Apple iPhone 5 sales prediction for the weekend set at 8 million

The Apple iPhone 5 is already here and just about every analyst out there is busy trying to predict how it will do in its first weekend of availability. One of them, however, really impressed us with its non-traditional research methods.

Gene Munster and his team at Piper Jaffray based their prognosis on, among other things, the lengths of the lines in front of the Apple stores today. The survey of lines at Apple stores in New York, Boston and Minneapolis showed that crowds are 83% larger than those for the iPhone 4S used to be.

That has lead the analyst company to predict that Apple will sell 8 million iPhone 5 units in the opening weekend, which is just in the middle of its previous 6-10 million forecast. The expected sales for the first full quarter of iPhone 5 availability - the upcoming holiday quarter - should reach 49 million, which should help Apple close the gap to Samsung in the smartphone race.

If Apple sticks to its habits, we'll all know the exact number on Monday, when a press release will be issued. One things is certain though - the iPhone 5 will set a new record for fastest selling smartphone.

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Nokia Lumia 510 spotted in China running Windows Phone 7.8

Nokia is looking to release a new low-end Lumia smartphone for the Chinese market. Called Nokia Lumia 510, the new device should slot beneath the Lumia 610 in the company's smartphone portfolio.

The Nokia Lumia 510 is set to feature a 4-inch display of WVGA resolution, an 800 MHz Scorpion processor and 256MB of RAM. As you'll recall, Microsoft has enabled Windows Phone 7.5 and 7.8 to run on devices with just 256 MB of RAM.

Not much else is known about the Lumia 510, besides that there will also be a 5 MP camera on board as well.

The Nokia Lumia 510 could hit the Chinese market in time for the holidays, and other markets in early 2013.

Thanks aikon171 for sending this in!

Source (Chinese) | Via

LG Optimus G preview: A closer look

Introduction

LG has shown a serious commitment to pushing the limits of Android hardware. The first dual-core droid was manufactured by the Koreans and, while they showed up late to the quad-core party, they're back with a bang with the Optimus G - the first phone to employ the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset.

LG Optimus G E973

If you're not familiar with Qualcomm's numbering scheme, S4 chipsets fall into three categories - Play (for low-end phones), Plus (the one with two Krait cores we've seen a good deal of) and Pro.

What S4 Pro chipsets do is combine four Krait cores with next-gen Adreno 320 graphics (Plus employs Adreno 225). LG is the first to bring an S4 Pro-powered smartphone to the market (even though Xiaomi had one announced a while ago).

The LG Optimus G E973 puts another first on its resume - it's LG's first phone with a 13MP camera.

The screen boasts some impressive credentials as well. The 4.7" True HD IPS Plus screen of WXGA resolution (768 x 1280) has Zerogap touch technology (in-cell touch, laminated layers to reduce glare). The screen bezel is kept to a minimum too.

Here are the rest of the LG Optimus G E973 highlightsd.

LG Optimus G at a glance:

• General: 2G/3G/LTE
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm, 145 g
• Display: 4.7" WXGA True HD IPS Plus (768 x 1280 pixels) capacitive touchscreen, Gorilla Glass
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
• CPU: Quad-core Krait 1.5 GHz processor
• GPU: Adreno 320
• RAM: 2GB
• OS: Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Memory: 32GB of storage
• Still camera: 8/13 megapixel auto-focus camera with Time catch shot, smart shutter and cheese shutter; 1.3MP front facing camera
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash,
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL support (TV Out, USB host), A-GPS receiver, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
• Battery: Li-Po, 2100 mAh
• Misc: Optimus UI, Dual Screen Dual Play, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Q Slide Function

And that's not all either. The sides of the Optimus G are laser-cut for excellent build quality, there's real glass at the back with a polarized pattern that shifts as you move the phone and the battery should have a longer lifespan with 800 recharge cycles.

Optimus G steps in front of our camera

We have a hands-on under our belts, but it's time to take a closer look at the Optimus G. We'll start off with what's in the box and then see what kind of effort went into the fit and finish.

Samsung Galaxy Note II to launch in Europe next week

SamMobile has got hold of the launch schedule of the Samsung Galaxy Note II for Europe along with its MSRP. The Note II targets the 699 price point (560, $910) and will go on sale next week.

Germany is scheduled to get it first on September 27 and Italy gets it a day later. The UK, France and the Netherlands will have to wait just a few days longer, receiving the phablet on October 1-2. Most other European countries will get it in week 40 or 41 (that's the first two weeks of October).

We had previously heard that the price in Germany will be set at 640, so we'll wait to see how much German retailers ask for it. Also, it will be available with carrier subsidies if getting it unlocked is too pricey for you.

In the US, the Samsung Galaxy Note II will be launching on all major carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular in mid-November.

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Pink Samsung Galaxy S III unveiled, landing in Korea first

Samsung has been quite busy expanding the palette of available colors for its Galaxy S III flagship. Only three weeks ago it announced four new versions of the quad-core smartphone will be making their ways to the shelves and now we learn of a new fifth one.

The Samsung Galaxy S III will be hitting Korean shelves in pink next week. This brings the total number of choices for the color of the smartphone to seven, after the initially available Marble White and Pebble Blue and the four new versions from the end of last month (Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black and Titanium Grey).

Samsung Galaxy S III in pink

Naturally, availability of the individual colors will vary by region, and we haven't received confirmation yet that the Pink units will be leaving Korea at all, but chances are you'll be able to get whatever color you prefer all around the globe in time for Christmas.

So are the ladies out there tempted to go for the Pink Galaxy S III, or have you already set your heart on one of the other versions?

A hat tip to Jongil Moon for sending this in!

Apple iPhone 5 ships, 9 countries get it today

The Apple iPhone 5 is finally hitting the shelves. Sales begin in 9 countries today, which is the biggest number for an iPhone debut so far, with 22 more lined up to join the fun on September 28.

The lucky markets to get the iPhone 5 today are the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Pre-orders made in these countries will also be delivered starting today.

Aussie Todd, who's working for Mobilephonefinder.com.au was the first man to purchase the Apple iPhone 5, having camped in front of the Apples flagship Sydney store since Tuesday. Here's a video from early this morning of him entering the store .

Having recorded 2 million pre-orders within the first 24 hours of its launch, the Apple iPhone 5 is expected to ship over 10 million units by the end of the month. And considering the level of interest it is enjoying, we'd be surprised if it fails to meet that target.

On a less serious note, we got yet another spoof video of the iPhone 5. If you are in a mood for a few laughs at Apple's expense, check it out here:

Thanks, NSgameGOD, for the tip!

Apple iOS 6 starts seeding to iDevices around the globe

Apple has just started seeding its latest iOS 6 to iDevices around the globe. If you own a 4S, 4, 3GS or iPad 2, new iPad and iPod Touch you can expect to get the update in the following hours.

This is the first iOS release that's available over the air so you can check the Software update menu on your eligible device. You can also check for the update from your computer, but you'll need the latest iTunes (v10.7) installed.

The update might take a while depending on where you are. If you know your Apple stuff you should know that the main features in iOS 6 are the brand new Maps app with free voice-guided navigation, which replaces Google Maps, Facebook integration and a more functional Siri. Here's our iOS 6 preview if you want to check out what else has changed.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Galaxy Note II goes for pre-order in US and India

The Samsung Galaxy Note II has hit the pre-order stage in US and India. Those living in the US will now be able to pre-order the phone from US Cellular for $299.99 on a two-year contract for the 16GB model.

Meanwhile, those of you who are reading this in India can now go on Samsung India's website and pre-order the unlocked version of the 16GB Galaxy Note II by paying '5,000 ($92) right now and the rest when the phone goes on sale.

It's not mentioned, however, what the full price of the phone will be and considering the unlocked prices of these phones make sure you are willing to spend big bucks (around $800) before you go for the pre-order, as you cannot cancel it once you place the order.

In case you do choose to pre-order, Samsung India will be happy to throw in a desktop dock worth $44 for free along with the phone.

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Xiaomi sells 300,000 Mi-One S phones in 4 minutes 12 seconds

We thought it was impressive when 200,000 Xiaomi Mi-One S phones sold in just 30 minutes. The company just tweeted that a batch of 300,000 of Mi-One S phones has been sold-out in 4 minutes and 12 seconds. The company is selling phones in batches, so there are bursts of huge sales in between periods of inactivity.

The Mi-One S is an updated version of Xiaomi's first phone with an overclocked Snapdragon S4 chipset, but the price of RMB 1,499 ($235, 190) seems to really be appealing to consumers (Xiaomi currently sells its phones in China, but is looking to expand make them globally available).

Anyway, the company's excited tweet doesnt quite make it clear how those 300,000 were sold - back when the first batch of 200,000 sold out, there were 1.1 million pre-orders.

Is Xiaomi just fulfilling these pre-orders or are those on top of the 1.1 million? It's not clear but it's an impressive performance from such a young company nonetheless.

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HTC teases the device it is about to announce tomorrow

In order to stir interest up prior to its event tomorrow, HTC has released a teaser of the product it is about to announce on its official Facebook page.

As you can see in the photo above, the teaser reveals one of the device's corners. The text below the image says "when beautiful hardware meets stunning software."

Despite all the raging rumors about an upcoming 5" Android smartphone, don't be surprised if we see a Windows Phone 8 device break cover. After all, there have been leaks pointing in this direction as well.

We will be live from HTC's event in NYC tomorrow, so be sure to stick around to find out what all the buzz is about.

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Pre-order delays for iPhone 5 grow to 3-4 weeks in the US

The new iPhone 5 is a tough phone to get. We've already seen what it's like in front of Apple's brick-and-mortar stores, but there's quite the line forming at their virtual stores as well.

Pre-orders started on September 14 and hit 2 million in a day. The iPhones pre-ordered then should ship on September 21, but if you are to pre-order one now you'd be in for a long wait - the Apple Store site warns it will be 3 to 4 weeks before the latest iOS smartphone ships.

That's for the US store. A quick glance at the Canada store shows the delays there will be the same.

The situation at the UK Apple Store is a bit better. In Britain the iPhone will be dispatched in 2-3 weeks, unless you want the 16GB model in black - that will take 3-4 weeks (that's likely the most popular model).

The German store lists 2-3 week delays for all models and so does the French store. Australians who pre-order now are looking at 3-4 week wait before their new iPhone ships.

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First iPhone 5 reviews are in - good grades all around

It's still a couple of days early before the iPhone 5 arrives at the doorsteps of those over 2 million people that have pre-ordered it.

But we're already seeing the first wave of reviews by the lucky few that have gotten their hands on Apple's latest smartphone and have given it a test run over the past couple of days.

Those include Engadget, John Gruber of The Daring Fireball, long-time Apple-centric columnist from TechCrunch MG Siegler and others. The prevailing opinion of most of these reviewers is that the iPhone 5 is a notable upgrade from the 4S.

The screen received much praise and several reviewers mention the in-cell touch tech that Apple has employed is as a great improvement, bringing the pixels closer to the surface.

Many hail the "new" Panorama feature as intuitive and very well functioning. Observations on the new custom-designed Apple A6 chip are very positive too. There aren't all that many synthetic benchmarks yet but several reviewers have done a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 4S and the "2x-as-fast" performance claim is seemingly true.

The only part of the iPhone 5 that has received more critiques than praise is the iOS 6, which has been called slightly dated on multiple occasions.

Although impressed, we won't take any of this at face value until we've seen it for ourselves. We're more than eager to put the iPhone 5 through our usual reviewing procedures and we'll be doing so as soon as possible, so stay tuned!

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Meet the racing luxury smartphone - Aston Martin Aspire

Aston Martin is launching a luxury Android smartphone the Aston Martin Aspire. Despite its premium finish, the handset internals are rather uninspiring.

The Aston Martin Aspire packs a 3.2-inch HVGA display and is powered by a single-core 800MHz processor. The rest of the specs include a 5MP snapper plus a VGA front facing one, 256MP RAM, 512MB ROM and a microSD slot. The connectivity package has the usual 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth quartet. Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread is in charge of the Aspire.

Aston Martin Aspire

There is no info of the phones manufacturer, but it is highly possible Acer is behind this. It is available in black, white, silver, gold and rose gold colors. All but the black one ($1290) cost $1590 and use 24K gold plating.

Aston Martin Aspire

The package is quite attractive a huge leather box that includes 2 1500 mAh batteries, a leater pouch, an Aston Martin headset and a charger.

What do you think, is this thing worthy of the Aston Martin brand?

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Motorola RAZR i hands-on: First look

Introduction

Earlier this month Motorola announced a trio of RAZR phones in New York, but we knew all along that wasnt the end of it - both Moto and Intel had sent out invites for a European event in London, promising to take us to the edge.

Since the invite came before the announcement of the new RAZR phones, it wasnt clear what Motorola meant by "edge". But their new edge-to-edge screen design solved that mystery - the RAZR M, for example, is almost the size of an iPhone 5, while packing a bigger 4.3" screen.

The big news from today's Motoedge event, however, isn't the compactness of the phone, it's the Intel-made chipset that powers it. Just as ARM chipset have moved into Windows 8, so has Intel's x86 Atoms charged into the smartphone field.

Atom processors are already in several Android phones, but none of them comes from a player like Motorola. Moto is one of the biggest smartphone makers with a rich history of innovation, not to mention that they're owned by Google now.

Andrew Morley came up on stage and promised the most important device since the original RAZR. Jim Wicks took over and explained that the new device is a product of deep collaboration between Motorola and Intel.

And he unveiled the first phone with a 2GHz Intel processor, the Motorola RAZRi. The phone's frame is made with aircraft-grade aluminum, there's Kevlar on the back and the screen is protected by Gorilla glass with water-repellent coating.

Speaking of the screen, it's a 4.3" SuperAMOLED Advanced edge-to-edge display with nearly zero pixel response time. Wicks made a point that they managed to fit a proportionally bigger screen than Apple managed with the iPhone 5.

The processor that powers the Motorola RAZRi is built on a 32nm process and is the first clocked at 2GHz. Intel has optimized the entire experience, including JavaScript and multitasking. With multithreading, Intel promises their chip outperforms current dual-core processors. The GPU is also built on the 32nm process, so Intel is promising good gaming performance.

The battery in the phone has 2000mAh capacity - "40% bigger than the one in the iPhone 4S".

The 8MP camera starts up in under a second and shoots 10 photos in, again, under a second. There's a dedicated shutter key, to make the whole experience quicker and more comfortable. Intel's technology also enhances the image quality.

The Motorola RAZRi packs NFC connectivity for easy sharing of data and pairing with Bluetooth headsets.

The RAZRi runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at the moment with Motorola's cool circle widgets. Where permitted by local laws, the RAZRi will come with an unlocked bootloader.

The Motorola RAZRi will be available in select markets - the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico - from the beginning of October.

The presentation just ended, but we're hoping to get a quick hands-on with the RAZRi, so stay tuned for updates!

Motorola officially announces RAZR i with 2GHz Intel CPU

At a dedicated press event in London today, Motorola and Intel officially unveiled the RAZR i powered by an Intel Medfield chipset.

The processor powering the Motorola RAZR i is a single-core 2GHz Intel Atom (yes, you read that right, 2GHz!) built on the 32nm manufacturing process. It supports hyper-threading as well, so its single-core architecture shouldn't be an issue.

Motorola RAZR i

At the front of the Motorola Razr i sits a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display of qHD resolution with Gorilla Glass for protection. Motorola also took a dig at the competition (mostly Apple, really), comparing the the RAZR i screen with the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. The RAZR i has 40% more screen per square inch than the iPhone 4S, and 15% more than the iPhone 5.

The 2GHz Intel Atom chip is so fast, that the Motorola RAZR i starts the 8 megapixel camera under 1 second and can take 10 pictures in less than one second. At the front, there's a 0.3MP snapper for making video calls.

Measuring 122.5mm x 60.9mm x 8.3mm, the RAZR i packs a 2,000 mAh battery under its back cover, which according to Motorola should be good for a full day of continuous use

The Kevlar-coated RAZR i will be launched in the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in the beginning of October. It should cost about 340/420 at launch.

Developing...

HTC phablet specs and image pop up, quad-core Krait, 1080p

An image and some specs of the yet unannounced HTC phablet device have risen from the rumor pool. Currently the device is only known by its DIx codename, which when put together with the red stripe and naming history of HTC could coincide with Droid Incredible X.

The DIx is said to feature a Qualcomm S4 Pro SoC with four Krait cores. There's 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 GB built-in storage and a 5" 1080p screen with the gutsy pixel density of 480 ppi. The device is rumored to feature a second notification LED for missed events on the back, near the camera.

Although this device looks like a prime candidate to run the newly-unearthed Galaxy Note II out of its sweet spot the source claims that the HTC Flyer's Scribe pen doesn't seem to work with the HTC DIx. This could mean that HTC isn't looking to directly compete with Samsung's S-Pen or that there will be a different Scribe pen or that the software isn't tuned yet to work with such an accessory.

The HTC DIx, pictured above, allegedly doesn't allow for memory expansion through a microSD card slot and has a non-removable battery. This could indicate a unibody design similar to the One S, One X, etc.

While all of the information points to a really exciting device we urge you to take it with a grain of salt. Things could still turn out differently. It's also worth mentioning that the HTC DIx's 480ppi is odd considering that a 5" panel with a 1920 x 1080 pixels results in a pixel density of just 440ppi. To deliver the 480ppi that the source of the rumor mentions, the HTC DIx would have to either have resolution higher than 1080p or a screen around 4.6" in diagonal. Also the DIx shouldn't be mistaken with the HTC One X+, which runs on a 720p display and a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, not S4 Pro.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to T-Mobile USA, firmware reveals

The Samsung Galaxy Note II should be coming to all major US carriers - we saw photos of Verizon's version yesterday and today there is a ROM that confirms the existence of the Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile USA.

SamMobile is reporting its sources have confirmed the existence of T-Mobile's Note II and they have a Jelly Bean ROM powering it, which was compiled quite recently - September 15. Samsung is still testing the software (pushing out a new one OTA every 4-5 days) and there's no indication of when the phoneblet might launch.

The device will have a model number SGH-T889 and will reportedly pack the same specs as the international Galaxy Note II (except for the LTE connectivity, of course). Feel free to check out our preview of the Note II for more details on the device.

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Note: the image on the left is just a quick mockup, not an actual product image.

AT&T says iPhone 5 is its fastest selling phone, gives no numbers

AT&T issued a Press Release concerning the new iPhone 5's selling pace. The carrier declared the iPhone 5 the fastest selling iPhone on its network to date, but chose not to provide specific numbers.

The early statement is very impressive and in tow with what analysts have projected so far. The Apple iPhone 5 is expected to sell 10 million units in September alone. And it should come as no surprise as this is Apple's fastest roll-out of an iPhone device to date so numbers were expected to be higher.

Here's the Press Release itself. We hope to hear actual numbers soon from Apple itself.

AT&T SETS SALES RECORD FOR IPHONE 5

Most Successful iPhone Launch Ever

DALLAS, Sept. 17, 2012 AT&T* set a sales record with iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered. Customers ordered more iPhones from AT&T than any previous modelboth on its first day of preorders and over the weekend.

iPhone 5 is still available for preorder at www.att.com/iphone and will be available in AT&T retail stores beginning at 8 am local time on Friday,September 21.

AT&T offers a number of advantages for iPhone 5 customers. AT&T's network lets you talk and surf the web at the same time.

Largest 4G Network. Customers get blazing-fast speeds on the nations largest 4G network, covering 275 million people. FlexibleRate Plans. AT&T doesn't force customers to switch data plans to get the best device price when they upgrade to a new device and new AT&T customers aren't forced into a certain plan; they have the flexibility to choose from one of several individual or Mobile Share plans.

More customers choose AT&T for iPhone than any other U.S. carrier.

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Oppo's Find 5 flagship will pack 1080p screen with 441ppi

It looks like the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo Mobile has something amazing in the making. The companys CEO Chen Mingyong teased the Oppo Find 5 quad-core flagship with 1080p display, sporting the mind-blowing pixel density of 441ppi.

Such pixel density puts the upcoming 5" device in an entirely different league from the current crop of top shelf smartphones. A 441ppi pixel density is roughly100ppi better than the next best smartphone and a cool 115ppi better than the Apple iPhone 5.

The rest of the Oppo Find 5 rumored specs include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 2GB of RAM, 12MP camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and a 2500mAh battery.

The Oppo Find 5 appears a lot like that rumored 5 incher from HTC. As always, we'll keep track on both.

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Android booting HP Bender surfaces in benchmark tests

It appears that HP might be looking for a way back into the smartphone game, people . Immediately after the computer giant's CEO Meg Whitman spoke about the company releasing a smartphone eventually, an HP branded, Android ICS booting handset, dubbed Bender has appeared in GLBenchmark test result database.

The mysterious handset sports some seriously beefy specs, which include Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon and a display resolution of 1366 x 720 pixels. The Android version, which the leaked device boots is Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Since having another tech heavyweight enter the smartphone game is a pretty big deal, we suggest you take this piece of news with a larger than usual pinch of salt. We will be keeping a close eye on HP though.

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