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HTC Nexus 9 specs leak alongside pricing info and first image

Rumors about HTC working with Google on a Nexus tablet have been abundant this year. We’ve heard quite a few times that an 8-inch or 8.9-inch device would be coming, and that it would be manufactured by HTC, and not Asus – the company responsible for both Nexus 7 iterations. Now though almost all the details about the upcoming HTC tablet have been leaked. It may be called Nexus 9 when it launches, and its codename is Volantis (or Flounder). It’s got an 8.9-inch touchscreen indeed.

However, it comes with a very odd resolution: 2048×1440. That would be a big departure from previous Nexus tablets, which all had 16:10 aspect ratios. The new Nexus is closer to the iPad’s proportions, though it’s not 4:3 like Apple’s tablets either. And that’s strange, since the source of this leak claims that the Nexus 9 will have 4:3 aspect ratio. So something’s off here, do note that.

What you see above is the original leaked slide about the Volantis. Based on this, the folks over atAndroid Police created the render you can see below, making the tablet itself front and center.

The Nexus 9 is said to come with Nvidia’s Tegra K1 64-bit chipset, 2GB of RAM, and 16 or 32 GB of storage space. An 8MP camera with optical image stabilization will be on the back, with a 3MP snapper on the front.The tablet will sport a zero-gap aluminum construction, and it should also have stereo front-facing speakers (though they aren’t depicted in the leaked render, as you can see).Its dimensions apparently will be 226.3 x 151.9 x 7.9 mm, and it shall weigh 418g (in Wi-Fi-only) or 427g (with 4G LTE).In terms of pricing we’re looking at $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for double that. This is for Wi-Fi-only versions, mind you. The ones with LTE may go into $600+ territory, which means the Nexus 9 will be as expensive as the iPad Mini with Retina Display. That’s an interesting move considering that all of its predecessors have been very affordable compared to their competitors.The Volantis should be released alongside the Android Lollipop iteration, or whatever it ends up being called, sometime during the fourth quarter of this year – so don’t expect to see it next week at Google I/O. The tablet could come with a few official accessories such as a keyboard case.According to Android Police, this leak is legit. The hardware exists, and it’s already been seen inside Google. Of course certain details may change before release, but the image accompanying the specs does raise some questions, though – it seems to depict a plastic device, and the front speakers are invisible.And then there’s the issue with the display, said to be 4:3 but with a leaked resolution that doesn’t have that aspect ratio.So, as always, do take this with a grain of salt. Then again, since we’ve had so many rumors about a Nexus 8 or 9 being in the works, one probably is. And this may just be it.

HTC Butterfly 2 pays the Taiwanese NCC a visit

The HTC Butterfly 2 has been spotted at the NCC, the Taiwanese equivalent of the USA’s FCC. The phone carries the model number B810x and is set to launch in Asia sooner rather than later.The Butterfly series of phones was considered to be discontinued, as the HTC One Max carries the company’s phablet torch now. However, HTC is likely to continue with a successor to the HTC Butterfly, which for its time, came with high-end specs including the world’s first 1080p display.Its successor is believed to not mess around either. Rumors have it that the Butterfly 2 is going to feature a Snapdragon 800 chipset with a quad-core Krait 400 CPU and a 5″ 1080p display.The phone will launch in several colors – black, red, silver and brown, as previously emerged front panels of the phone suggest. Pricing and availability are still unknown, though.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S to be announced on June 12

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S lineup is set for unveiling in less than a month - on June 12. We've got our invite already and you can bet we'll be there to cover the whole thing for you guys.

The information is backed up by Samsung Mobile head J.K. Shin who said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that Samsung will launch a new line of tablets in New York on June 12.

The Galaxy Tab S will have a 10.5" AMOLED display of 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and will tip the scales at around 287 lovely pixels per inch. We've also brought you exclusive report of its smaller and bigger siblings, which might be the other two in the "new line of tablets" - all sporting WQHD resolutions.

The slate codenamed Chagall corresponds to the 10.5" Galaxy Tab S, the Klimt is an 8.4" version with a pixel density of 359 ppi and the Warhol with a 13.3" 227 ppi screen, which is the only tablet here to sport an LCD. All three will come in Wi-Fi only and cellular form (likely 3G + LTE).

We've also even seen the 10.5" device in a series of photos.

It looks more or less like a current-gen Samsung top-end slate but does feature slimmer edges that slope towards the back panel - much like on Samsung's line of ultrabooks. The inclusion of an AMOLED panel has allowed for a slimmer waistline as AMOLED screens lack one of the layers that LCDs have.

The innards are expected to be an Exynos 5420 chipset with Android 4.4 under Samsung's tablet-friendly Magazine UI. Cameras are expected to be an 8 MP and 2 MP unit for the back and front.

Meanwhile JK Shin also said that the Galaxy S5 has mounted 11 million sales since launch. That's 1 million more than the it was three days ago, suggesting that the flagship is still going strong.

Sony Xperia M2 now available in the UK

The Sony Xperia M2 is launching in the UK starting today. It's available on Everything Everywhere's network for free starting at £24 a month or for £20 upfront with a £19/month contract, including with 500 MB worth of LTE data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts.

The Xperia M2 is available in black or white in all EE outlets such as the online shops (shipping in 1 day), telesales and retail brick and mortar stores.

UK retailer Clove also has the Xperia M2 in stock for a total of £210 with VAT. Carphonewarehouse has the Xperia M2 listed for Vodafone, TalkMobile and EE with shipping starting tomorrow.

The Sony Xperia M2 has a 4.8" qHD (540 x 960) display, Snapdragon 400 with a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. It's not weather-sealed like its more expensive siblings, though. The rest of the specs include an 8 MP camera on the back, a 2300 mAh battery and 8 GB of expandable storage.

ZTE Nubia W5 with Windows Phone 8.1 leaks out

Purported specifications of the unannounced ZTE Nubia W5 Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone made the rounds online. The handset appears bound to become the first non-Android Nubia device by the Chinese manufacturer.

Alleged specs of the ZTE Nubia W5 include a beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in memory. A 13MP camera and a gigantic 4,500mAh battery complete the rumored list of talents.

Curiously, there is no word on device’s display size and resolution. If the specs are anything to go by however, we can reasonably expect the screen to be a unit larger than 5”, sporting at least Full HD resolution.

When announced, the ZTE Nubia W5 is bound to become one of the best-equipped Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones out there. Camera aside, the device is bound to offer better specs than the recently announced Nokia Lumia 930.

Blue HTC One (M8) goes up for pre-order in the United Kingdom

A blue-colored HTC One (M8) has gone up for pre-order in the United Kingdom. The recently-leakedversion of the Taiwanese flagship is offered online by MobileFun.

The HTC One (M8) with a brand new lick of paint (it is caller Aqua Blue) is priced at £549.99 for a 16GB SIM-free version. The price tag does not carry any premium for the new color scheme – it is the same for the already available versions with 16GB of memory on board.

There is no word on the shipping date of the blue HTC M8. We doubt it will be a long wait.

There are now 17 OEMs making Windows Phones

Microsoft can now count on 17 manufacturers to make handsets for their Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS. The reason why the Seattle based tech giant was able to get so many people on board is more than likely attributed to the fact that they’ve made their mobile OS free to use.

Two of the newest OEMs (in addition to the big boys Nokia, Samsung, and HTC) are Blu and K-Touch.

Blu is a Florida based company that made a name for themselves by offering bottom dollar stock Android handsets with decent specs for the price.

K-Touch is one of the largest OEMs and ODMs in China. This move could help Microsoft expand their reach in the region.

Adding more OEMs should prove to be a profitable strategy for Microsoft especially in the mid-range market. Lower spec’d Windows Phone tend to operate more smoothly than mid-range Android handsets, which may help to sway consumers towards a Microsoft device over a Google one.

Landscape UX on the LG G3 leaks in a screenshot

Flipping the upcoming LG G3 in landscape mode invokes Landscape UX - a specially designed user interface that makes use of the extra screen estate on the phone. @evleaks shared a screenshot of it earlier today, but now it is no longer to be found under the infamous Twitter account. Probably LG isn't too happy to have so many leaks of its 2014 flagship.

Anyway, the screenshot is inline with the latest Optimus UI look and feel. There are flat icons all over and everything is cleaner than before. You will also notice a fourth software button added on the bottom. It's a shortcut to toggle the notification shade and is also available on a number of previous LG smartphones and tablets.

LG launched a short teaser video of the G3 to tease the launch of the phone before its announcement onMay 27. If that video isn't enough to quench your thirst for more info about that upcoming phone, here arelive images in addition to official photos.

The LG G3 will come with a 5.5" QHD display – that's 2560 x 1440 pixels adding up to the whooping pixel density of 534ppi. It will be available in two different versions – one with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM and the other with 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. Both units will support memory expansion via a microSD card slot.

AT&T will roll out HD Voice next month

AT&T will finally enable HD Voice in its network on May 23 but there's a catch. Actually, strike that – there are multiple catches. Note that HD Voice here refers to the VoLTE-based version. That means it actually requires an LTE network (unlike standard HD Voice), but you can continue using data while talking.

So, here are the things to look out for. AT&T is only rolling out the new HD Voice in selected areas and both you and the person on the other side of the call line need to be in one of those areas. At launch this will mean parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minneapolis and Wisconsin.

Furthermore, both you and the other person need to have an HD Voice-enabled phone.

And for the final catch, currently only the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini qualifies. Not even the bigger Galaxy S4, or the newer Galaxy S5 would do, though we're sure those will eventually get a firmware upgrade.

A good deal of countries launched the 3G version of HD Voice in 2010 or 2011 (starting as early as 2009, here's the list), so it's good for AT&T to finally catch up.

The benefits of the new standard are easily noticeable. Here's a demo that shows the kind of difference that HD Voice makes. It will really be worth it once it gains wider support.

T-Mobile and Sprint have been rolling out HD Voice on 3G since last year, Verizon plans to go the VoLTE route like AT&T soon.

More Apple iPhone 6 photos arrive via case maker mockups

The Apple iPhone 6 mockups and dummies are coming by the dozens these days. Today, yet another maker has published pictured of its upcoming cases, hugging the next Apple flagship.

While we can't completely rely on the images to confirm the actual design, they are usually based on the real dimensions of the next iPhone, which Apple has to provide for its partners in advance. The button and camera cutouts should be accurate too, and judging by those photos they won't be any different they those of the iPhone 5s.

The audio jack will remain at the bottom, alongside the lightning port and the loudspeaker grille. The volume and mute/rotation lock key remain in their usual places, too. We don't get a side view this time, so we are no closer to solving the straight or sloping edges mystery.

We are still at least three (and likely four) months away from seeing the Apple iPhone 6 officially, and we doubt those leaks will be slowing down until then. However, for all the renders and dummies we have seen the specs picture is pretty blurry - a larger 4.7" is probably the most certain bit, although we wouldn't bet the house on that one either.

We are also hearing a slimmer body and thinner bezels and we'll be rather surprised if those don't turn out true. The screen resolution rumors are all over the place, though, and camera info is pretty contradictory, too. Then again, we can't hope for much more so far away from the announcements - perhaps even Apple hasn't fully finalized the specs sheet at this point.

Vertu Signature Touch with flagship specs incoming

Vertu has already ventured into the luxury Android business with the Constellation - an exquisite phone on the outside with mid-range specs on the inside. The ever-vigilant AnTuTu team has spotted what could be a far more interesting flagship Vertu smartphone, though, called the Signature Touch (RM-980V).

The Signature line is fairly old (the original came out in 2003) and featured an iconic chevron design with a wide choice of premium materials. The Vertu Signature Touch is clearly ready to abandon its keypad roots and move to a high quality touchscreen.

The AnTuTu benchmark registered a 1080p screen but unfortunately there's no reading on screen size. The Vertu Signature Touch also boasts a 13MP main camera and a 2MP front-facer, plus 16GB of storage.

The phone ran a current Android 4.4.2 on a powerful Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB RAM. Not quite on par with mainstream flagships but still large leap from the Snapdragon S4 Pro with dual-core processor that powers the Constellation.

It even got a very good score, placing it a bit lower than a Sony Xperia Z2 but well above a Nexus 5.

Samsung Galaxy S5 GPE certified by Bluetooth SIG

We saw the premium version of the Galaxy S5, which is known around the rumor mill as the S5 Primeclearing the Bluetooth certification earlier today. Now, the Google Play Edition of the Galaxy S5 has appeared in the Bluetooth SIG database.

The Bluetooth certification doesn't give us much, but the model number (SM-G900FG) reveals that a Galaxy S5 model to offer pure Android experience is coming shortly. The Google Play Edition of the Galaxy S5 has already made an appearance when it popped up briefly on the Play Store.

Samsung Galaxy S5 GPE will essentially be the international model sold by Samsung but with stock Android instead. We'll have to wait for the official announcement to know how much it will cost, though.

Apple and Google agree to dismiss current lawsuits

The long standing legal battle between Apple and Google owned Motorola Mobility has come to an end, with both Apple and Google agreeing to dismiss current lawsuits against each other.

In a joint statement released by the two companies, they said "Apple and Google have agreed to dismiss all the current lawsuits that exist directly between the two companies." They also said that "Apple and Google have also agreed to work together in some areas of patent reform. The agreement does not include a cross license."

Apple and Motorola first went at each other back in 2010, with Motorola suing Apple for infringing on some of its 3G patents and Apple suing Motorola for software related patents. Motorola even managed to get a temporary ban on 3G iOS devices in Germany in 2011.

The same year, Google acquired Motorola Mobility, which was largely seen as a move to get hold of Motorola's vast patent portfolio to strengthen Google's position against lawsuit-happy rivals such as Apple. It is believed, though, that the patents weren't as useful to Google as the company had hoped they would be and not really worth the $12.5 billion it paid. Earlier this year, Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for $2.91 billion.

In 2012, the Apple vs. Motorola case was dismissed by Chicago court saying neither companies had sufficient evidence to prove their point. The case was revived last month as part of a Federal Appeals Court decision.

It would have been better to see the two companies agree on a cross licensing their patents. However, the fact that they decided to drop all pending lawsuits between them is still overall a good decision. This does not, however, affect the Apple vs. Samsung legal battle, which will continue as usual.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active design hinted by leaked cases

Even though the Galaxy S5 comes with IP67 certification for dust and water resistance, Samsung hasn't given up the plans of releasing a more element-resistant Active version. The tougher version of the company's flagship isn't official just yet, but the traces of the smartphone are all over the place.

Today a leaked case designed for the Galaxy S5 Active reveals a few interesting details about the design of the upcoming smartphone. It appears that the Galaxy S5 Active will stay closer to the design of its predecessor, rather than take after the Galaxy S5. As you can probably remember, the S4 Activesported four screw caps on the back and it looks like the S5 Active will also feature them. The position of these in the newer model seems to be slightly altered and the speaker grilles are now vertically placed.

However, in terms of performance, the Galaxy S5 Active is expected to be a perfect match for the Galaxy S5 flagship. The upcoming rugged smartphone has been confirmed to pack a Snapdragon 801 chipset complete with 2GB of RAM. The Active and the regular Galaxy S5 units are also said to have identical cameras - 16 megapixels at the back and 2 megapixels at the front.

We are hoping that Samsung will make the Galaxy S5 Active official soon, but in the meantime it would be nice if we can get to see a photo of an actual unit to get a better idea of what the Galaxy S5 Active will look like

Samsung Galaxy W leaks in South Korea

A brochure for Korean carrier SK Telecom has leaked and it features an unannounced Samsung Galaxy W. The device looks very similar to the SM-T2558 (the Galaxy Tab line uses SM-T model designation) we reported a couple of weeks ago and is said to feature a 7-inch panel of 720p resolution, "Phoneblet UX" with a landscape mode and Multi Window split-screen multitasking. Rumor has it the back panel of the device will sport a leather-imitating plastic as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The source claims that the device will go international as an over-the-top 7" Galaxy Mega 2.

One interesting bit is the inclusion of a capacitive menu button in place of the recent apps button Samsung is pushing to its latest gadgets and is expected to be seen on a Galaxy Mega 2 handset.

The rest of the specs for the Samsung SM-T2558, which could turn out to be a Galaxy Mega 2, are a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 MP and 2 MP camera duo, 8 GB of expandable storage and Android Jelly Bean 4.3 - nothing ground breaking here, the Android version is worrisome in particular.

For now we can expect the mysterious Samsung Galaxy W to launch on SK Telecom, perhaps as an exclusive. Interestingly there's already a Galaxy W handset internationally, adding more credence to the Galaxy Mega 2 naming.