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Samsung Galaxy A9 TENAA listing seemingly confirms 6-inch, full HD display, 3GB RAM, more

A short while ago a hands on video and promotional poster leaked indicating that Samsung will be launching a bigger version of its Galaxy A-series smartphone for 2016. It shared the same design language and some of the same specifications of the recently launched Galaxy A3, A5 and A7, albeit in a larger package. Although it’s yet to be officially announced by Samsung, the A9 has appeared on TENAA, suggesting a launch is right around the corner…


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Upcoming HTC One X9 gets in-depth overview, appears in video

HTC hasn’t officially announced the One X9 yet and already it’s seen its fair share of press coverage. An official TENAA listing gave away the important information a few weeks ago, while a more recent leak showed the handset in more detail. Over on Chinese tech site, iMobile, there is what appears to be an insanely in-depth article, multiple pages long, going over everything from hardware to software, benchmarks and everything in between…


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Nexus 6P gets $50 discount in Google Store sales, Huawei Watch, Chromebooks discounted too

Google’s new Nexus phones are only a few weeks old, and yet you can already buy them at less than their full retail value. The Nexus 5X has been discounted since Black Friday weekend. Now, the flagship Nexus 6P has also seen a price drop.  You can now snag the smartphone with $50 discount in the US or Japan, direct from Google’s online store.

Smartphones aren’t the only products to see a price drop. Google has also discounted the Huawei Watch, Chromebooks and is offering deals on the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio…


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OnePlus X in Champagne Gold available to order from December 22

OnePlus has announced that it will be bringing its alternative white/champagne gold version of the OnePlus X to western markets from next week. Anyone with an invite can purchase the champagne gold edition direct from the company’s online store from December 22nd. Up until now, this option has only been available in China.

Specification-wise, the phone is exactly the same as the Onyx (black) model. Like the black model, it will also come with the option to have a glass back, or the more limited (and more expensive) ceramic back. You won’t need a special invite to get this new color, and if you have an existing, valid invite when the gold models become available, you can use it for either black/grey or white/gold versions of the company’s budget smartphone.

The OnePlus X is one of this year’s most brilliant budget smartphones. It received virtually unanimous praise from reviewers, and made its way on to our list of 2015’s best affordable Android phones. If you’re looking for a great handset with premium build, brilliant display and responsive performance, you can do a lot worse than spend $250 on the OnePlus X (now in a more classy white and gold). Personally, I’d love for it to be bigger, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best small smartphones out there.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow tip: ‘Adopt’ your MicroSD card as internal storage [Video]

Although Marshmallow doesn’t come with any major user interface changes, it does come with a bunch of useful under-the-hood features that made the platform a little more versatile and customizable. One of those changes includes the ability to use an external MicroSD card as internal storage. Adoptable storage gives users the potential to use a memory card as internal memory, which comes as a huge bonus to anyone without enough built-in storage. If you have an 8GB or 16GB phone, or you’re using a Samsung device (jokes, sort-of) with Marshmallow you can follow a simple process to adopt external storage and use it for installing apps, or storing app data…


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WSJ: HTC facing sales ban in Germany over smartphone patent dispute, adding to company’s problems

A German court recently granted an injunction against HTC, and could lead to the Taiwanese manufacturer’s smartphones being taken off shelves in Germany. It’s not exactly the good news HTC was hoping for following a troubled year of slipping market share, dropping revenue and the lukewarm market response to its devices.

Wall Street Journal reports that a patent licensing firm named Acacia Research Group LLC won a lawsuit on November 27 which granted it an injunction against HTC smartphone sales through the country’s biggest telecommunications provider. HTC smartphones sold by Deutsche Telekom are expected to be pulled by the end of this month, although the manufacturer will be appealing to try to overturn the decision. HTC is understandably disappointed by the ruling, and is working with DT to ‘minimize disruption’ to its customers …


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Sketchy Moto X prototype dummy leak suggests possible design for 2016 Motorola flagship

This year’s Moto X has only been out for a couple of months, and already we’re seeing rumors and leaks for next year’s models. While that’s not exactly surprising, it’s always worth taking any early leaks and images with a suitable amount of skepticism. What appears to be an early machined prototype dummy has leaked online and suggests Motorola might go with a new design for next year’s Moto X, switching from a metal pill-shaped panel to a glass, circular enclosure. Unlike last year’s model, the dual LED flash is placed in a segment at the bottom of this panel, rather than in a translucent ring around the camera module.


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Leaked HTC One X9 photos give us our best look yet at the upcoming all-metal mid-ranger

HTC has taken something of a new direction recently — following the likes of Huawei and OnePlus — in delivering premium-looking smartphones with mid-range prices. Its latest phone, the One A9 aims to deliver a flagship experience at a lower price. Its upcoming One X9 is likely to be a slight step down from that, but more importantly, it’s a step up and possibly step away from its plastic-body Desire range…


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Leaked roadmap suggests which (and likely when) HTC phones will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow

With Android Marshmallow having been announced more than two months ago, and released on new devices last month, now’s the time when Android owners start getting anxious about when they might see the latest version on their devices.

Most manufacturers have already announced that they will be rolling out Android 6.0. Some, like Motorola, have already started pushing it to customers while HTC was the first to launch a non-Nexus device with Android Marshmallow pre-loaded out of the box. For those with existing HTC phones, that won’t come as any comfort at all, but what might is a roadmap leaked by LlabTooFeR which shows which HTC phones are getting a taste of Marshmallow, and when the manufacturer has planned to push the updates…


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Galaxy A9 specs leaked, powerful mid-ranger likely to feature huge 4000mAh battery, Snapdragon 620 chip, 1080p screen, more

Just a couple of weeks ago, Samsung officially unveiled its A-series lineup for the next year. The Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 feature respectable specifications and will be sold at prices well below those of the more high end Galaxy S series while retaining the premium metal chassis. But the A-series doesn’t end there. Samsung’s official Weibo account revealed details of yet another Alpha device: The Galaxy A9.

As you’d expect, the A9 is bigger than any of the others. With its 6-inch, full HD AMOLED display, the A9 is easily the biggest of the bunch, perhaps bordering on ‘too big’. The leak also reveals a 13MP camera on the back and 8MP front snapper, as well as a huge 4,000mAh battery. While not in the same territoriy as the behemoth 10,000mAh battery in the Oukitel K10000, it should still be easily enough to get most users through two days on a full charge.

SamMobile also pointed in the direction of another leak featuring more of the internal specifications. Those include a Snapdragon 620 processor clocked at 1.8GHz and paired with 3GB, alongside 32GB internal storage. Like the the other A-series phones, it also has a fingerprint sensor and Samsung Pay support. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, although an update to Marshmallow is expected. Samsung is likely to announce the new Galaxy A9 a little later this month. If all that pre-release info wasn’t enough, there’s a video showing off the A9 and A7 side-by-side.

[protected-iframe id=”8398502804bc60327893ca3329433aa9-22427743-89100566″ info=”http://player.youku.com/embed/XMTQxMDM4NDQ5Mg==” width=”1000″ height=”500″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]

WSJ: Samsung Galaxy S7 to feature 3D Touch, fast-charging Type C, maybe retina scanner too

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Samsung is widely expected to announce its next series of flagships at some point during the first quarter of next year. Early rumors have suggested that it’ll launch early, before the usual MWC launch cycle, while others expect it will be the big announcement at MWC. Either way, the Galaxy S7 will be announced before the end of February. If information obtained by the Wall Street Journal is anything to go by, we could have a device which, once again, leads the market in terms of features and performance…


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Oukitel’s latest smartphone has a humongous 10,000mAh battery, lasts 15 days and costs just $239

In this day and age, if an Android smartphone can get you to the end of a second day on a single charge with mixed use, we’ll rave about how incredible the battery is. Normally, that means having a battery with at least 3,000mAh of juice. Now, there’s a Chinese manufacturer with a phone that it says will last up to 15 days because it has an enormous 10,000mAh battery.

While we doubt the 15-day usage claim, given our experience with many Android devices, the Oukitel K10000’s battery should be able to manage at least 5 days quite comfortably. I haven’t had a phone last that long since my BlackBerry Bold in 2010, and even then, that was with 3G switched off. Whatever the actual usage statistics, it’ll blow almost every other flagship out of the water, including ASUS’ 5,000mAh ZenFone Max.

Of course, with great power comes great thickness. Although even in that regard, it’s not terribly bulky. It measures in at 9mm thick, 77mm wide, 143mm tall and weighs 184grams.

Size isn’t the only downside of having such a high-capacity battery. It also takes considerable time to fully charge. Even with its Quick-Charge support, the huge battery takes 3.5 hours to go from 0-100. Still, it’s worth remembering that even if you only charge it to 20%, that’s still almost a day’s worth of power. It can also reverse-charge other products, and claims to be able to charge up three iPhone 6s Plus units and still have 10% power left.

Other specs aren’t quite as mind-blowing, but decent nonetheless. It has a 5.5-inch 720p display, 64-bit quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage (expandable to 32GB). There’s also a 13MP camera on the back with HDR, panorama and an anti-shake feature as well as a 5MP camera on the front. It also has a bunch of the usual software tweaks added to the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS interface, like the ability to launch apps by ‘writing’ a letter on the lock screen, or a three-finger swipe down for taking screenshots.

If you want to snag one, you can pre-order from GearBest for $239. It’s worth noting that its network support is a little limited. Its product page lists support for 800/1800/2100/2600 MHz 4G LTE bands and 1900/2100MHz WCDMA 3G bands. Before you order expecting super-fast cellular speeds, be sure to check with your carrier which network bands need support.

BLU Life One X is official, 5.2-inch full HD $99 Moto G competitor with octa-core MediaTek chip

As low-end smartphones go, few are as popular on Amazon as BLU’s unlocked budget-friendly Android phones. If it already had a reputation for offering great bang for your buck, it will only get stronger with the newest device in its lineup. The BLU Life One X has just been launched, it costs under $100 (for a limited time) and comes with a full HD 1080p display…


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Exclusive Star Wars edition DROID Turbo 2 models will be available from Moto Maker [Update: They’re here]

Update: You can order the Star Wars editions of the DROID Turbo 2 from Verizon’s Motor Maker page from today.

With the upcoming premiere of the first Star Wars movie since the 90’s abominations we can’t mention by name, every brand on the planet is seemingly teaming up with Disney to produce their own Star Wars themed merchandise. Whether it’s LEGO, lampshades or mineral water, you can now get it with Star Wars branding all over it. Episode VII is launching in theaters next week, and Verizon and Motorola are the latest companies to jump on the bandwagon…


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Huawei to open smartphone factory in Egypt to serve African/Arabian markets

Huawei is set to open its first smartphone market in Egypt according to a report from Daily News Egypt. Hala Aranda, the company’s regional Senior Manager of Public Relations and Government Affairs Department stated that they are currently in negotiations with the Ministry of Investment. Although a final agreement hasn’t been reached yet, the country’s government has promised to be a ‘strategic partner’ in getting the project(s) up and running in the Suez Canal Area…


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PSA: 2nd Gen Moto G is now just $99 on Amazon

With the ramp up to Christmas well and truly underway, retailers will spend the next couple of weeks offering discounts on some great products. Even though Black Friday weekend has come and gone, there are still some noteworthy discounts out there. On Amazon, right now, you can pick up the 2nd generation Moto G for just $99, unlocked. That’s a discount of $80 on the original $179 price-point. Incidentally, that’s the same price it’s being sold for at Motorola and Best Buy currently.

As specs go, it’s a respectable smartphone, especially given the outlay. It has a 5-inch 720p display, 2070mAh battery, quad-core processor and runs an almost-stock version of Android. What’s more, Motorola has committed to bringing Android 6.0 Marshmallow to it at some point over the next few weeks.

At this price, I can’t imagine anyone will regret buying it. For the past few years, the Moto G has set the standard for other budget smartphones to follow. That’s why the most recent model, the 3rd gen Moto G, made it on to my list of 2015’s best budget smartphones.

ASUS and LG mock Apple’s ‘bumpy’ iPhone battery case

Earlier this week, Apple launched its very first official battery case for the iPhone 6/6s. It’d be an understatement to say that it got some attention on social media, mostly from people who couldn’t believe the design-focused company released something so hideous. In fact, you’ll be hard pushed to find someone who has something good to say about the way the case looks.

Not to miss a good marketing opportunity, ASUS and LG were among those mocking the battery case and using it to sell the benefits of its own products. ASUS was keen to point out that, even with the battery case attached, the iPhone 6 is still no match for the ZenFone Max. ASUS claims its 5000mAh battery-powered smartphone can handle 2 hours more video playback, 2 hour more internet use and 12 hours more talk time than a case-equipped iPhone.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ASUS/status/674561517639958529 align=’center’]

Meanwhile, LG took a slightly different line with the V10, ribbing the Apple case’s ‘bumpy’ design. Incidentally, LG’s V10 has a 3,000mAh battery which you can fast-charge up to 50% in just 40mins. :

[tweet https://twitter.com/LGJordan/status/674631588894806016 align=’center’]

It’s no surprise to see the companies exploiting a weakness in Apple’s armor to fuel their own marketing efforts, and the Cupertino-based company could certainly have tried to make it a little harder. Right now, the humped battery case is an easy target.

One thing no company has mocked is perhaps the one thing that has impressed all of us: iOS integration. When an iPhone has a Smart Battery Case attached, it displays both the phone and case’s battery levels in the notification drawer’s ‘Today’ view. What’s more, it charges the iPhone automatically and charges via Lightning cable. Those are some convenient features, for sure. Whether or not you’d want a ‘bumpy’ case in your hand to gain those features is another matter entirely.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow now rolling out for Moto X Pure, soak tests for X Play and X Force

Moto X Pure owners, rejoice! If you’re in the US and have the new 2015 Pure Edition running on Sprint, Verizon or US Cellular, you should find Android 6.0 Marshmallow landing on your phone relatively soon. David Schuster announced on Google Plus yesterday evening that the full rollout for those devices has begun…


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Samsung’s latest Android Lollipop software ‘About Phone’ screen now shows most recent security patch info

Many manufacturers have committed to keeping up with the monthly security patches being released by Google. The move came after a major security threat, dubbed ‘Stagefright’ was discovered a few months ago. Among them, Samsung stated that it would release security updates to its high-end devices. Up until now, however, you haven’t been able to see how up-to-date the security is on your Samsung flagship.

In its latest round of firmware updates, Samsung has updated the ‘About Phone’ section within the settings menu to show when the last security patch was delivered. Spotted by Android Central, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ builds in Europe and Galaxy Note 5 builds in the Middle East are seeing this new information. The builds specifically mentioned are G928FXXS2AOK9 for the S6 Edge+ and N920CXXU2AOK6 for the Note 5.

Like in Android Marshmallow, the new Lollipop firmware on these Samsung phones shows a new field with the label, ‘Android security patch level’, followed by the date when it last received a security update. If you have recently downloaded a new version of firmware, you can check for yourself by heading to Settings, scrolling down to ‘About Phone’ and the new security patch level field could be there.

Up until now, Android Marshmallow was the only software which showed how up-to-date security is on a particular device. This development could signal a couple of things: Either Google has mandated that manufacturers need to start showing this information, or that Samsung is genuinely attempting to keep users in the loop, and being transparent about its software delivery. Either way, this can only be a good thing.

One day only: OnePlus X will be delivered within 15 minutes across 7 Indian cities tomorrow

If you thought Amazon’s 2-hour delivery was impressive, the company has teamed up with OnePlus and OlaCabs in India to make 2 hours seem like an age to wait. OlaCabs, similar to Uber, lets you order transport via a simple smartphone app and has joined forces with OnePlus to offer 15-minute OnePlus X deliveries in 7 Indian cities.


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Oppo Advent Calendar game will give customers up to €80 discount on R7-series phones

Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Oppo, has revealed its plans for the holiday season. For seven days between December 7th and December 13th, customers will be able to visit Oppo’s virtual advent calendar and claim a new badge every single day. The more different badges you have by the end of the seven days, the more discount you get on an Oppo R7 series purchase from the Oppo Style online store.

Users who play every day and end up with 7 different badges will have a chance to win one of two Oppo R7s handsets. The first two players to collect 7 will be the winners, so you’ll have to be as early as possible to be in with a shot. If you end up with 5 different badges, Oppo will award you an €80 voucher to use on OppoStyle.com. Players with 3 badges will get a €40 voucher and players with just one badge get €20. Those who share the game on social media using the #OPPOXmas hashtag will be entered to win a selfie stick or VOOC battery charger.

Rules and links the game will go live on December 7th with details on which regions are eligible for prizes.

Report(s): Samsung Galaxy Note 5 finally set to get European launch in January

Back when Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Note 5 and its dual-curved partner, the S6 Edge Plus, it disappointed a lot of hopeful customers by announcing the S-Pen-equipped phablet would not be released in Europe. At least, not immediately. According to two separate reports, Samsung has plans to finally bring the Note 5 to mainland Europe and the UK next month.


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