Hasta La Gadget!

Choosing a smartphone platform requires some careful decisions on the buyer’s part. After all no one likes wasting money on a platform they cannot truly enjoy, right? So what does one take into consideration when choosing a platform? Price, app availability, design, hardware, performance, and so on, and for those who surf heavily on their phone, having a fast and smooth browser is key, wouldn’t you say? Well it turns out that the Nokia Lumia 1520 could be the phone you are looking for, if browsing if your priority.

Thanks to a video that was uploaded not too long ago onto YouTube by TechCloud, it features the Lumia 1520 pitted against the iPhone 5s in what looks to be a browser performance and experience test. Both devices are either company’s flagship phones and both do feature some pretty good hardware, but as the video so tellingly reveals, it would seem as though the Lumia 1520 is better in terms of browsing when compared to the iPhone 5s. As you can see in the video above, the Lumia 1520 is faster when it comes to loading webpages, and does so almost immediately upon clicking, while Apple’s Safari browser took a second or two longer.

The experience when browsing websites also shows that the Lumia 1520 scrolled a little bit smoother compared to the iPhone 5s. While this does not look good for the iPhone 5s, the browsing experience has never really been a negative point in reviews and is pretty decent overall, but like we said when put next to the Lumia 1520, it is pretty telling. What do you guys think? Will the browser experience make you want to switch phones?

Nokia Lumia 1520 Vs. iPhone 5s Browser Performance original content from Ubergizmo.

It has been rumored time and again that Apple is going to launch the iPhone with a larger display in 2014. Rumor has it that Apple is currently testing out a number of display sizes, some large enough to push it into phablet territory. If a latest rumor is to be believed, the iPhone phablet may perhaps be a totally different series with its own release cycle. An article published recently by Yahoo Japan claims that the phablet is going to be released in May 2014 and that its going to be completely separate from the iPhone 6, which will be released when the release cycle is up in September 2014.

It goes without saying that the authenticity of this rumor can definitely be called into question, so take this with a grain of salt. No specifications are mentioned in the report, but it is claimed that the iPhone phablet isn’t going to be powered by Apple’s A8 SoC expected to debut with the iPhone 6. The report doesn’t even say anything about the phablet’s expected display size. Recent rumors suggest that it might be up to 5.7 inches, so we have just that to go on at this point in time. Do you believe that Apple will unveil its first ever phablet in May, or that this is just one of those rumors that’s never going to pan out?

iPhone Phablet Reportedly Set For Release In May 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

BlackBerry has one thing going for it right now and that’s BBM. Ever since the once iconic messaging client was opened up to iOS and Android, it brought in over 40 million new users. The stats continue to go up and the company is committed to bringing it at par with its rivals. While BBM on BlackBerry’s own devices offer greater features right now, some of those features are bound to make their way to iOS and Android. The company has released a new beta of BBM for Android which brings BBM Channels as well as voice chat.

Voice chat will definitely bring BBM at par with its rivals such as Viber and Skype, even though they have significantly larger user bases. Baby steps are what BlackBerry is taking right now in order to make BBM a true competitor in the ever competitive cross-platform messaging arena. BBM Channels are basically a social network of sorts. Users can create their own channels or follow ones made by their favorite brands, companies, personalities etc. They are able to post messages on that channel as well as share pictures, messages and more through it. Those interested in testing out the beta need to sign up for the BlackBerry Beta Zone first.

BBM For Android Gets BBM Channels And Voice Chat Albeit In Beta original content from Ubergizmo.

There is no shortage of alarm clock applications for Android. Even the native apps are good enough to wake you up in the morning. Though there are people who want an aesthetically pleasing alarm clock app, which is probably why Timely is so popular. Its one of the most popular alarm clock apps available for Android and Google has acquired the Swiss company that is behind it. Bitspin officially announced that it is joining Google where it will continue to do what it does best, “building great products that are delightful to use.”

Being acquired by Google doesn’t mean that they’ll take away Timely. Bitspin says that Timely is going to work as it always has. The app itself is available as a free download from the Google Play Store, previous in-app purchases for new themes are now being offered for free. Even though Bitspin gives its assurance that Timely will continue to work, it remains to be seen what becomes of the app in the long run. Google recently announced that its going to shut down Bump and Flock apps, which were quite popular back in the day. These acquisitions are often talent driven, by picking up the company Google gets to keep the people who make wonderful products, even if the product doesn’t exactly turn out to be a cash cow for it.

Google Acquires Bitspin, Developers Of Timely Android App original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier we had reported that AT&T had announced a new program in which they are willing to offer T-Mobile customers up to $450 worth of credit to make the switch and join AT&T’s network. Naturally T-Mobile is none too pleased about this, with the company’s CEO, John Legere, taking to Twitter where he wrote, “#Randall – you gave us cash & spectrum AND we took your customers with #Uncarrier moves, do you really think you can buy them back?” Legere thinks that AT&T’s new offering is due to its poor performance during the holiday season which has left the company sitting in an uncomfortable position.

Legere also teased that the carrier had something big to announce at CES 2014 which is taking place next week, where he seemed confident that whatever it is the company had planned, it would absolutely destroy the competition. According to the executive statement released by T-Mobile, “This is a desperate move by AT&T on the heels of what must have been a terrible Q4 and holiday for them. I’m flattered that we have made them so uncomfortable! We used AT&T’s cash to build a far superior network and added Un-carrier moves to take tons of their customers – and now they want to bribe them back! Consumers won’t be fooled…nothing has changed; customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for. Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next. The competition is going to be toast!”

It will be interesting to see what T-Mobile has planned and since we will be live at CES 2014, hopefully we will learn more then, so be sure to check back with us during the exhibition for all the details!

T-Mobile CEO Calls AT&T Desperate, Promises An Announcement At CES 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.