It hardly comes as a surprise that Apple’s “next big thing” is selling well, the only question being exactly how many iPad Pro’s Apple is actually moving. Cupertino is usually hesitant in revealing numbers, but a leaked research note offers a glimpse into the huge 12.9 inch tablet’s market success.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, cited in the note in question, claims that between 2.4 and 2.6 million units will be shipped in its first quarter of sales. He also projects a decline of about 10%t into next year, with about 2.1 to 2.6 million units. If Apple manages to meet these projections, the iPad will officially have the smallest sales drop out of any Cupertino product.

As usual, however, just like most Apple devices, the iPad Pro is making life difficult for part suppliers and straining production capacities. Currently, the Apple Pencil seems to be taking the biggest hit, with the very limited launch-time supplies quickly depleted and preorder times set for four to five weeks. In the report, Kuo confirmed that the complicated device is, indeed, proving a bit difficult to assemble, but also expresses certainty that production will pick up once suppliers get accustomed to the new form factor.

But apart from accessories, some of the core components that go into making the iPad Pro also face production shortages, like the high resolution display. It currently comes courtesy of Sharp alone, but Samsung is expected to step in soon to keep production going. The report reveals that many other parts are in the same boat with a sole vendor struggling to keep up with demand. All A9X chips come from TSMC, all the backlights from Radiant, display timing controllers from Parade and touch screen modules are handled by GIS and…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1PNXLtK
via IFTTT

Samsung’s mobile payments service – Samsung Pay – was launched in the company’s home country of South Korea back in August this year. This was following by a launch in the US, which happened around a month later. Now, the company is said to be expanding the service to a few more countries.

According to a new report, Samsung Pay will be available in countries including China, the UK, and Spain in the first quarter next year. There was, however, no word on exact launch date(s).

The service has been successful in Samsung’s home country, where it currently has more than a million users, something which the company revealed late last month. No such information is currently available for the US, where all major carriers are now supporting…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1Ygru1B
via IFTTT

What if the Galaxy S6 died and was reincarnated in an earlier era, one where flip phones still ruled? It may sound like fan fiction, but TENAA just certified such a device – the Samsung SM-W2016.

The flip phone features a glass back with curves on the side that evoke the S6 edge. It has two identical screens (one outside the flip, one inside) – 3.9″ Super AMOLEDs with 768 x 1,280px resolution (383ppi).

That’s less impressive than what the S6 offers, but the SM-W2016 measures 120.4 x 61 x 15.1mm, not bad for a clamshell. The 204g of weight are more than we expected though.

Anyway, the performance is uncompromised with an octa-core processor (allegedly the Exynos 7420 itself) with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop (Samsung is yet to make the jump to Marshmallow).

Samsung SM-W2016

Like the screen, the camera department has been demoted. There’s an 8MP/1080p main camera on the back (with a heart rate sensor) and a 5MP selfie camera. I’m pretty sure that with a flip you can use the camera on the back for selfies too, but why not.

The T9 keypad below the screen brings up a lot of nostalgia, but above it is what looks like a SIM switch button, suggesting this is a dual-SIM phone.

Earlier this year we saw other Android-powered flip phones – the Galaxy Folder and the LG Wine. The Samsung SM-W2016 is more powerful than either, but chances are it will never see global distribution (those two never did).

Source (in Chinese) |…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/212tcGe
via IFTTT

Oppo has just released its first public beta of the Project Spectrum ROM for its Find 7 flagship (still the one, even if more than a year and a half old). In essence the firmware is stock Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with only a few select features carried over from the company’s proprietary ColorOS overlay.

Oppo’s camera app is one of those, replacing the simplistic Google Camera. The MaxxAudio sound customization feature has also been included, which is a little more than a system-wide equalizer. Of the screen gestures, typical of Oppo, double-tap-to-wake and drawing a circle to launch the camera have been deemed important and are a part of the ROM. Other than those, it’s a no-bloatware affair with nothing but Google’s essential app suite.

Promised less than a month ago, the firmware had been in private beta testing until now, but is currently available for download to all Find 7 owners. The initiative will expand to the R5 and R5s, and the R7 series will follow suit, though no specific time frame has been announced.

A 638MB download, the firmware can be flashed using the stock ColorOS recovery, and Oppo advises against the use of custom recoveries. If you bought your Find 7 off of oppostyle.com or Amazon in Europe, your warranty will stand, but in all other cases make sure you check with a local Oppo rep beforehand.

Also, Oppo points out that that it’s starting with Lollipop instead of Marshmallow to get the hang of it first. Android 6.0 will come in “early 2016”, if that counts as a schedule.

Source 1 Source…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1LlVLmc
via IFTTT

The Meizu m1 metal was unveiled about a month ago and now you can buy one. Gizchina stocks the 5.5″ mid-ranger for $220 (regular price is $250). For now you also back free leather case and screen protector.

The phone is available in Gizchina’s European warehouses too, so shipping on the old continent should be fast once it starts (the warehouse will start shipping units around November 23).

Only the 16GB version in White is available for now. The Meizu m1 metal should have more variety – 32GB storage, plus Gold, Blue, Pink and Grey color options, but none of those are in stock yet.

We’re working on a review of the metal, stay tuned for detailed tests. The short version of the story is a 5.5″ 1080p screen, dual-SIM, microSD slot (takes the spot of SIM2), octa-core processor (MT6795 Helio X10 chipset), 13MP main camera plus 5MP selfie…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1SXZ3m9
via IFTTT

YouTube’s child-focused app – YouTube Kids – was launched in the United States back in February this year. Now, the availability of the app has been expanded to several more countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK.

Having kids-friendly interface and serving kids-focused content – including TV shows, music, educational programming, and top-ranking videos – the app has already been downloaded over 10 million times in the US.

If you aren’t already aware, the app is designed in a way that it discards inappropriate search terms, like “sex”, and also offers an option for parents to limit their child’s screen time.

Over in the UK and Ireland, the app – which is available for both Android and iOS – will also feature local channels like Morph, Teletubbies, Wallace & Gromit, and The Magic…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/211Kvac
via IFTTT

The hype surrounding the vivo X6 is now at an all-time high. The Chinese OEM has really been riding the teaser train, revealing details about the now eagerly-anticipated phone one teaspoon at a time, like its 4GB of RAM and an e-payment-compatible fingerprint reader. The avalanche of rumors, PR shots and unearthed certifications fuels the flames even further. And it appears vivo is not done yet.

Its latest teaser talks of an improved dual charging technology inside the vivo X6. From what we can gather, the phone will use two separate charging chips, which should result in faster charging times.

We are not quite sure yet how exactly the technology will work or what real-life results it will achieve, but it is quite reminiscent to Oppo’s VOOC charging technology, which recently topped our comparison tests.

As for the rest of the vivo X6 specs – we know of a spacious 6″ QHD screen with Force Touch and a a MediaTek Helio X20 chipset with 10-core CPU and 3GB of RAM. There’s word of 32GB of storage, 21MP camera on the back, 12MP front-facing one and a 4,000mAh battery. There’s even talk of 1GB of dedicated video RAM, as in a discreet video solution! Sadly, none of this has been confirmed yet. The official release of the Vivo X6 is expected later this month.

Source (in Chinese) |…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1j7gLXb
via IFTTT

Samsung shared info on its upcoming BRITECELL camera sensor with investors. Samsung’s goal is to make a smaller camera module, with a higher resolution, but improved dynamic range and low-light performance.

That’s basically the dream of all camera makers, but physics tends to get in the way. The plan is to drop the traditional Bayer filter layout, replacing the Green pixels with White ones. Green pixels are achieved with a filter, which blocks out light, so no filter means more light reaching the sensor. Motorola tried something similar with the Moto X, though that one had an RGBW arrangement.

The new RBW pixel matrix • smaller pixels make for a smaller sensor

Samsung’s BRITECELL cameras will have 20MP resolution with 1µm pixels. The camera module will be slightly smaller than the current 16MP cameras (which have 1.12µm pixels). Despite the smaller pixels, the new matrix should perform better in low light.

The dynamic range will be improved with Smart WDR, which will use multiple exposures (which sounds just like regular HDR works, the difference is unclear). The sensor will also pack phase detection autofocus for faster, more accurate locks.

Smart WDR • Phase detection autofocus

Samsung also presented its Bio Processor, which will make its way to wearables. It integrates the multiple discrete controllers needed to measure various biological parameters into one. This makes for a much smaller package (80% smaller) and power consumption is halved.

The new Bio processor is smaller, more power efficient

Source | Via (in…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1OeKKrE
via IFTTT

After the US, the ‘consumer version’ Gear VR headset is now available for order in Europe too. Pre-orders are live in Germany, where Samsung’s official website has the device listed for €99 with early December shipping.

Officially announced back in September this year, the headset is also listed on the South Korean company’s Netherlands website, carrying the same €99 price tag.

Compatible with devices including the Samsung Galaxy Note5, S6 edge+, S6 edge, and S6, the headset is available for pre-order in the US from Best Buy, which is selling it for $99.99, with shipments beginning this Friday – November 20.

Via…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1Yg5vYG
via IFTTT

Two Xiaomi phones have passed what’s known as China Compulsory Certification (3C). While one carries a model number of 2015055, two variants of the other – carrying model number 2015815 and 2015811 – are listed on 3C’s website.

While no more information is available on these devices, reports say the the one with model number 2015055 is the the Mi Note 2 Pro, while the other two are the variants of the much-awaited Mi 5 flagship smartphone – which has been the subject of various rumors and leaks till now.

If you aren’t already aware, Xiaomi has scheduled a product launch event for next week. Speculations are rife that the Chinese company could announce the Redmi Note 2 Pro or the Mi 5 or the Mi Pad…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1MlD99Z
via IFTTT