Mobile Technology

"This afternoon, a video showing off the basics in the Motorola Moto X software experience have been leaked complete with several next-generation innovations for Android vanilla software builds. If you’re planning on picking the Motorola Moto X up inside Canada, it would appear that your only choice will be to jump onboard with Rogers. This video suggests that the smartphone will be a Rogers exclusive while we’re confident that here inside the USA, multiple carriers will be onboard with the machine."

"Sony’s Xperia Z has been a sleeper agent of sorts: launched to great fanfare at CES in January, overshadowed by the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One at launch, and yet grabbing upgrade sales from under Samsung’s nose in Europe. Not bad for a company once written off in smartphones, and now Sony is hoping to repeat that success in the US, with a launch on T-Mobile USA.."

"All three of these handsets are getting on now as they came out last year. The Samsung Galaxy has been a very popular device, while the Apple iPhone 5, which came out in September attracted iOS fans. The LG Nexus 4 was a huge hit as it sold out as soon as it came into the Google Play Store. All three of the handsets remain in people’s hands today, even though newer handsets have now made their way out."

"So far, 2013 has brought with it a number of changes to Google's Android strategy. More and more apps and services are being separated from the core of the operating system to allow for easier updating. Google didn't take advantage of Google I/O to announce a new version of Android, and what we've seen of the rumored version 4.3 suggests that it will be a relatively minor update. And Google is working with its partners to sell versions of their high-end smartphones that run stock Android instead of those partners' respective Android skins."

"If you’re the type of person that likes their phone to be the same color as their passionate, loving heart, AT&T has a unique Samsung Galaxy S 4 for you to glance upon this week. The color that – inside the USA – is exclusive for the moment here with AT&T is Aurora Red.."

"Can 41-megapixels save Nokia? The Nokia Lumia 1020 doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, thanks to the number of leaks we’ve already seen, but that doesn’t make it any less of an engineering achievement. Windows Phone 8 we know, but PureView on the platform is new, and a strong differentiator from anything we’ve seen on iPhone or Android before."

"BlackBerry needs a new smartphone for the mass market, and the BlackBerry Q5 is its attempt to deliver. Cheaper than the Q10, though offering another sturdy QWERTY keyboard for text-addicts, the Q5 pares back the specifications (and, it has to be said, the design) to boost the BlackBerry 10 line-up by 50-percent."

"T-Mobile has stepped up its game recently in an effort to compete with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint in the United States. The carrier recently announced 4G LTE service in seven  markets, and many customers will find that their phones will fall back to its still fastHSPA+ network where LTE isn’t available. In addition, several of its new handsets offer HD voice support to other HD-voice enabled devices, and calling over Wi-Fi networks. That’s not all.."

"The HTC One received plenty of praise when it launched, primarily because of its eye-catching metallic unibody design. But it’s not just a one-trick handset as the phone also sports plenty of power from a Qualcomm 600 processor, a customised interface, good battery life and audio technology, a super-sharp touch display and a set of quirky camera tech to boot."

"Huawei’s new flagship is here, the Ascend P6, and the Chinese company has high hopes for the super-slim 6.18mm Android smartphone. The press conference may have been full of hyperbole, but in the hand the Ascend P6 is undeniably appealing: there’s something about waifish smartphones that still tickles the gear-lust parts of the average geek. There have been some compromises along the way to achieve those dimensions, though; read on for our first-impressions."

"As much as we dislike the term, phones like the Huawei Ascend Mate are the reason people say the word “phablet.” With a 6.1 inch display and high-midrange specs and performance, the Mate definitely bridges the gap between large phones and small tablets.

While this type of device is popular among Android enthusiasts and gadget geeks, is the Ascend Mate enough to help Huawei break into a market currently dominated by Samsung and LG?"

"Large smartphones seem to be as popular as ever and ASUS has just jumped into the game with the Fonepad Note FHD 6. It's a 6in Android smartphone that comes with a stylus and it's likely to compete directly withSamsung's Galaxy Note II.

"There are a lot of mid-range phones out there, and most of them are fairly average looking. Yes, they work and they don’t look awful, but they aren’t particularly eye catching, either. Enter the Sony Xperia L.

Unlike many midrange phones, the Sony Xperia L comes in a stylish package. Is this enough to help it stand out from the competition?"