Verizon finally makes the Nexus 6 official, will be out tomorrow

After many rumors and leaks on the matter, today Verizon has finally decided to confirm that it will in fact sell the Motorola Nexus 6. What's more, the handset will become available tomorrow, so there's not a lot of waiting you need to do from this point on, if you crave a Nexus 6 but want to buy it from Verizon for some reason. The exact release date was in fact leaked just a few days ago, but it's good to (finally) have official confirmation too. The Nexus 6 will arrive at Verizon running Android 5.1 Lollipop, which was announced by Google yesterday. It will be out online tomorrow, while in stores it will be in stock starting on March 19. To get a Nexus 6 from Verizon with a two-year contract, you'll have to pay $249.99. Of course you can also use Big Red's Edge installment plan, in which case you pay nothing for the device upfront, then followed by 24 monthly payments of $27.08. The carrier is throwing in six months of free Google Play Music All Access, which normally costs $9.99 per month, if you buy a Nexus 6 until the end of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/verizon_finally_makes_the_nexus_6_official_will_be_out_tomorrow-news-11509.php

Samsung Galaxy Win 2 becomes official in Brazil

The original Samsung Galaxy Win is almost two years old at this point, so the Korean company thought it would be a great idea to unveil a successor for it. So it did just that. The Galaxy Win 2 was officially announced in Brazil, where it was also the star of some hands-on pictures. The new device updates the Android version on board to 4.4.4 KitKat, but it makes the screen size smaller - now just 4.5", compared to 4.7" in the original. The resolution has stayed the same 800x480 though. The Samsung Galaxy Win 2 also boasts a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, a 5 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 2 MP front snapper, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD), and a 2,000 mAh battery. It comes with 4G LTE support, dual-SIM functionality, as well as the usual connectivity options. Its dimensions are 131 x 68.1 x 8.8 mm, and it weighs 130g. Samsung Galaxy Win 2 So it looks like the main upgrades here (aside from the software) are the 4G capability and the front-facing camera, now featuring 2 MP resolution, up from VGA on the Galaxy Win from 2013. In fact, Samsung has actually emphasized this during the launch event, saying that selfies are becoming extremely popular in Brazil, and the new camera should allow people to shoot them better. The Galaxy Win 2 is already up for grabs in Brazil in black and grey. Recommended prices are BRL 729 ($233) for the version without digital TV, and BRL 779 ($249) for the one that does have that feature. Thanks for the tip, Matheus! Source (in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_win_2_becomes_official_in_brazil-news-11508.php

Android Lollipop update for Galaxy S5 and S4 put on hold

Samsung, like most major mobile players, has been keeping busy with the whole Lollipop update frenzy. Naturally, various delays and hiccups are expected, especially across devices in different regions. Samsung Norway, might have gotten into more trouble than usual with its update packages for Galaxy S5 and S4. Android 5.0 Lollipop was being seeded to both devices, as planned, until some major issues forced the local Samsung branch to put the OTA "on-hold". This was absolutely necessary after a number of owners of the aforementioned handsets flooded the local branch with complains about the Android 5.0 update they were receiving. There have been reports of various bugs, including random freezes of various apps, including the default Phone and Contact applications, often rendering the phone unusable. Crashes are also affecting the alarm application, which, as you can imagine, could be equally irritating. The OTA seems to be causing sluggish behavior in general, so definitely something went wrong in Norway. This is what the local branch had to comment on the matter: We are aware of the issues some users are experiencing after installing the update Android 5.0 Lollipop and now has stopped the current version. We work full time with a new update that contains solutions to the problems that have been reported to us, including a new solution for silent mode. We hope to send out the update shortly, and will keep you updated on Facebook. The reasons behind the troublesome update could be numerous, ranging from a mix-up in the shipped package, all the way to some latent bug that has been hidden away in the ROMs and is now causing unexpected problems. It is at least encouraging to know that Samsung Norway is aware of the issue and trying to address it. And we are not exactly sure that throwing in a silent mode feature will compensate for lack of a normally functioning device, but hey, as they say, you gain some, you lose...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_norway_putting_android_5_for_galaxy_s5_and_s4_on_hold-news-11507.php

Huawei Honor 6 review: Virtue in disguise

High-performance hardware meets low-key design in the Huawei Honor 6, at a price that's frankly hard to beat. In a market segment where budget matters, the Honor 6 is offering some top-of-the-range specs to raise itself above the crowd.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_6-review-1226.php

Apple to ship 3M Watches in the initial batch

The Apple Watch sure polarized opinions upon its launch a couple of days ago at the company's Spring forward event. What's become the center of controversy is mainly the product's pricing, as design and functionality were already revealed last year. Meanwhile, details have surfaced regarding the Apple Watch production and supply. The company is reported to be planning a 3-million initial shipment, which comes as a more conservative figure, compared to the previously mentioned 5 to 6 millions. Even so, chief manufacturer Quanta is running into workers shortage and is allegedly hiring by the thousands. Long-time Apple partner Foxconn is also reported to be joining in the Watch production, although the company's precise role is unclear. Its involvement isn't surprising though, when you have in mind that the initial batch of the Apple Watch is on par with the combined number of smartwatches shipped by the top four manufacturers in the entire year 2014. Source (in Chinese) |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_to_ship_3m_watches_in_the_initial_batch-news-11506.php

Samsung is the top smartwatch vendor, says report

Samsung may be struggling to protect the number one spot in the global smartphone market, but the company is second to none in the smartwatch market, according to he latest report from market research firm Statista. As per the report, the South Korean company sold a total of 1.2 million smartwatches last year, claiming 17.65% market share. Pebble came in at number two with 700,000 shipments, while Fitbit, Sony, and Lenovo rounded up the top five with 600,000, 550,000, and 500,000 shipments, respectively. The report comes just a day after Apple released details of its Apple Watch at the company's Spring forward event. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_the_number_one_smartwatch_vendor_says_report-news-11505.php