ZTE’s Nubia sub-brand has been around for a while, but at this point you can only officially buy such devices in a handful of countries. That’s all set to change this year, however.

According to an official press release, ZTE will be taking Nubia to “Latin American countries, Mexico and Argentina, key European markets including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain as well as Malaysia and Thailand in South East Asia” in 2016.

Currently, Nubia is present in “China, North America, South America, Northern Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia and India”, as per ZTE. Nubia’s global website was launched today, and so far it’s available in English, Chinese, and Spanish at nubia.com. And “in the coming months” an online store will be added to the website, allowing people from across the world to buy Nubia wares straight from their maker. The e-commerce platform will be available in Europe…

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Well, here is the new SlimPort NANO CONSOLE USB-C for Mobile Devices with USB Type-C Connectors from Analogix, along with a photo and there is no denying that it looks pretty. But, if that cryptic title left you a little lost as to what exactly this small red and white box does, then here is the short story.

The device is essentially intended to act as dock for your portable device and output video from it through an HDMI port, while also providing an USB input for peripherals (most-likely a keyboard and mouse). The detachable top part is simply a Bluetooth remote that can have some convenient uses in multimedia consumption.

If this sounds terribly familiar to Microsoft’s Continuum, it is (minus the dedicated Windows 10 desktop UI, that is). In fact, from a technical standpoint, the device is similar to an MHL dock or cable, for example, like the one offered by Samsung and achieves the same end goal, only not thorough MHL, but rather the alternative SlimPort technology.

SlimPort is most-notably supported by Nexus devices, dating back to the Nexus 4 and a lot of LG phones as an alternative to having MHL, so if you own one of the model, listed on the slimportconnect website, then this is your solution to outputting video, along with a USB input or at least one of Analogix’s products is.

Unlike previous accessories, the new NANO CONSOLE utilizes a USB-Type C connector, instead of a micro-USB, which is supposedly futureproof. This means that it is compatible with USB-Type C devices that have SlimPort, which by our best estimate, currently includes only the latest Nesux pair.

Like MHL, SlimPort offers support for video output up to 4K at 30 frames, with MHL advancing further to include 7.1 surround sound and DHCP 2.2 content protection in its 3.0 speck. SlimPort, on the other hand, seems to be more versatile by design – as an implementation of the Mobility DisplayPort standard, it can actually output to Display Port devices, HDMI, DVI and VGA (up to 720p). But, we already drifted way too much into the technical details. Back to the point.

The SlimPort NANO CONSOLE USB-C will start shipping in Q2 2016 and there is no word yet on pricing. So, if you were wondering about a video out solution for your new Nexus, be sure to keep Analogix in mind.

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The Apple iPhone 6c (or 7c, depending on which rumors you choose to believe) has been in the rumor mill for a while now. Even the analysts from IHS believe the phone is coming in 2016. However, there’s no consensus on what design Apple will be basing the iPhone 6c – the iPhone 5s, 5c or 6s.

Well, a leaked set of live photos of a prototype dummy portray a 4″ iPhone based on the iPhone 6s.

Apple iPhone 6c dummy unit

The specifications of the 4″ iPhone are believed to include the A9 chip with 2GB of RAM. Home button with TouchID fingerprint sensor, 16GB of internal storage and 1642 mAh battery. A $400-$500 price ballpark has been quoted too, presumably off contract.

Here’s a fancier view of the iPhone 6c thanks to the 3D renders of Ferry Passchier.

iPhone 6c renders

Thanks Sung kim for the tip

Source • Source…

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If you are on the market for a new Windows 10 handset and don’t really feel like shelling out for a Lumia 950 or 950 XL or waiting around for an OTA on an older device, then the mid-range Lumia 550 is your best bet, especially if you live in the UK. Carphone Warehouse is currently offering a couple of great promotions for the handset with a Pay as you go plan, the latest of which includes the Lumia 550 for free.

In the few weeks since its official release in December 2015, the Lumia has already gone through several price slashes at Carphone Warehouse. Originally retailing at £89.99, the phone was then offered for £60 + £10 top-up for a Pay as you go and then £49.99 + £10. The latter of these offers is still up at the retailer, but now, to sweeten the deal even further, if you pre-pay for 6 months of Pay as you go, the Lumia 550 can be yours for free.

The plan in question is on the O2 network and offers 1500 minutes, 400 texts and 2GB of 4G data for £20. Multiply that by six months and your total adds up to £120. This is quite the deal when you consider that if you opt for the aforementioned £49.99 deal on the Lumia 550 plus a O2 £20 Pay & Go, you not only pay the £50 extra for the same unlocked handset, but you also get only 400 minutes of talk time included.

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AT&T announced that it will be expanding its selection of rugged phones with two new models by Kyocera – the DuraForce XD and DuraXE, joining the Kyocera DuraForce, already up for offer.

The DuraForce XD is currently the OEM’s top of the line offer. It comes with a spacious 5.7-inch 1280×720 pixel impact-resistant IPS display and is powered by the admittedly-outdated Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8928 SoC. Memory is set at 2GB for RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, which is also on the low-end.

The XD 166.8×86.4×13.9mm body is extremely tough and is designed to cover a wide range of Military Standard 810G durability profiles (US MIL-STD-810G), as well as IP certification for dust and water (IPX8). It can easily withstand a 4 foot drop or a 1.8 meter dip into water for up to 30 minutes and its touchscreen is also optimized to work when wet and through a glove. The DuraForce XD boots Android 5.1, runs on a 3700 mAh battery and is LTE-enabled. It also has extra-loud dual front speakers and support for Enhanced Push-To-Talk.

The other new addition is the Kyocera DuraXE. It is a feature phone with a classic clamshell design and two screens – the internal a 2.6-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) TFT unit, while the external one is a 1.08-inch monochrome, high-contrast transflective LCD (102 x 90 pixels). It is powered by a MSM8909 Snapdragon 210 SOC with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, plus an SD card slot and runs on a proprietary platform. Again, the flip phone is all about durability. Its 106.9 x 56.4 x 25.1 mm body is also built to cover Military Standard 810G protection for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog and humidity, along with IP68 certification as dustproof and waterproof for up to 30 minutes in up to six feet of water.

The DuraXE has a powerful front speaker and a dual-mic noise cancellation system to ensure proper communication in noisy environments.

Both devices will be available starting January 8. The Kyocera DuraForce XD will go for as low as $14.97/month with no down payment on a Next24 plan. The DuraXE can be purchased on a 20 payment installment plan for $13.50/month. Alternatively, $49.99 and a two-year wireless-service agreement can get you either phone.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source…

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Turns out the rumors were true. Two new color variants – Platinum and Rose Gold – of the Samsung Gear S2 Classic smarwatch have been spotted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The new Gear S2 variants – especially the Rose Gold model – shouldn’t come as a surprise given that competitors like Motorola, Huawei and Apple are already offering their smartwatches in that particular color option.

As for Platinum, Samsung apparently likes the color as some of its latest flagship smartphones such as the Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ are also available in Platinum variants.

If you aren’t already aware, the Classic model of the Gear S2 is currently only available in Black.

Via | Image credit: Shara Tibken…

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HTC’s Grip smartband got announced at last year’s MWC, then abandoned to supposedly make room for a new and improved one, then this new one got delayed. Ten months later it’s yet to become commercially available, but a small consolation to the people behind it comes in the form of the UA Band.

The UA stands for Under Armor and the American sports apparel company has teamed up with HTC to deliver a three-piece set for fitness enthusiasts, the Band a part of it. The wearable has been redesigned, most notably it’s gotten a much more orthodox clasp, but essentially it’s the Grip, reborn.

Hidden behind black glass, its display only lights up when needed, and the band does the usual activity and sleep tracking. Heart rate measurement comes from a standalone chest strap (um, UA Heart Rate) and that’s all it does.

The third device is a naturally a smart scale, which outside of its chief weight measuring function, can also calculate your body fat ratio. Yours and that of 7 other people, each of those getting the numbers on their smartphone apps.

The UA HealthBox will be available starting January 22, with a list price of $400.

Via |…

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Good thing these aren’t Game of Thrones spoilers – 3D renders of the Samsung Galaxy S7 leak all the time. These come from Mobile Fun, a UK retailer of smartphone accessories, and show off Olixar cases for the upcoming flagship.

There are cases for the Galaxy S7 edge listed as well, though those don’t have images to go with them. There’s nothing on the bigger 6″ Galaxy S7+/ S7 edge+ versions.

These cases are for the 5.1″ Galaxy S7 and show the narrow Home button. Leaks like this come in two flavors – with a narrow button or with a bigger button. There’s still no consensus which one is right.

Samsung Galaxy S7 (unofficial renders) in Olixar cases

Browsing through the options, we spotted some interesting “official” cases – a QWERTY Keyboard Cover and a Backpack (battery case maybe?). It’s probably like the QWERTY add-on the Galaxy Note5 had. There’s also the usual S View case, a Clear Cover case and a rugged-sounding Guard Cover…

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ASUS has launched its ZenWatch 2 Android Wear smartwatch in the Indian market. The watch is now available online through Flipkart.

Currently, three variants of the watch are available for sale. The cheapest one has a silver case with rubber band, priced at INR 11,999 ($180). The leather belt models come in either silver or gunmetal gray, and are priced at INR 14,999 ($225) each.

The ZenWatch 2 is the cheapest smartwatch to go on sale in India. Even the original LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live were priced much higher, and the current Moto 360 is also priced significantly higher. It’s still a bit steep, which explains why Android Wear smartwatches aren’t such a hot commodity on the…

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The Samsung Gear S2 definitely stands out among the smartwatch crowd, both in terms of design, controls and an alternative software approach. Straying away from the pack – what looks like a surefire recipe for failure on the surface, has actually proven a pretty viable strategy on the still developing wearable scene, as the Korean giant definitely got many things right with the Gear S2.

However, despite all the well-deserved praise, no product is perfect and just like its Android Wear siblings or the Apple Watch, the Gear S2 faces challenges of its own. Undoubtedly one of the bigger calamities of the Tizen-powered watch is the relative lack of software, when compared to Android Wear. However, eager developers seem to have taken a liking to Samsung’s versatile and powerful OS implementation and have been shrinking the app gap quite rapidly as of late. One interesting fresh addition to the Gear S2 is a full QWERTY keyboard.

The app in question is called Agile Keyboard and is available through Galaxy apps for $0.90. It is a Samsung-style keyboard, even complete with a T9 predictive engine, much like on the company’s handsets.

The Gear S2’s Tizen-powered OS allows for easy implementation of third-party keyboards. These are easily switchable through the Settings » Input menu on the watch. It is this kind of development-friendly design that really make Tizen stand-out – a plus we described in more detail within our review of the Gear S2.

And for optimizing the IM experience on your wrist, another interesting app is currently under development for the Gear S2. It aims to solve a problem common to both Android Wear and the Tizen-based Samsung wearable OS, namely that currently you can only reply to instant messages from the notification interface. That is, you can only send a single response after someone writes to you and can’t otherwise start or manage conversation. The app, showcased in the video below, acts as a message hub that simply allows you to manage active chats and write to people as you please. It currently supports multiple apps: WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Google Hangout, Line, KakaoTalk, Skype and Viber, with the possibility of more to come.

It the clip, we can see both apps working together beautifully on the Gear S2, as the ultimate testament that Samsung’s latest smartwatch is definitely growing in popularity and drawing more and more developer attention.

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