Samsung Galaxy Note7 users in Canada can return their units starting today

Samsung has announced that owners of its Galaxy Note7 smartphone in Canada can return their units starting October 13 (today). You can bring your device to the point of purchase to either get it exchanged for a Galaxy S7/S7 edge or receive a refund.

Those who purchased their unit directly from Samsung.com will get a refund upon the return of their unit. "Samsung Canada will email our online customers from Thursday, October 13th to provide them with details regarding the return process," the company said in a press release.

In case you have any inquiries, you can contact 1-855-747-6520.

Pixels sold by Verizon will be unlocked, receive updates when Google pushes them

One of the things people most liked to get angry about regarding Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones recently was the update situation on Verizon. As you may know, if you're in the US Verizon is currently the only big carrier selling them. You can also grab a Pixel from the Google store or Project Fi, but not AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile. At least not yet.
Add to that the fact that Verizon really isn't generally known for pushing software updates quickly to its devices, plus a poorly worded statement by a Google spokesperson saying "Monthly security updates will come from Google, and system updates will be managed by Verizon for Verizon models, and Google for unlocked models bought from Google Store" - and you've got yourself a scandal.
Well, it turns out that all that outrage was for nothing. Today Verizon finally decided to issue its own statement on the matter. Here it is in full:

First and foremost, all operating system and security updates to the Pixel devices will happen in partnership with Google. In other words, when Google releases an update, Verizon phones will receive the same update at the same time (much like iOS updates). Verizon will not stand in the way of any major updates and users will get all updates at the same time as Google. Also, the Verizon version of the Google Pixel is carrier unlocked, so you can use it where ever you like. Finally, we have three apps pre-installed on the phone Go90, My Verizon (which is your account management tool) and Verizon Messages (your messaging app). As you noted, all three can easily be uninstalled by the user.

This was sent to Ars Technica, and Google told the publication that "OS updates and monthly security patches will be updated on all Pixel devices (Verizon and non-Verizon versions) simultaneously", thankfully clarifying its earlier statement.
At this point you really shouldn't be worried about how soon the Pixels will get updates if you buy either one from Verizon. The iPhones sold by the carrier all get updates at the same time as those from other companies, and Big Red itself made that comparison when talking about the Pixels. What's more, surprisingly the Pixels from Verizon are being offered unlocked too, just like those from the Google store.
As for the infamous Verizon bloatware, it consists of exactly three apps, and all of them can be uninstalled. So hopefully this controversy will finally die down, letting the entire internet once again focus on how the Pixels are overpriced, have chins that are too big, and lack essential features such as wireless charging, OIS, and water resistance.

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Samsung To Abandon The Note Brands

Russian site Hi Tech Mail.ru reports about a source which claims that the South Korean manufacturing giant is considering the abolishment of the “Note” brand, due to the most recent events of the Galaxy Note7 being recalled due to battery explosions, twice.
We have to face it, the reputation of the Note brand has been destroyed, not to mention all the negative attention Samsung has been receiving because of the faulty smartphones. The Note brand will never be looked at the same way as it used to. One of the industry’s best-selling phone lineup has been laid to rest for good and Samsung has to keep looking forward.

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 The same source also reports that an internal source found that more than 50% of a survey carried by Samsung, including people in South Korea, said that the “Note” brand now carries a negative connotation.
It only makes the most sense for Samsung to rebrand the Note. While “Note” was probably the perfect name for a smartphone which makes use of a larger screen with a built-in stylus, we would love to see the S-Pen make a comeback, (and I have no doubts that it will) as the added features are too good to get rid of now.
It looks like the company still intends to keep the “Galaxy” branding, as it would be far too expensive to rebrand, arguably, its most iconic image in consumer electronics.
Do you think Samsung would do away with the phablet w/stylus niche altogether? If not, what do you think Samsung should rename the “Note” brand to? (if it does)
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World’s most valuable company is no longer Apple

Alphabet just released its Q4 2015 earnings today which shot the stock prices of both Stock A and Stock C up to about $750-$780. Alphabet is now the most valuable company in the world, surpassing Apple’s position in the ranks.

With Apple’s earning beginning to show plateauing over earnings from the year before, Google stole the show, showing great numbers of growth. Investors are going crazy buying more stock which drove the price up this afternoon.

Alphabet’s Year-over-Year revenues are increasing, which means its growth is actually growing exponentially. Revenues went up 24% from the 12% the year before.

The majority of Google’s revenue is from ads, and while the number of ad clicks have gone up 31%, the cost per click has gone down 13 percent. Don’t be fooled. This means the company still made more money on ads!

During the sales call, the company also announced that it has more than 1 billion active monthly Gmail users. Google now joins Facebook and What’s App who also have more than 1 billion active monthly users worldwide.

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Nexus devices are now getting Android's February security update

Google has announced that it has started rolling out this month's Android security update to Nexus devices. The update includes fixes to five critical issues, four high-priority issues, and a moderate bug.

The Nexus 6P, 5X, 6, 5 and 7 (2013) are all getting Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based MMB29Q build. The February patch is also rolling out to the Pixel C, Nexus 9, and Nexus Player, with build numbers MXB48T, MMB29R and MMB29U, respectively. In addition, the Nexus 10 - which is now over three years old - is also getting the update with Android 5.1.1-based LMY49G build.

If you haven't received the OTA notification yet, and are feeling impatient, you can head over to theSource 2 link below and download the factory images. But before you do that, keep in mind that installing a factory image will restore your handset to factory settings, meaning you'll lose all your personal data.

Source 1 | Source 2

LG G4 Marshmallow update now rolling out in Canada

Over a month after it started rolling out in the US, the Android 6.0 update for LG's last year's flagship smartphone G4 has started rolling out in Canada, too. Local carrier Telus started pushing out the update on February 1.

Among other major Canadian carriers, Rogers has updated its OS upgrade schedule to reflect that the update will be rolled out to G4 devices on its network starting February 3. There's, however, currently no information on when Bell will start pushing the update.

The rollout of LG G4 Marshmallow update started as a soak test in Poland. Then came a staged rollout in the company's home market of South Korea, which was followed by a European rollout.

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New update to Samsung's Android browser brings support for ad blocking

Samsung has pushed out a new update to its Web browser on Android that adds a new API using which developers will be able to build ad blocking extensions for the browser. The update will only be available to Samsung devices running Android 5.0 or up.

Once you update your Samsung Internet browser, you'll be able to block ads by installing a content blocking software that takes advantage of the new API. One such tool is Adblock Fast, which is claiming to be the first free open-source ad blocker for the browser.

The team behind Adblock Fast for Android claims the extension allows webpages to load an average of 51% faster. The ad blocker is also available for Chrome and Opera on desktops and laptops.

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Original Nvidia Shield Tablet gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow update

Back in December Nvidia released the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its Shield Tablet K1. And today the company is doing the same for theoriginal Shield Tablet from 2014.

As you'd expect, the new software brings with it all the goodies that Google's included into Marshmallow, such as Now On Tap, support for adoptable storage, the new app permission system, standby power drain improvements (with Doze mode), app optimization, as well as better power efficiency when using Bluetooth Low Energy. Memory usage is monitored for each app, and the security patch for January 2016 is in too.

Nvidia has also added a few things of its own, like a camera app with material design, improved burst functionality and new real-time HD effects, new wallpapers for the home and lock screens, improvements to Wi-Fi connectivity, and "optimized preloaded apps".

As the rollout is occurring over-the-air, it may be a few days before all original Shield tablets receive the notification. Of course if you're impatient you can always manually check for the availability of the new release by going to Settings > About tablet.

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Exynos version of the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) gets benchmarked

The upcoming 2016 refresh of Samsung's Galaxy J7 has been caught in a benchmark's databaseonce before, and now it's happened again. This time around however, we're treated to the details of the Exynos version of the device, and from two different benchmarks no less - Geekbench and GFXBench.

Yes, it seems that like for its predecessor, theoriginal J7, Samsung will once again release two models - one running its own Exynos chip, and another with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 on board.

Interestingly though, the Exynos SoC inside the J7 (2016) will be a new one, namely the Exynos 7870. This is probably going to be a successor of sorts to the Exynos 7580 found in the previous J7. It's got an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at up to 1.7 GHz, at least in these two tests.

This iteration of the new J7 only has 2GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen (the Snapdragon model apparently sports 3GB and 1080p resolution). The built-in storage is 16GB, and the main camera has 13 MP resolution while the selfie snapper is a 5 MP unit. The Exynos-powered Galaxy J7 runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow in the benchmarks, so there's a chance it will actually launch with this version on board.

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Leaked iPad Air 3 drawing reveals quad speakers, Smart Connector, LED flash

As previous rumors have hinted, in designing the upcoming iPad Air 3 Apple has taken a lot of inspiration from the unique features it introduced with the bigger iPad Pro. And today a new leaked drawing which purportedly shows the iPad Air 3's dimensions and various cutouts seems to confirm just that. While anyone can create such a rendering, this is said to originate at a reliable source for what it's worth.

The iPad Air 3 is thus going to feature a quad speaker setup akin to the iPad Pro. Furthermore, it will borrow its bigger sibling's Smart Connector, so we assume there will be a Smart Keyboard accessory for it available at launch too. The main camera will get a LED flash for whatever reason.

The cost of all these new features will be seen in the dimensions of the device. It will be slightly thicker and wider than its predecessor, with the full measurements coming in at 240 x 169.6 x 6.15 mm. However, the differences are .1 and .05 mm, respectively, so you're unlikely to notice them in real-world use.

The iPad Air 3 will supposedly launch in mid-March alongside the new affordable 4-inch smartphone from Apple (which may end up being called iPhone 5se).

Microsoft Band 2 is just £169.99 until February 5

We've seen quite a few deals for the first generation Microsoft Band wearable, especially in the UK where you could purchase it for just £50 as recently as last month. That's perhaps understandable since Microsoft's got a newer smart band on the market.

Now though this too has been discounted in the UK, following a similar move in the US in December. The Microsoft Band 2 can currently be snagged for just £169.99, which is £30 less than its recommended retail price.

The new pricing is already in effect both at Microsoft's own online store as well as at Amazon. This is a limited time deal, only being available until February 5 (which is this Friday). So if you want one of these wearables, perhaps you should act fast.

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Xiaomi and Meizu land on US soil through US Mobile

Xiaomi and Meizu are now being sold officially in the US through a carrier and that carrier is US Mobile. The MVNO, which uses T-Mobile's network, is now offering select models by the two companies, though the orders are in fact fulfilled by a third party.

The m2 note is the only Meizu smartphone that you can get at this point, priced at $149 if paid in full, or $9 a month for 18 months. The Xiaomi options include the affordable Redmi 2 at $119, the aging Mi 3 at $139, and the Snapdragon 615 midranger Mi 4i at $219. All of these can of course be purchased in monthly installments as well.

Xiaomi Mi 4i

The catch is that while three of the smartphones (Mi 3 excluded) do support LTE, none of them has radios for T-Mobile's 1700MHz band. So you'll be stuck at 3G speeds, which may or may not be a problem depending on where you stand. US Mobile CEO, however, states that in the future devices may come with proper LTE support. Not exactly a promise, but it's something.

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S6 and S6 edge get Marshmallow update in South Korea

Samsung has started rolling out the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge in South Korea.

The final version comes out after a brief beta test where users had to sign up to receive the beta build.

Looking at screenshots by SamMobile, the update brings some minor UI changes, such as the updated notification menu and power menu, along with the usual under the hood changes, such as enabling the fingerprint sensor to work in third party apps.

The update should eventually make its way outside of South Korea, and also to other Samsung devices.

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It's official: Samsung to unveil Galaxy S7 on February 21

Turns out the rumors were correct. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone will be unveiled on Sunday, February 21 (19:00 CET) in Barcelona, just a day before MWC 2016 officially kicks off.

The South Korean company has also posted a teaser video on YouTube (embedded below) that confirms the same. The video, however, doesn't reveal much - it just shows a man wearing the company's Gear VR headset.

"Get ready to rethink what a phone can do," Samsung said in the text accompanying the video. "#TheNextGalaxy will be revealed at Unpacked on February 21." The Galaxy S7 has already been the subject of endless rumors and leaks. It is expected to be launched in the US and Europe on March 11.

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Xiaomi Mi 5 to get a Windows 10 variant as well

We already know that Xiaomi's upcoming Mi 5 flagship smartphone will be officially unveiled later this month. We also know that the device will be available for media preview at this year's MWC. But, in what could come as a surprise for many, we're now hearing that the handset could have a Windows 10 variant, too.

Aside from the OS, the Win 10 variant is said to be identical to its Android cousin. The rumor also suggests that the device will be made official at a simultaneous event in China and Barcelona (during this year's MWC), alongside the Android model.

While the news definitely comes as a surprise, this would not be the first time Xiaomi and Microsoft are partnering - last year they signed an agreement to provide Windows 10 Technical Preview support on the Mi 4, following which the ROM was released in December.The Mi Pad 2 64GB also comes in a Win 10 variant, although that's the full desktop OS, rather than the mobile one.

As for the Mi 5, while most of its specs is in rumors currently, what's been confirmed so far is that the handset is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, and offerssupport for dual-SIM functionality and NFC. The company's Senior Vice President, Liwan Jiang, has reportedly also confirmed that the phone will sport a 1080p display, instead of therumored QHD one.

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BlackBerry Priv's February security update rolling out already

Well, that was quick. It's February 1 today, and BlackBerry's Android-powered Privsmartphone has already started receiving the Android security update for the month. That's less than a month after January's patch begun rolling out.

There's currently no information whatsoever on exactly what fixes are included in the update given that even Google is yet to disclose the details about Android's February security patch.

As for the devices receiving the update, it'd be fair to assume that only unlocked Priv units purchased directly from BlackBerry will be getting it for now as carriers usually take some time before rolling out any update to variants bought from them.

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Leaked Samsung Galaxy S7 photo shows the back design

@evleaks has just outed a photo showing the backs of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. As per the photo, Samsung intends to keep the glass design of its upcoming batch of flagships.

Microsoft Lumia 950 now down to £390 in UK

If you are in the UK and are planning to purchase the Microsoft Lumia 950 flagship smartphone, you'll be glad to know that the Windows 10 device is now available for £390 in the country.

Amazon UK is currently selling the handset for that price, which is further £10 less compared to the £400 price it came down to just last week. Other third party retailers like Carphone Warehouse have currently listed the phone for £399.99.

However, if you're looking to purchase the flagship directly from Microsoft, you'll have to shell out a bit more as the Redmond company is currently selling the device for £419.99 in the country.

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New rumor claims HTC One M10 will have Snapdragon 820 and MediaTek versions

 We told you about a rumor claiming that HTC won't announce its next flagship smartphone at MWC in February, but at a dedicated event in March.

And now this has been 'confirmed' by another rumor. Although the source of this has leaked pretty accurate HTC-related information in the past, make sure you don't forget your grain of salt.

The One M10 (codenamed Perfume) will run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8.0 on top. It's said to come in two hardware versions, with two different chipsets powering it. Over in the US and EU, we'll see the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 at the helm, while in China and South-East Asia the handset should sport a MediaTek SoC (though the exact model isn't mentioned).

An unveiling in March (perhaps even towards the end of the month) would explain why we've seen almost no leaks or rumors about the One M10 yet. That said, do expect to hear (much) more about it in the coming weeks.

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Motorola starts soak testing Moto G (2nd Gen) Marshmallow update

Motorola has announced that it has begun soak testing the Android 6.0 update for the second-generation Moto G (both LTE and 3G-only variants) in India and Brazil. The announcement was made by the company's senior director of software product management David Schuster on Google+.

This comes just days after the company posted Marshmallow update release notes for the device on its India support website, indicating an imminent roll out of the update.

For those who aren't already aware, soak test means that only a small subset of users will receive the update, and if everything goes fine - which means if there aren't any critical issues - a full launch will follow shortly, which is likely after a week in this case.

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Google has reportedly made $31 billion in revenue from Android

We know that Google doesn't reveal the revenue or profit it makes off of its Android mobile-operating system. However, looks like the well-guarded secret has just been revealed by Oracle. The the database maker’s attorney in an ongoing lawsuit against Google revealed last week that the latter has made a total of $31 billion in revenue and $22 billion in profit from Android till date.

Google said that the figures were derived from its confidential internal financial documents, adding that the "extremely sensitive information" shouldn't have been publicly disclosed as it was meant for "Attorney’s Eyes Only."

"Google does not publicly allocate revenues or profits to Android separate and apart from Google’s general business," the company said in a court filing. "That non-public financial data is highly sensitive, and public disclosure could have significant negative effects on Google’s business."

The Mountain View, California-based company urged the court to edit related portions of the public transcript of last week’s hearing, following which the transcript was removed from electronic court records.

Filed way back in 2010, the lawsuit accuses Google of copyright violation saying that the company used Java APIs in its Android OS without permission. While Google argued that APIs can't be copyrighted, a court in 2014 ruled otherwise. Following this, the search giant took the battle to the Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling.

The ongoing arguments are now for the damages that Oracle will receive from Google. "Look at the extraordinary magnitude of commerciality here," Oracle's attorney had said last week while disclosing Android's revenue and profit.

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Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge spotted at Zauba, screen sizes confirmed

Already been the subject of several rumors and leaks, Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphones - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - have now been spotted on Zauba, a website which tracks India's import and export.

As you might already know, the SM-G930R4 and SM-G935R4 are rumored model numbers of the S7 and S7 edge, respectively. And their Zauba listing reveals that the former sports a 5.1-inch screen, while the curved screen variant has a 5.5-inch display.

If you recall, this is inline with the information we exclusively reported last month. Also, just days ago, the Galaxy S7 (the Exynos variant) was spotted on Antutu, revealing a 5.1" QHD display.

Via (translated)

ZUK Z1 gets its first taste of Marshmallow with CM 13 nightlies

The ZUK Z1 definitely stands out from the ever-growing crowd of Chinese devices for a few good reasons. First, unlike many of its competitors, it has a strong brand backing by non-other that Lenovo, but perhaps more importantly, the handset struck an official partnership with Cyanogen from the very beginning. In an essence, the OEM tried to pick up where OnePlus left off with the OnePlus One, before the OS scandal and the strategy seems to be generating results.

The ZUK Z1 was posed to receive a Cyanogen 13 build sooner or later, given this arrangement, but we were a little surprised to see working ROMs before the end of January. Now, there is a catch, the Android 6.0 builds in question are nightlies (read not retail-ready) and come from the development branch. This means that they are prone to bugs in this early stage, as evident by the fact that two packages cm-13.0-20160120-NIGHTLY and cm-13.0-20160121-NIGHTLY were published only a few hours apart. Plus, they are marked as Cyanogen Mod and not Cyanogen OS, like the official release will be.

An official build is imminent and once it becomes available, it will start seeding to devices as a stable OTA. If you rely heavily on the ZUK Z1 and want it to function properly, we would advise you to wait on the official update, but eager developers and tinkerers can head over to the download page in the source link and manually flash the firmware today.

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