The LG G5 will come with a metal unibody construction, according to the latest rumor from the company’s home country of South Korea. If true, this would be the first of LG’s flagship smartphones to employ that material, after four generations of plastic handsets.

As you may have imagined, LG’s rumored decision to go with metal for the G5 has everything to do with how successful metal smartphones from Apple and Samsung have proven to be in the past few years.

Apparently we could see the G5 hitting the streets during the first quarter of next year, around the same time as the Samsung Galaxy S7. The availability of the G5 is reportedly going to come very soon after the phone’s announcement.

Of course, don’t forget to take all of this with a hefty dose of salt, since for now it’s just one unconfirmed report. However, it would make sense for LG to switch to what everyone keeps calling a ‘premium’ material for smartphones, especially since its competitors have already done that.

Source (in Korean) |…

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Earlier today, senior XDA member danon.brown received an OTA notification on his T-Mobile Galaxy Note5 and proceeded to install it. At one point, he realized the OTA was actually the Marshmallow update.

Nobody else had received such an update, so he took to the XDA boards to ask for help performing a system dump for enthusiasts to recompile and port to other devices as they please. The full system dump is now available through XDA on this page of the thread.

According to T-Mobile’s update tracker, the Note5’s OTA is still in the testing stage and has not yet begun rolling out. It looks like the update might almost be ready but slipped through the cracks before going live.

Check out the Source link below to see all the screenshots that danon.brown posted of the Note5 running the new version of TouchWiz. Previous reports have pointed to Samsung officially releasing the new update for the Note5 and S6 edge+ in December, S6 and S6 edge in January, and Note 4 and Note Edge in…

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Today, Asus has announced which of its devices are going to be updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, currently the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system.

Without further ado, here’s what to expect. The PadFone S (PF500KL) and the ZenFone Selfie ZD551KL will get Marshmallow, along with two Zenfone 2 versions (ZE550ML and ZE551ML), the Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML, and no less than five different iterations of the ZenFone 2 Laser: ZE500KG, ZE500KL, ZE550KL, ZE600KL, and ZE601KL.

That’s it, and it’s unclear if the Taiwanese company plans to add products to this list at a later date. So perhaps you shouldn’t bet on that. Do note that with Asus devices, the model number is very important, as seen above – so before you celebrate that your Asus handset is getting Marshmallow, make sure you have one of the designations listed above. And yes, there are two differently named devices having the same ZE551ML model number, that’s not a typo – it’s just how confusing Asus likes this whole thing to be.

Absolutely nothing has been said about rollout timing just yet, but that information is supposedly going to be out at some point in the future. Which means you probably shouldn’t expect to see Android 6.0 officially running on any of these devices in 2015.

Source |…

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Google Maps should be your go-to app for finding places and reviews. This is why Google is competing with other user-contributed review sites like Zagat and Yelp to create a more wholesome experience using Google Maps.

Google wants to encourage more people to contribute reviews to Google Maps by rewarding them. Users can sign up to be a “Local Guide” to start earning points today.

Each of the following actions can earn you 1 point:

uploading photos

posting a review

adding a new place (which isn’t on Google Maps)

fixing information (wrong phone number, misspelled name)

answering questions (“Is this a family restaurant?”)

Google also lets Local Guides lead local communities and have discussions with other communities to share the things they love. There is even a calendar that lists Hangout sessions for training and meetups.

There are 5 point levels for a Local Guide:

0 to 4 points gets your entries into device giveaways in select countries

5 to 49 points gets you early access to new Google products and features

50 to 199 points gets you a badge that recognizes you on Google Maps as an official Local Guide

200-499 points gets you a free 1TB upgrade of Google Drive storage

500+ points makes you eligible to attend Google sponsored Local Guide events and visits to the Google Campus

Google even gives Local Guides the resources and tips for hosting a local event for just about anything. The company really wants to give back to the communities everywhere while helping small businesses gain reviews from more customers.

Source |…

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The Samsung Galaxy View tablet has been available in the US for a short while already, but not with 4G LTE support and not from a carrier.

That all changes on November 20, which is this Friday. That’s when AT&T will start selling the huge 18.4-inch device. For a limited time, you’ll be able to buy one for just $99.99 with a new two-year contract, but there’s a big catch – to get that price you need to sign up for new DIRECTV service (with another two-year contract). If you already have DIRECTV, the only way to buy the Galaxy View for $99.99 is if you also add a new smartphone line on AT&T Next.

If you don’t want to have anything to do with DIRECTV, then the Galaxy View can be yours for $499.99 with a two-year contract, or $30 per month for 20 months if you qualify for the AT&T tablet installment plan. So it looks like the full retail price is $600.

The Samsung Galaxy View comes with an 18.4-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 2.1 MP front-facing camera, Samsung’s Exynos 7580 chipset at the helm with 1.6 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU, 64GB of expandable storage, 2GB of RAM, 4G LTE, and a 5,700 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.1…

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A few days ago a rumor came out claiming that the Microsoft Lumia 950 would finally become available at AT&T on November 20. And it turns out it was right, at least in part.

The carrier has just announced that it will be the first outlet from which you’ll be able to pick up Microsoft’s new flagship smartphone. Online orders will be available from tomorrow, while the Lumia 950 will land in stores on November 20 indeed.

The handset running Windows 10 Mobile is going to cost you $149.99 with a two-year contract. If you choose to get it using AT&T’s Next plans, then you pay nothing upfront followed by either 30 monthly installments of $19.97, 24 monthly payments of $24.96, or $29.95 for 20 months. Based on these values, the full retail price for the device is $599.

If you go for the Lumia 950 with a Next plan, then you can also buy a Surface 3 tablet for just $399.99, though you will have to sign a two-year contract for this one.

Along with the bigger Lumia 950 XL, the Lumia 950 is Microsoft’s new, long-awaited entry into the high-end smartphone space. It comes with a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED touchscreen, a 20 MP rear camera with Zeiss optics and triple-LED flash, a 5 MP selfie shooter, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 SoC at the helm, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, and a 3,000 mAh…

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The Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracker made its official debut last month in York City alongside the Lumia 950 duo. The newcomer is sleeker, better looking, and smarter than its already capable predecessor.

Just like the first generation, Microsoft designed the Band 2 to pair with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone hardware. The Redmond giant has priced the wearable at $249.99.

All about it…

The Microsoft Band 2 is Microsoft’s second attempt at the making a smart/fitness band and smartphone companion for general usage – regardless of your intended smartphone OS.

What makes the Band 2 unique is that despite its compact size, it packs a whopping 11 sensors. They include and optical heart rate sensor, gyrometer, 3-axis accelerometer, ambient light sensor, UV sensor, GPS, capacitive sensor, barometer, galvanic skin response, skin temperature sensor, and a microphone.

The device’s screen is a curved AMOLED unit measures 32 x 12.8mm and has a resolution of 320 x 128 pixels. A haptic vibration motor is also on board.

Microsoft Band 2

Microsoft Band 2 is made of metal, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and thermal plastic elastomer silicone. It has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

Using it…

There are two physical buttons for controlling the Band 2 in addition to its curved AMOLED touchscreen. The wearable’s tiled interface is intuitive and customizable.

Pairing the Band 2 with a smartphone requires a Microsoft account, as well as installing the Microsoft Health app. The latter is available for free on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

The Microsoft Health app allows you to customize the user interface of the Band 2, manage notifications, and connect the wearable to third-party apps. Some of them include MapMyFitness and RunKeeper, among others.

Loving it…

The fitness tracking abilities of the Microsoft Band 2 are among the best in the business. The wearable will help you track tidbits of your daily activities you didn’t know existed – from sleep, through steps and stairs, all the way to golf swings.

Unlike many of its competitors, the Microsoft Band 2 can deliver all your smartphone’s notifications. You can customize them too!

Microsoft Band 2

You can either wear it as s smartwatch, or as a discrete fitness band alongside a mechanical watch.

Microsoft Band 2 is much better looking and more comfortable to wear than its predecessor.

Hating it…

The Band 2 is extremely prone to scratches. After barely a week of use as a daily companion, it looked as if it had taken months of beating.

Despite being an improvement over the first generation, Microsoft Band 2 is still a clunky thing for a fitness tracker. However, we reckon that this is a fair price to pay for having so many sensors at your disposal.

Microsoft Band 2 is prone to scratches

At $249, it is a tad expensive. There are plenty of cheaper quality fitness band out there, while a small bump in your budget can land you a proper smartwatch like Samsung Gear S2.

Battery life is a tad underwhelming for a fitness band – it can barely last up to 3 day, but we guess this is OK as Microsoft gives an average endurance of 2 days.

Even by limiting you usage, you are unlikely to squeeze more out of it.

Wrapping up…

The Microsoft Band 2 is massively better than its predecessor, but it’s still far from perfect, especially considering its price tag.

The looks are on the premium side for a fitness tracker, but what makes it worth considering is more than anything the suite of sensors the company has crammed inside.

However, the lack of waterproofing, questionable material durability, the poor ergonomics, and the underwhelming battery life put a dent on the device’s shiny armor. Committed workout warriors will love and appreciate the band’s advanced metrics delivery, but casual users will probably be better off with a similarly priced smartwatch, or a cheaper fitness…

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It’s that time of year again in the mobile realm, when we wait impatiently as each major chip vendor unwraps its latest and greatest creation that could be powering your future flagship device. This time around promises and stakes are high, which is why we can’t wait for a battle royal to take place, so we can crown a benchmark king (at this point it is likely we are more in it for the numbers and “bragging rights”, rather than usability, but it is what it is).

The next big five we have our sights on are all here – Apple’s A9 has been around for quite some time, due to the different release schedule, and still packs quite the punch. And, in camp Android, Samsung’s Exynos 8 Octa 8890 is already official and so are the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and Huawei’s new hope – the Kirin 950. Last, but not least, the Mediatek Helio X20 has also been here for a while.

Benchmark scores have been flying all over the place, but it has been rather hard to pinpoint one set of comparable data. A new Chinese source claims to have done just that and the results spell out one thing loud and clear – the Exynos 8890 is the ultimate multi-tasking monster this generation has to offer.

The aggregated numbers come from Geekbench3 and present a neat and clear overview of how the top chip manufacturers and their respective creations stacked-up throughout the years. This time around, we can see that Samsung has a sizeable lead in multi-core performance with a whopping 7,400 points. Mediatek is runner up with 6,500 points and close by is the Kirin 950 with only a hundred less at 6,400. Apple’s A9 is definitely lacking in this department scoring just 4,436.

Still, don’t be too quick to throw out your iPhone, as the Cupertino flagship may have only two cores, but they pack an incredible punch. An earlier chart, courtesy of the same source puts that in perspective, claiming that the A9 is capable of churning out 2,527 points on a single core, whereas Samsung’s new custom-build cores can only reach 2,270.

But putting the endless Android vs iOS flame war that such data inevitably fuels, the fact is that it is still way too early to judge any kind of real-world performance on any of the next-get chips. All we can do is play the waiting game and see what each one delivers to end users in its future host devices.

Source 1 (in Chinese) | Source 2 (in Chinese) |…

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If you live in Canada, you may have been upset that American Express cards are not supported by Apple Pay yet. Be ready to add your cards to those iPhones tomorrow, though.

Earlier this month, when users attempted to add the unsupported card, they received new a message from American Express reading “We are unable to complete your request to add your card”, then, users were asked to “call the number on the back of your card” for assistance.

This new error message hinted that AMEX was likely preparing for Apple Pay support in Canada. Now American Express customer service representatives have confirmed in front of a local blog that American Express cards in Canada are to go live for Apple Pay tomorrow, November 17.

Source |…

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Not a particularly well kept secret, the Lenovo Vibe X3 has just been unveiled in China. A successor to the multi-layer Vibe X2, the X3 bears little resemblance to last-year’s sharp-edged model, instead adopting more fluid rounded shapes. What’s perhaps a bit surprising is that the Vibe X3 moniker denotes a total of 3 smartphones.

While they all carry the same name, it’s more of a 2+1 affair, as two of those have a lot in common, and the third one swaps a few components to keep the price lower. That said, all three of those have 5.5-inch displays with FullHD resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

The two higher-end models sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with 3GB or RAM and 64GB or 32GB of built-in storage, respectively, and they accept microSD cards for expansion. They both come with dual-SIM dual-standby capability and 4G on both cards.

Lenovo Vibe X3 press images

Picture taking is handled by a 23MP primary camera which uses a Sony IMX230 sensor with phase detection autofocus and 4K video recording. There’s an 8MP front-facing camera as well. A prominent feature is the generous 3,600mAh battery, and thanks to Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 2.0 tech it should be pretty fast to top up too.

The third model comes with a different chipset, and the true octa-core name hints at Mediatek silicon. The CPU is clocked at 1.3GHz and there’s only 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, expandable yet again. This “Youth” version also brings downgrades in the camera department – the rear shooter is a 16MP unit, while the selfies will come out at 5MP. The powerpack has a slightly smaller capacity at 3,400mAh, but the headline here should be that the battery is removable.

Lenovo Vibe X3 press images

All three phones come with some serious audio prowess. There’s a total of three Texas Instruments OPA1612 amplifiers, a Cirrus Logic WM8281 codec for noise and echo cancellation to handle the input from the three mics, and a high-end Sabre 9018C2M DAC as found in the LG V10. A Dolby Atmos certification sits proudly on the devices’ backs. All models feature a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as well.

List prices in China are CNY 2,999 ($470) for the top-specced model with 64GB of ROM, CNY 2,499 ($390) for the 32GB version, and CNY 1,899 ($300) for the Youth version. It remains to be seen when the international version of the Vibe X3 will be revealed and it’s also unclear whether all three models will make it outside of…

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