Android 4.3 for Sony Xperia M approved, coming soon

We have some good news for the Sony Xperia M owners. Even though the company is going to launch the Xperia M2 very soon, Sony hasn't forgotten its predecessor.Apparently Sony has been working on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware update and it will soon begin rolling out. The first country to get it should be France as the SFR carrier has already approved the ROM recently.Vodafone Australia has also shared it is testing the new firmware on its Xperia M version and if everything goes without hiccups, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for the Australian Xperia M should be out soon too.So, Sony seems to be finished developing the update and hopefully it will reach all Xperia M units around the globe in the next couple of weeks. According to the SFR changelog the new update will bring your Xperia M Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, faster UI, updated multimedia apps (Walkman, Album, Movies), Xperia Themes and better bookmark management in Chrome.

There is no word if the Xperia M will be getting the KitKat treatment later this year as its Xperia M2 

LG L70 goes on pre-order for €179, sales start in April

LG L70 was announced just before the MWC in Barcelona last February. It is a successor of the LG Optimus L7 II and comes with a 4.5" WVGA IPS display, dual-core Snapdragon 200 chipset, 4GB expandable storage and an 8MP camera.There was no official pricing and availability mentioned by LG, but various retailers have already started taking pre-orders for the smartphone.Amazon DE, among others German retailers, has the phone on pre-order for €179. Clove UK wants £165 for the L70, while the Taiwanese ePrice has it on about $163.There is no official release date announced, but the official render's homescreen suggest the launch might happen on April 1.

Samsung and LG phones currently tested by the White House

BlackBerry has been a byword for security. A statement which is testified by a number of United States Government agencies and administrations using it, including the White House. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal the troubled company might lose even that stronghold however as the White House is currently researching Samsung and LG smartphones for its employees to use.

This is a major change for the White House, whose employees have been using BlackBerry OS for ages. The Wall Street Journal reports that the tests are in their early stages. A Department of Defense spokesman confirmed to the newspaper that the White House "is piloting and using a variety of mobile devices".There are also rumors floating around that Apple's iOS has been dismissed from the testing plans altogether. That's President Barack Obama's choice for his personal smartphone, but it seems Apple's mobile OS hasn't been considered due to its some unspecified limitations.If testing ends successfully then BlackBerry will be in even more unenviable position. Previously, the Pentagon denied rumors of it ordering 80,000 BlackBerry phones and with the latest development, there's an indication that administration will be joining consumers in rejecting the brand.

AT&T announces pricing and availability for Galaxy S5

AT&T has just announced the pricing and availability of the Samsung Galaxy S5 on its network. The flagship is going to cost $199.99 with a 2-year contract or $649.99 without an agreement. You can also opt for the AT&T Next plans - in that case the Galaxy S5 comes at $25 per month on AT&T Next 18 or $32.5/month with AT&T Next 12.

    

Samsung Galaxy S5 • Gear 2 • Gear 2 Neo • Gear Fit

Naturally, the carrier will be also offering the newly announced Tizen-based smartwatches Gear 2 ($299) and Gear 2 Neo ($199), as well as the Gear Fit ($199) smartband. If you pair your Galaxy S5 order with Gear 2 or GeThe pre-orders of the Galaxy S5 and its premium accessories start tomorrow, March 21, and will ship in early April. The official launch of the Galaxy S5 will be on April 11, as planned.

Today we told you the Galaxy S5 is expected to be about $100 cheaper than its predecessor at launch. Well, for AT&T this is not happening. Last year the US carrier has launched the Galaxy S4 for $199.99 with a 2-year contract, while the off-contract price was $640. Yes, pretty much the same as this year.ar 2 Neo smartwatch until June 5, you will get a $50 discount.

Samsung begins global preview of Galaxy S5, Gear 2 and Gear Fit

Samsung has started its global preview program for the Galaxy S5, Gear 2 and Gear Fit. As part of this program, the devices will be made available for a hands-on demo as well as pre-order in 61 countries around the world, starting today.

United States and Switzerland are the first from the 61 countries where the global preview will take place and it will shortly be coming to the other countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, and United Kingdom. The devices will officially go on sale on April 11.

T-Mobile and US Cellular detail Samsung Galaxy S5 pre-orders

A few hours ago AT&T announced it will be offering the Samsung Galaxy S5 for $199.99 with a two-year agreement with pre-orders starting today. Understandably, the rest of the carriers are rushing to show that AT&T isn't your only option and have published the pricing and availability details for the Samsung flagship on their networks.T-Mobile US and US Cellular have also jumped on the Galaxy S5 pre-order bandwagon. T-Mobile will give you the Galaxy S5 for $0 down payment and 24 months of $27.50 (total of $660). No additional contract required if you already have one with T-Mobile. If you are a user coming from another carrier T-Mobile offers to cover all of your early termination fees if you choose to switch.Users who pre-order the Galaxy S5 from T-Mobile will also get a special $120 off a Galaxy Tab 3 slate. The Galaxy S5 pre-orders start on March 24.US Cellular pre-order campaign, just like AT&T, starts today. The pricing is also similar - you can have the Galaxy S5 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. You'll get a $50 Google Play promo credit if you pre-order the smartphone online. Naturally, the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit are available on pre-order too.Finally, T-Mobile Poland has also started its pre-order campaign for the Galaxy S5. You can check the available plans right here. What's interesting though is the Poland users who pre-order the latest Big Thing will also receive a free Galaxy Fit smartband. Nice!Outside the carrier world the US retailer Radio Shack has also launched a Galaxy S5 pre-order campaign today, March 21. If you book your unit now, you will receive a $50 coupon for in-store discount, which you can use for the actual purchase later. You can also get from $75 up to $300 off the Galaxy S5 if you return your old working smartphone via the Trade & Save program.

Nokia Lumia 930 and 630 may be unveiled at the Build conference

The Windows Phone 8.1 update is expected to arrive at the Microsoft BUILD conference, which starts on April 2. According to rumors it won't come alone – the Lumia 930 (Martini) and Lumia 630 (Moneypenny) may be unveiled at the same conference.

The Nokia Lumia 930 is meant to be a GSM version of the Lumia Icon. There will be differences though, the screen is said to be 4.5" instead of 5". There might be other changes too, similar to how the Lumia 925 differed from Verizon's 928.Anyway, earlier rumors pointed to April 19 as the Lumia 930 launch date, but Microsoft and Nokia may have moved up the schedule.The Nokia Lumia 630 will succeed the 620, which got lost in the shadow of the highly popular Lumia 520. Its rumored specifications include a dual-SIM options (a first for WP), 4.3" WVGA screen and a Snapdragon 400 chipset.