Top 10 most popular news stories of 2014

Another year has passed and boy was it an eventful one! In the last moments of 2014 we take a look back at the most exciting news of the past twelve months. Time does fly by fast, especially in the tech world where is seems that the past 360 days represent a whole decade of innovation. The Android world definitely saw a lot of action during 2014....

Sony creates limited edition Xperia Z3 series for Germany

Sony has launched a limited edition series of the Xperia Z3 devices, including the Z3, Z3 Compact, Z3 Tablet Compact. The devices feature an exclusive etched pattern on the glass back. Three designers were chosen for the job, who each chose a city of their choice to etch on the back of these devices as part of the Stadt Talente peoject. Vesa Tapani...

Xiaomi Redmi 1s with dual-LTE set to launch on January 4

Xiaomi will launch a new version of its popular Redmi 1s smartphone this coming Sunday, on January 4. The device will hit the shelves soon after its unveiling. Both SIM card slots of the newcomer will support 4G LTE connectivity. The current dual-SIM of the Redmi 1s does not support LTE connectivity at all. The new version of the Xiaomi Redmi 1s passed...

Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 arrive in the US in unlocked form

While Samsung hasn't officially launched the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 in the US through any carriers, the two metal smartphones are now available to buy stateside. That's possible because they're being offered by Expansys, a third party retailer specializing in selling unlocked (SIM-free) units. So you won't be signing any long-term agreements with...

Oppo R5 will be up for pre-order in India on January 1

The Oppo R5 held the title of "world's thinnest smartphone" for what has to be the smallest amount of time ever. It was announced at the end of October, but by early December the Vivo X5 Max had already overtaken it in this insane race. Still, the thickness difference between the two is barely noticeable, so this doesn't mean that the R5 has suddenly...

Android Lollipop has a memory leak bug, fix is on the way

Lollipop may be the latest version of the mobile OS developed by the search giant, but it's clearly not the most stable yet. In fact, the new and handsome iteration of Android has a memory leak bug that has some nasty effects. On Android 5.0.1, the bug kills open apps and forces constant reloading of the home screen. On Google's Android Issue Tracker...

Samsung Galaxy Core Prime to land in the EU next year

The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime, which we've just reviewed, is apparently headed to Europe in the near future. So far, the handset has only been on sale in India, where it became available earlier this month. But it now looks like it will be up for grabs in the EU too - or at least in the Netherlands. Over there a few retailers have already listed it...

HTC to focus on the Desire lineup at CES

As expected the HTC One (M8) successor rumored as HTC Hima won't make it to CES 2015 in Vegas early next year. While HTC has already sent invitations for a special press event on January 5 in Las Vegas and HTC Hima has even leaked via AnTuTu, it seems the flagship won't be stealing the spotlight just yet. A newly released teaser on Weibo says "Always...

AdDuplex: Lumia 630 and 535 on the rise, LG may be coming back

Time for a final report on Windows Phone before 2014 comes to an end. There's some good news for Microsoft - the new Lumia 630 is weakening the stranglehold of Lumia 520 and LG might be coming back to the platform. First things first, the Nokia Lumia 630 is the second most popular WP handset worldwide, a wide margin behind the 520. Its LTE-enabled...

Samsung Galaxy Core Prime review: Core values

The Galaxy Core lineup represents Samsung's take on the essential smartphone. The Galaxy Core Prime updates the base formula in two areas - a better camera and a better chipset - and it serves as a smaller alternative to the Galaxy Grand Prime...Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_core_prime-review-1185.p...

Possible Xiaomi Mi5 black edition photo leaked

A rather interesting picture was brought to our attention by a tipper. The shot surfaced on Weibo and shows what arrears to be the next generation Mi smartphone by Xiaomi. The Chinese manufacturer is rumored to unveil the Xiaomi Mi5 at CES in a few days, so the leak seems credible enough. The handset bears a lot of similarity to the Xiaomi Mi5. Design...

ZTE unveils a redesigned logo and new company philosophy

The Chinese tech giant ZTE unveiled a redesigned logo. The new branding presents a new corporate identity, which falls in line with the company's focus on innovating in the M-ICT field. The latter stands for Media Information Communications Technology. ZTE's new logo is noticeably sleeker than the one its replaces - it embodies that company's new...

Moto G (2014) with 4G LTE connectivity appears in Brazil

Unsurprisingly, Motorola has a Moto G (2014) with 4G LTE connectivity coming our way. The yet to be revealed successor of Moto G 4G appeared on Motorola's official website in Brazil. The LTE-capable second generation Moto G will feature a slightly larger 2,390mAh battery than the 3G-only model. The latter makes do with a non-removable 2,070mAh unit....

Qualcomm teaser shows an LG G Flex sequel on the way

Qualcomm teased the successor of the curved LG G Flex on Twitter. The upcoming high-end smartphone will make its official debut next week during CES 2015 in Las Vegas - in line with past rumors. The image gives us a peak of a device's back without mentioning its manufacturer. However, the buttons on the back, coupled with the distinctive pattern that...

Samsung Galaxy A7 and Galaxy Grand Max leak in Korea

The Samsung Galaxy A7 has leaked a lot up until this point, yet for some reason the smartphone maker still hasn't announced it to complement the two existing members in the A series - the A3 and the A5. So the Galaxy A7 just keeps on leaking. Today we can see it in a leaked catalogue for South Korea. This listing gives us another round of specs for...

Samsung Galaxy Alpha may be discontinued by February

If you like the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, perhaps now's the time to go and purchase one. Because if the latest rumor from the company's native South Korea is to be believed, you won't be able to do that for much longer. The report says that Samsung will discontinue the production of the Galaxy Alpha by early February. The manufacturer will allegedly produce...

Lollipop update for Galaxy S5 spreads further in Europe

The update to Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Samsung Galaxy S5 just keeps on spreading throughout the world, it seems. After Poland and South Korea, today it was Spain's turn to get the rollout on its way. This might mean that more European countries will have Lollipop on the Galaxy S5 soon. That's because Samsung generally tests its updates in one...

Samsung Galaxy A7 and Galaxy E5 listed on Russian web site

Two of Samsung's new phones have hit the pages of Russian distributor Merlion, the Samsung Galaxy A7 and the Galaxy E5. They come with a full list of specifications, not that there was much left unknown about the two unofficial handsets. Samsung Galaxy A7 Starting off with the A-series flagship, the Samsung Galaxy A7 features a 5.5" 1080p screen....

HTC Hima specs show up on AnTuTu

Rumor mill patron @upleaks is back with more on the HTC Hima - the upcoming One (M8) replacement - and this time there's an AnTuTu screenshot to back up the claimed specs. Going against the flow of the market, HTC will keep the 5" screen size for its next flagship instead of going bigger (resolution stays at 1080p as well). The chipset will follow...

HTC to hold a press conference on January 5 at CES

The annual CES expo is upon us, opening for the public on January 6 in Las Vegas, USA. It's a tradition major players to announce their devices the day before at dedicated pre-CES events. LG will be first opening first at 8AM local time, followed by Samsung at 2PM and Sony at 5PM. Sharp and Panasonic will be showing off their latest tech the same...

LG G4 to sport a stylus, directly compete with the Galaxy Note 4

According to unconfirmed information originating from Asia, the upcoming LG G4 is aimed to directly rival with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. To do that, LG is said to equip the G4 with a stylus. More specifically, the LG G4 is said to sport a 5.3" display with a QHD resolution and very narrow bezels, akin to the G3. Internally, the G4 is believed to...

Another Chinese retailer lists OnePlus Two

Just a few weeks after Coolicool listed OnePlus' upcoming smartphone, allegedly dubbed OnePlus Two, another Chinese online store Geekbuying has listed the device, revealing some more details. According to the listing, the smartphone will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset with 2.7GHz processor and a 5.5-inch LTPS display with resolution of...

Symphony roar A50 - first Android One phone outside India

Android One has been steadily gaining speed ever since its initial announcement at Google I/O 2014. The exciting program represents the California tech giant's strive to rapidly advance in emerging smartphone markets, starting with India, by offering entry-level handsets with software support and up-to-date Android versions. This is a challenge to...

Meizu m1 note gets hands-on treatment, looks like the iPhone 5c

Meizu recently announced their m1 note, a big colorful Android smartphone that looks far too much like the iPhone 5c. But if you thought that comparison was far fetched, wait till you see these hands-on images. If that's not hilarious enough, you should check their website, which also looks like Apple's. Design aside, the phone does have some good...

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 S-LTE is about to launch in Korea

Samsung is about to launch a Galaxy Note 4 S-LTE model in South Korea. Sporting the model number SM-916, the latest version of the high-end phablet will hit the shelves in its homeland in mid-January. According to a recent benchmark database leak, the upcoming version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will pack 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. The...

Oppo N3 gets a network license in China, release imminent

The Oppo N3 was announced two months ago, but it's yet to hit the shelves. The smartphone was initially promised to hit 20 markets by the end of the year, but it couldn't quite manage to fit inside this deadline. Now however we are getting some signs that the delay might be a pretty minor one. The smartphone with a motorized camera has just cleared...

Oppo gives us a glimpse of its KitKat-based Color OS 2.0.4

Oppo is working hard, developing the next major version of its custom ColorOS platform. The beta branch of Color OS has now reached version 2.0.4 and the company has released a short video to demonstrate the progress it has achieved. The Android KitKat-based Color OS 2.0.4 is still only available for private testing with public release yet to follow....

Benchmark confirms Microsoft Lumia 1330 specs

A GFXBench listing confirmed the previously leaked specs of Microsoft's yet to be announced Lumia 1330 phablet. The successor of Nokia Lumia 1320 is expected to debut during MWC 2015 in Barcelona. Sporting a model number RM-1062, the Lumia 1330 features Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with quad-core CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. A gig of RAM (the screenshot...

All four variants of the Nexus 6 available on Motorola's website

The Nexus 6 has been bit elusive ever since it launched. It's difficult to get the phone at all, let alone in the variant of your choice. If you've been waiting to purchase the phone in the US, you should not go check out the Motorola website (link below). All four models, that is the Midnight Blue and Cloud White, in 32GB and 64GB each, are available...

Oppo N3 review: Motor head

The formula for the smartphone to top all others is the industry's elusive philosopher stone. Being complete newbies, but keen as a bean, Oppo's take is perhaps the weirdest. Yet it seems to work. The standard ingredients include the latest chipset, a robust screen, and a high-megapixel camera...Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_n3-review-1184...

HTC to launch more entry-level smartphones in Q1, 2015

Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC has said that it will focus more on entry-level 4G devices in Q1 2015, adding that the company will promote these as well as specially designed models online. That's a marketing strategy similar to the one followed by China's Xiaomi, which recently became the world's third largest smartphone vendor. According...

Samsung Z1 leaks in live photos, launch date confirmed

The Samsung Z1 Tizen-based smartphone leaked almost a week ago with details regarding the phone's availability and specs. A new set of live photos of the phone showed up today however, further giving us reason to believe Samsung won't back out of the Z1's release. The phone is a typical low-end budget device with a 4" display of 800x480 pixel resolution...

BlackBerry Passport and Z30 go on sale till December 30

BlackBerry is celebrating Boxing Day in Canada by putting up the Passport and the Z30 for sale starting today, December 26, till December 30. You can get $100 off the price of the BlackBerry Passport on all three colors. The Z30 gets a 50% price cut, bringing it down to $250 and you can get further discounts on accessories such as cases. If you're...

Kodak will unveil a range of Android devices at CES

Kodak will unveil a range of mobile devices with Android OS. The first smartphone from the new product gamily will be unveiled in less than two weeks, during CES in Las Vegas. Kodak's family of smartphones and tablets will be aimed at customers looking for high-end, yet simple user experience. There is no word on specs just yet - all we know is that...

Xiaomi has sold 1 million smartphones in India so far

This year Xiaomi ventured outside of its home market, China, and into India. For many months now, it's been holding pretty much weekly flash sales in partnership with Flipkart, the biggest retailer in the subcontinent. And apparently those have been going quite well. Xiaomi's boss for India, Manu Kumar Jain, has announced today via Twitter that the...

Huawei Ascend P8 metal chassis leaks online

Huawei Ascend P8 has already made the news a few weeks ago. The first rumored specs suggest the company's next flagship will follow the tradition for an impressively thin design built around a metal chassis. It should feature a 5.2" 1080p display and run on the HiSilicon Kirin 930 chipset built on TSMC's 16nm process and packing an octa-core processor...

Nokia Lumia 635 now available for $39.99 via Radio Shack

If you've missed some of the bargain Lumia deals Microsoft and other retailers have been offering until the Christmas, you can now catch up and make yourself a great, if somewhat late, Christmas present. Radio Shack, which isn't doing great lately, has launched a great deal for the Nokia Lumia 635. It can be yours for $49.99, but if you provide Radio...

Snapdragon 810 with LTE Cat 9 support now in testing

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 is the top-notch chipset to date, expected to premiere on various flagships early next year on CES and MWC expos. It will offer an octa-core 64-bit processor, new Adreno 430 GPU and brand new Qualcomm modem. The initial announcement specified the LTE support as Cat 6, which translates into 300 Mbps downlink and 50 Mbps uplink....

Oppo to reportedly ship around 50 million smartphones in 2015

China-based smartphone manufacturer Oppo, which shipped 25-30 million smartphones this year, is expected to ship nearly double the number of devices - around 50 million - next year, according to a Digitimes report. Out of the total, nearly 35 million smartphones are expected be sold in China, while the remaining will be shipped to international markets....

2014 HTC phones to get Sense 7 later next year by May

Android developer @LlabTooFeR said on Twitter that the Android 5.0 update for the HTC One M8 and M7 won't bring Sense 7.0. Both phones will still have essentially the same Sense 6 as on the KitKat ROM. The Sense 7.0 update is said to arrive first on the upcoming HTC "Hima" flagship arriving early next year. The 2014 gen devices are said to get the...

Denim update comes to more Lumia devices in Malaysia

After the Nokia Lumia 520, Microsoft has started rolling out its latest Lumia Denim update to some more Lumia devices in Malaysia. According to the availability list, the Nokia Lumia 525, Nokia Lumia 620, and Nokia Lumia 720 are now receiving the update, which carries build number 8.10.14219.341. In addition to bug fixes and performance improvements,...

Delhi High Court lifts the ban on the OnePlus One sales in India

Shenzhen OnePlus Technology Co., otherwise simply known as OnePlus, was recently banned from importing and selling the OnePlus One in India due to an injunction granted to Micromax over the use of Cyanogen branding and software on OnePlus devices. The Delhi High Court has now reversed its decision, allowing OnePlus to continue selling phones in India....

Merry Christmas to you all from the GSMArena team

Christmas is upon us an as one of the greatest holidays throughout the year, we'd like to extend our warmest regards and to send a big Thank You your way for sticking with us for yet another year. It's because of you we are here today and it's only because of you that our job is so great. We really do hope these holidays will bring you lots of reasons...

BLU outs a trio of affordable Studio smartphones with LTE

A week after the release of Studio 7.0, BLU launched a trio of affordable Studio smartphones with LTE connectivity. BLU Studio 6.0 LTE, Studio 5.0 HD LTE, and Studio Mini LTE are currently available to order contract-free on Amazon for $279, $199, and $119 respectively. As its price tag suggests, the BLU Studio 6.0 LTE is the most capable device from...

Images and specs of BlackBerry Z20 Rio make the rounds

Images and specs of BlackBerry's upcoming Z20 mid-range smartphone made the rounds. Codenamed Rio, the all-touch handset is expected to debut at by February next year in black or white color scheme. BlackBerry Z20 features Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 with 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU and 2GB of RAM. A 5" 720p touchscreen, 8MP main camera, 2MP front-facing...

HTC Desire Eye is apparently available in India already

HTC announced the Desire Eye for India back in October, but up until today it hasn't been for sale in the subcontinent. After more than two months since its unveiling over there, however, the Desire Eye is finally advertised as being in stock by at least one mobile phone retailer in Mumbai. Keep in mind though that this is an actual physical store...

Apple-led Rockstar group to sell its patent portfolio, drop lawsuits

Rockstar Consortium, a patent-holding company jointly owned by Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Ericsson, and Sony among others, has agreed to sell much of its portfolio to patent risk management firm RPX, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The deal will see RPX pay around $900 million for over 4,000 patents. In addition, Rockstar will also put...

Xiaomi MiPad 2 switches to Intel SoC, leaked pictures reveal

Xiaomi could already be working on a successor to its MiPad 7.9 which was unveiled earlier this year. The new tablet has allegedly been made the star of a quick photo session somewhere in China. At this stage there's no way to make sure that these images are really depicting the next MiPad and not some knockoff, so keep that in mind. Alleged Xiaomi...

Samsung closes one of its flagship store in London

Samsung is shutting down one of its flagship experience stores in London. The store was located in Westfield Stratford shopping center and was one of the ten major stores in UK. Although no reason was given for the closure, one would assume it was due to relatively poor sales in recent times. Samsung says it will do its best to find the employees...

NVIDIA Shield Tablet gets Android 5.0.1 update

NVIDIA is rolling out update 2.1 for the Shield Tablet, which updates the Android version from 5.0 to 5.0.1. Along with the newer version of Android (which mostly includes bug fixes), the tablet also gets new effects in the Camera Awesome app, Shield Power Control Menu, OpenGL 4.5 support, localization improvements, memory optimizations, and general...