Google might be in talk with Huawei for a 2015 Nexus phone

According to the latest set of rumors, Google may be partnering with a Chinese phone maker for the next generation Nexus smartphone. The Weibo source cited by GizChina from where the information originates shares that the phone will be ready later in 2015.

A mockup of a Huawei-made Nexus

Additionally, there would be two different Nexus devices this year - one from LG and one from a Chinese maker. The last Nexus smartphone LG did was the Nexus 5 over a year ago. More interestingly, this will be the first time for Google to go with a Chinese phone maker, provided the rumor is true.

The source of the information hints that the Chinese company in question is yet to decide whether to use its own chipset or a Qualcomm-made one. Clearly, this leaves Huawei to be the company in question.

The mockups are based on the Huawei Honor 6

SlashGear has received a bunch of mocked up photos of the Huawei Honor 6 Plus rocking Nexus branding. Sadly, they're not the real deal, but give us a glimpse of how a Huawei-made Nexus device could look like.

If true, Google is on track to release two Nexus smartphones this year - one more affordable made by Huawei and a high-end one done by LG. We'll keep our ears to the ground additional rumors on the matter.

Source | Via

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua spotted ahead of its official unveiling

A Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is expected to join the Xperia Z4 Tablet at the MWC announcement and though that's not for a couple of days, the phone couldn’t elude the paparazzi any longer. Two photos show a classic Xperia design with a lot of similarities to the Xperia M2 Aqua.

The phone is most likely the Sony E2303 that has leaked before, which would mean a 5.2" 720p display, Snapdragon 615 chipset running Android 5.0 Lollipop and a 13MP main camera and 5MP selfie camera, both shooting 1080p video.

Benchmarks unfortunately can't tell us the IP rating, but the Xperia M2 Aqua has IP68, making it dust tight and able to survive dives up to 1.5m for half an hour.

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Sony to reveal something 'slimmer, lighter, brighter' at MWC

Sony has announced that it will reveal something "slimmer, lighter, brighter" at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC), scheduled to kick off in Barcelona next week.

The company posted a teaser image (see above) on Twitter showing a person holding a white device, which looks similar to the Xperia Z4 tablet that leaked just days ago.

The Z4 leak revealed Xperia Z3-like design with rounded metal edges, and it is said to carry a 2K display.

Source | Via

VAIO might enter the smartphone market with a new phone

As some of you might remember the VAIO brand was once part of Sony's vast enterprise, back when the company was enjoying its golden years. Ever since 2014 it has been in the hands of Japanese Industrial Partners (JIP), a move which at the time Sony justified with an intention to leave the PC market and focus on mobile phones and TVs.

In a surprise move, new rumors now state that the brand will make a debut on the mobile scene with a smartphone. The release date is allegedly set for March 12 when a VAIO branded phone will be unveiled. As it turns out Sony did not entirely part with the brand and currently holds about 5% of its shares. This may not sound like much, but is enough grounds to fuel a partnership between the companies, which, as some speculate, has already resulted in the upcoming device.

The above story might just turn out to be more than a fairytale as the mysterious new device has already popped up in a benchmark, offering some much-needed proof as well as a glimpse at its hardware. Seeing how the device is part Sony, part Vaya, it will probably bear a lot of resemblance to the Xperia line.

According to the rumor, the VAIO phone will be powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 chipset, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. It will sport a 5-inch 720p display and a fairly decent camera setup, consisting of a 13MP main and 5MP front-facing shooter. The handset should also come with Android 5.0 out of the box.

While the above surely sounds like a dream come true for a lot of Sony fans, it should be definitely taken with a grain of salt as the rumor mill can often be cunningly misleading. In any case, we intend to patiently wait it out and we will keep you updated if any new information surfaces.

Source (in Japanese) | Via

Apple announces March 9 event, probably about the Watch

Apple's first wearable is on track to be released in April. Ahead of that, however, the company looks set to hold a special press event just for the Apple Watch.

This will happen on March 9, as has just been revealed by Apple itself through an invite sent to the press. This doesn't detail what the event will be about, but the consensus is that it will serve as yet another introduction for the Apple Watch.

This time around, though, we're sure to find out everything there is to know about the smartwatch. Last fall when Apple first talked about it, it didn't offer any information about many features and specs. In the meantime we've heard tidbits here and there, but this upcoming March event should clear everything up.

So we're bound to find out all about the watch's one-day battery life, the fact that it's splashproof, and maybe even that 100,000 apps will be available for it from the day it goes on sale.

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Meizu teases the MX4 Ubuntu edition for the MWC

The second Ubuntu phone is on its way and it's a version of the Meziu MX4. There's not a lot of info right now but the company has released a teaser image showing three MX4 phones showing a glimpse of the mobile Linux OS.

The phone will be unveiled at the MWC and the tagline is a rather optimistic "More than better." We'll have to wait until the event to find out a launch date and price, though if we had to guess it will launch soon at a similar price to the regular MX4.

Unlike the BQ Aquaris E4.5, the Meizu MX4 is a much more premium affair – it has a 5.36" IPS screen with 1,152 x 1,920px, an octa-core processor (Cortex-A17 + A7 big.LITTLE) and 20.7MP camera with 2160p video.

Normally, it runs Flyme 4.0 based on Android 4.4 KitKat, but there's also a Yun OS version. That's Android again, but customized by Alibaba.

Source | Via

Gionee Elife E7 to get KitKat update in March

The long awaited KitKat update for the Gionee Elife E7 will be arriving shortly. The update is set to start rolling out in March and brings with it several key improvements.

Other than the KitKat features, the E7 will also get the updated Amigo UI from the S5.1. There will be an improvement in battery life as well as the camera performance of the device.

If you have the device, make sure to keep an eye out for the update next month.

Alleged live photos of Samsung Galaxy S6 leak out

Purported live photos of Samsung Galaxy S6 made the rounds on the web. The Korean giant’s next flagship smartphone is scheduled to make its debut this Sunday, on March 1 alongside an Edge modelwith curved display.

The photos reveal Samsung’s new design language for the upcoming Galaxy S5 successor. The newcomer appears to sport metal frame with front and back covered by glass. Overall, the device looks like a massive step forward for the company in terms of design and tactility.

If the images are to be believed, Samsung Galaxy S6 will offer non-removable back cover. Its camera will be protruding, with the heart rate sensor sitting on its right side.

The SIM card slot of the smartphone is located on its right side, below the power/lock key. Its 3.5mm audio jack has been moved to the bottom this time around - there is nothing but an IR blaster, microphone pinhole, and antenna strips on top.

We will be covering the launch of Samsung Galaxy S6 launch live. Be sure to tune in to find out everything about the smartphone.

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Android and iOS together account for 96.3% of smartphone market

Android and iOS combined accounted for a whopping 96.3% of all smartphone shipments worldwide in 2014, up from 93.8% in the prior year, according to a latest report from the market research firm IDC.

Individually, Google's mobile operating system captured 81.5% of the market, up from 78.7% in 2013, while Apple's mobile OS claimed 14.8%, down slightly from 15.1% the year prior.

"Many of the same drivers were in play for Android and iOS to tighten their grip on the market," said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "A combination of strong end-user demand, refreshed product portfolios, and the availability of low-cost devices – particularly for Android – drove volumes higher."

As for the rest of the players in the market, Microsoft's Windows Phone had the smallest year-over-year increase among the leading operating systems, growing just 4.2%, while BlackBerry saw its year-on-year growth decline by 69.8%.

Source | Via

Alpha version of GravityBox for Lollipop now available!

It was a relatively long wait, but definitely worth it. Developer rovo89 released the first alpha for Xposed Framework for Lollipop ten days ago, finally bringing fans of the customization platform the ability to mix and match their favorite features on top of Android 5.0. Now using Xposed has got even easier thanks to the release of GravityBox for Lollipop.

Developer C3C076 announced on XDA that the alpha version of GravityBox v5.0.0 is currently available and should be compatible with all devices running stock Android. For now, the tool has been tested on a Nexus 5; Google Play edition phones should work fine, while further testing is needed for the Moto G. GravityBox 5 should not be used on the Moto X (2014) for now, as it causes bootloops according to C3C076.

GravityBox 5.0 will not work with custom ROMs like CyanogenMod or Paranoid Android, or with manufacturer versions of Android, like TouchWiz or Sense.

GravityBox for Xposed offers a collection of features that can be used to easily extend the functionality of a rooted device, without having to flash a new ROM. As such, it’s ideal for those who want to get started with Android customization, but can’t – or don’t want to – mess with ROMs.

GravityBox features, as per C3C076:

• CyanogenMod Pie controls
• Expanded Desktop
• Statusbar QuickSettings tile management with additional tiles and reordering /* work in progress */
• Statusbar icon coloring
• Statusbar Brightness Control
• Center clock in statusbar
• Battery indicator style
• Navigation bar tweaks including cursor control keys
• Low battery warning policy
• Disable LED flashing when battery low
• Disable LED while charging
• Advanced power-off menu (reboot, recovery)
• Volume key cursor control
• Skip tracks by volume key long-press while screen off (thanks to rovo89)
• More volume levels for music stream
• Option to control safe headset media volume
• Button for clearing all recent tasks at once
• Minimal brightness setting
• Autobrightness levels adjustment
• Lockscreen tweaks
• Hardware/navigation key actions
• Notification drawer style (background color, image for portait/landscape, transparency)
• Button backlight modes (default, disabled, always on while screen is on)
• Dialer (Phone) tweaks
• Google Launcher tweaks
• Screen recording
• GravityBox Actions – interface for 3rd party apps
• Smart Radio
• Notification control (per-app notification LED/sounds/vibrations)
• Ascending ring tone

Both GravityBox v5.0 and Xposed Framework for Lollipop are in alpha, so some bugs, inconsistencies, and other issues should be expected. Newbies are probably better off waiting for a more stable version. But, if you’re comfortable with the bleeding edge, feel free to get started with the new GravityBox from this XDA thread.

Sprint now accepting pre-registrations for the Galaxy S6

Following AT&T and T-Mobile, Sprint has also put up a teaser page for the Galaxy S6, letting customers pre-register for "the latest Samsung devices."

Featuring the Galaxy S Edge, the image (shown above) is similar to the one T-Mobile and AT&T are using, except of course the colour scheme, which in this case is Sprint's yellow.

AT&T's teaser image had "Spring 2015" written on the bottom, suggesting that the device would be available sometime between March and May this year. Samsung is expected to unveil the S6, as well as its curved screen variant, on March 1, at MWC 2015 in Barcelona.

Source | Via

Samsung Norway website hints at possible Galaxy S6 features

Samsung's Norway website seems intent on spilling some of the beans regarding the upcoming Galaxy S6, slated to launch on March 1 in Barcelona.

The website asks "Is this the next Galaxy?", followed by three rumors. The first one is "One feature that we might see is forward-facing stereo speakers." The second one is "The new Galaxy is expected to be durable." And the third one is "Samsung Galaxy display is supposed to reach onto 3 sides."

What makes these features likely to be present is that they seem quite plausible and secondly, Samsung wouldn't mention them if it wasn't going to include them. The third one in particular refers to the curved edge screen, which we are pretty sure at this point will be present from all the teasers.

This makes us fairly certain that the stereo speakers and the rugged/water resistant body hinted by the website will also make it to the final product. So that's couple more reason to look forward to it, then.

Source • Via

Asus Zenfone 2 launching in India in Q2, Zenfone Zoom in Q3

Asus has confirmed that the Zenfone 2 will go on sale in India in Q2, 2015. The confirmation was made by a company executive at the EeeBook X205 launch event, where they also said that most of the products that the company announced during CES last month will also be available in the country.

As for the the Zenfone Zoom, the device will hit the market just after Zenfone 2's launch, which means sometime in Q3 this year.

According to Asus India country head Peter Chang, the company is also planning to postpone the launch of the ZenWatch, which was announced at IFA 2014. The device, which was earlier scheduled to launch in Q1, will hit the market after the launch of the Zenfone 2, Zenfone Zoom and Windows 8.1 based ZenBooks.

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This is the most revealing Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser yet

The latest Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser gives us the best look at the upcoming smartphone to date. A T-Mobile US sign-up page with the punchline 'Six Appeal' gives us a close look at the right side of the handset.

The clearly visible metal body and curved display suggest that we are looking at the Edge variant of the Korean giant’s next flagship. A number of leaks have already suggested that Samsung will reveal two versions of the Galaxy S6.

Samsung Galaxy S6 will make its official debut in less than a week during MWC in Barcelona. We will be covering the event live, so be sure to tune in to find out everything about the smartphone.

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16GB OnePlus One Silk White announced in India for $306

Chinese phone market OnePlus has announced new 4G 16GB OnePlus One Silk White version for the Indian market at Rs 18,999 ($306). The new Silk White version will go on sale exclusively at Amazon India from February 24.

As reported earlier, OnePlus will sell the One without invite on every Tuesday in India and February 24 happens to be a Tuesday.

Except the 16GB storage difference, the Silk White One has the same specs as the 64GB Sandstone Black model. Do note that there is no memory expansion slot in the either models. Also, the 64GB Sandstone Black One is priced at Rs 21,999 ($354) for India.

Silk White One is set to compete with the recently announced Xiaomi Mi4 at Rs 19,999 ($320) in the Indian market.

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Microsoft has Lumia 635 with 1GB of RAM on the way

It looks like Microsoft is about to give Nokia Lumia 635 a random access memory bump. An unannounced version of the popular entry-level smartphone with 1GB of RAM appeared in a Telenor product listing in Hungary.

A list of ROMs on Microsoft’s own servers also confirm the existence of the new model. It reveals that the upcoming device will be available on a number of wireless carriers. The latter include Telekom, Movistar, TIM, and Wind among others.

Overall, it appears that Microsoft is about to quit offering entry-level smartphones with 512MB of RAM. The Redmond giant’s latest Lumia 435 and Lumia 535 also pack 1GB of RAM.

Microsoft has a scheduled MWC event on March 2. The updated Lumia 635 is likely to be announced then.

Source 1(in Hungarian) | Source 2 (in Spanish)

Motorola is announcing something on February 25

Motorola is slowly letting people in the media know that it has something planned for February 25, which is next Wednesday. On that day, the company will be making "an exciting announcement". What it will unveil, though, is still unknown.

It's an unconventional product launch, that's for sure. Motorola is sending media outlets a mysterious box, which is set to arrive at their doorsteps on the aforementioned date. The contents of the box haven't been revealed yet, but apparently "everything you need fits inside one box".

So those who will receive these boxes will be "in the front row" for the announcement thanks to what's in the box. It's all rather puzzling.

But MWC is fast approaching, and perhaps Motorola wants to steal some thunder from Samsung and HTC, who are set to intro their new flagships at the end of next week.

The Lenovo-owned company may be presenting a successor to the Moto 360, or perhaps a new smartphone. Stay tuned and we'll find out.

Now Android 5.1 spotted running on 2nd gen Moto G

Although Google has revealed the existence of Android 5.1, and there have even been reports that the new version is already being rolled out in Android One markets markets like Indonesia, it isn’t yet clear when the update will roll out for other Android devices.

However, that might happen soon, as a 2nd gen Motorola Moto G (shown above) has been spotted running Android 5.1. According to a report from Techdroider, “the build seems to be of 2nd Feb and may be Motorola is still testing it.”

Given that neither Motorola, nor Google has confirmed this, and the image was forwarded by one of the website’s followers, the news should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt, though.

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Android 5.1 Lollipop is now official, changelog coming soon

Android 5.1 Lollipop name has been creating quite a buzz over the social networks through the last few hours. The new version has appeared on various screenshots and its name and build numbers popped up through various logs.

Google has already confirmed the next Android iteration - 5.1 Lollipop - via its official Android One page. There you can clearly see the mention of the new Android OS though there are no details on the improvements.

The new Android version is already shipping with the Android One devices listed on the official web page, including the Nexian Journey many people posted screenshots of.

We guess lots of bug fixes and performance boosts will be in tow with the update, but Google is yet to release the official changelog, builds and source code.

Once we get the complete lists of changes, you bet we'll post it immediately. Stay tuned!

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OnePlus names its Android ROM 'Oxygen'

After things with Cyanogen went a bit sour, OnePlus announced that it is working on its own Android ROM for the OnePlus One. The company also released an alpha version, with a stable version arriving in February.

The company has now announced the name for the ROM, and it will be called 'Oxygen'. Oxygen, OnePlus says, is, "all around us. It’s part of us and everything we do. It creates the water that carves out valleys and moves mountains. By itself, it’s simple and pure—a fundamental building block. But, as a part of something greater, it can do amazing things. Just like us."

The company says the OnePlus ROM will be "open, customizable, and free of bloat and unnecessary features."

OnePlus has promised more details on Febrary 12.

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Cyanogen branding disappears from OnePlus One

OnePlus one no longer ships with Cyanogen branding on its back cover. The Chinese manufacturer quietly dropped the logo of the ROM developer from its flagship killer.

When announced a year ago, the OnePlus One proudly sported a Cyanogen stamp on its back. However, due to the tiff between the ambitious startups in India, their relationship appears to have changed.

OnePlus will unveil its custom Android ROM dubbed Oxygen on February 12. The Android 5.0 build will be "open, customizable, and free of bloat and unnecessary features.”

Cyanogen Inc. on the other hand, has bold plans about taking Android away from Google. A recent report in The Wall Street Journal points suggests that Microsoft will become a minority investor in the company.

Source | Via