MWC 2016 coverage

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Idol 4 and 4s, Plus 10: Alcatel at MWC 2016

Alcatel brought the whole family - two Idol 4 phones, Pixis of all sizes and even a Windows 10 hybrid laptop. The phones really like to party and have dedicated Boom button, which turns up the sound, launches the camera (and dose a few other things), while the stereo speakers can work in any direction you want. Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/...

Alcatel Plus 10 is a hybrid Windows laptop with LTE in its keyboard

Meet Alcatel's first 2-in-1, the Alcatel Plus 10, and it's a Windows 10 device. Its detachable keyboard has unique functionality - it is an LTE hotspot. The tablet features a 10.1" IPS LCD with 1,280 x 800px resolution. It's powered by a quad-core Intel Atom x5 Z8350 1.92GHz processor. Memory is a little tight with 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage (you...

Alcatel unveils new IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S at MWC 2016

Today Alcatel announced its new flagship IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S models at the MWC venue. In a lot of ways, the devices are a logical upgrade over last year's IDOL 3 series, although, the OneTouch moniker seems to be absent this time around, but more on that later. The styling is quite similar and Alcatel has made sure to include its signature reversible...

Galaxy S7 and S7 edge prices confirmed, to hit the shelves on March 11

Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy S7 series in just a day in Barcelona, but the leaks have been giving us tiny bits of information over the past few months. We pretty much know almost everything there is to know about the new flagships, but we finally get conformation of the pricing. We had reports the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will go on pre-order...

LG K10 now available in Europe for €249

The LG K10 smartphone - which was announced at this year's Consumer Electronics show and went on sale around a week later - is now available for purchase in Europe, with Greece becoming one of the first European countries where the device is now up for sale. When the K10 was unveiled, LG said that aside from a 5.3-inch 720p touchscreen, 2,300mAh...

Next ZUK phone launching in March

Lenovo-backed ZUK has announced that its next smartphone will be launched in March. There is, however, currently no official information on the device, although some reports say it could be a Pro variant of the ZUK Z1 - a phone, which was launched back in August last year by a subsidary of Lenovo. It is also being speculated that ZUK might release...

Mysterious HTC A16 renders surface online

Sadly, by all accounts, HTC won't be unveiling the One M10 flagship at MWC 2016, but the Taiwanese manufacturer might still show up at the venue and bring some announcements. A fresh leak, courtesy of Evan Blass, showcases an unknown device, allegedly dubbed the HTC A16. Tomorrow's news, yesterday: HTC A16 pic.twitter.com/oCvO4abh5w— Evan Blass (@evleaks)...

will.i.am comes up with yet another smartwatch, the Dial

It seems the failure of his first smartwatch (more of a smartbangle, really) hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of musician will.i.am, as he has come up with yet another one, called the Dial. The Dial, thankfully, looks more like a traditional smartwatch (if there even is such a thing). It still is a wide black band but it fits more like a watch, and...

Reuters: Xiaomi to use home-grown SoCs in some of its upcoming smartphones

Less than a year after there were rumors that Xiaomi is developing its own mobile chipsets, Reuters is reporting that some of the company's upcoming smartphones will be powered by home-grown SoCs. Specifically, the report says that the chipsets are aimed at the Chinese company's mid- to low-priced handsets (Redmi Note series), adding that the first...

LG G5 pre-registrations are now open

Just a day before it goes official, LG's upcoming G5 flagship is now up for pre-registrations in the United States. Those signing-up will be among the first to know when the handset is available for purchase. "The G5's fast processing speed will make this phone ideal for the ultimate multi-tasker," the pre-registration page says. "The G5 offers quick...

BlackBerry Priv receives price cut in Canada

BlackBerry's Android-powered Priv smartphone has received a price cut in Canada, where carrier Bell is currently selling the device for CAD 299.99 on a regular two-year contract. Other local carriers like Rogers and Telus are currently selling the handset at higher rates. What's worth mentioning here is that Sasktel is also offering the Priv for...

Oppo said to be unveiling next-gen VOOC tech at MWC 2016

We already told you that Oppo is expected to unveil a couple of big things at MWC, with one of them being a "groundbreaking power solution." While Oppo hasn't provided any more details as yet, it's now being said that the company is planning to unveil the next-gen VOOC tech. As you might already know, VOOC is a fast charging technology developed...

Samsung Pay set for March launch in China

Back in December last year, Samsung said that its mobile payments service Samsung Pay will launch in China "as soon as early 2016". Now, the South Korean company has announced that the launch will happen in the month of March, although no specific date was mentioned. The China launch will be followed by rollout in Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Spain...

Motorola says no Lollipop for DROID Ultra/Mini/Maxx, compensates by offering discounts on Turbo 2 and Maxx 2

Back in October last year, Motorola announced a list of devices that the company said will receive the Android Lollipop update. The list included the DROID Ultra/Mini/Maxx. However, it has now been announced that these handsets won't be receiving the update. The announcement was made by Motorola's senior director of software product management David...

MORE photos of the Samsung Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge)

Naturally, just a few days before the unpacked event, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge pose for many more angles and shots for our eyes to feast upon. Moreover, the physical appearance of the Galaxy S7 is not too different from its predecessor. The curves that the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge make are more pronounced and round than those of the S6 or iPhone. The...

Multiple accounts supported on Facebook Messenger for Android

Facebook's Messenger app for Android has been updated to officially allow users to manage more than one chatting account. Facebook had been undergoing testing for a bunch of new features in the past couple of months, with some of these features slowly pushed out to few users around the world. Facebook wants families to be able to potentially be able...

Apple employees given incentive to sell more iPhones

According to sources from 9To5Mac, Apple store employees are being offered rewards for selling more iPhones. This period allegedly starts on February 21 through March 26. This program will reward Apple reps rewards like all-expense trips to Cupertino for those who sell the highest number of iPhones in their regions. Though, strangely, Apple is calling...

In-store display of Galaxy S7 promise early delivery for pre-orders

The Samsung Galaxy S7 bandwagon is at full speed without no signs of slowing down until after MWC next week. Photos of an in-store display that are (likely) not even supposed to be seen yet have leaked the interwebs showing the unreleased device. The picture is reportedly from a Three carrier store and wants to convince those who want the ‘Next Big...

In-store display of Galaxy S7 promise early delivery for pre-orders

The Samsung Galaxy S7 bandwagon is at full speed without no signs of slowing down until after MWC next week. Photos of an in-store display that are (likely) not even supposed to be seen yet have leaked the interwebs showing the unreleased device. The picture is reportedly from a Three carrier store and wants to convince those who want the ‘Next Big...

Microsoft extends free Office 365 offer for Lumia 950 and 950 XL owners to more countries

Last month we told you that Microsoft is offering a free one year subscription to Office 365 for people who purchase a Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL smartphone. However, at that point, the deal was only available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. In the meantime though Microsoft has decided to extend this offer's reach...

Oppo A30 is a OnePlus X clone that just went official in China

Like the OnePlus X? Then you'll also like the just-unveiled Oppo A30. Seriously, they're exactly the same. To be precise, we're talking about the "champagne" edition of the OnePlus X, a.k.a white. The A30 has been listed on Oppo's official website for China, and, in all regards, it's identical to the white OnePlus X. That obviously makes you think...

Le Max Pro with Snapdragon 820 could be out on February 23 for $567

Last month at CES Qualcomm and Chinese company LeTV unveiled the upcoming Le Max Pro smartphone, the world's first to sport the chipset maker's Snapdragon 820 under the hood. Now a new rumor out of China claims the Le Max Pro will go on sale in the country next Tuesday, on February 23. However, only 1,000 units could actually be available on that...

LG G5 gets the full leaked image treatment, front and back exposed

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 edge have starred in a lot of leaks today, and now it's finally time for LG's G5 to shine too. The next flagship smartphone from Samsung's Korean competitor has been given the full leaked image treatment as you can see - it's had both its front and its back exposed. For the umpteenth time, the dual-camera setup...

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge brochure reveals all, March 11 launch

Well, here it is, as good as official. A Spanish brochure for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge spill the beans on the specs and the release date. The S7 will have a 5.1" screen, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge a 5.5", both QHD SuperAMOLEDs. The chipset is listed as Snapdragon 820, which will likely serve both Europe and North America. It's paired with...

Watch the evolution of Samsung's mobile gadgets throughout the years

There is no denying Samsung has played a huge part in pushing the evolution of mobile devices ahead, long before Apple came up with the first iPhone. The Korean manufacturer had some of the most out-there back then, including a phone watch, a TV phone, and was among the first to embrace Android. Some of its regular mobile phones are responsible for...

Android Marshmallow now available for Moto E (2nd Gen) in India

The Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) is finally receiving Android 6.0 Marshmallow update after a few months of uncertainty. Last October, Motorola announced its Marshmallow plans and the second Moto E was left out of the update list. Then just before Christmas Motorola had some change of heart and added the Moto E (2nd Gen) to its update schedule. The Moto...

Google Play Games is ditching Google+ integration and Play Music is getting podcast support

Google looks to be amidst another one of its fairly regular Android app update frenzies and this time around it brings changes to Google Play Games and Play music. Good news for any of you avid Android gamers out there - Google Play Games will no longer require a direct link to a Google+ account. Instead, the search giant will be introducing a special...

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) review: A-lister

Prepare to meet the biggest premium phone Samsung has made. No, not the Note5, even that one is dwarfed by the Samsung Galaxy A9 and its 6" Super AMOLED screen. Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a9_2016-review-1380.p...

Leaked photo showcases the LG G5 Magic Slot design - sliding battery and ambitious expansion concept

Quite a lot has been said about LG's upcoming G5 and rumors are only intensifying now that the MWC is only hours away. But perhaps the most outlandish concept of them all, was a modular design, of sorts, that would be put in place in order to preserve the removable battery of the handset. While not unheard of, the idea did seem quite unrealistic...

Latest Xiaomi Mi 5 leak gives another look at the specs

The Xiaomi Mi 5 leaks are coming in thick and fast. The latest one by Twitter user Steve Hemmerstoffer (who's also with OnLeaks) shows off some more hands-on images of the phone. The first image shows the now familiar face of the device, with the 5.2-inch 1080p panel up front with a fingerprint sensor below. #Xiaomi #Mi5 https://t.co/Y0BMXcxnjf pic.twitter.com/TpFiU46QHQ—...

Sony teases its MWC 2016 event with a teaser video

Sony has outed a teaser regarding its upcoming Mobile World Congress 2016 event. Sadly, the video doesn't reveal much more than the date of the event, which we already knew. Nevertheless, make sure you check out the cool math induced teaser below. Other than that, there's little information what the company will be showcasing - this year the Sony...

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update starts hitting Samsung Galaxy Note5

After selected Galaxy Note5 units in the US started receiving Android 6.0 earlier this month, Samsung has begun rolling out the Android 6.0.1 update to the device. Carrying build number N920CXXU2BPB6, the update is currently hitting Note5 units (with model number SM-N920C) in Cambodia. The update brings along the usual Marshmallow goodies, including...

ZTE's tease suggests a phone announcement at MWC 2016

It appears the Chinese manufacturer won't be coming empty-handed to the Barcelona venue. The latest official ZTE teaser clearly hints at a handset announcement, which does fall in line with traditions from previous years. In 2015, the ZTE Grand S3 saw the light of day, back in 2013, it was the ZTE Grand Memo and a year before that - a total of 8...

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge photographed in the wild, again

The Samsung Galaxy S7, the S7 edge and S7 edge+ are all flying out to Barcelona for the weekend - for their big reveal! Neither of them is particularly keen on staying under wraps though, here's yet another pre-announcement photo of the new flagship. This one, in particular, is the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, the version with a 5.5" QHD screen. Its curved...

vivo confirms March 1 unveiling for Xplay5

A day after confirming the existence of Xplay5, vivo has revealed its unveiling date. The Chinese company has released a new teaser that confirms the device will be made official in less than a couple of weeks from now - March 1 to be specific. The event will take place at the Beijing Water Cube (19:30 local time). Aside from confirming the Xplay5...

Smartwatch sales surpass Swiss watches, Apple Watch leads the way

Smartwatch sales have surpassed Swiss watches for the first time, and you have Apple to thank. According to a report by Strategy Analytics, 8.1 million smartwatches were shipped in Q4 of 2015 compared to 7.9 million Swiss watches. Out of the 8.1 million, 5.1 million were Apple Watches with 63% share, 1.3 million were the various Samsung smartwatches...

Gartner: Samsung retains smartphone leadership in 2015 with over 20% market share

Samsung was the top smartphone vendor for both Q4 2015 as well as the complete year, according to a latest report by market research firm Gartner. Specifically, the South Korean company sold over 83.4 million units last quarter, claiming 20.7% share of the market, which is up from 19.9% share reported in Q4, 2014. Apple came in second with 17.7%...

New alleged HTC One M10 image leaks, shows white variant

A couple of weeks after its black variant leaked online, another alleged image of the HTC One M10 has surfaced, showing off the white-colored model this time. As was the case before, the new image is also shared by the usually reliable leakster @evleaks on Twitter. Let's call it HTC One M10 in white. pic.twitter.com/lGfIM5SSpX— Evan Blass (@evleaks)...

Xiaomi, Huawei, and ZTE are all said to be planning their own Apple Pay competitor

Shortly after Apple launched its mobile payments service Apple Pay in China, there are reports that the iPhone maker's competitors in country are planning to release their own payments service. The revelation was made by IHS Analyst Kevin Wang, who named Xiaomi, Huawei, and ZTE in a Weibo post. It's not that Apple Pay doesn't have any competition...

Nextbit starts selling its cloud-focused Robin smartphone

Nextbit's cloud-focused Robin smartphone, which recently started shipping to the initial 1,000 backers of the company's kickstarter campaign, is now available for purchase. Carrying a $399 price tag, the device is now listed on the company's website. Both mint and midnight color options are available for purchase. However, what's worth mentioning...

Nvidia fixes WiFi issues, releases Shield Tablet and Tablet K1 Marshmallow update again

Nvidia started rolling out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the original Shield Tablet earlier this month, but the roll-out was soon halted after there were user reports of the update causing Wi-Fi issues with the device. The good news is that those issues have been fixed, and the roll-out has resumed. A company representative posted in an...

In a first, Samsung will live stream Galaxy S7 launch event in 360-degrees

Samsung has announced that the launch event of its upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone will be presented in 360-degree live streaming, making it the first time when viewers will be able to enjoy a 360-degree view of a Galaxy Unpacked event. "During Galaxy Unpacked you will get four options for where to watch—from the auditorium, stage left, stage...

LG and B&O announce collaboration for new audio-focused smartphone

LG Electronics has announced a new agreement that it is going to collaborate with B&O (a high-end electronics designer and manufacturer) to come up with an audio quality-focused experience on a smartphone. The companies have apparently been working together for the Hi-Fi audio features for the highly-anticipated LG G5. B&O is a company that...

Apple fixed Error 53, modified Touch ID sensor won't brick iPhone

Apple changed its mind about Error 53 being a security feature and allows a phone with a modified Touch ID sensor to function with the Touch ID feature disabled. Disabling phones from restarting, simply because they were repaired at an unapproved shop did not sit well with people. The public backlashed and Apple did what it needed for customers to...

PayPal redesigns its apps for Android and iOS

PayPal has unveiled a big redesign for its mobile apps today. You can already find the updated versions in the iTunes App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. The new apps come with simplified UIs and no more clutter, according to the company. It claims that customer feedback drove much of the redesign process. Features have been...

HP Elite x3 Windows 10 phablet gets the full leak treatment, images and specs outed

Just a few days ago word got out that HP is working on a top of the line Windows 10 handset to be called Elite x3. This device was apparently codenamed Falcon, and it may have been benchmarked in December of last year. Anyway, HP is probably going to announce the Elite x3 at MWC next week. Before that happens, however, you can feast your eyes upon...

New leaked images show Galaxy S7 in silver, S7 edge in black, and confirm lack of USB Type-C

It definitely seems like not a day can go by without some new leaks about the upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, which Samsung is going to make official this Sunday, on February 21. And today isn't an exception. First off, we can now show you the Galaxy S7 in silver - this was a color that hasn't previously been leaked in a press render. If you click...

Archos intros Diamond 2 Plus with 4GB of RAM, 6-inch QHD Diamond 2 Note

Archos is doing its best to announce new mobile devices before Samsung and LG totally steal the show this Sunday. So, after having already outed some new Oxygen tablets and the 50d Oxygen handset, today the French company has unveiled a pair of new smartphones, the Diamond 2 Plus and the Diamond 2 Note. These could in fact be considered Archos' premier...

ASUS unveils ZenPad M series slates with ADAM administration tools

The new ASUS ZenPad M series of tablets targets the business market and offers a single solution for software distribution and device control called ADAM. ADAM stands for ASUS Device Admin for Mobile and is a combination of tools suitable for managing all ZenPad M company tablets. The ADAM service supports remote installation and updating of apps,...