HTC One M9 Full Spec-Sheet Revealed in New Leak

The HTC One M9 or ‘Hima’ is all set to be announced by the company at its Utopia in Progress event scheduled for March 1 in Barcelona. However, you don’t need to wait until then to find out everything about the device as a new post from renowned leakster upleaks has revealed the full spec-sheet of the One M9 before its official announcement.

Most of what has been revealed in the latest post is not new and had been revealed by upleaks a few weeks back already. However, there are still few new bits of information that have been revealed, along with details on carrier variants and the list of accessories that will be offered with the smartphone.

The One M9 is reported to include a 5.0” 1920 x 1080 resolution Full HD LCD display, exactly similar to the One M8. The chipset powering the smartphone will be Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 810, clocked at 2.0GHz for the Cortex-A57 cores and 1.5GHz for the Cortex-A53 cores. 3GB of RAM is expected to be included, an upgrade over the 2GB RAM on the One M8 from last year. What will not be similar though is the amount of internal storage offered. According to the upleaks post, the One M9 will come with 32GB or 64GB internal storage options. Thankfully the new report confirms that a microSD card slot will be included, so you will be able to expand the memory by up to 128GB.

At the back, the One M9 will include a 20.7MP resolution rear camera with a dual-LED flash like on the One M8. At the front, the One M9 will include a 4MP UltraPixel camera. Earlier upleaks report couldn’t confirm if HTC will go with the 4MP UltraPixel or a 13MP sensor, but the latest report seems to suggest that HTC made up its mind on using the UltraPixel sensor for the front camera on One M9.

The One M9 will include VoLTE, LTE Cat.6 and Carrier Aggregation support, but the Carrier Aggregation feature is said to be dependent on the market and may not be offered on all One M9 variants. It will come with the latest Bluetooth 4.1 version, like every other Snapdragon 810 device. The batter is expected to be 2,840mAh, which doesn’t sound too great and is lower than most recent flagship smartphones. Last but not the least; HTC’s excellent BoomSound stereo speakers will be onboard too.

Along with the spec-sheet, upleaks also has details on the various variants of the One M9. The Hima#UHL variant is likely to be sold in Asia, Europe, Africa, UAE, Russia, Turkey, and Mainland China. The Hima#UL will be headed to the US with AT&T, T-Mobile and a Developer Edition model. In Canada, the smartphone will be offered by Rogers and Telus. Customers in Latin America will also be getting this same model.

The Hima#WHL model will be headed to the Sprint Network in US and also China Telecom. Finally, the Hima#WL model will be the Verizon Wireless variant.

HTC is also expected to offer a wide range of accessories with the One M9. Some of the accessories revealed by upleaks are the HTC DotView 2 case, clear case, stand case, waterproof case with IP68 rating, waterproof headset, HTC BoomBass speaker with Wi-Fi support, and a screen protector.

Samsung Releases First Official Galaxy S6 Teaser Focuses on the Camera

With just around two weeks left for the Galaxy S6 announcement, Samsung has started teasing ‘The Next Galaxy’ already. Samsung Mobile released the first official Galaxy S6 teaser on its Twitter handle today. The 17 second teaser video focuses on the camera of the Galaxy S6, possibly hinting at some great new features and improvements with the camera on Samsung’s next flagship smartphone.

The video teaser only talks about ‘The Next Galaxy’ being inspired by “Great Vision” and “A Unique View”. Clearly, that doesn’t really tell us anything about the Galaxy S6’s camera. However, what the first teaser does point to is that the camera on the Galaxy S6 is likely to be one of its biggest USPs when it goes official next month. Two days back, Samsung had hinted at a capable camera on the Galaxy S6 that will let users take brilliant pictures without having to worry about anything else except pressing the shutter button in a blog post made on the SamsungTomorrow website.

Based on rumors so far, the Galaxy S6 will come with a 20 megapixel camera at the back, likely manufactured by Samsung. It could also include the ISOCELL technology, just like its predecessor. No info is available yet on the sensor size but we expect it to have a slightly larger sensor than the Galaxy S5. More recent renders and image leaks also seem to suggest the Galaxy S6 is likely to include a protruding camera lens at the back, similar to the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apart from the increased resolution, the Galaxy S6 camera is also expected to include optical image stabilization for steadier videos and superior low-light imaging prowess. A dual-LED flash is likely as well, a first on a Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Dual-Edged Display Variant Seemingly Confirmed, Could Include 4GB RAM

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is no doubt going to be one of the biggest smartphone launches of the year. While we know a lot about the Galaxy S6 by now, confusion still remains regarding the Galaxy S6 Edge variant. Some rumors have claimed that the S6 Edge will be launched alongside the Galaxy S6, while others claim the product has been scrapped by Samsung. Now a new report has surfaced courtesy of SamMobile that claims Samsung will indeed launch a Galaxy S6 variant with a curved edge display. What’s interesting is that the Galaxy S6 Edge is said to feature a dual-edged display, instead of the curved edge on just the right side like on the Galaxy Note Edge.

According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S6 double-edged display variant will carry the model number SM-G925. While the model number has been confirmed, it is still unknown if the device will be called the Galaxy S6 Edge like the Note Edge or something else entirely different. The Galaxy S6 Edge is said to feature all the panels that we have seen on the Galaxy Note Edge. These include Finance, News, Pedometer, Sports, Contacts and other panels. These panels will be available for download on the Samsung App Store for the owners of the dual-edge display variant of the Galaxy S6, just like the Galaxy Note Edge. While for the most part the software on the Galaxy S6 Edge is said to be similar to the Galaxy Note Edge, a few notable differences will be seen too. As the Galaxy S6 Edge will have the edge panel on both the right and left curve of the display, you will be able to choose which panel you want to activate, depending on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. The Galaxy S6 Edge is also said to include the Glance Lighting feature that uses the Edge panels as notification lights by lighting up whenever you have any new notifications or an incoming calls and your device is turned over. This feature will include customization options as well, allowing you to choose the color of the light for specific contacts as per your choice.

Yet another report out of Korea also seems to confirm the existence of the Galaxy S6 Edge and claims that the Galaxy S6 may come with 4GB of RAM. The report claims that Samsung may include 4GB of RAM on the curved edge display variant while the main Galaxy S6 variant may include 3GB of RAM. However, since the SM-G925 specifications were leaked on Antutu a few weeks back and we know that it will come with 3GB of RAM, it doesn’t look like the S6 Edge will be the one with 4GB of RAM. Instead, we could see the main Galaxy S6 variant with higher 4GB RAM. Or it could be that the SM-G925 that was leaked on Antutu was an early prototype and both the main variant and the Edge variant of the Samsung Galaxy S6 could launch with 4GB RAM on-board. We will need to wait a few more weeks until Mobile World Congress to find out everything about the Galaxy S6 and its dual-edged display variant.

Possible LG G4 Variant User Agent Profile Leak Confirms Quad HD Resolution

Unlike the other 2015 Android flagship smartphones, we haven’t heard much about the LG G4 at all. However, recently a mysterious LG smartphone with the model number H810 was spotted in a leaked document by MyLGPhones. According to the website, the H810 will be LG’s flagship smartphone offering for this year on the AT&T network. As you can guess, the LG flagship smartphone for 2015 is obviously the much-anticipated LG G4. So the H810 could be the AT&T LG G4 variant.

The leaked User Agent Profile of the LG H810 doesn’t reveal anything much about the device except for its display resolution. The H810 sports 2560 x 1440 Quad HD resolutions, similar to the LG G3. Since the G4 will obviously not see a resolution downgrade and we still do not have 4K resolution panels available for mobile devices, the LG G4 will definitely be running Quad HD resolution.

From earlier leaks, it is believed that the LG G4 will arrive with a smaller 5.3-inch display compared to the 5.5-inch display size of the LG G3. This does seem a bit strange to us as we haven’t really seen many smartphones that come with a smaller display size than their predecessors. However, since LG is an expert when it comes to minimizing the bezels on its flagship smartphones, we can expect the LG G4 to be as compact as most 5-inch smartphones if it does end up with a 5.3-inch display size. The G4 is also said to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit Octa-core chipset, 4GB RAM and a 16MP Samsung ISOCELL rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization. There have also been reports of LG bundling a stylus along with the G4 to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note range of phablets. Since LG has retired its G Pro line of phablets, the idea of the G4 shipping with a stylus doesn’t sound all too crazy now.

The LG G4 is expected to be announced at the Mobile World Congress in March, where we also expect to see other 2015 Android flagship smartphones to go official.

First HTC Hima Pictures Leak, Confirm New 20MP Camera at the Back

The HTC Hima or One M9 has been hot in the rumor mills for weeks but we had not seen any leaked images of the device so far. Fortunately that has changed today as Nowhereelse has posted alleged images of what it claims is the HTC Hima.

Unsurprisingly the pictures show a design that is very similar to the One M8 from last year. We see the BoomSound stereo speaker grilles on the front top and bottom bezels and the front-facing camera. At the back as well, we see a familiar design treatment as the One M7 and One M8 smartphones. However, what is very noticeable is the new camera, reportedly packing 20.7MP resolution. The dual-tone LED flash can also be clearly seen. While we can’t say for sure, but it does look like the camera lens seems to protrude outwards slightly, similar to the camera bulge on the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The HTC One M8 from last year featured a circular camera design at the back, while the Hima seems to have a black square design for the camera with the lens positioned in the middle of the black square. This is one of the few design elements that seem to differentiate the HTC Hima from its predecessor. The side bezels also appear to have been trimmed down slightly. It is slightly disappointing though that HTC has decided to stick to the same design for the One M9 as its last two flagship smartphones.

The metal unibody design is no doubt very appealing, but we believe HTC could have done more with the design if these pictures are indeed of the next HTC flagship smartphone. However, while the design may be slightly disappointing, the 20.7MP camera at the rear will make up for it. The UltraPixel 4MP rear camera on the One M7 and One M8 smartphones was one of the most disappointing aspects about them and was one of the reasons why they couldn’t be more successful commercially than they managed to be. The 4MP UltraPixel snapper worked brilliantly for low-light shots but during the day its low resolution did limit its appeal among buyers who care more about the camera quality on their smartphones than the average Joe. With rivals offering 16 or 20MP rear cameras on their smartphones, 4MP UltraPixel did turn off many buyers. Now with a 20MP camera on the One M9, the smartphone will certainly be a lot more appealing to anyone who wants a high-resolution camera on their next smartphone.

The HTC One M9 is expected to debut on March 1, so we have a little over a month left for the official announcement of the device.

HTC One M9 Specs Detailed

We told you a couple of days ago that HTC sent out invitations for a press event that will be held March 1st in Barcelona. The Taiwanese phone maker is expected to introduce their next-gen flagship smartphone, the HTC One M9 (aka Hima), during the Barcelona-based event. According to a report coming from Bloomberg, HTC will also introduce a smartwatch during the same event.

The reputed publication also revealed that the yet-unannounced HTC smartwatch will come with Under Armor integration, which might be the reason behind the recently signed partnership between the Taiwanese company and the fitness service. For the time being there are no additional details about HTC’s smartwatch, but we are sure we will get to hear more about the device as we get closer to Mobile World Congress tech fair.

The same report also confirms what we have already known: that the HTC One M9 release date has been set for March 1st, also adding that the new terminal will get an upgrade in terms of camera. Bloomberg says, quoting a source that asked “not to be identified because the details aren’t public,” that the One M8 successor will boast a 20 MP primary shooter and an HTC UltraPixel camera in the front for your Selfie needs.

If the rumors are to be believed, HTC One M9 would arrive with an appealing hardware platform. The handset is expected to come with a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 chipset with Adreno 430 GPU, 3 GB of RAM, 5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolutions, and a 2,840 mAh battery. It looks like the device will run Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense 7.0 out of the box.

Even though Bloomberg is a trustworthy source when it comes to reports of unreleased devices, we are advising you to take the information with a pinch of salt. After all nothing is official until HTC says so.

HTC One M9 Release Date Set for March 1st

Folks, it seems we have the HTC One M9 release date! It’s no longer a mystery that the Taiwan-based company will release a successor for their highly-appreciated HTC One M8. We’ve heard previous rumors about the said device and word has it that it’s known internally as Hima.

Now, the Taiwan-based phone maker started to send in media invitations for a mystery event held Sunday, March 1st. We incline to believe that this is where the HTC One M9 flagship would be officially introduced to the public. The said event will be held in Barcelona. As you may know already, between March 2 – 5, Barcelona will host the Mobile World Congress event. It’s not surprising at all to see that HTC have set the One M9 release date a day before MWC 2015 opens its gates, as it’s typical for companies to try to capture as much attention as possible for their products.

Unfortunately, the press event invitation itself doesn’t reveal to many details about the HTC One M9. It has a starry background, with “utopia in progress” tagline, and information on where and when the event will be held.

If the rumors are to be believed, HTC One M9 (Hima) will arrive with an appealing hardware platform. Even though it was initially reported that the One M8 follow-up might arrive with a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, the latest leaks are suggesting that it might actually sport a 5-inch Full HD screen. The handset could also integrate a 64-bit Snapdragon 801 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and a 2,840 mAh battery. We’ve heard that One M9 might sport a 20.7 MP main shooter, while the user-facing camera could be either a 13 MP sensor or a 4 MP UltraPixel unit. Hopefully, HTC’s next-gen flagship will be at least as good-looking as its predecessor.

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.

New Samsung Galaxy S6 Concept Design Emerges

Samsung Galaxy S6 concept images have always been the most interesting ones and that’s not just because of the fact that these concept images often accompany a speculated spec sheet but also because it is amusing to watch just how creative one could be. Today, we’ve brought you a new concept image for the Galaxy S6.

The new Samsung Galaxy S6 concept image shows a double curved display and a strange circular framing on the wallpaper. The buttons also seem extra bulky, so it’s a bit of a disappointment when compared to the other images we’ve seen so far. It looks pretty odd, and very uncomfortable to hold, but we doubt that this is what the final product will look like. We’ve already seen a lot of variation in concept images, and all of the previous ones were pretty elegant and slick. Anyway, putting opinions aside, the new concept image shows a double stereo speaker build, a wider display than initially speculated, a waterproof case, as well as the dual curved edges. Some people may take more of a liking to this design than others, but if opinions are split, then it doesn’t bode well for sales. It wouldn’t be the first time Samsung surprised us with a peculiar new design, and here we remind you of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, which drew a lot of attention upon its announcement.

This isn’t the first concept design of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and won’t be the last one either. Of course, the final product will probably be different than all the concept images so far, but it helps us to get a general idea of what Samsung is planning for this release. The tech giant is most likely aiming at a spring release, so the device should be announced pretty soon. Putting the design aside, their next flagship will almost certainly pack some very impressive tech specs.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Release Date for Verizon Revealed

Verizon is set to release the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge in early January, with a precise date to be given during CES 2015, according to current info.

Last year marked the release of a very interesting new smartphone design. Samsung decided that plain-old square displays are boring, and decided to release a device with a curved edge. The display extends around the right edge of the device, providing extra room for shortcuts and quick gestures, as well as being highly customizable. It was pretty innovative, but fans had a hard time getting used to this new design at first, mostly because it was such a unique idea. Well, that all changed over time, and the Galaxy Note Edge became really popular very quickly, to the point where Samsung decided to feature this new curved design on its next flagship, the Galaxy S6. Anyway, with the Note Edge’s popularity, everyone has been looking forward to Verizon releasing it. The device was initially released on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, but never reached US Cellular or Verizon, which raised a few questions.

Note Edge likely to release on 8th Jan on Verizon Wireless

Current rumors point towards a January 8th release date for the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, but that date is not confirmed yet. The information comes from a leaked Verizon document and seems pretty trustworthy right now. It doesn’t reveal the price, but if it’s anything like the other carriers, then it won’t be too cheap. The Galaxy Note Edge is set to possibly feature a price tag of $399 on-contract, or $450, but it’s all up to Verizon. The carrier will most likely be selling two color variations of the device: black and white. This would mean that Verizon would be the second carrier to offer both color variations, alongside AT&T, because the rest of the carriers only feature this device in black.

HTC Hima Pays Antutu A Visit; Previous Rumored Specs Confirmed

This past month we have heard a lot about HTC’s upcoming flagship smartphone for 2015 – Hima, mainly from reliable HTC leaker upleaks. Upleaks is back again with some fresh new rumors about the Hima, and this time they have an Antutu benchmark screenshot to back up their claims. The Antutu benchmark screenshot lists the model number of the device as HTC6535LVW with the codename Hima.

The benchmark screenshot doesn’t reveal much new apart from confirming what upleaks had revealed about the upcoming device few weeks back. The device sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset clocked at 1.96GHz. The 3GB of RAM has been confirmed as well and the device tested seems to be running on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop version. The device packs a 20.7MP rear camera while the front-facing camera comes with a resolution of 13MP. That is great news as it looks like HTC has finally decided to move ahead and ditch its 4MP UltraPixel sensor with the Hima. This is pretty much all the screenshot reveals about the device, although since the upleaks leak from earlier proved to be accurate, we can be almost certain that the other rumored specs of the device will also turn out to be accurate.

In a detailed post last week, upleaks revealed that the device will come with a 2840mAh battery, HTC Sense 7.0 UI and support VoLTE and LTE Cat.6 download speeds. The device reportedly measured 144.3 x 69.4 x 9.56mm and will be made available in three color options – Gray, Silver, Gold and Gunmetal Gold. Interestingly, upleaks also mentioned that HTC will be selling a number of accessories along with the smartphone like an Active Headset, DotView cover, DecoStand Case, Clear Case, Active Case and a premium screen protector.

Sony Xperia 12-inch Tablet Rumored to Arrive by 1H 2015

A new report on Digitimes claims that Sony Mobile is looking at launching a new 12-inch tablet device in the first half of next year. This isn’t the first time that we are hearing rumors about a 12-inch Xperia tablet as around a few days back the rumor mills were buzzing about a Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra tablet with mind-boggling specs. Back then, we weren’t quite sure if the rumor could be trusted as the spec-sheet sounded too good to be true, but this new report from Digitimes does further strengthen the previous rumors about the ‘Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra’.

The report claims that Sony will be starting mass production of the 12-inch tablet soon and launch it by the first half of 2015. The tablet is said to come with a 12.9-inch 3840 x 2400 resolution display, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8MP camera, and a body that’s around 8.6mm thin. Surprisingly, supply chain sources have told Digitimes that the tablet is likely to be priced in excess of $1000, which will make it one of the most expensive tablets in the market. Now, we’re not sure if there really is a market out there for a $1000 Android tablet. Especially when you consider the fact that the most expensive iPad model is on sale for $699 currently. It’s not just Sony that will be jumping into the 12-inch tablet market, Digitimes also claims Apple and other vendors are also all set to enter the premium 12-inch tablet market. This is likely to impact demand for notebook computers next year, although it does remain to be seen if the 12-inch tablets will really be able to affect notebook sales if they are going to be priced much higher than most 10-inch tablets in the market currently.

The earlier rumors about the Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra claim that the device will sport a 4K resolution 12.9-inch TRILUMINOS IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 6GB RAM, 8MP 1/2.3” Exmor RS rear camera with Carl Zeiss f1.8 lens, HDMI 1.4 Input, PlayStation 4 Remote Play, 64GB onboard memory, S-Force Front Surround speakers, Hi-Res Audio support, DSEE HX, Digital Noise Cancellation, 12100mAh battery and a design similar to the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date Rumored for Q2 2015, Could Come with Curved Display over Both Sides

The Samsung Galaxy S6 release date is right around the corner and, as we are getting closer to it, new rumors of Sammy’s next-gen flagship are starting to surface online. As usual, we are recommending you to take them with a pinch of salt, as there is no way to verify their veracity.

The latest rumors come from Italian publication HDBlog.it and they sound as Samsung is planning to use the best design elements of the Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Alpha for their next-gen flagship. According to the aforementioned source, Samsung Galaxy S6 will have an aluminum body and a curved screen. Unlike Note Edge’s screen which is bent over the right edge of the phone, Galaxy S6’s screen will be curved over both sides.

HDBlog.it also claims to have information regarding the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date. According to them, the South Koreans will unveil their new phone sometime early Q2 2015, despite the rumors saying that S6 might be officially introduced to the public at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January 2015. The logic behind the early Galaxy S6 announcement is based on the below-expectations sales of the Galaxy S5.

For the time being, there aren’t any concrete details regarding the technical specifications of the Galaxy S6. If rumors are to be believed, the yet-unannounced Samsung smartphone would arrive with a Quad HD screen of unknown size, while sporting at least 3 GB of RAM, and an updated camera unit. Galaxy S6 might be underpinned by a 64-bit-enabled Snapdragon 810 processor, while certain markets might get a variant powered by a new 64-bit Exynos processor.

I remind you that previous rumors have pointed out that Samsung is planning to redesign the Galaxy S6 from scratch, in an attempt to reinvigorate the sales of the Galaxy S line up. For what it’s worth, Galaxy S6 is known internally as ‘Project Zero’.

Sony Xperia Z4 Picture Leaks Courtesy of Leaked Email

After weeks of spec-sheet rumors and speculations on design, we finally have the first leaked image of the Sony Xperia Z4. The leaked image was found in the leaked inbox of Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton that was hacked recently. It isn’t clear if the design shown in the picture will be the final design for the Xperia Z4, but it does seem pretty convincing to us. The overall design doesn’t seem to be vastly different from what we have seen earlier and looks similar to the Xperia Z3 in many ways.

The images of the Xperia Z4 were reportedly emailed to Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO for discussing product placement in the upcoming James Bond flick Spectre. Apart from the one clear render of the device, there are a few other images as well that show off the design of the device. The Xperia Z4 will apparently feature a 1.2mm thin glass panel, mirror front and back finish and resin bezel. There is also an image that seems to show the new UI changes with a unique clock design. A new yellow color option is seen as well, likely to be offered when the device launches next year. However, since it is not clear if this is indeed the final design and when exactly the email was sent, we cannot be sure just yet. What is certain is the fact that these images are definitely the real deal and come directly from Sony Mobile. Overall, it does feel a little disappointing to see that Sony isn’t yet ready to give up its obsession with the Omni-balance design theme and continues to use it for their 2015 flagship as well. The Xperia Z4 will be the fourth flagship device to continue with the same design that we have been seeing since the Xperia Z1 launched last year. Even though the Sony flagship devices are well built and do look quite good, the design is getting long in the tooth now.

The Xperia Z4 isn’t the only unannounced Sony product that can be seen in the leaked images. There is also an image of a smart wearable product. From its appearance, it doesn’t quite seem to be a smartwatch as there doesn’t seem to be a display on it. It could perhaps be a fitness tracker of sorts, similar to the Sony Smartband Talk that was launched recently.

If Sony does market the Xperia Z4 in the next Bond flick, it could be a great opportunity for the company to make a splash in the US market. The company had made a similar effort in the past when it launched the Xperia T in the US market with AT&T with a prominent placement in the movie Skyfall. That didn’t exactly pay off the Xperia T didn’t quite manage to catch the attention of US buyers due to its lackluster hardware. Things might be a little different with the Z4 as it is expected to be a beast with a Quad-HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB RAM, 20.7MP camera, and bring a few other major improvements over the Xperia Z3 according to recent rumors.

Alleged Image of Samsung Galaxy S6 Metal Frame Leaks

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy S6 could be the most leaked Samsung Galaxy flagship by the time we get to the actual announcement of the device next year. Earlier today we told you about the Galaxy S6 showing up on Indian import tracking portal Zauba, and now we have yet another Galaxy S6 leak. This time the leak comes from nowhereelse.fr, a website that does seem to have a pretty decent track record with Samsung leaks in the past. They seem to have received a photo of the metal frame that could belong to the Galaxy S6. The website does claim that the leaked image showing the metal frame may not necessarily be used for the Galaxy S6, and might be meant for another unannounced Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

The various images posted on the website show the aluminum frame in different stages of processing. A report on Italian blog HDBlog.it had claimed that the Galaxy S6 will arrive with a full-metal body and dual-sided curved display. So if the metal frame pictured here indeed belongs to the Galaxy S6, it doesn’t look like the Galaxy S6 will really be arriving with a display that is curved on both the sides. The full-metal body does seem to be getting confirmed by these pictures though. However, since the sources of the images don’t seem to be sure about the part belonging to the Galaxy S6, it will be a bit too early to assume that. Also, the metal unibody frame means that users will not be able to replace the battery on the Galaxy S6. While most other Android OEMs do not offer removable back covers on their flagship devices, Samsung has always allowed users the ability to swap batteries on their Galaxy flagship devices. The company’s newest flagship smartphone – Galaxy Note 4 features a metal frame but does offer a user-replaceable battery.

The Galaxy S6 is expected to sport a completely new design and bear no resemblance to its predecessor the Galaxy S5. Even if the leaked metal part doesn’t belong to the Galaxy S6, it does seem pretty certain by now that Samsung is going to use metal in the construction of its next flagship smartphone. One of the main reasons behind the Galaxy S5’s lower than expected sales is its uninspiring design and polycarbonate build quality. Samsung has been losing market share over the past few quarters and analyst data for the past quarter reveals that Samsung continues to slide in the global smartphone and its sales have plummeted further this year. Samsung managed to sell 73.2 million smartphones in Q3 this year, which was down from 80.4 million units for the same period last year. For the same quarter, its market share dropped from 32.1% last year to 24.4% this year. Clearly, Samsung desperately needs the Galaxy S6 to be a major success. A report recently claimed that Samsung could propone the Galaxy S6 announcement to bolster its sales in the high-end segment by gaining the early advantage over other Android OEMs.

Android 5.1 lollipop Rumored To Arrive By February Next Year

Google released the first minor Lollipop update recently – Android 5.0.1. The update has started arriving for Google Nexus devices and also a few devices from other manufacturers such as HTC, Motorola and Samsung. But if a report published on AndroidPit is to be believed, the Mountain View based company has much bigger plans for a major Lollipop update early next year. AndroidPit claims to have heard from a reliable source that Google will be pushing out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update by the end of February next year.

The website also claims that they have a complete change-log of the 5.1 update. The change-log shared by AndroidPit does seem pretty realistic, although we will still advise that you take this news with a grain of salt until more information on this arrives in the coming weeks. The leaked change-log lists improved RAM management, stability improvement, sudden app closure fix, improved battery management, excessive consumption of network devices when using Wi-Fi fixed, wireless connections issue fixed, Okay Google function solved, notifications problem solved, fix for sound problems on certain devices, changes to Material Design color palette, other improvements and changes, and addition of the ‘missing’ silent mode feature on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The change to the Material Design palette is not confirmed though, as the sources claim that it may be saved for a higher version instead. Google has been receiving complaints from users on the choice of colors with its new Material Design in Android 5.0 Lollipop. More features could be part of the update, but AndroidPit sources aren’t aware of the other features and new functionalities that the new 5.1 version may bring with it.

AndroidPit claims that the information they have regarding Android 5.1 has been confirmed by two of their sources. How accurate this information turns out remains to be seen, but the changes listed in the leak are definitely welcome. The almost 5 month gap between Android 5.0 and Android 5.1 Lollipop does seem pretty reasonable and that is the time frame Google usually sticks to when releasing major updates to an Android version. Android 4.2 Jellybean was unveiled only around three months after the release of Android 4.1 Jellybean. The gap between Android 4.2 and Android 4.3 was much longer though, almost a year.

New HTC One M9 Hima Details Surface Once More

We still have around two weeks to go before the end of the year, but rumors about 2015 flagship devices seem to be coming in every other day. Be it the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 Hima or Sony Xperia Z4, new reports on these devices have been appearing regularly over the past few weeks. The source of the previous HTC Hima leaks upleaks has shared some new info on the HTC 2015 flagship device today. According to the trusty leaker, HTC will be announcing the Hima smartphone at a dedicated event of its own and not at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The launch should still be in March according to upleaks, so there is still around 3 months left for the unveiling.

Apart from the launch timeframe, upleaks also reveals that the Hima will come in three color options – Gray, Silver, and Gold. Strangely that sounds a bit too familiar. That’s right, these are the exact same color options that the Apple iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus come in. It might seem like Apple was slightly inspired by the HTC One design with the new iPhones, and now it seems like HTC has been inspired by Apple’s color choices for its next flagship smartphone. The leaker also reiterates that the 2015 HTC flagship will not be named ‘One M9’. As HTC didn’t change its flagship naming convention this year for the One M8, we were expecting that the Taiwanese smartphone maker will continue with the One M’X’ naming convention next year as well. Not that it is disappointing in any way though, a new name for their flagship will certainly be a welcome change.

As for the rest of the spec-sheet, upleaks is pretty sure that there won’t be any major changes going forward and the 2015 HTC flagship will arrive with a 5-inch display with 1080p resolution and not a bigger display with Quad-HD resolution like most of its rivals are rumored to sport next year. This doesn’t really sound very surprising considering how HTC been a step behind the competition when it comes to adopting larger display sizes on its flagship. The HTC One M7 came with a 4.7” display when its rival’s features 5-inch displays. This year’s One M8 comes with a 5-inch display while most of its competitors come with 5.1 or 5.2-inch + displays. While the display size isn’t likely to be a major problem, the 1080p resolution on a 2015 flagship doesn’t sound very promising and might make Hima seem a bit outdated when compared to rivals from Samsung and other major Android OEMs next year.

The other rumored specs of the device are a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB RAM, 20.7MP rear camera, 13MP or 4MP UltraPixel front-facing camera, 2840mAh battery, LTE Cat.6 connectivity, and Android 5.0 Lollipop OS with HTC Sense 7.0 overlay.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumor Roundup: Specs, Release Date and Other Details

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is getting closer as we near the beginning of 2015, and with an approaching release date comes more rumors and more information to be released regarding the device. There are quite a few rumors going around already, which means it’s time to do another Samsung Galaxy S6 rumor roundup.

Rumors crop up about Samsung’s “Project Zero” aka Galaxy S6

Samsung has supposedly given the Galaxy S6 project a nickname already, and it has been going by “Project Zero”. This will be Samsung’s next flagship Galaxy S device, replacing the Galaxy S5. You can expect quite a few changes to come in this smartphone compared to the Galaxy S5, due to the fact that Samsung didn’t gain too many sales from the latest device, and the S range is clearly in need of some shaking up.

Previously, it was difficult to find any information that was even slighlty tenable, but as previously stated, we’re drawing closer to release, so more reliable sources are beginning to come forward with information. Here’s everything that you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S6, from the design to the internal specs.

Release Date

Samsung has previously unveiled new additions to the Galaxy S line at some point around the Mobile World Conference, which takes place in early March. However, the Galaxy S5 was announced back in February and had an April release, whereas the Galaxy S4 was unveiled in March and released in April. Either way, you can definitely expect to see the device unveiled and in stores ready for purchase by April 2015.

Design

SamMobile has previously stated that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will likely be unlike any Galaxy S device ever seen before, due to the poor Galaxy S5 sales and the fact that Samsung has recently replaced the head of its mobile division, which means that changes are in store for the Galaxy S line.

You can definitely expect the Galaxy S6 to follow in the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Alpha’s footsteps, using an actual metal mid-frame instead of a metallic plastic one, as well as a new rear that will still be removable. It may be the leather material that’s featured on the back of the Galaxy Note 4, but sadly, design rumors have been few and far between, so much of the device’s design is still unknown.

Supposedly, another Galaxy S6 model is currently being developed as well, but we’re not sure exactly what it could be, as it will definitely not be an “Edge” model. Many have speculated that this second development may be for a device with a curved or flexible display, but the technology may not be there currently, so we’ll likely have to wait a few more weeks until we know more.

Display

Many have begun to speculate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a display with a quad-HD resolution, much like that of the Galaxy Note 4. Plenty of devices currently feature the high resolution display, which allows you to have crisper images and more high quality videos.

The greatest part is that there’s a clear difference in devices with Full HD versus devices with Quad HD, so if you’re upgrading from a Galaxy S4 or a Galaxy S5, you’ll really notice the difference in a device such as the upcoming Galaxy S6. This combined with the Super AMOLED display-type that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will likely use, will create beautiful images on the display that are crisp and vibrant.

Some have also suggested that the Galaxy S6 will have a 5.5-inch display, the same size as the one on the iPhone 6 Plus, or just 0.2 inches smaller than the Galaxy Note 4. Considering the fact that previous Galaxy devices haven’t increased all that much past 5 inches, this would be interesting to see if it does end up being true.

Camera

In terms of the rear camera, many have rumored that the Galaxy S6 will feature a 20MP camera, but recently, rumors coming from AnTuTu’s benchmark testing have suggested that the Galaxy S6 may possibly sport a 16MP camera, like the Galaxy S5. At this point in time, it could go either way, so we’ll have to wait and see.

On top of a possible increase in megapixels, we can also expect to see the Galaxy S6 come with optical image stabilization, phase auto detection, and possibly even a 5MP camera on the front of the device.

Tech Specs

On top of everything else, you can expect to see an upgrade in processors, RAM, and storage sizes. Qualcomm recently unveiled their latest processor, the Snapdragon 810, and this is the processor we’re likely to see thrown inside the Galaxy S6 in certain regions. For other regions, we’ll likely see the newly released 64-bit Octa-core Exynos 7 processor. Both of these models will also probably feature 3GB of RAM.

Storage-wise, you can expect to see the Samsung Galaxy S6 bump up its storage options, much like Apple recently did with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. We’ll likely see a 32GB model, a 64GB model, and a 128GB model offered, as well as a microSD slot for further expansion of storage that will likely allow you to insert a microSD card of at least 128GB in size.