Worldwide Android News Weekly 12/01/13 – Octa-Core Android Smartphones, Gold HTC One, Galaxy S4 Advance and More!

THL Monkey King 2 Leaks Out With Octa-Core CPU Onboard

It’s no secret that Octa-Core CPUs are going to be all the rage going forward, thanks to MediaTek’s MT6592. Well, THL’s successor to the popular Monkey King has leaked out, with an Octa-Core CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and of course, their own skin on top of Android. Last year’s Monkey King device was well received and we’re that this sequel will be popular too, when it hits the market.

Samsung Announces Pricing for Galaxy Note 10.1 – 2014 Edition in Australia

Our friends over at Ausdroid have official word from Samsung Australia that the Galaxy Note 10.1 – 2014 Edition will be launching in Australia shortly, with something of a hefty price tag. The WiFi-only model costs $649 and the 4G model will cost $799, both available at Samsung Experience stores. Arno Lenior, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics Australia had this to say:

“The latest GALAXY Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) represents a fantastic combination of stylish design and impressive engineering, all available in an ultra-thin (7.9mm) device. What really sets this product apart is the enhanced functionality of the S Pen and the great multitasking ability it can offer users.

Combined with a fantastic screen for an amazing multimedia experience, it is one of our most innovative tablets launched in Australia to date.

We’re very proud to build on the success of the first GALAXY Note 10.1, a tablet that created a different category for Samsung by offering Australians the ability to experience content in engaging ways through a great display, constantly updated and refreshed digital content and S Pen functionality.”

Galaxy S4 Advance Lands on Orange France

For those in France, on the Orange network, a faster variant of the Galaxy S4 has arrived. The Galaxy S4 Advance is both faster on the inside and out, so to speak. It has a much faster Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3 Ghz and brings with it support for up to 150mbps speeds on LTE Advanced. Of course, this sort of speed doesn’t come cheap and the Galaxy S4 Advance is a fairly pricey device on Orange. However, if you’re looking for a super-fast Galaxy device and the size of the Note 3 is just too off-putting then, the Galaxy S4 Advance might be the choice for you.

HTC One in Gold Hits O2 Germany As Exclusive

When HTC announced the Gold version of the HTC One earlier in the week, we were pretty sure that HTC would follow their mistakes and make the color exclusive to certain stores or carriers. For instance, the HTC One in Red is exclusive to Phones 4U, the whole idea of more colors is more choice but, making these things exclusive actually gives customers less choice. Nevertheless, those on O2 in Germany will be able to get their hands on the HTC One in gold as an exclusive, with one year of free LTE service. 

Two More Octa-Core Smartphones Surface in China, The HuangZu K1 and the Doov iSuper S2

It seems that the age of the Octa-Core CPU is finally upon us, as two more devices join the ranks. The HuangZu K1 (pictured above) feature the MediaTek MT6592 clocked at 1.7 Ghz with 2GB of RAM and a very slim and minimal design. There’s a 13-megapixel camera and a Full HD Display. Not much else is known about this device but, we’re sure we’ll be hearing more in the coming weeks or so.

As well as the HuangZu K1, we’ve got the Doov iSuper S2 which bizarrely will come in three versions; Standard, Loli and Queen. The standard and Loli editions are already on sale in China but, it’s the Queen version most of you will be looking for. With its 13-megapixel camera, 5.5-inch Full HD Display, 2GB of RAM and of course, the Octa-Core MT6592 clocked at 1.7 Ghz. While the battery is only listed at 2,030 mAh the Octa-Core CPU is said to be power efficient.

Canadian Government Approve Telus Bid to Takeover Public Mobile

The Canadian government has approved the bid by Telus to takeover Public Mobile, saying that it won’t hurt consumers. This might be good noise for some but, it could also be seen as a classic case of the big carriers in Canada stomping out the competition. With Mobilicity hanging in the balance as well, the Canadian wireless market might simply be reduced to the big three in the near future. The ommissioner of Competition, John Pecman had this to say in a statement:

“The Bureau will continue to closely monitor the evolution of competition in Canada’s wireless telecommunications industry and take action where appropriate,” 

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