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Samsung is expanding their Galaxy family of devices past the flagship Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S4 mini. We’ll see the Active and mini during their “Premier” event on June 20th, but the rumoured Galaxy S4 Zoom has surfaced in a press shot, plus live images.

Reputable site SamMobile and Techtastic have leaked images of the Galaxy S4 Zoom. They state that Zoom is a cross between the the older Galaxy S Camera and the Galaxy S4 mini. The specs have this Android running 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and TouchWiz, a 4.3-inch qHD sAMOLED display (540 x 960 resolution), 1.6GHz dual-core processor, 16 megapixel camera with 10X optical zoom, 8GB internal memory, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and a dedicated camera button. There’s no word on the weight, but this looks like a beast to carry around.

Surely more info will be revealed before the big event on the 20th. You like?

Yesterday, Evernote launched its cross-platform Reminders feature on Android after bringing it to iOS and the desktop a month earlier, and today Windows Phone users are getting in on the fun.

The functionality works very similarly to the iOS and Android versions: Reminders appear above the Notes list, and can include alarms or just context-specific to-do actions. You’ll see a small blue alarm clock next to a note when a reminder has been included.

Because it is integrated into the live tile system, you’ll see a number embedded at the top right corner of a tile when a reminder is active. Once the alarm goes off, a system-wide notification will pop up, much like you’d see for a calendar or birthday.

Download Evernote for Windows Phone.

Via: Evernote

Foursquare for Android is at the point of maturity where its developers have moved on from tweaking its interface to expanding its potential device reach.

In an update unveiled this week, Foursquare hit the green light on an interface specifically designed for Android tablets, breaking the screen in half between information and maps. The company recently updated its Android app to take advantage of Google’s newest Maps SDK, so this functionality was likely borne from that integration.

There’s nothing shocking about the functionality except for the fact that this is Foursquare’s least check-in focused release, since one is much less likely to have a tablet handy at a bar or restaurant. It reinforces Foursquare’s commitment to being a data-centric discovery engine, a place that users go before they head out rather than an app they open once they’re there.

Foursquare received a $41 million loan in April to further its expansion plans, and boasts 33 million users and 1.3 million business listings. The company derives the majority of its revenue from partnering with businesses for promotions, specials and discounts, and the next step is to integrate ads into the check-in experience, something that is sure to be met with disdain across the ecosystem.

Download Foursquare for Android.

Via: Venturebeat, TechCrunch

Fresh off the news of the CRTC’s “Wireless Code” is the first notable change from a carrier. Could be coincidence or just unfortunate timing. However, Rogers has made a slight change to their Early Upgrade Program, specifically the fees.

If you have a contract and want to upgrade early, the price you’ll pay out will be determined by your device category and remaining contract length. We’ve covered this a number of times (see here here and here).

Prior to today the early upgrade fees worked like this:
- $10 per month for existing voice/QMD (Quick Messaging devices)
- $10 per month for select feature devices, tablets and smartphones
- $13 per month for premium devices (including iPhone and BlackBerry Bold)

Now, the target for the price increase is on smartphone users. According to the internal doc we received it says that “Effective June 7, 2013, the early upgrade fee for Smartphone and Premium Smartphone customers will increase to $20/month.”

Here’s the new fee system:
Monthly Early Upgrade Fee (below) x Number of remaining month before the HUP eligibility date + HUP price
- $10 per month for Quick Messaging devices, Rocket Stick, tablets, Smartphone Lite
- $20 per month for premium devices such as iPhone and BlackBerry

Have a full read of the doc above and take note of the specific dates at the bottom as this change will not impact all Rogers customers. Those on the FlexTAB can upgrade to a new device by paying off the remainder of their current device subsidy balance and the discounted new device cost, plus a $35 admin fee.

However, $7/month could add up… Again, this starts today.
(Thanks tipster!)

When Apple crossed over the 50 billion app download mark last month a press release hinted that they’ll show the world “new versions of iOS and OS X.”

Banners have been going up outside Moscone Center in San Francisco this week and the latest is a simplistic design showing the number 7, which basically confirms that we’ll see Apple finally unveil iOS 7. Other banners stated that WWDC is “where a whole new world is developing.”

Jony Ive, Apple’s SVP of Industrial Design, is the man behind the new foray into iOS 7. This has been rumoured to be “black, white, and flat all over.” We’ll bring you all the details as WWDC 2013 unfolds.

Source: 9to5Mac

A few months ago TD Canada Trust teased BlackBerry 10 users that they’d be releasing their mobile banking app soon. Today, those customers who have a BlackBerry 10 smartphone – either the Z10 or Q10 – can now download the free app. The same features are available, namely checking your account balance, pay bills, transferring funds, finding ATMs and branches, monitor your investments, and if you’re into playing around on the stock market you can also make trades.

Download it here via BlackBerry World

Will it be like Rdio or more like Pandora?

With Apple’s iRadio rumoured to launched on Monday — the one label holdout, Sony, has just signed on — the era of streaming audio may be about to rise. Indeed, while Deezer boasts four million paid users and Spotify seven, and Pandora’s ad-based model a worthy disruptive vehicle, it will likely take until the launch of Apple’s streaming music service for the idea to take hold in the mainstream.

I haven’t purchased music, physical or digital, in a long time. Since beginning to use Rdio, which for $9.99 per month lets you listen to most new music a la carte on- and offline, I haven’t felt the need to. Apple must surely have been feeling this pressure, as rumours of a streaming music service from the iTunes creator have been around for nearly six years.

It appears that iRadio, or whatever it will be called, is real, and is coming on Monday when Apple holds a keynote at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. At stake is the potential loss of millions of revenue dollars as users increasingly feel more comfortable owning less music. The prospect of Apple giving up its pay-per-song model is a nonstarter, so iRadio will have to coexist in its ecosystem as a vehicle to the real moneymaker; streaming music nets the host, and more importantly the artist, very little in licensing fees.

One’s good fortune; two’s a trend; three’s a party.

As with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, Google is reportedly working with Sony to release a “Nexus Edition” version of the company’s flagship Xperia Z. According to separate sources at Android Geeks and Android Central, a vanilla version of the Xperia Z has been in the works for some time, and Sony’s close partnership with the Android Open Source Project has made the transition a smooth one.

Though it won’t go on sale on June 26th like its Samsung and HTC counterparts, the Xperia Z will likely be launched some time in July on the U.S. Play Store, with other markets set to follow. It appears that the company may be waiting for the release of Android 4.3 before unleashing the 5-inch smartphone on the world, which has been slated for a mid-June unveiling.

While Sony’s water- and dustproof Xperia Z may not have received the warm reception of its peers, it’s a great smartphone all the same. The 1080p screen is sharp and warm, performance is fluid, and the 13MP camera is extremely responsive. But Sony also shackled its flagship with hardware that has been superseded in both performance and thermal efficiency by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 system-on-a-chip, and many reviews found its overall camera quality and screen viewing angles less than ideal.

Canada never got a chance to experience the Xperia Z, as the Xperia ZL sold by Rogers and Bell is slightly stouter and lacks the waterproof finish of the internationally-sold model. If such a model does exist, Sony would have to forgo many of the software enhancements it uses to market the device, including its custom Bravia Engine and the excellent Superior Auto mode in the camera app.

The move also speaks to Google’s commitment to stock Android, as it would have four devices on the market, including the Nexus 4, running AOSP-based code. The Xperia Z would receive updates directly from Google, months sooner than its carrier-sold counterparts.

Via: Android Geeks, Android Central

Bell and HTC are joining up to launch a new promo next week that will see a cool $25 Google Play gift card arrive in your pocket. According to an internal doc we received it stated that any “New postpaid customers activating an HTC One on any term with any plan will receive $25 Google Play gift card credit via SMS on July 2, 2013.” This promo will only last a week and go into place on June 10th, ending on June 16th. Pretty good deal that this is open to “any term with any plan.”

Check out our in-depth video review of the HTC One here.

(Thanks tipster!)

Nokia’s PureView-branded Lumia EOS has enjoyed a week in the spotlight, and ViziLeaks, the same source who brought us the latest set of photos has released a video of the device’s camera in action.

The video shows the Lumia EOS’ lens opening and closing, focusing on something in the foreground, and generally looking awesome. The prototype says ‘XX Megapixels’ but it’s more than likely this device will feature a similar 40+MP sensor that was found in the PureView 808.

Nokia is rumoured to launch this phone sometime in July, and The Verge purports that the Finnish manufacturer is building its own custom camera app to accommodate all the new features.

As for a Canadian release, since AT&T is likely to pick up the phone, you can bet at least one incumbent, likely Rogers, will follow suit.