LG G3 leak:Quad core HD display, polycarbonate body

Samsung and HTC have already launched their flagship smartphones for 2014, Sony has unveiled (but it’s not yet shipping) its Xperia Z2, and it seems like LG is the sole company in this circle of major Android phone makers that has not yet announced its 2014 contender.

 

The LG G3 - the rumored name for this yet unofficial device - has leaked out time and time again, but this time around we have one of the most comprehensive looks at it, coming from an inside source, who has allegedly seen the G3 and spilled the beans to Bulgarian blog Nixanbal. The blog has a short, but good track record with such leaks, but keep in mind that - as with all rumors - nothing is official, so you'd do good to take it with a healthy grain of salt.

With this in mind, what we learn is that the LG G3 is very likely to sport a Quad HD (2560 x 1440-pixel) display. The source, who has allegedly seen the device, describes the display as ‘impressive’, but not just for its sharpness. Chances are that this will indeed be a 5.5-inch screen, but put inside a body as compact as the one of the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S5. LG has allegedly achieved this by minimizing screen bezel on all sides drastically.

The design of the LG G3, on the other hand, is said to continue the traditions of the G2, with a polycarbonate body and buttons on the back of the phone. This time around, though, we are likely to see a smooth matte plastic finish in lieu of the glossy one of the G2. Moreover, the LG G3 plastic back will have an underlying pattern reminiscent of the brushed finish on the new HTC One (M8). With the G3, LG is said to have opted for a removable back cover. Having an easily removable back cover is often a pre-requisite (and a very good indication) for the likely presence of an expandable memory via a microSD card slot.

The LG G3 feature no buttons on the front (the phone allegedly uses on-screen navigation keys), while the rear keys are placed in the center-back, however, the buttons themselves are smaller than the ones on LG’s 2013 flagship. An LED light is said to be built in the lock key, another neat new addition.

We don’t know much about the camera, but the mockup of the G3 above shows that it does feature a new, dual-shot flash light on the right, and something that looks like an infra-red (IR) beamer on the left.

Finally, expectations are that LG will officially unveil the G3 in just a month - in May. If so, the LG G3 will become the first Quad HD smartphone from a non-Chinese company.

Acer Iconia One 7

It’s not often we see or hear about premium 7-inch Android tablets from Acer, but at their press event in New York City recently, they introduced a model that’s gunning to be that combinational device. At the heart of the Acer Iconia Tab 7 is all of the usefulness and features of a 7-inch tablet, but it’s been given cellular connectivity on top of it – becoming a bridge mobile device for those looking to combine a smartphone and tablet. The question that remains is if can do enough to sway consumer interest towards it?

Design

Back during MWC 2014, we were astounded by the subtle premium change we saw sprinkled to the Acer Iconia A1, so it’s safe to say the feelings are mutual here again as we feast on the Acer Iconia Tab 7. Without question, the premium element attached to this 7-incher is something we appreciate greatly, but it’s easy to make comparisons with another premium tablet (think iPad mini). Available in a single anodized silver colored body, there’s no arguing about how we’re digging the premium look, but its hollow construction makes us a little hesitant to say it’s a solid thing in the hand.

Display

Regrettably, the 7-inch IPS display on the Acer Iconia Tab 7 is rather underwhelming, seeing that it’s sporting a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Taking into account that more premium nature of the tablet’s design, we were hoping to see something higher in this category – more so when it’s flaunting the same resolution as the even lower-end Acer Iconia One 7 tablet. Sure, the resolution suffices for surfing the web, but we were hoping for something far sharper, especially with its more premium status. Luckily, it's pretty bright and doesn’t distort a whole lot at wide angles.

Interface

Diving into the software, the Acer Iconia Tab 7 is running a mostly stock Android 4.4 KitKat experience. Well, there are a few Acer widgets littered on the homescreen, but for the most part, the customizations are fairly light. Aiming to reach a wider audience, there are several modes to choose from that caters to the particular person it’s targeting. To be more exact, there’s a basic mode that presents us access to a few things from the homescreen – while the senior mode gives us giant sized icons to make it easy to navigate. Did we mention that this is armed with a cellular radio, which means it can make phone calls? It’s a useful feature that eliminates the need to own two separate devices.

Processor and memory

Under the hood, the tablet gets its power punch from its quad-core 1.3GHz Media Tek MT8382 processor with 1GB of RAM. During our short time playing around with the tablet, it’s able to maintain a steady responsive rate with most basic tasks. We’re just crossing our fingers that it can handle more processor intensive ones without having a diminished performance.

Stuffed with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, the Acer Iconia Tab 7 discretely tucks away a microSD card slot to provide us with additional capacity in the event we use up all of its internal one.

Camera

Around the rear, a 5-megapixel camera protrudes slightly away from the surface. Even though we’re unable to snap a sample during our hands-on time, we’re seriously hoping it delivers decent photos and videos, considering that owning this device means it’s going to be your daily driver on the road. Of course, there’s a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera on this one too.

Acer Iconia one 7 specifications:

§  7-inch (1280 x 800 pixels) HD IPS display

§  1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8382 processor

§  Android 4.4 (KitKat)

§  8.9 mm thick and weighs 298 grams

§  5MP rear camera

§  0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera

§  1GB RAM, expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD

§  3G (via SIM slot),WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB

§  Up to 6 hours of battery life

OnePlus[1+] One is official

A smartphone vendor based in Beijing and headed by ex Oppo VP, Pete Lau -- has, at certain points, reached some potentially catastrophic levels, but today we're putting all of that to bed, as we finally have the facts. The company's first phone, the flagship One, was just announced, and there's honestly quite a bit to talk about. 

And though we certainly feel like the hype-inducing marketing machine at the company reiterates some pretty important lessons about the industry and fans as a whole, the day that we address these is not today.

For those of you who haven't been paying attention, the OnePlus One was touted for a long while as the ultimate, no-compromise flagship that won't break the bank. Were these claims unfounded? Not at all -- we have Nexus-like pricing on what is a really impressive device overall. Let's dissect it.

Design and Hardware

At one point during the development of the One, OnePlus' CEO promised that the device will rival the Apple iPhone in terms of dashingly-good looks, and though that's a frustratingly subjective matter, we should note that we're liking what we're seeing. 

In fact, what we're seeing is very, very close to what Oppo treated us to with the Find 7, but that, again, is a talk for another day.

Anyway, wrapped within a magnesium chassis, the One is a relatively compact 5.5-incher, measuring 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm, and weighing just 162 grams. 

The 1080x1920 pixel resolution LTPS screen is literally slapped on top of the chassis, so the top and bottom bezels are actually recessed. At the back we have a 13-megapixel Sony IMX214 sensor with 6 lenses and a wide, f/2.0 aperture -- a unit that has, so far, proven quite capable, though we'd prefer to first test it out before making any conclusions.

If you ask OnePlus, however, the camera is quite the big deal -- it offers low shutter speeds of 0.3 seconds, and the company has been trying to impress upon us the idea that low light photography is a feasible exercise with the One. On the bottom, you get a set of JBL stereo speakers. 

The OnePlus One comes in two colors -- "Sandstone" black and "Silk" white -- though the company is also making what it calls StyleSwap covers available for purchase. These come in different materials, like denim, kevlar, wood, and bamboo.

The most powerful bin of Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974-AC), clocked at 2.5GHz, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and a 3100 mAh cell, that's what.

 Connectivity options include 4G LTE, 2.4G/5G Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. Lastly, the OnePlus One is powered by a customized version of CyanogenMod OS (based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat), which has been redesigned with a minimal and completely flat UI.

Price and release date

Folks, you better hold onto your chairs, because you've just arrived to the best part. The OnePlus One is, simply put, the single most affordable flagship in the history of... well, flagships.

The 16GB version, for example, costs only $299 (US), or €269 in Europe. Miraculously, the 64GB version of the phone costs just $349, or €299. Best of all, the OnePlus One will be sold through the company's international store, which will be localized for the regions where the company is planning on officially carrying the phone.

Right now, this includes the US and Canada, the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan.

OnePlus promises that your device will be shipped from a warehouse nearby, and you'll have localized customer service. Don't worry if a drool is forming at the side of your mouth, it's perfectly natural.