The Google Store is turning one, so the Nexus 5X and 6P come with $50 off

If are currently on the market for a shiny new Nexus device then now’s definitely the time to strike. The Google Store is celebrating its first anniversary and is offering $50 off both the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P. This means that you can get the former for as little as $299 and the latter starts at $449.

The deal is also not limited to the US alone, as the Canadian store has the offer as well. The search giant is pretty generous in terms of time constraints, as the deal will be live all the way to March 27. It is also worth noting that the slashed price does not affect other current promotions for the devices. This means that purchasing a Nexus 6P will still get you $50 of credit towards a Huawei Watch.

And as an additional deal reminder, signing up to Project Fi can get you up to $150 off the Nexus 5X and over in India, the device also comes with a special price – about $60 down and now retailing for INR 27,900 ($415) for the 16GB model .

Source |…

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Samsung Galaxy S7 keeps region lock, but that shouldn’t concern you

Its officially happening, the first wave of Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge units have reached eager customers across Europe and a small storm seems to be brewing online. It concerns a rather inconspicuous black sticker, found on the box of unlocked units, reading – “EUROPEAN SIM CARD ONLY”.

Why would the Unlocked phone, you payed top dollar for be locked after all? Is it a mistake? It must be serious since it is all caps. Well, it is all natural and nothing to get alarmed over. Your phone has a regional lock in place, bounding it to only European SIM cards, but it is very temporary. To be exact, it only takes five minutes worth of call time on a compatible network and then all restrictions are off.

This is actually something Samsung has been doing for a few years now and it was only natural that the SM-G930F and SM-G935F would have the protection in place as well. It is a protection mechanism aimed at gray market re-sellers, who might try to offer Unlocked EU units in places they weren’t meant to go.

The bottom line is, if you are from Europe and currently have a Samsung Galaxy S7 box in front of you with the infamous sticker, you should simply relax and enjoy your shiny new phone. You’ve probably removed the lock by the time you finished bragging to all your friends about…

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Third-party app brings Always On Display to the Samsung Z3

Always on displays are definitely not a novice concept(remember how elegantly old STN displays used to handle the task?), but rather one of those ideas that is making a comeback as the tech world is rediscovering its appeal. This year it seems many of the new flagship offers, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5 are rekindling the functionality, the latter even going to great lengths to do it with an LCD screen, so, Always on is back in style.

Naturally, this has resulted in a spike withing the developer realm to bring new implementations of the feature, which OEMs seems to be currently launching only on new flagship models. Older models can quickly be mended through the use of a tird-party solution, like AcDisplay from the Google Play Store.

Now app developer Amit Kushwaha has given Tizen users the opportunity to experience always-on as well. The app in question is specifically designed for the Samsung Z3, which, unlike its other smaller Tizen-powered Samsung sibling, the Z1, does have an AMOLED screen and is more than happy to light up a few pixels for an extended period of time, without killing the battery. In its current state, the software can only display an analog clock and a date. It can also use the phone’s proximity sensor to turn itself off when inside a pocket.

As per the description and the developer’s own report, a digital clock option is also on the way, but, sadly, users shouldn’t expect notification display any time soon, as the required API is not accessible on the still developing Tizen OS.

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More curved-edge display smartphones coming, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 next?

Samsung pioneered in the field of curved edge displays with the Galaxy Note Edge, and has since toned down the implementation to gentler curves but on both sides with the Galaxy S6 edge, S6 edge+ and now the latest S7 edge. Other manufacturers are starting to join in on the fun, for example Vivo with the recently announced Xplay5.

Reports are coming in that Samsung will be (or in fact already is) selling curved displays to other Chinese makers, including Xiaomi. The rumor has it, Xiaomi’s Mi Note 2 will be the next in line to have an extra bit of flair on the sides. The current Mi Note, already a couple of months past the usual one-year life cycle, is due to be replaced some time soon and the successor will allegedly feature such a display.

The other manufacturer that’s been mentioned is Huawei, and with costly curved edge displays destined to come in flagships only at this point, it’s likely we’re talking about a potential future Mate, possibly the successor to the Mate S. On the other hand, the Huawei P9 is coming in less than a month, and while leaks of its dual-camera setup on the back have been abundant, the front was only featured in a single render and never photographed in the wild. To be fair, we are clutching at straws here, it may end up being all smoke and no fire.

Source (in Chinese) |…

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Here’s how to roll back from Android N to Marshmallow on your Nexus

If the title peaked your interest, then we probably don’t need to fill you in on the fact that Google released an early Android N build a couple of days ago, along with a Beta program to easily receive updates over the air.

If you are anything like us, then you probably ignored the bugs and stability warnings and might currently be in a situation where your phone isn’t exactly 100% usable and that fact eventually managed to outweigh the Android N bragging rights. Naturally, you can always manually flash a Marshmallow build back to your handset, or any custom ROM for that matter, but if you are after a more streamlined solution, Google has you covered.

The Beta program seems to work with the same ease both ways. To roll back to the latest Android Marshmallow build, you simply have to go back to same page, where you opted to participate in the Beta and click the UNENROLL DEVICE button. This will result in an OTA being send to your unit within minutes, which is also stated in the confirmation prompt. But unless you clicked it out of curiosity, you probably weren’t in the know about the reverse OTA.

However, be advised that any path you chose to swap Android N back to an earlier OS build will result in a restart and a data wipe. So, be sure to back everything up if you haven’t…

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Oppo’s upcoming R9 and R9 Plus have their full specs leaked

Scheduled to be unveiled next week, both Oppo R9 and R9 Plus have already passed through TENAA, giving us a good idea about their specs. Now, leakster Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) has leaked the complete specifications for both devices.

The specs leaked by @OnLeaks are more or less inline with what TENAA revealed (except for internal storage). Also, the rumor that the Plus variant has the Snapdragon 652 inside is corroborated by the new leak.

The Oppo R9 will sport a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED touchscreen and pack in an octa-core processor. Other specs of the device will include 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 2,850 mAh battery, and 16MP/13MP camera combo.

The R9 Plus will come with a 6-inch 1080p display and be powered by the Snapdragon 652 chipset. It will also have 4GB of RAM, but offer 64GB and 128GB internal memory options. Both rear and front cameras will come complete with 16MP sensors while a 4,120mAh battery will provide the juice.

Oppo has been running a teaser campaign for the R9, revealing features like VOOC fast charging and fingerprint sensor. Both R9 and R9 Plus will be announced on March 17, and are expected to carry price tags of RMB 2,498 (around $385) and RMB 2,998 (around…

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LG Lancet gets large price cut, now available for just $75

The Windows Phone 8.1-powered LG Lancet smartphone has received a large price cut. The device, which was launched last year, is now listed on Microsoft’s US Store website for $74.99.

That’s a discount of over $100 if you’re considering purchasing it from the Redmond, Washington-based company’s online store, where it usually sells for $179.00. However, keep in mind that the handset costs around $120 if you directly buy it from Verizon.

Specs-wise, the phone packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset and sports a 4.5-inch display. It comes with 8GB of expandable internal memory and features an 8MP rear camera…

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LG G5 to cost CAD300 on-contract in Canada, CAD800 sans agreement

While we already know that LG’s newest flagship – the G5 – will go on sale in Canada on April 8, there has been no word on its price all this while. That, however, was until now as a couple of Canadian carriers have revealed the device’s pricing information.

Fido will be offering the handset for as low as $300 on a 2-year contract (depending on the plan, the cost may go up to $550), and $800 without any agreement. Similarly, Rogers will also be charging as low as $299.99 on contract and $799.99 if you purchase it outright.

Other carriers like Wind Mobile still haven’t put any price tag on the device, but we assume there won’t be much of a difference. Aside from the three carriers mentioned here, the G5 will also be offered by Bell, Telus, Eastlink, MTS, SaskTel, and Videotron.

Source (Fido) |…

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Samsung Galaxy S7 edge available for $700 in US

If you are in the United States, and are planning to purchase a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, you’ll be glad to know that you can currently get it at the price of Galaxy S7.

eBay seller 232tech is currently selling the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (32GB) for $700, which is down $100 when compared to carrier locked variants at the moment and $200 cheaper if you purchase the phone outright.

The unit on offer is unlocked and carries a model number of SM-G935F, which means that it’s an international model. What’s worth reminding here is that unlike US models (which pack in SD820 chipset), international Galaxy S7/S7 edge models are powered by the latest Exynos SoC.

Available in gold color option, the phone is only compatible with GSM carriers.

Source (eBay) |…

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Nintendo’s first mobile game Miitomo launching next week

Back in January, Nintendo confirmed that its first mobile game – dubbed Miitomo – will launch in March. And now, the Japanese company has revealed the launch date: March 17, which is Thursday next week. The revelation was made in a Tweet.

スマホアプリ『Miitomo』の配信開始日が、2016年3月17日(木)に決定しました。なお、事前登録については3月16日の昼12時に受付終了しますので、お早めにご登録ください。 https://t.co/YbsKcr8qM7 http://pic.twitter.com/bTATmK1qHi— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) March 11, 2016

The game was initially set to arrive at the end of the last year, but was delayed to March citing promotional reasons. Pre-registrations for the app began last month, and they’ll be closed on March 16, a day before the launch.

As we’ve already told you before, Miitomo doesn’t appear to be a game in true sense – it’s more of a chat app that allows users to create and customize their Miis, through which they interact with other users in real…

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