Is the Android 4.4 launcher called "Google Experience"?

One of the most important apps on any Android phone is also one that you almost never talk about unless you're looking to change it: the launcher. The stock Android launcher is something that doesn't get updated nearly as often as some of the other apps in the system, at least it isn't updated with full version numbers often. But, it looks like the...

Google's mobile search app now includes a tip calculator

So you've just enjoyed a nice meal at your favorite steakhouse, and this time it is your turn to pay the bill; you're staring at the bill and you need to compute the tip, but your math skills have eroded since you failed algebra all those years ago. Everyone is looking at you, wondering what is taking you so long to wrap things up. So you tell them...

T-Mobile HTC One to get Android 4.3 next week

If you are a T-Mobile customer sporting the HTC One, we have some great new that will have you looking forward to next week; a tweet sent out by HTC America president Jason Mackenzie says that the T-Mobile HTC One is "on track" to receive the update by the middle of next week. The executive does temper the message a bit by bringing up the possibility...

New pic shows the Nokia 2520 tablet in red

You may have seen the image of the upcoming Nokia 2520 tablet wearing its cyan coloring yesterday, and now we're getting to see what is essentially the same picture, but with the tablet in red this time around. We are expecting to see the announcement of Nokia's Windows RT tablet very soon, so the leaks will likely just keep coming faster now...Source:...

Sony Xperia Z1 in T-Mobile US livery shows up in a press image

A press image of Sony Xperia Z1 with T-Mobile US branding made the rounds on Twitter, courtesy of @evleaks. Sony's Android flagship will likely join its Xperia Z sibling in the Big Magenta's lineup in time for the holidays. The press photo shows the smartphone's back, where a relatively subtle carrier branding can be found. There are no other details...

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 promotional video recalls the pop-up books you loved as a kid

Remember when you were a kid and you would read those pop-up books? Each tab you pulled brought forth some type of action. Samsung took some of the features on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and turned them into the pages of a pop-up book; it came out as a clever promotional video that uses a different way to show off some of the things that the phablet...

New Android 4.4 screenshots leak

Some more leaked pictures of Android 4.4 (KitKat) have been discovered, and they show off some of the new features that you can look forward to; for example, the new Android build will have a transparent notification bar, a small change to the app drawer that shows your apps displayed in 5 rows of4apps running over your wallpaper instead of a plain...

Which is the Best Smartphone Camera of 2013? – Vote in our blind test

2013 has been an eventful year for cameras on Smartphones. We have seen oversampling algorithms take advantage of huge sensors, increased pixel sizes subverting the megapixel race, optical image stabilization enabling great low light imaging and general widespread adoption of stacked CMOS sensors, making it one of those years when companies made...

iPhone 5s now shipping in 2 to 3 weeks, could it affect iPads as well?

We knew from before the iPhone announcement that Apple was having trouble with iPhone 5s supplies, and we saw the proof just two days after the release when shipping times pushed out to "October". Word had it that the fingerprint scanner was causing production delays, which could be the cause of the problems. According to the Apple website, shipping...

Google Play to make tablet-optimized apps more visible starting November 21

There is a lingering perception that Android tablets have no apps available for them. This is incorrect, and Google wants to prove it. The company has already been promoting apps that have been optimized for tablets; but, Google is going to take the next step in the Google Play store to give apps designed for tablets better visibility to users...Source:...

Verizon to offer Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Developer Edition with unlocked bootloader

Verizon and Samsung teamed up in June to offer the Samsung Galaxy S4 Developer Edition with an unlocked bootloader allowing owners of the device to customize it to their heart's content; now, the pair appear to be collaborating again, this time with a Developer Edition of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. If you go to Samsung's support site and start to...

Google, NASA, and D-Wave show us the future with quantum computing

We are on the cusp of an evolutionary leap in our computers. Google, NASA, and D-Wave have come together to build the world's first quantum computers, and then solve one simple problem: What questions do we ask this computer? That's how early in we are on this. We know how to build the machine, but we don't quite know how to use it...Source: http...

Verizon takes over the home button on its version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

You might remember the uproar that followed when it was discovered that Verizon had its logo stamped into the home button of the Samsung GALAXY Note II; the nation's largest carrier was accused of being arrogant and acting way over the top. Would anyone even think of looking at the home button to see which carrier had launched this particular model?...Source:...

Nokia Lumia 2520 shows up wearing cyan in new picture

The two Nokia Lumia devices that everyone is waiting to see on October 22nd are the Nokia Lumia 1520 and the Nokia Lumia 2520; the former is believed to be the first Windows Phone phablet, and thanks to the debut of the GDR3 update, it will offer a 6 inch panel and be powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU. The other device is expected...

The upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat and Nexus 5 appear in live photos

Android 4.4 KitKat and LG Nexus 5 appeared yet again before becoming officially available. Android's next major release got caught running on the upcoming Nexus smartphone in live photos. The images reveal new features coming our way (click to enlarge) The leaked images allow us to catch a glimpse of the new OS's settings menu, thus revealing some...

Tweet shows that the Sony Xperia Z1 is coming to T-Mobile

A tweet from evleaks reveals that the Beast from the East, the Sony Xperia Z1, is heading to T-Mobile; in the past, Sony has had a tough time getting its top-shelf models onto the roster of U.S. carriers, the buzz created by the CES appearance of the Sony Xperia Z at the beginning of this year, helped the water and dustproof model get picked up by...

Apple iPhone 5c production cut in half?

Seems like we've seen this show before; last January, week demand for the then flagship Apple iPhone 5 reportedly led Apple to slice production of the device in half. On Friday, a published report out of China said that the Cupertino based tech titan is cutting its daily producvtion of the Apple iPhone 5c by 50% due to "disappointing sales"...Source:...

Xiaomi sold 100,000 HongMi smartphones in two minutes

It looks like Apple is not the only manufacturer which can sell its devices with a brisk pace. The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi announced in its Weibo account that it moved 100,000 HongMi smartphones in only two minutes and five seconds. Priced at 799 Yuan (approximately $131), the Xiaomi HongMi is among the cheapest quad-core smartphones available...

Sprint web site shows no Wi-Fi on the LG G2 (It's an error!)

Here is a strange story. One of our loyal readers brought to our attention the pre-order page on Sprint's website for the LG G2; looking at the page, everything seems in order until you get to the Key features and it shows that the phone is bereft of Wi-Fi connectivity. The Wi-Fi icon is grayed out with an "X" going through it. Right next to that,...

LG G Pad 8.3 performance benchmarks

LG has come up with a beautiful new tablet in the G Pad 8.3, and while everything seems to be top-notch in the design department, we're wondering if it's going to be fast enough, in order to deliver an equally good performance...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/LG-G-Pad-8.3-performance-benchmarks_id482...

Six-way camera shootout: Smartphone roulette

Camera shootouts are a proud GSMArena tradition and the latest edition features by far the most technologically advanced cameraphones yet. We have large sensors, sky-high resolution, optical image stabilization, clever image processing and...Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/six_way_camera_shootout-review-998.p...

LG G Pad 8.3 unboxing

After quite some time away from the tablet market, LG is gearing up for a comeback with the G Pad 8.3 - a premium, mid-sized tablet that will compete against devices like the Apple iPad mini and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/LG-G-Pad-8.3-unboxing_id482...

Press Release announcing Samsung's $650 million biometrics acquisition was a fake

Now that a fingerprint sensor has apparently caught on with the public (unlike the one on the Motorola ATRIX 4G), thanks to the Touch ID on the Apple iPhone 5s, an Android model is giving the feature another chance on the platform; if you're a loyal PhoneArena reader, you certainly know by now that the HTC One Max will come to market with its own...

Samsung may be rushing the Galaxy S5 along due to weaker than expected S4 sales

Citing Samsung insiders, South Korean Joseilbo reports that Sammy is hurrying the release of the Galaxy S5 along due to weaker sales than the company was hoping for internally...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-may-be-rushing-the-Galaxy-S5-along-due-to-weaker-than-expected-S4-sales_id482...

5-inch WhiteMagic LCD enters mass production

Japan Display has announced that it has started mass producing the 5-inch Full HD "WhiteMagic" displays. The upcoming LCD screens will have a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and will provide high luminance, while being very power efficient. The WhiteMagic displays improve the picture brightness by adding a white subpixel to the RGB LCD panel. The...

Watch as an Apple iPhone shows the "Blue Screen of Death"

A published report on Friday cites a number of Apple themed forums for the disturbing, but not fatal situation that has the Apple iPhone 5s showing the "Blue Screen of Death"; in this situation, the user's iPhone 5s screen turns completely blue and then reboots. The problem appears limited to the new full-featured iPhone model and is largely centered...

iPhone 5s stock almost out in the US, iPhone 5c fully available

Apple went off to a good start with its new generation of iPhone - in just the first weekend the company shipped 9 million units of the 5s and 5c combined. But analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray thinks this is mostly thanks to the iPhone 5s, which was the top selling device in the US for the month of September. Munster contacted 60 Apple stores...

Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 screenshots show lockscreen changes and confirm Hangouts SMS

Earlier, we saw some leaked images from Android 4.4 which showed new location services and other tweaks to the system; and now, we're getting even more leaks from the same source: TuttoAndroid, an Italian Android blog. It seems the site has gotten their hands on a Nexus 5 and are going through the device running Android 4.4 to see what can be seen...Source:...

Samsung may be rushing the Galaxy S4 along due to weaker than expected S4 sales

Citing Samsung insiders, South Korean Joseilbo reports that Sammy is hurrying the release of the Galaxy S5 along due to weaker sales than the company was hoping for internally...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-may-be-rushing-the-Galaxy-S4-along-due-to-weaker-than-expected-S4-sales_id482...

Nexus 5 passes through Bluetooth SIG

It looks like everything is on schedule if Google really is aiming for the rumored October 15th announcement of the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat. The device passed through the FCC last month, and now it has also passed through the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which puts the device one step closer to being ready for its official release...Source:...

Sony puts focus on Europe and Japan presently, US and China in the future

Sony has started to walk on the path to transformation as its handset unit is raking up profits under new chief executive Kaz Hirai, but the company is not rushing to conquer…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-puts-focus-on-Europe-and-Japan-presently-US-and-China-in-the-future_id482...

Apps on iPhone 5s are crashing twice more often than on previous models

We’ve praised the Apple iPhone 5s for its meaningful innovation with Touch ID and for its great hardware put in that same aluminum box, but we also have to admit that iOS 7 on it comes with a surprising amount of bugs and issues…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apps-on-iPhone-5s-are-crashing-twice-more-often-than-on-previous-models_id482...

First Sony Z1 f benchmark shows amazing performance

After months of speculations coming out of the never sleeping rumor mill, Sony has finally come out and announced the smaller version of the Sony Xperia Z1 – the Z1 f...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/First-Sony-Z1-f-benchmark-shows-amazing-performance_id482...

Lenovo confirms working on IdeaPad A10, a 10” Android laptop

After a user manual for its mysterious new Android laptop leaked online, Lenovo has now confirmed it is indeed working on a 10” Android notebook, the Lenovo IdeaPad A10…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Lenovo-confirms-working-on-IdeaPad-A10-a-10-Android-laptop_id482...

New leaked images of Nexus 5 and Kitkat 4.4 show payments built in and more

Android 4.4 KitKat and the Nexus 5 just can’t come soon enough. We’re drowning in a sea of rumors and leaks…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/New-leaked-images-of-Nexus-5-and-Kitkat-4.4-show-payments-built-in-and-more_id482...

Drop test puts tough against tougher: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs iPhone 5s

After surviving two out of three drops in its first drop test, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 stars in another extreme phone survival video where it gets compared against Apple’s latest and greatest, the iPhone 5s…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Drop-test-puts-tough-against-tougher-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3-vs-iPhone-5s_id481...

Android 4.4 KitKat update: release date, features and rumors

You may not know this, but Android 4.4 KitKat has been on our radar for a looong time. Of course, back then we referred to it as Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie and we were initially audience to what turned out to be some wildly inaccurate speculation, claiming that it'll hit the industry as early as February/March...Source: http://www.phonearena.com/ne...

HTC One mini officially launched in India for Rs. 36,790

The HTC One mini was announced as the company's answer to people wanting a compact version of the popular flagship - One, but it arguably did a "mini" on the specifications too, which left people wanting more, especially with that price tag. As if things couldn't get any worse, the One mini has finally gotten its official launch in India, and it...

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launches on Verizon today, deal undercuts official price to $210

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launches on Verizon Wireless today, but if you plan on buying it directly from the carrier, you’d have to pay a whopping $299 on contract…Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3-launches-on-Verizon-today-deal-undercuts-official-price-to-210_id481...

Aircel introduces cheap Pocket Internet 3G plans starting at Rs. 128 for 1GB per month

Aircel, one of the leading mobile operators in India, has followed Reliance Mobile's footsteps by launching a new and cheap tariff for 3G data plans. The 3G data pack rates have almost been halved in this case, and now are even more affordable. It used to cost Rs. 250 for 1GB of data in the Chennai circle, but now it is just Rs. 128 and the data...