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Android-powered BlackBerry Venice shows up in hands-on video

With the increasing frequency of high quality leaks, the Android-powered BlackBerry Venice is seemingly becoming closer to reality every day. The QWERTY-equipped portrait slider marks the first time BlackBerry has opted for an operating system other than its own, a move which would have seemed unbelievable just 5-6 years ago. A new video has been uploaded by Baka Mobile on YouTube and shows a relatively in-depth look at the hardware and software.
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Android One lands in Europe with the BQ Aquaris A4.5

Google Spain took to its official Twitter handle to announce the news we’ve been waiting on for some time: Android One has finally landed in Europe. Having seen a rollout in several Asian and African countries, this marks the first time we’ve seen Google’s budget-friendly stock Android effort within the EU. The first European Android One handset is the BQ Aquaris A4.5, which is available to buy now direct from BQ in Spain and Portugal…


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Leaked ‘Lemon X’ could be a first glimpse into Motorola-designed Lenovo phones

A short while ago, @upleaks showed off a press render of what they claim is the Lenovo ‘Lemon X’, and it could be our first look at a Lenovo handset at least partially designed by Motorola’s hardware team. Although specifications and availability plans are thin on the ground, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that the Motorola division is behind the upcoming phone’s design…


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T-Mobile expands Simple Global international texting and data, now includes all of Europe and South America

Today, T-Mobile announced that its Simple Global Uncarrier move is expanding to cover 20 more countries. That means you can now take your T-Mobile Android phone abroad to anywhere in South America and Europe as well as many other destinations, and not pay any extra for data or texting while you’re there.


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New Moto X Pure Edition now available from Best Buy

As promised, Best Buy has started selling the new Moto X Pure online. The consumer electronics retail giant began selling it today, with white, black and bamboo models available in both 16GB and 32GB storage options.

As with Motorola’s Moto Maker, the prices start at $399 and go up to $475 depending on which memory and finish model you decide on.


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Dual-screened YotaPhone 3 coming in Q1 2016, manufactured by ZTE

Yota Devices and ZTE have announced a new partnership this morning. From the next generation onwards, the chinese OEM will produce YotaPhones for the Russian manufacturer, with the 3rd gen smartphone scheduled for a Q1 2016 release. The companies haven’t revealed specifics on the financial terms of the deal, but it will see future YotaPhones be made in China and see a significant reduction in the cost of producing the devices. Previous models were built in a Hi-P factory in Singapore…


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Xiaomi to unveil ‘new flagship’ Mi 4c on September 22

Xiaomi just announced on its official forums that it will be releasing a ‘new flagship’ device on September 22nd. The company is coy on what this new smartphone will feature, or where it will be released, but does state that it will be called the Mi 4c. This news comes just a couple of weeks after Xiaomi launched its budget phablet, the RedMi Note 2.

The current generation Mi 4 features a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and a 5-inch display as well as the go-to 13MP Sony camera sensor on the back. If we had to speculate, we’d guess that the quad-core chip will be swapped out in favor of a more current octa-core processor. Apart from that, your guess is as good as ours, although the ‘c’ does suggest we might see some colorful additions to the range. The current Mi 4 only ships in black or white.

In an attempt to perhaps tease us a little, Xiaomi does specifically, but cryptically mention availability in other countries, not just China:

And it is time to unveil Mi 4c now. Will it come to other countries or only be available in China? Forgive me that we can’t disclose much about the new model before the launch event on September 22. We will keep you updated with further details of the launch event and have a live thread on that day. Please stay tuned.

As always, Xiaomi will have a live thread updating on its forums as the device is being revealed, including which markets and regions will receive the smartphone.

LG teases ‘Something New’, likely mid-range ‘Class’ phablet launching September 21

There have been a number of LG handset leaks making the rounds in recent weeks and months. Whether it’s the LG Nexus or the mysterious ‘V10’, the company’s been unable to keep its upcoming devices from making appearances online. The latest device has seemingly been teased by the company itself on an invite promising ‘Something New’ on September 21. While the device name isn’t revealed, serial leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer believes it to be a mid-range phablet named the ‘LG Class’…


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Moto X Style pre-orders go live in the UK

Motorola, this morning, opened up pre-orders for its newest flagship, the Moto X Style in the UK. While the device has been available to order in the US for a couple of weeks already, pre-sales only began today across the pond in Britain. Pricing starts at £399 and increases based on materials used on the back, or which storage option you go for.


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PSA: Sony’s Xperia Z5 phones aren’t as waterproof as you’d like them to be

When the Xperia Z family first launched a few years ago, Sony proudly advertised their waterproof capabilities. For almost every generation of phone, up until this year, the hardware manufacturer used imaged of phones being used to take photos in swimming pools, or in the sea, as a way to sell its products. They’ve even come with some impressive-sound IP-rated certificates to prove their durability under water. And, while the the Xperia Z5 range comes with IP68 rated waterproofing, you might want to refrain from taking them to the beach to take your own underwater pics…


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Rumored HTC One A9 could feature 10-core Helio X20 processor

Over the past few weeks, maybe even months, it’s been rumored HTC will release a new all-metal smartphone to join its lineup. The HTC One A9 is expected to take design cues from the One M-series, but so far, rumors and leaks have been less than convincing. According to a leaked screenshot, allegedly taken from Geekbench, the One A9 could feature a hugely powerful processor built by MediaTek, and feature 4GB RAM.

Although there’s still plenty of reason to be skeptical, it’s at least interesting to see these rumors crop up repeatedly about the same device. The device benchmark information shows that it has a 10-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, the same chip found inside the recently announced Acer Predator smartphone. The chip is clocked at 1.96GHz, paired with 4GB RAM on a device which will purportedly run Android 5.1.1.

Twice in recent memory, an HTC event has been teased. Initially rumors predicted a September 6th event, while more recently, a September 29 unveiling was teased. With all this uncertainty surrounding the launch date, it’s worth taking any of the speculation, leaks or rumors with a healthy dose of skepticism. Early leaks were clearly faked, and there’s been a lack of any clear and reliable evidence surrounding the One A9. If today’s leak is anything to go by, a Helio chip could point towards an Asia-specific device. Having a launch event in Japan does nothing but corroborate that speculation.

LG G4c review: A budget curved-screen Android phone with a few notable compromises [Video]

LG’s G4 is one of the best phones on the market this year. It has a phenomenal camera, great display and lasts all day on a single charge. So, when LG used the same brand name for a mini version, expectations were understandably high. Does the G4c deliver as a mid-range smartphone?


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Verizon-exclusive Moto DROID Turbo 2 revealed in leaked press render

Not long after Motorola officially announced the Moto X Play, X Pure and G at an event in NYC last month, it was rumored that the X Play would be making its way to the States, albeit it as a rebranded Verizon exclusive DROID. Only last week, a render was leaked showing a device code-named ‘Bounce’ or ‘Force’. In many ways, it looked a lot like the Moto X Play, albeit it with a few subtle differences. Today, the device has shown up again, but this time it has the official DROID and Verizon branding, corroborating those earlier rumors that this is the next DROID. Specifically, the DROID Turbo 2.

The Verizon-branded smartphone was leaked by @upleaks on Twitter this morning, and looks virtually identical to previous leaks:

[tweet https://twitter.com/upleaks/status/641946223121862656 align=’center’]

It’s expected that the Verizon DROID Turbo 2 will feature a 5.43-inch QHD resolution display, Snapdragon 810 processor and 32GB or 64GB storage options. What’s more, it could feature 3GB RAM as well as 21MP and 5MP rear and front cameras respectively. With 3,760mAh capacity, its battery is predicted to be larger than the impressive X Play, almost certainly to deal with the extra pixels on the display and more powerful processor. As specs go, it sounds a lot like a flagship phone, which the X Play certainly isn’t. We’re told to expect the supposedly shatter-proof phone to land on store shelves in December, just in time for Christmas.

Samsung had a few taunts of its own after Apple’s iPhone 6s, iPad Pro event last night

Leading up to Apple’s eagerly anticipated keynote presentation last night, Sony had a jab prepared for the iPhone-makers before they unveiled the iPhone 6s, Apple TV and iPad Pro. It seems, however, Sony wasn’t the only manufacturer attempting to rain on Apple’s parade. Arguably Apple’s biggest competitor, Samsung had a few of its own jibes to share with us and took to its UK Twitter handle to publish them…


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HTC Mood Player lets you create a custom Spotify playlist just by taking a selfie [Hands-on]

To celebrate the launch of its mid-range Desire 626, HTC has just announced that it is collaborating with Spotify to let you create custom playlists using just a picture of your face. HTC Mood Player is a fun concept and one which I’m sure will give you at least a few minutes of fun while you interact with what is essentially just an advertisement for the Desire 626. Of course, we couldn’t let this announcement go by without taking the site for a spin…


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No surprise: Amazon officially discontinues the ill-fated Fire Phone

In news which will surely be no surprise to anyone, Amazon is no longer selling the unloved Fire Phone. Head on over to the Amazon Fire Phone’s product page and you’ll notice the phone is “currently unavailable” in both the 32GB and 64GB storage flavors. Despite many attempts to get people to notice its first smartphone, it seems Amazon didn’t do enough to make it appealing. Amazon confirmed to GeekWire that “the company sold out of its inventory of Fire Phones in the U.S. and globally at the end of August.”


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Roundup: 5 best ‘disruptive’ Android phones – flagship specs without the price tag

I won’t lie, in recent months I’ve found the traditional flagship smartphone market decidedly boring. Although phones from the likes of LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony are all steadily improving all they time and — by all accounts — are very good phones, they all cost a small fortune. The price of flagships from the “big” manufacturers can be anywhere between $500-$900, which is a heck of a lot to spend on a small pocket computer. With the prices steadily rising, it’s created the perfect opportunity for smaller companies to take advantage and release great devices that cost less. In my mind, if it’s below $400 full retail, has a full HD (or better) display and an octa-core processor, that makes it a flagship killing, disruptive smartphone…


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BLU Pure XL coming soon: 6-inch QHD display, fingerprint sensor, octa-core Helio X10 + more for $349

UPDATE: BLU has officially announced the new device. The device is made predominantly from metal, like many of the current high-end phones on the market. BLU has partnered with MediaTek and claims the Helio X10 chip being used to power the new smartphone is among the fastest chips available on the market, and scores some of the highest benchmark results on AnTuTu. What’s more, the camera on the back is covered by sapphire crystal while the 8MP front camera is wide angle, to fit more in to your selfies…


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eBay 4.0 arrives on Android, offers simplified selling and revamped UI

In celebration of its 20th birthday, eBay has launched a brand new mobile app with a new focus on selling and a more attractive and intuitive user interface. eBay describes the app as having a “more browsable design” with much easier access to features like top deals, promotions and events. What’s more, the seller dashboard has been refreshed to offer a more personalized look at how well you’re doing and give you relevant tools, tips and guides on how to improve.

Focused on creating more vibrancy in our marketplace, we’ve elevated selling within eBay 4.0, and have designed a more personalized experience based on a seller’s level and activity. The new app offers more information to help first-time and new sellers be successful, and a new dashboard for more regular sellers with at-a-glance activity updates. We are passionate about creating a great experience for our buyers and enabling the continued success for our sellers.

eBay 4.0 offers a new Activity feed giving consumers personalized updates on the objects and goods that are important to them. Alongside that is the new Shop tab, with a bespoke feed of items tailored for each individual user. eBay 4.0 will be available to download from the Google Play Store from today.

[vimeo 138589685 w=500 h=281]

Sony Xperia Z5, Premium and Compact get a healthy price cut before they’ve even launched

The Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Premium and Z5 Compact have all had price cuts before they’ve even hit the market. Prices were revealed just a few days ago, and Sony has already seen fit to adjust the price points.  Perhaps in response to the sense of disbelief at how expensive they would be


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Alcatel’s disruptive, popular Idol 3 gets a splash of color, with the OneTouch Idol 3C

If the only thing holding you back from buying the awesome and super-affordable Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 is the color choices (or lack thereof), you’ll be glad to know the company is releasing a more colorful range. The Idol 3C is identical to the Idol 3 in almost every way, except you can kit it out with an interchangeable rear shell in a choice of five “juicy” colors.


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Moto X Play Review: A serious mid-tier phone without the flagship features and price [Video]

As far as the major manufacturers go, Motorola is one of the few trying to push the boundaries of what we should expect to get for our money. It wants to give us the best mobile Android experience possible for each price range. The Moto G is the king of the low-end phones and the Moto X has been a wonderful high-end phone. The Moto X Play sort of sits in between, and despite not being absolutely perfect, it’s a very good phone overall.


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Last-minute Sony Xperia Z5 family leaks corroborate Compact, Premium names and design

Two last minute leaks seemingly confirm the Sony Xperia Z5‘s existence, and show off the smartphone in some of the best quality images we’ve seen yet. A retail store poster appears to reaffirm previous rumors that we’re going to see Sony announce a small, medium and large version of the Xperia Z5 at IFA a little later today.


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