Sony Xperia Odin to Be Launched as Sony Xperia X L35h

Japanese mobile phone maker Sony Mobile is expected to make its long rumored Odin smartphone available for purchase in early 2013 as Xperia X (model number L35h), the latest reports on the matter suggest.

The handset will accompany another device from the manufacturer, codenamed Yuga and said to hit shelves as Xperia Z. However, while Xperia Z is expected only in China and Taiwan (rumored to arrive on shelves in mid-January), in addition to Japan, Xperia X should be released on the international market, rumor has it.

It will sport a 5-inch 1080p Full HD IPS display, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera on the back, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on top. What is uncertain at the moment is whether the two smartphones will be launched simultaneously or not. Stay tuned for more on this.

Sony to launch Odin as Xperia X
Image credits to ePrice

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Oppo Ulike 2 Features 5MP Front Camera Arrives in China for $370/€280

We reported about a month ago on the upcoming availability of the first smartphone to feature a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, the Oppo Ulike 2.

It looks like, after four weeks, the handset went on sale in China for only $370 (€280) outright. According to Engadget, the smartphone ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system out of the box. Aimed at women, Oppo Ulike 2 sports a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and is powered by a dual-core processor.

It also packs 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, which cannot be further expanded as the device lacks microSD card slot. The Ulike 2 features a more than decent 4.5-inch qHD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 960 x 540 pixels resolution, along with various personalization features that makes it more tempting to women.

Oppo Ulike 2
Image credits to Engadget

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ZTE Nubia Z5 Now Official, Arrives in China for $554/€418

Chinese mobile phone maker ZTE has finally made its Nubia Z5 high-end smartphone official, with its 5-inch 1080p touchscreen (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution) that can deliver a 443ppi pixel density.

The new device was launched in China alone for the time being, with a price tag of 3,456 yuan (around $554 / €418). The phone can be seen on this page on ZTE's official Nubia website. In addition to the high-end display, the smartphone also features powerful hardware inside, including a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, which is complemented by 2GB of RAM. Furthermore, ZTE packed the new handset with 32GB of internal memory, as well as with Dolby sound technology, and free backup of data on a private cloud service. On the back, the new mobile phone features a 13-megapixel photo snapper, with LED flash, support for full HD video recording and with other high-end imaging capabilities (such as panoramic and continuous shooting). At the same time, the handset sports a 2-megapixel camera on the front, which should prove a great option when it comes to making video calls while on the go.

The smartphone also comes to the market with a 2,300 mAh battery inside, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Magnetometer and other sensors, while also packing a wide range of management and security features coming from ZTE themselves. ZTE Nubia Z5 measures 138mm x 68.8mm x 7.6mm (5.43 x 2.71 x 0.3 inches) and weighs 126 grams (4.44 ounces), making it one of the slimmest 5-inch devices in the world. Announced as ZTE’s flagship handset for the season, the Nubia Z5 arrives on the market with Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform loaded on top. Unfortunately, ZTE did not unveil plans to make the phone available for purchase in other markets around the world in addition to China, and it might never bring it to shelves in the United States, although previous rumors suggested it might do so.

ZTE Nubia Z5
Images credits to ZTE

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Rumor: Samsung Plan New GT-I9500 Flagship Device

Following the release of a nice range of high-end devices this year, Samsung is rumored to plan the launch of new such smartphones in 2013, some of which might be based on the Tizen OS, in addition to running under Google’s Android platform.

One such smartphone is said to feature the model number GT-I9500, and to be accompanied by a GT-I9505 variant, which might sport 4G LTE connectivity. Samsung i9500 is the developer model that the handset vendor has made available with Tizen on board, and it seems that it might become commercially available soon.

According to SamMobile, there is also the possibility that Samsung will load Android on this new phone, and that it might release it as a successor for its Galaxy S III handset (which might not be launched as Galaxy S IV, it seems).

Samsung logo
Image credits to Samsung

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BlackBerry Remember, The BlackBerry 10 Task Manager

BlackBerry 10, the next major mobile operating system release from Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion, is expected to arrive on devices with a new task manager packed inside, called BlackBerry “Remember.”

It will provide users with the possibility to easily capture and organize their content, so that they would be able to choose what to do next in no time. The task manager will provide users with the possibility to set tasks and goals from anywhere on the device, and to easily track them to completion. Furthermore, it will also provide syncing of tasks with Microsoft Outlook calendar.

Previously, the app was also said to arrive on devices with deep integration with Evernote, yet the leaked screenshot above – available courtesy of CrackBerry’s forums (via berryreview) – does not mention it. Keep an eye on this space for more on the matter.

BlackBerry 10 Remember Task Manager
Image credits to CrackBerry via BerryReview

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BlackBerry 10 Confirmed to Sport BBM Video Capabilities

One of the new features that Research In Motion’s BlackBerry 10 operating system will arrive on devices with will be support for video chatting in BlackBerry Messenger, it seems.

The feature was rumored not too long ago, and has been recently confirmed in a leaked internal doc that emerged over at CrackBerry. Users will be able switch to a video call while chatting with their friends in the BBM list, for “improved collaboration and share a presentation or spreadsheet instantly to help get the message across more clearly,” said document unveiled.

Those who had the chance to take the BBM Voice feature in the new BBM 7 for a spin will enjoy a similar experience when BBM Video will be available, it seems. All the necessary info on this should become official on January 30, 2013, when BlackBerry 10 is launched, so stay tuned to learn more on it.

Blackberry 10
Image credits to RIM

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