Samsung Galaxy S8 reportedly already being tested in China

Samsung knows it needs a winner with the Galaxy S8 and the chit-chat among people in the know is that the company will extend its usual testing procedure. Apparently, the early tests are already underway in China, involving both variants of the S8. While the testing is conducted in China, the international version of the phone is being tested too - the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are running software versions G950FXXU0APLH and G955FXXU0APLH  respectively. The Chine-bound variants are G9500ZCU0APLF and G9550ZCU0APLF. Now, whether the second, bigger S8 model will be called "edge" or "Plus"...

TCL teases upcoming BlackBerry Mercury smartphone in short video

TCL has outed a short video teaser for the upcoming BlackBerry Mercury smartphone. Shared by Steve Cistulli - President and General Manager for TCL Communication (TCT), North America - the 4 second video focuses on the device's physical QWERTY keyboard. imPRESSively designed. distinctly different. #BlackBerryMobile#CES2017 http://pic.twitter.com/MGvvGXOtvi— Steve Cistulli (@SteveCistulli) January 3, 2017 While earlier rumors had suggested that the device will be powered by Snapdragon 821 chipset, a recent one indicated the phone could pack in Snapdragon 625 SoC instead. Other rumored specs...

LeEco Le 2 64GB variant goes on sale in India

When LeEco launched the Le 2 in India back in June last year, only the 32GB variant was made available for purchase. Now, nearly six month after the device's India release, the Chinese company has launched the 64GB variant of the phone. Specifically, the variant with 3GB/64GB memory configuration is now listed on online retailer Snapdeal's website, carrying a price tag of INR 13,999, which translates into around $205. Available colors include rose gold. Aside from storage, there's no other spec-related change, meaning the new variant is also powered by MediaTek Helio X20, sports a...

Lenovo P2 with 5,100mAh battery coming to India soon

The Lenovo P2, which was officially unveiled back in September last year and went on sale a couple of months later, will soon be launched in India. This was revealed by the India subsidiary of the Chinese company in a tweet. How often do you your way because of low phone battery? Travel fearlessly with the longest lasting battery #LenovoP2 #Powerhouse coming soon http://pic.twitter.com/d4LZ3Thfut— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) January 2, 2017 Specs-wise, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 625 chipset, and sports a 5.5-inch full HD display. RAM options include 3GB and 4GB, while storage is...

Sony Xperia XZ and X Performance receive minor update

Sony has started rolling out a new update to its Xperia XZ and X Performance smartphones. It's a minor, bug-fixing update that bumps the build number from 39.2.A.0.361 to version 39.2.A.0.374. This is the second update that has been rolled out to these devices ever since they received Nougat. The last update brought along Android security fixes for the month of December. As is usually the case with OTA roll outs, it may take sometime for the update notification to pop up on your device's screen. Meanwhile, if you feel impatient, you can manually check for the update by heading to...

Samsung's 16GB EVO microSD card currently going for under $8

If you are a Samsung fan in the US and are in the market for a microSD card, you'll be glad to know that the South Korean company's 16GB EVO memory card has received a price cut, bringing its price down to $7.99. Amazon US has the card listed on its website for that price, down around 50% from the price tag it usually carries there. A quick look at Samsung's US website reveals that the tech giant is also officially selling the card for $7.99, down from $9.99. For more information on the deal, head to the Source links below. Source 1 2

Android 7.1.1 Nougat arrives on the Sony Xperia X as part of the latest Concept update

Back in November Sony released its first "Concept" Android build for the Xperia X, and it's received a couple of updates so far. These Concept builds are experimental and are meant to give people a way to test new software that's closer to stock Android than Sony's stable releases. Today the company has started sending out another update for the Xperia X Concept firmware, and the big new thing is that it's now based on Android 7.1.1 and not 7.0. This makes Sony the first mobile device maker except Google to have rolled out the absolute latest version of the OS, even if we're talking about...

Galaxy S8 to come with Continuum-like feature called Samsung Desktop Experience

According to what is said to be a leaked slide from an internal Samsung presentation about the upcoming Galaxy S8, the Korean company is getting ready to bring Continuum-like functionality to Android. Continuum is the Windows 10 feature that sort of turns your phone into a PC when connected to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. And Samsung apparently likes the concept and is working on launching something very similar for its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8. Here's the slide in question: As you can see, the phone is going to be connected to the monitor through a cable, whereas...

Samsung reveals EU pricing for the Galaxy A3 (2017) and A5 (2017)

Earlier today Samsung finally decided to put an end to all the leaks, rumors, and speculation regarding its new Galaxy A (2017) smartphones and made the trio official. One thing that was missing from the official global announcement, however, was how much the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), and Galaxy A7 (2017) are going to cost. In the meantime Samsung has thankfully clarified matters, at least for the Eurozone specifically. That said, these prices are probably also a good estimation of what you'll end up spending for one of these handsets in other European countries too. The...

White Xiaomi Mi Mix could be unveiled at CES 2017

The white colored variant of the Xiaomi Mi Mix, which first leaked back in November last year, could be officially unveiled at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Or at least that's what a recently outed teaser would have us believe. While the teaser itself doesn't explicitly say anything, the word WHITE is mixed with BLACK (WBHLIATCEK) and the mention of CES 2017 seems like a clear hint. In case you aren't aware, the Mi Mix is currently only available in black color. It's worth mentioning that the white variant was recently spotted at a Chinese online store as well,...

Most interesting news stories of 2016: Q4

It was an eventful last 3 months, there's no denying that. What some people called the 'best phone, period' went up in flames - in an unprecedented turn of events Samsung recalled all Galaxy Note7 units it had sold and ceased production altogether. It wasn't all bad, obviously. Google released the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, the first Phones by Google, aimed squarely at the iPhone. Watch out, Samsung! Speaking of iPhones, we discovered that the base 32GB versions are fitted with slower storage chips. What's that about, Apple? Xiaomi had scheduled a press event to announce the...

Qualcomm accidentally reveals Asus Zenfone AR

Looks like Qualcomm has revealed some key details about the Asus Zenfone AR, which is set for CES 2017 unveiling. The announcement was made in a blog post, which carries a publishing date of January 4, so it looks like someone jumped the gun. Specifically, the post reveals that the device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 chipset. And while we already know it's Tango-enabled, the post notes that the handset is Daydream-ready as well, making it the first smartphone of its kind. "With Zenfone AR and the Daydream View headset and controller, you'll be able to explore new worlds...

Nougat-powered Samsung Galaxy S7 active spotted

The Samsung Galaxy S7 active running Android Nougat has been spotted in a benchmark listing. Specifically, the device with Android version 7.0 has appeared on GFXBench, effectively indicating that the update is in the final testing stages. Sadly, there's currently no official information on when the update will be rolled out. And chances of it being imminent are very less given that even the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are yet to receive the final Nougat update, although the beta program for these flagships has ended. Source | Via

Samsung unveils Galaxy A3 (2017), A5 (2017) and A7 (2017)

Samsung kicked off the year by making the three often leaked members of its 2017 A series official. The Galaxy A7 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A3 (2017) were expected to debut on January 5 at a dedicated event in Malaysia, but the company's global press site listed them today. All three new handsets come with IP68 certification for water and dust resistance and sport fingerprint scanners in their home buttons. They run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and support Samsung Pay and LTE connectivity. The metal bodies are just 7.9mm thick and they all have USB Type-C connectors. Samsung...

Most interesting news stories of 2016: Q3

You won't be surprised to learn that a couple of the most read news stories of Q3 were the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus announcements. Sure, there had been leaks aplenty in the weeks leading up to the event, but official is official. Then again, there was nothing official about the Sony Xperia F8331, when we got a few live photos sent in the mail. That phone would later become the Xperia XZ flagship, but at the time no one new anything about it. The launch of the Galaxy On8 made quite the headlines too - no wonder, given that it's basically a J7 (2016) with a FullHD screen, and we...

Purported image of Sony Xperia X (2017) leaks

A image purported to be of the 2017 variant of the Sony Xperia X has leaked online. Claimed to be a press image, the leak shows the front of the black version of the smartphone. Given the angle at which the picture is taken as well as the color (black) of the model, the position of the sensors isn't clear, although the phone does seem to have very thin bezels. There's also some text below the "New Xperia X" moniker, but that's also not clearly visible - reports, however, say it could be #TheGreatest. We currently cannot confirm whether the leaked image is legit or fake. So,...

Dual selfie-camera sporting vivo V5 Plus to launch this month

After launching the V5 back in November last year, Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo is all set to launch a Plus variant of the phone this month. The company has started sending out press invites for a January 23 event in India. As the invite clearly indicates, the selling point of the V5 Plus would be its dual selfie-camera setup. As for other specifications, nothing is officially confirmed at the moment, but we expect to hear more on it through official teasers in weeks to come. For those who aren't in the know, the Lenovo Vibe S1 was the first phone to come with two front...

Google Keyboard crosses 500 million installs on Play Store

The Google keyboard app - which is now known as Gboard - has hit the 500 million installs milestone on Google Play. With this, the app has made it to the list that currently includes some biggies like Google Photos, Dropbox, and Skype. Gboard offers several features, including glide typing, voice typing, built-in emoji and GIF search, as well as the ability to write in multiple languages at the same time. The keyboard also features a new G button that can be used to instantly search Google for things such as nearby stores or restaurants, videos, images, news articles, sports scores,...

ZTE Axon 7 mini gets $100 price cut in US

If you are a ZTE fan in the US, and are in the market for a mid-range smartphone, here's a deal for you: the Axon 7 mini is currently going for under $200. Specifically, Newegg and Best Buy have the gray and gold variants listed for $199.99 on their websites, respectively. That, if you compare, translates into a price cut of $100 given that ZTE itself is selling the phone for around $300. Keep in mind that the deal Newegg is offering will expire shortly (2 hours as of writing). No word on when the Best Buy promo ends though. Source 1 2

Meizu M5S now spotted on Geekbench

After clearing TENAA and 3C, the Meizu M5S has now been spotted on Geekbench. The benchmark listing reveals that the device is powered by a MediaTek MT6753 chipset with octa-core 1.3GHz processor, and has 2GB memory. The listing also reveals that the device runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. If you compare, all these specs are inline with what TENAA had revealed. Other key specs revealed by the Chinese agency include a 5.2-inch HD screen, 3GB/4GB RAM and 32/64GB storage options, 13MP/5MP camera combo, and 2,930mAh battery. Source | Via

Just in: Meizu M5 Note hands-on

Twas the night before New Year's Eve when the good guy postman came in our office with hefty package in his hands. Almost like Santa he brought us a few gifts for being good kids throughout the year. We unpacked it and there it was - Meizu M5 Note in all its pearl white beauty (or silver, as is officially named). It looks attractive with its metallic body and 2.5D glass but the front doesn't feel or look as good as the back. M5 Note is supposed to be the bigger and more powerful brother of M5 but with its 5.5" display (while the latter is 5.2") the size is not really a wow factor...

Most interesting news stories of 2016: Q2

Continuing our walk down memory lane, we inevitably get to the unveiling of Moto G4 and G4 Plus. A few generations on, the Moto G lives on, even if the initial exceptional value for money seemed to drop with every consecutive release. We did happen to have a quick hands-on with the G4 Plus too, and that was also a hugely popular article back in May. There were also the Moto Z and Moto Z Force in this quarter - a couple of flagships, one - extra thin, the other - shatterproof. But that doesn't even begin to describe the most interesting bit about them - via snap-on MotoMods the Moto Zs...

Just in: Meizu M5 hands-on

A crate arrived at our doorstep the other day chock-full of Meizus. Naturally, we all flocked around the Pro 6 Plus flagship and we already shared our initial thoughts about it, but it is this M5 here that will be outselling the top model who knows how many times - its price starts at CNY 699 or just $100. The M5 is the successor to the M3, and you may wonder what happened to the 4 in that sequence. Well, 4 is considered an unlucky number in Chinese culture, so as is often the case in product lineups (Wikipedia tells us), Meizu skipped it. The M5 is not unlike the M3, by the...

OxygenOS 4.0 with Nougat rolls out for the OnePlus 3 and 3T

OnePlus has started the incremental rollout of the OxygenOS 4.0 update for the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T. Along with updating OxygenOS, this update will also bring Android 7.0 Nougat to both devices. The list of improvements to look forward in this update include: New Notifications Design New Settings Menu Design Multi-Window View Notification Direct Reply Custom DPI Support Added Status Bar Icon Options Improved Shelf Customization The update will roll out to a small percentage of the users first and then to everyone. Source 1 • Source 2

Most interesting news stories of 2016: Q1

Everyone say "ahoy" to the new 2017, which we hope to be as interesting to the last one. Now is a great time to remind ourselves what 2016 brought. Just as last year, we'll do it chronologically, starting with the most interesting stories from the first quarter of 2016. There's no denying 2016 was eventful in the mobile industry. Companies large and small managed to charm and disappoint. Whatever the case, though, smartphone launches were abundant. It's not surprising then, that that's exactly the type of news that was most interesting to our readers. The top of the list is...