Counterclockwise: Jolla, Nokia N1, Nexus and HTC One GPE

The end of the year is coming and we've seen pretty much all devices that will be unveiled this year. Let's go back in time with Counterclockwise, our (almost) weekly trip back memory lane, and see what announcements late November has seen over the years. Symbian stays, so does Maemo Back in November 2009 there was some concern about the fate of the most popular OS at Nokia and in the smartphone world in general - Maemo's PR team had shared with some journalists that Nokia's flagship N series will use the Linux-based OS exclusively, dropping Symbian. That was later refuted by Nokia. In retrospect that was overly ambitious - way overly ambitious - considering Maemo only ever powered one Nokia device, the Nokia N900. It would later be morphed into MeeGo, but that's not why we're bringing up that incident. Instead it's because Nokia phones are no more - the Lumia line officially bears the Microsoft logo now and both Symbian and Maemo/MeeGo are dead (their descendant Tizen is still kicking around... on smartwatches). Nokia's absence from the consumer world was surprisingly short, the Finns announced the Android-powered Nokia N1 tablet this week, marking the return to the long-absent N series. Also, Android is exactly the platform Nokia avoided by committing to the Microsoft deal that sped up the end to its storied phone division. Sailing on A few years ago some Nokia expatriates formed Jolla - a company aiming to continue the Linux-based legacy of Nokia's Maemo/MeeGo with the Sailfish OS. Two years ago in November the OS was ready for an early demo. Another year passed and the first device with the new OS, the eponymous Jolla phone, was ready to go on sale. Harking back to the Nokia N9 days (the only Nokia device to run MeeGo) it was full of bright-eyed optimism and a promise to keep the company's ear to the ground and listen to the users. This month Jolla unveiled its second device, the Jolla Tablet, which will also run the 2.0 release of Sailfish. It will be another half a year before the tablet is ready (it's currently in a successful crowdfunding stage), but Jolla is as always eager to listen to its consumers. Coincidentally, the Jolla tablet bears a lot of resemblance to the Nokia N1 tablet, also announced this week. How much for the Nexus? We got used to Google's Nexus devices sitting in the $200-$350 range, so it was startling to see the new Nexus 6 jump up to $650. Many current Nexus owners certainly made their complaints about the new price heard. It was the Samsung Galaxy Nexus that started off the cheap Nexus trend. At one point in 2012 it was $350 off-contract, a great price at the time for a dual-core processor and a 720p screen. The Nexus 4 followed at $350 with even better specs, dipping to as low as $250. Of course, there were blips on the radar like when in November 2012 T-Mobile USA tried charging a whopping $500 for the same Nexus 4 that at the time was $350 on the Play Store. This year Google unveiled the Android One program, with Nexus-like pure software and speedy updates, but specifically targeting the sub-$100 market. This leaves Nexus as the flagship line - with the specs and price that come with the position. Waiting for updates To complement the Nexus line (before Android One) was a string of Google Play Edition devices - versions of some of the best devices put out by leading Android makers, but stripped of vendor customizations and skins. One such device is HTC One GPE and when the time came to update to Android 4.4 KitKat, HTC was blazing fast. On November 16 the company tweeted that the update is ready and has been handed to Google to distribute (at its discretion). For comparison, the Nexus 4 KitKat update started seeding a few days later on November 20. That meant it Nexus owners still got their update first as Google only started rolling out the One's update in mid-December, but HTC got very close (as did LG with the LG G Pad 8.3 GPE update). This year it was a close race too, but HTC has had to delay the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the HTC One GPE and One (M8) GPE twice now. The Nexus 5 update didn't go particularly smoothly...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/counterclockwise_jolla_nokia_n1_nexus_and_htc_one_gpe-news-10276.php

Sprint offers the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 for $5/month

In an attempt to keep existing customers from switching to a rival carrier, Sprint is launching a Loyalty program with quite a few perks. The most notable of them is a large discount of the Samsung Galaxy S5 or iPhone 6 16GB. Now, they're offered for $5/month without down payment, while previously Sprint offered each for $20/month over the course of a two-year commitment. If you take part of the loyalty program and decide to benefit from the discounts, you'll save $360 for the period of the contract. Additionally, you can add a new line and get it for 12 months free with unlimited talk, messaging and data just by paying off the remainder of the current month. Finally, Sprint offers 20% off on selected mobile phone accessories. If you're a Sprint customer for some time now, you should've received an email inviting you to take advantage of the current promotions. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sprint_offers_the_galaxy_s5_and_iphone_6_for_5_month-news-10283.php

Jolla celebrates tablet's success with price cut for its phone

Just a couple of days ago, Jolla announced its first ever tablet - with a crowdfunding campaign attached. The goal was to raise $380,000, but response from the public has been great. And now the $1 million mark has already been crossed, with many days still remaining in the campaign. To show its fans how happy it is with this outcome, Jolla thought it would celebrate the milestone by offering €100 off of its smartphone. So you can now buy the Jolla phone for just €249, compared to the normal selling price of €349. There is a catch, however - this is a limited time offer. The reduced price is only valid until November 25, and the amount of participating devices is limited too (though exactly how many units will be available for the lower price hasn't been made public). You can buy the Jolla phone if you live in the EU, Switzerland, or Norway. It was announced last year, and it comes with a 4.5-inch qHD (540x960) touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 2 MP front camera, 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot, 1GB of RAM, a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor made by Qualcomm, and all the usual connectivity options (including 4G). It runs Jolla's Sailfish...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/jolla_celebrates_tablets_success_with_price_cut_for_its_phone-news-10281.php

OnePlus One India launch teaser campaign starts

The OnePlus One is going to enter India pretty soon. We've known for a while now that this would eventually happen, with the Chinese smartphone maker startup having apparently seen a lot of interest from the subcontinent. OnePlus has posted a contest to its forums, and the 100 winners of that will get the first ever India-specific invites for the phone. What's more, the image you can see above has appeared on Amazon's Indian arm, and the contour in it is certainly that of the OnePlus One. If you're in doubt, note that the image file, on Amazon's servers, has a name that starts with the words "OnePlus teaser". So it looks like OnePlus has teamed up with Amazon to exclusively sell its smartphone in India, much like Xiaomi has done with Flipkart. The message is clear: the OnePlus One will land in India soon. Thanks for sending this in, Chandroo! Source 1 • Source 2 |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_one_india_launch_teaser_campaign_starts-news-10280.php

Huawei Ascend Mate 2 will receive Lollipop next year

The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 has been sold by Huawei in the US in unlocked form since June. A while ago, the Chinese company announced that the phablet would not be updated to future Android versions, which created a backlash in the online community. Now it seems that Huawei took the negative feedback it received into account, and has changed its mind, making it official that the Ascend Mate 2 will get to taste Lollipop. However, if you own one of these, there's still a very long wait ahead. The Chinese company has given us the vaguest of time frames - it expects to have the Lollipop update ready "in the first half of next year". That could mean June 30. Interestingly, the Ascend Mate 2 currently runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and Huawei has no plans to update it to Android 4.4 KitKat in the meantime. So this device will jump from Jelly Bean straight to Lollipop, whenever that...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_mate_2_will_be_updated_to_lollipop_next_year-news-10278.php

Apple iPad mini 3 review: A touch of gold

The iPad Air 2 may have stolen all the spotlight, but that's not because of poor marketing planning. Apple did little to change the third generation of the iPad mini so it got little stage time. But it's not our job to decide which product gets the most fanfare...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_mini_3-review-1169.php

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 gets a stability-oriented update

Following a firmware update focused on improving battery life, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 owners are now treated with another one targeting performance and stability. Users in Germany and Greece are reporting their smartphones are prompted to install the latest Galaxy Note 4 firmware with build number N910FXXU1ANK4, which weighs 137MB. The update is built on November 17 and Samsung hasn't revealed more details regarding the effects of the update besides that it improves the overall performance. The underlying Android version is still 4.4.4 KitKat. If you haven't received the update, it should be rolling out gradually over the course of the upcoming days so fret not. Samsung is hard at work on the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for its flagship devices. A short preview of the firmware update for the Galaxy S5 was shown last early last month. Check it out to get a glimpse on what to expect for your Galaxy Note 4 once the Lollipop update is...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_4_gets_a_stabilityoriented_update-news-10277.php

Xiaomi to relaunch Redmi Note in India next month

Xiaomi has started teasing its next India sale of its phablet, the Redmi Note, via Mi India's facebook page, and will reportedly start selling the device on December 2. The company has also started a contest on Facebook, giving people a chance to win a Redmi Note. To participate in the contest, which runs till Nov 21st, 9PM, all you have to do is to share the company's Facebook post and submit a creative image showing how much you want to own the device. The phablet sports a 5.5-inch LED IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.7GHz Mediatek's MT6592 octa-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 32 GB via microSD card. The device also features a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, and a 3,100mAh battery. The whole thing is powered by Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI v5 on top. Previous sales saw Xiaomi burn through its Redmi Note stock in seconds, so you better be ready when the time comes. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_to_reportedly_launch_redmi_note_in_india_early_next_month-news-10275.php

Lollipop update for HTC One and One (M8) GPE delayed again

The Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the HTC One GPE and One (M8) GPE was supposed to arrive today, but according to the VP of Product Management at HTC there has been another delay. Mo Versi says Google has requested another software version, so there's more work to be done. Mo has promised to let people know when HTC gets the OK from Google. There's no info on how long making and testing the new software version will take though. The rollout itself is supposed to happen in just 48 hours after getting the go ahead. Thanks to Sriram for sending this...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_for_htc_one_and_one_m8_update_delayed_again-news-10274.php

HTC Desire Eye and Desire 820 start selling in the USA SIM-free

The HTC Desire Eye and Desire 820 are now available for purchase in the USA. Expansys USA is offering to phones for $519.99 and $359.99, respectively. The Desire Eye is available in Corral Red and Blue, while the Desire 820 is listed in Milky-way Gray and Santorini White. NewEgg is also selling the Desire 820 for $377.90. Up until now, the Desire Eye was an AT&T exclusive. If you don't want a 2-year commitment with the carrier, the price of the phone was $549, while a 2-year contract brought it down to $150. The HTC Desire Eye has a 13 megapixel camera with dual LED flash on the back and a similar setup at the front. There's also a 5.2-inch, 1080p display, Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory with microSD support, stereo BoomSound speakers, and IPX7 water-resistant body. The Desire 820 comes with dual-SIM support, a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, and an 8 MP front snapper. Running the show is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, with a CPU featuring four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and four at 1.0 GHz. The phone has 4G LTE, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire_eye_and_desire_820_start_selling_in_the_usa_simfree-news-10273.php

Motorola offers optional extended warranty for Nexus 6

Motorola is offering extended warranty package for Nexus 6. Priced at $129.99, Moto Care protects the Android 5.0 Lollipop phablet from accidental damage for a period of two years. Users can purchase Moto Care for the Nexus 6 within 30 days of buying the device. Curiously, the offer is valid only for handsets purchased from Motorola's online store. Those who opted for Google Play or a wireless carrier will be left in the cold. Moto Care protection includes accidental damage and extended mechanical coverage. Users can file up to three claims for the two-year period. Each claim will require a deductible payment of $39. Customers will receive a like-new device in case theirs meets its creator. Considering that a 64GB Nexus 6 costs $699 (the figure comes dangerously close to $800 when you apply local sales tax), having Moto Care seems like a good idea. The extended warranty package is available for other members of the Motorola lineup as well. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_offers_optional_extended_warranty_for_nexus_6_-news-10272.php

European pre-orders of Honor 3C by Huawei kick off

The budget-friendly Honor 3C by Huawei is now available to pre-order in Europe. The dual-SIM smartphone is priced at £109.99 (about $170).The handset will begin shipping to customers this coming Monday, on November 24. Specifications of Honor 3C by Huawei include 5" 720p display, HiSilicon Kirin 910 chipset, and heavily customized Android 4.2. An 8MP main camera, 5MP front-facing snapper, and 2,300mAh battery complete the highlights. The price tag of Honor 3C makes it a competitor to the Moto G and all its iterations. In short, the newcomer surely has its work cut out....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/european_preorders_of_honor_3c_by_huawei_kick_off-news-10271.php

Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S5 finally receives Android 4.4.4

More than two months later than T-Mobile's version, Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S5 is now finally in the process of getting updated to Android 4.4.4 KitKat. This is the last version of the OS bearing that name, so we assume the next new software Sprint's S5 will get will be Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Android 4.4.4 update is currently rolling out in batches, which means it might take a few days before your particular device notifies you that it's available to download and install. Aside from the OS version bump, it brings with it an HD Voice icon, international Wi-Fi calling support, and a few unnamed (but undoubtedly important) "Google security patches". After applying the update, you'll be on software version G900PVPU1ANK4. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sprints_samsung_galaxy_s5_finally_receives_android_444_-news-10270.php

Xiaomi wants to be world No.1 in smartphones in 10 years

Xiaomi has had an amazing run so far. The company, founded in April 2010, launched its first smartphone in August 2011. And around three years later, it became the world's No.3 smartphone maker by sales volumes. And it achieved this despite only selling its wares in a handful of Asian countries. That context is necessary to understand why Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun feels confident that his company will be able to reach even further, climbing to the No.1 spot for worldwide smartphone sales within five to ten years. Of course, at the rate the mobile world has been moving over the past few years, during that time frame anything can happen. But given Xiaomi's performance so far, we should probably take its CEO's words seriously and at least consider the possibility that this might happen. After all, if the company were to simply expand its distribution across the world, it would see a big jump in sales almost instantly. Lei Jun announced his ambitions for Xiaomi at a conference in China, where he also boasted that the company already has 70 million active users. This number should apparently rise to 200 million in the next year, which means it expects to sell around 100 million smartphones in 2015. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_to_be_world_no1_in_smartphones_in_10_years_ceo_says-news-10269.php

Sprint lowers Nexus 6 price, refunds those who paid more

Sprint started selling the Motorola Nexus 6 last week, but for some reason its price was higher than that asked by AT&T for the exact same device. While AT&T has been charging $249.99 for the handset when bought with a new two-year contract, for the same thing Sprint used to want $299.99. Starting yesterday, however, that has been lowered to $249.99, effectively matching AT&T's pricing. If you've ordered a Nexus 6 from Sprint earlier, and paid the higher price, you don't need to worry. Apparently the carrier is set on making things right, and as such will give you the $50 difference as a credit to your bill. You should receive an SMS with the news at some point. This information comes from a leaked Sprint document which you can see in the image above. Also from that screenshot we find out that the no-contract price for the Nexus 6 has changed too, now being $648 (down from $696), and as a consequence the Easy Pay monthly payments will also change. The Nexus 6 isn't cheap even at $249.99, compared to some other handsets, but it's now more affordable than before - at least at...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sprint_lowers_nexus_6_price_refunds_those_who_bought_early-news-10268.php

HTC Desire 820s hits 1.26 million pre-registrations in China

News outlet Focus Taiwan reports HTC China has has boasted 1.26 million per-registrations for the Desire 820s. In fact, HTC China says registrations keep piling up at a steady pace. While a pre-order signup doesn't guarantee a purchase since they're cost-free, it's impressive that the device is getting this much attention in a such competitive market. HTC has announced that only 50,000 Desire 820s units will be available at the online sale kick-off. The first 5,000 buyers will get a $65 (CNY 400) discount. This way, the $293 (CNY 1,799) HTC Desire 820s will cost them $228. The HTC Desire 820s launched at the start of November with a MediaTek MT6752 chipset that promises better performance than the Snapdragon 615. The phone packs a 5.5" 720p screen, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, 13MP main camera and 8MP selfie camera and LTE connectivity. If a big chunk of those pre-order registrations convert into paying customers, HTC will have a reason to hope for a positive Q4 2014 financial outcome. The last quarter saw HTC come out with a small profit, so the company is fighting for all the sales it can make before the year's end if it wants to finish on a positive note. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire_820s_hits_126_million_preorder_signups_in_china-news-10267.php

Samsung Galaxy S5 Plus is now on sale in Europe

Samsung Galaxy S5 Plus was unveiled a month ago without much fanfare. It's an updated version of the Galaxy S5 flagship that keeps everything the same but promotes the chipset to Snapdragon 805. The new chip offers better quad-core Krait 450 processor and new generation GPU - Adreno 420. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Plus also comes with faster LTE connectivity. The smartphone is now capable of handling Cat.6 LTE speeds, which translates into 300Mbps downlink and 50Mbps uplink. Samsung Galaxy S5 is currently on sale in eBay Germany, bidding starts at €400. We managed to find a retailer having the Galaxy S5 Plus in stock for €530, also in Germany. Last year Germany was also the first EU market to get the upgraded and of the Galaxy S4 months after its Korean premiere. It now seems history is repeating itself. Still, we expect more markets to get the Snapdragon 805-powered Samsung Galaxy S5 Plus in the upcoming weeks. Source 1 | Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5_plus_is_now_on_sale_in_europe-news-10266.php

Corning unveils new, tougher Gorilla Glass 4

Corning has unveiled the sequel to its popular Gorilla Glass. Version 4 is better at falling - it survives 80% of drops from 1m (3.3ft) on a rough surface meant to emulate the jaggedy surfaces encountered in daily use. Corning claims Gorilla Glass 4 is twice as tough as unnamed competing products. The product information sheet (PDF) compares the new product to the current Gorilla Glass 3 and the charts show that 0.4mm thick Gorilla Glass 4 is slightly tougher than a 0.7mm thick panel of the previous generation. This means makers can improve the durability of their phones without using thicker and heavier glass. Samples have been sent out so we should be seeing the first devices early next year. Since 2007 Gorilla Glass has been put on 1,395 different products totaling 3 billion devices. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/corning_unveils_new_tougher_gorilla_glass_4-news-10265.php

Tizen OS 2.3 screenshots reaveal a fresh new look

New screenshots of Samsung's Tizen 2.3 have surfaced, courtesy of Tizen Indonesia. The latest version of Tizen OS looks a lot more colorful than before with updated icons. Samsung has also used bold color choices throughout the user interface. Unsurprisingly, blue is still the main color of choice, but in addition there's also a lot of extra throughout the UI. Take a look at the screenshots below and judge for yourself. Samsung has optimized the user experience for screen resolutions starting at 800 x 480 pixels (WVGA). The low-end device that the company has been hinting to launch by the end of the year will probably sport this resolution. Other than the fresh coat of paint, there don't seem to be much more functional changes made to how Tizen OS works. It's quite simple and seems to have taken a lot of cues from Android and TouchWiz. Taesoon Jun, Samsung's chief architect on Tizen, said in an interview last week at the company's developers conference in San Francisco that Tizen is focusing on the low-end and mid-range right now. Samsung's efforts behind Tizen are a lot more than just having a backup plan in case its relationship with Google goes south. Tizen will also be used by the company to compete against Chinese and Indian smartphone makers of $100 smartphones. It's also going to compete against the Android One participants, as hinted at the conference. As for the upcoming Tizen-powered smartphone, it's believed to be the Samsung SM-Z130H. According to initial information, it is built around a 5" display and packs a a Spreadtrum SC7727S SoC with a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and ARM Mali-400 GPU clocked at 460 MHz, aided by 512MB of RAM. We're looking forward to what Samsung has in store. Let's just hope that the company's recent plans to cut down smartphone production by 30% in 2015 won't affect its Tizen ambitions. Source • Source (2) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_tizen_os_23_sports_a_fresh_coat_of_paint-news-10264.php

WSJ: why Apple's iPhone sapphire plans fell through

Did you know that Apple uses one fourth of the world's supply of sapphire, just to protect the cameras and fingerprint readers of its iPhones? This statistic gives you some insight in how monumental the task of covering the new large screens would have been. That's not even half of it though - a Wall Street Journal article reveals that GT Advanced Technologies, the company that was meant to supply all that extra sapphire, was woefully unprepared. For one, it created its first sapphire block weighing 262kg (578 pounds) mere days before the Apple deal and it was flawed and unusable. GT had never mass produced sapphire before. The company quickly bolstered its ranks by hiring new employees, but that created problems with staff - the WSJ reports people getting paid overtime to sweep floors, some were slacking off while others sent hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of sapphire bricks for recycling instead of shipping. Apple has had supply issues due to the sheer scale of its manufacture - millions of iGadgets sell in the first days, so Cupertino usually sources components from multiple companies (which creates issues too). It seems that the sapphire-making industry isn't ready for an Apple-scale production of displays, GT Advanced Technologies certainly wasn't. Source (paywall) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/wsj_why_apples_sapphire_plans_fell_through-news-10263.php

HTC rolls out Eye Experience suite in India for the One (M8)

Following the Eye Experience update rollout in the US and Europe, HTC has started slowly seeding the update in Asia as well. We get reports from India that the Eye Experience software update weighs under 300MB and bumps the firmware version to 3.35.720.1. The HTC Eye Experience package enhances Android 4.4.4 KitKat and focuses on improving the camera software of the One (M8). The front-facing camera can now track up to 4 faces during video chat and ensure they're in focus thanks to Face Tracking. It is followed by the Split capture feature that lets you use the front-facing and rear camera simultaneously. Thanks to the Eye Experience suite, you can take selfies by saying "cheese" or "action" and merge 4 selfies into a single photo by using Photo booth. The Eye Experience suite is a nice appetizer for One (M8) users until Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense 6 comes in. Yesterday, we saw pictures on the company's progress regarding the update. Still, there are a bit more than 2 months until the 90-day update guarantee from HTC...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_rolls_out_eye_experience_suite_in_india-news-10262.php

Apple drops the "FREE" button of App Store apps and games

Apple dropped the "free" moniker from the apps and games in the App Store. Effective immediately, the "FREE" button on the apps and games that don't require payment will make way to a "GET" replacement. The move acknowledges the in-app purchases that many of the free apps and games often contain. Of course, the button applies to the content that is completely free as well. Apple is the latest industry heavyweight to react to criticism to the free-to-play business model with in-app purchases, especially by regulators in the European Union. Critics have pointed that the aforementioned content delivery method often forces players into spending money in order to enjoy proper app or game experience. The free-to-play business model is the current standard on both iOS and Android. The setup is responsible for 92% of all revenue on iOS and 98% of the same on Android. Curiously, most of the revenue comes from high spending users, whose money essentially provides for the experience of those who are not willing to part with any money. Source ...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_drops_the_free_moniker_from_app_store_apps_and_games-news-10261.php

Nexus 9 LTE will arrive on T-Mobile in the US in early December

T-Mobile announced that it will begin offering the LTE-capable HTC Nexus 9 in early December. The 64-bit Tegra K1-packing slate will be available with $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $24.99. Outright pricing of the LTE Nexus 9 is not mentioned, though a quick calculation of the monthly installments reveals that the Big Magenta will be asking $600 for the tablet. The 4G device is solely available with 32GB of built-in memory. The LTE Nexus 9 will be available through T-Mobile Underground. This particular section of the carrier's online store is reserved for products, which are available in limited...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_9_lte_will_arrive_on_tmobile_in_the_us_in_early_december-news-10260.php

Samsung will make a foldable smartphone display in 2015

Flexible displays are slowly but surely making their way into our lives - and mobile devices. The first step has been represented by panels bent during the production process, like those in the LG G Flex, Samsung Galaxy Round, and Galaxy Note Edge. The next step, however, will be represented by displays that can be "folded in half", according to a senior Samsung executive. The wording seems to imply that the smartphone that will have that screen attached to it will be bendable as well. Samsung's display-making subsidiary is gearing up for production of such panels, and it boasts that it will have the capacity to make 30,000 to 40,000 of them each month by the end of next year. Apparently, none of Samsung's competitors will be able to match that production capacity for flexible displays until 2016. And Samsung plans to use its advantage, by coming out with a bendable phone before the end of 2015. That said, "nothing has been decided on the finished product" just yet. But if it does come out in 2015, expect it to be another "limited edition" type thing, just like the Galaxy Note Edge is this year. That's because a mass market flagship will require millions of units being made per month, and not tens of thousands. Samsung Display wants to lower its dependence on Samsung Electronics, hoping to sell half of its panel output to other companies within three years. It's also got big plans for AMOLED, getting prepared for the tech to "compete directly with LCD". To do that, the company will lower production costs for AMOLED panels, in order to lure more customers. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_will_make_a_foldable_smartphone_display_in_2015-news-10259.php

Android One phones will run Lollipop by end of January

This year Google launched the Android One initiative, which has so far been comprised of three smartphones: the Micromax Canvas A1, the Karbonn Sparkle V, and the Spice Dream Uno. These all have the exact same innards, which were specified by Google, and their unique selling point is supposed to be the fact that Google itself will handle OS updates. That said, the search giant has been extremely quiet and hasn't said when it would issue the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Android One devices. However, Spice says it will deliver the Lollipop update for the Dream Uno by the end of January. Since Google is in charge of the rollout, we assume the time frame will be the same for the other two Android One phones. But the update may come even sooner, as an unnamed source inside Google reportedly told an Indian publication that it could land as early as mid-December. Since the Nexus devices have already received their Lollipop bits, some owners of Android One handsets may have been wondering what's going on. Apparently while the fact that Google is handling updates does mean these phones will get updated to new OS versions, it doesn't mean they'll get them as fast as the Nexus...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_one_phones_will_receive_lollipop_by_the_end_of_january-news-10258.php

Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy Note 3 showcased too

Earlier we showed you the first leaked screenshots depicting what the Android 5.0 Lollipop update would look like on the HTC One (M8), and now it's Samsung's turn. From the Korean smartphone maker we've already had leaks showing us not one, but two builds of Lollipop for the Galaxy S5. This time, though, we're focusing on the Galaxy Note 3. This device is going to get the new software too, and here's what it will look like (click the images below for bigger ones). Android 5.0 Lollipop on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 With the Lollipop update, Samsung is bringing the Quick Settings styling first seen in the Galaxy S5 to the Note 3. Otherwise, the design here is a mishmash of Lollipop guidelines and some remnants of Samsung's much-beloved TouchWiz. Take the Settings app. It's different than it was before, it has a light theme just like in Google's Lollipop, but it's not actually identical to that. Samsung apparently isn't able to keep itself from modifying everything that comes from Google, even if we're talking small touches here and there. So the green color you see in stock Android has been replaced with blue, for example. Apparently though, the extensive new animations have been preserved, and they're said to be smoother than before. Since it's started leaking, the Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 3 is clearly a priority for Samsung, so let's hope we'll see it rolling out...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_update_for_samsung_galaxy_note_3_showcased_too-news-10257.php

Nokia Lumia 830 review: Shining bright

Nokia Lumia 830 is probably the last smartphone to wear the iconic Nokia logo, five letters with so much history behind. And while it might not be a model as iconic as the original 808 PureView or the Lumia 1020, the Nokia Lumia 830 is destined to go down...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_830-review-1168.php

Lollipop with Sense 6 for the HTC One (M8) gets pictured

HTC is due to upgrade the One Google Play Edition smartphones to Android 5.0 Lollipop this week - on Friday, the latest news claims. But what about the HTC Sense-infused version of the One (M8)? We already know the Taiwanese company will bring it the latest Android version by early February, yet if you've been wondering what that would look like, then this is for you. Today a well known leaker of HTC-related things has come up with screenshots which show Android 5.0 Lollipop running on an HTC One (M8), with Sense 6 on top. Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense As you can see, the new Lollipop lock screen has been incorporated by HTC into its software, and it hasn't been radically changed. The Recents view is almost stock Android-like, while the Notification area and the Quick Settings are, in terms of design, a fusion between the language seen in Google's Lollipop and previous Sense iterations. If nothing else, these screenshots show that HTC is hard at work on the Lollipop update for its flagship smartphone, so hopefully the company will have it ready when it promised - within 90 days from receiving the final code from Google, which means by February 2, 2015. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_with_sense_6_for_the_htc_one_m8_gets_pictured-news-10256.php

Display Mate crowns Galaxy Note 4 display Best of the Best

A couple of months ago Display Mate proclaimed the Apple iPhone 6 display as the "best-performing LCD", it has done more testing and now the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 earns the "best of the best" title. As part of a shootout it went up against the iPhone 6 Plus and four tablets, including the Super AMOLED-packing Galaxy Tab S and the iPad Air 2. Display Mate used the iPhone 6 Plus instead of the smaller iPhone 6 because the two screens perform similarly. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 won the Full Gamut and White Point color accuracy tests while set on the Basic display mode. Display Mate's earlier tests show the Photo Pro mode performs similarly. Interestingly, the Apple screens did quite well in Skin Tone and Organic Color accuracy tests - the iPad Air 2 is second, while the iPhone 6 Plus places third. It seems that Apple optimized for natural images, but in terms of Full Gamut and White Point accuracy both devices did quite poorly. Of course, Display Mate could have picked a more representative sample of devices to compete with the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, but still. For tablets, Samsung's large Super AMOLED does great too - it comes in second for Full Color and White Point accuracy, but it's third for Skin Tone and Organic Colors. The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 slots in behind it with a slightly worse White Point...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/display_mate_crowns_galaxy_note_4_display_best_of_the_best-news-10254.php

Front panel of unknown WP smartphone leaks, is it the 1030?

The latest leak coming from China shows off a mysterious front panel of what appears to be a yet unannounced Windows Phone device. According to the source, the panel measures around 5" and could be meant as the front of the latest flagship to have the Windows Phone moniker on it. Could it be the Lumia 940 or perhaps a Lumia 1030? Panel of unknown Windows Phone The front panel is fully decked in black and very squared suggesting a flat and sharp device. One thing that puts us off are the buttons on it. Recent Windows Phones have utilized on-screen buttons and not capacitive ones. Microsoft just recently revealed its first smartphone sans Nokia and it wasn't the high-end flagship we're waiting to see. We do hope that's coming...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/front_panel_of_unknown_wp_smartphone_leaks_is_it_the_1030-news-10253.php

Motorola Nexus 6 hits Germany with a base price of €599

The Motorola Nexus 6 retail expansion continues in Europe and the latest country where the phone starts selling is Germany. There, pre-orders of the device are now available at Media Markt and Amazon Germany. The 32GB version of the phone sales for €599 and is available only in Midnight Blue at Media Markt, while Amazon offers both color versions of the phone. The 64GB variant is available in both Midnight Blue and Cloud White for €649 at both retailers. The Nexus 6 will start shipping a month from now on December 19. In the UK, pre-orders of the Nexus 6 have already started. The 32GB version of the phone retails for £499 at Amazon and Carphone Warehouse. You have plenty of time to check out our in-depth Motorola Nexus 6 review and decide if you want to grab...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_nexus_6_hits_germany_with_a_base_price_of__euro599-news-10252.php

HTC One (M8) and One (M7) GPE to get Lollipop this Friday

Last week, HTC promised the Android 5.0. Lollipop update for the Google Play Edition One (M8) and One (M7) would be coming early this week. Sadly, due to delays and unforeseen bugs, the update launch date has been pushed to this Friday. Mo Versi, HTC's VP of Product Management, has responded on Twitter answering questions regarding the latest Lollipop development for the company's GPE devices. If everything goes as planned, the OTA roll out will happen in just 48 hours, so fingers crossed! Regular, non-GPE HTC One (M8) and One (M7) owners are still expecting to get news on the development of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for their devices. HTC promised the update will arrive within 90 days of the Lollipop arrival. Both are listed on HTC's website as being in the initial, evaluation stage of their firmware update journey. Additionally, the One mini and One mini 2 are also on track to get Android 5.0, but they are currently under consideration. Their update is likely to arrive after that of the One (M8) and (M7) duo. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m8_and_one_m7_gpe_to_get_lollipop_this_friday-news-10251.php

Meizu MX4 Pro is official with Samsung Exynos 5430 chipset

At a dedicated launch party in China today, Meizu officially revealed the MX4 Pro. The phone is built around a 5.5" Sharp-made display boasting 2560 x 1536 pixel resolution. It features very narrow bezels, measuring just 2.8mm wide and boasts a pixel density of 542ppi. Under the hood of the Meizu MX4 Pro operates a Samsung Exynos 5430 chipset with a quad-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A15 and a quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A7 CPU, 3GB of RAM and Mali-T628 MP6 GPU. Internal memory is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, but there's no microSD card slot available. At the back, the MX4 Pro uses the 20.7MP f/2.2 Sony-made camera with IMX220 Exmor RS sensor width dual LED flash. The front of the phone holds a 5MP f/2.2 selfie camera featuring the OmniVision OV5693 sensor. Connectivity on the Meizu MX4 Pro covers all the basics with NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.0. There's no IR blaster, though, but the phone supports both TD-LTE and FDD-LTE networks using the same radio, which is impressive. The MX4 Pro also boasts a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button below the display. The technology behind it is called mTouch and the sensor is covered with Sapphire glass and features a stainless steel metal ring. Meizu says the response time is 0.5s and the identification angle is 360 degrees. The phone runs Flyme 4.0 based on Android 4.4 KitKat. MX4 Pro sales start December 6 in China with a base price of $410 (CNY 2499). International pricing is yet to be...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_mx4_pro_is_official_with_samsung_exynos_5430_chipset-news-10249.php

Jolla announces Tablet, starts a crowd-funding campaign for it

Jolla is also looking to make a tablet following Nokia's announcement yesterday. It's not a ready product though - Jolla is proud that it's "powered by people," which includes an IndieGoGo campaign. The campaign started today and is already 68% to its $380,000 goal (at the time of writing). The Jolla Tablet is priced at $200 and with a $10 discount for the first 1,000 to order (those are all gone now). The tablet itself shares quite a few similarities with the Nokia N1 - it has a 7.85" display with 2,048 x 1,536px resolution and is powered by quad-core Intel processor (at lower frequency though). Jolla Tablet • Spec comparison with the Nokia N1, Nexus 9 and iPad mini 3 It will run a new version of the company's open-source OS, Jolla OS 2.0, which supports Android apps. The tablet offers a microSD card slot for expandable storage (the N1 does not), but it has a smaller battery and is heavier. Still, not bad for $50 less (and that's not counting taxes). You will need to fork over $20 for shipping though. The first tablets will ship in May next year. Jolla promises it will listen to the wants and needs of its users and mold the tablet to them, you can join the community at together.jolla.com if you want to suggest new features. The community will vote on those suggestions and Jolla will prioritize the request based on votes. You can view the IndieGoGo campaign for the Jolla Tablet for more info and to pledge if you've been...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/jolla_announces_tablet_starts_a_crowdfunding_campaign_for_it-news-10250.php

Microsoft Lumia 535 on pre-order in Germany for €120

The Microsoft Lumia 535 is the first post-Nokia brand phone and it's available for pre-order in Germany. The 535 is a 5" version of the entry-level Lumia 530 with some additional improvements. There's no LTE despite what final 5 digit suggests, but a 5" IPS screen with qHD resolution (220ppi) and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It's powered by the same Snapdragon 200 chipset but with double the RAM (1GB) and storage (8GB), plus there's a 5MP front-facing camera, matching the 5MP camera on the back. Multiple German sites have the Microsoft Lumia 535 on pre-order and it seems that units will ship in early December. Prices start at €120, Alternate.de lists the delivery date as December 2, while Amazon.de is asking €140 and will ship on December 5. There's an offer from Microsoft at €120 but no shipping date. For comparison, a Nokia Lumia 530 Dual Sim can be had for around €80 in Germany. Drop a link if you find Lumia 535 offers in other...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_lumia_535_on_preorder_in_germany_for__euro120-news-10248.php

Next iPhone to allegedly have a two-lens camera system

The next iPhone camera is going to be a doozy. According to John Gruber, Apple is working on a dual lens camera system for the rear camera of the next iPhone, which he heard "from a birdie of a birdie". "The specific thing I heard is that next years camera might be the biggest camera jump ever. I don't even know what sense this makes, but I've heard that it's some kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery." - John Gruber This two camera system sounds remarkably similar to HTC's Duo Camera, which uses a secondary depth sensor to produce DSLR-like shallow depth of field, although artificially in software. This could possibly be what Gruber meant by "DSLR quality imagery", as the shallow depth of field is one of those things DSLRs do well with their big lenses and sensors that you just can't get naturally on mobile phones. The iPhone 6 just released so we'll have to wait another year to see if this rumors comes true, although Gruber has a track record of being right more often than...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/next_iphone_to_allegedly_have_a_twolens_camera_system-news-10247.php

More than 50 million Lumia devices have been activated to date

Microsoft revealed that there are more than 50 million Lumia devices activated to date. The Redmond-based tech giant revealed the stat during a press event in Germany. The number includes all Windows Phone products since the inception of the Lumia product range as part of Nokia's portfolio of devices in 2011. There is no word on how many Lumia devices of those 50 million are still being used. While 50 million activated devices surely looks and sounds impressive, it sits far behind those achieved by its competitors. Apple for example moved almost 40 million smartphones in the last fiscal quarter alone. Furthermore, Microsoft revealed that there are more than 320,000 apps available in the Windows Phone Store. The number is up from 300,000 back in August, though significantly below the one million+ apps available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Once a Nokia staple, the Lumia name is now used in devices with the Microsoft brand. The first member of the new family is the low-end Microsoft Lumia 535, which made its debut last week. Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/more_than_50_million_lumia_devices_have_been_activated_to_date-news-10246.php

Apple Watch display resolution revealed in WatchKit SDK

Apple released the highly anticipated WatchKit SDK to developers. The Apple Watch app development suite is available alongside iOS 8.2 Beta to registered app creators. As expected, WatchKit reveals quite a few juicy bits about the upcoming Apple Watch, headed by its display resolution. As it turns out, the duo of 38mm and 42mm Apple wearables will not share the same amount of pixels on their display - the smaller version with tote 340 x 272 pixels, while the larger model will offer 390 x 312 pixels. Both displays will carry the Retina moniker. Because of the two different resolutions, Apple Watch app developers will be required to use different image assets for both display models. The move will allow content to look up to Cupertino's guidelines. For comparison, LG G Watch R sports a display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels. Moto 360 on the other hands, makes do with a 320 x 290 screen. WatchKit SDK also reveals that users will be able to interact with Apple Watch in a variety of ways. They include short and long look, swipe gestures, taps, utilizing the Digital Crown, and Siri among others. For the time being, Apple Watch apps will require an iPhone to work. Standalone applications will arrive in late 2015. Apple Watch will arrive on retail shelves in early 2015. Its pricing will kick off at $349. Source 1 | Source 2 | Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_watch_display_resolution_revealed_in_watchkit_sdk-news-10245.php

Micromax unveils Yu brand powered by CyanogenMod

Today in India, Micromax has launched a new smartphone brand: Yu. The devices that will be sold under this name will be offered online only, emulating Xiaomi's business model. The Yu phones will run Android, but their software will come from Cyanogen, Inc., the company behind the preinstalled ROM for the OnePlus One (and the Oppo N1 CyanogenMod Edition before that). This might be used by Micromax as a unique selling point for the new brand. Cyanogen (the company) has been clear that it wants to partner with more phone makers, and this deal is in line with its strategy. As for Micromax, it must have felt the heat from Xiaomi's arrival in India, and Yu is its response. The first Yu handset is apparently going to be made official sometime next month. Micromax boasts that it will honor the warranty for Yu phones even if they're rooted. And in the future, we should also see Yu-branded smartwatches and smart bands. Thanks for sending this in, Sanket...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/micromax_unveils_onlineonly_yu_brand_powered_by_cyanogenmod-news-10244.php

Nokia is licensing its brand to Foxconn for the N1 tablet

Earlier today Nokia (the 'old' Nokia, the part that wasn't sold to Microsoft) announced its first ever Android tablet, the N1. As it turns out, however, that product will be made by Foxconn, and Nokia is merely licensing its name to be used here. We should apparently expect more such deals in the future, but there's a twist. Unlike Polaroid or Kodak, who have been doing this name licensing thing for many years now, Nokia will employ some strict quality controls for any device that anyone wants to make and sell under the Nokia brand. This started with the N1, actually. Aside from the brand, Nokia contributed the design too - and Foxconn will be paying it royalties for both the name and the design. And just like the N1, all upcoming devices bearing the Nokia brand should look and feel as good as if they were built by Nokia itself. That said, the company doesn't plan on getting back into the gadget making business, it will just select high quality products worthy of its name, which will be produced, marketed and sold by others (Foxconn, in the case of the N1...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_is_licensing_its_brand_to_foxconn_for_the_n1_tablet-news-10243.php

Nexus 6 pre-orders start in the UK, shipping by December 1

The Motorola Nexus 6 has gone up for pre-order in the UK today, weeks after the same happened in the US. The 6-inch phablet is thus firmly on its way to Europe. You can pre-order the handset from a few different places, and the earliest "ship by" date says December 1 - so you're probably not going to be playing with your brand new Nexus 6 in November. The price you'll have to pay for it varies depending on which model you want (with 32GB of storage or 64GB), as well as whether you want to sign a contract with an operator or not. If you go the SIM-free route, the 32GB iteration can be had for £499 both at Amazon and Carphone Warehouse, whereas the 64GB variant is priced at £549. If you need a contract, Vodafone itself will give you the Nexus 6 for free if you choose a plan that costs at least £44.50 per month. That said, Carphone Warehouse has operator deals too, so you can purchase the smartphone from there with a contract from O2 or EE as well. And interestingly, even opting for a Vodafone contract but getting it from Carphone Warehouse means you can receive the phone for free with a lower-cost plan. As for shipping, Carphone Warehouse is the retailer which says that will happen "by December 1", while Vodafone lists December 5 as the first day for deliveries. Amazon will have the handset in stock on December...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_6_preorders_start_in_the_uk_shipping_by_december_1-news-10242.php

HTC One (M8) for Windows comes to T-Mobile USA tomorrow

The HTC One (M8) for Windows is going to be available to T-Mobile USA customers starting on November 19 - tomorrow. The information was confirmed by the carrier itself over on Twitter when answering a customer question. So far the HTC One (M8) for Windows was available for AT&T after originally launching on Verizon. Initially T-Mobile was supposed to unleash the metal-clad smartphone to its customers on November 9 but didn't. The HTC One (M8) for Windows uses the same excellent hardware but runs the latest Windows Phone 8.1 instead of Android KitKat. @chrisevans937 We found it!!! The HTC One M8 for Windows is coming 11/19 to T-Mobile. *JM— T-Mobile USA (@TMobileHelp) November 15, 2014 Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m8_for_windows_comes_to_tmobile_usa_tomorrow-news-10240.php

Microsoft accepts Opera Mobile Store as default for Nokia phones

Microsoft and Opera have signed a contract, which will make the Opera Mobile Store the default app store for Nokia feature phones, those running Symbian as well as Nokia X devices. The change will happen in the beginning of 2015 and people who are still using Series 40, Series 60, Symbian, Asha and Nokia X devices will be redirected from the Nokia Store to the Opera Mobile Store. According to Microsoft, the change enables millions of people using classic Nokia phones to continue having a "trusted source for apps, games and content." Because the process includes changing the default app store of so many users, both companies estimate the change will take place over the good part of the first half of 2015. Then, the Nokia Store will close its doors. "We continue to sell and support classic Nokia devices, which remain popular in many parts of the world," said Rich Bernardo, Vice President, Phones, Microsoft. "We're delighted to partner with Opera Software and continue to provide a reliable app store experience for consumers and developers alike." Once the transition ends, the Opera Mobile Store will become the third largest app store in terms of downloads. Currently, the store boasts close to 300,000 apps and games with support for more than 7,500 devices ranging from feature phones to smartphones. 40,000 developers from around the world have contributed to the store's range of app...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft__accepts_opera_mobile_store_as_default_for_nokia_phones-news-10239.php

Nokia N1 already handled, photos inside

The Nokia N1 is still very much fresh out of the oven and while we still recover from the surprise move by Nokia, which we thought would not be making or branding mobile devices for quite some time ahead, the first Nokia N1 hands-on has surfaced in China. The slate looks great on product images but it certainly doesn't lose its appeal on the live images either. The images show a Lava Gray unit, touting the Nokia Z launcher's home page. Nokia N1 live images The page has the most used apps decked out as circular icons and a field for quick search using hand-drawn scribbles (as Nokia calls them). We also get a glimpse of the browser. The source that posted the images says the Nokia N1 will launch on February 19 in China at a price of about 1523 Yuan (around $249) before taxes. The Nokia N1 has a 7.9" 1536 x 2048 px zero air gap fully laminated display, Intel Atom Z3580 chipset with a quad-core 2.3GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, Android 5.0 Lollipop and a slick aluminum body. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n1_already_handled_photos_inside-news-10238.php

Samsung plans to cut phone portfolio by 30% in 2015

Samsung head of investor relations, Robert Yi, has revealed during a presentation in New York that the company plans to cut the number of smartphone models it produces by 25% to 30% in 2015. With this step, Samsung hopes to fight the falling profits that were recorded in the last financial quarter. Naturally, Samsung investors aren't happy with the latest developments and require changes that will head the company back to growth. As a result, the company plans to get back to double-digit percentage margin in 2015. The largest smartphone manufacturer maintained above 15% operating profit margins for 10 consecutive quarters, but in Q3 2014 that number fell to 7%. There's no further information on which phone models will be discontinued in 2015. Reportedly, Samsung's focus will fall on the entry-level and mid-range phone segments. To streamline the process, Samsung will increase the number of components shared across the different models. Robert Yi also shared that the company will try harder to focus on the Chinese market, where Xiaomi overtook it in market share. We're yet to see how the company's plans will turn into actions to get it back on track on its desired way to better profit margins and become number one in China...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_plans_to_cut_phone_portfolio_by_30_in_2015-news-10237.php

Nokia launches N1 Android Tablet running Lollipop

In a rather surprising move, Nokia has launched a new Android tablet. Called the Nokia N1, the device is 7.9-inch tablet running Android 5.0 Lollipop and Nokia Z Launcher on top. Here are the complete specs of the device: 7.9-inch, 2048x1536 (4:3) IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass 3 and fully laminated zero air gap display 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 processor, PowerVR G6430 GPU with 2GB RAM 32GB built-in memory (non-expandable) 8 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera Dual channel 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0 Micro-USB 2.0 with a Type-C reversible connector Stereo speakers 5300mAh battery Unibody aluminum design; available in Natural Aluminum or Lava Gray colors The Nokia N1 will be launched in China first in Q1 2015 for an estimated price of $249 (without taxes) and in other markets at a later...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_launches_n1_android_tablet_running_lollipop-news-10236.php

Intel will merge its mobile computing and PC businesses

Intel will merge its smartphone and tablet operations with its PC division. Combining the two businesses will complete in early 2015 and aims to make the tech giant's operations more efficient in today's dynamic marketplace. The chip maker has been losing money in its efforts to break into the smartphone and tablet realm, which is dominated by Qualcomm. Despite shipping 40 million tablet processors this year, Intel's mobile unit lost $1.04 billion in Q3 due to the high subsidies it paid out to the device manufacturers. Kirk Skaugen, the current head of Intel's PC business will head the new unit. The current head of the phone and tablet division will help the transition and take a different post within the company. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/intel_will_merge_its_mobile_computing_business_with_its_pc_division-news-10235.php

Samsung and Apple reach a chip manufacturing agreement

Apple and Samsung have reached a chip manufacturing agreement. Worth billions of dollars, the deal will make Samsung the primary supplier of application processors for Apple from 2016 onwards. The deal will see the Korean giant manufacture 80% of the application processors needed by Apple. The remainder of the production will be handled by the Taiwan-based TSMC. The latter handles most of Cupertino's chip manufacturing at the moment. The agreement arrives shortly after Samsung and Apple agreed to drop all lawsuits against each other in outside the United States. Unsurprisingly, Apple will continue to design its processors. Samsung will handle the production of the 14nm chips in partnership with the California-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries. Application processors are significantly more profitable to manufacture than flash memory - another Samsung staple in demand from Apple. The revenue stream will allow the Korean company to make up for the declining profits from its smartphone operations. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_and_apple_reach_a_chip_manufacturing_agreement-news-10234.php

More details about Tizen-based Samsung SM-Z130H leak

Samsung is working on a low-end smartphone running Tizen, which it will launch in India at some point in the future. The device, known so far just by its model number (SM-Z130H), is actually codenamed Kiran, internally at Samsung. After the canceled Samsung Z project, the Korean company has focused on the low-end of the marketplace for its Tizen-based smartphone efforts. The first handset to run the new OS (after many years of delays) should be this Z130H, or Kiran. Today more details about it have been leaked, including the fact that, as you can see from the image above, it will have a button configuration that will be virtually identical to what Samsung has used for its Android devices until recently (when that Menu key on the left was replaced with a Recents one). So expect the Z130 to have capacitive Menu and back Keys, in between which we should see a physical Home button. Moving on, the Tizen interface will rather closely mimic Samsung's TouchWiz UI for Android. It has basically the same general design language, as the leaked screenshots below can attest (click either of them for a full-res image). Samsung Tizen UI Also making their way from Samsung's Android phones are a bunch of features such as Ultra Power Saving Mode and Private Mode, both of which will be available on the Kiran. Spec-wise, we're looking at a handset with a 4-inch 480x800 touchscreen, a 3.2 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 0.3 MP front snapper, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11n, dual-SIM functionality, and an FM radio. Powering up the device will be a Spreadtrum SC7727S SoC with a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and ARM Mali-400 GPU clocked at 460 MHz, aided by 512MB of RAM. The Kiran will be sold in India first, and it will apparently be positioned to take on the cheap Android One devices that are already available over there. That might be a tough act to pull off, given the obvious lack of apps Tizen will face compared to Android. It's unclear if this phone will make it to other markets too. Also, when exactly it will finally land in India is still a...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/more_details_about_tizenbased_samsung_smz130h_leak-news-10232.php

iOS 8.1.1 now rolling out, has fixes for iPhone 4s and iPad 2

Apple has just started pushing out the update to iOS 8.1.1 to all supported devices. Every Apple device that supports iOS 8 and iOS 8.1 will get the iOS 8.1.1 update. Depending on the model of the product you're applying it to, the size will vary - but it will be around 64MB. According to Apple, the update "includes bug fixes, increased stability and performance improvements for iPad 2 and iPhone 4s". Owners of older Apple devices sometimes complain that after upgrading to new iOS versions the performance of their gadgets heavily decreases. In the case of iOS 8 (or at least iOS 8.1), this has now pretty much been confirmed by Apple itself. So if you own an iPhone 4s or iPad 2 running iOS 8.1, you should probably apply the update to iOS 8.1.1 as soon as possible. Hopefully it will restore some lost performance on those two...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/ios_811_now_rolling_out_has_fixes_for_iphone_4s_and_ipad_2-news-10233.php