Week 6 in review: Galaxy S6, HTC One (M9) and Android 5.1

Another week has passed and its time again to take a look back at what the mobile world excited us with during the past few days. Announcements have been rather slow and justifiably so as everybody seems to be gearing up for MWC 2015. The venue is set for Barcelona and all eyes seem to be on Samsung, with their event scheduled for March 1. The next S flagship has been gathering so much attention lately that leaks and bits of information have basically been flooding the news section. To be fair most of what we have seen so far from the Galaxy S6 are leaked panels, along with renderings of the device, based on preliminary information. One such leak may have just confirmed the existence of a double-sided curved display variant of the Galaxy S6, presumably the future Galaxy S Edge. The new metal frame of the device was also showcased along with the port, camera and flash layout. But rumors extend beyond Samsung land. Android fans seems to be just as excited about HTC's next flagship phone. Pickens have been rather slim for the HTC One (M9), but word has come out that it might just be equipped with a 20MP main camera. Other than that LG and Sony are still not completely out of the ball park and hopes are up that at least one of them will announce a flagship device at MWC. The Android update craze has also been running ramped the past week with updates flying all over the place. Google even made the next major OS version official so we now have Android 5.1 to look forward to. If you think you might have missed anything from the past week here is a quick rundown of the post popular news articles in no particular order. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 16%; text-align: center; margin-left: -13px; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 84%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } Cyanogen branding disappears from OnePlus One OnePlus one no longer ships with Cyanogen branding on its back cover. The Chinese manufacturer quietly dropped the logo of the ROM developer from its flagship killer. When announced a year ago, the OnePlus One proudly sported a Cyanogen stamp on its back. However, due to the tiff between... Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update delayed due to Gear VR With the Lollipop craze in full steam and the Galaxy Note 3 already up for a soak test in Russia it is only natural to expect that Samsung will give an equal share of attention to the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge. We already saw a leaked manual for Android 5 with the device model on it so... Sony Xperia Z4 to sport slim bezels and new speaker design The Sony Xperia Z4 is one of the less likely announcements expected to be seen at the MWC a few weeks from now, judging by the lack of tangible info on the device. A recent leak on Chinese social network Weibo, however, might force us to rethink that position. A couple of front panels have... HTC One (M9) leaks out dressed in gold Live photos of the upcoming HTC One (M9) made the rounds online yet again. This time around, the upcoming flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer posed for the camera in gold color scheme. Right in line with past leaks, the live photos once again allow us to catch a glimpse of the large... Samsung Galaxy S6 dimensions confirmed, port layout too The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 hasn't yet surfaced in live images, but based on numerous leaks, we can now paint a pretty accurate picture. Yet it seems that case manufacturers have precise details ahead of launch. After two rounds of case renderings of yesterday and the day before, now we're being... Samsung Galaxy S6 metal frame revealed in photos The first photos of the Samsung Galaxy S6 metal frame have surfaced. Moreover, the new photos portray the frame from all angles and show the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/week_6_in_review_galaxy_s6_htc_one_m9_and_android_51-news-11089.php

Win 10 Tech Preview for phones tipped to release early next week

Just a couple of days ago, some screenshots of Windows 10 Technical Preview for Phones were spotted in the wild, and now it looks like the first preview build will be available to Windows Insiders soon. According to an NPU report, the build (8.15.12495.44) will be released on Monday, February 9 at 9 am PST. "This build is currently being tested by Microsoft employees and if no major bugs are found it will be released for Windows Insiders on Monday morning," the report said, adding that "not all the phones will get the first preview build, but more phones will be supported in the upcoming updates." A point worth mentioning is that the news came in the form of an anonymous tip, and NPU itself is sceptical about its authenticity, so you are advised to take it with a healthy pinch of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/win_10_tech_preview_for_phones_tipped_to_release_early_next_week-news-11107.php

Lollipop update for T-Mobile's HTC One (M8) rolling out on Monday

HTC has announced that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for T-Mobile's HTC One (M8) will roll out starting next week. Mo Versi, HTC's VP of Product Management, tweeted the news saying that the company has received the technical approval for the update, which will be rolling out over-the-air starting Monday. The announcement came on the same day when Sprint's version of the HTC One (M8) started receiving the Lollipop...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_update_for_tmobiles_htc_one_m8_rolling_out_on_monday-news-11106.php

Motorola COO: Samsung might lose its leadership position

Motorola, which shipped over 10 million smartphones last quarter, up a whopping 118% compared to the same period of 2013, has said that Samsung might lose its position as the world's top smartphone vendor, just like Nokia and BlackBerry. During an interview with Forbes, Motorola COO Rick Osterloh said, "Every seven years, the person who's been on top of the market has gone away," adding that "we are going through one of those fascinating shifts where people are starting to realize that you don't need to pay $600 for a top-tier phone to get a top-tier experience." He also said that the Lenovo-owned company, which focused on just 10 countries in North America, Europe and Latin America while being owned by Google, has its presence in around 50 countries now, and has plans to enter 10 or 15 more countries this year. The company is also expected to return to profitability in four to six quarters. Via 1 | Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_coo_samsung_might_lose_its_leadership_position-news-11104.php

NVIDIA Shield Tablet successor tipped with Tegra X1 chipset

According to a new report, NVIDIA is hard at work on the successor of the Shield Android tablet. The sequel of the 8" gaming slate is rumored to launch in mid-March or earlier. Unsurprisingly, the biggest highlight in the upcoming tablet will be its NVIDIA Tegra X1 chipset with Maxwell GPU. Announced during CES in January, the X1 is the first mobile processor in the world capable of 1 teraflop floating point performance. Chipset aside, there is no other information available on the yet to be revealed slate. However, the 8" screen size of the current generation is likely to remain unchanged, as will the optional LTE connectivity. During the Tegra X1 unveiling, NVIDIA announced that devices with the new silicon will launch in the first half of this year. As always, we will be on the lookout for more info on the upcoming device. Until then, take the above report with a grain of salt. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nvidia_shield_tablet_successor_tipped_with_tegra_x1_chipset-news-11105.php

NVIDIA Shield Tablet successor tipped with Tegra X1 chipset

According to a new report, NVIDIA is hard at work on the successor of the Shield Android tablet. The sequel of the 8" gaming slate is rumored to launch in mid-March or earlier. Unsurprisingly, the biggest highlight in the upcoming tablet will be its NVIDIA Tegra X1 chipset with Maxwell GPU. Announced during CES in January, the X1 is the first mobile processor in the world capable of 1 teraflop floating point performance. Chipset aside, there is no other information available on the yet to be revealed slate. However, the 8" screen size of the current generation is likely to remain unchanged, as will the optional LTE connectivity. During the Tegra X1 unveiling, NVIDIA announced that devices with the new silicon will launch in the first half of this year. As always, we will be on the lookout for more info on the upcoming device. Until then, take the above report with a grain of salt. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nvidia_shield_tablet_successor_tipped_with_tegra_x1_soc-news-11105.php

Meizu sold 1.5 million smartphones in January

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu shipped a record 1.5 million smartphones last month. Jack Wong, the company's CEO announced the achievement on the social network Weibo. Sales of the company have jumped 50% on a monthly basis. Back in December last year, Jack Wong announced that the manufacturer is shipping a million devices monthly. Meizu's stellar sales should hardly catch anyone by surprise. In addition to offering the impressive, high-end Meizu MX4 and MX4 Pro, the company took on Xiaomi by launching the budget-friendly, well-equipped Meizu m1 and m1 note. The freshly announced Meizu m1 got 100,000 pre-orders in just a minute yesterday. Therefore, we can certainly expect Meizu to do even better throughout 2015. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_sold_15_million_smartphones_in_january-news-11103.php

Dual-SIM Microsoft Lumia 435 is now available in India

The Microsoft Lumia 435, which was unveiled in mid-January, has today become available to buy in India. We're talking about the dual-SIM version of the handset, which is currently being offered in white and black by Microsoft's online store for the subcontinent. Green and orange color versions were also presented during the phone's official unveiling, but so far those have not been launched in India. Perhaps they will arrive in the future. If you want to buy a Lumia 435 from Microsoft, you need to pay INR 5,999. At the current exchange rates, that means $96 or €85. That's pretty close to the €70 price before taxes that Microsoft touted last month. The software giant's Indian online store claims you'll receive your brand new Lumia 435 in 4 working days if you order one. In this instance, the price is low because the hardware isn't anything to get excited about. The Lumia 435 sports a 4-inch 480x800 touchscreen, a 2 MP rear camera, and a VGA secondary shooter. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 CPU, it has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage, 42Mbps HSPA support, and a 1,560 mAh battery. It runs Windows Phone 8.1. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/dualsim_microsoft_lumia_435_is_now_available_in_india-news-11102.php

Android 5.0 Lollipop for Sprint's HTC One (M8) rolls out today

Yesterday Sprint's version of the original HTC One from 2013 started receiving the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop. And today it's time for its successor to get the tasty treat too. That's right, Sprint has made it official: the rollout for the Lollipop update for the HTC One (M8) starts today. As with all such over-the-air releases though, it may of course take a few (or more) days until it reaches all the devices out there. Rest assured that it is on its way, however. It looks like the initial rollout time frame was set for next week, but for whatever reason Sprint decided to push things forward, which is definitely good news for owners of the One. Your phone will notify you when it's ready to download and install the update. If it hasn't done so already, you can always manually check by going to Settings > System updates > HTC software update, and then tapping on Check now. After applying the update, you'll be running build 4.20.651.10. Aside from moving the base to Android 5.0 Lollipop, this new software also removes the Lumen...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_50_lollipop_for_sprints_htc_one_m8_rolls_out_today-news-11101.php

Release dates leak for Verizon's Nexus 6, Galaxy Core Prime

For the past couple of days it's been obvious that Verizon is getting ready to sell the Motorola Nexus 6 soon, after all the carrier put this on its own website. If you're dying to know when exactly that will happen, a new leak should help you. According to the document below, which is purported to be some kind of official Verizon communication, the Nexus 6 should land at Big Red on February 26. But as you can see, it's not the only handset that this carrier is going to launch in the next few weeks. On March 5, the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime will make its debut at Verizon. And on March 12 the Motorola Droid Turbo will get a new color version: "sapphire blue". If you're wondering what Verizon's Nexus 6 will end up looking like, another leak says it's going to be exactly as you can see in the following image. So no, there's no escaping the ever-present Verizon logo. That will be plastered on the phone's back, but perhaps there's hope for it not to make it to the front as well. At this rate of leaks coming out, we're sure to find out soon enough. Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/release_dates_leak_for_verizons_nexus_6_and_galaxy_core_prime-news-11100.php

Lenovo S90 Sisley review: Under cover

The Lenovo S90 Sisley wants to be many things at once and one up every possible rival in the crowded midrange. An AMOLED screen, an 8MP selfie cam complete with an LED flash, Dual-SIM and LTE in a package powered by Snapdragon 410 and designed by apple but not in California.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_s90_sisley-review-1203.php

BQ Aquaris E4.5 is the first Ubuntu phone, launches next week

The ever elusive 'Ubuntu phone' concept is finally about to become reality. After the failed Ubuntu Edge campaign, Canonical (the company behind the OS) turned to partnerships with mobile device makers in order to get its software into the hands of consumers. We've been hearing that the first Ubuntu phone will launch soon for a very long time now, but that's actually going to happen next week, believe it or not. That said, the first Ubuntu smartphone will be anything but a flagship. Meet the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition. It's basically got the exact same hardware as the already available BQ Aquaris E4.5, only that runs Android. Hence the "Ubuntu Edition" moniker. The phone has a 4.5-inch 540x960 touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with dual-LED flash, and a 5 MP front-facing one. Powering things up is a MediaTek chipset with a 1.3 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, aided by 1GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8GB, and the handset comes with dual-SIM support. Interestingly, BQ will make the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition available through a series of flash sales, the first of which will happen sometime next week. This emulates the model successfully employed by many Chinese companies, especially Xiaomi. The phone will only be out in Europe. It will be sold unlocked for €169.90 (that's around $192). You'll be able to get a "SIM bundle" at purchase from one of the following carriers: 3 Sweden, amena.com in Spain, giffgaff in the UK, and Portugal Telecom. The device will obviously work on other networks too. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/bq_aquaris_e45_is_the_first_ubuntu_phone_launches_next_week-news-11099.php

Tizen-running Samsung Z1 now available in Bangladesh

The first Tizen smartphone - Samsung Z1 - was finally launched last month and the first market to get it was India. According to Samsung about 30% of the Indian phone users aren't relying on a smartphone and this where Samsung Z1 wanted tohelp. After the positive start in India, today Samsung announced it is launching the Tizen-running and TouchWiz-skinned Z1 in Bangladesh. The pricing is yet to be announced, but it should be very affordable. Samsung built the Z1 from scratch with developing markets in mind and that's why it can afford to set nothing less but a bargain price. Samsung Z1 comes with a 4" WVGA display and runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 processor with 768MB RAM. It also offers a 3MP rear camera, dual-SIM connectivity with 3G support, FM radio plus a 1,500 mAh battery. The Z1 runs on Tizen OS 2.3 skinned with TouchWiz. Samsung is also giving away some freebies - you get access to Club Samsung for a year and you will be able to enjoy live TV and free music (including videos) streaming. With the Club Samsung subscription, you also get a three-month access to movie streaming. So, if you've been waiting for the Tizen-based Samsung Z1 in Bangladesh - it is now available. And if you live elsewhere - the fact that the smartphone left India means that more markets will be getting it soon as well. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/tizenrunning_samsung_z1_now_available_in_bangladesh-news-11097.php

New Meizu m1 version certified, 1080p display and 2GB in tow

Meizu m1 went official just a week ago, shortly after its bigger sibling - the Meizu m1 note. Meizu m1 is a very affordable smartphone at $110 with great specs package - a 5" 768p display, MT6732 chip with quad-core Cortex-A53 processor and Mali-T760MP2 GPU, 1GB of RAM and 13MP rear camera. The Meizu m1 note promotes the display to 5.5" 1080p and brings faster octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM. It costs about $175. Meizu m1 is a direct rival to the Xiaomi Redmi 2, which we recently reviewed in detail. And just like the Redmi 2, it seems the Meizu m1 will get an upgrade shortly after launch. A Meizu m1 model dubbed M645A entered the Chinese certification authority. It is supposed to pack a 1080p display and come with 2GB of RAM, but may not run on Flyme OS. There were lots of rumors Meizu is developing phones that run on YunOS and Ubuntu, so this new M465A may as well be one of those. The information is scarce right now, but we expect more details to surface soon. Meanwhile you can check its connectivity features from the pictured table and stay tuned for more information. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_meizu_m1_gets_certified_in_china_1080p_display_and_2gb_in_tow-news-11096.php

Rumor: Galaxy S Edge screen to be less curvy than Note Edge

The rumor mill is abuzz with Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge tips and leaks. Reportedly the Galaxy S6 and S Edge bodies will be uniformly colored, with the same texture on the front. Apparently even the camera module will get a paint job, it's normally black regardless of the phone's color. Both new Galaxy S flagships will reportedly have metal unibodies and schematics show the Galaxy S6 will be pretty thin, 6.9mm. The camera will protrude though. As for the Galaxy S Edge, it will have Edge display on both sides. They will be 30% to 50% less curved than on the Galaxy Note, because it's a smaller handset and it has to accommodate Power and Volume buttons on the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/rumor_galaxy_s_edge_screen_to_be_less_curvy_than_note_edge-news-11094.php

Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A I9506 gets Android 5.0 Lollipop

If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 I9506 - aka S4 LTE-A or S4 LTE+ - you may have been feeling a little left out of the Lollipop update bonanza. This version of the phone has a Snapdragon 800 chipset, just like the Galaxy Note 3 and an update over the Snapdragon 600 in the I9505. Most of its siblings got Android 5.0 - the Google Play Edition and Exynos versions of the Galaxy S4, the Galaxy Note 3 as well. Anyway, the update is finally available - for SIM-free devices in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, plus Vodafone handsets in Germany and the Czech Republic. The China Unicom version of the Galaxy S4 LTE-A G9006 is being updated too. The firmware is a heavy one - 1.2GB for the European phones. The exact version those phones are receiving is Android 5.0.1, build I9506XXUDOA6, while the China Unicom software is Android 5.0, build G9006WZNU1BOA4. You can download these files to manually flash your Galaxy S4 LTE-A though that's for advanced users (make sure to back up your data first!). Hit the source link for download links, but proceed at your own risk - it's safer to wait for the OTA update to arrive in your region. This only leaves the TouchWiz version of the Snapdragon 600-based Galaxy S4 with no Lollipop. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_ltea_i9506_gets_android_50_lollipop-news-11095.php

Lava launches Iris X8, priced at around $145

Just a day after it was revealed on e-commerce website Flipkart, the Lava Iris X8 has been officially launched by the company. The device is priced at INR 8,999 ($145). The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek chipset with 1.4Ghz octa-core processor, and sports a 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel IPS display with Asahi Dragontrail glass protection. It comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory (expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card). In terms of camera, the device features a 8MP rear unit with dual LED Flash, and a 3MP front snapper. Weighing in at 160g and measuring 70.9×143.4×8.6mm, the handset packs in a 2500 mAh battery. Connectivity options include 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and USB OTG. On the software side, the X8 runs Android 4.4 (KitKat), although the company promises Android 5.0 (Lollipop) update. It also boasts of Smart Wake-up and Gesture controls for easy access to apps from lockscreen. "The Iris X8 has been carefully designed after understanding requirements of consumers who are looking for a good looking powerful smartphone which allows them with the ability to multi-task," said Navin Chawla, President & Head Product, LAVA International. Available in white and black, the X8 will be available online exclusively on Flipkart starting 12:00 noon from February 9. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lava_launches_iris_x8_priced_at_around_145-news-11091.php

Alcatel 6045 One Touch leaks with a 64-bit Snapdragon 610

A new Alcatel smartphone with a 64-bit processor has bee spotted at the GFXBenchmark database. Dubbed One Touch 6045, the phone sports a Snapdragon 610 chipset with a 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU and 2GB of RAM. GFXBenchmark is reporting the device's display to be 13.7" in size, but that's likely a mistake. Nevertheless, the exact size of the display is unknown, but its resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. The rest of the specs include a 12MP main snapper and a 7MP front-facing camera, both recording 1080p video. There's 8GB of internal storage, which is likely to be expandable via a microSD card slot. The Alcatel One Touch 6045 ran Android 5.0.2 during the testing. We should know more about the Alcatel's upcoming mid-range smartphone at the Mobile World Congress - the company is holding its event on March 1. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/alcatel_6045_one_touch_leaks_with_a_64bit_snapdragon_610-news-11090.php

Now Android 5.1 spotted running on 2nd gen Moto G

Although Google has revealed the existence of Android 5.1, and there have even been reports that the new version is already being rolled out in Android One markets markets like Indonesia, it isn't yet clear when the update will roll out for other Android devices. However, that might happen soon, as a 2nd gen Motorola Moto G (shown above) has been spotted running Android 5.1. According to a report from Techdroider, "the build seems to be of 2nd Feb and may be Motorola is still testing it." Given that neither Motorola, nor Google has confirmed this, and the image was forwarded by one of the website's followers, the news should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/now_android_51_spotted_running_on_2nd_gen_moto_g-news-11088.php

Galaxy S6 case leak confirm a double-edged S Edge exists

With MWC 2015 right around the corner the hype is on for new handset releases all over the place. Naturally Samsung is in the spotlight and the rumor mill has been overflowing with bits and pieces of the new Galaxy S6 flagship. Stories have been ranging all the way from hardware specs, like a supposed withdraw form Snapdragon SoCs and...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_s6_render_may_prove_a_doubleedged_s_edge_exists-news-11087.php

HTC Q4 2014 financial results show slim profit

HTC has outed a consolidated financial report for Q4 2014 and the company saw a quarterly revenue of $1.524 billion (NT$47.9 billion), $224 million more than the same quarter last year. After taxes, the net profit for the quarter was $15.9 million, while the gross margin was 20.4% and operating margin merely 0.4%. The company didn't share additional information on the volume of smartphones it shipped for the quarter. However, HTC notes that its diversification strategy for the quarter broaden the company's reach to consumers. With the launch of the RE camera and collaboration with fitness firm Under Armour to launch fitness and connected health devices, HTC hopes to manage expand its focus beyond the mobile market. The company is looking at Q1 2015 with its head high up and expects revenue to be between $1.32 billion and $1.43 billion (NT$41.5 billion and NT$45 billion). HTC plans to launch more entry-level smartphones next quarter in hopes to capture a larger market share. Still, we're very much looking forward to the launch of the HTC One (M9) at MWC in less than a month's time. Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_q4_2014_financial_results_show_slim_profit-news-11086.php

Lumia RM-1099 with 4-inch display under testing in India

The Lumia RM-1099 successfully passed certification in Indonesia last month, but sadly there were neither specifications, nor photos of the device available at that time because unlike other certification processes, the Indonesian authorities don't reveal any details regarding the product. However, it is now being reported that the device is getting tested in India, and the good news is that a couple its specifications have been revealed. According to an entry on Indian import tracking website Zauba (the first entry in the image above), the Lumia RM-1099 is a low-end device having a 4-inch display and dual-SIM support. Aside from the RM-1099, the RM-1110 and RM-1069 also recently passed certification in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/rm_1099_with_4inch_display_under_testing_in_india-news-11085.php

Galaxy S6 gets rendered in cases based on actual dimensions

Just a couple of hours or so after a leak showed us the alleged schematics of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6, now we get some new renders of the device. These are showing it inside cases designed by Verus, a company which claims that the following images are based on the actual size measurements of the highly anticipated smartphone. Samsung Galaxy S6 renders So while the design shown here for the handset may not be a 100% accurate representation of the final product, the dimensions and proportions should be. We also assume the curves are accurately portrayed. More Samsung Galaxy S6 renders Of course, as the phone is in a case in all of these renders it's not easy to form an opinion about its design, or its size. The placement of the rear camera and its LED flash seems to be settled, though, as we've already had many leaks saying it would be exactly where you can see it. Past rumors told us that the Samsung Galaxy S6 would be 143mm long, 70.8mm wide, and 6.91mm thick. It's said to have a metal frame, and perhaps a glass back. When it comes to specs you should expect a 5" or 5.1" QHD (2,560x1,440) Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 20MP rear camera with OIS, a 5MP front snapper, and 3GB of RAM. Running the show could be Samsung's Exynos 7420 SoC with an octa-core CPU. The smartphone will be unveiled on March 1 in Barcelona at...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/case_maker_outs_galaxy_s6_renders_based_on_actual_dimensions-news-11084.php

HTC One for Sprint, Dev version now receiving Lollipop

The Samsung Galaxy S5 isn't the only smartphone sold by Sprint that is to be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop starting today. It's joined by the original HTC One from 2013, which follows in the footsteps of its successor. Sprint has been pushing the newest version of Android to its One units since this morning. The rollout is an over-the-air affair, so your phone will notify you once it's ready to download and install. As always in these cases, keep in mind that these rollouts are usually staggered, which means it may take a few days or so for the update to reach all the devices out there. The HTC One Developer Edition is also getting the new software. This model is in the process of being upgraded to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, with Sense 6 on top. After applying its update, you'll have ROM version 7.17.1540.7. The download you'll need to perform comes in at around 702MB. If you own either of these handsets and are impatient to see the new bits on your device, you can obviously head to Settings and manually check if it's available - who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. Source 1 • Source 2 | Via 1 • Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_for_sprint_and_dev_version_now_receiving_lollipop-news-11083.php

Meizu M1 gets 100,000 orders in just one minute

The flash sale model is really taking off in the mobile world, at least in Asia. Pioneered by Xiaomi just a few years ago, it's now employed by many more companies. One of them is Meizu, which recently announced the M1 smartphone. It went up for pre-order in China, with 100,000 units being made available. And people managed to order all of those in only 60 seconds. Unlike what the term "pre-order" generally means in China, in this case it seems that money has changed hands, and those 100,000 M1 units will be shipped to the people who ordered them, at some point in the future. It's not surprising that the Meizu M1 has proven to be this successful. After all it costs just CNY 699, which is around $111 or €97 right now. For that amount of cash you get a 5-inch 1,280x768 touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, as well as a 5 MP front snapper. At the helm we can find the MediaTek MT6732 chipset, which comes with a 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU, aided by 1GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8GB, expandable via microSD, and a 2,500 mAh battery completes the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_m1_gets_100000_orders_in_just_one_minute-news-11082.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 schematics show a protruding camera

Newly leaked schematics of the Samsung Galaxy S6 have appeared and are telling a bit of a different story from the initial ones we stumbled upon not too long ago. Apparently, the Galaxy S6 will have a protruding camera module, which isn't ideal as this might make it wobble when placed on a flat surface. Nevertheless, the phone will measure 6.91mm, and not 7.2mm, as previously believed. The height and width of the phone are on par with the previous leak, 143mm x 70.8mm, suggesting that this might simply be coming from a later stage of the production. Samsung made the Galaxy S6 this thin thanks to the use of a metal frame. Photos of it leaked yesterday and show the interesting design of the sides. A photo showing the top of the phone also hints at an IR blaster. However, to make the phone this thin means that the battery capacity might be less than the Galaxy S5's. In terms of specs, we expect the phone to pack a 5" Super AMOLED display of QHD resolution, Exynos 7420 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 3GB of RAM. The 20MP camera is coupled with a 5MP front-facing one and the phone will feature a non-swipe fingerprint sensor on the home button. The Galaxy S6 prices are hinted to start at 749€ SIM-free for the 32GB model and go up by 100€ for the 64GB and 128GB tiers. Expect more information at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in Barcelona on March...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_schematics_show_a_protruding_camera-news-11081.php

ZTE announces Blade S6 Lux in China

You might remember that ZTE recently unveiled a budget-oriented handset with dual-SIM LTE connectivity. It is dubbed the Blade S6 and should be available from AliExpress globally for around $250 and also through Amazon and eBay in select markets. Today the Chinese manufacturer put a little twist to the story, announcing two devices for their home market. The handset will bear the names ZTE Blade S6 and Blade S6 Lux. While the Lux model is definitely new on the horizon the S6 is essentially a downgraded variant of what we already know of the device, but intended for the local market. The Chinese Blade S6 will essentially get a Snapdragon 410 and slower processors in place of the Snapdragon 615 in the international one as well as a slightly smaller battery. The rest of the specs seem pretty much unchanged, at least on paper, but we expect there will also be a few modifications in terms of mobile bands. The ZTE Blade S6 Lux on the other hand is a hardware improvement on the standard S6. It comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, instead of a 5.0-inch HD one and a larger 3000 mAh battery. Other than that the S6 Lux is identical to the international S6 model. They are both powered by an eight-core Snapdragon 615 setup and sport 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. Cameras are also the same - 13MP main shooter and 5MP front-facing. And to keep with the design trend of the Blade S6 the new model is also a proper iPhone look-alike. Interestingly enough all of the aforementioned devices will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box and MiFavor 3.0 UI on top. As far as availability goes all we know for now is that both the S6 and S6 Lux will be available in China. Pricing is quite competitive at CNY 1699 (about $272) and CNY 1999 (about $320), respectively. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_announced_blade_s6_lux_variant_in_china-news-11080.php

Galaxy Note Edge with Swarovski crystals makes your eyes bleed

There is a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge exclusive limited edition that you probably don't want to be seen with. The special Note Edge model has 1800 shiny Swarovski crystals all over the back. The highlight of this limited Galaxy Note Edge flavor is the recreated with crystals drawing Playing Hands by Albrecht Dürer. Crystalize Your Design has become quite popular among certain group of famous people putting Swarovski crystals on headphones, smartphones, iMacs, laptops, tablets and even champagne bottles. There is no pricing announced for the exclusive Galaxy Note Edge edition just yet, but if for some reason you are interested to find out more, just hit the source link below. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/exclusive_galaxy_note_edge_with_1800_swarovski_crystals-news-11079.php

HTC One (M9) leaked again, this time in a Dot View case

The HTC One (M9) is due to be officially announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in the beginning of March. Still, we're only a few leaks away from being able to draw a complete picture of the upcoming flagship. This next piece of the puzzle is brought to us by an HTC employee, who chose (or was he encouraged?) to share live images of a Dot View case on Chinese social site Weibo. HTC's official case, photographed from the back, confirms the large camera lens, that's been also visible in numerous previous leaks. HTC One (M9) Dot View case • Render, based on latest rumors The front raises a few questions, though. A recent supposedly official image showed the selfie camera placed along the central axis of the phone. The pictured Dot View case, however, has the cutout on the front slightly to the right. It's not in the same position as the One (M8) so that's not the previous generation case, either. We recently showed you the chassis of the One (M9) in gold attire as well as aftermarket protective cases, both confirming the large camera lens on the back. However, not a single live image has surfaced of the front just yet, so HTC might surprise us after...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m9_leaked_again_this_time_in_a_dot_view_case-news-11078.php

Gionee prepares an ultra-slim phone for MWC 2015

Gionee has officially announced it is preparing to launch a new, ultra-slim smartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March. More specifically, the yet unnamed phone will be launched at Hall 8 on March 2015. "The race to make the slimmest smartphone was getting out of hand. Going so slim is actually not benefiting user experience without the performance to back it up," said by Oliver Sha, head of global marketing of Gionee. It'll be nice to see what the company has in store, but it's clear that Gionee isn't the only one wanting to carry the crown of thinnest phone manufacturer. The company's thinnest smartphone is the Elife S5.1 measuring just 5.2mm thick, but it was decrowned by the Oppo R5 at 4.9mm. Subsequently, Vivo came out with the 4.8mm X5 Max, but in the end the Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini with its 4.7mm profile is currnetly on top. It wouldn't be surprising to see Gionee's latest smartphone to carry a MediaTek chipset and either a 720p or 1080p display. Either way, we're in for a lightweight phone with a non-removable battery. Here's hoping the later is larger than Elife S5.1's 2050 mAh unit. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/gionee_prepares_an_ultraslim_phone_for_mwc_2015-news-11077.php

Sony E2003/E2033 mid-ranger with 64-bit chipset uncovered

A new Sony mid-range phone is in the works, its existence given away by GFX Bench. The Sony E2003/E2033 looks like a successor to the Xperia E3 with a 4.6" qHD screen (540 x 960px) and a 64-bit MediaTek chipset. The chipset is MT6752 with four Cortex-A53 cores (at 1.5GHz), coupled with 1GB of RAM and a Mali-T760 GPU. There's also around 5GB of user-available storage pointing to 8GB total. The phone runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, surely with Sony's usual skin. The Sony E2003/E2033 has s 5MP main camera that shoots 1080p video and a 2MP front-facing camera that goes up to the unusual video resolution of 1,600 x 1,200px. This is a single-SIM device (at least these two versions are) and the chipset supports LTE though that's not something that the benchmark can detect. Sony has a MWC event for March 2 and while we are not sure if it will feature the Xperia Z4, this E2003/E2033 mid-ranger might show up to fill in the ranks. The whole thing sounds almost exactly like the Xperia E4, though that one has a bigger screen (5") and a 32-bit processor (based on Cortex-A7). That one has a model number of E2105 and was previewed in December, months before it's official unveiling. Source | Via (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_e2003_e2033_midranger_with_64bit_chipset_uncovered-news-11076.php

Vertu Clous De Paris is a pricy Velentine's Day gift

Around Valentine's Day we usually see a number of pink phones launching, but Vertu is too classy for that. Instead the Clous De Paris is made of Grade-5 titanium engraved with a guilloche pattern and upholstered with alligator skin crafted by French and Italian tanneries. The phone is based on the Vertu Signature Touch and features Bang & Olufsen tuned audio, ringtones by the London Symphony Orchestra, a 13MP Hasselblad camera and 24-hour concierge services. The more technical specs include a 4.7" 1080p display protected by sapphire glass, a Snapdragon 801 chipset, 64GB of built-in storage, stereo speakers, 2,275mAh battery with Qi wireless charging and LTE connectivity. The Vertu Clous De Paris is priced at £11,800, with a safe shipping guaranteed and duty taxes already paid. It's available in Vertu boutiques and...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vertu_clous_de_paris_is_a_pricy_velentines_day_gift-news-11075.php

Lollipop update for Xperia Z2 and Z3 coming soon

Sony has regularly been criticized for its support policies, leaving behind mid-range models and taking its time with flagship updates. The entire Xperia Z lineup has been promised the Lollipop update, though, and the company is slowly delivering. Vodafone Australia has confirmed that the Android 5.0 update for the Xperia Z3 and Z2 is nearing, with the carrier awaiting the software for testing later this month. That would likely push the actual release to March for Vodafone branded devices. Stock firmware Xperias should receive the update somewhat earlier. The HTC One (M8) update, mentioned in the Vodafone document, is no headline news to us, as we've already witnessed it seeding in India and Europe among other countries. Still, Aussie folks should expect it anytime soon, as it's already in the testing phase. Android 5.0 has finally worked its way to the OS distribution chart this month, and with more manufacturers catching up, we should see it climb up the ranks in following releases of the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_update_for_xperia_z2_and_z3_coming_soon-news-11074.php

Snapdragon 618 and 620 specs leak, show Cortex-A72 cores

Leaked specs for two upcoming Qualcomm chipsets, the Snapdragon 618 and 620, reveal they will use big.LITTLE setups with ARM's new Cortex-A72 core. The 620 has leaked previously, but with entirely different specs. According to the new leak, the Snapdragon 620 (8976) has four Cortex-A72 cores (codenamed Maia) and four Cortex-A53. The Snapdragon 618 (8956) is similar, but has only two A72s. Both use a new Adreno 510 GPU, which is the low-power version of the Adreno 530 to be sound in the new Snapdragon 820 and 815. Leaked specs for Snapdragon 620 and 618 The chipsets can handle two 13MP cameras (at 930Mpix/sec), or one camera of up to 21MP resolution. For video they top out at 2160p @ 30fps or 1080p @ 120fps. On the connectivity side there's LTE Cat. 6 (300Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, Miracast, HDMI and USB 2.0. The Snapdragon 620 and 618 will be made on a 28nm process, the same one as the Snapdragon 800, 410 and other popular chipsets. The rumor for the Snapdragon 625 and 629 promised a more efficient 20m process, while the new 815 and 820 chipsets will go down to 14nm. That's not the only inconsistency - the previous 620 leak showed a quad-core processor with Taipan cores (the successor to Qualcomm's custom Krait core) and Adreno 418, plus Cat. 10 LTE. So take it all with a healthy pinch of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/snapdragon_618_and_620_specs_leak_show_cortexa72_cores-news-11073.php

20,000 Lenovo A6000 phones sold in 3 seconds

Lenovo conducted its second flash sale of the A6000 and it was as an unmitigated success. The affordable LTE-enabled smartphone went up for sale of Flipkart in India and 20,000 units were snatched in a matter of three seconds. This is becoming a norm for this particular handset as last Wednesday (January 28) the initial flash sale event saw 10,000 phone sales in just two seconds. The particular sales model seem to be so effective that Lenovo has already announced its intention to have a third round on February 11. Willing customers, who have missed the narrow window to get their hands on the A6000 need to register for the shopping frenzy. The manufacturer did not reveal how many units will be going on sale next week, but judging from the avalanche of sales the number of available units should be ramped-up even higher. Thanks for the phenomenal response! Next SALE on the 11th of Feb. Register on @Flipkart from 6 PM TODAY. pic.twitter.com/XOD4N46u44— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) February 4, 2015 The Lenovo A6000 is a decent mid-range offer, built-around a 64-bit capable Snapdragon 410 chipset with four Cortex-A53 cores, clocked at 1.2 GHz. It comes equipped with 1GB pf RAM and 8GB internal memory and boasts a 5.0-inch 720p IPS screen. Cameras are an 8MP main shooter and 2MP front one. The device is dual-SIM supporting and comes with Dual-Mode LTE (TD-LTE Band 40 and FD-LTE Band 20), WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Lenovo's own Vibe UI 2.0 on top. The Lenovo A6000 currently retails for INR 6,999 or about $113. This is an awesome deal for an LTE device and it's no wonder the handset is taking the developing India market by storm. The push continues to deliver high-tech current technology on a budget to this new emerging huge market and Lenovo is definitely on the right track along with ambitious undertakings such as Android...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/20000_lenovo_a6000_phones_sold_in_3_seconds-news-11072.php

BT confirms EE acquisition in $19 billion deal

Confirming rumours that had been circulating late last year, the British telecommunications giant BT has announced that it has agreed to acquire the UK's leading mobile carrier EE, effectively putting itself back into mobile services. The deal is worth $19 billion (£12.5 billion), with BT paying EE owners Deutsche Telekom and Orange in cash and shares. The deal means that BT will have access to EE's 31 million customers of which around 24.5 million are direct mobile customers, while nearly 834,000 are fixed broadband customers. The latter also has the largest 4G customer base of any operator in Europe. Following the purchase, Deutsche Telekom will hold a 12% stake in BT and will be entitled to appoint one non-executive member of the BT Board of Directors. Orange will hold a 4% stake in BT. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/british_telecommunications_giant_bt_to_acquire_ee_for_19_billion-news-11071.php

Lollipop update coming to Sprint's Galaxy S5 today

Just a day after HTC confirmed that the Sprint HTC One (M7) will start receiving the Android 5.0 update today, it looks like the carrier's Galaxy S5 will get the update too. According to Samsung's official support page, the S5 Lollipop update will roll out today, bumping the device to software version G900PVPU1AOA6, and will also include an enhanced Voice over Wi-Fi user interface, as well as the removal of the Lumen tool bar. The news also comes just days after the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S5 started receiving the Android 5.0 update. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lollipop_update_coming_to_sprints_galaxy_s5_today-news-11070.php

Otterbox cases for HTC One (M9) make the rounds

A lineup of Otterbox cases for the upcoming HTC One (M9) made the rounds online. The Taiwan-based manufacturer will reveal a duo of flagship smartphones in less than a month, on March 1 in Barcelona. Showcased in gray and black, the Otterbox cases appear to be from the company's Defender series. The accessories once again reveal the large, squarish camera which the HTC One (M9) packs. The covers are scheduled to become available on April 1. Their price tag will be € 29.95. HTC One (M9) is all but certain to arrive in two different variants. Rumored specs of the smartphone include Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 20.7MP camera coupled with 4MP UltraPixel front-facing snapper. Source (in Dutch) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/otterbox_cases_for_htc_one_m9_make_the_rounds-news-11068.php

HTC One (M9) leaks out dressed in gold

Live photos of the upcoming HTC One (M9) made the rounds online yet again. This time around, the upcoming flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer posed for the camera in gold color scheme. Right in line with past leaks, the live photos once again allow us to catch a glimpse of the large squarish cutout for the handset's camera. The latter is said to be a 20.7MP unit, coupled with a 4MP UltraPixel front-facing snapper. Furthermore, the latest batch of leaked photos reveal the inside of the device's machined metal body. The grey bits we see are reserved for the smartphone's wireless antennas. HTC One (M9) will make its official debut in less than a month, on March 1 in Barcelona. Two variants of the flagship are expected - One (M9) and One (M9) Plus. Both variants will pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. Source (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m9_leaks_out_dressed_in_gold_-news-11067.php

Android One devices in India to get Lollipop in the next few weeks

The update to Lollipop for the three Android One devices available in India will finally be out "in the next few weeks". This is according to Google's Indian arm, so it's official as can be. Unfortunately though, this vague timeline is all we have for now, as the company behind those updates hasn't yet decided to share anything more on the matter. Last we heard anything about Android Lollipop updates for the Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, and Spice Dream Uno, they were supposedly going to arrive by the end of January. That obviously hasn't happened. And today Google took its Android One initiative to Indonesia, where the three handsets that have launched all ship with Android 5.1 Lollipop preinstalled. Given this fact, it will be interesting to see if the Indian Android One phones will jump straight to this version of the OS, or first receive updates to 5.0. If the former possibility becomes reality, then the long delay in releasing Lollipop for Android One devices may have had something to do with bugs or lack of optimizations for the low-end hardware they sport. Google has promised swift OS upgrades for Android One, but in this case it may have simply decided to wait for its engineers to finalize Android 5.1, which is hopefully going to be less riddled with issues than the initial Lollipop release. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_one_devices_in_india_to_get_lollipop_in_the_next_few_weeks-news-11066.php

iOS overtakes Android in the US in Q4 2014, report says

If you needed more proof about how successful Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been, especially in the US market, then this is going to be it. According to the analysts at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, iOS has managed to take the lead from Android in the US smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2014 (so between October and December). Granted, Apple's managed to sell only slightly more iOS devices than all Android makers combined - the difference is just 0.1%. Still, it's interesting because the last time something like this happened was in Q4 of 2012. For the last three months of last year, Kantar says 47.7% of smartphones sold in the US were iPhones, while 47.6% ran Android. Windows Phone accounted for 3.8% of the market, while BlackBerry had to make do with just 0.3%. Throughout the holiday quarter, the iPhone 6 was the best selling smartphone in the US, as well as the most popular handset to be given as a gift. Samsung's Galaxy S5 was the second best. When it comes to brand loyalty, Apple is leading again, with 87% in the US and Europe. Samsung fares the best out of the Android device makers with 62%. Obviously though, Android remains the biggest mobile OS worldwide, with a 66.1% share in Europe and 77% in China. That said, smartphone penetration is still just 59% in the US and 67% in the top five European markets, which means there's still growth to come. While reading the numbers above keep in mind that ComTech is a consumer panel, getting its data from interviews with ordinary people. This is different from other approaches, which prefer to track actual shipments of devices from manufacturers to retailers and carriers. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/ios_overtakes_android_in_the_us_in_q4_2014_report_says-news-11065.php

Oppo R5 is now available for pre-order in the UK

Oppo's brief world record holder for thinnest smartphone has shown up on Amazon's UK site and is now available for pre-order. The precious units are set to start shipping as early as February 20. The Oppo R5 is a stylish midrange offering, packing a 5.2-inch FullHD display in a slender 4.85mm body. That wasn't thin enough, the competition deemed, and the R5 is now in third place behind the Ivvi K1 Mini and the Vivo X5Max. That shouldn't make it any less desireable, though, as the two-tone aluminum body is a true stunner. The rest of the Oppo R5 specs are not too shabby either. A Snapdragon 615 chipset is on board, featuring an octa-core processor, Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB of RAM. Where the R5 falls short is battery capacity, which at 2000mAh proves barely adequate for the screen size, but that's the trade-off for the super-thin profile. The SIM-free Oppo R5 is listed at £296.99 but you can also claim a free Oppo powerbank with it to address the battery capacity...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_r5_is_now_available_for_preorder_in_the_uk-news-11064.php

Android 5.1 Lollipop is now official, changelog coming soon

Android 5.1 Lollipop name has been creating quite a buzz over the social networks through the last few hours. The new version has appeared on various screenshots and its name and build numbers popped up through various logs. Google has already confirmed the next Android iteration - 5.1 Lollipop - via its official Android One page. There you can clearly see the mention of the new Android OS though there are no details on the improvements. The new Android version is already shipping with the Android One devices listed on the official web page, including the Nexian Journey many people posted screenshots of. We guess lots of bug fixes and performance boosts will be in tow with the update, but Google is yet to release the official changelog, builds and source code. Once we get the complete lists of changes, you bet we'll post it immediately. Stay...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_51_lollipop_officially_confirmed_changelog_coming_soon-news-11063.php

Sony Xperia Z4 to sport slim bezels and new speaker design

The Sony Xperia Z4 is one of the less likely announcements expected to be seen at the MWC a few weeks from now, judging by the lack of tangible info on the device. A recent leak on Chinese social network Weibo, however, might force us to rethink that position. A couple of front panels have appeared in live images revealing interesting facts about the upcoming flagship, and suggesting its nearing launch. Revolutionary changes are out of the question obviously, but a few design tweaks are observed. Most noticeably, the front camera and ambient light/proximity sensors have swapped positions. The bezels appear marginally slimmer than the ones on the previous generation, but if Sony's design language is to be followed, the outer frame will add a few more millimeters to the footprint. In a move away from the Xperia Z3 and back to the Xperia Z2 the speakers have been repositioned behind thin slits at the edges of the panel. HTC One (M9) was recently revealed to sport a similar design. No additional info has surfaced on the hardware, but the prevailing top-end specsheet of the year includes a Snapdragon 810 SoC, and 4GB of RAM. Screen size will be anywhere between 5.2 and 5.5 inches and perhaps both FullHD and QHD resolutions will be available. Either way, the wait for the Mobile World Congress just got even more exciting. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z4_to_sport_slim_bezels_and_new_speaker_design-news-11062.php

Xiaomi schedules event for February 12 in San Francisco

Xiaomi may be the world's third-biggest smartphone maker, but most of its products never leave China. The company is reportedly looking to open up shop in India, but now the company is taking a trip to the US. There, in San Francisco specifically, the company will hold an event on February 12. It's not clear what the topic will be though - opening a store, recruiting employees or just visiting? The company has already unveiled two new devices this year - Redmi 2 and Mi Note (with a Mi Note Pro version), so it's probably soon for a new announcement Whatever the reason, the event is a big deal - San Francisco is the home of many startups and tech giants are a stone's throw away, with both Apple and Google campuses not far from there (Xiaomi's VP of International Hugo Barra is a former Googler). The location can't be a coincidence and sends clear message, especially to the former giants that Xiaomi leapfrogged to get into the Top 3. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_schedules_event_for_february_12_in_san_francisco-news-11061.php

Leaked doc points to QHD screen on the LG G4

There are two rumors about the LG G4 - one claims a 3K display, another claims a QHD one (what some might call 2.5K). A third piece of evidence swings the vote in favor of QHD, this comes from a leaked XML file extracted from a Lollipop ROM. The file lists the LG F500 as "G4 (QHD)." It has three versions (S, K and L), which correspond to the three major carriers in South Korea. The LG G3 is F400 with the same three versions. To clear up initialism "QHD" stands for 1,440 x 2,560px while "3K" is 1,62 x 2,880px. This entry is surrounded by the LG F490 (LG G3 Screen) and LG F510 (LG G Flex 2), both with FullHD resolution, which corresponds to the official specs. A fourth, unknown device "LG F540" will have an HD screen (that's 720p). It's not clear what this is, it doesn't correspond to LG G mini numbers, but the LG Aka has a model number of F520, which has a 5" 720p screen. Anyway, this leaves the question of the 3K screen on the LG VS999, a Verizon phone according to the model name. This may be a bespoke version for the carrier, AT&T's version will have a QHD display (1,440 x 2,560px). Either way, we won't see them at the MWC, the G4 announcement is expected later this year. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_doc_points_to_qhd_screen_on_the_lg_g4-news-11060.php

Windows-powered One (M9) rumored, to be US exclusive

HTC Hima has been in the rumorland for quite a while, leaking with pictures, specs, camera samples and everything. It should be announced at the MWC in March in Barcelona as the HTC One (M9) and will be coming with a 5" 1080p display, Snapdragon 810 chipset 20MP dual camera setup at the back and an 4MP UltraPixel sensor for selfies at front. The upcoming Hima has already been tipped to come running on Windows as well. Today @upleaks confirmed the HimaW is the codename for the Windows 10 model of One (M9) and it won't be announced at the upcoming MWC but on a later date. The popular tipster also mentions the HimaW will be sold exclusively in the USA. That's certainly heart-breaking news for WP and HTC fans elsewhere. Microsoft and Qualcomm have already announced we can expect Snapdragon 810-powered Windows devices in 2015, plus HTC has already released a Windows version of its One (M8) flagship. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/windowspowered_one_m9_aka_himaw_to_be_us_exclusive-news-11059.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 metal frame revealed in photos

The first photos of the Samsung Galaxy S6 metal frame have surfaced. Moreover, the new photos portray the frame from all angles and show the layout of its ports and buttons. Leaked schematics of the phone suggest it'll measure just 7.2mm thick and the sides look have a carved design. At the top, there are plastic cutouts for the antennas, a secondary microphone and what looks to be a cutout for an IR blaster. The left side holds the volume rocker, while on the right there's the Power/Lock button and a SIM tray. Samsung Galaxy S6 metal frame The bottom is quite busy with a microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, main mic and a single speaker grille. The camera is rumored to be 20MP and take a large place at the back and next to it is the LED flash and heart rate sensor. In terms of specs, we expect the phone to pack a 5" Super AMOLED display of QHD resolution, Exynos 7420 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 3GB of RAM. The 20MP camera is coupled with a 5MP front-facing one and the phone will feature a non-swipe fingerprint sensor on the home button. Finally, the source of the photos confirms the pricing scheme of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge, which leaked yesterday. The base Galaxy S6 will sport 32GB memory and will cost 749€ SIM-free, while the 64GB and 128GB will sale for 849€ and 949€, respectively. The Galaxy S Edge will start from 849€ for the 32GB version. The 64GB will go for 949€ and 128GB one for 1049€. The Galaxy S6 will be offered in dark blue, blue-green, gold, and white. We'll know everything about the phone from the company's March 1 Galaxy Unpacked event in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_metal_frame_revealed_in_photos-news-11058.php

630,000 Galaxy Note Edge units have been sold since launch

Last September, Samsung unveiled two phablet flagships: the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge. Since the only major difference between the two was the screen - the latter, as you'd probably know, features a distinctive curved display on one of its edges - it was a bit difficult to predict how well the Note Edge would sell. But now, it is being reported that Samsung has sold around 630,000 Galaxy Note Edge smartphones since the device's launch. Agreed, that's even no where near the 4.5 million Galaxy Note 4 units sold in the very first month of its availability, but the number isn't as bad as some would have suggested, especially considering the fact that the device comes with an even higher price tag. In fact, that's good news for Samsung, which is expected to unveil its next flagship, the Galaxy S6, as well as its curved screen cousin, the Galaxy S Edge, at Mobile World Congress next month. In case you aren't aware, the company has already sent out invites for its Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event, and has also confirmed that there will be no US-based Unpacked event this...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/630000_galaxy_note_edge_units_have_been_sold_since_launch-news-11055.php

Sony expects smaller loss in 2014, mobile division slowing down

Sony revealed that it expects the annual loss for its financial year 2014 (which ends on March 31) to be smaller than expected by analysts and the revenue to be bigger. The buoys are the PlayStation and the image sensor divisions, while the Xperia smartphone business is still struggling. Smartphone sales in China are slowing down and Sony cut its forecast for the full-year sales from 41 million smartphones to 39.2 million. This means the company expects to sell just 8 million phones in the three months ending in March, that would make it the lowest quarter of the financial year (it went 9.4M - 9.9M - 11.9M). Despite smaller unit sales, the division will return a small profit of JPY 9.3 billion ($79 million), better than expected. Still, for the full 2014 Sony expects the mobile division to lose JPY 215 billion ($1.83 billion), up from JPY 204 billion ($1.74 billion) predicted in October. That's on an estimated revenue of JPY 1,320 billion ($11.3 billion). Sony had already cut 1,000 jobs but plans further cuts - 2,100 by March 2016. Kazuo Hirai, CEO of Sony, will announce a new business strategy on February 18, but has given no official details (some are already expecting the worst). The game division is expected to finish the quarter with JPY 1,380 billion ($11.8 billion) in revenue making JPY 40 billion in operating income ($340 million). The Devices division (maker of image sensors) will be the other big earner with JPY 100 billion ($852 million) in expected operating profit on JPY 950 billion ($8 billion) in revenue. The consolidated revenue for 2014 is JPY 8,000 billion ($68 billion) with a net loss of JPY 5 billion ($42 million). These are predicted numbers, Sony will delay the release of the actual numbers (including the results for the final quarter of the financial year) because of the hack of Sony Pictures. Source (PDF) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_expects_smaller_loss_in_2014_mobile_division_slowing_down-news-11056.php