Week 20 in review: OnePlus Two, Galaxy A8 and bezelless phones

Another busy week has gone by and once again, we attempt to sum up the most exciting news from the past seven days. It seems the season for major flagship announcement has passed, so now it's time for rumors and speculations about their successors and this week saw quite a few of these.

OnePlus, creators of the legendary OnePlus One smartphone might be closer to releasing a successor than we thought. A leaked benchmark score surfaced, which might be the first glimpse at the OnePlus Two, a device that has been a constant presence in the rumor mill for some time now. Specs definitely look promising and, hopefully, the device will live up to the high expectations set forth by its budget-friendly predecessor.

Moving on to Samsung, rumors hint that a few new models are already on their way to consumer markets. One is the promising Galaxy A8 – an upper mid-range offering from the all-metal series. It might feature an impressive 5.5-inch display, just slightly below the Note series and even a fingerprint sensor. There has also been talk of an Active version of the Galaxy S6. The rugged device might be a true flagship, dressed in armor, boasting the same impressive specs and even possibly throwing in a microSD card slot.

Other notable rumors include an impressive, all-metal, HTC One ME9, which has already leaked in specs and even an alleged photo. Also, we got acquainted with the Sony Lavender a little better, as well as Meizu's m1 note 2. Last, but not least, what looks like a new Apple iPhone 5c with a fingerprint sensor was spotted briefly on an official website, so, we might have that to look forward to.

Some new devices did get announced during the week and, by all accounts, it seems that the new bezelless look is in. The Oppo R7 Plus and the Sharp Aquos Crystal 2 are a testament to this. They were made official, along with another mid-ranger with a more traditional look – the Oppo R7. Another Sharp device also joins the group – the 5.7-inch Aquos Xx and so does the Elephone P8000. Last, but definitely not least, the Ubuntu-powered Meizu Mx4 finally hit the shelves, after an excruciatingly long wait.

In other news, Android development is going steady with new factory images for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, as well as a new and highly-improved Android Wear build. Also, a Dual-SIM LG G4 might be inbound on select markets. A move which might give the company an interesting edge in sales.

If you think you might have missed something from the busy week, here is a list of what you, our readers, found most interesting in the tech world.

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OnePlus 2 apparently got benchmarked today
The upcoming successor to the OnePlus One from last year may have been put through its first test.

Oppo R7 and R7 Plus officially announced
Both come with Lollipop and octa-core CPU, the Plus adds fingerprint sensor and edge-to-edge display.

Sharp unveils Aquos Crystal 2 with a bigger, bezel-less display
The new model also has basic waterproofing, mobile wallet support and more storage.

Sony Lavender specs revealed, larger than the Xperia C4
Mediatek MT6752 with an octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM inside, dual 13MP cameras on board.

Samsung to release another Edge model before the next Note Edge?
The increased production capacity for edge displays could result in expansion of the smartphone range.

Sony Xperia Z lineup finally gets Android Lollipop
Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZR are now getting Android Lollipop OTA, Xperia ZR and Tablet Z to follow suit.

Samsung Galaxy S6 sales reach 10M, run behind…

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Xiaomi Mi 4i to go on open sale over the next two days

The Chinese startup Xiaomi launched the Mi 4i as an affordable iteration of the Mi 4, a month ago in India. Following that the phone went on the usual flash sales at Flipkart for INR 12,999 ($205).

To purchase the Mi 4i, you had to register at Flipkart and have quick reflexes and a lot of luch. Now, Xiaomi-Flipkart team has announced an open sale of Mi 4i on May 25 and 26 through the dedicated page on Flipkart.

A couple of days ago, Xiaomi released an 804MB update that packed thermal control algorithms to address the handset's heating issues.

Though Xiaomi showed few color options at the launch, the Mi 4i is still only available in white….

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Samsung Z1 tops charts in Bangladesh in Q1

Samsung's only Tizen-based smartphone, the Z1, was the top smartphone in Bangladesh in the first quarter of the ongoing year, according to a latest report from market research firm Counterpoint.

The South Korean company captured the second spot in the market with 7.2% share of mobile phone shipments and 23.4% share of smartphone shipments in the quarter. The first position was claimed by local player Symphony Mobile.

It's worth mentioning that the handset is only available in India and Bangladesh, although the Tizen Store is now available in 182 countries around the…

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OnePlus offering $32 Amazon gift card with the One in India

The OnePlus One was launched in India back in December last year, so come this June, it will be the sixth month anniversary of the device in the country. To celebrate the event, the company is offering a free Amazon gift card worth INR 2,000 ($32) with every purchase of the One.

What's worth mentioning is that the offer is for limited period only, valid till May 31. As for the gift card, you can use it to purchase anything on Amazon, except e-books and apps.

If you aren't in the know, the One is available in 64GB Sandstone Black and 16GB Silk White models, which are priced at INR 21,998 ($346) and INR 18,998 ($299) on Amazon, respectively.
Source |…

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