What is the one thing you wish your smartphone could do?

Smartphones are capable of doing many things few thought possible just years ago: make payments, interface with watches or cars, provide data speeds faster than most home Internet connections, run several applications at once, and, over time, learn important things about their owners. It’s a strange world, indeed. But Motorola made an interesting (and valid) point during its marketing push for the Moto X. While smartphones have become more capable and powerful, they haven’t actually become any smarter than before. In fact, they’re actually quite dumb. And if you think ...

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Nexus 5 hands-on reveals details of Android 4.4 cloud backup service

You ever get that feeling that everyone has a certain phone, except you? The Nexus 5 hasn’t even launched yet, but from all the leaks we’ve been seeing, it’s pretty clear that there are a whole lot of them out there already, teasing away at us. As we wait for Google to flip the switch on this baby, reports on the handset continue to pile up, one of the most recent of which taking the form of an AMA on Reddit. In the course of the discussion, we got to learn a ...

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Here are the main advantages of having a Snapdragon 800 SoC

Just so we’re all on the same page, a System on a Chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit which combines all the core components of an electronic system into a single chip. Depending on its use, it might include digital, analog, and mixed-signal processing, and typically includes various radio-frequency functionality. Blah blah blah. It’s the chip that powers your phone or tablet. Got it? Good, let’s get into the really interesting stuff! SoCs are made by manufacturers including (but certainly not limited to) Intel, Texas Instruments, Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm, and more. ...

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Why is it so bloody difficult to have accessories ready to sell at launch?

Mobile electronics don’t exist in a bubble. Whether we’re talking about smartphones or tablets, our gadgets rely on a whole lot of contributions from the world around them in order to be as fully featured and useful as possible. We need carriers to provide mobile data (even if we don’t particularly care for our options), app stores to hook us up with software, and case-makers to help protect our gear. It shouldn’t be surprising at all to see manufacturers getting in on some of this action ...

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HTC One max vs Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 (Video)

Got a few hundred clams burning a hole in your pocket? Do you love absurdly oversized smartphone displays? Do you see no need for mobile devices to include a stylus in 2013? Then you, friend, have come to the right place. The subjects of today’s Pocketnow comparison are not alien to us. Each is a positively massive smartphone featuring powerful media consumption capabilities. We’ve already separately reviewed both the HTC One max and the

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Samsung curved batteries nearing mass production, claims report

Smartphones and tablets are not the only domains where LG and Samsung compete (aside from displays, TVs, appliances, etc.). The two South Korean companies are also competitors when it comes to battery technologies, and, while LG already announced its curved, stepped, and cable batteries and its capability for production – the curved battery is actually powering the G Flex — it is now time for Samsung to follow suit. According to reports from Samsung’s country, the company is now ready to ...

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Windows Phone 8 GDR3 reportedly allows phones to recharge while turned off

You can charge your Android device while having it turned off but Windows Phones, pretty much like iPhones, will boot up immediately when plugged in for a charge while being turned off. The HTC 8X, both the global and the AT&T carrier flavor, has started receiving its GDR3 update, and apparently the refresh solves this issue (feature?). WPCentral reports that once the HTC 8X as the latest firmware, powering it off and plugging it in for a charge triggers a vibration, followed by the HTC logo, a battery icon, but no boot into the operating system. This could be useful for those who ...

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Verizon Ellipsis 7 leaked as upcoming carrier slate?

The leaked press render above is allegedly depicting an upcoming tablet on Verizon, dubbed, for the moment, the Ellipsis 7. The leak itself doesn’t contain other information aside from the image above and the hint for this year. However, the US Patent and Trademark Office has the Ellipsis on file, as well as the Ellipsis 7, and we’re looking at a “wireless telecommunications device featuring transmission of voice, data, image and video”. Verizon didn’t comment on the leak but acknowledged the existence of the trademark filings. As for the slate itself, ...

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Nokia wants to ban HTC products in the UK as a result of a recent ruling

Nokia turned to the UK High Court for justice concerning a patent dispute with HTC. The Court granted Nokia a win and the Finnish manufacturer will seek both financial compensation as well as a ban for HTC’s infringing products (the flagship One, as well as an older model, the Wildfire) in the country. An HTC spokesperson said: “naturally HTC is disappointed by the decision that the UK court has reached in this case and we will be seeking to appeal the finding immediately. According to the Wall Street Journal, Nokia has more than 50 patent suits against the Taiwanese ...

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