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Huawei launches 5.5-inch B199 in China with a battery for hire
Huawei recently outed the Ascend Mate 2 with a colossal 4,000mAh battery that can actually charge other devices, and it's now brought that tech to a mid-range handset. The 5.5-inch B199 is a successor to the A199, and packs similar specs: a 720p screen, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD slot), dual SIMs (3G only) and a quad-core processor. The new model, though, has a Snapdragon, rather than a Huawei K3V2 CPU and also carries a much larger battery: 3,000mAh instead of 2,100mAh. Huawei says that'll power the phone through long browsing sessions and even let you charge other devices -- though it'd be odd to be packing another cellphone when you already have one with two SIMs. And given those dual SIMs, we'd not expect the $330 phone to be available outside China and similar markets.
Engadget Mobile Podcast 198 - CES Edition - 1.8.14
Brad and his team of mobile-centric pals sit down for some deep talk about feelings and, of course, smartphones. Sony has launched its Xperia Z1 Compact, which scales down size but not specs, and its compatriot, the Z1S, which takes the standard Z1 into waterproof territory. Not to be outdone, Samsung delivers some new tweaks on the Galaxy series, with its Note Pro and 12.2-inch Tab Pro. It's definitely a fun atmosphere on stage, but this is one party that T-Mobile's John Legere failed to crash -- although his hijinks did get a mention. Hop on down to the streaming links below for the full Mobile Podcast show! Hosts: Brad Molen Producer: Jon Turi Hear the podcast:
Pandora's Android app gets an alarm clock function, right on time
There's no denying it -- many people will need extra motivation to get up at a reasonable hour after sleeping in during the holidays. It's a good thing, then, that Pandora has just given its Android app the alarm clock and sleep functions that reached iOS nearly a month ago. Most of the functions are the same. You can still tell Pandora to wake you up to your favorite streaming station, and you can hit the snooze button if you're not quite ready to greet the new day. Android users do get a few OS-specific perks, including support for recurring alarms and the luxury of switching apps once the alarm has been set. If you need some tunes to make the early morning a little more bearable, you'll want to swing by Google Play to grab Pandora's update.
BBM beta for Android gets Channels and voice chat
Android users who've enjoyed their first taste of BBM will want to visit the BlackBerry Beta Zone today. BlackBerry has just released a private beta of the messaging client that introduces promised Channels and Voice support, giving Android users the same social feeds and free WiFi calling as their BB10 bretheren. There's no mention of when the feature will reach either the public BBM build or its iOS equivalent, but it's clear that wider availability is close at hand.
AT&T will give you up to $450 to leave T-Mobile
AT&T is clearly worried that T-Mobile's recent success may be coming at its own expense -- it just launched a promotion that gives T-Mobile customers up to $450 to switch to Big Blue. The deal offers converts a minimum of $200 once they've subscribed to a smartphone plan, plus up to $250 more if they trade in an existing phone. There's no mention of when the promo will end, although it's described as a "limited time" offer. The deal may be tempting if you're already inclined to jump ship, although you'll want to do the math before you leave. While AT&T will now cut your bill when off-contract, T-Mobile's contract-free rates could be lower depending on the device you buy; it may be cheaper in the long run.
Cydia update courts iOS 7 jailbreakers with a new interface (video)
The availability of an iOS 7 jailbreak may have caught the Cydia team off-guard, but not for long. Jay Freeman and fellow developers have just updated their unofficial app platform to match Apple's minimalist look. It's more than just a cosmetic upgrade, too, as it includes iOS 7's swipe-based navigation and appears to run faster. Individual app writers will still have to update their code for everything to run smoothly, but jailbreak users who've just been waiting for an OS-native Cydia will want to check for the update today. [Image credit: iOS Hacker]
Oppo R1 smartphone arrives in China with a bright camera and high style
It's tough to stand out in the mid-range Android crowd, but Oppo may have found a way to separate itself from the pack. Its newly launched R1 smartphone carries a gold-effect metal frame that adds a touch of class around the 5-inch screen. Camera quality may also lure in a few buyers. The R1 carries a bright 8-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture shooter like that in the R819, and there's an upgraded 5-megapixel camera at the front. No one will mistake Oppo's latest hardware for a flagship, though. There's a modest 1.3GHz, quad-core MediaTek chip inside, and neither the 720p display resolution nor the 16GB of non-expandable storage will please video lovers. The real obstacle for some may be the price -- the R1 sells for ¥2,498 ($411) in its native China, which is a lot to pay when the Vivo X3 offers slightly better performance in a slimmer design.
Facebook for Windows Phone 8 now lets you pin chats and events to the home screen
Windows Phone-toting Facebook users no longer have to worry about missing an important conversation or party update. A revamped Facebook app for Windows Phone 8 lets socialites pin seemingly any Facebook content to the home screen as a Live Tile, including chats, events, groups, pages and photo albums. The app's redesigned main Live Tile also shows wall updates, and Microsoft has spent time bolstering both the language support and overall performance. Whether or not you need to watch your friend activity like a hawk, there's enough here to justify swinging by the Windows Phone Store for an upgrade.
BLU's Life Pure smartphone delivers 1080p, a 13-megapixel camera and 32GB of space for $349
BLU Products can offer a lot of smartphone for the money, but its devices seldom come with the sharp screens and ample memory that you'd expect from rivals. The company is closing that gap with its new Life Pure, however. The $349 unlocked handset carries the same 5-inch, 1080p screen that you've seen on flagships from the past year, including the HTC Droid DNA; it even stuffs in a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera and 32GB of storage, giving it more overall media prowess than a similarly-priced Nexus 5. With that said, you won't want to chuck your reference Google phone out the window just yet. The Life Pure is running on a slower 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek chip (albeit with 2GB of RAM), doesn't include LTE and uses Android 4.2. This isn't an early adopter's phone, then. Still, we can see some buyers trading performance for features when the Life Pure goes on sale in the near future.
Engadget Mobile Podcast 197 - 12.19.13
It's been a hot second, but we're back with your host Brad Molen and guest Myriam Joire for a year-in-review episode. It's been a wild ride with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 picking up the processing pace, Motorola joining the smartphone market with renewed vigor and John Legere's refusal to let crazy get in the way of good ideas. Those on a budget could get quality in more ways than one and if the sky was the limit, you could get that too. And yes, Moto G received a KitKat update, but we didn't notice since it arrived while we were busy recording this amazing podcast just for you! So, if everyone's in, the Engadget Mobile Podcast is about to begin -- whenever you're ready, of course. Hosts: Brad Molen Guest: Myriam Joire Producer: Jon Turi Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International) Hear the podcast:
Google Play Books for Android temporarily loses PDF upload support
We hope you weren't too attached to Google Play Books' PDF upload support on Android, because you just lost it -- albeit temporarily. Following some code sleuthing, Android Police has confirmed that Google removed PDF uploading; for now, you're limited to transferring EPUB books. The PDF support was experimental, Google says, and should come back with a future app update. That's unfortunate for anyone hoping to save documents to Play Books, but we won't object too much when there are at least a few alternatives for sending PDFs to the cloud.
500px brings its photo sharing to Windows Phone
Windows Phone users wanting to browse 500px photo galleries have so far had to rely on unofficial apps, but they can now go straight to the source thanks to an official app for Microsoft's platform. As on Android and iOS, this is primarily a passive experience; you can check out friends' activity with the Flow feature and search for interesting snapshots, but direct uploads aren't an option. There are two OS-specific perks, though -- you can introduce 500px photos to both a Live Tile as well as your phone's lock screen. Grab the app from the Windows Phone Store today if you're looking for an alternative to other services like Flickr.
Vine for Android comes to Gingerbread phones, but only for viewing
Android fans running Gingerbread no longer have to sit out the Vine video craze. An updated Vine app now supports playback on the 2010-era Google OS, giving the many people using older Android phones a chance to see all the short clips they've been missing. They shouldn't expect to record clips, though -- Vine says that "device limitations" prevent Gingerbread users from creating their own content. That negates much of the app's reason for being, but the expanded support still represents a kindness toward those who'd otherwise be left out of the (video) loop.
BLU unveils two budget Android phones with 3G on more North American carriers
BLU Products' unlocked smartphones have only been truly useful in North America when using bigger carriers like AT&T and Rogers, but the company is giving us a few more choices today. Its new Advance 4.0 and Studio 5.0 II both support HSPA+ data on smaller networks like T-Mobile, Solavei and Wind Mobile; if you want to jump to a cheaper provider, you won't have to give up 3G in the process. The handsets are otherwise modest. Both Android 4.2 devices come with a dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front VGA camera. You're mostly left deciding between the Advance 4.0's 4-inch TFT display and the Studio 5.0 II's 5-inch IPS panel. Whichever phone you choose, it won't cost much. BLU is offering the Advance 4.0 today for $89 outright, while its Studio 5.0 II cousin sells for $139.
Dropbox for Android now lets you share folders with friends
Dropbox members no longer have to wait until they're at a desktop to share a whole folder. An updated Dropbox for Android lets users both invite others to shared folders and manage the relevant permissions. There aren't many other interface additions, although anyone eager to upgrade to Pro service can now subscribe through Google Play instead of the web. And don't worry, iOS fans -- Dropbox is bringing invitation support to your app in early 2014.
Mailbox for iOS now handles your iCloud or Yahoo email account
Mailbox has only handled Gmail since launch, but compulsive email checkers finally have a few more account options thanks to an update. The iOS app now supports both iCloud addresses (including me.com and mac.com) as well as Yahoo, with prioritization and push notifications intact. The upgrade also introduces background syncing, which should save iOS 7 users the trouble of downloading all their new mail at once. Those who've been waiting for expanded support to try Mailbox can give it a spin today at the source link.
Google Maps Navigation for Android makes its way to 25 more countries
Eager to go on a driving trip to an exotic locale? You'll be glad to hear that Google Maps Navigation is now available in 25 more countries. Most of the additions are in Africa, including Libya, Somalia and Tunisia. The rest of the coverage is scattered across the globe: Caribbean travelers can find their way through Guadeloupe and Haiti, while European visitors can navigate Andorra, Croatia and Serbia. There's even support for relatively remote places like Bhutan and Vanuatu. Maps Navigation still isn't a truly global service when it reaches 99 countries, but it now reaches far enough that it will be a surprise if you can't get your bearings while traveling abroad.
Cover's context-aware Android lock screen launches on Google Play (video)
Context-sensitive interfaces like Aviate and Google Now are on the rise in the Android world, and Cover is taking advantage of that spotlight by releasing its dynamic lock screen on Google Play as a public beta. The updated front end works much as it did in the invitation-only test, automatically changing app shortcuts and settings as you move from place to place. It's also easy to peek into apps or switch between them. Most of the improvements lie below the surface, Cover says -- the new version maintains an app's exact state while peeking, improves KitKat compatibility, includes tutorials and offers more customization. Whether or not you're a Cover veteran, you're now just a click or two away from trying the updated software for yourself.
Skype for Windows Phone comes to China with app upgrades in tow
Skype's newest Chinese partnership may not allay fears of government snooping, but it's paying dividends for mobile users -- Skype for Windows Phone has just reached the country for the first time as part of a larger app update. Microsoft's messaging client appears to be the same regardless of region, suggesting that the Chinese aren't losing any features. That's good news, as there's a few noteworthy updates in store. Users can now copy and paste instant messages, and there's a new high contrast mode for those with vision trouble; the app should load faster, too. No matter where you live, you can grab the Skype update today from the Windows Phone Store.
iPhone 5s and 5c come to Straight Talk and Net10 on December 13th
Cost-conscious iPhone 5s or 5c buyers will soon have a pair of fresh choices for prepaid service. Tracfone has announced that both Straight Talk and Net10 will sell Apple's latest smartphones through Walmart on December 13th. As with unlocked devices, you'll be paying at least $549 for an iPhone 5c or $649 for its 5s counterpart; the real savings come from the plans, which start at $45 per month for unlimited calls, (throttled) data and text. You'll still want to visit carriers like T-Mobile or Virgin for the cheapest possible rates, but the new Tracfone options may be ideal for iPhone fans who want full service without a full price.
