features the same 4.7-inch SuperLCD2 display with a resolution of 720x1280, powered by a faster Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at a mighty 1.7GHz (up from 1.5GHz) paired with a gig of RAM. Camera's include the original 8-megapixel rear-facing camera but the front-facing camera has been upgraded to 1.6-megapixel. 32GB or 64GB of storage is offered but can't be expanded.

Pricing is at £479.99 on PAYG from O2 in the UK, the handset should be released in time for the holiday season, contract details haven't been released as of now.

BlackBerry 10 running "Aristo" specs leaks...

2012-10-01T23:31:00.001+01:00

After yesterdays leak of the BlackBerry "Laguna" comes another specs leak of another BlackBerry 10 device. This time named the Aristo which is part of the A-Series devices and looks to be a global device and not for any specific carrier (like the Laguna). The specs of this bad boy are nothing to frown about.

Specs include a 4.65-inch OLED display with a resolution of 720x1280, powered by Qualcomm's S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM. Camera's include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. 16GB of internal storage is on offer but that can abe expanded by means of a MicroSD card.

Battery capacity is at 2,800mAh which should really make sure the device gets through a day or two. As I've said with the Laguna, there is only specs at the moment which would make me estimate that the device may be on sale within the next 6 months (I may be wrong).

BB10 sporting BlackBerry Laguna leaked, headed for Verizon...

2012-10-01T12:27:00.000+01:00

BlackBerry 10 is almost upon us, I'm very excited to try it and see how well it does. Today's leak gives us details on a BB10 running device named the Laguna, the devices specs have leaked but no pictures of it, yet.

Specs include a 4.2-inch display with a unusual 768x1280 resolution, the device will be powered by Qualcomm's dual-core S4 processor (MSM8960) paired with 1GB of RAM. Camera's on the device include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video calling.There's 16GB of internal storage on offer but that can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

Since there is only specs leaked at this moment, I'd expect to see the device in 4-6 months. Price will depend on the aesthetics of the phone therefore made me unable to come up with an estimate.

HTC One X+ discovered in O2 brochure...

2012-09-27T23:45:00.002+01:00

The HTC One X was a great phone but evidently it didn't sell well, due to the anticipation of the Samsung Galaxy S3. HTC has been readying a plus version of the device and this device looks to have been spotted in an O2 brochure. The phone is pictured with specs and pricing.

Specs include a 4.7-inch SuperLCD display with 720p resolution (720x1280), powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz (up from 1.5GHz) with 1GB of RAM which will run the latest version of Android being 4.1 "Jelly Bean". Camera's include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel camera for video calls. The One X+ gets a bump up in internal storage now being 64GB whether it is expandable or not has yet to be specified.

The price for the device is £479.99 on PAYG and is said to be "coming soon", how soon we don't know but expect it in the coming months for the holiday season.

LG unveils Optimus Vu II...

2012-09-27T14:54:00.002+01:00

With the Samsung Galaxy Note II becoming available around the world, LG has unveiled their second generation phablet, the Optimus Vu II. Design wise, the Vu II retains the 5-inch 4:3 ratio display but gains, wait, looses some bezel to make the phone smaller.

Specs wise, as I've said the Vu II retains it's 5-inch display with a unusual 4:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 768x1280, the Vu II gains some horsepower from Qualcomm's S4 Pro quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM. Camera's on the device include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. Internal memory hasn't been specified but expect it to be around 16GB.

The phone will be available in Black, White and Pink and be priced at 966,900 won (around £628) but no officially pricing or release date has been stated.

China bound Nokia Lumia 510 spotted...

2012-09-21T23:22:00.000+01:00

Looks like Nokia is preparing a low-end device for China, the device seen above is said to be named the Lumia 510 and run Windows Phone 7.8. Design wise, the phones front looks similar to the HTC 7 Mozart and the back is minimalistic with the camera, Nokia branding and drilled holes being the only aesthetic features.

Specs wise, the device will house a 4-inch display with WVGA resoution (480x800), powered by a single-core processor clocked at 800MHz with 256MB of RAM. Camera's include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera but no front-facing camera. No details have been leaked about the internal storage however, the storage won't be expandable due to WP7.8 constraints.

As ever, leaks are leaks and some aren't accurate so don't rely on this leak delivering. When the device does eventually get announced I'd say it'll be priced around £120-£165.

ZTE announces Blade 3...

2012-09-21T03:05:00.000+01:00

ZTE has announced the third iteration of the company's affordable Blade series, the series has so far offered low-end specs to pursue a low price. However, the Blade 3 offers a bigger screen and larger internal storage than it's predecessor. The device also offers 4 capacitive buttons rather than the 3 physical buttons offered before.

The Blade 3 packs a 4-inch display with WVGA resolution (480x800), powered by a Qualcomm single-core processor clocked at 1GHz with 512MB of RAM which runs Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Camera's include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera but no front-facing camera. 4GB of internal storage is offered and can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

The handset will make it's way to the UK likely under the name Orange San Francisco 3 but exact dates are unknown but once the device does hit the UK it should be price around £110-£150.

Asus PadFone to launch on 16th October...

2012-09-21T00:35:00.000+01:00

Three days ago, we bought you news of an Asus PadFone successor sporting a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM running the second from newest Android OS "Ice Cream Sandwich". Now invites are being sent out for an event that takes place simultaneously at Milan and Taipei on the 16th of October suggesting that the Asus PadFone 2 will be revealed at the event.

This is great news for those people who wish the original Asus PadFone had a better processor, the tablet dock for the phone may be updated, offering a higher 1200x1920 screen resolution (same as TF700 Infinity). The keyboard will undoubtedly be the same old but efficient qwerty keyboard.

New York: HTC announces 8X...

2012-09-19T22:32:00.000+01:00

HTC has announced the 8X at their event in New York, the Windows Phone 8 running handset features some impressive specs but nothing new.

The phone packs a 4.3-inch SuperLCD2 display with 720p resolution (720x1280), powered by Qualcomm's S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM which runs Windows Phone 8. Camera's include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera paired with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. Internal storage is at 16GB and can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

Similarly, The device has been said to be available in November but no price has been given, I'd estimate a price of £290-£340.

UPDATE: The price of the handset is £399 from Unlocked Mobiles

New York: HTC announces 8S...

2012-09-19T22:21:00.002+01:00

Today, HTC has announced a new Windows Phone 8 handset at their event in New York, the handset named the HTC 8S features relatively good specs which includes Beats audio enhancement.

Specs? We got them! The 8S packs a 4-inch SuperLCD display with WVGA resolution, powered by Qualcomm's S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz with 1GB of RAM which runs Windows Phone 8. Camera's on the device includes a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera but no front-facing camera. Internal storage is at 4GB but can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

Availability hasn't been announced yet, expect to see this device in a month or so (my estimate) for about a price of £210-£270.

UPDATE: The price of the handset is £225 from Unlocked Mobiles

Intel invades the Motorola RAZR i...

2012-09-18T21:55:00.000+01:00

Today, Motorola has announced the U.K. version of the RAZR M dubbed the RAZR i, however all is not normal. The handset features Intel's Atom processor clocked at a mighty 2GHz which correct me if I'm wrong, has never been seen in a un-rooted smartphone before.

All of the specs includes the original Razr M's 4.3-inch SuperAMOLED Advanced display with qHD (540x960) resolution, powered by Intel's Atom single-core processor clocked at 2GHz with 1GB of RAM which runs Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Camera's include a 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that starts up in less than 1 second and a VGA resolution front-facing camera for video calls. Internal storage is at 8GB but can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

The handset is available at Expansys for pre-order for a price of £344.99. Price isn't to bad for the specs and the chance to (correct me if I'm wrong) own the first phone with a 2GHz clock speed.

Datawind unleashes 4 gusts of UbiSlate tablets...

2012-09-17T20:34:00.000+01:00

Datawind -A U.K. based company, isn't very well known to the market. However. they have been behind the Indian government with the mission to provide India's schools with tablets for education. The result? A tablet with a 1GHz processor and Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" for $55.

There are four models, all provide 7-inch displays with 7Ci and 7C+ being capacitive and 7Ri and 7R+ being resistive. All models have a single-core processor clocked at 1GHz with 512MB of RAM which runs Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". There's only one camera on all devices, a VGA resolution front-facing camera for video calls. Internal storage is at 4GB but can be expanded by MicroSD card (up to 32GB).

For the range, prices are expected to start at Rs. 2,999 for the 7Ri model and end at Rs. 4,999 for the 7C+.
No dates have been announced yet but expect them soon.

Asus PadFone successor to come with quad-core and 2GB of RAM?

2012-09-17T19:53:00.001+01:00

Remember that phone that turned into a tablet that turned into a netbook? Yes, the Asus PadFone! Well, it's successor may already be in development. Benchmarks have shown up sporting the "PadFone 2" name along with some specs including a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM running Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich".

The details are very credible since the last PadFone sported a dual-core Qualcomm processor therefore a quad-core processor would be an obvious upgrade to the device. Bare in mind, the actual device is yet to be announced so don't rely on these details delivering.