Rumors

Is this buttonless phone the next Nexus handset?

Over the weekend, tech Web site TechHog posted, and subsequently removed, what might be the first look at the third Nexus handset.

The image showed a phone that had no carrier branding or logo, but the speaker at the top resembled recent HTC models. As BGR points out, the image has a little bit of Photoshop trickery and may not be an actual device. However, TechHog has since posted a different, albeit similar image of a phone. The difference here is that there now appears to be room for buttons across the bottom, possibly something that lights up when the phone is powered on.

If there's one thing I've learned covering Android for more than three years now it's that smoke often means fire. More often than not, Android rumors eventually pan out, and my gut tells me this could be the third Nexus handset. Toss in the fact that the tech blog was asked to take the post down, and this feels more right than wrong. … Read more

Rumor: Moto and Sprint to announce Photon 4G at June 9 event

As you may already know, Sprint and Motorola have a luncheon event planned for June 9 where the two companies are expected to make a product announcement. With two weeks to go before CEOs Dan Hesse and Sanjay Jha take the stage, gossip is swirling over what could come. And one of the most probable rumors predicts a dual-core Android device to be known as the Photon 4G.

Prior to press invitations being sent out early this week, Phandroid was reporting that Motorola and Sprint were working together on a handset with specifications that resemble AT&T's Atrix 4G. According to their sources, the "MB855" Photon 4G will offer consumers a dual-core Tegra 2 platform with a qHD screen in the range of 4.3 inches, but with support for Sprint 4G network. Other details could include a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera for video calls, and an HDMI port.

While the two companies have collaborated on a number of Android smartphones over the years, Sprint has yet to offer a high-end Motorola device. Thus far, the upper echelon of the carrier's lineup consists of Samsung and HTC smartphones. We've known for a while now that Motorola plans to release additional smartphones with laptop dock capabilities. Perhaps the Photon 4G will be the next in line.

CNET will be in attendance June 9, where we'll bring you a first-hand account of the event. … Read more

More Droid 3 details surface ahead of June debut (rumor)

Additional details for the Motorola Droid 3 are circulating ahead of the handset's expected June launch. The Droid and Droid 2 successor will feature a slightly larger 4-inch qHD display, likely running a 960x540-pixel resolution, according to a TechnoBuffalo source. If true, the screen is larger than its predecessors, with a higher resolution as well. Further, the source adds that the back of the Droid 3 bears an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and has a secondary front-facing camera of indeterminate resolution.

Rumors have run rampant that Motorola will double up the Droid 3's processor, possibly in the form of … Read more

Verizon CFO hints at global 'iPhone 5,' talks LTE

Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo revealed several interesting things at the Reuters Global Technology Summit. First, Verizon will continue to compete with AT&T on the iPhone--Big Red will sell the next-generation iPhone (referred to by some as the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S) alongside AT&T.

Shammo also said that the next Verizon iPhone will operate in as many countries as AT&T's global iPhone. Reading between the lines, we can guess that Verizon is preparing for a big announcement on this front when the next-generation iPhone hits global shelves.

Verizon's CFO was less transparent about the next iPhone's speeds, suggesting that Verizon's portfolio of LTE Android phones would make up for a next-gen iPhone. "I think it's a bigger issue for Apple than it is for us," Reuters quotes. "Depending on where Apple plays, that's where we'll sell."… Read more

T-Mobile's 2011 road map brimming with Android

T-Mobile is the latest carrier to have its product lineup leaked and, to no one's surprise, it's full of Android phones and tablets.

Customers coming up for renewal between now and the end of 2011 will have plenty of Android-powered options to choose from, as it looks like the wireless provider will be rolling out nearly a dozen new phones and tablets from a variety of manufacturers starting next month.

June 8 will see the debut of two Android phones in the form of the HTC Sensation 4G and the Samsung Exhibit. As many of you know, the … Read more

Rumor: AT&T's summer lineup to feature dual-core phones, 10-inch tablet from HTC

After a rocky start with Android, AT&T has slowly started embracing the platform and its potential. Starting earlier this year with the Atrix 4G and continuing right up to the new Samsung Infuse 4G, the carrier is showing great momentum. Things look to get even better this summer as a trio of new HTC devices are expected to come to market, including a 10-inch tablet.

Over the last few days, preliminary details and pictures have emerged from two oft-reliable sources, Pocketnow and 911Sniper, both pointing at a solid Android horizon for AT&T and HTC.

The first handset to keep an eye on will be the HTC Lead, with its 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch display, 768MB RAM, and a 5-megapixel camera. Falling right in line with today's top Android phones, the Lead also looks to run Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and offers support for Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth 3.0 when it arrives. As terrific as this one sounds, it's actually lacking when compared to its bigger brother, the HTC Holiday.

The Holiday is expected to have a slight edge in nearly every aspect, putting it at the top of the Android food chain when it debuts. Among the details anticipated for this handset are a larger, 4.5-inch qHD display (960x540), 1GB RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. Like the HTC Lead, the Holiday will also run Android 2.3.4, presumably with the latest version of HTC's Sense UI. … Read more

Analyst: iPhone '4S' possible, but with no 4G

If you had your heart set on an iPhone with 4G LTE, the yet-to-be-announced iPhone 5 might not be for you. The good news is that the next version is still set to get a few enhancements and end up on more carriers.

That's according to a research note by Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek, picked up by Forbes, which claims Apple's next iPhone won't sport LTE hardware from Qualcomm because the chipmaker "is currently not achieving yields sufficient for inclusion in the iPhone 5."

So what's destined to be different about the … Read more

Report: Suppliers haven't seen iPhone 5 sked yet

Building on reports that the next generation iPhone isn't coming until near the end of this year, Digitimes reports that Taiwan-based touch-screen makers are still in the dark about Apple's needs for the new device.

Citing anonymous sources within touch-panel manufacturing, the outlet says production is still under way for iPhone 4 panels since the phone continues to sell, signaling that Apple is not immediately planning to move production toward a new product.

Apple sold a record number of iPhone 4s in the previous quarter with 16.2 million units. An analyst report from RBC Capital Markets released … Read more

Apple patent hints at bezel displays for iPhone

As iPhone 5 rumors have trickled over the past month, one that's popped up repeatedly is a screen so big it nearly does away with the bezel. That's the area around the display, and right before the very edge of the device that sits as unused space.

But such a screen might be at odds with a new Apple patent application unearthed by Patently Apple. The patent outlines a secondary display embedded within the bezel that would extend what's happening on the main screen to the surrounding area.

The applications for such a design are broad, from notifications and other indicators to a display area that apps can make use of to extend the user interface. Such features could be handy on a small screen where even given a high-pixel density, total real estate is limited by the casing itself.

The patent description spells this much out:

To assist a user in providing inputs, traditional devices use the display to provide indicators to the user regarding where and how to provide a touch input. For example, a traditional device may display a virtual button on a touch screen to indicate that a user can touch that portion of the screen to provide an input. However, providing such indicators occupies space on the touch screen that could otherwise be used for displaying visual content.

The patent describes this functionality including not just phones, but media players like the iPod, PDAs, laptops, and cameras. … Read more