LG Nexus 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Samsung Galaxy S III specs comparison

Google just announced what might turn out to be the worst-kept Android secret – this year’s green robot flagship, the LG Nexus 4. It is certainly a device to be reckoned, with the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, and large the in-cell touch display.

How much of an upgrade is it, compared to last year’s Android poster child, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? and how does it stack up against the most popular Android high-end now, the Galaxy S III?

Have a look at our specs comparison chart below, and tell us whether the LG Nexus 4 is all you hoped for, or whether you think Google has cut some corners to fit into the price point of device that will spread the Android fire fastest amongst fans with its latest Android 4.2 version, and timely updates.

LG Nexus 4 hands-on video released prematurely by Three Sweden

The LG Nexus 4 has to be one of the most-leaked phones in recent memory – the latest premature release comes from the official YouTube channel of Sweden’s carrier Three, who posted a quick hands-on with the upcoming Nexus (which was supposed to be announced today, maybe 3 Sweden didn’t get the memo about the cancellation).

The quick UI demo doesn’t really show much, but there are new notification area toggles which look quite interesting. They are not placed above the notifications as usual, but are instead a separate screen you can access by tapping a button.

The top left icon is for the user, which might mean we’re finally getting multi-user support (the makings of which are already in Android) but it could just be a link to your social networking account (like WP7′s Me tile).

Much more for much less: Amazon directly attacks the iPad mini on its home page

Ads that directly attack a competitor’s product saying it is inferior to the company’s own may be restricted in Europe, but the US doesn’t suffer from such delicacies. You constantly see Coke vs Pepsi ads in direct comparison, outlandish claims for the best beer in the world, and this extends even to drugs commercials.

Well, now we have one such attack ad from Amazon, plastered all over its front page, directly saying that the iPad mini is inferior to its own Kindle Fire HD with the slogan: “So much more for so much less,” but with stats to back the claim up.

Android tablets gaining market share at the expense of the Apple iPad says report

According to Strategy Analytics, Android tablets are beginning to do something that for months seemed impossible…pick up market share at the expense of the Apple iPad. At the end of the third quarter, Android tablets had accounted for 41.3% of all tablets shipped globally. That was up dramatically from the 29.2% slice of the tablet pie the platform held the prior year. In the meantime, the Apple iPad saw its global share decline from a whopping 64.5% in Q3 of 2011 to a more mortal 56.7 this year. And as if to accentuate the gains made by the green robot, Windows share dropped over the same time span from 2.3% to 1.6% while the others category slumped from 4.1% to a barely breathing .4%

Watch three ASUS Padfone 2 video ads right here

Asus just completed presenting their latest smartphone – the Padfone 2. We already gave you a really good idea of how it looks like and we even have a hands-on article straight from the announcement event. But if you didn’t have the time to watch the event itself, you might have missed these Padfone 2 video ads.

The clips were first shown during the unveiling event in Milan, but there are finally available online separately. And these are actually pretty nice. Enjoy!

Samsung announces Galaxy Music and Galaxy Music Duos

Samsung has made the recently leaked Galaxy Music smartphone official.  The smartphone will be available in single-SIM and dual-SIM versions, the latter will be dubbed as Galaxy Music Duos.

There is no word on the actual availability of the smartphone.

Study Shows Android Tablet Market Share Jumping to 48%, iPad Down To 52%

Apple’s foothold over the tablet market may finally be slipping. According to new data by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Android tablet market share has finally risen to a respectable 48%, with around 21% of that due to Kindle Fire sales. Apple’s iPad slipped from 81% the previous year, down to only 52% this year even after a successful iPad 3 launch.

Apple is now No.2 and Samsung enters Top 10 of global brands

Interbrand has released its 13th annual Best Global Brands report, essentially the most well-regarded Top 100 showcasing the value of different brands across the world. Interbrand’s methodology is ISO certified and focuses on the ways in which a brand can touch and benefit the organization that owns it, “from driving bottom-line business results to delivering on customer expectations”.

This year’s results are great for certain companies that have big investments in mobile. Apple has risen to No.2, and Samsung has made a surprise appearance into the Top 10 for the first time in history. The Korean company’s brand is now considered to be the 9th most valuable in the world, and said to be worth $32.8 billion.

LG Makes The Optimus Vu II Official – 2GB RAM, Bigger Battery On Board

The LG Optimus Vu, which launched on Verizon as the LG Intuition with Verizon earlier this month, was undoubtedly a strange device. Taking a page from Samsung’s – ahem – note book, LG created the Vu for the phablet market, but decided to go with a somewhat awkward 4:3 aspect ratio, adding to the device’s laundry list of quirks.

Well, the Korean manufacturer has just officially announced the Vu’s successor – the Optimus Vu II. While it’s a bit surprising to see a follow-up on the Vu this soon, the device looks alright on paper, and offers a few key spec improvements over its older counterpart.

 

Apple has filed a patent for wireless inductive charging mat for iPhone, other mobile devices

Apple has shown interest in building an inductive charging mat that would allow users to dock, charge and sync their portable devices by simply placing them on top of the accessory.

The details come from a newly published Apple patent application discovered on Thursday byAppleInsider. The filing, entitled “Device Orientation Based Docking Functions,” describes a “docking device” that would allow devices to be placed on top of it.