Samsung Unveils Galaxy Fame Lite, Trend and Core LaFleur Editions

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung has been long rumored to plan the launch of LaFleur editions of many of its smartphones, and it appears that the company has decided to officially unveil these handsets in Russia.

Starting today, users in this country can head over to the company’s website to have a closer look at LaFleur editions of Galaxy Fame Lite, Galaxy Trend and Galaxy Core smartphones, it seems. Previously, the company was confirmed to release similar versions of the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 mini (both single- and dual-SIM variants) handsets, and they are listed online in Russia as well.

All smartphones feature the same specs as their original models, but feature a redesigned outer case. Unfortunately, as SamMobile notes, no specific info on whether these phones will be released in more markets out there has been provided until now. here are images gallery, click for larger image.

Samsung Galaxy Trend LaFleur Edition
Images credits to Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Core LaFleur Edition
Images credits to Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Fame Lite LaFleur Edition
Images credits to Samsung

Samsung releases LaFleur versions of various devices
Image credits to Samsung

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Jolla Releases Software Update 1.0.3.8 for Its Sailfish OS Smartphone

Today, Jolla has announced a new software release for the owners of its Sailfish OS-based devices, namely version 1.0.3.8.

Users should receive a notification on their devices as soon as the new OS version is available, but they will need a working Jolla account for that. However, those who have already purchased Jolla’s phone can also manually check on the availability of the new software version, by going to Settings > System Settings > About Product, pull down the pulley menu and select “Check for update.” The new release brings along a nice range of enhancements, including support for landscape mode for Browser, gestures and notifications, as well as pinch-to-zoom support in Camera viewfinder.

The release notes for the new update also include:

• SMS support in Android runtime environment
• Clearly distinguish Android apps from native apps in Store
• Settings to disable/enable Quick call support in Phone app (from Settings->Apps->Phone)
• 'Clear clipboard' functionality
• Delete all contacts in one go ( via pulley menu option in People app settings)
• Improved recovery mode functionality introducing new features such as bootloader unlocking, shell and filesystem recovery options
• Exchange ActiveSync policies introduced ('DevicePasswordEnabled' only)
• Event location support to calendar events

According to Jolla, Sailfish OS users will see that Android applications will start with a certain delay, all depending on the number of such apps that have been installed. “Wait for a bit before you attempt to launch them. If the environment has not been fully loaded, you will experience apps closing on startup,” the company notes on its support website. Following the update, users will also see a variety of other improvements loaded on their devices, Jolla claims. Those who would like to learn more on what the new software release will bring along should head over to the aforementioned page on the company’s website for a full list of changes.

Jolla pushes out new Sailfish OS update
Image credits to Jolla

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Lenovo Won’t Change Motorola’s 2014 / 2015 Device Roadmap

Soon, Motorola will cease to be a Google company, and will become part of Lenovo, the Chinese vendor that confirmed earlier this week plans to purchase the handset maker.

One of the main questions that emerged after the announcement was what would happen to the handsets that Motorola might have already had under development. Apparently, Lenovo won’t change the current device roadmap that Motorola has established for this year and the next, though things should be different starting with 2016 onwards.

Little is known on what Motorola might have in store for its users in the coming months, but the good news is that Lenovo will allow it to launch the handsets it wants to. Hopefully, upgraded versions of Moto X and Moto G will hit shelves in the not too distant future. For the next year, the vendor is rumored to plan the launch of a 6-inch smartphone, one that TalkAndroid suggests might be called Xplay.

Lenovo won't change Motorola's current device roadmap
Image credits to Motorola

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BBM for Gingerbread Leaked Available Ahead of Official Launch

BlackBerry has already confirmed plans to bring the BlackBerry Messenger to Android devices out there running under the Gingerbread version of the platform, and it seems that users can now get a taste of the application before its official release.

The app will be officially pushed to the owners of Gingerbread phones and tablets starting with the next month, but a leaked build of the software is now up for grabs online, courtesy of N4BB. The BBM for Android beta APK aimed at said devices comes with a series of interface changes, with the top bar now being black (it is grey in the BBM for Android app already available for download). Moreover, the software features a “Find Friends on BBM” option, which has already been included in the BBM for Android 2.0 beta variant. However, N4BB notes that the leaked application build does not come with BBM Channels inside. The feature was recently said to arrive on Android and iOS devices in February, alongside BBM Voice.

Moreover, it appears that BlackBerry IDs are not whitelisted in this app version, which means that anyone will be able to log in without issues. BBM for Gingerbread seems to be running fairly smoothly on Android smartphones, showing that BlackBerry has been focused on ensuring great performance with it. However, it appears that users won’t be able to install the leaked app on a PlayBook device, and that converting it to a BAR resulted in force closes. At the moment, Gingerbread powers around 21 percent of all Android-based devices out there, which means that there are millions of users who will be able to download and install BBM soon.

Those who would like to try it before the official software is made available next month should head over to N4BB for a download link. Just keep in mind that it is a leaked build, and that it is also a beta version.

BBM logo
Image credits to BlackBerry

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