Seamless updates on Android N will not be coming to existing smartphones

Google introduced the developers preview a few months ago, and showed off much greater details during the Google I/O 2016.

The Android N release date was recently discussed at the Google I/O 2016 on Wednesday.

One of the most exciting features coming in Android N is one that doesn't have an iPhone equivalent, and it concerns systems updates. It won't be a surprise Google wants to tap the tech firm for Nexus 2016 once more.

The Nexus 2016 is expected to be revealed together with Google's newest mobile operating system Android N, as it always was in the older versions of the smartphone. Sadly, Seamless Updates will only work on Android phones which will come with Android N pre-loaded. Nexus devices are always the first ones to get Android updates since they come from Google.

According to Google, the updates and security patched required by the OS will be downloaded and installed automatically, as it is focused on providing enhanced security features to the Google Nexus 7 users, reported The Verge.

It's 2016 and that means Google's next big Android update is coming soon.

Brought over from Android Wear watches, Google now lets you reply to text messages from the notification shade. So if you must have it, you'll have to buy a new Nexus smartphone this summer, or a device that comes with Android N preinstalled later this year.

Android updates are still going to arrive too late, backups are still too complicated and every app in the Play Store may still be an attempt to deceive me. It claims that the new Google tablet will have a 7-inch QHD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, powered by the Snapdragon 625 with 4 GB of RAM.

Android N is the latest iteration of the Android ecosystem and you can get it if you know how. With the feature, Android fans are given snapshots of an app before taking the plunge thus minimizing the disappointment factor. Your settings menu will remind you of the things you've forgotten to set up on your phone, and all things VR will become a reality with the new Android platform, Daydream.

Source: Seamless updates on Android N will not be coming to existing smartphones

Samsung Galaxy S7 Active release date: Smartphone may arrive on June 10

The first image is the front of the device which, for lack of better words, nearly looks to be a Galaxy S7-mini. Samsung could install a 5.8-inch RBG AMOLED screen on the Note 6, packing the same pixel density. This new mobile, which is set to be called Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, sports a somehow surprising camouflage paintjob for its back cover.

We have been hearing about Samsung's new Galaxy C series for quite some time now.

After launching its flagship smartphones the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge earlier this year, Samsung is now preparing to unveil the Galaxy C series as well. The phone is supposed to have an IP rating of IP68, which means that the Galaxy S7 Active would be dust-proof and waterproof for up to 30 minutes in up to one meter deep water, Android Authority reported. Samsung already offers similar security options, but the Galaxy Note 6 could put those settings right in the S Note app for even quicker access.

The Galaxy C5 will not come in one, but in two variants of default storage space.

As for the devices that will be arriving in the lineup, rumors indicate they will be the Galaxy C5 and also the Galaxy C7.

Unfortunately, Samsung has yet to make any comment regarding this newly-discovered Samsung Galaxy S7 variant.

Samsung has released the Android Marshmallow update for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet, this is the device with the model number SM-T550.

As for the Galaxy J5, it has been released in the mentioned three countries with a 5.2 inch HD display, 2 GB of RAM, a quad core Snapdragon chipset and a 13 MP camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5features a retina and fingerprint scanner, and the Note 6 is rumored to feature the same.

The Korean tech company has shipped over 10 million units of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in March, which is why it posted a solid first month of sales. A leaked image obtained by Android Community reveals that the upcoming phone would be the size of a tablet when it is unfolded.

Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 Active release date: Smartphone may arrive on June 10

Surface Phone Release Date & Rumors: 3 New Models Eyed?

Microsoft's Surface phones are in rumors for such a long time. Last year, the company made  announcement, via blog post on its official site. In the blog CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, discussed company's plans about surface phone. He stated that they are focusing on three customer segments including microsoft fans, those looking for value for money and business persons.

These phones are expected to feature high quality materials and specifications. Devices would feature a premium metal built much like the surface tablets. The budget friendly version is supposed to have a 4-inch QHD AMOLED screen, an Intel Atom CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 64GB of internal storage.

The advanced or Lumia fans version may have 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage space while the Pro or business version may have 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory. The phone may also feature a powerful battery to support the high-end specs. The phone may further include a powerful front and back camera, stated The News Independent.

Moreover, Surface phones might roll in with a kickstand. "Continuum" feature is currently under development, and it will be the most exciting feature of the Surface Phones. With that feature, the device would be used as a CPU. It will allow the device to connect with monitor, keyboard and mouse. These are speculations based on the rumors on internet that the actual device might differ in terms of specifications and design.

According to The Verge, Microsoft is working on the Window 10 powered mobile phones. These so-called Surface phones will be launched these in 2017 as it is reported that mobile phones are not the company's priority in 2016.

"We're fully committed to that 4-inch screen, there will be a time for it to be our focus, but right now it's part of the family but it's not the core of where I hope to generate developer interest over the next year," Windows chief Terry Myerson told The Verge. "There's no lack of recognition to realize how important that form factor is, but for Microsoft with Windows and for our platform it's the wrong place for us to lead."

Microsoft is struggling in the phone business, and the Surface phones are expected to be a game changer for the company.

Source: Surface Phone Release Date & Rumors: 3 New Models Eyed?

iPhone 7 Release Date, Specs & Rumors: Render Leak Reveals Three Versions; Apple Keeping Mysterious Feature a Secret? [SPECULATIONS]

May 20, 2016 10:03 AM EDT By Mariel Hemingway, UniversityHerald Reporter

The render leaks of Apple's iPhone 7 reveal that there will be three versions of the anticipated smartphone.(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The render leaks of Apple's iPhone 7 reveal that there will be three versions of the anticipated smartphone. While therea are speculations and rumors, the one revealed the renders are made by a trusted case maker. In line with this, it seems likely that fans will meet a subtly different iPhone 7 with features that could make it unhackable.

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Apple iPhone 7 Release Date, Render Reveal & Design Details

The renders of next generation smartphones from Apple has been revealed by an unnamed reputable case maker. It is believed that the upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is being developed in China so there is a big chance that the company may be Chinese as well.

The company allegedly exclusively revealed the iPhone 7 renders to GSM Arena. The iPhone 7 series will have the same placement of the camera, buttons and might be added with audio grilles similar to the ones in iPhone 5. The 3.5mm audio jack is not found and this further fuels speculation that they can no longer pirate music in the iPhone 7. They will instead be forced to use wireless Bluetooth, an adaptor or use a headphone that can be connected to the Lightning port.

Since the renders are that of the cases, there is no way to know for sure if the iPhone 7 series is waterproof or if it has a home button in front. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to be unveiled during the annual event of Apple in the third quarter of the year.

Apple iPhone 7 Renders Reveal Mysterious Feature

In the iPhone 7 renders, Forbes pointed out that there is an extra hole between the camera and the LED light flash for the phone. According to the outlet, this feature is not consistent with the leaked iPhone 7 graphic this month. There are different speculations as for the usage of this mysterious feature. The extra hole is rumored to be a microphone or an autofocus device. In any case, more news about the iPhone 7 series will be unveiled soon.

What do you think of Apple's new iPhone 7 series and rumored specs? Let us know in the comments below.

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Source: iPhone 7 Release Date, Specs & Rumors: Render Leak Reveals Three Versions; Apple Keeping Mysterious Feature a Secret? [SPECULATIONS]

Moto G4 And G4 Plus US Price Rumors Update; Release Date, Specs

Facebook/Moto G4 Plus

We recently heard a couple of new info about the upcoming Moto G4 smartphone. Now we have new updates regarding the specs and as well as the pricing of these upcoming Motorola products.

According to Design and Trend, written by Ken Salcedo, Motorola has recently launched three new Android smartphones: the Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and the Moto G4 Play. These phone will be on a different market from Apple and Samsung since these products will be more affordable but will still have almost the same power as the phones of the two giant companies mentioned above.

As for the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, they will both have a 5.5-inch display with a 1080p HD resolution screen. The Moto G4 will have a 13-megapixel camera while the G4 Plus will carry a 16-megapixel camera with a laser and phase recognition autofocus.

As for the finger print sensor (for security purposes), the G4 won't have that feature but on the other hand, the Moto G4 Plus will have it. So if you think this feature is a must have on your next new smartphone, we prefer you to get the G4 Plus. Both phones will be ran by a Snapdragon 617 processor supplemented by a 2GB or a 4GB of RAM.

The Moto G4 might be priced at around $240 while the Moto G4 Plus may be somewhere at $280. These figures have not yet been confirmed. It is with high probability that Motorola will be releasing confirmed info regarding the phones' price this June. 

Source: Moto G4 And G4 Plus US Price Rumors Update; Release Date, Specs

Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Mobile 14342.1003 to Fast Ring

If you've ever reinstalled Windows, you'll know the tedium of installing update after update to bring the operating system up to date, repairing security holes and improving performance.

The feature is only available for insiders for the time being, but Microsoft plans to make it a part of the Anniversary Update coming in the summer for retail users too.

In the past, the Windows 10 Mobile OS update was limited only to the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL, Lumia 550 and Lumia 650 devices, but with the arrival of the update for the older Nokia Lumia phones, Microsoft is expected to get a major help in the number games. You can then decide whether a notification can be ignored, or if it needs attention.

Notification syncing for specific apps is allowed so you can eliminate notifications from apps you really don't care about. Another bit of the puzzle that users will need to be able to sync notifications is a Microsoft Account connected to the Windows 10 PC and Cortana on Android. For instance, when users read an email notification on their phone, it will be dismissed from the Windows 10 PC.

This massive collection of patches is being made available outside of Windows Update, simply because it's not one that most people would need (not to mention the download is likely to be rather beefy).

Once activated, mirroring displays your smartphone notifications on your Windows 10 desktop, so you can see them as soon as they come in without pulling your phone out of your pocket. This means you can click the notification and respond to text or email from the Windows PC, you have to go back to the Android device to reply.

Source: Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Mobile 14342.1003 to Fast Ring

Global Smartphone Sales Growth Driven by China

NUREMBERG, Germany, May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Low-end smartphones continue to drive market volume growth  

Increases in average selling price partially offset volume decline in the saturated Western Europe market 

China delivers strongest sales growth of 19 percent 

Global demand for smartphones in 1Q 2016 remained positive, standing at six percent year-on-year. This was helped by continued low-end segment growth in the majority of emerging regions, despite weak economies across the globe. Only China experienced strong growth (up 19 percent year-on-year), driven by increased operator subsidies aimed at spurring 4G adoption.  

Smartphone sales 1Q 2015 vs. 1Q 2016 Units sold (in mil.) Sales value (in bn. US$) Y/Y percent Y/Y percent 1Q15 1Q16 change 1Q15 1Q16 change Western Europe 31.8 30.0 -6% 12.5 11.9 -5% Central & Eastern Europe 16.9 17.1 +1% 3.4 3.5 +3% North America 43.5 45.4 +4% 17.3 18.1 +5% Latin America 27.9 24.8 -11% 7.3 6.5 -11% Middle East & Africa 39.9 42.0 +5% 11.1 10.4 -6% China 92.0 109.2 +19% 27.3 32.1 +18% Developed APAC 19.5 18.7 -4% 11.4 10.9 -4% Emerging APAC 47.8 50.0 +5% 8.2 7.9 -4% Global 319.3 337.2 +6% 98.5 101.3 +3% Source: GfK Point of Sales (POS) Measurement data in 90+ markets, May 2016

Kevin Walsh, director of trends and forecasting at GfK comments, "Quarter one shows continued smartphone growth, however, we are seeing a slowdown in growth rates when we compare year-on-year performance. As a result, we have downgraded our 2016 growth forecast to five percent year-on-year. Operators and manufacturers are responding with a variety of strategies in the different regions, such as increased marketing activity and subsidies."

North America: Aggressive operators drive growth in 1Q  

In North America, smartphone demand returned to growth in 1Q 2016, following a dip in the last quarter of 2015. In total, 45.4 million units were sold, down 19 percent quarter-on-quarter and up four percent year-on-year. The rise in demand was helped by aggressive operator marketing and sales efforts.

However, there are signs that this will not continue at the same level because of the cost. In addition, consumer migration to 4G is in the last quartile of its adoption curve. Traditionally, that is when subscriber retention activities become more important than acquisition, lengthening smartphone replacement cycles.

Western Europe: Year-on-year demand falls for the first time as market saturation bites 

30 million units were sold in Western Europe in 1Q 2016, a fall of 29 percent quarter-on-quarter and six percent year-on-year. Sales declined despite strong demand for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in their first three weeks of launch.

Germany, the largest smartphone market in Western Europe, saw a significant fall in demand during this quarter of 11 percent year-on-year. Although GfK expects a slight recovery, it predicts total smartphone demand here will fall three percent year-on-year in 2016.

GfK forecasts a partial recovery in Western Europe in the second half of 2016, helped by the launch of the Apple iPhone 7. This launch could generate more of a sales uplift than 2015's iPhone, buoyed by users who are 24 months on from the strong iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch now looking to upgrade.

Central Europe: Positive outlook as Russia shows signs of recovery  

Smartphone unit demand was at 17.1 million in 1Q 2016, down 24 percent quarter-on-quarter. While growth in demand within Poland has slowed since 4Q 2015's strong performance, it appears to have stabilized in Russia following poor results in 2015. The outlook for the region is therefore positive, with smartphone unit demand forecast to reach 77 million in 2016, a growth of five percent year-on-year.

Latin America: Smartphone demand suffers third consecutive quarterly decline 

Smartphone demand in Latin America continued to decline in 1Q 2016 to 24.8 million units, a drop of 22 percent quarter-on-quarter and 11 percent year-on-year. The Brazilian economic and political situation is the major contributor to this decline, and even the Olympic Games are unlikely to provide a much-needed respite for the market.

In comparison, Argentina saw strong demand in 1Q 2016 as the economy finally started to show signs of a recovery. Overall, however, smartphone demand in the region will remain weak with 2016 posting a decline of 12 percent year-on-year. Looking at the region without Brazil, performance is more promising, up seven percent year-on-year.

Middle East and Africa: Macroeconomic weakness slows growth 

Growth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) slowed significantly to five percent year-on-year in 1Q, down from 12 percent growth in 4Q 2015 year-on-year. Falling oil prices in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria resulted in weak demand.

ASP in the region eroded considerably to US$247 (down 11 percent year-on-year). The main cause was a shift in demand to the sub-US$100 price band, which accounted for 26 percent of the total smartphone sales in the quarter, up from 22 percent in 1Q 2015.

GfK forecasts that MEA will post an increase of 12 percent year-on-year to 183 million units in 2016.

China: Strongest growth in demand for almost two years 

Smartphone demand in China reached 109.2 million in 1Q 2016, up two percent quarter-on-quarter and 19 percent year-on-year. This is the strongest year-on-year growth in demand in two years.

The desire for 4G is behind the impressive growth, with 4G smartphone demand in 1Q 2016 up 58 percent year-on-year. Increased operator subsidy support and the falling cost of data plans have made 4G smartphones more attractive and affordable. More than 95 percent of smartphones sold in the first quarter of 2016 were 4G enabled.

Overall, total smartphone demand in China will be 411 million units in 2016, up seven percent year-on-year.

Developed Asia Pacific*: A tale of saturation and subsidies 

In 1Q 2016, smartphone demand totalled 18.7 million units, down seven percent quarter-on-quarter and four percent year-on-year. However, it's not all gloom in the region.

Japan saw a return to mild growth of one percent year-on-year in 1Q 2016. This was helped by a rush to buy smartphones under operator price promotions early in the quarter, ahead of the government-imposed restrictions on promotions announced for February. After these restrictions became effective in February, demand turned negative for the rest of the quarter. The outlook for 2016, though, is positive, and GfK forecasts growth of one percent.

This positive performance was more than offset by declines in other major countries, including S. Korea and Australia. This was despite a strong performance from Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which launched in the quarter.

GfK expects demand to decline by eight percent year-on-year in 2016, due to a saturated smartphone market.

Emerging Asia Pacific*: Temporary slowdown in 1Q 

Emerging Asia Pacific (APAC) was the powerhouse of smartphone growth throughout last year, but the region experienced a considerable drop in year-on-year growth, from 24 percent in 4Q 2015 to five percent in 1Q 2016.  

This slow-down was caused by India, where demand was dampened by operators increasing data rates. GfK expects the impact to be temporary, because new operators set to enter the market later this year could ignite a local price war. The "Make in India" initiative is also likely to help keep prices down.

Price competition intensified further in 1Q 2016 in the key markets of India and Indonesia as local and Chinese vendors continued to offer cheaper smartphones. Despite this, smartphone penetration in the sub-US$100 price band remained at only 30 percent, leaving plenty of room for smartphone demand growth.

Smartphones: 2015 sales vs. 2016 forecast Units sold (in mil.) Sales value (in bn. US$) 2015 2016 Y/Y percent 2015 2016 Y/Y percent sales forecast change sales forecast change Western Europe 137.3 133.6 -3% 53.6 51.1 -5% Central & Eastern Europe 73.4 77.1 +5% 14.8 14.7 -1% North America 190.8 197.4 +3% 78.0 76.9 -1% Latin America 110.3 97.2 -12% 27.1 23.4 -14% Middle East & Africa 162.6 182.7 +12% 42.1 42.4 +1% China 385.3 411.5 +7% 115.8 120.4 +4% Developed APAC 73.5 67.3 -8% 43.1 38.4 -11% Emerging APAC 201.1 229.5 +14% 32.9 33.4 +2% Global 1,334.2 1,396.3 +5% 407.4 400.7 -2% Source: GfK Point of Sales (POS) Measurement data in 90+ markets for calendar year 2015 and GfK forecasts for calendar year 2016, as at May 2016.

 Arndt Polifke, global director of telecom products at GfK concludes, "The connected consumer is evolving from connectivity to complete and seamless integration with technology. For smartphones, there is still growth to come from connectivity, especially in the emerging markets. Already though, we are seeing how the next wave of growth from wearables, virtual reality and smart home can be complementary to smartphone growth in 2016 and beyond." Contact: Wes Rogers - T. +44-203-287-3262 / T. +1-912-506-0869 / wes@greenfieldscommunications.com

SOURCE GfK

Source: Global Smartphone Sales Growth Driven by China