rumors

Is this LG Nexus 5 leak the future? Or fantasy?

So, there's a few reasons that some insanely awesome specs for what's purported to be Google's next Nexus phone by LG just popped up less than 48 hours after the introduction of Samsung's new Android flagship, the Galaxy S4.

It could be that someone associated with Google or LG thought it might be a good idea to leak the details in order to take some wind out of Samsung's sails and give us a glimpse at some sweet next-generation hardware that's just a few months off. OR, we're just getting hella-trolled.

So I recommend grabbing Gandhi and heading to the sea to find enough grains of salt to take with this one, but it's still compelling enough to pass on.… Read more

Galaxy S4 features shown off in YouTube videos

Samsung's Galaxy S4 may be getting its full unveiling later today, but that hasn't stopped a YouTube user from posting videos of what he claims is the device in action.

YouTube user iStevenCom has posted four videos today showing the Samsung Galaxy S4's new features. The first shows the device's ability to react to user input without actually touching the screen. Another video shows how the device will automatically pause a video when the viewer looks away.

The features shown in the videos seem to follow the rumors surrounding the Galaxy S4. For weeks, we've … Read more

Motorola prototype handset surfaces on YouTube

Google's Motorola might have had an upcoming smartphone leaked to the Web.

Vietnam-based tech site TinhTe today posted images and videos of a Motorola prototype device that it says could be ready for store shelves in the coming months. The handset has a noticeably softer design than those currently offered by Motorola, with rounded edges and a smooth backplate. The handset also comes with a Motorola's signature "M" logo on the back and above its display.

In terms of specs, it's somewhat impressive. The handset has a 4.65-inch HD display, according to TinhTe, and … Read more

Rumor Has It: What we will (and won't) get in the Galaxy S4

Rumor Has It is back, and just in time for one of the hottest product releases this year.

On Thursday, Samsung is hosting an event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, where it is expected to unveil the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4.

Of course you can't have a huge product announcement without miles and miles of rumors surrounding it, and that's where we come in.

Special guest co-host Casey Newton helps me weigh in on all the rumors: will it come in different colors? Will it include eye-tracking software? Will it be unbreakable? We won'… Read more

Apple readying new plan for cash pile, investor says

Apple soon will share what it plans to do with some of the cash on its books, according to a New York-based investment firm.

In an interview earlier today, Gamco Investors CIO Howard Ward told Bloomberg he expects Apple to make a cash-related announcement by the end of the month. If true, it would be the second such plan detailed by the company in two years.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ward's claims.

Apple's cash pile has grown in step with the breakout success of the iPhone and iPad, its top two … Read more

Apple's iRadio service said to be delayed into summer, or longer

Apple's long-rumored streaming music service won't be arriving until this summer, or later according to a new report.

Citing sources, The New York Times says that Apple's still wrangling with Sony over licensing rights, adding delay to the service that Apple had originally aimed to launch last month. Those people now believe that negotiations will be sorted out in time for a launch this summer, or later in the year.

The report goes on to say that the service was being designed to come preinstalled on Apple's devices instead of an additional app that needed downloading … Read more

Verizon may offer LG Optimus F5 as Lucid 2

Verizon Wireless may be the first U.S. carrier to offer one of LG's brand-spankin'-new Optimus F5 Android smarphones.

According to a set of alleged press photos obtained by UnwiredView, Verizon will carry the Optimus F5 as a followup to the LG Lucid. Introduced just last week at Mobile World Congress, the LG Optimus F5 features a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB internal storage. The handset, powered by Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, will likely be priced low to attract new smartphone buyers.

Reportedly, Verizon will announce the … Read more

Galaxy S4's awkward tween messenger

CNET Update can't keep a secret:

Soon we will know the secrets of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Until the smartphone is unveiled on March 14, the young Jeremy Maxwell must keep the secret smartphone safe. (Wait, what?) Samsung's odd teaser video for the Galaxy S4 might leave you asking, "What was Samsung thinking?"

Other stories mentioned in Monday's tech news roundup:

- An indie film premieres exclusively on Xbox Live

- YouTube's iOS app can send videos to your TV

- The Socialmatic Camera will be made in 2014, with support from Polariod

- … Read more

Bigger, thicker, cheaper, plastic iPhone coming next year (rumor)

Holdouts expecting a larger version of the iPhone this year will have to keep on waiting, a new report says.

Citing sources, Japanese Apple-news site Macotakara says such a device is instead slated for next year, and will use plastic instead of aluminum for its body.

Macotakara says the device will sport a polycarbonate plastic enclosure much like the one found on the MacBook and iBook before it. Other rumored details include a 4.5-inch screen, which would be half an inch larger than the one found on the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch; Apple's usual home button; and a $330 price tag that would be a little less than half of the average selling price of the iPhone 5 (without carrier subsidy). … Read more

FCC documents out Pantech Perception for Verizon

A new Pantech smartphone may be headed to Verizon Wireless.

Documents found on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Web site reveal the Pantech Perception, which has not been announced by Verizon.

The Pantech Perception appears to be a standard slab touch smartphone with an 8-megapixel rear camera. Additional details confirmed in the FCC filing include NFC, 4G LTE, as well as CDMA and GSM roaming. A glance through the drafted user manual also yields references to microSD expansion, DLNA, HDMI, and Wi-Fi Direct. Judging by the screenshots, the Perception will run at least Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Based … Read more