BlackBerry Priv pre-registrations are now open

Just a few weeks after officially confirming it, BlackBerry has started allowing consumers to pre-register for the Priv. Those signing-up will be among the first to know when the Canadian company's debut Android handset is available for purchase. The pre-registration page (hit the Source link at the bottom) also confirms some of the Priv's key specs - it will sport a 5.4-inch dual-curved screen, Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera, and a 3410 mAh battery. The smartphone has already been the subject of various rumors and leaks in the last few weeks. If you aren't already aware, it is said to feature 4K recording, be thinner than the Note5, and carry a price tag of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_priv_preregistrations_are_now_open-news-14479.php

HTC One A9 is benchmarked again, this time with different specs

The much talked about One A9 is probably going to be the star of HTC's upcoming event taking place on October 20. Before it gets unveiled, though, the phone just keeps on leaking. This time around we have a new benchmark run completed by the One A9, which means we get a list of most of its specs. We've seen the One A9 being put through the paces of Geekbench in September, and now GFXBench is the app used. Strangely, though, the specs are different. GFXBench says the One A9 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 615 SoC (with a 1.5 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU), but Geekbench had it coming with the MediaTek Helio X20 (which sports a ten-core CPU). What's more, many past rumors talked about the A9 having the Snapdragon 617 instead. The HTC One A9 is supposed to have a 5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 12 or 13 MP rear camera, either a 4 MP UltraPixel selfie snapper or a 5 MP 'regular' unit, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and Wi-Fi. The prototype that was benchmarked ran Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is also expected to be the version on board the final device from day one. Via (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_a9_is_benchmarked_again_this_time_with_different_specs-news-14478.php

GSMArena is hiring writers in New York

We are looking to add quality to our team by hiring writers based in New York. You should be available to attend events in New York City so we are searching for people living within reasonable commuting distance. If you are passionate about mobile technology - anything from smartwatches through tablets to smartphones (and even digital cameras) - and you're good at writing compelling content - you may as well be up to the task. You'd be expected to actively contribute fresh content to GSMArena.com. That includes reviewing smartphones, writing news and blog articles and doing research on technology topics. We're looking for a creative, knowledgeable and self-driven individual to help us better cover the stuff going on while we're after-hours here in Europe. This means you will (eventually) have more freedom to choose what to write about and how to write about it, but it also means you'll have more responsibility. You will be working from your own place. This means you should definitely have your own computer and a reliable, fast Internet connection. We expect the following minimum: Previous experience in writing for an online or print publication and demonstrable writing skills (we value a clear, concise and engaging style) Profound knowledge of mobile phones and tablets Image and video editing skills Advanced computer skills Attention to detail and respect of deadlines Web research skills We would favor candidates who: Have experience producing video content for YouTube or similar platforms Are willing to work during the weekends Have basic knowledge of HTML coding We offer: Competitive pay Being part of a globally renowned, industry-leading online media company Flexible working hours To apply, please send us your resume (pdf or doc) describing previous occupations, interests and detailed contacts including an IM address at info@gsmarena.com with the following Subject: JOB-NY. We'll only consider US-based candidates, please do not apply if you reside elsewhere. Please make sure to include samples of your writing as either links to online sources or attached as a file (pdf or doc). If you don't have anything at hand, just pick some tech topics from the past week and prepare two short news articles of about 200 words each. We would also welcome a short but meaningful cover letter describing what got you interested and why you'd like to work for us. We'd love to hear from everybody but we'll only contact the short-listed candidates. About GSMArena.com GSMArena.com is a leading information source on mobile phones providing a world-wide community with up-to-date specifications and news scoops, as well as detailed cell phone reviews. With over 300 million pages served per month, GSMArena.com is an industry trend-setter and has a thriving and active user community, which is rarely satisfied with less than the best. Developing new areas of content and constantly adding new features is a key area of focus. Through our commitment to excellence our brand has become a household name among mobile phone...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/gsmarena_is_hiring_writers_in_new_york-news-14472.php

Lenovo's ZUK Z1 will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow next year

ZUK is a Lenovo-backed company that launched its first smartphone, the Z1, recently. This runs its own ZUI in China, while internationally it comes with Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Now that Android 6.0 Marshmallow has been officially released by Google, you may be wondering whether the ZUK Z1 will ever receive an update to this version. And the official answer, straight from ZUK co-founder Chen Yu, is yes. ZUK itself is already working on the new Marshmallow-based ZUI, which is expected to be out by the Chinese New Year (which in 2016 falls on February 8). On the other hand, it seems very likely that the international version of the ZUK Z1 will get Cyanogen OS 13 (based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow) when that's ready, since this is still a pretty young phone we're talking about. That said, the Cyanogen team has started work on Cyanogen OS 13 not long ago, so you probably shouldn't expect it to hit the Z1 this year either. Source (in Chinese) | Via 1 • Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovos_zuk_z1_will_get_android_60_marshmallow_next_year-news-14477.php

Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 to be made on a 10nm process

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset isn't even out yet, and here we are already talking about its successor. Out of China today comes the first rumor allegedly giving us some details about the chip maker's follow-up to the Snapdragon 820 that's supposed to be on the market by the end of this year or in early 2016. While the Snapdragon 820 is built on a 14nm process, the Snapdragon 830 (MSM8998) will apparently use an even smaller 10nm process. Its power efficiency will benefit from this move tremendously. As for the CPU cores, we'll still have a Qualcomm-designed architecture, perhaps further improved Kryo cores (which will debut with the 820). So the company isn't planning on returning to ARM designs (used on the 810) anytime soon it seems. The Snapdragon 830 could be manufactured by Samsung, and it won't be out until at least the second half of next year. This makes sense, of course, giving the 820 some time to shine. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_snapdragon_830_to_be_made_on_a_10nm_process-news-14476.php

ZTE hops onto the direct-to-consumer device leasing train too

At the event where it unveiled the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple also announced a new direct-to-consumer device leasing plan. Through this program, you can get an unlocked iPhone in a number of installments, straight from Apple. This basically emulates what many US carriers have started doing when it comes to device sales, but without any requirement of a service contract with a specific network. We've since heard that Samsung may be planning such a lease-to-own scheme for its smartphones, and the official launch for this should happen in the next few months. In the meantime however, another Android device maker has stolen Samsung's thunder. It's ZTE, as the Chinese company has just announced its own direct-to-consumer device leasing plan. This will be offered through ZTE's website for the US, and it's made possible by a partnership with SmartPay Leasing. ZTE says people with any kind of credit score can apply online for such a lease, and there will be an immediate approval. You then pick the device you want and make your first payment at checkout. You can opt for 6 to 24 monthly installments. Once you've completed all the payments, the device becomes yours. If you want to pay off your lease early, that's possible for a buy-out fee ranging between 3.5% and 20%. You can cancel your lease at any time and upgrade to a different device, in which case you need to return your current device "in good working order" to SmartPay. The program will be available for people wanting to purchase smartphones such as the Axon Pro (pictured above), but also other devices such as the Spro 2 Smart...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_hops_onto_the_directtoconsumer_device_leasing_train_too-news-14480.php