Samsung Galaxy Ace Style LTE

Samsung has silently outed a Galaxy Ace 4 version with an AMOLED display in Germany. The phone is called the Galaxy Ace Style LTE and features a 4.3" Super AMOLED screen with a 800x480 resolution.


The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. Internal memory is 4GB, but is expandable thanks to the microSD card slot. At the back of the Galaxy Ace Style LTE, there's a 5MP camera capable of shooting 720p video. It's also joined by an LED flash.
Samsung helps you tell the Galaxy Ace Style LTE apart from the Galaxy Ace 4 by placing a wide, grey accent line on the back cover. Popping it open reveals a 1,900mAh battery. It can last for up to 11 hours of 3G talk time or 9 hours of LTE web browsing.
The single-SIM phone also comes with NFC. It's currently available for purchase in Germany for €199 in black and white.

BlackBerry launches the Passport in India

BlackBerry has launched its newest smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport, in India. The phone is priced at a steep 49,990 INR ($813), about the same as most flagship Android phones and even more than the current iPhone 5s pricing in India.


The BlackBerry Passport has an unusual shape that is actually the exact same size as an actual international passport. It has an oddly shaped 4.5-inch, 1440x1440 resolution, perfectly square display, full QWERTY keyboard with a capacitive touch layer on the keys for performing gestures, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage space, 13 megapixel camera (that takes square photos), BlackBerry OS 10.3 with Android app support and Amazon Appstore pre-installed.
The Passport will be available for pre-order through Amazon India and BlackBerry Exclusive Stores till October 10. Those who pre-order through Amazon will get an 5,000 INR worth of Amazon store credit.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge gets priced in the UK

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is now available for pre-order in the United Kingdom. The online retailer Clove is now taking pre-orders for the flagship phablet with curved display.

As expected, the handset is anything but cheap - Clove is asking £650 for it with VAT included. Without VAT, the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge costs £541.67.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge carries a premium over its conventionally designed sibling, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Clove is asking £575 for the latter with VAT included. This should hardly catch anyone by surprise, as the Note Edge is officially labeled as a niche device.

Huawei Honor Tablet debuts with 8” display and 3G

Huawei quietly launched the 8” Honor Tablet in Malaysia. The budget-friendly 3G slate with metal-clad body will be available to pre-order on September 29 for RM. 599 (about $184).

Huawei Honor Tablet features Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and a gig of RAM. There’s 16GB of built-in memory, which can be further expanded via microSD card slot.

The screen of the device is an 8” IPS unit with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. A 5MP main camera, VGA front-facing unit, and 3G connectivity with HSPA+ are also on board. Huawei Honor Tablet boots Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with Emotion UI 1.6.
The device is 7.9mm thick and weighs 360 grams. It is powered by a 4,800mAh battery.
It is hardly a surprise that Malaysia is the launch market for the tablet. A recent report by IDC revealed that tablets with 3G connectivity are quite popular in Asia.

First Samsung Galaxy Note 4 units plagued by build issues

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 went earlier on sale than originally planned in order to compete with the iPhone 6 Plus. However, it seems that Samsung's rush has resulted in some defective Galaxy Note 4 units, a report from South Korea suggests.
As you can see, there's a gap between the Galaxy Note 4's 5.7" QHD Super AMOLED display and the metal casing next to it. The report suggests, the gap is wide enough to fit 2 sheets of A4 paper or a business card.

There's no official comment from Samsung regarding the mishap of the number of affected Galaxy Note 4 customers. We guess if there are more such cases, we'll be hearing from the company sooner than later.
In South Korea a SIM-free Galaxy Note 4 will run you at approximately $920, which is the cheapest of any Note phablet so far. Pre-orders of the Galaxy Note 4 are already underway in the US. There, the phone is confirmed to launch on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile on October 14.

Apple stops allowing iOS 7 firmware installations

Apple iOS 8 was released to all compatible devices on September 17, but it wasn’t a smooth launch at all. The iOS 8 was plagued by lots of bugs, Apple even removed all Health-related apps due to a bug in its HealthKit. This is where the iOS 8.0.1 update came to help, but while it may fixed the Health app issues, it broke the cell reception and Touch ID on quite a few phones.

So, the iOS 8.0.1 update was quickly taken down and iOS 8.0.2 appeared two days later to fix the Heath app and what the 8.0.1 update broke. Many users disappointed by the iOS 8 behavior decided to revert back to iOS 7.1.2, but this option now no longer available.

Apple has stopped signing the iOS 7 firmware since Friday afternoon so no one will be able to revert back to iOS 7 if they upgraded to iOS 8. This probably means Apple already considers the iOS 8 bug-free or at least smooth enough to be ready for mass adoption.

The adoption rate is indeed great, as every other previous iOS rollout, and Apple has done nothing unexpected. It always wants the majority of its users to run on the latest version because all those new services, security patches, etc. But it could have waited a month or two before it took this aggressive approach, just to be safe.

iPhone 6 sales in China tipped to begin on October 10

According to a new report, Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus might go on sale in China on October 10. The devices’ launch in the vital consumer market is yet be officially confirmed.

The October 10 sales launch was allegedly revealed in an Apple retail store preparation timeline, which was presented during an employee-training course. Product readiness training is expected to begin on October 7.
Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus recently got China Compulsory Certification (3C), as well as approval from the State Radio Regulation of China. The handsets still need network access licenses in order to be allowed to go on sale.
Sales in China will be vital for Apple’s fiscal performance during the quarter that includes the holiday shopping season. Last year, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were available in the vast market during their official launch weekend.

New Oppo N3 renders appear, Snapdragon 805 confirmed

Oppo N3 has been teased a few times already by Oppo. We know it will be announced this October in Singapore and it will come in two flavors - aluminum lithium alloy and stainless steel. You will be able to choose between the lightweight and durability.
Previous leaks also suggested the Oppo N3 will be coming with a similar design and swiveling camera as the Oppo N1 predecessor. Today we can shed some more light on the design thanks to a new renders of the device.

As you can see the pictured N3 looks a lot like the Oppo N1.

The new Oppo N3, according to the guy delivering the renders, will pack a 5.9" 1080p display and will run on the latest Snapdragon 805 chipset with 3GB of RAM. Just like before the camera will be capable of 206-degree rotation and will feature a 13MP sensor with dual-LED flash.
The Oppo N3 is expected to launch on October 29. We bet Oppo will give us a lot more clues while we are waiting.

Xiaomi gearing up to sell 100,000 units per week in India next month

Xiaomi is gearing up for the festive season in India next month by increasing the availability of devices. Company Vice President Hugo Barra said the company is planning to make provisions to sell 100,000 units per week from the 60,000 they do currently.


Xiaomi recently started selling handsets in India and has been operating exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. In the short amount of time, the company made a reputation for having frustratingly low stock, which is made available through flash sales and goes out of stock in mere seconds.
The ridiculously inexpensive but feature packed Xiaomi Mi 3 was discontinued in India briefly after it was launched but the company plans to bring it back during Diwali, which sales of electronics are at an all-time high in India. It will be sold alongside the Redmi 1S and will later be joined by the Redmi Note.

Sprint opens up Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is hitting the US on October 14, but you can already pre-order the phablet on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Starting yesterday Sprint has also joined the campaign, allowing you to pre-book your unit and make sure you will be among the first adopters.
Sprint is asking $720 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 if you don’t want to sign a contract, which is lower than the $826 that AT&T demands. However if you are to sign a 2-year commitment Sprint is reducing the price to $350, $50 higher than what the largest GSM carrier in the States charges.

Sprint is also offering a third option for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 where you pay nothing upfront but spread it out over 24 monthly payments of $30.
Finally, you should know that Sprint will allow you to trade-in your old phone and subsidize the Galaxy Note 4 purchase further. Thanks to a promotion the carrier is running with Samsung, you are guaranteed to get at least $200 for any working phone.
Any interested Sprint subscribers may book their Samsung Galaxy Note 4 units by following the source link below.

Samsung launches the new Galaxy Alpha in India

Samsung launched the new Galaxy Alpha smartphone in India today. The device is priced at ₹39,990 ($654).

The Galaxy Alpha is Samsung's first smartphone after a while to have a metal-body. It uses an anodized aluminum frame with chamfered edges on the side. The specs of the phone are mostly that of a flagship device but in a smaller body, and as such, it will be competing directly against the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, which was recently launched in India for ₹44,990.
The Galaxy Alpha will be available in black, white, and gold starting next week. Due to a decision taken by Samsung India recently, the Galaxy Alpha, along with the upcoming Galaxy Note 4, will only be sold through offline retailers.

Sony schedules US event for October 9

Sony massively scaled back its US presence, which meant that getting the latest Xperia was a difficult task for US residents. But is the Japanese electronics giant staging a comeback? T-Mobile already confirmed that it will carry the Xperia Z3 flagship and now Sony has scheduled an event for October 9.

The Demand Great tagline is featured prominently on the invite, that’s the line for all Xperia Z3 ads in case you haven’t seen them (and indeed if you’re in the US you probably haven’t).
The event will start at 1:30PM Eastern Time and will run for an hour and a half. That's plenty of time to unveil the Xperia Z3 (and perhaps the Z3 Compact, fingers crossed), can Sony have something else in store? The day before HTC has an event to unveil its action camera but Sony already updated its Action Cam.

More details about the Samsung Galaxy A3 and A7 surface

The members in Samsung's soon to be unveiled A series of smartphones have been leaking a lot lately, and today is no different. While we already know pretty much everything about the mid-level model in this line, the Galaxy A5 (and we've even seen it in pictures), things are different when it comes to the Galaxy A3 and A7.
As the former of those has been certified in China by TENAA (which is that country's equivalent of the US FCC), we once again get a list of its specs. The first time this happened was thanks to a user agent profile.

This time around though, we get a more comprehensive idea of what to expect from the handset. As you can see, this will be a lower-midrange offering, sporting a 4.52-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 540x960 resolution, an 8 MP rear camera, and a 5 MP selfie snapper.
It will be powered by Qualcomm's 64-bit Snapdragon 410 chipset, coming with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU, aided by 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage expandable via microSD cards. Its dimensions are 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm, and it weighs 112g. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
Moving on to the Galaxy A7, this is going to feature a 5.5-inch touchscreen (resolution still unknown). This has been revealed thanks to a new listing from an Indian import-export tracker. This makes sense based on the monikers of these three devices, since the A3 has a 4.5-inch screen and the A5 makes do with a 5" panel.
Unfortunately though, the Galaxy A7 is the one we still have the least details on, but that situation should change soon, based on how many leaks we've already seen. Keep in mind however that the A7 may not be sold in all markets where the other two will be present, if we go by a rumor from a couple of days ago.

LG smartwatch with SIM slot

Since its perpetual competitor, Samsung, has already announced a smartwatch with a built-in SIM card slot for direct mobile data connectivity, you probably won't be surprised to find out that LG wants in on that game too.
An LG VC100 passed through the FCC as a "Smart Watch + CDMA", according to the Commission's own documents (see the image below). This pretty much spells out the fact that we're dealing with a wearable with embedded mobile connectivity, one that won't have to rely on a smartphone - just like Samsung's Gear S. Unlike Samsung's product, though, we assume the VC100 will run Android Wear.

This particular smartwatch is going to be sold by Verizon, an anonymous source says. That's because it's allegedly been spotted in one of Big Red's databases, where it sits neatly alongside other LG devices already launched by the carrier.

Although we don't have an actual picture of the VC100 yet, what is depicted in the image above is its profile, as seen from the rear. So it looks like it will have a design that will fall right in between the company's G Watch (which is much more squared) and G Watch R (which is round). Given the shape here, we expect it to sport a square display, but nothing's certain until it gets properly leaked.
Update: a new report says this may just be LG's previously announced KizOn wearable, which you can use to keep track of your kids. The shape fits, and the dimensions of the two are very close.

HTC M8 Eye with 13MP Duo Camera to land in October

According to a new rumor, we should see the smartphone codenamed HTC M8 Eye in stores before the end of October.
This device is said to be nothing more than a One (M8) with a 13 MP Duo Camera on its rear. The 'vanilla' M8 has a 4 MP camera, in the now famous Duo configuration which features a depth sensor alongside the main lens.
That depth sensing ability shouldn't be lost in the M8 Eye, but HTC seems prepared to finally let is much-loved UltraPixels go. These are the main feature of its otherwise low-res camera on the One (M8), as the company has long believed that bigger pixels equal better pictures. But now it looks set to put all of that aside for a 'normal' 13 MP sensor on this M8 Eye.
The new handset will apparently launch running Android 4.4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 6 on top. A previous leak on the matter did however claim that the Eye would have a 5.2-inch touchscreen, bigger than the One (M8)'s 5-inch panel (though keeping the same 1080p resolution). Even if the display size is still unclear, everything else about the M8 Eye should be identical to the One (M8).

Google tipped to require more of its apps on Android devices

According to a report in The Information, Google will require more of its apps to be preloaded on Android devices. Confidential contracts obtained by the media have revealed the upcoming change.

Allegedly, Google will require up to 20 of its apps preloaded going forward. Currently, the number hovers below 10.
Additionally, the search giant will require the apps to be prominently displayed on a device’s homescreen. The list of manufacturers in Google’s contracts includes the likes of Samsung, HTC, and Huawei among others.
The shift in Google’s policy towards its own Android apps is reportedly related to the ever-increasing importance of the OS as an income generator. Google’s apps and services have become a key contributor to its bottom line.

The Korean manufacturer Pantech is now up for sale

The maker of Android smartphones and tablets Pantech is now up for grabs. The third largest Korean hardware manufacturer and its creditors presented a plan for the sale procedure to the Seoul Central District Court.

Bidders will have until October 7 to submit their offers for the beleaguered manufacturer. Korean heavyweights like Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor Group, and the network carrier SK Telecom are reportedly among the interested parties. SK Telecom is unofficially viewed as a front-runner.
A purchase by a foreign company is not unlikely either. A number of Chinese and Indian tech giants would gladly place a bid and try to enter the Korean market.
Despite its characterful and well-made devices, Pantech struggled against Samsung and LG in the highly patriotic Korean market. Declining sales forced the company into recording losses in six consecutive quarters.

Apple officially responds to the iPhone 6 bending controversy

Apple finally broke its silence about the iPhone 6 Plus bending controversy that took over the tech world over the past couple of days. The Cupertino giant told Re/code that the problem is “extremely rare.”

Despite all the noise surrounding the issue, Apple has so far received a total of nine complaints from customers with bent iPhone 6 devices. We reckon that the number doesn’t include the YouTube enthusiasts who bent their devices for the sake of web notoriety.
Furthermore, Apple pointed out that it has designed iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with preventing accidental deformation in mind. Both handsets feature aluminum that has been treated for extra strength to prevent them from bending under normal circumstances.
In case your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus bent from normal use, it will need to pass Visual Mechanical Inspection in order to qualify for warranty replacement. We are not familiar with the inspection’s guidelines.
Considering that Apple sold a cool 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units during the launch weekend, we must agree that nine bent units is not exactly a large number. However, over the past couple of days, Apple’s competitors poked fun at it on a number of different occasions.

Archos 45c Platinum and 50b Platinum handsets go on sale

Archos unveiled the 45c Platinum and 50b Platinum Android 4.4 KitKat smartphones. The duo of entry-level devices is aimed at first-time smartphone buyers with a starting price tag of $99.

Already available for sale, both smartphones offer MediaTek MT6582 SoC with 1.3GHz quad-core CPU, Mali 400MP2 GPU, and 512MB of RAM. Built-in memory is 4GB and can be further expanded via a microSD card slot.

Dual-SIM functionality is also present in both devices. Unsurprisingly, their network connectivity tops out at 21Mbps HSDPA.
Archos 50b Platinum is the slightly more capable device from the bunch. It offers 5” qHD (960 x 540 pixels) IPS display and 8MP camera, capable of capturing 1080p video, and 1900mAh battery. The 50b Platinum is priced at $119 unlocked.
Archos 45c Platinum on the other hand, pack a 4.5” FWVGA IPS display. A 5MP camera with 1080p video capture and 1700mAh battery complete the highlights in tis spec sheet. The device costs $99 unlocked, free of carrier commitment.

Apple iPhone 6 official sales kick off in a number of countries including Nigeria

Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus officially hit the shelves in over twenty new markets. Cupertino’s duo of smartphones was initially available in the United States, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Singapore.

Beginning today, the two smartphones are officially on sale in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and UAE.
Apple raked in over ten million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales during their launch. With the iPhone 6 bending controversy officially answered by Apple, there is no reason to believe that the devices’ strong sales momentum is not going to continue.
Visit konga.com to order or click on the ad by the side

Apple iOS 8.0.2 is now seeding to devices worldwide

Sony launches the Xperia Z3 and the Xperia Z3 Compact in India

Sony has launched the new Xperia Z3 and the Xperia Z3 Compact in India. The two new models arrive not too long after the Xperia Z2 (May) and the Z1 Compact (February) were launched in the country.


The new Xperia Z3 is priced at ₹51,990 ($846) and the Xperia Z3 Compact is priced at ₹44,990 ($732). The pricing is quite steep, especially when you consider the new Moto X was launched for ₹31,999 just a couple of days back.
The new Xperia Z3 features thinner and lighter design, faster processor, and improved battery life. The Z3 compact gets a bigger display, faster processor, improved battery life, and stereo speakers.
The Z3 is available in black, white, and copper, and the Z3 Compact in black, white, orange, and green. Both phones are now on sale.

Alleged Motorola Nexus 6 appears in a live photo next to the LG G3

The Motorola Shamu, believed to be the upcoming Nexus 6 smarptohne, is starring in a live photo with the LG G3. The phone looks substantially larger than the G3, which carries a 5.5" display. This lends further credence to rumors that the Shamu is going to feature a display in the 6" ballpark.

The photo clearly shows that the Shamu features a soft-touch plastic back and keeps the metal frame from the Moto X (2014). This is clearly an indication that Google likes to keep the soft touch back that made a debut on the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 (2014).
In terms of specifications, the rumor mill suggests the Nexus 6 by Motorola is going to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in memory. The screen is said to have a 5.92" diagonal and QHD resolution for a pixel density of 498ppi. At the back, the camera is reported to have a 13MP sensor, LED flash and 4K video recording skills.
The battery of the Shamu is allegedly a 3,200mAh unit. As with all recent Nexus smartphones, don't expect a microSD card slot. The Shamu should be unveiled at Google's Android L release event and will run it out of the box.

Xiaomi Mi 3 to make a return to India

The Xiaomi Mi 3 was a runaway success during its short stay in India earlier this year. The smartphone batches were selling out in seconds with thousands of people never managing to get the unit they wanted. That's why when the company announced that it will be stopping the sales of the former flagship and replacing it with the Redmi 1S it caused quite a lot of discontent.
There's a silver lining to this cloud though - Xiaomi has reevaluated its decision and decided to bring the Mi 3 back to India. During an event in Bengaluru, a Xiaomi spokesperson confirmed that the smartphone will be back in stock in time for the Diwali festival (Thursday, October 23).


There were no specifics mentioned about the pricing and availability channels, but there will likely be no changes there. This means that Xiaomi will probably stick to Flipkart as its partner and sell the Mi 3 for INR 13,999 (roughly $230). We are just hoping the Chinese manufacturer brings enough units this time so they last for more than a few seconds.
If you are considering getting a Xiaomi Mi 3, you might want to check out our detailed review, where we put the handset through its paces.

BlackBerry shares rise as it reports unexpectedly small quarterly loss

BlackBerry outed its financial results for the quarter ending on August 30 and the news aren't as bad as the company expected. It's still bleeding money, but because the loss is less than expected, the company's shares rose 5% today.

Net loss is reported at $207 million, which is 78.5% less compared to the same period last year. Then the company recorded a loss of $965 million, only to get stunned by a $4.4 billion loss the following quarter.
However, BlackBerry is confident the cloudy days are now over as the restructuring of the workforce is now complete.
"Our workforce restructuring is now complete, and we are focusing on revenue growth with judicious investments to further our leadership position in enterprise mobility and security," stated BlackBerry's CEO John Chen said in a statement.
The company's latest smartphone to go on sale is the BlackBerry Passport. The phone features a full-size three row QWERTY keyboard and a 4.5" 1440 x 1440 pixels IPS LCD and carries the company's bright hopes of appealing to those felling nostalgic about mobile physical keyboards.

Asphalt Overdrive’ now available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone

Gameloft has released its newest game in the Asphalt series, called the Asphalt Overdrive. Overdrive is a spinoff of the successful Asphalt series. This isn’t exactly Asphalt 9 that you may have been waiting for and features a different gameplay mechanic.

Asphalt Overdrive is essentially like an endless runner game but with cars. You drive a car (which runs automatically) and dodge obstacles in your path by swiping left or right. You jump off ramps and pull stunts in the air. You ram traffic on the side and when you earn enough nitro boost by doing all this you use it to evade the cops.

The races are pretty short and mostly very easy, at least early on in the game. Overdrive has a retro look to it, which reminds me of the older Asphalt games, that too were played in portrait orientation. The UI is kinda hideous, though, with far too much IAP and and Facebook connect buttons.

Asphalt Overdrive is free and available for download on all three major platforms.

App Store • Play Store • Windows Phone Store (not yet available)

Vertu Aster hits the FCC, shows its premium build

The Vertu Aster is the company's upcoming luxury Android smartphone, which is close to launch after it payed a visit to the US FCC and China's TENAA. The Aster looks a bit different than the Signature Touch unveiled a while back, but sports similar specs.

At the front, the Aster features a 4.7" display of 1080p resolution and on the connectivity side is packed with LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
Under the premium leather wraps resides a Snapdragon 800 chipset with a quad-core 2.3GHz Krait CPU and 2GB of RAM. Internal storage is generous at 64GB, as there's no microSD card slot available.
At the back, there's a 13MP camera with LED flash and the phone weighs 195 grams with a waistline of 11mm. And that's no wonder, since Vertu has used cool materials such as titanium alloy.
The Aster runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat with special UI treatment by Vertu. The phone is listed to be available in a number of different colors including black, blue, red, brown, orange and pink. Pricing and availability are yet to be announced, but we guess you'll need a fat wallet to afford one.

Apple apologizes for iOS 8.0.1 issue, offers a temporary solution

Yesterday's iOS 8.0.1 update didn't quite go as planned. Although it featured some important bug fixes, including a fix for HealthKit, the update broke cellular and Touch ID functionality on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple became quickly aware of the problem and pulled the update shortly after it was released but several people had already updated by then. Apple now has a support page on their website, that details how users can reinstall the previous iOS 8.0 update by downloading the files for their respective device and then installing it through iTunes.
Apple also gave the following statement to The Verge
We have a workaround for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who lost cellular service and Touch ID functionality today after updating to iOS 8.0.1. Affected users can reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes, for more information visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6487. We apologize for the great inconvenience experienced by users, and are working around the clock to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it is ready in the next few days.

HTC's action camera looks like a toy periscope

HTC has sent out invites for October 8 and we were hoping for a Nexus 9 tablet or maybe a water-proof selfie phone but it seems that all the company will unveil is an action camera like GoPro, Sony Action Cam, Contour and others.

Unlike them, however, the HTC cam dubbed RECamera will look like a toy periscope. From two leaked promo images we see a relatively thin cylinder that bends at the top. This form factor allows for easily adjustable mount.

Hopefully HTC has more up its sleeve than a unique (if questionable) form factor. It's a given that the camera will be controllable from a smartphone (it doesn’t look like there's any screen at all on its bent cylindrical body). Zoe-like functionality seems likely too.
HTC hasn’t had a tablet since 2011's Jetstream and the large Nexus line has been mostly neglected so we really had high hopes for the event.
Note that the images came from recamera.com where you can also see a short teaser video (which doesn't actually show the camera).

Alleged image and details of Nexus 6 make the rounds

Alleged image and details on the upcoming Nexus 6 made the rounds online. The Motorola device is said to go official next month, and hit the retail shelves a month later, in November.

Also known as Motorola Shamu and Nexus X, the soon to be revealed device appears to carry the exact same design language as the 2014 Moto X. The leaked image reveals similar camera setup with dual-flash, the signature Motorola dimple on the back, as well as the volume rocker and the power/lock key of the device. The last two have been moved down in order to accommodate easier operation of the large display.
Nexus branding is noticeably missing from the above image. However, word is that the design has not been completely finalized. The finished product is certain to carry Nexus branding when it goes official.
In line with past rumors, the alleged specs of the Nexus 6 by Motorola include Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in memory, and 5.92” QHD display with 498ppi. A 3,200mAh battery reportedly powers the handset.
The camera of the Nexus 6 is going to be a 13MP unit capable of capturing 4K video. The front-facing 2MP unit is purportedly the same as the one found in the new Moto X.
As expected, the handset will debut with Android L on board. Motorola’s custom features will not make it to the Nexus 6.

Apple released and quickly pulled out iOS 8.0.1 firmware update

Apple released and quickly pulled out iOS 8.0.1 firmware update. The reasons for the sudden halt of the update process were iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reception and Touch ID issues, caused by the latest OS build.

Apple iOS 8.0.1 was originally intended to bring a number of changes and bug fixes. They included making HeathKit apps available, patching up issuers with third-party keyboards, fixing a bug that prevented apps from accessing the photos, as well as a number of other niggles.
Apple is currently investigating the iOS 8.0.1 issues and will provide an update soon. Older iPhone models don’t appear to be affected by the above issues.

Samsung Galaxy A7, A5, and A3 get rumored prices

Over the past week or so three new Samsung smartphones got leaked. These bear the model numbers SM-A300, SM-A500, and SM-A700, and they will probably launch as the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 (pictured below), and Galaxy A7, respectively.
Now we have some rumored price points for each of them, along with some interesting details about the A7. It turns out that this particular device may only be launched in select countries, and not become widely available as the other two.

Since its name and model number both seem to imply that it will be the best specced out of this trio, such a decision by Samsung is intriguing for sure. It may be that the company doesn't believe in the Galaxy A7's prospects of selling well everywhere. Or we could be looking at the exact opposite - it being afraid that the A7 would eat into the sales of the Galaxy Alpha.
Either way, the Galaxy A7 is said to cost around $450 to $500. The Galaxy A5 will be priced at $400 to $450, while the Galaxy A3 will be the cheapest of the bunch at $350 to $400. All of these prices are obviously for unlocked models.
All three Galaxy A handsets are going to feature built-in LTE connectivity, and they could all get official by the end of this month. They should have similar designs to the Galaxy Alpha as well as a premium feel, though whether metal will be used to achieve that is not yet clear.

Sapphire screen inside Apple Watch costs $27 to make

The Apple Watch was made official by its maker not long ago, but the company did not go into much details about the wearable's specs. Thankfully, though, we have analysts for that.
NPD DisplaySearch estimates that the version of the watch marketed by Apple as coming with a 42mm height features a 1.5-inch display, while the smaller 38mm Apple Watch sports a 1.3-inch screen. In both cases the resolution is said to be the same: 240x320.

This makes for a pixel density of 299ppi on the smaller model, and 261ppi for the bigger one. The display tech at use is apparently flexible AMOLED (on a plastic substrate), and the panel itself is made by LG. The sapphire glass that sits on top of it is supplied by GT Advanced.
Overall, the entire screen for the Apple Watch (including the panel, the sapphire, as well as all other parts, labor costs, and whatnot) is estimated to cost exactly $27.41. This is for the bigger, 42mm version.
The display module makes out $7.86 of that, while the sapphire-covered touch panel is worth $19.55. Keep in mind though that this estimation is made rather complicated by the fact that Apple has only one supplier for the display panel and one for the sapphire glass. Also, this is the first time anyone's used this combination of flexible AMOLED with sapphire glass on top. The point is - do take all of this with a pinch of salt.
The Apple Watch will become available in early 2015, starting at $349.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge will be a limited edition concept

just a couple of days Samsung will start selling the Galaxy Note 4. But if you've been patiently waiting for the other Note that was unveiled at IFA earlier this month, you'll have to continue to be patient.
According to a Samsung official, the Galaxy Note Edge will be treated by the company as a limited edition concept. This is a nice way of saying that it will forever be a niche device.

Samsung apparently plans to ramp up production for the Edge pretty slowly, and it doesn't look like it will be launched in many places at once - rather, the rollout will go country by country. The company expects to sell around a million units this year.
We've already heard that the Note Edge will be quite expensive, and that would clearly relegate it into niche device territory, and definitively so. What's becoming clear now is that this was always Samsung's plan.
So perhaps we should think about the Galaxy Note Edge more in terms of being a successor to last year's (also very niche) Galaxy Round, and not as a higher-end version of the Note 4 (thanks to its unique screen).
In South Korea, the Note Edge might be out in late October, while it will only make it to other territories in November. However, if Samsung staggers its rollout, then it could very well be 2015 before it's out in most regions.

BlackBerry Passport launches today in the US, Canada and UK

The sales of the BlackBerry Passport start today, just as promised. The square screen smartphone hits Canada first with local carrier Telus claiming first dibs. Until October 1, it will run for $200 on a two-year contract, and after that, for $250.

The BlackBerry Passport is also landing in the US on AT&T. There, the phone will cost $250 with a two-year commitment. You can also get it SIM-free from BlackBerry's online store for $599. Note, that this is a temporary promotion from the phone's regular price of $699.
The company will launch the phone in a total of 30 countries including France, Germany, Singapore and the UK, just to name a few. In the UK, an unlocked BlackBerry Passport will cost £484.98.
The Passport has so far been revealed to come with a 4.5-inch 1,440x1,440 touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 2 MP front snapper. Running the show will be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC with a 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU, aided by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable built-in storage. BlackBerry's CEO praised the Passport for having 36-hour battery life, and that will be possible thanks to its big 3,450 mAh battery.
BlackBerry OS 10.3 debuts on the Passport. It will also be available for all BlackBerry OS 10 devices in the coming weeks and months.

Apple iPhone 6 has a more secure TouchID than iPhone 5s

Tech security blog Lookout's Marc Rogers has hacked the Apple iPhone 6's TouchID fingerprint scanner using a stolen print (his own), cyanocrylate (super glue) and fingerprint tape and has an interesting tale of the event.
The same Marc Rogers was able to hack the TouchID button on last year's Apple iPhone 5s using the same means. The road to a fake fingerprint isn't short and it's safe to say it can't be achieved by your run of the mill criminal-minded person.

The results of the hacking show that the iPhone 6 uses a higher-resolution scanner and is in turn more sensitive and that it appears to scan a wider area. That results in it being far harder to fool as you need more accurate fingerprints .
Also a "slightly dodgy" fake print which managed to unlock the iPhone 5s didn't succeed with the iPhone 6, which could be due to the wider scanning area of the new TouchID.
As the hacker notes, he still loves the TouchID scanner saying it does a good job of protecting your phone against most people wanting to unlock it.

New Moto X launched in India, available exclusively on Flipkart

Motorola has launched the second generation Moto X in India in partnership with Flipkart. The phone will be available exclusively on Flipkart starting midnight tonight (IST).

Motorola will be selling the new Moto X in only the base 16GB variant, which is an odd move since there is no expandable memory available on this phone. The base model is priced at ₹31,999 ($525).
Along with that, there will also be a leather and wood finish option. The leather model will be black with black leather, and the wood option would be white with bamboo finish. These variants are priced at ₹33,999 ($558).
Hopefully, Flipkart and Motorola will offer additional leather and wood options, along with 32GB capacity in future.

Microsoft Lumia 735 hits the UK on October 2

Microsoft is launching the Lumia 735 in the UK starting October 2. The company didn't reveal a SIM-free price for the phone, only a base monthly price on contract - £20.

Nokia Lumia 730 and 735
The phone is the first phone in the UK to run Windows Phone 8.1 with the Lumia Denim update out of the box. It features a 4.7" OLED display with a 720p resolution, a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM.
Internal storage is 8GB and at the back, there's a 6.7 MP camera with LED flash and Carl Zeiss optics. The Lumia 735 also claims to be good at selfies with a 5MP wide-lens 1080p camera. Last, but not least, a beta version of Cortana is also available for UK users.
The Lumia 735 is also available in dual-SIM and 3G-only variants. Their pricing is also yet to be confirmed. Microsoft claims that all major retailers will offer the device, which will have versions in orange, green, black and white.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launches in two days, hits 140 countries

Today Samsung held a "Galaxy Note 4 World Tour" in Seoul where the company detailed the availability of the phablet. The Galaxy Note 4 will officially launch in the country on September 26, just like a Samsung representative unofficially confirmed yesterday.

After that Samsung aims to bring the phablet to whopping 140 countries by the end of October. The company intentionally moved the Galaxy Note 4's launch earlier than planned because of the pressure by Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus duet.
While detailed pricing and availability are going to vary from region to region, in South Korea a SIM-free Galaxy Note 4 will run you at approximately $920, which is the cheapest of any Note phablet so far. Pre-orders of the Galaxy Note 4 are already underway in the US. There, the phone is confirmed to launch on AT&T and T-Mobile on October 14.
In fact, pre-orders of the phone on the country's three largest operators are now sold out. SK Telecom, the country's biggest carrier, managed to sell out its pre-order stock in just 9 hours, while KT and LG Uplus did the same in three days.
Currently, there's no official information about the pricing and availability of the Galaxy Note Edge. The phone packs a curved 5.6" 1600 x 2560 pixel Super AMOLED screen and latest rumors indicate the phone won't be cheap. Suggested prices are between the €880 and €1000 range.

Samsung Gear S will arrive in the United States this fall

Samsung Gear S will make its way to the United States at some point this fall. The Korean giant announced the upcoming availability of its latest smartwatch.

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will all offer the 3G-capable wearable device. Pricing and exact availability of the gadget will be announced at a later date.
Announced late last month, Samsung Gear S features curved 2” Super AMOLED display, extensive connectivity suite, and Tizen OS.

Teardown analysis reveals iPhone 6 production costs

Hot on the heels of last week’s iFixit treatment, Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus became subject of a more detailed teardown analysis. Performed by the research firm HIS, the breakdown reveals estimates about the smartphones’ production costs, as well as the profit margins they deliver.

Apple iPhone 6 with 16GB of built-in memory costs $200 to build in parts and labor, while a 128GB model requires $247 to put together. The iPhone 6 Plus production costs on the other hand, range between $216 for a 16GB model and $263 for the 128GB version.
Apple’s iPhone 6 family profit margins are estimated to be about 69% for the 16GB device models. The range-topping 128GB versions deliver slightly higher, 70% profit margins.
The most expensive component in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is their display. Made by LG Display and Japan Display, the component costs $45 for the iPhone 6, and $52.50 for the iPhone 6 Plus. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 covers the screen of both models.
Apple’s 20nm A8 processor is made by TSMC and, combined with an attached co-processor, costs about $20. Apple previously relied heavily on its rival Samsung for the production of the iPhone and iPad processors.
NXP Semiconductors provides the NFC chip for the iPhone 6 range. Combined with the rest of its built-in sensors, it costs $22 for both devices.

iPhone 6 Plus appears easily prone to accidental bending

It appears that the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is prone to bending under typically benign circumstances. A number of reports around the web suggest that Cupertino’s first phablet has bent its chassis while sitting in a user’s front pocket.

HTC Desire 820 lands in India along with 820Q and 816G

The HTC Desire 820 was announced for India today. The 64-bit recently unveiled mid-ranger will be joined in the subcontinent by a new quad-core variant called the Desire 820Q, as well as by a 3G-only iteration of the Desire 816, which is going to be sold as the Desire 816G.
The Desire 820 and 820Q are identical in terms of specs, save for the chipset used and the amount of RAM in each of them.

As previously announced, the Desire 820 comes with dual-SIM support, a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, and an 8 MP front snapper. Running the show is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, with a CPU featuring four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and four at 1.0 GHz. The phone has 4G LTE, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD).
The Desire 820Q, on the other hand, sports a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, with a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, and just 1GB of RAM.
The Desire 816G is basically the same as the Desire 816 that's been on sale for months, except for three things: it only has 3G connectivity (so no LTE), it's powered by a MediaTek chipset coming with a 1.3 GHz quad-core CPU, and it has 1GB of RAM. The original 816 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 and 1.5GB of RAM.

The HTC Desire 816G will become available in India in early October for INR 18,990 ($311, €241). The other two devices haven't been priced, but they are going to be in stores in early November.

HTC Desire 820 lands in India along with 820Q and 816G

The HTC Desire 820 was announced for India today. The 64-bit recently unveiled mid-ranger will be joined in the subcontinent by a new quad-core variant called the Desire 820Q, as well as by a 3G-only iteration of the Desire 816, which is going to be sold as the Desire 816G.
The Desire 820 and 820Q are identical in terms of specs, save for the chipset used and the amount of RAM in each of them.

As previously announced, the Desire 820 comes with dual-SIM support, a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, and an 8 MP front snapper. Running the show is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC, with a CPU featuring four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and four at 1.0 GHz. The phone has 4G LTE, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD).
The Desire 820Q, on the other hand, sports a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, with a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, and just 1GB of RAM.
The Desire 816G is basically the same as the Desire 816 that's been on sale for months, except for three things: it only has 3G connectivity (so no LTE), it's powered by a MediaTek chipset coming with a 1.3 GHz quad-core CPU, and it has 1GB of RAM. The original 816 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 and 1.5GB of RAM.

The HTC Desire 816G will become available in India in early October for INR 18,990 ($311, €241). The other two devices haven't been priced, but they are going to be in stores in early November.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders sold out in South Korea

Mere hours ago we told you about Samsung's plan of countering the great publicity (and great sales numbers) of Apple's two new smartphones by launching the Galaxy Note 4 phablet earlier than anticipated. The handset is due to become available in the company's home of South Korea on September 26, which is this Friday.
Prior to the official release, however, the three Korean carriers took pre-orders for the Note 4. And each had a set number of units available for pre-order. Already, all three carriers report having sold out their respective pre-order supplies.

SK Telecom, the country's biggest carrier, managed to sell out its pre-order allotment in just 9 hours, while KT and LG Uplus did the same in three days. Pre-orders were supposed to be taken from September 18 to September 25. But since the carriers have sold out their supplies, you can't pre-order a Galaxy Note 4 from them anymore. All you can do now, if you're in South Korea and crave a Note 4, is wait until Friday and hope you'll be able to find one in stock somewhere.
The Galaxy Note 4 will be the cheapest Note flagship ever sold in Korea, going for around $919 SIM-free.

Leaked images show Moto S back panel, Motorola Droid Turbo

Sure, it's launched the new Moto X and Moto G only a few weeks ago, but Motorola apparently has more devices planned for this year. And today details about two of those have been leaked.
First up we have the Droid Turbo. As its name implies, this one will be a Verizon exclusive, and aims to be the successor to last year's Droid Ultra. In the image below, the Droid Turbo (on the left) shows its back next to the Droid Maxx from 2013.

The Motorola Droid Turbo will supposedly come with a 5.2-inch touchscreen, front-facing speakers, and a dual-LED flash for the main camera. Interestingly, Verizon chose to put the Droid logo right beneath its own on this phone's back.
Moving on, the other handset that's in the works over at Motorola's HQ is the Moto S. In the image below we can allegedly check out its back panel, which clearly shows this will be a phablet (thanks to its size when compared to the back panel of this year's Moto X, that has a 5.2" screen).

As you can see, the design of the back will be very similar to that of the new Moto X. The Moto S could in fact be the device codenamed Shamu that got benchmarked a while back and has been rumored to get official as the next Nexus offering from Google.
Past speculation had the Shamu coming with a 5.9-inch touchscreen, and based on this back panel's size that now seems entirely possible.
Of course, there's also a chance that the Moto S and the Shamu are two different things. Or if they aren't, that this won't actually be the next Nexus. Even these images may have been faked in some way, so don't lose sight of a grain of salt for now.