Will the LG G3 Out-Spec the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8?

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The LG G3 is due out pretty soon, and many of us are expecting great things from LG with this next iteration of the Optimus G. But that’s because LG has set the bar so high with the Optimus G and the G2. The G2 had amazing specs, and still stands toe-to-toe with smartphones announced as recently as this week. With it’s beautiful 1080p IPS display which is basically bezel-less, along with it’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and large 3000mAh battery which provides one of the best battery experiences out there, besides the DROID Maxx from Motorola. So what do we expect from the LG G3? Bigger and better.

There are rumors that the LG G3 is coming out in the summer, which I’d put my money on around August or so rather than June. Mostly because the G2 was announced in September, and phones usually are announced a month earlier every year, not 3 months earlier. Either way, we’ll have a G3 in our hands by the time everyone goes back to school in the fall. We’ve heard plenty of rumors about the specs as well, like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor which is due out in the second half of the year. Which I think LG needs to wait for that processor, because slapping a Snapdragon 801 inside the G3 isn’t going to get a whole lot of G2 owners to upgrade, since it’s a very small bump. We’re also hearing rumors that the display could be 2K, meaning a 2560×1440 resolution display. We’re also looking at perhaps 3GB of RAM and keeping the 32GB of internal storage, however LG may add a microSD card slot this year. As the LG G Pro 2 has one, but it also has a removable battery – same as the LG G2 in Korea.

As far as the camera goes, we’re thinking a 16-megapixel with OIS+. Which OIS+ is what is in the LG G Pro 2′s camera, and it takes pretty amazing pictures from what I can see. Of course, it hasn’t been launched in the US just yet, so it’s hard to tell how good it really is without using it myself. But the LG G3 is looking like another spec beast from LG. I just hope they can work on their software a bit more and fine tune it. On the G2, it just seemed all over the place.

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Latest LG G2 Camera Mod Brings 120FPS 720p Shooting, Reduced Noise Reduction and More

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The camera on the LG G2 is a pretty good one, however, it seems like LG hasn’t been using it to it’s fullest. We’ve seen a few camera mods already that bring 4K shooting to the device as well as ultra smooth 720p shooting at 120fps. Now we’ve got another one here that brings even more improvements to the camera and more features. This mod by XDA member xdabbeb, brings a whole wackload of features. These include improved intelligent auto mode, improved night mode with slower shutter speed, 120p video recording at 120 frames-per-second, Magic Focus Mode which is on the LG G Pro 2, Reduced noise reduction, 1600 ISO, increased panorama resolution and reduced JPEG compression on images.

Obviously, you’ll need to be rooted to put this mod on your LG G2, and you’ll also need to be running on KitKat – sorry Verizon and Sprint users. To install it, you’ll need to first perform a nandroid backup and then you can flash it through your recovery, just like you would a ROM. It’s actually really simple to install and the results are pretty amazing. Now I haven’t tried out this mod yet because I haven’t rooted my LG G2, but the results from other XDA members are pretty positive, so I’d say give it a try.

If you’re already satisfied with your camera on the LG G2, then you probably don’t need to flash this mod, but it’s amazing to see what this camera can really do. While 4K video recording isn’t listed, it is capable of doing so with this mod, which is awesome but not sure it’s really needed yet. It’s just one of those features to boast to your friends, I think. How many of you are going to check out this mod for the G2? Check out the source link below for more information.

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Will the ZTE Grand S II Be the First Android Smartphone With 4GB of RAM?

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When it comes to memory in Android smartphones, we’ve seen things take off pretty rapidly. For a long time the norm was 512MB in a phone, then phones started to hit the scene with 1GB of RAM and we all thought that was amazing. Of course, that was until we saw quad-core CPUs take advantage of 2GB of RAM and then, Samsung and co came along and made us rethink everything with 3GB of RAM in their latest smartphones. Of course, 3GB of RAM in a phone does seem like overkill, and considering that most users get by just fine with 2GB of RAM, it’s hard to justify the extra spent simply in search of more memory on your mobile.

Now though, there’s word that ZTE might be taking things to a whole other level with the introduction of the Grand S II and 4GB of RAM. Yes, you read right, 4GB of RAM in an Android smartphone. Of course, right now this is just a rumor, and if we’re honest we can’t see someone like ZTE pushing the boundaries when it comes to RAM. Still, the device has been certified in China and while that hasn’t revealed the true specs of the device, a spec sheet obtained by MyDrivers seems to do that just fine. It’s down below, and while it’s tough to make out in this image, we can see that “4GB” of memory is listed just underneath the CPU speed, which is 2.3 Ghz and is probably a Snapdragon 800. Sure, there’s a chance that this means 4GB of onboard storage and someone put the value in the wrong box. However, with ZTE shipping more storage onboard to move away from SD cards, we doubt 4GB of storage is hitting the Grand S II.

We’re a little skeptical on this one, but 4GB in a smartphone would be an interesting statement for ZTE to make. Besides, one that has a 5.5-inch 1080p display like this and it makes a little more sense. The question is though, do we have any need for this sort of thing? Let us know what you think!

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Philips Unveils its First Android-powered 4K TVs Complete With Ambilight Features

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Android on a giant Ultra HD 4K display sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it? Well the good news is, it’s about to become a reality for those willing to cough up a presumably large chunk of change, thanks to Philips’ recently announced 8000 series of smart TVs.

The Full-HD (1080p) 8100 and 8200 Philips TVs and the Ultra HD (4k) 8800 series are Android-powered, which opens up a world of opportunities for enhancing both the TV and the gaming experience. Users will have access to Philips Smart TV apps, as well as the Google Play Store. This means you can choose from a full range of apps, like Chrome Browser, Google Play Music, YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, and everything else the Play Store has to offer. The possibilities are rather overwhelming.

The 8100 and 8200 series, with 800 Hz Perfect Motion Rate plus Super Resolution, are powered by a quad-core processor and the 8800, with 1000 Hz Perfect Motion Rate Ultra plus Ultra Resolution, is actually rocking a hex-core processor, so there’s more than enough computing power to provide a highly responsive, rich and immersive experience for even the most hardcore gamers out there. The 8100 and 8200 series are rumored to be 48- and 55-inch, while the 8800 series will be 55-inch only.

The “premium” 8800 series offers distance adaptive sharpness — a pretty nifty feature that uses the TV’s built-in camera to automatically detect the viewer and adapt the sharpness accordingly. They also boast an impressive list of control methods, putting an emphasis on just how smart these Smart TVs really are. Users can point, use cursor navigation, type, talk, or make gestures to control the set.

Also included with the 8800 series is a 4-sided Ambilight with the newly integrated Ambilight gaming mode, which is said to dramatically improve the fast-moving scenes in sports and action games. It really looks like Philips’ is taking strides to appeal to the gaming community here, which should make a lot of folks out there excited. Count me in with that crowd.

The bad news (at least for some): you’ll have to live in Europe or Russia if you want to purchase one when they become available in Q2 2014. Sorry, rest of the world, but there’s no word on if/when we’ll see them elsewhere. No pricing information was given in the press release.

Anybody else drooling over these right now? If so, try not to get drool on your keyboard as you watch the below video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Roku Makes The 3500R Streaming Stick Official With Todays Launch

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The gloves are off Chromecast fans, Roku has officially announced the release of their brand new streaming HDMI dongle called the Roku 3500R Streaming Stick. This is Roku’s answer to the wildly popular Chromecast, which to be honest, they were smart to release because the Chromecast has been making waves. The 3500R, although a tad more expensive, gives quite a bit more options to those willing to buy. While the Chromecast is great because it comes in under $40 and offers a ton of different ways to get your media onto your TV, the Roku 3500R provides access to over 1,200 channels with plenty of movies for the film buff, loads of TV shows, kids programs, Sports, music and news. You’ll also have access to media content through Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, Blockbusters streaming video service and a service called Mgo. Did you think the media content would stop there? Of course not. You can also get your content from hulu plus, VUDU, and HBO Go among others.

The Roku takes control and easy management of your media content to the next level, by not only offering touch interface control access to customers by way of the Android app so you can use your device, but it also comes with a Wifi remote so you can control things a little more traditionally if you like. The best part about the remote, is that it has built in RF tech so you don’t have to worry about pointing the remote at the TV and hitting just the right angle. I rarely run into that issue myself with my standard TV remote, but it does happen. With the Roku remote it’s not even an issue.

Pair all this greatness with the streaming quality of up to 1080P HD, and the dual-band wireless N with extended range which should provide you with a seamless and uninterrupted(hopefully) viewing experience, and the Roku 3500R sounds like a winner. If you tend favor your media comes from places like Netflix or Amazon Instant Video, you’ll also get dedicated access buttons to those on the remote so you can open those services as soon as you power on your TV. Right now the Roku 3500R Streaming Stick is available for purchase for $49.99. We’ve provided a handy Amazon link for you at the bottom, which says the product usually ships within 6-8 days, but obviously quicker if you have Prime. If you’re not sold on the Roku and would rather go for the cheaper Chromecast option,(now available in the UK) there’s a link for that as well. All in all the Roku 35ooR looks to be a great little device that can provide much more content to users than Chromecast, of course it all depends on what it is you want to watch and how you care to access it.

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Sony Smartband SWR10 Pops Up On Amazon Before Other Retailers

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Are you a Sony product fan? If you are and you’re in the market for a wearable fitness tracker and activity tracker, and were keen on checking out the Sony Smartband what we saw at MWC this year the good news is that you are now able to get your hands one as of now. So far the Sony Smartband was available pretty much everywhere via pre-order only but one individual seller on Amazon apparently has them in stock. The seller, that goes by the name of Electronics-Plus, has them up for sale for the amount of $114.95 along with the $3.99 shipping and handling. The listing says that it is currently in stock and we would presume that the seller has more than one, but it’s entirely possible that they could just have the single band.

The Sony Smartband(SWR10) comes in black, just in case you wanted to know the color, unfortunately it looks like black is the only color here but there will be more available from Sony at some point which include the colors white, pink, purple, and yellow as well. The listing gives no estimated time for ship dates, so we’ll just take a guess that shipping could take a couple weeks, but in reality it really all depends on where it’s being shipped to, and how long it takes to fill the order.(which shouldn’t take long since they’re in stock)While this may not fit the bill for what some users are wanting out of a wearable device, the Smartband SWR10 does more than just track your fitness and location. Think of the Smartband as more of life tracker, as it tracks your steps, your location, calories burned, and when paired with the life logging app from Sony you can also track how long you’ve slept, what music your listening to, and it even has a feature called Life Bookmarks, which lets you capture whatever is going on at a specific moment that you feel is special and worth saving. The band connects through NFC and Bluetooth, so you can choose which method is best for you. It sends data to your phone while connected, and much like the way Google’s apps save data while offline and sync with your account when you re-connect, the Smartband will do the same so you can make sure to always have the data that has been logged throughout the day. If you don’t want to wait any longer head on over to amazon and grab this before it disappears.

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OnePlus One To Be Part of Smartphone Revolution, Says CyanogenMod’s Steve Kondik

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We are now less than a month away from the announcement of the highly hyped new flagship known as the OnePlus One. The OnePlus One is a brand new device that has been manufactured by OnePlus. They’re a brand new company that is looking to seriously shake things up in the world of mobile phones. We’ve been hearing quite a bit from the company recently. They’ve been teasing that their device is going to beat out the new flagships that we’ve seen from companies like HTC and Samsung. However, most consumers would rather see the device and decide that for themselves.

The OnePlus One is set to run CyanogenMod as its operating system. In case this is new to you, CyanogenMod is based off of Android, but adds some useful software features that some consumers feel stock Android was lacking. Yesterday, Steve Kondik, who is CyanogenMod’s founder and CTO, posted on Google+ about his work with OnePlus and what we should expect from their soon to be announced flagship. Kondik states that we’ll be seeing a revolution in mobile phones, and that the OnePlus One will be heavily involved in that revolution. He mentioned that the OnePlus One would be “a top of the line phone with 90% of what most people want in a phone for a reasonable price”. Kondik also stated that it’s important to listen to the consumers voice and get their opinion on hardware, like CyanogenMod does with their software. According to Kondik, OnePlus understands the importance of the consumer, and has put the customer first when creating the OnePlus One.

The OnePlus One has been extremely hyped by OnePlus. We recently saw a comparison chart between the features of the HTC One M8 and the features on the OnePlus One. According to the comparison chart, the OnePlus One will feature a 5.5-inch screen, a 13-megapixel rear facing camera, and a 3100 mAh battery. The date for the OnePlus One’s announcement is set for April 23rd, so we’re still a little while out. It will be interesting to see if OnePlus has designed a product that is able to live up to the hype that they have created for it. Do you think that hyping up a phone is a good move?

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