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Smartphones

Dual-Screen YotaPhone Arrives in Europe

06. December 2013

Marco Attard

Remember the YotaPhone, the Russian smartphone with an electronic paper display (EPD) grafted on the back? You might think it was mere vapourware, but that's not the case-- the device is making it to European markets from December 2013.

YotaPhone The device remains fairly unchanged from when we first saw it back at CES 2013. It still features a 4.3-inch 1280x720 LCD display on the front and a same-size 640x360 EPD on the back, providing what Yota calls an "always-on, low-power display."

Users can use the EPD to check a variety of notifications, as well as read eBooks or save anything from the main screen (such as a map) for display in static, zero-power fashion.

Quechua Takes on Rugged Phones

03. December 2013

Marco Attard

Smartphones

French mountaineering gear brand Quechua teams up with Archos to present the Quechua Phone-- a rugged Android smartphone designed for use by customers leading a more active lifestyle.

The handset carries IP54 certification and is shock, mud, water, sand, cold and snow resistant.

Inside are a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage (expandable via microSD), 5MP rear-facing camera and a 3500mAh battery promising up to 22 hours of use.

IDC: Smartphone Shipments Up, ASPs Down

03. December 2013

Marco Attard

Smartphones

Smartphone shipments are set grow by 39.3% to reach over 1 billion units in 2013 IDC reports, thanks to demand for low-cost computing in emerging markets and the steady decline of average selling prices (ASPs).

Smartphone ASPs IDC

According to the analyst smartphone shipments will total 1.7 billion by 2017 with a CAGR of 18.4% for the 2013-2017 period. Meanwhile ASPs are down from $387 in 2012 to $337 in 2013 (a -12.8% reduction), and should drop further to $265 by 2017.

Samsung Follows Grand Smartphone

26. November 2013

Marco Attard

Smartphones

Samsung launches a second Galaxy Grand smartphone-- the Galaxy Grand 2, an oversized (5.25-inch) middle-tier device promising "an optimal large-screen experience on a portable, compact smartphone."

Samsung galaxy Grand 2 The 1280x720 display is identical in size to that seen in the Galaxy Note phablet, if lacking in stylus support.

Hardware specifications include a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD slot), 8MP rear-facing camera, dual-SIM capability and 2600mAh battery.

The OS of choice is Android 4.3 as paired with a variety of Samsung software additions.

Motorola Goes for the Lower-End

15. November 2013

Marco Attard

Smartphones

Google-owned Motorola takes on lower-end markets with the Moto G-- an entry-level smartphone designed as a "better option" for price-conscious customers, with relatively low price tag ($179).

Moto G Similar in look to the Moto X, the Moto G features a 4.5-inch 1024x720 resolution LCD TFT display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 5/1.3MP cameras, 8 or 16GB storage and a 2070mAh battery.

The OS of choice is a Motorola-customised version of Android 4.3, if one lacking the interesting software features from the Moto X. An update to 4.4 should also be available fairly soon.

Since low-cost phones are all about about being colourful (look at the iPhone 5C!) the back plate is removable, allowing the installation of different colour and style covers. Motorola says 19 options will ship, with regular, rugged and flip-style portfolio versions in blue, teal, red, yellow, purple, white, and black colours.