And NFC for contactless experiences!

The Mega 6.3 design is the same as the galaxy s4. The 720p HD lower screen resolution is noticeable. (We don’t talk about the 5.8 inch Mega non-nfc phone here.)

Samsung and NFC;

- The Galaxy S4 got a Broadcom controller chip, can’t read the “old” TecTile stickers.
- From ~May ’13 available, “TecTile 2″ nfc tags, nfc-forum type 4 tags and no longer the Mifare classic type. TecTile 2 stickers are supported by all nfc devices.
The Samsung Mega also has a Broadcom chip? Hopefully someone will screw apart a Galaxy Mega, so I can update the info here.
In worst case, “old” TecTile and other Mifare classic stickers won’t work.
S-Beam ?; I can’t find confirmation.
Group Play; Content sharing for up to 8 devices on the same Wi-Fi network. With NFC enabled phone just a tap to add a new member or join a sharing Session.

To Big?

Only yourself can answer this question.
The big screen is “to meet our consumers’ varying lifestyles” says Samsung.
If Samsung sells enough, then it’s not too large..?
“it felt surprisingly comfortable to hold and much lighter that you might anticipate” James Trew from Engadget wrote.
The phone has a widescreen mode and  split screen capability for multitasking with more efficiency. Available for a variety of apps including email, messages, MyFiles, S-Memo and S-Planner.

Other features include;

- Samsung WatchON; Transforms the phone into an IR remote controller. Connect the device to your TV or home entertainment system.
- Samsung Link; Stream videos, photos or music to your TV, tablet or PC.
- S-Translator; Instant voice and text translation.
- ChatON; Share what’s on your screen.
- Air View; Preview information in emails and photos in Gallery.
- Story Album; Allows you to create albums of daily events, using a timeline and geo-tag info.

Available; Globally, beginning May from Europe and Russia. “The product availability varies by market and will be rolled out gradually.”

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Specifications

Source; Samsungmobilepress.com

One press release,  a new nfc phone and a new nfc controller chip supplier. Two birds with one stone.
No available in 6 months bla bla. The phone and the chip, are here and now.
Uhh … for the Koreans.

The Casio G’zOne CA-201L is a very nice and tough (water-, dust- and shockproof) 4 inch device with mid-range specs. You can store T-money on this phone, to pay the bus and subway (NFC !).

STMicroelectronics announced that its NFC controller is being used by NEC CASIO in this new G’zOne android smartphone. The phone is sold by operator LGU+ (only?) in Korea.

See the very nice flash apresentation for this phone (a fast connection is recommended).
http://www.casiogzone.com/kr/ca201l/
A PITA if your korean is not too good. Copy and paste to translate the first hand info is impossible . Almost all info just in Korean language intangible in the flash movie.

Specifications;

Available;
LGU+ Korea
Colors;
Metallic Red, Black
CPU;
Dual core 1.5Ghz
LCD;
4 inch Gorilla Glass 2, protective coating, impact-resistant
Size;

129.9 x 68.1 x 13.7 mm
Weight;
173.8 g
Camera;
8 Mp, also a 2e camera
Memory;
1GB RAM / 16GB built-in memory
Battery;
1,800 mAh
O.S.;
Android 4.0
More;
Rugged, shock-, water- and dustproof
NFC
Source; casiogzone.com/kr/ca201l/ and uplus.co.kr

The HTC First is the first featuring Home by Facebook. Soon “Facebook Home” will be available from the Play store for some other phones (free download). But on the First it will be more deeply integrated.
Available for;
HTC One X
HTC One X+
Samsung GALAXY S III
Samsung GALAXY Note II
HTC One (Future)
Samsung GALAXY S4 (Future)
Later it will be available for more Android phones.

In two words, it’s a new “User Interface“.
“Facebook Home is a family of apps. You install them and they become the home of your phone.”
The home screen will be Facebook. From the moment you turn it on, the stream of friends’ posts and photos with quick access to your essentials, will be your home screen. The screen changes dynamically, every time a surprise, it shows … Facebook (or Instagram if you want). And you can keep chatting with friends, even when you’re using other apps.

Mid-range specs;

A 4,3 inch, 720p S-LCD2 341 ppi, with good viewing angles.
1.4GHz dual-core snapdragon 400 cpu.
5 Mp camera
1 GB RAM
16 GB storage, no microSD slot
Android 4.1.2
2,000mAh non-removable battery

Summarized;

- NFC , I didn’t found anything to say about it.
- Facebook home is visually attractive and amusing and if downloaded from the play store, to uninstall.
- Somewhat disappointing basic (stock) functions, find out more if you use that camera a lot.
- Good specs/performance ratio and call quality.
- Data usage; Facebook lets you adjust the amount of data. Choose between low, medium or high data use and image quality. Anyway, all the time updating in the background, costs a lot of data. Keep an eye on, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Battery; Reviewers report enough power for the whole day.
- A stock android phone with LTE (a rarity). Facebook Home can be turned off in HTC’s First settings! Voilà, a vanilla stock Android Jelly Bean device.
- The HTC First is the only phone that comes with Instagram pre-loaded.

HTC First will be available in four colors: black, white, red and pale blue.
Available in the USA exclusively on AT&T.
EE is the exclusive UK launch partner.
Also available on Orange and .. ?

Specifications

Size: 4.96 x 2.56 x 0.35 (in) (LxWxT)
Weight: 4.37 oz
Display: 4.3 inch, HD 720p, 341 PPI

Processor

Qualcomm® 8930AA, dual core 1.4 GHz

Platform Android

Android™ 4.1
Facebook Home

SIM card type

microSim

Memory

Total storage : 16GB, available capacity varies1
RAM : 1 GB LPDDR2

Network

UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
LTE: 850/1900 MHz

GPS

Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
Digital compass

Sensors

Gyro sensor
Tri-axis Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor

Connectivity

3.5 mm stereo audio jack
NFC capable
Compliant with Bluetooth 4.0 BLE
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a//b/g/n
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port

Sound

Built-in dual-microphones
Speaker with built-in amplifier IC (support 2.55V)

Camera

5 MP
BSI sensor
F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
1080p Full HD video recording
Front Camera: 1.6 MP BSI front camera (ultrawide angle)

Multimedia

Audio supported formats: .aac, .amr, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)

Battery

Embedded rechargeable Li-polymer battery
Capacity : 2000 mAh

AC Adapter

Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5 V and 1 A
Sources; Facebook, HTC, AT&T and Engadget.

“NFC means it’s just one tap to connect and listen to your favourite tunes using Nokia wireless accessories including the JBL PlayUp Speaker and Purity by Monster Headphones.”

Nokia specifications list says; with NFC sharing, NFC pairing and NFC tagging.
Payments? Not on the latest (March) Visa or Mastercard lists with approved devices yet. I expect the 720 on the list next month, just like all other nfc enabled Lumia’s. The lists are updated just now and then.
And let us be realistic, I don’t see 1 Nokia Lumia phone participating a mobile wallet with contactless payments yet (Turkcell, Cityzi, ISIS). The Lumia 920 was on the Cityzi list in France, but postponed or is canceled? Adding a (Windows 8) phone to a mobile wallet is not as simple as it seems?

Ok, the Lumia 720 is much more than NFC.
Nokia calls this device; Chic & Social. For the young and hip .. and wannabe.
The just 9 mm slim polycarbonate unibody with colourful covers is a very trendy design.
The 2 camera’s are one of Nokia’s “key strengths”.
An HD front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens for many friends into one shot, as well as for chatting on Skype. A back-facing camera with wide-angle lens and low light technology.
Nokia Mix Radio; stream your favourite tunes to your phone for free.
Wireless charging is optional. Buy and clip-on an optional wireless charging cover.
O yes, expandable MicroSD memory card!
A 4,3 inch display, a 6,7 Mp camera, a dual-core 1 GHz snapdragon and 512 Mb RAM.
No spectacular hardware, a complete list a little further downwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU3kZQt4KOM

Specifications

• • Dimensions
    • Height: 127.9 mm
    • Width: 67.5 mm
    • Thickness: 9 mm
    • Weight: 128 g
    • Volume: 78 cm³
  • Display and User Interface
    • Display size: 4.3 ”
    • Display resolution: WVGA (800 x 480)
    • Display features: Orientation sensor, High brightness mode, Sunlight readability enhancements, Color boosting, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2, Ambient light sensor, Sculpted glass
    • Display colors: TrueColor (24-bit/16M)
    • Aspect ratio: 15:9
    • Pixel density: 217 ppi
    • Display technology: IPS, ClearBlack
    • Display height: 94 mm
    • Display width: 56 mm
    • Touch screen technology: Super-sensitive touch
  • Keys and Input Methods
    • User Input: Touch
    • Operating keys: Volume keys, Camera key, Lock key
  • Form factor
    • Form factor: Monoblock touch

• • Connectivity
    • SIM card type: Micro SIM
    • Dual SIM: No
    • Charging connectors: Micro-USB charging connector
    • AV connectors: 3.5 mm audio connector
    • System connectors: Micro-USB-B connector
    • USB: USB 2.0
    • Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0
    • Bluetooth profiles: Object Push profile (OPP) 1.1, Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.5, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) 1.0, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.4
    • Wi-Fi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
    • Wi-Fi security modes: WPA2 (AES/TKIP), WPA, WPA-Personal, WEP, PEAP-MSCHAPv2, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA
    • NFC: NFC sharing, NFC pairing, NFC tagging
  • Data Network
    • GSM network: 1800 MHz, 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz
    • GSM max data speed DL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps
    • GSM max data speed UL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps
    • WCDMA network: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 1900 MHz, 850 MHz
    • WCDMA max data speed DL: HSDPA – 21.1 Mbps
    • WCDMA max data speed UL: HSUPA – 5.76 Mbps
  • Power Management
    • Battery model: BP-4GW
    • Battery capacity: 2000 mAh
    • Battery voltage: 3.7 V
    • Removable battery: No
    • Maximum 2G talk time: 23.4 h
    • Maximum 3G standby time: 520 h
    • Maximum 3G talk time: 13.4 h
    • Music playback time: 79 h
    • Maximum Wi-Fi network browsing time: 13.4 h
    • Wireless charging: Yes, with accessory cover
  • Processor
    • Processor name: Snapdragon™ S4
    • Processor type: Dual-core 1 GHz
  • Memory
    • User data storage: In device, Memory card, SkyDrive cloud storage
    • RAM: 512 MB
    • Mass memory: 8 GB
    • Expandable memory card type: MicroSD
    • Maximum memory card size: 64 GB
    • Free cloud storage: 7 GB

    Source; Nokia.com

Samsung’s “traditional” plastic body design and very nice hardware specifications. As every new high-end device, it’s a bit bigger and faster. The Samsung GS4 is especially more. More features, more apps, more options. Enough to sell tens of millions of it? Well, Samsung is a good salesman …

Let’s talk NFC first

No surprise, Samsung’s NFC enabled Galaxy S4 is the first device with Visa’s payWave app preloaded. The app is stored on an embedded secure element with a lot of memory. The SE is available for mobile payment services from local and global network operators, banks and others.
“More payment apps from multiple brands are planned to be preloaded into the embedded secure element in the coming months” (Mastercard app would be quite logical).
Using the embedded secure element, NFC payments will be available globaly, and in addition to services on the SIM-based secure element. Broadcom chips do support multiple Secure Elements simultaneous. Many nfc phone designs don’t have this feature, and you can’t add it with a software update.
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon block “embedded SE-based” Google Wallet in the USA. Will USA, French, Turkish and every other subsidized phones selling carrier with SIM-based wallet, allow this competition?

NFC controller chip

A few websites report a Broadcom nfc controller chip in the Galaxy S4. And the S4 isn’t Samsung’s first design with a Broadcom nfc chip. Some of Samsung’s latest devices; the Galaxy Grand (duos?), Galaxy S2+ and Galaxy Fame also have Broadcom nfc chips.

Galaxy S4 photo from http://mobile.it168.com/tu/1462254.shtml

This info isn’t first-hand from Samsung or Broadcom, manufacturers don’t give info about suppliers.
Google’s (LG) Nexus 4 also has a Broadcom chip, that was instantly world news due to Anandtech. Probably all these devices have an embedded Secure Element from STMicroelectronics connected to the nfc chip.
Chinese IT168 website grabbed a screwdriver and took a look inside a Galaxy S4 for chinese market. I’ve studied the pictures and I found a chip “20794“, very similar with the Broadcom “20793″ in the Nexus 4 device.
It seems that Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has a newer nfc controller chip from Broadcom. Disclaimer, I’m not an IC expert and on Broadcom’s nfc product page just info about the 20791, 20792 and 20793, nowhere a word about the 20794.

Nexus 4 at http://www.anandtech.com/show/6440/google-nexus-4-review/7

So what, other chip?

1. Not an NXP nfc controller means, maybe the mifare classic tags are not supported. Maybe, because the mifare technology can be licensed from NXP, support can be “added”. Feedback from above mentioned phone models owners would be very welcome.
2. A newer chip means new features? The 20794 chip probably adds the Group Play feature.  It allows you to connect up to 8 Galaxy S4 devices through NFC to share music, photos and  you can use it in a few local multiplayer games. Gun Bros 2 and Asphalt 7 are 2 preloaded games supporting this new feature. You “just” need some friends with a compatible handset.
NFC technology itself is a standard, but Samsung’s developed several proprietary nfc apps (S-Beam and Group play). Not all NFC handsets are compatible, not even all android or all Samsung phones with nfc. This limits what consumers are actually able to do with their nfc phones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LHv1FPd1Ec

Much more on the Galaxy S4

Of course, nfc is just 1 small thing on a great phone.
Download the manual for a complete list .
- WatchON transforms the smartphone into an IR remote control for your home entertainment system including TV, set-top box, DVD player and even air conditioner. (HTC ONE and LG Optimus G PRO have this also)
- Samsung Optical Reader; automatic text recognizing using the camera tech for business cards, QR codes and other.
- Many camera features; The Dual Camera feature allows rear and front cameras to take simultaneous photos and videos (LG Optimus G Pro has it also). Share both images during a video call. Dual and 3-way video call option. 8 different ways to combine the two photos taken by the front camera and the rear camera.
Eraser Shot deletes a person in the background. Drama Shot to see all the action in one continuous time-lapse. Sound Shot to record  sound and voice with a photo.
- Air View allows users to hover with their fingers above the display to preview the content of an email, S Planner, image gallery or video without having to open it.
- With Air Gesture you can change the music track, scroll up and down a web page, or accept a call with a wave of your hand, without touching the screen.
- Smart Scroll allows you to scroll the browser or emails  without touching the screen. It recognizes your face looking at the screen and movement of your wrist and then scroll the pages up or down accordingly.
- Smart Pause enables you to control the screen by where you look. When watching a video, the video pauses when you look away then it continues when you look at the screen again.
- S Translator supports 10 languages and is available in apps like chaton, email and SMS.
- S Health; use the handset as a pedometer or calorie counter. Additional accessories including an S Band bracelet, body scale and real-time heart rate monitor are sold seperately for the Galaxy S4, they use Bluetooth to communicate with the phone app.

Colors; Black and White.

Available; In Q2 ’13 at about 327 carriers in 155 countries.
US; AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular and Cricket
Canada; Bell, Eastlink, Fido, Koodo, Mobilicity, Rogers, SaskTel, Telus, Videotron, Virgin and Wind.
UK; EE pre-order will commence from the 28th March, with handset available from 26th April.

Specifications

Samsung didn’t publish a big complete list yet.
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inch)
130g (4.59 ounces) The S4 is a bit thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S3
5 inch 1,920 x 1,080 Super AMOLED 441 ppi display
CPU; 1.6 GHz Exynos Octa-core chip or a 1.9 GHz quad-core snapdragon xxx Qualcomm, depend on market.
Memory; 2GB RAM
13 Mp rear camera, 2º 2 Mp camera
Battery capacity 2.600 mAh (S3; 2.100 mAh), has an embedded nfc antenna.
OS; Android 4.2.2
wireless charging for some markets
a gamepad is an optional accessory
Sources; Samsung Galaxy S4 live unpacked and press releases, anandtech.com, it168.com, engadget.com, online.barrons.com, nfctimes.com

The Pro version of the Optimus G, we should see as another phone.
Or better, as 2 new phones with nfc.
A 5 inch version for DOCOMO Japan, a bigger 5.5 inch phone for Korea and the USA. Both with the same 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.
You remember the bad reviews of LG’s Intuition, launched Mar.’12 exactly a year ago?
Don’t worry, if you’re looking for a big phone, put the Optimus G PRO on your short list. After the Optimus G and Nexus 4, LG made another great high-end device.

Design

A VP of LG to Engadget.com; “LG offers two high-end product lines, one focused on premium design (Optimus G), the other on high-performance design (Optimus G Pro)”
LG’s flagship design line; Optimus G is about Sleek and precise. “Perfection”, “precision and delicacy”, “sophistication (high dignity)”.
LG’s performance design line; Optimus G PRO is about streamline and comfort. “Shape optimization (camouflage)”, “usability” and “new feature emphasis”.
The new Optimus G PRO has soft edges and round corners. The Optimus G is more rectangular.
It looks less premium as the Optimus G. It feels light but not cheap. The back is made of plastic, not glass.

Hardware

- LG’S first full HD smartphone with a great 1920 x 1080 pixels and 400 ppi IPS display. Viewing angles are also very good.
- Everything runs very smooth, due to the quad-core 1,7 Ghz Snapdragon 600. The fastest smartphone at the moment, march ’13. But we know, a faster one is never far away.
- The Optimus G PRO has a big battery, in normal use enough for a long day. A second battery in the box for the Koreans, I’m not sure about other markets!
- Infrared communication, this phone controls your TV and other electronics.
- NFC, SmartTag app installed for nfc-tags, in Japan ready for contactless payments (“DoCoMo miniUIM card is required”). No info yet about nfc payments in Korea and the US.
- No stylus support.

New features

- VR Panorama allows shots of entire horizontal and vertical environments for a full 360º view. During a review, this didn’t work flawlessly.
- Cool!, Dual Recording allows users to capture video with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously for PIP (picture in picture) video!
(source LG and MWC journalists)

Availability;
Korea, LG U+, SK Telecom and KT; launched
Japan, DOCOMO; April
USA, (which carrier..?); Q2

Specifications

(Specs for US carrier(s) can be slightly different.)

Optimus G Pro, launched in Korea, LG U+, SK Telecom and KT;
• Chipset: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600 Processor
• RAM: 2GB DDR
• Memory: 32GB / microSD (up to 32GB)
• Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels / 400ppi)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with LED Flash / Front 2.1MP
• OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Battery: 3,140mAh (removable / wireless charging capable)
• Size: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm, 5.91 x 3.0 x 0.37 in
• Weight: 172 gr.

Optimus G Pro L-04E for DOCOMO Japan;
size; Thickness of about 70m × width 139mm × height of about 9.9mm (about the thickest part: 10.1mm) (TBD)
Mass; 160g (TBD) about
Display; About 5.0 inches LCD Full HD IPS LCD + Zero Gap Touch / TFT (1920 horizontal 1080 × vertical)
OS; Android ™ 4.1
CPU; APQ8064/1.7GHz quad
Battery; No removable battery (for rapid charging) 3000mAh
Memory; ROM 32GB / RAM 2GB
External Memory; available only in the corresponding model / microSDXC ※ (64GB) ※ microSDXC (up to 32GB) microSD ™ (2GB) / microSDHC ™
Number of effective pixels camera (outside); Appr.13.2 million pixels
Number of effective pixels camera (inside);Appr.2.4 million pixels
Maximum recording size camera; 13M stills Full HD video 4208 × 3120 / 1920 × 1088

Other Features
- NFC/Mobile wallet; service type Type A / B and FeliCa mobile wallet system 1 ((FeliCa) NFC) is now available. Method for the use of services of Type A / B, DoCoMo miniUIM card is required to be offered in February 2013.
- NOTTV
- Wi-Fi tethering
- Wi-Fi (LAN wireless)
- Area Mail
- Seg
- WORLD WING; Class 4 (3G ○ / 3G850 ○ / GSM ○)
- Communication speed; Xi: 100Mbps/37.5Mbps, FOMA: 14Mbps/5.7Mbps ※ 2
- Infrared communication
- Bluetooth
Source; LG.com

Samsung Android nfc phones

Visa and Samsung have agreed to work together to accelerate the availability of contactless nfc payments. The Visa payWave app will be preloaded on selected Samsung nfc enabled handsets with an embedded secure element.
Press-release; “The Visa payWave mobile applet will be preloaded onto selected next-generation Samsung mobile devices” Nothing about the unused SE in already sold nfc devices.
Samsung and Visa offer a service to banks (or other financial institution) to launch mobile payment programs. Banks can load (over-the-air) payment account information on the secure element, embedded in Samsung devices. Consumers wil need a mobile payment app, provided by their bank.

Google Wallet uses the embedded SE but most mobile wallets use a SIM-based secure element. Telecom companies prefer SIM-based SE to ensure their piece of the cake, and.. disable the embedded SE.

So, NFC payments for all, very soon?

Telcos sell subsidized phones and add and disable what they want. See how Google wallet is blocked in favor of ISIS, in the USA. So, this NFC payment service without the involvement of telcos.. often still depends on the telcos.
Don’t expect this service in the USA or west-Europe. The service is global but not for all markets. In countries where the phones are sold without subsidies this approach has more chance to succeed.
And.. your bank needs to launch an nfc enabled mobile payment service and talk with Samsung/Visa.
Without nfc enabled payment terminals at all retailers, don’t forget your small change yet.

Very interesting development with potential!

The HTC One is HTC’s new flagship smartphone. Not a word about nfc during the announcement, but it’s still in the specs list.

What has changed compared to the previous ones ;

CPU; Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600, quad-core 1.7GHz
Higher screen resolution; A 4,7 inch, 468ppi 1,920 × 1,080 full HD, super LCD 3 display. Update; Good viewing angles and no problem looking at display in sunlight (review).
Primary camera; The 4-megapixel ultrapixel camera has a sensor with UltraPixels that gather 300 percent more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors.
This delivers a better low-light performance (says HTC). Update; Review reveals, one of the best smartphone cameras! Very good performance at night (low-light). It’s just less detail from zoomed-in pictures with this 4 Mp camera.
Memory doubled; 2 GB
Software; Sense 5 UI, on Android 4.1.2
A zero-gap aluminium unibody with integrated nfc antenna! Update; The NFC antenna is around the camera module. The look and feel of this design, aluminium with a bit of polycarbonate, is really high-end!

In the small print; “NFC availability depends on the mobile operator and your location. Please check with your mobile operator.”
So… or nfc is optional, or this is just about contactless payments, I think the latter.

Other features;

HTC BlinkFeed transforms the home screen into a personal live stream of relevant information such as social updates, entertainment and lifestyle updates, news and photos with immersive images so that people no longer need to go to separate applications to find out what’s happening. No need to switch between multiple applications and web sites.
HTC will provide local and global content from some of the most innovative media companies, such as the AOL family of media properties, ESPN, MTV, Vice Media, CoolHunting, Reuters and many others.

The camera with HTC Zoe gives people the ability to shoot photos that come to life in three-second snippets. These Zoes, photos and videos are then displayed in a way that brings the gallery to life and transforms the traditional photo gallery of still images into a motion gallery of memories. Photos and films can easily be shared on social networks, email and other services.
Update; A positive surprise, Zoe makes a really nice gallery and saves you the trouble (from review).

HTC BoomSound introduces front-facing stereo speakers with a dedicated amplifier and a full HD display. Beats Audio integration is always enabled.
“The new HTC One offers the best audio experience of any mobile phone available today.”
HDR recording uses dual microphones.
Update; Good sound from the speakers and call quality good with no noise (review).

HTC Sense TV transforms the new HTC One into an interactive program guide and remote control for most TVs, set-top boxes and receivers. Yes, this phone controls your TV.

Nothing missing, this one is THE one?

No microSD slot
No Qi wireless charging
Small battery size?, let’s wait for the reviews. Update Mar.’13; The 2.300 mAh battery does 8-9 hours of constant use.

Available in silver and black.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9A8NnBbW_A

Global Available through more than 185 mobile operators and major retailers in more than 80 regions and countries beginning in March.
Update Mar.’13; In Germany, Taiwan and the UK officially launched in the latest week of March.
Europe, North America and many Asian countries will get the ONE before the end of April.
Update Mar.’13; A small delay, “We will start fulfilling pre-orders by end March in certain markets and will roll out to more markets as we approach April.”

Europe, Middle East and Africa: 1&1 Germany, A1 Telekom Austria, AB Poland, Allo Ukraine, AMC (Cosmote) Albania, Avea Turkey, Beeline Kazakhstan, Belcompany Netherlands, BH Telecom Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bite Latvia, Bite Lithuania, Bouygues Telecom France, Carphone Warehouse UK, Cell C RSA, Citrus Ukraine, Cosmote Greece, Cosmote Romania & Global Bulgaria, Cyta, DT Mobile(TS) Latvia, Du UAE, Dustin Sweden, Eagle Mobile Albania, EE UK, Elisa Estonia, Elisa Finland, El-Giganten Denmark, El-Giganten Sweden, Elkjöb Norway, EMT (TS) Estonia, E-Plus Germany, ERC Ukraine, Euroset Russia, Gigantii Finland, Go Malta, H3G Austria, H3G Denmark, H3G Italy, H3G Sweden, H3G UK, HT Eronet Bosnia & Herzegovina, K-Cell Kazakhstan, KPN Belgium, KPN Netherlands, Life Belarus, LuxGSM Luxembourg, Megafon Russia, Melita Malta, Meteor Ireland, Mobilezone Switzerland, Mobilochka Ukraine, Mobily KSA, MSH Belgium, MSH Germany, M-Tel Montenegro, M-Tel Bosnia & Herzegovina, MTI Ukraine, MTN Cyprus, MTS Belarus, MTS Russia, Netcom Norway,
(Telefónica) O2 Czech, (Telefónica) O2 Germany, (Telefónica) O2 Ireland, (Telefónica) O2 UK, Omnitel Lithuania, One Macedonia, Optimus Portugal, Orange France, Orange Maldova, Orange Poland, Orange Romania, Orange Slovakia, Orange Spain, Orange Switzerland, Partner Communications Israel, PhoneHouse France, PhoneHouse Germany, PhoneHouse Netherlands, PhoneHouse Sweden, Phones4U UK, Play Poland, Plus Communication Albania, Polkomtel Poland, Proximus Belgium, SFR France, SiMobil Slovenia, STC KSA, Sunrise Switzerland, Svyaznoy Russia, Swisscom Switzerland, TDC Denmark, Tele2 Croatia, Tele 2 Estonia, Tele2 Latvia, Tele2 Lithuania, Tele2 Russia, Telia Denmark, Telia Sweden, Telekom Slovenija, Telenet Belgium, Telenor Denmark, Telenor Norway, Telenor Sweden, Telenor Hungary, Telenor Serbia, Telkom Serbia, TIM Italy, TMN Portugal, T-Mobile Austria, T-Mobile Croatia, T-Mobile Czech Republic, T-Mobile Germany, T-Mobile Hungary, T-Mobile Macedonia, T-Mobile Montenegro, T-Mobile Netherlands, T-Mobile Poland, T-Mobile Slovakia, Turkcell Turkey, Tus Mobil Slovenia, Velcom (TAG) Belarus, VIP Operator Macedonia, VIP Mobile Serbia, Vipnet Croatia, Vivacom Bulgaria, Vodacom RSA, Vodafone Albania, Vodafone Czech Republic, Vodafone Egypt, Vodafone Germany, Vodafone Greece, Vodafone Hungary, Vodafone Ireland, Vodafone Italy, Vodafone Malta, Vodafone Netherlands, Vodafone Portugal, Vodafone Romania, Vodafone Spain, Vodafone Turkey, Vodafone UK, Wind Greece, Wind Italy, Yoigo Spain, Yug Contract Ukraine, Zain KSA.

Asia-Pacific: China Mobile Hong Kong Company Ltd., ChungHwa Telecom, 3HK, CSL, Fareastone, M1, Mobifone, Optus, PCCW mobile, Reliance Communications, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., SmarTone, StarHub, Taiwan Mobile, Telecom New Zealand, Telstra, Vodafone Australia, Vodafone New Zealand.

China: China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom

North America: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Cincinnati Bell and Best Buy in the United States and in Canada with Rogers Communications, Bell Mobility, TELUS and Virgin Mobile Canada.

Latin America: Claro Argentina (América Movil), Telecom Personal Argentina, Entel Chile, Iusacell México, Telcel México (América Movil), Claro Perú (América Movil), Claro Puerto Rico (América Movil), Movistar Venezuela (Telefonica)

Specifications

CPU speed

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600, quad-core, 1.7GHz

Platform Android

Android™ with HTC Sense™

HTC BlinkFeed™

SIM card type

microSIM

Memory

Total storage : 32GB/64GB, available capacity varies

RAM : 2 GB DDR2

Network

HSPA/WCDMA:

Europe/Asia: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

850/900/1800/1900 MHz

GPS

Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
Digital compass

Sensors

Gyro sensor
Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor

Connectivity

3.5 mm stereo audio jack
NFC capable (NFC availability depends on the mobile operator and your location. Please check with your mobile operator.)
Compliant with Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX™ enabled
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n
DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer
Support consumer infrared remote control
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection (Special cable required for HDMI connection.)

Sound enhancement

HTC BoomSound™

Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
Studio-quality sound with Beats Audio™
HDR Microphone
Sense Voice

Camera

HTC UltraPixel Camera
BSI sensor, Pixel size 2.0 µm, Sensor size 1/3′
Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2
F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
Smart Flash: Five levels of flash automatically set by distance to subject
Front Camera: 2.1 MP, 880 wide angle lens with HDR capability
1080p Full HD video recording for both front and back cameras
HDR Video
Continuous shooting and VideoPic
Slow motion video recording with variable speed playback
HTC Zoe™ with HTC Zoe™ Highlights and HTC Zoe™ Share
Retouch with Object Removal, Group Retouch, and Sequence Shot

Multimedia

Audio supported formats:

Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9)
Recording: .amr

Video supported formats:

Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
Recording: .mp4

Battery

Embedded rechargeable Li-polymer battery

Capacity : 2300 mAh

AC Adapter

Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz

DC output: 5 V and 1 A
Source; htc.com

Already a dozen nfc enabled Xperia models in the list, no surprise, the latest Sony flagships are smartphones with nfc technology.
Extremely high density 5″ edge-to-edge screen, with 1920 x 1080 pixels and 440 ppi, very sharp and high contrast. But.. viewing angles could be better!
A microSD card slot to supplement the 16GB onboard storage (up to 32 GB).
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is a little disappointing, upgrade to 4.2 is easy and soon available (said Sony).
With a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad Core, 2 GB RAM and a 13 MP camera, a powerful high-end device.
This is what the first hands-on revealed.

Contactless payments

Model numbers; 6502, 6503, 6506, 6602 and 6603 (Xperia Z and ZL) with android 4.1.1, globally approved by mastercard for Paypass application using Secure Element on a SIM card. It is not known whether a secure element is embedded.
Update; 6502, 6503, 6506 and 6602 models also approved for use with Visa payWave.

Sony’s NFC touch to entertainment

Sony brings you a fast and easy way to share music and photos from your nfc enabled Xperia.
With a touch you can make the switch to the TV screen almost instantly. One-touch mirroring with NFC technology lets you see or hear content from your phone screen on your TV. Just touch your phone to your BRAVIA remote control and watch your selected photo pop up on the TV screen or listen to the current music track play on the TV’s speakers.
One-touch mirroring is designed to work together with an NFC-enabled BRAVIA TV!

NFC is turned on by default, in contrast to most other manufacturers’ phones.
Sony put a small NFC sticker on the back of the phone. It just shows the place of the nfc antenna. Some find it ugly and pull it off.
Unfortunately .. no nfc tags in the box.

Z – ZL, the differences;

The 2 phones are quite similar with just enough differences to complicate the choice.
It’s not just about another radio for different markets.
Xperia Z;
a bit bigger, a bit thinner, a bit lighter
2330mAh battery
front and back made out of tempered glass, a sleek glossy appearance
a 2.2 MP front facing camera
water and dust resistance, IP57 certification
not the IR remote
Xperia ZL;
a bit smaller, a bit thicker, a bit heavier
2370 mAh battery
rubbery material on the back, more grip
a 2MP sensor on the lower right side
NOT water and dust resistance
IR remote control

Specifications, Xperia Z’s main features and functions.

(ZL specs, further down)
Camera and video

13 megapixel Exmor RS camera with Auto focus and Burst Mode
16x digital zoom
HDR for both picture/film
Face detection
Flash/Pulsed LED and Photo light
Front-facing camera (2 MP 1080p Exmor R)
Geotagging
HD video recording (1080p)
Image stabiliser
Picture Effect
Quick Launch
Red-eye reduction
Scene recognition
Self-timer

Send to web
Smile detection
Sony Exmor RS for mobile image sensor
Superior Auto
Sweep Panorama
Touch focus

Display and design

5″, 1920×1080 pixels, 16,777,216 colour TFT
Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
Scratch-resistant, shatter proof sheet on mineral glass
Capacitive touchscreen with on-screen QWERTY keyboard
Screenshot capturing

Pre-loaded applications

Google Chrome*
Google Play*
Google search*
Google Voice Search*
Google Maps for Mobile with Street view and Latitude*
Web browser (WebKit)
Google Talk application*

Memory

RAM: 2GB
Flash memory: Up to 16 GB
Expansion slot: microSD card, up to 32 GB

Networks

UMTS HSPA+ 850 (Band V), 900 (Band VIII), 2100 (Band I) MHz *
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)*

Entertainment

3D Surround Sound (VPT)
Album art
Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
Clear Audio+
Dynamic normalizer
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow service*
TrackID music recognition*
“WALKMAN” application
xLoud™ Experience
3D games
Motions gaming
Video streaming
Facebook application*
Twitter*
YouTube*

Connectivity and communication

3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA)
aGPS
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
DLNA Certified
GLONASS*
HDMI via MHL support
Media Go
Media Transfer Protocol support
Micro USB support
Native USB tethering
NFC
PC Companion
Screen mirroring
Synchronisation via Exchange ActiveSync, Facebook, Google and SyncML
USB charging
USB High speed 2.0 support
Xperia Link
Wi-Fi and WiFi Hotspot functionality
Wi-Fi Miracast

Specifications, Xperia ZL’s main features and functions.

Camera and video

16x digital zoom
HD video recording (1080p)
13 megapixel Exmor RS camera with photo flash and auto focus
Flash/Pulsed LED and Photo light
Face detection
Geotagging
Image stabiliser
Red-eye reduction
Scene recognition
Self timer
Send to web
Sony’s Exmor™ R for mobile CMOS sensor
Sweep Panorama
Touch focus
2 MP, 1080p, front facing camera

Display and design

5″, 1920×1080 pixels, 16,777,216 color TFT
Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
Shatter-proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass
Capacitive touchscreen with on-screen QWERTY keyboard
Screenshot capturing

Pre-loaded applications

Google Play*
Google search*
Google Voice Search*
Google Maps for Mobile with Street view and Latitude*
Web browser (WebKit)
Google Talk application*
Google Mail*

Memory

RAM: 2GB
Flash memory: Up to 16 GB
Expansion slot: microSD™ card, up to 32 GB

Networks

UMTS HSPA+ 850 (Band V), 900 (Band VIII), 1700 (Band IV), 1900 (Band II), 2100 (Band I) *
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
LTE Band I, Band II, Band IV, Band V and Band XVII *

Entertainment

xLoud Experience – audio filter technology from Sony
3D surround sound
Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
TrackID music recognition*
“WALKMAN” application
3D games
Motions gaming
PlayStation Certified
Sony Entertainment Network (selected markets only)
Video streaming
YouTube*
Facebook application*

Connectivity and communication

3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA)
aGPS
Bluetooth wireless technology
DLNA Certified
GLONASS*
IR Remote
Media Go
Media Transfer Protocol support
MHL support
Micro USB support
Native USB tethering
NFC
PC Companion
Throw
Synchronisation via Exchange ActiveSync, Google Sync and Facebook
TV Out
USB High speed 2.0 support
Wi-Fi and WiFi Hotspot functionality
Wi-Fi Direct
eCompass
NeoReader barcode scanner
Source; sonymobile.com

Blackberry is very positive towards nfc. We didn’t need leaked info to know about the nfc technology in the BB10 phones. In 2011, they started adding the chip in all new phones. In 2012, we saw 1 or 2 new (budget-)phones without nfc and the Porsche design with nfc. I think in 2013 all BlackBerry 10 handsets will come with an nfc chip. And, hallelujah, it’s not optional stuff.

Which controller chip, still the Inside Secure? Sorry, no info found.
Update; No official first-hand information from Blackberry, but a BlackBerry Development Advisor told me; “BlackBerry 10 don’t support Mifare Classic”. Also looking at other info, we can conclude that Inside Secure is still BlackBerry’s nfc chip supplier.
NFC antenna is in the middle of the cover, where the logo is.
Update feb.’13; ubmtechinsights.com took the Z10 apart, “NFC-ready as we discovered was Inside Secure’s SecuRead IC5C633I4 NFC solution module.”

NFC Tags;

BlackBerry 10 phones do support the NXP’s proprietary mifare classic tags? Today Jan.30, BlackBerry 10 launch day, no info about nfc controller chip, and no user feedback yet. Buy a NFC-Forum standardized tag type, anyway better for most people. New NTAG215/216 tags also have a “big” memory.
Update; Mifare classic tags (Samsung Tectiles!) not supported.

Sharing;

Don’t expect problems with other nfc enabled BlackBerry 7.1 and 10 devices. Small data exchange (till ~8k) via nfc probably works between different O.S.’s (some user feedback). Only if the SNEP protocol is used for the entire data transfer. we talk about an URL or contact info.
Sharing of photos and videos (big data) to another device with a different O.S. will fail. Between 2 different platforms, the connection handover to Bluetooth fails.

Payments;

“NFC-enabled to support mobile payments and file exchange” Let’s be honest, this guarantees nothing. New phones and new O.S. means more time for testing needed. In some countries still no virtual wallet with contactless payments, in other countries the wallets are still in trial fase. Patience patience. It mainly depends on the network operators, if and when you can use this phones for payments. The BlackBerry 7.x phones are certified and approved but very few people can use it for contactless payments. (BB7 devices are enabled for the Cityzi wallet in France. In Canada, Rogers customers can use “suretap ready devices” for contactless payments.)

Availability, in most countries, the Z10 will be available earlier;
Jan.31; UK – all networks
Feb.5 ; Canada – Bell, Koodo, Rogers, Telus, Virgin and …
Feb.10; UAE
March ; USA – AT&T, Sprint, T-mobile and Verizon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK8tkjRnNvQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtxZr5TS7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYKFpEOSyUQ

More video; NFC on BB10 how-to step by step video on the BlackBerry website.

Z10 and Q10 specs;

Size (L x W x D)
Z10 – 130mm x 65.6mm x 9mm
Q10 – 119.6mm x 66.8mm x 10.35mm

Weight
Z10 – 135.4 g
Q10 – 139 g

Display
Z10 – 4.2”, 4 point multi- touch IPS LCD display, 1280 x 768 resolution at 356 PPI, Touch On Lens
Q10 – 3.1”, Super AMOLED display, 720 x 720 resolution at 330ppi
Q10 Keyboard – 35-key physical QWERTY keyboard with backlight (language specific keyboards such AZERTY and QWERTZ also available in local markets)

Software
BlackBerry 10 OS

Memory
2 GB RAM,
16 GB Flash
Hot Swappable microSD slot (up to 32 GB)

Processor
Dual Core 1.5 GHz

Camera
8 MP rear facing camera, Auto Focus, 5x digital zoom, 1080p HD video recording, LED flash
2MP front facing camera, 3x digital zoom, 720p HD video recording

GPS
Assisted, Autonomous, and Simultaneous GPS

Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy

NFC
NFC- enabled to support mobile payments and file exchange

HDMI
microHDMI out port

Advanced Sensors
Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Proximity, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor

Wi – Fi
Dual Band 802.11 a/b/g/n, Mobile Hotspot

Network Connectivity
4G LTE or HSPA+, support for global roaming

Battery Life
Z10;
Talk Time: up to 10 hours on 3G
Standby Time: up to 305 hours on 3G, up to 316 hours on 2G
Audio Playback: up to 60 hours
Video Playback: up to 11 hours
Q10; not available yet
source; PDF at BlackBerry.com