LG Nexus 5 Full Specs and Images Leak via Service Manual

Good news for those who are anxiously waiting for the reveal of the next Nexus smartphone, as a purported service manual has just leaked online.

The folks over at AndroidPolice managed to get their hands on what appears to be an internal service manual for the LG-D821, courtesy to an anonymous tipster. The said manual contains an image of the upcoming Nexus 5, which we already know will be manufactured by South Korean company LG. Since LG requested AndroidPolice to take down the manual and the images, we can safely assume that these are legit. With less than a month until Google is expected to announce the Nexus 5, it's hard to believe LG will be able to change anything that's been listed in this manual. Another thing that's not mentioned in the leaked manual is the version of Android Nexus 5 will be shipped with, but I think it's safe to say it will be the first smartphone powered by Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

That being said, let's see how powerful the Nexus 5 will look like in comparison with its rivals. First of all, according to this manual, the high-end smartphone will boast a 4.95-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution. In addition, it will pack a powerful 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of internal memory. The bad news is the manual has no mentions of Nexus 5 featuring microSD card slot for memory expansion and from the previous experiences we know that for some reasons Google prefers its own branded devices without this feature.

On the back, the Nexus 5 will sport an 8-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), while in the front there's a secondary 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. The phone will feature wireless charging, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and both CDMA and LTE support. Last but not least, Nexus 5 will accept microSIM cards and will be packed with the following sensors and ports: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, proximity/ambient Light, pressure, HDMI out via Slimport and Notification light.

LG Nexus 5
Image credits to LG D-821 internal manual

Read more »

Samsung SHV-E470S (Galaxy S4 Active with Snapdragon 800) Emerges at Wi-Fi Alliance

A new smartphone from the South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung has received the necessary approvals from the Wi-Fi Alliance, namely Samsung SHV-E470S.

The new mobile phone is said to be none other than the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active with a Snapdragon 800 processor packed inside. For those out of the loop, we should note that the Galaxy S4 Active powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor is expected to become available for purchase in South Korea in the not too distant future, as GSMInsider notes.

The smartphone should be able to provide users with increased performance capabilities when compared to the original version of the device, courtesy of the more powerful processor. The rest of the handset’s hardware specs should remain the same, though it’s yet uncertain when exactly the device will hit shelves in Samsung’s homeland market.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
Image credits to Samsung

Read more »

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Officially Unveiled

Samsung has just released its Galaxy Note 3 phablet in Asia, but unlike the international version of the smartphone this one supports dual-SIM capability.

Another good news is the fact that this particular model is not region locked, so those who purchase it can carry it around anywhere in the world and still be able to use it without having to change the SIM with one from a local carrier. As GSMArena points out, the dual-SIM version of Galaxy Note 3 is slightly more expensive than the single-SIM model, so those who want to grab the former will have to come up with no less than €735 ($995) upfront. Fortunately, the price gap between the two devices is not that big, as the international Galaxy Note 3 is now available for purchase in most countries for around €700 ($950) outright.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with dual-SIM support is currently selling in China, but it will soon be released in additional Asian countries by the end of the year. Europeans who wish to grab the dual-SIM Galaxy Note 3 might want to know the smartphone ships with a special ROM that replaces some of the common features available in the rest of the world (i.e. Baidu instead of Google). If that's not a problem for you, the Galaxy Note 3 dual-SIM makes much more sense for those who travel a lot, as it can take two SIM cards and is not region locked.

It is also worth mentioning the dual-SIM Galaxy Note 3 (N9002)is equipped with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset that accommodates a quad-core processor clocked at 2.3 GHz, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM. The rest of dual-SIM Galaxy Note 3's specs are similar to that of the single-SIM version, including the huge 5.7-inch display and the enhanced 13-megapixel rear-facing camera.

Dual-SIM Galaxy Note 3
Image credits to Zing News

Read more »

No New Symbian and Meego Apps/Updates in Nokia Store After January 1, 2014

Nokia has announced developers of Symbian and Meego applications that it will no longer accept new entries and updates for existing software in the Nokia Store starting with January 1, 2014.

The handset vendor announced its new plans in an email sent to all developers out there, though it comes as a big surprise that updates won’t be allowed either. After all, as AllAboutSymbian notes, the company said before that it would offer support for Symbian until 2016, and the availability of app updates would have been a part of this commitment. Just as before, Nokia reiterated its focus on the Asha and Windows Phone platforms in the aforementioned message to the developer community. “With the growing business opportunities available on the Asha and Windows Phone platforms, we have been reviewing our developer content programs to see how we can maximize our support to you, our developers,” the company said. “As a result of this review, we have decided to focus our support and investment in new content toward Asha and Windows Phone. Over the next few months we will be transitioning our active developer support away from Symbian and MeeGo.”

The handset vendor also announced that all Symbian and MeeGo content currently available in Nokia Store would still be accessible to users moving forth, despite the fact that no new entries and updates will be allowed. Furthermore, developers with paid applications will continue to receive payouts for their content, the company also announced. “However, starting January 1, 2014, you will no longer be able to publish any new content or update existing content for Symbian and MeeGo,” Nokia said in the aforementioned email. At the same time, Nokia took the time to encourage developers to build applications for Asha and Windows Phone, so that they would continue to engage with the Nokia user base.

Both developers and users will be disappointed by Nokia’s decision, that’s for sure. However, as AllAboutSymbian notes, developers have already started to publish apps on their own sites, and many more are expected to do so, especially following the company’s announcement.

Nokia will accept no new Symbian and Meego apps after January 1, 2014
Image credits to Nokia

Read more »

Eurocom Racer 3W Mobile Workstation Series

Eurocom has just updated its mobile workstation portfolio today with the addition of the Racer 3W line, created to support the highest demands of the goal-oriented professionals today.

Eurocom President Mark Bialic commented on the unveiling, saying that “The Eurocom Racer 3W is the best professional grade, entry level Mobile Workstation on the market, it has the best features, the most performance and quality and the right price.” These laptops were built to be used by professionals who are always in need of powerful configurations to solve their work assignments on the go. There are multiple models in the launched line, with screen sizes ranging between 15.6 and 17.3 inches, and with resolutions going as far as 1920 x 1080.

Eurocom has packed inside the devices Intel Core i7-4930MX processors and Nvidia Quadro K5100M graphics (options range between K1000M, K2000M, K3000M, K3100M, K4100M, and K5100M) to support the most complex professional applications. Eurocom provides a safe net for users to back up their most important files, with the Racer 3W supporting up to 4 drives. Customers looking to purchase the Racer 3W can choose the right configuration to suit their needs and budget, as Eurocom provides a lot of doable options for portability and elevated work efficiency.

Eurocom adds new workstations
Image credits to Eurocom

Read more »