Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is now available to buy in the UK

The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL smartphone is now available for purchase in the UK, straight from the software giant's own online store. The phablet has been up for pre-order over there since mid-March, and now it's finally to be found in stock.

The price you need to pay for one is £219, VAT included – and this is without the need to sign a contract with an operator. For now, only the black and orange color variants are available, so if you want to get the Lumia 640 XL in white or cyan you need to wait some more unfortunately.

The Lumia 640 XL joins the smaller Lumia 640 in Microsoft's portfolio in the UK, which has been up for grabs for a few weeks now.

The phablet is rather affordable, even with its decidedly midrange specs. It comes with a 5.7-inch 720p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie snapper, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset, boasting a 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. It runs Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim, and it will be updated to Windows 10 for phones once that comes…

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition will get Android 5.1

Here's some good news if you own the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition, the one and only such device put out by the Korean company. The handset hasn't been on sale for a few months now, but if you got it earlier you'll be happy to know that an update to Android 5.1 Lollipop is headed its way at some point in the near future.

As Google handles such rollouts for the GPE devices, this is no surprise. What has been surprising however is that the S4 GPE is still stuck on Android 5.0 for whatever reason. This fact has led many to question whether it will ever move past this version.

And the answer is yes it will. According to some unnamed sources, the Android 5.1 build for it is ready and could start rolling out at any time. Which it should, since the Galaxy S4 is the only GPE phone not to have received this update…

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The official LG G4 camera samples are out

LG G4 went official today packing the latest developments the company has to offer – beautiful and unique design, Quantum LCD display of QHD resolution, Snapdragon 808 chip with a hexa-core CPU, and a brand new 16MP camera with a 1/2.6″ sensor, which sits behind a bright f1.8 lens. This means an 11% increase in gathered light over the f1.9 lens in the Samsung Galaxy S6.

The LG G4 camera is enhanced with optical image stabilization over three-axis system, an improvement over the two-axis setup on the G3.

We already spent some quality time with the LG G4 and you can learn all about it right here. And while we already know the camera is meant for greatness, a few official camera samples wouldn't hurt.

Without further ado, here are the official camera samples taken with the LG G4.

LG G4 official camera samples

Check the LG G4 specs here and our hands-on right…

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LG G4 is official, strong on design and photography features

LG just unveiled its next generation flagship – the G4. The highly anticipated smartphone was announced at dedicated events, held simultaneously in London and New York.

LG focused on three main areas in its presentation – design, display and camera. The genuine leather back which was the headline feature in numerous leaks is indeed the key styling element. LG is proud to have employed vegetable tanning, which is typical of the luxury leather industry and only 10% of leather goods are processed this way.

Not all G4s will ship with a leather back though, and the removable plastic cover will come with a hammered pattern in either ceramic white or metallic gray. Each one will be curved though, albeit only slightly, with a 3000mm radius. The company claims that the gentle curve results in better handling and a 20% increase in rigidity.

The LG G4 packs a 5.5-inch display of QHD resolution. LG has opted for a Quantum LCD panel, which is said to deliver outstanding color accuracy. LG claims the new display boasts 20% wider color reproduction, 25% improvement in brightness and 50% higher contrast than the G3.

The new flagship is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, a notch below the 810 top dog. It’s a 64-bit chipset and packs a hexa-core processor in a dual-core Cortex-A57 and quad-core Cortex-A53 arrangement. LG claims that it has worked closely with Qualcomm in customizing the SoC and has achieved a level of performance higher than the Exynos 7420 in daily tasks. 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage are on board, and expansion via microSD is possible.

The smartphone boots Lollipop out of the box with the company’s latest UX 4.0 overlay. LG is keen to point out that UI has been stripped of bloatware and one such example is the use of Chrome as the sole browser in most markets.

The camera of the G4 took center stage in the announcement, and it has all the merits to deserve it. It utilizes a 16MP sensor with a 1/2.6″ diagonal, which sits behind a bright f1.8 lens. This means an 11% increase in gathered light over the f1.9 lens in the Samsung Galaxy S6.

The G4 also comes with optical image stabilization which works over three axes, as opposed to the already capable two-axis system on the G3. Additionally, the OIS system is now able to compensate movements up to two degrees in range, compared to the predecessor's single degree.

The camera app offers a lot of advanced features including high ISO settings, live histogram and manual shutter speed, and is capable of recording RAW images. The G4 is able to shoot panoramas up to a whopping 104MP, compared to the Galaxy S6 which is capped at 60MP. The main camera is complemented by an 8MP front unit and both are capable of shooting 2160p video.

The LG G4 comes with support for wireless charging, but a dedicated back cover will need to be purchased to use it. Otherwise, the supplied 1.8A charger must be used to fill up the 3,000mAh cell. Power users will be happy to know that the battery is user-replaceable, too.

The G4 will be available on its home Korean market starting tomorrow, but the rest of the world will need to wait a bit more. Pricing is yet to be detailed…

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Follow the LG G4 unveiling right here

The LG G4 official unveiling is fast approaching and we are already on location, ready to bring you the scoop on the company's latest and greatest handset. The New York and London events both set for 3:00 PM GMT and be sure to check a little bit later for news and our live coverage.

Like always, we will try to find a live stream, so you can follow along as the LG G4 becomes official. In the meantime, here is a quick reminder of what we already know about the upcoming handset. At this point, thanks to all the abundant renders, banners, a few live photos and even an alleged shot of the retail box, we are fairly well acquainted with the design and styling of the G4. The phone should spout a nicely curved body LG dubs “Slim Arch Design”, even if 8.9 mm isn’t all that thin. The back will feature genuine stitched leather, which should set the G4 apart from the crowd and while it might not be to everybody’s liking, it does look quite stylish. LG has promised to offer more traditional back cover options as well.

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Another peculiar aspect of the G4 is its display, which might be slightly curved along the y-axis. This is supposedly done for improved handling, as well as durability, but the arch should be barely noticeable with a radius of 3000mm. Speaking of the display, is should be a 5.5-inch True HD IPS panel with a QHD resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. As for the rest of the specs sheet, most rumors also agree on a Snapdragon 808 as the chipset, instead of the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 810. This could prove to be a better choice than the Snapdragon 810, which is still taking a lot of overheating allegations.

The G4 will most-likely come with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage. The camera setup is quite impressive as well with a 16MP main camera, with an aperture of f/1.8 and an 8MP front-facing one. This should all be powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

All and all, the LG G4 looks quite exciting, so we really can't wait to see it officially announced. Join us as the presentation…

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Sony Xperia Z4 to launch internationally as Xperia Z3+

A week ago, Sony Japan had quietly announced the new Xperia Z4 smartphone as the flagship device for this year. The Xperia Z4 is basically an incremental update to the Xperia Z3 and doesn't bring any major changes.

As reported earlier however, the Xperia Z4 may not be the 2015 Sony flagship. To underline that, Sony will market the Xperia Z4 outside Japan as the Xperia Z3+. The info comes from the Sony SCR30 Style Cover Window description mentioning support for the “Xperia Z4/Z3+”.

The Xperia Z4 will be promoted internationally as the Xperia Z3+ and will bear the same hardware as well. Sony is saving up the fanfare for the Xperia Z3+ launch in select countries and is expected to make it available in May.

Sony Xperia Z3+ will have the same OmniBalance design with 6.9mm or thicker profile packing 5.2″ 1080p display, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 mobile processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 20.7MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and 2,930 mAh…

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A gold-plated Apple Watch out of Vietnam costs just $1,000

The Apple Watch polarized opinions when it was officially unveiled and its pricing revealed to the public. The premium Watch Edition models, which come with a gold case, cost upwards of $10,000 with prices all the way up to $17,000.

Well, if that sounds pricier than you're willing to pay, but your status or other considerations call for a gold Apple Watch, Vietnamese luxury specialists at Karalux may have just the right solution for you. They are offering an 18K gold plating job on the Apple Watch for a mere $300 to $400, bringing the total price to $1,000.

18K gold-plated Apple Watch

That amount of cash will get you a 38mm Apple Watch with a stainless steel case covered in 18K gold, and black or white sports band. Opting for a classic buckle will cost you additional $300 for a total of $1,300. If you choose the 42mm model, the grand total reaches $1,400, still about a tenth of Apple's price tag.

Naturally, it won't be the real thing, but it's still genuine gold and at that price it's as close as it gets to what you'd call a bargain in the Apple Watch realm. How and if you can get one out of Vietnam is unclear…

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Samsung details Galaxy S6 and S6 edge software gift packs

With the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, Samsung has definitely set the flagship bar pretty high yet again. Both handsets employ cutting-edge technology and offer premium quality and leading performance. Naturally, the Korean giant hasn’t skimped on the software side as well. TouchWiz has received a major overhaul and the device works better than ever.

But the perks don’t stop there when you purchase a new shiny Samsung phone. As has become customary for Galaxy devices, both the S6 and S6 edge come with a gift bundle of apps and promotions, exclusively picked out by Samsung.

The list of deals in quite lengthy and while nobody actually expects a six-month free subscription to draw new buyers in, this type of after-market attention helps quite a lot with customer satisfaction, not to mention exposure for the said applications. This being said, none of the apps in the list is preinstalled or hidden away in the new Galaxy. Just like with previous models, the offers can be accessed through the Samsung App Store and each one is strictly opt-in.

Galaxy Gift
Details

Audible
Three months of Audible membership

Dragons of Atlantis: Heirs of the Dragon
“Samsung Resource Pack” valued at 5,000 gold

The Economist
Six months of  digital subscription

Endomondo
Six months of Endomondo Premium

Evernote
Three months of Evernote Premium

Fleksy Keyboard
Fleksy Keyboard and Modern premium themes

Hancom Office 2014
Office editor download for an unlimited period from Galaxy Apps

The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle Earth
“Samsung Resource Pack” valued at 100 Mithril

Keepy
Six month Keepy Unlimited to save your kids art, school work and mementos

Kindle for Samsung
One eBook every month

LastPass
Three months of Premium for U.S. customers and six monthsPremium for international

Life360
Six months premium service subscription

Magisto
Three months of Magisto Pro HD

NY Times Breaking News
Three months with a subscription

OneDrive
An extra 100 GB of OneDrive storage for two years* Offer valid only on devices where OneDrive is preloaded

PAC-MAN Friends
Samsung customers receive 30 cherries (plays)

Parallels Access
Six month subscription

Pocket
Six month subscription to Pocket Premium

Shazam Encore
Special ad-free version

VSCO Cam
Download The Minimalist Collection, which includes 10 VSCOCam® presets

Workout Trainer
Six months of Workout Trainer Pro+

The apps are worth $500 if purchased separately and Samsung is pretty confident that each customer can find something of use in the list.

Source |…

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Huawei launches Honor 4C budget smartphone in China

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has updated its Honor line of devices with a new budget smartphone. Dubbed Honor 4C, the device is priced at CNY 799 ($129), and will be available Black, Blue, Gold, Pink, and White color options.

Specs-wise, the Honor 4C is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 620 chipset with 1.2 GHz octa-core processor, and sports a 5-inch 720p display. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory (which can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card), and packs in a 2550mAh battery.

In terms of camera, the device features a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with EM UI 3.0 skin on top. The smartphone is currently only available in China (via Tmall and Vmall online retailers), and it isn't yet known if and when it will be launched in other markets as…

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