Samsung KNOX now available to certain high-end consumers

Early in 2013, Samsung decided it was time to step into the enterprise world, to compete with BlackBerry and grab some big agency contracts. Within 12 months, they have already grabbed a few big contracts from US agencies and pushed BlackBerry down in yet another mobile market.

Samsung is now ready to launch the Samsung KNOX security suite for consumers, filled with new security features to make the user’s Android smartphone even safer. Some users still do not understand the need for security on a smartphone, but with the number of malware and other dangerous viruses growing everyday, it is better to be safe than sorry.

KNOX has a containment folder allowing enterprise workers to store information, secure message and complete tasks. Various applications will run inside the Samsung KNOX folder and will not work with applications outside the containment folder, maintaing secure lines at all times.

Samsung will launch Samsung KNOX on all new high-end devices – including the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Samsung recently penned a deal with Lookout, a very popular free anti-virus app for Android, making it available for all users with Samsung KNOX security suite.

With Samsung’s lacklustre app and software development on the consumer end, we are surprised to see big contracts going to the South Korean mobile giant. The company does not come across as one that can make secure apps, never-mind apps that function well and serve and actual purpose.

Via: thedroidguy

iPhone 6 Release Date And Recent Rumors

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is not expected to come up with the iPhone 6 until fiscal 2014, but the much awaited phone has been in news immediately after the launch iPhone 5 series. New reports carrying expected features and pictures for the iPhone 6 are flooding the web on a daily basis. So, to keep the readers up to date with the latest gossip, below is around-up of the latest rumors and reports surrounding iPhone 6.

iPhone 6 in 2014

Going by the historical launch trends of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), the iPhone 6 isexpected in fiscal 2014. The Cupertino-based company has launched a new iPhone every year, so it is safe to assume that fiscal 2014 will be no exception. However, after the launch of the iPad Air and the iPad mini, it is very likely that Apple may assign a new name to its next iPhone. Technically speaking, iPhone 6 would not be the sixth phone as iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were the seventh and eight iPhone since the launch of the iPhone in 2007.

According to a report, the new iPhone might be launched in the first quarter of 2014, to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S5, which is expected to unveil in April. However, there are speculations that the phone may be launched in summer of 2014, which would be in line with Apple’s last three iPhone release dates.

Also, many say that the iPhone 6 launch could be expected when Apple launches its new iOS, which might apparently be called iOS8.

Analysts expect a bigger screen

Almost a year ago, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek stated that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) might launch larger display iPhones, and that the larger display iPhone could be unveiled within 18 or 24 months.

The Wall Street Journal echoed similar reports, stating that the iPhone 6 could have a bigger display. In September, a report claimed a 4.8 inch screen size, asserting that Apple is testing larger size screens like the one in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

In the article, it was mentioned, “The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as six inches.”

NPD Display research stated in a recent report that Apple is testing two display size screens for its new iPhone. The new devices with a bigger display could be the iPhone Air and an iPhone mini or simply an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6c.

Analyst Gene Munster also maintains that iPhone 6 could have a larger display similar to reports from Glen Yeung of Citi Research. The new device could be launched this fall, according to analysts. One report predicts that the resolution of the phone will be 1920 x 1080.

A report from 9to5 Mac states that analyst Ming Chi Kuo holds that Apple is looking forward to unveiling iPhone 6 with a 4.5 inch to 5 inch display in 2014. Kuo has predicted many such features in the past with a high degree of accuracy.

Change, no change or major change

Apple has a tendency to deliberate changes in its devices and subsequent versions. Apple keeps similar designs for two years, which indicates that the company may not wholly revamp the look of the iPhone 6 in fiscal 2014. However, going by recent trends and the company’s desire to retain loyal customers, the iPhone maker may bring out a larger screen display to compete with Samsung, which is dominating the smartphone market at this time.

Websites are inundated with conceptual and artistic designs of the forthcoming iPhone 6, but none of the designs are official. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has patented a string of new innovation and technology, and users, along with analysts, are eager to see how the iPhone maker uses them in its new device.

Source: valuewalk

Huawei Ascend W2 Specs, Release Date News Update Revealed: New Windows Phone 8 Smartphone Coming Soon following China Launch

Huawei revealed their latest Windows Phone 8 smartphone for the low-end mobile market with the Ascend W2.

The latest Windows Phone 8 device sports a screen size of 4.3 inches with TFT super-sensitive touch screen display with 800×480 resolution.

The Ascend W2 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8230 1.4GHz dual-core processor.

The smartphone is only available in a 8GB internal storage model with 512MB of RAM.

In regards to wireless connectivity, the Ascend W2 can connect to Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, and micro USB version 2.0.

The Ascend W2 includes a rear-facing camera with 5 megapixels at 2,592×1,944 pixels and 720p video recorder.

The Windows Phone 8 smartphone is equipped with a battery capacity of 1,700mAh, which supports up to 395 hours on standby and 9.5 hours for talk time, although it may vary of the user’s network condition.

The Ascend W2 is available in black, blue, red, and yellow color models.

“We’re excited to build on our partnership with Huawei to launch another unique handset that will delight customers around the globe,” said Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Operating Systems Group Terry Myerson. “Huawei Ascend W2 will offer the consistent, high-quality Windows Phone experience in a colorful new form factor and at a great price.”

The Ascend W2 has a TD version that has already launched in China since August. The Ascend W2 UMTS version started its shipments in October while the regular Ascend W2 models will be available in the Netherlands and Russia in November. The latest Huawei smartphone will hit other markets over time.

Prices for the Ascend W2 were not disclosed.

Source: latinospost

Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 update rolling out to international users

Samsung has started rolling out Android 4.3 update for the international version of its Galaxy S3 smartphone (model number GT-i9300); that’s the model with Sammy’s own Exynos quad-core chip.

There’s so much included in this firmware and you’ll want to download it the second your smartphone informs you about the update. Among the things you’ll get are Galaxy Gear and ANT+ support, new UI elements that will make your S3 look like its S4, updated keyboard, newer GPU drivers (that deliver higher GPU benchmark scores), new lockscreen with multiple widgets, driving mode, actionable notifications, new S-Voice, improved camera software (Sound and Shot modes added), and more.

As I’m writing this, not everyone can get this new software. As it’s usually the case, it takes time before the update reaches users all around the world. It is said that Vodafone Ireland customers are among the first ones to benefit from the update but we’re certain the rest of Europe will follow shortly. Feel free to manually check for new firmware from Settings -> About phone and take it from there…

Source: intomobile

Sprint Adds Tri-Band Enhanced LTE to Four Smartphones from Samsung, HTC, and LG

Sprint announced that it was adding Sprint Spark capabilities to four wildly different smartphones. Spark is the name Sprint has given its version of enhanced LTE that uses three different frequencies bands to maximize the amount of bandwidth your device can pull down.

The new phone updates allow the devices to connect to Sprint’s 800MHz, 1.9GHz, and 2.5GHz frequencies. 800MHz is available thanks to Sprint shuttering its Nextel acquisition and is the primary reason why Sprint is advertising Spark as bringing superior quality and building penetration to its coverage area (lower frequency = superior penetration).

Phones from HTC, LG, and Samsung will all be in the first wave of devices available to access the enhanced network speeds in the form of the HTC One Max, the LG G2, and Samsung’s Galaxy Mega and Galaxy S4 mini handsets.

Part of the reason for the limited rollout is that Sprint needs to test cell signal hand-off between each frequency layer – the phones need to be able to transition from one to the other without dropping bits.

The Galaxy Mega and Galaxy S4 mini will launch on November 8th with an update to enable tri-band functionality coming “shortly after launch.” The LG G2 will also be available on the 8th, but its tri-band update won’t roll out until sometime next year. Sprint neglected to give a timeline for the introduction of the HTC One Max.

Source: brighthand

iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C head to Boost Mobile on Nov. 8

Apple is bringing its iPhone lineup to contract-free provider Boost Mobile.

The carrier announced the news Friday, saying that it will offer the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5S will start at $549.99 for the 16GB model contract-free. The iPhone 5C will start at $449.99, while the iPhone 4S will set customers back $299.99 at the carrier’s stores.

Boost Mobile is by no means the first prepaid carrier to offer the iPhone 5S. Virgin Mobile, for example, started selling a contract-free iPhone 5S last month.

Boost Mobile will start selling the iPhones on November 8. The devices will come with Boost’s no-contract $55 Monthly Unlimited plan.

Source: news.cnet.com

HTC: Android 4.4 KitKat coming to the One within 90 days, Google Play edition within 15 days

Now that we know which of Google’s Nexus devices will be eligible for an update to Android 4.4 KitKat, other manufacturers are starting to speak up about their rollout plans as well. Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America, confirmed to us in an interview that the company is going to aggressively push out the latest version of Android to the HTC One. The Google Play edition will be updated within the next 15 days, the Developer edition and unlocked versions will get it within 30 days, and the remaining SKUs in North America (including all carrier variants) will have it in 90 days or less. With the exception of the Google Play edition, HTC plans to keep its signature Sense UI at version 5.5 (which has been available on global devices running Android 4.3); and although Mackenzie couldn’t go into details on how the new KitKat features will be implented in Sense, we expect to see plenty of them make an appearance in the update in some way.

HTC is still working on a rollout plan for the other devices in its portfolio, such as the One max and One mini, but Mackenzie assures us that the company will have a statement concerning those other phones in the near future. He also reiterated HTC’s commitment to rapidly pushing out updates, telling us that “we’re not going to [roll out updates] in a lazy fashion. We’re going to make it a priority to have every dot release out on the One within 90 days.”

Since Mackenzie spoke to us on behalf of the company’s North American branch, we’re still awaiting word on HTC’s plans for its global devices. Given the fact that US operators are set to push out updates in the next 90 days, we’d be surprised if it doesn’t arrive sooner on One units around the world.

Source: engadget

SHARE EVERYTHING, WITH NOKIA BEAMER

Many people were blown away with the magic of Nokia Photobeamer and the ability to magically beam a photo from your Nokia Lumia smartphone to a connected screen like your TV, laptop, or another phone or tablet.

But why stop with just your photos? As Nokia Beamer announced at Nokia World allows you to beam any content from your Lumia in the same way.

It’s still possible to ‘beam’ photos of a fun night out to your friend’s giant 55-inch wall-mounted TV in HD, but you can now also do share a freshly prepared PowerPoint presentation to a room full of colleagues. All that’s needed is a HTML5-compliant Web browser.

Nokia Beamer’s purpose is simple, as Martin Anderson, Nokia Beamer Product Manager explains: “Nokia Beamer shares your Nokia Lumia’s screen in real time!”

That’s not the only addition, continues Martin: “With Nokia PhotoBeamer you had to be in the same room to share your photos. With Nokia Beamer, you can be in another room, another town or an entirely different country and still share what’s on the screen of your Nokia Lumia.”

Sharing can now be performed by creating a unique URL that can be sent to others where they will be taken to a secure website. If you want to share your screen with people in close proximity, you can create a QR code on your phone that can be scanned by others – speeding up the process.

In terms of sharing your screen, there are a couple of ways to do this: continuous mode and non-continuous mode.

Continuous mode will share everything that you do on your Lumia, from switching between apps, scrolling up and down the Start screen, as well as reading emails.

The app also includes a “Manual” mode that gives you more control over what you want people to see. For example, you may want to share a PowerPoint with your colleagues during a business meeting but not want them to see what’s in your mailbox as you scroll for the latest report. In this mode, a gentle shake of the phone will activate sharing-mode and show what’s on your screen.

At any point, Nokia Beamer will stop sharing your screen when you press the Lock Button. If you can’t see your screen, neither can anybody else.

While Nokia Beamer is only designed to run on Nokia Lumia smartphones, you can share your content with iPhone and Android users – they just can’t return the favour sadly.

Nokia Beamer will be available to download* for the Nokia Lumia 820, Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928 and Lumia 1020 as well for the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 that were announced at Nokia World last week.

*Nokia Lumia Black update is needed and will begin rolling out in early 2014.

Via: conversations.nokia

LG unveils a curved screen smartphone to battle Samsung

LG unveiled its latest smartphone today called the G Flex following leaked details of the device earlier this month. The smartphone features a curved screen designed to follow the contour of the user’s face. LG says device also takes advantage of a new user experience with features designed to take advantage of the curved form factor.

LG says that the curve of the arc is optimized to match the average face and promises improved voice and sound quality. LG claims that the curved form factor increases the sound level by 3 dB compared to typical flat smartphones, and the company believes the curved device also offers better grip and fits more comfortably in a pocket.

The smartphone features a six-inch curved display using Plastic OLED technology. The display is built on plastic substrates rather than glass giving its flexible nature. Despite all of the attention to “curves”, the resolution of the screen is a lackluster 1280×720.

The LG Flex runs a 2.2 GHz quad-core QUALCOMM Snapdragon 800 processor paired with an Adreno 330 GPU. It features a 32 GB of storage and has a 13-megapixel rear camera. The smartphone supports 4G networks and has integrated Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi, and NFC technology.

The LG Flex also features a “self-healing” coating on the back to help reduce scratches and keep the phone looking good over the course of the typical two-year smartphone contract in the United States.

The device will launch in Korea in November with availability in other markets to be announced at a later date.

Source: dailytech

Motorola Spotlight Player now available for download to the Moto X in Play Store

The Moto X is just full of surprises. First it shows us that a device with last years’ hardware really can be meaningful, and now they’ve gone and packaged an app somewhere in the device which is only now peeking its head out. We were surprised to find they had been working with Pixar to bring something fresh to the device, but it may be more than a one-off collaboration.

Moto X users are seeing prompts for an “update” to the Motorola Spotlight Player. The update seems to be more of a request to download, since you’re actually redirected to the Play Store to grab the app. Once downloaded, you’ll see it pop up in your apps list.

Right now, the app doesn’t do much, but it definitely hints at there being a lot more in store than a game. For now, you’ll simply get the assurance that no ads will be forced upon you. There is a screen which looks as though it’s going to be your go-to for all things Spotlight, but we still don’t quite know what that is, or could be.

We’re pretty sure there’s a game coming soon, which you can see teased in the video below, but beyond that we’re lost. Motorola will only say they’re working with “Oscar-winning artists” for content, so it should be exciting. We’ll just have to wait for the 29th to roll around so we can see what Motorola has in store for us. If you just can’t wait, head on over to the Spotlight Stories website and get more clues.

Source: androidcommunity