Vivo Xplay 3S is the world's first phablet with 2K display

The world's first mobile device to sport a 2K display is the Vivo Xplay 3S! The device was officially announced in Beijing, China and should be sold starting early next year. The Xplay 3S will be sold in China, apparently, but UV says that Vivo is planning to go beyond the Chinese market and is planning to sell mobiles devices somewhere else. For now, the Chinese will be the first market to get a taste of 2K awesomeness with the Xplay 3S.

Sony intros Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition

Just like the Galaxy S IV and the HTC One, Sony has jumped into the bandwagon by introducing to the world their first Google Play Edition device. Ladies ad gentlemen, for those who loves their Android flavored with nothing else than just Vanilla seeds then here is another offering of that in the form of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition. Like the Galaxy S IV and the HTC One this device is still the Xperia Z Ultra with all its goodness sans the Sony Timescape UI (overlay). The device is now available in the US via the Google Play Store.

Motorola announced the Moto G a budget friendly Android smartphone

Motorola, in Brazil, has announced the Moto G. By where and how the device looks the Moto G is aimed for those who wants to own a smartphone that can give great performance sans the hefty price. In fact, Motorola will be selling it at just $199 for the 16GB version and just $179 for the 8GB version. The Moto G will be sold in Brazil and Latin America this week while other countries/regions like the US, Europe, India, and the Middle East will get it next year in January. For other regions, the Moto G will be sold in 30 countries with 60 partners by 2014.

The Google Nexus 5 with Android 4.4 KitKat

Finally! One of the most waited devices for this year, the Google Nexus 5! Officially made official by Google, of  course, the LG-made Nexus 5 is the first and currently the only smartphone to run on Android 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 5 is also Google's first smartphone to sport a Full HD display which will go head to head with most, if not all, other flagship Android smartphones currently selling in the market. For the first time, I believe, Google has made something that will truly compete, specs-wise, in the Android world unlike the other Nexus smartphones prior to this which had not-so-at-par specs when put beside a competing flagship smartphone from a different OEM. 

Google announces Android 4.4 KitKat

Google timed it for Halloween! They have at least two treats for all of us. One is what you see above, yup! Android 4.4 KitKat is now officially official. It has been but today we now know what the latest version of Android has to offer. If Android Jelly Bean is about a smooth platform, Android KitKat is all about memory optimization. That means that KitKat is expected and is built to run on a hardware with just 512MB of RAM. But it is not just that. We all know what Googlers can give us right? They stuffed Android KitKat with as much features as they can like Wallpapers are now in fullscreen which means that your wallpapers will extend through the notification bar and system buttons and whatnot.

LG announced their own curved smartphone, the LG G Flex

LG has announced their first ever curved smartphone, dubbed as the LG G Flex, it sports a 6" HD display and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There is no word if this device will be available outside of South Korea. Anyway, one other thing that is special with the G Flex is that it has a "self-healing" feature on its back panel. From the way it sounds, it seems like LG has applied some nano technology into this device's rear a coating maybe or something. There is also no word about how much the G Flex will cost. Specs after the break.

The iPad Mini with Retina display

Together with the iPad Air, Apple has also upgraded its very successful iPad Mini. The tablet you see at the right of the photo above is the new iPad Mini now packing a 7.9" Retina display. And since this is an upgrade from the predecessor, the new iPad Mini (iPad Mini 2) sports the same A7 processor the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air sports. The iPad Mini 2 will be available in the US starting late November (no exact date) starting from $399 for the 16GB (WiFi only) up to $699 (WiFi only) for the 128GB variant. I will be posting a price list below for the other versions of the tablet.

The iPad Air

Apple has unveiled the upgrades of their tablets! First we have the iPad Air which will apparently take over the throne from its predecessor and will be the 5th iPad in Apple's portfolio (excluding the Mini). The iPad Air will still sport a 9.7" IPS Retina display but will have a pumped up CPU which is now the Apple A7 with M7 motion processor. The iPad Air, as what the name itself would suggest is lighter than the 4th gen iPad. According to Apple, the iPad Air is 28% lighter and is 20% thinner. With regards to its availability, the iPad Air will be available in the US starting November 1 for $499 (16GB - WiFi Only) and up to $799 (128GB -WiFi only). 

Nokia enters the tablet market too with the Lumia 2520

Aside from the two phablets, the Lumia 1520 and 1320, that Nokia has announced they also announced their first tablet dubbed as the Lumia 2520. So, finally, Nokia decided it is time for them to release a tablet a few months before the name "Nokia" disappears from the market. Anyway, like every recent Nokia smartphone, this device will be running on Windows, Windows 8 that is. It sports a 10.1" Full HD IPS LCD display and is expected to be launched in Q4 of this year. Let's see how this device will do in the market that does not really admire the tablet versions of the Windows 8 taking note how Microsoft is doing with their Surface line.

The Nokia Lumia 1320

Together with the Lumia 1520, Nokia also introduced their second phablet dubbed as the Nokia Lumia 1320. It does not follow, apparently, the usual high-end Lumia aesthetics which will then give itself away as a lowered-speced phablet offering from the Finnish phonemaker. But taking that notion away, the 1320 still packs a punch and like the 1520, it sports a huge 6-inch IPS LCD display but instead of a full HD resolution this baby has 720p of display resolution. No word yet on where and when this device is going.

Nokia enters the Phablet market with the Lumia 1520

Nokia, yesterday, announced a slew of devices in an event. They announced an update, I believe, to their Asha line of devices and three devices that mark their entrance to these devices' category. First is the Nokia Lumia 1520, one of two phablets Nokia announced which will apparently mark their first and entrance into the already crowding Phablet market. The Nokia Lumia 1520 follows an almost exact design with most flagship Lumias and runs on Windows Phone 8. The phablet is huge with a 6-inch HD display probably following what Sony with their Xperia Z Ultra. Anyway, the Lumia 1520 does not have a launch date yet.

HTC finally enters the phablet market with the HTC One Max!

After circulating around the internet for months now, the Taiwan-based phonemaker has finally made the HTC One Max official. With this announcement, HTC also officially enters into the phablet market. The HTC One Max, like what you would expect from a phablet, sports a huge 5.9" HD display and a 1.7GHz quad-core processor and is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Samsung created and made the phablet market what it is now so it is only a norm when other phonemakers spit out a competing device and by competing it means in all aspects that market wants and the HTC One Max did not fail, not only it sports a fingerprint scanner (like that of the iPhone 5S) it also sports a stylus of its own. HTC is expected to hit the European and Asian markets by this week.

Google releases Chrome 30 to the stable world!

Google has released Chrome 30 to the world and if we follow how they name their major version of the browser, this will be the world's most popular browser's 30th major release. For those who have been following the developments of Chrome, they know that a "new" chrome came out with Chrome 29 with a new UI and lots of things changed here and there including a very integrated Google Plus. Anyway, Chrome 30 is out which is joined by its mobile version. 

HTC One unlocked version gets Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update

HTC has officially started rolling out to HTC One (unlocked) its Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update.  The update is pushed globally as reported but is being released region after region. For those who got their HTC Ones not via a carrier should be getting the update as you are reading this post. You can check if your phone has the update by tapping through Settings > About Phone > Software Update. If you do not have the update yet a little more patience is required, rest assured HTC will be releasing the update that weighs 560MB in your region. Cheers!

Microsoft outs the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

The successor to Microsoft's first generation Surface tablets that runs on their very own Windows platform has finally been made official. The software giant from Redmond unveiled them last week, I believe. So, the first tablet is the Surface 2 (left) is, like all upgrades, has specs better than the tablet it precedes, the Surface RT. On the right is the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 which comes with a Haswell Intel Atom processor. Surface 2 will be available starting October 22 for $449 but you can pre-orders yours today.

Oppo N1 Android smartphone with CyanogenMod and a 13MP rotating camera

Oppo, a new phonemaker here on TechPump, recently announced a smartphone that runs on an mobile OS that, according to GSMArena, is based on Android. That is actually the first time I have heard or will be posting about a smartphone that its OS is only based on Android and not actually Android (so they say). You might have read news about CyanogenMod becoming a full-time company. They aim to be the world's 3rd largest mobile OS, as a matter of fact, which I believe they can achieve. Anyway, the Oppo N1 sports a 13MP camera that is both rear facing and front facing. Yup, the camera can be twisted 206 degrees so that it can be a rear or a front shooter. Talk about high quality selfies. The N1 also sports a huge 5.9" display and is being powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core processor. In terms of availability, the N1 is scheduled to be available in China come October the rest of the world will be getting it by December.

LG announced the LG Vu 3 in South Korea

LG has announced rather quietly their 2013 phablet challenger. Yup it's the LG Vu 3. LG announced the device in South Korea and will become available in the country come September 27th via all the South Korean carriers. The Vu 3 stays as Vu as it can be boasting its 4:3 aspect ratio. The Vu 3 sports a 5.2" HD display and is being powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core processor. It has 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

nVidia makes the Tegra Note platform official

I am a bit confused with this but let's start with the things that are simple. First, nVidia has officially made the Tegra Note official. Second, nVidia is not selling this as Android Community explains the whole thing better. Third, the Tegra Note is a platform that nVidia has been cooking up with around their Tegra 4 processor. I really do not want to say anything here that will lead to a confused reader. So, even if I really don't want anybody to stop reading this post and head on clicking that link above, I'd have to suggest your read the article on Android Community.

Nokia set to announce something come October 22, 2013

Rumors have been circulating about Nokia's next device to be unveiled. According to them it will be the Lumia 1520, the Finnish phonemaker's first phablet or so they say. Anyway, Nokia has made an event official by tweeting about it over their Twitter account. On this "teaser", it says that something is coming on October 22, 2013. No time and no indication of where this will be happening but at least we know something will be unveiled during that day. I will have to guess that this will happen in London that is pretty much where most of Nokia's events are held, traditionally.

BlackBerry announces its biggest smartphone to date! The BlackBerry Z30 running on BB 10.2

BlackBerry has quietly unveiled their biggest smartphone to date! Dubbed as the BlackBerry Z30, it sports a 5" display worthy to be part of the phablet category. Other blogs actually call it a phablet but let's just call it a smartphone since BlackBerry calls it as one. This is BlackBerry's most powerful mobile to date too which boasts a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM. In addition, the Canadian phonemaker says that the BB Z30 can last up to 25hrs on a single charge with its huge battery rated at 2880 mAh (I think this is the biggest battery in any smartphone). With regards to the device's imminent launching, BlackBerry will launch the smartphone in the UK and in the Middle East next week. Expect this device to arrive at your country in time for the Holidays.

The Asus FonePad Note 6

Remember this? That is the Asus FonePad Note 6, as what they call it right now. Asus actually announced this device back in June and dubbed it as the Asus FonePad Note FDH6. So basically, the two devices are the same. Only this post will now contain the specs of the device. The FonePad Note 6 was reannounced or probably was on display during the IFA 2013. It still sports a 6" Full HD display and an Intel Atom processor.

The next-generation Asus Fonepad 7

Asus unveiled two FonePads during IFA 2013, first is the Next-Generation Asus FonePad 7. So what will happen to the first FonePad that was unveiled during MWC 2013? Anyway, the FonePad 7 has a change of design a bit and runs on Android 4.2. It sports a 7" HD display and has all the phone capabilities you would experience from a smartphone only that this device gives you that much screen real estate. The CPU on this device gets a boost too. Instead of a single-core Intel Atom CPU the FonePad 7 is being powered by a dual-core Intel Atom CPU. No word on availability, though.

The Asus Transformer Pad TF701T with a 2560x1600 display

There will be a couple of Asus related post coming up. I totally forgot about these devices that the Taiwanese announced at IFA 2013. Anyway, first we have the Asus Transformer Pad TF701T. Ever since the first Transformer Pad Asus has unveiled like 2 or 3 years ago, this line of devices has stayed true to its name being a tablet than can be transformed into a laptop, if you may. The device runs on Android 4.2 Jelly been and sports a 10.1" display that boasts a 2560x1600 screen resolution. Anyway, this device right here is exactly the same with the Transformer Pad Infinity Asus announced back at Computex 2013, you can read about that here. 

The Apple iPhone 5S - "The Most Forward-Thinking Smartphone in the World"

And here is Apple's 2013 flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5S. Apparently, it is the iPhone 5 but with 3 new things added into it, aside from the obvious iOS 7. The iPhone 5S still has a 8MP rear shooter, but according to Apple, the sensor is improved and still takes great photos but now with bigger pixels. Another cool technology or feature included in the iPhone 5S is Touch ID. If you look at the other photos of the iPhone 5S on this post, you can see that the home button is different compared to the other iPhones even with that of the iPhone 5C. The thing that makes it different is the fingerprint scanner incorporated into it. With Touch ID purchasing apps on iTunes will be much easier, no need for passwords and whatnots just scan your fingerprint and viola. The next thing that is new on this device is the Apple A7 64-bit processor. Now that is a first in the mobile industry. which is best explained by other techblogs who have deeper knowledge on the 64-bit of it all. The A7 chip comes with a dedicated motion processor named as the M7. The iPhone 5S will be available starting September 20th in the US and pricing starts at $199 for the 16GB version with a 2-year contract with either AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

The Apple iPhone 5C - "The most colorful iPhone yet"

Apple, yesterday, unveiled two new iPhones into their portfolio of smartphones. First was the iPhone 5C a smartphone built for the colorful and as expected for those who wants to own an iPhone but is on a budget. Yes it is plastic but is made with quality known from Apple. The things that are different on this device compared to last year's iPhone 5 is the camera (still at 8MP but with an improved sensor) and the plastic that surrounds the device. Everything else, is almost the same, I think. As for availability and pricing, the iPhone 5C will be available on pre-order starting September 13th and will be available on September 20th. As for price, the iPhone 5C's SRP is pegged at just $99 for the 16GB and with a 2-year contract all available over at Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. The 32GB is priced at $199 with a 2-year contract.

The Lenovo S5000 Android tablet

Here's another Lenovo device and this time its a tablet dubbed as the Lenovo S5000. According to Android Community, this tablet is set to challenge the Nexus 7 and might give it a good fight it seems. Anyway, the S5000 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and sports a 7" display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. There is no news on when the tablet will make it to stores in any country but expect this tablet to be available before Christmas somewhere. Just like Lenovo's Vibe X, the specs sheet of the S5000 is incomplete. And I hate it because of that.

Lenovo unveiled the Vibe X 5-incher Android smartphone

Lenovo is not going empty in IFA 2013, they have unveiled a stunning Android smartphone that is due to be launched in China by October the other markets will have to wait for December until they can get their hands of the Lenovo Vibe X. The Vibe X is a 5" smartphone with Full HD resolution. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is being powered by a an MTK quad-core processor. The smartphone is, apparently, Lenovo's latest flagship smartphone and sports a polycarbonate body. 

Acer announced the Liquid S2 and the Iconia A3 Android smartphone and tablet

Acer, prior to IFA 2013, has unveiled two new Android devices to be added into their growing portfolio of mobile devices. The first is the Acer Liquid S2 Android smartphone. The phone is said to be launched in Europe come October and is marketed for those who wants to own an Android smartphone but is on a budget. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and sports a 6" Full HD display. The other device they announced is the Acer Iconia A3, apparently, an Android tablet also running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It sports a 10.1" display and is scheduled to be launched in Europe in October too.

IFA 2013: Sony officially unveils the Sony Xperia Z1 with a 20.7MP shooter

A few hours before Samsung had their share of the spotlight, Sony had their event to unveil their newest flagship Android smartphone, dubbed as the Sony Xperia Z1. The Z1 is probably luring those photo lovers out there to buy it since it almost focused on the camera. Of course, this is still a smartphone so it also has those amazing Sony technology has to offer from their LCD screens to even the way the phone is manufactured. The Z1 is a smartphone and is waterproof and can take photos underwater. The Z1 runs on the latest available version of Android, 4.3 Jelly Bean, and sports a 5" Full HD display. 

Google officially announces the next name, version, and mascot of Android - Android 4.4 KitKat

Google has officially unveiled the next icon, name, and version of the world's most popular mobile operating system. The photo above is real, it was taken by one of the people over at Google Developers and uploaded it to Google Plus making everything official. I do not think Google has the version of the OS in detailed announcement yet only that the next version will be named KitKat. After this photo, Android's official Google Plus profile has shared the unveiling of the statue with a video but it is set to private which is a total bummer. Anyway, the good thing is we now know that the next major version of Android is not Android 5.0 and is not named as Key Lime Pie, which was the rumored name of the OS but it is Android 4.4 KitKat.

LG officially outs the LG G Pad 8.3

LG, days prior to IFA 2013, has announced the world's first 8-inch tablet that boasts a Full HD display. Dubbed as the LG G Pad 8.3, the device runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and will sport an apparent 8.3" inch display that boasts WUXGA (1920x1200_ screen resolution. According to LG's press release, they will be showcasing this tablet at the event in Berlin, Germany and will eventually be rolled out to markets later on. Other things include a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 5MP rear shooter, a 1.3MP front, and a 4,600 mAh battery. 

Chrome 29 now available

Google has now released Chrome 29 to the stable world and is now available for download. Chrome 29 is available on Windows, Mac, Chrome Frame, and Linux platforms. The features that is tagged along this update are; an improved omnibox suggestions based on recency of sites visited, the ability to reset your Chrome profiles back to its original state, new apps and extensions, and of course stability and performance improvements. You can download Chrome 29 via the official Chrome download page here. Or you can also update your existing Chromes by clicking through Settings > About Chrome > and wait for it to update.

Sony Mobile sets an event on September 4, 2013

Sony Mobile has sent out invites for an event in September 4th in Berlin, Germany. This event is said, according to rumors, to unveil the Xperia i1 which has been circulating the rumor mill itself. Anyway, the interesting thing here is that, the said event will happen at exactly the same day Samsung has set for their Samsung Unpacked Event Episode 2. Sony's event will happen 2 hours before Samsung's which will start at 7PM (local time - Berlin). As usual though, IFA Berlin is always a time where a lot of new gadgets are introduced to the world so this does not really come as a surprise. Let us just be ready for September for it is just around the corner.

Android Device Manager goes live!

I am pretty sure most if not all of you heard or have read about Google's Android Device Manager feature right? The feature was announced by Google during their announcement of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Today though, the feature goes live and kicking! I got to use it already and it's neat! You actually do not need to do anything. Well, as far as I can remember I did nothing to actually get the feature. Just make sure all your apps especially those by Google are up to date and you pretty much should have Android Device Manager. One way of checking if you do have it is to fire up the Google Settings app on your device it should have Android Device Manager as one of the options.

LG announced the LG G2 their new Android Flagship smartphone

LG has officially announced their 2013 Android flagship smartphone that is set to compete and take a chunk or two of the smartphone market this year from Samsung, Sony, and HTC's very own flagships. The LG G2, for a smartphone is huge. Almost everything in it is huge! From the screen which is a 5.2-incher and is said to be the thinnest LCD display to ever be stuffed in a mobile device. If you categorize a device whether it be a phablet or a smartphone, then you'd be very surprised that LG is not calling this monster a smartphone but rather a smartphone. At 5.2" of display realty it, for some including me, will definitely put the LG G2 in the phablet category but officially it is not. Anyway, other things that makes this device amazing is that it is thin incorporating LG's new battery technology and talking about batteries, the LG G2 packs a whopping 3,000 mAh battery inside the rear of this device which, for smartphone standard, is mind boggling. Anyway for more of its amazing specifications, the list is after the break. The LG G2, according to LG, will be available in the US' 4 major carriers and will also be sold in more than 130 carriers world wide.

Google Play Edition HTC One gets Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update

Google has started shipping the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update to the Google Play Edition HTC One and the Galaxy S IV via OTA. These devices are not Nexus devices who gets the newest version of Android seconds after they are announced by Google. But the fact that they are the first among all the other devices, even their original counterparts. For those who owns these smartphones get your Android 4.3 Jelly Bean installed now. For the HTC One, the update is 150MB while the Galaxy S IV's update is at 180MB.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update comes to the Sony Xperia ZR

Sony Mobile, as reported by XperiaBlog, has started rolling out the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update to the Sony Xperia ZR.  The software was scheduled to roll out early August but the blog site has received reports that the update has started rolling out even before August came. Well, that is great news, since today it is already August we should expect the roll out to be more prominent on all devices. For those who owns an Xperia ZR, check your phones for the update! Cheers!

The Motorola Moto X unveiled

Yesterday, in New York, Motorola/Google has finally unveiled their newest flagship Android smartphone, the Motorola Moto X. This device has been running around the rumor mill for months and has finally become a reality. A blog article I have read said that this is the ultimate Anti-iPhone device because not only does it run on the most customizable OS there is the phone itself can be custom made by you via Motorola's online studio. "Through our online studio, Moto Maker, you choose the colors, and decide on the details: front, back, accents, memory, wallpapers, even add a name or a short message. " The Moto X is expected to to start selling in late August/early September in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Priced at $199.99 (SRP) with a 2-year agreement in the US via AT&T, Verizon, US Cellular, Sprint, and Best Buy. For T-Mobile, you can head over at Motorola.com and get yours there.

Motorola Mobility to announce the Moto X in August 1

I saw this on my Google+ stream and it is pretty obvious what it says. Motorola Mobility's G+ page, and probably through their other Social Media accounts, said that by August 1, the Moto X should be unveiled to the world. For those who misses Motorola, August 1, 2013 on your calendars should have a mark. I will because based on rumors this device will be stellar in all aspects. Of course, Motorola's mobile business is now owned by Google, so it is only fitting that the company who made Android what it is today should make Motorola at par with the OS and with the other OEMs out there that are benefiting from the platform.

The new Nexus 7

Google has finally announced the New Nexus 7 (Nexus 7 2) together with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean sometime yesterday. The tablet, which still sports the original 7" screen like that of the first Nexus 7 but is now slimmer and has now a full HD display. The largest screen resolution on a 7-incher for that matter. The device is still made by Asus and will be available starting July 30th. You can also sign-up on the Google Nexus page to get notified if the device has become available. It runs on the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and this tablet is much better when compared to the original Nexus 7, as it should be. Head over the break for the tablet's specs.

LG's Nexus 4 and the Asus' Nexus 7 gets Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

This will be very short and you might be wondering why this post only has those two Nexus devices contained in it. I will be blogging about the Samsung-made devices over Samsung City. Anyway, this does not come as news since everybody knows that when Google announces or releases a new version of Android the Nexus devices will always get it immediately. When Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was announced, Google is already busy pushing the OTA update to there 4 Nexus devices including the LG made Nexus 4 and the Asus-made Nexus 7 (original). So for those who own these devices can manually check if they have the update ready and waiting if your device did not notify you of one yet.

Google officially announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Google, without me knowing, has officially announced Android 4.3 Jelly Bean sometime yesterday. According to articles about the announcement I have read, this version of the platform is not a major update. You can actually tell that by the fact that it is still an Android Jelly Bean and not the rumors Key Lime Pie. This version of the platform is currently the variant that is running on the newest tablet Google has in store for us which I will be posting about after this. With regards to devices getting an update, I will also post them after this. Anyway, head over the break to check the new stuff Google has stuffed into Android 4.3 JB. 

The Motorola Droid Ultra thin as always

Nope, this is not Motorola's flagship smartphone, they still have to announce the Motorola X remember? And we still have to wait for that. But for now, this is the smartphone that I think will sit at the top of the Motorola podium. I have noticed though that all of these three smartphones Motorola have announced all run a dual-core processor. The Droid Ultra, unlike the Droid Maxx, is a thin smartphone (think of the Motorola RAZR), so if you really do not need a huge battery on your device, this is the smartphone to go for. Verizon is also accepting pre-orders of the device at $199.99 with a 2-year contract and is expected to ship starting August 20th.

The Motorola Droid Maxx with 3500 mAh battery

The second device is the Droid Maxx. We've known Motorola with their naming schemes, right? So this is the Droid that packs a huge battery and it does. Running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with a whopping 3500 mAh battery. It sports a huge 5" display (this could almost be called a phablet) and is being powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor. The device is available over at Verizon for pre-orders at $299.99 with a 2-year contract and is expected to start shipping come August 20. 

Motorola unveils the Droid Mini

So, I welcome back Motorola to the game! The now Google owned smartphone maker (Motorola Mobility) has finally, after months of not announcing one, unveiled three new smartphones to the market. First stop is the Droid Mini. It might have the "Mini" name on it but don't judge a phone by its name. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with a 4.3" display. The device has a whopping 2GB RAM. Like all of these new Droids, the Droid Mini will be exclusively sold in the US via Verizon (but I might be wrong on this). For those who wants the Droid Mini, Verizon is now accepting pre-orders of the smartphone for $99.99 with a 2-year contract. Verizon and Motorola is expected to start shipping the Droid Mini in August 29. By the way, Motorola Mobility has their own SoCs now which are called Motorola MX8

Nokia's largest smartphone to date - Nokia Lumia 625

Nokia has announced what seems to be their largest screen on a smartphone ever. The smartphone follows is named the Nokia Lumia 620 and it sports a 4.7" display. It obviously runs on Windows Phone 8 and will start shipping in China, India, and other markets outside the US in the coming months at an estimade price of 22o Euros. The smartphone is a 4G LTE enabled device so it should offer you high speed mobile browsing.

The HTC One Mini made official

HTC has made the HTC One Mini official via emailed press release to publications (excluding TechPump). Anyway, the device, as the name would suggest, is a smaller version of the company's Android flagship smartphone, the HTC One. Unlike Samsung's take on their SGS 4's little brother the SGS 4 Mini, the HTC One Mini is not really a leap smaller than that of its bigger brother. The HTC One Mini sports a, still big, 4.3" display which is only 0.40" smaller than that of the HTC One. The design on the Mini us exactly copied from the HTC One which is a plus because that is what it should be. Also the HTC One Mini runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. HTC is expected to ship the device come August in Europe and then the rest of the world will get it too. 

Nokia beats the hell out of the Galaxy S IV Zoom with the Nokia Lumia 1020

You can actually start forgetting the Samsung Galaxy S IV Zoom because Nokia has officially announced the monster that has stolen the crown from that smartphone. Nokia, in an event in New York, announced a smartphone that sports the best camera, the Nokia Lumia 1020. With that announcement, the Finnish phone maker also announced their newest flagship smartphone that will carry the flag of Nokia. The Lumia 1020 sports a brilliant 41MP rear camera that is stuffed with all the neat and cool camera technology you cannot find anywhere else. I was able to watch the event and apparently, Nokia did take a blow from Samsung's offering and made it look like it was a phone born 10years ago. That is when we talk about these phones' camera. The fact that they both run on different OS-es is an argument already. But this is Nokia's time to shine. And shine they did! With a bang!

Google Chrome 28 now available on Windows

Google Chrome 28 is now out from beta! The stable version is currently only available to the Windows platform and the Mac version of the browser will be available soon. Chrome 28 brings, aside from the normal security and bug fixes on Chrome 27,  "richer notifications". These notifications, I believe, are those pop ups you get from the browser itself. You can actually try out these notifications by using Tweetdeck on Chrome and you'd get those notifs toasts. Anyway, for those who are using Chrome can update their browsers to Chrome 28 by heading to About Google Chrome. For those who has not used Chrome yet you can download the browser here.

AT&T Z10s now getting the BB OS 10.1 update

AT&T BlackBerry Z10 owners are expected to receive their BlackBerry 10.1 update as the carrier have started rolling out the update to users. The update includes improvements to the platform (like notifications) and now includes Skype support. The camera of those who own the Z10 should also get HDR shots. The update is rolled out OTA and Z10 owners should get the notification about the update but for those who wants to wire their devices to a Mac or PC can do so by heading over here.