Although Huawei started taking pre-orders for the Nexus 6P smartphone just a day after it was launched late last month, only 32GB and 64GB models were listed on its online store all this while. That’s changing, as the 128GB variant is also officially up for pre-order now.

The variant is available in aluminium and graphite color options. As for the price tag, there’s no difference – each will set you back $649, which is same as the model’s Play Store price.

The Chinese company is also offering financing options, where-in you can purchase a unit for as low as $57.06 per month (click Source link below for more information on this). As for availability, the 128GB variant is expected to ship late next month, compared to the 32/64GB variants which Huawei says will ship early next…

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Google has announced that its photo management service Photos now has more than 100 million monthly active users, a milestone it achieved within just five months of its launch. The service offers iOS and Android apps, and is also available on the Web.

Having 100 million users in just a few months is a big deal given that companies like Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram took years to hit that milestone.

In addition to number of active users, Google also revealed some interesting facts about the service as well its users. For example, people take more photos of dogs than any other animal; top 3 photographed places include Paris, New York, and Barcelona; and users created 15 million animations and collages. To view the complete list of facts, hit the Source link below.

Source | Image…

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Sony has announced that its next-generation Xperia Z5 smartphone, which was made official last month and released this month, will be available for purchase in Canada next week – on October 29.

The device will be exclusively sold by Bell in the country. As for the price, it will cost $199.95 on a regular two-year contract, and will set you back $649.95 off-contract. The handset will be available both in-store as well as online. Color options include white and black.

While the Xperia Z5 also comes in Premium and Compact variants, there is currently no word on when they will go on sale in…

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In today’s connected world, everybody and everything seems to be online. Naturally, that includes our kids and needless to say, growing up in the web can be both empowering, but also quite dangerous. Catering content, services and devices to a younger crowd is becoming more and more relevant, which is why offers like EE’s Robin tablet really seem like a natural step forward and should become more common it the future.

The Robin isn’t really a revolutionary product and similar efforts already exist, most notably, the Amazon Kindle Fire Kids Edition, but the key here seems to be execution and the proper mix of hardware and software to deliver the best possible child-friendly experience and in this respect, OEMs are just starting to evolve the experience.

On the hardware side, Robin doesn’t really offer much power, but it’s more than enough for its primary purpose – casual gaming and educational apps. It has a 7-inch display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, plus a microSD card slot for up to 32GB more. Also, a 2MP rear-facing camera. This is all quite up to par with what Amazon offers and so are the protective features – both devices are encased in a thick layer of rubber. However, unlike the Kindle Fire Kids Edition, the EE Robin does offer 4G connectivity, making for a lot faster browsing in the carrier’s network.

But, truth be told, you could potentially buy a cheap Chinese tablet, slap a thick case on it and get pretty much the same end result. The real trick and value of Robin definitely lies in the software. The device runs the flexible Kurio operating system, built on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop. It is equipped with all you need to provide a truly safe digital experience for your kinds with advanced parental control features, based on “safe” and “block” lists. These are said to work quite autonomously, but there is also a lot of manual tweaking and control to be done. The Google Play Store is generally the source of content, but thanks to profiles and granular per-app control, you can not only block certain apps, but also time-restrict others.

Speaking of apps, Robin comes preloaded with over 40 popular games, like Fruit Ninja and Berry Rush. You also get a few months of free access to the Hopster network – an interactive TV streaming app with high-quality kid shows and games.

The Robin will first become available to customers in select stores starting October 23. Nationwide online availability and EE telesales should start on November 2. As for pricing, you can get the tablet on a variety of EE monthly plans, starting as low as GBP 13 a month. It can also be had for GBP 129.99 on a Pay as you go…

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Over the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out an update to its Maps app for Android. The company has announced this today along with details about the new features that you should expect.

This new version of Google Maps will let you easily add detours to your route, without ever leaving the navigation view. Additionally, Maps will show you gas prices at gas stations that are along your route (or near it). This means that, should you want to stop for gas, you’ll immediately have an idea of which station is the cheapest. You can then choose to add it as a detour and navigate to it before continuing your journey.

The detour feature also works for other things. You get to it by tapping on the magnifying glass at the top right of the screen. This gives you a drop-down menu of options, such as the aforementioned gas stations, but also restaurants, grocery stores, and coffee shops. Plus, you can search for other places by using the dedicated search field or voice search. Once you’ve chosen a detour, you’ll first be routed to it, and then to your initially set…

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Verizon and Motorola are set to announce the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 at a special event on October 27, which is exactly one week from today. Yet for whatever reason the carrier simply got impatient, and through a teaser video revealed what the back of the Droid Turbo 2 looks like.

Big Red posted the video on its official Twitter account, accompanied by the words “Introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people”. This probably has something to do with the Droid Turbo 2’s rumored “shatterproof” display, which it will share with the Moto X Force (its alleged international version).

Introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people. http://pic.twitter.com/OzeiE2znP3— Verizon (@verizon) October 20, 2015

This means Verizon may be positioning the new Droid Turbo as a slightly rugged device, able to withstand certain human ‘imperfections’ – such as dropping it, for example. We’ve recently heard that the Droid Turbo 2 will be added to Motorola’s Moto Maker online customization service, which will be a first for the Droid line. And spec-wise, the Droid Turbo 2 should be a true flagship-class offering.

Source |…

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Earlier today HTC took the wraps off the One A9, its latest upper-midrange smartphone. The handset is already up for pre-order in the US, and will become available at the beginning of next month (including in other markets, though pricing varies wildly).

To make the One A9 an easier choice for those who value getting timely software updates, HTC’s arm in the USA has made a pretty big promise.

Did you hear that? The Unlocked A9 will receive every Google SW update within 15 days of Nexus devices! #BeBrilliant— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) October 20, 2015

As you can see in the embedded tweet above, the One A9 is said to get every Android update within 15 days of the Nexus line having received it. That’s a bold promise, and one that’s unique in the Android world so far.

Obviously though, some questions arise, and HTC hasn’t yet clarified all the details of this commitment. We don’t know how long the One A9 will be covered, as clearly there will be a cut-off moment, possibly 18 or 24 months from the phone’s launch (if we go by what usually happens in the mobile world). Also up for debate is what the word “every” means in this context – will HTC send each of Google’s monthly security updates straight to the One A9? What about .x updates, for example Android 6.1 if that ever becomes reality? Will that make it to the One A9 in 15 days too? Is this update promise only valid for the US (since this has after all been announced by the company’s US subsidiary)? Or does any unit purchased unlocked anywhere in the world get the same treatment? And what happens to carrier models, how slowly will they get updates?

Hopefully HTC will at some point take some time to answer all of these…

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Yesterday we heard that Samsung is planning on announcing the Galaxy S7 in January, at least a month earlier than the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. And today some more details about the next Samsung flagship have seemingly emerged, thanks to a couple of new rumors.

As always with such things, don’t forget to take everything you’re about to read with a grain of salt. Ready? Here goes. The S7 will allegedly be made from a magnesium alloy, at least its frame will. Samsung could be keeping the glass back that debuted with the S6 this year. The new alloy will apparently make it sturdier while also giving it an even more premium feel, which is not something we expect anyone to complain about.

Moving on, the Galaxy S7 is said to also come with the Sabre 9018AQ2M audio chip by ESS Technology, which will turn the phone into a Hi-Fi powerhouse, with superior audio quality. The chip in question reportedly features 129 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and it supports PCM up to 32-bit and 384 KHz, as well as DSD 11.2 MHz sampling. Its overall power consumption is very small, with only 1mW needed in standby and less than 40mW at all times.

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

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We didn’t know it at the time, but a few weeks ago with its new Nexus devices Google started a trend. And not a good one if you happen to live in Europe. See, the new Nexus 5X, for example, happens to be way more expensive in Europe than it is in the US.

And now we can say the exact same thing about the newly unveiled HTC One A9. While in the US the launch price is a very reasonable $399.99 for a SIM-free and unlocked unit, things are very different on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the UK, the phone is going to cost a whopping £429.99, which right now translates into roughly $664. But wait, that’s not all! To add insult to injury, the model that will be sold in the UK will only have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, whereas the US-bound iteration has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage.

As for operators, so far only O2 has confirmed that it will be offering the One A9, including the gold variation, which will be exclusive to it. So if you’re in the UK and really want a One A9, you’ll probably end up getting it from an operator, paying almost nothing upfront and having the actual cost of the phone hidden inside a Pay Monthly contract.

Although HTC hasn’t yet announced official pricing for the Eurozone, media outlets in Germany are expecting the One A9 to go for €599. That’s currently about $679, so even more than in the UK, amazingly. What’s unclear is which hardware version of the handset will make it to continental Europe, the one with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage or the one with double those amounts.

Either way, while in the US this is a pretty affordable mid-ranger, over in Europe the One A9 reaches flagship-level pricing, without having the specs to back that up. HTC’s newest does, however, make the LG Nexus 5X seem like a good buy in Europe by comparison – the 32GB version of that device will only cost €530, and it has a higher-end SoC on board and a bigger battery.

We sincerely hope no other smartphone makers will follow Google’s and HTC’s lead on this newfound trend, but you probably shouldn’t be holding your breath.

Source 1 • Source 2 (in German) • Source…

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It’s been a little over an hour since the much-leaked HTC One A9 finally became official. We’ve already gone hands-on with the device, so make sure you read our detailed report. And here’s some good news if you’re impressed and want to pre-order one as soon as possible.

It turns out you can already do just that if you’re in the US. Pre-orders are now live through HTC’s own online store, with the price being $399.99 as announced. For this amount you can bag an unlocked unit that’s compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile. There also seem to be dedicated versions of the handset for each of these two carriers, as well as one for Sprint.

You currently have three color choices, namely silver, grey, and “deep garnet” (don’t call it red). Gold is nowhere to be seen yet, and red isn’t an option for the Sprint version for whatever reason. Shipments are set to start in the first week of November. HTC says you have 30 days to send the pre-ordered unit back if you don’t like it, no strings attached – so you don’t need to worry about taking the plunge without having seen the phone in person.

The unlocked version of the HTC One A9 (as well as AT&T’s unlocked edition) will let you unlock the bootloader without losing your warranty. The One A9 also comes with six months of free access to the Google Play Music All Access streaming service, and it’s covered by HTC’s Uh-Oh Protection for one year.

Most importantly for some, HTC promises that the One A9 will receive new Android versions within 15 days of Google releasing them for Nexus devices. If the Taiwanese company manages to keep this promise, it means the One A9 will be the first non-Nexus phone to get future Android…

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