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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HTC One ME9's metal frame leaked

HTC is going to introduce another high-end Android handset dubbed HTC One ME9 (Hima_Ace) in July this year. The handset is going to be available only in the Asian market where the company is gradually gaining velocity. Today, we found a leaked render of the aforementioned handset's metal frame and decided to share it with you, even though your region might not get the handset after all.

Looking at the render, you'll instantly observe that the upcoming HTC's high-end handset, the One ME9, will sport a fingerprint sensor just like the One M9+. Although the One ME9 sports a metal frame, its back cover will be made from polycarbonate, which means that the handset might come with a removable back cover that could give users the option of a removable battery.

In terms of specs, the HTC One ME9 is expected to feature a 5.2-inch WQHD display, Octa-Core MediaTek MT6795 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, 3GB of RAM and 32GB ROM. A 20-megapixel Toshiba T4KA7 camera sensor sits at the back, while a 4-megapixel UltraPixel/13-megapixel camera sensor will take care of selfies. Other specs of the handset includes HTC Boom Sound Stereo Speakers with Dolby Sound, Bluetooth 4.1, Fingerprint Scanner, MicroSD card slot (up to 128GB) and a 2900mAh Li-ion battery. The handset will be available in three colors: Classic Rose Gold, Gold Sepia, and Meteor Gray. It will be prices at the equivalent of $560.

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Galaxy S6 series shipments cross the 10 million mark

Samsung has shipped more than 10 million units of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge combined, according to a report from a "high-ranking" Samsung official to Yonhap News. Although the official didn't give an exact timeline as to when the milestone was achieved, it's clear that the company took more than a month to achieve the milestone with its latest flagship handsets. In the past, it took Samsung 25 and 27 days to achieve the milestone with the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4 respectively.

Samsung is even trying so hard to increase demands for both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge by partnering with Marvel for cross promotion of the handsets and initiating various marketing activities. However, due to the good marketing strategies and the fact that the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge are undoubtedly good looking, Analysts expect Samsung to see stronger demand for the handsets throughout the year. Some even predicted that the company will sell up to 50 million units of both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge this year.

Via / Sources I, 2

LG unveils the G4c (G4 Mini) and G4 Stylus

LG has unveiled two G4 smartphones, the G4c (G4 Mini) and the G4 Stylus. Both smartphones belongs to the budget segment and thus features specs that are far less good than that of the original G4.

The G4c is the G4 Mini that we told you about before. It features a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280p, powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, 8-MP rear camera, 5-MP front camera and a 2540mAh battery. It supports 4G LTE and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The G4c will be availability globally starting later this month, in three colors: Shiny Gold, Ceramics White, and Metallic Gray.

The G4 Stylus on the other hand features a 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280p, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, a Rubberdium Stylus pen, 5-MP front camera and a 3000mAh battery. The 3G version is powered by an octa-core 1.4 GHz MediaTek SoC and comes with an 8-MP rear camera, while the LTE version is powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm SoC and comes with a 13-MP rear camera. It will be release globally this month along side the G4c in two colors: Metallic Silver and Floral White.

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Xiaomi partners with Leadcore for its own custom-designed chipset

Nowadays, some smartphone manufactures like Samsung, Apple and Huawei are making use of their own custom-designed chipsets in their smartphones and according to reports coming out of China, Xiaomi is prepping to do the same. The Chinese manufacturers wants to make its smartphones standout by using its own custom-designed chipsets and cutting its dependencies on chipmakers like Qualcomm and MediaTek.

However, instead of building a design team from the ground up, Xiaomi teamed up with Leadcore to create its own chipset. Leadcore's president, Marshal Cheng, revealed in an interview that Xiaomi and Leadcore are actively working on three different levels, which are "Patent, Technology and Product". While he didn't give more technical details about Xiaomi's upcoming SoC, Cheng added that Xiaomi's decision to switch to its own custom-designed chipset solution was "inevitable".

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Asus Zenfone 2 lands in the US and Canada on May 19

Today at a special event in New York, Asus announced that its flagship Android handset, the Zenfone 2, which was first unveiled at CES back in January will land in the US and Canada tomorrow. The device will be available for pre-order through many stores in the US and Canada, including B&H, Newegg and Amazon.

Specs wise, the Zenfone 2 has both a high-end version and a mid-range version. The high-end version offers a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display, 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens, Intel Atom Z3580 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. It will be priced at $299, while the mid-range version offers the same 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display, 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens, but with a weaker Intel Atom Z3560 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. It will cost just $199. Both versions will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

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HTC has no plans for a One M9 Mini

If you want a Mini version of HTC's flagship smartphone, the One M9, you'll be disappointed to know that the company has no plans to manufacture a downsized version of the One M9. Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said that the company will no longer manufacture Mini smartphones because the industry is moving towards new smartphones with more than 5-inch display, and so the company wants to follow the industry's trend.

"Overall the industry is moving towards new phones with over 5-inch in size and our product roadmap is close to that of the industry," Tong. Keeping with that mindset, HTC quickly launched the One M9+, a more powerful and feature packed version of the One M9, which according to the company is doing well in the Asian market. The Taiwanese company also launched the One E9+, a more affordable version of the One M9 with a 5.5-inch display.

In the past, HTC launched the One Mini and the One Mini 2 as the mini versions of the One M7 and the One M8 respectively, but now, the company is done with Mini phones.

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Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 LTE receives Android 5.0.2 Lollipop

Samsung has started updating the Galaxy Note 12.2 LTE to Android 5.0.2. The update is rolling out over in Switzerland right now with build number P905XXUABOD7. The update includes all the features of Lollipop, including a Lollipop inspired Material Design, Performance Improvement, Heads Up Notification, New Lock Screen, Battery Life Improvement and more. As usual, it will take days, even weeks before every user of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 LTE gets it OTA. However, if you can't wait, the update is also available to download via Samsung Kies or SamMobile's Firmware database.

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Global availability of the LG G4 begins this week

LG has announced that its flagship smartphone, the G4, will start rolling out around the globe this week. According to LG, the rollout will continue throughout the month into June and beyond and the first country to get it will be  Hong Kong, followed by Turkey, Russia and Singapore. The rollout will later proceed to most of Europe, North America, CIS and South/Central America. The Korean manufacturer has partnered with up to 180 carriers and retailers to offer the device.

Key features of the LG G4 includes: 16-megapixel rear camera featuring a rare F1.8 aperture lens, OIS, CSS, and a new Manual Mode. 8-megapixel front-facing camera with gesture support. 5.5-inch Vivid IPS Quantum display which offers 20% greater colors reproduction, 25% improvement in brightness and 50% greater contrast. The G4 is also the first smartphone to make use of the Snapdragon 808 SoC with X10 LTE for the best balance of performance and power savings and Quick charge 2.0 (enabled with Quick Charge 2.0 certified adapter, sold separately). It has a user replaceable 3,000mAh battery.

Prices for the smartphone will be announced locally at the time of availability.

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Sony Lavender specs leaked, selfie-focused handset

Not so long ago, a renowned Twitter leaker, @Upleaks, leaked an image of Sony's unannounced Selfie-focused smartphone, the Lavender, with super-narrow side bezels. Now, the leaker has leaked the specs of the device.

The Sony Lavender according to @Upleaks will come with a FHD display (size is unknown, but it's expected to be bigger than the Xperia C4's display), MediaTek MT6752 64-bit 1.7GHz Octa-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 13-megapixel front/back camera (Sony IMX214), Dual SIM support (in some models) and Android 5.0 Lollipop.

For some reason, @Upleaks was unable to share the back picture of the Lavender, but he made it clear that it looks much like the HTC One E9 and that the camera LENS at the back is not so big.

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Xiaomi Mi 4i coming to Malaysia on May 21

If you live in Malaysia and searching for a budget friendly Android smartphone with decent specs, then you'll be happy to know that Xiaomi has just announced that the Mi 4i will be available in Malaysia staring from May 21, and will be priced below RM800 ( below $224). The price is considered decent because the Xiaomi Mi 4i is indeed equipped with decent specs.

Speaking of decent specs, the device features a 5-inch Full HD display, Octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, 13-megapixel rear camera, dual SIM with dual 4G LTE support and a large 3,120mAh battery. What's good about the device is that the battery will last all day no matter what you do with it. Xiaomi managed to fit a large battery into the device. What's bad about it is the lack of a microSD card slot, which according to the company wasn't added to improve user experience.

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Samsung officially teases Iron Man edition Galaxy S6 Edge

Following the release of the Avengers movie: Age Of Ultron, Samsung will launch a limited Iron Man edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge. The company teased an image of the aforementioned limited edition Iron Man inspired handset on its official twitter handle, saying that it's coming soon.

As we all know, Samsung collaborated with Marvel for cross promotion of its latest flagship handsets, a move that bought Marvel's Avengers fans over to the company. Now, the company wants more of that love, and its move to launch an Iron Man edition of its top-end handset is a clear indication of that. The device will be highly limited to select markets around the globe, so if you'd love to own one, keep your eyes glued to your computer/smartphone screen everyday.

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Samsung Gear Live is no longer available on Google Play Store

If you wish to purchase the Samsung Gear Live Android Wear smart watch anytime soon from the Google Play store, you'll be disappointed to hear that the search giant has removed the smart watch from the Store, that is, it is no longer available for purchase on the Play Store. However, you can still get the wearable from other online stores, like Amazon.

What caused the search giant to remove the smart watch from the Play Store is still unknown. Could it be because the Gear Live was seen few days ago running Macintosh II OS flawlessly? No one knows too. But since Samsung is getting ready to announce its new round screen smart watch named Orbis/Gear A, which is based on the company's home-grown OS, Tizen, at the IFA trade show in September alongside the Galaxy Note 5, the removal of the Gear Live from the Play Store could easily be overlooked.

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Sony Xperia Z3 running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop spotted

Sony is prepping to update the Xperia Z3 to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device was spotted in a video running the aforementioned Android version, which is a good indication that the update's release date is inching closer.

The update is said to come with the options to scan for Bluetooth and WiFi directly from the notification panel of the device. If your Xperia Z3 is already running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the odds are you need these options. However, it's good to know that Sony is preparing to update the Z3 to the latest Android build. check out the video:

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