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Well, as expected, the HTC Zara Mini or Desire 601 mini will get a name change of it's own. Recent rumours indicate that rather than be called the HTC Desire 601 mini, the 4.3-inch display version could perhaps be called the HTC Z3. As before, this name change rumour comes from evleaks who has been quite accurate before about upcoming smartphone rumours and details. However, tech specs and features for the HTC Z3 will likely remain the same with the previously mentioned 4.3-inch screen (480 x 800), dual SIM, 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB storage, 5MP rear camera and 1.2MP front camera. Again, no exact Malaysia release dates are available but we expect the HTC Z3 to be revealed in the next few months or so, perhaps with or after the HTC Desire 601.

The LG G Pad 8.3 has been officially announced, confirming many of the tech specs rumoured to come out with it. This includes the 8.3-inch display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution. According to LG this would make it the first 8-inch tablet with Full HD 1080p but we're expecting more such tablets to make an appearance soon. Other tech specs and features for the LG G Pad 8.3 include a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of LPDDR2 RAM, 16GB storage, 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera and 4600 mAh battery. The tablet will run on Android 4.2.2. At 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm the LG G Pad 8.3 is bigger than most 7-inch tablets but may only just offer WiFi support for now, or at least until a cellular version comes out. No exact Malaysia release dates but the LG G Pad 8.3 will be made available to North America, Europe and Asia from Q4 of 2013. Prices will probably be released when the tablet gets launched.

Rumours about a 12.2 tablet from Samsung have been swirling around before but this is probably the first time we've seen some relatively clear leaked images of the tablet. Rumoured by evleaks back in July, the Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 tablet features a 12.2-inch screen with 2560 x 1600 pixel resolutions and may use an Exynos Octa 5 chipset. The Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 will have the model name SM-P900 and will likely have S-Pen support as part of it's features list and tech specs. With the quality of the rendered image, we're expecting the tablet to make an appearance at the IFA 2013 but no Malaysia release dates just yet.

The upcoming midrange smartphone from HTC known as the HTC Zara could be called the HTC Desire 601 (which means the previously rumoured HTC Zara mini could also change it's name as well). This name changing rumour comes from surprisingly accurate serial leaker evleaks who tweeted:

"HTC Zara will ship as the Desire 601"

While this frees up the Zara name for a more premium device, the tech specs and features previously mentioned for the HTC Zara (or now Desire 601) are still the same. This includes a 1.2GHz dual-core snapdragon processor, a 4.5-inch display, 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera and an Adreno 305 GPU. Strangely enough, the HTC Zara Mini has already passed Tenaa which is the US FCC equivalent for China. Perhaps the Zara name has always been a codename for the smartphone and the HTC Zara Mini may be the next one to get a name change.

After seeing all the pics of the Sony Interchangeable lens supposedly for smartphones in the normal rather boring black, it was awesome when the wireless lens has made an appearance in white and gold. While the lens has been rumoured to be called the Sony ExpressOn other rumours now indicate that it may be called the Sony Smart Shot. Tech specs for the two models, the QX-100 and QX-10 remain the same though as the new name is likely to be a mashup of "Smartphone" and "Cybershot". As a reminder, the QX-100 will likely offer a 20.2MP CMOS sensor and price at $450 (RM) while the QX-10 will use an 18MP CMOS sensor with a price of $230. So far, no Malaysia release dates just yet, but we expect the lens to come out of hiding at the IFA 2013 this September.

While the Samsung Galaxy Note III is just days from being unveiled, some new rumours have cropped up stating that a cheaper version may also be in development. This cheaper version may get it's price cut due to lower-end internal features and tech specs such as the aforementioned 8MP camera sensor. Other hardware that may be cut-down includes the Super AMOLED screen which may be replaced with an LCD screen. So far, no news on actual pricing or availability but according to the rumours 30% of the entire first batch of Samsung Galaxy Note III phablets are in fact the cheaper versions and will be sold alongside the more expensive version for more options. No exact release dates in Malaysia but the report further states that the cheaper version would be made available for emerging markets like Malaysia. For now, we can only wait and see the Samsung Galaxy Note III unveiling on 4 September 2013. 

Talking more on smartwatches, Google has reportedly been working on it's own smartwatch, but it seems that it hasn't been doing this on it's own as last year in 2012, they quietly bought out smartwatch maker WIMM Labs. The WIMM One smartwatch offered a reasonable amount of potential, doing everything most bluetooth smartwatches can do today, including syncing with smartphones and showing notifications. While reception for it's first smartwatch was good, WIMM Labs suddenly went quiet and stopped producing more smartwatches. Apparently, they did so because Google bought them out, which Google has confirmed recently. What sets the WIMM smartwatch apart from the others is that they also made an Android based micro app platform that offers a widget like based development system. Google and WIMM have both been quiet about what came from this relationship, but we're betting on a smartwatch that could be used in tandem with Google's own Glass wearable computer.

With just a couple of days away from it's supposed unveiling before the IFA 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch has had quite a lot of leaks come up. This includes screenshots of the smartphone app which will be used to interface with the smartwatch, which confirms that the Gear will be called the Gear and support NFC and Bluetooth connectivity. The app screenshots also reveal that the Gear will go by the model number of SM-V700. Other features include the rumour that the Gear can only last for 10 hours on a single charge, which as opposed to other smartwatches which say that they can last from 3 days to a week on a single charge may be the dealbreaker for some people. Confirming earlier statements that the Gear will not be using the flexible screen type as shown in the earlier patent drawings are leaked images of the Gear smartwatch live. Coming courtesy of VentureBeat, the images show off a 3-inch screen that would probably be an OLED type screen and colours which include dark gray and black with built-in speakers in the strap. A 4MP camera is also visible. Hopefully, everything turns out fine for the Gear as we hope it will spur other manufacturers onwards to better smartwatches but if this news is any indication, it may not be the perfect smartwatch we're all looking for.

While it isn't the first time rumours about a metal body Samsung device have come out, new rumours have popped up stating that the Samsung Galaxy S5 (and perhaps other Samsung models after it) may get a metal body or chassis. Despite the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will likely be released in 2014 for Malaysia, reports are claiming that Samsung may start production on a metal body Samsung Galaxy S5 by the end of the year. According to these reports a sample has already been produced and is being tested in Vietnam. Other tech specs and features for the S5 include a 16MP camera with OIS. Personally, we think that this is just wishful thinking as Samsung have been rumoured to develop metal clad smartphones before and have always declined in fear that it may delay production. Samsung would more likely go for a kevlar casing or other material before metal and we haven't seen any of those just yet either, so take this rumour with a big pinch of salt.

Announced back in June 2013, the Samsung Galaxy NX is the first cameraphone with interchangeable lens (or interchangeable lens digital camera with smartphone capabilities) based on the Samsung NX mount system. When announced previously it offered a number of intriguing features and tech specs which included a 4.8-inch touchscreen display, 3G + 4G LTE + WiFi connectivity, NX-mounting, a 20.3MP APS-C sensor, hybrid AF and 8.6 fps burst mode and many more. The price for the Samsung Galaxy NX is currently $1599.99 (RM5254) for the camera body and $1699.99 (RM5582) for the camera and an additional 18-55mm NX mount lens. Malaysia release dates for the NX will probably be in October 2013 under normal retail channels. While it isn't the most expensive of digital cameras, the high price range puts it out of range for most users but if you're already a Samsung NX lens user, this should be added incentive to get the camera.