Did Motorola leak video of Moto G 2014 (in Brazil)?

Leaks are usually not as well-made like this, so we’d like to think that a video making the rounds showing off the Moto G 2014 (still not the official name) was actually from Motorola. With just a day left until they actually announce their new smartphone, chances are they just want to hype up the excitement, even though you actually have to speak Portugese to understand it, since it is made for a Brazilian audience.

From what we understood from the video though, the Moto G 2014 (the smartphone formerly rumoured as Moto XT1069 or Moto G2), will be running on a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and will have Android 4.4 KitKat. It will reportedly have a 5-inch probably 720p HD screen using Corning Gorilla Glass, an 8MP main camera and 2x front-facing speakers which will give your music a bit more oomph. It will also be waterproof, but as to what level, we have yet to find out.

The Moto G 2014 will have a Digital TV HD feature for those areas that have TV signals for smartphones. This might be useful for those that don’t have video streaming services yet but would like to still catch up on their TV viewing. Based on the video, it will also have Moto Assist and replaceable phone shells for the color-minded smartphone owner.

There have been no price details or official release dates leaked as of yet. We just have to wait one more day until the official announcement of Motorola’s new gadgets at IFA 2014 in Berlin (and we’ll finally get an official name for this Moto G 2014!)

VIA: SlashGear

LG details round-face G Watch R smartwatch

Motorola thought they had it in the bag with the first and only (so far, or so they thought) round-face smartwatch on the Android Wear platform with the Moto 360 (still yet to be released). But LG apparently had their ace in the bag when they announced their very own circular wearable with the LG G Watch R and this week at the IFA 2014 in Berlin, they finally displayed and made accessible the first smartwatch with a round P-OLED display.

We all thought that LG were temporarily done with Android Wear at least for this year when they released the LG G Watch. But apparently, they had been working on this round-faced baby for the past two years, even before Motorola announced they had one. According to Patrick Hong from the OEM’s product planning team, the first G Watch was just an experiment where they used a “neutral design” to play around with the essentials of the platform. But they’ve always known they needed to put out a round smartwatch as they knew consumers would hanker for it.

Our friends over at SlashGear very nicely did a hands-on with the LG G Watch R. Upon looking at it first, it looks more like the “traditional sports chronograph” compared to other Android Wear smartwatches. Inside, it’s almost the same as the G Watch, running on a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with 512RAM. It also has 4GB internal storage which is the standard for most of these wearables. The G Watch R has Bluetooth connectivity, a 9-axis accelerometer, barometer microphone and of course it is waterproof as per the IP67 standard.

What makes it different of course is the 1.3-inch diameter POLED 320 x 320 touchscreen, which has 300 nits of brightness and 100% color gamut. It can also say it’s the only one with a pure circle screen since the Moto 360 has a notched screen. The LG G Watch R is a bit bigger due to the additional 2-3mm on each side for the waterproofing. The graphics and functionality are just like other Android Wear smartwatches, but just with a round-face, if you’d prefer that shape rather than the square ones. The LG G Watch R is headed your way sometime this October.

VIA: SlashGear (1,2)

Story Timeline

• LG G Watch R revealed head of IFA: R is for "round"


• LG G Watch R revealed to have a hefty price tag


• LG Display in mass production with plastic circular OLED display for wearables

Google Play to replace cracked Nexus 5 screens with new devices

One of the worst things that can happen to you as a smartphone owner is dropping your device and cracking the screen. This is annoying because you have to spend money to replace the screen, and those replacements can be expensive. Google Play has kicked off a new screen replacement service that owners of the Nexus 5 smartphone will want to be aware of.

The policy went into effect this week, according to reports, and Google Play will offer one free replacement of your Nexus 5 smartphone if the screen is cracked or it gets water damage. The tip on the replacement policy comes from a Google+ user named Joshua D. who says he called in about a cracked screen yesterday and was told the policy just went into effect.

The way the program works is Google Play will send you a brand new device in the mail, and you ship them back your damaged device. There are a few caveats to the service.

One is that Google Play will put a hold on your credit card for the purchase price of the device to cover the risk that people won't ship the damaged devices back. Another caveat is that the replacement plan is only good for devices purchased directly through Google Play according to some users. Some reports indicate that the replacement is only valid in the US. Check out our review of the Nexus 5 smartphone for more details on the device.

SOURCE: Google

SOURCE: Reddit

Story Timeline

• Nexus 5 gets an unofficial Sailfish OS port


• Nexus 5 Snap Cases now available from Google Play

Acer Liquid Z500 smartphone aims to entertain with CD-quality sound

Acer has been busy at IFA 2014 in Berlin with new product announcements; it rolled out two new tablets yesterday with the Iconia Tab 10 and the Iconia One 8. Today, Acer has rolled out a new smartphone that aims to entertain people while they are on the go called the Acer Liquid Z500. Acer says that the new smartphone is aimed at entertaining people with "today's fast-paced lifestyle."

The phone has "CD-quality" lossless audio. It's very hard to get excited about CD-quality audio these days and that statement screams budget phone. The mobile phone does have advanced HD front speakers supporting DTS Studio Sound format. Acer also spent time focusing on the camera of the phone to give it the ability to capture quality images.

The camera has 8MP resolution with auto-focus and a F2.0 aperture to give high quality photos in low light situations. Acer Bright magic technology helps brighten photos taken in low light conditions by enhancing brightness of images without adding noise to the photo. Acer fits the Z500 with a 5-inch HD IPS screen offering a 900:1 contrast ratio.

A thickness of 8.65mm makes the Z500 a thin device and it has a textile design on the back of the phone for style. Three colors are available including titanium black, sandy silver, and aquamarine green. There are no plans to bring the Liquid Z500 stateside at this time; it will land in EMEA on September 15 for 149 Euro.

SOURCE: Acer

Story Timeline

• Acer Chromebox CXI has a small footprint and supports TPM 1.2


• Acer Liquid Jade and Liquid Leap duo launching in Europe

Amazon Fire TV pre-orders kick off for German and UK streaming fans

The Amazon Fire TV proved to be very popular when it launched in the US and then promptly sold out back in April. Anyone in the UK or Germany who had their eyes on the device and have been coveting their own localized version will want to pay attention. German and UK fans can now pre-order the Amazon Fire TV, and if you want one you had better pre-order.

Odds are the device will sell out in the UK and Germany just as it did in the US. In those two European countries, the Fire TV set top box will have access to Amazon streaming video content, Netflix, YouTube, and other sources. Those other sources will include some localized streaming providers that fans in the US don’t get.

Local content will be provided from Demand 5, Curzon Home Cinema, and Sky News in the UK. Other than some localized content, the set top box is the same hardware fans in the US can get. That means the set top box includes a Bluetooth remote with integrated microphone and an optional gaming controller is available.

Video output up to 1080p is supported with special buffering tech inside the box to get video that Amazon thinks you will like ready to watch when the video you are watching is done. If you need any other reason to pre-order, Prime members in the UK can get the set top box for £49 if you pre-order by September 8. The normal price for the Fire TV is £79.

SOURCE: Slashgear

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active aims at active business users

Samsung has rolled out a new tablet at IFA 2014 this week called the Galaxy Tab Active. This tablet is aimed at business users that need a tablet that will last all day and is rugged enough to survive the bumps that go along with life on the road. The tablet has an anti-shock covering that allows the internal hardware to survive a drop from 1.2 meters up with the cover on.

Samsung also secures the tablet with an IP67 certification for dust and water resistance. An autofocus camera with 3.1MP resolution is built-in and is designed to scan barcodes. Samsung also equips the tablet with NFC technology for easy pairing.

The Tab Active also gets the C-Pen to give stylus input option for users who have to wear gloves. Power comes from a large battery good for up to ten hours of use per charge. LTE is supported along with 3G or 2G service. An 8-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution is used and the OS is Android 4.4 KitKat.

Support for common video formats is built in as well as support for common audio file formats. A 1.2GHz quad core processor with 1.5GB of RAM is integrated and internal storage is 16GB. Other hardware features include GPS, GLONASS, an accelerometer, and light sensor. Pricing and exact availability are unannounced.

SOURCE: Samsung Mobile

Xperia M2 Aqua smartphone unveiled in copper color

Sony went official with the Xperia M2 Aqua smartphone last month and the smartphone brought waterproofing to the budget class of devices. Sony has rolled out another revision for the M2 Aqua for fans to enjoy that come in a new copper color. Other than the color, nothing else has changed with this new device.

Sony says that the coppery colored smartphone is inspired by the "fusion of metal and earth tones." The copper version of the smartphone is the same as the existing M2 Aqua on the inside. There are now three M2 Aqua colors for fans to choose from including the original black or white colors.

The copper version of the M2 Aqua will be offered as an exclusive from Vodafone in the UK, South Africa, and Germany. If you are unfamiliar with the smartphone, as I mentioned before one of the big features is waterproofing. In fact, the smartphone is so water resistant that you can use it to take pictures underwater.

The display is a 4.8-inch unit with 540 x 960 resolution and 230ppi. The smartphone measures in at 140 x 72 x 8.6mm. The OS is Android 4.4 KitKat and Sony fits the smartphone with a Snapdragon 400 1.2 GHz quad core processor under the hood paired with 1GB of RAM.

SOURCE: Sony