Expansys is selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199
Expansys, as part of its early Black Friday deals promo, has begun selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199. The devices are available in white, black, and red. There’s even an audio pack that’ll get you a decent pair of headphones and a Nexus 5 for just $219.99.
Keep in mind that these are brand new smartphones, none of these are refurbished units. While the smartphone is a couple of years old, the hardware it’s sporting still isn’t bad by any means, and this device has been know for being buttery smooth, especially after its recent Android 6.0 update.
If anyone’s interested, you’ll need to act fast, as Expansys has limited stock. Anyone picking one up?
source: Expansys
Come comment on this article: Expansys is selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199
Samsung Galaxy A7 featuring Exynos 7580 SoC surfaces on AnTuTu
We have been hearing rumors about the Galaxy A7 successor for sometime now, but recently a variant of the upcoming device featuring Samsung’s Exynos 7580 processor has surfaced on the AnTuTu benchmark. And the results are quite impressive.
Earlier, it had emerged in a series of leaks that the new Galaxy A7 will feature a 5.5-inch FHD AMOLED display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 SoC, 3GB of RAM and a duo of 13MP primary and 5MP front-facing cameras. It is noteworthy that the original Galaxy A7 was either powered by Snapdragon 615 or Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa 5430 chipsets.
However, AnTuTu results posted on Weibo revealed that the Exynos 7580 featuring device is built using Samsung’s 28nm architecture. The processor comprising a 1.6GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 processor and a Mali-T720MP2 GPU has previously been seen in Samsung Galaxy J7 or the Galaxy S5 Neo. Unsurprisingly, it obtained a respectable score of 37,563 points against the Snapdragon 615-powered Galaxy A7 that managed to get 32,000 points on the benchmark.
In addition to an upgraded processor, the new Galaxy A7 may have a completely revamped design – or, at least that’s what the the leaked reports would want us to believe. The metal frame of the original Galaxy A7 was its USP, but it came with a plastic back – something that Samsung had faced criticism for years. Things, however, began to change with launch of the Galaxy S6, which had a metal and glass body. If new leaks are to be believed, the new Galaxy A7 will have a similar build and design, which indeed is a great news for those who are looking to buy a quality mid-range phone.
Source: AnTuTu (Weibo)
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy A7 featuring Exynos 7580 SoC surfaces on AnTuTu
Tinder CEO’s ‘sodomy’ interview puts Match.com in hot water
Tinder CEO Sean Rad set the internet ablaze yesterday with a number of controversial comments made to the Evening Standard. He said he investigated a Vanity Fair reporter because he didn’t like her article, claimed to have turned down a supermodel who was “begging” for sex and drastically misunderstood the word “sodomy.” However, his biggest error may have been talking about user statistics, because Tinder’s parent company Match.com is about to file an IPO, and it’s against SEC rules for executives to make business statements in the weeks prior to a filing.
Via: Techcrunch
Source: SEC
Lenovo committed to manufacturing phones in India, Moto X Force on the way
The race to come out ahead in the Indian smartphone market is still hotly contested and the consumer appeal of manufacturing devices locally has become a major differentiating factor, with the Make-in-India campaign gaining some major momentum. Lenovo seems very aware of this trend and has announced that it is committed to making long term investments into manufacturing and R&D in the country as well.
The announcement came while Lenovo was busy unveiling its logo and new tag-line in the country: “Innovation never stands still”. As well as new hardware research, Lenovo also stated that is sees software development heading to the country in the future as well. Upcoming products were also announced at the event. The Moto X Force and Yoga Tab 3 are scheduled to arrive “soon”, although we don’t have an exact date or prices for either device just yet.
“In three years, we have reached a revenue of $2.5 billion (roughly Rs. 16,540 crores) in India compared to a target of $800 million (roughly Rs. 5,292 crores) when we came to this country which is fast evolving in the area of technology,” – Lenovo Chief Executive, Yang Yuanqing
Lenovo currently sits in third position in the Indian smartphone market, partly due to its range of very cost effective, super-midrange smartphones. However, the company has had a tougher year in the global market, where is slowing share and shipments, coupled with some very large expenses, has seen the company recently post its first quarterly loss in six years.
See also: Lenovo posts first loss in six years, looks to bounce back after Motorola purchase
Lenovo is looking to become one of the fifty largest companies in India, and a strong position in the country’s booming smartphone market is certainly a good place to start.
Sony opens up experimental AOSP camera to developers
Sony has become increasingly open regarding software development and third parties, as well as taking on extra feedback from the community, with its Open Device program and the company has just released a new open source camera application for use with AOSP Xperia devices.
Before you all run to try it out, Sony clearly states that it does not recommend the app for daily use, as the app is not calibrated and will produce worse looking shots that Sony’s regular camera app. Instead, Sony stresses that the goal of the project is to allow developers to get behind the scenes to come up with innovative new camera applications and will hopefully improve support custom ROMs with basic camera functionality. It’s going to be interesting to see what comes out of it.
The open source camera is based on Qualcomm framework and works with a number of Xperia devices, including the Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z Ultra (MSM8974), Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet (MSM8974AB), Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3, Zperia Z3 Tablet Compact (MSM8974AC) and Xperia Z3+, and Xperia Z4 Tablet (MSM8994). Support for the Xperia Z5 range, Xperia M2, E3 and T3 will be added in at a later date.
Sony’s Open Device program saw early Marshmallow binaries arrive for a number of its Xperia devices back in October, giving custom ROM development a good head start over handsets from other manufacturers. If you would like to learn more about the program, you can read all about it over on Sony’s official site.
Qualcomm faces fines in Korea over anti-competitive licensing practices
Qualcomm has had a tricky 2015, financially, and the company has seen its share price tumble a further 10 percent, hitting a four year low, following revelations that an antitrust investigation in South Korea has raised issues over its licensing practices.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission has found that Qualcomm’s licensing practices violate the country’s competition law. More specifically, the issue is to do with the way Qualcomm calculates its licensing fee on the overall value of the mobile product, rather than on the associated cost of the chips that use the company’s intellectual property.
The South Korean investigation has not yet decided exactly what action to take, but heavy fines are likely and forcing a change to its licensing arrangements could severely dent the company’s income, as IP is the biggest earner for Qualcomm. Qualcomm has said that it will contest the conclusions of the report and that is views the allegations as a “serious misapplication of law”.
“Our patent licensing practices, which we and other patent owners have maintained for almost two decades, and which have facilitated the growth of the mobile communications industry in Korea and elsewhere, are lawful and pro-competitive,” – Qualcomm
Qualcomm also had to settle a very similar case in China earlier this year, where the company paid out around $1 billion to put an end to a 14 month investigation into what the country viewed as anti-competitive licensing policies. Qualcomm is also facing two antitrust cases in the EU for predatory pricing of its 3G modem chips and whether it offer anti-competitive financial incentives to some of its customers.
Considering that Qualcomm has used a similar policy for a number a years, the decision to clamp down on the company in various countries is perhaps a little odd. The highly competitive smartphone market has been putting a squeeze on manufacturers, so protectionism in countries with a large manufacturing base may be a contributing factor.
Read more: Qualcomm to pay $1 billion to settle China antitrust dispute
Either way, Qualcomm looks to be in for a difficult time in 2016. Expensive court cases are sure to add extra pressure on a company already restructuring its business in an attempt to save more than $1 billion in costs.
Beats Solo2 Wireless and urBeats Headphones Now Available in Rose Gold
Apple has released Beats Solo2 Wireless On-Ear Headphones and urBeats In-Ear Headphones in a new Rose Gold color to match the iPhone 6s lineup and select Apple Watch models. The headphones remain available in Gold, Silver and Space Gray colors released earlier this year.
The Solo2 Wireless on-ear headphones, $299.95, were released in November 2014 as the first Beats product since Apple’s acquisition of the company officially closed. Beats launched new Solo2 Wireless headphones in Gold, Silver and Space Gray, colors that match several Apple products, last April.
Beats urBeats In-Ear Headphones, $99.95, were first released long before Apple acquired the company in 2014.
Discuss this article in our forums
HTC sends out press invites for November 25 in India, thought to be launching the One A9
HTC has just sent out invites to a press event to be held in India on November 25th, where it is thought to be launching its One A9 handset (reviewed here). The One A9 is available in Europe and the US so far, with a lower-spec variant somehow costing more in the UK than the higher-specced model in the States. It must make sense to HTC, you would hope it does anyway.
Other than asking its fans to ‘Save The Date’, the invite doesn’t really give out much detail other than appearing quite similar to the A9’s announcement invite last month. The invite doesn’t actually mention a model number, and while it’s believed to be the One A9 that HTC is launching, it is possible that it might be the One M9s that launched in Taiwan recently. There isn’t too long to wait to find out, which model would you prefer to see launched on November 25?
Source: FoneArena
Come comment on this article: HTC sends out press invites for November 25 in India, thought to be launching the One A9
Oppo releases almost stock Android OS for global users
Let’s face it – most Android loyalists don’t really like the modifications manufacturers make to the Google-made operating system, and the customized OS developed by Chinese OEMs is outright unbearable for most global users. Therefore, Oppo has released an operating system that is very close to the stock Android, and comes with only a few factory installed apps such as camera, screen off gesture and audio support.
Based on Android Lollipop, Oppo’s new OS is being called Project Spectrum and it can be installed on the Find 7 and Find 7a handsets. The Chinese manufacturer is going to release an updated version of the software, which will be based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, sometime early next year.
However, those buying Oppo smartphones should not be surprised if their devices still come installed with ColorOS, and those who don’t like it can install the cleaner Android version on their own. With its new release, Oppo is aiming to “better connect to consumers in Western markets,” and it is possible that its handsets will come preloaded with the almost stock software version in the near future.
Here is a video to give you a detailed idea as to what the Project Spectrum is all about.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Oppo
Come comment on this article: Oppo releases almost stock Android OS for global users
The UK government is getting its own ‘Air Force One’
UK Prime Minister David Cameron and cabinet ministers are set to get their very own Air Force One under new government plans. Reuters reports that as part of a spending review due next week, Chancellor George Osborne will announce that £10 million will be spent on retrofitting an RAF Voyager A330 aircraft (pictured above), which usually operates as an air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft, so it can be used for official government trips.
Source: Reuters
AIVAnet 