As you probably know by now, BlackBerry has officially started accepting pre-orders for its Android-powered Priv smartphone. However, only those living in the US, UK, and Canada can currently pre-order the device.

While there’s no official word on when and if the Priv will be available in other markets, the device has been quietly listed by a couple of Dutch websites (Student Mobile and GSMwijzer), suggesting that it will soon be available in Europe, too.

The listing on both websites reveals a price tag of €799, which translates into around $880. Reports say that the handset will be available in the country starting week 48, which is towards November-end.

Source 1 2 |…

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When Google launched the Huawei-made Nexus 6P – alongside the LG-made Nexus 5X – in India a couple of weeks ago, it was said that the device will begin shipping on October 21. However, that never happened, and the company has now confirmed that the handset will land in India in November.

Huawei has said that the smartphone, which is currently up for pre-order on Flipkart, has received an overwhelming response, and will be available in the country starting next month.

“Our supply chain is working on priority to fulfill the demand and the smartphones will be shipped out in batches,” said P. Sanjeev, Vice President Sales, Huawei & Honor India – Consumer Business Group. “The first batch of the smartphone will be available in India starting first week of November. We are working closely with Flipkart and our retail partners on the availability of the smartphones to the Nexus 6P fans.”

If you aren’t already aware, the handset – which has already started shipping in the US – costs INR 39,999 ($615) for the 32GB version or INR 42,999 ($660) for double the…

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The past few days were quite busy on the mobile scene. Announcements have been flying all over the place, so much so that we found ourselves hard pressed to keep up. First and foremost, there is the HTC One A9 – arguably the prettiest smartphone from the Taiwanese company to date. The One A9 also offers interesting hardware including a 5.0-inch, 1080p AMOLED display, 2GB or 3GB of RAM and the all new mid-range Qualcomm SoC – the Snapdragon 617. Its price, however, is a little hard to swallow at around £450.

The Oppo R7s is another newcomer. The metal-clad phablet features 4GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display that’s covered by 2.5D glass. Also a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, 32GB of built-in memory and a 13MP camera.

Also rocking a mid-range specs sheet is the all new LG G Vista 2. It is powered by a Snapdragon 615 SoC, coupled with 2GB of RAM and also boasts a 13MP camera. It is equipped with a spacious 5.7-inch FullHD display and bundled with a stylus for better productivity.

Samsung had a couple of entry level smartphones of its own to show off – the Galaxy On5 and On7. The latter features a 5.5-inch 720p TFT display and runs on a quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM. Its sibling, the On5 has a smaller 5.0-inch HD display and an Exynos 3475 SoC along with 1.5GB of RAM. They are hardly impressive in the specs department, but are expected to retail for just $150 and $200 respectively.

Next up is the ZTE Axon, a more affordable version of the Axon Pro designed with the US market in mind. It offers a 5.5-inch 1080p displayg and the well-known Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC.

We also got the official debut of Meizu metal – the spiritual successor to the quite successful Meizu m2 note. It also has a 5.5-inch display, only with FullHD resolution. The Meizu metal runs on the MediaTek’s Helio X10 chip with 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera and 16 or 32 GB of storage.

The list goes on even further with the Kyocera DuraForce XD as well as a whopping four new budget offers by Gigabyte, tallying up to the impressive 12 count we already mentioned.

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Last week we visited the big leagues for an all-out phablet battle between the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and the iPhone 6s Plus. The clash was memorable to say the least and even though the Galaxy earned itself a definitive victory, not all is lost, as this time around, we decided to take a look at the mainstream flagships from Apple and Samsung, but with an extra pitch of excitement as well – the Sony Xperia Z5.

So, the stage is set, but before you jump ahead to voting, we offer you a quick overview of the opponents, as we did make sure to weigh them out and give our two cents on the matter in the review section.

All three phones have a lot to offer and even though none of them is perfect, they are the best of what their respective OEM’s can offer. And so the real question seems to be which vision you personally find most appealing.

It could be the metal elegance of the iPhone 6s, now more powerful than ever with an interface polished to perfection, trendy 3D touch technology and upgraded camera experience, building on the strengths of its predecessor.

Then there is the Galaxy S6, designed with more elegance in mind, while still preserving its powerhouse Android nature, superb multimedia experience with vivid AMOLED colors and excellent camera quality.

Last, but definitely not least, the latest and greatest Sony has to offer might be up your alley. It offers a familiar clean design, yet even more refined, a quality built that’s not afraid of a few splashes here and there and an equally impressive camera, immersive front-facing speakers and even a microSD slot for storage on the cheap.

Once again, we leave the tough decision making up to you and can’t wait to check back in a week to see how well the trio managed to win your…

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Samsung’s budget-friendly “J” series reigns supreme in our top ten chart for yet another week. The Galaxy J7 has remained the most tantalizing offer and takes the first spot for a third week in a row now. It is followed closely by the J5, but this time around, the Xaiomi Redmi Note 2 has undergone a striking spike in interest and is now runner-up, leaving the J5 in third place.

The Redmi Note 2 has already broken numerous sales records on its home market and has contributed immensely to Xiaomi’s rise in China. Now, with rumors of a Mi 5 coming shortly, MIUI 7 and the company’s upcoming October 27 event, interest for the value handset is apparently rising yet again.

Further down the list, we find little movement. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime is still basking in plentiful fan love and is just where we left it a week ago in fourth place. The same goes for the Galaxy Note5, which despite its still limited international availability remains among the select few flagships sill in the top 10 at sixth.

The iPhone 6s has gone up in the ranks some and now has fifth place, followed closely by the LG Nexus 5X – a new arrival to the ladder. The Sony Xperia Z5 is still hanging on the chart at eight place and so is the Galaxy S6, which is dangerously close to drop out for a second week in a row. Finally, the Moto G (3rd gen) completes the list at 9th position.

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Samsung Galaxy J7
RANK: 1WAS: 1

specs review

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
RANK: 2WAS: 8

specs review

Samsung Galaxy J5
RANK: 3WAS: 2

specs review

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
RANK: 4WAS: 4

specs review

Apple iPhone 6s
RANK: 5WAS: 7

specs review

Samsung Galaxy Note5
RANK: 6WAS: 5

specs review

LG Nexus 5X
RANK: 7NEW IN

specs…

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The great phablet battle is over and the results are in. Last week we pitted the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ against the Apple iPhone 6s Plus in a detailed vs review and then asked you to select your favorite.

Well now it’s time to wrap it up and count the votes. As it turned out the Samsung phablet made easy work of its Apple opponent and won by a huge margin. The over 12 thousand votes were split 71% to 29% in its favor.

This week we have an even more epic three-way battle in the smaller smartphone segment with the Apple iPhone 6s battling it out against the Sony Xperia Z5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6. You can bet we’ll be following that up with another poll to see where you stand after you’ve read it….

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I am a phone enthusiast, but I don’t need that much from a device. That’s the reason why throughout the last couple of years I am mostly using a current-gen iPhone as my primary device. But I always try to stay in the Android and Windows loop, so I often experiment with my secondary smartphone.

The connectivity perks I require from each device are not that hard – connect to my car’s Bluetooth hands-free system I use on a daily basis, track my location with enough precision for easier navigation, issue-free connection with my Bluetooth accessory – currently Pebble Steel. It isn’t that much, isn’t it?

So, between those iPhones I had the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Alpha, and currently the Galaxy S6 edge+. All of those devices had a few things in common that I decided to share with you.

My first blue Galaxy S3 was a wonderful device, which had some issues with the cold start of the GPS. Occasionally it’d locked me on a wrong city or street, and today I think those issues were more like due to a faulty cache rather than something deeper.

Then the Galaxy Note 3 came, which I had for almost a year. While it was able to connect to my car’s BT system 8 out of 10 times without me forcing the connection, it couldn’t maintain a stable connection with my other handsfree headset. Eventually I had to give it up in a rage-quit momentum, because it had failed me more times than served me its purpose. And I blamed the headset piece, of course.

But then there is the GPS issues. Google Navigation would often switch streets or cold start me in the wrong city. The weather widget would go crazy often (it was on auto-detect city option) and put me somewhere in Africa. I wasn’t using the navigation that much through the course of the Galaxy Note 3 lifecycle so eventually I let go of those issues.

Then the Galaxy S5, the pretty blue water-proof fella, started reporting I was in Egypt each morning. No matter the type of connection – Wi-Fi, HSPA or just GPS – I woke up in Egypt according to my phone. I needed to refresh it a few times in order to detect my location properly and by the end of the day I was back in Egypt.

Note that I experimented with routers, new IP addresses, even changed the SIM card. But the Galaxy S5 just knew I was in Egypt. It was so frustrating, that I even forgot about the Bluetooth issues with my car (yes, this one, too).

I had the Galaxy Alpha for just two months. Long story short – each morning I would wake up in Iran, while once a week I had to repeat the whole connection process to my BT car system (it is very annoying, because it uses slow voice commands and responses).

Today, while I am waiting to grab an iPhone 6s, I am using the Galaxy S6 edge+. I almost bought this one, because of its amazing camera capabilities and low-light photos. But each morning I wake up in Oruro, Bolivia and my Google Now suggestions are terribly messed up. My Pebble Steel can’t last four hours without losing connection for unknown reasons, while my BT car system is forgottem every three days and I need to do the pairing once again.

I did a factory reset yesterday and I still wake up in Bolivia and can’t use my Pebble.

Am I the only one with GPS and Bluetooth issues? I didn’t sync anything (even app data) on those Galaxies but my contacts (via Gmail), so I didn’t transfer bad data accidentally. And I didn’t have a single of those issues on my iPhones and Lumias.

A quick lookup on the web showed many people are having various Bluetooth issues with the Galaxy lineup. One of my colleagues turned up having similar problems with his Galaxy Note 3.

There are some solutions or tweaks on the web, which will probably solve some or all of my issues on the Galaxy lineup. Or won’t. But because I am paying Samsung a load of money for a phone, I demand a device where at least basic stuff like GPS and Bluetooth works issue-free. I don’t have the time or the desire to fix the bugs of my brand new shiny handset – it’s your job,…

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Another week is now behind us and the past seven days re packed full of action. We got 12 new device announcements, and many exciting leaks and rumors.

The buzz-word is definitely HTC and particularly its new One A9 handset. After numerous leaks and speculations, the handset finally got its formal introduction and is already causing quite a commotion.

While we are on the topic of new devices, the Meizu metal is now official, with a 5.5 inch display and a pretty decent specs sheet, featuring the MediaTek Helio X10. The Oppo R7s also made its debut and gathered a lot of fan attention. It is boasting an AMOLED screen, 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 615 SoC, making it an odd upper-midrange handset. The LG G Vista 2 is another newcomer that stirred up some excitement and the same goes for Xiaomi’s new smart TV.

As far as rumors went, we managed to see a glimpse of the upcoming Huawei P8 flagship, the Galaxy Golden 3, as well as two new Droid handsets and a metal Yu Yutopia. Also, the eagerly-anticipated Blackberry Priv appears to be getting ever closer to user markets.

In other news, Samsung already has its own take on the trendy 3D touch technology in the works, as hinted by a recent patent. Also, the latest iPhone duo isn’t really getting much love in India, despite the hidden bonus of a twice more powerful 10W charger.

If you think you might have missed something interesting from the past week, here is a rundown of the top stories.

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The beautiful all-metal HTC One A9 goes official with Snapdragon 617
HTC One A9 is now official with a 5″ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 617 chip and a 13MP OIS camera.

Samsung Galaxy S7 rumored to sport magnesium build, Hi-Fi audio
The upcoming smartphone is a star in the rumor mill more and more lately, with its expected January unveiling.

Samsung Galaxy S7 could be launching in January
It would be more than a month early compared to any of its predecessors, if this actually happens.

Huawei Mate 8 leak reveals a beastly specs sheet
The eagerly-anticipated device and its custom Kirin 950 SoC might make it one of the most powerful devices on the market.

Oppo R7s goes official with 4GB of RAM and 5.5” AMOLED display
The phablet will debut in Australia and a number of markets in Asia next month. Europe and the United States will follow suit in December.

Apple’s newest iPhones get tepid opening-weekend response in India
Retailers are expecting that sales will pick up following a price slash, something they say most customers are patiently waiting for.

Samsung’s own 3D Touch interpretation revealed in patent filing
The Korean smartphone maker may choose to first use this technology in its upcoming Galaxy S7.

Xiaomi announces 60-inch 4K Mi TV 3
Xiaomi has announced the new 60-inch 4K Mi TV 3 smart TV in China. The TV comes in two parts, the display itself and the speaker box, which does all the work.

Samsung SM-W2016 leaks online, it’s the Galaxy Golden 3
The SM-W2016 model packs a 4.6″ HD screen, Exynos 7 Octa chip and a 16MP 16:9 rear camera.

128GB Nexus 6P now available for purchase from Huawei’s online store
The variant is available in aluminium and graphite color options. As for the price, there’s no difference – each will set you back $649.

Teaser confirms Yu Yutopia will sport a metal body
Last month, Micromax subsidiary Yu said it’s planning to launch what it called “the most powerful…

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Toshiba seems to be in a bit of a tough spot lately after a troubling revelation that the company overstated earnings by $1.3 billion going back to fiscal 2008/09. Naturally this caused a veritable scandal, followed by a promise to restructure from the new CEO – Masashi Muromachi. A major part of this process is determining the faith of the OEM’s system LSI semiconductor business, which has been barely making a profit.

In light of this, industry sources are now claiming that Sony has lined up to purchase Toshiba’s image sensor business – a major part of the aforementioned semiconductor division. Allegedly, an offer has already been made for about 20 billion CNY, which roughly translates to $165 million.

This would most likely include ownership of Toshiba’s image sensor manufacturing plant in Oita, southern Japan, in addition to technology and research assets and would effectively mean that Toshiba is pulling out of the sensor business altogether.

This sounds like a very sound, albeit drastic step in restructuring some of the Japanese company’s less profitable segments, but a buyer in the face of Sony is somewhat puzzling. On the one hand, the deal makes perfect sense, as Sony is already a major player on the image sensor business, especially in the mobile realm, supplying hardware to nearly every major brand out there. But, on the other hand, Sony’s own mobile business is struggling to reform in some way, in the face of a serious deadline of a year or so to break a profit.

Thankfully, despite its hurdles in the mobile realm, Sony as a whole is doing quite alright for itself, especially thanks to the PlayStation business, so such deal is definitely possible form a financial standpoint and it could potentially boost Sony’s own expertise and manufacturing potential for image sensors. However, this can easily be interpreted as a sign that the Japanese giant is giving up on its mobile segment, which has been the stuff of rumors for a long time now and instead potentially focusing on delivering imaging hardware to third parties without putting out any more handsets on the market.

Hopefully, Sony’s long-standing mobile business will endure the hardships and find some way to regain profitability, before any such drastic measure are…

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Apple is still sitting pretty on that Android version of Apple Music it promised back when the service was first introduced. But while the app will release eventually, here is a sneak peek at what it’s going to look like courtesy of Mobilegeeks.de.

The UI is a familiar combination of both Android UI guidelines and Apple Music design elements on iOS. The app maintains Apple’s design for the category views while at the same time looks at home on an Android device due to the use of familiar Android action bar and hamburger menu.

We don’t know when exactly Apple Music is releasing but it’s some time next month. Apple Music will be available for $9.99 per month.

Source •…

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