HTC One A9 Confirmed to Pack Deca-Core CPU, 4GB RAM

HTC fans rejoice, as new info about the upcoming One A9 high-end smartphone have just surfaced online. The new device that the Taiwanese company plans to unveil in the coming weeks is also known as HTC Aero, the its market name is still unknown.

According to GizmoChina, citing a new benchmark of the alleged HTC One A9, the company's new smartphone will be one of the most powerful it ever launched. If the latest smartphones released by HTC did not appeal to you, then the One A9 might be the device you're looking for especially if you're into high-end devices. The benchmark leaked in China recently reveals that HTC One A9 will be equipped with a powerful 64-bit 2.5GHz deca-core MediaTek MT6797 chipset. MediaTek's chipset features a Tri-Cluster design with dual 2.5GHz Cortex-A72 cores for heavy work, four 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores for medium use and four 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 for light operations.

It might become the most powerful smartphone on the market

The smartphone scored an impressive 5884 score in Geekbench multi-core test, which is much higher than Samsung Galaxy Note 5's Exynos 742 performance, which managed to score only 5375 in the same test. On top of that, the HTC One A9's powerful processor is complemented by no less impressive Mali-T880MP6 graphics processing unit and 4GB of RAM. Also, previous rumors claim the One A9 will boast a Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) or full HD (1080p) display of unknown size. Confusion still reigns over all the info about the smartphone's screen for the moment, but as we're getting closer to launch we expect more details to emerge.

Other than that, we expect HTC One A9 to be available at all major carriers in the United States. As for the price, word is the upcoming handset will be priced at around $500 - $600 outright.

HTC One A9 benchmark results
Image credits to Geekbench

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs Leak via Benchmark: 5.7-Inch Quad HD Display, Snapdragon 820 CPU

Although we're still several months away from the reveal of the next Samsung flagship smartphone, the first details about the Galaxy S7 have already started to emerge.

We reported to you a few days ago, Samsung might launch two Galaxy S7 models, each with different displays: 5.2-inch and 5.8-inch. Today, new information about the Galaxy S7 popped up online, which provides us with some insight on the smartphone's performance. The folks over at GforGames have just spotted the benchmark results of a device called Samsung Lucky, which is likely to be the internal name for the Galaxy S7. The person testing the Galaxy S7 pushed the benchmark results in AnTuTu's database. These results come in tow with some details on the phone's specs sheet.

According to the listing in AnTuTu benchmark, Samsung Galaxy S7 should be equipped with a Qulcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, an Adreno 530 graphics processing unit and 4GB of RAM.

The large display puts the Galaxy S7 into the phablets category

Also, the smartphone will pack 64GB of internal memory, but there's no mention of microSD card slot, so we must assume Samsung won't include one in Galaxy S7 either, just like it didn't include on inside the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 flagships. Another major piece of information would be the fact that Samsung Galaxy S7 will boast a large 5.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display that will support Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. In addition, the smartphone will pack 16-megapixel photo snapper on the back, as well as a secondary 5-megapixel selfie camera.

Last but not least, the Galaxy S7 prototype tested in AnTuTu runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system, which makes sense since Google has yet to release Android 6.0 Marshmallow. However, we can safely assume that Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone will come preloaded with the newest version of Android.

Samsung Galaxy S7 specs sheet
Image credits to Weibo

Read more »

Adobe Leaks iPad Pro's 4GB of RAM

According to a blog post by Scott Belsky, VP of Products & Community, on Adobe's official blog, Apple's new iPad Pro comes with 4 GB of RAM.

At the time of its publication, the message was saying, "During Apple's keynote, we also demonstrated the extraordinary speed and precision of Adobe's Creative Cloud mobile apps on Apple's new iPad Pro. iPad Pro is great for creative workflows with a high res 12.9-inch touch screen display at 2732 x 2048 pixels, A9X chip, and 4GB RAM." Since then, any trace of iPad Pro's RAM specification has been removed from the blog post, allowing for speculations on the veridicality of this information.

Although it seems that Adobe may have modified the post because the iPad Pro specs it mentioned were not exactly true, not adding an update message confirming the content change at the end of the post as it is customary according to unspoken online publishing rules, leads us to believe that the editing was made in a hurry to prevent any possible problems with the tight-lipped Cupertino company.

The RAM amount available for each iPad Pro model is the only thing Apple "forgot" to mention during the keynote

As we speak, the amount of RAM in the iPad Pro is the only bit of information Apple has omitted to mention during last night's "Hey Siri" keynote, with everything else laid out on the table for everyone to see. Moreover, Apple has also published the device's specs on its own website, revealing that the device will come with a 64-bit A9x processor and an M9 motion coprocessor, an 8 MP iSight camera with 1080p recording capabilities, and a Touch ID sensor, all of them neatly packaged within a case featuring a 12.9-inch Multi-Touch display with a 2732 x 2048 resolution.

If you want to find out more about the newly released iPad Pro, just head over to the article we wrote about the iPad Pro announcement for all the juicy details. The iPad Pro will be launched in November, with prices starting at $799 depending on each model's storage capacity and connectivity support.

iPad Pro multi-tasking

Editing video on an iPad Pro

Editing video on an iPad Pro

Garageband running on an iPad Pro

Apple Pencil

Umake for iOS on iPad Pro

iPad Pro
Images credits to Apple

Read more »

iPhone 6s to Come with 3D Force Touch Display

The rumors keep flowing before the start of Apple's September 9 event, and it's again time for the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to receive yet another plausible upgrade.

This time it's all about the new touch tech that will supposedly be added to the screen of the new smartphone models from Apple. The new type of screen should be an upgraded version of the pressure sensitive ones MacBook and Apple Watch are already used to, with a slight but very important difference: an added layer of sensitivity. Potentially dubbed "3D Touch Display," the new screen will supposedly offer iOS developers a lot more space for developing better apps which will be a lot easier to control using differentiated levels of pressure on the screen. Moreover, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users will be able to use three separate levels of pressure when navigating through an app's interface, by tapping controls, by pressing them or by longer presses.

This way, they can run three distinct types of actions using the same button, a simple way through which developers could effectively add a lot more possible types of interaction features using the same set of controls available on devices with lesser displays.

Also available on the new iPad Pro

In addition, the new "3D Touch Display" should also make an appearance in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which should also sport a stylus designed to make it a lot easier for users to use design and sketch apps. The new stylus coupled with the new three-layered pressure screen could be the decisive reason for many Mac users to discard their old graphics tablets. Even though adding a stylus to the new iPad might be a good idea for working with drawing apps, it should be noted that this comes in direct opposition to what Steve Jobs thought about styluses. During the first iPhone release, Jobs expressed his complete and utter disgust regarding such an implement when the human finger can be just as effective.

According to 9to5mac, this new rumor is based on information from various sources that are familiar with the new iPhones, and because this doesn't say much about the reliability of said sources, a little pinch of skepticism is in order.

Tapping the iPhone 6 screen
Image credits to The Geek Byte

Read more »

Nokia C1 Android Smartphone Leaks in Live Images

A few days ago, we told you that that Nokia’s purported upcoming Android smartphone, the C1, revealed itself in a bunch of render images, showcasing a stylish handset that apparently could feature a unibody design.

The Finnish company confirmed a few months ago that it was looking to make a return to the world of smartphones and that it was willing to find the right partner in doing so. Apparently, the device maker has found some support and is moving things along. The previously leaked images showed the device in its conceptual stage, but this week the folks over at GSM Dome stumbled upon a couple of images on Weibo that presumably depict the C1 smartphone in the flesh.

What we can see in the new images is a smartphone with a white matte display and a promising screen-to-body size ratio. One can also spot the on-screen navigation buttons characteristic of Android.

What can we expect from the Nokia C1?

As we have noticed with the renders, the C1 does seem to feature some design similarities to the Nokia N1 tablet, which, to our surprise, launched last year. Although Nokia is prohibited from making any smartphones until 2016 or so, the interdiction does not apply to the company putting its name on other products, like the slate we mentioned above. While most details about the Nokia C1 smartphone remain under wraps, we can tell you that the highly anticipated device is expected to sport a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution. The smartphone should be powered by an Intel Atom chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM.

On the back, the C1 will pack an 8MP photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and video recording, while on the front stands proud a 5MP selfie camera. As you can see, all these specs point towards a pretty mid-range smartphone, which is quite different from the N1 tablet, which brought pretty high-end specifications. Anyway, we guess Nokia would have to start its assault on the market pretty slowly. By the time Nokia releases the smartphone, Google would have probably launched the successor to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so the phone will probably come around with next version of Android (possibly N).

Purported image of Nokia C1, back view

Purported image of Nokia C1, front view
Images credits to Weibo/GSM Dome

Read more »

AMD Athlon X4 880K CPU Leaked Online

Another processing unit chip will apparently join the APU lineup from AMD that will offer slightly higher clock speeds than the current flagship die, the A8-7670K and A10-7870K.

Following the announcement of a new APU chip this July, AMD plans to release a new unlocked SoC, the Athlon X4 880K which will apparently be clocked higher than the 870K. The first details about the new AMD CPU came from a motherboard system from Biostar that listed the 880K among other AMD CPUs supported by the new Biostar device. Along the new APU, there are listed specifications for future A8-7690K and A10-7890K models that will replace the current high-end A10-7870K. The new APU was present on roadmaps leaked on Benchlife some while ago, and should be available on the market in the new future. The new 880K will be based on the same "Kaveri" microarchitecture. The name, similar to Intel's recent Pentium brand, AMD's Athlon X4, recently became the typical name for lower priced CPU with disabled graphics.

AMD keeps APU models leaked even before its predecessors are announced

Thanks to the Biostar motherboard announcement, new information has been provided on the website about the new Athlon X4 880K microprocessor: the new APU will apparently arrive with 4 GHz clock speed, 95 Watt TDP and a part number of AD880KXBI44JC. It will have a 100MHz higher clock rate than the announced but currently unavailable 870K base clock, but will have 100 MHz lower than the A10-7890K. The AD880KXBI44JC part number is meant to give us a couple of details about the 880K. According to CPU World, the "KX" letters are referring to being compatible with the FM2+ package and 95 Watt power envelope. The "44" digits tell about the number of cores inside the APU and 4MB of level 2 cache, while "JC" tells us that the CPU is based on the new "Godavari" stepping. However, it seems that the website does not say too much about the maximum Turbo Core frequency.

New Athlon X4 APU details are leaked
Image credits to AMD

AMD's near future roadmap
Image credits to Benchlife

Read more »

Sony Xperia Z5 Family Prices Drop 3 Days After Release

Sony introduced the all-new Xperia Z5 family at IFA 2015 in Berlin not so long ago, and a few days afterwards we told you that the devices were already made available for pre-order in the UK.

Well, just three days later, it seems that Sony has reconsidered its original pricing scheme for the phones and has already slashed them. So now you can pick up an Xperia Z5 Compact for £429 / $652 (originally £549 / $837). The Xperia Z5 is offered for £549 / $845 (previously £599 / $913), and the high-end Xperia Z5 Premium comes with a £599 / $911 price tag (down from £699 / $1,065). That’s almost 20% off on the Z5 Compact, and a pretty big discount for the regular Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium. The only people who might be cheated are those Sony fans who rushed to secure their order only to find that, three days later, the rates have decreased considerable. However, we should note that the “Pre-Order” buttons have gone missing and have been replaced by the “Coming Soon” ones.

Sony has three new phones built upon the same backbone

All Sony’s new smartphones share many hardware components, such as the 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset fueling their insights, the amount of storage (32GB), and the camera configuration. The main differentiator in the Xperia Z5 lineup of smartphones is the display. The Xperia Z5 comes with a 5.2-inch full HD (1080p) screen, while the Xperia Z5 Premium is the first handset in the industry to pack an amazing 5.5-inch screen featuring 4K resolution.

On the other hand, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact features a much smaller 4.6-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution and also boasts scratch-resistant glass and oleophobic coating. Unlike its more high-end brothers, the Xperia Z5 comes with 2GB of RAM and not 3GB. All phones are equipped with a 23MP rear-facing camera that comes with many improved features in comparison with older Xperia flagship handsets. There’s also a 5.1MP camera in front that can capture full HD (1080p) video and great selfies.

Naturally, Sony has bestowed IP68 certification on the new models, making them dust proof and water resistant. Android 5.1.1 Lollipop is the default operating system out of the box.

Sony Xperia Z5 family gets a price cut
Image credits to Sony Mobile UK

Read more »

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Premium with 1080p Display, 4GB of RAM Headed to Japan

A few days ago Sony unveiled the Xperia Z5 Compact, alongside the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium, on the grounds at IFA 2015 in Berlin.

The smallest of the three phones launched by the Japanese company, the Xperia Z5 Compact features a 4.6-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution and features scratch-resistant glass and oleophobic coating. Well, just a few days after Sony introduced the phone, it has become apparent that another version of the phone is being prepped for Sony’s domestic market, Japan (as seen at Android Authority). It’s not unusual to see exclusive versions of international phones being released in the country as Japan has a different consumer base altogether.

What will the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Premium be all about?

The phone will go on sale as the Xperia Z5 Compact Premium and will be available via Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo. Unlike the Xperia Z5 Compact, the Premium version will feature a better, 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) on a 4.6-inch display. The device will take advantage of the same Snapdragon 810 which is powering all the members of the Xperia Z5 family. However, we are spotting a major difference in the RAM department. Apparently, the Xperia Z5 Compact features only 2GB of RAM while the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium have 3GB of RAM onboard.

By contrast, the Xperia Z5 Compact Premium will have 4GB of RAM, which is a bit odd, considering that even the 4K-screened Xperia Z5 Premium doesn’t have that much RAM storage onboard. We’re also told the phone will be sustained by a 2,700 mAh battery. The rest of the specifications are said to be the same. Even so, we’re yet to see an official confirmation from Sony or the Japanese carrier DoCoMo, so take the information with a pinch of salt. It’s not uncommon for Sony to release several versions of its flagships. For example, the Xperia Z3+ was launched with a 1080p display, yet shortly afterwards Sony said it would launch a version of the phone with QHD display under US carrier, Verizon.

If the report turns out to be true, the Xperia Z5 Compact Premium would make for quite a phone, don’t you think?

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Premium might be coming to Japan
Image credits to Android Authority

Read more »

Sony Xperia Z5 Series Seems Plagued by the Same Snapdragon 810 Overheating Issues

Sony was one of the major device manufacturers who came to IFA 2015 hell-bent to impress the crowd. So the Japanese company unveiled not one, but three smartphones including the Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium.

The three models are built on a common blueprint and once again Sony chose to rely on the controversial Snapdragon 810 platform to power its new devices. But the thing is, the previous Xperia Z3+ flagship also came with a Snapdragon 810 on the inside and soon after the device began shipping out to customers, we started hearing reports of overheating. Sony tried to do some damage control and rolled out a software update meant to minimize the troubles, which didn’t turn out to be working too well. So even before the Xperia Z5 family went live, we were saying that Sony better have come up with a solution to prevent the Snapdragon 810 from doing what it knows best.

Sony Xperia Z5 camera app shuts down due to overheating

But the folks at Phone Arena who got to play a little with the new devices captured the image above. The phones exhibited on the grounds at IFA 2015 might be non-final prototype models, but even so it seems they aren’t Snapdragon 810 problem free. As you can see, the unpleasant “Camera will now turn off temporarily to cool down” message has popped up on the display during some fugitive, preliminary testing. It’s worth mentioning that the camera wasn’t used to record demanding 4K video that can cause the phone to run hot.

Apparently, the Xperia Z5 was running very hot, although reportedly not as hot as some earlier Xperia models. At this stage, it seems that Qualcomm and Sony haven’t yet managed to resolve the problem concerning the overheating issues of the Snapdragon 810. The question is, can they be resolved at all? Sony is yet to start shipping the first units of the Xperia Z5 family (in the UK they are due out in November), so maybe, just maybe, the Japanese device maker still has time to do something about this ever-persistent problem.

In our view, Sony’s decision to go for the Snapdragon 810 was a bad call and given the company’s current state, it’s hard to picture they will be able to manage another disaster in terms of sales.

Sony Xperia Z5 still plagued by overheating issues?
Image credits to Phone Arena

Read more »

Meet Nokia's First Android Smartphone, C1 Coming in 2016

Nokia has already confirmed it is now readying its comeback on the smartphone market and will debut its first handset sometime in late 2016.

After selling its mobile division to Microsoft, the Finnish company launched the N1, an Android tablet that sold like hot cakes in China. China was the only country where Nokia made the N1 available for purchase, but beginning this month people from Europe and other regions can pre-order the slate. The first orders should ship beginning October. But an Android tablet is not enough for what once was the world's largest handset maker. Because the agreement with Microsoft doesn't allow Nokia to launch any new smartphones until late 2016, the Finnish company wasn't present on this market.

The good news is Nokia has already started hiring people with experience in design for its upcoming lineup of Android smartphones. The next step, as the company confirmed many months ago, is to find a partner that would take over the manufacturing, sales, marketing and customer support for the smartphones designed by Nokia.

Mid-range specs, stylish design

One of the first smartphones under Nokia's brand could be the C1. Spotted by G for Games, the first images of the Nokia C1 come directly from China and show a quite stylish design. From what we can see, the C1 could feature a unibody design with a more than decent screen-to-body ratio. Some details about the phone's specs have been leaked too. Apparently, the C1 won't be a high-end smartphone, but an affordable smartphone that will most likely sell very well if priced accordingly.

So, Nokia C1 is expected to sport a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution. The smartphone will be powered by an Intel Atom chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM. On the back, the C1 will pack an 8-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and video recording, while in the front there will be a 5-megapixel selfie camera. By the time Nokia launches the C1, Google might release another version of Android, so there's no telling what platform it will run.

Nokia C1
Images credits to Weibo

Read more »