Nexus 6 / Nexus X / Moto S / Moto X ‘Shamu’: Latest Google Rumors

By Larry Ong, Epoch Times | August 28, 2014

Last Updated: August 29, 2014 6:19 pm

Could the Nexus 6 be built by HTC instead of Motorola?
There has been much talk recently about Google collaborating with Motorola on its latest Nexus phone.
The Nexus 6, code-named “Shamu,” is also known as the Moto S, Moto X, and Nexus X.
Phone Arena notes that Google and Motorola have to call the phone “Moto X” because they cannot use the “Nexus 6″ term without copyright violations.
This is so as Nexus 6 cyborgs featured in Philip K. Dick’s famous novel, Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner in films), and his family could sue Google for trademark violations if they call their phone “Nexus 6.”
The Nexus X is most probably not just speculation, as reliable tech tipster TK Tech News has managed to dig up information from Best Buy indicating that a Nexus X device is going for sale.
TK Tech News also says that the Nexus X is will be sold at Best Buy in October.
Verizon will be carrying the phone in the United States.
The Nexus X supposedly has either a 5.3-inch or 6.3-inch 2K display resolution, a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with an Adreno 420 GPU, and has a 13 mega-pixel rear camera and a 2.1 mega-pixel front camera, but doesn’t come with a fingerprint scanner.
It will run on the latest Google OS, the Android Lemon Meringue Pie 5.0.
There is no official confirmation yet from either Google or Motorola.
Google has also been linked with HTC for the Nexus 6.
Nexus6now has provided pictures of a HTC built Nexus 6 concept that features a metal shell, and speculates that the phone will have a 5.5-inch IPS QHD display, 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3GM of RAM, 13 mega-pixel camera, 3,000 mAh battery and run Android Lemon Meringue Pie 5.0.
Although Nexus6now claims that rumors of that HTC is building the Nexus 6 is “quite strong,” they have not cited any evidence to prove their case.
HTC has also not mentioned that they are indeed building the Nexus 6.

Spice launches Rs 2,299 Firefox OS smartphone

Spice launches Rs 2,299 Firefox OS smartphone, Fire One Mi FX1

PTI | Aug 29, 2014, 05.51 PM IST

CEO Spice Mobility, Prashant Bindal (R) and senior director Mozilla, James Ho (L) interact with media at the launch of the smartphone in New Delhi. 

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NEW DELHI: Aimed at capturing a larger chunk of the booming affordable smartphone market in India, domestic handset maker Spice has launched its new Firefox OS-powered smartphone, Spice Fire One Mi FX1, priced at Rs 2,299.

The move follows the launch of another Firefox OS device last week by local rival, Intex, which had launched India's first Firefox OS based handset for Rs 1,999.

"This dual SIM-handset is targetted at those looking to upgrade from feature phones without worrying about the price or complexity of a smartphone. We are confident that the device will meet the demands of those looking to move to smartphone," Spice Mobility chief executive officer Prashant Bindal told PTI.

Spice expects to sell about one lakh units of the new device in next two months.

"We will begin sales online through Snapdeal and later decide on the offline route. We should sell about 50,000 units a month in the next two months," he said.

Software major Mozilla, which runs the Firefox browser, had showcased a smartphone prototype costing as little as $25 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, targeting at developing countries including India and China.

It had partnered Intex and Spice from India for launching these low-cost devices in the country, which is the fastest growing smartphone market globally. It already has devices in 17 countries.

Spice is also expected to launch a new sub-$100 device, under the Android One initiative, soon.

Earlier this year, Google had partnered Spice, Micromax and Karbonn from India to deliver a smartphone under-$100 (about Rs 6,000) under the Android One initiative.

The Spice Fire One Mi FX1 is powered by the Firefox OS and 1 GHz processor. It has a 3.5-inch screen, expandable memory up to 4 GB, 1.3MP rear and 0.3 MP front camera and 1,400 mAh battery. Spice has also partnered Aircel to offer 1GB free monthly data for three months.

Handset makers are betting big on mobile internet to reach out to newer audiences. Various reports suggest that the next billion population accessing the internet for the first time will do so on their phones instead of personal computers.

Companies like Microsoft, which acquired Nokia's handset division, are also targeting the affordable smartphone category aggressively, estimating it to be a $50 billion annual opportunity.

The smartphone market in India grew at 84% year-on-year to 18.42 million units in Q2 of 2014 from 10.02 million units (in April-June 2013 quarter), as per research firm IDC.

Korean handset maker Samsung led the smartphone market with 29% share, followed by Micromax at 18%, Karbonn at 8% and Lava at 6%.

Sony suggests that one of its upcoming Xperias will be 6.4mm-thin

Posted: 29 Aug 2014, 20:42, by Florin T.

Not long after unveiling its official IFA 2014 teaser video, Sony followed with a teaser image that wants us to guess the dimensions of a mysterious device. The image suggests that we’re talking about a 6.4mm-thin product, also revealing another dimension: 124 mm. The third dimension is missing, so we don’t know what kind of device we’re dealing with here. If the missing dimension is smaller than 124 mm, the device should be a smartphone. If the dimension is greater than 124 mm, it’s probably a tablet.

Sony made it pretty clear that it’s going to announce three new devices at IFA, and we’re expecting these to be the Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. According to previous rumors, the Xperia Z3 measures 146.46 x 72 x 7.3 mm, while the Xperia Z3 Compact is a 126.98 x 64.9 x 8.71 mm handset. So we’re thinking that the mysterious 6.4mm-thin device could be the Z3 Tablet Compact. After all, Sony already has a slate with exactly the same thinness: the Xperia Z2 Tablet.

The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact may have been partially revealed earlier this month. The tablet supposedly features a display of around 8 inches, and that’s all we know about it for now. Thankfully, Sony's IFA 2014 press event is scheduled for September 3, so it won't be long until we get to find out everything about the upcoming Xperias.

AT&T gets Moto Maker timed-exclusive, Moto X+1 may cost $249

Posted: 30 Aug 2014, 00:31, by Michael H.

Some new information has leaked tonight regarding the Moto X+1, and the big news may be that the Moto X+1 will cost $249, but that price tag actually makes sense because it will be for a 32GB model. The odd thing is that the "16GB model is not confirmed but could come later at a budget price".

TKTechNews is reporting that AT&T will once again get Moto Maker before any other carriers, but it appears that Moto Maker also won't be available at launch for the Moto X+1. We have heard before that Verizon is scheduled to release the stock black and white models of the device on September 17th, but the new info says AT&T won't have those in store until September 28th. However, Moto Maker sales for AT&T will actually begin earlier. 

Motorola and AT&T might be planning a pre-order deal that will take place on September 6th (this is not yet confirmed), and allow users to design their own Moto X+1 complete with options for wood or leather backing. The deal will allow users to buy a customized AT&T Moto X+1 for $199, which is $50 off the standard price. After that day, Moto Maker sales will continue at the normal price, and be AT&T exclusive for a few weeks or one month. That isn't as long as the three month exclusive it had last year, but still more than we'd like. Also, with the Texas plant shutting down, Moto Maker orders for the U.S. have to come from Mexico, which will also mean a longer turnaround time for custom orders. It could be as long as 14 days. 

source: TKTechNew

OnePlus One To be Available for Pre-Order by October, Bye Bye Invites System

• Bogdan Pirvu
• August 29th, 2014
• Android News

When OnePlus launched its first product this year – OnePlus One, it completely redefined the high-end Android market space. It offered flagship level hardware at the price of a mid-range smartphone. Honestly OnePlus One does seem like the tech bargain of the year.
But… there was just one small problem. We couldn’t simply buy the OnePlus One like other smartphones. To own the device, one had to receive an invite, there was no getting around it.
Finally there appears to be a light of hope in the form of an official answer by OnePlus One Tech members Carl and David on Reddit during the OnePlus AskMeAnything Late August Edition. One of the members asked them when they planned to get rid of the invites system for selling the OnePlus One. The reply posted was “We are working on a pre-orders system, we were initially aiming for September but it’s been slightly delayed, hopefully we’ll be ready to launch it in October.”

That is some great news for the many interested individuals who have been waiting for the invites system to be dropped so they can finally get to own the device. Getting hold of an invite isn’t an easy task as you have to enter in various contests and promotional events or get it from someone who has already bought a OnePlus One.
Availability is also restricted to a select number of markets currently, so we do hope that pre-orders for the device won’t just be available in a few markets like now but would be extended to at least a few new markets.
The OnePlus One is one of the finest smartphones to have come out this year and really makes you wonder why you should be paying double the price for almost the same hardware from other more established Android OEMs. OnePlus One comes with a 5.5 inch Full HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor, 3GB RAM, Sony Exmor RS IMX214 13 megapixel rear camera with 4K video recording, 16 and 64GB storage options, and a 3100mAh battery. It runs a custom CyanogenMod version based on Android KitKat version 4.4.4

Apple iPhone 6 event officially set for Sept. 9

Invites from the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant give almost no hints, saying "wish we could say more." But the general consensus is that Apple will unveil its next smartphone.

• by Shara Tibken

Apple on Thursday sent out invites for a press event on Sept. 9 in its hometown of Cupertino, Calif.
The company provided few hints about what will be announced beyond saying "Wish we could say more." That could indicate something related to Siri, Apple's digital voice assistant. Generally, Apple is expected to introduce its newest iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 6. The company also could show off a wearable at the event.

The event will come a year after Apple introduced the iPhone 5S and 5C and a week after arch rival Samsung is set to unveil its Galaxy Note 4 phone-tablet hybrid, or phablet. Apple has added a new iPhone every year since former CEO Steve Jobs introduced the smartphone line in 2007, and new iPhones have been unveiled in the fall since 2011.
Many market watchers expect Apple to introduce two new iPhone 6 models with display sizes of 4.7 and 5.5 inches, though some recent reports speculate one device could be released at a later date. Analysts expect the iPhone 6 to be one of the largest product launches in Apple's history -- both in terms of device screen size and total sales. The company reportedly has asked manufacturing partners to produce about 30 percent to 40 percent more iPhones by the end of this year than it ordered for its initial run of last year's iPhone 5S and 5C.

For Apple, having a successful iPhone 6 launch is vital. Apple hosts only one phone event a year, and it generates more than half its revenue from its smartphone line. The iPhone serves as the linchpin to Apple's overall growth, particularly as the market awaits the widely speculated iWatch and as the iPad struggles against lower-cost rivals and larger phones.

Lenovo Vibe X2 leaks out: premium metal and first phone with a 'layered' design

Posted: 29 Aug 2014, 07:12, by Victor H.

Lenovo has picked up the pace recently opening up to new markets and hoping for even bigger growth as it completes the Motorola acquisitions, and one of the first devices to push its plans for the future is the Lenovo Vibe X2. The device is expected to get an official unveiling at IFA 2014 in Berlin in just a few days, but it has already leaked out on Chinese microblog Weibo.

What’s evident is that - unlike some (cough, Samsung) - Lenovo takes design seriously with the Vibe X2 and this latest leak shows it wearing clothes all out of metal, and a unique, ‘layered’ design. You can see this layering of colors on the images right below, and it’s an interesting new idea that we’re curious to hear your thoughts about.

For all else, the Vibe X2 is a fairly typical Android, likely to come with a very alluring price tag. Here are the specs highlights of the phone as per all the leaks so far:

• Android 4.4.2
• 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• 2GB of RAM 
• 16GB of internal storage
• 13MP main camera 
• 5MP front-facing shooter
• 2,250 mAh battery

How do you like what you see? And could the Vibe X2 make a dent in the market?

Google Nexus X With Snapdragon 805 Briefly Listed by Retailer: Report

by NDTV Correspondent, August 27, 2014

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Google's much-anticipated successor to the Nexus 5 has reportedly been spotted again as the Motorola Nexus X XT1100 on a third-party retailer website in two storage variants.
Screenshots of the latest retailer listings (now pulled) were posted by Tktechnewsblog, the website that had earlier leaked a screenshot of a Motorola Nexus X XT1100 listing at US retailer Best Buy.
The latest listing on the Portugal store of French retailer Fnac revealed the pricing for two variants of the yet-to-be-announced Nexus X by Motorola.
The 32GB Motorola XT1100 Nexus X was seen listed at a price of EUR 419.99 (approximately Rs. 33,400) and 64GB at EUR 449.99 (approximately Rs. 35,800), before the listings were pulled down. Earlier the smartphone was seen to be priced at a rather high $499.99 (approximately Rs. 30,000) by Best Buy for two-year contract on Sprint wireless carrier.
The listed specifications by Fnac had included a 5.2-inch display; quad-core 2.7GHz APQ8084 Snapdragon 805 SoC; 13.1-megapixel primary camera, and Android Lemon Meringue 5.0. Notably, the specifications on the 32GB listing page contrarily shows a 6.3-inch display - effectively discrediting both listing pages. The processor and OS are similar to what was seen on the Best Buy listing, however, the 5.2-inch display on the 64GB Fnac listing is smaller than the 5.9-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display listed by US retailer.
Earlier, the anticipated smartphone was allegedly listed in benchmarks specifications as 'Google Shamu', with a 5.2-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display, a quad-core 2.7GHz (precisely 2649MHz) Snapdragon 805 processor (APQ8084), Adreno 420 GPU, and 3GB of RAM. The primary rear camera was suggested to be a 13-megapixel camera, while there will be a 2.1-megapixel front camera also onboard. The device was also listed to run Android L.
For the release date, an earlier PhoneArena report had claimed that the website has been told that Google is planning a secret launch around Halloween (October 31), just like the launch of the Nexus 5. The report had also noted that Google might launch the alleged Nexus X without an announcement.