Samsung’s thinnest smartphone Galaxy A8 with fingerprint sensor launched in India

Samsung has launched Galaxy A8 smartphone in India with a price tag of INR 32,500 (About $508). The device was first introduced in China in the middle of July. This latest handset from Samsung is its thinnest-ever smartphone with a thickness of just 5.9mm and it weighs only 151 grams.

The Galaxy A8 features a 5.7-inch FHD Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and 386ppi pixel density. It is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 5430 chipset with octa-core (4 x 1.8GHz Cortex-A15 and 4 x 1.3GHz Cortex-A7) CPU and Mali-T628 MP6 GPU for graphics. The Galaxy A8 model that was launched last month in China has 64-bit Snapdragon 615 SoC with octa-core 1.5GHz CPU and Adreno 405 GPU. There is a 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage inside. It can be expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card.

Coming to the cameras, the Galaxy A8 has a 16MP autofocus rear camera with f/1.9 aperture to give great pictures even in low light conditions. The front camera is of 5MP with 120 degree wide-angle lens, useful for selfies and video chats. Its 3050mAh battery takes care of the power and the handset comes with Android Lollipop 5.1.1 out of the box with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. The handset sports dual Nano-SIM slots and the second slot can be used for microSD card.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 has very thin metal side bezels. It also has a fingerprint sensor doubling as a home button. Connectivity options include LTE with Band 40 (2300MHz) and Band 3 (1800MHz) support, dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and Glonass. The handset will support 4G networks in India. Airtel customers will get double data for free for 6 months along with this device. The handset is available in Black, White and Gold colors.

Samsung’s thinnest smartphone Galaxy A8 with fingerprint sensor launched in India

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen officially announced, comes in two variants

Motorola has finally announced the third generation of its popular smartphone Moto G, putting an end to months of rumors and speculations. Motorola had introduced its first Moto G smartphone in November 2013 which was followed by Moto G Gen 2 in 2014. Both became hits due to their decent specs and affordable price tag. The new Moto G 3rd gen has also not disappointed the fans.

The Moto G 3rd gen has several hardware upgrades and an improved design. The handset comes in two versions – one version with 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage while the other version has a higher 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

Let’s have a look at its specs and other features of the Moto G 3rd gen:

• Display: 5-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, 294 ppi density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3


• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) Soc with 1.4 GHz quad-core CPU;  Adreno 306 with 400 MHz GPU


• Memory & Srorage: 1GB RAM + 8GB storage or 2GB RAM + 16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB via microSD card)


• Camera: 13MP rear camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, f/2 aperture; 5MP front-facing camera  with f/2.2 aperture


• Battery: 2,470mAh battery with mixed usage of up to 24 hours


• Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802, 11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0LE


• Dimensions: Height-142.1mm width- 72.4mm curve- 6.1 to 11.6mm


• Weight: 155 grams


• Operating System: Android Lollipop 5.1.1


• Waterproofing: IPX7 rating (survives being submerged in water up to 1m for 30   minutes)


• Base color: Black, White; Changeable Shells and Flip Shells available in several colors

Users will be able to customize their Moto G 3rd gen smartphone according to their choice with the Moto Maker. The handset costs about $185 for the 1GB/8GB variant and around $210 for the 2GB/16GB variant.

Motorola Moto G 3rd gen officially announced, comes in two variants

Here’s the first live photo of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 test dummy

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is reportedly to be unveiled by the company on August 12 and till now we have been treated to several rumors, leaks and speculations about the look, design, specs, CAD drawings and renderings giving us a pretty good idea about what the upcoming phablet is going to be like. New entrant on the scene is a live photo of the much awaited Galaxy Note 5.

Czech operators have allegedly got their hands on what they claim to be a Galaxy Note 5 test dummy and its picture has made its way to the internet. A test dummy or a testbed is a prototype of the particular device which carries the same internal specs and software which the actual device is going to have. Only thing is that although the final product will have almost the same specs and features, their external design is not the final design of the product.

That is the reason this photo of the alleged Galaxy Note 5 testbed shows a bulky box with sharp square corners, not at all like the elegant design which we have seen in the renders so far. The Note 5 will supposedly look somewhat like the Galaxy S6, made of metal and glass. Specs-wise, the handset is expected to feature a 5.7inch Super AMOLED display, a 7.9mm thick body, its own 64-bit Exynos 7422 SoC, a 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a 4100mAh battery and the Android Lollipop operating system.

Traditionally, Samsung has been launching its new iteration of Note in early September at the IFA trade show in Berlin. However, this year the company is apparently planning to unveil the new Note 5 much before Apple launches its new iPhone probably in mid-September.

Below are some beautiful renderings of the Galaxy Note 5:

 

Here’s the first live photo of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 test dummy

Samsung launches Galaxy J5 and J7, its 4G selfie-centric smartphones in India

After being launched in China last month, the next destination of Samsung Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 smartphones is India. As the company had announced earlier, the two selfie-centric handsets were officially launched at an event in New Delhi, India on July 16. Both are mid-range phone with some great specs. The 5-inch Galaxy J5 is priced at INR 11,999 (about $190) and the larger 5.5-inch Galaxy J7 comes with a price tag of INR 14,999 (about $235). Both the smartphones will be available exclusively through online retailer Flipkart from July 24. Pre-booking for the handsets opened from Thursday 4 pm.

Samsung has partnered with Airtel to give introductory double data offer to 4G users for a period of 6 months. The South Korean company is also offering INR 594 ($10) worth of unlimited music download through Wynk Music app for 6 months. Buyers can buy Samsung flip covers worth INR 999 ($16) for only INR 199 ($4) for a limited period as well as free in-app purchase credits worth INR 3,200 ($50) for top titles such as Modern Combat 5, Asphalt 8 etc. on Gameloft.

Coming to the specs, the Samsung Galaxy J5 sports a 5-inch Super AMOLED (720 x 1280 pixels) HD display  and is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU. It has a 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. The J5 model launched in China has a TFT LCD display and 16GB of built-in storage. There is a 2600 mAh battery in it offering a standby time of 342 hours.

In the camera department, the Galaxy J5 has a 13MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus and LED flash, and a 5MP camera also with LED flash at the front. The handset supports 4G, 3G, Bluetooth v4.1, NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi, Glonass and Micro-USB. The device measures 142 x 73 x 8.5mm and weighs 149g.

The larger Samsung Galaxy J7 has almost similar specs except that it has a larger 5.5-inch screen with same 720 x 1280 pixels resolution but higher 16GB of built-in storage and a bigger 3000 mAh battery offering a standby time of 354 hours. Its dimensions are 152.2 x 79.1 x 7.9mm and it weighs 168g. The Galaxy J7 variant in India will come with a 1.5GHz octa-core Exynos 7580 processor while the model launched in China sports the octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset.

Both the devices are dual-SIM dual standby and will run Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. Also, both Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 are first such handsets from Samsung to feature LED flash for the front-facing camera. The smartphones will have an anti-smudge anodized CMF coating on them and will be available in three color variants – Gold, Black and White.

While unveiling the phone Asim Warsi, Samsung India’s Vice President of Marketing, IT & Mobile said:

“Samsung is committed to lead the 4G revolution by providing new user experiences and latest technology. With consumers embracing the 4G revolution, we are looking at expanding our product offerings. The launch of Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 aims to give consumers options in the mid-range price segment. With optimal features and great value proposition for our consumers, the new devices will offer an uncompromised smartphone experience, at very competitive prices.“

Samsung launches Galaxy J5 and J7, its 4G selfie-centric smartphones in India

Xiaomi Mi 5 Specs Leak, to Launch in November, Sports Snapdragon 820 SoC and 4GB RAM

Latest report suggests that Xiaomi’s much awaited new flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will be launching in November. Apart from this, we almost the entire specs of the upcoming handset codenamed “Libra” have been revealed through various rumors and leaks.

Xiaomi Mi 5 is the successor of Xiaomi Mi 4 and is rumored to come with a 5.3-inch 1440 x 2560 pixels display and will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. Under the hood will be a 4GB of RAM, a 16GB or 64GB of internal storage and a 3.030mAh battery. There will be a 16MP primary rear camera and a 6MP front-facing shooter giving great selfies. It is also rumored that the Xiaomi Mi 5 will have a new feature in it: a fingerprint scanner. The device will come out of the box with Android 5.1.1 OS pre-installed.

According to the latest tip, the Mi 5 will be unveiled in November which is in line with the earlier leak that also claimed that the device will be launching in November this year sporting a Snapdragon 820 chipset.

However, its exact release date, availability and pricing are not yet known. We will keep you informed as soon as we get any new details about this Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship.

Stay tuned!

Xiaomi Mi 5 Specs Leak, to Launch in November, Sports Snapdragon 820 SoC and 4GB RAM

First camera samples of Meizu MX5 released, they look quite stunning

The newly launched Meizu MX5 boasts of some impressive features, among them is the powerful 20.7MP camera with a Sony sensor and laser assisted autofocus and dual flash. If you are curious to know how the snaps taken by this camera come out, you can see it now. The Chinese handset manufacturer has released some sample pics to show what the camera can deliver.

Check out the pics here:

The 20.7MP rear camera of the Meizu MX5 features 1/2.3 inch Sony IMX220 sensor and an f/2.2 size aperture lens with 6 optical elements and 1.2-micron pixels. The rear camera has a laser assisted auto-focusing system that causes the camera to focus automatically in only 0.2 seconds within 50cm range even in low light conditions.

The rear camera can also record 4K videos as well as slow motion videos at 100fps in 720p resolution and can compress these videos in H.265 encoding system for storing the files with minimum loss of detail. Meizu MX5 also sports a 5MP front-facing camera with a f/2.0 aperture lens for taking selfies and video chatting. The cam comes with Face AE function and FotoNation 2.0.

The new Meizu MX5 flagship has a full metal jacket body and features a 5.5-inch 1920 x1080 pixel AMOLED display, the latest 64-bit octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 Turbo processor, a PowerVR G6200 GPU, 3GB RAM and three storage options – 16GB/32GB and 64GB. The handset comes with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

First camera samples of Meizu MX5 released, they look quite stunning

New renders of Motorola’s upcoming Moto G (2015) leaked online

Motorola’s upcoming third generation Moto G has been popping up in the news lately. Last month, the Indian online retailer Flipkart had inadvertently listed the device on its website which was of course taken down later. Then last week a video of the handset had leaked, revealing its specs. Latest leak reveal new photos of the Moto G (2015) in white color.

TechnoBuffalo has received some images of the white handset from an anonymous tipster but there is no other information about specs available with it. The Moto G (2015) is model XT1540 also codenamed “Osprey” and earlier leaks indicate that this Motorola handset will sport a 5-inch HD display with resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and 320 dpi. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset and an Adreno 306 GPU. Other rumored specs include 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, a 13MP rear cam and a 5MP front-facing cam. The third gen Moto G will apparently be a mid-range handset supporting 4G LTE and will come with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop pre-installed.

There is no word when this Moto G (2015) will hit the shelves but judging by the frequency of leaks, its launch doesn’t seem very far away. Its predecessor the Moto G second gen was launched in September last year and it is possible that the company launches the third gen Moto G somewhere around that time.

New renders of Motorola’s upcoming Moto G (2015) leaked online

New Sony E5663 with 4.6” 1080p display spotted in benchmarks, could it be the Xperia Z4 Compact?

Looks like Sony will soon be offering a successor to the Xperia Z3 Compact. A new Sony smartphone with model E5663 has been spotted on a couple of benchmarking sites and its specs are quite interesting. If the specs are to be believed, the new handset appears to be the next gen Sony Xperia Z4 Compact.

The benchmark data shows that the new Sony E5663 will feature a 4.6-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels which is an upgrade over Xperia Z3 Compact’s 4.6-inch 720p resolution screen. This is also the first less than 5-inch Sony phone to sport a 1080p display.

Sony Model E5663 on GFXBench:

The Sony E5663 will be powered by a 64-bit octa-core MediaTek ARM MT6795 processor clocked at 1.95GHz and PowerVR Rogue G6200 GPU. Other specs include 3GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 20.7MP rear camera and a powerful 13MP front-facing camera. Till now we have seen front-facing cameras only as high as 5MP in Sony devices. So this would make a great selfie phone. The device will run Android Lollipop.

Sony Model E5663 on Geekbench:

Sony model E5663 has also appeared on the Indian import-export tracker site Zauba.com which shows 2 units of the device to having landed in New Delhi from China. So it is possible that the handset may be launched in India.

Sony Model E5663 on Zauba:

Well, for now we can’t say for sure that the model E5663 will be released as Xperia Z4 Compact. It is possible that the handset is launched with a different name.  We will keep you informed as soon as we know more about it.

New Sony E5663 with 4.6” 1080p display spotted in benchmarks, could it be the Xperia Z4 Compact?

Sony hints that Android Lollipop update for Xperia Z is “Coming Soon”

Sony may have been late in implementing Android Lollipop upgrade across its devices but it is trying to make up for it now. It is gradually updating all of its models in the Xperia Z family with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Sony started rolling out the Lollipop updates to the newer Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact a couple of weeks ago, followed by updates to Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet the very next day. At the time it had announced that it would bring the Android Lollipop upgrades to “more Xperia Z series products” in about two weeks time.

True to its word, now after two weeks Sony begins the next wave of lollipop upgrades for the older Xperia Z series phones. The company has confirmed that its Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia C3 are also getting the Android Lollipop.

Sony has released a teaser on its Google+ account hinting at the imminent Android Lollipop upgrade to its classic Xperia Z smartphone. The company has posted a photo of Xperia Z showing the Lollipop lockscreen with the tag line “coming soon…” beside it. It also stands to reason that since Xperia Z will be getting the Lollipop, the Xperia Z1 will also get it somewhere during that time.

The exact date of the Lollipop roll out to Xperia Z has not been mentioned though. We will let you know once we know it. So stay with us.

Sony hints that Android Lollipop update for Xperia Z is “Coming Soon”

Motorola announces Moto E (2nd Gen), comes with Android Lollipop and 4G LTE

The “exciting announcement” that Motorola was supposed to make on Wednesday turns out to be for a new affordable Android Lollipop smartphone. The company has announced the next generation Moto E in two variants, the Moto E (2nd Gen) and the Moto E (2nd Gen) LTE which will replace the Moto E launched by Motorola last year.

Both the variants of the new Moto E (2nd Gen) support single SIM and will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The handset features a 4.5-inch qHD IPS display with 540 x 960 pixels (245ppi) resolution making it a little bigger than the original Moto E. The LTE version is powered by 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor and Adreno 306, while the 3G version has 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and Adreno 302.

Other specs common to the two devices include 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 32GB microSD card support and a 5MP rear camera supporting 720p HD video capture. The handset packs a 2390 mAh battery, considerably larger than the previous gen Moto E and lasts up to 24 hours. Its dimensions are  129.9 x 66.8 x 12.3 mm and weighs 145 grams.

The basic Moto E (2nd Gen) is available in two color variations, Black and White but Motorola grip shells and bands are available in several colors that make it attractive and offer protection.

The Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) begins rolling out immediately after launch in over 50 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. It is available in the US on the company’s website and may also be offered by Verizon in the near future. The 3G model costs $119.99 and the LTE version can be bought for $149.99. Motorola has also launched a new website to promote the new smartphone – Start With Moto E.

Check out the video where Motorola President Rick Osterloh introduces the new Moto E (2nd Gen) :

Here are some more pics of the device:

 

 

Source Motorola, Motorola Blog

Via PhoneArena

Motorola announces Moto E (2nd Gen), comes with Android Lollipop and 4G LTE

How Android Lollipop Will Appear in Sony Phone? Possible Xperia Z4 Screenshots

At the moment it looks like Sony hasn’t decided yet that if it should carry on producing smartphones at a rapid rate or to stop this completely. Sony Xperia Z4 doesn’t seem to be launching anytime sooner, even not at the MWC taking place upcoming week, but it is not like the mobile phone isn’t going to be launched at all.

The descendant of the Sony Xperia Z3 is expected to have dual SIM, consisting PM-0851-BV which is little different from the supposed Z4 flasghip mobile phone, known supposedly as PM-0850-BV evaluating on this distinction, according to a guess the single main difference between the devices is that the PM-0851-BV has a slot for second SIM, whereas the remaining hardware specifications are nearly all same.

Latest UI screenshots supposedly taken to show how Sony has set the Android Lollipop, purportedly prepared on the Xperia Z4 dual-SIM edition, but still there is no proof that Xperia Z4 is not the device used. The pictures displayed how Android 5.0.2 Lollipop might look on the next mobile phone sets of Sony.

A glance at the Settings menu and on “About phone” revealed that the device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 chipset, showing it is a flagship mobile phone, and the primary guess is that it belongs to the family of Xperia Z4. The applications of clock and dialer consist of guidelines from Google’s Material Design

How Android Lollipop Will Appear in Sony Phone? Possible Xperia Z4 Screenshots

Two Lenovo smartphones K50 and A7600 running Android Lollipop appears at TENNA

Lenovo after the acquisition of Motorola Mobility, is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Moreover, since past few years, the company has shown very good growth patterns and has offered touch competition to rivals like Samsung and others. The company now seems to arrive with two new handsets running the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop that would come pre-installed.

The first handset is the Lenovo K50 which is said to have a 5.5inch display with 1920×1080 pixel resolution and bakes the powerful octa-core 1.7GHz chipset which is mostly the MediaTek one. The camera options for the device include a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP secondary front-facing camera. The device is said to have a good 2GB of RAM memory and a 16GB of internal storage along with microSD card slot for expandable memory. The device has a 7.9mm of thickness and weighs 150 grams.

The second model is said to be the Lenovo A7600 having a similar display size like that of the K50 however the resolution is 720p HD instead of 1080p full HD. The device would have a 1.5GHZ octa-core MediaTek chipset, 13MP primary camera, 5MP secondary camera, 2GB of RAM memory and 8GB on internal expandable storage.

In addition to these two models, another Lenovo handset the Vibe Z3 Pro is also on the cards.

source: TENAA (1), (2)

via: PhoneArena

Two Lenovo smartphones K50 and A7600 running Android Lollipop appears at TENNA

Google releases 4 new ads as Android Lollipop rollout begins on Nexus devices

Google recently announced that the roll out of Android Lollipop has started and it would soon be available on most of its Nexus devices. It has now released four new Android commercials on its YouTube account. As in earlier ads, these new commercials also feature Androidified animated characters.

Each commercial focuses on a different theme. Google seems to have adopted a new slogan for Android – “be together. not the same”. This line appears at the end of each ad.

Take a look at the commercials:

1. Android: Break Room

This ad shows the scene near the water cooler in a break Room and what happens when you look at your smartwatch when you have a full cup of beverage in your hand. Two characters who first look at their watch are shown wearing square-faced smartwatch (Like the LG G Watch) and the third one spilling the drink is wearing a round-faced watch like the Motorola Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R. Then comes the tagline, “all kinds of watches for all kinds of wrists.”

 

2. Android: Garage Band

This video shows a band playing music and it is being recorded with a camera. One member of the band is over enthusiastic and inadvertently knocks over the camera. After a short pause, they continue to sing and the tag line “awesome cams for awesome hams” shows up on the screen.

 

 

3. Android: Scary Movie

In this video, a lady is shown sitting in an airplane watching a movie on a tablet in her lap. Two men sitting on either side of her, watch it by looking over her shoulders and a third person watches from behind. The movie seems to be a scary one because all of them jump at the same time. The tag line “bigger screens for bigger screams” shows up on the screen.

 

 

4. Android: Slightly Longer Road Trip

This commercial shows many people traveling in an RV of the 80s era, all grooving to the song  “Whoomp there it is” by Tag Team. Their vehicle stops at a toll booth and the toll tax collector also joins up with them, dancing to the song and then comes the tag line, “be together. not the same”.

 

 

All the four ads are quite appealing. Will they inspire you to buy an Android device?

 

Source YouTube (Android) Via PhoneArena

Google releases 4 new ads as Android Lollipop rollout begins on Nexus devices

HTC Sense 7 screenshots with Material Design leaked

Back in June at the Google I/O Conference when Google declared its Android 5.0 with Material Design, Taiwan based handset maker HTC promised an update for its flagships HTC One M8 and One M7 within 90 days of Google offering them the source code. With the latest Android OS Lollipop that would be started rolling-out from next week, we can expect this update to hit HTC device at the start of next year. There is no doubt to it that this 64-bit Os architecture would arrive with HTC Sense. With all this, we have received the first screenshots from one of the test HTC One M8 running the Android Lollipop that is topped up the HTC Sense 7 interface.

The new Android Lollipop offers a very clean and flat look for its apps and menus which can be compared with Optimus UI from LG with minimal flatter looks and is very user-friendly. Well, there is quite a large amount of possibility of HTC making efforts to match up its Sense UI looks that are in accordance to the Material Design. Well, for the time being we have the below two screenshots for the same.

source: YouMobile

 

HTC Sense 7 screenshots with Material Design leaked

Samsung Knox is Rumored to be lacked behind iOS in Enterprise Security.

About 85% of the smartphone nowadays are running on Android.  The latest version of Android, Android 5.0 Lollipop is a big release for Google’s mobile OS. It comes with UI overhaul, a number of reworked features and a few of additional new features. Among these new apps is Knox.

Knox is known to be installed in Samsung Galaxy. One of the examples of Samsung model which is using Knox is the Samsung Galaxy S4. As in the advertisement for Samsung, explaining about Knox is that it is a container which improves the user experience, providing security for enterprise data by creating secure zone in the employee’s device for corporate applications.  The enterprise data is encrypted either at rest or in motion. KNOX workspace container provides users with an isolated secure environment within mobile device, complete with its own home screen, launcher, applications and widgets for easier, more intuitive and safe operation. Application and data inside the container are separated.

Knox is approved by the US Department of Defence and by NSA recently. However, an “unnamed researcher” claims to have found where KNOX keeps its security PIN in an insecure place. It is stored in the plain text file named pin.xml.

Responding to this finding, Samsung has responded with a blog post, denying that it is easy to access the PIN. It is only a trusted system processes which is able to retrieve the PIN and in the event of any system compromise, KNOX Trusted Boot will lock down the container key store.

Some says that Android Security lacks behind iOS security. Which one should we trust? Only extensive testing will answer that.

Samsung Knox is Rumored to be lacked behind iOS in Enterprise Security.