Samsung watch with limited version of Samsung Pay could launch on Aug 13

Samsung will reportedly launch a smartwatch alongside its Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus smartphones on August 13th according to a new report from the WSJ. The report goes on to claim that a limited version of Samsung Pay could launch alongside the new wearable ahead of a fully-featured rollout later in the year.

Samsung has long been rumoured to be announcing two handsets and until recently, we expected this to take place at IFA in  September but as it turns out, Samsung has bought the launch forward with an event planned for August 13rd ahead of a release just 8 days later on August 21st. The key reason for this is to beat the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus to market with Samsung worried that Apple’s new smartphones will negatively impact on sales of its new phablets.

The Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus have both paid plenty of visits to the rumour mill but just as exciting could be the new Samsung smartwatch, which has long rumoured to be the company’s first round smartwatch and is likely to debut as the Samsung Gear A. The Korean manufacturer confirmed as much in its Software Development Kit as it teased a round display and an entirely new interface designed specifically for round smartwatches.

According to the WSJ, the smartwatch could signal the launch of Samsung Pay (even in limited form) and at launch, it is expected to allow customers to pay for public transport rides. Future plans for Samsung Pay include paying for purchases in-store and one of the key differences between Samsung Pay and other payment solutions – such as Android Pay and Apple Pay – is that Samsung Pay works with 99% of existing payment terminals (even those that are not wireless-enabled).

Whether Samsung Pay is ready for launch or is still delayed remains to be seen but we’ll be there whenever Samsung does launch its new smartphones and services to bring you the information live. What are you most excited about? Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Gear A or Samsung Pay? Let us know your views in the comments below.

Nextbit to become an Android phone maker

San Francisco-based startup Nextbit has announced the surprise decision to switch from software and services to making an Android phone. The company currently counts Scott Croyle – former chief of design at HTC, who joined Nextbit last year – among its employees and Croyle is teasing a provocative design for its first smartphone:

“We want to set this off as something different. We don’t have to be for everybody.”

Nextbit is more commonly known for its cloud suite that allows the contents of phones to be mirrored on the cloud-based servers, which allows users to not only move between apps but easily move their place within apps between multiple devices. While this is something that iOS manages relatively well – and even more so when using iCloud backup – this hasn’t yet been achieved on Android and this could be one feature that sets the Nextbit smartphone apart from the competition.

Nextbit’s decision to move into Android hardware will certainly come as a surprise given the company only has employs 20 people; while this number of employees was ideal for the nimble nature of the startup, its hardware ambitions could require a massive recruitment drive, especially considering it will go head to head with rivals that have thousands of employees. It does have some experience in the mobile industry thanks to a previous partnership with Cyanogen but it remains to be seen how unique the Nextbit smartphone will actually be.

As Chinese manufacturer OnePlus showed with the launch of its OnePlus One smartphone last year (and the OnePlus 2 today), a newcomer to the industry can be successful if it is different and unique in its approach. Will Nextbit be able to do the same? We shall soon find out as Nextbit promises to reveal more about the phone and how it will be sold in the coming weeks and naturally, we’ll bring you more information when we have it.

Experience the OnePlus 2 in select cities this July 31st

The rumors and teases are done with – we have finally seen the OnePlus 2 unveiled and even got some time to play around with it. But when will you get to get your hands all over this brand-spanking new phone? We have good news for you – some may not have to wait until the August 11th release date!

One huge speed bump for OnePlus devices is that you can’t waltz into a store and take a look at it. Outside the tech community, most people have no clue about this brand, let alone its amazing smartphones. The Chinese startup aims to change this by bringing the OnePlus 2 to 9 select cities across the world, this July 31st.

Cities the OnePlus 2 is coming to:

• New York
  • Times Square, New York, NY
• San Francisco
  • PCH, 135 Mississippi St, San Francisco, CA 94107
• London
  • SwiftKey, 91-95 Southwark Bridge Rd, SE1 0AX
• Paris
  • Numa, 39 Rue du Caire, 75002
• Berlin
  • OneFootball, Greifswalder Str. 212, 10405
• Milan
  • Talent Garden, Via Merano, 16, 20127
• New Delhi
  • Cafe Coffee Day Square 44, Janpath
• Bangalore
  • Cafe Coffee Day Square, Vittal Mallya Road, Opposite UB City, Lavelle Road
• Jakarta
  • Conclave, Jalan Wijaya 1 no. 5C, Jakarta Selatan

In addition to getting access to demo the OnePlus 2, people will get the chance to win the phone, and the first 50 people to arrive at each location will get an “exclusive gift bag”.

Want in on the action? If you can make it to one of these locations, just head over to OnePlus’ RSVP page and sign up. Meanwhile, you can learn more about the OnePlus 2 by checking out the links below. Are any of you guys going?!

Other OnePlus 2 content

• OnePlus 2 officially announced: everything you need to know
• OnePlus 2 hands-on and first impressions
• OnePlus 2 StyleSwap cover hands-on, comparison, availability and more
• OnePlus 2 vs the competition: by the numbers
• OnePlus 2 vs OnePlus One – the battle of the “flagship killers”
• OnePlus 2 vs Samsung Galaxy S6