Original Moto G to receive Lollipop in the coming weeks

In keeping with the company's policy to provide updates for its smartphones, Motorola is working on an Android Lollipop firmware for the first generation Moto G, released in 2013. Evidence for the update comes from owners of the device, who have started receiving a notification, prompting them to upgrade to the latest version of Motorola Update Services, in order to be notified of the update itself. It has become common practice for manufacturers to support their high-end lines, or release updates for current generations only. Motorola, on the other hand, has had an exemplary track record, and is updating flagships and budget devices alike, both new and old. It could be argued that the company has it easy, because of its choice to stick close to stock Android, while heavier overlays undeniably require more time-consuming work. We recently informed you of the Lollipop updates rolling out for the Moto E and Moto Maxx. However, if you own a different Motorola smartphone, you can refer to our earlier article for the complete list of planned...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/original_moto_g_to_receive_lollipop_in_the_coming_weeks-news-11226.php

LG developing a high-end chipset, production to start later in 2015

LG is working on a new in-house flagship-grade chipset, reports in Korean media claim. Arch-rival Samsung has been doing good on that front for some time, utilizing its own silicon in a number of devices. Snapdragon 810 issues, however, have been the catalyst that will aid in putting the Exynos 7420 in Samsung's next-gen flagship Galaxy S6. Apparently, LG has quickly followed suit and now we find out that the company already has a high-end offering in development and expects to start mass production later this year. Naturally, the new chipset is unlikely to be seen in a working device before 2016, presumably the G5. The SoC will employ the recently unveiled powerful Cortex-A72 cores alongside the more energy-efficient Cortex-A53 cores in an octa-core big.LITTLE configuration. ARM announced a new Mali-T880 GPU together with the Cortex-A72 and it would be logical to see that one in the LG chipset. This is not the company's first attempt at producing its own chipsets, though. The G3 Screen, released in October last year, featured the home-brewed Nuclun SoC. It was an underwhelming performer, but the company had to start somewhere, and lessons have likely been learned. Source (in Korean) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_developing_a_highend_chipset_production_to_start_later_in_2015-news-11225.php

New Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser promises performance

The second video in the #TheNextGalaxy series is out and it's as vague as ever, but it seems to promise fast performance ("The faster I am, the more that gets done") and long battery life ("And the more time I can give to others"). The previous Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser video focused on the camera and changed the profile pic of the Samsung Mobile account to the outline of a camera module. I am #TheNextGalaxy. See how I give more time to others at #Unpacked. https://t.co/zfYs03p90P— TheNextGalaxy (@SamsungMobile) February 17, 2015 This new video brings a different sigil - a lightning bolt. You could argue this is "lightning fast" and connect it to the chipset performance - Samsung's own Exynos 7420 according to rumors. Another way to read this is wireless charging, we've heard talk that the Galaxy S6 will have only a 2,600mAh battery and use wireless charging to offset the small-ish capacity. The new flagship will be officially unveiled at the beginning of March at the MWC in Barcelona, but that's not for two more weeks. We should see several other teaser videos until then. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_samsung_galaxy_s6_teaser_promises_performance-news-11224.php

Sony Xperia E4 on pre-order in mainland Europe for €130

Last week the new Sony Xperia E4 went on pre-order in the UK, since then it has expanded to mainland Europe. It's still a bit difficult to find but we managed to find it in a few stores at €130, practically on par with the £100 pre-order price in the UK. The shipping date is set for 2-3 weeks from now, but nothing more concrete than that. The Xperia E4 has a 5" IPS screen with qHD resolution (220ppi) and will launch with Android 4.4 KitKat, though it's on the waiting list for 5.0 Lollipop. It's powered by a MediaTek chipset (quad Cortex-A7) with 1GB of RAM. It has a 5MP/1080p main camera and a 2MP/720p selfie camera. And more importantly, it costs less than the Moto G (2014), which is already on Lollipop and has a sharper, 720p screen. No 1080p video capture though. Anyway, there's still no sign of the Sony Xperia E4 Dual, so it's price is unknown. Source (in German)|...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_e4_in_pre_order_in_mainland_europe_for_130-news-11220.php

IDC: Samsung slips to number five in Chinese smartphone market

Samsung, which was dethroned in China by local upstart Xiaomi last year, has slipped to the fifth position in the country's smartphone market now, according to a latest report from the market research firm IDC. As per the report, in Q4, 2014, the South Korean company captured just 7.9% of the market, a whopping 50% decline compared to the year ago quarter. On the other hand, with an year-on-year growth of 150%, Xiaomi occupied the first place, capturing 13.7% of the market. Next came in Apple, with 12.3% market share, followed by Huawei and Lenovo, with 11% and 9.5% market share, respectively. Overall, a total of 107.5 million smartphones were shipped in the country in Q4 last year, representing a 2% quarter-on-quarter growth. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_slips_to_number_five_in_chinese_smartphone_market-news-11221.php

Smartphone sales hit 1.2B in 2014, up 23% on yearly basis

Smartphone sales reached an all time high in 2014, market analyst GfK reports. Climbing 23% year on year, the billion mark was crossed for the first time, and by a long margin at that, reaching 1.228 billion units sold. It's also an actual representation of devices making it to users' hands, as opposed to other reports, which take into account smartphones shipped by the manufacturers. .atable tr:first-child th { font-weight: bold !important; } .atable { width: 100% !important; } Smartphone units sold (in millions) Market 2013 2014 Difference Latin America 68.7 109.5 59% Central & Eastern Europe 50.9 69.8 37% North America 139.1 177.6 28% Emerging Asia Pacific 96.9 149.9 55% Middle East & Africa 99.8 135.2 35% Western Europe 115.4 128 11% China 359.0 392.8 9% Developed Asia Pacific 68.3 65.1 -5% Global 998.0 1,228.0 23% The market growth was largely driven by Latin America, where smartphone sales soared, nearly reaching 110M, a 59% increase compared to 2013. The sales value in the region rose accordingly to $31.4B over the previous year's $20.6B, for a 52% difference. The other market that sees a significant increase in smartphones sold is the emerging Asia Pacific region. What has to be noted there is that the 55% rise in units sold does not translate in respective increase in sales value, where the change is only half that at 27%. Another trend, marked in the report, shows a significant shift towards larger screens, with a whopping 180% growth in sales of devices packing 5-inch and larger displays. It's also predicted to be the segment with a greatest market share this year. The forecast for 2015 is less optimistic though. The analyst predicts that market saturation will lead to a decline in growth, but still a 14% increase in units sold is expected, resulting in a 1.368B figure. The price segment above $150 will witness a decline, while more affordable sub-$100 devices will be on the rise. The $100-$150 bracket is expected to maintain its...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/smartphone_sales_hit_12b_in_2014_up_23_on_yearly_basis-news-11223.php