Meizu MX4G to feature 5.5-inch, 2560×1536 display

Meizu has always been an ambitious company, releasing surprisingly high-end smartphones for fairly low prices in China. The latest device, the Meizu MX3, was a powerhouse with an Exynos Octa processor. The MX3 was just released in late September, but Meizu is already talking about its successor just two months later.
Jack Wong, Meizu CEO, announced one of the features of the next device, called the Meizu MX4G. The device will feature a 5.5-inch screen like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, but with a resolution of 2560×1536. That’s over 540 pixels per inch, which is an incredibly dense panel. They better make it beautiful!
Obviously, such a panel will have many drawbacks. Power consumption must be really high when boosting the resolution by that much. Plus, the GPU will need to be quite strong to display content at that resolution. Because this device won’t come out until late next year, it will be using something next gen so that shouldn’t be an issue.
But my biggest concern is that people won’t be able to tell the difference between 1080p and 1536p. It’s already very difficult to see individual pixels in displays when you try, but during normal viewing habits, I don’t know what kind of difference it will make. Will it be worth the downsides? We’ll see. But I’m still excited for technological innovation. Do you want a phone with a 2560×1536 display?

Via: Pocket Now

Source: CtechCN (translated)

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Building the perfect Nexus phone: price

Black Friday is definitely the perfect day to finish up our building the perfect Nexus phone series – especially since today we’re talking about price. We’ve gone over all the main specs and features that you might want to see in the perfect Nexus phone, but we all know that having a phone with the best features would most likely come with a premium price.
Originally, Nexus phones were priced the same as any other flagship Android device. But that changed in 2012 when Google started selling its Nexus devices at or below cost. While the Nexus 5 may not be the very best Android phone on the market, we’re sure LG wouldn’t have any issues selling the phone for $250 more than what Google is asking for it. While none of us really want to pay more than we have to for a new phone, I’m sure there are plenty of Nexus fans who would be willing to part with more than $350 for a base level Nexus phone if the device was truly better than any other phone on the market.
How much would you be willing to pay for a Nexus phone which completely blows away the competition?

How much would you pay for the perfect Nexus phone?

$300 - $350$350 - $400$400 - $450$450 - $500$500 - $550$550 - $600$600 or more

VoteView ResultsPolldaddy.com

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Top Android apps from last week: App Ops, Spendee, Flipagram

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Every week we cover new Android apps with Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by Android Gaming on Thursday and Top 10 app updates on Friday. On Mondays we look back to see which ones were the most crowd-pleasing among our audience. Read on for the 10 most popular Android apps among your peers from last week.

1. App Ops 4.3/4.4 KitKat

App info: Use this app to control permissions on a per app basis.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

2. Spendee

App info: Spendee is a beautiful app to manage your personal spending.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

3. Sonic Dash

App info: Sega brings us a new Sonic endless runner game in Sonic Dash.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

4. Branches for Twitter

App info: A unique Twitter client that groups tweets by author.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

5. Q4 Keyboard

App info: Q4 Keyboard introduces a unique floating color QWERTY keyboard that can be reduced to 4 keys for increased typing performance. Q4 predicts what you want to type and will learn how YOU type to develop your personal dictionary.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

6. SOULCALIBUR

App info: SOULCALIBUR is a classic 3D fighting game from the ’90s.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

7. Student Budget

App info: Students can easily manage their finances using this new app. Set up a weekly balance to make sure you have enough money for the week.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

8. Courses123

App info: If you are looking to learn a new language this is a great app to assist in that process. Languages included are: English, Spanish, German, Italian, and French.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

9. Flipagram

App info: Take your Instagram photos and create a unique video story.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

10. 500 Firepaper

App info: 500 Firepaper is a live wallpaper showing popular images from 500px.

Download App in the Android Market PLAY QR POWERED BY Playboard.me

Note:  To ensure apps receive a fair chance to make the list, we will retire any app that has made the list for 3 consecutive weeks and will place it in our Android and Me App Hall of Fame. We will post this Hall of

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Samsung rumored to release a Galaxy Note 3 Lite next year at MWC

So far, Samsung’s Galaxy Note series of devices has been purely high-end. The smartphones have been cutting edge, using some of the newest technology and often outclassing the Galaxy S line. This meant that those who didn’t care for specs or didn’t have the money for a really expensive phone couldn’t have a taste of that wonderful S Pen technology. But that may change early next year.
SamMobile claims they have confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Note 3 Lite SM-N7505, which should be unveiled at MWC 2014 in February. Though none of the specs are known, it may have an LCD display instead of the Super AMOLED and feature a lower end processor and an 8MP camera, like older rumors suggested. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be smaller than 5.5-inches.
This will finally bring S Pen goodness and a large phone to those who can’t afford a full-sized Note, which is great. Hopefully it will come to the US, and maybe a carrier will pick it up a bit late like they do with the Galaxy S mini devices. Would you buy a Galaxy Note 3 Lite, or should the Note line stay exclusively high-end?

Source: SamMobile

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BenQ releases two budget phones, surprisingly not that bad

I don’t know how many people recognize the name BenQ. Here in the US, the brand is synonymous with budget and cheap, despite being popular in other parts of the world. Really, most of us have never heard of BenQ making any sort of smartphones. But they have released two brand new smartphones in Taiwan that are budget focused, but not really that bad.
The higher end model is the BenQ F3, which comes with a 4.5-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage with a microSD slot, a 13MP f/2.2 camera with zero shutter lag, and a 2,100 mAh battery. It runs Android 4.2.2, which isn’t too old. The lower end model, the A3, has the same specs aside from the 1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon S4 Play processor, a 2,000 mAh battery, and an 8MP camera, along with Android 4.1.2 in tow. Yes, 4.1.
These seem like quite weak specs, especially the low end qHD display, but the prices are pretty reasonable. The higher end F3 goes for $270, while the lower end A3 goes for $200 in Taiwan. The prices may not be Moto G low, but they’re still low enough to catch some customers in BenQ’s home country. However, it’s doubtful that we’ll see these devices in the US. Tell us what you think!
Via: Engadget
Source: BenQ F3, BenQ A3

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Motorola to retry Moto X promotion following Moto Maker site issues

Did you try to take advantage of Motorola’s $150 Moto X discount today, only to be met with site issues and disappointment? You’re not alone, friend, but I’ve got some bright news that ought to end your Cyber Monday with a smile. Motorola has announced that it will retry its Moto X offer again at 12:00 p.m. ET this Wednesday, Dec. 4, and then again on Monday, Dec. 9. The company says that it also plans to double the amount of devices available in order to meet demand.
In case you missed the original announcement, Motorola’s promo knocked $150 off the price of any no contract Moto X, including units customized through Moto Maker. Apparently the Moto Maker website wasn’t quite prepared for the rush of smartphone-hungry Cyber Monday shoppers, though, and so many folks are ending the day without a Moto X to call their own. The good news is that Motorola will be running its promo again two more times in the next week to make up for the problems, giving today’s would-be buyers second and third cracks at the sale. Here’s to hoping that the only thing on Motorola’s agenda for tomorrow is to reinforce the Moto Maker site.
Did you try to buy a discounted Moto X today? If so, were you able to get an order through?
Source: @Motorola (1), (2), (3)

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Remember Those Awesome Android Propaganda Posters From Andrew Bell? Cruzerlite Turned Them Into Nexus 7 Cases

Back in July of this year, we gave four sets of amazing Android Progress Administration Propaganda Prints from Andrew Bell. These throwback-style posters are stylistically designed to replicate those from the 30s and 40s, and they look fantastic.

Fast-forward to now and Bell has teamed up with Cruzerlite to bring some of this killer artwork to cases designed for the Nexus 7. I was able to get my hands on a couple back at the Big Android BBQ and, to put it simply, these are some of the best-looking cases I've ever seen. Of course, that's precisely what they're for: looks. They may do a little to keep your beloved tablet safe in the event of a spill, but don't expect a lot – these are definitely made to just add a little flare and style to the N7.
Those who love the N7's thin profile will really enjoy these cases, as they are incredibly thin and don't really add a lot of bulk or weight to the tablet. The top and bottom are essentially "open," and just subtly curve around half of both ends. The sides are what really hold the case on the tablet, as they curve around to where the bezel meets the back. It's all very subtle and actually kind of hard to tell there's even a case on the device from the front or side view.

   

The real allure here, however, is the back; this is of course where you'll find Bell's handiwork. The two designs available – Design, Develop, Deploy and Code for Victory – are subtly different than their poster-based counterparts, mostly in text placement. The text on both has been moved to the top, which does look better for a case design. Otherwise, they're exact likenesses of the posters, which makes for a really nice aesthetic on on the Nexus 7 – most cases just don't offer this sort of visual appeal.

Naturally, the case has cutouts in all the appropriate places: power, volume rocker, microUSB, speakers, camera, and headphone jack. The overall design and quality of the case feels really nice, despite the fact that's incredibly thin. It's worth noting that it's not too thin – it does have some substance to it. But like I said, it's good for looks and avoiding scratches, but that's about it. Since I generally run my devices naked, this case is pretty perfect for me. And man they look so good – I'm kind of in love with them at this point.
These cases just hit the Cruzerlite site today for $29.90 a piece. I have a feeling stock won't last long, so hit the respective link below to snag one for yourself. Looks like I spoke too soon – stock isn't showing up just yet. Both cases should be available shortly.
Code for Victory
Design, Develop, Deploy

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