Author: Robert Nazarian

Although smartwatches haven’t caught on yet, we are about to see a major push from all the major manufacturers. We already know Samsung, Google, and Apple will come out with their own smartwatch in the near future. LG is the next manufacturer to jump into the ring as a source familiar with the matter told the Korea Times. It was also revealed that they are working on something similar to Google Glass

“It is one major part of many currently non-commercialized products under development by LG Electronics,” said the source. “The company has spared no efforts to invest in products that it believes are must-haves to stay ahead technology wise in the market, whatever the situation maybe.”

The assumption is the watch will sport the Android OS, but they could opt for Firefox since they will be launching a Firebox phone later in the year. Companies like LG and Samsung have an advantage over Apple in that they make their own display panels and could very well implement the flexible style in their first offering.

It will be interesting to see if LG and Samsung make these watches useful to owners of any Android phone or only their branded phones. By choosing the latter, they create more of an echosystem for themselves and force users to buy their products, similar to the Apple approach. I’m hoping for the former, but not having a good feeling about it.

source: Korea Times

Come comment on this article: LG is prepping their own smartwatch as well as something similar to Google Glass

Recent reports have indicated tensions could exist between Google and Samsung, but were downplayed by Google CFO and Senior Vice President Patrick Pichette as well as Samsung Mobile Chief JK Shin. Although their working relationship is probably amicable, I have to believe that there is a little uneasiness at Google. Consumers continue to buy Samsung Galaxy branded phones in droves. So much so that 40% of all Android phones sold are Samsung branded. In fact, Samsung has sold 200 million more phones than the next Android manufacturer.

On one hand, Google should be delighted in what Samsung has accomplished. Android is now a dominating mobile OS, and a big thanks has to go to Samsung for being a big part of that. On the other hand, it’s never a good idea for one entity to have such a large piece of the pie. Companies with too much power can dictate and give less choice to consumers. If Google had their choice, every manufacturer would be equally as successful, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way in the real world.

Now I am not about to tell you that Samsung will become a dictator and start demanding a bigger piece of the revenue from Google, but Samsung is a corporation and ultimately they will make decisions that give them the most profit. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s capitalism at its finest.

So how does Samsung’s dominance leave Google vulnerable? The bottomline is that 40% is a very powerful slice of the pie and represents a considerable amount of power. That power doesn’t mean they become the “Evil Empire”, but depending on what Samsung does in the future, it could have a major impact on Google and specifically Android. What would happen if Samsung were to leave Android? I know this idea has come up before and everyone assumes that since they are so successful with Android, they would never leave. It’s rather simple, corporations like to make more money, and if any Android manufacturer is in a position to leave, it’s Samsung.

Samsung has spent a considerable amount of money over the last few years creating a brand that is as powerful as Apple’s. At the same time, they have developed their own software features. All of these features are Samsung branded such as S Beam, AllShare, AirVIew, Smart Pause, and so on. I lost track, but I think Samsung unveiled at least 15 new features during the Galaxy S 4 event. Although Samsung phones utilize Android, you don’t see that word anywhere in their advertising. The only time you ever see “Android” is in press releases or when they need to tell you what version of Android a particular device is running. In fact, during the Galaxy S 4 Unpacked event, they only mentioned Android once for the entire 50 minutes. This is something that all Android manufacturers do because it’s their way of creating differentiation. By skinning Android, they make it “seem” like it’s their own OS. In Samsung’s case it’s TouchWiz that consumers know. Hardcore Android users know the difference, but do mainstream consumers? It’s unlikely that the average Galaxy S or Note buyer is concerned about Android or any other OS as long as the TouchWiz user experience is similar.

At the same time, TouchWiz is only the look. It’s the software features like S Beam, Smart Pause, etc. that are selling phones. The difference is Samsung does it better than anyone else. With all these proprietary features, they are able to create a brand similar to Apple’s. They even go so far as to make their own version of Google Translate. S Translate (unveiled last week) is actually inferior, but I guarantee you that the average consumer will soon know more about S Translate, and they are unlikely to ever know Google Translate is a better alternative.

So where does Samsung go if they leave Android? Well it certainly won’t be Windows Phone. Samsung won’t leave Android just to be in another situation where someone else is in control. All things point to Tizen for now, but it could be something entirely different. It’s no secret that Samsung will unveil their first Tizen-based phone this fall. The only issue Samsung has in leaving Android is app development, but at this point Samsung has the money to push development. They are already creating relationships with many top level developers from various contests they have held over the years. They even have their own branded app store that’s ready to go if needed.

The good news for Google is if Samsung were to leave, it won’t happen for a while. Additionally, since Google makes money with ads, it’s unlikely a Samsung departure would hurt them dramatically since Samsung would most likely continue to utilize some Google services other than the Play Store. Still, if Samsung were to take 40% of the Android user base with them, it would be a hard pill to swallow for Android as a whole. So what can Google do? They are already doing it actually. The purchase of Motorola last year was the first step in the process. It was never about the patents because Motorola was never all that successful with their patents against Apple. The second step was the poaching of Samsung’s VP of marketing, Brian Wallace because Google wants to build their brand and take back some control. They’re not looking to hurt other Android manufacturers, but at the same time, they don’t want to get hurt by other Android manufacturers. Google is just doing what every smart company does, and that is prepare for the worst. Samsung may never leave Android, but the strong possibility does exist, and it behooves Google to make moves that will lessen the blow if it ever happens. Should Google be wary of Samsung? You’re darn right they should. and I believe they are.

Come comment on this article: Is Android vulnerable because of Samsung’s dominance?

It was last October when we first heard rumors that Google could be working on a smartwatch. At that time, a patent based on a smartwatch with a flip up display was awarded to Google.  Of course many companies are awarded patents for products that never actually come to market. However, with Samsung and Apple now working on watches of their own, it certainly isn’t out of the question that Google will definitely come out with one, hopefully Nexus branded. Don’t forget, Motorola has some experience in this area with the MOTOACTV.

The Financial Times is reporting that not only is Google working on a watch, but it’s an Android unit project, not an X Lab project like Google Glass. It makes perfect sense for Android to be part of the watch since it’s more of a mobile device than Glass. Unfortunately no timeframe was mentioned, but hopefully we will see something this year.

source: Financial Times
via: TheVerge

Come comment on this article: Google’s upcoming smartwatch is an Android project not X Lab

LG mentioned that the Optimus G Pro would be available in North America in the 2nd quarter of this year. It looks like we are one step closer to this promise being fulfilled as an LG phone with the model E980 stopped by the FCC for a little visit.  Considering the Optimus G is the E970, I think it’s a lock that AT&T will be bringing this beast to it’s network soon. As a reminder, this phone sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display along with a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU. We will let you know more as soon as we hear it.

source: FCC
via: Engadget

Come comment on this article: LG E980 clears the FCC, could be Optimus G Pro for AT&T

People are taking more pictures than ever thanks to the growing popularity of smartphones, but it has also gotten quite popular to add effects to your shots. There are a number of apps that will give you this ability, but XnRetro is one that keeps things simple. All effects are based on making your images appear vintage-like. I don’t know about you, but vintage effects are my favorite. It has a certain class about it.

With XnRetro, you simply open the app and either take a new picture to work with or select a picture that’s stored on your phone or tablet. From there, you can either work with the entire picture or crop it. They give you predefined shapes such as a square and rectangle that you can resize. The next step will be to add the effect, and you will see various options at the bottom. I will start from the left. The first option allows you to fine tune the brightness, contrast, and saturation. The next option lets you select from up to 20 different Retro styles to apply to your picture. You can tap on each one to see how it will affect your picture. The third option lets you choose how much vignetting you want. As you increase it, the border of your picture will become more faded.The fourth option gives you another 15 effects to apply to your photo such as bokeh, glass, leak, and light. Last but not least, is the fifth option, which lets you add a frame. There are 26 frames to choose from including a couple that resemble older instant cameras.

After you are satisfied with how your picture looks, it’s time to save it. You can tap the disc icon at the top right and you will get 3 options for sizes: small (512px max), medium (1024px max), and large (2048px max). The large size comes out to about 2-megapixels. A little smaller than I would like, but for sharing on social sites, it should get the job done. You can also share you image directly to any of your apps that are within your “share via” menu such as Dropbox, Facebook, GMail, Google+, Picasa, Twitter, and so on.

If you want to add a little pizzazz to your photos and you like the vintage look, than definitely try XnRetro. It’s absolutely free in the Play Store so you have nothing to lose. Check out my hands on video below, and hit one of the download links to get started. Let me know what you think.

Features

• 20 color effects
• 26 frame borders
• Contrast, brightness and saturation adjustement
• Vignetting
• Save or share the result
• No registration is required, and there are NO ADS, no watermarks, no limitations.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Featured Android App Review: XnRetro [Photography]

Samsung and Apple have been duking it out with smartphone market share and in the courtroom, but what about customer satisfaction? Unfortunately things haven’t gone too well for Samsung as Apple came out on top for the ninth consecutive year. According to J.D. Power, Apple scored 855 and performed well in design and ease of operation. Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t even make second place as that went to Nokia with a score of 795. Samsung was a close third with 793, followed by Motorola and HTC.

What makes a user satisfied with their phone? Consumers rank performance the highest (29%) followed by ease of operation (26%), physical design (24%), and features (21%). It should also be noted that the customers surveyed owned their current phone for less than a year.

Hit the break for the full press release.

2013 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study–Volume 1 and 2013 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study–Volume 1

Apple Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Smartphone Manufacturers, While LG Ranks Highest Among Traditional Mobile Phone Manufacturers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 21 March 2013 – Overall satisfaction among smartphone customers increases significantly as manufacturers continue to improve styling, feature sets, usability and software, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction StudySM–Volume 1 and the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study^SM–Volume 1, both released today.

Come comment on this article: Apple beats Samsung in smartphone satisfaction according to J.D. Power

A appears a number of Sony Xperia Z handsets are dying and becoming completely useless. Users are reporting that the phone is acting fine and then all of a sudden, poof, it powers down and cannot be turned on again. There doesn’t seem to be anything obvious that is causing the problem, but Sony is aware of the problem and will fix it with the next update. Unfortunately, no timeline was offered.

Some users have found that a hard restart (power button + volume up) can get it working again, so give it a try if you experience the sudden death.

source: xperiablog

Come comment on this article: Sony to raise Xperia Z handsets from the dead with software fix

There has always been rumors that Google and Chrome could become one, and last week’s announcement of Andy Rubin leaving the Android team added a little fuel to that fire. The fact that Sundar Pichai, who is also the Senior Vice President for Chrome, will now lead Android, really made people wonder. Well wonder no more because Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said they will remain separate products, but they would probably overlap a little more.

These comments took place in India, which is just one stop in a multi-country Asian tour promoting Internet access. Schmidt was also asked if he plans on leaving Google and selling his 42 percent stake. His response was, “Google is my home,” and later said he has no plans to take on a job in government.

source: Reuters

Come comment on this article: Chrome and Android to remain separate products, but expect more overlap

We already know that Samsung is working on the third chapter of the Galaxy Tab series, and it looks like they will be unveiled it in the fall at IFA 2013 in Berlin. This would most likely be at an Unpacked 2013 Episode 2 event, which will obviously feature the unveiling of the Galaxy Note III. We expect to see a 10.1-inch variant along with another smaller variant, around 7 to 8-inches.

There is some bad news for original Galaxy Tab owners in that Samsung will no longer support those devices. As to the Galaxy Tab 2, support will end with the Android 4.2.2 update.

source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 to be unveiled at IFA 2013

Have you ever sat down to watch a movie, but you didn’t have a clue what you wanted to watch? Well I have an app that will help you find that perfect movie to watch whether you’re alone, with your significant other, or with the family. All you have to do is grab Movie Twist from the Google Play Store. It was created by Saguru and it’s the first real Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered movie search and exploration app. There are so many ways to search it’s mind boggling.

For starters, it will find similar movies based on another movie. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Explore option will let you find movies based on Loving, Humor, Violence, Thrilling, and Cleverness. Not only that, each category has a slider bar so you can set how much that category should play a role in the results. You can also select from 21 genres to include such as Action, Comedy, Family, Horror, Thriller, etc. Oh there’s still more as you can add a keyword such as an actor’s name and you can control some finer details like Pace, Sex, Drugs, and Ordinary. Last but not least, you can throw in what years you would like the movie to fall into as well as the minimum and maximum run times.

The app itself it very easy to use. Upon opening the app, you will get a search box so you can quickly type in a movie and get similar results. You will also find a few random movies at the bottom to get things started. You can tap on Search at the top left where you will find the Explore option I mentioned above as well as Movie Concepts that let you pick movies based on your mood, category, or tag. You can also tap Auto Recommend to have Movie Twist give you recommendations based on your favorites and past searches.

Each movie is listed with its artwork poster so you can get a quick idea of what it is. If you tap on the movie, you will be taken to an information page where you can add it to your favorites or your watch list as well as hide it from future searches. You will even get the description as well as the tags associated with it. Want to see the trailer? Just hit the play icon and the trailer will open in YouTube. Last but not least, there is also an option to find similar movies to refine things even more.

Movie Twist is absolutely free so give it a shot the next time you and your significant other can’t figure out what to watch. Check out my hands on video below and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Featured Android App Review: Movie Twist [Entertainment]

A couple of days ago, Google Keep was leaked and now it’s an official app in the Play Store. The tag line is “save what’s on your mind.” Google Keep allows you to quickly jot down a note or idea to be saved in your Google Drive account and synced across all your devices. You can even add a checklist or photo. If you can’t type it out, you can say it out loud, and Google will transcribe it. You can prioritize you notes and color code them via the home screen widget, and if you’re running Android 4.2+, you can see your notes via the lock screen widget.

You can access, edit, and create new notes on your desktop by going to http://drive.google.com/keep, and Google will allow you to do this directly from Google Drive in the coming weeks. Google Keep is available now in the Play Store for devices running Android 4.0 and higher. Hit the break for the video demo and download links.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Google Keep now available in the Play Store

Jetpack Jinx is one of those games that will appeal to everyone of all ages since it’s not complicated. In fact, it’s very easy to play, just not easy to conquer. Jetpack Jinx was created by BubbleGum Interactive and it’s a vertical scroller. The premise is that the mischievous Jinx has crash landed on a mysterious planet and he needs to get back to his starship before his boss, Lord Shadowbot, finds out he’s gone. Your job is to keep Jinx soaring as high as you can without running out of power in his jetpack. How do you do that you ask? You collect jewels, but it’s not that easy since you have to avoid falling enemies and hazards. If you don’t collect enough gems in time, you will head right back to the bottom to start over.

Each level is based on the amount of distance you have climbed. For example, you will unlock the second level once you reach 1,000M, as in miles I assume. You can reach level three once you hit 3,000M, and so on. It’s fairly easy in the first level, but things get hard quickly. Unless you’re really good, you will have to grab power ups such as helmets or rockets with either the coins you earn in the game or with your hard earned dollars. Other than playing the game itself, you can also earn coins from rating the app in Google Play and sharing it via Facebook and Twitter. Purchasing coins isn’t too expensive, but power ups as a whole are not my cup of tea. I just like to play without getting involved with all that, but Jetpack Jinx is very hard to beat without those power ups. The good news is that most of the younger generation is used to this type of play, plus if you have kids in the house, you can set a password so that they can’t make purchases unless you approve them.

If there is an issue with this game it would be with the controls. You move Jinx by tilting your device, and I found that the sensitivity wasn’t all that great. I also found at times that I had to over tilt my Nexus 7 forward to keep him climbing. Nevertheless, everyone has a different take for things like that, so I encourage you to download Jetpack Jinx if you’re looking for something simple to play when you have some time to kill. It’s colorful, fun, and addicting. It’s Free to try so you have nothing to lose. Check out their trailer video below and hit one of the download links below to get started.

Features

• Play for FREE!
• Epic Levels of Insane Fun!
• Outrageous Obstacles!
• Wicked Upgrades and Super Sidekicks!
• Awesome Power Ups!
• Unlock Achievements and rewards!
• No ads!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Featured Android Game Review: Jetpack Jinx [Arcade & Action]

We already heard that the HTC One was going to have supply issues because of component shortages related to the UltraPixel camera, and shortly after, the phone was delayed by two weeks in the UK. According to the Wall Street Journal, several retailers have been informed of the delay, including Vodafone and Best Buy. Best Buy stated that the plan was for a release in the 3rd week of March, “but the date has been pushed back.”

HTC executives did confirm the UltraPixel was the culprit, but also mentioned some shortages with metal casings. Previous reports indicated a production issue, but now we are hearing the problem lies with last year’s dismal performance. ”The company has a problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year’s unexpected slump in shipments,” said an HTC executive. “HTC has had difficulty in securing adequate camera components as it is no longer a tier-one customer.”

Unfortunately when it rains it pours, so the big question is how much of a delay are we really going to see? Unfortunately we don’t have an answer, and even when they do officially launch the device, will there be enough supply? At the event in February, they stated that the HTC One would be available in more than 80 countries through more than 185 carriers by the end of March, but right now it’s non existent.

I don’t have to tell you how bad this is for HTC since they are coming off a 3 year low in sales. What’s most interesting is the UltraPixel camera is the culprit, and it’s my opinion that consumers aren’t going to buy into the “lesser pixels” argument. So the phone is delayed for what HTC believes will be a big reason why they will sell more units this year, but “that reason” might actually hurt their sales.

source: WSJ

Come comment on this article: HTC One component shortages are real, HTC ‘no longer a tier-one customer’ for component suppliers

Last week we got word of a new Motorola device with the model number XT912A. We have heard that the Motorola “X” phone refers to more than one phone, so this could be just one variant. It showed up in the GLBenchmark database with the codename “Ghost”, and it will be a mid-range device with a 720p display and a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro. This one is rumored to be headed to all four major U.S. carriers, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. It could wind up in the Google Play Store as well, but that’s just a hunch. Yes, this one is mid-range, but more than enough for the average consumer. If they can price this one right as in $199 to $249 off contract, it could be a hit.

There are two more handsets that popped as well and they are called the “Yeti” and the “Sasquatch.” The latter was spotted in the 0xbenchmark database on March 13th and is running Android 4.2.2. The former is just a name floating around, but supposedly it’s also running Android 4.2.2. Although AT&T is mentioned specifically, it doesn’t rule out the possibility they could be headed to all four major U.S. carriers just like the “Ghost”. Who knows, one of them could even be the higher-end Motorola “X” phone we have been hearing about, but we will have to wait until more information is uncovered.

Sources:  GLBenchmark, 0xbenchmark
Via: Droid-Life

Come comment on this article: Motorola ‘Ghost’ heading to all four major U.S. carriers, ‘Yeti’ and ‘Sasquatch’ to AT&T

Since ASUS is already working with Intel on the FonePad, it’s no surprise that they could be prepping an Intel-powered smartphone for June. According to DigiTimes, it will sport the Intel Atom Z2580 processor (Clover Trail+), which has a 2GHz dual-core CPU. This one will compete with the Lenovo K900 as it will sport a display around 5 to 5.5-inches.

DigiTimes also mentioned that ASUS would have an updated Nexus 7 tablet for Google I/O, which further confirms what we heard in January.

source: DigiTimes

Come comment on this article: ASUS will launch an Intel-powered smartphone in June

Sony Mobile unveiled two phones today. We already told you about the Xperia SP, and now it’s time for the Xperia L, which is a low to mid-range device for people who put a bigger importance on the camera. It sports a 4.3-inch (854 x 480) display, a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot,1,700mAh battery, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Sure the specs are nothing to write home about, but those into taking pictures will be happy to know that it sports an 8-megapixel camera with an Exmor RS sensor and is able to take HDR stills and video. It even sports a dedicated camera key that will take it from sleep to snap in just over a second from a locked screen.

As with all Xperia phones, you will also get the “WALKMAN”, “Album” and “Movies” apps. You should be able to get your hands on one in Q2, but no pricing was specified. Hit the break for the full press release and overview video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sony Mobile adds two new Xperia smartphones to its Spring line up, bringing best of Sony experiences to a broader device range

Two new models added to the Xperia™ range of premium smartphones with Xperia™ SP and Xperia™ L offering unique Sony features at new price points
Xperia SP offers a high quality HD experience, LTE 4G and easy connectivity with One-touch function in a beautiful cutting-edge design

· Xperia L provides a stylish design with best in class Sony camera experience for perfect pictures and videos every time

18th March 2013, London, United Kingdom – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today announced two new Xperia smartphone models to join its 2013 line up – the Xperia SP and Xperia L. The Xperia SP delivers 4G LTE performance and an exceptional viewing experience, with a razor sharp HD screen housed in a beautiful design. The Xperia L provides class leading camera technology with HDR for both photos and videos complemented by a high quality screen.

Both the Xperia SP and Xperia L offer the best of Sony with stunning premium designs and a range of technologies including a high quality screen for the ultimate viewing experience; the latest camera features for impressive pictures and videos; NFC connectivity for One-touch function; Battery STAMINA Mode for extended battery life; and Sony’s signature media apps for enjoying photos, music, movies and games on the go.

“Xperia SP and Xperia L are ideally suited for those seeking stylish class-leading smartphones that don’t compromise on features”, said Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications. “Both of our new models benefit from Sony’s proven innovation and engineering expertise – whether you want to enjoy premium HD quality entertainment over 4G LTE on our mid-range Xperia SP or capture every moment in perfect detail with our more affordable Xperia L.”

Xperia SP – High Definition brilliance in a premium design

The Xperia SP utilises expertise from Sony’s BRAVIA® TV engineers to create its stunning 4.6″ HD Reality Display for razor sharp pictures and superior brightness. The latest Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 delivers an even better viewing experience by analysing your content type and adjusting the image automatically, making it one of the most intelligent smartphone screens around. The engine will make the adjustment by adding new real-time contrast optimisation to the sharpness enhancement, high-quality colour management and noise reduction.

As well as delivering brilliant experiences, the Xperia SP looks beautiful too with a precision-crafted co-moulded aluminium frame, for a seamless look that is both sleek and solid. Adding to the unique design innovation is the colour-changing ‘transparent element’ with customisable illuminations which you can personalise to alert you of incoming calls and text messages. And you can even set the illuminations to pulse to the beat of your favourite music.

Key features for Xperia SP

· Precision crafted co-moulded aluminium frame

· Super-bright 4.6″ 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2

· One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices

· 4G LTE for superfast entertainment and browsing

· Unique ‘transparent element’ can be personalised to change colour when notifying you of all your incoming messages and calls. Or simply set it to pulse to the beat of your music to stand out from the crowd.

· 8MP fast-capture camera with “Exmor RS for mobile”, HDR and Superior Auto for the best photos, even at night or against a strong backlight

· Battery STAMINA Mode for optimum battery life

· Available in white, red and black colour variations

Xperia L – the perfect smartphone camera experience

The stylish and functional Xperia L features an 8 megapixel camera with Sony’s unique “Exmor RS for mobile” sensor technology for vivid colours and stunning clarity. HDR (High Dynamic Range) ensures that both your photos and videos are captured clearly, even at night or against a strong backlight. And with the dedicated camera key that goes from sleep to snap in just over a second even from a locked screen, this fast-capture camera will ensure that you’ll never miss another moment. Get the most out of your viewing experience with the high quality 4.3″ FWVGA screen that is ideally suited to enjoy all of your content.

Key features for Xperia L

· 8 megapixel fast-capture camera takes sharp pictures in any light

· Enjoy all your content on the generous 4.3″ FWVGA display

· One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices

· Fast performance with dual-core processor

· Battery STAMINA Mode for optimum battery life

· Available in white, red and black colour variations

Sony entertainment on the go

Both Xperia SP and Xperia L benefit from Sony’s media applications offering a consistent entertainment experience across the range. The “WALKMAN”, “Album” and “Movies” apps, provide online and offline content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content. The “WALKMAN” application provides access to all your downloaded music, plus Music Unlimted* with over 18 million songs to explore from, and Facebook social integration. The “Movies” application gives consumers access to over 100,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited* while the “Album” application enables easy access to Facebook friends’ photos as well as browsing photos by location.

One-touch functions for easy content sharing

Also featured on both models are Sony’s One-touch functions, allowing you to easily and instantly enjoy music and photos across an array of devices, such as Sony’s SRS-BTV5 speaker and latest range of NFC-enabled BRAVIA TVs, with just a single touch. It’s sharing made easy with no wires, cables, or fiddling with settings necessary.

The new Xperia SP and Xperia L from Sony Mobile will both be available worldwide from Q2 2013.

Come comment on this article: Sony unveils the Xperia L for the budget-minded who wants a best in class camera

The buzz is all about the Samsung Galaxy S 4 right now, but the Galaxy S III isn’t going anywhere. In fact, a purple version will hit Sprint stores by mid-April. I would assume the Galaxy S III’s price will drop when the S 4 officially launches, and when you consider most of the new features that were announced last week will make its way to the SIII, it might be worth a look for those on a tighter budget.

source: @evleaks

Come comment on this article: Purple Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Sprint by mid-April

During last week’s Unpacked Event, Samsung mentioned just two colors regarding the Galaxy S 4. They were Black Mist and White Frost. One can only assume that it won’t stop there, and it looks like a purple version will hit Sprint by mid-April. Whether they will carry the Black Mist and the White Frost versions as well is anyone’s guess, but if you’re looking for something a little different, this one might do the trick.

source: @evleaks

Come comment on this article: Purple Samsung Galaxy S 4 coming to Sprint by mid-April

I remember many moons ago, I used to wake up in the morning and one of the first things I would do is check what the free app of the day was in the Amazon appstore. After some time, I got fed up because I didn’t like having to worry about installing the Amazon appstore on all my devices. In other words, I would rather pay a couple of bucks to grab it from the official Google Play Store. This way all my apps are in one place and I get updates timely.

Well if you’re like me, but you still like the occasional Free deal, you might want to check out Get Free Apps from OnaDevice. Get Free Apps features paid apps that you can download for Free from the Google Play Store. There is one catch, and it’s a small one. You have to still pay for it up front, but they will refund you the purchase price via Paypal. So in a sense, it’s a rebate, but one in which you really don’t have to submit anything, it happens automatically and fast. Your “refund” will hit your Paypal account within 20 minutes of purchasing the app in Google Play.

The app is very easy to use. Upon opening it, the Current tab will be visible along with the app of the day. You can also go to the Next tab, which will show you the apps that will be featured soon. The last tab is the Settings area and this is where you need to agree to the terms and to enter your Paypal email address. This is for receiving payments so don’t worry, you don’t need to provide a password or anything like that.

Going back to the Current Tab, at the bottom left, it will tell you the Play Store purchase price along with a line through it to symbolize that it will be Free for you. You will also see how many people grabbed the deal. There is a limited number of transactions, but right now they aren’t showing what that limit is. Obviously if it’s still available, the limit hasn’t been met. If you want the app, just tap “Download for free” at the bottom. You will get a message saying that it has been added to your queue and to proceed to the Play Store to make your purchase. After you make your purchase, just go back to the app and it will ask you if you made your purchase. You can click “yes” and you will receive a full refund of the purchased price in your Paypal account as well as a notification that it took place. The best part of all of this is you have a record of owning the app through the Google Play Store, so you will get the updates just like everyone else, and you’re free to re-download it to other devices. I’ve already tested it with two different apps, and I received the refund at just about 20 minutes from the time I made the Google Play purchase.

Nothing could be easier, and when the featured app changes you will get a notification so you don’t have to keep checking. Right now, the app is at it’s infancy so unfortunately you won’t find deals on a daily basis, but instead, they might last a couple of days. As the app grows in popularity, you should find the featured apps to change more often. Examples of apps that have been featured is Asphalt 7, Where’s My Water, and Where’s My Perry. Today’s app is Angry Birds Premium and upcoming apps will include Falcon Pro, Cut the Rope, and 3D Mini Golf Challenge.

You might be asking how OnaDevice is able to do this? They simply partner with the developers that want to promote their app in this manner. That’s where the limits come into play because a particular developer might limit the number of downloads.

As you might imagine the app itself is also Free so give it a shot. It’s one of those apps that you leave on your device and only open once in a while. You simply wait for the notifications, and if the Free app of that day interests you, than grab it. If not, you simply wait for the next deal. Either way, it won’t cost you a cent, and over time you will have grabbed yourself some Free apps in the process. Take a look at their video below and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think,

App instructions per OnaDevice

1. Type your PayPal email in the “Settings” tab and save changes
2. Press the “Download” button if the promoted app likes you. It links to the Google Play Store official’s app page
3. Purchase the promoted app with your Google Wallet account. You pay $1, for instance
4. Wait for 20 minutes till the system verifies your purchase. You can use the promoted app or even switch off the phone, but it’s important to not uninstall or force Get Free Apps to close meanwhile, and do not disable push notifications!
5. You will receive a notification when the refund is made. Following the previous example, you get your $1 back

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Featured Android App Review: Get Free Apps [Entertainment]

One thing you can’t argue about is the success Samsung has enjoyed with the Galaxy S and Note line. Each newer version has always exceeded the results of the previous version, and it doesn’t look like that will change with the Galaxy S 4. One UK retailer, Phones4U, says that pre-registrations are going through the roof. In fact, they are seeing a 40% increase over what they experienced with the Galaxy S III, and it has only been 48 hours since they opened pre-registrations.

“The anticipation surrounding the next Samsung Galaxy has been astounding and it has already received the most pre-registrations as Phones 4U of any other smartphone launch in 2013,” said Scott Hooton, Chief Commercial Officer at Phones 4U. He also went on to say that it could be the “biggest selling smartphone of 2013.”

It doesn’t seem limited to Phones4U as EE is seeing some action. ”The interest we’ve received from consumers and businesses has almost reached fever-pitch levels,” said Paul Jevons, Director of Products and Devices at EE.

source: TechRadar

Come comment on this article: Phones4U say that pre-registrations for the Samsung Galaxy S 4 now 40% greater than Galaxy S III