Sony And MediaTek Will Team Up For 4LTE Entry-Mid Level Devices In 2015

We took a look a couple weeks back that MediaTek chips would be ending up in four to five Sony smartphones during 2015, now they have narrowed down even more to the MT6732, a 64-bit processor.  Sony plans on using the MediaTek chips in their low to mid-range devices.  Companies like Huawei, Alcatel, Lenovo, Acre, Vivo and OPPO are some of the manufacturers that have used MediaTek chips in their devices.  However, they have been working hard at expanding their use, especially in some higher end phones and Sony is exactly what they need to help them broaden their recognition.

Although Sony already uses the MediaTek MT6589 quad-core in their Sony Xperia C, this will be not only 64-bit, but also LTE compatible. It will also be a quad-core clocked at 1.5GHz.  Certainly not up to par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors currently being used in most high-end smartphones, but with the market for low to mid-range phones increasing in most parts of the world, this will be a good thing for Sony.  The MediaTek processors are generally cheaper and Sony can save some money on each one they make and sell. The MediaTek MT6732 chip is based on the ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit processor and also features ARM Mali-T760 graphics. The chip also includes dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, capable of using a 13MP image signal-processor and H.265 Ultra HD video record & playback.  The MediaTek MT6752 octa-core chip is also slatted for release later this year.  

This is terrific because there is just not enough competition in the chipmaking arena – for now Qualcomm rules the kingdom with its Snapdragon series and their chips never seem to disappoint.  Samsung’s Exynos chips need to get the LTE capability embedded for them to really take off – Samsung seems content to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon for its devices in the U.S needing 4G LTE capability, rather than get it fixed so they can use their own chips. NVIDIA hasn’t had a Tegra Chip out in a popular device for a long time. Competition forces innovation, and while Qualcomm does keep moving forward with their Snapdragon line, it would be interesting to see if the 64-bit chips would have arrived on the scene quicker, had there been any true competition. Maybe this move with Sony and their 64-bit chips and soon to have octa-core processor will start them on a journey to better recognition and a better reputation. 

SOURCE: DigiTimes.

Sony Xperia T3 With 5.3-Inch HD Display and Android 4.4 KitKat Launched

Sony has launched a new mid-range smartphone, the Xperia T3. The Japanese handset maker has announced that the Xperia T3 will be available globally by the end of July, but did not reveal the price.

The company is touting the handset's design and claims that the Sony Xperia T3 is "wrapped in a stainless steel frame." Another highlight feature of the Xperia T3 is that it supports 4G networks; however, it is yet to be seen whether Sony launches the handset with support for 4G LTE networks in India.

The Xperia T3 runs the most recent Android 4.4 KitKat OS out-of-the-box. The handset has been launched in a single SIM variant; although we might see a dual-SIM variant of the Xperia T3 when it releases in India.

The new Android smartphone from Sony features a 5.3-inch HD Triluminos display powered by a BRAVIA Engine 2. The display offers a pixel density of 277ppi. A quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor powers the device, clocked at 1.4GHz, with 1GB of RAM.

It sports an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a Sony Exmor RS sensor. The Xperia T3's rear camera comes with features such as scene detection, HDR, face recognition, red-eye reduction, sweep Panorama and geo tagging. It also houses a 1.1-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Xperia T3 comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, and can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. It supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS/ A-GPS, GPRS/ EDGE, DLNA, NFC, Micro-USB and 3G connectivity options. It is backed by a 2500mAh battery, which is rated to deliver up to 13 hours of talk time and 688 hours of standby time. It will be available in three colour options including Black, Purple and White.

Commenting on the Xperia T3 launch, Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications said, "Xperia T3 has been crafted with attention to detail for those who know how to appreciate distinctive design in their everyday life. The T3 is packed with the latest beautiful technology from Sony - including leading digital imaging expertise and a vivid HD display - all within a stylish, stainless steel frame. The combination of this beautiful technology and the premium design ensures the T3 immediately stands apart from the competition."

Samsung And Oculus Will Partner Up For Further VR Development With Mutual Benefits

Recently Samsung was looking to branch out a
little bit and that they were going to
begin developing a VR headset for use
with their smartphones for games and
such. Their reported goal was that they
wanted to come out ahead of now
Facebook owned Oculus and their Rift
headset, and Sony with their Project
Morpheus VR headset slated for use with
the PS4. By come out ahead we mean
that it seemed their intentions were to
release their headset ahead of Sony and
Oculus, and bring it in under their price
points to beat them on cost. Seems like a
good idea from a business standpoint.
You have two companies who logically
seem like they might be able to produce
a better VR product simply because
one’s sole existence is based off the
creation of a new VR headset, and one
has been heavily invested in the video
game industry for decades.

Naturally it would be Samsung’s best
option if they wanted to reach better
sales and become the more popular of
the three VR headsets once they all hit
market. Release first, charge less. We’re
finding out now though that Samsung
apparently isn’t planning to work
against Oculus and their Rift VR
headset, but with them to create
something thought to be specifically for
Samsung’s products. This is a little bit of
a shock since the Oculus Rift would most
likely be a direct competitor to whatever
Samsung would produce, but according
to sources of engadget both Samsung
and Oculus stand to gain something out
of this partnership.

Samsung reportedly will be providing
Oculus with high grade OLED displays for
the Rift headset while Oculus will
apparently handle the software side of
things for Samsung. In fact, Samsung’s
VR device isn’t going to have a display
at all like the Rift, so they’ll be
targeting different groups of
consumers. Samsung’s VR device
reportedly connects to your smartphone
and uses it’s display for the VR
functions. It’s unclear how exactly that
would look, but it all sounds very
interesting. What’s more, is that
Samsung is said to be putting focus of
the headsets functionality to be used
with media playback more than games.
Gamepad support is said to have
compatibility but since games aren’t
meant to be its main function, voice and
touch navigation are the main ways one
might control the device. As we reported
before, the VR from Sammy will
probably only end up as Galaxy device
compatible, so if you wanted to play VR
games or media on a non-Samsung
device, that isn’t likely to happen.

OnePlus One will have 3GB of RAM and a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor

OnePlus revealed new details about its
much-hyped One smartphone (which
will be officially announced later this
month, on April 23).
One of the things that we didn’t know
about the OnePlus One was the amount
of RAM that it would feature. Today,
however, the CEO of OnePlus
confirmed that the handset will have
3GB of RAM - which should be enough
for any tasks that you’ll throw at it.
The company’s CEO also re-confirmed
that the upcoming smartphone would
use a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon
801 SoC. It will be the 8974-AC model
that’s clocked at 2.45 GHz. As you may
know, this is the same SoC that’s
used by Samsung for its new Galaxy S5
flagship (not in all versions, though).
OnePlus is planning to release its One
in various markets around the world -
hopefully not long after announcing it.
The smartphone will be sold unlocked
for less than $400 (or €350 in
Europe). It will run a customized
variant of CyanogenMod 11, also
offering a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a
13MP rear camera made by Sony, and a
3,100 mAh battery.
OnePlus hasn’t revealed any images of
the new handset yet, but we know
that the device should have a premium
build quality.
source: OnePlusforum

Sony rumored to be delivering Windows Phone handsets in July

According to Pierre Perron, head of
Sony Mobile Europe, the manufacturer
is talking to Microsoft about some
unnamed project. This dovetails
perfectly with speculation that Sony
will be rolling out a pair of Windows
Phone flavored handsets this coming
July. Actually, Sony Ericsson and
Microsoft did team up on older models,
such as the original Sony Xperia X1 .
The device with the panel based
interface, was powered by Windows
Mobile Professional 6.1.
While Perron later backtracked a little
from his comment, it doesn't matter.
Other rumors have Sony starting a
test run of several thousand Windows
Phone handsets. It is expected that
the Sony phones will be the first to
roll off the assembly line with the new
GDR updates being planned by
Microsoft.
"We are continuing our discussions
with other partners, including
Microsoft, as part of our partnership
with this company on the broader Sony
spectrum." -Pierre Perron, Sony Mobile
Europe
Besides producing devices with
Windows Mobile, a few years ago, Sony
Ericsson had manufactured a
prototype of a phone
that ran on the Windows Phone 7
platform. Codenamed "Julie," the
model never did get offered to the
public.
source: @tomwarren via WMPoweruser

Sony Hong Kong now says Sony Xperia Z2 is delayed until June

The delayed launch of the Sony Xperia
Z2 has become a major problem for
the Japanese manufacturer. After all,
this particular model is expected to
take on competitors like the Samsung
Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8) . Early
news about the delay had the phone
launching in late April/early May
. Nearly two weeks later, Sony U.K.
was telling retailer Clove not to
expect delivery of the handset until
May
.
But even that time frame might be too
optimistic. Sony Hong Kong is now
confirming that the flagship phone
won't be released until June. This has
to be disheartening for those who saw
the phone unveiled at MWC in late
February and have been patiently
waiting for the release of the Xperia
Z2. In the U.S., there is speculation
that the phone will be a Verizon
exclusive with a Q2 launch
.
Sony might have boxed itself into a
corner. With the Japanese
manufacturer releasing a new flagship
model every 6 months, by the time the
Xperia Z2 sees the light of day, its
successor could be due. Remember,
Sony Mobile’s Creative Director
Kurozumi Yoshiro called the Xperia Z2
Sony's flagship model for the first half
of the year. If the delay stretches out
any longer, buyers might decide to
wait for the Sony Xperia Z3
which would force Sony to take a
hatchet to its pricing for the Xperia
Z2. Shortages of parts needed for the
device are being blamed for the delay.
source: XperiaBlog via AndroidCentral

Sony is the number two smartphone manufacturer in India by value of sales, leap frogging over Apple

Samsung is the largest smartphone
manufacturer in India. But when
Sammy looks down, it no longer sees
Apple chasing it. Instead, Japanese
manufacturer Sony has surpassed
Apple to become the second largest
smartphone manufacturer in the
country. Sony has been able to leap
over the producer of the iPhone, by
concentrating on low priced handsets
in the range of 10,000 ($166 USD) Rs
to 20,000 Rs. ($333 USD). A 300 Crore
($65 million) marketing campaign also
helped.
According to research firm IDC, based
on the value of phones sold, Sony's
share of the Indian smartphone market
hit 9.1% in the fourth quarter of 2013.
While that was well behind Samsung's
43% slice of the Indian smartphone
pie, it was 2.1 percentage points
ahead of Apple's 7% share for the
three months ended in December.
Looking at the actual number of
phones sold in the fourth quarter,
Samsung was on top with a 38%
share. Micromax was next with 13%,
followed by Sony and Apple. The two
had volume shares of 5.5% and 2% of
the Indian smartphone market,
respectively.
The top phones for Sony in India
during that quarter, were the Sony
Xperia M Dual and the Sony Xperia C .
For the quarter that just ended in
March, analysts say that Sony was
hurt by Apple's re-release of the Apple
iPhone 4
in the country, as an entry-level model
priced at $375. In addition, the forked-
Android powered Nokia X could also
have been a tough challenger for
Sony's entry-level Android phones in
the region.
"Some of the top selling models for Sony
are Xperia M Dual and Xperia C priced in
this bracket, which is one of the fastest
growing segments in the Indian
smartphone market." -Manasi Yadav,
senior market analyst, IDC India

Google Nexus 5 'official' Play Store listing reveals price tag

Google's much awaited next-generation
Nexus phone, the Nexus 5 has already
made an online appearance.
Interestingly, the leak comes from not
any other source but Google, as the
phone was accidentally listed on the
Play Store, the company's content,
services and device marketplace.

The
listing appeared for select users and
was pulled by Google after it realised
it's made a faux pas.

The listing even revealed the pricing of
the Nexus 5's 16GB model, which was
listed at $349. The listing showcases
the phone in its full glory offering a
nice look at the phone's rear, front
and left edge.

The pictured device's
form factor is in line with previous
leaks with the back sporting the Nexus
and LG branding and the display
running a version of Android that
matches the leaked Android 4.4 KitKat
screenshots complete with the
transparent navigation key bar and
new icons.

Confirming some more rumours, the
Home screen of the phone doesn't
feature an icon for Messaging, which
appears to have been replaced by the
Hangouts app, as suggested by the
presence of its icon.

The link that should have fetched
details related to the features and
specifications of the device was not
working, so we'll probably have to wait
for these details till Google announces
the phone.

A recent report had suggested that
the Nexus 5 might be priced at $399
for the 16GB model, while the 32GB
model would come at $499, but that
looks to have been proven wrong with
this accidental listing.

Last week, another report claimed that
Google might release Android 4.4
, the latest iteration of its mobile and
tablet operating system, on October 28.
So it's likely that the company will also
announce the Nexus 5 at the same
event.

Earlier this week, t he Nexus 5 was
pictured in new leaked images
that revealed rear and side panels.
Rumoured specifications of the Nexus 5
include a 4.95-inch full-HD (1080p) IPS
LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz,
2GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera
with OIS and a 1.3-megapixel front-
facing camera. The alleged Nexus 4
successor has also been expected to
include a host of sensors like ambient
light, proximity, pressure as well as
accelerometer, compass, notification
LED and gyroscope.

Samsung Launches ATIV Book 9 Plus with Core i7

Samsung is shipping another ATIV Book
9 Plus with an Intel Core i7 processor,
more RAM and more storage.

After originally launching in North
America with an Intel Core i5 , 4 GB of
RAM and a 128 GB SSD, Samsung is
now releasing a second version
of its ATIV Book 9 Plus with an Intel
Core i74500U processor, 8 GB of
memory, a 256 GB SSD and Windows
8.1.
This ultra-slim laptop won't ship
until early November, but customers
can pre-purchase the laptop now for $
1,800 USD.

As with the previous Core i5 model, the
updated laptop will have a 13.3 inch
LED-lit LCD screen with a massive
resolution of 3200 x 1800, 10-point
touch input, 350 nit SuperBright
technology, and Gorilla Glass
protection. The panel tilts back up to
180-degrees, rendering the form
factor completely flat, and locks at
approximately 110-degrees for a
wobble-free touch experience.

As for other features, the laptop will
have a built-in 720p webcam, a 3-in-1
card slot, two USB 3.0 ports, a
headphone/microphone combo, miniVGA
output and microHDMI output. The
laptop will weigh a mere 3.06 pounds,
and measure just 0.54 inches thick. It
will also supposedly have a boot up time
of up to 5.9 seconds and a wake time
of up to 0.9 seconds.

The laptop will also provide Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth connectivity, an Ethernet
dongle that plugs into a USB port for
when Wi-Fi is not an option, and Intel
HD 4400 graphics. The laptop's actual
measurements will be 12.6 x 8.8 x 0.55
inches, and will ship in Mineral Ash
Black, just like the previous Core
i5-4200U model. The laptop's battery
promises up to 11 hours on a single
charge.

The current Core i5 model reportedly
still continues to sell for around $1400.

Has any phone in 2013 made you switch platforms?

We're in that final stretch of months
before 2013 officially comes to an end,
and it's been a pretty wild year for
mobile all year long.

In the beginning, we saw BlackBerry's
plans and release of BlackBerry 10. In
the following months we saw the
release of two of the most anticipated
Android flagships of the year, the HTC
One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. We
finally found out the dark and
mysterious details of Google's "X"
phone, which turned out to be none
other than the Moto X, which featured
just about none of the things leaks,
rumors and hopes predicted that it
would. Nokia pushed the envelope even
further with their Nokia Lumia line,
famous for its notably good cameras
for a smartphone, by releasing the
Nokia Lumia 1020 with its 41-megapixel
camera. We also have phones like the
iPhone 5s, the Nexus 5, the Galaxy
Note 3 and the LG G2 . Yep, it's been a
pretty good year for mobile.

New phones are released all the time.
But regardless of how many phones
can be produced, each smartphone is
more than likely using one of four of
the most popular mobile platforms that
we have available to us today: iOS,
Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry.

These platforms are constantly
changing and tweaking in order to
become the best, and I have to say
that this year has had one of the
most interesting combinations of new
hardware and new software I have
seen in a while. If you guys have had
any thoughts like I have, you've
probably considered jumping from
whatever phone it is that you have to
something new - perhaps you even
made the switch.

Did any new phones tickle your fancy
enough to make you switch this year?
One did for me (get it? One ? Ha!)
Actually, I should say two . Initially, I
was more intrigued by the Galaxy S4.
However, just as I had suspected in
previous thoughts mentioned across my
articles, there is such a thing as a
phone that's too big for some people.

It seems that a 5" screen is just too
much for me to be able to hold without
dropping onto the floor, my face, or
whatever else I happen to be holding
my phone over. Aside from that and
some apparent issue with overheating
(as in the phone felt hot - really hot
- but didn't show much adverse
effects from it) the phone would have
been dandy. I really did like the
camera and all of the features. But
the fact that I couldn't even hold the
phone comfortably bothered me more
than anything, and I ended up
switching out for the HTC One.
Switching from iOS back to Android
was a lot easier than I thought it
would be, mostly because I still
remembered Android as being the slow,
buggy OS that it was back in 2010. But
once I decided to make the jump back
to Android from iOS after being mostly
happy with iOS for the better part of
two years, I was honestly surprised at
how well Android had adapted.
Whether
it was the advances that Android made
over the past couple of years, or
perhaps just the fact that I had
lowered my expectations when I
switched to the One and my
expectations were surpassed, I am still
to this day pretty darn happy with my
One. Although I will once again stress
that the purple tint on my camera is
still an issue that wasn't fixed since
updating to the official Android 4.3
build. Aside from that, the phone is
fantastic. Great build, great feel,
great battery life, and runs smooth
like butter.

I even entertained the thought of
switching to BlackBerry or Windows
Phone as well, considering the only
hands-on experience I've had with the
devices are limited to retail store
displays. BlackBerry was intriguing; I
was interested in seeing how
BlackBerry 10 worked on the
traditional BlackBerry form factor of
having a small screen and a full
physical QWERTY keyboard. I was also
intrigued by the Z10, BlackBerry's
first attempt at what might be
considered a more "normal" look for a
modern smartphone. However, the lack
of applications made specifically for
BlackBerry wasn't exactly inviting. I
will admit, it is nice that several what
I would consider "important"
applications that were initially made
for Android can be "sideloaded" onto
BlackBerry 10, but in the end I wasn't
exactly thrilled with the idea. The same
"lack of application" problem stopped
me from Windows Phone, but definitely
to a lesser degree.
I was mostly
interested in the fact that the Lumia,
at the time, had some of the best
cameras that a smartphone could have.
I also dig the minimalistic interface of
Windows Phone.
Overall, I'm happy I switched to the
One. It's not the first time I've
switched, nor will it be the last, but I
am happy that I was able to switch to
a phone that I thought I would like,
and ended up actually liking it, because
I'm not always that lucky.
Readers, did you find a phone this
year that made you switch platforms?
Which platform did you come from, and
which one did you go to? Are you
happy with the decision? Let us know
your thoughts in the comments below!

Sony and Panasonic create 300GB Blu- ray successor for archives and pros

Japanese tech giants Sony and
Panasonic have announced a new
collaboration with the aim of creating
the next standard of optical discs by
the end of 2015. The new discs will
have a storage capacity of 300GB –
equivalent to 60 standard DVDs or six
Blu-ray discs.
However, Sony has said that the new
medium will be aimed at the
professional market, catering to
companies and organizations “with the
objective of expanding their archive
business for long-term digital data
storage”.
“Optical discs have excellent properties
to protect them against the
environment, such as dust-resistance
and water-resistance, and can also
withstand changes in temperature and
humidity when stored,” say Sony.
“They also allow inter-generational
compatibility between different
formats, ensuring that data can
continue to be read even as formats
evolve. This makes them a robust
medium for long-term storage of
content.”
This shift in focus towards archival
purposes is no surprise. The
proliferation of cloud storage, SSD
memory and high-speed internet
connections mean that the demand for
high capacity physical storage is
waning and the last update to the
medium, Blu-ray, never really caught
on as analysts predicted.
Despite this though, plenty of people
still enjoy using discs to watch films
and the like on simply for the ease of
use. The new discs could also host
movies in 4K definition (four times the
resolution of current 1080p HD); these
would be likely to take up more than
100GB of space, and streaming such
content would be impossible without a
top-tier internet connection.
Similarly, if 4K camcorders such as the
GoPro HD HERO3 become more
widespread then storing and editing
the resultant footage would be more
convenient using discs.

Vu 84-inch 4K LED TV launched inIndia for Rs. 9,00,000

Vu Technologies has launched Vu 84- inch Super 4K resolution TV in the Indian market at a price point of Rs. 9,00,000. The latest Ultra HD LED TV launched by Vu comes with a built-in computer with support for Windows 8 or Linux operating system. 

The company claims that consumers can change the source input to find a Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system while Linux, and Android are also available. This feature makes the Vu 84-inch Ultra HD LED TV, the world's only TV with a built-in computer, as per the company. 

The newly launched TV can store up to 500GB of media and is powered with an Intel HD 3000 graphics card for PC gaming experience. It also includes preloaded productivity apps like Open Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

The TV also comes with an built-in set-top box, a gaming console with gesture control and support for miracast wireless mirroring standard. The Vu 84-inch Ultra HD LED TV sports an A+ Grade achromatic, bright LED backlit panel and 1:1 Pixel mapping that provides more than 1 lakh TV viewing hours. 

Vu is also offering its consumers the option to customise the TV panels and frames. The Ultra high-definition or U-HD is the latest trend in the TV industry and all major television manufacturers are scrambling to get into this emerging segment. 

Earlier this month, Samsung launched its first Ultra High Definition (UHD) or 4K television, Samsung UHD 85S9 in the Indian market for Rs. 27, 00,000. Companies like Sony, Samsung and LG have also- rolled out a range of U-HD televisions which are priced between Rs. 17 lakh and Rs. 27 lakh and boast of screen sizes 84-inches and 85-inches.

Rumor: Samsung smartwatch shows up online as the SM-V700

Samsung has been rumored for a while
to launch its own smartwatch device
and new reports now reveal that such
a product (model number SM-V700)
has been spotted in inventory systems.
Samsung-Updates has spotted the
product on Zauba, a logistics company
from India that we have seen in
another Samsung-related report the
other day – according to Zauba
shipment tracking, Samsung may be
testing three different Galaxy Note 3
versions (with screen sizes from 5.5-
inch to 6.0-inch)
.
Now the same Zauba lists a SM-
VL700WATCH device that, like the
Galaxy Note 3 units, is to be used for
“R&D purposes.” There’s only one
listing on the website for the device,
which says that three units have been
shipped on July 24.
A commercial product name has not
been mentioned for the device,
although previous reports did say it
could be called Samsung Gear. Images
of the Samsung smartwatch are not
available at this time either, but we
wouldn’t be surprised to see more leaks
coming out way assuming the product is
real.
Sam Mobile reports that its sources can
confirm that Samsung Germany “has
received a Samsung SmartWatch
Prototype and has also begun testing
firmwares for the device.” The
publication says that no other Samsung
division in Europe has the
smartwatches, suggesting that the
fact that Samsung Germany got it
may indicate an IFA 2013 launch.
Sony has recently announced its second
smartwatch model – the SmartWatch 2
– that will launch in September and
other companies including Google, Apple
and Microsoft are rumored to release
similar smart devices in the future.

Who will get the third place? LG,Sony, and Huawei duke it out

We are at a point in the mobile industry where the battle for the third place has become more interesting than the competition for the first position in the world market. 

Samsung and Apple are clearly ahead of the pack, and it’s hard to believe that anyone could disrupt their leadership in the next year or so. But behind Samsung and Apple, several players vie for the third place, and potentially, the chance to displace the leaders. 

These three players are LG, Huawei, and Sony. LG: 45 million These three companies all have ambitious plans for the rest of the year. LG puts all its hope in the G2, which will debut on August 7 at a New York event. The Korean company has already begun teasing the device, and I expect a big marketing push to drum up the interest for the G2. 

LG wants to sell 10 million units of the G2, which may not seem much compared to blockbusters like Samsung’s Galaxy S4, but is quite ambitious for a relatively small player like LG. With the G2 on the horizon, and encouraged by the success of the Optimus G and the G Pro, which propelled it on the third place in the first quarter of 2013, LG increased its internal target to 45 million smartphones this year, up 5 million from the initial goal. 

LG Optimus G Huawei: 60 million Huawei is just as ambitious – the Chinese telecom giant is a big player in its home market, which buoys its hopes for 2013 – Huawei wants to sell no fewer than 60 million smartphones. That’s a lofty goal, but if Huawei plays its cards right, it may profit from the LTE boom that’s expected to sweep China soon. 

In the international market, Huawei will continue to push attractive devices like the Ascend P6, the current world’s slimmest phone. Are Huawei’s goals realistic? Last year, the company had the same 60 million target, which proved unreachable. Could this year be different? Huawei Ascend Mate Sony: 42 million Sony may be the dark horse of the smartphone race right now. After a long period of lagging behind competitors in terms of specs, design, and software, in 2012 Sony has been making up the lost ground. 

The company told the Chinese press gathered for the launch of the Xperia Z Ultra that it plans to sell 42 million smartphones in 2013, to end the year on the third place. The Xperia Z and its siblings were moderately successful, while the Z Ultra shapes up to be a good competitor to the Samsung Note series. But probably Sony’s real hope is the i1, also known as Honami, which is rumored to be the first device created from scratch under the One Sony strategy. 

One Sony is the plan pushed by CEO Kaz Hirai to use the entire technological expertise of the Sony group in the making of each product. In other words, the i1 might benefit from Sony’s rich photography acumen and all the display expertise accumulated in years of making high-end television sets. 

Sony Xperia Z Disruption So, who will be in the third spot come December 31? Judging from estimates alone, Huawei, but history tells us that setting targets and actually meeting them are completely different things in the smartphone business. 

In the best scenario for the Android ecosystem, all three players will meet their targets and begin putting pressure on Apple and Samsung. Both juggernauts show signs of slowing down, and in times like this, upstarts have the best chance of disrupting the status quo. And, while, disruption may not be good for the incumbents, we, the consumers, can only gain from it.

Sony: Solution to PS3 Bricking Caused by Firmware 4.45 Coming on June 27

Sony Japan has confirmed that an
official solution to the PlayStation 3
bricking issues caused by the faulty
firmware 4.45 will be rolled out on
June 27. Until then, however, owners
of the console will have to make do
without access to it .
PS3 owners from around the world
received a prompt to update their
console’s software at the beginning
of the week, as Sony launched
firmware 4.45 that brought new
options, like the ability to turn off the
trophy notifications.
Sadly, for quite a lot of PS3 users, the
update bricked their consoles , and
they will no longer boot up into the
regular mode.
While workarounds have been found
by some users, Sony hasn't been
that eager to communicate with fans,
limiting itself to taking down update
4.45 in order to avoid the bricking of
other consoles.
Now, thanks to a Sony Japan blog
post, it seems that an official solution
for firmware 4.45 issues will be
revealed on June 27.
No other details were mentioned, so
fans will have to look forward to next
week to fix their PS3s.

Sony may unveil new smartwatch next week

Sony seems to be timing the launch of a new
smartwatch for next week.
A series of tweets posted by the company's
Xperia account have laid a trail of breadcrumbs
pointing to the possible debut of a new watch at
the Mobile Asia Expo 2013 trade show, which
runs from June 26 to 28.
The latest tweet, posted Friday, offers the most
obvious clue, saying "Tick-tock, tick-tock,
tick-tock" and displaying a photo of Sony's
current smartwatch, which launched in April
2012.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock #itstime#
MAE13pic.twitter.com/FdHi4nBjNj
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21,
2013
A previous tweet posted an image of a survey
claiming that one-third of smartphone owners
want a smartwatch . Another tweet touted that
Sony launched the first "smart" watch in 2007 .
And still another said: "Wearable tech is in our
DNA. Remember WALKMAN, now...?"
All of the tweets carry hashtags of #itstime
and #MAE13 (which stands for Mobile Asia
Expo 2013).
The smartphone arena has gotten more
crowded since Sony entered the race last year.
The company may be looking to outrival its
rivals with an all-new watch springing up a
host of new features

(Via Xperia Blog)

Super-sharp displays on Android phones take on Apple

HTC, Sony, and Huawei are leading the charge
into large, full high-definition phone displays,
said DisplayMate Technologies. It's a market
Apple has yet to enter.
"With the iPhone 4 Retina display, Apple
pioneered the previous generation of
smartphone displays in 2010," wrote Raymond
Soneira in DisplayMate Technologies' Full HD
Flagship Smartphone Display Technology Shoot-
Out released on Tuesday.
"This time the pioneers are all Android devices,
with the iPhone still not even at the basic HD
resolution of 1,280x720," he said.
Apple has some catching up to do to achieve
"true Retina," as Soneira puts it.
As I have pointed out before, the
effective resolution of the human retina
is much higher than Apple's Retina
Display, and corresponds to somewhere
around 600 PPI [pixels per inch] at a 10
inch viewing distance, which is the limit
for the best human vision, around
20/10...On the other hand, very few
people have that level of 20/10 visual
acuity.
But lower visual acuity doesn't necessarily
mean you can't appreciate displays with very
high pixel density.
If you study and stare at the image on
the screen, move it closer, or move it
around, you'll be able to make out
considerably more fine image detail
because you are building an integrated
visual image map in the brain. So, when
you are looking at an image with finely
detailed graphics and small text, most
people with reasonably good vision will be
able to make out and appreciate the
extra sharpness and image detail if they
take the time to do so.
Super-sharp screens aren't the only criterion
for excellence, however. The iPhone 5's
display is still very competitive in other areas:
it has comparatively high peak brightness, high
contrast rating for high ambient light (bright
conditions), and low screen reflectance,
DisplayMate said.
The shoot-out itself compared the full HD
1,920x1,080 screens on the Huawei Ascend
D2, HTC One, and the Sony Xperia Z, with the
iPhone 5 serving as a yardstick of sorts.
The Ascend D2 came out on top.
"In our extensive side-by-side viewing test
comparisons the Ascend D2 was virtually
indistinguishable from the iPhone 5 and iPad
Retina Display, two of the most accurate and
high quality mobile displays we have ever
tested," DisplayMate said.
The Ascend D2 is Huawei's entry into the
premium smartphone market. "The Ascend D2
joins an elite group of smartphones with world
class displays. While Huawei is better known as
a manufacturer of low cost smartphones, their
Ascend D2 is aimed at the premium top tier, so
they managed to hit a home run with the
display the first time at bat."