Here's something we haven't seen for quite some time... a new Droid Landing! That's right, a new Droid should be punching through Earth's atmosphere and arriving to dominate our Verizon and retail stores very soon. The last time we were notified of a Droid Landing was back in November of last year! For now it is just a teaser so we don't know any details for sure.

What new Droid do you think we will see? Could it be an HTC Droid One perhaps? We will let you know as soon as more details emerge!

Source: @DroidLanding

Recently owners of the HTC One got some sad news in the form of a Tweet from the UK Carrier "Three UK." It shared that the Android 4.2.2 update for the device has been pulled, with no timeframe for it to get back on schedule. The update was originally expected to come in June, but with this Tweet being so open-ended it left the delay up in the air. Luckily, Engadget contacted HTC and received a response that the HTC One is still scheduled to get the Android 4.2.2 update, but it is just going to take a little bit longer. They didn't share any specific dates, but we appreciate them deciding to bake it a bit longer before serving it.

We will, of course, keep you apprised when more info is released.

Another Motorola X FON variant just passed through the FCC. This one is the Motorola XT1055 and is on its way to US Cellular customers. Its specs are the same mediocre fair we have been seeing for the rumored Moto X phone for quite some time. It has the usual Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.7GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, a 10MP camera, Android 4.2.2, & 720p display. These aren't bad specs by any stretch of the imagination, but they certainly aren't a "Hero Device" as the Moto CEO Dennis Woodside said recently when he officially outed the Moto X Phone.

It's entirely possible that the advancements to this device are in the software department, and/or maybe some additional hardware functionality will be baked in that we have never seen before. If this is true, then maybe the primary internal hardware doesn't need to be at "superphone" levels to perform these functions. Nokia's current Windows Phone Lumia 925/928 series is a prime example of a device which functions smoothly and efficiently despite having mid-range hardware specs. Perhaps that is the case with this next Motorola device.

One other theory is that the X FON naming conventions attributed to these devices passing through the FCC is simply a marketing/model naming trick designed to fake us out, and the final Moto X is a completely different device. Of course, that is hard to believe because it doesn't make much strategic sense. It's also possible that the current X FON products were originally the Motorola X Phone, but Moto decided to use that name on a different device later on down the pipe. If so, then the model number of these devices may say X FON, but it could have a different final retail name. This would leave them open to call something else with bigger specs their Moto X.

Of course, these last two ideas are highly speculative. Occam's Razor implies that we should simply accept the simplest evidence before us because it is most likely the truth. That would mean the Moto X could be a disappointment in the hardware department (relatively speaking).

Source: AndroidAuthority

HTC just officially announced their newest budget-conscious focused smartphone, the HTC Desire 200. We have heard rumors about this device for sometime now, and HTC finally outed it. It's specs are necessarily lackluster, considering it is designed to appeal to the low-end market. No specific pricing or launch dates were revealed, although we can expect it to be both cheap and soon. Here's a breakdown of specs,

• 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) “intelligent display” that automatically adjusts text size, and removes unwanted ads from websites
• Maybe Ice Cream Sandwich, but could/should be Jelly Bean
• HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
• 5MP rear camera with F2.8 aperture and 34mm lens
• Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor clocked at 1GHz
• 512MB of RAM
• 4GB of internal memory
• A MicroSD card support
• 1,230 mAh battery

Looking at these specs we can't help but wonder what market HTC is trying to appeal to with this product. Even at the extreme low-end, unless they are paying you to take this, there are much better alternatives, like an SGS3 or even an SGS2 (or you can even get their own HTC Droid DNA for a penny at Amazon with ridiculously more powerful specs). It seems like they will lose more money building, shipping and marketing these than they will make in profit on them...

If HTC isn't careful they will slip back into old habits and squander the opportunity afforded them by the success of their HTC One.

Source: HTC

Apparently Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg isn't finished trying to successfully push into the smartphone market with Facebook. Supposedly, one of the primary purposes of his recent visit to South Korea was to convince Samsung to sign off on the next Facebook phone. The previous attempt at a Facebook phone with HTC was a colossal failure. The HTC First barely sold 10,000 units. It was even dropped by AT&T a scant few months after its release.

Samsung hasn't yet commented on the proposal, but we can imagine them saying something like, "Yeah Mark... about that... Ummmm... NO!"

Source: TalkAndroid

Although LG's marketing budget is practically non-existent compared to Samsung, their Optimus G Pro has nevertheless proven to be a quiet but solid hit internationally. Their primary source of success is their own home country of South Korea where the handset has sold over 1 Million units in just a few months. In fact, the LG Optimus G Pro reached shipments of 500,000 in only 40 days, which may be small compared to the likes of Samsung or Apple, but is still a good push. Here's a recap of specs on the device,

• 5.5-inch 1080p display
• Quad-core processor
• 3,140 mAh battery
• 2GB of RAM
• 4G LTE connectivity
• 32GB of internal storage
• A microSD card
• 13-megapixel camera

With these specs, it isn't hard to see why it has resonated with some consumers, especially those folks who were looking for the larger phablet style devices. In the U.S. it is only available on AT&T, where it has seen mild but unremarkable success. Share your thoughts on this device...

Source: BGR

For any Sony fans who are on T-Mobile or thinking about switching to T-Mobile, they new Sony Xperia Z flagship phone is now officially coming to the Uncarrier. They even have a sign-up page for future info available. Here's a refresh of specs for you,

• 5-inch 1080p display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal storage
• 13.1 megapixel HD camera
• 2.2 megapixel front camera
• Android 4.1.2
• IP57 Water and Dust resistant

Here's the T-Mo link: https://explore.t-mobile.com/sony-xperia-z

It looks like the HTC One is turning out to be the savior that HTC needed to pull them out of their downward spiral. It is now officially the third best selling smartphone in the United States, and that is all before it has even launched on the Nation's biggest carrier (by subscribers), Verizon. Here's a quote with some additional detail,

According to R.W. Baird analyst William Power, “the HTC One continues to be noted frequently as the third-best-selling device behind the iPhone and S4″ on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. Of course, the HTC One hasn't made its way to Verizon just yet, and Verizon is the largest carrier in the country.

Reports from earlier in the week have put the HTC One sales at around 1.2 million devices per month, which would likely put the handset at a respectable, but fairly distant third place behind the powerhouses from Samsung and Apple.

Peter Chou, the CEO of HTC should be able to breathe a sigh of relief. He basically bet his job publicly that the HTC One would be a success. That bet obviously panned out for him and the company. We must say, after spending some time with the new the HTC One, your friendly staff here at HQ aren't surprised by its success. It is a remarkable device and several of us believe it is superior to anything else out there currently.

Source: PhoneArena

We have a new AnTuTu benchmark for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, and it smokes the competition, even outscoring itself on other phones. This time it is on the Sony Xperia ZU flagship that is set to release later this year. It scored a blistering 32,173, besting the previous score of 31,491 which recently showed up on a next-gen version of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

It seems like the only benchmark competition in the high-end of mobile processors right now is Qualcomm's 800 chip racing against itself. We will keep you apprised when the Xperia ZU finally launches.

Source: AndroidAuthority

Here's a story that is both intriguing and a head-scratcher. A new @evleaks pic suggests that Verizon may soon offer a Limited Edition version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. While this would normally be cause for an ensuing happy dance, the Limited Edition is "very limited" as far as the context of the device. According to the leak, a special Limited Edition version of the SGS4 will simply be the same hardware as the normal SGS4, but will come with customizable backplates sporting the KidRobot branding.

If you are scratching your head at that one, you are not alone. One, you may not even have heard of the KidRobot brand of toys which were founded in 2002... we certainly hadn't. Two, even if you have heard of them, it begs the questions as to why VZW would create a Limited Edition SGS4 with a little known kids toy branding on the back? If you are into the KidRobot stuff you may be happy to learn that you can choose between Kronk, Mad, Buff Monster, Groening, and a generic KidRobot back-cover. There will also be some wallpapers to go along with these, and you can apparently create custom wallpapers.

Perhaps the KidRobot stuff is just one example and there will be some additional custom back-plate options. We are unsure at this point so just consider that last part pure speculation. If you can shed more light on this subject, please feel free to comment in the thread to enlighten the rest of us.

Source: @evleaks

Earlier in the year Facebook purchased Instagram for over $1Billion USD. It looks like the company is aggressively working on improving it too, if the newest rumors are true. According to insider sources, on June 20th, Facebook intends to reveal a new video feature on Instagram that is reminiscent of the video app Vine. Here's a quote with more of the details,

Feeling threatened by its rival’s success, TechCrunch is reporting that Facebook will update Instagram to support video later this week. Earlier reports suggested that the feature would be similar to Vine and allow users to create and share simple videos between 5 and 10 seconds in length. Video support is seen as the initial step for Facebook to finally monetize Instagram’s more than 100 million monthly active users. Facebook is expected to announce Instagram’s video support at a press event on June 20th.

It's possible that this rumor is both true and false. For the most part several different sources of industry intel have suggested that Facebook is working on precisely this, but there is no guarantee it will be launched as early as June 20th. We will keep you posted if more details leak.

Source: BGR

LTE upgrades from Sprint are coming so fast now, they are starting to remind us of Verizon's rollout. Sprint just fired up 22 new markets with their LTE service. They are now up to a total of 110 LTE locations, with another 10 about to go live in the next couple of months. Here's the list of the newly lit areas:

• Baton Rouge, La.
• Centralia, Wash.
• Clarksville, Tenn.
• Corsicana, Texas
• Dalton, Ga.
• Dunn, N.C.
• Fond du Lac, Wis.
• Gainesville, Fla.
• Henderson, N.C.
• Kingsport, Tenn.
• Lansing/East Lansing, Mich.
• Longview, Wash.
• Miami
• Napa, Calif.
• New Orleans
• Palatka, Fla.
• Raleigh, N.C.
• Sebring, Fla.
• St. Cloud, Minn.
• St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Mich.
• Tampa, Fla.
• Warsaw, Ind.

Here's a list of the new markets which should get their LTE in the coming months:

• Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Aberdeen, Wash.
• Allegan, Mich.
• Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Battle Creek, Mich.
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Eagle Pass, Texas
• Flint, Mich.
• Laredo, Texas
• Marshfield/Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
• Mount Pleasant, Mich.
• Oak Harbor, Wash.
• Watertown/Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Source: Sprint