Vivo's upcoming X5 Pro smartphone will launch on May 7, according to a report from Chinese website Mobile-Dad. What's worth mentioning here is that it is the same date the Vivo Xshot debuted last year.

From what we know so far, the X5 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, comes with 3GB of RAM, and packs in a 3,500mAh battery. It features a camera with phase detection autofocus, and runs Android Lollipop with the company’s own Funtouch UI on top. The device is also said to utilize a front glass with slightly rounded corners, which produce a 2.5D effect.

Needless to say, none of this has been officially confirmed, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Via 1 (translated) | Via…

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Smartphones will be the leading consumer electronics item this year, according to global research firm GfK.

Speaking at IFA 2015, Jürgen Boyny, global director of consumer electronics for GfK Retail and Technology, said that the ongoing decline in smartphone prices will help increase their demand. "Smartphones are still a major driver of the digital market," he said. "Prices are dropping."

Boyny revealed that they expect the smartphone market to grow by 1.5% this year to $859.12 billion, up from $846.07 billion last year. While Middle East and Africa will see a 6% growth (the largest) in smartphone sales, US will witness a modest 3% growth. On the other hand, there will be a 2% decline in smartphone sales in Europe in 2015, he said.

Boyny also touched upon the wearable category, saying the market for fitness trackers and smart watches will continue to grow in 2015. GfK predicts that a total of around 114 million wearables will be sold this…

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According to report in The Wall Street Journal, a dedicated unit by Qualcomm will help Chinese smartphone manufacturers sell their hardware overseas. The chipmaker recently settled a massive antitrust investigation in China by paying a fine of $975 million.

The move is part of Qualcomm’s efforts to strengthen its relationships with manufacturers in China. A company executive told WSJ that the San Diego-based maker of the popular Snapdragon chipsets has set up a globalization office in Shenzhen, which will help local companies touch base with markets abroad.

As a result of the antitrust settlement, Qualcomm will reduce the royalties it collects from manufacturers in China and be more transparent about its local business ventures. The tech giant will also start a $150 million fund that will invest in local startups.

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Alleged press render of the upcoming Vivo X5 Pro made the rounds online. The upcoming smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer is expected to debut as early as this week, on April 28.

Alleged Vivo X5 Pro image (click to enlarge)

The leaked render falls in line with the teaser images of the handset that appeared over the past couple of weeks. Vivo X5 Pro will utilize a front glass with slightly rounded corners, which produce a 2.5D effect. The latter has been increasingly popular feature in smartphones lately.

Rumored specs of Vivo X5 Pro include Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, 3GB of RAM, camera with phase detection autofocus, and 3,500mAh battery. The device will boot Android Lollipop dressed in Funtouch 2.1 UI….

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Nokia has no plans to re-enter the smartphone market after all. The Finnish giant released an official statement, which denied recent rumors that suggested the opposite.

Here is the full text of Nokia’s short statement:

Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive.

Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets.

The above statement is as straightforward as it is concise. It is worth noting that, under the terms of its deal with Microsoft, Nokia isn’t allowed to launch any phone bearing its name until the second half of next year.

Source…

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Xiaomi is working to bring a fingerprint sensor to its high-end to mid-range smartphones. A new patent filing at the State Intellectual Property Office in China reveals a method of implementing fingerprint recognition to the buttons.

It is being estimated that the next Xiaomi flagship device might include the fingerprint sensor. While there is no confirmation on that, here is what the patent filing reveals:

“The device comprises a bottom fingerprint sensors and optical sensor provided in the terminal equipment of the cover glass; fingerprint identification circuit connected fingerprint sensor for fingerprint recognition sensor and the fingerprint information analysis and processing, obtain fingerprint analysis ; host processor, and an optical sensor and fingerprint identification circuit connections for the monitored optical sensor light information received to determine whether cover glass touch button operation; identity authentication based on fingerprint analysis results obtained fingerprint identification circuit."

Home button on the smartphones have become more than the button by integrating a fingerprint sensor. Premium devices such as iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 include fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi Mi 5 may feature 5.2” QHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 mobile chipset, 3GB of RAM, up to 64GB storage, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front-facing unit, and 3,600 mAh battery. We suggest to take these specs with a grain of salt and wait for a formal announcement.

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Counterclockwise is old news – literally! – but looking back on events from the distance of several years can give you an interesting perspective. Like the madness that surrounded a simple paintjob or that time a Nokia 1100 allegedly robbed banks.

The secret history of iPhone designs

Apple changes the design of the iPhone every two or three generations. Back in April 2010 the current model was the curvy 3GS, but factories were already prepping for the next-gen phone. The "iPhone 4G" would have squared off sides, metal frame, plus a glass back.

Apparently the initial leak happened well before April, but it's the nature of rumors that they are hard to confirm. And a confirmation did come in a rather dramatic fashion – someone sold a lost early unit to Gizmodo, which caused all sorts of legal trouble.

The lost iPhone 4

The iPhone 3G introduced a White color option and the 3GS followed. The iPhone 4, however, launched in Black only as manufacturing issues reportedly slowed down production. The iPhone 4 officially launched in June 2010, while the White iPhone 4 launched a full year after the big leak on April 28.

Why would a different color cause such a huge delay you ask? It turns out that the white glass affected optical elements in the camera and proximity sensor (which uses infrared light), so they had to be redesigned for the white model.

The White color option came so late that the rumor mill had already moved on to iPhone 5 leaks. This one was off the mark with its iPod-inspired looks. Apple would eventually move to an iPod-like design, but that didn’t happen until the iPhone 6 and the bezels never got this thin.

Despite the delay Apple was rolling in the dough and iOS devices outnumbered Android ones in the US.

In April 2011 Apple was getting ready to expand the iPhone's reach with a T-Mobile USA version. The issue was that the carrier was using the AWS 3G band (1,700MHz), which was not widely supported.

Anyway, many lined up to buy a White iPhone 4 despite being practically the same. Apple would achieve a similar success with the Gold iPhone 5s – if it's Apple doing the painting, people really love new colors.

Phones killed the Walkman star

The Walkman was the iPod of its time, but sadly for Sony that time had passed. The brand lived on with some portable players, but phones were killing those off even faster than they were digital cameras. If the brand had any future, it was in phones.

The Sony Ericsson collaboration had created a number of Walkman-branded feature phones, but those had their own extinction to worry about.

It took a long time, some would say too long, but the company launched the first Android-powered, Walkman-branded phone in April 2011 – the Sony Ericsson W8.

A decidedly low-end device, it had a 3" capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480px resolution. It was powered by a 600MHz processor with a measly 168MB RAM. It ran an outdated Android 2.1 at a time when other phones had moved on to 2.2 Froyo or even 2.3 Gingerbread. Outdated or not, it was impressive that it ran at all.

As you can imagine, the Sony Ericsson W8 was not a huge success. The company failed to capitalize on Sony's music hardware history, not to mention Sony Music Entertainment.

The story of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play was similar – a great history of influential consoles and an in-house game studio counted for nothing when tied to way underpowered hardware.

Vegas on the cheap

The first smartphones we used could just barely manage to play an MP3 and "an MP3" is about how much you could fit in the internal storage. So we're continuously amazed by how advanced sub-$100 phones have gotten. The Nokia Lumia 520 is perhaps the best-known recent example – we've seen it as low as $25 on promotion, which nets you a capable dual-core processor, 480 x 800px screen and 720p-capable camera.

This is not a new trend though, in April 2009 the Orange Vegas claimed the title "cheapest full touchscreen handset to date." It's light years behind the Lumia, but for just £48.50 – just over $70 in 2009 – you get a 2.4" touchscreen, 1.3MP camera, 64MB of storage plus a microSD card slot.

Orange Vegas in pink and black

The Vegas featured Facebook, MySpace and Bebo integration (that's how old this phone is) and while it wasn’t a smartphone, the interface might have…

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Just when you thought the Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 edge/Grand Prime triumvirate was going to rule for months on end, the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML stepped in and claimed a seat in the Top 3. And it's also worth noting that the Galaxy S6 lost a massive 30K hits compared to last week.

The Top 10 trending phones chart is a recap list of the devices that gathered the most hits throughout the week. In other words, the chart represents the interests of the majority of you, our visitors, and is an indication of what currently interests you.

The quietly announced in Japan Sony Xperia Z4 made it to the chart, but it's fate in the global market is yet unclear. We'll need to wait and see how the interest for Sony's yet another incremental update develops over the following weeks.

The Apple iPhone 6 is settling in sixth position, just like in the previous edition of the chart. Meanwhile the Lenovo A7000 has slipped into seventh after it topped in fourth last week.

Xiaomi Mi 4i, the just unveiled midranger that won't break your bank, enters in ninth with a bright future ahead of it. Two more Samsung offerings, the Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy S5 complete the Top 10 in eighth and tenth spot, respectively.

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Samsung Galaxy S6
RANK: 1WAS: 1

specs review

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML
RANK: 2NEW IN

specs review

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
RANK: 3WAS: 2

specs review

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
RANK: 4WAS: 3

specs review

Sony Xperia Z4
RANK: 5NEW IN

specs gallery

Apple iPhone 6
RANK: 6WAS: 6

specs review

Lenovo A7000
RANK: 7WAS: 4

specs review

Samsung Galaxy A5
RANK: 8WAS: 7

specs review

Xiaomi Mi 4i
RANK:…

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Here we are, again, at the end of a busy week and, naturally, we give you a quick recap of the most-interesting topics in the news. The past few days were jam-packed with new device announcements, as well as a few interesting scoops on upcoming phones and the future of the mobile industry.

First things first, the Sony Xperia Z4 is finally official. But before you break out the champagne, there are a few notes to be made. The phone was officially announced, but only in Japan and chances are it won't be making it to other countries in this form. Furthermore, the long-overdue device, really didn't manage to live up to a lot of fan expectations and sea of rumors. To quote just a few – the Z4 isn't metal, although it does have a new metal frame. It doesn’t come with a fingerprint reader and seems to be equipped with the same 5.2 FullHD display and 20.7Mp main camera as the Xperia Z3.

But there might still be hope at the end of the tunnel, as Sony has promised that there is a true next-gen flagship phone on the way this May. Also, there is already word of an Xperia Z4 Compact and a Z4 Ultra model, which allegedly made it through certification, so Sony is one again keeping us on our toes. A few other devices were unveiled this week. The LG G Stylo is now official in Korea, with mid-range specs. And so is the Micromax Canvas Spark – an ultra-affordable Lollipop phone for just $79.

Xiaomi made major headlines thanks to its newest smartphone – the Mi 4i. Most of us thought that it would be nothing more than a cheaper version of the Mi 4, but the device has gone way beyond that and offers formidable specs and quite impressive camera performance in a budget-friendly package of only $205. Lenovo also unveiled a new smartphone this week – the K80. It boasts a a 64-bit Intel Atom CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 4000 mAh battery and is also quite competitively priced at $290.

LG is still the center of attention with the impending release on the LG G4. After some controversy, it became clear that the market release will happen on April 29, which is just a few days away. Naturally, we are excited to see the new genuine-leather stitched back in person and also quite intrigued by the possibility of a slightly curved screen on the device, as well as a dual-SIM version.

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

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Sony Xperia Z4 launches with 5.2″ FHD display in Japan
This flagship powered by Snapdragon 810 SoC, bears improved water and dust resistance properties.

Micromax Canvas Spark with Lollipop launched for $79
The phone will be offered via flash sales exclusively on Snapdeal from April 29.

Sony Xperia Z4 is not the 2015 flagship, stay tuned this May
Reportedly Sony Xperia Z4 will remain a Japan-exclusive phone, while Sony will introduce its flagship in May.

Sony Xperia Z4 Compact, Z4 Ultra spotted in certification list
Indonesian telecom regulatory list points at the successors of the Xperia Z3 Compact and the Xperia Z Ultra.

Nokia rumored to return to making phones next year
The Finnish company will reportedly license its product designs to another manufacturer.

Flipkart lists Asus Zenfone 2 in India ahead of launch
The online retailer will begin selling the smartphone in less than four days, on April 23.

LG G4 said to be costlier than Samsung's Galaxy S6
According to an LG official quoted by ETnews, the device will be priced between the S6 and S6…

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It looks like Huawei might release the unannounced P8 Lite after all. The mid-range sibling of Huawei P8 and P8max appeared for pre-order in Germany with €249 price tag.

The smartphone is available to order in black and silver/gold color scheme. According to the retail listing, the Huawei P8 Lite will begin shipping to customers on May 15.

As its name suggests, Huawei P8 Lite is a toned down version of the recently announced P8 flagship. Its specs include 5″ 720p IPS display, Kirin 620 SoC with octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 13MP main camera, and 5MP front-facing unit,

Source (in German) |…

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