Sony Xperia E3 gets a $60 price cut in the United States

Sony Xperia E3 received a serious price cut in the United States. The entry-level LTE smartphone is available for $139.99 with no contract. The deal is offered by the online retailer Expansys. The new price tag is $60 less than the original $199.99 that the seller was asking for the Sony Xperia E3. Announced alongside the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact during IFA last month, Sony Xperia E3 is the company's most affordable LTE smartphone. Its specs include Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, 4.5" FWGA display, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage, and 5MP camera. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_e3_gets_a_60_price_cut_in_the_united_states-news-10005.php

Samsung Galaxy Core Max goes official in China

Samsung launched the Galaxy Core Max in China. Sporting the model number SM-G5108Q. The dual-SIM smartphone combines mid-range specs and TouchWiz-ed Android 4.4 KitKat. Samsung Galaxy Core Max features 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, a gig of RAM, and 8GB of built-in, expandable memory. The display is a 4.8" Super AMOLED unit with qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels). The main camera of the device is an 8MP unit, while the front-facing snapper is a 5MP solution. The handset is powered by a 2,200mAh battery. Physical measures of the handset are 136.3 x 69.6 x 8 mm. Its weight tips the scale at 132 grams. We don't know details on the pricing and the exact availability of the Samsung Galaxy Core Max just yet. Source (in Chinese)...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_core_max_goes_official_in_china-news-10004.php

iPad Air 2 benchmark reveals 3-core CPU and 2GB of RAM

Apple iPad Air 2 made a trip to the popular Geekbench benchmark and revealed juicy bits about itself. The freshly announced full-size tablet from Cupertino sports 2GB of RAM and rather curious 3-core CPU. While 2GB of RAM are hardly a surprise due to a number of leaks that suggested the memory bump, the CPU setup surely is a curious one. Past iPad models have stuck to a dual-core CPU. The Geekbench score is quite impressive too - it clearly indicates that the iPad Air 2 is quite a performer. We will reserve final judgements for our full review, but, at a quick glance, the 4477 score is the highest we've seen. Doubling the RAM in the iPad Air 2 is likely a step to accommodate the previously rumored split-screen multitasking. The latter is expected to appear on the slate via a future update. Source...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_ipad_air_2_benchmark_reveals_3core_cpu_and_2gb_of_ram-news-10003.php

iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 arrive at T-Mobile on October 29

If you've been wondering just when you'll be able to purchase an iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3 from T-Mobile, the mystery has been solved today. The magenta carrier itself has unveiled both the pre-order date as well as the actual release date for Apple's new tablets. They will be up for pre-order starting tomorrow, October 22. And they will become available one week later, on October 29. To get a 16GB iPad Air 2 you won't need to pay anything upfront, but you'll have to deal with 24 monthly installments of $26.24. If you want the 64GB model, you have to shell out $99 when you buy the tablet, with the installments remaining unchanged. The same is true for the 128GB SKU, though in that case you're required to put down $199. For the iPad Mini 3, the situation is similar, though the 24 monthly installments will set you back $22.08. If you're going for the 16GB tablet, there's nothing to pay upfront. For the 64GB model, it's $99 down, while the 128GB version requires an upfront payment of $199. Needless to say, all of these come with 4G LTE data connectivity built-in, they're not Wi-Fi-only. T-Mobile reminds its Simple Choice plan customers that they can add a tablet to their plan and match the data they already have for $10 per...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/ipad_air_2_and_ipad_mini_3_arrive_at_tmobile_on_october_29-news-10002.php

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy A3 visits the FCC sans 4G LTE

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A3, A5, and A7 smartphones have so far been leaked a lot. That said, none of them has gotten official yet, so to get information about these handsets we have to look to other sources. Take the FCC for example. The US certification authority has just given the all clear to the Samsung SM-A300H/DS. According to the FCC documentation, this will be a 3G-only variant of the Galaxy A3, one that will furthermore come with dual-SIM support (hence the "DS" in its model number). The lack of 4G LTE connectivity means this particular SKU could be targeted at markets where there are little to no LTE deployments. Obviously though, the Galaxy A3 should also become available in at least one 4G-friendly iteration, though that will have a different model number. Aside from being the smallest of the three A siblings, the Galaxy A3 is also going to be the lowest-end. It's been rumored to come with a 4.52-inch 540x960 touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing snapper, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and microSD card support. It should run Android 4.4.4 KitKat from day one. Source | Via 1 (in Japanese) • Via...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/dualsim_samsung_galaxy_a3_visits_the_fcc_sans_4g_lte-news-10001.php

Nokia brand to be replaced with Microsoft Lumia

If you've seen Microsoft's recent articles about Lumia you know it was coming. The Nokia brand has been phased out by calling the phones just "Lumia" and redirecting Nokia online properties to Microsoft.com. This rebranding effort will expand and soon the lineup will become "Microsoft Lumia". Lumia is already the de facto face of Windows Phone - it accounts for about 90% of the market. Microsoft has been busy signing up new vendors but they will struggle to gain significant market share as the big names have mostly neglected WP. Nokia, the company, still exists but as part of the agreement with Microsoft it won't make new phones for at least several more years. Instead it has shifted its focus to things like mapping and, with no exclusivity to consider, it has been bringing its software to Android. Will Microsoft put its own logo on the devices or will a more restraint Lumia logo suffice? Keep in mind that Microsoft is treading lightly, not to annoy other WP vendors by showing favoritism to its in-house...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_brand_to_be_replaced_with_microsoft_lumia-news-10000.php