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.

New HTC One M8 Android 4.4.4 Update Now Available for AT&T Users

If you purchased your HTC One M8 from AT&T, then you should keep an eye on the notifications panel as a software update is now available for download. The second biggest carrier in the US revealed that a new HTC One M8 Android 4.4.4 update is now being pushed to users. Even though all of you were hoping to receive Android 5.0 Lollipop, it looks like you would have to wait even longer.

As you might have guessed already, the new Android 4.4.4 update for HTC One M8 is just a minor update, so you shouldn’t expect anything magical to happen to your device. Anyway, the new firmware introduces some features you would definitely want to have on your device. According to the changelog posted on AT&T’s website the new software update arrives with HD voice, brings security and Bluetooth enhancements, adds AMBS Cloud Messaging integration, Copy and Paste camera feature, Usage Manager App, improves battery performance, and updates AT&T Ready2Go and Visual Voicemail.

The new firmware is being pushed to users in stages, which means that some of you might not be able to update your phones right away. As soon as your terminal becomes eligible to receive the OTA update, you should be able to notice a system update message in the notifications panel. All you need to do is tap on it and follow the on-screen instructions. If the system update message failed to appear, you would also want to perform a manual check under Settings > AT&T Software update < Check for updates.

It’s also worth noting that the new HTC One M8 Android 4.4.4 update has build number 1.58.502.1 and a size of 208 MB. AT&T says that the update file size will not count against your data usage, so it should be safe to download it using your mobile data connection without damaging your data plan.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LG G4 Leak Points at 16 MP Main Camera and Snapdragon 810 Processor

The last couple of LG flagships have received a lot of praise from both media outlets and tech enthusiasts. Without a doubt LG’s G series of flagship will get a sequel this year and it will most likely be called LG G4. The LG G4 release date is yet unknown, but we might have some interesting information on the much-anticipated device.

The details on LG G4 come from Greek publicationTechmaniacs.gr and reveal that the next-gen flagship smartphone of the South Korean company might arrive with beastly technical specifications. The Android 5.0 dump reveals evidence of a 16 MP wide camera for the LG G4. In fact, the system dump revealed the resolution of G4’s camera. We are talking about 5312 x 2988 pixels, a resolution that it’s specific for a 16 MP wide camera. Of course, we are expecting G4’s main shooter to also boast about features such as laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, and 4K video recording capabilities.

According to a source close to LG quoted by Techmaniacs.gr, LG G4 should come with a Quad HD screen, 3 GB of RAM, and a 64-bit Octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno 430 GPU. I remind you that there are some voices saying that the South Koreans are planning to cut down LG G4’s screen size to 5.3 inches, compared to the 5.5-inch screen of the LG G3.

Unfortunately, there is now way to verify the veracity of the reports, therefore we are advising you to take them with a pinch of salt. After all, nothing is official until LG says so.

As I was mentioning above, the LG G4 release date is yet unknown, but you definitely shouldn’t expect it to arrive in the next couple of months. The G4 might be officially introduced to the public late spring or early summer, just like it happened to its predecessor which was announced in May and released on the market in June.

Sony Xperia Z4 Gets Certified in Japan, It Could Be Launched at MWC 2015

Even though we’ve heard some rumors saying that the Sony Xperia Z4 release date has been set for CES 2015, the Las Vegas-based tech fair brought us no new Sony flagship smartphone. Last year, officials of the Japanese phone maker stated that in order to succeed on the smartphone market one company should release to flagship devices a year. It seems that Sony could be sticking to their usual 6-month release schedule and unveils a new flagship at Mobile World Congress.

Three versions of the much-awaited Sony Xperia Z4 have been certified in Japan. We are talking about model numbers PM-0792-BV, PM-0793-BV and PM-0794-BV each corresponding to a Japanese carrier. Unfortunately, the leak doesn’t bring us any details regarding the hardware platform of the smartphone, but at least we have the certitude that an Xperia sequel is on cards. Of course, the Xperia Z4 will go on sale outside Japan, but, for the time being there is no information regarding other models.

As I was mentioning above, Sony Xperia Z4 is expected to see the light of day at Mobile World Congress in March. For what it’s worth, HTC have already sent out press invitations for their Mobile World Congress event. Anyway, it’s plenty of time left until the Barcelona-based tech fair opens its gates and I am sure that Sony will tease their new flagship as we get closer to its launch event.

Hardware-wise, don’t expect the Sony Xperia Z4 to be a lot more powerful than its predecessor. Maybe we will get to see it boasting about an upgraded processor (probably a 64-bit Snapdragon 810) and an optical image stabilization module for its main camera.

I remind you that the rumor mill also speculates that Sony will introduce an Xperia Z4 Compact. The said device is rumored to pack a 4.7-inch Full HD display and a 3,000 mAh battery.

Moto X 2014 Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Now Available at Telus

In case you purchased your Moto X 2014 from Telus you should keep an eye on the notifications panel. Redditors on r/MotoX are reporting that the Moto X 2014 Android 5.0 Lollipop update is now available for download for the Telus variant of the smartphone.

As usual, the Telus Moto X 2014 Android 5.0 Lollipop update is being rolled out in phases, which means that some of you might not be able to grab it right away. Once your device becomes eligible to receive the new firmware, you should be able to see a system update message in the notifications bar. Tap on it, hit ‘Download now’, wait until the download is completed, then choose ‘Install now’. Your smartphone should reboot and install the new firmware. You can also perform a manual check under Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now.

I remind you that Lollipop is the biggest update Android has received so far, so expect Android 5.0 to bring a lot of changes and improvements to your Telus Moto X 2014. The update arrives with a new design philosophy called Material design, improved security with Smart Lock and better Face Unlock, performance boosts courtesy of Android Runtime (replaces Dalvik), multi-user support for phones, revamped notifications bar and quick settings with new toggles, lock screen notifications, redesigned Recent screen, new shortcuts for the lock screen, better battery statistics with battery saver mode, and other such features.

It’s also worth noting that the Telus Moto X 2014 Android 5.0 Lollipop update has a size of around 575 MB. We are recommending you to download the update file using a Wi-Fi network in order to avoid unwanted data charges.