Google Nexus 8 set to launch with Android 4.5

Reports have for a while indicated Google may be working on a Nexus 8 tablet, and the latest claim which is being said to launch in July this year, along with the next Android version, said to be v4.5.

It has being speculated that the search giant might be shifting away from its 7-inch devices because of the high competitiveness of the segment, which would be much less in the 8-inch bracket. Some of the popular 8-inch tablets in the market are Apple iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 and LG G Pad 8.3.

As claimed in a report by Taiwanese publication , a senior employee of Google Dublin confirmed that the firm will be launching Android 4.5 OS in July along with the new tablet, Nexus 8. The source is also quoted to have that the upcoming Google I/O conference, which will start from 25 June, will concentrate more towards the services Google plans to bring for its users.

The 8-inch Google Nexus 8 is most likely expected to launch with the next Android 4.5 OS version. There is no word on the features of the OS, but we believe that by the time Google I/O nears in, we might get a faded glimpse of it via leaks and rumours.

Furthermore, the report from Taiwan claimed that Nexus 8 will be launched by April-end with "initial shipments of two million units." The same report has also indicated Asus as the manufacturer of the Google Nexus 8.

Reports from last month indicated that Google might adopt Intel's Bay Trail-T platform for the alleged Nexus 8 tablet, instead of the Qualcomm chipset currently used in the Nexus 7 (2013).

Android 4.4.2 coming soon to Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID MAXX?

With the Motorola Moto X updated to Android 4.4.2, it is time for the Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID MAXX to also get updated to that same Android build. The two received Android 4.4 back in December. As usual with Motorola branded handsets, users of the two DROID handsets are being asked to participate in a soak test before the update is disseminated.

What's the point of the soak test? By installing an upcoming update on a small number of handsets, Motorola can make sure that everything goes as smoothly as hoped. If there is a problem that forces the update to be halted, it will affect only a small number of handsets. After the test is completed, Android 4.4.2 will start to roll out for the two handsets.

Will Motorola continue the DROID line, which has been a Verizon exclusive dating back to the OG Motorola DROID? The Motorola DROID MAXX has its fans because of the extra long battery life, but most flagship models have been closing the gap. As far as a possible Motorola DROID 5 is concerned, a picture that claimed to show off the device appeared last August, but nothing has been heard about the phone since.

Windows Phone surpasses BlackBerry in the USA in Q1 2014, Android still king

Microsoft's mobile platform, Windows Phone, has finally seen some increase in its market share in the USA during Q1 2014 – it has grown 1% and now holds... 3% of the market. Still, it appears that this leap was more than enough for it to overtake BlackBerry's own eponymous OS, which now runs on no more or less than 2% of all smartphones in the country. Interestingly, BlackBerry OS had 3% of the same market, whereas Windows Phone held 2% several months ago.

These interesting facts were revealed by Nielsen, a global research agency, which surveyed over 20,000 mobile subscribers in the USA on the matter.

Normally, one would expect that Nokia is solely responsible for Windows Phone's increased market share, and one would be wrong. Yes, the Finnish company was undoubtedly one of the main reasons for the slow, yet steady growth of Windows Phone's market share, but Samsung and HTC also contributed. The two manufacturers from the Far East are responsible for 0.7% of the platform's market share in the USA - HTC makes 0.4% of said devices, while Samsung accounts for 0.3% of US Windows Phone devices.

It comes to almost no surprise that Apple is still the dominant player and holds the lion's share of the smartphone market at home. Cupertino's smartphones have been chosen by 42.5% of the surveyed respondents, however, iOS is still losing the battle against Android – Google's operating system runs on the devices of 52% of all respondents.

If we turn our heads to Androidland, we will barely find anything surprising at all. Nielsen's report shows that more than half of all Android smartphones had the Samsung logo on their front – 28.7%. LG is far behind – with 7% of the market, the other South Korean maker gets the silver medal. Motorola is breathing down LG's neck with 6.8%, while HTC is responsible for 5.7% of all Android devices on the US market in Q1 2014.

Interestingly, the report also reveals that more than half of all mobile phone users aged 55+ are currently sporting a smartphone. Still, Nielsen does not reveal whether the elder population prefers iPhones or one of them Galaxies.

A 4.7 inch Apple iPhone 6 is compared size-wise with a current batch of heavyweight Android models

With speculation that Apple will be launching one, and possibly two, larger screened iPhone models this year, how would these phones stack up against today's top Andorid handsets? First, some background. Apple is expected to offer a 4.7 inch version of the Apple iPhone 6 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. And while there is a rumor about a 5.5 inch phablet sized iPhone, this device apparently is being delayed to 2015 as Apple cannot seem to find a supplier that can offer a 2mm thin battery for the larger phone.

So at the very least, it seems that Apple will release a 4.7 inch Apple iPhone 6 later this year. How would such a model stack up against current Android fare? A MacRumors forum member who goes under the handle deuxani, decided to create a picture of a 4.7 inch iPhone 6, and just as in a police line-up, let the witnesses decide if the phone is guilty.

The first line-up features the 4.7 inch iPhone against the similarly sized 4.7 inch Motorola Moto X and the 4.7 inch LG G2 mini. Despite the fact that all three phones have the same screen size, it is the Apple device that towers above the two Android handsets. A 4.7 inch Apple iPhone 6 would seem to match up better with a pair of LG made models: The 5 inch Nexus 5 and the 5.2 inch LG G2.

Lastly, a 4.7 inch Apple iPhone 6 would look puny in between the 5 inch HTC One (M8) and the 5.1 inch Samsung Galaxy S5. It will be interesting to see if Apple makes other adjustments (form factor, footprint, bezels) if it does introduce a larger screened Apple iPhone 6 later this year, as expected.

New 5.2-inch Motorola XT912A with Android 4.4.3 spotted in benchmark test?

Motorola already confirmed that it would introduce a second-generation Moto X (possibly called Moto X+1) later this year, plus other new smartphones, but it didn’t provide specific details regarding their specs - although we do know that they will offer a near-stock Android experience.

One of the company’s upcoming handsets might be the Motorola XT912A, which was spotted in a GFXBench test today (see the image on the left, and zoom in for a closer look). According to the benchmark test, the XT912A runs the latest Android 4.4.3, and sports a 5.2-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixels. Other features seemingly include a 12MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of ROM, and 32GB of internal memory.

If the XT912A model number looks familiar it’s because the original Motorola Droid Razr (released by Verizon in late 2011) was - and still is - known as the XT912. Is this XT912A a new Verizon-bound handset? We can’t know for now. In any case, we must keep in mind that data revealed by benchmark tests isn’t always accurate, as these things can be easily faked. So the XT912A might end up being... nothing after all. Until some official details arrive (if ever), we have no choice than to remain skeptical about all this.

Next-gen Moto X and Moto G will have near-stock Android (Lenovo won't alter Motorola's software strategy)

Back in January, when Google agreed to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo, the companies said that "Lenovo intends to keep Motorola’s distinct brand identity.” Even so, some users may be worried that Lenovo could alter the software experience on the upcoming Moto smartphones. As you may know, Mototola’s latest handsets, the Moto X and Moto G, are both offering near-stock Android.

Punit Soni, VP of Software at Motorola, today answered a few live questions via Google Hangouts. One of the questions addressed exactly the issue mentioned above: “will future versions of the Moto X and Moto G stick with almost-stock Android?” Punit Soni’s answer was a definite “yes.” He continued by saying that “the core premise of the software strategy is making sure we have pure Android, and that we can provide the best experience to users.”

Well, there you have it: the rumored Moto X+1 (which is expected to be the successor to last year’s Moto X) will run near-stock Android. The same will likely happen with the Moto E (another rumored handset that should be introduced this year), although this doesn’t seem to be the Moto G’s successor, but an even cheaper device.

Punit Soni also said that Motorola will continue to provide quick software updates, and that its handsets’ camera experience (including image quality) will be improved. You can see the full discussion in the video below:

Besides making its own new smartphones, Motorola may also design a handset in collaboration with Lenovo- a device that could be launched before the end of the year. Will this have near-stock Android, too? We don't know, but we're looking forward to finding out.

Samsung launched an Android app you really don’t need

No matter how big a LeBron James fan you might be, chances are you still won’t need to clutter your already bloatware-filled Galaxy device with a new application from Samsung. On the off chance you actually want to spy on LeBron’s every (public) move, you can download a new Samsung app and enjoy all the LeBron-only content you can handle.

“LeBron shares his life on his phone, but he’s putting it down to focus on the playoffs. Don’t want to miss out? Don’t worry, we got you,” the app’s description reads. “Get an all-access pass to LeBron’s game, life, and journey with never-before-seen content and clips throughout the playoffs. Download custom lock screens and wallpapers, check stats, and watch LeBron strive for greatness as the competition heats up.”

Simply titled LeBron, the application is available as a free download from the Google Play Store and requires Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or later and 5.8MB of storage to run. TechCrunch indicates the app is exclusively made for Galaxy devices, which is one more reason not to try it on other Android devices.

Why did Samsung release such an app? Well, LeBron has starred in several commercials promoting Galaxy flagship devices, so the app launch is yet another part his business relationship with Samsung.

iOS loses market share in April as Android – and BlackBerry! – gain

Apple might have kept iPhone sales surprisingly strong in the March quarter this year, but things might be starting to cool off now that it has been six months since Apple last released a new iOS device.

According to Net Applications, which measures global market share by monitoring traffic across its various networks, Apple’s combined iPhone and iPad market share dipped to 51.11% in April from 53.29% in March. The drop-off in iOS usage made Apple the biggest loser of the month, with only Symbian having also lost share.

Meanwhile Android gained more than a point in April to climb to 37.75% from 36.58% in the prior month. Even BlackBerry showed a slight gain in April, inching up to 1.20% from 1.13% in March.

Apple isn’t expected to launch any new iPhone or iPad models until September at the earliest, so Android (and BlackBerry!) will have plenty of time to gain ground ahead of the fall season. Come September, Apple is expected to begin launching a number of new devices including a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, a 5.5-inch iPhone phablet and new iPad Air and iPad mini models with updates specs and Touch ID fingerprint scanners.