All About Smartphones

There are developers trying very hard pushing the boundaries and narrowing the the gap of what is possible and what is not. One of such developers are the makers of this Android app called Be-Bound: Save Your Data Plan which allows one to connect to the internet without a 3G network, WiFi or subscription to any Internet data. This app makes use of SMS connectivity protocol to connect you through the internet. You would be charged the standard SMS fee and a little Be-Miles coins everytime you make a request to the internet For network that gives unlimited SMS to their customers, it would be awesome to have such app but for those that don't the app may only be used at dire moments.  At first registration, you get a certain amount of Be-Miles for free to get you started. One of the key features of this app is that you can check your mails, twitter, Facebook etc, however, will it be cheaper in some countries where SMS rates are high and considering ...

As the launch of Google's mobile operating system Android draws near, things have began to unfold. Leaked screenshots and other things have revealed part of what the search giant had been up to and what we should be expecting Android KitKat 4.4 in the near future. A confidential file was sent to companies that make Android devices and certain features were specifically more highlighted, pronounced and explained to these companies in the document. This is what was gathered from the "confidential" file. Addressing Fragmentation One of the problems that is plaguing the Android ecosystem is fragmentation. It is observed that less than 40% of Android devices are not running the latest Android version due to memory capability and competition. Phone manufacturers are trying to be competitive by offering cheap devices. However, memory and latest hardware are sacrificed in this process. To address this, Google stressed in the document that it wants the Kitkat t...

It's exciting using BBM on Android and iOS devices, 10 million downloads in 24hrs is a testament to that and that's a good thing for the Canadian company, but not without a catch. The catch is the bad news but there's good news too.  If you have used BBM on BlackBerry 10 phones you would know that it has some features missing in the cross platform devices. The good news is that BlackBerry has pledged to bring the missing features (BBM voice, BBM Channels etc) to Android and iPhone. Also, BlackBerry has pledged to keep making BBM on Android and iPhone free and better. The bad news is that BlackBerry says advertising will be brought to BBM on Android and iOS devices.  Seeing the level of acceptance the messaging app as gained, its only logical that BlackBerry uses this swift popularity to monetize the app. Generally, since the release of BBM to other platforms, the sale value of BlackBerry devices have dropped especially here in Nigeria and  this ma...

Its almost possible not to say that 5 inch display is the standard for most smartphone of this year besides the other various screen size  that Samsung and others have forced on users. However, it does seem that Apple will join the list of manufacturers having a 5 inch smartphone in their kitty come September 2014. It has been reported  that Apple is already looking and considering a 5 inch iPhone 6 display that will feature a full 1080p HD property. Seeing how well videos and games look on 5 inch displays, a good number of Apple fans believe that its time for Apple to step up to the reality and release an iPhone with 5 inch display. Not only that, resolution had been suggested by folks to be around 1280 x 1080p which comes to around 441p, close to that of HTC One and Samsung S4.  Although, the likes of Samsung and HTC would have increased the screen resolution of their devices come September to something higher. However, it will still be great ...

Sometimes as a blogger you feel a little restraint in writing about a particular kind of phone especially if it disappoints.  Tecno S3 was released recently and has you may have guessed, its a low end smartphone with the usual specifications that may be almost irrelevant to put down without copying and pasting from that of Tecno N3. Tecno S3 specifications are as follows; It comes with Android Jelly Bean 4.2 OS powered by a 1.0GHz dual core Mediatek MT6572M processor with 512mb RAM to keep apps running. Furthermore, the internal memory of this device is 4GB and 8GB of extra MicroSD card embedded and can be expanded to 32GB. It's a dual SIM 2G/3G network smartphone and can transfer data up to 3.75G As far as camera goes, Tecno S3 has a 2MP back camera with flash and 0.3mp front camera. It supports both video recording and video calls. It comes with a display resolution of 320 x 480 (HVGA) in a 3.5 inch TFT screen and a battery power 1400mAh to keep the dev...

LG's G Flex smartphone specifications have been revealed by the company on Sunday. The smartphone will have a 6 inch 720p display which is vertically curved and will be powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 Processor. According to the company, the handset will be running Android 4.4 and have a RAM of 2GB, 13 mega pixel rear camera and a battery strength of 3500mAh. For a screen of 6 inch, I believe that the battery strength is commensurate. It was also revealed  that the device will weigh 177g and measures between 7.9 and 8.7mm thick at various points along its vertical arc. Furthermore, the device would have a dual window mode which will divide the screen to allow for simultaneous multitasking. Also, a swing lock screen changes the appearance of the handset's wallpaper in relation to how the device is being held and gives different unlock touch effects based on the position of the user's finger. Finally, the device will have a self-healing kind...

It's no news anymore that BBM is available for Android and iPhone however, some Android devices are excluded from the list that can install BBM.  One of such devices is the Tecno Phantom N9 pad and perhaps other tablets too and you can download here or click the link below.   The good news is that I was able to load BBM on Tecno Phantom N9 pad and it worked and for others that downloaded the app too.  If you are therefore keen on getting BBM on your tablet or Tecno N9 then you can download the BBM apk file from the link below and install. BBM apk  for Tecno Phantom Pad Like our Facebook page and  follow us on Twitter for more app downloads and guides.

Finally,  BBM has gone cross platform (Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS) for about a week now and million of Android devices are already pinging massively. Whatsapp on the other hand have been around cross platform for a longer period and with a lot of users. Alot of updates and refinement have been put into Whatsapp for Android and iPhone to give a very high user experience. BBM on the other hand will just start the update which will include BBM Channels and Voice in the near future. Now, for those that have both messaging apps on their devices, it won't be long before people start taking sides as to which of the two messaging apps they prefer. Putting the question to you folks,  which do you think it's better considering that BBM is just 1 week old cross platform? Drop your comments below and don't forget to like our Facebook page  and to join this conversation. Also follow us on Twitter for more smartphone gists.

A new kind of lockscreen app for Android was just unveiled recently. This app by the name Cover is a lockscreen app but one that is able to learn which app you use most frequently and it will place those apps on your lock screen so that you don't have to unlock your phone, search your home screen for the app before you use. Instead, if Cover notice the app you use frequently, that app is placed on the lock screen. This means that if you suddenly start using another app more frequently, the lock screen apps will change to reflect it. Cover automatically recognizes when you’re at home, work, or in the car and learns which apps you use most in each context. So when you’re in the car, maps are right there. At work, your calendar and documents are at your fingertips. You can set a custom ringer volume and wallpaper for each location. Furthermore, you can peek into an app quickly from the lockscreen. Glancin...

Finally, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is now available for Android and iOS devices as promised by BlackBerry and it works so well and flawless on these devices. According to BlackBerry, 5 million people downloaded BBM within a space of 8hrs. The question is, what percentage of these people would be dumping their BlackBerry devices for Android or iPhone? Where does this leave BlackBerry? I believe it will in a way put BlackBerry in a not-so-good condition. BBM is a highly anticipated and revered messaging app and its not surprising to see the massive download rate by Android and iOS device users. If people, are dumping BlackBerry devices which already has BBM for Android and iPhone, how much more will Windows Phone device purchase take a hit? The effect would be felt  by Windows Phone manufacturers due to the fact that there's no BBM available for WP devices (e.g Nokia Lumia phones, HTC and Samsung phones with Windows OS) and people buy smartphones for the apps it s...

The smartphone and gadget industry is very scary and very advert - conscious and Microsoft have taken advertising of their new Microsoft Surface2 and Surface Pro 2 to a whole new level be placing a giant Microsoft Surface 2 tablet at the Trafalgar Square Microsoft Surface is having a bit of challenge dominating in a stage maned by the likes of Apple iPad and Samsung tabs but in other to turn things around, Microsoft is going way overboard to appeal to its fans and would-be customers by placing a huge Microsoft Surface 2 tablet in Trafalgar Square London. The tablet is 27 feet wide and 17 feet tall mockup of the newly-released Surface 2; sure to get everybody's attention. To further make a statement, a British rapper Dizzee Rascal will be performing on top of the keyboard of the giant Surface Pro 2 display just like the normal Surface Pro. I must confess, the place of advertising can not be over emphasized and Microsoft have proved that in other to...

Samsung team in Taiwan was fined a total sum of $340,000 by the FTC for bribing students in Taiwan to speak negatively against HTC phones in forums and group discussions. According to FTC, Samsung Taiwan was charged with engaging in unfair trade rules by campaigning against a competing company, HTC in online forums and review sites. Samsung's Taiwanese team admitted to the charge and that they started the bribing of students April 2013 so that they can give bad comments about HTC products and to praise Samsung phones. Two other smaller companies were also charged in the case and they were asked to pay $100,000 each for their involvement in the scam. We know that there is serious competition in the smartphone industry but this action by Samsung Taiwan is actually taking things too far. This isn’t the first time Samsung has been in trouble with the FTC. Earlier this year, the company was fined for misleading advertising for its claims about camera features on...

Update: BlackBerry have released an update to fix the BBM crash issue encountered on iPhone running iOS 7.0.3 firmware. You can get the download here . Some reports have been sent out that BBM for iPhone is having a crashing problem and in particular, it affects those running iOS 7.0.3 on their iPhones. The BBM app crashes as a result of font compatibility issues. One of the fonts used by BBM is no longer supported in iOS 7.0.3 and therefore a crashing happens when such fonts are employed in sending messages BlackBerry is now aware of the problem and have submitted an update to fix the issue. However,  if you are not ready to wait for BBM update fix, one way to quickly fix this annoying situation is to kill your existing conversation and end all chats. This means you would lose your chat history (if you don't mind). Steps 1. At the Chat section, end chat of all the people you are conversing with 2. Close the BBM app and relaunch again Once you ...

BlackBerry finally brought BBM to Android and iOS earlier this week , but in an effort to prevent the server problems that halted its initial debut , the Canadian company decided to implement a waiting list that allows it to control how many users gain access. But if you were late to the party and you’re stuck at the back of the line, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a quick and easy way to bypass that waiting list. Just follow the simple steps below. After installing the BBM app on your Android or iOS device, open it up and register your email address to join the queue. Now return to your home screen and force-close this app. On iOS, this can be done by double-tapping the home button and swiping the BBM app away. On Android, just enter the multitasking menu and do the same, or go into the Settings app, select “Apps” and then BBM, and then tap “Force Close.” Relaunch the BBM app and you should now be able to create a new BBM account and use the app. The workar...

Nokia's first tablet was finally announced today. The tablet has great features and a superb design. The tablet is known as the Lumia 2520 and its running Windows RT 8.1 and can be purchased for a total price of $499. One thing is of note here, the Lumia 2520 has a top-notch build and design. Furthermore, the tablet comes in various colours, vibrant red, cyan, white and black. The red in particular reflects ebullience; its going to really stand out in a tablet - crowded arena. The Lumia 2520 tablet is not only about looks and software but it also packs in good hardware specifications like 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage space that can be expanded via a MicroSD slot, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 Processor and a high resolution 10inch 1920 x 1080 screen display with strong colour reproduction. A physical keyboard is almost a norm for tablets these days and the Lumia 2520 tablet has one that it can be fitted with, although you would have to buy it as a separate acce...

By now, almost everyone knows that BBM for Android and iPhones is already available for some in some parts of the world and will be available to others within days.  If you had downloaded yours on your device but don't know how to get it activated, follow the steps in this guide. Requirements 1. BlackBerry ID which you can register from here 2. Supported Android or iPhone  Note: Direct download link for BBM for Android can be found here Procedures 1. The first thing is to download the app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store depending on your device type. 2. After downloading and installing, launch the BBM app and you will be presented with a screen to enter your Email address if you initially registered an email to be among the first people to get the app. On doing this, you would get the above screen.  3. If you have a BlackBerry ID, input it in the provided space. If you don't, register a new one. Note: entering the same...