Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumored

We still don’t know if Androids dream of electric sheep (dessert yes), but it’s safe to say we do know what keeps Samsung up at night. Between increasingly tough competition, growing consumer unrest, and a disastrous 3rd Quarter earnings report, Samsung is definitely aware of its bedroom boogeyman.

Steps have already been taken, hence the Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge all have metal frames, almost as if the Korean giant finally acknowledged consumer demand for premium materials to go with the premium specs and premium pricing. Taking a step even further last week, it announced the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5, two mid-range devices made of all metal.

In just a few short weeks, 2015 will be upon us, and with it, the build-up for the Galaxy S6. The S5 failed to deliver in many ways: no QHD screen (outside of Korea at least), no metal, no major design revision, no OIS. Now that the Note 4 is out of the way, techies are looking to the future. To say that the S6 is going to be the zero hour for Samsung’s future is an understatement. It had better be…Amazing. And yet, if early rumors are anything to go on, it definitely will be.

Will the Galaxy S6 finally give us that ‘big redesign’ the GS5 didn’t?

Sammobile, one of the web’s most astute Samsung fan-sites, has uncovered a venerable trove of information related to the Galaxy S6, referred internally as Project Zero. Yesterday its sources indicated the product is being designed from the ground up with a brand new vision, and today more details have emerged. Here are some of the highlights, though please take them with a few dashes of iodized NaCl as nothing has been confirmed:

• Screen: Quad HD, 2560X1440 display, though nothing has been offered about screen size. 5.3-5.5 inches might be logical given the LG G3’s size.
• Camera: IMX240 sensor; (same as the Note 4), with Samsung toying between 16 and 20 megapixels, possibly the 16 with OIS. The front camera will be 5mp.
• Storage: 32, 64, 128GB variants. Yes 16GB has purportedly been eliminated, something not evenApple has done.
• CPU Variant 1: Exynos 7420 Octa-Core 64-Bit with possible internally developed LTE modem. Presumably for Korea and select markets.
• CPU Variant 2: Snapdragon 810 64-Bit. Presumably for most markets including North America, Europe, and most of Asia.
• Additional: Broadcom BCM4773 chip that will integrate various sensors including GPS together on one chip to reduce battery drain.
• Model Variations: SM-G920x, SM-G925x (replace x with the regional/carrier letter of your choice). To define x, see Sammobile for the full listing of product codes.

Will the GS6 follow the Note 4’s example with a metal frame? Or perhaps instead go all-metal?

Assuming even one or two of these spec details prove to be true, the phone already sounds amazing, and we can almost guarantee it will be running Lollipop. A blazing fast 64-bit CPU, QHD screen, 128GB of memory, all coupled with a presumed brand new design (hopefully using metal) and it’s quite possible that at this point next year, Samsung will be laughing at everyone for having the foolishness to point out its 2014 fiscal fall. Add this to rumors circulating about a 2015 Galaxy Note 10.1 (will it be metal?!) and next year can’t come soon enough.

Of course it goes without saying that these are early days and so we wouldn’t get our hopes up too much just yet. After all, past Galaxy S handsets have had numerous crazy rumors, and often enough less than half of them come true. What do you think about these purported specs? Decent? Killer? Would you upgrade to the Galaxy S6, providing the majority of this proves true?]

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge : Something Unique

VERDICT

A superb-looking handset that offers something brand-new in the market. Let's hope Samsung doesn't make the Note Edge limited edition.

Now this is interesting. There were a trickle of rumours that Samsung was going to release a unique product into the smartphone market - something that would take advantage of the company's bendable OLED displays. And it has delivered with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.

The Note Edge is a beautiful looking device that has a screen that folds over one side of the handset, offering up myriad possibilities with what to do with this extra bit or real estate.

Well, I say extra - this is the same 5.7-inch screen that's seen on the Note but an inch of it drapes over the side, ready to take care of notifications so they don't get in the way of watching full-screen video and the like.

Screen

When I first picked up the Note Edge, I did notice a slight issue. The folded part of the screen was on the wrong side for me, because I am left handed.

This meant that this extra bit of screen was in the way of my palm. But Samsung has remedied this with making the screen completely flippable. So as long as you don't mind the home button being on the top of the screen, then this is a handset for south paws as much as right-handed folk.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is fantastic in the hand. The added screen dimension makes it look and feel a lot more premium than its Note 4 bedfellow. It's definitely a handset that has wow factor, even if the added screen lip may be slightly lacking in uses at the moment.

Samsung has tried its best to make this section of the phone useable, by creating a host of OS strips that you can add to the lip of the screen. These include things like weather, Twitter, and news updates.

One great move Samsung has done is make the lip of the display work independent of the main screen.

So if the main screen is completely off, one swipe of the lip and you can see your notifications and updates. This would be a great thing in a meeting where you don't want to use your full device but want access to small updates,

Innovative display

The new screen design in my hands on simply meant that it was easier for me to access applications. Samsung also informed me that the panel will evolve, once more software partners are on board.

Another test I did to try out the innovative screen was watch a clip of a movie. As all of the controls went to the lip of the screen, the main part was completely free - the movie went completely to the edge and looked great.

The new screen is a great addition to the Note range. By this I mean that everything else bar the screen is identical to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in specs.

The screen does mean you get a 16:10 aspect ratio and Samsung did explain that the battery was a tad smaller (at 3,000) but everything else that is on the Note 4 is present and correct with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.

Features

While you can read a little more in-depth about the new features in our hands on Samsung Galaxy S4 review, here's a number of things that I thought were standout.

The chassis now has a heartrate monitor, that was originally found on the Samsung Galaxy S5. This also acts as a trigger button for the camera when you want to do selfies.

S Pen

The S Pen has also vastly improved with two extra pen styles: fountain and highlighter. You can do so much more with the S Pen too. One of the most interesting aspects is that you can now use it mouse like to take grabs from websites and set up your own clippings service.

You can also use the pen to shrink applications as you would a widget. This gives you better access to the homescreen and means you don't have to wade through a number of tabs.

Multi-tasking on the Note Edge has also been improved - with a multi window of tabs much easier to access.

Early verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Note edge is stunning-looking device that really tries to do something different. I worry that Samsung will keep the Edge strictly limited edition. I hope not because this is a handset that is great to use and looks fantastic. It really does give the Note line-up the edge over its rivals.

Lenovo Golden Warrior A8 Review

Hi guys,

I've recently bought my long anticipated Lenovo A806 or also called Lenovo Golden Warrior A8. Bought it from a patient and kind guy a Low Yat Plaza. I am a computer n mobile geek so i thought he might get mad but NO!!!! HAHA
Well so here I go, I will try to put all the honest details as this is my first ever Smartphone review. LET'S START!!

SPECIFICATIONS:

LENOVO GOLDEN WARRIOR A8
5 inch 720p HD Display Panel
1.7Ghz Mediatek Octa-Core Processor
2GB RAM
16 GB internal storage (Around 11-12GB user accessible)
13MP Camera
4G Supported in Malaysia (Celcom and Hotlink/Maxis work)

POPULAR PRICES AROUND
Get from DirectD RM520
SatuGadget RM525

PLEASE NOTE THIS DEVICE IS ONLY AP

Introduction

So the high-end called device reaches Malaysia as an AP set as Lenovo Malaysia hasn't launched it yet for Malaysia. The powerful phone feature for you a 720p HD display, 1.7GHz Octa Core Mediatek processor, 16GB internal storage combined with 2GB RAM. Since it was released in July 2014 it came pre-loaded with Android 4.4.2 KitKat I was pleased with that. Lets see how it performs on our tests.



Design
As I took out the box i found the box was a bit light than the normal Lenovo phone boxes I've had. Well... that's no problem. The device had a cheap plastic glossy back, a large camera with dual flash and a clear display. The width was a bit thick and heavy but I didn't mind because I was thinking about power  . The buttons on the side of the Lenovo A806 felt very cheap The whole phone was a finger-print magnet.

Screen

The display of the Lenovo A8 equppied with a 320dpi and the 720p HD display was a bit higher than satisfying. When I turned on the phone for the first time I hated the display immediately but luckily Lenovo built-in it's Screen Color Enhancer. After I set the colors and settings the display was awesome I felt TRUE HD on the RM500+ smartphone. Everything was very clear with good color saturation.Maybe you might not like the display on this review but in real life when you see the display it is way better than your expectations.
 

Performance

This is where the phone shines. The Lenovo A806 equipped with an Octacore 1.7GHz Mediatek processor, 2GB Ram and Mali 450MP graphics GPU is the perfect choice for a smartphone gamer. I was really impressed that the phone almost everytime has 1.4GB RAM free. The phone easily plays Subway Surfers, Minion Rush and other casual games . That's not it. It can run Dead Trigger 3 and Asphalt 8 fluently without any lag. However the shame is that it heats up quickly when playing games resulting in a lower battery life.Antutu clearly shows how good the phone is. It easy scores around the 30000 mark showing off its power abilities. Mine scored 32000.

Camera

Well the 13-megapixel shooter offers just fine qualitry. When photos are zoomed in they pixelate on the mobile. Well after optimizing the screen. The colors on the photos look great. Some time the autofocus does not work as well for some little far areas. In taking salt lamp pictures(AS IT IS MY BUSINESS) the salt lamps were looking ackward by tinting the photos purple or white but dont worry the camera is not damaged or something HAHA




The selfie camera however produces good colors but makes them blurry at times. When held at a distance for selfies that is where the front camera is good at. It produces good/decent photos.


THANKS

Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5

Europe; though as of now in Russia only. Additionally, Samsung will be preloading a Themes app for its proprietary TouchWiz UI on the Galaxy A3.

First spotted by GSMArena (via Hi-tech), the Samsung Galaxy A5 is now available to buy from various online retail sites and Samsung's online store at RUB 23,990 (approximately Rs. 27,350). Last month, the Galaxy A5 went on salein China at CNY 2599 (approximately Rs. 26,000).

The Samsung Galaxy A3, on the other hand, is currently listed as 'out of stock' on a Russian retailer and has been priced at RUB 16,990 (approximately Rs. 19,350).

Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A5 include a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) Super Amoled display; 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor; 2GB of RAM; 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel camera; 16GB built-in storage expandable via microSD card (up to 64GB), and Android 4.4.4 KitKat.

The Galaxy A3 on the other hand comes with 4.5-inch qHD (540x960 pixels) AMOLED display; 1.2GHz quad-core processor; 1GB of RAM; 16GB inbuilt storage; expandable storage support via microSD card (up to 64GB); 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; 5-megapixel front camera, and Android 4.4 KitKat. Both the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 were launched back in October.

In other news, GSMArena has reported that Galaxy A3 comes with a new Themes app for customisability of the TouchWiz UI. Notably, this is the first time that the South Korean handset maker is preloading an app for customising its proprietary UI. According to the publication, currently the Themes app on the Galaxy A3 features five themes namely Basic, Natural, Craft, Classic, and Sweet. The app allows users to change the default wallpaper, system icons, and system colours scheme as of now.

The report speculates that Samsung might preinstall the Themes app on the Galaxy A5 and the much-awaited Galaxy A7 smartphone.

HTC Desire 820 Review

The Bottom Line

PROS

• Solid build quality
• Front facing speakers
• Vivid display
• 64-bit processor

CONS

• Subpar camera
• Fairly low res for the display size
• Slippery design

8.5

HTC delivers again by bringing us a high end experience without the high end price tag.

Buy Now on Amazon.com

When it comes to mid-range devices, few seem to take more pride in build quality and design than HTC. In fact, several of HTC’s mid-range devices feel more like flagship products, even if the specs generally aren’t anywhere near that level.
In our latest review we are going to be taking look at HTC’s Desire 820, the newest mid-ranger in HTC’s stable. Does it live up to the build/design rep of HTC’s other mid-range offerings? What about the specs? Join us as we take a look.

Design

The design of the Desire 820 may look somewhat familiar to you, and with good reason, as the device is considered to be the spiritual successor to the Desire 816, which arrived earlier this year to critical acclaim. Like the 816, the 820 is still made of glossy polycarbonate with rounded corners and sides, but this time around it’s completely unibody in design, and in turn, is significantly thinner. Whether plastic or metal, HTC knows how to make a quality phone and they’ve done it again with the Desire 820.
My favorite part about the design of the 820 is the accent colors, because it really makes the phone stand out and gives it a little bit of extra flair to what would otherwise be a very plain looking phone.

The only potential downside to the Desire 820 is that it is a bit on the slippery side, though it still feels very solid and manages to be rather light considering its overall size. The phone also has some pretty big bezels, though not so massive that you’d consider them an eyesore.

Taking a look around the device, you’ll find a power button and volume rocker on the right side. The volume rocker is choked up a little higher than I would like, but the placement of the power button on the right side was a much needed improvement over the 816.

Everything else is in it’s usual place with the 3.5 mm headset jack up top, micro USB port along the bottom, and a single plastic flap on the left side that houses the SD card slot and 2 sim slots. As is typical of HTC products, there’s also Boomsound front-facing speakers, which produce extremely good sound, just like you’d expect.

Display

The Desire 820 packs a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 720p. Due to the size of the screen, the display isn’t exactly the sharpest, but the panel still looks fairly decent with a nice amount of brightness, natural and accurate colors. The viewing angles are also very good, as is outdoor visibility. Sure, the panel isn’t going to impress anyone, but — unless you are an HD buff that needs the best possible — it’s still a more than passable experience considering this is a mid-range device.

Performance

The HTC Desire 820 might be a mid-range handset but its SoC still manages to stand out for one big reason: the Desire 820 is one of the few Android devices currently on the market that offers up a 64-bit processor. The 64-bit capable Snapdragon 615 is an octa-core processor that packs a pretty solid punch, accompanied by 2GB RAM and an Adreno 405 GPU. Unfortunately, Android itself doesn’t truly support 64-bit just yet (not until Lollipop rolls on out), but at least that means the Desire 820 is a bit future proof in that regard.
Performance right now, however, is what matters most to those thinking about picking up the handset sooner rather than later. Thankfully, the Desire 820 is actually very snappy and responsive. Even though this is technically a midrange phone, the experience feels very high end. Whether it’s doing something basic like opening up apps to more demanding things like web browsing, multitasking and playing high-end games, the Desire 820 handles everything with relative ease.

Camera

Ironically, the Desire 820 actually has a higher megapixel count than the flagship HTC One M8. That said, there’s more to a good camera experience than the megapixel count. So how well does the 13MP sensor (with LED flash) handle? It depends.
You can take some pretty high res photos here with a good amount of color, at least if lighting conditions are right, though more often than not exposure and white balance are way off causing a lot of detail to be lost. Photos are either completely overexposed or underexposed causing lights to be way too bright and darks to be way too dark. HDR does help alleviate the issue some by creating a much more balanced shot and bringing out more detail. It doesn’t get much better in low light, resulting in a lot of noise, making it virtually impossible to take a usable photo in dim lighting conditions.
As for the front-facing camera? HTC pushes the selfie angle by giving the handset an 8MP camera. The end result is a pretty solid experience for a front-facing camera.

When it comes to the camera’s software, the interface hasn’t changed much from previous devices, giving us a clean interface that is easy to use, though there are some manual controls for ISO, white balance, exposure and all the usual stuff you’d expect. There are a few changes introduced with the Desire 820 though, like a couple new shooting modes such as split capture, which let’s you take a photo with the rear camera and the front camera and it stitches them together.

There’s also Photobooth and it’s exactly what you might think it is. This new mode takes several photos in succession and stitches them together just like you would get from a photo booth. Zoes is also still available but if you want to compile them you’ll have to do it through HTC’s own Zoe application.

Battery

The Desire 820 offers a 2600 mAh battery that isn’t horrible, but not exactly great either. During my testing, I found it would get anywhere between 13 to 16 hours, with 3.5 to 4 hours of screen time. In other words, the Desire 820 can make it through a full day, but that’s about it.

Software

The Desire 820 runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6, like all other modern HTC devices. Basically if you are familiar with HTC devices like the One M8, you’ll feel at home here as well. Sense is a fan favorite when it comes to custom skins, simply because its features aren’t overbearing and the experience is actually very speedy.
Some of the biggest features here include Blinkfeed, a social and news aggregator that is somewhat akin to Flipboard. You can connect to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and several other news sources. Another favorite is Zoe, as already mentioned briefly in the camera section above.

Gallery

Camera Samples

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of HTC products but don’t want to spend top dollar on a flagship product, the HTC Desire 820 is certainly worthy of your consideration. Aside from the display, the experience here is more than above average and nearly at ‘flagship’ level.
Right now there doesn’t appear to be any plans for a U.S. launch, though it isn’t that hard to find online for around $400 to $500 dollars unlocked — of course that’s not that much cheaper flagship devices like the LG G3 and HTC One M8.For those in other parts of the world, you will likely be able to get the handset for even cheaper.