Nokia X2 Unveiled on Conversations

The newest member of Nokia’s X family of devices, a follow up to the X, X+ and XL has just been announced on the Conversations blog. Powered by their Android operating system, the New X2 now features a Home button along side the Back button, something which should be a welcome addition. We also see a new open app view familiar to what is found on Windows Phone, along with the usual FastLane UI which has some interesting improvements. It is set to cost $99 before taxes and subsidies and will be available immediately in some markets.
Here is a hands on video of the device:

The Nokia X2’s stylish exterior remains as bold as the original Nokia X but incorporates a brand-new cool translucent outer layer, making it really shine whatever the time of day.
Nokia-X2_multitasking
Navigating around the Nokia X2 is easy, thanks to Fastlane and the home and back buttons – the latter providing quick-and-easy multitasking support.
Fastlane makes it easy to see what events you’ve got coming in the future, what apps you’ve used recently, as well as the different tasks you’ve performed throughout any given day, and with just one tap, you’ve launched an app or responded to a notification.
The Nokia X2 is also equipped with another navigation option; the brand-new ‘apps list’, which keeps your home screen clear for your most used apps, bringing Nokia X2 in line with the existing Lumia experience.
More personalisation options are now available on the start screen, too, thanks to the tile color-picker feature.

The Nokia X2 to be powered by a 1.2GHZ Snapdragon processor and feature a 4.3 inch display with Nokia’s Clear Black Display screen technology. It features both a 5MP camera on the back and a 0.3MP camera on the front.
Find out more about the new Nokia X2, which will be available in green, orange, black, yellow and dark gray overon Conversations HERE.

Oppo Find 7a gets a software update, brings voice unlock

Oppo is now seeding a firmware update to the Find 7a flagship smartphone. It is available over the air and weighs about 290MB. It will bring your Find 7a to ColorOS 1.2.1i, but the firmware is still based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.



Some of the changes include support for smart covers, better battery life and new voice unlock feature. Here is the complete change lock:

• Added support for smart cover
• Added Voiceprint unlock feature
• Added E-warranty card registration
• Optimized power consumption caused by network switching
• When using powered off alarm clock, decreased the auto power on time from 2 minutes to 40 seconds before the alarm rings
• Removed Power-on sound
• Fixed issue that sometimes the screen won't turn on automatically after call ended
• Fixed the issue that stock music player cannot search out .ogg format files
• Optimized MTP mode, improved speed when copying multiple small files

LG-made Nexus 6 probably won't happen

If there's ever going to be a Nexus 6, it won't be made by LG. At least that's what one exec from the Korean company seems to think.
A Dutch publication has quoted Ken Hong, LG's global communications director, as saying that he doesn't know anything about an LG Nexus 6 yet.
Given past release time frames, if the new Nexus is to arrive this fall (like both of its LG-made predecessors), then Hong should have been told about it by now.
Furthermore, recent rumors spoke about the Nexus programme being discontinued altogether in favor of a broader 'Silver' effort from Google. This would comprise of more devices per year (not just one as with the Nexus line), and from more than one manufacturer.
At one point in the past LG was said to be making the first such 'Android Silver' handset, though this was referred to as being the successor to the Nexus 6.
So will there be a Nexus 6? It's really tough to tell. Though if it will happen, it's probably not going to be made by LG. On the other hand, the Korean company may be working with Google on a Silver smartphone, one which could debut next year.

Amazon unveils the Fire Phone with eye-tracking tech

Building upon its wide expertise in the tablet space, Amazon has unveiled its first smartphone today. So yes, all those rumors were true after all.
It's called the Amazon Fire Phone and its main selling points are bound to be Amazon's reach in terms of content services, as well as the unique 3D UI dubbed Dynamic Perspective.

Amazon Fire Phone
This much talked about feature changes what's depicted on the screen depending on where you are in relation to the phone. It accomplishes this by tracking your eyes with four specialized cameras that are located in the front corners of the handset. You can see it in action in this, rather quiet, video.
Dynamic Perspective ties in nicely with tilt gestures that allow you to initiate actions by simply moving the phone. For example, you can tilt the device to scroll inside the browser, something eerily reminiscent of Samsung's Smart Scroll feature. And the same thing works inside ebooks, and even games.



As previously leaked, the Fire Phone boasts a 4.7-inch IPS 720p touchscreen with 590 nits of brightness, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with a 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 330 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. It has support for 4G LTE.
The handset's frame is made from rubber, and a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 is present both on its front and on its back. The buttons are made of anodized aluminum.
The rear camera is a 13MP f/2.0 unit with a five-element lens, and it comes with optical image stabilization as well as a dedicated hardware button. Amazon is throwing in free unlimited photo storage in its Cloud Drive.
The Fire Phone has two stereo speakers on the front with virtual surround sound. The earbuds that come in the box have a tangle-free cable and they snap to each other thanks to built-in magnets.
The Amazon Fire Phone runs Fire OS 3.5, which seems to be the same OS used on the Kindle Fire line of tablets. It's based on Android but lacks any of the Google's services.



Obviously Amazon has made a big deal about its content services too. Movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, and newspapers - all are available right from the retail giant itself.



Furthermore, a new exclusive feature called Firefly uses the phone's camera or microphone to recognize the things around you and then find them in its database. So you can point the camera at a book, it's recognized and you're then immediately offered the option to purchase it from Amazon. This also works for identifying TV shows and songs, and it has its own dedicated button on the side of the Fire phone.
Another exclusive feature is Mayday, which gets you 24/.7 remote support for any task you would like to accomplish on the phone.



Amazon's first smartphone is exclusive to AT&T in the US. You can already pre-order it from Amazon, and it will be shipping on July 25.
The pricing is far from revolutionary. The commitment free price is $649. With a contract, the base 32GB Fire Phone would cost you $199 along with a new two-year contract with AT&T. Or you can choose the carrier's Next plans and pay $27 per month for the device. A 64GB option is available for $299.
So no, the Amazon phone isn't free (not even on contract), but you do get a year's worth of Amazon Prime with every phone (introductory offer).

Amazon unveils the Fire Phone with eye-tracking tech

Building upon its wide expertise in the tablet space, Amazon has unveiled its first smartphone today. So yes, all those rumors were true after all.
It's called the Amazon Fire Phone and its main selling points are bound to be Amazon's reach in terms of content services, as well as the unique 3D UI dubbed Dynamic Perspective.

Amazon Fire Phone
This much talked about feature changes what's depicted on the screen depending on where you are in relation to the phone. It accomplishes this by tracking your eyes with four specialized cameras that are located in the front corners of the handset. You can see it in action in this, rather quiet, video.
Dynamic Perspective ties in nicely with tilt gestures that allow you to initiate actions by simply moving the phone. For example, you can tilt the device to scroll inside the browser, something eerily reminiscent of Samsung's Smart Scroll feature. And the same thing works inside ebooks, and even games.



As previously leaked, the Fire Phone boasts a 4.7-inch IPS 720p touchscreen with 590 nits of brightness, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with a 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 330 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. It has support for 4G LTE.
The handset's frame is made from rubber, and a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 is present both on its front and on its back. The buttons are made of anodized aluminum.
The rear camera is a 13MP f/2.0 unit with a five-element lens, and it comes with optical image stabilization as well as a dedicated hardware button. Amazon is throwing in free unlimited photo storage in its Cloud Drive.
The Fire Phone has two stereo speakers on the front with virtual surround sound. The earbuds that come in the box have a tangle-free cable and they snap to each other thanks to built-in magnets.
The Amazon Fire Phone runs Fire OS 3.5, which seems to be the same OS used on the Kindle Fire line of tablets. It's based on Android but lacks any of the Google's services.



Obviously Amazon has made a big deal about its content services too. Movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, and newspapers - all are available right from the retail giant itself.



Furthermore, a new exclusive feature called Firefly uses the phone's camera or microphone to recognize the things around you and then find them in its database. So you can point the camera at a book, it's recognized and you're then immediately offered the option to purchase it from Amazon. This also works for identifying TV shows and songs, and it has its own dedicated button on the side of the Fire phone.
Another exclusive feature is Mayday, which gets you 24/.7 remote support for any task you would like to accomplish on the phone.



Amazon's first smartphone is exclusive to AT&T in the US. You can already pre-order it from Amazon, and it will be shipping on July 25.
The pricing is far from revolutionary. The commitment free price is $649. With a contract, the base 32GB Fire Phone would cost you $199 along with a new two-year contract with AT&T. Or you can choose the carrier's Next plans and pay $27 per month for the device. A 64GB option is available for $299.
So no, the Amazon phone isn't free (not even on contract), but you do get a year's worth of Amazon Prime with every phone (introductory offer).

Sony Xperia Z2a full specs are out, sounds like a Z2 compact

Today we get the detailed rundown of the specs of the recently announced Sony Xperia Z2a. For all we know, a name such as Xperia Z2 compact would suit it just fine.
A week ago we saw the Sony Xperia Z2a go official in Taiwan, but at the time we didn't have many of the specs of the smartphone. Now that we have them, it turns out this one is absolutely identical to the Sony Xperia ZL2, which was announced back in May for the Japanese market but with half the storage (only 16GB).



The Xperia Z2a is a more compact version of the Xperia Z2 flagship, with a .2" smaller display, all-plastic rear design, 200mAh smaller battery capacity. The rest of the specs - camera, chipset, etc - are pretty much identical with the Sony Xperia Z2.
So, the Xperia Z2a comes with a 5" IPS 1080p display, it utilizes a Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB RAM and packs the same 20.7MP camera as the Xperia Z2. Its storage is still expandable, the connectivity options are the same as on the Z2 with only the 3G/LTE bands being more different.
Finally, the Xperia Z2a also runs on Android KitKat. You can easily compare the Xperia Z2 and Z2as specs to see the differences yourself.
Even though the Xperia Z2a replaces the rear glass with a plastic panel, it is still water and dust resistant. It will hit Taiwan next month, though its availability will most probably be limited to Asian markets only.

Jolla Launcher launches next week on Google Play

Jolla is bringing the Sailfish OS experience next week on Android. The launcher is ready to enter the testing process and Jolla is searching for beta test volunteers.

If you like the Sailfish OS idea, you can help the Jolla team test the launcher starting next week. You are required to have an Android 4.3 or higher-running smartphone and the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 are preferred devices.
So, if you own a Nexus 4 or Nexus 5, or other Android 4.3/4.4-running smartphone, and you want to test the Jolla Launcher, here is what you need to do:

1. Send an email to jolla-launcher@jolla.com from your Google account.
2. Include the following information: your name, and which device(s) your using.
3. Wait to receive the Google Play installation link and further instructions.

There is only one condition - you should be willing to report some feedback via the http://together.jolla.com.
Here is hoping the Jolla Launcher turns out a success, which will surely boost the company's popularity and help it bring another Jolla smartphone.

LG G Watch gets pictured again in the wild

Ready or not, here's another sighting of LG's G Watch. The soon to be released smartwatch based on Google's new Android Wear platform has been spotted out and about once more, this time as it lies flat on a wooden surface with a charging cable (that looks like it's microUSB) connected to it.
It's got a rubber band in this incarnation, as you can see.
The watch is asking its owner to install the Android Wear app on her or his smartphone first, so it looks like that will be a requirement for using Android Wear devices.
The G Watch is expected to become fully official next week during Google's I/O developer conference. The wearable will apparently be sold through Google's Play Store, it's been recently revealed.
It should be out in Europe this month, and elsewhere on July 1. It will be priced at €199 in Europe, and presumably $199 in the US.
The smartwatch has been rumored to sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset, a 1.65-inch touchscreen with 280x280 resolution, 4GB of built-in storage, 512MB of RAM, and a 400 mAh battery. It will be water and dust resistant. Its dimensions are 37.9 x 46.5 x 9.95 mm.
Its main competitors are likely to be the already released Samsung Gear 2 line as well as the upcoming Moto 360 by Motorola.

Google starts rolling out Android 4.4.4 update

It's been barely a month since Android 4.4.3 started rolling out for Nexus devices and Google has already started rolling out the 4.4.4 update. But while this may not be as big an update as its predecessor (which itself wasn't especially big) it does take care of a major security issue.

According to the change log posted by Sprint, this update just brings a security fix. According to Android Police, it contains a patch for an OpenSSL bug, which would have allowed a man-in-the-middle attack. This is similar to the Heartbleed bug that was addressed in 4.4.3 update.
The OTA update is just rolling out for the Nexus 5 for now but Google has provided factory images on its website for the Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10. If you used Towelroot to root your device then it will remain unaffected.
It's been barely a month since Android 4.4.3 started rolling out for Nexus devices and Google has already started rolling out the 4.4.4 update. But while this may not be as big an update as its predecessor (which itself wasn't especially big) it does take care of a major security issue.

According to the change log posted by Sprint, this update just brings a security fix. According to Android Police, it contains a patch for an OpenSSL bug, which would have allowed a man-in-the-middle attack. This is similar to the Heartbleed bug that was addressed in 4.4.3 update.
The OTA update is just rolling out for the Nexus 5 for now but Google has provided factory images on its website for the Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10. If you used Towelroot to root your device then it will remain unaffected.

Nokia teases the upcoming X2, to be announced on June 24

Shortly after the launch of its first Android phone — the Nokia X — Nokia will be releasing a successor in the form of the Nokia X2. Although the phone and the name hasn't been officially announced as such, the company has posted a teaser on its website with the tagline 'Green with envy'.

The new phone is set to be announced on June 24. From the rumors, the major changes to the phone include a dedicated home button, which is not present on the current Nokia X phones and caused confusion among the users (who were unaware you can press and hold the back button to go home).
Other changes include a bigger display, faster processor and 1GB RAM. We will find out for sure on Tuesday.