More alleged LG G4 press renders surface online

Hot on the heels of yesterday's purported press render of LG G4's rear, more images of the device made the rounds on Twitter. These early press shots show the front and the side profile of the unannounced smartphone.

The LG G4 appears to be curved from the rear and not that much from the side. The front of the phone shows a full top to bottom glass solution. A wide-angle front facing camera is also a prominent part of the setup.

Next to the front facing camera is the earpiece strip. At the rear, we can see a slightly tweaked design for the the power key and camera button. The camera sensor is also noticeably bigger, coupled with dual-LED Flash.

The rumors point that the innards of G4 will include Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 16MP rear camera, QHD display and a massive front camera. These images are early stage press renders, so the actual product might look different whenr it…

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WSJ: next Apple iPhone will have Force Touch-enabled display

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple’s next iPhone will have a Force Touch—capable display. The technology is already present on the Apple Watch, as well as the brand new MacBook.

Apple Force Touch senses the amount of pressure applied on a device’s screen or trackpad. Depending on the amount of force applied on the display, a device’s user will have access to a different set of on-screen options.

The successors of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are widely expected to feature a similar design as the models they are bound to replace. Their screen sizes will also likely remain unchanged at 4.7″ for the regular iPhone and 5.5″ for the Plus model.

Apple however, is working on a pink color scheme. The new shade will join the already available silver, gold, and gray options.

Apple’s plans on the next generation iPhone are not final. Mass production of components for the next iPhone is expected to kick off in May.

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HTC press invitations in China point at a new device launch

HTC began sending out invites for a conference in China. Shaped as fancy metal plates, the Taiwanese company's invitations are dated “2015.3.11 – 3.17.”

The two most likely candidates for a debut in China are HTC One M9 Plus and HTC One E9. Both devices have leaked on a number of occasions already. HTC One E9 was also caught passing through TENAA. A version of HTC’s Sense UI developed with the Chinese market in mind is also likely to make an appearance.

HTC One M9 Plus is a version of the freshly announced One M9 flagship with slightly beefier hardware, headed by 5.2″ QHD display. The Chinese market version of the smartphone is said to feature a MediaTek MT6795 chipset.

The One E9 on the other hand will feature a plastic body a 5.5″ QHD display. Its rumored specs include MediaTek MT6795 chipset with an octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53 processor, PowerVR G6200 GPU, and 3GB of RAM. HTC One E9 is tipped to cost around $320 at launch.

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Sony’s Lollipop rollout will start next week in Indonesia

So far, Sony has really been left behind in the Lollipop update race, not just by Google, but also by Motorola and Samsung. All of these companies have been issuing software builds based on Android 5.0 Lollipop for their devices for many weeks now, but Sony has yet to even start.

Thankfully, though, it looks like the wait for Sony device owners is almost over. The company's Indonesian arm took to Facebook today to announce that Lollipop update rollouts are due to start in that country next week. An exact day isn't given, nor are we told anything about which handsets will get the new bits first.

That said, it's probably safe to assume that the latest flagships will be the first to get Lollipop – namely, the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. After those, the rest of the Xperia Z line is going to receive the tasty treat. Keep in mind however that Sony has already announced that only Xperia Z devices will ever get official Lollipop builds. So if you own another Xperia, chances are you'll need to stick with custom ROMs if you want to run Android 5.0.

The "next week" time frame may only apply to Indonesia, so other regions could get the updates rolling sooner, or later than that. We've already heard that Lollipop for the Z3, Z3 Compact, and Z2 is in the "finalized" state for India, which means it may roll out over there soon too.

Sony Indonesia has helpfully provided a changelog for the new software. So, whenever you do get Lollipop on your Xperia, you should expect to see the much-discussed new UI and lock screen, multi-user support on phones, but you'll also get the ability to move apps to the SD card. The update is reportedly a 1.2GB download, and it may take up to 20 minutes to install.

Source (in Indonesian) |…

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Android Wear to get Wi-Fi support in next update

The whole Internet may have been filled with news about the Apple Watch for the past 24 hours or so, but Google is still working on improving its wearable platform too. And a new rumor has surfaced today telling us what to expect from Android Wear's next update.

This will reportedly bring with it support for direct Wi-Fi connections. This means you'll be able to use some features of your smartwatch even when it isn't tethered to your smartphone via Bluetooth – provided, of course, that you take the steps necessary to connect it directly to a Wi-Fi router or hotspot. And there's another obvious caveat here – your particular wearable needs to have Wi-Fi built-in for this to work.

Since most currently sold Android Wear devices do apparently have that functionality, the new feature will make them just a bit more useful. So you'll soon be able to get notifications and use Google Now even if your watch isn't connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

This is the biggest new thing headed to Android Wear, but there are other, smaller improvements in the works too. For example, gesture control will let you scroll through notifications and Google Now cards with a flick of the wrist.

The UI is going to be enhanced too, as you'll get easier access to Android Wear apps as well as contacts. This will be useful, because right now to get to apps you either have to speak to your watch or dig through an added layer of menus.

This is merely a rumor for now, keep that in mind. However, it seems obvious that Google would want to make Android Wear easier to use and pack more functionality into the platform, especially now that it's about to get its biggest competitor ever – the Apple Watch goes on sale on April…

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Apple Watch pricing starts at $349, pre-orders start on April 10

The pricing of the three main versions of the Apple Watch was finally announced at the company's Spring forward event.

The Apple Watch Sport is made out of special aluminum alloy, which is 60% tougher than regular alloys, but still as light. It's offered in 38mm and 42mm versions and will cost $349 and $399, respectively.

Then there's the Apple Watch, what you'd consider to be the classic version. It features a stainless steel body and its price is dependent on the band you choose. Prices for the 38mm range from $549 to $1049, while the 42mm will sell from $599 to $1099.

Finally, the Apple Watch Edition, which is made out of 18K gold is going to start at $10,000 for the 38mm one and $12,000 for the 42mm. Tim Cook didn't specify any further pricing information about it but one thing's for sure, it's a limited edition thing and will only be offered in select Apple stores.

Customers can try the two simpler versions of the Apple Watch in many Apple retail stores starting April 10. You can pre-order them from the same date with purchases shipping from April 24. Not all countries will get it at first, as sales will commence in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, UK and the…

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HTC One E9 surfaces with monstrous lens at the back

With the high-key announcement of HTC's One M9 flagship a little over a week ago, the company can now move on to updating the supporting lineup. First up is the One E9, apparently, as revealed by a leaked entry in Chinese regulatory authority TENAA.

Interestingly enough, the One E9 differs more extensively from the One M9 than the former generation did. Most notably, the screen size has been increased to 5.5 inches and resolution has gotten a bump to QHD, as opposed to the One M9's 5-inch FullHD screen.

The One E9 will pack a top-of-the-line Mediatek MT6795 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The main camera on the back will be a 20MP unit, behind a large circular lens. On the front you'll find either a 13MP conventional snapper or a 4MP UltraPixel model. If all that sounds familiar, it's simply because those are the specs of the alleged Desire A55, only carrying a different name.

The body will measure 156.5 x 76.5 x 7.5mm and a 2800mAh battery will reside inside. The smartphone will offer dual SIM dual standby capability and will boot Lollipop with SenseUI 7.0 out of the box.

Similarly to the One M9, the One E9 will come in a range of flashy colors, including White Rose Gold, Metallic Grey, and Brown Gold. We are yet to hear about pricing and…

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Active to sporta a 5.5-inch screen

Yesterday we reported on a new Samsung User Agent Profile, which could hint at an upcoming Active version of the Korean giant's latest flagship device. That hunch was based on model number similarity with the Galaxy S5 Active so it might be a different device altogether, but it's one that's here to stay. After some extra digging new info surfaced today.

Running a few searches with the aforementioned SM-G890A model number has yielded some rather interesting records from the import/export tracking site Zauba. It seems that a total of 20 devices with the same number have been shipped from South Korea – 15 on February 20 and another 5 on March 7. The devices are listed as test and evaluation units and this is most likely the case. It is natural for manufacturers to send out pre-release samples to various partners (or its overseas offices) and while the export records do not convey a lot of information, there are a couple of hints at the device in question.

According to the entries, the smartphone features a 5.5-inch display and works with one SIM card only.

Hopefully we will learn more on the matter shortly. What do you think is in the packages? All of your hunches and guesses are welcome in our comment section.

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VAIO smartphone to come to Europe as well

The VAIO brand, which Sony all but parted with, keeping a tiny 5% share, is set to make a move on the lucrative smartphone market. The parent company, Japanese Industrial Partners, will unveil its pioneering model at a dedicated event two days from now, on March 12.

Apparently, the smartphone will not be limited to the Asian markets, as previously suspected. Information revealed by Techblog.gr suggests that the VAIO smartphone will also be made available in Europe.

We reported a while back on the alleged specs of the device and they put it firmly in the midrange. A 64-bit Snapdragon 410 chipset will be coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. The 5-inch screen will sport 720p resolution and a 13MP/5MP camera combo will be there to meet photography needs.

We also showed you the packaging of the smartphone, stylish and understated as VAIO traditions call for.

Sadly, no live images of a device have been spotted so far, so we need to make do with the interpretation presented above, based on the current Xperia Z3.

With Sony considering pulling out of the smartphone market, VAIO may end up being the place of rescue for hardcore brand fans of the past.

Source (in…

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Android 5.1 goodies revealed in detail

A few hours ago Google officially launched version 5.1 of its Android OS. The new release seems to come out of the blue, but it is already a fact with builds available for Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. It is the next natural step in the development of the OS and, unlike Android 5.0.1 and 5.0.2, which were more or less bug fixes and patches for various non-Nexus devices, the new build brings improvements and features to the table.

With Android 5.1 Google addresses a lot of irritations that users had with the initial Lollipop 5.0 build. One of these is the return of silent mode – the toggle which deals away with all sound and vibration that users really missed having in Lollipop. Another major improvement is the added ability to manage Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections straight from the Quick Settings area, without entering another menu.

Multiple SIM support is also a novelty. Although many manufacturers offer dual-SIM devices, the software to power that was not natively present within Android. Now, with Android 5.1 users will be able to switch between SIM cards, if their device is equipped with more than one. High definition voice calling is also build straight into the new version.

Google has also introduced a small, but significant upgrade to the platform's security. Devices running Android 5.1 will no longer be susceptible to factory restarts, without the owners' knowledge, so to say. Performing a factory restart will still require you to sign into your Google account to continue normal operation. This should, at least in theory, hinder phone theft. The new security feature will initially be available on Nexus 6 and 9 only, but Google plans to extend support to a lot more future devices, running Android 5.1.

There are also lots of little touches here and there to delight the user. The volume slider now features a shortcut to access the notifications volume, visible while playing music. This allows you to adjust it, without fiddling with your music, or having to browse menus. Heads up notifications no longer get cleared when swiping up and various other small goodies. Xposed framework is still not available though and is still on API level 21, but it should be updated shortly.

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