Blackberry is reportedly switching focus to mid-range handsets

During an interview with The National, CEO of BlackBerry, John Chen admitted that the first Android-powered BlackBerry may have been set too high for customers. Indeed, theBlackBerry Priv must have turned customers off when they found out about its near-$700 price tag. BlackBerry intended to aim the BlackBerry Priv at enterprise customers, or for a more business oriented lifestyle.

Chen also told The National that BlackBerry plans to release two mid-range devices this year. One will feature a physical keyboard like the Priv, while the other one will be an all-touchscreen phone. My guess is the all-touchscreen phone will be the lower-end handset of the bunch.

BlackBerry also announced that the Priv sold 600,000 units in Q1 of 2016. Well below the 850,000 forecasted by analysts. If BlackBerry wants to up its game, it needs to look at how successful it was in the late 2000s and try to apply the same ideas and strategies and modernize them to be able to compete with the other big players in the field.

BlackBerry forgot that just a few short years ago around 2007-2009 the success of the blackberry was thanks to the mid-range BlackBerry Curve. The Curve was a BlackBerry that all kinds of people could use and it became widely popular in the US and still remains popular even today in some areas of the world where smartphones are still a novelty.

Even in 2007-2009, BlackBerry had different models that corresponded to different people. For example, the BlackBerry Pearl was a multimedia oriented device capable of playing videos, music, and the compact keyboard (which I hope to never have to use) had two letters on a single key but offered predictive text.

Next up is the Blackberry Curve (I owned the 8530 for Sprint). It was a step up from the BlackBerry Pearl because it had a full QWERTY keyboard and offered more traditional BlackBerry Experience while marketing directly to consumers and not to enterprise customers. This phone was so popular (particularly the 8300) that it launched Research In Motion (RIM, before renaming the company to ‘BlackBerry’) into huge success at that time.

The BlackBerry Bold was the highest end of BlackBerry devices. It offered a much more comfortable keyboard, the same one found on the BlackBerry Priv which was somehow better to type on than the BlackBerry Curve’s. The later Bold models even had a touchscreen on the phone.

Let’s get back to the issue at hand (I got carried away): Can BlackBerry make better success by aiming to release mid-range devices rather than focus on a single high-end device? In a market so saturated with different kinds of smartphones, there is still a great opportunity to sell devices in the mid-range market. People who will definitely NOT buy an iPhone or Galaxy flagship might be easier to convince between device options.

Source | Via

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will be water and dust resistant, report says

So far, we've heard that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will come with 6GB of RAM, a 5.8-inch touchscreen (presumably keeping the QHD resolution), a 12 MP rear camera, and 64 or 128GB of storage (maybe even 256GB).

And now a new piece of the puzzle is reportedly revealed. According to a new report, the Note 6 will be IP68 certified. That means it will be dust tight and just as water resistant as theGalaxy S7 - being able to withstand submerging into up to 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes.

The phone could also sport an iris scanner, as revealed earlier today by an intriguing import into India. Unlike its predecessor, the Note5, the new Note-series member will thankfully besold in Europe from day one. The handset could be unveiled as early as June, according to speculation from certain analysts. Then again, Samsung might also stick with its traditional schedule for Note launches and announce it in late August or early September. It's too early to be sure at this point.

Source

Another leak of the HTC 10 shows the handset in white

There is no doubt that HTC is really excited about the HTC 10 that it has been teasing the device left and right since the beginning of this year. This time, however, a photo was leaked through Chinese micro-blogging network Weibo.

Apparently someone who had their hands on a final unit in white, took a picture of it laying atop a greasy laptop keyboard. The unit shown had Chinese software on it but looks just like another Chinese unit that was also leaked earlier last month.

What is different about this unit was that it was white. We’d only seen units with black faces so at least we now know that HTC plans to release a version of the phone with a white bezel, perhaps with a silver finish on the rear?

HTC has already teased the HTC 10 in the past with its large beveled edge, another teaser featured the HTC 10’s speaker system and promised that it would feature the best Boom Sound experience than ever before. HTC also teased the phone’s performance, and camera(calling it “the best ever smartphone for shooting photos and videos) and finally, just today, HTC also teased the phone’s battery life.

HTC has big shoes to fill. Especially now that it’s been teasing the crap out of its new unreleased flagship. The unveiling is expected to happen on April 12 at 8AM EST time. Until then, we hope that HTC is able to deliver on all its promises.

Source | Via

OnePlus One Marshmallow update now seeding

We reported on the Marshmallow update for the OnePlus One being in final testing the other day, in the words of company co-founder Carl Pei, and he gave a rather vague promise that the rollout will start "very soon". Well, those who read that as "maybe another month left to go" will be pleasantly surprised today.

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is beginning to roll out for the OnePlus One, the company has shared in a post on its own forum. Cyanogen is ready to push the CM 13.0 release with internal designation ZNH0EAS26M to OnePlus' first ever smartphone.

As is customary with all such firmware update matters though, not everyone will get it on day one, so patience is appreciated, Helen from OnePlus says.

Source

Apple releases iOS 9.3.1 to fix crashes caused by tapping links

iOS 9.3 was released to the public on March 21, the same day as Apple's big event where it unveiled the iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7 (both of which are now available, by the way). Yet here we are just 10 days later and the company has deemed it necessary to already issue an emergency update for its mobile operating system.

iOS 9.3.1 is now rolling out to supported iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch units across the world. Its only function is to fix a very nasty bug that somehow made the cut to the final version of iOS 9.3. This bug will render your Apple device useless after tapping on links in Safari and other apps.

Thankfully, after you update your device to iOS 9.3.1, the crashing and unresponsiveness associated with tapping on links in certain circumstances will happen no more. So clearly this is one update that you should apply as soon as possible, especially if you have been affected by this bug.

Nothing else is included in this iOS release, so you don't get any new features or anything like that. Then again, iOS 9.3 itself comes with plenty of those, and it's only been out for everyone since last week, so that makes perfect sense.

Source

LG G5 now available for purchase in the US

As scheduled, LG's newest flagship smartphone - the G5 - is now available for purchase in the United States. AT&T has listed the device on its website, and is selling it for $688 sans contract. Those opting for the carrier's Next plan can get the phone for as low as $22.97 a month.

As you might already know, the G5 comes with a free battery and charging cradle in the US. On top of that AT&T is offering a $49.99 LG G Pad X 10.1 on a 2-year agreement to those purchasing the phone on the carrier's Next plan.

You can also get a LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE smartwatch for $99.99 on contract. As for colors, the AT&T LG G5 is available in all four options including silver, titan, gold, and pink.

Source

Huawei saw 37% annual revenue growth last year - biggest since 2008

Chinese company Huawei recorded an annual revenue of RMB 395 billion ($61.10 billion) in 2015, which translates into an year-on-year growth of 37%. This is the company's biggest annual revenue growth in the past seven years.

Huawei's net profit for the year stood at RMB 36.9 billion, up 32 percent from the RMB 27.9 billion figure it reported the year prior. The company's handset division played an important role in this with a 44% jump in shipments. In case you don't already know, Huawei became the first smartphone company in China whose shipments crossed the 100 million mark in a year in 2015.

The company's carrier business - which now accounts for around 59% of the company's revenue - also saw a jump of 21.4% last year primarily due to China's adoption of 4G mobile technology.

Huawei's growth is "a direct result of strategic focus and heavy investment in our core businesses," said Guo Ping, one of the CEOs. The company expects its annual revenue to increase to $75 billion this year.

Via

HTC 10 swings by FCC ahead of announcement

The HTC 10 is now approved by the FCC making the phone that little bit readier for its launch. HTC will officially unveil its upcoming flagship on April 12 in an online events.

An interesting bit revealed by the regulatory is that there are actually two new HTC models - the 2PS6200 and 2PS6500. Unfortunately, there are no photos provided in the documents, as HTC has requested the FCC to withhold public information disclosure. It's also unclear what the differences between the two are, but we are guessing it boils down to network bands support.

HTC 10 is expected to have a 5.1" QHD screen of the Super LCD 5 variety (not AMOLED), a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM and a USB Type-C port. HTC has hinted the 10 will have a "very compelling camera" (12MP UltraPixel say the rumors).

You can expect the HTC 10 to come in a variety of colors including black front with black or silver rear, and a white front with white or gold rear.

Source • Source (2) | Via

Alleged Meizu Pro 6 mini and m3 note leak ahead of announcement

The Meizu Pro 6 and the Meizu m3 note has been popping in our rumor section for quite some time. The Meizu Pro 5 mini was part of the rumors for quite some time, but it got cancelled due to production delays.

Today, we got a new picture revealing the Meizu m3 note and the Pro 6 mini. Check it out:

The Meizu m3 note is supposed to go official on April 6. It should offer a 5.5" 1080p display, Helio X10 chipset with 2 or 3GB RAM (storage dependent), and a 3,200 mAh battery. One of the key upgrades over the m2 note is the new shiny metal chassis, probably following the footsteps of the Meizu m1 metal and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.

The Pro 6 mini first appeared in a leaked Meizu roadmap, then it should pack a 4.7" 1080p display, and run on the Helio X25 chipset with a deca-core processor. The battery behind this impressive hardware should be a 2,800 mAh unit.

Via

HTC 10 Mini running on Snapdragon 823 scheduled for September

The HTC 10 announcement is just around the corner - it is going to happen in 12 days, and we know most of the details already thanks to the numerous leaks throughout the past few months. We guess it's time to move onto the next big thing, which in this case is a little flagship.

Apparently the HTC 10 will be getting a mini flavor - the HTC 10 Mini. As per the leaked memo sent to selected HTC insiders, the HTC 10 Mini will feature a 4.7" display (probably a 1080p unit) and will be powered by the Snapdragon 823 chipset with 4GB of RAM.

The Snapdragon 823 chip is the same as the S820 model, but the quad-core Kryo CPU will run on a higher clock. We already heard of this new SoC two days ago with the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 leak, which reported Xiaomi's next phablet to be powered by the same thing.

Anyway, the HTC 10 Mini should be introduced this September. We'll certainly get a few more leaks until then though.

Source

LG G5 torture tests come online, it turns out quite sturdy

LG G5 went on sale just yesterday and it was inevitable for the flagship to pass through various torture tests for the cameras. The G5 got scratched, burnt with a lighter, and then bent for the public to enjoy.

As expected the LG G5 doesn't bend easily as it's actually a chunk of metal, except for the whatever accessory is inserted within the Magic Slot - this will surrender rather easy.

The scratch test revealed the LG G5 is actually covered by a thin layer of plastic. This process of applying small color particles on metal surface is called microdizing and allows for hiding the antenna bands within the paint.

LG actually talked about this - the layer some consider as plastic is actually a rather thick ply of paint, so we think LG hasn't lied about the metal, nor has misled on the microdizing thing - the paint is indeed hiding the antennas.

So, the LG G5 is not that prone to bending, though you can easily bend the bottom because it's detachable. It does endure screen scratches up to a certain point, but the rear is a lot easier to scratch because it's actually paint.

The teardown video reveals the LG G5 is easy to open and repair and shows its true metal nature.

We already published our LG G5 review based on a pre-production unit, but the retail unit has just arrived in our office so you should stay tuned for an update early next week.

Via

Meizu PRO 6 leaks in more photos flaunting gold and white color variation

Photos of a gold variant of the yet unreleased Meizu PRO 6 have hit the web. As you can see below, the phone will use the design of the PRO 5 as a foundation, but will have subtle differences.

The PRO 6 is rumored to have laser autofocus located insite the LED flash ring at the back. Additional purported features will be mTouch fingerprint scanner, 2.5D curved display and a USB Type C port.

Incredibly, the phone is rumored to sport 6GB of RAM, too. Other yet-to-be-confirmed specs of the device include 1080p display, Exynos 8890 SoC, Hi-Fi 3.0, Flyme 6.0 OS, and fast charging. If you recall, Meizu's VP and Flyme chief architect Yang Yan recently shared a screenshot revealing that the handset will feature 3D Touch/Force touch.

There's no word regarding the official debut of the phone just yet.

Via/

Possible Yu Yureka Plus successor spotted in import listing

Indian company YU seems to be working on a new device and, form the looks of things, it appears to be a successor to the Yureka Plus. The mysterious device was spotted on Zauba, entering India from China.

The officially provided model number for the unit is YU5200 and, as usual, the listing comes with some basics specs as well. The handset is listed as having a 5.2-inch screen, as well as 4G connectivity and Dual SIM support. The only other piece of information on Zauba is the announced price of INR 9,036, which is not necessarily indicative of its market price in any way, but is still low enough to suggest a price point below INR 10,000, or around $150 - a budget-friendly offer indeed.

luckily, a device bearing the exact same YU5200 model number was also spotted on the GFXBench website, with a full set of specs. They suggest a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels on the 5.2-inch panel, also an octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, a generous 3GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage, with a microSD card slot.

The camera setup includes a 13MP main shooter with a single LED flash and up to 1080p video recording and a 5MP selfie cam on the front. Other specs include Wi-Fi b/g/n, the already mentioned LTE and Dual SIM, as well as Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and an Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Via

iOS 9.3 roll-out is temporarily on hold for some older models

Software development is an almost endless process of introducing bugs and consecutively trying to remove them, hopefully without causing any more. There is no such thing as perfect software, nor perfect users, for that matter and Apple, just like any other large-scale software vendor makes no exception to the rule. In a new development around the recently released public iOS 9.3 update, Cupertino found itself battling issues, which has necessitated a temporary halt in the roll-out for certain older devices.

The problem seems to be in the update procedure, mixed in with some forgetfulness on the user's part. Apparently installing the OTA on certain older devices requires you to enter your iCloud credentials. Before you do so, or if you fail to remember them, the device remains unusable. Apple has already posted an official workaround that seems to involve syncing with iTunes and getting the credentials from there, so, if you have found yourself in the activation brick situation on an older Apple device (iPad 5s, iPad Air and earlier), you can try it out.

"Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update," an Apple spokesperson told iMore. "In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step."

In the meantime, as already mentioned, Cupertino has stopped seeding the update to the affected devices and has promised to provide a new version that does not require the activation step in the next few days.

Source | Via

 

vivo V3 Max spotted on TENAA with octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM

A couple of days after vivo teased the V3 and V3 Max the latter has been spotted on the website of Chinese regulatory TENAA. The listing reveals a 1.5GHz octa-core CPU and 5.5-inch TFT Full HD display.

Other key specs that have been revealed include 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable internal memory, and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS. The image reveals a rear fingerprint scanner as well. Available in golden color option, the device measures 153.90 × 77.10 × 7.58mm and weighs in at 168g.

There's currently no official word on the vivo Max's availability or pricing.

Source | Via | vivo India (Facebook)

Sprint releases Marshmallow update for the Galaxy Note 4

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 owners on the Sprint network can now download the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update. The software version is N910PVPU4DPC1 and the update weighs in at 1.4GB.

The update comes three months after the update was initially released for the international version of the phone.

In terms of features, the update brings along some interesting ones. Chief among them is the Screen off memo function that allows you to start taking notes using the S Pen as soon as it's taken out from its slot.

In addition, the update also includes a new Air Command menu that debuted on the Note 5 and S6 edge+. Other changes include new icons, faster UI, and smoother animations.

Via

Verizon starts pre-orders for LG G5 and Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, launches LG K4

Verizon and LG are having quite a big day today, it turns out. No less than three new LG devices are now listed on the carrier's website, two of which are up for pre-order while the third is actually available already.

Let's start with the G5, LG's newest flagship smartphone. It can be yours for either $624 upfront, or $0 down followed by 24 monthly payments of $26. It will be released on April 1. If you pre-order one, you get a free LG 360 Cam, as well as a free second battery for the G5 and a battery charging cradle.

The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE was launched last year then sales were abruptly stopped when the Korean company discovered a faulty component. The smartwatch is back, though, with AT&T starting pre-orders for it a few days ago. And now Verizon is following in the footsteps of its biggest competitor, by offering the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE for pre-order too.

It's priced at $449.99 with a two-year contract, or $499.99 without a service agreement. It too shall ship by April 1, like the G5. And if you buy a G5 or a V10 on device payment, the smartwatch becomes $100 cheaper for a limited time.

Finally, Verizon is launching the LG K4 smartphone today. It's already available to purchase from Big Red's website. It goes for $120 all-in, or you can pay $0 down and then 24 monthly installments of $5 if you so choose.

Source 1 • Source 2 • Source 3

LG G5 up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse in the UK, arrives by April 1

UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has the LG G5 listed for pre-order with a SIM-free price quoted at £499.99. Amazon kicked off its G5 pre-orders a few days ago at £529, but is now down to the same £499.99.

Clove was first to list this year's LG flagship close to a month ago, and price there is now set at £529.99 (previously £539), but you're getting a pair of B&O in-ear headphones. Not the B&O add-on DAC though.


A few things make CW's offer more appealing than the others, and chief among those is the delivery date, April 1, which rings well with the annouced global launch on March 31. Amazon will join the party a week later on April 8, and Clove says first week of April, which can mean anything.

Additionally, the Silver paint job will be exclusive to Carphone Warehouse.
Thanks for the tip, Matt!

Source 1 2 3

LG G5 global launch set for March 31; Best Buy starts taking pre-orders

LG has announced that its newest flagship - the G5 - will go on sale globally on March 31. The South Korean company said that the modular phone will come with freebies (ranging from its camera module to a battery pack worth over $100) that will vary depending on the country.

Prices of a couple of G5's friends (accessories) have also been revealed: the Cam Plus camera grip will carry a price tag of around $85, while the audio module (Bang & Olufsen DAC) will set you back around $160.
Over in the US, Best Buy has started accepting pre-orders for the AT&T and Sprint variants - Verizon variant will be up for pre-order starting March 24.

The retailer is offering $100 savings on the device with purchase and activation of a 2-year contract with Sprint. Alternatively, buyers will get a $100 Best Buy gift card with purchase and activation of monthly installment plan - this promo is also available for the AT&T variant.

In addition, all purchases will come with a free bundle (worth $90) that includes a replacement battery, charging cradle, and USB-C to micro-USB adapter.

Source | Via 1 2

New leaked Meizu Pro 6 shots reveal a lot of design continuity from the Pro 5

The Meizu Pro 6 has been gathering a lot of attention lately with its frequent visits to the rumor mill. There might actually be quite a lot to be excited about, as rumors have hinted at things like 6GB of RAM and 3D Touch capabilities.

From the looks of things, the Meizu Pro 6 bears a striking resemblance to its own predecessor - the Pro 5 more than anything else.

In the photos we can clearly see the metal unibody design with the characteristic curved sides. Similarities extend even further to the beefy rear camera sensor and its design, as well as the quite distinctive Meizu Mtouch fingerprint scanner, which the manufacturer has apparently decided to stick with. The display on the Meizu Pro 6 also looks quite impressive, mainly because it appears to extend to the very edges of the front panel, hinting that the phone might be bezel-less or at least come close to the effect.

As for other alleged specs on the model, we currently expect a 5.5-inch FullHD display, 4GB of RAM in the base model (6GB being reserved for the very top tier) and 64GB of onboard storage, possibly going up to 128GB. The camera setup should consist of a 21MP main shooter and a 5MP selfie one on the front. Last, but definitely not least, we already know the chipset inside the Pro 6 will be the new MediaTek Helio X25.

It was developed through a partnership of both parties and will apparently be a Meizu exclusive, at least or the first few months after its release. It is basically an enhanced version of the X20 and has a three cluster design - 2x Cortex A72 cores and two quartets of A53. The difference with the Helio X20, being the higher 2.5 GHz clock rate of the A72 cores and the 850 MHz speed of the GPU.

Source