OMG! A 6.3-inch smartphone or "phablet" from Samsung? ... this is nuts. It will be named "Mega". The smartphone version will have a 5.8-inch screen, while the phablet version (could be called Note III or Note Mega) will feature 6.3-inch screen.

"Rumors have been going around that Samsung is getting ready to launch a couple of new devices that would fall into the “phablet” category. Reports are now indicating that Samsung has changed the name of those devices, calling them the Galaxy Mega line. The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is code-named GT-I9152. So far, rumors indicate that this device will be an Android gadget with a screen measuring – wait for it -- 5.8-inches.

5.8-inches is certainly a big screen for a smartphone, but the other device Samsung reportedly has up its sleeve is even larger. The second device is called the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and carries the codename GT-I9200. This particular device was previously been rumored to be called the Galaxy Note III.

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is expected to be offered in white somewhere around the end of May. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 will reportedly come in black and white colors around the middle of June."

Source: Sammobile via Dailytech

The market for tablets, phablets and smartphones is going nuts ... there's literally a new release evey month. It's only been a year and yet Google already have plans to release their next-gen Nexus 7 Tablet in July ... 

"In an attempt to keep up with the likes of Amazon and Apple in the tablet sector, Google is planning to release the next version of its Nexus 7 tablet around July. There have been rumors about a successor to the original Nexus 7 tablet, but no word on a date until today. Google hopes to sell about 8 million of its new Nexus 7 tablet in the second half of this year.

The new tablet is expected to have a thinner bezel design, higher screen resolution and a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor rather than the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip (which was used in the first Nexus 7 tablet released in June last year). It will be made by Asustek. "

Source: Dailytech

 The Samsung Galaxy S4 is not even out yet ... but people have already "Rooted" it ... check out the video via the link. 

"We might have spent a few hours toying with Samsung's new mobile hardware, but tinkerers over at XDA-Developers have had enough time to root the Galaxy S 4, already. This means those (very) early adopters can start perusing the inner workings as soon as it arrives on store shelves. There's a video of the process after the break and you can pick up all the necessary files (and warnings of not to meddle with what you do not understand) at the source.

There is one tiny caveat to the news, however, as the rooting magic is focused squarely on the Exynos 5 Octa model for now. According to SAM Mobile, several batches of the new Galaxy phone are rumored to be packing Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 instead of Samsung's homemade chip series. An official spokesperson from the UK branch has confirmed that it'll arrive in the there with the Snapdragon processor."

Source: XDA-Developers via Engadget

Does this mean a REAL Facebook phone in the works? ... it could be! Let's find out what this Android-based OS can really do.

"The phone could provide Facebook news feed stories right on the home page, link your phone contacts with those who are also Facebook friends, etc. While a Facebook Phone has been through the rumor mill several times over the years, it looks like this idea has finally come to fruition -- and it will be revealed next week.

The press has been invited to a Facebook event at the company's headquarter in Menlo Park next week. The invitation states, "Come See Our New Home on Android."

On April 4, Facebook plans to reveal an Android operating system that is deeply customized with Facebook features and a Facebook homescreen. The new OS will run on a HTC handset. "

Source: Dailytech

The US market finally gets the Sony Xperia ZL. It's available on pre-order ... and will probably come with a 24 month contract. Check AT&T stores ... 

"Sony Corp. (TYO:6758) is finally offering the Xperia ZL for pre-order in the U.S. market.  The bulkier clone of the sleeker Xperia Z, the Sony handset still offers most of the 1080p-related goodies in its Android competitors' stables.  And Sony is kindly pricing it with and without HSPA+, so if you're on T-Mobile USA (HSPA+ only, currently), you can get the smartphone for cheaper.

In terms of competition, the Xperia ZL (and its slimmer twin) go up against Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd.'s (KSC:005930) Galaxy S IV and HTC Corp.'s (TPE:2498) HTC One -- both of which are 1080p handsets.  The Sony device also competes with the Apple, Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 5, which while trailing the competition in many hardware metrics remains competitive on merits of its strong brand, strong app selection, long battery life, and the preference of some buyers for smaller screens."

Source: Dailytech

It's looking good for Blackberry ... two new devices, a name change from RIM to Blackberry have turn things around ... slowly. So far they've reported to have sold over 1 million Z10 smartphones. Not a huge number when compared against Samsung or Apple, but still it's pretty impressive since everyone thought that Blackberry was dead.

"Mobile phone maker Blackberry says it has sold one million of its new Z10 smartphones. In better than expected results the company said it made profits of $98m (£65m) in the quarter, after posting a big loss for the same period last year.

The Z10 handset is seen as crucial to the future of Blackberry, which has struggled to keep up with new Apple and Android phones. It has been on sale for a month in the UK, Canada and other markets.

It went on sale with little fanfare a week ago in the United States, Blackberry's most important market.Blackberry reports 1m Z10 sales. The figures do not include US sales. Blackberry was previously called Research In Motion, but changed its name last year. Analysts greeted the results cautiously, saying that it was too early to judge the success of the Z10 and its sister device the Q10."

Source: BBC

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available for pre-order at AT&T from 16th April ... it will cost you $250 with a 24 month contract.

"Just two days ago, T-Mobile's potty-mouthed CEO John Legere gave us a tentative May 1st launch date for Samsung's Galaxy S 4 on that network. And now, AT&T's making its S 4 plans public, opening up pre-orders for the device on April 16th. Subscribers that sign-up for a two-year plan will be able to snag the 5-inch 1080p GS 4 for $250.

As to when it'll actually ship, well, that bit's still up in the air and we expect AT&T to elaborate in the weeks to come. But you can bet it won't be long before Samsung rushes to get its next big Galaxy thing into eager hands."

Sourcve: Engadget

A massive 6.1-inch screen ... Wow! This smartphone from Huawei has one of the largest screens on the market, boasting  a 6.1-inch HD IPS+ 1280 x 720 LCD touchscreen with Corning Gorilla glass!

"Huawei has unveiled its 6.1-inch Acend Mater smartphone. It runs on Android 4.1 and 1.5GHz quad-core Hi-Silicon K3V2 + Intel XMM6260.

The new smartphone is equipped with a 6.1-inch HD IPS+ 1280 x 720 LCD touchscreen with Corning Gorilla glass. Its Magic Touch allows users to operate its touch functions wearing gloves in cold winter.

Ascend Mate features a 4050 mAh battery. With QPC and ADRX smart power-saving technology, the smartphone provides up to two days of ordinary usage on a single charge, the vendor said."

Source: Digitimes