Huawei Ascend P8 prototype gets caught in live photos

Alleged live photos of a Huawei Ascend P8 prototype made the rounds online. The previously leaked, upcoming smartphone is wearing a case to conceal its sleek body. In addition to the live images, a trio of AnTuTu screenshots captured from the device seemingly confirm its specs. They include Huawei's own Kirin 930 64-bit chipset with oct-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, 13MP main camera, 8MP front-facing snapper, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. Another purported screenshot from the device shows an AnTuTu score of 47,426. The latter puts the performance of Huawei Ascend P8 in the same ballpark as today's crop of high-end smartphones. Huawei Ascend P8 is expected to debut in April. Its rumored price tag is roughly $480....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_p8_prototype_gets_caught_in_live_photos-news-11275.php

Week 8 in review: Galaxy S6, One (M9), new mobile SoCs

With MWC 2015 only a few days away all eyes are on the big mobile players and their next flagship devices. It seems that all month Samsung has been in the spotlight with its highly-anticipated Galaxy S6 and this week is no different. Except instead of vague renders and case leaks we are seeing more and more actual bits and pieces from the phone. It is now clear that the device will spout a 2,600 mAh battery pack, inside its 6.9 mm thin body. Performance-wise the Galaxy S6 is a true beast judging as much from Samsung's opinion of the upcoming device as from benchmark scores of the Exynos processor, which break all previous benchmark records. And things are only looking up for the Korean giant in terms of processing power, thanks to the recent expansion of the in-house Exynos line and the new 14nm FinFET manufacturing process, which we should see debuting as the Exynos 7 in the aforementioned Galaxy flagship. HTC has naturally been getting a lot of attention as well. Fans are looking forward to the new HTC One(M9) and One (M9) Plus handsets, whose specs were leaked in a benchmark score as well. Sadly according to another leak the two phones will not feature a dual-camera setup, like their predecessor. During the past days we also saw a number of other new device leaks by Lenovo and Sony. Presumably these handsets will be present at the Barcelona venue and we will be able to take a closer look. In other news Qualcomm expanded its mid-range chipset lineup with new affordable solutions, offering advanced features at a budget price. If you think you might have missed anything important during the past week, below is a table of what you found most interesting, so take a quick glance for a concise overview. .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; } Samsung Galaxy S6 battery seen in the flesh Live images from a manufacturing facility confirm the 2600mAh battery capacity. Samsung Galaxy S6 case leak confirms 6.9mm thickness With the launch of its OBLIQ Slim Meta cases, the company has confirmed the thickness of the Galaxy S6. HTC One (M9) and One (M9) Plus specs leak in new benchmark This new leak promises a highly impressive selfie camera - 12MP with 2160p video capture. New Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser promises performance It also hints at a long battery life, plus the lightning bolt icon could well be a nod to wireless charging. Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 found to run cooler than the 801 The newer chipset was found to run cooler in both, gaming as well as 4K video recording tests. Alleged wallpaper image from HTC One M9 leaks out HTC will unveil its next smartphone flagship in less than two weeks, on March 1 in Barcelona. XDA-Devs find way to install Windows 10 on any Lumia The process is slightly hair-raising and shouldn't be done on your primary phone in case it goes wrong. Asus Zenfone 2 goes on pre-order, pricier than expected That's only from AliExpress for now, but the base 2GB model costs $300, not $200 as announced. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge tops Geekbench results Far ahead of early Snapdragon 810 results, it also beats Nvidia's Denver cores. HTC One (M9) leaked cases confirm lack of Duo camera No more dual camera as already suspected, but no final images of the smartphone either. Nokia Lumia 520 now available for just $29 on eBay The online retailer is claiming that close to 8,500 units of the device have been sold...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/week_8_in_review-news-11267.php

Micromax Bolt D321 is now listed on official website

Micromax has quietly listed the new Bolt D321 Dual-SIM phone on its official website. Joining the Bolt series, the new smartphone is yet to get a formal announcement and a price tag. New Bolt D321 offers a 5-inch FWVGA display and is powered with a modest dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6572 mobile chipset coupled with mere 512MB RAM. Running the Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the handset brings Voice Commands support along with pre-loaded apps such as Opera Mini, Truecaller, Clean Master, Saavn, Snapdeal, Quickr, and more. The storage is limited at 4GB but you can add up to 32GB microSD card. Even 1800 mAh battery backup would be enough for this 'big screen entertainment' promising phone. At the rear is a 5MP camera with fixed focus and LED flash. The 0.3MP front facing camera might not be good enough to click selfies. Supporting 3G network connectivity, one can always enjoy fast downloads over Wi-Fi network. This smartphone is set to arrive in white and blue color...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/micromax_bolt_d321_is_now_listed_on_official_website-news-11274.php

Documents connect RM-1109 to the unannounced Lumia 640

Less than a couple of weeks before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015 in Barcelona officially kicks off, information regarding a new Microsoft Lumia smartphone (model number: RM-1109) has surfaced. According to Brazilian website JanelaTech, which cited documents from the country's regulatory agency Anatel, the device will be the Lumia 640 Dual SIM DTV. It is allegedly a dual SIM smartphone that sports integrated digital television (DTV) and supports 3G and Bluetooth 4.0. In addition, it was also revealed that the handset will be marketed with the following accessories: AC-20B charger, battery Lithium-T5C BV, and WH108 headset. The Lumia 640 could be announced at the upcoming MWC given that Microsoft has only requested confidentiality for the device until March...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/documents_connect_rm1109_to_the_unannounced_lumia_640-news-11273.php

Motorola is announcing something on February 25

Motorola is slowly letting people in the media know that it has something planned for February 25, which is next Wednesday. On that day, the company will be making "an exciting announcement". What it will unveil, though, is still unknown. It's an unconventional product launch, that's for sure. Motorola is sending media outlets a mysterious box, which is set to arrive at their doorsteps on the aforementioned date. The contents of the box haven't been revealed yet, but apparently "everything you need fits inside one box". So those who will receive these boxes will be "in the front row" for the announcement thanks to what's in the box. It's all rather puzzling. But MWC is fast approaching, and perhaps Motorola wants to steal some thunder from Samsung and HTC, who are set to intro their new flagships at the end of next week. The Lenovo-owned company may be presenting a successor to the Moto 360, or perhaps a new smartphone. Stay tuned and we'll find out. Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_is_announcing_something_on_february_25-news-11272.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 now said to sport 16MP camera

The Samsung Galaxy S6 has been leaking a lot lately, that's for sure. And while many details about it have shown up in a very high number of rumors, hence leading us to believe they're pretty much confirmed, one thing hasn't been as clear. We're talking about what resolution the phone's camera will employ. So far we've basically heard two options: either a 20MP unit or a 16MP one. So which one is it? Well, a new rumor on the matter aims to clear the confusion. Apparently Galaxy S6 prototypes with a 20MP camera made by Samsung have been tested, which is why we've heard so much about this choice. But, for whatever reason, the Korean company reportedly decided to go with a 16MP Sony-made IMX240 sensor after all. So this will be in the selling Galaxy S6 devices. It is in fact the exact same sensor that's present in the Galaxy Note 4, yet Samsung has allegedly made "considerable tweaks" to the lens and camera software. Although exact details about this haven't surfaced yet, it's possible that said improvements targeted low-light photography, because the company's S6 teasers have hinted at great performance in that area. The Galaxy S6 will be revealed on March 1 at MWC in Barcelona. It will probably feature a 5" or 5.1" QHD (2,560x1,440) Super AMOLED touchscreen, Samsung's upcoming Exynos 7420 SoC with an octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, along with 4G LTE and all the usual connectivity options. Its battery may only be a 2,600 mAh cell, while the software should be Android 5.0 Lollipop with Samsung's own UI overlay on...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_now_said_to_sport_16mp_camera-news-11271.php

Nexus 6 vs. Galaxy Note 4: A game of Battleships

Google and Samsung. The two pillars of Android are good at being partners, but their rivalry is even more exciting to watch. Especially when they pull out their best. The Nexus 6 and the Galaxy Note 4. The two want to be the defining Android device...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_6_vs_galaxy_note_4-review-1210.php

Apple to out public betas for iOS 8.3 and iOS 9

Apple is apparently planning on releasing public beta versions for both iOS 8.3 and iOS 9 this year, according to a rumor on the matter. This information reportedly comes from "multiple people briefed on the plans", which means it should be reasonably accurate. If true, this would be a big shift in Apple's way of developing its mobile software. Up until now, only registered developers have had access to the company's beta releases for iOS. And as being an iOS developer entails a $99 yearly fee, the public at large mostly hasn't ever seen any beta builds of iOS. There have been instances of people selling beta downloads from developer accounts, but their success has likely been limited. This change probably comes as a reaction to the pretty bad rap iOS 8 got in terms of stability and bugs. It's safe to say this wasn't Apple's smoothest release ever, and the company seems to think that getting more people involved in beta testing future versions should make those less prone to having various issues - which makes sense of course. Allegedly only 100,000 people will be allowed into the upcoming beta testing program, in order for this to maintain a level of exclusivity. So get ready for this to become yet another thing people brag about (if they get in). Apple's used the limited number of testers scheme before, when it released a public beta of Mac OS X for the first time last year, though in that case 1 million people were able to join. The Mac betas will continue later this year. On the iOS side, we should see the 8.3 public beta be out sometime in mid-March. This will match the third beta for developers, which will be available the same week. Further down the road, iOS 9 will be officially introduced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June. This will get a public beta release later in the summer, with the final launch scheduled for the fall. We've heard before that iOS 9 will be focused primarily on bug fixes and stability improvements. iOS 8.3, on the other hand, will bring support for Wireless CarPlay, as well as a new Emoji keyboard, an enhanced voice for Siri, and simpler login procedures for Google services. The people who will become beta testers for these releases will be able to use a special app to report bugs to...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_to_out_public_betas_for_ios_83_and_ios_9-news-11270.php

Itskins cases for Samsung Galaxy S6 will ship on March 15

Waiting for things to be announced is too outdated, so these days case manufacturers take pre-orders for cases that fit on phones yet to be revealed. Itskins is already advertising its Samsung Galaxy S6 designs and if you pre-order one yours will ship on March 15. This, of course, suggests that the Galaxy S6 itself will launch around that time, otherwise you'll be holding an empty case for a few months until the new flagship arrives. We've seen the design of Samsung's upcoming top dog a number of times, but if you're curious for another look - plus a survey of what Itskins has to offer, here's the full lineup. Itskins cases for the Samsung Galaxy S6 The Samsung Galaxy S6 and its S6 Edge sibling will debut on March 1. It looks like Samsung will implement and Apple-style strategy of launching the phone while the buzz is strong. Thanks to Itskins for sending this...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/itskins_cases_for_samsung_galaxy_s6_will_ship_on_march_15-news-11269.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge concept video looks awesome

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 has been the inspiration behind a number of renders over the past weeks. Today we're being treated to another take on the matter and this time we get both the Galaxy S6 and its Edge variety side by side. Samsung Galaxy S6 renders Created by designers Ivo Maric and Jermaine Smit, the concept video sums up all the available information, that's become public so far. The 6.9mm thin profile with a surrounding metal frame and glass back both add up to a hot looking body. The unsightly bump for the camera lens was unfortunately unavoidable with such thin waistline. The new flash/sensor arrangement has been the least disputed feature of the upcoming top-tier smartphone, confirmed by numerous leaks. Blending the Samsung Galaxy S6 vision with the existing Galaxy Note Edge results in the Galaxy S6 Edge concept. The special brother to the upcoming flagship has been less keen to show up in leaks, but the artists have closely followed Samsung's design language, and are unlikely to be off by much. A possible solution for a wireless charging station has also entertained the designers' imagination. Anyhow, with MWC less than 10 days ahead the wait is almost over. We'll finally get to see the highly anticipated flagship duo at Samsung's Unpacked event on March...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_and_s6_edge_rendered_yet_again_in_a_video-news-11268.php

Sixth Lenovo smartphone confirmed for its MWC lineup

Yesterday, we reported on Lenovo's upcoming line-up of five smartphones for MWC 2015, but we've been tipped that there's in fact one more phone that will debut there. As it turns out, the sixth new Vibe member is the Vibe Max, which isn't the same as the Vibe Shot. The Lenovo Vibe Max, as MXPhone.com tipped us, is a big screen device with a 6.0" display boasting QHD resolution. It's performance oriented, but specifics on the chipset aren't available yet. The Vibe Max will be the first Android smartphone from Lenovo to pack a stylus. It's called AnyPen and we suspect it will be able to do some cool stuff, although details are scarce. The Vibe Max also packs a big battery, probably north of 4,000mAh and the phone will include a fingerprint sensor and NFC connectivity. Sadly, photos of the phone aren't available yet. At the Mobile World Congress this year, Lenovo will reveal its 2015 Android line-up including the Vibe S1, Vibe X3, Vibe P1, Vibe P1 Pro and the Vibe Shot in addition to the Vibe Max. Thanks for the tip, Panu...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sixth_lenovo_smartphone_confirmed_for_impressive_mwc_lineup-news-11264.php

Huawei puts Ascend Y540 on sale, forgets to announce it

A new budget-minded Huawei handset has been made available without an official announcement. The Ascend Y540 comes with entry-level hardware and retails in Europe for around €100-€110. For that amount of money you get a Snapdragon 200 chipset with 1.3GHz dual-core processor, one-upping the 1.2GHz clock rate of the Ascend Y530. More significantly, RAM has been doubled to 1GB for improved performance. Targeting budget-conscious buyers, the new generation features dual SIM slots with dual standby support. To address the increased power draw, battery capacity has reached 1950mAh. Android KitKat is on board, and that wraps up the list of changes. A 4.5-inch screen of 480x854 pixel resolution is carried over from the predecessor, and so is the 5MP/0.3MP imaging combo. Built-in storage is tiny at 4GB, but thankfully a microSD slot provides expansion up to 32GB. Connectivity is covered by the uninspiring quad-band GSM support and dual-band 3G package....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_puts_ascend_y540_on_sale_forgets_to_announce_it-news-11263.php

Apple and JDI might team up to build a $1.7 billion screen plant

According to a report in Japanese media, Apple and Japan Display might team up to build a screen production facility The project is said to be worth ¥200 billion (about $1.68 billion). The facility will be located in Ishikawa, central Japan. It is expected to begin operations at some point in 2016. Unsurprisingly, the plant will will supply screens mainly for the Cupertino giant. JDI has declined to confirm the report. However, the company acknowledged that its constantly looking to become more competitive, including by building more production capacity. A display production facility will mark another large-scale investment for Apple. Recently, the company announced that it will invest $2 billion in a data center, and $850 million in a solar farm....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_and_jdi_might_team_up_to_build_a_17_billion_screen__plant-news-11262.php

HTC says 'something huge' is coming; could it be One M9 Plus?

Just days after HTC UK confirmed that "the new HTC One" will be unveiled on March 1, HTC USA has teased the arrival of "something huge". Something HUGE is coming from HTC. Imagine [number][big thing] in space. And then [math term] that by [number]. #Madlib— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) February 19, 2015 While it's reasonable to assume that the tweet is meant to drum up excitement for the Taiwanese company's upcoming MWC 2015 press event, it isn't clear what exactly "something huge" means. One interpretation could be the unveiling of the One M9, which is figuratively "huge" given that it's a flagship smartphone. Or, the company could also be hinting at a large device - are we looking at the One M9 Plus here? Seems less likely, as recent reports suggest the device sports only a 5.1 inch display. As it stands, we'll have to wait till March 1, when HTC finally unveils its "huge"...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_says_something_huge_is_coming_could_it_be_one_m9_plus-news-11261.php

Goldgenie creates 24k gold iPhone 6 Year of the Goat edition

Goldgenie is up to its usual gold-covered antics once more. The company that brought you the £2.3 million iPhone 6 is now back with a limited edition for the same Apple device. And the price in this case is much more bearable (though still out of reach for most). Goldgenie apparently felt that the fact that according to the Chinese zodiac 2015 is the Year of the Goat deserved celebration. So it's created the iPhone 6 Elite Year of the Goat Limited Edition, which you can see in the images below (click to expand). iPhone 6 Elite Year of the Goat Limited Edition It can be yours for £2,637 if you go for the 64GB version, or £2,837 if you prefer to have 128GB of storage. You can choose between white and black for the front fascia. So what do you get for that insane amount of money? 24k gold, of course, but also a laser engraved hand-painted Chinese symbol of the Goat from the Chinese zodiac. This can apparently bring you "a gentle peaceful energy into the year ahead", whatever that may mean. The gold iPhone 6 will be delivered to you in the special "Luxury Cherry Oak Finish" box you can see in the rightmost image above. This is a limited edition, so only 99 units will be made in each finish. The phones are sold SIM-free and unlocked, so you can use them anywhere you want. Oh, and you also get free worldwide shipping, for what it's worth. As you may have expected, underneath all that gold this will still be the exact same iPhone 6 that Apple sells for much less money. If you go for the Year of the Goat Limited Edition though you're obviously not paying for innards, but for bling. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/goldgenie_creates_24k_gold_iphone_6_year_of_the_goat_edition-news-11260.php

BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 is now rolling out to compatible devices

Today BlackBerry has announced that the rollout of its latest OS release has commenced. BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 is in the process of making it to seven of the company's devices, namely the Q5, Q10, Z10, Z30, Z3, Porsche Design P'9983, as well as the Passport. The BlackBerry Classic isn't on that list because it already ships with BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 preinstalled. So now this iteration of the OS is finally on its way to the rest of the Canadian company's recent portfolio of mobile devices. The update brings with it quite a few new things, as well as the usual bug fixes and enhancements. The Amazon Appstore now comes preinstalled, alongside the BlackBerry World. Amazon's storefront has so far been confined to the Passport, but from now on it will be found on all BlackBerry 10 devices. Moving on, the update has BlackBerry Blend inside. This is a feature that brings messaging and content that's on your BlackBerry to your computer or tablet, and effortlessly so. BlackBerry Assistant is this company's entrant into the increasingly crowded virtual assistant space. It can take voice and text commands. The BlackBerry Hub has gained Instant Actions, a feature which lets you quickly organize your inbox without having to go into each message. Keyboard shortcuts are back for the Q5, Q10, Porsche Design P'9983, and the Passport. Your Power Saving Profile can now be customized, allowing a battery life boost of up to 15%. The Camera has new functions, among them some automatic recommendations. You now get 17 preset equalizer options for media, and you can favorite songs, photos, or videos, so you can easily access them. The Calendar's new Meeting Mode will automatically set your phone to quiet mode for the duration of a meeting, and will then turn notifications back on when the meeting is over. There's also a new weekly agenda view. Finally, BBM Meetings is built into the latest BlackBerry OS release, which should be good news for businesses. When BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 is ready to be downloaded and installed on your phone, you'll get a notification in the BlackBerry Hub. Of course carriers could slow down the rollout, so if you bought your device from one of them then you may be in for a longer...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_os_1031_is_now_rolling_out_to_compatible_devices-news-11259.php

Motorola Moto Maxx coming to India, exclusively on Flipkart

Flipkart, one of India's biggest online stores has just released an interesting teaser on Twitter. It has to do with a new Motorola device that the retailer simply refers to as a "Moto beast". Now this could refer to a lot of smartphones, but thankfully the included banner clears the smoke and almost definitely point in a single direction. It reads "Accelerated performance. Ballistic Nylon Fairing. Revving in soon." Whole this sounds like a lot of gibberish to ramp up the hype it most likely describes the Motorola Moto Maxx. The phone is essentially a global variant of the Droid Turbo and comes with a unique back panel, dubbed "Ballistic Nylon" so Flipkart is most certainly talking about the Maxx. The Moto Maxx comes equipped with a formidable Snapdragon 805 SoC with four Krait 450 cores, clocked at 1.7GHz. GPU is an equally impressive Adreno 420 and the setup is backed up by 3GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Cameras also do not disappoint. Motorola has invested heftily in the primary shooter, which is a 21 MP, f/2.0, dual-LED model, capable of 2160p video at 24fps. There's a Moto beast coming your way... exclusively on Flipkart. Stay tuned for more details. #MotoOnFlipkart pic.twitter.com/9FHIoJOEZH— Flipkart (@Flipkart) February 19, 2015 Another important aspect of the phone is its extremely spacious 2,900 mAh battery pack, ensuring maximum endurance. And if this is not tantalizing enough, Motorola also promises that its own turbo charger can restore up to 8 hours of battery life in the phone for a mere 15 minutes of charging. There is still no word on pricing for the device or when it is going to be up for sale, but it looks like it will be hitting Flipkart really soon. So if you are in the market for a high-end device, be sure to check out the Moto Maxx in all its "turbocharged"...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_maxx_coming_to_india_exclusively_on_flipkart-news-11258.php

LG G Flex2 from Sprint starts shipping on March 13

The LG G Flex2 caused quite a stir at CES in the beginning of 2015 and is only a few weeks away from becoming available on US soil. Sprint will start accepting preorders for the smartphone on February 20, but the device won't make it to users' hands until March 13. The fabulous Volcano Red color option will be exclusive to Sprint, while others will only get the more inconspicuous Platinum Silver. The device will set you back $21 a month over a two year period, for a total of $504. The LG G Flex2 is the first commercially available device, featuring the latest and greatest Snapdragon 810 chipset. 16GB and 32GB of built-in storage options will be in existence, with 2GB and 3GB of RAM respectively, continuing LG's practice to install less operating memory in the base model. The headline feature is of course the FullHD 5.5-inch curved P-OLED display, smaller in size, but superior in resolution to the predecessor. Another LG specialty, the healing back cover is on board as well, in its second generation. By all means check out our comprehensive review of the LG G Flex2, where we examine it in detail and assess its...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g_flex2_from_sprint_starts_shipping_on_march_13-news-11257.php

HTC One (M9) and One (M9) Plus specs leak in new benchmark

HTC is preparing the new generation One flagships and it has been known for a while that there will be two versions. A benchmark called Compubench has leaked the specs of both, the HTC One (M9) and One (M9) Plus, confirming what we've seen so far. The camera department on both will be almost identical with a 20MP main camera, there will be no Duo cameras this time. The selfie camera had previously leaked as a 4MP UltraPixel shooter, but this benchmark detected a 12MP selfie camera that records 2160p video on the One (M9). The selfie video capture on the One (M9) Plus is capped at 2,048 x 1,536px. The HTC One (M9) Plus will have a sharper display - QHD (1,440 x 2,560px). The benchmark reports it as 5.1", but that contradicts earlier rumors and since these scorecards often get size wrong we'd be more inclined to expect a properly larger screen. Where we can trust the benchmark is chipset detection and so the One (M9) Plus will use a MediaTek MT6795 chipset. That one is based only on the smaller Cortex-A53 cores, eight of them, 3GB of RAM and packs PowerVR Rogue G6200 chipset (the GPU used in Meizu MX4). HTC One (M9) • HTC One (M9) Plus (leaked specs) The base model will have a 5" 1080p screen and will be powered by Snapdragon 810 - four Cortex-A57 cores, four A53, 3G of RAM and Adreno 430. Both phones will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop and will have 32GB of built-in storage, 23GB of that available to the user. Note that we're also expecting an HTC Butterfly 3 with a 5.2" QHD display, which is a separate device from the One (M9) Plus. We should see the whole roster unveiled on March 1. Source 1 • Source 2 | Via 1 | Via 2 (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_m9_and_one_m9_plus_specs_leak_in_new_benchmark-news-11256.php

Second-gen Samsung Galaxy Tab S detailed specs emerge

We reported a few days ago on Samsung's move to a 4:3 aspect ratio with its future flagship tablets, and now more detailed specs of the new generation Galaxy Tab S have been revealed, courtesy of industry insiders. With the newly adopted screen sizes of 8" and 9.7", it's not exactly unclear which competition the Galaxy Tab S line takes on. The new aspect has expectedly resulted in a change of resolution and the new one will be 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, same as the one used in the similarly-sized offerings from Apple. The source reports that the new tablet will be powered by a home-brewed Exynos 5433 chipset, but does not rule out the possibility of the powerhouse Exynos 7420 making it to the final version. The 64-bit Lollipop 5.0.2, that the tablets will boot upon launch, can benefit from the state-of-the-art SoC, while the Exynos 5433 is a more dated 32-bit offering. The new models won't see an upgrade in the RAM department where the 3GB of the predecessors will be retained. The 32GB of built-in storage will be expandable up to 128GB via microSD, and the 8MP/2.1MP imaging combo is carried over from the predecessors. The second generation Galaxy Tab S models will feature the ubiquitous metal frame of Samsung's latest upmarket design language and will be impressively thin at only 5.4mm. The 8-inch model will fit in a 198.2 x 134.5mm footprint and weigh 260g, while the bigger brother will measure 237.1 x 168.8mm and tip the scales at 407g. Battery capacity will be 3,580mAh and 5,870mAh, respectively. Bear in mind that the devices are still in development and any of this may change by the time they become...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/secondgen_samsung_galaxy_tab_s_detailed_specs_emerge-news-11255.php

Lenovo Vibe X3, S1, P1 and P1 Pro specs and photos leak

A massive leak of soon-to-be-announced Lenovo smartphones has made the rounds today. The company appears to be preparing to unveil five new models at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this March. The phones in question are the Lenovo Vibe S1, Vibe X3, Vibe P1, Vibe P1 Pro and the Vibe Max. Lenovo Vibe S1 Starting with the Vibe S1, which is oriented towards the younger crowd. It will feature some snazzy colors including purple, pink and light blue. It's said to feature a front-facing camera that's great for selfie snapping. Further specifications aren't available just yet, though. Lenovo Vibe S1 Next up is the Lenovo Vibe X3, which is known to feature a 5.5" 1080p display and stereo speakers. The latter is enhanced with a Lenovo-made Hi-Fi 3.0 software package. The phone features a metal frame and a cool looking back design complete with a fingerprint sensor below the camera. It has been reported to be 20.7MP, but that's remains to be confirmed. Lenovo Vibe X3 Lenovo Vibe X3 The Lenovo Vibe P1 is focusing on battery life and features a 4,000mAh unit with quick charge support. It's said to have a nano ceramics coating and preliminary specifications suggest a 64-bit octa-core CPU and 2GB RAM residing in a MediaTek chipset. Lenovo Vibe P1 The phone supports 4G LTE networks and comes with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. By the looks of it, it also seems to have a metal frame. And if you need an even larger battery, Lenovo is also going to launch the Vibe P1 Pro. It will have a 5,000mAh unit and a fingerprint sensor. The display size is north of 5.5" judging from the photo, but that's not confirmed yet. Lenovo Vibe P1 Pro Finally, there's the Lenovo Vibe Max, also known as the Vibe Shot. Just as we reported yesterday, it's going to feature a 5-inch FullHD screen and is powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset. It doesn't skimp on RAM either, packing the generous 3GB. Expect Lenovo to officially announce the devices as MWC 2015 rolls...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_to_announce_a_total_of_five_phones_at_mwc_2015-news-11253.php

New Xperia (E2303) handset surfaces in benchmarks

With MWC 2015 just over a week away hype is growing around new device announcements. Samsung is definitely in the spotlight with its highly-anticipated Galaxy S6 flagship and so is the One (M9) by HTC. Sony has already made it clear that the eagerly-awaited Xperia Z4 will not be making an appearance at the Barcelona venue, but nevertheless the Japanese tech giant will still be present, even though without a formal press event. Naturally the manufacturer will be bringing a few new devices to the show and from the looks of things mid-range offers. One of these might have just leaked today in two separate benchmark scores. The handset, dubbed Sony E2303, is apparently undergoing tests and has been spotted on both Geekbench and GFXBench. Sony has went for upper mid-range hardware and has built the new device around the Qualcomm snapdragon 615, which was the top of the line model from the 600 series before yesterday's announcement of the 618 and 620. The chipset is accompanied by an Adreno 405 GPU. Going further down the specs sheet we find a 5.2-inch, 720p display, 4GB of onboard storage and 2GB of RAM, or 1.8 GB to be exact. Camera setup also looks adequate for a mid-range offering. The main shooter is a 12MP one with a reported maximum resolution of 4128 x 3096 pixels and Full HD video recording capabilities and the front-facing is a 5 MP module with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels and Full HD video as well. OS is Android 5.0 Lollipop. Sadly there is no info on battery capacity, but there are extensive performance scores available so you can take a more detailed look at the future phone if you desire. Sony will formally open its MWC booth on March 2 and we expect to find the new smartphone there along with the purple Xperia Z3. Until then we can only wait and see if Sony has some other surprise in store for us. Thanks for the tip CoolKid. Source 1 | Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_xperia_e2303_handset_surfaces_in_benchmarks-news-11254.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 battery seen in the flesh

The pieces of the puzzle are coming together for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship. After the Exynos 7420 was confirmed as the chipset of choice, and the matter of dimensions was settled, we could now be looking at the proof of the battery capacity rumor. Samsung Galaxy S6 battery The model number EB-BG925ABE of the battery units goes in line with the expected SM-925 internal designation of the upcoming flagship. A manufacturing date of only a couple of days ago adds further credibility to these images. We witness a slight reduction in capacity, compared to the 2800mAh battery on the Galaxy S5, brought about by the constant push for thinness. However, advancements in chip technology and Google's optimized Lollipop OS, should hopefully mean that the hit in capacity won't result in poor endurance. Add to that a possible wireless charging capability and things don't look all that grim. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_battery_seen_in_the_flesh-news-11252.php

Asus Zenfone 2 goes on pre-order, pricier than expected

The Asus Zenfone 2 was announced at CES in early January and while it's still not available, you can pre-order it on AliExpress. Both versions - with 2GB and 4GB RAM - are available though the pricing is different than what was originally expected. The 2GB Zenfone 2 with a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor is priced at $300, while the 4GB one with 2.3GHz processor costs $440. The first model was announced at $200, so that's a little disappointing. We have to wait other retailers to put up their pre-orders to find out if Asus changed its mind on the pricing. Clove UK has a pre-order page, but no price in sight. Same with Orange South Africa. The official Asus Twitter account maintains the phone will cost $200, so we'd hold off on committing more money for it. Aside from processor and RAM options, the Asus Zenfone 2 comes with a 5.5" 1080p screen, runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, has a 13MP/1080p main camera and 5MP selfie camera, plus it's an LTE-enabled dual-SIM. There might be a mid-range 5" version on the way too, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_2_goes_on_preorder_pricier_than_expected-news-11251.php

Samsung drops Galaxy E5 and Galaxy E7 pricing in India

Samsung has dropped the prices for the Galaxy E5 and E7 about six weeks from the launch of the two phones in India. The Galaxy E5 was launched at Rs. 19,300 ($310) but now costs Rs. 17,900 ($288). Meanwhile, the Galaxy E7 price has gone from Rs. 23,000 ($370) to Rs. 20,900 ($336). The Galaxy E5 and E7 are Samsung's new mid-range dual SIM devices. Although reasonably priced compared to Samsung's older phones, the pricing was still on the higher side compared to the stiff competition from the Chinese vendors in an increasingly competitive market. Samsung has clearly been listening to feedback on the pricing and the price cut is a step in the right direction. Also, it must be noted these are official prices, so the actual prices in stores will likely be a bit lower. Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_drops_galaxy_e5_and_galaxy_e7_pricing_in_india-news-11250.php

Android Wear 5.0.2 rolls out to Gear Live, Moto 360 and G Watch R

Google is rolling out Android Wear 5.0.2 update to select Android Wear devices. This includes the Samsung Gear Live, the Motorola Moto 360, and the LG G Watch R. The update doesn't seem to add any new features; according to Motorola's change log, all it brings is an updated version of Google Play services and a variety of optimizations and security updates. If you have any of these devices, you should be getting the notification to update any time now. Other Android Wear devices will have to wait for some time. Source •...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_wear_502_rolls_out_to_gear_live_moto_360_and_g_watch_r-news-11249.php

HTC Butterfly 3 tipped to launch in the second half of the year

According to popular leakster upleaks, HTC will release its new Butterfly smartphone in the second half of 2015. The device, which is said to sport a 5.2-inch WQHD screen, is codenamed the Butterfly 3 or B3. In addition, upleaks also revealed that the Taiwanese company's own tablet will arrive in the second, or third quarter of the year. It is said to be based on Nexus 9. If you aren't already aware, HTC is expected to unveil its new flagship smartphone on March 1, at MWC 2015 in Barcelona. The device will likely carry the HTC One M9...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_butterfly_3_tipped_to_launch_in_the_second_half_of_the_year-news-11248.php

Sony could exit smartphone business in a bid to turn to profit

Sony might exit the smartphone market in a bid to become profitable once again. The Japanese tech giant's CEO Kazuo Hurai announced at a press conference that Sony will no longer pursue sales growth in the highly competitive field. Right in line with past reports, Mr. Hirai revealed that the company will consider a sale of its struggling smartphone and television businesses. However, there is no deal currently in the works. Despite developing quality Android handsets, Sony has struggled in the highly competitive smartphone field. The company has been sandwiched between rivals such as Apple and Samsung in the high end and the army of Chinese companies in the low end of the market. The company aims to achieve an annual operating profit of $4.2 billion by 2018. That's a 25-fold increase over its current financial performance. Sony plans to turn to profit by investing in its already successful divisions. They include production and development of image sensors and the Sony PlayStation gaming business. Source 1 | Source 2...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_could_exit_smartphone_business_in_a_bid_to_turn_to_profit-news-11247.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 coming to UK via Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse has started accepting pre-registrations for Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone. Although the UK retailer hasn't revealed the device's name, calling it the 'New Samsung Galaxy', it's all but confirmed that the handset will carry the Galaxy S6 moniker. Aside from the S6, the retailer is also accepting pre-registrations for HTC's upcoming flagship smartphone, currently know as the new HTC One. The latter is going to debut as HTC One M9. For those who aren't in the know, pre-registrations only allow people to express their interest in a product, compared to pre-orders that allow you to actually reserve a unit. Both Samsung and HTC are expected to unveil their respective flagships on March 1, at MWC 2015 in Barcelona. Source1 | Source2 |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_coming_to_uk_via_carphone_warehouse-news-11246.php

Samsung acquires the mobile wallet provider LoopPay

Samsung has agreed to acquire the provider of mobile wallet solutions LoopPay. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Founded in Boston back in 2012, LoopPay is a mobile payments provider, whose product is a direct competitor to Apple Pay. The company's Magnetic Secure Transmission tech can work on roughly 90% of all existing point-of-sale terminals. As part of the agreement, the founders of LoopPay will work with Samsung Mobile. The two companies have been collaborating well before the acquisition, so it is more than likely to see LoopPay mobile wallet tech in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6. LoopPay will continue operating as an independent subsidiary of Samsung going forward. Source 1 | Source 2 ...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_acquires_the_mobile_wallet_provider_looppay-news-11245.php

Next version of Android will be out in March, HTC exec says

Android 5.1 Lollipop has been spotted on many Android One devices in Asia, but so far Google has not announced this version of its mobile OS. Nor has it started rolling out updates to Android 5.1 for the Nexus line of smartphones and tablets. If you are wondering when this new iteration of Lollipop will finally make it to more devices, the answer could be "in March". This comes from Mo Versi, HTC's VP of Product Management. He used Twitter to tell an inquiring HTC One Google Play Edition owner that a bug fix he was waiting for would be rolled out as part of "Google's next MR, which is in March". "MR" stands for "maintenance release", and from what we've heard so far Android 5.1 promises to be just that and nothing more. So there's a high likelihood that Versi was in fact referring to this version in his tweet. Hopefully this upcoming iteration of Google's mobile OS will fix the bugs that are still present in earlier Lollipop releases. It may also introduce a few small new features, but nothing too big if it's designated "MR". Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/next_version_of_android_will_be_out_in_march_htc_exec_says-news-11244.php

LG G Flex2 review: A new angle

It's been more than a year since we saw the introduction of the original LG G Flex. When LG announced the second generation this January we had already assumed that LG had decided to ditch the entire concept...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g_flex2-review-1209.php

Xperia Z3 has its Lollipop update certified, may roll out soon

The Sony Xperia Z3 running Android 5.0 Lollipop has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The handset obviously already had been certified over there while running previous versions of the software - so this means we could see Lollipop rolling out to Xperia Z3 units worldwide soon. You can see the certification notes in the screenshot below, which also reveals that the Xperia Z3 with Lollipop got the all clear just a couple of days ago. A release of Android 5.0 for the Z3 in a short while would make sense especially as the Japanese company itself promised this would happen in February. We're now past the half point of this month, and Sony's competitors have been faster with getting Lollipop to their flagship devices, so the company really needs to act sooner, rather than later. The good news is that, slow as it may be, Sony's Lollipop rollout is set to include the entire Z line of tablets and smartphones. So if you own one of those, be convinced that an update is in the works - it may just take a while for it to actually be released, as it turns out. Source (in Japanese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z3_has_lollipop_update_certified_may_roll_out_soon-news-11243.php

Huawei announces the Ascend G7 for the UK, lands in March

Huawei first made the Ascend G7 official back in September alongside the Mate7. Yet only today has the Chinese company informed us about its intention of selling the G7 in the UK market. The midrange handset will become available in Carphone Warehouse stores in the UK sometime in March - a more detailed timeline hasn't been provided yet. What's good though is that the Ascend G7 will cost only around £149.99. That's a pretty reasonable price considering the specs of the device, as well as the fact that the initially announced level was €299. £149.99 right now translates into just €204, so that's quite a difference. The Ascend G7 is 7.6mm thin, it has a metal back, and it runs Android 4.4 with Huawei's Emotion UI 3.0 on top. It comes with a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 5 MP front-facing unit. At its core lies the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC, with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, aided by 2GB of RAM. The phone has 16GB of built-in storage, which is expandable via microSD. It's got Cat.4 LTE support (with 150Mbps theoretical peak download speeds), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3,000 mAh battery. In the UK, it will be available in all three color versions: Horizon Gold, Moonlight Silver, and Space...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_announces_the_ascend_g7_for_the_uk_lands_in_march-news-11242.php

Samsung Galaxy S5 now receiving Lollipop update on T-Mobile

After the models sold by Verizon and Sprint both started getting the Lollipop update earlier this month, it's now time for T-Mobile's iteration of Samsung's Galaxy S5 to receive the same treatment. In a bit of good news for owners of the S5 who bought theirs from T-Mobile, the carrier has started rolling out the update to Android 5.0 for this device today. The update is available over-the-air, and as you can see the download necessary to perform it is over 900MB, so it might take a while to finish. As always in these cases, your phone will notify you once the new software is ready to be downloaded and installed. If that hasn't happened yet, you can always force it to manually check using the Settings menu, though whether this will actually successfully bring you the update isn't clear. Alternatively, you can use Samsung's Kies desktop software to get your Galaxy S5 its first taste of Lollipop. After applying the update, you should be on Android 5.0, build number G900TUVU1DOB1. Source 1 • Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5_now_receiving_lollipop_update_on_tmobile-news-11241.php

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 620, 618, 425 and 415

When we talk about Qualcomm and the future of mobile processors all roadmaps and leaks seem to naturally revolve around the high-end 800 series chipsets. The 810 is just now making its way on to actual production devices and the new 14nm manufacturing technology is really exciting to say the least. However, while beastly hardware moves the industry forward it is the mid and low range that truly fuels it and powers the majority of devices out there. Qualcomm knows this better than most and is working hard to keep up with market demands and offer feature rich, affordable silicon at budget-friendly prices. This is precisely the goal with the latest Snapdragon 415, 425, 618 and 620. These chips are all about the added value and bringing advanced technology to mid-range devices. Qualcomm is stressing that the new models will bring high-end features to the every level of their product stack. First up are the Snapdragon 415 and 425. Both of them replace the traditional quad-core design of the 400 series with a more capable eight-core Cortex A53 setup. Both are also 64-bit and support the ARMv8 instruction set and are based on current 28nm manufacturing technology. This in itself is a formidable step up in performance, but the chip giant has packed in a few more additional goodies. The two new 400-series members now have Quick-charge 2.0, as well as dual image signal processors (ISPs), which are supposed to allow much better cameras in mid-ranged devices. The graphics ship has also been bumped up to the Adreno 405, which is not that more powerful than the Adreno 306 in the Snapdragon 410, but does offer hardware decoding for 1080p H.264 video and an external display resolution support of up to 1080p. The sole difference between the 415 and 425 models seems to be the LTE modem. On the lower end we have a X5 LTE modem, offering Cat. 4 speeds of up to 150Mbps, while the alternative chip comes with a X8 modem and twice the speed at 300Mbps. The two new 600-series models seem to bring even more innovation to the family line. The Snapdragon 610 and 615 chips are not seeing a lot of manufacturer attention, with crowds either going for the 410 on the low end, which is not that different from the 610, or the 800 for more premium models. Qualcomm has surely realized this and is probably aiming to rekindle the series mid-range popularity with the new 618 and 620 models. The big change here is that both new units use the brand new Cortex A72 cores, that are said to be twice as powerful than the A57. Naturally there are both 64-bit and are also built using a big.LITTLE configuration for optimal power-to-performance balance. The two chips also come with what is described as a "next-generation Qualcomm Adreno GPU". Qualcomm has not disclosed any information on this matter yet, but we will be sure to update you once the smoke clears. The 618 and 620 models are both equipped with X8 LTE modems, capable of 300Mbps downloads and are built using a 28nm manufacturing process. Among the more interesting new features they bring to the family is 4K playback and capture support, along with 4K H.265 hardware decoding, previously limited to the high-end 800 series. The main difference between the two chips is that the 618 comes with a hexa-core setup (two A72 and four A53), whereas the 620 is octa-core(four A72 and four A53). Judging by ARM's promises, that latest chip might end up being the fastest the company has announced so far. Until the Cortex-A72-based Snapdragon 8xx arrives that is. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_is_expanding_its_soc_lineup_with_four_new_chips-news-11240.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge tops Geekbench results

The rumor mill followed Samsung's choice of chipset for the Galaxy S6 duo in great detail. Leaked benchmarks show that going with its in-house Exynos 7420 chipset was a solid decision. The chipset is built on the company's 14nm process and includes four Cortex-A53 and four Cortex-A57 cores. The Galaxy S6 scored impressive results in AnTuTu, now the Galaxy S6 Edge has visited Geekbench. Both flagships use the Exynos 7420 and if these scores are correct, they will run laps around Snapdragon 810-based devices. Qualcomm's intermediate top dog has the same processor setup, 4x A53 plus 4x A57, but is made on a 20nm process. It's really there to tide things over until Qualcomm's in-house CPU designs (dubbed Taipan) are ready. Here's how the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge would stack up against some old and current competition. The LG G Flex 2 score is from when we first met the device at CES, so that was on pre-release software. .jrGraphContainer { background: none !important; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee !important;} ul.jrGraph { left: 86px !important; } ul.jrGraphControls { padding: 0; margin-left: -10px !important; } JRGRAPH_EXPANDABLE_VERSION = false; GeekBench 3 Higher is better Galaxy S6 Edge (Lollipop) 5375 LG G Flex 2 (Lollipop) 3929 HTC Nexus 9 (Lollipop) 3470 Galaxy Note 4 (Lollipop) 3394 Meizu MX4 Pro 3386 Motorola Nexus 6 3285 Samsung Galaxy S5 3011 HTC One (M8) (Lollipop) 2923 Sony Xperia Z3 2860 LG G3 (Lollipop) 2370 Of course, until we're holding a Galaxy S6 Edge in our hands we can't verify that the score is real. That day is fast approaching, the Galaxy S6 duo will be unveiled in early March. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_edge_tops_geekbench_results-news-11239.php

HTC Butterfly 3 tipped to have a 5.2-inch display

The HTC Butterfly 2 is only six months old and yet we're starting to hear of its planned replacement. The Butterfly 3 is said to pack a 5.2-inch WQHD screen, as reported on the @upleaks Тwitter feed. A quick search on Wikipedia will tell you that WQHD is another designation of good old QHD, stressing its widescreen nature. Either one denotes a 1440x2560 pixel resolution, which on a 5.2-inch diagonal results in the density of 564ppi. Few currently available smartphones can boast such a number, notably the Motorola Moto Maxx, Meizu MX4 Pro and Korean-only Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A. It's a competitive world out there, though, and if the Butterfly 3 hits the shelves in August as its predecessor, it will inevitably have to face stronger opposition. The current HTC Butterfly 2 is a flagship in its specs, only second to the One (M8) because of its plastic body. Still, some may argue that it's a better overall package, featuring a conventional 13MP camera as opposed to an UltraPixel unit and IP57 certification, which the One (M8)...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_butterfly_3_tipped_to_have_a_52inch_display-news-11238.php

Alleged Android 5.2 build spotted running on Nexus 5

Android Lollipop has definitely been stirring up enthusiasm all over the mobile world. Major manufacturers are still knee deep in the update frenzy and eager users can't wait to get their hands on the new sugary goodness. While a lot of us are still waiting on support to roll out Google is definitely not easing its foot off the gas pedal. A few days ago we reported that Android 5.1 is now official and is already shipping with Android One devices, but a new Geekbench score now points towards the existence of a yet unknown 5.2 build. The page in question seems to show the Nexus 5 running the ROM so there might just be some truth to the matter. Of course it is natural that Nexus devices are first in line for every iteration of Google's mobile OS, but the jump from 5.1 to 5.2 in such a short time frame is a little bit odd, especially seeing how AOSP branches currently only reach version 5.0.2. We certainly wouldn't rule it out though with one possible explanation being a major bug fix or perhaps even a big new feature. There is, however also the possibility of a custom ROM intentionally reporting a false Android version. If the whole thing does turn out to be true, then Google might have a big surprise in store coming really soon. We will be sure to keep a close eye on the matter and keep you updated. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_android_52_build_spotted_running_on_nexus_5-news-11237.php

Asus unveils Fonepad 7 FE375CL with 4G LTE support

Asus is expanding its Fonepad line of Android devices with a new tablet dubbed Fonepad 7 FE375CL. It comes with LTE support and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box. The device is powered by Intel Atom Z3530 chipset with 1.3 GHz quad-core CPU and PowerVR Series 6 - G6430 GPU, and sports a 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel IPS display with 10 finger multi-touch support and anti-fingerprint coating. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 8/16 GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a microSD card, and packs in a 3,950mAh battery. In terms of camera, the tablet features a 5MP main unit and 2MP front shooter. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, and Micro-USB. Available in Black and White, the Fonepad 7 (FE375CL) will be released in Taiwan first with a price tag of $250. There's no word yet on global pricing or availability. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_unveils_fonepad_7_fe375cl_with_lte_support-news-11233.php

Samsung Galaxy S6 case leak confirms 6.9mm thickness

Case maker OBLIQ sent us its latest case designs from the Slim Meta series and has confirmed the thickness of the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be 6.9mm. With the cases on, the phone will measure 9.5mm thick, which isn't all that bad. The case design features cutouts for the camera, LED flash and heart rate monitor as well as cutouts for the antennas on top and bottom. The back is done in number of colors including gold, red and dark grey. Naturally, there are a lot more cases that have leaked in the past further showing the phone. The Galaxy S6 with its metal frame will measure 143.3 x 70.8 x 6.9mm and will be IP67-certified. Furthermore, Samsung is expected to make TouchWiz a lot more lighter with less features. Internally, Samsung is set to use its new Exynos 7 Octa chipset and equip the Galaxy S6 with a 2,600mAh battery. The phone would also feature a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED touchscreen and 3GB of RAM - both things that have been rumored before. The rear camera will apparently be a 16 MP unit with OIS, and not the 20 MP one that's made the rounds up until now. The big unveil of the company's upcoming flagship is scheduled for March...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s6_case_maker_confirms_69mm_thickness-news-11236.php

Lenovo Vibe Shot packs a 16MP camera with OIS

A few weeks back we wrote about the replacement of the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro flagship, which we thought surfaced in live images. Apparently, the subject of that photoshoot was a different device, namely the Lenovo Vibe Shot. Aptly named, the new smartphone focuses on camera capabilities and comes with a feature-rich 16MP main unit, utilizing a BSI sensor. A triple tone LED flash should provide consistent lighting in various environments, while optical image stabilization ensures usable images in low-light scenarios. However, the "laser" part of the auto focus inscription on the back, we saw in the previous images, has been mysteriously dropped. A dedicated shutter release button is on board, though. The Vibe Shot features a 5-inch FullHD screen and is powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset. It doesn't skimp on RAM either, packing the generous 3GB. Translation is fuzzy, but internal storage is likely 32GB, and is expandable up to 128GB via microSD. The new smartphone sports a premium build with a brushed metal frame all around and various other metal accents. The Lenovo Vibe Shot will boot Android 5.0 out of the box, but no details have been disclosed yet on price and availability. Source (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_vibe_shot_packs_a_16mp_camera_with_ois-news-11235.php

Asus Zenfone ZE500CL with 5" 720p screen leaks

The Zenfone 2 is not a phone, but more like a collection of similar phones. Two 5.5" models are already official, but a leak points to an incoming 5" device. And that's not the rumored the MediaTek-powered Zenfone 2. The Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500CL is still Intel Atom based - Z2560 Clover Trail quad-core at 1.6GHz - and has 2GB of RAM. It will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop and bring an 8MP camera with 1080p video and a 2MP selfie camera (down from 13MP/5MP). 5" Asus Zenfone 2 next to the 5.5" model The screen has also been cut back, the 5" IPS LCD will have 720p resolution. The smaller screen makes the phone more compact, though it's not the smallest 5-incher around, not the thinnest or lightest either at 10.9mm and 155g respectively. The Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500CL will come with 16GB of expandable storage, a single microSIM slot with LTE connectivity and a non-removable 2,500mAh battery. These specs are all unofficial, of course, but we may see it in March at the MWC. With the lower specs it should cost less than the $200 that Asus is asking for the 5.5" model with 1.8GHz CPU and 2GB of RAM (which also has a sharper screen, better cameras and dual-SIM connectivity). Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_ze500cl_with_5_720p_screen_leaks-news-11234.php

Micromax announces Lollipop update for its Canvas phones

Micromax has announced that it will updating its Canvas range of Android smartphones in India to Android 5.0 Lollipop update in the coming weeks. The first phone in the Canvas series to get the Lollipop update will be the Canvas Xpress A99, which is a budget smartphone. Company Spokesperson, Micromax Informatics Ltd. said, "As a brand, we are committed to keep our customers delighted with best in class technologies and experience. Riding on the same thought, we are today rolling out the Android L update with Canvas Xpress, making the overall user experience more efficient and seamless." The update will be available as an OTA to the Canvas phones. Meanwhile, still no sign of Lollipop update on the Android One smartphones from Google, or the YU Yureka, which runs on Cyanogen...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/micromax_announces_lollipop_update_for_its_canvas_phones-news-11232.php

HTC confirms March 1 unveiling of its upcoming flagship

HTC UK confirmed in a Tweet that "the new HTC One", likely to be called the HTC One M9, will be unveiled on March 1st. The company has also started advertising the announcement on television during today's round of European Champions League games. Last month, HTC sent out invites for its MWC 2015 event scheduled for March 1 in Barcelona. However, it didn't say what exactly the event would focus on, even though it was fairly reasonable to expect that the Taiwanese company would unveil its next generation flagship. Rumored specs of HTC One M9 include 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 5" 1080p display, 20.7MP camera, and Android 5.0. You can take a look at an overview of the phone's rumored features over here. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_confirms_march_1_unveiling_of_its_upcoming_flagship-news-11230.php

BenQ F52 packs Snapdragon 810 SoC and Android 5.0

The Taiwanese manufacturer BenQ partnered up with Cheetah Mobile to unveil the F52 smartphone with Android 5.0 Lollipop. The handset will be on display during the upcoming MWC in Barcelona. BenQ F52 packs 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC with octa-core CPU. A 5.2" 1080p display, 13MP main camera, and 8MP front-facing snapper are also among the known specifications. The full list is yet to be known As you can see in the image above, the device's Android 5.0 Lollipop build will be heavily customized. Preloaded apps will include Clean Master, GP Security and GP Battery Doctor. Two more devices by BenQ will debut alongside the F52 - the B50 and B502. They are likely to be mid-range offerings. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/benq_f52_packs_snapdragon_810_soc_and_android_50-news-11231.php

Apple sets initial Watch orders at more than 5 million units

According to "people familiar with the matter", Apple has already placed orders to its Asian suppliers for 5 to 6 million units of its first smartwatch. And all of those are for the initial run, with the aforementioned suppliers expected to produce these units during the first quarter of this year, ahead of the Apple Watch's April launch. Such a big number of units ordered can only mean one thing: Apple is betting big on the Watch, and it's incredibly confident that it will succeed in the wearable space. If it manages to sell 5 to 6 million watches, even in a few months, Apple seems poised to battle it out with Samsung for the title of the company that sells the most smartwatches. For comparison's sake, consider that Pebble has only sold 1 million devices until December 31, 2014 - since its inception. And during all of last year, only around 720,000 Android Wear smartwatches were shipped. So if Apple hasn't overestimated demand for the Watch, then it seems certain that this product will make a big splash in the market. Half of its initial production run is going to be made up of the entry-level Apple Watch Sport offering, which will be the cheapest of the bunch, starting at $349. Around a third of the production output will consist of the midrange Apple Watch model, while orders for the premium Apple Watch Edition with its 18k gold casing should make up the rest. And then in the second quarter, we may see up to 1 million Apple Watch Edition units being made each month, apparently fueled by crazy demand for this version in China. The Apple Watch is being assembled by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer, which has started mass production of the wearable earlier this year, in order to be prepared for the April...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_sets_initial_watch_orders_at_more_than_5_million_units-news-11229.php

LG Nexus 5 spotted running Android 5.1 in a benchmark

Android 5.1 got an odd half official introduction a couple of weeks ago, when Google let slip that some new Android One handsets were running this version from day one. Today the software giant took its low-cost phone initiative to the Philippines, and sure enough the devices launched there run Android 5.1 too. Yet we still haven't seen even a short press release on the matter. Or any updates to Android 5.1 for the Nexus line. That's surprising, since the Nexus devices usually get such new Android versions first. Regardless, the good news is that Google seems to be testing Android 5.1 on at least one Nexus, namely the LG-made Nexus 5. One such phone was spotted at Geekbench running the absolute latest iteration of Android, as you can see from the screenshot above. So it's pretty clear that Android 5.1 will see a wider release, possibly starting with the Nexus smartphones and tablets. What's still a mystery is when to expect the updates to this version to start rolling out. As Android 5.1 is already up and running on the Android One platform, it's probably only a matter of weeks before we see it on the Nexus line. As for any other devices, how fast they get it will depend on the companies that made them and how quickly they move. Source | Via (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_nexus_5_spotted_running_android_51_in_a_benchmark-news-11228.php

Apple Pay may be having problems with China regulations

As most of you surely know Apple's own NFC-based payment system has been steadily expanding all throughout the US thanks to the enormous efforts of the Cupertino giant. And while the new system is still seeing a lot of distrust from major retailers Tim Cook continues to push the payment method even abroad. Deals have already been struck with major banks and payment gateways to bring the service to Canada and Europe, but Apple also has its sights set on the huge Chinese market. The US tech giant was hoping to achieve this formidable expansion through a partnership with UnionPay. However, MarketWatch now reports that negotiations between the two sides have been slow and unfruitful and that government regulations and security concerns may prevent Apple from reaching the final deal, initially planned for March 2015. Sources go on to speculate Apple is "struggling with its relationship with UnionPay" mostly because of the nature of the NFC chips inside Apple's products, which reportedly don't meet regulatory standards. The requirement that China-based data center handle requests from the country's mainland is also said to be a problem with the negotiations. Last year there was also a lot of talk about a possible partnership between Apple and China's own Alibaba. This was viewed as a potential path to introducing Apple Pay in China, through an integration with the company's own Alipay system. This however does not solve the problem as UnionPay controls the NFC payment system in the country so there is no going around the regulations. Alipay's mobile app does currently support authentication of payments with Apple Touch ID, but for now this is as close as the Cupertino company has...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_pay_may_be_having_problems_with_china_regulations-news-11227.php

Windows 10 for phones preview: First look

Microsoft officially announced Windows 10 last September but it took until the end of last month to get more details about it and finally get to try it. Number 9 was skipped and Microsoft is wants...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_10_for_phones-review-1208.php