A8X Chip Shows Up in New iPad Leak

The iPad Air 2 is just around the corner. New leaks from China seem to confirm that the tablet will indeed sport a custom tailored version of the A8 chip found inside the latest iPhones.

Not only that, but the new leak also shows the Elpida RAM module previously said to hold 2GB of memory, which would enable the new tablet to support multitasking. Real multitasking, that is.

iPad Air 2 on the way

Tomorrow is Apple’s second fall event for 2014. It’s not as promising as the iPhone 6 launch event, but it’s not to be missed either. At the media gathering – hosted in the Town Hall auditorium on the company’s campus – new products in multiple categories are said to receive some significant upgrades. First on the list of suspects is the iPad Air 2, with its nearly identical design and upgraded electronics. Things like the volume buttons, the camera module, and the speaker grills are said to have undergone minor changes, while the screen size remains intact in this new iteration, we hear. A Touch ID sensor will serve as the tablet’s Home button as well as a means for unlocking the device and authenticating purchases (including Apple Pay transactions, according to the latest rumors).

The new iPad isn’t likely to cost more than its predecessor, and we don’t see Apple dropping the price either. We hear that the 16GB storage option will no longer be available with the iPad Air 2. Apple is reportedly starting at 32GB with the new tablets. People looking to get a tablet with less storage (for financial reasons) will be directed to the iPad mini, industry sources note.

Blazing-fast A8X chip

Considering how well the A8 performed in benchmarks, the A8X will be a screamer. The X stands as a designation for a custom design that integrates more powerful graphics. Apple has often used this marker as an indication that the silicon houses a faster GPU, exclusive for tablets. It makes sense, considering how many more pixels it has to handle. We also hear that the company wants to finally offer a way for users to enjoy real multitasking by using at least two separate apps side by side in split-screen mode. This feature was supposed to already arrive as part of iOS 8, according to early rumors.

However, Apple reportedly hit a few roadblocks and had to put it on hold. It isn’t clear if the culprit was the lack of RAM or technical hurdles involving iOS 8. In any case, sources say it’s finally happening in the iPad Air 2. Fingers crossed!

iPad Air 2 logic board
Image credits to apple.club.tw

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BlackBerry Classic Specs and Live Pictures Leak Ahead of Official Release

Good news for BlackBerry fans who couldn’t cope with the Canadian company’s latest “unconventional” smartphone, the Passport, as the next handset under the BlackBerry brand is going to bring back the classic QWERTY keyboard and form factor.

Dubbed BlackBerry Classic, the next not so expensive smartphone to be launched by BlackBerry this year has just leaked in several live pictures. Even though some of the phone’s specs have been rumored for quite some time now, the folks over a N4BB received confirmation on Classic’s feature. During BlackBerry Passport’s launch event last month, the company’s CEO John Chen confirmed that the Classic would be available for purchase by the end of the year. Unfortunately, there’s no telling exactly when we will be able to grab one, but at least we now know what to expect from the affordable (hopefully) smartphone. First of all, as the name suggests, the smartphone brings back everything that BlackBerry users loved at their devices. The same form factor and the excellent QWERTY physical keyboard are part of the BlackBerry Classic for the first time in a long while.

But under the classic chassis, BlackBerry included more than decent specs, which are supposed to bring it on par with most of other mid-range smartphones. First of all, we expect the Classic to ship with BlackBerry 10.3 operating system out of the box, though it’s unclear exactly what version it will run.

BlackBerry Classic could be unveiled as early as November 2014

Hardware-wise, BlackBerry Classic is likely to be armed with a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 S4 Pro processor, an Adreno 225 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM. That’s quite a decent hardware configuration for a BlackBerry smartphone, so those tempted to give it a try shouldn’t be worried that the phone will be laggy. The phone’s 3.5-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display supports a rather unusual 720 x 720 pixels resolution, though this isn’t something that should surprise BlackBerry users. The screen only features 294ppi (pixel per inch), but for a mid-range handset this it quite normal.

BlackBerry Classic comes with 16GB of storage inside and there’s no mention of microSD card slot for memory expansion, but we suspect the Canadian company will add one. On the back, the Classic packs an 8-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash and video recording, while in the front there’s a secondary 2-megapixel camera for video calls. It is also worth mentioning that BlackBerry Classic has a standard QWERTY keyboard and a TrackPad that makes it easier to navigate through the menu. However, it appears that the TrackPad isn’t illuminated, so users might have some trouble in pinpointing it in darker environments.

BlackBerry Classic
Images credits to N4BB

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Nexus 6 Leaks in Press Render for the First Time

After countless of leaks that didn’t really show what the Nexus 6 will really look like, today marks the day the first press render of the smartphone popped up online.

Courtesy to none other than @evleaks (Evan Blass), the first picture of the Nexus 6 phablet now offers us a glimpse at what Google's next flagship smartphone looks like. Judging by the size of the smartphone, it’s now clear that Google will launch a 5.9-inch Nexus 6 instead of a much smaller version. We also don’t expect the company to announce a mini variant along with the phablet during the official announcement. However, a smaller Nexus 6 “clone” may be available under Motorola’s brand, but it will be sold by the US-based handset maker and it won’t come as cheap as a Google phone may come. The leaked picture also reveals that the Nexus 6 will pack dual front speakers, one placde above the display and another one at the bottom. The volume and lock/unlock keys have been placed at the middle of the right side of the smartphone for easier access.

Obviously, the phone will be powered by Android L at launch, or whatever Google will decide to name its next version of the operating system.

Nexus 6 will pack dual front speakers and will be powered by Android L

We can also see that there’s a front-facing camera and that the back side has a concave form factor. The Nexus 6 does seem to be a bit slimmer on top and bottom sides and thicker at the middle. But there might be an optical illusion due to the angle at which the picture was taken. This looks like a black version, but Google may launch a white variant as well. No additional details have been shared on the smartphones’ specs sheet, but we already know quite a lot about Nexus 6. For those still not in the loop, here is a quick recap of what Nexus 6’s specification list may look like. First of all, the smartphone will boast an impressive 5.9-inch QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display and a powerful 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor.

Furthermore, the smartphone is expected to pack an Adreno 440 graphics processing unit, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Nexus 6 is likely to lack microSD card slot for memory expansion, which is why we believe Google may launch a 64GB model as well. Nexus 6 has been confirmed for official unveiling sometime this month, along with Android L. However, the exact release date for the device hasn’t been announced yet.

Nexus 6
Image credits to @evleaks

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AMD's Next Desktop APU Will Be Called “Zen”

Advanced Micro Devices may have unveiled the Carrizo and Carrizo-L APUs, or at least their ETA, indirectly or otherwise, but those are laptop chips exclusively. On the desktop front, we won't see anything new before 2016.

Sure, there will be a refresh of the Kaveri lineup in 2015, but with all the problems that the 20nm has posed, they will probably have to stick to the same 28nm architecture as now. Since the GPUs are doing it, it makes sense that CPUs (or in this case APUs, if you want to be technical) do the same. No one wants to see a whole year go by without some sort of product release. This does, however, show that desktop owners won't have much reason to go PC hunting for the next year or so. Sure, the Kaveri refresh will be nice and all, but it will be just an upgraded version of what's already out there. And the APUs aren't really enthusiast-grade parts anyway, so hardcore gamers won't be looking at them regardless.

Now, though, we may have found out exactly what name we should be hunting for in future leaks, analyst conference calls and press releases.

The “Zen” desktop Accelerated Processing Unit

This is the name that some people believe will be borne by the next generation of APUs from the Sunnyvale, California-based company. The Zen is supposedly on track for release in 2016, and it will at the very least be found in many desktop PCs from ASUS, if not every other AMD OEM in the world. We don't have any information on the Zen, but this rumor does seem to align with another we reported on, about AMD having delayed its next APUs to 2016 instead of 2015.

The reason given back in July this year (2014) was that AMD had trouble adding DDR4 memory support to them. Whatever the case is, the rumor seems to have been corroborated, although since this, too, is a rumor, you might want to take it with a grain of salt regardless.

Market placement of the Zen

Probably the upper mainstream, with maybe one or two chips for the high-end front. AMD may have said that it no longer competes with Intel on the hardcore enthusiast segment, but that doesn't mean we can't hope it will change its mind. It does make sense for it to stick to the mid-range and performance segments though. Any higher GPU and the mid-range integrated ones would be seen as pointless cost additions instead of resources, since people at that level always buy an add-in video card anyway. Or two. Or three or more.

AMD Zen desktop CPU coming in 2016
Image credits to AMD

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Leaked Google Video Ad Shows Nexus 6 and Android L

The Nexus 6 is the next major launch in the smartphone world. The device has been the focus of the media for quite some time now, but everything will end this month after Google officially unveils its next flagship smartphone.

But the Nexus 6 won’t be the only important product launched by Google this month. Given previous experience, we expect the company to release the next version of its mobile platform, which is known as Android L for the moment. However, Google is likely to launch the market version of the Android L under a different name that will probably start with the same letter (“L”), but for the time being it’s unclear what sweets Google chose to name their new OS after. Nevertheless, it’s absolutely clear that Nexus 6 and Android L will be officially launched on the market at the same time. What we don’t know is exactly when Google plans to announce both products. We know it will be this month, but for now Google only confirmed an event for tomorrow where the search giant is expect to announce the Nexus 9, a new tablet made by HTC.

While there’s a slim chance that Google may introduce the Nexus 6 and Android L during the same event, we believe both products will be unveiled at a separate event that will probably take place at the end of this month. Just before a major launch, we usually get a few leaks that offer us glimpses of what’s to come. They usually come in the form of pictures and sometime even videos.

The commercial confirms a bigger Nexus 6 will be launched this year

Today however, the folks over at AndroidPolice report a video ad for Android with the slogan “Be Together, Not The Same” has just been leaked online. Obviously, the unreleased video is made by Google, but the good news is it shows the Nexus 6 and the Android L. What really stands out from the video is the fact that the Nexus 6 has been scaled up to emphasize the fact that it will be unusually bigger than the previous models. This points out to the fact that we will indeed have a much larger Nexus 6 this year, as Google most likely decided to enter the phablet market, which counts as almost 25% of the smartphone market worldwide.

According to the latest hearsay, the Nexus 6 should pack a huge 5.9-inch display with QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, a 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, an Adreno 440 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM. We will keep an eye out for more details on the upcoming Nexus 6 and Android L announcements, so stay tuned for additional info on the matter.

New Android commercial
Image credits to Lou Kohn

Recorded!
Thanks to https://plus.google.com/+CristianColocho/posts/XJJKFC2C7CG for the initial post!
Video credits to Lou Kohn

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Sony Xperia Z3 Takes and Passes the Coca Cola and Nutella Tests, but Why Would Anyone Do That?

So, it looks like this year will be known as the year of weird smartphone tests. After #Bendgate, #Gapgate and a few more others, it looks like we have another set of tests that doesn’t imply the “gates” word.

If you thought that bending a smartphone to find out how solid it is just for the kicks is a bit out of the ordinary, then you will probably laugh very hard when you find out that someone thought it would be wise to make a Coca Cola test. Yep, you hear that right. YouTuber adriansen felt there was a need for Sony fans to find out how much the Xperia Z3 could endure before collapsing. Given the fact that Sony Xperia Z3 is IP68 certified and can withstand being submerged in over 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, one would think that our YouTuber would actually test this feat and see if what the Japanese company claims is true. But no, the test that we’re writing about involves Coca Coal and Nutella. Although he specifically says that we shouldn’t try this at home, he basically washes the Xperia Z3 in Coca Cola for a few minutes.

Upon wiping it out, Sony’s latest flagship smartphone does not seem to have any issue and it looks to be working fine. However, the buttons might start being harder to press after the sugar in the Coca Cola starts strengthening. This can be easily solved by washing the smartphone, once again, but this time in fresh water.

Sony Xperia Z3 endures some of the weirdest ruggedness tests

Well, if that wasn’t enough, adriansen though it would wise, and without question a smart thing to do, to bathe his Xperia Z3 in Nutella. After being covered in Nutella and then cleaned up with towel paper, the smartphone did not seem to have any major issues except for the sound which suddenly became a bit laggy. However, the sound problem disappeared a few moments after the smartphone was cleaned, which means whatever the issue was, it fixed itself. We can’t help but wonder why anyone would do these kinds of tests. Who does it really help to know that his/her Xperia Z3 will continue to work if dropped in Coca Cola or bathed in Nutella? Now that we’ve eliminated Coca Cola and Nutella from the list of potential tests for smartphones, it will be interesting to see what’s next. What other liquid do you think would be worth spilling on the Sony Xperia Z3 to see how rugged the smartphone really is?

Sony Xperia Z3 taking the Coca Cola test
Image cedits to andrianisen

Videos credits to andrianisen

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Android L Gets Demoed on Motorola Moto G [Video]

Unveiled back in November 2013, Motorola Moto G was launched on the market during the same month and soon became one of the best-selling Motorola smartphones.

Motorola sold millions of Moto G units since its launch, which is why it decided to continue to launch sequels of the smartphone this year. Although the device was launched with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, the Moto G was quickly upgraded to Android 4.4.4 KitKat over the next several months. In fact, the Moto G was one of the first smartphones to receive the KitKat update after Google officially introduced the new operating system last year. There’s a high chance that Motorola will continue to offer major OS updates to Moto G devices in the months to come as well, but Android L might be the last one that the devices will receive if Google does not revise its updating policy.

According to Google, devices older than 18 months will not receive any major OS updates, so owners will have to upgrade to a new device almost once every two years if they want to keep up with Android versions. Anyway, Moto G owners should not be afraid that their phones won’t receive the Android L update, as the smartphone is not even 1 year old. But there is more proof that Motorola plans to upgrade the Moto G to Android L as soon as Google makes the new version of the OS official.

Android L will be officially released on the market sometime this month

GSMArena reports that Moto G has just been caught on video running an Android L build. The 6-minute video has been recorded by a developer who got access to a version of Android L before the OS got released on the market. The video shows the biggest change included in Android L, the Material Design, which is the new UI design language that Google has decided to bring into its new OS. Lots of the features that we already know and love at Android will be improved esthetically, as well as performance-wise. The notifications area has been changed, along with the lockscreen and the animations between different tasks.

Android L is a completely different vision, which is why Google had to launch a preview version back in the summer, so that developers can get acquainted with the new look of the OS and make their apps and games compatible. The new version of Android is expected to be officially unveiled sometime this month, along with Google new Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet.

Motorola Moto G running Android L
Image credits to MotoGDevelopmentMexico

Video credits to MotoGDevelopmentMexico

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Lenovo Sisley Is an iPhone 6 Copycat

Chinese handset maker Lenovo is one of the most prolific brands in Asia with millions of smartphones sold every year. But smartphones are not the only business Lenovo has, as the company is also one of the major players in the tablet and laptop markets.

Lenovo’s success in the smartphone business doesn’t seem to be enough for the company, which has recently acquired another handset maker directly from Google. Motorola Mobility is likely to pave Lenovo’s way into the United States’ market where the Chinese company hasn’t been able to set foot yet. But that’s not the only market where Motorola will help Lenovo reach, as the US-based company’s mid- and entry-levels smartphones have become best-sellers in lots of other countries. Although there’s not one Lenovo or Motorola high-end smartphone that would sell as many units as the Apple’s iPhone 6, the Chinese company is trying to boost sales of its products by any means necessary even if that would violate a few patents in the process.

We’re talking about the upcoming Lenovo Sisley smartphone, which is expected to hit China and probably other Asian countries in the next couple of weeks. Well, the so-called Lenovo Sisley happens to look awfully similar to the Apple’s iPhone 6 that’s been recently launched on the market.

The Sisley has the same size as the iPhone 6

Aside from design, we’re not sure anything else would apply to the comparison, as Lenovo’s smartphone is powered by Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system out of the box. However, as anyone can see from the live pictures showing the Lenovo Sisley, the smartphone has the same dual speakers on the bottom side and a thin stripe on the back side. The iPhone 6 has two stripes on the back, but Lenovo probably skipped the one on the top on purpose. Even so, the smartphones are strikingly similar when it comes to look, which is why we think Apple will have a good case here if it decides to file a lawsuit against this copycat.

The camera of the Lenovo Sisley has been placed exactly like the iPhone 6 one, to the left upper corner of the back cover. The whole form factor of Lenovo’s smartphone has been created to induce the idea that this is an iPhone 6. We’re pretty sure Lenovo Sisley will be much cheaper than Apple’s iPhone 6. Spec-wise, the smartphone comes with a 5-inch HD (720p) capacitive touchscreen display and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, Gizmobic reports. It also features an impressive 8-megapixel camera in the front, which would be perfect for selfies, and it will be only 6.9mm thin (just like the iPhone 6).

Lenovo Sisely bottom side
Image credits to Weibo

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Receives First Update That Improves Battery Life

Samsung’s new flagship smartphone has only been officially released in several countries, but the South Korean company plans to introduce the Galaxy Note 4 in a lot more regions by the end of the month.

Although the handset is not yet available in major markets, such as the United States and the UK, Samsung has already launched an update for the phablet. This is the first software update for Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and it’s currently being pushed in all countries where the smartphone is now available for purchase. However, as the device goes on sale in additional countries, the update will be available for download in more regions. According to appdated, the new software update (firmware XXU1ANJ4) is expected to improve the Galaxy Note 4’s battery life. Given the fact that the rollout of the update has just kicked off, it’s hard to say whether or not it really improves the battery consumption efficiency of the Galaxy Note 4. Only time will tell if Samsung managed to enhance the phablet’s battery life.

Also, the update doesn’t really say by how much the smartphone’s battery life should improve after installing it, which is why additional testing is needed to determine how effective Samsung’s changes really are.

The update brings some stability and performance improvements as well

But this is not the only improvement included in this update, which is expected to be around 35MB in size. The changelog also mentions Galaxy Note 4 owners should also get some stability and performance improvements, though no additional details on any of these have been provided yet. We expect Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to be among the first smartphone launched by the South Korean company to receive the highly anticipated Android L update. Google has been confirmed to launch the new version of its mobile platform this month, which means it will take a few months until Samsung is capable of delivering a working Android L update for the Galaxy Note 4.

Until then, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be able to download this small update that brings a major improvement, better battery life, by going to Settings / About phone / Software Update. Keep in mind that the update is rolled out in stages, so if you are not notified on availability and it doesn’t show in the Settings menu either, then you should try again later. Customers who will purchase the Galaxy Note 4 in the following weeks should have access to the update right out of the box, so make sure you check for it if you want better battery life for your smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 first software update
Image credits to appdated

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Motorola DROID Turbo aka Nexus 6 Mini Leaks in Official Press Render

There’s been quite a debate on the matter of Google launching a phablet Nexus over a standard smartphone with a smaller display.

We’re still not sure what will happen with those customers who are anxious to upgrade to the new Nexus 6 or whatever it will be named, hoping it will not be a phablet. According to the latest reports, Google will indeed launch a 5.9-inch Nexus phablet this month, though a smaller version of the smartphone is still in the cards. The question is how Google will be able to deliver the smaller version of the Nexus 6 internationally. We do know that the 5.2-inch Nexus 6 model was nixed by the search giant in favor of the larger version, but that doesn’t mean that the maker of the smartphone will not launch it under its own brand. The so-called Motorola DROID Turbo is a 5.2-inch smartphone that packs the same features that were known to belong to the Nexus 6 when the first details on the handset leaked online several weeks ago.

However, the DROID Turbo will be exclusively available in the United States through Verizon Wireless carrier, which means customers in other countries won’t have access to it. There were a few pictures of the DROID Turbo leaked a few weeks ago, but they weren’t coming through any of the official channels. Over the weekend though, Verizon’s Twitter account in charge of DROID family mistakenly published a press render of the DROID Turbo. Even though the carrier pulled the picture, the damage was already done as the online media was able to save the picture and inform readers about the DROID Turbo.

DROID Turbo may be available through other carriers under different names

This is not the first time that something official regarding the DROID Turbo leaks ahead of the actual announcement. No later than last week, the smartphone’s “User’s Guide” manual popped up online and confirmed some of the features the DROID Turbo was rumored to pack. For example, the DROID Turbo will be compatible with Motorola’s Moto fast charger and it will support Qi Wireless charging. As mentioned earlier, the smartphone will sport a 5.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 3900 mAh monster battery,

The DROID Turbo is likely to be launched at other US carriers as well, but only after Verizon exclusivity period ends. The smartphone could be released at AT&T as ATRIX 2014 or something similar. Obviously, the unlocked version will be released internationally under a different name, possibly as Motorola Moto S, though this is just a rumor which has been confirmed by multiple sources yet. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Motorola DROID Turbo back
Image credits to @DroidLanding

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