The launch of Mario Kart 8 has proved just what a top-end title can do for a poor-performing console. However, it remains to be seen how Nintendo can keep up the momentum once the dust has settled.

Some said it would be too little too late by the time Mario Kart 8 hit the Wii U – the figures suggest otherwise.

After almost two years of frankly abysmal performance and a games library that left a ton to be desired, Nintendo’s Wii U is finally leaving warehouses across the country and making its way into actual homes. And we’re not talking in small numbers either – the release of Mario Kart 8 apparently sparked a 660% spike in Wii U console sales which is still going strong right now.

The iconic racing game shot straight into silver-medal position in the US charts, with only Watch Dogs managing to keep it off the top-spot.

“Wii U exclusive Mario Kart 8 races comfortably into second place” reported Nintendo.

“The much-loved series makes an impressive debut, becoming the bestselling week one for any Wii U title since launch and the second-best in the Mario Kart series ever.”

There was more (sort of) good news for Nintendo this week when it was reported that for the last few weeks at least, the Wii U has been selling in greater volumes in its native Japan than Sony’s PlayStation 4. Of course, these kinds of epic spikes are to be expected when historic titles like Mario Kart 8 hit the shelves, which of course begs the question as to if and how Nintendo can keep up such pace from hereon in.

The LTE version of the 2013 Google Nexus 7 has been slashed to its lowest price to date, prompting rumors that it will soon be replaced by the unannounced HTC-built Nexus 8.

With the LTE Nexus 7 having crashed in price to just $295, are we looking at a clear precursor to the Nexus 8 launch?

One of the best things about a new-generation device launch is how its predecessors suddenly become so much more affordable. What was considered the flagship to end all flagships just months ago ends up being a mid-year stocking-stuffer you can pick up without feeling guilty about it…deep joy for frugal tech fans!

This could be what we’re looking at right now as for one reason or another, the 2013 version of the Google Nexus 7 is being sold-off for its lowest price to date. Stores on eBay for example have the LTE variant of the 2013 Nexus 7 up for grabs for just $295, which is a solid $50 lower than it’s been going for prior to now.

So it’s a bargain to say the least, but at the same time buyers will have to ask themselves whether or not it’s worth holding out to see what happens with the Nexus 8…assuming it exists. Google’s next tablet PC could be the very last before Android Silver takes over from Nexus once and for all – all signs point to one hell of a sing-off for the hardware lineup.

With a QHD touchscreen, a 64-bit Nvidia CPU and 3GB of RAM under the hood just for starters, the Nexus 8 is shaping up to be no slouch. What’s more, it could be one of the few devices to launch this fall with Android L baked-in right out of the box – all for a price no higher than $349 for the entry-level version at least.

Console sales figures from Japan suggest that not only did the PlayStation 4 have little to no impact on its native market at all, but also that the Wii U is for the time being selling in much greater numbers.

It’s been a bit of a clean sweep for Sony’s PlayStation 4 across most of the world’s key markets, having outsold the Xbox One by a comfortable margin and made mincemeat of Nintendo’s Wii U. However, things haven’t been going quite so spectacularly for the PS4 over in Japan, where it appears the launch of the next-generation console did little to nothing for Sony’s bottom-line.

New data published by Famitsu suggests that prior to the launch of the PlayStation 4 in Japan, console sales in Japan hit $1.683 billion for the closing six-months of the year. Now, and despite the PS4 having been doing the rounds for some time, the first six-months of 2014 have seen console sales increase to just $1.685 billion, showing practically no growth at all.

More recently, over the last two months Sony’s PlayStation 4 shipments in Japan haven’t managed to break the 10,000 units mark each week, which means the world’s favorites console right now is selling at a slower rate that the long-beleaguered Wii U.

Of course, in major markets like the US it’s still pretty easy pickings for the PS4 where sales are not only strong, but outperforming all rivals pretty convincingly.

If the latest image leak depicting the front panel of the iPhone 6 is anything to go by, very few changes of significance have been brought into the mix – aside from the obvious larger screen size.

A new image leak apparently depicting the iPhone 6 has appeared, unofficially confirming white and black color variants. Not that this is the kind of thing we couldn’t have predicted some time ago, but it’s still rather exciting to see the things in the flesh…or so we’re told.

From the look of the two front-plates featured in this particular image, Apple has decided to be extremely gentle with the cosmetic changes applied to the iPhone 6. Shy of a larger 4.7-inch screen to replace the current 4-inch panel, there’s a good chance the next-generation device will on the whole look very similar to the 5S.

And while the image leak clearly shows white and black color choices, chances are a fare few other variants will make the final cut – Champagne Gold having proved surprisingly popular with the 5S.

As for hardware and general performance upgrades, it’s something of a foregone conclusion that for the iPhone 6 to compete, Apple needs to step up its game. This time around, anything less than a QHD ultra-HD touchscreen and a marked improvement to the device’s camera-megapixel count will not go down well with the masses.

The bar has been set extremely high by the LG G3 and could soon be raised even further by the Samsung Galaxy F – all of which represents the standard by which the iPhone 6 will be judged.

Meanwhile, talk continues of the possibility of Apple planning a dual-launch event in which its new Smartphone will debut alongside its very first Smartwatch – aka the iWatch. Production of both devices is rumored to have stepped up across the Far East, adding credence to reports of an early-fall launch toward the mid-stages of Septembers.

Picture Credit: 9t05Mac

American consumers still holding out for the QHD LG G3 may have their patience rewarded with a beefed-up G3 Prime before the end of the summer.

The LG G3 is yet to make an officially appearance here in the US, but rumor has it a successor to the QHD beast may already be in the pipeline. Questions were asked from the onset as to why the lucrative American market missed out on the G3 – it turns out the answer could come in the form of the LG G3 Prime.

You would have thought that LG and its loyal legions would have been happy enough with its latest flagship. With a QHD ultra-HD touchscreen and more power than God under the hood, there wasn’t really a great deal more we could have asked for. Nevertheless, we keep catching sight of a device going by the name of the LG F460L, which according to those with an eye for such things is in fact a beefed-up version of the G3…as device we’ve come to know as the LG G3 Prime.

How has the South Korean tech firm improved on its recipe? Well, if the newest accounts are anything to go by they’ve upped the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU to an 805, a Qualcomm MDM9635 modem may have also made it into the mix and RAM has been increased to 3GB from the prior 2GB.

The most important feature of all – as in its 2,560 by 1,440 QHD touchscreen – remains the same as that on the bog-standard G3. Storage options and the digital camera to the rear are also unlikely to change.

Generally speaking, the above rundown of hardware is pretty much identical to that expected to make the mix for the Samsung Galaxy F and the HTC One Prime – both of which are due to launch before the end of the summer. Whichever turns out to be the first of the three to touch down in the US is guaranteed to scoop up biblical early sales by well and truly kick-starting the QHD Smartphone race on this side of the pond.

Despite confirmation from Stephen Elop that the Nokia Smartphone branding is on borrowed time, a leaked image of the upcoming Lumia 830 suggests Microsoft hasn’t yet retired the brand name.

An apparent image leak of the new Nokia Lumia 830 has made its way onto the web, unofficially conforming that the first post-takeover Lumia will not carry Microsoft branding. Ever since Redmond took the helm at Nokia for a price of well-over $7 billion, debate has raged as to whether Microsoft would or should add its own branding to future Nokia Smartphones.

If the newest leak is anything to go by, it doesn’t look like this will be happening.

A total of three new Nokia Lumia phones are expected to launch over the coming months – all of which will as usual run on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS. Along with an entry-level Lumia going by the name of ‘Rock’ and a mid-range 4.7-inch Lumia ‘Superman’, a range-topped being called the McLaren Windows Phone also keeps poking its nose out of the bag.

The main party-piece of the McLaren is said to be its unique 3D interface and touch-less gesture control, which could see it go some way to dousing the Amazon Fire Phone’s barbecue.

As for this particular image leak, the source behind the image claims that it is the unannounced Nokia Lumia 830, which will soon step in to take over from the popular 820. Chinese media sources were first to share the images, which depict a very similar overall design to that of the 820 in the same aluminum and polycarbonate steel. Little else is give away at all by the images, other than the fact that the cutout for the camera makes it clear there won’t be a 41-megapixel shooter added to the mix, as features on the Lumia 1020.

As for the branding, Stephen Elop made it clear around the time of the Microsoft buyout that Nokia’s days were numbered.

“The Nokia brand is available to Microsoft to use for its mobile phone products for a period of time, but Nokia as a brand will not be used for long going forward for smartphones,” he said.

“Work is underway to select the go forward smartphone brand.”

This prompted furious speculation that the Microsoft or perhaps the firm’s Surface branding would feature on all future Lumia Smartphones, though now it’s anyone’s guess as to when and what Redmond has in store for Nokia fans.

Chinese media sources have joined the debate as to how much the iPhone 6 and iPhone Air might cost this fall – and it ain’t good news for penny-pinchers!

It’s been suspected for some time that the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone Air will pack a pretty painful punch to the pocket. Analysts have backed all manner of leaks throughout the year so far tipping a higher purchase price for both devices on and off-contract than those of the iPhone 5S and 5C.

And if a recent tip-off from a Chinese media source is anything to go by, all but the market’s highest-rollers need not apply.

G4Games quotes industry sources from China as suggesting that the Chinese market will be one of the first to get its new hands on both variants of the new iPhone. As such, some of those expecting the early delivery insist they’ve already been informed of each device’s respective price.

Starting with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, the entry-level model which this time will apparently be the 32GB version has been tipped for a price of 5,288 yuan, which given the exchange rate right now equates to about $850. As for the 5.5-inch iPhone Air, the same 32GB version will apparently begin from around the 5998 yuan mark, which takes things worrying close to the $1,000 barrier.

These are of course the unlocked off-contract prices for the devices – when taken with a two-year service agreement buyers will be looking more in the region of $249 to $399.

Of course, the fact that the US dollar isn’t doing too well right now might see the prices come down a little prior to the September launch festivities – plus it’s not unusual for different prices entirely to apply to different markets.

Would you be willing to shell out up to $1,000 for the first ever iOS Phablet?

One flagship Smartphone per year? Not if you do things Sony’s way – the Xperia Z3 is apparently already baking away behind the scenes ahead of a late-summer launch.

Sony has made it pretty damn clear than it in its mind at least, a full year is about six-months too long to have a flagship phone doing the rounds. Somewhat doubling the efforts of its rivals, the folks at Sony have been throwing out new flagship phones alarming frequently as of late, which has of course delighted some and infuriated others.

Feelings aside though we’re once again looking at another big leap forward from Sony this summer, in the form of the arguably premature Xperia Z3. Just a few months back it seemed like a pretty far-flung concept at best, but with the volume of leaks making their way out at the moment, it’s looking like the Z3 could be here sooner than anyone predicted.

The latest image leak of the Xperia Z3 is…if we’re totally honest…about as much use as the rest to date – that being not much at all. The reason being that largely as expected, the device looks set to boast near identical design language to its predecessors – the Xperia’s distinct lack of curves has to some extent become its calling card.

However, what makes the image of huge importance is how it also features a smaller device next to the primary device, which according to those in the know is none other than the Xperia Z3 Compact.

Specs and features for the pair are said to be pretty identical – Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 or 805 CPUs backed by 2GB of RAM and with an Adreno 420 graphics chip to boot. However, we’re having a tough time reading into rumors that Sony has once again opted for 1080p HD touchscreens for its new flagship phone, when the QHD bar has already been set by the LG G3.

Still, we’d be happy to forgive such a shortfall for the right price, but it’s not as if the Z3’s going to be on the market for pocket-change…far from it.

As for its launch, chances are if we don’t see the Z3 in either of its guises over the summer, it will make an appearance at IFA 2014 in September. And in the case of the latter, it will go head to head with the mighty Samsung Galaxy F and perhaps also the LG G3 Prime – both of which have been tipped for early-fall debuts.

A new image leak from a high-profile tipster had added further momentum to reports that the Samsung Galaxy F flagship will feature a brushed metallic casing.

The fact that the Samsung Galaxy S5 turned up in a plastic jacket took us all by surprise. Ignoring the ongoing calls of millions of high-end Smartphone fanatics, the South Korean company instead insisted it knew best, which given the comparatively poor sales performance of the S5 came right back around to bite them in the rear-end.

However, there’s growing reason to believe that lessons have finally been learned and that we will at long last be kissing goodbye to the polycarbonate wrapping most fell out with two generations ago. Once again, a leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime – aka the Galaxy F – has made its way onto the web and depicts a glorious brushed metallic casing.

This time around, the tip of the hat must go the way of @Evleaks, having kindly shared this image of the Galaxy F which was sourced from parts and individuals unknown. It’s hardly a smoking gun in terms of specs, features or overall design, but it does at least add credence to the suggestion of brushed metal replacing the current polycarbonate case.

Under the hood, the F isn’t expected to represent much of a leap forward from the existing Galaxy S5. The biggest change of all will be the addition of a 2K QHD touchscreen, largely the same as that of the recently launched LG G3. 2K ultra-HD panels are slowly starting to take over as the new standard for the highest-end mobile devices on the market, which in turn suggests that Samsung’s existing S5 will shortly be losing even more of its luster.

Of course, Samsung is yet to breathe a word on the existence of the Galaxy F Smartphone, having only broken silence late last year to insist it didn’t and wouldn’t even exist.

But as we’ve come to know, it’s not exactly rare to be fed a red-herring by a major tech brand.

The rumor mill has once again set its sights squarely on the HTC-built Nexus 9 tablet, which according to the latest high-profile leak will be a true Android game-changer.

The recent confirmation from Google that the Nexus hardware lineup was alive, well and destined to bear fruit later in the year was pretty welcome to say the least. And what’s more, it once again injected new life into thousands of rumors and apparently leaks from the last couple of months concerning the Nexus 9 tablet PC – aka the HTC Volantis.

Now, just days after finding out we we’re invited to the Nexus funeral after all, tipster extraordinaire @Evleaks has popped up again with another leaked image of the unannounced Google slate. With BoomSound speakers and an aluminum design that’s in many ways a clear nod to the HTC One, the Nexus 9 looks set to be an absolute stunner.

And just to set the record straight, the leakster also insisted that all such renderings and supposed press shots of the device to date are pure fakes.

Unlike most leaks from this particular guy, the latest goes into delightfully deep detail as to some of the hardware to expect when the Volantis is put together. And if it shapes up to be anything close to the powerhouse described, we’re in for something quite jaw-dropping.

According to the posting, the Nexus 9 is powered by a 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and could boast up to 4GB or even 5GB of RAM. The final build of the HTC tablet will feature a 2,560 by 1,600 touchscreen of 8.9-inches, there will be 64GB of storage space on-board as standard and its front and rear cameras will weigh in at 5-megapixels and 8-megapixles respectively.

As for when we’re likely to see it in the flesh, there’s a rather strong chance that the Nexus 9 will be readied at the ideal time to debut Android L and get the new OS well and truly out in the open, which could mean a late summer or early fall rollout. If it turns out to be the latter, chances are Apple’s iPad Air 3 will have its work cut out in standing head and shoulders above what looks set to be the mother of all Android tablets.