Yesterday we told you that Samsung tweaks the GPU performance of the octa-core Galaxy S4 in order to achieve higher benchmark scores. It was proven both by tests and internal code pointing to specific benchmarks such as Quadrant, AnTuTu, Linpack and GLBenchmark.

Today Samsung issued a response to those allegations. Read more »

Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4, the Exynos 5 Octa versions of the flagship, didn’t make it to most of the markets and remained the more exotic option. Production hiccups and delays plus the lack of LTE radio in the initial batch was the reason Samsung switched to Snapdragon 600 chipset and make the I9505 its worldwide flagship.

Anyway, the octa-core version followed shortly after the Snapdragon 600 was launched. We already had a meeting with the beast and found it slightly faster in benchmarks than its international sibling, but weaker when it comes to battery life. A new development however, suggests that the scores posted by the Exynos GPU are obtained by cheating and the I9500 real life performance is lower than its scores indicate. Read more »

Earlier this year Samsung released a 30s commercial shot at an airport gate promoting the Galaxy S4′s Smart Pause and Air gestures.

There is now a sequel to this ad, promoting the same features but in a different scenario. This time around the Galaxy S4 has already made it to the airliner. Read more »

Microsoft has already added the Xbox One original accessories to its Store. If you want to opt for a second Xbox One Wireless Controller you can get one for $60 in the USA or €60 in the EU.

As usual Play and Charge kits are available as well. They cost $25/€25 if sold separately, of $75/€75 if you get them bundled with a wireless controller. Read more »

Rovio has begun the global rollout of its game progress-syncing Rovio Accounts. So far the service was available globally only on The Croods and had very limited availability on Angry Birds.

As of today Rovio Account is available on Android and iOS globally and can sync your progress of the original Angry Birds as well. Read more »

The first Halo game targeting the handheld devices has now made it to the Windows Stores. Halo: Spartan Assault is compatible with Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8.

The action in Halo: Spartan Assault takes place between the Halo 3 and Halo 4 time frames and offers “new insights into the first missions of the Spartan Ops program, the history of the Human-Covenant wars, and the rise of Commander Sarah Palmer.” Read more »

BlackBerry Q5 is company’s second QWERTY smartphone to run the latest generation of its new BlackBerry 10 platforms. It is supposed to bring the complete BlackBerry experience at a more affordable price point compared to the premium BlackBerry Q10.

The BlackBerry Q5 comes with a 3.1-inch 720x720px IPS LCD display and is powered by the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with a dual-core 1.2GHz Krait processor, Adreno 225 graphics and 2GB of RAM. Read more »

We’ve already finished our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and it’s live on our homepage. And since we got to spend enough time with the Galaxy S4 mini, we also made it jump through the hoops of our traditional battery test routine.

The Galaxy S4 mini is powered by a 1900 mAh battery that should provide enough juice for the dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset and the Super AMOLED qHD screen. Read more »

Huawei MediaPad 7 Youth is the latest slate to join the MediaPad lineup. It’s a 7-inch device capable of GSM communications and 3G connectivity.

The MediaPad 7 Youth features an impressively sounding 7-inch 1080p display, having a Retina-grade density of about 315ppi. The touchscreen with multi-touch support allows simultaneous input from up to 10 fingers. The slate is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz processor and comes with a 4100 mAh battery. Read more »

The first camera samples from the newly announced Nokia Lumia 1020 are in. Nokia published a plethora of photos in both full resolution and the 5MP oversampled mode a.k.a. PureView mode.

Nokia Lumia 1020 features a 41MP camera sensor which is capable of taking 7152 x 5368 pixels pictures in 4:3 mode (that’s 38MP effective resolution) and 7728 x 4354 in 16:9 aspect (34MP). As with the Nokia 808 PureView, those huge photos can be oversampled to 5MP, producing shots with excellent per-pixel quality. Alternatively, you can use the extra resolution for loseless zoom – you’ll be giving up on the oversampled super pixels, but you’ll be getting real 5MP resolution while zooming – something beyond the powers of any other smartphone. Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini was announced a month after the Galaxy S4 flagship hit the shelves worldwide. The mini version is powered by a less capable dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset but still runs on the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean skinned with Samsung’s own TouchWiz and promises the same solid smartphone experience as the flagship.

We did an extended preview at the announcement day, but now we get finally to meet with the final unit and do a complete review. Read more »

Microsoft has just announced Windows 8.1 will be released to manufacturers this August and the OEM partners will be ready for the first devices in time for the holiday season.

The existing Windows 8 users will be able to update shortly after the RTM version goes live. Read more »

We already know that quite a few Samsung smartphones and slates will get to taste Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean eventually. The previously leaked list includes both single and dual SIM models of the Galaxy Grand.

What we didn’t know though is when to expect those updates to launch. Well, it seems the new firmware for the ample-screened Samsung Galaxy is just around the corner,. Read more »

The Apple App Store’s 5th birthday is approaching (July 10) and Apple is already preparing to throw it a big party. The PR team has started sending out App Store timeline posters to the media reps.

The poster illustrates the growth of the AppStore during these five years, including important milestones in the number of downloads, the revenue paid to developers. All key device released and best-selling apps are marked as well. Read more »

Nokia has just released HERE Maps of its latest Asha 501. Nokia promised to bring us soon its mapping service to the new Asha platform during the Asha 501 announcement event and it kept its promise.

This beta version of HERE Maps is specifically designed for devices without GPS, but still offers drive, walk and public transport directions. Read more »