3D renders of the LG G5 give us a good idea of what to expect [VIDEO]

All the leaks and rumors to date have painted a very vivid picture of what to expect from the LG G5, but if stationary imagery isn’t enough to jog your imagination then perhaps a video of a 3D render will.
The video comes from TechConfigurations, who put the render together based on specifications and leaks (which means this model is not based on official information obtained by the publication).


Still, it does a nice job to paint an accurate picture of what’s to come. LG is likely to use metal for the LG G5, and they’ll be ditching the rear-facing volume buttons to place a fingerprint scanner on the rear. We’re also expecting dual cameras, a secondary display and a slide-out battery.

The video is sitting  bellow if you’re curious to see how this thing might look in motion, so take a look by hitting the play button.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge exposed in newly leaked press renders

After getting a very tiny taste of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in a leaked render earlier this week, @evleaks is back again and this time he’s done with the teasing.
Exposed in an update to his post onVentureBeat, we finally get a full look at a few alleged Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge renders. The images line up perfectly with the 3D images we saw previously, so there’s no real surprises there. But in case you wanted to see the final color, finish, and size comparison of the phone, these leaked renders should suffice.

Galaxy S7 could play 17 straight hours of video at max brightness

Samsung’s unpopular decision to get rid of the user-removable battery on the Samsung Galaxy S6would have been fine if battery life on their phones truly lasted all day. In truth, it’s just average, and only becomes slightly above so when you’re actively trying to mind your usage.

But things could be drastically different with the Samsung Galaxy S7. Eldar Murtazin — a known name in the leaksphere — claims that a Galaxy S7 was able to play 17+ hours of video at full brightness. Consider the fact that it’s hard to even reach 5 hours of screen-on time for regular usage on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and other current devices, and you can imagine how insane that is.

So, what miracle elixir has Samsung come up with for something like this to be possible? One might point to the 3,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S7 (and a 3,600mAh pack in the Galaxy S7 Edge), but a 450mAh bump over yesteryear’s model — while somewhat significant — shouldn’t be enough to provide such longevity.

Is it software optimization? New battery tech? Are the 2nd-gen 14nm FinFET process in the chipsets they’ll use really that much more efficient than what was used in the Exynos 7420? It’s tough to say, but knowing Samsung they’ll have at least 1 groundbreaking innovation to introduce with the next round of flagships and we wouldn’t be surprised if they were the first to market with the next big battery breakthrough. Keep your fingers crossed that these claims are accurate.

LG trolls Samsung about removable batteries, so the LG G5 better have one

Don’t you just love it when two big companies start taking jabs at each other? That’s what LG did when Samsung started touting their devices’ fast charging capabilities on Twitter. Samsung talked up the ability to go from 0% to 100% in just 90 minutes.

LG’s rebuttal?

And that says it all. As fun as a quick ribbing like this is, though, we’re hoping that LG’s bold banter is a sign to us that they’re not going to waver on their commitment to deliver flexibility in their smartphones. We’d be absolutely shocked if the LG G5 were to launch without a removable battery after this stunt. Then again, there’s solid evidence that LG is looking to stick with removable batteries for future smartphones, so there shouldn’t be much to worry about.

[VIDEO] Square Enix shows off first gameplay for Final Fantasy 9 on mobile, looks pretty damn fantastic

It was the last Final Fantasy title to ever launch on the original PlayStation (PS One) and arguably one of the best in the series. For RPG fans that missed out (I, myself, had already transitioned on over to the PS2 at this point), Final Fantasy IX (9) will soon be available on mobile. Square Enix actually revealed the news right before the the turn of the New Year, but it was only accompanied by a short trailer.

Earlier today, they showed off some actual gameplay during the “Square Enix Presents” live stream, playing though the first few minutes of the game. The best part, at least to us, is the higher resolution polys and smoothed out textures. Believe us when we say, the original graphics from the original PlayStation version have not aged well. New additions also include auto-save, high-speed mode, achievements, and the benefits of much quicker load times (as shown in the gameplay video).

Despite the game being complete, still no specific launch date has been given although according to the roughly translated Japanese, “soon future delivery for the iOS / Android!” was provided in the video description. Sounds great to us, but keep in mind that’s the initial Japanese release. Who knows how much longer it will take before this is localized and lands in US app stores like Google Play. Now when can we expect FF 7 and 8?

(VIDEO) Sony Xperia Z5 Premium - Bend Test, Scratch Test, Burn Test - Durability

Glutton for smartphone torture, are you? Well, the video you see above should be quite fulfilling. It’s theSony Xperia Z5 Premium, and it’s being taken through a torture test by Youtuber Jerry Rig.

The torture test consists of knives being scraped across its metal and glass exterior, flames being applied to the display, and the all-important bend test to see if it can survive a day in your pocket. There are a couple of interesting notes to take away from the video:
The camera lens seems easily scratchable, likely due to it being a plastic lens. This is an unfortunate trait for a device being marketed premium, and is especially troubling from a company who prides itself on great camera performance.
The glass panels on the front and rear hold up to keys and knives just fine, though.
The metal sides of the device will suffer light wear and tear from keys and coins.
The phone can bend, and bad. But as long as it’s not in your back pocket when you go to sit down it should be fine.

Keep all this stuff in mind if smartphone durability is important to you. The video is sitting above, so be sure to hit the play button and give it a watch if you’re curious.

Here are the first cases for the LG G5

MobileFun has revealed the first cases they’ll be offering for the LG G5. These are some of the first cases we’re seeing period, and with LG said to be making their big splash at Mobile World Congress this year we wouldn’t be surprised if more flooded in from here on out.

This particular case is by Olixar, and features a 2-piece rugged design that should absorb a lot of shock in the event of a fall. There’s also the addition of a kickstand which will be nice for those who like to prop their devices up on their desk.

As always, it’s worth noting that case manufacturers might be using renders and leaks to put their early photos together, so the design of the phone in the product photos might not be totally accurate. This case in particular doesn’t make much room for imagination, though, so there’s nothing to take from it anyway. MobileFun will sell this particular case for $14.95 if you’re interested, so place an order for oneif you want to ensure you’ll get it by the time your device makes its way to your doorstep.

These photos might be our first real look at the LG G5 (JPG)

We have a general idea of what the LG G5 is supposed to look like by now, but we haven’t yet gotten many full looks at the thing in the flesh. We sort of still don’t with the latest leak, but it’s the most we’ll get for now.




The device — which you can see in the photo above draped in a case designed to protect its identity (clearly not working) — sports a lot of the design traits we’ve heard and seen to date. There are dual REAR cameras with a flash in between, and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner below those. The front shows a slot for the same



The front shows a slot for the same secondary display we saw on the LG V10. The speakers on the underside (sitting next to a beautiful USB Type-C port) indicate LG is looking to stick to the new industry trend. That doesn’t mean the LG G5 won’t be plenty loud, of course. We even see the slit on the side of the device which exposes the volume buttons which now exist on the left edge of the device (compared to rear placement on the previous 2 devices in the lineup).

We have to remember that this could be a prototype from any stage of development, so something might end up completely different by the time it hits retail. How are you feeling about this thing?

Live images of the Samsung Galaxy S7 front camera and display surface

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is now less than a month away, with a rumored announcement due for February 21. And right on schedule, after we're almost entirely familiar with the specs and looks of the upcoming flagship, we're now being treated to a couple of photos straight from its production line.

One shows an array of front camera modules, with the SM-G930F model name (which we already know is the Galaxy S7's internal designation, plus the F at the end for regional version) clearly stamped on the board. If that means anything, it's probably revision number 5 of the module, judging by the R05 marking.


Compared to the one inside the existing Galaxy S6, this new camera has its connector offset to one side, while the old one was centered, teardowns revealed.

The second photo depicts the entire smartphone, though in developer attire, making its design nearly recognizable. You're getting the purpose of the rig - to have a functioning device for testing, without revealing the looks.


Despite the sticker on top of the brand name though, the home button and capacitive key markings clearly state Samsung. Which makes it all the more ironic that the shot is taken with what is almost certainly an HTC One, the first one.

From : gsm arena

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge spotted at Zauba, screen sizes confirmed

Already been the subject of several rumors and leaks, Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphones - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - have now been spotted on Zauba, a website which tracks India's import and export.

As you might already know, the SM-G930R4 and SM-G935R4 are rumored model numbers of the S7 and S7 edge, respectively. And their Zauba listing reveals that the former sports a 5.1-inch screen, while the curved screen variant has a 5.5-inch display.

If you recall, this is inline with the information we exclusively reported last month. Also, just days ago, the Galaxy S7 (the Exynos variant) was spotted on Antutu, revealing a 5.1" QHD display.

New rumor claims HTC One M10 will have Snapdragon 820 and MediaTek versions

Hardly 24 hours ago we told you about a rumor claiming that HTC won't announce its next flagship smartphone at MWC in February, but at a dedicated event in March.

And now this has been 'confirmed' by another rumor. Although the source of this has leaked pretty accurate HTC-related information in the past, make sure you don't forget your grain of salt.

The One M10 (codenamed Perfume) will run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8.0 on top. It's said to come in two hardware versions, with two different chipsets powering it. Over in the US and EU, we'll see the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 at the helm, while in China and South-East Asia the handset should sport a MediaTek SoC (though the exact model isn't mentioned).

An unveiling in March (perhaps even towards the end of the month) would explain why we've seen almost no leaks or rumors about the One M10 yet. That said, do expect to hear (much) more about it in the coming weeks.

Apple received $1 billion from Google in 2014 for its share of Google Search ad revenue

Google and Oracle’s court proceedings are heating up. The latter — who is still pursuing judgment against Google for “stealing” Java code to build Android in what has become a 5-year war — has cut deep in its recent filings.

For starters, Oracle revealed that Google has made as much as $31 billion in revenue on Android to date, most of which was primarily driven by the ads users see when using Google Search and various other products, as well as the money they make from sales in the Google Play Store. $22 billion of that revenue was billed as pure profit.

Oracle’s motive in revealing the information is no big mystery: the more money they can prove Google made on Android, the more money they’ll be able to ask for in the event that they win the lawsuit. Whether they’ll eventually get that money or win that lawsuit is still yet to be determined.

Oracle also revealed that Google paid Apple $1 billion in an agreement to make Google Search the default search engine on iOS. The deal supposedly gives Apple a percentage of all revenue (34%, apparently) earned on search ads that are performed on iPhones and iPads. None of this is surprising in business: deals are made, money is exchanged, and both sides benefit. Why this is relevant to Oracle’s case regarding the use of Android in Java? We can’t say.

Google’s biggest problem with all of this is that none of this information was even supposed to be presented to the court. The information was presented to Oracle’s attorneys in private for various reasons, and Google says the disclosure of the terms of those agreements would be detrimental to their business. Apple feels the same, too: both of them have asked the judge to redact and seal the statements made by the Oracle attorney on grounds of the information being highly confidential.

We’re not sure how this is going to play out in the near future, but Oracle certainly has no problem using whatever information they can to get what they feel they’re owed (which could be over $1 billion if the courts see things their way). Let’s just hope the courts force them to go about it the right way instead of passing along information that they had no business telling.

(APK) Microsoft releases Mimicker Alarm, an alarm clock app that won’t shut up until you do something ridiculous

Microsoft Garage’s latest Android app is here. It’s Mimicker Alarm, and yes, it’s an alarm clock — it’s as if we don’t have a million of those already. It does have something unique to set itself apart from the tons of other alarm apps out there, though.


The app will sound an alarm when it’s time for you to wake up, but it’ll take things a step further and ask you to “mimic” an action. It might ask you to take a selfie of yourself while smiling, snap a photo of something that’s green, or complete a tongue twister. If you don’t successfully finish the task within a certain amount of time the app will assume you’ve fallen back asleep and will sound the alarm again.



You can choose to do any of the different actions you want when you wake up, whether it’s just 1 or all 3 in a random shuffle.

Sounds like fun, but there’s something you should know: Microsoft may use some of the data gathered by this app for to improve the service. Their app description states the following:


Images, audio, video, or other data that you upload when using Mimicker are sent to Project Oxford APIs in order to support the fun interactive activities included in the app. The data you upload, along with anonymous usage data may be used by Microsoft for service improvement purposes.

That said, Microsoft does ensure us that none of the info is ever used to identify you or contact you. If that’s too scary anyway then simply don’t download the app. If it sounds fun to you then find it at Google Play right here.

Oh, and Microsoft has even made the source code available for developers wondering how it was made. Park it right here if that sounds like something you want to check out.

California doesn’t want encrypted smartphones in their state either

Monkey see, monkey do. After New York proposed a bill that would outlaw the sale of encrypted smartphones in its state, California is jumping on the bandwagon to do the exact same thing.


If you don’t remember, New York’s problem is that smartphones which can’t be decrypted by the software vendor are a problem. If law enforcement needs to access a phone for the sake of security then Apple and Google can’t do anything about it as they’ve encrypted the software in a way that not even they can crack it.

The change wouldn’t completely ban encryption, but it would require Apple and Google to use methods that allow them to easily decrypt the smartphone when needed. This is sure to be a troubling and hotly debated topic going forward, with many folks believing that any backdoor is bad news.

Some have likened it to the “key under the mat” theory: it’s there for the good guys when they need to get into the house, but a bad guy with enough wit could be just as likely to find it. That’s a great way to put it, and we hope voters see it similarly. We should be allowed to protect our belongings both physically and digitally, and if this law passes it only spreads the message that personal security is no longer a right we’re entitled to. Start sending those letters to your local representatives, folks.

[VIDEO] Hands-on: Huawei Mate 8 and its massive 4,000mAh battery

Huawei unveiled the Huawei Mate 8 at its press conference in Las Vegas today. Despite the phone being available in China since December, it will now see a global launch, as long as you consider “global” as anywhere outside the United States.

The phone features a 6-inch display and runs on Huawei’s own Kirin 950 octa-core processor. According to Huawei, this new processor should boost performance 100 percent over the previous version, with GPU performance seeing a 125 percent boost.

The camera features a 16MP rear-camera, with a Sony IMX298 sensor. The front-facing camera is an 8MP front-facing camera with what Huawei calls a “beauty algorithm”, which is supposed to make taking gorgeous selfies effortless.

Huawei also made sure to mention the phone’s 4,000mAh battery should be able to last two days on a charge with only a 30-minute charge session providing a full day’s worth of battery power.

Here’s the quick and dirty on the specs for the phone, which comes in four colors, including champagne gold, moonlight silver, space grey, and mocha brown.

• Display: 6″ 1920x1080p LCD screen (368ppi)
• Operating System: Android 6.0
• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 950
• Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB
• Memory: 3G RAM for 32GB model / 4GB RAM for 64GB/128GB
• Camera: 16MP rear camera / 8MP front-facing camera
• Battery: 4000mAh battery
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2

We found it odd that Huawei would take the opportunity to announce a flagship device like this at US trade show, versus something more internationally centered like Mobile World Congress. No word on when, or even if, we’ll see the Huawei Mate 8 launching here in the US, but we suppose that could be reserved exclusively for Huawei’s budget “honor” line.

Galaxy S7, S7 edge to be waterproof and have microSD, bigger batteries

As we get closer to the reported February 21 unveiling date, more and more details about Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are beginning to leak.

Today some new information has come to light courtesy of Evan Blass (also known as@evleaks). He says the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will be waterproof, thus adding a much-requested feature that used to be present in the S5 from 2014. Not only that, but they will adhere to the IP67 standard, which means they will also be dustproof.

Furthermore, they will both have larger batteries than their predecessors, which will hopefully improve their running time on one charge. The S7 is said to sport a 3,000 mAh cell, while the S7 edge will apparently get a 3,600 mAh battery (that's up from 2,550 mAh and 2,600 mAh, respectively, in the S6 and S6 edge). Unfortunately, the new batteries will not be user-replaceable. On the other hand, the S7 will fully recharge wirelessly in just 2 hours, and the S7 edge in 2.2 hours.

The S7 will allegedly have a 5.1-inch QHD touchscreen, while the edge version will keep the resolution but sport a 5.5-inch display. Both models will get something called "Always On Display" functionality, with glanceable information on the screen at all times (something that's been done by Nokia with its Windows Phones ages ago). This is made possible by the fact that AMOLED displays don't consume any energy for showing black pixels - thus, if the screen is mostly black, then the power impact of such a feature is negligible.

The S7 and S7 edge will have microSD card slots, once again getting back a feature that disappeared in the S6 even if it was present in the S5.

As previously rumored, at least one version of each S7 device will employ Samsung's own Exynos 8890 SoC, which will reportedly come with an LTE Cat.9 modem built-in. 4GB of RAM will be in both phones, along with 32 or 64GB of storage.

The selfie camera will be 5MP as in the S6, but the main cameras in the S7 duo will have 12MP resolution, down from 16MP in their predecessors. However, this will be a new Samsung Britecell sensor, which will be 1/2" in size, and pairing that with the rumored f/1.7 lens aperture should result in very good low-light shots. The rear camera's lens will probably be flush with the device (for both S7s).

Leaked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge+ specs confirm new camera, Snapdragon 820 SoC option

We are only a few days into 2016, but it never seems to be too early for a new batch of Samsung Galaxy S7 rumors. Last we heard, there will, be a total of four S7 handsets – a basic one with a 5.1" screen, S7 edge at 5.5" and a couple of 6.0-inchers – the S7+ and S7 edge+ respectively.
Now, if that wasn't confusing enough, there is also the question of specs with some big points still open for discussion, like chipset options, memory and camera setups.

A new leaked photo now claims to shed some light on the latter issues. It depicts a hardware info app, running on a Samsung SM G93, said to be the Galaxy S7 edge+. For a single shot, it does seem to reveal quite a lot of hardware details. For starters, the display is listed as being 5.7-inches in diagonal with a QHD resolution, just like the current generation of Samsung flagships. This does contradict with our previous information of a 6.0-inch display on the two bigger S7 models, but hardware info tools aren't famous for providing spot on size numbers either.

Another interesting observation to be made concerns the chipset. The photo specifically lists the phone GPU as the Adreno 530, which definitely can't be the new Samsung-made Exynos 8 Octa 8890, said to power the Galaxy S7, as it uses the Mali-T880MP12. Instead, it seems to be Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 820 chip, which proves that Samsung will indeed return to its tradition of offering an Exynos and Snapdragon variant of its flagship, which was skipped with the current S6 generation.


Memory is listed at 4GB, so there appears to be no change from the current gen in this department. The camera setup, on the other hand, looks entirely new. The main shooter has a 12.2MP sensor, which would have definitely raised a red flag considering the 16MP of the Galaxy S6, were it not for our previous knowledge of Samsung's new camera tech. Codenamed BRITECELL, it is an ambitious endeavor that aims to improve low-light photography by cutting down on the resolution and employing a large 1/2" sensor size, which results in much larger pixels.


Samsung Galaxy S7 (5.1") • Galaxy S7 edge (5.5") • Galaxy S7+ (6")

This all sounds very exciting, but, sadly, we can't really vouch for the source's authenticity in any way. Hopefully, more information will be unearthed as the Galaxy S7 draws closer to a release, which will hopefully be as early as February 21.

[VIDEO] Pro-Tip: use Snap to access Android widgets no matter which app you’re using

Did you know that you don’t always need root to do cool things with your Android phone? Apps have a lot of great functionality on their own these days, and Snap is no different. This particular app will allow you to access your widgets without ever having to leave whichever app you’re in.


Snap does this by augmenting your existing notification bar with a tray of its own. In this tray exists any widget you want. You can have multiples, even. To access it, simply swipe down from the right corner of the notification tray (this can be changed to your own liking) and there they are, ready for use. You can see this in action in the video above.

This is great for a few different reasons:

It keeps you in your app, so if you just need to quickly check on some information in a widget you won’t have to venture all the way back to the home screen.
It keeps your home screen clean for icons or other uses.
It lets you use widgets without unlocking your phone (if you allow notifications to be viewed on the lock screen).

Getting started is simple: download the app, and immediately it’ll show you how to add some widgets. Select the widget you want, customize the width and height, and you’re done. Widgets show up in the order that they exist within the configuration menu, and the order can easily be customized by dragging and dropping them.

One last note: there is a hard limit on the amount of widgets you can use, but we don’t know what that limit is. We were able to add up to 5 widgets just fine. There’s a small in-app purchase of $1.85 you can make to support the developers and lift this unknown limit, so be sure to consider that if you ever find yourself needing more (or if you just want to congratulate them on their outstanding work). Let us know how you’re liking it!