There’s a NEW LOW been reached on the high street in terms of mass market Android tablet prices, with the Dixons/Currys group now selling the ATTAB Seven 7″ Tablet for a shockingly low £59.99. For that you get a rather predictable power and feature set, with the tablet offering a 7″ display running at 800 x 400 resolution, 512MB of RAM, SD card expansion, Android 4.0 as the OS and a 3,000mAh capacity battery.

It’s the sort of crappy, no-brand Chinese thing Amazon’s been selling for years, only now at Currys to give it an aura of legitimacy.

In short, don’t buy it as it’ll probably be quite poor. Although with a VGA front-facing camera onboard it is at least a little better than some of the alternative super-cheap options out there.

All sorts of alarm bells went off here this morning, as one of our favourite Android phones of last year received a significant online PRICE CRASH. Retailer Expansys is now selling the Ascend P1 for £189.99 including free delivery, for which you get a very capable and virtually unskinned Android model with a decent camera, thin chassis and nice display.

We have happy memories of using it for a fortnight during the heady summer of last year, at least.

Check it out over at Expansys, which has taken a shock break from trying to sell everyone Acers.

Literally out of nowhere Vodafone UK has announced the availability of the Vodafone Smart III, a 4″ Android “Jelly Bean” model powered by a single-core processor clocked at 1GHz. Vodafone says the Smart III features a WVGA 480 x 800 resolution display, 5megapixel camera with flash, and is yours for £95 on PAYG or on a monthly contract starting at £13 a month.

You also get SD card support and 4GB of onboard storage. Here it is. There’s also a white one:

As ever, the question is… Huawei or ZTE? Check it out over at Vodafone.

The game that changed the world and helped make it a better place for the following five or six years has arrived on Android, thanks to Sega publishing its first ever OFFICIAL version of the original 2D Sonic game for Google phone users.

Obviously you’ve been able to play Sonic 1 on Android for years via a number of top quality emulators, but this is the legal, easier way. Sega says we can expect to see widescreen image support, Tails and Knuckles as unlockable characters (SACRILEGE) and the spin-dash move from later Sonics (ALSO SACRILEGE). Here it is:

Sonic 1 is on the Play Store for £2.35. We haven’t yet but probably will soon.

ZTE has announced a new relatively high-end Android phone, with its ZTE Grand X2 In combining a 4.5″ 1280 x 720 resolution display with an Intel Atom Z2580 mobile chipset clocked at 2GHz. You also get 1GB of RAM and dual cameras (8MP and 1MP), plus 8GB of RAM you can augment with an SD card.

There’s a 2,000MaH capacity battery inside it. And there’s going to be a blue one, which looks like this:

Looks relatively unskinned, too. Could live with that. The Grand X2 In will hit Europe in Q3 of this year. Here’s the thing:

Global premiere of ZTE Grand X2 In – ZTE’s flagship smartphone that’s as quick as you

With Intel Inside®, Android Jelly Bean and best-in-class camera, ZTE’s new flagship smartphone promises instant performance

15th May 2013, MONACO – ZTE today introduced the ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone with Intel Inside® at the MedPi conference in Monaco. Featuring the Intel® Atom™ Processor Z2580 with up to 2GHz, Android Jelly Bean OS, an advanced 8MP camera and 1080p movie and video play back, the ZTE Grand X2 In provides high quality experience for the demanding and value conscious user.

ZTE’s new flagship smartphone also boasts an 8MP socially-smart camera with one of the shortest shot-to-shot times on the market, capable of up to 24 frames per second and no shutter lag. It secures a high image quality in challenging environments with real-time 2x axis stabilisation, and face and smart scene recognition.

The ZTE Grand X2 In’s 4.5 inch HD display is optimised by ZTE’s My Pop function for easy-to-use one-handed operation and IPS technology that prevents screen picture distortion. It also offers a seamless engineered body with soft-touch finish and a 0.7mm slim screen touch panel for a slimmer design. For those who like to share their experiences, the ZTE Grand X2 In features built-in Audio enhancement technology and Wireless Display (WiDi) which enables wireless streaming between connected media devices.

“We are proud to announce the ZTE Grand X2 In smartphone pursuing our multi-year strategic collaboration with Intel,” said William Chhao, Terminal Director at ZTE France. “The ZTE Grand X2 In is set to build on the success of the ZTE Grand X In, our first flagship smartphone in Europe to feature Intel Inside, and further increase ZTE’s growth in the high-performance smartphone market segment.”

“We are excited to extend our collaboration with ZTE on their latest innovative platform, the new Grand X2 In,” said Helmut Vogler, Vice President and General Manager of Mobile and Wireless Sales at Intel. “Our teams have worked together to harness the power of the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2580 to create a high performance smartphone with market-leading features and long battery life. The Grand X2 In will provide an excellent choice for consumers in fast growing smartphone market.”

The smartphone was created for the tech savvy, brand and market aware customers and allows them to own cutting-edge technology.

The ZTE Grand X2 In will be available in Europe in Q3 2013 with both key operators and channel partners. The launch of Grand X2 In will strengthen ZTE’s smartphone market share and brand awareness with consumers.

Key specifications
OS: Android Jelly Bean
Display: 4.5-inch (1280 × 720)
Camera: 8MP AF Flash/1MP
Processor: Intel® Atom™ Z2580 with up to 2.0GHz
Memory: 8GB ROM; 1GB RAM
MicroSD: Up to 32GB
Battery: 2000 mAh

ZTE will be demonstrating the Grand X2 IN handset at the MedPi conference in Monaco, at booth J66 from 14-17 May 2013.

Google used its I/O 2013 developer event to update us all on the progress of its Android baby, putting together a fancy graphic to illustrate the format’s continuing level of insane growth. In summary, Google’s seen some 900,000,000 separate Android phones and tablets activated around the world to date. That’s loads.

Google also says its counted some 48 billion separate app installs since launch. That is also loads. Here’s the graphic:

Revenue per user in terms of what we spend in the Play Store is also up by 2.5 times over the last year, which, lest we be under any allusions, is what it’s really all about.

Mobile specialist Phones 4U has announced plans to stock a white version of the quad-core Huawei Ascend P2, which it’ll be selling in the UK exclusively. The retailer’s site currently has a whopping great information page up filling everyone in on the phone’s tech specs, plus lots of official shots of the whiter hardware. Just when you think a Huawei phone can’t get any better, they go and make it… better.

There’s still no news of an actual launch date for the Ascend P2, though, so all we have to go on is Huawei’s own June projection.

It’s going to be a good summer. As long as it’s less than £200 unlocked.

Yet more analysis of the global mobile phone scene has come to the usual, inevitable conclusion — that Samsung is crushing everyone. Into a SMOOTH PULP. Data published by Gartner claims Samsung took 23.6% of all phone sales (dumb and smart) in the first quarter of 2013, way ahead of surprise second place manufacturer Nokia.

Apple’s down in third position, with LG doing rather well for itself in fourth place in the overall combined smart and feature phone sales league table. Here’s the data:

So that’s 425 million phones sold around the world in the first three months of the year, with Samsung making very nearly a quarter of all of them. And things are even better for Samsung in terms of smartphone market share…

…where it took nearly 31% of all sales over the first three months of 2013. And that’s before the S4 arrived. Madness. Good to see LG’s smartphone sales numbers doubling, too, almost certainly thanks to the success of the Nexus 4.

This is one of the best ideas for an app we’ve encountered for a long time. Service Saver is designed for UK motorway travellers, pointing out nearby off-motorway supermarkets, and therefore enabling drivers to avoid the MISERY that is paying £3.49 for a cup of tea and £4.69 for a limp egg mayo sandwich in some hellish service station. Google Maps integration simply directs you to the nearest supermarket instead. Result.

There’s a free version of the app too, which, according to user reviews, works perfectly well but is a little vague when it comes to naming the actual brand of supermarket…

…but still gets the job done. And, as plenty of users point out, filling up your car at supermarket cost rather than service station prices should mean the app pays for itself on your first trip. And you can earn your Nectar points, too.

Sony’s just announced the Xperia ZR today, a phone that, despite the model name, differs from the popular Xperia Z quite significantly. The Xperia ZR is a slightly smaller 4.6″ model, powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core S4 Pro chipset, which is clocked at 1.5GHz and works alongside an LTE-friendly radio for 4G connectivity.

The BIG THING is that it’s properly waterproof, not just water resistant, with Sony claiming the chunky Xperia ZR is able to be “submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes” and still work. It’s for those who want a bit of additional peace of mind about not voiding warranties through accidental moisture incidents. Here it is:

Plus there’s a 13megapixel camera inside. The Xperia ZR will begin to appear during Q2 of this year, says Sony. Here’s the thing:

The new Xperia™ ZR waterproof* smartphone with superior Sony engineering

13th May 2013, London – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today introduces the new Xperia ZR featuring the highest level of water-resistance for capturing photos and Full HD videos underwater. This Android smartphone offers leading technology and content with a 4.6” HD Reality display, 13 megapixel fast capture camera, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, and 4G LTE.

“The Xperia ZR pushes the boundaries on where and how consumers can use the full potential of their smartphone. By combining Sony’s leading camera technology with the highest level of water-resistance, you will never miss another moment.” said Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications. “Bringing together the best of Sony’s leading technology, media applications and easy one-touch connectivity with the largest ever range of NFC-enabled accessories, the Xperia ZR delivers the unique smartphone experience that people can expect from Sony.”

The ultimate in durable design
Xperia ZR is precision-crafted to handle whatever life throws at it. With its sleek, yet durable design, the Xperia ZR is your perfect companion in and out of the water. As well as being dust-resistant, this waterproof* phone is IP55 and IP58 compliant, so you can keep it submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Combined with its dedicated camera key, the waterproof capabilities let you shoot videos in Full HD or snap pictures underwater, capturing the sharpest visuals. The camera key also allows you to shoot even from a locked screen, meaning you’ll never miss a moment again.

Featuring Sony’s “Exmor RS for mobile” image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for both photos and videos, the Xperia ZR captures perfect pictures and videos, no matter what the conditions. Superior Auto mode combines Scene Recognition with high quality performance image processing technology (HDR and noise reduction) to automatically shoot with the most optimal settings. And when you want to capture action fast, simply turn on burst mode to shoot an unlimited number of images at 15 frames per second.

Xperia ZR also features Battery STAMINA Mode which significantly improves the standby time of your smartphone by four times or more** by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is back on.

The solid yet comfortable styling of the Xperia ZR is matched by a choice of classic and fresh colours – black, white, pink and mint – each allowing you to express your individual style.

High quality viewing experience
Enjoy entertainment on the go with the super-sharp 4.6” HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 using the contrast enhancement technology expertise from Sony’s range of BRAVIA TVs, which together with the beautifully designed OptiContrast™ panel, delivers a beautiful high quality viewing experience.

The OptiContrast™ panel reduces reflections and provides clearer viewing, even in bright sunlight, and creates a seamlessly black surface when the phone is turned off. By eliminating the sensor layer and integrating the sensor on the lens, responsiveness of the screen is increased, so now your touch is both more effective and more intuitive. And with Sony’s unique prediction filter to help better detect the movement of your finger, scrolling on the Xperia ZR is reassuringly smooth.

Consistent Sony media entertainment experiences
The “WALKMAN”, Album and Movies applications enable discovery of online and offline content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content. The “WALKMAN” application provides access to all your downloaded music, a library of over 20 million songs to explore from Music Unlimited*** and Facebook social integration. The Movies application provides access to over 150,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited***. The Album application enables easy access to Facebook friends’ photos and browsing photos by location. A new feature of this app is ‘Faces’ which recognizes and sorts the faces in your photo album so you can tag existing contacts or add names to familiar faces.

Ease of sharing and enjoyment
One-touch functions let you easily share music, photos and videos from your smartphone to the widest range NFC-enabled Sony devices, including speakers, headphones and TVs.

Joining the ever expanding range, the new Stereo Bluetooth™ Headset SBH50 is an advanced app-enabled wireless headset with built-in FM radio, OLED display and one-touch connection for wireless audio streaming. Simply touch your Xperia ZR once to the headset to instantly pair the devices and make a call or begin listening to tracks. The SBH50 is available in either black or white colour variants. Other accessories which complement the Xperia ZR are the Charging Dock DK28 and SmartWatch MN2.

The Xperia ZR will launch in various global markets from Q2 2013 (availability will vary by market).