Xiaomi Mi4 Running Windows Phone Caught on Camera

Microsoft announced yesterday that it would launch Windows 10 for Phones this summer, and along with it, new smartphones will be released as well.

The Redmond-based company has confirmed its next flagship smartphone will arrive after Windows 10 is launched, so we can expect another Lumia high-end device to be available on the market in August / September. Until then though, there will be some new affordable Windows Phone released on the market coming from Microsoft, Lenovo and even Xiaomi. Although many won't be available worldwide, like Lenovo Windows Phone handsets, those launched by Microsoft will be released globally.

Along with the announcement regarding the Windows 10 for Phones release, Microsoft also stated it has partnered with Lenovo for the release of Windows Phone handsets in mid-year 2015. Also, thanks to another agreement with Xiaomi, select Mi4 power users will be given the chance to test Windows 10 Technical Preview on their smartphones.

A special Windows Phone ROM may be in the works for Android phones

This means that Microsoft has already found a way to make Android smartphones boot Windows Phone as well. That will make it easier for Xiaomi Mi4 users to test Windows 10 Technical Preview on their devices. In favor of this statement, new pictures showing the Xiaomi Mi4 running Windows Phone have just leaked directly from China. Xiaomi and Microsoft have already stated that they are working on special ROM that Xiaomi Mi4 owners will be able to download it from the website and flash it on their phones. Time will tell when this Windows Phone ROM will be released and made available to Xiaomi Mi4 users.

Until then though, check out the pictures in the gallery and tell us what you think about the idea of Android smartphone owners being able to flash Windows Phone ROMs onto their devices.

Lockscreen

Social apps

Home screen

Home screen
Images credits to @Cinquetacche

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Windows 10 for Xiaomi Mi 4 ROM Pack Will Be Offered for Download from MIUI Forums Soon

As announced a few hours ago, Microsoft has confirmed a partnership it set up with Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi.

According to the Redmond-based company, Windows 10 will be available to owners of the Xiaomi Mi 4 smartphone. Thus, users will be able to enjoy the perks of the new operating system without actually purchasing a brand new Windows phone. Earlier today, Microsoft said that a group of Xiaomi M 4 power users would receive invitations to help test Windows 10 and offer their feedback for its future release later this year.

The select elite will be able to install Windows 10 Technical Preview on their devices and contribute with their ideas and bug reporting to the full development of the OS. But luckily, it seems that things are not going to be so constricted after all. On the official MIUI forums, Xiaomi has just announced that the company will be releasing the ROM pack in question on the forum soon enough. So you'd better keep your eyes open and on the lookout. While we wait for Windows 10 to arrive on the Mi 4, you’re invited to try installing Android 5.1.0 by Ivan if you want to have a taste of stock Android (for the time being).

Windows 10 running on Xioami Mi 4

Microsoft announcing partnership with Xiaomi
Images credits to Official MIUI Forum

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Microsoft to Offer Free Windows 10 Upgrade ISOs for Windows 7 and 8.1

Windows 10 is expected to see the light of day during the upcoming summer, and just like Microsoft said during the January 21 event at its headquarters in Redmond, the new operating system will be offered as a free upgrade within the first year after launch to those who run Windows 7 or 8.1 on their PCs.

But as suggested in a slide presented by Terry Myerson, head of the OS unit at Microsoft, at WinHEC in China, the upgrade path to Windows 10 will be supported not only through the built-in Windows Update (as is the case right now for the Windows Insider program) but also with stand-alone ISOs that allow users to perform a clean install of the OS. According to this slide, Windows 7 RTM and SP1, Windows 8, 8.1 RTM, and 8.1 S14 will support upgrade ISOs, while Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 S14 (which is actually a fully updated version of 8.1) will also work with Windows Update.

Surprisingly, Windows RT doesn't seem to support any of the two, which is pretty weird, given the fact that Microsoft has already confirmed that some Windows 10 features will also be offered to devices running the tablet-oriented operating system. Windows Phone users will have to update to 8.1 to get Windows 10, and the new operating system will obviously be deployed through the standard update feature.

Upgrade paths to Windows 10 for older OS versions
Image credits to Microsoft

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Xiaomi Mi Note Plus Could Be the Company’s Second Snapdragon 810 Phone

A few months ago, Xiaomi launched the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro flagship smartphones, and the latter was actually quite interesting.

The Mi Note Pro is the second handset to be announced with Qualcomm’s controversial Snapdragon 810 platform and taking advantage of a consistent 4GB of RAM internally. While we are yet to see the Mi Note Pro arrive on the market, it appears that the Chinese up-and-coming device maker is prepping another powerful phone with similar specifications from the Note lineup.

Xiaomi might be looking to extend its Mi Note lineup

Gizmo China reports that the unannounced Xiaomi Mi Note Plus has popped up in benchmarks, revealing the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor that is used to power the Mi Note Pro. On top of that, the handset is also paired with 4GB of RAM. The phone has been spotted running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop out of the box. Judging by the name, the Mi Note Plus could be the top-end model in the company’s Note lineup. After the launch of the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, a device with the same name popped up in the AnTuTu benchmarks, revealing specs identical to those of the Mi Note Pro. So at the time, it was speculated the name was mistakenly spelled.

The Mi Note Plus also popped up in GeekBench and scored somehow similar to the HTC One M9, which runs on the same platform. In the single-core test, the mystery device scored 1235 points, while in the multi-core test it managed to snatch 4039 points. By comparison, the HTC One M9 managed to grab 1282 points in single-core and 3929 in the multi-core tests.

The Mi Note Plus' launch date remains a mystery

For the time being, there’s no indication of when Xiaomi might be looking to make the mystery Mi Note Plus official. Just a few hours ago, the phone maker introduced a special variant of its Mi Note smartphone, called the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition, which, as you might have guessed, comes with a bamboo rear cover. But the company didn’t say anything at all about the Mi Note Plus. The device maker might talk about it after the Mi Note Pro makes it out into retail. In all possibility, we might be dealing with a version of the Mi Note Pro that comes with a larger display (6-inch maybe).

Xiaomi's Mi Note Pro phablet 

The Xiaomi Mi Note Pro doesn't sell to customers yet

Xiaomi's Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition

Xiaomi has a new version of its Mi Note out
Images credits to Xiaomi

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus in Geekbench
Image credits to MyDrivers

Xiaomi Mi Note Plus in AnTuTu
Image credits to Gizmo China

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Sony Xperia Z4 Tipped for IFA 2015, Coming with a MicroSD Card After All

The Sony Xperia Z4 has been quite present in the rumor mill recently, having been leaked in a handful of press images just a few hours ago.

We've also been hearing that Sony is looking to retract from its usual 6-month flagship refresh cycle and take up an annual one and now a new report coming out of HDBlog seems to reaffirm that. According to sources familiar with the matter, Sony will be introducing the Xperia Z4 as late as September at IFA 2015 in Germany. Last year, on the same grounds, Sony rolled out the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact handset models. The two flagships are currently being updated to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, in case you are the owner of one such model.

Going back to the Xperia Z4, previous rumors claimed that the upcoming smartphone might not come equipped with a microSD card like the Samsung Galaxy S6. However, it appears there’s still hope that this won’t be the case. The current report states that the Xperia Z4 will not be losing the microSD card after all. So memory expansion rejoice! All in all, the Sony Xperia Z4 seems to maintain much of the look of the previous Xperia Z3 and will arrive in FHD and QHD versions and with a Snapdragon 810 under the hood.

Sony Xperia Z4
Images credits to @OnLeaks on Twitter

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Check Out Cyanogen’s New Boot Animation [Video]

As you have probably heard by now, Cyanogen is looking to make some major changes to its custom ROM platform in an attempt to make it accessible not only to Android tweakers.

The team already showcased their new logo design not long ago and this week we are getting a sneak peak of the upcoming CyanogenOS 12. As you can see for yourself in the video embedded below, the designers at Cyanogen are aiming to impress you with a clean, sleek animation centered around the brand new logo. The boot animation will be showcased every time you reboot your Android device, which we hope you won’t be doing all too often. In addition to releasing the video, Cyanogen has mentioned it will also introduce Boxer as its default email client, and in the following few weeks, you should be expecting to see more teasers, as the launch date for Cyanogen 12 draws near.

Recently, Cyanogen also announced a partnership with Qualcomm, which is designed to enable the custom ROM maker to embed its software feats and UI design elements into devices supported by Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, 400 and 600 processors (used in lower-to-mid-range handsets). Back then, Cyanogen said it was committed to providing an enhanced experience to these budget phones aimed at customers who don’t want or need a high-end smartphone in their life.

Cyanogen's new boot animation revolves around the new logo
Image credits to Youtube Video Screenshot

New Cyanogen OS Boot Animation
Video credits to Cyanogen

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Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Arrives on Sony Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Yesterday we had a little bit of good news for those of you who are rocking a Sony Xperia Z smartphone. After months of waiting and promises, the Japanese device maker finally kick-started the much awaited Android 5.0 Lollipop rollout.

The Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact were the first ones to receive the new build, but luckily more devices are being added to the rooster as we speak. As the Xperia Blog is currently reporting, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop (build 23.1 A.0.690) is now rolling out to Xperia Z2 (S65XX) owners in the Nordic and Baltic regions of Europe. What’s more, the Wi-Fi-only (SGP11, SGP612) and LTE (SGP21) versions of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact are also getting the same treatment.

The 16GB LTE (SGP512) and Wi-Fi (SGP511) models of the Xperia Z2 Tablet join the family of devices that are getting Lollipop as well, but the Wi-Fi-only 32GB version (SGP512) will have to wait a little while longer. So if you are the owner of one of these devices, you’d better keep an eye on your phone/tablet to see if you have received a notification alerting you that Android 5.0 Lollipop has arrived. As is usually the case with these updates, some versions might be getting Lollipop sooner than others, depending on region and exact device model.

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on Sony Xperia Z2

Rollout of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop for the Sony Xperia Z2 has begun

Rollout of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop for the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has begun
Images credits to Xperia Blog

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Windows 10 Will Eat Up Less Space on All Devices

Microsoft has recently revealed that Windows 10 will come with a new file compression system that will make the operating system eat up less space on all your devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Still, not all these devices will benefit from the same amount of space, Microsoft says, but increased storage should be available after installing the new OS.

In a blog post published this morning, Microsoft says that Windows 10 will include system compression and recovery enhancements that will bring you back approximately 1.5 GB of storage space for 32-bit installations, and 2.6 GB for 64-bit versions. Phones that will be upgraded to Windows 10 will also win back some space, but the exact amounts of storage that will be offered will vary by device. At the same time, Redmond says that the "refresh" and "reset" options that are included in Windows 10 will no longer use a recovery image that's mostly pre-installed on device manufacturers to include all drivers and necessary software.

Without a recovery image, Windows 10 will provide 4 to 12 GB additional storage space, which means that the new operating system can help you win back no less than 15 GB with all the aforementioned space-saving tweaks.

RAM and CPU, essential for system compression

The software giant explains that Windows 10 will analyze the amount of RAM and the CPU installed on every machine and then determine if system compression can be used for gaining additional space on the local drives. "The amount of RAM a device has determines how often it retrieves system files from storage. Another important factor is how quickly a device’s CPUs can run the decompression algorithm when retrieving system files," the company says. The whole purpose of this small mix is to use system compression without actually hampering system performance in any way and to eventually impact your work, so all tasks would be performed in the background.

Windows 10 is projected to hit the market in the second half of 2015, but everyone can already take the operating system for a spin as part of the Windows Insider program.

Windows 10 system compression in action
Image credits to Microsoft

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Nexus 6 Is Faster with Android 5.1 Lollipop, Benchmark Shows

Google has already launched Android 5.1 Lollipop, a new version of its mobile OS which is supposed to fix lots of the issues that Lollipop adopters complained of many times.

The new OS is also meant to improve performance on some smartphones and tablets, as well as eliminate the occasional lags. Unfortunately, Android 5.1 Lollipop is only available for Nexus devices, like Nexus 6, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. And it will take quite a long time for Android 5.1 Lollipop to arrive on other smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3 or HTC One M8, which all run a previous version of the operating system. Well, that is quite unfortunate because Android 5.1 Lollipop should really boost any of these smartphones mentioned earlier. At least that's what it did for the Nexus 6.

The folks over at Ars Technica have tested their Nexus 6 device with a version of Android 5.0 Lollipop onboard, and then with the latest one released by Google last week.

Android 5.1 Lollipop is clearly better optimized than any previous versions

The benchmark chosen by Ars Technica is AndroBench. As proven by the results the Nexus 6 with Android 5.1 Lollipop provides more than double the performance of the same device running Android 5.0 when it comes to reading and writing speeds. Sequential speeds on the other hand are about the same for both Android 5.1 and Android 5.0, which means that games will load in about the same time. On CPU tests, the Android 5.0 Lollipop shuts down processors 3 and 4 and leaves only two of them running, but in Android 5.1 Lollipop all cores are enabled and ready.

In the same piece of news, Nexus 5 was subject to the same tests and the results are about the same, which proves that Android 5.1 Lollipop really optimizes the operating system further for better overall performance.

Random read and write speeds

Sequential read and write

CPU benchmark
Images credits to Ars Technica

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Sony Xperia Z4 Fully Revealed in Leaked Press Render

Sony's presence at Mobile World Congress 2015 was pretty discrete with only a new tablet and a mid-range Android smartphone. However, that is about to change in the coming months, as the Japanese company plans to launch its next flagship smartphone.

Although previous rumors claimed the Xperia Z4 will be revealed at MWC 2015, that did not happen and the smartphone won't be officially unveiled for a few more months at least. Since Sony announced it will focus more on design and less on specs, we don't expect the Xperia Z4 to pack any revolutionary features. However, the first press render of the smartphone leaked yesterday and from what we've noticed there aren't many differences as opposed to the previous flagship, the Xperia Z3.

It strongly resemblance the previous flagship

Today, the same leaker published another picture of the Xperia Z4, but this time a image shows the full front side of the device. That being said, it's clear that Sony's upcoming flagship smartphone will adopt the same design line as the previous model, which makes us wonder what new stuff the Japanese company will include in the Xperia Z4. Apart from the picture, @OnLeaks did not provided any other details regarding Xperia Z4's specs, but we suspect they will come sooner rather than later. According to previous rumors, the Xperia Z4 should pack a 21-megapixel rear camera with Exmor RS IMX230 sensor and an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor.

No word on display, but Sony might avoid adding a Quad HD screen inside for fear of high battery consumption, which leads us to believe the Xperia Z4 will sport a full HD (1080p) display. Other than that there is pretty much no info Sony Xperia Z4, but since we're getting close to its launch we expect more details to emerge in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Sony Xperia Z4

Sony Xperia Z4 (top side)

Sony Xperia Z4 (back side)
Images credits to @OnLeaks on Twitter

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