Snapchat has released an update on iOS and Android that brings two new features.

The first is Lenses. Now in the selfie mode, you just press and hold on your face, which triggers the facial recognition. It then enables multiple effects that appear at the bottom that align to your face and animate. There are several Lenses available at the moment and we expect more to be added later. On Android, this is device specific, so it doesn’t work on some devices.

The second feature is paid replays. Previously, you could replay a snap sent by someone but you could only use one replay per person during a day for some reason. The reason seems to be clear now, because Snapchat now allows you to purchase extra replays, where you can get 3 replays for a dollar. This is an absurd way to make money but then Snapchat has always been absurd.

The update is now available on the App Store and Play…

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The Huawei Nexus has cropped up in another benchmark database, this one gives more detail about the upcoming Google phablet. GFX Bench 3.1 detected 5.7″ screen with QHD resolution (1,440 x 2,560px).

The chipset is the expected Snapdragon 810 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It will be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, naturally.

The main camera is only a 12MP shooter with 2160p video, nothing extravagant. The selfie camera has an 8MP sensor that maxes out at a 4:3 version of QHD for video.

We expect Google to unveil both Nexus phones – Huawei’s 5.7″ model and LG’s 5.2″ one – on September 29, with pre-orders starting two weeks…

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Yota Devices – the Russian company behind the dual-screen YotaPhone and YotaPhone 2 (shown below) smartphones – has entered into an agreement with ZTE that will see the Chinese company manufacturing the next generation YotaPhone, expected to be called YotaPhone 3.

“The partnership involves the production of new generation of YotaPhone smartphones, as well as the development and integration of mobile services and software,” the company said in a report. Until now, the YotaPhones were manufactured in Singapore.

As for the launch time-frame, it was revealed that the device will debut in Q1 next year, although no exact date was confirmed. Initially, around 100,000 units of the smartphone are expected to be produced, the report…

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Spotify has announced that its Running feature – which was launched back in May this year for iPhone users – is now rolling out to Android devices, too.

“Since the launch of Spotify Running, millions of you have laced up and hit the road together with the best musical motivation out there,” the company said in a blog post. “Today we’re thrilled to be bringing the same great experience to our Android users.”

For those who aren’t already aware, the feature allows the application to detect a runner’s pace and adjust the tempo of the tracks based on that. Track recommendations are based on the user’s listening history, multiple-genre play-lists as well as original running…

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Samsung’s smartphone shipments in the year 2015 are expected to increase by just 0.95% compared to 2014, according to a report out of the company’s home country of South Korea. The tech giant is projected to ship a total of 318 million units this year.

On the other hand, as per the report, Apple’s smartphone shipments are expected to touch the 230 million mark this year, a rise of 19% compared to last year.

A quick look at the past few years reveals that 2012 was one of the best years for Samsung as it saw the company’s shipments increase by a whopping 131%. The number dropped to around 45% in 2013 and 0% in 2014. This compares to Apple’s rate of year-on-year increase, which was around 50%, 13%, and 26% in these years, respectively.

The report comes over a month after T-Mobile dropped Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge prices by up to $200. The duo has received a price cut in Europe,…

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It looks like that Facebook ‘dislike’ button you’ve been dreaming about will make its way to the social network in the near future. The tech giant’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the feature is in development during a Q&A in its HQ.

The new addition will allow users to express empathy, including during moments that are not particularly likable. Facebook hasn’t implemented the ‘dislike’ button earlier in order to avoid uprooting and down voting as seen on Reddit.

The feature is expected to debut soon. Facebook has been working on it for a while.

Source…

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According to @evleaks, the previously leaked HTC One A9 will feature a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset. The smartphone is expected to make its official debut at the end of this month, on September 29 alongside HTC Butterfly 3.

The rest of the One A9’s specs include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable memory, 13MP main camera with OIS, and 4MP front-facing snapper. A 5″ 1080p AMOLED display, 2,150mAh battery, and fingerprint sensor are also said to be on board.

There is no mention of the Android build on board of the device by @evleaks. However, earlier today, a word got out that the device might run Android Marshmallow out of the box.

HTC One A9 will allegedly have a metal body that’s around 7mm thin. The handset is tipped to hit the shelves in November in six color schemes.

Source…

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Bloatware is often talked about when it comes to Android-running devices, but the truth is most people don’t actually use all the apps iOS comes with either. These then have to go into a junk folder of sorts, since there is no way for you to get rid of any app that’s preinstalled in Apple’s mobile OS.

There’s a small chance that this policy could change in the future, though. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself told BuzzFeed that, in the future, the company may devise a way for you to uninstall certain unwanted apps that are built into iOS.

There’s no timeline yet, and even if this happens it will only apply to some of the preinstalled iOS apps. That’s because others “are linked to something else on the iPhone. If they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone”, Cook says. So only apps “that aren’t like that” will be looked at by Apple, in order for it to “figure out a way” for you to remove them.

In case you had any doubts, Cook goes on to say that “It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate; we’re not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy”.

Source |…

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A new LG device was caught in the database of the GFXBench benchmark for Android. Right now it’s known only by its model number, which is H740.

The LG H740 is an upcoming mid-range phablet, by the looks of the specs which have been revealed by the aforementioned benchmark.

It has a 5.7-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 12 or 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and 1080p video capture support, a 5 MP selfie snapper (also with 1080p video recording), 2GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, an accelerometer, compass, and pedometer.

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 chipset with a 1.5 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU and Adreno 405 GPU. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

LG has scheduled an event for October 1 in New York City, during which it’s expected to unveil its next flagship offering, which could be the already leaked V10. That said, the H740 might become official on the same occasion too.

Source | Via 1 • Via 2 (in Italian) • Via 3 (in…

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Last week OnePlus used its social media accounts to tease the fact that “something luxurious” would be coming. “A bit of welcome luxury”, the company boasted.

At the time we assumed we’d see a leather back cover for the OnePlus 2, but that’s not the case. See, in this case all the hubbub was actually about a case. A leather case for the OnePlus 2, that is.

It’s called the Hard Graft Wild Phone Case for OnePlus 2, and it’s handmade in Italy by the accessory designers at Hard Graft, from washed and traditionally tanned leather. It’s available in just one color, ash grey. It’s lined with wool in order to “keep your display beautiful and fingerprint-free”. The case has two slim pockets too, in which you can place things like credit cards or even money.

The leather case can be yours for $99.99 or €99.99 straight from OnePlus’ official online store, and it appears to be in stock at the moment (unlike the OnePlus 2…

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