First BlackBerry 10 phone won't have a QWERTY keyboard

The Washington Post is reporting on a curious decision by RIM - the first BlackBerry 10 device to launch will be touchscreen-only. RIM isn't abandoning their trademark - the full hardware QWERTY keyboard - as such devices will still come later on.

While it's true that touch-only devices running iOS or Android are taking BlackBerry's lunch money, the solid typing experience is one of the main reasons people still buy a BlackBerry.

In fact, with most droids forsaking the physical keyboard (and iPhones which never had one), a BlackBerry is one of the few options for people who hate typing on virtual keyboards.

RIM already have a touch-only design for a BlackBerry 10 phone, the developer alpha unit they unveiled in May. One analyst from Jeffries says that BB 10 is all about catching up with Apple in terms of touch and multimedia experience.

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Rumor: HTC One XXL to be like One XL, but with quad-core Krait

Android users have become power-hungry - dual-core processors no longer cut it. If you're among that crowd, this next rumor should give you a twitch of excitement - an HTC One XXL with two extra cores than the XL, better graphics and more RAM.

A couple of leaked screenshots show some of the specs of this purported beast - a 4.7" 720p screen, 8MP main and 1.8MP secondary cameras and a codename, "Closurexxl".

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Android 4.0 update for RAZR and RAZR MAXX becomes official

We're sure this will bring a smile to all you DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX users out there who have been waiting patiently because Motorola and Verizon has made the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for these phones official.

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean confirmed in the Google Play Store

Rather unintentionally, Google has just let the name of the next Android release slip. As expected, it's going to be called Jelly Bean and will carry the 4.1 version number.

The leaked information can currently be seen on the US Play Store when purchasing a Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ smartphone described as "soon the first phone with Android 4.1 Jell..." You get the idea.

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HTC Windows Phone 8 roadmap leaks out, 3 models in tow

HTC's Windows Phone 8 roadmap has leaked out, revealing three models with the freshly announced Microsoft OS in the pipeline. In a fashion, similar to the Android running HTC One series, the Taiwanese company will release an entry-level, upper mid-range, and a full-blown flagship handsets.

The HTC "Rio" will sit at the bottom of the range. The entry-level device is expected to sport a 4" WVGA display, 5MP camera and 14.4Mbps HSPA. The CPU will from the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 line, coupled with 512MB of RAM.

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Samsung Galaxy S III explodes, causes still unknown

There was a time when the exploding iPhones got huge media coverage. Today the case is quite similar – the hottest phone on the market – the Galaxy S III – became even hotter to the point of catching fire.

The unpleasant incident occurred in the UK. A white Galaxy S III bought from Carphone Warehouse was attached to a car mount when suddenly white flames started coming from its the bottom. Here are some pictures:

   
The badly damaged Galaxy S III

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Sony Xperia S owners rejoice as Android 4.0 ICS arrives

Sony has just released the long awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for its Xperia S flagship smartphone. The handset was announced back in January and hit the shelves in the end of February.

But it’s finally here folks - Sony is seeding the ICS update right now. In addition to all vanilla improvements from Google, Sony added a few tweaks of its own to the multimedia apps. Here is the official video from Sony:

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Nokia 808 PureView now available for pre-order in the US

The Nokia 808 PureView has made the next step towards US availability - just a day after it was announced that the cameraphone monster would be sold stateside through Amazon, it's now available for pre-order.

As promised, the price is set at $699 SIM free. No carrier has stepped up to subsidize the 808 PureView yet, but the penta-band 3G support means the phone should work on both AT&T's and T-Mobile's networks. By the way, only the White color version is listed for now and it's not clear when the Red and Black variants will be available.

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HTC One S Deluxe Edition comes with Beats Solo in Singapore

HTC stopped bundling Beats headsets with its high-end smartphones, but on rare occasions there are exceptions. We already saw the One X get bundled with a Beats Solo headset in Taiwan and now it's the HTC One S getting the Deluxe Edition treatment in Singapore.

Just so you know, the Solo headset retails for about $180. So, getting them in a bundle would be great, but the bad news is that the offer comes from one Singapore carrier and no one else (that we've managed to find).

You can get the HTC One S Deluxe Edition from M1 for SGD418 (about $330) on a 2-year contract or for SGD948 ($750) off contract. Other carriers in Singapore don't seem to carry the Deluxe edition, and neither do carriers outside the country for now.

We keep hoping that HTC will give these Deluxe Editions wider availability instead of such one-off deals. If you manage to find the One S or the One X bundled with Beats, we'd appreciate a comment or a tip.

Thanks to Acefire for the tip, keep them coming!

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Supply shortages plague Sprint and T-Mobile Galaxy S III launch

As you know, tomorrow is the big day when Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone, the Galaxy S III, will officially land in US stores. It appears though, not all carriers will be having a perfectly smooth time with the launch.

T-Mobile says it will be the first to offer the US Samsung Galaxy S III in their brick and m

ortar stores, but the large demand has forced the operator to make the rollout a two-stage affair. Only what T-Mobile considers to be the top 29 markets will get the smartphone on launch date, with the rest to follow on June 27.

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Huawei unveils Ascend P1 TD- SCDMA and 2600mAh XL droids

Huawei used the start of the Mobile Asia Expo to announce the two latest additions to its lineup of Android smartphones. The Huawei Ascend P1 TD-SCDMA and Ascend P1 2600mAh are modified versions of the international P1 heading for China with a different 3G radio and a larger battery.

As the name suggests, the Huawei Ascend P1 TD-SCDMA swaps the WCDMA connectivity for the TD-SCDMA 3G radio, which is better suited to the third generation networks in China. The smartphone will go on sale in China by the end of June.

The Huawei Ascend P1 2600 mAh XL (or simply Ascend P1 XL) slaps a huge battery to the slender figure of the P1. Huawei chose not to reveal the dimensions of the new smartphone, but we guess the extra capacity added a millimeter or two.

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LG introduces Quick Voice to compete with Siri and S-Voice

Not wanting to be left behind in the voice control game, LG is now also introducing its own brand of voice recognition system, called Quick Voice.

Voice controlled features in mobile phones are nothing new and we've had them for quite a while now. But Apple stirred this stagnant area when it decided to add Siri to the iPhone 4S. The difference between Siri and others was that you did not have to give out a specific set of instructions and can have a natural conversation.

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The Nexus Tablet has reportedly started shipping, lacks 3G or LTE

Google I/O 2012 is fast approaching and reports are starting to emerge on what the company might be announcing. The latest report comes from DigiTimes and cites sources from upstream component makers.

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Apple extends exclusive deal with Liquidmetal by two years

Apple has used liquidmetal sparingly so far - just for the SIM ejector tool for iPhones and iPads - but the company behind the material announced that the exclusive deal between them and Apple has been extended for two more years.

The deal gives Apple exclusive rights to use liquidmetal for consumer electronic products (the material is also used in various sport equipment). The original deal ended on February 5 2012, but it has been extended until February 5, 2014.

With many leaks pointing to a metal back on the upcoming iPhone 5, the extended deal might mean that Apple will be using the tough alloy for the back of its new smartphone. There has been speculation that using the liquidmetal for the SIM ejector tool is a low-risk way to test both the material and the manufacturing process.

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Nokia launching the 808 PureView in the US for $699

After initially dropping North America out of the list of countries getting the 808 PureView, then confirming that it will in fact be getting the phone, Nokia has now gone ahead and made the official launch announcement.

The 808 PureView will be sold through Amazon.com and will set you back by $699 without a contract. No proper release date has been mentioned but the pre-orders will begin later this week or you can also sign up to be notified when the device goes on sale.

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Samsung launches SAFE Galaxy S III, warms corporate hearts

Now that Samsung has wowed Android fans with the Galaxy S III, it going to try and attract some enterprise users with its new SAFE brand of devices.

Standing for Samsung Approved for Enterprise, SAFE is Samsung's go at making Android devices secure enough for corporate users. SAFE devices will offer enterprise tools such as Microsoft Exchance ActiveSync, support for VPN and Mobile Device Management, and onboard AES-256 bit encryption.

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Photo of Samsung T699 QWERTY ICS droid leaks

The rumored SGH-T699 full-QWERTY smartphone from Samsung has just been spotted in the wild.

Little is known about the device save for the fact that it has a 5 MP shooter on the back, a front-facing camera, and a LED notification light. Android 4.0.4 powered by a Snapdragon S3 or S4 processor round out all the details we have thus far.

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LG Optimus L5 is now globally available, to cost €189

LG has announced its entry-level Optimus L5 smartphone will be making its international debut this month.

Powered by a Qualcomm MSM7225A chipset with a single-core 800MHz Cortex A5 processor, the LG Optimus L5 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and comes with 512MB of RAM. At the front, the device features a a 4.0-inch HVGA display and at the back there's a 5.0MP snppaer with LED flash.

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Android 4.0 update for Xperia active starts rolling out

Good news if you are an owner of the Sony Xperia active. Sony has announced on its blog that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update is now rolling out for the phone.

As is usual for these things, the update is being rolled out in batches and will be available in all the regions over a period of time.

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Sony Xperia U review: Fun united

The Xperia S has all the spotlight to itself in the NXT series, but history has taught us that Sony (and previously Sony Ericsson) can do wonders in the compact class. In two generations of minis and the Xperia ray, the Japanese have delivered packages that no one in the same price range can beat.

Sony Xperia U official photos

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What's new in iOS 6?

As we already mentioned, Apple claims there are more than 200 new features in the iOS 6. We are sure the number is right, but not all of the changes are actually visible or even worth mentioning.

Here is what we believe to be a detailed list of all noteworthy updates brought by iOS 6:

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Apple iOS 6 preview: First Look

As expected, Apple used the keynote of its annual WWDC event in San Francisco to announce the latest version of their iOS mobile platform. The sixth major build of the OS aims to bring the user experience to the next level with no less than 200 new features, services and UI tweaks.

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