ZTE might launch the Nubia Z9 with a CNY 4,299 ($692) price tag. The latter has been leaked by the Chinese online retailer JD.com.

ZTE's upcoming Nubia Z9 smartphone is no longer a secret and is expected to launch formally on May 6 in China. The phone packs an impressive set of specifications, spotted recently in a TENAA certification listing. Previously leaked images on the other hand, showed the bezelless design of the Z9.

As reported earlier, ZTE Nubia Z9 features a curved 2.5D glass flaunting 5.2" 1080p display. The smartphone will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, coupled with an eye-popping 8GB of RAM….

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After both the Wi-Fi-only and LTE versions of its bigger sibling, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 got Lollipop updates a while back, now is the time for the LTE-enabled variation of the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 to receive the same treat.

Its Wi-Fi-only iteration has been enjoying the taste of Lollipop since last month. But now the rollout for the Galaxy Tab S 8.4 LTE seems to be in full swing.

The update is currently rolling out over-the-air in Hong Kong, where it's also available to download and install using Kies, Samsung's desktop app. Now that the ice has been broken, we expect to see the Lollipop release making it to Galaxy Tab S 8.4 units sold elsewhere too in the near future.

By the end of this month, we should see a much wider rollout. If you are among the lucky ones to get the update, after applying it you'll be running Android 5.0.2, and firmware version T705ZHU1BOD3.

It brings with it a new look for Samsung's TouchWiz UI, one that's infused with Google's Material Design principles. You also get a new lock screen, new Recent Apps menu, new notification panel, and an improved multi-window mode, along with updates for built-in apps, bug fixes, and performance…

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As most of you surely remember, Samsung has been hard at work on the successors to the premium Galaxy Tab S duo. The Tab S2 will come in two sizes – an 8.0-inch and a 9.7-inch one and will utilize 4:3 aspect ratio screens. Industry sources now hint at a June announcement for both tablets, so, it shouldn't be long now before Samsung's high-end tablet lineup gets the update.

Both sizes of the Tab S2 are expected to come in a Wi-Fi-only, as well as a Wi-Fi + LTE variants, which amounts to a total of four new devices. According to previous rumors, the new tablets will be exceptionally thin, even thinner than the iPad Air 2. The alleged measurements are 237.1 × 168.8 × 5.4 mm for the smaller one and 237.17mm x 169.58mm x 5.4mm for the other. This would not only make the device “razor thin”, but would, effectively crown it the thinnest Samsung tablet to date. They are pretty light as well, at 260 grams and 407 grams respectively.

As far as the alleged specs sheets go, the slates should feature 2,048 x 1,536 pixel screens, just like recent iPads and the Nexus 9. Both devices should also be powered by one of Samsung’s own Exynos chipsets, which has a big.LITTLE CPU configuration, with four Cortex-A57 cores and four Cortex-A53 ones. The maximum clock speed will be 1.9 GHz. The GPU is a hexa-core Mali-T760MP6. RAM and camera, however, seem to be directly borrowed from the current Galaxy Tab S. That is 3GB for RAM and an 8MP…

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The wait is now over for T-Mobile users in the US who have been anticipating the Lollipop update for their Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. The coveted Android 5.0.1 OS version has been made available as an OTA firmware update.

The Lollipop build for the carrier comes a good month after Sprint's Note Edge handsets received the update. That in turn was close to a month after Android 5.0.1 rolled out in India for Samsung's pioneering curved-screen smartphone.

The build for the SM-N915T version of the flagship phablet carries a N915TUVU1BOD7 internal number and is dated April 23. It comes in the form of a whopping 1.84GB file, so make sure you have the necessary space available.

Source |…

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Microsoft, which is currently re-branding Nokia stores worldwide, has closed its only flagship store in Finland. The once Nokia flagship outlet had become a Microsoft store just last November, and was located in the heart of downtown Helsinki.

According to Tomi Kuuppelomäki, the software giant's Finland communications manager, the move will affect a total of 15 people. He added that consumer sales will now be channelized through other retailers, operators, and Microsoft's own online stores.

The outlet served its last customers on April 30.

Via 1 | Via…

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The early 2015 flagships are on sale, the low and mid-range phones are out in force – it's a good time to consider breaking that piggy bank of yours if you are after a new smartphone. In our last Smartphone buyer’s guide edition we advised you to hold off…

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The Samsung Galaxy Note II may be denied entry into the Lollipop world if the statement on Samsung Gulf's Facebook page is to be extrapolated to the global availability of the update. Thus, the two-generations-old flagship phablet is likely going to end up stuck on Android 4.4.2 KitKat in most markets.

The news comes as a disappointment after a couple of months ago it was claimed by Samsung's Polish branch than an update for the Note II was planned. It won't be the first time that a Lollipop update has been region-dependent, but the chances are indeed getting slimmer.

However, it shouldn't be a surprise in a world where even one year-old smartphones often end up without the most recent OS version and the Android realm remains heavily fragmented. The flagship status of the phablet fueled hopes that it may be graced with a new firmware, but apparently that's not going to be the case.

Thanks to Aamer Siddiqui for the…

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While Samsung didn't exactly specify which sensor it uses for the rear camera on the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, all the teardowns and software information have so far revealed it to be a Sony IMX240 sensor.

However, it seems Samsung is still using its own ISOCELL in some of the devices. It's not clear why Samsung is using two sensors and if it is region specific. Also, so far no one seems to have both devices at hand so there is no way to know if there is any difference in quality.

For the record, we have reviewed both the phones with the Sony sensor and found it to be excellent but it remains to be seen if the Samsung sensor is just as good.

You can find the information through the service…

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Two versions of the Oppo's upcoming R7 smartphone have received network certification in China. Dubbed the R7c and R7t, the models are for China Telecom and China Mobile, respectively. We also got an insider scoop from a trusted source adding more details to the picture.

Both the versions have similar specifications, except for the processor – the R7c is powered by a Snapdragon 615 chipset with 1.5GHz octa-core processor, while the R7t features a MediaTek MT6752 SoC with 1.7GHz octa-core CPU.

As for the remaining specs, the Oppo R7 sports a 5-inch Full HD display, and comes with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. In terms of camera, it features a 13MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. The device runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS, and packs in a 2320mAh battery. While the handset comes with 2.5D glass screen, it doesn't feature a fingerprint scanner.

Meanwhile, one of our trusted source has revealed that the device will have an all-metal body. The TENAA photos did suggest that, but now we know for sure.

We also learned that the Oppo R7 will be aiming to compete with the Galaxy A7 and will be priced accordingly. The metal-clad Samsung mid-ranger currently retails for €400-450, so that's about what the R7 will cost too.

Via…

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After unceremoniously revealing on Twitter that the new One Mini won't be getting the Lollipop update, HTC revealed in another tweet that the original One Mini will also not be getting the update.

The original One Mini was launched back in 2013 shortly after the original One M7. Considering the newer One Mini isn't getting the update, it's no surprise that the older one isn't either. However, this is rather unbecoming of a company to launch phones under the flagship brand name and then just leave them out in the cold later when it comes to updates. Needless to say, you should avoid any HTC device that isn't the absolute flagship if having the latest updates matter to you.

Source •…

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