ZTE announced their new Nubia flagship brand last month, and it now looks like the company is hoping to launch the first Nubia phone around Christmas day.

The Nubia Z5 will be ZTE’s first phone to follow the new “flagship standard” meaning it will come equipped with a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 HD display, quad-core Qualcomm S4 CPU, 2GB RAM and a 12 mega-pixel rear camera.

According to sources close to the company the Z5 could measure in at just 7.6mm, and may go on sale before the end of the year.

The rumors come just in time to upset the launch of Oppo’s Find 5 phone, which features a similar specification but is not expected to be available in stores until January 2013. However, while Oppo look to be set on making the Find 5 an international phone, ZTE seem to be sticking to the Chinese market only for the Nubia Z5.

The post ZTE Nubia Z5 quad-core 1080 phone launching Christmas Day appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When it comes to Android manufacturers, LG is far from leading the pack. It isn’t that they create bad Android devices. Instead, they simply create hardware that isn’t nearly as inspiring or impressive as what we see from Samsung, Motorola and other leading brands.

The LG Intuition is the company’s attempt to break into the phablet market, which was invented – and is ruled  – by Samsung with the Galaxy Note and upcoming Note 2. Is the Intuition something special this time around, or does it continue LG’s tradition of creating devices that are pale substitutes next to their competition? Let’s find out. First we will take a look at the brief video that shows off the look, feel and some initial impressions about the device.

Design

The LG Intuition isn’t merely a rip-off of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Sure, they are both phablets. The big difference here though is that LG is not afraid to venture off the beaten path. The boxy shape, sharp corners and 4:3 aspect ratio make the Intuition stand out in a crowd. This is probably the biggest ‘feature’ for the device– it is a conversation starter. During my time with the LG Intuition I carried it around with me when going to the store, doing errands, etc.

I utilized the device as my primary phone for a few days and found that putting this monster in your pocket wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. I also was constantly interrupted by onlookers that saw me holding the device, “Is that a smartphone?”. And then I’d tell them what it was, and so forth.

The design on the LG Intuition is bold and boxy, but it is the size that really makes it noteworthy. The buttons are minimalistic. You’ll find a volume rocker on the left side of the phone, on the right is just a SIM card door. The top has a power key, Quick Memo key and a microUSB charger. As for the back, you have an 8MP camera with single LED flash and speaker slots.

On the front you find a 5-inch iPS display with a 1024 x 768 resolution. There are also four capacitive buttons for Back, Home, Menu and Multitask. While ICS doesn’t need actual buttons, some users prefer having them over virtual keys.

This might annoy some of you, but there is NO micro-SD expansion for increasing storage. The rubberdium stylus also has no slot, which is a move that I completely don’t understand.

Hardware

So what is underneath the hood in the LG Intuition? First, let’s look at something on the surface: the display. I already mentioned a bit about it. It is 4:3 and has a 1024 x 768 resolution. What else? The colors are sharp and it works very well. One problem, the unique size might be a great way to make this phone stand out, but it also seems to defeat the purpose. 5-inches makes it too big to work nicely as a one-handed smartphone, and yet the boxes for videos and some apps make the multimedia experience not even close to what you’ll find on the Note 2.

Taking a deeper look at the specs, this phablet comes with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The S3 might not be as impressive as an S4, but it still gets the job done. As repeatedly stated in my video review, this is not as powerful as the Note. Even so, you won’t have to put up with freezing and stalls. The smartphone is a smooth operator at almost anything you throw at it.

This phone has excellent performance, it just won’t stomp over the competition.

Software

The LG Intuition has some reasonably interesting software. The new UI isn’t nearly as bloated as past customized LG skins. It also has Quick Memo, which works great. I love the idea of pressing a button to instantly launch it. I also like that you can write onto screenshots with ease.

Is Quick Memo as good as Samsung’s S-Memo? It works well enough, but S-Memo certainly has some extra bells and whistles, including handwritting recognition. The accuracy of LG’s pen is also not quite as good. This probably won’t matter for most Intuition owners because they will either keep their pen in the box or lose it in ten minutes thanks to no holder built into the unit. Maybe there is a case for this thing that has a holder? That would be worth looking in to, though the Intuition is big enough without adding extra bulk.

Other software includes LG’s SmartShare, which allows easy transferring of files between DLNA-enabled devices. A file manager is also included and a task manager. Both of these aren’t as good as some 3rd party alternatives, but I still think it was a great move on LG’s part to include them out of the box.

Verizon also throws some of its junk onto the Intuition. You’ll have the Amazon Suite, Color, IMDb, My Verizon, NFL Mobile, Real Racing 2, Viewdini, VZ Navigator, Shark Dash and Zappos.

Camera

A picture is worth a thousand words. As you can see, the 8MP camera is more than capable of taking a decent picture. There are also some neat features baked in to the camera such as Cheese Shot. This basically allows you to say “cheese” and the camera will snap the photo. This could be great if you place it in a stand and want a group picture. There is also a dedicated Panorama mode.

The picture isn’t going to blow you away, but it is decent enough. Unfortunately, it takes several seconds to load up and focus images. This is a really slow camera for a device that is aimed at the mid-tier market.

As for video taking? There is 1080p video, but it is slow and doesn’t exactly have masterful results. They aren’t awful, either.

Bottom Line

The LG Intuition has some pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to the competition. The Samsung Galaxy Note is an impressive phablet, and the LG Intuition can’t even begin to touch the Note 2 based on raw power.

The 4:3 ratio aspect takes some getting used to, but I do admire LG for doing something different with their phablet design.

So who should get this? Those that don’t mind the aspect ratio for starters. If you want to stand out, this is also a great choice. The LG Intuition is so radically designed that you likely will either love or hate it. You might not even know for sure what you think until you get your hands on it. Many phones out there could be ordered online simply after reading some reviews– I’d recommend that you test out the LG Intuition at a Verizon store if you are on the fence about it.  Or grab one for $150 on a 2-year plan.

For now, there is little choice in the phablet category for Verizon subscribers and I truly think LG did a reasonably good job here.

The post LG Intuition Android Phablet Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The first Galaxy Note is described as some as a phablet, finding an odd middle ground between phones and tablets. Then, you have devices like the Sony Tablet P, which folds up into a phone-sized device when not in use, but can fold open to reveal a full tablet experience. The thing is neither of this is particularly ideal for people who want both a true smartphone and a true tablet experience.

Turning to designer Patrik Eriksson, we find what he calls the Pocket Tablet Concept. It’s meant to be “a happy marriage between a smartphone and… a tablet.” The key here is the utilization of flexible OLED technology. In closed form, the Pocket Tablet concept will look like most other Android smartphones these days, except the display is virtually edge-to-edge. However, you can unravel the device to reveal about double the screen real estate for a tablet experience.

Based on these conceptual drawings, it looks like the second “half” of the display is constantly exposed as the back of the device, since it looks like the Pocket Tablet Concept folds onto itself like how you would fold back a paperback book. This initially left me wondering about the rear camera, but you’ll notice that the front plate seems to be slightly taller than the back plate. Presumably, the camera could fit in that spot.

Of course, the bigger challenge is figuring out how to get flexible OLED displays to this level where they are able to be completely folded over and still remain fully operational. It’s only a matter of time, I suppose, as we move toward more 7-inch tablets and more 5-inch phones, finding that “happy marriage” will hopefully come sooner rather than later.

[Source]

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The current reports say that the various marketing companies that Samsung uses in countries around the world are “gearing up” for an event in March, and then the Galaxy S III superphone itself will become available through retailers and carriers in April. As with the first Galaxy S and its Galaxy S II successor, we imagine there will be a few different versions of the S III floating around.

Samsung apparently hopes to capitalize on the Summer Olympic Games in London, using the event as a platform to market the Galaxy S III to an international audience. By launching a couple months ahead of time, they can hit the ground running when the torch is lit and the games commence. We’ve got all kinds of rumors about the S III, from edge-to-edge displays to quad core processors, and it all sounds good.

The post Samsung Galaxy S III Unveil This Month, Launch Next Month appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

For better or for worse, Google controls a fairly significant part of my online life. And I want access to that online life even when I’m not plugged into the matrix. And that’s why it’s good to hear that the Google Docs for Android app is now bringing offline access into the picture.

The newest update to the app, version 1.0.43, lets you view any file you have saved in your Google Docs account without having to be connected to the Internet in some form. Of course, you’ll need to define this offline access ahead of time and you’ll need to download the file locally before you disconnect from the net, but at least the feature is now there.

The other major change with the update is that when you view these Google Documents on your Android tablet, you will be presented with a “high resolution version of the document.” Rounding out the changelog include the ability to manage offline content, as well as the ability to star or rename files while offline. As always, you can find the app in Android Market as a free download.

The post Newest Google Docs for Android App Finally Adds Offline Access appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We are well aware that high end smartphones are now capable of producing very good snapshots and decent videos.  This time, Polaroid’s SC1630 camera is blurring the line.  It runs Google Android phone OS . Hence, it’s a camera that can make phone calls. In this respect, Polaroid prefers to call this device a “phone camera” (stress on “camera”), and not your regular “camera phone”.

Let’s see what is known about the “camera” part first. It’s a 16 Mpix shooter for stills that is also capable of shooting HD videos. The lens has an optical 3x zoom (6.5–18.5 mm which translates into 36–108 mm when compared to full-frame format). It also has 5x digital zoom, but as usual, we don’t go there.

The camera face of the device looks like your ordinary digital shooter, with a regular flash strip. Zoom level can be chosen by convenient “hardware” slider, and the shutter also has a dedicated “hardware” button. Camera view can be adjusted with the help of 3.2 inch multi-touch widescreen display. There are 18 shooting modes to choose from, plus face and smile detection for portrait mode. Transferring photos to Polaroid printers can be made via WiFi, or Bluetooth, or saved on camera with up to 32 GB microSD card.  All in all, it’s your regular 16 Mpix shooter.

The Android face of the Polaroid SC1630 leaves many things to be desired though. First of all, there’s this delay of no less than 5 sec between stand-by and readiness to shoot that precludes many on-the-go and paparazzi-style shots. Demoed on-board is a customized Android version (must be built around Android 2.3 Gingerbread, or even Froyo.) Polaroid hopes to put Ice Cream Sandwich on the camera at the point when the SC1630 will be released at $299.

The “phone” part of the camera has also a 3G radio but apparently no carrier commitment just yet. At CES 2012, this “phone camera” has got a lukewarm reception at best, but who knows, maybe you will like the idea much better? Here’s a clip from our friends at Phandroid that may help you decide:

The post Polaroid Reveals First 16MP Android Smartphone Camera appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out that accelerometers were useful and that proximity sensors made a lot of sense, but why would we want our phones to measure the ambient atmospheric pressure? Well, the barometer might actually be Android’s trump card (possibly in addition to NFC). It could help with more accurate weather predictions, for example, especially if it’s used in a crowd-sourced manner. It might not help that much, but it’s an idea.

Instead of relying on just a couple of barometric readings in the city, a weather service could tap into the thousands of Android users in that city and get a more accurate representation of weather changes. As odd as it may sound, the barometer could also be used to aid the GPS navigation when your line of sight to navigation satellites is less than ideal. The barometer helps with altitude readings, for example, which would be good for hikers and other folks with topography concerns.

The barometer could prove to be pretty useless, but when you have a growing app developer community with an abundance of ideas, it’s hard to say right now how they might choose to utilize the barometer. Maybe there is something useful, unique, or innovative in there.

The post Is The Galaxy Nexus Barometer A Real Game Changer? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Easily one of the biggest stars coming out of the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year was the Motorola ATRIX Android smartphone. On the surface, it seemed like any number of other Android smartphones, but it’s that extra functionality that really looked like it was going to be a game changer. But how does that whole docking into a multimedia centre experience really pan out in real life?

Well, I’ve taken the Bell Mobility version of the Motorola Atrix 4G, which should be largely the same as other versions sold by other carriers around the world (AT&T), out for a test drive and now I have returned with my thoughts.

Feature and Spec Highlights

Much like the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Atrix comes equipped with a dual core processor and a full 1GB of RAM. As such, the performance for the Atrix should really be no slouch. The phone initially shipped with Android 2.2 Froyo, but it has since been upgraded to Gingerbread.

The capacitive touchscreen measures 4.0-inches across the diagonal and it boasts a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, resulting in an effective pixel density of 275ppi. That puts it just shy of Retina Display territory, but most people probably won’t notice the difference. It’s also covered in Gorilla Glass to prevent scratches and other damage. Rounding out the specs are your usual wireless radios — WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS — as well as dual cameras, 16GB internal storage, microSD expansion, and the MOTOBLUR user interface with live widgets.

General Smartphone Impressions

The first thing that struck me about this phone was its plastic construction. I wouldn’t say that it feels cheap, per se, but it is distinctly plastic with quite a slippery back. This is not unlike the Nexus S that I reviewed earlier this year too, except there’s a design on the back and there’s no curved screen.

That said, this appears to be high quality and relatively robust plastic. The other thing that struck me was the placement of the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint reader. Since they wanted the fingerprint reading functionality, the power button is placed on the back toward the top. Again, I’m more accustomed to power buttons on top or on the sides, so this took a little getting used to. It does appear to be Moto’s M.O. to do this, though, since we saw a “back” power button on the Xoom tablet too.

Aside from that, the front side looks much like most other “slate” phones in that the front is mostly all screen. Below it are the four usual touch-sensitive Android buttons. One other thing worth mentioning is the MOTOBLUR UI. I’m personally not a fan of it, but I can’t really explain why. To be fair, I like the TouchWiz UI on Samsungs and that UI has its fair share of naysayers too.

The Lapdock Experience with Webtop UI

This is really what is supposed to set the Atrix apart from all the other Android phones out there. It was a groundbreaking idea when Motorola showed it off at CES. You take your phone, you plunk it into the dock, and you get a netbook-like experience via the Webtop UI.

At least that’s the idea. It’s curious that they went with a “full” build of Firefox when it may have made more sense to go with Chrome, being all Google property and all that. In essence, Webtop is almost like an app that runs from the phone and it is an instant boot Linux-based environment. Without having enough Webtop-focused apps, however, the novelty and utility start to wear off. This is especially true in the age of Android tablets as true alternatives.

Web browsing through the Firefox browser was smooth and you are able to “transfer” your browsing session back to the phone when you undock it. I did find the “island” keyboard to be less than optimal too; the keys were wide enough and had enough key travel, but their “height” (as in the size of the J key between the U and N) was too small. The large trackpad almost got in the way too, as I found my palm accidentally grazing it from time to time while typing.

The Lapdock experience is certainly novel and it is amazing how everything “runs” off the phone itself, but this concept was revealed before Honeycomb really took off. Considering the price of the dock, this proposition isn’t as intriguing anymore.

HD Multimedia Dock

Fundamentally the same idea can be said about the HD Multimedia Dock. This allows for a mini-HDMI output to your HDTV or computer monitor, as well as several USB ports for the keyboards, mice, and other peripherals. You get the same Webtop UI as the laptop dock.

This is an interesting concept, to be sure, but I’m not convinced it’s terribly useful for day-to-day use. I can see how it’d be neat for your living room, using your HDTV as a giant monitor for web browsing and media viewing, but this may not be the most cost effective or simplest way to go about doing it.

Quadrant Standard Benchmark

To give the Atrix a proper performance test, I ran the Quadrant Standard Benchmark. The Atrix scored 2281 on this benchmark, putting it roughly within the same range as some other Android smartphones powered by dual core processors and full gigs of RAM. This is certainly no slouch when it comes to performance.

I also ran the Speedtest on Bell’s 3G (“4G”) network and had a ping of 99ms, a download speed of 2.01Mbps and an upload speed of 1.19Mbps. The download speed could certainly be better, but your mileage will certainly vary.

It should also be noted that this phone comes with a standard 1930mAh lithium-polymer battery, which is a larger capacity than much of its direct competition. In real world practice, I was easily able to get more than a day with moderate to heavy usage and multiple days with lighter usage. That’s pretty impressive.

Conclusion

I wanted to like the Atrix and the concept of the Webtop user interface and docking stations. I’m not saying that it’s a bad phone at all. The horsepower is impressive, the build quality is solid, and Webtop-ness adds a little extra oomph to the equation. However, I can’t be convinced to spend the kind of money on all these extra accessories when I’d rather spend that money on a separate device altogether.

While the high resolution 4-inch screen was fine, the colors felt quite muted and visibility was poor under more direct light. It’s hard to go back to a screen like this after experiencing the AMOLED, Super AMOLED, and Super AMOLED Plus displays from Samsung. Again, the display isn’t bad, but it does feel distinctly muted. I’m not a fan of the power button placement either.

If I had written this review six months ago, the Atrix may have been a bigger star and it may have earned a higher rating. However, in light of devices like the SGS2 and the pending arrival of Kal-El powered devices, it’s harder to recommend the Atrix today, especially with the price of the accessories. If the laptop dock were included with the phone, though, that’d be an entirely different proposition altogether.

The post Review: Motorola Atrix 4G with Lapdock and HD Multimedia Dock appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The whole NFC payment thing might finally start getting some traction around these parts, because it looks like Google Wallet is officially launching today. It was originally announced a few months ago, but I guess the boys and girls in Mountain View, California were still ironing out the kinks.

In case you missed it, Google Wallet effectively stores your credit cards and other methods of payment onto your smartphone in the form of an Android app. When it comes time to pay for something, you simply tap your phone rather than fumbling through to find the right piece of plastic. It’s supposed to be simple and seamless.

However, this launch may already be marred by a bit of a slow start. For starters, the Google Wallet app apparently looks like it will only be compatible with the Nexus S 4G from Sprint, but it should work with other Nexus S phones too I would think. The other hiccup, according to the internal document shown here, is that only PayPass enabled Citi MasterCards can be loaded onto Google Wallet at this time. That’s a curiosity, because why can’t other PayPass MasterCards work?

If it’s only replacing one card at this time, Google Wallet isn’t going to do much good for George Costanza…

The post Google Wallet smartphone app finally launches on Sprint appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

So, in the wake of the Google acquisition of Motorola, it looks like they have quite the monster of a smartphone coming down the pipeline. An anonymous tipster sent Engadget what we think are a few pictures of the jumbo-sized Motorola Droid HD. As its name implies, it goes big with its touchscreen, stretching out into “superphone” territory with a presumably hi-res 4.5-inch display.

We’re guessing that it could go as high as 1280×720 pixels, but that’s just rumor for now. It’d put it into Retina Display territory at 326 dpi. The rest of the specs will likely be in line with current top-tier Android smartphones, including a dual core processor, HDMI out, an 8-megapixel camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and a front-facing cam, as well as 1080p HD video capture with the rear cam. It’s possible that this will ship with Android 2.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Considering that the Motorola Droid Bionic, first announced at CES at the beginning of this year, still hasn’t hit shelves yet, could Motorola be shooting itself in its own cybernetic foot with this device? Or is it just in line with the “superphone” trend pushed by devices like the HTC Desire HD and its various incarnations? Will they simply sell this as the Droid X3?

The post Jumbo-sized Motorola Droid HD smartphone stays slim appeared first on Mobile Magazine.