We've already spent some quality time with Nokia's handsome Lumia 925 and while it's no secret the company's Windows Phone flagship is coming to the US courtesy of T-Mobile, we'd never actually seen the carrier-branded model -- until now, that is. Nokia brought T-Mobile's version of the handset to CTIA 2013 where we took it for a brief spin. As you'd expect, the phone is identical to its global twin save for the operator's logo below the capacitive button and the radios which support T-Mobile's bands. Unfortunately, the Lumia 925 we played with was not final, so the software was off limits. In terms of hardware, it features the same 4.5-inch 1,280 x 768 AMOLED screen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1GB RAM and 8.7-megapixel camera with OIS. This is definitely one of Nokia's most attractive designs yet, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on a review unit soon. In the meantime, why not check out the gallery below?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia, T-Mobile
The future of Motorola's smartphones are now falling into place, and we couldn't be more excited. Following the FCC certification of the XT1058 for AT&T, a similar test report for the XT1056 has just crossed our desk. This time around, the smartphone carries certification for LTE Band 25, which puts it as a dead ringer for a Sprint device. Regardless of whether this handset turns out to be the purported "X phone" is almost beside the point, because we already know that cross-carrier availability and stock Android are key to Motorola's future in the smartphone realm. There are a few worthwhile points to take away from the FCC certification of the XT1056, which suggest that this will be a very capable handset.
First and foremost, we're looking at a device that'll offer NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE+EDR and 802.11ac. In addition to support for Sprint's network, the phone also carries certification for HSPA+ 21 Mbps over the 2100, 1900 and 850MHz bands, although the documentation specifically states that it'll be SIM-locked for all US carriers. All in all, these are good signs of what's to come. Now, if only Motorola could get on with the reveal.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Source: FCC
We haven't heard about Mirasol for a while now, but Qualcomm's reflective display tech showed up in a few proof-of-concepts on the SID Display Week floor. We got a look at a previously announced 1.5-inch panel embedded on the top of an "always-on" smartphone and on the face of a smartwatch. Though a rep took care to emphasize that these were just mockups, he said the screen will soon show up in some third-party devices.
More interesting, though, was the company's next-gen display: a 5.1-inch panel sporting a stunning 2,560 x 1,440 (577 ppi) resolution. Viewed up close, it delivers crisp images, but the reflective display kicks back a silvery tint and colors don't pop as they do on other handsets. But while the sky-high pixel count may not tell the whole story, the screen offers one huge plus: a 6x power advantage over LCD and OLED displays. In practical terms, that means devices could go days without charging. Don't expect to see this guy in your next smartphone, though: by "next-gen," Qualcomm means this tech has a few more years in the R&D phase before it'll be ready to hit a licensee's production line. For now, make do with our hands-on video after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Wearables, Mobile
Google has been spending quite a lot of time tweaking, streamlining and generally beautifying the interface of its "social backbone." But while the mobile apps and desktop site have seen near constant updates, the mobile Google+ site has languished slightly behind. Today Mountain view is delivering a little bit of parity for those on platforms that don't have an official app, such as Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10. The update brings the new card UI to the phone-focused version, along with easier to see and tap +1 and re-share buttons. The updated profile experience is also going mobile, with large cover photos and more touch friendly icons coming to both personal profiles and pages. There's no need to wait patiently while this rolls out either: the new mobile Google+ site is already live.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google+
Six months after promising to integrate sight recognition technology into its HERE suite of apps, Nokia has finally updated HERE Maps with LiveSight. The update is available today in the Windows Phone app store and requires Windows Phone 8. By tapping a button in HERE Maps, users can enter LiveSight mode, which will scan the surrounding area and pull up relevant information about nearby locations, like addresses, phone numbers and ratings. Lumia owners familiar with Nokia's City Lens app will recognize the virtual signs attached to buildings viewed through the camera display and the HERE Maps version of LiveSight appears to have similar functionality -- including HERE's strongest selling point, offline access. If you want to see LiveSight in action, you can watch Nokia's preview video after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Nokia
Source: Nokia
