Here at Android Headlines we know that the world of Android spreads farther than just the shores of the United States. As a UK resident I don’t just want to hear about what’s going on in the States and we know we have a large following all over the world so, we’re going to be bringing the bigger stories of the week from around the world together all in one post with the first edition of Android Headlines’ Droid Worldwide Weekly. Hopefully we’ll get all of the International Info you want to hear about!
ZTE U935 – Quad-Core, Full HD on the Cheap
ZTE have long been known for delivering decent devices at affordable prices and it looks like they might be ready to intro a 5-inch Full HD smartphone with Quad-Core for as little as 1,500 Yuan in China ($240 US). However, for such a low price the build can’t be anything too great and the MediaTek MT6589 and 1GB of RAM might not perform how you’d like but, for $240 you can’t really complain too much, can you?
Google Play Gift Cards Finally Hit the UK
It’s been a long time coming but my fellow Brits can now get their hands on Google Play gift cards in the UK. You can find them in Tesco and Morrisons stores across the country and you’ll be able to buy them in the same amounts as you can in the US; £10, £25 and £50. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen them in my local Tesco but they only had the £25 kind on show. The cards can be used on music, movies, books, apps, magazines and games.
Zopo ZP960 to Bring Quad-Core and Full HD Cheaply to China
If the U935 wasn’t enough, Chinese manufacturer Zopo has another Quad-Core, Full HD Display with a 13.2 Megapixel camera for the amazing price of around 1,799 – 1,999 Yuan. The MediaTek MT6589 is here again, this time paired with 2GB of RAM. It looks like China is more than happy to adopt larger devices and at these sorts of prices, they should be pretty popular.
Sony’s Xperia Z and Xperia ZL Officially Launch in India
We know that a lot of Indians have been waiting for these two devices to hit shelves, and they’re up for grabs right about now. If you need refreshing on what makes the Xperia Z special then look here and the ZL gets detailed here. Sony’s flagship Xperia Z will set you back Rs 38,990, while the ZL will cost a little less, coming in at Rs 35,990. Both phones are clearly pretty pricey but, these are considered Sony’s best Android phones to date. You can pre-order the devices from Flipkart, and they’ll be in Sony stores from March 12th onwards. Owners of the Xperia Z can get 8GB of free data with Vodafone for 2 months and 6 months free access to Sony Jive, a music and video streaming service.
LG Optimus LTE III coming Soon to SK Telecom
The latest in LG’s Optimus LTE line is about to hit South Korea’s SK Telecom real soon. The South Korean handset will be launching with a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 IPS display, a dual-core 1.5 Ghz, 8MP camera and a decent-sized 2,540 mAh battery. The device looks a lot like the Optimus G Pro and will be hitting SK Telecom in both black and white.
Samsung to Launch $100 LTE Smartphone in India Soon
The Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries is getting ready to launch their 4G LTE service and they’re rumors that Samsung will be their principal partner. There’s word that Samsung could be launching a 4G device soon for as little as 5,500 Rs, which about the price of a low-end 3G phone. Also, call and data bundles could be available through the new network for as little as 100 Rs a month. It’s looking like India’s about to get some affordable LTE coverage soon.
Sony Xperia ZL to Launch in Australia of $699 Outright
Australia is about to get the Xperia ZL, albeit with a hefty price-tag. The ZL is going to be up for grabs through Mobicity for $699 at full-price. That’s a lot of phone, for a lot of money. The quad-core S4 Pro CPU might be aging a teeny bit now and it could be worth waiting for the HTC One or maybe even the Galaxy S IV.
Zync Intros Quad-Core 9.7-inch Retina Packing Android Tablet
Indian company Zync recently launched 3 new tablets, the Dual 7.0, the Quad 8.0 and the Quad 9.7. They’re all affordable tablets and while the Dual 7.0 and Quad 8.0 are decent enough, the Quad 9.7 is the real star of the show. The Quad 9.7 comes with a 1.5 Ghz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and an IPS Display coming in at an amazing 2048 x 1536 with an 8,000 mAh battery to keep the show running. You can purchase this and others at Zync’s website.
HTC One to Be Available in Singapore on March 9th
You wouldn’t think Singapore to be HTC’s first port of call when it comes to a global launch but, there’s an IT Show being held in the country that could see carriers M1 and SingTel release the phone a little early. HTC are still clinging to their “mid-March” global launch but there’s a good chance that you might be able to get your hands on their latest flagship a little early. One thing’s almost certain though, it’s not going to be cheap, no matter where you buy it.
Lenovo S920 Leaks; 5.3-inches on a Budget
Lenovo are fast becoming known for releasing quality devices at affordable prices. The S920 looks to be another device to carry that tradition on and this time they’re going large. The S920 has leaked out as a 5.3-inch smartphone running Android 4.2. There’s no need to get too excited however, as the quad-core side of things is to be powered by the MediaTek MT6589 yet again and only 1GB of RAM. It is however, said to be coming with at least a 720p display and come in a range of bright colors.
Nexus 4 Finally Hits Japan
To our Japanese readers, let me say: konnichiwa! There’s some more good news for Japanese Google lovers, as the Nexus 4 has finally hit Japan. The product page from Google is now live and you can even order the wireless charging orb and the bumper! Whether or not stock issues have been worked out is yet to be seen though.
Xperia Tablet Z Hitting Japan in LTE Flavor Soon
It’s hard to deny that Sony’z Tablet Z is a good-looking tablet and now, it’s about to get some sexy speed to go with it. The LTE-version of the tablet is said to be hitting Japan March 22nd. Of course, all of that speed comes at a price and it’s going to set you back a whopping ¥85,470 ($915 US). With Android 4.1, a Full HD 10.1-inch display and a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, is it worth it?