February, 2013

• 7 February

  Intel

  

  Asus, the maker of Google’s Nexus 7, will debut a 7-inch Fonepad at Mobile World Congress later this month, according to sources familiar with the product. Reports say the Fonepad may be priced in the same ballpark as — or slightly higher than — the Nexus 7 but below the MeMO Pad, which Asus launched …

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• 7 February

  Quarter of iPhones have a broken screen, says new poll

  

  As many as a quarter of iPhone owners are walking around with a broken screen, according to new figures. iPhone owners were asked whether their blower’s display is currently broken, smashed or cracked in any way, to which 23 per cent yes. The average length of time people have been putting up with their damaged display is six months. Most …

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• 7 February

  HMV closing 66 shops, with nearly 1,000 jobs under threat

  

  HMV is bringing down the shutters on 66 shops, threatening 930 staff. After an angry employee hijacked HMV’s Twitter last week, the retailer’s administrators have finally revealed which stores are to be axed. The 66 branches of the ailing music, DVD and games chain will close over the next two months. Read on to see if your branch is to be …

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• 6 February

  LG hints at new smartphone series in Facebook post

  

  LG is hinting that a refresh to its smartphone line is coming. The company posted an image of a wrapped package on its LG Mobile Facebook page last night. The package has text on top of it reading, “New series will be unveiled.” LG’s description of the image says that the “surprise” will come with “an unexpected distinction.” LG provided …

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• 6 February

  Apple reigns as chief U.S. smartphone maker

  

  As Apple appears to be winning the U.S. smartphone race, Google still has a strong hold as the top mobile platform. New data by ComScore shows that Apple got the rank of “top smartphone manufacturer” by raking in 36.3 percent of the market share, while Google Android was the No. 1 platform with 53.4 percent share. ComScore tallied this data …

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• 6 February

  No massive Google presence at Mobile World Congress

  

  Google will not set up its massive (and fun) booth at Mobile World Congress this year, according to a spokesperson from Google France (translation). Instead, Google will reportedly dispatch an Android support team to assist partners at various locations throughout the conference. Related stories Frenzy for Android pins attracts MWC hordes Android wonderland: Google’s MWC 2012 booth (photos) Top 5 …

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• 6 February

  Jelly Bean now on 13 per cent of Android phones and tablets

  

  Spurred on by the popularity of the best-selling Samsung Galaxy S3 and the bargain-tastic Google Nexus 4, Jelly Bean is now on nearly one in seven of all Android phones and tablets. The latest version of Android, Jelly Bean is used by 13.6 per cent of all Android phones and tablets, according to Google’s latest figures. That’s a steady increase …

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• 6 February

  BlackBerry boasts record early sales for Z10 in U.K., Canada

  

  The BlackBerry Z10 had a nice start, after all. BlackBerry said it nearly tripled the sales of its best performance over the first week in the U.K., while it had its best first day ever in Canada. “In fact, it was more than 50 percent better than any other launch day in our history in Canada,” BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins …

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• 6 February

  BlackBerry Q10 phone may not reach U.S. until May or June

  

  BlackBerry customers in the U.S. awaiting the new Q10 smartphone may have a long wait ahead of them. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins told the Associated Press this week that the Q10 phone, which offers a traditional physical keyboard, will probably launch eight to 10 weeks after the debut of the virtual keyboard Z10 model. The Z10 is already available in …

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• 6 February

  BlackBerry Z10 camera versus iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3

  

  BlackBerrys haven’t always had the top cameras in the industry, but with the BlackBerry Z10‘s 8-megapixel camera, things are turning around. In my tests so far, the Z10’s shooter largely succeeds. Over the course of my testing period, I got some really nice outdoor shots, plus some crisp indoor photos of everything from food labels to receipts. Of course, not …

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