Samsung Galaxy S5 Standard and Premium Editions Spotted in Benchmarks

As we're getting closer to Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 trade fair more details on Samsung's next flagship smarpthone, the Galaxy S5 continue to leak online.

The latest info on the device possibly indicates Samsung's plans to release two versions of Galaxy S5: standard and premium. The information has yet to be confirmed by Samsung, but it has been previously rumored by multiple sources. A new set of benchmark results seem to confirm it. SamMobile reports two Samsung Galaxy S5 variants have been spotted in AnTuTu benchmarks. Samsung SM-G900H and SM-G900R4 appear in AnTuTu with different specs and, obviously, different benchmark results. Judging by the specs listed in the benchmarking application the former is the standard version of Galaxy S5, while the latter should be the premium model. The premium Galaxy S5, codename SM-G900R4 is said to come equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974AC) processor clocked at 2.5GHz.

The smartphone is also packed with an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a stunning QHD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 2560 x 1400 pixels resolution. On the back the Galaxy S5 premium should boast an impressive 16-megapixel photo snapper, while in the front it should come with a 2.1-megapixel camera. The phone has been confirmed to run Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system out of the box. The standard version of Galaxy S5, codenamed SM-G900H, is rumored to come equipped with an octa-core Exynos 5422 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, a Mali-T628 graphics processing unit, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

Furthermore, the smartphone should sport a full HD (1080p) display, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2.1-megapixel secondary camera and Android 4.4.2 KitKat onboard. As the screenshots show, the Galaxy S5 premium (SM-G900R4) scored lower than the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S5 standard, but that's because it boasts an amazing QHD display which requires a much better GPU than the Adreno 330.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Premium specs
Image credits to SamMobile

Samsung Galaxy S5 Standard specs
Image credits to SamMobile

Samsung Galaxy S5 Premium benchmark results
Image credits to SamMobile

Samsung Galaxy S5 Standard benchmark results
Image credits to SamMobile

Read more »

HTC M8 Leaks Again in Live Pictures Showing Twin Camera, On-Screen Buttons

This is not the first time the upcoming HTC M8 leaks in live pictures and surely won't be the last time. In fact, this is the second time that pictures showing the alleged HTC M8 confirm the smartphone will pack twin cameras.

French blog site nowwhereelse has just published some pictures of the HTC M8 which show, once again, the twin camera of the smartphone along with its on-screen buttons. According to the latest hearsay, HTC M8 is expected to be officially unveiled during a dedicated event that will be held in New York sometime in March.

The smartphone is said to pack a 5-inch full HD (1080p) capacitive touchscreen display, a powerful 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. In addition, the HTC M8 will ship with Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system out of the box, along with HTC Sens 6.0. Stay tuned for more updates on the subject.

HTC M8 Twin Camera
Image credits to NoWhereElse.fr

HTC M8 on-screen buttons
Image credits to NoWhereElse.fr

Read more »

HTC M8 mini Specs Leak Ahead of Official Announcement

HTC has yet to go official with its next flagship smartphone codename M8 and rumors on the mini version of the unannounced smartphone have just leaked online.

According to @evleaks, HTC M8 mini will be delivered with Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system out of the box and decent 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. In addition, the smartphone is said to sport a 4.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution. On the back, the HTC M8 mini is rumored to sport a 13-megapixel photo snapper, while in the front the smartphone will pack a 5-megapixel camera.

Other highlights of the HTC M8 mini include: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, HTC Sense 6.0 and on screen buttons. No word on when exactly the smartphone will be released on the market, but stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

HTC One and One mini
Image credits to HTC

Read more »

First Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center Screenshots Leak

This is not the first time screenshots taken from Windows Phone 8.1's Notification Center leak online, but it's the first time multiple source confirm they are genuine.

The first legit images showing the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center have been published via blog site Winphollowers. Another screenshot was leaked by The Verge and all three seem to be legit, though we won't have Microsoft's confirmation until Windows Phone 8.1 goes official in a few months. The screenshots published by Winphollowers are coming from a confidential email sent between Microsoft employees, in which some of Windows Phone 8.1 are detailed, including the Action and Notification Center. Even though the said email contains more screenshots detailing other new features that will be included in the Windows Phone 8.1, only two of these showing the Notification Center have been leaked online.

As WPCentral points out, the main highlights of these screenhosts are the various options to enable / display multiple connections, such as Driving More, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Airplane Mode. For the time being, Windows Phone does not allow users to enable / disable connectivity options via some sort of quick bar, but with introduction of Windows Phone 8.1, also known as Blue, this issue will be fixed. Aside from the option to enable / disable various connections, users will also have access to Settings directly from within the Notification Center, and they will also be able to clear the notification list with the touch of a button. To the left of these screenshots, Microsoft states the “apps can intelligently manage notifications (silently add, update, and delete notifications).”

Another minor new features confirmed in these screenshots is the fact that users will be able to display the battery's percentage. Windows Phone 8.1 is expected to be officially unveiled in early April during Microsoft's Build conference, but we suspect more details on its features will continue to leak online so stay tuned for more updates.

Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center
Image credits to The Verge

Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center
Image credits to WinPholowers

Read more »

Dual-SIM Nokia X and Nokia Lumia 635 Intensively Tested in India

We expected several important announcement from Nokia later this month during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014. However, we're not sure if both Nokia X and Nokia Lumia 635 will go official at the trade fair.

According to the latest hearsay, Nokia X, also known as Normandy, will be officially introduced sometime in March, while the Lumia 635 might be part of the new Lumia series of phones launched by Nokia in the first half of 2014. Both Nokia X and Lumia 635 will be launched in two versions: single-SIM and dual-SIM. The dual-SIM models will be released in emerging markets, such as India, China and other Asian countries.

The information seems to have been confirmed as GadgetToUse reports both dual-SIM versions of Nokia X and Lumia 635 are now going under intensive testing at Nokia India. No additional details have been unveiled yet and Nokia (obviously) is still mum on the subject, but will we will keep an eye out for more info so stay tuned.

Nokia X
Image credits to evleaks

Read more »

BlackBerry to Launch Octa-Core 64-Bit Handsets by 2015

Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry is reportedly planning the launch of smartphones with the latest mobile processors packed inside, including a handset powered by an octa-core 64-bit CPU.

Previously, the vendor said that it would focus mainly on the mid-range and entry-level segments of the market, but it seems that high-end devices haven’t been removed from its roadmap either. In fact, the company was recently found to be working on a device codenamed BlackBerry Ontario, which might hit shelves with a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 processor. According to a recent article on N4BB, BlackBerry also plans to bring to shelves two new handset lineups, namely the W-series (QWERTY device) and the B-series (All-touch), and it will use the MSM8974 inside these devices as well. However, the company won’t stop here, it seems. At least one of the vendor’s upcoming smartphones will be powered by a Snapdragon MSM8994 processor, the news site notes.

This chipset sports an octa-core 64-bit architecture, while being built using the 20 nm HKMG process. It can top clock speeds of up to 2.5GHz, with each core enjoying 4MB L2 cache. On top of that, the chip promises 1600MHz 4GB RAM LPDDR3 PoP and Adreno 430 500 MHz graphics, along with features such as Pixel fill Rate 6Gpix/s, Vertex 500Mtri/s, OpenGL ES3.0, direct x11.1, and OpenCL1.2. Apparently, despite the fact that BlackBerry has seen a new management reshuffle recently, the company hasn’t canceled devices in its roadmap. 

However, there’s no specific info available on when the handset might be officially launched, nor on when it should become available for purchase. Rumor has it that the Canadian vendor will launch it by 2015, yet an official confirmation hasn’t been provided. Should the speculation above pan out, it might not be too long before some very powerful BlackBerry phones land on shelves, that’s for sure, so stay tuned to learn more on them.

BlackBerry to launch quad-core and octa-core smartphones soon
Image credits to BlackBerry

Read more »

BlackBerry Ontario Emerges in Geekbench App, Specs Unveiled

One of the smartphones that Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry might make official in the not too distant future is codenamed BlackBerry Ontario, and it seems that the device has just made an appearance in a benchmarking application.

According to the leaked info on the smartphone, users might see it launched with a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor packed inside, as well as with 2GB of RAM. Moreover, it seems that the handset will land on the market with the BlackBerry OS 10.3 platform loaded on top.

According to N4BB, chances are that this phone will arrive as a high-end device, despite BlackBerry’s focus on the entry- and mid-range segment of the market. However, there’s no telling on whether the info on BlackBerry Ontario is indeed real or not, so we’ll take it with a grain of salt for the time being.

BlackBerry Ontario emerges in benchmark
Image credits to Primatelabs

Read more »