BlackBerry had been saying that BBM would arrive for Android users before the end of the summer. That launch was later confirmed to be September 21st, however as we saw — that launch never happened. The 7AM launch time came and went and BlackBerry later confirmed the release plans were put on hold.
Aside from some talk of the delay being blamed on the pre-release leak, the talk of BBM for Android seems to have gone quiet. Well, there are still folks waiting for the app to arrive in the Play Store, however talk seemed to have gone quiet from BlackBerry. That said though, it looks like those plans are still in progress.
In a recent tweet coming from the official @BBM Twitter account, there was talk of BlackBerry still being committed to this release. The new details are rather light in terms of specifics, but it was said they are “still 100% committed.”
“Still 100% committed to bringing #BBM to Android and iPhone. Sign up at http://BBM.com to know when #BBM4All”
Looking back to the news of the delay and it seems that was due to a large group of new users. In fact, in the statement issued by BlackBerry, they said the “active users of the unreleased app neared a million — and accelerated.”
Simply put, it looks like BlackBerry chose to fight the leak by pausing the launch. They had said the team was working towards completely blocking that unreleased version and also working towards preventing a similar situation next time around. Otherwise, while there was nothing further given in terms of a release date, that statement, which arrived on September 23rd did say that a release will “take some time” and is not expected this week.
In the digital age, the wristwatch might seem obsolete, but I’m a watch guy. Nothing fancy, a $40 timepiece from Target does the trick. So I was intrigued when rumors began circling that smartwatches were the next endeavor for many gadget manufacturers. However, that’s just what they were: rumors. And these tech titans are like little kids poised on the edge of swimming pool. They’re dipping their toes in, testing the waters, but no one’s jumping—until now.
Samsung is the first smartphone OEM to leap with Galaxy Gear, a timepiece and smartphone shortcut all in one. That’s not to say it’s the only device out there as Pebble, a popular rival and baseline standard for smartwatches, andQualcomm’s Toq are also in the market, but it’s the first release we’ve seen from a household brand, but does that mean it’s better than the competition?
Performance
The philosophy behind smartwatches is to cut down the number of daily arm curls needed check your phone for messages, emails, phone calls, and the other million possible applications available. That doesn’t mean you can throw your phone away. First off, it needs that phone within Bluetooth range to become more than just an impressive digital watch. These watches don’t boast that they’re a replacement, just a convenient complement to your device.
But before fastening the device to my wrist, it’s already at a disadvantage. Unlike every competitor including the much cheaper Pebble, Galaxy Gear only pairs with the new Galaxy Note 3 or Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Even within its brand, that’s pretty limited. Samsung says it’s working on widening device availability, but such a tight-gripped user base at launch isn’t doing them any favors.
Setting up the device is straightforward (if not a little weird). Users must tap the charging module to the back of the Note to prompt the Gear Manager installer, which is the mission control function for managing the smartwatch’s apps and general settings.
After a couple days of testing, I found the interface easy to use. An internal motion sensor wakes the device when you raise your wrist or you can press a button on the side. The sensor works well though sometimes it takes a second to wake up. Swiping left or right lets you page through apps while swiping down returns you to the previous screen. If you’re on the home display, swiping up opens the phone app while the opposite launches the watch’s built-in, 1.9 megapixel camera.
The Galaxy Gear needs to do at least three things well to be worth it considering the steep $300 price tag: calls, messages, and apps. With a 1.6-inch display, there are going to be inherent limitations. Dialing a phone number manually requires extra attention considering the small screen surface. S Voice aids the process by integrating a Siri-like voice command option, allowing you to call by contact name rather than typing in phone numbers. The Galaxy Gear’s call quality is pretty solid. After a few test calls and one argument as to why I was calling so late, people on the other end said they could hear me clearly, whether the build-in strap mic was by my side or near my face. However, hearing them wasn’t as easy and I ended up mimicking the Secret Service by holding the watch up to my ear.
The Galaxy Gear is convenient for keeping track of texts, but responding to them is annoying. The S Voice command works sporadically and text colloquialisms aren’t exactly speech-friendly.
And when it comes to apps, another failure. The availability just isn’t there—at least for now. As mentioned, the small screen comes with some inherent limitations so it’s understandable if you don’t want to use certain apps on a smartwatch—but you need to have some heavy hitters: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, for instance. These apps are ubiquitous with smartphones and are arguably as important as a phone’s core functions.
If Galaxy Gear can’t provide these basic services, and provide them seamlessly (a difficult task), then its appeal slowly degenerates. Add the fact that texting is mediocre at best, and you haven’t got much else to work with.
Hardware and Design
Samsung’s product press release heralded the design of the Galaxy Gear as “understated elegance” and comparable to “luxury jewelry.” While the watch feels like a well-made piece of gear, it’s not attractive. The elegance must be very, very understated. My test watch came with a gray band, dull in comparison to other colors like wild orange or rose gold. The watch’s face is bulky, the band stiff, and overall visually lacking in comparison to Pebble, or even i’m Watch.
The Galaxy Gear’s 1.9 megapixel camera also comes with a 720p video and playback capability, though it can only record in 15-second chunks. The device communicates with the Note via Bluetooth 4.0 and has an accelerometer and gyroscope packed in as well. Storage tops out at 4GB, and the 315mAh battery provides little more than a two-day charge. That’s much less than its competitors.
Conclusion
Opening the box on the Galaxy Gear was an exciting moment: A big name OEM-designed smartwatch finally in hand. That tide of excitement quickly abated. Samsung makes a valiant effort—a heroic cannonball, if you will—into smartwatch waters, but it missed its target. With a high price tag, limited usability, poor texting and restricted app selection, there’s just not enough there to sell someone on the device, especially over better and cheaper options already available. Many of these problems, especially app availability, will fix themselves as the market matures. But ultimately, the emergence of the Galaxy Gear proves that sometimes it’s best to wait for warmer waters.
An Android 4.3 test firmware for the Galaxy Note II (GT-N1700) – N7100XXUEMI6 – has been leaked on tinhte.vn, which was then later posted on XDA forums by rayblo. N7100XXUEMI6 is the first ever Android 4.3 leak for the Galaxy Note II (GT-N7100).
It’s a pretty early build because Samsung has just started testing Android 4.3 for the Galaxy Note II a week ago, in total there are only three test builds compiled by Samsung for the Note II. So keep in mind that there might be a few bugs here and there, so make sure to backup all your stuff before flashing this test firmware on your device.
In the Android 4.3 update, Samsung has updated the core UI elements to more like Galaxy S4/Note 3′s interface, including the tabbed settings. Samsung has included many new features in the Android 4.3 update, many taken from the Galaxy S4/Note 3. Samsung Knox and Samsung Wallet are also present in this test firmware. Android 4.3 update is still under heavy development and Samsung may add more features before rolling out the official update itself.
NOTE - This test firmware will NOT increase your binary counter NOR void your warranty. - This test firmware is a pre-release firmware and not official from Samsung.
INSTRUCTIONS - Extract (unzip) the firmware file - Download Odin3 v3.09 (From here or here) - Extract Odin .ZIP file - Open Odin3 v3.09 - Restart phone in download mode (Press and hold Home + Power + Volume down buttons) - Connect phone and wait until you get a blue sign in Odin - Add AP_N7100XXUEM16_CP_N7100XXEM16_CSC_N7100XAEM16_BY_WVAZ_DINK.tar to AP - Make sure re-partition is NOT ticked - Click start button, sit back and wait a few minutes. - If you encounter any issues with the firmware (Any FC, Bootloop etc) - Boot into recovery mode (Home+power+vol up) - Choose to wipe/factory reset. (THIS WILL ERASE ALL OF YOUR DATA INCLUDING YOUR INTERNAL SD CARD!) - Then choose reboot and you should be good to go!
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is meant to be a phone - but with a 6.44-inch screen it's pushing the boundaries of what a smartphone can really be.
It's a huge device, there's no doubt about that, but at 6.5mm thick it sits more comfortably in the hand than you might expect and the full HD screen really impresses too.
Spec-fans will be unable to contain their excitement at the thought of the first smartphone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip, a quad-core processor clocked to 2.2GHz.
It's also got a magnetic charging port on the side to facilitate, well, magnetic docks that allow charging - it's odd that it takes up so much of the design though, where it's usually more discreet.
The waterproof element to the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is obviously one of the high points, and as such the little doors that seal in the ports are back in force. However, they're intriguingly not used on the headphone jack, with Sony working out how to make it so the water gremlins won't destroy your sound.
The design of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is something that is as much of an acquired taste as the Xperia Z before it. It has the same sharp design, which makes it slightly more difficult to hold in one hand but the rubber exterior does mitigate this to some extent.
The CPU speed certainly shows in general use, as it's as snappy as anything we've played with - both flicking between apps and browsing the internet over Wi-Fi were lightning fast. It's getting to the point where smartphones are faster than you'd ever need them to be, but we're still impressed by the performance here.
The screen quality is definitely improved, with the Triluminous technology at work to improve colours saturation levels in key areas, increasing the palette for a fairly stunning-looking picture. It's also helped by the X Reality engine that's been developed for mobile, which fills in missing pixels in standard definition pictures.
As we mentioned, the videos included to demo the technology are impressive, but overall the screen doesn't live up to the hype bestowed upon it by Sony. It suffers the same as the Xperia Z, in that it has a slightly washed-out tint to it, which is especially telling as it was mentioned as being 'closer to Samsung's Super AMOLED technology' by one of the Sony representatives.
The camera could be improved as well in our eyes, although this could be pre-production sampling getting in the way. The pictures we took were rather grainy and lacked definition, as you can see below.
Sample images
Let's hear it for the battery though: a 3000mAh power pack is what we expected in a phone like this, and we weren't disappointed. Sony is still crowing about its slightly dubious Stamina Mode being a real benefit here, so we're expecting to see big things from the Ultra when it lands for a full review.
Early verdict
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is a phone that wants to be a tablet. While many will look at the Ultra and recoil in horror at its larger dimensions, those that want the larger screen won't be able to help but desire this handset.
Is it going to win over more of the smartphone market? It's a definite possibility as the power and size combination are currently unique. More importantly for the long-term future of Sony Mobile is that this handset shows that the Japanese brand is keen to show it's at the forefront of technology.
We honestly can't see this being a mainstream device, but it bridges the gap between phone and tablet, both decent devices, marvellously.
We've now got our hands on the White Nexus 4 - check out our gallery and 'review' of the new colour. We'll spoil it now... it's the same but looks a bit different.
Google's Nexus (ten points to anyone who can tell us if Nexi is the correct plural) smartphones have always set the standard when it comes to a pure Google experience.
The first Nexus One was a true geek device. Sold only through Google directly (apart from a brief flirtation with Vodafone), it never achieved massive sales. But it gave the world the true raw power of Android without the bloatware of other variants. As of January 2010, the ball was well and truly rolling.
We've had several now – and everyone, it seems, had a go: HTC, Samsung, Asus and LG – though strangely, not Motorola, which is now part of Google itself.
Some handsets we look forward to with much anticipation – only to feel deflated when we actually use them. Others, we wait for with little expectation – and they absolutely blow our socks off.
A stealth surprise. We'll lay our proverbial cards on the table here from the outset. The Nexus 4 is one of those rare devices.
LG's not had the best track record of late. Sure, we thought the Optimus 4X HD was a pretty decent offering, but too little, too late compared to what was already out there by the time LG got it to market.
And whereas LG did have good form when it came to innovation back in the day (who remembers the Chocolate, the Shine – and even the dubious widescreen BL40?), the mojo seemed to have passed.
That's not a dig at the South Koreans – far from it. But just to set the scene to show why we weren't expecting much from the Nexus 4.
The difference is, when we took the Samsung model out of its box this time last year, we thought it was nice. When we took the Nexus 4 out of its box last week, we thought it was beautiful.
Size wise, the Nexus 4 comes in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – which means it is similar to its predecessor. But it is far more stunning to look at and hold.
The front is all glass in piano black. Extra tough too thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Think iPhone 4S territory, but just a little nicer looking (we are aware that is a matter of opinion, iFans!)
The whole front is set within a dull chrome bezel and the shininess even extends to the rear of the handset, which has an attractive, though unusual sparkly pattern adorning it - although newer shipments seem to be shorn of that element now.
Think the glittery kind of jacket that you could see Cilla Black, Joan Rivers or Shirley Bassey in at an awards ceremony, and you catch our drift.
Since launch LG has updated the design very slightly on the rear of the Nexus 4, with newer handsets sporting two tiny bumps at the bottom of the phone, which elevates the handset slightly.
This means sound isn't as distorted when played through the rear speaker, plus it stops the shiny glass back of the Nexus 4 scratching on the surface it's sitting on.
At 139g, the Nexus 4 isn't the lightest handset in school – but it's just about solid enough to get away with carrying that extra weight and puts those who say Android devices look like toys firmly in their place.
The screen is invisible when off – but when it lights up, you're treated to 4.7-inches of True HD IPS Plus beauty. That's 768 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density of 318. It is razor sharp – blowing Retina out of the water and we'll venture it is one of the best we've seen on a handset.
Another reason for this is because there is such little space between the glass and the display. So where we berated the Optimus 4X HD for leaving enough room here to park a small car, the Nexus 4 leaves no gap at all.
It exudes a clarity that has to be seen to be believed. Colours look beautiful, icons and text are razor sharp and everything floats perfectly.
We find it hard to see how this could be beaten. When you're looking at icons on a black background (like in the app drawer), you can't even see the black, if that makes sense. It is so deep, that icons just float. Beneath the screen, in the centre, but hidden until needed, lies a pulsating notification light.
Another element worth pointing out here is the way the phone curves at the sides, from the main panel into the bezel. It seems to make the screen look even more realistic and beautiful. It's one of those things you really have to experience to appreciate.
Round the edges, you'll find the usual adornments. A 3.5mm headphone jack on top, volume rocker and micro SIM tray on the left, micro USB port plus a few dubious screws on the bottom, and a perfectly placed lock/unlock/power button on the upper right hand side.
It's just in that sweet spot where it's easy to press with the thumb if you're right handed and not impossible if you're a leftie.
There's no way of getting the back off – so you know what that means, peeps. No removable battery and no expandable storage. The former doesn't faze us too much since the 2,100mAh battery pack is no slouch but the lack of memory card allowance is annoying.
Yes, we know that ever since the Nexus S, expandable memory is out. Google's said that it doesn't offer it because it's confusing. But for those with lots of content who can't or don't want to stream, it's a real pain. We don't quite buy Google's argument.
As for the innards, LG has cut no corners here. Make no mistake, this is a premium handset. DC-HSDPA, the very latest iteration of Jelly Bean 4.2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, NFC and so forth.
But what makes this so sweet is the price. Let's just point out that sim-free, aHTC One X with similar specs will set you back around £320 (around $490/AU$475) and the Samsung Galaxy S3 can now be snapped up for £329 (around $525/AU$503).
And while last year's Galaxy Nexus will leave your wallet £299 (around $477/AU$458) lighter, this brand new model, the Nexus 4 is priced – almost unbelievably – at £239 ($299/AU$349) for the 8GB version and £279 ($349/AU$480) for 16GB. Yes, the newer Nexus is cheaper than the year old Nexus. Word!
We can't overestimate just how revolutionary this is and it leaves us open-mouthed at how Google is doing this. Either it's selling the Nexus 4 at a loss – or the mark-up on handsets is now shown up as being ridiculously high. Whichever it is, it means the Nexus 4 has a distinct advantage over the competition.
Bizarrely, in the UK Google promised O2 that it can sell the Nexus 4 as an exclusive for the first month. We can't understand why – especially because you could end up paying £800 for the device over the course of the contract, but there are loads of these all over Google Play Store these days.
Virgin Mobile has also joined the Nexus 4 brigade by offering LG's handset on a contract - but with prices starting at £31 a month, it's not going to be a decent way to get a cheap Google phone in your hand.
Most people with sense (and a bit of spare cash) will buy the Nexus SIM-free and get themselves a cheap as chips SIM-only plan. The only downside is that LG has been a little slow on actually making these devices, despite Google subsidising the cost of the handset to the tune of hundreds of pounds per device.
Unique design improvements that deliver a premium look and feel. A softly griped leather-like cover with delicate stitching on the back side of the phone lets you not worry about scratches or cracks.
Air Command
Paint your life anew from a palette of 5 useful S Pen features.
With the S Pen, life has just gotten easier.
Hover the S Pen over the screen and simply click the pen button to instantly access 5 useful S Pen features:
Action Memo: Activate your memos instantly
Scrapbook: Organise important pieces of your life
S Finder: Search from your entire phone to the web
Pen Window: Draw to perform another simple task
Screen Write: Enjoy annotating on captured images
Action Memo - Scrapbook
Organise important pieces of your life anytime, anywhere.
Don't stress anymore about organising the information and contents stored in your phone. GALAXY Note 3 allows you to easily track down and categorize images, videos and other contents by tapping the 'Scrapbooker' button in Air Command. Just circle the information or image that you want to save and move it into Scrapbook. It's never been easier to categorize and design your own personalised Scrapbook.
Action Memo - S Finder
Search with options detailed enough to locate anything in your phone or the web.
Contents cannot be lost in GALAXY Note 3.
With S Finder, you can search your entire phone from hand-written memos to the web. Simply click the pen to access S Finder and then search by keywords and/or apply date, location or content filters from one starting point to find related images, videos, music, personal notes, documents, events or chats, even Help advice.
It’s easy with automatically saved dates and enabled location tags in the Camera, S Note, Scrapbook, Voice recorder.
new S Note
Compose and manage your thoughts more easily and quickly.
Enjoy note taking now more than ever.
The new S Note lets you quickly scribble notes on extensive canvases, browse through them effortlessly and edit them beautifully without having to rewrite or redraw anything. The new S Note can also be synced with Evernote or a Samsung account to enable viewing from your PC or tablets. The Easy Chart function also transforms scribbled charts into professional-looking graphs instantly. Yes, this is now possible with the new S Note.
new Easy Clip
Neatly crop out images automatically
Neatly cropped images are no longer limited to professional tools. Select the area to be cropped, and the new Easy Clip will remove the background instantly for a professional look. Enhance the boundaries of your creativity with the new Easy Clip.
Direct Pen Input
Write with the S Pen instead of typing.
The GALAXY Note 3 recognises both your handwriting and typing. The advanced handwriting recognition technology can accurately read most writing styles and be transcribed into a message, planner, alarm or phone function. This feature allows you to experience greater versatility and flexibility.
Multi Window
Multitask freely, smartly, effortlessly
Now, Multi Window means more than just opening and viewing two different applications at the same time on your screen. By using the 'Drag & Drop' mode in new Multi Window, you can easily drag and drop words or captured images from one window to the other in an instant for enhanced productivity across different applications. Also, you can now open the same application in two windows at the same time: read the news in one browser while searching in another, view two Youtube videos or chat with two different people on ChatON, etc. The GALAXY Note 3 allows you to take multitasking to the next level.
Pen Window
Allows you to quickly perform another simple task
Open a window as small or as large as you want, wherever you want on the screen. The GALAXY Note 3 allows you to multitask via new windows without interrupting your work on the main screen. For example, while preparing a presentation, create a smaller window to access a calculator for some quick math. Working from different windows simultaneously has never been easier.
14.4cms Full HD SCREEN
Make daily viewing a delightful routine.
GALAXY Note 3 with 14.4cms FHD screen
This bigger display enables efficient multitasking and a maximum viewing experience. Explore where this large screen can take you
