OnePlus Finally Releases OxygenOS Based on Android 5.0 Lollipop

OnePlus One owners that have been waiting for their promised OxygenOS upgrade will be pleased to know that the Chinese company has just released the update.

Initially slated for a March 27 launch, OxygenOS has been delayed due to “extra quality control” and OnePlus stated that it will offer daily news updates on the status of the upgrade. Along with the delay of the update OnePlus offered five 64GB OnePlus One smartphone to 5 lucky winners chosen from their forum users, as compensation for postponing OxygenOS. One week after the delay, the Chinese company came forward with an announcement confirming the release of the highly anticipated OxygenOS for OnePlus One. The new OS is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and brings lots of new features and improvements to OnePlus One owners.

However, OxygenOS is fully created by OnePlus, so they “can quickly respond to user feedback and make it easier for you to continue playing a fundamental role in the future of OnePlus.”

“Subtle and meaningful” changes instead of gimmicks and bloated features

In that regard, OnePlus claims all the features included in OxygenOS aren't there just for the sake of differentiation. Those who developer this ROM have decided to put things like performance and battery life over other gimmicks and bloated features. According to OnePlus, they have added lots of important features, which are subtle and meaningful. That seems to be the Chinese company's philosophy behind its OxygenOS. Keep in mind that OxygenOS is not delivered OTA (over the air), instead you will have to head over to oneplus.net/oxygenos and download it from there. OnePlus also offers instructions on how to flash OxygenOS on the OnePlus One smartphone. In other news, those who own OnePlus One smartphones powered by CyanogenMod will have to wait a little longer for their update, which is now going through certification.

OxygenOS
Image credits to OnePlus

OxygenOS Top Features
Video credits to OnePlus

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Xiaomi and AOKP Partner Up for MIUI 7

If you follow the mobile industry, you’re probably well aware that Android ROM developers like Cyanogen and Paranoid Android have been partnering with hardware manufacturers to bring to life atypical phones.

Well, AOKP doesn’t want to be left behind, so today the team has announced they partnered up with none other than Xiaomi to produce the next MIUI 7. The new iteration of MIUI will be based on the current Android 5.1 version and will be making its debut on the upcoming Xiaomi Mi5 flagship, as stated by AOKP. The new ROM is referred to internally as MiKangy and is expected to offer all the features that are available in Cyanogen, Paranoid Android and AOKP. MIUI 7 is made to sound pretty fantastic. The ROM will be designed to evolve side by side with the users and will allow each Mi 5 owner to have a unique experience with their phone.

Word on the street has it that the Xiaomi Mi 5 will arrive with a 5.2-inch display with QHD resolution (1440 x 2560 pixels) and a Snapdragon 805 under the hood. The phone will probably be rolled out during the fourth quarter of the year, so we still have some time to wait before it goes official.

Xiaomi and AOKP now have a partnership going
Image credits to Xiaomi/AOKP

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Xiaomi Mi4 Running Windows 10 for Phones TP Caught on Video

Microsoft announced last month it has a nice surprise for Xiaomi fans who own the Mi4 and wish to try out its new Windows 10 for Phones operating system.

Even though Xiaomi came forward a few days after Microsoft announcement and confirmed that there's no partnership with the Redmond-based company, we know for sure that some Mi4 users will be getting a special Windows Phone ROM. The Chinese company allowed Microsoft to use its forums to provide Xiaomi Mi4 fans of Windows Phone operating system the possibility to test the new platform on their devices and offer their feedback. In order to do that, Microsoft will be releasing an Windows Phone ROM that will be available for download via Xiaomi's forums. However, the company did not announce any timeframe for the release of the ROM, but we suspect it won't take long until it will go live.

Xiaomi Mi4 owners from all over the world should know that this program will only be available in China, so if you're not located in the country you won't be given access to the Windows Phone ROM.

The Mi4 has no issues running Windows 10 for Phones

Today, new information came to our attention, which suggests that Microsoft is very close to releasing the promised Windows 10 for Phones Technical Preview for select Xiaomi Mi4 users. It looks like the folks over at WindowsBlogItalia have just published a video coming from China, which shows the Xiaomi Mi4 running Windows 10 for Phones Technical Preview. Apart from the fact that it's really weird to see an Android smartphone running Windows Phone, it's also worth mentioning that the Xiaomi Mi4 runs very well on Microsoft's mobile platform; there's no lag and everything works smoothly.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think about the possibility of creating an universal Windows Phone ROM for any Android handset.

Xiaomi Mi4 running Windows 10 for Phones

Windows 10 Mobile running on Android phone
Video credits to WindowsBlogItalia

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Sony Cosmos to Be Launched as Xperia C4

Sony is prepping multiple smartphones to be launched in the upcoming months, and recently we've told you that the handset maker is apparently developing a 6-inch phablet and we’re not far from seeing the Xperia Z4 flagship make an official debut.

However, the Sony Cosmos handset also leaked in the wild a while ago, and now we have some extra info about the device. According to @upleaks, the Sony Cosmos handset will be launched into the wild as the Xperia C4. The theory does make sense, since the Xperia C3 launched in July last year and we’re fast approaching summer. The new Xperia C smartphone is expected to boast 4G LTE capabilities and to run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

Earlier leaks would have us believe that the phone will be powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor and will don a 5MP front-facing camera with LED flash. Apart from that, the rest of the specs remain a mystery. Sony already unveiled quite a lot of products this year, including the Xperia E4, Xperia E4g, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia Z4 Tablet, but it seems that at least three new Sony handsets are in the pipeline to go live in the upcoming months.

Confirmed：Sony Cosmos will be going to the market as Xperia C4.
— @upleaks (@upleaks) April 1, 2015

Sony Cosmos main view

Sony Cosmos apps

Sony Cosmos, Bluetooth option
Image credits to @UpLeaks

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Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 Are Top Performing Phones of Q1 2015 in AnTuTu

We've seen a lot of smartphones launch in the last few months, with industry giants like Samsung and HTC both unveiling flagship models.

As Q1 has come to an end, popular benchmarking service AnTuTu has released a list of top 10 performing smartphones for the period mentioned above. It’s customary for AnTuTu to deliver such lists, and last year we saw the Meizu MX4 claim the top position as the most powerful smartphone of 2014.

Samsung has released the most powerful phone so far this year

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that in Q1 the Samsung and HTC flagships have claimed the first positions in the AnTuTu top. The Samsung Galaxy S6 scored a total of 67,520 points, while the Galaxy S6 Edge and HTC One M9 got 62,373 and 52,709, respectively. As you probably know by now, the two Samsung phones are powered by the company’s own Exynos 7420 octa-core processor (built using a 14nm manufacturing process), while the HTC One M9 relies on the controversial Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 platform. Further down the top, we find the Samsung Galaxy S5 (European model, with 49,335 points), the Meizu MX4 (49,305), Nexus 6 (49,145), Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (49,140), Motorola Droid Turbo (48,695), LG G Flex 2 (48,605 - oddly enough, it runs on the same Snapdragon 810), and the OnePlus One.

Qualcomm's chips dominate the top

Interestingly, most of the smartphones present in the top (50%) run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 platform, while only 10% take advantage of the Snapdragon 810 (the same for Snapdragon 801). Samsung Exynos 7420 takes 20% of the pie, while the MediaTek MT6595 grabs 10%. AnTuTu also reveals a top of GPU performance for the above mentioned chips, and we see the Exynos 7420 come out on top yet again with 20,725 points, while the Snapdragon 810 comes in at number two with just 18,936. The Snapdragon 805 and Snapdragon 801 score 16,286 and 13,198 points, respectively. While going through the provided lists, keep in mind that benchmark results don’t actually translate the same in real-life usage, so they have to be treated as reference numbers. They are merely an indication of how well the handset is going to perform when it’s sitting in your hands.

10 performance smartphones in Q1 2015 according to AnTuTu

Top 10 performance chips in Q1 2015 according to AnTuTu

Top 10 GPU performance in Q1 2015 according to AnTuTu
Images credits to AnTuTu

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Sony Xperia Z4 Spotted in Benchmark with 5.1-Inch FHD Display, Snapdragon 810 CPU

Sony did not launch a flagship smartphone this year yet, but the Japanese company is expected to do so in the coming months. One of the most important handset makers, Sony has decided that two flagship smartphones per year is too much, which is why beginning 2015 it will only launch one.

The Xperia Z3 is the last and current flagship smartphone released by Sony and since it hit shelves last fall, it can hardly compete with the most recent flagship launched by other companies. Nevertheless, Sony is already working on its next high-end smartphone, the Xperia Z4. The handset has been recently spotted in benchmarks, which gives us an idea on what Sony plans to bring on the market. Having said that it doesn't plan to include Quad HD displays into its smartphones due to the high battery consumption, Sony Xperia Z4 appears in GFXBench with a 5.1-inch full HD (1080p) capacitive touchscreen display.

3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory, but no word on microSD card slot

As expected, the prototype benchmarked is equipped with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, an Adreno 430 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM. Also, the smartphone packs 32GB of internal memory, but there's no info on whether or not it will feature microSD card slot for memory expansion. We also don't know whether or not Sony will included another Qualcomm processor inside its flagship smartphone if the chipset maker launches a new one in the coming months.

On the back, the Xperia Z4 will boast a 20-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, autofocus and video recording, while in the front there will be a 5-megapixel camera for video calls and selfies. Codenamed Sony E6553, the Xperia Z4 tested in GFXBench runs Android 5.0.2 Lollipop operating system, but the final build may be released with a newer version. Sony Xperia Z4 is expected to be revealed later this year at IFA 2015, which will kick off in early September. However, the Japanese company hasn't confirmed a timeframe for the release of its next flagship smartphone yet, so take it with a grain of salt for the moment.

Sony Xperia Z4
Image credits to @onleaks

Sony Xperia Z4 specs
Image credits to GFXBench

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HTC One M9+ Renders Show Up, Reveal Fingerprint Scanner

A few hours ago, HTC quietly announced the One E9+ smartphone in China, a model which arrives with a 5.5-inch QHD display (2560 x 1440 pixel resolution).

The product was supposed to be announced in China on April 8 alongside the HTC One M9+, but it looks like the Taiwanese company wanted to introduce the One E9+ so it could focus on the M9+ during the “More than One” event. While we await for this to happen, the phone has appeared in a couple of official press renders brought to us by serial leakster @upleaks. The two images’ clear focus is the Samsung-style scanner beneath the screen. We’re also seeing a very interesting color combination of gunmetal grey on the front and back with gold accents on the side.

The chassis design is very similar to the HTC One M9, but then again, we have the fingerprint scanner onboard plus the rear camera we've already spotted on the “More than One” invitation. As the name suggests, the One M9+ will be larger than the One M9, arriving with a display somewhere between 5.2 inches and 5.5 inches, and it should offer QHD resolution (2,550 x 1,440) unlike the current flagship.

Other rumored specs include an octa-core MediaTek processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

HTC One M9+ showing fingerprint scanner

HTC One M9+ back and front
Images credits to @upleaks

HTC invite to “More than One” event
Image credits to HTC Weibo

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Alleged iPhone 6C Rear Cover Leaks Out, Gets Compared to iPhone 5C

A few days ago, a report came in saying that Apple was prepping not just two iPhone models this year, but three.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Cupertino tech giant will be unleashing the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and surprise, the iPhone 6C with a 4-inch display. It seems that a market for low-cost, less premium smartphones still exists, so Apple has finally set up plans to refresh the model which made its debut in 2013. The iPhone 6C is poised to continue on the road the original model has embarked upon, meaning it will be a less advanced affair. As it turns out, the phone will be powered by the current-gen A8 system-on-chip, while the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will benefit from the yet unannounced A9 chip.

Is this the iPhone 6C?

A few days ago, this was just a rumor propagated by a hit-and-miss Asian publication, but this week, mobile part re-seller Future Supplier appears to have leaked the iPhone 6c plastic back cover. For comparison’s sake, the iPhone 6C’s rear cover has been stacked against the panel on the iPhone 5C. As you can see, the differences aren’t very considerable, but if you look closely, you’ll notice some things have changed. First, the camera flash cut out on the iPhone 6C now has an oval shape like on the iPhone 5S, while the camera LED on the iPhone 5C is round. It’s a subtle difference which doesn’t pop up right off the bat.

The second disparity consists in the fact that iPhone 6C’s back cover now has two sets of speaker holes living on the bottom side. The iPhone 5C, on the other hand, only has a single set. While we can’t yet be 100% sure that Apple plans to roll out a new 4-inch budget model, it does seem that the rumor mill is leaning towards this very theory. Even if the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have managed to register record sales (74.5 million in Q4 2014 alone), it seems that some customers can’t accommodate to larger 5.5-inch factors yet (it’s the case of the Plus model) and continue to crave a good old 4-incher. So Apple is looking to cater to their needs.

iPhone 6C back panel compared to the iPhone 5C

The iPhone 6C has two rows of speaker holes drilled into it
Images credits to iSupplier

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Lenovo’s Super Cheap K3 Note Impresses in Benchmarks, Beats Samsung Galaxy S5

Last week, Lenovo took the wraps off a pretty interesting new smartphone which it debuted in its home country, China. The device maker is probably looking to take on domestic competitors like Meizu and Xiaomi with this new smartphone.

What’s most surprising about this new handset is the price-specs correspondence. The Lenovo K3 Note is notably cheap, arriving in the wild priced at around $145 / €134. You’d normally expect such a cheap phone not to bring much to the table in terms of specifications, but you would be pretty wrong to think that in this case. The K3 Note arrives with a 5.5-inch display and offers 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution with 401ppi. Under the hood lies an octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor maintaining things steady on board. The device maker throws in 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 13MP/5MP camera combo. The phablet is kept alive and running by a hefty 3,000 mAh battery which should allow users to use it throughout the day.

Even if Lenovo calls this smartphone Note, the model doesn't seem to arrive with any digitizer on board. There’s also an interesting visual part to it: if you look at its back, you’ll probably notice the protuberant Lenovo logo.

The Lenovo K3 Note 3 aces it in benchmarks

The handset hasn't been out for long, but it already popped up in benchmarks, showing us surprisingly encouraging results. The Lenovo K3 Note made a little stop at AnTuTu, where it got benchmarked and subsequently scored an impressive 46,001 points, enough to challenge a lot of flagship devices that were released in 2014. At least on paper, Lenovo’s new budget affair seems to be from the same group as the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, LG G3 or OnePlus One. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S5 model with an Exynos 5 Octa processor on the inside scored 38,580 in AnTuTu, while the Snapdragon 801 model managed to snatch only 36,018 points.

So in theory, it appears that the Lenovo K3 Note should be able to perform quite smoothly, a lot better than handsets arriving with a similar price tag. Hopefully, the device maker will offer the model on the international market too, at some point.

Lenovo K3 Note
Image credits to Mobile Dad

Lenovo K3 Note in AnTuTu Benchmark
Image credits to AnTuTu

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Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 815 SoC Might Have Quad Cortex A72 and Quad Cortex A53 Cores

Even before Qualcomm rolled out the Snapdragon 810 chip into the wild, we had been hearing a lot of rumors about the silicone piece being plagued by overheating issues.

The fact that Qualcomm tried to perfect the platform before the first devices bundling it started shipping out didn't help much either, as concerns regarding overheating haven’t dissipated yet. Anyway, the debate around the Snapdragon 810 will probably be over once the company releases its next chipset, an event that doesn't seem that far away. Snapdragon 815 is Qualcomm’s next take on a SoC (system on a chip), and according to the information we have, the silicone piece is expected to arrive on the market in the coming months.

As we told you a few days ago, the chipset was already tested in benchmarks and was pitted against previous models, including the Snapdragon 801 and Snapdragon 810, while running Asphalt 8 Airborne, a demanding mobile game from Gameloft. The results showed that the Snapdragon 815 runs much cooler than both Snapdragon 801 and Snapdragon 810.

Snapdragon 815 details revealed

While these preliminary results seemed pretty encouraging, we still didn't know much about the specifics of this particular chip. However, the folks at Gizmo China received a tip revealing more info about Qualcomm’s upcoming silicone platform. The Snapdragon 815 will apparently come with four Cortex A72 and four Cortex A53 cores on a big.LITTLE architecture. The chip will reportedly be made using the new FinFet process (probably 16nm) and will be outfitted with Qualcomm’s next-gen Adreno GPU. The source also mentions that Qualcomm might tweak the cores to boost performance. So it appears the Snapdragon 815 will be pretty similar to the Snapdragon 620, which has already been launched.

The exception is that the Snapdragon 815 will be manufactured on a smaller node and will take advantage of all the features that can be expected from a premium Snapdragon 800 model. Earlier leaked info about the Snapdragon 815 also revealed that the new SoC would arrive with a LDDR4 RAM and would use a MSM9X55 LTE-A Cat. 10 modem. If you’re wondering why Qualcomm is taking its time to launch the new, less prone to heating Snapdragon 815, it’s because the chip giant doesn't want to hurt sales of the LG G Flex 2 or HTC One M9 flagships, which just went on sale. The Snapdragon 810 will also make it into several other flagships in the following months, like the LG G4, Sony Xperia Z4 or OnePlus Two.

Snapdragon 815 will be launched soon
Image credits to Know Your Mobile

Snapdragon 815 heating compared to the Snapdragon 810 and Snapdragon 801

Snapdragon 815 details leak out
Image credits to Gizmo China

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