OPPO Launches The Find 5 Smartphone: A Premium Device With A 5-Inch Screen

If you’ve been looking to snag yourself a smartphone that’s bigger than normal, but find devices like the DROID DNA or Galaxy Note II don’t quite strike your fancy, then OPPO may just have the device for you. The Chinese giant has launched its latest device called the Find 5– a superphone with you guessed it a 5-inch IPS display with 441ppi that’s the most noteworthy feature of the device. In addition, the Find 5 has additional bells and whistles like a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 chip, 2 gigs of RAM and Jelly Bean. While it’s nearly identical to the DROID DNA specifically– there are some other things about the Find 5 that distinguish it from the competition: the 13MP camera and sound output. The 13MP camera supports full HDR photography unlike other smartphones, while the Find 5 offers full support for both Dolby 3D and Dirac HD sound– giving users a cinema-quality sound wherever they go. Very impressive indeed.

The phone may be attractive, but many of you are thinking that the device must come at a princely sum, right? Well the device is expected to have a premium price, but it’s likely going to be far less expensive than the competition at or around $500 for the US and Chinese markets. Oh and OPPO plans a major launch of the Find 5 sometime in early 2013 across select markets— so it just means you won’t need to wait too long for the next great thing. 

Huawei Confirms It Is Working On A 6.1-Inch Galaxy Note Competitor

In some not-so-surprising news, Huawei has finally come out and confirmed it is indeed working on a Samsung Galaxy Note II competitor. While speaking on the Chinese social networking page Weibo (China’s equivalent to Twitter), Huawei Senior VP Yu Chengdong  took some time to tout up his company’s next beast of a smartphone. The device (which is speculated to be the Ascend Mate) will have a 6.1-inch full HD 1080p display and feature an in-house 1.8GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM– all the while having a “cooler” design than the current Galaxy Note II.

Unfortunately, the Huawei executive decided to leave the Android world collectively guessing and speculating what else could be found in the unique device, but at least we won’t have to wait long. The device is expected to be formally revealed at CES 2013 in January— which is only a month away.

Try to contain your excitement in the meantime folks.

source: Weibo
via: BGR

LG Already Rumored To Be Working On Optimus G Follow-Up, Includes Even More Quad-Core Goodness

The LG Optimus G has only been out for a little over a month, but that doesn’t mean LG can’t think about the future already and have its sights set on what could be one hell of a successor. The successor looks to bring some topnotch features including a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor clocked at a whopping 2.0GHz or 2.5GHz, 2 gigs of RAM, a possible 13MP (or higher) camera, a new display featuring full 1080p resolution and the latest Android OS running the show (presumably Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie). The specs sound mighty attractive, but unfortunately we’ll have to wait a while to see the device in person as LG is expected to unveil the successor by Q3 2013.

Of course it’s a little too early for this kind of speculation, but we’ll be sure to give up all the details to you all as we get them.

source: MK (via)
via: GSM Arena

Verizon Officially Unleashes HTC DROID DNA Smartphone, Finally Gives Customers Chance To Salivate Over The 1080p Display

Rob Nazarian and I got a chance to see the special device in person during its launch last week and now friends, the time has come for all customers to finally get their hands on what is undoubtedly one of the hottest devices of 2012. Verizon is officially unleashing the HTC DROID DNA in both its stores and online today. The latest entry in Verizon’s DROID line features a quad-core processor, 2 gigs of RAM, Jelly Bean and of course the whopping, but gorgeous 1080p Super LCD3 display. Interested parties can snag the device either from their local Verizon store or order online for $199.99 on-contract or a not-too-bad $599.99 off-contract price.

Be sure to stay with us and be on the lookout for our detailed review of the device, but in the meantime– why not check out our hands-on in order to remind yourself of how awesome this puppy is?

source: Verizon Wireless

LG Rumored To Sell Nexus 4 At A Significantly Higher Cost Than What Is Found In The Play Store

While it’s exciting that Google is selling the Nexus 4 through its Play Store for as little as $299 here in the US and parts of Europe, it looks like those in other parts of the world may not be so lucky to grab the device for such a low price. According to Androidos, there are reports coming in from Europe indicating that LG will be selling the Nexus 4 directly for as much as €599 or $768 USD in countries like Italy. Additional reports indicate similar pricing for other markets including Spain and India, which will likely see the device priced at INR 34K or 35K (roughly $650 USD). The increased pricing is beginning to have a major negative effect as well: LG’s supposed pricing structure seems to have a ripple effect as several retailers such as Phone House will not sell the phone due to the high pricing, which potentially means less availability for many Android fans abroad.

There’s no official word yet from LG and/or Google regarding this, but as soon as we grab further details, we’ll be sure to share it with you all.

source: Androidos

ZTE announces $160 Quad-Core Tegra 3 smartphone

ZTE, whose website proclaims is the world’s 4th largest manufacturer, announced the cheapest quad-core smartphone yet. The ZTE U950 packs a 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM but its most impressive spec is the 999 yuan price (approximately $160 USD).

The low-priced Android device comes with a 4.3-inch display and is only 9mm-thick. It will have Ice Cream Sandwich at launch but appears to have the specs to support Jelly Bean. It has a 2,000 mAh battery, 5 megapixel rear camera and VGA front facing camera. No word on expandable storage or if the battery is removable.

The first 100,000 people to register on the U950 sign-up page will get to order the device starting November 11th. This is a China release only but might be precursor of what ZTE is planning for other markets. It hasn’t exactly set the US market on fire but an unlocked sub $200 quad-core device would certainly make a splash.

ASUS Announces The PadFone 2, Keeps The Phone/Tablet Party Rolling Along

After countless leaks and much speculation, the next great
phablet phone/tablet hybrid is here. ASUS has formally announced the PadFone 2 and it will come jam-packed with lots of sweet features. Packed inside, the PadFone will have a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor matched with 2GB of RAM, a stunning 4.7-inch Super IPS display for the smartphone (10.1-inches for the tablet add-on), a beefy 2,140mAh battery and of course, Ice Cream Sandwich. Oh and least we forget the device will have up to 64GB of on-board storage.

Naturally, the successor has to look even more appealing visually than the original, and the PadFone 2 does just that. For starters, the smartphone itself will weigh just 135 grams and come in at 9mm thickness. In addition, despite the larger display and hefty internals, the combination of the tablet and station comes in at just 649 grams in total weight. In fact– what’s even more stunning is the fact the the PadFone 2 and PadFone 2 Station can actually combine together and still weigh less than most tablets available in the market today.

For those of you abroad, the PadFone 2 will be launched before the end of 2012 in Europe and Asia. While the PadFone 2 won’t be available in the States (for now), fear not— because availability in other countries will be announced at a later date. Hit the break for the full presser.

LG Releases Unusual 4-Minute Product Video Highlighting Optimus G Features, Gives Viewers A Martial Arts Show In The Process

The LG Optimus G smartphone is no doubt going to be the single device that will turn the LG brand around and give it some much-needed credibility among Android fans. With that in mind, in order for LG to show off its new superphone to the world, it has to develop a unique advertising campaign— and let’s just say that LG has successfully gotten this started by releasing an ummm… “unique” video highlighting the device’s features. In the product movie below, you will find a spokesmodel using some fancy hand gestures and moves as part of the simulation of the Optimus G’s features. You’ll see everything from the slimness of the device to the wonderful graphics to the impressive Q Slide function– which allows for simultaneous video watching and texting á la Samsung. Whether it’s better implemented than Sammy’s multitasking feature remains to be seen, though it’s nice to see other manufacturers incorporating this into their products as well.

All in all, the video does succeed in creating additional buzz of the Optimus G smartphone– albeit in an incredibly bizarre and unusual way. You can check out the full video below.

Possible quad-core powered HTC One XC revealed in China

HTC took the wraps off a new version of their HTC One X at the Chinese Telecommunications Fair. Going by the name HTC One XC, the phone will have a 4.7-inch 1280×720 pixel screen and 1GB of RAM. Images of the case suggest it will come in black with gold trim elements. Several sources are reporting this device will be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon S4 chip. It is unclear how accurate this may be as HTC’s page for the device on their Chinese site indicates the One XC has a dual-core processor. The bad news for most readers is that the device may never make it outside of the Chinese market. Hit the break for some additional images.