CamerasNow: Samsung launches the camera centric KitKat running Galaxy K zoom smartphone-camera hybrid

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy K zoom camera phone, a successor to the Galaxy S4 zoom launched last year. Not unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy K zoom combines a front face regular smartphone with the hardware of a point and shoot camera slammed on the back

Speaking about the camera, the Galaxy K zoom has an optically stabilized (OIS) 20.7 megapixel 1/2.3 BSI CMOS sensor and a 10x, 24-240mm F3.1-6.3 zoom lens. The phone has a xenon flash with an LED autofocus assist. On the front is a relatively humble 2 megapixel camera.

Coming back on the front smartphone side of the hybrid, the Galaxy K zoom has a 4.8-inch, 1280x720 HD Super AMOLED display, Exynos 5 Hexa SoC with four Cortex A7 @ 1.3GHz and two Cortex A15 @ 1.7GHz, along with a Mali-T624 for graphics, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal memory with microSD support up to 64GB,4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, NFC, 2,430mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Galaxy K zoom will be available in May in black, white and blue for €499 (Rs. 41881)

Meet The Team: Ayushi Shah

Hey! I'm Ayushi Shah.I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Here's the thing…I never thought of myself as a writer.. ,but here I am! My time as a writer can be summed up as short ,but a sudden twist of fate. 
Cue up the music.
I am pursuing my education from Udayachal High School and I just appeared for my 10th examinations.. I have an great liking in playing as well as following football, mainly the English Premier League as well as the La Liga. 
I also have a liking in reading fiction, murder mystery and autobiographies. I listen to trance, punk rock, pop, rap and like to explore new genres. Long term goal? I want to study aerospace engineering. I also wish to someday write an autobiography.
I'll be keeping myself busy with articles on sports (especially football ), book reviews as well as recommendations, television sitcoms and a lot more. Hope you have a thrilling experience with me and my co-editors at TheEverythingNow.

TechNow: Apple replacing certain iPhone 5 sleep/wake button

In a slight turn of events, Apple has issued a replacement program for faulty units, especially after the company’s odd solution for those unhappy with the iPhone 4 and its Antenna gate. Still, there comes a time when the company is forced to do this, and it seems it’s currently happening with iPhone 5 users. According to Apple’s statement:

“Replacement of the sleep/wake button mechanism is done at an Apple Repair Center. There are two ways to send your iPhone to the repair center—carry-in or mail-in. See below for details. The replacement process takes approximately 4-6 days from the time your iPhone is received at the repair center until it is returned to you. Your iPhone will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program and is otherwise in working order. Before sending your iPhone to Apple for service, you will need to back up all your data and erase all your content and settings.”

Apple’s replacement system is odd though, as the company usually swaps faulty units on the spot at any Genius Bar. Just remember that you will have to first confirm that your device is eligible for a fix, as this is only restricted to certain model numbers that Apple has detected with the issue.

TechNow: HTC will make Windows Phone powered devices despite Nokia acquisition by Microsoft

(Former) CEO of Microsoft and CEO of HTC announcing the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC 

The Windows Phone 8x and 8s from the end of 2012 were the Taiwanese’s only Windows Phone 8 running devices (taking the 8XT as variant of the 8X).  Even though rumors stated that a Windows Phone-running HTC One (M7) would become reality, it didn’t.

On the other hand, Microsoft has just completed the acquisition of Nokia‘s Devices and Services division on Friday, making it the largest Windows Phone vendor on the market. OEMs like Samsung and its new ATIV SE & others like HTC, LG, etc. are facing a giant competitor that became, as of Friday, even bigger.

However, HTC is still considering Microsoft a valuable partner. A company spokesperson said:

 "Our position remains the same: Microsoft remains a valued partner and we don’t anticipate any change to our relationship"

We’d ask: what relationship? The way things are at the moment that aforementioned relationship has not materialized (yet) in a Windows Phone for 19 months. The good thing is that HTC is not publicly waving off Windows Phone, now with the Nokia is now a part of Microsoft, and there is still chance for a future Redmond-powered device wearing HTC’s badge. Will it be as beautiful as the One (M8)?

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TechNow: Nokia-Microsoft deal now officially done... Nokia now Microsoft Mobiles

It's done – Nokia has just announced the completion of the sale to Microsoft of "substantially" all of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft. "Substantially" since two factories were excluded from the deal – the Chennai factory in India, but also the Masan factory in South Korea.

The deal underwent other changes too – the final price is expected to be slightly higher than the initially announced €5.44 billion due to a positive adjustment in net working capital and cash earnings. The leadership team that led Devices & Services at Nokia has stepped down and is moving to Microsoft effective today. This includes former CEO Stephen Elop, Jo Harlow, Juha Putkiranta, Timo Toikkanen and Chis Weber.

Nokia will make another announcement on April 29 (next Tuesday) to provide further details of the transaction (presumably the fate of the Chennai factory and the final sales price).

You can read Stephen Elop's open letter here. On Monday, Elop will be answering questions at the Nokia Conversations blog.

Let's play the iconic Nokia Tune one more time as we close this large chapter in mobile history.

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UPDATE:
Images from Harri Kiljander (Director of F-Secure Lokki) show what appears to be Nokia House in Finland with a crane truck up front, preparing to take down Nokia’s logo and another photo showing the S and F from Microsoft’s logo, reportedly being prepared for mounting. The “On The Move” sign under the Nokia logo adds an air of irony to the otherwise saddening image.

In the aftermath of the deal Microsoft will acquire around 32 thousand employees (around 4 thousand of which in Finland and around 18 thousand directly connected to manufacturing), a 10-year non-exclusive license of Nokia’s patent portfolio and a robust devices business while Nokia walks away with the ripe sum of €5.44 billion.

Hopefully Microsoft, as biggest manufacturer of Windows Phones starting today, will not let down the millions of Nokia owners and fans and will continue to innovate as Nokia did.

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TechNow: LG G3 cases go on sale, reveal curious back design 24 April, 2014

Alleged cases for the upcoming LG G3 have surfaced and are currently on sale at wholesale retailer Aliexpress.

The holes on the cases give us a pretty good idea of the phone's port and button layouts. LG will be keeping its rear-mounted Power/Lock and volume rocker keys with the rumored 13MP camera on top. Interestingly, there are two adjacent square cut holes on its left and right sides. Almost certainly one of them is going to be for the LED flash, while the other could be for either a secondary LED flash or some kind of a sensor (heart rate monitor or a fingerprint scanner are some options that sprint to mind). The main speaker is below the rear-mounted controls.

At the bottom left of the cases, there's room for the antenna of the DMB-H-equipped Korean version of the phone, the 3.5mm jack is at the bottom next to the microUSB port. What seems to be a cut hole for an IR blaster is at the top, while the left and right sides are bare of any controls.

The leaked image of the LG isai FL

Recent rumors claim the LG G3 is going to be based on the recently leaked Japanese LG isai FL. The Japan-only smartphone sports a quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, clocked at 2.5GHz, a 5.5-inch LCD rumored to have 2560x1440 resolution, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory with microSD support, 3000mAh battery, and an IPX7 rating, which means it is water resistant.

The LG G3 puzzle is slowly but surely coming together, as earlier in the week we received screenshots taken from the phone. They're from the brand new Optimus UI running on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat and shows the new design direction in which the company is taking its user interface.

TechNow: The iPhone 6 may have a curved display after all...

A patent filing by Apple demonstrating the use of a curved display on a mobile device.

Rumours of the iPhone 6 have focused a lot on what we can expect form its size and specifications. We’ve heard that Apple plans to make two devices, both bigger than any iPhone we’ve ever seen, and also much more powerful than their predecessors. Now, given Apple’s track record of valuing how a phone feels in your hand, we wonder how does the company plan to pull that off with bigger devices, and rumours point to Jony Ive’s possible strategy.

In the past we heard some rumours of Apple testing curved displays with its next-generation iPhone 6, and even though those rumours died-down quick, now they’re back. A Japanese publication claims that Jony Ive is striving to bring us some nostalgia by bringing back the aluminium-curved design of the first-generation iPhone, but with the addition of a curved display in order to make one-handed usability ergonomic.


Reviews of the LG G Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round have been mixed, so it’s hard to tell if this is another market where Apple wants to take an existing idea and improve it, or not. We know the iPhone 6 is rumoured for a launch later this year, so let’s see what Cupertino brings tot he table.

Many mock-up renders on the internet:



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CamerasNow: Leica T mirrorless interchangeable lens camera announced

Leica has announced a new T-System of cameras, with the first one being called the Leica T. The Leica T is a compact mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, milled out of a solid block of aluminum in a way only Leica can.



Inside, the gorgeous body is a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor with 1080p 30fps video recording ability. On the back is a 3.7-inch touchscreen display. You can also get an optional viewfinder, that also comes with GPS built-in.



The camera is being launched with an 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 and a 35mm equivalent 23mm F2 prime lenses and an 11-23mm F3.5-4.5 wide-angle zoom and 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 telezoom will be arriving later.

The Leica T is priced at $1850/£1350 and is available in silver or black.

You can see how the camera is made in the second link below.

TechNow: Apple going to make the iWatch with Nike?

Apple has a long relationship with Nike involving fitness tracking accessories and iPhones have carried the Nike+ app out of box before. According to said sources Apple and Nike will be making the iWatch with focus on tracking more than just fitness but also the user’s constant movement.

Nike recently fired the majority of the team working on its FuelBand product and will likely stop making it. In light of this the company is said to focus it’s fitness-tracking efforts into software, thinking of ways to expand its Nike+ suite and releasing a public API for developers. Apple is reportedly aiming to incorporate that same API into its iWatch for which the company allegedly recently secured the trademark through another firm. Furthermore Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has been seen wearing Nike’s FuelBand and has being sitting on Nike’s board for almost a decade now – strong corporate ties that add credibility to the rumors.

But Apple’s smartband device will do more than just follow your fitness routines. According to the sources it will be able to make electronic payments using an iBeacon technology or possibly the AirDrop Wi-Fi-enabled sharing method introduced with iOS 7. Additionally the smartwatch will be able to use Apple services like CarPlay.

The iWatch is expected to arrive in Q3 of this year. Another theory could be that Apple will release a smartwatch and smartband, similarly to competitors like Samsung.

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SportsNow: Ryan Giggs appointed as interim manager.

The red devils are in search of a new boss after sacking David Moyes on Tuesday after a catastrophic season .The rumor factory is in full swing about who will take over as the boss of this legendary club. Following the departure of David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, the club's most decorated player has stepped in as interim manager for the remaining four games of the season and is being assisted by 'Class of 92' colleagues Paul Scholes , Nicky Butt and Phil Neville. Ryan Giggs, Carlo Ancelotti, Gary Neville are some of the likely to be managers.

It would be wonderful to see Ryan Giggs transform from the track-suit manager to suit manager but he is in need of experience but it is most certain that he will play a vital role in the comeback of United. As Ryan Giggs says in The Manager's Press Conference on MUTV, "It’s Going to be my philosophy. It’s going to be Manchester United's Philosophy. Speed + tempo + attack + tackles .Enjoy yourself" It will be interesting how the players will react to Ryan Giggs becoming their manager. The atmosphere at Old Trafford is going to be sensational.

From winning the FA youth cup to running past 5 defenders and scoring a phenomenal  goal vs Arsenal in 1999,from melodrama of the Champions league finals vs Bayern Munich  to Scoring a close penalty on a wet night in Moscow, to playing his first match at the age of 17 to Becoming the Manager of Manchester United. The story of this man is so amorous and fantastic. Let’s see where this leads Manchester United.

TechNow:Sony brings Lifelog, SmartBand fitness apps to non-Sony Androids

More smartphone users are trying out fitness trackers every day, and while there are a lot of options out there, all too often we’re limited in what’s accessible to us based on what phone we’re carrying. Sony, for instance, introduced its SmartBand tracker back at CES, and while it was both a more flexible and affordable option than some of its competition, so far its usage has been constrained to Sony Xperia models. This week that changes, as Sony updates both its Lifelog app and the SmartBand SWR10 app itself to support non-Sony Androids.



The SmartBand SWR10 app lets you configure the band and set up how it interacts with your phone, while Lifelog is the one that takes sensor data from not just the SmartBand but your phone as well and uses it to help you monitor your activity level and chart progress towards fitness goals.

While on Sony Xperia models, Lifelog still requires a connection to your Sony Entertainment Network account, non-Sony users can log in with their Google credentials.

Not every Android will work with the apps, though, and right now compatibility is limited to Android 4.4 devices supporting Bluetooth 4.0 LE; but just as we saw this most recent update bring support to non-Sony models, future builds may just dial back that Android version requirement, as well.

Sources: 1| 2| 3

TechNow: An updated Dialer app for Android 4.4.3 leaks

Google’s in the midst of preparing for a wide-reaching overhaul of its Android apps, and a number of disparate leaks have revealed the same sort of UI changes: flat design, circular icons, and bold color. We shared with you the latest development along these lines earlier this week, after it was discovered that Google itself shared a screengrab from such an updated version of its Android dialer app. Today we’re back to take a second look, with a new screenshot appearing to reveal even more of the dialer’s new makeover.

There might not be any of those circular icons here, but the design is unmistakably Google’s, with a shift to a card-based interface. It’s not entirely clear who the original source is behind these shots, posted to the XDA-Developers forums by a user claiming to be a friend of the phone’s owner, but speculation based on the contacts in the dialer suggest he has close ties to Google.

We’ve also seen some questions raised about the validity of these shots, not helped by the poster’s habit of insulating us from the originals by taking screenshots of existing screenshots, so it’s worth treating this find with a healthy amount of skepticism. Still, it’s enough in line with the type of things we’ve been seeing lately that it rings true enough to our eyes.

Supposedly, this new dialer (and maybe the rest of those app refreshes) would debut alongside the release of Android 4.4.3.

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TechNow: AdDuplex claims Windows Phone 8.1 runs on 3.1% of all WP devices after three days of availability

It appears that Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 is hotter beyond anyone’s expectations. Only three days after going live, the developer version of the newly-launched OS runs on 3.1% of all WP devices.

The data you see above comes from AdDuplex – the largest cross promotion network for both WP and Windows 8 apps. It was collected over the day on April 17 (the developer version of WP 8.1 was launched on April 14).



The rapid rise in market share of the newly-launched OS means that in addition to the members of the Windows Phone developer community, a great deal of enthusiasts have gotten their hands on the OS (obtaining a WP developer status is free and you can do it over here).

It will be a few months before Windows Phone 8.1 is officially available as an update. The first smartphones to run the OS, Nokia Lumia 630/635 and Lumia 930 will arrive in May and June respectively.

Windows Phone 8.1 brings a great deal of new features to the platform. They include the digital personal assistant Cortana, Action center, updated UI with custom lockscreen and tile backgrounds, IE 11, etc. You can find out all about the OS in our detailed article.

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TechNow: Meet Samsung's Galaxy with a projector

The Samsung Galaxy Beam2 carries the model number SM-G3858 and improves the specs on its predecessor, while staying in the mid-range segment. The device will sport a 4.7-inch WVGA display and will be powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor along with 1 GB of RAM.

The key feature of the Samsung Galaxy Beam2 still remains its built-in pico projector with WVGA resolution. It supports background color corrections and comes with a few dedicated applications such as Notepad.
The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean-powered Galaxy Beam2 features a 5 megapixel rear camera, microSD card slot and a wide range of connectivity options that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS/GLONASS. The smartphone measures 134.5 x 70 x 11.7 mm and weighs about 166 grams.

Samsung Galaxy Beam2 will be available on China Mobile and it's yet to be seen if Samsung launches it globally.

TechNow: Galaxy S5 outsells iPhone 5s over launch weekend

The Samsung Galaxy S5 scored more sales in its launch weekend than the iPhone 5s in its respective period. More specifically, the Galaxy S5 snug 25% and 18% of the smartphone market share in the USA and Canada for that period. The iPhone 5s did slightly worse at 18% market share in the US and 13% in Canada.

The interesting statistics come from company iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry in the US and Canada. It collected data from over 15,000 stores and compares the launch weekends of the two rivals - September 20-22, 2013 for the iPhone 5s and April 11-13 for the Galaxy S5.

A more detailed analysis reveals that the Galaxy S5 did best in the Southern US region, where from Aprill 11-13 the phone accounted for 41% of the overall phone sales. In the Northeast that number is 30%, 23% in the Midwest and 21% in the West.

iQmetrix also provided data of the 6-month lead-up period before the two flagships hit the market. From May 2013 to October 2013 the iPhone 5 sales dropped progressively as customers patiently awaited the iPhone 5s announcement. Interestingly, that's not the case for the Galaxy S4 (October 2013 to March 2014), which saw a boost in sales thanks to the Holiday shopping season.

Check out the full infographic by clicking the image below.
 Source

TechNow: Motorola commits to future phones running near-stock Android

Plenty of smartphone companies are looking to reinvent UI, but the one that really stands out in our mind as the most recent success story at doing just that has got to be Motorola. A year ago, Motorola smartphones were uninspiring at best, didn't see great availability, and suffered from mediocre software support. Maybe it’s because of that Google influence trickling down, but once summer rolled around and the Moto X neared its chance to debut, the story really started changing: Motorola started targeting whole different buyer groups, putting out really high quality yet still eminently affordable hardware, while delivering a near-stock-Android software experience that got software updates at a pace second only to Nexus models themselves. But now Motorola is changing hands yet again, with Lenovo about to be in charge. We've already about how Lenovo intends to keep the brand alive, and use it to reach Western audiences, but what will this shift mean for the smartphones themselves? In a recent Hangout, Motorola VP of Software Punit Soni answered some questions about what’s next for the company.

The good news: we can look forward to the same pretty-much-stock Android experience we get today from the Moto X and Moto G. Motorola likes the response it’s gotten from what it’s doing with those two phones, and wants to the keep same routine going with its next-gen handsets. And while we don’t get to talking about specific hardware components, Soni mentions that camera performance is a big concern for Motorola, and that going forward we should expect to not just see image quality improved, but the camera experience as well. Whether that’s just talking about the camera UI, or something along the lines of effects processing (like all that bokeh that’s everywhere right now), either way sounds good to us.

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TechNow: Android passes iOS in ad traffic, still behind in ad revenue

The latest data from Opera’s Mediaworks ad tracking platform shows that Android has for the first time surpassed iOS in number of mobile ad impressions.

Apple’s iPhones and iPads still generate more ad revenue, however, receiving 52% of ad revenue, despite accounting for just 38.2% of all impressions.

Click to enlarge

Android has been gradually climbing in both ad revenue and traffic over the past several years, largely at the expense of BlackBerry and Symbian. Google’s OS rose more than six points compared to this time last year, and now controls 33.5% of global ad revenue. This is in large part thanks to the sheer number of devices running Android, which now account for almost 80% of all smartphones by the latest IDC figures.

Samsung continues to solidify its position as the top vendor of of Android devices, accounting for some 60% of all mobile ad impressions in the first quarter of this year. Mobile ads are driven primarily by the US market, which accounts for over 50% of all ad traffic. The Asia-Pacific region comes in second with almost 23% thanks to emerging markets like China, while Europe accounts for just 13%.
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TechNow: ARM executive: 64-bit phones coming by December

Tom Lantzsch, ARM's executive vice president of corporate strategy spoke to CNET and shared that the company has had a noticeable increase in interest for 64-bit mobile processors. More specifically, the 64-bit Cortex-A53 has received a lot of attention from device makers.

The interest was so high in fact, that it came as a surprise to ARM's executives in the chip design department. The leaders of the companydidn't believe a 64-bit ARM processor would be needed outside corporate server environments in the first stages of rollout.

"We've been surprised at the pace that 64-bit is now becoming mobile centric. Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Marvell are examples of public 64-bit disclosures. Even existing 32-bit code will run more efficiently on [ARM's 64-bit] v8-A architecture than on native 32-bit ARM architecture" he added.

Lantzsch believes ARM and its partners will be ready to launch 64-bit CPUs by Christmas, although that's as specific as he got. He notes that when 64-bit software gets released, products could change for the better.
Ever since Apple announced its 64-bit Apple A7 chip, device manufacturers and chip makers are in a rush to push 64-bit processors of their own as a response. A while ago, it was confirmed that a 64-bit Exynos CPU is in the works, but that's yet to be become official, too.

TechNow: Sharp 304SH comes with 5.2" 1080p screen, ultra slim bezels

The AQUOS Xx 304SH destined to arrive on carrier SoftBank Mobile in Japan. The phone features a 5.2" 1080p display in a very compact body resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of 79% and sports a metal-frame body with dimensions of 135x72x9mm and weighs just 137 grams. Inside it, there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset (MSM8974AB) with a 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Internal storage is 32GB, but there's a microSD card slot that can accommodate up to 128GB of additional storage.


On top of that, the phone is dust and waterproof (IPX5/IPX7) and sports Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and an infrared connectivity. At the back of the Sharp AQUOS 304SH, there's a 13MP camera with LED flash, while the front-facing one is a 2.1MP. The battery is 2,600mAh, but Sharp doesn't specify how long it can last between charges.

TechNow: Almost half of HTC One M8 buyers came from Apple or Samsung

CompareMyMobile, trade-in website, reports that HTC is enjoying massive brand loyalty. Nearly half of the people (46.2%) that upgraded to an HTC One (M8) came from an old HTC device. Roughly the same number of people upgraded from an old Apple or Samsung device.

Earlier info from the site revealed that a sizable portion of Galaxy S5 buyers were switching away from an Apple iPhone, 38%. For the One (M8), that percentage is about half, 23.7%. 7% of those getting the One (M8) came from the iPhone 5, while 8% previously owned a Galaxy S4.

HTC's new flagship has been on sale for almost a month now and CompareMyMobile's survey results show that 13.2% of people who bought it were upgrading from last year's HTC flagship, the HTC One. That's nearly a third of the people who stayed with HTC for the 2014 generation. The remaining two thirds either traded in an older flagship (One X and older) or came from a lower-end device, but there are no numbers for that.

TechNow: Nokia releases Asha 1.4 software update with a bevy of new features

Nokia Asha Software Platform v1.4 is now available as an over-the-air update for five Asha phones - 230, 500, 501, 502 and 503. 

Version 1.4 of the Asha platform brings Nokia Mix Radio on Asha 500, 502 and 503. (a free streaming music service that will allow you even to listen music offline in case you are out of internet connectivity.)

All five Asha phones also get these new features:

1. OneDrive app with free 7GB cloud storage
2. Updated and more social Fastlane
3. Camera upgrade - voice-guided slefies, panorama shots
4. Video camera upgrade - improved video stabilization
5. Power Saver mode
6. Parental control in Nokia Store and Nokia Browser

You can get it right now by visiting the Settings -> Phone Update menu on your phone.

TechNow: HTC Desire 601 updated Android 4.4 KitKat and Sense 5.5

The update includes the latest available Android OS 4.4.2 KitKat plus v5.5 of the company's proprietary Sense launcher. The KitKat update will speed up your system further, while the Sense 5.5 will give you some more Blinkfeed options, camera and gallery improvements, Video Highlights, new Zoe, DND mode, Quick Settings and Scribble app.

The update rollout is gradual, but hopefully it will reach to every Desire 601 out there, dual-SIM flavor included, soon enough.

Source

TechNow: Oppo R1S released with LTE, Snapdragon quadcore and better camera.

Oppo has announced Oppo R1S - an upgraded version of the R1 with a faster CPU and an upgraded camera.
  
The Oppo R1S looks absolutely identical to its R1 predecessor, it even has the same footprint and weight. The 5" 720p IPS display also remains intact. The Oppo R1 runs on MediaTek's MT6582 chipset with a quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 processor and Mali-400MP2 GPU, while the newly introduced Oppo R1S is powered by the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 with a quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A7 CPU and faster Adreno 305 GPU. The RAM stays the same at 1GB.
Due to the new chipset the Oppo R1S is LTE-capable, but it drops the dual-SIM support. Oppo R1S offers a more capable camera than its predecessor featuring a 13MP sensor instead of 8MP. Its extra features stay the same though - HDR stills, panorama shots, 1080p video recording.

Oppo R1S runs on Oppo's Color OS based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It will become available on pre-order for CNY 2,498 starting tomorrow. You will be able to choose between white and blue flavors. Source

TechNow: An unannounced Motorola hits GFXBench with Snapdragon 800

An unannounced Motorola smartphone with the model name XT912A has been put through the popular graphics benchmark GFXBench. Doing so revealed that it’s shaping up to be a Moto X successor as it packs a Snapdragon 800 chipset and 2GB of RAM.

Additionally, the Motorola XT912A features a 5.2″ display of full HD resolution, making up for a pixel density of 424 ppi. The benchmark further reveals the phone packs 32GB of storage and a 12MP rear camera.

The XT912 was the original DROID RAZR for Verizon, so this could be a new member of the DROID family destined to enter Verizon’s line-up of Android smartphones. After all, Motorola is now the exclusive manufacturer of Verizon's DROID series Currently, there’s no other information regarding the phone, so we’ll have to just wait from Motorola to spill the beans.

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TechNow: Microsoft releases Remote Desktop (Preview) for Windows Phone 8.1

Microsoft released a Remote Desktop Preview app for Windows Phone 8.1. If you are among the many early adopters of the new OS, you can head to the Windows Phone Marketplace to try it out.

The application supports multi-touch and Windows OS gestures thanks to Remote Desktop Protocol and Remote FX. It is secure thanks to support for Network Layer Authentication protocol, and can manage multiple remote desktops via a dedicated Connection Center. Adding a new desktop is as easy as entering the PC name and saving its login credentials.

Remote Desktop Preview can connect to PCs running Windows Vista and up. Windows Server operating systems are also supported – from Windows Server 2003, all the way to Windows Server 2012 R2.

Sources: 1| 2