HTC Desire 828 Release Date, Specs & Rumors: Features 5.5-Inch Display, 13MP Camera with OIS

By Charmaine Montes , Christian Post Contributor

October 31, 2015|9:37 am

Taiwanese multinational smartphone manufacturer HTC isn't a popular name in the big and competitive tech world but even so, the company continues to do what they do best and that is to make smartphones.

Reuters

HTC

According to a report by Phone Radar, HTC's Desire smartphone line is the reason why the company is getting a little market share despite its flagship devices failing to astonish the users. This is why they are set to release another Desire smartphone which is dubbed as the HTC Desire 828.

It's actually the same device that was earlier found in the list on TENAA but it was listed under the name HTC Desire 828w and reports say that it passed through TENAA certification, which is the Chinese equivalent of the FCC in the United States.

A tip suggested that the device is scheduled to be released soon, perhaps in the next couple of weeks, but there is no official statement yet on when it will exactly come out to the market. Little is also known about the handset but it has been said that its specifications will include a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Under its hood, one will be able to find a MediaTek MT6753 octa-core processor which will be clocked at 1.5 GHz. Its operating system will be Android 5.1.1 Lolloipop and will be equipped with a 2 GB of RAM. It will have an internal storage capacity of 16 GB and will be expandable through the MicroSD card slot.

As detailed by Handy Tech Plus, the device will come with dual variant. It will have a single SIM and dual SIM version. For photo taking purposes, the device will sport a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). For those who don't know yet, the addition of the OIS feature is a first in the Desire smartphone line.

The front panel will be equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and super wide angle lens. For improved sound and music experience, the Desire 828 is equipped with HTC's BoomSound speakers which are located on the front as well.

Source: HTC Desire 828 Release Date, Specs & Rumors: Features 5.5-Inch Display, 13MP Camera with OIS

Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015: OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and more

Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015:OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and moreOnePlus via Twitter

If you are in the market shopping for the latest smartphones, there are plenty of options to suit your varying needs. The high-end flagship race got intense in October, as major companies emulated Apple and Samsung by launching new devices. With festive shopping on, smartphone makers are luring customers with new products.

Here we have listed the top 10 smartphones that were launced in October, enabling buyers to chosse from a wide range of devices. 

OnePlus X

After a series of teasers, OnePlus finally launched the OnePlus X last week, bringing a new mid-range smartphone with great looks and features. The handset comes with a metallic build, 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP front snapper. Under the hood, OnePlus X is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB DDR3 RAM, Adreno 330 GPU for graphics and 16GB built-in storage with microSD card expansion up to 128GB.

The OnePlus X comes in Onyx (glass) and limited edition ceramic models but available only via invites. The handset is priced at Rs 16,999 for the Onyx variant and Rs 22,999 for the ceramic model.

Moto X Force and X Style

Motorola is back in the game with new releases. The most recent addition in the portfolio is the Moto X Force, which was launched shortly after the company released the Moto X Style. Both handsets have their own appeal.

The Moto X Style comes with a 5.7-inch QHD display, 21MP primary camera with dual-LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and plenty other features along with a 5MP front snapper. The handset is powered by a 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and 16GB/32GB expandable memory. The Moto X Style runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and a 3,000mAh battery with TurboPower feature.

The Moto X Force, as the name hints, is known for its sturdiness and packs a 5.4-inch QHD shatterproof display and same camera features as the X Style. The handset is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB RAM, Adreno 430 GPU, 32GB/64GB expandable memory up to 2TB. Moto X Force packs a bigger 3,760mAh battery.

The Moto X Style 16GB variant costs Rs 29,999 and Rs 31,999 for the 32GB model. The Moto X Force, on the other hand, costs £449 ($764/€696/Rs. 49,850) and £534 ($818/€745/Rs.53,350) for the 32GB and 64GB models, respectively.

Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL

Microsoft launched the first Windows 10 smarpthones, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. The two flagship devices spell class, performance and luxury. The Lumia 950 features a 5.2-inch Quad HD screen while the Lumia 950XL sports a 5.60 inch screen with same resolution. Both phones have a 20-megapixel primary camera with Zeiss optics lens with triple LED RGB natural flash and 5MP front snapper.

The Lumia 950 is powered by a 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, while the Lumia 950XL is treated with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. 3GB of RAM and 32GB expandable storage up to 2TB is common for both phones.

The Lumia 950 packs a 3,000mAh battery and a 3,340mAh unit powers the Lumia 950XL. International pricing for both phones is yet to be revealed but reports suggest the Lumia 950 will be priced at Rs 38,000 and the Lumia 950XL priced slightly higher at Rs 43,000. The handsets were launched for $549 and $649, respectively.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and Xperia Z5 Dual

Sony upped the ante on the flagship race by launching the two high-end devices, Xperia Z5 Premium and Xperia Z5 Dual. The Xperia Z5 Premium is the higher-end variant with a 5.5-inch 4K UHD display, 23MP Sony Exmor RS primary camera, 5MP secondary shooter and 32GB internal space with microSD card support up to 200GB. The handset is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and Adreno 430 GPU. The premium variant of the flagship has a 3,430mAh battery, fingerprint scanner, dual SIM and Android 5.1 Lollipop.

The Xperia Z5 Dual packs identical specifications as the premium variant with some downgrades. These include a 5.2-inch Full HD display and a smaller 2,900mAh battery while rest of the features remains intact.

The Xperia Z5 Premium is priced at Rs 62,990 while the standard variant costs Rs 52,990.

Lenovo Vibe P1 and Vibe P1m

Lenovo expanded its smartphone offering with Vibe P1 and Vibe P1m in India this month. The handsets pack powerful batteries, addressing the most pressing concerns of short-lived phones. The Lenovo Vibe P1 sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 13MP main camera with LED flash, 5MP front snapper and a 4,900mAh battery. The handset is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB expandable memory and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based Vibe UI. The handset also has a fingerprint scanner, dual SIM support, 4G LTE support at a reasonable price.

The Lenovo P1m is more of a budget device with a 5-inch HD screen, MediaTek quad-core processor 16GB expandable memory, 8MP main camera and 5MP front snapper. The handset sports a 4,000mAh battery and supports dual SIM, 4G LTE and runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based Vibe UI.

The Lenovo P1m is priced at Rs 15,999 while the Vibe P1m costs Rs 7,999.

HTC One A9

HTC welcomed a new smartphone, One A9, popularised by its iPhone-like design. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octa-core SoC, 2GB/3GB RAM, 16GB/ 32GB expandable memory up to 2TB and a 2,150mAh battery. It boasts a 5-inch Full HD screen, 13MP primary camera and UltraPixel front snapper. It also has a fingerprint scanner on the Home button and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The HTC One A9 16GB/ 2GB RAM variant is priced at $399.99 (around €352/Rs 26, 050) while the higher-end model costs £429.99 (around $664/Rs 43,235).

BlackBerry Priv

After long-running rumours about the first Android-based BlackBerry smartphone, the Priv finally made its debut. The Canadian smartphone maker launched the handset by accepting pre-orders for the device in the US, the UK and Canada.

The BlackBerry Priv comes with a 5.4-inch QHD screen, 18MP primary camera with dual LED flash, 2MP front camera, 32GB expandable memory up to 2TB and a 3,410mAh battery. It is powered by a 64-bit class based 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and supports 4G LTE.

The BlackBerry Priv in the US costs $699 (around Rs. 43,450) and £559, $899 CDN in the UK and Canada, respectively.

Huawei Honor 5X

While all major smartphone companies launching new phones with great specs, Huawei joined the bandwagon by releasing Honor 5X in China. The handset sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, 13MP camera with dual LED flash, 5MP front snapper and a 3,000mAh battery. It is powered by a Snapdragon 616 chipset, Adreno 405 GPU, 16GB expandable memory and comes in two variants with 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM. Additionally, the handset features a fingerprint scanner and supports 4G LTE.

In China, the 2GB variant of the Honor 5X is priced at CNY 999 (about Rs 10,200) and the 3GB RAM model costs CNY 1,399 (about Rs 14,300).

Coolpad Note 3

Among the high-end releases this month, Coolpad made an outstanding appearance with its Note 3 smartphone. Priced at Rs 8,999, the handset comes with a fingerprint scanner, 5.5-inch HD screen, 13MP primary camera, 5MP front snapper and 16GB expandable memory. It is powered by a 1.3GHz 64-bit Mediatek MT6753 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and Android 5.1 Lollipop-based COOL UI 6.0. CoolPad Note 3 packs a 3,000mAh battery and also supports 4G LTE.

Oppo Neo 7

Following the trend, Oppo also released its own budget device, the Neo 7, complete with a 5-inch qHD screen, 8MP primary camera, 5MP front snapper, 2,420mAh battery and dual SIM 4G LTE support. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC, Adreno 306 GPU and 1GB RAM. Available in black and white colours, Oppo Neo 7 costs Rs 9,990.

Article Published: October 30, 2015 18:05 IST

Source: Top 10 smartphones released in October 2015: OnePlus, Microsoft, Motorola, Sony and more

Nintendo To Release Smartphone Apps

At a press conference, Nintendo announced plans for Miitomo. It's the first of 5 new apps developed for smartphone devices. Partnering with DeNA, Nintendo plans to release Miitomo by spring 2016 – with a tentative deadline of March 2017 to release all 5 of the games. Nintendo's move to mobile was announced back in March of this year with the announcement of their partnership with DeNA, the owner of the Mobage portal and social network.

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Source: Nintendo To Release Smartphone Apps

Spyder Releases Commuter Charger for Smartphones and Tablets

Spyder Digital Research today launched the Commuter. The Commuter is a 3-in-1 universal battery charger that combines a wall charger, car charger and internal battery pack into a single device for ultimate convenience. Here's more info:

Ideal for travel, the minimalistic and compact design eliminates the need for multiple devices, cables and accessories and is optimal for on-the-go power, featuring:

. 2600mAh internal battery, providing an extra eight hours of talk and five hours of video. AC wall adapter and universal DC/car charger. USB port for compatibility with all tablets, smartphones, and other devices charged by USB cable. Rubberized non-slip coating for better grip. Slim and compact design, and only slightly larger than a credit card (measuring 3.6 x 2.4 x 0.8 in.). An on/off button to let users control power supply. An included MicroUSB cable.

The Spyder Commuter is available for $49.99 at Amazon.com. For more info visit www.spyderstyle.com

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Check out our iPhone Case, bag, battery and keyboard Reviews at:http://www.mobiletechreview.com/iPhone-Case-Reviews.htm

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--------MTR News

Source: Spyder Releases Commuter Charger for Smartphones and Tablets

BlackBerry Releases App That Makes Switching To The Priv Easy

BlackBerry has never made an Android smartphone before but that changes now, the company has confirmed that the BlackBerry Priv is its first Android-powered smartphone which is now available for pre-order with shipments starting next month. Naturally there are quite a lot of people interested in the handset, primarily to see what BlackBerry's take on Android is, the company has now released a new application which makes it easy to switch from an existing BB10 device to the BlackBerry Priv.

The company needs this device to perform well, it's no secret that BlackBerry's hardware division has been burning money for the past few years, not only does BB need the Priv to plug the hole but it also needs the handset to once again make BlackBerry a force in the global smartphone market.

The first step in that aim was to adopt an operating system that doesn't have any shortage of applications, Android was the only option since Apple doesn't license iOS and opting for Windows Mobile wouldn't have made no sense.

Even though the handset is yet to be released the BlackBerry Content Transfer app is already live in BlackBerry World. The app will effortlessly transfer important data from the BB10 powered handset to the Android Lollipop powered Priv, this includes email accounts, documents, tasks, notes, calendar, SMS, videos, music and much more. It's a one-stop solution and takes away the headache associated with shifting data from one phone to the other.

Obviously the app serves no purpose until the BlackBerry Priv is released, look for pre-ordered units to arrive early next month.

Filed in Cellphones. Read more about Apps, BlackBerry and blackberry priv.

Key Specs BlackBerry Priv Status Unreleased Display Diagonal 5.4" Processor/Soc Name Snapdragon 808, 6-core, dual-core 1.8 et quad-core 1.44 GHz Max. Total Storage Capacity 160 GB Megapixels 18 MP Battery Capacity (mAh) 3410 mAh Complete product data BlackBerry Priv Full specs
Source: BlackBerry Releases App That Makes Switching To The Priv Easy

Fairphone 2 news: First modular smartphone with ethically sourced materials give users more control over their devices

Fairphone

In the competitive smartphone market today, a Dutch startup aims to stand out by releasing the first modular smartphone, the Fairphone 2.

The modular nature of the device allows users to have more control. Users can simply remove the back cover and explore the different layers of the smartphone. The parts are easily disassembled and users can repair the parts themselves. According to Fairphone's press release, this is to "encourage users to have a deeper relationship with their phones and take more responsibility for keeping them in working condition."

The Fairphone 2 also features materials that were ethically sourced. For example, the conflict-free tin and tantalum were sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Dutch social enterprise has established a worker welfare fund for its Chinese manufacturer. In Ghana, the company also set up an e-waste recycling program.

By purchasing a Fairphone 2, users not only support the cause but they also get a decent smartphone that is made from recyclable materials, easily repairable and has been designed to last longer.

The Fairphone 2 features a 5-inch Full HD LCD display with a 1080 x 1920 screen resolution and 446ppi pixel density. The display is protected by a Gorilla Glass 3 panel.

The smartphone is powered by a quad-core 2.26 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, the Adreno 330 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. It has 32 GB of internal memory but can be expanded via microSD slot.

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It also features an 8 MP rear camera with a CMOS sensor and flash and a 2 MP front-facing camera with a CMOS sensor.

The device comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop OS out of the box and is backed up by a 2,420 mAh removable lithium-ion battery. The Fairphone 2 also comes with dual-SIM capability, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bleutooth 4.0 and GPS connectivity.

The Fairphone 2 comes in five colors – Blue Matte, Blue Translucent, Transparent, Black Translucent and Black Matte.

Currently, the Fairphone 2 is only available in select Europe countries. The smartphone, which costs €529.38 (about $585), is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship out by December.

 

Source: Fairphone 2 news: First modular smartphone with ethically sourced materials give users more control over their devices

Xiaomi To Introduce 3D Touch In Future Smartphones: Pressure-Sensitive Display Coming To Mi 5?

Xiaomi is the latest smartphone manufacturer rumored to be working on its own version of Apple's pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display. The latest rumor comes after Samsung was said to include the display technology into the Galaxy S7.(Photo : Xiaomi)

It was bound to happen soon. Xiaomi, a Chinese smartphone maker notorious for copying Apple's style, is reported to be working on its own pressure-sensitive display technology akin to 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Following earlier rumors that Samsung was also working on its own 3D Touch-like display to be used for the Galaxy S7, Xiaomi is now the newest manufacturer said to be jumping into the 3D Touch bandwagon after Apple introduced it in its newest iPhones last month.

The latest rumor comes from Chinese leaker @Leaksfly (via G for Games), who is known for his usually reliable leaks about upcoming devices. The tipster claims Xiaomi has filed a patent for an application similar to 3D Touch, suggesting that the company may use its in-house developed technology to create a pressure-sensitive display for its future devices.

However, it is also possible that Xiaomi will team up with Synaptics, whose ClearForce display controllers will allow smartphones to have displays that can distinguish between different kinds of pressures. It is not at all hard to imagine, since Xiaomi and Synaptics worked together to bring the ClearPad S3708 controller to the recently unveiled Xiaomi Mi4c. The ClearPad S3708 actually has support for 3D Touch and Side Touch, but only the latter is enabled in the Mi4c.

It's not clear, however, whether the Mi 5 will be the first Xiaomi device to sport a pressure-sensitive display. As of the latest reports, the Mi 5 is slated for a 2016 release and will be the first handset to have a Snapdragon 820 under the hood.

Samsung was recently reported to have contacted Synaptics to bring its ClearForce controller to its upcoming devices. The South Korean smartphone maker, also known for taking plenty of pages out of Apple's playbook, is said to have filed a patent for a similar technology in 2014.

With Apple having introduced Force Touch in the Apple Watch and 3D Touch in the new iPhones, the idea of having pressure-sensitive displays seems to be quickly adopted by the rest of the smartphone industry. Just recently, Huawei also unveiled the Force Touch version of the Huawei Mate S, which actually saw an official launch before the iPhone 6s.

3D Touch, Force Touch or ClearForce — they have different names but they all basically work the same. The technology allows a device's display to sense how hard the user is pushing on the screen and serve up different options based on the amount of pressure used. For instance, a light tap on an app could open the app, while pressing deeply could open other commands, in the same way that right-clicking on a computer opens another menu of options.

© 2015 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: Xiaomi To Introduce 3D Touch In Future Smartphones: Pressure-Sensitive Display Coming To Mi 5?

Nextbit Robin Release Date & Specs: Now Available For Pre-order, Features Unlimited Storage

By Charmaine Montes , Christian Post Contributor

October 24, 2015|6:57 am

Facebook/ Nextbit

Nextbit Robin

Those who have been watching out for the Nextbit Robin will be able to get their hands on the smartphone soon as reports say that it is now available for pre-order. According to The Verge, interested buyers can buy Nexbit's handset via their Kickstarter page for a starting price of $399. Its date of shipping is expected to take place on February. Those from India can also pre-order it with an additional fee of $70.

The Nextbit Robin, which is designed to be a "cloud-first" smartphone, boasts to its consumers an unlimited storage on the phone with the help of cloud connectivity. It's basically the smartphone's feature highlight. Tech Times detailed that any app or photo that has not been used for some time by the user will instantly go straight to cloud to be stored. Just as long the handset is connected to a local WiFi network, the automatic cloud storing will take place.

The handset also carries a 32GB storage capacity which will be used if ever the cloud storage capacity reaches up to 100GB. Aside from that, this feature also organizes data. The phone will get space by putting some unused apps and media on cloud-storage space which can be accessed anytime.

The Nextbit Robin also comes with a 5.2-inch 1080 display, a 3GB of RAM, a USB Type-C charging port and a built-in fingerprint reader, reports Techno Buffalo. It is powered with a Snapdragon 808 processor and is said to be shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. On the front is a 5MP secondary camera while the back boasts a 13MP primary camera. Its design is described to be sleek and modern and buyers can choose from either mint (green) or midnight (black).

According to Tech 2, Nextbit, which is composed of former employees by HTC, Google and Apple, first launched Robin via Kickstarter which successfully raised more than $1.3 million. It also gained $101,000 on Backerkit. Reports say that the smartphone was initially sold for $299.

Source: Nextbit Robin Release Date & Specs: Now Available For Pre-order, Features Unlimited Storage

Huawei Dethrones Xiaomi as Smartphone Leader in China: Canalys

Numbers just in, however, show that it's lost the top spot to the venerable (in Chinese high tech terms) Huawei which is enjoying a bumper year in the Chinese market with an 81 per cent rise in sales in the latest quarter.

The research firm didn't release its full market share figures, including where Apple stands in China; it said it would release its full report later this month.

"Huawei's ascent to China's smart phone throne is a remarkable feat, especially in the context of an increasingly cutthroat and maturing Chinese smart phone market, " said Jessie Ding, a Research Analyst at Canalys. Xiaomi, on the other hand, is on a slightly different path. The company, valued at $45 billion, declared its mission to sell 80 million smartphones in 2015, but its performance in sales has not been ideal.

Xiaomi has built its success on selling top-spec hardware at a low price. On October. 19, Xiaomi also unveiled its smart Michigan TV 3, TV and video streaming device Michigan TV Bar, and a self-balancing scooter called Ninebot mini, further expanding its offerings in the smart home ecosystem.

More evidence of the elusiveness of sustained advantage in the mobile phone market (unless your name is Apple) comes as last year's big success story, Xiaomi Corp, hits choppy waters in China.

Already established as an worldwide smartphone maker, Huawei made 52 percent of its smartphone sales revenue overseas a year ago.

A number of Chinese manufacturers are looking to move beyond their home market as it slows, particularly looking at the US Huawei sells an unlocked version of its P8 Lite in the United States, while ZTE recently launched the Axon Pro, aimed specifically at that market.

Source: Huawei Dethrones Xiaomi as Smartphone Leader in China: Canalys

Up to 27 seconds of inattention after talking to your car or smartphone

If you think it is okay to talk to your car infotainment system or smartphone while driving or even when stopped at a red light, think again. It takes up to 27 seconds to regain full attention after issuing voice commands, University of Utah researchers found in a pair of new studies for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

One of the studies showed that it is highly distracting to use hands-free voice commands to dial phone numbers, call contacts, change music and send texts with Microsoft Cortana, Apple Siri and Google Now smartphone personal assistants, though Google Now was a bit less distracting than the others.

The other study examined voice-dialing, voice-contact calling and music selection using in-vehicle information or "infotainment" systems in 10 model-year 2015 vehicles. Three were rated as moderately distracting, six as highly distracting and the system in the 2015 Mazda 6 as very highly distracting.

"Just because these systems are in the car doesn't mean it's a good idea to use them while you are driving," says University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer, senior author of the two new studies. "They are very distracting, very error prone and very frustrating to use. Far too many people are dying because of distraction on the roadway, and putting another source of distraction at the fingertips of drivers is not a good idea. It's better not to use them when you are driving."

The research also found that, contrary to what some may believe, practice with voice-recognition systems doesn't eliminate distraction. The studies also showed older drivers -- those most likely to buy autos with infotainment systems -- are much more distracted than younger drivers when giving voice commands.

But the most surprising finding was that a driver traveling only 25 mph continues to be distracted for up to 27 seconds after disconnecting from highly distracting phone and car voice-command systems, and up to 15 seconds after disconnecting from the moderately distracting systems.

The 27 seconds means a driver traveling 25 mph would cover the length of three football fields before regaining full attention.

"Most people think, 'I hang up and I'm good to go,'" Strayer says. "But that's just not the case. We see it takes a surprisingly long time to come back to full attention. Even sending a short text message can cause almost another 30 seconds of impaired attention."

"The voice-command technology isn't ready," says Joel Cooper, a University of Utah research assistant professor of psychology and a co-author of the new studies. "It's in the cars and is billed as a safe alternative to manual interactions with your car, but the voice systems simply don't work well enough."

"Many of these systems have been put into cars with a voice-recognition system to control entertainment: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facetime, etc. We now are trying to entertain the driver rather than keep the driver's attention on the road."

In 2013, 3,154 people died and 424,000 others were injured in motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roads involving driver distraction, says the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The new AAA reports urge that voice activated, in-vehicle information systems "ought not to be used indiscriminately" while driving, and advise that "caution is warranted" in smart-phone use while driving.

The studies are fifth and sixth since 2013 by University of Utah psychologists and funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. AAA formerly was known as the American Automobile Association. Strayer and Cooper ran the studies with Utah psychology doctoral students Joanna Turrill, James Coleman and Rachel Hopman.

The ratings: In-car systems and smartphone assistants are distracting

The previous Utah-AAA studies devised a five-point scale: 1 mild distraction, 2 moderate distraction, 3 high distraction, 4 very high distraction and 5 maximum distraction. Those studies showed cellphone calls were moderately distracting, with scores of 2.5 for hand-held calls and 2.3 for hands-free calls. Listening to a book on tape rated mild distraction at 1.7. Listening to the radio rated 1.2.

One of the new studies found mild distraction for in-vehicle information systems in the Chevy Equinox with MyLink (2.4), Buick Lacrosse with IntelliLink (2.4) and Toyota 4Runner with Entune (2.9).

High distraction systems were the Ford Taurus with Sync MyFord Touch (3.1), Chevy Malibu with MyLink (3.4), Volkswagen Passat with Car-Net (3.5), Nissan Altima with Nissan Connect (3.7), Chrysler 200c with Uconnect (3.8) and Hyundai Sonata with Blue Link (3.8). The Mazda 6's Connect system rated very highly distracting (4.6).

In some cases, the same voice-command system (like Chevy MyLink) got different distraction scores in different models -- something the researchers speculate is due to varying amounts of road noise and use of different in-vehicle microphones.

The second new study found all three major smartphone personal assistants either highly or very highly distracting. Two scores were given to each voice-based system: A lower number for using voice commands only to make calls or change music when driving -- the same tasks done with the in-car systems -- and a higher number that also included using smartphones to send texts by voice commands.

Google Now rated highly distracting (3.0, 3.3), as did Apple Siri (3.4, 3.7), while Microsoft Cortana rated highly to very highly distracting (3.8, 4.1).

Strayer says of both in-car information systems and smartphone personal assistants: "These systems are often very difficult to use, especially if you're just trying to entertain yourself. ... The vast majority of people we tested ended up being frustrated by the complexity and error-prone nature of the systems."

How the studies were conducted

The new studies were conducted with participants driving the various cars at 25 mph or less around a 2.7-mile route in Salt Lake City's Avenues neighborhood as they used voice-commands to dial numbers, call contacts and tune the radio using in-car systems, and to dial numbers, call contacts, choose music and text using smartphones.

With researchers in the car, the drivers were tested for the extent of their distraction, even as they kept their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel after hitting a voice-command system button. A head-mounted LED light flashed red every three to five seconds at the edge of a driver's left eye. Drivers pressed a switch attached to a thumb when they saw the light. The researchers measured how voice interactions with a car or smartphone reduced drivers' reaction times and accuracy at seeing the flashing lights. The drivers also completed surveys about their perceived level of distraction, and videos measured how much of the time they kept their eyes on the road, mirrors or dashboard.

The in-vehicle information system study included 257 people and the smartphone personal assistant study had 65 participants, all with no at-fault accidents during the past five years. Unlike the 2013 and 2014 studies, which included primarily people in their 20s, subjects in the new studies ranged in age from 21 to 70.

In the in-car information system study, the researchers did an initial test on the subjects, then let them take the cars home for five days to practice using the systems. Then they returned for reassessment of the mental workload from using the systems.

Strayer personally doesn't even make hands-free cellphone calls while driving. He advises against using voice commands system while driving for purposes such as voice dialing, voice contact calling, surfing the Internet, sending email and text messages, reading email, tweeting or updating Facebook.

"If you are going to use these systems, use them to support the primary task of driving -- like for navigation or to change the radio or temperature -- and keep the interaction short."

Source: Up to 27 seconds of inattention after talking to your car or smartphone

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10572 to Fast ring

With the first Windows 10 Mobile devices set to arrive in November, there is not much time left for Microsoft to get its new mobile operating system ready for prime time. Development is in full swing, with a new Insider Preview build available now on the Fast ring.

Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview build 10572, just like the one that arrived a week before it, requires users to go back to Windows Phone 8.1 to install it on their smartphones, but it more than makes up for the trouble thanks to all the changes that Microsoft has baked in.

Probably the biggest change is the integration with Windows 10 through Cortana. Missed call notifications on your Windows 10 Mobile devices will show up on your Windows 10 PC through the personal assistant.

Cortana will allow you to send messages straight from your PC, via your smartphone, by simply typing "text" and the name of the person you wish to contact in the personal assistant's search box. You can also trigger this feature with the "text" command. You can reply with a text to folks whose calls you just missed.

Your PC will have to run Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10565 for this to work. It is available via Slow ring right now; ISOs are available as well.

Microsoft has put some thought into this feature as, on top of all this, you can choose which PCs you will get notifications on, so a missed call won't trigger sound alarms all over the place. In Cortana's Notebook settings you can toggle "Missed call notifications" on a per-PC basis -- obviously, this has to be done from a PC and you have to use a single account on all your devices.

Speaking of Cortana, the personal assistant has been made more useful with the addition of a book-and-track-an-Uber feature. Say "Book an Uber" and Cortana will help you get a ride; Add an airport's name to the command and it will help you get an Uber ride to the airport of your choice -- assuming it's recognized by Bing, that is.

Skype integration is also present in this build, with the messaging services being featured in Messaging, Phone and Skype video universal apps. It comes with support for GIFs and an option to let you search your message history. In the Phone app, you can look for contacts from Call History.

Another cool addition is the option to save offline maps on the microSD card, a feature which I am sure users of low-end and mid-range smartphones will immediately embrace.

Microsoft has improved the Photos app and storage settings, making it easy to favorite photos and enhance them, and allow users to install apps straight on the microSD card.

There is a significant number of bug fixes included in Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10572. Among them is a fix for notifications not being able to be received before unlocking the device and tweaks to Cortana's background activity to improve battery performance. There are also some known issues with this build. Hit the link in the second paragraph for the entire breakdown.

Microsoft says that it has fixed the issue that prevents users from directly upgrading to new Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds, like this one, and that a fix will be included with upcoming builds newer than 10575. The software giant also says that it is working on making it possible for users on builds 10536 and 10549 to upgrade straight to the next builds.

Source: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10572 to Fast ring

Lenovo To Launch Three Upgraded Smartphones & Announces Service Expansion Plans

If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware.

If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices.

Source: Lenovo To Launch Three Upgraded Smartphones & Announces Service Expansion Plans

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Concept Images Emerge

As Samsung continues to prepare for the release of the Galaxy S7, it is largely expected that the corporation will produce a Galaxy S7 Edge this time round. It is believed that Samsung is placing a greater emphasis on the curved screen variants of its mobile devices in the foreseeable future. And leaked documents from close to the Samsung supply chain have already suggested that the Korean manufacturer will crank up the production of these curved screen smartphones in 2016.

With this in mind, many Android fans are already looking forward to the release of the Galaxy S7 Edge, and some recently released concept images give a taste of what to expect. The team at 3DFuture has based its impression of the Galaxy S7 Edge on design patents already applied for by Samsung, and the curved screen device produced by the designers is certainly a striking one.

Galaxy S7 Edge – Wraparound display

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this concept is the display that wraps around at the top and bottom of the device instead of the sides as has been the case previously. This is an interesting concept, and one that Samsung may seriously implement when one considers that the company has already patented such technology.

From the perspective of ergonomics, this certainly makes sense for the Galaxy S7 Edge. Having the display feature on the top of the device would make it far easier for users to interact with the smartphone, although the proof will be in the pudding from a practical perspective. Whether this is something that Samsung will seriously implement in the next generation Galaxy S7 Edge remains to be seen, but it certainly seems to be something that the corporation is considering based on previous patent applications.

Another interesting aspect of the concept is that the positioning of the screen would enable Samsung to place volume and other buttons on the side of the device. This would make access considerably more convenient, although this approach is not conspicuous in the concept images produced. The 3DFuture pictures suggest that the top and bottom of the Galaxy S7 Edge may be free of any buttons at all, and this taps into an increasing fashion for button-free smartphones.

Competing with Apple's 3D Touch

With Apple having released 3D Touch in the last generation of the iPhone, it is thought that Apple may completely eliminate the Home button in the next generation iPhone 7. Already there are rumors that Samsung is signing up a similar technology for its Galaxy range in the foreseeable future, and this could see the number of buttons featured externally in the Galaxy S7 Edge reduced.

It can be asserted that by the time that the Galaxy S7 Edge is released that it will be very much a mainstream device. Documents already indicate that Samsung is intending to seriously increase the number of curved screen devices it produces in the next Galaxy S series generation, and this could see the Galaxy S7 Edge outselling the flatscreen variant of the smartphone.

There have been rumors in recent weeks that Apple might produce its first curved screen variant of the iPhone when the iPhone 7 is released, and this would be very much following on from the popularity of this technology in the Galaxy series. Certainly Samsung can consider itself to be a pioneer in this department, and the popularity of the curved screen in both Samsung smartphones and its range of high-end television sets have undoubtedly been hugely influential.

Another interesting aspect of the concept design produced by the 3DFuture studio are the corners of the smartphone, which are trapezoidal in shape. This creates a striking visage for the handset, albeit one that has not been received favorably by all those who have viewed it thus far.

All-metal approach

The designers at 3DFuture also seemingly believe that the iPhone series will switch to a metallic approach with the next generation smartphone, as the concept images feature an all-metal chassis. Samsung has accepted in recent Galaxy releases the need to depart from the plasticky feel of its old generation devices, and the Galaxy S7 Edge may indeed develop this concept further still.

Any concrete spec information is pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but it is predicted that the Galaxy S7 Edge will come complete with a 5.8-inch display. There is still a debate as to whether the Galaxy S7 Edge will embrace 4K resolution, or instead stick to Ultra HD. The latter would put it in line with the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.

Under the hood, the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset is reported to power the phone, although there are also rumors that Samsung will continue to utilize its own proprietary Exynos technology in the East Asian marketplace.

With a nifty processor backed by 4 GB of RAM, the Galaxy S7 Edge is expected to be a powerful performer, and one that should be very attractive based on these concept images.

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Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Concept Images Emerge

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update To Be Released On Sony, LG, Motorola, HTC and Samsung Devices

Google has released its Android 6.0 Marshmallow and the new operating system is getting ready to be released for other devices. As expected, the first devices that have been released with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box are Google's Nexus 5X and Nexus 5P.

The big search engine company has also released the firmware files for many Nexus devices. With other words, if you find the Android 6.0 Marshmallow firmware files for your Nexus device, you will be able to update your smartphone to the latest Android OS version before you get the OTA update.

When and what devices that are not owned by Google will finally receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow?

Sony

Sony has released an official list of devices that will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so, the devices that are manufactured by Sony will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow are: Xperia Z5 Premium, M5, Z5 Compact, Z4 Tablet, Z2 Tablet, Z3, Xperia Z3+, Xperia C5 Ultra, Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2, Z3 Compact, C4, M4 and the Xperia Z5.

LG 

LG finally announced that its G4 device will be its first smartphone that will receive the latest Android OS, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be released for the LG G4 owners that live in Poland next week but other countries from America, Asia and Europe will follow shortly.

Motorola

Motorola is usually releasing very fast the latest Android OS version for its devices. Here are the devices that Motorola has revealed that will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Moto X Style, Moto G (3rd gen), Moto G (2nd gen), Nexus 6, Moto X Play and Moto X (2nd gen).

HTC

HTC didn't confirm yet the date when the Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be available for its devices, but the company has promised that the HTC One M9 and HTC One M8 will receive the OS before the end of 2015.

HTC is also preparing a press conference that will be held on October 20, 2015, during this event, the company will most likely announce more devices that will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Samsung

As expected, the Galaxy S6 series will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, including the S6 Edge and S6 Edge+, but also the Galaxy Note 5, all these devices will probably get the latest Android OS version before the end of 2015.

At the same time, the company will probably release the Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 sometime in the Q1 of 2016.

Source: Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update To Be Released On Sony, LG, Motorola, HTC and Samsung Devices

The 'Apple Crisis' is coming to Korea next Friday and the Korean Smartphone Industry Players are Freaking Out

The iPhone 6s officially lands in Korea next Friday and their competitors, some in the Korean press and maybe even the government are absolutely freaking out preparing for the impact of the "iPhone 6s Crisis." One Korean website states today that "It seems that mobile telecommunication market will be active again due to a great competition in Smartphone market. Some people are raising concerns about whether or not iPhone crisis that occurred last year due to iPhone 6's release will recur again."

If you recall, Apple smashed sales records last year in Korea to heights never seen before by a foreign competitor and skyrocketed them to take a 33% market share in the key holiday season with the release of their first phablet that took on Samsung's popular phablets head on.

The success of the iPhone 6 in Korea had their competitors and even the government all screaming for reform in subsidies to ensure that Apple could never repeat their success in Korea again. Yes, it was really that much of a frenzy in Korean tech news circles. We covered the hysteria in a special report titled "Apple's iPhone Success has rocked the Korean Smartphone Industry into Pure Hysteria." It was playing out like a soap opera in the Korean press with everyone pointing fingers at how could such a 'crisis' have been allowed to happen.

In such a guarded market where Apple isn't able to build their own Flagship stores in Korea due to the government's red tape, the fact that Apple's iPhone 6-Plus was still able to rock the Korean market was nothing short of being a phenomena.

Getting ready to compete with the iPhone 6s line-up, Samsung rushed to introduce a pink gold option for their Note 5 smartphone yesterday to make sure that Apple wouldn't be able to beat them on tapping into the color of the year. When Apple introduced the iPhone 5s in Gold, Samsung was caught flat footed and released a gold version of their Galaxy Alpha, as noted in the graphic above, way too late in the holiday season cycle to matter. In the end, Samsung's iPhone 5 clones failed to make a dent in the market.

Today a coordinated mystery hiccup occurred where the three major telecoms announced that they would delay the launch day of the iPhone 6s preorder sales that were to begin today. The Korean report noted that "This is an extraordinary case that the sales schedule of iPhone is changed abruptly in just one day before launching."

It will now be a shortened iPhone 6s pre-sales window between October 19 and 22. While one official went on record to say the delay was due to promotional plans, you have to question the likelihood of three fierce competitors playing that nicely so as to delay pre-sales at the last moment? Delaying the pre-sales from starting on a busy weekend to the slow traffic of any Monday is a little suspicious at best. In my view, this was a very calculated move to slow the iPhone 6s momentum going into next Friday's launch.

It should be noted that the Korean tech site was honest enough to post the rumor making the rounds about this strange occurrence. They noted that "there are rumors that the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) summoned marketing executives of the telecom companies and recommended them to delay the date of reservation sales due to concerns about market overheating. KCC, however, denied such rumors, saying, "We did not ask mobile operators to delay the preorder sales. It's totally groundless."

Then again, what do you expect them to say publicly? Any proof of such a meeting would most certainly set off an international trade disaster with legal ramifications. And yet in context with the noted hysteria that took place last year on record, it wouldn't be surprising in the least that such a meeting took place to slow down iPhone mania. So we deeply appreciate the Korean Press for making this rumor public. 

In the end, Apple's coming iPhone 6s has all the major Korean smartphone market players tensed up and worried as to whether Apple will be able to appeal to Korean consumers as it did last year. They're calling it the 'iPhone Crisis.' And in one report they described it this way: "There are clouds hanging over South Korea's Smartphone market as the day of iPhone 6S's release is coming near."

 

They almost make it sound like a promotion for a scary disaster movie. Then again, it might be if Korean consumers come out in numbers as they did last year to catapult Apple's smartphone market share into Korean history books.

So get your popcorn ready next week because the disaster movie is set to begin. Will the "iPhone Crisis Part II' deliver the same excitement as last year's original? Only time will tell.

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Source: The 'Apple Crisis' is coming to Korea next Friday and the Korean Smartphone Industry Players are Freaking Out

PepsiCo says to market mobile phones, accessories in China

((story corrects paragraph 5 to say PepsiCo would present, not release a smartphone on Oct. 20))

(Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc said on Monday it is working with a licensing partner to market a line of mobile phones and accessories in China in the next few months.

The food and beverage company however has no plans to get into the mobile phone manufacturing business, a PepsiCo spokeswoman said by email.

"Available in China only, this effort is similar to recent globally licensed Pepsi products which include apparel and accessories," the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman did not name the licensing partner or give any further details about the phone.

Technology website Mobipicker was the first to report, on Oct. 11, that PepsiCo would present a smartphone, called Pepsi P1, with "decent but not high-end specs" on Oct. 20. (http://bit.ly/1VObil2)

PepsiCo already has many licensees across a number of categories. Last year, it tied up with companies such as Danish luxury stereo and TV maker Bang & Olufsen and Italian shoemaker Del Toro for a range of products for its football campaign.

PepsiCo's shares were down 0.5 percent at $99 in late afternoon trading on Monday, while the broader market was flat.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian and Savio D'Souza)

Technology & Electronics

PepsiCo

Source: PepsiCo says to market mobile phones, accessories in China

Panasonic India to launch eight more smartphones

The author has posted comments on this articleAparna Desikan, TNN | Oct 14, 2015, 07.58PM IST

Panasonic India to launch eight more smartphones this festive season

CHENNAI: Panasonic India, which launched P50 Idol and P65 Flash smartphones on Wednesday, is set to launch eight more affordable smartphones before the New Year.

Like the P50 Idol and P65 Flash, the smartphones that would be launched during the festive season would also be supported by the Android 5.2 (Lollipop) OS.

Pankaj Rana, business head, mobility division, said: "Indian consumers are well informed about technology trends and available offerings in the market. We always keep the consumer behaviour in mind at every step of our smartphone design and manufacturing strategy."

"With the release of the P50 Idol and P65 Flash, Panasonic now offers nearly 30 smartphones at affordable price points for every buyer to indulge themselves or their loved ones this festive season," he added.
Source: Panasonic India to launch eight more smartphones

Google Nexus 5X smartphone release date set

October 12, 2015 - 17:42 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Those waiting patiently for a Google Nexus 5X smartphone won't have to sit tight for much longer - orders are set to ship in less than two weeks, Digital Spy reports.

The delivery estimate on the device's Google Store listing has just been updated to "leaves warehouse by October 22".

Made by LG, the Android Marshmallow-flavoured Nexus 5X comes in carbon, quartz or ice colour options, with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage on board.

It also comes with a 5.2-inch full HD display, a Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB of RAM, a fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C port, and a 12.3-megapixel camera.

Google announced the device last month as a budget alternative to the Huawei-made Nexus 6P, which is yet to receive a more specific release date than "late October".

Source: Google Nexus 5X smartphone release date set

ZTE Axon Mini for global release

ZTE has just launched the Axon Mini smartphone following on from the ZTE Axon, Axon Elite and Axon Lux that have all been announced this year. The ZTE Axon Mini is heading for a global release starting first in China, and we have the price and specs details coming right up.

One of the highlights of the ZTE Axon Mini is a pressure-sensitive touchscreen. This can detect different pressures from the user to offer further functionality. Specifications are a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 616 octa-core processor, Adreno 405 graphics, and a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 2.5D curved-edge and Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB with microSD), and a 2800 mAh battery. It runs the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system.

Further specs are a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF (phase detection autofocus), and an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter. The phone features an eye scanner as well as a fingerprint sensor, and the attractive handset has a build that uses an aircraft-grade aluminum-titanium alloy. This new handset arrives first in China and in the coming months will also release in markets such as Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey.

Now to the all-important price. The ZTE Axon Mini will be priced for China at CNY 2,299 in the Ion Gold and Chromium Silver color choices. That's equivalent to around $363, £237, €320, or Rs. 23, 560 at the time of writing, although it's important to note that pricing often varies according to individual region. Alternatively if you want the handset in a Rose Gold color the price is CNY 2,399, around $379, £247, €333, or Rs. 24,580.

A Premium Edition of the Axon Mini also got a mention although there's not much further information yet other than the price. It's said to be CNY 2,699 and we hope to have more details on that one soon. Is the ZTE Axon Mini a smartphone that you might buy if it releases in your region?

Source: Gadgets360

Read more about: Mobile Phones   ZTE  

Source: ZTE Axon Mini for global release

Sharp’s RoboHon arrives as first-ever robot smartphone

Sharp has a new smartphone called the RoboHon (also stylized "RoBoHoN"), and this device is apparently the first-ever robot smartphone, being able to work as both distinct devices as its main selling point.

According to Sharp, the RoboHon can take calls, show maps and project photos, and like a cute little robot, it can also dance.  It's a robot that comes with smartphone features, pretty much, and while its 2-inch display is tiny compared to what you'd expect from a traditional smartphone, Sharp has to be commended for its originality.

"RoboHon is a phone you have never seen before. A phone in human shape," says Sharp in its official press release for the device. "A phone that you feel like talking to. A phone that also wants to know you. Don't you want to take RoboHon with you everywhere?"

Talking about specifications and smartphone features, the RoboHon may be a bit lacking.  Aside from the 2-inch screen, it has a low-quality camera, and it has 4G LTE support, which is commonplace even on lower-end smartphones.  The 2-inch display has space for just four icons, and according to Engadget, that shouldn't matter much as users are supposed to talk to RoboHon, instead of operate it using its touchscreen.  Indeed, the display is a secondary interface used to confirm actions, and also to take calls.  It also runs on Android, but with a special user experience on top of it.  All told, Sharp has intended this cute device quite interestingly as a smartphone for older users, but probably one younger, first-time users could also enjoy.

RoboHon may look like a toy robot, but this device, as it seems, is quite serious.  More detailed specs have yet to be announced, same with pricing, but we do know that it should hit stores sometime in the first half of 2016 as a unique device designed to make smartphone use much easier for the elderly.

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Source: Sharp's RoboHon arrives as first-ever robot smartphone

LG G5 Release Date Tipped! World's First Flexible Smartphone Expected to Pack These Specs & Features [Rumors]

A G2 smartphone stands on display in a robot's hand at the LG stand at the IFA 2013 consumer electronics trade fair on September 5, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. The 2013 IFA will be open to the public from September 6-11. (Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Rumors are circulating that the next-generation handset of LG Electronics will be released during the last quarter of this year.

According to VCPost, the mobile developer may unveil the phone in November or December despite just recently releasing the LG G4 last April. But what can we expect from this upcoming device?

TechRadar states that the LG G5 is rumored to come with a Snapdragon 820 processor and a 20 MP camera. Another expected feature of the handset is a fingerprint scanner which could prove useful for a lot of users.

The report adds that the device could also sport an "all-metal" build, since LG bid goodbye to plastic material when they released the G4.

The leather choice for the current release reportedly "felt cheap, looked odd and wasn't anywhere near as visually pleasing as the metal HTC One M9 or iPhone 6."

TechRadar added that to give a better looking phone to the users, LG could make the G5 with curved edges. "That would give it an eye-catching look, but it wouldn't just be for show, the curves could also display extra notifications depending on which way the phone is held," added the same report.

Meanwhile, PC Advisor noted that the LG G5 may also come with a bigger 5.6-inch screen with 4K resolution. A bigger screen will give the tech company an edge when competing with other big names on the market like Apple and Samsung.

The new phone is also believed to come with a 3000mAh battery and a fast-charging system that could allow users to fully charge their phones in just an hour.

As for the price, the handset could have an initial price of $90 when packed with a 3GB of RAM and a Windows 10 operating system, repots VCPost. The phone will reportedly come in three versions: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions.

The device is said to be better than the previous installment. When it became available earlier this year, the LG G4 was equipped with IPS Quantum technology, which showed accurate color and impressive contrast ratios for more detailed images. The older phone also had 2560 x 1440 resolution in a 5.5" quad HD display, states LG's website.

In addition, the LG G4 also came with a 16MP primary shooter and had a powerful 3,000 mAh battery. Furthermore, the phone ran on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with a 1.8GHz 64-bit Hexa-Core CPU. It was built with 32GB of internal memory and had expandable memory with a maximum capacity of 2TB.

With the rumored release of another LG phone by the end of the year, it seems like the company is also trying to release twin phones just like other mobile companies.

© 2015 Latino Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: LG G5 Release Date Tipped! World's First Flexible Smartphone Expected to Pack These Specs & Features [Rumors]

Meizu m2 vs YU Yuphoria vs Lenovo A6000 Plus: Pick right budget smartphone worth your money

Meizu m2 vs YU Yuphoria vs Lenovo A6000 Plus: Pick the right budget smartphone worthy of your moneyMeizu

Meizu just made it to the headlines with its all-new m2 smartphone release in India. With an attractive price tag of Rs 6,999, the affordable handset is ready to take on some of the industry's prominent players. Meizu m2 packs incredible specs that make quite an appeal to the budget shoppers of India. But the new handset is not without rivals.

If you are looking for a budget smartphone that delivers a great price-to-performance ratio, we narrowed down a few options just for you. Since Meizu m2 is the latest entry into the budget smartphone market in India, we included it in our comparison with the popular YU Yuphoria and Lenovo A6000 Plus. All three handsets are priced differently but we are going to find out which handset offers the best value-for-money.

Display and Design

Meizu m2 is the company's latest addition to the budget smartphone offering in India. The handset features an elegant unibody design made of polycarbonate, keeping the device light and sleek. It features a 5-inch HD display with GFF full lamination technology to minimise reflection and improve readability even in sunlight.

YU Yuphoria features a metal frame that gives it a premium feel and improves on the ruggedness of the device. The handset sports a 5-inch HD display, much like the m2, but protected with Gorilla Glass 3.

Comparatively, Lenovo A6000 Plus dons a plastic cover surrounding its 5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution. The screen size and resolution in all three phones are the same but the handsets have unique design language.

Camera

Since cameras have become a vital component of smartphones these days, companies are trying to maintain a high standard while choosing the sensor. Meizu m2 gets a 13-megapixel CMOS sensor by Samsung with f/2.2 aperture for rich and sharp images and LED flash. The front camera uses a 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture for better selfies.

We haven't received the review unit yet to verify the clarity of the camera in Meizu m2, but we guess it will be great considering its specifications. Comparatively, YU Yuphoria features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 5MP front snapper. Lenovo A6000 Plus comes with 8MP primary camera along with LED flash and a front facing 2MP snapper.

Camera-wise, Meizu m2 seems to be the clear winner, but we will hold our verdict until we get our hands on the device.

Battery

Meizu m2 is powered by a first-class Sony/ATL 2,500mAh, which according to the company lasts for up to 23 hours on 2G talk time or 10 hours on 4G. YU Yuphoria and Lenovo A6000 Plus pack identical 2,230mAh and 2,300mAh battery respectively.

Under the hood

The specs that power individual smartphones play a vital role in great performance. Meizu m2 smartphone is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek MT6735 quad-core processor clocking speeds at 1.3GHz, which is paired with 2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB expandable memory and Mali-T720 GPU. The handset also runs a highly customised version of Android 5.1 Lollipop, Flyme 4.5 out of the box and supports 4G FDD-LTE and TD-LTE.

YU Yuphoria is powered by a slightly slower 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset that clocks 1.2GHz, which is same as Lenovo A6000 Plus. Both handsets pack 2GB RAM and 16GB expandable storage. Yuphoria runs on stock Android 5.1 Lollipop, after a recent change that replaced the Cyanogen OS, while A6000 Plus runs on company's own Vibe UI 2.0 based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Both smartphones support 4G LTE and have dual SIM slots along with a microSD card slot.

Price and availability

Price wise, Yuphoria takes the top spot with Rs 6,499 tag, which was recently dropped by the company. The handset is available freely without flash sales on Amazon India so getting it won't be a problem.

Priced at Rs 6,999, Meizu m2 takes the second spot. It clearly outperforms its rivals in more than one category. The handset goes on sale on 12 October on Snapdeal and registrations for the flash sale are open till 11 October.

Lenovo A6000 Plus is the costliest among the three phones at Rs 7,499 and is available on Flipkart without registration.

Article Published: October 9, 2015 20:05 IST

Source: Meizu m2 vs YU Yuphoria vs Lenovo A6000 Plus: Pick right budget smartphone worth your money

Sharp Announces The Aquos xx2, A 4.7-inch Smartphone For Japan

You may know Sharp for their TV screens other than smartphones, but they are also in the business, releasing some interesting handsets every once in a while. Last year their mid-range Aquos Crystal became famous for having almost no bezels, and they have been launching similar devices from that time on. Following the announcement of three new high-end smartphones for Japan a week ago, today the company released a new device, called Aquos xx2, a 4.7-inch smartphone with powerful hardware, bringing it close to the Xperia Z5 Compact from rival Sony, also from Japan. In the land of the rising sun, smartphones are usually announced by carriers and this time SoftBank, Japan's third-largest operator, took off the wraps.

The IGO display packs a Full HD resolution and the handset is powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 808 processor with six cores running at 1.8 GHz, coupled with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The main camera on the back has 13 megapixels while the front facing one offers 5 MP for selfies. Interesting enough, Sharp phones are known for their thin bezels. As a result, the front-facing camera is located at the bottom, as opposed to most devices which have the shooter at the top. There's a 2180 mAh battery to juice it all. The phone is IP6X and IPX5/IPX8 certified, which means it is water and dust proof. The operating system is made of Sharp's own custom UI on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop. Other features include standard Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC. According to a SoftBank press release, the phone will be available in white, black and pink. This phone is somewhat similar to the AQUOS Compact SH-02H, launched last week for Japan's largest carrier NTT DoCoMo.

The comparisons with Sony's latest little flagship are not for no reason since it resembles the Xperia Z5 Compact a lot. However, it's worth noting that the Xperia handset is a lot more powerful, featuring the octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, a 23-megapixel rear camera, 32 GB of onboard storage and a bigger battery – although it stays behind on RAM, with only 2 GB. The Aquos xx2 will start selling (so far) exclusively with SoftBank starting from mid-January 2016, although there isn't any information regarding the prices.

Source: Sharp Announces The Aquos xx2, A 4.7-inch Smartphone For Japan

Microsoft releases shed-loads of Windows 10 stuff

Software King of the World Microsoft has shown off a  laptop, a line of Lumia smartphones, a new Surface Pro tablet Microsoft Band, all running on Windows 10.

Microsoft needs Windows 10, launched in July, to help it win a bigger share of the market for tablets and smartphones.

The Surface Book, will start at $1,499 and is twice as fast as Apple's MacBook Pro. It will be available from October 26, with preorders starting on Wednesday.

The laptop has a 13.5-inch display with 267 pixels per inch and features a track-pad made of gorilla glass.

The company unveiled three phones at an event in New York. The Lumia 950 with a starting price of $549 and the 950XL which will sell for  $649  when they hit the shops in November,. The Lumia 550 will cost $139 when it becomes available in December.

The Lumia 950 includes a 5.2-inch display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with hexacore CPUs. The Lumia 950 XL has a 5.7-inch display and a Snapdragon 810 processor with octa-core CPUs. The 550 has a 4.7-inch HD display and runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 210 processor.

The new Surface Pro 4 tablet – a larger but thinner and lighter version of the Surface Pro 3 – is priced at $899 and will be available from Oct. 26 with pre-orders starting on Wednesday.

Launched nearly a year and a half after its predecessor, the Surface Pro 4 features a 12.3-inch screen with 267 pixels per inch. It runs on 6th-generation Intel Core processor and has 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage.

Surface Pro 4 is 50 percent faster than Apple's MacBook Air, Panos Panay, the corporate vice president for Surface Computing at Microsoft, said at the event.

Top Vole Satya Nadella said:  "We're moving people from needing to choosing to loving Windows, and these devices promise to fuel even more enthusiasm and opportunity for the entire Windows ecosystem."

Microsoft suffered its biggest-ever quarterly net loss in the three months ended June 30 after taking a $7.6 billion writedown on its Nokia handset business.

The company had said savings from the restructuring of the business would be pumped into its new flagship operating system, its fast-growing cloud business and its hardware division, which includes Xbox gaming consoles.

Microsoft also said its new tablet and smartphones will come with Windows Hello, an automatic biometric sign-in option introduced earlier this year.

The feature allows users to scan their face, iris or fingerprints to verify their identity and give them access to Windows phones, laptops and personal computers.

Microsoft introduced a Surface Pen, which has year-long battery life, 1,024 pressure points and comes in five colors with inter-changeable pen tips.

The 950 and 950XL handsets feature a 20-megapixel rear camera, have up to 32GB of storage, 4K video and use liquid cooling technology. Microsoft said storage on the phones could be extended to up to 2 terabytes using a memory card.

The Microsoft Band 2, which allows users to monitor their fitness and exercise regime, will be priced at $249 when it becomes available on October 30.

Unlike its predecessor, Microsoft's entry product in the wearable technology market a year ago, the new Band has a curved display, which uses the Corning Gorilla glass 3, and has a barometer sensor to track elevation.

Microsoft said it was taking applications for a development kit for HoloLens, the holographic lens device that allows users to see 3D renderings of computer-generated images. The kit will be available in the first quarter of 2016 for $3,000.

HoloLens gives Microsoft a stake in the emerging market for virtual and augmented reality, which is also being targeted by Facebook's Oculus.

Source: Microsoft releases shed-loads of Windows 10 stuff

Coolpad Dazen Note 3, first budget smartphone with fingerprint sensor may arrive on 8 October; features, price

Coolpad Dazen Note 3, first budget smartphone with fingerprint sensor tipped to launch on October 8Coolpad India Facebook Page

Coolpad, the Chinese smartphone company, is rumoured to be all set to launch its budget smartphone Dazen Note 3 in India on October 8. Though Coolpad launched Dazen Note 3 in August, 2015 in China, the smartphone company is tipped to release the device in India now to grab the advantage of the upcoming festive season. 

Coolpad Dazen Note 3 flaunts a 5.5-inch, 720 x 1280 pixels display and runs on an Android Kitkat 4.4 operating system overlaid with homemade interface, Cool UI 6.0. The device also comes with dual SIM slots with 4G-LTE connectivity along with 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS / AGPS, WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0 and a micro USB port.

Under the hood, Coolpad Dazen Note 3 packs a 1.3GHz octa core 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 processor which combines a Mali-T720 MP2 GPU. The device features 2GB RAM and is also purported to come with a 3GB RAM variant.

The Dazen Note 3 comes with 16GB in-built storage along with a micro SD card slot, expandable up to 64GB. It also comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with LED flash and a 5-megapixel camera for clicking selfies. The device packs a fingerprint sensor and is powered by a 3000 mAh battery. The Dazen Note 3 measures 151 x 7 x 9.3mm mm and weighs 155 grams.

Though the official facebook page of Coolpad has mentioned the Dazen Note 3 will be an Amazon exclusive, it is tight-lipped on the pricing of the device. However, if rumours are to be believed, the Coolpad Dazen Note 3 is expected to be priced under Rs. 10,000.

For that price, Coolpad Dazen Note 3 will be the first under Rs. 10,000 smartphone to feature a fingerprint sensor. But the display and the operating system is a let down compared to Lenovo K3 Note, ASUS Zenfone 2 Selfie and Yu Yureka Plus. All the three smartphones are available under Rs. 10,000 and feature Full HD (1080P) display and run on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop operating system.

Article Published: October 6, 2015 20:55 IST

Source: Coolpad Dazen Note 3, first budget smartphone with fingerprint sensor may arrive on 8 October; features, price

ASUS announces smartphone manufacturing in India

ASUS partners with Foxconn to manufacture ASUS smartphones in Sri City, AP, and aims to manufacture 150,000 smartphones per month. 

ASUS announced it will start the local manufacturing of smartphones in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. In a strategic move to expand presence in India, ASUS will kick-start its manufacturing operations with Zenfone 2 Laser which will soon be followed by ZenFone Go. The company aims to manufacture 150,000 smartphones per month by the end of the current financial year which will account for almost 80% of sales in India. 

 "India offers us a huge opportunity as smartphone penetration is just 10%. We are excited to announce our local manufacturing facility that will cater to the growing demands of the market", said Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager – System Business Group - ASUS India. "The Indian government's focus on 'Make in India' has opened a plethora of opportunities for international companies. It is an opportune time to make the announcement as it will enable us to bring our cutting edge products to consumers who are looking for features and design sensibilities of a high-end smartphone at an economic price."

 Chang further added, "We are aggressively targeting the Indian market. We aim to achieve 5% market share in the country by next year and empower all our customers with luxury."  

 At the first edition of Zen Festival in India, the company launched its brand new offerings - Zenfone Selfie, Zenfone 2 Laser and Zenfone 2 Deluxe. Zenfone 2 Laser, the first smartphone that will be manufactured in India, received such an overwhelming response that the company had to prepone the sale date on Flipkart. 

 Salient features of Zenfone 2 Laser:

 The ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser delivers superb high-definition (HD) 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It offers 5 MP front camera and 13 MP rear camera with laser- assisted auto-focus that allows the consumers to lock the focus on an object in as low as 0.3 seconds. The phone comes with Anti-Scratch Corning Gorilla Glass 4 which has better scratch resistance than any protection film for smartphones in the market. The phone also boasts of dual microphone with noise cancellation for the best phone call quality, and full HD video recording 1080p@30fps capture with video stabilization and  one-touch still-capture facility. 

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Source: ASUS announces smartphone manufacturing in India

iPhone 7 Leaks Suggest Raft Of New Features

As the iPhone 6s breaks all smartphone release records, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is already turning attention toward the release of the iPhone 7. Such is the conveyor belt at a massive corporation such as Apple; the consumer electronics giant certainly doesn't let the grass grow under its feet.

iPhone AirPods

Already there are a significant number of rumors emerging regarding the next generation Apple smartphone. And one of them is that the iPhone 7 will include unique "AirPods" that will revolutionize the way that headphones work in the Apple smartphone range.

This is an interesting development, as Apple has clearly placed more importance on music in recent years. Numerous recent moves by the California-based company have indicated that Apple wishes to be a major player in the music marketplace, with the acquisition of Beats, launch of its own music radio station, and its streaming service all indicating Apple's overarching strategy.

AirPods would apparently deliver wireless headphones, which would represent the first major change to the way that this aspect of the iPhone series operates since the iPhone 5. This effectively boosted the number wireless speakers available on the market, due to the fact that manufactures wanted to have the opportunity to release products that would work with multiple devices and which were not tied to a particular connection.

It is thus rumored that the patent application for AirPods that has been spotted by the media could lead to Apple kickstarting a similar move in the world of headphones. MacRumors spotted the patent application, with a company called Entertainment in Flight LLC having filed it with the requisite authorities.

Holding company

This obscure name might seem like an oddity to people observing the process, but it is already being speculated that the name is likely a front company. This particular filing is the only visible operation of the so-called Entertainment in Flight LLC, and suggest that Apple is simply utilizing a technique that it has used in the past in order to keep its plans quiet. Unfortunately, due to the diligent efforts of the Apple-following media, this seems to have been to no avail.

There is a particularly obvious connection between Apple and this innovation considering that the existing crop of Apple's earphones is called EarPods. The 'Pod' name is obviously associated with Apple, and it is far from inconceivable that Apple could even oppose the trademarking of a technology featuring this particular sobriquet. One wouldn't want to take the Apple lawyers on with too much enthusiasm!

Waterproofing

Aside from this iPhone innovation, it is also being suggested that Apple will step up the waterproofing in the iPhone 7 when it is released. Water-resistance would be extremely useful for the iPhone series in practical terms, but it could also suggest increased health-related functionality. Certainly, with the next-generation Apple Watch on the horizon, Apple is expected to step up the health-tracking capabilities of its range of products in the foreseeable future.

It is possible that Apple has already been working on the waterproof capabilities of the iPhone range. A recent YouTube video posted by Zach Straley indicates that both the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6s Plus are already significantly waterproof, despite the fact that Apple certainly did not promote this as a characteristic of the smartphone range.

With the tie-in between the Apple Watch second generation and the iPhone 6s likely to be emphasized in 2016, a waterproof iPhone 7 would be particularly useful for Apple. It would then be possible for the consumer electronics giant to outline the value of the iPhone 6s for swimmers, operating in conjunction with the existing Apple Watch smartwatch.

Curved, foldable displays

In other interesting news related to the iPhone 7, Apple has reportedly filed another intriguing item in recent weeks. According to reports, Apple filed a patent for curved and flexible displays back in 2013, although these obviously haven't come to fruition as of yet. But a new trademark in this region suggests that Apple will produce a revolutionary and innovative display in the foreseeable future.

The new patent includes what is described as a "glass wraparound design", also known as a "foldable design". It is intriguing that Apple is experimenting with this technology, as this form of screen was linked with the Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) Galaxy range recently. It is notable that Apple believes it can achieve this foldable design without increasing the size of the screen, and the technology will achieve an effect whereby content appears as if it is flowing freely across the device. Effectively, the iPhone seven content may appeared to be in a continuous loop.

It is also suggested that the technology giant will be able to manufacture the iPhone 7 to include a blast exterior by utilizing liquid metal materials. The move to 3D Touch could be particularly important in this department, as Apple could then replace some of the traditional buttons in the iPhone series with units sensitive to the new touch-based technology system.

Apple has also included a patent specific to gesture logins, suggesting that it will begin to phase out some of the traditional buttons utilized in the iPhone series. This innovation will enable users to log onto the iPhone 7 by utilizing gestures, instead of relying on the traditional alpha-numeric passcodes or biometric ones. Naturally this new gesture-based technology will also be compatible with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

iPhone 7c coming?

Finally, leaks in the last week have suggested that Apple will release the long awaited 4-inch smartphone when the iPhone 7 reaches market. It seems that Apple may have accidentally leaked the existence of this device on its own website, which suggests that Apple is potentially readying three iPhone 7 releases for next year.

It could be a massive yet for smartphones with the iPhone 7 potentially a massive departure from previous devices in the series, and with increased specs possibly including 4K resolution, this will certainly be an iPhone release worth waiting for.

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Source: iPhone 7 Leaks Suggest Raft Of New Features

Personal diabetes data now available on smartphone

Medtronic recently announced the commercial availability of its MiniMed Connect, a product that will enable patients to view their insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring information on their smartphone, according to a company press release.

MiniMed Connect will be compatable with the MiniMed 530G system and the MiniMed Revel system and will enable patients to view their information through an app on their smartphone. The app will initially be launched on iOS devices, but Medtronic is working with Samsung to make it available for Android.

MiniMed Connect will allow health care partners to view the information through CareLink Personal and will deliver messages to the care partners when a person's glucose levels are too high or too low or when an alarm on the pump is not cleared.

With patient permission, health care providers will be able to view the information on the CareLink Personal reports.

"Effective management of diabetes requires an engaged team of participants, and MiniMed Connect serves to inform and involve people with diabetes, their loved ones and their health care professionals," Annette Bruls, president of the Diabetes Service and Solutions business at Medtronic, said in the release. "Safe and secure sharing of critical diabetes data is an important step for Medtronic as we transform into a holistic diabetes management company."

Source: Personal diabetes data now available on smartphone