BlackBerry Q10 to hit shelves on April 26

Reports suggest the second phone to run the BlackBerry 10 operating system to be released on the same day as the Samsung Galaxy S4

The BlackBerry Q10 will go on sale in the UK on April 26, according to online reports.
The second smartphone to run the BlackBerry 10 (BB10) OS is now available to pre-order on a SIM-only basis from Unlocked Mobile and Clove Technology for £530, with delivery for the specified date.
It would therefore go on sale the same day as the Samsung Galaxy S4, the flagship smartphone from the manufacturer that was unveiled in New York last Thursday (March 14).
The Q10 (pictured) is also listed as ‘coming soon’ on the Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U websites, but both don’t specify a release date in April.
It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and has both a full QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen – the first BB10 smartphone to do so. It also has an eight-megapixel camera and expandable memory of up to 32GB with a microSD card.
It was unveiled alongside the Z10 at a global launch event in the US on January 30. The latter of the two – the first device from BlackBerry to run its new platform – went on sale in the UK the following day.

Read More

HTC One wows with stunning design, premium parts (hands-on)

In a bold attempt to steal thunder away from other phone makers ahead of Mobile World Congress next week, HTC just announced its HTC One flagship handset. Unveiled simultaneously at two glitzy press events in New York and London, the new HTC One is packed to the rafters with top-notch components and technologies including some of the latest processing gear Qualcomm can muster. The device isn't merely technically advanced, but is lovingly crafted from premium metals, too, leaving no doubt that the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer has placed considerable blood, sweat, and tears into this handset.

Design
Rectangular, flat, and extremely thin, the HTC One is practically all screen. Its 4.7-inch (1080p) LCD display uses what the company calls SoLux technology for improved picture quality and generates 468 pixels per inch (ppi). This, says HTC, helps the One's screen to boast the most impressive viewing experience of any phone it has ever created. Since the display is slightly smaller at the same resolution, the One's screen has a denser pixel count than the Droid DNA (5-inch, 440 ppi).


In another interesting twist, dual speakers (one on each side of the screen) act in unison to deliver a more lively audio experience whether while watching movies or listening to music. Paired with an onboard amplifier and Beats technology, HTC has given the system the rather unfortunate name BoomSound. It reminds me of the kind of cheesy trademark Philips used to plaster all over its old boom boxes.


Core hardware
A flagship smartphone wouldn’t be worth its weight in salt if it wasn’t backed up by a bevy of screaming components. You’ll be glad to know that the HTC One doesn’t disappoint. Beating inside the heart of this regal machine is a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, fresh off of Qualcomm’s factory floor. It’s the first device I know of to officially feature the new silicon. Because of that I’m sure a lot of smartphone addicts out there will be itching to get their hands all over this gadget.
The HTC One will also ship in two memory configurations, a stock 32GB (internal storage) model and a tricked-out 64GB version. Both devices though will feature a full 2GB complement of RAM.

Read More

LG buys webOS platform from HP

Platform, which was originally designed for mobile devices, will instead be used in LG’s smart TVs

LG has acquired the webOS platform from HP, but will instead use the technology in its smart TVs rather than on its mobile devices.
The undisclosed deal sees LG acquire the source code, documentation, engineers and websites of the platform.
HP bought Palm, together with its webOS platform, for $1.2 billion in April 2010.
However, in August 2011, HP said it was discontinuing operations for webOS devices as devices had not met internal milestones and financial targets.
Ovum devices and platforms analyst Tony Cripps said: “The move by LG to buy the webOS assets comes as something of a surprise.  The code of the software platform was released into open source by HP as Open WebOS last year and wasn’t widely expected to find any OEM support despite having demonstrated some novel thinking in devices such as the Palm Pre and HP TouchPad.
“However, LG has clearly recognized a need to invest in greater software platform and user interface capabilities. This comes at a time when device manufacturers are recognizing the need to differentiate through software-based innovation in user experience.
“LG’s stated intention to use webOS in TVs makes sense for the company, which is enjoying significant momentum in this emerging device category. However, we can’t discount the possibility that LG could yet return webOS to its smartphone roots.”

Read More