Motorola Moto E beginning Lollipop soak test in India

Motorola has had a pretty nice track record when it comes to updating their devices. Moto smartphones generally run an almost stock version of Android are usually next in line after Nexus devices for OS updates. Sadly this was not the case with Android 5 Lollipop. Progress has been slow and most of the Moto line is still waiting on a mass update. India seems to be the venue of choice when it comes to soak tests, as we have already seen a few, namely for the Moto G and later the Moto G 2014 and Moto X. Now the budget-friendly Moto E is joining the ranks as Motorola Feedback Network members are already receiving email invitations for the soak test. So if you are among the subscribers of the feedback program and happen to be using a Moto E handset in India you are in luck. The soak test is expected to run for about two weeks and if all goes well the Moto E should see a openly distributed OTA, at least in India and join the ranks of the Moto G on the same market, which is already enjoying the Lollipop treatment. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Post by Motorola India Fans. A recent status update on the Motorola India Fans Facebook page hints at why the manufacturer is studding so carefully with Android Lollipop and taking its time. Presumably the initial Android 5.0 build was causing App lag and severe battery, WiFi, Bluetooth and Call issues on non-Nexus devices, which forced Motorola to wait it out so as not to disappoint its fans. The message also explains that the 5.0.1 patch was a hasty job and also not satisfactory for release on Moto handsets. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Post by Motorola India Fans. Now with Android 5.0.2 already a reality and presumably much more stable we hope that Motorola will finally push things along and carry out a full-scale international update to its device lineup as soon as...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_e_beginning_lollipop_soak_test_in_india-news-11057.php

72% of Apple devices running iOS8 already

This month's numbers for iOS distribution are in and the current iOS8 claims 72%, Apple reports. The information is based on App Store access statistics and is current as of February 2. iOS8 is up a notch from last month's 68% while iOS7 surrenders 4% of its share and is at 25% this month. iOS6 and earlier versions retain their marginal 3% of market share. Even so, the iOS8 rate of adoption falls behind the iOS7 from a year ago, which commanded an 80% percent adoption in the same period. The latest 8.1.3 update featured stability improvements and the perceived maturity iOS8 has reached after initial issues has provided enough incentive for users to upgrade. Either way, the number of devices, booting the latest version of iOS is massive, compared to its Android counterpart. As we reported, Lollipop only just made it to the distribution chart, with the huge variety of devices by numerous manufacturers being the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/72_of_apple_devices_running_ios8_already-news-11054.php

Samsung loses its position as India's top smartphone vendor

Just a few days after market research firm Counterpoint noted that Samsung actually lost its title of the world's leading smartphone vendor in Q4, 2014, it is being reported that the South Korean company has been dethroned in the Indian smartphone market, too. According to a report from market research firm Canalys, with 22% of the market share in Q4 last year, local budget brand Micromax has now become the top smartphone vendor in the country, ahead of Samsung at 20%. The Indian company already overtook the South Korean firm as the leading brand in all types of mobile phones last year. "This incredible performance is partly due to Micromax's continuing appeal to mobile phone users upgrading to smart phones," the report said. "Its flagship line of products has also very effectively targeted the US$150 to US$200 (INR9,000 to INR12,000) segment, with products such as the Canvas Nitro and Canvas Hue." The third and the fourth spots were also claimed by Indian companies, namely Karbonn Mobiles and Lava, respectively. Overall, the Indian smartphone market, which is the third largest in the world, experienced a strong annual growth of 90%, with a total of 21.6 million units shipping in the quarter, the report notes. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_loses_its_position_as_indias_top_smartphone_vendor-news-11053.php

Desire 626's existence confirmed, specifications revealed

Just a couple of weeks after leakster @upleaks provided information on HTC's yet-to-be-announced Desire 626 smartphone, the device has been approved by China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, effectively confirming its existence. The agency also published some images of the mid-range handset (one shown above), along with a complete set of specifications: the device is powered by a Mediatek chipset with an octa-core CPU, clocked at 1.7GHz, and features a 5-inch display of 1280x720 pixel resolution. It comes with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage space (expandable via microSD). The Desire 626 sports a 13 MP rear camera with flash, a 5 MP front-facing camera, and a 2,000 mAh battery. Weighing in at 135 grams and measuring 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.19 mm, the LTE-enabled smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/desire_626_existence_confirmed_specifications_revealed-news-11052.php

Motorola offers up to $100 discount for US customers

Motorola is having a sale on its US website, and you can save up to $100. If you spend $499.99, you can get $100 off, or if you spend $249.99, you can get $35 off. The offer is available on Motorola devices and accessories till February 14. For the $100 off you'd at least have to purchase the Moto X or the Nexus 6, while you'd have to at least get the Moto 360 to get the $35 off. Unfortunately, phones like the Moto G and Moto E are too inexpensive to fall under either price...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_offers_up_to_100_discount_for_us_customers-news-11051.php

ARM announces high-end Cortex-A72 CPU and Mali-T880 GPU

ARM announced a trio of high-end components, which are bound to be part of the next generation of mobile chipsets. The brand-new ARM Cortex-A72 CPU, Mali T-880GPU, and the CoreLink CCI-500 interconnect will feature in top-shelf mobile devices in 2016. The 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU is going to be the successor of the Cortex-A57. The newcomer is 3.5x faster than the Cortex-A15 generation, yet it consumes the same amount of energy. Cortex-A72 will use 75% less power than 2014 Cortex-A15 devices under similar workload. In order to ease the implementation of the new chip, ARM has made its compatible with the latest TSMC 16nm FinFET+ process. The CPU will offer extended performance and efficiency when combined with Cortex-A53 CPU in ARM big.LITTLE setup. The Mali T-880 GPU on the other hand, will offer 1.8x the performance of the currently available Mali T-760, yet it will consume 40% less energy. The GPU is developed with premium 4K content in mind The CoreLink CCI-500 interconnect will enable power-sipping big.LITTLE processing thanks to an integrated snoop filter. The component will offer twice the peak memory system bandwidth with 30% increase in processor memory performance over the CCI-400 it is bound to replace. ARM has already teamed up with a number of partners, which will utilize the new components. They include MediaTek, HiSilicon, and Rockchop among others....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/arm_announces_highend_cortexa72_cpu_and_malit880_gpu-news-11049.php