Samsung goes Mega! with Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3

Samsung is rumored to be bringing two new large-screen smartphones to shelves in the future with the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3, originally thought to be called Galaxy Fonblet. 

Their sizes have creeped past the Galaxy Note 2 which is 5.5inch but from a specifications standpoint, it doesn’t look like they will be any match for the Galaxy Note 2 successor.

Samsung is also rumoured to have changed the name of its new big-screen phablet devices, rebranding them the ‘Galaxy Mega’ range. These new big-screen smartphone's will sit alongside the Samsung Galaxy smartphone range, but will not be part of the Samsung Galaxy Note line-up.

Right let's look go straight into the rumored specification's of each device.

Galaxy Mega 5.8 (GT-I9152)

5.8” qHD, less than HD resolution display, equipped a dual-core processor, 8MP camera in back, 2MP camera in front, 1.5GB of RAM, 2,600 mAh battery, and a 9.7mm frame. As for the software, it will have Android Jelly Bean running on it and Samsung’s TouchWiz interface.

Galaxy Mega 6.3 (GT-I9200)

As for the larger Galaxy Mega 6.3, the device will evidently be packing a 6.3inch display, which is apparently a PLS HD display (most likely 720p), dual-core processor, 8MP camera in front, 2MP in back, 3200 mAh battery, 7.9mm frame and running Android Jelly Bean with Nature UX interface.

What is clear though is that these, despite their size, likely won’t be any match for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in the specs department. The new Galaxy Note 3 is said to feature a Exynos 5 Octa-core CPU processor, an improved S Pen – neither of these have an S Pen it seems, and a rumored flexible unbreakable display.

Given the specification's of both these handset's, we are expecting Samsung to aim for the midrange market and target the asian regions. Samsung is clearly thinking, more the better! We don't necessarily agree here and expect these handset's to overcrowd the phablet/tablet market and rather confuse consumer's instead. These handset's are bordering tablet's, Samsung need's to get their pricing and marketing right in order to convince consumer's that these device's warrant their attention.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is rumored to arrive around mid-June with the Galaxy Mega 6.3 releasing a few weeks later.

The Galaxy Note 3 is rumored for a September launch, we don’t expect these Galaxy Mega handsets to steal much, if any, of the Galaxy Note 3′s thunder.

HTC First: The Facebook Phone

HTC First announced on Thursday evening at the Facebook headquarters, will be the first smartphone to have Facebook Home on board. 

As reported earlier Facebook Home is the social network's new home screen software which will be made available to download on Android's Google play on April 12.

Let's get one thing straight, the HTC First is no Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 killer and hasn't set out to be either. 

It is a mid-range smartphone and nothing else apart from having Facebook Home preinstalled.

HTC First Specifications:

Dimensions - 126 x 65 x 8.9 mm

Weight - 123.9 g

Display: 4.3-inch 1280-pixel-by-720p HD display

Memory Internal - 16gb

Ram - 1 GB RAM

Camera - 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash

Video - 1080p @30fps

OS - Android Jelly Bean v4.1

Chipset - Qualcomm MSM8930 Snapdragon 400

CPU - 1.4 Ghz Dual-core Krait

GPU - Adreno 305

Battery - Li-Po 2000 mAh battery

As you can see from the above specification's the HTC First is targeting the mid-range phone market with it's 720p display and dual-core processor, as the premium HTC handset's feature a 1080p display and quad-core processor's.

Although the display doesn't quite compare to the full 1080p HD screens of today's high end devices, it is far above what many entry-level devices offer. Facebook Home require's a good resolution display, especially as it wouldn't look all that great on a low-resolution screen. In fact, the device's that can currently support Facebook Home have 720p screens or better.

The chipset featured inside the HTC First is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, a dual-core 1.2 ghz CPU processor. The 400 falls below the 600 and 800 series processors, which are Qualcomm's best and in the premium handset's.

The camera on the HTC First has just 5-megapixel's, though it can shoot 1080p HD video. The front-facing camera is 1.3 megapixels.

A surprise extra, is that the phone supports 4G, which explains why EE is the launch partner in the UK.

It is highly unlikely HTC and Facebook will let HTC First owner's disable Facebook Home. They'll be forced in it from the start, and will be living the Facebook world right out of the box. According to HTC, users can easily disable Facebook Home and run stock Android on their handset if they so choose.

The HTC First goes on sale in the U.S at AT&T Wireless on April 12. The smartphone will cost just $99 with a two year data and call contract. For that price, we think it might be worth picking up the phone, disabling Facebook Home and using it as is.

Customers in the UK will be able to pick up the HTC First this summer, but with no official UK release date yet available. However it is to launch exclusively in the UK on EE and it's Orange and T-Mobile sub-network's.

Mark Zuckerberg unveils Facebook "Home"

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled at the company's Menlo Park headquarters on Thursday evening, a new product called "Home". The reason behind the name is purely down to the fact that this software will reside on the home screen of Android phones.

The new product is a family of apps designed around users Facebook connections, the social network will become the hub of the users Android smartphone. Facebook Home software should be available to download starting on April 12 from Google Play.

Mark Zuckerberg said users can have an experience on Android smartphones that they cannot have on other platforms. "You're going to be able to turn your Android phone into a great social device," Zuckerberg said at the unveiling. "Our phones today are designed around apps, not people. We want to flip that around."

The idea is rather than seeing a set of apps for email, pictures, maps and other services when they turn on their devices, users will be greeted with photos and updates from their Facebook feeds. How Facebook will incorporate advertising into the software is yet unclear but there are plans however to bring this into action eventually.

As to how the software will operate, it will be similar to how the HTC One has a live Flipboard-like interface for its home screen. Facebook Home will put updates from the social network right on the home screen via a feature called Cover Feed. Content from Facebook takes up the entire screen, with no navigation or "chrome" whatsoever, and users can navigate through updates simply by swiping. Apps are still there, but accessed through a launcher that appears via a swiping up gesture.

CHAT HEADS FEATURE

Facebook also announced its "chat heads" feature, this will open up a new way to communicate with friends, regardless of what you're doing on your Android phone at the time.

Incorporated as a part of its new Facebook Home interface on Android-powered smartphones, the company introduced functionality called chat heads, allowing you to instantly message with friends, no matter what app you're already in.

This includes from checking email and playing games to surfing the internet, whilst allowing you to instantly message.

A floating picture of a friend's head appears on the screen, this will obviously as you might of guessed their Facebook profile picture — their Facebook profile picture that can be dragged via your finger to anywhere on the screen. You basically tap it to open a message window, and more than one chat head can be on screen at one time i.e group messaging.

"It makes you feel like your friends are always there," said Joey Flynn of Facebook. "You can carry on multiple conversations with the people you care about, and you can tap back to switch."

Facebook Home will available to download for Android smartphones from April 12 and a tablet version will come at a later date. The first crop of compatible phones are the HTC One and One X, and the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S 4 and Note II, Zuckerberg said.

So to sum up, Facebook Home is to bring Facebook content right to the home screen, rather than requiring users to check apps.

Effectively Facebook wants to take over your smartphone, scary thought eh! This deeper mobile integration will likely help Facebook to attract more mobile advertisers.

Samsung Galaxy Win I8552

Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones is hugely popular worldwide due to its wide range of options, from low/mid-range handsets to high-end powerhouses.
Samsung today has announced the "Samsung Galaxy Win" model number GT-I8552 running the latest version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The handset is to feature a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, packing a 4.7” TFT screen of WVGA resolution (199ppi pixel density). It has a 5MP camera that shoots D1 video, a 3MP front-facing camera and a microSD card slot. The battery has 2,000mAh capacity. In terms of connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Win handset supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0. It doesn't have Near Field Communication (NFC) support.
The handset is also dual-SIM, which is not hugely popular in the U.S. and Europe but is quite appreciated in the developing world and other international markets. A dual-SIM option comes in handy for keeping work and personal life separate and also for having another SIM when traveling abroad. If it does reach our shores, however, the Samsung Galaxy Win will likely not be a dual-SIM version.
Judging by the specifications revealed of the handset, there is nothing to get excited by. The device is hindered somewhat by the low resolution, giving a pixel density of only 199ppi. Samsung has not revealed the price but we expect is to be low, otherwise this may have a tough time selling. To be fair, it is dual-SIM, so that may make up for its shortcomings. However Samsung Galaxy S4 should clearly be the preferred handset here, especially for the European and U.S. customers, as even by the specifications alone it is superior.
Samsung seems to be seizing the market with lower and mid-range Galaxy Android smartphones, however not all of these devices make it worldwide. Just yesterday company revealed the Samsung Galaxy Pocket Neo and Galaxy Star, following the Galaxy Fame and Galaxy Young unveiled earlier this year.
Some might say that there are too many Galaxy phones now, although each phone does attract a different type of user, from the premium Samsung Galaxy S4, or a Samsung Galaxy Win for the user who has a work phone and doesn't want to carry two devices, or going to the Neo for someone who does not want a big phone.
Surely choice is a good thing, and as long as carriers and retail shops are clear about the advantages and disadvantages of each handset then we can't see it being a problem.

Around 70% of Samsung Galaxy S4s to miss out on Eight core Exynos 5 CPU at launch

As previously mentioned on Tabster 786, Samsung will be releasing the new Samsung Galaxy S4 in two different models. One will be supporting the new blazing fast Octa-core Exynos 5 chip known as the GT-19500 model, whilst the other model GT-19505 running the Quad-core Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 chipset.

It is being reported that a large majority of the initial batch of Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets will miss out on the speedy new Exynos 5 Octa-core processor.

According to Korean news source “ETNews” it is due to Samsung struggling to produce sufficient numbers of its own next-generation CPU, the Exynos 5.

The result of this is that an estimated 70% of the first batch of Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets to be produced will not feature the Exynos 5 CPU. Rather, the vast majority will run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 CPU.

Apparently, Samsung's has been unable to correct certain production issues for the eight-core CPU in time for the handsets April release, after just a couple of weeks ago announcing that it was set to enter mass production of Exynos 5 CPU in Q2 of 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S4 with Snapdragon 600

 As reported previously the Quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU was initially intended to make its way into the Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets in the US and 4G UK variants, with only the global version of the phone containing Samsung's powerful new Octa-core chip.

 However, it seems many more regions will now receive both the GT-19500 (Octa-core) and GT-19505 (Quad-core) models. The UK was just last week confirmed to receive both models at launch.

Undeniably, the Snapdragon 600 CPU is a very capable piece of kit. It is also featured in the recently released superb HTC One, and the benchmarks released for the CPU position it only second to the new Exynos 5 CPU. But early benchmark reports of the Exynos 5 chip are reporting a truly industry-leading piece of silicon.

Of course, vast majority of Samsung Galaxy S4 owners will notice or even know about the different models, and general operation should be identical across the two handsets anyway. But differences will begin to surface when the GT-19500 model with the Exynos 5 chipset utilises its ability to switch to an all-new super-efficient quad-core mode, when it comes to the Galaxy S4's advanced software features.

In light of the recent prices appearing online of £600+ for the handset, you would think for that price consumers should be paying for the new Exynos 5 Octa-core chipset instead its likely they will be paying for the now standard Quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU.

In our opinion for the price being asked you will be better off with the GT-19500 (Octa-core) model, if you are going to spend that level of money, spend it on a truly future proof handset. Although this will bring an issue with the 4G coverage for some European and US users, but if 4G is a must for you then you are better off going for the HTC one handset which features the snapdragon chipset as seen in the GT-19505 model but with a much lower price.

Whether people wait for the iPhone 5s/iPhone 6 in the next few months before deciding on purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S4, waits to be seen.

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Apple rumoured to unveil iPhone 5s on 20th June and go on sale in July

According to “MacFan” and various other online sources Apple’s next iPhone is scheduled to be unveiled on 20th June, if the latest rumors are to be believed. Apple’s Tim Cook will take center stage at a special media event to unveil what’s so called the iPhone 5S. The handset would then go on sale a few weeks later in early July, according to Electronista.

This rumored date is in line with Apple’s earlier release schedule, if you can recall back the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS and the 4 all launched in this timeframe. What’s more, the publication claims that a lower-priced iPhone will debut in August. This device would serve as a pre-paid option in developing markets like China and India.

This timescale of launching the iPhone 5s in July and a cheaper iPhone in august is something that we have been hearing from a number of analysts as of late.

Earlier in that month Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the same conference that Apple has used to unveil iPhone hardware in the past. It is not yet rumoured if Apple will be announcing a new iPad in the conference, this may be something Apple will release towards the end of the year.

Rumours about Apple’s next iPhone, which may be the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, have been emerging since before the iPhone 5 rolled off the production line. Six months on from the iPhone 5 launch – so what will its successor have?

Now we’ll examine all the speculation so far, as well as making a few educated guesses of our own, in a bid to try and piece together a picture of Apple’s next iPhone.

iPhone 5S Design

In terms of design we have conflicting rumours pointing to both sides of the argument with plenty of leaks saying the iPhone 5S won’t change at all from the iPhone 5’s design, while others claim it’ll be a different design entirely.

With the dominance of large screen handsets in recent months many consumers now want something bigger from their Apple products. While the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 indeed sold well, there was still plenty of negative feedback from critics who felt the screen should have been larger. The iPhone 5 looks miniscule when compared to most Android handsets, and we feel the design could have easily fitted in a larger 4.2inch screen, something which the Motorola Razr i achieved and with a smaller footprint than Apple’s.

In either case, Apple will reportedly either stick with Retina IPS LCD or instead go for IGZO display technology. Some sources also believe the iPhone 5S will be available in multiple colour schemes.

iPhone 5S – Hardware/Processor

It is widely believed the iPhone 5S will receive a processor upgrade,  at the very least we’d expect to see the A6X chip which appeared inside the iPad 4, but more likely it’ll be something even powerful.

Rumours claim Apple will have an A7 chip, which may be a quad-core, ready for the iPhone 5S, but who will actually be manufacturing is unclear. This is due to Apple distancing itself from partnering with Samsung; Apple is reported to be developing a closer working relationship with TSMC and Intel.

Whether a deal with Intel would mean a move away from ARM-based architecture or if Intel would simply make ARM chips on its behalf (which seems unlikely to us).

If indeed an ARM chip is used, it is possible Apple may opt to upgrade to ARM Cortex-A15 architecture as seen in the Samsung Galaxy S4 new Exynos 5 Octa chip.

If recent reports are anything to go by it seems more likely that the manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is readying Apple’s next-gen A7 processor chip which we may see in the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6.

iPhone 5S – Camera

It’s widely rumoured Apple will opt for a 13-megapixel camera for the iPhone 5S, also an upgrade which we think is most likely to happen. Apple will follow suit many of its competitors by introducing interesting new software suites to complement their iSight camera setup. Latest rumours also suggest an improved FaceTime camera, which again is quite likely.

iPhone 5S iOS 7

Whether if this is the big one and potentially what the iPhone 5S will be all about, waits to be seen. Not much is known about what Apple plans to do with its aging UI, but we think the overhaul will not be significant as the rumours suggest.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Confirmed and Specifications Leaked

Samsung last year shortly after releasing the Galaxy S3 announced another device to accompany their flagship handset. That phone of course was the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, which essentially was a smaller, less powerful version of the Galaxy S3. Primally aimed at those who were turned away by the size and price of the flagship handset.

So it comes as no surprise when details of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini were leaked online last week, and now subsequently confirmed by Samsung.

The device apparently shown next to the Galaxy S4 Mini on the above picture is the Galaxy S4 Mini, which suggests that the device is larger than the current S3 Mini. Which does bring it in line with the rumored specifications for the Galaxy S4, which is said to be as follows:

4.3 Super AMOLED qHD display with 256ppi

1.6 Ghz Dual-core CPU

1GB Ram

Running Jelly Bean 4.2.2

Supporting both HSPA+ and LTE

Dimensions are yet unknown.

If the above specifications turn out to be the real deal, then in all honesty the Galaxy s4 Mini is somewhat disappointing. The current Galaxy S3 Mini broadly speaking has similar specifications and the only real difference with the S4 Mini is the increase in display size by 3inch. The price is estimated be around £300, which will inevitable  make other mid range handsets more appealing as they have slightly lower prices.

We will no doubt bring you more on this as soon as further details are revealed.

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