HTC Runnymede with Beats Audio leaks, sports Android

Information regarding an upcoming HTC Android smartphone has just leaked on the web. Known as the "Runnymede", it is going to be the first phone born out of the HTC and Beats by Dr. Dre collaboration.

The specifications of "Runnymede" are as follows.

• 4.7-inch, 800x480 display
• 1.5GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8255
• 768MB RAM, 16GB internal storage
• 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, backlit sensor, 28mm wide-angle lens and f/2.2 focal length
• 720p video recording at 60fps
• 1.3 megapixel front camera
• DLNA
• Less then 10mm thick
• Android 2.3.4, Sense 3.5
• Bundled Beats by Dr. Dre headphones

The specs of the device puts it a notch below the likes of the HTC Sensation and Galaxy S II. Only interesting bits are the massive 4.7-inch display, camera specs and the Beats Audio technology, along with the bundled headphones.

The HTC "Runnymede" is expected in time for the holidays.

Samsung Galaxy S II US event LIVE COVERAGE

The Samsung event, which will see the announcement of the US Galaxy S II versions is just about to start and we are covering it live for you. Stay tuned and keep an eye on this article as it evolves, bringing you the latest news of the Galaxy S expansion on the other side of the big pond.
We are already on site as the event is just about to kick off.

Three of the four major US carriers got a piece of the action with Verizon being left out in the cold. This could either mean that the Big Red will be focusing on the next iPhone or that it will be skipping the Galaxy S II and will be moving straight to the Ice Cream sandwich droids.
Now check out what the new announcements are all about.

Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T)

The AT&T version of the Galaxy S II won't have a name of its own. It goes by Samsung Galaxy S II, just like the international version of the smartphone and will basically be carrying the same hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T
The only hardware differences are in the exterior, most notably the controls at the front, where four touch-sensitive keys have replaced the two touch keys and a regular button combo. On the inside you are getting HSPA+ connectivity and the same Exynos chipset as the original Galaxy S II.

Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T live photos
The Super AMOLED Plus screen stands at the same 4.3", and the TouchWiz-skinned Android 2.3.4 is also a part of the standard equipment.
At this stage we didn't get any details about the AT&T-bound Galaxy S II pricing or availability.

Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T live photos

Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile)

The T-Mobile Galaxy S II will come with a pretty big difference compared to the international version. It will be carrying a 4.52" Super AMOLED Plus, which is no minor difference.

Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile
In fact the difference from 4.3" to 4.52" is quite noticeable even if you don't put the handsets side by side. The Galaxy S II versions with the smaller screens seem much easier to handle, though.

Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile live photos
T-Mobile failed to mention anything about expected availability or pricing of their Galaxy S II, too.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (Sprint)

The Galaxy S II edition for the Sprint network is probably the most interesting of the bunch. Not only does it have a unique name, but it also has WiMax connectivity and the same larger 4.52” Super AMOLED Plus screen as the T-Mobile version.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint
The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch will also feature a larger battery - 1800 mAh vs 1650 mAh for the AT&T and international Galaxy S II varieties. The price you have to pay is a slightly thicker shell, but we didn't find that to make such big difference when we handled the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint
This will also be the first edition of the Samsung flagship smartphone to actually become available in the states. The Epic 4G Touch will be hitting Sprint stores starting on September 16th for $200 on a contract.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch for Sprint

Motorola Pro+ QWERTY droid goes official as Defy+ nears availability

Motorola surely has a knack for portrait QWERTY droids. The latest addition to the family will also extend the Plus branded line of Moto droids, which began a few weeks ago with the Defy+.

Motorola Pro+
The Motorola Pro+ is powered by a 1GHz single-core CPU and offers a combination of a 3.1" VGA touchscreen and a hardware QWERTY keyboard. There are 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB worth of storage on board and you can add some more app space through the microSD card slot.
There's a 5 megapixel autofocus camera at the back of the Motorola Pro+, while Wi-Fi, GPS, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band 3G/HSDPA radios are hiding inside its body. An ample 1600 mAh battery is providing the juice for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread-running Pro+.
And, as Motorola unveiled its second Plus smartphone, the first one is getting ready to hit the UK shelves. According to the latest Motorola statement, the IP67-certified Motorola Defy+ will become available sometime in September.

NEC to bring the world's slimmest smartphone to the US

Sure it might not be the powerhouse that the Samsung Galaxy S II is, but to many fans of super-slim smartphones the NEC Medias N-04C is the phone to have. And we just got word that NEC will be bringing the 7.7mm droid to the US.
The information comes from Nikkei, Japan's biggest business daily newspaper, so it seems quite trustworthy. Unfortunately there's no exact time frame given, but since the NEC-Casio-Hitachi consortium is looking to double its US sales this year, the Medias N-04C shouldn't take too long to arrive.
After all if an ultra-light (105g) phone with a 4" FWVGA LCD, running on Android 2.3 can't boost their sales we doubt anything else will do. According to the source the specs sheet of the device will be slightly modified with the digital TV tuner and infrared port likely to be axed. Those aren't of much use in the US so you can see the reasons behind such move.
The 5 megapixel camera, the microSD card slot and the pretty good connectivity (everything up to an including HSDPA plus Wi-Fi and GPS) will be left intact, though.
And while there is no guarantee that the NEC Medias N-04C will ever make it to Europe we will certainly be keeping an eye on this one.

Verizon picking the DROID Prime instead of the Galaxy S II

Verizon Wireless has backed off the deal on the Samsung Galaxy S II and is not going to offer it. The good news is this has happened for a reason - Verizon will jump on the next best thing - Samsung DROID Prime.
The next Google phone is believed to be made by Samsung and should be announced soon as Nexus Prime. The Nexus Prime is supposed to pack similar or even better specs as the Galaxy S II and run on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, so the Verizon's users won’t be disappointed.
The rumored model name is SCH-i515 DROID Prime and the targeted launch is somewhere in October.
According to BGR the info comes from a trusted to Verizon Wireless source, but there is no harm to take all this with a pinch of salt. It's also interesting this spicy piece of intel leaks just before the Galaxy S II launch in the USA, but we guess everything will start making sense soon.

iPhone front panel leaks, is it from a 4S or 5?

Welcome to the latest next-gen iPhone rumor roundup. This time we get a glimpse of a front plate (and other stuff too) that looks almost identical to the one used in the current iPhone 4. The plate belongs to the N94 prototype, which reportedly looks just like the current iPhone 4 but has a dual-core A5 chip inside - hence the 4S moniker.

The front plate has EVT1 posted on it, which translates as Engineering Verification Testing 1 and has a March 03rd, 2011 date stamped on as well.

According to DigiTimes.com sources the next generation iPhone will have a sub-4"display and it will drop the glass back panel design and go with metal (probably aluminum to save on weight). The same sources claim that the 4.0-4.2" rumor is more of a market-assumption than real fact. The display of the iPhone 5 (or 4S) will probably offer a slightly edged-out bezel but still be no more than 3.5-3.7 inches.

Back to the front panel that leaked - it looks so similar to the one on the iPhone 4 that it could end up being the new lower-cost iPhone 4 8GB that should emerge as soon as the next iPhone hits the shelves.

Also some rumors point out that the 4S will come out alongside the 5, sporting a dual-core chip and nothing more. The iPhone 5 on the other hand will offer a faster processor, an 8MP snapper, larger display and maybe a redesigned body. We won't be betting on two iPhone announcement this September (or October).

UBREAKIFIX.com has leaked a couple of images of components, they claim to belong to the iPhone 5 - including a larger-looking camera sensor, slightly larger-capacity battery and different-looking earpiece speaker than the iPhone 4's.

It's all a big mess of a rumor and it's already hard to keep up and choose who to trust. But the truth is probably hiding somewhere in there and they are almost impossible to be all wrong. With a little bit of luck, we'll learn the whole truth in a week or so (September 6th is the rumored announcement date).

US Samsung Galaxy S II comes tonight, likely with a larger screen

You certainly waited long, our American friends, but your patience will finally be rewarded. Tonight Samsung is going to unveil the US versions of its Galaxy S II smartphone and it appears that it will be even hotter than its European sibling.

There's good evidence that the US-bound Super AMOLED Plus screen will be stretched from 4.3" up to 4.5".

It seems it's the FCC that suggest the dimensions of the Sprint version of the Galaxy S II will have a larger screen than that of the European version. If the screen-to-bezel ratio is preserved (and we don't see a reason for it to change) the Epic Touch as the devices is reportedly called will come with the 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus. Now we've seen a screen just like that on the AT&T-bound Infuse 4G, which was the first Super AMOLED Plus device ever, so the technology is obviously there.

Yesterday we saw a spyshot of a reportedly unannounced device, while Samsung is also planing a juicy Unpacked event on September 1st at the annual IFA in Berlin. So we guess, we should be hearing more news from the South Korean company.

We will be covering the Samsung press conference in New York live tonight so if you stay tuned, you'll be able to find out if this turns out to be true in less than 12 hours. The event is slated for 6PM EST, which makes up for 11PM London time. You do the math for your own locale.