Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch in August?
Samsung made IFA the home of the Galaxy Note and so it has been for four generations. This might soon be changing though, as the Wall Street Journal reports the Galaxy Note 5 might launch in mid-August.
Last time around the 5.5" iPhone 6 Plus was unveiled just days after the new Note and it stole some of its thunder. Launching sooner will give Samsung more time to ramp up the hype and sales. The company's recent performance has fallen short of expectations and it can't take any chances with its H2 flagship.
This has not been officially confirmed by Samsung, of course. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is expected to have a flat 5.67" screen. No curves here, it seems that will move under the Galaxy S6 edge Plus name.
XOLO Black announced in India, comes with dual rear cameras
XOLO has launched its new brand today - Black - which will be the company's online only series of smartphone. The first device in the range, called simply XOLO Black, will be sold exclusively through Flipkart for Rs. 12,999 ($205).
The XOLO Black has a slim 7.3mm body with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on front and back. It also has a dual camera feature, with a combination of 13 megapixel sensor and a 2 megapixel depth sensor, similar to HTC One phones. The UbiFocus feature lets you change focus after capturing the image. The camera also has a focusing time of 0.15 seconds and an OptiZoom feature to improve the quality of digital zoom. The phone also has a Photo Studio app powered by Adobe.
Other than that the XOLO Black has a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory with microSD and USB OTG support, hybrid dual SIM support with LTE, 5 megapixel front facing camera, 3200mAh battery, and HIVE UI running on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop.
BlackBerry gets Android domains, confirms a phone is coming shortly
BlackBerry just can't seem to catch a break lately. The legendary Canadian company has been struggling to keep afloat in the competitive mobile industry and Android has been cited more than a few times as the savior the manufacturer desperately needs.
We have heard the rumors time and time again and BlackBerry's own CEO John Chen has even stated that adoption the OS is a possibility, so long as it can be made secure enough by the company's standards.
Things moved forward even further toward Android adoption after a mysterious Android-powered slider was showcased at MWC 2015. Now, it appears, BlackBerry might be closer to adopting Android than ever as the company recently registered two new domains, related to Google's mobile OS. The addresses are AndroidSecured.net and AndroidSecured.com, bother purchased by BlackBerry Limited on July 7.
We can't really say what BlackBerry is up to or find any tangible connection between the domains and the BlackBerry Venice Android phone, allegedly scheduled for a November launch. Whatever it is, however, Android is surely somewhere in the mix.
OnePlus 2 will have 3,300 mAh battery, support for more bands
OnePlus doesn't want to get off the hype train when it comes to its next smartphone. A few members of the Chinese company's team took to Reddit today for an AMA session, during which a few new details about the OnePlus 2 have been revealed.
First off, the picture you can see below got posted. That's a OnePlus One, obviously. Though underneath it is a OnePlus 2, apparently. So it's clear that the upcoming phone will be smaller than its predecessor.
Despite this fact, the OnePlus 2 is confirmed to come with a 3,300 mAh battery, an almost 10% capacity increase over the One's 3,100 mAh cell.
The new handset's camera has been a big priority for the team working on it. On the other hand, the OnePlus 2 will not feature a heart rate sensor. Nor will it have fingerprint recognition built into the touchscreen - instead, an actual separate physical sensor will be used (just like what we've seen in Apple's and Samsung's devices).
To buy the new phone, you'll still need an invite, but the system will be greatly improved according to the OnePlus reps. Also, the company's "early supporters" will be prioritized.
The startup is most proud of the upcoming device's design and build, though it still wouldn't say whether metal was used or not. However, it looks like there will be different StyleSwap back covers for the phone.
There will be three versions of the OnePlus 2 (these may be called A2001, A2003, and A2005 according to past leaks). One will be destined for China only, and the other two will be international models. One of those will be aimed at North America, while the other will be tailored for Europe and Asia. One of the differences between these will be network band support.
The North American model will work on GSM 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz, WCDMA bands 1/2/4/5/8, and FDD-LTE bands 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/17. The Europe/Asia iteration will support GSM 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz, WCDMA bands 1/2/5/8, and FDD-LTE bands 1/3/5/7/8/20.
As for the much-hyped unveiling event itself, this will take place in virtual reality as we've already told you. New info has emerged about it too. OnePlus will release a special Android app through which you'll be able to see the announcement, both in VR (if you have a headset), as well as without VR. Then, after the event finishes, a recording will be uploaded to YouTube, enabling even people who don't have an Android device to watch it.
Finally, some good news for those who think the OnePlus One is still adequate enough even today, especially as a $249 smartphone: last year's flagship will still be on sale, even after the OnePlus 2 becomes available.
Apple iOS 9 public beta is now available for everyone
Apple made a public beta of iOS 9 available for everyone who’s interested to try it out. All users need to do is join the Apple Beta Software Program with their Apple ID.
The iOS 9 public beta is a more polished release than the versions that were available only for developers over the last month. Yesterday, Apple released iOS 9 beta 3 to registered developers.
Apple iOS 9 packs a number of new features and improvements over its predecessor. They include more capable Siri, split-screen multitasking on iPad, and under-the-hood upgrades among others.
If you are interested in trying out the new iOS 9 in beta guise, head over to the source link to get started. Be aware that the firmware is not finished, so occasional bugs are more than likely.
Samsung Galaxy A8 leaks again in new renders, gets priced
The Samsung Galaxy A8 has been leaking a lot lately. In fact, just a few hours ago we spotted it entering India for testing purposes ahead of its launch.
And now we get a new set of renders depicting the next member of the Galaxy A family. They look very much official, so it's possible they've originated at Samsung itself - and someone somehow managed to get them ahead of the unveiling.
We've already seen it in live images before (twice, actually), and even in a hands-on video. It's been rumored to launch in China on July 17.
If you were wondering how much you'd have to pay for one, you shouldn't anymore. In Vietnam, it's already been listed by one online retailer, while in Malaysia a leaked promotional leaflet has revealed the recommended price. In Vietnam, expect to shell out VND 10,990,000 for the privilege of owning an A8, while in Malaysia it will go for MYR 1,888. Both of those numbers translate into roughly $500 or €450, so this won't be a dirt cheap smartphone.
The Galaxy A8 will sport a 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 16 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front-facing unit, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of built-in storage. It will run Android 5.1 Lollipop and will be powered by the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, which comes with an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU. A 3,050 mAh battery is going to keep things running, while a fingerprint scanner will be embedded in the Home button for easy unlocking.
Alleged Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo surfaces in Wi-Fi certification
The possibility of a Neo variant of the Galaxy S5 has been tossed around ever since the former flagship came out last year. Since then at least a few rumors have gone by, but the device never came to be. Recently, however, the possibility of a new S5 variant has been rekindled and a new Wi-Fi certification might finally give us a glimpse of what specs to expect from the rebooted flagship.
The document in questing concerns a Samsung handset with a model number of SM-G903F, which could very-well be the Galaxy S5 Neo. A reboot of last-year's design could appeal to a lot of fans, craving a more-classical Samsung look and feel, but the timing seems rather odd.
What we are referring to is another piece of news from late last month, which revealed that the said phone was already up for preorder in the Czech Republic for $490 and with a shipping date listed as July 3. The Wi-Fi certificate itself is dated - July 6, so something is definitely amiss. Still, we could simply assume that the Czech retailer twisted the delivery timeframe a little, in which case the only problem should be a few disappointed early clients.
As far as we currently know, the Galaxy S5 Neo will be powered by an Exynos 7580 SoC with 64-bit octa-core CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, and a Mali-T720 GPU. In addition, the handset will feature a 5MP front camera, just like the S6. All other specs remain the same as that of the S5 - a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, 16MP rear camera, and 2,800 mAh battery. The report also notes that the S5 Neo will come in both single-SIM and dual-SIM variants running Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box, and will feature LTE-A connectivity.
The restructured Microsoft to release up to six phones per year
Microsoft is undergoing some major changes, starting with the writing off the Nokia acquisition and laying off 7,800 employees. The Nokia Devices and Services business was obviously a failure and quickly became a burden.
The restructuring includes Microsoft's Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group Terry Myerson to become the head of the entire Microsoft Devices division. This means Microsoft is uniting its Windows, phone (Lumia), tablet (Surface), console (Xbox), HoloLens, and Band business under a single Devices division. This should help Microsoft programming and engineering teams to work closer and better on future products.
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella announced all those changes yesterday, but he didn't shed some light on the company's plans on the Lumia series. Still, Bloomberg received a generous tip from an anonymous Microsoft source, with some spicy details on the Lumia plans.
Apparently Microsoft will be taking a new approach with the Lumia smartphones, somewhat similar to Apple's release schedule. Microsoft will be dividing the phones in three different categories - flagship, business and value. Each year Microsoft will launch "one or two models" per category, which makes for up to six handsets per year.
Those changes aren't immediate and will probably take effect next year. Microsoft has already released a plethora of phones this year and it is expected to unveil a Windows 10 flagship this fall.
Dividing the phone business into those categories will help the manufacturer focus on certain features and deliver unique and satisfying experience.
Xiaomi Mi5 Plus swings by TENAA, poses for photos
It is no secret that Xiaomi is hard at work on two new devices - the Xiaomi Mi 5 and Mi5 Plus. The latter was the subject of many rumors and more than a few speculations about its specs sheet.
Now, the headset has gone through TENAA and we can finally confirm its hardware once and for all. Sadly, earlier rumors of a 23MP rear camera should be disregarded.
According to the certification authority, the successor to the Mi Note Pro will only feature a 13MP main camera with dual-done flash and a 4MP shooter on the front. Still, the rest of the specs sheet paints a picture of a really beastly device. It boasts a spacious 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
Under the hood, we find Qualcomm's newest top of the line SoC - the Snapdragon 820, which should deliver unmatched computing power. Just to make sure things run as smooth as possible, Xiaomi has also thrown in 4GB of fast LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.
As far as connectivity goes, the Xiaomi Mi5 Plus reaps all the benefits from the Qualcomm chip, including fast Cat.9 LTE and GPS plus GLONASS. Also, Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 4.0.
On the physical side, the phone measures 155.1 x 77.6 x 6.95 mm and weighs in at 160 grams. Rumors say that the battery capacity will be 3,500 mAh and quite naturally, the unit boots Android Lollipop with Xiaomi's own MIUI.
Samsung Galaxy A8 goes in testing ahead of launch
Samsung has commenced testing phase of the Galaxy A8 smartphone as indicated by the import listing on India site Zauba. The Galaxy A8 has not exactly been one of the best kept secrets - it has been spotted in live images, video, and even certifications.
The Galaxy A8 joins the A-series with 5.7” 1080p AMOLED display, Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 16MP f/1.9 primary camera, 5MP front snapper, and Home button with a fingerprint reader.
Samsung is tipped to introduce the Galaxy A8 for €439 ($494) with the official launch to happen in China on July 17.
SourceLG G4 Beat goes official with Snapdragon 615 SoC
LG took the wraps off the G4 Beat mid-range smartphone. Previously leaked as LG G4 S, the newcomer, as its name suggests, features the same design as the Korean giant’s flagship smartphone.
LG G4 Beat features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, and 5.2” 1080p IPS LCD display. The handset boots Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0.
In most regions, the device will use an 8MP rear snapper with Color Spectrum Sensor and Laser Auto Focus, while select Latin America markets will get a variant with 13MP camera. The front-facing camera is a 5MP unit with Gesture Interval Shot.
Connectivity-wise, LG G4 Beat offers 4G LTE support along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. The handset measures 9.85mm thick and houses a 2,300 mAh removable battery
LG G4 Beat will first hit the shelves across Europe and Latin America in Metallic Silver, Ceramic White and Shiny Gold. Following that, the device will reach Canada, India, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and other markets. There is no word on pricing yet.
SourceApple is gearing up for a record iPhone 6s launch
It looks like Apple is gearing up for a record-shattering launch of the iPhone 6s family. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Cupertino giant has ordered 85-90 million units from its suppliers.
Apple suppliers will manufacture the above mentioned eye-popping number of devices by the end of this year. The iPhone 6s family, just like the lineup it is bound to replace, will feature variants with 4.7” and 5.5” display.
The successor of iPhone 6 is rumored to feature the exact same design language. In addition to a more powerful chipset with faster LTE chip, iPhone 6s is also expected to pack a display with Force Touch, and 12MP camera with 4K video capture.
Apple will unveil the next iPhone in September. The rumor mill points at a September 18 retail launch.
Apple iOS 9 beta 3 goes out to registered developers
Apple began seeding iOS 9 beta 3 to registered developers. Sporting build number 13A4293g, the new firmware is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch over-the-air or via the Cupertino giant’s developer portal.
The new iOS 9 build brings under-the-hood improvements, Proactive search and Apple’s new Notes app. Transit in Apple Maps, Apple Music, and Apple News have also been enabled.
Further changes in the new firmware include separate folders in Photos for selfies and screenshots, new calendar icon, and 4 x 4 folder on the iPad. Apple’s personal assistant Siri has also dropped the signature sound when activated.
Apple will release iOS 9 to all users at some point in September.
Verizon's Sony Xperia Z4v will be released on August 13
Last month Sony and Verizon announced the Xperia Z4v, a slightly enhanced version of the Z3+ which will be exclusive to the carrier nicknamed Big Red. This arrangement follows in the footsteps of the Z3v from last year, so it's no surprise really.
One of the important details that was missing from the unveiling of the Z4v was its release date. Thankfully though, Sony has now decided to give us that.
As you can see, it will be August 13. The image above is basically a screengrab of Sony's official microsite for the Xperia Z4v, so we expect the date to be correct.
Unfortunately we still have to wait in order to find out anything about how much you'll have to pay for the device. That said, we can't imagine it will be cheap given its high-end specs.
The Z4v sports a 5.2-inch QHD touchscreen, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 20 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie shooter, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Microsoft lays off 7,800 people, writes off Nokia acquisition
Through the voice of Satya Nadella (pictured below), its CEO, Microsoft today unveiled some bad news for a significant portion of its employees.
In an email actually addressed to Microsoft employees, Nadella announced that up to 7,800 jobs will be slashed globally, primarily in the company's phone business.
That's the one it acquired from Nokia in 2013. But the bad news related to this deal and Microsoft's standing in the smartphone world doesn't stop there.
The company has also unveiled that it "will take an impairment charge of approximately $7.6 billion related to assets associated with the acquisition of the Nokia Devices and Services business in addition to a restructuring charge of approximately $750 million to $850 million".
That's basically the entire amount Microsoft paid for Nokia's phone business. The aforementioned write off obviously comes as Microsoft hasn't been able to reach any reasonable market share numbers in the smartphone space throughout the world with its own handsets. And, of course, Windows Phone itself isn't doing better either.
That leads us to another point in Nadella's message. Apparently it's time for Microsoft to focus its phone efforts "while driving reinvention". There will be a move "from a strategy to grow a standalone phone business to a strategy to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem that includes our first-party device family". So presumably Microsoft wants to churn out less own-brand devices and see more partners adopt its mobile OS.
As for its own smartphones, those will address three customer segments: businesses, value phone buyers, and Windows fans (who will get "the flagship devices they'll love"). This doesn't leave a lot of room for mid-range offerings in Microsoft's portfolio in the future.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge Plus hardware detailed
Samsung's future high end phablet lineup is drawing more attention by the day and a few extra details have now surfaced on the Galaxy Note 5. Along with that, we're also being treated to a few specs of the Galaxy S6 edge Plus, which appears to be the name Samsung has settled on for the edge-screened upmarket phablet.
Starting with the Note 5, the source states that it will feature a 5.67-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, a bit of a departure from the 5.89 inches we were previously led to expect. The smaller diagonal means a 70.6mm display width, and that somewhat clashes with the narrow bezels and overall 77.3mm width in the latest leaked renders, so something may be off here.
Befitting its top shelf nature, the Note 5 will be powered by the in-house Exynos 7422 SoC, a reworked version of the already familiar 7420 inside the Galaxy S6, but with built-in cellular modems this time.
The Galaxy S6 edge Plus (we'll see how Samsung goes about the use of capital letters here) on the other hand will carry the signature dual-edge display curves on the same 5.7-inch diagonal. This one will come with a Snapdragon 808 SoC, which by the time of launch will likely be the manufacturer's third most powerful, behind the S820 and S810 models.
We get a few more numbers for the S6 edge Plus, namely 32GB of storage, a 16MP primary camera with OIS and 2160p video recording (not that you would've guessed otherwise), as well as a 5MP front shooter. It has also been said to come with a 3,000mAh battery and Lollipop 5.1.1 upon launch.
Both devices are tipped to have glass backs, Galaxy S6-style, so we'd have to wave goodbye to the user-replaceable battery, less of an issue on the Note 5 with its rumored 4,100mAh cell capacity. There's no word on the inclusion of a microSD slot, so there's still some hope on that front.
The bottom line is the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be aimed at the power user with its top-of-the-line chipset and large battery capacity, while the Galaxy S6 edge Plus will cater to the vain and deliver a large-screen experience in a more stylish package. We're looking forward to the next batch of leaked live images, to see what part of this checks out.
Samsung Galaxy A8 to be released in China on July 17
The Samsung Galaxy A8 is among the most prominent visitors to the rumor mill recently, and there's little we don't know about its looks and hardware by now. The smartphone was the star of a handful of photo shoots, as well as a hands-on video, not to mention it passed FCC and TENAA certification.
What has remained unclear up until now is when the smartphone will hit the shelves, and new intel on the matter courtesy of nowhereelse.fr aims to fill in that blank. The rumor has it that the Galaxy A8 will be launched in China on July 17.
The Samsung Galaxy A8 sits atop the A-series and sports a 5.7-inch FullHD AMOLED display in a body, which resembles a scaled up Galaxy S6. The Snapdragon 615 powers the handset, joined by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Imaging is covered by a 16MP f/1.9 main camera and 5MP front shooter, and there's the now mandatory fingerprint reader in the Home button.
The smartphone is tipped to be priced at the equivalent of €439 ($494), which makes sense, given the price of the Galaxy A7 which hovers in the €350-€380 ballpark. When it will leave the boundaries of China is yet unknown.
New leak details the new Moto G and reveals a Moto X Sport
A couple of rather interesting, albeit pretty low-quality shots have surfaced online. They are said to come from Entel - Chile's largest carrier and seem to show two upcoming Motorola devices. One is the Moto G (2015) or 3rd gen. The legendary budget handset has come a long way since the original came out in 2013 and the latest iteration promises to pack even more Android goodness and productivity without breaking the bank.
The headset was already spotted in a few live photos and a video back in June, so, we have a pretty good idea what to expect. This new leak confirms a lot of this initial information. The Moto G (3rd gen) bears a lot of visual resemblance to the current second generation and has also kept the 5.0-inch display size and most-probably the 720p resolution as well.
As far as we currently know, the CPU is also upgraded to a quad-core unit, running at 1.4GHz, most-probably the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410. RAM should be set at 1GB and 8GB for onboard storage. Thankfully, there is a microSD card slot and judging from previous Moto G models, other storage variants as well as a dual-SIM variety should follow shortly. The camera setup is also bumped up quite a bit with a 13MP shooter on the back, dual-LED flash and a 5MP one on the front.
The other phone featured in the leaked photos looks to be a rugged Moto X variant. The title leads us to believe that it is dubbed the Moto X Sport. The headset is equipped with a 5.2-inch screen, just like the current Moto X, but perhaps with some extra protection, which we can't really tell from the photo. The rest of the specs sheet includes a 16MP main camera and a 5MP selfie one, which is an upgrade over the current Moto X. We do also have some info on the chipset - mainly that it is a quad-core chip, running at 1.5 GHz, but a make and model is not mentioned.
Last, but not least, the leak leads us to believe that both models will be unveiled in August, which is just a few weeks away, so, prepare for a new batch of Motorola goodies shortly.
Windows 10 Phone build 10158 faster, Store graduates from beta
A new preview build of Windows 10 Mobile has surfaced, shown running on a Lumia 830. It's numbered 10158 and may not make to participants of the Insiders program, who will instead get a 1016x build later on. Even the 10158 version is faster than the previous 10149 build.
Windows 10 Mobile build 10158 running on a Lumia 830
This one brings some important changes though – for one Windows Store has graduated from Beta. To celebrate, it live tile is now transparent. Microsoft Edge (the new browser) also got a transparent tile, while the People app got new animations for its own tile.
The camera supports 120fps slow-mo videos. The Wallet app has been upgraded too though the changes are unclear.
Samsung SM-G9198 is a flip phone with Snapdragon 808 SoC
A yet to be announced Samsung SM-G9198 smartphone paid a visit to TENAA in China, sporting a clamshell form factor. The smartphone will be a successor of last year’s Samsung SM-G9098.
Despite its old-school form factor, Samsung SM-G9198 is surely not short on specs. The handset packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with 1.8GHz hexa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable memory.
The two screens of the smartphone is a 3.91” units with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. A 16MP main camera and 5MP front-facing unit are also on board, as is a heart rate sensor. Samsung SM-G9098 boots Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
Physical measures of the device when closed are 119.7 x 66.6 x 16.7 mm. As expected, the device will feature 4G LTE connectivity.
There is no word on the announcement date of the smartphone. Don’t expect to see it outside of China.
Apple Watch sales have taken a 90% dip since opening week
According to a report published by MarketWatch, sales of the Apple Watch have dipped by a whopping 90% since opening week. The data has been gathered by Slice Intelligence - a Palo Alto-based market research company.
Apparently, the Cupertino less than 20,000 wearables a day since the strong start of the sales in April. Apple sold about 1.5 million smartwatches in the opening week of sales, which kicked off on April 10.
Rather unsurprisingly, two thirds of the sold Apple Watch devices have been from the entry-level Sport family. Fewer than 2,000 buyers have splurged $10,000 and up for the gold Edition variant.
Slice Intelligence has based its research on millions of electronic sales receipts which Apple sent by email after a purchase. The Cupertino tech heavyweight has so far been quiet on the sales performance of the Apple Watch. Earlier this month, an analyst predicted that demand for the device will indeed slow down.
While the sales of the Apple Watch might come across as weak, it is all but certain that the device performed better than any of its smartwatch rivals. The wearable device is the company’s first new product category launch since the passing of Steve Jobs.
Sprint to sell the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime from July 10
The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime made its debut in the US back in April at Cricket. Now though it looks like another carrier is getting ready to sell it. We're talking about Sprint, which is apparently going to offer the Galaxy Grand Prime to its customers starting on July 10, which is this Friday.
This information has been leaked through the image you see below, which is purported to be a shot of an internal Sprint system detailing the upcoming device.
The same document helpfully lists pricing for the Galaxy Grand Prime too. If you want to pay full price for it, you'll need to shell out $240. Otherwise, you will be able to use Sprint's Easy Pay scheme to get it with $0 down, followed by 24 monthly payments of $10.
The Galaxy Grand Prime will support Sprint's Spark high-speed 4G LTE network, and will run Android 5.1 Lollipop from day one. It's also going to have a 5-inch 540x960 touchscreen, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP selfie snapper, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi calling.
Vivo V1 and V1 Max get announced for the Indian market
Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has announced a couple of brand new devices for the Indian market today. They are the Vivo V1 and the V1 Max.
As you can see, the looks are shared, but the V1 Max is obviously bigger than the V1. With these handsets, Vivo aims to have decent mid-range offerings on sale in India, both in the 'normal' size class as well as in the phablet space.
The Vivo V1 comes with a 5-inch 720p HD touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP wide-angle front snapper with f/2.0 aperture, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,300 mAh battery.
The SoC used is Qualcomm's 64-bit Snapdragon 410, boasting a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU and an Adreno 306 GPU. The V1 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, with Vivo's FunTouch OS on top. It has dual-SIM functionality, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Oddly enough, Vivo decided not to unveil any specs for the V1 Max at this time. Though if we go by the almost identical looks, we assume the innards will be shared with its smaller sibling as well - for those that make sense. As the screen is bigger, it may be higher-res too, and we should hopefully see a bigger battery inside.
Both the V1 and the V1 Max are going to be in the INR 15,000 to 20,000 price range ($236-314), and they will be out in India before the end of July. It's unclear if Vivo plans to launch them in other markets after that.
Samsung Galaxy A8 stars in more live images
Reviews of not yet announced smartphones usually come from Russia, but this time around we've got just such an occurrence from China. The upcoming, much-rumored, oft-leaked Samsung Galaxy A8 has apparently been reviewed by one Chinese website today.
As you can imagine, this means a lot of live, hands-on pictures have been made public. You can see some of them below (click the thumbnails for the full-size files).
Samsung Galaxy A8
The Samsung Galaxy A8 has been rumored to launch as the Korean company's thinnest handset to date. These aren't the first live images of it we've seen so far. In fact, there was also a hands-on video recently. And the phone also starred in a promotional brochure in South Korea just a few days ago.
More Samsung Galaxy A8 pictures
Today's Chinese review also brings us a neat recap of the A8's specs, along with a confirmation that it does indeed feature a fingerprint sensor in its Home button.
The phone has a 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED touchscreen, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 615 chipset is on board, paired with a 1.5 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU. The A8 has 2GB of RAM, support for microSD cards, a 16 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie snapper, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 3,050 non-removable battery.
It's got a full metal build, and it runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. The dimensions are 157.7 x 76.7 x 5.94 mm. So incredibly slim indeed.
As you can see, compared to the A7, the A8 has a much more rounded design and smaller bezels. Now that the cat's fully out of the bag, perhaps Samsung will make the Galaxy A8 official soon.
OnePlus 2 will sport 4GB of RAM, company confirms
OnePlus has shared a new detail about the OnePlus 2. According to a post on the company's forum, the smartphone will have 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Last week, we reported about a OnePlus 2 ONE A2003 model sporting 4GB of RAM appearing in benchmark listing.
OnePlus is banking on the LPDDR4 to bring even faster memory performance to its next flagship. When compared with the LPDDR3 used in previous generation flagships, the LPDD4 offers twice the memory bandwidth while consuming the same power.
The OnePlus CEO recently stated that the OnePlus 2 will cost under $450. That's about $150 higher than the original asking price of the OnePlus One ($299), but still lower than what most competing flagships go for.
SourceSamsung Galaxy J2 has full specs leaked
At this point the Samsung Galaxy J1 (pictured below) is barely five months old, but its maker is already working hard on a successor of sorts. It's going to be called Galaxy J2 (predictably), and it will have the model number SM-J200F.
We've seen the J2 getting tested in a benchmark app earlier this month, and now we even get a detailed list of specs for it. Don't expect anything high-end, though.
The Samsung Galaxy J2 is said to come with a 4.5-inch 800x480 touchscreen, a 5 MP rear camera, a 2 MP selfie shooter, 1.5 GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable internal storage, and a 2,000 mAh battery.
It will run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and at the helm we'll find Samsung's own 32-bit Exynos 3475 SoC, featuring a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU. Its dimensions will be 136 x 69 x 8.3 mm.
Compared to its predecessor, we see a slightly bigger screen, 1GB of extra RAM, double the storage space, increased battery capacity, and two extra processor cores (alongside a chipset switch). So despite it still being decidedly low-end, the Galaxy J2 is in fact quite the upgrade in terms of both hardware and software (the J1 runs Android 4.4 KitKat).
The J2 could reportedly launch in India first, followed by other developing markets. However, when that will happen is still a mystery. The same goes for the pricing, though obviously this will be cheap.
EE's Rook is the UK's cheapest 4G smartphone
Today EE has unleashed its latest weapon in the war against other UK operators' own-brand smartphones. It's called EE Rook, and it has the honor of now becoming the country's cheapest smartphone that bears 4G LTE connectivity.
It is being offered to existing EE customers for just £39 on Pay as you go, while new EE customers will need to shell out £49 for the Rook.
EE has launched other own-brand Android devices this year, but none have been quite as low-end as this one. That, however, is understandable, given the pricing.
The EE Rook comes with a 4-inch 800x480 touchscreen, a 5 MP rear camera, a VGA front-facing unit, 8GB of internal storage (which is expandable through microSD cards), 1GB of RAM, and a 1,500 mAh battery.
It's powered by the MediaTek MT6735M 64-bit chipset, which boasts a 1 GHz quad-core CPU. Amazingly (because of how cheap it is), the Rook runs Android 5.1 Lollipop. Obviously though, you shouldn't expect to see any software updates on this essentially disposable phone.
The EE Rook is available now from the operator - online, in stores, and via telesales. EE estimates there's quite a market for it out there, since apparently 44% of people who are on Pay as you go in the UK opt to spend only £50 or less on a phone.
More Xiaomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus specs leak
Xiaomi's Mi 4 flagship is due for a refresh sooner rather than later, as it's nearing the 12-month retirement age. An image, which popped up on Weibo, claims to detail its specs, as well as those of the companion Plus model to go along with the regular Mi 5.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 is reported to boast a 5.2-inch QHD LCD display, protected by Gorilla Glass 4 and featuring 2.5D edges. Computing power will come from a Snapdragon 810 chipset, though the amount of RAM remains unknown.
The source claims that the smartphone will come with a 16MP primary camera, and a 13MP shooter on the front. It will pack a 3,000mAh battery with quick charge support, though the quoted 30% charge in 40 minutes sounds more like an error.
The Mi 5 will run Android 5.1 upon launch, and it will cost CNY 2,399 (~$385).
Then we get to the Mi5 Plus, which is shaping up like a sequel to the Mi Note Pro. The new model will have a 5.7-inch QHD display, just like the Mi Note Pro, but will introduce improvements in a number of key areas.
Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 will power the Mi 5 Plus, and the timing of its mass availability may be the only salvation for the Mi Note Pro's sales. Imaging department will be represented by a 23MP rear camera with OIS and laser autofocus, and a 12MP shooter will be found on the front.
Battery capacity is quoted at 3,500mAh, and it is said to take 50 minutes from 0 to 100%, much more impressive than the numbers mentioned for the vanilla Mi 5. An all-metal body is also to be expected, but whether it will be exclusive to the Mi 5 Plus or both models will get, remains to be seen.
Today's specs are mostly in line with previous data, though there are a few discrepancies, so we can't be sure which numbers are the real deal. As always, things will get clearer towards launch date.
Samsung Galaxy V Plus has two SIMs and Kitkat for just $82
While there's an onslaught of affordable Lumias, but Samsung has been trying to counteract them with the likes of the Galaxy J1 and now the Samsung Galaxy V Plus. It's the successor to last year's Galaxy V and brings dual-SIM connectivity and Android 4.4 KitKat at $82.
It's a budget phone and the upgrades over the non-Plus version are not immediately clear. The Galaxy V Plus has a 4" 480 x 800px screen, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and just 512MB RAM. If you think the RAM is limiting, the available storage is just 2GB (presumably that's out of 4GB total, that's how much the non-Plus has). Thankfully, there's a microSD slot.
So far, so similar. The camera is the same too, a 3MP shooter with 480p video (the video went up to 30fps though) and a 480p selfie camera. Same connectivity too, two microSIMs, 3G data speeds and Wi-Fi b/g/n. The battery maintains its 1,500mAh capacity.
Samsung Galaxy V Plus
At $82 the Samsung Galaxy V Plus is targeted directly at the likes of Lumia 435. We're just not too sure what the "Plus" is for though.
Doogee F2015 to come with a liquidmetal body
Doogee is hardly a major industry player - few outside its homeland have even heard of it. Yet, the small Chinese company does have its own way of striving for headlines, which, oddly-enough, usually works. It seems that there is some small and interesting oddity with every single handset that captivates readers, like a ,6000 mAh battery.
The latest in this line of weird models is the Doogee F2015. The company has said that the high-end device will be made out of liquid metal. The material typically sees a lot of use in sports equipment, like tennis rackets and golf clubs, mostly because of its vibration-absorbing properties and endurance. The material, the company says it will make for a tougher device with improved resistance to scratches and dents.
As far as the specs of the Doogee F2015 go, we expect a 5.5-inch FullHD display, complete with a 2.5D glass and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Inside is MediaTek’s MT6753 64-bit chipset with octa-core processor running at 1.5GHz along with a Mali-T760 GPU. Memory is set at 3GB for RAM and 16GB of onboard storage.
The camera setup consists of a 13MP shooter on the back, courtesy of Samsung or Sony and an 8MP selfie camera. Powering the device is a 3,000 mAh battery, all fitted inside a rather thin 7.8mm body. Another rumored goodie is the included fingerprint sensor.
HTC Aero display specs rumored - QHD and GG4
With the poor sales of this year's HTC One M9 flagship, it's no wonder the company is working on an interim model to keep itself afloat by the time the next One is ready for prime time. The details around this alleged Aero smartphone are still pretty sketchy, but a new report out of Vietnam now aims to fill a few of the blanks.
The HTC Aero will sport a QHD resolution display, though the diagonal remains unquoted. The company has a few QHD handsets out already, the One M9+, One ME, and Japan-only J Butterfly, all three with a 5.2-inch display, and the larger 5.5-inch One E9+. It is a safe bet that one of these diagonals is to be expected on the Aero, though at this point it's nothing but speculation on our end.
Going back to today's new info, the source claims that the screen will be protected by Corning's latest available Gorilla Glass 4. On top of that, the glass will feature the much-hyped 2.5D edges for a smoother swiping.
All of this sounds plausible, but is little more than a rumor at this point. More tangible evidence will inevitably surface as the supposed November launch date approaches.
Source (in Vietnamese)