Week 34 in review: Android Marshmallow, iPhone 6s and Xiaomi

The past work week was quite busy, with new devices, courtesy of Lenovo, Meizu and Panasonic, to name a few. The news section was also buzzing with other interesting industry announcements that kept us on our toes even without shiny new hardware. For one, the next big version of Android finally has an official desert name, so you can stop the betting. Android 6.0 will be called Marshmallow and it already promises quite a few interesting new features such as granular, real-time app permission control, better memory management and built-in fingerprint reader support.

We have no doubt that OEMs will soon be getting into yet another update frenzy and in light of this, Samsung already gave us a glimpse of how it plans to build its TouchWiz on top of Marshmallow. And as long as we are talking about the Korean giant, its latest Note5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ devices are still making headlines, but instead of rumors, we are now seeing the first batch of benchmarks and drop tests. Another exciting announcement was the dual-SIM variant of the Note5, which sadly also lacks a microSD slot, contrary to previous rumors. Still, there are surely more devices where the Note5 came from and we are now hearing of a possible new Galaxy O series.

Xiaomi has also been making major headlines lately and rightfully so. The Chinese OEM has been on a roll with record breaking sales on the Redmi Note 2, a gorgeous new MIUI 7 and rumors of a benchmark-breaking Mi5 flagship on the way.

Announcements might be slow, but we are just days away from IFA 2015 and the list of anticipated devices for the near future is now growing daily. Sony’s Z5 Compact has been frequenting our rumor mill and so have the Meizu MX5 Pro and the HTC O2. Others, like the next iPhone and Nexus models are all but expected, but still shrouded in a lot of mystery. A few new photos shed some light in that department as well.

If you think you might have missed something from the week, here is a list of the hottest topics in the tech world.

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Android M is now officially called 6.0 Marshmallow
Google has just installed the green Marshmallow statue near its Android headquarters.

Xiaomi sells record-breaking 800k Redmi Note 2 units in 12 hours
The device, which was announced in China last week, was up for flash sale in the country yesterday.

Here’s what new features Android M will bring to Samsung devices
The infographic also comes with a preliminary list of devices eligible for Android M.

This is a live photo of the upcoming Nexus smartphone by LG
The next Nexus smartphone is expected to debut in the near future alongside a phablet by Huawei.

Xiaomi Mi5 storms through Antutu with 73K score, Snapdragon 820 inside?
The Chinese company’s overdue flagship is in Galaxy S6 territory, chipset still not confirmed.

Xiaomi unveils MIUI 7: faster, smarter, prettier
MIUI launched on August 16 2010 with just 100 users and five years later the Android-based software is enjoyed by over 150 million users. They’ll soon get access to version 7 of MIUI, coming soon to a…

Samsung Galaxy Note5’s first drop test proves the brittleness of the glass design
Samsung’s latest duo of devices – the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note5 have been official for a few days now, after the eagerly-anticipated |…

Are those the rose gold iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus?
Leaked images supposedly reveal the look of the upcoming rose gold flavor for the iPhone 6s duet.

Benchmarking Samsung Galaxy Note5 and…

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ZTE Nubia Z9 battery life test

The ZTE Nubia Z9 left us with some mixed feelings after the review process, but the battery life was mostly in the green.

The 2,900mAh battery is about what you would expect from a phone with a 5.2″ screen. The Nubia Z9 is neither the thinnest, nor the lightest phone around though so we were hoping for a bit more battery capacity. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 810, which isn’t known for power efficiency. It’s a dual-SIM phone, but it all worked out well in the end.

Some people get dual-SIM phones because they do a lot of talking and the Z9 can last 22+ hours worth of calls, which is a very good result. We’ve seen some rare phones last 30+ hours but with 20+ hours of call time you would rarely be in a situation where calls eat up a significant part of the battery charge.

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Talk time

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE
46:44h

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro
33:20h

Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G
33:19h

Motorola DROID Turbo
30:09h

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
29:46h

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Dual SIM
29:46h

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE
29:46h

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL LTE Dual SIM
29:46h

HTC One (M8) for Windows
28:34h

Nokia Lumia 1520
28:34h

Samsung Galaxy Note 4
28:31h

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet LTE
28:25h

Samsung Galaxy S5
27:37h

Sony Xperia Z1
26:53h

Samsung Galaxy S6 active
26:29h

Samsung P6800 Galaxy Tab 7.7
25:45h

LG G3
25:38h

LG G Pro 2
25:37h

LG G Flex
25:19h

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
25:16h

LG G2
25:15h

BlackBerry Passport
25:12h

Huawei Ascend Mate
25:12h

Samsung Galaxy A7 Duos
25:12h

Motorola Nexus 6
25:03h

Alcatel Hero
25:02h

Oppo N1
25:01h

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
24:52h

Sony Xperia Z Ultra
24:23h

Apple iPhone 6 Plus
23:49h

LG AKA
23:20h

Sony Xperia Z3
23:13h

Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM
23:09h

Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE
23:09h

Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE Dual SIM
23:09h

Oppo R7
22:58h

Samsung P6200 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
22:42h

Motorola Moto E (2nd gen)
22:36h

22:20h

ZTE Nubia Z9
22:20h

Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue
22:16h

Nokia Lumia 1020
22:13h

Samsung Galaxy Core LTE
22:13h

Sony Xperia Z2
22:13h

Nokia Lumia 1320
22:13h

HTC One Max
22:13h

Sony Xperia C3 Dual
22:11h

Meizu MX4 Pro
22:09h

Yota YotaPhone 2
22:09h

Samsung ATIV SE
22:05h

Xiaomi Redmi Note
21:41h

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
21:39h

Motorola RAZR MAXX
21:18h

Xiaomi Mi 4i
21:02h

Meizu m2 note
20:55h

LG Optimus G Pro E985
20:45h

HTC One M9
20:44h

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
20:42h

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
20:24h

Motorola RAZR i XT890
20:07h

Huawei Ascend Mate7
20:06h

Samsung Galaxy A3
20:04h

Samsung Galaxy E7
20:04h

Samsung Galaxy A3 Duos
20:04h

Oppo Find 7
20:03h

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
20:01h

BlackBerry Q10
20:00h

OnePlus One
19:56h

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2
19:55h

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200
19:54h

Sony Xperia SP
19:49h

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
19:48h

Sony Xperia T3
19:48h

Samsung Galaxy S6
19:48h

HTC Butterfly 2
19:23h

HTC Butterfly S
19:14h

HTC Desire Eye

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CyanogenMod 12.1 nightlies now available for the Mi 4 and Mi 3

Just in case you got tired of the MIUI on your Xiaomi Mi 4 or Mi 3 and want some stock Android action then you’d be happy to know that Cyanogen has released CyanogenMod 12.1 nightlies for both the devices.

The latest ROM is built on top of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, which means you will be getting the latest version of Android, something both the devices are deprived of currently on MIUI. Being nightlies, these won’t be as stable as, well, stable releases but if you don’t mind experimenting and are aware of the risks that come with installing experimental builds on your device then it’s worth a try.

You can find instructions to download the files and installation process in the link…

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The new Oppo R5s brings better specs inside the same slick body

Remember the Oppo R5? Its premium metal body, stunning aesthetics and thin profile really made it stand out among the crowd, making it a signature Oppo offer. It’s now back with an improved specs sheet inside the same razor-sharp 4.85 mm body.

The second version is dubbed the R5s and is already listed on the manufacturer European website. Improvements were made in two departments – RAM is now bumped up from 2GB to 3GB and internal storage is now double at 32GB. The rest of the phone is practically unchanged, making it just as visually appealing as its predecessor.

It packs the same 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and 423 ppi. It still runs on the mid-range Snapdragon 615 SoC, but in our review of the Oppo R5, we found it to be quite snappy. The camera setup is also unchanged with a 13MP Sony IMX214 sensor on the back and a 5MP shooter on the front, both with an aperture of f/2.0.

The R5s is also powered by a 2000 mAh battery, which is actually bad news, considering the low endurance rating of its sibling. So, that thin profile definitely comes at a price. Other than that the unit should boot Android 4.4.4 KitKat with the ColorOS 2.0 UI.

Currently, the device is listed as “coming soon” and we can’t really say when it will be available. However, according to the listing it should go for €199, which is actually a lot cheaper than the Oppo R5 and could significantly improve the phone’s chances of success if it turns out to be…

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If your iPhone 6 Plus takes blurry photos, it might be a camera defect that Apple is offering to fix for free.

Apple has always take great pride in its customer service and product warranties. Cupertino has adopted the habit of caring for its current customers, instead of just pampering to prospective ones and often times this involves recalls and defect removals at the company’s expense.

So, naturally, when reports started coming in for blurry photos from the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple looked into it and sure enough, found that a limited range of the phablet devices is equipped with a certain camera component that is prone to failure. In comes the camera replacement program.

If you are getting bad quality shots out of your iPhone 6 Plus and it is equipped with the said component, then Apple will change your iSight camera free of charge. This can be done at an Apple Authorized Service Provider, Apple Retail Store or directly from Apple Technical Support.

Eligibility is worldwide, but repair locations might be limited to the original country of purchase. Also, only a small number of units is affected. Most of them were sold between September 2014 and January 2015, which might help you work out whether your phone is affected. For extra convenience, Apple has set up a nifty checker, so you can simply hit the source link, input your serial number and see if you can take Apple up on the offer.

Even if your iPhone 6 Plus isn’t exhibiting bad camera behavior it might still be a good idea to verify it doesn’t have the faulty camera, just in…

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Samsung’s Ultimate Test Drive is already out of units

Yesterday Samsung launched a peculiar new campaign, geared at current iPhone users. The promotion, titled The Ultimate Test Drive offered iPhone owners inside the US a chance to get a brand new Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+ or Galaxy S6 edge for a 30 day trial and the cost was only $1.

Apparently, the offer proved to be so tantalizing that mere hours later Samsung updated their website, informing that no more test units are available at the time. The Korean giant never actually revealed how many units it was giving away, but we can only assume we are talking in the thousands as it is a US-wide offer. The depleted quantities also come as no surprise. Even if you are pretty fond of your iPhone, chances are that you wouldn’t turn down a shiny new toy, be it for a month. Furthermore, the phone did also come with an active SIM card from a US carrier of your choice and that has its allure as well.

The more interesting part is how successful the campaign will be after the month has passed. The end goal is clear – steal away Apple users, but it is hard to say how many of the participants will opt to pay for the device and keep it after the test drive.

If you are among the lucky ones, who managed to find out about the Ultimate Test Drive in time, we would love to get some extra information about additional conditions and the specific around the provided SIM card. Also, you might want to take good care of that loaner if you plan on taking it back, otherwise, Samsung will charge you for any damage. Still, unless you lose or absolutely destroy the phone, the fines don’t look so bad.

Source |…

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Facebook is redesigning the Notes feature with a blog style interface

If you were around back in the early days of Facebook, then you surely remember Notes. They were the only way to post a lengthier piece of text on your wall and really satisfied a need, left out by statuses. Since then, however, much has changed, Facebook has risen the character limit and Notes were pushed to the side. They are still around, but you have to really know where to look for them to create one and it is barely distinguishable from a regular post anyway.

Facebook is planning to change this and reimagine its Notes function. The new feature was spotted online and is apparently already in testing. You can actually check it out for yourself at the source link. From the looks of it, Notes will become Facebook’s take on blogging. The new UI is wider and has a big photo on top, not unlike a cover. The title is also clear and big. The text itself is formatted with in a relaxed matter with a lot of room on all sides, just as it should for a pleasant reading experience. A Facebook spokesman had this to say about the new Notes:

We’re testing an update to Notes to make it easier for people to create and read longer-form stories on Facebook,

Facebook is definitely be on to something, as the blogging fad might have become less trendy and bested by richer, quicker and more convenient mediums, but it still has its place online and is far from dead. With Facebook’s massive existing user base and audience, the reimagined blog could definitely flourish, especially if the functionality is neatly and seamlessly integrated.

Speaking of which, it is interesting to see how Facebook handles its redesigned Notes on smaller devices and its mobile apps. If the social giant plays its card correctly, Facebook blogging might become the next big old thing in social media.

Source |…

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Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special edition was showcased in Brazil with a whopping 256GB onboard storage

There is really no doubt about it, Asus truly loves its Zenfone 2. Ever since it was originally introduced back in March it came with quite a few choices, including color options and two different hardware variants – one with an Atom Z3580 SoC, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage and the other with an Intel Atom Z3560, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

The line was extended even further a few weeks ago when the Zenfone 2 Laser and Zenfone 2 Deluxe were introduced, each with their own little twist to the original model. Now, it appears Asus is at it again as yet another version of the Deluxe model was unveiled in Brazil. Apparently the Taiwanese tech giant wasn’t content calling a phone “Deluxe” simply because of its “premium-crafted polygonal design” on the back and decided to go ahead and spoil the user for choice yet again with a whopping 256GB storage option.

This new variation is labeled as Asus Zenfone 2 Delux Special edition, which, despite being slightly silly, is quite a fitting title as you don’t really see laptop-level flash storage capacity in a mobile device that often. To make things even more interesting, Asus has also left in the microSD slot from the rest of the Zenfone family, so if 256GB are simply not enough, you can pile on an extra 128GB microSD card.

As for the rest of the device’s specs sheet, it is mostly unchanged and still pretty impressive. The phone runs on an Intel Atom Z3580 SoC, which is a proper 2.5GHz, x86 CPU with eight cores and a PowerVR G6430 GPU. Memory is set at 4GB and the screen is the same 5.5-inch model with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 and Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

The camera setup consists of a 13MP Pixelmaster camera on the back and a 5MP shooter on the front. A non-removable 3000mAh keeps the show running. Just like its siblings, the Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special edition has Dual SIM support, Cat.6 LTE and the patented Asus Boostmaster fast charging technology. It boots Android Lollipop with Zen UI on top and the limited edition even comes bundled with an exclusive version of Asphalt 8 preinstalled.

The phone should be available in Brazil as of next month, but the pricing is still unknown.

Source (in Portuguese) |…

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Google on Desktop can now search for tweets

If you happen to be an avid Twitter user and often Google things on your mobile then you have most-likely noticed that the search giant can quite conveniently bring up Twitter results for you. The integration happened back in May and until now was only limited to mobile. Today, Google and Twitter bring the feature to your desktop as well. The announcement was made via Google’s Twitter account in a typical lighthearted manner:

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You got it, @google. We’ll bring the Tweets. 🎉— Twitter (@twitter) August 21, 2015

The function should already be available to you on google.com with search queries in English. Results are presented in an info-card fashion and are undoubtedly convenient. Google has always been an invaluable resource for researching people, places and events and with a relevant twitter feed mixed-in with the results, you can easily see other people’s opinion on the matters at hand as well.

It really seems to be a perfect marriage and this new move will undoubtedly rekindle past rumors of a Twitter acquisition by the search giant. But speculations aside, the partnership is undoubtedly mutually beneficial, making both parties even more appealing than they already…

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Xiaomi is planning to enter the Africa market this September

Xiaomi is definitely on a roll. Through a mix of hard work, competitive pricing, viral marketing and just a little bit of luck the Chinese OEM is now enjoying incredible interest in its handsets. In the past week alone, the company can boast record breaking sales on the Redmi Note 2, a gorgeous new MIUI 7 and rumors of a benchmark-breaking Mi5 flagship on the way.

This presents the company with the opportunity to finally work on its ambitious expansion plan, laid out last year. After entering the huge India market with a flying start, a new report now suggests that an Africa expansion is just around the corner.

According to Forbes, the Chinese OEM has already partnered with a pan-Africa distributor, Mobile in Africa Limited and will sell its smartphones in 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This local distributor strategy has already proven successful in Xiaomi’s previous ventures, like Foxconn in Brazil and Redington in India. But, besides brick and mortar stores, online sales have a huge place in Xiaomi’s expansion strategy as well. The expansion also includes a network of online stores in 14 countries, which will be set-up and maintained by Mobile in Africa as well.

This all sound terribly exciting, but Xiaomi definitely has its work cut out, as tackling the Africa market is no easy task. The mobile business in most of the countries there is still developing and just like in India, the vast and young Africa market requires carefully-tailored and above all, competitively-priced offers. Google only recently managed to expand the Android One program to Africa with the $87 Infrix Hot 2, so the task should not be taken lightly.

Initially, two Xiaomi devices will be made available – the Redmi 2 and the Mi 4. They will carry price tags of ZAR 1,999 or about US $160 and ZAR 3,999 or about US$ 320, respectively. More offers are sure to follow.

Source |…

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