In a bid to bring the A series' new-found premium design language to the masses, Samsung's E-lineup has managed to maintain the same looks. Lower-grade hardware and entirely plastic build have helped keep the price down, but if you don't look too hard it's still an upmarket smartphone.

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1yXfutj
via IFTTT

ZTE hasn’t exactly managed to keep its next flagship phone a secret. There have been a lot of spills regarding the Nubia Z9, including an alleged live shot of the device. Furthermore, the phone is really bound to come sooner rather than later, considering that ZTE has already made a Nubia Z9 Max and a Nubia Z9 mini official. All that is left in the picture is the standard model.

Today, a new set of leaked images of what is said to be the device's frame has surfaced, giving us a few more bits and pieces of information. In the said photos, we see a metal frame, indicating that the ZTE Numia Z9 will spout a pretty premium design. Sadly, however, neither of the two shots shows a clear view of the back side of the frame, making it unclear whether the phone will have the same metal finish on the back, or go with similar design to its siblings, which are metal just along the sides.

Even if the frame does get covered by a glass, plastic or perhaps even bamboo finish, as is with the two aforementioned phones, the fact that the phone has a metal cage is pretty indicative of its overall build quality. Another important piece of information that can be deduced from the photos concerns the phone's screen. We can clearly see that the frame is intended to hold a panel, extending pretty much edge-to-edge and if the previously leaked live shot is any indication, it should all add up to a bezelless design.

Overall, the approach to the front panel looks quite similar to the one on the Oppo R7. So, perhaps the ZTE Nubia might leverage a similar optical technology to achieve its edge-to-edge effect.

There is one more observation to be made. In both photos the frame is placed on top of the Nubia Z9 Max. Considering, that it has a screen size of 5.5-inches, it is safe to assume that ZTE has gone for a 5.2-inch display in the Nubia Z9. This pretty much covers everything we currently know about the Nubia Z9, but it shouldn’t be long now until we see more of it, perhaps even an official announcement from ZTE. We will be sure to keep you…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1DYKgRE
via IFTTT

Recently we heard rumors about alleged Nokia plans for re-entering the phone market in 2016. We are happy to report those plans are indeed true and Nokia will be marking its return next year with an Android smartphone.

Nokia sold its device business to Microsoft a year ago and it signed a non-compete clause preventing the company from producing smartphones under the Nokia brand until December 31, 2015 and feature phones under the Nokia brand for a decade.

Nokia used wisely these non-compete clauses and outed the powerful Nokia N1 tablet early this year. The N1 is designed by Nokia, including its Z Launcher for Android, but the rights for the branding, manufacturing, marketing and distributions were licensed to Foxconn.

The President of Nokia China confirmed Nokia is working on Android powered smartphones, which will be probably manufactured in factories in Sichuan, China (after further assessment) and will be launched in 2016. He also sheds some light on company's future – the Nokia's R&D center will permanently relocate to Sichuan, China.

Looking forward to Nokia's next phone chapter? We certainly are.

Source |…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1boaByA
via IFTTT

Today, April 24, is the official launch of the long awaited Apple Watch. As we reported yesterday the Watch will be sold exclusively online until Apple can meet the demand. Indeed Apple Watch is only available for purchase online as of today, but it is on backorder.

According to Apple Store the first Watch orders will begin shipping in June. This is about two months from now.

Fortunately, the Apple Watch is available for testing and exploring at Apple Store Retail, so at least you can see it live before making a decision. Apple also included a detailed sizing guide, for those of you who can't go to an Apple Retail Store.

You can learn more about the Apple Watch editions at the official Apple Store page. If you want one, you should hurry up as the shipping may soon change to July or August. Hopefully Apple won’t introduce a successor this…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1yVWBqD
via IFTTT

Yesterday Acer unveiled a wide array of new products at a press conference in New York. Among these were two new tablets – Acer Iconia One 8 (B1-820) and the Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A30). The company also teased a third slate – the gaming-centr Acer Predator Tablet.

The Iconia One 8 (B1-820) is a budget-oriented device with an 8-inch displayof the modest 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, a body with a thickness of 9.5mm and a quad-core Intel Atom processor. The amount of RAM is still unknown, but the aforementioned chips, along with Android 5.0 Lollipop should provide ample performance, especially for a budget device. Onboard storage is set at either 16GB or 32GB and the battery should provide up to 8.5 hours of endurance according to official information.

The Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A30) is also designed with a specific goal in mind. It is intended for educational use and is set to join the Google Education ecosystem. Like it name suggests, it has a larger 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. RAM is set at 2GB and storage options are abundant with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. The processor is a quad-core Intel Atom and the device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop as well.

Both devices are equipped with screens based Zero Air Gap technology and leverage Acer Precision Plus for improved touchscreen performance. Both also have 5MP rear cameras and front-facing shooters as well – 0.3 MP on the One 8 and 2MP on the Tab 10, respectively. The full list of specs can be found below.

Acer Iconia One 8 B1-820 specifications

8-inch (1280 x 800 pixels) HD IPS display based on Zero Air Gap technology
1.83 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor
1GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB internal memory, expandable memory with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
5-megapixel rear camera, 88-degree wide angle lens
0.3MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 127.7 x 213.9 x 9.5mm; Weight: 355 grams
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
up to 8.5 hours of battery life

Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A30 specifications

10.1-inch (1920 x 1200 pixels) FHD IPS display based on Zero Air Gap technology, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
1.83 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor
2GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB / 64GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 64GB with microSD
Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
5-megapixel rear camera
2MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 260 x 176 x 9.7 mm; Weight: 540g
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC
up to 7.5 hours of battery life

As for the third tablet that Acer teased during the event, it is geared towards the Android gaming market. Not much is currently known about it, but we do have a few photos of the upcoming device. It definitely hits big on looks with four red grills on the front, which, hopefully, all house speakers.

As for hardware, everything is still a mystery, except for the screen size, which is 8 inches. Acer also hinted that the Predator tablet will come with some kind of haptic feedback and, much like most console controllers, provides some physical response while gaming.

As far as pricing and availability goes, the Iconia One 8 B1-820 should be available in North America in July with a price tag of $145 and by April in EMEA for €179. It will come in a large selection of 10 colors.

The bigger Tab 10 A3-A30 should hit stores in North America in May with a price of $299, as well as select EMEA markets for €299. It comes with optional stylus, protective film, bumper case, protective sleeve and wireless keyboard dock. As for the Acer Predator, all we currently know is that it should be coming in Q4 this year.

Source 1 | Source…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1aXvRut
via IFTTT

LG has been sharing videos and information about the upcoming flagship G4 legitimately. Lately, we also reported that there will be a dual-SIM version of the G4.

Today, LG has shared two teaser videos basically showing how the key components were tested and then included in the phone.

The first video is of the Quantum IPS display testing to achieve more natural and accurate colors.

In the second video, the f/1.8 camera module with five element lens shows its brilliance.

LG G4 will be announced on April 29 and might be costlier than the Galaxy S6….

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1FjkZDR
via IFTTT

While you can buy Acer computers in the US you have to import its smartphones. This will end in May when the company will launch the Acer Liquid X2. It's a 5.5" phablet with three SIM slots. Three SIM phones are pretty rare, but even dual-SIMs are not that popular in the US.

Acer has added a 64-bit octa-core processor, 13MP camera and a massive 4,000mAh battery. The company already has one three-SIM phone, the 5" Acer Liquid E700, but this is clearly a higher-end option.

Unfortunately, there's not much more info about the Liquid X2. Acer will be offering Quick Flip covers, which have a tall, narrow window for notification display. The phone is coming in May, hopefully the price tag will arrive a bit…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1bzVbI9
via IFTTT

LG has been sharing videos and information about the upcoming flagship G4 legitimately. Lately, we also reported that there will be a dual-SIM version of the G4.

Today, LG has shared two teaser videos basically showing how the key components were tested and then included in the phone.

The first video is of the Quantum IPS display testing to achieve more natural and accurate colors.

In the second video, the f/1.8 camera module with five element lens shows its brilliance.

LG G4 will be announced on April 29 and might be costlier than the Galaxy S6….

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1zTuvHy
via IFTTT

The Lumia 640, which was announced last month at MWC 2015, made a brief appearance yesterday on the US Microsoft Store website, giving us an idea about the carrier pricing for the device in the country.

Although for a short duration of time, the device was listed as “coming soon” for just $89 — the listing (see image above) has since been pulled by Microsoft. What's worth mentioning here is that this is the no-contract pricing.

This comes just a day after Expansys USA started offering the unlocked Lumia 640 LTE (dual-SIM version) for…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1GdRjnJ
via IFTTT

Huawei's P8 smartphone, which was announced by the company last week, has sold out on its first day of release – the device was launched yesterday in China, where it was made available through the company's online shop Vmall for a price tag of 3,588 CNY ($579).

Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 930 chipset and sports a 5.2-inch 1080p display. It comes with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, and packs in a 2680 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the P8 features a 13 MP rear unit and an 8 MP front shooter. The 6.4 mm-thin device runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Huawei's EMUI 3.1 interface on top.

The smartphone, which is expected to be released worldwide in May, will cost €499 in Europe, and should set you back around $500 in the…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1d7Jadk
via IFTTT