So, we have heard word that Samsung could very well introduce a speedier version of their Galaxy S4 smartphone later this month (in essence, it would be able to support LTE Advanced, or LTE-A for short), but before that happens, how about hearing that there is a spanking new version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that is making its way towards Verizon Wireless? This is not some sort of information which was pulled out from thin air, but rather, courtesy of a recently revealed Bluetooth SIG filing, where the device carries the model number Samsung SCH-I545L, where the “L” would be the only difference between the new model number and the model number of the existing Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4, which stands at SGH-I545.

I guess the folks over at Samsung want the Galaxy S4 to achieve a whole lot more than what it can at the moment, and we have literally seen the fruit of their reward in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom.

If you happen to own the Sony Xperia S, you would know by now that the smartphone is still far from being obsolete, as there is still some life left in its legs. The thing is, we did bring you word earlier this month that the Sony Xperia S has gotten a new Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware update, and here we are today with additional information on what’s to come as well. Sony Mobile could very well roll out a new firmware update for the Sony Xperia S (aka model LT26i), and this bit of speculation came about after making a deduction on the comments over at their support forums.

Sony Mobile’s representative did coyly suggest that a new update could very well arrive during week 28 (if you were to whip out one of the fancier electronic calendars out there, week 28 would be the week where 8 July kicks off). This alleged new firmware update will not deliver changes under the hood where you are unable to see anything else on the outside, but rather, it is said to be a whole lot more tangible to the end user since it would have fixed a bug which folks are having with NFC connectivity, especially when it comes to beaming content to other devices.

It remains to be seen whether this will be a totally new update after version 6.2.B.0.211, where that particular version happened to have landed in certain regions only. On the other hand, we are not ruling out the possibility that this could very well be a wider launch for the ’211′ firmware, so stay tuned as we are sure additional information will be revealed in due time.

Earlier this month, we brought you word that Nintendo, the gaming company that has brought us countless hits over the past few years, hitting a high with their previous console, the Nintendo Wii, is not doing too well with the recent Nintendo Wii U release, and hence, the Japanese company could very well announce a price cut for the Wii U at the recently concluded E3. Touted to be a next generation video game console, it does not live up to such a reputation if you were to judge it based on its hardware performance alone. Sure, some of the innovations introduced include the Wiipad that brings gaming to a different level, but not necessarily the next one. Having said that, companies tend to introduce price cuts when it comes to stimulating sales figures of their hardware, but it seems that Nintendo is not going to take that route this time around with the Wii U.

E3 2013 came and went, and there was no price cut announced at all, bummer. Nintendo marketing executive Scott Moffit did mention that Nintendo has “no plans to change the price of Wii U,” and it remains to be seen whether the Wii U’s sales figures would increase when their Mario, Zelda and Super Smash Bros. franchises are rolled out in the months ahead. Why do you think that the Nintendo Wii U has been performing rather dismally in sales so far?

Apple is a company that has applied for its fair share of patents, where among the more recent ones which we have seen this year include a possible laser keyboard for iPads down the road, or how about a flexible display just in case its bitter rival, Samsung, rolls out something like that in a smartphone beforehand? Having said that, it would be more common to hear of Apple suing other companies for allegedly infringing on their patents, but this time around, it seems that the tables have turned. The USPTO did receive a pair of re-examination requests for a couple of Apple patents from an anonymous party, where these patents would include visual voicemail as well as autocorrect capability.

Both patents are tipped to come under the spotlight, as Apple and Samsung continue their seemingly endless legal patent battle which kicked off last year, where the trial for that is set to start sometime in Q1 2014. Could Samsung have been the party to have submitted the request for a re-examination? After all, the autocorrect feature was used by Apple when it asked for a preliminary injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Nexus handset. I guess additional details will be revealed in due time.

I am quite sure that Sprint is a household name for many of our readers, especially those who reside in the US, and one must take note that Sprint happens to be the majority owner of network wholesaler Clearwire. Having said that, Sprint recently filed a suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against Dish Network and Clearwire, with the request to prevent Dish from acquiring Clearwire. Dish claimed earlier this morning that the Hart-Scott-Rodino act waiting period has already expired on June 14th, without any request for additional information from the government.

Clearwire’s board did share their recommendation to stockholders sometime last week, asking them to accept the $4.40 a share tender offer from Dish Network for Clearwire’s shares, which is a dollar more than Sprint’s $3.40 a share offer. Right now, Sprint happens to own 51% of Clearwire’s stock, but despite that seemingly unassailable position, they would still require a majority of the minority holders to vote in favor of this deal – and frankly, such a deal does not look as though it is going to happen anytime soon. We are interested to see how this particular saga would work out eventually.

DisplaySearch, a research firm, notes that consumers are now showing an increased interest in smaller tablets like the iPad mini and Nexus 7, as opposed to conventional 10 inch tablets. At first the tablet market was defined by Apple’s original iPad, which came with a 9.7 inch display. Apple’s dominance in the market continued for quite a while before Amazon and Google came out with their own alternatives, which were aggressively priced and had smaller screens. Many thought that consumers won’t tilt towards tablets with relatively less screen real estate, but as it turns out, the aggressive pricing brought in scores of new consumers, and then some.

The firm reports that out of 27 million tablet panel shipments in March, almost 48% were 7 inch tablet panels. One factor of this growth is increased interest of consumers in emerging markets, where a lot of manufacturers are selling tablets for under $100. This trend will reportedly continue, and manufacturers seem to have taken note of it as well. A couple of them are reportedly readying tablets that will retail in all markets for as low as $99, they’ll be touting 7 inch screens. Apple too is expected to release a cheaper iPad mini to capture this particular market.

In the first half of 2013 we’ve seen some great smartphones being released. Samsung came out with its flagship Android offering, the Galaxy S4. HTC responded with the all metal HTC One, yet another Android powerhouse. Apple held its ground with iPhone 5, which it released late last year. Analyst William Power of R.W. Baird claims based on store checks of four largest U.S. carriers that behind iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, HTC One is the third most selling smartphone in the country.

The HTC One is reportedly third behind Apple and Samsung flagships at AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. The story is a bit different at Verizon Wireless, where Motorola RAZR HD and other RAZR devices are alternatives to Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5. William Power also claims, based on cosnumer channel checks, that demand for the recently released BlackBerry Q10 is modest. It is believed that apart from die-hard consumers and loyalists, the major demand for BlackBerry Q10 is coming from businesses. The Canadian manufacturer will reportedly be launching 3-4 new smartphones later this year. By the looks of it HTC, which recently reported a 98% fall in profits, has got itself a winner.

Nokia has released the Smart Camera app for its Windows Phone smartphones in the Marketplace. This app was first unveiled when the Lumia 925 was announced in London. The app gives users a host of options that they can use to enhance their photos, it also brings a new burst mode which takes pictures in 5 megapixel. It also brings the “smart shoot” features, the only caveat here is that users must be running Amber update on their devices to download this app. The fact remains, Amber update hasn’t be publicly released yet.

The Smart Camera app also comes with features that all removing of unwanted objects from a picture, choosing of best faces for great group shots, adding of strobe effect to show action and adding blur to emphasize motion in a picture. Currently only Lumia 925 owners are eligible of downloading this app, given that its the only Windows Phone 8 smartphone out there that’s officially running the Amber update. We’re recently heard rumors that the next Windows Phone 8 update is coming this July, perhaps Nokia might make the announcement of Amber update for its devices at the July 11th event it has scheduled in New York. [Image via MyNokiaBlog]

The HTC One Android 4.2 official update has once again been confirmed by the company without a specific release time frame being provided. Earlier this month we reported that HTC Russia had confirmed availability of Android 4.2.2 for HTC One in mid-June, but the update itself is yet to drop. Recently Three UK, one of the carrier partners across the pond that offers HTC’s latest flagship, recently replied to a customer’s query on Twitter revealing that HTC had “just pulled” the 4.2.2 release. This indicates that a June launch of this update was definitely on the cards, with Engadget reporting that HTC has confirmed to them that the update is indeed coming soon, but customers might have to wait a bit longer.

HTC One ships with Android 4.1 pre-installed, whereas its main rival the Galaxy S4 ships with Android 4.2. Some features expected in the HTC One Android 4.2 official update have already been detailed, but the company itself hasn’t confirmed exactly what improvements this update will bring. Like everyone else, we’ll keep waiting patiently for this update, and will let you know as soon as it drops.

Last month we reported that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had sent a letter to Apple, Google, Samsung and Motorola asking them about their work on making their devices more secure against thieves. Smartphone thefts are likely to turn violent, Schneiderman mentioned some thefts that had turned violent in his letter to these companies. Samsung has reportedly developed a solution of its own, dubbed a smartphone “kill switch” which will apparently allow remote locking or wiping of a stolen device.

Samsung is said to launch this solution in July, which is merely a fortnight away. Given Samsung’s influential position in the smartphone market, such a step may very well force other manufacturers to follow suit as well, not to mention the fact that it may greatly reduce the risk of someone losing their life due to a smartphone theft. This kill switch will reportedly enable Samsung, mobile carriers and perhaps even the U.S. government to remotely wipe, lock or disable a stolen smartphone. Said smartphone will be rendered useless, it will not work on any carrier in any part of the world. The company itself hasn’t said anything about such a feature, we’ll let you know if it makes an announcement next month.