Lenovo unveils K80, a phone with 4GB RAM and 4,000 mAh battery

Just a few months after Asus announced the ZenFone 2, the world's first smartphone with 4GB RAM, Lenovo has also unveiled a handset with 4 GB of random-access memory. It's worth mentioning that Xiaomi's Mi Note Pro also comes with 4GB RAM.

Dubbed K80, the smartphone is powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom chipset with 1.2GHz CPU, and sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display. As already mentioned, it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, and packs in a huge 4000 mAh battery.

In terms of camera, the K80 features a 13 MP rear unit with Optical Image Stabilization. The 8.5mm-thin device runs Android Lollipop and comes in black, silver, and red colour options.

The handset carries a price tag of 1,799 CNY ($290), and will be available in China starting April 30. A variant with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory will also be released. It isn't yet known if and when the K80 will be available in other…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1JA3HkR
via IFTTT

Microsoft says it sold 8.6 million Lumia devices in its fiscal Q3

Microsoft has announced its fiscal 2015 Q3 (quarter that ended on March 31) earnings report, revealing that it sold 8.6 million Lumia devices in the quarter, up 18% year-on-year but down 18% compared to the prior quarter.

Lumia sales brought in a revenue of $1.4 billion, down 16% compared to the year-ago quarter. Microsoft said the decline was due to a "higher mix of low royalty devices."

The software giant also revealed that it sold a total of 24.7 million feature phones in the quarter, down compared to the same quarter last year. "Market for feature phones continues to contract," the company said.
Via 1 | Via…

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

Samsung pushes Lollipop update to the Galaxy Tab S 8.4

The update to Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 has been out for a while now, for both the Wi-Fi-only and LTE-capable iterations of that tablet. So it's only natural that Samsung starts pushing the new software to the smaller member of its premium tablet line, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4.

After all, both it and the 10.5-inch model were unveiled and launched at the same time. Unfortunately for now the update is confined to the Wi-Fi-only version of the Tab S 8.4.

The first country to get Lollipop for this device is, unsurprisingly, Samsung's native South Korea. Over there the update should already be rolling out over-the-air, while also being available to download and install by using Kies, Samsung's desktop PC software.

If you're in Korea, after you apply the update you'll be running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop and build T700KXU1BOD4.

Now that the cat's out of the bag, let's hope the Lollipop release will quickly make it to Galaxy Tab S 8.4 units sold in other countries, as well as to its LTE-enabled…

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

EE’s Harrier line launches with two affordable smartphones

UK operator EE has announced two new own-brand smartphones today. They are the Harrier and the Harrier Mini, continuing EE's habit of naming mobile devices after birds.

The Harrier comes with a 5.2-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, 2GB of RAM, and a 2,500 mAh battery. At the helm is Qualcomm's 64-bit Snapdragon 615 SoC with an octa-core CPU. The Harrier is just 8.9mm thin, and it runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

EE will sell it for £199.99 on Pay as you go, and it will be free with contracts starting at £21.99 per month.

The Harrier Mini is obviously smaller, as its name implies. It's got a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, 1GB of RAM, and a 2,000 mAh battery. It's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 chipset, coming with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU. The Mini also runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

It will be offered on Pay as you go for £99.99, and it will be free with contracts starting at £16.99 per month.

Both smartphones have support for 4G LTE, as well as Wi-Fi calling. They will be available for purchase on April 28, which is next Tuesday.

Source 1 • Source…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1byJ1PI
via IFTTT

Samsung confirms its next smartwatch has round screen

Samsung has released a lot of smartwatches so far, but it's reportedly taking its time with the next one, wanting to get it just right. The device is codenamed Orbis, and will be sold as the Gear A. It will come with a round screen, unlike all of its predecessors.

The Orbis (or Gear A) has been leaked a lot so far, but today Samsung has actually confirmed that it will have a round display. The company did the deed through an official press release announcing that the software development kit (SDK) for its next smartwatch will be out before the wearable itself launches.

This is done in a bid to convince developers to write apps for the watch, and have as many of those as possible available straight from its release day. Developers who are interested to take part in this effort can sign up at a dedicated website, and then wait for Samsung to contact them with more details.

The giveaway is in the image attached to said press release, which features only round app examples. So at least this is clear now. What's left to happen is for Samsung to actually announce the Gear A, and there's currently no telling when that will occur.

From past leaks we know that the Gear A may be powered by Samsung's Exynos 7420 chipset, the same one employed by the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. The smartwatch will get a version with 3G connectivity and voice call support, and it should sport wireless charging.

Source |…

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

LG G4 said to be costlier than Samsung’s Galaxy S6, report says

While we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the LG's upcoming flagship smartphone, the G4, it wasn't yet clear how much it will cost, but that was until now.

According to an LG official quoted by ETnews, the device will be priced in between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge price points, which means that it will cost more than $795 but less than $910.

“Prices are yet to be confirmed, but will stay within that range. The comparison target is Edge because the best camera, natural leather, etc. are used,” said the official. Going by the information revealed by SK Telecom, the device is expected to carry a price tag of $825.

Via 1 | Via…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1Gmq3G2
via IFTTT

BB Leap now also available in US, France, and Germany

The BlackBerry Leap smartphone, whose global roll-out began last week in the UK, is now also available for purchase in the US, France, and Germany. The device was unveiled last month

As for the price, the BlackBerry 10 handset will set you back €289.00 in France as well as Germany, with shipping on April 24, while in the US, it is shipping right now and will cost you $275. Over in the UK, it is priced at £199

The Leap was first announced at the company's MWC 2015 press conference in Barcelona. It is currently listed as coming soon in Canada, India, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi…

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

Samsung begins updating Galaxy A3 with Android Lollipop

Samsung is now seeding yet another Android Lollipop firmware update – this time around the Galaxy A3 is the lucky smartphone. Samsung previously announced the entire Galaxy A series will be treated to Lollipop, so we expect the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 to follow suit soon.

The Galaxy A3 Lollipop update is available both over-the-air and via the Kies suite. The first country to get the new system update is Russia, but barring any issues with the firmware, it will spread globally in the matter of days.

The new firmware update for the Samsung Galaxy A3 brings Android 5.0.2 Lollipop OS, performance and stability improvements, better battery life, new TouchWiz UX influenced by the new Material Design, among other features and fixes.

If you have a Galaxy A3 you can expect this update to show at your update section very soon.

Thank you, Sanay, for the…

from GSMArena.com – Latest articles http://ift.tt/1aVd3vX
via IFTTT

Asus launches ZenFone 2 starting $206 in India

After several teasers, Asus has formally introduced the ZenFone 2 in India with four variants. The new ZenFone 2 variants will be available for pre-order from Flipkart.

Asus has skipped the ZenFone 2 ZE500CL model for now and went ahead with other variants. Basically, there are two variants with 2GB of RAM and two variants with 4GB of RAM

Those variants bearing 2GB of RAM include the ZenFone 2 ZE550ML model with a 5.5″ 720p display, quad-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z3560 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB built-in storage, which costs INR 12,999. The second variant brings the same CPU but a 5.5″ 1080p HD display and is priced at INR14,999.

ZenFone 2 ZE551ML with 4GB of comes in two variants – one with 32GB built-in storage for INR19,999 and the 64GB built-in storage for INR23,999. Both of those feature a 5.5″ 1080p display and the quad-core 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 chipset.

All ZenFone 2 models have some common set of features such as dual-SIM slots with 4G LTE network support. All variants feature a 13MP PixelMaster camera with dual-LED at the back while in the front will be a 5MP camera. These devices will run the Zen UI on top of the Android 5.0 Lollipop and pack 3,000 mAh battery to deliver greater battery…

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

Lumia flagships are put on hold as budget devices battle it out

It has become abundantly clear that Microsoft has been really working hard to gear its mobile business to the low-end, budget market segment and the strategy has definitely been yielding results. The company has been striking hard on huge emerging markets, such as India, where, according to analysis, around 78 percent of market demand is for phones in the sub $190 range.

This has forced Microsoft to put out competitive low-end devices, like the Lumia 520 and Lumia 535 and, rather naturally, neglect the higher-end market. In a recent statement Microsoft Mobile Devices Managing Director in India, Ajey Mehta reiterated that the company's current strategic goals are still targeted to the low-end market and was happy to announce that the Microsoft Lumia 535 has finally surpassed the Lumia 520 as the most-popular Windows phone device ever.

Both phones are clearly budget-friendly with a price tag of around $130 and the Lumia 535 is a clear upgrade over the older 520 model. But, even though, it offers a better qHD screen and a dual 5MP camera setup, the Lumia 520 is so vastly popular that dethroning it was considered almost impossible.

So, the US company has really settled in nicely in this specific market niche, but that leaves a lot of Windows Phone fans craving for fresh flagship devices. Mehta made it clear that Microsoft understood the need and importance of new premium devices, but made it clear that new high-end offers can be expected only after the official launch of Windows 10. In his own words
We believe we have to offer the best possible experience to the consumers. Once we are ready with Windows 10 and our devices, that is the right time to launch.

So it appears we won't be seeing any new powerhouse Lumia devices before Windows 10 becomes official, which is expected to happen in the summer. In the meantime, we are left with the knowledge that Microsoft has regained its spot in the top 5 OEMs list in India with a 4.6% market share, which will, hopefully, give the company enough of a boost to really come through with future high-end devices.

Source |…

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