Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to Pack All-in-One Exynos 7422 CPU, May Lack MicroSD Slot

We're less than a month away from Samsung Galaxy Note 5's official unveil and it looks like we're getting more info on the upcoming flagship smartphone.

Even though we already know some of the specs that Samsung plans to include inside the Galaxy Note 5, there are still some details that have been left out. The folks over at SamMobile have just learned that Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be initially available in four color options: Black, Gold, Silver and White. Just like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will feature glass back, which is a clear indication that the phablet is likely to lack microSD card slot. Also, due to the unibody design and glass coating, the Galaxy Note 5's battery might not be removable.

According to the same source, the Galaxy Note 5 will be powered by Samsung's all-in-one Exynos 7422 chipset. Why is it all-in-one? Because for the first time it will embed all solutions, including a 64-bit octa-core CPU, GPU, RAM, storage and Samsung's Shannon LTE modem.

Samsung has already tested 4K displays

Apparently, Samsung also tested the Exynos 7430 chipset inside the Galaxy Note 5, which features support for 4K display, but decided to use the Exynos 7422 and a 2K display this year. Now, when it comes to microSD card slot things don't look that bright for Samsung Galaxy Note fans. Word is that Samsung plans to follow the same plan it adopted with Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. These two flagship smartphones feature the fastest internal storage technology (UFS 2.0), which will not offer the same performance if they would pack microSD card slots.

Given the fact that UFS 2.0 technology uses another type of memory controller than the eMMC 5.0 solution offered by SD cards, it would be impossible for these two to coexist without affecting the overall performance. If Samsung plans to implement the UFS 2.0 technology inside the Galaxy Note 5, it's highly unlikely that the smartphone will be packed with microSD card slot as well.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 insides
Image credits to Catalin Garmacea

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus Coming with 5.7-Inch Quad HD Display, Snapdragon 808 CPU

We already know Samsung plans to release an improved version of the Galaxy S6 edge since the South Korean company has just trademarked the Galaxy S6 edge+ name less than two weeks ago.

However, not much is known about the improvements the Galaxy S6 edge Plus will pack over the standard model. We do know however, that the smartphone is more than likely to be unveiled along with the Galaxy Note 5 in late August or early September. And now thanks to SamMobile we also have some info on the smartphone's specs sheet. Judging by these leaked details, many Samsung fans will be disappointed that the South Korean company skipped some of the features that are missing in the Galaxy S6 edge as well.

We're talking about microSD card slot and removable battery, which are likely to lack in the Galaxy S6 edge Plus mode. According to the cited source, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus will feature the same glass back coating like its smaller twin. This means that it will most likely lack a microSD card slot and that the battery will be non-removable.

It will pack a 3,000 mAh battery and Android 5.1 Lollipop

Aside from that, we also know that the smartphone will sport a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display that will feature Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. The Galaxy S6 edge Plus won't be equipped with a homegrown Exynos chipset, instead Samsung seems to have been opted for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 chipset that features a hexa-core processor. Furthermore, the handset will pack 32GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with OIS (optical image stabilization) and 4K video recording, as well as secondary 5-megapixel camera in the front.

Last but not least, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Plus is said to come with a fix for TouchWiz RAM issues currently affecting the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus mockup compared to the “normal” Galaxy S6 Edge
Image credits to OnLeaks

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Sony Xperia Z4v Confirmed to Arrive at Verizon on August 13

Sony and Verizon announced last month they will bring the Xperia Z4 to consumers in the United States. However, the carrier-branded Xperia Z4v comes at Verizon with enhanced specs in comparison with the standard model.

It's common fact that Sony stated numerous times that it's not ready to include Quad HD displays inside its smartphones. Both Xperia Z4 and its international counterpart, the Xperia Z3+ are packed with full HD (1080p) display, which was kind of disappointing for Sony fans. However, unlike the Xperia Z3+, Verizon's version will come with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. Although Sony and Verizon confirmed the Xperia Z4v will be exclusively available in the United States through the Big Red's official retail channels, they did not share any details regarding the possible release of the smartphone.

It will be available in either black or white colors

Today, XperiaBlog reports Verizon confirmed Sony Xperia Z4v will be commercially available beginning August 13. One thing still remains to be unveiled by the carrier: price. We know nothing about the smartphone's pricing options for the moment, but there's a high chance that it will by slightly more expensive than the Xperia Z3+ given the slightly enhanced features. Aside from packing a much better display, the Xperia Z4v also comes with wireless charging and a slightly larger 3,000 mAh battery. The Xperia Z3+ is powered by a 2,930 mAh battery, so the difference is negligible.

The rest of the Xperia Z4v specs are similar to those of the Xperia Z3+, including the 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Also, Verizon's Xperia Z4v boasts an impressive 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and 4K video recording, as well as a secondary 5.1-megapixel camera in the front that can capture full HD (1080p) video.

Sony Xperia Z4v teaser
Image credits to Verizon Wireless

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Motorola Moto G (2015) and Moto X Sport Specs Leak, Launching this August

Lenovo and Motorola have already confirmed they will have a busy summer with multiple smartphone launches. The new generation of Moto X, Moto G and Moto E smartphones are expected to arrive in the next couple of months.

We're not sure what smartphone Motorola will launch first, but we know that at least two of them will be commercially available in August. According to a new report, Chilean carrier Entel will launch the Motorola Moto X Sport and the “Nuevo” Moto G, which might translate onto “the new Moto G,” sometime in August. A few screenshots taken from the carrier's inventory provides us with some info on their specs. Since we already know a great deal about some of the Motorola smartphones that will be announced this summer, the new info comes to corroborate some of the details we already have.

That being said, it appears that Motorola Moto X Sport will sport a 5.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display possibly with full HD (1080p) resolution.

Both device are powered by quad-core CPUs

Also, the smartphone will be powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, but the model is not mentioned in the leaked screenshots. We also know that Motorola Moto X Sport will boast a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, autofocus and video recording, as well as a secondary 5-megapixel camera in the front. Moving on to Motorola Moto G (2015), the possible name of the next smartphone in the Moto G series, the device will feature a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that should support 720p resolution.

On the back, the phone has been confirmed to pack a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and video recording. In the front, the Moto G (2015) will features a 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. Last but not least, Motorola Moto G (2015) will be powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, which will be complemented by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory expandable up to 32GB.

Motorola Moto G (2015)

Motorola Moto X Sport
Images credits to pisapapeles.net

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Say Hello to "Logi", the New Logitech

Logitech announces today its biggest brand transformation in its history. It claims that although it has been known as a technology company, this time it wants to place design at its core. And to reflect the company's reinvention it adopts a new attitude and a re-imagined logo and, of course, a new label: Logi.

Crafting a portfolio that go beyond PC peripherals, and building products that have a place in every aspect of our daily life, Logitech apparently believes that it must distance itself from the image of a gadget tinkering company and enter the sphere of "great" companies that can build everyday objects and this way  claim the image of life "enhancers". Logitech claims that since 2013 it has been working behind the scene on reinventing the company, shaking things up "culturally" and by innovating new products. This way Logitech warns clients to expect more bold colors and simple designs to make their mark on their official website, social media and packaging in store displays.

Logitech reinvents itself with some Nokia old blood

At the helm of this new design rebranding process is Alastair Curtis, former Chief Designer and Senior Vice President at Nokia in its pre-Microsoft days that probably led the design team for the famous Nokia 5230 and many other models that preceded the Lumias. The company hopes to put Design at its core and appeal to its public in its new form and go beyond the classic methodology of treating product design in mainstream companies.

Bracken Darrell, Logitech president and CEO considers that "design to us is the combination of advanced technology, business strategy and consumer insights. Our products have come a long way, and now it's time to bring the brand forward too." Logitech believes that part of its brand reinvention will begin with the name "Logi" being displayed on select products in existing categories, and expect some twists and new "surprises" in new categories.

Logitech is now Logi

New Logitech logo
Images credits to Logitech

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AMD Announces the FirePro S9170 with 32GB GDDR5

Professional graphics cards are not really similar to consumer GPUs the like of GTX 980Ti or the Fury X and so forth. These are machines that share more with CPUs in their ability to work in networks and data racks than individual machines and are sturdier, more reliable pieces of technology than their fancy little sisters while also packing a lot more TFLOPS.

In this regard, AMD announced its newest professional graphics card, the FirePro S9170. Its main addition compared to the existing S9150 is its slight increase of single precision TFLOPS from 5.07 to 5.24 and most obviously the increase of available memory from 16GB GDDR5 to 32GB. Designed for intensive workloads in terms of pure calculation, the new card aims to become ominous in data centers of government agencies, universities and private companies that specialize in industrial design or 3D modeling. The 32GB of memory is the largest available on a single GPU and will enable the acceleration of scientific calculations that were previously thought impossible. The latest large OpenCL codes require large space on a single graphics card to operate properly, and the size and the available TFLOPS helps running programs much faster than storing them on DRAM or on HDDs.

The new card also operates with 10% less energy than its predecessors, having 275W DTP, with an option of 235W, and with 40% better double precision performance while having a dual slot form factor and passive cooling.

Built on powerful design

The S9170 is, in fact, a larger, more powerful S9150 that had good merits of its own, managing to sustain 2TFLOPS of sustained DGEMM performance. The GPU is meant to accelerate applications by offloading compute-intensive tasks from the CPU, while the CPU continues to run the rest of the code. Asked on why the new S9170 doesn't use HBM memory instead of GDDR5, Niles Burbank, the senior product manager at AMD, said that "GDDR5 memory modules are more reliable for heavy-duty computing and load-sharing than the new HBM memory chips presently found on the Radeon R9 Fury X."

Although he may be right, it still shows how experimental the new HBM memory racks still are, and why AMD still goes for the good old GDDR5 when having to build industrial-grade failsafe graphics solutions. Although we don't have an exact price, it's expected to see the new FirePro S9170 at around $4000 (€3 625) street price.

Solid and sobre, a 32GB monster ready for business

Business is done with big numbers
Images credits to AMD

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OnePlus 2 Confirmed to Pack 4GB RAM, Will Cost Less Than $450

With less than three weeks left until its official reveal, OnePlus 2 has just got one other piece of hardware confirmed by the Chinese company that is going to release it on July 27.

According to OnePlus, its upcoming flagship smartphone will pack no less than 4GB of RAM. Not only that, but the RAM inside the OnePlus 2 will be the latest and greatest on the market, LPDDR4. OnePlus explains that the reason they have decided to go with the LPDDR4 is the lower power consumption for better battery efficiency. This means that OnePlus 2 users will be able to use their smartphone without draining the battery too fast. “With LPDDR4, you get twice the bandwidth performance as the LPDDR3 at the same power consumption profile. The RAM of the OnePlus 2 uses a lower operating voltage than its predecessor, decreasing from 1.2V to 1.1V.

And with speeds up to 32 GB/s, it is also twice as fast as the LPDDR3. It offers optimal support for power-saving low frequency mode that brings clock speeds down when performing those everyday and necessary tasks,” says OnePlus in a blog post.

The Snapdragon 810 CPU will utilize all 4GB RAM

Since the smartphone has also been confirmed to be equipped with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, the OnePlus 2 will be able to use all 4GB RAM to its maximum potential. For those out of the loop, 32-bit chipsets can only make use of up to 3GB RAM. Keep in mind that, this is the last reveal that OnePlus offers before the smartphone's official unveil, which is set for July 27. In the same piece of news, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau promised fans that OnePlus 2 will be priced under $450. However, he did not say if that's the base price for the smartphone or for the 64GB model, which is likely to be announced as well.

OnePlus 2 teaser

OnePlus 2 price
Image credits to OnePlus

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Xiaomi Mi5 Tipped to Cost $386, Mi5 Plus Coming with 23MP Main Camera

We know that Xiaomi is preparing to launch its next-gen smartphone, the Mi5, this month. We also heard talk about an Mi5 Plus model which should make it out alongside it.

Today we get a new leak regarding the two flagships, which paints a slightly different story than what we have heard so far. The most important change is that, according to the leakster on Weibo, the Mi5 will take advantage of a Snapdragon 810 processor while the Mi5 Plus will be fueled by a next-gen Snapdragon 820. We previously heard that both models will be the recipients of a Snapdragon 820. Moving on, we’re told that the Xiaomi Mi5 will be the beneficiary of a 5.2-inch LCD display with Gorilla Glass 2.5 and taking advantage of 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. The device has a 16MP primary camera alongside a very capable 13MP selfie shooter (at the level of the HTC Desire EYE).

The phone is said to be sustained by a 3,000 mAh battery and will take advantage of quick charge support allowing users to juice up 30% of the battery in just 40 minutes.

The Mi5 might be Xiaomi's first Android 5.1 Lollipop-touting device

The phone is said to be running the yet-unannounced MIUI 7 interface which is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Xiaomi is yet to offer the latest Android update to its handsets. The leak document also shows us a price for the device which will be equivalent to $386 / €352. Moving along to the larger Mi5 Plus, the phone will come with a 5.7-inch display with QHD resolution and will take advantage of an impressive 23MP main shooter as well as a 12MP frontal camera. We can’t help but notice that these are pretty bizarre numbers, so we might be looking at a 24MP main snapper plus 13MP front camera.

The Mi5 Plus is showed as having a 3,500 mAh battery on the inside and a pretty chunky $600 / €547 price tag attached.

Xiaomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus spec leak
Image credits to Weibo

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Monster from China: Coolpad Fengsheng C+ with Snapdragon 810 CPU, 4GB RAM

China is the largest smartphone market in the world, but also one of the most competitive. Following Xiaomi's success in China, many OEMs are now launching cheap smartphones that are getting better and better quality-wise.

Unfortunately, for consumers in the rest of the world, these devices rarely go on sale internationally because they are sold by native companies that do not have the resources to sustain such an endeavor. Not yet at least. Coolpad is a Chinese handset maker that recently entered the Indian market with two smartphones. However, the company's main market remains China where its products are among the most popular.

The latest addition to Coolpad's portfolio of Android smartphones is called Fengsheng C+. According to a new report, the smartphone will soon be available for purchase in China, though details on pricing options have yet to be announced.

Lots of RAM, but disappointing display

What's interesting about Coolpad's Fengsheng C+ is that it's one of the not so many smartphones available on the market that packs 4GB of RAM. The bad news is the smartphone is equipped with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, which means it's possible that Fengsheng C+ will face some overheating issues. Even so, the phone's specs look rather appealing if not for the 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that only supports HD (720p) resolution.

On the back, Coolpad Fengsheng C+ packs a 13-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and video recording, while in the front there's a secondary 5-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. It's also worth mentioning that the smartphone is powered by a 2,500 mAh battery and packs 32GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 64GB via microSD card slot. Other highlights of the Coolpad Fengsheng C+ include dual-SIM support, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, GPS with AGPS and Bluetooth 4.0.

Coolpad Fengsheng C+
Images credits to zol.com.cn

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Sony Xperia Z3+ Receives Small Software Update That Should Fix Overheating Issues

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chipset is clearly faulty, as many benchmarks confirm it. HTC One M9, which is equipped with this particular SoC, had major overheating issues before it hit shelves, but the Taiwanese company delivered a small software update that partially solved the problem.

Basically, the update throttles down the CPU and GPU speeds in order to avoid overheating. While the solution solved the reported overheating issues, it drastically reduced the HTC One M9's performance in benchmarks. HTC also had to release another software update to keep the One M9 cooler while it charges. For whatever reason, the smartphone would overheat while charging even though the Snapdragon 810 processor shouldn't have been used that much during this task.

All the issues that HTC One M9 had with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chipset are present in all devices powered by this processor. Even though the chipset maker does not wish to admit that Snapdragon 810 has major overheating issues, real-life tests confirm it.

All devices powered by Snapdragon 810 chipsets have overheating issues

Sony Xperia Z3+ is another flagship smartphone that uses the Snapdragon 810 chipset. We have already reported about the handset's major issues with the camera app, which closes down due to increased temperatures. The same goes for any hardware-demanding app that users ran on the Xperia Z3+. Sony is already aware of these issues and promised to deploy a software update, just as HTC did. However, it's been almost a month and Sony has yet deliver on that promise. According to a new report, the Xperia Z3+ is now getting a new software update that supposedly fixes these overheating issues.

The update is about 70MB in size, but we can't yet confirm that it does address the overheating problems, as Sony has not announced anything on that matter. If this is indeed a fix for the overheating issues in Sony Xperia Z3+, then expect your smartphone to score lower in benchmarks because it's the only way to solve these problems.

Sony Xperia Z3+ new software update
Image credits to PhoneBunch

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