Samsung Galaxy S6 import docs point to 5" screen

Day by day, the pieces of the Samsung Galaxy S6 are coming together. The latest evidence of the phone's alleged specs comes from Indian import tracking website Zauba, which lists that two units of the phone have entered the countries for testing and evaluation purposes. The units carry the model number SM-G920A and packs a 5-inch display.

That's 0.1 inches smaller display than the outgoing Samsung Galaxy S5, which will be the first time in the flagship's history its display has shrunk. In any way, previous evidence from the Samsung UAProf webpage confirms the phone will pack a QHD resolution.

The Zauba page also reveals the phone's import price, which is $405 (INR 25,169). However, that won't bee the phone's price given that recent history. Additional specifications of the phone entail an Exynos 7420 chipset with octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, and 20MP camera.

A couple of days ago, we caught a glimpse of the phone in an allegedly official case images from Spigen. The case maker outed four cases for the phone showing its back with the camera and heart rate sensor location. Furthermore, back texture looks to stay the same as the Galaxy S5.

The Galaxy S6 is rumored to pack a metal frame, akin to the Galaxy Alpha. Yesterday, schematics of the phone's design popped up revealing the exact dimensions of the device - 143.5 x 70.7 x 7.2mm. If true, then the phone is a tad taller, but narrower and quite thinner than the Galaxy S5 (142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm).

We'll have all of the Galaxy S6 information once the phone goes official. Samsung is expected to make it so at MWC in Barcelona at the beginning of March.

Huawei says 4K on smartphones isn't worth the battery drain

Chinese manufacturer Huawei has made it clear that it won’t be using 4K displays in its smartphones in the near future. According to the company’s President of the Handset Product Line Kevin Ho, the advanced displays would result in a major compromises to battery life, something which the company isn’t willing to accept.

“4K needs a lot of power, so if you use it you have to make compromises. A 4K display on a smartphone may give you half a day of battery life but a 2K display can give you maybe one day or more,” Ho said. “4K has four times the pixels of Full HD so the power consumption is maybe 4 or 8 times as much as Full HD so the smartphone has to have compromises with battery life.”

Ho also asserted that while 4K looks impressive on large screens, it’s difficult to tell the difference between 4K and 2K on a smaller smartphone display of five to six inches.

However, he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of 4K devices in the future. “I don’t want to say there’s no chance for 4K on smartphones, but we need to think about compromise and whether our eyes can tell the difference.”

HTC A55 Desire series phone with flagship-level specs leaks

HTC has another high-end device in the making, that should be announced with the M9 at MWC. The A55, as it is known for now, will be a Desire series device, but still packs some amazing specifications.

According to upleaks, the A55 has a 5.5-inch, QHD display, MediaTek MT6795 octa-core 64-bit chipset, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 20 megapixel rear camera, 13 megapixel or 4 UltraPixel front camera. BoomSound speakers, Bluetooth 4.1, less than 3000mAh battery. and Sense 7.0 on top of Android 5.0.

The phone will be available in White Rose Gold, Gray, and Brown Gold colors. The phone will get its own Dot View case. There will be two variants, a single SIM one for EMEA markets and dual SIM for Asian markets.

Source gsmarena

Check out this week's smartphone announcements

The week opened with the announcement of the low-end Asus ZenFone C. It's a minor update to last year's ZenFone 4, retaining the Intel chipset with a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. Screen size has seen a slight bump to 4.5 inches, requiring an increase in battery capacity to 2,100mAh.

Wednesday was rather eventful, with Meizu's highly-anticipated press conference. The Meizu m1 was unveiled, packing a 5-inch 720p screen and respectable hardware in a colorful body, all for $110. Camera department is where the m1 offers the most bang for its buck, offering a 13MP main sensor and a 5MP selfie snapper.

The ZTE Blade S6 is a more capable LTE-enabled 5-incher rocking a Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. A 13MP/5MP camera combo adds up to a respectable $250 midrange package.

The HTC Desire 526+G slides in between the last two, pricewise. For $170 the Taiwanese company will sell you a 4.7-inch qHD screen, a 1.7GHz octa-core processor, coupled with a single gig of RAM and 8GB of on-board storage. A 16GB version is available for a nominal price increase.

Samsung unveiled a new smartphone as well, pushing its range to even lower grounds. The entry-level Galaxy J1 packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a modest 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory, thankfully expandable. The new base model runs KitKat on a 4.3-inch screen.

Motorola quietly launched an LTE-enabled version of the current Moto G, dubbed Moto G 4G (2015). Offering vanilla Android experience and timely updates, the new handset offers dual-sim functionality and retains the hardware of the non-4G version.

As always, we've set up a convenient list of links below for you examine all of the above in more detail.

Motorola Moto G 4G (2015)

specs gallery

Samsung Galaxy J1

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ZTE Blade S6

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HTC Desire 526G+ dual sim

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Meizu m1

specs gallery

Asus Zenfone C ZC451CG

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Research says iPads and smartphones may damage toddlers' brains Journal findings warn that using a tablet or smartphone to divert a child’s attention could be detrimental to ‘their social-emotional development’

 Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine found that use of interactive screen time under 30 months could also impair a child’s development of the skills needed for maths and science. Photograph: Alamy

Using a smartphone or iPad to pacify a toddler may impede their ability to learn self control, new research has shown.

The research also says heavy use of mobile devices at a very young age is having an untold impact on children’s development and behaviour.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine expressed alarm that though the adverse effects of television and video on very small children is well understood, society’s understanding of the impact of mobile devices on the pre-school brain has been far outpaced by how much children are already using them.

The researchers warned that using a tablet or smartphone to divert a child’s attention could be detrimental to “their social-emotional development”.

“If these devices become the predominant method to calm and distract young children, will they be able to develop their own internal mechanisms of self-regulation?” the scientists asked.

Use of interactive screen time below three years of age could also impair a child’s development of the skills needed for maths and science, they found.

Jenny Radesky, clinical instructor in developmental-behavioural pediatrics at BU School of Medicine, published her team’s research findings in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She urged parents to increase “direct human to human interaction” with their offspring.

Radesky encouraged more “unplugged” family interaction in general and suggested young children may benefit from “a designated family hour” of quality time spent with relatives – without any television and mobile devices being involved.

The researchers pointed out that while there is plenty of expert evidence that children under 30 months cannot learn as well from television and videos as they can from human interaction, there has been insufficient investigation into whether interactive applications on mobile devices produce a similar result.

Radesky questioned whether the use of smartphones and tablets could interfere with the ability to develop empathy and problem-solving skills and elements of social interaction that are typically learned during unstructured play and communication with peers.

Playing with building blocks may help a toddler more with early maths skills than interactive electronic gadgets, the researchers found.

“These devices may replace the hands-on activities important for the development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills, which are important for the learning and application of maths and science,” Radesky said.

There is evidence that well-researched early-learning television programmes, such as Sesame Street, and electronic books and learn-to-read applications on mobile devices can help vocabulary and reading comprehension, the team found, but only once children are much closer to school age.

Radesky recommended that parents try applications before considering allowing a child to use them.

“At this time there are more questions than answers when it comes to mobile media,” she said.

Hands on photos of the Meizu m1

Meizu m1 hands on photos have been published. Take a look at the Meizu m1 photos in the gallery and let us know what you think of the little Meizu.
If you missed the news, then yesterday was mostly about the launch of the Meizu M1 in China. The phone released for 699 Yuan in the country with largely the same specifications as were rumoured ahead of the event, with just few surprises (both good and bad). The hardware for the Meizu m1 is overall pretty good and includes a 5-inch HD display, 64bit processor, LTE, 13 mega-pixel camera, 5 mega-pixel front camera, 2610mAh battery and support for a micro SD card. All good, but issues have arisen of the fact that the phone only has 1GB RAM and more importantly an WCDMA/FDD version hasn’t yet been announced meaning the m1 will only work in China for now.

The look of the Meizu m1 is similar to the larger, 5.5-inch m1 note, but at 5-inch it looks even more like the iPhone 5C. Take a look at the hands on photos below and let us know what you think.

[ More photos at Meizunews.com

China Focus: Chinese smartphone makers rise to rival Samsung, Apple

BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top smartphone companies challenged Samsung and Apple with surging sales and revenue in 2014, vowing to scramble for a larger share in a global turf war with the top two makers.

As one of the major competitors, telecom behemoth Huawei Technologies reported a 45-percent rise in smartphone shipments in 2014, reaching more than 75 million units.

Sales revenue of Huawei's consumer goods branch, which makes mobile phones and other gadgets, increased 30 percent to 12.2 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Currently, Huawei is the world's third largest smartphone maker following Samsung and Apple, according to market tracker Gartner. They held a global market share of 5.3 percent, 24.4 percent and 12.7 percent respectively in the third quarter of 2014.

Last year, 52 percent of Huawei's smartphone sales revenue came from overseas markets. The tech giant's presence in Africa, Asia and Latin America was rapidly consolidated.

"We will try to rival Samsung and Apple globally in 2015," said Shao Yang, vice president of Huawei Consumer Business Group. He said the company will work to improve its overseas brand reputation.

Huawei aims to hike smartphone shipments to 100 million units and sales revenue to 16 billion U.S. dollars in 2015.

Another homegrown smartphone maker Xiaomi said it sold 61.1 million units in 2014, surging 227 percent year on year. Its revenue grew 135 percent to 74.3 billion yuan (about 12 billion U.S. dollars).

Xiaomi is now marketing products in six foreign countries and regions. More than one million units have been sold in India, for example, one of the company's most successful markets abroad.

"We will enter more overseas markets in 2015 and strive for better performance there," said Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, who is called China's Steve Jobs by fans.

Steve Koenig, director of Industry Analysis of the Consumer Electronics Association, said Chinese smartphone brands are putting pressure on their global competitors.

Referencing Xiaomi Mi5 and Huawei Mate 7, Koenig said Chinese brands are not just focused on making cheap phones, but also on creating quite sophisticated devices.

Huawei's helmsman Ren Zhengfei said earlier this month at the World Economic Forum that the company will shift away from a growth route based on low price and low quality.

Gartner estimated that the combined global share of Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo increased 4.1 percentage points to 15.5 percent. Analysts predicted there is still great potential for further growth at their "home court", although China's mobile phone market is almost saturated.

"China's western regions, especially the rural areas, will see double-digit growth in smartphone sales in coming one to two years," said a research note from market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

Fast-growing 4G networks will also create large room for compatible smartphones, according to IDC.

RETREATING SAMSUNG, ADVANCING APPLE

The South Korean company retains its crown as world No.1 smartphone maker, but its market share declined 7.7 percentage points from a year earlier to 24.4 percent in the third quarter.

Earnings from their mobile division rebounded on a quarterly basis, but the number dropped 64 percent on a year-on-year basis to 1.96 trillion won (1.8 billion U.S. dollars) in the fourth quarter.

Samsung launched two cheap models in January in its home market to fight China-made low-end smartphones.

To diversify earnings, Samsung will focus on Internet of Things in 2015 as one of its new growth engines.

Apple's financial results showed its quarterly revenue and net profits grew 30 percent and 38 percent annually in the fourth quarter.

These results were fueled by all-time record revenue from iPhone and Mac sales as well as record performance of the App Store.

Apple is experiencing their most rapid growth in China since opening the first store in 2008, according to Apple VP retail real estate/development Bob Bridger.

Earlier this month, a report from investment banking firm UBS showed China has overtaken the United States as the largest iPhone buyer thanks to strong demand for iPhone 6 and 6 plus.

How to unlock your Chromebook using an Android device Chrome OS has been updated to include a beta version of Smart Lock.

Smart Lock may sound familiar to Android users with devices already updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The feature allows you to set specific locations as safe zones, or Bluetooth devices as trusted connections, both of which disable your device's security screen.

The theory is that since you're in a safe location, or connected to something like an Android Wear watch, the device is in your control and an unlock mechanism isn't warranted.

Originally announced during Google's developer conference in 2014, Smart Lock is a feature that pairs your Android device with a Chromebook. The end result is the ability to unlock your Chromebook without having to enter your password, simply by having your Android device nearby. And it's now available in the Stable channel of Chrome OS.

If you have a Chromebook and an Android smartphone (tablets aren't supported right now) running 5.0 Lollipop, you can set up Smart Lock in just a few minutes.

The Chrome OS settings screen.

• First, make sure your Chromebook is running the latest version of Chrome OS by launchingSettings and clicking on About Chrome OS (top arrow in screenshot above).
• Chrome OS version 40 or higher has Smart Lock enabled.
• After your Chromebook is updated, sign into your account and click on your profile picturefollowed by Settings then Show Advanced Settings (bottom arrow in screenshot above).

Smart Lock setting and setup screen.

• Scroll down until you find the section titled Smart Lock (Beta) and click the Set up Smart Lockbutton.

You'll be asked to sign into your Google account to verify you're the one requesting Smart Lock. Then the Chromebook will find your device, and finish the setup process.

Your Android device will need to be nearby, with Bluetooth enabled and signed into the same Google account you're signed into on your Chromebook.

I've found the feature is missing on my Chromebook when I sign in using a Google Apps account, while a standard Gmail account has the feature present and functioning properly. I contacted Google asking if there is a control in the Google Apps admin panel that would enable Smart Lock for Chrome OS, or if Apps users have simply been left behind, but have yet to hear back. I'll update this post when I do.

If you run into any issues during setup, try restarting both your Chromebook and your Android device. If that doesn't work, give this support document from Google a read.

Vine goes child-friendly with Vine Kids app The new app from Twitter's 6-second looping video service serves up only clips that have been screened for family-friendliness.

Kids are known for having short attention spans and it appears Vine is banking on that with a new app that should also help put parents at ease.

The Twitter-owned video-sharing company rolled out Vine Kids on Friday to let children watch looping 6-second Vine videos that have been screened for child-appropriateness.

"Kids love Vine," Vine head of communications and marketing Carolyn Penner wrote in a blog post. "So, we built Vine Kids, a simple new app that gives young children a fun way to watch Vines."

Since launching in 2012 Vine has steadily grown its audience to at least 40 million. The video app is known for users who upload and share videos that show people doing goofy stunts, playing sports and other high jinks. In 2013, Vine had a dustup after a plethora of porn videos appeared on the site, which led Twitter to give the app a NC-17 rating. This newest Vine app, however, could easily be G rated.

Vine Kids features animations, Sesame Street characters like Elmo and videos with cute animals like hedgehogs and puppies. Vine's goal is to have a collection of videos for a young audience that are safe to watch.

The company picks the kids videos by choosing from its millions of daily uploads in its regular Vine app. Once a child tires of looking at one clip, they can swipe left or right to get a new video. By making Vine Kids a completely separate app, Vine has ensured that kids won't happen upon adult videos.

Vine Kids is only available on iOS.

Some HTC One versions will get Android 5.0 later than expected

Some carrier versions of HTC One (M8) and One (M7) will get updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop a bit later than expected. HTC initially promised to update all versions of its 2013 and 2014 flagship smartphone within 90 days of receiving the Android 5.0 code.

Mo Versi, HTC’s Vice President of product management delivered the news in a dedicated post. The delay is caused by issues Android 5.0 initially contained, which were subsequently fixed by Google with minor updates. HTC is working hard with Google and its carrier partners to incorporate the latter into its OS build.
HTC already updated several versions of the One (M8). They include the factory unlocked model, the Developer Edition, and the Google Play variant. Mo Versi promises “good news to share soon” on the rest of the One family.

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update delayed due to Gear VR

With the Lollipop craze in full steam and the Galaxy Note 3 already up for a soak test in Russia it is only natural to expect that Samsung will give an equal share of attention to the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.
We already saw a leaked manual for Android 5 with the device model on it so the OTA is getting closer, but no official news is available as of yet. Faryaab Sheikh, Editor-in-Chief of SamMobile might have just shed some light on the issue with a recent Twitter post. According to him the Galaxy Note 4 ROM is still in the hands of Oculus VR who are "tweaking the kernel" to ensure compatibility with the Samsung Gear VR.


For anyone unfamiliar with the device it is Samsung's current take on virtual reality headset based on the popular Oculus Rift. Gear VR however takes the experience one step beyond by using a wireless setup. This is achieved with the help of a mobile display, in particular the 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED panel of the Galaxy Note 4.
While compatibility issues might explain the delay the question still stands why this can't be achieved in a later update. This is supposedly what occurred on the Verizon version of the phone last month.
Delivering Gear VR compatibility is most definitely a huge deal in terms of marketing strategy, but the fact of the matter is that a very miniscule percentage of all Samsung Galaxy Note 4 devices will ever be put inside a VR headset. So why make everybody wait for what is essentially a niche feature?
Source Gsm Arena

ET deals: Sony Smartwatch 3 fitness tracker for $225

Sony’s latest smartwatch is still pretty new and hasn’t really been discounted yet. So we were excited when we found we could lop 10% off the price of this fitness-friendly watch with a coupon code, bringing it down to just $225.

The new Sony Smartwatch 3 runs Android Wear, so it can be utilized by anyone with an Android phone with Android 4.3 or later installed. A particular highlight of this watch is that it’s the only Android Wear watch to include a built-in GPS, making it ideal for runners and others who want to track their location precisely through apps like RunKeeper or the included iFit. As for the specs, this watch uses a 1.6-inch screen with a 320×320 resolution and a transflective LCD that reads well in direct sunlight. It also packs a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 512MB of RAM that will deliver smooth performance, and 4GB of built-in storage for apps, music and more from Google Play.

Android Wear offers a multitude of features

In addition to being well-suited for runners, you’ll also get all the usual Android Wear smartwatch capabilities. This means it can control music, manage your calendar, give you notifications, show you the weather, search by voice, and plenty more.

There are a number of other notable features here, like the IP68-rated ruggedness that can handle actual submersion in up to 4.9 feet of water for 30 minutes, a 420mAh battery rated at two full days, and both WiFi and NFC connectivity. It even charges via microUSB, when many comparable watches use a more proprietary method. On sale now with a handy discount, you can be one of the first to pick up this new device and still shave $25 off your total.

Sony SmartWatch 3 fitness tracker for $224.99. Apply coupon code PFSAVE10 for total $25 in savings.

LG admits initial Snapdragon 810 issues, says they are fixed now

In another episode of the Snapdragon 810 saga we now witness LG's acknowledgement of issues faced with the chipset's "initial sample". The Korean company restates, however, that all problems have been resolved and the G Flex2 will get its timely release.

The information comes from a press conference held at LG headquarters on Q4 2014 financial matters. Unsurprisingly, questions were raised, regarding the chipset's problems with heat, and in light of recent developments, the company determined it best to come clean.

A legal battle between LG and Qualcomm over a reported dedicated Samsung version of the chipset was deemed out of the question. After the apparent loss of the Samsung Galaxy S6 as a vehicle for its top-of-the-line SoC, Qualcomm will be delighted to know that LG is still on board.

The future LG G4 model has also popped up in conversations at the press conference. Its launch schedule should remain unaffected by the Snapdragon affair, the company insists. On the matter of a possible metal body, a vague answer has been given, stating that it will be decided by market demand.

WSJ: Microsoft will make an investment in Cyanogen

According to report in The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft will make an investment in Cyanogen Inc. The Redmond giant is expected to become a minority investor in a $70 million round of equity financing.

The latest round of funding is said to value Cyanogen Inc. “in the high hundreds of millions.” Spokespeople from both Microsoft and Cyanogen Inc. declined to comment on the matter.

Cyanogen made quite a splash a few days ago when the company’s CEO Kirt McMaster told an audience in San Francisco that the company wants “to take Android away from Google.” The ambitious startup plans to create a version of Android, which isn’t dependent on Google Play apps and services.

The round of financing for Cyanogen could grow further. As it turns out, more strategic investors have expressed interest in the company now that its plans to loosen Google’s hold on Android became clear.

Considering the roughly 3% market share Windows Phone holds, it is hardly a surprise that Microsoft want a piece from the action in the Android realm. The tech giant surely wouldn’t mind further exposure for its Bing search engine.