Caviar introduces iPhone 7 with portraits of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

The inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the US unlocked as many meme ideas as there are protests against his actions. But might be the weirdest we have seen - Russian company Caviar sells two 32GB iPhone 7 units with gold-plated backs and embossed faces of the Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The backs also include the coat of arms of the country and the first two lines of the national anthem. The iPhones come in a wooden box and there are plans to sell them in a globe-shaped box. "We have arranged a personal tête-à-tête meeting of leaders for integration of...

Apple sells more Plus phones in 4Q 2016 than ever

Apple is about to reveal its financial results for 4Q 2016 and they may contain a surprise - the company sold more iPhone 7 Plus units than any of the previous Plus-sized handsets. The company decided to equip the 7 Plus with more cameras, better battery life and more RAM than iPhone 7 and the result is said to be 24 million devices sold, compared with 15.5M iPhone 6s Plus phones in 4Q 2015. That's 55% increase solely based on improving the hardware, compared with the flagship device from the same series. Overall demand for the iPhone 7 has struggled throughout the October-December...

Windows 10 Game Mode is now shipping with the latest Insider build

Wwith great innovations like Xbox Play Anywhere, cross play and probably, best of all, the latest generation advanced DirectX 12, 2017 is shaping up as a great year for the gaming crowd as a whole and especially the "PC master race". But, as some of you might remember, there is yet another Gamer-specific Windows 10 feature already in the oven and from the looks of things, it is just almost ready for serving. Game Mode, which is expected to launch in Spring 2017, as part of the big Creator's update, is now live in the latest Insider build of the OS. As an informal...

Moto G5 specs uncovered in Brazil: check out G4 Play's successor

The Moto G5 Plus has been through the rumor mill several times while the regular Moto G5 remained out of the spotlight. Until now - Brazilian blog TecnoBlog.net has gotten hold of the regional version (XT1672) and published the key specs. This phone is smaller with its 5" 1080p screen (vs. 5.5" 1080p for the Plus model). It will launch with Android 7.0 Nougat (of course) running on a Snapdragon 430 chipset with 2GB of RAM. That's less impressive than the S625/4GB specs of the G5 Plus. The non-Plus model will still come with 32GB of storage, though, plus whatever you put into the microSD...

Xposed Framework for Nougat in the works, still far off

rovo99, the developer behind the popular Xposed framework has issued a post on XDA Developer's forum to let us know that he's working on a version for Nougat. Xposed is a framework that customizes your Android OS through self-contained software modules. Essentially it gives custom ROM abilities to your stock ROM, whatever it may be. Making Xposed Nougat-ready is easier said than done, due to Nougat's updated app installation process. Android 7.0 fixed Marshmallow's notoriously slow app installs and now Xposed needs to catch up. According to the developer this will take "hundreds...

Apple Maps updates Houston map with transit data in time for Superbowl

Metro buses and MetroRail data in Houston, TX are available on Apple Maps after a Sunday update. That way iPhone users in Houston - locals and fans of the Superbowl LI contenders New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons can get around avoiding high traffic, potential road closures and also have an access to public transportation options. We already reported that T-Mobile upgraded its 4G LTE coverage in the whole Urban Houston area and now mobile users get even more. The Superbowl is on Sunday and the preparations will cause massive hickup in traffic in the whole area around NRG...

Nokia and Orange will develop 5G networks together

Nokia and Orange have partnered up to develop the future 5G mobile networks. Key updates include "Ultra Broadband" and Internet of Things support. Nokia's infographic on 5G details the possibilities of a 5G network, which will go far beyond mobile phones. Everything from smart clothes to road toll collection is on the cards. This approach will greatly increase the number of "users" on the mobile network, be they your smart fridge or a robot in an automated factory (Nokia expects billions of connections). This will be achieved with "Dynamic Network Slicing" which will allow the carrier to...

Vodafone talks merger with Idea Cellular in India

The World's second largest cellphone networks operator, Vodafone, is in talks to merge its Indian business with local rival Idea Cellular. The information is confirmed by both companies but no specifics like deal worth have been disclosed. According to analysts the merger would result in a group with around 375 million subscribers and 36% market share. By joining forces with Idea Cellular in India Vodafone would become much more competitive against Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm, a new carrier backed by India's richest businessman Mukesh Ambani. Jio's aggressive deals...

Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus now appears on Geekbench

A few months after it was first leaked, the Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus, carrying a model number of TB-8703F, has now appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking website. The listing reveals that the tablet is powered by Snapdragon 625 SoC with 3GB RAM, and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. These specs are inline with what all the last year's leak had revealed - the leak had also confirmed FullHD display, 8MP/5MP camera combo, and 32GB/64GB memory configuration. There's currently no information on the tablet's pricing and availability. Source

Asus Zenfone 3S Max review: Juiced-up

We only recently met the Zenfone 3 Max from Asus. Imagine our surprise then when we received yet another Zenfone Max shortly after that, and one we were neither expecting nor knew even existed.

Huawei Mate 9 giveaway: We have a winner!

The winner is: Suhas S. The giveaway is over and we have a winner. What a nice start of the week for our lucky guy from India who will soon receive it's shiny new Space Grey Huawei Mate 9, shipped directly by Huawei. Thanks to all the participants out there. Over 13,500 people signed up for the giveaway, totaling up to 78,000 actions. Don't lose hope, there will be more giveaways soon. Stay tuned and stay awesome!

Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S5 gets January security patch

Sprint has started rolling out a new update to Samsung Galaxy S5 units on its network. The update, which weighs in at 27MB and arrives as version G900PVPS3CQA2, brings along the Android security fixes for January. No other changes are included - at least that's what the official changelog says. The update comes less than a month after the carrier pushed out the December security update to Galaxy S5 units on its network. Thanks for the tip, Jason!!!

Apple's iPhone loses its top spot in China; Oppo R9 is the new king

Apple's iPhone has been the top selling smartphone in China since 2012, but that's no longer the case, as according to a new report from Counterpoint Research, it has been overtaken by Oppo's R9. The report notes that a total of 17 million R9 units were sold in the country last year, which translates into around 4% of the market share. In comparison, Apple managed to sell only 12 million units of the iPhone 6s, capturing 2% of the market. While Oppo's shipments for the year in China increased by 106%, those of Apple's flagship declined by 21%. Via

Oppo R9s launched in Australia for $450

The Oppo R9s is now available for purchase in Australia. The device was already up for pre-orders in the country, and is now up for grabs for AUD 600 ($450). You can purchase the phone from JB Hi-Fi, Optus and Woolworths Mobile, as well as Vodafone and Virgin Mobile. Available color options include black and white. The handset is also comes in a Red, but that model is currently only available in a handful of markets, including China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Source

Moto E3 Power won't be getting Nougat, Motorola confirms

When Motorola posted the full list of smartphones that the company said will get the Nougat update, the Moto E3 Power wasn't there in the list. Now, it has been officially confirmed that the device won't get the update. The company's official India customer help website clearly says the handset - which launched in September last year - will remain on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the version it arrived with. The Moto E3 Power first arrived in Hong Kong, following which it was launched in India carrying an INR 7,999 ($119) price tag. Source | Via

Report: Job cuts are coming to Fitbit

According to a new report, leading fitness wearable company Fitbit could lay off 80 to 160 employees. This translates into around 10% of the firm's total workforce (if we consider the higher limit in that range), saving the company somewhere around $200 million. The company, the report notes, is all set to announce 'disappointing' Q4 results. Fitbit recently acquired Pebble in a deal worth $40 million. The company intends to launch an app store using assets acquired from Pebble, and is also likely to open up its products to third-party developers. Entering the smartwatch market also...

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 to have a Blue Coral color variant as well

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is currently only available in three colors (Black, Gold, and Silver), and three more will be added to the list soon given that the company showed off green, purple, and pink models at this year's CES. And now, it looks like there's exists a seventh color option as well: Blue Coral. The new color has been spotted in some photos. There is currently no information on when the Blue Coral variant as well as the colors showcased during CES 2017 will go on sale. Via

New rumor says Oppo Find 9 will feature 21MP/16MP camera combo, 4,100mAh battery

A couple of weeks ago, a leak had revealed borderless design for the Oppo Find 9. It was also revealed that the device will come in two variants: one powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC (having 6GB/128GB memory config) and the other powered by Snapdragon 653 chipset (with 4GB/64GB memory config). Now, a new rumor of the company's home country of China has confirmed these details. Not only this, the rumor has also revealed some other key specifications for the phone. It says the device will sport a 5.5-inch 2K (should be QHD) display, a 21MP/16MP camera combo, and pack in a large 4,100mAh...

Top 10 trending phones of week 4

For a second week in a row, the Nokia 6 occupies the second spot on the top ten chart and will likely keep hovering there for the foreseeable future. Also for a second week now, Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4 continues to reign supreme, with its mix of decent hardware and rock-bottom price. This is the original MediaTek Helio X20 version, we are talking about. After an impressive flying start last week, instantly snatching up the 6th place, the new Snapdragon 625 Redmi Note 4 has now dropped a couple of places to the eight spot. Perhaps the allure of the power-efficient Qualcomm chip simply...

Weekly poll: LG G6 is a clean break from the G5, what do you think?

LG tried something novel with the G5 but recent leaks show it's changing course for the LG G6. Gone is the removable battery and gone are the bezels (the headphone jack is reportedly safe and sound). The LG G6 is rumored to have an usual 2:1 screen (well, extra wide screens are not that unusual for LG) that will cover more than 90% of the front. LG officially confirmed that the G6 will be waterproof in addition to slimming down the bezels. Not officially confirmed yet, but reports suggest it will drop the modular design but will keep the dual cameras. Renders show the back will be quite...

Week 4 in review: Nokia steals all the spotlight and excitement is mounting for the Galaxy S8 and LG G6

The Nokia 6 has been around for tree weeks now but the excitement for the brand's return to the smartphone scene is still not dying out. Now that the handset has managed to escape its home China market, fans are lining up to get one. By all accounts, a lower end sibling to the Nokia 6 is on its way and so is a true Nokia flagship, complete with a Snapdragon 835 chipset. A recent GFXBench leak also described a mysterious and enormous 18.4-inch tablet, courtesy of HMD. Speaking of Snapdragon 835 flagships, rumor has it that Samsung might currently be hoarding most of Qualcomm's stock,...

Weekly poll results: the Galaxy S8 is poised to outsell the Galaxy S8 Plus

The Galaxy S7 edge outsold its smaller sibling, the S7. Now leaked schematics show us that the next gen phones will have even bigger screen, will we see the Galaxy S8 Plus outsell the smaller Galaxy S8? Our preliminary polling says no - if our math is right, the smaller S8 will put an S7 edge-size screen into an S7-size body. And it won 35% of votes, leading the S8 Plus (6.3" screen in an S7 edge body). Of course, there are other considerations that might swing the results. The current consensus is that the Galaxy S8 Plus will have a dual camera, while the S8 will not. However, the...

BlackPods: Apple's AirPods, only black

At $159, Apple's AirPods aren't exactly cheap, yet they're quite the bargain when you consider the wireless earbuds options. If only they could come in a color to match your Black iPhone 7, Jet or otherwise. Well, now they can, sort of, courtesy of a company called BlackPods. Jackpot! BlackPods (apparently both the name of the company and the end product) will take your ordinary shiny white AirPods, subject them to a 'three-phase approach' that yields a 'luxurious scratch-resistant finish', all for the nominal fee of $99. Alternatively, you can buy the AirPods straight from...

Kronaby connected watches promise 2-year battery life

We like the Samsung Gear S3 as much as the next guy, but at 3 to 4 days tops its battery life isn't really why we'd get one. How about 2 years then? That's as long as a Kronaby watch should last you, according to the manufacturer's claims. Of course the Kronaby watches aren't strictly smartwatches - they fall in the connected watches category where you get a proper analog watch (always on, if you look at things that way), with some extra smarts. Spanning four ranges of different designs, the Kronaby collection's features include vibrating notifications (which you can filter through...

Moto G5 clears FCC with 3,000mAh battery

The Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus are seemingly set for a Barcelona unveiling next month, but oddly it's been just the Plus version that's been the star in recent rumors. Well, it's the non-Plus that's stopped by the FCC, for a change. Moto G4 The US telecom regulator has given it the green light, and even if it's typically not the most prolific source of intel, sifting through the papers you could still find a few interesting bits. For one, the G5 will support NFC - a first for the G-series. FCC documentation excerpts The other thing, revealed by the FCC filing, is...