Sony Xperia Z1s - Xperia Z1 Compact Review and specification

A pared-down version of the flagship Sony Xperia Z1s, the new Compact is, as the name suggests, a smaller version albeit one that doesn't compromise on hardware.

While the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and the HTC One Mini don't quite live up to the high standards set by their range-topping brethren, Sony hopes that Z1 Compact will offer an alternative to its top-tier handset without compromising on specs.

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 : Review

Samsung has launched the significantly improved iteration of its Galaxy Grand dubbed Grand 2 in India. The smartphone gets a larger and better display, improved chipset and more. Without giving a concrete price tag, Samsung says it will be available between Rs 22,990 and Rs 24,990 in January. Let’s take a closer look at its specifications.

Vertu launches new luxury handset smartphone

The handmade Constellation puts build quality and exclusivity above internal specifications in order to justify its $6000 price tag.

Once upon a time, the Vertu phone was the epitome of smartphone luxury and desirability, thanks to its 24/7 concierge hotline, which essentially made it an American Express black card that could make phone calls. As such, just like the BlackBerry for businessmen, it quickly became the must-have gadget for socialites and sports stars alike. It might not have had the best camera or the richest display but where most handsets featured plastics, Vertu's featured stainless steel, titanium, silver, gold and even carbon fibre.

Apple iPad Mini

The full-size tablet's smaller sibling is expected to get a better, higher resolution Retina display to bring it into line with the best 7-inch Android tablets currently on the market -- such as the Nexus-7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HDX, but according to a recent report from Reuters, initial availability of the device will be scarce.

According to its sources, production of the HD screen is only now ramping up, suggesting that stocks would either be very limited over the rest of 2013 or even non-existent until 2014. However, like the full-sized version, the Mini is also expected to get an 8MP rear-mounted camera and possibly even fingerprint recognition too.

The suggestion that Apple may be having problems with the display also indicates that the company is focused on battery life. When the initial Mini launched 12 months ago, its less than high definition screen was selected for two reasons: to make it sufficiently affordable to most tablet-buying consumers; and to not put any undue strain on battery life.

Big processors and millions of pixels are all very well as long as the owner is also prepared to carry a charging cable with them. Because of the tablet's smaller size, Apple wanted to make sure it was as mobile as possible. That means lasting a day between charges.

And when can we expect to see Tim Cook and co take to the stage to announce their latest products? The consensus from tech forecasters seems to be Tuesday, October 22.

Kindle Fire HDX Tablet

Amazon's new Kindle Fire HDX tablet resembles Google's Nexus 7 in many ways - from its light weight to its sharp display. Both tablets run a version of Google's Android operating system, and they even have the same starting price of $229.

The similarities end when you turn them on.

Amazon.com Inc. modifies Android so much that it no longer resembles Android. The company calls it Fire OS 3.0, or Mojito. Amazon's services are front and center on the Fire, and Google's are nowhere to be found. It's the other way around on the Nexus 7 and other Android devices. For a day or two, I even forgot the Kindle Fire can do much more.

Regular customers of Amazon will appreciate that integration. A row of tabs at the top of the screen offers quick access to various Amazon services, including e-books, music, videos and audiobooks, the latter from the Audible business that Amazon bought in 2008. Another tab gets you Amazon's shopping site, where you can buy television sets, vacuum cleaners and tennis rackets. The Kindle is already tied to your Amazon account, so it's easy - perhaps too easy - to just click and buy.

You also get Amazon's excellent recommendation technology. Browsing the e-book section, "The Great Gatsby" came up, likely because I had just added a movie version to my video watch list. Kindle versions of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" comic books came up, likely because I own the entire television series on DVD. Under music, digital copies of physical CDs I had purchased were waiting for me, along with recommendations for other songs and albums from artists in my shopping history.

If you spring for Amazon's $79-a-year Prime membership, you also get quick access to thousands of free movies and television episodes and the ability to borrow one e-book a month from a select list. For the first time, you can download the free Prime video to watch on a plane or anywhere else lacking an Internet connection. On older Kindle Fires and other devices, you're limited to streaming, which requires a constant Internet connection.

Amazon plans to start shipping the smaller version of the Kindle Fire HDX on Oct. 18. Like the Nexus 7, it has a 7-inch screen, measured diagonally. A larger, 8.9-inch version is expected Nov. 7 and starts at $379. Amazon is also updating last year's 7-inch HD model, lowering the price to $139 but cutting a few features including the camera.

All three models expand on an X-Ray feature that Amazon introduced last year. While watching a movie or TV show on older Fires, you can get a list of actors appearing in that scene. Click on one for more information, mostly culled from Amazon's IMDb celebrity-database service. With the new devices, you also get summaries on major characters and opportunities to buy songs played during the show. You also get trivia and goofs, such as a lottery ticket having the wrong code in one scene of "Breaking Bad." You can jump directly to that scene with a click. When playing music, you also see lyrics for selected tunes, perfect for sing-alongs.

My favorite new feature is Mayday on the HDX. It's free, live technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A tech adviser appears in a small window on your Kindle, but the adviser can only hear you and see what's on your screen. Advisers can guide you by highlighting certain settings and buttons with a virtual orange marker. Advisers can also take control of your device and do the task for you, though you're better off learning to do it yourself.

I tried three times to stump the tech advisers. For the most part, I found them patient and knowledgeable. It appeared to me they were really thinking through the problem, rather than following a script, as I typically find with my cable company. That said, one late-night staffer was willing to give up easily and dismiss my issue as a device malfunction, until I nudged him to walk me through the steps to discover one I had inadvertently skipped.

I'll wait until the support center is fully staffed and trained before making a final judgment, but I'm pleased with what I've seen so far. I particularly like the security protocols; the adviser made sure to pause the screen sharing whenever I typed a password.

As devices get complex, we could use more of this type of offering. I'm hoping Amazon's approach to customer service gets adopted by Apple, Samsung and other rivals.

As for the hardware, the 7-inch HDX has a screen resolution of 323 pixels per inch, which is the same as the Nexus 7 and better than Apple's iPad Mini and Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0.

For streaming video, I didn't see much difference in video quality, largely because of limitations in what's being sent over Wi-Fi. The differences are more pronounced with video downloads and e-books. Text on the HDX and the Nexus 7 is sharp, whereas letters bleed on the iPad and the Note.

The Apple and Samsung tablets do have slightly larger screens, about an inch longer diagonally. But both are also heavier and more expensive. The Nexus 7 is the lightest at 10.2 ounces, while the HDX weighs 10.7 ounces.

The HDX's front-facing camera is 1 megapixel, which is comparable with the Nexus 7 but much poorer than phones and tablets with rear cameras. The HDX does have one of the fastest processors for a tablet, but unless you're playing games or doing other data-intensive tasks, it won't make much difference.

One area where the HDX falls short is in app selection. The iPad Mini reigns with access to the thousands of apps adapted for tablets. But even compared with other Android tablets, the HDX doesn't have as wide a selection, as Kindles work only with Amazon's app store, not Google's broader Play store.

But I was surprised to see one Amazon video rival, Hulu Plus, available. And Netflix is supposed to get an update that works with the HDX by the time it ships. You won't find everything at Amazon's app store, but you'll find plenty to keep you busy. And if an app isn't available, you might still be able to access the service through Amazon's Silk Web browser.

I've been skeptical with the Kindle Fires in the past because they don't do everything other Android tablets can do. But after trying out the HDX, I find it a worthy contender. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you regularly buy from Amazon and want to make its content work easily on your device.

About the Kindle Fire:

Amazon has three tablet computers out this fall: the Kindle Fire HDX in two sizes and an entry-level, 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. They all come with similar features, though the HDX has better hardware and comes with Mayday technical support.

The 7-inch HDX starts at $229 and is expected to ship Oct. 18, while the 8.9-inch HDX starts at $379 and should come out Nov. 7. The base models have 16 gigabytes of storage. You can pay more to get additional storage or to get rid of ads that come on the tablets' lock screens. Versions with 4G LTE cellular access will cost $100 more.

The HD, available Wednesday, starts at $139 with 8 gigabytes of storage. It replaces last year's HD model.

Micromax Canvas Tab: a hands-on to new generation

Micromax has come a long way from the launch of its first Tab series called the Funbook – marketed as an edutainment device primarily aimed at students. The fresh offering from Micromax, the Canvas Tab P650 – first tab under the brand’s flagship Canvas series – packs enough juice to take on the likes of Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, a recent entrant in the market as well.

Design

Unlike the Tab 3 which features a plastic chasis, the Canvas tab is packaged in a sleek but slightly heavier aluminium body, which comes in two colours – Marine Blue and Pristine White.

The textured finish helps mask the fingerprints that will inevitably grease up the tablet’s back, embossed by the Micromax branding right in the middle of the non-removable back cover.

In the front, the 2-megapixel camera can be found on the top right, while the screen rests in the middle of the broad bezel, similar to what we saw in Samsung’s Tab 2. It also lacks a physical home button and can be unlocked with the power button on top, flanked by a micro-USB port and the headphone jack. The volume rocker sits on the right edge, alongside a slot for both micro-SD and the SIM card. And just like the Tab 3, a 5-megapixel rear camera is placed on the upper left of the back panel.

The tab also packs a flip cover in the package. On the website of Micromax the company seems to promote it as a back stand. Our advice: you are better off without the cover. It rather gives the well designed aluminum body a cheap look and doesn't quite work as a good back stand as well.

Display and Audio

Micromax has used a 1024x768 8-inch IPS display in the tab. Compared to the HD screens donned by the brand’s recent smartphones, images and text aren’t that crisp, although the colours are reasonably vibrant. On top of that, viewing angles are nice and wide, though you'll have a harder time using the tablet in direct sunlight. Apart from lack of glare shield, low brightness of the screen adds to your problems. Galaxy Tab 3 when compared to P650’s screen turned out to be around 70% brighter.

Audio speakers are a letdown though. The speaker on the tab delivers average quality sound even at full volume and the headphones that come with it doesn't offer a good alternative as well. However, the call volume and clarity was good when tested.

Performance

The Micromax P650 Canvas Tab runs on Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) OS. It is powered by MediaTek MT8389, quad-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB RAM. There is 16GB of internal storage for you to store music, movies and documents, which is expandable up to 32 GB.

Qudrant: CPU, I/O and 3D graphics benchmark

Antutu: Android benchmarking tool that measures general performance

Vellamo: Its HTML5 Chapter evaluates mobile web browser performance

Battery Test: Playing a video on loop with WiFi on and brightness set to 50%

The new tablet from Micromax's stable does seem fast — with almost no hesitation while opening apps, switching views, or playing graphic heavy games. A couple of laps in Asphalt 8 will leave you convinced that the device can handle some pretty serious gaming as well. Both light and heavy games ran smoothly, however, we noticed a slight lag in opening some of them. In one of the games, Tetris Blitz, the device failed to even launch the app.

Audio and video clips played without any hesitation or problem. Browser speed when tested with Google Chrome looked decent but struggled to play videos online. The screens responsiveness seemed a bit dodgy while using both the inbuilt and Swype keypad — a slight improvement in the latter.

Camera

A trial of the 5 megapixel rear camera in low light gave some pretty decent results. Sample photos taken by its camera in daylight delivered accurate images minus the vibrant colors expected. In addition, Micromax has its own camera app that has shooting modes ranging from HDR, Face Beauty, Panorama to Smile detection shots. Considering that both Canvas HD and 4 adds more life and color to the images with their better camera, this Canvas tab falls short.

Wrap Up

It’s of no doubt that the latest offering from Micromax is a powerful successor to their earlier series of Funbooks. A trial with graphic heavy games, multiple windows of apps, and several rounds of music being played in the background, the Canvas Tab P650 did well beyond our expectations.

Major downsides that we faced were with low audio output and touch responsiveness. We believe that if Micromax manages to fix these issues soon, it won’t be a surprise if it beats the likes of Galaxy Tabs. Plus side, it’ll cost you less. A 16GB Micromax Canvas Tab with 3G and WiFi (Rs.16,500) will go easier on your wallet than an 8-inch, 16GB Tab 3 with 3G and WiFi, which retails around Rs. 24,500 in the online market. The older Samsung Tab 2 is perhaps more comparable in price with the Canvas Tab, but the specs are better in the Micromax device.

Finally, with Samsung’s Tab 3 already on the bad side of critic-meter, Micromax has an opportunity to snatch pie in a tab market that is dominated by Samsung and Apple, while offering a Tab performs equally well – if not better.

Karbonn Android Phone “Karbonn A51” Specs & Price

Karbonn has launched a low cost android phone in the market that is Karbonn A51. The new Smartphone of Karbonn with all latest features will be available in the market within a week however you can pre-book the phone on the official website of Karbonn with below given price.

The shipment of the phone will start from 26 September 2013. Karbonn smart A51 comes with 3.5 inch TFT LCD display with resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and presented by a 1 GHz processor also has a 256 MB RAM. The karbonn Smart A51 run on android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and is a dual – SIM (GSM+GSM) device with dual standby time.

This smart phone also has a 512 RAM for better graphic and inbuilt storage which can be expandable up to 32 GB though microSD card. The Karbonn A51 has a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash which also includes a front facing VGA camera for video calling, and a battery of 1100 mAh.

This budget smart phone from karbonn will available in two colors, one is black and other is white. However, the device may not have 3G supports but have some basic features like WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS navigation.

Karbonn Smart A51 Feature And Specification Outlines

Model – Karbonn Smart A51

Display- TFT Screen with 3.5 – inch display

Resolution – 320 x 480 pixels

Operating system – Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

RAM – 256 MB

External memory –Micro SD Expandable up to 32 GB

Primary Camera – 3.2-megapixel with LED flash

Secondary Camera – VGA front facing camera

Processor – 1 GHz processor

Karbonn Smart A51 Price And Availability

The Karbonn Smart A51 tags this smart phone in the budget of 3,499 INR. The purchase of the phone will start from 26 September in the market, but till now you can purchases it through pre-book this phone is available on the official website of Karbonn mobiles.

The Karbonn Smart A51 Business Outlines

The Indian mobile manufacturing company, Karbonn Mobile as Karbonn products ranges from android powered smart phones, tablets to GSM-CDMA both dual cores processor features phones and Dual GSM feature phones. This new launch by Indian company shows that Karbonn is ready to stand its position with all ranges of smartphones in the Indian market. As the phone is not available in the market yet but you can go through online to buy this phone at given online site.

LG Vu 3 Phablet Ready To Boom The World's Market With Its Advanced Features

LG has launched a new stylish squarish phablet phone in the market with name “LG Vu 3” the extended series of Vu’s. The company has dropped his Optimus series that is Optimus G Pro and LG Optimus Vu. It is decided to put its new naming convention it’s just LG Vu 3 (no “Optimus”).

The LG Vu 3 is pretty inflated than its previous model and has wide display of 5.2 inches IPS screen of resolution up to 1280 x 960 which results in 307 ppi pixel density. LG claim to aspect that it is better for reading text both documents and web pages just like in previous model Vu’s 2 this one works with a stylus with rubber tip, and there’s no additional digitizer for it.

This New LG Vu 3 has most unique specification is it design, which make its completely different from other usual smart phablets  the aspect ratio of  4:3 screen, wide 5.2 inches display.

This LG Smart Phablet has 2.3 GHz quad core snapdragon 800 chip set for better processor with four Krait 400 CPU cores and Adreno. It comes with the latest version of android 4.2 (jelly bean) that can also be upgraded further to any other android versions. For better photos experience it provides 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera. Also it comes with a built in rubber rhodium pen for interfacing writing and drawing.

LG Vu 3 Features And Specifications Overviews

Model – LG Vu 3

Display- IPS Screen with 5.2- inch wide display

Resolution – 1280 x 960 pixels

Operating system – Android 4.2 (jelly bean)

RAM – 2 GB

External memory –Micro SD Expandable up to 32 GB

Camera – 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera

Processor – 2.3 GHz quad core snapdragon processor

LG Vu 3 Phablet Price And Availability

LG Vu 3 price tag has not been decided yet. But soon the price of this device will be announced at worldwide. According to the Indian market the price is expected to lie in between 20,000 to 25,000 INR. This phone is likely packed with extra features to compete with other Phablets in the market.

The phone will be available in Korea from 27th September 2013 and soon it will be also available for consumers of all country. As no further related detail is given by LG yet of this Phablet but soon LG will announce the related detail of availability and price of this phablets Vu 3.

LG Phablets Business Outlines

LG Corporation is a holding company that operates through more than 30 countries with technology in gadgets, accessories. This new launch by Korean company shows that LG is ready to stand its position with all range in the market. This new product has not launched yet for all market but in 3-4 months LG would like to cover the market with one of its best Phone cum Phablets that is designed on latest technology by one of the biggest electronics giant LG.

BlackBerry unveils flagship Z30 smartphone

BlackBerry Ltd launched its new Z30 flagship smartphone on Wednesday, as it battles to win back market share despite uncertainty around its future.

Once a pioneer in the smartphone arena, BlackBerry said last month it was weighing options that could include an outright sale, in the face of lacklustre sales for its new devices that run on the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The long-rumored Z30 device, which is first being unveiled at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be BlackBerry's new top-of-the-line device, taking the crown from the smaller Z10 that was launched early this year.

The new touchscreen device, which boasts a five-inch display and a 1.7 gigahertz processor, will compete against the likes of Apple Inc's new iPhone 5S and Samsung Electronics Co's Galaxy S4, along with a slew of other devices that are powered by Google Inc's Android platform.

The company faces an uphill battle in generating interest in the new phone, however, given the lack of clarity around its future.

While the company has long aspired to make its BlackBerry 10 operating system the No. 3 smartphone platform in the market, the latest industry data indicates that Microsoft Corp's Windows Phone platform is in fact more likely to clinch that spot as its devices continue to gain ground.

Although the new line of BlackBerry devices has been well received by reviewers, analysts say the company lacks the financial heft to vie against industry giants like Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft, which boast massive marketing and R&D budgets.

Some analysts contend that Microsoft's move earlier this month to acquire Nokia's phone business and license its patents for 5.44 billion euros, poses another hurdle for BlackBerry, as the software giant is likely to redouble its catch-up efforts in the mobile device business.

But Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry, which is set to report its fiscal second-quarter results next week, appears to be sticking with its product roadmap for now, even as it reviews its alternatives.

The company, which touts the Z30 as its "biggest, fastest and most advanced smartphone" to date, said the device will begin to hit store shelves in the UK and parts of the Middle East as early as next week.

The smartphone will go on sale with select carriers and retailers in other regions over the remainder of the year, said the company, adding specific pricing and availability will be announced by its partners at the time of their respective launches.

Sony launches waterproof Xperia Z1 smartphone

Electronics major Sony on Wednesday launched waterproof premium smartphone Xperia Z1 for Rs. 44,990 with an aim to double its share in the high-end mobile phone market to 20 %.

Sony also unveiled next version of Smartwatch for Rs. 14,990 which will be available in India from October.

"We want to be No 1 in premium smartphone segment which are phones priced above Rs. 30,000 and double our market share from about 10 % at present to 20 % by end of financial year 2014. Therefore we have to double our speed of innovation and here we are with Xperia Z1," Sony India Managing Director Kenichiro Hibi said here.

Xperia Z1 is available across stores from today with an installment option spread over 12 months at no cash downpayment, nil processing fee and interest, he said.

The company unveiled next version of smartwatch for Rs. 14,990 which will be available in India from October.

The launches of smart devices from Japanese major comes a day after Korean technology giant Samsung unveiled its high-end and highest priced smartphone Galaxy Note 3 for Rs. 49,900 and its first smartwatch Galaxy Gear for Rs. 22,990 in India.

Xperia Z1 is also the costliest smartphone offering from Sony's stable in India. Sony has introduced 20.7 mega pixel camera in this phone which is next to Nokia's Pureview 808 that was launched in the country last year.

"I like the 20 megapixel plus camera in the phone which does away need to carry a separate camera. Also you can store many songs in the phone," Brand Ambassador and bollywood actress Katrina Kaif said.

The company has incorporated 2.2 Quad core processor in phone which is close to speed of processor available for laptops and desktop PCs.

Xperia Z1 has 2GB RAM and internal storage of 16 GB which can be expanded to additional 64 GB through memory card.

"We plan to increase exclusive Xperia stores from 30 at present to 200 by end of financial year 2013. Sony will also double its sales counter reach to 8,000 by end of this fiscal ending March," Hibi said.

As part of promotional offer Xperia Z1 buyer will get free portable USB charger worth Rs. 2,790, 8GB internet usage from Vodafone for 2 months and accidental insurance cover for six months from date of purchase.

Sony has tied up with movie retailers BigFlix to offer three months free subscription to Xperia Z1 buyers.

The company on the occasion also launched two lens style Cybershot camera,  DSC-QX-100 for Rs. 24,990 and DSC-QX10 for Rs. 12,990, and a wireless bluetooth speaker for Rs. 16,990 among others.

Pioneer debuts world's first wireless Blu-ray drive

Pioneer's BDR-WFS05J Blu-ray drive can wirelessly connect to laptop and desktop computers running Windows and Mac operating systems.

Despite numerous experts -- including Apple's design team -- evoking the death of the optical disc and the wholesale move to the cloud, Blu-ray still tops any internet streaming experience when it comes to watching HD films and TV. And, of course, Apple being Apple, the option of a Blu-ray player or writer (either built-in or standalone) has never been offered with its products because it was invented by Sony.

And now a whole swathe of notebook computers from various manufacturers come with no CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive either as standard or an option.

The Pioneer BDR-WFS05J, because it is wireless, can easily address this optical drive deficiency in many consumers' lives.

There's no need for USB or HDMI cables and the associated mess and clutter they create. Instead, connection to a Mac or Windows notebook or desktop is made via the wifi network.

So, the unit can take up residence under the flatscreen television in one room, while streaming the contents of discs to any computer in the house and connected to the network. What's more, this wireless connection works both ways, meaning that computers can write to and therefore back up to blank Blu-rays over the same network.

The removable base section also features an Ethernet port so that it can be plugged directly into a router for faster write speeds. In fact the only catch is that although it can connect to a computer wirelessly, it can't connect to a power supply in the same manner. You'll still need to plug the device into a power socket.

The BDR-WFS05J is set to launch later this month in Japan where it will cost roughly US$250. Pioneer is yet to confirm if it will be launching in other territories.

Nikon's new waterproof camera

The One-Series AW1 is the world’s first waterproof, shockproof, digital interchangeable lens camera.

The Nikon One-Series AW1 is set to appeal to amateur and professional photographers alike who have a passion for scuba diving or even just holidaying by the sea, and to extreme sports enthusiasts, plus the skiing and snowboarding community.

The world’s first waterproof digital interchangeable lens camera, this Nikon's water resistance -- unlike a bunch of high-end smartphones from Sony, LG and Samsung that have launched over recent months -- isn’t limited to half an hour at a depth of half a meter. It’s waterproof up to a depth of 15 meters (49 feet), shockproof and can withstand temperatures as low as -10° C (14° F), meaning that it will still be in full working order when water becomes snow and snow becomes ice.

There are currently two specially made lenses -- equally shock, freeze and water-resistant --  available for the camera; one a 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 unit (essentially a zoom lens) will come as standard, while a 10mm f/2.8 lens fast, wide-angle counterpart can be bought separately or as part of a more expensive two-lens kit package. Both have a special rubber ring that forms an air and watertight bond with the camera when attached. The One-Series AW1 is also compatible with all existing 1 NIKKOR lenses, and with Nikon 1 accessories, as well as wide range F- Mount NIKKOR lenses via an adaptor. However don't forget that only the specially made lenses that come with the camera offer any form of water or shock resistance.

Other nice touches include GPS for automatically tagging photos plus an altimeter and depth gauge for knowing exactly how far above or below sea level you are, plus there’s an accelerometer that allows functions and modes to be selected through moving the camera rather than by having to change grip or position in order to select a button. This is especially beneficial for singlehanded use. And of course, as is now expected, the camera can film full HD video as well as capturing 14.2-megapixel still images.

The Nikon One-Series AW1 will launch in the US in October, priced at $799.99 for the single-lens kit and for $200 more with both lenses included.

Nokia's Lumia 1520 coming on September 26

Nokia is heavily tipped to launch the first Windows Phone device with a six-inch display later this month: images of the Nokia Lumia 1520 have already leaked and now so have the specs and indeed, its potential launch date.

As well as a 6-inch full HD display, the device is believed to have 2GB of RAM, a serious Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 32GB of built-in storage and, if that weren't enough, a MicroSD slot for further expansion.

As well as a bigger, better screen, the phone will herald the first major update to the Windows Phone operating system. As well as support for full HD, the reworked OS will also feature a new Driving mode for using a handset in the car.

Nokia is also currently working on a Windows-powered tablet and there's a strong possibility that the company's first slate could also debut at the same event.

Windows Phone devices have struggled to attract apps from a number of the world's biggest internet and tech companies, most notably Instagram and Google, but in just over a year, the phones have managed to knock BlackBerry off the number-three spot in terms of global smartphone sales.

Whether or not it can build on this progress remains to be seen, but in terms of imaging technology, Nokia Lumia Windows Phones remain unrivaled in terms of their photography capabilities and for some consumers, this performance is proving enough to tempt them to make the leap of faith.

Motorola Moto X

In the four decades since Motorola first showed off a prototype of the world's first cellphone, the company has watched Apple, Samsung and other innovators surpass it in sales. With Google as its new owner, Motorola is introducing the Moto X, a phone notable for innovations in manufacturing, as part of an attempt to regain its stature.

Yes, there's plenty the Moto X offers in terms of software, including the ability to get directions, seek trivia answers or set the alarm without ever touching the phone. There's good hardware, too, including a body that's nearly as slim as the iPhone 5, but with the larger, 4.7-inch screen that is comparable to those found in rival Android phones.

But what's really special about the Moto X has nothing to do with making calls, checking Facebook or holding it in your hands. Rather, it breaks from the pack by allowing for a lot of customization. You can choose everything from the color of the power button to a personalized message on the back cover.

To make those special orders possible, Motorola is assembling the Moto X in Texas, making it the first smartphone to be put together in the U.S. Motorola promises to ship custom designs within four days, faster than it would be able to if the company had chosen to make the Moto X halfway around the world in Asia, as other phones typically are. (Phones for overseas markets will be made overseas.)

You can still buy the phone the traditional way, in black or white. Walk into a store, pay about $200, sign a two-year service agreement (or installment plan with T-Mobile), and off you go with a brand new phone.

The Moto X: An Android device that's easy to use. But that's boring Just as Apple's colorful iMacs showed more than a decade ago that personal computers don't have to be beige or black, Motorola is moving away from traditional black and white. You're still limited to black or white as your front color, but you can choose any combination of 18 back cover colors and seven "accent" colors, which highlight the power button, volume control and the rim of the camera lens. There's more coming: Motorola is testing back covers made of wood, for instance, and it plans to let people vote on Facebook on future patterns, colors and designs.

You can choose a custom message for the back of the phone - with limits. I tried to enter profanity and trademarked names and was told, "We'd rather you not say that." You can use the space to display your email address, in case you lose the phone, for instance. In addition, you can choose one of 16 wallpapers in advance and enter your Google ID so your phone is all set up the first time you turn it on. You can select a different custom message to appear on your screen when you turn the phone on. You can even choose the color of your charger, white or black.

Choose carefully, as you won't be able to make changes after a 14-day return window. These aren't parts that you can simply pop out and swap.

With the exception of $50 more for a phone with 32 gigabytes of storage rather than 16 gigabytes, there's no cost for the customization. They will be available at about the same time the standard white and black phones come out in late August or early September. Wood back covers aren't expected until later in the year, however.

In the beginning, you can get custom versions only with AT&T as your service provider, but other carriers are coming. Standard versions will also be available through Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular at launch. You do the ordering through Motorola's Moto Maker website, which will cover service plan options with AT&T when you order the phone. If you walk into an AT&T store, you can pay for it there, just like a gift card, but you'll then have to visit the Moto Maker site and enter a scratch-off code.

So what does all this mean?

At first, I thought of it as a gimmick. But then I thought more about how phones are among our most personal possessions. Your phone contains your private thoughts in email, contact information for your loved ones and precious memories in the form of photos. So I can understand the desire to add a personal touch to the look of your phone, especially if you don't have to pay more. Keep in mind that your customizations might make the phone harder to resell when you're ready to trade up for a new model.

In many ways, it's similar to the way desktops and laptops have been sold. You can go to Dell's or Apple's website and order any number of configurations. The difference is those configurations typically have to do with the amount of storage, the speed of the processor, the size of the screen and the software that comes with the machine. With Moto X, you're getting the same storage choices that other phones offer, but all the other options are cosmetic.

Meanwhile, the Moto X advances hands-free phone use. Although hands-free options are available elsewhere to make a call or send a text, Moto X opens the door to the entire Web. It relies on Google Now, the virtual assistant that retrieves information when you speak into the phone. Normally, you press something to activate Google Now. That's how Siri works on iPhones as well. With Moto X, you simply say, "OK, Google Now."

That command is specific to your voice. I asked three colleagues to speak "OK, Google Now" into a phone I trained by repeating the phrase three times. The phone ignored my colleagues, but responded to me instantly once I spoke from the same distance. Sorry, pranksters: You won't be able use this feature to set 3 a.m. alarms on your friend's Moto X.

I was able to get the phone to recognize my command from about 10 feet away, as well as close by with an episode of "The Walking Dead" playing at full blast on a laptop inches away. But under those conditions, the service was more prone to make mistakes. For instance, the phone misheard a request for directions to Boston as "directions to fall."

Even in a quiet room, Google Now made a lot of mistakes responding to requests to call specific people. When I asked Google Now to "call Bob," it offered me "Emily," "Dave" and "Super" - for the superintendent of my apartment building, who's not named Bob.

I can see this feature being useful to motorists, but it's imperfect. And if you protect your phone with a PIN code, you'll need to type it in to unlock the phone, except to make a call. Motorola says it tried voice recognition for passwords, but couldn't get it to work properly.

There are two things that will work without entering your PIN: You can get a peek at text messages and other notifications by pressing the center of the screen for a second. If you want to respond or see more, then you'll need the PIN. You can also access your camera by twisting the phone like opening a doorknob. You can browse through shots you have just taken, but you'll need the PIN for older ones.

Speaking of the camera, Motorola did a good job of keeping it simple. With Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's One, I've often hit the wrong buttons for gimmicky features I don't want. With the Moto X, you have to swipe the screen from the left to access the settings. That way, the buttons aren't there to hit accidently. To access your gallery of photos, you swipe from the right. Again, you won't be getting old images accidently and miss the chance to snap a new one.

The camera also lacks a shutter button. Instead, you tap anywhere on the screen to take a photo. Keep pressing on the screen, and the camera will take a series of shots in succession.

The screen measures 4.7 inches diagonally, which is larger than the iPhone 5's 4 inches and close to the 5 inches found on a few other leading phones. Held like a skyscraper, the phone is narrower than most leading Android phones. The edges are curved, but the middle is thickened more than the typical phone. That actually fits nicely in my hands, as the palm isn't flat when in a grip position. It's not heavy either, at 4.6 ounces.

Although Motorola has released other phones since Google bought the company in May 2012, the Moto X is the first to be designed under Google. It's an impressive offering that could make Motorola a contender in phones again.

About Moto X:

The Moto X is the first smartphone to be assembled in the U.S., allowing Motorola to offer a range of customization options, such as colors and personalized messages. It's available in black or white for about $200 through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular. Other colors and options are available at no extra charge, but only with AT&T as a service provider. It's $50 more for a 32-gigabyte phone. The standard is 16 GB.

The phone has a 4.7-inch screen and two cameras capable of high-definition video at 1060p. The back camera is 10 megapixels and the front one is 2 megapixels. With a curved edge, thickness ranges from 0.22 inch on the edges to 0.41 inches in the middle. That middle part is thicker than most phones, but it's designed to fit more naturally in the curvature of your palm in grip position.

The phone goes on sale in the U.S. in late August or early September. Custom features are selected through Motorola's website, and delivery is promised within four days.

LG Optimus G Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Note series has been a veritable success and over time it has spawned similarly big phones from other Android OEMs as well. LG’s first shot at this market was with the awkwardly shaped Optimus Vu that was just too oddly designed to be usable even among a category of generally uncomfortably large phones.

LG’s next attempt comes in the form of the Optimus G Pro, which right off the bat comes across as a much better device. First of all, it doesn’t have an awkward square shape and secondly it boasts top of the line hardware that will make most people sit up and take notice.

So things look good on paper but how does the phone stack up in real life? Let’s find out.

Design

LG has a history of making some fine looking phones. Regardless of what the rest of the phone would be like, the hardware has usually been attractive on LG phones. In recent times, LG lost some of its design flair and instead decided to make generic looking phones. The Optimus G Pro is exactly that sort of phone.

Well, first of all, the Optimus G Pro is a big phone, particularly the height, which is long enough for the phone to peek out of your jeans pocket. Although credit must be given to LG to make this phone a bit narrower than the Galaxy Note II despite having similarly sized displays. This is instantly noticeable while using the phone as despite its size its not quite as ungainly to use as some of the other 5+ inch phones.

Build quality also seems quite good. LG, like Samsung, has gone for an all plastic body but it feels durable and although it isn’t anywhere near as awesome as the aluminum body of the HTC One or even the glass body of the Xperia Z it doesn’t look as bad as the Galaxy S4.

The problem is with the design, which is utterly boring. You’d expect the flagship smartphone of the company to have some design flair but you’ll find none of it here. The Optimus G Pro, especially in the black unit we reviewed, looks like a generic black slabs and will easily get lost among its ilk.

The front of the phone sports the 5.5-inch display with a fairly minimal bezel on the top and bottom. Above the display is the earpiece, the camera and the sensors, along with the LG logo. Below is the physical home button flanked by the back key on the left and the menu key on the right.

The menu button has a special trick up its sleeve. The silver ring around it is actually the notification LED. And it’s not just any LED but full RGB LED, which means it can display any color you want. You can use an app like Light Flow to assign different colors to different app notifications, which can be very useful.

Along the side is the power button on the right and the volume buttons on the left. The buttons are placed perfectly, where they fall exactly under your thumb and index fingers if you hold it in your right hand. There is also an extra button near the top on the left side. You can assign any app to it you want or disable it completely.

On the top is the headphone jack, the IR blaster and the secondary microphone. On the bottom is the microUSB port and the primary microphone.

On the back, you can see the camera lens near the top along with the loudspeaker and the LED flash on either side. The design reminds me strongly of the Galaxy S III, which too had a similar arrangement, including a bump for the camera. The lens has this plastic surround with a brushed metal finish that looks terrible and gets scratched easily.

The entire back side is a battery cover that comes off from the side. On the cover is a checkered pattern, which is similar to that of the Nexus 4 but since this is plastic and on the Nexus 4 it was underneath a glass it doesn’t look anywhere as good. The plastic back also attracts a lot of smudges and just looks awful most of the time.

Remove the cover and you’d find the large removable battery underneath covering the micro SIM slot. The microSD card slot is on the side and can be removed without switching the phone off. If you look underneath the battery cover you’d find the hardware for the NFC as well as the wireless charging. The Optimus G Pro supports the Qi charging standard and will work with any any Qi-compatible charger that you might have.

The wireless charging feature is a useful addition. In comparison, neither the HTC One nor the Sony Xperia Z have this feature and the Galaxy S4 requires a special cover to work with wireless chargers. Unfortunately, I did not have a wireless charger at hand to test this functionality.

Display

The Optimus G Pro has an utterly gorgeous display. It is a 5.5-inch panel, which means it’s the same size as last year’s Galaxy Note II, but it has a resolution of 1920x1080 and uses IPS technology, which just makes it infinitely superior in comparison.

I have complained in the past about the pointlessness of 1080p panels on smartphones because at 5.0-inches and lower, it’s really hard to make out any difference in image quality compared to a similarly sized 720p panel. But at 5.5-inches, the extra pixels really do make their presence felt. 720p at this size would have been stretched a bit thin but 1080p looks perfectly fine, as you can tell from the 400PPI pixel density.

It’s the combination of the size, the resolution and the quality of the panel that makes the display on the Optimus G Pro such a joy to behold. The colors, contrast, viewing angles, outdoors visibility, etc. are all top notch. You just have to watch one of the videos that LG has pre-installed on the phone to realize just how good this screen is.

If I have to nitpick, and I will, I will point out the minor issue with the way the display is refreshed. The display on the Optimus G Pro gets refreshed from bottom to top and there is a noticeable time difference between the two points. Due to this, every time you scroll horizontally, you’d notice that the content on the bottom of the screen is moving slightly ahead of the content near the top of the screen. This is most easily observable in the application drawer as you move left and right.

The issue is not very severe and most people wouldn’t notice it as is apparent from that fact that no one seems to have reported it so far (or maybe it’s just on my review unit). It’s a minor issue in what is otherwise an absolutely fantastic display.

Hardware, Software and Performance

The LG Optimus G Pro runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 SoC, particularly the APQ8064T, with a quad-core 1.7GHz Krait 300 CPU and Adreno 320 GPU. This is one of the fastest processors available today and it shows in the performance, which we will discuss later. In terms of memory, the Optimus G Pro has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage space with microSD card slot for expansion. In terms of connectivity, it supports HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, NFC and Infrared.

In terms of software, the Optimus G Pro runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with LG’s custom UI on top. As far as custom skins are concerned, LG’s isn’t most popular around but if you leave aside the blind hatred that is often leveled at Android skins and look at it objectively there is a lot to like here.

In terms of features, LG’s skin is almost on par with Samsung’s skin on the S4. There is a lot of useful stuff here, such as the notification drawer shortcuts and some of the less useful stuff as well, such as Smart screen which detects if you are looking at the screen to prevent switching off the display backlight and smart video that pauses the video when you look away. As you can tell, there is a lot of unabashed borrowing of features here from Samsung, including things like the one-handed keyboard and layout of the notification screen. LG even lets you arrange the Settings app in a tabbed layout, something Samsung introduced with the S4.

However, leaving aside some of the frivolous stuff there are some genuinely useful things here. There is an LG remote control app that works with the built-in IR blaster and lets you remotely control your TV, set top box, audio system, Blu-ray and DVD player, projector and even an air conditioner. The default LG keyboard is pretty decent but the best part about it is that it lets you enter emoji into your messages. LG has included system-wide support for typing and viewing emoji and this is not the terrible black, Android themed emoji that Google introduced with Jelly Bean but full color emoji that closely resembles the one you find on Apple’s devices. I personally find this a very useful addition especially considering how heavily emoji is used these days.

Bloatware is minimum in LG’s skin and the phone just comes with a bunch of LG apps pre-installed. But the best part is that all of these can be uninstalled. There is a separate app called Application Manager that only exists to let you uninstall the apps added by LG. This is far cry from what you see on Sony and HTC phones that come loaded with all sorts of garbage apps.

My only real problem with the software is that it looks unpleasant at best and horrible at worst. LG clearly doesn’t spend enough time on the aesthetics of the whole thing or doesn’t have good enough designers. You tend to get used to it after a while but it never looks as good as stock Android or even the HTC Sense 5.

In terms of performance the UI is largely fluid. The Snapdragon 600 SoC is quite powerful and makes quick work of UI transitions, scrolling and app launches. Meanwhile, the 2GB RAM ensures that performance remains good even when you have several apps running in the background. It pains me to say that even after all these years Android still doesn’t feel as fluid as iOS or Windows Phone but it seems to be getting there and at least on the Optimus G Pro it’s not all that far behind. It’s not the smoothest phone I’ve used but it’s quite good overall and definitely the most fluid Android devices on the market right now.

Multimedia

The Optimus G Pro has a 13 megapixel camera on the back with an LED flash. The camera takes some really good pictures in daylight. The 13 megapixel sensor manages to capture a fair amount of detail with natural colors but there is also noticeable sharpening in the images that looks unpleasant when you zoom in all the way.

The camera has an HDR mode that you can use while dealing with high contrast scenes. The HDR mode is effective but subtle so it can be used for everyday shots without the photos looking unnecessarily over processed. More importantly, the HDR mode gets rid of the over sharpening and bit of the noise out of the images as well and gives them a cleaner look overall.

In low light things go downhill considerably. The noise reduction algorithm is so severe that photos are soft to the point where they look unfocused. Even after repeated attempts indoor shots came out soft with poor details.

For viewing images and videos, the Optimus G Pro is absolutely fantastic. A lot of this is due to the beautiful display that makes everything looks great. Watching 1080p videos in particular is an enjoyable experience and you can watch entire movies without an issue. The Dolby sound setting works really well if your videos have six channel sound in AC3 audio codec and the bundled LG headset also sounds pretty decent.

Battery Life

The Optimus G Pro has a mammoth 3,140mAh battery. With regular usage consisting of calls, messages, social networking, web browsing and playing music, the Optimus G Pro lasted for a day and a half on a single charge (3G), which is quite an achievement. While playing back a 1080p video at 70 percent brightness and headphones, the phone lasted for approximately six hours on a single charge (Wi-Fi).

Verdict

There is a lot to like with the Optimus G Pro. The screen is fabulous, the phone is fast, the camera is quite decent as long as you’re shooting in daylight and the battery life is really good. It also comes loaded with a ton of software and hardware features, some of which are useful and others you don’t really need.

As with everything, there are negatives here as well. The design, for once, is just plain drab and boring. I understand that is a subjective thing but most people agreed with me on this. The low light performance of the camera was also not impressive and LG’s software, although useful at times, is just unattractive.

Are these things really deal breakers? Maybe for some, but overall I think the Optimus G Pro is a really solid smartphone. It’s quite large so obviously so it’s not meant for everyone but if you are comfortable with large smartphones and don’t like what Samsung, HTC or Sony are doing then you should definitely take a look at this. More than anything, that display might just win you over.