BlackBerry P’9983 Graphite now available for purchase

If the regular BlackBerry P'9983 Porsche Design was too plain for you, a new has been made available today, the BlackBerry P'9983 Graphite. Distinguishing features include "graphite-metallic colored elements and the finest, hand-wrapped leather on the back door cover", in BlackBerry's wording.

BlackBerry P'9983 Graphite

What's remained unchanged is the hardware, which still lists the dated Snapdragon S4 Plus chipset with a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait processor. 2GB of RAM sounds better, while built-in storage is even more generous at 64GB and is expandable, at that.

Interaction with the smartphone is done via a 3.1-inch square screen of 720 x 720 pixels and BlackBerry's famed hardware QWERTY keyboard. The company's proprietary security features are also on board, enabled by BlackBerry OS 10.

The smartphone can now be purchased on the Porsche Design website, where it commands the same price as the previous model – the eye-watering €1,650.

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Initial HTC One M9 batch delayed due to software issues

HTC's latest flagship is already up for preorder in a few countries, including the UK and Germany, but naturally, the all-metal unibody smartphone was set to debut first in its home market.

A few days ago we reported that the first batch of units was going to be dispatched to eager users today, March 16, but sadly, HTC has missed the deadline. According to various reports, the Taiwanese manufacturer has delayed the release because of an urgent software update the handset must receive before launch.

How urgent you ask? Well, one rumor states that the alleged software bug may cause a boot failure on the One M9, so, naturally, HTC has opted to address the issue before launch. Whether or not this is true, is hard to tell, but it is a fact that the company has missed its March 16 home market shipping date. Some impatient customers, who have already payed for the flagship are reporting that the official statement they are receiving are for a delay of a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

So, really, at this point the release date is Taiwan has been changed to "as soon as possible". Now, while this is probably going to affect the upcoming 64GB version of the handset on the home market as well, hopefully the setback won't push the shipment date for EU markets, which is currently set for some time around the end of the month.

Hopefully, this whole ordeal turns out to be the better course of action and doesn't end up disappointing eager fans….

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Sony pushes Android 5.0 Lollipop for Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact

Sony has started rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

The company aims to push the Lollipop for the Xperia Z series phones for other regions in in coming two-three weeks. The new Android 5.0 packaging update brings the Material Design user interface packaged with new themes and wallpapers.

The notifications and lock screen also have been tweaked with an option to customize them. Of course, you can create separate profiles for work and personal time.

Sony has implemented the Android for Work to make its flagship productive enough. Hopefully the Project Volta will show some magic to improve the already great battery life of the Z series further.

For now, Sony seems to be focused on the Xperia Z series while the timeline of other Xperia phones getting Lollipop is…

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Meizu m1 note arrives in Malaysia this week

Malaysian buyers on the lookout for a well-equipped phablet that doesn't break the bank will find one more option starting this week. The Meizu m1 note is reported to be hitting the local stores at a price of MYR699, which current rates translate to just shy of $190.

The price, however, is hardly an indication of the capable innards of the LTE-enabled smartphone. It all starts with a 5.5-inch FullHD display in a price segment where 720p is the norm. An upper midrange Mediatek MT6752 chipset with a 1.7GHz octa-core processor provides computing power and 2GB of RAM promise adequate multitasking abilities.

A 13MP main camera sits on the back, behind an f2.2 lens, while a 5MP f2.0 module should deliver good available-light selfies. Power comes from a high-capacity 3,140mAh battery, while keeping the weight manageable at 145g. The smartphone is also reasonably compact for a 5.5-inch device, measuring 75.2 x 150.7 x 8.9mm.

The Meizu m1 note runs a custom FlymeOS 4.0 overlay on top of Android KitKat out of the box, but an Android 5.0 with a newer iteration of the company's skin is likely in the…

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Google reportedly boosted Nexus 6 performance with 5.1 update

It seems Google has been messing around under the hood of the Nexus 6. According to Francisco Franco, developer of franco.Kernal, Google has made some changes in Android 5.1 that boosts performance and should improve battery life.

The Snapdragon 805 now runs all four cores all the time after the update, whereas it would previously idle some of the cores depending upon the load. This ensures there is no time wasted in bringing the cores up to speed when a task requires it and you get maximum speed instantly. The improvements to ART and other optimizations also help improve performance.

To save battery life, Google has disabled the thread migration boost routines. This feature boosted the clock speed of a core A when it was being handed over a thread from another core B, so that the speed of A was same as that of B to reduce perceived lag. Seemingly, this was not a very important feature, so it has hence been disabled to save on some power.

Many users have reported improved performance and battery life since the 5.1 update. It's not yet known if the Nexus 5 also has similar modifications included in its…

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Samsung Galaxy S4 an S5 updates reach the UK

Samsung has been keeping updating its lineup to Lollipop. Numerous handsets have been getting the new Android experience all over the world and it has gotten almost impossible to track exactly what is happening.

Last week Samsung Norway had some major problems with buggy Lollipop OTAs for the Galaxy S4 and S5 in Norway. Apparently this was an isolated problem as the updates are continuing at full speed elsewhere.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 (Snapdragon) has already received Lollipop in most of Europe. Rollout for the Galaxy S4, both Snapdragon and Exynos has been a tad slower, but an OTA is already available for SIM-Free models in a few regions, including UK. Interestingly enough, The Galaxy S4 is receiving an Android 5.0.1 build, while the Galaxy S5 is getting the 5.0 one, and so is the rather scarce Exynos Galaxy S5 model(SM-G900H).

The mini and active versions of both handsets are still stuck on KitKat, but Samsung seems to have started extending the update wave to less mainstream models. Last week the Galaxy S5 Plus, for example, started getting Android 5.0.2 in the UK and Finland.

So if you own a Galaxy S5 and S4 smartphone, there is a pretty good chance that you already have an update waiting for you, so be sure to check the update menu….

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 imported in India for testing

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has apparently reached its testing phase, as indicated by an import listing on Indian site Zauba. Entering the country is the 8-inch version of the Samsung high-end tablet line.

The Galaxy Tab S2 pair, including the 8-inch model in testing and the larger 9.7-inch slate, mark Samsung's departure from the 16:10 aspect ratio in the company's tablet top tier, as well as in the more affordable Galaxy Tab A and Tab A Plus models. The switch to a 4:3 aspect, present in current iPads and Google's Nexus 9, means better web and picture browsing experience but also not quite great news for video fans.

Resolution will also be the same as rival models at 2,048×1,536 pixels. Other than that, the tablets will be treated to the company's AMOLED goodness, befitting their upmarket position.

The specs of the flagship tablets were previously revealed and will include an in-house Exynos 5 Octa chipset, paired with 3GB of RAM. 32GB of storage will be on board and there's no reason to expect the lack of microSD expansion, with all the room that can be found on a tablet.

The worrying fate of the test unit, which is said to be up for destruction after completion of the testing phase, shouldn't bring too many frowns as it's a single device and not many precious resources will be wasted.

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Lollipop update starts rolling out to select Moto X first gen users

Motorola has been diligent in updating its recent devices to Lollipop soon after Google released it. In fact, some devices, such as the second generation Moto X and Moto G, got the update even before some of the Nexus devices. However, while almost all the other Motorola devices are now running on Lollipop, the first generation Moto X is still on KitKat.

Whatever the reason for that might be, the company is now finally making amends. As part of a soak test, some of the members of Motorola's support forums are now receiving the Lollipop update on their Moto X. This is the 5.0.2 update, and Motorola has no current plans for the 5.1 update for the Moto X.

This being a soak test will be limited to a select few users, who will be, in a way, beta testing it. The update will eventually start rolling out for other users, starting with the carrier unlocked version and later to the rest of…

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Xiaomi reportedly working on its own smartwatch

It looks like Xiaomi is planning to take on Apple in a new product category. According to a report from Chinese technology news website 36Krypton, the startup – which is also known as China's Apple – is working on its first smartwatch.

As per the report, the Xiaomi smartwatch will sport a round dial and feature a brushed metal design. It is also said to offer pulse wave velocity identification, which is a measure of arterial stiffness, or the rate at which pressure waves move down the vessel.

Although details are scarce, given that it's a Xiaomi product, it is expected to have an affordable price-tag. Aside from the smartwatch, the Chinese company is also working on a successor to the Mi Band, the report…

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Upcoming LG G4 will reportedly feature a 5.6″ display

The yet to be revealed LG G4 will reportedly feature a 5.6″ display. The successor of LG G3 is expected to make its official debut in April.

The report comes from the same source which leaked the early press renders of the upcoming smartphone. There is no word of the resolution of the screen however – it could be a 2K or a 3K unit.

Rumored specs of LG G4 include Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 16MP main camera, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and even a fingerprint sensor. LG plans to sell 10 million units of the smartphone – up from 6-7 million LG G3 devices.

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