vivo X7 stars in extensive photo shoot ahead of June 30 announcement

On June 30 vivo is finally going to make its two newest phones official. We're talking about the much-leaked, much-teased X7 and X7 Plus. Just yesterday we saw the latter in a bunch of hands-on pictures, and now it's the smaller X7's turn to star in a photo shoot of its own. As you can see, the images really leave nothing to the imagination, showing the device from all possible angles (and against some interesting backgrounds, we might add). vivo X7 The X7 will be part of the so-called premium mid-range. Already confirmed specs (through official teasers) include Qualcomm's...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_x7_stars_in_extensive_photo_shoot_ahead_of_june_30_announcement-news-19042.php

Guided support with screen sharing possibly coming to Nexus devices

Google may be working on a guided assistance feature for upcoming Nexus devices dubbed Google Support. The app will allow support agents to access your screen (upon your consent, naturally), so that they'll be able to more easily assess the issue and help you solve it. So far there's a single screenshot from the app for us to theorize on and it looks genuine - it's even got the redesigned navigation buttons supposedly coming with Android N. Google Support screenshot (click for full-size image) The rationale behind such a feature is obviously two-fold - on the one hand, it'll...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/guided_support_with_screen_sharing_possibly_coming_to_nexus_devices-news-19041.php

iPhone 7 rear panel shows large camera bump, source insists 3.5mm jack present

Speculation continues on the controversial subject of the next iPhone's 3.5mm headphone jack, or rather the rumored lack thereof. In today's episode, a source out China states that the decades-old analog connector will remain a feature of the iPhone 7. A single photo of an alleged back panel for the 4.7-inch future iPhone, posted on Weibo, fails to provide evidence. However, the source is the same user that leaked photos of components before, revealing the said jack. A Wall Street Journal publication from this week said the jack would be gone, citing unnamed insiders. Allege...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_7_rear_panel_shows_large_camera_bump_source_insists_35mm_jack_present-news-19040.php

Microsoft will cease Surface 3 production by this year's end

Microsoft has confirmed that it will stop producing the Surface 3 tablet by the end of 2016. The confirmation came in the form of a statement from the Redmond, Washington-based company. "Since launching Surface 3 over a year ago, we have seen strong demand and satisfaction amongst our customers," the software giant said. "Inventory is now limited and by the end of December 2016, we will no longer manufacture Surface 3 devices." It's worth mentioning that many of the Surface 3 models are already out of stock on Microsoft's online store for quite some time now. Via | Microsoft...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_will_cease_surface_3_production_by_this_years_end-news-19036.php

Pilot phone from imoo surfaces in renders

Remember that new brand with a particularly nice ring to its name that we reported about a few days ago? Well, imoo's first actual phone has cropped up on Weibo, at least renders of it. The images show a rather generic-looking handset with some external features you could attribute to imoo's sister brands. As you already know, the new brand is a subsidiary of the same parent company behind Oppo, OnePlus and Vivo. imoo renders What is perhaps more interesting about the phone is its educational nature, as evidenced by the #learningphone hashtag, if Google Translate hasn't...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/pilot_phone_from_imoo_surfaces_in_renders-news-19039.php

Samsung Galaxy Note7 it is, leakster confirms the name

The original Samsung Galaxy Note that started it all was released in the the fall of 2011, the same year the Galaxy S II came to life. Ever since, Samsung's phablet lineup has been trailing its regular-sized flagship brethren in numbering, but that's about to change this year. The Galaxy Note7 will succeed the Note5 and now Notes and S's will walk hand in hand. The rumor about Samsung's marketing move started floating around almost precisely a month ago, and the naming change has now been (sort of) confirmed by popular leakster Evan Blass (@evleaks). Confirmed....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note7_it_is_leakster_confirms_the_name-news-19038.php

Mi App Store crosses 50 billion downloads milestone

Xiaomi has announced that its Mi App Store has crossed the 50 billion downloads milestone, a feat it achieved in just four years - the app store was launched back in 2012. The figure stood at 35 billion in December last year and 40 billion at the end of Q1 2016. The company also revealed the peak download figure of 180 million per day, with Wechat, QQ, and Taobao being the most downloaded apps of all time. The Mi App Store now has a market share of 18% in China, making it the second largest Android app store in the country. A total of 200 million users are now using the Chinese...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/mi_app_store_crosses_50_billion_downloads_milestone-news-19034.php

Windows 10 update starts hitting AT&T Lumia 1520 as well

Just days after Verizon started updating the Nokia Lumia Icon to Windows 10 Mobile, the update has begun hitting Lumia 1520 units on AT&T's network, bringing features like universal apps, slow-mo video capture, and HDR. @Daniel_Rubino My ATT Lumia 1520!! pic.twitter.com/he9hU9LHZS— Sathish Kumar S (@sathishk_sp) June 23, 2016 Given the update has just started rolling out, it may take sometime before it hits your device. Meanwhile, if you feel impatient, you can manually check for the update by heading to your handset's Settings menu. Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_10_update_starts_hitting_at_t_lumia_1520_as_well-news-19037.php

BBM's video chat feature is now available globally

BlackBerry has announced that the BBM video feature, which first started rolling out back in April this year in the US and Canada, is now available in regions worldwide. The announcement came from the company's senior vice president Matthew Talbot. #BBM Video Call Now available across Android and iOS globally https://t.co/hwxe6AHSt2 pic.twitter.com/tUAHWF6AoR— Matthew Talbot (@talbot_mcj) June 23, 2016 This comes shortly after the feature was made available in the Asia-Pacific region, prior to which it launched in Latin America, Middle-East, Europe, and Africa (in that order). Keep...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/bbms_video_chat_feature_is_now_available_globally-news-19032.php

Executive says Microsoft's next phone will be high-end, claims it will be "category innovating"

Microsoft's next phone will be a high-end device aimed at the enterprise market, according to the company's Corporate VP of Windows Kevin Gallo. He also claimed that the handset would be "category innovating." "We're really aligned to what we've done on the Windows desktop," he said, adding "which is we'll lead with some high end and category innovation like we've done with Surface, and OEMs will go and build the breadth of the catalog." He also commented on the company's Windows Phone OS, stressing that neither it has been abandoned, nor there are any such plans. "Windows Phone is...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/executive_confirms_microsofts_next_phone_will_be_highend_claims_it_will_be_category_innovating-news-19035.php

Huawei CEO: Will keep using Android as long as it's open

If you recall, there have been reports recently that suggested Huawei is developing its own mobile OS. Now, in what could be seen as a possible reaction to these reports, the Chinese company's CEO has said that they'll keep using Android as long as its openness isn't compromised. He made the said comment in a Weibo post, where-in he also noted that Google's mobile OS has promoted the development of smartphones, which in turn has benefited consumers. Interestingly, he didn't say anything about whether or not Huawei is developing an in-house mobile OS - said to be called Kirin OS. His...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ceo_will_keep_using_android_as_long_as_its_open-news-19033.php

New Yahoo Mail app update brings several new features, including ability to preview documents

Yahoo has started rolling out a new update to its Mail app on Android and iOS that brings along a slew of new features, including the ability to preview documents and disable swiping. The update also includes a new home screen widget as well as different levels of inbox spacing. The updated app now lets you preview attached documents, so that you can quickly take a look at the attachment without waiting for it to download, something which effectively saves you time as well as space and data. Also included is the ability to turn off the swipe to delete functionality, so that yo don't...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_yahoo_mail_update_brings_several_new_features_including_ability_to_preview_documents-news-19031.php

New Verizon Galaxy Note 4 update brings June security patch

Less than a month after receiving the Marshmallow update, the Verizon Galaxy Note 4 has started receiving a new update that brings along the latest Android security fixes (for the month of June). The update - which bumps the software version to MMB29M.N910VVRU2CPF3 - doesn't seem to include any other change as the official change-log just says, "the current software update gives you the most up to date Android security patch on your device." Given that the OTA update has just started rolling out, it may take sometime for the update notification to pop up on your device. Meanwhile,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_verizon_galaxy_note_4_update_brings_june_security_patch-news-19030.php

T-Mobile extending free hour of in-flight Wi-Fi to AT&T and Verizon customers too

As part of T-Mobile's Un-Carrier #GetThanked, magenta customers are being given free stuff on Tuesdays just for being a T-Mobile customer as the carrier's token of appreciation. This also included one free share of T-Mobile stock per customer and 1 hour of free in-flight Gogo Wireless on domestic flights. In spirit of the summer, T-Mobile is also extending this free hour of in-flight Wi-Fi for AT&T and Verizon customers. T-Mobile is doing this so that "long-abused" AT&T and Verizon customers can also feel what it's like to #GetThanked by the carrier. This weekend only, from June...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/tmobile_extending_free_hour_of_inflight_wifi_to_at_t_and_verizon_customers_too-news-19029.php

Google could be redesigning the navigation buttons for Android N

The design of the stock Android navigation buttons has been left untouched by Google for a while now, but that could all change this year. The instantly recognizable triangle, circle, and square shapes aren't going anywhere, but they will be different if a new rumor turns out to be right. This reportedly comes from a source that has been reliable in the past, keep that in mind. It's basically revealed that the final version of Android N may in fact ship with the button design you can see in the image below. According to the aforementioned source, the Home button animates when...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/google_could_be_redesigning_the_navigation_buttons_for_android_n-news-19028.php

LeEco's upcoming Snapdragon 823 phone gets benchmarked

At the beginning of this year, Chinese upstart LeEco (then called LeTV) announced the first ever smartphone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset - the Le Max Pro. The SD820 then went on to feature in most flagships launched in 2016, but now it's almost time for a refresh. And it looks like once again LeEco will be the first company to have a phone sporting Qualcomm's latest silicon inside. It's holding an event on June 29, during which it's expected to unveil the first handset powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 823 (also known as Snapdragon 821 sometimes), which is basically...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/leecos_upcoming_snapdragon_823_phone_gets_benchmarked-news-19026.php

YouTube will soon let you live stream using its mobile app

Facebook Live and Twitter-owned Periscope are hot right now, there's no denying it. The two services allow anyone to live stream... anything, and they've been gaining in popularity recently. A lot. And now the elephant in the room decided to step forward and say a few words. We're talking about YouTube, of course. Google's property has done live streaming ever since 2011, "before it was cool" as it likes to point out. However, so far only big special events have received their own live streams on YouTube. Thankfully, that's set to change "soon". Yes, this means Google will finally make...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_will_soon_let_you_live_stream_using_its_mobile_app-news-19027.php

Alleged vivo X7 Plus leaks in live photos

We are already well aware that vivo is working on the X7, as well as its bigger X7 Plus sibling. These are said to be the spiritual successors to the vivo Xshot and according to some official teasers will be unveiled on June 30. We now know quite a bit about the new handsets and today's fresh leak offers a glimpse of one of the the devices out in the open along with some extra hardware info. Judging by the scale of the unit in question, we are probably looking at the bigger vivo X7 Plus, said to come with a 5.7-inch display. Also, we are fairly certain this is not an actual...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_vivo_x7_plus_leaks_in_live_photos-news-19022.php

Oppo unboxes the F1 Plus Barcelona edition - we did too minus the fan gear

Oppo has just posted a video on YouTube of the unboxing of the F1 Plus Barcelona Edition. Apparently a true fan of the football club, the presenter is in a proper setting for the ordeal, with plenty of fan gear carefully arranged in plain sight including a club jersey, scarf, cap and a mini ball. Now, we have to admit Oppo beats us in sheer number of Barcelona fan items, but we did have an unboxing of our own, with a few impressions to share. Check out our hands-on article for more photos of the royal blue smartphone, while impatiently waiting for official word on the pricing - we...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_unboxes_the_f1_plus_barcelona_edition__we_did_too_minus_the_fan_gear-news-19019.php

Freedom 251 is happening, first batch ships on June 30

The Freedom 251, the less-than-$4 smartphone, was unveiled last February as the cheapest smartphone in the world priced at INR 251 or just under $4. It gained big momentum, but then suspicions began to pile up. The fiasco began with swapping the beautiful picture of the device with a more generic and yet accurate one. And it's all OK, since s you know, it costed $4. But then the first prototypes sent to the media were some poorly masked Adcom phones selling on the Indian market for about $50. And finally, all of the Android icons were absolutely identical with Apple's iOS ones. Ringing...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/freedom_251_is_happening_first_batch_ships_on_june_30-news-19025.php

OnePlus 3 review: Confidence booster

A great act is tough to follow and sometimes delivering two great devices in a row requires that you take a completely different approach with the successor. Now on its third "flagship killer" (with the OnePlus X taking a different path), OnePlus has taken on the tough task to mature from a business standpoint, while still retaining that ambitious "never settle" attitude that brought it where it is today.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_3-review-1455.php

BlackBerry to reveal more about its upcoming mid-range smartphones next month

While we already know that BlackBerry is planning to out two mid-range Android phones this year, there has been no information on exactly when they'll be launched. That was, however, until now, as the company's CEO has dropped hints that one of the two could be unveiled as soon as next month. BlackBerry CEO: John Chen During a conference call with investors, when Chen was asked about these upcoming phones, he said, "I'm not really prepared to unveil that. I guess, I was thinking about doing that more in July timeframe. I have spoken about having two of them in between now and the end...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_to_reveal_more_about_its_upcoming_midrange_smartphones_next_month-news-19014.php

Samsung may move its London HQ within the new EU borders

In the wake of the Brexit results many companies are worried of the economic fallout and are considering relocation within the new EU borders. Since early this morning, when the final vote count was announced, there are quite few rumors of CEOs traveling to other countries looking for a new place for their business. Samsung is one of those industry giants to have its HQ in London. While its EU factories are in Poland and Slovakia, its European base is in London. And as it turns out Samsung is feeling uncertain about the UK's future and is looking to relocate. I am sure you've probably...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_may_move_its_london_hq_within_the_new_eu_borders-news-19021.php

Deal: Samsung Galaxy S7 dual-SIM for $540 in the US

The US is getting a nice deal on the Samsung Galaxy S7 (the dual-SIM version) - $540. That's a bit better than $565-$575 prices over at Amazon. This is the G930FD model, which covers the LTE bands of all major US carriers. European carriers are covered as well for what that's worth since this is a US deal. The Galaxy S7 is available in Black, Gold and Silver. Extended 2 and 3-year warranty is available for $60 and $80 respectively. Note that this offer will expire in 8 days. Head over to DailySteals for a closer look.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/deal_samsung_galaxy_s7_dualsim_for_540_in_the_us-news-19016.php

Gaze upon the leaked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Edition image

Four phone generations ago, uh, I mean four years ago Samsung celebrated the summer Olympic games with a limited edition Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note, then two years later the winter games with a limited edition Note 3, and now the Brazil games are getting a limited edition Galaxy, too. The phone will likely have the same specs, but should bring some Olympic-themed goodies. The limited edition paint job features color accents matching the Olympic rings - yellow on the front, green and red on the side, and blue on the back. There should also be Olympic apps to keep you up to date with the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/gaze_upon_the_leaked_samsung_galaxy_s7_edge_olympic_edition_image-news-19017.php

Listing for Xiaomi smartwatch appears on company's official website

Nearly a couple of months after Xiaomi confirmed that it is indeed working on its own smartwatch and revealed that the device will be made official in the second half of this year, a listing for the watch has appeared on the company's official website. Sadly, the listing does not reveal anything about the wearable device, including its design, specs, or price. However, the design-part was revealed by a recently-leaked render (shown below). As you can see, the render confirms a round-design with the MI logo on top and a first-gen Moto 360-like section at the bottom. It also...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_smartwatch_appears_on_companys_official_website-news-19013.php

BitTorrent Now is a new music streaming service by BitTorrent

BitTorrent, the company behind the BitTorrent protocol, is a fairly legit business, even though the company's protocol has been used extensively for piracy (although it wasn't really created for that). The company has now launched its own music streaming service with a new app that is available on Android right now, and coming soon to iOS and Apple TV. BitTorrent Now, as it is called, highlights up and coming musicians instead of established artists and labels. You listen to songs from your favorite artists and also follow them from within the app. Most of the content right now is...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/bittorrent_now_is_a_new_music_streaming_service_by_bittorrent-news-19015.php

New Sony SmartWatch 3 update is aimed at improving security and stability

A new Android Wear update has started rolling out to Sony's Smartwatch 3. Carrying a build number of MWD49B, the update brings along security and stability-related improvements. Specifically, the update is said to fix GPS issues, and feature battery life-related improvements. The reboot option has also made a comeback. For those who aren't already aware, the wearable received the Marshmallow update in April this year. Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_sony_smartwatch_3_update_is_aimed_at_improving_security_and_stability-news-19012.php

Huawei P9 could land in India soon, probably next month

Huawei has dropped hints that its P9 smartphone, which was announced back in early April this year and went on sale over a week later, will be launched in India soon - probably next month, according some reports. "We are looking at the right time for launching P series devices in India," said Huawei India Consumer Device Business Group President Allen Wang during the launch event of the company's Honor 5C smartphone in the country. "We are evaluating ways to complement the phone with Indian user specific content before launching the device," Wang further said. "For us P9 is not just...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p9_set_to_land_in_india_soon_probably_next_month-news-19011.php

Mi 5's black variant launching in India today, gold coming soon

When Xiaomi launched its Mi 5 flagship in India back in April this year, only the white color variant was made available, something which left many disappointed. However, that's going to change soon, as the company has now confirmed that other colors will also be available in the country. ❤️ if black is your fav, RT if gold is best. YES, this means you'll soon be able to get #Mi5 in both these colours! pic.twitter.com/rFYImn85HM— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) June 23, 2016 The confirmation came in the form of a tweet from the Chinese company's India subsidiary, saying that...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/mi_5s_black_and_gold_color_variants_coming_soon_to_india_xiaomi_confirms-news-19010.php

Nextbit Robin to get a battery-boosting update later this year

Nextbit has announced that it will be rolling out a major update to its Robin smartphone that will be aimed at boosting the battery life of the cloud-focused device. Specifically, the company says the update will be pushed out in Q4 this year. "We can apply the same intelligence we've used for smart storage towards making your battery last significantly longer," Nextbit said in a post on its community website. "In Q4 we will launch a new version of Nextbit OS that gets to know your habits and optimizes functions at the system level to ensure you get the most screen time...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nextbit_robin_to_get_a_batteryboosting_update_later_this_year-news-19009.php

Asus ZenBeam E1 is a palm-sized projector compatible with PCs, phones, and media streamers

Asus has announced a new projector that it says is capable of delivering up to 120-inch-diagonal projections. Dubbed ZenBeam E1, the pocket-sized device has an HDMI/MHL input, and is compatible with PCs, smartphones, as well as media streamers. The ZenBeam E1 offers 150-lumen output with WVGA (854x480) resolution. It packs in a 6,000mAh rechargeable battery that the company claims delivers up to 5 hours of projection time. The projector also doubles as a power bank for mobile devices. Measuring 83 x 29 x 110mm and weighs in at just 307g, the device carries a $249 price tag, and will...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenbeam_e1_is_a_palmsized_projector_compatible_with_pcs_phones_and_media_streamers-news-19008.php

HTC device codenamed "Sailfish" is said to be the successor to Nexus 5X, alleged specs revealed

A new HTC device with the codename "Sailfish" is said to be the successor to the LG Nexus 5X, and the codename checks off as all Nexus devices are codenamed with the names of creatures living in water. Android Police reports that a secret but reliable source has the juicy details about the upcoming HTC Nexus. HTC hasn't made a Nexus since the very first Nexus One and HTC fans have since been dreaming of a Nexus device built by the Taiwanese phone maker. LG Nexus 5X released in 2015 The alleged specs are as follows: 5 inch 1080p screen Quad-core 2.0GHz CPU 4GB of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_device_codenamed_sailfish_is_said_to_be_the_successor_to_nexus_5x_alleged_specs_revealed-news-19007.php

Uber ditching fare estimation in favor of upfront pricing

Uber has been rolling out an update that replaces the usual way a ride is calculated. Currently as of this post, Uber rides in NYC are calculated as follows: Uber X (for 4 riders) Base Fare: $2.55 Per Minute: $0.35 Per Mile: $1.75 Minimum Fare: $8 Uber has been slowly rolling out this new upfront pricing model in Miami, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Seattle with other cities in the US following soon. The price you see when requesting a ride will be the price you pay when your ride ends. 9.9x Uber surge here in Miami Beach right now... highest I've ever seen...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/uber_ditching_fare_estimation_in_favor_of_upfront_pricing_-news-19006.php

FC Barcelona Oppo F1 Plus hands-on

What do FC Barcelona players Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta have in common? Well an educated guess would be the Oppo F1 Plus Barcelona edition is going to be their next smartphone. This is the second special edition phone to come out of Oppo's partnership with Barcelona football club. The first one was the R7 Plus and was sold in a limited quantity of just 5,000 units. The F1 Plus Barcelona Edition is more special, though as it sports the club's blue and red colors. The Barcelona colors shine bright under the spotlight The FC...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/fc_barcelona_oppo_f1_plus_handson-news-18995.php

SanDisk iXpand is an iPhone case with up to 128GB of extra storage built-in

If you're stuck with a 16GB iPhone 6 or 6s, SanDisk has a solution to your storage woes. Just use that severely limited internal space for apps and games, and store all your music and videos on its new iXpand iPhone case. Yes, you read that right. The new SanDisk iXpand Memory Case is, well, a case for the iPhone 6 and 6s, but one that comes with an amount of integrated storage, helpfully expanding what's inside your handset. You can get it in 32, 64, or 128GB capacities. There's an optional 1,900 mAh add-on battery pack too, which will (obviously) improve your battery life too. The...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sandisk_ixpand_is_an_iphone_case_with_up_to_128gb_of_extra_storage_builtin-news-19005.php

100 million voice calls are made in WhatsApp every day

After many tests and limited beta releases, WhatsApp finally launched voice calling for all Android users in March of 2015, followed by the same feature making it to iPhones about one month later. And it turns out that this has been quite a successful new addition to WhatsApp. That's because now, a year and three or so months later, the Facebook-owned messaging service has unveiled a staggering statistic. As the promotional image above makes obvious, WhatsApp users are at this point making more than 100 million voice calls each and every day. That means WhatsApp handles over 1,100...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/100_million_voice_calls_are_made_in_whatsapp_every_day-news-19004.php

Sense Home 8 launcher will be available to non-HTC devices, closed beta invites reveal

Over the past year or so, HTC has been 'uncoupling' many of the apps it builds into its Android releases, putting them on the Google Play Store. This means the company can update apps faster, without needing to bundle those updates into a new firmware release. It also obviously provides the option of making some of those apps available to non-HTC devices. That's exactly what is going to happen with the Sense Home 8 launcher, the newest iteration of the company's customized home screen. This shipped on the HTC 10, but now it looks like HTC wants to put it in the Play Store and allow owners...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sense_home_8_launcher_will_be_available_to_nonhtc_devices_closed_beta_invites_reveal-news-19003.php

Marshmallow update for the Galaxy Tab S2 makes it to the US

The update to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for Samsung's premier tablets from last year has finally reached the units that have been sold unlocked in the US. The rollout for the 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S2 began in April in Germany, while the update for the 8-inch Tab S2 started going out in the UK in May. In the meantime Verizon has updated its carrier-specific version of the Tab S2, and now it's time for those who bought one unlocked in the US to receive the Marshmallow bits too. This is happening regardless of which size you have, by the way. When you receive the coveted update...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/marshmallow_update_for_the_galaxy_tab_s2_makes_it_to_the_us-news-19002.php

Instagram adds topic and interest channels to its Explore tab

Lately Instagram has been very active in updating its apps with new features. Not always big, those, but it does seem that something different is coming from the Facebook-owned photo-focused social network every week or so. This time around we're treated to an improvement to the app's Explore tab (that's the one you get to by tapping the magnifying glass). Starting today, you'll see a new Picked for You section in Explore. This will feature videos that are grouped based on your favorite topics and interests. The point of this is to make it easier for you to discover videos you'll...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/instagram_adds_topic_and_interest_channels_to_its_explore_tab-news-19001.php

Verizon starts updating the Nokia Lumia Icon to Windows 10 Mobile

Great news for owners of Verizon's Nokia Lumia Icon. After having carefully considered whether to roll out Windows 10 Mobile to this model (something we told you about in March), Microsoft has in fact decided to grace the Icon with the latest version of its mobile operating system. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the update to Windows 10 Mobile for the Lumia Icon should be on its way starting today, according to Verizon. As always in these cases, the rollout occurs over-the-air, so at some point you'll get an update notification and you go from there. But since the update is going out in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/verizon_starts_updating_the_nokia_lumia_icon_to_windows_10_mobile-news-19000.php

Samsung Notebook 7 Spin is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop starting at $799.99

Samsung's latest Windows 10 laptop is of the 2-in-1, or convertible type - its display rotates all the way, letting you use it in normal laptop mode, or put it in 'tent' mode to watch movies, or you can spin it all the way to enjoy tablet mode. The device comes in two sizes, one with a 13.3-inch screen, the other with a 15.6-inch display. Regardless of which you pick, you'll get 1080p Full HD resolution with "Video HDR mode" that supposedly makes content sharper, colors more vivid, and textures should "truly pop". In both cases, you can configure it with an Intel Core i5 or Core i7...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_notebook_7_spin_is_a_2in1_convertible_laptop_starting_at_79999-news-18999.php

Samsung Galaxy A7 and Galaxy A5 (2016) get Marshmallow updates

Samsung is readying Android Marshmallow updates for the Galaxy A7 and the new Galaxy A5 (2016). Both firmware upgrades include the latest Android OS version, complete with Doze mode, enhanced app permissions and improved notifications. The latest security patches are all included in the new (June) builds, too. Russia is getting Marshmallow for both devices right now, while the Galaxy A5 (2016)'s Marshmallow is also available in Serbia and Turkey. The updates are seeding to even more countries as you are reading this, so we expect a massive rollout in the next couple of days. Thank...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_a7_and_galaxy_a5_2016_get_marshmallow_updates-news-18997.php

Rumored iPhone 7 prices suggest storage will increase, price will stay the same

As the iPhone 7 family inches closer to announcement, more and more details are being finalized - and if this rumor is to be believed, the price has been set. The prices come from a Chinese tipster and are in yuan. Converted to dollar equivalent, they seem pretty high but looking at the iPhone prices in China they pretty much match the current models. For example, the cheapest option - 16GB iPhone 6s - is CNY 5,288 and the rumored price for the 32GB iPhone 7 is CNY 5,258. The top model - 128GB iPhone 6s Plus - is CNY 7,788 or just under the purported price of the 256GB iPhone 7 Plus or...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/rumored_iphone_7_prices_suggest_storage_will_increase_price_will_stay_the_same-news-18996.php

Milk VR becomes Samsung VR, now anyone can upload 360° videos

VR is the new hotness in tech and multiple companies are staking their claim - YouTube has supported 360° videos for a while, Facebook (owner of Oculus) does too and now Samsung has a site for VR videos as well. It's actually the old Milk VR that was renamed to Samsung VR and opened to everyone (Milk allowed only a select few to upload). You can watch these videos with Samsung's Gear VR headset or if you don't have one, you can use the dedicated Samsung VR app (which is limited only to Samsung devices for now). Everyone else will have to use the website. Naturally, Samsung...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/milk_vr_becomes_samsung_vr_now_anyone_can_upload_360_videos-news-18998.php

OnePlus 3 update in the works: sRGB mode, better RAM management

Carl Pei and team has heard its users and is working on an update for the OnePlus 3. The update, Oxygen OS 3.1.4 (ha, pi!), will bring an sRGB mode and will change how RAM is managed. The sRGB option will live in the Developer options, indicating OnePlus still believes their tuning of the Optic AMOLED display is better (in case you haven't heard it's a tweaked latest-gen Super AMOLED). Here are photos showing the new mode posted by a Community Manager over at the OnePlus forums. sRGB on the left • default (current) color mode on the right There's less detail about the updated...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_3_update_in_the_works_srgb_mode_better_ram_management-news-18993.php

Xiaomi Redmi 3s starts selling today globally, USA included

Xiaomi starts selling the Redmi 3s globally today, a bit more than a week after the official announcement. The US is among the markets where the phone will be available, which will certainly help the company's exposure outside Asia. The phone is currently sold by GearBest with free shipping. However, that's a bit slow and eager customers can order fast, 3-7 days shipping. The 5", 720p smartphone rocks the new Snapdragon 430 chipset (quad-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz + quad-core Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz). The phone is offered in two variants - one with 2GB of RAM and another with 3GB of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_3s_starts_selling_today_globally_usa_included-news-18992.php

Get the 64GB Moto X Pure Edition for $319, the 16GB costs $239

Moto X Pure Edition, the USA version of the Moto X Style, is now available at a bargain price on various retailers. All three storage options have been discounted, but the best deal comes with the 64GB flavor. Both Amazon and B&H are now offering the Moto X Pure Edition 64GB for $319, which is $130 down from its regular price. The 16GB model costs $239, down $110. There is no deal with the Moto X Pure 32GB, so it's currently more expensive than the 64GB model. If you opt for B&H deals you'll be also getting a few 32GB microSD card, which should come in handy thanks to the Android...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/get_the_64gb_moto_x_pure_edition_for_319_the_16gb_costs_239-news-18994.php

Benchmark reveals Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016) specs

The Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016) was imported for testing earlier this month and now the phone has surfaced over at GFX Benchmark. The detected specs detail a pretty big upgrade over the 2015 entry level model. The screen size was detected as 4.8", though we're willing to bet it's actually still a 5.5" big (5" or so is for the On5). The screen resolution went up to 1080p (from 720p), a big improvement. The phone will have double the CPU cores, RAM and storage of its predecessor. You'll get eight A53 cores (at much higher 2GHz), 3GB of RAM and 16GB storage. The GPU is a modern Adreno...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/benchmark_reveals_samsung_galaxy_on7_2016_specs-news-18990.php

Xiaomi QiCycle is an affordable, foldable, smart electric bike

Xiaomi's latest gadget has a massive 5,800mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, IPX5 water resistance rating, a 1.8" screen with 160 x 128px resolution and costs CNY 3,000 ($455/€400). Did I forget to mention it's an electric bike? It is. The Xiaomi QiCycle features a patented folding design that's based around a main beam that stays in place and houses the battery. It's a 208.8Wh battery, mind you at a much higher voltage than a phone battery (so the mAh rating is misleading on its own). The battery lasts up to 45km on a full charge (which takes 3 hours). The 250W/36V motor can push...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_qicycle_is_an_affordable_foldable_smart_electric_bike-news-18991.php