MWC 2015: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are Finally Official, Full Specs and Availability Revealed

After months of rumors and speculations, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are finally here. Both smartphones were officially introduced by the South Korean phone maker earlier today during their Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event held in Barcelona.

Even though the rumors and reports that surfaced online over the past few months have already painted an almost complete image of the Galaxy S6, it’s still nice to have some official confirmation. Well, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are exactly how the rumors portrayed them.

The two smartphones are identical when it comes to hardware specifications, the main difference between them being the display. The Galaxy S6 comes with a standard flat 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution and an amazing pixel density of 577 ppi. Galaxy S6 Edges’ screen has the same size, same technology, same resolution and pixel density, but it’s curved over both edges of the phone.

It seems that the rumors were true after all and we won’t get an Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S6 this year. Sources in the industry claim that even though Samsung planned to launch a Galaxy S6 variant powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 chip, the South Koreans had to ditch it because of overheating issues.

Both Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are underpinned by the same 64-bit Exynos chipset based on a new 14 nm manufacturing process and using an Octa-core configuration. We are dealing with quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 processors and a Mali T760 GPU. The smartphones also arrive with 3 GB of DDR4 RAM and they are available with 32, 64 or 128 GB of native storage. Unfortunately, there’s no support for microSD card expansion.

Connectivity-wise, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge arrive with LTE, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, NFC, microUSB 2.0, and IR blaster. The devices also arrive with a fingerprint sensor which, unlike the one used for the Galaxy S5 and other Samsung smartphone, is touch-based.

The new flagship smartphones run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, of course, customized with Sammy’s proprietary TouchWiz UI. Samsung’s custom skin has been redesigned to follow the Material Design guidelines, but you will still be able to enjoy the company’s innovative features such as Ultra Power Saving Mode, S Health, Themes, Private Mode, S Finder, and the new Samsung Pay.

The main camera has a 16 MP sensor with optical image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, and 4K video recording support. The user-facing camera has 5 MP resolution and Wide Selfie feature.

Both terminals are 143.4 mm tall and 70.5 mm wide. The Galaxy S6 is only 6.8 mm thin, while S6 Edge is 7.0 mm. Also, the Galaxy S6 weighs in at 138 grams, being 6 grams heavier than S6 Edge.

Samsung promised that Galaxy S6 will become available for purchase in 20 countries as of April 10, while Galaxy S6 Edge will make its market debut sometime in Q2 2015. There are three color options available for both: White Pearl, Black Sapphire, and Gold Platinum, while the Blue Topaz color option is exclusive for the Galaxy S6 and Green Emerald reserved for the Galaxy S6 edge. Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t say anything about the price, but if you read this from the US expect both devices to arrive at Verizon, AT&T, and Sprit at $199 on-contract.

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 Officially Teases Galaxy S6 & Galaxy Edge, Announcement on March 1

Samsung has finally confirmed that its next flagship smartphone the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy Edge will debut on March 1^st at its Galaxy UNPACKED event scheduled to be held in Barcelona. The company has started sending out press invites to the event and the teaser image on the invite shows a distinct curve that could possibly be referring to the curved edge display on the Galaxy Edge.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is no doubt the most eagerly awaited smartphone of the year so far and the major reason behind that is the fact that the Galaxy S6 is expected to bring some major changes like an updated design language, premium build, leaner TouchWiz UI and a number of other improvements. The Galaxy S6 is no doubt a very important product for Samsung and its only hope to put an end to its downward spiral in the global smartphone market. Last year, Samsung hoped that the Galaxy Note 4 will help it fight back and post impressive sales numbers, but unfortunately Samsung’s plans didn’t quite work out, despite the more premium build quality on the device with its metallic frame and high quality leather. In fact, according to recent reports, the fourth quarter of last year was one of the worst in history for Samsung as Apple managed to sell as many smartphones as Samsung for the first time.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is definitely going to be a bigger success than the Galaxy Note 4, at least based on all the information that is currently available. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is rumored to feature a Quad HD Super AMOLED display of 5.0” or 5.5”. Although the Antutu benchmark leak earlier had confirmed the 5.5” inch size, recent dimensions leak and the listing on Indian trade portal Zauba has contradicted the Antutu information. The recent reports point to a display size around 5.0-inches. Powering the Galaxy S6 will be Samsung’s in-house developed Exynos 7420 64-bit Octa-core chipset with 3 or 4GB of RAM. The exact internal storage capacity is not known but earlier rumors have pointed to 32, 64 and 128GB options being offered.

Another major highlight of the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be its 20MP rear camera with ISOCELL and optical image stabilization. The Galaxy S5’s 16MP ISOCELL camera was one of the most impressive cameras on an Android smartphone last year, so we have high hopes from the Galaxy S6 camera.

The most impressive aspect of the Galaxy S6 is expected to be the design though. Rumors have so far pointed to an entirely new design and according to a recent report; Samsung will be using a combination of metal and glass for the Galaxy S6. The curved Edge display variant of the Galaxy S6 will no doubt be very impressive as well, and is rumored to include a dual-sided curved edge display.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date Tipped for March, Round Smartwatch Also in Plans

Samsung’s next-gen flagship is without a doubt one of the most anticipated devices of the year. A new report coming from Business Insider appears to be confirming what previous reports have indicated: that the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date has been set for March and that the handset will be available in two variants.

Unfortunately, the report doesn’t bring anything new to the table, because it matches Samsung trend of releasing two market-dependent Galaxy S variants. The BI report also corroborates with other reports saying Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S6 at Mobile World Congress tech fair in February. It seems that the South Koreans have set the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date for March, when the device will be made available for purchase on select markets.

It seems though that the Galaxy S6 will be accompanied by another important Samsung device. The rumor mill speculates that the company is planning to announce a new smartwatch at MWC. It might be completely round, helping Sammy to compete against the likes of Motorola Moto 360 and LG G Watch R.

If rumors are to be believed, Samsung Galaxy S6 would arrive with beastly technical specifications. We’ve heard of a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution, 3 GB of RAM, and a new 20 MP rear-facing sensor. As I was mentioning above, Galaxy S6 will be available in two variants, depending on the market on which is sold: one powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 810 SoC and the other one underpinned by a new Octa-core Samsung Exynos chipset.

There were also reports of the Galaxy S6 being made of metal and a couple of spy shots leaked by Toranji.ir seem to suggest that. Unfortunately, there’s no way to verify the veracity of the photos, therefore we are advising you to take them with a pinch of salt.

Samsung Galaxy A7 Goes Official; 6.3mm Thin Full Metal Body In Tow

The Samsung Galaxy A7 has finally been announced by Samsung and comes with a full metal body. The smartphone is the slimmest Galaxy smartphone yet with a very impressive 6.3mm thin profile. The device is the latest addition to the Galaxy A-series of smartphones and follows the previously launched Galaxy A5 and A3. The A7 is the most impressive A-series smartphone yet and comes with better specifications than the A5 and A3 smartphones that were launched earlier.

The Galaxy A7 comes with a 5.5” HD Super AMOLED display and will be offered with two different chipsets depending on the market. The dual-SIM LTE/3G model will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-core 64-bit chipset while the single-SIM variant will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 5430 Octa-core chipset. Both variants come with 2GB RAM and offer 16GB of internal storage. The memory is expandable, unlike the Galaxy Alpha. At the back, you will find a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and support for 1080p video recording. On the front there is a 5MP camera for selfies, with unique features like Wide Selfie, Rear-cam Selfie, and Beauty Face Features. You might think Samsung may have compromised with the battery capacity on the A7 like the Alpha for the ultra-thin body, but you would be surprised to know that the A7 actually comes with a higher than average 2,600mAh battery. The dimensions of the devices are 151 x 76.2 x 6.3mm and weighs in at 141 grams.

Samsung has included a number of software features as well to round off the excellent hardware package. The Ultra Power Saving Mode and Private Mode from the more recent Galaxy high-end devices is present on the Galaxy A7 as well. The smartphone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat but it is expected that Samsung will release an official update to Android 5.0 Lollipop soon after launch. The device will be arriving in select markets around the world by the end of this quarter in three color options – White, Dark Blue and Gold. No pricing information has been revealed yet but Samsung does mention that the A7 will be priced very competitively. More details about availability in various markets and pricing can be expected soon.

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.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Specs Head to Head

Early September, Samsung announced two new flagship smartphones, both members of the Galaxy Note family. We are talking about the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 4 and the new Galaxy Note Edge with its bent display. Since they are two of the most powerful smartphones on the market we are going to put them head to head in the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 specs battle.

There will be ten rounds where we will be judging the performance of the two devices in terms of Display, Dimensions, Connectivity, Memory, Camera, Design, Battery Life, Operating System, and Price. Each round is worth one point and, of course, the smartphone that manages to score most points wins the battle.

Display

Without a doubt, the screen is the main selling point of the two devices. Both phablets come with Quad HD screens.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution and a pixel density of 515 ppi. The screen is protected by a Gorilla Glass 4 layer.

On the other hand, Galaxy Edge has a curved edge screen measuring 5.6 inches diagonally and having a total resolution of 1600 x 2560. It has a protective Gorilla Glass 3 layer and a pixel density of 524 ppi.

Even though they are both similar when it comes to resolution and size, Galaxy Note 4’s screen is more appropriate for basic tasks such as web browsing or watching videos. Furthermore, it’s less prone to scratching courtesy of the Gorilla Glass 4 layer. Note 4 win the display round.

Dimensions

We are dealing with two phablets here, so don’t expect anything decent when it comes to dimensions. Both come with 5.5+ inch displays, therefore the body needs to be large enough to accommodate them.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is 153.5 mm tall, 78.6 mm wide, and only 8.3 mm thin, while weighing in at 176 grams. Galaxy Note Edge is 151.3 mm tall, 82.4 mm wide, 8.3 mm thin and weighs in at 174 grams.

As you can see the Galaxy Note Edge is more compact than its cousin. The curved device wins this round.

Connectivity

The connectivity features are fairly similar for the modern smartphones. Let’s see what hides under the hood of Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Connectivity-wise Samsung Galaxy Note 4 arrives with LTE Cat 6 or Cat 4, HSPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, NFC, IR blaster, and microUSB 2.0. On the other hand, Galaxy Edge comes with LTE Cat 6 or Cat 4, HSPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, NFC, IR blaster, and microUSB 2.0.

Can you spot the difference? No? Well, it’s probably because there’s no difference between the two in terms of connectivity. This round ends as tie.

Memory

Games, apps, your music collection, your favorite TV shows, and lots of photos. All these require a lot of storage, so let’s see how Note Edge and Note 4 perform.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 integrates 32 GB of internal storage and has support for 128 GB microSD cards. Believe it or not, Note Edge also comes with 32 GB storage and a microSD cards that accepts up to 128 GB of external storage.

Android is famous for its multitasking and Samsung took it to another level with Multi Window. Both devices arrive with 3 GB of RAM, so the multitasking experience will be flawless.

As you can see for yourself Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Note 4 are identical when it comes to Memory. The round ends as tie.

Processor

The high-end smartphone market is currently dominated by Qualcomm’s chipsets. Even though Samsung has their proprietary Exynos SoC, the South Koreans are using Qualcomm’s solutions for many of their phones.

Both Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are underpinned by the exact same chipset. We are talking about a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor that is based on four Krait 450 cores clocked at 2.5 GHz and an Adreno 420 GPU.

There’s no way to differentiate the two devices when it comes to Processor. Another round ends as tie.

Camera

Samsung’s flagship smartphones have always boasted about great cameras. Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Edge make no exception.

Just like Note 4 and Note Edge have the same processor, they also arrive with the same cameras. They pack 16 MP primary shooters with optical image stabilization, autofocus, and LED flash. They also integrate Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR, and support for 4K video recording. The fort-facing units of the two smartphones have 3.7 MP sensors with Wide Selfie feature.

Yes, you are right. The Camera round also ends as tie.

Design

In the past, Samsung received a lot of criticism for the design of their phones, many customers and journalists complaining that their devices aren’t premium-enough. We are glad to see that Samsung is taking huge steps forward towards a premium design.

Starting with Galaxy Alpha, Samsung’s smartphones started using premium materials. Both Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are building using premium materials and they are fairly similar in design. They both have a metal flame around the body, a faux leather back that feels soft and high-quality, and they both have a slot for the S Pen stylus in the lower left corner. The main camera is placed in the higher end of the phone, centered, and right below it there’s a heart rate monitor. Both have a fingerprint sensor embedded in the Home button.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 continues the design philosophy introduced by its predecessor, the Note 3. It has sharp edges and less rounded corners. Note Edge follows the same design guidelines, but its display is bent over one of the edges. It’s a bit wider than Note 4, but in the same time it’s shorter and slimmer.

Both devices look and feel premium and there’s no way to tell which one looks better. This round is a tie.

Battery Life

Besides sporting big displays, the phablets are also known for having above-average battery life. Let’s see how Note Edge and Note 4 perform when it comes to autonomy.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is powered by a Li-Ion 3,000 mAh battery. In our tests the device managed to get through about two days of normal usage on a single charge.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is kept alive by a 3,220 mAh battery using the same Li-Ion technology. We’ve tested the Note 4 and we can say that it’s battery is large enough to keep it awake through about two days of normal usage.

Even though Note 4 has a slightly bigger battery, the two smartphones are similar when it comes to battery life. It’s a tie!

Operating System

Samsung is the largest Android OEM in the world and both Note 4 and Note Edge are underpinned by Google’s mobile OS. They both come pre-loaded with Android 4.4 KitKat.

Both phones have Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI installed on top of Android 4.4.4 KitKat, bringing some neat software features. Just to name a few Smart Select (allows the user to easily select content using the S Pen and share it right away), Photo Note (you can take photos and convert analog text to digital), enhanced Multi Window (you can now resize the windows), Fast Charging (go from 0% to 50% in about 30 minutes), and Ultra Power Saving Mode (shuts down unnecessary processes to dramatically increase battery life).

Besides all the aforementioned features, Galaxy Note Edge has a couple of aces up its sleeve. You can move all the notifications to the Edge screen (side screen) and you can enable it to be always on while sleeping and transform your phone in some sort of alarm clock. You can also customize the information shown on the side screen, place shortcuts there, or have a different background.

The Edge-specific software features are quite intuitive and quite useful and the phone definitely outmatches its cousin when it comes to OS. Galaxy Note Edge wins the operating system round.

Price

We will try to keep it simple in the Price round. The cheaper smartphone wins. And because high-end phones are usually sold on-contract, we will be comparing the on-contract prices of the two devices.

In the US, AT&T and Sprint are the biggest carriers to have the Galaxy Note Edge in their portfolio. AT&T is selling the 32 GB Galaxy Note Edge at a price of $399.99 with a two year-contract, while Sprint is asking $429.99 for the 32 GB model after you sign a two-year agreement with them.

The price of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the same whether you purchase it from AT&T or Sprint. The 32 GB variant costs $299.99 with a two-year contract.

Without a doubt, Galaxy Note 4 is the cheaper device. That’s why it wins the Price round.

Conclusions

Here we are at the end of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 specs battle. It’s about time to start counting points and to see which smartphone is the winner.

I will start by saying that not less than six rounds ended as tie. The two devices where equally matched in terms of Memory, Camera, Processor, Connectivity and Design.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has won the Display and Price rounds. It’s because its screen is more appropriate for basic tasks such as web browsing or watching videos and because it’s cheaper than Galaxy Note Edge.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge outmatched Galaxy Note 4 in two rounds. It scored two points for winning in Dimensions and Operating System rounds, because it’s more compact and because of the Edge screen-specific software features.

In our opinion, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are equally matched, so you can choose any of them without failing. In fact, it’s all about finding the smartphone that fits your needs. Of course, you are entitled to have a different opinion, that’s why we are inviting you to comment in the section below.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Specs Show Up Once Again In Antutu Benchmark

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is definitely going to be one of the most popular Android smartphones of 2015, just like all the previous Samsung Galaxy flagships before it. The smartphone isn’t expected to arrive until around MWC next year, but rumors about the device started showing up since over a month now. Just last week we saw its spec-sheet laid bare in an Antutu benchmark screenshot, and today yet another Antutu benchmark screenshot has surfaced that shows off the specs of next year’s Samsung hero device. This time it looks like the screenshot has been taken from a Galaxy S6 prototype by someone who had access to the device.

The Antutu benchmark was reportedly ran on a Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G925F variant running Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system, the same model that leaked on Antutu last week. The CPU is reported as an 8-core ARMV8 processor with support for VFPv4 and NEON instruction set. The GPU is listed as the Mali-T760. This basically confirms the use of Exynos 7420 64-bit chipset that we had seen in the earlier Antutu leak and also mentioned in the early rumors about the Galaxy S6 by SamMobile. The display resolution is 1440 x 2560 (Quad-HD) which seems all but confirmed right now. The amount of RAM isn’t mentioned in the screenshot, but we expect it to be 3GB as we had seen in the earlier leak. The only major difference from the previous leak seems to be the rear camera. While on last week’s Antutu leak the camera was listed to be a 20MP unit, this time the screenshot reveals a 16MP unit with a maximum still resolution of 5312 x 2988. That is actually the same resolution as the Galaxy S5 camera, so at least this prototype could be using the same Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor as the Galaxy S5.

The previous Antutu leak was a little more exhaustive in terms of the amount of information revealed though. Apart from the information above, it also listed the clock speed of the Exynos 7420 chipset. Samsung will apparently be clocking the Exynos 7420 chipset between 400 and 1800MHz on the Galaxy S6. It also revealed the display size to be 5.5-inches, something that SamMobile had already mentioned in the first Galaxy S6 ‘Project Zero’ leak a few weeks back.

As with recent Samsung Galaxy flagship models, we are expecting the Galaxy S6 to be available in multiple variants as well. Some with the Exynos 7420 chipset leaked here and some with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. It is not clear which exact chipset Samsung will use, as there have been reports recently that the Snapdragon 810 chipset may see some delays. Qualcomm did make a statement a few days back saying that the rumors were inaccurate, but we still can’t be completely sure. The main highlight with the Snapdragon variants of Galaxy flagships has been the better LTE connectivity on board. But according to a recent report, the next Exynos chipset may come with LTE Cat.10 support. If that does turn out to be the case, we wonder if Samsung will sell the Exynos variants in the US market instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon variants it has traditionally been selling in the US and most European markets. What is also interesting is that the leaked model number ends with 5 instead of 0, as is usually the case with Exynos variants. Samsung usually has used model numbers ending with 5 for the Snapdragon variants so far.

Samsung Galaxy A7 Specs Leaked, High-end Hardware Inside

After Samsung introduced the Galaxy Alpha earlier this year, the South Korean phone maker started to focus more on using premium materials for their smartphones. The Galaxy Note 4 arrived with a metallic frame, and then Sammy introduced the mid-range Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5, both sporting metallic bodies.

Early rumors have suggested that the Galaxy A family will actually have three members, but, for the time being, only two have been announced. A new report coming from the folks at Sammobile reveals more details about the yet-unannounced Samsung Galaxy A7. Even though everyone expected the A7 to be a mid-range device, the leaked technical specifications are suggesting otherwise.

According to the aforementioned source, Samsung Galaxy A7 will be equipped with a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution, while being underpinned by an Octa-core Exynos 5430 SoC. The chipset will be based on four high-power 1.8 GHz Cortex A57 cores paired with four low-energy 1.3 GHz Cortex A53 cores. Besides that, it will also integrate an LTE modem.

The other Samsung Galaxy A7 technical specifications include 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, 2,600 mAh battery, and a 5 MP Selfie camera. The smartphone should also integrate a 13 MP primary shooter, which is most likely based on the same camera sensor used for the Galaxy S4.

Sammobile also reports that Galaxy A7 will be 150 mm tall, 75 mm wide, and 6.3 mm thin which would make it the thinnest Samsung smartphone yet. A7 will weigh in at 150 grams.

It’s not clear yet when the Samsung Galaxy A7 will be released on the market, but you should expect it to become available for purchase before early 2015. The latest leak also revealed that Galaxy A7 would run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but we are sure that it will get updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop soon after its launch.

HTC One M9 Rumors Point to a 5.5 Inch Quad HD Display, Snapdragon 805 & 16 MP Camera

As we head closer towards the New Year, rumors about 2015 flagship devices are starting to intensify. We have already heard some substantial rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Sony Xperia Z4 so far, and now it’s the turn of the HTC 2015 flagship. Chinese technology website MyDrivers seem to have accessed some information on the HTC One ‘M9’ flagship smartphone that is expected to arrive in stores next year. Much of what the report claims isn’t very surprising, but there are some bits that seem a bit doubtful to us.

According to MyDrivers the One M9 will come with a 5.5-inch display with Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 resolution. This is definitely the least surprising bit of info as most flagships next year are expected to sport Quad-HD displays. As far as the internals go, they claim it would be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset and 3GB RAM. The mention of Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 instead of the Snapdragon 810 does seem a bit weird as flagships are expected to use the more powerful Snapdragon 810 chip next year, and Qualcomm has already claimed that the chip will be ready for devices by early next year.

Even though the UltraPixel camera technology did not receive wide acclaim from the consumers as well as reviewers, HTC has not changed its mind regarding the tech and continued to use the 4MP UltraPixel sensor unchanged on this year’s One M8 flagship smartphone. In a recent interview, a top HTC executive reiterated the company’s insistence on the UltraPixel tech and claimed that the company isn’t going to abandon it anytime soon. But according to the Chinese report, the One M9 would feature a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization. If that does indeed turn out to be true, it would definitely be great news for HTC fans and consumers who have been staying away from beautifully built HTC flagships only because of the low resolution 4MP UltraPixel rear camera.

Another main highlight of the HTC One line of smartphones has been the Boomsound stereo speakers. But if we believe the sources of the Chinese website, HTC might drop the Boomsound branding on its next flagship smartphone. HTC has apparently partnered with premium Audio brand Bose for the audio on One M9. Could we perhaps see tiny Bose stereo speakers on the One M9? That is definitely going to be pretty impressive, even if it might seem a bit too far-fetched at this point.

The battery capacity and overall battery stamina on the One M8 is slightly disappointing, especially in comparison to its direct rivals. The One M9 will supposedly pack a 3500mAh capacity battery. So battery life on the One M9 should be quite good if the report is accurate that is. Lastly they mention it will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, which is a given.

The report also mentions about a “Prime’ variant of the One M9. No other details regarding the model have been provided though. We heard rumors about a One M8 Prime earlier this year that was allegedly going to feature a Snapdragon 805 chipset and a Quad-HD display. We all know what happened to that. So let’s hope that these rumors and the One M9 Prime won’t end up disappointing like the One M8 Prime rumors.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Google Nexus 6: Specs Comparison

The Phablet market has really heated up this year with Apple, Samsung, and Google launching their phablet devices to gain the attention of consumers worldwide. Unlike last year, when the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 had virtually no direct competition, the Galaxy Note 4 has more than one major rival to take on. And interestingly both its rivals are from companies that have no prior experience in the phablet market – Apple and Google. We’ve already seen how the Galaxy Note 4 fared against the iPhone 6 Plus in our previous versus article, this time we’re going to see if the Galaxy Note 4 will be able to dominate its Android rival the Google Nexus 6 in the same way as it did with the Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung has a long experience in the phablet segment. The Korean tech giant literally created the phablet segment with the Galaxy Note three years back. Google on the other hand has no experience in the phablet market and the Nexus 6 is the first phablet product from Google as well as the manufacturer of the device – Motorola.

Display

The display is one of the most important criteria when buying a new phablet. Both the Google Nexus 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have very impressive displays with Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 resolution. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7-inch display while the Google Nexus 6 has a slightly bigger 5.96-inch display. That translates to a pixel density of 515PPI on the Galaxy Note 4 and 493 PPI on the Google Nexus 6. Both feature Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front.

Even though there is a slight difference in the pixel density, in real world you won’t really notice much difference in sharpness between the two. In fact even compared to a smartphone with 1080p resolution display, the difference in sharpness will not be very apparent. As far as the actual quality is concerned, the Galaxy Note 4 display is definitely superior, but not by much. The main advantage of the Galaxy Note 4 display is the significantly higher brightness, which means outdoor visibility is much better on the Note 4. Color accuracy is largely similar on both.

This round could have been a draw but the low peak brightness means the round has to go to the Galaxy Note 4.

Dimensions

Being phablet, both of these devices are definitely not going to be comfortable to hold for people with small hands. And even for those with large hands, single-handed usage is only going to be barely manageable at best.

The Galaxy Note 4 has overall dimensions of 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm while the Google Nexus 6 measures 159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm. Not only is the Google Nexus 6 taller and wider, but it is also thicker. So for a lot of people out there, the Nexus 6 is going to be simply too big to handle easily.

As far as the weight is concerned, both are roughly the same. The Google Nexus 6 only weighs around 8 grams more than the Galaxy Note 4.

So picking a winner here is a pretty easy task. The Galaxy Note 4 is easily the more compact device of the two

Processor

2014 hasn’t seen a major jump in CPU performance for mobile devices. In the beginning of the year we saw Qualcomm release the Snapdragon 801 chipset, which was barely any faster than the Snapdragon 800 that launched last year. The Snapdragon 805 is a bigger upgrade over the Snapdragon 800 though, and that’s what you will find inside both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon’s four CPU cores are clocked at 2.7GHz and it comes with the new Adreno 420 GPU. The Adreno 420 GPU is the biggest improvement the chipset brings as the new GPU is significantly more powerful than the Adreno 330 GPU on the Snapdragon 801 chipset. The Adreno 420 GPU has been designed to deliver high-performance graphics on displays with Quad-HD resolution, so performance with high-resolution screens does not bog it down much like the Adreno 330.

Between the two phablet, performance is largely similar as the two have identical CPU and GPU. So this round is a tie.

Camera

Cameras on our smartphones have seen a big upgrade this year in the sensor size as well as overall performance. The Optical Image Stabilization feature has also become more popular and most high-end flagships currently come with OIS equipped rear camera. The Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 are no exceptions either.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 16MP rear camera with a 1/2.6” size Sony Exmor RS IMX240 sensor with f2.2 aperture wide-angle lens, dual-LED flash, Fast AF, Live HDR, and support for 4K video recording at 30 fps.

Google Nexus 6 has a slightly lower resolution 13MP Sony Exmor RS rear camera that also has a lower sensor size of 1/3.06”. The Nexus 6 features a slightly brighter f2.0 aperture lens, dual-LED flash, HDR+, photo sphere, and records 4K videos at 30 fps.

As far as the front-facing cameras are concerned, the Note 4 has a 3.7MP unit with a wide-angle f1.9 aperture lens while the Nexus 6 has a 2MP front-facing camera.

When it comes to the overall quality, the Galaxy Note 4 is superior thanks to the bigger sensor and higher resolution. But the difference between the two isn’t huge though. The Galaxy Note 4 thus wins this round.

Memory

Over the past 2-3 years, smartphones have seen major upgrades in many areas but the one thing that hasn’t seen much of an upgrade is the internal storage size. The amount of internal storage on the latest flagship devices isn’t any higher than smartphones from 2-3 years back.

Samsung has in fact dropped the 64GB internal memory option from the Galaxy Note 3 with the Galaxy Note 4. The Note 4 only comes with 32GB of internal memory in all markets. Thankfully the memory is expandable, so you can get a microSD card and expand the memory by up to 128GB.

Like the earlier Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 doesn’t come with expandable memory. You have the option of 32 or 64GB internal memory with the Google phablet. While the higher 64GB option is certainly welcome, it still might not be sufficient for some users.

The amount of RAM on both devices is identical at 3GB.

Since 64GB memory should be sufficient for a lot of smartphone users, we are going to declare this round a tie.

Connectivity

Connectivity features largely depend on the chipset that has been used on a device. Since both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 are using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset, you would expect them to have similar connectivity options. And that is actually the case, almost.

Both devices come with Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual-band, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE Cat.6, NFC, microUSB v2.0, and USB host connectivity options. The Galaxy Note 4 does have one advantage over the Google Nexus 6 though – it comes with a built-in IR blaster. So you can use it to control all your home entertainment devices as well.

LTE Cat.6 is the biggest upgrade connectivity wise that Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset brings. The previous LTE Cat.4 standard came with support for maximum download speeds of up to 150Mbps, but the new LTE Cat.6 standard can support download speeds of up to 300Mbps.Upload speeds remain the same at 50Mbps though.

This round could have been a tie but thanks to the IR blaster, the Galaxy Note 4 edges out the Nexus 6 in this round.

Operating System

The hardware of a device doesn’t give you the complete picture of the performance of a device. Software optimization is also a key factor.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI layer on top. Unlike the previous generations of TouchWiz, the latest version on the Galaxy Note 4 is leaner than earlier and isn’t as resource intensive as earlier. Even on the Galaxy S5, TouchWiz negatively affects the performance. So it is good to see that Samsung has decided to bring positive change with the Galaxy Note 4’s software. What hasn’t changed is the amount of features added on by Samsung. Apart from the hugely popular and functional Multi-Window feature, there are other great S-Pen related features like Smart Select, Air Command, Photo Note, Action Memo, Image Clip and a few others. The usual Samsung S Voice, S Health, S Note, Motion Gestures are all there too.

Google’s Nexus 6 is the launch device for the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop version. Android 5.0 brings new changes like the Material Design UI, new Notifications view, redesigned recent apps menu, switch to the Android Runtime (ART) for improved performance, multi-user support, new battery saving mode with Project Volta, smart lock and more. As the earlier Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 is free from bloatware. There aren’t any apps that you would feel shouldn’t have been on it. It does get the always on voice command feature that is seen on Motorola devices, with the same Ti C55 hotword processor as on the Moto X.

Thanks to all the new improvements with Android Lollipop and a much cleaner UI, the Google Nexus 6 wins this round. Samsung is making good progress with TouchWiz but there is still some more work to be done to get it to perform as good as stock Android.

Design

One of the biggest changes with the Galaxy Note 4 is the improvement in design and build of the device. If there has been one consistent complaint with Galaxy devices, it has been the poor design and build. The Galaxy S5 for instance looks virtually similar to the two year old Galaxy S3. And the traditional plastic build only made matters worse. With the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung decided that it had enough and needed to step up in terms of design and build on its Galaxy smartphones.

The Galaxy Note 4 actually draws a lot from the Galaxy Alpha. It has a similar aluminum frame as the Alpha and has a much more premium feeling back that finally gets rid of the visible stitching pattern that nobody found appealing on the Galaxy Note 3. The front glass is also 2.5D curved, adding to the visual appeal of the design. The leather used on the back is also a lot more premium feeling this time, so finally we have a Galaxy device that looks and feels worthy of its high price.

Made by Motorola, the Google Nexus 6 is a charmer when it comes to design. It looks very similar to the 2^nd gen Moto X, with the same curved back and shiny aluminum frame on the side. There is no doubt that it is the best looking Nexus device yet and one of the better looking flagship devices launched this year. Thanks to the use of metal and high-quality polycarbonate, the device feels solid in the hand and is every bit as good as the Note 4 in terms of build quality, if not better. It also has a water resistance coating, so that’s another advantage over the Note 4.

The Galaxy Note 4 is an improvement over previous Galaxy devices, but the Nexus 6 simply looks better. That makes Nexus 6 the winner of this round.

Battery Life

Apart from the large display, phablet are also popular for their impressive battery life. The Galaxy Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 do not disappoint in this area.

It is quite interesting that both the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Google Nexus 6 have the exact same 3220mAh capacity battery. Since the two phablet have the same battery, chipset, and screen resolution, you might be thinking battery life on both would be very similar too. Right? Well unfortunately that is not the case.

According to the battery life tests, the Google Nexus 6 actually has significantly lower battery life than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The reasons behind this aren’t clear but it could be due to various reasons. But it does have one advantage over the Note 4. Thanks to the Quick Charge feature, the Nexus 6 can deliver 6 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of charging. It comes with support for Wireless charging as well.

The winner is quite clear in this round, the Galaxy Note 4 it is.

Price

When it comes to flagship devices, the prices don’t play a major role in the decision-making process for most buyers, but it is still important to be sure if the device is worth the price or not.

The Google Nexus 6 is available on the Play Store at $649 for the 32GB variant and $699 for the 64GB variant. But since this time the Nexus 6 is available through carriers as well, you can get it through the major US carriers such as AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile on a 2-year contract. AT&T and Sprint are selling the phablet for $249 down, while T-Mobile will sell it to you for $0 down.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is available unlocked at around $750 if you purchase it outright or you can get it on a 2-year contract from the carriers at $299. That’s the price you would need to pay upfront from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile is selling it at $0 upfront payment, just like the Nexus 6.

Clearly, this round goes to the Nexus 6.

Conclusions

Now that we’re done with the comparison. Let’s see which smartphone managed to win most categories. The Nexus 6 managed to win in three categories – Operating System, Price, and Design. Two rounds were a tie – Memory and Processor. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 won 5 rounds – Display, Dimensions, Camera, Battery Life, and Connectivity.

So does that mean the Galaxy Note 4 is the better phablet here? Well if you were to consider how good each of these devices are as a phablet, then the Galaxy Note 4 would obviously be the winner as it comes with the S-Pen. The Nexus 6 doesn’t come with stylus support and that limits its appeal to customers who are looking for a phablet that can do more than the average smartphone.