Samsung Galaxy Note III 5.68-Inch Screen Front Panel Leaked

Next week, Samsung should officially introduce its next member of the Galaxy Note family of large smartphones, one that should pack a 5.7-inch touchscreen display, the latest reports on the matter suggest.

The handset, supposedly called Galaxy Note III, was rumored before to arrive on the market with such a display on the front, but no official confirmation on it has been provided as of now, and some even suggested that it could feature a 6-inch screen. However, what appears to be the handset’s front panel has emerged online in a series of leaked photos over at Sonny Dickson, suggesting that Samsung might have indeed packed it with a 5.68-inch screen.

The phone might sport a design similar to the one present on Galaxy S4, which does not come too much as a surprise, though it should feature a slimmer border, at only 2.2 mm, as mobilesyrup notes.

Samsung Galaxy Note III front panel
Images credits to Sonny Dickson

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Sony to Confirms Honami’s Xperia Z1 Name

On September 4, Japanese mobile phone maker Sony Mobile is expected to make official a new smartphone in the popular Xperia lineup, one that has been long rumored to feature the codename of Honami, and which might be called Xperia Z1 in the end.

The name has emerged online a few times before, and it appears to have been confirmed by a post on the company’s official blog, which features the headline of “3…2…what comes next?” “Think you know what a smartphone can do? It’s time to think again. Something new, something extraordinary is on the way from Sony. #Sept4 #bestofSony,” the blog post reads.

Furthermore, it links to the video teaser that Sony Mobile has published for the upcoming mobile phone not long ago, which provided us with a better look at some of the design elements that the new device will sport when launched.

Sony Honami teaser
Image credits to Youtube

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Microsoft Changes the RTM Concept for Windows 8.1

Just as rumored, Microsoft is set to continue work on Windows 8.1 even though the operating system has reached RTM, in an attempt to provide a greatly improved experience to early adopters.

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc has confirmed in a short tweet that new updates will be delivered to partners, while the company is working on a new set of updates to be delivered to end users ahead of the October launch. “RTM is different now as we ship updates faster for Windows, meant for partners while we refine for customers for GA,” he said on Twitter.

According to some previous reports, Microsoft wants to deliver the latest Windows 8.1 updates to end users three days before general availability via the built-in Windows Update feature. The public launch of the OS update will take place on October 18, while Windows 8 users will be allowed to download it free of charge from the Store one day earlier.

The Start button is back, but it only gets users to the Start screen
Image credits to Microsoft

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Microsoft Officially Announces Windows 8.1 RTM

Redmond has finally confirmed that Windows 8.1 reached RTM, revealing that OEMs are getting the operating system as we speak.

Windows 8.1 is projected to be officially unveiled on October 18, while Windows 8 adopters will be allowed to download it free of charge from the Store. MSDN and TechNet subscribers will get it on October 18 as well. The operating system is set to bring lots of changes to the rather disappointing Windows 8, including a Start button that’s supposed to make the whole platform a lot more familiar for users migrating from an older platform, such as Windows XP, Vista, or 7. Even though it’s back, the Start button does not launch a Start Menu, but instead it launches the Start screen that has often been criticized by Windows 8 adopters. Microsoft claims that the Start screen is a very helpful replacement for the standard menu, pretty much because it shows all the apps on the screen and lets you initiate a search by simply starting typing.

At the same time, Microsoft is also expecting Windows 8.1 to spawn a completely new wave of touchscreen devices, including hybrids, tablets, and notebooks, all of which are supposed to bring the key features of the operating system in the spotlight. Word is that the company is even working on the second-generation Surface tablet that could be unveiled in October, together with the operating system. “Windows 8.1 continues the vision we began with Windows 8 and is an example of our commitment to continuous innovation and improvement for our customers,” Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc said in a public announcement in mid-August. Windows RT will also be improved as part of the 8.1 update cycle, so tablets running the operating system will get new Start screen customization options, better touch support, new live tile sizes and enhanced performance in portrait mode, a feature specifically aimed at tablets equipped with smaller screens.

The Start button is back, but it only gets users to the Start screen
Image credits to Microsoft

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Samsung Starts Teasing BBM as Coming Soon to Galaxy Handsets

The popular BlackBerry Messenger service is finally getting ready to make its way to the owners of Android devices, and Samsung has already started to promote it as landing on its Galaxy smartphones first.

For the time being, Samsung appears to be the only Android phone maker to have officially confirmed plans to support BlackBerry’s Messenger (BBM) on its devices, though other handsets also will, as SammyHub notes. Samsung has started to tease the upcoming availability of BBM on Galaxy smartphones, on Facebook, as the official page of Samsung Ghana shows, and also on YouTube, in a video that CrackBerry found on Samsung Ghana's YouTube account, but which was already removed.

When the application arrives, Galaxy users out there will be provided with access to the BBM social network, as well as with the possibility to engage in BBM chats, multi-person chats, and to join BBM Groups.

Samsung teases BBM for Galaxy smartphones
Image credits to Youtube

Samsung teases BBM for Galaxy smartphones
Image credits to Samsung Ghana Facebook Page

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