During the summer, ZTE launched the Axon Phone, its high-end flagship that used the Axon moniker to help differentiate it from some of ZTE’s budget offerings. Now the company is launching a smaller version dubbed the Axon Mini, along with the Axon Watch smartwatch.

The Axon Mini is a decently-specced smaller offering. It packs an octa-core Snapdragon 616 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage plus microSD card slot, 13-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front-facing camera, fingerprint scanner and a 2800mAh battery. Ironically enough, the Axon Mini still packs in a 5.2-inch 1080p display, making it the same size as many full-sized phones. The Axon Mini also brings in a tough aluminum-titanium alloy build material. Color options of Rose Gold, Gold and Silver will be available, with an extra $20 charge for the Rose Gold model.

The Axon Watch is a curious little device that runs Tencent OS, a software developed between ZTE and Tencent. It includes a Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. As far as capabilities go, ZTE says that the Axon Watch can be used for health monitoring as well as other uses, such as replying to messages.

The Axon Mini will launch in various parts of Pacific Asia, China and Europe and will sell in a Premium and Regular edition. The difference between them hasn’t been specified, but the Regular version will be priced at $379 USD while the Premium version will sell for $439 USD. A specific release date hasn’t been announced.

The Axon Watch will launch in China on October 27, though pricing hasn’t been announced.

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With just 10 days to go before HTC’s next big event, the expected star of that show has leaked out once again.

@OnLeaks has shared several images that purportedly show the AT&T version of the HTC One A9. The phone in these photos is actually a dummy unit, a non-working model meant for use in stores. That said, we can still make out lots of details of the One A9 from this dummy.

Walking around the hardware of the One A9, we can see that it’s got volume and power/lock buttons on its right side, microSD and SIM slots on the left, and what looks to be an IR blaster up top. On the bottom there are cutouts for the speaker, a headphone jack, and the microUSB port. Rounding out the phone’s exterior features are a fingerprint reader on the front, a protruding rear camera, and some HTC and AT&T branding.

The HTC One A9’s spec list is rumored to include a 5-inch 1920×1080 AMOLED display, Snapdragon 617 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot, and a 2150mAh battery. The protruding rear camera is reportedly of the 13-megapixel variety, while the front shooter is said to be a 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera. The One A9 is also expected to run Android 6.0 with HTC’s Sense 7 UI out of the box.

So yeah, the HTC One A9 is shaping up to be a mid-range phone, not a new flagship like some folks might’ve been hoping for. It looks like a nice enough device, though, and if HTC can get the One A9 on several carriers and price it competitively, the One A9 could help HTC’s less than stellar financials.

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Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.

NHL – Version 5.1006

What’s new in this version:

• We added Chromecast support!
• Brand new video section (Tablets only)
• Other video enhancements
• General improvements

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VUDU – Version 4.1.0

What’s new in this version:

• Completely rebuilt & redesigned. We went up 3 whole versions!
• HD/HDX playback. Hallelujah! (Requires Lollipop or higher)
• Improved Chromecast casting, new menus & more, oh my!

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Pluto TV – Version 2.0.27

What’s new in this version:

• Reduced audio stuttering
• Current episode is shown in guide more accurately
• Video error detection dialog goes away when videos change
• Media controls such as play/pause work immediately
• Audio focus bugs fixed
• Ads bugs fixed

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SONOS – Version 5.5.0

What’s new in this version:

• Added Community Market, Trading, Broadcasts, Game Hubs, Discussions, and more to the app.
• The profile views have been updated with showcases, badges, and more.
• The Store views have also been updated with new personalization features and user reviews.r

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Titanium Backup – Version 7.2.3

What’s new in this version:

• Added initial support for Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
• [PRO] Added support for XML backup/restore of Wi-Fi networks that use EAP (identity + password) on Android 4.3+.
• Fixed FC on launch if “Greenify” Xposed module is present.
• Updated translations.

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Google Street View – Version 2.0.0

What’s new in this version:

• Support for Google Cardboard
• New tips for first–time users
• General stability improvements

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Medium – Version 2.0.0

What’s new in this version:

• New Explore experience brings you an infinite stream of the best stories of Medium
• Quote responses let you react and see reactions in the context of the story
• Mentions let you write about people in your stories, and they’ll be notified when you do
• Notifications stream shows how people engage with you and your stories
• Fresh logo, fonts, and simplified navigation
• Android Marshmallow and Jelly Bean support

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PPSSPP Emulator – Version 1.1.0

What’s new in this version:

WhatsApp Messenger – Version 2.12.304

What’s new in this version:

• Per chat custom notification settings and mute
• Mark chats as unread or read
• Added new emoji. You can also tap and hold on some emoji to choose a different color.
• When receiving a contact card, you can now quickly message or save the contact if they’re on 

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Telegram – Version 3.2.3

What’s new in this version:

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With Google’s Android Marshmallow update rolling out to its Nexus devices, many have been wondering when their Google Play edition phones would be updated to the latest version of Android. So far, only HTC has spoken up on the issue. HTC is currently working on the Android 6.0 update for the HTC One M8 GPe and plans to begin the software rollout before the end of the month.

As things stand now, it looks like we will likely only see Android Marshmallow updates made available for 2014 GPe devices. Those released in 2013 should still receive critical security updates, but you’ll have to hit up XDA-Developers if you want to get the latest Android treat up and running on your phone.

@athreya7777 M8 GPE will include Marshmallow OS update. Our target is this month. Will advise once we are close to release.

— Mo Versi (@moversi) October 6, 2015

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There’s an unannounced OnePlus-branded handset out there in the world, if the FCC is to be believed. The new device was revealed by the commission in a single photo, with very few details to go along with it.

As noted by PhoneScoop, the device differs quite a bit from previous handsets designed by the company, with this device boasting rounded edges on the top and bottom. And, as some will immediately notice, it does indeed have a familiar look to Apple’s iPhone there at the bottom. There’s an off-set camera near the top corner as well, which is a bit of a different design from the company.

As far as specs go, the FCC filing reveals that there’s a 1.9GHz processor under the hood, along with support for LTE and the usual suspects: Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radios and Bluetooth. The device name within the FCC is E1005, and there’s no direct information as to which operating system it’s running, but the likely event is Android, probably under a proprietary software.

It’s worth noting that OnePlus does have a media event planned for October 12, so it’s likely that this device will be the star of the show.

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As BlackBerry is gearing up to release its first Android-powered smartphone, CEO John Chen has revealed that the company may throw in the towel on its hardware efforts if they fail to make a profit within the next year. BlackBerry, once a global leader in the early smartphone race, has struggled to stay relevant in a world where the appeal of a smartphone is centered around media consumption and photography. Gone are the days when all we really wanted on our smartphone was a good hardware keyboard and secure email access.

If the Android-powered BlackBerry Priv and other BB10 devices fail to make a positive impact on BlackBerry’s bottom line, the company will likely refocus its efforts on software services for Android and iOS. John Chen believes that “Android in the enterprise is a very undeserved space,” adding, “I’m building a software business that focuses on endpoint security. My audience goes beyond just enterprise,” he said, going on to say that it also involves hospitals, banks, government agencies and consumers too. “We’re focusing on the high-end.”

Do you think the BlackBerry Priv has what it takes to help turn the company around? Personally, I’ve always been a sucker for good Android phones with great hardware keyboards.

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WiFi calling on AT&T is finally here. AT&T has officially turned the service on just three days after the FCC gave its consent on October 6. AT&T’s WiFi calling should be pretty similar to T-Mobile and Sprint’s WiFi calling services, allowing users to make and receive phone calls over WiFi networks even if AT&T’s network isn’t accessible. There are currently no Android phones available that can take advantage of AT&T’s WiFi calling feature, but we suspect AT&T will be working closely with Samsung, LG and HTC to ensure that the feature is enabled with the Android 6.0 software updates that should start landing before the year is out.

Will you be using AT&T WiFi calling once it’s made available on your Android device?

Show Press Release

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In the months following the launch of the OnePlus One, we occasionally saw OnePlus remove its invitation-only buying method and make the One available to all. Now OnePlus is doing the same with the OnePlus 2.

On October 12, the OnePlus 2 will be available to everyone without an invitation. OnePlus will hold open sales at four different times in four time zones to ensure everyone is able to buy the OnePlus 2 at a reasonable hour. Here are the times during which the OnePlus 2’s open sales will take place:

• Asia: 12:00-13:00 HKT
• Europe: 12:00-13:00 CEST
• North America: 12:00-1:00 pm PDT
• India: 12:00-1:00 pm IST

It’s worth noting that shoppers in India will need to head to Amazon.in to buy their OnePlus 2. Consumers in other regions can buy from OnePlus’s website.

The OnePlus 2 launch hasn’t gone totally smoothly. There were millions in OnePlus’s reservation line following the phone’s release in August, and OnePlus later apologized for messing up the launch of its new phone. It’d be nice if OnePlus made up for these issues by making the OnePlus 2 permanently available to everyone, but that’s unlikely to happen until some time next year. At least we’ve got a few days to prepare for the first open sales of the OnePlus 2.

Are any of you going to try and snag a OnePlus 2 on Monday?

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Mark Zuckerberg recently inferred that Facebook was looking to expand its Like button, leading many to believe that the oft-requested Dislike button was coming. Facebook calmed those rumors, and has now revealed its new experiment that may become the expanded Like button. Facebook Reactions is a set of six emoji that will sit alongside the standard Like button, allowing Facebook users to better express their feelings about a post.

Reactions gives off vibes of the reaction buttons that social network Path used, which had five emoji that you could choose from. In comparison to a Dislike button, Reactions are much better, offering a wider array of emotions to choose from and avoiding the negative connotations that come with a Dislike button, which raised concerns of cyber-bullying.

Facebook isn’t making Reactions worldwide just yet. The company will begin testing the feature within Ireland and Spain. Both countries have relatively isolated friend groups within their countries, allowing for a closer-knit test market to gather research from. They also offer the chance to see how Reactions plays with English and non-English speakers, and whether it needs to be tweaked for different countries.

To hear more, follow the source link below.

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Netflix is one of the most successful subscription services of all time, and with good reason. It offers subscribers an enormous library of streaming, DVD and Blu-Ray titles with several affordable plans to choose from in order to get the best setup for you. Now, for the first time in a while, Netflix is upping its price on its most popular plan, the standard plan.

Beginning on November 11, new customers will pay $9.99/month for the standard plan, a $1 rise over the existing price of $8.99/month. Interestingly, Netflix’s website is already showing the price increase, so we’ll have to see how that plays out. As for existing customers on the standard plan, they’ll be grandfathered into the existing price until October 2016, which gives people an entire year to calm down over the thought of their Netflix price going up. For a reminder, the standard plan includes viewing on up to two screens at a time as well as HD video playback.

The prices on other Netflix plans will remain the same.

The $1 increase on the standard plan is nothing to get worried about and won’t affect most until a year from now as it is. Netflix is a company that has done its best to keep prices extremely affordable, and this new change shows that the company is continuing that trend, making it a wise move in the eyes of customers. As for Netflix’s shareholders, they seem happy with the increase plan, with Netflix stock rising by over 2% after the announcement.

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