Top 10 upcoming handsets in 2014

1. Samsung Galaxy S5: Samsung's next flagship promises to take smartphoning to new heights with its new-age features. Believed to be powered by a 64-bit processor, it is said to house an architecture of 16 cores and a RAM of 3/4 GB. Other rumoured goodies on the phone include a 32 multitouch screen, a water proof casing, wireless charging and an eye scanning sensor.

Samsung is expected to finally do away with its plasticy form factor and give the Galaxy S5 a carbon fiber or an aluminum casing. Powered by Android's latest operating system, the flagship is speculated to be equipped with a 16-megapixel primary camera, complete with OIS.

2. Apple iPhone 6: Apple is rumoured to unveil its next iPhone earlier than usual next year. If all those leaks are to be believed, the iPhone 6 might break cover as early as May of 2014. Leaving its 64-bit processor and its Touch ID unchanged, Apple is expected to give its new handset a bigger screen and possibly even a curved display, along with a larger RAM. Storage options are said to remain the same on the new flagship, which will of course carry the next iOS build out of the box.

Like the Galaxy S5, gaze detection technology on the iPhone 6 is believed to make the handset more power efficient than before. Rumour has it that Apple may finally go in for a Full HD display on its next flagship, as well as up its cores to four and its camera to a 12 or a 13-megapixel one.

3. HTC M8: HTC is hoping to catch up in the smartphone race in a big way with its next flagship, codenamed M8. The handset reportedly boasts of a premium build quality with its slim wraparound metal body. The 5-inch smartphone supposedly packs in a 2K resolution of 2048 × 1080 pixels. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.2 GHz 800 processor and a 3 GB RAM apparently power the device along with Android 4.4 KitKat and Sense 6.0. The handset most certainly houses an Ultra Pixel camera and rumour has it that it even sports the ability to take 3D snapshots. Of course, the phone comes with a fingerprint sensor as well.

4. Sony Xperia Z2 Avatar: Sony is all set to lead the smartphone market with its display and its camera technologies. Taking on from where the well endowed Xperia Z1 left off, the Xperia Z2 Avatar supposedly runs on a 3 GB RAM, Android 4.4 KitKat and a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset. The handset is expected to sport a resolution of a whooping 506ppi while its 20.7-megapixel primary camera reportedly comes equipped with a Xenon flash. As with some of Sony's other handsets, the Xperia Z2 is most likely to pack in water and dust resistance along with a premium build quality.

5. Nokia Lumia 1820: Nokia is rumoured to give its new imaging flagship a metal unibody design and a Lytro-style camera that allows users to change the focus after they have clicked a photograph. The Lumia 1820 is powered by Windows Phone 8.1 and is believed to come with Microsoft's Siri-like personal assistant Cortana built-in. We expect to see a Full HD display and a powerful processor on the device as well.

6. Sony Xperia Z1s: The Xperia Z1s is reported to carry all that Xperia Z1 goodness in a sleek, compact form. Sony's new Android handset is said to pack in a 4.3-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, a 2 GB RAM and an internal storage of 16 GB. Sony has reportedly given its newbie a 20-megapixel Sony Exmor RS rear camera and a 2-megapixel Sony Exmor R front sensor, along with a 2,300 mAh battery.

7. HTC Butterfly 2: HTC is reportedly prepping the successor to the Butterfly with a 5.2-inch Full HD display. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor, the handset is believed to be waterproof. Though other details about the handset are as yet unknown, given that the Butterfly was such a formidable device, the Butterfly 2 will be even better equipped than its predecessor as far as specs and features go. Of course, the Android handset will also pack in an Ultra Pixel camera and BoomSound stereo speakers.

8. BlackBerry Z50: BlackBerry is hoping to win a few hearts of its own with its next flagship, the BB Z50 touch phone. The Canadian tech giant is reportedly prepping its newbie for a late 2014 release and has given it a large 5.2-inch screen with a Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. Though not much about the handset is known as yet, it is believed to run on a quad-core processor and will be powered by BlackBerry's newest and most improved operating system at the time of its release.

9. BlackBerry Q30: Those who prefer a QWERTY keypad on their handsets can wait it out for the BB Q30. BlackBerry is expected to release its new QWERTY handset in the latter part of 2014 and give it features like a 2.3 GHz processor, a 4-inch touchscreen display and a 3 GB RAM. Running on BlackBerry's latest operating system, the phone's forte is of course it's easy to type on and use keyboard.

10. Huawei Glory 4: If you are looking out for an inexpensive yet functional Android handset, Huawei's next offering might be just right for you. The Glory 4 reportedly runs on a powerful 'true' octa-core set-up and packs in features like a 4.7-inch HD display, a 1 GB RAM, an 8-megapixel camera and Huawei's Emotion 2.0 UI. Huawei's new handset is rumoured to offer users a pretty functional mid-range smartphoning experience under $150, approximately Rs. 9,300.

Motorola Moto G US Version now in India

The Motorola Moto G may probably hit the Indian markets in Jan 2014, but if you cannot wait you can buy the Moto G from ebay.in. The online store has the ‘G’ listed – 8GB version for Rs. 15,990 and the 16GB version for Rs. 17,990.

The Moto G handset will be shipped from United States, it supports Global GSM i.e. any GSM SIM card will work. Shipping is free but it could take few days to weeks to get the handset delivered in India. After sales support could be an issue in case the device has some problems. Shipping is free, so in all you pay Rs. 15,990 and Rs. 17,990 depending on storage options.

The Motorola G runs on Android 4.3 with 8GB /16GB storage options. There is 1GB on-board RAM. This handset is powered by 1.2GHz quad core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400) with Adreno 305 GPU. Screen is 4.5 inches with HD resolution (1280x720p). Other features are 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4 and GPS. This is single SIM handset and also includes a 1.3MP front camera and 5MP rear camera with LED flash. Battery is 2070 mAh capacity.

The Moto G is yet to make its way into the Indian Markets but is available on ebay.in. For the price it surely will give tough competition to budget quad core handsets that are already quite popular.

Huawei Ascend P6S with Octa Core unveiled

Huawei will soon launch Huawei Ascend P6S and upgraded version of Ascend P6. The Ascend P6S will come powered by Octa Core chipset and will run on the latest Android 4.4 OS.

Huawei president Xu Xin Quan did confirm the Ascend P6S via Weibo, however the exact specifications and the pricing details has not yet been disclosed. All that we know is that it will be with true Octa Core chipset.

Reference to True Octa Core (8 core) could probably point out at the MediaTek MT6592 chipset. In fact this is the latest hot stuff that many manufactures are looking forward to. We are not sure if and when the Huawei Ascend P6S will be available in India and its price tag.

For now Intex has already announced its plan to launch their Octa core handset in India. It is a matter of few weeks / month and if you are planning to buy a new smartphone and ready to spend over Rs. 18,000 it would be wise to wait for the 8 core smartphones.

Intex i17 6 inch Phablet with MT6592 octa core processor launched

A few days back Intex had revealed that they will soon launch an octa core device.  In fact yesterday they did launch the Intex i17 model with  a 6 inch HD screen and powered by MediaTek octa core chipset.

The Intex i17 will be priced at under Rs. 20,000 – looks quite tempting. This Phablet comes loaded with 1.7GHz Octa core MT6592 chispet with Mali 450 MP4 GPU clocked at 700MHz. The IPS touchscreen is 6 inches supporting resolution of 1280×720 pixels.

There is 13MP rear auto focus camera with full HD recording and LED flash support. A front camera of 5MP can be used for self shot or video chats. The handset is pretty slim with a 7mm thickness. Android 4.2 runs the show with 2GB RAM and 16GB / 32GB optional storage. Other features are 3G, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth, dual Yamaha speakers and GPS.

A 2300 mAh battery should get the handset going for a full day with moderate usage. The Intex i17 will hit the stores next year in Jan 2014. Price will be under Rs. 20,000 for the 16GB version.

Pebble smartwatch

You may already be acquainted with the Pebble smartwatch. One of the best and most successful ideas to have come out of Kickstarter, the watch was an instant hit with a lot of smartphone owners for being able to pair with your phone and display important information on its e-paper display.

Now, after some delays, the watch is finally ready and will be shipping out to the Kickstarter backers starting January 23.

In case you don’t know much about the Pebble, it is a Bluetooth-based smartwatch that pairs with your smartphone and shows messages and calls directly on its screen as they arrive. It even lets you control the music playback on your phone without you having to take it out of your pocket. The watch can also interact with any third-party app you may have on your smartphone, if the app allows this functionality.

The Pebble has an e-paper display which saves power compared to an LCD and has a backlight for seeing it in the dark. It comes with multiple clock faces and you can use the SDK to create more. It has a simple interface that can be accessed from the four buttons on the side and there is a MagSafe-style magnetic charging port as well. The Pebble watch is said to receive regular updates in the future, which will be pushed wirelessly to it through the companion app on your iOS or Android smartphone.

Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 Android tablet

Panasonic is all business and no play at CES this year. The company made a splash with a Windows 8 Pro slate and an ICS-powered 7″ tablet that goes by the name Toughbook JT-B1

Being mobile-loving as we are we decided to have a closer look at the JT-B1 and we’ve got the hands-on below.

As suggested by those official images and the specs sheet the thing is built like a tank and feels every bit as rugged as you would expect from just such a device.

The screen isn’t anything special, though, and we did notice that it’s not as responsive as we would have liked. It could be due to the pre-release status of the units available at the Panasonic booth, but we suspect the extra tough glass protection has something to do with that too.

The Panasonic JT-B1 up front

The whole tablet feels much larger than your typical 7-incher and is very thick, but that’s hardly shocking news. The weight is also pretty badly affected by the added armor, making this one of the hardest to wield 7-inchers.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

Move over RAZR, there is a new ultra-thin Android smartphone entering the stage.  The Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra measures in at a slim 6.45mm thin (not including the camera hump).

What else do you get with a thin form factor?  Well, we find a 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek processor which manages Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.  That little hump which protrudes from the thin profile is an 8MP camera.  On the front, is a 1.3MP camera with 720p recording capability and a 4.7-inch HD AMOLED display.

The Idol Ultra has 13.3GB of storage and does not have any microSD support.  This is a quad-band GSM device with HSPA support on 850/1900MHz, which would make it work nicely on AT&T's network, but there was no carrier announcement.  Not only was there no carrier announcement, there was no release date or price point revealed either, such was the trend for all the devices Alcatel had on display at CES 2013.

Alcatel One Touch Scribe X

The Alcatel One Touch Scribe X is the manufacturer's premium handset, featuring a quad-core processor, HD display and a stylus, just like its Scribe HD cousin.

What separates the Scribe X from the Scribe HD?  The MediaTek CPU has a small bump in specs, measuring at 1.4GHz.  The camera has a bump as well, coming in at 12MP versus the HD's 8MP shooter.  There is a nice sized battery on board at 2,500mAh which should provide adequate power to navigate through the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which is on board.

The form factor and build quality is apparent when holding the Scribe X.  It joins other high-end Android devices in the 5-inch display realm.  Unfortunately, Alcatel had no dates, prices or carriers to link to this nice looking device.  PhoneArena.com is on the list to get word about any pending release of the Scribe X, or any of the other One Touch smartphones coming from Alcatel.

ZTE Nubia Z7

Ready for a rumor that is as wild as a bobcat? Well, you better have a salt shaker nearby. GizChina reports that ZTE is already working on a new flagship Android smartphone called the Nubia Z7. As a side note, the ZTE Nubia Z5 is currently among the best that the company has to offer, packing a 5-inch 1080p display, 13MP camera, and a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro system-on-a-chip. So, what could possibly make the ZTE Nubia Z7 even better? Well, let's start with its sheer size.

According to the sources of today's rumor, the ZTE Nubia Z7 will have a 6.3-inch display with a jaw-dropping resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. Only weeks ago, a handset of this size would have seemed ridiculous, but since Huawei already has the 6.1-inch Ascend Mate on display, the existence of a smartphone with a screen a fifth of an inch bigger doesn't seem all that unlikely. But the list of mind-blowing (yet far from confirmed) specs does not end here. It is speculated that ZTE will equip the Nubia Z7 with an 8-core processor running at 1.4GHz. Interestingly, this isn't the first time we hear about the possibility of an 8-core CPU landing inside a ZTE smartphone, so the rumor might be onto something. The tipster also mentions the presence of a Mali-T658 GPU, 16MP camera, 4,000mAh battery, 128GB of storage and LTE radio. Supposedly, the ZTE Nubia Z7 will come running Android 5.0.

All of this seems way too good to be true, so we'll label this rumor as highly dubious. Even if this ZTE Nubia Z7 is real, albeit only on a conceptual level, it would be extremely unlikely for it to materialize anytime soon given the fact that it is supposed to run Android 5.0. 

Samsung Galaxy S IV Rumour

The Samsung Galaxy S IV will not make an official debut at the Consumer Electronics Show that kicks off in just a couple of days in Las Vegas. That’s no surprise as Samsung is widely expected to announce its new Android flagship around April this year, but what could be a slight surprise is that early models of the Galaxy S IV will be at the show, but under tight supervision and behind closed doors for only a few top executives to see, according to South Korean website MT.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Lee is allegedly the person who will be at CES and the one to show the upcoming Galaxy S IV to carriers and other high-profile partners.

Moreover, the report goes on to once again say the Samsung Galaxy S IV will indeed have a 5-inch 1080p display and run on Samsung’s Exynos 5440, a quad-core ARM Cortex A15-based chip.

This might sound a bit strange to you, but what the Samsung executive will be showing is likely a non-final prototype of the S IV to partners that will need some information about that device before they decide how much of it they would want, and so on. All of this is ordinary, and is going behind the scenes, without the end-user hearing much. At least we know that Samsung is ready with some kind of a prototype to show off, and that’s already something.

What’s more interesting, is that we even saw a leaked picture of the Galaxy S IV, stripped off the physical buttons. That could be an interesting decision to keep the device at around the same dimensions and relatively comfortable for one-handed use despite the larger screen.

Sony Xperia Z vs HTC Droid DNA vs Samsung Galaxy S III specs comparison

DESIGN
	Samsung Galaxy S III	Sony Xperia Z	HTC Droid DNA
OS	Android (4.1.2, 4.1.1, 4.0.4) TouchWiz UX UI	Android (4.1.2)	Android (4.1.1) Sense 4+ UI
Dimensions	5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches (136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm)	5.47 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches (139 x 71 x 7.9 mm)	5.55 x 2.78 x 0.38 inches (141 x 70.5 x 9.73 mm)
Weight	4.69 oz (133 g) the average is 4.3 oz (124 g)	5.15 oz (146 g) the average is 4.3 oz (124 g)	4.87 oz (138 g) the average is 4.3 oz (124 g)
Side Keys	Left: Volume control Right: Lock/Unlock key		Right: Volume control
Rugged		Water (Water), Dust proof
IP certified		IP 57
Colors	Black, Brown, Pink, Blue, Red, White, Gray

DISPLAY
Physical size	4.80 inches	5 inches	5 inches
Resolution	720 x 1280 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density	306 ppi	441 ppi	441 ppi
Technology	Super AMOLED	TFT	S-LCD 3
Colors	16 777 216	16 777 216	16 777 216
Touchscreen	Capacitive, Multi-touch	Capacitive, Multi-touch	Capacitive, Multi-touch
Features	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass

BATTERY
Talk time	22.50 hours the average is 9 h (554 min)	11.00 hours the average is 9 h (554 min)	12.80 hours the average is 9 h (554 min)
Stand-by time	34.6 days (830 hours) the average is 19 days (464 h)	22.9 days (550 hours) the average is 19 days (464 h)	14.7 days (353 hours) the average is 19 days (464 h)
Talk time (3G)	11.60 hours the average is 8 h (483 min)
Stand-by time (3G)	32.1 days (770 hours) the average is 19 days (467 h)
Capacity	2100 mAh	2330 mAh	2020 mAh

HARDWARE
System chip	Samsung Exynos 4 (4412)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Processor	Quad core, 1400 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait
Graphics processor	ARM Mali-400/MP4	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
System memory	1024 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / LPDDR2	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel)	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel, 533 MHz) / DDR2
Built-in storage	32 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Storage expansion	microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC up to 64 GB	microSD, microSDHC up to 32 GB

CAMERA
Camera	8 megapixels, Immobile	13.1 megapixels, Immobile	8 megapixels, Immobile
Flash	LED	LED	LED
Aperture size	F2.6		F2.0
Focal length (35mm equivalent)			28mm
Features	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), CMOS image sensor, Auto focus, Face detection, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Burst mode, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Face detection, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Face detection, Exposure compensation, White balance presets, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)
Features	Video calling, Digital image stabilization	Video calling	Video calling
Front-facing camera	1.9 megapixels	2.2 megapixels	2.1 megapixels
Video capture	1920x1080 (1080p HD)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)

TECHNOLOGY
CDMA			800, 1900 MHz
GSM	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
LTE		800 MHz, 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2600 MHz	700 MHz Class 17
Data	HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS	LTE, HSPA (unspecified), UMTS, EDGE, GPRS	LTE Cat3 Downlink 100 Mbit/s, LTE Cat3/4 Uplink 50 Mbit/s, HSPA (unspecified), UMTS, EDGE, GPRS, EV-DO Rev.A
Micro SIM	Yes		Yes
Global Roaming	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, E911
Navigation	Turn-by-turn navigation, Voice navigation, Points of interest (POI)	Yes	Turn-by-turn navigation