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An executive from LG’s Poland offices tweeted that the LG G3 will start receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow sometime between the 16th and 18th of December 2016.
If reports are to be believed, then the update is already in the last stages of testing and will be rolled out first in Poland. Other regions worldwide will also receive the update right after Poland does. But, we do not have a concrete list of the regions.Let us just hope that we are on the list too.
There have been a lot of rumours lately surrounding Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 devices. While majority of the rumours suggest that Apple is working on two versions of the iPhone 7, other rumours also hint at a third device. However, this third device will not be part of the iPhone 7 series but will be a cheaper version of the iPhone 6. Like the iPhone 5c, Apple could come out with an iPhone 6c by mid-2016.
Kevin Wang from IHS has stated that Apple is working on a budget-oriented iPhone 6 handset. This handset will be a smaller version with a 4-inch display and will come with a plastic body similar to the 5c. This rumour also aligns with an earlier report from Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an excellent track record with predicting Apple’s product pipeline. Kuo predicted the 4-inch iPhone would launch in the first half of 2016.
The scaled down version of the iPhone 6 will indeed come with a few missing features. As the device was pegged as a cheaper iPhone 7 variant rather than a 6, what’s for certain is that the 6c will not come with 3D Touch. This makes sense as Apple will still look to push sales of its main flagship devices next year. As usual, these rumours must be taken with a grain of salt. The image above of the iPhone 6c is a concept design released a couple of months ago by 3DFuture.
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Xiaomi is dropping the price of the 16GB variant of the Mi 4i. The new pricing will put the smartphone at Rs. 11,999 starting at 00:00hrs on 18th November 2015 on Mi.com, as well as across all Mi India partners including Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, The Mobile Store and Airtel.
Xiaomi applied its powerful design and engineering capabilities to create Mi 4i, which was launched globally at a premiere in New Delhi in April this year. The Xiaomi Mi 4i has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53; the four cores clocked at 1.7 GHz and the other four at 1.1 GHz. It features 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage space. The Mi 4i runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6 on top.
Other features include a 13MP rear and a 5MP shooter. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi.
We have some good news for all the Lumia users, Microsoft has finally started taking pre-orders for the Lumia 950 XL that will come with the new Windows 10 software installed. This version will not be available at all carriers, so if you are in the US you can purchase an unlocked variant of the smartphone. Just to give you a recap, here are the specifications of the phone:
| Feature | Lumia 950 XL |
| Display | 5.7 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels |
| Processor | Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| Internal Storage | 32 GB, microSD, up to 200 GB |
| Rear Camera | 20MP |
| Front Camera | 5MP |
| Battery | Li-Ion 3340 mAh battery |
| Connections | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, GPS, NFC |
| USB | v3.1, Type-C reversible connector |
| Price | $649 (approx. Rs.42,844) |
Reports also suggest that you will be eligible to receive a free Microsoft Display Dock through the Lumia Offers app, on purchase of the Lumia 950 XL. The phone is expected to ship by the 25th of November 2015.
Microsoft has priced this smartphone at $650 which rounds up to about Rs.42,844 and is available in two colour variants – black and white. Keep watching this space for more updates.
Micromax has launched the Canvas Amaze in India at a price of Rs. 7,999. The smartphone is available at a variety of online retailers.
The Canvas Amaze features a 5-inch HD (720X1280 pixels) IPS display and comes with dual-SIM support. The smartphone is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor clocked at 1.3GHz clubbed with 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
Other features of the Canvas Amaze include a 13MP primary camera with LED flash and a 5MP front. The device comes with 8GB of internal storage that’s expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD card slot. On the connectivity front the phone includes 3G, Wi-Fi Bluetooth, Micro-USB,and A-GPS, FM, while sensors include Proximity sensor, Accelerometer and Gyroscope, to name a few. The device has a 2000mAh removable battery pack, which will give you about 7 hours of talk time and 260 hours of standby.
Micromax is planning to host an event on November 18 for the launch of a new smartphone. No further details have been revealed as of now.
There is some good news for Asus owners out there. The Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is going to make its way to the Zenfone 2 series. Google, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, OnePlus and few other companies have already made announcements about Marshmallow updates and today, Asus made an announcement as well.
Asus’ Zenfone 2 series will get the updates in the coming months, but the actual dates have not yet been revealed. The first device on the list will be the Asus Zenfone 2 (ZE550ML / ZE551ML), followed by Zenfone 2 Deluxe / Special Edition (ZE551ML).
The Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KG / ZE500KL / ZE550KL / ZE600KL / ZE601KL) and Zenfone Selfie (ZE551KL) will be next in line.
The list is still pretty small and many devices like the Padrone S and Zenfone 5 models have not been mentioned. Furthermore, if you happen to own a version of the Asus Zenfone 2 that hasn’t been included in the list above then you will just have to wait for Asus to make another announcement.
Users with OnePlus devices, time to rejoice for the company has announced its Marshmallow update schedule. Even though the company has still not revealed exact dates, the announcement mentions updates in early 2016.
This is what the company had to say in an official statement.
“For the OnePlus One, Cyanogen OS will be updating to Marshmallow in the first quarter of 2016. We created a community build of OxygenOS for the OnePlus One, but this isn’t what the product officially ships with. We will be updating the community build of OxygenOS for the OnePlus One when time allows.
The OnePlus 2 will also be updated in Q1, and the update will include the new standard Marshmallow API for the fingerprint sensor… We are working hard to bring Marshmallow as soon as possible to the OnePlus X, and will update you on a time frame at a later time.”
OnePlus has been in news lately after releasing one device after another – OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X respectively, both having wooed customers in their own special ways. And now the Android M update will be here too to provide customers with a smoother, more efficient experience.
It has been rumoured for a while now that HTC is working on a new device called the One X9. Now the device has been spotted at a telecommunication certification agency,TENAA, revealing features and pictures of the device.
TENAA – the Chinese telecom authority website – has reportedly posted a document of the upcoming device containing images and a spec list. The image shows the One X9 flaunting a horizontally placed oval camera module on top not unlike the Huawei Nexus 6P. The only difference between the two is that the camera module does not protrude with the former while the Nexus 6P has a little bump.
What’s quite surprising is that this is the second device by HTC in the past month that shows strikingly similar design elements to already-existing phones. The HTC One A9 was criticised for blatantly ripping off iPhone’s design, and now the One X9 seems to be ‘borrowing’ from the Nexus 6P. If the images posted by TENAA are true, this will surely invite harsh criticism from the public.
Moving on to the specs, the One X9 will sport a 5.5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display and run on the Android Lollipop OS powered by 2.2GHz Octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (expandable up to 1TB). It will feature a 13MP camera on the rear and a 5MP front.
Nothing is known on the official launch of the device, but the fact that the One X9 has been listed on TENAA means that HTC will likely unveil the device soon. Follow this space for more.
It’s been a couple of months to the launch of the latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and yet the the OS has only been installed on about 0.3% of Android devices so far. The job of rolling out the latest update lies on the OEMs. Today, there’s finally some good news for eager Samsung users.
For those who own Samsung devices, a leaked document reveals possible dates for the Marshmallow update. The updates will take place in three phases. Samsung Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ users will likely receive the update in December, though the exact date is not revealed. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will receive the Android update in January 2016. Meanwhile, older models like the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge are expected to receive their’s in February.
There’s no word yet on when the Galaxy S5, Alpha and the Galaxy A and E-series will receive the update since it’s still pending approval.
Samsung is creating a buzz about its next rumoured smartphone, the Galaxy S7 Premium Edition. According to rumours, this phone will only be offered in South Korea and could feature a 4K display with a dual-lens camera module made by Sony.
This phone is expected to run on the new Exynos 8890 chipset, which is expected to come with a 14 nm FinFET process chip, an integrated CP and modem chip and is the first custom core design chip that the company has created. This chip is expected to arrive with Samsung’s next flagship phone, the Galaxy S7 in all markets except for USA and China. In those two countries, the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 820 SoC.
The original Exynos 8890 Soc is expected to come with the Mali-T880 and 12 cores, however new reports suggest that the Exynos 8890 for the Galaxy S7 Special Edition will come with the Mali-T880 and 14 cores.
As lovely as all this sounds, Samsung has not confirmed any of the above rumours. So, let’s just wait and see what Samsung has to offer us, until the next Samsung Unpacked event.
Popular and reliable phone leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) tweeted last night that AT&T is already testing two new Samsung phones with model numbers SM-G930A and SM-G935A, which presumably refer to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
AT&T already testing both Galaxy S7 variants (SM-G930A and -G935A), adding weight to rumors of an early- to mid-1Q16 release.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 13, 2015
It is already known that Samsung plans an early 2016 launch of its flagship devices. Earlier this month, rumours were afloat that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on February 21, just before the start of MWC 2016.
Not much is revealed in the specs department yet. Rumours have been suggesting that the flagship could sport a 12MP sensor provided by Sony, which will focus on better low-light images. Other details that have been going around suggest an Exynos 8 Octa 8890 processor, a 5.2-inch display on the Galaxy S7 and 5.8-inch dual-curved display on the S7 Edge. However, nothing is confirmed at the moment.
The fact that AT&T is already testing the models means the launch of the device will follow shortly after the unveiling in February. The devices will be widely available after the U.S launch and will be sold by all major carriers around the world.
Cyanogen is working on developing $75 dollar handsets in collaboration with multiple OEMs. The highlight of these devices would be high performance, inexpensive software and minimal software bloat.
The operating system would be CyanogenOS 13 inspired by Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The ROM variant which will be equipped with CyanogenMod 13 will be out sooner than CyanogenOS 13 which is expected to arrive by early 2016.
Provision of SDKs for custom apps, differing based on OEM and region, will be made part of these new Cyanogen devices. Care will be taken to ensure there are no overlaps between apps so that no two apps perform the same function. For example, in Google Android devices there are often two browsers or calendars and so on.
Currently, Cyanogen has tied up with companies like Yu, ZUK and BQ, to name a few, to power phones. However, the $75 devices won’t be the only devices Cyanogen would be offering. There has also been a mention of a flagship as well. Time to sit back and hold our breath for this new addition to the smartphone industry.
Xiaomi has been teasing the launch of the Mi 5 for a while now. Reports suggested that the upcoming flagship device will see a December 3 launch along with the Mi Pad 2. Yesterday, the Mi Pad 2 was listed on Geekbench benchmark, and now the Mi 5 has been spotted as well.
The Mi 5 is going by the codename ‘Gemini’ and the benchmark listing reveal some juicy details about what’s under the rumoured smartphone’s hood. One noticeable feature spotted was Qualcomm’s recently unveiled Snapdragon 820 processor. This puts the rumoured December launch of the Mi 5 on hold since Qualcomm confirmed that devices featuring the new Snapdragon 820 processor will launch only in 2016.
Other details tipped by the listing include Android 6.0 Marshmallow, 3GB of RAM, and a clock speed of up to 1.59GHz. The Mi 5 also scored a 2,140 on the single-core test and 4,762 on multi-core.
Since the launch of the Snapdragon 820 processor and Mi 5 are widely separated, it looks like the launch date for the flagship will now be pushed to 2016. We’ll keep you posted as we know more on Xiaomi Mi 5’s availability.
Update:
Marshmallow 6.0 Update for Motorola rolling out now. Watch this space for our hands-on video.
Here’s another one of #MotoXStyle’s list of amazing features. Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow & improve your experience! pic.twitter.com/TuxViqXuoQ
— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) November 20, 2015
Motorola has just announced that they will begin rolling out the new Android Marshmallow 6.0 on the Moto X Style and Moto X 2nd Gen. What is even better is, that for the first time it is getting rolled out in India before anywhere else! This initial integration will be available only to Brazil and India for the Moto X Style and Brazil will be exclusively availing the Moto X 2nd Gen rollout. However, this is just the current market strategy, more markets will be added in the near future.
Therefore, let us give you a brief recap on some features you can expect with the Android 6.0. Firstly, you will have an ‘app standby’ feature that will allow you save battery energy by putting your seldom used apps into a reduced activity state. You will also have a ‘Doze’ feature, to help you further save your phone’s battery life by recognizing when your device is idle and automatically going into a ‘deep sleep’ state. This basically means, that when you are not using your phone, the new software will automatically shut down all unnecessary background functions to save power.
Apart from battery saving skills, this Marshmallow will also allow you to have greater control over what you share with a new permissions model that comes with the newly designed ‘app permissions’. This also allows you to install a feature when required, instead of installing the entire thing all at once. Another feature called ‘app links’ allows you to decide what action you want to perform for each of your apps when you click on a web link.
Android Marshmallow will also affect your expandable storage options by allowing your SD card to extend to its maximum internal storage rather than just using it for media files. There will also be a ‘do not disturb’ button, whose functions are self-explanatory, and volume controls are expected to be more efficient too.
Two final features are the ‘Now on Tap’ and ‘Direct Share’. The first one will provide Google Now with context to show your results according to the app you are using and ‘direct share’ will enable sharing anything, from a contact or a conversation, within an app directly.
That was our little recap, for more details about the Android Marshmallow click here. Until then, if you own the phones mentioned above, sit tight and await your update.
Apple is in talks with a number of top U.S banks to create its own person-to-person mobile payment service, which could see an early 2016 launch. Banks like Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Bancorp have discussed the prospects with Apple.
Apple Pay currently deals with sending money to businesses, but that could change by next. Currently, apps like PayPal’s Venmo and Google Wallet allow for person-to-person transactions, while some banks have their own apps that allow you to make payments directly. To get this plan off the ground, Apple will have to navigate its way through individual bank platforms and find a way to incorporate the banks within the Apple Pay world.
Apple may look to simply tap into an existing payment service from top banks called clearXchange, and loop that into Apple Pay. That would allow users to send money from a checking account to anyone with an email address or mobile number. Apple may not be looking to make money off this latest idea, and likely wants to broaden the scope of Apple Pay and the overall benefit of the iPhone.
This is all part of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s vision that paper money will no longer exist in the future. “Your kids will not know what money is,” he said during his address at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. In today’s technological world most transactions are taking place online. The biggest challenge here is to avoid cyber attacks.
During his speech, Cook said that Apple will dedicated itself to preventing hackers from stealing customers’ information. “We plan to continue to encrypt end to end with no back door,” Cook said. “We will productively work with the governments to try to convince them that’s also in their best interests in the national security sense.”