Samsung might launch the Galaxy Note 5 in Mid-August

Instead of launching the Galaxy Note 5 at IFA 2015, Samsung might launch the device in mid-August, according to Wall Street Journal. Launching the device as soon as possible will give the company an edge over its arch rival Apple. Last year, Apple's iPhone 6 Plus launch affected the sales of the Galaxy Note 4 negatively because it was launched just days after the Note. But this year, Samsung might be launching sooner to avoid that.

This information is not officially confirmed by Samsung, so take it with a little pinch of salt.

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Xiaomi selling the Redmi 2A in China for $80

China-based manufacturer, Xiaomi, has began selling the Redmi 2A in China for the equivalent of $80. If you're wondering how the company managed to cut down the price of the aforementioned Redmi 2A to just $80, be calm. The lower than expected price is because of the kind of chip put inside. Instead of MediaTek or Qualcomm chips, Xiaomi opted for a Leadcore chip. Irrespective of the price, the Leadcore chip does feature a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU and the Mali-T628 GPU. Other specs of the Redmi 2A includes 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, LTE support, and a 2200mAh battery. Xiaomi's MIUI 6 UX is running on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop.

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LG G2 Mini to get Lollipop this June

LG has confirmed that Android 5.0 Lollipop will be available for the LG G2 Mini this June. The company's Greece subsidiary gave out the info in response to a comment on its official Facebook page. The bigger LG G2 received the update back in January this year, and now, its shrunk down version, the G2 Mini, is going to get the same update.

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Four Best Budget Friendly Android Smartphone

If you don't have enough money to buy any of the so-called flagship smartphones that are currently making waves in the markets today, you'll be happy to know that there are some that packs enough power under-the-hood and yet won't burn a noticeable hole in your bucket. Without wasting much of your time, lets get started.

FOUR BUST BUDGET FRIENDLY ANDROID SMARTPHONES

1. OnePlus One:

When you think of flagship smartphones that are very budget friendly, the One is the first smartphone that comes to mind. Announced back in April 2014, the One features hardcore specs and can compete with most flagship smartphones of today. Key specs of the OnePlus One includes a 5.5-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with four Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.5GHz, 3GB of RAM, 16/64 GB of built-in storage options, 13MP primary camera and 5MP secondary camera. Sadly, the One doesn't have a microSD card slot, but that's not so bad since most flagships nowadays don't come without the option. You can buy the One directly from the company's official website here.

2. Samsung Galaxy S5:

If you can't afford the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, then the Galaxy S5 is the smartphone for you. Unlike the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the Galaxy S5 comes with a 2800mAh user removable battery and a microSD card slot as well. Key features of the Galaxy S5 includes a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32 GB built-in storage, 16MP primary camera and 2MP secondary camera.

3. Motorola Moto X (2nd Gan):

Announced back in September 2014, the Moto X (2nd Gen) is a decent smartphone. It features a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with four Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.5GHz, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 13MP primary camera, 2MP secondary camera and 16/32 GB built-in storage. Too bad, there's no microSD card slot here, but if  you've mastered the act of using a smartphones without a microSD card slot, the Moto X (2nd Gen) packs more than enough power to satisfy your needs.

4. LG G3:

If you compare the G3 directly to its newly launched successor, the G4, you'll see that the G3 isn't far behind. While the G4 makes use of Qualcomm's unique Snapdragon 808 chipset with Hexa-core CPU, the G3 uses the still potent enough Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with four krait 400 CPU cores. It features a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560, Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 13MP primary camera and 2.1MP secondary camera. If you don't care about the 16MP camera of the G4, the G3 is the smartphone for you.

Samsung Galaxy J7 listed on an online retailer's website in Russia

Last month, TENAA revealed a duo of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy J-series smartphones namely the Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5. Now, the Galaxy J7, which is bigger than the Galaxy J5 has been listed on a Russian online retailer's website along with its full specs.

The Galaxy J7, according to the listed specs, features a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280p, an octa-core Marvel PXA1936 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, 13MP primary camera, 5MP secondary camera and a 3000mAh battery. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, with the new version of Touchwiz from the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge on top.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 certified by TENAA

The China Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA) has certified the 8.0-inch model of Samsung's upcoming high-end Android tablet, and successor to the Galaxy Tab S, known as the Galaxy Tab S2. Early last month, the 9.7-inch model of the tablet was revealed, and the other day, another photo of the 9.7-inch model, and a bumper back case was also revealed. Thanks to TENAA, we now have our first look at the 8.0-inch model.

Specs wise, the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 has similar specs as its 9.7-inch sibling. It feature an 8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1536 x 2048p and a 4:3 aspect ratio, octa-core 1.9GHz processor (probably the Exynos 7420), and 3 GB of RAM. There's an 8MP camera at the back and a 2MP camera in front. Android 5.0.2 Lollipop is pre-installed. The tablet weighs 260g and measures 198.2 x 134.5 x 5.4. It's quite thin at just 5.4mm and could become the world's thinnest tablet for 2015.

Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and 9.7 soon.

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Samsung to launch the Galaxy S6 Plus in the coming weeks

It was rumored in the past that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 5 in July's end to battle Apple's upcoming smartphones. But later, the company's mobile president, J.K Shin came out and denied the rumor.

However, after denying another rumor that had said that Samsung's flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were performing poorly in the markets, Shin didn't deny the rumor that said Samsung will Launch another Galaxy S6 Edge-like smartphone before launching the Galaxy Note 5 at IFA 2015. Now, there is report that the company is going to unveil this Galaxy S6 Edge-like smartphone in the coming weeks, and will dub it Galaxy S6 Plus/Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.

The Galaxy S6 Plus is expected to feature a 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED curved display, hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 32GB built-in storage, 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Other details of the smartphone are still unknown.

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Android distribution numbers for June 2015 updated, Lollipop now powers more than 10% of all devices

Android distribution numbers for June 2015 have been updated, and fortunately, Lollipop now powers more than 10% of all Android-powered devices. In May 2015, Lollipop was powering close to 10% of all devices, but now that number has grown up to 12%. It's not much though, but it's a welcome development.

Jelly Bean and KitKat still occupy a large part of Android-powered devices, with Jelly Bean struggling below KitKat at 37.4% and 39.2 respectively. The remaining numbers are shared between much older versions of Android. Ice Cream Sandwich has fallen to 5.1% from 5.3%. Gingerbread also is down to 5.6% from 5.7%. Meanwhile, Froyo still stands unchanged at 0.3%.

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Sony Xperia Keyboard update brings different keyboard layouts for each language, Quicker response time and more

Sony has updated the Xperia Keyboard App from version 6.4.A.1.24 to version 6.6.A.0.30. The new version adds quicker response time and different keyboard layouts for each language. Also with the new update, you now get words suggestions for each language at a time, but you'll first disable smart language detection for it to work.

Additionally, the keyboard now supports four new languages: Tajik, Uzbek, Welsh, and Irish. The new version is now available on the Google Play Store.

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Android 5.0.2 to be released for the Galaxy S5 for bug fixes

Back in May, it was reported that Samsung was preparing to release micro-updates to fix Android 5.0 Lollipop issues on its devices. Now, there is report that Australian carrier, Optus, is testing Android 5.0.2 Lollipop for the Galaxy S5 (SM-G900), in partnership with Samsung.

The update includes performance improvements and bug fixes, and should be pushed out for the Galaxy S5 soon. All other Samsung's devices currently running Android 5.0 Lollipop (excluding the ones running 5.0.2 already) will likely get the update, but at an unknown time.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 spotted in a case leak

Earlier this month, Samsung accidentally confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Tab S2, the successor to the Galaxy Tab S, and on that same day, an image of the 9.7-inch model of the tablet
leaked showing a Galaxy S6-like design. Now, another image has surfaced, revealing a bumper back case for the 9.7-inch model again. Note that the Galaxy Tab S2 will also have an 8-inch model just like its predecessor. These images makes it clear that case manufacturers are a step ahead of Samsung, and will start offering their cases immediately the tablets are announced.

In terms of specs, both the 8-inch and 9.7-inch models of the Galaxy Tab S2 are expected to feature the same screen resolutions of 1536 x 2048p, same aspect ratios 4:3, same octa-core Exynos processors and 3GB of RAM. They will both run Android 5.0.2 and are expected to be announced in June.

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A mysterious Snapdragon 808-powered Samsung smartphone spotted on GFXBench

A mysterious Samsung smartphone powered by Qualcomm's second best SoC, the Snapdragon 808, has been spotted on GFXBench's site.

The smartphone has model number SM-G9198, and sports the aforementioned Snapdragon 808 SoC with an hexa-core CPU clocked at 1.8GHz. Other specs of the smartphone includes a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 768 x 1280p, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

No other detail of the smartphone, including its real name is known at the moment. From the looks of things, this could turn out to be a mini version of an existing Samsung smartphone.
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Samsung Galaxy A5 gets Android 5.0.2 in Poland

Early this month, Samsung updated the Galaxy A3 to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, and just a couple of days ago, the same update was pushed over to the Galaxy A7. Now, the Galaxy A5 is getting it. The update is available over-the-air and via KIES in Poland and will be pushed to more regions in June.

The update is about 1GB in size and brings Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, Updated TouchWiz UI with Material Design, New Lock Screen, Improved Battery Life, New Notification Panel, Updated System Apps, Better Network Connection, along with many bug fixes, stability enhancements and performance improvements.

If you can't wait for the update to reach you region in June, you can download the Poland firmware here, and flash it using Odin3.

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OnePlus to announce a global price cut for the One on June 1

Early this week, OnePlus released a teaser on its official Twitter profile. The teaser contained an image of the One, sitting between a pencil and a eraser with a 'Time To Change' tag on the bottom right side of the image. From that point on, it was concluded that the company would introduce a new smartphone on June 1, that will go by the name OnePlus 2/Two.

While it's very much possible that a new smartphone might be unveiled by the company on that day, there's no official confirmation on that, which means it may or mayn't happen. But one thing could happen though, and that's a global price cut for the company's existing smartphone, the One. Although the One is one of the best cheap high-end smartphones out there, the company still wants to slash the price by $50. This means that starting from the first day of June, the 64GB version of the smartphone will be priced at $298, down from $348, while the 16GB version will be priced at $248, down from $298.

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Lenovo just announced a smartphone that beams a touchscreen onto any surface

At the Lenovo Tech world conference today, Lenovo announced a smartphone with a new type of projector that can beam a touchscreen onto any surface. The smartphone is dubbed Smart Cast and has an integrated focus-free laser projector, as opposed to the DLP tech on existing projectors.

Like other projectors, Smart Cast can beam contents onto a wall, but it's the surface mode feature that makes all the difference. It enables reflection when the device is propped up with its kickstand, and the projector cap twisted at the top. Other details like the screen size, camera, battery capacity and chipset of the smartphone are unknown. You can check out the demo video below.

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Verizon's LG G Pad X 8.3 launches tomorrow

Early this month, it was reported that Verizon will replace its LG G Pad 8.3 tablet from 2013 with a brand new tablet from LG called the G Pad X 8.3 this month's end, and now, the carrier has announced the new tablet just as reported.

Unlike its predecessor, the G Pad X 8.3 features better specs like an 8.3-inch Full HD IPS display, Octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16 GB of built-in storage that can further be expanded with a microSD card. Other specs of the tablet includes an 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, a full-sized USB port, LTE support, and a 4800mAh battery.

Verizon will start offering the tablet starting from tomorrow, May 28, for $129.99 on contract or $299.99 off contract. There's also an option to get the tablet for $12.49 per month for 24 months from the carrier. Furthermore, the LG G4 smartphone can also be pre-ordered from Verizon starting from tomorrow as well for $22.91 per month for 24 month or for $549.99 off contract. Tomorrow is a big day for Verizon customers who are buying the LG G4 from the carrier, because they'll be able to purchase the LG G Pad X 8.3 for as low as $49.99 on contract.

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Meet the HTC WF5w, the thinnest smartphone from HTC yet

Generally, HTC smartphones are not made with thinness in mind. The company’s portfolio is filled with smartphones that measures more than 8.0mm thick. But with the One E9+, the thickness was reduced from above 8.0mm to 7.54mm, which gives the E9+ the title of the thinnest HTC smartphone yet. But not anymore, as HTC is prepping to unveil another smartphone that will take the title away from the One E9+.

The upcoming thin HTC smartphone is called ‘HTC WF5w’, and had already been approved by the China Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA), which means that it won’t be long before it gets unveiled in the country. The HTC WF5w measures 7.49mm thick, and if you compare that to the 7.54mm thickness of the One E9+, the difference won’t easily be noticed, but it’s there.

The smartphone features a 5.5-inch 720p display, an octa-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 13MP cameras on the front and back and 16 GB of built-in storage that can be further expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card. It runs Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with the latest Sense UI on top.

HTC might introduce an international version of the smartphone after launching it first in China, so lets wait and see.

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Gionee M5, the first Lollipop smartphone with two batteries inside gets certified by TENAA

A few days ago, Gionee teased the M5, which is the first Lollipop-running smartphone to feature two batteries inside. While a lot wasn’t clear about the smartphone then, the China Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA) has certified and listed some of the specs of the smartphone on its website now. Although not all the specs were listed, the ones on the list stipulates that the Gionee M5 belongs to the mid-range segment.

The smartphone features a 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED display, a quad-core 1.3GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of built-in storage. There's an 8MP camera at the back, while a 5MP front facing camera takes care of selfies. The Gionee M5 measures 152 x 76 x 8.6mm, and weighs about 213, too heavy for a smartphone, but that’s because of the additional battery inside. The batteries capacities are still unknown though.

While the Gionee M5 is the first Android 5.0 Lollipop smartphone to feature dual batteries inside, it’s not the first smartphone to come with the feature. The Innos D6000, that was announced at MWC, was the world’s first smartphone with two batteries inside, but it runs Android 4.4 KitKat.

It’s not clear exactly when Gionee will officially unveil the M5, but it won’t be long.

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LG, Sony and other Android makers will pre-install Microsoft Office, Skype and OneDrive on their Android tablets

Microsoft has released a list of Android device manufacturers that will pre-install some of its Apps on their tablets. Surprisingly, LG and Sony are the only well known manufacturers on Microsoft’s list, the rest are irrelevant or are only relevant in their regions. Check out the list:

• Axdia International GMBH – Germany
• Cube – China
• DL – Brazil
• General Procurement – United States
• Grupo Nucleo – Argentina
• Haier – China
• Inco – Mexico
• Ionik GBMH – Germany
• Iview – United States and Latam
• LG – Global
• Multilaser – Brazil
• Noblex – Argentina
• Pacific (Vulcan) – Mexico
• Philco – Argentina
• Positivo – Brazil
• Prestigio – EMEA
• Sony – Global
• Teclast – China
• TMAX Digital – North America
• Wortmannn – Germany

LG will pre-install Microsoft apps on its upcoming tablet, while Sony will do it on the Xperia Z4 Tablet. To be specific, the Microsoft-made apps that will be pre-installed on these listed manufacturers Android-powered tables include the main Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote) Skype and OneDrive.

Furthermore, Microsoft also announced that Cortana will be released as a standalone app on Android and iOS.

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OnePlus 2/Two to be unveiled on June 1

OnePlus has announced that its new smartphone, and successor to the OnoPlus One, which is expected to be called OnePlus 2/Two will be unveiled on June 1. The company today, while talking about its search for ways to shake up the tech industry, posted an image of the One siting in the center of a pencil and a eraser, which simply means that something new is in the works.

OnePlus thinks it's time to change, and as you can see from the image, the OnePlus 2/Two will be quite different from its predecessor. The smartphone is expected to come with a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU, 3GB or 4 GB of RAM, and a fingerprint scanner. Unlike its predecessor, the OnePlus 2 will be priced a bit higher.

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HTC One E9sw, a mid-range version of the One E9+ gets certified by TENAA in China

An HTC smartphone believed to be a tuned-down version of the One E9+ has been certified by the China Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA). The smartphone goes by the name One E9sw, and features less good specs compared to the One E9+.

While the One E9sw is considered as a mid-range version of the One E9+, its design appears to be inspired by the HTC One M9 and the Desire 826 phablet. On the front, it looks quite identical to the One M9, while at the back, there’re some color items just like the Desire 826 phablet.

Under the hood, the One E9sw packs some of the best mid-range specs like a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720pixel, an octa-core CPU clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. There’s a 13-MP camera at the back and a 4-MP front camera for selfies. Keeping the lights on is a 2600mAh battery. The device measures 7.64mm thick and weighs 165g.

It's not know whether the HTC One E9sw will make it to other markets outside of China at this time. But we expect to get more information about it in the coming days or weeks.

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Gionee M5 to feature dual batteries inside to provide more than three days of battery life

Gionee has just released a teaser for the M5, its upcoming smartphone. The teaser shows that the device will come with more than one battery (two batteries) inside. So even if battery one has no more juice, battery two immediately takes over and provides a fresh start.

Though the capacities of the batteries are not known, two reasonably powered cells could keep the smartphone running for more than three days, depending on how the user use it. Nothing is known, at this point in time, about the dimensions as well as the specifications of the Gionee M5. So lets just wait in hopes that more details of this unusual smartphone will surface in the coming days or weeks.

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Sony Lavender rumored to ship next month

Just a few days ago, a renowned leaker, Upleaks, leaked the specs of Sony's upcoming selfie-focused handset dubbed Lavender. Now, sources close to Sony say that the handset has entered production and will start shipping next month. According to the sources, the unveiling of the Sony Lavender is imminent. The Handset has a model number E5503 and will be priced as a mid-range model.

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Samsung will launch Iron Man edition Galaxy S6 Edge next week

On the 15th of May 2015, Samsung officially teased a limited Iron Man edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge on its official Twitter profile. Now, the Korean giant has officially again, announced that the Iron Man themed Galaxy S6 Edge will be launched next week.

The company made the announcement in a Facebook post that included a photo of the smartphone with a COMING NEXT WEEK tag. There are, at this point in time, no details on when the smartphone will be available for purchase or how much it'll cost. Check out the image below:

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Samsung's Galaxy J7 and J5 receives TENAA certification

Two Samsung’s unannounced smartphones named Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5 have received TENAA certification in China. While nobody knows exactly when the duo will be launched, there appearance on TENAA’s website should mean that they’ll be launched soon, at least in China, since they both carry China Mobile logo at the back.

Galaxy J7

Galaxy J5

If you don’t know, The Galaxy J is Samsung’s latest entry-level to mid-range smartphone series. Samsung had already released one Galaxy J smartphone dubbed Galaxy J1 in January this year. The J1 belonged to the entry-level segment, that is, it features low-end specs with a 4.3-inch display. Now, Samsung will add two more members to this Galaxy J series – J7 and J5.

Unlike the Galaxy J1, the Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5 belongs to the mid-range segment. They feature similar hardware like an octa-core processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of built-in storage. Both have the same camera setup – 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. The same screen resolution of 720p. And also runs the same software version – Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. The only differences between the duo is that, the J7 has a 5.5-inch display and measures 7.9mm thick, while the J5 has a 5-inch display and measures 8.5mm thick.
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Galaxy J7

Galaxy J5

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Sony Xperia Z4 will be launched in Taiwan, Hong Kong next week

Sony is prepping to hold a press conferences next week in Taiwan and  Hong Kong, that will bring the company’s flagship handset, the Xperia Z4, to the regions. On May 27, Sony will hold a press conference in Taiwan, where it is expected to launch the Xperia Z4 Tablet, Xperia C4, and Xperia Z3 Plus/Z3+ (Xperia Z4), according to reports.

Another Sony press conference will take place in Hong Kong on May 28, where the company is currently sending invites. The invite mentions "Top camera, screen, sound, water and design all rolled into one." From Japan, Sony is also sending four product development engineers to Hong Kong press conference to talk about the designs of the handsets.

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Samsung ‘CHOPIN’ tablet spotted on Geekbench with Intel Atom processor and 4GB RAM

Samsung is said to be working on several new Android-powered tablets which it intends to announce in 2015, and one of those tablets, codenamed ‘CHOPIN-LTE’, has been spotted on Geekbench.

The tablet will spot a 64-bit Intel Atom x5-Z8500  processor that is manufactured on the company’s 14nm Cherry Trail process, with 4-cores clocked at 2.24GHz, Intel 8th generation GPU and 4GB of RAM. It will run Android 5.1 Lollipop. Other details like screen size, camera, battery capacity etc. are unknown.

As you can see in the image below, the tablet has a single-core score of 1005 and multi-core score of 3426, and if all these numbers finds there way to the final consumer units and not just the prototype, this could be one of the best Android tablets of 2015.

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Sprint Galaxy Note 4 gets factory reset protection in new update

Sprint has released a new software update for the Galaxy Note 4 today, and as you can see in the picture below, the update is not for Android 5.1 Lollipop, rather, it's just a simple update that adds Factory Reset Protection, a feature that was removed from the initial Lollipop build that was released for Samsung's devices.

Originally, the feature was part of Lollipop, but for some unknown reasons, it wasn't included in the Lollipop update that was rolled out to Galaxy Note 4, which is why Sprint is rolling it to the device through another update.

Factory Reset Protection, as the name suggests, is a feature that adds an extra layer of protection before the device can wiped itself clean. When the feature is enabled, the device can’t wiped itself clean without the user’s passkey. However, due to this, thieves will not be able to wipe stolen devices in other to sell them. The update has software number: N910PVPU2BOE1 and it’s now being rolled out.

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Here are the specs of the Galaxy A8 (SM-A8000)

Details of Samsung's unannounced metal handset, the Galaxy A8 (SM-A8000), has shown up on GeekBench, and as we thought, the handset is well above its siblings, the Galaxy A7, A5 and A3, in terms of specs.

The Galaxy A8 is expected to feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display (the display technology isn’t listed, but we’re guessing it’ll likely be Super AMOLED), Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 processor, Adreno 405 GPU, 2 GB of RAM 16 GB of internal storage, 16MP rear Camera, 5MP front camera and a 3050mAh battery. It will run Android 5.1.1 with the latest TouchWiz UI on top and will only be available in select Asia and Europe markets.

It’s not clear when Samsung will announce the handset at this point in time.

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HTC may be reducing component orders for the One M9 by 30% due to lower than expected sales

When HTC launched its flagship handset, the One M9, everyone was disappointed with the company for its failure to make the device different from its predecessor, the One M8. Now, HTC is having a hard time selling the handset and may be reducing orders for parts and components for the handset by as much as 30%, according to sources at Taiwan’s handset supply chain.

However, It's not surprising because other vendors like Apple and Samsung have no problems selling there flagship handsets, and this is because their new flagships are not in any way similar to their predecessors. For example, when Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, everybody wanted one because both devices are different from previous iPhone models. Samsung, on the other hand, designed the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge with metal and glass and they are performing well in the market too. But HTC failed to do something creative with the One M9. Although the company has changed its market strategy by introducing the One M9+, it remains to be seen if the flagship models will complement each other.

Furthermore, HTC is also not doing well in the entry-level to mid-range segment because it is facing strong challenges from China-based vendors like Lenovo, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo. This makes it difficult for the company to increase sales of its entry-level to mid-range handsets.


Via: Digitimes

Sony releases a new firmware update for Xperia Z1, Z1 compact and Z Ultra

Sony has released a new Android 5.0.2 Lollipop firmware update today for the Xperia Z1, Z1 Compact, and Z Ultra. If you currently own any of the abovementioned handsets, then your build number will move from 14.5.A.0.242 to 14.5.A.0.270 after you get the update. The update includes all the bug-fixes previously seen with the Lollipop updates for both the Xperia Z2 and the Xperia Z3. See full change log below:

Update (14.5.A.0.270) changelog

• Ensured the lock screen / notification bar doesn’t indicate “no service” when the device has coverage
• Added a Sony feature; bringing back the “close-all-button” in the activity menu, so you can easily close all apps at once
• Unblocked devices with server policies (such as Exchange Active Sync for e-mail), to enable the new Lollipop lock-screen notifications
• Ensured the LED light is lit across all sound modes – and no longer offset by “silent”
• Made the necessary fixes to enable the easy movement of content from internal memory to external microSD card (something we saw affecting a few devices)
• +Improved messaging functionality in Ultra stamina mode – some conversations could not be opened before in Ultra stamina mode

The update is now available over the air or via Sony PC companion for the aforementioned handsets.

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J.K Shin denies early Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch rumor

If the early Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch rumor that reared its head on the internet the other day were getting you excited, then you'll be saddened to hear that the company's Mobile president, J.K Shin, has denied the rumor.

The rumor had said that Samsung might launch the Galaxy Note 5 in the end of July instead of early September as it normally do. The reason for the move was that the company planned to take on Apple's upcoming handsets, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. However, the rumor wasn't true because the move would mess up Samsung's cycle of launching a Galaxy Note flagship. More so, Shin also denied rumors about the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge doing poorly in the market.

It is noteworthy that, Shin, failed to address the rumor that says Samsung will release another Edge handset before unveiling the Galaxy Note 5 in September. In this case, his silence could mean something.

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LG to release a new flagship smartphone in the second half of 2015

Back in March, LG CEO, Cho Jun-ho, was quoted as saying that the company planned to "release a smartphone that will stand above the G-series." Now, according to Focus Taiwan, an LG official has confirmed that such a smartphone exists and is scheduled for release in the second half of 2015. However, the said official mentions that the hardware specifications of the smartphone have not yet been finalized, so things could change in the end.

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Samsung's new Silicon Valley HQ looks perfect

Over the years, Samsung has worked very closely with many Silicon Valley based companies, which is why the company's move to construct a perfect complex of its own to rival many others that are scattered around Silicon Valley makes a lot of sense.

Located in San Jose, California, the new HQ costs the company $300 million and according to NBBJ, the architecture firm behind the project, the HQ is 85% complete with only the landscaping and interiors remaining.

The new Samsung's Silicon Valley HQ is a 10 story complex, which feature a "Fitness center in the sky," a clean room for semiconductors and a floor space of 1.1 million square feet. The company plans to split the complex between semiconductor research and development as well as marketing and sales related functions. It's not clear how many employees will work at the new Samsung HQ at the time of writing.

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