Asus launches redesigned FonePad 7 for $137

Asus Philippines has launched a new and improved version of the FonePad 7 tablet. The new version of the slate comes with the model number FE170CG and is said to be significantly lighter and thinner than the original model.

However, the tablet goes down a notch in terms of the screen resolution (from WXGA to WSVGA), internal memory (8 GB to 4 GB) and camera (5 MP to 2 MP). The rest of the hardware remains identical to the original version.

The new Asus FonePad 7 FE170CG is currently available in Philippines and is priced at PHP 5,995 (about $137).

Apple launches 8GB iPhone 5c in India

You all know the iPhone 5c – it was supposed to become the long awaited cheap iPhone that will help Apple expand its reach and strengthen its presence in developing markets. Except that it wasn’t particularly cheap, which kinda ruined the whole deal.

As previously expected, in an attempt to fix that Apple has now launched a new 8GB version of the iPhone 5c in India. It costs INR37,500, which translates to €470 or $640, which is INR4,000 (€50/$68) lower than the 16GB version of the “unapologetically plastic” smartphone.

That’s hardly the definition of cheap and one can certainly wonder whether spending that much money on a phone with storage so limited is a smart move. Yet those that don’t have a big multimedia library or play too many games might see things otherwise.

It’s also worth pointing out that there are several promotions going on that let Indian customers save INR4,000 on the 16GB iPhone 5c, so if the 8GB version receives the same treatment it might drop to slightly more sensible levels. Still, even if that happens the 8GB iPhone 5c will cost as much as theSony Xperia Z1 Compact, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo or an LG G2 – that’s certainly not going to be an easy sell for Apple.

Samsung and LG to start using sapphire displays

Apple has invested heavily in producing Sapphire displays for the upcoming iPhone 6. The coating is the same technology that watch manufacturers have been using for some time now to protect the faces of their timepieces from unwanted nicks and scratches.

Well it looks like Samsung and LG have decided to follow in the footsteps of Apple and coat their upcoming phones’ displays with Sapphire.

How do we know this? Well, according to inside sources in Korea, LG and Samsung have been reaching out to Sapphire glass manufacturers and are requesting product samples.

It’s also been reported that both Korean cell phone manufacturers looked into Sapphire display manufacturing as early as last year, but ultimately decided to forgo the process, as it was considered too expensive of an endeavor.

That brings the question of increased future smartphone cost. Sure, a handset rocking the latest and greatest hardware is something that appeals all of our minds, but how about our wallets? Apple’s devices have always commanded premium prices, but many Android handsets are usually more affordable, especially when you buy them outright. What will Sapphire coating mean for the prices of upcoming Samsung and LG phones?

HTC One mini 2 to hit UK on June 30, early pricing is steep

The HTC One mini 2 went official a couple of weeks ago, but we didn't get very specific availability and pricing information back then. A launch in EMEA and North Asia in June was all we got, but that's hardly enough for anyone in a desperate need of a super sleek compact smartphone.

Later on we got some pricing info courtesy of a couple of Dutch retailers. The unofficial info had it that if you wanted to get a shiny new HTC One mini 2 in Europe, you'd have to shell out about €470.

Now, however, Amazon UK has chipped in with a listing for the smartphone, which tells a somewhat different story. The One mini 2 is priced at £498.85, which translates to the much steeper €615. We wouldn't hit the panic button just yet - such preliminary listings put an inflated price, which goes does by the time the device launches more often than not.

The more interesting (and probably more accurate) part of the listing is the estimated availability date - the One mini 2 is set to go on sale on June 30. That's not ideal given the earlier timeframe, but at least it's a specific date to look forward to.

The good news is you can kill some of the time waiting by checking out our HTC One mini 2 hands-on.

Get an Unlimited Everything plan for $20 in the US

US cell provider, FreedomPop, promised to give free cell phone use to anyone with a compatible cell phone, however, there was a catch: you could only use 200 minutes a month, 500 texts, and a paltry 500MB of data. Then, you’d get charged an additional 1 cent per minute of calls and 2.5 cents per megabyte of data that you used.

Well, FreedomPop is allowing users to bypass all of that with their new $20 Unlimited Everything plan with LTE data. Sounds like a great deal, but there are a few things you need to consider.

First, it’s on Sprint’s network, which isn’t known for its overwhelmingly broad coverage or particularly fast data speeds. Also, you’ll be getting only 1GB of LTE data, after you burn through that, you will have unlimited data, but it will be relegated to Sprint’s 3G speeds. You will get unlimited text and talk for $20, which is still a pretty good deal.

Also, there are only four phones on FreedomPop’s network that are LTE compatible: The Galaxy S4, SIII, the Samsung Victory 4G LTE, and the iPhone 5.

Not exactly on the forefront of mobile technology.

Still, it is a pretty good option for someone who doesn’t use that much data and stays in an area where Sprint’s network is strong.

Nokia X2’s tech specs leaked in benchmark

Nokia’s first foray into the world of Android was a bit underwhelming from a raw technical standpoint.

The Finnish company is clearly reserving their higher-end offerings for Windows Phone, but it seems as if they wanted to test the waters by offering a device with Google’s mobile OS. The origina Nokia X was a budget friendly handset priced to move units.

When word of the Nokia X2 broke out, it got us to thinking that maybe Nokia would try and bring a higher-spec’d Android phone to market. However, if this leak is to be believed, the Nokia X2 will be another entry-level smartphone.

We already knew that phone will be powered by a Qualcomm MSM8210 chip, but we didn’t know anything else, until now.

The AnTuTu benchmark report reveals that the Nokia X2 will be rocking Android 4.3, a a dual-core CPU capable at running from 300-1190MHz, an Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB RAM/4GB ROM, and a 4.3” display with 800x480 resolution. On the camera side of things, the X2 will have a 5MP primary unit and a 0.3 selfie snapper.

Any hopes of Nokia taking Android to a flagship status were dashed with this latest report, however, the X2 will still probably be a success if Nokia continues to price the handset aggressively.

The iPhone 6 alleged pictures storming the internet are fake

A bunch of authentic looking photos of an alleged Apple iPhone 6 prototype have invaded the internet in just a few hours. They make the rounds on various websites, forums and social networks.

   
The alleged iPhone 6 photos

Those pictures looked real with all those smudges, bad focus and blurry quality, but yet believable design. But we live in a digital era, and as many other things today, these iPhone 6 photos were proved to be fake too.

Here is a proof those are fake (click to expand)

Apparently those were created by Martin Hajek, a gifted designer, whose renders looks like the real deal. What gave these away is that his "prototypes" use an identical smudge texture. Check the pictures below.

So, this isn't the iPhone 6. The final thing might actually look something along this way, who knows, but for now, all we we have is a bunch of fanboy renders. We enjoyed them nonetheless.

Nokia to release Lumia 930 and 630/635

According to Nextleaks (another mobile phone rumor Twitter account, a la Evleaks), Nokia is planning to release the Lumia 930, 630, and 635 smartphones.

They should be officially announced at Mobile World Congress, which begins on February 24th.

The 930 is the higher spec'd of the devices, packing a quad-core 2.2GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, a 4.5” 1920x1080 resolution display, microSD card slot, 16GB of internal storage, 20MP camera, and a 2700mAh battery.

The 630/635 is the successor to the Lumia 620. They're both mid-range handsets, with the 635 reportedly being a dual-sim variant of the two. These phones will be sporting 4.3” WVGA displays, 8GB internal storage plus microSD card slots, 1GB RAM, dual-core 1.7GHz CPUs, 8MP cameras, and 2000mAh batteries.

There's also been talk that the Nokia Lumia ICON and Lumia 1820 will be making their debuts at MWC, along with some other unnamed Nokia devices. But again, these are rumors so nothing is official.

Dual-OS Geeksphone Revolution pricing and availability confirmed

Details on the pricing and the official availability of the recently announced, dual-OS booting Geeksphone Revolution got out. The Intel-based smartphone will be available on February 20 for €289 ($394).

The device’s manufacturer has hinted that there will be an early-bird discount for the most eager. For a limited time, the device will be offered for €269 ($367) online only.

The Geeksphone Revolution boots Android 4.2.2 and Firefox OS 1.3 via Boot2Gecko. The device’s specs include 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 4.7” qHD IPS display, 4GB of built-in storage, microSD card slot, and 8MP camera.

At a quick glance, pricing of the Geeksphone Revolution appears to carry a hefty premium for the dual-OS capability. It is up to the marketplace to decide if the smartphone is worth it.

An alleged photo of the Samsung Galaxy S5 box reveals the specs

The evidence that the Galaxy S5 will be unveiled at the MWC is mounting fast – now there's an alleged photo of the box the new flagship will come in. Samsung boxes feature key specs on the back and an anonymous tipster claims to have snapped a photo of the Galaxy S5 package.

The specs listed align with previous rumors. The chipset has a quad-core CPU at 2.5GHz and LTE Cat. 4 (150Mbps downlink). This is certainly a Snapdragon chipset and we're possibly looking at the Snapdragon 800 8974AC variety, which packs Krait 400 at 2.46GHz. The box also promises 3GB RAM, same as the Galaxy Note 3 (as can be expected).

Moving on, the screen is listed as 5.25" QHD (2,560 x 1,600), which is precisely what the latest rumors have been saying. That would push the pixel density to 560ppi, but keep in mind this is likely a PenTile Super AMOLED, so it should have a noticeable visual improvement over the current 5" 440ppi screen.

Same goes for the camera - a 20MP shooter, which is in line with the leaked 16MP photo that had 16:9 aspect ratio (20MP is at 4:3). Strangely, the video capture is just 1080p, we were expecting UHD like the Galaxy Note 3.

The final bit of specifications that the box reveals is Android 4.4 KitKat (no surprise here) and a 3,000mAh battery. There's not a peep about the body material (metal or plastic?).

Keep in mind that this box could have been Photoshopped, but nothing it shows is particularly surprising (perhaps aside from the video capture). The Unpacked 5 event (5, get it?) will be held at 20:20 CET on February 24 in Barcelona. We'll be reporting live from there and you can join in via livestream.