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566 'smartphones' stories May 2011 - September 2015
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PSA: You can pre-order the Nexus 6P direct from Huawei too

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 30 2015 - 5:05 am PT
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Yesterday, when Google announced that pre-orders for the Nexus 6P would be opening immediately, it only mentioned its own online Google Store as the place to buy the latest flagship pure Android smartphone. That left us to assume that rumors of it only being available direct through Google were true. Except, they weren’t. As well as being able to order it on an installment plan from Project Fi, Huawei will also be selling the Nexus 6P direct from its own GetHuawei.com store.

There are some limitations to ordering it from Huawei. Currently, the manufacturer only lists two colors and two storage options of each as available to pre-order. GetHuawei only has the 32GB and 64GB models of the Aluminum and Graphite devices. There’s no ‘frost’ or 128GB option. Prices are the same as Google: $499 and $549 for the 32GB and 64GB models respectively, with an estimated shipping date of ‘late October’, similar to Google’s own ‘4-5 weeks’.

OnePlus founder Carl Pei’s latest baffling move (or marketing stunt?): Asking Samsung for internship

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 30 2015 - 4:57 am PT
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OnePlus’ approach to market has always been a little unorthodox. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether they’re criminally great marketers or just a little “out there”. Either way, whatever they do, it seems to work from them. Most of that seems to come from Carl Pei, the company’s co-founder, whose approach to business, and perhaps life in general, raises eyebrows…


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Nexus 6P camera among the best, according to DxOMark

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 30 2015 - 2:57 am PT
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Google wasn’t shy about telling us how great it thinks its new Nexus cameras are in its product unveiling yesterday. Both the new Nexus 5X and 6P use a 12.3MP Sony sensor with pixels so big, they didn’t need to add OIS. And while we should take Google’s word with a pinch of salt, the camera testers over at DxOMark pretty much agree with them…


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Specifications compared: Google’s Nexus 5X vs. Nexus 6P

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 2:11 pm PT
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For the first time ever, Google announced two brand new Nexus phones alongside each other at the same launch. The two devices are clearly different, from materials and design to specs and price, and each will appeal to different consumers. But will you go for the plastic-clad, smaller LG Nexus 5X or for the more premium Nexus 6P designed and manufactured by Huawei?

It may seem an obvious choice, but there are already differing opinions among the NewGeekGuide staff and — judging from the poll we published — our readers too…


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Roundup: Cases already available for Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 12:09 pm PT
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Google just announced its latest Nexus phones, and with new devices always comes the opportunity for accessory-makers to get busy producing cases for the shiny new smartphones. There’s no shortage of options for the Huawei Nexus 6P or the LG Nexus 5X. Whether you’re looking for official cases available on Google’s store, or cheaper alternatives, you should be able to find something to suit needs.
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LG Nexus 5X officially announced, $379 gets you full HD display, Snapdragon 808 and fingerprint sensor

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 9:16 am PT
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At its event in San Francisco this morning, Google has finally taken the wraps off its latest Nexus smartphones. The smaller of the two is made by LG, and marks the third time Google has partnered with the Korean tech company on a Nexus smartphone. Looking at its design alone, this is clearly the descendent of the Nexus 5. It has a similar form factor, and is built from similar materials, albeit with a few modern twists…


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Leaked press release reveals 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB Nexus 6P pricing across many regions

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 8:18 am PT
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We pretty much know everything we think there is to know about the Huawei Nexus 6P ahead of its launch, thanks to multiple leaks and rumors. Until Google announces it however, none of the information can be treated as gospel. Including the latest leak which seemingly shows the price for each storage model across many regions.

As revealed previously, the Huawei 6P is going to launch in USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, Korea, France, Germany and Hong Kong. A leaked press release somehow made its way online and shows all the pricing information, for all the regions it’s going to be available in at launch. In the US, the 32GB model will cost $499, with the 64GB costing $549, while the highest storage option will cost a handsome $649. For a flagship device, with the spec and premium design we’ve seen leaked, the pricing is very reasonable. For those in the UK like me, prices are £449, £499 and £579 respectively for the 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models.

If those prices are still a little to steep for you, and you want a great stock Android experience, you can still snag the current generation Nexus 6 for just $349 on Amazon. Once Android 6.0 Marshmallow arrives for it (allegedly on October 5th), it’ll look and feel like an up-to-date phone.

HTC One M9+ Aurora edition official, features 21MP camera with OIS and laser autofocus

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 7:39 am PT
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HTC has taken the wraps off its latest HTC One smartphone. The One M9+ Aurora edition was announced in China and comes with a few welcome improvements to the original HTC One M9. Chief among the new features is the new, revamped 21MP camera with built-in optical image stabilization and laser-guided autofocus. It also includes phase detection autofocus to further enhance the camera’s focus.

This is HTC’s first device with three methods of focus, dubbed 3-in-1 fusion focus. Sadly, it’s only going to be available in Taiwan, but we’re told we should still be expecting another announcement from HTC later today. Could it be a GPE edition HTC phone for western markets? HTC’s senior PR man, Jeff Gordon, teased us on Twitter with the following:

[tweet https://twitter.com/urbanstrata/status/648865378597076997 align=’center’]

Other specs of the M9+ Aurora Edition include:

  • 5.2-inch QHD display
  • 2.2GHz Helio X10 octa-core processor
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB storage (expandable to 2TB via microSD)
  • Ultrapixel front camera
  • BoomSound speakers with Dolby Audio
  • 4G LTE and W-Fi a/b/g/n/ac
  • 2,840mAh battery
  • Android Lollipop with Sense UI 7

The Aurora Edition costs approximately $630 and comes in gold, silver, black and grey. From the spec sheet alone, it seems this is the phone the One M9 always should have been. Let’s just hope the announcement later today features something just as promising.

Alongside the Aurora Edition, HTC also announced the Butterfly 3 for international markets. Like the M9+, the Butterfly 3 has a 5.2-inch QHD display, but is powered by a Snapdragon 810 processor. There’s 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage and 2,700mAh battery with Quick-Charge 2.0 support. The 20MP camera on the back also feature OIS, and is paired with a secondary camera to create added depth in photographs. On the front, there’s a 13MP camera and the trademark BoomSound speakers. For now, it’s also in Taiwan only and costs around $600.

First official BlackBerry PRIV images published

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 29 2015 - 6:53 am PT
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As device launches go, the BlackBerry PRIV’s announcement has been anything but ordinary. The first teaser was at BlackBerry’s press event at MWC in February, at which point it was assumed this would just another BlackBerry 10 OS device, albeit one with a slide-out keyboard. We then learned through multiple leaks and rumors that it would be, in fact, an Android phone.


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Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P could skip carriers, be sold direct online only, pre-order from September 29

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 28 2015 - 8:43 am PT
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Tomorrow, Google is expected to take the wraps off its next Nexus smartphones and — if a recent rumor is to be believed — the company might return to a marketing strategy used with the original Nexus back in 2010. Android Police’s sources tell them that Google will only sell the new LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P direct, online only, and won’t be making them available through carriers. If true, it’s an interesting move from Google and one which might not go down so well with consumers familiar with picking up devices from their favorite carrier stores…


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BlackBerry chief shows off Android-powered PRIV in TV interview

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 28 2015 - 2:33 am PT
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BlackBerry’s upcoming PRIV handset isn’t this year’s best kept secret. From briefly showing off the phone’s hardware at MWC back in June, to announcing its name and availability in a recent earnings press release, the Canadian tech company seemingly isn’t too concerned with the device’s secrecy. Before the announcement was made last week, we’d already seen several unofficial leaks, both photographic and video.

Last Friday, John Chen gave an BNN’s Amber Kanwar an official first look at the Android-powered BlackBerry PRIV…


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Leaked Huawei Nexus 6P reveals 4 color choices, 3450mAh battery, storage options, more

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 26 2015 - 1:08 pm PT
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Huawei’s upcoming Nexus phone is as good as revealed already, but with further leaked evidence hitting the web over the past couple of days, there’s now very little we don’t know about the Huawei Nexus 6P. A series of images posted to Imgur (revealed by Android Police) lists many of the Nexus 6P’s features and specifications.


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Flagship Meizu PRO 5 is official: All-metal design, octa-core Exynos 7240 chip, full HD display, more

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 23 2015 - 2:31 am PT
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Meizu has just taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone and — from the spec sheet alone — this could be one device worth paying attention to. Apart from the display resolution, everything about the device is high end. From the build quality to the camera and processor, the Meizu PRO 5 is a beast…


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New LG V10 render leak shows secondary ticker display

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 22 2015 - 9:01 am PT
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A few weeks ago, an unreleased and unnamed LG device passed through TENAA, China’s version of the FCC. The images showed what seemed to be an unremarkable device albeit one with the unusual design choice of having the front-facing camera built into the display. Later on it was revealed by Evan Blass (@evleaks) that there would be a secondary ticker display running along the top of the primary display.

Today, the well-known leaker is back with what looks like an official press render of that device, confirming that speculation…


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Xiaomi Mi 4c officially announced, features Snapdragon 808 chip, 5-inch 1080p display and USB Type-C for under $205

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 22 2015 - 3:18 am PT
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Xiaomi has a growing reputation for releasing smartphones with impressive spec lists and features for very affordable prices. Its latest “flagship” was unveiled just a short while ago and features some flagship matching specs, but with a price that’s far below what you’d expect it to be…


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LG Class unveiled in Korea: Metal build, 5-inch display and support for 2TB MicroSD in tow

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 21 2015 - 4:14 am PT
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You may remember, just a few weeks ago, an upcoming LG device was leaked showing what looked to be a metal chassis and protruding rear camera. Today, the LG Class went official in Korea and — although it probably won’t make its way to Western markets — it looks to be a solid mid-ranger.

It’s been designed to look and feel like a quality device. Both the glass on the front and metal on the back are curved towards the left and right edges to make it feel great in hand. It’s also just 7.4mm thin, making one of the thinnest smartphones around.

Specs aren’t exactly inspiring, but typical for a mid-tier device. The 5-inch display on the front boasts 720p resolution with a pixel density of 294ppi. There’s a 13MP camera on the back and an 8MP front facing sensor. The Korean manufacturer opted for a quad-core 1.2GHz processor on the inside, along with 2GB RAM and a 2,050mAh battery.

Perhaps the most noteworthy specification is its expandable storage. Like many phones, it has a MicroSD card slot, except this one will support memory cards up to a huge 2TB after a software update is released next month. With just 16GB internal storage, that extra capacity will surely make the device much more tempting to buyers. There’s also a loud 1W loudspeaker, 4G LTE connectivity and Bluetooth 4.1. It’ll cost just under the equivalent of $340 when it goes on sale in Korea, and will be available in three colors: Blue Black, Silver and Gold.

It’s not likely that we’ll see this smartphone outside Korea, but there’s always hope that the manufacturer will release a new phone for us before the holiday season rolls around. Although I’m not holding my breath, it’d be nice to see the company compete with Samsung’s Note series.

Third OnePlus smartphone allegedly shows up in sketchy render leak

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 21 2015 - 3:02 am PT
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Pinch of salt at the ready? A leaked render published this morning seemingly shows what OnePlus’ second phone of the year will look like, and it seems a bit of a change from the angular, flat frames and edges of the current devices. At least, it does from the back. From the front, the renders look very familiar; with the chrome-finished edges surrounding a large, flat, glossy black panel.

From the back, the smartphone seems to be a solid piece of plastic with slightly rounded edges and corners. The bottom edge looks to be hosting a USB Type-C connector, flanked by two identical sets of machined holes, presumably for the microphone and single loudspeaker like the OnePlus 2.


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Add wireless charging to almost any LG G4 without an expensive Quick Circle case for just $15 [Video]

Avatar for Cam Bunton Sep 19 2015 - 12:03 pm PT
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While many flagship smartphones have wireless charging built in as standard, LG opted against it with the G4. Unless you buy the company’s expensive and — in my opinion — unattractive Quick Circle case, you don’t get wireless charging. As always with these kind of problems, there is a solution and all it costs is $15 and a little patience…


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