A Chinese site claims to have the leaked iPhone 5 screen. It shows a much longer, more durable display, but bear in mind that this could be complete and total bullshit. More »
If you’ve seen most of Microsoft’s design language for nearly three years, there’s only one word that sums it up: Metro. In spite of that urban look being the underpinning of Windows Phone, Windows 8 and even the Zune HD, Microsoft now claims to ZDNet and others that it’s no longer fond of the Metro badge. Instead, it’s supposedly phasing out the name as part of a “transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog” while it starts shipping related products — a funny statement for a company that’s been shipping some of those products for quite awhile. Digging a little deeper, there’s murmurs that the shift might not be voluntary. Both Ars Technica and The Verge hear from unverified sources that German retailer Metro AG might waving its legal guns and forcing Microsoft to quiet down over a potential (if questionable) trademark dispute. Metro AG itself won’t comment other than to say that these are “market rumors,” which doesn’t exactly calm any frayed nerves over in Redmond. Should there be any truth to the story, we hope Microsoft chooses an equally catchy name for those tiles later on; Windows Street Sign Interface Windows 8-style UI just wouldn’t have the same ring to it.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Microsoft downplays Metro design name, might face a lawsuit over all that street lingo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony’s been under the microscope for all the wrong reasons lately. Today, however, the spotlight’s focusing on the rumored successor of that lovable Xperia S. According to the reliable folks over at ePrice, the upcoming Xperia SL has been tweaked in a couple of ways since its last showing; not only popping up in different (and more subtle) livery, but it’s also received a decent speed bump with the alleged inclusion of a dual-core, 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU — which is slightly different than the 1.5GHz chip previously reported. Either way, this Xperia SL cup will remain half full for the time being, as other useful details like pricing and availability are still widely unknown.
[Thanks, Joseph A.]
Filed under: Cellphones
Sony Xperia SL shows up in multiple colors, allegedly sports a beefy 1.7GHz processor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apple’s plans for its next iPhone refresh may be getting very tangible, very quickly. It all started when iMore heard that Apple was preparing to hold an event unveiling the new hardware on September 12th, with a launch the following week on September 21st. Although the relative newcomer to the iPhone release date rumor game is still building its track record, that claim may have just gotten some extra meat: AllThingsD is joining in the chorus and touts its own sources pointing to an event in the same timeframe. While it’s almost a month earlier in the year than Apple’s iPhone 4S event was in 2011, it’s supported by an Apple filing with the SEC showing a sharp uptick in supply purchasing during the spring, which it would need to start production for the fall. All of it is still rumor, of course, but past experience suggests that iOS fans may want to plan any September camping trips for the Apple Store line late in the month, not Labor Day weekend.
Update: Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, who’s well-known for his accurate one-word confirmations and denials of rumors, just posted his trademark “yep.”
Filed under: Cellphones
Two sources talk of Apple iPhone event around September 12th, part sales back it up (update: one more clue) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HP has acknowledged that it’s been working on a Windows 8 tablet; it just hasn’t mentioned whether or not the rumored Slate 8 is part of its plans. Imagine our surprise, then, when we’re told that HP’s 60-second “Make It Matter” commercial ends with an unannounced yet familiar-looking tablet right at the 56-second mark. There’s only a fleeting glimpse, but it shows a metallic-looking body with a large black antenna window — the combination of which would fit in with the Slate 8’s purported aesthetics. We’ve asked HP whether or not this is a clever teaser for a real product or just as conceptual as the rest of the ad, and we’ll let you know if we hear back on the subject. In the meantime, you can inspect the video evidence for yourself after the break.
[Thanks, Brian]
Continue reading Is HP showing the Slate 8 in its latest commercial? (video)
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Is HP showing the Slate 8 in its latest commercial? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Windows Phone 8 SDK has escaped to the wild, and some sifting through the device emulator has dug up elements that Microsoft either skipped or only touched on lightly during the big unveiling in June. The most important addition may be the one customers see the least: backup. A WP7.hu search has the new OS replicating apps, settings and SMS messages in the cloud to prevent disaster, and that new SD card support will let WP8 owners shuffle photos from internal storage to the removable kind for safekeeping. There’s also more work on Internet Explorer than we saw before, with MobileTechWorld noticing that DataSense provides an option for Opera-like remote compression to save that precious cellular bandwidth.
Media fans might have the most to gain. If we go by The Verge, both the Music/Video and Xbox hubs are getting fresh coats of paint — both to integrate new ventures like Xbox Music as well as to jive more closely with the SmartGlass visual theme. Shutterbugs will like the long-awaited options to crop and rotate their work, pick multiple photos, and unify third-party camera apps under a Lenses concept. There’s even more clever features in store, such as a Maps update that finds nearby WiFi hotspots, so head on over to the sources to get a full sense of where Microsoft will be going.
Filed under: Cellphones
Windows Phone 8 SDK leaks show quiet upgrades to backup, media and the kitchen sink originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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RIM has been planning a 4G-capable BlackBerry PlayBook for so long that CEO Thorsten Heins’ promises of a 2012 launch still made it feel distant. If Bell Canada information breezing past MobileSyrup‘s desk is any indicator, though, the launch is coming sooner than Heins implied — just one week away, as of this writing. The slip has at least the one carrier reportedly offering an LTE-equipped, 32GB version of the 7-inch tablet on July 31st at a price of $550 Canadian ($540 US) without a contract. And yes, it would get that rumored 1.5GHz processor upgrade if there’s any substance to the story. We’d still prefer to see the tablet jump to BlackBerry 10 more than anything, especially at that kind of price, but the RIM faithful could still find something to cheer if they’re looking for a truly definitive PlayBook to make the BB10 wait feel shorter.
Filed under: Tablet PCs
BlackBerry PlayBook with 4G LTE may reach Bell by July 31st, 1.5GHz chip tagging along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Having launched an all-out blitz on the high-end of US smartphones, Samsung must be eager to conquer the mid-range as well. A Verizon rebate list finding its way to Droid-Life has the previously unknown Galaxy Stellar showing up amongst the carrier’s more budget-minded smartphones for a $50 discount sometime between now and an August 19th expiry date. There’s little we can definitively attach to that starry-eyed name so far, although we have our hunches: first and foremost is that it’s the Jasper, the Snapdragon S4-touting spiritual successor to the Droid Charge. It might alternately be the even more mysterious SCH-i415, which just showed up at the FCC this weekend and could be a world-roaming sequel to the Stratosphere (SCH-i405) with CDMA, LTE and GSM all rolled into one. Whether the Galaxy Stellar is one of these two devices or something entirely off of the map, there’s a strong indication between this, Sprint’s mystery SPH-L300 and the slightly more tangible Galaxy Reverb that Samsung will leave no CDMA corner unturned in the near future.
Filed under: Cellphones
Samsung Galaxy Stellar pops up in Verizon docs, might light up our skies soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Well, look who decided to make a sudden appearance yet again. Not long after receiving a quick, unexpected visit from the legendary (and very crafty) Mr. Blurrycam, the purported Sprint-bound LG LS860 has decided it was time for another showing. This time around, though, the Cayenne’s a little more revealing than during its previous exhibition, flaunting its powered-on 4-inch, WVGA screen and what appears to be a flavor of Android 4.0 running on the background — this would allegedly be paired alongside a dual-core, 1.2GHz S4 CPU, which is a slight change from what we’d previously heard. As far as whether or not LG’s Cayenne will be involved in the next wave of LTE-enabled slabs headed to The Now Network — for that, our friends, we’ll have to wait to find out.
Filed under: Cellphones
Sprint’s rumored LG LS860 ‘Cayenne’ shows up once more, reveals hint of ICS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s time to take another look at what Apple’s next-generation iPhone is squaring up to be, and which rumors, tips, and leaks are looking good enough to take heed in. Several notions about the iPhone 5, or whatever it’ll end up being called, have been solidified in the glimpse of iOS 6 we’ve seen already this summer, starting with Apple Maps. This iPhone will take one of the last bits of software dominance that the Android platform had thus far been holding over Apple’s head and will make it all the better for the time iOS lovers spent without it.
Next you’ll find that iOS 6 allows the iPhone to be a video chat machine not just when you’re in a Wi-fi area, but at least inside your 3G zones across the earth as well. By the time the iPhone 5 is released, this ability may well be spread to 4G LTE as well, we’ll just have to wait and see. The next-generation iPhone will have essentially the same look on the inside, with a few software tweaks, but its outside is still very much up to debate.
It’s been tipped several times that this iPhone will have a larger screen, something like 4+ inches this time around, but whether or not this will have an effect on the device’s width is seeming to fall in favor of being the same width of the iPhone 4S as it stands now. This device will simply be taller, not fatter. And it certainly won’t be thicker, with the most recent tip being that this device will be the thinnest iPhone yet, bordering on the thinness of the iPod touch.
Each of the images above and below come from the post iPhone 5 renders show most amazing vision yet. They’re not official renders, and they’re not photographs, they’re just fabulous.
The front of the device will more than likely be glass like previous iPhones have been, while the back will likely have a combination of glass and aluminum. The center of the device’s back has been leaked as being a lovely sheet of aluminum in a possible couple different shades of gray, while the top and bottom of the device on the back will be glass to allow signals to sneak in and out. The back of the device will also likely have a next-level camera of some sort with 1080p video recording abilities as well.
Have a peek at our timeline below to get up to date on all things iPhone 5, and stay tuned!
iPhone 5: a July round-up of pre-release leaks, tips, and rumors is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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