About a month ago Samsung Electronics introduced two (I don’t even know what to call these, phablet maybe) new Android-powered devices, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and the Galaxy Mega 5.8. None of the two Mega feature impressive hardware, however both come with a generous screen size, which these days is something many consumers fancy.

The UK retailer Clove Technology divulged on its blog, that the Galaxy Mega 6.3 will land on their stock in July at a pretty steep price – £460 (tax included) some would say, considering the hardware. However, if you still want one the pre-orders are now open on Clove website.

The first stock includes the 16GB model only and it will be available in both Black or White colors almost almost 40 days from now. Samsung has plans to sell it in the U.S. and Europe as well, but right now there aren’t any details available for these markets.

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Phones4U, one of Britain’s’ largest mobile phone stores, have started taking details (reservations) of people interested in ordering the Huawei Ascend P2 4G LTE.

Mobile “power house”:

The Huawei Ascend P2 is believed to be released in the UK some time in June. Although no official date has been announced, many believe it could be at a scheduled press conference they have planned for 18th June in London. Many believe it will be revealed then, or soon after by the Chinese Technology Company.

The P2 packs an impressive punch in its slim 8.4 mm frame including:

• 1.5Ghz Quad-core processor
• 13Mp camera
• 1Gb Ram
• 4.7 inch Screen (1280×720 pixels)
• 2,400 mHa battery
• Android Jelly Bean Operating System
• Emotion UI

It isn’t specified which version of Jelly Bean it will be running other than “the latest”, although further down on the page of the Phones4U site, it mentions 4.1. The Emotion UI is an addition by Huawei which Phones4U claims “combines home panels with the main menu, while the Me Widget makes best use of the screen space available by combining all the information and functions you need in a single, customisable widget.” Good luck in decoding that.

High spec phone, low consumer price:

Clearly, Huawei Have designs on making more than just cheap phones. This phone packs a punch large enough to rival many high brand names such as Samsung, Sony and LG. Whether it competes or not will depend on its price. No details have been hinted at price, but in a brief video review for the UK Mobile operator Three, found on the Huawei UK website, they said it was a “high spec phone and a low price”. Judgement will be reserved till launch.

Are you interested in getting the Huawei Ascend P2? Will you pre-order it, or are you waiting for something else? Let us know in the comments.

Giveaway:

Don’t forget to enter our competition for your chance to win a set of the Cygnett SoundWave Bluetooth speakers I reviewed in the last week. Details of the competition can be found here. Hurry, competition closes Sunday 26th May 2013!

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LG Electronics has introduced four series of smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona: Optimus G, Optimus V, Optimus L and Optimus F. LG Optimus F3 is an entry-level smartphone which is part of the Optimus F series which will make its way to Sprint carrier this summer.

An alleged press image has been leaked with the handset that will join the Now Network line-up. As a reminder, the LG Optimus F3 will come with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS, a 4 inch WVGA screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, and a dual core processor. The Optimus F3 specs also include a 2,460 mAh battery, GPS and a microUSB port.

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Just the other day a few photos uncovering a ‘ruggedized’ Samsung Galaxy S4 Active have been published online and we are treated with a whole 41 seconds video hands-on demo with the same handset. The video shows exactly the same red and black painted phone with an unexpected Snapdragon S4 Pro Plus chipset in it, although rumors pointed out towards a Snapdragon 600 like its twin brother. The same S4 Pro Plus chipset would be making its way onto the Galaxy S4 Mini smartphone according to GFX Benchmark listing.

However since this is could be just a prototype of the final product Samsung GT-I9295, lets just wait and see if Samsung Electronics will indeed equip it with a Snapdragon 600 SoC or a Snapdragon S4 Pro Plus.

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HTC has already launched its 2013 flagship smartphone with glimpses showing up here and there about a couple of new devices coming this summer as well. And this is not all, HTC has plans to expand its HTC Desire series with a couple of new handsets – HTC Desire 600 and HTC Desire 200.

According to GFX Benchmark website the HTC Desire 600 is a Dual-SIM smartphone running Android 4.1.2 build JZO54K and it is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and a Adreno 203 GPU. The screen size is somewhere between 4.3 to 4.5 inch with 960 x 540 pixel resolution.

While the second device dubbed HTC Desire 200, using model number HTC 102e is linked with HTC G2 and will pack according to rumors a 3.5 inch HVGA display, 1GHz (1 core) processor with 512MB RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera and 4GB internal memory storage which is expandable through a microSD card slot.

Although these are mid to low-end products will feature the latest HTC Sense UI with some minor changes like less animated transition effects or non at all.

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We’ve recently reviewed the Cygnett SoundWave Bluetooth Speaker with adjustable stand from GearZap, and to show our appreciation to our faithful readers, we are giving it away. So, one lucky PocketDroid reader will soon enjoy this SoundWave speaker with an adjustable dock for Android devices. All you have to do to enter our giveaway is to follow a couple of simple rules:

1. Circle us on Google+ official page
2. LIKE our Facebook page

then get back here and post a comment down below confirming the above steps, and that’s it your qualified for the big prize! This is an International giveaway, meaning anyone, anywhere in the world can win it, as long as he or she follows PocketDroid.

Our Giveaway Contest starts today, May 20th and it ends on Sunday, May 26th, when we will randomly pick one lucky winner from the comments section below. We will hold such giveaways whenever there will be an opportunity for a sponsorship!!!

Good luck!!!

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Daddy Was A Thief is a nice casual game in which the main goal is to collect as many coins as possible by crushing through an endless amount of floors of an infinite skyscraper. It’s whole new twist of the endless running type of games and will surely get the fans of it attracted.

The main character and leader of the action is the daddy, who desperately needs to find as many coins as possible without getting caught, killed or smashed during doing it. It may sound boring, but believe us: it’s the complete opposite! Every time you play the game throws a different situation, different floor arrangements you have to pass through, different furniture and different enemies. Also, there’s also the fact that it’s very easy to just pick it up and play: there are no real missions or achievements to complete, you just play for the fun of it!

Daddy Was A Thief is a really easy game to play, actually. The only controls you need to know are the swipe up and down actions and that’s about it. Everything else is up to you, your skill and your reflexes. The first floors are generally easy and full of coins that fly just in front of your nose, ready to be grabbed. As you progress further down the building, things get a little bit trickier. There’s more and more furniture on a single floor and as the number of enemies goes up, they also become stronger and smarter. Do not worry, though, one jump over them will likely mark their end.

Maybe there are no achievements, nor missions to be completed, but there is an existing leveling system that’s here to make yourself feel more engaged with the game. As you progress and reach higher levels, you will unlock more and more upgrades and powerups that can be bought from the store with the collected coins. Not everything in this game is pointless after all.

The store is the place where you upgrade your player’s powers, unlock new players and buy powerful powerups. There’s a big variety of each of them.

Finally, lets comment the graphics and audio effects of the game. They are very good, actually. With pleasant and vivid colors, they certainly suit the type of the game and the smart audio effects clearly make the game a whole. All in all, Daddy Was A Thief is a great time-passer that will cost you nothing to get it on the Google Play Store.

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The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, one of Samsung’s many Galaxy S4 derivatives has been leaked in its full glory courtesy of GSMArena. The smartphone doesn’t quite sport the new design dress but it features 3 hardware buttons on the front while carrying a ruggedized body.

All previous rumors indicated that this handset would most likely pack the same internals as its brother. We notably find a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, the same Snapdragon 600 SoC clocked at 1.9GHz paired with the Adreno 320 graphics and most probably a downgraded 8MP rear shooter. It comes in a metallic shell with bolts on the back & is a dust and water resistant version of the Galaxy S4.

So far we’ve only seen the Orange Flare variant pictured but it’s only a matter of time before we get a glimpse of how the Dive Blue drees looks like on the Galaxy S4 Active.

Samsung will announce the device this month, it is expected to hit shelves during the upcoming month!

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Overclocking, a feat otherwise hugely reserved for PC components has also been done on smartphones as well, of course not to that ‘extreme’ degree but we’ve seen plenty of achievements over the course of the last few years. As smartphone chips get faster, beefier and more efficient overclocking becomes something that can quite easily be done with custom kernels. It happens that HTC’s pride, the HTC One was given a recent overclocking treatment.

The Snapdragon 600 SoC inside the HTC One originally ticks at 1.7GHz, which is more than fast for an Android flagship. Yet folks at Pocketnow stepped into the uncharted territory by pushing up the clock speed by 300MHz up to a stunning 2.0GHz. Yes, that’s not a lot in mainstream overclocking terms but it’s still something exceptional as far as smartphones are concerned.

They of course tried stressing it further to 2.1GHz; the smartphone did not last long at such speed, however, causing it to shut itself down. So right now 2.0GHz seems to be the sweet spot, not to mention the benchmarks which were off the charts! Check out the full video below:

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It is known for quite a while that a follow-up of the HTC Butterfly / DNA from last year is due for 2013, under the codename DLXPLUS. New clues have emerged today straight from HTC website where a device called HTC Butterfly S showed up in an UAProf (User Agent Profile) revealing not only the name, but Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and 1920x1080p screen resolution. We are expecting this device to launch over the summer, if not this fall during IFA 2013 in Berlin.

That’s pretty much all the details we have on this device so far. More in the following reports, so stay tunned!

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Samsung Electronics has spilled the beans regarding some of its upcoming new devices or should I say derived from the Galaxy S4. The OEM recently updated its Samsung WatchON Android app revealing unintentionally, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mega, Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S4 Mini names in the change log.

Google Inc introduced at Google I/O such a derived variant with full Nexus series experience and unlocked bootloader which is dubbed Galaxy S4 Google Edition by the media. This version will be joining AT&T and T-Mobile networks, because it will go on sale only SIM unlocked (carrier free), probably through Play store.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is another version of the Galaxy S4 which already has been spotted a couple of times during the last two months, which Samsung probably will unveil next month (June).

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The leaked firmware carries the build version I9300XXUFME3 and brings the expected Jellybean goodies to the already feature-rich smartphone. Some of the new software tricks that have debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S4 are missing, but that wasn’t outside of our expectations, as the build is in the testing phase. Here’s the full changelog Sammobile provided:

New enhancements in Android 4.2.2 update
- Android 4.2.2 – Build ID: JDQ39
- New S4 Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, two Unlock effects (Ripple and Light), improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message
- New Screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo
- Daydream
- Driving mode
- Actionable notifications
- New Additions in Notification Center
- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface – Exactly like the S4)
- Addition of Voice controls (Let’s you control various parts of the phone using voice commands – Galaxy S4 feature)
- Gallery modes have white background (When changing gallery modes to 3D the background changes to white)
- Full screen Samsung apps
- New S-Voice (from S4)
- New smart switch widget

You have to be cautious that this firmware will increase the flash counter of your phone. It doesn’t come with a modem, so it will remain the same you already have. If you want to try this firmware, head on to the source link, where you will the install instructions and the download link. Here’s a video of a Galaxy S3 running the firmware:

Source

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Today, Sony Mobile introduced on its local market, in Japan the Sony Xperia ZR which packs a 4.6 HD Reality display which is equipped with Mobile BRAVIA engine 2. The phone is certified as water and dust resistant (which means you can keep it underwater up until 1.5 meters deep for 30 minutes) and it also feature a 13 megapixel camera on the back with the well-known Exmor RS sensor and HDR, 3 megapixel camera on the front, comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB RAM and last but not least the operating system which is Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Get a close look

NVIDIA put the Shield up for pre-orders:

We haven’t heard about the NVIDIA Shield (it’s not “Project Shield” anymore) for a long time, mainly due to NVIDIA keeping the finalization of the device quiet. But don’t despair, as we have great news for you – NVIDIA is launching the pre-orders for the Shield on May 20 in USA and Canada, which will start shipping in late June. Gives a bang for the buck

Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition was introduced at Google I/O:

A few minutes ago we’ve been teased with what will be the most wanted smartphone on the market this year, the Google Galaxy S4 or Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition, because, as Hugo Barra presented it on stage at Google I/O 2013, the phone will benefit of Nexus devices experiences running a stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean version, plus users who will own this device will enjoy software updates the way Nexus owners does. Comes bundled with LTE support and microSD card slot

ZTE announced the Grand X2:

At MedPi conference in Monaco yesterday, ZTE Corp introduced its latest flagship device ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone featuring the Intel Atom processor Z2580 with up to 2GHz, Android Jelly Bean OS, an advanced 8MP camera and 1080p movie and video playback. The new flagship device ZTE Grand X2 In provides high quality experience for the demanding and value conscious user. Key specs

Sony Xperia UL a.k.a. “Gaga” popped out in a bunch of pictures:

Sony Xperia UL codename Gaga has been revealed back in March, packing a 5 inch Full HD (1920×1080) display, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, but we havent seen it until today.  Thanks to GSMInsider who got in possession of a few Sony Xperia UL photos, we can now take a peek at this 5 inch smartphone or should I say phablet. Captured from all angles

Sony Xperia Tablet Z got treated with CyanogenMod 10.1 RC2:

At the end of the week Sony Mobile announced the release of AOSP source for the Xperia Z tablet and just hours later it was already running a CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly version as codeworkx (Daniel Hillenbrand) showed it booting up on the device. Get the build

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Sony has included the Xperia Tablet Z  in the AOSP.This is a great move from Sony,considering it also included the Xperia Z smart phone in the AOSP project too.AOSP stand for Android Open source project. Now that Sony has open sourced its source code,developers can interact with the device. The source code is available from GitHub, together with other support services and instructions.

Keeping in mind that the tablet has not even shipped yet in the US. Hence you can see Sony’s commitment in this project. Vanilla Android on the tablet would be pretty awesome. There is a bit of work setting things up, (you would have to download and compile the source code yourself) and no,it’s not stable enough for day-to-day use.

At this rate, Android hackers might eventually prefer the tablet as their tablet of choice. There are more details on Sony’s’ blog which you can view here, including technical specs. Community manager Marcus Hansonn posted YouTube video to demo AOSP on the tablet,which you can view below.

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