Snapdragon 820 powered Xiaomi Mi 5 rumored for December 3rd launch
Xiaomi has had a few opportunities to launch its next flagship smartphone, the Mi 5, this year, but the handset has remained elusive so far. The latest rumor is now pointing to a possible December 3rd announcement, while a new Mi Band could be unveiled next week.
According to the tipster, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 processor. The chip isn’t expected to appear in devices until 2016 but there’s nothing to stop companies announcing phones before then. The rumor also states that Qualcomm may officially launch its latest mobile chip on November 20th. Qualcomm has gradually been dripping out little pieces of information about its chip over the past couple of months.
See also: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 said to be 50% stronger than the Samsung Exynos 7420
Other rumored specifications for the Xiaomi Mi 5 include a 5.3-inch QHD (2560×1440) display, 4GB of RAM, a 16 megapixel rear camera, 3,030mAh battery, and either 16GB or 64GB of internal storage, but without a microSD card slot. A different report also suggests that Xiaomi may opt for MediaTek’s Helio X20 chip, as the Snapdragon 820 may not be available for a while yet.
Moving on, a separate source has suggested that Xiaomi may launch a successor to its Mi Band next week. The new device is said to incorporate a heart sensor this time around and could cost CNY 99 (approximately Rs. 1,050 or USD$16).
We’ll be sure to keep our eyes peeled for additional Mi 5 rumors and details in the coming weeks.
Motorola launches a faster, pricier version of the Moto G in Mexico
Motorola is extending the Moto G family with the Moto G Turbo Edition, a souped-up variant that just launched in Mexico.
Moto G Turbo Edition is very similar to the Moto G (2015), which was released in July, with a couple of significant differences: a faster processor and quick charging.
While the Moto G (2015) features the entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, the Moto G Turbo Edition goes a bit more upscale with the Snapdragon 615, the same chip that powers the Moto X Play.
While the Moto G (2015) comes in 1GB RAM/8GB storage and 2GB RAM/16GB storage versions, the Moto G Turbo Edition only comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
Many sites are reporting that the Turbo Edition also comes with an upgraded Full HD display of 5 inches. However, according to the Mexican edition of Xataka.com, that’s not the case: Motorola reached out to inform them that the Moto G Turbo Edition features a 5-inch 720p screen, just like the regular edition.
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Moto G Turbo Edition users will get to fast charge their devices thanks to the inclusion of TurboPower, Motorola’s Quick Charge 2-compatible implementation. This feature is not included on the Moto G (2015).
Details are murky for now, but it looks that other specs remained unchanged, including the 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, IP67 certification, and dual-SIM LTE.
In Mexico, the Moto G Turbo Edition will be available from November 13 for 4699 pesos, which is about $280. For comparison, the Moto G (2015) with 2GB and 16GB of storage launched for 4299 pesos ($255), while the base version cost 3699 pesos ($220).
There’s no information on the potential release of the Moto G Turbo Edition in other countries. Motorola launched region-specific variants of its devices in the past, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the Turbo Edition had a limited release.
Google Keep launches share extension on iPhones and iPads
Google has given its Keep app for iOS new features that might make you consider using it more often. It’s now so much easier to save tidbits of whatever you’re reading on your browser, after all: simply highlight the part you want to copy, go to Share and look for the new Keep extension. If it’s the first time you’re taking advantage of the feature, just tap More and activate Keep on the Activities list. You can also add a quick view of the app and its contents under Today in the Notification Center, which you can click for quick access. Finally, it’s extremely easy to copy your notes to Google Docs now — choose the one you want to save and then click the appropriate option in the menu that pops up — in case you want to do a bit of spring cleaning and keep a record of all your previous notes at the same time.
Source: Google Docs (G+), iTunes
Deal: get a new Galaxy S6 Edge for $499 on eBay
Edge fans, this one’s for you. Galaxy S6 Edge, the pricier version of Samsung’s 2015 flagship, is currently on sale on eBay for $499.
The price of the Galaxy S6 Edge has been declining steadily since its launch this spring, despite the high demand for the curved screen model. Down from its original $800+ price tag (depending on the storage option), the device can now be had for around $600 on Amazon.
Today’s deal sees a brand new, factory unlocked Galaxy S6 Edge sold by Monoprice via eBay for $499. That’s not as good as the $429 deal we’ve seen for the regular Galaxy S6 back in September, but a solid $50 cheaper than the last Galaxy S6 Edge eBay deal we reported on.
Black, white, and gold models are available, but please be aware that this is a GSM model that will work with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, as well as with these carrier’s respective MVNOs. It appears that this model is region-locked as well, so if you plan to buy it from outside North or South America, you will need to have it unlocked first. You only get a 14-day warranty from Monoprice, with no further warranty by Samsung.
More about Galaxy S6 Edge
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Check out our in-depth review of the Galaxy S6 Edge for more details on it, and let us know if you went for the deal. Happy shopping!
Apple hires engineer who used to work on digital license plates
Apple has been snapping up talent from all over the place ever since it started putting more effort into Project Titan, Cupertino’s electric car initiative. One of its latest hires is veteran software engineer Rónán Ó Braonáin, and according to Electrek, he was the Director of Engineering at a company called Reviver, which is developing what it claims is “the world’s first digital license plate.” These high-tech plates are expected to have wireless connectivity that can alert authorities if a vehicle is stolen or if its registration is expired. It could also give rise to shared vehicle programs, wherein a car can be legally owned by more than one person, each one associated with a unique plate number. The device can simply switch the letters and numbers displayed, depending on who’s driving.
Source: Electrek
Citizen Mars: the bonus bits
The Mars One candidates have a single goal: to help establish the first human settlement on the Red Planet. Over the course of five episodes, we’ve seen them weigh up what it takes to become a Mars One astronaut and the costs of leaving everyone and everything behind. Now, in these bonus clips, they’re asked how they would face some particularly challenging situations in their new Martian habitat.
Source: Citizen Mars
TalkTalk hack: exactly 156,959 customers had personal details stolen
Two weeks after TalkTalk confirmed a “significant and sustained cyberattack” on its website, the company has revealed exactly how much data was stolen. Hackers obtained personal details for 156,959 customers, including their names, email addresses and phone numbers. A week ago it placed the figure at “less than 1.2 million” — and while that was technically accurate, today’s update should feel like a radical downgrade. Of those affected customers, TalkTalk says 15,656 bank account numbers and sort codes were obtained in the attack. That’s down from the “less than 21,000” it had stated previously.
TalkTalk has also clarified that the 28,000 obscured credit and debit card numbers that were taken — this figure hasn’t budged from last week — can’t be used for financial transactions. In its previous update, the company broke out the number of stolen customer dates of birth too, but this information is noticeably absent in today’s statement — we suspect it’s been bundled into the new 156,959 figure, which simply covers “personal details.” TalkTalk is keen to emphasise that overall, only four percent of its customers have any “sensitive personal data” at risk.
Source: TalkTalk
Google is reportedly planning to standardize Android chipsets
Google is trying to take more control of its Android ecosystem by designing its own chips, according to a report from The Information (subscription). The search giant reportedly spoke with chip manufacturers about building Android device processors with features it covets, like a bigger CPU memory cache, quicker cameras and built-in depth-sensor support. It appears that Google is sick of Android device fragmentation, and feels that current hardware is limiting its ability to bring tech like Project Tango to market. It also wants to standardize Android hardware to better compete in high-end phones with Apple, which has seen record sales with the iPhone 6s.
Source: The Information
The New York Times VR app launches with portraits of refugee children
At a time when virtual reality is changing the way we experience entertainment, it was only a matter of time before news outlets turned to immersive storytelling. The New York Times was one of the first major news outlets to announce its VR efforts last month. Today they launched the NYT VR app with three poignant portraits — a 9-year-old Sudanese boy, a 12-year-old Syrian girl and an 11-year-old boy from eastern Ukraine — to highlight the plight of 30 million children who have been displaced by war. The Times is making a Google Cardboard kit available to its domestic subscribers along with their Sunday editions on November 8, but the stories can also be viewed without a headset on both iPhone and Android devices.
BlackBerry can bypass carriers to deliver Android security fixes
Multiple Android phone makers are promising monthly security updates, but there’s a big gotcha: they typically have to get approval from carriers, which means you’ll wait weeks before those updates arrive. BlackBerry won’t be making that compromise with the Priv, however. It’s not only planning to deliver monthly security updates, but won’t always have to go through carriers to do it — the company claims it can “directly patch” every Priv model, even if it’s locked to a specific network. The smartphone maker will work with its partners on pushing fixes when it can, but it’ll skip the queue and deliver an out-of-cycle patch if there’s a major vulnerability.
Source: Inside BlackBerry
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