LG G3 will feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display

The title image here is just a concept render, but we do finally have some legitimate information about the LG G3 to pass along. There have been rumors here and there that the G3 will have an incredibly high-resolution display, and we now have confirmation from a source at LG that the next LG flagship will indeed feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display. 

This means the display will have a resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels, and a pixels per inch (PPI) measurement of an insane 534 PPI. This is most likely the same display that LG showed off back in August of last year, which LG rated at 538 PPI. Either way, the display will easily have the highest PPI of any smartphone currently on the market, at least that's assuming the G3 is released before the upcoming Oppo Find 7, which has been rumored to use a display with the same specs. 

But, that's not all. Our source also has some info on what to expect from the software on the G3, which is said to have "advanced personalization" features. Although, from the information that we got, it is unclear how much of those features are Google Now and how much are custom LG software. There are a number of options that sound like Google Now's personal assistant options, like location-based reminders, calendar organization, traffic alerts, and intelligent push of news and location-based recommendations. However, LG wants to go beyond that. 

Supposedly, the G3 software will continuously adapt and learn your usage patterns and habits in order to offer you more personalized information. This is where the info we got becomes somewhat hazy. We were told that the user interface would adapt and change based on your usage and needs, which sounds a bit like Aviate; and, we were told that the G3 would give you "helpful ideas" in order to be more productive. Unfortunately, we have no good idea as to what that might mean. 

It has been rumored that the G3 would be released sometime in mid-May. 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom specs leaked

We exclusively confirmed earlier this year that Samsung was working on the Galaxy S5 Zoom (SM-C115), and now, the specs of the company’s second-generation phone-cum-camera device have been revealed through benchmark site GFXBench. The Galaxy S5 Zoom will sport a 19-megapixel main camera according to the benchmark, a noticeable upgrade over the 16MP sensor on the Galaxy S4 zoom, though the benchmark doesn’t mention its optical zoom capability (the S4 zoom had 10x optical zoom). There will also be a front camera, though this will be a standard 2-megapixel sensor.

The Galaxy S5 zoom will have a 4.8-inch 720p display (Super AMOLED), and is powered by Samsung’s new hexa-core Exynos chipset that debuted on the Galaxy Note 3 Neo – the benchmark lists a clock speed of 1.3GHz, though this is likely the frequency four low-power Cortex-A7 cores and not the two high-performance Cortex-A15 cores, which should be clocked at 1.7GHz unless Samsung has decided to lower the clock speed for some reason. Other specs include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and NFC connectivity, and Android 4.4.2 on the software side of things.

The Galaxy S4 zoom wasn’t a very impressive device in terms of its hardware specs, but it looks like Samsung has addressed that with the S5 zoom, in addition to increasing the megapixel count on the camera (hopefully, image quality has been improved as well) – the display has a higher resolution, there’s more on-board storage, and it’s using one of Samsung’s latest processors. The Galaxy S5 zoom is expected to be unveiled sometime in May, and we’ll be sure to let you know about any other details that might surface in the days to come.

The new HTC One (M8) leaks one more time

If we have to declare the worst kept smartphone secrets of all time, that would be the new HTC One, and the Xperia Z2, aka Sirius. While Samsung and Apple manage to keep their flagships under wraps almost until the last unveiling moment, it's as if Sony and HTC don't even bother. Almost everything about the Z2 was known before the announcement. The same thing now goes for the upcoming All New One, and we don't mean HTC's teaser videos.

This next leak comes courtesy of the case maker Spigen, which has been responsible for quite a bunch of those premature listings already. The wrapper is from the Slim Armor series of the manufacturer, and is tagged for "HTC One 2," while the case pictures' names begin with "new One". There is obviously a second opening at the top rear, reaffirming the dual camera lens novelty on the new One. The dual lens setup is also joined by what looks like a dual LED tonal flash, which illuminates the scene with different color combos, for more natural tones.

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Samsung Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit prices allegedly revealed

Samsung announced no less than three new wearable devices at MWC 2014 last week: the Gear 2 andGear 2 Neo smart watches (both running Tizen OS), plus the Gear Fit smart band. The company didn’t reveal the prices of these new products, only saying that they’d be available starting April. 

Now, however, Sam Mobile seems to know how much the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit will cost. Since Sam Mobile is an European website, it provided the prices in Euro. Here they are: 

• Samsung Gear 2 - €299
• Samsung Gear 2 Neo - €199
• Samsung Gear Fit - €199

We’re assuming that prices for the US market will be similar: $299 for the Gear 2, and $199 for the Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit. 

One of the main complaints regarding Samsung’s first smart watch, the Android-based Galaxy Gear, was its launch price: $299. While it looks like the Gear 2 won’t be cheaper, at least the Gear 2 Neo is going to be more affordable. Of course, there are still many users who don’t see the point in buying a smart watch. But those who do will soon have new options to choose from, and one of them may cost less than $200.

source: Sam Mobile (Twitter)

LG G Pro 2

You needn't be particularly involved with the smartphone world to notice the considerable – and more importantly, constant – growth in devices' dimensions. This observation has been cemented time and time again, and it appears that LG is next in turn. Still hot off the conveyor belt, the high-end G Pro 2 is one big phone at 5.9 inches. That's a considerable jump from its 5.5-inch predecessor – the original G pro.

But while the phablet form factor may have been something pushed down our throats by manufacturers initially, there's no denying that the wider public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Demand for phablets is now large enough that every handset maker is scraping to get a phablet of their own out on the market. Packing a potent, 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM, the G Pro 2 handles everything and anything you throw at it with finesse, and the same type of results are achieved by the optically-stabilized, 13-megapixel unit on the rear of the phone.

Before we get into this, however, do keep in mind that our review unit is the Korean version, which may differ in some aspects from the international model that we expect to reach the shores of Europe and the States in the coming months. We're still expecting LG to shed some more light on specifics, such as carrier availability and release date.

Design

A lot can and should be said about the G Pro 2's exterior. For starters, this is one sweet-looking device, even though it's unlikely to win consumers' hearts on looks alone. LG hasn't used truly premium materials with the build of the device, but there's simply no way that one would confuse this for anything less than a top-of-the-line phablet.

Starting with the front, we have very narrow bezels all around, so this is a relatively conservative device in terms of its dimensions (6.22 x 3.22 x 0.33 inches). In comparison, the 5.9-inch HTC One Max commands dimensions of 6.48 x 3.25 x 0.41 inches, so it's considerably larger and thicker. We also simply have to point out how light and well-balanced the G Pro 2 is. At 6.07 oz (172 grams), this is possibly the lightest phablet in its class, and it isn't top- nor bottom-heavy like some devices we've come across. In other words, while this will never be seen as a one-handed device, it's still more comfortable to use than quite a few other phablets in this size class.

Anyways, those aforementioned bezels all tout a fancy texture which shimmers under light, much alike the rear of the Nexus 4. In comparison, the rear is less intriguing. The plasticky shell  has something of a mesh texture, which doesn't exactly scream premium, but it does feel practical. Moreover, the G Pro 2 borrows the rear-placed volume and power buttons from the G2, and these are worth a moment to discuss, because they have seen some noteworthy improvements. For starters, they're now far less flush with the surface, and you can make them out by touch alone, which definitely helps. What's more, they have a roughly doubled travel time upon impact and you don't have to push too hard to get feedback from them. We never quite warmed up to the rear combo, as outlined in our long-term LG G2 review, but the G Pro 2 definitely begs a rematch.

Leaked pictures and benchmarks of the all new HTC One

The new HTC One is an upcoming device that has leaked out so prolifically in both images, videos and other documents that - three weeks ahead of its official unveiling - it seems like we know almost everything about it. One thing that we have learned about it is that the new HTC One is expected to come with a more intense metal finish, with more pronounced metal texture on the back.

Now, a new leak from China reveals that the silver color version of the handset may look different than what you'd expect. The images below show that the alleged 2014 HTC flagship will feature a metal finish that is not as intense as other leaks have suggested. In fact, the texture on the new device looks very similar to the one on the current HTC One. Could this be what the final device will look like? We are not certain. The truth is, there are no guarantees that these prototypes that are now leaking feature the same design as the final version of the new HTC One.

In addition to all of this, in the pics below you can also see that the new HTC flagship does admirably in benchmarks, scoring higher than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Sony Xperia Z Ultra and the LG G2.

 HTC’s new flagship and its rumored revolutionary new ‘dual’ camera, but if you don’t care about the countless rumors - just make sure to tune in on March 25th when HTC will officially unveil the phone.

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