Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 to be Released on November 1st?

While no official release date has been set for the Nokia Lumia 920 or Nokia Lumia 820 German website MediaMarkt has committed to the date of November 1st 2012 as the phonesrelease date on their site.

This date seems pretty reasonable seeing that Microsoft is rumored to unveil Windows Phone 8 on the 29th of this month.

I personally think that Microsoft needs to do the unveil now to give their OEM partners a head start on the all important make or break holiday season. Apple and Google have already released their big guns it's time for Microsoft to do the same.

Galaxy S3 on Verizon update but don’t get Jelly Bean excited

If you’re a regular reader you’ll know we like to keep you informed about software updates heading to devices. Today we have news for Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III) owners on Verizon as a new software update has just been approved. However, if you’re one of the many waiting for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to hit the Galaxy S3 then please don’t get excited as this is is not Jelly Bean but just a minor update.

LG Optimus G ready to hit AT&T November 2, price and pre-order info

If you’ve been following developments about the LG Optimus G that will be available in the US on both AT&T and Sprint then we have some welcome news if you’re hoping to get one soon. Details for the release on AT&T have just become available and it will be launched on November 2. We also have the information you need regarding price and pre-orders for this smartphone.

HTC One S and Desire V get a price cut in India

HTC has reduced the price of the One S and Desire V, which are now available for Rs. 25,900 and Rs. 16,999 in India. HTC One S was officially launched in India in June, but it got a price cut in Augustfrom Rs. 33,590 to Rs. 28,900. The HTC desire V went on sale in India for Rs. 21,999 in June.

The HTC One S in India has a overclocked 1.7 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor instead of S4 processor and comes with a 4.3-inch (540×960 pixels) display, Beats Audio, 8MP auto focus camera with flash 1080p HD video recording and VGA front-facing camera similar to the One X. It has 1 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory and 1650 mAh battery.

The Dual SIM HTC Desire V has a 4-inch (480 x 800 pixels), 1 GHz single-core processor and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with HTC Sense 4.0 UI. It has 512 MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD and a 1650 mAh battery.

The price cut is effective from today, and online retailer Saholic have already started selling the One Sand Desire V at the new rates.

LG Optimus 4X HD price drops to Rs. 27990

LG Optimus 4X HD has got a price cut in India, which is now available for Rs. 27,990. It was announced at MWC 2012 earlier this February and launched in India for Rs. 34,990 in July. The price of the Samsung Galaxy S3 dropped to Rs. 34,900 last month. HTC One X also lies in the similar price range. Now you have lot of choices if you are looking for a quad-core Android Smartphone.

The LG Optimus HD has a 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) True HD IPS display with 331 PPI and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and has an 8MP auto focus camera with LED Flash and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It has 16GB internal memory, 1GB LP DDR2 RAM and 2,150 mAh battery.

The LG Optimus 4X HD is now available in India for Rs. 27990 from online retailer Flipkart.

Micromax A110 Superfone Canvas 2 pre-booking starts, coming for Rs. 11,990

Micromax has started teasing their upcoming A110 Superfone Canvas 2 on their Facebook page and also opened the pre-bThe design of the phone is similar to the A100, but it would come with a 1 GHz dual-core processor and an upgraded 8 Megapixel camera with LED Flash and a 0.3MP front-facing camera for video calling.

Micromax A110 Specifications

• 5-inch (480 x 854 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen IPS display
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS
• 8MP auto focus camera with LED flash, 0.3 MP front-facing Camera
• 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 2000 mAh battery with up to 5 hours Talk time and up to 180 hours Standby

You can Prebook the Micromax A110 from Snapdeal by paying Rs.500 and stand a chance to win tickets to Enrique Iglesias live concert in select cities in India. You cannot cancel the booking once you pay the amount. You can pay the remaining amount while buying the phone .

There are no details about the availability of the phone yet, but it is listed on Maniac Store for Rs. 11,990. Looks like Micromax is planning to launch the device soon.ooking for the handset on Snapdeal. It is the successor of the Micromax A100Superfone Canvas.

Gmail for Android v4.2 to bring pinch-to-zoom and Swipe to delete features

Android Police has got hold of the upcoming Gmail for Android app version 4.2. Looks like this would be a major update from the existing version of the Gmail for Android version 4.1.2. The upcoming Gmail for Android update is expected to bring the most expected pinch-to-zoom feature and a new swipe to archive or delete feature to quickly delete or archive a mail from you inbox or sent. You can also disable this feature from the settings, or make it to only delete when you swipe or archive and delete. It also removes the labels when you’re in a label-only view.

They say that the apk is not from one of the leaked LG Nexus devices. Android Police managed to install it on a Galaxy Nexus running on Android 4.1, so it is clear that it doesn’t require Android 4.2. They didn’t share a APK of the Gmail app yet, but according to them the APK might only work on a rooted device running on Android 4.0 and later.

Check out their video below that shows off these new features.

Source: Android Police

Factory images of Android 4.1.2 now available for Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7

Android 4.1.2 has been out on the wild from a few days now, but some people have still not received the update. It’s time for all these people to smile because Google has finally released the factory images of Android 4.1.2 JZO54K.

Factory images are important because if you crash your system or if your device doesn’t start you can start from scratch with these factory images. Android 4.1.2 brings loads of bug fixes and also new features like landscape mode on the Nexus 7. Android 4.1.12 is currently available for Galaxy nexus on Takju build which is the device being sold on the Google Play store and is currently unavailable for the Yakju Galaxy Nexus.

So what are you waiting for? If you have a Nexus 7, you can download its factory image from here. If you have a Galaxy Nexus, you can download its factory image from here.

Google Play gets free trials option for in-app subscriptions

Google is finally allowing developers to add a free trial option to in-app subscriptions for applications in the Google Play store. The Mountain View based company today added to its developers page, details regarding the procedure for enabling trials for subscription items.

Users will be required to submit payment information in the same way as meant for usual purchases but it will be marked as a $0.00 purchase. After the trial period is over, the account will automatically be charged. Users are free to cancel their subscriptions during the trial period. The free trial needs to be a minimum of 7 days and any changes made will be applicable only to new subscribers. Developers will be allowed to create one free trial period per subscription item.

Samsung Galaxy S3 mini with 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 1 GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.1 announced

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S3 mini that surfaced yesterday. It has a 4.0-inch (480×800 pixels ) Super AMOLED display  and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has a 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, 720p video recording at the back and a VGA font-facing camera. The design of the phone and some of the features are similar to the Galaxy S Duos that was announced in August. It also has some of the unique features that were present in the Galaxy S3 including S Voice, Smart Stay, Direct Call, S Beam and Buddy photo share.

Samsung Galaxy S3 mini Specifications

• 4.0-inch WVGA(480×800) capacitive touch screen display
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
• 9.85 mm thick and weighs 111.5 g grams
• 5MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, 720p video recording and VGA secondary camera
• FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack
• 1GB RAM, 8 GB / 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB with microSD
• 3G (HSDPA: 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA: 5.76Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v 4.0, GPS/GLONASS and NFC
• 1,500mAh battery

No details about the availability or the price yet.

Samsung to unveil 4-inch 'mini' Galaxy S III on October 11th

JK Shin, head of Samsung Mobile Communications, confirmed today that his company will be releasing a four-inch version of the Galaxy S III on October 11th in Germany. Shin announced the news during a meeting with Korean press on Wednesday.

Shin didn't reveal many details about the device, though he said it was spurred by increasing demand for 4-inch devices in Europe. He also noted that it won't be an entry-level handset, telling reporters it will have "full form factor." This would make it an unusual addition to the Android landscape, where high-end devices tend to be 4.5 inches or larger.

"We'll be launching a 4-inch Galaxy S III on the 11th in Germany," Shin said. "There's a lot of demand for a 4-inch screen device in Europe. Some call it an entry-level device, but we call it 'mini.'"

Google Nexus 7 tablet welcomes Jelly Bean update 4.1.2

We always try to keep readers informed about the latest operating system updates for their various devices and today there’s some news for owners of the Google Nexus 7 tablet. A minor update to Jelly Bean is now rolling out for this device to give some performance improvements, bug fixes and stability to the Nexus 7 and if you are a Nexus 7 owner you should be receiving this update soon.

The 4.1.2 update was announced by Jean-Baptiste Quera, the technical lead of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and owners of the Google Nexus 7 tablet manufactured by Asus will be particularly pleased by one of the benefits. While the latest Jelly Bean update (30MG) brings relatively little, one highlight is that it will allow users of the 7-inch tablet to enjoy landscape mode now, a very welcome move.

News of the latest update came to us from BGR sourced from Google Groups and it appears that although some are now receiving the upgrade it is fairly slow-moving rolling out and plenty have yet to receive it. Gotta Be Mobile reports that they haven’t received the rollout of 4.1.2 just yet for their Nexus 7 devices and checking manually has had no results yet either.

However it’s possible that it will pop up soon so if you want to keep trying then go to Settings>Apps>All and then find the Google Services Framework. Hit Force Stop followed by Clear Data, then return to Settings. If you then go to About and then System Update you may find news. If you have already rooted and unlocked your Nexus 7 there’s further good news because this update won’t break them, making upgrading straightforward.

We’re interested to hear from readers on this, especially if you are a Nexus 7 owner. Have you received the 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update already and if so, did the download and install go smoothly? Maybe you’re still waiting for the update for your Nexus 7? Send your comments to let us know.

Blux Camera iOS app with PEAR photographic assistant

For all you photographers out there that use an iOS device to snap your images, you might like to know that there is a new iOS app available to download called Blux Camera, which claims to be the world’s first intelligent camera due to incorporating P.E.A.R technology, which isn’t found in any other camera.

The Blux Camera app is for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5 running iOS 5.0 or above, and the Blux Camera app integrates an intelligent photographic assistant so the user can snap the perfect picture, along with creating stylish , stunning images anywhere,and a must have camera app for photographers at every level.

iPhone 5 shoots its first commercial and water tortured

There has been a bit of a problem with the camera on the iPhone 5 of late with many reporting a purple haze when snapping images in bright light, but what about when it comes to shooting video with the new iOS smartphone? Well everything seems to be okay with the iOS camera when shooting video as the two videos we have for your viewing consideration below prove.

Apparently Apple has said that the purple haze problem is caused by usersholding the iPhone 5 wrong, but obviously when it comes to shooting a commercial with the iPhone 5 it appears the way you hold the handset doesn’t cause any problems when shooting video as evidenced in the two videos below.

Android 4.0 ICS update available for Intel XOLO X900

The first Intel Medfield smartphone, the Intel XOLO X900 has been out and about for some time now, and playing along with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but the device was promised to be updated with the Android 4.0 operating system, and keeping to their promise, Intel has now made available the ICS update for the device.

News of the Intel XOLO X900 gaining theAndroid Ice Cream Sandwich update has been brought to our attention by GSM Arena, and the Android operating system update is now available to grab by either hitting up the Lava website or you can gain the update over the air.

Micromax launches range of LED TVs, Home Theatres and 3D Blu Ray Player

Mobile phone and Tablet maker, Micromax has entered to home entertainment business with the launch of 6 new LED TVs, 2 Home Theaters and a 3D Blu Ray Player.

The LED TVs range from 24-inch to 55-inch and comes with HDMI support and is powered by AVEA (Audio Visual Entertainment Architecture). The AVEA feature offers full HD resolution for the videos with dynamic contracts with better color clarity, image detail and clear HD surround sound. It also has plug and play USB support that lets you connect an mp3 player, digital camera, hard drives etc. to play videos and videos of 14 different formats.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 OTA update brings Multiscreen feature

Samsung has started rolling out a new software update for the Galaxy Note 2 that brings Multiscreen feature. This feature was supposed to come pre-loaded, but it started rolling out only through a Over the Air (OTA) update. The Multiscreen feature was first introduced in the Galaxy Note 10.1 (Note 800) that makes multitasking easy by running the apps side-by-side.

Angry Birds Star Wars edition launching on November 8th

Rovio today announced the next installment of its Angry Birds franchise, Angry Birds Star Wars. Following a teaser image last week, the famous birds will be dressed up to assume the likeness of characters from the classic saga. The red bird takes on the role of Luke Skywalker and we can even spot a Chewbacca in there !

The dark side will be represented by the pigs while the in game music will be a homage to that from original epic. The game will tie in with a wide range of merchandise including table games, toys and costumes. Available on 8th November for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and computers. After the surprisingly great Bad Piggies, we’re hoping Rovio can bring back the magic of the original game to this franchise which is starting to feel stale.

Galaxy Note II N7100 first official firmware goes online

Galaxy Note II is surely the most powerful smartphone/phablet in the market right now. Many of the features shown by Samsung was not available in the device out of the box, but all the Note II owners will be happy to know that all those functions are included by flashing this latest firmware.

many of the Galaxy note II owners did not get the feature of using multiple windows as advertised by Samsung out of the box, now this update brings this feature to all the devices coupled with many bug fixes. The size of this firmware is a bit scary, it’s a whopping 1043 MB. This means that there are loads of other features which we don’t know about that are packed inside. So all the Note II owners, go ahead flash it and check it out.

You can download the Note II N7100XXALJ1 firmware from here .

Microsoft Surface RT and Windows Phone 8 to be officially launched this month

Microsoft has announced the Surface RT and Windows Phone 8 launch events in San Francisco scheduled for the end of this month. The Microsoft Surface RT event is set for October 25th, and the Windows Phone 8 event is set for October 29th. Microsoft announced the Surface Tablet back in June and the Surface RT would come with a 10-inch (1366×768 pixels) touch screen display and would be powered by an ARM processor. It would have a micro SD card slot, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae for better WiFi connectivity.

Hope Microsoft would reveal the complete specs and features of the Microsoft Surface RT tablet at the launch event. It is expected to go one sale on October 26th, but no word on pricing yet.

Microsoft would also demo the complete set of features of the Windows Phone 8 at the launch event. AT&T announced that they would start selling the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Lumia 820 in November. HTC 8X and 8S would also go on sale from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile in early November in the U.S. Still no details about the carrier pricing for these devices yet. Both these events would be streamed live as usual.