Pause for your latest Galaxy S IV news break ahead of the March 14th unveiling: Samsung’s Mobile US Twitter account has posted this picture showing what appears to be a smartphone (shocker!) — that matches our existing Galaxy S III 1:1 minus the earpiece and with a slightly shifted logo FWIW — shrouded in shadow. We’ll understand if you’ve been overtaken by awe and need a moment, Jeremy certainly seemed impressed.

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Source: Samsung Mobile US (Twitter)

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The BBC’s Cyrus Saihan has just hit us with the news that iPlayer will soon be available on Windows Phones in the UK, following a deal with Microsoft. Technically speaking, it’ll be a web-based shortcut, but it sounds like it should function much like a regular app: it’ll be available from the Windows Phone Store and run on WP 7.5 and 8 handsets with its own live tile. According to the BBC’s press office, which seems to be a bit more specific with its time frames, the service should become available within the “next few months”. Sure, there have been false starts in the past, and various technical hiccups that have made it difficult for the Beeb to support Microsoft’s mobile OS, but this time — finally — it’s for real.

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Source: BBC

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A new job listing over at Microsoft has revealed when the outfit is planning to serve up the next iteration of its smartphone OS. According to the post, work on the current version is being finished up and they’re “getting ready for our next release targeting the holiday of this year.” Presumably, the update will be part of the wider Blue umbrella of tweaks for Windows. Though a vague “next release” doesn’t offer any details in terms of features, it’s likely the OS will carry a significant set of changes as the team in need of a developer is responsible for the Start screen experience, the shell, first party apps and more.

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Via: WMPoweruser

Source: Microsoft

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Bad news travels fast, so by now many US phone buyers ought to know about this country’s depressing u-turn on phone unlocking. The latest policy — which makes it illegal to unlock a phone without a carrier’s permission — looks to be set in stone for at least three years, but that isn’t stopping people in high places from voicing serious reservations about it. The latest to pipe up is FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who told TechCrunch that the “ban raises competition concerns” and “innovation concerns.” Genachowski said the FCC will look at whether it “can and should enable consumers to use unlocked phones” but he also admitted he isn’t sure what kind of authority he has over the issue. It all feels a bit late in the day, frankly, especially when the FCC appears to have largely stood aside while the unlocking policy was being hammered out.

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Source: TechCrunch

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Sky already supplies fixed phone line and broadband on top of its TV services in the UK, but it’s just announced it’ll be gaining a few more customers. The company has shaken hands with Telefonica UK to purchase the latter’s broadband and phone line business provided by the consumer-facing O2 and BE brands. As you would imagine, big bucks will change hands: Sky plans to fork over £180 million (around $ 273 million) right off the bat, and will write a cheque for up to a further £20 million (circa $ 30 million) “dependent upon the successful delivery and completion of the customer migration process by Telefonica UK.” Regulators will need to give the deal the thumbs up before it’s official, but if and when that happens, Sky will become the second biggest ISP in the UK after adding over 500,000 new customers to its books. Should everything progress as planned, the buyout will be completed by the end of April, which gives Rupert Murdoch just enough time to carry out the vault extension he’ll need.

Update: If you’re worried this transaction will impact anything you’re currently signed up to, you can probably rest easy. O2 has tweeted one of our editors to report “there will be no material change to a customer’s broadband service and no fundamental contract change.”

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Via: GigaOM

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Devices like the Kindle are admittedly limited in what they can do, but for their intended goals they are great devices. On top of the fact that users can read for hours without getting eye strain, they can comfortably read in direct sunlight when using any e-ink device.

Perhaps the best feature, though, is the battery life. The Kindle can last as long as 10 days before it needs to recharge. In an industry where battery life is always expressed in terms of hours, e-ink devices are the uniquely identifiable winners in this category. Just imagine if there was a smartphone that could boast the same kind of lasting power…

Chinese manufacturer Onyx International is working on exactly that. The company is reportedly developing an Android-powered phone that would use the same kind of easy-on-the-eyes, long-lasting, see-it-to-believe-it technology that is used in e-readers today.

Obviously the limitations of e-ink will be magnified on something as versatile as a smartphone, but would you give up some of the very powerful features that have become commonplace in smartphones, in exchange for a battery that can last for an entire week?

Onyx hopes there are enough of you who would answer “yes” to that question to make its venture profitable. The company is apparently aiming for a launch some time next year, though it isn’t clear if it is targeting only the Asian market or it is has designs on a wider target.

via ARM Devices

Geek.com » Android

The rumors of the basic cellphone’s death have been greatly exaggerated — it’s just finding niches to hide in while smartphones take over the mainstream. Witness today’s launch of the Kyocera DuraPro on US Cellular. Although it’s just a flip phone, it meets the US military’s 810G specs for dust, shock, temperature and water resistance, all of which help it survive a rough workplace or an accidental splash at the beach. That and a loud speakerphone are the real highlights, although you will get microSD support and a 3.2-megapixel camera for your trouble. Do the math before you pick up a DuraPro in-store on February 28th, though. At $ 100 on contract after a $ 50 rebate, it’s carrying smartphone-level pricing that could steer some buyers away from its retro rugged chic.

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Source: US Cellular

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Just because Rhapsody is an old hand at online music doesn’t mean it has to lag behind: the company just posted a new version of its app tailored to Windows Phone 8 listeners. Besides the native OS tie-ins, it adds offline downloads and access to the personalized My Music section. Windows Phone-focused listeners who’ve stuck to Rhapsody’s $ 10-plus service through thick and thin — or just aren’t wedded to options from Microsoft, Nokia and Spotify — can hit the source for the new jukebox.

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Via: VentureBeat

Source: Windows Phone Store

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Not ready to hand over Rs 21,500 (about $ 400) for a Samsung Galaxy Grand in India? Xolo seems to be counting on it, at least according to the company’s comprehensive PowerPoint — the vehicle of choice for this week’s A1000 smartphone launch. The Rs 14,999 (about $ 275) Jelly Bean handset packs specs similar to those offered with the Samsung flavor, such as an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.2MP shooter on the front, a dual-core 1GHz MT 6577 processor, one gig of RAM and a 2,100 mAh battery pack. Both smartphones include 5-inch displays, though the A1000 offers a 720p IPS panel, compared to an 800 x 480 TFT display on the Galaxy. There’s 4GB of built-in storage (expandable to 32GB), Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n and compatibility with 900/1800MHz GSM bands, along with 2100MHz HSPA. Sound like a perfect fit? Folks in India should be able to pick one up beginning today.

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Source: Xolo

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So long, Symbian. Nestled away in the company’s financial announcement this morning, Nokia confirmed that its pixel-punching 808 PureView phone will be the last release powered by the increasingly creaky Symbian OS. In no uncertain terms:

“The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia.”

The company still managed to sell a total of 2.2 million Symbian devices during the last quarter, half the number of Windows Phone 8 devices shifted in the same period — presumably thanks, in some way, to that as-yet unparalleled PureView camera sensor. We’ll be pouring one out (and capturing it in 38 megapixels) if you need us.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Nokia (PDF)

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