Samsung Galaxy S6 to Arrive with Touch Based Fingerprint Sensor, Says Report

The Samsung Galaxy S6 release date is fast approaching and, as we are getting closer to the launch of the highly-anticipated smartphone, more details about it are starting to hit the web. According to a new report, Sammy’s next-gen flagship might integrate a different fingerprint sensor.

Back in 2013, Apple introduced the iPhone 5S which featured a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button. Even though the iPhone 5S was not the first smartphone to come with a fingerprint scanner (Motorola’s Atrix had one back in 2011), this feature has become mainstream after Apple launched their iOS 7-powered handset. Customers have begun to wish for fingerprint sensors in their smartphones and Android phone makers didn’t hesitate to include such sensors in their devices.

The Galaxy S5 was the first Samsung smartphone to sport a fingerprint scanner early 2014 and since then, Samsung has equipped devices like Galaxy S5 Mini, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Tab S, Galaxy Note 4, or Galaxy Note Edge with similar sensors. Anyway, unlike iPhone 5S’ scanner, the one mounted on Samsung’s smartphones requires you to swipe your finger over it in order to work.

According to a report from trustworthy publication Sammobile, Samsung’s yet-unannounced Galaxy S6 could arrive with a different fingerprint scanner. “Highly-credible sources” have told Sammobile that the South Korean phone maker will no longer use the swipe-based fingerprint scanner, as it will be replaced with a touch-based sensor which would work in a similar way to iPhone 5S’.

Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S6 will have the touch-based sensor embedded into the Home button. Anyway, it seems that Samsung had to make the home button bigger than the one of Galaxy S5 or Note 4.

I remind you that Samsung Galaxy S6 is expected to arrive with a powerful hardware platform. According to the reports, the terminal could feature a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution, 64-bit Exynos 7420 / Snapdragon 810 processor (market depended), 3 GB of RAM, and a main camera with optical image stabilization and 16 or 20 MP resolution.

Samsung Galaxy S6 To Feature Nexus-Like Clean Android UI According To New Report

According to a new report published on Business Korea website, Samsung is planning some major changes to its TouchWiz user-interface for its next flagship smartphone the Galaxy S6. The new TouchWiz UI will reportedly arrive first with the Galaxy S6 and then roll out for other newer devices eventually as part of a software update.

According to the sources close to Samsung, the company is working to optimize its custom Android UI and aims to cut down on all the bloatware that has made Samsung’s TouchWiz UI one of the most hated custom Android skins out there. What’s more interesting is that Samsung is apparently looking at slimming down its TouchWiz UI down to the level of Google Nexus devices. The company will reportedly get rid of the many features that it includes as part of its custom UI layer and concentrate on only the most essential features with the next TouchWiz version that will debut with the Galaxy S6 this year. Honestly, it does seem a bit too much to digest for us though, as Samsung has so far been heavily marketing its array of additional software tweaks as part of the TouchWiz UI. While we did see some positive improvements with the TouchWiz version used on the Galaxy Note 4, it is still bloated when compared to many of the other OEM Android skins. So to expect such a drastic change in such a short period of time is not very likely. However, we do hope that the report turns out to be accurate as we aren’t great fans of TouchWiz either, just like almost everyone else.

TouchWiz has been one of the main reasons why Samsung flagship devices have been underwhelming when it comes to system performance and smoothness of the UI. The Galaxy S5 for instance, was significantly less smooth than other rival smartphones that used the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset. The Galaxy Note 4 doesn’t suffer as much as the Galaxy S5 thanks to a lighter TouchWiz skin, but it still does exhibit signs of lag and stutter in the UI occasionally. While it is quite impressive how many features Samsung includes in its Galaxy flagship devices, most of them aren’t quite useful in day-to-day usage and are rarely used by most owners.

Xperia Z3 PlayStation 4 Remote Play Feature Now Available For All Android 4.4+ Devices

One of the main highlights of Sony’s latest Xperia Z3 flagship smartphone is the PlayStation 4 Remote Play functionality. The feature initially debuted with the Xperia Z3 family of devices – Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, but was also released for the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet devices as part of a software update recently. Sony initially claimed that the feature will not be able to be ported to other devices as it has included some specific hardware tweaks on the Xperia Z3 family of devices to minimize the input lag on supported devices. However, due to the open nature of the Android platform, it was only a matter of time before an Android developer ported the feature to other devices. That has actually happened finally as XDA developer TheScriptKitty has managed to port the Sony PlayStation 4 Remote Play feature to all Android devices running Android 2.2 or later versions.

The port seems to be quite successful as all the features are currently working except for DualShock 4 controller. However, you can still get the DualShock 4 controller to work with the feature by following two workaround methods that have been detailed by the developer. Surprisingly, the port doesn’t require root access either, so those of you with a completely stock Android smartphone can also try the feature on your device, provided you have a Sony PlayStation 4 at home. The developer has also disabled the root access check and connection speed checks for the app, so you should be able to get the app working even f you have a connection that is slower than what Sony recommends for an optimum experience when using the feature.

A large number of devices are supported currently and many more are expected to be added to the list in the near future. Almost all the Google Nexus devices including the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2012, Nexus 7 2013, Nexus 9, and Nexus 10 are supported. A number of Samsung Galaxy devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Mega 6.3, S2, S3, S4, S5, Tab Pro 8.4, Tab Pro 12.2, Tab S 8.4 LTE, Tab S 10.5, Tab 10.1, Tab 2 7.0, Tab 2 10.1, Tab 3 7.0, and Tab 3 10.1 are included as well. LG smartphones that are compatible with the port are the latest G3, G2, GPad 8.3, Optimus F6 and the G Flex. The only Motorola device that seems to be compatible with the port is the Moto X 2013. Other supported devices are the HTC One M8, One M7, Nvidia Tegra Note 7, OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Mega 6.4, S2, S3, S4, S5, Tab Pro 8.4, Tab Pro 12.2, ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini and other recent Sony Xperia smartphones such as the Xperia Z, Xperia M, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1 Compact, and the Xperia Z Ultra.

To install the Remote Play Feature on your Android smartphone or tablet, download and install the Remote Play port APK file and install it on your device. For most devices this should get the feature up and running. If somehow it doesn’t, then you will need to download the DualShock Manager apk file and move it into /system/app/ directory and change permissions to RW-R-R and reboot your device.

Samsung SM-E700F Leaks with 5.5 Inch Display & Dual-SIM support

If there’s one thing that is never expected to change, it is Samsung launching new Galaxy smartphone every few weeks. The company had only recently announced the new Galaxy A300 and Galaxy A500 A-series smartphones and now two more devices have leaked courtesy of Indian import tracking website Zauba. First it was the SM-E500F that leaked a few days back and now it’s the turn of the SM-E700F. Both smartphones could be part of the new Galaxy E-series lineup going by the model names. Samsung recently decided it would do away with its conventional naming scheme for Galaxy devices and move to a single-letter naming convention. The A-series are already out and now it could be the E-series that can be expected in the coming weeks.

Although detailed specs of both the devices remain a mystery for now, Zauba does list some details regarding the SM-E700F model. The first bit of information is regarding the screen size. The smartphone will apparently sport a 5.5-inch display, meaning this could end up being a phablet offering with mid-range specs. The price of the device has been mentioned as $204, which solidifies that assumption further. Samsung currently has very few phablets at such a low price point, and this is the most expensive smartphone in the E-series lineup going by the model number. The SM-E500F could be even cheaper, and the indicated price on Zauba is around $156. The SM-E500F will sport a smaller 5-inch display according to the listing on Zauba.

Samsung’s move to single-letter naming convention is probably to clear up the mess and confusion in their current naming convention. Currently Samsung uses single letter-naming for its flagship Galaxy S line but uses more generic names for other cheaper devices. With the A-series and the E-series, we have now learnt about two new series of Galaxy smartphones. But there could be more such device families being launched next year, as by then Samsung would have moved completely to single letter names for its Galaxy smartphones. I do wonder what they’re going to do with the Galaxy Note brand though. It is far too popular to get rid of now, and if they continue with the Note branding for their flagship phablet, it will still be a little weird.

Along with the change in its naming convention, Samsung is also trying to bring greater changes to its Galaxy smartphone range after its market share has been declining steadily over the past few quarters. Once the undisputed leader of the Android market, Samsung finds itself under threat now by the onslaught of Chinese OEMs that have started going global and are offering devices with superior specs at much lower prices. The popularity of the Samsung brand isn’t helping much either and its recent Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone hasn’t been as successful as earlier Galaxy S line flagships. So in order to remain profitable in the long-term the smartphone market is very critical to the company.

Samsung Galaxy S5′s Cousin, Galaxy A5 Caught on Camera

Samsung Galaxy S5′s Cousin, Galaxy A5 Caught on Camera

The hype from IFA is starting to die down as fans are now focusing on Samsung Galaxy Note 4′s release (October 17th). The tech giant has surprised us recently with a set of leaks confirming a new device, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha 5, referred to as SM-A500F in the leak. The device is supposed to be part of a series of three upcoming Samsung Galaxy A gadgets, and will come with a unique body which is not metal or plastic, but rather, a material that feels cold. The information comes from SamMobile, known to provide trustworthy leaks in the past regarding other devices.

Samsung Galaxy A5 tech specs

Nothing is certain about the Samsung Galaxy A5, but we have some vague information regarding its tech specifications. The gadget sports a 5-inch 720 x 1280 pixel Super AMOLED display, a 13MP primary shooter which should have a very high quality and photo resolution, Galaxy Note 4′s TouchWiz, a Snapdragon 400 processor, a 2,330mAh battery, 16GB of internal storage expandable by an external microSD card, and a 5MP secondary shooter for taking selfies. The device is an elegant rectangular-shaped gadget made out of a new material we haven’t received a name for, just the fact that it’s not metal or plastic. Could it be something that makes the phone invulnerable to dropping and such?

The news is very interesting, because we expected the rest of the quarter to be calm and silent after the Berlin-hosted IFA event where companies announced all their devices. We expect Samsung to make further statements about the device pretty soon, setting a few details straight. In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Moto X 2014: 7 Best Features of the 2014 Motorola Flagship

Moto X 2014: 7 Best Features of the 2014 Motorola Flagship

With every new smartphone, there are generally some new features that are announced right alongside it. Even if they aren’t particularly new, each Android smartphone has a list of features that users love and brag about. With the release of Motorola’s latest flagship, we wanted to cover some of the more unique and interesting features for the 2014 Moto X.

Moto X Camera Gesture

With a simple twist of your wrist, you can gesture the 2014 Moto X to activate the camera even without turning it on and unlocking the device. Simply twisting/turning the device from left to right a couple of times will activate the display and launch you right into the camera application. From here, you can quickly take a picture and then lock the display making it very quick and very easy to take a picture.

Moto X Burst Mode

Speaking of cameras, LG advertised their G3 camera to be simple - it allows you to take a picture by just tapping on the display (when the camera application is open). The 2013 Moto X already did this but it also has a Burst Mode. So instead of a single tap on the display, all you have to do is tap and hold the display (while the camera application is open) and it will take multiple pictures back-to-back very quickly. It’s these types of quick features that make the Moto X so simple to use since there’s no need to fumble through any menus.

Moto Voice

You might already know of this feature as Touchless Controls from the 2013 Moto X. Motorola has given it a new name to match the other Moto-named features in the 2014 Moto X. The default activation phrase is ‘OK Moto X’, but you can customize this to just about any phrase you would like. This feature also integrates into other Android applications like WhatsApp, Facebook and even YouTube. You can tell your 2014 Moto X to post a status message to Facebook and it will perform the action without you needing to touch the device at all

Moto Assist

Another one of these new Moto-named features is Moto Assist. You can think of this as a programmable version of Google Now or the LG G3′s Smart Notice feature. Moto Assist will take information like what time it is, where you are and how fast you’re going so that it can give you contextual information based on it. As an example, you can program your 2014 Moto X to go into Silent Mode while you’re sleeping or if you’re in the car and on the way to/from work. You might think this is very similar to what Tasker does, and you’re correct to think that. It does some of the things that Tasker does, but it isn’t quite as powerful. This also means it’s much easier to configure too.

Moto Connect

This is a Motorola application that debuted on the 2013 Moto X. This app will let you pair your smartphone to your computer so that you can control your Moto X from the browser with the Moto Connect extension/plugin. You can do various things like send or receive texts, read the caller ID and other minor things right from the browser while the device is being charged or in your pocket.

Moto Display

Moto Display also debuted on the 2013 Moto X but was called Active Display back then. Since the Moto X uses an AMOLED display, the only battery power used to light up the display is for the individual pixels. So, you could keep the entire display black and only use a few dozen pixels to display some vital information about the time and your active notifications, all without eating up so much battery from lighting up the entire display (like an LCD panel has to). This type of interface is activated when you get a notification, but it also uses the sensors to know if you’ve picked up or turned over your smartphone.

Trusted Devices

We’ll end this list with a feature that is being incorporated into Android L. It’s called Trusted devices and it debuted on the 2013 Moto X as well. I haven’t seen anyone talking about this for the 2014 Moto X, but I assume that it’s still there. You’ll need to go into Settings and then tap on Security. From there, you should see the Trusted Devices option where it will let you pick a paired Bluetooth device. You can do this with any Bluetooth device so that when it’s paired with your Moto X, it will allow you to bypass any security protection you have on your device. This is great for when you have the Moto X paired with your car (or a smartwatch) so you aren’t required to focus on the smartphone to unlock it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Tech Specs & Features Detailed in Infographic

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Tech Specs & Features Detailed in Infographic

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is already turning out to be extremely famous, with fans barely containing their excitement and already trying to pre-order the device. To add to the hype, Samsung has released a gorgeous infographic that unveils a lot of details about the smart gadget, including dimensions, design, color varieties, tech specifications, and a lot of other features we didn’t know about. It’s certainly a brilliant move from them, which other companies should take a note of. These sorts of infographic are by far the best way to share device details with the media and customer base.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the following set of dimensions: 78.6mm x 153.5mm, a 5.7-inch display, a Super AMOLED touchscreen, and provides the sharpest image quality on the market. It sports two incredible cameras: a 16MP primary shooter and a 3.7MP secondary camera for taking selfies. Samsung also provides the famous S Pen which has doubled its pressure level from the previous model, doubling its initial value of 1024 and offering you a very clean way to manipulate the touchscreen of your phone. The infographic also shows charging details, suggesting that this device charges nearly twice as fast as its predecessor, from a 55-minute charging time to only 30 minutes.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 infographic reveals various details

Samsung has definitely stepped up their game this year, publishing a fantastic device which has us excited. We’re certainly going to be getting our hands on it as soon as retailers decide to put it up for pre-order.

Android L Feature Spotlight

Android L Feature Spotlight

Recents

This summer brought us Android L, the latest and greatest update to Google’s mobile operating system. Even though Android L was not made available for the public, Google released Developer Preview builds for both Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013 for testing purposes.

Besides allowing developers to see how their apps look and behave in Android L, the Developer Preview builds also allow us to take an early look at the features that will be introduced by the new Android update. This post aims to show you the changes Android L brings to the Recents screen.

Besides changing the way the navigation buttons look like, Google has also changed the way the Recents screen looks and behaves. The Android L Recents has received a Material Design makeover and brings improved functionality.

The little thumbnails of the last opened apps have been replaced by a cards stacked one over another. In fact, the Recents screen looks a lot like Chromes opened tabs screen. It also brings a, how Google likes to call it, document-centric multitasking, allowing certain apps to show more than one card in the Recents screen. For example, Chrome can show a recents card for each opened tab.

Google failed to reveal when Android L will be released for the public, but, if the latest reports are to be believed, the new update will be rolled out sometime late September or early October.

Project Volta

Google took us by surprise and introduced Android L at their annual I/O conference back in June. Android L is the biggest update made to Google’s mobile operating system since its debut back in 2008, both in terms of design and functionality.

Besides drastically improving the interface with the help of Material Design, besides making notifications more accessible, and besides introducing ART runtime, the new Android L update also aims to address one of the biggest issues of modern smartphones: battery life. The autonomy improvements are centered around Project Volta, Google’s attempt to bring better battery life to Android-powered smartphones and tablets.

How big the battery life improvements will be? For example, a Nexus 5 running Android L Developer Preview can get 30 – 40% more battery life which is an insanely huge improvement. How is this even possible? Well the new job scheduler API is one of the factors. It instructs apps to do more of their unimportant tasks while your phone is charging instead of while running on battery.

Another change brought by Android L is the introduction of Power Saver mode into stock Android. You can have battery saver always on, or you can instruct your device to turn on battery saver as soon as your battery drops to a certain level.

The Battery screen in Settings has also been improved. It now brings a better insight on how your battery has been used, is capable of showing how much time you have left until your phone dies, or how much it will take to fully charge your battery.

We are glad to see that Google is making efforts to improve the battery life of the devices running on their mobile operating system.

Setting App

Google showed us Android L for the first time at I/O in June. Even though the new update wasn’t made available for the public yet we’ve already been able to take a look at the new changes it brings courtesy of the Android L Developer Preview builds that have been made available for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013.

Besides many other visual and performance changes, Android L also brings improvements to the Settings app. This post aims to bring you an insight on the changes made to the Settings app.

If you had the occasion to play with Android L Developer Preview you probably noticed that the Settings app was completely redesigned and reorganized. The Android L Settings app arrives with a new color scheme, new animations, new toggles and check boxes.

After you update your device to Android L you will be able to use the new search box to easily find that option you were looking for. You will also find a lot of new options integrated in the new Android release. For example, in the Display area, you will now have Adaptive Display and the “Cast Screen” option to mirror your display on a Chromecast device.

There are tons of new features available in Android L, some very important, others just variations of the previous functions.

Material Design

In a surprising move, Google officially introduced Android L earlier this summer at I/O tech conference. They even changed their strategy on how the new update will be released for the public.

As you may know, Google used to introduce two major Android updates a year: one in the summer and the other one mid-to-late fall, but things will be different with Android L. The new Android iteration was officially introduced in the summer, made available for download for testing purposes as Developer Preview, and it will be released for the public this fall, when new Nexus hardware will also see the light of day.

Android L is the most major update Google’s mobile platform has seen since birth and Material Design is a big part of this update. Material Design is a whole new design philosophy and Google talked a lot about it at I/O 2014.

Material Design aims to make Android more intuitive with the help of 3D effects and shadows. The interface is flatter, while the new animations allow you to see where everything came from and where everything goes. Everything slides from somewhere and Google has promised fluid transitions at 60 fps.

The new Android L interface as a while pays more attention to details and it’s more colorful, being the most important change brought to Android in terms of UI. Most native apps have been redesigned and more will follow soon.

Notifications Panel

Google I/O has brought us Android L, the latest and greatest iteration of Google’s mobile operating system. We don’t know yet when Android L will be released for the public or what its final name will be, but we already know what the search engine giant prepared for us in the new update.

As you may know, soon after the I/O announcement, Google released Android L Developer Preview for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013 for testing purposes. They even issued an update a few weeks ago.

Android L is no doubt the biggest Android update ever. It’s even bigger than the jump from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich, bringing tons of new features and new functionality. This article aims to bring you an insight over the Android L Notifications Panel.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Android L Notifications panel is the new color scheme. Moreover, the panel now has a transparent background so you can still see what’s on your screen. The Notification Panel can be accessed using the classic swipe down move, but you will definitely enjoy the new animation. You will be able to swipe left or right to dismiss notifications or tap to look at the notification.

The Quick Settings button is gone, but the Quick Settings menu is still there. In order to go to Quick Settings you need to swipe down once you bring up the Notifications Panel, then swipe down again. The Quick Settings menu has been redesign now showing toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mobile Data, Notifications, Airplane Mode, Locations, Cast Screen, and Auto Rotate. Yes, we Google has finally made a toggle for Auto Rotate.

Android L also introduces Heads-up notifications. So, if, for example, you receive a call while doing something full screen like reading or gaming, the call won’t totally take over your screen, allowing you to decide whether to take the call or continue what you were previously doing.

Lock screen

Earlier this summer, during their annual I/O conference, the folks at Google officially introduced Android L. Even though the Mountain View-based giant didn’t reveal the release date of the new Android iteration, they demoed most of its new features at I/O and made it available for download as Developer Preview.

Android L is the biggest update Google’s mobile operating system has seen since its launch back in 2008. It arrives with tons of new features, but this app concentrates on the Lock Screen changes and improvements.

As you may know, in KitKat and previous Android version, the Lock Screen did nothing else except for showing you the time, how many notifications you have, or allow you to secure your smartphone or tablet. Well, the Android L Lock Screen has learned a couple of new tricks.

The new Lock Screen is now capable of displaying your notifications and it even allows you to interact with them. Furthermore, Google has found a clever way to prioritize the notifications based on the frequency you interact with them.

Now, instead of grabbing that small lock and moving it around, you will need to swipe up in order to unlock your screen. Furthermore, you can swipe left to get to the Camera (was previously available in KitKat) or swipe right to get to the Phone app.

The Android L Lock Screen allows you to swipe away notifications to dismiss them, or tap to open a specific notification. You can also swipe down on a notification to see all notifications from the respective app.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime: Specs, Features and Release Date Leaked

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime: Specs, Features and Release Date Leaked

Previously spotted on a Vietnamese retailer’s website, the Samsung Galaxy Prime is now being revealed once more. Even though an official press release from Samsung is still highly expected, the Galaxy Grand Prime is ready for its debut. Of course, the official launch will be in Vietnam, though other markets will soon embrace this new KitKat powered smartphone. Bottom line, we now know almost everything about this phone.

The first thing to mention, is that Samsung is trying to come with something new once the A series of handsets will be released. Thus, the Galaxy Grand Prime will feature a 5 MP front facing camera, which makes this device something like a dedicated “Selfie” smartphone – Sony and HTC already announced similar devices. Other specs are including only mid range performances, though a budget friendly offer is being expected for the Prime.

In Vietnam the Galaxy Grand Prime will be made available starting from next month with the model number of SM-G530H. As for other regions, there are still no details made available or leaked so the Samsung press release will clarify it out.

Related to the general performances, the phone will be coming with the mentioned 5 MP front facing shooter along with an 8 MP rear facing camera, only 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage capacity, micro SD card slot, dual SIM capabilities, a quad core Snapdragon 400 processor and a 5 inch qHD display. Of course the latest version of Android OS, KitKat 4.4 will be pre-installed above all.

Moto 360, iWatch: Rumored Motorola and Apple Smartwatches

Moto 360, iWatch: Rumored Motorola and Apple Smartwatches

The Moto 360 and the iWatch are some of the most anticipated smartwatch options right now, not because they’re the first of their kind, but because they offer a lot more connectivity to your smartphone and are a little more aesthetically pleasing. Today, we’re going to be comparing the two, or what we know about them so far.

The Motorola Moto 360 has been announced, but Apple hasn’t made an official announcement for the iWatch, although it’s expected they will alongside the release of the iPhone 6 on September 9th. There’s a Motorola special event scheduled for September 4th, where they will likely be announcing the Moto 360 and the Moto X+1. We may be seeing this device on shelves as soon as mid-September, if this is the case.

Despite the fact Apple hasn’t made the announcement for the iWatch just yet, it’s rumored that the device will be available anywhere from mid-September to late November. Some are even suggesting we won’t see the device until 2015. Nothing can be made fact until Apple announces the device and release date, which will hopefully happen September 9th.

Motorola’s Moto 360

Design-wise, we already know exactly what the Moto 360 looks like, but we have no idea whatsoever what it will be constructed out of. The smartwatch will be sporting a round display and will have quite a few customization options, including interchangeable bands to give your device a new look, and options for either a black or aluminum face. The customization part may be enough to woo people into picking up one of these devices, as Motorola has gone more towards a fashion statement than just a boring, old smartwatch, which is a smart move on their part.

Rumored Apple iWatch

The iWatch, on the other hand, is still a secret. It’s speculated that the device will be offered in both a square model and a circular model, and may sport a more traditional looking band. We can’t be sure of anything just yet, as Apple seems to be moving towards a more uniform look with their devices, so it may feature sleek aluminum edges and a plain black band. Supposedly, they have consulted with Tag Heur’s Vice President for advice on design, so we will see what comes of that.

With Apple’s release of their new Health app in iOS 8, we may see the iWatch going towards more of a fitness device than a watch. It’s very possible we will see some new sensors that can detect heart rate, or maybe an accurate pedometer built in, and sync that information with the app so you can more easily keep track of your workouts. Display-wise, there’s not much that we know regarding the device. Recently, there have been reports of Kobe Bryant hanging around the Apple Infinite Loop Campus, which may be a sign that he’s beta testing the device. There have also been reports of Dustin Brown beta testing the device.

Moto 360 Features

Motorola’s Moto 360 will have a ton of features that can really help with daily life, from showing notifications from your smartphone, to calendar appointments, to even displaying traffic in the area. There’s also the ability to customize the watchfaces’ UI, which is a neat little addition to the device too. The face itself is circular, just like a classic watch, and features a 1.5in display with a 320 x 290 resolution. The great thing is that there are already many apps meant for smartwatches in the Google Play Store. These apps are called Android Wear apps, and some include the Firefox browser, Audible, Evernote, and a couple of Weather apps.

Rumored Prices

Now for the deal breaker: price. The Moto 360, according to a recent leak on Best Buy, the smartwatch will be available for $250, which isn’t that bad in all reality. Although it’s about $20-$50 more than other Android Wear devices, it’s the same price as the Pebble Steel. The Apple iWatch, on the other hand, has been predicted to be priced at around $300. Keep in mind that it’s just speculation. We’ll see what truly comes of the device when it’s unveiled by Apple in mid-September.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Teaser Released

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Teaser Released

The Galaxy Note 4 is shaping up to be one of the biggest launches of 2014, and Samsung wants to leave no stone unturned to make sure its UNPACKED event next month gets as much attention as possible. We have been seeing a lot of leaks related to the Note 4 in the past few weeks, including some official teasers by Samsung as the launch nears.

Samsung releases teaser for Note 4′s S-Pen feature

Today, we have yet another teaser by Samsung – a YouTube video highlighting the functionality of the S-Pen on the Galaxy Note 4. The video highlights the advantages of taking notes and writing them with the S-Pen instead of just typing on a keyboard. There is no arguing though, the S-Pen indeed is a very useful tool and increases your productivity significantly when you’re on the go.

Samsung doesn’t forget to remind us about the announcement date at the end of the video – September 3rd. Although, unlike last year, it will not be launched at IFA. Instead, Samsung is hosting its own UNPACKED event before IFA kicks off.

We are really excited about the event and can’t wait to get our hands on the Galaxy Note 4. Going by the recent specifications leak, it is going to be a monster of a device. The rumored specs make us giggle with joy: 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon 805/Exynos 5433 chipset, 3GB RAM, 16 MP camera with OIS and LTE-advanced connectivity for up to 300 mbps download speeds. There are also some sources that claim it will come with 4GB RAM, not 3. If that turns out to be true, Note 4 would be the first Smartphone to ship with 4GB RAM.

It’s certainly going to be very interesting to see how the market reacts to the Note 4. Samsung’s high-end sales have been slowing down lately and Galaxy S5 sales were reported to be below expectations.