The next generation XBox will be revealed later this month on May 21st, and as you would expect rumors have been heating up over what the next gaming powerhouse could have to offer.

One rumor  which as fans of the current Xbox split, is that the new console could require a constant and active Internet connection to allow games to be played. The idea is provide always-on DRM, as well as provide a way to have constant background updates for the console.

The good news is that this rumor might not be true after all. Instead the newest rumor says that publishers will be able to program whether games need the active connection or not. In addition, further details say that publishers will be able to add new achievements to games without the need of a download. But the most exciting piece of news is that the new Xbox is meant to have a DVR-style recording function, allowing gamers to record game play videos and upload them to social networks somewhat like the social functions expected in the PS4.

Of course these are just rumors, and we will have to wait until later this month for the full details.

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Samsung is quite easily the master of secrecy when it comes to new product launches. Finding hard evidence, genuine leaked photos or a talkative employ seems downright impossible. In comparison, Apple is a ship full of holes with leaks stemming from every orifice.

With this veil of secrecy it has been hard to determine what the Samsung Galaxy S4 will offer users once it is finally unveiled this Thursday in New York, but looking at the competition and current Sammy phones we can make some educated guesses.

Full 1080 HD display

Not everyone believes we need a full 1080p display on our smartphones. The 720p unit on my current phone is great and I never wish I had anything more. However, as the Galaxy S4 will be up against a horde of 1080 phones from the likes of HTC, ZTE, Huawei, Oppo and others a full HD S4 seems to be a no brainer.

8-core processor

Similarily many of you will be happy with your current quad-core’s performance, but it is likely the Galaxy S4 will be packing the new Exynos 5-Octa 8 core processor. What’s great about the Exynos 5-Octa is that it uses ‘Big Little’ task switching which makes the device running it more efficient and less hungry. So while a current quad-core might be just as powerful as the S4 it may not be as battery friendly. There could also be the chance that different versions of the S4 will receive different processors as we reported here.

Multi-band LTE

There is nothing pointing to the fact the S4 will have a multi-band 4G LTE modem, but the chances are they will have made changes to make it more energy efficient. It makes sense that while Samsung engineers were in there tinkering away they might have added extra network support similar to what Qualcomm has achieved.

A larger battery

Even with a more efficient CPU and modem, that larger 5-inch full HD display is going to drain a battery faster than normal, then throw in the fact the nature of a flagship device and the S4 is going to see some pretty intensive CPU, screen and camera action meaning a larger battery will be very much appreciated.

Eye and head tracking

So, ok maybe Samsung hasn’t been able to keep a lid on everything. Purported leaked screen shots show the S4 will feature new eye and head tracking features. For example a browser window will automatically scroll as your eyes approach the end of the page, and videos could pause if you look away from them.

Of course this is all speculation, but we feel these are educated guesses which could certainly appear on the Galaxy S4, the exciting details though are the ones we still know nothing about. What do you hope to see out of the Galaxy S4?

The post What Does Samsung Have Planned for the Galaxy S4 Unpacked Event? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 isn’t expected to be official until March 14th, but purported leaked details of the next generation phone are already hitting the web in the form of detailed specifications.

It was originally believed that Samsung would use it’s own Exynos 5440 CPU for the much anticipated phone, however new reports are suggesting that a 1.9Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor will be used. If true the Snapdragon 600 will be coupled with 2GB RAM and run Android 4.2 Jelly bean in full HD across a 5-inch display.

These new details come from an unnamed source who also provided the above image which allegedly shows the new Samsung Galaxy phone booting up. What do you think of the specs if they prove true, excited or not?

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Rumors that Huawei are set to unveil the Ascend P2 at MWC later this month are nothing new, what is new however are the suggestions that Huawei could also showcase a smaller version of the phone dubbed the Ascend P2 Mini.

Much like the Samsung Galaxy Mini, the Ascend P2 Mini will borrow some of the larger phones styling, but in a smaller package and with slightly downgraded specs. While images of the rumored phone have yet to surface we do have a rough idea of the hardware thanks to Chinese site MyDrivers who claim the screen will be a smaller 4-inch 720p unit, with 1GB RAM and an 8 mega-pixel rear camera. In contrast, the full-size Huawei Ascend P2 is expected to receive a larger 4.7-inch 1080 display, 2GB RAM, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and a quad-core 1.8Ghz CPU. 

What do you think, would you be interested in a miniaturized version of the Ascend P2?

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Apple has sent out invitations to reporters to “come see our latest creation” event, which is taking place on January 27th 2010 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theatre, San Francisco at 10AM PST.

Not many details are being given about the event, though the graphic on the invitation does resemble an “artists tablet”, so we can only be inclined to assume that this is where Apple is heading. The Apple Tablet, or perhaps the Apple iTablet, will possibly be targeted to artists who will use the tablet as a canvas with some type of Apple stylus device.

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