Just a week after iOS 9.0.1 started rolling out, Apple has pushed the iOS 9.0.2 software update, which brings fixes related to iMessage, iCloud Backup, and screen rotation, as well as improvements related to the stability of Podcasts. The new update brings along a fix for an issue related to the setting to turn off/on app mobile data usage. The issue that prevented iMessage activation has also been fixed. Similarly, issues that prevented iCloud Backup during manual backup and incorrect screen rotation when receiving notifications are also fixed in this update, which weighs in at 62.1 MB. In addition to pushing out iOS 9.0.2, the iPhone maker has also stopped signing iOS 8.4.1 and 9.0, which means that you won't be able to roll-back from a more recent iOS version to these versions. Via 1...
Wednesday
Outlook for Web gets Facebook-style 'likes' and Twitter-style '@mentions'
Microsoft has announced that it has added a couple of new features to its Outlook for Web service. These include Facebook-style Likes and Twitter-style Mentions. Now you can endorse a specific email by liking it, something which you can do by clicking the thumbs-up icon in the reading pane, similar to the way you do it on Facebook. "This turns the icon from gray to blue, notes within the email that you liked the message and adds a thumbs-up icon in the email list view," the company said in a blog post. You'll also get a notification when somebody likes your email. Moving on, the Mentions feature lets you grab someone's attention as well as automatically include them in an existing email thread. To use the feature, just add the @ symbol (see image above) in the email body, followed by the contact name. "Their name will be highlighted in the message in blue and they will receive an @ flag in their inbox view next to the message," the software giant said. Although the Likes feature will begin rolling out today, it'll currently only be available to Office 365 First Release customers whose Office 365 plan includes Exchange Online. Office 365 commercial customers will start getting it towards the end of the month. Similarly, the Mentions feature - which will begin rolling out in the mid of the month - will also be initially available to First Release customers only. Office 365 commercial customers will get it next...
LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition debuts as the first Android Wear device with LTE
Alongside the premium V10 phablet, LG announced a successor to the Watch Urbane smartwatch. Dubbed LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, the newcomer is the first Android Wear device with 4G LTE support. LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition packs a brand new 1.38" fully circular P-OLED display with a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels. The resolution results in the highly impressive pixel density of 348 ppi. The rest of the device's specs include an industry standard Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, 768MB of RAM, and 4GB of built-in memory. Built-in sensors include accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer, heart rate sensor, and GPS. The 2nd Edition LG Watch Urbane has an IP67-certified stainless steel body that measures 44.5mm wide and 14.2mm thick. A 570mAh hexagonal battery by LG Chem powers the smartwatch. It is worth noting that the latest LG Watch Urbane features non-removable bands. The latter contain essential hardware components this time around. LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition will first make its way to retailers in the United States and South Korea. There is no word on pricing just yet....
LG V10 goes official with secondary display and a duo of front-facing cameras
LG officially announced the high-end V10 smartphone with secondary display and a duo of front-facing cameras. The Korean manufacturer's latest flagship phablet will hit the shelves in Korea this month in five different color schemes - Space Black, Luxe White, Modern Beige, Ocean Blue, and Opal Blue. Just as the leaks suggested, the defining feature of the LG V10 is an secondary display located above the handset's 5.7" QHD unit. The 2.1" additional screen has a resolution of 1040 x 160 pixels and can display app shortcuts and other relevant information in always on mode. In addition to ints rather unique display setup, LG V10 packs a duo of 5MP front-facing cameras. One of the units has a standard angle lens, while the other on offers a wide angle solution for easy group selfies. LG V10 features a body with 316L stainless steel frame and display covered by dual-layer Gorilla Glass 4.The removable back cover of the device is made of silicon-like material dubbed Dura Skin. Specs-wise, LG V10 packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of expandable memory via microSD card slot. A fingerprint sensor, Hi-Fi DAC, full connectivity suite, and 3,000mAh removable battery are also on board. The handset boots Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The main camera of the smartphone is the same 16MP unit with f/1.8 lens and laser autofocus found in LG G4. This time around, LG has brought manual controls even to the smartphone's camcorder. Users can even adjust the sound volume of the clips they record. Physical measures of the LG V10 are 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6mm. Its weight tips the scale at 192 grams. LG V10 will also launch in the United States, China, as well as other markets in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Specific launch details about each market will be announced in the near future....
ZUK Z1 makes its international debut tomorrow with Cyanogen OS
The Lenovo-backed ZUK Z1 is now finally ready to make its international debut, about a month and a half after its official unveiling in China. The affordable smartphone is set to become available to order through eBay's Spanish and French operations in just a few hours - at midnight in both Spain and France, to be exact. As previously revealed, the international model will run Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. It will also carry some Lenovo branding, at least on the box and in the user guide. This has presumably been done in order to take advantage of Lenovo's superior brand recognition. Otherwise however, the handset is the same one that's been announced in August. It comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, an 8 MP selfie snapper, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 chipset at the helm, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 4G LTE support, dual-SIM functionality, a fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C port, and a 4,100 mAh battery. At eBay.es you'll be able to buy one for just €279.99, while eBay.fr will offer it for €285.99. These prices may only be valid for a limited time according to the...
Sony Xperia Z5 has the best mobile camera ever tested by DxOMark
Just yesterday DxOMark added the Huawei Nexus 6P and its camera to its charts, and the new Google phone had some pretty impressive results. It climbed to the No.2 spot in the charts, behind only Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge. Today though we have a new king of the DxoMark tests when it comes to mobile cameras. And that is the Sony Xperia Z5. According to the experts at DxO Labs, this handset currently has the best mobile camera they've ever tested. With a general score of 87, it's one point above the Galaxy S6 edge, thus snatching the coveted No.1 spot from Samsung's device. The Nexus 6P therefore drops to third place, while the LG G4 is now fourth. The last in the Top 5 is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. However, you've probably noticed that a big name is missing - DxOMark hasn't yet tested either of the new iPhones, so things may change again when it does. Until that point, Sony can savour this win. According to DxoMark, for photos the Z5 has the best autofocus performance tested to date, very good white balance and color rendering, a good flash with pleasant white balance, good detail preservation regardless of light conditions, and low noise in low-light situations. On the other hand, artifacts are visible with blue sky saturation, and an attenuation is sometimes visible in the corners when using the flash. For videos, the camera reportedly has "impressive image stabilization that's far ahead of the competition", good autofocus, good detail preservation, low noise, and accurate color rendering along with decent white balance. On the flip side, tremors can be visible even when using a tripod, exposure convergence can be very slow, autofocus is slow in low-light, and color shading is present in low-light conditions too. Thanks for the tip,...
Samsung's Gear S2 and S2 Classic will be out in the US on October 2
Samsung announced the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic smartwatches at the end of August ahead of IFA, and ever since then you've probably been wondering when you'll be able to buy one. And today the official answer has arrived, at least if you're in the US. Over there, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic will become available on October 2, which is this Friday. You'll find them at Samsung's online store, Amazon, Best Buy, and Macy's. You'll need to shell out $299.99 to purchase the Gear S2, while the S2 Classic will go for $349.99. If you haven't yet gotten to know the two, make sure you go through our detailed hands-on experience. Oh, and note that the cellular-enabled Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic will be offered by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon at some point before the end of the...
2016 Subaru Forester
2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT
Microsoft Store UK lists Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL
The official Microsoft UK store now lists the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL smartphones in the "Windows 10 Ready Phones" section of the site. Clearly, this is a result of a mistake, as the phones are supposed to be officially announced on October 6. As you can see, pricing isn't specified and has been listed as "XXX.XX." The specs confirm previous reports about the upcoming Lumia flagships. As per past leaks the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL will have a 5.2" and a 5.7" displays, respectively, both at QHD resolution. The Lumia 950 XL will have a more powerful Snapdragon 810 chipset, 32GB of expandable memory and a 3,300mAh battery. The smaller Lumia 950 will have a slightly less powerful Snapdragon 808 chip and a smaller 3,000mAh battery. Both phones will share a 20MP PureView camera with triple-LED flash as well as USB Type-C port. Less than a week from now, at the company's October 6 event, we'll get to see the debut of the duo alongside the Lumia 550 mid-ranger. Source |...
Sony Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua leapfrog 5.0, get 5.1 Lollipop update
Sony has announced a software update though perhaps not the one you've been hoping for. Or is it? Sony Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua owners will certainly be glad to hear that finally get to see what this "Material design" business is all about with the jump to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The Xperia M2 duo was plodding along on 4.4.4 KitKat until now. Other than the new UI design, the update includes more customization options - you get finger control over the volume, silent and alerts functions. There's LinkedIn integration now, information about meetings and participants will show up in the Calendar. And finally, you can snap selfies remotely with the SmartWatch 3. Not mentioned officially, but the update also plugs the Stagefright vulnerability. Sony warns that the rollout is a phased process and may not reach you immediately. When it does, your Xperia M2 and Xperia M2 Aqua will go up to firmware version 18.6.A.0.175. Source |...
Check out the official Nexus 6P and 5X camera samples
Google talked a lot about the camera on the Nexus 6P and the 5X. Both phones share the same 12.3 megapixel camera with 1.55 μm pixels, f2.0 aperture, and laser autofocus system and apparently it's a good camera; DxOMark has already placed it No. 2 on its smartphone chart right behind the Galaxy S6 edge. But while we will be doing our own testing later in the review, here are some camera samples from Google if you need to see what the images are like. Looking at the images, and hoping they aren't doctored in any way, we can see that the camera has great color reproduction, good contrast, decent dynamic range, good amount of detail, and remains relatively clean and bright even in low light. This might not be the best camera on a phone out there but it looks like it will be good enough for most...
Here's the Japan-exclusive gold Nexus 6P you're not getting any time soon
Google announced the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X yesterday. The 6P has a unibody anodized aluminum construction that comes in aluminum (silver), graphite (black), and frost (white) colors. But there is a fourth color, and it's only exclusive to Japan for now. This is the gold colored Nexus 6P and as you can tell it looks quite stunning. Unfortunately, you will have to switch the website region to Japan to even see this image. As for the phone itself, there is no word on when, if at all, this color will be available in other...
Tuesday
Latest Google Maps update brings support for Apple Watch
The Google Maps iOS app has received an update, bumping it to version 4.11.0, and bringing several new features as well as some bug fixes. The most prominent feature the update brings to the table is the support for Apple Watch - it adds a companion app for the smartwatch. As you can see in the image above, the app contains buttons to direct you home and work, as well as to show you recent routes. It also offers turn-by-turn directions. However, what you actually get is a very basic version of Google Maps compared to the feature-rich version you're already used to on smartphones - there's just a blue arrow showing you the direction along with distance information. Other features the update brings include the ability to call business and get directions directly from a list of places, as well as to compare ETAs across driving, transit, walking, and biking. The updated app is now available for download from the App Store. Source | Via 1...
Nexus 5X and 6P India pricing revealed
Google has updated the Google Store India page with the new Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P. Unfortunately, neither can be purchased or pre-ordered at the moment and all you can do now is join a waiting list without even knowing the price. However, you will notice at the bottom the page shows pricing for the new accessories. If you click on one of them and then scroll down again you will see the two phones as part of suggestions. Turns out, the Nexus 5X will start at INR 31,900 ($485) for the 16GB model, whereas the 6P will start at INR 39,999 ($608) for the 32GB model. Only starting prices are visible for now and we will have to wait till the phones are up for pre-order to see pricing for other variants. As for the accessories, you can purchase a universal 15W USB Type-C charger for INR 1,799.99, USB Type-C to Type-C cable for INR 1,399.99, USB Type-C to USB Standard A-Plug cable for INR 909.99, and USB Type-C to USB Standard-A adapter for INR 909.99. The Nexus 6P folio case is priced at INR 3,900, the standard case at INR 2,800, the ADOPTED Protective case for INR 1,800, and the Speck CandyShell Grip case for INR 3,000. The 5X Folio case is priced at INR 3,200, standard case at INR 2,800, ADOPTED Protective case for INR 1,800, and Speck CandyShell Grip case for INR...
Huawei Nexus 6P and its 12.3MP camera get an impressive DxOMark score
DxOMark Mobile has put the camera of the freshly announced Huawei Nexus 6P through the rigors of its photography test. Despite being a pre-release product sample, the latest Nexus phablet achieved the impressive score of 84, which puts it only behind Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and its 86 points in the current DxOMark rankings. As you have probably heard by now, Nexus 6P sports 12.3MP camera with 1.55µm pixels, f/2.0 aperture, 4K video capture, and dual-LED flash. The sensor is 1/2.3" in size. In the still photography section of the test, the Nexus 6P came out with a stellar 86 points thanks to impressive image details, and fast and accurate autofocus in all conditions. Still images came out well exposed and with good white balance. The camera flash also behaved well when utilized. Poorly behaving, self-activated HDR+ mode in low light situations and blown out highlights in scenes with high dynamics prevented the Nexus 6P from doing even better in the test. Another niggle is the camera's ability to take photos before locking in focus when triggered. The Nexus 6P was not as convincing in the video section of the test. The phablet achieved a score of 79 due to poor refocus and stabilization, and lost details and color shading in low light conditions. The score of the Nexus 6P is a massive improvement over the 79 points achieved by the handset's predecessor, Motorola Nexus 6. LG Nexus 5X is yet to be tested, though we can reasonably expect it to perform in similar fashion. Source...
2016 Hyundai Sonata
HTC will unveil an Android Marshmallow smartphone on October 20
HTC will take the wraps off a smartphone with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box next month, on October 20. The announcement will take place online and will start at 12:00 noon Eastern Time. The smartphone in question is all but certainly going to be the extensively leaked HTC One A9. As you probably know by now, the handset has a metal body with iPhone-like design, coupled with mid-range hardware. Rumored specs of HTC One A9 include include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable memory, 13MP main camera with OIS, 4MP front-facing snapper, and 5" 1080p AMOLED display. The handset's metal body will be available in six colors....
Google unveils Pixel C flagship Android tablet
As most of you surely know, Google's Nexus lineup spans across handsets as well as tablets. All of those are created in close collaboration the online giant's partners and tend to offer the cleanest Android experience in the realm, just like Google intends it to be. However, every now and then Google also puts out products that it develops in house from beginning to end. The latest such addition comes in the shape of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow-powered Google Pixel C. Like the name suggest, this new devices comes from the very same team behind the Chromebook Pixel, so we can only expect it to be a benchmark for how far technological advancements have come. The Google Pixel is a tablet and from the looks of it, one of the most powerful of its kind to date. As far as we currently know, it is equipped with a 10.2-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1800 pixes and a density of 308ppi. It has powerful internals - Nvidia's Tegra X1 chipset with a quad-core CPU and Maxwell GPU, paired with 3GB of RAM. A USB Type-C port will be in too, as in fact it plays a central role in Google's future plans for unifying and standardizing both charging and IO. The Pixel C is geared towards advanced productivity on the go, which is why it launches along with a dully adjustable keyboard combined with a stand. It attaches to the tablet seamlessly and also charges wirelessly when you fold the Pixel C over it, so you don't have to worry about juicing up one more device. To be even more convenient, it is designed to simply fold and attach to the back of the tablet - always there for your convenience. The Pixel C asking price is $499 for a 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB one. Sadly, that doesn't get you the keyboard. It is sold separately for an additional $149. Availability and release dates are yet to be detailed, but Google promises the Pixel C will be on sale in time for the holidays....
2016 Land Rover Range Rover
Nexus Protect is Google's premium warranty for Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P
Google unveiled brand new optional premium warranty for the freshly announced Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Dubbed Nexus protect, the plan adds two years of coverage for the smartphones, including accidental breakdowns. Nexus Protect costs $69 for the LG Nexus 5X and $89 for the Huawei Nexus 6P, though Google didn't specify if there will be a deductible in case you total your device. For comparison, AppleCare+ for the iPhone 6s family costs $129, and requires $99 deductible in case you need a new device. For the time being, Nexus Protect will only be available in the United States. The service is expected to expand to more markets in the...
Updated Google Chromecast and Chromecast Audio unveiled
Google's Chromecast was the best-selling item on Amazon at one point and now there's a new one. There's also Chromecast Audio with multi-room support. The Chromecast app has been redesigned too. Google Chromecast With a £30 the Chromecast can smart up any TV - it supports video streaming and screen mirroring. There's already a great roster of apps, but now Spotify, BBC iPlayer Radio and Chrome Photos are joining the party. The Chromecast comes with a new design, new colors too (Black, Lemonade and Coral), and the much requested Wi-Fi ac at 5GHz (great for apartments with congested Wi-Fi traffic). Unfortunately, the resolution is still capped at 1080p - there's no 4K UHD video support. This is quite disappointing since 4K streaming services are picking up speed and, of course, the new Nexus phones (among many others) can shoot 4K video. As before, you can use Android (4.1+), iOS (7.0+), Windows (7+) or Mac OS X (10.7+) to connect to your Chromecast. Google Chromecast Audio If you're lusting after a multi-room speaker setup but a Sonos is out of your price range, you can grab a £30 Chromecast Audio. You can use a Cast-enabled app on your phone (Android or iOS, tablets and desktops work too) to search, play and queue songs. The gadget has an optical out, RCA and 3.5mm AUX connectors to hook up just about any speaker. If you use multiple Chromecast Audios around your house they will sync playback between them so you can move between rooms and keep listening. Well, you would be able to do that later this year (an update is coming). Spotify, Google Play Music, Deezer, BBC iPlayer Radio and others are available natively for music streaming. Another option is to mirror the audio from your Android device your laptop's Chrome browser to a Chromecast so you can use pretty much any music service you like. You can use your local collection too, of course. Either way, the streaming is done over Wi-Fi so no quality is lost (rather than the lossy Bluetooth). And friends and family can easily share music from their devices too without any setup required....
Android 6.0 Marshmallow coming to Nexus phones and tablets next week
Google announced the official rollout of Android 6.0 Marshmallow - there aren't any new features but soon a lot more people will get it (so far it was only available as a developer preview). Starting next week, the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 phones plus the Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 tablets will start receiving the new Android version. As a reminder of the new features, Google really stepped up the new voice assistant game. Google Now on Tap is a full-blown digital assistant and can answer questions and understand natural language questions. Third-party app developers can tap into that too. Further, there are granular permissions, native support for fingerprint readers to help with Android Pay and Play Store payments, Doze (which improves standby battery life on the Nexus 6 by 30%). Notifications are less intrusive since you can swipe them up to hide them without dismissing...
Google Play Music All Access Family Plan becomes official for $14.99 per month
Just as rumored yesterday, the Google Play Music All Access streaming service is getting a family plan soon. And the details in that leak have panned out too, including the fact that the pricing and user limits are exactly the same as the ones for Apple Music, surprisingly or not. For $14.99 per month, up to 6 family members will all be able to use Play Music All Access, each with his or her own account. Each person will have access on any device he or she owns. Tailored recommendations will be individualized for each account, so as not to confuse people with the music that other family members like. Google is apparently still working on this feature, so it won't be available immediately. Instead, look for it to be out before the end of the...
Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P: Hands-on
This year we get double the Nexus phone action - the 5.2" Nexus 5X and the 5.7" Nexus 6P, brought by LG and Huawei respectively. They come to replace the two-year old Nexus 5 and the fresher Nexus 6. There's a new Android tablet too, but it's not a Nexus!
Nexus 5X gets a promo video to showcase its hardware features
Following the Nexus 6P promo video, Google also launched a promo clip for the Nexus 5X. The phone builds upon the foundation set by the Nexus 5 in 2013 and keeps the soft-touch polycarbonate unibody. In the video below you can check out the USB Type-C port, fingerprint sensor, IR laser-assisted autofocus and 12.3MP camera. For a full list of specifications follow up with our announcement...
Huawei Nexus 6P promo video showcases the phone's cool design
Google has unleashed a promo video of the Huawei Nexus 6P. The video is short and sweet, but showcases the aluminum unibody of the phone from some cool angles. The phone rocks a 5.7" QHD display and a Snapdragon 810 (v2.1) chipset. For more information on the device, check out our announcement...
Android now powers 1.4 billion devices, Google Play Store is used on 1 billion
One of the first things that Google announced at its big event today is that Android just keeps on growing. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on stage that at the moment, there are more than 1.4 billion active Android devices in the wild. "Active" in this context means that they've been used within the last 30 days. This number is up 40%, from 1 billion, back in June of 2014. Keep in mind that this doesn't represent the total number of Android devices that were ever sold, it's just those that are still active, or have been so in the last month. Moving on, the Google Play Store is now being used on more than 1 billion devices. Again, this means 1 billion phones and tablets have used Google's content store in the last 30 days. So it appears that the Play Store either isn't installed or simply isn't used on a staggering 400 million devices out...
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
LG Nexus 5X launches with a Snapdragon 808 and 1080p display
Enough with the rumors, the LG Nexus 5X is finally official. The phone was just unveiled at Google's Nexus and Android event. The phone is built around a 5.2" IPS LCD display of 1080p resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 424ppi. The screen is covered with a layer of Gorilla Glass 3. Google launches the Nexus 5X with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. It runs on the Snapdragon 808 chipset with a hexa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 418 GPU. Internal storage is either 16GB or 32GB with no option to expand it. At the back, the 5X sports a 12.3MP camera sensor with a f/2.0 aperture and 1.55 micron pixel size. Sadly, it lacks OIS but is nevertheless capable of shooting 2160p video. LG has thrown in its IR laser-assisted autofocus and a broad-spectrum dual flash setup. Measuring 147 x 72.6 x 7.9m, the Nexus 5X is slightly thinner than its predecessor. Weight is up to 136 grams, from 130 grams for the Nexus 5 (2013). The added weight has come from the addition of a fingerprint sensor and a larger 2700mAh battery (the Nexus 5 touts 2300mAh). At the bottom, there's a next-gen microUSB Type-C port. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2x2 MIMO), NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS/GLONASS. There's a single front-facing speaker, which is joined by 3 microphones (at the front, top and bottom). The LG Nexus 5X will be available for pre-order starting September 29. Those in the US, UK, South Korea, Japan and Ireland will be able to pre-order the phone starting at $379.99 for the 32GB...
Nexus 6P is first all-metal Nexus, starts at $500
A year after the Nexus 6 Google unveils the next-generation phablet - meet the Nexus 6P. Despite its name it has a 5.7" screen and it's not made by Motorola this time but by Huawei instead. It's the first Nexus to feature a metal unibody, which is only 7.3mm thick (almost 3mm thinner than the previous model). Google and Huawei positioned the new Nexus against the flagship phablets with a smaller 5.7" screen. It's still an AMOLED with QHD resolution (1,440 x 2,560px), the front-facing speakers were also carried over to the new design. The whole thing measures 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm, just a tad taller than an iPhone 6 Plus despite the two front speakers. The camera was spruced up as well with a new 12.3MP sensor, which boasts large 1.55µm pixels and a relatively wide F/2.0 aperture. This is in addition to the dual-LED flash for promising low-light performance. It records 2160p, naturally. The selfie camera is no slouch either 8MP sensor with 1.4µm pixels and F/2.4 aperture. A highlight of both Android 6.0 Marshmallow - which debuts with the Nexus 6P - and the phablet itself is native fingerprint reader support. The reader is on the back instead of the Apple-preferred front position. Another Marshmallow feature is Doze, which promises improved battery life with lower standby power use. The 6P further helps that cause with a bigger battery - 3,450mAh, bigger than both the Nexus 6 and Note5 batteries. Wireless charging isn't available this time available as before (thanks to Qualcomm's new tech, which works with metal bodies).--> Wired charging is handled by USB Type-C, the new reversible standard that also has native fast charging - 10 minutes charging for 7 hours of use. The Nexus 6P is powered by a Snapdragon 810 chipset (the cooler-running v2.1 refresh). It should give games on the QHD screen a boost compared to the Snapdragon 805 in last year's Nexus 6. The chipset is paired with 3GB of RAM (same as last year). Nexus 6P official images For storage you get a new option - 128GB if you really need a lot of stuff offline. For smaller budgets there are 32GB and 64GB options (no memory expansion, as expected). The metal unibody comes in plain Aluminum, Graphite, Frost and Gold colors (however, the Gold one is exclusive to Japan for now). The Nexus 6P 32GB will cost $500 and will be available in multiple countries starting today (others will have to wait a bit). For the 64GB model expect to pay $550 and for the 128GB $650. In the UK and Europe those prices are £450/£500/£580 and...
OS X El Capitan arriving tomorrow
Apple has announced that it will be releasing the final build of OS X El Capitan to compatible Macs tomorrow, September 30. The update will be free and will be available via the Mac App Store. El Capitan is the eleventh release in the OS X series and more of a refinement of the previous Yosemite release than a major update. Changes include things like Split View for making running apps side by side easier, improved Mission Control for better window management, smarter Spotlight search, improved Mail, Notes, Maps, and Photos, pinned tabs and AirPlay support in Safari, improved performance, and a new typeface - San Francisco - first seen on the Apple Watch and...
Watch the Google Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P event live here
Google is livestreaming today's Nexus and Android oriented event. The company will unveil two smartphones - LG the Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P - alongside Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a couple of other gadgets. Chances are we'll see the Chromecast 2 and Pixel C tablet. Check out the livestream below and join us in the comment section as it...
Google Nexus event: What to expect
Google's September 29 event has the new Nexus duo as its stars and will also see the official launch of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It's been a busy couple of weeks for the company with rumors flying left and right about what it's going to unveil. In short, we're in for: Two smartphones: LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P Android 6.0 Marshmallow official launch Chromecast 2 Pixel C tablet Play Music subscription updates including a Family plan Let's go for a deeper dive in what we know for each one of the above as suggested by the rumor mill. LG Nexus 5X LG and Google continue their partnership for a third Nexus device. The LG Nexus 5X will be slightly larger than its predecessor with a 5.2" display versus the 4.95" for the Nexus 5. The resolution will stay the same though, at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Under the hood, the Nexus 5X is expected to rock a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with a quad-core 1.44GHz Cortex-A53 and a dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57, 2GB of RAM and Adreno 418 GPU. It was first rumored that the phone will rock a microSD card slot, but that was quickly debunked and the only storage you can expect to have is either 16GB or 32GB. At the back, there a 12MP camera with dual LED flash sitting above the fingerprint sensor. The camera will be able to shoot 4K video at 30fps, but it won't sport OIS. The LG IR laser-assisted autofocus is also present. The front camera is 5MP. Sadly, the Nexus 5X also lacks wireless charging, as suggested in the very recent leaks, courtesy of Android Police. Below the back cover, there's a 2,700mAh battery. The whole phone weighs 136 grams and measures 8mm thick. Pricing: Pre-orders of the phone will start today in the US, UK, Korea, Ireland and Japan starting $379.99. Huawei Nexus 6P For the first time ever, Google will launch two Nexus smartphones simultaneously. It's also the first time the company cooperates with Huawei on a Nexus device. The Huawei Nexus 6P is the more premium offering and sports a 5.7" QHD AMOLED panel and a metal unibody. Inside it ticks a Snapdragon 810 (v2.1) chip with 3GB of RAM. The battery is 3,450mAh, which brings up the weight of the phone to 178 grams. The Nexus 6P sports dual front-mounted speakers and a USB type-C reversible port for charging and tethering. Internal storage options include 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, with no microSD card slot in sight. The official measurements of the device that leaked earlier are 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm. At the back, the phone uses the same 12.3MP camera as the LG Nexus 5X and again sport a fingerprint sensor. Google will offers the Nexus 6P in Aluminum, Graphite, Frost and Gold color options. Pricing: Pre-orders of the phone will start today in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Japan starting $499.99. Pixel C tablet The Pixel brand that Google launched with the Chromebook Pixel is going to now include a tablet. Dubbed Pixel C, it will allegedly flaunt a 10.2" display with a pixel density of 308ppi. The display is suggested to be quite bright, capable of reaching 500nits. Expect the Pixel C tablet to sport an Nvidia X1 quad-core CPU and Maxwell GPU in addition to 3GB of RAM. A USB type-C port will be utilized for charging and data transfers. It's important to note, that the Pixel C isn't marketed as a member of the Nexus lineup. We'll know the pricing and launch date once the event kicks off today. Android 6.0 Marshmallow Google will officially unveil more details about the latest release of Android dubbed Marshmallow. Android 6.0 brings Now on Tap, which is a more convenient way of searching information from anywhere on the device. Peeking is another feature that gives users control of each app notification. Hardware permissions will enable you to deny apps crawling into your personal data such as location. Android Pay will be included by default on supported devices launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, too. There are also small tweaks such as improved volume control and, allegedly, better use of the battery on the software side. It's all but confirmed that Android 6.0 Marshmallow will roll out on October 5. Play Music We are also expecting Google to update the Play Music subscription options with a Family plan. The plan will cost $14.99/month and offers unlimited music streaming for up to six accounts. The addition to...
HTC Butterfly 3 is now official with Snapdragon 810 and 20MP Duo camera
HTC has just announced the Butterfly 3 smartphone to succeed last year's flagship in polycarbonate attire, the Butterfly 2. And before you asked - yes, it is essentially the same phone as the J Butterfly which has been official in Japan since May. So the new HTC Butterfly 3 comes with a 5.2-inch QHD LCD display, Snapdragon 810 chipset, and 3GB of RAM. Internal storage is quoted at 32GB and could be expanded by up to 2TB via microSD - theoretically, that is, as we're yet to see a card beyond 200GB. It's all about imaging with this one, rocking a 20.2MP primary camera on the back, with a secondary sensor to capture distance information. This results in what HTC calls a Duo setup, allowing for post-shot autofocusing and a few other creative effects. The lens is a Sapphire crystal-protected f/2.2 27.8mm-equivalent, and has a dual-tone dual-LED flash to help in the dark. Naturally, it supports 4K video recording. On the front you'll find a 13MP selfie shooter, again with a BSI sensor. The lens has a faster f/2.0 aperture, though it's a smidge narrower 28.2mm equivalent. The front cam can shoot videos up to 1080p. The smartphone measures 150.99 x 72.99 x 9.99mm, according to HTC's specsheet, but we'd go ahead and drop those 9s for a much neater 151 x 73 x 10mm. It weighs 161g, while packing a 2,700mAh battery, but most importantly carries an IP57 rating for dust and water protection. The HTC Butterfly 3 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense 7 on top. It will be launched in Taiwan on October 20, priced at TWD 19,900, or roughly $600. Global availability and pricing is yet to be...
New Samsung Pay ad highlights just how easy using the service is
After long and arduous development, the ambitious Samsung Pay service is now showing a lot of promise. Despite still being in its infancy, the phone-based payment platform is already off to a flying start on the OEM's home Korean market, with over $30 million worth of transactions for a single month since its launch. All seems to have went well with this beta rollout and Samsung Pay is now officially live in the US as well. The service has already undergone beta testing in the US as well and the Korean giant is now spreading the word and trying to tempt users to give the platform a try. Samsung's latest ad highlights just how easy using Samsung Pay is, the main focus being the industry-leading combination of NFC and MTS-based technology. The video is done in a very lighthearted and wholesome tone, but it does take a few stabs at competitors. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, here's the short version: When Samsung set out to create its mobile-based payment solution it wanted to go one step beyond competitors such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. Instead of relying solely on NFC and potentially requiring additional hardware from merchants, like the latter two, Samsung Pay also supports MST-based transactions, or in other words, uses a technology that imitates a card swiping through the payment terminal via magnetic waves. This new concept was a great technological challenge, but, in the end, Samsung achieved an almost magical result - paying with a phone at almost any conventional terminal. This definitely gives the platform an edge over its competitors and so do future plans for implementation of online payments (PayPal style) into the system as well. This could make Samsung Pay incredibly popular in the US as a universal payment tool. But, before you get too excited and start tossing your credit cards in the drawer, Samsung Pay still has some important limitations. First, you need a compatible Samsung device that has the MST hardware to use Pay. Currently, these are the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Note5 and S6 edge+. Then, you need a compatible card, from a supported bank. These currently include VISA, MasterCard and AMERICAN EXPRESS, issued by a supported bank. This list is sure to grow in the future with more credit and debit cards, as well as merchant cards and vouchers all with the ultimate goal of getting rid of those clunky plastic cards. To sweeten the deal even more and facilitate a quick US expansion, Samsung is also offering a free gift to early Pay adopters. If you download and activate the app on a supported carrier and with a supported card before October 11, you can choose between a free wireless charger or a flip case. More details can be found at the second source link. Source 1 | Source 2 |...
HTC launches 'Supreme Camera' One M9+ version, don't call it Plus Plus
Coincidentally or not, HTC decided to host an event of its own mere hours before Google unveils the next pair of Nexus phones. That timing in itself sets the stage for some quick-to-be-forgotten announcements and from the looks of things HTC itself hasn't prepared anything really groundbreaking to begin with. The company debuted a new variant of the One M9+, dubbed the "Supreme Camera". It is a camera update for the existing model, with nothing else really changed. The phone is now equipped with a 21MP camera with OIS and laser auto focus. The phone still retains its signature dual-lens design, but the upper bit is no longer a secondary camera, but a laser AF system instead. Together with phase detection, it is said to deliver focus speeds as fast as 0.1 seconds. Other that the camera upgrade the specs on the new One M9+ variant are unchanged. It still has a 5.2-inch QHD display, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage and runs on the octa-core MediaTek MT6795T Helio X10 SoC. The 2,840 mAh battery is also present and so are the front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers and the fingerprint scanner inside the home button. The big accent with the new One M9+ is understandably the camera and HTC is expected to launch the device along with an upgraded camera app. Speaking of which, the device should be available in Taiwan starting October 6 with a price tag of about...
Nexus 5X prototype handled on video hours before announcement
Better start practicing your "surprised" face for this evening, but first watch this hands-on with a non-working Nexus 5X prototype. Again, this unit doesn't power on (in fact it's missing its internals), it's still good enough for a quick comparison. This unit comes in "Mint" color. The camera on the back protrudes more noticeably than the one on the old Nexus 5. The 5X has a bigger 5.2" screen and the device itself is noticeably bigger - the front-facing speakers did not help, but don't look for a compact device. Google still has some potential to surprise us, but there's little about the LG-made Nexus 5X that isn't known yet - here are the specs and here's the...
HTC One A9 stars in live photos, still unofficial
The HTC One A9 was supposed to be unveiled today going head to head with the new Nexus phones. It seems that HTC has rescheduled, but the A9 still made an appearance today, albeit an unofficial one. Several hands-on photos have surfaced of the device that looks suspiciously like an iPhone 6. The photos don't reveal much besides a peek at the UI, which unsurprisingly is Sense UI based. You also get the opportunity to see the rounded sides of the aluminum unibody and the microUSB 2.0 port (HTC isn't making the jump to Type-C it seems). Worryingly, there seems to be a loudspeaker on the bottom and no stereo speakers on the front, HTC's trademark. Unofficial photos of the HTC One A9 The glass panel over the screen is beveled for a smooth 2.5D shape. Below is a 5" 1080p AMOLED screen according to specs and other mid-range specs: Snapdragon 617 chipset, 13MP OIS camera and 2,150mAh battery, at least according to various leaks. The metal body will be available in a variety of colors. Price is expected to be an unrealistic €700 (fingers crossed this is wrong). Source (in Chinese) |...
Samsung Gear S2 how-to videos are out to help you get started
Samsung's latest Gear S2 smartwatch is so unlike any other on the market, that the company felt a series of how-to videos was warranted. Unlike the myriad of Android Wear offerings, which are nigh identical software-wise, the Gear S2 (Classic or not) runs on Samsung's own Tizen OS, has a rotating bezel and a couple of buttons, on top of the touch operation. The five videos are arranged in a sequence by the degree of importance and the likely order in which you're going to be familiarizing yourself with the features, once you take the watch out the box. You wouldn't want to be the guy deciding whether the how-to on touch operation or pairing should come first chronologically - as it stands right now the first video refers you straight to the second from the get go. Anyways, the videos detail the interaction with the smartwatch using its various controls, connection with the smartphone, file transfers between the two, battery saving and using the call...
iPhone 6s camera gets compared to all its predecessors in massive comparison
Popular photographer and developer of Camera+ app on iOS - Lisa Bettany - has been doing iPhone camera comparisons since the 4s. This year, we get to see how the new iPhone 6s compares against its predecessors, that is the iPhone 6, 5s, 5, 4s, 4, 3GS, 3G, and the granddaddy of them all, the original iPhone. As a recap, the original iPhone and iPhone 3G had the same camera module, a 2 megapixel fixed focus sensor. 3GS brought with it a 3 megapixel sensor and more importantly, autofocus. The iPhone 4 bumped the sensor to 5 megapixel and the 4s to 8 megapixels. The 5 and 5s benefitted from five element lenses and bigger sensors. 6 had even bigger sensor and phase detection autofocus. The 6s gets bumped up to 12 megapixels with deep trench isolation to prevent crosstalk, improved local tone mapping, and better temporal and spatial noise reduction. And it shows. As expected, the iPhone 6s looks better in all of its predecessors in most shots. The macros have more detail, the backlit scenes have more detail in the shadows and the dynamic range is vastly better, the colors are more distinct, the white balance is more accurate, and there is much less noise in the shadows. Only area of complaint remains skin tones, which have a watercolor look similar to the iPhone 6. In this comparison, the iPhone 5 has the best looking skin. Otherwise, it's a clean sweep for the 6s. The tests were performed using the Camera+ app, although that shouldn't significantly impact the quality. You can check out the full comparison in the link...
New Samsung Pay add highlights just how easy using the service is
After long and arduous development, the ambitious Samsung Pay service is now showing a lot of promise. Despite still being in its infancy, the phone-based payment platform is already off to a flying start on the OEM's home Korean market, with over $30 million worth of transactions for a single month since its launch. All seems to have went well with this beta rollout and Samsung Pay is now officially live in the US as well. The service has already undergone beta testing in the US as well and the Korean giant is now spreading the word and trying to tempt users to give the platform a try. Samsung's latest ad highlights just how easy using Samsung Pay is, the main focus being the industry-leading combination of NFC and MTS-based technology. The video is done in a very lighthearted and wholesome tone, but it does take a few stabs at competitors. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, here's the short version: When Samsung set out to create its mobile-based payment solution it wanted to go one step beyond competitors such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. Instead of relying solely on NFC and potentially requiring additional hardware from merchants, like the latter two, Samsung Pay also supports MST-based transactions, or in other words, uses a technology that imitates a card swiping through the payment terminal via magnetic waves. This new concept was a great technological challenge, but, in the end, Samsung achieved an almost magical result - paying with a phone at almost any conventional terminal. This definitely gives the platform an edge over its competitors and so do future plans for implementation of online payments (PayPal style) into the system as well. This could make Samsung Pay incredibly popular in the US as a universal payment tool. But, before you get too excited and start tossing your credit cards in the drawer, Samsung Pay still has some important limitations. First, you need a compatible Samsung device that has the MST hardware to use Pay. Currently, these are the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Note5 and S6 edge+. Then, you need a compatible card, from a supported bank. These currently include VISA, MasterCard and AMERICAN EXPRESS, issued by a supported bank. This list is sure to grow in the future with more credit and debit cards, as well as merchant cards and vouchers all with the ultimate goal of getting rid of those clunky plastic cards. To sweeten the deal even more and facilitate a quick US expansion, Samsung is also offering a free gift to early Pay adopters. If you download and activate the app on a supported carrier and with a supported card before October 11, you can choose between a free wireless charger or a flip case. More details can be found at the second source link. Source 1 | Source 2 |...
Monday
Security-focused Blackphone 2 goes on sale in US
The Blackphone 2, which is the successor to last year's Blackphone, is now available for purchase in the US. The device was unveiled back in March at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC). The security-focused handset can now be ordered from Silent Circle's (which is the company behind the smartphone) website. As for the price, it will cost you $799. There is currently no information on if and when it will be available in other markets around the world. Specs-wise, the device is powered by a Snapdragon SoC with 1.7GHz octa-core processor, and sports a 5.5-inch FullHD Gorilla Glass display. It comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a 3060 mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 2.0. In terms of camera, the Blackphone 2 features a 13MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. It runs security-hardened, Android-based Silent OS. Source |...
Samsung to pull the plug on its Milk Video service in November
Samsung's YouTube competitor Milk Video, which was launched back in November last year, is shutting down. According to the South Korean company, it will pull the plug on the service in the month of November. "While we remain committed to providing premium entertainment services, we have decided to end support for the Samsung Milk Video app as of November 20, 2015," the company said in an announcement on Google Play. The announcement comes just a few months after Samsung reportedly laid off a substantial number of employees (said to be around 15% of the total strength) at the company's unit which works on Milk Video and Milk Music services. Source | Via 1...
Leak suggests AT&T will carry LG Class
The LG Class smartphone, which was announced last week and is currently only available in the company's home country of South Korea, will be available on AT&T in the US, according to the usually reliable leakster @evleaks. There was, however, no word on when it will be available in the US and what price tag it will carry. Currently, in South Korea, the handset costs somewhere around $340. Specs-wise, the mid-ranger is powered by a Snapdragon 410 chipset with 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and sports a 5-inch 720p IPS touchscreen with 2.5D curved glass. It comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB expandable memory, and packs in a 2,050 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Class features a 13MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and features a unibody metal construction. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC, while color options include gold, silver, and black. Via 1...
Google doubles the maximum APK file size limit in the Play store
Google doubled the maximum APK file size limit for Play store apps and games. Going forward, Android developers can publish APKs as large as 100MB - up from 50MB in the past. The change will allow for the submission of considerably richer apps to Google Play. It will also reduce the necessity to download additional expansion files when launching an application for the first time. Despite the new APK file size limit, Google still advises developers to be cautious and not make their apps unnecessarily large. The search giant's developer team points that larger apps require more data to download and install on a mobile network, as well as reduce performance on devices with limited RAM and built-in storage. Source...
LG Nexus 5X specs leak in full ahead of tomorrow's announcement
The full specs of the upcoming LG Nexus 5X leaked out with less than 24 hours to go until its scheduled announcement. LG's second Nexus smartphone will debut alongside Huawei Nexus 6P at an event in San Francisco tomorrow. In line with past rumors, LG Nexus 5X will sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset, coupled with 2GB of RAM. The display will be a 5.2" 1080p unit with pixel density of 424 ppi. Just like the Huawei Nexus 6P, the Nexus 5X will have a 12.3MP main camera with f/2.0 lens, large 1.55 μM pixels, laser autofocus, and 4K video capture. The front-facing unit will be a 5MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and 1.4 μM pixels.. LG Nexus 5X will have physical measures of 147 x 72.6 x 7.9mm. Its weight will tip the scale at 136 grams. Of course, the usual bevy of sensors will be present in the Nexus 5X. The handset will have a fingerprint sensor and USB Type-C port. Earlier today, we found out that pricing of the Nexus 5X will kick off at $379.99 when its becomes available for pre-order tomorrow. A 32GB variant of the handset will also be available. Via...
Low-end Oppo A33 gets detailed courtesy of TENAA
Oppo may be best known for its mid-range and high-end offerings such as the R7, R7 Plus, or Find 7, but the Chinese company is also working on entry-level devices. Case in point: the upcoming Oppo A33, which is going to be pretty low-end. This handset, currently known just by its model number (A33), has been revealed by TENAA, the Chinese regulatory agency tasked with certifying smartphones for sale on that market. The Oppo A33 has a 5-inch 540x960 touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie snapper, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4G LTE support, and dual-SIM functionality. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU, and it runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The phone's dimensions are 142.7 × 71.7 × 7.55 mm, and it weighs 145g. It will surely be launched in China, where it should cost around CNY 800 ($125, €111) according to media speculations. It's not at all clear if the Oppo A33 will be offered in other countries as well. Source (in Chinese) |...
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
10.2-inch Google Pixel C Android tablet in the works, rumor says
Tomorrow Google has a pretty big event planned, during which the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P will become official. A new Chromecast may be outed too, along with a new family plan for the Play Music All Access streaming service. But that may not be all Google's got in store for us. A new rumor says we might see a new tablet getting revealed as well. Intriguingly though, this will not be Nexus-branded. Even if it doesn't get showcased tomorrow, this is apparently in the works and will be released sometime in November. It will be called Pixel C. Google will interestingly be using the brand it's so far reserved for high-end Chromebooks with premium materials. That said, the Pixel C tablet will run Android, not Chrome OS. In terms of hardware, we're told we'll see a 10.2-inch touchscreen with 308ppi pixel density (but the actual resolution isn't mentioned), and 500 nits of peak brightness. Running the show will be Nvidia's Tegra X1 chipset with a quad-core CPU and Maxwell GPU, paired with 3GB of RAM. A USB Type-C port will be in too. The tablet will be very close to the new Chromebook Pixel when it comes to design, and it will even feature that lightbar on the back, which glows to show how much battery life you've got left. Because of the Pixel branding, we assume the device will be made from a premium metal alloy. The Pixel C will have two optional keyboard accessories, one aluminum and one leather. Both of them will attach to the tablet through a dedicated mechanism, and you'll be able to 'close' them onto the screen, laptop-style. Given how expensive both Chromebook Pixels have been, you shouldn't expect the Pixel C tablet to be...