World Mobile News

The latest version of Xiaomi's MIUI 6 is to become available for the Redmi 1S later this week. MIUI 6 was announced back in August last year, but the budget-friendly smartphone has so far been left out in the cold. Admittedly, it will be a beta version of the ROM at this point, released to the public to iron out unforeseen imperfections. The official version should follow in the coming weeks though. The company has also promised that the update will be rolled out to its entire smartphone lineup at a later stage. MIUI OS is Xiaomi's iOS-inspired thoroughly-customized Android overlay. It abandons Android's two-level interface and ditches the app drawer in favor of a number of homescreens for all your apps. A flat, polished look with consistent app icons is also typical of the MIUI. Via View the original article here

Motorola brought Lollipop to all of its current Moto smartphones but the first-gen Moto X is still left hanging. Sure, the Moto E is yet to taste Android Lollipop, but the testing processes has already begun, which means its update is ready. What happens to the original Moto X then? Motorola has decided to answer this bugging questions over Twitter. Apparently, the Lollipop update for the Moto X is still in development and Motorola is working on fixing compatibility issues with the SoC. The first Moto X runs on the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with dual-core 1.7GHz Krait processor, Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It seems the vanilla Lollipop is facing some issues with the hardware and requires further tweaking. Anyway, Motorola doesn't want to give any promises for release dates, but it assure its Moto X users that all hands are on deck for the update and it will roll out as soon as possible. Source View the original article here

Android 5.1 Lollipop name has been creating quite a buzz over the social networks through the last few hours. The new version has appeared on various screenshots and its name and build numbers popped up through various logs. Google has already confirmed the next Android iteration - 5.1 Lollipop - via its official Android One page. There you can clearly see the mention of the new Android OS though there are no details on the improvements. The new Android version is already shipping with the Android One devices listed on the official web page, including the Nexian Journey many people posted screenshots of. We guess lots of bug fixes and performance boosts will be in tow with the update, but Google is yet to release the official changelog, builds and source code. Once we get the complete lists of changes, you bet we'll post it immediately. Stay tuned! Source View the original article here

In addition to the Ascend P7, Huawei will also launch the Ascend D3 at some point this year. As far as we (don’t) know, this model could launch from the floor of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona… or not. We do know that the D3 could easily be more powerful than the P7. While the latter is targeting a mainstream audience, the D3 is more of a geeky device with better hardware and not that fancy design. That’s, at least, the way we see things. According to Unwired View, the Ascend D3 could sport Huawei’s own octa-core chip, HiSilicon Kirin 920, clocked at 1.8GHz. This SoC will rely on ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, combining four faster (Cortex-A9) with four slower (Cortex-A7) cores. We would like those faster cores to be Cortex-A15, but I guess Huawei is still not there. Other D3 specs apparently include a 16-megapixel camera on the back, 5-inch full HD screen and a 6.3mm-thin body. If this phone is not too expensive, Huawei may have a winner at its hand, one that could easily sell in...

There’s a weird rumor going around the Interwebs, suggesting that Microsoft may allow Android apps to run on Windows Phones. Something like that would quickly increase the app count for Microsoft’s mobile platform, but there are downsides as well. For one thing, this could entice developers to skip “regular” native development for Windows Phone. It’s a tricky choice. On one hand, the Redmond giant could benefit in the short term to have all those Android apps and games available on Windows Phone handsets. On the other hand, they could pretty much face extinction from the mobile game, with Windows Phone pretty much turning into yet another Android launcher. So no, we don’t think Microsoft will allow this to happen. At the same time, it may not stop other companies from pursuing this opportunity. Think BlueStacks, the company that already allows Android apps to run on Windows computers. Perhaps these same guys/gals can enable the same functionality on Windows Phones. We doubt the Redmon...

Nokia have just officially announced the Lumia Icon over on their Conversations blog. As expected the phone packs an amazing 5 inch full HD 1080p display, making it the highest PPi screen ever on a Nokia (or Windows Phone) at 441 ppi . It also packs a 20 Mp pureview camera, and four directional microphones for amazing sound capture “thanks to our high-performance digital mics, noise reduction and those magical software algorithms.”. The display is made of curved Gorilla glass 3, and has almost 180 degree viewing angles, meaning that full HD display will surely look amazing. The wait is over. Meet the new 20MP Nokia #LumiaIcon, arriving 2/20 on @VerizonWireless: http://t.co/sVbzET4J24 pic.twitter.com/WNtNTYezwl — Nokia USA (@NokiaUS) February 12, 2014 The Icon comes with built-in wireless charging (qi), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and 32 gigs of built-in storage, 2.2 Ghz snapdragon 800 quad core processor and a 2420 mAh battery. All ina  very neat package of 167 g, with a plastic hosing and met...

OPPO will soon launch a new color version of its N1 phablet. The upcoming Midnight Black Oppo N1 has been caught in the wild and should start selling any day now. Or so we think. The device comes in “dark blue” color, rocking the same specs as the “regular” white model. These include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip, 2GB of RAM and that awesome swivel camera with 13-megapixel sensor. Chances are this black (dark blue) N1 will also be available with CyanogenMod ROM pre-installed though we can’t be 100% certain. Also worth noting is that Oppo already has few different special edition devices, including a that model with CyanogenMod branding as well as N1 Pepsi Edition which isn’t available to the general public… [Via: GizChina] Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using ...

Samsung is working on the Galaxy S5, HTC on the successor to its One smartphone, LG – on G3, while Pantech wants to compete with its upcoming Vega Iron 2. This, still rumored device will apparently be a beast-phone, packing the top-notch hardware to make it a viable alternative to competing vendors’ high-end offering. According to ZDNet Korea, the Iron 2 will launch in April, sporting a metal body, fingerprint scanner and a 2K screen (1600 x 2560 pixels). Alas, we may not see it hitting the Western hemisphere at all. Although Pantech managed to bring some of its devices to the U.S. market, most of those were low- and mid-range phones. During last year, the Korean firm unveiled several interesting smartphones and phablets, none of which were sold outside of Korean peninsula. Perhaps things will change with the Vega Iron 2, perhaps not. In any case, we’re looking forward to play with this device during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Stay tuned… [Via: PhoneArena] Dusan has been usi...

The Sony Xperia E will get its successor next year, Unwired View is reporting. What we knew as an affordable smartphone will this time round come with LTE connectivity support, and probably better hardware under the hood. Speaking of which [hardware], we don’t know what’s cooking in Sony’s labs but we do know what the existing Xperia E is all about. It rocks a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, and we can only hope that next model in the series will take it from there, possibly introducing a WVGA display and perhaps some quad-core processor. These chips are getting cheaper with the day, and Sony doesn’t necessarily has to opt for Qualcomm’s solution — there’s always MediaTek for phones like these. Alas, the hope is that the user experience won’t be as poor (as the specs) now that Android 4.4 KitKat introduced system-wide enhancements which should deliver decent speeds even on lower-end smartphones. We’ll be on the lookout for any new piece of information and get back to you as soon as that makes s...

Future plans for rollout in other markets not yet available LG has announced that it will begin rolling out an update to Android 4.4 KitKat for Korean variants of the G2. Speaking specifically of the model for its own domestic market, LG says that KitKat will be hitting its flagship by the end of the month, and considering that we're half way through December we have just two more weeks to wait before at least some G2s start seeing the software. Unfortunately no specifics are given on what changes LG plans to bundle along with the move to KitKat, nor does it offer any timeframe for G2s in Western markets . Considering the carrier involvement here in the states that's not hard to imagine, but knowing that LG has the software ready for at least one variant has us hopeful that it won't be too long before we have more information on a more advanced rollout. Source: LG (Translated)        

Qualcomm announced it’s laying off employees today. The cuts are meant to “trim the fat” a bit and streamline the chipmaker’s workforce. CEO Paul Jacobs told Morning Star  about the company’s cost cutting measures today: “In fiscal 2014 we are facing some mix and demand factors which we currently expect will moderate our QCT growth. In light of this we are taking near-term actions company-wide to prioritize investments, stay focused on growth but also control expenses in order to deliver operating profit growth in excess of revenue growth.” So far the downsizing seem to be focused on management, with several cuts and demotions at the vice-president level. However the company has signaled more cuts will be coming down the line, affecting several departments. Qualcomm’s weak 4th quarter for fiscal year 2013 is thought to be the cause. The company is facing increasing competition from low-cost chipmakers. Also, phone and tablet manufacturers like Samsung and Apple are increasingly develo...

Posted in: Gaming, Mobile software 19 hours ago by Johnny PopCap Games, the popular game developer and now an EA-owned company, has announced today that we’re in for a sequel of Plants Vs. Zombies, coming in late spring next year. PvZ is one of the best known mobile games on Android and iOS (among others) and probably the most popular lane tower defense game ever. Its gameplay revolves around fending off hordes of hilariously quirky, awkward-dressed, zombies with a large selection of sharp-shooting plants. The press release doesn’t state what new twists the game will offer, except hordes of new plant and zombie types. We don’t know if it will come to iOS and Android separately or at the same time, and how much the new game will cost. Source | Via View the original article here

The smash hit games, Draw Something and Zynga Poker, will be coming to Nokia’s Asha Touch range of devices later this year. This exciting development is the result of a growing partnership between Nokia and Zynga Games that was first announced a few months ago. Draw Something  has been a worldwide hit where friends can challenge each other to draw and then guess each other’s artistic efforts. Zynga Poker  is the classic high-stakes card game that lets you play people from all over the world. Both games will be free downloads from the Nokia Store and will be available for Nokia’s Asha Touch feature phones, namely the Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 and underlines that they are superb gaming devices. Already, Asha Touch owners can enjoy titles from leading games developers such as EA, Gameloft, Rovio and now, Zynga. Just last month, over 20 classic games from NAMCO BANDAI were announced for the Asha Touch phones. Bryan Biniak, Nokia’s Vice-President & General Manager of Global Partn...

Jacksonville, Florida – DateBase Inc. introduces ServedHOT, a mobile app for both iPhone and Android devices. ServedHOT allows users to find, enter and vote for HOT employees around their location in various categories. Users are able to add and vote for their favorite HOT bartenders, doctors, hairdressers, bankers, salespeople, waiters, waitresses and more. Profiles can also be claimed by the employees to provide photos, bio, and other information. ServedHOT was initially marketed only in the Jacksonville area where it has collected over 300 employees and garnered over 3 thousand votes. “It’s time to roll out ServedHOT to other markets”, stated Co-Founder Cory Nichols. “ServedHOT users will now be able to add employees and vote for them in all locations around the world.” “With this release we will need people to help us build the database,” added ServedHOT’s Robb Chamberlain. “Anyone can add employees and locations, and we have noticed that more and more employees are claiming their...

Red BlackBerry Curve 9320 will be available on O2 UK sometime in August, according to source. As noted, this BlackBerry phone has already arrived on shelves in May 2012 and one of the RIM’s most affordable smartphones. Already we had known that the Curve 9320 is aimed to customers looking to buy their first smartphone handset. Specs-wise, the red version of BlackBerry Curve 9320 is remaining unchanged as the black model. The handset will brings a 2.44-inch (non-touchscreen) display with 320 x 240 resolution, a full physical QWERTY keypad, and runs BlackBerry OS 7.1. The BlackBerry Curve 9320 red edition will have 512MB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, and a microSD card slot (up to 32GB). Other feature is a 3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera, GPS, FM radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HSDPA (7.2Mbps)/HSUPA (5.76Mbps), and a 1450 mAh Li-Ion battery. View the original article here

TracFone, the prepaid US carrier is plans to release an Android smartphone, the LG Optimus Zip. This handset is likely the re-branded LG Enlighten, which is already available on Verizon (or LG Optimus Slider for Virgin Mobile). The LG Optimus Zip smartphone has a full physical sliding QWERTY keyboard and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The Zip boasts an 800MHz processor, a 3.2-inch touchscreen HVGA (320 x 480) display, and a MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB). New LG Optimus Zip smartphone has a 3.2MP rear-facing camera, GPS, CDMA-EVDO 3G, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n. The exactly launch date or price of LG Optimus Zip is still unknown at moment. View the original article here

Posted in: iOS, Mobile Services, Online Services 13 hours ago by Johnny Google is on track to revamp its Search app on iOS and improve the voice search by adding Google Now-flavored recognition. The update will be available soon with no further specifics provided as to when exactly. Google Voice Search will be better at interpreting natural speech and can even give you spoken replies at times. It can check weather for you, give you cinema schedules and more. It will be a direct competitor to Siri on iOS although it won’t be able to launch apps or work with the built-in navigation in iOS 6. Also Google is bringing its Knowledge Graph outside of the US to the entire English-speaking world. Knowledge Graph combines more than 500 million people, places and things with more than 3.5 billion connections between them. It will provide users with location-specific answers to online queries, for example if you search for “chiefs” in Australia you’ll get the Aussie rugby team complete with scor...

Posted in: Android, Gaming, iOS 11 hours ago by Vince Rovio is hard at work on an update to its Angry Birds Space game. The update is simply called “Red Planet”, and is pretty suggestive as to what it will contain. Back in June, Angry Birds Space marked its 100th milion download, so it’s only logical for Rovio to build on the title’s success. The company also issued a teaser video for the update, which, naturally, doesn’t reveal much. Here’s the video. You can bet Rovio will release more teasers as the launch of the update approaches, so stay tuned, Angry Birds fans! Via View the original article here

MetroPCS will launch a new LTE-enabled smartphone in the US soon, namely the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G. According to source, this Samsung handset will be available starting mid-August and comes with a retractable antenna for Dyle TV, so users will be able to enjoy a MetroPCS’s mobile TV service. The Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G smartphone has feature a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display (unknown resolution yet), an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, and a front-facing 1.3MP camera. Other feature is a 16GB micro SD memory card pre-loaded, mobile hotspot, and HDMI port. The processor and operating system of the Lightray is still no reveal for now. View the original article here

HTC just confirmed that a majority of its recent smartphones will get upgraded to Android Jelly Bean. The handsets mentioned include the HTC One X, HTC One XL and HTC One S. This is great news for owners of HTC devices seeing that almost no other manufacturer has committed to an upgrade path for their phones. HTC’s global online communications manager Jeff Gordon had this to say: “We know HTC fans are excited to get their hands on Google’s latest version of Android. At this point in time, we can confirm that we have plans to upgrade our HTC One X, HTC One XL and HTC One S to Jelly Bean. Please stay tuned for more updates regarding device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Jelly Bean.” Android Jelly Bean brings several major improvements to the popular OS including what is called Project Butter which should help in making the user interface more fluid by ensuring everything works at a smooth 60fps. [Via - Electric Pig] Dhruv Bhutani is a tech enthusiast who tries to keep...