LG to skip Android 4.3 and move to 4.4 for some smartphones

LG is allegedly planning to skip the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its smartphones and move them straight to the latest Android 4.4 KitKat, according to a report from PhoneArena.

In fact, some of the sn.martphones will also jump the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update and go from 4.1 to Android 4.4 versio The devices that are expected to get the KitKat release with their next major update include LG Optimus F3, LG Optimus F6, LG G Pad 8.3, LG G Pro Lite, LG Optimus F7, LG Optimus L9 II, LG Optimus Vu II, LG Vu III and a couple unannounced models such as LG-D315 and LG LS740.The report also claims that the LG Optimus 4X HD will be stuck on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS as it looks like the smartphone has completed its software upgrade cycle. However, there is no official confirmation at the moment. So, take it all with a pinch of salt.

Sony Xperia Z2 UI screenshots leak

Sony is hard at work on its Xperia Z1 successor that should debut at the MWC in Barcelona next month. The alleged device is has the the codename Sirius, but should be called Xperia Z2 once it goes official.Just e few days ago we saw high-res live pictures of the Xperia D6503 Sirius. Previous measures pointed to a 5.2" 1080p screen, while the new info (complete with screenshot) shows a 4.9" 1080p display.The smartphone runs on Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974-AB chipset with a quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400 CPU, faster Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM). At the back there's a 20.7MP camera with a larger than usual sensor, while Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with a newer version of Sony's home-baked launcher is under the hood.

   

So, the XDA user who gave us the first live pictures of the D6503 is now giving us some screenshots of Sony's new UI. Some rumors suggest the retail device will be running on Android 4.4 KitKat, but the one we are seeing today seems to be running on an older firmware build with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Still, the screenshots are enough to show us some of the changes coming with Sony's new launcher.

   

Sony's new Android launcher

You can see the new icons on the Quick Settings page, the option for managing notifications from the Personalization menu and the new themes. If the XDA forum user decide to post even more shots, you bet we'll be adding them as well.

       
Sony's new Android launcher

Hopefully we'll know everything about the Xperia Z2 and its new launcher in a few weeks when the MWC kicks off.

Thank you, xJokerz94, for the tip!

Huawei quietly launches Ascend P6 S with minor changes

Huawei quietly put out an S version of its super-thin Ascend P6 smartphone. The Huawei Ascend P6 S is 0.3 thicker, but still only goes as high as 6.5mm, though it has the same battery capacity of 2,000mAh.

The chipset has been bumped up a bit and now features a quad-core 1.6GHz processor (up from 1.5GHz). It’s not clear if it’s Huawei’s own chipset again, but there’s no LTE support either way. It’s a dual-SIM, dual-standby phone, the original P6 had a dual-SIM option.The rest of the specs are identical - 4.7” LCD with 720p resolution (the display works with gloves), 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 8MP main camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.The Ascend P6 S runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Emotion UI 2.0 on top. The phone is currently available on Vmall (Huawei’s own web store) and is available only on China Unicom.The price is CNY 2,700 ($446 / €330), but is temporarily CNY 300 off (until tomorrow). This puts the price at the same level as the 8GB Ascend P6 (CNY 2,400). The regular price is the same as the Ascend Mate 2, which went on sale a couple of days ago.Thanks to Prime leak for sending this in!

Apple could out a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 as early as June

Chinese analyst Sun Chyang Xu has reported that Apple plans to release an upcoming iPhone 6 model with a 4.7" screen this June, with production expected to get under way in May. Unfortunately, it will retain the 1136 x 640 pixel density of its current iPhone 5s flagship.

There are also indications that 2014 will see a larger 5.7-inch model as well, which will supposedly offer higher resolution as well. It's uncertain whether one or both will contain the new VCM OIS patents which we heard about earlier this month.This confirms earlier gossip coming out of Apple's supply chain regarding two upcoming iPhone 6 screen sizes. Additionally the additional information regarding the production and release dates makes sense, as it would coincide with Apple's WWDC on June 10.Two major iPhone variants would also fall in line with Apple's new release cycle of two devices per year, which it introduced this year with the iPhone 5s and 5c.

A pocket arcade without enough buttons

The good: The Logitech Powershell feels sturdy, its buttons are solid and responsive, and an included battery can recharge an iPhone or iPod Touch.

The bad: Too expensive, doesn't show battery-recharge status clearly, and lacks the analog sticks and extra triggers of competing controllers.

The bottom line: Logitech's first stab at an iOS game controller nails design and feel, but lacks flexibility or extra features.

Do you need buttons to play games on your iPhone? Certainly not. And yet, iOS MFi-certified game controllers are here, giving you the promise of full game controller-like support for games and letting you theoretically use your phone or iPod Touch like a little Nintendo 3DSor PlayStation Vita.

The Logitech Powershell Controller + Battery is one of those accessories. As its name suggests, it's a case that adds physical gaming buttons, and also has a battery pack. It also costs $99.99. For most people, that's where the train skids off the tracks.

Whether you want an iOS game controller probably depends on two things: how many cool games there are that support it, and how much it costs. At the moment, that's the failing of all iOS game controllers: the accessories, like the Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery, simply cost too much. And what they do just isn't interesting 

There are some stunning killer games in the App Store, but they're too few and far between. Add a few more supported games, drop the price, and then things will get exciting. Logitech's first entry into the iOS game controller accessory landscape is built well, but it doesn't have as many buttons as the competition...and it just doesn't feel all that useful as a result.

There aren't many game controller accessories available yet: the Moga Ace Power, theSteelSeries Stratus, and the Logitech Powershell. Both the Moga and Logitech are specifically slip-on cases for the iPhone 5/5s and 2012 iPod Touch that use a Lightning connector and add a battery pack to boot for on-the-road recharging. Both cost $99.99. The SteelSeries Stratuscosts the same, but is a separate, standalone Bluetooth controller -- not a case at all -- and works with iPads, too.

The Powershell and the Moga Ace Power are very similar in some key ways: both require Lightning connectivity, excluding devices older than the iPhone 5 and fifth-gen iPod Touch, and both are designed as snap-on controller cases for iPhones and iPod Touches specifically. Both double as rechargeable battery pack cases. And, neither supports any Bluetooth connectivity. The Logitech case doesn't work the iPhone 5C; the Moga one does.

iPhone 6, AMOLED tablets cited in 2014 display forecast

DisplaySearch has released a forecast covering new display tech in 2014, which includes speculation about screens that may arrive on the iPhone 6, iWatch, large iPad, and Android tablets.

The researcher sees at least two iPhone 6 possibilities as upgrades from the iPhone 5S' 4-inch 1,136x640-pixel resolution (see chart below).

At the high end would be a 5.5-inch 1,920x1,080 display based on LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) LCD -- the same technology used in the 5S.

If accurate, that means Apple would get closer to the resolution on the Samsung Galaxy S4 -- which is a 5-inch, 1,920x1,080 display. That's where any similarities would end, though. The S4 uses Samsung's radically different Super AMOLED tech.

And speaking of AMOLED, that could land on Apple's rumored iWatch, according to DisplaySearch. The flexible AMOLED display would be a first for Apple.

AMOLED could also begin to appear increasingly on tablet displays, where it's been conspicuously absent.

Specifically, DisplaySearch sees a possible 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch AMOLED displays (the latter has been rumored to appear on a Google Nexus series tablet).

DisplaySearch also reiterated that a future "new iPad" would use a 12.9-inch 2,732x2,048 display -- that would basically be the same pixel density as the iPad Air.

Of course, at this point in time the above are merely projections. "Not all of the panels listed here will go into mass production, as panel maker strategies can change," wrote David Hsieh, in his blog posted on Monday.

This follows earlier projections posted back in October by DisplaySearch.

DisplaySearch's guesswork on which displays will land on new iPhones. Apple ould stick with LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) for the iPhone but move to AMOLED for the iWatch. Note that the 5S has a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, aka, PPI.

(Credit: DisplaySearch)

Other projections include some of the first AMOLED tablet displays and a 12.9-inch display on a 'new iPad.'

The Motorola Roadster 2

The Motorola Roadster 2 offers some slight improvements overits predecessor, making it even easier for you to go hands-free in your vehicle. phoneArena likes the improved noise cancellation, saying "it seems like noise cancellation with this model has been improved tremendously," and TechHive says it "minimized background noise, most of the time." But when using it for actual conversations with people, PC Mag was less impressed, saying "people moaned about my voice sounding too far away, too 'metallic,' and occasionally choppy." TechHive had a similar experience, saying "voices coming into the car sounded clear, but speakerphone-ish––and muffled at times." Where the Roadster 2 left PC Mag most impressed was its battery life, as they found "it lasts for up to 20 hours of talk time or three weeks of standby time on a single charge." If you need a a hands-free experience in your car, and don't mind mediocre sound quality, the Roadster 2 can be a viable option.