ZTE unveils Grand S, thinnest smartphone with full-HD display

ZTE has taken the wraps of its 5-inch smartphone, ZTE Grand S at the CES 2013. ZTE Grand S is the world's thinnest full-HD smartphone and is only 6.9mm thick.
From the specifications point of view, apart from 5-inch full-HD (1,920 x 1,080) display ZTE Grand S packs in Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and has 1780 mAh battery. There is a 13-megapixel auto-focus camera on the rear and a 2-megapixel one on the front.
ZTE Grand S is expected to start retailing in China sometime in the first quarter of 2013, but there is no clear roadmap announced in regards to release in other countries. Also, the company has not disclosed the price ZTE Grand S.

Commenting on the launch, Kan Yulun, Corporate Vice President of ZTE Corporation and CTO of the ZTE Mobile Device Division, says, "The ZTE Grand S gives our customers the latest in technology, functionality and style. We understand that today's consumer's call for advanced features and state-of-the-art multimedia options in their handsets, and the ZTE Grand S confidently addresses those demands. It is fitting that we can announce the world debut of the ZTE Grand S at CES 2013, the world's largest annual innovation event."
Specifications for ZTE Grand S

• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system
• 13 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front
• 5 inch full-HD screen
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB Internal Storage
• 1780 mAh battery
• Supports 4G LTE
• Dimensions: 142*69*6.9mm

Sony Yuga C6603 hands-on reveals 5-inch full-HD display, 12-megapixel camera

The website posted a detailed hands-on with the phone that ousted rather interesting specs. The phone apparently features a 5-inch full-HD display at 440 PPI with Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine, which means Sony will join HTC in having a smartphone with a 1080p display, with the likes of Samsung, LG and ZTE expected to follow suit soon.
The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, which is expandable by another 128GB, unless there's something lost in translation here. Other features include a 12-megapixel rear camera, micro-USB as well as USB host mode, 802.11 a/b/g/n in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz modes, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE and NFC.

The Sony Yuga C6603 is widely expected to be unveiled at CES early next year. Earlier we saw rumours mentioning the Sony Yuga C660X which would reportedly feature a 5-inch full-HD display, quad-core processor from Samsung, 3GB RAM and an incredible 128GB of built-in storage.

It would be interesting to see which of these phones actually make an appearance at Sony's event at CES.

HTC Butterfly goes global with its 5.0-inch, full-HD display

The first smartphone in the world with a full-HD display, HTC's J Butterfly, is set to come to international markets under the name HTC Butterfly.

The highlight of the HTC J Butterfly, which debuted in Japan in October, is its 5-inch Super LCD 3 1920x1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and a pixel density of 441 pixels-per-inch. Other features of the HTC J Butterfly include 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage (expandable by another 32GB). The smartphone also comes with 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+ and a 2020mAh battery. Connectivity options include HDMI out, Micro-USB, Infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC.

The phone also released on Verizon in the United States with some modifications as the HTC DROID DNA.

There were rumours of the phone making it to Europe and other markets as the HTC Deluxe DLX, but those rumours can now be officially put to rest with HTC outing HTC Butterfly as the official moniker of the phone in international markets.

There's no word yet on the India pricing or availability yet, but we look forward to the phone's debut in the country.

HTC Butterfly technical specifications

• 5-inch Super LCD 3 1920x1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 (441 ppi)
• 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 6GB internal storage (expandable by another 32GB)
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 2-megapixel front camera
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+
• 2020mAh battery
• HDMI out, Micro-USB, Infrared
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• 143 x 70.5 x 9.08 mm
• 140 gms with battery

Bend it like Samsung: New Galaxy phone may have unbreakable screen

Samsung Electronics, the world's leading technology company by revenue, is likely accelerating the launch of its next-generation flagship Galaxy smartphone - which may come with a breakthrough unbreakable screen.

Codenamed "Project J" after mobile division chief JK Shin, development of the new Galaxy S IV could be aimed for release by as early as April, according to analysts and tech blogs.

And, as smartphones increasingly look alike - the converging form factor - an unbreakable screen could be a big selling point for the Galaxy, which is battling Apple Inc's iPhone to lead the $200 billion plus smartphone market.

The Galaxy S IV is also expected to have bigger and better display, powerful quad-core processing power and a 13-megapixel camera, with picture density improving to 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a big improvement from the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi and better than the iPhone 5's 326 ppi.

"Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV - compared with May (this year) for the Galaxy S III," said UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois. "We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases."

Samsung declined to comment.

Samsung, a major backer of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, is a frontrunner in developing unbreakable screens, as OLED panels can replace glass substrate with plastic material. Down the road, mobile gadgets could be flexible as well as unbreakable.

"Eventually, they'll have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Both Newman and Gaudois are ranked as 5-star analysts, the top ranking, by Thomson Reuters StarMine for their recommendations on Samsung.

Courtroom revisited 
It would also be a game-changer for Samsung, which has built its reputation as a 'fast follower' of others' technologies and designs.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant faces off against Apple again on Thursday in a U.S. courtroom for a follow-up ruling on whether it copied some of its U.S. rival's patents and should pay the $1 billion awarded to Apple by jurors in an August verdict.

Samsung wants the verdict overturned, while Apple wants the damages to be increased and Samsung phones banned in the United States.

Since that landmark verdict, however, Samsung shares have gained 14 percent to record highs, while Apple shares - dented by a maps app fiasco, tight supply of its iPhone 5 and ever tougher competition in the mobile market - have slipped by nearly a fifth, wiping more than $120 billion off its market value.

Barring any extra costs related to the U.S. ruling, Samsung should report a fifth straight record profit this quarter, as profits from its component business recover and more than offset thinning margins on mobile phones - squeezed by higher year-end holiday marketing campaigns.

"Samsung's strength extends beyond cool products, they're also a leader in the technology behind these devices. We see further upside to Samsung's stock as success in smartphones continues and chips and display profits also rebound," said Newman. "In smartphones, the opportunity is for Samsung to take more share from Apple in the premium segment, where Apple is still dominant."

UBS estimates Samsung will ship around 22.5 million of its Galaxy S III and Note II devices in the quarter to end-December, up from 20 million in July-September. Shin said in November that Galaxy S III sales would hit 40 million by the end of this month.

In a worst-case scenario for Samsung, U.S. judge Lucy Koh could treble the damages payable to Apple, given the jury in August found Samsung "wilfully" infringed some Apple patents.

"That would be a major blow to Samsung's fundamentals and overall investor sentiment, but it's not the most likely scenario," said Young Park, a 4-star StarMine analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.

© Thomson Reuters 2012