Google has long been rumored to release an updated version of its popular Nexus 7 tablet at this year’s I/O, however, specific spec details for this re-hashed tablet have mostly been scarce. Last night, details may have emerged thanks to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to Kuo, the new Nexus 7 will indeed arrive at I/O next week along with a set of impressive specs, while retaining its ultra-affordable price tag. 

The new Nexus 7 will once again be made by Asus (no surprise there), run Android 4.3, a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor (APQ8064), sport a 7″ LTPS high-res display (1920×1200), with a 5MP rear camera, HD front camera, NFC, WiFi, 4,000mAh battery, and wireless charging.

The differences from this rumored version to the current are the major bump in screen resolution (old version is 1280×800), move from NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro, rear camera (since the original N7 didn’t have a rear camera), slightly smaller battery, and wireless charging built in.

We’re also expecting the side bezel to shrink, so that the device can keep a similar shape and design while offering more screen real estate.

This new Nexus 7 should stick close to the current $199 price for the base model.

Does this sound like the new Nexus 7 you were all waiting for? The processor may seem somewhat ancient for mobile times, having been included in devices like the Nexus 4 last year, but the S4 Pro is no slouch and there should be plenty of power.

Via:  Apple Insider

Analyst Purportedly Reveals New Nexus 7 Specs – Snapdragon S4 Pro, High-res Display, and More for $199 is a post from: Droid Life

Google I/O 2013 is next week. Hard to believe, right? It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were freaking out as the Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly bean (Android 4.1) were all being unveiled through Google Play as we were entering the day 1 keynote of 2012′s I/O. But here we are, almost a year removed from that event and six months out from Google’s cancelled winter event that was supposed to feature the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, new version of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2), and an updated HSPA+ version of the Nexus 7. So as we approach next week, we thought we should drop some of our own predictions, include a few rumors that are floating about, and even a few whispers that have entered our inbox over the last week or so.

Ready? Here is our list of Google I/O predictions. 

• New Nexus Q:  We’ve talked a lot about the return of the Nexus Q on various DL Shows, because we all love the idea that it could become something phenomenal. As you all know though, the Nexus Q was announced at I/O last year, then essentially killed off weeks later before it ever shipped to anyone. Google realized it had either half-assed the product or that it really was lacking any sort of real functionality that could justify its steep price. So is it going to return? Sources of ours have led us to believe that it is indeed returning, only this time with an emphasis on gaming. Details are scarce, so we aren’t sure if it’ll take the OUYA approach or be something different altogether. There is also a chance that the hardware changes to be more cube-like, however, I hope that it doesn’t. I personally love the hardware of last year’s Nexus Q.
• Gaming Center:  Proof of an Android-powered gaming center surfaced a couple of weeks ago through a teardown of the Google Glass .apk, so we’re pretty sure this is happening. We’re talking in-game chat, lobbies, leaderboards, and achievements across all of your Android devices. At this point, we’d be surprised if this new gaming center doesn’t show up, especially after seeing the Google I/O sessions list which talk about “developments in mobile gaming.” If the Nexus Q information we received is also on point, a gaming center would fit nicely into that type of hardware.
• Android 4.3:  There have been zero signs that Android 5.0 is on the verge of a release. Reports across the tech blog world (including our analytics) show only that an Android 4.3 exists. It’ll likely still be Jelly Bean, just like Android 4.2 was. So what happened to Key Lime Pie? Your guess is as good as anyone’s at this point. I’m sure it’ll be here, but for now, life is with Jelly Bean.
• Babel:  Google Babel is the new unified chat service from the search giant that we have been leading the charge on in terms of coverage. We were the first to report the name “Babel,” provide the feature list for it, give an idea as to which of Google’s services it’ll take the place of, and which platforms it’ll launch on. From what we understand, it’s definitely on the way. While we can’t confirm that it will for sure launch at I/O, how could it not? Google’s developer event is the perfect place to launch a new unified chat service. Keep in mind that another insider is reporting that it may actually launch publicly as Hangouts.
• New Gmail:  According to an insider who has taken a liking to The Verge’s forums, Gmail will get an overhaul and launch at Google I/O. It’ll be “Holofied” with a slideout navigation panel. I’d assume that means it’ll look a lot like Gmail for iOS, which we have been waiting some time for. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was improved even over the iOS version.
• Wearable Tech (Google Watch, Glass, etc.):  Do we even need to mention that Google Glass is going to be everywhere at I/O this year? It’s a given, right? OK, moving on. We have seen rumors suggesting that a Google smartwatch is in development by the Android team. While I can’t say for sure that we’ll see this at I/O (thinking more holiday season), I’m pretty certain they are indeed working on Google Watch with NFC built in.
• Chrome Dongle:  Chrome OS will most certainly have another major presence at I/O once again this year, but the big question is, “In what form?” How does a Chrome dongle sound? I’m envisioning a product similar to those Android-on-a-stick drives, only this would contain Chrome OS and be plug-able to almost anything. I’d imagine that this would also be an insanely cheap way for Google to push Chrome OS, even more so than their ultra-affordable Chromebooks. Seems wild, I know, but think about it.
• What about new Android devices? (Nexus 4 LTE and Nexus 7):  Haven’t heard a thing about either. The Nexus 4 LTE seems pretty unlikely at this point, but don’t put it past Google to re-work their latest smartphone mid-year. They couldn’t ignore the criticism over their choice to keep out LTE from the original Nexus 4, so anything is possibly.Should they release an LTE model that works on AT&T (like the HTC One), I’ll be the first in line to pick one up. And what about a revamped Nexus 7 for 2013 with a higher resolution display? Rumors suggest that it’ll be here in July and with a Qualcomm processor. That’s about all we know. If I were a betting man, I’d think that we’ll see it at I/O.

Seems like a lot of stuff on Google’s plate for next week. Will we see any of it? All of it? None of it? I can’t wait to find out. I/O is always our favorite event of the year.

Any predictions of your own?

Google I/O 2013 Predictions, Speculation, and Rumors: New Nexus Q, Android 4.3, Chrome Dongle, New Gmail, and More is a post from: Droid Life

According to a member of The Verge Forums, Google Babel will be called Google Hangout (or is it Hangouts?) at public launch. Now, normally we don’t take random internet forum threads as being gospel, but this particular user also predicted/leaked every single thing that Google was planning to announce at its winter NYC Android event a full 10 days before it ever happened. We’re talking about the event that was supposed to be the unveiling of the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 3G, Nexus 10, and Android 4.2, yet never happened because it was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. You can see his post here. So we’re leaning towards giving this guy some credit.

Back to Babel. 

Babel, as you all know thanks to numerous reports from sources of ours, is Google’s new unified chat service that will work across Android, iOS and Chrome. We first reported the name as being “Babel” and also provided the entire feature list that will accompany its launch. According to our sources, the service combines Talk, Hangouts, and Messenger, but will include Google Voice at some point in the future.

Google has been testing it internally for some time now as “Babel,” but wouldn’t surprise us at all to see the name change when it goes public. Babel itself is an odd name, to say the least, so calling it “Hangout” makes a lot of sense and also feeds off of Google+. According to the source of this rumor, Babel was likely a previous codename, but is now being referring to internally as Hangout. I don’t want to get too far ahead of things, but if we’re changing names, I’d assume that means we’re getting mighty close to a launch. Thankfully, Google I/O is less than two weeks away and would be the perfect time to unveil this new service.

This Verge forum member also said that the icon looks like the Messenger icon, only is green instead of red. He must be referring to the app shortcut for Messenger rather than the icon in the nav bar of Google+, since the icon in G+ is actually green already. He mentioned that he had a chance to play with it briefly and that it came off as being a major Google Talk overhaul.

As far as other Google news goes, he mentioned in his Babel thread that Google Now is getting location-based reminders at some point in the near future. He didn’t have news on any new devices, though.

What do you think of the name, Hangout?

Update: The tipster over at The Verge forums has posted an update to his original post and is now calling it “Hangouts” instead of “Hangout.” While he was on point with his inside knowledge of the winter Android, something seems off about this name. Google could easily go with Hangouts as a name since it’s already a familiar choice thanks to Goolge+, but sources of ours still believe it’s being called Babel internally. Either way, we’ll know in less than two weeks. Nothing to freak out over.

Via:  Verge Forums

Cheers Open1Your1Eyes0!

Rumor: Google Babel Will Actually Launch Publicly as Google “Hangouts”? (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

In one line of a report by the Korea Times, the world is now jumping to the idea that Google has already pegged LG as the creator of the next Nexus phone. Since LG produced the Nexus 4, they could easily create the next Nexus. Hell, even Samsung produced two Nexus phones in a row in the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. The report comes as Larry Page stopped off to meet with LG CEO Koo Bon-joon in Korea to talk business. The report mentions specifically that the two met under low profile circumstances because “LG Group is working with Internet-giant Google to make another Nexus-branded Google Android smartphone.” So are they? 

Other than this report, we have no other leads that point towards LG producing the next Nexus, which many have already dubbed “Nexus 5.” One thing you should keep in mind, is the fact that we likely won’t see another phone made by Google until the end of 2013. Google has released Nexus phones during the holiday quarter for three straight years, so by no means do we expect to see a new Nexus phone at Google I/O in two weeks or at another time this summer.

LG certainly makes sense, though. The Nexus 4 has been a success if you consider that Google underestimated demand for it during the first few months of its release, leading to weeks and weeks of delays and limited availability. LG has also set personal records in terms of the amounts of smartphones it has shipped over the last quarter or so, thanks to innovative features and form factors of devices that match up nicely to what Samsung has been pushing. While we have a ways to go before we’ll know for sure if LG is making the next Nexus, they should stick on the short list of potential companies.

The meeting between Koo and Page reportedly also featured conversations about TVs and Google Glass.

Thoughts on LG producing the next Nexus? We know you’d rather have it be made by Motorola, but who would be your second choice?

Via:  Korea Times

Cheers Brad!

Rumor and a Half: Larry Page Meets With LG to Talk Next Nexus Phone is a post from: Droid Life

Rather than a Nexus 5 is there a chance that Google releases a new version of the Nexus 4 this summer? According to a new rumor that is making the rounds and appearing in our inbox far too often, this is the word on the dark, back alley, make-sure-you-have-a-tight-grip-on-your-purse, streets. The rumor is this – Google is going to release a new variant of the Nexus 4 with both CDMA and LTE radios inside, along with 32GB of storage. It’ll be unveiled at Google I/O in May. So, what do we think? 

Well, first, Google seems to have made it clear at times that they aren’t fans of tying their Nexus devices to carriers. We all know from back in the days of Ice Cream Sandwich that their Android engineers spoke of having their minds blown over the carrier approval process for delaying what should be simple updates. But then again, Andy Rubin said after the launch of the Nexus 4 that they would “certainly have a desire to offer devices on every carrier on the planet.” His comments came during an explanation over the lack of LTE in the device and the idea that they didn’t want to use hybrid LTE networks along with older tech and dual-radios, since they diminish the user experience and battery life. So which is it? Do they hate carrier-tied devices or not? Or was Rubin speaking generally about having a device that works on all carriers, yet isn’t necessarily branded by them? Tough to tell.

This rumor does pose a couple of interesting points, though. The first being that Sprint received both of their Nexus devices (Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus) around April and May, long after the initial release of the same device. Should Google have figured out a way to toss in a CDMA/LTE radio inside one, launching on Sprint at Google I/O in May certainly matches up to previous time frames. Then again, Google has had to publicly state some of their frustrations with CDMA in general, as it is difficult to support in AOSP. Do they really want to go down that route again after all that we’ve been through? We’re talking withheld factory images, binaries, and updates for both Sprint and Verizon variants of Nexus devices, all of which run on CDMA networks.

The other part of this rumor mentions that we could see this version with 32GB of storage inside. As you all know, the current Nexus 4 only comes with 8GB or 16GB of storage, which in today’s smartphone era, isn’t necessarily enough thanks to massive pictures, HD video recordings, HD games, and movie downloads. One could fill up 8GB (since the system usually takes a couple of that to begin with) in no time without even trying. So, a 32GB version of the phone does make some sense.

We’re also acknowledging the idea that Google would likely release a new version of the Nexus 4 over a brand new Nexus 5 since the Nexus 4 is still only a couple of months old, makes a lot of sense. Google tends to launch new smartphones at their winter events, while saving the mid-year I/O conference for tablets and random media players that lack any functionality. Why not toss out a new version of the Nexus 4 to push sales until they can launch new hardware during the holidays?

We should point out that the folks at Android Central mentioned the existence of a similar version of this device back in November of last year, stating that it could arrive by late Q1. Obviously, that didn’t happen. They later weighed in with the idea that we may not see this phone after all, even though they had heard that AT&T and Sprint versions were in testing, because news on either device had gone silent for months. At least that’s another supposed confirmation of the device’s existence, but at this point, not necessarily in a good way.

Keep in mind that we also saw a brief glimpse of a white Nexus 4, along with a matching white Bumper, yet have never seen either officially launch anywhere. Google does some head-scratching things more often than we can keep track of. I’ll just say this – a CDMA variant of the Nexus 4 makes little sense to me after seeing what has happened over the years with both Sprint and Verizon versions of Nexus phones. But then again, this is Google we are talking about.

So, folks, we really just don’t know. One can always dream.

Via:  Sidhtech

Cheers Sean, Roderick, and everyone else!

Weird Rumor: 32GB Nexus 4 With CDMA and LTE to be Announced at Google I/O? is a post from: Droid Life

According to a report out of Reuters this evening, Google will launch a new version of its popular Nexus 7 tablet this July. The tablet will be made by Asus once again, but will use one of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors this time around in favor of NVIDIA’s Tegra line, “for power reasons,” one of their sources said. The new N7 will also sport a display with a higher resolution and a casing with a much smaller bezel than the current model. 

Outside of those details, little is known including price. But if the current Nexus 7 is anything to go off of, it’s unlikely that this new Nexus 7 will drop in at anything higher than a couple hundred dollars. The current models retail for $199 (16GB) and $249 (32GB), so as this new model is introduced and the old ones are discontinued, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it slide into those exact price points. Remember that Google isn’t trying to make money off of the sales of their devices, they are expecting to make most of their profits off of either mobile ads or the sale of products through Google Play.

With Google I/O arriving in mid-May, there is a good chance that we’ll see this new Nexus 7 on stage. The original Nexus 7 debuted at last year’s Google developer conference, so why not bring us version 2 in the same environment.

Via:  Reuters

Report: New Nexus 7 Arriving in July, Google Chooses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Over NVIDIA’s Tegra is a post from: Droid Life

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen a handful of reports suggesting that Google is on the verge of releasing a unified chat service called “Babble.” This new service was rumored to have merged services  like Voice, Talk, and Google+ Messenger into a cross-platform chat solution, hopefully ending the siloed and independent chat experiences that we all currently experience. While most of those reports were on the right track, we believe that the actual name of the new Google messenger service is called “Babel” rather than “Babble,” at least internally. 

According to sources of ours, with Babel, you’ll get a seamless messenger experience across Android, iOS, Chrome, Google+ and Gmail. From what we have seen, there is no mention of Google Voice or other services outside of the five we just mentioned, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be there at some point. As of now, this is being tested internally as a cross-platform service through those five platforms (Android, iOS, Chrome, Google+ and Gmail).

Google is selling the service as having these features:

• Access the same conversation list from anywhere
• A new, conversation-based UI
• Advanced group conversations
• Ability to send pictures
• Improved notifications across devices

So what does “Babel” mean? It has a variety of meanings, that all make sense in some round-about way. The semi-hilarious thing about the name, is the fact that the definition of the word by itself has to do with a confused mixture of sounds, voices, or languages. But if you think about the movie Babel, with Brad Pitt, the name tends to make more sense. The movie itself focuses on four interrelated situations and conversations that all eventually come together in the end through a single phone call that is played from two different perspectives from the beginning and then the final scene. When you think of a unified messenger client, this idea of merging conversations from different perspectives or places seems to make a lot of sense. Then of course, there is the biblical meaning.

Another interesting item of note – there is already a chat service on Android called Babel (Play link), however, it appears to have a small international user base.

Would Google really name a service after a Brad Pitt movie? Have they gone biblical? Babel could be an internal codename for all we know. Obviously, we’ll keep this as a rumor until further details surface.

Google’s Unified Chat Actually Named “Babel” – Coming to Android, iOS, Chrome, G+ and Gmail is a post from: Droid Life

According to a report out of the Financial Times, Google is indeed preparing to enter the smartwatch arena. As unsurprising as that sounds, since every other major tech company has been rumored to be working on some sort of smartwatch product, it’s the particular team given the task of developing it that caught our interest. FT claims that the Android team will indeed be leading the charge on the project “to act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system.” 

Their sources also claim that this project is separate from what Samsung is doing, which would make sense since they are completely separate companies…moving on.

If you haven’t figured it out, the smartwatch is the new frontier for tech companies just as tablets were a couple of years ago. Now that smartphones have found themselves in the pockets and purses of so many, and the iPad still reigns supreme in the tablet space, it’s time to look for what’s next. Wearable computing appears to be the hot topic of the moment, so to hear that Google’s Android team has been given the job is hardly surprising. It is exciting, though.

Finding a seamless connection between smartphone and watch is going to be of the utmost importance. So far, the smartwatch has been mostly a failed experiment because of a lack of apps and vision by early entries. Pebble may be the closest to a winner, but it has a long way to go. While I don’t know if Google can find a way to make magic in a new arena (Nexus Q, anyone?), we’ll be standing by with fingers crossed.

No time frame for a release or announcement of the project was given.

Via:  Financial Times

Report: Google Smartwatch Being Developed by the Android Team is a post from: Droid Life

According to sources who spoke with Geek.com, Google is readying a unified chat client called “Babble” that will merge Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, Voice, and any other platform used to send messages across their services. The goal for Babble is to overtake platforms like iMessage and Blackberry Messenger, which none of its separate parts have been able to do thus far. 

These same sources said that Babble will help push Google’s trend of organization by conversation. Through this new messenger client, you’ll be able to share photos in chat windows or start a Hangout with anyone on your contact list, while maintaining threaded conversations across multiple services, something you cannot necessarily do at this point. After introduction, Babble will offer the same sets of features everywhere.

A timeframe for release has not been given, but as with anything Google-related these days, Google I/O is probably going to be a great time for an unveiling.

I for one am extremely excited about this news, should it be true. For far too long have we wished for a more powerful chat client that works across all Google services. The broken lines between Google Talk, Google+ Messenger and Google Voice have been beyond frustrating at times. This seems like a service that should have been introduced ages ago, but the solution may not have been the simplest, especially when you look at the ever-increasing number of Google services these days.

The only thing I’m a little confused about is the purported name, Babble. Google seems to stick to mostly standard terms when it names it services, like Voice, Maps, Drive, News, Wallet, Offers, etc. Babble seems a little out there, and is also the name of an incredibly popular parenting site which is owned by Disney. I’m not saying that the service won’t be called “Babble,” but I’d almost expect them to go with something like “Google Connect.”

Via:  Geek

Cheers Aadi!

Google to Release Unified Chat Service Called “Babble”? is a post from: Droid Life

And the Nexus 5 rumors are here! Over the weekend, a couple of tech outlets tossed out what they believe to be specs for the next Google-inspired mobile device as provided by well-placed insiders (or trolls). Rumors suggest that LG will produce the phone, just as they did the Nexus 4 with the image included above being a prototype design for it. But after this incredibly questionable rumor surfaced, another report claims that this is nothing more than a fantasy list and that the actual device will be much more in line with current handsets, but the camera will use a “triple camera sensor thing.” I’m not kidding, that’s the official quote. Let’s jump below and walk through a breakdown of the situation.

Spoiler alert – it all mostly sounds like garbage. 

Here are the supposed specs from rumor #1:

• 5.2″ OLED Display with 1920×1080 resolution
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 @ 2.3 GHz
• 3GB LPDDR3 Ram
• 16/32/64GB of internal storage
• 16MP rear camera by OmniVision (4k video recording @30FPS, 1080p video recording @60FPS, Real Time HDR & HDR video recording, optical image stabilization, BSI 2.0)
• 2.1MP front camera (1080p video recording @30FPS)
• 3300 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
• Front positioned stereo speakers
• Qualcomm RF360 (LTE 150 Mbps & HSPA+)
• Integrated DVB-T / ATSC-antenna
• Gesture like controls (navigation, zoom, etc)

So that list came from rumor #1, which as you can see, looks most definitely like some sort of fantasy device. Sure, we would love to see everything listed there in the next Nexus, but we also would love to win the lottery and don’t see that happening any time soon.

As far as rumor #2 goes, the claim is that the next Nexus will actually have a Snapdragon 600, 2GB RAM, 8/16GB of internal storage, and big ol’ 3140mAh battery. But where this becomes somewhat interesting, is in the idea that Nikon will produce the “triple camera sensor thing” inside. As you may recall, Vic Gundotra said a month ago that they are committed to making Nexus phones great cameras. I guess partnering with Nikon would certainly be a way to do that.

Last, moments before rumor #1 surfaced, the oft-correct @evleaks Twitter account Tweeted “LG Nexus 5 looks pretty hot, if that was just it…” So we don’t know if an internet troll was shopping around the “prototype” image from the top of this post and @evleaks was mocking it after denying it, or if the timing was simply a coincidence.

No matter what, it’s way too damn early to start tossing out random rumors from untrusted and anonymous sources when it relates to the next Nexus. Will we see a new Nexus this year? More than likely. Do we think any of this makes much sense or should be taken as gospel? Not for a second.

Via:  Android and Me | PhoneArena | @evleaks

Nexus 5 Rumors Have Started Already, Fresh Out of Fantasy Land is a post from: Droid Life

Remember how disappointed you were the day that HTC announced the One and that the only major carrier across the globe that had decided to pass on it was Verizon? Thankfully, your disappointment may be short-lived, as reports yesterday suggested that Big Red would indeed carry a variant of the One, but that it would arrive later after it passed through testing. Or will it arrive right on time?

According to a Walmart wireless department document that crossed our path today, the mega-market is expecting Verizon’s variant to arrive in March (this month) alongside those headed to AT&T and Sprint. Once it does, the One will replace the HTC DROID DNA on shelves.

So what do we think? I’m not exactly sure what to think. My mind keeps saying, “If this phone was coming to Verizon this soon, why wasn’t it announced back with all other carriers?” But I guess you never know, maybe Verizon and HTC were continuing talks and weren’t ready to mention anything back in February.

I was also wondering if Walmart hadn’t simply mixed up the HTC One for T-Mobile, but when they specifically claim that the this Verizon version will replace the DNA, you can almost throw that idea out.

So…are you ready for Verizon’s HTC One? Before saying “yes!” – let’s let this sit for a few days and see what happens.

Cheers ___!

Walmart Document Shows HTC One Arriving on Verizon This Month, Replacing the DNA is a post from: Droid Life

A report out of AllThingsD this morning suggests that Verizon will end up offering the new flagship HTC One after all. Unfortunately, according to their sources, it won’t be available anywhere near launch on the other three big U.S. carriers as Big Red is taking their sweet time testing out the device. (Please don’t be surprised by that idea.)  It could take one or two months for VZW to finish up and get it ready for launch. 

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as we have seen the HTC6445LVW already appear in testing and at Bluetooth SIG. This device, also known as the “DLXPLUS,” has been rumored to have identical specs to the One, we were just expecting Verizon to brand it with DROID or something else.

For HTC, this is quite the victory. Verizon is too large of a carrier in this country to not have your flagship phone on. Assuming it does end up as the HTC One on Verizon, this should help in a major way with marketing and also with sales numbers.

It may not be enough to compete with Samsung and the Galaxy S4, but it can’t hurt.

Via:  AllThingsD

Report: Verizon to Carry HTC One After All, Late Thanks to Extra Testing is a post from: Droid Life

Outside of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, I’d say it’s safe to say that most of the geeks around these parts care only about one other device – that’s the Motorola X Phone. Though Google’s CEO isn’t expecting any of Moto’s products to “wow” us over the next few months, the X Phone will continue to be on our radar, as all of Motorola’s have been in the past. There is a chance that it ends up wow-ing us, especially if Google shows that they have had any influence  on its design, build materials, and software tweaks. With that said, there has been little tangible evidence to this point, so when we see purported leaks surface, we can’t help but be extremely skeptical. Take today’s for example. 

According to AndroidWorld, in a rumor that is making all sorts of rounds today, a tipster submitted both the photo above and a list of what they believe to be the specs of the upcoming X phone. What you’ll notice immediately is a name change to “NXT”? That’s a first, and something none of our sources have ever mentioned as being the codename or official name of Motorola’s top secret project. Oh, we should also point out that there is a remark in the post itself by AndroidWorld which clearly suggests that this was a user created render and should not be taken seriously whatsoever. And that mention was made after the fact, since one of the commenters of the site posted up the render that the tipster took the creepshot of, since well, he created it and all. Moving on…

Here is the original:

Second, the specs do not make sense. According to this source, we’re looking at a device with a 4.7″ FHD display, 16MP camera, NVIDIA Tegra 4i chipset, 5MP front camera (with fancy eye scrolling tech), and a 7.9mm thick frame. While I would be OK with Motorola choosing the Tegra 4i for the X Phone, they would be eliminating Verizon and Sprint should they do so. The 4i doesn’t support CDMA, so unless this phone will be one of the first LTE-only phones, don’t put your money on it having an NVIDIA chip. And since Verizon is essentially Motorola’s biggest partner, they sure as hell aren’t going to eliminate them from their next big phone.

The 5MP front camera also seems like complete overkill. I get that the world is now filled with embarrassing VGA and 2MP selfies, but do we really need a 5MP shooter up top? This rumor mentions that the camera will be used for eye tracking, to scroll through documents, emails, and web pages automatically. Oh, that’s original…or maybe not.

Hate to say it, as I would love to finally see some concrete evidence of the X Phone, but today’s rumor is not that.

Via:  AndroidWorld

Random Fake Motorola X Phone Rumor Makes Internet Rounds, Doesn’t Make Much Sense Either is a post from: Droid Life

If your current or previous employment included a perk that included a discount on your Verizon Wireless bill, you may be asked by Verizon in the coming weeks to validate your status in order to continue receiving that same discount. According to a report out of PhoneArena, Verizon plans to run an audit of sorts starting April 1, to clear out old discounts from customers who are no longer with eligible companies or who have left companies yet are still receiving slashed plan pricing. 

Starting April 1, customers will have 60 days to validate their status. Through SMS, mail, or email, Verizon will ask that you prove that you are still entitled to a discount on your account. Approval will likely happen through a Verizon-hosted website asking you to provide a related work email address. I’m guessing you’ll also be able to verify in person.

Sad news indeed, as I know there are many in the community who have enjoyed long discounts from previous employers up to 25% off their monthly bill, along with discounts at up to 25% on accessory purchases.

Stay tuned for more news on this as we get closer to April.

Via:  PhoneArena

Cheers Robert!

Verizon Audit of Employer Discounts Incoming, Days of Using Your Previous Company’s May Come to an End is a post from: Droid Life

According to Korean media outlet Digital Times, Samsung may have to use a different processor in the Galaxy S4 other than the Exynos Octa processor that was unveiled during CES. Instead, they could use one of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon processors, which wouldn’t be surprising after the benchmark we saw for the Samsung SCH-I545, a device that could be Verizon’s version of the GS4. The processor listed in that benchmark was a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, the same beast that resides in the new HTC One. By no means would this be some sort of a disappointment, you just wouldn’t be able to run around bragging to friends that your phone has a faux octa-core processor.

This report claims that the Octa is having power consumption issues that may not be resolved in time.

All is rumor or speculation until it becomes official.

Via:  Digital Times

Samsung May Go With Qualcomm Chips in Galaxy S4 Instead of the Octa is a post from: Droid Life