Xiaomi Mi3 5.0 Lollipop update in testing, release imminent

Xiaomi is on a seriously hot streak lately, the company selling smartphones as fast as it can build it. Its attractively priced devices even helped it climb to the third spot globally even though the quality of the Chinese maker's after-sale support has often been questioned. Luckily the Chinese are also looking to address that last concern by providing more timely updates. The development of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for its former Mi 3 flagship is already in progress as revealed by the following picture posted by one of the Xiaomi developers. The picture was posted on Weibo and shows the status screen of a Xiaomi Mi 3 where under Android version it says 5.0. Other details to come with the image is that the ROM is for the WCDMA variant of the Mi3 - the one available outside of China. We don't have a time frame for the update release, but it shouldn't take too long now that the company is bragging about the development. We'll keep you updated as more info pops up. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi3_50_lollipop_update_in_testing_release_imminent-news-10218.php

Android 5.0 factory image for Nexus 4 is now available

Android 5.0 Lollipop factory image for LG Nexus 4 is now available for download from Android Developers. The build number of the release is LRX21T. Google took extra two days to release the latest Android build to its 2012 flagship smartphone. Its successor, the LG Nexus 5 got updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop a couple of days ago alongside Nexus 10, as well as the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7. Android 5.0 will bring a host of improvements to LG Nexus 4 headed by material design and brand new ART runtime. The latter is expected to give the aging handset a significant performance boost. You can take a closer look at Android 5.0 Lollipop and the changes that it brings in our Motorola Nexus 6 review. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_50_factory_image_for_nexus_4_is_now_available-news-10217.php

iPhone 6 is selling three times better than iPhone 6 Plus

Although it's been selling a lot of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units, Apple doesn't like to break down the numbers by model. So effectively we have no way of telling how many of those millions of units moved are iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Not an official way, at least, because now Consumer Intelligence Research Partners has produced a report which attempts to estimate just that - what percentage of iPhones sold are the smaller iPhone 6, and the bigger 6 Plus. And it turns out that, at least in the US, the 4.7" handset is winning in terms of sales. For the first 30 days of availability of the two new devices, the iPhone 6 accounted for 68% of all iPhone sales, while the iPhone 6 Plus had to make do with a share of just 23 to 24%. Together, the new iPhones made up around 91% of all iPhone sales in that month, with the additional 9% represented by the older iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. Last year, those two - which were then the new kids on the block - represented 84% of total iPhone sales after their first month of availability. So it looks like people are more interested in the iPhone 6 models than they were in the 5S and 5C in 2013, which makes sense considering how they're both bigger than all of their predecessors. The researchers also looked at the average storage capacity of the iPhone 6 models sold in the first month, and found it to be 48GB. That's almost doubled since last year, undoubtedly aided by Apple's dropping of the 32GB models, and offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 16, 64, and 128GB iterations...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_6_is_selling_three_times_better_than_iphone_6_plus-news-10216.php

HTC One Google Play Editions to get Lollipop next week

Now that the Android 5.0 Lollipop updates for older devices have started in earnest, you may be wondering how long you still need to wait for the new bits if you own an HTC One Google Play Edition device. These, of course, are supposed to be on the fast track for OS updates - just like Nexus handsets. If you are wondering that, know that you aren't alone. Some other people were curious too, and they decided to ask Mo Versi, HTC's VP of Product Management, about the situation. And on Twitter, he responded saying that his company is targeting an "early next week" rollout of the Lollipop updates for the HTC One Google Play Edition. Unfortunately, it's still unclear whether he meant both the One (M8)'s GPE and that of the original One, or just the former. Either way, if there aren't going to be any delays, we should find out for sure in just a few days. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_google_play_editions_to_get_lollipop_next_week-news-10215.php

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: The other side

Nexus 6 by Motorola marks a shift in market positioning for Google's smartphone lineup. Whereas the duo of LG-made devices that precede it cut back on certain features to stay attractively priced, the Nexus 6 is ready to rub shoulders with...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_edge-review-1165.php

Jolla to announce something big on November 19

Jolla may not be huge in the smartphone market but does attract a serious amount of attention because it's made up of former Nokia employees and uses Nokia and Intel's old lovechild MeeGo OS in the form of its Sailfish OS. It has just one product so far - the midrange Jolla - but has just teased on Twitter and its website that "Something BIG is about to begin" November 19. The teaser has a counter leading up to the date and what looks like the edge of some device which we can only guess will be either a new Jolla smartphone or, judging by the BIG in the teaser, a phablet or tablet running Sailfish OS. We can't tell much by the teaser but we can conclude that the hardware design will be different. The countdown to something big begins now. Sign up at http://t.co/A5ZkqgLuTp #jolla #unlike pic.twitter.com/QU5rMl4zjj— Jolla (@JollaHQ) November 14,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/jolla_will_announce_something_big_on_november_19-news-10214.php

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge now available in the US

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge has curved its way into the stores of three US retailers. You can get it off contract, on-contract and with the carrier's respective upgrade early plan. You might want to sit down before we get to the pricing though. AT&T AT&T has put a $946 price tag on the Galaxy Note Edge for those who don't want a contract. And it's something you might want to consider, since signing a 2-year commitment brings down the price to $400. For comparison a Galaxy Note 4 is $826 off contract and $300 with a contract. AT&T Next starts at $31.54 a month for 30 months, the middle stage is $39.42 for 24 months and the quickest option is $47.30 for 20 months. All these options total $946 at the end, of course. T-Mobile T-Mobile's Uncarrier strategy means there's no subsidy but you can get a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge for $870 or space them out to $36.25 a month for 24 months. A Galaxy Note 4 is $750 or $31.24 for two years. Sprint Sprint has priced the Galaxy Note Edge the cheapest - $840 - but the two-year contract has you paying the most - $430 up front. The other option is 24 monthly payments of $35. Again for comparison, a Galaxy Note 4 sets you back $720 off contract, $300 up front with a two-year Sprint contract or 24 payments of $30. Verizon Verizon isn't selling the Galaxy Note Edge yet but you can pre-register for it. There's no price yet. US Cellular should offer the Note Edge as well, but there isn't a pre-register page just...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_edge_available_in_the_us-news-10213.php

Windows 10 will be released to all WP8 Lumia phones

We have some wonderful news to all Lumia owners around the world. Today Microsoft announced via its Twitter account that all Windows Phone 8-based Lumia smartphones will be treated to the upcoming Windows 10 OS next year. The next iteration of Windows was announced recently and it will unify the Windows OS and make it compatible to phones, tablets and PCs with just one installation. Windows 10 is coming sometime next year and it is currently in development. It's really good news to see Microsoft updating even three-year old phones with less RAM to the latest Windows OS. We know Microsoft's decision to ditch all WP7 phones when switching to WP8 was a huge blow to the fans and the Windows Phone OS popularity itself. But apparently Microsoft has learned a valuable lesson since then and won't make the same mistake again. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_10_will_be_released_to_all_wp8_lumia_phones-news-10212.php

Moto G Android 5.0 Lollipop soak test starts in India today

Motorola will commence the Android 5.0 Lollipop soak test for the Moto G today, as revealed by a company's representative. The company already released the official updates for the Moto G (2014) and Moto X(2014). The soak test for the latest Android version will start in India where users who've registered in the Motorola Feedback Network program will be the first to experience Lollipop on their Moto G. If you're not in that list fret not, as most probably the OTA update link will be captured and you'll be able to try it for yourself. Sadly, Motorola's customer support representative didn't pinpoint a date when the update will start rolling out to everyone with a Moto G. In any case, the smoother the soak test goes, the sooner the update will launch. Fingers crossed. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/moto_g_android_50_lollipop_soak_test_starts_in_india_today-news-10211.php

Alleged Xiaomi Mi5 spy photo reveal bezel-free design

Possible Xiaomi Mi5 spy shots have surfaced showing the phone right from the production line. As you can see from the photo, the phone in question is clearly made by Xiaomi and features what looks to be a display that's larger than 5". The bezels are extremely thin, but we can't really tell how thick is the phone itself. Unfortunately, there are no suggested specifications available at this point either. The Xiaomi Mi4 launched in July and it's interesting to see that the company is already starting the production of the Mi5. In any case, we quite like what the phone is shaping to be. Xiaomi is close to scoring $1.5 billion funding from companies like Facebook, Alibaba and Airbnb. Its worth is estimated to go past $40 billion, so the company is going to get more and more active as time goes by. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/possible_xiaomi_mi5_spy_photo_reveal_its_design-news-10210.php

Sprint starts selling th Nexus 6 for $299 on a 2-year contract

Sprint is joining AT&T in selling the Nexus 6 today. You can have the phone for $0 down payment if you go with one of the company's Easy Pay plans, which require 24 monthly payments of $29 each. You can also sign a regular two-year contract and get the 32GB Midnight Blue Nexus 6 for $299. The full no-contract retail price of the phone on Sprint's website is $696. The 64GB version of the phone isn't available yet. Sprint is charging $50 more for the phone than AT&T, which asks $249.99 on a two-year contract. The Nexus 6 full price on AT&T is also a bit cheaper than Sprint's at $682.99. If you're a T-Mobile subscriber you should know that the carrier is also going to offer the phone. Sadly, it's going to start offering it a little later on November 19. In any case, our Motorola Nexus 6 review is a must-read to get all the details of the phone while waiting for your order to be processed by the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sprint_starts_selling_th_nexus_6_for_299_on_a_2year_contract-news-10209.php

Project Tango developer tablet arrives in the Google Play store

Google's Project Tango tablet development kit quietly arrived in the Google Play store. The feature-rich slate in not available to purchase yet - it is listed as "not for sale at this time." The Project Tango tablet is geared towards professional developers interested in 3D sensing. It contains custom hardware and software that allow it to track 3D motion and capture geometry of the environment at the same time. Google announced Project Tango back in February. In order to fulfill its special duties, the Project Tango slate comes equipped with serious hardware. They includes NVIDIA Tegra K1 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of built-in memory, 7" 1920 x 1200 display, and full connectivity suite. A 4 MP 2µm RGB-IR pixel camera sits on the back, coupled with 1MP unit with IR LED in the front. All the above hardware goodness won't come cheap when available. The Project Tango tablet will be priced at $1,024. The device will be sold "as is" - it will have no warranty. Returns for refund will not be accepted either. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/project_tango_developer_tablet_arrives_in_the_google_play_store-news-10208.php

Samsung and BlackBerry announce strategic partnership

Samsung and BlackBerry announced a strategic partnership. The deal will bring the Canadian company's highly praised mobile security solutions to the Korean giant's lineup of Android devices. The end result of the partnership between the two companies will be available in early 2015. It will merge BlackBerry's BES12 cross-platform EMM solution and Samsung's KNOX into a single security suite for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Samsung KNOX and BES12 will offer complete separation of business and personal data. The upcoming security suite will also provide enhancements that address some of the Android-specific security issues. The deal is a win for both parties. It will instantly make Samsung a major player on the enterprise market. BlackBerry on the other hand, will surely welcome the fresh stream of cash to its business. Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_and_blackberry_announce_strategic_partnership-news-10207.php

BlackBerry Classic up for pre-order now, priced at $449

The BlackBerry Classic has been teased by the Canadian smartphone maker for many months now. It's been already semi-announced, so to speak, and starting today you can finally pre-order one if you want. The smartphone stays true to its name, coming with that classic BlackBerry form factor - a candybar styling with a full physical QWERTY keyboard appearing underneath the screen. If you're in the US, you can pre-order the Classic straight from BlackBerry's official online store. This will require you to purchase it unlocked, however - there's no contract-signing with a carrier involved. Also, because it's made for GSM carriers, it won't work on Verizon, Sprint, or US Cellular. The price is $449, and actual details about when it will be released will be made public on December 17. That's the day during which BlackBerry will hold a "launch" event for the Classic, whatever that may mean. Traditionally, manufacturers announce or "launch" phones before they go up for pre-order. BlackBerry wants to be different, it seems. Anyway, you should expect the BlackBerry Classic to become available shortly after that December 17 event, since the listing in the online store says it will start shipping "in mid-December". Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_classic_up_for_preorder_now_priced_at_449-news-10206.php

Nexus 6 enters DxOMark Top 10 for camera performance

The Nexus 6 has had its camera tested by the folks over at DxOMark, and they've published the results. The first Nexus phablet got a score of 78, which nets it the sixth position in DxOMark's Top 10 for best mobile phone cameras. As we have told you back in September, according to the same source, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have the best cameras around - they're tied for first place with 82 points each. Up next are the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z3, and Sony Xperia Z2 - all three having 79 points, which in effect makes them tied for second place. And then comes the Nexus 6, which from the perspective of its score could actually be considered the third best performing handset tested by DxOMark. In terms of still photo capture, the Nexus 6 was praised for good overall exposure, great detail preservation when shooting in bright light conditions, delivering pleasant colors when shooting outdoors, and boasting a stable and repeatable autofocus. It also has good detail preservation, color rendering, and exposure when using the LED flash. On the flip side, the phablet has shown a slightly pink White Balance when shooting in overcast and cloudy conditions, it produces inconsistent sharpness between image corners and its center, and has slow autofocus performance in all light conditions. When it comes to video capture, the handset got good grades for texture preservation, color rendering, and noise performance. On the other hand, video stabilization needs to be improved, rolling shutter artifacts are visible, and it overshoots during...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_6_enters_dxomark_top_10_for_camera_performance-news-10205.php

Asus may not reach its 2015 sales target because of Xiaomi

Asus is expected to ship around 8 million smartphones this year, according to "Taiwan-based supply chain makers". The company's ZenFone line has proven quite successful in its home country, but also in Southeast Asia. It's now set on doing well in Russia, Brazil, and even the UK with its wares. Asus wants to sell 16 million smartphones in 2015, which would represent a 100% jump over 2014, if it pans out. It won't be easy, though, because of increasing competition in the affordable handset space, especially by Xiaomi. The Chinese company, that has become the world's third biggest smartphone maker, is keeping prices for its products extremely low in the mainland - making it harder for Asus to compete. Asus' smartphone business is currently losing money, but if it does manage to sell 16 million units next year, then it should finally become profitable. The company will unveil new members for its ZenFone family at CES 2015 in early January. Among those devices we're apparently going to see a 5.5-inch phone, which was created to satisfy demand for this specific size. Asus is selling the 5-inch ZenFone 5 and the 6-inch ZenFone 6 (pictured above), but hasn't had anything in between those sizes so far. While all of the new ZenFones that it will announce at CES will be powered by Intel chipsets just like their predecessors, Asus is going to start working with another chip maker too in the future. The company didn't name this new supplier, but it will apparently enable it to produce cheaper devices than those with Intel inside. So we assume we're talking about MediaTek here. The new Intel-powered ZenFones will have the starting price of TWD 9,990, which means around $325 or €261. On the other hand, those cheaper versions with parts from the yet-unnamed chip maker will start at just TWD 4,990 - so $162 or €130. Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_may_not_reach_its_2015_sales_target_because_of_xiaomi-news-10204.php

Meizu MX4 Pro stars in a new set of hands-on pictures

Meizu is expected to finally unveil the MX4 Pro smartphone next week, on November 19 to be precise. Before that happens, though, we've got another batch of leaked photos allegedly showing the device in the wild. There have been many such leaks over the past few weeks, and not all of them have shown the exact same design - so clearly, some are fake. Keep that in mind when you look at the images below. Meizu MX4 Pro live images The Meizu MX4 Pro will serve as the already selling MX4's more capable sibling, it's been rumored. It should come with a fingerprint sensor embedded in its Home button, a 5.4" or 5.5" display with 2,560x1,536 or 2,560x1,440 resolution, 3GB of RAM, and a 20.7 MP rear camera capable of 4K video recording. Running things might be a Samsung-made Exynos SoC, and Meizu's software will be based on Android 4.4.4...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_mx4_pro_stars_in_a_new_set_of_handson_pictures-news-10203.php

Vivo teases 3.75mm thick X5 Max, explains how it got so thin

The Oppo R5 currently holds the title of "world's thinnest smartphone" at 3.75mm but that may not last long since the announcement of the Vivo X5 Max is drawing near. Also leaked images show the newcomer has a profile of on 3.75mm. The company is teasing the device by revealing how its impressively slender body was constructed and how it's better than the R5. In related news leaked photos show someone actually measuring the X5 Max with a caliper, confirming its 3.75mm claim to fame. Confirming the 4.75mm claim of the Vivo X5 Max with a caliper How did Vivo achieve this thickness? According to teaser promo materials, there are not many components beneath the screen. Vivo has moved 90% of the internals (some 786 components) along the sides of the screen, instead of having them sandwiched between the screen and the back. This will make for one interesting teardown (an not so moderate bezels, we'd guess). Anyway, the Oppo R5 had to drop the 3.5mm audio jack (which is about a millimeter and a half thinner than the phone itself) and use a microUSB to 3.5mm convertor like in the good old days. There's also no memory slot - two things Vivo says it will not compromise on with the X5 Max. Vivo X5 Max teaser images Interestingly, the upcoming phone will supposedly keep its 3.5mm audio jack, the memory slot and according to TENAA specs will have a 5.5" 1080p screen, 1.7GHz octa-core chipset (MediaTek chipset), run Android 4.4 KitKat with 2GB of RAM and pack a slightly bulging 13MP main camera plus a flush 5MP front-facing camera. The Vivo X5 Max is expected to be announced next month and we may see the Vivo Xplay 5S come out of hiding along with it. Source 1 (in Chinese) • Source 2 (in Chinese) | Via 1 | Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_teases_375mm_thick_x5_max_explains_how_it_got_so_thin-news-10199.php

Vivo teases 3.75mm thick X5 Play, explains how it got so thin

The Oppo R5 currently holds the title of "world's thinnest smartphone" at 4.85mm but that may not last long since the announcement of the Vivo X5 Max is drawing near. Also leaked images show the newcomer has a profile of on 3.75mm. The company is teasing the device by revealing how its impressively slender body was constructed and how it's better than the R5. In related news leaked photos show someone actually measuring the X5 Max with a caliper, confirming its 3.75mm claim to fame. Confirming the 4.75mm claim of the Vivo X5 Max with a caliper How did Vivo achieve this thickness? According to teaser promo materials, there are not many components beneath the screen. Vivo has moved 90% of the internals (some 786 components) along the sides of the screen, instead of having them sandwiched between the screen and the back. This will make for one interesting teardown (an not so moderate bezels, we'd guess). Anyway, the Oppo R5 had to drop the 3.5mm audio jack (which is about a millimeter and a half thinner than the phone itself) and use a microUSB to 3.5mm convertor like in the good old days. There's also no memory slot - two things Vivo says it will not compromise on with the X5 Max. Vivo X5 Max teaser images Interestingly, the upcoming phone will supposedly keep its 3.5mm audio jack, the memory slot and according to TENAA specs will have a 5.5" 1080p screen, 1.7GHz octa-core chipset (MediaTek chipset), run Android 4.4 KitKat with 2GB of RAM and pack a slightly bulging 13MP main camera plus a flush 5MP front-facing camera. The Vivo X5 Max is expected to be announced next month and we may see the even thinner Vivo Xplay 5S come out of hiding along with it. Source 1 (in Chinese) • Source 2 (in Chinese) | Via 1 | Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_teases_375mm_thick_x5_play_explains_how_it_got_so_thin-news-10199.php

Meizu MX4, Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha lead AnTuTu chart

AnTuTu has posted a chart with the top 10 best performing smartphones throughout the Q3 this year. The king of the chart is Meizu MX4, while the runner-ups are the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Alpha are just a whisker below the Meizu MX4, while the rest of the devices are noticeably slower. All scores were calculated by the average of all user submitted scores. Meizu MX 4 is based on the MediaTek's top-notch MT6595 chip with quad-core Cortex-A17 @ 2.2GHz and quad-core Cortex-A7 @ 1.7GHz plus the PowerVR G6200 GPU. The Galaxy Note 4 runs on the Snapdragon 805 chipset with a quad-core Krait 450 @ 2.7GHz and Adreno 420 GPU, while the Alpha uses company's proprietary Exynos platform with a quad-core Cortex-A15 @ 1.8GHz, quad-core Cortex-A7 @ 1.3GHz and Mali-T628MP6 GPU. AnTuTu revealed the most popular smartphones for the Q3, 2014 in some countries. The Galaxy S5 is the most benchmarked phone in the USA, HTC One (M8) in Taiwan, Xiaomi Mi 3 - in China, Xiaomi Redmi Note in Hong Kong, LG Nexus 5 - in Russia and LG G3 in South Korea. You can check detailed graphs with the top 10 devices for each market right here. Thanks for the tip,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_mx4_galaxy_note_4_and_galaxy_alpha_lead_antutu_chart-news-10202.php

Strategy Analytics: LG has record market share in North America

According to the latest report from Strategy Analytics, LG reached a record market share in North America - for Q3 2014, the company had 16.3%. For the same period last year the company had just 7.4%, making its achievement particularly significant. LG also managed to score another quarterly record in terms of sales. For Q3 2014, the company sold 16.8 million smartphones, 2.3 million more than it did last quarter. Operating profit is $420 million (KRW 461.3 billion), a 111.8% increase on a year-over-year basis. The boost in market presence, according to the report, is thanks to the LG G3. LG's success brings the company closer to the leader in North America market share - Apple. The Cupertino-based company has 33.9% market share. Samsung is second at 24.8%. Analysts expect LG to slow its stride for the upcoming quarter as competition in the face of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will hit the brakes on the Korean sales. We'll see if these predictions will come true in a couple of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/strategy_analytics_lg_has_record_market_share_in_north_america-news-10201.php

Vivo teases 4.75mm thick X5 Play, explains how it got so thin

The Oppo R5 currently holds the title of "world's thinnest smartphone" at 4.85mm but that may not last long since the announcement of the Vivo X5 Max is drawing near. It will start a war of decimal points by coming in at 4.75mm thick. The company is teasing the device by revealing how its impressively slender body was constructed and how it's better than the R5. Leaked photos show someone actually measuring the X5 Max with a caliper, confirming its 4.75mm claim. Confirming the 4.75mm claim of the Vivo X5 Max with a caliper How did Vivo achieve this thickness? According to the company it moved 90% of the internals (some 786 components) along the sides, instead of having the sandwiched between the screen and the back. This will make for one interesting teardown. Anyway, the Oppo R5 had to drop the 3.5mm audio jack (which is about a millimeter and a half thinner than the phone itself) and use a microUSB to 3.5mm convertor like in the good old days. There's also no memory slot - two things Vivo says it will not compromise on with the X5 Max. Vivo X5 Max teaser images The upcoming phone will keep its 3.5mm audio jack, the memory slot and according to TENAA specs will have a 5.5" 1080p screen, 1.7GHz octa-core chipset (MediaTek chipset), run Android 4.4 KitKat with 2GB of RAM and pack a slightly bulging 13MP main camera plus a flush 5MP front-facing camera. The Vivo X5 Max is expected to be announced next month and we may see the even thinner Vivo Xplay 5S come out of hiding along with it. Source 1 (in Chinese) • Source 2 (in Chinese) | Via 1 | Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_teases_475mm_thick_x5_play_explains_how_it_got_so_thin-news-10199.php

Blue Steel LG G3 now available at BestBuy

The LG G3 is already available in a myriad of colors - Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet and Burgundy Red - but now we can add a brand new color to that list - Blue Steel. The Blue Steel LG G3 has gone on sale in the US for Sprint, AT&T and Verizon and is sold exclusively from BestBuy on contract starting at $99.99. Blue Steel LG G3 This isn't technically the first variant of the device that has some blue in it - the Japanese local LG G3 (Isai FL) does come in blue as well. Perhaps this is LG's timely answer to the Midnight Blue Nexus 6. Otherwise the Blue Steel LG G3 remains unchanged with a 5.5" QHD display, Snapdragon 801 chipset and upcoming Android 5.0 Lollipop update. LG G3 Sprint | LG G3 Verizon | LG G3 AT&T |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/blue_steel_lg_g3_now_available_at_bestbuy-news-10200.php

Sharp reveals 4.1" IGZO LCD display with a whopping 736ppi

Sharp took the wraps off a 4.1" IGZO LCD display with a resolution of with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. Such high resolution on a display this size results in the barely believable pixel density of 736ppi. The above mentioned pixel density matches that of a 6" 4K display panel. A couple of weeks ago Sharp announced that it will have such unit ready for mass production in 2016. Sharp has pulled off the mind-boggling pixel density by utilizing smaller, 11.5µm pixels. Naturally, having such minuscule pixels allows manufacturers to fit more of them in a display panel. Sharp aims to start mass producing its latest display in 2016. The company will begin sending out design samples to smartphone manufacturers next year. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_reveals_41_igzo_lcd_display_with_a_whopping_736ppi-news-10198.php

Lollipop rollout for 2014 Moto G, Moto X gets official

Earlier today, a source apparently had information about the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop already rolling out to unlocked Moto G (2014) units. Shortly after, we heard that this was in fact nothing more than a 'soak test', and not an actual widespread rollout. Well, things are different now, as Motorola has just made it official: Lollipop updates for the 2nd generation Moto G are already going out. For now, they will reach those devices sold in the US - either the US-specific SKU or the "global GSM" model (though still purchased from the US). Undoubtedly, more regions will get the new software soon, now that the ball's rolling. Joining this year's Moto G is the 2014 Moto X Pure Edition, which is also in the process of receiving its taste of Lollipop. This is the model that runs stock Android, so it's less surprising to see it in this position. The soak test for the Moto X (2014) started a few days ago, and apparently things went well and no bugs were found. Last year, the original Moto X got the KitKat update incredibly fast, and this year Motorola is rolling out the new Android version even before past Nexus devices got it. This is quite an accomplishment in the Android world, where such things usually take months. LG is set to follow suit at some point this week, releasing the 5.0 update for its G3, and hopefully more manufacturers will choose to go the quick update route in the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_rollout_for_2014_moto_g_moto_x_pure_edition_confirmed-news-10196.php

Motorola Nexus 6 review: Setting the tone

Nexus 6 by Motorola marks a shift in market positioning for Google's smartphone lineup. Whereas the duo of LG-made devices that precede it cut back on certain features to stay attractively priced, the Nexus 6 is ready to rub shoulders with...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_nexus_6-review-1164.php

CES 2015 Innovation awards: Samsung grabs 36, LG snags 10

Samsung and LG happily announced they've been recognized for their products in the CES 2015 Innovation Awards. Samsung grabbed awards for 36 of its products - 12 more than last year - while LG won 10. Out of the overall 36 CES awards for 2015, Samsung won 2 from the Best of Innovation awards category and 4 from the Eco-Design honors. Part of the company's products that won awards are the Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab S 8.4, Gear S and Gear VR. However, the company is also recognized for its 20nm 4GB LPDDR4 Mobile DRAM, YOUM Bended display and Green Memory 64GB 3D TSV DDR4 RDIMM. LG's award winners include the LG G3, 77" curved flexible 4K OLED TV and EcoHybrid Dryer. With the latest recognition from the CES Innovation Awards panel, the company now boast 150 awards total received in the past 10 years. CES 2015 is happening from January 6 - 9 in Las Vegas and Samsung revealed its main press conference there is scheduled for 2PM on Monday, January 5. Source • Source (2) • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/ces_2015_innovation_awards_samsung_grabs_36_lg_snags_10-news-10194.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 to pack next-gen UFS memory

Korean newspaper ETNews has outed a report citing a Samsung insider, who claims the company is going to use a next-gen NAND flash storage in the upcoming Galaxy S6. The storage technology in question is called UFS 2.0, which stands for Universal Flash Storage. UFS can reach SSD-like transfer speeds, but is cheap to manufacture like eMMC memory chips. In fact, it's three times faster than eMMC memory with a transfer speed of up to 1.2GB/s. Power consumption is lower than eMMC storage, which won't lead to battery drains or overheating. Recent UFS 2.0 technology development has lead to half the power consumption of eMMC 5.0, the source says. The standard is established under the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) initiative by Samsung, Nokia and Micron in 2007. Toshiba and SK Hynix are also involved in the development of the UFS 2.0 memory. Samsung is expected to start mass producing the new NAND flash storage in the coming weeks. However, Samsung isn't alone doing this. Xiaomi is also reported to use UFS 2.0 NAND memory in its upcoming products. Samsung is very conscious of the advancements its Chinese rival is making. The company is now third behind Samsung and Apple is market share as per IDC's Q3 2014 report though that reportedly changed after Lenovo formally acquired Motorola. Samsung is also going to slowly replace its SD and microSD cards with UFS tech inside in addition to smartphones. The first of them is very likely to be the Galaxy S6 followed by the Galaxy Note 5. "UFS is an important element for our smart phone business next year. We will start the application centering on flagship smart phones," the source inside Samsung shares. "However, we cannot disclose any details because the time of a new smart phone release next year and specifications of this new model have not been finalized." Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_to_pack_nextgen_ufs_memory-news-10193.php

Samsung sues Nvidia overa false benchmark results

Samsung has undertaken court action to sue Nvidia accusing it of false advertising as it presumably faked some benchmark results, which compare the Exynos 5433 to the Tegra K1. The false advertising claim concerns the Galaxy Note 4, which Nvidia compared to the Shield Tablet not too long ago. Nvidia claims the Tegra K1 residing in it is the "world's fastest mobile processor" and Samsung isn't too happy with this, as it considers the Exynos 5433 chip to be the fastest one available. The lawsuit also includes claims of infringement eight patents - Nvidia would be violating six of them, while Velocity Micro (an Nvidia client) is accused of violating two. In a response to Samsung's accusations, Nvidia posted a clarification online explaining they ran the benchmarks on the out-of-the-box units of the Galaxy Note 4 and the Shield tablet. Samsung's lawsuit comes a couple of months after Nvidia took action against the Korean company and Qualcomm for infringing its own patents. Nvidia wants the ITC to block shipments of the Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets utilizing the Qualcomm Adreno, ARM Mali and Imagination PowerVR graphics chips. The company says a total of seven patents are infringed by these GPUs and it's the first time the it is initiating a patent lawsuit in its 21 years of history. Nvidia brushed on its ongoing patent lawsuit with Samsung saying that they weren't surprised by the counter lawsuit but they are convinced their initial patent infringement case is moving forward and that it's "a far more serious problem" for Samsung. Source • Source (2)|...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_sues_nvidia_for_false_benchmark_results-news-10192.php

Rumors on Xperia Z4 promise sharper screens, better designs

Some previous rumors may suggest that Sony will be abandoning its two-flagships-per-year strategy, but rumors about the Xperia Z4 family have already started just months after the release of the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. Alleged insider info claims Sony will come out with a full Z4 lineup - the Xperia Z4 flagship, the Z4 Compact, a Z4 Ultra phablet and a Z4 Tablet. Sony Xperia Z4 The Sony Xperia Z4 is said to solve the messy cable situation of previous generation by dropping the magnetic charger and moving to Qi wireless charging. The microUSB port (which some users report loosens with time and compromises water resistance) will be the kind that survives water without any flap at all - like the one we've seen on some recent IP-rated smartphones. The phone will maintain its IP68 rating nonetheless, say the insiders. Sony Xperia Z4 Compact The Xperia Z4 Compact will stay about the same size with a 4.6" screen, but bump up the resolution to 1080p (up from 720p) and upgrade the internals. Quite likely, the two Z4 phones will use the same chipset. Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet will return to a 10.1" screen, there's no info on a Z4 Tablet Compact. The screen will probably be QHD (1440p) though Sony reportedly is trying out 2160p as well (aka UHD/4K). Sony's current tablets are at WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200px), lower than their main competitors, so QHD sounds more plausible. The bezels are said to be much smaller though but the front stereo speakers are here to stay. The tablet will be powered by a Snapdragon 810 with a 64-bit octa-core processor (Cortex-57/53 big.LITTLE), 4GB RAM, 32GB of built-in storage. The camera department will be bumped up to 13MP for the back and 8MP for the front. Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra The Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra will be only the second Ultra (this phablet line skipped a few generations). The screen is said to stay at 6.4" - which is both good and bad, depending on how you feel about Z Ultra's size - but will move up to either QHD or 2160p resolution. It goes without saying that these rumors are unsubstantiated and could just be wishful thinking. Oh, and the image above shows the current Xperia Z3 roster (there's no Z Ultra this...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/rumors_on_xperia_z4_promise_sharper_screens_better_designs-news-10191.php

Xiaomi releases unofficial AOSP Lollipop build for Mi 2/2S

Xiaomi has released an AOSP build of Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Xiaomi Mi 2/2S. The build lacks all the features of MIUI and is completely stock Android. The ROM does not have any major issues but there are some bugs, which might hamper everyday usage. Also, being an unofficial ROM, you will have to flash it manually and it won't be pushed as an OTA. It's unknown whether Xiaomi will release an official Lollipop build with MIUI for this device later but if you want to give this a try then head over to the source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_releases_unofficial_aosp_lollipop_build_for_mi_2_2s-news-10190.php

Unlocked Moto G 2nd Gen getting the Android Lollipop update

Well, this is surprising. After the developer edition of the Moto X 2nd Generation started receiving the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, it's now turn of the unlocked version of the Moto G 2nd Generation. Motorola's latest budget smartphone is now being treated to the latest and greatest version of Android, well before any of the Nexus or Google Play edition devices, we might add. We have seen some urgency this time from OEMs regarding the Lollipop update release but this is quite interesting. Not only is Motorola pushing the update well before Google is, it is doing so for its budget smartphone. So far the update is only rolling out to the second generation model but it should arrive on the first gen as well some time in the near...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/unlocked_moto_g_2nd_gen_getting_the_android_lollipop_update-news-10189.php

ZTE Nubia Z9 possibly shown in leaked pictures

ZTE's Nubia Z7 line might get at least one successor in the near future. This could be called Nubia Z9, keeping with the Chinese company's way of doing things (it went from Z5 to Z7, after all). And it may have incredibly thin lateral bezels for its screen, as shown in the two images you can see below (click for full-res versions). ZTE Nubia Z9 The leaked phone features the distinctive red circle Home button which has so far been a trademark for the Nubia-branded handsets. So it definitely might be the Z9. Then again, do keep your grain of salt around for this one, as the images both come from the same source. Speaking of which, the person leaking these claims the Nubia Z9 should launch before the end of the year, and will be sold in China by ZTE in partnership with JingDong Mall, one of the biggest online retailers over there. Unfortunately though, no other details about the smartphone have been leaked alongside the images. So for now there's nothing we can tell you about its specs, pricing, or anything like that. If it is real and coming soon, though, we assume we'll be treated to more leaks in due course. Source (in Chinese) | Via (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_nubia_z9_possibly_shown_in_leaked_pictures-news-10188.php

Nexus 6 pre-orders are go for Nov 18, shipping soon after

The Motorola-made Nexus 6 was delayed in Europe after it went on pre-order in the US at the end of last month. We heard that we might get to pre-order the Nexus 6 by November 18 and now it seems that information turned out correct. A couple of Dutch retailers have the device up with expected pre-orders on November 18 and the latest information suggests the device could start shipping to users in late November to early December. The price of the 32GB is listed as €649 while the 64GB option is slated at €699, which seems fair. That's the same price of $649/$699 in the US. We've got our ears to the ground and if we hear information about other European countries we will keep you guys posted. Source 1 | 2 | 3 |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_6_preorders_are_go_for_nov_18_shipping_soon_after-news-10186.php

CyanogenMod introduces Scramble PIN layout

A known weakness of touchscreen PIN entry is that you leave fingerprints, so it's easy for someone holding your phones to tell which numbers you pressed (not their order, but it doesn't take too many tries to guess it). CyanogenMod has provided a solution - scramble the digits on the keyboard! This way the position of your fingerprints doesn't give away which numbers were pressed since each time the numbers are in different positions. This does mean you can't just rely on muscle memory to enter the PIN, but security protocols are rarely pleasant. Unfortunately, it seems that this feature will land on the proprietary version of CyanogenMod that powers the likes of OnePlus One. It's not clear if it will make it to the open-source distribution. Such an option is already available via an Xposed module - Xblast Tools - but that one is paid and (obviously) requires Xposed. Jailbroken iPhones have CodeScrambler for an identical feature. If you know of a solution that works on an unmodified phone, drop a line in the comments. In related news, CyanogenMod 12 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop is already in the works. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/cyanogenmod_introduces_scramble_pin_layout-news-10185.php

Samsung SM-Z130H pops up with a 480p display, Tizen OS 2.3

The user-agent profile of the yet unannounced Samsung SM-Z130H smartphone has popped up revealing some of the phone's specs. By the looks of it, the phone will sport a 1.2GHz CPU on the ARMv7 architecture (probably quad-core Cortex-A7 on the Snapdragon 400 platform) and will run Tizen OS 2.3. The phone is built around a 4" display with 480p resolution. The pixel density is mere 288ppi, so we're clearly talking about an entry-level smartphone here. According to unconfirmed information, the phone will also sport a 3.2MP camera at the back and have 512MB of RAM. Pricing and launch information is unavailable for now. The name of the phone is also unknown. Samsung might be preparing the phone to be in direct competition with the members of the Android One initiative. We suspect it will be very aggressively priced as well. Expect an extended coverage as more information becomes available. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_smz130h_pops_up_with_a_480p_display_tizen_os_23-news-10184.php

OnePlus One second pre-order will go live on November 17

OnePlus is set to begin a second day of pre-orders on November 17 so that users yearning for a OnePlus One can either buy or pre-order one. The one hour window is as follows - PST (Nov 17, 8AM-9AM), EST (Nov 17, 11AM-12AM), GMT (Nov 17, 4PM-5PM), CET (Nov 17, 5PM-6PM) and HKT (Nov 18, 12AM-1AM). Once the pre-orders begin users will get the chance to buy the One while there's still stock available. If there is and you order it, shipping will be immediate - no waiting involved. If quantities are depleted, your order will automatically be turned into a pre-order with a pending shipping at a later time. The invite system is still in place and many people are starting to get sick of it already. If you have an invite you can use it during the pre-order window to jump ahead of the waiting list for a device. Users that have purchased a OnePlus One after August 3 have received 3 shareable invites, lasting for up to 7 days, also usable in the pre-order window. The last time OnePlus started its pre-order, their website's servers gave in under the load and users weren't all that pleased with the whole shopping experience. Let's hope this doesn't happen this time around. Some users report issues from the first pre-order as well. One user (YeahRight) has experienced a problem with PayPal's Pending Authorization for the OnePlus One pre-order and hasn't yet received his/hers device. Others reports there are 4 more weeks estimated before their devices show up. Interestingly the European OnePlus store reports quantities and users can always order from there with a PayPal account. Source 1 | 2 | 3 |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_one_second_preorder_will_go_live_on_november_17-news-10182.php

LG unveils the Aka - a smartphone that has an eye on you

Sure, Siri can crack a joke, but can it really look at you? Of course it can't, silly, it doesn't have eyes - not like the LG Aka. Supposedly pronounced "aw-kuh", this Android-powered phone has eyes, which peek out from its case, and tries to establish an emotional connection with you. There are four Akas, which more or less follow the color scheme of Pacman's ghosts and just like them have their own names and personalities. Eggy is yellow and easily falls in love, Wooky is white and is a bit of a bully, YoYo is pink and has difficulties sticking to its diet (so its weight yo-yo's) and Soul comes in Black and is a music lover. There's a backstory about the Akas, which involves an alien invasion. The phone itself is a mid-ranger with ties to the LG G series. It features a 5" 720p screen, runs Android 4.4 KitKat on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1.5GB RAM, an 8MP camera, 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot, LTE connectivity and a 2,610mAh battery. The camera has the laser-assisted focus and the volume rocker and power button are placed on the back, which is the G series trademark. There's a 2MP front-facing camera, which can be used to snap selfies with your Aka (in lieu of real friends). LG Aka: meet Eggy, Wooky, Soul and YoYo The LG Aka's eyes react to you and serve as sort of notifications. They get dizzy when you shake the phone, they look down when you need to take the phone out of the case (i.e. there's a notification) and so on. Eye color changes from red to green to indicate different emotions. You can buy different color cases, which lets you switch between Aka personalities. There's a point system associated with buying new accessories for your Aka, an interesting (if a bit questionable) monetization strategy from LG. If you miss your Tamagotchi or Sims family - and live in South Korea - you can grab an LG Aka for KRW 500,000 ($455). It's not clear if it will be launched outside its home country. Source (in Korean) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_unveils_the_aka__an_emotional_smartphone_with_eyes-news-10183.php

Microsoft Lumia 535 goes official with 5" qHD display

The first Windows Phone smartphone to carry the Microsoft name is now a fact. The already leaked, entry-level Microsoft Lumia 535 will being rolling out to key markets this month in single or dual-SIM variants. Microsoft Lumia 535 features Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU. There's 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in memory, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot. The display of the handset is a 5" IPS unit with qHD resolution(960 x 540 pixels), enhanced sunlight readability, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A duo of 5MP cameras grace the front and the back of the Lumia 535. Combined with the 5" screen, they give the device a "5x5x5 smartphone package" moniker. The physical measures of Microsoft Lumia 535 are 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8mm, while its weight tips the scale at 146 grams. A 1,905mAh battery powers the smartphone. The handset boots Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim. Naturally, it offers free access to the usual plethora of Microsoft services for free. Microsoft Lumia 535 will be available in a plethora of characterful colors on its exchangeable back cover. It will cost around €110 before any taxes and subsidies. Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_lumia_535_goes_official_with_5_qhd_display-news-10181.php

Motorola Droid Turbo review: Power robot

Motorola Droid Turbo for Verizon Wireless is the latest product of a long and prolific partnership between the storied manufacturer and the largest wireless carrier in the United States. Over the years, Motorola and Verizon have released a number of groundbreaking...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_droid_turbo-review-1163.php

Leak details where the Galaxy Note Edge will be sold

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge may be a niche device, but it's one that's gotten a lot of people interested in it. On the other hand, Samsung's only confirmed its release in the US, Japan, and its home country of South Korea. Yet if you were wondering where else the Note Edge will be sold, the latest rumor on the matter wants to deliver. We have, in fact, a full list of countries and territories in which to expect the Note Edge to be on store shelves at some point. Here they are: Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, France, the Nordic countries, Austria, Portugal, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Australia, Singapore, and Nepal. Those are all the places where the Note Edge will be seen, according to this particular leak. Of course Samsung may expand this phablet's reach after a few months, but remember that the company said this would be a "limited edition concept". So for now, if you want one and aren't in the aforementioned countries, you're out of luck. In Europe, you should expect to pay around €899 for the Note Edge, and its release date for Denmark has been set at December 12. It might become available around the same time in other European countries too, but nothing's certain just...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/leak_details_where_the_samsung_galaxy_note_edge_will_be_sold-news-10178.php

OnePlus One pre-orders come back next week for one hour

OnePlus is getting ready for a new round of pre-orders for its One smartphone. The first attempt at a pre-order window took place on October 27, and it wasn't smooth sailing at all. Website errors kept many people from placing a pre-order, so the company promised to create a second window of opportunity in November. The date for that was already known - November 17, which is next Monday. But today OnePlus shared more details about its next round of pre-orders. They will be open, once again, for one hour only, starting at 4 pm GMT (that's 8 am PST or 11 am EST). Like before, you can go to this address and prepare your pre-order by adding the phone to your cart, as well as entering your billing and shipping information. If you do all of this in advance, then come November 17 pre-ordering the handset will become a one-click affair. Pre-ordering will net you a place in line to get a OnePlus One (and you'll get a shipping estimate). Though if you get an invite before yours ships, you can use that and the handset will be sent to you immediately. You can also cancel your pre-order at any time, if you change your...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_one_preorders_come_back_next_week_for_one_hour-news-10177.php

LG roadmap promises bending, foldable, rollable screens

For many years now there's been speculation of "flexible displays" coming to smartphones. In 2013 we even saw the first two devices to come with curved screens (though you couldn't bend them yourself): the LG G Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round. Those served as a showcase of what was then possible in terms of display technology, but as you'd expect things won't remain that way in the future. The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and so too will the display tech in the years to come. At least if LG Display's newest roadmap pans out. The screen-making arm of LG wants to use P-OLED technology to create bending, foldable, and rollable displays by 2017. P-OLED uses a plastic substrate unlike other OLED implementations that use glass. LG says P-OLED results in simpler, thinner, and lighter screens compared to glass OLED as well as LCD. It also makes for panels that are a lot less prone to breaking. And the company is clearly excited about P-OLED and its potential "to play an important role in people's everyday lives in the future". Speaking of which, the LG G Flex will apparently be followed up next year by a smartphone with a screen that you'll actually be able to bend. And then, sometime in 2017 (or later - keep in mind that release time frames for stuff like this usually get delayed), we should see foldable displays for laptops and rollable ones for tablets and TVs. Before that, the P-OLED tech should make its debut in 'normal' tablets, probably in late 2015 or 2016. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_roadmap_promises_bending_foldable_and_rollable_screens-news-10176.php

Alleged Vivo Xplay 5S images leak, promise a glorious phone

Vivo is working on another monster flagship - the Vivo Xplay 5S may be the 3.8mm (or so) thick smartphone that the company has been teasing, perhaps (or perhaps not) the one with Snapdragon 810 too. Keep in mind that the Vivo PR team has a history of playing tricks on eager readers who browse various rumors so these leaked images and indeed specs may be "official" fakes. Anyway, the Xplay 5S allegedly has a 6" QHD screen, 3.94mm thick body, Snapdragon 805 or 810 with 3GB RAM, 13MP camera and 3,500mAh specs. We almost didn't have to warn you these could be fake, right? Vivo Xplay 5S leaked images The first image shows the Vivo Xplay 5S perched on a MacBook Air, while second one is a straight up render. The last two images have the highest chance of being legit - or at least better than the usual fakes. More images (be warned, they could be a decoy) Note that there's a Vivo Xplay 3S going around the rumor mill with very similar specs so rumors about the two may be getting conflated. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_xplay_5s_images_leak_may_be_fake-news-10175.php

Imagination unveils PowerVR 7XT adn 7XE GPUs

Imagination is the maker behind the PowerVR GPUs best known from Apple's line of iOS devices, but have also been used in Exynos, MediaTek and other chipsets. Today the company unveiled the Series7 GPUs that span two branches aimed at anything from wearables to desktop-class computing. Both branches - 7XT and 7XE - support Android Expansion Pack (AEP), virtualization, high-quality texture compression and full OpenGL ES 3.1. AEP was introduced with Android 5.0 Lollipop for "desktop-quality graphics." Virtualization is important for keeping different apps separate and adding a layer between them and the hardware to improve security. Tessellation increases the detail of the 3D model for improved results. PowerVR 7XT is the new top dog, announced not even a year after the 6XT series. It covers mid-range phones to flagships and is also intended for high-end entertainment systems in Smart TVs and cars. This branch focuses on performance and delivers 60% more power clock for clock compared to an equivalent 6XT GPU. The top-spec'd GPU in the series offers up to 1 TFLOPS of computing power in FP16 mode. There's optional DirectX 11 support for Windows-running desktops, optional High Performance Computing with Open CL 1.2 Full Profile and FP64. Tessellation in action The PowerVR 7XE GPUs are focused on power efficiency first - they still support AEP and tessellation, virtualization too. GPU Shading clusters ALU cores PowerVR GT7900 16 shading clusters 512 ALU cores PowerVR GT7800 8 shading clusters 256 ALU cores PowerVR GT7600 6 shading clusters 192 ALU cores PowerVR GT7400 4 shading clusters 128 ALU cores PowerVR GT7200 2 shading clusters 64 ALU cores PowerVR GE7800 1 shading cluster 32 ALU cores PowerVR GE7400 0.5 shading cluster 16 ALU cores Starting next year we'll be seeing devices with these new GPUs. You can hit the source links for more technical details on the PowerVR 7XT and 7XE. Thanks to Alexandru for sending this in! Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/imagination_unveils_powervr_7xt_adn_7xe_gpus-news-10174.php

More Microsoft Lumia 535 high-res photos emerge

The first non-Nokia Lumia is expected to go official tomorrow, November 11. Microsoft had a really hard time keeping the phone under wraps though, as the Lumia 535 has been leaked numerous times with specs and live pictures. We know the Microsoft Lumia 535 is going to sport a 5" qHD display and run on the Snapdragon 200 chip with a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. The rest of the specs include a 5MP rear snapper, a VGA front camera, 8GB expandable storage and a 1,900 mAh battery. We already saw the Lumia 535 leak in red and green, and now you can see it in white in these high-res photos. Microsoft Lumia 535 in white Microsoft Lumia 535 will be unveiled tomorrow, so we'll know all the details very...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/more_microsoft_lumia_535_hires_photos_emerge-news-10173.php

Xiaomi on track to score $1.5 billion funding, now worth $40B

A report by CNBC suggests Xiaomi managed to raise $1.5 billion in investment capital in its latest round of funding. Facebook, Alibaba, Airbnb and Russian ISP DST are among the companies investing in Xiaomi. This is the largest private financing ever received by a tech company since 2011, when Facebook managed to score roughly the same amount of money. Xiaomi is the third largest smartphone maker and is expanding its business into wearable tech as well as TVs. If the investment goes through, as sources familiar to the deal are certain it would, Xiaomi will be valued at more than $40 billion. This is more than Sony and Lenovo evaluation combined. CNBC comments that Alibaba and Xiaomi are similar as both gathered the attention of a lot of investors who were hesitant to join in. Now, they regret it as both companies skyrocketed and Alibaba's market capitalization is currently around $270 billion. Xiaomi shipped 17.3 million units for the last quarter beating Lenovo with 16.9 million and LG with 12 million, according to the latest IDC market share report. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_on_track_to_score_15_billion_investment-news-10172.php

Apple releases deregister tool to unlink your number from iMessage

If you switched away from an iPhone, you may have issues receiving SMS sent by someone from an iOS device to your number, as those may still be sent to your iMessage account. The solution for this was to switch off the iMessage feature on your old iPhone before you switched but if you no longer have the phone with you, Apple has now released a tool that will let you deregister your number from iMessage. This online tool allows you to enter your mobile number, which then sends you a code. After receiving the code on your phone, enter it into the website and Apple will remove your number from its database. Most people are unlikely to face this issue but in case you do there is now a solution for it. Source •...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_releases_deregister_tool_to_unlink_your_number_from_imessage-news-10171.php

A new Lumia phablet leaks, possibly Lumia 1330

A smudgy shot has been making the rounds lately, showing the soon to be announced Lumia 535. Microsoft is expected to announce the entry level Lumia next week - on November 11. Attentive readers however have spotted that next to it on the blurry image there is a yet-unseen Lumia phablet. The size comparison to the Lumia 535 and the Lumia 1520, which is also seen in the shot, suggests it should have a screen of around 6 inches. The design resembles the Lumia 1320 (with the Nokia logo gone), leading some to believe it may be a Lumia 1330 of sorts. And it would not be outlandish to suggest that this new Lumia might see the light of day together with the Lumia 535 on November 11. The Lumia 535 recently leaked in great detail but this is the first time we hear about a Lumia 1330. The Lumia 535 should have a 5-inch screen and a Snapdragon 200 chipset. Source •...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/a_new_lumia_phablet_leaks_possibly_lumia_1330-news-10170.php

Lollipop-powered LG H440n leaks via benchmark

It has been a particularly eventful weekend for LG, the Koreans following the Android 5.0 Lollipop leak for their G3 flagship with an official confirmation of its rollout. Now we understand that the company is also busy testing another 5.0 Lollipop device. LG H440n surfaced in a scorecard from the HTML5Test website, which also confirms the great HTML5 support of the latest Chrome version but that's hardly news. The site that picked up the leak though had a few more details to add to the picture. Apparently, the first LG H series phone will be hitting Europe and the US - the H440n is the European version, while H441 and H443 will be headed to T-Mobile and AT&T in the US. The phone will pack a 720p screen, though not knowing its size we can't say if it's a premium compact handset or a mid-range one. Either way, the announcement is coming in early 2015 so we won't have to wait long to find out. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipoppowered_lg_h440n_leaks_via_benchmark-news-10169.php