Microsoft Surface Pro goes on sale February 9

Microsoft's Surface ProWindows 8 tablet goes on sale only slightly later than expected, on February 9, and in the US and Canada to start with.

When Surface General Manager Panos Panay tweeted recently that he was jetting off to the factory to see Surface Pro units shipping "in the coming weeks" it didn't add much to the original promise that Surface Pro would ship around 90 days after the Windows RT version.

But now Microsoft has confirmed the early February date in addition to pricing - $899 for the 64GB version and $999 for the 128GB model.

Actual international pricing is yet to be announced, but those directly convert to £567 / AU$852 for the 64GB model and £629 / AU$945 for the 128GB edition.

The specs are the same as the Surface Pro we tried out at CES, with what Microsoft is calling a "third generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel HD Graphics 400"; until we see an actual unit, we can't say whether Surface Pro will have the new low-power Core CPU Intel announced at CES or not.

The external graphics is more clearly identified as an HD Mini DisplayPort now; you'll need an adapter but it lets you drive VGA screens and still get an HD image on an external HD screen. And Surface for Windows 8 Pro also comes with a version of the neat Surface RT power adapter that includes a 5W USB port for charging your phone (or even another tablet).

Accessorise

Both versions of Surface Pro include the active Surface pen we tried out at CES and they work with the same Touch Cover and Type Cover keyboards as Surface RT.

As with Surface RT, the keyboard isn't included in the price though; in fact Microsoft is also introducing a $599 version of the 64GB Surface RT without the keyboard, so you can pick the keyboard colour or design you want.

That could be one of three $129.99 limited edition Touch Cover designs in red, magenta or cyan with a laser-etched design on the back.

There's also a special $69.95 "Surface Edition" of the Wedge Touch Mouse which works like a large external touchpad for Windows 8 gestures, as well as a nicely portable mouse. The special edition part is the casing, which matches the VaporMag coating on Surface RT and Surface Pro.

If it's Surface RT you're after, you'll soon be able to buy it in twice as many countries; the Windows RT tablet will be on sale in 13 more European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland).

British connection

We asked Microsoft when Surface Pro will be available to buy in the UK.

"We are taking a phased approach to the rollout of Surface Windows 8 Pro to satisfy retailer and customer demand," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "You can expect expansion of Surface Windows 8 Pro in the coming months. We're not confirming where it will expand to right now or the exact dates, however."

Hopefully that will avoid the initial problems Microsoft had in the UK shipping Surface RT.

BlackBerry Z10 price rumored as low for launch

With Research in Motion's BlackBerry 10 launch just on the horizon, a last-minute leak suggests the new handsets could arrive under the $199 (UK£125, AU$188) price line.

A BGR report cites insider knowledge that the BlackBerry Z10 handset will fall under that coveted price point.

The Z10 is RIM's all-touchscreen BlackBerry 10 model, set to square off against more traditional touchscreen smartphones.

Exactly how much under $199 it will cost is still up in the air, though $149 (UK£94, AU$141) is the most popular number thrown around on the rumor mill.

Covering all prices

The report doesn't mention any pricing details for the QWERTY-equipped BlackBerry 10 handset, currently referred to as the BlackBerry X10.

There are concerns that the X10 will not be able to take full advantage of BlackBerry 10 apps since the SDK to optimize apps for its smaller screen won't release until after launch.

RIM will likely release the X10 at an even lower price point than the Z10, given the smaller screen and reduced app compatibility.

A total of six BlackBerry 10 handsets are expected to launch this year, which RIM said will cover all price ranges. If the Z10 and X10 are expected to land in the mid-range for price, there could still be a premium BlackBerry 10 handset to look forward to on the horizon.

That, of course, is all speculation at this point since RIM is staying tight-lipped on the specifics. There isn't long to wait now though, with RIM laying all of its cards on the table at the official Jan. 30 announcement.

The first Firefox OS phones

What you see above is the GeekPhone Peak, which is the more powerful of the two. It sports a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage.

With a 4.3" qHD IPS display, the Peak packs an 8MP main camera with LED flash and 2MP front-facing one. The smartphone is housing a 1800mAh battery, a microSD card slot and the usual array of smartphone sensors and connectivity options.

Next up is the brightly colored Keon sporting a unique Firefox-inspired orange paintjob. The smartphone runs on a Snapdragon S1 CPU clocked at 1GHz with 512MB of RAM and packs a 3.5" HVGA display.

Internal storage is 4GB and despite its low-end nature, GeekPhone has thrown in a microSD card slot. The only camera is at the back and it features a 3MP senor and no flash. Under the orange back panel resides a 1580mAh battery.

GeekPhone says both Firefox OS developer smartphones will be available starting next month, but is mum on the pricing. However, judging from their specs and the budget-oriented nature of Firefox OS, they shouldn't cost too dearly.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

If this is the same model which we reported on earlier, it will most likely be a direct competitor to the Apple iPad mini.

Although Shin did not go into specifics beyond screen size, this adds a good deal legitimacy to thepreviously-leaked specs sheet and benchmarks.

With a 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 2 GB of RAM and 1280 x 800 display, the Note 8.0 will offer better hardware than the iPad mini and it will be most likely priced quite competitively.

We expect to hear more on the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet at MWC next month, so be sure to check back with us.

Will a Samsung Unpacked event reveal the Galaxy S IV in March?

It’s been fairly clear for a while now that the Samsung Galaxy S IV flagship will not be announced at the MWC, but will have its own dedicated event (just like the S III got). Asia Economy claims that this particularly Samsung Unpacked event is planned for March.

We’ve seen both April and May rumored as potential launch dates for the Galaxy S IV, so a late March announcement seems appropriate. Of course, the S III was announced and released in May, so if the S IV is to follow that announcement and release model, we should be looking at a March launch.

Interestingly, Asia Economy says that the Unpacked event will be held in the US (the S III event was London based) and that this is an attempt by Samsung to steal the spotlight in the US from the new Apple iPad, which should be announced around the same time (all three 9.7" iPads were launched in March, with the last two also being announced in March).

While we’re not 100% convinced about the March Samsung Unpacked event, we'll be on the lookout for invitations.

LG Optimus G Pro with 1080p display goes official in Japan

Along with the eye-grabbing display we mentioned above, the LG Optimus G Pro features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and 2GB of RAM. The battery has increased significantly compared to the LG Optimus G we already know - it is now a 3,000mAh unit. A 13MP camera, 32GB of built-in storage, microSD card slot and, of course, LTE connectivity complete the highlights in the handset's spec sheet. The LG Optimus G Pro will boot Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.
We are yet to find out about international availability of the LG Optimus G Pro. The upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona seems like a safe bet to us for a global unveiling.