Possible image and specs for LG G5 show up on the Internet
A leakster on reddit claims to have a fairly full set of specs for the LG G5 believed to be in the works for 2016 and if accurate, LG fans will have something to cheer about. One of the key changes revealed by an image alleged to be of a prototype LG G5 is that the company is transitioning their G series to a glass and metal frame that seems to be sweeping the industry. One of the byproducts of that decision will be the elimination of a user removable battery, but access to a microSD card slot is still retained.
According to the information provided, the LG G5 will come with a 5.3-inch screen, which is a bit smaller than some previous indications that LG was going to stick with a 5.5-inch or 5.6-inch display. There is also mention of a “pressure sensor” but it is unclear whether this is a reference to an atmospheric pressure sensor or whether LG is working on incorporating pressure-sensing features into the screen.
Like many other flagship devices in the works for 2016, the LG G5 is likely going to be powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor. This will be mated with 3GB of RAM to help keep things moving smoothly.
The leaked image and specs also point to a dual-camera configuration for the LG G5, with one of the sensors running at 16MP and the other running at 8MP. Sources think LG will provide laser autofocus and there has been some speculation that a color spectrum sensor will be packed into the smartphone.
Some of the other hardware includes a heart rate sensor, a fingerprint reader built into a power key similar to the LG V10, an IR blaster, a USB-C port, and a single speaker located in the back of the device. There have been rumors that LG may add an iris scanner in an effort to move security beyond fingerprints, but the presence of that technology was not mentioned in this latest leak.
source: mobile_leaks (reddit)
via: phoneArena
Come comment on this article: Possible image and specs for LG G5 show up on the Internet
Xiaomi’s Mi 5 leaks with full render and hardware specs
Xioami’s Mi 5 smartphone has leaked ahead of an official announcement, and there’s not much left to the imagination after this one. Renders of the device show the front of the phone and the bottom side with charging ports and speakers, and we’ve got a full rundown on hardware onboard, too. The only thing we haven’t seen is the back of the device.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 will have a 5.2-inch display of either full HD or QHD resolution, a powerful Snapdragon 820 CPU, 3/4 GB of RAM and 32/64 GB of storage, depending on which option you opt for, and a 16 megapixel rear camera paired with a 13 megapixel front-facing camera. The home button of the device also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which will supposedly be one of the fastest sensors on the market.
The device uses a USB type C charging port and has a non-removable battery, and will run Android 6.0 with Xiaomi’s UI on top.
Supposedly, the 3 GB RAM/32 GB storage option will run 1,999 Yuan, or $308, while the 4/64 GB option will cost 2,229 Yuan, close to $354. As always, Xiaomi is pricing this thing very aggressively.
source: Zaeke
via: G for Games
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Lenovo’s K4 Note will likely have 3 GB of RAM, might be announced at CES
Lenovo’s Indian Twitter account has all but confirmed a refreshed K4 Note that’s slated to be released sooner rather than later, with one key upgrade: more RAM. That’s the biggest takeaway from all of the comments and images that were tweeted from the account, confirming that we’ll see 3 GB of RAM in the upcoming device.
There’s no other info about what the K4 Note will have, but its predecessor had a 5.5-inch screen with 2 GB of RAM, plus an affordable MediaTek processor. I’d expect to see the K4 Note improve on that without drastically changing too much.
With CES right around the corner, you can likely expect Lenovo to make this thing official soon.
source: Lenovo India (Twitter)
via: PocketNow
Come comment on this article: Lenovo’s K4 Note will likely have 3 GB of RAM, might be announced at CES
New Mediatek Helio X20 scores pop up on GeekBench
Although many flagship devices planned for 2016 appear to be on track to use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor to provide the computing power, we have seen rumors that other manufacturers are trying to figure out how to get into the high-end chip game. One of those is Mediatek which has primarily played in the budget and mid-range markets. However, with their line of Helio chips the company is trying to compete at the higher end. The forthcoming Helio X20 should be able to at least get Mediatek a place on the field, especially in light of some new scores that have surfaced on GeekBench.
Mediatek is pushing the speed and performance of the Helio X20 by using a 10-core architecture. With so much silicon being thrown at crunching the numbers, it should be no surprise that the Helio X20 posted a multi-core score in excess of 7,000 putting it into some rarified air. This puts it closer to Samsung’s Exynos 8890 chipset which is believed to be testing in the 7,400 score range.
The downside for Mediatek is that their single-core score is a more pedestrian 2,094 which lags behind Apple Twister cores and Qualcomm Kryo cores. This is likely due to Mediatek still using a 20nm manufacturing process instead of the 14nm to 16nm processes other leading chips are moving to.
source: GeekBench
via: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: New Mediatek Helio X20 scores pop up on GeekBench
HTC teases December 24 as the date to unveil the One X9
Following months of endless leaks and speculation, HTC has today taken to its official Weibo profile to tease the upcoming unveiling of its latest mid-range smartphone, the One X9, during an invite-only press event in Taipei, Taiwan on Thursday, December 24.
Word on the street has it that the X9 is set to be one of the most impressive affordable handsets around, packing a 5-inch Full HD display, a MediaTek Helio X10 MT6795 processor, 3GB of RAM, an UltraPixel front-facing camera and a 13MP rear-facing shooter.
Don’t get too excited, though, as it’s more than likely not going to touch down on a market near you. At present, the phone is only believed to be heading to China, Taiwan and a few other locations in Asia. However, it’s possible that these rumors could be wrong — so be sure to check back tomorrow as we’ll be bringing you coverage of the event, complete with all the juicy details.
Source: IT168
Come comment on this article: HTC teases December 24 as the date to unveil the One X9
ASUS’ mobile devices will ship with built-in ad blocking
Ad blocking is now easy to find on just about every device you own, but it’s rarely included from the get-go. However, ASUS aims to change that. As of early 2016, all of the company’s web-capable mobile devices will ship with AdBlock Plus not only included with the company’s proprietary browser, but switched on by default. If you tend to visit sites with intrusive ads, you won’t have to lift a finger to get rid of most promos.
The impact on the ad-supported web may be limited. ASUS’ browser has ‘just’ 15 million users versus the hundreds of millions running alternatives, and the policy won’t do much if you’re the sort who immediately switches to Chrome or Firefox whenever you get a new gadget. Still, it’s a watershed moment — there will soon be many people surfing the web who didn’t even realize that they were missing ads.
Source: Motherboard
‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ delayed once more to April
If you’re itching to experience what has been described as Nathan Drake’s final chapter, you’ll have to sit tight for just a little bit longer. Developer Naughty Dog has announced another delay for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, this time pushing it back from March 18th to April 26th in the US, April 27th across Europe and April 29th in the UK. The extra few weeks, according to creative director Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley, are needed to give “several key sequences” more polish.
“Pushing the date is not an easy choice, and we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t feel in our hearts it’s the best course of action for the game. To you, our loyal fans, we hope you’ll accept our sincere apology. We know many of you have been waiting patiently for Nathan Drake’s final chapter, and now we humbly ask you to wait a bit longer.”
Uncharted 4 is one of the PlayStation 4’s biggest titles for 2016, and has been slowly teased over the last year or so with a few trailers and the remastered Nathan Drake collection. We’ve seen the treasure hunter take out scores of goons in the jungle, dangle from the side of a bridge and encounter Nadine Ross, a new villain for the fourth instalment. Naughty Dog has also shown us one of the game’s branching dialog sequences, a first for the series, and teased the multiplayer suite with a frenetic beta. The game certainly looks impressive — however, previous Uncharted games have set an absurdly high bar, so it’s no surprise the developer needs a smidge more time to give Drake the send-off he deserves.
Source: PlayStation Blog
Dear Veronica: STEM gifts and holiday disasters
Looking for that perfect gift for your sweet little munchkin this holiday season? We have some great ideas for the STEM-curious set out there!
We also get suggestions for that perfect geeky getaway to San Francisco and Los Angeles from Morgan Webb and Broke-Ass Stuart Schuffman.
Don’t worry, we have a few more of your holiday tech support disasters. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!
Google Play sale: $1 for 3 months music, 75% of movie rentals, and more
Christmas is almost here, followed almost immediately by New Years. It’s the time of the year we celebrate family, friends, and reflect back on the year almost behind us. It’s also the time many retailers offer pretty solid end of year type sales, and the Google Play store is no exception.
From today until January 4th, Google Play is offering several deals including three months of Google Play Music for just $1. That’s basically identical to the 3-month for $1 promotion from Spotify, but Google’s music service has the advantage of including YouTube Red and full access to the YouTube Music app.
See also: YouTube Red, Google’s ad-free video service, arrives for just $9.99 per month (Updated)
One big catch with Google Play Music is that you can’t be an existing subscriber. The good news is that Google still has plenty of other deals that will apply to you. First, a few apps are on sale:
- Minecraft: Story Mode – $.10 (originally $4.99)
- NBA Jam by EA Sports – $.10
- Disney Castle of Illusion – $.99
Lastly, Google Play Music, Movies, and Books all have several items on sale. For Books, you can get up to 80% off on select titles. Music is offering albums for half price. As for Movies? Rentals are up to 75% off until the 4th of January.
All of the above promotions are available in US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico. So what do you think, plan on taking advantage of any of these offers?
Next – Best apps of 2015
Whatsapp may gain video calling in future update
The Whatsapp team is working on adding compelling new features to the uber-popular messaging service. If one report from German website Macerkopf is accurate, video calling may be coming to Whatsapp in a future update.
Macerkopf got hold of two screenshots showing a video calling interface. The images are reportedly from a beta version of Whatsapp for iOS. Version 2.12.16.2 is said to be undergoing testing internally, and there’s a good chance that an update bringing video calling will be coming in the next weeks to the public beta versions of Whatsapp for Android and iOS.
The screenshots show a simple interface, with buttons for muting/unmuting the conversation and for switching between the rear and front camera. There’s a small preview window that can be moved around, and that’s pretty much it.
Besides video calling, the internal beta also features tab conversations – each convo will reportedly live in a tab, similar to how Chrome manages web pages.
The addition of video calling comes after Whatsapp introduced voice calling back in spring. The Facebook-owned company has been trailing competitors in terms of functionality – apps like Skype, Hangouts, and even Facebook’s own Messenger all include voice calling and other advanced features.
That said, less is more in some cases, and Whatsapp’s relentless growth since it was acquired by Facebook shows that the folks behind it know what people want. Whatsapp boasted 900 million users in September, and it’s probably going to hit the 1 billion milestone very soon. In some countries, like Brazil, it’s used by more than 90% of the population.
As it was the case with the voice calling feature, Whatsapp will probably activate video calling for a small number of users first, to get feedback and avoid server overload. We’ll update if you hear anything new.
AIVAnet 