The Sony Xperia M was launched back in 2013 and the device received official Android updates till version 4.3 (Jelly Bean). Does that mean it’ll be stuck there forever? Well, no. The good news is that now you can experience Android Marshmallow on the device.

This is all thanks to alternative Android OS developer Cyanogen, which has released the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based CyanogenMod 13 nightly for the handset. Before you go ahead with the install, make sure that your Xperia M device is running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware.

The official nightly build is currently only available for Xperia M, meaning M Dual users are currently out of luck, although not completely as there are some patches available on XDA (head to the Source 2 link below) that’ll help you experience Marshmallow on your device.

Source 1 | Source…

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Swedish company Truecaller has partnered with US-based BLU to bring its popular smart dialer/caller ID app to the latter’s upcoming range of smartphones this year. Truecaller will be the default dialer app on some 15 million BLU devices, replacing the stock Android dialer app.

As you might already know, Truecaller offers smart caller ID capability that allows users to see the caller’s name on their device’s screen. The app also offers spam detection and reporting, as well as search functionality.

The company – which boasts of around 200 million users worldwide – recently entered into a similar partnership with Indian smartphone manufacturer…

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India has surpassed the United States to becomes the second largest smartphone market in the world, according to a new report from market research firm Counterpoint. India’s smartphone user base increased to 220 million by the end of last year.

Smartphone shipments grew 15% year-on-year in Q4, 2015. Overall, for the complete year, smartphone shipments crossed the 100 million mark, which represents an year-on-year growth of 23%.

Nearly 50% of the mobile phones sold in India last year were ‘Made in India’, and nearly 40% of the total shipped units were smartphones. Online retailers seem to have caught the customer’s imagination in the country, with almost one in three smartphones sold through Internet.

As for phone vendors, Samsung topped the charts both in smartphone as well as feature phone segments, with local company Micromax coming in second. The remaining three spots were claimed by India’s Intex and Lava, and China’s…

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Looks like the Microsoft Lumia 550 has received yet another price cut in Europe. The Windows 10-powered device is now available for just €98.70 in Germany, where retailer MindFactory is selling the budget handset for that price.

A quick look at Amazon’s Germany website reveals that the retailer currently has the phone listed for €118. This means that those purchase the Lumia 550 from MindFactory are saving at-least €19. The device has already been the subject of multiple price cuts in the UK.

Meanwhile, If you are in the UK, and are planning to purchase the Lumia 950 flagship instead, you’ll be glad to know that it’s now available for just £380 in the country.

Source |…

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Two unannounced Alcatel smartphones – the Idol 4 and Idol 4S – have been leaked. Both devices were spotted listed on the company’s own support site, revealing almost all of their specs. The listings, however, have now been taken down it seems.

The Idol 4S is powered by a 1.8GHz + 1.4GHz octa-core CPU (SD652 SoC) and sports a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display. It comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a 3,000mAh battery. In terms of camera, the device features a 16MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. The handset runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and also supports VoLTE.

Coming to the Idol 4, it’s powered by a 1.7GHz + 1.2GHz octa-core CPU (SD617 SoC) and sports a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. It has 2GB/3GB RAM options, while internal memory is 16GB, although expandable. The device’s camera department is handled by a 13MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. It packs in a 2,610mAh battery, and like the Idol 4S, runs Android 6.0.

There’s currently no information on their pricing and availability, although Alcatel is said to be eyeing an MWC launch for…

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Earlier this week, US Mobile started offering select Xiaomi and Meizu smartphones in the United States, with orders being fulfilled by a third-party. As the news spread, Xiaomi issued a statement saying that the carrier and its partners are not authorized sellers of any of the company’s products. Now, US Mobile has defended its decision in an official blog post.

“This is nothing new. Amazon, Ebay and other US marketplaces offer Xiaomi, Meizu and countless other brands,” US Mobile said. “The challenge with such marketplaces however is that you don’t always know whom you’re dealing with. The concern is that if something goes wrong with your phone or if you have any service related questions, you are stuck without a warranty to back the device.”

“Here’s where we created a better experience for our customers. By partnering with third party distributors who sell and ship the devices, US Mobile is able to offer our customers warranty and support on the devices locally in the US. Very simply, customers can call US Mobile’s 24/7 Customer Support team with any service related issue or send the phone back to US Mobile for repairs.”

The carrier also said that it never claimed to be an official distributor, stressing that even product listings on its webshop specifically noted that the devices are “sold and fulfilled” by its third party partners.

The listings, however, have since been removed, something the carrier said has been done because the devices in question are currently undergoing “testing and certification” with its “enabling…

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Microsoft has agreed to buy mobile keyboard maker SwiftKey for around $250 million, according to a new Financial Times report. While both companies are currently tight-lipped about the deal, report says an announcement in this regard will be made later this week.

For those who aren’t aware, SwiftKey is a popular keyboard app currently available for both Android and iOS and installed on around 300 million devices. It was first launched for Android back in 2010, and came to iOS in 2014. Initially a paid app, SwiftKey became free a couple of years ago, but started offering in-app purchases.

Given that Microsoft already offers a keyboard app, dubbed Word Flow (although only for Windows Phone devices at the moment), it may seem rather strange that the company is purchasing another Keyboard app. However, the report notes that the Redmond, Washington-based company is actually eyeing UK-based firm’s artificial intelligence technology that’s used in its keyboard. The technology can be used by Microsoft in several other products in addition to mobile…

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With all the talk about the 4-inch iPhone 5se lately, you may have forgotten about the fact that Apple will launch a more important phone this year – yes, the iPhone 7. Yet a new rumor is now here to talk about it too.

The iPhone 7 will reportedly feature a very similar design to its predecessor, but there will be some notable differences. First off, its rear camera will be flush with the back, so the camera hump from the iPhone 6s will be gone. Second, the iPhone 7 will get rid of those pesky antenna bands that run across the previous model’s back.

However, the iPhone 7 will still have antenna bands, as seen in the mockup image above. It’s just that they’ll be confined to the handset’s sides, top, and bottom edges. This will clearly make for a more loved design, though we hope Apple will find a way to paint the remaining bands in the same color as the metal body of the device.

This information allegedly comes from a source that’s been reliable in the past, so perhaps that’s happening again this time. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are expected to be unveiled sometime in September. The smaller model will get a traditional camera on the back, while the bigger version has recently been rumored to receive a dual-lens arrangement. At this point it’s unclear if the design changes will influence the dimensions of the iPhone 7 compared to the…

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As a new month begins, Google has updated its Android distribution chart. And in this State of Android report, Marshmallow finally manages to jump past the 1% market share hurdle. To be specific, it now stands at 1.2%.

That’s obviously not impressive, given how many months have already passed since its official release (almost four, actually). Still, this is a milestone of sorts. And with updates to Android 6.0 now being out (or coming soon) to incredibly well selling devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S6 series (and the Note5), we assume this iteration of the OS will pick up the pace and reach a better position in the chart in the future.

Lollipop sits at 34.1% of the pie at the moment, up from 32.6% last month and 29.5% in December. In fact it’s close to catching KitKat, which has now dropped to 35.5%. The three versions called Jelly Bean are collectively at 23.9%, Ice Cream Sandwich has 2.5%, Gingerbread is at 2.7%, while Froyo still commends 0.1% of the market (though it’s obviously on the way out and may not show its face in next month’s report).

Source |…

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It’s already been rumored that Apple is going to hold an event sometime in March during which it will unveil the new 4-inch iPhone and an update to the Apple Watch. Meanwhile in the rumors, the iPad Air 3 has joined those two and should be outed at the same event.

If you’ve been wondering exactly when to expect this big thing to happen, well, wonder no more. The latest rumor on the matter has a precise date in mind: March 15. That is allegedly the day on which the iPhone 5se and the iPad Air 3 are set to become official. Unless, of course, something changes from now and until the point when Apple announces the date.

As for the Apple Watch, the latest speculation says we shouldn’t expect new hardware so early, instead the second generation of the wearable is apparently due in September. There will be Apple Watch news on March 15, however, but smaller. The existing smartwatch is going to receive some new band options and refreshed software. We’ll see multiple new hues for the Sport bands, new Hermes models, a ‘space black’ Milanese Loop, and a new band line made from a material that isn’t yet used in Apple’s lineup.

The iPhone 5se will allegedly look almost identical to the iPhone 5s, save for the possible addition of some extra curves at its edges, and an overall “less shiny” look. It will start at $450 (unlocked), and you’ll be able to buy it with either 16 or 64GB of storage. It will sport the A9 chip, support for Live Photos and Apple Pay, and improved cameras compared to the 5s.

The iPad Air 3 was revealed to borrow some of the iPad Pro’s unique features, such as the quad speakers and Smart Connector. It’s also apparently going to be the first iPad to have a LED flash on the…

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